A Day in the Country of Wind [Private][Finished]

[Akane Watanabe]

A warm breeze drifted through the area, sending Akane’s lavender locks billowing in all directions. The Genin let out a tired sigh, lifting her hand to remove the perspiration forming on her forehead. Born and raised in the Hidden Rain Village, the girl was unaccustomed to the dry, heated climate of Wind Country. Unlike Ame, this new area had little to no moisture in the air, making it even warmer and very easy for one to dehydrate. She and her older sister had only been traveling in Wind Country for a few hours now, and she was already sweating like a pig. The poor kunoichi had never suspected such a large shift in temperature between the two countries. How was it possible for them to border one another and yet remain so vastly different?

“Are you alright Akane?” the older woman asked, gazing curiously at her younger sister as she wiped the sweat from her brow. With a tired smile, the lavender-haired girl turned to her sibling and replied dully “It is hot sister. I do not like it here.” Another wipe with the back of her hand removed more liquid from her sweating face. Akira grinned and chuckled at her sisters’ response. She was always so adorable when she was complaining. “This is Wind Country Akane. It is a vast desert and very different from our homeland.” The older woman replied. With a frustrated sigh, the Genin only nodded her head. Indeed this new land was very foreign to her. Even the ground that they walked on differed from the grass in Rain Country.

Akira slowed her casual walk to a stop as her younger sister kneeled before her and reached down towards the soft sandy ground. Akane scooped a small amount of sand into the palm of her hand and raised it to her lips. Slowly, the Genin’s tongue emerged from behind her lips and extended towards the foreign substance. Akira smiled as the younger girl licked the sand, returning it to the inside of her mouth for examination. After a few moments of moving the grainy substance around, she released the remaining sand from her palm and rose to a standing position once more. “How does it taste Akane?” her sister asked curiously, interested in hearing the verdict.

After a moment of silence, Akane shook her head and lowered her eyes to ground below. “Nothing… I cannot identify it.” She replied quietly. Noticing the disappointment and sudden change in her demeanor, Akira placed a comforting hand on her sister’s shoulder. “Worry not Akane… all will be well.” She said soothingly, trying to ease her sister’s burden. With a smile on her face, the younger sibling lifted her gaze. “You are right. You are always right…I love you sister.” She said happily, feeling grateful that she had someone as reliable as Akira for a sibling. With a gentle nod, the Chuunin smiled and voiced her reply. “I love you too Akane… I always will.”

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[Akane Watanabe]

The two siblings remained silent for a while, each keeping to their own as the younger of the two reached into their water container. From the storage device, she retrieved a small, armored animal. After a few moments of observation, the Genin sighed and opened her mouth to speak. ”Sister… Sergeant Shelby is feeling sad.” The younger woman complained as her reptilian companion retreated into its shell. Akira turned her gaze to the small animal in Akane’s arms and shook her head. What on earth had she been thinking, bringing that creature with them? The desert was certainly no environment for a turtle of rain country. “Akane, she doesn’t like the difference in temperature.” She replied quietly, wondering how their little pet had managed to survive as long as it had.

The reasoning was probably Akane’s continuous efforts to keep the reptile safe, secure, and happy. The child-like girl had gone to the trouble of swiping insects, plants, and anything else that she could get her hands on in order to keep her turtle fed. She had even gone to the trouble of keeping the animal in their water container to insure its hydration. Even more unusual, Akane didn’t seem to mind drinking from that same water source. Akira could only watch in fascination as her younger sister held the animal close to her chest, squeezing it like a small child in the arms of its mother. She absolutely adored that animal, treating as one would another human being. Of course, she knew that Akane would never treat another human being so well.

After a few moments of cuddling her turtle’s shell, Akane returned the animal to its home in their water holder. Turning to Akira, the girl started to speak. “Sister, I am bored. When do you think that we will find civilization?” her curious question earned a raised eyebrow from her older sister. “I am not sure Akane… hopefully very soon.” She replied carefully, trying to avoiding filling the girl with hope. After all, Akira knew the country of wind no better than her younger sibling. Were she to give her false information, it would upset the girl and put her in a foul mood. Luckily, the younger woman seemed to accept the answer and nodded her head before returning her gaze to whatever lay in front of them.

The wind continued to blow, gaining power and speed as the day wore on. The land had certainly earned its title. “Akane, would you stop pouting? It is very unbecoming.” Akira scolded her sister, watching as she kept an eternal frown. With a frustrated grunt, the younger girl stomped her foot on the ground and huffed. “I won’t Akira. I am worried about Sergeant Shelby.” She complained, making her feelings for her armored pet well known. With a heavy sigh, the older shinobi shook her head. She was familiar with that tone of voice. Akane only used her sister’s name when she was upset with her. Shaking her head, the Chuunin spoke. “Akane, I am sure your turtle is fine.” She replied tiredly. Sometimes that girl could be a handful.

~Honestly, all of this fuss over a reptile…~ the Chuunin thought silently as she walked quietly by her sister’s side. As the younger girl fumed over the condition of Sergeant Shelby, a disturbing sound reached Akira’s ears. A violent rattling resounded in her ears, alerting her to the danger in the area. Placing a hand in front of her sister, Akira halted their movement. “Akane, be still. There is a serpent nearby.” She warned, her eyes scanning the area for any sign of danger. Surely enough, the scaly hide and light brown rattle became visible as the animal approached them. Its yellow eyes watched the two of them carefully, its noisy tail warning them not to come any closer.

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[Akane Watanabe]

The lavender-haired girl stared at the angry serpent before them, tilting her head to the side in a display of fascination. The creature hissed menacingly in return, rattling its tail once more to remind the two of them that it was a formidable foe. Smiling, Akane took a step forward, earning another hiss from the snake. “Akane, don’t bother it… you might get hurt.” Akira warned, placing a hand on her sister’s arm. Her dark brown orbs locked on the snake, eyes narrowing in a challenge as it threatened her younger sibling. Against her warnings, the younger smiled and placed her hands together. Moving together in a rapid dance, they began to form seals. The snake watched as the girl molded chakra, tilting its head to the side as she vanished from sight.

A moment later the kunoichi was standing behind the rattle snake, her hand already drifting behind her back. The snake turned its head a second too late only to find Akane standing above it with her ninjato drawn. The girl had tricked the serpent, utilizing a small rock behind it to use for a body replacement technique. The snake moved to strike, only to come to its end as the blade was driven vertically through its head, pinning it to the ground. Its dying hiss faded into silence as it let out its final breath. What a pitiful death it had been, a blade through the cranium. After a moment to ensure its death, Akane placed her foot on the animal’s neck, using it as a hold as she removed the sword from its skull.

Akira shook her head, watching as Akane slid the sword back into its sheath, kneeling on the ground in front of the dead serpent. “Akane, that was very dangerous.” She scolded, her eyes narrowing as her younger sibling reached towards the reptile. “I am sorry sister.” She apologized, gently lifting the dead animal to her lips. Akira shook her head and sighed, watching her sister run her tongue along the length of the serpent’s scaly body. Akane memorized the feeling on her tongue, putting the snake down after examination. Looking up, she noticed the look of expectation on Akira’s face, waiting for her judgment. “Nothing Akira… only the texture of scales.” She explained, turning and making her way through the desert once more. Perhaps next time would be more successful.

Nodding Akira followed, increasing the speed of her walk to catch up with her sister. Akane seemed perturbed, most likely by the fruitless examination of her prey. She could only wonder what it must be like not to possess the sense of taste. She had always imagined it to be very frustrating. As she pondered her sister’s burden, she found herself walking right into the back of her. “Akane, what is the meaning of this?” she asked rather annoyed. The younger sister jumped, turning in mid-air to face her. The look of excitement on her features explained it all. “Look sister, look over there!” she exclaimed happily, pointing into the distance. With a sigh the older turned her head, allowing her eyes to follow the path that Akane’s finger was making.

After a few moments of searching, the woman realized what had caused such a reaction from her sister. About eleven meters away stood the remains of an old building, no doubt devastated by the war. Many of the walls were broken down with the exception of the front, where a bright yellow awning remained perfectly intact. ~How did that happen? the Chuunin wondered, feeling her younger sister tugging on her arm. “Look sister! Shade!” she exclaimed before turning and running off towards the broken down building. With a tired smile, the older woman followed after her, her own pace more relaxed. She hadn’t seen her sister this worked up since they had come across Sergeant Shelby.

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[Akane Watanabe]

The heat of the oppressive sun seemed much less painful under the cool shade of the awning. It was still windy out, but the shade made the breeze feel cooler than it had felt under the warm sun. The two sat comfortably underneath the fabric, leaning against the wall behind them as they stared ahead at the vast sea of sand. Just how far had the two of them traveled at that point? As Akane reached into their water container, Akira turned her head and gazed at her younger sibling. “Are you taking out Sergeant Shelby here?” She asked curiously, wondering why her sister had chosen to free her turtle from her prison at that exact moment.

“She’s lonely sister… besides, it has got to get cramped in there after a while.” Akane retorted, removing the small aquatic animal from its swimming pool. Shaking her head, Akira only watched. "If you say so Akane... if you say so" she replied dully as the small animal was released from its container and placed on her sister's lap. The reptile looked so pathetic, crawling desperately along the girl's leg as it tried to escape. Such a slow moving creature it was. How it planned to get away from Akane, she wasn't sure but it had to have guts if it was trying. After a few moments of watching the turtle, she returned her attention to area ahead of them.

"Sister?" At hearing Akane’s voice Akira turned her head for a second time to look at her younger sister. This time, the girl was staring back at her rather than at her pet. Noticing her attention shift, Akane assumed that she was listening and continued. "Do you remember when we were younger?" she asked thoughtfully, absentmindedly scooping Sergeant Shelby back into her lap as it slowly moved towards its freedom. Akira stared at her, this question having caught the older woman off guard. What on Earth had brought that on?

"Of course I remember Akane... why ask such a thing?" she asked worriedly, wondering if perhaps something was upsetting her younger sibling. It wasn't like her to bring up their parents or the past. Nodding, Akane shook her head and turned her eyes to the sandy desert ahead of them. "I was just thinking about it... You know, we were so close sister... such good friends." her voice faded into silence as she allowed her mind to wander into years past. Akira stared at her incredulously. "We are still close Akane..." she replied quietly, wondering at that point if she was even still listening.

After a moment of silence, Akane turned her head to face her sister again and smiled. Picking up Sergeant Shelby with one of her hands, she nodded happily. "You are right sister. You are always right..." As her teeth flashed in a display of affection, the Genin's mind began to wander to days in years passed. The kunoichi found herself drifting away into a world of thoughts and memories: memories of her and Akira. Thoughts of how things used to be flooded the girl’s mind, as her eyes glazed over, a smile gracing her features.

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[Akane Watanabe]

The lavender walls of the bedroom went well with the violet sheets of the bed in the corner of the room. Blue stuffed animals of all shapes and sizes lined the room, many of them aquatic: turtles, frogs, lizards, fish, and other of the like. In the corner of the room, the rustling of sheets became audible as the lavender-haired girl curled into a ball in the center of her bed. "Sister... it hurts..." Akane whined as a thin stream of crimson moved freely down the side of her leg.

"Calm down, Akane." Akira instructed, making her way across the room to find something to bandage her with. The child listened as her sister rummaged through the box on the floor on the opposite side of the room. Akira dug through the kit, fishing through syringes, sponges, and needles in search of the rubbing alcohol. Finding what she was looking for, the girl returned to her younger sister, unscrewing the cap and placing a cloth against the opening. Turning it upside down, she allowed the liquid to wet the cloth before turning it over again. "This might sting a bit..." Akira warned, reaching for her sister's leg.

Akane’s muscles tightened, her leg recoiling from her sister’s touch. "Relax Akane... let me help you..." Akira instructed, taking a hold of her leg and pulling it towards her. She could clearly see the broken skin on her upper thigh, sliced open by some object or another. Repositioning the cloth in her hand, Akira moved to clean the wound. Akane watched, fear filling her eyes expression as the alcohol-covered cloth inched closer and closer to her open wound. She relaxed for a moment, feeling the soft fabric against her thigh. Surely this would stop the bleeding as well. In a moment, the soothing sensations stopped, replaced by ones more sinister.

A hand covered the girl's mouth in an instant, muffling the shriek of agony that would have at once alerted their mother. The searing pain felt as though the wound were on fire, widening itself and tearing through skin. How could this foul liquid be of any help? "Quiet Akane... mother will hear. You don't want her to know that you hurt yourself again do you?" Akira warned, pressing down against her sister's mouth to quiet her. Akane's eyes brimmed with tears as her sister cleaned her wound, keeping her quiet as she did so. This pain was even worse than the initial injury.

The pain continued for a number of minutes, ebbing away slowly over time. "There... isn't that better?" Akira asked quietly, removing the cloth from her leg and uncovering her mouth. The pain had lessened, leaving the wound with an unusual feeling. It twinged slightly every couple of moments, but the worst of it was over. Nodding slowly, Akane watched as her older sister smiled and wrapped a bandage around the wound. Her hands were gentle, carefully moving the fabric around her thigh, not too loose or too tight. She twitched slightly as her sister's hand brushed the skin of inner thigh briefly as she worked. The child stared curiously at her bandaged leg, lifting her eyes slightly to gaze at her sibling.

"Don't breath a word of this to mother. You know that she will have a fit if she finds out you got hurt again." Akira warned quietly, locking her eyes with her sister's as she slowly nodded her head. From downstairs, a female voice echoed through the house. "Akira! Akane! Dinner time, come downstairs!" Smiling, Akira turned her head and called back. "Coming mom!" Reaching forward, she helped Akane to her feet and moved towards the door. "Remember... not a word." she reiterated, opening the door for her sister and following her out.

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[Akane Watanabe]

A contented sigh escaped from the Genin's lips as she picked up Sergeant Shelby and placed her back into her container. "Yes... you have always been there to take care of me sister..." Akane said quietly as she drifted back to reality, her eyes watching the bright orange sun as it moved closer lower and lower in the sky. The dazzling array of colors ranging from pinks and reds to oranges and yellows had spread in the coming sunset in the last couple of hours. With a nod, Akira agreed with her and smiled. "Of course... and I will always be there for you Akane." she replied gently, slowly rising to her feet.

"Come Akane... it is getting late and we must find appropriate shelter if we are to make it through the night." she instructed, waiting for her sister to follow her example. With a nod, the younger rose as well and stretched her arms out to either side. Her muscles had grown quite stiff from sitting in the same position for such a long period of time. Akira was right; they would have little need for their awning once night fell and more need for a suitable location to bed down.

While the war may have ended and relations between the counties calmed, the harsh conditions of the desert had not. It was blazing hot by day and frigid by night, the winds making the desert feel like a massive freezer. If they did not find a decent place to sleep for the evening, they would more than likely come down with a chill if they managed not to freeze during the night. The desert was certainly not a place to go unprepared.

The silence was broken by the sound of footsteps displacing the sand as the two siblings walked. Even while setting, the sun was still out meaning that they had a decent amount of time before they had to worry about the darkness of nightfall. As they walked, Akane kept her eyes focused on her sister. She envied her older sibling. Akira was so strong, always taking charge and keeping the two of them on track. Without her, she wasn't really sure where she would be. Akane wondered if she would ever be as powerful or as independent as her older sister.

"Akane..." Akira’s voice alerted her and returned the Genin to her senses. "Yes sister?" she replied carefully, wondering just how long her sister had been speaking. With a sigh, Akira shook her head. "I think I see another building up ahead. Let's check it out" she said thoughtfully, picking up her pace as they approached the abandoned building. Akane nodded and quickly followed, patting the container gently as the two of them made their way to what could be their new home for the evening. "Don't worry Sergeant Shelby... we will be able to rest soon." she cooed gently to her turtle as they made their way the place that they would be sleeping for the night.

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[Kii!]

+60 EXP