PSL | test drive | sunshineverse

[snowchild]

[ It's been just days since the destruction of the nameless Mt. Odori settlement Konayuki called home, but already the scene has been coated in feet of heavy snow that obscure the splintered walls, scattered possessions and numerous graves. The only tracks are hers, her fur boots leaving light, paw-like imprints in the fresh snow from various bundles of flowers away towards a sheltered bluff away from the village proper.

Sure would suck for anyone who needed information from the Itezora clan, really. ]

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[snowchild]

[ In record time, he had a plate set in front of him piled high with haphazardly-arranged meats and slices of roots, with one entire salted fish buried somewhere in the pile and recognisable only by the tail poking out from under a radish, and she was setting a large bucket of snow to melt by the fire. Hospitality thus provided, she sat down across from him, and apparently settled in to watch him eat. ]

Where did you come from? I've never heard of a land-dweller reaching our mountain before.

[scarecrowboy]

[ Well, that sure was a feast the likes of which he hadn't been expecting... but then she had said that this cave had been used for storage-- He wondered just how much of said stores was currently sitting before him. ]

Thank you.

[ He bowed his head shortly, before picking at the top-most section of the pile. ]

I'm a shinobi from the Land of Fire. I'm on a mission to locate someone who got a little lost out here when I stumbled on you.

[snowchild]

[ A fair amount, but then she wasn't a large fan of vegetables or fish, and could always catch more animals. She's ten and what is long-term survival planning. ]

Lost? Hmm, since everyone else went away, it's just me left on the mountain... Ah, and Uncle Kakashi, of course.

[scarecrowboy]

[ Luckily for her, fish was always something he'd be happy eating - especially when it was dried and salted like the one in the pile seemed to be. Without the much of a leading movement, there appeared to be a little dent in the tip of the pile and when he spoke his cheeks were rounded. ]

Of course-

[ He swallowed and wiped at his mouth, apparently ignoring the fact that there was fabric there. ]

That's alright, I'm sure someone will find them eventually.

[snowchild]

[ She blinked as the first bites disappeared from the plate, and leaned forward with a delighted gasp at the second. All of a sudden, he had created a new game. She only remembered to answer after she'd failed to catch the movement three more times. ]

That's right! There are only a few ways down from the peak, after all.

[scarecrowboy]

Mm, and I'm not the only one searching. So we're bound to win the game sooner or later.

[ Oh yes, he didn't miss the fact that she was obviously very into games, and a playful twinkle shone in his one open eye as he performed the same trick again and a few more vegetables disappeared behind his mask. ]

[snowchild]

[ Hooray! She wanted to run out and tell everyone that that guy would be found, but would that mean he'd leave while she was out? Better not to chance it.

But then he did the Thing again, and she was hooked back. With an air of great anticipation, she filled a cup of water for him from the bucket, and held it out eagerly. ]

That's great!

[scarecrowboy]

[ He nodded, took the water, and in return he offered her a little of the morsel he had in his hand. Share and share alike. ]

[snowchild]

[ And so the game continued, with a chirped thanks.

An hour or so later, and with her visitor well-fed and dozing, Kona manhandled him into the hammock a safe - but warm - distance from the fire, and slipped away with some of the leftovers to give the news to the others. ]

[scarecrowboy]

[ Apparently the travel had worn him out. Well, making a journey like the one from Fire to Ice in five days was an impressive feat, and to have done it without even the slightest batting of an eye was even more so.

He woke a while later, cracking his eye open into the room and immediately sensing his surroundings for any traces of life... When he found none, for a change he was actually surprised. ]

... Konayuki?

[ Shocked as he was that he'd let himself fall asleep in the company of a stranger - no matter how small and seemingly harmless she might have been - he was concerned about his host, and finding her absent put an extra beat to his pulse.

He exited the cave once he'd wrapped himself in his cape once more, and squinted through the dimming but still rather vicious winds in search of any sign of his tiny ward. ]

Konayuki!

[snowchild]

[ The place she'd headed towards wasn't particularly far; a cairn of stones near where the gates had stood, and her excited chatter was caught this way and that by the wind, racing to tell them everything before she returned. ]

Everyone, I'll definitely help him find that person, and... and then you'll know I'm safe. Right? After that- Ah! When the summer comes, I'll catch plenty of fish, and find all the berries I can, just like you showed me. So you don't have to worry at all.

[scarecrowboy]

[ He sprang into the cold without a second thought, sharingan blinking through the flurry his feet made as he trekked across the softened snow.
... When he found her, however, his footing stilled, and he remained stationary at a respectful distance. His unshielded eye caught every word over the wind from the movement of her lips-- and even though he'd guessed as much, he was still disheartened to find his assumptions were true.

It was reminiscent of the way he'd talked to his father, to his team, to all those he'd lost in recent years, and.... he was hardly surprised to find it hurt.

He stayed silent as she spoke, and remained so even after she was finished. ]

[snowchild]

I'll come again soon, okay?

[ She tucked the last few flowers and a plate of jerky amongst the foundation stones, and seemed to take a moment before marshalling herself, spinning around, and--

WHEN DID HE GET HERE. ]

Ah, uncle! I thought you were asleep..!

[scarecrowboy]

[ He tilted his head to the side, his mask pulling about his cheeks as obvious evidence for the smile he hid underneath. He raised a hand to try and help hide his amusement. ]

I was, and now I'm not.

[ His eyes - both of them - scanned the little shrine tucked into the snow, and he carefully padded closer. ]

Do you mind introducing me?

[snowchild]

[ Of course he'll want to meet everyone, so she just nodded and turned back to address the grave again. ]

Uncle-- no, Hatake Kakashi, this is the Itezora clan. Everyone, this is Uncle Kakashi, who I just told you about. He eats really fast, and smiles a lot, and climbed aaaall the way here on his own!

[ That last bit had an even wider gesture than usual, because it was just that impressive. Thus done with introductions, she looked expectantly at Kakashi. ] Um, they're listening. Would you like to say something to them?

[scarecrowboy]

[ He was thankful for the hand over his mouth, as it was difficult to keep his smile down to the muted little twitch of lips it usually was. He wasn't sure what it was about this little ray of sunshine, but her smile was definitely an infectious one. ]

Oh, I... uh. Yo~

[ Well, that was awkward. He cleared his throat, trying to salvage the situation before it set in. ]

You have a great little one here - she's got a lot of promise. You don't need to worry about her at all.

[snowchild]

[ Congratulations to Kakashi; he had just successfully flustered the ten-year-old. She'd never heard praise like that, especially not to her close family. ]

Ah, not at all... Thank you for saying so! I'm sure they're very reassured- right?

[ Obvious silence followed, but she didn't seem to mind. Almost shyly, she held up a hand. ] Let's go back, okay?

[scarecrowboy]

[ He had to reach down a little but he barely registered the effort as he took her small hand in one of his, a gentle and warm smile on his face. ]

Good idea.

[snowchild]

[ If she bounced a little more than before as she led him back into the warmth of the cave, well. It was to be expected. Still, she was quieter, too, as she fussed around fetching more water and poking more fuel into the hearth. ]

Um! If you want, you can stay here while you look for that person.

[scarecrowboy]

[ He looked up from where he was checking through his pack, a quietly reserved look on his face as he tucked the excess fabric of his hitai-ate back over his scarred eye. ]

That's very generous. Are you sure?

[snowchild]

Yes! [ She had never been so sure of anything in her life. In fact, to prove her surety, she hopped back up and went to look for another hammock. ]

You don't have to worry, I'll hunt lots and lots.

[scarecrowboy]

Thank you.

[ The twitch of his mask in a smile followed his words, and he paused for a moment on the precipice of re-fastening his pack. Somehow he didn't much like the idea of such a small thing out in the snow alone with a missing-nin still potentially floating around the area. ]

Maybe we could hunt together? I'll need to get a good eye of the land to start tracking again anyway, so I could really use some of your expertise. You know this place much better than I do, after all.

[snowchild]

Of course! As someone born on this mountain, it's a part of me, so I'll show you everywhere!

[ Excuse for a moment, she's just going to hammer these hammock pegs into the cave wall. ]

[scarecrowboy]

[ Aw, look at her, hammering splints into the rock face like it's no big deal, isn't that cute? ... Wait.

He did a double take; squinting at her actions with close scrutiny. There had to be some kind of trick to it, right? Some strange way that Kakashi could be mistaking one or the two materials, making the art of hammering one into the other a simple task that even a child could perform.... Surely.... ]

[snowchild]

[ Surely- but no, too late, she was quickly done, moving on briskly to lashing the hide in place and finding an appropriately decorated blanket. ]

All done! The blizzard will get lighter again soon, so we can go out and look.