[Kayahara Urikohime]

It wasn't very bright, but the birds had already begun to sing in the trees in the forests around the Village Hidden in the Leaf. The sun was just rising, and the dew was still quite heavy on the foliage of the grass and trees. There were people up and about, but they weren't many. Still, the gate guards of Konoha were alert and active, prepared to respond if there was any sign of danger. A lone figure approached them from the interior of the village; they checked a document handed to them, and affirmed everything was good, and allowed the figure to pass.

As Urikohime left the gates of Konohagakure, she could not help but be a bit nervous about this mission. Fortunately for her, it was with the same person she had had a mission before, the mysterious 'white-haired' kunoichi from Kumogakure, Azarea. It was very likely that this mission would involve apprehending criminals again, as was the case of the previous mission. And while Uriko was not pleased about the thought of killing people, she had been able to get a hold of herself. Killing was inevitable, as part of the job. It had to be done. That didn't mean she would like it. But if that meant the people of Konoha would be kept safe, it was something she was willing to do. The green-haired kunoichi arrived at the place designated to meet her partner: a small clearing in the forest. Something told her that Azarea would be already there.

---

Aburame Azarea

[Aburame Azarea]

The Devil That You Forgot

Journey

Uriko was not wrong. Azarea might have been prone to violence, but she was a punctual murderer for hire like any good shinobi. The woman perched up a tree not unlike the day the green haired girl had met her. The woman minding her own business flipping through a small novel as she glanced up and offered Uriko a smile. "Hello Kohai. Ready for a patrol?" She inquired with a slight cock of her head as she eyed the girl with open curiousity.

"We should be out what? Three? Four days to maneuver around this part of the border. Any local hazards or issues we should watch out for? Crazy nomadic clans with a penchant for violence we should be aware of?" Azarea inquired as much to actually ask as it was to poke fun at some of the odder residents of her own home land as she hopped down from the tree adjusting her mission pack. Her food and gear packed for the journey with the added benefit of at least in Hi no Kuni the likelihood of dealing with freezing altitudes was zero to none. Meaning she wouldn't be needing some of her colder weather gear and if she did... she could always give up the ghost and reveal what she was to spin them some makeshift shelters. That last part however she'd prefer to hold off on.

SPOILER: Click to show

Henge utilized and Sustained

流人

                           Made by Keen of FBNRP | Word Count: 230 | Kayahara Urikohime

[Kayahara Urikohime]

As Urikohime expected, Azarea was already there, awaiting her arrival, while reading a book to pass the time. Uriko responded to her smile and question with a hearty wave. "I think so," she replied. She was more or less ready for the patrol, but Uriko was really hoping that they did not need to face any human opponents this time. A number of issues that had been raised by the workers who cared for Konoha's perimeter seemed to have been caused by the local wildlife, although it was possible humans could have been responsible as well. She would just have to deal with it if humans were involved.

"Four days?!" Uriko asked in surprise, her eyes widening at Azarea's question. "I don't know about mad nomads wandering the forest, but I think it's rather unlikely to have such here. It is not a possibility we can overlook, though. As far as local hazards, there was a landslide recently along a cliff in the area we'll be patrolling, so there'll be a bit of treacherous ground. Also, there's been news of some of the local fauna being a bit more aggressive than normal and preventing the repair teams from clearing the detritus and soil from the forest paths around the cliff. So it's been a bit of a headache for everyone."

---

Aburame Azarea

[Aburame Azarea]

The Devil That You Forgot

Travel

"Well we're not going to be able to take an entire border section of Hi no Kuni in just a day, but your terrain is flatter so maybe instead of nearly a week we can push and finish our patrol in a shorter period of time." Azarea muses as she turns the idea over in her mind. "But if you don't have enough rations we'll need to catch our dinners." She informs Urikohime as the woman glances the green hair girl over looking for her travel pack.

"It's good to know there's been some issues with the local fauna and about the landslide. We can see about clearing out some of the dangerous animals as we pass by that area." She muses as she moved to join Urikohime flashing the girl a quick smile, "But we need to hurry. You're not the only patrol I'm slated for though I'm sure you'll be one of my favorites." Azarea quips light and teasing as she nudges Urikohime towards the trees.

"Have you been keeping up with your tree walking?" She inquires as she channels chakra to her feet striding up the bark before pushing off to leap to the next tree over.

SPOILER: Click to show

Justu Goes Here

流人

                           Made by Keen of FBNRP | Word Count: 200 | Kayahara Urikohime

[Kayahara Urikohime]

While Azarea was right about the two kunoichi not being able to patrol an entire sector of the border in a single day, Uriko was doubtful that they had to do all that work. They would definitely do some patrolling, though, but it seemed like some of their work was already cut out for them, as regards making the area around the landslide safer. There was a possibility that more risks than were expected would arise during or after dealing with the landslide issue; the best thing there was to do was hope for the best, but prepare for the worst.

Uriko nodded as Azarea mentioned dealing with the dangerous animals when they passed by the area. That was the plan. It seemed as though the people dealing with reopening the roads had really wanted to deal with their animal problem, thus influencing the patrolling routines to begin in that general area. Well, it didn't seem too troublesome, if it was only animals they'd have to deal with. "I'm flattered that you consider me to be your favorite choice of patrol teammate," Uriko replied to Azarea's quip, giving an unspoken reply to her colleague's question about the Tree Walking skill by running effortlessly up the trunk of the tree closest to her, and leaping nimbly to perch on a branch, before turning to look at Azarea, a grin on her face. Then she leaped to the next branch, heading off towards the first checkpoint of their patrol round.

"What sort of wildlife do you have in the Kaminari no Kuni?"

---

Aburame Azarea

[Aburame Azarea]

The Devil That You Forgot

Animals

"That's a difficult question. We have a really large variety. Ranging from bears, wolves, goats, to deer, eagles, hawks, geese... Kaminari no Kuni has many different biomes." Azarea explains as the two tree hop towards their initial destination of the landslide. Making their way with relative speed and ease now that they don't have to cut through the brush and bushes below them. "One area even has hotsprings and the chasms have a lot of weird strange flora and fauna down in them that is vastly different from the mountain peaks. The Ryujin can also sometimes be a bit of a hindrance since they love picking fights."

"We had a run in with one last time I was on patrol with a Konohagakure Shinobi and we had to work quick to neutralize them without hurting them. In comparison I have to say I prefer the wild animals. Which reminds me did they say what sort of animals were around causing trouble near the landslide?" She inquires with a tilt of her head glancing towards Urikohime uncertain what they needed to prepare for in regards to a thread.

"There are some animals I like though. What's your favorite?" Azarea asks looking to keep the conversation rolling to distract the girl from the fact her bugs had alerted her that the pair were being tailed.

SPOILER: Click to show

Justu Goes Here

流人

                           Made by Keen of FBNRP | Word Count: 205 | Kayahara Urikohime

[Kayahara Urikohime]

It was to be expected that a land as big as Kaminari no Kuni would have all sorts of animals. It did seem that Uriko's hope that she would hear of something rather exotic-sounding was not to be realized. All the animals Azarea had mentioned were things that were not only present in the lands around Konohagakure, but also very common as well. The mention of hot springs, however, made the green-haired girl's ears figuratively perk up. The Ryujin did sound like a rather rowdy bunch, but they did seem to be not too much of a dangerous issue, as Kumogakure would have probably purged them from those lands if they had been a security problem.

It was a bit annoying that for all the complaints about wild animals disturbing the area near the landslide, there were no specifications to what exactly were the problem. "They didn't say," Uriko answered, "but simply using the generic word 'animals' may suggest they may have been assaulted by more than one species of fauna, which is naturally uncommon." It did happen that there were interspecific mutual relationships among animals, but it wasn't the norm. And that presented a likely reason. "It is quite possible that the animal activity may be the result of a more advanced mind, which is very likely human. Else, don't you think they'd have employed trappers to deal with the animals?"

The question about what animals Urikohime favored was answered with a shrug. "As long as they're small and cute... but maybe rabbits," she replied. "I'd wager in your case, you'd say bugs or something." If her guess was anywhere near the truth, it was only because of their first interaction, and Uriko's guess was actually more of an attempt to pull Azarea's legs than an actual intention to answer the question.

---

Aburame Azarea

[Aburame Azarea]

The Devil That You Forgot

Pigs

"Actually my favorite animal are sharks," She admits with a grin given her tendency to disguise herself as them each time she goes into the water both to ward off predators and simply because they were cool. "Though you sound a bit like Shigure. I guessed his favorite was rabbits as well at least until I met his summons. Then it became pretty obvious." Azarea adds with a chuckle and a shake of her head. Rabbits fit the Hyuuga, but for all they could be soft eagles made more sense.

"You're right it could be multiple different animals or..." Azarea trailed off going a touch pale. There was one animal no mission liked to mention for fear of genin turning it down flat. An animal that was the bane of trappers for it's tendency to just barrel through any attempts to contain them. That would love the freshly turned earth of a landslide and attack humans without provocation. Groaning quietly to herself Azarea prayed to any kami she was listening that she was wrong. However as they narrowed in on the location the signs became more obvious. The earth beneath them was torn up by many hooved feet. Sharp scores from tusks and prickly hair rubbed against trees used and scratching posts. In addition to absolutely rank and stinking feces occasionally dropped here or there in piles.

"Wild boars... god I hate wild boars..." She muttered unable to quite keep the whine from her voice. The woman not usually prone to petulance, but no one liked dealing with angry wild pigs.

SPOILER: Click to show

Justu Goes Here

流人

                           Made by Keen of FBNRP | Word Count: 261 | Kayahara Urikohime

[Kayahara Urikohime]

Uriko raised an eyebrow when Azarea mentioned her favorite animal, but did not find it altogether unbelievable that it would be sharks. There seemed to be a raptorial aura around Azarea, with the way she she moved and behaved in many occasions. She seemed to be a huntress, and as such, having the apex predator of the coastal seas as a favorite animal did not seem out of character. But Uriko was sure that her partner had, somewhere in her heart, a place for bugs. Uriko had no idea of the story of Shigure and rabbits, though it did sound like something she would like to hear. She would have guessed that his favorite summons would be something more fierce than a rabbit. "Wait, does Shigure-kun summon rabbits?" she asked confused.

In any case, the discussion about Azarea's interest in animals was put on hold, as the two arrived at the edge of the landslide site. It was a mess, a horrid one. The green-haired Genin scrunched up her nose as she made a face at the piles of excreta littered all over the place. "Eww." Azarea identified the likely culprits, declaring her hatred for them. Uriko almost giggled. For the mysterious, white-haired trickster huntress figure that Azarea cut, she sounded almost like an annoyed school child. "Come now, Azarea-senpai, I don't think we'd have any serious problems with something as unimpressive as some forest pigs. I'd say--" The words caught in her throat as she quite audibly gagged at the sight of the creature that emerged from behind a boulder and faced the two kunoichi. "What sort of demon is that?!"

---

Aburame Azarea

[Aburame Azarea]

The Devil That You Forgot

Keep To The Trees

"He summons eagles actually, but he reminds me a bit of a rabbit sometimes," Azarea quips with a small amused chuckle and a shake of her head remember how the Hyuuga had looked when they were kids. All big wide eyes and short brown hair. He'd been like the little brown bunny rabbits some clans kept as emergency food with the way he'd sometimes shy behind her when they'd been nothing, but kids.

"He showed them off a bit on one of our previous missions," She adds and it wasn't a lie. She had met his summons while running joint operations in Konoha after all. Staring down at the mess below them Azarea really couldn't help, but scowl. No amount of Uriko's teasing easing her distaste though the face she pulled probably made the other girl laugh all the harder. Her expression a cross between smelling rotting day old cabbage and walking in on seeing an elderly relative in the act with another elderly relative.

Though Uriko quickly realizes just why Azarea hates the things as the girl gasps and points right as a massive ugly looking wild hog comes around a boulder, "Whatever you do don't get out of the trees or let them knock you to the ground. They can gore a man to death three times our size. Even if you slice open their jugular they'll keep coming for a few minutes yet and they're smart." The older woman warns not wanting Uriko to get over confident and hurt. Inexperienced genin had died to these things in the past and she didn't want the green haired girl to be one of them.

Even as Azarea braced gripping the tree branch as the hog snorted as it spotted them, digging it's hoof into the earth before charging with an angry scream to ram into the trunk the the tree they were on sending it violently shuddering and swaying as the bark beneath it's tusks cracked.

SPOILER: Click to show

Justu Goes Here

流人

                           Made by Keen of FBNRP | Word Count:327 | Kayahara Urikohime

[Kayahara Urikohime]

Azarea's statement about Shigure reminding her of a rabbit sometimes was funny. She did find him cute, though she wasn't sure the cuteness was similar to that of a rabbit. Anyway, to each their own. There had probably been something he did or said or a way he looked, that had been reminiscent of a rabbit to Azarea. Eagles as summons did sound rather cool, and Uriko thought back to herself wondering what Shigure's favorite animal was. It would seem more in form with her mental picture of him if it was an eagle.

Uriko listened attentively as Azarea gave warnings on how to best avoid that monstrosity that was standing before them. One thing that made her quite less agitated was the fact that with cloven hooves, the ugly pigs could not be expected to climb trees, and so Azarea's intended strategy of staying in the branches above was quite solid. But the pig seemed interested in getting them out of the trees, and charged into the tree they were waiting in, its force strong enough to rock the tree. If it hit the tree a few more times, it would probably break or uproot it. That was unacceptable. "Doesn't its head hurt when it does that?" Uriko asked alarmed as the pig retreated and then charged the tree again. "Oh no you don't! Fuuton: Karyu!!"

The sudden gust of wind struck the earth at the feet of the pig, just as it was about striking the tree again. The pressure of the wind blast made the hog careen slightly, but this meant that its head missed the tree, and it only brushed a shoulder on the tree as it skidded past, nothing being present to stop its charge. This area was where the cliffs met the forest, and rushing headlong without any means of stopping quickly was hazardous. With a bloodcurdling squeal, the pig went clean off the side of the cliff, falling into another section of forest far below. "Gone, and hopefully forgotten," Uriko sang out, then changed her mind, "or not...", as three more pigs showed themselves.

SPOILER: Click to show

NAME: Fūton: Karyu [Wind Release: Stream]
RANK: D
CHAKRA USAGE: Low
CLASSIFICATION: Ninjutsu
ELEMENT: Fūton
DESCRIPTION:
A basic Fūton no Jutsu that a Shinobi uses to blow a powerful stream of wind from their mouth. The technique is mostly used to change directions in mid-air. In this case, the strength of the stream is powerful enough to move the source body at high speeds. On the ground, it can be used to blow up a cloud of dust, masking the caster's movements. It can also be used offensively to stagger an opponent's movement.

---

Aburame Azarea

[Aburame Azarea]

The Devil That You Forgot

Gamble

Their perch most certainly wouldn't survive the combined attacks of three wild and angry hogs as Azarea lashed out with her chakra tagging a nearby downed log as she flickered through the handseals for a substitution jutsu prepping it at the ready. "Ok here's the plan! I'm gonna get their attention and get them to charge at me towards the cliff! When I do get down behind them and blast them with that wind jutsu to force them off the edge! Don't worry about hitting me I'll be fine!" Azarea assures Uriko as she does the one thing she really really didn't want to do. She gets on the ground alighting on her feet and taking off at a run yelling to get the hogs attention away from her partner.

"Hey you ugly swine! Come try and take a chunk out of me! See how you like it!" She roars out waving her arms and making herself a big annoying target as she races to the cliff edge. The pigs digging at the earth and taking after her in a charge. They were fast. Very fast and gaining. Meaning Azarea could only hope Uriko would hit them with the jutsu before one of them caught her or she was forced to launch herself off the side of the cliff to escape.

SPOILER: Click to show

Henge sustained


NAME: Kawarimi no Jutsu [Body Replacement Technique]



RANK: E

CHAKRA USAGE: Very Low

CLASSIFICATION: Ninjutsu [General]

ELEMENT: None

HANDSEALS: 5



DESCRIPTION:

After performing the necessary hand seals (one post prior to the technique's use) and locating a nearby object within a 10 meter radius (typically a log or something of similar size to their body.), the user switches places with the said object just before an attack lands, creating an optical illusion. During the small interval where they have left their opponent surprised, they may take the time to attack or flee.

流人

                           Made by Keen of FBNRP | Word Count: 220 | Kayahara Urikohime

[Kayahara Urikohime]

Uriko listened to the plan made by Azarea with a bit of misgiving. Weren't they supposed to stay in the trees? Well, deep down, she knew that staying in the trees would, in the long run, not be very helpful, especially as there were now three pigs to contend with, and one had almost brought down the tree they were in. Although it did seem risky, Uriko decided that it was probably their best bet at getting rid of these swine. She hoped her partner knew what she was doing, when Azarea asked her not to worry about hitting her with her Karyu. And then Azarea was off and running, yelling for the pigs to come after her.

Even though Uriko was sure they could not understand her colleague's language, the pigs all together rushed after the Kumogakure ninja, hungry for her blood, or whatever it was that charging pigs wanted from those they gored. Understanding that Azarea's life was more or less in her hands, Uriko ran down the tree trunk, performing handseals so as not to waste even an extra second of time. The pigs were almost on to Azarea, when Uriko blew the strong gust of wind from her mouth, sweeping the three screaming animals off the cliff. They would barrel into Azarea and sweep her off into freefall as well, if she did not respond accordingly.

SPOILER: Click to show

Fuuton: Karyu used again.

---

Aburame Azarea

[Aburame Azarea]

The Devil That You Forgot

Leap of Faith

As the wind picked up to a roaring gale with Urikohime's jutsu the closest pig was thrown off his feet barreling into Azarae as his tusks caught on her jacket tearing into her back as the woman yelped. The group of them plummeting off the side of the cliff as the Kumo nin concentrated tugging on the life line that was her thread of chakra connected to the log and with a swift jerk of her control swapped places with a soft *pop*. The woman appearing back atop the cliff on solid ground bent over and panting. Her back throbbing with pain and her jacket most certainly destroyed this time beyond patching with as often as she had stitched it back together.

"Right. Good job. I think that's all of them. If they had piglets they would have been with them." Azarea panted out as she tentatively straightened wincing in pain as she did so. Slowly moving to tug off her jacket and inspect the damage to the leather with a grimace. "Guess it's a good thing I can afford a new one of these now." She muttered, but her words were tinged with sadness. The jacket had been a gift.

SPOILER: Click to show

Substitution Technique activated

流人

                           Made by Keen of FBNRP | Word Count: 201| Kayahara Urikohime

[Kayahara Urikohime]

Uriko watched with shock and horror, as the thing she feared seemed to be happening: one of the pigs rammed into Azarea on its way off the cliff. As the green-haired kunoichi was about going into panic overdrive, Azarea vanished in a puff of smoke, leaving nothing but a log of wood which accompanied the screeching pig on its downward descent to the forest below. As Azarea reappeared on the cliff, despite the fact that she had used Kawarimi to escape the risky maneuver, Uriko could easily tell that she had been hurt. The Konoha Genin hurried over to Azarea, worry etched on her face as she approached.

"Never ever tell me to do that kind of thing again!" she practically wailed. "And don't 'good job' me; you're hurt! You shouldn't have done something so risky. You shouldn't move so much. Will you let me check your wound? Are you losing blood?" Uriko did feel a bit useless at this point, seeing as she wished she knew the Mystical Hands skill. But it was a rather complex skill to learn, and only those who were considered quite skilled as medics could perform it. Uriko was just an apprentice, and had not yet even been entrusted with looking after patients without supervision. She did have some blood pills, in case Azarea had received any deep wounds. But she could not tell unless her companion allowed her to perform an examination.

---

Aburame Azarea