We make it to our hotel room without further issues. Actually we make it there without talking at all which is rather impressive for our group. Basically Sasuke and I are both too embarrassed to speak and Tayuya is too smug.
Tayuya walks up to the receptionist to check in and get our room key. After a rather heated argument with the unfortunate receptionist she stomps over to us. "Boys, we have a problem."
"Oh Kami now what? I just want to be a chunin! Is that too much to ask? The exams haven't even started yet and stuff is going wrong?" I can't believe it, this is ridiculous. What can possibly be the issue?
"The Chunin Exams are bringing in a lot of spectators. Kusa is going to make all of it a public event, not just the final tournament." Tayuya explains. "Something about bringing in tourist revenue to help stimulate their economy."
Sasuke speaks up. "I don't see how that's a problem. We have masks, no one will recognize us." He's got a good point. So what if people will be watching? It isn't the spectators I'm worried about, it is the Konoha shinobi.
Tayuya rolls her eyes. "Not that idiot. The hotels have filled up. In their infinite wisdom, they saw fit to cram all of the coming shinobi into as little space as possible. Long story incredibly short, we have to share a room."
"That's the issue?" I say in disbelief. "Not a problem. You can have one bed and Red and I will share the other. Simple."
"It's not that easy. There is only one bed." Tayuya grimly informs us.
"That is a problem." Sasuke grins wickedly, even through his mask I know. Something bad is about to happen. "I don't know about Green, but I'm not willing to share a bed with you."
"You would if it was Blondie." I quickly retort before Tayuya can say yes or no. I'm morbidly curious to find out how she would reply to that.
Sasuke's body stiffens. "I thought you weren't going to bring her up."
"I thought you weren't going to imply Tayuya and I are together. You knew my terms, and you broke them. She's fair game again." Revenge is swift and sweet. "Anyways, that isn't a problem. I might have a solution, I'll tell you once we're in our room."
"No point in wasting time." Tayuya leads us to our room.
It is very minimalistic, basically a one bedroom apartment. One semi large room has the bed while the kitchen area, a couple chairs and a table are in the living room. The bathroom is connected to both of the rooms. Pretty basic, the walls are a generic white, the floor is hard and unforgiving, and there are no personal touches at all, not even hotel brand logos.
"Lovely." I say sarcastically. My room back in Sound is bigger than this. "They really scraped the bottom of the barrel."
"Alright Green. What's your brilliant solution?" Sasuke asks the moment the door is closed. "There isn't even a couch in here to use. They gave us terrible accommodations."
"Not terrible. Shitty. They gave us shitty accommodations." Tayuya growls. "You better have a damn good idea."
Sasuke and Tayuya look at me expectantly. If there wasn't pressure before there certainly is now. "I'm going to make us hammocks."
"Hammocks." Sasuke blandly says. "How?"
I grin. In hindsight I can't expect my facial expressions to communicate anything while we're here. "Summoning Jutsu: Weaver!" I slam my hand on the floor.
POOF
Once the smoke clears we are treated to an interesting sight. A large orb-weaver spider, easily the size of a bulldog, appears before us. It is wearing a bright purple scarf around its... neck? I think that's the neck, it's the part where the head joins the abdomen. The scarf matches its body colors surprisingly well, it compliments the arrays of blacks and yellows in a very pleasant way. It is really throwing me for a loop, I didn't know that the Spiders used clothing of any kind.
"Summoner! The Summoner!" It happily scuttles over me me and extends one of its legs out to me. "It is a pleasure to finally meet you! Oh the girls back home will be so jealous when I tell them I met you first!"
I gingerly shake its hairy leg, no need to be rude. "Please, call me Alvarcus. Actually, if I'm wearing my mask call me Green or Summoner. Otherwise my name will do just fine."
The spider recoils from me in shock. "I would be honored." She, I'm assuming it's a she, bows deeply. "I insist you call me by my name as well. I am Murasakino."
"Murasakino, as nice as it is to chat, I summoned you for a task. Are you up for it?"
"Of course! Whatever you need! If I can't do it I'll find someone who can!" She eagerly assures me.
I kneel down so I'm closer to her eye level. "I think this is right up your alley. See, we kinda got shortchanged on our room for the next five days. There are three of us but only one bed. Could you make us two hammocks?"
She flounders about, scurrying back and forth. "Oh I am so unprepared! I didn't bring any materials with me, I only have my own silk!"
"I'm sure that will be fine, if it is half as good as what I'm wearing there will be no issues." I try to calm her down. It isn't that big of a deal, we just need somewhere to sleep that isn't the unforgiving floor.
"Half as good!" She's offended. I offended her? Oh great. "I made the scarf you're wearing, it will be at least as good as that, if not better. I take great pride in my work, thank you!"
Time to play peacemaker. "You made my scarf? I have no worries at all then! Wonderful job on it by the way. It is much better than I expected, and I had very high standards."
Her eyes light up in joy. All eight of them. "You like it? Really?"
"Of course. I'm even considering making scarfs a permanent part of my attire." I tenderly loosen it from around my neck, showing her the front part of my scar. "I get a lot less looks from strangers, I never realized how much attention my scar attracted."
"Oh you poor thing." She comes close to examine it, softly placing a leg on my shoulder an pulling me down closer to her. Hmm, maybe I should have kept it hidden? "How did that happen?"
I chuckle darkly. "Crazy nut-job with a big ass sword."
"Did you kill him for what he did to you?" She seriously asks me.
I chuckle in humor this time. "Not yet, but he is on my people to kill list." Actually, I might be able to sway Kisame to our side. He's in Akatsuki because he genuinely believes he's helping the world move towards peace, I could tell him what is really going on. Plus I think he likes me, he did only go through one heart. "We've become distracted! Could you get those hammocks up for us?"
"Oh dear, you're right. I'll get right on that!" Murasakino scurries over to one of the corners and climbs up around 75 centimeters and starts spinning a web. Sasuke, Tayuya and I all watch in silence. It is a very interesting thing to watch, she's expertly crafting what is shaping up to be a very nice looking hammock. She's even weaving patterns into it!
Only a brief ten minutes later she is done with the first. Ten minutes after that she finishes the second. We now have two very sturdy and pretty hammocks in the room, one in each corner. Say what you will about her personality, but that spider can work.
"All done!" She happily calls out to me. "Did you need anything else? Another scarf perhaps? Oh, I know! Ten more scarfs! All different colors too, I can make them varying lengths and widths. You'll have one for every occasion. Formal wear, casual wear, combat wear. I could even weave in a wire and you can use it to strangle opponents!"
"No thank you, I still need to break this one in. I will let you know if I change my mind!" She's rather bubbly, I can see why I got so many clothes on my first order. If all of the weavers are like her I got off lucky. "Tell the others I like their work, they did an excellent job."
"Of course! I best be off then, the others must be wondering where I am!" Without any more fanfare Murasakino poofs back to the Nest.
"Well that was eventful. Dibs on this one!" I rush over and throw myself onto the hammock farthest away from the front door. "Oh... this is very nice." I have plenty of space. I can sprawl out as much as I want to. It's perfect, better than I imagined. I'll have to do this for every campsite, this is way better than the ground.
"Green?" Tayuya says timidly. I look over at her and Sasuke. They both seem deeply disturbed, Tayuya is visibly pale and I'd bet good money that Sasuke is too under his mask. "Can you not do that with me here next time?"
"What? Why?" I'm confused, what is wrong with Murasakino? She was kind the entire time and made us hammocks!
Tayuya openly stares at me in disbelief. "Because that was terrifying. You summoned a giant spider to make you a hammock? Did you not see it?"
"Her." I narrow my eyes. "Yes, I saw her."
"I can barely stand Mister Spider, and it dwarfs him!"
"Careful." I warn her in a cold tone. "You're coming dangerously close to insulting my summons, insulting me."
She has the decency to look ashamed. "You're right. Sorry, I wasn't ready to see him."
"Her." Sasuke corrects. Interesting, maybe he isn't as repulsed as I thought. "Murasakino is a her." He even knows her name, I'm impressed. "Whether or not you like her, at least be civil and courteous. Who knows, the Spiders might save your life one day." He turns to me. "That being said, a warning next time would be nice."
...
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