The path fell quiet for a long while.
Pushing the wheelchair, Kakashi finally spoke.
"Hayashi," he said, "you're joking with your teacher, right?"
"Of course not," Hayashi answered without hesitation. "I've already arranged to meet him. Kakashi-sensei, just follow me."
"...When did you arrange this?"
"A couple of days ago," Hayashi said. "Originally, I wasn't planning to ask you along."
Hayashi's hand paused on the wheelchair.
"But then I thought about it," Hayashi said with a yawn. "If I slipped out alone and everyone found out afterward, they'd crowd around my wheelchair and lecture me again. I don't want everyone worrying."
Behind the wheelchair, there were a few seconds of silence.
Then came a long, long exhale.
"...All right," Kakashi said. "Whatever happens, I'll go with you."
"But Hayashi, next time something like this comes up, discuss it with me first, okay?"
"What you just said nearly scared your teacher to death."
Hayashi turned around.
Kakashi was pushing the wheelchair with one hand and pressing the other to his chest, his normally dead-fish eyes a little wider than usual.
Hayashi couldn't help laughing.
"Okay, okay." Hayashi raised both hands. "Next time, I'll report to you first. You have my word."
"That's what you said last time."
"Last time was last time."
Unable to do anything about him, Kakashi could only sigh and keep pushing the wheelchair forward.
The mountain path was much harder to navigate than the riverside.
The wheels bumped over loose stones.
When they reached a steep stretch, Kakashi lifted the entire wheelchair and carried it upward, one step at a time.
Hayashi sat securely in it.
"Kakashi-sensei," he suddenly said, "when we get there, don't attack, no matter what you hear."
"...Then tell me first. What's at the summit?"
"An old acquaintance."
Kakashi stopped asking. There was