#sandzephyr

Walking through the desert was nothing short of miserable. Indra had traded his typical, white robe for a light colored travel poncho and a scarf that he also used as a head covering when the sun and heat grew too unbearable. Which it currently was getting pretty close to unbearable. On his back was a satchel that carried various weapons, food stuffs, a water container, a minor first aid kit, and his white robes.

Glancing up to check the rough position of the sun meant that his attention was drawn from where he was walking. And as he crossed over a dune and descended, he stumbled over... Something. His sharingan flashed to life as he looked at what he had tripped over, seeing a large fan, cream colored with large purple dots, spread open and propped up. And through the fan? He could see the chakra network of someone, and he could see a disturbance in the chakra network. An injury.

She was supposed to just surveille her, not engage, doctors orders, Tayuya still wasn't back to full strength. She may be able to walk again, but she had yet to complete her rehabilitation. Sometimes she still found it difficult to stand or remain balanced.

But no, she couldn't wait anymore, she'd done her waiting, 3 years in an Anbu prison, and even more after barely escaping what happened in Konoha. All of this leading to the chance to get her revenge. She waited on the way to Konoha, the sand skank had been seen using this route to travel between Konoha and Suna as some kind of envoy.

Tayuya had been practicing, built a new flute, learned new jutsu that used more than just the sound from her flute as a weapon.

For instance, with a whistle from her lips she could either cause an intense ringing in the ear drums, or disorient the body's senses. Make her victim go numb or suffer a short term paralysis.

That was her aim as she came up behind Temari on the path and whistled an eery tune in her ear.

Tayuya probably:

How had the kunoichi managed to get this close to Kimimaro without detection? Despite his shock, Kimimaro’s kekkei genkai immediately went to work. Several bones, thick and close together, sprouted from his collarbone, pushing the knife away from his throat. More sharp bones protruded from his back to pierce his opponent. Bone daggers lengthened from his palms.

Iruka shifted his pack on his shoulders as he watched Temari in surprise. He was fairly certain he saw her drinking pretty heavily the night before when he was invited out for his last night in the sand village. He hadn't had any, knowing he was to head back to the Leaf but that didn't seem to deter her, even though she was his escort back home.

☠ ― Send "🌷" and the MUSE will tell you whatever the hell they want.

Kakashi's face stayed impassive behind the ANBU mask. It had been a while since he was send out as ANBU. Technically he had been dismissed from service but then once ANBU always ANBU ne? The dismissal basically just meant that he was not on active ANBU roster. Most missions did not require the mask. This one might. 

"The locals insist that it is cursed. Haunted by some sort of demons" Tsunade said in a dismissive tone of voice. Apparently she was not awfully convinced by that theory. 

"That forest is Rain and River territory though. Why is it Konoha's concern?" he asked, arching an eyebrow behind the mask. She did not have to tell him. If she gave the order he would go of course. She might though.

"True...the people going missing in that forest are Konoha and Suna people though. Neither Rain nor River. So they do not care obviously. They also have not given permission to investigate stating that it's hardly their problem if we cannot keep our merchants save from burglars" she said displeased.

"Burglars eh?"

"Yes...'burglars'...It caused issues already. The alliance with Suna is still fresh. We cannot affort distrust on either side."

Burglars probably wearing Rain and River headbands ne? Kakashi thought. Neither Rain nor River were particularily delighted about that alliance between Suna and Konoha. It was understandable since they were tiny countries squashed between Suna and Konoha. It would not be surprising if these ghosts and demons haunting that forest were in fact shinobi trying to feed into the already existing suspicion many in both Konoha and Suna still harbored towards the other. 

"It's a combined mission. I do not have to tell you that this is very important. You will meet your contact here" she said, pointing out coordinates. He took a look at the coordinates memorizing them and then bowed quickly before disappearing.

------

True to it's name Rain had greeted him with rain. It had been a rather wet journey in general since River was ...well...full of rivers. Kakashi had not been dry for at leat 24 hours. The difference between Rain and River was just that travelling through River you got wet from below whereas travelling through Rain you got wet from above. He reached the coordinates after 2 days of travelling. It was not inside the forest but close to it. Close enough to get a first look and that look was not exactly what he had expected. 

Tentatively he approached the forest edge. If you could call it that. The trees looked like an army of ghosts. All white and scrawny. No leaves, nothing green in sight. It was eery and smelled of death.

"Maa... might go with that 'cursed forest' theory after all ne?" he mumbled to himself and pushed the ANBU mask aside to get a better look with the Sharingan. When he opened it the world shifted into this mixed view he maybe never would get truly used to.