Arcobaleno: Mercenary

Skull appreciates the little things. The way that things are changing and adjusting and the roles that they're slowly learning to fill. Maybe none of them really get along, but they have learnt to slowly work together. Learnt to be something. And as time's marched onwards he's learnt more about his own role. As the lackey, as the medic, as the weakest of the strongest seven.

They're nothing like a family, they're just barely a facsimile of a team. But it's much better than it was originally. And Skull is not so oblivious to not understand that part of it is because he's still some kind of glue. Some kind of joining point, even if it's a somewhat negative one. Because pretty much the entirety of the rest of the Arcobaleno just seem inclined to pick on him. Pointing him out as the 'weakest' and the 'lackey' and pushing him into the position that he's in now. And yet, he's twistedly amused that Verde and Viper at least can't stand other people attempting to treat them. They'll accept no other, and it reminds him of something from before.

Something that he knows Rin complained about at least once.

Shinobi and trust don't go very well together. And many as they grew up became more and more difficult to treat, because they wouldn't trust their medic. And now it would seem that he's the trusted medic. He's the one who they trust to patch them up despite the fact that he admitted at the beginning that he only barely knew the basics. And he can tell that the other Arcobaleno are slowly shifting the same way. Because of how it's all been set up. But recently he's noticed a shift. Because they're no longer all going on requests together, or even at all in the case of Verde who's buried himself in his lab.

Not that Skull really expected them to work together, not for long. Especially now that Luce is a non-entity. It's actually somewhat upsetting, because they're all just drifting away from one another. Back into patterns that they probably had prior to the curse being applied. And he can't just slip back into the pattern that he had. Because to do so he really does need to be older, bigger. No one will take him seriously as a stuntman in the state that he's currently in... and yet he pauses at the thought. One gloved hand approximately over his chin. Reborn gets taken seriously... and people have been taking him seriously in the classes he's been taking to learn how to actually treat people properly as a medic. Which is really strange considering his in the body of a fucking three year old.

Must be some sort of weird perception filter that people here just have. Which considering the bullshit he's seen pulled, and pulled himself isn't too much of a stretch but seriously. There's still no way that he can return to his stunting in this state.

But what else is he good at? What else can he do?

Missions...

It's what he's used to.

It's familiar. If anything else, it'll be a distraction.

Something that he knows and understands. Yet he narrows his eyes behind his helmet, and doesn't simply rush to find anyone who'll hire him. He'll have to make some ground rules first. Because there are some things that he's learnt the Mafia does that he just won't do. Ever if he can help it. At the top of that list is Human Trafficking. Shinobi have standards. And he also refuses to even consider taking out hits on children.

Not the least because it feels incredibly awkward considering the state that he's currently in.

It just not going to happen.

Not after recovering the few memories he has. It's just weird, and he doesn't want to actually deal with that. Or force anyone else to deal with that. Too young, they were all just... too young.

And the war drowned them...

And now he's here, in the body of a three year old still drowning, still lost and with no way of knowing if the sacrifice that he remembers making, if Obito's death was enough to do anything. To change the flow of the war. That place was a game changer, he knows this, he understands this. But he has no way of knowing how it turned out. Whether it was for nothing. Or if it was his shining moment.

He remembers the pain on their faces, the tears, and the agony.

He refuses to put others through that pain where it comes to their children. He refuses to take away children. And he refuses to force anyone into the dark, dark world of human trafficking. He'll be an assassin, he'll take hits and jobs, he'll steal, he'll lie, and fight in the shadows, maybe smuggle drugs if he has to. But he point blank refuses to sink to that level. Even if he's the right height for it.

Or seemingly anyway.

But definitely not. He refuses.

It's familiar.

Take a mission, complete it, report back and move on to the next.

With a lot less fetch quests, gardening and other various D-Ranks. And there's a distinct lack of babysitting. Regardless of how much of an issue his size would cause.

But it's through this shift that he starts to attract attention. Various mafia families, sitting up and taking notice of him. Especially since he's making himself visible, and isn't able to get quite the reputation like Reborn's Greatest Hitman. Or even the reputation that the others have. So he's got to deal with people attempting to snatch him up as he's an unaligned cloud.

Apparently that's something pretty big, special and important.

But none of these skies who're attempting subtlety are even worth a second's glance. So he doesn't waste his time on them. Except dodging them. Ducking around their attempts to catch him in a net and keep him tied to them.

The worst ones are the ones who put out a mission, and when he finishes it. When he comes in to get paid they pelt him with their sky flames, trying to harmonize. It's more annoying than the others, because the others he can avoid. These ones though, they force him to come to them, and then try to control him. And he refuses to be controlled by them, making it quite clear with his eyes flaring a brighter purple and his flames flickering over his skin. Warning.

He refuses to be tied to anyone who thinks that they can get him as some kind of trophy.

In the meantime, between missions, he attends all the medical courses he can and spends time working with Oodako, figuring out their techniques all the more. Until finally he's comfortable taking the octopus with him.

Having a companion on his mission.

It's nice, really. Because Oodako points out things that he doesn't always initially notice. And the octopus can get into places that he can't. Much more flexible. It's useful. And he starts to get more of a reputation. He starts to make a name. He starts to get a bit more known, even if he's still considered the Weakest of the Arcobaleno. Even if he's still the Lackey and the Civilian, he's now getting known for being able to do some of the more ridiculous jobs.

All because Oodako can help him.

It feels good.

Honestly, he misses Konohagakure.

When he takes a moment to stop and simply rest in the forests, he feels the ache of his lost home and former life quite clearly. It's here that he curls up and just tries to remember for a while. Because the memories are getting clearer, but they're not. He had a team, a family, a small boy with bright eyes and a smile.

I promise, we'll get dango when I get back...

He shakes his head, hissing for a moment at the wafting memory. Oodako burbles something and he pushes a smile onto his face. Because he can't go back, he can't get back there since there's no way for him to get there. At least not via any of the methods that he currently knows. And since it's not on any map...

He takes a deep breath, leaning back against the tree and simply staring.

Staring off into the distance and wondering, how did he come to be in the snow? How did he get here? How did he survive(if he did)? How? How? How? The questions circle and circle in his head with no answers. And he wouldn't know where to begin looking. Oodako makes a curious noise, and he blinks rapidly before looking down at the small octopus and sighing.

"It's nothing buddy... just... wondering some things..." He shakes his head rapidly, making sure Oodako is secure before standing up and pulling his helmet back on. "Now, what was our mission here again..." as much as he loves the forest he can't exactly afford to get too distracted. Not when he has a purpose. Oodako burbles, waving one tentacle with a slip of paper around.

Gently he takes the paper and peers down at it.

Pretty straight forwards.

Investigate some disappearances that have been going on in the area. He can do that. And while the job doesn't say anything about him actually helping find those missing people, or cleaning out the problem. He might bend the rules just a little bit and do so if only so that he can feel better about things.

He just wonders though, why it had to be in a forest.

"Well, you ready Oodako?" the octopus makes a sound and he nods his head. "Let's do this then..." He takes another deep breath and stretches, before he moves. And it's like being home, it's like being there for a moment. Except that he can't go running up trees, and he can't go flying through the air, doesn't really have any weapons with him(unless he counted Oodako). But for a moment it's enough. And he laughs free and wild, before stopping. Slowing down and peering around.

Cautious.

This part of the forest is different. And there's a feeling in the air. Something that he can almost recognise, and then it's gone. He shakes his head as Oodako starts to wiggle on his back, making noises of distress. Something's changed. And for a moment it's like he's waking up again, with fog in his head and no idea where he is, who he is. And there's a dull ache, a memory half registered.

He startles back, darting away to escape the feeling, eyes going wide behind the visor of his helmet. Oodako makes a hissing noise, and he grits his teeth, fisting his tiny hands.

That was not pleasant. Not one bit.

But it's familiar.

Like the crystal gem on the cord that he's still wearing around his neck. Curious he tugs it out from its hiding place and peers at it slightly curious. Because if this energy is able to be felt not just in the gem but also at random in strange places around the world... That says something. He's not sure what, but it says something.

There's a noise somewhere behind him and he spins around as Oodako makes a warning noise. His flames flare and he's ready to defend himself...

There's nothing there. No one, and yet he can still hear people. Here movement, but there's nothing to see. And tentatively, he reels his flames in, before reaching out in a kind of probing way with them. Nothing.

It's strange, and he doesn't know what to think about it, especially because Oodako is clearly reacting to the sounds.

Finally he decides that it would be best to back away.

There's something wrong. Something off, and he doesn't like it. So he pulls his flames in, holds Oodako close and runs back to his motorcycle. He doesn't waste time, fastening Oodako into his compartment, modified for safety of course and booking it. He's not going to wait around, for whatever's causing people to disappear. It might be ghosts.

Nope, he's not going to spend even a second longer in this forest.

So he speeds away, not daring to glance back even as he hears laughter and voices that are almost familiar.

It's not worth it.