Akiko had seen drastic shifts in the geology of the land as she traveled from the Land of Wind to the Land of Fire, to the Land of Stone, to the Land of Water and all the minor lands and countries that dotted the map in-between these major lands. The young Chuunin had seen vast deserts that stretched as far as the eye could see give birth to an ancient, thick forest which fell asunder to the eternal rocky cliffs and quarries. But now, Akiko stood in the midst of something entirely new but not altogether foreign to her, the vast marshlands and swamps that grew inside the Land of Water.

During her earliest years of life Akiko lived within Kirigakure no sato, it was where she was born and it had been where her father earned an infamous reputation as a hunter-nin. Akiko knew the tales of her father’s past, he had often regaled her as a young child of his many adventures and travels when she was just a small girl. The bittersweet memories of her father caused a small smirk to appear on Akiko’s face, but as quickly as the expression formed on her lips it vanished. It was the memory of how her father died that caused the young Uchiha to feel the three year old festering infection of hatred once again.

She remembered the day she walked back into her family’s house from completing an overnight mission as a Genin to find her father’s bisected corpse with an accursed Uzumaki standing above him. Uzumaki Trilby gazed down at her dead father, her father’s blood spatter on his chest and bots as it was on the walls of their home. She remembered the remorselessness in his eyes, how little he had cared about the devastation his actions had caused to an Uchiha family, to an Uchiha community. The vivid memory was a cruel reminder of her lust for vengeance which could never be fulfilled as Trilby had perished along with most of the group known as the Shichiouza.

However, the lack of a sole person to place all of her hatred on didn’t quell the ancient Uchiha curse within her; instead it caused the curse to spread throughout her being unchecked. It clouded Akiko’s mind and caused her to see connections that likely never existed when she dwelled on the memory of that fateful day. Internally, she blamed the entirety of the Uzumaki Clan and sincerely believed that it was that clan who plotted in unison the death of her father as well as the slaughter of countless other Uchiha lives. She also placed blame upon Kuroka Gin, Trilby’s wife and at that time the Kazekage; believing that she too knew of Trilby’s plan and did nothing to stop him. Finally, she blamed the few living members of the Shichiouza and believed that they had encouraged Uzumaki Trilby to slaughter her father in the manner he had.

Akiko’s attention was suddenly ripped away from her morbid thoughts as her ears caught the sound of a medium branch breaking midway up a nearby tree. The power born through hatred swirled to life in her eyes as her head snapped towards the tree, her Sharingan cut through the leaves of the tree and allowed her to see the translucent glow of chakra within the branches. The young Uchiha was ready for the worst but she never reached for a weapon, she was not a fool and did not want to appear hostile to any Kirigakure shinobi that might be around and watching her.

“Who goes there?” Akiko shouted up into the tree. “Show yourself!” She barked.

Endurance Stat Training E-D Word count: 608/750

Akiko Uchiha, she had crossed the boarder some time ago, and Aya had still yet to meet her, Having been doing the rounds through the village it was evident that she had come a long way, many Uchiha came from the land of fire, and it was a little odd that one of them would come this far out unless they were actively looking for something. The last Uchiha that Aya had fought had turned out to be hostile to the country, attacking Aya on sight and nearly overpowering her, though her opponent was skilled, Aya had aspired to defeat the great power of the Uchiha from her youngest days, growing up hearing about the awesome power they possessed with their black flames and deceptive eyes, even learning many techniques solely to defend herself against them after the village had been assaulted not only once, but twice by Uchiha, and burned by the powerful black flames which stretched out as far as the eye could see... These flames were of the most powerful, destructive jutsu that she had ever seen, and as such she added the Amaterasu technique and any technique which was spun from its cloth banned as Kinjutsu in the country of water due to the history the people of kiri had with the technique...

Not bothering to equip herself with her armour, the sword of Kusanagi sheathed at her side while changeling was sheathed on her back. Aya only wore the golden steel gloves of her mothers as well as her mask clasped to a belt which rested just above her hip. The shroud of the Mizukage hung loosely around her, barely covering the thick lay of white bandages which were the closest things to a shirt she ever wore. Her pants however were thicker, looser Martial arts Gi, black, baggy and strong hanging down and covering her boots. Her long sapphire hair glimmering in any of the sunlight which managed to peak through the canopy of clouds and grace it with their light. Aya was in a relaxed mood today as she helped with the scouting duties along the Mizu-no-kuni boarder, jumping from tree to tree casually and keeping her more than keen senses open to any disturbance which could come to pass in the area...

It was not long with her scanning of the area before she came across the Uchiha, hanging around in the canopy of aged willow trees which drooped down, their branch like vines blowing lightly in the spring breeze. From her pearch Aya watched for some time, following her with her movements trying to deduce if she was a risk or not. Though it wasn't long until Aya jumped to an older tree, rotten on the inside, the branch began to give way, causing Aya to rapidly yet lazily dash to the next one, causing little more than a small rustle, barely able to be picked up on by ninja fresh from an academy. But it seemed the girl below was a tad more keen when it came to the training of her senses. She called out for the person lurking to show themselves, and Aya was not the kind of person to say no to such a calling. Leaping high from the tree, as high as she could she propelled herself toward the sky, creating a Delay from the time the girl Asked the question, until Aya landed on the ground in front of the Uchiha, as if she descended from the heavens to fall to one knee.

Raising to her feet, Aya removed the hood from her shroud, revealing her identity, a sophisticated eye patch covering one of her eyes as she swept her hair to a side and smiled lightly at the greeting. She always loved to make an entrance like that, it was one of the few perks of her position, she could afford to be dramatic to those she met, one of the few reserved rights the position of Kage afforded you beneath the mountain of paperwork you had to complete... Looking down at the younger Uchiha clan member, Aya could see that she was much better trained than those who were fresh out of the academy, which was not surprising for a ninja who was travelling across the world for whatever reason. Stretching up the the sky and stifling a yawn she opened her mouth to speak.

"Why hello there, It's not often we get Uchiha slinking round this corner of the woods, not much longer and you would have ended up in the forest of the bloody mist, which, I don't think is the kinda place you want to get lost in. So, what brings you to our fine yet moist country? I mean, nice as it is, and forgive me for out caution, but my own personal relationship with Uchiha clan members who enter our humble country... You may remember Hao. Or he might have been a fraction before your time, I'm not sure... Anywho, My name is Solstice, though, Most people in this country know me as Ayakashi or Aya. I'll allow you to decide the name you call me by, I don't tend to mind."



Training Perception A-S: words 877/5000

The silent onlooker that Akiko had detected moments earlier made her appearance in a rather dramatic fashion. The feminine silhouette leapt from her perch in the trees above high into the sky and into a small clearing between the canopies of the mangrove trees directly into the afternoon sun. Akiko winced in pain at the sun’s cruel glare due to her head involuntarily tracking the woman’s trajectory directly into its brilliant shadow. Akiko raised her hand in front of her face out of the instinct to protect her eyes from the damaging glare, a mistake she instantly recognized, on that should the woman prove hostile would have cost her dearly.

Despite her training pleading with her to reach for the Katana by her side, Akiko did not move her left hand from her side and onto its handle. She knew that should this kunoichi be a representative of Kirigakure, reaching for a weapon would spell not only the doom of her clan in Sunagakure but of herself as well. Instead, Akiko utilized her Sharingan eyes to follow the descent of the woman even through her hand until the figure landed on the road directly in front of her with a soft thump.

When Akiko lowered her hand she would find a small surprise rising from one knee in front of her, the Mizukage. She instantly recognized the blue Kanji on her shroud and the blue jacket that adorned her shoulders to be that of Kirigakure’s infamous leader, the Mist’s Frozen Demon, Ayakashi Solstice. The young Uchiha would take a moment to re-gather her rather dumbstruck figure into something more worthy of a kunoichi of the Sand before balling her right hand into a fist, placing it against the open palm of her left hand, and bowing at the waist before the Mizukage.

"Why hello there, It's not often we get Uchiha slinking round this corner of the woods, not much longer and you would have ended up in the forest of the bloody mist, which, I don't think is the kinda place you want to get lost in. So, what brings you to our fine yet moist country? I mean, nice as it is, and forgive me for out caution, but my own personal relationship with Uchiha clan members who enter our humble country... You may remember Hao. Or he might have been a fraction before your time, I'm not sure... Anywho, My name is Solstice, though, Most people in this country know me as Ayakashi or Aya. I'll allow you to decide the name you call me by, I don't tend to mind." Rang forth the chillingly calm voice of the Mizukage, Ayakashi’s voice. She had introduced herself and presented a query over Akiko’s arrival in her lands.

By the time Ayakashi had finished her statements, questions, and introduction Akiko had long risen from her bow and was listening intently with the palms of her hands resting gently on the sides of her legs. Akiko visibly flinched at Ayakashi’s casual usage of Uchiha Hao’s name; he had become something of a taboo within the Uchiha community inside of Sunagakure. To the Uchiha of Sunagakure Hao was no hero of the Uchiha, he was not the head of their clan in life and when news reached them that he had died while battling the former Hokage no one mourned his passing. But Akiko didn’t forget the cruelty of the man, her family had suffered both directly and indirectly from his actions, as many Uchiha were looked upon with suspicion both before and after his death.

“Lady Mizukage,” Akiko stated, deciding to keep their first conversation extremely formal and respectful in order to convey her lack of aggression and hostility better. “I bring urgent news from the Land of Wind and a missive from the Elder Council within Sunagakure.” She stated in a urgent manner before reaching into one of the utility pockets on her Flak Jacket to produce a single scroll.

The blue Fuuinjutsu seal not only signified it was to be delivered to the Mizukage directly but also ensured that no matter the weather Akiko was forced to endure that the scroll would not be damaged in any manner. Akiko extended the scroll towards the Mizukage for her to inspect and read at her leisure before continuing to speak with her.

“While I am not aware of the exact contents of that missive, my lady I can inform you first hand of Sunagakure’s condition, along with the entirety of the Land of Wind’s current status.” Akiko stated calmly. “Since the Kazekage’s disappearance the Land of Wind and Sunagakure have been battling Rogue Shinobi who have start migrating there in order to raid, rob, and murder. Many of the Jonin and Special Jonin instructors have been forced to go on patrols or combat these marauders in order to protect the daimyo’s lands…” Akiko paused for a moment. “…however, few ever return from their duties. This leaves the Academy Students and Genin within Sunagakure without proper instructors and senseis. While I believe the Elder Council is doing the best they can inside of this grave situation, I fear that without outside aid, Sunagakure is doomed to fall to these Rogue Ninja hordes.” Akiko stated, concluding her rather brief report on the status of Sunagakure and the majority of the Wind’s condition.

Once Akiko finished her plea to the Mizukage she would attempt once again to appear as disarming as possible, which given the amount of weapons on her person was proving to be a rather difficult task. On her person she visibly carried a Katana, a Wakizashi, a quiver with twenty arrows inside it, a folded Windmill Shuriken which was on her back, and a Yumi bow which was hung at an angle over her shoulder. But that was not the extent of the weapons she carried, within the utility pockets of her Flak Jacket Akiko had twenty Senbon, twenty Metsubishi balls, and ten Makibishi spike traps. While all the equipment and weaponry was organized neatly on her person to ensure none of it would be a hindrance when drawing another piece from it’s sheathe or confines, it was heavy. On top of that Akiko had been traveling slightly over a week to reach the Land of Water without removing the equipment and only sleeping once every two days for approximately six hours had left the young kunoichi visibly exhausted, despite her best attempts to hide that fact.

“And forgive my rather…well-armed appearance Lady Mizukage, as I am sure you are aware of, the roads in the wilderness are a very dangerous place for travelers.” Akiko joked, giving Ayakashi as slight smirk and revealing a bit of her own morbid sense of humor.

Endurance Stat Training E-D Word count: 750/750

Strength Stat Training E-D Word count: 750/750

Perception Stat Training D3-C: 142/525

Total Word Count: 1122

Aya listened to the Uchiha representative from Suna, finding it a tad odd that it seemed that she came from the country of Wind, she had always thought that the Uchiha were native to the land of Fire, konoha especially, even though they were at once war for control of the country against the Senju, she had thought that such feuds were long over and many of the red-eyed clan resided there... discarding her obvious wrongs on the matter of the location of the Uchiha clan, she shook her head slightly and paid much more attention to what she was saying, folding her arms and shifting her weight to one leg her eyes watched her body movements as she talked, obviously distressed at what was going on in her village, and to some other extent, not enjoying Aya's own mention of the Uchiha missing ninja Hao, though the name had fallen into the annals of history as a name which was seldom uttered out of fear, Aya spoke it proudly, knowing and remembering with the sound of it in the air that the man was gone, as was his influence in this country. But so she listened:

“While I am not aware of the exact contents of that missive, my lady I can inform you first hand of Sunagakure’s condition, along with the entirety of the Land of Wind’s current status ... Since the Kazekage’s disappearance the Land of Wind and Sunagakure have been battling Rogue Shinobi who have start migrating there in order to raid, rob, and murder. Many of the Jonin and Special Jonin instructors have been forced to go on patrols or combat these marauders in order to protect the Dynamo’s lands… ... …however, few ever return from their duties. This leaves the Academy Students and Genin within Sunagakure without proper instructors and senseis. While I believe the Elder Council is doing the best they can inside of this grave situation, I fear that without outside aid, Sunagakure is doomed to fall to these Rogue Ninja hordes.”

Aya thought on the words she had spoken to some extent, it seemed like the country was indeed in need of help, but, what had happened to their Daimyo, as well as the hundreds of thousands of Samurai which were likely at his disposal, if not as many as Kirigakure, then Aya would have thought that their numbers were well into the thousands enough to be able to handle bands of bandits and rogue ninja. Samurai were often incredibly well trained and equipped with potent weapons which were more than a match for most ninja should they get the upper hand, not to mention there were a lot more Samurai in most countries than any other denominator, even in Kiri the standing army of the Daimyo was ten times larger than the full mobile military might of the ninja village, which numbered upwards on 2-3 thousand people and counting by the day as more ninja came from other countries, as alliances were built between countries and as new ninja were coming out of the academy and gaining their headbands as proud kiri born ninja. But, all this begged the question.

"I would be more than happy to give the country Aid if it requests it, though it begs the question, where is the Daimyo in all of this? Where is the military? Are they too shattered by the inactivity of the Kazekage or are they otherwise disposed, or are they merely idle? I would have thought that something as serious as this would have urged their immediate response... Though Kiri is not in a position to help another country at the moment, there's some civil unrest, and I'm beginning to feel like I don't have the control that I would need in order to put that kinda resources into an operation like that... But that should be sorted soon if everything goes to plan."

Aya thought deeply at this, but of all the things that ran through her mind the most likely option was that the Daimyo was afraid for himself, pooling his troops and resources back to guard his palace and ensure that he or she was immune from the raiding which was going on in the rest of the country. Though it was cowardly, Aya could not blame a person for wanting to protect their home and family more than those of others in other cities, it went against everything that it meant to be a leader, but the Daimyo's weren't true leaders, they were not elected by the people, they were instated through blood and advised by those who should have the properties of leaders. It was a broken system, one which had failed the ninja world time and time again, Aya had no hate in her heart for the young Daimyo of Kirigakure, though, as much as he would grow out of his youth, it was evident that bad things had happened to the ninja world because of the Daimyo's own inability to act and make decisions under pressure. He was a child, and children were often ego-centric, as much as they could be kind, when the pressure is on they wish to guard themselves and only those close to them.

"It's okay, If you hadn't noticed I tend to travel heavily armed as well, It's just something that you have to do in these times. I would be careful though if I were you, there have been bands of missing ninja roaming these areas ever since the war, we've kept them down until recently, but, it seems they've managed to make a small resurgence."

968 + 877 = 1845 words

As Akiko spoke she could tell Mizukage Ayakashi was analyzing her, gauging her emotions and body language to determine if the news she delivered was true or not. The young Uchiha’s voice rang sincere throughout her recounting of Sunagakure’s sufferings, although she did not tell the Mizukage of all the details. There were things that she couldn’t tell her without risking prying ears overhearing their conversation and learning of a weakness that could spell the doom of Sunagakure. Instead, the Uchiha simply extended the missive she carried for the Mizukage towards her a bit more, as if urging her to read the sealed scroll to find the answers to the questions Akiko expected her to ask.

"I would be more than happy to give the country Aid if it requests it, though it begs the question, where is the Daimyo in all of this? Where is the military? Are they too shattered by the inactivity of the Kazekage or are they otherwise disposed, or are they merely idle? I would have thought that something as serious as this would have urged their immediate response... Though Kiri is not in a position to help another country at the moment, there's some civil unrest, and I'm beginning to feel like I don't have the control that I would need in order to put that kinda resources into an operation like that... But that should be sorted soon if everything goes to plan." The Mizukage asked, her voice filled with both concern and intrigue.

Akiko pulled her gaze from the Mizukage as her head sank downwards to stare at the moist road beneath her feet. The missive in her hand quivered slightly as the young Uchiha trembled in despair at Ayakashi’s question, she knew why the Daimyo didn’t act, she knew the depth of Sunagakure’s despair, she had witnessed it firsthand but she couldn’t speak the words without potentially betraying her country. Instead the young Uchiha simply held back the fountain of tears that welled up in her eyes, not as much for the state of her Village but for what the Uchiha clan there faced, what her family had to endure.

“Please, Mizukage-sama read the missive and you will understand everything.” She stated, her voice clearly filled with despair.

Her grip on the missive tightened instinctively before relaxing to draw attention to the piece of paper she was assigned to deliver. Akiko understood that these simple pieces of parchment were the key to her clan and Sunagakure’s survival or they were the forbearers of their damnation. Everything simply rode on the backs of each individual Kage, without the support of the other Villages, Suna would fall and the Uchiha there would die.

Perception Stat Training D3-C: 525/525

Total Word Count: 450

Aya reached out with a cool hand, wrapping it around the missive, taking it from her and unraveling the scroll to reveal its message, Aya glanced over the script with progressively saddening eyes not knowing really what to make of it, should she have the full power of the country she would march the army right into the country as a relief effort, single handedly wipe out any insurgents and missing ninja then use the peace to help the land rebuild while putting a new Kage in charge, surely they would find a notable applicant somewhere in all of Sunagakure which could be instated... Though she was sure it would not be that easy, Aya was running through all the work which would need to be done in order to make that happen. Taking even a thousand ninja from her country into the land of wind would be a massive task which would leave their country physically weaker, though, even in their weakness they would more than likely still be stronger than most... Aya was also unsure that even the Daimyo here would pick up the slack or offer aid to another country if she asked it, which would severely limit the usefulness of what they were able to offer the country which was down on its luck it seemed.

But, once she finished with the scroll, Aya rolled it back up, and tied it with the silk ribbon which had bound it before, tightly, so that it would not fall apart as she ran. Looking at the girl, it was clear that she had traveled long and hard to deliver this message, and it was more than likely that there were more of them to be delivered also, though it would be rude of Aya to not invite her to the capital, offer her residence and lodgings until she was prepared to travel to each of the countries she had missed, though, Aya somewhat assumed crossing the sea would have been her last stop, being able to rather easily cross the land between the other countries before coming here.

" So, this is what I want to tell you, for now, allow me to finish the pressing matters in my own country, I can't leave here with matters which threaten to undermine my countries' processes hanging over my head. But from there, I pledge that every hunter ninja, every ANBU, every Jounin, and the seven swordsman of the mist, as well as myself, combined with every builder and craftsman our country can spare, will march into the land of wind and cut a swathe through the missing ninja and bandits there, and we will help you rebuild and get your country back on its feet again, by whatever means necessary. "

Aya smiled resting a hand on the girls shoulder, the smile was one of re-assurance, Aya hoped that their country would be able to hold on for another month or so. There was a very likely chance that the matters which were loitering in Aya's mind were easily solved, and with the meeting of the Daimyo planned in advanced for tomorrow, there was a possibility everything could be sorted out then, from there Aya would be able to ask the Daimyo for aid to help the land of wind, should he listen to her. To that extent, it seemed that Aya had some hope to be able to give quick and meaningful aid to the country of the wind... which is what she wanted to do the most.

"However for now, I will see that you have a place to stay at the capitol, should you give me your name, I will fill out the temporary residency forms on your behalf so you don't have to worry, here in Kirigakure, you will be safe, fed, and honored as a guest for as long as you need until you find yourself needing to travel once again, be it with us when we leave, or if you have any further missives to hand out to other nations. "

WC 679 + 1845 = 2524

Akiko felt the Mizukage’s hand gently grasp the missive and tug it from between her clenching fingers. The sensation caused her to lift her head, revealing the well of tears that were barely held back from falling freely down her cheeks. The young Uchiha watched behind blurred eyes as Ayakashi slowly opened the scroll to read its contents, she wanted to see her reaction to her country’s suffering, she wanted to gauge her response based upon it. She had to know if the Mizukage would aid her village, no her country in its greatest time of need or if she would leave them to their fate.

Akiko gazed onwards as the Mizukage read the missive, her face slowly descending into the depths of despair, she understood the gravity of the situation. The information Akiko couldn’t speak aloud had been delivered, Ayakashi now knew the evils that lurked and was growing in the south. The Uchiha Chuunin couldn’t help but wonder how her clan continued to fair in her absence, if Sunagakure had already fallen or if they continued to stand fast and hold back the looming threat that resided at their doorsteps.

" So, this is what I want to tell you, for now, allow me to finish the pressing matters in my own country, I can't leave here with matters which threaten to undermine my countries' processes hanging over my head. But from there, I pledge that every hunter ninja, every ANBU, every Jounin, and the seven swordsman of the mist, as well as myself, combined with every builder and craftsman our country can spare, will march into the land of wind and cut a swathe through the missing ninja and bandits there, and we will help you rebuild and get your country back on its feet again, by whatever means necessary. " Ayakashi stated, pledging her support.

Akiko’s hands instantly went to her eyes, wiping at the closed lids and absorbing the tears that had been threatening to break forth from their confinements. While the Uchiha didn’t outwardly express her joy at the Mizukage’s promise, she was overwhelmed with relief internally. Instead of smiling or showing any other form of emotion at the Mizukage’s response to the Council’ request, Akiko simply nodded in acknowledgement of what Ayakashi had said.

“As a Chuunin of the Sand, I will help in your endeavor. I will strike at your enemies without hesitation, as if they were my own. Mizukage Ayakashi, I, Uchiha Akiko am a weapon at your service until your matters here are settled, use me.” Akiko stated before dropping to a single knee.

This was part of her duty to the Sand, she was not only an emissary for her Village but she was to be what cemented an alliance. Akiko knew that by taking upon the Mizukage’s burdens as part of her own that she could be plagued by horrors at night, but she would endure them to protect her clan. As the Mizukage had made her pledge to Sunagakure, Akiko made her own with a clenched fist upon the saturated ground of Water Country.

It was then that Akiko felt the hand of the Mizukage being placed upon her shoulder, causing her gaze to turn upwards at the woman’s visage. The Uchiha had never felt the touch of a Kage before, all of the Kazekage had been extremely militant and distant from the lower ranks of Sunagakure based Shinobi and Kunoichi. To Akiko the touch felt almost like a taboo, something that was seldom done and was against some unspoken law of her Village. It made Akiko feel dirty, as if she had violated someone of importance but at the same time the touch reassured her and made her feel important or valued instead of a mere expendable pawn to be used and tossed aside.


"However for now, I will see that you have a place to stay at the capitol, should you give me your name, I will fill out the temporary residency forms on your behalf so you don't have to worry, here in Kirigakure, you will be safe, fed, and honored as a guest for as long as you need until you find yourself needing to travel once again, be it with us when we leave, or if you have any further missives to hand out to other nations. " The Mizukage stated, her voice filled if kindness and what seemed like sympathy.

Akiko was taken aback by her offer, no her demand. She couldn’t help but wonder if this was the way a true Kage treated their subordinates, their tools, their weapons or if her beliefs in the Kage as a title and office had been all wrong and this was how one should conduct themselves. Either way, Akiko rose from the ground and unclenched her fist, placing it on top of the Mizukage’s own as it rested on her shoulder. It was the first time Akiko had ever touched another person outside of her own clan, her own family without hostile intent and it was an odd feeling but not entirely a negative one. When her eyes finally returned to the Mizukage, she simply nodded in affirmation, her body was tired and she needed to allow it to rest.

Wordcount: 877/877

The reaction of the Uchiha girl was more than enough for Aya, it seemed like she had, had a long week, one which would require her to get the best rest she could. Aya would deal with whatever paperwork which would be required later, the urgency of any of the matters was subject to her authority and directive, so, in essence, she could push it back as long as she needed if Aya wanted to. Calling Akiko to follow and collect whatever things she had, Aya turned and began to lead Akiko back toward the village hidden in the mist. The walk would take some time, and Aya would say little unless she was prompted to, but for the most part she would walk in silence as she thought about the things that were to come in the future... a country in civil unrest from legions or groups of missing ninja and criminals was something that called up recent memories... too recent for Aya not to care for. Suna was where the mysterious Seven Bells originated from,  as a member of the great Chikamatsu clan, and even a direct descendant of Monzaemon... making him in some respects of a royal lineage... Though as they walked they reached the main merchant road, leading towards kirigakure, not too far ahead of them they could spy a caravan slowly meandering in the direction of the capital. Aya smiled, commerce it seems was bustling in the land of the Hidden Mist, but how long was that going to last for? Aya spied the darting shadow of a member of the ANBU, scouting, inspecting, but no doubt moving on to another mark as they noticed that the Mizukage was nearby, and would handle any issues around this area.

"So, miss Uchiha, I feel as though I should have to warn you in advance, but the black flames of your clan are not welcome in this country. I feel as though this is the only true warning that I should give you, as it could pertain you you specifically. Amaterasu has almost destroyed this country once before, and it did destroy the country of my ancestors. So I'll not have it, or any technique molded from it within the boundaries of my country, okay? The rest of the laws here, would not be too different from the land of Sunagakure, or any other country."

As she spoke the Kirigakure no Sato came up in the distance, the first thing that they would see would be the administration building peaking over the canopy, followed by the high stone walls which surrounded the city, leading to a single gate. The Walls of kiri stood fast as proud as pillars of strength to protect the people from those who would seek to harm them, and the elements themselves. Unknowingly some time ago they had passed through the Kirigakure Barrier, much like the barrier of konoha it had sent minuscule ripples up which would have alerted the ANBU to their presence, though, on the main road, that seldom ever truly mattered... Entering the City, one would be able to tell the country was in its cold season, the mist lingered at the feet of everyone in the city, casting a mystical and almost heavenly feel as it wafted away from everything that blew through it. Aya would lead Akiko to a location where she would be able to rest, an apartment which was reserved for high profile visitors to the land of the Mist, it had two stories, and was a rather luxurious place to stay, the beds and furniture was high quality as well as it having its own workstation and kitchen for ninja who liked to eat and clean their ninja tools.

"So, this is where you'll be staying while you're here, we don't have any other representatives from other countries here at the moment, but, this place is made to fit four or so independent people comfortably, so, it should be more than enough for just you, should you need your privacy. I'll either be over at the training fields, or the administration building of you need me, and should i not be in either of those locations, ask the twins at the admin building. They always have means in which they are able to locate me at will. "

Aya ended with a smile, waving as she began to walk into the distance toward the training fields. needing to desperately blow some steam.

Once she reached the fields, she took a deep breath, looking at some of the Jounin Ninja that were there, clenching her fists and flexing before smiling and asking any of them if they would like a training lesson. Training with the Jounin was always something that Aya had considered fun, and it was a shame that she had not managed to do it for a while. Looking to each of them in turn, two of them put their hands up for training. Aya smiled, looking at their builds and equipment, she could tell that each of them were Taijutsu users. So, asking the two of them if they wanted to simply have a training spar with nothing but their basic Taijutsu. The two of them agreed whole-heartedly! So, standing at odds with the two of them, each of them in front of Aya, they all bowed in unison, Aya gave them the signal to start at their will. Naturally, the first course of action was for each of them to attempt to overwhelm her. There were two of them, which meant they had two more arms, positioning, and two more legs as advantages. While, Aya had superior skill, and the fact that she was defending and counter-attacking gave her the superior edge against them.

It didn't take long for them to charge, the first of them jumping with a spinning kick for Aya's head, which, ducking low, she ran into the partner of, thrusting with a straight punch for her face with his weight. Bringing up the back of her hand she would catch him by the wrist, veering his punch off to a side as she looked back, throwing a kick back into the knee of the ninja behind her. More punches came from the Jounin in front as shifting her weight fromm side to side, Aya managed to avoud the most of it, until something hit Aya in the back of her knees, throwing her weight backwards as it seemed her legs had been swept out from underneath her, throwing her backwards. But, Aya was quick! Putting her hands back, they met the ground, kicking her legs with the momentum, Aya held out a hand to the ground as she was upside down, planting it, and rather than landing on her shoulders, rotated back around in a backward sault to her feet. Narrowly missing the punching Jouning with a kick to the face, as Aya also evaded the axe kick follow up for her chest. As she began to see a pattern... looking to the first jounin, who seemed to be very limber with his feet, she noted 'kicks?' the jounin smiled as she noticed, before she looked to the second. 'boxing!' And he also nodded, getting ready for round two.

And Aya had this down, she was done defending.

Stepping into the two of them she held out a hand to catch the chest high interception kick of the Tae Kwan Do artist, ducking the follow up roundhouse for her head and moving to a side of the tuck and roll donkey kick afterwards. Getting in 'very' close, and placing a hand down to guard against his knee pre-emptily, Aya threw a kick back at the Boxer, forcing him to duck to a side as he threw his punch. Aya smiled, ducking out of the way just as the Jounin almost had his fist collide with his partner. But he was good, and his control was excellent. But from them being so close together, Aya was able to target them both. Stepping in next Aya unleashed a volley of powerful punches for the two of them, one after the other as a heavy staccato of closed fisted punched. But with the two of them there, they were able to avoid, and as one was being attacked, the kickboxer threw a knee for Aya's side. Catching it with her arm as she stepped in, Aya ducked the punch coming for his head as she opened her palm, to save the Jounin from injury as trapped, she was able to deliver the palm to the center of his chest, winding him and flexing his ribcage, sending him flying several meters back.

Crouching and rolling backwards, the boxer at this point became much more aggressive, no longer needing to worry about his partner, the blows and the feints actually had Aya beginning to second guess herself. Aya would move to attempt to block, but his lightning fast jab would come from the other side, straight for her head, forcing Aya to duck or evade with microseconds remaining, and even taking a couple of blows to the abdomen, which stung, put simply. Aya noticed that at full force, this Jounin had her on tilt, Aya was distracted by his fighting style, and unable to attack due to him quickly stepping in with perfect footwork, ducking and maneuvering his upper body in order to get the punches he wanted, always guarding yet there was never a blow not coming toward Aya, least it be a feint and she fall directly into his traps. Aya took a swing, but he ducked, hitting Aya under her arm as she attempted it three impacts collided with her chest, pushing Aya back and making her rethink her strategy. But before she could he was on top of her again. People were beginning to gather, as they thought that this guy may be able to win, but Aya knew there was a way out of this, he wasn't getting any of his major blows, their windups were too long, making them easily avoidable.

He was in close, Aya moved to a side and realized something.... she had legs.

Bringing one of them up sharply, he was countering her high blows, but he would have trouble with the low, and although he was in close, making it difficult for Aya to land front kicks, she was able to hit from the side. Collecting him in a side of the knee, he moved down to one knee. Spinning in the opposite direction he had to roll backwards for Aya's incoming roundhouse kick. But not Aya had distance, stepping in quickly as her opponent rose to stand up she threw her leg high up into her chest, on an angle so tight she would be able to wrap her arms around her shin, as she powered through, rleasing her leg and thrusting it forward on an interception path with his standing up, collecting him in the chest and throwing him back, ending the fight.

Aya panted in reprieve. looking up at the two and shaking their hands, as the people standing by cheered the Kage on, nursing her bruises and congratulating them on their training.

WC 1885 + 2524 = 4392/5000

"So, miss Uchiha, I feel as though I should have to warn you in advance, but the black flames of your clan are not welcome in this country. I feel as though this is the only true warning that I should give you, as it could pertain you you specifically. Amaterasu has almost destroyed this country once before, and it did destroy the country of my ancestors. So I'll not have it, or any technique molded from it within the boundaries of my country, okay? The rest of the laws here would not be too different from the land of Sunagakure, or any other country." The Mizukage stated, explaining the laws within Kirigakure and the Land of Water.

Akiko couldn’t blame the people within the Land of Water for making Amaterasu forbidden, a Kinjutsu. This country had been ravaged by the cruel black flames countless times, the fear and respect for the jutsu’s destructive prowess was easy to detect, as was a general distaste for her clan most people had in this particular territory. It was an uncomfortable sensation; one Akiko had never felt before, the inability to utilize a jutsu inherited by her bloodline, should she have possessed the affinity towards it.

However, Akiko wouldn’t allow this foreign sensation to bleed through onto her visage, especially not in front of the Mizukage. Instead the young woman gave Ayakashi a small smile, her own attempt at possibly lightening the air a tad. Akiko knew her own family bloodline was not capable of utilizing the Amaterasu, it had never manifested in the eyes of any member within her family before. Instead, her bloodline drew upon the power of the Tsukyomi as it had been found within her family’s Sharingan eyes whenever a member unlocked the power of the Mangekyou.

You needn’t fear the Amaterasu from me, Mizukage-sama. Akiko replied, her smile widening a tad as she cocked her head to the side. “My family has never shown any affinity for it in their eyes. We are a far more…subtle…breed of Uchiha as opposed to our more brutish and destructive cousins.” Akiko continued, trying her best to assure the Mizukage she posed no threat.

In reality, Akiko knew her own words were nothing more than smoke and mirrors, the Tsukyomi was almost as feared as the flames of the Amaterasu and in some cases far more psychologically destructive. Akiko silently prayed that the Mizukage wouldn’t call her on that fact; she hoped that the woman’s knowledge of the Uchiha Clan was limited to the burning power of the Amaterasu. However, Akiko kept her best attempt at looking “disarming” plastered onto her face as the pair began to walk towards the city, the capitol, Kirigakure no Sato.

The Mizukage lead Akiko to a large building, it housed important “dignitaries” from other lands. It was the equivalent to a fancy hotel; it was clearly designed to allow shinobi or kunoichi from other lands to feel welcomed within Kirigakure. However, the longer Akiko gazed at the building, the more intimidated by it she felt. Sunagakure had no inns of this magnitude, her land had been left torn apart and devastated, instead shinobi or kunoichi from other lands were welcomed into the home of a family within the Village. In all honesty, Akiko didn’t know how she felt about staying within the walls of such a large and extravagant building such as this one but she didn’t want to offend her generous host.

"So, this is where you'll be staying while you're here, we don't have any other representatives from other countries here at the moment, but, this place is made to fit four or so independent people comfortably, so, it should be more than enough for just you, should you need your privacy. I'll either be over at the training fields, or the administration building of you need me, and should i not be in either of those locations, ask the twins at the admin building. They always have means in which they are able to locate me at will. " Ayakashi stated, explaining the interior of the building and how to find her should Akiko need her before leaving her to settle in with a wave.

Clearly, this was not up for a debate, instead Akiko would accept the Mizukage’s, no Kirigakure’s lodgings graciously. After a short check in period, Akiko was led to her room where she would find some privacy to clean herself, change, and rest should she desire it. While Akiko did bathe and change into a fresh uniform, she didn’t rest. She couldn’t allow herself to relax while her land was in peril. Instead the young Kunoichi would seek out the training field that Ayakashi had mentioned.

As Akiko exited the building and walked outside, she could hear the echoes of combat in the distance. The sounds of blows being exchange and short howls of pain or aggression ringing from a walled in area a ways from the lodgings she had been assigned to. Clearly, this is where the Kirigakure Shinobi and Kunoichi trained themselves for battle. It was something Akiko wanted to witness first hand and so she made her way towards the wall that was designed to keep powerful combatants from affecting the city during their training spars.

Akiko made the leap to the top of the wall in a single bound, and sat upon the top of it, watching the spar between the Mizukage and several Jonin as it unfolded. She watched as Lady Ayakashi disabled and neutralized them all, leaving little more than sore joints and bruises on her Jonin as she weaved between them flawlessly. Akiko made sure to note that the Mizukage was a Taijutsu specialist, more specifically an eastern striking style of combat, mixed with another style that employed joint locks and counter strikes. The young Uchiha admired the woman’s ability to out spar multiple opponents through the depth of her knowledge about close quarters, watching Ayakashi had ignited something deep within her and it pushed Akiko over the wall and into the training arena.

While Akiko wasn’t wearing her typical Sungakure Kunoichi attire, she was wearing her clan’s uniform. The white Kimono held a purple flowery pattern on the upper half of it, the lower half held the same color of the flower pattern did but was a solid color. Akiko typically would have reached for the hilt of her katana to initiate a spar but she knew that in this particular situation, that could end extremely poorly for her. Instead Akiko opted for a secondary option; she would call out to Ayakashi, the Mizukage.

“Mizukage-sama!” Akiko called out as she made her way towards the woman and the group of Jonin who were laughing and speaking with her. “Perhaps there is a way you could bestow some of your wisdom onto me?” Akiko asked her, it was clearly a challenge to a short spar, a mock duel of sword and steel.

The bare-foot Uchiha knew that her chances of landing a hit on a Kunoichi such as Ayakashi was slim, the woman was likely stronger than her in every facet and meaning of the word. That fact didn’t dissuade Akiko from issuing a short, high spirited mock-duel with the Mizukage. The young girl knew the only way to grow was to learn from the strongest, to learn from the best, and if it happened to be that the “best” in this land wasn’t an Uchiha, she would accept the tutelage if the teacher was willing to give a lesson.

After he challenge was issued, Akiko placed her hand on the hilt of her first Katana, an old rusted blade that could barely cut. This was Akiko’s sparring weapons, it would serve as her blade in this particular spar. Slowly, Akiko drew the blade from it’s sheathe which was found on her lower back, the hilt of the blade facing upwards and pointing towards the left. The draw was in a reversed-grip style, it forced the young Uchiha to do a small flourish in order to flip the blade into a standard grip. Akiko stood ready, holding the rusty old Katana in one hand, if it wasn’t Ayakashi that would be her sparring partner, she would prepare to take down whoever it was she sent, or at least do the best she could to emerge victorious.

“I’m ready.”

Word Count: 1400

Aya shook her head, she could tell the girl before her was trained but she was definitely lower par than she would have thought, though, the other Jounin around her looked at Aya, muttering among themselves somewhat interested in what the girl before them was able to do. Aya thought about declining the offer to spar, but, Aya was in a good mood, and she could quite easily pass down some of the knowledge which she had attained in her many years of training to this Uchiha in the form of a short grudge match... However unlike her opponent, Aya chose not to take a weapon, moving out from the ring of Jounin who began to step back to create an arena for the two of them, smiling Aya clasped her hands together in front of her, facing down the Uchiha who has approached. She drew her blade from her back and with a quick flourish it seemed she was ready for a fight. The blade she wielded was sharp, precise, like many of the weapons in the ninja world, its quality seemed average, not enough for Aya to destroy with a single flourish of chakra but it was low enough quality that if it met face to face with any of Ayas stronger jutsu she would shatter it with ease, scattering its frigid pieces to the winds. Aya cocked her head to the side to observe her stance looking at Akiko from a different direction, turning her hips and her neck to the side and beginning to circle her opponent like a shark, seeing how she would turn to face Aya if she needed to... she would need to.

Aya began to walk around the outside of the Arena, not making a single offensive move, restraining her speed and her statistics to no greater than C-1 rank. Jumping in for her opponent Aya would lower her body and take a powerful step inwards, stopping and dropping low as she would throw out a palm for the Side of Akiko's body. The palm would be strong enough to hit her in the solar plexus and wind her thoroughly should it land, slamming into the muscle used to draw breath from the lungs and forcing it to exhale sharply against the ninja's will. Aya was testing Akiko with the first blow. Stepping in and dropping lower Aya would take a swing for the back of her legs, so that after the direct palm Akiko would stagger backwards into Aya's swinging heel, until finally as the final blow, from her low to the ground position, Aya would vault, springing from the ground with one leg so effortlessly it would seem like she was lighter than a feather, spinning through the air as she drew momentum and bought her heel down for Akiko, hoping to slam her into the ground in a terrifying three hit Taijutsu combination... At the speeds Aya moved at, she would be damn fast in comparison to Akiko Uchiha. But not so fast that Akiko would not be able to handle it...

As She fought Aya spoke.

"The tip to fighting an opponent like me, is to think on your feet, and in fact most opponents will simply attack you head on. But you're a ninja, and a skilled one. You should have jutsu and techniques which bring more to the table than simply raw strength. Talents and skills which allow you to outmaneuver and out fox your opponent. But you need to do this while constantly moving, and not falling into readable attack patterns, and while constantly observing your opponent. Prediction, Action, Reaction, is everything in a fight. coiling and swirling eternally together as a triage at center stage an a dance of life and death, to which we are its dancers. Do you understand?"

[642 +4392 = 5034/ 5000 Perception A-S]