[RP Log][Closed] Rainy Days and Mondays [Kakami and Asuka]
[[three days after the attack by Sasoriza as the girls go to track down their lost prey.]]
Kakami sighed as she stood. Hiiro bowed his head a tad regretfully as the rest of the dogs padded up. Kakami looked at them each in turn and then sighed, her shoulders falling a bit. If they had lost the scent and couldn't find it again, chances were low that Kakami would be able to do it.
She turned, walking back to Asuka. "Bad news." she said quietly.
Bad news was never a good thing when it came from Kakami. Especially when, for almost four days now, she hadn't had a cigarette in order to keep from messing up Kakami's - or her dogs' - noses. It was a voluntary sacrifice, but an aggrevating one if it meant they couldn't catch their prey.
"Lost it, huh," she said - not really feeling the need to ask - squinting against the sun setting over the desert in the distance. They weren't quite into Wind Country yet, but close enough that the land was sloping down into sand, the trees turning into scrub and palms. They had lost the ability to track by anything except scent half a day ago when the ground refused to hold a footprint and now... apparently it wouldn't even hold a scent, either.
Half of her was relieved that she could have a cigarette again. The other half, that she didn't show, was bordering on angry.
"Yeah." Kakami pinched the bridge of her nose. THe trail had been strong at first and they'd moved with little rest to follow. The dogs sat about, looking slightly dejected and a bit tired as well. Kakami knelt next to Asuka and stared at the sand. There would be no footprints, no scent. Nothing to show that Kabumi or her captor were ever there. "Any ideas?"
She hooked her thumbs in the pockets of her uniform pants, sighing and tilting her head back. What the hell was there to do if they couldn't pick the trial back up? It had been over an hour since the dogs started milling in circles trying to pick it back up again (Asuka had been on enough tracking missions that she recognized the sign of a lost trail when she saw it), what were the chances they'd find it again now?
"Fuck if I know," she said to the sky, closing her eyes against the glare of the sun. There was either keep going - to Sunagakure, though the likelihood of their prey going there was slim - or go home, where the ANBU headquarters had been sliced to ribbons and some of their best ninja were wounded. The answer was clear enough, logically, but there was still that slow-boiling anger that wanted nothing better than to eviscerate that bitch who'd given them the slip.
Asuka reopened her eyes and looked down to where Kakami knelt beside her. "Think it was a Suna-nin?"
"I don't know." The white haired woman answered slowly. "...I suppose it could have been, but it would be a question of whether it was a rouge or one that was really working under the new Kazekage."
Or a nin working for another faction within the government. Ninja politics could get hazy and complicated at times. She took a breath, looking again at the rather blearly landscape. "...We may need to return if that is the case."
Return home. That was really where they needed to be, after all; there was Tsurude and Jimaiya, of course, back there still still protecting the turf, and Gaia and the chuunin kids, but with both her and Kakami gone, and ANBU wiped out and Kureno... down for the count, it did sort of leave the village open for attack.
They really should go home. No matter how much it pissed her off.
With a frown, she dug around in the pockets of her jounin vest, pulling out a battered pack of Marlboro's and putting one to her lips. "How much rest do the dogs need?" A second and the strike of a lighter later, and the cigarette was lit. The calming surge of nicotine in her veins was pleasing, but somehow not quite enough.
"Give them an hour," Kakami murmured. That would be enough to give them a quick rest before heading home. It would be best to get there quickly. She knew what Asuka did; that Konoha was vulnerable at the moment and that they were needed there. Speaking to the Kazekage about the possibility of a Suna nin being responsible was something that was better done by Tsurude.
Going to Suna themselves and asking such questions could potentionally be a rather bad decision.
A plume of smoke was exhaled into the dry air, and with a grunt the other jounin let herself plop down next to Kakami. An hour was too long to wait standing, and she needed rest along with the dogs. They'd been pushing themselves hard, hardly sleeping, just pausing long enough to catch a bite to eat and maybe an hour to catch their breath, and they were off again. That the hadn't been able to catch up to Kabumi - who Ibiki had reported as badly injured - and whoever the hell that other bitch was was nothing short of frustrating. The other woman must have had stamina like an ox.
Pulling her knees up and resting her elbows on them, Asuka let her hands dangle between her legs and the cigarette from her lips. Silence was nothing new or all that unusual between her and the other ninja, and nothing bad, either; it just meant that they didn't have anything particularly important to talk about at the moment. And that was fine, as she wanted to conserve what breath she could for smoking (ironic as that might seem).
Kakami eased herself to sit instead of kneel. Miako instantly padded towards her and the puppy laid down, resting her head on Kakami's thigh as the woman crossed her legs. The other dogs settled down - except for Jakuchu who stubbornly kept sniffing about until Iroaku barked enough to get him over. Jakuchu had always been rather stubborn.
The pale haired woman glanced at Asuka and then let out a breath. It was frustrating; for all of them. Kakami could sense the dogs' frustration; could see it in Asuka's movements and posture. She herself was rather discouraged. Kakami's mind was going through possible ideas and situations but each one came up empty.
The only thing to do was return and admit failure. At least they had tracked the two this far.
And admitting failure was something that Asuka despised doing. She was a good ninja, more than capable of finishing a job, and had rarely ever needed to admit defeat. It was almost like giving up when she knew she could do more, and that was a feeling that irked her. But the fact was that there was nothing more they could do at this point. The Godaime would have to get in touch with Suna's Kazekage and let the Sand-nin take over from there. They'd undoubtable had more experience tracking in the desert than any Leaf-nin would.
She exhaled sharply, making a soft snorting sound, and let herself fall back onto the sand. Cigarette ashes scattered and, thankfully, did not get in her eyes.
"Fucking ANBU getting slaughtered like that," she said at the sky. "They just don't make 'em like they used to, huh?"
"...I suppose not." Kakami said softly. She sighed and put a hand on Miako's head. Reiji and Ichiro were napping while Hiiro gently walked back and forth. Yoshi and Jakuchu sat in front while Irokoi and Hiiro were behind Asuka and Kakami.
Kakami looked at her companion. She hesitated, then said, "I'm sure we'll track them down eventually, Asuka."
"Sure," was the flippant reply. "If she came by once I'm sure she'll come by again. Hopefully the next time we won't be so lax, huh?" Lax, heh. That was a good way of putting it. ANBU were never lax, so how the heck did this chick get into the headquarters in the first place?
The cigarette was pulled from dry lips, and she ashed it someplace off to the side, hopefully away from a dog. "You think ANBU will be recruiting again after this?" Stupid question, really. She still didn't know just how many spooks had been offed, but there would have been enough that they'd need replacements - and fast.
"Perhaps." Kakami shifted, almost uneasily this time. "...we might want to get moving now. There's a storm coming."
Rain. This would be fun. And definately any chance of a scent would be gone once water started falling. Although it was early for desert monsoons...perhaps because they were not in the midst of the desert and only on the edge. She glanced at Asuka.
Oh joy, rain. So much for smoking. And so much for that hour of rest. Hell, what she got was better than nothing, though.
Asuka sat back up, took one last drag off the cigarette, and smushed it out in the sand. It was a long run back to Konoha, especially if they ended up getting wet, but at the end of the trip would be a bed and a hot shower. And friends and... more work. Lots of work. Like the ANBU thing, which was troubling to her, even if she had been quit of it for pushing eight years now.
"Let's go, then," she said, and rose effortlessly back to her feet. "No time like the present."
Kakami nodded and got to her feet, with a whistle. The dogs were instantly up and formed a pack like ring as Asuka and Kakami began their run.
Ichiro and Jakuchu, the light and fastes runners were ahead, while Hiiro was to the left and Irokoi to the right. Miako and Pakkun stuck close to the middle with the women while Yoshi and Reiji brought up the rear. It was they way they would have run in a pack.
If there was no trouble and they kept a good pace, it would only be a day or so to get back to Konoha. Kakami glanced at the sky again; the air was getting wetter. Asuka could probably smell it now.
Behind them, to the west, the sun was setting over the desert that led to Sunagakure. And before them, to the east, was more than just the darkening sky as night fell: over the course of the last day clouds had gathered and darkened, and now were apparently planning on dumping their load all over the two ninja and their nin-dogs. The scent had been steadily building as they continued, and soon was strong enough that even Asuka could smell the ozone on the air.
The night steadily fell, falling into twilight, dark enough that if it weren't for the dogs leading the way, the ninja (or at least Asuka) might have needed to slow their pace. And then, of course, mere hours after they'd given up their trail and turned homeward, the first drops of rain fell. And then more. And then... a lot more.
And kept falling. All the way back to Konoha.
The hot showers were highly appreciated once they got back home.
Kakami sighed as she stood. Hiiro bowed his head a tad regretfully as the rest of the dogs padded up. Kakami looked at them each in turn and then sighed, her shoulders falling a bit. If they had lost the scent and couldn't find it again, chances were low that Kakami would be able to do it.
She turned, walking back to Asuka. "Bad news." she said quietly.
Bad news was never a good thing when it came from Kakami. Especially when, for almost four days now, she hadn't had a cigarette in order to keep from messing up Kakami's - or her dogs' - noses. It was a voluntary sacrifice, but an aggrevating one if it meant they couldn't catch their prey.
"Lost it, huh," she said - not really feeling the need to ask - squinting against the sun setting over the desert in the distance. They weren't quite into Wind Country yet, but close enough that the land was sloping down into sand, the trees turning into scrub and palms. They had lost the ability to track by anything except scent half a day ago when the ground refused to hold a footprint and now... apparently it wouldn't even hold a scent, either.
Half of her was relieved that she could have a cigarette again. The other half, that she didn't show, was bordering on angry.
"Yeah." Kakami pinched the bridge of her nose. THe trail had been strong at first and they'd moved with little rest to follow. The dogs sat about, looking slightly dejected and a bit tired as well. Kakami knelt next to Asuka and stared at the sand. There would be no footprints, no scent. Nothing to show that Kabumi or her captor were ever there. "Any ideas?"
She hooked her thumbs in the pockets of her uniform pants, sighing and tilting her head back. What the hell was there to do if they couldn't pick the trial back up? It had been over an hour since the dogs started milling in circles trying to pick it back up again (Asuka had been on enough tracking missions that she recognized the sign of a lost trail when she saw it), what were the chances they'd find it again now?
"Fuck if I know," she said to the sky, closing her eyes against the glare of the sun. There was either keep going - to Sunagakure, though the likelihood of their prey going there was slim - or go home, where the ANBU headquarters had been sliced to ribbons and some of their best ninja were wounded. The answer was clear enough, logically, but there was still that slow-boiling anger that wanted nothing better than to eviscerate that bitch who'd given them the slip.
Asuka reopened her eyes and looked down to where Kakami knelt beside her. "Think it was a Suna-nin?"
"I don't know." The white haired woman answered slowly. "...I suppose it could have been, but it would be a question of whether it was a rouge or one that was really working under the new Kazekage."
Or a nin working for another faction within the government. Ninja politics could get hazy and complicated at times. She took a breath, looking again at the rather blearly landscape. "...We may need to return if that is the case."
Return home. That was really where they needed to be, after all; there was Tsurude and Jimaiya, of course, back there still still protecting the turf, and Gaia and the chuunin kids, but with both her and Kakami gone, and ANBU wiped out and Kureno... down for the count, it did sort of leave the village open for attack.
They really should go home. No matter how much it pissed her off.
With a frown, she dug around in the pockets of her jounin vest, pulling out a battered pack of Marlboro's and putting one to her lips. "How much rest do the dogs need?" A second and the strike of a lighter later, and the cigarette was lit. The calming surge of nicotine in her veins was pleasing, but somehow not quite enough.
"Give them an hour," Kakami murmured. That would be enough to give them a quick rest before heading home. It would be best to get there quickly. She knew what Asuka did; that Konoha was vulnerable at the moment and that they were needed there. Speaking to the Kazekage about the possibility of a Suna nin being responsible was something that was better done by Tsurude.
Going to Suna themselves and asking such questions could potentionally be a rather bad decision.
A plume of smoke was exhaled into the dry air, and with a grunt the other jounin let herself plop down next to Kakami. An hour was too long to wait standing, and she needed rest along with the dogs. They'd been pushing themselves hard, hardly sleeping, just pausing long enough to catch a bite to eat and maybe an hour to catch their breath, and they were off again. That the hadn't been able to catch up to Kabumi - who Ibiki had reported as badly injured - and whoever the hell that other bitch was was nothing short of frustrating. The other woman must have had stamina like an ox.
Pulling her knees up and resting her elbows on them, Asuka let her hands dangle between her legs and the cigarette from her lips. Silence was nothing new or all that unusual between her and the other ninja, and nothing bad, either; it just meant that they didn't have anything particularly important to talk about at the moment. And that was fine, as she wanted to conserve what breath she could for smoking (ironic as that might seem).
Kakami eased herself to sit instead of kneel. Miako instantly padded towards her and the puppy laid down, resting her head on Kakami's thigh as the woman crossed her legs. The other dogs settled down - except for Jakuchu who stubbornly kept sniffing about until Iroaku barked enough to get him over. Jakuchu had always been rather stubborn.
The pale haired woman glanced at Asuka and then let out a breath. It was frustrating; for all of them. Kakami could sense the dogs' frustration; could see it in Asuka's movements and posture. She herself was rather discouraged. Kakami's mind was going through possible ideas and situations but each one came up empty.
The only thing to do was return and admit failure. At least they had tracked the two this far.
And admitting failure was something that Asuka despised doing. She was a good ninja, more than capable of finishing a job, and had rarely ever needed to admit defeat. It was almost like giving up when she knew she could do more, and that was a feeling that irked her. But the fact was that there was nothing more they could do at this point. The Godaime would have to get in touch with Suna's Kazekage and let the Sand-nin take over from there. They'd undoubtable had more experience tracking in the desert than any Leaf-nin would.
She exhaled sharply, making a soft snorting sound, and let herself fall back onto the sand. Cigarette ashes scattered and, thankfully, did not get in her eyes.
"Fucking ANBU getting slaughtered like that," she said at the sky. "They just don't make 'em like they used to, huh?"
"...I suppose not." Kakami said softly. She sighed and put a hand on Miako's head. Reiji and Ichiro were napping while Hiiro gently walked back and forth. Yoshi and Jakuchu sat in front while Irokoi and Hiiro were behind Asuka and Kakami.
Kakami looked at her companion. She hesitated, then said, "I'm sure we'll track them down eventually, Asuka."
"Sure," was the flippant reply. "If she came by once I'm sure she'll come by again. Hopefully the next time we won't be so lax, huh?" Lax, heh. That was a good way of putting it. ANBU were never lax, so how the heck did this chick get into the headquarters in the first place?
The cigarette was pulled from dry lips, and she ashed it someplace off to the side, hopefully away from a dog. "You think ANBU will be recruiting again after this?" Stupid question, really. She still didn't know just how many spooks had been offed, but there would have been enough that they'd need replacements - and fast.
"Perhaps." Kakami shifted, almost uneasily this time. "...we might want to get moving now. There's a storm coming."
Rain. This would be fun. And definately any chance of a scent would be gone once water started falling. Although it was early for desert monsoons...perhaps because they were not in the midst of the desert and only on the edge. She glanced at Asuka.
Oh joy, rain. So much for smoking. And so much for that hour of rest. Hell, what she got was better than nothing, though.
Asuka sat back up, took one last drag off the cigarette, and smushed it out in the sand. It was a long run back to Konoha, especially if they ended up getting wet, but at the end of the trip would be a bed and a hot shower. And friends and... more work. Lots of work. Like the ANBU thing, which was troubling to her, even if she had been quit of it for pushing eight years now.
"Let's go, then," she said, and rose effortlessly back to her feet. "No time like the present."
Kakami nodded and got to her feet, with a whistle. The dogs were instantly up and formed a pack like ring as Asuka and Kakami began their run.
Ichiro and Jakuchu, the light and fastes runners were ahead, while Hiiro was to the left and Irokoi to the right. Miako and Pakkun stuck close to the middle with the women while Yoshi and Reiji brought up the rear. It was they way they would have run in a pack.
If there was no trouble and they kept a good pace, it would only be a day or so to get back to Konoha. Kakami glanced at the sky again; the air was getting wetter. Asuka could probably smell it now.
Behind them, to the west, the sun was setting over the desert that led to Sunagakure. And before them, to the east, was more than just the darkening sky as night fell: over the course of the last day clouds had gathered and darkened, and now were apparently planning on dumping their load all over the two ninja and their nin-dogs. The scent had been steadily building as they continued, and soon was strong enough that even Asuka could smell the ozone on the air.
The night steadily fell, falling into twilight, dark enough that if it weren't for the dogs leading the way, the ninja (or at least Asuka) might have needed to slow their pace. And then, of course, mere hours after they'd given up their trail and turned homeward, the first drops of rain fell. And then more. And then... a lot more.
And kept falling. All the way back to Konoha.
The hot showers were highly appreciated once they got back home.