A Run with Ayame! [Natsuki; D-Rank Mission]

When Hatsuo Inuzuka (father of Natsuki) needed to grade papers, Ayame the Ninken, stayed at his daughter's side. In most cases, out of familial love, and simple obligation. However, today, he drafted a D-Rank Scroll and paid out of pocket to hand directly to her: his version of an allowance. He chuckled. "She's getting more Ryo out of me as a Kunoichi." Taking a drag on his cigarette, he shook his head; better this than having her away off with a team. Exhaling, he formed the smoke into a beautiful circle with his tongue and puffed. "I wish she didn't have her mother's drive for a challenge," he mumbled and put out his bad habit in the nearby ashtray.

Ayame nuzzled his hand. Like a faithful companion, she hated when he smoked but knew well enough the practice came with the stress of rapid change. She could sense the tension around him and didn't care for it. Receiving a few pats in return, she turned and crossed into their home.  Her job: to fetch Natsuki from the bed. The sun barely risen this Saturday morning meant that the Uchiha youth still slept. With Yuna out on assignment, Natsuki would stay in bed until noon on a weekend if allowed. Not today, however, Ayame desired a run! She bolted up the stairs with grace before Hatsuo entered.

The bright teenager kept her door closed, but Ayame barked. She barked and pawed at the wood, careful not to chip it, or pierce through with her claws - getting scolded wouldn't do. Eventually (not soon enough for the Ninken), a groggy groan came from the room. Footfalls fell on creaking floorboards, and Natsuki answered the summons dressed in a nightgown. Taking the initiative, Ayame inched the door the rest of the way open and saw fit to attack the poor girl with affection. She barked, licked, and growled playfully. Then, she turned to the side for pets.

Natsuki stroked the Ninken's fur gently. "Am I running with you today, Ayame?" A nuzzle in reply. "Okay, okay. Give me a couple of minutes. Dad must have papers to grade, huh." Her voice barely rose above a hushed whisper. It felt too early to speak at a reasonable level. Ugh, the one-weekend mom's away dad, really? I'll remind her about your habit, you jerk. Hell hath no fury like a woman's scorn, after all. "He's smoking out there, isn't he?" No need for an answer, Natsuki could smell the aroma perfectly fine. She grimaced at it and shifted towards a dresser to retrieve her workout attire.

As far as morning rituals went, Natsuki's took time. That is when she didn't need to rush out of the door. She first needed a cold shower to wake herself up. Then there's the hair situation, slight makeup, and finally getting dressed and brushing her teeth. When she finished, she observed Ayame curled up in her bed, waiting. The Ninken's ears perked up at the approaching footfalls, and she slipped off the furniture. Her tail wagged, and she bounded out the door and back downstairs. "Wait up," came Natuski's voice calling down the hallway.

Hatsuo finished off his second cigarette by the time his daughter arrived in the common area. In his hand, he carried the scroll and his now empty, ashtray. He then disposed of the "evidence" underneath the coffee table. "You know mom knows where that is." A simple comment from Natsuki while she tied off her hair into a side ponytail. In response, he grunted and shifted the table back so that it covered the ashtray.

"Yeah, yeah." Hatsuo rubbed the back of his head. "But, she pretends not to, and that's all that matters, right kiddo?" Smiling, he gave her the mission scroll. "Since you're an official Kunoichi, I figured running with a Ninken would warrant a D-Rank payout, what do you say?" Considering the standard rate her father paid her, a mission scroll was like giving her a massive promotion. Gladly she took the scroll, read it over, and placed it back on the kitchen counter-top.

"I believe it's a deal, dad!" She smiled back and peered over to Ayame. "Well, how does a run sound? I need to get my workout in as well." A wagging tail responded. Natsuki went over and kissed her dad on the cheek. "I'll be back in a bit, but you should go ahead and get those assignments graded."

Outside, the sun shone now, peeking through the overcast. Clouds parted between the beams and shadows cast down upon the Uchiha Compound. From her home, Natsuki turned along a pathway that led to a trail. It wove around a hot spring and into the training complex farther away (about a four-mile distance give or take). Trees decorated it and provided plenty of shade for a short run. In Autumn, however, that hardly mattered. With only glimmers of sunlight, the temperature remained in the lower seventies: comfortable weather for Kunochi attire and the tight spandex leggings that kept her thighs covered in black. With Ayame beside her, she nodded and started a warm-up jog.

In truth, the Ninken could easily outrun the Genin. However, she loved Hatsuo's daughter too much to leave her in the dust. Instead, she bounded alongside keeping a steady advancement in speed along with Natsuki. Together, they followed the twist and turns that led deeper into a more secluded area of the Compound, where nature became unbridled and grew outwards against the paved blacktop path. Leaves of all colors crunched beneath padding paws, and sneakers - the season of Fall in full swing.

Other early risers greeted them with casual waves or nods as they ran by. Known by sight, a few even said hello addressing Natsuki by name. As a rather small clan, the Uchiha behaved as a small town would to its inhabitants. In a sense, everyone knew of each other, and for bad or good, daily routines became quite easy to spot. Ayame frequented this route with Hatsuo, and Hatsuo was quite fond of telling his kin about how well his daughter was doing. Her name came up whenever they happened to pause in their workout to chat with another person on the trail.

Starting to get into a groove, Natsuki increased her pace at about the half-mile point in the run. Sweat began to bleed through her attire at the chest and around her navel. Her breaths deepened as she inhaled through her nose and controlled the exhale through her mouth. Again and again, she kept the discipline up to prevent a cramp from forming as they continued. Confident a pain wouldn't develop, her steps became harsher and faster; she pushed her body to the limits.

The next half-mile passed before she knew it, and she glanced over to Ayame. "How's this for a run?!" The release of endorphins brought by exercise placed Natsuki in a lovely mood. She always felt great during and after. Ayame barked pleasantly in reply and decided to show off a bit by darting ahead at a speed the Natsuki couldn't track at first. "Oh, so that's how you want to play!" She shouted and formed a Ram hand-seal. Chakra gathered at her feet, and she blinked forward, vanishing for a moment before reappearing beside the Ninken.

A playful growl sprung from between Ayame's teeth, and she bolted forward a few more times. Each time, Natsuki countered with the Body-Flicker technique. Before long, however, the Jutsu took its toll. Panting heavily, Natsuki let out an exasperated sigh. "Alright, alright, you win girl." Pleased with herself, Ayame, let out a satisfying bark and took the lead on the trail. Following behind at a much-stalled pace, Natsuki gladly allowed her take the front position, and together they departed for home.

At the table, Hatsuo sat grading another paper - still hard at work when two of his favorite ladies returned from their workout. He smirked. "So, she ended up running you, eh?"

"You believe you're so funny, but you're not, dad!"

"Ayame thought it was humorous. Go change we'll go out for breakfast after I finish this pile of papers on . . . what the fuck were they supposed to be about again?"

"Dad, language!"