[Uehara Shin]

Sometimes Shin wondered what purpose there was in his team being sent to patrol the perimeters of the village, there were seemingly so many genin that were fit to do this type of job in the village and yet two chuunin or higher would be sent out to take care of business. Shin knew Mako quite well by now, they weren't best friends, or maybe not friends at all, but since they were a direct team, Shin had always restrained himself a bit more around him. That's not to say that there might not be some friction, but Shin always felt they got along better than, say, some of them Genin and him. Remembering his mission with Kumori, a small smile crept onto his lips. He had realized that this girl was not at the gate today, maybe she was doing another mission, but he wouldn't get to ask her if she'd taken his advice and gotten some free cake from that bakery.

Waiting for his partner just behind the village's gates, he eyed the other on-duty gate guards but didn't recognize anybody of note, and so he pulled some documents out of his jacket and started reading them over. There was only so much time in a day and sometimes even on a mission, Shin would have other things on mind if it was something as simple as patrolling around the village. If he could help it, he'd prefer if he didn't have to do so many missions. In addition to some routinely scheduled tasks and missions ordered by the village, he was also busy with taking other work as a ninja. He didn't get why he couldn't just get that promotion finally and get the jounin rank. Clearly he was smart enough for it, he had the skill and worked for it, but no, a bit of fooling around and all of a sudden he had attitude problems. At this thought he didn't feel like reading those notes anymore and just silently waited for Mako to arrive.

339 words

[Honō Mako]

Mako approached the village gates with the familiarity that came from performing this duty numerous times before. His steps were purposeful and slow as he prepared to join Shin for their perimeter patrol. While their friendship might not have been the closest, the shared experiences of being on the same team had cultivated at least a modicum of camaraderie and mutual understanding between them. Mako held a deep respect for Shin's abilities as a fellow shinobi, though he had heard from others that Shin could be challenging to interact with outside of missions.

As he reached the gate, Mako noticed Shin engrossed in reading some documents, his thoughts seemingly distant. A faint smile graced Mako's lips as he casually raised a hand in a simple wave and called up, "Yo!” He paused, giving Shin some time to look up, before adding, "I’m ready to go whenever you are.” Once those words left his mouth, he'd finally be lined up with Shin at the exit of the gate.

Glancing at the on-duty gate guards, Mako failed to recognize anyone of particular note. It appeared that it would be just the two of them on this mission. While he understood that patrolling the village perimeter might not be the most thrilling assignment, he recognized its necessity in maintaining the village's security. Given the relatively low risk associated with patrolling missions, Mako decided to initiate a casual conversation instead of giving his full attention to the start of their patrol, "So what were you reading, if you don’t mind me asking?” He was genuinely curious, knowing that Shin often had a lot on his mind, maybe a little too smart to enjoy things the same way Mako did.

Once they started moving, Mako would make a conscious effort to adjust his pace to match Shin's. He knew that Shin was typically the slower of the two of them, and it was essential for their patrol that they stayed together throughout. While the chances of encountering any significant threats around the village's perimeters were relatively low, the unpredictability of their profession meant they always had to be prepared for unexpected situations.


Uehara Shin

[Uehara Shin]

Shin was a fast reader, there was no denying that, and so even though Mako called out to him, he finished what he'd been reading in a quick manner before moving from his leaning position to a proper standing position to face Mako. This guy was his only major connection to the Hono clan, if one could call it that. Of course Shin had never come to ask anything from Mako relating to the clan, but even with having met Chisai and Yoshitaka, he couldn't say that he was close to them, so he viewed Mako as a valuable acquaintance, in addition to the two of them having worked together for quite some time. Sadly there was always business and friendship and Shin knew he valued one above the other. As he saw Mako's familiar face, he smiled, "We haven't worked together much recently, but you haven't changed a bit, hehe. We can start now." Shin said and made his way out of the gate, for now only having a normal walking pace.

Shin didn't know if Mako, like him, wasn't as involved in the mission, but he liked conversation, and so he didn't mind his partner going for some casual talk. With his hands in his pockets and still looking down the road they were taking just in front of the gates, he briefly thought how to respond, but decided to give the Hono somewhat of a teaser. "Hm, as you know besides not getting my promotion the last time, I've been working on personal projects, things more related to civilian business, and I'm looking to start my own, well, business." He paused for a moment. "While this is not something problematic by itself, I'll need the approval of our Lord, or I'll get in trouble for this kind of business." He snickered and watched as a small bird jumped into the grass at the side of the road.

The was no way around it, if there was a mission that required attention, the senses and/or thinking, Shin was at the top of his game. An ambush against him would be rather difficult, and it was the main reason of his confidence on this mission. Luckily there was nothing that required their attention right from the start, and so he enjoyed the feel of the wind hitting his skin.

391 words

[Honō Mako]

Mako grinned at Shin's simple greeting, the familiarity of their interactions made the situation incredibly comfortable. "Yeah, it's been a while," he replied with a relaxed tone, falling into step beside Shin as they made their way out of the gate. The village perimeter awaited their watchful eyes, and Mako was content to have Shin as his companion for this mission. Despite the bad things that he’d heard from time to time, Shin was markedly well behaved whenever Mako was around him. It was something that piqued young Mako’s interest, but it was better not to lick a gift horse in the mouth and sour whatever the nature of their relationship was.

As he listened, Mako assumed that there might be more beneath Shin's words, a hint of disappointment maybe that he hadn’t ranked up. Who really knew. Shin had always seemed like he was the type that’d be good at hiding his emotions; but rather than dwell on it, Mako simply offered some comfort that a companion might offer in this situation. "I wouldn’t worry too much about the promotion," he said with a reassuring tone. "There’s a lot of bureaucratic stuff that goes into it, so if they are even slightly on the fence they will dawdle on it sometimes." Stifling a small chuckle, the young Hono would add, "It's funny though cause I'm pretty sure you could beat me in a fight and I outrank you, even if it is by just a little bit."

What had really caught Mako’s attention was Shin's mention of personal projects and the possibility of starting his own business. He couldn't help but raise an eyebrow, before talking about it. "Starting your own business, huh? I haven’t heard of very many ninja business owners," he remarked with a hint of curiosity. Mako had always found Shin to be a bit of a mystery outside of missions, so hearing about this new venture was both unexpected and fascinating.

The notion of needing approval from the village's leader for such an endeavor added an element of intrigue to the conversation. Mako nodded, understanding the importance of adhering to the village's regulations but at the same time what kind of business would need strict approval from the Kusagakure lord. "What do you mean by ‘this kind of business though’? Is it something sketchy?" When Mako asked that question he’d peer over at Shin, his mouth hidden behind his scarf and a curiosity still in his eyes. Mako let the question hang, there was definitely more that he could say or ask, but he didn’t want to color Shin’s response.

As they continued their patrol, Mako appreciated the comfortable pace they were going and the lack of immediate threats that allowed them to engage in casual conversation, a rarity in their line of work. The wind rustled through the trees, and Mako took in the soothing sound, pulling his eyes away from Shin temporarily to scan the horizon as they moved to make sure there was nothing that needed their attention while he awaited Shin’s response.




Uehara Shin