The sun was just beginning to peer itself over the sand covered horizon as Raphael already stood at the gates of the Kumogakure Boarder Camp in his normal travelling attire the hood of his white cloak covering his head. His gear stowed safely away in small item pouches all of which hidden underneath his long cloak his Fuma Shuriken strapped to his back hidden beneath the cloak however easily accessible should the need for him to use it arise, as he awaited the arrival of his travelling companion holding four donuts for the pair to eat along their journey due to how early it is and the fact that they were going to miss breakfast and had a long journey ahead of them. They had been in the land of wind for a few days now and the boy had finally convinced the higher up to allow himself and Ryo to travel to the Kozai Estate to bring the Kozai clan into the fold and swear their allegiance to Kumogakure no Sato and the Raikage. With the work the Shinobi of the Cloud in expanding their claim in the land of wind it would not be a long journey, merely a half days journey and that was if the boys chose to walk there. Raphael had gotten the confirmation from the higher ups the day before and quickly rushed to tell Ryo, his excitement obvious in his expressions as well as his tone of voice something that the boy did not let happen very often. As such letting Ryo know how truly excited he was that they would be able to visit his home and his family, the two years that he had been gone from them had been hard on him. Only made worst by the fact that he did not return to them a year ago when the village hidden in the sand had been destroyed, for all his family knew the boy was dead however the boy was just too ashamed to return home which is why he had fled to Kumogakure. The only thing that was good about that was the fact that it reunited Raphael with Ryo, he had feared the worst for his former teammate however when he ran into the boy again he knew that their fates we're some how intertwined. The year since their reunion the boys had become closer than they were having shared many experiences together from their spar in the exhibition match during the chuunin exams Raphael knew without a doubt in his mind that Ryo was is one true friend, the one person he could count on no matter what. That's why when he needed a travel partner to traverse the dangerous desert of the land of wind on his way to the Kozai estate he would accept no other than Ryo. The two of them had grown up in the desert they knew how to move and reach their destination, and there was no one Raphael would trust more to watch his back than Ryo. Besides Raphael had been talking the boy's ear off for the past year talking about how beautiful and prosperous the Kozai estate was and how much that he wish for them to go there together, and now finally they had their chance. Raphael was beside himself with the anticipation of the two's up coming journey, he was so excited to get going so that he could show Ryo where it was that he grew up as a child. He could not wait to see the beautiful gardens and all the smiling faces of his clan, but above all he could not wait to see his younger sister and his mother. A wide grin formed on the hooded boys face as he saw Ryo Approaching the gates, finally their journey to the Kozai Estate begins and along the way the boys could catch up as this will be the first time they have worked alone together since their arrival here in the land of wind all those days ago. "Morning Ryo, are you ready to get on our way?"

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690

Ryo woke up early for this day, this was the day, this was the highly anticipated day that he was supposed to journey with Raphael to his clan’s estate. They had talked about this for a year. Well, really Raphael had talked at Ryo for a whole year about the Kozai estate and so Ryo knew that they would be going sooner or later. He supposed that it was only now that Raphael was a special Jounin that they had gotten the permission that they needed in order to head into the land of wind and the Kozai estate.

His aunt well knew that he was leaving today, and she took the time to pack a large boxed lunch that he could take with him on his journey sharing with Raphael as he did so. His mother only asked that he be careful on his journey and that he come back safely. His younger siblings each gave him a Senbon needle hoping that it would be enough to save him. His older sister wasn’t there however, and so he took it as a guess that she didn’t care not that he cared either. He had gotten all his gear together the night before and so he was ready to travel this day. As he walked to the gates he carried the lunch box in one hand while his other hand made sure that all his scrolls were there.

His hand fell to his scrolls with Kuro and Shiro with a bit of a tighter grip than normal. His first-born sons had gone through quite the large remodel lately, as well as upgrade. He still hadn’t finished his daughters, but that was perfectly fine. He would get to them. Building a complex puppet like Midori and Ki’iro took lots of time. He would handle them when he got back. Kuro was ready, and he couldn’t wait to go back to the land of wind. However, he didn’t want to go anywhere near Sunagakure. The mission that he last had gone on was one that he was still coming to terms with. The Raikage had sent him and the other shinobi of the village hidden in the clouds to destroy landmarks, and other such remaining marks that Sunagakure existed. He had done this to the best of his ability and had made sure that nothing was left of his own clan compound in the village hidden in the sand. This was the duty that he had to his clan, but he resented being put on such a mission like that. He hated every second that he was doing it, but he could finally do right by his clan in concealing their secrets and destroying the rest of their unused or incomplete puppets. Not to mention whatever else they had in the workshop. Knowing his clan that was a very good move on his part.

Presently, he arrived at the gate towards the land of wind where Raphael was waiting for him. As he arrived he smiled and waved to his former teammate “Good morning Raphael. I am indeed ready to get on the way. My Aunt, the head of the Kumogakure Knetegawa clan branch has made us a meal for while we are traveling. Granted it won’t likely take us that long to get there, but still.” He said as he walked along out of the gate and into the land of wind for the first time in years.

WC:586

"Well great mind's think a like, I guess" Raphael chuckled as he held up the donuts, "I brought breakfast," He added handing one of the donuts to Ryo. With that the young boy pulled the hood of his cloak over his head and moved through the gate of the border-camp, "The estate is two hundred kilometres south-west from here so depending on how fast we walk will determine when we get there." Raphael stated as he pointed to the south-west, and began walking in the direction at whatever pace Ryo chose to walk at. "I am so glad that I finally get to show you my home Ryo, I think you will love it there." The boy said with a smile, "I will finally be able to show you everything I have been talking about for the past year, including the shrine of Raava so you can see what she actually looks like and where me and the training grounds where I first learned how to fight and wield my chakra. And I can't wait for you too meet my mother and sister, they will absolutely love you. My mother has always been fascinated by the Knetegawa Clan and their children," Raphael said making sure to call them children instead of mere puppets as he knew that Ryo loved them as actual children. His voice gitty with excitement something that was highly out of character for the boy, as he was usually more calm and collective with his words. The boy could only assume that it was due to the fact of finally be able to show his friend his home as well as the fact of returning home after having been gone for so long.

A strong gust of wind came in from the east kicking up some sand as well as the boy's cloak causing it to flap in the wind, Raphael grabbed hold of the hood to keep it from blowing off his head. He had almost forgotten what the weather was like in Kaze no Kuni, however the kick up of sand in the wind brought all the memories flooding back. All the years he had traversed these sands travelling back and forth between the Kozai estate and the village of Sunagakure no Sato, whether it had been for training or lending his services as a shinobi to the hidden sand village and even the occasional clan affair in which he would have to return home or play the role of emissary of the Kozai Clan and their relationship with the Hidden Sand. The young special jounin had no doubt in his mind that his mother would be upset with him for waiting well over a year to return home and show that he did not die when the village of Sunagakure no Sato had fallen, he only hoped that she would forgive him as well as he hoped that his grandfather would forgive him for his failure in his duty as well as waiting so long to return. More than anything the boy hoped that his sister could forgive him, he had not seen her the longest out of all of them, a full two years now. She had begun her process of her own awakening just days before his career as a shinobi had begun, he had promised to be there when she returned to celebrate with her, however during the first year whenever he had returned she was still training. Then everything happened with Sunagakure falling and him fleeing the country out of shame it was highly likely that she had completed her training in the past year and come to see her brother as a liar for not being there as he had promised.

Raphael's thoughts were interrupted by another gust of wind kicking up more sand and causing his cloak to flap in it again, "man the wind is really picking up, hopefully we are going to be able to make it there in one piece." The boy stated with a forced chuckle as he tried to hide the fact that he was actually starting to become concerned.

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OoC Reference:

Ryo took the food that was offered to him and he gave a shrug “Well, I’m not sure if the whole great minds thing actually works. Still, I do not say the adage does not apply.” He said rather calmly as he started to take bites out of his meal very quickly soon leaving him with nothing. He glanced over at Raphael and nodded his head slowly with a smile on his face “Yes, I will indeed enjoy seeing your home. I will be happy to see the home that brought you up.” Hearing that his mother was fascinated by his clan made Ryo blush hotly and shake his head “I don’t exactly know what it is you are fascinated with. We raise our children fairly normally. So, what if we are given a puppet and learn the puppet string jutsu before we ever completely learn to walk. Also, I really don’t know what she will be able to find out about me. Knetegawa have many clan secrets that we can’t share, and even torture is unlikely to work on most of us. I’ll bite my tongue off and bleed to death before I give up anything.” He gave a soft sigh shaking his head as he looked out over the land of wind “I haven’t a home to show you anymore Raphael. My home was destroyed during the attack, and what was left…” he looked down anger burning in his eyes, but also tears.

The gust of wind not only made Raphael’s cloak flap, but it also did just that for Ryo’s coat. The brown coat of the Knetegawa of the land of wind. He enjoyed the way that it did this, despite the fact that his hands were now in his pockets. Not to mention that the food he had been given, at least the other doughnuts anyway that he had been given were in one of his pockets. He kept his head down but adjusted his headband to blow more of his eyes now. It was low on his forehead and mostly rested on the bridge of his nose more than his forehead. Yet, it shielded him from the worst of the gusting sand. He couldn’t bare to stand it, he couldn’t understand the thinking of the Raikage, and he wouldn’t understand it. He hated the Raikage for the mission that he had been forced to undertake, he had to destroy not only the symbols and what remained of the village that his clan was first apart of, but he also hated that he had to destroy his clan’s home. He couldn’t understand why, why had someone that he thought was supposed to be an ally of his village wanted to destroy it. Perhaps he was wrong, perhaps Sunagakure, and Kumogakure had never been allies. He then thought of the Knetegawa in Kirigakure, and wondered what they would do, or say to help the other branches of the clan. Were they really a family, or were they just bound together by blood, and nothing more. He couldn’t stomach it, he would become the head of the main branch of the clan. When he became the head of the main branch, he would make sure that the branches of the clan were bound together by their blood, and their techniques. He would not allow them to break apart even if the villages and the kage they served attacked each other no Knetegawa would spill the blood of another Knetegawa. He would not allow for his clan to be destroyed or forgotten in the petty wars between the hidden villages and the various nations.

When the wind kicked up again and the gust blew his coat to make it flap he shook his head softly. He missed the way the wind did this to his clan’s coat, and he loved the sand that flew up. However, he had to admit that it was very annoying when he cleaned his puppets to pull out nearly two full cups of sand. It wasn’t like there was much he could do about it, but instead the new challenges he faced were the joints of all of his puppets rusting in the colder climate, as well as the joints freezing in the high altitude. He hated it, but there wasn’t much that he could do about it as this was where he lived. Presently, he cleared his throat and looked to Raphael nodding in agreement “Yes, you would think so. However, I have never forgotten. Let us be a bit faster. This wind brings tidings of a storm, and we will not want to be caught in it.” He said and he started to carefully jog forward.

WC:1387

Raphael would simply nod in response to his traveling companions remark of moving faster, Ryo was right a storm was drawing close and the sooner they reached the Estate the better off they would be. The sky was darkening and Raphael could see several tornadoes of sand in the distance kicking sand up all around them, the pair was going to have to move cautiously if they were going to avoid these sand storms. "Stay close to me, we will have to travel through the storm to reach the estate and it will easy for you to get lost if we get separated since you have not been there before." Raphael stated as he looked over to Ryo, no matter if his travel companion responded or not Raphael would begin leading the way through the storm doing his best to keep distance between them and the tornadoes of sand. Raphael activated his wind sense which would give him an advantage in seeing the incoming storms and better avoid the tornadoes and any other threats that they might encounter out here in the wasteland of the desert.

Despite the fact that it had been over a year since the boy had traveled to his home Raphael still remembered how to get there, it was almost as if he had a sixth sense about it. His mother had always told him that no matter where he was in the world he would always be able to find his way home, as if a map to the clan estate was embedded in his very mind or he had some kind of built in homing device in his brain. The whole time the boy had been in Sunagakure no Sato before the fall of the hidden sand village the boy always knew exactly how to reach the estate. Even when the boy had traveled to Kumogakure no Sato, it was as if his internal compass was constantly pointing towards the estate. Raphael could only assume that it was the same for all the Kozai, and that after the fall of the village hidden in the sand that they all found their way back home or in the best case scenario was not even in the village during the attack that turned the great village to glass and rubble.

With the increase of sand flying through the air Raphael kept speaking to minimum only speaking when the pair needed to adjust their course to avoid the blunt of a sand cloud or to avoid a tornado, making it so that most of the journey was the pair traveling silently. This did not bother Raphael he had spoke enough about where they were headed and with them not speaking and instead focusing on where they were going allowing them to move faster then they would if they had been talking. Raphael could feel that they were getting closer to the clan estate, yet something felt off as if there was something wrong but he could not sense anything on the wind making it all the more ominous however it was not until the estate wall came into view that the young special jounin realized just how wrong the situation was.

Even from the distance that the pair was at the boy could see that the gate into the estate that had stood open for the past seventy five year was closed, Raphael knew that as clan leader his mother was the only one that could call for the gate to be closed and she would not do so unless the estate was under attack making the young shinobi fear that the worst might had fallen upon the estate yet there was no sign of a battle that the boy could see from the outside. "Something is not right," Raphael said aloud so that Ryo could hear him as he slowed to a walk, no sooner had the words left his lips did the sands around the pair begin to shift in a matter of seconds the boys were surrounded by more than twenty men. Some of the men that surrounded the pair held weapons and some did not yet all were posed to attack at a seconds notice, the only other thing that they all had in common was the fact that they all wore the same white cloak as the boy bearing the mark of the Kozai clan.

"You are trespassing on protected land, turn back now or meet your end." came a voice from among those that surrounded the boys. This did not sit well with the young Kozai, the estate had been an open area for travel his entire life, all those weary from travel or lost amongst the storms were welcome and now these men, his clansmen were threatening to end the life of unknown travelers. Raphael could feel the anger inside of himself growing, balling his hand into fists as his clansmen pointed weapons at him and Ryo. Taking in a deep breath the young shinobi released his fist pulling his hood back to reveal his face to his clansmen as he spoke, "I am Raphael Kozai, son of Rei Kozai and heir to the clan and this boy is my traveling companion and my friend. I suggest you show me the respect I deserve and lower your weapons. Or else my mother will have your heads." Raphael stated his words holding a tone of authority as well as a small amount of anger within them. Raphael could hear murmuring fill the air of the men that surrounded himself and Ryo as well as see the hesitation in some of the eyes of the men until the voice that had first ordered the boy's to turn around spoke again. "How dare you, Raphael Kozai died a year ago during the fall of Sunagakure no Sato, just who do you think you are?"

"Look into my eyes and say that to me again, I am who I say I am." Raphael shouted his anger obvious in his tone, "now lower your goddamn weapons and take me to my mother." The men looked at one another before beginning to lower their weapons, this time a different voice spoke, "Raphael I am sorry, but a lot has changed in this past year. We are merely following orders." "Whose orders?" Raphael asked curiously knowing full well that his mother would not have given such orders. "Follow us and everything will be explained." Came the voice again as a man stepped forward bowing slightly before adding, "we are happy to see that you have survived and have returned to us Raphael." The young shinobi looked to Ryo giving his companion a nod as if to say everything would be ok now and motioning for the boy to stay close to him, before he moved to follow the group of Kozai the rest of the way to the estate wall.

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2538

Ryo moved along with Raphael keeping close to him. Hearing the suggestion to stay close made him roll his eyes “You do remember that I lived here as, well right?” he asked in a bit of sarcasm that was still teasing, but it did show what he thought about the advice. Still, if Raphael was aware enough then he would see Ryo moving closer to him and he was now within arm’s reach of him. He knew very well that there were serious possibilities of him getting lost. There was a large section of his clan’s history about a time when the Knetegawa’s got lost in the land of wind losing half of their clan during a sand storm that supposedly lasted for nearly a week. Thankfully, they were closer to the border of the land of Water so those who got lost they were able to find a new home in Kirigakure. Truly Ryo knew the very real threat of getting lost in a sand storm.

As they traveled Ryo’s eyes instantly traveled in the direction of the Sunagakure. He could find his way home from anywhere in the land of winds. At least to the former compound of the Knetegawa in Sunagakure. He was now able to find his way through the land of lightning as well in much the same way. He was sure that those of his clan in the land of water could also do the same, but that wasn’t important right now. His heart was pulling at him from inside. He wanted his beautiful homeland again, he wanted Sunagakure to be as it was. No, now was not the time for that shaking his head violently he refocused on the task at hand. He was supposed to travel with Raphael towards his home, and that he would make sure he had the chance to see his friend’s home just like he wanted seeing everything there was to see.

The sand that was flying through the air was annoying to Ryo, but he was sued to it, and he was sure that he kept his headband low over his eyes to keep most of the sand out and pulled the collar of his coat up in order to block most of the sand from his face. This was the true design of the Knetegawa Coat and it was the perfect thing to use while traveling in the land of wind. However, it was far too hot for sleeves here in the land of winds, so the sand would still rip and sting the skin that was exposed. This is why Ryo wears light breathing long-sleeved shirts so that the sand would not sting his arms nor rip at his skin. Ahead of them, there was a gate, something very interesting to see in the middle of a desert, but he was sure that this was the Kozai clan estate.

The gate was closed. This didn’t strike Ryo as something that was unusual. The gate of his clan’s home was sealed to all but those bearing the blood drop tattoos. This was the secret of the gate, that no one could really figure out. Unless the person approaching bore the tattoos they would find it impossible to open the gates without brute force. Yet, there were ways to get around them, but there were various other places in the Knetegawa estates that needed the blood drop tattoos as well. Yet, he heard the sound that Raphael made, and he looked to him “What do you mean something is not right? The gates are only closed.” Thinking about it he vaguely recalled something about the clan’s gates not closing for anything but important matters, or was it something different? Yet, he noticed the sand moving and he stopped dead drawing his Kuro with the practiced speed of his many years of practice. In an instant, Kuro was at his feet Ryo’s chakra strings were attached and he was putting all the focus he had into the strings to make sure Kuro could respond. He took on a defensive posture and waited, but it seemed that they did not attack just yet, and some of them wore the same kind of cloak as Raphael. Ryo glanced at his partner and stood ready to respond to any threat.

Hearing that they were trespassing Ryo pulled out his Sunagakure headband holding it up to show that he was still a ninja of the sand village before tucking it back into his pocket “I am no trespasser.” He said softly enough that it was unlikely for anyone but Raphael to hear. Yet, if his partner looked at him then he could see the icy rage that had come over Ryo’s eyes giving him a far off, black-souled, ice-covered expression. It was as if he wasn’t seeing any of these people at all, but instead was seeing enemies that were daring to threaten him. He let Raphael finish speaking and telling these people what the situation was before he spoke out loudly “I am Ryo Knetegawa, first son to the head of the Knetegawa clan, and the Sunagakure Branch of the clan. The Kozai and Knetegawa are not enemies, why would the Kozai treat an ally with such disrespect?” He asked glaring at the man who had started to give orders his fingers moving ever so slightly the purple chakra threads connected to Kuro letting the wolf puppet engage in what would be natural movements to try and confuse them into thinking it was a summoning and not a puppet, though the strings despite how thin and misty they looked would give it away to those who knew what to look for. Ryo’s fingers didn’t give away the movements as his hands were hidden by the sleeves of his shirt obscuring what his fingers were doing.

Ryo waited in silence for Raphael to finish talking. It seemed something was wrong here in the Kozai estate. This was not the plan, this was not how it was supposed to be. Still, Ryo would be on his guard now. It seemed that these people were expecting some kind of an attack and that could only mean they were prepared to destroy anyone who got close. When Raphael gave the signal that it was okay to follow him he walked alongside his partner using his fingers to make Kuro move with the fluidity as if he was alive. As they walked he whispered quietly to the Kozai “Raph, they were prepared to kill both of us, on sight. Your coat is all that stopped them if I had a guess. A clan that acts like this is a clan that is doing something they want to keep hidden and secret. I have a bad feeling about this. Are you sure that we should go in there without any kind of plan?” he asked walking with Kuro shielding his more vulnerable side. His eyes kept traveling around making sure that he saw everyone that was surrounding them and keeping himself on his guard “I don’t trust these people Raph, be it your clan or not. They are enemies Raph, and we can’t allow them to fool us.” He said his voice cold and calculating showing that he really was mistrustful of the situation.

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Raphael could not blame Ryo for feeling suspicious of the situation as he was suspicious himself, the only difference was that Raphael was not worried about an attack from his clansmen. His mother was the clan leader of the Kozai and would not accept any harm falling on her heir or his companion, these men would have to be fools to even attempt something like that. "Do not fret my friend, there is nothing to fear my mother would not allow it. I know things look suspicious now, but have faith everything will be fine." Raphael whispered to Ryo with a smile on his face, completely void of any worry as he knew he was untouchable in the estate even after being gone for over a year, nothing could of changed that much. "Just stick with me and we will get to the bottom of this, and get answers as to why my brethren are acting like this." As they got closer to the gate Raphael saw more of his clansmen walking the perimeter of the wall, both on top of it and in the sand below. This is completely out of character, the Kozai are a peaceful clan and did not have the enemies that would require a patrol, so why were they? The gate being closed was one thing but walking around like some kind of military ran militia, it brought the boys thoughts back to Ryo's earlier comment 'they were ready to kill us on sight'. What has become of my clan? The boy thought to himself, he wanted to believe that this activity was in response to Sunagakure no Sato being destroyed, but they should be welcoming travellers and offering shelter to the refugees not turning them away or trying to kill them.

One of the men that had jumped the pair ran ahead and spoke to the gate guards, Raphael could not hear what was said but could only assume it was about opening the gate as shortly after he watched as five men moved forward and did something to the surface of the gate. It was not until he saw a shimmering dome briefly appear before disintegrating that he realized that they were removing a Fuuinjutsu seal so that they could open the gate. None of this was adding up, from the gate being closed to the odd behavior of his fellow clansmen and now this barrier. Raphael snapped back from his thoughts at the sound of the gate opening, they were creaking as if they had not been open in a while. Raphael looked to his companion who no doubt was having the same uncomfortable thoughts as he was, "My Mother will clear all this up I am sure of it." The boy said with a smile trying his best to hide his own doubts, he had more faith in his mother than he had doubts and for him that would be enough but he could not speak for his friend. He just had to hope that Ryo believed his reassurance and did not let his suspicion get the better of him. As Raphael began the walk through the gate he heard some murmurs from the gate guards and then a loud voice, "only those of the Kozai blood are allowed beyond these gates." Raphael turned on a dime to see two men standing in Ryo's path, blocking him from entering the Estate, within a second the young Kozai was back at his friends side and starring straight into the guard's eyes. "You know who I am, don't you?" The boy asked, the anger obvious in his voice. The two men nodded and one went to say something but Raphael spoke first, "this is Ryo Knetegawa and he is my ally and is as a brother to me, so you will back off and allow him to pass." The two men looked at each other before looking back to Raphael and Ryo, "I am sorry sir, but we have our orders." One of the men stated which only made the young shinobi chuckle. "Your orders mean nothing to me, I am Raphael heir to the clan head and future leader of this clan. Now stand aside or I will take your life myself." Raphael stated his words coming out like daggers and his eyes showed that he meant what he was saying. Raphael could see the two guards as well as the other Kozai around them tense as if they would all stand against him, this made Raphael's stomach dropped his words did not have the effect that he had been hoping it would. There was a time in his life that the boy could of had whatever he wanted just by saying the word, but it seemed that after his year away from home his people had forgotten just who he was and what he was capable of doing. Raphael continued to star down the two guards until he heard a familiar voice, "Everybody stand down now!"

Looking behind the two men in front of him and Ryo, Raphael saw the figure of his uncle standing in the Gateway. The men instantly moved out of the way and allowed both Raphael and Ryo to pass, though it did not register with the boy at the time as he was simply happy to see his uncle after so long, in the back of the boy's mind the boy's subconscious wondered why they were so quick to listen to his uncle when they would not listen to him. "Uncle Azulon it is so great to see you again," Raphael said as he ran forward and hugged his uncle, "and you as well, my boy. We all thought you to have met your end in the fall of the sand village, you've grown so much." His uncle said with a smile as he pulled back away to get a good look at his face. "Where is everyone, I will tell all of you about all at once." Raphael said looking back to Ryo and waving him forward, "this is my good friend Ryo, he is an honorable shinobi and one of the few reasons I am still alive today." Raphael continued as he wrapped an arm around Ryo. His uncle did not say anything at first, but after a few seconds "Any friend of my nephew is a friend of mine, come I will give you the tour." Azulon stated as he motioned for the boys to go through the gate.

---

3632

Ryo was not at all comforted by his friend’s words. From what he had been told of the situation it seemed that this was not the same way his clan operated while his mother was around. Either she was not here, she was dead, or there was something else going on entirely. He wanted to trust his friend, but he knew better than to risk his life on the word of someone. The actions of his clan were very suspicious and this was the kind of behavior that Ryo’s clan would employ if someone was trying to force their way into the clan specific areas of the compound. Still, he would hold his tongue, for now, it wouldn’t do to overly worry or stress Raphael. Yet, he would not lower his guard, and he would not be dismissing Kuro until he and Raphael were safely back in the Kumogakure forward camp. He merely kept his peace and followed Raphael his puppet at his side not daring to take his eyes off of his opponents.

Ryo looked around carefully as he was expecting to be attacked by these people. He was not one to trust easily, nor would he allow these people who were so clearly threatening him to take him without a great bloodbath. He would kill anyone who dared to attack him or Raphael, and there would be nothing to stop him. Hearing Raphael he tried his best to be reassured by the statement. Yet, he had plenty of doubts to wade through in his own mind, and his first thought when he heard the statement was ‘Well, where is she then? Why hasn’t she come to investigate a stranger claiming to be her son?’. He knew that his own mother would definitely be the first in line to discover if someone was pretending to be her children. She would be the first in line to investigate and would utterly destroy anyone she discovered to be an imposter. Again, he said nothing and instead he kept his mouth shut not daring to allow himself to speak. When the gate guards said only those with Kozai blood were allowed beyond the gate he frowned. His own clan had far more valuable secrets than anything Raphael’s clan could possibly have. After all, their puppet techniques were so different from the Chikamatsu clan’s that if they were discovered by that clan the Knetegawa would be obsolete. It was only because the mastery of Beast puppets was so well guarded that the Knetegawa clan could compete in Sunagakure. Not to mention Kumogakure and Kirigakure. To hear this was an insult, and again it only lent itself to proving Ryo’s statement that the Kozai were up to something they didn’t want to get out. He was distracted however when Raphael called him a brother. He dropped his hands and Kuro slackened ever so slightly on the strings. Shaking his head violently he straightened up and Kuro snapped back to attention. Hearing the way that Raphael’s threat was so casually ignored and seeing that these men tensed as if ready to fight made Ryo take a defensive stance. This was the final nail in the coffin, it was clear that the rules had changed. Raphael no longer had standing here, and Ryo knew it. If he or his siblings had made a threat like that the others of his clan would snap to obey. This was it, something was very, very wrong and he did not want to go any further.

The man that approached was clearly in charge, as his orders had been obeyed instantly. Raphael may have been too happy to notice this, but Ryo saw it clear as day and he knew just what it meant. This was the man who was in charge. He knew that there was something terrible going on here. Still, there was nothing that he could do about it now. Some might call him paranoid, but he knew the animals that his puppets were created from, and all humans acted just like wolves did even if they didn’t know it, even if they were foul beings to begin with. It was clear that these people obeyed Azulon, he was the alpha now, which meant that Raphael’s mother was not here, she was dead, imprisoned, or something else, but she was not calling the shots not anymore. He watched with a wary eye as the two embraced each other and gave their greetings and reunion. Ryo’s eyes were glued to Azulon watching for any sudden movements, any hint of betraying some deeply hidden emotion. He would not allow Raphael to be struck down. When he was waved forward Ryo slowly stepped up and gave a bow of respect to Azulon never taking his eyes off of him “A pleasure to meet you. I am Ryo Knetegawa, first son of the head of the Knetegawa clan’s main branch. This is Kuro, my partner. We thank you for your hospitality.” He said with all appearance of sincerity. His hands were behind his back and the chakra strings that were connected to Kuro were as faint as Ryo could make them, only those really looking would be able to see them, and Kuro’s movements were so fluid that he did indeed look like a living wolf. Looking to his Raphael as they walked he mouthed “Don’t trust him. Something is very wrong.” He hoped that his partner would be able to see it, but he wasn’t sure, nor would he say it out loud.

3562

Raphael was so caught up in his reunion with his uncle that he did not even notice his companions attempt to mouth something to him, the young shinobi's heart was filled with euphoria having finally returned home that everything else seemed to fade away from his thoughts. As the three walked through the gates he got his first glimpse of his home after being gone for so long, the boy was extremely happy in seeing that his memory of his home was still accurate. Everything was as he had remembered. The beauty of his home made all the more elegant looking with the sun shining onto the white stones that made up the streetlight lined streets of the estate. Despite the sandstorm raging on outside the sky over the estate was clear save for a few white clouds, this was of course due to the seal inside the shine of Raava that has protected the Kozai from the harsh weather that surrounded them. The trees and plant life of the estate made it as if stepping through a portal in a new world all together, the very reason the estate was called the oasis within the desert whenever his ancestor had found this place. The houses each have a slight difference that makes them seem unique but at the same time, making it hard to tell the different houses from each other unless you live there. The buildings are all two stories high and rather square-ish, going up along the street on either side. On the streetlights hung flags displaying the Kozai Clan symbol, along with large crowd of clan members that have now gathered along the street. It was as if the entire clan was standing before the three and waiting for them, "uhh.. Uncle what's going on?" Raphael asked doing his best to hide the uncertain feeling he was getting in the pit of his stomach. "It's as I said my boy, we all thought you were dead. When the radio call came through that someone was identifying themselves by your name the word spread quickly, everyone wants to see the return of the Prodigal Son." Azulon stated as he gripped the hilt of his sword, his tone holding a sour tone yet the boy was not paying attention to that he was looking out into the sea of his clansmen that had come out to see him, looking for his mother and sister but could not find them. "Where is mother and Aurora and grandfather?" Raphael asked still scanning the crowd of faces, his uncle pointed to the mansion at the top of the hill over looking the estate, the main branches family home. "They are waiting for you in the mansion, I think they would like a more private reunion." He stated as he headed further into the estate, Raphael following behind him without looking back to see if Ryo was following, simply assuming his friend was still with him. The crowd did not stop anyone from walking as they lined the street but did not block the path of the men nor did they say anything to the boy as he passed he would here murmuring among the crowd but he wasn't paying attention enough to hear what they said.

"Is something wrong Uncle? I mean I figured mother would meet me at the gate or at the very least Aurora would." Raphael stated as the reached Raava's shrine. It was just as beautiful as he remembered, both Raphael and Azulon would pause in front of the shrine for a brief moment with their heads bowed before almost at the same time the two would raise their heads and continue on the path towards the mansion. "No Raphael nothing is wrong NOW." Azulon stated with slight emphasis on the 'now' some even Raphael picked up on causing the boy to give his uncle a strange look. "It may not look like it Raphael, but a lot has changed since you were last here." He said with a darken expression on his face, "Last year when the hidden sand was attacked I was among the forces that your mother dispatched to aid those that needed it and find out anything we could about you, when we couldn't find any sign of you we could only assume the worst had happened." Azulon would pause briefly before he continued, "we helped all we could find, returning them to the estate for help and care. And then one day some of the refugees went crazy and started attacking people left and right." Azulon paused again as if what he was saying was very hard for him to do. "Your mother and sister were in the tent when it happened." This time when the man paused he glanced over at Raphael to gauge his reaction, "are they..." The boy started but he could not finish the thought, "No, they made it out. Your sister was hurt but she lived, Darian however." The boy knew as soon as his uncle said his grandfather's name by the tone in his voice that the most horrendous thing had befallen his grandfather. "Darian had tried to stop them, gave your mother and sister time to escape the chaos. By the time I made it there, it was too late. I am sorry Raphael, I know how much he meant to you." His uncles words were soft and sincere at least on the outside, the boy was fighting tears back at this point however remembering his training he took a deep breath and held back the flood gates. He would have time to grieve later, now was supposed to be a happy moment.

As they reached the steps of the mansion Raphael would look out behind him to see the view of his beautiful home he remembered most of all looking out over the rest of the estate from this hill top. It was exactly as hr remembered it, making it all the harder to believe that it had been attacked, the builders must of been working non stop. Azulon would continue his story to catch the young heir up on the events of the past year as they began their way up the steps of the mansion. "After that day your mother put me in charge of the security of the estate, which is why I was the one that went down to ensure you were you and then bring you to them. After all could not have an imposter coming in and assassinating our leader could we." He said with a chuckle that held a deeper meaning than the boy knew as he held the door to the mansion open for the boys to enter. Entering the grand hall of the mansion the boy finally truly felt at home, looking atound to see like the rest of the estate not much had changed inside the mansion since his last visit to the estate. The grand hall was lined with glass on one side and mirrors on the other to intensify the light of the sun shining in from overhead, his mother always told him that this room was the pinnacle of their ancestors vanity and was meant to leave those that visited in awe while they awaited to be seen by the leader. His mother had never really cared about the look of the room, but Raphael had always found it to be fascinating. At the other end of the hall stood the doors into the inner chamber of the Kozai leadership, unfortunately this would be where the boys would have to part ways, at least for a moment as even Raphael would not risk breaking the oath of the leadership to Raava by allowing someone from the outside to see the inner chamber. Looking to his friend Raphael gave a wide smile, "you will have to wait here for a moment. Your welcome to explore the rest of the mansion or estate while I am inside, but I should not be gone long and then you will get to meet my mother." He had told Ryo of this room and why no one on the outside of the main branch was allowed into it or to know what was inside during their talks over the past year so he assumed his friend would understand the reasoning in him waiting there. And with that said Raphael would follow his uncle through the door into the inner chamber to see his family finally after all these years.

{Exit Thread}

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5063

Reaction trained from B-0 to B-3: -2400 (600Ryo)
A-Rank Jutsu (500 Stars): -2000 (250Ryo)
663 words discarded.

Ryo walked into the estate behind his friend and the uncle that he seemed to so love. However, nothing was distracting him. The estate was every bit as beautiful and wonderful as his friend had said. The Knetegawa estate in Sunagakure was made of stone gardens, desert foliage, and wide-open spaces so that the puppeteers could practice their arts. This was astounding, he wondered if they were situated over a spring much like the Knetegawa estate had been. All, in all he couldn’t deny the great beauty of the Kozai estate no matter what was going on inside. However, all of this beauty only made the whole of the Kozai’s manner all the stranger. This was a clan compound alright, but it was a clan compound that was getting ready for military action, the emblem was everywhere, and the crowd watched them like hawks watch desert hares. He kept Kuro close his hands down by his sides using the ever so thin chakra strings to keep his puppet moving. There was no way he would let his guard down here, and the more they stepped inside the more he wanted to flee. He wanted to grab Raphael slap him and drag him away, but he knew that he would not get anywhere without his friend’s entire cooperation. He heard his friend’s unease so at least his hindbrain was taking notice even if he was being so entirely stupid. Raphael was going on his list of wrongs done to him if they made it out of here alive, despite Ryo’s feelings for him. When his uncle said that Raphael’s immediate family should have a private reunion he glared at the man his eyes flashing icy blue shaking his head slowly to show he would not be put off by this man. He watched the men and women who were lining the streets all of them looked like they were getting ready to do something stupid and obey the true alpha here. Ryo wished he had brought his mother and his sister, but he was thankful that he had told his whole clan where he had gone. If he hadn’t come back then they would all know who brought him low, and there would be a reckoning, the Knetegawa was more numerous than the Kozai, that was easy to tell, not to mention that they were all master puppeteers, his mother had even mastered the ancient lady Chiyo’s ten-finger puppet show jutsu. She had used it to great effect and this was how she sealed her place as the head of the main branch. The fight would be bloody but the Kozai would die should Ryo fall to them. This was comforting enough, but it didn’t truly make Ryo feel better.

Finally, Raphael asked the question that Ryo wanted him to ask. He was glad to see that he was at least attentive enough to ask such a good question. However, the story that came on rang as a half-truth. He was sure that the grandfather had been killed, he was sure that those disguised as Refugees had indeed attacked, but he was not sure that they were anything less than the hidden blades of this clearly power mad uncle trying to sweep away the rest of his clan. His own clan had suffered such attacks before. The black trio they were called. They had tried to slay all of their brothers and sisters. One in each of the three branches. They had tried to slay all those who were rightfully better than them, and they were also the ones who used Human puppets to slay them. This is where the near-ban on Human puppets had originated from, their deeds made it so that the head of each branch was chosen not only by blood but by skill and honor shown for the clan. This being the only loophole that would allow Ryo to succeed his sister as the head of the clan. Of course, she would likely take one of the other clans as its head. He shook his head in annoyance hearing this bullshit story, and he would not allow anything to trap him and his friend here. He just didn’t have a clue how they would save his friend’s mother and sister, but it was now clear to him, that he and them didn’t have a place here anymore. They would have to flee and have to rise up against their uncle to take it back. Still, he couldn’t understand why Raphael wasn’t seeing this, nor could he understand what was happening in the Kozai power structure that would allow such madness.

Hearing that Azulon was put in charge of security made Ryo snort it wasn’t a loud sound, but it was very likely that both of them could hear it. He wasn’t about to pretend stupidity, he wasn’t going to let Azulon think that he was a fool, nor that he was off guard. He had seen the look, he had heard the tones, he also caught the deeper meaning. As they walked into the mansion Ryo walked in backwards facing Azulon, he would not let the man behind his back, but instead, he made sure that he would not allow this man where he could not see him. When they were guided into the mansion he saw that it was very, very nice to be sure. There was enough beauty and expense here to justify the great clan. However, there was also enough here to show that the head of the clan was worth taking, and getting that position was valuable enough to slay kin for. Hearing that he would have to wait outside of the inner chamber he sighed shaking his head. He grabbed Raphael tightly on the arm and pulled him close whispering urgently into his friend’s ears “Please for God’s sake Raphael, be careful. Azulon will not mean to allow us to leave, your mother and sister are either in chains or dead. Be on your guard, be ready to kill these people. This is all a trap. I will wait here to guard your rear, and I will not allow anyone to pass me.” He let go quickly smiling at his friend putting on the airs of great amusement “I would be delighted to meet your mother. If your uncle does not have any objections.” He said glancing to the man. Then he turned to address the man “Azulon Kozai, we have not been properly Introduced I don’t think. I am Ryo Knetegawa, son of the Knetegawa clan head. My family knows where I have gone and would bring down destruction and ruin upon any one and their entire clan should I come to harm. Suna is gone and is not a shield to hide behind anymore. I hope you keep this in mind.” He said simply allowing the pair to leave. He didn’t want this to be the case, he hoped against hope that he was wrong, he hoped against hope that everything was okay, but he was sure that it was not going to be so. He sighed shaking his head wondering how they would be able to get out without bloodshed. It didn’t seem like that would be the case, but he was sure that he would be needed. He prepared himself, flexing his body relaxing it and stretching it so that he could move quickly. Kuro’s strings were tight ready to snap them along to every motion that would be needed.

He prayed, he hoped, he needed Raphael to take him seriously. He didn’t know if the youth would, or if he would chalk it up to being paranoid, but there was naught he could really hope to do about it. Thankfully the route they took from the gate to the mansion was plain enough. He did know however that they used radio communications, so it was unlikely that they would be able to run through the gate, and he was almost completely certain that it would now be sealed behind them. Yet, he also knew that these trees were sturdy and if they could jump up into them, then jump over the walls they would be home free. Of course, he could easily scale the wall running up it with the use of his chakra, but that didn’t mean he wanted to do these things. Scaling a wall like that was just far too easy, and it made such a great target for archers and other such things. No, they would need to scale the trees, and do that the best way. For now however, he would have to wait, so he did, he waited with Kuro in front of him ready to attack.

[Exit Thread]
1,486
Total: 5,046
Training:
Ninjutsu Specilization B to A rank, 3000/3000 words
Raiton Element C to B rank, 2000/2000