Messenger [Kakami, Chiriku]
[takes place the day after this log]
It was just before noon and quiet near the training ground Kakami was currently sitting in. A quick lunch break with Miako and Hiiro - who was helping with the puppy's training today.
Kakami had been spending a great deal of time here, training herself or her rookie nin-dog. Part of it was helping get her arm back into condition, but mostly it was Kakami trying to push herself to another level. And Rin wasn't around - which in a way removed her biggest distraction.
Miako nosed about the ground, looking for crumbs before she looked up, ears pricking a bit. Kakami rolled onto her feet from a sitting position to crouch, making sure any sort of garbage was picked up before brushing at Miako's head, before Hiiro got up as well. Kakami was the third to stand, as an orange clad figure was approaching.
Chiriku grinned at the sight of the dog and the puppy. Then she focused on the human with them and inclined her head politely. "Hatake Kakami, I presume?" she asked cheerfully once she was in reasonable earshot of normal conversational tones. Interesting how someone the monk knew from Asuka's letters, and who was so very important to Rin, she had yet to meet herself in the seven months she had been in Konoha. But then, Chiriku came to this village for the primary reason of spending time with Asuka. That had lasted all of a few weeks before she had been sucked into monkly duties at the shrine. Such was life.
Her hands tucked into the volumous sleeves of her robe, she waited politely for an answer.
"Yes." Kakami inclined her head in a polite nod. Hiiro stood beside her with disinteresed courtesy - Miako was attempting to look threatening just in case the visitor turned out to be less than polite. Hiiro gave her a nudge as if to remind her to not be so bristly when there were no threatening vibes.
Kakami was mainly ignoring them, gaze fixed on the monk in front of her. Part of her was nervous - was this about Rin? Was something wrong? The monk didn't seem like she had distressing news, which was good. "Can I help you, houshi-sama?"
"Ah! Excellent!" the monk declared smilingly. "How are you doing? And how are your puppies? They're adorable." ...She missed her puppies. Well, in a month or so, she would probably be on her way home, and then she could see them again for a split second before they literally dogpiled her.
"I am well." Kakami answered and then smiled, her tone warming a bit at the mention of her dogs. "And they're doing pretty good as well. Miako is getting trained today." She motioned to the littlest dog.
"What are you training them to do?" Chiriku asked curiously.
"Well, they're nin dogs. I train them to track mostly but also to fight - some of them with weapons. They're trained to do some reconissance work and also how to act like normal pets for undercover bits." Kakami shrugged. "Lots of things really - just like any other ninja."
Chiriku chuckled. "I suppose I should expect that," she commented. "There's a pack of dogs that have claimed the temple (and me) as theirs. They like to laze around. Can't say they take after the monks, unless they're playing at meditating."
Kakami found herself chuckling as well. "My pack has their moments of lazy. Sometimes all of them come out to train Miako since she's the youngest but today its just her father."
"That's nice of him, to do that," Chiriku replied approvingly.
"I did want to see you, Hatake-san," she continued, her expression soft. "Rin-san is doing well, and he asked me to tell you that he loves you."
The softest of blushes managed to peek above the edges of the mask. Kakami smiled and felt herself become almost a little shy with those few words. It would be like Rin to send her that kind of message.
"...Thank you for finding me to tell me that." The woman said gratefully, glad her hands were in her pockets so she couldn't fidget. "...Ne...if I may....could you...tell him I love him back?"
Chiriku smiled. "Of course."
"Thank you again." Kakami said. Honestly she wasn't sure if it was proper to ask a monk to carry messages for two lovers but the woman didn't seem to mind too much.
Chiriku didn't mind, so long as it wasn't anything graphic. Then there would be the boxing of ears, shinobi or not. Though, Chiriku wouldn't be telling Rin this until after the seclusion period was finished. But she would make sure to tell him.
"May I hold the puppy? Miako, I think you said her name was?"
"Yes." Kakami said before kneeling and picking up the spotted little dog. Miako cautious leaned her head forward to sniff Chiriku, then seemed to approve and allowed herself to be handed over.
"She's trying very hard to be a good nin dog." Kakami sounded amused. "Which is why she's making such a show of checking you out."
Chiriku fought the urge to become a pile of goo and coo at the puppy. The puppy was trying to be professional, and she could do it the courtesy of responding in kind. "You're a good, smart girl, Miako," she said as she cuddled the puppy close. "And I'll bet you'll be an excellent nin-dog some day."
...And that was good enough for professionalism, she decided before skritching the puppy behind the ears and kissing Miako's furry head. "I do miss my puppies," she said to Kakami. "I never knew any of them when they were this tiny, but they're still puppies."
"Miako's not going to get much bigger." Kakami admitted. Irokoi and Hiiro were good sized dogs but Miako had been their runt. And a tiny dog was useful in some situations. "Some of her other pack members are nice and big but still running around like they were just a few months old."
"Heh. Miako's the mature one despite being so little?" Chiriku grinned. "A small dog would be good for infiltration, especially if she's got brains. And you've got brains, don't you, puppy?"
Miako yipped proudly in agreement. Hiiro seemed proud at the compliments as well, although he was much better at keeping his "cool" manner over it. Kakami chuckled.
Chiriku glee'd and rubbed her nose against Miako's cold, wet one. "Smart and cute! You're so lucky, Hatake-san." She snuggled the puppy more. "And you make Rin-san happy, for which I'm glad."
"Its pretty much about time he's happy." Kakami admitted quietly, before brushing her hair slightly with a hand. "He was really nervous about all this; I'm glad to hear he's doing well."
"Mm. What about you?" Chiriku queried gently. Oh, she knew from the moment she conveyed Rin's message what the answer was, but she liked hearing people admit their emotions.
Kakami wished she knew where this edging shyness was coming from. She felt a tad silly but it wasn't too bad. She gave a shrug, a hand going down to brush against Hiiro's head. "I'm happy." she stated quietly. "...Very happy."
The monk's smile grew. "I'm glad." Giving Miako a final snuggle, she crouched down to place the puppy on the ground before standing up again. "It was nice to meet you, Hatake-san. Asuka's mentioned you to me a few times, and I'm pleased to finally put a face to the name."
Kakami found the idea of Asuka being friendly with a monk almost funny but decided to pass on it. She needed an excuse to bug the other woman anyway. "It was very nice to meet you as well." She said sincerely.
Still smiling, Chiriku half-bowed respectfully. "Have a bless'd day," she responded, waiting for Kakami to return the bow before the monk went on her way.
For after all, Asuka had already been bothered for suggestions on how to find Kakami. Why stop there when the day was still young?
It was just before noon and quiet near the training ground Kakami was currently sitting in. A quick lunch break with Miako and Hiiro - who was helping with the puppy's training today.
Kakami had been spending a great deal of time here, training herself or her rookie nin-dog. Part of it was helping get her arm back into condition, but mostly it was Kakami trying to push herself to another level. And Rin wasn't around - which in a way removed her biggest distraction.
Miako nosed about the ground, looking for crumbs before she looked up, ears pricking a bit. Kakami rolled onto her feet from a sitting position to crouch, making sure any sort of garbage was picked up before brushing at Miako's head, before Hiiro got up as well. Kakami was the third to stand, as an orange clad figure was approaching.
Chiriku grinned at the sight of the dog and the puppy. Then she focused on the human with them and inclined her head politely. "Hatake Kakami, I presume?" she asked cheerfully once she was in reasonable earshot of normal conversational tones. Interesting how someone the monk knew from Asuka's letters, and who was so very important to Rin, she had yet to meet herself in the seven months she had been in Konoha. But then, Chiriku came to this village for the primary reason of spending time with Asuka. That had lasted all of a few weeks before she had been sucked into monkly duties at the shrine. Such was life.
Her hands tucked into the volumous sleeves of her robe, she waited politely for an answer.
"Yes." Kakami inclined her head in a polite nod. Hiiro stood beside her with disinteresed courtesy - Miako was attempting to look threatening just in case the visitor turned out to be less than polite. Hiiro gave her a nudge as if to remind her to not be so bristly when there were no threatening vibes.
Kakami was mainly ignoring them, gaze fixed on the monk in front of her. Part of her was nervous - was this about Rin? Was something wrong? The monk didn't seem like she had distressing news, which was good. "Can I help you, houshi-sama?"
"Ah! Excellent!" the monk declared smilingly. "How are you doing? And how are your puppies? They're adorable." ...She missed her puppies. Well, in a month or so, she would probably be on her way home, and then she could see them again for a split second before they literally dogpiled her.
"I am well." Kakami answered and then smiled, her tone warming a bit at the mention of her dogs. "And they're doing pretty good as well. Miako is getting trained today." She motioned to the littlest dog.
"What are you training them to do?" Chiriku asked curiously.
"Well, they're nin dogs. I train them to track mostly but also to fight - some of them with weapons. They're trained to do some reconissance work and also how to act like normal pets for undercover bits." Kakami shrugged. "Lots of things really - just like any other ninja."
Chiriku chuckled. "I suppose I should expect that," she commented. "There's a pack of dogs that have claimed the temple (and me) as theirs. They like to laze around. Can't say they take after the monks, unless they're playing at meditating."
Kakami found herself chuckling as well. "My pack has their moments of lazy. Sometimes all of them come out to train Miako since she's the youngest but today its just her father."
"That's nice of him, to do that," Chiriku replied approvingly.
"I did want to see you, Hatake-san," she continued, her expression soft. "Rin-san is doing well, and he asked me to tell you that he loves you."
The softest of blushes managed to peek above the edges of the mask. Kakami smiled and felt herself become almost a little shy with those few words. It would be like Rin to send her that kind of message.
"...Thank you for finding me to tell me that." The woman said gratefully, glad her hands were in her pockets so she couldn't fidget. "...Ne...if I may....could you...tell him I love him back?"
Chiriku smiled. "Of course."
"Thank you again." Kakami said. Honestly she wasn't sure if it was proper to ask a monk to carry messages for two lovers but the woman didn't seem to mind too much.
Chiriku didn't mind, so long as it wasn't anything graphic. Then there would be the boxing of ears, shinobi or not. Though, Chiriku wouldn't be telling Rin this until after the seclusion period was finished. But she would make sure to tell him.
"May I hold the puppy? Miako, I think you said her name was?"
"Yes." Kakami said before kneeling and picking up the spotted little dog. Miako cautious leaned her head forward to sniff Chiriku, then seemed to approve and allowed herself to be handed over.
"She's trying very hard to be a good nin dog." Kakami sounded amused. "Which is why she's making such a show of checking you out."
Chiriku fought the urge to become a pile of goo and coo at the puppy. The puppy was trying to be professional, and she could do it the courtesy of responding in kind. "You're a good, smart girl, Miako," she said as she cuddled the puppy close. "And I'll bet you'll be an excellent nin-dog some day."
...And that was good enough for professionalism, she decided before skritching the puppy behind the ears and kissing Miako's furry head. "I do miss my puppies," she said to Kakami. "I never knew any of them when they were this tiny, but they're still puppies."
"Miako's not going to get much bigger." Kakami admitted. Irokoi and Hiiro were good sized dogs but Miako had been their runt. And a tiny dog was useful in some situations. "Some of her other pack members are nice and big but still running around like they were just a few months old."
"Heh. Miako's the mature one despite being so little?" Chiriku grinned. "A small dog would be good for infiltration, especially if she's got brains. And you've got brains, don't you, puppy?"
Miako yipped proudly in agreement. Hiiro seemed proud at the compliments as well, although he was much better at keeping his "cool" manner over it. Kakami chuckled.
Chiriku glee'd and rubbed her nose against Miako's cold, wet one. "Smart and cute! You're so lucky, Hatake-san." She snuggled the puppy more. "And you make Rin-san happy, for which I'm glad."
"Its pretty much about time he's happy." Kakami admitted quietly, before brushing her hair slightly with a hand. "He was really nervous about all this; I'm glad to hear he's doing well."
"Mm. What about you?" Chiriku queried gently. Oh, she knew from the moment she conveyed Rin's message what the answer was, but she liked hearing people admit their emotions.
Kakami wished she knew where this edging shyness was coming from. She felt a tad silly but it wasn't too bad. She gave a shrug, a hand going down to brush against Hiiro's head. "I'm happy." she stated quietly. "...Very happy."
The monk's smile grew. "I'm glad." Giving Miako a final snuggle, she crouched down to place the puppy on the ground before standing up again. "It was nice to meet you, Hatake-san. Asuka's mentioned you to me a few times, and I'm pleased to finally put a face to the name."
Kakami found the idea of Asuka being friendly with a monk almost funny but decided to pass on it. She needed an excuse to bug the other woman anyway. "It was very nice to meet you as well." She said sincerely.
Still smiling, Chiriku half-bowed respectfully. "Have a bless'd day," she responded, waiting for Kakami to return the bow before the monk went on her way.
For after all, Asuka had already been bothered for suggestions on how to find Kakami. Why stop there when the day was still young?