Tensei Kaori
Hokage
Konoha's #1 Henge Master
Taking over the world, one bishie at a time...
Posts: 7,888
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Post by Tensei Kaori on Aug 11, 2009 20:35:58 GMT -5
Kibikibi Zyubirii was thoroughly disappointed in today's turn of events. Not only had she been unable to do her demolition work today, but she was now stuck on guard duty on the outer walls! She and Asano were needed, she had been told, and would have an extended demolition shift tomorrow to make up for it. Twilight was descending on the village now, as clouds began to rumble in the distance and cicadas began their usual song. The village was unusually quiet - it was too dark to work, now, so anyone not on official duty had been ordered to be eating, resting, or tending to the injured - and the reddish glow from the controlled debris burn father along the perimeter bathed part of the village in an eerie glow. The thing also sent up a thick pillar of smoke that could likely be seen for miles; Zyu couldn't help but wonder what any nearby refugees might think of that. Movement on her right caught Zyu's attention for a moment, but she soon went back to watching the village. It was just her and Asano's assistant shifting slightly from foot to foot. It was slightly unprofessional, but Zyu could wholly sympathize. Besides, this "assistant" was only an Academy student, and she was very patient for a kid. Zyu had to hand her that. "See anything?" she asked, tucking a stray bit of brown-tinted hair back into place. "No, not yet," the girl, Hyuuga Hanae replied with a slight shake of her head. "It's kind of hard to get used to looking everywhere at once, though. I've never done this before. Anytime an animal moves, it's hard not to get distracted."Patience, Zyu, she reminded herself. She's just a kid. And we'd be doing this with or without her, so take any advantage you can get."Well, just keep your eyes open and stay aware," Zyu reminded the girl. "Let us know if anything grabs your attention." The kid just nodded, obviously focusing that much more intently on her work. And who knew? Maybe something exciting really would happen.
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strangevisitor
ANBU Squad Leader
Only a man looking for a dream
Posts: 1,754
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Post by strangevisitor on Aug 11, 2009 21:15:11 GMT -5
An unsettling calm stretched across the land as the blazing orb's final rays drifted lower upon the horizon. Soon it would be pitch black save for the stars above, and even those would be hidden behind the dark clouds rumbling behind him. Sighing quietly, the young man hefted the massive bundle of belongings higher onto his back. At least he could use that to shield him from the oncoming rain..perhaps. It wouldn't be the first time he'd slept in a downpour, and probably wouldn't be the last, he thought. Yer really depressing, y'know that?Trudging onward on legs that burned from hours of the same, he wondered just how much longer they'd support the weight of the bundle, much less his own. The young man was determined to reach his destination, though. Oi...kid...s'that up ahead?Raising his head, a thick plume of smoke rose up from the ground, the flames below it illuminating the bottommost area of the plume. Behind that, a wall could be seen. Konoha was supposed to be in that direction, according to his map, though... There had been wreckage along the way...discarded weapons...bodies...signs of strife..He had tried to ignore it, but combined with this sight before him, one thought rose to the top of his mind as his knees buckled beneath him. "Konoha's been...destroyed?"
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Tensei Kaori
Hokage
Konoha's #1 Henge Master
Taking over the world, one bishie at a time...
Posts: 7,888
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Post by Tensei Kaori on Aug 11, 2009 21:33:11 GMT -5
Quite suddenly, not that long at all after their exchange, young Hanae gave a sharp gasp. "What? What is it?" Asano demanded before Zyu could ask the same question. "There's someone on the road ahead!" Hanae exclaimed, obviously startled by the fact that she'd actually seen anything. "I can't see him very well - I think he fell or something - but he's wearing a flak jacket and a forehead protector. I can't make out the symbol because of the weird angle, but even from here I can tell that his flak jacket isn't from Konoha. The weird thing is, though, I can't tell what village it's from. It's not in the Academy's curriculum, that's for sure."It didn't take Zyu or Asano long to decide. "Let's go," Zyu commanded immediately, and she and Asano flashed off the walltop. They approached through the trees, though Zyu soon realized that whoever this was wasn't much of a threat. It was no wonder Hanae didn't recognize his flak jacket; it looked - oddly enough - like nothing more than random pieces of various villages' jackets sewn together however they would fit. He was also exhausted, having fallen to his knees under the gigantic bundle he was carrying. He seemed to be struck numb by the sight of the debris and the glow of the controlled burn, and Zyu could easily imagine why. You travel all this way to reach a seemingly destroyed and burning village? That couldn't be fun. "Hey! You there!" she called out, flashing out of the trees and reappearing in front of the kid - for kid he was, at least by the look of him - "Sorry, but you can't just walk into the village right now." "We'll need to know who you are and where you came from," Asano continued, appearing on the road behind him. "And why you're here.""Well?" Zyu asked, folding her arms impatiently even though the kid hadn't even had a chance to reply yet. She was vaguely aware of other ANBU positioning themselves in the nearby trees; Hanae must have told some of the other guards what was going on. She didn't acknowledge their presence though, instead focusing on the kid in front of her as though it was only they three on the road.
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strangevisitor
ANBU Squad Leader
Only a man looking for a dream
Posts: 1,754
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Post by strangevisitor on Aug 11, 2009 22:04:05 GMT -5
Never even got a chance...it's gone...all this time...effort....last village...wrecked.. Utsuro all but wept internally, hands pressed against the cool ground, so wrapped up in his own tortured thoughts that he didn't notice at first when a figure appeared before him, and was all that much more surprised when she and her companion began to speak. Jumping back as best as one could while on weak knees and bearing several dozen pounds of assorted items upon one's back, he cried out weakly. "We'll need to know who you are and where you came from, And why you're here." The first woman stated with an air of authority about her, the other seeming rather impatient as she chimed in as well. " Well?" "....G..g-gomen...m-m-.." His voice was quiet, raspy from lack of water, and shaking like a leaf in a hurricane. "M-my name...is...Utsuro..I...I was just..j-ust....l-looking for...K-kon-noha.." His dirty, disheveled and miscut hair hung over the forehead protector he wore, partially masking the 5-pointed star at its center, as his dull gray eyes sought to find the most interesting pebble to look at rather than see those in front of him. The young man's clothes were tattered and patched, grimey and just as pitiful looking as their owner. Clearly, he was of no threat to anyone.
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Tensei Kaori
Hokage
Konoha's #1 Henge Master
Taking over the world, one bishie at a time...
Posts: 7,888
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Post by Tensei Kaori on Aug 11, 2009 22:09:16 GMT -5
"Well, you found it," Zyu replied, slightly irritated. She tried to soften her voice's tone, but kept every ounce of authority it had previously carried. "Utsuro, is it?" she asked, slightly gentler. "Where did you come from? And why were you looking for Konoha?"
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strangevisitor
ANBU Squad Leader
Only a man looking for a dream
Posts: 1,754
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Post by strangevisitor on Aug 11, 2009 22:24:32 GMT -5
"F..found it? B-but...the fire.....and rubble..and.." Responding timidly, it was no hard task to hear the annoyance and irritation in this woman's voice. Clearly she had things she'd rather be doing than speaking to him...Utsuro really couldn't blame her for that. Either way, he was now horribly confused.
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Tensei Kaori
Hokage
Konoha's #1 Henge Master
Taking over the world, one bishie at a time...
Posts: 7,888
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Post by Tensei Kaori on Aug 11, 2009 22:39:13 GMT -5
The ANBU with the reddish-brown hair gave the command as soon as Hanae pointed out the stranger, leaving with her partner. This meant that Hanae was there, alone, on the wall-top without any idea as to what she was supposed to do. Had "Let's go" meant just the ANBU? Or her to? She had been speaking directly to the woman, after all. So Hanae did the only thing any adventuresome Academy Student in her position would do. After pointing in the stranger's direction and informing the other ninja on the wall that there was a stranger on the road, Hanae hopped down off the wall and dashed off to catch up with the two female ANBU, catching up just in time to see a very confused - and very bedraggled - stranger wondering about the rubble. "Well, of course there's going to be rubble," she pointed out, slowing to a walk as she approached the group. The shorter, reddish-haired ANBU stepped to the side so she and the stranger could actually see each other. "Don't tell me you don't know what's been happening around here," Hanae marveled. "It's only been dragging on for a few years now. "Anyways," she continued, flipping her waist-long ponytail over her shoulder, "a ranked shinobi like you - or, at least, like you're trying to look like you are," she added, giving his timid and shabby appearance a critical look " - should know how to stop and think. Would ANBU really be guarding a destroyed shell of a village the way they are? "It's okay, ANBU-san," she told the two kunoichi as she abruptly switched her attention to them. "Now that I've got a good look at him, I can see he's not a threat." "Are you sure about that?" the taller, darker-haired one asked. "How can you tell for sure?"In reply, Hanae just raised an eyebrow as though to ask, How do you think I know?"The kid has a point," the first ANBU laughed. "But still," she continued more seriously, "You're sure about this? It's not exactly good security practice to trust the word of a kid for these things."Hanae nodded. "Besides, we can all see he's too tired to do anything." And I can't even see how he could actually use a chakra system like that, she added to herself. I'll have to tell them about that later, in case this person doesn't know about the Byakugan."We have been letting in refugees," the first ANBU agreed, "But all we have from this kid is one name and a destination. That alone isn't enough for us to allow him in no matter how tired he is."
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strangevisitor
ANBU Squad Leader
Only a man looking for a dream
Posts: 1,754
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Post by strangevisitor on Aug 11, 2009 23:21:36 GMT -5
Utsuro's head swam. Now there was ANOTHER person in front of him...this one a young girl...seemingly even younger than he! And yet these...ANBU were listening to her?! Just what sort of village WAS Konoha anyway?? Whoah, kid, chill..you're way overthinking this..It seemed she was all questions too, though. At least it seemed the village was still standing, though he understood the situation even less. Still..if he wanted to get anywhere, it was apparent he'd have to speak up a little more, at least. "....W....what...? I d-don't....I've been....travelling...for a long time.....And I don't...see...p-p-people m-much..I-i..was coming..to..see..if...I could speak....to t-th-the.." Utsuro coughed, swallowing hard to try and rid himself of the desert in his mouth, though it only caused him to grimace from the dry pain. "H-h-h-ok-kage.." He continued after a moment, murmuring softly. It'd be surprising if they could hear him at all, really.
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Tensei Kaori
Hokage
Konoha's #1 Henge Master
Taking over the world, one bishie at a time...
Posts: 7,888
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Post by Tensei Kaori on Aug 11, 2009 23:27:37 GMT -5
Hanae's eyes widened slightly, and it was all she could do not to gasp in surprise. Had that been a slight... flicker in the boy's chakra color? No. That was impossible. No chakra Hanae had ever heard of behaved like that, and she was pretty sure her training would have covered at least something about it by now. She must have imagined it. "Aha!" Zyu observed, relieved to finally be getting somewhere. "So you do have a motive for coming here. Are you going to tell us why you want to talk to the Hokage, then? Or are you going to avoid that question the way you've been avoiding my question about where you came from?"
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strangevisitor
ANBU Squad Leader
Only a man looking for a dream
Posts: 1,754
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Post by strangevisitor on Aug 12, 2009 0:06:25 GMT -5
Drawing in on himself, Utsuro tried to remain conscious. This woman's force of personality was terrifying. If he remembered the meaning of 'ANBU' correctly, it was no wonder this woman was one. Still, she had a point. He wasn't intending to be so evasive, but it was a very personal and sensitive matter.. You keep this up, and I'LL handle things!"..I...c-can't....it..wouldn't m-matter w-where I'm f-from...m-my village was d-destroyed...7..years ago.." Even now, the emotional wounds were still fresh, and it took him a moment to regain the miniscule amount of composure he had. "I...w-wanted to ask...if..I c-could...enroll in t-the Acad-demy here.."
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Tensei Kaori
Hokage
Konoha's #1 Henge Master
Taking over the world, one bishie at a time...
Posts: 7,888
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Post by Tensei Kaori on Aug 12, 2009 16:25:35 GMT -5
..... the Academy!? That was why a strange teenage boy wearing a piecework flak jacket and a strange forehead protector decided to show up in Konoha the day after the war's official end? Well. That was.... different. "Well," Zyu sighed, "I can let you into the village - provided you don't cause trouble." She stepped forward as she spoke, reaching forward to brush the boy's hair out of his face so she could get a better look at the symbol engraved on its surface. A five-pointed star. Now that's interesting. And here all this time I was half convinced they were fake! Then again, considering that jacket and this kid's implying he never graduated an Academy, they might still be.".... hm," was the only overt reaction to it she gave, removing her hand from the boy's forehead and stepping back. "Well. That said," Zyu continued, "I can't just let you wander around on your own. Hanae here - " she gestured to the young Hyuuga " - will guide you to where you need to go. And I'm afraid your audience with the Hokage will have to wait. How long it'll be, I really can't say, but you might as well expect to sit tight a while. Remember: no trouble." With that, she and Asano flashed into the trees, gave the all-clear to the reinforcements who had come, and made their way back to their station on the wall.
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strangevisitor
ANBU Squad Leader
Only a man looking for a dream
Posts: 1,754
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Post by strangevisitor on Aug 12, 2009 22:13:49 GMT -5
" I can let you into the village - provided you don't cause trouble." The more impatient woman stated, shifting closer to him. Utsuro flinched purely out of reflex, fully expecting some form of blow. It was actually more surprising that she only moved his hair aside to better view his forehead protector. Forgot to take it off again, ya dummy!! I'm sorry!! It cushions my head when I trip..."Th-thank you..I w-won't c-cause problems...I p-promise.." The young man swore quietly, bowing further towards the ground in gratitude. "I d-did not exp-pect an immediate audience...Surely the ..Hokage...has..b-better th-things to d-do than speak with one such as I.." It seemed the woman was gone before he'd noticed, just as she came, leaving him with this...Hanae. At least it was better than being...mostly..alone. She seemed nice enough, anyway.
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Tensei Kaori
Hokage
Konoha's #1 Henge Master
Taking over the world, one bishie at a time...
Posts: 7,888
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Post by Tensei Kaori on Aug 12, 2009 22:22:14 GMT -5
The Hokage... had more important things to do...? Well, yes, come to think of it, Hanae supposed he did. Starting with being inaugurated, of course. Or the little part that involved telling the village who he - or she, to be fair - was. Not that she expected this person to know that, though. It had only been a few days ago, after all. Still, as she looked at this Utsuro, whoever he was, Hanae couldn't help but want to help him. Her father would surely call her foolish for it, but something about him made Hanae want to think that his intentions were honorable. She couldn't let down her guard yet, though. They were now alone - mostly - outside the village walls. They'd need to get back in, and soon. "Take those off," she ordered him, gesturing to his forehead protector and flak jacket, "And put them away. I won't make you give them up - " mostly because she didn't have that authority, but he might not know that " - but things have been bad enough lately. We don't need the villagers getting even jumpier seeing evidence of a foreign ninja wandering around the village."
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strangevisitor
ANBU Squad Leader
Only a man looking for a dream
Posts: 1,754
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Post by strangevisitor on Aug 12, 2009 22:30:45 GMT -5
"Y-yes, m-ma'am." Rolling his shoulders back slightly, the simple rope straps slid down his arms, the great misshapen bundle hitting the ground with a heavy, rattling, clanking, clacking, jingling thud. The jacket soon followed, better displaying the shoddily patched and mended shirt beneath it, and was carefully folded and integrated into the mass. Fumbling with the forehead protector, he removed it slowly, almost reverently, carefully finding a safe place for it inside the bundle before re-securing its ties and threading his arms back through the makeshift straps.
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Tensei Kaori
Hokage
Konoha's #1 Henge Master
Taking over the world, one bishie at a time...
Posts: 7,888
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Post by Tensei Kaori on Aug 12, 2009 22:35:11 GMT -5
"Good, good," Hanae remarked, actually rather surprised at just how quickly and thoroughly her commands were obeyed. Was it common to follow the orders of academy students in this boy's village? "Ready?" she asked, though she barely allowed enough time to make sure he really was before leading the way down the road. "Come on, let's go. There's a guard, but it's still not safe for us to be outside the walls right now. The sooner we can get inside, the better. "Do you really not know what happened?" she asked him softly after a moment's thought, turning so she could study him as they walked. With the strange jacket off, she could see just how worn his clothes really were. And he looked..... tired. More tired than a long journey could account for. Just what had happened to this strange, soft-spoken boy?
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