It has been days now since Aiden has set forth from the emptying Sunagakure. From the slums of the village to the sandy border itself, and then from the rocky terrain to the grassy plains, he would have finally made it to the Hidden Stone Village itself. Aiden's feet would be sore and by now the old cloak and headwraps he set off with would be gone, having been sold for money well spent on food. Now though he would be wearing his dark blue hoodie and some black pants with his tail fully visible for all to see. Upon his back would be a small pack of his things, the strap attached diagonally to his torso.

He would be amazed at the change of scenery in comparison to Sunagakure. Iwagakure had most of its buildings made from rocks from what he could see, and the village itself has a seemingly formidable mountain range around it that could serve as a natural defense. It was amazing.. Never had Aiden thought that sights like this were in the world around him. It made his blood rush with excitement at what he may find here or anywhere else. What the other villages looked like, what the terrain is like, what the people are like, it all seems rather exciting to him. Perhaps though he should take it easy and settle down somewhere for a while first and see if he truly just wishes to wander about or not. For all he knows this is just some temporary high he's having that can go away and leave behind a large amount of guilt, and he didn't wish to risk something like that yet.

Walking through the streets Aiden couldn't stop being amazed at the sights he was seeing. There is as much stone here as there is sand in Sunagakure, and that's no understatement. The Shinobi uniforms also seemed to be a different design as well. In fact, the design of these uniforms were more interesting than the ones the sand Shinobi wear. He especially liked the red color of it even if red isn't his favorite color. Soon enough in the midst of his sight seeing Aiden would see the tallest building in the village. It even had the symbol for "earth" upon it as well. "That's the main building if i have ever seen one!" The boy exclaimed to himself as a smile grew upon his face like a weed would in a garden.

Immediately he would run towards the building. Trying his best to dodge and weave in between people, Aiden would make it inside, where he would begin walking around until he found a door to one of the rooms within the main building itself. Knocking on it three times, he would wait to see if there was an answer or not and then move onto the next one until he would finally find someone to talk to.

WC: 496

The people of Iwa didn't seem to be stricken by the poverty they had been known for a mere couple of years before. Somehow the general air up there felt lighter. People were well dressed and clean and not a single homeless person resided on the street. No one seemed to be starving and everyone had their place. Like a once scattered puzzle someone had put it together into an image of a bustling community. The market itself was loud with commerce and construction rang around the village. Sky scrapers were under construction that reached towards the heavens as if being on the mountain wasn't high up enough. The air up so far north and in the mountains was brisk and the air was thinner but it didn't seem to bother the people. Most of them had changed into jeans and tshirts or summer dresses. With the sun up the weather was up in the sixties and the people were enjoying the sun. Fruit had made it to the markets in bulk and was being bought up just as fast. Yet eyes were drawn to the newcomer a few at a time. Another stranger from Suna had arrived. And this one with a tail no less. The other one had drawn far more attention with his appearance but it made a lot of locals wonder if all people from Suna had some sort of demon blood to acquire such features. However as he made his way towards the admin building he would be passed by a group of students in school uniforms. A couple of pale girls from Kiri were hanging out with a tanned couple from Suna and one fairly large young man from Iwa. The school here accepted students from anywhere and they seemed to get along just fine.

Still he would not be stopped by anyone on his way to the admin building. A guard in Dark red Iwa armor stood to either side of the door. Identical from every aspect to them. A member of a clan that formed a perfect clone of themselves as a living being had been posted there. Their pale blue eyes watched the hooded kid walk in the doors with a raised brow but a glance at each other let them seem to communicate without talking. A chuckle was shared about something between them as the door closed behind the kid. Likely due to them picturing him getting his tail caught in the door. Still they didn't bother him.as they let him within. Instead he found himself in a big waiting room with doors to either side made of solid wood. Each door he knocked on would get a muffled answer from inside before they turned him away. Each of the rooms was a department handling approvals for licencing or calculating costs for construction. One room was for taxes being collect while the next was for missions being handed out. Upon discovering he was a new arrival from Suna however they would send him to the front desk. Once he made it there he would find two fairly pretty women. One of them, the older of the two was on a phone call and typing away on a computer reflecting on the glasses balanced on her nose. The younger of the two however let her gaze fall on him. She smiled sweetly before nodding her head back to indicate for him to come over. If and once he did so she would smile and lean forward showing some impressive cleavage before speaking in a soft voice. "What can I do for you cutie?"

607

Knocking upon the doors was a dull version of Hell to Aiden. Knocking and knocking and knocking and knocking, each time hearing a similar sounding muffled voice which always seemed to respond in either the same or a rather similar way. "What do you need? I need to speak to the Kag- This is the wrong room. Go away, we're busy." And then onto the next door. This eternity of failure after dull and boring failure, each time the hooded boy's voice beginning to lower and dull down a bit out of the dullness of the situation tiring him. Eyes dropped as though the lids were slowly have sand poured atop of them via a stalking Sandman. His sense of time left him as though he was just lost in an endless dimension of doors. In all reality it would probably be only around seven to ten doors he actually tried, though for him it felt like a hundred or even a thousand.

While he knocked upon these dreadful doors Aiden had thought about the things he saw regarding this village that he didn't exactly see in Sunagakure. The people themselves didn't seem to have any noticeable poverty. The air felt lighter and easier to breath in, the people themselves were decently dressed and clean, no homeless were visible, no one seemed to be openly sick or touched by misfortune. Seemingly everyone throughout the parts of the village itself actually seemed overall happy. The smell of various foods which Aiden could have only guessed was the market had carried through the streets too, indicating that the villages market was pretty prosperous. The construction occurring through this city of stone which the hooded boy also saw seemed to be prosperous as well. This village was overall seemingly successful throughout the many trials it may have had in the past.

In comparison to Sunagakure, Iwagakure was a dream. In Sunagakure, the air was definitely dirtier, with grains of sand and dust being carried about like pollen on a spring day. The occasional person coughed or sneezed, or seemed sickly or struck by poverty. It was always one of these with a few appearing to actually lead a comfortable life. The slums were rampant as well. Having lived in them during his stay in Sunagakure, Aiden saw various different negative events occurring that he would much rather not see again. Sure, living with a family of what are basically giants with the appearances of monsters helped keep the hooded boy from experiencing them first-hand, though to think that it's even allowed due to a leader that was seemingly unheard of was ridiculous. The few Shinobi that didn’t desert or act lazy in the absence of their leader were way overworked. Things were pretty bad since Aiden left them. For all he cared Sunagakure was really just a bad memory with a few really good things in it. Getting attached to such a place wasn’t something he wished to do. He had someone he cares about back in Sunagakure, though. For that someone Aiden had to leave and find somewhere else to live at. It’s better if they were apart and being in a foreign land like this would be exactly something Aiden needs for improvement on his skills so that way he can protect said person. Yes, this place would do just fine.

“Yes?” A voice would ring out, kicking Aiden out of his thoughts almost immediately. His eyesight focused upon the door he had just knocked on, only to see the open entryway into what appeared to be a room containing missions boards and other such things. Within the entryway was an average-sized Stone Shinobi with short black hair. Aiden would simply look at the six foot tall man, whom of which looked back at him with a questioning looking upon his face. The hooded boy opened his mouth to speak, to tell him whom of which he was looking for, to be denied again and be made to move onto the next door, but instead of words coming out nothing made its way through instead. Each little letter had hooked itself upon his tongue, making it impossible for him to speak. He realized how little surprised he truly during the entire time he was knocking on doors. Never had he imagined that someone would actually answer. He never factored it in his mind or anything, and yet here someone is, doing exactly that. “I.. Uh…” Aiden continued as little by little he began trying to speak. He scratched the back of his hooded head in embarrassment before the man said something that he was extremely grateful for. “Ah, you’re a newcomer. You’ll want to check with the front desk to see if they can help you find whoever it is that you’re looking for. You should have saw it on your way in.” And with that, the man closed the door behind him, leaving Aiden in the hallway, catching his breath.

After running back to the front desk Aiden would stop in his tracks a little ways away. It was there that he saw two women. One appeared older and had more prominent features. She wore a pair of glasses the reflected the light of her computer monitor, which she typed on while speaking into a phone. The other was a younger appearing one with larger breasts. She had a friendly look upon her face. When her eyes met Aiden’s her,  head would nod, indicating him to come over to her, and as he did so she would lean forwards, exposing her cleavage a bit more while she asked him what she can do for him, labeling him a “cutie”. Aiden smiled back as  he paid absolutely no attention to the tits. Pulling his hood off of his head and revealing his unkempt navy blue hair. His pointed ears stuck out from under them, twitching. “I’m looking for the Kage of this village. Do you mind telling me where he is?” He would ask in a friendly tone of voice, hoping for a decent enough answer.

WC: 1030

The woman paused and watched with slightly widened eyes as the boy pulled back his hood. The blue hair wasn't too out of place but the pointy ears was a new thing. Still she seemed to pick up a rather poutey look as she sat back when he didn't seem to care for her obvious flirting. It wasn't too odd of a thing really for her to get turned down. She just wanted to enjoy a night or two with a foreign boy. Someone she could forget about once he left for home. That aside her mom had mentioned a few times about how shinobi boys were rougher in bed. Still she leaned back in her chair and seemed disgruntled at being passed up yet again. The normal guys that always hit on her were farmers or merchants. Old men and people with no power. The Kage hadn't run into her yet but she figured he was out of her league anyway. A chunnin though was likely more her speed. Still she picked up the mouse and set it on the mouse pad. Moving it across it and moving the mouse across the screen before opening a folder labeled 'AK schedule'. Just another abbreviation for Akira Kazako. Several more folders lined the same page but his seemed to require a password. She tapped the older lady on the shoulder before the older woman leaned over and quickly typed in the password before going back to her call. With that done the young girl reviewed the page before speaking up.

"Lord Kazako had a recent canceled appointment and no scheduled classes for the day. You have about an hour an a half before his next appointment. Likely that means he is relaxing upstairs. Let me see if he will let you in." With that she picked up the landline and dialed the extension three-two-one before waiting on a response. A muffled sound of a mans voice came over as she replied as per the usual conversation. "Yes Sir, this is the front desk. Sorry to bother you but we have a young man here...yes a shinobi by the look of him....His name? I didn't...no I don't know his rank....no not his village either...well I kind of just....Sorry sir....well he resembled that one Suna nin you let in...the big one with the sort of non human features....I mean like pointy ears...alright Sir...sorry sorry...Yes I will send him right up."

She put down the phone and sighed audibly. She had forgotten to do a large part of her job before calling up. The older woman rolled her eyes and glowered in disapproval before the young lady regained her smile. She turned back to Otter before speaking up once more. "Well Sir. The Kage will see you now. Just sign in on the sheet here with your name, rank and village and give your name to his guards when you get up there. Its the top floor of this building. Take the elevator over there to get there." She scooted the notepad over to him and pointed to the center elevator before going back to typing on the computer. Too abashed by her mess up to try flirting and failing again. Still if he signed the paper she would wait until the elevator closed behind him and then would quickly instant message the information he wrote up to the top office which would relay it to the Kage. The Elevator was quiet for the ride. A short one only taking a couple of moments but no music played. Once the door would open it would be a much different setting to behold.

The waiting room had two individuals in it already. Along with them was a whole different feel to the lay out. A fire burned in a fireplace off to the left wall opposite of the Kage's office and some dark leather couches sat facing opposing each other with a stone table in the middle. A single chair stood resolute on the side of the table opposite the offices under a massive man. His very features seemed closer to a bear then a man. The fur he was wearing suggested he was a hunter. While his massive hands tapped dark claws on the slightly shredded arm. Next to him was a slumbering Kodiak bear. Its huge form on its side seemed to be enjoying the heat of the flames. A member of the Kuma clan no doubt. The other side of the office though had a redwood desk and a woman behind it wearing ANBU armor and reading glasses resting on the tip of her nose. Her blond hair was tied back into a not but what stood out was a burn covering her right eye. Idly she melted down a wax seal by hovering a red glowing liquid over it before placing a stamp on it. Her black eyes looked up as she took in the young man. A member of the Kanetsu clan....Lava users.

Both of them watched him with a mixed but level gaze. One with almost animal like silver eyes and the other with black eyes. The bear shifted ever so slightly from its position and opened on big brown eye. Sniffing the air for a moment before relaxing again with a huff. As it did so both of them seemed to relax a bit. The bear was trained to detect hints of explosives based on scent. It relaxing meant there was very little chance that a suicide bomber had just came up the elevator. The level of security in there was intense. Still the big bear man went back to shifting through a fairly thick novel as the door would slide closed behind Otter. The woman on the other hand would look at him with a raised eyebrow and a look of impatience if he didn't step too. Either way once he approached her desk (As one would have to pass her desk to proceed) she would speak with a calm authority. "You must be our newest arrival. Here to see the Kage. Be sure not to brandish any weapons or jutsu less someone gets hurt in there. His office is down the hall behind me. Knock twice and introduce yourself." Something about the way she said someone didn't indicate she worried about Akira being the one getting hurt.

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