Orochimaru's hideout in the Land of Waves

[Kumagawa Senju]

No one understood what was going through Kumagawa's head when he accepted the mission. He wasn't one to do work, in fact moments ago Kumagawa was sucking down a bottle of whiskey. His pure white jacket was littered with dirt stains and tearing at the seams. He had a cigarette hanging from his mouth with one end letting a thin wisp of smoke rise slowly into the air. Kumagawa sighed as he took another drink as he begun to wonder what he was going to do next. Checking his pockets he only had 5 or 6 ryo and his bottle was slowly beginning to empty. Kumagawa grumbled as he scratched his hairy chin. As he pressed his fingers on the ground he began to bring himself to his feet. Seconds later he found his vision beginning to blur and he began to fall back.

falling he found himself being caught by a shinobi. "What do you want?" Kumagawa asked, drunk out of his head. The shinobi sighed. "first I want to drop you, second the kage has a mission for you." Kumagawa got back to his feet and said while waving his whiskey bottle. "What makes you think I am going to waste my time to do that." Kumagawa slurred. "If you don't... then we are going to have some... problems." Kumagawa turned toward the shinobi and pulled on his jacket. "You sure about that?" Kumagawa said as he rushed at the shinobi.

-----

Hours later Kumagawa was waiting at the mission gate awaiting for his partner in the mission. Kumagawa was now well shaven and he wore a stark white jacket. It was as though he was never a bum laying in the middle of the alley like he had done just moments ago. If one were to take a look at Kumagawa now they would never have guessed that this handsome young man was a bum hours ago. Kumagawa took a long drag from his cigarette. He wondered when his teammate was going to get here. He had been waiting for an hour. If it wasn't for that shinobi baiting him with more beer and shower, Kumagawa wouldn't have even taken the mission into consideration. Kumagawa sighed, hopefully something would show up to occupy his attention.

[Serenata Wildfire]

Having received the details of their mission Serenata made all the preparations she could possibly do to prepare. Packing extra cloths and shampoos into a bag and then getting her trusty violin and accessories for it loaded and crammed into its case. She made sure to get a good nights sleep the night before and eat a hearty breakfast. Stepping outside she took a deep breath of the fresh cool air and took the first step of her journey - "Waahh!" her toe tripped over the edge of her dress making her stumble forward but caught herself before flattening her face on the ground. "Were good..were good nobody panic I am ok." She looked around for a moment and then realized it was fortunate that no one would have witnessed her embarrassment. "Oh. There's nobody there."

There was just one last preparation she had to make. The mission required them to go out into the sea in the land of waves. Fortunately she knew some sea dogs worth their salt. During the time of her own exile when she traveled across the sea to find her Celtic origins of her people she befriended a few pirates and maybe could ask them a favor for old times sake. Going ahead of the plan she made her way to the docks and waited for a large man with a crusty face and a squint in one eye to emerge from a shady looking vessel. When he set eyes on her his lip liften in a half smile and hollered at her. "Aie! Sere!" He hobbled over to her and much to her discontent picked her up in a big bear hug. She gave a groan and patted his back. "Ya, good to see you too Sam...hey I have two favors to ask, well three actually. One, I need you to stop constricting my lungs, two I need to know if you've seen any abandoned facilities out at sea by the land of waves, and three if you can get me and someone else out there." He dropped her on her feet and reached back scratching his butt with squint. "Well maybe...alright well you were the ticket to our greatest prize last time we sailed together so I'll tell you but to take you there...I will need something else." Sere searched her pockets and pulled out a large handful of money showing it to him but pulls it away when he reaches for it. "Half when we leave, the other half when we find what were looking for and get back here in one piece." He grinned showing a perfect set of gold teeth and and scratched his chin making it sound like sandpaper on wood. "Aie pushing a hard bargain as usual, ok you win. When you wanting to set sail?" Sere was already walking away and waving him off. "After I find my partner. stay there, don't run off to the brothel or something you salty crook I'll be right back!"

As fast as her legs could carry her in her dress she zipped through the woods, bounding and weaving through the trees to the meeting point where she was supposed to meet with her team. Slowing to a jog and then walking under the mission gate to see...him? She stopped and looked over the man. Hadn't she seen him somewhere? Like under a tree out cold with a bottle still in his hand? Or did he just have one of those familiar faces? Stepping over to him she stops and curtsys politely with a smile. "Hello, are you Kumagawa?" She coughed and waved away the smoke infront of her from his cigarette. It was enough Atsushi liked to blow his pipe into her face, the smoke hurt her eyes and made them water. It annoyed her and no doubt why he did it but there could always be something worse to complain about...usually.

[Kumagawa Senju]

Kumagawa wasn't sure how long it would take for his teammate to arrive. The shinobi said that his partner would be someone who was as equally skilled as he was, if not more. So Kumagawa was expecting a male, either his age or older. He was surprised when a woman, who looked a few years younger than him. Now Kumagawa wasn't sexist, far from it. He knew exactly how capable a young woman could be, hell he had been raised by one for most of his life. He still had a hard time believing that this one young girl was his only teammate. Maybe it was because she was in a dress, which was a strange choice of clothing. Was she planning for a date rather than a mission? Well maybe she wasn't the one he was waiting for. She was probably coming up here to meet her date or something. At least that he expected, unfortunately he was the only one there.

His hope was dashed when she came up asking his name. He was Kumagawa. His face didn't show any disappointment in seeing the young woman, it did show slight surprise that she was his partner. Kumagawa made a mental note to be careful on this mission. He wasn't going to have as much freedom as he expected on this mission. Taking one last drag on his cigarette he threw it on the ground and crunched it under his shoe after seeing the woman's reaction to his cigarette smoke. Yes, I am Kumagawa. Are you the lovely lady I am suppose to accompany on the mission? Or at least that is what he would have said if he hadn't seen the woman before. He met her when he was talking to that hunter nin who was being kicked out of Kirigakure. Kumagawa didn't have all the information but he knew that she was there when the hunter-nin was kicked out due to insubordination. She probably heard Kumagawa's choice words about that event. So Kumagawa wasn't sure of her opinion of him.

"Yes, I am Kumagawa. Do I know you? You look oddly familiar." Kumagawa asked. Kumagawa knew where he knew her from but never had an formal introduction as to who she was. After she would introduce herself Kumagawa would perform a small bow and made his usual loveable scoundrel smirk and said, "Shall we begin on our journey. We can continue our little talk on the way." Kumagawa wondered what kind of person she was. Was she someone he could play with? Or was she like his friend, no nonsense? Kumagawa was curious of her personality. He felt a strange urge to take a sip of some whiskey as he spoke with her.

[Serenata Wildfire]

"oh good!" she cherped out at him and her eyes brightened with her smile when learning she'd found him. "Am afraid we don't know each other but we may have met before. My names Serenata Wildfire, I'll be going with you to the land of waves. Oh but am afraid further formalities will have to wait, our ship is waiting for us. Please follow me." While she talked she took and shook his hand with both hands. Her palms were soft but she had an iron grip with her long fingers from all that practice time on that violin on her back. Then like a wild elk she sprang away into a light run back the way she came and looking back to wave for him to follow. "Come on my good sir! We can chit-chat more on the ship!"

Sam would probably wait for her but he was fickle with his attention and she feared he might have gone else where. As she ran and her pace quickened her new partner would have to hustle or he may have the shame of being outrun by a girl in a dress and heels. Where she lacked in strength and power she made up for in quickness and finess. She didn't jump from tree to tree either like most ninja but weaves through the wood on the ground but her ears were up in the trees listening. If the birds stopped singing, or a tree creeked in a peculiar sort of way, it was worth wondering why.

At the tree line she stopped and looked back to make sure her partner was still following, and to look on the trees again. The woods were her home, they were her shelter and her comfort. The sea could be such a cold and terrible place when it was angry so one last reluctant gaze upon her precious woods was in order. When turning around she steps onto the dock to find Sam almost exactly where she'd left him. He was sitting on a keg with a big bottle of rum and out cold. "Uh this is our ride...and it's captain...unfortunately. I mean uh, you ready? Sure you don't need anything before we go?"

[Kumagawa Senju]

Kumagawa made smirked as the young woman introduced herself and the mission that they would embark on. It seemed simple enough. Kumagawa started to introduce himself but as Serenata said, there would time for formalities later. He shook her hand. His eyebrow raised slightly noticing the amount of pressure that the young woman put into her handshake. In fact, it kind of hurt. Though Kumagawa didn't show it. Once she let go they would be on their way. "Lead the way, madam." He said as he followed.

If there was one phrase that he could use to describe the trip, it would be lack-luster. Unlike his counterpart on this mission he jumped from tree to tree. Covering more ground with each jump than she could with a single step. Though he was a heavy smoker and drinker he was able to keep up with the woman with ease. Though he made sure she was ahead of him, just so he wouldn't get lost.

Once they got to where they needed to be Kumagawa sighed. So here they were, he wondered exactly how long the trip would be. It couldn't be that long anyway. Kumagawa scanned the ship's captain for a single moment then his eyes locked on a single object. The rum. Sure the captain was... dissapointing but Kumagawa wanted something to drink. Kumagawa smiled and looked at his partner. "I don't think rum would count, does it? Other than that I'm good."

[Serenata Wildfire]

"uh well no to me the rum does not count as something we need. But for sams sake maybe you should have some before he succumbs to alcohol poisoning." Picking up a little tin bucket she fills it with sea water by the sock and splashes Sam in the face to wake him. He jumps with a start and swings a dead fish around. In his drunken state even Sere could easily dodge out of the way. "Rise-n-shine salty! Were back. Here's the first half." she pushes a bag of cash into his hands and walks past him before he's even awake enough to know what's going on. He just watches her with a squint in one eye and only remarks with "Aye" as if he'd known what was happening all along.

"Aie! Sharkfood!" A voice cries out when she sets foot on deck. Some of the crew was old enough to remember when she sailed with them to Europe. She'd earned the name sharkfood when they had considered throwing her overboard to become food for the sharks. She didn't really like that name...it wasn't very comforting. But greets her old acquaintances cordially anyway. Finding the first mate she catches him reading a dirty magazine and clears her throat while standing behind him. He jumps and turns around hidding it behind his back. "M-Miss Wildfire! Ah hm-hum! Yes uh welcome back have you lost weight?" Seres eyes narrowed at him. He thought she was a demon or something because of her red eyes, the little shrimp was weaker than her physically but his big brain knew everything about navigating with longitude and latitude things that Sere couldn't begin to understand. Now he was trying to flatter her because he knew what she wanted, a private cabin to herself, his cabin. Which meant he would be sleeping uncomfortably with the crew like the last time she voyaged with them. He also feared she was a bad omen as it was "bad luck to bring a woman aboard." or so he said often enough to annoy her. "Pips, you know what I want. Sam would rather eat nails before he gives up his cabin and your the only other one who gets a private cab. Am not sleeping with the crew."

"Well you see Miss Wildfire uh, my back has been giving me issues and I need to sleep on a bed with special therapeutic foam with..." Sere didn't bother listen anymore she grabed a key to the room off his belt. "You got that new memory foam stuff?! Sweet! Thanks pips! It should be comfortable after we burn the old sheets and put new ones on. I know you never bathe." Leaving him standing there muttering and complaining to himself while she goes to claim her room. There was no way she was going to sleep with a bunch of stinky pirates and he knew it. The room may as well be hers when she set foot on deck. Either would have paid Sam more for it, or talked him into it or did what she just did. It wasn't in her nature to be a bully, but sometimes there were things she'd do for the sake of hygiene and cleanliness....and jelly filled doughnuts.

Having been so occupied on claiming a clean private place to bunk down in the trip she'd almost forgot about her comrade and goes back to find him. "Oh my am sorry I didn't mean to abandon you. I was just making sure I had a place to room. We can share the cabin if you want but I got dibs on the bed. But hey look at it this way, the floor of the cabin is probably better than bunking with the rest of the crew.....but also we will have a private place to discus the details of our mission without any unwanted listeners." she'd kept her voice down low when saying that last part.

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