The forest was unusually quiet for the amount of activity seen beneath its boughs. Birdcalls came few and far between, with only the soft hum of insects to fill what quiet settled between the hush of passing steps. The sun was high, the woods were baking, and with the sound of cloth fluttering against the breeze - a rickety old woman with loose-hanging, wrinkled skin stood in what slight shadow her humble home offered her, eyes toward the grey-garbed figure working to fold up the laundry waiting upon her clothesline.[break][break]
"Ohhh... Nononono. Nono. No."[break][break]
The old woman's voice echoed as brittle as her willow-thin frame as she reached her hands up toward the heavens, heavy eyelids sagged over her eyes as the fine line of her lips bent low in a frown. The bags under her dark beady eyes were puffy and round, mousey white hair tied up in a bun to spare her neck some portion of the late summer's heat. Garbed in the light cloth of a dark yukata void of embellishment, her toes tucked around the plush thong of her geta, she seemed to be in some despair - heavy-lashed gaze toward a silver-haired shinobi bearing the mark of Kumogakure about her throat.[break][break]
❝ No? ❞[break][break]
Kyuu - the grey-haired ninja in question - wasn't incredulous. She was confused. The line of her brows wove itself in a pinch over her eyes as she turned the pale hue of her gaze toward the elder, her own mouth bent to a frown for her lack of understanding.[break][break]
❝ Granny. Didn't you want me to do this for you? ❞[break][break]
Sun beating down atop her head, sweat beaded under the wild ruff of her bangs, the Hidden Cloud shinobi was at a loss. Fingers clamped down around the coarse, woven fiber of an overworked dish rag, working to draw its corners together and fold it into a neat square.[break][break]
She wasn't half-assing this. While the basket waiting at her heel was empty, the swift method in which she'd folded the cloth hint to plenty of experience, and its even line was likely well enough to please even the most anal housewife. Even so, the Otogakure relic was dissatisfied, and as she curled the twigs of her fingers into her palms, she brought down her hands from the sky to rest her fists gentle against her eyes, sighing with a level of dramatics that could only be cultured over countless decades of innumerable disappointments. The moment lingered, and Nikukyuu waited - but after a moment of anguish, the old woman's hands fell, and as she blinked open her eyes, she saw them. Her savior.[break][break]
"You. You you you you you -"[break][break]
The elderly woman reached a bony hand for the figure who had happened upon the scene, gesturing to them for aid. The shift in attention saw Kyuu checking over her shoulder, a curious puzzle in the Cloud shinobi's eyes as she blinked toward the newcomer being invited to help her.
A quick jaunt through the forest seemed like a good idea. In a foreign land on the brink of battle, it made sense to familiarize oneself with the terrain and get a good sense of the surroundings. Besides, such vast woods and fertile fields were nothing like the shrouded isles Makoto called home, so her ninken were eager to sniff every tree and shrub for miles.
Before she got very far however, the Kiri Jounin was stopped by a blabbering woman that appeared to be in some state of distress. "Hm?" Deep blue hues narrowed into a scrutinizing leer as she tried to discern what was so urgent. No later did she catch a whiff of the other person nearby, her nose twitching lightly at the familiar scent - familiar yet unacquainted. There was no mistaking the distinct smell of an Inuzuka.
"Stop botherin' the elderly, pup."
Makoto's tone was stern but both her posture and expression were relaxed, one hand resting upon her hip as she cocked her head to the side. It may not have been any of her business to judge a person's hobbies, but messing with another's laundry was downright diabolical. To see it was the elderly being victimized in such a way just added another layer of disappointment to the Inuzuka's frown.
"Don't ya think this hag has enough to worry about without you torturin' her smallclothes?"
The elderly woman wheezed aloud upon hearing the sheer disrespect she was just afforded, almost falling over from the shock. Not only was she dissatisfied with an Inuzuka's handiwork but she was even being insulted by one now! Maybe her savior hadn't arrived after all.
She clicked her tongue. Watching from the shadow of a tree branch as her fellow Cloud ninja assisted the old lady in her plight. Miyako was under the impression that they were to help win a battle - not assist the elderly.
This was a distraction. One Miyako would take no part in. But the whims of fate had other plans.
"Stop botherin' the elderly, pup."
The deep hint of a frown curved Miyako's lips. The voice, unfamiliar, called out sternly, and instinctively the shinobi's hand went for her sword. Golden moons darted toward the approaching stranger and her canines.
Inzukua.
Miyako dropped down from her shaded cover and behind the Jounin. She paid little mind to the elderly woman who gasped in surprise.
"We're helping, dog-face." if she was going to sling insults, then Miya would happily do the same.
"More than I can say for you."
MADE BY VEL OF GS + WW
Last Edit: Sept 12, 2021 10:55:55 GMT by Miyako Uchiha
Kyuu's lips bundled themselves up to a purse, a lone, colorless brow arching itself high over the frosty blue of her stare. Why this dark-haired stranger was frowning at her, she couldn't figure, and as she opened her mouth with instruction, Kyuu only found herself further lost on what bug might've bitten the woman to put such a disappointed look on her face.[break][break]
❝ What? ❞[break][break]
A genius reply that could have only been spoken by such an intelligent woman. The Cloud Inuzuka blurt the word out gracelessly, ignorant to the motions of the elder clearly demonstrating proper method from her sliver of shadow nearby. The old woman moved her hands in such a way as to unfurl an invisible cloth, flapping it twice against the wind before chewing at the trembling line of her lips as she fold its intangible shape to an even square.[break][break]
Kyuu cocked her head as she kept her grip to the folded laundry, thoughtful gaze caught toward Makoto. Maybe she'd have pressed for some understanding, if not for the sudden appearance of her fellow chunin beside the lady. The Uchiha's presence, it seemed, changed everything.[break][break]
❝ Miya! ❞[break][break]
Nikukyuu sound the woman's name - or a portion of it, anyway - in an excitable yelp, figurative tail wagging merrily behind her as she shot a hand to the heavens in greeting, teeth displayed in a bright, shining grin.[break][break]
❝ You're going to help out? Seriously? You're such a team player! ❞[break][break]
The elder chunin was practically sparkling with enthusiasm, eye glittering with awe for the arrival of her trustworthy platoon partner. Her gratitude shot off in sparks, popping like fireworks about her brightened features as she leaned forward a bit - aiming to close at least a fraction of the distance between herself and her perfect friend.[break][break]
❝ Miyako's right on the money, ❞ she chimed toward Makoto, lashes fluttering in a friendly wink toward the Kirigakure ninja. Her lifted hand fell as she settled back onto her heels, apparently having popped up onto her toes at some point. Was she even catching these insults being tossed around?[break][break]
❝ Granny asked us to help out! Right, Granny? ❞[break][break]
Kyuu turned the sunny rays of her smile toward the old woman - only to be met with the sound of the door as the Hidden Sound local holed herself up in her house.[break][break]
Makoto didn't so much as flinch when the second ninja jumped out of cover, fully expecting to see more Cloud ninja skulking in the area. Where there was one, there were twenty - like cockroaches. And if that was Kumogakure's best idea of a scare tactic, then it was awfully childish.
Unfazed by the insult tossed her way, the Kiri Jounin simply smirked at the provocation. "Ohh?" Makoto had heard far more scathing words come from a sailor's newborn babe. But as far as greetings went, it was probably the warmest welcome she'd received since arriving in Otogakure. Not that the standards were very high to begin with, evident by how the elderly woman stormed off without so much as a thank-you.
"Heh. Nice to know ya can always trust a Cloud ninja to get the job done," Makoto snickered. She still couldn't say exactly what the Cloud ninja were 'helping' with, but the timing was too perfect to let a good jab go unspoken. "Hopefully yer better at fightin' Imperials than y'are at handlin' towels."
The jounin brushed a few dark locks behind her ear and glanced toward the elder's house in contemplation, mulling something over. Then she finished on a more scornful note, "The people in these lands can't manage much of either, I'm afraid."
"I -" shit, she'd said we hadn't she? Poor choice of words on her part. The Mist ninja sent all her thoughts into a dark, angry place that selecting the proper vocabulary became an afterthought.
"Of course, I'm here to help." gritted teeth and strained vocals didn't carry the words far. Kyuu might have been happy to stoop to the level of a laundry worker, but pride kept Miyako rooted in place. Not that it mattered. The old lady went off in a puff, fed up or aware of whatever chaos was about to unfold near her doorstep.
"Wow."
That old hag had no manners.
Miyako clicked her tongue and focused back on the bitch currently talking out her ass. "You always this much of an arrogant prick?" careful of the distance, Miya pushed past the older Inuzuka to stand by Kyuu's side.
"Someone should really put a muzzle on you if that's the case." proud of the insult, the Uchiha chuckled and folded her arms over her chest. A pointed gaze of gold stabbed daggers into the woman's icy blues.
"But if you need a demonstration of how well we fight, I'd be more than happy to kick your ass up and down this forest."
No incidents
The Raikage ordered.
He'd forgive the one little slip-up, wouldn't he? After all, she'd insulted not only the Uchiha and the Cloud but the Sound as well. If anything, Miya was standing up for their potential allies.
Exactly why they were here.
MADE BY VEL OF GS + WW
Last Edit: Sept 12, 2021 10:58:27 GMT by Miyako Uchiha
The silver-haired of the Inuzuka wasn't offended, though whether it was due to an air-headed nature or a healthy stock of confidence may have been hard to tell. The groan of the door had done nothing to dampen the cheery grin warming her features, and as Makoto offered her mock praise for the Cloud's "trustworthy" nature, Kyuu could only find herself snickering - the glimmer of her eyes set toward the stranger with humor dancing behind their watch.[break][break]
❝ I'd like to think I'm pretty good at both! ❞[break][break]
Kyuu's spirited chirrup was followed by a brief poke of her tongue at the woman, chest puffed up in an immature show of pride. A playful tease for a playful tease, though the younger Inuzuka's proved decidedly lacking in sting. It was a friendly gesture, if a childish one, and her grin drew right back to place as she quickly hid her tongue again once more. Miyako, on the other hand, seemed to be the polar opposite in terms of reaction. Nikukyuu wasn't so vapid as to have it escape her notice.[break][break]
The line of her brows pinched subtle over her eyes as her gaze drift itself for her chunin ally, the wide, sunny grin offered to the unexpected visitors easing to rest in the crooked line of a half-hearted smirk, absolutely not on board with the suggestion of a battle.[break][break]
It seemed the glance was all she had to offer her friend before she simply bent down to lay the towel in her basket, posture lifting right back up as she lift her hands to set to work in bringing down the next towel down from the line.[break][break]
❝ It has to have been... at least twenty years since I last saw these forests. Hard to believe how quickly things can change. I'm happy to be working with the Otogakure. Lord Fourth respects the Hokage. And so do I. ❞[break][break]
Provocation, it seemed, simply would not reach Kyuu. Her voice still held that friendly warmth, and her tone flowed with natural ease as she reminisce. Whether it was the Inuzuka's taunts or her own partner's aggression, she was at ease. Right at home, even. Fingers worked to fold the cloth in their grip smoothly, guiding it into another crisp square before adding it to the basket waiting at her feet.[break][break]
She had work to do, and it was dignified enough for her.
A little feistiness between adversaries? Makoto could understand that. She expected it, to be honest. Though the vibe she was getting from the younger of the Cloud ninja - Miya? - reeked of something else. Cowardice. Bold words and challenges may have given an impression of strength, but they were a far cry from the real thing. If the youngster was really looking for a fight, then she was barking up the wrong tree.
"Ooo, scary~"
Then again, a bit of light exercise never hurt anybody.
"Go ahead. Whenever yer ready, pup."
The Kiri Jounin arched a skeptical brow and gestured for the Cloud ninja to make good on her threat, looking both thoroughly unimpressed and unintimidated. But just because the challenge was laughable didn't mean Makoto would turn it down. Putting a boisterous young pup in her place would probably be doing Kumogakure a favor anyway, so there was virtually no downside.
As if to add further insult to the whole display, Makoto turned her back to the hot-headed chuunin and appeared to let her guard down.
When blue hues shifted toward the carefree Inuzuka at the clothesline, she couldn't help but crack a grin. Compared to the other chuunin, this one seemed much more in control. Not as rude, not as inexperienced. "Ya think the Kage sent us here outta respect, huh?" Makoto asked with an amused smirk, stepping up to the hanging garments as she considered whether or not to help. "I wouldn't count on it. Not enough money involved."
The Jounin grabbed a towel off the line, folded it amateurishly, and handed it over to the other Inuzuka to be placed in the basket.
Kyuu's going to be of no help. Miya should have expected as much. The other Chunin is far too smiley and airheaded to care about insults. But it didn't matter - Miyako narrowed her eyes, fingers twitching on the hilt of her blade.
"I know when I'm being patronized." too often had she felt the sting of belittlement and disregard. Every time she gritted her teeth and dealt with it. Internalized and suppressed the rage that boiled inside because it came from family. A benefit that Makoto Inuzuka lacked.
Yet, despite the boasting and flared tempered that coiled her fingers like a snake around the katana - Miyako did nothing. Back down into the tightly sealed bottle went her feelings. Chest rising, she took in the crisp air around them and let her shoulders relax.
She refused to give Makato the pleasure of goading her into an attack.
"They sent us here because there's something to be gained." she grumbled, stepping across the yard to a nearby tree. She leaned, back pressed against the bark, and slid down onto the ground. Apparently, she had no intention of helping them fold laundry either.
"An ally. It has nothing to do with money." The villages weren't mercenaries whose services could be bought with cash. No, the Kage wanted to earn favor. It's why they'd been told not to cause problems with other the villages.
Miyako glanced back to Makoto, angry embers still flickering behind gold. Even if they were disrespectful mutts.
MADE BY VEL OF GS + WW
Last Edit: Sept 16, 2021 13:13:32 GMT by Miyako Uchiha
Nope! Definitely not. Kyuu was going to be no help at all, and her big, toothy smile all but promised it as she direct its shining toward Miyako. Was it simple joy that lit her expression? The bright nature of her eyes hint to something else. Pride. Honest praise.[break][break]
❝ You got 'er, Lil' Mi! ❞[break][break]
Her calling the jonin out on her goading quickly earned Nikukyuu's approval, and as the Uchiha set to loosing the tension from her shoulders, the Inuzuka could only sound out with a good-natured laugh. The middle child of the bunch wasn't so easily brought to irritation, and as Makoto deferred the duty of arranging the haphazard fold of her towel with the other finished works, the cheery woman seemed only happy to do so.[break][break]
Kyuu puckered her lips in a distant kiss for Makoto as she accept the towel offered her, plopping it into the basket without ceremony before whisking up her hands to claim one of the garments fluttering soft under the breeze.[break][break]
❝ Too kind~ ❞ she cooed, gaze pinched in a friendly tease as it cast itself sidelong toward the adversary offering her assistance.[break][break]
Despite the swift work of her hands, her eyes were brought to Miyako with ease, curiosity piqued as she offered her insight on the matter.[break][break]
❝ 'f Otogakure falls, all of us mainlanders are in some boiling hot water. Between that threat and the promising new Hokage - only makes sense for us to be here. Don'tcha think? ❞[break][break]
The friendly curl of her smile bent itself crooked as she peeked her gaze toward the unnamed shinobi helping on the line, a mischievous brow perching itself high over the frosty blue of her stare.[break][break]
❝ Funny you'd play dumb! Kirigakure got more nefarious plans in mind?~ ❞ [break][break]
The silver line of her brows bounced playfully over her eyes.
So they believed the Sound wanted allies? Of course they did. The Empire was right on their front doorstep, both an imminent danger and a constant reminder of their predecessor's failures. Anyone would want allies in that position. That said, it didn't explain why the Sound was so willing to risk their security just for platitudes of friendship.
Folding another piece of cloth in haphazard fashion, Makoto grinned right back at her kin. "Heh. Y'know us pirates, we never do anythin' unless there's booty involved." By the sounds of it, she was trying to make light of the fact that her village was seen as nothing more than a den of bloodthirsty plunderers. Yet there was also a tinge of pride in the way she called herself a 'pirate'. So maybe it was meant as a threat, given that she was speaking to Cloud ninja. "And the Hokage's gunna owe a lotta villages if all goes smoothly~" she finished with a snicker, implying there would be plentiful rewards aside from allegiances.
One way or another, Makoto planned on getting a big payout by the end of this pointless charade. The risks alone warranted some decent spoils from battle if nothing else. Maybe she would get to treat her ninken to a special feast after everything was concluded.
"If'n ya ask me, the Sound doesn't care about that crap they peddle for needin' friends. Bodies to shield 'em from the Empire, maybe. But not allies." Makoto gave a light scoff. "Ain't that Raikage of yers smart enough to know when he's bein' played? Guess not, seein' how he sent a buncha ya here."
Grabbing another towel off the clothesline, the Kiri jounin scrunched it up into a wad and tossed it over to the grumpy-faced Uchiha. Evidently it was her turn to fold something. Couldn't let her miss out on all the fun, right?
The teasing reply came with a childish roll of the Inuzuka's frosty blue eyes, the corners of her lips quirked to a humored smirk. The weary weight that drawled her tone hint to her familiarity with the antics of the Mist, fatigue played into her tone rather than some self-righteous sense of judgement. Despite the rivalry between their villages, Kyuu hardly seemed to hold any ill will for their island neighbors.[break][break]
A dreamy sigh escape the woman's lips as Makoto round off her thoughts with a jab toward the Raikage, the foggy silver of her lashes weighing as a low haze over her eyes as another folded square found its way to the basket waiting below. She probably would have ignored the toss toward Miyako's position - if she hadn't have heard it hit the ground. With a blink and purse of her lips, her gaze turned - noting the empty air where the grouchy Uchiha once stood. And, of course, the puddle of fabric now resting on the forest floor just across the way.[break][break]
❝ Meat shield, best friend. What's the difference? ❞[break][break]
A lazy smile found its way to the chunin's lips as she turn the sparkle of her eyes back toward Makoto, a quiet sense of cheer brightening the morbid nature of her joke.[break][break]
❝ I'm just here to bust heads. ❞ [break][break]
The thought seemed to grant further light to her smile, its corners drawn just a bit wider as she pulled another cloth from the line, folding it delicately in her grasp. The task came so naturally to her that she hardly had to watch the movement of her fingers to get the task done.[break][break]
❝ Nikukyuu Inuzuka, ❞ the introduction finally came. The upward tilt of her chin suggest some playful sense of pride, grin perched friendly at her lips as the corners of her eyes pinched with mirth.[break][break]
❝ Don't think we've had the pleasure of clashing before. Or have we? ❞
Deep in the forest a call was sounding... he felt compelled to turn his back upon the fire and the beaten earth around it.
”How many Inuzuka does it take to fold a towel?” Korogaru growled, contempt dripping from blood red lips, “I’d tell the old codger to burn the towels and drip dry as nature intended before I’d tolerate the stench of a sea dog from the Mist.” The silver haired woman held a hand out to silence the crone in a no offense sort of gesture that was not extended to her fellow ninja.
The Kumo Chunin should have just walked by but she was pissed. An Inuzuka should know better than to hail from the mist and her sister should know better than to associate with a pirate, even one so interesting as this. But here they were, thick as thieves, folding towels like sisters once did. And here Korogaru stood on the outside looking in because… bears were just as good as dogs? Because… Papi didn’t love her enough?
“Father would roll over in his grave if he could see you now.” She scoffed at her sister with a mocking smirk.
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Makoto sighed upon sensing the arrival of yet another Cloud ninja, the inevitable tension lifting into the air again. Just like earlier though, she was quite unfazed, regarding the newcomer with an unimpressed smirk. "Uh oh. Looks like all the pups are gettin' feisty today." Somehow she'd traded an uppity Uchiha for a insult-slinging Inuzuka, which honestly was an improvement. Albeit a tiny one. Now if only she could pinpoint what made the other ninja so disagreeable. "Are Cloud ninja always so grumpy?" the kunoich commented with a groan.
Best she could tell, the sole exception to that rule was the other Inuzuka at the clothesline -- the older(?) sister perhaps? Turning to Nikukyuu with a grin, she deliberately ignored the growls tossed out by the new visitor and introduced herself plainly. "Makoto." The Inuzuka part was apparently implied. The scent of her own ninken was probably a dead giveaway, leaving no reason for explanation. As far as crossing paths went, she was rather confident neither kunoichi had tasted her claws yet. "Don't think we have, no." Although her eyes seemed alight with a challenging glimmer, what Makoto didn't admit was her aversion to fighting other Inuzuka.
"But gotta say, it's nice to get such a warm welcome from family. Almost forgot what it was like."
A bold assertion to call them family. Some within earshot might've even found it insulting to be making such claims. Between their two nations so much blood had been spilled that it seemed foolish to draw any lines of common ground. Much less about clan and kin. But Makoto didn't discriminate in matters of family, having long endured the pain of losing her own.
"Not sure how things work for ya in the Cloud, but even we pirates don't shirk respect for our kin."
She wasn't looking at Korogaru in the slightest but the comment was clearly designed to rebut her earlier rudeness.
The familiar voice to chime over their conversation saw a flash of excitement in the silver-haired woman's expression. Brows arching high over her gaze, she paused in her work to turn the sun of her grin toward her grouchy elder sibling, showing none of the irritation Korogaru may have meant to insight.[break][break]
❝ BULLSeye, ❞ she sound out smoothly, the sudden hitch of her brows easing as her eyes as her lids fell to rest halfway in a friendly taunt of her own. The line of her smile showed crooked, no hint of shame in the sparkle of her eyes as she watched on toward her sister.[break][break]
❝ Pirate's dead on. ❞ [break][break]
Nikukyuu wasn't here for those kinds of games. This was a mission, and like every other assignment she'd been handed, she was following it through. No cause for complaint would reach the Raikage's ears, so long as his loyal hound had anything to say about it. Determinations aside, her sister had walked herself right into a noose with an entrance like that. From Kyuu's perspective, there was no right answer to her sister's petty jabs, as even if she ignored her it would count as a slight against her character.[break][break]
❝ Papa would definitely be on board. ❞[break][break]
The sagely nature of her nod carried little weight for its childish delivery, the firm nod of her head more comical than decisive. By now the laundry line was nearly cleared, and with little work left to be done, Kyuu bent down to lift the basket waiting at her feet, carrying it in her arm.[break][break]
❝ You just being a tease and wanted to help out? Or did you maybe get lost with all these trees all over the place? ❞[break][break]
Her words roll from her lips as a friendly joke as she offer her sister a gentle smile, her expression soft in some attempt to soothe what nerves she'd stumbled upon them with.[break][break]
With a rattle of leaves, Ginmaru was on the scene, pausing against the brushline to pick up the towel that had been tossed to the disappearing Uchiha. His eyes didn't dare toward Korogaru for a moment, the cold nature of his stare set toward Kyuu as he stalked forward to deliver the crumpled fabric back to her.
