Hotaru passed the giant gates of Konohagakure clad in his usual attire:a long black Shihakushō worn over white undershirt. This is all held together by a red sash, his bottoms is a white hakama with the lip of the under shirt hanging over it. As accessories he wears ninja mesh, bandages over his forearms, and golden arm bracers on his biceps. This was all obscured from any prying eyes by a long traveling coat and his signature straw hat. With his business in the village done, he was free to spend the rest of his leave in Iwagakure.

Hotaru's 'leave' from war had been anything but exciting. His first day in Konoha, he had gotten into an altercation with two leaf shinobi. One of which was a Hyuuga, from the four noble clans that inhabited the village. The other was a genjutsu user, how he despised that practice.He had beaten the Hyuuga in a less than fair two on one fight. The other, he did not have time to. They where rudely interrupted by a Senju jounin.His opponent had run with his unconscious comrade as soon as she appeared, what a pussy. All in all, the village was less than friendly to the young magnetic user. But he was happy to move on to another village, hopefully one that would be populated by less patriotic obsessed idiots.

Hotaru walked pass the giant double doors that served as the first line of defense for the village and into the wilderness.The forest of Konoha where lush and the local flora and fauna full of life and vigor. The tree's swayed beautifully with each gentle tug that the wind produced. It was just before the bright morning would turn into the afternoon, the sun was just now starting its decent below the mountain ranges. The well traveled dirt road contained only him on it today, though he hoped he would get to Iwa without much trouble.

Reaching int his pockets, he withdrew a letter that a Kirigakure carrier bird had given him the day before. It was sealed shut, only reading his name in big bold letters and the seal of Sunagakure on the back. Ripping into the letter he took out the enclosed paper. The letter started as follows:

Hotaru,

War is no small task for anyone to go through. But, to protect the honor and safeguard the weak, we brave the fires of war. That being said, for your outstanding abilities both on the battlefield of Kirigakure and out. We here by promote you to the ranking of Special Jounin. May you continue to serve the village well now and in the future.

Hotaru crumpled the paper up and tossed it into the brush. He didn't need a fucking letter to know that he was strong, though the recognition for his services in war was nice. He, unlike most of the genin and chunnin sent there, did not want to be in the war. Not out of cowardice, but because he did not feel it was his 'duty' to go to war for his village. What did the village do for him? Shit, that's what. He had grown up in an orphanage and brought up by a kind and caring older woman. As far as he was concerned, if he owned anyone, she was the only one. The village was only responsible for molding him into their own attack dog with so many others during his academy days. He was instiled with the basics of the ninja way. A 'love thy village' attitude. Always told to put the village before ones self. That, in Hotaru's mind, was pure bullshit. He hated having to bend to the villages whims, but it was a necessary evil. That was, if he wanted to live any longer than he already had.

Shaking himself out of his own head, he had noticed the change in the landscape, the lush forest had degraded to only a few trees encased by mostly rock. Yep, this was totally Iwagakure

600+/600