Naru blew out a shaky breath she didn't realize she'd been holding and straightened her back, watching the so-called warlock for a few more seconds before turning around to face Kurama and Sasuke.
Both of them were standing in the middle of the fifty men who had challenged them earlier. Sasuke was bleeding from a cut over his left eyebrow, and the bruise on the side of his head had turned dark purple. Kurama, on the other hand, seemed perfectly fine, but that may have been because it was hard to tell his own blood apart from the rest that soiled his hair and clothes.
With a satisfied smirk, Naru walked up to them. "You got your bow, right?" she asked Sasuke, who nodded in response. "Alright, let's get out of here."
"What about her, cap'n?" Kurama asked and glanced at Kouki. "Yer gonna leave her like that?"
Naru nodded and none too gently patted him on the shoulder as she strode past him. "She won't attack this village again," she said. "She won't dare."
Kurama sighed and threw one last glance at Kouki before following after Naru. "What're we gonna do now?" he asked.
"First, we go back to Satsuki's house, tell her we succeeded. Then we... we should..."
Naru blinked rapidly. Her legs were starting to feel weak, and her entire body was becoming sluggish. She stopped walking and leaned against the mountain wall as the horizon started turning sideways. She wanted to rub her eyes to get rid of the blur in her vision, but her arms wouldn't listen to her.
"Cap'n?"
Kurama was standing next to her, but his voice sounded distant. Slowly, Naru dropped to the ground, her vision going dark.
"What's happening?" Sasuke asked and crouched down next to her.
"Must be the poison," Kurama stated. "That li'l warlock must've mixed somethin' else inta yer poison, and the antidote didn't remove that effect. C'mon, yer gonna hafta carry him down."
Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "Why can't you?" he asked.
"Ya got more muscle." Sasuke seemed surprised, an obvious sign he'd failed to pick up the sarcastic tone, and he instantly crouched down so Kurama could position Naru properly on his back.
"He can rest at my house," Sasuke said when they reached the base of the mountain. "I'll go get medicine from the village doctor, and you can go tell my old lady... whatever it was you wanted to tell her."
"Arite, duckass."
When Naru woke up a few hours later, the sun was already starting to rise. "'S it mornin'..?" she slurred and sat up. Her body felt light and refreshed, but she was still a bit disoriented.
"Ya awake now, sweetheart?"
Naru looked around and found Kurama sitting on a small table in the middle of the room. "I think so," she said and looked around. "Where are we?"
"Duckass' place," Kurama said. "He brought ya here after ya fainted."
"The poison, huh..." Naru swung her legs over the edge of the bed and stood up. She felt a little shaky in the legs, but other than that, she was in perfect shape. "Where's Sasuke?" she asked, noticing the archer's absence.
"Went ta the village ta... ta do somethin'. I wasn't payin' attention."
Naru chuckled and bent over to stretch her legs. "When is he coming back?" she asked.
The room was silent for a few seconds before Kurama answered. "I know what yer thinkin'," he said. "Got any idea how ta convince him?"
A smile ghosted over Naru's lips. "You'll have to wait and see," she said. "Now, let's go to the crossroads. He'll pass by the sign on his way home."
"Arite."
They left the house after Naru once again plugged her nose to avoid the horrifying smell. "Didn't you get injured at all up there?" Naru pointed to the tip of the mountain when they exited the forest.
"Nope," Kurama said smugly. "Small fry like that ain't strong enough ta even get close."
Naru hummed and offered Kurama a crooked smirk. "You're pretty confident," she stated. "How did Sasuke seem in combat?"
"He's pretty shitty with a knife," Kurama chuckled smugly. "But I saw him usin' his bow earlier, and he's got next ta perfect aim."
"Good." When they reached the sign, Naru hoisted herself up on it and sat down on the top. She inhaled the fresh air and sighed in content. From up here, she could see the village.
"I think I see him," she said and squinted her eyes. A figure had just stepped out of the nearest house, which Naru knew was Satsuki's. The figure stood by the door for a few moments before looking around and heading in their direction.
Naru rested her head in her hands. "Could you be quiet while I talk to him?" she asked Kurama, who was leaning against the sign underneath her. "I don't think your sarcasm isn't gonna help much here."
Kurama snorted. "How mean, sweetheart..."
"We agreed that nickname was only okay to use on the ship."
"We don't have a ship."
"Ha! Then you can't call me that until we get a ship!"
"Ya play dirty, cap'n," Kurama chuckled.
Naru didn't answer. Instead, her attention focused on Sasuke, who had just appeared on the trail. "Sasuke!" she called and jumped down from the sign.
The archer looked up in surprise, and he raised his hand when he noticed who had spoken. "Hey," he said when he got close enough. "I didn't think you'd be up yet."
"I'm as good as new," Naru grinned. She noticed Sasuke had his precious bow strapped around his chest, and she leaned to the side to get a good look at it. "Does it work as it should?" she asked. "Kouki didn't damage it in any way, did she?"
"Nah, she was just after the poison I had stored inside of it," Sasuke said. "I don't think she even knew how much the bow was worth."
"That's good."
A brief silence settled between them for a few moments, and Naru noticed Sasuke was like a different person now that he had his bow back. He wasn't looking nearly as aggravated as before, but he seemed to be chewing on the words in his mouth.
"Sasuke—"
"I really owe you, you know?" Sasuke interrupted, his eyes suddenly glued to his feet.
Naru smiled softly. "I said you didn't need to thank us," she said.
"Yeah, I do," Sasuke argued, the usual frown appearing on his face. "This bow means more to me than my life, so... so if I didn't thank you for getting back what means the most to me, I..." He sighed and glanced up at Naru. "I owe you my life," he said and bowed his head. "Thank you."
Slightly at loss for what to say, Naru tied her hands behind her head and leaned back. She worried her bottom lip for a few seconds, and slowly a mischievous grin began stretching her lips. "Alright then," she said gravely and placed both her hands on Sasuke's shoulders. "If you want to return the favor, come with us to the Grand Line."