Invite List:

The trek from the temple was easy enough; under Wolf's guidance and touch, his coordination with this body was improved greatly. As he learned the ways of the body, he was delighted to learn that it was similar to that of Lamb's body in that Kensei was a descendant of the Uzumaki clan. A most wonderful revelation for them; sweet Lamb had taken it upon herself to teach him one of her most basic seals to start off with. The male picked up on the seal rather quickly, mastering it with almost supernatural finesse.

Satisfied momentarily with this small victory, the male had rumaged through Kensei's belongings in the temple, and armed himself with a chokuto, a kunai and several shuriken before he departed the temple for the village of Kumogakure no Sato. Before he left, he informed the temple caretakers that he would be back in time, but did not say precisely when. He knew his future; in time, he would make his way back to the temple when he was most needed, and not a moment sooner. One did not rush the inevitable.

And so, his sights were set on the village of Kumogakure no Sato. This would be his beginning; the Land of Lightning. He had a plan, and knew it would take so much time to accomplish it. He could see them clearly in his mind, but it was as if he were looking through smoked glass; the people who would become extensions of his will, his Weapons. There would be several of them, specific groups tailored to specific purposes in the world, all to prepare for the End. In the End, the Song would be sung, and the world would be made anew. It would be many years before the time was right, but for now, he would begin the preparations.

As the male drifted through the streets of Kumogakure, something occurred to him; he would require money to purchase services in this world. Money was trouble some; the root of all evil, so to speak. But it was a necessity if he wanted this body to survive. After asking around the market as to a place where he could apply his skills. One kind, elderly merchant pointed him out to the Mission Board, an apparent location where he would be able to procure a job to earn himself some much needed money.

He was in possession of a small amount of money – what most would consider to be a small fortune that he'd plucked from the offerings that people left in the temple. He felt nothing in taking the ryo; he had no feelings as to whether this was good or bad, right or wrong. To him, it was simply a means to achieve an end.

Through the streets of Kumogakure he moved, the upper portion of his face hidden by the mask that he wore. He was still quite not sure what in particular he was looking for, but he was sure it would come to him soon enough...

507 wc

Black hues gazed upon the beautiful bright blue sky and puffy clouding, feeding the glistening smile that belong to a young Kiri shinobi. The heated solid cliff that held his back facing the shining sun. A pillow of laced fingers kept his head comfortable as a nice breeze settled into the area. The fluff was jolting from the side of a mountain slab that protected the village. His forehead felt naked without the Kirigakure Hitai-Ate that displayed his polished patriotism. Instead, the forehead protector was wrapped around his right bicep as a symbol that Kiri was not the village that he would place above himself. His smiled shined brighter as he remembered that afternoon; it was a pivotal moment in his life. His head tilted with curiosity. This was actually the first time Seito was in the village without Nora. Clenching the ground with his hands that pushed his torso into a seated position, he overlooked a majority of the village in search for his new brethren.

'I wonder where Nora is.' The thought crept into his mind but was swiftly blown away by the breeze that caused Seito to close his mind and be taken away with the leaves. His legs pushed off the cliff to jump of a rapid descend, landing on several more bumps and mounds jetting from the rocky hill, he safely plunged himself down onto the village floor. Kumogakure was an interesting place full of interesting people. Not that Kirigakure wasn't but Seito had explored much of Kiri and had grow tried and disinterested in seeing the same places and hearing the same stories. Kumo was the breath of fresh air that Seito needed in his life and in his training. In Kiri, Seito did not have a formal sensei who would teach him technique, how to survive in the ninja world and how to build a resolve worth fighting for.

The Hattori felt as if his performance as a combat shinobi had plateaued due to the fact that he had not learned any new technique in years. As much as he did not want to believe or admit it, but Seito had become a desk jockey from the vigorous age of 15. Pondering back with hindsight, he realized how much time he had wasted. Some of his time was not wasted though since he learned and experienced the inner workings of Kirigakure; the obtainment of a high security clearance granted him the knowledge of what was happening around him but in return, he was unable to actually change the world due to his lack of power. He had high hopes that the change of scenery and his new sensei would be able to change that. As the shinobi strolled throughout the village, there were several posting of him and Nora, stating that the Raikage had accepted new students. The leaflet contained and photo of the three and a text that described the event and brief bios about the two new students.  

Several citizens would acknowledge him, some with accepting smiles that appreciated and welcomed the treaty between Kiri and Kumo; while others frowned and looked with disgust. Seito understood why people would be upset. A Kiri shinobi that would be training under the Raikage would upset the conservationist and nationalist but with a progressing and globalizing world, the two groups would need to learn to advance with the world. His eyes would search for Nora but to no avail. Nimbly making his way through the crowded streets through Kumo. His legs pushed him through the pathways and eventually lead him to a road that bore few citizens. One with a half mask covering his eyes but allowed him to see with small slits. His tall slender appeared as if he were swift and nimble, a formidable build. The left hand of the masked man held a sheath containing a blade with a hilt that matched the black sheath.

Seito blinked at the figure from down the street, a safe distance from attack; yet, within distance for the figure to notice. Kumogakure certainly was full with interesting people. The Hattori could not help but examine the masked man. The mystery of this man intrigued Seito, he wondered what the story was behind the mask. He also pondered how he would further his investigation.

This place... this village was fascinating to behold. Every person he beheld was a multifaceted gem of wonders. For example, the butcher off to his right – a man in his early fifties? He was the third son of a farmer. He had married when he was young to his childhood crush, and they were happy together with four children. What he did not know was that the man he called his best friend was actually the father of his third child – said friend had blackmailed the butcher's wife into sleeping with him when the family business was not doing so well. But reason the business was not doing so well was because of the eldest son fixing the numbers in the store records so that he could skim money from the profits to fuel his love of lady boys, cheap liquor, and gambling. Little did the eldest son know, but his latest conquest had infected him with an incurable sexually transmitted disease that would kill him in the next five years. But not that it mattered much – with the way he drank, his liver wouldn't make it past the end of the year. Kensei could see it all, every thread that bound these people to each other, the web that connected people's day to day lives together in that strange, yet beautiful way.

As he passed through the streets of the village, the world unfolded before him, an infinite amount of possibilities that waited eagerly for their chance to exist, to manifest into this world and mold the clay of reality. He would not interfere with their intended purposes – everything had a reason to play out, a purpose to fulfill in this lifetime. And that he was housed with a body, there were threads of Fate connecting him to others. Many were very simple, indicting that people were to know him by sight. But there was one... currently. One that was changing, morphing to indicate that his relationship to that person was changing as well. As Kensei's eyes looked upon the thread, he could see the outcome clearly; he was meant to do more than just see this person – he was meant to interact with them. Depending on how the conversation went, if the right choices were made, the interaction could blossom into something different, or revert back into something generic.

As Kensei's eyes traced the line, they would come upon a man. Someone who did not seem to bear the same characteristics of the locals. There was even a Hitai-ate with the symbol of different village upon his arm. According to Kensei's memory, it was that of Kirigakure, the village that Kensei left. Interesting...

In any event, Kensei was not afraid. If he was fated to meet this individual, then so be it. He would face his destiny with poise and dignity, no matter what it was.

507 + 483 = 990 WC

Eyes peered through silts of a mask that covered the eyes of a wanderer. Seito’s eyebrow rose as he pondered why this man would carry his blade as opposed to attaching it to his body. Seito’s small blade was attached to his shoulder blade and he has seen countless shinobi place their blades on their hips or on their backs, but; he had never seen a shinobi simply carry one. It certainly brought more attention to the weapon causing Seito to be on the defensive edge. The Kiri shinobi already had trust issues and often had his guard up, he assumed this was natural for a shinobi but he was surprised to see how calm and trusting some shinobi really are. There was a strange magnetic field that was alluring Seito’s eyes to fixate on this shinobi. He bore no visible headband, proclaiming no allegiance to any particular village. His mask covered his face making reading his eyes difficult. Seito could not help but take several footsteps closer to the shinobi while watching him for movements. It was strange, Seito felt like he had something to say to this man, but he could not come up with the words.

At this point, it must have been obvious that Seito was approaching the masked man. He trotted over with care and stopped at a distance that his blade would not be able to catch him. It was interesting how Seito had a sense of distrust for this man but he was still wanted to investigate. The thrill of the mystery was all the motivation that Seito needed to confront this man. His hands grabbed his hips, entering a powerful commanding stance. “Why do you wear that mask?” The boy called out in an interrogation to the nameless shinobi.

Part of Seito wished that this man was a rogue shinobi who had just finished massacring a village because the thrill would have been wild. Seito usually always jumped to extremes; this usually made his daydreams so much more interesting than reality could ever be. The shinobi waited in this power stance for a response. He had no idea what the man was going to say, in fact; Seito had a hunch that he would be called out on his rudeness and bluntness. Sometimes his direct nature got him into trouble. Though, realistically, no one should be surprised. Seito was always one step away from trouble; constantly walking that fine line of what was acceptable and what was not. It added excitement to his life, maintaining his balance on the tightrope that life introduced him to as a child was the seasoning that gave his life impulsive pleasures and adventures.

The male spoke, a question raised into the air.

“Why do you wear that mask?”

Of all the questions to ask, he questioned why Kensei wore this mask upon his face. Interesting. A small smile spread across the visible portion of the male's face, something that would seem strange given the mask he wore. Humanity was a strange lot, yes they were. Of all the things that could have come forth from this stranger's mouth, he asks about the mask. Kensei was almost tempted to give him the absolute truth of his reason for existing. But instead, his reply was a simple truth.

“Man is least himself when he speaks in his own person. Give him a mask, and he will tell the truth.”

Quite possibly not the answer this stranger wanted to hear, but it was the answer Kensei was going to give on this day. Given this stranger's stance – hands on his hips, attempting to hold a commanding pose and look intimidating – Kensei could draw the conclusion that this man was feel some kind of way as to his presence in this place. That amused smile on his face would spread wider, a chilling thing because of the muscles used to produce it were not accustomed to pulling a smile. Nevertheless, it did not stop him from attempting it.

The male would stop at a distance of ten feet from this stranger's position, head cocked curiously to the side. The chokuto was brought in front of him, hands resting upon the pommel as if it were a walking stick. What did this man want with him? Why did he speak to Kensei as if he did not like what he saw? Was there something wrong with Kensei's state of dressing; a long-sleeved black trench coat with slit sleeves and more red designs and a white symbol on the left side. His trench coat is red on the inside with red flame-like accents at the bottom and a large emblem on the back, with a white tulip design covered by a red rose design. The bottoms he wears are long black pants and black shoes that are red on the bottom, and black gloves with more red emblems on their forehand, appearing to be a variant of the Greek letter Ω (Omega), the last letter in the Greek alphabet. Was this outlawed in a place like Kumogakure? If so, that was silly.

Was it his charming good looks? Was that why this man questioning him. Despite the thread of fate that connected Kensei and this stranger, he could see no reason as to why this persona was to impact his life in some fashion. But time would tell. Perhaps it was not now that this male was meant to make an impact on Fate!Kensei's life. Perhaps it was another time that he was to encounter the male, in the future.

If I encounter him again, perhaps it would be a better day.

With this thought completed, the male would shift the sword back into his grip in his left hand, and carry along his merry way, attempting to walk right past this stranger.

[990 + 526 = 1516]

A smile broke out from underneath the mask that dawned daunting eyes. Those eyes could sparkle in the light and the shine was noted from beyond the silts. The Hattori stood with an blank expression, seemingly not reacting to his smile at all. “Man is least himself when he speaks in his own person. Give him a mask, and he will tell the truth.” The man said as he responded to the question. Seito then chuckled. 'He must think he is so smart.' He thought as his chuckling continued. Philosophy would often be the culprit to such saying; even if the sayings were not philosophical at all. What did this man know of the truth? Seito's curiosity intrigued him, along with the invalid statement. One factor that made Seito chuckle was how, the man spoke of the speaking the truth but not speak the truth himself. His own actions proved the premise unsound.

The elitist held high standards for himself, including his intellectual ability. In fact, Seito would go one step further and think the man a coward for hiding his face from the truth. The Hattori had a deep meaning and a strong conviction to the concept of 'truth', as much as Seito loved the truth; he understood the necessity of lies and even entertained their presence. Without lies, there could only be truth but accessible truth was not always reasonable. Seito think conjure several ideas that the Kiri government would not want the rest of the world to know; everyone hides the truth. Working for the intelligence division in Kiri, he understood this, even if he did not completely agree with it.

The man drooped closer with a chilling grin and halted his march only a few feet from the confident shinobi. His black trench coat concealed more secrets and his black and red attire made his a questionable suspect. Not that this fashion was unacceptable but authority figures might see it as suspicious and ominous. The man begun to take closer steps but Seito was hoping that he would be able to stop him from advancing with his words. "It does not take a mask for the truth to shine for the truth will shine, even through a serpents tongue." He said as his eyes focused their rays through the mask. Seito might know nothing of this man but his gut instinct gave him a chilling feeling. The man gave heinous and malevolent vibes with each vibe intensifying as the two grew closer.
This was all so ironic coming from a genjutsu user...

"It does not take a mask for the truth to shine for the truth will shine, even through a serpents tongue."

The grin spread wider at those words, even as Kensei stopped at a distance of five feet away from this overconfident shinobi. Even as his eyes sought out Kensei's own beneath the mask, they would find nothing as the Uchiha mulled over the shinobi's words. A serpent's tongue, huh? Serpents were known in myths and legends as creatures of deceit. Those were a strange choice of words to Kensei. Did this man not know it was to whom he spoke to? Perhaps not, but Kensei was not in the mindset to entertain, nor to teach at that particular moment. The lessons would come soon, and they would be a harsh one for the world. Or perhaps, they would be a welcome mercy, depending on one's perspective. If this man viewed Kensei as a serpent, then so be it. There was a story about a serpent selling knowledge. The moral of the story: Always be the serpent.

“Truth is a matter of perspective, my friend; very much like good and evil. What your Truth may be could be in direct contrast to what I believe to be the Truth. I could tell you my Truth all day, and it could fall upon deaf ears if you do not accept my Truth as what I perceive it to be.”

As Kensei spoke, he could feel something; like a slight nagging at his mind. Was that the connection to the rest of the world? He was a concept taking human form; very much like sticking your finger into a cup of water. Despite the sensation of the water on the finger, the rest of body – his full being-- existed outside of the confinements of the cup – the world. There was something in the air – was that fear? Wariness that he felt from the other male? Was that why he was targeted? Did he seems suspicious in some way? His clothing? If dark clothing clothing was suspicious, then so was every teen going through an 'emo' phase.

Kensei really had no time to entertain this shinobi's suspicions on this day; his time was much better used else where, making preparation for the End. This persona could flaunt his confidence to someone else who had time to waste. With a polite nod, the incarnation would continue on, making his way past the Shinobi and speaking at the same time. He would ask this man a small lesson, solely because their threads of fate were connected for this moment. Depending on the response, he would decide if this male was worth his time.

“For what reason do you question me, Shinobi of Kirigakure? This is Kaminari no Kuni -- Lightning country – you are far from home, yet you question and seek to belittle me as if you hold authority within these borders. Either let me fly, or give me an explanation.”

1516 + 500 = 1916
1916 WC

His ears listened intently as his brain attempted to analyze all the words that were coming from the mouth of the masked man. His eyebrow wiggled with sensations of skepticism and it became apparent that the two had not yet reached a consensus. This man was satisfied with the perceived truth, yet Seito only reached a state of content once he discovered THE truth; regardless who or even if the truth could be perceived. To the young Hattori, it seemed that this man was placing too much value in honesty and calling honesty, the truth. Which, honesty can lead to the truth, but there are loopholes between the bridge that connect honesty and the truth. What one man might say could be his honest truth, but his honest truth does not mean it is 'the truth.' Seito could use the masked man as an example, simply because this incognito believed that all truth came from a matter of perspective, then his statement on the subjectivity of truths WOULD be true. Though, in nature we find that this is an unsound claim. Perhaps, this man had not been around many liars and had not experienced the world around him.

In terms of perspective, this man grants a claim stating that defending heinous acts of evil, could certainly be acts of goodness and kindness, we just do not see it. Seito would be a difficult challenge to sway his mind stating that genocide, rape and oppression could truly be 'good' things.' Despite his body language suggesting that he already heard enough and that he had shut down communications with this man, he continued to listen. He pushed forward, brushing past the Kirigakure shinobi as he spoke to him demanding for a claim of authority. His hands lifted to the height of his chest, a position that one might do if it were raining, as if his hands were to catch the pouring rain. "See, 'my friend'." He said with a hint of sarcasm. "You cannot tell me that all truth is subjective. You would be lying, which certainly is not the route to take when speaking of 'the truth'. Rain falls from the sky. No matter of perspective will tell me otherwise." He said as he begun to shake his hands that were catching imagery raindrops. "We have math and sciences, objective truths. Truths that are true in every regard." His tone was calm his despite his tempered spirit. A sly grin appeared on his face as he was explaining these 'truths', appearing as if a teacher-student relationship developed itself, even though it had most likely not.

His body unmoved and his spirit unshaken. His fundamental values stood strong at the quakes from others, as he knew he was right in this debate. "I do not seek to belittle you. I simply asked why you wear a mask. As you and I both know, we do not see very masks around here. Curiosity struck the better part of me." He said in a brief statement to relieve him of any intruding claims. "Though, I never claimed any authority over you or anyone in this village. You participated on your own accord, for, perhaps reasons unknown but the only one holding you here is you." He said in a calm manner explaining what seemed to be a huge misunderstanding. The Hattori had no reason to quarrel with this man nor did he enjoy making enemies. His diplomatic characteristics begun to show in attempts to repair what seemed to be a dead bond between the two. Though, it might have been too much 'damage' dealt with not enough time to repair the bridge of fate that connected the two.

With the masked man beyond his reach, he called out. "I am Hattori Seito." He stated with a grin. One last attempt to concrete the memory, one last chance.

 "See, 'my friend'. You cannot tell me that all truth is subjective. You would be lying, which certainly is not the route to take when speaking of 'the truth'. Rain falls from the sky. No matter of perspective will tell me otherwise. We have math and sciences, objective truths. Truths that are true in every regard. I do not seek to belittle you. I simply asked why you wear a mask. As you and I both know, we do not see very masks around here. Curiosity struck the better part of me. Though, I never claimed any authority over you or anyone in this village. You participated on your own accord, for, perhaps reasons unknown but the only one holding you here is you."

Despite appearances, Kensei was enjoying this little 'debate' if it could be called that. This man was most entertaining in his own way; something that Kensei found adorable. His mind worked like that of all humans; they thought in the manner of 'what they saw was actually reality' If it happed in X fashion, and always happened in X fashion, then X was a truth. He would offer this man a small glimpse of truth, but nothing more; he would have to learn just as everyone else did. Only a select few were privy to the knowledge of the truth beforehand.

"I am Hattori Seito." 

“You think in limited terms, Hattori Seito of Kirigakure no Sato. Who is to say that this world – the very same world that you experience and live within -- is not a sham? Who is to say that the entire life that you've lived – or not lived – is not within a prison? What things you hold to be true – mathematics and science these are the bars of your cell. These fabrications are woven together to form the 'laws' and restrictions of your prison, designed to keep to keep you in check.” The male would pause for a moment, his grin spreading across his face. “Think about it. Man was never meant to harness the elements in the manner that shinobi do; yet we can. How? We broke the rules – we found a way to alter the laws of our prison to our advantage to bring our very life force under our control and turn the world around us into a weapon. What changed? What allowed this? We ate the fruit of the Shinju, and we opened our eyes a bit. We realized that the world around us could be shaped and bent to our will. We can created water from nothing, congure up illusions from the depths of our mind and bring them to life, and create fires that can never be put out with the blink of an eye. If you still believe that the what you percieve to be 'true' is absolute, then you are sorely mistaken, my friend. Open you eyes a bit further, and realize your potential. This world is a prison for the weak -- those unable to break free are doomed to be confined within. But those with the ability to realize that the bars are not real can do so much more..."

The male would fall silent at this point – he saw no reason to further explain his viewpoint to this man, as he was sure he would not be understood. Perhaps this man would dismiss him as a madman, a raving lunatic with a weapon, but Kensei did not care. He would continue on, making his way through the world and learning the ways of his flock in his effort to understand them better. But he would not be rude to this man; he'd been very entertaining with his ideals and beliefs. The Hattori had given him his name, and so, Kensei would do the same.

“I am Uchiha Kensei.”

1916 + 643 = 2559 WC

2559/1950 = SPD E-0 to D-3

609 WC left over
2259 Total Thread WC

Hm. It would seem the man would have nothing more to say. No response would come from him, and so Kensei ceased caring about the outcome of this interaction. It would remain unknown if he'd enlightened someone new as to the state of the world, but he could not stay and find out. There was more work to do, and more minds to set free.

With a small smile and the whistle of a tune, the Incarnation would continue about his way, leaving the area and this man to his own devices.


-Exit-

92 + 609 = 701

Total Thread WC: 2351

SPD E-0 to D-3 1950/2351 = 401

REA E-0 to E-2 225/401 = 176

END E-0 to E-1 75/176 = 101

STR E-0 to E-1 75/101 = 26

26 WC remaining