The Cat’s in the Cradle
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There was a good reason the reporter had initially warned them that the challenge was specifically aimed towards those whom could handle themselves. What that reason was, Konan wasn’t entirely too certain; but if children and others not quite as strong had been advised to stay out of the contest…it couldn’t be anything good.
Though on the other hand, they had been promised a reward that would be worthwhile to the winner. But what about everyone else? Surely there had to be more to this little event than a bribe for something that belonged to them being restored. Time would tell, and Konan was apprehensive, yet also eager to find out what lay in store.
The blunette only nodded at Yoshino’s words, Pandora hadn’t invited them here for a vacation brunch and they hadn’t been given weapons and so many provisions if it were going to be a walk in the park. Not only did they have to worry about the dangers that lay ahead, it wouldn’t be unlikely if other participants tried to thwart their progress.
Silently thanking the Nara woman as she pushed in behind her, Konan gave her eyes a moment to adjust to the dimmer light of the temples hallways before progressing forward. Granted what Yoshino had mentioned about being off the field, Konan wouldn’t mind taking point if she so preferred; she was a soldier of sorts after all, accustomed to carrying out whichever order Leader-sama commanded of her. If Yoshino was an infiltrator, that meant she specialized in collecting intelligence on the enemy. “Your skills could serve us well in many ways, especially if we were to find anything here that could tell us more about our benevolent leader.”
But would Pandora really send them off to an island that held secrets about the city she ruled over?
It was something to mull over. Yoshino’s question pulled her briefly out of her thoughts as she paused to glance over at her partner. Had she known more about this place, had been given time to study the layout and poke around, navigating would have been no problem. And in areas where the temple was more shambled if the sky was visible, she would be able to make her way around a bit more easily using the stars if need be.
“I do not mind taking point if you wouldn’t mind being the navigator.”
“Here’s to hoping that’s true,” she said. She hadn’t been fully active since the third war, hadn’t been even field-active since Shikamaru was...3? Had she continued on that long? It seemed impossible but Konoha had needed bodies. “And if there is, we’ll find it,” she said a little grimly. “I never could abide an unfinished puzzle” she offered a tiny smile at that, “my father always said it would get me in trouble. Curiosity and cats.”
Never mind he always left off the part where satisfaction was worth it.
“Probably for the best,” Yoshino said a little ruefully, falling in a few steps behind Konan. “I used to be a sensor, and this is the first mission I’ll be running without that. Hearing’s better than every though,” which wasn’t the worst trade off.
It wasn’t easy to admit weaknesses, but there was nothing worse than a surprise liability, and it wasn’t like she was inept. She’d been juggling two geniuses, an entire clan and several deer which got very murderous every late summer at home, and here she’d brushed up on everything someone needed to know about the human body.
As she mused, she also studied their new environs. Instinct told her scaling the walls was out. She was willing to bet there was a nasty trick for anyone who tried that, but it was tempting given the disrepair left some mortar missing and plants were making themselves known. Hand and foot holds, or just evil temptation she couldn’t tell. Their feet probably would have echoed if they weren’t shinobi used to be quiet, but occasionally a bit of detritus was kicked and did the work for them.
It was...beautiful almost, in a dark and almost haunting way.
“This doesn’t seem her style,” Yoshino said, voice soft as they came to the first split in the path. “It’s so understated. She’s more the ‘blind you with light to hide the shadows’ sort.”
Though, she knew shadows weren’t all bad. Sometimes the light was the problem.
