However, once she heard rumors there was some trouble surrounding another platoon of her village, she didn't ignore the invitation. Not even when that invitation was to meet in some obviously-not-a-murder-shack in the middle of the woods. Let it never be said she would ignore the plight of her subordinates or go to great lengths to assist them.
So yes. The Inuzuka was sitting there, arms crossed over her chest, feeling rather out of place in the oddly maintained hideout. If the aloof look she wore didn't prove just how skeptical she was of her present company, nothing else did. Not even the blushing maiden put her at ease, nor the chuunin's offer about some ridiculous 'discount'. "How generous." Too bad for Fei, but Makoto wasn't the type to indulge in that sort of thing. She didn't see the point in paying for company when she was fully capable of taking what she wanted with her own two claws.
At any rate, it sounded as though the chuunin had something to say about their mission. Co-libra-nation. Or whatever he called it. The words might've been meaningless to the Inuzuka's ears, but she understood the meaning based on his body language. Sometimes people were easier to read than animals.
"Out with it then, pup. Say what's on yer mind."
People only did these things when they were asking for a big favor or when they were apologizing for a big mistake. Neither case seemed very promising to the Inuzuka, so she could only imagine what trouble laid around the corner.
Makoto darted up to the Hyuuga pair and gave them simultaneous thumps on the head, clearly dissatisfied with their answers. Maybe that sort of somber outlook passed for being admirable in a Hyuuga household, but not around these training grounds. Makoto was prepared to drill her lessons into the pair again and again if need be.
"My shinobi don't die!" she asserted, hands resting defiantly upon her hips. It seemed the Jounin wouldn't accept the scrolls back either, merely glaring at the tarnished objects with contempt. As far as she saw it, the exercise might've stopped but she wasn't finished. Pointing a clawed finger at both Hyuuga, her lecture persisted with a deep growl. "I don't train cowards that're gunna lie down and accept defeat just 'cus the odds are against 'em!"
All that gloomy talk of ninja being fated to die was excuses. Bad, pathetic excuses. Death was nothing to concern onself with during a battle unless it was all about raining death down on the enemy.
"Yer gunna be outmatched and outnumbered all the time in a real mission. So what then, huh? Plan on lettin' yerself get killed 'cus that's yer duty?" Makoto posed her biting question with another menacing snarl. She had known ninja throughout her career who fought for anything from ideals to glory, but few of them survived to see those dreams honored. "I don't need dead ninja! I need ninja that're gunna fight like hell an' get the job done!"
"Good." The kunoichi nodded resolutely. "If I catch ya gettin rusty, there'll be hell to pay. Can't have ya go ruinin' yer reputation cus yer sword arm got flabby." She wasn't kidding either, if that serious look on her face was any indicator. No matter the state of Tsubaki's injuries and what she'd been through, Makoto gave off the impression that it was only temporary.
"Better not lose to any of 'em samurai either. Last I checked, yer strong as least a hundred of those armored freaks."
Call it a fool's optimism, or sheer ignorance, or maybe overconfidence. Whatever the case, she was giving Tsubaki her full support and objecting to any notion of her losing prowess over something as silly as a wound. Somehow, her friend would overcome that hurdle - Makoto chose to believe that. She had to believe it. At least in doing so she didn't have to worry about losing someone.
Tossing the remnants of her meal over one shoulder, the Inuzuka appeared satisfied as she proceeded to lick her lips free of scaly crumbs. "Anyway. Have ya seen any good hills in these parts?" No, despite how it initially sounded, she wasn't grasping for juicy intel. Smarter ninja may've tried something like that but Makoto was too stubborn for underhanded word games. Hills meant hills. "Was hopin' I could do a bit of recon closer to the border but all these trees are startin' to look the same," she continued with a pensive stare toward the forest. "Plus I might need to stake out a good trainin' spot if I'm gunna kick these genin into shape."
Any edge to use against the Empire would be useful indeed, which included knowing the land a bit better.
Although Makoto didn't take much pride in putting weaklings in their place, a win was still a win. She harbored no doubts that the sputtering oaf would remember this loss for quite some time, whether out of embarrassment or an injured ego. Having barely exerted herself for the quick exchange, she was ready for the next match before the victory could even be announced.
After hearing the praise from her student Makoto simply shook her head, visibly unimpressed with the outcome. "That wasn't even a warm-up. The only part she could find some satisfaction in was perhaps teaching Nomura what *not* to do. The demonstration of skill she was looking for wasn't here. Not yet anyway. "Okay, who's next?" she growled with another leer passing over the crowd, cracking her knuckles impatiently.
"SEND OUT THE TOUGHEST ONE!"
Makoto howled over the noise of the next announcement. Stomping defiantly into the center of the ring, the kunoichi gave off a foreboding presence as her features appeared to sharpen with battlelust. The approach was far from tactful but it was loud. Very loud. Makoto was goading anyone to step forward, though few spectators dared to lock eyes with her ferocious visage.
"Hell. BRING 'EM ALL! LET'S MAKE THIS INTERESTIN'!"
A fanged grin stretched across the Inuzuka's lips when she noticed the candlelight at the doorway and the voice just behind. When the shadows parted and Nobu came into view, the kunoichi scrambled to her feet to seem more presentable. "Huh. Doors...?" she muttered in confusion, head cocked to the side, totally missing the point of Nobu's comment. To the best of her knowledge all homes had doors. Didn't they?
"Ya really need to werk on yer greetin' skills, pup. I came all this way to visit and I don't even get a 'thanks'?"
Makoto shot the genin an amused look and then shrugged her shoulders in an exaggerated manner. Almost as if trying to imply that she wasn't prone to showing up at his doorstep during the oddest hours of the day. No way. That never happened. She certainly didn't take the time out of her schedule to make sure he was okay every so often.
Pushing past Nobu and toward the hallway, the Jounin started peering around curiously at the dark interior. She could smell - what was that? - dinner scraps nearby. "What're ya doin' skulkin' around in the dark? Don't tell me ya got some pretty thing hidin' in the next room, do ya?" Makoto snickered mischievously, elbowing the young man in jest before she forced her way toward one of the bigger spaces in the household.
She may not have been part of the Mizuno family, but the Inuzuka definitely acted like she was right at home. Peeking into rooms, stomping loudly as she walked, and generally caring little for personal space. Even though she was more accustomed to living outdoors, it seemed like she could relax and be at ease within those four walls.
"Ah, who am I kiddin'. Yer probably readin' those old scrolls again, ain'tcha?" The ones with all those drawings of people's insides and how they worked. Gross stuff. Then again, Makoto regularly dealt with things which were hard to stomach out in the wilds. But she knew Nobu had an interest in that subject, clever as he was.
Makoto was still chuckling at the name of the kid's jutsu when her ninken went blitzing by and chased after the thrown stick like their lives depended on it. In an instant they disappeared down the road in a chaotic blur, barking wildly and crashing into bystanders without remorse.
Seconds later, the swiftest among them brought back the stick, tail wagging with excitement. Another dog sprinted up beside the first, carrying what looked like a woman's purse in its jaws. The last of the beasts to arrive was dragging an entire log behind itself, creating a muddy path in its wake. All three objects were then, of course, deposited at Kakesu's feet as the ninken anticipated another toss.
"Careful now. Hope yer throwin' arm's ready for a workout." Makoto stifled a mischievous laugh, knowing exactly how demanding her pups could be. With all the sticks one could find laying around the Fire Country, those savvy canines had a limitless supply of entertainment at their disposal. "They won't stop 'til ya drop."
Confident that the boy would have his hands full for a little while, the Jounin looked back into the water and smirked at the murky reflection. "Inuzuka Style." Following a low growl, Makoto crouched down and planted her hands into the cool liquid below. Admittedly, nothing felt much different than her last attempt, but she began to flood her body with chakra by tapping into her bestial side.
The method she devised was none too efficient, wasting energy in spades. Yet the increased flow of power sent rippling sensations down her arms and legs, giving her hope it was possible to at last exert some force. Closing her eyes, the Inuzuka concentrated hard.
"ALRIGHT, ALRIGHT!" Makoto shouted sternly, clapping her hands in a decisive manner to signal the completion of the exercise. Although she liked to push her students, she could tell when they had reached their limits too. "That'll do!" The Jounin's feral appearance slowly faded and gave way to a scowl as she commanded the ninken to disperse.
One by one the dogs climbed off the pile, ceasing their constant growls and chomps to return to their master's side. At the bottom were the battered Hyuuga, both clearly taxed from the vicious onslaught. Luckily for them, scratches and bruises would heal in due time, since her dogs refrained from delivering any serious damage.
"On yer feet, shinobi!" Makoto ordered with a stomp.
She knew full well how much chakra they expended in such a short span of time, the intensity of the situation giving them few other options. So in a gesture of understanding, the Inuzuka reached into her pocket and tossed a food pill at either of them. At least that way they wouldn't be totally sapped of energy anymore, though they would still have those stinging pains to contend with.
Waiting a moment for the Hyuuga to recover, the Jounin inevitably let out a growl. "If this'd been a real battle, ya'd both be dead."
Flashes of black and red were all the Inuzuka could see until the vicious thrashing stopped. When it finally did, her skull was throbbing like crazy, the taste of hot blood coating her mouth. All she could hear at first was her own drumming heartbeat ringing in her ears plus a growl caught somewhere in her throat. However when she glanced up at Seiichi a moment later, she realized his intentions without listening to a word.
It was over.
"Shut up," she growled angrily. Nonetheless, Makoto took the hand offered to her and climbed to a stand. Disregarding the fact that she had to lean against the bear to stay upright, the Mist ninja wiped the blood from her face and dusted off her clothes. "Don't pull yer punches next time. That was just about to get fun," she chided in earnest, pulling away and stumbling a few steps down the riverbank.
The appearance of no less than four snarling ninken were now surrounding the rivals, having heard the cries of battle moments ago. Each dog was poised to strike from a different angle, fangs ready to sink into flesh at Makoto's cue. However that wouldn't happen. Not today at least. The Inuzuka gave a commanding snarl and the hounds ceased their defensive behavior at once, none of them willing to question her decision.
"After ya patch up those scratches lemme know when yer ready for round two," the kunoichi invited nonchalantly, spitting blood off to the side.
To the discerning eye, one might recognize the brute was using more than physical strength to bolster his assault. Sort of smart, honestly. There was chakra baked into each of those clumsy haymakers, rendering them more dangerous than the average punch. Though it didn't change the fact that his control was rudimentary. Crude. A childish attempt at the genuine article.
"Tch."
Makoto brought her evasion to an abrupt end, feet grinding into the sand as she stopped short to face the foe. A jabbing fist flew right by her head when she did so, displacing her dark mane as the pressure whizzed by. She was gone by the time Sasuke threw that second and third punch, her speed so astonishing that it seemed she vanished from sight. Though in truth, all the Jounin did was crouch down on all fours, disappearing from her opponent's awareness for but a second while she readied a strike from below.
When she jolted back up in a flash of movement, Makoto's fist delivered an uppercut that rang out with a heavy crack. She hit the oaf squarely below the chin and with such impact that he reeled away, arms continuing to flail like windmills. The Jounin dashed after him before he could recover, throwing punch after punch at the same spot with rapid speed. Only when the sputtering oaf finally lost balance from the repeated uppercuts to his face did Makoto relent, calmly watching as the foe collapsed onto his back with a grunt.
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.
A cool breeze rustled the lush treetops overhead, shifting layers of thick fog through the air and between myriad buildings. There were hardly any people to be seen so late at night, but those that dared to skulk Kirigakure's streets appeared like ghostly silhouettes gliding through the mists. The occasional howl of drunkards from afar or the shouting of crewmen by the docks served as a reminder that the village was more alive than its haunting atmosphere suggested.
All in all, what a great night to celebrate~
Makoto had been in a rush this evening, clearly testing the limits of her speed evident by the way she was panting for breath. Yet she dared not be late! With some kind of special package secure in one arm, she raced to her destination at a breakneck pace that put even her dogs to shame. Those rapscallions weren't far behind though, the rapid pattering of their footfalls shadowing the jounin's speeding steps.
Then she spotted her target - the Mizuno household.
Disregarding any notion of using the front door, Makoto jumped her way into the backyard instead. Once there, she wiped a brow and sniffed around, trying to suss out if there were any other visitors. It was just a precaution but she knew it in her gut that nobody would come knocking at this hour anyway. Confident in her assumption, the Inuzuka bounded straight over to the closest entryway, be it door or window, and poked her way inside.
"Nobuuuu!" she called out in a hushed tone, oblivious to the genin's whereabouts. "Ya still awake?" It took a minute for her vision to adjust to the dim lighting coming from the interior, but Makoto waltzed in anyway. As if karma was repaying her for the midnight intrusion, she bumped right into a table and stumbled onto all-fours, causing a loud thud that could be heard throughout the household.
There it was! That look. That damn look! Makoto had been waiting to see it since she laid eyes on the brute. Such wrath, such severity, such hunger all swept into that powerful glare. What seething, boiling rage!~ For a while there, she almost thought Seiichi lost that innermost fury, but she was glad to be wrong.
Grinning ear to ear with excitement, fangs gnashing in anger, blues hues wide with craving, she reciprocated every ounce of bloodlust her rival showed and then some.
Where their clash brought them next was nowhere else but the hard ground, a piercing pain shooting up Makoto's back and against her head when she landed. All it did was add to the kunoichi's elation to be thrown into such a vulnerable spot - now it was do or die and her animal instincts were screaming at her to fight back. Once the bear began to pummel, she snapped onto the defensive. A tilt of her head dodged the first blow and she raised her arms to defend against the second. But as for the hammering strikes that followed? Makoto's guard wavered and the fists crashed right into her face, rocking her senses from head to toe.
In response to such kindness, one of the Inuzuka's hands plunged into the bear's sides and started to rake over his chiseled frame. Tearing and ripping at any flesh she could sink her claws into, it was a desperate attempt to slow the assault raining down on her skull. Her other set of claws was busy digging into Seiichi's leg in a similarly vicious display, making him pay for every moment he maintained the pin.
However savage Makoto's resistance appeared in those fleeting moments, she knew there was no way to last long beneath that mountain of muscle. Something more had to be done or she would never break free! So as one more way to show defiance, shortly after the latest blow collided with her cheek, the Inuzuka shot a mouthful of bloody spittle straight at her rival's face.
Makoto felt a twitch of unease when neither Hyuuga rose to their feet. More so when the older of the pair began using Tsukiya like a meat shield. Whatever their intention was behind such a weird tactic, it hardly slowed down the pace of the pursuit happening all around them.
Soon enough a pair of bulky mutts joined the engagement to prove that fact, dashing into action with rumbling howls. In a single dramatic leap they launched themselves directly above the Hyuuga, putting their full weight into a combined body slam that would see the genin taking the brunt of impact.
FWOOSH! Another wave of water erupted into the air.
Which was quickly followed by two more Makotos joining the chaos, the rabid figures landing in similar fashion to their predecessors, only now with pummeling strikes. Intending to bury the Hyuuga in an onslaught before they could flee, the slashing of claws was replaced by much firmer bites that would serve to restrict their limbs. Vicious growling mixed with the constant splatter of water as the struggle went on, adding to the hectic nature of the brawl as the ninken wrestled for supremacy.
Drawing her hand away from the lake while wearing a look of dissatisfaction, the Inuzuka didn't know what went wrong. Not that she expected to be summoning tidal waves with a mere touch, but the boy had made it look so easy in comparison. Her amateurish attempt saw nary a ripple cross the surface of the water, giving rise to no shortage of doubts running through her mind.
Makoto scratched her head in confusion. "Heh. I bet it's...just the water! Yeah, I'm used to the sea, not this cool, calm stuff." Although a blatant excuse, it was the only thing she could attribute to her failing. No way could it be the fact that her hand seals were poorly woven or that she never put much concentration into controlling her chakra. Yeah, it was definitely the water's fault.
Glancing back to her energetic ninken, she shook her head with bemusement as they began to chase one another amid wild barking. "Mm? Don't let those fuzzy snouts fool ya. They are family." More so than any typical pet, anyway. Her dogs were the closest thing she had left to actual kin and their bonds of loyalty and love went deep - deeper than most connections Makoto had ever felt with people. "Just 'cus they run around on four legs don't mea--" her words trailed off before she finished, a brow crinkling in thought. Wait. Could it be that simple?
She had to try.
"Y'know, they say yellin' the name of a move gives 'em a special power. Like magic! So ya ever think o' namin' that lil' talent of yers?"
Rules, rules, rules. Most of them flew right in one ear and went out the other. Makoto already understood the gist of this little fighting game, which amounted to 'no killing' as far as she could tell. After all, if she'd brought her ninken into the ring too then her opponents wouldn't have been able to throw a punch much less put up a decent fight. This way was much more exciting. Much more challenging.
Then she saw her first foe stumble into the arena and Makoto's jaw dropped. "S-Seriously?" It looked like a brain-dead oaf and sounded like one too. Surely this wasn't the caliber of fighter this place got attention for. Somebody was playing a joke, right?
Before Makoto could shoot her pupil a dirty look for getting her into this mess, the match began and the bumbling giant came swinging right out of the gate. The space between combatants shrunk in an instant as the first of those meaty fists went flying, prompting the Inuzuka to duck out of the way. Clumsy as the opponent looked, getting smacked by one of those punches wouldn't feel good.
"That it?" the kunoichi snickered.
Blow after blow rained down on her evasive form, punches slipping right past her dark mane as she sidestepped and slid out of range. The oaf was putting his all into the pursuit, huffing loudly as he continued to swing those huge fists with reckless abandon, clearly thinking himself on the cusp of victory. As a result he swung even harder and barreled ahead more aggressively, pressuring the kunoichi to the point that she was rolling and spinning to avoid contact.