Hurry, Hurry! The Boat Is About To Leave! [Contract Search]

[Hameru Ren]

Shifting the backpack burdening his shoulders. The company of 6 had been walking since morning. The two women, Shima Haruka and and Setsumon Cereza, had been riding atop the horses and thus were still in quite good condition. The two newborns were still asleep and obviously carried along by their parents. The other man in the company, Setsumon Rozan, was walking besides him, keeping them all distracted from their painful feet or aching bottoms. Something Natsu was glad for. He hadn't expected the trip to be so heavy, but the slower pace to keep the children as calm as they were, was somehow taking more of a toll. Perhaps he shouldn't have tried showing off and just let Rozan carry all the bags after all.

A few minutes, the backpack started digging into his flesh once more, and the Spymaster adjusted it along. Rozan seemingly had noticed, and called for a break. They'd get some rest, let the children eat and drink as well as the horses. Natsu let the pack drop too the ground, stretching his arms and back. He for one sure was glad about the short pauze. If Haruka had noticed however, he was sure to get another snappy remark along the lines of 'Ooh, very competent indeed! Most Shinobi couldn't walk even half as far without a break, I'm sure!' Natsu could just about imagine her voice saying it right now. An impressive feat, as this was only the second time he was around the woman. Though whether that spoke good of Natsu or ill of Haruka was left in the middle.

He'd have to confer with her for a moment though, and set some things straight. "Haruka, d'you have a moment?" He asked, smiling friendly at the woman. He didn't like luring her out of the company of Rozan and his family. The friendly pretense she put up there made even her subtle jabs remarkably bearable. However, what he was about to say wasn't intended for the ears of the Kiri-Nin. "Excuse us for a moment, we shouldn't take long. In the worst case we'd be delayed after all, we'll catch up before we reach the Port though!" He called to them, assuring them their escort would not abandon their duties.

"Okay, just to make sure we're on the same page here." He adressed the Medical Kumo-Nin once they stood alone a bit further in the wooded area. "One, for the remainder of the Mission I'll be assuming the rank of Jonin. The Kiri-Nin should be unaware what this pin means," He said, pointing at the mark under his forehead protector adorning his forehead. Yes, not every Shinobi decided to go crazy and put it somewhere else for the sake of fashion. "So please don't blow that cover. We wouldn't want to insult our foreign, potential allies."

"Secondly, impressive act of friendliness. I hope you can keep it up for the entire time you'll be stuck with me. Don't worry, when we're alone you can throw as many books at me as you like. However, once we meet the Mizukage or one of their Sennin, please let the talking to me. Not to insult you or anything, but I doubt you know much of our own Village and it's policies, outside of your Hospital. Your file seemed to indicate as much anyway." He hoped he hadn't crossed a line and would be forced to explain the sudden wounds to Rozan and Cereza. Haruka was remarkably skilled when it came to using books as weapons after all. And in the secluded spot he was discussing with her, she'd have every opportunity to bludgeon him to death if she so desired.

[Word Count: 616]

 

[Sanageyama Masaoko]

Re: Hurry, Hurry! The Boat Is About To Leave! [Contract Sear

She didn't know what hurt worse, her feet or her ass. She took the tougher choice in the beginning of their trek by traveling on foot. Mostly because she didn't want to be inconsiderate of her walking companions. However, when her feet finally blistered with screaming pain, she took to riding the horse given to her. At first it was a relief to her feet, but then the pain in her legs and thighs began to set in. On the rocky mountain terrain, she had a hard time relaxing on her unsteady steed. Her muscles ached from clenching so hard to the saddle. She held her tongue from complaining. There were worse situations to be in.

The men ahead must of felt like dragged dead bodies. She herself was going turning numb at the waist down. Cereza must of been exhausted. Before she called for a break, Rozan advised to rest up. She muttered thanks to Raiden under her breathe and dismounted hurriedly. As she tied the horse to a nearby tree, Natsu approached. She didn't glance up at him to see his dopey smile. "Yeah sure." She wasn't particularly thrilled to go on more of a walk when she just wanted rest, but he probably wanted to discuss matters that didn't concern the Kiri-jin.

They strolled at a lulled pace. The company had stopped where the terrain began to smooth out. Vegetation was far more common here than in the rocky terrain where they had come from. The soil was softer, richer. Not to mention the air was warmer. She had never noticed, being a child of high altitude in the mountains, but the air was much simpler to breathe. They were coming towards the fields, if she remembered the map correctly. She wished to see the beautiful fields of flowers and vegetation. Perhaps on the way back. Natsu stopped her under the bent boughs of a cluster of trees. The wild grass rampantly took over the forest, tickling the trunks of the trees.

The woman slipped her hands under her arms, folding them defensively. He had even begun to speak, but she already didn't like what he had to say. The pupils of her eyes disappeared into the back of her head. Like she didn't know what to do. Who was this fool to assume she would be so asinine as to reveal such a crucial position to ninja affiliated with a village that wasn't even aligned to her's? "You actually think I'm that ignorant? Please, my whole life I was raised to perfect the art of etiquette. Furthermore, you really think I'm that stupid that I'd let them know who you actually are. There is a reason the word spy is in your title."She turned away with anger. Furious, but she decided to cool it. She wouldn't raise her voice and cause a fuss. It would do her people no good if the Mist family were alarmed and find that comrades would behave in such a way.

He had more to say, but he should of quit while he was ahead. She whirled around, astonished and hurt. "It's not an act!" Her eyes burned with dangerous warning. "I just don't like you. And, don't worry. I won't get in your way. I wouldn't do anything to endanger my village. Did your stupid file tell you that?" To think he could judge her, solely on the basis of what their council had cataloged of her. She wasn't some mere account in a file. She breathed in deeply. "Is that all, Do-San?" Although her lips were drawn tight, she mocked a smile.

[Topic Entered]
[Word Count: 600]
[Total Word Count: 1216]

 

[Shinrya Kitsune]

Re: Hurry, Hurry! The Boat Is About To Leave! [Contract Sear

Listen to this. :3

CONGRATULATIONS!
You have discovered... THE FELINE CONTRACT!

Do you accept?​

 

[Hameru Ren]

Re: Hurry, Hurry! The Boat Is About To Leave! [Contract Sear

[OoC: I accept the Tiger Feline Contract! I'll ask Haruka to post in here too though I'm quite certain her response will be the same.]

 

[Sanageyama Masaoko]

Re: Hurry, Hurry! The Boat Is About To Leave! [Contract Sear

[I accept!! =D]

 

[Shinrya Kitsune]

Re: Hurry, Hurry! The Boat Is About To Leave! [Contract Sear

As if it had been upon queue, the minute that Haruka had uttered her sentence a thick fog enveloped the two shinobi and they felt themselves change and shrink. After a minute or so with absolutely zero visibility, they found themselves able to see again, though everything looked weird as it had all gotten a whole lot bigger. They’d find themselves looking up to see the tip of a nearby flower. Had they shrunk? It sure seemed like it. If they decided to gaze upon each other, they’d see that not only had they shrunk, they had turned into kittens. But not only that, but their aching bodies didn’t ache anymore, so that was a bonus.

They weren’t alone for long, because only a few minutes later, a bigger cat walked to where the two confused ninja-kitties were and more or less picked Natsu up by the skin of her neck after having told Haruka to come along.

The cat led the two ninja-kitties, or rather dragged the Natsu-kitty and led the Haruka-kitty into a little bit of shrubbery and vanished completely from sight. Cats have the oddest abilities to vanish completely when they’re right in front of you. And so, poof they went, into a world of their own filled with adventure and kitties and fun times.

Or. That’s how it would’ve been in an ideal world. The cat that was currently carrying Natsu wasn’t exactly aware that they weren’t a part of the contract animals it was tasked with guarding. ”What were you doing meowt there-nya?” he asked them after they had arrived at what would seem like a kitty paradise. Food, things to chase, places to sleep, everything a little kitten would need to grow up. ”Don’t you meow it’s bloody dangerous meowtside this place-nya?”

 

[Hameru Ren]

Re: Hurry, Hurry! The Boat Is About To Leave! [Contract Sear

Natsu was visibly taken aback by the outburst of his companion. He had anticipated some annoyance or sarcastic retort to his comments, certainly. He had been prepared to even take a slap to the face. After all, whenever someone mentioned 'Not to insult you or anything..' it just about every time actually was an insult. One could try to write it off as constructive criticism, but 99 percent of the time, it was just a way to apologize in advance to insult someone to their face. He should've thought his words through though and keep her feelings in his mind as well. He hadn't want to imply she was stupid nor that she cared nothing about her Village.

The Spymaster had wanted to make certain they understood each other’s duties on the Mission. He had mistakenly assumed he could drop the fanciful words and elaborate circling around what actually mattered like he was forced to do when dealing with nobles. While they were far from being on the best of terms, the boy had assumed Haruka would understand where he was coming from. Instead, he had been so blunt and direct she'd taken it as even more offense. A woman's heart and emotions seemed to be about as delicate as the purse of a noble. It didn't matter how she was raised or what their relationship was. It'd be a lesson Natsu would take to heart after this lecture.

"Look, Shima-Sensei," he started, utilizing as much politeness as he could muster. "I didn't mean to.." His words drifted of as he noticed the fog creeping up. The speed at which it did, and its thickness made it too suspicious. "Be on your guard." He said, his voice no longer sounding apologetic, but commanding and slightly concerned. Had intel been leaked about the diplomatic mission? If so, there were various groups who could benefit from hindering it's completion. Kingslayers, greedy Lightning lords and ladies or even Marsh leadership. "Let's return to the Rozan and Cereza as quickly as we can. They might be in danger."

However, by the time he had taken his first few steps, it became clear that the fog was too thick to even see the ground at point. In this forest, it'd mean the chance of tripping would be greatly increased. However, the mist didn't stop there. Rising up to above their heads at abnormal speeds, his visibility was reduced to zero. "Haruka-Sensei? Where are you?" Trying to reach the two Kiri-Nin would be impossible in these conditions. "Please stay close to me. If you notice any activity, call it out." Though he had told himself not to boss around the woman as much just before, to show the Med-Nin her Main Branch counterpart had confidence in her abilities, the several months of leadership as Spymaster took over in the abnormal situation.

Nothing seemed to stir in the brushes however. The only sound he could hear was the chirping of birds, crisping of grass underneath their feet and their breathing. An abnormal itch spread from his feet to his knees, groin, chest, arms and even head however. Had it been a poisonous fog? Would he truly meet his end in a pathetic manner like this? The itch quickly evolved into the odd sensation of transforming his body. Something of a Henge Jutsu in slow-motion. However, it exceeded the Jutsu's limitations as his size seemingly kept on reducing. And then, just as suddenly as it had started, the itch faded away together with the mist.

Moving his head around, he noticed the odd angle and coloring. Had he fallen first face on the ground again? No, not entirely. He could feel his feet and hands touch the ground, yet not his stomach. Speaking of, he could actually feel the earth underneath his feet. Hadn't he been wearing shoes just a moment earlier? And what was the odd, swinging sensation just above his butt? Trying to stand up seemed impossible, as he quickly lost balance and dropped back to all four. Was that the effect of the reduction in size he had felt earlier? Looking around again, a terrifying feeling crept over him. I can't have shrank that meowch, could I? The Spymaster though as he arched his back, laying his ears flat on his head.

.. Wait, what? His ears shouldn't be able to be so finely controlled. That was physically impossible for a human, wasn't it? And what was up with the odd range of vision? Or the noticeable increase in smells? And why could he suddenly detect changes in air movement? Just what had that fog done to him!? "Haruka-Sensei, are you meowkay?" .. What by Shinbatsu's hairy gonads? Meowkay? The Kumo-Nin thought confusedly. He didn't get much time to think about it however, as a sudden voice behind him instructed Haruka to follow and he was grabbed by his neck. Something in his mind told him not to move an inch and just let it happen. The instinct was too strong to resist, and so he limply hung by his neck, dragged around by something he hadn't even seen yet, unknowing just what Haruka or he looked like.

After what seemed like a teleportation poof, Natsu's mouth dropped open. Even if the fog and its effects on the Kumo-Nin was odd, this land was even more incredulous. Food! And toys! And boxes! And cameras to make I-can-haz-cheeseburger pictures with! Why did he find that so alluring all of a sudden? He wondered for but a moment, as his kidnapper dropped him on the ground. Only accelerated reflexes allowed him to land on his hands and feet. Turning around with arched back, raised ears and tail, a tail too now!?, he faced the most unexpected foe. Well, after the fog and crazy world, it shouldn't be that surprising really. It was a cat. A big, imposing looking one. Oh, and it talked.

Looking around to find a familiar face, Haruka's in this instance, Natsu couldn't see spot her at first. When his eye fell on the black kitten though, he squinted his eyes. Was it truly? It would explains some things.. And raise some more questions. How, why, etc. First things first however, dealing with the cat four times their size. The Spymaster couldn't panic. He had learned that firsthand in the MiS. Gather information first. Blend in, know your foe, then decide. "We'd have been fine! I'm going to be a Kag- King someday you meow!" He blurted out, uncertain if he was even making sense. It was quite hard to stay calm when you had been turned into a cat after all. "Who are you anyway? And where'd you bring us to exactly?"

 

[Sanageyama Masaoko]

Re: Hurry, Hurry! The Boat Is About To Leave! [Contract Sear

The thick, gray smoke began to consume the two ninja of Lightning Country as Natsu tried to muster up an explanation or apology. She stood her ground firmly, as alert as the Spymaster. He was quite sturdy under the element of surprise. Even the commanding tone did not offend Haruka. If it hadn’t been for the danger at hand, she would of commended Natsu for being so dutiful and quick on his feet, despite feeling the sting of hatred for him at the moment.

Her almond eyes swept the dust in vain. Visibility was reduced to nothing. All she could hear was the voice of her comrade, advising to quickly back to Rozan and Cereza’s aid. Her vision was engulfed by the strange mist. She heard the Kaguya’s voice call out to her. “I’m here.” She responded back to provide relief. Her hand reached out into the air, to see if she could catch anything but to no avail.

The strangest sensation pulsated through her body. She wondered if they were caught in some strange genjutsu. But, as the feeling moved throughout her limbs, the aching of her body subsided. She couldn’t imagine an enemy who would try to comfort their targets. This was something entirely different. And, as the cloud of fog rolled out and the world became visible once more, Haruka could see that something else entirely had taken place.</COLOR>

<COLOR color="grey">

She tried to turn around to face Do Natsu again as the sun came out to shine once more. However, she clumsily tripped over herself. The shock of having more feet than she remembered. It was a long or hard fall, but a furry one as her face was buried in her own coat of…fur? Alarmed, she jumped straight back up with hairs on end and it was a lot more hair than she remembered having. A stiffening in her back side made her glance back quickly at her own tail. TAIL!? She tried to jump away from the foreign body part, but it followed with her. It was then that she looked down and saw her precious little paw bearing feeble claws.

Finally operating her four legs, Haruka looked back to the concerned Natsu. If it hadn’t been for the black fur, Haruka would of turned pale at the sight. “Nyaaaa!?” Instantly closing her mouth, she was mortified at the sound that came out. Oh my god! He’s a cat…I’m a cat! This is not happening right meow.

To further her strange day, a larger cat came swooping in. He picked up Natsu by the skin of his neck easily. Ordering to follow, she had no choice but to. As much as she hated the Spymaster (…err, Spykitty?), she had to make sure he would be safe. Tripping over herself once more, she stubbornly rose up and bade her paws to obey. Prancing after the beast who had her comrade-turned-kitten, she disappeared into the lush forest.

She was shocked to see the feline talk as easily as any human. Was it because she was a cat now that she could understand the older cat? Either way, he had lead them to a kitten paradise. She nearly fell over as Natsu played along so easily. What the hell is he doing, nyaaa~? No matter, Haruka played along with the tiger kitten that was once was ninja. Nodding her head and swaying her tail to and fro, the black Shima-kitten edged closer to Natsu.

 

[Shinrya Kitsune]

Re: Hurry, Hurry! The Boat Is About To Leave! [Contract Sear

”I am Taiga. Protector of this feline haven.” he said proudly as he sat down and looked at the two kittens. ”However, I don’t remember the two of you. You just arrived here, correct?” he asked them in a serious tone, completely ignoring Natsus exclamation of them having been fine on their own. ”King huh? Well. Clearly someone’s meowt grandiose ideas about themselves.” Taiga said and smirked, if it could be called a smirk. ”Before you become anything, you have to learn first. Can’t have an uneducated king. Doesn’t work like that-nya.” and, as if upon queue, he got up and directed the two kittens to the feeding area.

While Natsu and Haruka were at the feeding area, Taiga had wandered off to patrol the area, and make sure no intruders got in. At the feeding area, Natsu and Haruka would see lots of kittens eating their little hearts out (figuratively) and after eating, they’d run off and play with some of all the toys, sharpen their claws on a scratch post, or just curl up in piles and sleep.

Now, what kind of education would a kitten need to become king? Well. He’d need to learn to keep himself in tip-top shape, he’d need to learn how to get along with others, and he’d need to learn when to say no. So in Natsus case, he’d need to learn everything. Hopefully for him, Haruka could be of some assistance there due to the sparks flying between the two. At the very least she could play the antagonist role for Natsus learning to get along with others training.

Of course. Being shinobi, Natsu and Haruka weren’t like the other kitties at all, and it showed in how they moved, how they talked, and how they seemed completely overwhelmed by all of this. They’d have to learn quickly if they wanted to be on good terms with all the other cats. It wouldn’t take much brain activity to figure out that the cats weren’t just cats, but cats in perfect tune with nature. Hopefully Natsu and Haruka would discover why they were there before their time ran out~

 

[Hameru Ren]

Re: Hurry, Hurry! The Boat Is About To Leave! [Contract Sear

Natsu perked his ears, something he actually could do now, as the large cat in front of him replied. Unfortunately, the feline revealed little information. ‘A feline haven’ had been clear from looking at their surroundings. And whether the creature was called Taiga, Simba or Snoop Lion, if he was simply a protector and not an actual ruler, he'd be pointless to bargain with. The Spymaster had plenty of experience when it came to dealings with nobles, lords and ladies, even chancellors and Khals. Yet not protectors, certainly not of the feline kind. Thus the Spymaster saw little else he could do but follow along to the feeding area.

"Will you go get the current King for me? I'll need to know who to surpass after all!" He inquired as they trotted over. He'd keep up the pretense of innocent kitten for now. That didn't mean he wouldn't try to reason with the guy in charge around here. And thus giving his current cover, this seemed about the best way to go about it. Taiga however seemed to ignore him once more, trotting off to scout the area. "Well.. I certainly did not expect this. I'm not dreaming, am I?" He questioned the Med-Nin turned cat. "Let's see if we can something out of these other cats, huh?"

With that, and after hearing the black kitten's response, he'd try and ask one of the many new.. friends? Truth be told, Natsu wasn't too familiar with the pets. He knew they were arrogant, sleeping more than half of the time and you could either adore them or not care about them in the slightest. There was a slightly insane cat-lady who worked at the Torre as a secretary. Seeing her, he figured it was probably for the best he belonged to the latter group. After this experience however, he might come to love the furry little creatures after all. Admittedly, they looked rather darn cute lying in the basket.

"mYow! Could you te-.." He started friendly and cheerily enough to a nearby kitty. "Excuse me! I was practicing here! Every truly cultured music student knows you must learn your scales and your arpeggios!" She said, clearly offended that she had been interrupted like that. Natsu didn't even get a chance to apologize before the turned around and started repeating 'Do mi do mi do so mi do' over and over. Slightly off-tune. The Chunin turned cat decided it was best to just leave and find another feline to talk to, yet every single one of them seemed so much more busy with their own selves.

After ten minutes of fruitless asking around, he sighed. How could he get all of their attention? Either caught up in themselves or their games, the most he had gotten out of any one of them was that he walked rather silly. Well, haters are always going to hate, but surely somehow there is a way.. Of course! If cats could grin, the Donut Kitten was doing it right now. Looking around for a while, he found one sure enough. The perfect object to get any cat's attention! Dashing off to Haruka, he'd ask for her help and explain his brilliant plan. Being turned into a kitty had seemingly sweetened her mood, for she agreed quite swiftly. And so the duo parted once more, each off to their own part;

Crawling on top of a slightly higher-placed rock, the Shinobi looked at the various cats in the area. A few of them had noticed, and some even kept watching for a moment to see what he'd be doing. Or maybe to steal the spot it'd prove to be a nice sleeping area. Instead, he shouted. "ROOAAAAR!" Yes, he shouted. He had hoped he secretly might've been turned into a lion cub, but alas, it seemed he was only a kitten. Thankfully, some more kittens turned to look at his odd behavior on top of the rock. Some were openly laughing with him even. Just wait! He had after all, given the secret sign to Haruka. And she stuck true to the plan, as a red dot suddenly sped over the area.

Moving past every cat on the plains, each and every single one of them followed it as if hypnotized. Thank god he had endured the crazy cat-lady and heard about the odd little game she played with her pets. And just like the woman had described, most of them quickly got on their feet to chase the little red thing. Natsu awaited his time, sticking true to the plan. As it hit the agreed spot, he lunged down from the rock. Pouncing on top of the red spot, he placed his paws on it. All of the other cats froze, intently staring down at where he had pinned the red devil to the ground. "I have caught the Red Lightning!" He exclaimed, raising his paw, the dot following so it remained in the middle of his paw, for all to see.

"Oi, Taiga-Sama! I did it." He announced proudly, as he had finally spotted the larger cat. Next to him walked Haruka and behind them, close to the entire swarm of kitties. "I became a King." He clarified, grinning fiercely. "So, surely you can get us to meet the other King now, right?" If they could get out of this kitten-land and meet with whoever was responsible for this place, perhaps the duo could figure how or why they had transformed into cats. And how to undo the process! Hopefully..

[Word Count: 919]
[Marked for Training]

 

[Sanageyama Masaoko]

Re: Hurry, Hurry! The Boat Is About To Leave! [Contract Sear

“Looks like we are on our meown…own!” She grumbled, frustrated with the situation. Taiga leaped off to fulfill his duties, leaving the two shinobi kitties alone. Haruka had to admire Natsu’s brilliant cover up. He was quick on his feet. Maybe he wasn’t so incompetent after all. She wouldn’t hold him to it just yet. They had to successfully get out of this situation. A strange situation indeed. Demanding to see a feline king was the first step, but if Taiga left the two to their own devices they’d have to find a way on their own.

She wondered if this was all some strange dream, but it felt too real. This led to better questions, how did they even turn into cats? What was this place? Who was in charge? And, why Natsu and Haruka of all people? The tiger kitten was already forming a plan. She trampled behind him as he went to approach their fellow feline. But, he was denied by the female kitty as fast as he would have been denied by any woman in human form. Natsu’s luck ran dry as he struck out with all the little cats who were busy with other activities. Haruka snickered a bit. Teasing, she remarked, “brilliant plan, Do-San.” Her cute pink tongue poked out as she purred with contentment.

He skipped over her comment, conjuring a plan to free them of this form. The dark haired kitten rather liked the plan. A bit more thought out than his previous one. She was game for anything as long as everything was returned to normal. Her little paws pranced quickly up a cluster of rocks, higher than Do Natsu. She tucked herself out of view, acquainting herself with the device until he gave the signal.

She giggled at his goofy antics. He was quite the performer, something she could appreciate after all her years in the theatre. When the signal was fired, she placed her paws on both sides of the pointer. Using her paws to pivot the laser, she clicked it on with her nose. Natsu was right. The band of furballs were entranced by the almighty and magical red light. She pivoted the light around so they were able to catch it. At the right moment, she placed it in the spot below. The tiger kitty triumphantly sprang off the rock and onto the beam.

Click!

The light switched off as silence struck the crowd. The anticipation killed every single kitty as they waited for confirmation that the elusive light had finally been conquered. As instructed before, Natsu lifted his paw as she clicked it back on and followed the middle pad of his paw. The cats mewed in celebration. During the ruckus, she clicked off the light and slide back down to her partner’s side. “Impressive. Perhaps I was a bit wrong about you.” She quietly confessed as he led the band of kittens to Taiga.

Now, all Haruka could do was hope that this was enough to meet the feline king…

[MFT. 505]

 

[Shinrya Kitsune]

Re: Hurry, Hurry! The Boat Is About To Leave! [Contract Sear

Taiga looked at the striped kitten with disbelief. King? This little kitty? Hardly. Taiga roared with laughter and placed a paw on Donut’s head ”Sure enough, your meowjesty. When you’ve got the ability to take me down in paw-to-paw combat. Cato-a-cato.” he said with a condescending smirk before removing his paw from Natsu’s head and then turning his back on the two shinobi-kitties and walking away, presumably to continue his duties as a protector of the kitty haven. So apparently he didn’t want to play ball with Natsu and Haruka. They’d have to think of something completely different. What would a kitty do if it didn’t get what it wanted?

Normally, one would take a step back and look at the bigger picture, see if there was another way to get to your objective and in this case… There was one thing that Natsu and Haruka could do. They could enjoy being kitties for a bit, because unknown to them was the fact that the so called king of the kitties would be showing himself later that very same day. Now, what did kitties to do pass the time? They played, they ate, and they slept. Surely that couldn’t be too horrible for the two shinobi-kitties to spend an afternoon doing, now could it?

 

[Hameru Ren]

Re: Hurry, Hurry! The Boat Is About To Leave! [Contract Sear

Hissing in disapproval of the condescending laughter and pat, Natsu looked up angrily. Perhaps it was the feline nature creeping into his own attitude, but the little kitten didn't like it one bit. As the larger beast dismissed his words and turned his back, the Spymaster tried a final attempt. Arching his back, he shouted. "I'll do it right meow if you want! Or are you scared you might lose your title of protector, huh?" The words didn't seem to have any effect and the lynx simply stalked back off towards the brushes.

"Hmmphp." Natsu muttered, before turning around. Most of his 'army' had abandoned him, seeing how Taiga had belittled him and gotten away unscathed. The odd little kitten might've caught the Red Lightning but if he couldn't take down the protector of the Valley, then what good would he be outside of the paradise? In fact, why would they even want to leave paradise? No, better to drink, eat and play all day. Thinking about it like that, Natsu figured he could just as well enjoy it for now. His plan hadn't worked and no other immediately came to mind.

"So.. I guess we'll be stuck here for a mwhile longer, huh? I'm sorry for causing this. If I had mnown, I wouldn't have called you out for the.. Harsh words earlier." Natsu apologized to Haruka. Truthfully, it wasn't his fault at all. But he had to apologize for his crudely chosen words earlier anyway. Best get the two out of the way at the same time. Whether she would accept them or not was entirely up to her, but Natsu wouldn't try and chase after her if she decided to storm off angrily. Best let it rest and think of a plan. While drinking some milk and playing with a ball of thread perhaps? That didn't sound half bad.

[Word Count: 313]
[Marked for Training]

 

[Sanageyama Masaoko]

Re: Hurry, Hurry! The Boat Is About To Leave! [Contract Sear

She wanted to scream, or more like hiss! The plan hadn’t worked. Even Haruka would admit that it was brilliant despite being the handy work of Natsu’s. None of that matter though if the guardian of the kitty sanctuary was not impressed. Her hair stood on end as her tail straightened in lightning irritation. Apparently her kitty comrade was impatient too, hissing a challenge to Taiga before he sprung off in apathetic evasion.

Their following of feline furballs had decreased with the arrival of Natsu’s denial to meet their king. She was left standing beside him in an unwelcomed privacy. She glanced at him as he attempted to heal the ties between them, but at this point the midnight furred kitten did not want to hear it. She merely harrumphed and turned her back to the tiger striped kitten. Her tail swished in the air with condescension.

“Nevermind that. I want to change back. The least you can do is try and fix that.” The anger was mostly because she was stuck in such a ridiculous form. Haruka often had a hard time directing her angry and irritation in the right direction. She sauntered off to go take a cat nap in a mountain of unraveled yarn. Unfortunately, some other kittens wanted to play. They swatted at her ears and tried to pin her tail before she hissed and took off.

“Ugh!” I HATE CATS! She thought with such fury, careful not to say it aloud so as to draw hostile attention to herself. Haruka found Natsu. Settling down near him she huffed. “Where is this king? I’m beginning to think he isn’t even real.”

[WC: 275]

 

[Shinrya Kitsune]

Re: Hurry, Hurry! The Boat Is About To Leave! [Contract Sear

As the other kitties left, a single one stayed behind, watching the interactions between the striped kitten and the jet black one. It was odd really; they talked with each other as if they weren’t even supposed to be here. But if that was the case… Then they didn’t actually belong there, and were – in fact – intruders from the outside world. He kept on watching the two strange kittens and eventually ended up deciding to make his presence known to the two. He walked over to the two and cleared his throat. ”Excuse mew. ” he said and looked first at Haruka and then at Natsu.

”I couldn’t help but overhear. But the two of you speak as if you don’t belong here.” he said to the pair ”If you indeed don’t belong here, then who brought you here?”
Depending on their answer, a multitude of things could happen. The other kitten could cry for help. It could cry out for Taiga. It could reveal their secret about not belonging. Or, it could reveal itself as being the very kitten they had been seeking. Unknown to them, it was the kitten king sitting right there, in front of them.

And if it indeed was Taiga that had brought them here, then they were meant for something even the kitten king couldn’t stop from happening. And, of course, it was Taiga that had grabbed Natsu by the skin of his neck and told Haruka to follow… So Taiga was indeed the correct answer, and hopefully they’d have the sense to just fess up so they could get on with their lives. As kitties. Because the moderator of this very thread enjoys seeing his friends as helpless ninja-kittens at his mercy. Or more accurately, because they had a purpose to fulfill in the land of cats.

 

[Hameru Ren]

Re: Hurry, Hurry! The Boat Is About To Leave! [Contract Sear

Grunting, Natsu had to agree with Haruka. For all her irrational anger and annoyance with him, she did have a point. He'd always assumed the King of Cats to be a majestic Lion or such. There were no sights like that to behold here however. A bunch of harmless kitties and that hairball of a Taiga. "Cowering, just like that Taiga I'd wager. That or taking a royal nap perhaps." He said, partially joking though it very well could be true. The Spymaster-turned-cat stretched out, clawing his nails into the earth as a voice next to them rang out.

Giving the kitten a look over, Natsu decided that it definitely was an odd one. Of course, it wasn't as if he was a cat-expert. But being one yourself and soon thereafter being surrounded by more than a hundred afterwards gave a person some insight, y'know? This one wasn't like the others who had mindlessly followed him after the clever trick and then left. He seemed to be genuinely interested and a tad smarter. Or cared more anyway. Enough to distinguish them as not belonging there. Oh how right the kitten was!

Natsu glanced over at his companion. Unless she'd intervene, he'd turn his attention back to the cat. "You're right. We don't belong here. We were travelling through the forest before Taiga found us. He brought us over here and told us to play." He confessed, though hiding certain details. If the kitten would do something harmful.. Well, the Cloud-Nin were with two so they had the edge. And if that wasn't the case, he'd likely be able to supply them with more information. "We were hoping to return soon, but honestly wouldn't have an idea how. Could you help us perhaps?"

[Word Count: 313]
[Marked for Training]

 

[Sanageyama Masaoko]

Re: Hurry, Hurry! The Boat Is About To Leave! [Contract Sear

A lone kitten approached them. How strange, seeing as up until now they all had a litter mentality and never strayed far from each other. She laid near Natsu with growing irritance, listening to the two converse back and forth. Why bother shying around the situation as Natsu had. She just wanted to get out of here. Maybe this kitty cat was different from the rest and could help the two. She just wanted to be on that boat to miss and surely, Rozan was wondering where the two were by now.

“Ugh, enough of these games.” She stated, standing up fully to meet the two. “Look, your stupid guardian grabbed us and brought us here. We don’t belong here. We are humans, nya! Something happened and we changed and I’d really appreciate not being a furball anymeow. It’s bad enough I have to be stuck with him in this situation.” She said pointing a paw at Natsu, her little claws showing now as she got more angered at the situation. “We were trying to meet your king in hopes that maybe he knew what was going meon, but Taiga won’t let us see him.”

Her little outburst was enough to gather attention. Haruka really had a hard time keeping things calm when one little problem after another happened. She was already mad enough when the trek began, but now this? What was Raiden trying to tell her? This must have been punishment for something. I promise I’ll be nicer- oh no I won’t!

 

[Shinrya Kitsune]

Re: Hurry, Hurry! The Boat Is About To Leave! [Contract Sear

The strange kitten grinned. ”So Taiga did, eh? That means you’re supposed to be here. For what purpose, I don’t know. And until you’ve completed said purpose, you’re going to stay as you are: Kittens.” it said ”The world works in mysterious ways, and the realm of cats and even the realm of spirits work in even weirder ways. Why, the other day I saw a dog walk right past me as if I didn’t even exist.” Obviously the kitten had a screw or two loose, or did he? He seemed very sure of himself, even if he was just a kitten.

”So you’re wanting to meet with the king, hm? I can take you to him.” the kitten said and yawned while stretching ”Taiga is just trying to protect the king from anything that might harm him. But it’s common knowledge that the king does as he wants whether Taiga likes it or not. Even if Taiga is a huge cat compared to the rest of us.” he continued before gesturing for the two kitties to follow his lead, and then he started to walk back towards the playgrounds, taking things in his own pace, and if Natsu and Haruka tried to hurry him up, he’d just sit down and maybe lick his paws a bit. Y’know. Cat stuff.

After the short walk back to the playgrounds, he led them to a hidden passage, and without a word went in, following it up, up and up, to the top of a huge tree. Or, well, huge for a kitten, not that huge for a person. Once they arrived up at the top, the kitten made sure they were all alone before sitting down. ”Now, as I said before. You’re supposed to be here. And while I might not know why, I do know someone that does. As the king of this place, I’m authorized to request information from the realm of spirits. Cat spirits that is.” the king said with a sly grin before he went into some form of trance. His eyes began to glow bright blue, and the markings on his body would glow as well.

A few minutes of silence passed, and suddenly, the glowing faded out and he blinked, his eyes returning to normal. ”Well then. I have the information you seek. Your task is simple. For now, rest up, eat, play, and enjoy yourselves. Tomorrow begins your trials. You can always prepare yourself if you’re feeling restless. The first trial is a climbing challenge. Remember the scratchpost in the courtyard? On the top of that, there is a flag. The two of you will be timed. If you can beat the set time, you’ll continue to the next trial.”

 

[Hameru Ren]

Re: Hurry, Hurry! The Boat Is About To Leave! [Contract Sear

Raising his paw, the Shinobi-turned-cat pressed it against his forehead. Of course Haruka would just shout out the truth. He could understand her annoyance about the entire situation, but did she not understand the possible consequences? For all the two Cloud-Nin knew, this kitten paradise was quite hostile to outsiders. Actually, the sheer fact that there hadn't been any blaring alarms; red, swirling alarm lights and entire swat team of Ninja Kittens had dropped in on their location quite surprised Natsu.

The reaction from the other kitty surprised him equally as much though. The little weirdo reacted very calm, even amused at the fact that such a thing had happened. Then it switched into a very cryptic mood before turning straight back into complete randomness. Great, they'd gotten the oddball of the pack. Natsu was about to face-paw again, before the odd little kitten informed them he could take both Natsu and Haruka to the King. Something told the Spymaster it likely was untrue but then again.. What other chance did they have? And so, he followed the weird little cat.

The walk had been annoying, but Natsu managed to refrain from complaining about it. It wouldn't help them one bit anyway, seeing the frivolous nature of the cats they had met so far. The trip up the tree was a wee bit surprising, but Natsu cared too little about it. He just wanted to meet the damn king. Finally the odd little cat came to a halt and deemed it time to talk again. And what he had to say made Natsu almost laugh at his face. "You are the Cat King?" He repeated, clearly not quite believing it. Then he noticed the odd trance state.

Oooooookay, so maybe he is telling at least some form of truth.. Natsu thought, stepping back a few paces. Whatever this magicks was, he did not want to get caught up in it. Only when the weird glow disappiated and the King spoke again, did Natsu feel the urge to face-paw. "You will tell us how to return to our human forme if we climb a pole? Tccch. How many of these trials are you planning, Cat King?" The Spymaster asked, lightly agitated at the oddness of this entire situation. Perhaps it was the stress of the situation, or perhaps 'cause he had been turned into a cat, but his temper seemed a lot harder to hide. Regardless of the answer, he quickly turned around and made his way back down.

This challenge is too easy. Natsu thought to himself. He had spent the past hour at the scratching post, clambering up and jumping back down. Perhaps it was because the sensation of the claws felt rather natural to him. After all, as a Kaguya it wasn't odd for his bones and nails to get stuck into things. The transition to hacking his claws into the post, flexing his hind legs and launching himself into a jump up higher before repeating the same process was minimal effort. Thus, as the challenge arrived after an entire night of sleeping and enjoying a large breakfast, Natsu had no issue racing up the post. He didn't have a timer, or knowledge of the current record. But with this speed and technique, he doubted the old record would stand much of a chance.

 

[Sanageyama Masaoko]

Re: Hurry, Hurry! The Boat Is About To Leave! [Contract Sear

Either this kitten was one crazy cat or he knew something that the two of them obviously missed. Of course, he’d only give them help in cryptic ways. Such is a cat. They were mysterious and in some ways, gods. They did as they wanted and people still worshiped them. He told the pair that the king did as he please, Taiga was just a mere guardian who was bigger than the rest of them. Wait, so…The king was a kitten too then? She wondered if that’s what he meant. The cat led them through the play area for a leisurely stroll. She was almost sure that this psychotic cat didn’t even know his own itinerary. She shot Natsu a furious glare as if to say: Fix this. Now.

But, of course, he had no need to intervene. A hidden path was revealed to them and they climbed a rather tedious trek up to the top of the tree. She stretched out, her claws involuntarily kneading into the bark of the tree before curling up to listen to the kitten’s ramble. She nearly sprang up, fur standing on end. He was the Cat King!? This crazy little furball? Even Natsu voiced his doubts, but both were laid to rest as the king began a ritual to summon cat spirits. Very spooky and laughable at the same time, she would add.

They would wait another day in this insufferable form? What about Cereza and Rozan? This would worry the party no doubt, but somehow Natsu seemed to throw his duties out the window for a challenge. She guessed it was the only way they were going to change back, so she resigned to protest. Haruka decided to follow suit with Donut. She would practice for as long as she could. If this was going to change her back, then Haruka would of ran drills of climbing up a pole until kingdom come. The technique came to her in small parts. She would often sit and watch Natsu to see if she could gain anything from the Kaguya. He seemed so at home in this body. She was slowly learning how to exude the grace and precision that she had in her human form as a Haku woman.

There were other trials though, and she wondered just what else the Cat King had for them.

[MFT. 393]