The desert winds were blowing easily and effortlessly around a lone kunoichi traveling alone. Her head was held low, eyes slightly squinted to reduce the amount of sand blowing into her eyes, mouth and nose covered by the single scarf to keep from choking, and a determination to accomplish what must be done. Kana was walking tirelessly through the Land of Wind's desert region to find clues about what family she may have left, but also knew that it would require becoming skilled as a Rounin. Out here was perfect for that, regarding only a couple key pieces of her talents. Of course, it could all go so much better if she, a descendent of the Hunter clan, could be back in the place she once called home. It would be much better than hanging around in a place where there was hardly any water to take a dip in.

Kana Hunter mentally sighed as the howling winds spiralled and moaned. It was getting to be tiresome hearing those familiar sounds. And seeing that the smooth-looking dunes forming the landscape were constantly being eroded...it could only become more familiar based off of sight and sound. Perhaps the smell of that sandy region wasn't too bad. She did enjoy these exotic scents compared to that other place.

I need to keep moving.

These words popped up one time in the back of her head as she took one final step at the top of a dune. She kept her left hand to her mouth in order to disable the scarf from flying away as she scanned the upcoming path. There was no sign of Sunagakure as of yet, but giving up hope was not something to do at a time like this. Training, that was what this could be considered. All for that one whom she searched tirelessly for. "B-Brother, I'm coming for you."

Her temporarily halted journey continued, but with a quicker pace to reduce the time being wasted. As minutes passed by without too much to survive off of, Kana's body became heavy with exhaustion and fatigue would soon be settling if she did not stop for rest. But, that would be foolish of her. Stopping now would mean more to do the next day and that was unacceptable. Putting in a little more effort, she used as much strength as possible to keep going before stopping.

WC: 407

Spoiler:

There was little to be heard other than the howling winds that seemed to be picking up, whipping the sand about back and forth. There was a certain serenity that Hayato found in the desert. In the isolation there was clarity and in clarity there was truth. He did not mind being alone, in fact he much preferred it. Alone was what he had always been, and there was no end to that in sight. For him there was only the sand to keep him company. The sands of the desert were a silent, but dependable companion, ever loyal to his cause should he will it. That loyalty was what he valued. He knew his sand would never turn on him and in that he found the ideal partner.

Even still, there was something particularly unsettling about the desert that day. These were not the ordinary winds that blew the wind countries expansive deserts. A storm was coming, a rather large one at that. Sandstorms were not an uncommon occurrence in the desert, but even a man that could bend the sand to his will still needed to show it the respect it deserved. The art of ninjutsu allowed mere men to manipulate the forces of nature as if they were elementals, but before the might of nature their powers seemed so insignificant. For a sand user like Hayato, there was no greater example of this than the violent sandstorms that rampaged through the desert. The sheer volume of sand being moved around effortlessly, the ferocity, the distance it travelled, all far beyond anything he ever imagined achieving . The desert was a humbling place, which was why he spent much more time among the sands than the people of Sunagakure.

In the desert he could also refine his abilities, allowing his own sand to mix in with the sands of the desert all around him, training to wield both as if extensions of his own body. From high atop the dunes he looked out over the horizon, waiting. He would stay as long as he could before the oncoming stormed forced him to seek shelter. His attention would shift however as he felt a disturbance on the sands he had mixed in with the desert. Turning to see what had arrived he would look down from the hill at a silver-haired woman trekking through the desert. It didn’t take a trained eye to see the fatigue in her movements, each step seeming more forced than the last. It was a rare occurrence for Hayato to run into someone else on his excursions into the desert, but what was more troublesome was how far off they actually were from the village. And with the sandstorm coming…. “I’d advise you seek shelter as soon as possible,” he would proclaim from atop the dune, “This is a bad time to be out in the desert.”

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485~

A voice from behind, or was it to the side. Wherever it came from, this someone was speaking at an other. Kana lifted her head curiously and scanned around her until her gaze matched with a male standing on one of the many dunes nearby. He was advising her to find shelter from something of a particular danger she did not know of at the moment. "What do you mean?" she asked, standing her ground with a clenched fist. There didn't seem to be anything so harmful out, so what was there to even worry about. Besides, where was a good place to take cover at? Kana bit her tongue purposely after taking a little more consideration to this man's advice and said quietly, "Never mind. If you don't mind, could I possibly ask you for guidance to some place of shelter? I'm a little new here and am kind of lost. A little help would be very much appreciated."

Yeah, a little help. This guy doesn't look like a troublesome fellow like those back in...that place. Maybe he can help me with that other task that's causing me problems.

At that moment, the wind slightly began to pick up after some seconds of silence. Not that it was a real big deal, but it was slightly concerning. Wind in deserts like this should always be something to be cautious about, especially for newer travelers, perhaps. Kana gently applied a little more pressure to her mouth where the scarf was covering and narrowed her eyes. The wind was getting stronger the longer they stayed out here. "Is this..." Kana glanced up thoughtfully, nerves becoming a little uneasy as to what was going on. "I suppose we can get through introductions later. Something must be coming. And assuming what it is, you are most likely right about it. Take the lead. I'll follow you out to wherever we go as long as it's trustable."

WC: 332

Hayato would raise an eyebrow curiously at the girl as she spoke, unsure of where she got the assumption that he intended to leave. “Take the lead?” he repeated inquisitively, “There is a trading post not far from her to the West. On foot you’ll be able to arrive and seek shelter there well before the storm arrives in full force. It’s nothing luxurious, but the older couple that runs the post are kind and are always willing to shelter travelers during sandstorms. You’ll be able to rest there and it’s the only secure location in the immediate area. I’d advise you head there quickly. The sooner you are sheltered the better off you’ll be when the storm hits.”

He would say nothing of himself not his intentions of finding shelter… mostly because they didn’t exist. Hayato had no fear of the desert. Even during its most furious storms, the sand that blanketed beyond the horizon was never a threat to him. He intended to remain just where he was as long as he liked, whether the sandstorm came or not. Short of this girl somehow compelling him to feel that she absolutely needed his presence to get her to the trading post or for whatever reason staying beyond the instructions he had given her to reach safety, this should have been where they parted ways.

He did hope that she made it where she needed to be safely though. As common as encountering a traveler in the desert was, it was also common for tragedy to befall them. To the uninitiated the desert was a cruel and unforgiving place, where hope could seem as futile as the constant struggle against the harsh conditions that one had to brave. Also, judging on her appearance she did not seem to be travelling under the most favorable or fortunate circumstances. But he had given her all the information she needed to reach safety. What she did with it next fell to her judgement.

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338 | 823~