Senpai and kohai in action! [Espada]

[Yuki-chan]

name; exploring kaminari no kuni
rank; b
description; Kumogakure no Sato is tasked with keeping Kaminari no Kuni safe for the travelers. Whether it is bandits or shinobi from another village. Additionally the Raikage hates not knowing things. Knowledge is power and without knowledge, you lack power. Without power you lack the ability to grow, and expand. So you’re tasked with exploring our lands. If you spot a shinobi from another village don’t hesitate to quickly return and inform the Raikage. Do not hastily rush into battle if the numbers are against you. However if everything is peaceful then enjoy your away time. Note this mission will give you two days of leave from Kumogakure no Sato. If you do not return to Kumogakure no Sato you will be sought after.
reward; 100 experience, 2,500 ryo
minimum shinobi; one
mission status; interminable

((OOC: Since Yukiko graduated from the Academy in the start of June, let's just say it's early August now))

'He should be here soon' thought the female as she looked at the watch strapped on her wrist. She had decided to take a mission where they had to explore Kaminari no Kuni for threats.
Both of her parents had agreed as long as the male did what he could to protect her. Which would hopefully not be necessary since times had been peaceful lately. Yukiko looked up at the sky; there were some gray clouds in the distance.

Crystal blue eyes then looked at the envelope that her parents had given her. It contained some ryo that would pay for the girls hospital stay if needed.
'The weather forecast said it would rain in the south tomorrow morning before it would move north. But at least the temperature is comfortable since it's late summer' thought the Genin. She then checked that her headband was in place.

She had not seen that much of Kaminari no Kuni since she moved down here. Her parents usually went to Kaminari's capital or back to Yuki no Kuni to visit the family.
'I bet Atlas-senpai has seen more than I have. He told me that he traveled a lot when he was younger. But I hope we don't run into any enemies...' thought the female.

Her young age plus the lack of strength and experience made her an easy prey for most people. But her kekkei genkai gave her access to a jutsu that could withstand quite a bit. Not to mention that she could turn water or ice into deadly weapons with her chakra.
A person that appeared to be Atlas appeared at one of the corners of the street. "SENPAI, OVER HERE!" yelled the brunette as she waved her hand.

[Estilo]

Enter!!

The climate in the Land of Thunder was as inviting as it was ever going to get for the Akegarasu. Chilly breezes swept through the half-empty streets like invisible serpents, occasionally whistling with the speed in which they were traveling. A blanket of charcoal gray clouds covered the blue canvas above. Clearly it was going to rain soon- a shower, most likely, and not a storm- and Atlas found himself hoping Yukiko had brought a jacket to keep herself from freezing should they be graced with the presence of rain water. His boots splashed into a street puddle as he made his way towards the corner he and his imoto had decided to meet up. A sigh escaped his lips, forming a small wisp of mist- his shoes had only just been cleaned.

He was like that with all of his attire. His night black boots, polished and wiped nearly every other morning. His pair of black khakis pressed and kept clean for anyone to see, despite the fact that his long coat nearly reached down to his ankles. It was an old coat, one of a past generation, trimmed with gold lining and custom silver buttons. But the half-masked male didn't mind. It kept him comfortable, it suited his style, and it definitely gave him easy access to any equipment he might have had stashed around his person. Beneath this favorite long coat of his, however, he wore a buttoned up white shirt with flared wrists, then a black muscle shirt beneath that. Overall, it was the same outfit he wore on most days.

When his kohai waved to him, he gave a graceful smile and headed over to her position in stride. "Hey kiddo!" He greeted, lightly tussling the hair on the top of her head. She'd picked the exploring mission- a potentially dangerous one, but appealing nonetheless. As a young man who had traveled across this land and many others before, he could honestly say he was eager to tread across the territory once more- this time with the intention of finding new places. Wondering whether Yukiko had seen much of Kaminari no Kuni or not, the young man decided he would try and make the best of this task and show her places he thought would be cool. Scenic views, beautiful rivers and forests, adventurous cliff sides. This way, it could seem like less of a mission, and more of a field trip, sort of speak.

"How are you today?" He asked, emerald green eyes looking down at the young girl, the left hidden behind the cover of his masquerade mask. "All set to explore Kaminari? I know I am!"

[Yuki-chan]

"Hey kiddo!" said the male as he ruffled her hair. "How are you today? All set to explore Kaminari? I know I am!" said Atlas with his usual grin; he appeared to be just as excited about this mission as she was. She noticed that he weared a coat she had not seen him wear before as well as shiny black boots.

The female's outfit was relatively simple; it was the same purple jacket she had used when they went to Tetsu no Kuni. Her parents had told her that this jacket would be the best choice since it was waterproof as well as keeping her warm.
A black sweater with a pumpkin on and stripy arms was underneath while her legs were covered with a pair of blue sweatpants. Black boots covered her feet as well. "Oh, my parents told me to give you this" said Yukiko as she handed him the envelope.

"Mum told me that these money would cover the expenses of two nights in a hotel plus some food. I only have enough food for today plus breakfast tomorrow" said the girl. Her parents had given her a bento* plus some simple food she could just heat up for dinner.
Her backpacker also had a lighter, a small first-aid kit, a flashlight plus an extra change of clothes. This was actually the first mission where she would be gone for more than a day.

"Have you traveled a lot in Kaminari no Kuni? I've only visited the capital since we got here" told the Genin as they went towards the gates. She adjusted the black backpacker slightly as they were about to leave the village. The mission might be dangerous, but the female felt safe with the young man. He had after all promised to protect her no matter what happened.

Bento = lunchbox.

[Estilo]

"You've only visited the capital? Oh man-- !" The Chuunin replied in answer to her previous statement, the tone of surprise mildly coating his words. Their footsteps rapped across the wet pavement- which gave off a strangely fresh and revitalizing fragrance- as they headed towards the Kumogakure gates. "I used to go camping around in Kaminari all of the time." He would continue, recalling his explorations in the country as a natural-born adventurer from Kuma no Kuni. "It's pretty awesome. I suppose your parents couldn't show you around because they were a bit busy with their duties here- but I wouldn't blame them. They're high ranking ninja. They've got jobs to do, hm?"

The entrance to the Kumogakuran gates was coming up soon, they were only a few blocks away now. Strangely enough, the smell of pine and rock wafted in the air- a smell that clearly had come from the vast wilderness beyond. He reveled in it, his smile growing as he inhaled and exhaled. Holding the envelope Yukiko had given him, the Akegarasu would shift his eyes down to the package and shuffle through its contents with a single finger. Money lent to him and Yukiko for hotel expenses and food. Dropping to a swift crouch, he would pat Yukiko on the shoulder and hand her the envelope back. "Here, you take this. To buy yourself a nice souvenir, sis. I know a few nifty shops in the country that make their own candy and custom gifts. Woodwork, keychains, that sort of thing. It's unique only to Kaminari no Kuni. And the Electric Jawbreakers are deliciousss. Famous over the continent, I hear."

Surely, her parents didn't expect to pay for his expenses as well! Atlas strived to be as considerate and polite as he could be, and with his newest promotion, he definitely had enough funds to supply them both with shelter and food. If anything, he wanted to see that money go to something Yukiko wanted, or at least to be stored as emergency cash with her other supplies. The whole thought of an emergency in the first place slightly unnerved him- but he was resolute in the fact that he had promised to defend his imoto against anyone or anything. With their items settled and their destination nearby, they would commence their mission anytime now.

Upon reaching the gate terminal, Atlas would walk closely in front of Yukiko as the two made their way through, flashing their ninja credentials and eventually disclosing the fact that the two were on an out-of-village mission. ANBU remained hidden in the shadows nearby, vigilant overseers of the patrons and people that crossed through this main entrance. The architecture here was the perfect example of Kumogakure's overall artful beauty. One could feel proud about this village with such a sight. With only a few more checkpoints to cross, before reaching the gate itself, Atlas and Yukiko would be home free soon enough. They would start their journey the moment they were set free in the wilderness of Kaminari no Kuni.

Exit!!

Will Move Thread To Kaminari After Your Exit And Gate Post!!

[Yuki-chan]

((OOC: I will post in the gates as soon as I can. Oh, the money were going to cover Yukiko's expenses for food and hotel, not Atlas' expenses))

"I used to go camping around in Kaminari all of the time. It's pretty awesome. I suppose your parents couldn't show you around because they were a bit busy with their duties here- but I wouldn't blame them. They're high ranking ninja. They've got jobs to do, hm?" said the male as they came closer to the gates. "Mhm" said the female as she saw the village's exit come closer to them.

He then crouched down to her level, which made her frown a little. Atlas then patted her shoulder before he handed her the envelope. "Here, you take this. To buy yourself a nice souvenir, sis. I know a few nifty shops in the country that make their own candy and custom gifts. Woodwork, keychains, that sort of thing. It's unique only to Kaminari no Kuni. And the Electric Jawbreakers are deliciousss. Famous over the continent, I hear." said the young man.

"OK. I'll just save the money in case we need them" said the girl as she removed the backpacker from her small back. She laid the envelope almost at the bottom under some clothes in case some pickpockets decided to target her.
'Hm...it smells like pine trees' thought the Genin as it started to rain. She pulled up her hood and walked a little closer to the Chuunin. This would be the first time the female would go other places than the main road to the capital.

A mix of excitement mingled with nervousness made itself acknowledged. Nervousness since this was a completely new situation to the brunette and excitement for the very same reason. 'I wonder what we will see. Perhaps we will see some of those wild owls that dad told me about. I just hope we don't run into a lot of strong missing nins' thought Yukiko.

[Exit Kumogakure]

[Estilo]

Enter!!

"Ah!" Atlas grinned, stretching his arms above him. "Smell that fresh outdoors air! That really is something, isn't it?" He gazed about at the beautiful scenery that was Kaminari no Kuni- a display of tall pine trees, somewhat blue grass, rocky outcrops and a drab gray sky. Mountains stood vigilantly in the horizon, everlasting overseers of the evolution of this place. The dirt path they were currently on would take them further into Kaminari no Kuni but eventually reach a dead end. It was then that they would have to explore without the use of roads. Which was fine with Atlas, as he didn't need man-made landmarks to find his way back home.

Walking along the path they were on, the Akegarasu would turn to Yukiko every once in a while to make sure she was okay and keeping up, Since this was her first time hiking these lands, he would take it easy and ensure she didn't get tired that fast. He was confident that she had what it took to trek Kaminari no Kuni twice, but was also aware of her lack of familiarity with this kind of exploration. Rarely had he ever seen someone excel at this with their first try- hiking these mountains and treading through this forests had even taken him some getting used to at first.

One had to be aware at all times, to remember their own designated checkpoints- such as clawed pine trees and strangely shaped rocks- and maneuver their way through this territory using them as travel aids. Should one fail to find their checkpoints, it could make things very difficult and confusing. These lands, see, tended to have natural mazes in its forests and mountain formations. After a while of walking, everything tended to look the same, and walking around in circles was a definite possibility.

Atlas, however, planned on teaching Yukiko as much as he could about maneuvering about this land. Since, of course, it was her land now, too. Should she live out the rest of her life here, she would need to know how to travel through and across Kaminari no Kuni on her own. The path they followed lead into a pine forest, the sound of chirping birds constant and sharp. Soon, Atlas knew, they would hit a cliff side. The dead end. And once they reached that mark, they would have to decide where to go from there.

[Yuki-chan]

[Enter]

"Ah! Smell that fresh outdoors air! That really is something, isn't it?" said the male as he stretched his arms over his head. "Mhm" said the female as she studied the landscape that surrounded them. There were tall pine trees, wild grass as well as a sky covered with some gray clouds.

Both of them started to walk on the path, Yukiko studying the surroundings with some curiosity in her eyes. She had never been to this part of Kaminari before; this would be the first time she would trek through the wild part.
'Wonder if there are any wild animals like wolves and bears here' thought the girl as they walked closer to a nearby forest. But they were shinobis; they could probably scare the animals away if they had to. She would just try to enjoy the hike so far.

Atlas appeared to be on the guard as well since they had now entered the mentioned forest. She could hear the sound of singing birds, which brought a smile to her face. Their path then came to a dead end as they reached a cliff side.
Her eyes widened a little bit; they did not have much of a chance to overcome this obstacle. "What do we do from here senpai?" asked the Genin while she looked at the cliff side.

She had no idea of where to go from here since she did not know Kaminari as well as he did. But it was only 2 PM and it would be daylight for at least seven more hours or so. Suddenly, the sound of a broken twig caught her attention.
"Who's there!?" said the female as she looked around in the forest. She then caught the sight of something - or someone - that was about 20 meters away from where they stood.

[Estilo]

They stopped at the base of the cliff wall in front of them, a natural divider between the forest and whatever was located behind it. Staring at it with a look of wonder on his face- admiring the beauty of its rough yet elegant structure- the Akegarasu smiled. "From here," He'd reply, acknowledging his younger companion. "I think we'll heaaaad..." Then he'd abruptly turn his body left, swiftly stretching his right arm forward and pointing in that same direction. "That-a-way! I hear a river calling-- and I'm fairly sure it's the Tianguis." Ready to venture off into the pine forest he'd designated with Yukiko, the half-masked male came to yet another abrupt stop when he heard a twig snap. His little sister had heard it as well. She called out, but received no answer. Something was up.

Without a hesitation, the Chuunin was put into the alert. The moment the twig had snapped, he'd activated his sensory vision to the extent that he could see what was around them and alive within a twenty meter radius. Should it be something quick or dangerous, he was prepared to body flicker his way at Yukiko's defense and fend off the potential attackers. But as his range widened and spread, he finally found out what had surprised them so with that unexpected sound. Seeing it almost made him laugh uncontrollably, but he restricted that laughter to a simple chuckle and grin.

He dropped down to the ground to pick up a branch, only half-covered with leaves, then advanced towards the origin of the noise- the border between dirt path and pine forest. Patting Yukiko on the back with his free hand- a reassuring gesture, to let her know everything was okay- Atlas slowly moved on to the bush that had emitted the noise their newest "visitor" was making. "C'mon, out, little guy." He smiled, leaning forward and positioning the leaf covered branch in front of him- an offering, a sign of peace. "C'mooon. I've got some tasty leaves for you, critter."

A moment was spent in utter silence, but to his delight, the nutria had finally emerged from its cover- its wet and whiskered nose sniffing about as its beady black eyes studied the masked man. It nibbled on the leaf farthest from the male, but still hanging off the branch he held out. When it finished, it would advance forwards and search for a considerably tastier leaf. Within due time, it was snacking on the frond inches away from Atlas' hand- soon gaining the confidence to dig its wet nose into the side of the Chuunin's paw to sniff about and study this "strange" hairless ape. The half-masked male laughed, but not enough to scare it away. "Ha, ha! That tickles, you little devil!" His other hand dropped the leafed branch by the animal's side and dug into its soft, brown fur, petting it gently. Looking over his shoulder at Yukiko, Atlas smiled. "Come check this out, kiddo. This is a nutria. It's like a beaver, but far more gentle."

[Yuki-chan]

The male appeared to be on the alert as well; he had probably activated his sensory vision. He then started to laugh for some reason. Atlas picked up a branch from the ground while the female watched the surroundings in case that person/animal/thing tried to attack from another angle.
"C'mon, out, little guy." said the young man as he hold the branch in front of him.

'If Atlas-senpai is calling something a 'little guy', it might not be that dangerous' thought Yukiko."C'mooon. I've got some tasty leaves for you, critter." said the Chuunin as the girl walked closer to him. She was not sure what he had found, but it was something small.
The brunette's eyes widened when she saw what it was; it was something that looked like a giant rat.

"MEEEP!" said the female before she hid behind the male. She did not like rats that much, particularly when they were as large as the one in front of her. "Come check this out, kiddo. This is a nutria. It's like a beaver, but far more gentle." said the male in a rather soothing voice.

"Does it bite?" asked Yukiko as she looked at the nutria with some scepticism. The teeth were quite large and more than capable of giving her fingers or hands a deep wound. She extended her hand slightly as the animal looked straight at her.
Ice blue optics studied the rat-like creature with caution as her heart beated rather fast. The rat then sniffed a little at her hand before it just looked at the weird duo.

'Wonder what the nutria thinks of us. Me and senpai only have the same skin colour' thought the female as the nutria went towards the river. "So, we're going to follow the Tianguis until we find a decent place to camp?" asked the Genin as she looked up at him.
She had heard about the said river; it was rather large and it ran through about a fifth of Kaminari no Kuni. They only had six hours on them until the sun set, but that would be more than enough to explore the place around the landmark.

[Estilo]

Atlas smiled as their whiskered companion left, following a hidden trail with his wet nose half-buried in the ground- most likely headed towards the river beyond, the Chuunin reasoned. "Yup." He matter-of-factly replied, turning his eyes and his smile down to his imoto. "We'll follow it- not only to find a place to rest and snack, but to find any potentially dangerous campers hiding out among our wilderness." He took another breath of fresh air, glancing up into the deep gray sky, figuring out how much he adored this climate, this land, this country. He'd do anything to protect its beauty... and maybe he didn't have to be Raikage to prove that he did? The decision was still bouncing within the depths of his mind, whether he would take upon that heavy responsibility or not...

Burying that thought for the moment, Atlas bounced on the soles of his feet and continued forward with Yukiko in tow. As he talked, his sensory vision silently activated, extending his range to a full fifty meters. "I'll have my sensory on to foresee any unsuspecting traveler in our range- but just to be safe, you might want to take a look around from time to time. Listen for sounds, stay close to me, 'kay?" His boots entered untouched ground, puddles of mud and wet gravel that were all covered with pine cones and leaves. The sound of the river Tianguis trickled through the atmosphere beyond. They were real close- only a few yards away.

"But most of all," Atlas continued, patting the surface of a pine tree as the two moved deeper into the forest. "Try to enjoy the hike! Since this is your first time in Kaminari no Kuni's wilderness, I'm sure you're bound to see a lot of sights that you haven't seen in person before. Like the nutria, for example." The crunch of leaves crushing under the sole of his boot was a strange sound, loud enough to ripple through his sense of hearing, but not loud enough to frighten the bird about fifteen meters away. In a way, that sound was somewhat normal to that setting. Unless something had acute hearing, it would not be able to discern the noise from something natural or human.

As they neared the ebbing flow of water beyond, the smell of its presence flowed gently past their nostrils. A fresh smell, the fragrance of mint leaves and mountain springs. A ridge beyond was the only thing the two needed to proceed over before witnessing the Tianguis for themselves. With his sensory activated, the Akegarasu could see all form of wildlife frolicking around that point of interest. Dragonflies, nutrias, birds and insects of the forest. To him, every living thing appeared like beautiful and lit silhouettes of what they were, glowing blue with the chakra that ran through them.

[Yuki-chan]

"We'll follow it- not only to find a place to rest and snack, but to find any potentially dangerous campers hiding out among our wilderness." said the male. The female nodded as they walked down the rather large river.
"I'll have my sensory on to foresee any unsuspecting traveler in our range- but just to be safe, you might want to take a look around from time to time. Listen for sounds, stay close to me, 'kay?" said Atlas. "Yup" said Yukiko as she studied her surroundings.

She could not see or hear anything that made her vary - yet. "But most of all, try to enjoy the hike! Since this is your first time in Kaminari no Kuni's wilderness, I'm sure you're bound to see a lot of sights that you haven't seen in person before. Like the nutria, for example." said Atlas.
"I really don't like rats or animals like that...I hoped I could see a wild owl or perhaps some deers" said the girl as they walked pass a couple of large birch trees.

Ice blue spheres then studied the clouds above them; they had thinned out slightly since they had left Kumogakure no Sato. The rain would hopefully end later today in case they had to sleep outside. Not that the small Genin minded; she had camped in Kaminari no Kuni a couple times in the summer holidays.
A smile formed on her face when she saw a peregrine falcon sit in a maple tree. The blue-gray plumage contrasted with the bright green leaves, making it rather easy to spot.

"Senpai, look!" whispered the female before she pointed at the bird she had seen. Birds like these were not that uncommon in Kaminari, but you did not see them that often in trees. The peregrine falcon suddenly looked at them and tilted its head.
The small brunette then put her backpacker down in a careful manner before she pulled out a small camera. It did not seem that the bird minded since it straightened up while she took the picture.

But just seconds after the flash went off, the falcon flied away. "Hm...it probably did not like the sharp light that much. At least the photo looks nice" said the girl as she showed him the photo on the small digital screen.
"My parents told me to use this if we had to photograph intruders or thieves. Would make it easier for the ANBU or the Raikage to identify them" explained Yukiko as she laid the camera back in her backpacker before she started to carry the backpacker like usual.

[Estilo]

"Ah! So you're a bird fan, huh? Good to know." Atlas smiled, storing that tidbit of information away for future use. The smile on her face when she'd seen the falcon attested to that fact, and he turned to witness the beautiful creature himself when she'd pointed it out to him. Surprisingly, it remained still as the Yukina carefully retrieved a camera from her backpack and prepared to take a photo of it. When she did, an unexpected flash beamed on the bird and its surrounding environment, scaring it away and into flight before Yukiko had a chance to take a second photo. "Aww."

When she showed him the photo she had taken, he commented with great admiration. "Wow! That's not bad at all. Looks like it can be on a postcard, ha ha." His imoto explained her reason for having the camera- which Atlas had initially believed was strictly for sight-seeing purposes- then stuffed it away in her bag and got ready to go. "That's a swell suggestion." Atlas replied, gesturing to her to follow as they continued on. Her mention of the Raikage brought a strange chill to his spine, but he quickly composed himself afterwards. "Always better to be prepared, hm?" He continued as the two walked over the ridge blocking their view.

Over said ridge was the river he had heard from yards away- the dazzling river Tianguis. It came down from the mountains and flowed through the pine forests of Kaminari no Kuni in what seemed like an endless journey. Rocks jutted out from its surface, water rippling around said rocks and flowing forward at a brisk pace. As his sensory vision had detected earlier, dragonflies flew rampantly in the air space above. Lilies and river daisies ran along the bank of the river, the sound of a frog nearby clear and audible. It was just as the half-masked male remembered it.

Standing there, looking at the scene once more, hypnotized him for a bit. Another flash of memories struck his mind and, impulsively, he his hand reached up to his forehead, feeling a slight headache. When the floodgates in his cranium opened up- unleashing the torrent of memories he thought he had forgotten when he had hit his head during the Great Flash- he felt slight pains. Though common for him, the Akegarasu could not seem to find a tolerance for said pain. It was brief, but still a bit overwhelming. Sucking in a deep breath of fresh air helped him soothe it, and within seconds, he was smiling once more. He didn't need the past to ruin his day today. He wouldn't let it. Instead, he would enjoy the rest of his hike!

[Yuki-chan]

"Always better to be prepared, hm?" said the male. "Yup! I also have a first-aid kit in case we need it" said the female with a grin. The duo continued their hike; it was five hours until they had to find somewhere to sleep.
But five hours was a lot of time for Yukiko. She was sure that Atlas would find a nice place they could spend the night.

"Uhm, I was wondering on something senpai. If we have to sleep outside, where do we have to sleep? Neither of us have a tent and I did not bring my sleeping bag either" said the girl as she looked up at the young man.
They had soon walked over the ridge that had so far blocked their vision from what was further behind. But now, all the Genin saw was wild nature with flowers she had not seen before.

'Whoa...this is awesome' thought the female as she saw a couple of dragonflies fly through the air that was above them. Many of the clouds had disappeared and only some miniscule white clouds remained on the sky.
Ice blue eyes shifted to look up at the Chuunin. He seemed a little worried for some reason; did he think of something painful? The male calmed down after a couple of seconds, so perhaps it was not that bad after all.

Her eyes then suddenly caught the sight of some people that stood close to the river. There were five adult men that were fishing with fishing rods. "Senpai! Look!" said the brunette while she pointed at the trio of fishers she had seen.
"I cannot see any headband...maybe they are tourists or something" said the girl as she studied the small group that stood at the riverside.

This was good news since this meant that there were plenty of fish here that they could eat for dinner. If they were lucky, perhaps it was a small camping site or even a small hotel nearby where they could spend the first night.
'We only have three days to explore and this is our first day. Not to mention that we have to get back to Kumogakure so we aren't declared missing-nin' thought Yukiko. Being declared as a missing nin when you were a 10-year old Genin was just plain stupid.

[Estilo]

They moved on towards the ridge beyond, and as they did so, Yukiko inquired after their situation further on- when they would need to find a place to sleep until the next day began. The fact that she had mentioned the idea of camping outside brought a chill to his spine. He tended to avoid camping outdoors. It unnerved him. "Nah," He would then reply. "We'll find an inn and purchase some accommodations there. We can save the camping trip for later, hm?" He smiled, boots trudging through dead leaves and grass as they approached the river.

After having lost himself temporarily in Tianguis' beauty, the Yukina who traveled with him pointed out a trio of fishermen further down the river passage. "Oh, look! We do have company." He watched as the old fisherman acknowledged their presence, then gave them a gratuitous wave from afar. "They're probably planning to catch a lot of salmon." Atlas informed, his statement directed towards his little sister. "I heard they're in season this time of year. Of course, that also means bears are in season, too." He continued, his eyes widening a little bit to show the potential surprise he would have should they come across the beast. His sensory eyes, thankfully, would prevent that.

Planning to follow the river on the other side, in order to find the river-side inn he had gone to many years before, Atlas carefully made his way down the slope that lead to the bank, balancing his footing on the grass and rock that wasn't slippery and wet. And as he did so, he would outstretch a hand to his little sister should she need any assistance walking down this slope. Having her slip and fall was something he definitely did not want, but at the same time, he trusted her skills as a ninja to traverse this ground safely and reach the bank with him. When they got there, the flow of the river only inches away from where they were standing, the Akegarasu scanned the setting with his eyes- looking for a way across.

The river had a current that was strong enough to sweep a child like Yukiko away, with a depth that nearly reached Atlas' waist. He found it a bit peculiar to see Tianguis this full during this season, but figured that it was already difficult enough to predict nature, and it was useless trying to understand the mechanics behind everything it did with little more than assumptions and theories. His mind, as of now, was preoccupied with the troublesome image of his little sister being swept away by this cold water. Luckily for them, however, there was a way across. A series of flat stones, positioned randomly over the river but close enough to hop onto in succession and make it across. Risky, but better than swimming across.

[Yuki-chan]

"They're probably planning to catch a lot of salmon. I heard they're in season this time of year, too. Of course, that also means bears are in season, too." said the young man with a somewhat scared look on his face.
"Perhaps it's better if we find somewhere cheap to stay" muttered the female as they walked down the riverside. It was a bit slippery, but she managed to keep her balance most of the time.

Atlas was nice enough to help her down one particular part of the slope where she had almost falled down. As they reached the bottom, the young man seemed to look around their area. Maybe they had to walk across the river in order to get to their next location?
But the river seemed quite deep; it would probably reach Yukiko's shoulder without any problem. Not to mention that the current looked rather strong compared to earlier.

An idea then struck her mind. "I think I know how to get us over" said the girl before she formed a set of handseals three times. Moments later, three tiles of ice that were 20 x 20 inches floated near the small rocks that they could climb on.
"You have to be a bit careful when you step on those since they are made out of ice. I think it's best if I step on the first one before you follow me" informed the Genin.

She did not feel that scared when she stepped on the first tile of ice; this was something she had created after all. The female then did a somewhat longer step towards the stone in a careful manner so she did not slipped on anything.
Her next tile was not much of an issue either, but the next one would pose a challenge. The brunette had to do a small jump in order to get to the second last stone. "Can you hold my hand senpai?" inquried the girl as she looked at him.

Tobihaneru (Swift ice step) x 3.
Rank: "D" Rank.
Type: Supplementary/clan kekkei touta/hyouton ninjutsu.
Range: See special!
Special: Tiles can be placed anywhere within the user's 'Yuki no kami' range. Up to one tile can be made per use, plus one more each time retrained.
Description: Although basic, this jutsu nonetheless is highly effective for mobile Yukina members. After forming a single handseal, the clan member can create a floating ice tile anywhere they wish within range, allowing them to use it as a stepping stone towards higher planes.
Domain: Yukina. Yuki no kami "D".