At Last, Arrival (GttS Phase II Stage 4)

[Tensei Kaori]

The desert sun weighed upon the caravan like the indomitable force it was. They had been in the desert since morning, and the climate had only gotten warmer since then. It was now early afternoon, and through the wagon's window Kaori could see the heat making the whole desert appear to dance. She hoped everyone was all right; she and Akina had had to treat three people already who didn't seem to think that drinking more water in this heat to be very important. Akina had left to teach the rookies about safety in the desert, while Kaori herself, clad in full traditional Hokage garb, felt ready to melt.

Even with the ability of Touonna Jikokisei¹, one of her most convenient creations, there was only so much she could do. Either she could conserve the chakra she had just regained by 'fueling' the jutsu's cooling effect through mass consumption of water, or she could conserve their precious water and use her chakra foolishly. In the end she had decided to use as little chakra as possible and tried to squeeze as much as she could out of her ration of the water for that day. She felt ready to strangle whoever had designed the robes of the five Kage to be so bloody hot. Not only was she wearing her usual red and white ensemble - with a few pieces of light armor underneath, in light of the recent attacks - but she was coccooned within the rich folds of red and white silk, the traditional garb of the Hokage since there had been a Hokage in office to coccoon. The Villagers of Sand were sticklers for tradition and formality, so to arrive in anything less than her formal best would be seen as an insult to their way of life. The other Konoha shinobi had been instructed of this as well, and she knew some of the younger Chuunin would be grumbling about donning navy uniforms and Flak Jackets. The more experienced either knew to keep quiet or simply didn't care.

Her white paper fan fluttered furiously as she attempted to use a self-generated breeze to use Touonna Jikokisei to greater effect, but it didn't do much. She sighed, snapped it shut, then decided that it was better to have the slight breeze and flicked it open again. It was right then that a group of ANBU entered - after knocking, of course - and awoke her from her irritated reverie.

"What's the report?" She asked them, trying to keep her ill temper out of her voice.


¹Touonna Jikokisei - Isothermal Self-Regulation (A medical jutsu created by Kaori with which the user controls their internal body temperature. There are different variations based on external climate and how much chakra the user has to spare)

[Tensei Kaori]

As she moved from wagon to wagon and group to group underneath the sweltering sun, Akina silently thanked Kaori-sama for teaching her Touonna Jikokisei. Even if she couldn't use it to its fullest capacity, anything helped when wearing full Jounin gear in the middle of a desert.

She had already treated three people for heat exhaustion, and Kaori-sama had seen to others who had come to the lead wagon asking for help. If this kept up, both of them would need to tap into the extra water reserves, which wouldn't be good - Kaori-sama had ordered those be saved so the injured could have all the water they needed, but if the doctors in the group were worn out, that would be even worse.

Paper fan fluttering in her hand, she continued to make her rounds, hoping for an excuse to stop and rest in the shade of a wagon for awhile.

[Tensei Kaori]

Originally Posted by Sergeant Tenny

Looking out of the wagon into the early afternoon sun, Masato noticed Akina-sama walking on rounds through the caravan. The hot sun seemed to be wreaking havoc with the Jounin, especially in full battle gear. Calling out, he said, "Akina-sama! May I have a word with you in this wagon?"

[Tensei Kaori]

Akina turned to see who was addressing her. Wondering if she would be directed to another patient, she simply nodded. "Sure," she replied, and made her way over. As she stepped inside the wagon, she felt better immediately. Sure, the air was still in here, but it was cooler - and besides, she had her fan.

"What can I do for you?" she asked.

[Tensei Kaori]

Originally Posted by Sergeant Tenny

Masato blushed slightly, suddenly feeling foolish. This was a Jounin, and specifically the assistant to the Hokage, surely something like the heat wouldn't bother her. Undeterred, however, he spoke up. "Well, actually... It just seemed that it was rather hot outside, and you could use a reason to come into one of the wagons to cool down. Plus, since I wear... well, since I don't wear Jounin battle gear, I don't need as much water." He said, indicating his sleeveless shirt. Holding out his canteen, he said, "Here, Akina-sama... you seem to be burning chakra and water quickly, or so my byakugan says. I don't need it as much as you do," he said with a small grin.

[Tensei Kaori]

Akina blinked. She didn't quite know what to say. He was right, of course - he wasn't wearing the heavy Jounin gear, and no one could fool the Byakugan - but it just didn't seem right to take water from someone else, especially a Genin. As a Jounin, she was supposed to be taking care of the younger shinobi - not the other way around. Before she started looking odd, she smiled. "Thank you," she said warmly. "You're right - But I can't take the whole thing from you. Sleeveless shirt and shade or no, you'll still do some serious damage to yourself without water in this weather. Why don't we share it, instead? And you'd better not be my next heat exhaustion patient," she added - only half jokingly.

[UchihaJyounochi]

Iro stirred where he was propped against the wall. His body was still sore all over, and the heat wasn't helping to much.

"Why does my hair have to be so long..." he muttered to himself.

For once, Iro was happy to be out of his usual clothes, his clans thick garb would not prove very comfotable in this weather. If there was any upside to being injured, it meant that he could relax with just the bandages over his chest.

The caravan would soon be arriving in sand, which meant he could finally get a chance to get away from everyone.

*******************


Kozuki trodded forward in the blazing desert sun. She was still sulking that Kaori had made her pull out her old Jounin uniform. She could've very easily found something cooler... if not a bit less formal.... to wear in the heat.

"You're lucky you're so far away..." she said, half-heartedly shaking her fist at the sun. At least her team was safely tucked away in a wagon, out of the sunlight.

I might just have to stop by for a little visit later on, she thought with a smile.

[Hatake Hiroshi]

What's the report? the Hokage asked of the ANBU.

Aijou spoke up first. "Everything's clear, Hokage-sama! They're awaiting our arrival..."

"They were wondering where we weeeere!" Ryuji said in a mischievous, high-pitched voice. Then he quickly lowered it again. "I told them how I heroically saved the entire caravan single handedly from an army of hundreds of terribly powerful missing nins! And I barely sustained any injuries, amazingly!" He struck a valiant pose, staring off into the distance, sunlight gleaming off of is stark-white ANBU mask.

Haruki just stood shaking his head, his arms crossed in front of him. "Shut up! You had the worst injuries of anyone!"

"Hey!" Ryuji squeaked at his comrade before turning back to the Hokage. "Naaah! I'm just kiddin'! I just told them we were delayed and that you would elaborate more once we arrived."

~*~*~*~

Kohana sat, propped up inside one of the wagons, fanning herself vigerously with her hands, trying to keep cool. The evil, acursed sun! She had changed into her normal genin outfit, though, no matter if it covered less or not, it was still hot, and the cloth stuck to her skin. She felt so sticky, and desperately craved a nice, cooool shower. To help ease the discomfort, she removed all of the bandages around her arms and legs, and even removed her sandals and forehead protector.

She let her head fall back, resting it against the inside of the wagon. "Are we there yet!?

[Tensei Kaori]

Kaori couldn't help but chuckle at the energetic young ANBU. In a way, she missed being part of their ranks. After all, it was her ANBU days that first led her to meet.... no, she couldn't think about that just now.

"Good, good," she said. "I'd hate for our allies to think that we had fought yet another war on the way to their village," she told Ryuji mischievously, "even with the great hero Enjou Ryuji here to save the day." She winked. "But you know, some girls think scars are really attractive, hm?"

[Tensei Kaori]

Originally Posted by Sorien

Sorien was quite happy in this temperature. In fact he flourished in it. The high heat somehow sped up his metabolism, thus giving him more energy. He felt somewhat like a poikilotherm (Cold blooded). The thought of living out here had crossed his mind, but there was that thought in the back of his mind, that in living in a high temperature like this, he would become weaker to the cold, and that would be the last thing he'd want.

Silent, unspoken words travelled between him and Mazrakiel. Sorien replied out loud. Appearing to be talking to himself. "Its not hot. Its DELICIOUS weather".

[Hatake Hiroshi]

Good, good, the Hokage said after a chuckle. I'd hate for our allies to think that we had fought yet another war on the way to their village, she told Ryuji mischievously, even with the great hero Enjou Ryuji here to save the day. But you know, some girls think scars are really attractive, hm?

Ryuji beamed from behind his mask.

"Don't flatter him, Hokage-sama," Haruki said, coming up beside his comrade, and nudging him in the side. "He'll get big-headed."

"Hey!" Ryuji whined. "I will not!"

"We should be on our way, Hokage-sama," Aijou suggested. "We don't want to keep them waiting."

[Tensei Kaori]

Kaori chuckled inwardly at the conversation between the two ANBU. There was no doubt about it, this particular squad never let things get boring.

"Agreed," she replied to Aijou. "Unfortunately, it won't be possible to put on much speed with this heat. They know we're coming, intact, and that's all we can hope for now." She whiped perspiration away from her eyes with a handkerchief. "Well, maybe that and some decent cool air...." She shook her head. Now there was wishful thinking.

"Stay close to the caravan for now," she told them. "If something were to happen in this heat, it'd be bad if we were strung out all over the place."

[Kiri]

There seemed to be a good deal of activity going on as Nadameru walked alongside one of the caravans, eyes passing lazily over her surroundings. Although she cared little one way or the other about the heat, in the very least she was more comfortable than her companions. She moved a hand to rub the back of her neck gently as she peered up at the glaring sun. Her body was soaking up the warmth like a sponge.

"It's not hot.... it's DELICIOUS weather."

Nada turned her head at the sound of the ecstatic voice to see Sorien walking along with a less-than-ecstatic Mazrakiel. Laughing softly, she let her hand drop to her side again and shook her head. Her expression changed as she looked ahead, wondering how long it would be before they reached their destination. The state of the majority of the caravan in this heat was a real cause for worry.

[Tensei Kaori]

Originally Posted by SeraphMazrakiel

Underneath the shadow of one of the wagons, Mazrakiel slid along the ground in his Kagetokeru form -- Sorien, who walked alongside it, seemingly spoke to himself, enjoying the heat of the sun Mazrakiel tried to hide from. The great thing about Kagetokeru is that he felt none of the heat, for there was nothing to feel as a shadow. No feeling of heat nor cold; none of these could touch him in his shadowy haven. All he felt was where he could and couldn't tread -- the edge of the wagon's shadow marked the edge of his world.

"It's not hot... it's DELICIOUS weather," Sorien remarked.
"Pffff. Speak for yourself, flameboy. The only place this sun feels good is when it's not touching you. Give me night time, any day!.... or night, as the case might be."

[Tensei Kaori]

Originally Posted by Sorien

Sorien laughed out loud at Maz's reply, and the shear irony of it. Anyone watching Sorien, in the hot weather, laughing, and appearing to be talking to himself, might beleive that he had gone mad.

Full of energy, and the sun making him merry, he began to hum a tune, nothing in particular, just a series of notes in no particular order. Silently, a conversation began between Maz and Sorien once more.