Human Value || Kakuzu

Ch. 2 - He's A Growing Boy

"Ugh it's so friggin' hot out here!" Risa complained as she fanned her face. "My skin's meltin' off my body with every second."

It had been four years since the two officially started working together as partners and they had risen in their ranks quite fast for anyone their age. This was a feat for a twelve and thirteen year old. If they continued their good work, they'd be promoted from chunin to jonin in no time.

"If you closed your mouth, it wouldn't be so hot." Kakuzu retorted as he focused his eyes on their target. If it hadn't been for their guarding task at hand, she probably would've hit him with the first thing she could get her hands on. For a second, compromising the mission didn't seem all that bad.

Usually when someone says something he doesn't agree with, she noticed Kakuzu may make a face but he won't say anything. Whenever she said the slightest thing though, he always had a comeback.

"No compassion whatsoever." She grumbled as she crossed her arms. When she was finally given the signal, Risa formed a hand sign and her vines extended through the ground, then broke through the surface, entrapping their subject in a matter of seconds. "Ya know, it wouldn't kill ya to be nicer to me. Hey! I'm talking to ya!"

Kakuzu quickly left her behind, approaching the man they'd been tailing for over an hour now. If he stayed, she'd have kept rambling and he didn't feel like listening to her.

"Who are you and what business do you have here?"

"Damn brats. It'd be in your best interest to let me go before things get crazy." The man sneered, most likely delirious. He would've continued his empty threats, but the vines around his body tightened, causing him to choke. If that wasn't enough to stunt his response, the young male appeared in front of him with a kunai pressed dangerously close to one of the carotid arteries in his neck.

"It'd be in your best interest not to come back."

Risa frowned and released her jutsu, causing the male to run while he had the opportunity. It didn't help that the man had rags for clothes and looked like he hadn't taken a bath in ages. Kakuzu would've gone after him, but his partner grabbed his wrist so he wouldn't run off too. After the male was out of sight, Kakuzu pulled his arm out of the girl's grasp and rolled his eyes.

"You're too soft."

"He wasn't even armed."

"You don't even know if he was alone or not."

"My intuition said that man was a straggler with nowhere to go and no one to turn to. Obviously he just happened to stumble over here. You could tell just by looking at him."

Kakuzu narrowed his eyes. "Anyone who's not from the village is a threat. We treat them as such." Brushing past her, he walked back to their post. Soon, it would be time to switch so they could go home.

Risa rolled her eyes and followed him. It was her village too and she knew how to inspect possible enemies. The problem with the boy in front of her was that he was so quick to judge and let his temper take precedence. She was starting to get tired of his prideful attitude and wanted to take it down a few notches, which she knew was exactly why they were paired off together by the village head.

When they were relieved, the two went to the watering hole to cool off. Risa sat next to the stream and took off her shoes before sticking her feet in. Kakuzu took off his shirt and completely immersed himself in the water, but his partner refused to look at him, still pissed at his comments earlier.

"You were the main one complaining about the heat and now you aren't even cooling off." The male waded over towards her. Risa merely crossed her arms and turned her head away from him in response. "Are you on your cycle or something?"