he unfamiliar breeze of kumogakure no sato breathed life into the small room that dray had lodged into. The rays of the morning sun shined through the open window and unto dray’s face as he scrubbed his eyes a little and sat up in bed. It was the early hours of the morning. Dray took a good look at the room he was in because he had lodged in late at night after a long walk around the village with his guide, Ruvaak. The room was a bit small but it would served dray for quite sometime before he had the time or found the perfect spot to build a mokuton house. The room was good enough to have a bathroom in it as dray got out of the bed and walked into the bathroom. He had a nice bath like those he took in iwagakure as he got out of the bathroom and started to dress up. With a single seal, he unpacked the little belongings he had brought from iwagakure which he had stored in a scroll. He picked up a clean set of his regular attire of green and green and put them off but it was not as if anyone was going to see him wearing them. It was not as if anyone was even going to see his true face as he was always in chidorima, his white paled skinned puppet. He was done with dressing up and he had bought some fruits yesterday so that was what he ate as his breakfast since he really did not like eating much. Dray had planned on paying the raikage a visit and having a word or two with him if he was allowed. His little tour with Ruvaak had won him over. He needed a place to call home even though he was still going to need more knowledge on who he truly was. The only beginning of his life that he remembered was finding himself at the gates of the land of stone and knowing in a dream that his name was Zennyo. Staying in iwagakure for a while, he met the phantom eye warrior who started questioning him about his identity and how his wooden abilities belonged to the senju clan of a village named konohagakure no sato, one which dray had never heard of. Since then, dray had been baffled about himself, if he was living a fake life but then, he made up his mind to hold on to what was real which was his current self. He needed a home, somewhere he could return to after long travels, somewhere he would be recognized and he was beginning to think that the village hidden in the clouds was this place because he was ready to offer the raikage his full services as a shinobi.

Dray picked up chidorima from where he hung it and entered into the man puppet from behind as the puppet closed up. It did not resemble a puppet in any way as the joints were all covered with skin like clothing. Dray could see through the eyes of the puppet like they were his own, he could move it’s hands and legs like they were his so the puppet was more of a clothing than an actual puppet. On a second thought, dray decided not to wear chidorima since he planned on being honest with the leader of kumogakure. Dray picked up his ninja pouch that contained his basic projectiles as he picked up the three large scrolls that controlled his puppet and hung them on his back. Dray exited the sleeping giant inn that Ruvaak had introduced him to as he made way for the administration building. The young man had been of great help to dray as there was hardly any place in kumogakure that dray did not know. Dray would get to the admin building of kumogakure after a long walk as he would walk into the compound. A few shinobis were around but none of them questioned dray yet. He was then stopped by a guard at the main entrance to the building. He identified himself as Zennyo Ryou because that was who he was and he had no sort of identification. He now had a new name and a new face, a new purpose and a new life, he was no longer draygglez senju but he himself did not know that draygglez senju ever existed. His memory slate had been wiped clean.. He was ushered in by the guard and was directed to the secretary's table. Dray got to the table and met the young female.. "What can I do for you?" She asked dray as she offered him a seat. "My name is Zennyo Ryou and I have travelled from the land of stone to kumogakure for no particular reason at first but after seeing the village and most of what there was to it, I have come to meet with the raikage to discuss some little things and I hope that I would be granted audience." Dray said as the secretary nodded slightly and then went on to inform the raikage of the visitor he had.
WC:868

"My lord. Ryou-san has just arrived onto the premises."

Taking his tail, Sanosuke used it to touch the button on the intercom in order for him to communicate with his secretary. "Thank you Aelita, send him in." Sanosuke yawned as he was in his transformed state and going through the papers on his desk while laying on them lazily. His old secretary, Amy, was on leave for delivering a baby. Apparently her flirtatious secretary, one of which he's had a fair number of flings before coming into office as the Raikage, finally got herself pregnant with one of her office flings that Sanosuke was in no way apart of this time. So a new secretary was needed in order to fill her vacant spot. Depending how well this new girl is, the Raikage might have no choice but to fire Amy so the woman can focus on her child that she's raising. Either way that was just more paperwork for him to fill out on his end. The new secretary, Aelita, was a young chuunin working part time to get a more steady paycheck while working missions as well. So far she was doing a rather well job balancing the two lives.

Shuffling through the papers on his desk, the transformed Raikage used his paws to move papers aside until he finally found what he was looking for. It was an open manilla folder with a picture of a young man with green hair and strange markings on his face that reminded him of the markings he would see on Skye. What was interesting about this picture was that it was information about the man in the picture. He went by the name Draygglez Senju. He was a shinobi that went missing in Konoha a long time ago, and haven't been seen since. There were sightings of him in Kiri, but they were just rumors. Either way, any information about the shinobi's sightings and his records on the bingo books, were before the Raikage. It wasn't enough information but he was able to gather that he was a Senju, and puppet user with very distinct markings. Sanosuke himself had been looking into finding the run away and bringing him in for interrogation. Koga, the Kyodara clan representative, suggested that should they capture the boy they should take all information from Konoha of the boy's memory and send him back as a sleeper agent of Kumo. That way they would have a mole on the inside. Sanosuke pushed the thought aside, it would just lead to distrust between Kumo and Konoha. But then again wasn't there already that sort of distrust?

If he remembered correctly, Draygglez and the current Hokage, Souetsu Senju, were part of the same clan. Just thinking about the Senju clan head made his blood boil. It left Sanosuke wanting to bare his fangs down on the Hokage for allowing such insubordination. It wouldn't have been a problem if Enaka, the former advisor of the Hokage, ran amok in Konoha as it was no longer his problem. But the second the Hokage allowed Enaka to put his family in danger, that's when Sanosuke's blood was boiling. Taking a deep breath, the young kage counted to 24 until he was calmed down. He had to look composed for the visitor from the land of stone. Should this visitor prove himself a fool like the former Konoha ambassador, Sanosuke would have to fight everything in his power to not send the Iwa traveler back to his village with both of his arms cut clean off and a note etched in the man's back the kanji for war. Once he buried Iwa in its own rubble, Sanosuke would take the spoils of war and use it to show Konoha that the village hidden in the clouds weren't a force to be played with.

There will be a time where Konoha will answer for putting his immediate family in danger and by extension his village in jeopardy. For now he will hear the man out, but look at him questioningly. Sanosuke swayed his tail back and forth as he sat up from a knock on the door. This must be him. He wouldn't give this Ryou the hospitality, nor respect that is passively gain from an outsider visiting his village for Sanosuke to not be in his signature henge technique. Sanosuke would stay in this form until he saw fit. "Come in." Sanosuke said with authority for the boy to come through his door. Of course the Iwa shinobi will be curious to what a black cat is doing in the seat of the Raikage, but there would be no laughing in the eyes of Sanosuke as his red transformed eyes were piercing into the visitor before him like a predator sizing up his prey.

“Thank You Aelita, send him in.” Dray would hear the voice over the intercom on the secretary’s table. The secretary would then direct dray as he would climb up the stairs and head for the raikage’s office. Like any normal person, thoughts would have flooded dray’s head about his meeting with the raikage. The first worry was if he was going to agree to meet dray and the second worry was if he was going to accept his proposal but as dray ascended the stairs, none of these thoughts came to his mind. It was as clear and calm like still water. He was not afraid and neither was he eager. He was just him going to meet with the raikage and discussing what he had in mind with him. Losing memories did not only mean losing what one once knew but it also meant losing a part of themselves and in this case, dray had lost the thought of fear as he did not see anything to be scared of even though the raikage was one of the powerful leaders of the five great nations as he had read in the libraries of iwagakure. The trip up the stairs finally came to an end as dray saw the raikage’s office up ahead. There were no guards at the door so dray went straight forward without being interrupted.

Two bold knocks that did not depict dray as rude were landed on the door of the office as a voice came from inside telling dray to come in. Inhaling in and out for no exact reason, dray would turn the door knob, open the door and walk into the room in his green robes that covered most of his face and left just his eyes. First glance, take everything in without looking suspiciously. The room was near spacious as it looked all circular just as it appeared on the outside, the tallest room in the building dray guessed. There were cabinets around and right in front of dray was an office table which definitely was the raikages’. On the seat of the raikage was a large black cat and it was definitely one that liked indoors as dray could see it well balanced on the seat. Was it the raikage’s pet or something or was this to test dray’s intelligence. The two ideas he had in mind was that maybe the cat was the raikage’s pet or maybe the raikage had used the henge technique, one which dray knew about because dray was sure that he heard a voice say “come in” from the inside and this cat was the only one here.
Being far from normal, dray did not look surprised rather he was all but calm where he stood. He walked a few steps forward and stood in front of the black cat. The cat’s red eyes seeming to pierce through dray’s very soul and puncture a hole in it but the cat or whoever it was would soon find out that there was no soul to pierce. The eyes and the size of the animal looked terrifying but a chill just failed to run down dray’s spine neither did goose bumps surface on his skin. He had lost those long long ago though he was still human.

Enough of the stare and if someone was going to say something, it was going to be him since he was the visitor and if this cat was the one that told dray to come in, then there would be no trouble conversing with him as dray always loved people who did things with style, style was art and art was life. “I am zennyo Ryou. A shinobi from the land of stone and not of the land of stone. My story is quite a short one which I would of course tell the raikage if it be of use but I have a reason for requesting to see the raikage and I’ll present it once I am aware of his presence.” Dray would say without flinching. To him it wasn’t courage, it was just who he had become regardless of the fact that others might take it as being rude or being bold.

WC:715

As the Iwagakure visitor entered his office, Sanosuke heard the door close behind him. Now the two of them were alone in his office. Should this shinobi prove to be a hinderance, then the boy might as well be left in a kennel coated with rams blood before a dire wolf. When he spoke, Sanosuke listened to the words of the shinobi. They were quite odd, he was a shinobi of the village hidden in the stones yet he wasn't. But there was something else about him that puzzled the Raikage. He didn't show it on his face, as it would reveal weakeness towards a stranger from a different land. The boy looked familiar. The face that Sanosuke was thinking of gave Sanosuke a sense of familiarity that he's seen this shinobi before. He couldn't recall, Zennyo's face was different, but Sanosuke couldn't shake this sense of familiarity. Strange, very strange indeed. His eyes peered through Zennyo as the Raikage's red transformed eyes didn't leave the shinobi's eyes for a single instant. The boy wanted to speak to the Raikage, and believed that what was before him was just a pet of his. Sadly that is not the case.

His tail swayed side to side slowly as it was his turn to speak. The red orbs threatening to burn 2 holes in Zennyo never blinked the entire time while speaking. "You come to a land that you are not familiar with, and demand to speak to their leader with your personal matters. What makes you believe what you have to say is of importance. You will speak this story of yours, from start to finish." The boy was trying very hard to not let the pressure of the feline get to him. That much was obvious even to an outsider who didn't know the Iwagakure shinobi at all. However his words hung true. He would hear the boy out and listen to the story he well tell. From how he spoke to the boy, Zennyo would learn that saying no to the suggestion-- no more so the order- he gave him was not an option. What did Iwagakure want with Kumo? The two villages were neutral with one another. From what this Zennyo person said, it sounded more like a personal audience, and not a diplomatic one. He will hear his story out. It might calm this scratching sensation in his conscience about the boy.

The black cat listened to dray with utmost attention as he spoke the words that were manufactured in his heart and delivered through his mouth. As dray finished speaking, he noticed the chief scent coming from the black cat but he remained calm. The bloodshot eyes did not seem to dither and they were definitely the eyes of a predator already salivating at the sight of a prey but dray was no prey even though he was in an unknown land. He had a reason for coming and he would spill it sooner or later. “You come to a land that you are not familiar with, and demand to speak to their leader with your personal matters. What makes you believe what you have to say is of importance. You will speak this story of yours, from start to finish.” The black cat would say to dray. Now, that was it. The air of superiority had enveloped the room and it had dawned on dray that this big  black cat was really the raikage and he was definitely using the transformation technique. His words were more of  order and not suggestions and dray was very ready  to speak what he had to say. He continued as if he was programmed  to do so but this was not program, it was merely who he had  become. He was ever composed and his calm look did not seem  to change.
The conversation was getting intense yet  not a bead of sweat appeared on his face. He would of  course speak what he had to  say, from start to finish and nothing  would stop him except the raikage that was in his cat form. He had  travelled alone all the way from the land of stone to the land of the clouds. He  had fought bandits that wanted to take what he  did not have and he had also survived  through the day  and  the  night on the   little food he had brought with him and here he was in front of  him who was camouflaged.

“Even those who claim to be familiar with their lands do not  speak total truth  because day by day, night by night, nature reforms itself yet he who thinks  that he is aware fails to notice this  small alterations because the only  constant thing in life is change. I do not believe that what I have to say is of importance to you but I do know that it is enough to clear your curiosity about me.” Dray would say with respect after figuring that  this is  most possibly  the raikage. “I have lived a  life of  freedom ever since I have known myself and it would be interesting to continue on this path but how long can a bean sead grow without water, I wonder. Few months ago, I found myself at the gates of the land  of stone with nothing, not even an indentification but still the name  Zennyo kept ringing  in my head and I adopted it. The little time that I spent in iwagakure, I managed to piece together where I was and what I was. It did not seem to be me but it all seemed to convincing. I figured out that i possess the skills of one called a shinobi having studied a lot in the library of the land  of stone but memories of  my past seemed  lost forever. I do not come here to  know about my past as I don’t want anything to do  with it yet but I have chosen a new path. One where I would live  for a cause and not for an applause. One where I would express my  arts for the  glory of  my nation and  not  impress  or  oppress people with  it. One where I would offer my best not for others to feel my presence but for  them to feel my absence when I am gone.”
Dray would go down with his left knee and raise the other while placing his right arm on it and looking  downwards and away from the red predatory eyes. “A shinobi fights for his nation and the lives of those within it, I have learned. I have chosen a path where I will receive your command with respect  and go  forth as you say. I have decided to call here home for a place where one is remembered and expected to come back, such place is worthy of being  called a home. I have decided to join your shinobi ranks and fight  side by side with those I will call my comrades. I offer myself to you as I have no ties with  any village, that you can be sure of. Do as you will if you find out that I am lieing or brand me with the name of  kumogakure and let me rise as a true shinobi if you deem it  fit. Test me if you wish, Raikage- Sama.”

The hour had come and dray was facing the door of the new path he had chosen. Would it  open, he wondered? All he had spoken was nothing but the truth, he had  no ties with any village, none that  he knew of. As far as he knew, his life began in the  land of  stone and he hadn’t even met anybody that  knew him or that seemed to recognize  him at all. It was like he was born anew but all that seemed  to matter less. He was now very  sure that this was the raikage. Ruvaak had said that he was kind but dray was not expecting the raikage to show simple kindness to a stranger like him. if he had  wanted to show simple kindness, then he would have told dray to seat and speak but dray was not expecting that  either. He was not ready  to serve a weakling. He liked  the sense of  authority the raikage commanded and the red  eyes that burnt through his flesh but he was lucky he did  not have a soul otherwise it would have melted. The hour  of decision had come and whatever the  outcome was, dray would take it and leave. After this  talk, He was either  going to walk out of  the raikage’s door as a shinobi of  the cloud or he was going  to be told to leave the village immediately or better still face something  worse. It was all a matter of time and time would tell.
WC:1081

A plea to join his village? Now that was something he didn't seem coming in the slightest. Sanosuke was starring at the boy for the longest time trying to actually piece together what this Zennyo person was getting at. Was this some sort of trap set by Iwagakure to take in one of their own shinobi to act like a sleeper and betray Kumo in her sleep? It couldn't be, the Raikage would have sensed foul play coming from the shinobi in front of him. He may believe that he has excelled in hiding his emotions, but to the young kage it was like reading an open book with all the pages out to be read from by the public. But here he was giving himself up for the Sanosuke to examine through and through. What he didn't understand was this man's past. He didn't remember anything? But Sanosuke wouldn't pursue the question by asking to not so redundant in the discussion. Memory loss was memory loss no matter how you seem to cut it. If he didn't remember his previous life, then there was no need ask just to be sure.

When he finished, Sanosuke looked at the man more carefully as though he was just a specimen before a microscope. But why would he choose Kumo out of all the villages. Certainly there had to be something more to this. Now it was his turn to speak about this matter. Sanosuke internally found this amusing from the way he was speaking because this Zennyo person finally figured out he was actually the Raikage despite his current appearance. "It is unfortunate about your memories you are unable to pertain. However this proposition of yours is...strange. I will give you sanction in my village for the time being. However your cost for my hospitality is service to me as you just pledged." With that being said, Sanosuke used his tail to masterfully pick up a piece of paper in a manilla folder that was marked missing ninjas and put it down before the green haired shinobi. What Zennyo would see would be the missing ninja report of a shinobi by the name of Draygglez Senju. Last spotted in Kirigakure by Konohagakure forces.

While you agree to work here, I'd like you to investigate this Draygglez Senju person. They say he's still missing but I believe we can use him to find more information about Konoha's famous clan; the Senju. Sanosuke noted from his other notes about the shinobi. It wasn't much, just his basic ninja information: puppeteer, skilled with wood release as a dominate element, and the fact that he went missing from Konoha, appeared in Kiri, and now he's missing once more. The trail has gone cold, but at best they should continue this investigation in Kiri. "He was last seen in Kiri. When I instruct you to, I will give you an escort to go with you and assist in your investigation. But for now, you may rest here." Sanosuke finished while letting his gaze die down gradually. Some of the best investigators had travelers' roots to them as well. He had no doubt that the man would be able to do his job well. Sanosuke was looking at him not as a former Iwagakure shinobi given a new home for freedom, but a traveler with no memories of his previous life. It just meant a fresh shinobi for him to use, and they needed it for what is to come...

The green haired mystery was down on one of his knees as a sign of respect while anticipating what the raikage would say. He had weighed all the expected options and the two ones that did stand out were acceptance or rejection. The black cat stared at Dray for far too long as if trying to understand what Dray had just spat out. He had just say all what his life was in a nut shell and it looked too simple to be believed but that was just the whole truth that he knew. A deep tone ushered in the response of the raikage as Dray heard his thick voice boom yet calmly. “It is unfortunate about your memories that you are unable to pertain. However, this proposition of your is strange.” For one moment, Dray heart had skipped a bit as he wondered if all that the raikage would offer was just going to be sympathies but he tried not to move faster than himself and waited for the raikage to complete his response. “I will give you sanction in my village for the time being however the cost for my hospitality is service to me as you just pledged.” the raikage would conclude. Now, this was it. Dray had been accepted into the village hidden in the clouds and all he had to do was prove that he was worthy. “Thank You” would be the two words that would fall out of his mouth like reflex actions. He felt a new future in himself, the sense of a new being, starting on a clean slate, one that he knew the origin of. It was something to be glad of indeed.

The raikage in his panther- like form would skillfully pick up a piece of paper from a folder and put it on the table towards Dray. Seeing that his attention was needed, Dray would get up from his position and move towards the table like a shinobi answering to his kage. “While you agree to work here, I’d like you to investigate this Draygglez Senju person. They say he’s still missing and I believe we can use him to find more information about konoha’s famous clan, the senju.” Dray was looking at the picture closely, the man in question had green hairs, he wore earrings and was a bit muscular. He did not at all seem like anyone Dray had met but when the raikage mentioned Konoha and the senju clan, Dray became puzzled but for a short while. He knew not much of what worried him but during his stay in the land of stone, a certain shinobi had told him of the konoha village and their famed senju clan seeing as how himself could produce wood from his body. Ever since, Dray had decided not to poke in unknown matters and he had decided to stick to what was real and that was the current him so if he was from the senju clan or not because he possessed some wood skills, then he did not care because for all he could imagine, he might have been experimented on with these senju cells and could not remember.

“He was last seen in kiri. When I instruct you to, I will give you an escort to go with you and assist in your investigation but for now, you may rest here.” The raikage concluded as the red beams of laser that were his eyes finally went down. He seemed to have cooled off but the air of superiority did not leave the room. The whole picture had now changed from a rabbit entering into a lion’s den to a new lion cub joining the pack. Dray was more than satisfied that after being accepted as a shinobi of a cloud, he had an assignment to look forward to and more beautifully it was one that would involve him leaving the village for some investigation. It was a brilliant way for someone like him to know more about everything in general. He had a feel that the raikage would greatly appreciate his services. “Whenever you call on me I will always be ready, Lord Raikage. I have rested enough so when do I resume my duties as a shinobi of the cloud, Lord Raikage?” Dray would ask the raikage not out of curiosity but being bored of sitting around and doing nothing. Even a mission to prove he was worthy would be perfect.
WC:749

"Now go and rest for the meantime. Give Aelita your information and she will send you your papers." Sanosuke answered his question while using his tail to place the paper back down on the table. Even though he wasn't even looking at where his tail was going, he still was able to masterfully manipulate it to hold on to the file of Draygglez Senju and put it back down on the table once Zennyo gave it back to him. It felt odd having a shinobi that was once affiliated with Iwagakure join his own village. As long as nothing leaked out to the Tsuchikage, then everything was right in the world. The first few days when Zennyo returns, Sanosuke will send genjutsu specialists disguised as medical ninjas to the new kumo shinobi's abode. The shinobi will have orders to do daily checkups on Zennyo to assess his mental state. Zennyo shouldn't be surprised of the procedure as he released that information to the young kage that he was suffering from amnesia and possibly split personality syndrome. While they will assess the man, they will discretely take peaks into the man's mind for memories that might reveal him being given orders by the Tsuchikage to enter Kumogakure as a spy. A basic background check. Shouldn't last longer than 5 days, afterwards he will be allowed to go on missions.

Sanosuke would let his gaze die down and give Zennyo a smile to let him know that he was glad that the shinobi had alligned himself with Kumogakure. A knock on the door will interrupt the meeting as Sanosuke would turn his attention to the knocking. "Yes that must be Aelita. We'll have to continue this discussion later, I have an important meeting to plan with my secretary." Sanosuke informed his new shinobi. That should give Zennyo the general idea for him to take his leave. Once he did so, Sanosuke would allow his pink haired secretary to enter the room so the two of them were alone. The Raikage was looking outwards at his window, looking from it from his office chair. The weather was actually pretty crummy today, storms would be coming soon. Rain most likely would follow later tonight. "Aelita, I would like ANBU agents Boomhauer and Carolina to monitor Zennyo in secret at all times. They will take 12 hour shifts between the two of them until told otherwise." There was something funny about this Zennyo person that he couldn't shake for some reason. His words sounded sincere without any lies entangled in them, but for some reason something didn't add up and he couldn't tell what exactly.

"Yes, Raikage-sama."

---

2,277 WC/1750(Speed S--->S-1)
(Thread Exit)

“Now go and rest for the meantime. Give Aelita your information and she will send you your papers” the raikage would say with a relaxed tone. Dray saw the welcoming approach in the raikage’s little smile and he skillfully placed the paper down with his tail as Dray returned it. Now,  Dray was sure that this was home, after so many months of  being a one man army, Dray finally had something and this was home. Before he met with the railkage, he had been wondering if this could be his home and now, the deal was sealed. He would try his best not to stray from his course, not to work for applaud or to be given a standing ovation or an enthusiastic response. He was a shinobi of the cloud, Zennyo Ryuo the master of puppets.

A knock on the door was heard but it was not much of an interruption as the conversation between Dray and the raikage was already done. It was the raikage’s secretary, Aelita one that Dray would become familiar with sooner or  later with his many visits to the administration building. The raikage would say about the important meeting he was to have with his secretary as that would tell Dray that it was time to leave. The young shinobi would bow once again as he would walk towards the exit. The young secretary with pink hair would walk into the room as Dray would make his exit. The shinobi would walk down the stairs and out of the administration building as a shinobi of the hidden cloud village, as someone with a place to call home. It was a new beginning and he was going to walk the right path from now on.

WC:219
Total wc:3632
EXIT

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