Curious Reconversion

Shiro:

Excitement, anxiousness, and long-awaited reunions were stationary in Shirokouu's mind. His heart pounded with unconscious anticipation, beating, he thought, almost audibly as he took in the near-tangible salty air that churned up beneath the cruising ship. Having never been on a boat before, this was all a strange and new experience for the young Santaru. Sure he'd been in the rivers and lakes that painted blue slashes and swathes across the vibrant green countryside, but to not even be able to see land on the other side was something that was, before this experience, beyond anything he had possibly imagined from mere description. The churning of the boat beneath his feet was somewhat unsettling at the very start, but after an hour or two his body acclimated itself to the change of environment and, once he found suitable surroundings on a particular corner of the upper deck, began meditation. He wasn't coming back to Leaf for nothing after all! He'd been gone so long that the Chuunin exam that he left during has cycled back around and he's about to miss his second in a row! The thought pervaded his mind and forced him to reattain focus, clearing his mind of emotional distraction to achieve more balanced and precise decision-making.

Fortunate to have prepared himself, Shirokouu was ready when things didn't go as smoothly as they had along the way. His eyes glowed as he heard his comrades call out; watched them prepare for action. Far more fortunate, however, was the fact that Joji was more than capable of handling the invaders, who seemed nothing but a simple nuisance in the wake of his formidable ninjutsu. The young Santaru could not help but be overwhelmed by the control that the elder shinobi displayed, as he'd only seen such intensity first hand from the man he respected more than all others. Add in the fact that Ming Yue, who, despite being far more cheerful now that she was over water, didn't seem to warm up to Shiro a bit, was manipulating the water as if it were an appendage of herself. The whole scene was quite a spectacle, especially so in the eyes of the comparably inexperienced Konohagakure Genin. After the scene died down, Shiro approached Joji, who smoothly shrugged off his self-inflicted wound. With a smile he said, "That was incredible. I've never seen a jutsu like that before. The problem was solved before it even had begun. I'm really glad that you allowed me to tag along, and even more appreciative that you put yourself in harms way for the sake of protection." Shirokouu saw the calm and collected core beneath the charismatic portrayal that Joji displayed and was impressed by it. He realized that he needed to get better at that himself, and resolved to see the man as a role model as he continued his path as a shinobi and as a man. He is able to not only understand the situations around him through logic and training and control his emotions to understand them and use them to his benefit, but he doesn't even seem to be trying. He's just carrying himself like normal even in the wake of something like that. It's... impressive. Thought the thought consumed his mind, it did so only for a moment as he thanked him for the help. "Thank you, Joji-san, for everything along the way. I hope that I can repay you and Kiyo-san properly with a smooth introduction to Konoha." The young man was gracious, but not overly flattering, giving Joji the proper respect, credit, and gratitude that his performance warranted and expressing the interest to repay the debt.

Shirokouu couldn't help but be caught up by all the intensity of the start of their trek, and he'd seen things; oceans, ships, and feats of incredibly impressive shinobi technique, but after a while he realized that he was seeing less and less of Kiyo as time went by, and when he did, she didn't seem overly pleased with being there at all. Luckily for everyone, shore was approaching quickly, and Shiro began to gather his things, preparing himself for his duty as guide. He thought back to all the hidden and secret maps that he'd seen in his time in Konoha, attempting to refresh the way that he would reach the village by way of port. Fortunately, Shiro had a fantastic memory and would definitely be able to guide his traveling companions back to the village gates. It wasn't long before the sudden urge to move forward created by timber dragging against sand set upon the inhabitants of the ship. There were no obvious port towns in Konoha, so they'd just have to find a way to the village from the beach. but considering the sun was setting as it was, they should probably make camp first.

After guiding them to a familiar clearing not far from where his own aunt and uncle formerly lived, Shirokouu began to unload, assuming that his companions would do the same. Shirokouu had absolutely noticed the direct, and opposing, connotations that his two female companions had expressed. Keeping that in mind, he guided them to a campsite that would be within sight of both the ocean and the forest that they would have to trek into in the morning. As he began to drift off to sleep, he hoped that his compatriots were pleased with the location and that they would have good sleep and enthusiasm in the morning, for he knew that after such a long trip with rocky, wavy currents washing beneath them, he would be quite ready for some solid ground to sleep on and his own excitement at returning home when he had worries that he would never see his beloved village again, was barely under his own control.

The sun rose, sending beautiful beams through cotton candy clouds, painting the sky with rays seemingly cut with some sort of celestial blade. The peach-pink tint, fading into vibrant violet painted the sky in beauty that no words could give justice to. Once it was time to leave, Shirokouu ate the last of a bit of food that he had procured on the vessel, and got to his feet, guiding his compatriots through the expansive highlands and towards the edge of the forest, noting, almost with familiarity, each tree as he passed by, weaving through Konoha's natural defense in a meandering sinuous path. He was not trying to throw off those that followed behind him, as he was only leading the way that he remembered, the path that he was brought upon to and from in childhood. The road to Konohagakure was not so treacherous as it was confusing and disorienting. The sight of what appeared to be hundreds of thousands of grand arboreal goliaths painting every direction seen with vertical linees, paired with the lack of orientation by sun that the dense canopy provided, made it quite difficult to find bearings, but Shirokouu's subconscious seemed to guide him through each weaving step of the way until tiny patches of color began to stand out, along with the massive gates that signified their arrival to Konohagakure. "I hope I didn't take too long, but here we are. This is my village. Hold on just a sec, I'll request an escorted entry." Proceeding to go through the necessary protocol, Shirokouu finally awaited the removal of his last obstacle, the grand gates of his own home, wondering with anxious unease whether or not he'd made it back in time to participate in the exams. Quickly he decided that there was no use worrying about it and that what would happen were the consequences of his absence, settling himself and patiently looking forward to the first Konoha shinobi he'd have seen in ages.

Kiyo/Ming:It was long after the first sight of shore that Kiyo could finally feel the mainland speeding towards them yet at first cry of land she sat diligently at the ship’s bow and stared unseeing outwards. For the first time since the ragtag group had boarded their ship in Lightning country, the color came back to the Raikage’s face and with it a bit of her smile. Here again was the leader of a country, not some withered flower plucked from the ground. Those passing could even here her humming to herself or making plans to travel home by land.

Ming Yue, whom had taken up her place at the stern of the ship once she had mostly recovered her strength ignored the land. To her it was as much sad goodbye as a sweet hello for Kiyo. Certainly she was not doing anything as foolish as push the ship forward and a part of her even regretted helping for so long as she had. She had burned herself out only to bring her closer to a place she despised.

It was not the thought of land, there was plenty of fresh water about to ease her mind, but of the forest that terrified Ming. Growing up in Kiri she had learned to hate the forest as much as she loved the ocean and had taken great pains to avoid travelling through the dense and danger filled foliage. The story she had relayed to the ship’s captain some days before had been bit a taste of the horrors she had come across when forced on an errand of her village or her mother. The spiders were the worst; they remembered her and they hunted her so it hadn’t been safe alone. A shudder went down her spine to remember it.

Ming and Kiyo, both well travelled were aware of the lack of port.

All the better in Kiyo’s mind, the sooner they set onto soft land the better she would feel. She did not need to be in the trees to feel better but of how she missed the shuddering mosaics of the leaves and the rough tough of bark. It was not winter here by any means so it would be safe for her to walk about as she preferred now, with her feet bare upon the earth. She could not be upset over being unable to see the greens of the forest of the bright blooms of the spring time flowers when everything had been denied her for these last days.

Ming cringed at the thought that there would not even be a road to follow. It was some consolation, she decided while packing away the gear for both Kiyo and herself, that it was growing dark and they would need to camp out on the shore before travelling inland. Surely their guide, bitter as she was to call the boy, wouldn’t want to camp in the forest. Or perhaps he would to leave the remains of them to the animals once he made his move.

Ming did not let her sour mood ruin a fond goodbye for the entertaining captain, even giving him a kiss on the cheek like a daughter might her father. She had not expressed to him her suspicions over her mother but that was for the best. In her memory, Ming’s mother was sweet, beautiful, and still very alive but she would not lie about her assumed death and the tragic end to that ancient little sea home. Whatever their connection had been, Ming knew her mother had a knack for making others fall in love with her so the news might break his heart. She could not help but wonder though, at the nature of their relationship.

Kiyo was less fond and more business-like. She had been a disappointingly bad sea traveller and she could hear in the captains voice the strain of having to continue to be polite. She promised him in a joking matter that she would stick to land travel from now on, though she might send Ming Yue back along this way. That seemed to please him well enough, Kiyo had not missed the way they got along, but he also insisted if she ever needed a ship to travel by again that he was to cal on him. Kiyo knew he was trying to be polite but she also knew he would be the first she would call on if the unavoidable came about.

There was no plank to descend down, no small boats to paddle to shore for men and women capable of walking on water. Graceful as a pair of diving birds, the pair descended with hair and clothing streaming behind them. Here now was Shiro’s chance to lead the group and his first course of action was to do as Ming had hoped for, make camp just off the shore. The pair spent the last bit of light wandering along the shore arm in arm, Kiyo pleased to have the sand between her toes and Ming staring out at the ocean longingly. When the light faded Ming lead Kiyo back to their camp, tucked a blanket around the older woman’s for then wandered away again. Anyone caring to follow would find her out swimming in her small clothes and she would not return until morning.

The morning saw them off past and through the barrier of green foliage. Kiyo wore a great smile on her face, her good mood impossible to break. She hummed or sand softly, using the sound of her own voice to find her way and it seemed to do her well until the first branch found her squarely in the face. The branch had always been through, somehow she had missed it, but Kiyo laughed off the mistake and seemed fine again, for an hour or so when a root caught her foot unexpectedly. The noise startled Ming, whom had been on edge since the beginning of their trek and she scream and clutched at the neared person; which happened to be Shirokouu. When she realized her mistake, Ming pushed back like she had just touched a scalding hot pan and fell herself. Never before had Ming looked so close to Yuii, her little sister, then she did then with a mix of stunned fear and annoyed embarrassment. If she had been Yuii though, she would already be crying.

Kiyo broke out into laughter again though there was a strain to it this time. She stood then hauled Ming to her feet and brushed them both off. Ming had reverted to her usually stony face by then but she wasn’t above shooting glares in Shiro’s direction like the entire thing had been his doing. They set off again with Kiyo insisting she was alright, that so long on a ship must have disoriented her a bit. And she seemed fine, though her singing was a little bit louder now.

The third time it was Ming’s fault. A rabbit suddenly cut across the path ahead, startling her to a stop with a muffled scream again. She had taken to walking ahead of Kiyo and now the elder woman walked full force into her back and they both stumbled. Ming cursed and caught herself just in time to catch Kiyo. Gently Ming pulled Kiyo aside and they spoke in hushed council though the two males could have caught they’re conversation easily along with Kiyo admitting her ears were ringing a bit. There was nothing the pair could hope to do and Ming insisted on clutching Kiyo’s hand the rest of the way ; although it was likely as much a comfort for her as guidance for Kiyo.

“Kiyo, we must dress you in red and black, I’ve brought along a lovely dress; a mix of formal kimono and dress.”

“Hm”

“The sash is silk in white and the dress is dominantly red but the pattern is that of a monarch butterfly.”

“I see”

“And I shall braid your hair”

“Alright.”

“I’ve brought red water flower pins, you will look beautiful. I was thinking darker make-up and-”  The excitement built in Ming’s voice and her pace quickened.

“Ming, darling, I’m a human being not a doll. Just do as you think will be appropriate for the meeting but please not too much glamour. I must leave this in your hands” Kiyo answered with a ting of annoyance and amusement. She understood aesthetics but they did not excite her

“I just wanted to…” Ming wilted, her eyes dropping to the ground with  her dreams of fine fabrics and glittering jewellery dashed. Somewhere she had decided that the Kage of the other villages would dress to impress each other but as Kiyo’s words sunk in she realized her error. The strongest men and women on this continent would not wish to hinder themselves, ”I’m sorry, Then… just the robe and I will keep your hair simple… and just a little kohl for your eyes. They are beautiful.” but oh if her voice wasn't just a bit wistful.

“Yes, that will be fine.”

On that word, the gates appeared through the trees like a ghost. Ming gasped as the gates formed into view and stared upwards at the massive structure with her mouth hung open. Here was there goal, the place they had travelled so far to see. She turned to look at Kiyo, expecting a mirror to her excitement but was met with only grim determination. Here was the Summit, a meeting that could change the course off all four of the villages and perhaps even Joji’s own little one. The journey had only been the beginning, now started the true trial.

“Raiden help me, I’m a little bit frightened,” Kiyo whispered under her breath while Shiro called out for a guard.

Jo:

It had only been when Kiyo returned the second time, later the following day when Joji had finally left Ming's quarters, satisfied that she would be fine and had her Kage to watch over her. Joji had been greeted by the Captain with a hearty, salt-filled laugh as he emerged onto the main deck, not having seen daylight for more than a day, his eyes burned, but adjusted quickly. Bazu gave him a firm pat on the back, complimenting him on his chivalry and for his shinobi talents, of which helped the ship continue moving after Ming had passed out, not causing them to lose any time towards Fire Country. Then he went back to working amongst the crew, helping the ship sail as they continued along their trek to the land beyond. After a certain point, Joji had removed his black t-shirt, after being chastised repeatedly for wearing dark colors out on the open sea by the crewmen, and tied it around his head as a bandanna to help keep sweat from falling into his eyes. The next three days, Joji did nothing but work on the deck with Bazu's men, only stopping to eat with the Captain and his traveling companions, but not without leaving shadow clones to tend to his duties until he returned.

As the land grew closer, the young Kage took in a deep breath, catching the sweet smell of greenery over the smell of the sea air. It wasn't even but a few short hours until he felt the ship coasted along only a handful of yards from land. As everyone gave their goodbyes, Joji went through the entire crew, offering a handshake and getting a smack on the back in response, each person of the crew having received some sort of trinket by the young shinobi through his craftsman abilities. Before descending from the ship last amongst the group, the Captain stopped him by grabbing onto his shoulder with a firm, calloused grasp just to simply compliment the Onsenkage.

His words, and quite eloquently put, were: "For a mane of zuch high stature, it's good te' see that you don't el'vate yerself above ze common mane. Ye can help mane me ship anytime."

With one last, strong handshake with the Captain, Joji caught up to his companions, keeping to himself mostly, but keeping his guard up as to make sure nothing suddenly jumped out at them. A trio of shadow clones had oversaw the campsite where the others slept, but Joji had taken to keeping an eye on Ming, if not dozing off from time to time on the branch he rested on; exhausted from only having slept for three out of the past ten days.

When they all were awake, ready to head out, Joji had taken to spreading him and his three clones out in a parameter around the group, keeping an eye on their surroundings. Without a proper guard or escort, and the care of a foreign shinobi in his hands, he had no choice but to be on alert the entire time. The entire journey through the woods had Joji on edge, every time someone ended up tripping on something, or on each other he instantly snapped into action, always finding that nothing had happened. However, it did allow him to observe a curious habit Kiyo had, something that his mother too possessed and he made a note to make sure he spoke with her when they both had a free moment next.

The Hot Springs Kage found himself laughing as he continued his ongoing defense of the group, listening to Ming and Kiyo speak of clothing for the Meeting. As it stood, Joji didn't look anything like a Kage, but more of a, well, boat crewman. Thanks to his several days of working on the vessel, he had earned himself a darker tan to his entire upper body and further travel with his shirt secured around his head only meant it would become more intense.

Then the gates appeared.

Joji had leapt from the final tree, his shadow clones dispersing before even exiting the tree line to hide the fact he could use them, and he too stared at the gates before him, but not in fascination like the others, but in subdued sadness. Both Leaf and Cloud bore obscenely sized gates and surrounding defensive walls meant to stave off attackers, but Joji's own home had no gates, and had no walls. It only made him wonder exactly how strenuous it was being a Great Shinobi village like either, Konoha or Kumo.

Undoing the knot to his shirt, he quickly slid it back over top his lightly bronzed exterior, taking out his forehead protector and retying it back around his right bicep. Now they just waited...

Sunuke:

Shirokouu would not be glad to see the first Konoha shinobi, because it wouldn't be one who'd greet with open arms. No, it had to be the one that would guard the gates with lack of mercy. He had a different persona at the gates than he did at the office and when socialising. This was a man who had some discipline.

Standing from the gates he could see a small party or travellers getting close to the gate. He studdied them from a distance before waiting for them to get closer.

Sunuke was wearing a white Kages robe, carrying two sheaths around his waist and a giant sword on his back. Maybe it was a little heavy and maybe he'd have a crippled back when he was older,but for now it was worth it.

As they approached the gates they appeared much more clearly for the eyes of the Hokage. Seeing it was two males and two females in the group. He decided to approach them. He took a step off, the side and fell to the bottom of the gate. As he stood up to them he then smiled confidently.

"Welcome to Konohagakure, please may I see your passports?" The first thing to ask really was about passports. Everyone needed one in the end. He would wait for the response of the group before he would continue. Hopefully they had their passports with them and their heads screwed on.

Joshu:

Joshu came along the gates his day was so short and he wondered if he would meet any interesting travelers while he was at the gates and maybe make a new acquantice of some sort and see what the gate guards do for the whole day. He arrived at the gates and once he arrived he found three people he had not recognized but one from the look of the head band was a leafie. Joshu turned to his right and found the Hokage he remembered speaking to him at one point but now he needed to have a very important discussion with him and it seemed as thogh fate has brought the hokage to him. "Lord Hokage, I wish to speak to you on an important matter." Joshu said as he walked towards the hokage. He looked down to the visitors and squated down "And who might you be if I may ask?" Joshu asked to the lady who was there curious to know who they were.

Shiro:

In all the wildest dreams imaginable and all the potential outcomes the young Santaru expected, never once did he guess that he would have been greeted at the doorsteps he'd been awaiting the sight of for this time by the Hokage. The mere thought would have sent a chill up his spine, as just thinking of the strangely oxymoronic intense stoicism that Sunuke emitted, but the sight of the man and the stolid look upon his face left Shiro completely and utterly still, unmoving but wide-eyed, like an animal fearfully freezes with the hope that the predator passes it by. It was not, however, a reaction of fear that froze the boy, but rather the intense respect and awe that the sight of the Hokage instilled in him.

As unexpected as the legendary swordsman's arrival was, his form of introduction was the opposite, and the self-assured smile that flashed upon the Hokage's face to accompany it eased Shiro's tension and brought clarity to his mind. "Welcome to Konohagakure, please may I see your passports?" Those words that he'd been waiting to hear for such time forced a small smile to Shiro's face, though he still attempted to maintain his sense of dignity and remain clear-headed and calm. "Hokage-sama." He uttered with respect, bowing as he mentioned the coveted title. "I have no passport. I was left in the tracks of the traveling party on the way to the inter-village exams and a blizzard in the core of winter left me disoriented." He hoped that his honest recount of his trials would ease the break in protocol. "I got separated from them and lost their tracks along with any idea of where I was, so I did my best to forge ahead and find the group on their way to Sunagakure. The storm was intense, though... and in the fields of white I got lost and traveled in the wrong direction, ending up in the mountains instead of the desert.." The boy paused for a moment, attempting to gauge his leader's expression. He blinked for what was a simple few seconds, but seemed an eternity in his mind, recounting in a flood of memory his perplexing path to the village in the clouds. "I happened upon ancient ruins of a town seemingly destroyed by impossible lightning and met a man, I don't think he's a shinobi, but he did seem to recognize that I was one, so I attempted to gain directions from him. I asked him where the gates were, assuming that I was not so far off that I wasn't in Wind Country anymore." Shiro frowned, shrugging his shoulders slightly at his own flawed following of that foolish path. "Surprisingly, he knew the way, and I followed his intricate directions perfectly and ended up at the gates of Kumogakure, the village hidden in the Clouds, instead." He could do naught but hope that he could be forgiven for his folly, telling the story with complete honest sincerity. He looked towards the ground, a sense of dishonor coursing through him and appearing visibly on his face as he understood the circumstances under which he arrived. "I was lucky though... I tried to get some help in the village, and someone was kind enough to lead me back."

Shirokouu's somewhat sullen eyes widened as he spoke, realizing as he heard his own words that he had yet to even introduce his traveling companions. "Hokage-sama, these are the three that were good enough to help me find a way back home. They were coming here on summons from the start as well." Shirokouu introduced the two of them properly, gaining some enthusiasm as he recollected just how lucky he was. "This is Joji. He protected us and gave us his time and effort tenfold to make sure that we arrived here safely." He said, motioning to the Onsenkage, and allowing a moment of introduction. "This is Kiyo. She showed me compassion the whole way, and guided us out of Lightning Country with haste." The words left the young boy's lips imbued with a sense of sincere gratitude and respect when he introduced the two kages that accompanied him back to Leaf. Shiro, of course, left time for Kiyo to introduce herself as well. "And this is Ming." He said, the awe on his audio lost and his words were both stoic and staccato, his pre-adolescent immaturity getting the better of him in reaction to Ming's countless glares and hours of giving him the stink-eye. "I am sorry Hokage-sama. I know that I wasn't supposed to separate from Mugen-san and Makoto-san. I didn't mean to cause any trouble, if I did." Shirokouu was honest and diligent in his recount of his journey, and offered nothing but compliments towards his compatriots, but one with knowledge of the fact that Joji was Onsenkage and Kiyo was Raikage would notice that he strangely left out those quite~ pertinent facts. But then again, how could he know? The two never mentioned the facts once in the span of their journey. So focused was he on his explanation to the figure of respect in his eyes that he did not break his attention to pay mind to the man who had approached and asked the identity of one of his companions.

Though his absence from Leaf was an accident, the young Santaru understood the fallacy of his ways. He knew that he had no true excuse to have not found his own way back sooner and that his young-hearted impulsiveness led him to try to follow a scentless trail rather than turning back and stopping at the beginning. Shirokouu was a determined youth, however, and there was not a chance that he wasn't going to turn back when his chance to prove himself at the Chuunin exam was at stake. His mind was in a state of constant drive, focused on the goal at hand, but also clouded by the emotional toll that his father's fate still had left on him. No matter the punishment that he may or may not receive, he had gained control of himself, saw his father one more time, and learned much. He had lost his way and instead gained a path to follow in life, and it was something that he was not, in the depths of his heart, ashamed of.

Kiyo/Ming:

Despite her admittance, Kiyo exuded the same confident air as the others. She may well have been weaker then any other Kage in terms of power but she made up for it with her deep reserve of knowledge. She had been trained since childhood to hold her office and gods be damned if she was going to let another Kage intimidate her. She kept her posture straight, her held tilted back and looked him in the eyes as those of equal stations should. Her travelling clothes were none to impressive and Kiyo had foregone the Kage robe for the trip for the freedom as well as the precaution. In some ways she regretted not having insisted on stopping before the gates to change but she would make due as she was.

With a flick of her wrist she directed Ming to dig through their bags for their passports while taking Shiro’s long explanation to observe the Hokage in her own ways. He was much taller then her, something Kiyo ha come to expect among the male village leaders, and slimly built as she had pictured. His hair was a common cut, his weapons of choice nothing thrilling and she guessed him to be at least half her age but Kiyo liked the face of his shape and the proper way he asked for passports but was not hostile or overly demanding. He reminded her of someone but she could not, for the life of her, remember who.

And then came Shirokouu’s introduction and the Raikage could not help the playful smile that crept onto her face. Of course she had not told Shiro who she was but it was all the more amusing by the situation, Kiyo smiled while pressing her index and middle finger to her lips and tipped her head to Sunuke in greeting. She suspected, as she was expected for the meeting, that he could piece together who she was but there was something fun in formally introducing ones self. “I am Kagetsu Kiyo. It is a pleasure to meet face to face Hokage-sama.” She wrinkled her nose in good humour over using the honorific for another Kage. It was always so difficult to tell how to act around someone who was supposed to be your equal and yet commanded a great deal of power.

“And we were happy to lead Shiro-kun back to his home. The mountains are no place for a child to travel alone and it is most fortunate that he did not run into trouble on his way to our village. He also had great luck in finding us just before our journey here. Raiden surely guided him to safety,” she continued, her voice filled in warmth for their little travelling companion,, with the lightning country’s gods name flowing from her lips as naturally as any other. She didn’t believe it either.

From behind her Ming made a triumphant cry and pulled from their bags a pair of passports. Both bore the symbol of Kumogakure in silver on the cover of the leather bound, hand sized booklets that glinted in the light. Ming Yue stood and handed Kiyo her own booklet then after a moment of hesitation added her own. The little Jounin, whom had taken tea with Kage and dined with Sennin was not intimidated by the addition of yet another Kage but the method in which she was to enter the village left chills down her spine. She did not like to be made a Kumo-nin, temporary as it may be.

And the grandeur of the gates also bothered Ming, she could not shake how wrong yet impressed she felt for them so while she should have stayed at Kiyo‘s elbow she instead moved to whisper to Joji. “Kiri does not have gates; the ocean surrounds us, the veil of mist hides us. Does your village have walls?” The awe she felt reflected on her voice where it did not on her face.

During this Kiyo flipped through each of the passports to the leaflet that contained their pictures and information. Of course the signature authorizing her travel, and the signature identifying her as the passport holder matched but who else was there to sign it?

And she was just about to point out the dates verifying Ming’s right to travel with her when a familiar sound caught her ears. With a start she turned her ear  towards the gates and listened hard and then her smile melted away to a snarl. Without a thought for how it might look, she rose her voice to exactly the right volume and pitch as to be heard by her target, she took in a deep breath then she shouted at the gates.

“Samuru, traitor, come out or face twice the punishment for your crimes! I hear you in there, hiding coward,” The ring on her hand bit into the flesh of her clenched fist. How dare he, after she had sacrificed herself back to a thankless job, leave her to come here of all places. For that moment rage removed reason and she stood ignoring the Hokage and her traveling companions to see if her declaration went answered.

Ming took in a sharp breath and bowed to Sunuke on Kiyo's behalf, her lightly accented voice coming out in a rush of words, "I apologize for my lady Raikage for her rudeness, I know nt why she shouts like that!"

Samuru:

“Samuru, traitor, come out or face twice the punishment for your crimes! I hear you in there, hiding coward”

A very familiar voice screamed out.

Samuru was nowhere near the source of the unsettling sound but he heard as if the person was standing next to him, screaming the same sentiments and angering him in the same way. Her voice shook the very foundation that he sat upon, losing his balance and falling to the floor of a local ramen shop. Perhaps, it was the bond that the two previously shared or maybe it was the power that they shared. But… whatever it was… it frightened Samuru. That one person had so much power over him. One person brought all of his insecurities to a head, and brought every negative emotion to the surface… drastically affecting the persona he had developed since his time away from Kumo. He had reverted back into this person that he hated…

But he knew one thing…

If he wanted to put an end to his suffering, then he needed to face her. Samuru needed to look right into the eyes of his frustration, anger, resentment, insecurity, betrayer and… friend. After all that he had been through, this would be his defining moment. He’d come face to face with a person that many would respect or look up to as if she were Raiden in the flesh. Face to face with the person he feared, hated and loved the most. ”…Kagetsu Kiyo…” The boy said aloud, his voice filled with malice as he picked himself off of the ground and made slowly made his way toward the source of that detestable sound.

”I have to face her…” he commented as he timidly walked toward the gates. His heart was beating out of his chest, the saliva in his mouth was beginning to dry up, and his body began to stiffen as he thought of a game plan. A voice in his head screamed for him to run while another shouted for him to seek vengeance. His heart told him to be remorseful of the current situation as if Samuru was wrong in every way but his mind told that he was just in his actions. Everything about him was becoming a contradiction and most of it was because of this woman. How can you hate what you love? How can you care for something that you claim not to care for? How can someone be your enemy and your friend? How can someone be the center of your insecurities when that person instilled confidence in you?

Before he knew it, his “target” was only a couple of feet in front of him…

His nails ferociously dug into his skin as his clenched fist tightened, quelling his fear of her. His eyes slammed shut as he moved closer toward them, refusing to show the weakness that Kiyo’s presence had brought out in him. Samuru’s muscles tightened as if he was going to battle, effectively stopping the nervous shaking that being around him gave her.

Walking over toward the group, which included three random people, the man who stole his spot in line, the Hokage, and the person he came to face, Samuru suddenly spoke out as if he wasn’t afraid at all.

”I will face no punishment as I have committed no crime!” Samuru shouted with authority, his voice filled with malice. ”You betrayed me, Kagetsu Kiyo! The Raikage, the “matriarch” of the village hidden in the clouds, the one who is supposed to be chosen by fate! It is you who became my chains and tried to rip my destiny away from me! Just to satisfy your own insatiable greed… Have you no fucking shame!?”

Jo:

Their greeting was swift, which was a relief, but exactly who had been the one to leap down from the immense structure was almost stupefying. Joji hadn't needed Shirokouu to greet the man to know he was the Kage to the village, the unmistakable robes draped over his form were as obvious as stapling a sign to his forehead with 'Hokage' written on it. Then began the epic tale of Shiro's separation and subsequent joining of the Raikage's band of misfits that led to the return to his long unseen village.

Upon his introduction, he smiled humbly at the child for being as gracious as he had been with the compliments, and the Onsenkage gave polite bow, "I'm Isakura Joji, of Yugakure no Sato." Reaching into one of the front pockets of his satchel, he retrieved a small, brown leather bound booklet with an orange insignia stamped on the front: His passport, and offered it to the Hokage, "As requested, Hokage-san."

Similarly to Kiyo's his information was presented forth in detail, his title, his village, age, all pertinent information, and for the authentication of it, his signature rested at the bottom. Once the booklet was out of his hand, Joji fell back behind their escort and ended up with Ming at his side. Being courteous enough to lower his voice as to not interrupt those speaking, he shook his head in response, "We have no gates...no walls...just fields on one side, and the ocean on the other...This is just outrageous, though..."

It was beyond anything Joji could imagine to separate the people from their natural element, and the forest they had traveled through to get to the hidden village had been beautiful. There was even a littler lunacy behind having walls and gates since most shinobi could scale such things with relative ease, and no normal army would assault a shinobi village because it would be a slaughter; the reasoning just didn't seem to settle in the young Kage's mind.

"Shiro-kun is quite the kid for his age," Like Joji could talk only being five years older than him, "He probably just wants to see his fam-"

His statement was cut short by a sudden outburst my Kiyo. While Ming profusely apologized for her Liege's threat, something clicked in Joji's mind. Samuru, the man he had met in the Raikage's Tower the first day he had arrived, sporting the large blade that had caught the Onsenkage's eye. However, while Kiyo had been shouting at air, something Joji now understood to be something else entirely, they were soon met with an opposition.

Samuru.

Powerfully, he offered a retort that could make one flinch in place, but it also didn't leave a thought of peace and love on the air. Since they hadn't been admitted to the village, Joji was still on his job of protection. Taking a step forward, he placed himself in front of Ming and Kiyo, making sure his presence was known and that harsh words should be the only things flying back and forth.

What an ordeal.

Joshu:

"The Raikage?!" Joshu said suprised that the Raikage herself apparently would visit the hidden leaf village which was probably why the Hokage was here to greet her which made sense. Joshu continued to watch as the conversations from the other faction began. " I wonder why the Raikage is here was there supposed to have been a meeting of some sort." Joshu thought to himself knowing that his questions would soon be answered when he had the moment with the Hokage to discuss the important matters soon to come.

Suddenly there were was yelling occuring and another man walked out. By the way his body language was showing it was as if he was going into battle with death clinging to him. He shouted at the Raikage telling her that he will face no crime and telling her of his torture and how she had no shame. Joshu leaned against a nearby wall near the Hokage just incase if this random person would strike Joshu would be there to intercept him. "Well Raikage it seems as though you screwed this man over." Joshu commented. He then looked towards the newcomer "So why exactly are you here? To explain to her that she screwed your life over or something of that nature?" Joshu asked the newcomer.

Sunuke:

As Sunuke was talking to the men, another man appeared asking to speak to him, it was Joshu from earlier.
"yes we will talk after i've greeted the travelers," he said to him,before listening to the group of people.

So it seemed that one of his shinobi got lost on the way to Sunagakure. Not surprising really, with all that sand there how could you not get lost. It wasn't even a maze, just every sand grain looks the same as the next ten thousand next to it. It was nice to have him back, though he missed the exam so he didn't rank up. But it was all fine, as long as he was safe.

He moved closer to the Leaf shinobi, the first priority out of all the people there was the safety of his own members.
"You're fine, as long as you are safe and that you were lost and then you returned to our village makes me happier than if you had been in the exam. " He bowed to the travellers.

"You have my gratitude in bringing my shinobi back to his homeland, if there is anything I can do just let me know." He humbled himself when people did good deeds, part of his way of life. He may have been the leader of the village but it didn't mean he recognised the good in others. He then turned back to Shirokouu.

"Mugen-san has returned from the exams, maybe you should visit him, you're free to enter the village if you wish, or you could stay with the travelers for now." As he said this he saw them reveal their passports, looking at each one, then stopping at Kiyo's...his pen pal? He suddenly realised it wa the Raikage Kiyo. He suddenly bowed to her respectfully as he realised who it was.

"Ah, Kiyo-sama, it's great to put a face to a voice," he said smiling to her with happiness. He was so glad that he could meet her, they had things to talk about. He also bowed to the other two though most of his attention was now focused on Kiyo. He was glad to finally meet her, and she seemed like a pretty woman as well, but business before social was today's priority.

Suddenly the womans smile turned to an angry face as she randomly shouted out loud, startling the man. He didn't know why she had suddenly made an outburst like that, and nor did her friend Ming Yue. It was kind of odd, but it seemed the reason suddenly appeared.

The missing nin from the temple appeared, it seemed he was there to meet his maker. Sunuke suddenly changed his stance, turning into a defensive stance and his hand on one of his sheaths. He wasn't really sure what was going on but he'd make sure he'd protect the Raikage and anyone else in danger.

"One of yours I assume?" he asked Kiyo as he looked at Samaru, his own face turning from a smile to a frown. Why all the interferences today? Had the Hokage tower not been enough? Or maybe when two Kages meet others get attracted like iron to magnets. Either way, the Hokages thoughts on the Raikage changed. Lets hope all the female kages weren't like her, or Sunuke would be dead before next Christmas...


Shiro:

The tension that seemed to build within that place, became thicker moment by moment to the point that Shiro's bones seemed to cringe and his joints seemed to grind to an involuntary halt with nervousness. Raikage!? He thought, a look of complete shock upon his face, his eyes widening as the realizations went further. I've been traveling with someone like a kage for this long without knowing it!? And... don't tell me 'Onshunchage" was some other version of the word!? He asked himself mentally, finally realizing through the auditory block that the apple created in Joji's introduction, that he was the Onsenkage as well. The fact that he was in the presence of three kages was enough to bring a chill to his spine, but his benevolent leader's response was enough to throw him right back into high spirits. He was told he could enter, the answer that was everything he had hoped it would be, particularly considering it seemed that his companions were far far more than they seemed and that they certainly had some business to attend to both with the Hokage and this other newcomer. Shirokouu could do naught but bow to his former compatriots, hoping that this dark man that joined the strange group was not there for blood. He smiled at them, remembering their kindness and quaintness along the journey and hoped he would keep that vision of them forever, tainted as it was, by status. "Raikage-sama, Onsenkage-sama, thank you for helping me. I hope to see you again before you depart." After bowing, he reached to shake Joji's hand and walked over and gave Kiyo a hug. "I don't know where I would've been without you two." He then turned to the Hokage. "And thank you as well Hokage-sama. I will go find Mugen-sensei straight away." With one final, formal bow to the three of them and a smile and a wave to Ming, who he really never disliked, but instead, at heart, seemed to find humor from the animosity. "See y'all around!" He said, rushing into the village with his head held as high as his soaring spirits and the rush of ambition flowing through his veins. He was finally home, but a new crazy journey was surely just beginning.

Koumyou:

He was passing by, as he had done every day since he arrived here, waiting for the Raikage to arrive.  Wondering who she'd bring as her guard, wondering how long it'd be till she arrived.  After all he'd snuck over here, sure he'd done a good search of the area as he'd come closer to Leaf to make sure there weren't any threats, but she didn't know he was here.  A young man he thought he kind of recognised went scampering passed him, turning his sights after the boy he wondered where he knew him from... ignoring the thought and deciding it to be coincidence he reached the gates and saw Joji and Kiyo, interesting he thought as he tuned his radio frequency to the one his ANBU used and heard nothing but silence.  So the pair had travelled from Kumogakure without an ANBU guard, well then Akira would be happy that he'd gone off to do this, though Kiyo probably would not.

Wandering up to the gate entrance he leant against the side of a building and would wait for Joji and Kiyo to come inside, there he'd follow them, to wherever it was that they were going to be staying.  He didn't want to be a hindrance to whatever plan was in Kiyo's mind, but at the same time he wasn't about to let her wander around a foreign village unguarded.

He hadn't heard the commotion from earlier and was unaware of Samuru's presence, but watched and knew that something was going on...

Kiyo/Ming:

It had worked, for a moment she had not expected him to take the bait and yet here he was, with his anger pinned on his sleeve. “Well, I had a feeling that might…,” she muttered to herself, while brushing her robe sleeve off with self satisfied smugness; it was always nice to be right. She could hear Ming in the background, apologizing on Kiyo’s behalf yet none of those present could understand the personal  attachment she had to this particular case.

Her brow knitted together, the frown on her face becoming more pronounced and confused. She had known he was mad at her, but did he really believe the words coming out of his own mouth? Could he have been brainwashed into leaving or perhaps he had hit his head and jumbled up his mind. Worry creased her face at the last of his words and she shook her head in bewilderment, “Do you really believe all that?” Her head turned over the information he had given her, her mind working swiftly to try and reason out where he could possibly be coming from; she failed.

“Yes, he’s one of mine. It’s alright, he’s obviously confused about something. Why else would he decide running away was his destiny?” a wary smile passed over her face and purposefully Kiyo held up her hand to display that ring that encircled her index finger which Samuru could not deny was that one he had given to her.

“Samuru, you made a oath to me and you gave me your life; there is no taking that back. You have betrayed me and yourself in running away and as things stand your life is forfeit. You have proven to me, how right I was not to trust you,” the problem was that she had trusted him and part of her had hoped he hadn’t left the village at all but simply gone into hiding for awhile. That he would come back, and the would sit in the forest and talk about how they wanted to shape Cloud into the utopia it was meant to be. Even after being betrayed time after time by the people meant o be close to her, she still cloud not learn from the past,

“Even still, I do not wish to see you dead,” she said, dropping her hand back down to her side. She might seem soft for this in front of two other leaders yet she couldn’t stand to see Samuru hang; not until she found out what it was he believed she had done or not done. Her mind searched for a temporary solution, something that would lead to the proper path.

”You will follow me, we will talk when I am free and a compromise will be made.” She was uncomfortable with mudslinging in front of the gates of a foreign country, especially with the Hokage and Onsenkage present.

With that she considered the matter done and she turned her attention back to Sunuke, although her smile was strained., “I’m sorry, I did not mean to be rude like that. Please accept my sincerest apologies. Would it be alright, perhaps, if we entered your village? I’ve been looking forward to this visit for awhile, I only wish I could have gotten here sooner.” Trying to seem at ease, she reached out her hand to take back the pair of passports she had given him. As for Samuru, well he knew as well as she that it did not matter if her back was turned to him, she could ‘see’ him just as well. Hopefully he would follow and if he did not she would speak with Sunuke about what to do with him.

Ming was not left to alternate between worried glances at Joji and sharp glares meant for Samuru but she was Kiyo’s assistant first and she diligently went about lifting not just her bag, but Kiyo’s to carry it along after them. Kiyo’s wasn’t that heavy, blessedly she was not the type of woman to own many shoes… or any but Ming’s bag was always on the heavy side.


Samuru:

Predictable but completely rational…

That was the phrase Samuru used to describe the opposition that he had faced. Each person here had a vested interest in seeing him subdued and the spiteful words that he spat out did nothing more than fuel the fire. Honestly, it was completely against his nature to act as we was acting and accuse Kiyo of what he was accusing her of, but that didn’t mean he didn’t believe it. Everything that happened seemed to happen sequentially and his assumptions lined up perfectly with the sequence of events.

First, he met Kiyo, where he felt some sort of connection to her. He was then stripped of his position as an ANBU captain shortly after a small disagreement with the ANBU Sennin and making his thirst for knowledge of the medical field known.  Shortly after it happened, Samuru found out that Kiyo had been lying about her identity and that she had really been the Raikage the entire time. Assuming the worst, Samuru began to query into the woman’s past but to no avail. She kicked him out of her mind and slammed the door in his face, behavior that screamed out something different than friendship… than the bond that he thought they had. Reflecting on her attitude toward him on that day, her status as Raikage, and his current position within the village, Samuru assumed that he had been relegated to the role of pawn.

He felt that he was nothing more than a weapon… A weapon that didn’t have a future… A person being denied a future…

A thought that he felt was utterly detestable.

The very thought that plagued his mind, altered his perception on reality, and transformed all of his insecurities into hatred, backed by a bunch of beliefs that he taught himself to believe. He believed in justice but this wasn’t it. He believed in freedom but running from your problems isn’t freedom. He believed in a variety of different virtues but none of those beliefs were influencing him in his current state. Samuru was just confused…

”The oath?” Samuru said, his voice mysteriously softening, the anger on his face overwritten with an expression of guilt and confusion as his eyes stared at the ring he gave her. ”She remembers that? Why does she still have that ring? I destroyed our relationship when I--  WHY?!” The boy questioned inside of his head, the ring signifying the belief of the bond that they had shared. Even when he had committed an act of treason against the village she represented and abandoned her after he promised not to, Kiyo still held onto that ring as a token of their friendship. Why? A master would not do such a thing for his tool so why did she? Was Samuru mistaken? All of this time was his precarious accusations completely false?

”But I?” Words barely escaped his lips before Kiyo demanded that he follow her, promising to speak with him later. ”Compromise?” Samuru softly commented, his eyes slightly opening while the grip of his hand loosened, revealing droplets of blood falling to the ground.

”This isn’t happening! Why would I feel regret for a breaking an oath to this woman? Why do I feel like I am wrong? Wasn’t I correct in my assumptions? Isn’t she an extension of the council? Isn’t she a puppet Kage with no backbone, unable to bring about change in a world that needs it? Why feel remorse for her? Why feel like I betrayed her when it was the other way around?” Samuru questioned in his head as the group of people walked past him, his body immobile from all of the thinking, his emotions fighting each other, the malice within his psyche transforming into confusion and regret. ”I must find out.”

”I’m curious to see what you plan to offer me,” Samuru commented, the façade of confidence appearing on his face and voice while he slipped on a pair of vibrant orange sunglasses to cover up the look of disbelief on his face. She talked for two seconds and already she was influencing his will.

Samuru was weak… confused… and easily manipulated because of his fragile state of mind.

The problem was that he was manipulating himself, his subconscious fighting against the unsealed fragments of darkness that leaked out of the Kannagi seal.

Fragile mind equaled lessened control…

Jo:

Shiro had been given assured that he wasn't in trouble, and he escaped into the village, but not before shaking Joji's hand. That kid was raised right, and the Father he spoke of must have been a reflection of that.

It was good the genin had left when he did too.

Part of Joji wanted him to burst out in anger, to chastise both Kiyo and Samuru for acting how they were, but his own teaching held his tongue. This was what it was like being in the Grand Shinobi world, amongst all the politics and schemes. The Onsenkage relaxed himself, letting his stance return to his once more loose fashion, he resisted the urge to roll his eyes. If this was what it meant to be a real shinobi, Joji didn't want any part of it and surely didn't want to bring this drama to his own village. While completely controlled on the outside, in the back of his mind he was beginning to wonder why he would even bother seeking further ties with the other villages if all it brought was anguish and strife.

While just the son of a smith, there was one thing Joji knew for a fact: Simple was better. These politics would never be his place, and now he understood why; villagers to him were family; people in other villages were numbers or tools, and even if they weren't, if they believed themselves to be, there was something wrong regardless.

Banishing all thoughts of the situation from his mind, he retrieved his passport, tossed it into his small brown satchel, and watched as Ming hefted both her and her Kage's bags. If Joji didn't act on seeing that, his Father's spirit would smite him in his place, and rightfully so since he had been raised better than that. Giving a polite half-bow to the Hokage, he moved himself over to Ming and snatched the bags from her, slinging them over either shoulder. Surprisingly, one of the two were heavy, and Joji was shocked Ming had carried it during the whole time they were traveling, and now felt even worse for not having offered to carry them in the first place.

Before Ming could protest, Joji held up and finger, "Don't even try. I'm carrying them for you until you and Kiyo find a place to stay."

Joshu:

Joshu could only shake his head at the missing ninja who came before the group yelling at the Raikage for having no shame and for betraying him and all that drama but it wasn't Joshu's problem so he could care less. The Hokage motioned for the Raikage to come inside the village and continue their talk but Joshu couldn't let the Hokage go without talking to him first for it was important to him. Joshu put his hand on the Hokage's shoulder to stop him for a quick second, "Hokage please wait a moment I would like to discuss something to you rather quickly." Joshu said to the Hokage once Sunuke stopped to listen Joshu would explain. "I dont know what is going on but im guessing if the Raikage is here it must be some what big. I have two things I want to ask you. One I would like to join you with this meeting of yours as your body guard because I would like to know what's going on in the world and where our village stands. The Second request would be after the meeting I would like to leave the village to check on the Hidden village of Rain, I have people explaining to me that they are a threat to us or are becoming a threat to this village and if you send me out there or give me permission perhaps, I can find out for sure and give you accurate information." Joshu explained to the Hokage. He wanted to help out his village and further more he didn't want his village to be weak or be a target. "Hokage if my info is correct and if Rain is a possible threat then we have to prepare for certain outcomes but if you send me to find out if it is true I will relay the information back to you." He only waited for the Hokage's response.

Sunuke:

Sunuke watched the events unfold and as the people departed after the drama that unfolded here. Sunuke gave a respectful bow back to the 'Osenkage' in return for bow he was given. He would need to find out more about this 'village' because he had not heard of that village at all.

He didn't mind what they did, he did his duty. That was it, he was only on duty here. If it had been at his office, or over a cup of tea or something,maybe he would've felt a little more hurt. But really his mind was focused on looking after the gate.

He turned his attention to Joshu as he was tapped on the shoulder, listening to the man speak. He listened to him through it all and thought about it.

"The first thing, is that your approach to be a bodyguard is for all the wrong reasons. My meeting with the Raikage is for a reason I cannot reveal just yet. I have someone for the job, but thank you for offering. As with Rain, there is no exact proof that they are a threat to anyone. What is more of a threat is conspirators in the village making up these rumours. Untill I have had a talk with the Raikage I don't think we need to go off by ourselves just yet. Untill I know more of their intentions I will make sure I send someone. I'll keep in touch with you. As for now,I have a village to protect."

With that he jumped back up to the gates and carried on watching them. Onto the next travellers, he figured.

Joshu:

Joshu's request were all denied and it seemed as though the Hokage did not believe him on the matters of rain but then again he was the Hokage and he probably knew more stuff then Joshu but that still wasn't the case. He watched as the Hokage went onto his own affairs and left Joshu there. Joshu only smiled and shook his head "looks like I have to do everything myself but at this time there is nothing to do for the time being." Joshu said to himself and walked towards the complex of the village. He needed a bite to eat and think about the upcoming events that was going to happened.