[OP: "Rio Grande"--The Oh Hellos]

"Maybe it's good in a way," the older clerk ventured. She'd known Mabui a long time, since she came in here often. "Your job is your entire life, ever since--well, maybe it's good to branch out a bit. Being an assistant forever never suited someone with your talents...your family's also."

"I'm not looking for a career change right now." Mabui took her purchases. "With the current economy, we're lucky if we have jobs, let alone new ones. It will be a long time before any of us get promoted."

"I wouldn't be too sure," the older clerk, whose name was Hana, if you ever remembered to call her by it, just shrugged. "We'll need someone who's willing to travel, if the peace is established, won't we? Perhaps Lord Ay is hoping they'll like you."

"I'm not anxious to travel either." Mabui hoped no one else was listening to this conversation. She thought Hana meant nothing by it, but...

"You seem tense," the younger clerk said, still tactlessly. "Is it because of those rumors? Because I heard that--"

"I need to go," Mabui interrupted and walked away.

Of course, doing that would just look worse, but what could she tell them anyway?

She caught Dabi watching her when she left the store though...like he'd seen the whole thing. But no way he'd heard it, right?

She stepped outside and crossed her arms and tapped her foot. Something about that man was...too observant. She didn't like it... He seemed like an idiot when he spoke, but he didn't miss a thing, clearly.

Maybe she was wrong to assume all this was just to intimidate her... What if it was also trying to get information?

That would explain a lot...

Maybe she had a spy set on her.

She didn't think Miss Likstar would have called it that though...but that did seem like a solid tactic.

Ay wouldn't like it if he thought that was happening...but if it was, didn't that prove they didn't trust her?

Why would they? She'd known this idea would never work.

But what would happen if it didn't...? What if the peace mission fell apart before it even truly began?

[I hate this kind of pressure when it's on me. Can you imagine?]

* * *

Dabi, not to be so easily deterred, sauntered up to the counter.

The clerks eyed him with curiosity.

"What Village are you from?" the young one asked bluntly.

So much for tact, Dabi though.

"Oh, it's remote," he said vaguely. "I doubt you'd even recognize the name if I told you."

"Try us," the older clerk said.

"They call it Rising Sun." Dabi used the nickname for Japan.

Which must not have been a real name in this world, because they didn't seem to recognize it.

"That's a nice name," the clerk said. "Sounds cheerful... Is that in the Land of Wind, Fire, Water, or Earth?"

"It's in the land in the East," Dabi said. "Very, very far east."

"I didn't know there were shinobi farther that way then the land of Water," the older clerk said warily.

"Life is full of surprises, isn't it?" Dabi said drolly.

"Mabui is so lucky," sighed the younger clerk. "Her job is so much more interesting than ours."

"It's unprofessional to complain to the customers," the older clerk said. "Forgive her, she's new."

"Oh, don't mind me," Dabi said, with the same careless tone he used to answer questions from the police with. "I get it, this is boring. I'm sure being the assistant to the Kage is much flashier."

"It is when you get to hang around foreign people." The young girl had the makings of a true xenophile from the sound of it. "I mean, everything is the same here... I like my Village and all, but, the shinobi get to go outside it and see the world. That sounds a lot more fun."

She kind of sounded like Hanabi actually.

Maybe she was just clueless, Dabi thought. Not pretentiously blunt.

"Which Land was the most interesting?" the clerk persisted.

"Oh, hard to say." Dabi didn't want to give them that information. "Maybe this one will be, who knows? What do you guys have to do around here?"

"A lot of things," the clerk said. "But word of advice...do not go to Lord Bee's concerts. I got pressured into it by his students, and that was the longest night of my life. And my date was such a drag too..."

"Don't talk about it too much," the older clerk said.

"I see you and Mabui have the same idea of professionalism," Dabi said.

The clerk wiped the counter and then nodded. "She's very professional. Just like her whole family has always been. You couldn't ask for a better guide to the Village. I hope you appreciate that. Lord Ay pulled her off some big project to help your team."

"And with all those rumors, too," the tactless one said.

"Hush," the older one said. "Not in polite company."

"What rumors?" Dabi pressed anyway. "It's fine, I won't pass it on."

Which was a lie.

"Sorry, I can't," the tactless one said. "Hana-san is right, it's not appropriate. It slipped out."

"The important thing is that I support her," Hana said, firmly. "I won't have anyone speak badly of her in my establishment."

"She is our best customer," the tactless one joked.

Hana shot her a look.

"Sorry...I know, family honor..." the other said.

"You're related?" Dabi didn't see any resemblance. Hana had darker hair and was darker in skin tone, and her eyes were black.

But she shook her head. "No, family friend. Sort of. But that's personal business. I don't discuss it with customers, no offense."

"Between you and me, lady, you're the least offensive character we've met so far," Dabi said.

Not that they'd met that many.

"Ah, I heard about that," the tactless one said. "Guess they didn't like strangers in that store. Personally, I think we should be a bit more open-minded in a bookstore though. I mean, that's where you go to learn about other places and things."

"Very sharp of you." Dabi was being sarcastic, but it went over her head, clearly, and she looked flattered.

Worse then Sai, he thought. At least Mabui could pick up on sarcasm. 

Still, stupid people were better if you didn't want to get noticed.

"Touya, did you find anything you liked?" Shine joined him. 

Her eyes said she was seeing if he was getting in trouble.

"A few things." Dabi had a selection. "Did the others finish yet?"

"No, they're still looking. Mabui left. Did something happen?" Shine asked.

"She's just outside," Dabi said. "Waiting."

"I see." Shine looked. "You're right... Guess I was worried for nothing."

"Your teammate was telling us about the land of the Rising Sun?" the tactless clerk said. "It sounds lovely. Is that where you're from also?"

Shine looked amused. "Well, I suppose there is a lot of sun there, so that's a good name for it, right? I've lived there for a while, but I'm from farther west."

"Your accent is a little different," Hana noted. "Both of yours...though it's a bit more like ours than the Leaf's are, from what I heard."

"Interesting," Shine mused.

When they turned away from the counter, Dabi said, "That's true, actually. I hadn't really noticed it, but they all talk more like us...more...modern. How is that possible.?"

"Well, it could be just how we're hearing it, or else it's that they're more similar to your dialect for some reason in this Village," Shine said. "But they have rap and a lot of modern things--maybe that makes sense. Our accent must sound more like yours, since I've lived in your...home longer."

"Mabui doesn't sound the same though," Dabi mused. "She sounds older. Must be the professional thing. Just like Gaara. Lord Ay, though, not that different. But Bee, way different. It's kinda weird."

"Good to know... So that means she's more highly educated."

"They told me 'you couldn't have a better guide,'" Dabi did a poor imitation of their voices. "Isn't that sweet? They think it's some big favor."

"Clearly they have no idea," Shine said. "Why would it be common knowledge?"

"Yeah, but they mentioned a rumor." Dabi lowered his voice. "They wouldn't say what it was, so it has to be bad. I knew it... She gets real tight-lipped about it, too, if you try to ask her about the War. Did you notice that?"

"I did think so," Shine said. "I wonder why." Sarcastically.

"You think there's more to this than just that they think we selected her for a reason."

"I can't tell you, Touya. I don't know why they would suspect her if she's so famously loyal and good at her job. But it's so very easy to turn ninjas against each other, what can I say? She's clearly embarrassed about it if it's true that's the rumor, so asking her about it is a bad idea. Besides, Wally did tell us how she reacted when he saved her, remember?"

"Oh yeah, he did," Dabi recalled. "She acted like it was something awful to survive when the others didn't... I forgot about that."

"One would hope that was just the shock talking, but survivors guilt is a real thing," Shine said. "Perhaps she is atoning for it. You can understand that feeling, can't you? Feeling as if you were singled out for something you didn't want."

"Yeah, but it's crazy to want to die," Dabi said.

"It's not very unlike ninja to feel they should die if they fail," Shine said. "Or like your own people... Self worth is not a very taught concept here, which is why you should be careful stepping on her toes... If it's that, then it's a sensitive issue, not just a classified one."

"Sure, but if that's the source of this rumor, that paints a pretty ugly picture, doesn't it?" Dabi said. "It takes some kinda sick, twisted gall to say you should just have died because everyone else did."

"People have said things like that," Shine said. "Bitter, angry people will say just about anything. And do you think no one in our own group has ever felt that way? Gaara must have. Naruto must have heard things like that. Sasuke certainly has felt that way. Being the last survivor of any tragedy can be difficult. We like to be together, humans...even in death... To be alone, it's hard on us. To be singled out is hard on us too. I've wondered if that's her problem, actually. Doing this alone is a bad idea, but Ay would rather her do less work with her own colleagues than let anyone else be around us full time. That's odd...and it confirms my suspicions, if you ask me."

"Mine too," Dabi said. "All this just proves how pathetic ninjas are."

"You could have a little compassion," Shine said sharply. "Your life has not been full of so many wise choices so far that you should judge someone else for being pathetic. I don't hold it against you, Touya, but remember the same measure you use is measured back to you."

"I know you can dish it back." 

"Not me... The Lord Himself won't like that kind of hypocrisy. You'll end up calling it onto yourself if you keep it up," Shine warned. "And that will be a longer lasting wound, trust me. I wouldn't let it get to that point. That's why I'm warning you not to be harsh on someone else."

"I know what you said to her. Told her I'm not gonna hurt her, so what else do I need to do? I'm not going to be friendly to someone who's looking for dirt on me. Sorry, not built that way."

"You and your suspicions," Shine scoffed. "She didn't tell Ay about that yet... She's not looking for that much dirt."

"For her own reasons, no doubt."

"I'm tired of hashing this over with you," Shine said. "We've all been saying since we got here that you're being unrealistically harsh. Actually, I almost think that you're doing it because you're afraid that, if you soften up, you'll soften too much and get reeled in. I believe you would like her if you'd give it a chance. I do already."

"You like everyone other people don't. It's like some predictable, sick habit of yours. But not me."

"Really?" Shine snorted. "We're not so different. I suspect if the Village hated her, you'd like her just because that would be a good sign to you."

"Well, it would be in this Village."

"Actually, I wouldn't be so sure. They seem quite loyal to each other. Someone having their scorn would be a red flag to me," Shine said. "Unless it's for something out of their control. Anyway, I suppose I'll stop nagging you about it. I guess you'll do what you want in the end."

"I know that's a guilt trip tactic."

"If you don't feel guilty, why would it matter?" Shine asked, shrugging.

* * *

Sai was perusing the "Romance" section of the store and getting only more confused than he was before.

Camie joined him because she was trying to find a book she could get for Sasuke to read as part of a dare.

"And he agreed to that?" Ino said.

"He's trying to prove he's not as boring as we think he is," Camie said. "Too bad they don't have Twilight here, that would be the perfect book for him. He's basically a vampire anyway."

"What's a vampire?" Sai asked.

"Bloodsucking, un-dead demon thing that people think is hot for some reason," Camie said. "I mean, we all thought that when we were...13 ,you know, but I'm kind of over it now."

"That was 3 years ago," Ino said.

"Yeah, in 3 years your tastes change a lot," Camie said. "Though, I'd say I always picked the werewolf trope, not the vampire one, but, like, both kind of are superficial now. What about you, sis, did you do that romance novel phase?"

"I did read some pretty bad ones when I was younger," Ino said. "I mean, honestly, even some  I read now are kinda bad, but it's a guilty pleasure, so don't tell everyone about it. Choji and Shika would never let me hear the end of it if they knew."

"Oh, come on, guys do embarrassing things too," Camie said. "Are these any good?"

"Most of them are smut," Ino said. "I was hoping for something a bit more...mild..."

"What is smut?" Sai asked.

"It's what Jiraiya's books are," Camie said.

"Oh, you mean they have a lot of making--" Sai began.

"Shh," Camie shushed him. "Don't say it, Sai... Just don't read that stuff. Your mind doesn't need to be in the gutter."

"But, Camie-senpai, none of these stories make any sense," Sai complained. "This one is about someone who works at a tea shop becoming the concubine of some wealthy feudal lord. That seems highly unrealistic. I'm not even sure what that means...and I think they get married or something?"

"Ew, that's so old fashioned," Camie said. "What, is that set in the 1700s?"

"It's not that out of the norm for a feudal lord to...but you know, we don't talk about it." Ino looked embarrassed. "Don't read that one."

"This one is about two shinobi at least." Sai had another book. "But it sounds very unrealistic. One gets kidnapped and held prisoner by the other, and yet they have 'sparks flying'. What does that mean?" [I make fun, but I have read most of these kinds of stories. Not vampire ones though.]

"It means that person is into kidnapping scenarios," Camie said. "You know, maybe this isn't your genre, Sai...but I'm getting that one for Sasuke, 'cause that's gonna drive him insane." She laughed wickedly.

"He won't read it," Ino said. "Sasuke is not one to give in to peer pressure. I can't believe he even pretended he would."

"He's a little more pliable these days," Camie said. "Months of boredom have that effect on a guy... Although, does he seem less scary suddenly, or is it just me?"

"Yeah...he seems a little different the past week or so," Ino said. "Less...severe maybe? I don't know what it is...like when he looks at us he doesn't see right through us to something dark and twisted."

"Yeah, he's mellowed out a little finally," Camie said. "I knew we'd win him over sooner or later... I'll bet you he'll actually read this s--t if we push him enough."

"I'd put money on that, if you weren't broke," Ino said.

"I bet you a tube of new lipstick then," Camie said.

"Expensive?" Ino said.

"Sure."

"Fine." Ino tossed her hair. "I could use a new color."

"I admire your confidence, sis, but it's misplaced," Camie replied.

"This one is about someone who works on a rice farm," Sai said.

"Yo, actually that one might be fine," Camie said. "Those ones are always the most vanilla."

[Ever notice that? Not that I read dirty romance books...but it feels like the farm ones are the most tame. I think it's part of the brand.]

"Are you all finished looking yet?" Shoto came over. "There's nothing here I'm that interested in...but then, I only read for school and Shine's reading lists."

"I've been reading some of those," Ino said. "They're very unusual books. Especially that Wrinkle In Time series...but it did make your Iives make more sense."

"Cool, right?" Camie said. "Actually, it's a little easier to understand than the Lewis stuff. But don't tell her I said that. That's her fave."

"I quite like his books actually," Sai said.

"That's because you're logical," Camie snorted. 

"That's a good thing," Shoto said.

"Well, yeah, you would say that," Camie replied. Just to mess with him.

It worked, because Shoto just looked at her strangely.

Ino shook her head. "I'll just take my books here and pay... Ah, I hope they're good. I did get one about the local flora, just to make sure I'm up to date on anything poisonous...or useful. Or just pretty, I guess."

"What are the other books?" Shoto asked.

Ino pursed her lips. "Just some light reading."

Shoto didn't question it.

"Momo's got a whole stack." Camie peered over the shelves. "Where does she get the time to read that much? She really is a super genius."

"I wish I could read that fast," Ino mused.

Momo did have at least 8 books, and she'd been trying to be picky.

Shine went outside to see if Mabui was all right.

Mabui was still waiting for them and checking her watch...which was a pocket watch, not a wristwatch.

[I've never seen anyone in Naruto wear a wristwatch, so...]

"Do you need to leave? Because we're fine to go back to the house alone," Shine said.

"No..." Mabui looked up "I don't have to be anywhere. Force of habit... You all Iike books?"

"Yeah," Shine said. "Kind of part of our thing."

"Not that many people do," Mabui said, maybe impressed. "What kind?"

"Well, personally I prefer fiction, but nonfiction is good if it fits in with my interests," Shine said. "Historical fiction is one of my favorites. I like to learn and have fun at the same time."

"I suppose if fun is your priority..." Mabui didn't really think that made sense.

"I suppose you don't read Iike that?" Shine said, amused. "You don't seem like 'fun' is one of your main prerogatives."

"I can't say that it is. The shinobi life is a serious one."

"Oh, I know. I never met kids as serious as these ones," Shine said. "Which is saying something for me. I mentor a lot of kids who live dangerous Iives...but never any one group who had so little practice at doing anything enjoyable. It's awful, really. Honestly, I think we could never have stayed sane on this mission without my core group and their ability to be a little less serious. Having assistants is fun."

"Do you not normally use them?" Mabui was still trying to gauge what kind of leader Shine was and what her real authority level would be.

Shine knew it, but she didn't care, so she answered. "I've actually never had apprentices before. Not like this. My Boss decided we were ready for field training. Who am I to argue? You know how it is."

"Yes, I understand...but your boss? Who is that?" Mabui said.

"I suppose you'll know that when He wants you to know," Shine said archly. "For now it's classified. You understand? I'm sure there are things you aren't telling us either."

Mabui didn't know how to answer her without confirming that, so she changed the subject. "So you didn't select your protegees?"

"Well, I did in a way, but in another way, no, they were chosen for me," Shine said. "But I agreed with each decision. I couldn't ask for better students to help me. Even if they don't always get what we do, they respect us. Wally and I are very lucky. Also, having a great partner helps."

"How long have you been full time partners?" Mabui asked politely.

"Oh, gee...I want to say almost 3 years now," Shine said. "Engaged for a few months now... We would have probably gotten engaged sooner, but work was crazy." She chuckled. "But we decided life's too short to waste our time looking for the perfect timing. We're tired of waiting. Patience is not my partner's strongest point, nor mine, always."

"I suppose that's not uncommon." Mabui didn't know much about it.

"Mind if I ask if you have anyone like that?" Shine was curious about her private life... No one knew anything about it.

Mabui didn't seem to like the question. "No, that's not really something I care about."

"You don't?" Shine was surprised. "But surely everyone needs someone to work with... I used to think I didn't, and I realized how stupid that was after I had a partner."

"My job really doesn't require a partner," Mabui said. "And personally, I don't think I have time. But this really isn't anything we need to talk about." A little clipped.

"I didn't mean to step on a nerve. Sorry. I'm just curious about you, that's all... I mean, you've been hanging with us for a few days, and we know nothing more about you than we did before."

"Not for lack of trying," Mabui muttered.

She meant Dabi.

Then she said, "Don't concern yourself with it. It's not necessary for you to know anything about me."

"Actually, if you want us to trust you, it's very necessary," Shine said easily, as if this was a normal thing to say. "When people learn details about your life, it humanizes you to them. Then they will usually open up to you more. Why do you think I'm telling you about mine?"

Mabui turned to look at her strangely. "You would just tell me that? Doesn't that defeat the point?"

"Of course it does," Shine said.

Silence.

"Why...?" Mabui was lost.

"I suppose you'll figure it out whether I say it or not, or you're naive," Shine said. "Unless you think we're just that honest...and if we are, then you've no reason not to trust us. So win-win. What do I have to lose? I don't care if you know I want you to like us. I hope that the Village will accept us too. That starts with making connections with people who at least will talk to us, which so far has not been too many. Doesn't that make perfect sense?"

"I don't know that it does. Admitting to tricking people, yet again, seems like the worst way to earn their trust."

"Well, if I wanted to trick you, I would just do it," Shine said. "I wouldn't tell you I did it. So there's no trick. I'm just being direct. If you're put off by hearing the real reason we want to get along, then I'm not sure how well you're going to like the peace mission idea itself. What is it if not an attempt to make sure we all see each other as human beings and not enemies?"

Mabui was pretty sure Shine was confusing her on purpose.

No one talked like this, ever.

Dabi had followed Shine out without either of them noticing it, since Mabui had very few sensory abilities and Shine wasn't paying attention, and now he was snickering.

They looked up.

"Oh, hi," Shine said. "Why are you eavesdropping?"

"I wasn't exactly eavesdropping," Dabi answered. "I was finished in there, I told you. The kids are the ones taking forever. Just enjoying listening to you work."

"Well, don't listen to me work if you're going to laugh at it," Shine said. "It's uncomfortable."

"You laugh at the s--t we say all the time," Dabi shot back.

"True..." Shine admitted.

Mabui frowned. "Are you going to let him talk to you that way?" she asked Shine.

"What do you want me to do about it?" Shine asked her.

"I'm sure you have some method of keeping order..." Mabui didn't know.

"Sure, she beats us with a metal rod," Dabi said sarcastically. "I guess the sword is kind of like a rod."

"I suppose I should make sure that they aren't making Sai buy something he shouldn't," Shine said. "I wish I could trust them not to, but knowing their sense of humor..."

"Bakugo's in the cooking section," Dabi said. "Which we will give him crap for later, just a fair warning."

"Why? He wants to expand our palettes," Shine said.

"It's just part of the turf," Dabi insisted. 

"Just check on Hanabi," Shine said. "And hurry. Wally would have already checked on them all before he reported to me."

"He's faster than the speed of sound," Dabi muttered sardonically.

"Why are you so worried about them?" Mabui said.

"Oh, after the grocery store incident, I'm afraid to leave them alone in there for too long," Shine said. "That's all."

"I'm fairly certain you wouldn't get that treatment here," Mabui said. "I know one of the proprietors."

"Oh, that's why they were nice to us," Shine said. "Makes sense."

"And very talkative," Dabi said significantly.

Mabui glanced at him warily.

"Touya," Shine warned.

"Fine, whatever." Dabi walked back inside.

"It's your business," Mabui said, "but anyone who acted that way on one of our teams would be severely reprimanded."

"Well, when Karui is reprimanded for her behavior, I'll believe that," Shine said, as easily as if it was a normal thing to say.

Mabui blinked.

"Also, don't mistake my understanding that he can be a pain in the neck for being okay with hearing people criticize my team," Shine said. "Some feedback is to be expected, but I don't want this to become a reoccurring theme, I hope you understand. We all have a lot to deal with right now. On both sides. I'm not complaining about your Village, though I could."

She walked back inside.

Mabui frowned to herself.

It might be a fair point...but the Village wouldn't like it either if they didn't act orderly.

Hopefully, it would amount to no more than few rude remarks, but she wondered if someone who already didn't listen to their team leader really could be trusted to cooperate...and what about the others who didn't seem anxious to either?

She walked back inside, just to make sure nothing happened.

But even Uchiha wasn't causing any problems...well, other than arguing with that pink-haired girl who was Tsunade's protegee... Haruno, that was her name.

Mabui was not anxious to listen to them bicker. She didn't really care for public displays of aggression.

[That's the only PDA they ever have.]

She moved instead to the section of the store that had the graphic novels. She'd seen some of them go in there before.

The small boy from Earth appeared--but he just glanced at her and then backed up nervously.

"Eichi?" The Hyuga girl followed him. "What? Oh...hi again."

Mabui just nodded.

"I thought you left," the girl said bluntly. "But doesn't matter. Hey, they'll let us buy this stuff, right?" she held up something.

"That's not for adults only?" Mabui said.

"They wouldn't let us go into that section," Eichi said. "I was just curious what that meant."

"I think it's for boring stuff like taxes," Hanabi guessed.

Mabui was not usually one to laugh at people, but she almost lost her composure when she heard that.

But she didn't want to expound on it, so she just looked away.

"Why is that off limits though?" Eichi said. "Do they think we'd commit tax evasion?"

"I don't know." Hanabi shrugged. "Let's just go buy this stuff. The others are gonna get tired of bickering sooner or later. "

"Your older friends sure fight a lot," Eichi said.

"It's how they show affection," Hanabi said. "At least that's what they told me. Personally, I think they just don't know how to talk about anything without fighting. Just like my sister's teammates with Naruto."

"Why didn't they come with her?" Eichi asked.

"Uh...they weren't invited. I don't even know if they know the DJs," Hanabi mused. "I'm glad, though. Shino is the creepiest weirdo I know of. And Kiba always smells like a dog."

"Why's that so bad?" Eichi said. "Dogs are nice."

"It's bad when that dog pees on people," Hanabi said.

"Oh...ew..." Eichi made a face.

"Yeah, so just be glad they stayed home..." Hanabi said.

They turned to walk down the aisle, and Dabi suddenly popped out from behind one of the bookcases.

"Boo," he said flatly.

Eichi jumped, but Hanabi just snorted. "I saw you there several seconds ago. You can't sneak up on me."

"I figured as much, but Short Stack is kind of jumpy," Dabi said.

Eichi didn't like being called "Short Stack".

"Don't pick on him," Hanabi said. "He's new."

"It's called hazing, Firecracker," Dabi said.

"Hazing is for losers." Hanabi folded her arms. "Did they haze you?"

"I think it was called getting arrested," Dabi said. [Wasn't the team's fault.]

Mabui was trying to act like she wasn't listening to this, but her eyes widened when she heard that part.

She was looking away from them, so they didn't notice.

"Hey, maybe don't say it so loud." Eichi was more conscientious than they were.

"Oh, right...sure," Hanabi said. "I mean, I didn't say it, but..."

"Yeah, well, you can put back that comic you're hiding under your jacket," Dabi said.

"What comic?" Hanabi said innocently.

"Don't play cute with me, kid. It's hot enough outside, and you put on that thing and zipped it? I wasn't born yesterday. That's how I used to steal food out of convenience stores."

"Thanks for that," Hanabi said. 

"I think we're busted," Eichi said.

"We were gonna pay for it." Hanabi pulled out the manga. "Just figured you guys would ask us about it, so we were sneaking up to the counter. But it's really not that bad. See?"

Dabi took it and began looking through it. "Uh uh, you can't buy this one. Shine won't allow it."

"Why not? It's not even outside our age range," Hanabi said.

"I find that concerning." Dabi was glancing through some of the pages with a distasteful frown. "But more importantly, the whole premise of this story is something Shine won't allow. Trust me."

"So she's going to start controlling what we read now?" Eichi said.

"When you joined this team you agreed to the team rules. One of those rules is not inviting trouble," Dabi said. "So don't. Cappeesh?"

"But it's not like it's real," Hanabi said. "I think I know what you're talking about... The whole being a demon thing? It's all fake."

"That's what they all say," Dabi said.

"Eh, what does that even mean?" Eichi asked.

"Maybe he's right..." Hanabi sighed. "I did feel a little unsure about it...but it looked so cool, you know...? The artwork and the plot...and hey, all the other ones had way worse revealing--"

"Shut up," Dabi cut her off. "What are you even doing? Just put that s--t back before someone sees you."

"I picked one that was more science-y?" Eichi said. "Like the whole world gets turned to stone, basically, and this one guy figures out how to turn it back--"

"That hit a little too close to home," Dabi said.

"I realized it once I said out loud," Eichi said. "Actually, that's kind of cool."

"That one sounds okay, but honestly, very unrealistic," Dabi said.

They both snickered. "Oh, sure, it's totally unrealistic," Hanabi said. "Completely. Never could happen."

"Yes, well, it is called science fiction for a reason," Eichi said dryly.

[If you're wondering how Dr. Stone exists here, it's the same way One Punch Man existed when Sakura picked up that magazine in the canon show.]