A line in the sand [Travel Topic to Kumo]

Age : 34 Posts : 591

The sun setting on the horizon cast a golden glow over the horizon, the rays peaking above a dune amongst a sea of dunes that blended into one another like a perfectly imperfect picture. The landscape was the definition of desolate and Kemuri had it all to herself as her eyes coasted along the golden sky. The sand beneath her was still warm after being kissed by the rays of the sun all day, a welcomed feeling as the cool of the night begins to set in around her. As far as the eye could see were dunes the occasional stone shape jutting from the sands, a landmark as unreliable as the dunes as sand covered or uncovered it depending on the day. Wind swept up from behind the genin from Konoha no Sato and whipped her blonde hair about her face and her lips absentmindedly curled into a smile. The heat radiated up from the sands with the wind and gave some comfort from the fast approaching darkness they would march through.

The days in the desert had been far from pleasant for many people, but Kemuri could feel her comfort here. A land so desolate was perfect for experimentation, a desert so vast with nothing to burn or destroy. Each step through the sand brought them closer to the mountainous terrain of Iron Country and eventually towards Kumogakure proper. In only a few hours or so they would traverse from the desert and onto a neutral territory that they may not walk out of. Despite the lack of hostility between Kumogakure no Sato and Konoha, there was also no formal treaty and the newly appointed Raikage could well decide them enemies of the state and have their entire unit obliterated. Of course Kemuri was a budding guerilla tactics expert and was not going to go down without a long and annoying fight with as many casualties as she could cause in the time provided.

Her mind immediately drifted to the boy walking nearby, the boy who had failed to claim a new ally for Konoha. A disgrace to the village to be sure, an annoyance to her as they walked along in the sand with their team captain a short distance behind; the journey ahead was going to be nothing but miserable with him alongside them. Much like the boy who had tripped and cut himself before the mission began, this one was as big a disappointment and had wasted their time. The landscape was serene for the destructive impulses that lived within Kemuri but such a long stop could not be forgiven when it was rife with failure. Whether anybody liked to think about it or not, Konoha could not afford failures. Be it gathering allies, executing a mission, catching a criminal; failures simply showed that their military might was weaker than it appeared. Such things would easily invite more trouble to the village than it was truly ready to deal with and that meant the potential for shrinking profit margins for the Haretsu’s more illicit activities. That simply could not be allowed to come about so easily, though the pie was big enough to share there was no reason why a poor girl like her should have to share with anyone. Her jaw line set hard, thinking about the money that could be slipping through her fingers all because of the incompetence of her team. Nobody could ever know of their failures outside of Konohagakure no Sato council rooms.

Her hands, gloved as they often were, settled into the pockets of her belt line and fingertips scratched at the easily moldable clay resting there. Those fingertips gathered up chunks of clay to feed inconspicuously to the palms of her hands. Tongues extended, flattening themselves against the white substance and greedily sweeping it between teeth that eagerly chewed them into the proper creations. While her body focused on creation, Muri’s eyes were gazing into the distance waiting for the right terrain. Rocky halls and stony turf was only a while ahead. When they reached the line where mountains met sand she would threaten the boy. He would turn around on his heels and go fix whatever he screwed up when it came to those canyon walls. She and the chuunin would deliver the statue and nobody would be failing ANYTHING. End of story.

Age : 31 Posts : 1036

[Ooc: I am currently adding some more to the training. Because its just being reevaluated this travel topic will not affect it.]

The place was hot...almost to a point where the dripping sweat rains down then young Aburame's face behind his mask. His failure just a day a go will not go without him fixing it. And at some point he would go himself and attempt his second try. It was sad, angry...and according to the facial expressions given to him by Kemuri she was highly angry herself of his failure. There was nothing he could do at the moment...he could no longer prove he is worthy of obtaining and ally so he would take his chances another day...maybe even stay behind when coming back after the mission. The young man frowned as he walked along side the blonde girl, the Chuunin team leader behind them. It was surely going to be a long travel...as well as a silent one. Shuhei smiled even at these moments..he knew he would go back and obtain new allies for the leaf, it was just a matter of time , and better concentration as to what he said to these creatures. Apparently he would need to prove himself even greater now that it was gonna be a second chance. And there was no doubt in hell he would fail at it again.

He looked at Kemuri for a little bit , though the little liking he had gotten from her was easily fading away...she would not look or speak to him. But it was natural..he knew Kemuri was too proud of her village and watching someone failing a mission or obtaining an ally was certainly a defeat for Konoha. It did displayed weakness but it would all be fixed soon.

As he looked far beyond, he would notice the mountains. Soon the sand behind them would turn into rock, just as they met together they would be in the Iron country. He smiled, even though little disappointed about his own moment of fail he turned once more to Kemuri and watched her closely. He could definitely feel the tension growing...it was almost as if he was not wanted to tag along no more. This would certainly be troublesome...not only knowing Kemuri would definitely approach him about it at some point and tell him about his failure...but because Shuhei will not be the one to turn around and abandon the mission just like the other. It was just something he could not afford failing as well. It was enough to had failed his own side mission..but not this....not today.

Age : 34 Posts : 591

They marched along in silence, the time helping ease some of Kemuri’s fears and the wounds caused by her partner’s failure. The sand they trudged through was quickly giving way to stony earth and Kemuri remained comfortable with her environment as they marched on. She wanted to punch Shuhei in the face, she wanted to pick a fight and force him back into the desert here at the division between Iron and Sand but she also knew there was value in an ally completing this mission with her. Kimiko still did not have much of the Haretsu’s faith but three shinobi delivering a statue was less likely to be assaulted than two or a shinobi travelling alone. A deep breath was inhaled as she made a decision before speaking over her shoulder at Shuhei, the first words she had uttered towards him since they had begun their travels towards the next leg of their journey.

”Your failure is not acceptable Shuhei, I can tell by your silence that you agree with me. So after we deliver this statue you are going to go back to the Land of Wind and you will convince a new ally to join forces with Konohagakure no Sato while I travel on to the Village Hidden in the Mist and find my allies. This mission is altogether too important to fail at any leg of it, yeah? Yeah.”

All during her little speech the Konoha genin did not turn to truly look at the boy who had a crush on her. She kept her pace even and her tone flat as they stepped through the canyons of Iron towards the boarder of Kumogakure. The hot was going to be exchanged for the cold, especially at this time of year, and Kemuri was not exactly looking forward to such a thing. From her backpack she tugged out her hooded cloak and began to fasten it around her shoulders and neck to provide some shelter from the wind that sure to come in the future. This next part would be a trial of patience to inspire good will between villages that had always felt balanced on a razor edge and war was practically guaranteed no matter which side the issue fell to.

Kemuri herself had no interest in peace but it would help cover some of her activities and inspire some faith in travelling merchants that the roads were protected by those two villages. Still, there was a long journey ahead of her before they all managed to find their way home. Shuhei would go back through Wind as she and Kimiko moved on to Mist to find the home of the toads and deal with them in an attempt to find a new ally for Konoha to use should that war Kemuri predicted eventually come. After the time in Mist was done then she and her chuunin escort and squad leader would return to Konoha heroes. Allies, good will, preparation for war without the intent to start one; altogether the world would keep spinning in favor to the mighty leaf village which almost guaranteed heavy pockets for Kemuri thanks to her… side jobs. Taking a deep breath, she focused on the task ahead and gathered the patience she would need to deal with some of the potential words from Kumogakure shinobi. She would hold her tongue for her own good as well as her village's. But only up to a point, and only then if she absolutely had to.

[exit to Kumo]

Age : 31 Posts : 1036

A step closer to kumo as they reached the end of the mountains of the Iron country. Silence was the thing now and nobody spoke for sometime until they only had a short walk to Kumo. Shuhei was beginning to get tired. And his body was merely now becoming to sweat as they almost reached their destination. He watched as Kemuri walked along side him. His mind really thinking of what can be going through her head at the moment. But he worried not and continue to walk. ”Your failure is not acceptable Shuhei, I can tell by your silence that you agree with me. So after we deliver this statue you are going to go back to the Land of Wind and you will convince a new ally to join forces with Konohagakure no Sato while I travel on to the Village Hidden in the Mist and find my allies. This mission is altogether too important to fail at any leg of it, yeah? Yeah.” The stress in her face was easily noticed, and while Shuhei's emotions weren't really shown to others own sight. He was really disappointed. He nodded and began to walk forward as to continue their journey. He wanted to keep going without giving a simple explanation but that would only put the two genin on bad terms. He came to a halt as he turned back and stood in front of Kemuri. His hand slowly landing on her shoulder.

"I understand your disappointment in my previous fail. But this is something I must take care of by myself. We should be worrying about our task in hand and not worry about things that can and WILL be fixed." Shuhei said as his hand lifted to his face removing the mask he for so long wore. His hand still remaining by her shoulder he gave her a warm smile. "Now can we please continue? We have to get ready for anything. We don't know how the Cloud shinobi will act when they see us." Shuhei said as he placed his mask inside his back pocket and continued on without it. He felt like he didn't needed it no more. He felt comfortable around Kemuri. It was like they both had made a connection and simply spoke to each other as if they have known each other for ages. Perhaps because they have been very clear to each other since the start. Perhaps because Kemuri was actually a big softy in the inside. All this was to be seen by Shuhei.

"Even after my fail at obtaining an ally. I can safely say that this has been the most unusual journey I have traveled on." Shuhei said as he smiled and looked over his shoulder. And then began to walk away from the others. Soon they will begin walking again, Kemuri as always by his side while the chuunin remained at her distance.

Exit to Kumo