Off to Iwa

As Tarnish left the village gates, he looked behind him. He smiled slightly, before turning back foreward. He was on an important mission, and this is one mission he couldnt mess up. It had started early that morning. He was awoken by the sounds of two screeching birds. Slow to get up, the screeching got worse with every passing moment. Peering out the window, Tarnish was shocked to see Talon flying about, trying to attack an eagle. He almost turned back to bed, but he did a double take. That was no ordinary eagle. Propping open the window, Tarnish whistled loudly. It was enough to distract Talon and allow the eagle to dart in through the window. It crash landed into a vase in its panic to escape. Talon was right behind him, but Tarnish managed to grab him by his claws. "NO! Bad Talon!" he chided. It took him a few minutes to calm him down, but once he had, he turned his attention to the battered eagle. It was jittery after its encounter, and at first it was reluctant to allow Tarnish near it. It gave in when Tarnish offered it some birdseed. Talon squawked, mortified that he would so easily give away his seed. Tarnish silenced him with a look, and quickly swiped the small letter attatched to the eagle's leg. Opening it with shaking hands, he read the letter slowly. He read it three times, before the gravity of it set in. "The Hokage...Is sending me on an important mission..." he breathed. Talon squawked again, confused. "Come on, he said to leave immediatly!" Tarnish unceremoniously tossed some weapons into his pack. He was out the door and running for the gate in no time.

After arriving at the gate, Tarnish looked over the letter from the Hokage once more. A question arose in his mind as he read it again. Why would the Hokage choose him for this mission? And alone no less. It didnt make much sense. The only possible reason the Hokage could have chosen him was for his eloquent speaking skills. Other then that, it didnt seem to make much sense. He could easily die a dozen times over before even arriving in Iwagakure. Talon fluttered to the ground, looking up at Tarnish. He screeched, pecking at his shoes. Glancing down, Tarnish read the letter again outloud. "Tarnish Asako, you have been chosen for a very important mission. You are to travel to Iwakagure and offer the Tsuchikage an alliance with our village. You are to leave at once. I have high hopes for this alliance. Should you succeed, there is something special waiting here for you." He stopped reading, glancing back at the gate. "It even has the Hokage's seal..." Suddenly, Tarnish rolled up the letter and put it in his pocket. "Come on Talon. No time for second guessing. We have to get to Iwagakure. Lets go!" He ran out of the village and down the path. Talon soared above overhead, in scout mode. Smiling, Tarnish knew he was safe. Talon flew so high, he was practically invisible to the naked eye. Even though he couldnt be seen, Talon could hear and see plenty. His sight and hearing were peerless. He could hear an ant rustling along the ground, see a ladybug blink. If he saw any sign of trouble, he would let out a call that Tarnish would recognize. He was his eyes and ears for missions, and he never failed. Smile broadened, Tarnish sped with all haste toward Iwagakure, the Tsuchikage, and his future.

A day and a few hours after his departure, Tarnish arrived at Taki. He frowned, surveying the village carefully. His instincts were telling him not to find a hotel in the village. He would content himself with the outdoors. Shrugging, he whistled softly. Talon swooped down and landed on a nearby boulder. "Pick a tree. Any tree." he offered. Talon looked each tree up and down, before fluttering to one with many outstretched branches. "Good choice," he chuckled. He walked up to the tree and focused on his feet. In a moment, he was ready. He took a step toward the tree, and his feet stuck. He walked up until he was hidden by the leaves of the tree. He found a large branch that he liked, then detoured onto it. Releasing the chakra in his feet, he plopped down on the large branch to rest. Talon was above him, already beginning to fall asleep. His sight would be gone, but his hearing would still be sharp. Tarnish could rest easy knowing that.

Early the next morning, the pair awoke, refreshed and ready to go. Talon left to find breakfast, as Tarnish lit a small fire to cook whatever he caught. In a few minutes time, Talon returned with a small rabbit in his talons. "I havent had fresh rabbit in many moons. Good catch boy," he said with a smile. Talon screeched happily at the comment. Tarnish quickly skinned the rabbit and cooked it. Even with as much practice as he had, it still took him almost an hour. After they had feasted on the rabbit, they made for Iwagakure once again. If all went as planned, they would arrive at dusk to speak to the Tsuchikage.

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