Deep in the forest a call was sounding... he felt compelled to turn his back upon the fire and the beaten earth around it.
A fair-haired woman crouched astride the bear’s shoulders like a jockey as it bounded across the field with the medical cart in tow. Her nostrils twitched as she raised her head to sniff the air for the metallic scent of fresh blood and viscera. Her grey eyes darted this way and that in search of movement amongst the multitude of corpses that had been strewn about. For that was her task on this day; finding wounded shinobi and delivering them to the medic.
She didn’t really know Naoko… or the team from the Sound she’d been thrown in with to provide protection for the wounded and their doctor. That was fine though, Korogaru wasn’t overly talkative on her best days.
There was one shinobi she recognized from the incident with the rhino and to glance upon him brought her much shame. Why though, she wasn’t sure. The Inuzuka didn’t often overthink things, preferring action and instincts over careful planning but a biting voice at the base of her skull wondered if she might have saved the littlest Uchiha from the Cloud had she had taken a second's thought before rushing in to prove her strength against the beast. This young man had managed to save his own teammate. Why couldn’t she- Not that it was her responsibility to look out for her brother’s subordinates.
Anyways, it was reassuring to know she was out with at least someone dependable, even if she hadn’t been stationed near Seiichi- sensei. It frightened her to let her mentor get sent off to the front lines without her but he was a tough old man. She thought he’d probably be fine if he didn’t overdo it. She’d do her best to protect the medic and the others on her team from giant bats or armies of the dead or whatever should come their way.
A warning from Ryota drew her attention towards the approaching samurai and she glanced back, making eye contact to acknowledge she’d heard him.
Korogaru made a quick hand sign as she focused her chakra to take on a more feral/ bestial form; Sharp claws extending from the tips of her fingers in preparation for combat. Although, she would hold for now and rely on her teammates to keep the enemies at bay as she continued searching for survivors amongst the dead with her enhanced senses. They would save everyone! The time for redemption was now! Not that she had regrets or anything.
[newclass=.tag]font-family:calibri;font-size:11px;color:#666666;text-align:center;vertical-align: middle;width:100px;height:100px;overflow:auto;background-color:#040404;opacity:0;-webkit-transition: all 0.5s linear;-moz-transition: all 0.5s linear;-o-transition: all 0.5s linear;-ms-transition: all 0.5s linear;-o-transition: all 0.5s linear;transition: all 0.5s linear;[/newclass] [newclass=.tag:hover]opacity:.8;-webkit-transition: all 0.5s linear;-moz-transition: all 0.5s linear;-o-transition: all 0.5s linear;-ms-transition: all 0.5s linear;-o-transition: all 0.5s linear;transition: all 0.5s linear;[/newclass]
Deep in the forest a call was sounding... he felt compelled to turn his back upon the fire and the beaten earth around it.
More stone erupted from the packed earth beneath them, sending up a small cloud of dust as Nomi collided with the newly placed wall. The thick jowls on the side of his face smooshing hilariously against the obstacle and sending him tumbling onto his back with his paws curled over his tummy as he lifted his head to look around. Korogaru herself fared a little better as she managed to leap onto the top of the wall where she teetered precariously to peer down at the still charging rhino.
A nod of respect was offered to the puppeteer that she hoped wouldn’t be foolish enough to hang on too long. Another stranger had aided them but she was uncertain of the flame haired woman’s allegiance. There wasn’t time to worry about that as the scent of blood caught her nostrils and she looked back to where she had left Kureiru… The rhythmic pounding in her chest caught in her throat as her grey eyes fixed upon the mangled flesh that once was the young Uchiha pup; her brother’s pupil.
The thrill of the chase ebbing quickly as survival instincts kicked in hard. It was kill or be killed and there was strength in the pack.
“Awooooo” Korogaru threw back her head in a mighty howl, calling all parties to converge on the rhino in her sights. She felt certain this was the original and they would need the strength of the pack to bring this hunt to a close.
[newclass=.tag]font-family:calibri;font-size:11px;color:#666666;text-align:center;vertical-align: middle;width:100px;height:100px;overflow:auto;background-color:#040404;opacity:0;-webkit-transition: all 0.5s linear;-moz-transition: all 0.5s linear;-o-transition: all 0.5s linear;-ms-transition: all 0.5s linear;-o-transition: all 0.5s linear;transition: all 0.5s linear;[/newclass] [newclass=.tag:hover]opacity:.8;-webkit-transition: all 0.5s linear;-moz-transition: all 0.5s linear;-o-transition: all 0.5s linear;-ms-transition: all 0.5s linear;-o-transition: all 0.5s linear;transition: all 0.5s linear;[/newclass]
Deep in the forest a call was sounding... he felt compelled to turn his back upon the fire and the beaten earth around it.
A low satisfied growl escaped her lips as Korogaru slid across the packed earth, landing in a low crouch. The sheer force of her bear’s attack had managed to save her brother from a painful death. She wanted nothing more than to say so right then and there but she swallowed it down. Kegawa and she were the same in their ambitions and they’d been close as children but her older brother had always been the prince of the family. He was undeniably stronger than her and she resented him for training so hard and for never making any mistakes. That hurt had been left to fester for too long and she was quite certain she was incapable of speaking to him without cheapening the intention behind her actions. She narrowed her eyes at the rhino to hide the heartbreak welling up inside.
Korogaru pulled out a handful of smoke bombs and tossed them towards the rhino’s front feet. The plan was for the smoke to billow outwards, obscuring the area and rendering the rhino momentarily blind while she would rely on her sense of smell to circle around to the back and target the beast’s hind legs with an attack meant to cripple his movement; a hunting tactic that Nomi was quite familiar with. Sniffing the air, she bounded forwards on all fours and slashed out with sharp claws at whatever she could reach on the monstrosity’s hindquarters. Nomi would follow his pack leader and bite towards the other hind leg, crunching down with his toothy maw and tearing away whatever flesh he could, if he could.
[newclass=.tag]font-family:calibri;font-size:11px;color:#666666;text-align:center;vertical-align: middle;width:100px;height:100px;overflow:auto;background-color:#040404;opacity:0;-webkit-transition: all 0.5s linear;-moz-transition: all 0.5s linear;-o-transition: all 0.5s linear;-ms-transition: all 0.5s linear;-o-transition: all 0.5s linear;transition: all 0.5s linear;[/newclass] [newclass=.tag:hover]opacity:.8;-webkit-transition: all 0.5s linear;-moz-transition: all 0.5s linear;-o-transition: all 0.5s linear;-ms-transition: all 0.5s linear;-o-transition: all 0.5s linear;transition: all 0.5s linear;[/newclass]
Deep in the forest a call was sounding... he felt compelled to turn his back upon the fire and the beaten earth around it.
Korogaru just snorted at Makoto’s weird ideas about family. “You get what you give with me and yeah, I guess grumpy is a nice way of describing how I feel.”
“We’ll never know, will we?” Korogaru responded icily to her sister’s assumption about their father. There was something accusing in the flick of her eyes towards the Mist Ninja as she spoke. The good soldier she remembered might have obeyed any order but what would he have to say about it now? Would death have put anything in perspective for him or would he still be the same stubborn-
“I am not lost!” She insisted as she folded her arms across her chest in a bit of a huff. “I was asked to come this way to provide backup for you all but I can see you’ve got it handled.”
Nomi let out a moan of complaint as he sauntered lazily out of the woods off in the distance behind her. She agreed with her bear… this “mission” seemed more like busywork than anything truly useful.
[newclass=.tag]font-family:calibri;font-size:11px;color:#666666;text-align:center;vertical-align: middle;width:100px;height:100px;overflow:auto;background-color:#040404;opacity:0;-webkit-transition: all 0.5s linear;-moz-transition: all 0.5s linear;-o-transition: all 0.5s linear;-ms-transition: all 0.5s linear;-o-transition: all 0.5s linear;transition: all 0.5s linear;[/newclass] [newclass=.tag:hover]opacity:.8;-webkit-transition: all 0.5s linear;-moz-transition: all 0.5s linear;-o-transition: all 0.5s linear;-ms-transition: all 0.5s linear;-o-transition: all 0.5s linear;transition: all 0.5s linear;[/newclass]
Deep in the forest a call was sounding... he felt compelled to turn his back upon the fire and the beaten earth around it.
“Don’t worry about it Chinetsu! It’s a little embarrassing for me too. I don’t usually get lost very easily but this place is a well traveled labyrinth with all kinds of really ripe smells… it’s a little overwhelming to be honest.” Korogaru chuckled more to herself than anyone else. The humidity was worse than she would have predicted down here; the smell of sweat and garbage made her crinkle her nose playfully.
Nomi seemed to grow tired of all this deliberation and rolled over onto his back where he sprawled out for a nap. “Don’t get too comfortable!” Korogaru whispered as she scratched the bear’s tummy. “Daichi of the Rain was just about to lead us out of here.”
She looked from Daichi to Chinetsu, “Excellent! Although I hope we shall not be needing a medic. We should travel as a pack then… since our destinations are aligned.”
Korogaru peeked further down the tunnel. Since they’d each come from a different branch of the crossroads there was really only one path left to explore. That had to be the way out, right?
[newclass=.tag]font-family:calibri;font-size:11px;color:#666666;text-align:center;vertical-align: middle;width:100px;height:100px;overflow:auto;background-color:#040404;opacity:0;-webkit-transition: all 0.5s linear;-moz-transition: all 0.5s linear;-o-transition: all 0.5s linear;-ms-transition: all 0.5s linear;-o-transition: all 0.5s linear;transition: all 0.5s linear;[/newclass] [newclass=.tag:hover]opacity:.8;-webkit-transition: all 0.5s linear;-moz-transition: all 0.5s linear;-o-transition: all 0.5s linear;-ms-transition: all 0.5s linear;-o-transition: all 0.5s linear;transition: all 0.5s linear;[/newclass]
Deep in the forest a call was sounding... he felt compelled to turn his back upon the fire and the beaten earth around it.
“Finally!” Korogaru stood up and stretched her arms up above her head. It had taken way too long for them to explain what the helpers were supposed to be doing and now that it was over she still wasn’t certain of the task at hand. This was the natural consequence of just not caring enough. Still, she didn’t want to look like a lost pup so she decided the best course of action was to just follow someone else to wherever they were going.
Fortunately, she knew at least one person here even if he was a new acquaintance. She wasn’t a big fan of the symbol on his headband but he seemed pretty ok. She turned to look back at him with a chuckle. “They are pretty loud around here, huh? Well… I’m ready. Doesn’t sound like much fun to be had but hey… what do you say we stick together on this one? Could make things a little more interesting.”
[newclass=.tag]font-family:calibri;font-size:11px;color:#666666;text-align:center;vertical-align: middle;width:100px;height:100px;overflow:auto;background-color:#040404;opacity:0;-webkit-transition: all 0.5s linear;-moz-transition: all 0.5s linear;-o-transition: all 0.5s linear;-ms-transition: all 0.5s linear;-o-transition: all 0.5s linear;transition: all 0.5s linear;[/newclass] [newclass=.tag:hover]opacity:.8;-webkit-transition: all 0.5s linear;-moz-transition: all 0.5s linear;-o-transition: all 0.5s linear;-ms-transition: all 0.5s linear;-o-transition: all 0.5s linear;transition: all 0.5s linear;[/newclass]
Deep in the forest a call was sounding... he felt compelled to turn his back upon the fire and the beaten earth around it.
Korogaru fell into a three point landing on the empty dirt floor of the canyon. There were not as many footprints as she had expected to see. A genjutsu? No. Well, perhaps partially but Nomi had marked something and it was on the move. The Chunin sniffed the air as she scanned the area visually searching for the largest threat to a creature like this and therefore the most likely target of the main rhino.
Her attention was drawn towards her siblings who were manipulating a large scroll in what she assumed must be an attempt to seal the creature. That seemed like a likely target… or maybe her focus was drawn there because it involved her brother and sister. There was a lot of resentment there for years of loneliness and missed holidays but there was still some love there and she didn’t want to see anything happen to them.
Korogaru and Nomi would attempt to sprint after the marked rhino, ignoring the others as inconsequential illusions. Hopefully, her nose and intuition would prove correct. The pair would drop to all fours and run into a spin, the pair of cyclones circling one another and if they were able to catch up in time Korogaru would bounce off of her bear, attempting to tackle her brother out of the path of the airborne rhino while Nomi would do his best to knock Kyuu to the side and out of the path of the falling behemoth.
[newclass=.tag]font-family:calibri;font-size:11px;color:#666666;text-align:center;vertical-align: middle;width:100px;height:100px;overflow:auto;background-color:#040404;opacity:0;-webkit-transition: all 0.5s linear;-moz-transition: all 0.5s linear;-o-transition: all 0.5s linear;-ms-transition: all 0.5s linear;-o-transition: all 0.5s linear;transition: all 0.5s linear;[/newclass] [newclass=.tag:hover]opacity:.8;-webkit-transition: all 0.5s linear;-moz-transition: all 0.5s linear;-o-transition: all 0.5s linear;-ms-transition: all 0.5s linear;-o-transition: all 0.5s linear;transition: all 0.5s linear;[/newclass]
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.
[newclass=.tag]font-family:calibri;font-size:11px;color:#666666;text-align:center;vertical-align: middle;width:100px;height:100px;overflow:auto;background-color:#040404;opacity:0;-webkit-transition: all 0.5s linear;-moz-transition: all 0.5s linear;-o-transition: all 0.5s linear;-ms-transition: all 0.5s linear;-o-transition: all 0.5s linear;transition: all 0.5s linear;[/newclass] [newclass=.tag:hover]opacity:.8;-webkit-transition: all 0.5s linear;-moz-transition: all 0.5s linear;-o-transition: all 0.5s linear;-ms-transition: all 0.5s linear;-o-transition: all 0.5s linear;transition: all 0.5s linear;[/newclass]
Deep in the forest a call was sounding... he felt compelled to turn his back upon the fire and the beaten earth around it.
“Oh right!” Korogaru grimaced at Daichi’s reaction. It was weird how people always seemed like they’d never seen a pet bear before when she was so accustomed to having Nomi around. “He’s a bear but there’s no reason to be alarmed. He’s actually quite friendly. He’s my friend and a ninja… It’s kind of a long story. Well- no it’s not. I found this bear and trained him to help me.”
The chunin didn’t know what else to say on the subject so she just shrugged her shoulders and made a face that clearly asked him not to judge. She let out a sigh of relief as the young man offered to help her find the exit. “I’m so grateful! I don’t spend a lot of time in cities and everything smells really weird here.”
“There’s no exit that way, not for at least a mile.” She said as she jutted a thumb over her shoulder and back in the direction she had come from. Daichi of the Rain had come from the tunnel to her left, leaving two branches of this crossroads to explore unless Daichi had seen an exit on his way here but that seemed unlikely since he said he was on his way out too.
A flickering blue light caught her attention and she watched as the crackling energy drew nearer, a familiar man emerging from the shadows of another tunnel. He was from the Cloud as well! She’d seen him before although she couldn’t quite remember his name right now. It was right on the tip of her tongue.
“Hey there, stranger!” She responded teasingly to avoid admitting she didn’t know his name. “It is! He’s friendly though so no need to worry.” She scratched the bear behind the ear and he sat down on his hind legs and made a face of pure bliss. “I was just looking for a way out of here. Did you happen to see any exits the way you came?”
[newclass=.tag]font-family:calibri;font-size:11px;color:#666666;text-align:center;vertical-align: middle;width:100px;height:100px;overflow:auto;background-color:#040404;opacity:0;-webkit-transition: all 0.5s linear;-moz-transition: all 0.5s linear;-o-transition: all 0.5s linear;-ms-transition: all 0.5s linear;-o-transition: all 0.5s linear;transition: all 0.5s linear;[/newclass] [newclass=.tag:hover]opacity:.8;-webkit-transition: all 0.5s linear;-moz-transition: all 0.5s linear;-o-transition: all 0.5s linear;-ms-transition: all 0.5s linear;-o-transition: all 0.5s linear;transition: all 0.5s linear;[/newclass]
Deep in the forest a call was sounding... he felt compelled to turn his back upon the fire and the beaten earth around it.
In the instant that Nomi got close to the rhino, the bear would attempt to mark it as his own; letting loose a sudden torrent of clear liquid with a rather distinct odor to splash upon the rhino’s leathery hide just before attempting to slam into its side. However, neither bear nor master would reach the beast before bouncing off an earthen wall and sliding backwards claws digging into the ground.
Korogaru’s chest vibrated with a low growl. She barely registered the rhino’s praise. The hunt was on and the chunin was far beyond reason or self-preservation. Her quarry’s threat echoed around the quarry and back to rattle through the Inuzuka's empty head. He had threatened her family; a big no-no as in her mind. She was the only one allowed to mess with her kin.
The ground began to tremble and split around her as both she and her bear sprinted back towards the newly formed walls and leapt up, scurrying to the top to look over at the creature. Korogaru would not remain there for more than a second before attempting to leap onto the Rhino’s back while dozens of its brethren poured out from the cracks in the earth. Korogaru gasped a little, her mouth hanging open stupidly at the sheer scale of this jutsu.
She sensed her Sensei and her bear companion on the wall above and if she was able to mount it she would do all she could to remain on the beast’s back, grasping onto the folds of its neck with one hand and an ear with the other. “You want to go for a ride, Big Guy?”
[newclass=.tag]font-family:calibri;font-size:11px;color:#666666;text-align:center;vertical-align: middle;width:100px;height:100px;overflow:auto;background-color:#040404;opacity:0;-webkit-transition: all 0.5s linear;-moz-transition: all 0.5s linear;-o-transition: all 0.5s linear;-ms-transition: all 0.5s linear;-o-transition: all 0.5s linear;transition: all 0.5s linear;[/newclass] [newclass=.tag:hover]opacity:.8;-webkit-transition: all 0.5s linear;-moz-transition: all 0.5s linear;-o-transition: all 0.5s linear;-ms-transition: all 0.5s linear;-o-transition: all 0.5s linear;transition: all 0.5s linear;[/newclass]
Deep in the forest a call was sounding... he felt compelled to turn his back upon the fire and the beaten earth around it.
“Mhm…” was my only response to Mr. Friendly pointing out the bear behind me and it’s inherent coolness. The little hairs on the back of my neck tingled at his introduction and a quiet rage seared red-hot through my veins. ‘Deep Breaths’ I urged myself as I remembered our task here and attempted to set aside personal vendettas. Besides, I reasoned, this guy was too young to have been any help in the war. He couldn’t have been involved in the death of my father… or my ninken.
[nope too weird]
“I like Benkei of the Sword better.” Korogaru responded, “It makes you sound like some kind of badass and it’s not pretentious if you aren’t pretending. And if the blade at your hip tells me anything… Well, I forgot what I was saying.” The woman glanced back at the speaker at the front of the room who had cleared their throat while shooting disapproving glances at the perceived troublemakers. She just shrugged. The chunin had been kicked out of many briefings in her home village and she had no intention of turning a new leaf anytime soon.
“His name is Nomi and he’s a ninja too.” The bear sighed, a great huff of warm bear breath expelling from his nostrils as he flopped his head down on the ground in an effort to express his boredom. “I wonder how much longer they plan to go on like this?”
[newclass=.tag]font-family:calibri;font-size:11px;color:#666666;text-align:center;vertical-align: middle;width:100px;height:100px;overflow:auto;background-color:#040404;opacity:0;-webkit-transition: all 0.5s linear;-moz-transition: all 0.5s linear;-o-transition: all 0.5s linear;-ms-transition: all 0.5s linear;-o-transition: all 0.5s linear;transition: all 0.5s linear;[/newclass] [newclass=.tag:hover]opacity:.8;-webkit-transition: all 0.5s linear;-moz-transition: all 0.5s linear;-o-transition: all 0.5s linear;-ms-transition: all 0.5s linear;-o-transition: all 0.5s linear;transition: all 0.5s linear;[/newclass]
Deep in the forest a call was sounding... he felt compelled to turn his back upon the fire and the beaten earth around it.
Sniff. Sniff. Korogaru urged her bear forward as she followed the familiar musk of the man she respected above all others, her teacher, Seiichi Koji. On her approach, she could see there were a lot of people here; more than she was really comfortable with, even if those from other villages seemed more focused on their prey than settling turf disputes. She did a quick scan of the participants for village symbols belonging to the Hidden Mist. She had a score to settle with those contemptible pirates but everyone else was tolerable as long as they didn’t threaten her people.
Nomi skidded to a halt at the edge of a massive quarry next to Seiichi, claws gripping the ledge as his rider stood astride to stare into the shadowy expanse. Looking down she spotted the rhino on the move- and a young girl who’d found herself in the path of danger, a genin from her own village. As she considered leaping down to scoop up the girl, she spotted a familiar ninken attempting to do the same. It was her brother’s dog and she glanced about. Her stomach sank as she spotted Kegawa and she swallowed a lump in throat as standing beside him was her younger sister Kyuu. She wasn’t on great terms with her family but she didn’t like seeing them on a dangerous mission like this.
The young Uchiha’s hollars echoed around the quarry and Korogaru squeezed her legs tighter around Nomi’s thick body. There was no way she was going to wait on the sidelines with Kureiru and Kakimaru in danger. She urged the brown bear forward weaving hand seals as her mount leapt from foothold to foothold, picking up speed on the descent. Her stark white hair turned auburn at the scalp, her nose elongating into a thick snout, and her shoulders widening, and her fingernails sharpening into black claws. There was a feral look about her as the transformation took hold and she pushed up into a crouch on Nomi’s back until she could leap ahead and to the left to run alongside the beast on all fours.
In rehearsed synchronization they pushed off into a spin, hoping to capitalize on the distraction provided by both girl and dog, as the two whirlwinds of fang and claw aimed for a slam against the rhino’s side.
Notes: Fang Over Fang (I never said she was smart. lol) LOTTERY PLS
[newclass=.tag]font-family:calibri;font-size:11px;color:#666666;text-align:center;vertical-align: middle;width:100px;height:100px;overflow:auto;background-color:#040404;opacity:0;-webkit-transition: all 0.5s linear;-moz-transition: all 0.5s linear;-o-transition: all 0.5s linear;-ms-transition: all 0.5s linear;-o-transition: all 0.5s linear;transition: all 0.5s linear;[/newclass] [newclass=.tag:hover]opacity:.8;-webkit-transition: all 0.5s linear;-moz-transition: all 0.5s linear;-o-transition: all 0.5s linear;-ms-transition: all 0.5s linear;-o-transition: all 0.5s linear;transition: all 0.5s linear;[/newclass]
Deep in the forest a call was sounding... he felt compelled to turn his back upon the fire and the beaten earth around it.
The quiet rumbling snore of the bear she’d been sitting back on was all Korogaru really heard throughout the briefing- or whatever this was- as she picked at some dirt under her fingernails. This had to be THE WORST way to spend a sunny afternoon in a foreign country. Stuffed into a room with a bunch of strangers while some dude pointed at maps too complex to comprehend.
It seemed pretty dumb to go to all the trouble of building a defensive labyrinth like that only to invite their competitors in and show them around. There were plenty of keener minds than hers in the room and she was certain some of these ‘helpers’ were already conspiring against the sound. The chunin yawned, those things were contagious and she’d caught the bug from the guy she’d been seated next to even though she’d kicked her chair aside long ago. “Meh.” She shrugged as she crossed her arms over her chest and looked over at the guy with a toothy grin, “How should I know? Anyways, this guy is getting paid to talk- doesn’t mean we have to listen. I’m Korogaru. What do I call you?”
[newclass=.tag]font-family:calibri;font-size:11px;color:#666666;text-align:center;vertical-align: middle;width:100px;height:100px;overflow:auto;background-color:#040404;opacity:0;-webkit-transition: all 0.5s linear;-moz-transition: all 0.5s linear;-o-transition: all 0.5s linear;-ms-transition: all 0.5s linear;-o-transition: all 0.5s linear;transition: all 0.5s linear;[/newclass] [newclass=.tag:hover]opacity:.8;-webkit-transition: all 0.5s linear;-moz-transition: all 0.5s linear;-o-transition: all 0.5s linear;-ms-transition: all 0.5s linear;-o-transition: all 0.5s linear;transition: all 0.5s linear;[/newclass]
Deep in the forest a call was sounding... he felt compelled to turn his back upon the fire and the beaten earth around it.
The slow rhythmic click clack of sharp claws against stone echoed through the cavernous tunnels; manmade and unnatural. As a large brown bear lumbered lazily through the depths of the sound village. A white haired kunoichi sat astride the beast, bent over with her face almost buried in the soft brown fur of its muscular shoulders to avoid bumping the ceiling. Korogaru raised her head to sniff at the air, stale and stuffy as it was down here.
“Aha!” She snapped her fingers at the sudden realization. “I’m lost.”
It’s true. The Inuzuka had followed the scent of her sensei down into the bowls of this strange village but his musk was covered by that of a thick mildew and the body odor of the hundreds of civilians that trekked these halls daily. She’d gone looking for help but Korogaru wasn’t very charismatic and the presence of her bear companion was enough to send most people scurrying off in the other direction. It had been three or four turns since she’d seen anyone. Perhaps it was getting late? Hard to tell in the empty expanse of the labyrinth.
That’s when she heard a voice echoing just around the bend. She slid off Nomi’s back and gave her a pat. “Stay here, girl.” The chunin tip toed over to the corner and poked her head around so just her pointy ears and grey eyes would be visible. There was a young guy in there and he looked as lost as she felt. A soft mass of muscle and fur bumped into her and she tumbled forward awkwardly as her curious bear moved forward to get a peek for herself.
Korogaru straightened up in plain view of the stranger and scratched the back of her head self-consciously.
“Oh, hello~” She sang sheepishly. “I’m Korogaru Inuzuka from the Cloud and this is my dog-” She glanced at the bear with a blush. “I mean- This is Nomi!”
She offered a polite but quick bow to the stranger. “Could you point me in the direction of the nearest exit… please?”
[newclass=.tag]font-family:calibri;font-size:11px;color:#666666;text-align:center;vertical-align: middle;width:100px;height:100px;overflow:auto;background-color:#040404;opacity:0;-webkit-transition: all 0.5s linear;-moz-transition: all 0.5s linear;-o-transition: all 0.5s linear;-ms-transition: all 0.5s linear;-o-transition: all 0.5s linear;transition: all 0.5s linear;[/newclass] [newclass=.tag:hover]opacity:.8;-webkit-transition: all 0.5s linear;-moz-transition: all 0.5s linear;-o-transition: all 0.5s linear;-ms-transition: all 0.5s linear;-o-transition: all 0.5s linear;transition: all 0.5s linear;[/newclass]
