It was noon in Sunagakure no Sato. It was as hot as anyone would expect it to be given the time and place, and a trial of smoke danced through the air under the burning sun. Given the immense heat one would've almost expected that someone had caught fire, but the civilians of this village were a hardy folk and used to life in the deserts. They could bear the heat where no one else could, and were expert survivalists. Especially its shinobi. This particular shinobi had mastered the art of preserving his own life to an artisan's form, appearing loyal enough to gain the village's trust without having to sacrifice his life for any bullshit. And the trial of smoke had its origins in the pipe he was smoking as he leaned against the wall of one of the watchtowers on the cliff surrounding the village. The dark-skinned man was looking out over the endless sea of sand beyond the village, his hair shaped into thick dreads and falling across his back. His name was Inugami Shudan, and he was a respected Jounin.
”Tch.” Exhaling some more smoke, he took his pipe from his mouth and gave it an annoyed look. ”Premium tobacco my ass..” Ever since the undercover mission that changed his life, Ranji had spoiled him by giving him a taste of the true luxuries out there. For a missing-nin with Shudan's amount of skill, it was easy to make a fortune. He could ask lower prices for his services than village, and still get paid more as the price wouldn't have to be split in between the ninja, the village treasury and whatever else the Kage saw fit to split it with. With that kind of money, he could have gotten much better stuff than what he was currently smoking, yet when Ranji offered him a permanent place in his little team he had declined for one reason; luxuries were of no use to a dead man. Up until this point Shudan had put his money on Sunagakure as a winning side, and the proof of that could be found in the fact that the Jounin was still alive while Ranji and his followers were dead.
Contemplating this, he stared out over the sea of sand. The desert had a certain timelessness over it. The ever shifting dunes made Shudan feel like this desert would always be here, mercilessly trying to swallow up every kind of life that wanted to settle in a place like this. It took a special kind of people to create such a powerful village in a place like this. For all his lack of true loyalty towards Sunagakure no Sato, Shudan at least took some pride in being a Suna-nin if only for that fact.
”Tch.” Exhaling some more smoke, he took his pipe from his mouth and gave it an annoyed look. ”Premium tobacco my ass..” Ever since the undercover mission that changed his life, Ranji had spoiled him by giving him a taste of the true luxuries out there. For a missing-nin with Shudan's amount of skill, it was easy to make a fortune. He could ask lower prices for his services than village, and still get paid more as the price wouldn't have to be split in between the ninja, the village treasury and whatever else the Kage saw fit to split it with. With that kind of money, he could have gotten much better stuff than what he was currently smoking, yet when Ranji offered him a permanent place in his little team he had declined for one reason; luxuries were of no use to a dead man. Up until this point Shudan had put his money on Sunagakure as a winning side, and the proof of that could be found in the fact that the Jounin was still alive while Ranji and his followers were dead.
Contemplating this, he stared out over the sea of sand. The desert had a certain timelessness over it. The ever shifting dunes made Shudan feel like this desert would always be here, mercilessly trying to swallow up every kind of life that wanted to settle in a place like this. It took a special kind of people to create such a powerful village in a place like this. For all his lack of true loyalty towards Sunagakure no Sato, Shudan at least took some pride in being a Suna-nin if only for that fact.