Private/Closed Naruto AU: Roleplay

[Retro Master]

“If you see any of those kids trying to leave the village, go after them. Other than that, don’t stress about watching them too closely. I doubt they’ll be leaving anytime soon.”

Like her fellow Kage, Tsunade led the Leaf delegation away from the Summit while speaking to her two trusted aides. Since it appeared the group from the Sound was staying, she figured they could get away with not keeping tabs on them at all times. They would likely split off here, with Hinagiku perhaps wanting to see her daughter and Tsunade having some other matters to attend to. Watching them discreetly from a good distance away was none other than Kiro, who didn't seem to be phased in the slightest by the hit basically placed on him by the Hokage.

‘I figured they’d have someone keep an eye on one of us just in case we try to leave, but it doesn’t seem like it. Seems like I’ll be free for the time being then.’

With that, he casually strolled off into the streets of the Rain. It was easy to blend in as the streets carried a sizable combination of foreigners, most who were there for the exams, along with the citizens of the village. Most foreigners probably didn’t even notice the occasional looks in their direction. For a nation that had gone through a great deal of hardship, it was understandable they were cautious of any outsider who stepped on their soil. Even as hosts of the Summit, they mostly kept to themselves. The Voice for Which God Speaks to had been identified as their representative and that was it. This just made it clear that the people of the Rain followed a God as their leader.

‘If a God truly resides here, then why have they kept the current balance of the ninja world as it is for so long? This God should be free to change it.'

Come to think of it, the leader of the Rain really did make no appearance at the Summit. Why host a Summit that included the five Kage of the great villages and not make an appearance? Especially one that was taking place with the state of the ninja world in a precarious situation. Perhaps they just did not respect the five Kage. If there was some truth to that, then perhaps Kiro shared something in common with them. On the other hand, maybe they were just not worthy to be in the presence of God. Perhaps the matters of the ninja world just didn't matter to them. Either way, tensions were running high and the Summit seemed like a good opportunity for the other villages to survey the field and potentially form alliances. In a way, some villages had already taken the initiative to secure some allies during the Summit.

“The Leaf and Sand. Sound and Cloud. Lady Mizukage and those Star Maidens...?”

Kiro paused there for a moment as he seemed to think of something.

“Interesting. Finally, some food.”

After some walking, Kiro finally found a food stand. There seemed to be some people who were willing to take advantage of the influx of visitors. It appeared to be working well as there was a line of mostly foreigners. From what he could see, takoyaki, crepe, and even dango were some of the delicacies available. This could be a good chance to get a quick bite to eat before exploring so Kiro went to secure his spot at the back of the line.

 

[Shen: King of Digimon]

“Do you know her?”

“No. Go home kid.”

“Oh okay...Hey lady, do you know Tomiko?”

“I don’t talk to terrorists!”

“Oh...”

This was the second dozen person Kou had asked. Still not any closer to finding Tomiko. Sighing, the kid began to feel distraught. There’s like...no friendly people here. I guess a village filled with depressing rain would have gloomy people too.

Before he was to turn around and return back to Zaku, he got a glimpse of something. Looking at what caught his eye, it was a glimmer of a certain gauntlet. Tomiko’s gauntlet! Laughing aloud, Kou rushed over to her, his Kage robes splashing in the puddles of rain water on the way.

“Rock Queen!”

He would wrap and hug her, despite her being in a conversation with someone else. He was just glad to have found her after all this time.


......



“Damos...why do you hide from me?”

Kai looked at the blank pages of his book, still shrouded in mystery. He tried blood, tears, sweat, saliva, but it’s still wouldn’t work. The honor guard knew what he was doing by giving him this book...it was a tough puzzle to crack.

“I can’t exactly get advice either...if anyone knew I had this the Yuki name would be dragged through the mud for sure...”

It was contraband. One that the Yuki intentionally hid. Perhaps if he told a Yuki that wasn’t close to his father? Maybe...

“...What?”

He felt a chilling breeze. One that appeared to call to him. It was almost like a sixth sense, but he couldn’t describe it...like it was telling him to look down. Looking about down below the streets of the rain, he scanned for threats. What he found was no threat, but a long lost comrade. One that made his heart stop.

“Kiro...!”

What was he doing here? He didn’t care. He needed to establish contact with him, bring him back home somehow. Leaping off of the building, the rain against his shoes turned to ice, slowing down his fall with his bloodline justu, allowing him to step soundlessly behind him. Suddenly, the rain has stopped midair around Kiro and him.

“Kiro.”

Time seemed to have stopped. The rain held about them as the rest of the street seemed to fade away to grey like a dream, at least to Kai.

 

[Godjacob]

"I question if you understand how anything actually works out. Beyond that Sagiso roped me into it, I had no interest in that battle nor for any sequel. If you are this desperate I am sure there are plenty among Sagiso's village here who'd be happy to reject you in my place." Azumi said as she figured her blunt response would be the end of it but given this guy was about as witty as a cement block it may just brush off.

"By the by, your "leader" seems to be in a hurry..." Azumi noted casually, as Kou seemed to run off on his own for reasons she could not even pretend to care for. Though she figured leaving their "leader" unattended might sway Zaku to go away so she tried it all the same.

---------
Madoka realized her comment seemed to spark a concern within Tomiko as she figured her family situation was probably not as cut and dry as it had been for others. She could to a degree relate, her grandmother likely was not to come to the Exams in Ame due to her health so she naturally extended an arm to the back of Tomiko.

"I am sure it will work out, and regardless know they are there with you. Even if they cannot make it physically." Madoka said, and this touched Tomiko who offered a small smile to her friend from the sand.

"Thanks Madoka, that meant a lot..."

“Rock Queen!”
​

Tomiko needles to say was caught off guard by a sudden though oddly familiar voice as her sentence was interrupted and she felt a small figure wrap him in a hug. Once she processed that she noticed the familiar face in rather curious clothing as Kou appeared and Madoka had a lone eyeraise as a contrast to Tomiko's almost stupefied look. Though had been considerate enough to least return the hug.

"K-kou? T-this is uh...what are you doing here?" Tomiko asked naturally wondering why he was here as he had been about the last person she expected to see in the Rain. Madoka herself was curious about the outfit, they sold Kage cosplay here?

-----​

"There are no butts here, one way or another we are getting you to the Rain!"

"What and leave you here to run the shop yourself? No way you need to go Tomiko needs your support!"

Needless to say when news came that Tomiko had made it to the Chunin Exam finals, excitement had filled the air of the local slum bakery though with that buzz came a realization of what was to be done about it. After all, Tomiko's work as a ninja had done wonders to improve the month to month bills but to drop everything and go all the way to the Land of the Rain seemed at beast hopeful and more realistically an absurd concept. Kuro and Atsuko had been in an argument over what to do as both desperately wanted to go and support their ever growing girl but to put business on hold had been a cost they could not overlook or afford.

"Alright got the funds?" Ren asked, as he and the colorful bunch within Tomiko's group approached the bakery as they seemed to have an old case with some spare money collected in a sort of pool.

"O-one sec Mr. Snugglebottom has a donation!" Naomi called as Ren's sister had the stuffed bear pass an old dollar coin into the collection can as it seemed the gang had their own plan. Since they lacked any realistic way to get to Ame, and knowing the parents strife they figured that between seven (Or "eight" in Mr. Snugglebottom's case) of them they could least help get a ticket for one of them to allow them both the opportunity to support Tomiko in their stay.

Though as they approached, curiously they noticed a pair of figures at the door. From what they remember, they had been Mori's parents if they were not mistaken. The knock on the door caught the attention of the couple inside as Atsuko went to answer it shocked to see them much as the gang had been.

"O-oh hello there, didn't expect company please come in." Atsuko said as she offered them a place inside if they wished for it though Kuro decided to get to the point.

"Uh, what brings you around these parts?" The co-head baker asked as the slum gang listened in curious themselves.

---------
"One liners are a needle in the haystack, most of them won't stick but if you find the right one it can serve you for life." Kenji countered back with a sly but friendly smirk as Aisha seemed to pick up on a familiar scent in the rain and as Luna barked happily at a distant figure to them she turned and had a big grin on her face.

"Hey Taji! Over here!" Aisha called over as Sakura noted it seemed another friend of Kenji's to which Kenji was quick to provide some context to.

"Ah Sakura Taji is a friend of mine from back in the Rain. Don't believe you two are familiar with each other." Kenji mused as Sakura seemed curious about the new figure. Though unaware to all a figure further away eyed them as Rika with a concealing jacket looked on with a somber expression.

 

[Shen: King of Digimon]

“Ooooo, got some bite in you, eh baby girl?” Zaku mocked. “You know what they say, The more that you fight it, the more likely it is that it’s true or somethin’ like that.”

Looking back briefly at Kou’s last position of the corner of his eye, he brought his attention back to her. He gave her a classic Zaku snicker.

“I got a babysitter for the kid. Means it’s just you and me, beanie.”

Flexing his wrist, he showed off his tube openings in the palm of his hand, a steady stream of air flowing through it.

“I seriously cranked up my waves since we last fought. I don’t think your little umbrella has anything on the future of justu. Nothin’ to be ashamed of, it’s just you’ve been outphased. Heh, Don’t you worry, I’m sure you can still do the dishes when we are married.”


......


Pleased by the response he received, he looked up to her, pushing his Kage upwards slightly so she could see more of him.

“Oh, I’m just the Kage of the sound is all! The Otokage!”

While garb made him feel a little bit important, he felt like he could be himself around Tomiko. Finding that sort of peace was hard to come by here. But it was short lived as he met eyes with the person next to her. You!

“Uhhhh, why is SHE here??”

He backed off from Madoka, remembering her creepy behavior with him alone in the forest with that weird doll she lugged everywhere

 

[Retro Master]

Once the person in the front of the line got their food and left, the line began to move up. Kiro was about to move forward with the line but paused when he suddenly heard a familiar voice from behind him. Time seemed to freeze when he turned to find an old friend standing before him. Instead of rain, it was an unexpected feeling of relief that washed over Kiro first.

“Kai... you’re alright.”

For the last three months, the condition of Kai had been unknown to him. The last time he had seen Kai, there were three large gashes on his chest thanks to Kin. However, Kiro placed most of the blame on himself. Those two Sound jinchuriki came for him after all. Unsurprisingly, it was always those that were close to him that got hurt. The least Kiro could do was avenge one of the few people who had his back, but he failed to do that too when he passed on the opportunity to kill the bitch. This was something Kiro felt he needed to answer for now.

“I-I...”

He was at a loss for words. All he could think of was killing Kin. Killing was drilled into him to be the primary way to complete an objective. Perhaps he thought killing Kin was the best way to make up for what happened with Kai as well. But was it? The incident with Kin wasn’t the only time he had betrayed their brief camaraderie after all. Even now, Kiro willingly stood on the side of an enemy to most of the ninja world. Yet here Kai stood, still fondly reaching out to him. Kiro held a somewhat somber expression before looking down in failure when he offered a rare apology to the Yuki, not knowing what else to say.

“I had the chance to kill that woman who attacked you when we last spoke, but I didn’t. I’m sorry.”

 

[Shen: King of Digimon]

Kai’s eyes widened when Kiro’s expression changed to a gloomy one. After all this time Kiro was only concerned with not being able to get revenge on his attacker? Taking off his mask, he didn’t care who saw him, he came up to him to wrap his arms around him.

“No no...don’t worry about that.”

He was glad he was safe and more importantly in one piece. Kiro was in the epicenter of a combat with two tailed beasts. Now that there wasn’t combat here, he could speak to Kiro without needing concern of either of their safety. Putting himself back a second, he looked to the Ex-Mist ninja.

“Kiro. Where have you been all this time? Have you been doing okay? Are you happy?”

 

[DarkHydraT]

"My idiot husband here has gotten the idea to bring both of you to the Rain with us as soon as he got a letter from Mori that he passed alongside Tomiko. Whilst I'm sure that you'd love to go, I don't want to force you two to leave the bakery and go on a trip that you can't afford." Kasumi informed the baker parents with Iwao smiling shyly next to her.

"We can cover any financial problems that the bakery might run into and I can get everyone to Ame with ease. It might be a little chakra heavy since giant hawks are generally more expensive than the smaller ones, but I've got precautions on me should I need them. As Kasumi said, we don't want you to feel forced to accept the offer. I just thought that you'd appreciate it."

---------------

"Pleased to make your acquaintance, Sakura. My name is Taij Kuramoto." Taji said politely as she extended a hand for the girl to shake whilst using her free hand to scratch the wolves. She didn't know this Sakura, but she couldn't be too mean since Sky and Luna seemed to be relatively relaxed around her. She decided to trust the judgment of the animals over the judgment of Kenji, she'd not yet forgot about his desired genre of literature. "So, did you pass the exam as well?"

 

[Godjacob]

"Uh huh, yeah I am sure that is what people say..." Azumi said with not too subtle sarcasm as it seemed Zaku was a touch casual about leaving his duty to someone else so he could attempt to showcase his for lack of better term "game" which may have been more insulting than the meeting that proceeded this.

"I see, so if the future of ninja is something that can be bested by a carpet zap then it seems the next generation is set to be historically pathetic." Azumi mused before she gathered her things as Satoshi moved to escort the High Priest out of the area while she prepared to move her own way.

"In any event, I am sure there are many you can "impress" with these flexes. Unlike you though I have more important things to do than this." Azumi mused

----------
With the sole exception of the rain itself, things seemed to fall silent at Kou's declaration. It was needless to say a bombshell that was not easy to accept at face value as Tomiko seemed utterly baffled.

"U-uh I am sorry I may have misheard you? D-did you say you were uh Otokage?" Tomiko asked, a bit befuddled as a kid who she presumed was not even a ninja somehow assumed the highest position a ninja could reach.

Madoka herself wondered when the Sound even had a "Kage" as she assumed that was only a position the five largest nations had been granted. Either this had been a big joke by Oto or Oto itself had become a big joke though Kou's open distain for her caused her to inwardly groan. Oh great not this nonsense again...

------​

Needless to say the offer caught both Kuro and Atsuko off guard as the couple had not known how to take such an offer, it seemed to be one of those too good to be true miracles you'd hear in a romance poem though both had a reservation tempting as it been as the pair glanced at each other before Kuro would speak up.

"W-we appreciate the kind offer, really it means the world be we cannot ask something like that of you. Your summons would have to be taught all the ins and outs and it may be too much to ask both of them and you..." Kuro said as he had outlined concerns and seemed prepared to turn it down.

"TAKE THE OFFER!"

"HOSHI STOP YOU IDIOT!"

Suddenly a crash had been heard as Hoshi peaked out and caused the spy tower of Tomiko's group to topple over as the slum kids revealed themselves as they tumbled out much to the confusion of both Tomiko's parents.

----------
"Sakura Haruno, it is a pleasure..." Sakura said with a smile, Taji seemed nice enough as she extended her hand to complete the handshake as she offered a warm smile and when it came to the exam status she seemed to nod in affirmation. "Indeed, and from what I can remember it seemed each of you three passed as well. Coagulations."

"Well they do say teamwork is dreamwork~" Kenji said with a slight grin as Sakura glanced Taji's way curious to get to know this group around Kenji a bit more. "So what is the story with you and Kenji? Genin teammates or something else?"

 

[DarkHydraT]

"Woah! You okay there? Is anyone hurt?" Kasumi ran over towards the group of kids to make sure that they were okay. Iwao was just as shaken, but decided to stay and convince Kuro.

"My summons have not been told anything, but I know which ones are willing to help. Keep in mind that they are ninja summons. With all due respect, they will see it as training to fly long distances with cargo. You won't be a hindrance at all."

------------------

"We're not genin teammates. We met in the Raikage's office as I was about to report the results of a mission I completed. It took a while to warm up to eachother, but I'd say it worked out in the end. Even if I have to listen to Kenji's cheesy quotes now." Taji jerked a thumb towards her fellow Kumo-nin before using both her hands to pet the wolves. She wasn't going to lie, she missed these puppies during her time alone. Technically they were not her pets, but they sure felt like they were.

 

[Retro Master]

For someone whose techniques were known to be as cold as ice, the warmth displayed by Kai felt even greater. The warm embrace had been unexpected, but Kiro didn’t make any move to escape. He could hear some complaints about them holding up the line, but they didn’t matter. What mattered was the answer he had to give Kai. An answer he didn’t expect Kai to take very well.

“I’ve been with the Sound village after I was freed from my captivity in the Leaf. If it wasn’t for them, I would still be imprisoned. So I am grateful for the assistance they have given me. I’m actually here as a guard for the leader of the Sound. I presume you know of the Summit that just took place.”

Kiro answered the questions honestly. He had too. There was no reason for him to hide the truth this time anyways. It would be easy for Kai to figure it out due to his excellent investigative skills as a hunter-nin. After all, there was really no other explanation for his presence in the Rain. He did neglect to explain how the escape happened, but Kiro would be willing to reveal that if necessary.

 

[Shen: King of Digimon]

“Yup! Heard correctly! ...For now anyway.” Kou clarified. “Kinda looked like the sound was in big danger, so I was asked to step in because only I could save it, at least that’s what I was told.”

Out of his long Kage sleeve came a small rat, Wyatt, wearing a small blue Trilby hat by the looks of it. In his tail he had the same feather, Fur Duster, to which he had liberated to fight off the dangerous feline mittens. Coming out to sit on Kou’s sleeve, the Rat took it’s hat off and bowed, showing some respect to the rock queen. Kou chuckled earnestly

“Looks like my brother wants to say hi too!”





.....


Kai was surprised at this news at first, but quickly shook his head, understanding the reasons as to why Kiro would take that course of action.

“You were betrayed by your own people as you were accused of treason, it’s only natural that you had to do what you could to survive. Joining the sound foreigners served the purpose of not being a prisoner of the leaf, it’s not like you are truly loyal to them.”

A smart move given the cards Kiro had been dealt. Either live a prisoner or live as a warrior, at least one refined his skills. Taking a look around, he noticed he was interrupting a bit of a line. Getting a small smile on his face, Kai laughed.

“Maybe...we should just order our food for starters, huh?” He joked. “I’ll cover it.”

And with that, the rain began to fall again, except instead of falling normally, it fell in a small veil around Kiro and Kai, so when it got within a centimeter of them, it fell painlessly to the ground instead.

 

[kyuukestu]

Sagisō

Hasa's presence at the Kage Summit had been in no small part due to Sagisō's insistence. Even before she had returned to her sisters, the Skillful Star had been plagued by a sense of foreboding. And how could she not? What she had seen at today's summit only cemented her fears. 'When Elephants fight, it's the grass that suffers.' This was an undeniable truth.

And as fate would have it, by some twist of irony, she was in the Rain village. The nations that lived, breathed, and represented the 'trampled grass' ideal. They had played host to a grand performance, the grandest of all performances. What else could the Kage Summit be labeled as, if not a performance?

It was a grandiloquent display; a global meet-up; a barely concealed autarchy of, by, and for the eponymous Kage.

Sagisō's vision was clear and unhindered by pretenses. Thrice had those beyond the circle of five dared to make a statement: the Rain, the Sound, and the Samurai. Each plea went unanswered, hardly even acknowledged unless backed by a member of the five. From what Sagisō observed, even those who openly sought to provoke the five could only do so by hiding beneath the skirts of another. It was then, unsurprising, that the obstreperous five would go largely unchallenged, except by one another.

The whole thing reeked of their supremacist ideals. Azumi would've found it sickening and Sagisō was duly impressed that her friend had the sense not to provoke the Kage as she had during the last examinations.

But now the curtains had closed, and the stage was empty, its actors long departed. The stars of the show had commanded the spotlight and the supporting cast served to make the acts of the main actors that much more intriguing. Surprisingly, Hasa had also found its way onto that stage even if their role was, for now, merely that of a stage-hand.

And therein lay the girl's greatest fear; that someday, whose dawn was on the horizon, Hasa would no longer be a stagehand, but one of the many ants scrambling beneath the feet of giants.

Her fingers traced the faint starlit pattern that adorned her gloves. They were the same silk-woven steel threads that her Hyūga mother had given to her last year, and yet, they had become something else entirely. The Hortensia Fringed Orchid Gloves, as Sagisō had named them, were now as much a part of the girl as her own flesh and blood—her Star Weapon. The process by which a star weapon was crafted and refined was the single greatest secret held by the Star Maidens and it was that secret that held the potential to turn them into caged rats.

.....
​

The skillful star sighed, putting her thoughts behind her. She'd been idly traversing the landscape; sight sighting from her path across the high-rise roofs. Sagisō found that she was fond of heights where the air grew thin yet, unobstructed by the terrain she could clearly feel its power. She loved the sensation—wind-kissed, slightly numb, and free.

She had developed a habit of perching while troubled, losing herself to the wind and her thoughts. More recently, she had also begun to indulge in music. Her star-born mother, among other things, had left Sagisō with a guzheng; and, over the last few months, the skillful star had picked up the basics.

Given her habits, it would've been no surprise to any of her sisters, that in her wandering, Sagisō had come to find herself perched on the overhanging ledge of a skyscraper, her fingers idly plucking at her instrument's strings.

She was all but lost in thought until the chill of a raindrop roused her conscience. Lifting her gaze, Sagisō stared at the gloomy sky, and lowering her gaze, she stared at the people below, impassive and saturnine.

A withering sigh slipped through her lips, which were beginning to chill from the rain. She threw up her panache, lyrics coming to mind as overlooked the Village Hidden in Rain. The song seemed all too fitting for the dreary, industrialized village.

"Grey skies above,
Matching the jungle of concrete and mud"

Her voice was swept into the wind as she sang, words came to mind while her mind echoed a step behind. 'Is it always this rainy', she wondered. 'Is the village always been this...stifling?'

"Faces untouched,
Reflecting lives of the blue and unloved"

Her sympathy went out to the orphans who had crossed her path as she wandered the village. She wondered how long the village had been like this. Since the time of the war? Beyond that?

"Bitter and blunt,
The souls of many covet direction"

She could almost taste it, the bitterness written all over their faces. The citizenry of the Rain still lived in the shadow of the second ninja war. Embittered by the way the Great Nations had trampled over their homes and now forced to accept their oppressors as honored guests, they were more lost than ever. Sagisō sympathized, 'Is that why they look towards their god.'

"Look close enough,
And you might catch a glance of your reflection"

She closed her eyes and indulged; her voice peaking.

"The wind tells tales of moments so sweet
Of tragedy veiled in lies and deceit"

"The surface shakes from conflict and hate
Of innocent caught in history's wake"

"Smiles fade and blend with the sky
Emotionless grey, a jungle of concrete and lies"

"I guess reality tells a story of life"

She paused and chuckled, her fingers keeping time during the voiceless beats. If there was anything that could define the Rain, it was certainly 'innocent caught in history's wake'.

"Gazes below,
Staring at their feet while times passes slow"

"Faces cast down,
Drowning their sorrows in vices unbound"

Her voice picked up. The Rain was a village where one frequently encountered bars; alcohol was a preferred indulgence of many of its shinobi, but it was far from the only one. Among the few Rain shinobi she actually knew was the drugged-up Reaver. Though she suspected he was hardly a suitable normal.

"Indifferent minds,
Scatters the streets yet they feel so confined"

"Look close inside,
And you might catch wind of ascetic lives"

She hummed through the words. If anyone were to fit the bill of an ascetic, it would be the ever faithful, ever devoted Azumi. But even now, she wasn't sure if Azumi's devotion was good or bad.

"The wind tells tales of moments so sweet
Of tragedy veiled in lies and deceit"

"The surface shakes from conflict and hate
Of innocent caught in history's wake"

"Smiles fade and blend with the sky
Emotionless grey, a jungle of concrete and lies"

"I guess reality tells a story of life"

Her fingers were at the string of her instrument, the strings vibrant as they held resounding notes.

"The oceans sway and whisper the tides
Their stories will fade and evolve with time"

"The surface calms for a moment's grace
A moment to count the breath that you take"

"Smiles rise and contrast the sky
Emotional blue, a palette of scattering light"

"I guess reality tells a story of life"

With that final phrase, her voice tapered off, and her instrument fell silent. Even she was unsure of her song. Was it a message of hope, of despair, or...neither?

____________________________________________________

Song: Catch Wind (feat. Un3h) [Touhou Arrange] — Cepheid

 

[Shen: King of Digimon]

“Heh, just sounds like the response of a coward to me.” Zaku snorted. “What’s the matter? Off to collect rainwater or whatever you guys do? I think we both know this won’t go away.”

Zaku smirked. He was right in the end. He was staking for a week or so, so Azumi had to put up with him or do something about him. And Zaku could be very persistent about what he wants. Zaku’s hands twitched like they hadn’t seen battle in ages, just begging for a chance to blow something up.


.......


*Shank!*

A ninja fell facedown in the center of an alleyway. In his grasp was some kind of canister filled with glowing fluid. His back was littered with solid steel railroad spikes, poking out like a pincushion. The heavy clatter of machinery wounded as a metallic hand reached down and ripped the canister from his grasp.

“YOU ARE NO WARRIOR. YOU ARE A THIEF.”

Reaver, instead of collecting some kind of trophy from this victim, raised a foot. The leg seemed to be charging up from the sound of struggling hydraulics, before suddenly-

*SPLORT!*

His leg game down with ferocity, pancaking the body of the thief as blood began to mix with the rain and the rust filled ground. Another reaved. Walking away with a bloodstained boot, Reaver made it back to his garage, placing the canister back into it’s slot on the wall.

 

[Godjacob]

"Granted filling a bucket with water would provide greater sense of accomplishment than speaking with you could, but alas what I do is none of your business and shall remain that way. I am sure you you will continue but I figure you can go play the drums in traffic or something. You'll have a higher success rate than what you aim to get from me..."

Azumi naturally had more pressing thoughts than Zaku, though to be fair that had not been hard for her to rate as she prepared to leave the meeting area as she considered her next action. Perhaps she'd pay Sagiso a visit, or check in with members of her team. Though as she walked she glanced back at Zaku as if to offer some parting words.

"One thing to keep in mind, the loudest barks come from the smallest of dogs. In this environment with enemies all around you, I'd advise who you lash that tongue at since others may not be as indifferent to your fate as I am."

----------
Tomiko felt her entire world seemed to sink as Kou added context behind this choice, Tomiko herself had been called an unrealistic idealist in the past but even she could see such a nomination was a token one; a way for the real leader of Oto to avoid direct threat for this meeting and offer a scapegoat in its place. And while Tomiko had a nervous smile on the outside, inwardly...

Zaku, I am gonna make you suffer for letting this happen!

"I-I see well...c-congrats. Though I have to ask, w-where are your guards? It's rather informal for a Kage to not have guards by them when on foreign travel." Tomiko said with a nervous smile as her first instinct was to make sure Kou was not literally out in the open to be taken in the dead of night like the Leaf had all reason to try.

Madoka herself naturally had an even less optimistic view of this situation, she honestly was shocked the kid was even about as of now but assumed the neutral ground sight gave some sort of "limited immunity" though once the rat showed up Madoka seemed to raise an eyebrow.

"B...brother?"

-----​

"Well if Hoshi isn't he's about to be..." Jirou mused with a scowl as everyone seemed to get up as indeed everyone seemed okay in spite of the fall and with questions on them Ren had decided to speak up for the group.

"We came here because well, we figured that it might be tricky for both of you to go to support Tomiko and given we can't afford or have the means to go we figure the least we could do was help how we can make it so you both can go..." Ren explained, as soon enough Naomi passed over what seemed to be a collection case of their scarce money pooled together.

"W-we figured this could help with least some travel expense, if not a ticket or something..." Naomi said sheepishly with case in one arm and Mr. Snugglebottom in the other though quickly the twins had decided to speak up.

"B-but now that Mori's parents are making this offer, we think you could t-take it!" Miu commented.

"Yeah that way you both can support Tomiko for all of us!" Mio added on, which seemed to take Atsuko and Kuro aback as these friends of their daughter seemed to put their hope of supporting Tomiko in a mutual effort to help them both come off. Between this and Mori's parents they were taken aback from the kind gestures as it touched them both.

---------
"I see the spirit of rag on me persists." Kenji mused, though his amused grin showed he had not taken offense to the comment as Sakura seemed to get a light chuckle at this. Taji moved to pet Luna & Sky as the wolves proved warm & receptive to it nuzzling into her hand as their tails wagged happily which had not escaped Sakura's notice.

"Seems these wolves have taken a liking to you." Sakura said to Taji as Aisha flashed a toothy smirk as she seemed almost prideful at this before she clarified.

"Yeah Luna & Sky seem to consider Taji an official sister. They enjoy her company, almost as much as they take to Kenji's bed." Aisha said with a tease as Kenji rolled his eyes though had an amused smirk.

"You know I was considering offering a celebratory meal for us to celebrate making the finals but I may have to revoke that given the number of low blows~" Kenji said, a tease though he had put that idea out in the air if they had interest which if Aisha's eyes widening had been anything to consider was a yes.

 

[Shen: King of Digimon]

After Azumi said her piece and got up to leave this verbal bout, the sound ninja quipped behind her, not quite done yet.

“Only women fight with their tongues cause they are only good at talking.” Zaku smirked completely blowing off Azumi’s complaints. “Maybe that’s why your afraid to fight a man like me, eh? Must have got lucky when Katsuo and I took each other out. Talk about an undeserving winner.”

Instead of outright flirting, he took jabs at her. If she attacked him then that would mean the game was on. If he embedded correctly, she blew up during their first date fight. He just needed to press a couple of the right buttons.


......


“Oh? Well yeah! Boss came as well as a new guy called Kiro. He’s pretty nice if you get to know him, he just likes to eat alone. Doesn’t like rabbits though so that’s kinda weird. Oh but they are doing their own thing right now cause the cloud guys got me covered for now!”

As Madoka somewhat asked about the brother comment, Wyatt turned to her, simply nodding his head once before turning his hat to hide one of his eyes. He didn’t take kindly to the comment on a noble rat such as he that had earned his status. Judging from the way Kou reacted to her didn’t help his opinion of her. He showed a snuggle tooth ‘threateningly’ for a split second when she looked at him before hiding it back.

“But doesn’t this make me sound king? Ha! So when you get to be the Rock queen we could be royal buddies!” Kou cheerfully suggested.

 

[Retro Master]

The acceptance shown by Kai caught Kiro a bit off guard at first. It was certainly a different reaction to the one Kai had in the Leaf village when Kiro first told him he willingly joined the Sound. Albeit, the circumstances were a bit different this time. The reasons for his decision to join the Sound stated by Kai were correct to an extent. It was either remain confined in the Leaf village for who knew how long or be free with the Sound and attain the power he so desired. Those were really his only options for the time being as the Mist had basically discarded him. He made that sentiment clear as he confirmed Kai’s explanation with his next words.

“That’s basically it. The Leaf made a mistake keeping me captive for as long as they did and it ended up hurting them in the long run. Now even their Hokage wants me dead. Anyways, let me cover the cost. It’s the least I can do.”

Kiro made the offer at the end as they moved up in line. He felt a bit at peace now that the Yuki seemed to understand the situation. Maybe he was wrong to have doubted him. Ever since they met, Kai always seemed to genuinely care about him in a way. The defected Mist ninja wasn’t exactly sure how it got to that point to be honest. Perhaps it was just because they both shared the same pure Mist blood. Would Kai still feel the same if he were a Xeno? Either way, Kiro did appreciate the rare display of true kindness directed at him, even if it might not be completely deserved.

 

[DarkHydraT]

After realising that all the children were okay, Kasumi and Iwao listened to the gang's reasoning behind the gift of money. The fact that the children were willing to give the little money they had to Tomiko's parents to let them go to Ame was both heartwarming and heartbreaking. The couple looked at eachother and nodded before Iwao cleared his throat. "Y'know, I might be able to pull some strings with my summons. In case we have some extra passengers. Just sayin'. I'm not saying we need them, but we can have them." It was painfully obvious what the jonin meant, but Kasumi did not have the heart to call him out on his acting skills.

-------------------

"What can I say Kenji, you're an easy target. We're gonna rag on you as long as you keep giving us stuff to rag on about. So really, you're the only one to blame for this." Taji chuckled as she knelt down to pet the two wolves some more. "Who are some good wolves? You and you? Yes, you are. You two are some great wolves." The kunoichi said in a high pitched voice as she ruffled the fur of the predators, treating them as if they were oversized puppies instead of wolves that could probably kill her. "Come on Kenji, no need to use such drastic measures. Besides, that's not a very gentleman-esque thing to do. You dare to be so cruel to your friends? Then I'll take Aisha, Luna, Sky and Sakura to a restaurant and you are not invited. It's your choice, buddy." She taunted the boy as she scratched underneath the chin of both wolves.

 

[Shen: King of Digimon]

Kai listened to Kiro’s words intently as he mindlessly ordered whatever the Xeno at the counter had suggested, waving her off dismissively. When Kiro offered to cover the cost, Kai put a hand up in the way.

“What prince would I be if I didn’t use my standing to help other mist citizens?”

Kai acted in a somewhat coy way, almost seeming to make fun of his own status as he produced the Yen. To be frank, Kiro and Kai shared the same sentiment on hating his father. So using some money taken from his Father’s pocketbook was no rear shed on his behalf.

“When I take my place as the clan head or maybe even Mizukage, my first course of action is to unbanish you. But for now...I have contacts in the village that owe favors to me. So if you ever needed a place to stay near the mist, I’m sure they would be delighted to have you.”

There was a certain elderly woman he recalled. Mrs.Evlen. He had helped her from raiders that had attack her homestead years ago and they had since a positive relationship. She helped him get any supplies he needed to restock on his journey as a rest stop before going back to the mist many of times. Perhaps she would be okay housing Kiro? At least that’s what he hoped.

 

[Godjacob]

It seemed Zaku had not taken a share of the low hanging fruit as he decided since his weak flirts got nowhere some digs back at her might as he took a shot at the legitimacy of Azumi's exam win. Indeed, it had struck a nerve as she carried that badge of false pride on her shoulders given an Ame nin topping an event that featured the Genin of the national superpowers in the backyard of the Leaf was something to celebrate even if Zaku had pointed out it much had been unproven.

Still, Azumi managed to keep cool. Balling her hands into fists she glanced back at Zaku as she eyed him with a glare before a curious chuckle escaped her lips.

"You speak of legitimacy yet proudly wear that collar around your neck. Without that "gift" of your master and its power you'd have been a dried up stain on the finals stage. I take pride in knowing my strength is my own, if you wished to meet me in the finals...all you had to do was win. So what happened?" Azumi asked flipping it to the Oto Genin as she was curious of his response. As it stood he did fail to get a win even with a boost only one other applicant had to their name among the finalist with his opponent reliant only on their ability.

Yet it was her skills put into question between them?

----------
"Let's not give off royalty nicknames...." Madoka said with only a slight amount of sarcasm as it seemed Kou had an interesting pair of guards. Zaku and Kiro, which only seemed to be more digging a literal grave as the one thing missing from this was a big sign that read "please take or kill me" given nobody could reasonable expect those two with their limited experience to be able to fend off interested parities who sought info or their heads out of them. Especially given neither seemed to even be bothered to stand guard, though the bit of Kumo had been curious. Far as she knew Oto and the Cloud had not the warmest history, so if Kou spoke the truth what caused that? Was there some deal expected out of Oto? Curiously she decided to dig into this. "You mentioned Kumo..."

"What?"

Before Madoka had chance to press, a soft yet somehow emphatic question escaped Tomiko's lips as the Iwa Genin seemed stunned at the reveleation of Kou's guards and for lack of better term where they had not been as she worked to find the right words before speaking up once more.

"L-let me get this straight, Kiro and Zaku are tasked with guarding you and both decided to just go off and do their own thing? A-am I mishearing you or is that correct?" Tomiko asked, feeling this sudden rage build from this insulting level of carelessness on the part of all of Oto at the moment.

Madoka had an eyebrow raised, before she heard and finally took not of another face who arrived onto the scene. One it seems she had overlooked do to the sudden Kou situation. "Taiyo?" Madoka asked, as she seemed to keep his name to memory though her gaze naturally was drawn to his arms.

-----​

Naturally the children were taken aback by this, Ren himself course knew what Iwao had meant though it took it a moment to process, was he implying that they'd be willing to also let them go to Ame with Tomiko's parents? That seemed to be what he implied but it felt and sounded too good to be true though before anything could be added on Tomiko's mother spoke up with a weak voice.

"W-wow this is uh, this is so much to take in. You must know we'd be in no position to pay you back for this for a good while now. Tomiko has helped with promotion but location tends to drive away most business..." Atsuko had began to say as already the pair considered especially given that they considered expanding their generous offer and the extra strain on the summons.

---------
"Ouch, you think so low of me Taji. Course I intend to take you, would be rude otherwise. Just a bit of fun..." Kenji said with a sly smirk, before his face dropped to a somewhat serious expression. "...though in truth, I was hoping to bump into one more for a complete party, but it seems Rika is hard to find." Kenji mused, and at the mention of her name Rika caused the girl who observed from afar to turn as she walked away. Much as she wanted to join in the fun, she figured that a reunion would only make things akward with so many faces.

"Rika? Another friend of yours?" Sakura asked, as she was naturally curious to which Kenji explained to her the details of them being on the same Genin team, Rika being the star student though with a major pacifist mindset, and her being in the exams this year. Though of course, he neglected to mention the other detail he, Aisha and Taji had learned of Rika. That matter much as Kenji trusted & respected Sakura was best kept closed lipped.

"So, you girls ready to go?"

 

[Shen: King of Digimon]

Azumi’s comment briefly removed the smug smirk on Zaku’s face, the sound ninja putting two and two together. There was truth in that, but it was also a sidestep. Seeing that, Zaku scoffed, putting a hand in his hip and his smirk returning like a infection.

“Nice deflection, blamin’ it on Katsuo and me. But I think we both know you wouldn’t have won against either of us alone. After all, I think your only win was against someone that didn’t even go all out. You talk down on our ‘collars’, but I think your just scared little girl.”

Seeing this as a possible insecurity, the opportunistic nin poked and prodded some more, pulling away his scarf to reveal the curse mark in full.

“This collar is a mark of pride! Somethin’ we earned! And the fact that you’ve never fought one’s full power frightens you, doesn’t it? Heh, come to think of it I don’t remember you actually fighting anyone going all out! Anyone of note that is.”

Azumi claimed to be an alpha dog, but it’s easy to seem like one if you only attack Betas or alphas that don’t fight back. Maybe her ninja career ending here was a fitting end to a subpar legacy.


........


Tomiko grew even more angry at the two guards of Kou’s, who had remained absent from the scene. Kou, finally realizing this, waved his hands in front of him frantically.

“No no! It’s fine really! I’m guarded, it’s just you can’t see them! Because Ninja and everything! Ahahahahaha!”

Kou didn’t like fighting or having his friends and or family angry. So seeing both about to go down stressed the boy, who just wanted to diffuse the situation.

Kou’s brother, Wyatt, took out his feather sword, Fur Duster, bringing it’s tip to a head. It seemed like he was trying to paint himself as the ever-present guard, albeit it was hardly a convincing argument for anyone

 

[Retro Master]

“Thanks and I’ll keep that in mind.”

Kiro responded to the offer of housing as well as the generosity Kai had to cover the cost of the food. He could smell the sweet aroma of the tri-colored hanami dango, among other mouthwatering foods over the counter, as the woman gathered their orders. In the mean time, Kiro thought about the lofty goal Kai had in mind as he looked back to his friend.

The Yuki Prince must’ve known his father wouldn’t allow Kiro’s return. He should know the stubbornness of his father better than anyone. Seeing as Jin was already putting quite a bit of pressure on the current Mizukage, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him do the same even against his own son. Even if Jin stepped down, he would still have the reputation to stand against Kai. Especially if Jin became the fifth Mizukage. With the current Mizukage being clearly unable to reign in the Yuki Head during the Summit, it seemed to be only a matter of time before Jin took the prestigious role from her. At that point, the only way Jin might let Kiro return would be over his dead body.

“Even when you become Mizukage, are you sure your father will just sit idly by and let you make these decisions? I highly doubt he’ll let that pass. His stance on my banishment has been made pretty clear. Quite recently, in fact.”

As made evident by his comment, Kiro had no doubt Kai could become the Mizukage. A splendid one at that. However, it was a matter of when. Ironically, the biggest obstacle would probably be his father. For Kai to take the position of Yuki Head or even Mizukage, his father would have to step down or somehow be rendered incapable of being in power. Jin could also be killed by Kiro, but that would probably be the worst-case scenario. If Jin held his position as long as the third Tsuchikage did, then by the time Kai became the Mizukage, Kiro would probably be too old for his unbanishment to matter. Kiro could only wonder how and if Kai would be able to take a stand against his father.

 

[DarkHydraT]

As Atsuko began to voice her concerns, Iwao raised his hand to stop the woman from talking. He understood what she was about to say, but he really did not want to stand here all day. "Ma'am, we don't want to be paid back. It would be unreasonable to expect to be paid back after inviting someone to something without notifying them. If you want payment, the smiles of both our children when we arrive will be enough for the both of us."

Kasumi chimed in effortlessly with her husband, as if they had practiced this very situation before. "If you accept our offer, we will make sure that the summons won't be treated as mere transport. They will only fly for a select amount of time, after all summons have a limited time during which they are assisting us. After that, they go back to their home and rest up. Summons will not be used twice per day, each summon only gets summoned once per day as to not overexert them and to let them get proper rest. It is very likely that we'll be on the road for several days though, so make sure that all parties are 100% sure that they want to come. You don't need to bring tents, as that is one of the benefits of having Earth Release jutsu. I get that we surprised you with this offer, and we don't want you to make hasty decisions. How about we return in two hours and see what you decided?"


---------

"You've yet to give me reason to think anything else of you. I must say, leaving your favorite novel series around is a surefire way to get mocked for a long time. The Icha Icha series is not exactly known to be child-friendly after all." Taji mocked Kenji some more as she ruffled the fur of Luna and Sky some more. They were incredibly soft, how could she not pet them? At the mention of Rika, the girl spoke up. "Normally I'd help look for her, but this village is overrun with people from different countries and it is an incredibly tense time politically. Plus, you can't expect me to sense the entire village and pick out one specific chakra signature. That's just asking for me to faint, and I do not have that scheduled today." It really was not that hard to search her out given her complexion, but it would still be very hard, if not impossible, for her to not faint on the spot when faced with a Tailed Beast and countless other chakra signatures. "I'm ready as can be, is your wallet ready though? As a true gentleman and the one who invited us for dinner, you'll be paying of course."

 

[Godjacob]

However, if Zaku aimed to rattle Azumi it seemed his initial reaction was one the Ame-nin focused on, that moment of broken façade and slight expression shift told her all she needed to know. And as Zaku tried to dig back at her even trying to turn his Curse Mark into a point of pride Azumi had a reaction which defied her usual expressions.

She laughed.

"Pride? The biggest joke I've ever heard is the belief that this mark has anything to do with pride! I am sure that Uchiha just felt so much pride when he submitted to the will of the snake to get his. That mark is the ultimate side of shattered pride, and admission you need that outside source to get ahead because you don't think your own abilities are up to snuff. And that's your perspective, much less his of course..." Azumi said, the emphasis on his referring to Orochimaru as she had turned and began to walk away, though stopped as she passed one more comment to Zaku.

"Perhaps the most cruel twist of fate in all this is the fact he managed to make you think he actually cares what happens to you personally. I've met him but once in my life, but even old war records here can tell you what nonsense that is. Since you intend on sticking around, if you ever want a sample of what the real Orochimaru is like and how he actually sees his "comrades" or "subordinates", I suppose I can give you a special tour that could enlighten you. Or given how indoctrinated you are, probably only make you deny it more passionately. How sad." Azumi mused before she jumped off and set about heading to the main town.

----------
Tomiko naturally sensed that Kou was uncomfortable at her visible anger, though that had done little to quell the inexcusable lax policy with guarding him. Oh invisible eyes on the sky? Yeah she had been real sure of that one, regardless of Kumo or whatever other ally they got for the time being the duty of a guard was to ensure the Kage's safety.

So, Tomiko managed to breath in and out as she put on a convincing smile before Kou as if she had understood him. "Oh I see well that fixes everything. Still, I can't help but want to check up on good ole Zaku and Kiro. Think you can arrange a visit?"

------​

Naturally this had been a lot to take in, Tomiko's gang themselves were a touch speechless for being included though the decision seemed to rest with the parents whether they'd accept or not. While the 2 hours to think over would have been idea, both of them soon began to realize that with these assurances that there had been no need to take that long to provide an answer as both of them looked each other in the eye before smiling as both faced the ninja couple, tears in their eyes as they could not hold in how much this had meant to the both of them.

"We would be...honored, thank you so much~!"

----------
"Oh god you are into that stuff...." Sakura said with a tone of disgust, her own sensei had been a big fan of the series and needless to say the green on Sakura's cheeks had not been a reflection of endearment though Kenji took it in stride as he had a casual smirk about the whole thing. "Out of all of us I do seem to be the only one reading literature from an acclaimed author. So before you pass judgement, I say we cast in and get a nice meal~" Kenji mused, and while the comment about Rika had been on the back of his mind as he glanced Aisha's way who managed to hold back a tease on Kenji's personal stash to address it.

"With as many scents in close proximity in this city, and a lack of fresh scent source, I wouldn't be able to properly track her here." Aisha mused as Kenji nodded. He'd figured that he'd need to seek her out later then, he owed her that much but for now Sakura followed as the group set out to a restaurant for something to eat.

 

[kyuukestu]

Sagisō

This village was depressing. Its dour weather and cheerless populace brought to bear thoughts and concerns that Sagisō was loath to consider. She needed something to brighten her mood—a rush, a thrill...a fight. Luckily, the village was abounding with no shortage of opponents.

Sagisō rose to her feet, prowling from her vantage point. Her Byakugan made quick work of the search. She spotted Kiro and Kai, the latter fidgeting like some heart-struck maiden—disgusting—and a burst of movement alerted to Azumi and Zaku. Though both duos primed with ripe opponents, Sagisō settled for another, much larger group.

Sparks flew between her gloves and the slick building as she slid down the side. The thrill of a five-story drop drove some of the chill from her limbs as she kicked off, but it wasn't enough. Gliding over the roofs, her body warmed. In less than a minute, she was dropping down on the group.

"Kenji," she half-greeted. "I want a fight if you're up for one, or a punching bag if you're not."

 

[Shen: King of Digimon]

Zaku’s playful demeanor began to sour, turning into more one of spite. This had crossed the boundary of a entertaining distraction. Since when am I on the receiving end of this?

He had planned to blast her away and be done with it, but he has took the initiative in already fleeing the zone. He growled, the distance being too much to be kept quiet. You may have been a fun toy to play with for a while chick, but next time we meet you are getting pulverized!


........


....huh?

Kou kinda expected Tomiko to nag him or something, not instantly agree and let go. Almost seemed too fast. Looking either way, he put a hand to the side of his mouth discreetly.

“Your not mad at them are you?” He whispered.

The last thing he wanted was for conflict to break out between friends and family in a foreign place he wasn’t familiar with.


......



Kai seemed oddly quiet in response to Kiro’s inquiry. The troubled mist ninja seemed unsure for the first time in a very long time. Not looking Kiro in the eye yet, Kai grasped a cup that he had ordered absentmindedly, resting his elbows on the counter.

“There’s something big coming.” Kai warned. “Mei and my father are already making moves against each other. I feel that no matter who wins, mist blood will be spilled and our nation shall weaken.”

Looking back at Kiro, Kai tried to formulate the right words together without seeming desperate.

“I’m lost Kiro. I feel the victor will radically change mist society to their beliefs rather than the good of the people. Pure mist blood lies in the balance here, the only human lives on this planet. This entire conflict is Abhorrent. There might not even be a Mizukage position when this is all said and done...”

 

[DarkHydraT]

As Tomiko's parents accepted the offer, Kasumi couldn't help but make a jab at Iwao. "Good job big guy, you made them cry. If you need to gather like clothes or something, do it now. There won't be any shops or laundromats until we arrive in Ame. How about we meet here again in an hour or something? If you have any questions, do not hesitate to ask us. We don't bite, or atleast we shouldn't."

Iwao cracked his fingers before speaking up. "I'm going to go visit my summons, get the whole diplomacy thing sorted out." The jonin made a clone of himself before biting his thumb to summon Liumaru.

"Yo Iwao, what's this?" The hawk asked its summoner, getting a grin in return.

"I've got something to discuss with Onoro." The jonin waved as his clone held one of the hawk's legs. He then cancelled the summoning jutsu, sending Liumaru back to the Uterne Lands and taking the clone with him.

Kasumi looked at the place that the clone was just a minute ago and shrugged. "There he goes. Like I said, feel free to ask any questions that you might have. That also goes for you all." The kunoichi looked at the children and smiled at them, she could only imagine how they felt.

------------------

The blistering heat from the sun parched the Uterne Lands as Iwao and Liumaru appeared in a cloud of smoke. The hawk wasted no time to notify everyone of their appearance. "Yo guys! We got a visitor!"

A large osprey landed in front of Iwao, being bigger than the jonin when standing. "Greetings Iwao, what brings you to our lands? You know that we do not like getting disturbed, though it has been a couple of years since you last visited."

The jonin knelt down as the sun beamed down on his neck, avoiding eye contact. It was considered to be rude and disrespectful to stare straight at the alpha of the flock, a rule that he learned the moment he made a summoning contract with the hawks. "Greetings, Onoro-san. I have a request to make to the flock. I intend to travel to Ame with a group of 11, myself included, before the end of the Chunin Exams. Out of worry about the summons, my fellow travellers have requested that each summon gets enough rest. This means that a lot of hawks will be exposed to flying with a burden. Do you honor my request?"

The osprey turned its head as they looked at Iwao before walking around the ninja. "In all my years of alpha, I've yet to hear a request like this one. You're asking quite a lot from us, Iwao. You do realize that, no?"

'Yes, Onoro-san."

"Luckily for you, we had quite a lot of chicks that survived infancy last breeding season due to an increase of prey. They are strong and full of energy, but they have yet to get their first summoning request. I shall grant you the hawks required to get your group to your destination, but I must ask of you to take care of them. If just one returns with a wound or symptoms of overexertion, our deal is done. We're both doing our best to train and raise the next generation of ninjas and summons, they will get enough negative experiences later in life. The little protection that we can grant them can go a long way. Your request will be granted, is there anything else that you want to discuss?" Onoro told Iwao as the bird once again stood in front of the jonin, its head raised high above the man.

"No, Onoro-san."

"Very well, you may go now."

"Thank you, Onoro-san. Please wish Akahima-san well for me." The clone got up from his kneeling position and bowed before vanishing in a cloud of smoke.

---------------

"That's a reasonable response, mine wasn't much better when I found out. Seriously Kenji, social etiquette. If you invite people, especially girls, hide those books." Taji quipped before Kenji countered with the fact that he read books of an acclaimed author. "Excuse me? I might be alone on this statement, but I'm confident that 'The Tale of Genji' by Murasaki Shibuki is a way better novel than the smut you read." Putting her hands on her hips, the girl tried to make eye contact with Kenji. "You tell me where the romance is in those books of yours. Where is the mutual love, where is the tenderness, where is the personal development? When we get back, heck, if we find a copy of it here, I will make you read it." After letting everyone know her opinion on what could be considered proper literature, Taji walked next to Aisha and muttered something about ignorant boys and their raunchy literature.

 

[sSoul]

Taiyo
As the FBS master waited his turn to be spoken to, he noticed a vaguely familiar face show up. Though it took him a moment to recognize him, Taiyo eventually identified the new arrival as Kou, the kid that kicked him in the shin a while ago.

Why the hell is he here?!

More importantly, if he's here, so is Zaku...

And yet he isn't with him right now...you'd think he'd know better than to leave a child unsupervised in a foreign land. Then again, he was always a bit of a headass.

Fortunately, the fiery shinobi wasn't the only one who was put off by Zaku's negligence. Though he was unaware of any previous interactions between the two, Madoka's friend wanted to make sure that Kou's wellbeing was accounted for, causing a little smile to creep onto Taiyo's face. At long last, Madoka noticed that he'd been standing there while they were conversing, allowing him to finally engage in conversation.

"Well I'm glad you remembered me, saves me the trouble of introducing myself." As Taiyo turned his attention to Madoka, he noticed that her gaze affixed itself on his arms. Though there was a logical reason for this, the fiery shinobi thought it'd be a good idea to tease her about it.

"You like what you see huh? Guess its hard to blame you." The FBS master began flexing his wooden arms, briefly ignoring the lack of muscle definition for the sake of the joke, "All jokes aside, I wanted to thank you for making my arms in the first place. They're much better than I ever could've imagined." After he finished flexing and complimenting her craft, Taiyo realized that it was time to drop the pleasantries and get down to his true intentions.

"However, I feel that we could do a bit better. I have some improvements in mind that I'd like you to implement into the arms' design. At the very least, I hope you could teach me how to do it myself so I don't have to pester you whenever I want an upgrade. Are you okay with that?"

 

[Retro Master]

“Do you know anyone else in the Mist who shares that sentiment? You can’t be the only one who is concerned about the consequences. Well, even if there was, your words would probably be brushed aside anyways...”

Kiro spoke with some discontent for Kai’s current predicament as the lady at the counter handed them their food. He had seen the power struggle between Mei and Jin live at the Summit, so he wasn’t surprised to hear what Kai said. One side was making a push for power and the other was adamantly holding on to their position. Well, even if Mei didn’t show it, he figured she was trying to keep her position at least. With both sides unwilling to back down, it was almost a certainty that the conflict would soon reach a boiling point. At that point, it was the lives in the middle that would suffer the most. Especially once other villages noticed and took advantage of the infighting. Turning back to face the Yuki, Kiro knew Kai was right in that there really might not be a Mizukage once this conflict was over, but that didn’t mean all hope would be lost for them.

“A house divided against itself cannot stand. If conflict does come to pass, the loss of Pure Mist blood is unavoidable. You will have to accept that first. If those two are willing to pursue their own agenda and sacrifice the lives of their people for that power, then neither of them deserve the position of Mizukage either. You said the first thing you’ll do when you become the Clan Head or Mizukage is nullify my banishment. However, what is your goal for the people of the Mist?”

 

[kyuukestu]

Furījia

Any normal person would've noticed the girl's exhaustion. Her body shook: her breaths ragged and her limbs tremulous from fatigue. She cut a sorry figure; like a wearied animal. Anyone with a heart would've pitied and consoled her but her mother was not anyone. Hinagiku, unmoved, voiced "Again."

"Yes!"

Furījia advanced and her spear danced within her grip: a blurring of unceasing motion. She feinted low, sweeping at her mother's legs, the blow just short of connecting as she tucked into a tight spin, the butt of her spear striking high. The blow landed firm, firmly caught; but, Furījia wasn't done. She reversed her spin. In one motion her spear segmented and its serpentine body noosed around Hinagiku. Then she heaved, letting the sand-paper texture of the spear's shaft do its work against tender flesh.

The spear strained ender her exertion but didn't move an inch beneath Hinagiku's steely grip. Furījia stumbled from the recoil and frowned. She quickly changed tactics. She gave the spear another mighty yank, this time using the spear as a tether to reel herself along. Practice footwork carried her in tight circles, building momentum which she discharged into a round-house kick that met air as her mother weaved out of range.

With gritted teeth, the heiress picked up instead of slowing down. She manipulated the chain of her spear with all the dexterity of a rhythmic ballet dancer, effecting sweeping strikes and snaring coils despite her limited movement. Her offence continued for several minutes and she was no closer to injuring her mother than she'd been at the start.

"I think that's enough for today," Hina concluded.

"Are you disappointed...", Furījia meekly eeped out.

"No," came the response. "You cannot judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree."

"Does that mean I'm not suited for fighting?"

"No."

"Then...?" the heiress pressed, her uncertainty evident.

"I would not be a good mother or mentor if I spoiled you with all the answers." Hina chuckled as her daughter all but deflated, "But I will give you a hint. Answer this question, why do you use a spear?"

"What?" confused, Furījia's brows knotted. "Weapons are more lethal than bare fists, isn't that obvious? That's like asking why we use jutsu! It's more convenient for combat."

Hina shook her head. "Your sister's in town. Why don't you try asking her?", the matriarch then suggested.

"How would that help? She doesn't even use a weapon!", Furījia threw her hands in exasperation.

"Exactly."

"But that doesn't—"

The heiress would no longer get to air her grievances as her mother cut her off.

"The rest is yours to figure out. Run along now, I have business with your sister's friends."

 

[Shen: King of Digimon]

Kiro had brought up a dark reality Kai had Been trying to shut out of his head. There was a conflict brewing that would cost lives. Not only that, but decisions had to be made, ones that impacted the face of entire races of people. When asked what his family and followers of their ideology would want for Kiro’s date, Kai elected to dodge the question, looking to the side.

“...I’m sure they won’t mind.” He lied. “There would be other concerns to be worrying about. While Mei spouts lies and cares more about the primitive outsiders than her own people, my father is too quick to spill the very blood we devote ourselves to protect. What sway would I have? After all, the public sees me as a younger, less experience version of my father. My words alone can’t bring about change.”

How right that was, as he had tried to diffuse this bomb with words to his father. The end result? Frozen on the side of a wall. And the likelihood of Mei changing at all from him was less likely than it was for Suna to run out of sand.

 

[Godjacob]

"R-right an hour is more than enough w-we will be ready..." Atsuko said as Kuro wiped away his tears while he had done the same as Ren offered a hand with their packing to the couple as they tried to steer the young man away but he proved nothing else if persistent and thus they began to gather their things.

Meanwhile when asked for a question, Naomi walked up the kunoichi with Mr. Snugglebottom in hand as she tapped her index fingers together. "U-uh yeah, h-how do we get to Ame? S-seems like a long walk...will we need snacks?"

"Alright we need to pack key items, but not pack too heavy." Jirou said, as she seemed to take charge with Ren away though Hoshi already seemed to be a bit combative about. "Hey who died and put you in charge."

"If we leave it to you we'd never be ready to go."

"What's that supposed to mean!?"

"You don't need to read between the lines to understand that."

"Don't throw your sassy book smart words at me!"

"Don't touch me!"

"Fight fight fight!"

As Jirou and Hoshi argued the two began to roll and "playfully" tussle with each other while Mio and Miu seemed to only encourage them.

-----------
"Kenji, company."

Before anything could be made of Taji's additional statement, Aisha's lone comment had been what proceeded the rather sudden arrival of a new figure as Sakura glanced up initially on edge until she recognized the features of the figure; the Hyuga she had met in the first exams at the entrance if memory served her right, though Kenji seemed to have a more vivid memory as a small smirk crossed his lips as he glanced Sagiso's way.

"Ah the fighting freak herself has come, a pleasure as always~" Kenji mused, a bit playful but his tone carried a certain degree of warmness to it as he seemed happy Sagiso was here. Though when Sagiso made her intention clear it seemed to raise an eyebrow from Sakura as she walked forward.

"Well uh we were just about to go eat. Is a fight like now really the best time or place?" Sakura asked though even then Kenji seemed to have a slight touch of excitement as he advanced ahead.

"Ah, want to fight me eh? I am touched you consider me important enough to seek out like this. I suppose a little spar can help liven the damp mood around here but the girls may not like being delayed their lunch so might be bad timing~" Kenji said as Sakura sighed as indeed she'd rather they not do this least till they had eaten first (Or at all really) though Aisha had her own question as Sky & Luna inspected her and Aisha sniffed her.

"So what's your story again Hyuga? A buddy of Kenji's? A rival? Former lover?" Aisha asked as Sakura pulled Aisha back from her probing as she sheepishly rubbed her head. "S-sorry."

----------
"Oh no no I am not mad in the least. Honest, now that you explained it I am understandable of the situation. I just wanted to check with them to see how they've adjusted to their roles." Tomiko said with a believable tone and a convincing smile as she worked to assure Kou with her words of innocence.

I swear I am gonna ring both your necks you incompetent morons!

While Tomiko had been busy in her discussion with Kou, Madoka turned her gaze to a familiar face from the Leaf as Taiyo seemed interested in an exchange of pleasantries before indeed his arms became topic of discussion as Madoka nodded at the first mention behind them.

"I suppose I am thankful they are still in one piece, given your let's say "daring" offensive style." Madoka answered in deadpan as indeed she had expected to see worse, though Taiyo seemed to defy those grim expectations, but his request caused the Puppet specialist to raise an eyebrow his way.

"Modifications?" Madoka asked, as it did seem like a reasonable request even if it seemed a bit much she become his walking mechanic, so the fact he wished to learn to do it himself to avoid this had been least a considerate in that regard as she thought it over before she decided least to see what his ambitions had been.

"Such as?"

 

[Retro Master]

Kiro did notice Kai didn’t exactly answer his questions. Primarily the one about what his goals for the people of the Mist were, but that was fine. He would need to be in a suitable position for that to matter anyways. As for Mei’s “lies”, Kiro refrained from commenting about that with his response.

“You’re right. Words alone won’t bring change. You need power and the experience to back those words. Otherwise no one will listen to you. Your father has both the acknowledgment of the people and the strength to rival the Mizukage. Stepping out the shadow of your father would also help as well. Unfortunately, all those things take time, which it doesn’t seem like the Mist has much of before the conflict erupts.”

Truth be told, Kiro could only see a few ways to help expedite that process. It was all certainly easier said than done of course. However, they could talk more about it after they stopped holding up the line behind them. Grabbing the hanami dango from the counter, along with a few other items that had been ordered, Kiro waited for Kai to head off.

 

[kyuukestu]

Sagisō

"I have no business with them, if your harem wants to wait on you that's their choice."

The Skillful star shrugged, her words biting back at Aisha's jab.

"Rival? Lover?" she looked askance at the wayward Inazuka, before shifting her focus to Kenji. "Last I checked, he wasn't strong enough to satisfy either title."

 

[DarkHydraT]

"Great! If you need anything else, we are willing to help. Our stuff is already packed." Iwao offered the family their help as Kasumi listened to the question of Naomi. The girl made her a bit soft in her heart, the question was as innocent as they came. Crouching down to her level, the kunoichi smiled at the girl.

"Ame is around a week's worth of travel away, that's way too long to walk if you're not properly trained. That's why we're going to fly there. If you want, you can bring snacks on the trip. There will be enough food though and you don't have to bring snacks to live off for an entire week. I get that it might be scary to fly, but everyone's going to keep an eye on each other. No one will fall or get hurt on the trip."

As his wife took care of the young girl, Iwao noticed a fight breaking out between two children and decided to intervene before anyone would get hurt. Attempting to grab both fighters by the neck of their shirts, the Jonin tried to break them up. "Calm down, you rascals! You'll see plenty of fighting later on, and I hope you two are not the instigators of those fights. Now make up or I'm going to join the fray, what's even the reason behind this?" Though the man reprimanded the slum children, the smile on his face was a clear indicator that he wasn't mad at them. After all, he was young once too and got in his fair square of fights.

---------------

Taji scoffed at the mention of Kenji's harem. "Tch, like I'd be in a harem, let alone the harem of a guy." It wasn't an insult to Kenji, even if it somewhat sounded like one to those that weren't Aisha or Kenji. "Kenji. I'd personally refrain from fighting on the streets of all places, but you're your own man. If you decide to fight, I'll make sure none of us starve. Given Aisha has Luna and Sky, we should be easy to find." That and Sakura has the brightest possible hair color, but there's no point in mentioning that. After voicing her thoughts on the situation, the kunoichi decided to take in this person. Her blank eyes were a telltale sign of an Hyuga, and an confident one at that. She'd be a pain to fight if forced to, she probably would get up close and personal which rendered her bow pretty much useless. Not to mention that Konoha and Kumo did not exactly have the best relationship, especially after the Hyuga Affair. She didn't have a lot of details on the situation given she was still a genin, but the name alone was enough information to deduct that something happened involving Kumo and the Hyuga.

 

[Shen: King of Digimon]

Kai mindlessly grabbed his food as well, too deep in thought to care about its nutritional value. He was more consumed by the fact that his perfect society was beginning to shake by Xenophiles. This was utterly abhorrent to him. Of course it was the outsider’s influence that was ruining everything. The very thought of it made him sick.

“If Mei can stop ruining the mist for five seconds and my father can be less forceful with his strategy, maybe things would have ended up different.” Kai sighed, following Kiro. “When I plan to lead...I plan to have an elite force. One that would prevent this action from happening. When that time comes Kiro, I want YOU to lead them.”



.......


Well...as long as she means what she says....


“Uhhhh Boss is talking so some girl in a beanie back at the meeting area. And Kiro he— uh...he’s kinda secretive. He isn’t found unless he wants to be.”

Kou was stopped by the look of a familiar face. In an instant, Wyatt flew from Kou, leaping to Taiyo, landing on his chest. The rat would grab his collar and aim his weapon at his throat menacingly.

“You!” Kou pointed. “The guy who blew up boss!”

 

[kyuukestu]

Sagisō

"They have places we can fight over there," she gestured, pointing her shoulder into the distance. she had noted a few open fields when she glossed over the village, she presumed they were the training grounds. Regardless, they were barren and there was little to destroy besides the landscape.

Taking Kenji's intrigue as acceptance, Sagisō took her leave.

"I'll be going ahead, don't keep me waiting."

 

[sSoul]

Taiyo
Before the FBS master could respond to Madoka's inquiry of his ideas of upgrades for his arms, he was interrupted by a rat landing on his chest. Acting fast, he grabbed the rat before it could stab him or infect him in any way. Now that he was out of immediate danger, Taiyo attempted to locate the source of the flying rat. Eventually, his gaze landed on Kou, who was pointing at him in recognition.

I'm going to crush this rat like a grape and then punt that little shit!

Let's not go there yet, he's just a kid after all. Being young and impressionable, he was probably just indoctrinated by the sound. A wake up call is more appropriate than a beatdown.

Inhaling sharply, Taiyo kept a leisurely pace towards Kou and Tomiko, gripping the rat tightly to avoid suffocating it while also restricting its options to hurt him. Once he reached Kou, he got down on his knee and placed Wyatt next to him, being careful not to hurt him.

"You know that it's rude to point, right?" He used a similar dialect reserved for when he had to tell Susei off, a stern tone tempered by a firmness to insinuate that this was a serious matter, "As for my recent encounter with your 'boss', I'd like to point out that he wasn't being a saint before this. For one thing, he was attacking my friend, so I was just making sure that he was put down by any means necessary. I'll admit, I took some pleasure in catching him off guard, but that was only because he betrayed my trust during the previous exams, murdered a bunch of innocent nurses in the hospital, participated in one of the multiple attacks that the Sound has done to the Leaf, and more to the point, he's a colossal jerk. Sure, he may be on his best behavior when you're around, but ask a couple of his peers and I'm sure they'll tell you that he's an arrogant slimeball." He could feel himself getting more aggressive towards Kou, so he decided to reel it in so he didn't scare him too badly.

"I'm not gonna bother you anymore, we both got things to do and places to be," After finishing that, Taiyo got up from his knee and turned to Tomiko, "Stay safe, and tell Kiro that Taiyo says hi." Now that he said everything he needed to, he walked back to Madoka, his expression devoid of his usual pleasant mood.

 

[Retro Master]

“Lead an elite force? I presume this is a force to deal with matters you shouldn’t be seen dirtying your hands with as Mizukage? That is an intriguing proposition. Though, it is hard for me to say where I’ll be in a few years from now, so I can’t outright say I’ll take the role. Especially if I’m required to remain inside the village to focus solely on internal affairs. I might even be better used as an asset to deal with external issues. That would also solve any concerns the higher ups and citizens of the Mist have with me. At least, gradually. If you were to revoke my banishment and then immediately place me in a position of power, that would likely cause an uproar after all.”

Kiro laid out those thoughts as they began to walk through the village streets. Poorly reinstating himself into the village could lead to mistrust not just towards Kiro, but also the Mizukage at the time. Especially if his own reputation grew more notorious than it already was. Worst case scenario, the current situation in the Mist repeated itself. Unfortunately, Kiro didn’t know if he could be that merciful to those who opposed Kai or himself. Even if they shared the same blood.

‘Damnit. That bastard probably thinks the same way.’

As much as Kiro despised the thought, perhaps that was something he had in common with Jin. The Yuki Head seemed willing to eliminate even his own people if they opposed him. Kiro tried his best to forget that comparison by wondering if there were any other familiar faces that were participating in the Chūnin Exams. They had been standing in the village for awhile, but no one else notable seemed to pass by them. Of course, he was still fairly certain about a few people. Though Kiro had already passed the exams last time, the possible participants made him interested to see what battles would be taking place. He would have to ask Kai about it later.

 

[Godjacob]

"Well that's informative. Why don't we see if we can catch up with Zaku..." Tomiko had began to say but it seemed Kou's focus shifted again as he turned to threaten Taiyo now as it seemed that he accused him of trying to "blow up" the boss which almost produced a comical "what" expression from Tomiko as she had to listen in.

I feel I am missing context...

"Seems you've also gotten on the kid's good side..." Madoka mused as she was familiar with being on the peeved list of Kou though it seemed Taiyo and Zaku had a rather dramatic alteration unless Kou himself over dramatized the situation which the puppet user felt had been entirely possible.

Taiyo seemed to have taken it poorly, if his expression as he seemed to say goodbye to Tomiko on their behalf to which she raised an eyebrow but she turned her attention to the

-----​

Naomi's eyes seemed to widen at this, an innocent spark to them as she had never heard of flying anywhere beyond her wildest dreams. And to be told they'd go to Ame to support Tomiko and Mori by flight just was something that she had not expected but seemed overjoyed about once the shock had worn off.

"Wow, we're gonna....we're gonna fly Mr. Snugglebottom!" Naomi said as she hugged her stuffed companion, before all eyes turned to the fighting and once it had been stopped before it escalated Jirou and Hoshi glanced upon one another before each pointed at the other in accusation.

"He's being an idiot and we need to pack!"

"She's trying to to be a bossy witch and wants to run boot camp!"

----------
"I like her energy~" Aisha said with a sly smirk, as Sagiso's attitude whether it'd be of denial or honest admission had a true wild mentality of finding one strong enough to draw her allure as Sakura sighed out with a pinch of her nose. Of all the thing, of course someone looking for a fight had to be something to happen within her circle. And harem of all things? Sakura had to die a blush down as she thought she had evolved past this grade school ship stuff.

"Ouch, trying to break my heart like my spine before~" Kenji mused, though he seemed to play off the earlier bout between them much as one sided as it turned out to be. His confidence had not wavered it seemed. Sakura soon stepped forward as she figured she needed to say something.

"Look I get you probably have some urge but I don't think this is the time or..." Sakura said but before she finished Kenji stepped forward and placed an arm on Sakura's shoulder.

"It's all right, regardless of how this goes I'll keep it from going crazy. And I'll make sure the meal after is worth it, that goes for you all." Kenji said as he seemed to speak with assurance on this before he moved to face Sagiso; hands in pocket and a easy going smirk on his face, though if Sagiso desired to she would notice a pair of chakra cuffs shinning from one wrist to the other.

"Hold it a second..." Kenji said, as he'd try to get Sagiso's attention before he added on. "Let me say this and this only: I did make a promise to myself that next time we had a bout, you'd leave knowing I was something more respectable than the mess you met in the forest. May not be the exam stage but I won't say no to a spar~" Kenji said as he seemed to have a fire in his eye as he seemed to give an answer.

 

[kyuukestu]

Sagisō

There was a pause in her step as Kenji spoke up, professing a vow—more to himself than to her. Sagisō threw a look over her shoulder, sizing up the feisty Kumo nin. "You're all bark," she quipped with a smirk. "Show me some bite."

The Skillful star usually wasn't opposed to some flaunting or playful bluster but she had no patience for that right now. Braggadocio would not satisfy the itch in her bones. What she wanted was violence: blood-boiling, heart-pounding, instinct-driven, mind-numbing violence. Without regard for strategies or tactics, an offensive guided by lust: wanton and exhilarating.

That was the main reason she'd skipped over Kiro or Zaku; they couldn't—wouldn't—give her the fight that she wanted.

She wet her lips with anticipation and continued to the battlefield, leaving only an omen of her expectation.

"Don't disappoint me."