The young genin certainly felt much stronger after this time in Kumo; however, he had very mixed feelings about leaving Kumogakure prematurely. He wondered if he would ever see the people he met again and hoped that the connections he made would not fizzle out. The Raikage and Nora both placed a significant influence on his life, but so did Adzumi, the girl from the night out in Kumo. He had met other people as well, and he would not forget them but at this point;s his mind was more puzzled with the Mizukage's abrupt decision to pull him from his mission. A mission that he never completed. The boy could not feel a sense of helplessness and defeat as the ship that was carrying him back to Kiri rocked back and fourth on the choppy waters.

A bright smile overwhelmed his face as the salty water's scent rushed itself into his nostrils as he remembered the scent of Kirigakure and the place he would call home. He is glad to be able to reconnect with the bureaucrats and politicians of Kirigakure, the Mizukage, his family and clan. He wanted to show every his new jutsus that he learned in Kumogakure and wanted to wait for the next chapter in his life to open. He wondered what it could have possibly been. As he stood by the rails of the ship, watching as the sun watched him, his mind wondered what his next string of missions would be in Kirigakure. He wondered if he was going to be able to rekindle relationships that may have dried out while Seito basks in Kumogakure's sun. He was hopeful to meet his counterparts and hear from them, to see where they were at in their careers and life. Hopefully...none of them succumbed to the daunting tasks of shinobi.

Unfortunately, Seito had not made it to the port at a feasible time where ferries were transporting people. So, in order for Seito to get home in a reasonable time, he had to bribe a ship captain that was hauling merchant good from the two ports. Luckily for him, the private merchant shipping textile goods would allow him to go onto the ship. It is also good that he was from Kirigakure because even though the ship captain does business in the Lightning country and Water country, he has a strong distaste for shinobi in general. The boy was incognito with his headband stuffed into his backpack with any and all signs of his shinobi life deep into his belongings. The young man even had to say some disrespectful things about both the Raikage and Mizukage to be allowed onto the ship.

A brief sigh exited his mouth as the patience thinned. He wondered what life in Kumogakure would have been like if he would have been allowed to continue his mission, he wondered if he would have gotten a promotion if he completed the mission and lastly, the wondered what was in the darn letter he was supposed to deliver. Perhaps, the message was delivered through another means and maybe the boy just dropped from top prospects. The boy just could not help but wonder why he was pulled from his mission and Kumogakure itself. The islands in Water country slowly passed them as the ship was aimed towards the main island, where Seito would have easy access to enter his village. He was glad that he was now in the jurisdiction of Kirigakure. Then he begun to think about the fact that he never had a permanent home address in Kumo. Regardless, the young Hattori had not been residing in Kumogakure for the few days it took to travel to the port.

[624]
[End]