sunshineverse | [Open] A dog day afternoon.

Initially, she hadn't really intended to end up spying on Kakashi. She'd wanted to spend a little time figuring out where her limits were, and she'd started to, but it was something she'd rather do privately. So when she sensed someone coming, someone who was incredibly well acquainted with her aunt, Karin took it upon herself to find the best hiding place she can and spy. Maybe he'd do something neat that she could talk him into teaching her?

She found a suitable tree and laid out on her stomach, feet in the air and her chin cradled in the palm of her good arm. (Just another thing she would need to work, not favoring an arm when she has two that work perfectly find again.) The other dangling limply over the edge of the branch.

She'd almost feel bad for spying, if not for the fact that he was a total dork when there was a dog nearby apparently.

Oh that gives her a terrible idea.

Grinning she gives it a moment more, curious if he'd notice her before she drops down to say hello of sorts. Shifting so she's sitting on the branch she pushes off and drops to the ground with a light thud. She straightens and walks over to crouch down next to him. "So this is where you're hiding, and what a cutie you've got there."

His fingers scritched and scratched across Bisuke's tummy; the dog cooing his approval unabashed, legs twitching and tail beating the ground to pulp. Kakashi had definitely chosen the right ninken to summon. Though all of his dogs loved belly rubs and attention as much as the next, Bisuke was the only one who'd take it gladly, no questions asked.

"Who's a good boy?" he asked, chuckling quietly at the little howl of happy response.

The unexpected voice startled him - how had someone managed to sneak up on him? Perhaps he was losing his touch - but he managed to mask it well as he looked up with his usual lazy expression. A shock of red hair caught his eye first, and if it wasn't Kushina then it could only be one other..

"Hiding? I'd like to think think that if I were hiding, I'd find a better place than this..." He smiled. "Long time no see, by the way."

Too cute, it's almost unfair. Though she does wish she had a camera so this moment could be memorialized in on of Kushina's photo albums. There has to be a place for Kakashi and a dog in one of them.

"Not sure you could actually hide from a local," she plops down elbows on her knees and her chin in her hands. Clearly expectant. "Training and stuff. I have a lot of ground to make up." She waves her cast free arm for emphasis.

She tilts her head her grin coming back, "Speaking of, you should teach me something cool while you're here."

"Ah," Kakashi mused as his fingers took a hold of Bisuke's raised paws, squishing them softly as he focused on Karin. "I heard about your accident. Are you fully recovered now?"

It had been some time since he'd last seen her, but he found himself feeling less estranged than he first thought thanks to the snippets of gossip he'd heard through the shinobi grapevine, and through Kushina herself.

"As flattering as that demand is," he chuckled quietly. "I'm not sure I'd be an appropriate teacher for you."

"Between my own efforts, Nagato, and time I've been cleared to participate fully in team and solo trainings." She nods.

Well she did more or less invade her childhood best friends life when he popped up again so this should not be surprising to anyone. She just doesn't do estrangement. You meet her and you're stuck with her end of story. Sorry Kakashi.

She pouts and points at the dog in his lap. "You are too, otherwise I'm going to tell anyone who listens that you're putty when around dogs."

"Okay, okay.." Kakashi raised his palms defensively. He was a smart man, he knew well enough that arguing with an Uzumaki was a bad idea; it was much easier and safer to comply with them. Perhaps he could get out of this one with something simple.

Bisuke gave a wheezing laugh at Kakashi's expense and hopped up out of the man's lap to stretch his hind legs. This gave Kakashi an opportunity to stretch his own, and he turned his body to regard Karin properly.

"What would you want me to teach you?"

"Yes!" She pumps her fist and grins. That's exactly what she wanted to hear him say.

Her attention shifting to Bisuke as he laughs. What does it say about the shinobi when his own ninken think it's funny he got blackmailed by a teenaged girl? She's still studying the dog when Kakashi asks her a question and shrugs in response.

"Something cool," she says. Vague but that was her requirement all along.

As Karin looked away, Kakashi followed her gaze and studied Bisuke with a contemplative look to which the dog tilted his head slightly in response, puzzled by the sudden attention he was getting. He was one of the quieter ninken; he wouldn't speak unless spoken to, preferring much more to sleep and eat.. But he had one hell of a nose.

It was difficult to determine which of his jutsu could be considered 'cool', especially since his arsenal was so large and since his target audience was a young girl... But the way she looked at Bisuke gave him an idea that saved him the effort of mentally scrolling through his abilities and also happened to need very little effort from the copy-nin himself, which suited him just fine.

"..Do you have a summons yet?" he asked, already able to predict her answer, but wanting to gauge her reaction first.

Just about anything could fall under the title of cool. She isn't exactly all perfume and rose petals, she likes new things as much as the next.

Shrugging she looks back to Kakashi. "No." It was probably pretty obvious that she doesn't with the way she was looking at Bisuke. She's seen summons but aside from a bird or two used for communication she's hasn't really thought to seek out someone to mentor her to get a contract.

"But I wouldn't mind one." Hint hint.

"Hmm.." he mused. He supposed it wouldn't hurt to try, and gave the little dog before them a knowing look. Bisuke responded with a nod, trotting over to Karin and sniffing at her knee, puzzling out her scent. He then padded slowly around her, looking her up and down with his squinted eyes and once he was done, he sat before her.

"Looks like she's good, boss!" Bisuke grinned decidedly. Kakashi took that moment to push himself to his feet, moving a little back into the training ground to give himself more room if this was going where he thought it might.

"Is a ninken contract cool enough for you?" he asked

Edited 2014-08-25 14:13 (UTC)

There's a beat where she stands there unsure of what was would happen next. She wasn't sure what to expect given neither the ninken or Kakashi actually said anything. She relaxes when the dog sniffs at her knee and proceeded to give her a full walk around which she tracks to the edges of her peripheral vision in an effort to not look like a total spaz spinning around as she's being circled.

Looks like? Her eyebrows go up and she turns her confusion on the man. What was that supposed to mean?

Oh! She has to ponder that question for less than a second before answering. "Yes." Who in their right mind would honestly say no to a contract with dogs as cute as the one currently nearby? Not her, and it means Kakashi has to teach her something it works out perfect.

He smiled, somewhat endeared by the thought of having someone else able to summon ninken, led under his experienced guidance... Almost like a protege, perhaps.
He raised his thumb to his lips to nip his skin before pressing his palm flat on the ground-

A shout and an explosion of smoke revealed the rest of Kakashi's pack, and atop the head of the largest dog sat a grumpy looking pug, his bored expression flicking between Karin and Kakashi.

"What's up, pup?"

"Hello, Pakkun." Kakashi answered with a polite smile, then gestured to Karin. "I have a favour to ask of you."

He explained the situation in detail - Karin's lack of a summon, his approval, Bisuke's confirmation - and once he was done Pakkun hopped down to sit before Karin.

"You got any experience with animals, Red?"

The possibility that this could become an actual thing, hasn't fully crossed her mind yet. She's still buzzing on her successful bribe to learn something cool.

Not that it prepares her for the smoke and accompanying sound when the rest appeared. So many, she didn't realize that he had so many. Karin can't help but stare as the smoke clears. She can't help but giggle a little when one calls Kakashi a pup. She knows she likely shouldn't, but who would really expect to hear a grown adult called pup by their own summons?

"Some, sort of. I've handled the messenger birds, had to feed them and the like." Her foot comes to a stop now that she's being addressed and not waiting for explanations to be given. She hopes that her limited experience won't be a problem.

"Feh, birds," the small dog huffed, his voice surprisingly low for a body so small and cute. "You've got a long, bumpy road ahead of you in that case."

Kakashi chuckled quietly as he stood off to the side, hands in his pockets. Pakkun might have been a little rougher with the approach, but he was the best choice for this job. If he liked Karin he would give her a simple route to gain her summon, but if there was even the slightest doubt in the old nin-hound's mind then Karin was in for the same grueling induction Kakashi had gone through in his youth.

Pakkun padded forward on little pink feet till he could lift his paws and prop himself up on her knee. "I'm Pakkun, by the way. If you're serious about giving this a shot, we should at least be polite about it."

Edited 2014-08-31 14:41 (UTC)

She pouts at the dog. She knows that caring for the birds isn't going to be the same but to completely dismiss what little experience she has? Rude much ninja dog?

She shoots Kakashi a glare. Don't laugh, this isn't funny you lazy masked troll.

"Karin, it's nice to meet you," she manages after a moment. She was going to have to get used to being crawled all over wasn't she? The birds didn't do that just prop themselves up on her knees they kind of just brushed by on their way to the food.

Pakkun gave her answer a short nod, then he leaned in to snuffle at her.

"I'll tell you what I told the pup," Pakkun started as he plodded back over to the group of ninken, seemingly satisfied with his study of the girl. "You're gonna have to prove you got what it takes before I let you loose with a contract. We can't afford to get sloppy and have summoners running wild through our ranks or there'd be havoc."

"It just so happens that there's two new openings at the moment. If you're still certain then I'll call them here to meet you, but then they're your responsibility for two weeks. Do a good job of looking after 'em and maybe we'll talk about a contract."

The little dog sat before his comrades, who all peered intently at Karin.

"Do we have a deal, Red?"

She tilted her head at the little dog and the rest of the pack. All told that didn't seem like such a horrible deal. Care for a couple dogs for two weeks to prove she was suitable. How hard could it be, it wasn't like the birds were terrible to look after when that job rolled around to her squad. It just stank in the aviary.

But then Pakkun mad it sound like this was something she should probably approach with way more thought than she'd given to the chunin exams. And that was the most serious ting a genin could ever undertake.

Several moments pass before she actually opens her mouth and then she hesitates, and that alone bothers her that she's hesitating when she approaches everything else head on. She adjusts though standing to her full height and her shoulders back.

"Deal." She says and tries to at least appear like she isn't mildly worried inside that the next two weeks are going to be horrible.

At her confirmation, Pakkun nodded and finally looked at Kakashi, who's nose was tucked in an infamous bright orange book.

"We'll send them along now," Pakkun told him, leaving the statement open for Kakashi to argue with if he felt the need, which he didn't. Despite being Karin's mentor in this regard, the trial run wasn't something he'd be able to help with easily... It would be a matter of pointers and handy tips - the majority of the hard labor she would have to do herself.

"Don't worry too much," Kakashi mumbled after he'd wandered over to stand at her side. "It can be fun if you play your cards right.. and ninken are much sturdier than some other summons; you won't break them, I assure you."

Kakashi's advice aside, Pakkun gave Kakashi another glance and a little nod before the eight dogs disappeared in another puff of smoke and a comical popping sound. Rather than vanishing entirely like usual, however, when the smoke cleared the spot of ground revealed two pitbull puppies donned in unmarked blue waistcoats sitting contently on the grass.

"I'm not," which was a bold faced lie. What if the pups didn't like her? Or horribly behaved? Or her aunt hated them? So many questions to answer, puzzle out. The easiest of which were the first two, but she's not sure she wants the answers even as she stares at the adorable faces.

One was all black and white with a huge black spot along its back and extending down to the hind paws. There was an equally large spot of dark fur around one eye and ears. Distinctive but adorable when combined with the pups black eyes. The other was a softer chocolate brown with white chest and splashes of white on it's knees and the tip of its tail.

Hesitantly she takes a few steps closer to the waiting pups. And they seem to be waiting for her to figure out what exactly she should be doing. Chewing on her lower lip Karin finishes crossing to the pups and after a moment kneels down in front of them. "Can they talk like Pakkun-san?"

Kakashi stuck his hands into his pockets as he watched her with the puppies. Absently, somewhere in the back of his mind, he wondered if this had been what his father had felt when Kakashi had been shown ninken summons for the first time; this strange feeling of pride, of excited nervousness. Of course back then it had just been Pakkun since he'd gained each summon one by one, but the effect was the same even if he was neither related to Karin nor her official mentor or sensei.

"They'll learn to if you nurture them right," Kakashi nodded. "Pakkun could say my name when he was very young."

She is pleasantly surprised when the pups proceed to climb all over her, licking her face, tails wagging enthusiastically. Maybe there was nothing to be worried about after all. She's laughing as their wet tongues lick her face her face and their combined weight knocks her off balance. And that's about it, she's forever in love with them right there. Their antics adorable as she scritches each behind the ears.

"How can I make sure I do that?" She adjusts how they're leaning on her so they can sit up, her arms still wrapped around each pup, her fingers moving lightly through their short hair.

Definitely a good match, he decided as the puppies smothered her in affection. Pakkun had been a little harder to convince, but that might have been because Kakashi was a lot more stubborn in his youth.... Karin was ready and willing and defiant, he could see that much. They were definitely in good hands.

"I kept talking to my ninken, even when they couldn't talk back. They won't be able to leave your side for the two weeks you have them so just keep them by your side, talk to them, feed them, look after them.. and at the end of those two weeks Pakkun will visit you again and let you know how you did."

He smiled, his visible eye melding into a happy crescent. "I'll be here till the end of the month, so I'll help you with anything you need."

Defiant in the sense she refused to fail. Just because her only experience was birds didn't mean she would let that stop her. She wanted them and not just because they were cute as all hell.

And she could talk to them, that didn't sound all that hard. It was just keeping them with her for the two weeks. She had hospital shifts and pupoues in a hospital would probably be frowned on. She could probably get the time off, but she wasn't sure how Rin would react. Maybe it wouldn't be bad if she just explained that she had two young puppies that couldn't be left alone.

"Tell my aunt for me?" She asks hopefully finally realizing she had to tell her and that was scarier than asking Rin for time off.

At that request Kakashi inhaled sharply, but.. stealthily managed to mask the reaction as a slow sigh. Telling Kushina that he'd given Karin two puppies that needed to be both voice trained and people trained could only resort in turmoil, and he'd had enough of Kushina screaming at him to last him a life time.

"Ah-ha, sure.." he lied convincingly. He had no inclination to tell her anything face to face for fear that Kushina could rain her wrath down upon him and potentially stop Karin training with these summons. It was probably selfish, but he didn't care.

...Maybe when she wasn't his boss and wasn't holding his books to ransom. Maybe.

If she knew him better, she would have known better to ask. Even better than to trust his answer when prefaced by that stall. But she didn't and turned a bright a smile on the man. Pleased to have escaped her aunt's wrath over puppies. She might have even hugged him if she weren't otherwise occupied as the center of a puppy pile.

"So what do I call you?" She asked aloud looking at each puppy in turn as she contemplated names. "Are you boy puppies or girl puppies?" There's a look of serious wonder as presses her lips together. This is important information she wouldn't want to call either one by a name that wasn't appropriate to them.

Help Kakashi?

"You've got one of each, by the looks of them.." Kakashi said as he crouched beside her, his arms resting on his knees. "You can name them anything you want. Dogs have a great knack for growing into the names they are given."

He smiled, remembering how he'd pondered over Bisuke's name for weeks before finally naming him - and look how much he suited it now.

She props her chin in her hand, "In that case I'll name the girl Chikako and the boy Kazuki." She'd picked the names out for the next batch of hatchlings from the aviary along with many others. But they were just as good for the puppies. Maybe even better.

Kakashi gave a satisfied nod, straightening up and sticking one of his hands in his pockets as he regarded the two ninken and their new guardian.

"Sounds good to me," he said with that same bright smile tugging on the fabric of his mask. "I'm sure you three will get on great." The sun was starting to go cold as the afternoon tapered off into evening, and Kakashi wondered absently what he was going to have for dinner.

"These two weeks will be tough, like I said, and I shouldn't really help you along.. but if you really need it and I'm not at your aunts beck and call, then I'll do what I can. But really, the time will fly."

She hadn't even noticed how the sun was starting to disappear. Her focus turned so completely on the pups in front of her. And she's only just realizing that despite all her cooing about how cute they are she hasn't actually tried to pet them. Scooping them up, she rubs her face against the soft backs of their heads. Her arms just under their shoulders as she holds them to her chest.

Their little faces turning to lick her cheeks as their tails go wagging. "I think they like the names." There's a laugh in her voice as she gives another nuzzle to the pups.

"But the challenge is going to be the best part, right?"

Kakashi couldn't help but chuckle at the sight. Yes, this had definitely been a good idea and he could tell right from the off that the ninken were in good hands and that Karin would blossom with the help of responsibility for them.

He nodded at her question, "It always is."

She nods quickly and stands carefully, the pups still carefully held to her chest as she readjusts her center of balance. "Thank you for teaching me, Kakashi." Her thanks accompanied by small yips from Kazuki and Chikako as she takes a short step back toward the village proper. When did the sun start sliding down the skyline?

Kakashi shrugged a shoulder as he took a step back himself. He was actually starting to get pretty hungry, the more he thought about dinner.

"It's no problem, really. If you need anything while I'm here, you know where to find me.. but I really should be getting on my way.." he paused to raise his hands. "See you around, Karin~" and with that, he disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Kushina had a half-day and had decided to go for a walk after a quick lunch. She had just remembered a request she had of her temporary secretary halfway through her ramen, and once she was done and paid, she went looking for him. It didn't take long to find the training field he had taken up camp in. So when she was closer, she took a seat in the grass across from him.

"So, this is where you've been hiding today, huh?"

He'd flopped backwards, head cushioned in the high collar of his flak jacket to sun his face in the dull afternoon light. At the voice of his short-term boss, he immediately - if a little lethargically - sat up to greet her; respectfully nodding and raising his hand in a meager wave.

"Ah, hardly hiding," he smiled. Everyone seemed to be assuming that of him lately, was he giving a standoffish impression? "Simply reacquainting myself with the atmosphere here. It's been a while."

"I guess not, since it wasn't too hard to find you," she said, waving at him to relax. "But you really should've come to visit sooner. You know you're always welcome here, y'know. It shouldn't take getting assigned here on a mission to get you over here. Have you been settling in here alright?"

"Heh, I don't get many holidays lately," he shrugged nonchalantly, the air of a man married to his job about him. "I'll be sure to spend my free time more efficiently in future."

"As for settling in," he cast his gaze into the distance where his ninken were still rumbling through the grass at their leisure. "Yes, thanks. It's kind of second nature here."

"Even if you just come every few months. I still come back to Konoha when I can so maybe I could try digging you out more on my visits."

She looked off in the direction he was and saw his dogs. They were kinda cute, she had to admit. The smile on her face said as much before she turned back to Kakashi.

"Good, I'm glad. I don't know what Obito was worried about though, he said you were getting leaner than a beanpole. But you look like you've been eating enough here, so maybe he'll be happy to see that when you go back. It'll be a shame to have you go, maybe I should ask Obito to loan you to me another week or two into next month."

Her smile turned up into a crooked grin as she teased him and leaned back, sticking out her arms behind her for support.

He didn't have the heart to tell her he was barely around in Konoha either as of late; his missions had been lengthy and on an almost back-to-back basis, which suited him fine, but didn't give him much opportunity for socializing.

"I'm sure Obito finds excuses to worry about things that don't need worrying about," he shook his head, patting his stomach as if to prove he wasn't underfed. "He could probably do without my hassle in return, though. I wouldn't be adverse to a few more weeks here - have I been that much of a hand?" he asked, returning her grin with a twitch of his mask. Two could play teasing.

Had she been sitting next to him, she would've punched him in the shoulder. As it was, he got a raised eyebrow.

"When you haven't been reading at you desk, you've been more help than if I had none. But I guess having you here reminded me how little I see of you and Obito and Rin, and it's nice getting to spend some time with you again." She paused for a moment before she remembered why she had sought him out. "Oh! I almost forgot, I have a favor I want to ask you."

Ah-ha, that was the last time he tried to tease her for a while; that eyebrow and her tone told him as much. He knew enough about people - and enough about Uzumakis - to know his boundaries.

Her words softened his grin to a nostalgic smile. She was right, it had been a while since they'd reminisced and some deep part of him longed for the times they'd all sat around her table eating a superb dinner that could only be found under her roof.
The past two weeks had brought back plenty of memories such as those, and it left him feeling slightly guilty for not visiting her sooner.

"Of course, anything." he nodded expectantly.

He was about to get another blast from the past too.

"Do you remember the bell test Minato gave you all as kids?" She watched him carefully, readjusted to curl her knees against her chest and wrapped her arms around them. "I've brought it up with Karin's sensei and I want you to give her team the bell test. From the report I got about her team's performance in the Chuunin Exams, she needs to learn how to function as a team and not be the buffer for every bad thing that comes their way. Their sensei has agreed, if you're willing."

At that sentimental request, he raised a pale eyebrow, head tilting just slightly.

It had been a fair while since he himself had given the bell test to budding shinobi - after the first few reams of students he'd sent packing back to the academy, Obito had obviously given up trying to make him a sensei; his high standards for both his own teaching and the promise evident in his would-be students meant that it was nigh impossible to be successful with him.

However, the few times he'd ran it through an already developed team, like Obito's own, had been pretty successful on the whole.

"Sure," he nodded. From what he'd seen of Karin earlier that same day, he could immediately tell she was loyal, so he was less than surprised that she took the role of a punching bag. The bell test would be an excellent challenge for her.

Had they been standing, she would've hugged him. But since she didn't really have any inclination to stand up yet, she grinned broadly.

"Thanks Kakashi! And just because she's my niece, I want you to give her an extra hard time. I have her team's file in my office, so you can get it from me whenever if you want something else to read. And if you want to talk with their sensei at all and get a more personal account, let me know and I can set something up."

He couldn't help but return that grin; Kushina's smile especially had always been an infectious one.

"No problem," he nodded, pointedly ignoring the dig at his preferred choice of reading. He'd been.. reasonably good about reading at his desk as of late, but he supposed it wouldn't exactly hurt to read something applicable to his job for a change.

He shrugged a shoulder at her final comment. "I think I'd rather gather that account myself. Why take the fun out of it, after all?" he asked with a particularly sly twinkle in his one visible eye.

[Open] A dog day afternoon.

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DOGGIES. There is going to be so much dog writing. Take a back seat, Kakashi.

naptime for him?

*book over face* Sssnooooore~

i am so sorry for taking forever

Don't worry about it!

Puppy time!

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....I spent way too long trying to decide the genders 8^|

You kidding you saved me with the naming website

8D They are very good names <3

They are beautiful names I love them.

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book over face Sssnooooore~