"Are you sure you'll be okay like that?"
Naru rolled her eyes and snorted. "For the third time, yes," she said. "Cats lick their wounds to help the mending process, right?"
"But you're not a cat," Sasuke said and wrinkled his nose as Naru dragged her tongue over her palm.
"No, but right now, my tongue is that of a cat's," Naru said and lolled out her tongue at him. "It feels just like a cat's, wanna try it?"
"Do I want to—what the hell?!" Sasuke sputtered and backed several steps. "I'm not gonna touch your tongue!" he hissed.
Naru released a bark of laughter. "You're way too fun to mess with," she said. Without giving Sasuke the chance to respond, she leaned back against the mountain wall. "You see anything, Kurama?" she called.
After the battle against Ginko and Kinko, Naru and Sasuke had found a secluded spot to rest while Kurama was keeping watch. They needed to keep a low profile for a while, in case someone came down to see where the twins had gone off to.
"Nothin' so far, cap'n," Kurama's voice came from high above them. "Doesn't look like anyone's comin' ta check on those two."
"How heartless," Naru scoffed and resumed the healing of her hands. She could feel Sasuke's eyes constantly staring at her, and it slowly started getting annoying. "Don't look at me like that," she finally sighed. "You want to get your bow back, right?"
"Of course I do!" Sasuke sounded downright offended.
"Well, this speeds up the recovery," Naru said and waved her hand in front of his face. "See, it's already getting better."
As much as Sasuke would've wanted to deny it, the wounds had stopped bleeding all together. They looked like old cuts someone had properly taken care of.
"Alright, alright," he said and turned the other way. "Just tell me when you're done, I don't wanna have to look at it."
"Who would've thought a hunter could be so prude..."
"I am not!"
Naru quickly reached over Sasuke's shoulder and covered his mouth. "We're supposed to be hiding," she said quietly. "Don't raise your voice like that."
Sasuke quickly squirmed out of her hold. He didn't say anything, but he glared at Naru's hand as if it had just insulted him.
"Better," Naru said and looked around. "Now, once Kurama gets down, we'll be on the move..."
Barely had those words left her lips before Kurama landed on a large rock next to her. "I don't think anyone's comin'," he said. "The way up is clear."
"Good." Naru shook both of her hands a few times before grinning widely. "As good as new," she hummed. "Alright, let's get moving."
They left the hiding spot and followed the path Kurama pointed out for them. As they climbed higher, a somewhat eerie fog started forming around them. Naru kept her ears and nose constantly active to make sure they wouldn't be the victims of a surprise attack.
"So, Sasuke," she said to break the building tension. "You said Noroi curses people. How exactly...?"
"I'm actually not sure," Sasuke said. "She comes down from the mountain every now and then, and every person she comes across falls ill. There are never any wounds, and our doctor has no idea what could cause it. So, the villagers came to the conclusion she must be a warlock."
"There must be some kind of trick," Naru said absentmindedly. "Magic doesn't exist."
"This coming from the one who can transform into an overgrown cat?"
Naru laughed dryly. "Devil's Fruits are not magic," she said.
"Couldn't the warlock be usin' an ability?" Kurama asked. "Like a Noroi Noroi no mi..."
"I've... never actually thought about that," Sasuke admitted. He looked somewhat puzzled for a few seconds before returning to reality. "That would be really bad, wouldn't it? To be able to curse people to the left and right..."
An uncomfortable silence settled between them. They had gotten quite high up by now, and the fog made it difficult to see further than a few feet ahead. The route they were taking was steadily taking them closer and closer to the top of the mountain, where they hopefully would find Sasuke's bow.
And the warlock.
"Can you hear something?" Naru mumbled after minutes of climbing.
They all stopped walking. Both Kurama and Sasuke looked at Naru with perked curiosity. "I think... I can hear a fire," Naru said and cupped her hands around her ears. "Like a campfire or something..."
She started moving towards the sound, careful not to step on anything that could inform the enemy they were here. "Around the corner here..."
Naru gestured for Kurama and Sasuke to stand still. She inhaled deeply, trying to catch scent of any enemies. When no smell at all reached her nose, she narrowed her eyes and, as soundlessly as she could, she peeked around the corner.
A spacious opening in the middle of the mountain stretched out in front of her. The mountain formed walls around the opening, perfectly hiding it from any onlookers. A large bonfire kept the fog away and lit up the opening. Dark cauldrons were placed along the walls, each with their own strangely colored substance.
"There's no one here," Naru stated and stepped out of her hiding. The place was empty, without even a sign of anyone living here for a while. "I don't think this is—"
"My bow!"
Sasuke dashed past Naru towards the mountain wall, where the ornate bow was hanging. He carefully grabbed the handle and took it down, holding it in his hands as if he was afraid it would explode. The string was gone, but other than that, it seemed untouched.
"Finally..." Sasuke mumbled and ran his hand over the sleek curves of the metallic weapon.
"Arite, now that he's got his bow back, we're free ta leave, right?" Kurama asked. "There ain't no warlock around here ta beat up, so..."
"Well, then let's wait for her to return," Naru said and moved along the cauldrons, curiously peeking into each one. "It's none of our business, but I don't feel like letting the warlock get away with cursing people."
The lines of Kurama's smile instantly became more well-defined, but he didn't say anything. Naru frowned at the change in his expression and crossed her arms over her chest. "Say what's on your mind, Kurama," she said. "I might be the captain, but I'll still listen to my comrades."
"Nah, I was just thinkin'," Kurama said and rolled his shoulders. "Ya really are a weird kind of pirate."
"What do you mean, 'weird'?"
"Fer starters, a pirate would'a taken this katana from that ol' lady and walked away without even thinkin' of helpin' duckass over there." He nodded in Sasuke's direction. "Now ya wanna defeat someone who's got nothin' ta do with yer future journey?"
Naru furrowed her brow and tilted her head to the side. "Does that make me weird?" she asked.
"Fer a pirate, it does."
"Are you speaking from experience?"
Kurama sighed. "I've never met a pirate before," he said. "But from what I heard, they're supposed ta be heartless bastards."
Naru chuckled. "Well, that doesn't sound so nice, does it?" she said and grinned. "I don't feel like being a heartless bastard, so I'm sticking to what I'm doing."
"That exactly makes ya weird, cap'n."
"Oi!"
Sasuke came dashing up to them, a concerned expression plastered on his face. "I think something's coming," he mumbled and looked over his shoulder.
Although she couldn't hear anything out of the ordinary, Naru felt it too. The presence of someone else, lurking in the shadows around them.
"Be on your guard," she said.
A cold breeze sent a shiver down her spine, and suddenly a high-pitched, girly voice echoed throughout the opening.
"One, two, three, one, two, three, wonder who the cursed will be."