Have you seen my daughter? (Yume)

[Hoshirei]

Nekozuka Koichi​

A man and a trio of big cats were walking around. His brow furrowed with concern as the felines tried to scent out something or someone. Every once in a while, he would stop and ask a question. With each question he felt more and more frantic. Where was she? It has been a daysince he had seen his daughter. Was she attacked within the village? He highly doubted it as he had not heard tales of a large patch of destruction accompanied by a large surge of malevolent chakra from the demon know as Kashiro.

Katsu and Kora caught a familiar scent. "I smell fox-friend! Maybe she knows?" Katsu exclaimed. Kora nodded and moved like she was unsure whether to stay close to Koichi or run off toward the scent. Kisa looked at her friend. She could hardly imagine how hard it must be for her fellow felines to be separated from their girl.

The quad walked solemnly up to the source of the scent. Koichi extended his hand and moved to gently turn the person around. "Excuse me. Have- Have you seen my daughter?" His eyes showed the strain of asking that question many times over the last few hours, only to receive an answer in the negatory.

 

[Sagasu Yume]

Things had been slowly getting back to normal after the occupation. Streets and homes were being repaired. The Cabal members they had captured had been interrogated and held accountable in their own ways. It wasn’t the speed of recovery that sat heavy on the Inuzuka; it was the fact that the entire incident had only been four days. Looking back, it sort of made sense. Miago hadn’t seemed surprised to see her. Shinji would have been worried if it had been four hours or four months. CuRua was more concerned for her safety than her sanity and didn’t know how to correct her. The lack of sleep made each day seem like weeks. Today was her first day going to the market since coming home. She had helped out at the hospital to relieve the other mednins but had been relegated to light duties until they could perform a complete diagnostic. She worried what would happen if they deemed her unfit to return to duty. Would they lock her up in the Obsidian Palace? Was she strong enough to be considered a danger to society? She wished, sometimes, that she had left to Amegakure like Uri had suggested before the incident but now that the smoke had cleared, he was no where to be found. She supposed that it was in his nature, the wandering man, but he had promised to help fix the village and now it was worse than before. It wasn’t his fault, but it hurt that he wasn’t here to help.

She was deep in thought as the hand touched her shoulder and turned her around, pulse spiking from the contact. The scent of cat filled her nose as her eyes came to focus on a man’s face that seemed almost familiar. She still didn’t quite trust her mind, but scent had a way of bringing memories to the surface. Her expression went from blank to a smile before falling to a slight frown.

Nekozuka-san. It has been awhile. I- I have not seen Kimi. Our shifts haven’t really overlapped at the hospital.

Before he could look to crestfallen, she reaches out and takes his hand, creating a sort of sandwich as she lays her other one over top. She had been there only weeks… no… days before when she was looking for Sousuke and it had driven her mad. Offering him a hopeful smile, she gives their grasp a squeeze.

But I will help you look. CuRua, run and tell Shinji that I’ll be late, helping Nekozuka-san and not to worry. When was the last time you saw her? Where was she going?

It was what had been missing from her panic in the search for the Steward; no one had really taken her by the hand to accompany her though she hadn’t really given them the chance either. Shopping could wait. Shinji and Ika could go out for dinner or make rice or scrounge for leftovers. They wouldn’t starve, but she would be damned to let her friend’s father’s heartbreak and do nothing about it.

 

[Hoshirei]

Koichi was ever so grateful to run into Kimi's friend. He had spent so long this morning searching for his girl. Yume's words were both heartening and disheartening. The fact that she hadn't seen her at the hospital was so far a good thing. It also made him somewhat worried. He had asked her to stick close and had already had a slight disagreement because Kimi went to do a shift at the gates.

"The last time I saw her was last night. She was headed off to the ruins of the tower. I am afraid I did something rather idiotic. After her run in with Naganisa I kept her within the compound. I also gave her some hard news. I highly doubt that she would run off, she is too loyal to this village. Katsu and Kora woke me this morning, telling me that she had not returned from her jaunt."

Katsu and Kora started to whimper. Kisa rubbed her head against theirs, chuffing slightly in a comforting manner. "Cannot smell her. It is like her scent stopped and disappeared!" Katsu whined, her ears flattened to her head, sitting in an almost ashamed manner.

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Terribly sorry, meant to post this earlier, but the tablet lost the post once. I gave up until I could get on a computer. Hooray for computers!

 

[Sagasu Yume]

It concerned the Inuzuka that Kimi had left her tigers behind. It was true that she and CuRua didn’t go everywhere together but there was a bond that kept them at ease when they were apart. It was clear that the bond was tenuous if not gone completely at this point. Kimi would have to be emotionally cut off or outside of the village for this reaction from her beloved companions. She could see how their search would have turned up empty from the beginning; the ruins of the tower were a myriad of smells and the absence of them too. Knowing how her friend smelt, she sniffs the air around the tigresses and Koichi to gain a reminder before setting off in the direction of the tower, encouraging them to follow.

The winds within the cavern were always minimal. Summoning a little chakra, Yume sends gusts ahead of her to pull the scents back until she picks up a faint hint of Kimi. Her steps quicken, pausing occasionally to ensure that she was on the right track. The trails would lead them to the demolished Kazekage tower, as has been expected but then she stopped; this was where it had all started. There were foot prints and scuffs from where people had been dragged from the rubble, mild scents that still remained from their toil. The sweet, acrid odour of Naganisa permeated the where she had mocked them, causing her to clench her jaw and steel her resolve; it was best to stay in the present. Listening for sounds of distress and sniffing for any trace of her friend, she is lead to a spot where the dirt had been scuffed recently. She had learned that everything, even the air, had a smell but this spot was void. Drawing closer, she quickly takes a few steps back as if she had been smacked on the nose. At a loss, she turns to the family with confusion.

This is where she was but…She’s just gone.

 

[Hoshirei]

Nekozuka Koichi​

The small group of Nekozuka followed Yume down to the ruins of the tower. As they came closer, Katsu and Kora became more hopeful. The connection they felt with Kimi seemed to strengthen when they walked further away from the clan compound. Something in them knew they were getting closer. They came upon the spot where her scent was strongest and started nosing around the stones, hoping to find some clue. Kisa joined them in the search.

When Yume said that Kimi was gone, Koichi's knees collapsed from underneath him. At the same moment, Kisa let out a soft cry. His eyes snapped up and noticed her swaying on her feet. "Kisa? Kisa, what's wrong?" The twins rushed over when Kisa swayed even more. Kora caught Kisa's large body and dragged her away from the spot. Katsu sniffed lightly around the area. She jumped away and sneezed. "Something smell funny. Made Kisa sleepy," she yawned and shook her body hard.

Koichi stood and walked over to where Katsu stood. He saw a piece of cloth that almost blended into the rubble. He slipped a glove out of his pocket and lifted the rag. Bringing it close to his face, he smelled the rag in a shallow breath. His forehead scrunched. "Yume, I believe the big cat trio found something. This rag smells like something familiar, but I can't quite place it." He looked over at Kora and Kisa to find his companion asleep. "It apparently renders whoever breathes it unconscious. Do you think? No- Why would- They can't know. Hardly anyone outside our family knows. What if someone took her and unleashes- No, Kimi would fight like hell once she awakened." Koichi paced as he spoke, the rag still grasped in his hand.

 

[Sagasu Yume]

Yume immediately realized the impact of her words when Koichi dropped to the ground in despair. She hadn’t considered the implications of her words but before she could console him and explain herself, Kisa drew his attention. Joining him at the commotion, she waves her hand under the cloth to waft the chemical toward her face. Instantly she claps her hand over her nose and mouth and takes a step back, warding from further inhalation.

Colourless. Sweet odor. Likely fluoromethyl hexa- er… It’s an inhaled anesthetic that’s commonly known as sevoflorene. It’s like chloroform that you see used in crime novels. Very crude though. It’s generally administered through a vaporized method using a mask to refrain from burning the lungs and mitigating the chance of pulmonary complications. It’s generally kept in the hospital but with the amount of chaos that has been happening, a portion could have been stolen and probably gone unnoticed. I’m certain that ANBU use a similar method when they are required to kidnap their targets and return with them alive. Unless she has an allergy to it, which is unlikely, the people who took her want her alive.

Kimi wasn’t the sort to abuse substances and sevoflourene wasn’t knowing for giving a high anyway. Based on the fact that she wasn’t here only left one conclusion in the Mednin’s mind: Kimi had been kidnapped. Taking out a vial of smelling salts, she waves it under the tigress’ noses to relieve them of the effects of the anesthetic. It would likely make them sneeze more but it would clear their heads. Koichi’s ramblings makes the girl arch her eyebrow as she puts away the vial.

Unleashes what? I know people of our similar bloodlines have a bestial side but you seem more concerned than you should be for her becoming a werecat. Is there some reason that someone would want to take your daughter? Any enemies?

Investigations were more Sousuke’s thing than Yume’s but she enjoyed a good mystery all the same. Her ears twitched a little as she listened to the sounds around them, hyper aware that if this was a kidnapping that it could be anything from a benign ransom for money to a crime syndicate that was trying to infiltrate Suna in their time of weakness. The sound of tiny feet on rubble would be accompanied by short yips announcing CuRua’s approach.

Any luck?

Sort of. We found that she’s not just missing. She’s been drugged. Ready for an adventure and a possible asskicking?

Theirs or yours?

Watch it… or I’ll make you sleep in Shinji’s room.

Stooping down she picks up her fennec and cuddles him in her arms, to show that she wasn’t really offended by his words and trying to conceal her fear for her friend. Kimi could be any where and for any reason; now was not to the time to be afraid.

 

[Hoshirei]

Nekozuka Koichi​

Koichi paused his pacing and listened as Yume talked through what the substance was and what it's general use was. He began to pace again, trying to think if he knew anyone who would purposefully kidnap his daughter. When Yume voiced her concerns, he was a little nervous. Should he tell his daughter's friend about Kashiro? He had promised to allow her the decision, but in this circumstance? Was it better to tell someone or stay mum on the matter? If the information could help her be found, then why should he stay silent? He took but a moment to decide, allowing for the three big cats to sneeze away the rest of the effects from the anesthetic and for CuRua's little conversation with his companion.

"What I am about to tell you needs to be held in utmost secrecy. Very few people outside our clan know this information." He stepped closer to Yume, remaining far enough back so as to not crowd the woman but close enough that only their small group would be able to hear him speak.

"I must ask that this information remain close to the chest, so to speak. I will not forbid you from sharing the information with Sousuke, I cannot do that." He paused to take a deep breath. "For many generations, certain women in our clan have held a special gift. The first was my many times great-grandmother. She was an extraordinary healer and lead her clan from Fire country here to Suna some time after the First Men arrived. On their journey, they came across a great battle between two Great Spirits, a massive tiger and a giant snake. Kashiro, the tiger, won the fight but was injured. Makoto's compassion lead her to the side of the exhausted creature and she healed him. As a gift, Kashiro sealed himself inside Makoto, giving her immense power and the ability to take up his form in great times of need. Each generation since Makoto, the eldest female of the clan has been a combat medic, and a jinchuriki to the Great Lightning Spirit named Kashiro no Tora."

Koichi paused to let the information sink in, but spoke again before Yume or the others could. "I do not think whoever took her knows. In fact, I am unsure whether or not they believed her to be a kunoichi. She was wearing very civilian clothing, and if they came from behind, they would not have seen her cat-like features. I do not fear her becoming a werecat, she remains close to that state during any fight and has trained so that she cannot loose herself to it. I do, however, fear that Kimi may have to unleash Kashiro in order to protect herself. She has yet to begin training with his chakra and it will exhaust her beyond what she knows."

 

[Sagasu Yume]

She listened to his words with her lips pressed tight; not judging, not interrupting. The only sign of interaction she gave was a nod agreeing to complete secrecy. Kimi was her friend and everyone had their secrets, Yume certainly had her share. The history he gave made her realize that their clans were closer than she had originally thought. While the Inuzuka had no affiliation with Great Spirits they both departed Fire Country around the same time and ended up in Suna. It was likely if they traced their ancestors back that they were related, like lycans and vampires in her storybooks; similar genetics with a slight mutation.

He head bobbed again a few more times, acknowledging his points. Mednin didn’t always look the part of being a shinobi and Kimi could be very unassuming. Getting used to one’s beast form was something that took training, but familiars and clansman ensured training from a young age. Jinchuriki was something that Yume had only really read about. Sharing ones body, if not their soul, with a power that could sneeze and extinguish your life could be seen as a terrifying endeavour. She didn’t flinch when the secret was revealed. As the clan had a long standing agreement with this entity it did not worry Yume as much as it the Nekozuka was expecting.

The benefit to this is that the spirit… Kashiro, did you say?... sounds symbiotic with your clan, but you’re correct. It will likely consume the majority of her chakra, leaving her immobilized. We should find Kimi immediately but I’m at a loss where to start.

Brow furrowed and finger pressed to her lip, she grumbles slightly while pacing the debris strewn ground. What did she know… They wanted her alive. Her scent disappeared abruptly. There was another scent but it could have been anyone that had been here in the last 24 hours. The strange scent was nearly as strong as Kimi’s so it was likely they were there together. Her steps stopped abruptly and her head snapped up to look at Koichi.

A box. She was put in a hold of some sort and taken away some how. There are no tracks and no drag marks but she would have had to have been sealed away to mask her scent. We should head to the gates…. It was likely that they were taking her out of the village. There would be no reason to crate up a person to keep them in the village. Genjutsu to persuade the mind would be enough for short travel so they’re likely looking at long distance.

Shifting CuRua to perch on her shoulders and head, she tilts her neck to suggest heading in that direction before taking his hand and pulling him along. The longer they waited, the more likely it was that her scent would dissipate being so near to the surface winds.

 

[Hoshirei]

Nekozuka Koichi​

"I just hope she is alright. My child worries me sometimes."
Just then a man in a flak jacket ran up to the small group. "Gomen, Koichi-san. The alarm in the garage went off. Your heir's code was keyed."
Koichi's eyes widened and he nearly slumped to the ground in relief. Katsu and Kora wasted no time to rush off toward the garage entrance.
"It seems that my daughter has returned. Thank you so much for your help, Yume-chan. I would imagine that Kimi will wish to see her friend soon. You are more than welcome to visit us at any time." He stood tall and turned toward the direction Katsu and Kora were headed. "The twins will take care of her, though she might need some healing and rest. Thank you again, Yume, for your aid."

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Topic Ended
OOC: Ugh, crappy wrap up... sorry.