nightwalker.

[Ronno]

Rot grubs near the base of a rock tor; fat from moss, jaundiced in the sun, salty. I moved. Headed North once out of the village and avoided the borders of Shimo no Kuni to the southwest. Plague-towns and shanty-house ruins blurred into a black smear while I chewed. I conversed briefly with the chattering cetacean intelligences worked into the thin liquid net lining the only hidden path to the coastline.

Monolith-crabs and thrall fish crept along a corpse and scavenged hair and maggots while I looked down calmly. The smell was overpowering; however, I wasn’t bothered. I reached the water. Nose crinkled. Lungs greedy to be beneath the flat of horizon garishly obscuring the other world I belonged to. Under the surface a vibration shook my membrane like old bones in winter. Someone was nearby. Were they friend or foe? Only time and my curiosity would tell.

I walked, or swam, or rode currents of warm water and air that pushed me forward; the clumsy hands of volcanic vents moving my inexorably to a new place. I had foregone the relative comfort of the village for a moment, just a moment, because I had a responsibility. I had to send a message. I headed slowly but surely northwest. Back to my village I went.

I landed upon the shores of Kaminari no Kuni where I would meet up with a rendezvous. I was told previously that it would be two shinobi in ANBU garb to escort me back. Day slowly crept into night as I sat on upon the shore waiting for my comrades to guide me safely.

[Jun]

Enter.

I stayed quiet throughout my expedition back, lips tightly pursed and a frown painted on my brow over of the latest turmoil. I swear that I'd kicked rocks along the way to cope with the frustrations. Kou had done it again and tried to put Tarou and himself in their own little group. Of course that left me with no choice but to journey back to Kaminari alone. I always hated how he'd go out of his way to leave me out of things, but as I took another meaningful breath I was reminded that I was home and took comfort in that. My footsteps made rhythm uphill along an ordinary dirt path. Rich evergreen grew up along either side of me - it buzzed with insects and birds and squirrels. Life in general is what I felt as a savvy sensor traveling along the countryside as one of its guardians. I was a Chuunin now so I guessed that meant my home estate trusted me more now? It was interesting to think, I only wished Goldie was still around to notice how much I'd progressed since then. My musings soon ended and I went back to keeping tabs on my surroundings - I'd never really let myself get careless ever since Eiichiro was murdered. A hilt-less tanto rested freely on my spine like it always had, ready to cut flesh at a moments notice. I was back in familiar territory nonetheless, so under normal circumstances it probably wasn't so serious that I needed to be super alert - even while solo at that. So when I observed the crows pass by overhead in silence I was at least happy to have Kou and Tarou's cigarette smoke out of my face.

There was a river alongside me that I walked along to keep me on the right track. I knew it well, as a matter of fact, as this wasn't there first time it and I had shared in a migration. It was a good ways lower down the cliff-side which gave me a good view of how energetic and splendid she was. Higher up I spotted a duo of shinobi making their way down a different path. It appeared that I had come to something of a fork in the road. Quickly I raised my hand and waved for their attention. Their senses must have been on par with my own, for they caught on even faster and allowed me to catch up to them. They were anbu, as I found out soon after, not far from their rendezvous point. It really wasn't my business but I was inclined to join, only for the experience and company of traveling with members of crow, really. Either way they began to move downhill again without me and as they did I cast a whimsical glance in their direction, then a stale look toward the way home. Could this have been a meeting of fate I was about to let pass me by? Those masked shinobi sure did seem super powerful. Up in the craggy mountains of Kaminari I let the Raikage's dogs go ahead of me - surely I could follow up behind them without being noticed?  I didn't know if they preferred me to stay out of their business or not but being sister to a weasel I couldn't help but want to know who two anbu guards were going to pick up. Plus, being a sensor only made things easier. Enough time passed and afterward I'd no longer hear their feet tap almost in cadence along the padded earth - that was when I resolved to act.  I pretended I was going my own way, formed a single handseal, and then. . .

Then I started operation eavesdrop.