How stark a contrast it was, the tranquil and bio-luminescent surroundings of the Waterfall Village’s Lake Eternia compared to the barren and almost eerily solemn dunes of Sunagakure. If not a home, in Sunagakure at least Bokuden had found a place to lay his head, and a purpose to push him forward. The dessert wasn’t an ideal location for him to rest at by any stretch of the imagination. Bokuden hated hot weather, and the sweltering heat of the mid-day sun in the middle off the dessert was not exactly pleasant for him. At night the temperatures would dip down to the cool numbers he had grown accustomed to in the mountains of Kaminari no kuni, but that did not necessarily make him feel more at home. The emptiness of the dessert had always left him with an uneasy feeling. When standing atop the peak of a mountain he enjoyed being able to see over everything all the way to the horizon. Standing atop a tall dune had yet to be able to replicate that feeling. There just wasn’t anything to look over. In the dessert one could see all the way to the horizon simply because there was nothing to be seen. The solitude was a vivid reminder of the path he had chosen for himself.

Lake Eternia on the other hand, looked like something straight out of a fairy tale at night. Takigakure wasn’t exactly the most highly populated of villages, only drawing crowds during vacation times or during the very rare large event like the chunnin exams, so much of the area’s natural beauty remained intact. Exiting the thicket of trees Bokuden would slowly make his way towards the lake shore, all the while taking in everything about the area, committing the experience to memory. In the background, the chirping of some kind of insect, he guessed Cicadas or crickets. The Ryuzoji wasn’t particularly interested in experiencing that part of the lake, finding insects to be disgusting, but their song made for nice scenery nonetheless. Upon reaching the edge of the water Bokuden would kneel down and skim his fingers along the water’s surface, watching as the ripples caused by his hand distorted the normally crystal clear waters. This was another thing that the dessert had a distinct lack of, water. Seriously, he had begun to wonder what it was that made him unable to get tied up with women who didn’t happen to come from the worst climate imaginable.

The parts about this lake that he enjoyed the most however, were the beds of flowers that grew around the shore, almost framing the scene in a surreal glow, and the very large lily pads that floated about in the waters. It just happened to be that under the cover of night was when he could traverse the area freely and without distractions, as well as when the lake was at its best. He wasn’t much one for crowds, and he had had his fill of festivals growing up in the Ryuzoji clan back in Kumogakure. Upon arrival he was unsure of what even drove him to come to Takigakure, but after having gotten to see the sights at his own pace in the dead of night he was glad he came. This place gave him a chance to escape all of the drama that the major villages threw at him, even the ones he was never a part of.

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584~

Zetsume had been enjoying his time in this new village with it's people, more than he thought he would. Normally he would have been disgusted by the idea of traveling because quite frankly he did not like people not from his village. It was a biased way of thinking, though it was true. He had grown accustomed to his people and being in a whole new place meant he would have to gain some form of respect though during his time here it was rather enjoyable. He has been roughly all over this side of the country spending such little time with it's actually community other than to go to sleep and eat. During this day, he decided he would go see this lake that is in this country with Repede, his trusty companion that makes his journey much less boring. Zetsume had been raising the dog since he found him half dead and starving on the street so naturally his big heart had stepped in. Treating the dog much like a child, spoiling him while being slightly over-protective which could be the reason why the dog has not grown into the combat dog that he had originally planned. Though this could be what people call being a parent is being all about, but if he did not let the dog train then what will happened if Zetsume is attacked. The mere thought of it was almost horrifying, shaking his head he continued to walk towards this Lake of Eternia. Odd name to Zetsume, then again what better name could he come up with his imaginative skills were kind of low. Maybe this was because of his upbringing.

When the lake was in view, he could see another man standing there. At first Zetsume was just going to ignore him but he was trying to be a more friendly person, maybe it would warm his chilly heart. Then again what if the person was someone that would kill him for just walking up to him. His legs however did not stop him from approaching the man, making sure to not make it sound like he was sneaking so the person did not get the wrong impression and immediately attack him. Holding one of his hands up to wave before speaking.

"Yooooo, how is it going....

On his last word it seemed that his voice trailed off as his mind begin to race and think of who this man was. He had seem him somewhere, where though. Then it all seemed to have clicked into his mind as he looked upon the person who was formerly a Kumogakure Ninja, Ryuzoji Bokuden. His face became somewhat pale as he looked upon a man who deserted his village. His first instinct was to attack this man for leaving his village. Though he knew deep down that the man would slaughter him without breaking a sweat and since he had Repede with him, it would turn very ugly. Instead he decided to come off as a friendly manner, instead of being rude. After all he was in another country and it was outside his jurisdiction. Without being an Anbu, even attacking this man could be seen as a crime. Looking at Bokuden, he could not help but to make his words seem a bit disgusted by him.

"What a surprise to see you here Bokuden. I for one had thought I never would have seen you again. Do you remember me? Zetsume Zix, I do not think you have had the pleasure of meeting my companion here, Repede. I've not come over here to make any hostile actions, I just would like a word with you if that is alright. Why did you abandon us? What was it that was so bad that you felt compelled to denounce your people. Honestly every fiber in my body wants to take you down but that is nothing but a fools dream. A dream that would cause major damage to myself and Repede. Instead I was hoping to at least get a good chat with you, originally i came here to see this lake, it seems fate has made us speak."

Zetsume looked at the man, waiting for a reply. His words were true, he would not make any hostile actions even though his blood was boiling to the point he thought he might burst. Even looking at him was starting to piss him off, but what could he really do to a man of his caliber especially with the distance he was at. He was not far from Bokuden and he could easily cut him down if he wanted. Feeling his hands shake a little from the nervous tension that could be arising. Still though, if Bokuden were to attack him, he would have to find someway to escape. If not he would at least beg for Repede to live. To him his dog's life was worth more than his. He just hoped that Bokuden had some honor left and would not right out attack him, then again he knew very little of the man other than he was a dangerous S ranked shinobi in the bingo book. Many villages were after him, and if he told anyone of their meeting then he to would be branded a traitor for not capturing him. So this meeting to Zetsume would have to remain between them at all costs. Though he felt compelled to ask this man why he left, it was a reason he himself needed to know.

As rare as it was for Bokuden to find a moment alone where he could be at peace in his solitude, the setting he found himself in allowed him to do just that. Maybe it was the gentle glow that seemed to radiate from the wildflowers when touched by the white light of the moon, or how isolated this place seemed to be from the outside world, but for whatever reason when Bokuden was here he felt at ease. The feeling reminded him of his old meditation retreat at the peak of the Lightning Country’s mountain ranges. Of course back then it was rare for him to ever find a moment when he was truly alone, what with Satomi trailing him almost everywhere he went. The thought of his old companion brought on a nostalgic feeling. There were moments where he wondered whether or not he made the right decision ordering her to stay behind, but in the end he always knew that what was best for her was not to be dragged into whatever would follow his actions. She had other commitments in the village, other obligations to people other than him and it wouldn’t have been fair for him to drag her away from all of that on his behalf. Still, he found himself missing her company at times. They had been together for so long, it still felt strange leaving the house and not have her trotting along beside him.

His peace and tranquility would not last forever though, as the sound of grass and dirt crunching beneath a boot would gain his attention, causing him to raise his guard once more and place his left hand onto the hilt of his sword in preparation for whatever would come next. The tips of his fingers danced around the blue cloth wrappings of his katana’s hand guard, each tap a rhythmic metronome keeping pace with the footsteps of the person approaching from behind, but there was more than the sound of footsteps keeping Bokuden on his guard. As the person approaching drew closer they stepped within the range of Bokuden’s current perception. The electrical signal he felt as the unseen stranger stepped closer was a familiar one, one that Bokuden could not associate a face with, but he knew where he had encountered it. This was someone from Kumogakure, and that fact alone made it necessary for Bokuden to be cautious with their approach.

Bokuden was not without ears in his home village, and the depth of his knowledge extended well beyond that of some random shinobi. He was a former ANBU captain, he knew how they operated, and he knew that his disappearance with no explanation or notice would leave him to be seen as only one thing by his village and the ANBU operatives that he himself trained; a missing nin. It was very likely that whoever this person was, they were not here to sight see. It was too convenient, for them to just happen to stumble upon him like this. It was sloppy, not something he’d expect from his ANBU. Had their blades grown so dull in his absence? Had they so quickly forgotten who he was that they would send a single person to bring him in? They must have had a great deal of confidence in this person’s abilities, but the more likely explanation was that he was not alone. Bokuden glanced from side to side, looking for signs of other operatives that would be looking to ambush him, keeping his senses sharp to pick up on any familiar signals the moment they entered his domain. Whoever this person was, and whatever was accompanying them so much closer to ground level, they were not part of Kumo’s ANBU. He would have recognized their signature if they had been. Certain things were too specific to be forgotten.

Using his thumb, Bokuden would slowly unlock his sword from its sheath, slow enough to avoid the small sound made when pushing through the resistance that held the weapon in place. The voice that sounded through the silence of the lake was not one of stern proclamations and demands that he had expected. No, this voice was not hostile, not intentionally at least. It was fragile, devoid of resolve and ringing with uncertainty. This was not one of his former ANBU operatives, but he was right that this man was from Kumogakure, and this Zetsume Zix seemed intent on getting Bokuden to talk and explain his actions… how amusing. Turning to meet the gaze of this bold intruder the Ryuzoji would only have his suspicions confirmed. The man was nervous and visibly on edge, with good reason. He seemed to be cognizant enough of the gulf between their powers that he dared not aggress without provocation, even though his body told the story of a man who wanted to act. This certainly was not one of the ANBU operatives he had trained. Bokuden took great care to work the “tells” out of his subordinates. This man had obviously not received that training.

“Fate…” Bokuden replied in his typical calm and collected tone, the word weighing on their conversation like a lead vest, “Fate is the master of the weak. The word you’re looking for is chance, a random occurrence. And if you truly only stumbled upon me by chance then I suggest you change your fate to be somewhere other than here.” Turning his back to the man who intruded on his peace once more he would gaze back over the lake before speaking once more, “Run back to your mountains, Zetsume. You are entitled to no answers here. A dragon does not bow his head to every insect that crosses its path. And those insects don’t get to question a dragon’s intent. All they can hope for is to not be crushed beneath its feet or be blown away by its wings. The truth that you seek runs deeper than you could ever hope to know. Why don’t you go ask the men pulling your strings why I did what I did, puppet?”

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1029 | 1613~