Atop A Lofty Perch ~Open RP~

[Inuzuka Akira]

Another brilliant day with the sun shining and a gentle breeze sweeping over the village. Akira had a perfect view of the whole place as he headed to the top of Hokage Rock, Shiromaru, his ninken pulling up alongside him with a joyful bark. Finally the pair were allowed out together, no longer forced to be watched over by Aomaru now that the young Shiba was old enough to put up a fight alongside Akira should the situation call for it.

"Hey, come on, Shiro!" Akira called to the young Shiba as he merrily skipped to the park area atop the mountain. Shiromaru galloped to the top but face-planted into the back of Akira's legs after the boy had come to an abrupt stop. He let out an annoyed grunt, but went back to wagging his tail in no time, mesmerised by the view of the village in front of him.

"See, I told ya it was amazing up here!" The young shinobi mused to his partner who yipped in excitement, giving his master's leg an affectionate nuzzle, "should be meeting someone here today, buddy. You'll really like him, I promise!"

 

[Tatsuo]

Tatsuo ran up the stairs of the cliff, as he looked up he noticed Akira and a new dog! Did he finally get a puppy of his own? His thoughts racing as fast as his legs as he made his way up the tall mountain. When he finally reached the top he would wave to both Akira and the new puppy. "Hey! Akira!" he would make his way towards them, before bending down and begin breathing he had ran the whole way here and he had to catch his breath.

"Wh-w-" between labored breaths he was finally able to spurt out. "What's your name, little guy?" obviously directed at the dog.

 

[Inuzuka Akira]

Akira looked slightly startled as Tatuso came charging up the side of the cliff to greet them. Out of breath and hunched over, he wondered what was so important to warrant all the rushing about.

"Hey, Tatsuo! Did you run all the way up here to see us?" the student asked curiously, giving a slight head tilt at the other. Shiromaru gave a joyful bark at Tatsuo, looking up at him and wagging his tail like the silly pup he was.

"Ey, watch it," Akira piped up with a light hearted chuckle, "that's no little guy! That's Shiromaru, the mightiest ninja canine this village has ever seen! My partner in crime! We've been together forever!" Even if it was only recently that Shiromaru had been out and about, it was more to do with the fact that Aomaru was keeping Shiromaru really close to him until he was old enough to defend himself, and while Shiromaru and Akira trained a little more together in order to improve their teamwork and coordination. Now that the two had bonded even more in terms of their fighting styles, they were allowed to roam free.

 

[Tatsuo]

Finally catching his breath, Tatsuo looked to the dog nodding with a smile. "Well I got something cool to show you too." he said as he reached a hand into his pocket. Removing a dark black kunai from his pocket, he raised it for them to see. "Look what I got!" he said, with a bright smile appearing on his face. "My dad gave it to me." He would then do a few clumsy swipes with it, proving he wasn't the most competent with it. "This is my first kunai, my dad said it was his first too. I wonder how many men he's fought with it?" he said looking at the black kunai before reaching out his hand to let Akira touch or hold it if he wished.

 

[Inuzuka Akira]

Akira looked in awe at the weapon that Tatsuo had, surprised by the story behind it and how old it must've been. He wished he'd gotten anything remotely that cool from his own dad.

"Hey!! You got a kunai knife? Your dad sounds so cool!" Akira said, all hyped up, carefully poking the small black knife as it was reached out to him, feeling the cold metal surface. Shiromaru looked up at the pair, slightly confused as to what was going on, trying to get a better look at the weapon Tatsuo was brandishing in front of them. The little dog quietly whimpered at Tatsuo, wanting in on the cool action.

"So you're gonna train with it? You'd be so deadly if you mastered that thing!"

 

[Tatsuo]

Tatsuo liked his dad, but he was strict and definitely not the coolest, but he wouldn't let Akira know that. He nodded, looking as sage like as possible. "Eh, i'm already a master with it. I could use some extra practice, but I bet I could take on a Jounin with just a kunai." he'd nod twice before peeking down to the now whimpering dog. "Oh? You wanna see too buddy?" he'd say bending down and letting the dog sniff the sharp knife. "Be careful, it's a Ranna family relic. My dad said he once fought off twenty samurai with it."

 

[Inuzuka Akira]

Shiromaru looked intently at the blade, timidly sniffing at it to see what all the fuss was about - even Akira could smell the blade, its previous owner and what it had been through became clear to the young shinobi and his ninken; Tatsuo certainly wasn't lying about that. Shiro settled back down again, giving the side of Tatsuo's hand a friendly lick before looking back up at his master.

"You know, I think Shiromaru already likes you a lot," Akira smiled, prompting a little yip from the Shiba, "haha, he says he thinks your knife is cool," he smiled, giving the pup a little scritch between his ears.

"Anyway, are you sure it's not better to keep it safe? Wouldn't wanna lose an heirloom like that!"

 

[Tatsuo]

"Pfft. Like I could lose it?" he laughed, spinning it around his finger on the ring. "C'mon we might be academy students, but we are ninjas not like we'll lose a kunai or an--" as Tatsuo continued his rant, the blade flew off his finger. Down towards the village below. Tatsuo's mouth opened wide and his eyes filled with a fear. "Oh no." he would say instantly going to chase the knife down the valley. He had just got it, there was no way he'd lose it today. "AKIRA! SHIRO! HELP ME!" he would say as he darted down the mountain, saying to himself "Oh no, oh no, i'll get in so much trouble!" His earlier confidence was all but expired now as he looked like frightened cattle as he stampeded down the mountain's steps trying to follow the direction the knife went!

 

[Inuzuka Akira]

The sudden drop of the knife through Akira off guard a little too, watching it tumble clumsily down the side of the cliff toward the village. Akira was about to put his palm through his face, but instead broke into a run to chase after Tatsuo after he began chasing the knife down the side of the mountain, trying to make sure he wasn't going to get himself into too much trouble or fall and break something.

"Tatsuo, wait! Come back! It's gone, don't chase after it, you'll get hurt! Let's think a little more carefully about this," he warned the other ninja who seemed really frightened and worried. Shiromaru had quickly caught up to Akira, insistently barking at the two of them all impatient.

 

[Tatsuo]

"How would it hurt me?!" he shouted back to Akira as he continued to chase the knife frantically, he had just got it that morning. If he lost it today he would never hear the end of it, losing it was not an option! After he got to the base of the mountain he turned to wait for Akira and his ninken. As they approached, the frown on his face was apparent. "I won't be able to find it.. but.. you two, you two sniffed it right?" he said with an ounce of hope, knowing that the Inzuka clan was known for their legendary noses. "You two should be able to help me track it down, right? If you do you'll be my best friend forever!" he nearly begged.

 

[Inuzuka Akira]

Akira almost knocked the other boy over as he came to a sudden stop at the bottom of the stairs, forcing him to swiftly hit the brakes on his legs. Shiromaru stopped in much the same fashion but kind of lost his footing slightly and ended up doing a little bum-skid on the gravel. Akira took a moment to catch his breath and looked back up to an even more frantic Tatsuo who was now begging for his help.

"Whoa, easy, just cool off a little first," he said, holding his friend by the shoulders. Shiromaru was already going mental, barking at Akira like crazy as if he'd just come up with the best idea ever, "come on, Shiro, he literally just suggested that. Keep up, buddy," he said to the impatient Shiba who was trying to make himself look like he came up with the idea first.

"Yeah, Tats, of course we'll help you! What are friends for? Just don't get all worked up," he said turning to Shiromaru and giving him a confident nod of approval. The little ninken immediately got to work sniffing along the ground before barking and charging off. Akira immediately broke into a run after him, albeit on all fours rather than just his legs. He sniffed around excitedly, seemingly on the same trail as Shiro at the moment. Their search brought them to a small market place around the middle of the village where many tents and stands were set up for travelling merchants to flog their cheap tat to unsuspecting villagers.

"Hey, kid, what's the big idea? Control your mutt," one of the merchant's piped up as Shiro stepped onto his tent, frantically barking an pawing at a small black kunai on display, scratched and marked in much the same way Tatsuo's had.

"Uh, mister, you've got something of ours," Akira said timidly, trying to sort this out with gentle diplomacy.

"Scram kid, what I find I keep. Get outta here!"

[MFT]

 

[Tatsuo]

Tatsuo followed the two eagerly, as they moved to the merchant stall he understood what was happening instantly. Squinting his eyes, a plot was beginning to form in his head. However, he would need Akira and his Ninkin's help. He would take a few steps back, and motion the two over. Lowering his voice he would tell both of them. "I want to get my knife back, but I won't pay for my own knife back. Are you sure it's mine? I don't want to steal it back if it's not mine." he would look past them, back at the knife, it was familiar but it was a kunai, there were thousands, if not tens of thousands in the village, what's to say it is his? He did trust Akira and Shiro's nose, but he wanted to make sure first. "If you two are sure it's my knife, I have a plan to get it back." he would say eyeing the merchant. "I'm thinking a diversion between you and me, Akira. Shiro is faster than both of us, plus no one will be suspicious of a dog running away from a shop. At least not as suspicious as a kid with a kunai in his hands."

 

[Inuzuka Akira]

Akira gave a nod to Tatsuo, understanding his healthy scepticism, but nonetheless he didn't want to back down.

"No doubt at all, it's got your scent all over it and it's all scratched like yours. Besides, why would there be a merchant here selling a kunai on its own alongside teapots and plates... It seems really out of place to me," he mumbled to Tatsuo, looking back at the merchant and shooting him a squint, but he figured he couldn't just go up and take it. But hey, he aspired to join the ANBU; he couldn't just walk away from such an injustice after all.

'Hey yeah, that's a good idea. Alright, go and ask him how much some of his stuff costs or something. I'll make sure he stays turned away as well," he looked down at Shiro who was looking up at the two, curiously listening to the plan, "then Shiro will grab the kunai and run back to the top of the mountain to keep it safe until we get there," he said, giving a nod to Shiro who nodded back and took position.

 

[Tatsuo]

Tatsuo grinned, knowing this makeshift team would do the job fine. He would make his way over to the market stall, placing a hand in his pocket as he looked at the teapots. "Hello sir, it is my mother's birthday today. My dad told me to come buy her a tea set since her last one broke just a week ago." he would say, shaking his head with a frown. "It was her favorite tea set ever, i'm not sure there's anything that could replace it even with all the money my dad gave me. It was an old family heirloom, you know? Like one of those things that yo--" the merchant would then cut off Tatsuo. "Oh do not worry, i've the best wares in all of Konoha, I am sure you will find a tea set ten, if not a hundred times better than that one." he said, the glint of greed appearing in his eyes as he brought his most expensive wares to the table. An old porcelain set with a beautiful design of flowers and the sun. Tatsuo rubbed his chin, obviously impressed with the fine tea set in front of him. "Eh, I don't know. My mother's was at least 10x more decorative than this one. Are you sure I shouldn't check another shop?" with that, the merchant growled and shook his head. "No, no. This is the finest tea set in all of Konoha I swear to you. It was made by the legendary porcelain forger, Oogami Tsunayoshi. I'm sure a kid like you wouldn't know him, but I promise you he is an incredible man who makes incredible tea sets. I'll sell you this one for 5000 yen." Tatsuo furrowed his brows and glanced to Akira and Shiro quickly, hoping he was able to distract the merchant long enough.

[MFT]

 

[Inuzuka Akira]

Akira sort of tried to act like a middleman as Tatsuo made excellent work of building a distraction with a convincing enough lie. He made sure the merchant didn't turn around suddenly, and if he did, he'd give Shiro the signal and they'd bounce. Just when the merchant was setting all of his expensive tat on top of the table, trying to make it look infinitely more valuable than it actually was, Shiromaru acted quicklu and snagged the kunai sitting on the other side of the tent, gripping it between his teeth and tailing it out of there as fast as his fluffy legs would carry him, charging back to the agreed rendez-vous point.

Akira looked over to Tatsuo again, itching the side of his nose as a signal to say 'let's get the hell out of here before he realises he's been robbed'. Then again, if they had such piss-poor luck, the guy might just turn around and catch them. He waited until Shiro was completely gone before he piped up and said, "alright, come on Tatsuo, let's get back to father before he kills us for hanging about," he said, taking his friend by the shoulder and trying to quickly usher him away before anything was missed.

 

[Tatsuo]

"Hrm ma--" he would begin saying before being pulled away by Akira. "Wait up i'm doing business!" he would feign a struggle, before sighing and following Akira up the mountain. The merchant looking dumbfounded as he didn't make the sale, placing his expensive tea set back under his stall. Placing both his hands behind his head, Tatsuo smirked and said "Thanks, Akira, couldn't have done it without you, buddy." he was happy to have such good friends who could help him out in a pinch. "Shiro is up the up the mountain, yeah?" he would confirm what he already knew. Mostly to keep the conversation going as they made the long haul back up the mountain for the second time that day.

 

[Inuzuka Akira]

Akira chuckled as they both headed away, preparing to take the trek to the top of the mountain to reunite with Shiro and to get Tatsuo's beloved kunai knife back.

"Don't mention it, Tats; you'd do it for me to," he smiled, walking back up the path with his friend, glad the hard bit was mostly out of the way now - he had to admit, he didn't think that plan was going to go so seamlessly, it was almost too easy. Nevertheless, the two finally reached the top of the mountain again where Shiromaru was laying on his back in the grass, enjoying the refreshing breeze and the beating sun with the kunai still logged between his mighty jaws. Akira shook his head and nudged the little Shiba awake with his foot who almost went into attack mode before recognising his master. He scrambled over to Tatsuo and jumped at him, standing on his two legs while supporting him against Tatsuo's waist to give him back his knife which was notably covered in Shiro-slobber.

"Ehhh, you might wanna wash that or something... I dread to think what Shiro eats when I ain't watching him," he said, prompting an annoyed scowl from his ninken which sent Akira off chuckling to himself.

 

[Tatsuo]

Tatsuo hesitantly takes the knife, shaking off some of the dog slobber from it. "Eh..." he cringes a little bit as his hand is now soaked. "It's fine." he says before laughing, going to pat Shiro on the head. "Thanks, pal! You really helped us out." Placing the now damp knife into his bag he would stretch his arms up before going to sit. "At least the weather is really nice today. What do you wanna do now?" he asked both Akira and Shiro as he leaned back in the grass the sun shining on his face. He was excited to have his knife back and now content enough to focus on something else. It'd seem every time he and Akira hung out they got into some type of shenanigan, but they always got out just fine for one reason or another.

 

[Inuzuka Akira]

Akira looked up at the drifting clouds, sitting beside Shiro and Tatsuo in the grass, watching them float along as the world idly drifted by. Their mission was accomplished and all was well - Akira rather satisfied that he'd helped dish out some justice and get something important back for someone he cared about. Shiromaru seemed brimming with excitement as he got some well-deserved head scritches from Tatsuo, his tongue hanging out and his tail wagging frantically

"Hey... Tats, that was pretty cool back there. You know, the three of us. Like, we worked as a team really flawlessly," he began, ushering Shiro closer who carefully stepped into his lap and tiredly laid down, enjoying the sun and returning to his snooze as Akira pet his back, "imagine what else we could do... I mean, if we were handling criminals. I've really wanted to do what my father used to do; he was an ANBU captain a couple years back. I'm thinking we should enroll together once we graduate. We'd both be fantastic as ANBU!" Akira had this triumphant smile plastered over his face as he laid his plan out for his friend.

 

[Tatsuo]

Tatsuo rubbed his chin, it was fun getting that guy back, but Anbu? Weren't they the creepy ones with masks he thought? Akira seemed pretty interested in the idea though, so it must be pretty cool. "Huh? Anbu?" Furrowing his brows, he crosses his arms. "What do you get if you're an Anbu? I wanna become a Jounin one day, can Anbu become Jounins?" he would say curiously if not completely ignorant of how the whole Anbu system worked. "Aren't those the weird guys with animal masks? What do they do even?"