[Ōorigami Asahi]

you play with the wolf

SPOILER: Click to show seinaru rescue & retrieve Mission Rank: C NPC Required: No Random Mission Scenario: Disabled Participants: Ōorigami Asahi  , Hyūga Hotaru , Asahi Inuzuka Description: Seinaru is in need of assistance from a shinobi team. One of the mine working teams are trapped deep in the mine, and haven't been heard from them in days. Usually this matter would be handled internally, but we don't have the equipment or any man that wants to go as deep as they reportedly did. And with the rations and water they keep on them, they ran out yesterday... Rumors have floated around. Some workers say the group went deeper on their own. Some say they were trapped behind fallen rocks because of a mistake in the mining process. Either way, we request your help to find the mining team and bring them out. Since it has been days, their chance of survival gets shorter with every passing hour. This mission has two objectives: Locate and rescue the Seinaru mining team trapped deep within the mines. Retrieve the rare plant nicknamed, Spider's Teardrop from the cave. It is rumored to also be located in rare clusters deep within the cave

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Asahi stood at the opened western gate of Konohagakure, waiting for his teammates. Some of the color of the new morning sky were still painted, and the sounds of life waking up could be heard from people, insect, and bird alike. Team 2 had a full team again! Asahi looked over his teammates names on the scroll in his hands. The addition of a teammate was news to Asahi, and this mission they had been assigned on would be in commemoration of sorts to the new addition.

Asahi had met Hotaru already, and even trained with him, but Asahi wasn't familiar with- wait...The boy's brain had skipped over it until now. Was there new teammates name...also Asahi? The green haired boy raised an eyebrow at the duplication of his first name on the scroll. Maybe it was some sort of error...

The mission seemed simple enough. They were to go to Seinaru and rescue some miners that had been trapped deep in of the caves of the towns mining operations. And from the representative from Seinaru's message, it seemed urgent. Civilians trapped in a mine was urgent, as starvation and more likely, dehydration both posed threats to those trapped.

That day he was wearing a white tank top, and green knee length draw string pants. The white jacket who usually wore on missions, was tied around his waist instead. He liked the feeling of the morning breeze on his arms. Asahi leaned against the gate, thinking ahead about the groups mission until one of them showed up.

What was the best case scenario? What was the worst case scenario? What was most likely to happen? What were some things that could be "surprises". His brain went to calculating and planning. But when he caught sight of Hotaru, or whoever might have been their new teammate, he would wave to them.
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but you sleep with the bones of a rabbit

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Notes: Ayye New team 2! let's GO!

TAG: Hyūga Hotaru , Asahi Inuzuka
PYXIS ★

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[Asahi Inuzuka]

Asahi had woken up early that morning, having barely slept the night before. Her brain had been running wild all night thinking of the new team she would be joining today. From what her sensei told her about them, they seemed a bit mishmash which worried the young girl to no end. Her last team, well they were pretty close friends, they were close in age and all had similar goals, so they worked well as a team... and even then it hadn't been enough during their Chunnin exam.

The weight around her heart was what had woken her before dawn, and prevented her from getting back to sleep. So instead, she chose to nudge Taiyo awake and walk outside to the courtyard where the two spent the morning in silence. No morning training, no run, just sitting on the patio looking out until the sun began to rise.

It wasn't until her sensei appeared before her that Asahi snapped out of her reverie, looking up to him with a confused expression on her face.

"Goooood morning Asahi. You might want to hurry up and get ready, we're meeting Team 2 at the gate."
He said with a chuckle escaping his lips as he saw the panic appear in Asahi's eyes as the girl ran back into the house to quickly get changed, brush her hair, and then return to where her sensei was waiting for her.

"So sorry! Rough night, I'm ready to go!"
She said, returning to her more usual happy self. The man smiled as he placed a hand on the girl's head before turning to lead the way towards the gate.

As they arrived, they found that one of the boys, the older one also called Asahi, was already there waiting for them. You'd think considering she was up so early that she'd be the first one there. When he waved towards them she gave a light smile before waving back. Taiyo on the other hand, stuck to her leg like glue, eyeing the green-haired boy closely.

"Hey, Good morning! You must be Asahi, from Team 2? My name is Kenji, and this is Inuzuka Asahi, she'll be joining your team as of today."
The dark-haired jounin spoke up, raising a hand to also wave in the direction of the boy as he approached the team. He wasn't here long, only hoping to ease Asahi's transition to a new team before leaving. He'd of course keep an eye on her for a while all things considered, but he was pretty confident about placing her here.

---

OOC: Kenji is just a quick one-off NPC to start Asahi off, being the jounin team leader from her previous team.

[Hyūga Hotaru]

Rough night, indeed. Much the same, Hotaru struggled to sleep during the night, his thoughts running a mile a minute over any and every scenario ahead. With the addition of a third teammate, Team 2 was finally at capacity again, and ready to roll out on their first mission together. In such a short amount of time, he met Asahi, and now they were being deployed with.. Asahi? Oh, boy, this could get confusing. Could the three of them get to know each other on the way to Seinaru? Could they synergize and fight as a team better than as individuals? Could they make it in time to save the trapped citizens? FIND OUT NEXT TIME ON- Oh, it's morning already? Great. What was supposed to be eight hours of decent rest felt like minutes as he faded in and out until sunrise. Much as he would like to stay in bed, that certainly wasn't an option with lives on the line. So, he forced himself up and stumbled through his morning routine, somehow managing to do most of his preparation with his eyes closed, and still leave on time.

Any other day, Hotaru might be the first on location, as was the case the last few times he tried to meet his team. This was before the logistical issues that put Team 2 on hold for a short period of time. As for today, the residing sleeplessness made the walk to the western gate a bit slower than usual. Stopping to get something to drink on the way didn't put him far behind schedule, but stopping to rescue a stray cat almost did. "Rescue" being, "try to feed the stray and maybe get close enough to pet them". It was sort of a habit he had; seeing a stray cat just made him want to help, every time. Luckily, he tore himself away from the scene before it was too late, though he still had to hurry to get to the west gate.

So, last but not least, was the Hyuuga, running up on the other two while trying not to spill his drink. Without knowing what had occurred, it really looked like he had just run from the estate to meet them; still experiencing a bit of bedhead right up to reaching his team. He was on time, all things considered, but being the last one to arrived, he might as well have been late. "Sorry-! Sorry-!" The boy apologized in his usual soft voice, immediately bowing his head toward all of them. What was he even apologizing for? Making them wait? It wasn't like they had been there long. And yet, if they were inconvenienced whatsoever, he was still going to say sorry.

[Ōorigami Asahi]

	you play with the wolf
After a couple of false alarm waves, one of the waves to someone who could have been his teammate proved true! But this wasn't just one person who approached him. It was a girl, a man, and a...wolf?! Asahi's mind flashed back to the mission he did with Tetsumi not too long ago. How the pack ambushed them. He tried not to make eye contact with the white wolf once they got close. "Ahh, so you're the one who shares my first name. It's nice to meet you and looking forward to being on the same team with you," Asahi said and was about to go for the fist bump, but a glance to what up close looked like it could be a wolf or a very big dog, deterred him. Instead he put his hands behind his head in a trying to look relaxed position. A little bit of stress clearly shone through. He had heard of the Inuzuka but this was his first time meeting someone from that clan. He knew what everyone else commonly knew. They kept and cultivated close relationships with dogs, and fought with them. "Two teammates in one, that should work nicely with Hotaru and I focusing on medi-" the green haired boy said, but stopped when he saw Hotaru making his way toward them. Now they were all on time and accounted for! Asahi watched their youngest teammate come up and apologize with a bow. After a couple encounters with the boy, Asahi had begun to notice how the boy was socially. "Staaahp. Nothing to apologize for," he started, and tried to playfully give Hotaru's head a pat and ruffle, like something you would do to a younger brother. Hotaru was the youngest of their group, and since they had learned a technique together, his teammate had grown on him a bit. But even if the boy dodged it, Asahi would hold the small smile he had. "Hotaru, Asahi Inuzuka. Asahi, Hotaru Hyuuga," he introduced the two to each other, so that the person next to their new teammate wouldn't have to repeat themselves.
but you sleep with the bones of a rabbit

Notes: 

TAG: Hyūga Hotaru , Asahi Inuzuka
PYXIS ★

[Asahi Inuzuka]

Asahi smiled back at the green-haired boy who obviously, was the other Asahi. This really was going to get confusing, wasn't it? She could already see them getting all screwed up on missions because of the name similarities.

"It's nice to meet you too. I haven't been a part of a 3 man team for a while, so I hope Taiyo and I won't be in your way."
She stated kindly, noting the boy's dodgy movements and side glances towards the wolf. She glanced sideways to the canine at her hip, who still seemed to be none too impressed with the boys in front of them. Thankfully though, he hadn't treated them aggressively. She pats his head and scratched his ear to reassure him. A crooked smile then appeared on her face as she reached into the bag at her hip and retrieved... a brightly colored ball.

Taiyo's nose twitched as he tried to remain stoic, the ever-loyal guard dog at her side! However, Asahi passed the ball directly in front of his nose and his fluffy white tail began to wag maniacally. The silver-haired girl laughed at his reaction before taking a sidestep and tossing the ball straight past Asahi and out the gate a good distance. Without hesitation, the large canine bounded off with a satisfying bark out past the group and the gate, disappearing after the ball. She hoped that small action might ease the tension when they got to see that Taiyo was actually just a big playful baby.

With all of that, she didn't quite catch what Asahi said about them being two team mates in one, but was instead brought back to reality by the appearance of the little Hyuuga, their third team member. While she kept up a smile, she was already feeling uneasy.
'He really is so young... is this really a good idea?'
She thought to herself, hesitantly glancing at her sensei who wasn't paying her any heed and instead walked up to Asahi and Hotaru.

"Now that the gangs are all here, here's the official job request the three of you will be completing. Unfortunately, your team doesn't have a joining leader yet, and I'm being assigned elsewhere, so it's just going to be the three of you. You shouldn't need any jonin assistance on this one, but if things get beyond what a genin can handle, if things prove to be too difficult you're to retreat, and report back to the village, understand? I already had to pull some strings to let you guys take this on your own."
Kenji instructed as he handed a scroll to the male Asahi.

"As for you Asahi, play nice with the other kids alriiiight? Well good luck, gotta go!"
Poof. With those words, Kenji vanished in a poof of smoke, leaving nothing behind to indicate that he had been there. Asahi just smiled and shook her head, walking up to the boys and giving a small, polite bow towards Hotaru.

"It's nice to meet you, Hotaru-kun. Shall we get going? I'm sure we'll have plenty of time to get to know each other on the way there. Oh, and maybe we should pick some codenames... I mean, Asahi and Asahi might start to get in the way of our teamwork..."

[Hyūga Hotaru]

"B-but I'm late-" The boy began, trying to make the case that he was guilty of something, though it was cut off when Asahi's hand landed on his head and ruffled his hair. Not at all used to receiving such attention, the boy flinched subtly and seemed to shrink inward, looking ever more bashful and somewhat embarrassed. And yet, he held still, accepting the pseudo petting much like the cats he had been trying to help earlier.

His attention was then drawn to the Jounin among them, Kenji, who gave them the run down of the task at hand. Having no assigned Jounin wasn't idea, in his own opinion. The two Asahi's were older and likely more experienced, but Hotaru felt he wasn't there yet, and still needed some guidance when it came to strategy and things of that nature. But there was no changing their current situation; they would simply have to try their best. Kenji did at least reassure them all the mission was something Genin could handle, but nobody ever knows when a simple fetch could go off the rails. In any case, Asahi- that is, his Asahi- was put in charge of the op. Hotaru quietly nodded, immediately accepting his place as a support unit for the team- and that was absolutely okay.

With a poof, Kenji was gone, and the three of them were left alone to proceed. Funnily enough, the small Hyuuga had a similar reaction to the presence of Taiyo; although his expressive nature made the nervousness more obvious than it might have been with Asahi. It wasn't on purpose, or particularly related to the Inuzuka and her partner, he just recalled an instance where he was younger and, by the fault of his own actions, got bit by a dog. And that was the day he learned not to try to pet them while they're eating. His fault, 100%, but it left him somewhat scared about being bitten again. This wasn't really fair to Taiyo, though, and seeing him bound for the provided ball calmed Hotaru's nerves some. "N-nice to meet you-!" He responded, even bowing again. He wanted to ask what her canine partner's name was, but there was a more pressing matter; how were they going to tell the two Asahi's apart?

Those lavender eyes glanced back and forth between the two of them, looking for features or anything they could use for nicknames. Coming up with cool codenames wasn't a skill of his, but his brain did make up something silly to work with; "Orisahi, Inusahi-", he said quietly, looking at each one respectively. It definitely sounded like it was meant to be a joke, but the expression on his face- an innocent look of naivety- suggested he was being completely honest with suggestion.

[Ōorigami Asahi]

	you play with the wolf
Asahi was sure she would do anything but get in the way. His tenseness at the big canine eased as he watched the girl take a ball and get the dog to chase after the throw. It didn't seem that ferocious anymore, but Asahi feared any enemy that would have to deal with the big baby. Kenji then explained the mission a bit more and handed the mission scroll to him. And with a poof, Kenji was gone, leaving the team to each other. Girl Asahi had brought up a good point. With them having the same names, they should probably figure out a way to get around that. The all thought for a moment, but Hotaru was the first to come up with a solution after looking between the two. The young Hyuuga proposed a couple of pretty silly names with honesty, combining the last and first names of each of them. Where some may have laughed, Asahi didn't, taking them just as seriously as the young boy had proposed them. And truth was, he kind of liked them. "Hmmm, not a bad idea Hotaru...What if we shortened mine to Ori? I like Ori." Asahi asked with excitement. He had took the name Hotaru had given and shortened it. "What do you think Asahi?" the green haired one asked his new teammate. Yeah, they would need to figure something out.... Asahi glanced at the watch on his wrist. "We can come up with something on our way there, but we should probably get going," he proposed, before they got too caught up in conversation and introductions. He looked out at the path leading away from the village. Once the group was ready, they would get going toward Seinaru.
but you sleep with the bones of a rabbit

Notes: 

TAG: Hyūga Hotaru , Asahi Inuzuka
PYXIS ★

[Asahi Inuzuka]

Asahi raised an eyebrow as she listened to the little Hyuga's proposal on their codenames. She wasn't really sure what to expect when she brought it up, so it wasn't as if she could judge the kid for trying to think of something. It was pretty creative in the end. She brought a hand up to her chin in thought for barely a moment before Taiyo came bounding back towards her, sliding to a stop next to her with the ball displayed proudly in his mouth. Whereas he looked intimidating before, he now just looked like a big goof with his tongue sticking out the side of his mouth, crowded by the ball. He let out a muffled bark as he sat down patiently.

"Oh, right, let's go."
She agreed with Asahi, er Ori, as he left the way beyond the gate so that the trio could head towards their mission location. It wasn't long after though that Asahi spoke up in regards to her own codename.

"How about just, Inusa? I feel like if we add the Sahi part to either of our codenames, we'll still feel tempted to respond to it. So, Ori and Inusa. I think that works."
She nodded in agreement as to the trio, plus Taiyo walked on towards the indicated mine. As they moved, Asahi continued to play with Taiyo, using the opportunity to have him scent out the area as they went, making it easier for the pair to follow this exact path later, in the event something crazy happened.

[Hyūga Hotaru]

Right. People were waiting on them. Trapped people, for that matter. Introductions and the like could certainly be made on the way, as they had quite a walk ahead of them. Thankfully, they were able to agree on the use of nicknames, with some slight modifications, very much to Hotaru's surprise. He didn't think they were that good, or that either of them would adopt his suggestions. "Understood." He replied, nodding gently. "I'll try to use those names so no one is confused." Imagine: team building-! Now they had names to refer to each other that no other unit, at least no other squad at the time, was aware of. It felt like a big step in the journey of getting to know one another.

A major step was how well they could operate together. The task ahead was just dangerous enough that it might provide a solid test for the three of them to discover their strengths, weaknesses and synergy, or lack there of. But, until they reached Seinaru, there was little else to do but engage in small talk. Hotaru expressed concern for those trapped in the mine along the way, showing his usual compassionate nature, and insisted they get there as quickly as their newly appointed squad leader would allow. Still, on foot, it would take some time.

But they got there, and without any major incidents. _{A minor run in with some angry bees, perhaps, but that won't be included in the report.} With the current happenings, the busyness of the town had slowed significantly. One team trapped and others who couldn't realistically proceed without some sort of resolution. First order of business; find the proprietor of the mine in question, or the person who posted the call for help. That was easy; just find the individual or group looking the most stressed out. With Ori being the squad leader, it was his place to lead the conversation and issue orders, which Hotaru waited attentively for. But the Hyuuga could point out anything useful he happened to spot; anyone who looked important, maybe tools or rations they could use in their rescue operation, that sort of thing.

In the meantime, having a plan of action would be a good idea, which the worrywart of the team was quick to bring up not long after they crossed into Seinaru itself. "Uhm, do either of you have any ideas of how we should handle this situation? I'm sure we can't simply dig them out, so-.."

[Ōorigami Asahi]

	you play with the wolf
Team 2 made their way to Seinaru. Their small talk, the sights, and their little run ins with nature, brought Asahi, or Ori rather, genuine joy. The forests that led away from Konoha began to turn into mountainous terrain. And eventually their traveling began to be more uphill, climbing in elevation until they reached the path that lead to the gate built between two rocky mountains. With a flash of the mission scroll, they were allowed entrance. SPOILER: Click to show As they walked through the town, it had the air and energy of an old mining town. Those who walked the streets of the town seemed to live rather simple lives and seemed to be about their business. Hotaru pointed out some places that they could get supplies from, some people that could help, and asked a good question. And the young Hyuuga's question would be answered, not by Ori, but by a miner running up to them. As three Konoha shinobi walking together, they stood out and those that needed them had been notified of their arrival. SPOILER: Click to show "You're here. Thank goodness. Follow me," she said through catching her breath. With dirt scattered on her, it was clear she had been part of the rescue effort. She turned a ran back the way she came at a pretty fast pace, but something the shinobi could easily keep up with. In fact they would have to make sure they slowed down to keep his pace. He would fill them in as he took them to the mine's entrance at a mountain near the entrance opposite of the one they came in. "As your mission scroll probably says. We lost contact with an eight man team in the mine days ago. Some workers say the team got caught behind fallen rocks. Some say they went deeper. Regardless of which is true, they are deeper in the mine than we have developed yet, or they dissapeared because we've checked every tunnel on the map," the woman said as their destination grew larger in sight. A crowd was formed around it's entrance, worker, civilian, and mining executives alike. This had become a daily ritual as they waited for anything. The air of this group wasn't too hopeful now. It had been days. Before they got too close to the crowd of people, the soldier turned to them and addressed them directly. "I don't know what all they told you. I think the mining executives are trying to keep this on the quiet...but if you're going in there, you should know. If they are trapped behind some rocks, one of them managed to squeeze through...because one of them came out the first day. The work crew inside didn't let them leave the cave though so the general public doesn't know...They...They threw him back down the mineshaft. They say something about him...it wasn't right. It was...different...dangerous," she struggled to get through this secret. Her eyes widened as a new voice joined their conversation from a distance away, closing in with haste. SPOILER: Click to show "Finally, you're here! Took you all long enough. Here is a map," the executive started while handing a map to Ori. Ori passed it off to Inusa and watched the woman that led them here, shrink away and head back through the crowd and into the cave entrance. The mining executive continued without letting them get a word in, "The point in the cave where they were last seen is on the map. We have everything we'll need to take care of them once you get them out, if there are any to get out, we just don't have the means or skilled hands to go past that point. The workers told me something about a fallen rocks blocking the path or something. Regardless, please settle this." The executive's words seemed more indifferent than concerned. Or rather, the concern wasn't about the people trapped in the mine, but more so about this being a situation at all, let alone dragging out for days. He got behind them and seemed to push them through the crowd and into the cave up to the mineshaft, like he was trying to herd them. ~If what that woman said was true, then they are going with the trapped behind rocks story.~ They shinobi squad caught looks from various workers of the rescue effort topside as they go to the mine shaft. It was there that the executive left them, but only after beginning to watch it begin it's descent of a mile down into the ground. After going through the rush of all that, they finally had time to talk to each other again. SPOILER: Click to show "I don't think we're going to have to dig them out. I don't think they're trapped behind rocks. Think about it. If they were, wouldn't they have given us tools to deal with that? They had all sorts of picks, drills, and explosives up there. Plenty of things to try and dig through with, or break the wall of rocks. Yet they didn't send us down with any of it. I don't know what's going on, but the point on the map is probably a good place to start. Inusa? Want to lead the way?" No one would have stopped her canine companion from joining them, if the dog fit the mine shaft. So if they were both down there, Asahi figured they would be best to lead. Let the tracking dogs do their thing. Ori took the mask from his hip and put it on his face. It seemed porcelain on the surface and had a completely bandaged face type of design. There wasn't any call for it yet, but it was better safe that sorry. Growing up exploring Kawa had taught him to treat unknown natural environments with a sort of caution. The tunnels that they would go down were dimly light by lanterns. SPOILER: Click to show There were many turn offs and side tunnels that exited from the main tunnel along with splits and such toward their destination on the map. If it wasn't for the map, they would probably get lost in it all. It was clear that this was a well established, and probably older, successful mining operation. It was also silent, aside from the sounds cave life made. Where there was usually plenty of workers in the mine, right now, no one was down there with them. If she agreed, Ori waited for Inusa to lead their advance.
but you sleep with the bones of a rabbit

Notes:
 
Items USED

SPOILER: Click to show

Asahi's Mask


TAG: Hyūga Hotaru , Asahi Inuzuka
PYXIS ★