hmm yes, there is hunting happening in this seasonal

Hattori's pointed glower sent his way straightened him up, if only slightly. Jiro knew better than to give his father too much attitude, especially when it appeared he had been called for a lesson. One dark brow is raised slightly as he looks out into the bamboo. His hound was out there? Looking toward where Hattori had flicked his tail, Jiro lets out a hum. Taking a step forward, he glances at his father one time, for a brief second, before tilting his nose upward. From previous lessons, he knew his nose would be his best tool. Follow the scent and he was sure to find the prize, but what scent was he after?

From the shifting of the breeze and the angle of his nose, all he could smell was... fish. Fish? That wasn't a hound scent. One more look cast in Hattori's direction, brow furrowed, lips pursed. Okay so... find the fishy scented hound? Sounded simple enough. Another tilt, a different angle of his nose, he can definitely scent which direction the hound is in. Would Hattori make it difficult? Would the hound move as soon as he got close? The question caused him to hesitate after a few steps, one more look back at his father. Of course he wouldn't get answer, that would defeat the purpose of the activity, right?

Nothing in life is easy. The words resonate in him as he takes a few more steps forward. His mother had told him those words after he had gone complaining to her after a different lesson. Her advice had been kind, but stern in a way that made him understand that he had to at least be patient and stick it out through the whole thing so he could try to learn something.

Looking around, he notices that there are no marks along the trees. Lowering his nose, he doesn't scent anything along the bamboo that would indicate the hound had marked territory either. When he lifts his head, he can't see any scat that's indicative of canine, but there are faint imprints of paws where the leaf litter gives way to dust and dirt. He was at least headed in the right direction. Making his way forward, down the path, he tilts his head upward again, allowing his nose to have unrestricted access to the gentle breeze that wafts through the bamboo. The strong fish scent is there and almost makes it too easy. Jiro's pace picks up until a fork in the path appears.

He could go left or right. Pausing, he looks either way. Both paths appear identical. Lined with thick, green bamboo stalks, notches in them from his older brothers and sisters to tell direction. Leaf litter still covers most of the dirt path so looking for tracks is near impossible. When he goes to scent the air once more, the fish scent is so strong that he has trouble discerning if he should go left or right. He lets out a grumble and looks back to his father. Admitting defeat this shortly into the lesson wouldn't do. But... maybe not a hint, but a good opportunity for a lesson.

"I am faced with two paths, there are no obvious indications that the hound has gone either way and I cannot tell which path has the stronger scent," Jiro speaks clearly to Hattori, still faced away from his father, pale eyes trained on moving back and forth between the paths. "What else can I do to help choose which way to go?" He poses the question in a way that Hattori can answer without totally giving away the answer. Would his father help or tell him to just give it a go?