Who's eyes are in the shade (Tsume) [Bijuu]

Sun was shining bright as two figures were running through an open field. Youmu and Tsume have been running like this with little stops to eat and sleep ever since they left Lightning Country. Sure, they have already adjusted their pace and were not dashing but keeping their speed steady. Sometimes they had to dash because of lack of time, especially because when Tsume used to fall asleep during those small stops and it used to be difficult to wake him up, then small stops were becoming long breaks. And though Yousei said to hurry, they were traveling quite fast, they should still have some time, if there was a limit at all.

Youmu slowed down a bit as they approached the forest... the forest, at last, no more burning in this cruel sun, at least for a while. She felt a different grass under her foot as she entered forest's shade. There was more life in here, than in the fields, because many animals took shelter here from the sun. It was a fresh air that made Youmu stop, she didn't want to rush anymore, especially since they are so close to their destination. They walked a bit more into shadows of forest and found a place to settle down for a while. "Here we shall rest, after all we were running nearly non-stop these two days and we'll need our strength ahead..." She sat down under a tree and relaxed, then she remembered that Tsume has no idea, or at least she hasn't told him yet what they're after and why did they rush all this way. Sure, he needed to know, if she was to expect his help in the end, but she found it difficult to explain everything now. "Listen, while we are resting, I try to explain our goal and what we will need to do to achieve it..."

From the border of the Kaminari no Kuni they were running. Through mountain passages, through valleys. Many forests have they passed and many rivers crossed. This whole rushing, without knowing destination, felt very nostalgic. Though in those older days Tsume and his sensei weren't running somewhere, no... They were running from someone. No matter where did they go, the story somehow turned out to be the same. Sensei wasn't liked there and so someone decided to silence Tsume's sensei forever. A fight.... And then a long run... Not so much time has passed since last event like that but it already seemed like a distant past. Good old times... Though back then boy wasn't very happy about those things happening. He wanted that some day they would find a place where instead of fighting they could just stop and relax, take good night sleep, eat something 'special'... When they reached Kumogakure and boy finally got his chance to relax, his eyes were filled with the tears of joy. He could sleep all day long and eat some fancy dishes. But soon this way of life turned out to be nothing but a fraud. Having more time than he could spent Tsume begun longing for 'the old days'. He really missed his sensei.

This all fresh air proved to be very useful for boy. Having time, while they were running, affected by fresh air, he begun thinking, that maybe it was him who screwed up all that time spent in Kumo. If he would have looked for it better, surely he would have found something to do. After carefully thinking about everything boy decided that he'll change his way of thinking. It was clear now that he'll have to spend a lot of his time in Kumo.

Tsume didn't notice all the miles he had already covered, they were nothing for his thoughts were somewhere else. He didn't notice that Youmu slowed down a bit. As she stopped, he nearly bumped into her. Once she sat down, Tsume finally woke up from his 'good old times' state, noticing that they're already in a forest. It was an old forest, willing to tell it's tale to those who knew how to listen. Trees here were very old. Some where more than 30 meters tall and this was still the beginning of the forest. Looking around, breathing deeply, boy remembered his day with the wolves... So many memories he had.

Pushing all the memories aside he threw his backpack on the ground and then sat down near Youmu. As he was looking around she had begun to talk but boy didn't listen, somehow he couldn't concentrate to those words. Now, finally awake from his memories boy turned to Youmu and making a grimace muttered "Rero" It seemed that girl wanted to talk with him about something important and he as an complete idiot was just playing. So he opened his backpack and took out his bag with rice balls in them. Taking one for himself and stretching his hand to offer another for his companion he was finally ready to hear out what she had to say. "Sorry... I wasn't listening before.... My bad, I think I got carried away...." He muttered chewing half of his rice ball. "So what was it that you wanted to say to me?"

Youmu became a bit nervous as she understood that Tsume wasn't listening to her at all. She stopped talking and observed as he opened his backpack, found a bag with rice balls in it, and offered one to her. "Sorry... I wasn't listening before.... My bad, I think I got carried away.... So what was it that you wanted to say to me?" She took the rice ball with a doubtful face. Youmu remembered that she didn't know if he was a ninja at all and if he could handle this possible danger even if he was one. She looked at his face, which was quite funny because he was listening to what she might say and chewing his rice ball at the same time. Then she looked at the rice ball she held in her hand and decided. "No, I won't drag him into this one, he was already a big help keeping company on the way here, I shouldn't repay him this way... maybe I will get a chance to better repay him in future."

Youmu looked back at Tsume. "I wanted to say..." She waited for him to finish the rice ball. "...I'm sorry." She instantly grabbed hilt of her Ghostblade, charged it with her chakra and while making it pass through the sheath as if nothing was there, she hit Tsume head with the hilt. (OOC: Yes yes, it's an autohit, but I have it arranged with Terakoishi, since he's away). The boy collapsed. It was an easy hit and he should wake up soon, but it was enough for Youmu to escape his questions and other problems. She placed her rice ball back into his backpack and ran deep into the forest.

It took less than ten minutes of running as she approached her destination, the Giant Tree.

OOc: Correct location you may now move onto actually getting the gobi if you know how.

(OOC: oh, since it's Gobi.... not Shichibi as I expected.... I'll just leave it to Wind and RP my way out.)

Youmu entered a clearing around the giant tree and felt the presence of something, something that was inside of the tree. That something was quite similar to what she expected, but yet different. Nearly no less powerful it would still bring terror and destruction if she was to awake it. Youmu came closer to the tree, placed her palm on it and released some of her chakra inside it, feeling the beast and its negative answer to her chakra. "Yes... yes, it's Gobi, no mistake... Damn, I wasted this whole journey and attacked Tsume for no purpose, most likely. Gonna ask uncle what to do now..." She muttered to herself and took out the scroll of contacting. Then she found a dry spot on the grounds and activated the contacting seal on the scroll. Slowly her chakra started to form above the scroll and after few moments she could see her uncle's face, it seamed like we was in a hurry, rushing somewhere.

"What is it? Did you find it?...." "Found a Bijuu, yes. But it's not the Shichibi, like we expected, but Gobi... Should I still proceed?" Yousei's eyes narrowed, he stopped. "Gobi, you say..... Gobi... No, Gobi doesn't suit us and isn't worth all that risk." "So, what should I do?" Yousei stopped thinking and continued rushing somewhere. "Nothing, get back to Kumogakure and continue the training I gave you. If I find out anything that might look like Shichibi again, I'll let you know..." He cut off the contact and his image dispersed.

Youmu picked up the scroll and packed it back. "And so... Gobi falls to unknown hands..." She slowly walked back into the forest, to the place where Tsume was still laying unconscious... the rain was falling all this time.

Everything slowly begun coming back. First the dim light reached boy's eyes, then the sound of wind soughing high above, gently scribbling tree tops. As time slowly passed, the feeling of wet, soft moss came back, the moss Tsume was lying on for last few hours unconscious. And finally, unexpected, like a lightning from the clear sky the sensation of pain, it felt like boy's head was cracked. Tsume opened his eyes and slowly sat crossing his legs. Rubbing his head, confused and lost, knowing not what to think he looked around. Youmu was gone, though she hadn't take any of Tsume's items. Only one thought came to Tsume's head. "What the hell was that?!" He begun putting his things back into back pack. The journey was suddenly over and without any explanation. Waiting for nothing thinking about what have happened, boy simply stood up and begun walking. "It seems, that I'll have to go back to Kumo.... But... What the hell was that...?!" He sighed and moved out. These events had no intentions to leave him alone but at least it guaranteed that there will be something to think about during those lonely nights...

Boy begun walking back, taking the same way he had just recently used with his mysterious companion. "I wonder is her name really Youmu...? If so I'll seek her out in Kumo"