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 22:50:31 GMT -5
Struggling to get his legs back underneath him, he stumbled along the road behind her. While it was normal for him to avoid the gaze of -or even looking directly at- others, this proved to be a difficult task, as once on his feet again, even slouched as he was under the weight of his belongings, Utsuro was still a good deal taller than the young girl. He nodded, not that she would see, shuffling along tiredly, trying to match her stride as they made their way to the village. "I'm..afraid not...It's...b-been some time....since I was in..a..civilized area...I'd...heard whispers of war...but...no one really....could be..bothered to explain it to me..." Utsuro said quietly, watching the ground beneath him. "Can't...really blame them....I am..n-not very...important, after all.."
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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 13, 2009 12:37:43 GMT -5
Hanae eyed the boy oddly. Just what kind of person was he, anyways? Hanae had never quite met anyone like him, and thus had no idea what to make of his behavior. "That's not really a good way to present yourself if you want to be a ninja, you know," she told him in an almost sisterly, lecturing manner. "No one's gonna take you seriously if you don't at least act like you know what you're doing. "Anyways," she continued as they approached the village, "I guess I should fill you in a little since you don't know what's going on. The short version of it is, of course, that we've been in a war." They passed through the gates and into the village as Hanae spoke, and she gestured to the sight before them: Konoha was - for the most part - still standing, but many buildings had been damaged and some were outright destroyed. The work crews had done their work well, though; the main road in had been cleared of debris quite thoroughly, and Hanae was quite sure that at least some of it was probably being disposed of in the controlled burn that was somewhat visible farther along the wall, casting a flickering glow over the village off to their left and sending a huge pillar of smoke into the air. She made sure their path stayed well in the middle of the road; academy students and Genin weren't allowed near the damaged buildings unless otherwise told. "Hidden Stone and Hidden Grass made an alliance and invaded the Fire Country a few years ago," Hanae's matter-of-fact explanation continued, "and tried to attack Konoha. We've been fighting them off since the start, but the fighting didn't actually come close to Konoha until a little while ago. That's when the Sand Ninja came to help. The fighting reached all the way into the village, but together we - Leaf and Sand, that is - fought them back. There was a really big battle right here in the village a few days ago, and that's when they pulled out. The Village Elders accepted the enemy's official surrender yesterday, and now everyone's working hard to rebuild. "That's the reason you can't see the Hokage yet," Hanae finished sadly. "It's not that he's busy doing something else. It's that.... well, Hokage-sama died in that big battle I was telling you about. He gave his life to get the enemy out of Konoha, and the Elders haven't picked a Tenth yet."
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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 13, 2009 19:40:18 GMT -5
"I'm s-sorry.." He didn't want to admit it so readily, but Utsuro knew none would take him seriously, because he truly did NOT know what he was doing. Otherwise, why seek out an Academy? Even besides that, he was far lacking in the confidence to even act as such. "A..a w-war...th-that's terrib-ble....to l-lose the H-hokage as well.." It truly was terrible, and yet he couldn't help feeling they were fortunate. Their village still stood, its inhabitants still alive in the majority. They all still had a home, and family to rebuild it with. Man. Come to see the Hokage, and he's dead. AND the village is trashed! The hell is wrong with your karma, kid?? "A-at least it's...over..and you can...r-rebuild.."
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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 13, 2009 19:45:09 GMT -5
Hanae nodded, just a hint of her previous sadness visible behind a soft, genuine smile. "Yeah," she agreed, "a lot of people were lost, but for the most part we're all just happy to be alive. There's a lot of work up ahead, but well, that's what Konoha is best at. Looking out for our own, and never giving up no matter what. You picked a good village to join," she finished, her smile growing until it lit up her whole face.
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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 13, 2009 19:58:25 GMT -5
This girl...this..Hanae. It was obvious that she loved this village. The words she spoke, they resounded with truth and conviction. Her bright smile was almost...infectious. Even exhausted beyond fatigue, he could feel the corners of his mouth turn upward just slightly. He wanted to believe in this Konoha she exalted....even if he hadn't picked it by chance. "I....am..glad...I just..hope...they c-can accept.. m-me.." Utsuro responded softly, knowing fully well just how easily people came to shun and dislike him, through no real fault of his own.
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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 13, 2009 20:02:04 GMT -5
The fact that her words had made this boy smile just made Hanae's grin that much brighter. They may have just met, but Hanae found herself truly hoping he could stay. "Don't worry," she told him with a smile. "As long as you're genuine in your loyalty the village, they really have no reason to turn you away. Just ask a Yanagawa or a Tensei about how they feel about Konoha's policy of admitting new people," she suggested, listing two of what were now Konoha's most influential clans.
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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 13, 2009 20:09:02 GMT -5
He came to a halt. Did...she say...$%^&.."T-t-t-ten....sei?" Utsuro stammered out, paling somehow despite his already ghastly appearance. Here? In THIS village? Ooooh this was not good....not good at all.
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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 13, 2009 20:12:35 GMT -5
"Oh, yes!" Hanae said brightly. "My Father doesn't like them very much, but they're one of the highest-standing clans in Konoha. Come to think of it," she added more to herself than the boy walking next to her, "that might be why he doesn't like them. Anyways, they weren't around back when Konoha was first founded, but now they're among our best shinobi. They're really loyal to the village, probably since we did let them in back then. Not that I know much about it, of course. You'd have to ask one of them. "Why?" she asked, curious. "Have you heard of them?"
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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 13, 2009 20:25:54 GMT -5
High-standing clan...IN the village...when did.. Utsuro was incredibly confused. Again. He'd run into some problems before with what information he had taken with him from his village...but...was it REALLY this outdated? "Y-yes...th-they are...v-very strong..I'd h-heard.." The Elders had always warned them about the Tensei and their ability to bewitch the mind. This was going to be....far more difficult then he'd imagined.
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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 13, 2009 20:32:24 GMT -5
"Yeah, yeah!" Hanae agreed. "I never saw it myself, but I've heard plenty about how they used their music in the war. They say loads of enemy ninja got caught in it and never even knew what hit them. It's really incredible. "Of course," she finished with a shrug, "you know how rumors like that go. A single Tensei takes out one enemy ninja, and the next day you're hearing about a team of them taking out an entire enemy squadron."
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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 13, 2009 20:41:08 GMT -5
"R-rumors...are indeed....funny like th-that.." Utsuro nodded, trying his best to continue walking unphased. If what he'd been told of the Tensei as a child were true, there was no doubt in his mind that there could very well be several with strength that great. "L-like...a clan of shinobi....th-that n-none knew the origin of....s-seeking only the m-most d-dire of missions, s-so mysterious o-only the greatest of shinobi knew their name....w-who could c-command all f-five elem-ments, t-taking on entire armies with one or two mem-m-mbers.."
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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 13, 2009 20:53:05 GMT -5
Hanae blinked. "Well, it's true that many high-ranked ninjas develop control over the five elements," she mused, "and Hokage-sama really did take on an army singlehandedly there at the end. So I'd say if some people can do it, why not others? Ah! Here we are." Hanae ducked off the main roads they had been traveling down, arriving in what appeared to be a complex of large, heavy-duty tents with peaked roofs. Towards the middle of the complex was a smaller, squarish tent with one of the sidewalls rolled up. The tent's other three walls were lined with tables, on which were arranged a variety of papers, clipboards, scrolls, and other implements of administration. Inside were three near-identical shinobi - two men and one woman - dressed in usual Chuunin/Jounin attire and wearing armbands that identified them as working on a shelter administration shift. Hanae couldn't help but wonder how the woman got around all that debris in high-heeled sandals. "Ah, excuse me," she said to the trio formally, and they turned in unison to look at her, looking even more identical when she could see their faces clearly. "Yes?" they said together. "This is Utsuro-san," Hanae told the three. "The ANBU at the front gate let him in and told me to bring him here." "Another one?" the woman observed. "They've been coming in more lately.""Probably because things have been quiet for a few days," the man with the longer hair remarked. "They're starting to come out because they're starting to feel confident that they won't get killed the second they step outside.""Can't really blame 'em," the third - a man with shorter hair than the other two - said with a shrug. "Things got pretty hairy here for a while.""Well, this one obviously made it!" the longer-haired man said with a big grin. "So. Utsuro-kun, is it? That your family name or your given name?"
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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 13, 2009 21:10:53 GMT -5
Utsuro was slightly stunned by Hanae's reaction, to say the least. He had never heard of a high-ranking ninja mastering more than 2 elements, much less all 5. The Hokage taking on an army...that was no stretch of the imagination. Kages were Kages for a reason, after all. Still...perhaps his village's information was not the only thing that was....outdated.. Inside the tent he had been lead to, a set of triplets responded to Hanae in unison. It was disarming, that was for certain. They didn't seem out to cause harm, at least, which was a welcome relief from recent months. Drawn out of his thoughts by the realization he was being spoken to again, he responded in his seemingly-commonplace soft monotone. "G-given n-name..Us-sing the kan..ji for..."Empty" and "Shell".." He added so it could be recorded appropriately if needed.
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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 13, 2009 21:15:41 GMT -5
"Pleasant," Daichi muttered under his breath as Hideko began writing on one of the clipboards. "And your family name?" he asked. "Standard regulation requires a full name to be given," Hideko put in as she came over with the clipboard and a pen, "As well as where you came from and the purpose of your visit." "Can't have you wandering around without us knowing who you are or what you're doing here!" Eiji added with a wink.
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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 13, 2009 21:24:59 GMT -5
Yer really goin' for this, aren't ya kid?It's all or nothing, Ichi-sama. We've no other choice, and we've come too far."M-my p-purpose is..to..speak..with the Hokage..I've..b-been informed of th-the.. circ-c-cumstances...." Utsuro began, digging deep into the last dredges of resolve he had. He'd get nowhere withholding information, and if Hanae was any minor indication, the information wouldn't make that much difference anyway. Worst case scenario, he'd be accused of falsifying the information. "My d-desire is to enr-roll in the Academy. I am f-from the now-r-r-ruined....T-tengakure.." A deep breath was drawn in. " And my f-family name....is Tsutomegi."
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