Diplomatic Discussions [Trav]

[Nira]

Moved

[Inoryu]

{Exit}

[F U T A K O N G O]

Wet to Dry Inoryu had made his way back into the heart of Ame no Kuni while Anais turned heel and headed further out into the countryside. He had his job to do and she had hers. While moving briskly through the landscape, the horrible weather that accompanied Ame no Kuni continued to worsen as Anais moved forward, trekking through the muddy grass and along the dirt trail. Her hair, despite being tied back into a pony tail was sticking to the back of her neck and covering a good portion of her sister’s head. Although Adelle had her hair down, she was virtually dry due to being hidden against her sister and the trench coat she wore. The shield did prove useful as well. Anais reached over her shoulder and unhooked the umbrella before opening it. “Why didn’t you think of that beforehand, Anais?” A playful note danced along Adelle’s tone as she asked the question. Anais frowned and rolled her eyes. “Shut up.” She muttered as the dirty ground suddenly began to change. The rain was dying away, yet Anais still held the umbrella over her head. She was expecting Kaze no Kuni to be blistering hot and extremely dry, the last thing she wanted was to be boiling in the sand. //Move to Kaze no Kuni please.

[Inoryu]

    Three weeks have passed, but unfortunately there was no valuable Intel to be gained at the Amegakure Embassy. He would have to return to Anais with his tail between his legs. Someday I'll get a break. And he was starting to miss the snow. He had his hood up, and the raindrops rolled off of his hooded robe. He was kept dry for the most part.
    "Hey Anais," he began, "I had a wonderful idea with the snow while I was incognito. If you mix orange juice with the snow, you get a very delectable treat. I want to call it a flurry. I haven't tried it yet..." He went on to say, "You know, when I retire out of the shinobi business. I might try and start up a chain of restaurants that sell flurries and drinks. What do you think?" He adressed both Anais and Adelle, but he remembered clearly not to mention Adelle.
  

[F U T A K O N G O]

Incompetence The umbrella provided enough shade to cover Anais’s entire body. Adelle was resting quietly within the trench coat and was listening attentively as her sister walked along the path leading toward Kaze no Kuni. But at the sound of footsteps, Adelle’s head would pop up from its hidden spot in the coat and notice a figure approaching. She already knew who it was from the sound of his voice. Then as quickly as she had surfaced, she was gone again. Anais turned her head slightly and performed a half turn as Inoryu approached, speaking about snow and orange juice. Why on earth would she care about snow and orange juice? With a brief raise of the eyebrow, Anais turned back around and continued walking as if Inoryu had not spoken. The thought in her mind being Fucking stupid. “So what’s the news on Amegakure?” She then asked after a long pause. The wind had picked up some and was casting a warm breeze against the innards of the coat. The sensation toyed with the hairs on Anais’s skin and ruffled her hair and beneath the coat, causing it to ripple outward like that of a cloak. The sun was attempting to fight its way through the steel coloured clouds, but to no avail. But soon enough it will happen. Inoryu

[Inoryu]

    Inoryu shook his head at Anais's inquiry. He had been on an extended tour, but even with the added time, the mission bore no valuable Intel. He had watched the Amegakure Embassy relentlessly but hadn't found a single person of interest.
    Inoryu was feeling disappointed in himself but had he the right opportunity, he was sure he would've shined. Espionage is duly his expertise, but sometimes the spy must yield to the luck of the draw. Though he doesn't consider his failure a loss, what he truly feels is rotten luck.
    "I'm sorry, I do not have any valuable Intel to share at the moment, Kusakage," he bowed slightly with his eyes lowered and glimpsed Adelle hiding underneath the trench coat. He didn't mention her presence as he was taught.
    The wind had picked up, and the end of his robe was risen and riding along the invisible force. The rain spattered against the hood on top of his head and he was perfectly numb to the chill and comfortable with himself: the winter in Ame no Kuni has thickened his skin to cold temperatures. He felt that he could match Anais who was wearing little to no clothing as if it were to dare mother nature and instigate the forces.
    Though he returned without valuable Intel, he hadn't wasted his time. He had trained everyday and honed his skill as a shinobi: braving the elements away from home, training and sharpening his skill with genjutsu, and learning how to survive in another country with virtually no budget. Sure the mission could be considered a failure or unlucky, but Inoryu was more powerful than he was 100 fold and would be able to protect Anais and Adelle like never before.

[F U T A K O N G O]

Square One So Inoryu had found nothing of interest to report. And it was indeed a week-long mission. Anais turned around to face him, her gaze bordering on hostile. “Nothing at all?” She asked through clenched teeth. Inoryu stated that he specialised in espionage, and yet turned up emptyhanded. How was this looking for him? Not good, not good at all. “Oh relax, Anais. He did his best, besides Ame no Kuni wasn’t all that busy when we were there anyway, so I’m honestly not surprised.” Adelle’s soft spoken voice was slightly muffled by the coat, yet was audible for both Inoryu and Anais’s ears. “Fine, let’s just hurry up and see the Kazekage. Hopefully this won’t be a disappointment..” Anais muttered, crossing her arms across her small chest. As the pair walked through the landscape, Adelle remained frightfully quiet while Anais continued to search for any signs of change. But after a while, Anais turned her head slightly to the side so she could case upon Inoryu. “What do you think about Amegakure being allies with Kusagakure? I want your honest opinion. Think about Sunagakure and Otogakure as well.” She then asked, mainly to start up a conversation. Hiking in silence was both awkward and painfully boring. Move to Kaze no Kuni please Inoryu

[Inoryu]

    Inoryu shuttered at Anais's response, but thankfully it seemed that Adelle had calmed both Anais and Inoryu down. They hiked in silence until Anais brought up the topic of political standings. She asked Inoryu's opinion about Amegakure and what he thought about Sunagakure and Otogakure as well. 
    The shinobi calculated what he knew about the political standings like a mathematical equation, and he was sure he was up-to-date on the information. He broke the silence and gave them his opinion as simply as he could, "I believe that an alliance with Amegakure would be in our best interest since they are an intermediary between the Grass and the Leaf. If we can the Rain to our side, the Leaf would lose power while we gain power. And I believe that is a crucial move considering that the Leaf has the greatest military strength of all the five great nations. It would surely tip the power balance in our favor, and I believe gaining an alliance with the Rain should be our top priority. As for Sunagakure and Otogakure; it seems that their alliance is already a sure thing. Their alliances would add more security for our village." 

F U T A K O N G O
    

[Christoff]

*Misdirected to Land of Stone*

As the two hiked overland the clouds thinned and the sun returned. The Kusakage and her loyal shinobi would note that instead of the hills giving way to the desert of Kaze no Kuni they seemed to only grow taller before giving way to mountains. After reaching the summit of one of the highest peaks the two would be able to see far off in the distance the vast expanse of the desert. Clearly they had become turned around at some point. Between them and the desert were a tangle of ravines and foothills. Would the pair be able to navigate their way through them to the desert beyond?