Shinjo had managed to return to the homeland shortly after the summer began. Her reports had begun going unanswered and as luck would have it anyone monitoring her habits seemed to have forgotten her or faded from the face of the earth. She was as of yet not sure which. So since there was little point in risking her well being spying even from a distance she had found a middle ground. She had left her mission behind and moved back up into the mountain range around Kumo. Korudo had followed as loyal as ever. He was quiet and supportive at the same time as always. His eyes seeming to constantly study both Shinjo and their surroundings thoughtfully. She suspected though that he was easy enough to convince as the mountains were much cooler and his thick fur wouldn't keep him burning up in the hot summer of Konoha. She too had not been looking forward to spending a summer in the lowlands so it benefited here to be returning home. She worried for her sister of course but there was no sign of her either. No one seemed to remember Shinjo and she rather preferred to the peace of that.

They had crossed the border in cover of night on a little known animal path. Following the rivers as needed to keep tabs on where they were they mostly kept to the woods as much as possible. Taking their time and always studying their surroundings. She had a headband but did not wish to be caught this far out and have to answer any questions. They had spent two days moving slowly inward until finally they had managed to reach their destination. An old and mostly run down cabin. By all means abandoned. Her old home. There was some danger of being there if anyone was looking for her specifically but as all contact had dropped she doubted she would be faulted for returning to some where she would easily be found. Not by just anyone though. Only those who knew of this place from years ago. She had set quickly to repairs and it took a while but soon enough the cabin was clean and sturdy once more. She waited for a week there off the supplies she had brought along but soon it was clear no one was coming. So it became necessary to put her skills back to use.

She and Korudo had set about examining fertile hunting grounds and collecting salt to cure any meat they hunted to last them a while. Water was collected in the early morning and boiled to purify it but other than that not much was done. She had begun to chop firewood in preparation for the coming cold and her food storage of cured meats was kept in a small shed with a sturdy door against wild animals. Furs had been tanned and were gathered as a bed and blankets. Korudo had helped with the hunting but mostly just stayed alert when she slept and napped while she was awake. Each of them taking watch. Now as the afternoon drew on and the sun grew lower earlier she was simply maintaining her weapon outside on a table. Applying oil to it and scrubbing away any dirt. Keeping her harpoon launcher at peak condition and ready to use. Korudo was under the table snoring. His large form growing and shrinking with each relaxed breath. Shinjo herself was in a black tank top with her coat tied around her waist with blue jeans and boots. Her pale skin more comfortable in the overcast here than the bright sun of Konoha. Her black eyes were focused with the silver irises glinting as if there was a light behind them. She seemed at peace. However her training was still present. Under the table a single kunai was taped in place. A weapon on the ready. In her pocket was a single explosive. She didn't trust being defenseless. Her snow white hair matching her pale skin and the fur of her wolf stirred in the breeze as she glanced up. Did she see something move?

693

Tomohiro had decided to spend some time away from the village. It had been awhile since he had any form of break or vacation. It had been mostly back to back missions for the last few days. Before that, it was mostly helping out within the family mines. He wanted to get his mind off of anything he could that didn’t remind him of his duties within the village. It was just him and Assam braving out the wilderness. The ninneko wasn’t as much as a handful as he had been in the past. Assam was getting bigger and Tomohiro wasn’t sure how much bigger the tiger would get. The tiger was still small, but seemed to be growing faster within the past few weeks. Tomohiro was trying his best to teach the ninneko how to hunt. Assam seemed like he was struggling to grasp the concept of staying hidden. The tiger would attempt chase after anything that would move. This also included other predators. Tomohiro believed that the tiger would catch on eventually. That was if the two of them didn’t get killed first. Tomohiro could see the potential that the tiger had. It was mostly maturity that was lacking from the equation. Dealing with this made Tomohiro question himself if raising children was anything like this.

The two of them were crouched down within the high brush. Tomohiro had constantly tried to talk Assam through being patient and waiting for that opportune moment.. The tiger kept rubbing his head against Tomo’s chest as the Nakir sighed. This seemed like it wasn’t getting any easier. Maybe he was asking for too much. This was about as good as it was probably going to get. The tiger purred loudly as one of the deer they had been following had lifted its head. Tomohiro’s eyes would squint toward the deer as he thought about the opportunity they were going to miss if this kept up. Maintaining his crouched position he pushed the blade of Ryuushi upward from its sheath. He almost wanted to let the animals go, but then neither of them would get to eat. Tomohiro could go without food, but Assam was young and he would never treat his junior that way. Assam needed to toughen up, but the tiger had been overly spoiled no thanks to him. Tomohiro had only himself to blame for that. He vowed to make the tiger a fighting machine, but couldn’t even teach him how to kill. Little did he know, the tiger was taking everything in. Assam had been acting the part of the foolish student while actually fooling his master. Tomohiro was quite tired of Assam’s charades. Plus, the hunger was starting to get to him.

Tomohiro had push flexed his muscles after releasing a calming breath through his teeth. Another deer raised its head at the feeling of bloodlust that came from Tomohiro’s breath. Out of the corner of his eye Assam had sprung forward and tackled one of the deer to the ground. Assam struggled to hold it down. As Tomohiro dashed forward slicing the deers neck thorough and deep. The shinobi continued to move forward and kicked another doe to the ground as he slit its throat as it attempted to escape. The deer quickly rushed to its feet before collapsing a few meters. The doe hit the ground with a soft thud. Tomohiro flourished his blade before it made its way back home in its sheath. Tomohiro slightly smiled at Assam as the tiger started gnawing on the hide of the deer without breaking the skin of the carcass. Tomohiro would fling a deer over each shoulder as he began making his way toward their camp. Well, wherever that was. Tomohiro had sort of lost track of the direction they decided to lay their heads for the night. It was a makeshift shelter that he made from scratch out of the leaves, sticks, and brush that he could find. Plus, he could track his way back to it. The only issue was that they had spent beyond a couple of hours tracking down their prey. Making their way back would take some time. He wasn’t sure how long that was going to take. The fact also remains that he would need to field strip the deer before the blood ruined the meat.

The thought wasn’t too appealing to him. Whatever he decided, it needed to happen quickly. Tomohiro and Assam traveled about a kilometer or so from their previous location before Tomohiro would stop. He would hang both of the deer head down from the branch and let the blood slowly drain out. Assam trotted around like a horse in excitement of his first take down. Tomohiro would rub Assam’s underside as they waited for the deer to complete its cycle. Tomohiro figured that cutting the deer into parts would make it more difficult to carry. He figured that he would create a large fire pit and roast both animals. Unfortunately, he didn’t bring any seasoning, but it felt better that way. He could have always gathered a number of herbs in the area, but he needed to keep his eye on Assam. Tomohiro had stopped petting the tiger as his mind drifted. He started to dream of how strong Assam would be one day. It wasn’t too long before he snapped out of it and Assam was nowhere to be seen. The deer had stopped dripping blood as he started to get anxious. Tomohiro called out to the tiger, but no answer. He looked at the ground and noticed the footprints were leading away from him. The fact that he had been careless made him uneasy. Tomohiro would cut down the deer and carry one over each shoulder.

The tracks weren’t aged and seemed to be only a few minutes old. Tomohiro would follow the tracks hoping that he would soon find Assam. Though, he would quickly move at half his highest speed trying to track down the tiger. As he followed the tracks, they lead him to a shack. The shack seemed like it was abandoned from the angle he had currently been viewing. That was until he could smell the faint smell of a fire. Someone was here. Tomohiro’s eyes would follow the tracks of his companion as he tried to get a grasp of where the tiger was. It was only after a brief moment that he noticed Assam in an offensive position. Tomohiro’s eyes looked toward where Assam had been facing. It was a human that was taking refuge here. A woman wearing a black tank top. Tomohiro skimmed quickly trying to address a threat level before screaming toward the tiger cub, “Assam, Heel!” The tiger would back out of his offensive stance and started to slowly move backward toward Tomohiro. Tomohiro would bow slightly before speaking to the young woman.

“I’m sorry for the intrusion. Assam still has a lot to learn. May we have permission to enter your camp? I’m Tomohiro Nakir, shinobi of Kumogakure no Sato.”

Tomohiro would slightly lift his head has the remnant of the sun would reflect the forehead protector under his chin. His grey hoodie over his black full body training suit was covered in fur and blood from the earlier hunt. He hoped it wasn’t too bad. The deer weren’t that heavy to him even though their size said otherwise. Tomohiro would wait for a response from the young lady before he would do anything. The woman’s eyes were quite appealing to him and made him slightly cock his head to the side like he was trying to get a better look at them. Though, he tried not to make it too obvious.

1312

For the most part the cleaning of her rifle was simply accomplishing two things. A sure fire solution to keep it from jamming as that could cost her if she needed to actually fire a harpoon. Even a little bit of dirt in the barrel could throw off her aim at longer ranges. With the weapon well lubricated where she intended to hit the harpoon would go. Experience had taught her as much. The second was passing the time. Up here alone she was terribly bored. No real direction, no training or orders being issued. Just a sense of endless calm that borderline infuriated her. She could survive out here easily enough but she missed the comforts of the city. Good seasoned food, bath houses, libraries and entertainment districts. Jugglers and clowns didn't usually interest her but they certainly would at that moment. A whole circus perhaps with people flying across the ceiling by ropes and elephants dancing on huge balls. They might even have one of those life endangering scenes. A man alone with a tiger with nothing but a whip and a chair leading it through fire hoops for her entertainment. Much like the tiger exiting the tree line. Wait what?!

Her eyes locked onto those of the tiger. What was it doing here in the mountains? Here of all places with her weapon currently unusable. Had she been out hunting she may have spotted it at a fair distance and dealt with it to avoid just this situation. However she hadn't seen a single hint of the beast. Her body froze mostly as she nudged her companion with her foot. He would grunt slightly before sniffing the air. His eyes would open lazily before he stretched and got out from by her feet. He would glance at the tiger and huff. His partner was a ninja. She used ninja magic for christs sake. What did she think getting him up would help with? Still he would take up position slowly next to her. His stance guarded. This was strange after all. However a tiger might think twice before attacking a pair than a single individual. The numbers were not on his side. Still it seemed like it was gearing up to rush them. Her hand slowly shifted to her pocket. Slow and steady as she kept her eyes locked with the beasts. If she could reach the explosive before he charged she might have an advantage.

The sudden call for someone to heel was off putting. It almost sprang everything into action but it did confirm an important note. The beast was not wild. It shifted to the side of a young man she had never laid eyes on before. He would stride out into the clearing with confidence. She wondered idly if this one was playing a game with her. Show strength and then politeness. As if he was an innocent wanderer. She suspected he may have been tracking her specifically but those that did wouldn't wait around and give her time to come up with a plan. Anyone sent to bring her in would close the distance immediately. This one apologized and even requested permission to enter her camp. Her dark eyes seem to glint with the silver pupils for a moment. She had no interest in trusting anyone. That headband around his neck he revealed openly didn't buy him squat with her. Still a sudden paw on her foot caused pain to momentarily distract her. Her own companion was the opposite of this mans relationship with his. Korudo was the brains and patience of the two of them. Still Shinjo would grunt and cross her arms. She seemed almost to be pouting. But she spoke all the same without making eye contact.

"I don't much care if you do or don't Kumo nin. But if you intend on cooking that deer on my fire its only decent to share a little. Yeah?"