Kiku and Miki have been selected by Sadayo to investigate some strange occurences happening in the land of fire. Their destination being some odd miles away from Konoha itself and closer to where the whirlpool islands used to be before Uzushiogakure was destroyed. The mission to find whatever is causing the disburbances in the area and prevent it from continuing.
Posted: Thu Jan 27, 2022 9:14 pm
Miki walked along the pathway not far behind Kiku. She remembered Kiku from the first fight she had ever been in with Konoha. It was against those Jashinists that attacked to try and get Masato and the Kyuubi. It felt like such a distance memory, but it was one of the key events that lead to Miki obtaining the Kyuubi in the first place. The memories felt like a simpler time before she was put onto a pedestal she didn't choose to be on. She couldn't help, but think about her new role as a shinobi as she continued to press on along the trail. It was strange to her that Kiku was her teammate for this assignment. Afterall, she did have her own squad with Kai, Sumika, and Hitoshi. Though she supposed the extra senju help may be needed with her lack of control on the kyuubi still being an issue.
"When we get closer to the islands we can fly over instead of trying to take a boat. I have a summon that can help us get over... Unless you prefer to get over some other way." Miki opened it up for her superior to make the decisions here. She wondered why she were still a genin at this point. It seemed to her that she had done everything possible to achieve a promotion. Though she supposed this could be the mission Sumika was using to promote her. If that were the case, she needed to make sure she was being extra particular about this mission. "The mission report said some sensors found conerning spikes of chakra and that boats were being attacked by strange creatures. Other than that they don't have much other information than locals thinking mythical creatures are attacking the boats." The girl went over her briefing again to refresh her memory and made sure she got them right. So far Miki couldn't really sense anything, but she wasn't as good of a sensor as those who had initially picked up on the issues. Though she supposed she wouldn't need that until they were closer anyway.
The Gilded Queen Rank:Chunin ็ฃๆฐ | Classes:Puppeteer | Bloodline ๅ | Body Rank:A ๅ | Elements:Water,Earth,Lightning,Magnetism,Wood
The Kyubi host. Kiku gave the girl a quick once over before clasping her hands behind her head casually. She didnโt seem that tough. So far she was zero for two on cool Jinchuriki. Maybe it was just a requirement to seem lame to host a demon. Mikki didnโt seem to radiate the same annoying bravado as Takao, though. So at least that was a plus. But the two of them went a relatively long time without talking. Aside from her usual crowd, Kiku wasnโt much of a talker. It gave the puppeteer a chance to daydream about some new designs, and wonder what the rest of her squad was up to, and if it was more exciting than her mission so far. It wasnโt until Mikki spoke to Kiku that the blonde princess reacted. โNah, nah, a boat should be fine.โ She said with a dismissive wave and a slightly irritated look. Kiku wasnโt too fond of flying, given that the last time sheโd flown was with Nimure and it didnโt go too well. But she didnโt want the Jinchuriki to know that, so she had to put on her usual cocky act. โThose old people are less than helpful. I bet itโs just a few pirates that put the brain cells together to learn a few jutsu or something. So we go in, crack some skulls, and be home before dinner. Easy-peasy.โ
Kiku was silent for a second. Was there more than meets the eye with this mission? SHe hoped itโd be easy, but even stillโฆ โUnless you have any ideas what it could be? I donโt think the giant monster schtick is as interesting as these old fogeys think it is.โ
Miki nodded at Kiku's suggestion of a boat. Even with the attacks going on, Miki didn't mind going that route. Perhaps it would be better for them to potentially run into one of the so called creatures anyway. "Could be some genjutsu trickery if someone is trying to rob whatever is on the boats. There's been some boats that have gone missing, but that's common with pirates I think." To think of it, Miki wasn't really sure if she knew anything at all about pirates. The girl shrugged, hopefully whatever they were going into wasn't going to have some scary monsters like the briefing suggested. "I guess we'll just have to stay on our toes for anything out of the ordinary." Miki walked down a pier to try and find a boat to charter. The girl would begin speaking to several of the people down on the pier that day, but many of them would decline. They would cite concerns over the very exact thing they were there to investigate. "Damn these people really are scared of something out there." Miki would say to Kiku then an idea sprung out to Miki. "Ah we can just make our own boat, we don't need a captain that way." Miki would walk down to an empty space before forming a few handseals. Roots would then spring up from beneath the water, wrapping around themselves in various complex patterns. As the roots grew they would become more and more recognizeable as a boat. It would be the size of a sailing boat, several oars shoved out windows near where the water met the ship. "There we go. I'll just keep it moving with my chakra."
The Gilded Queen Rank:Chunin ็ฃๆฐ | Classes:Puppeteer | Bloodline ๅ | Body Rank:A ๅ | Elements:Water,Earth,Lightning,Magnetism,Wood
Kikuโs eyes narrowed each time Miki tried and failed to get a conversation from the locals. She was definitely patient, as the young puppeteer would have started to get frustrated after attempt number five. But Miki was handling rejection like a pro. Still, Kiku couldnโt help but start to impatiently tap her finger to her crossed arms. โDonโt they get weโre trying to help?โ The blonde girl sneered under her breath once the Uchiha was declined for what seemed like the hundredth time. Kiku crossed her fingers behind her head and held her arms up as she looked to the sky, while the two continued to walk together. โIf theyโre going to be this obstinate, then maybe we should just let them be. Clearly they donโt want the help.โ It might have been a bit harsh, but the princess, above all else, hated wasting her time. That included trying to help a town of morons after they refused the assistance. The look on her face made it evident that, if it were up to her, the two of them would head back to Konoha yesterday. But Miki didnโt seem like she was going to turn around, and Kiku wanted to argue with her even less than she wanted to be here.
Miki made a small boat for the two of them and swore it would be fine. And Kiku didnโt think anything of it. Not until she stepped into the boat. It shifted under her weight and the girl suddenly felt her heart sink to her stomach, which impressed her slightly as she only had one of those things. Gingerly, carefully, slowly, she sat down. Kiku didnโt want to tip the boat over; she wasnโt sure what kind of damage her body would take if it took a dip. It was an anxiety that was entirely new to her, so she tried to play it off. Kiku leaned back on her seat, resting her arms on the sides of the boat, while she looked at the sky and tried not to be sick. If Miki listened closely, she would be able to hear Kiku recite what sounded like the periodic table of elements under her breath. The girl needed to stay calm, and to do that the princess had to keep her mind racing, so she wouldnโt stop to think about the massive body of water that surrounded them. It was then that Kiku was able to put a finger on something that was bothering her. โSay, Miki.โ Kikuโs purple eyes scanned the skyline as she tried to piece together her thoughts. โIsnโt it weird that the villagers didnโt want our help? If the issue was just a bunchโa yokai then, whoa-โ She sat forward and the movement rocked the boat enough for Kiku to grip the sides tighter. Regardless, Kiku made eye contact with her partner, her purple eyes intense and calculating. โ-Wouldnโt they want the issue gone ASAP? But trying to keep info hidden about the attacks makes me think thereโs someone or something behind it, intentionally.โ
โFollow me on this one. If it were just yokai doing yokai things, then the town would want them gone. Kinda like when you have bugs that you donโt want in your house. Then the exterminator shows up, you tell them what they wanna know, and boom. No more bugs.โ Kiku was hoping Nimure wouldnโt find out about this analogy. โBut by withholding that information, it almost feels like the townfolks areโฆ protecting the yokai? Like maybe they benefit from it somehow?โ Kiku paused and cupped her chin with her forefinger and thumb. It sounded ridiculous when she said it out loud like that. But something wasnโt adding up, that was for damn certain. "It doesn't make any sense..." she grumbled.