Don't Trip, Potato Chip! S & J's Salty Adventure!

[sakaki]

Sakaki wandered up to a door in the back of the chip-making factory, having been directed there when she had visited the front. Her copy of her mission was her access pass, and it felt a little exciting! She was getting special treatment! Sure, she was also doing these guys a favor by delivering their product to a few stores around the village, but.... It was still nice to think about it!

The quiet child couldn't help but wear a small smile as she knocked upon the door, which was quickly opened. She showed her mission, and was quickly ushered inside. Being led down a hallway, she soon reached a small room, which held several crates and barrels. Clearly, these were the products that they issued out, having them delivered and such. But Sakaki had to wonder how she'd carry those... they looked heavy.

"Here ya go," the worker who led her inside would say. He held out a rather odd-looking backpack, clearly a better traveling solution for the tiny girl. Her smile grew a bit, and she would reach out to take it, finding it still fairly heavy. Sakaki nearly fell over from the unexpected weight, but managed to keep her footing, even if she had to grunt with effort as she hoisted the thing.

[ℐai-ℒin]

Jai-Lin had hiked a pretty decent distance from the village, just towards the outskirts. She could smell the chip factory as she grew closer. It definitely was not as appetizing as it’s product. Oh yes; those chips. Generic? Yes. Loved; by far. In fact, if you looked in Jai’s apartment, You would see the floor covered in empty bags of them. And, she was not the only one. It seemed to be a beloved Kumogure Snack.

However, times were difficult. And when things were difficult; people stopped fueling their stomachs. Or, they decided to make bad decisions. Such as mugging the delivery men. SO every couple of days, they have a few ninja run up here, and take enough chips for a single person to watch. Today however, there was only two.

Fixing her fall attire, freshly received, the young woman walked into the entrance of the factory, to be deflected. Apparently she had to go in the back way. Jai-Lin rounded the corner, finding the back entrances with ease. She didn’t have to knock on the door; because it was already open. The man looked at her expectantly. She arched an eyebrow, as if to ask him what him problem was. But then she remembered she needed to show him her scroll to receive the package. She slid it out of her long, green sleeve, and flashed the signing of approval.

About this time she noted the other person that had signed up. A spark from a recent memory brought up her curiosity. This was that girl… The one she had encountered in the woods? Yes, for certain it was. Jai-Lin could remember because she had run off when she learned that the man eating a sandwich peacefully was non other than the Raikage.

Taking her backpack, she mistook the weight. It was probably twice her size, and full of delicious chips… Her mouth was practically watering at the thought. How Jai-Lin loved food. She shook it off, meaning to address the girl. “Hello, I‘m not sure if you remember me…” She laughed, scratching her head. “I‘m Jai-Lin.” She smiled, extending a hand that was previously hidden in her sleeves. She had ordered the same length but… The thickness must have been dragging them down…

[sakaki]

“Hello, I‘m not sure if you remember me… I‘m Jai-Lin.” The girl had spoken just as Sakaki was finishing up the securing of her pack. Her head would turn, and instantly she would recognize the girl. At the very least, the girl looked familiar, and that was enough. It took Sakaki a few more seconds to place where she'd seen this girl.... right, at that little park!

Sakaki's turned red, her gaze shifting uncomfortably back and forth from one side of the girl to the other, unable to look Jai-Lin in the face. She was a little embarrassed how she'd just run off that day, without any real reason, or warning. Well, she had a reason, anyways, but she hadn't said anything. She'd just apologized and run off.

"Sakaki," she managed to mumble, suddenly finding the girl's hand outstretched. Just like Sakaki, her shirt sleeves were so long... Sakaki didn't meet too many people who had such long sleeves like that. She blinked several times before extending her own arm, the sleeve falling away to reveal her partially bandaged hand. She would place the appendage within Jai-Lin's own, her grip rather on the weak side, assuming she would be allowed to shake her fellow kunoichi's hand.

It didn't actually seem like Jai-Lin was mad at her, or anything. She didn't look very angry, at least. Sakaki continued to stare at her, wondering what this girl was like. She seemed really friendly, smiling down at the little eight-year old. Not only that, but she had long sleeves like Sakaki.... maybe she was kind of like the young girl?

When it finally seemed awkward, Sakaki would retract her hand, sleeve slipping back over it safely once again. Thinking about the mission once again, Sakaki figured they'd better get started. But the words would not form in her mouth, so she just wound up staring oddly.

[ℐai-ℒin]

The girl too the handshake timidly, watch a soft shake. It was strange to shake hands with another Kunoichi, there just seemed to not be too many of them around. Jai felt a soft, awkward patch on the girls hand. Bandages? She asked herself. Maybe that would make some good conversation of later. She began to spin off in her mind about what could have happened. But either way, Jai-Lin already had respect for this little girl.

Sakaki was her name. One that fit her rather well, too. However, in Jai-Lins constant space-full state, she realized the little girl was looking at her sort of strange. A shy little thing, she was. It made Jai-Lin smile.

The man went through the orders, checking everything to make it right. “Alright, you should be ready to go,” he grumbled, “But remember. They may just be chips, but people are desprate right now. Why do you think we have to hire ninja to carry it by hand?” He warned. That fact actually had struck Jai-Lin on her wading up. A sad thing, not just because of potential attacks, but because they used to send the chips by the cart loads. But now they were harder to get.

“Well,” She laughed, “the village isn‘t going to fill itself with salty goodness,” She shrugged, hiking up the black straps on her pack, and motioning for the girl to follow her out the doorway. Jai-Lin’s black shoes scratched against the pavement of the factory, but stopped their evidence as soon as they hit the soft earth of the ground outside. She hoped the girl was following her.

It was nice to have company. Especially when it wasn’t a shark. Not that Nat was… Well, he didn’t bite, but they were a team, and you get sick of your teammates fast. Especially if it’s just the two of you bickering at each other.

As they traveled on, the factory disappeared behind the terrain. Kumogure was built on a mountain, after all. Kaminari No Kuni was famous for its craggy, Cliffside terrain, the general storming, and the fact that people were lost easily. Actually, there was a storm brewing right about now. The skies were grey, and crackling amplified in bursts. But it did not phase her. It was just a part of the land. “So, um…” She tried to think of a decent conversation. “It‘s upsetting to me that we have to escort the chips to the village…”

[sakaki]

“Alright, you should be ready to go. But remember. They may just be chips, but people are desprate right now. Why do you think we have to hire ninja to carry it by hand?” Sakaki would turn to the man and give him a simple nod. For one so young, she actually understood the way people worked fairly well. Being an orphan, she'd lived in the streets all her life... and when one lives in the streets, you see things...

“Well, the village isn‘t going to fill itself with salty goodness.” The statement caused Sakaki to blink in confusion, staring at the walk blankly... or staring beyond the wall, really. Her mouth opened slightly, creating a small 'o' shape. What did chips have to do with salty goodness? Needless to say, Sakaki had never had a chip before...

Her attention quickly raced back to reality as she heard Jai-Lin's shoes moving across the floor. Head snapping to the side, a worrying look spread across her face as she realized she was being left behind. Without further thought, she made a quick dash to close the distance between the girls, and then would fall into a light stride in order to keep up with Jai-Lin and not pass her.

The pack was a little more cumbersome than she was used to. She didn't really carry around heavy items like this. It felt a little awkward to get used to, especially since she didn't commonly have a pack, either. She didn't have that many belongings to take with her anywhere... so there wasn't much of a point in having one. At least... before... maybe she would need to train herself with these things and get used to them.

“So, um…” Jai-Lin would say, breaking the silence, and pulling Sakaki out of her chain of thought. “It‘s upsetting to me that we have to escort the chips to the village…” Sakaki would nod in agreement, issuing a small noise in confirmation of Jai-Lin's comment. It was never a good thing when people tried to take things that didn't belong to them. Or, if they needed to in order to survive, they shouldn't hurt others...

Sakaki would once more finding herself staring at Jai-Lin. She was really pretty.... Not the first pretty Kumo-nin that Sakaki had met, but still. Much like Sakaki, she had really long hair... Not as long as the eight-year old's, but pretty darn close. Again, another thing they had in common... Was it just on the outside, Sakaki had to wonder?

[ℐai-ℒin]

Okay, well conversation didn’t work, Jai-Lin thought to herself. This girl seemed to not be too much of a talker, so Jai decided to stay quite for now.. Maybe it would be an awkward trip. Sakaki was slightly disconnected, or at least form what Jai had seen. Not from the world, just… From conversation. Although, that could be a good thing. Actually, battling a talker was sort of… Pesky. Unless their was a real reason to talk, you couldn’t try to persuade someone whilst their sword is trying to get a piece of your neck. But, if they could be talked out of attacking… That Always helped.. She decided it depended on the person.

“So, you don‘t talk much, kid.” She said, sort of as a comment; so it wouldn’t be too awkward if the girl didn’t answer.

So they just walked. For a while anyways. Her head was in the clouds, not even looking at the path ahead. She recognized the twists and turns from the trek up. Those grey, heavy clouds… It made everything seem dark… hazy even. It added to the character of the Country.

Although, things were awkward. No, it wasn’t the little girl that didn’t talk, or the elephant traveling with them that was acquired though their first meeting… She couldn’t tell. Maybe it was nothing.

[sakaki]

“So, you don‘t talk much, kid.” Sakaki stared at Jai-Lin for a few seconds longer before her gaze shifted. She was ashamed of her speech. She spoke like a little kid... and even then, not very well. She stumbled a lot, or stumbled over words, or mis-pronounced them. It was kind of embarrassing when talking to other people who could talk just fine.

"Nu," she admitted quietly, eyes drilling holes into the ground with each and every step. She couldn't really express herself properly, though she kind of wanted to. After all, Jai-Lin had seemed so friendly, and now she seemed kind of dejected. Sakaki wouldn't have minded if she had just talked, but... She didn't have the will to say so.

So they continued on in silence. Or, at least, semi-silence. The storm that was rolling in roared out, the wind whistling every which way. It was likely gonna be a big one, but it wasn't anything unusual. Kumo-nin were used to this kind of thing, Sakaki included.

However, the loud noise of the storm would help mask the presence of three men, all trailing behind the duo. Sakaki hadn't noticed them, personally, and was a bit too preoccupied. However, had she have turned around for any reason, she would have been able to describe them easily. A bald man in a red gi, likely in his early thirties. A man with a ponytail, black in color, wearing a blue gi that matched his friends, likely the same age. The last man had short, blonde hair, wore a black overshirt, and casual pants.

They definitely had the intent to attack the 'supply caravan' of chips, but hadn't yet made their move. But they were closing in on the two females, who walked beside each other awkwardly...

[ℐai-ℒin]

Her comment hadn’t helped their situation. The girl muttered an awkward no, and Jai shrugged, folding her arms behind her head.

“Ah, that‘s okay. I didn‘t talk much when I was younger, too.” She spoke. She grey eyes traced the outline of the clouds. It was true. Sort of. It was less the fact that she didn’t talk than the fact that she had friends. She held her tongue around other kids; not wanting to give them any more of a reason to make fun of her. But, things changed when she became a Kunoichi. The teasing got twice as bad, for a while anyway. Being an overweight kid, and a ninja? It was awful. Especially when your primary training would be Taijutsu. Things had changed though.

The storm picked up; and the sounds of nature filled the space around them. It started to rain, and the ground became slick. She gave a slightly uncomfortable face, but that was the only reaction. Her eyes averted to her traveling partner, Sakaki. She still wasn’t saying much.


That was when she heard it. The slipping of a sandal. Her jaw set, knowing it wasn’t herself; nor Sakaki. Her foot had slipped on the very same rock several meters away. How would she get the girls attention.

“Well!” She stretched with a nonchalant smile. “My back is SO sore~” She said with a laugh, her arm averting towards her back, with a silent pop, Jai-Lin's pouch clicked open, and there was a light glimmer of a kunai knife; but it disappeared in her long, green sleeve. It could not bee seen from behind; not with her backpack on.

She prayed that the girl looked upto see her, because there was someone following them. And the chances were it was not just one.

[sakaki]

“Ah, that‘s okay. I didn‘t talk much when I was younger, too.” Again, Sakaki could only process Jai-Lin's words with a quiet stare and a blink. Another trait that was shared between them. Did that mean that Sakaki might wind up a little less quiet in the future? From what she'd learned so far, the small girl wouldn't mind ending up kind of like Jai-Lin. It was a nice thought, which wound up putting a small smile on Sakaki's face... along with a small blush.

Her thoughts roaming, Sakaki kept her gaze focused on the ground, wandering into her own little world. So it was that she wound up missing the noise behind them. It was only when Jai-Lin spoke that her attention snapped back to reality. Her sight shifted up to the older girl, wearing an expression of curiosity. What had Jai-Lin said...?

Lucky enough for her that she'd notice the glint of the knife, a clear sign that Jai-Lin thought something was wrong. Sakaki gave a small nod, then face forward. Being as discreet as possible, her hands would flash out of her sleeves, performing the few hand seals she needed. Her eyes closed for a moment, and chakra coursed through her... it seemed like her sensory techniques would actually come in handy.

Three figures, all trailing behind them, were pressed against a rock, out of view. Sakaki would issue a small noise of worry, masked by the sound of the rain. With eyes opening, she would look up to Jai-Lin, making a noise just audible enough above the rain to catch the girl's attention. Her fingers curled, leaving three of them straight, indicating the number, and then she stuck out just her thumb, pointing behind them.

[ℐai-ℒin]

With a successful hint, Sakaki’s hands transitioned between seals. So she’s a sensor? Jai- asked herself. It came apparent she was unsure of her partner’s abilities… But she would have to work off of them. Jai-Lin herself did not have very many techniques, now that the thought had stricken. She had spent so much time on her speed and physical ability, that she hadn’t fitted in time enough. Jai would have to use her speed and flexibility to her own advantage. But, being witty enough, she would figure something out.

The small girl flashed Jai-Lin three fingers. Jai Blinked in acknowledgement. What to do… They were seven meters away. She could go straight in. That’s what she should do. Flash to them, and take one out silently. But, that would leave her partner at a disadvantage. Twisting her face slightly, she moved her head back up to the clouds, watching a flash in the sky. One, two… But if she flashed behind them, that would give them more of a chance. But she didn’t want to hurt them if she didn’t have to. Three, four. Or at least, not kill them. It would be so much easier if they were able to just chase them off. Five, six… Decisions, decisions…

Seven. With a wink at Sakaki, Jai-Lin turned inwards, toward the girl, as if she was going to address her. She dropped her backpack. It was not a good idea, but she couldn’t damage the merchandise. They ponytail swayed lightly, but she moved with such force, she disappeared with the heavy booming in the sky. Her shunpo was awkward with the backpack on anyway.. And, she had a rather quaint cover; the booming of the thunder being as grand as it was, she managed to skid to a halt, right behind the masked figure farthest to the right, hooking her arm around his neck. Her hand was almost completely hidden, but the tip of her knife gleamed at his throat. Her left arm was barred around his waist.

“May we help you gentleman?” She asked politely, waiting for a reaction. Now she had to keep them busy to keep them away from the merchandise. People really were desperate. But, maybe they wanted it for money purposes.

SPOILER: Click to show

Shunpo (Flashing Light Steps)
Rank: D
Type: Supplementary / Taijutsu / High-Speed Movement
Range: 0 - 10 meters
Stamina: Low
Special: Shunpo is much like Shunshin, a forward-moving high-speed technique that transports the user across a short space in the blink of an eye. When used, the user will rush almost instantly to wherever they are facing. The user can Shunpo once per thread, plus once more each time retrained. One cannot attack or perform techniques during Shunpo.
Description: Shunpo, a Taijutsu master's response to the Body Flicker Technique, relies solely on the user's ability to harness their inner ki and gain enough stamina to withstand the sudden strain imposed on one's legs. However, once properly trained, the Taijutsu Type will find their legs moving at speeds unknown to common man, to the point most would make the foolish mistake of assuming one is using Shunshin. However, unlike that chakra inspired run, Shunpo is pure stamina and movement skill, allowing for tighter, quicker, and more reactionary movements essential for someone that relies on movement. Although Shunpo itself moves in a single line, its many variations is what makes it so lethal.
Domain: Shunpo - Universal Taijutsu.

[sakaki]

Right after her signal, Jai-Lin would go ahead and take off her pack, lowering it to the ground. Clearly, she was going to be taking care of the problem by herself. Sakaki frowned slightly... she was relieved, but... At the same time, it reminded her of the fight with the giant monster. She'd been so helpless then... and nothing had changed.

The small Kumo-nin would turn, looking behind her where Jai-Lin had shunpo'd to . There wasn't a whole lot that Sakaki truly needed to do, besides guard the merchandise. At least, for the moment. She already had a good idea for it, and could create a sort of shield, if necessary. Still, that was worst-case scenario... hopefully things wouldn't go so badly.

“May we help you gentleman?” The sudden voice from behind them made the two men turn around. The other, who had squirmed upon Jai-Lin's first grasp, now stood still, not yet ready to have his throat slit. The two in front froze in surprise, but only for a moment.

"We're, uh... your back-up, yeah," one of them spoke, chuckling nervously. "We're supposed to keep out of sight and make sure you make it home safely," he said with a bit more 'confidence' this time.

[ℐai-ℒin]

Sakaki decided she would stay with the products. Jai-Lin was confident in that. The girl seemed to be more skilled than she let on though. But, Jai kept in mind the fact that she was injured. And, she was younger.

She could feel the man tense within her grip as she spoke. But he was smart, and stayed still. The other two jumped in the same reaction as he did. They each seemed to be within a few inches of each other. Even though they were masked, and heavily clothed, she could tell she was dealing with three, full flesh men. But she didn’t get the sense of… Well, shin obi. Maybe she was just being off. "We're, uh... your back-up, yeah," One guy fumbled at an excuse. "We're supposed to keep out of sight and make sure you make it home safely,"

“Oh yes. Now I remember,” Jai-Lin spoke, as if she were serious. “We were issued three giant bodyguards with masks, just so that us two kunoichi would not get mauled on our mission; to go get chips.” she chuckled. “How silly of me to forget.” She said with sarcasm. They exchanged looks underneath their masks, as if they were deciding on something. The man in her grip was practically holding his breath. Jai was growing uncomfortable. Three on one was a little bit unsettling. If Sakaki had to, she could jump in. Jai got the feeling she was not a Taijutsu specialist. But she couldn’t base everything on that.

“So anyways,” Jai spoke, “ I don‘t really see any reason as to why I should have to hurt you guys. But I could get you in serious trouble, for several things.” She shrugged her shoulders.The man must have felt her move, because he took a pretty dumb move. His heel fell straight into her clave, and she moved quickly, flipping her knife to the butt side; and jabbing it into his stomach with a flash of a hand. Stepping back quickly, she let him fall. Whoops, maybe too hard, she told herself. The two others lurched, but she easily evaded them. The revelation that they were just plain thugs set in.

Unfortunately, one was running Sakaki’s way. The other though, came at Jai with a heavy punch, admirable even. But unfortunately his whole body and all of his balance were in it, and with a simple step into his shoulder, and a grab of his arm, she flipped him over her shoulder, slamming him into the ground behind her.

[sakaki]

Sakaki listened, but could not hear the conversation over the elements. It was all muffled, as if it were really far away, and the roar of the rain so close. The indistinguishable noise of something heavy hitting the ground was something that was not lost on her, though. It was initially another signal, and she was prepared when the man suddenly appeared around the corner.

It only took a second to register that it wasn't Jai-Lin. Her hand seals were quick, and even though the man had closed in closer to Sakaki, it would prove to be advantageous to her. Without time to amply dodge, the man would find his momentum to be his downfall, charging straight into the electrified net that burst from Sakaki's fingertips.

He screamed, not truly in agony, Sakaki would think, but in surprise, mixed with a painful call, as if one had scraped their knee. The technique was weak, and likely wouldn't have done much to a shinobi... But to a normal person, suddenly having lightning coursing through your veins would be a shock. The man would severely spasm as he fell, and would twitch when grounded.

The electricity wouldn't last for very long, however, so the man would be spared. Unfortunately for him, he was going to be out for several hours. Plenty of time to be transported to jail! Sakaki then looked up, looking around for Jai-Lin. Was she okay?

[ℐai-ℒin]

Having plowed through both of her enemies, Jai-Lin’s automatic worry was Sakaki. But the girl had handled herself; quite admirably. She used what seemed to be a Cloud Village jutsu; or maybe just Raiton. Either way, her assaulter was paralyzed on the ground. Sighing, she looked at the two men she left on the ground. They were damaged; and the one she had thrown seemed to be knocked out. It was very easy to do if you hit your head right. But the other man, well, he was slowly standing up. Couldn’t have that.

With a sharp, yet soft motion, her fist contacted the mans temple, knocking him out. It couldn’t be too hard; or she could give him damage to the brain. But, he proabley already had that.

She gave a big waving motion with one arm to her partner, Sakaki, to tell her everything was alright. Jai fixed at her clothes that had slightly gotten out of place, and tucked a piece of hair back into its lazy braid. Sliding her kunai back into its pocket, she padded up the hill. “Well. That wasn‘t as bad as I thought it would be!” She smiled cheerily. They were after all, just some thugs. It could have been bad if they were ninja. Although, if they were ninja, their intent would have been different.

She hand slid once again to her pouch, but it was no weapon she pulled out. A rectangular shaped object was what she drew out. Pressing a few buttons on the side of it, it beeped on. She extended the antenna.
Furrowing her brow at it, since she didn’t use it too often, she broadcasted a call.

“This is Harujuku, Jai-Lin…” She called in, explaining their location, and situation. She put it away. “So, they are going to be up here probably in ten or fifteen. We should stay here in the mean time.” Jai smiled to the girl, shrugging her shoulders. After a long pause, she drug all three of the men’s bodies against a Cliffside.

Stretching out her arms, she found a good tree to sit under while they waited. “Fifteen minutes will go pretty fast.” She smiled, Sitting under the dry tree.

[sakaki]

Sakaki looked up from the man she had knocked down, and found Jai-Lin watching her. She gave a little smile, telling Jai-Lin she was alright. Her face would become emotionless once again, however, as one of the men struggled to get up. Resisting that which was imminent wasn't that good of an idea... Jai-Lin spun around, and applied a restrained punch to the man's head, easily sending him back into darkness.

“Well. That wasn‘t as bad as I thought it would be!” Jai-Lin would say after waving to Sakaki, and adjusting her clothing. Sakaki had looked down at herself after Jai-Lin waved, kind of wishing that her clothing had gotten unaligned so she could fix it. But, that wasn't the case, and so she would just give a little frown, turning to the older girl as she came back up towards the younger.

Sakaki gave a small nod, but otherwise remained quiet as Jai-Lin fiddled with her bag for a moment. Then the girl withdrew a radio, which Sakaki approved of with a nod. It made sense to report the attack, and potentially get someone to come pick the men up. It would make Kumogakure more peaceful... if only a little.

“So, they are going to be up here probably in ten or fifteen. We should stay here in the mean time.” The smaller Kumo-nin's head would tilt, wondering why they needed to stay there. Sure, it meant the men wouldn't get away, but... They needed to deliver the goods, and it wasn't like the guys were going anywhere. Still, despite her questioning, Sakaki chose to say nothing, her curiosity not overriding her inherent nature of not speaking.

Sakaki watched, rather then help, the girl drag the men around and gather them into a pile. The small girl didn't have the strength to do much, anyways. She wouldn't have been able to lift any of the men, despite being a shinobi. She was still a little girl, no matter how you looked at it, and lacked raw physical strength. In that regard, she was a little bit jealous of Jai-Lin, who seemed so strong, and confident.

Joining her elder underneath the tree, Sakaki would gaze up at the clouded sky. It seemed a little dreary, honestly... drearier than usual, anyways. She kind of wanted to see the bright blue sky, with some of the poofy white clouds that made shapes in the sky. With a sigh, her head would drop. The waiting was getting boring... there was nothing interesting around them.

She eventually picked up a stick, and started poking it at the ground for no real reason. Even the first five minutes felt like ages to her...