[Suna -> Kiri]

Sunagakure was a cruel and unforgiving mistress, her eternal sands swallowing up the meek and mild ripping them apart with her unending harsh gales. Under normal circumstances Akiko would have continued her training within the Wind Country’s borders and away from the influence of other villages but the time for ordinary circumstances had long past. The Kazekage had been missing for months now, with no word from her nor the ANBU being able to find clues to her location, this unfortunate event allowed corruption to creep into Sunagakure while it was weak. Criminals began to swarm the area around the village, political figureheads vied for control over the city and its shinobi, and death stalked the streets at night. The once proud slumber dragon known as Sunagakure had fallen ill and suffered a mortal blow, she could not be saved from within the confines of her walls. It is for that reason Sunagakure’s elders had dispatched the young Chuunin Akiko to not only build stronger ties with their more powerful allies in hopes they would hear Sunagakure’s pleas for help but to train under the protection Suna could no longer offer and perhaps secure locations others like her could train as well.

The young Uchiha had left Sunagakure early in the morning, before her mother had awoken and had spoken to no one about her mission. The young Uchiha understood that this was to be done with discretion lest the village appear weak to potential enemies and for that reason, no one could know of her departure. Dressed in her Sunagakure Flak Jacket with her Sunagakure Headband secured tightly on her forehead and all her weapons neatly stored on her person Akiko walked the lonely road towards the Kaze border.

Akiko’s eyes weren’t fixed upon the road however; they were fixed solely upon the instructions written upon the parchment the Sunagakure Elders had given her. On the parchment the elders had detailed to what villages she was to travel to first and which to go to last, the order of the villages she was to visit was determined according to the political and military strength. As such, Akiko was to visit Kirigakure no sato, located within the Land of Water as the elders determined they were the strongest village both in the military and political arenas. Thus Kirigakure would be able to dispatch the most help to the Suna should they be able to.

Aside from a list of instructions the elders of the village had given Akiko several scrolls, four to be precise, one for each village and she was to give one to the Kage directly. While she hadn’t unsealed the missives much less read the contents of them, Akiko was certain they described the dire strait Suna had fallen into and offered her services in return for each village’s aid. It was an intelligent tactic, offering the services of an Uchiha who had managed to unlock the power of the Sharingan in return for aid or at least it would have been if Akiko would have been any higher rank then a Chuunin.

Akiko’s eyes flickered from her instructions down to the missives which had been delicately stored in the utility pouches on her Flak Jacket and sighed in frustration. She knew any Kage worth their salt would likely see the elder’s offering up the services of a mere Chuunin as an insult more than a gift but with all the Special Jonin and Jonin combating Rogue Ninja around the village or policing the streets, she was the best they could offer. The young Uchiha shook her head as she folded up the piece of parchment detailing her orders and stuck it into the same utility pouch her Senbon resided in, this was going to be on long and painful assignment.

[634/600 WC]