On the hunt for Spot

"Medium Sized. Brown fur with a large white spot on the right rib cage." Mamoru said, reading the scroll, while walking through the village with another Genin. He had never really met the boy before, but they were both eyeing the same mission and figured doing it together would be more efficient since it's stated by the owner that Spot would be rather difficult to catch. "I guess we should go see Ms. Muramasa and start from-". Mamoru lifted his head from reading the scroll and had to maneuver around a pole by shifting the right side of his body, so that he was walking sides for a moment, to avoid slamming his head against it. He straightened his body as he continued down the path. 'Great first impression, clumsy ass." Mamoru thought as he blew out a breath. He turned his head to read the sign. "Oh. I think this her place' He said, stopping abruptly, as he briefly looked at the scroll to double check.

"Oh please tell me you're here for my spottykens!" A woman's shrill voice exclaimed as she ran through her door and down the path to meet them. Mamoru ran his fingers through his white hair, ensuring that it wasn't disheveled. The woman was tall and lanky. Mamoru stood six feet and she reached him at eye level, but with her hair styled as it was, she was taller than him. Her purple dress was so pristine. Mamoru almost had to shield his eyes as the sun gleamed off the ridiculous amount of jewelry she had on. "Yes. We're here to retrieve spot for you. My name is Kaguya Mamoru." He said politely and giving a brief bow

The midday sun cast long shadows across the village, and the air was thick with the scent of blooming flowers and freshly baked goods from nearby stalls. Ryu sauntered alongside Mamoru, his hands casually tucked into his pockets as he listened to the mission scroll's details. He nodded lazily at the description of Spot, the dog they were tasked with finding, agreeing in his own relaxed manner with Mamoru’s plan to start by visiting Ms. Muramasa. He wasn't much for doing missions, in fact he wasn't much for doing anything at all, but he knew that as a genin sometimes work was required. Ryu, being naturally laid-back, simply chuckled under his breath as Mamoru nearly collided with a pole, a small smirk playing on his lips. 'Well, at least this mission won't be boring,' Ryu thought not unkindly, he knew from experience that even the most competent ninja had their off moments.

When they reached Ms. Muramasa’s house, a quaint, yet grand abode nestled among a cluster of cherry blossom trees, Ryu barely glanced around, his attention wandering to the clear sky above. The petals fluttered down like pink snowflakes, creating a serene atmosphere that sharply contrasted with Ms. Muramasa's flamboyant presence. He heard the woman’s voice before he saw her and couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow at her dramatic entrance. Her sparkling dress and jewelry were almost too much for his eyes to handle in the bright sunlight. She swept out onto the porch, her arms laden with bangles that jingled with every movement, her eyes wide with worry.

Mamoru introduced himself, bowing politely. Ryu gave a half-hearted wave, not bothering with a formal bow. "I’m Uzumaki Ryu. We’ll find Spot for you,” he said, his tone indifferent. He lazily turned his gaze to Ms. Muramasa, noting the anxious fidgeting of her hands. “So, where did you last see the little guy? Any favorite spots we should check first?” Ryu asked, trying his best to hide his amusement at finding Spot in a spot. He figured getting as much information as possible would make the mission easier, but he wasn’t in any rush. He hoped Ms. Muramasa would give them something useful, and he hoped that Mamoru's serious demeanor would balance out his own lackadaisical approach. After all, Ryu believed every team needed a mix of personalities to succeed.

Ms. Muramasa’s eyes widened, and she clasped her hands together. “Oh, thank you! Spottykens was last seen near the market. He loves to play around the stalls, especially near the butcher’s shop. But he also has a knack for wandering off to the old park on the edge of the village.” Ryu nodded, committing the locations to memory as he glanced to Mamoru. “Alright, sounds like we have our plan. Market first, then the park. Shouldn’t be too hard,” he said, stretching his arms above his head before casually dropping them back into his pockets. “Let’s get going.” Ryu would add casually as he began moving towards the market, unless Mamoru had other questions for Ms. Muramasa.

As they walked away from Ms. Muramasa’s house, Ryu kept his pace unhurried, his eyes scanning the surroundings with a practiced ease. “So, Mamoru, what made you pick this mission? Just felt like dog chasing today?” he asked, a hint of teasing in his voice. He enjoyed these small talk moments, even if he didn’t always show it. It helped him gauge his teammate’s personality and strengths. 'This might turn out to be a fun mission after all,' Ryu thought, his smirk returning as they headed towards the bustling market, ready to begin their search.

Instead of standing around doing nothing, while Ryu and Ms. Muramasa engaged in conversation, and had things under control on that end, Mamoru decided to turn his attention to the environment. His eyes slowly darted around, thoroughly scanning their surroundings. Wooden raised gardens lined the edge of her property with lilies, dandelions, tulips, and other flowers set beautifully in the soil. Looking at her home, from where they stood, the flowers really did compliment the Cherry Blossom Trees.
Mamoru heard Ryu announce that they should head out, but something caught his attention. The young Kaguya moved along the raised garden and examined the unusual gap in between the flowers. The soil was evenly level though the whole flower bed, except where the gap was. There was a long deep impression in the soil, like something tore through the garden.
Running his fingers through the soil, picked up a small clump, and it was mush when he squeezed. She really needed to check the drainage of her garden. But this also meant the muddy soil clung to Spot and there were tracks. Mamoru stooped down and carefully parted the Cherry Blossoms that covered the ground, to reveal paw marks. "Looks like we have a faint trail, Ryu." He said still parting the Cherry Blossoms and following the paw marks that were becoming barely visible muddy scratches, until the trail vanished.
Mamoru let out a sigh. At least they had a direction, which was towards the market. He responded to Ryu, still searching for more telltale signs of Spot's direction. "I just have a soft spot for animals. Sure he could be just being a dog. Running around. Exploring. Playing. And eventually he'll make his way home. But Ms. Muramasa seemed worried, so I figure we please both of them." He looked at Ryu with a grin. "I hope you're up for a some intense running." Mamoru stood and tapped his chin. "I have a plan, but first we need some meat or something. Instead of us chasing him, we get him to chase us back into his home. Unless you have any suggestions, that is" It wasn't the best plan, but he was certainly listening for any other ideas Ryu had

Ryu observed the way Mamoru found and analyzed the paw prints demonstrated a level of diligence Ryu typically found tedious but nonetheless respected. “Nice catch,” he said, giving a nod of approval as Mamoru pointed out the faint trail leading towards the market. Ryu listened to Mamoru’s explanation about his fondness for animals, a genuine smile creeping onto his face. “I get it. Everyone’s got their soft spots,” he replied. “And yeah, Ms. Muramasa does seem pretty worried. We’ll make sure Spot gets home safe.”

As Mamoru outlined his plan involving luring Spot with meat, Ryu scratched his head thoughtfully. “That’s actually a pretty solid idea,” he admitted. “I was just thinking of using some basic tracking and maybe a bit of ninjutsu to corner him, but your approach sounds more... cooperative and probably less messy.” He chuckled, appreciating the thoughtfulness behind the plan. “Alright, let’s get some meat from the market then. Shouldn’t be too hard to find something that’ll tempt him.” The two Genin walked towards the market, the village buzzing with activity around them.

Stalls filled with various goods lined the streets, the air filled with the shouts of vendors and the delicious smells of food being cooked. Ryu’s gaze wandered, scanning for a butcher’s shop. “There,” he said, pointing towards a stall with hanging cuts of meat. “I'll grab a few pieces. I’m sure Spot won’t be able to resist.” After purchasing the meat, he made his way back towards Mamoru and the trail of paw prints. “Alright, let’s see if we can lure him out,” he said, eyes scanning the ground for more tracks.

“You know, Mamoru, we make a pretty good team,” he remarked as they walked. “Your attention to detail and my... well, let’s just say I bring a certain charm to the table,” he said with a grin, his tone light and teasing. Their search led them to the outskirts of the market, where the tracks began to fade. Ryu handed Mamoru some meat before dangling some out in front of him, hoping the scent would draw Spot out. “Here, Spot,” he called, adding a whistle in hopes of getting the dog's attention. “Come on, boy. We’ve got something tasty for you.” He glanced at Mamoru, ready to follow his lead.

"It seems i have too many soft spots to count. Everyone says I'm just a big ole' softy" Mamoru responded with a fake chuckle, that he hoped sounded real. Honestly, that just reopened a scar. It was his brother who always said he was too soft. Despite the brief moment of emotion damage he caused himself, the company on this mission was nice. He wasn't sure if he would have even found the tracks if it wasn't for Ryu giving him the opportunity to thoroughly examine the yard. After speaking with Ms.Muramasa, he probably would have felt even more of a need to find Spot that he would have just hurried off, blindly searching for the dog, without any plans. For that, he was very grateful.
They traveled down the path towards the market, rows of homes on either side of them shifting to various shops, and the flow of traffic increasing. He went from being able to just watch the road for more tracks or signs of Spot's path, to having to also watch other people. Running into a pole would have been fine. It would hurt a little bit, but running into a person, better yet the wrong person, was a confrontation he wanted to avoid right now.
He listened to Ryu's plan as well. "Your plan is also a good alternative. Since I'm lacking in the ninjutsu field" He admitted. Embarrassingly. All really he had was his physical prowess. "I could run the point. Let Spot chase me. Since dogs don't have the best attention spans, if he happens to lose interest in me and something else catches his attention, you could step in, maybe use Ninjutsu, and get him to chase you with your pieces of meat." He paused for a moment in case Ryu had anymore to add, before he continued. "We could keep shifting if he loses interest until we get to his home." He further explained that they searched for a shop to buy some meat.
Once Ryu returned with the meat, Mamoru casually walked alongside Ryu. The shape of the tracks was now memorized in his mind and spotting them took less focus. So even when they would suddenly vanish, the two genin would continue in the direction they were headed and eventually, there would be more evidence of Spot. This dog apparently loved mud. Spotting Spot's spot (Ha) would be somewhat difficult if he was as muddy as Mamoru imagined.
After a few minutes of them just wandering the streets of Kiri in silence, Ryu's sudden words shook him from his own little world, so to speak. "Yeah. Thanks, man. I'd have to agree." The young kaguya responded. "I'd have to say, though. Along with that charm, I'd say you bring more smarts, than I do, to this metaphorical table. I see a lot of potential in you, is all." He said trying to be as encouraging as possible, even breaking his own character and making direct eye contact, to let Ryu know he was being sincere and honest. Mamoru had a genuine smile on his face, after hearing that.
Once Ryu finished speaking and started calling out for Spot, Mamoru joined in. Cupping his hands around his mouth to make his deep voice slightly louder. He couldn't really whistle, so after a few failed attempts, he let Ryu handle that task. Mamoru abruptly stopped as he heard rustling from a pile of nearby garbage cans. He could really see what was causing all the ruckus, so he spoke up. "Spot? Is that you boy?" After a moment the noise of the trash cans ceased and a canine head sprang up from the pile of trash, his long pink tongue dangling from the side of his mouth as he panted excitedly. His tail followed, wagging ferociously from side to side. "Well, I'd bet all my earnings on a roasted pig we found Spot. Get ready." Mamoru said, watching the dog's excitement increase hearing his name, adding in excited barks. He retrieved the bag, containing his portion of the meat, out of his pocket and ready to bolt once Spot smelled the savory meat and ran for them.

Mamoru's comment about being a "big ole' softy" made Ryu chuckle slightly, though afterwards he sensed a hint of underlying emotion. He let it pass without mentioning it, doing his best to respect Mamoru's space. He appreciated his teammate's attention to detail and quick thinking, especially in suggesting taking point to draw Spot in as that meant less work on his side. "Sounds like a plan," Ryu replied nonchalantly. "I'll handle the ninjutsu part if needed, but your idea of playing tag with Spot sounds like it could work."

Mamoru's mention of seeing potential in him, Ryu couldn't help but feel a sense of pride and warmth. "Thanks, Mamoru. But don't sell yourself short, you got plenty of smarts. You found the paw prints, you came up with a good plan, your plenty smart." Ryu said, returning the sincere smile. When Mamoru pointed out the rustling noise near the garbage cans, Ryu sighed in relief, holding up his piece of meat. As Spot's head emerged from the trash, a grin would spread across Ryu's face, happy that they had been able to find him so easily. "Well, there he is," he muttered.

"Alright, let's get this done." He let Mamoru take point as agreed though he would also dangled his meat enticingly, taking a few steps forward to help keep the dogs attention on them. Spot's ears perked up, and he barked excitedly, inching closer as he smelled the air. When Ryu saw Spot move, he made a slight effort to back away, waving the meat in front of him. "Alright, Mamoru, time to move," he said, letting Spot catch a whiff of the meat before starting to jog away. Spot bolted towards them, and Ryu picked up his pace just enough to keep the dog interested but not frustrated.

"Come on, boy, keep up," he called, though his tone remained indifferent. As they neared a more open area, Ryu slowed down slipping the piece of meat that he held in his bag, before Mamoru took the lead with his own piece of meat. Spot, with his tail wagging furiously and eyes locked on the meat, followed Mamoru eagerly. However, before they made it back to the residential area of the village the sound of cats fighting would draw not only Ryu's attention towards the sound but would cause Spot to suddenly veered off course, distracted by a stray cats darting across the street. "Hey, wait!" Ryu called out, frustration creeping into his voice.

He watched as Spot chased the cats down an alley, no longer interested in the pieces of meat. "Guess we're not done yet," he called out to Mamoru. Ryu broke into a run, chasing after Spot. "Mamoru, we're going to have to corner him! I'll follow him, you head down the other road and try to cut him off before he gets to the other end of the alley!" he shouted as he sprinted after the dog, who was now thoroughly engrossed in a game of cat and mouse with the stray. As he closed in on the alley, Ryu saw Spot sniffing around, the cat long gone. He dangled his piece of meat again, trying to recapture the dog's attention.

"Here, Spot. Forget the stupid cat, come on," he said, waving the piece of meat in front of him. Spot turned back towards him, but instead of coming quietly, he seemed to think it was another game and darted away from Ryu, heading toward the busy street at the other end of the alley. "Oh, come on," Ryu groaned, running after him. "This dog has too much energy." Ryu's patience wearing thin. "Mamoru he's headed your way, try to cut him off!" he called out, hoping his teammate could hear him and could intercept the stubborn dog. There were too many people around right now for him to use any jutsu, without risking hurting someone or the dog itself.

"Shit" Mamoru cursed to himself as Spot veered off and got distracted by some cats. He knew it was bound to happen, but not so soon. Once they reached the alley-way, Mamoru halted as Ryu made his suggestion that he cut Spot off. "Roger! Great call, Ryu!" He said, darting off in the other direction.
Mamoru made it to the end of the alley-way, as Ryu called out to him. He watched and waited for Spot to get closer. He held the slab of meat pinched between two fingers, dangling it from side to side. "Come on, Spottykuns" Mamoru said, mimicking Ms Muramasa's voice, as he sprinted forward, but not too fast. Spot let out an excited barks, picking up his pace, until his snout was inches away from the meat. He was able to lean his head forward and lick the meat. But of course Mamoru wouldn't allow the dog to snatch the meat from his grasp. He picked up speed and the chase was on.
Occasionally looking behind him, Mamoru ensured that Spot was still chasing him and Ryu was nearby to intercept. So far they had cleared the busy streets of the Market District Should be smooth sailing from here, Ryu!" Mamoru called out, between breaths, to his partner from over his shoulder. But naturally, he spoke too soon.

Mamoru slammed his feet into the dirt road, kicking up a plume of dust, as he slid to a halt, narrowly avoiding a cart of cabbages that had pulled out in front of him, from a shed off to his left. But he didn't completely stop. He nimbly spun his body, so he would go around the back of the cart. He looked behind him and Spot managed to keep up. It seemed he got a taste of the meat and really wanted it now.
They reached Ms Muramasa's house and Mamoru cut the corner into the flowery archway that led to her house. They both made to the front door and stopped, both panting heavily. "Sit. Mamoru said in a somewhat demanding tone, but not harsh. Spot sat and waited for his prize, so Mamoru handed him the meat
As soon as Spot had the meat between his fangs, instead of laying down, enjoying his well deserved prize, he bolted away, wanting the game of chase to continue
" Damnit. You were right, Ryu! This dog does have a lot of energy" Mamoru said still fighting to catch his breath

Ryu watched as Mamoru took the lead, his heart pounding from the chase. Spot was a handful, and they were both feeling the strain of keeping up with the energetic dog. He followed closely, trying to keep the dog within sight while ensuring Mamoru had the space to lure Spot back home. When Mamoru managed to redirect Spot towards Ms. Muramasa's house, Ryu felt a surge of relief. It seemed like they might actually pull this off. "Good job, Mamoru!" he called, still keeping pace. Just as they were nearing the end of their mission, Ryu saw Mamoru narrowly avoid a cart of cabbages. He cringed, fearing they might lose Spot again, but Mamoru's agility saved the day.

He caught a glimpse of the dog chasing after Mamoru, more determined than ever after tasting the meat. They finally reached Ms. Muramasa's house, and Ryu slowed down, watching as Mamoru commanded Spot to sit. He held his breath, hoping the dog would comply. To his surprise and relief, Spot obeyed, and Mamoru rewarded him with the meat. For a brief moment, everything seemed under control. But as soon as Spot had the meat, he bolted again, clearly enjoying the chase more than the reward. Ryu groaned in frustration. "Seriously, Spot?" He turned to Mamoru, who was still panting heavily. "Yeah, this dog has way more energy than I thought."

Quickly forming hand seals, Ryu would create a water whip around his arm. Launching forward with the whip and managing to grip the dog's collar with it without hurting the dog, pulling taunt on the whip to keep the dog from running away again. Ryu would throw his piece of meat towards Ms. Muramasa's front porch to direct spot in that direction. Keeping the water whip on the collar until Ms. Muramasa opened the door and let the dog inside, "I think you need to keep him on a tighter leash ma'am." Ryu proclaimed as he doubled over on his knees to catch his own breath. Looking up to Mamoru, Ryu would give a weak thumbs up to the man, "we did it."

"Oh! My Spottykuns! Thank you, Ryu and Mamoru for bringing my beloved baby back" She exclaimed with too much excitement, grabbing Spot once Ryu returned him, the water whip dissolving into a long puddle at her feet. But she didn't care that her heels were now soaked. She hugged Spot and carried him inside.

"Yeah. That dog definitely had way too much energy. Hopefully he doesn't get out anytime soon" Mamoru said as he looked solemnly at the door, listening to Spot bark and scratch at it. "We really did make a great team. Maybe we should tackle some more missions together. Or let me know if you're ever up for some training." Mamoru said, returning the thumbs up as they both walked out of Ms. Muramasa's yard, to turn in the completed mission

Exit Thread

Ryu nodded, feeling a sense of camaraderie. "Sounds good, Mamoru. Let's keep an eye out for more missions. And some training together sounds like a great idea. We can definitely improve our teamwork even more." With that, they headed off, ready to report their success, the sun was beginning to set, casting a warm golden glow over the landscape. The air was filled with the sounds of nature winding down for the evening, the rustle of leaves, and the distant call of a bird heading home. After reporting the mission completion, Ryu would head home for some much needed rest.

Exit Thread

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Mission Completed