[Para-para Ume]

YOUNG 'TIL I DIE The clanging of pots roused Ume from her slumber and she protested, rolling over in her sleeping bag away from the racket. It was far from comfortable up there, nestled between two sturdy tree limbs and secured tightly to avoid any late night tumbles, and the girl could feel the spot in her back where she’d laid wrong aching. It was funny, you could have your arm lobbed off or your leg snapped in two and be right as rain in a day, but sleep wrong? You were gonna have back pain for a week minimum. After a few futile moments of trying to claim even a few extra minutes of rest, Ume unzipped the top of her cocoon to peak out at what was causing all the noise so early in the morning. The landscape was still densely forested and everything was in high contrast as dawn’s first light crept out along the edge of each shape, promising to envelope the land whole given a couple hours. It was probably like five in the morning, considering the scene, and a slightly older figure sat squat before smoldering embers which gave off no smoke. As soon as the thing was in sight, like an infant catching sight of their own wound and realizing they should be crying, Ume’s nostrils were filled with the sweet smell of roasting meat and coffee. Scanning around for her comrades she didn’t immediately see them, perhaps they were up already or perhaps they, like her, had moved their resting place to something a bit more comfortable than the forest floor. She rustled within the confines of her fabric prison, shrugging on her jacket over the street clothes she’d slept in, before she hopped out and down to the ground below, her ankles popping in a hundred places as they protested the sudden life. The trio had been on the road for a few days now and sleep was a luxury they could only seldom suffer. Though, as they grew nearer to their destination, it only grew more crucial to be rested and prepared for the day ahead. And Ume knew no moderation so the rest and a light meal would absolutely come in handy. "Sup.” She made herself known to whichever of her allies had decided to grace the team with a hot meal. "You normally up this early before a fight?” Highroad Havoc: C-rank Mission (x) 200+ words Inuzuka Ashi Uchiha Kai Satou Kotone

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[Inuzuka Ashi]

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Uchiha Kai Satou Kotone Para-para Ume • havoc

Ashi found himself in a state of silent watchfulness. With his three genin sleeping peacefully beneath the starlit sky, he had kept silent vigil throughout the night. He could stave off exhaustion for days at a time. He’d pay for it later but the mission was too important to let his guard down.

While the dogs slept in shifts, Ashi chose to perch himself high up in a tree. From his vantage point, he overlooked the tranquil surroundings, his back resting against the rough trunk. Peace enveloped the forest, and he allowed himself a moment of respite.

However, Ashi's reverie was short-lived. During Bonsai's watch, he heard a high-pitched squeal that pierced the silence. Ashi leapt down from the tree as the ninken returned through the bushes, a plump hare dangling limply from its mouth. The loyal Shiba Inu had presented its catch as a gift to its master.

With skilled hands, the Inuzuka prepared the hare by a small fire. He brewed some tea as well, for he was not completely uncivilized. Just as he was finishing up, he heard a sound behind him.

Turning, he saw Ume approaching. Her presence brought a wry grin to his face. "I haven't been up long, but no, I'm a night owl by nature. I'd sleep in till noon if I could," he replied with a mischievous glint in his eyes.

You keep telling me to live right, To go to bed before the daylight. Don't you just wanna wake up, dark as a lake? Smelling like a bonfire, lost in a haze?

dandy ♫

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[Uchiha Kai]

Sleeping peacefully was certainly one way to put it, though Kai could argue that he was perhaps less than dead asleep most of the night, as he thought on a subject dear to him. This mission would have been a fun detour for him- A good way to test his abilities and his new skills, if not for one thing...

Someone was missing in his life- And she hadn't been seen for some time. Someone very dear to Kai's heart.

Sachi was gone. He wasn't sure how. Or where she was. But he should be looking for her. He should be searching for her. Instead, here he was, out on a mission, assured that Kusagakure would 'take care of it'...

He wanted to believe that, but he'd lost people before, so this was a topic that weighed on his shoulders.

Regardless, he was up, and he heard the sound of squeals as he quickly sat up and glanced towards the sound. Right- Just the Ninken doing Ninken things. The hunter hunting food. It seemed everyone was worming their way towards the fire at this point, and Kai had to agree with that- He also found comfort in the flame, and steadily stepped over to it, despite the bags under his eyes.

He let the two talk- His eyes spoke of his sleep for him- As he pushed some logs around with a stick. He had told his teammates of his problems prior, and this was to be in a sense a distraction for him, but he was still cautious as he rubbed his nose.

As for what he was dressed in- Well, it was the usual. He'd forgone wearing his armor this time- While it was usually a helpful thing, he figured on a mission where stealth was important, having a giant clanking suit of metal would get in the way more than anything. Instead, he had a hoodie on, a pair of black pants, and his usual combat boots. All of it was super un-fancy, and a little boring, but at least he didn't stand out. He didn't even have any goofy insignia's on his clothes- Something that, if his team knew him for more than a few weeks, probably understood well that he loved to do.

Not because he had any sort of loyalty towards most of the insignias, he just kind of liked how they looked. A patch collector without the patches, if you will.

Still, as tired as he was, he was ready for action. Today, finally, he'd shed some blood. It wouldn't be much, but maybe it'd distract him enough to keep his mind off his girlfriend. He dug through a pouch at his side- A patented invention known as the snack-pouch, a near limit..ed supply of snacks for easy holding, that was also fire proof as to not melt the chocolate when he started throwing Katon around.

His hand came out with... Well, not a snack, surprisingly. Instead, it was a rolled cigarette. Ah, yes, one of Kai's bad habits. Smoking. Picked up from none other than Kusagakure itself. He formed two seals in his right hand- One handed seals at that (Something he'd been practicing), as he lit the cigarette up in his mouth. The lofty scent of cinnamon rose through the air- Pleasant and calming. These Cigarettes were no mere placebos- They indeed had a calming effect on the inhaler, though it was nothing that would influence them in any fights, other than perhaps removing some of the pre-battle jitters.

"Morning."

[Hyūga Hinoe]

Hinoe awoke with a start, at the sound of a high-pitched squeal. For a moment, her brain struggled to remember where she was, but the Hyuuga was quickly able to reorient herself. She had, shortly after her graduation, been assigned a mission with her new team, to go and secure a strategic checkpoint in the south of the country. It was the furthest she had ever traveled from Konohagakure, excluding the survival exercise in the Land of Thunder, and had involved a few days of sustained traveling. While it was a new experience for the recently graduated Genin, she had to admit that she found the doings of it to be less than comfortable.

Still, she was not going to complain. Endurance was the way of the ninja. But she could not help thinking that a proper bed, and the lack of screaming mammals close by, were the best ways to have a good night sleep. Zipping open her sleeping bag and sitting up, she stretched, as she yawned and looked around. Seemed everyone was already awake. Well, that would be embarrassing if she stayed in her sleeping bag. After emerging from it and rolling up the item to stash it away in her backpack, Hinoe inspected herself. It would not do to appear too frumpy. Sadly, she had to sleep in her work clothes, because out here, one had to be ready for sudden occurrences. But it was fine; Hinoe's outfit was made of difficult to wrinkle material.

Heading over to where the rest of her new team was gathered around the fire, the kunoichi plopped to the ground near where Inuzuka Ashi and Para-para Ume discussed by the fire. "Ohayo gozaimasu, minna-san," she said, before silently regarding Uchiha Kai with a half-mournful, half-peeved expression, her eyes focused on his cigarette. That was what you got for bringing a medic along. The team's health was her responsibility. Smoking was not healthy. Yet, Hinoe didn't think she had built enough of a relationship with anyone to go lecturing them on their life choices.

Para-para Ume | Inuzuka Ashi | Uchiha Kai