It hadn't rained the night before she left. Mitsuki had hired people to saw through the row of thick copper pipes behind the schoolhouse and haul them away. The cut edges had been polished smooth, like sections of old chimneys trimmed short. Serina crouched on the steps, packing so slowly that she hardly looked like someone catching the transport early the next morning.
The Steel Ruler wrapped in insulating tape, the blood-drawing needle swabbed with alcohol three times, the half-roll of bandages left over from the Sunagakure camp, the apology letter Yeka had later sent through someone, the little bag of brown rice the old woman had forced on her-she arranged them one by one in the canvas medical bag washed nearly white, more neatly than when she first arrived. Only the Broken Watch gave her pause. Instead of putting it in the hidden compartment, she fastened it inside the outermost side pocket.
Mitsuki leaned against the courtyard gate with his arms folded, watching her dawdle.
"You pack exactly like Haruno did when she was younger," he said. "The farther you're traveling, the more you stare into space beforehand. As if packing two extra rolls of gauze could help you bear a little more."
"I'm worried I'll forget something." Serina stopped halfway through zipping the bag. "Yeka's letter from the dam district has to be archived. Those are the rules."
"Leave it with me." Mitsuki came over, took the letter, and folded it. Instead of leaving right away, he crouched to meet her eyes. "Something serious-you've heard that 'bell' from the Silence-Sound Sect again these past two days, haven't you?"
Serina didn't look up. She rolled the zipper pull between her fingers.
"A little after three last night. Half a chime. Nothing threatening." Her voice was level. "Like a little