Daraku arrived at the administration building somewhat late in the afternoon. The hulking structure of clay towered over him and obscured the sunlight, leaving him in a cold shade. He had received the identity and other information about the target he had killed in his last mission and was reporting to Suzume to learn more of the man, partly out of curiosity but mostly to find the killer's motives. He could care less of the killer himself, but if the killer was working in a group, then Daraku would have the information he needed and would hunt down their leader. The Ishido clan needed allies, and if Daraku could build an alliance with a group of assassins, it couldn't hurt his cause although it may be seen as suspicious and unwelcome to the public. If for whatever reason the assassins didn't comply, he would eradicate them and thus eradicate one more potential target to his clan. Either way, it was to remain clandestine; Daraku had big plans for the future, but if those plans got out, he would be in the danger.

Just as Daraku was about to enter the building, he heard the familiar chirp of a messenger bird nearby. He turned to face the general direction from which the sound had come from, and found his notion was correct. A small, green bird, no larger than the size of his hand, appeared from the clear blue sky and flew towards him. The creature hovered expectantly in the air until he held out an arm for it to land on. It carried a small scroll tied in red ribbon which Daraku took and opened carefully. The words inside were hardly legible, written in sloppy kanji. Essentially, whomever had sent this note was imploring Daraku to come to Kirigakure as soon as possible, and the person had explained that they had connections to the Aoi Bara. This was strange, considering Daraku had received news of the Bara being disbanded by Kajiya just a few weeks prior. He didn't question it, though, and noted the meeting location written at the bottom of the scroll. The messenger bird had left him by now, and must have moved quickly, for it was no longer in sight.

Daraku let out a sigh and entered the administration building, and rather than asking for information on the killer, he received permission to travel to Kirigakure. When he exited, he sprinted off into the vast desert, moving east until he reached a crossroads. From there, he began the trek to Mizu no Kuni, but he was less concerned with the distance and more concerned with who he would see when he arrived. The thought sent a chill down his spine...hopefully this wasn't a trap. Over time, the landscape changed and the dry and barren sand was replaced with supple dirt and low trees that offered aegis from the winds. The moon was present in the sky now, having taken the sun's position and looming ominously over the world. This can't be Kajiya. I expected him to return to Iwagakure, and he would've outright told me who he was rather than leaving himself anonymous. Possibly the man that saved me and Sye back at the border, but that's unlikely...who the hell could this be...? the possiblities were endless and it was driving Daraku mad with second guesses and confusion all the way to the moment of his arrival. He was faced with the village gate, same as it had been last he was in Kirigakure. He was pleased to see that everything had been repaired since the end of the Seven Bells war, but he kept his guard up, just in case.

Looks like I'm about to find out. the Sannin thought to himself as he entered the gate with the guards' permission. A warm welcome back to the Hidden Mist, and a path into whatever lay ahead for him.

[Exit Thread, Travel Complete]