Really, was it breaking and entering when it was his office? From what he'd gathered, no one had bothered to reuse his personal office after he'd left; something about the smell of wet wood and dog being too strong? Whatever, more hidden stuff for him. Plus, no one would bother him this way, since no one would be expecting a break in to an unused office that had been boarded up for nearly a decade. Shit, he'd wager he'd find piles of toys littering the floor; both the dogs and his children's, as well as dog beds and bed pads and lot of his missing clothing. Including, he'd bet; his Kage robes. His had been custom fitted for him, his odd height and thin build made the set that had been worn by Sebasu impossible to tailor for him; so a new set had been created. Which suited him just fine, Sebasu's had been a very out of date version, even by the time Kenta had been born; so a new set, using updated lines and materials, was a godsend.

Slipping past the (sleeping) guards was simple enough, they wouldn't have seen him even if they had been awake; he was too damn fast to be tracked; and with the windows open to court the dying evening breezes, his passing could easily be chalked up to a wayward gust. Nothing to wake up for, anyway. Racing past and into the parts of the building passed only by attendants moving paperwork or by lost Genin, up the stairs that led to the correct level, past a junction and through the flickering shadows of the late evening light. Yep, he was passing no one and nothing, barely even a spider hiding near the ceiling or a window frame. Down the hallway, to the set of massive double doors that had marked the office of the Hokage for a century before his time, and should have for a century or more after; but didn't, all because someone was too lazy to clean up. Fun times.

To the door, a set of lockpicks hidden in his sleeves just in case. He had a sneaking suspicion that the doors weren't actually locked; not that it would matter; but he wanted to try something first. A long standing tradition; or it had been, anyway; was to place a special Fuuinjutsu on the doors of the Hokage's office, one that would only react to the rightful Hokage. It would open the doors at their touch, snap the door shut and keep them impassable when the Hokage was away, unless they deactivated it. He was willing to be a nice, fat, juicy steak that the doors where bolted shut by that seal, and that's why it wasn't being used. The glass of the window that overlooked the village was made of a special crystal material that was impregnated with chakra and could withstand the power of several Kage-level ninja all at once, so he doubted very highly that there was enough firepower left in the village to forcibly open that window, let alone the doors. He'd know in a moment; he only needed to touch the wood, and...

CLICK!

Creeeeeeaaaaak...

Yep. Locked tight, until the moment he'd placed his hand on the wood. At that point, the seal released, the bolt holding the doors slid away, and they began to slide open as pressure equalized between the outside and inside of the room. There was a mild inward rushing of air, but that was fine with him; it would help to clear the stale out of the air, and make it easier to breath in there. He slipped past the massive doors and pushed them shut behind him; for all the massive size, they moved like they where feather-light; the mechanisms that they hung from was ancient, yes; but it was magnificent in design. For all their bulk, they might as well have been wet rice paper for all the weight or mass you felt moving them.

Oh, but this was just so much home that it hurt. Even in the dim light from the window, the memories danced across his vision; years of laughter and joy and hard work and pride, so much pride; so much love and so much accomplished. So much left undone. So much to do again. One day... one day this place would be great once more; he would sit behind his desk and groan about the paperwork piled to the ceiling while dogs snored in the sun and kids worked on homework, family lounged on chair and couches and cups of tea and containers of take out and clothing and toys and general debris littered the room; and there would be light and love and hope in the village once more. Soon. So very soon.

If it killed him, he'd make this place great again.

But first...

He moved toward the desk, (thank the Gods, they hadn't gotten his chair, so that was a small miracle that his back would be greatfull of for years to come) slipping into the old chair with a woosh of dust and age flying into the air, the creak of springs needing to be oil ringing a tinny echo in the silence. He'd need to watch that; he couldn't just flop and bang around like he wanted to; it was so hard not to instantly relax into his old ways, even knowing full well that he could get in some serious hell for this if he was caught. Hokage or not, he was technically KIA according to records... so someone could wager for a promotion by turning him in. He couldn't bring himself to hurt his people without provocation, and doing your job does not equate to getting the lights knocked out of you. At least, not over this. Not really. Not yet, anyway.

Now then... where was it. He was passing his fingers under the edge of the desk, feeling for the tiny delineation in the grain of the massive oaken desk that marked the switch. Hidden compartment abounded in this desk, but he needed a very specific one; the hardest to find by far. He knew where it was, generally speaking, he just had to catch the catch with his claw to trigger the lock to open. Shifting and shifting and pressing with even pressure; until he felt the claw hook and then he pushed straight up with it, keying the lock release and smirking as the compartment popped free and into his waiting hand. Perfection. The compartment was just slightly larger overall than the standard notebook used by schoolchildren, abet three or four times deeper. Inside: a thin sheaf of papers, covered in his wild sprawling scrawl and official stamps of his office. The instructions and information that was 'lost' when he disappeared. The original copy of the original document, anyway. The true original document was stored in a high security vault deep in the heart of the Hokage Mountain, a place he had no shot in hell of infiltrating. No, this would be good enough; because it was perfectly official and it would force a records check to the hidden vault to confirm the validity of the documentation.

And it was all there. Why he'd left. How he'd done it. How to recover him. The timeframes and timetables that hadn't been followed. Instructions for his family, for his Sannin and generals. Instructions on how to run the economy while he was gone. The codes and ciphers for over three years worth of paperwork, orders, etc; done ahead of time so that the village would run while he was gone, and while his 'replacement' Takao was 'running the show'. Man, he really should try and check up on what happened to that kid; he'd rather liked him, and he'd heard that he'd been a pretty solid Hokage while he'd been in charge. Might be worth seeing if the kid was still alive, and willing to sign on as a Sannin. He'd never had three, and he knew that Naota was basically done with the ninja life... he'd need a replacement for the psychotic Uchiha, so if Takao was interested.. well, there we go. If not, oh well. He'd find someone. Eventually. Likely his kids in a few years. Or maybe Michizuka. frick nepotism, he'd had his best friends as his Sannin for years, it was par for the course for him to pick his husband.

These papers where slipped into a special bag made of moleskin and tied closed in a way that made it watertight, airtight, and basically inflammable; so long as it wasn't stolen or lost, the papers where safe until he was ready to use them. Good, good. Now then... he should probably be moving on, but, instead he reached for the switch on the wall and flicked the light on; he was going to be an asshole and leave the light on even after he resealed the door. It would cause so much confusion and shit, and no one would be able to figure out how the hell it happened. Fun times. He lingered in his chair for a bit longer, glancing about the room and looking for anything he really wanted to bring out with him now.

WC: 1590

Since arriving in Konoha, Satoshi talked to local shop owners and the like to see if there were any high ranking ninja seeking students. Unfortunately, he had not come across such luck. He would he mostly war stories about heroes of the past. Kages and Sannin alike have touched this village and it's people. Names like Kenta, Naota, Star, Takao, and many more recent ninja had fans in the village. He just wished one of them was alive or around to teach him something. Yes, he was strong and he was knew it. To become a legend like them though, that was a whole different level of power that he himself wanted to achieve.

The Iwa ninja walked down one of the many Konoha streets, looking for something to entertain his time with. Since he had nothing to do until he found a teacher, he figured he would get familiar with the place. He stopped as he saw sleeping guards slumped at their posts. An eyebrow would raise as he could help but wonder why there was a need for guards if they were comfortable enough to go to sleep on duty. He shook the thought out of his head and walked by them as if they weren't even there. He entered with caution, not knowing if he was allowed in the place. Konoha was aware of his presence and welcomed him, so he doubted anyone would be hostile. He moved carefully none the less, making sure to disappear out of sight if he heard someone approaching. After two such instances of people passing by with papers, he came to stairs that looked as if they weren't used quite as much.

He darted up them, feeling more comfortable on this floor. It was obviously not in use anymore, or so it appeared. The spider webs and dust certainly told that story. He walked by random rooms, not wanting to take the chance of walking into something crazy. He came to a junction, to which he turned down and random path and continued. After a minute or two, a light switch flicker on down the hall. He stopped suddenly, waiting to hear footsteps. It seemed like no one was coming, so he decided to check it out. As he approached the room, he read something on one of the doors about this being a Hokage's office. In this condition? He figured it must be retired, but then stopped after realizing the chance of a former Hokage or their student being in that office. Any Kage or similar ninja would be aware of him by now.

He would mentally sigh before taking two more steps and walking into the light. He blinked at the adjustment before noticing someone sitting at the desk in a very comfortable position. Well, it was time to see what this was all about, even if it was none of his business. "Before you accuse me of any crimes, I'm not here to steal anything or attack you. I simply let my curiosity get the best of me when I saw the light on in a seemingly abandoned part of the building." He spoke clearly, but made no sudden movements. He didn't want to startle this person anymore than he probably already was.

Word Count: 551

Well, that didn't take long at all, did it now? Actually, this guy must have been following him outright, or wandering by for some reason, to have stumbled across him that fast from the main hallway. ANBU or the like would have hit the window, or flashed in using Flying Thunder God or somesuch, not walked in and... apologized? Huh? That accent, too... Iwagakure? Out that way, anyway; it was subtle, but definitely not local, nor as thick as up in the high mountains by Kumogakure. Weird, what was an Iwa nin doing in this part of the Administration Complex? Well, at the end of the day, his little trick to draw in people worked, mostly; just not the people he wanted showing up. Still, anything was better than nothing. How hadn't he noticed this guy walking up before he'd walked in? Was he just that focused on messing with people that he'd glossed over someone coming up the hallway? Weird.

"No, no. You're fine. Mostly. This isn't off limits, far as I know. Just unused." Let's not cause more headaches or himself before he needed to, yeah. "You're not from around here, eh? You lost, looking for someone, hm?" Act like an aide or something, maybe it'd be believable. Or just or the shiggles, really. There was no real hiding who he was once you got a solid look at him, after all; so trying otherwise, without spending chakra to transform anyway, was pointless. "You got a name, or do I need to be calling people?" Not even really a bluff, since he could just hit the panic button under the desk and the pure 'wtf' moment of that alarm going off in the ANBU and MP barrack would have half the village out in a heartbeat. It would actually be safer for anyone than him acting out, he'd flood and destroy most of the building with these tight quarters, although he could probably have a good fight with his non-clan taijutsu. Capoeira was good for open spaces, but he was agile enough to compensate for the tight spaces the furniture caused within the room and hallway. Still, he wouldn't if he could help it; and something about this male screamed peaceful intentions to him, so he was... willing to be peaceful in return.

WC: 400

1590+ 400 = 1990

The man spoke, and while his way of speaking was different, he seemed quite intelligent and yet relaxed. "Well, I was looking for information where I could find a great mentor. I'm a jounin of Iwagakure and one of the best there. However, I feel like I have stunted there and need some outside experience to continue growing as a shinobi." He didn't know what made him decide not to be snide to this guy, it just seemed like a bad idea. The man mentioned his name or calling attention to his presence. "I'm Satoshi Kanetsu of Iwagakure." He said respectfully, though he could help smiling at his own name. He was kind of full of himself. Even he could admit that.


"Now that you know my name, what is yours?" Seemed like a basic enough step in the conversation. Hopefully the guy replied in a kind way. He didn't really want to start a fight in a foreign village. Not that he couldn't hold his own for a few minutes, but he didn't want to chance fighting that many people. It was suicide. Caution was the best approach here and he meant to stick by it. He leaned against the door frame as he talked, hoping to show that he had no intentions of anything really. He just wanted information on a teacher. No hoops to jump through.

Word Count: 786

Kanetsu? Holyfuck, the lava release clan? Well, shit; that was definitely a reason to be on guard; not even for any reason that someone from that clan itself would cause problems more so than anyone else, but because of the sheer might of that Kekkei Genkai. Depending on how this male manifested it... he was likely the most dangerous person floating around the village, outside of say, Naota; in terms of pure destructive firepower.

Or himself, if he really wanted to make some days royally suck.

Given he wasn't in that level of pissed off temper at the moment...

Hmmm. To lie, or to be truthful. That was the question. If this kid knew anything about recent events, giving his proper name would cause some serious surprise and confusion; which all in all would be hilarious fun, especially if he flashed out using Quickstep or something that would make it look like he either vanished from existence, or knew how to use Flying Thunder God. Which he really wished he did, but as no Konoha ninja knew the secrets of that jutsu, nor had in what.... 300 years? Well, he was no Tobirama Senju, nor anything approaching Minato Namikaze. Those legends far outclassed him, and he doubted he'd ever be on that level. Still, the legends of the jutsu had given him the motivation for Quickstep and VoidStep, and eventually lead him into Air Skating, so in a way he'd done his part to bring back the glory of the old days, and improved a bit; what with being able to fly and all. He really should get around to teaching the kids how to do them, and maybe Amaya or Naota how to fly. Ooooh, maybe make a flying shocktrooper division to the MP or ANBU, or even one of the Sword Saints. Ah, fun times.

"Mentors are hard to find in these parts, nowadays. Not many Jounin willing to take students from within the village, let alone outsiders. Paranoia, you can understand. With everything that's happened over the last decade or so; what with how many Kage dead or missing? How many more Jounin killed, defected, or just vanished outright. Times are tough, and people tend to get... isolationist, when life hands them those kinds of cards. Me, I don't see the point, if we can find strength from outside as well as within, then better to not turn our backs on the chance. A proper teacher learns as much from a student as a student from the teacher, or so I believe."

He leaned back in his chair, throwing his feet up onto the desk and reclining in a habit that he'd never really broken; it was a sign of relaxation of course, but also one that spoke of someone that had no reason to be afraid of anything around him. Oh sure, Kenta was smart enough to understand that some level of fear and trepidation was needed to remain safe, but he was also sure of his own power, and he was pretty sure he could handle anything anyone in the village at the moment could throw at him. He was a water god after, or so he fancied himself, he was, again, no Tobirama Senju, but he was damn good with the element, and he was well on his way to getting on that level before shit went to hell. Maybe one day.

"Well, if nothing else, I wouldn't be against giving you a couple of hours of training. I have a policy, you see; about giving anyone that asks at least one lesson. Keeps me on my toes, you'd be surprised the things to see when you're willing to teach outside of the normal systems." He reached up above his head and pushed into a stretch, muscles pulling to the limit before releasing and eliciting a groan of mild relief from his chest; a sound that was more akin to what you'd get if a rumble and a purr had a baby then anything else. "Now, who am I to be offering my services as a teacher to another jounin? Even more so one from a clan that falls in line with the opposite base elements to what I personally use? Well, you could say I'm one of the reasons the village is still in as good a shape as it is; it's been ten years since I ran things around here and they're still coating on my success. I was a Hokage, once; might be again soon, given the Senju running shit has been missing for a while now, and the only people qualified for the job left aren't interested, or can't compete now that I'm home. But beyond that, most people know me as Kenta Inuzuka. Not that my name means much to most anymore, even more so to outsiders, but I think I was known outside of the village, at least enough to recognize the name to some degree."

WC: 844

844 + 1990 = 2834

The man spoke with a lot of knowledge of the people and workings of the village. Considering that and where they were currently, he had to be pretty high ranking. He spoke of paranoia and disappearing ninja. Satoshi knew all to well as the very thing happened to his best friend and former Tsuchikage. He thought back to the days of the Kanetsu, when Kazu ruled and things were good. Maybe he would change those things one day, but first he needed to get strong enough. He also mentioned that a teacher learned from a student, to which Satoshi nodded. As he finished, he adjusted his position to show his full comfort. "That same thing happened to my cousin and former Tsuchikage, Kazu Kanetsu. I understand completely, believe me." He said, letting it be known that Konoha was not the only village to hurt in recent years. Iwa had seen it's fair share of bad days.

The man mentioned being willing to train Satoshi, to which he nodded in response. He would take any help to get stronger, regardless of how much more powerful they were. The next statement really surprised Satoshi. He was talking to a former Hokage and had no freaking idea. The man's name was Kenta Inuzuka. Wait, was he talking about the same one that Satoshi had read on? He definitely knew of him, and that he was a good Hokage to his people. "Sorry, Lord Kenta, I had no idea you were a former Kage." Despite his arrogance and general rudeness, he believed in respect to people in leadership positions. A kage would certainly be strong enough to train him, and so he smiled slightly to show his happiness with the news. "I've got to say, I am excited. You see, while I do use lava, my own personal style is actually quicklime, or a type of liquid concrete. A former Tsuchikage actually used it, I might add. So in some ways, our villages are coming together for strength purposes after years of ignoring or disliking one another. I think this could be a good thing." He spoke honestly, as his years of being jounin had lead to the development of his diplomacy. A few years ago, and he would have already insulted this man at least five times.

As he thought about the current situation, he couldn't help but believe that this was his fate. How else would he have found a former kage to teach him, even if just once for a few hours. That was enough for major improvement in his book. Now he just needed to get the time and date of this session. That was, unless they planned to do it as soon as possible. He would ask about that after they were comfortable with each other.

Word Count: 1257

"Pffft, don't bother with decorum and shit. I really can't be assed to care about it, unless I have to. I couldn't ever stand those stupid meetings with all the idiotic pomp and ceremony. Stupid, waste of time. Better to be off attending to shit that matters, like feeding your people, or making sure your troops are payed and have useful equipment." It was his outlook on leadership, practicality over ceremony; food and medicine took people further than pretty words and stupid rules. However... this kid was a direct relative of a Tsuchikage? Well then, he must have some idea of what Kenta spoke of; the stupidity of 'high class', as many of the leaders fancied themselves. Stupid, arrogant. Not that Kenta wasn't arrogant, but his arrogance was usually justified.

"So you're a Quicklime Kanetsu. Scary, scary shit. I've seen Quicklime on the battlefield before, well, in Chunnin Exams anyway. Been lucky, myself; never had to fight that insanity. I mean, really; that stuff is just beautifully devastating. Almost scarier than my water; least how I use it anyway. There's a trick to my water, it's why I was able to get such a reputation so young. Well, that and being the youngest Kage in a few generations. Never was sure if that was a good or bad thing, really; that we had to make some scrawny Inuzuka halfbreed of dubious nationality Hokage, but it worked out okay, according to the books the people after my time wrote. History was fairly kind, a rare privilege for a Kage that vanished like I did."

He paused for a moment, his expression pensive, as if he was considering his next words. "You say you felt stunted in Iwagakure. From what I've heard the country has been thriving recently. What's got you block so hard, that you come to a village half a continent away to find a teacher. I'll confess, I don't have a great grasp on the relationship between the villages right now; but you should realize, when I left, Konoha and Iwa where one or two missteps from all out war. Now obviously things have changed, but to swing so radically that a Jounin of Iwa would come here... Call me curious. What's the situation at home that bore you to my doorstep, hm?" He shifted a bit, feet sliding across the empty desktop a bit. He loved his chair, but it had been a while, and his body wasn't settling in like it used to. It would take a few hours or days of actually using it again before he'd settle in properly. Temptation to steal it was high, just so he could ride it around the house for the shits and giggles. It was his, after all; but it was considered administrative property, so it would be technically stealing if he took it home right now. Meh, he really didn't care. He'd decide when he was ready to leave.

WC: 508

508 + 2834 = 3342

"Pffft, don't bother with decorum and shit. I really can't be assed to care about it, unless I have to. I couldn't ever stand those stupid meetings with all the idiotic pomp and ceremony. Stupid, waste of time. Better to be off attending to shit that matters, like feeding your people, or making sure your troops are payed and have useful equipment."

Satoshi couldn't help but like this guy. He had the same no nonsense attitude that Satoshi shared. He sounded wise and like a potentially great Kage. No wonder he got the hat. He would simply nod in agreement, as he couldn't have said it it better himself.

"So you're a Quicklime Kanetsu. Scary, scary shit. I've seen Quicklime on the battlefield before, well, in Chunnin Exams anyway. Been lucky, myself; never had to fight that insanity. I mean, really; that stuff is just beautifully devastating. Almost scarier than my water; least how I use it anyway. There's a trick to my water, it's why I was able to get such a reputation so young. Well, that and being the youngest Kage in a few generations. Never was sure if that was a good or bad thing, really; that we had to make some scrawny Inuzuka halfbreed of dubious nationality Hokage, but it worked out okay, according to the books the people after my time wrote. History was fairly kind, a rare privilege for a Kage that vanished like I did."

He smiled at the fact that he had seen the jutsu previously. Most people who had, remember it. "I appreciate it, and you're right. In the right hands, it can be overwhelming. Well, i've never heard anything but good thing about your time as Kage. Even in Iwa we hear of the tales of other villages and their Kage's." He spoke honestly as he recalled the few stories he heard. This guy was the real deal.

"You say you felt stunted in Iwagakure. From what I've heard the country has been thriving recently. What's got you block so hard, that you come to a village half a continent away to find a teacher. I'll confess, I don't have a great grasp on the relationship between the villages right now; but you should realize, when I left, Konoha and Iwa where one or two missteps from all out war. Now obviously things have changed, but to swing so radically that a Jounin of Iwa would come here... Call me curious. What's the situation at home that bore you to my doorstep, hm?"

This was the part he was waiting for, and he didn't blame the man for asking. "Well, between my cousin disappearing while being Kage, a more recent Kage has been shamed. This man did great things for the village, but simple politics make it tarnished. I just need to get away from it to find my center for training. Yes, the villages have had rough times in the past, but the only way to change that is to try. Plus, I don't consider anyone in my country more powerful than myself. The leaf village has power in abundance, so this was the obvious choice for a mentor." He continued to be completely honest, making sure to explain his thought process. He remained in his current position just relaxed and trying to find his way in a world that he wanted to try and change. He wanted longevity and consistency for the people of Iwa, and he hoped to provide it one day.

Word Count: 1,861
Learning Seijutsu D-Rank 1500/1500 Complete
Word Count Remaining: 361

Power in abundance? Maybe once, back in the golden days of his rule and before; when Jounin had to wait for years for a promotion because there where just so many qualified ninja and not enough positions to fill them, when the ANBU was fat with youthful power and grizzled wisdom, medics abounded and there where enough MPs to handle the balance between the ninja and civilian worlds. Back when the village was prosperous and full of life. One day, one day it would be again, if he was to have any say in the matter. One day soon.

"You would be right, a decade ago, maybe a little less. From what I've seen since I've returned home, the power of Konoha has waned; diminished under lackadaisical leadership and a series of rather... confusing events that I'm not entirely clear on myself. But what is here is a sleeping giant, you could say. There are some old faces, friends and family who's power is legendary that many know of, but they lay low now and avoid making waves on the political scene because they just can't be bothered by the bullshit going on anymore. New blood, powerful but untested, at least by me, or in any manner I can find information on without going to the 'ruling' council and outing myself as alive. Which, incidentally, they don't know. Fun fact, that." He didn't care about sharing that information, there wasn't much there that wasn't public knowledge, nor that couldn't be discerned just from the news floating around the world. It was safe to disclose, and therefore he felt nothing to do so. It was talk, but it was also important, in some ways. What those way where, well, he'd figure that out later, but something told him, deep in his gut, that they where.

"So knowing that, you'd still come here looking for ninja more powerful than you? Really, the last time I saw Iwagakure's powerbase it was... well, and I mean you no personal offense, it was pretty damn pathetic. That Tsuchikage of yours, if he even actually was... what was his name... Dengen? Something like that. He was just... wow. Just wow. Almost as bad as Yui, but that's a different story. She was pathetic for other reasons, not related to her physical abilities. But yes, as I said a while before, I'd be happy to give you at least a couple of hours of my time; maybe we can work out something beneficial to both of us. Not tonight, I have children, you see, Genin age, but still young, and my youngest daughter is a bit of a spitfire. Getting them into bed at a decent time with Temaki around is... fun, even with myself and Michizuka around. We could set a time for tomorrow, or really any day during your stay here."

WC: 500

500 + 3342 = 3842

"You would be right, a decade ago, maybe a little less. From what I've seen since I've returned home, the power of Konoha has waned; diminished under lackadaisical leadership and a series of rather... confusing events that I'm not entirely clear on myself. But what is here is a sleeping giant, you could say. There are some old faces, friends and family who's power is legendary that many know of, but they lay low now and avoid making waves on the political scene because they just can't be bothered by the bullshit going on anymore. New blood, powerful but untested, at least by me, or in any manner I can find information on without going to the 'ruling' council and outing myself as alive. Which, incidentally, they don't know. Fun fact, that."

Had Konoha dimished in power? If other villages knew that, it could make them a target. Not that he wanted to start a war, because that was the last thing on his mind. He couldn't help but think Konoha had something up it's sleeves for such a time. Wait...everyone thinks this guy is dead? A former Kage running around and village has no idea. Well that was odd, but he wouldn't judge. There were probably a Tsuchikage or five running around the world after their reign. He would make sure to keep this meeting to himself, at least until Kenta revealed herself as very much alive. "I'll be sure to keep the meeting here between the two of us. I don't want to get involved with any politics." He said being completely honest. He had avoided them at Iwa long enough, why would try to get involved in Konoha's?

"So knowing that, you'd still come here looking for ninja more powerful than you? Really, the last time I saw Iwagakure's powerbase it was... well, and I mean you no personal offense, it was pretty damn pathetic. That Tsuchikage of yours, if he even actually was... what was his name... Dengen? Something like that. He was just... wow. Just wow. Almost as bad as Yui, but that's a different story. She was pathetic for other reasons, not related to her physical abilities. But yes, as I said a while before, I'd be happy to give you at least a couple of hours of my time; maybe we can work out something beneficial to both of us. Not tonight, I have children, you see, Genin age, but still young, and my youngest daughter is a bit of a spitfire. Getting them into bed at a decent time with Temaki around is... fun, even with myself and Michizuka around. We could set a time for tomorrow, or really any day during your stay here."

"Wait, Dengen? That was quite some time ago, Kenta. Kazu and Tsuyo are among the great Kages in recent times. Both are quite powerful, but neither are the head of the village anymore. I'm tired of seeing wasted power in Iwagakure, as we have the potential for so much more than the others know." He decided honesty was the best policy here considering Kenta had been honest thus far. "I'm fine for tomorrow. Noon sound good as a meeting time? I'll let you set the place, considering I don't know the area enough to choose." He mentally smiled at the idea that Kenta had kids. He only wished Kazu had reproduced before he left, as those kids would be taken care of for the rest of their lives. However, he was left being the future of the Kanetsu, so he would rise to the occasion with the power that Kazu had once shown them. For now, he would settle for a quick training session with a former Kage. However, something told Satoshi that this training session would lead to something much bigger. He would just have to wait and see.

Current Word Count: 1,025
Thread Word Count: 2,525

The waif like figure that was Shizuka Houkyaku; had come a long way since being found, unconscious and bloodied at the borders of Konoha ga kure.
Back in those days, she was nothing short of a ghost. Pale, voiceless, an amnesiac floating between hospital beds and the shoe box like cabin tucked away in the back of the village. Other than the shinobi who had rescused her and a few select hospital staff, only three had even seen what remained of her face. But that was over a year ago now. Since then, there was a little more colour to the slight figure. Given time... (a lot of time) the creature had shown herself to be someone rather skilled at finding lost items and guiding missing people. And although some were nervous at how she would just...know things; they were not too frightened to return a smile whenever she found the voice to say 'hello'. These days however; things were much different. The sight of the blindfolded creature wandering around strange places were not so uncommon. And although most people simply ignored her and allowed her to pass on through, there were some that would kindly point her in the right direction so she could get to where she needed to go. 


This, was not one of those times.


It was clear that from the moment the chuunin woke up that day; things were going to be.... difficult. Niro, her pet bird had flown off to go exploring for the last few days and had yet to come back. There was no firewood left, she wad fresh out of fruit, milk and rice. And although there wasn't really much point to it, she wanted to get some more paper and ink. It was a chore, however, thankfully, the young female clearly remembered the way to the shops from here. So after navigating her way around her house three times in order to find the deep blue kimono, coin pouch and length of material she used as a blind fold; she headed out in to the bustling world of the outside. Towards the market district.... then through the edge of the surrounding forest... past the kage carved cliff side, around the hospital, towards the monument.... back through the forest, past the pub and.... it was the long, long way around but eventually Shizuka made her way in to the vaguely familiar building and ventured down the hallway.... only to be pulled up by a strange smell. 
A scent that didn't quite meet up with the usual musk that the market place gave off during this time of day. 


Ummm..... excuse me.
I... I don't think anyone is supposed to be here

The young female peeked around the open doorway, her voice a little more than a whisper. Her head swaying ever so slightly from one to the other as if she could almost see through the heavy coverings over her eyes. Her bare feet barely making a sound against the dusty wooden floors.

"I am almost certain that Mister Fuyuhana does not like people in his store when he is away. P....please step outside and wait till he returns. There... there is enough food to go around if you be patient"

With a steadying breath and a polite smile she too stepped inside the room and stood by the doorway, one hand gesturing towards the exit while the other rested against the wall, absecently drawing lines in attempt to steady the nerves that grew within her stomach and chest. 
These people they didn't carry the heavy scent of mulch and bark like most others did and at least one of their voices was foreign. For all she knew they were here to rob the man blind and could just run up and stab her and she would be none the wiser. Still something deep down, a soft little voice said that it was going to be okay. So the young female would stand there silently... patiently... waiting for the strangers to leave. So when the shop owner came back and saw her protecting his store, he would be grateful enough to give her maybe the apples for free. 
Yeah, it would be great. So with that renewed confidence clinging to the curve of her smile, she stood up tall and looked to them again. 

"So... what are you both doing here?" 

------
Words: 750

"I am almost certain that Mister Fuyuhana does not like people in his store when he is away. P....please step outside and wait till he returns. There... there is enough food to go around if you be patient. ... So... what are you both doing here?"

Well, more people. A child this time, tiny little thing smelling faintly of hospital and the village at large, but not the heart of the village, out near the edge of the forests and such. He didn't recognize her at all, and something about her seemed like she wasn't from the area, but had been in it for a while; a quirk of her voice, maybe? His hearing was strong enough to pick up the minor tweaks and changes that gave each voice a personal flare; there was something there, but he couldn't quiet figure it out. Hell, he could be wrong on that, it could just be that the child was taught a slightly different version of the dialect spoken within Konoha's borders; the people down at the port sport slightly differently, the forest peoples did as well. Growing up in the city gave you a cadence to your spoke vernacular that made you sound different to the rest of the country.

"You seem to be lost, child. Are you looking for the market, hm?" He was almost sure he recognized the name she'd given, one of the market vendors that was rather well known. She was... not that far off really. One or two missed turns, a moment of confusion... he could see the disconnect between where she thought she was and where she actually was. That was to say, if the wrappings around her eyes actually denoted blindness, versus just a ninja working on sensory deprivation training. He'd done it a few times in his life, he'd bandage his eyes and spar with Naota to work on his hearing and tactile reflexes, allow Amaya to use her medical abilities to temporarily remove his ability to use a random sense so that he could adjust to disability on the fly.

"Wait, Dengen? That was quite some time ago, Kenta. Kazu and Tsuyo are among the great Kages in recent times. Both are quite powerful, but neither are the head of the village anymore. I'm tired of seeing wasted power in Iwagakure, as we have the potential for so much more than the others know."

Dengen was that old now, eh? Sounds about right, shit he was looking at what... four successors in the same timeframe? Yeah, right about that, so finding out that Dengen was that far removed... Oh well. Something about the name Kazu rung a bell deep in his mind, and he couldn't figure out why. Maybe he'd heard the ghost of a whisper about the man once... maybe. "Fair enough. Given what I saw of Dengen, I was almost praying that Iwagakure was better than that. Knowing that they are is... pleasing, even if I've never had the best opinion of the country itself. However, I'm not to proud to understand or admit that my opinions are highly outdated, so I would rather them be changed by a good, solid influence from a proper representative of the bloodlines of the country. Noon tomorrow, then. There is a special training ground that only Jounin are allowed to use, it's behind the normal training areas that everyone should have access too. Just meet me there, and we'll see how a bit of training turns out, hm?"

WC: 600

600 + 3842 = 4442

Satoshi would look as a girl approached. She was blind, or so the cloth over her eyes suggested. He remained in his position, making no move to suggest hostility. She then spoke, albeit with little confidence.

"I am almost certain that Mister Fuyuhana does not like people in his store when he is away. P....please step outside and wait till he returns. There... there is enough food to go around if you be patient. So... what are you both doing here?"

The last sentence had a bit more strength behind it. She was obviously mistaken as to where she was, and usually he would bluntly state so. However, he was in a foreign ninja in front of a former Kage, so his usual manner would be rude, despite him not meaning it to be. Luckily Kenta spoke up  to help the girl out.

"You seem to be lost, child. Are you looking for the market, hm?"

He decided it was best to stay silent for the moment, unless she addressed him directly. She didn't look that old, and couldn't be more than a special jounin judging from her stance. He wondered what her name was and what kind of life she lived with her condition. To ask would be rude, but he couldn't help but imagine she would be better off with a friend to help in these situations. Once she realized her error, he would make sure to offer a helping hand. It didn't hurt to make friends, even if it wasn't his first instinct usually. Kenta then continued their earlier conversation.

"Fair enough. Given what I saw of Dengen, I was almost praying that Iwagakure was better than that. Knowing that they are is... pleasing, even if I've never had the best opinion of the country itself. However, I'm not to proud to understand or admit that my opinions are highly outdated, so I would rather them be changed by a good, solid influence from a proper representative of the bloodlines of the country. Noon tomorrow, then. There is a special training ground that only Jounin are allowed to use, it's behind the normal training areas that everyone should have access too. Just meet me there, and we'll see how a bit of training turns out, hm?"

He couldn't help but smile with a nod of thanks. To be able to improve relations with Konoha was just icing on the cake. "Sounds good to me, thanks by the way. I hope I can improve your opinion of Iwagakure." He said politely. Konohagakure was getting better by the minute.

Current Word Count: 441 + 1,025 = 1,466
Thread Word Count: 2,966

This part had always come easily to her: Just taking that slow deep steadying breath. Drawing in that precious oxygen to mingle with the chakra lingering in her chest. Her lungs. Her blood; before releasing it slowly and subtly in to the air around them: It was so effortlessly flawless that by the time that the female had taken two steps in to the room, the ripple of chakra that swept the area in the lightest of breezes would have passed over the two elder shinobi and returned to her, giving her a precise layout of the room. It was such a simple and quite basic technique, however, it was more than enough to cause the the younger female's expression to suddenly drop in to a slightly confused and mostly disappointed frown. Because now, a new problem had occured. If this wasn't the market... then where the hell, was she?
 
As the two spoke of names she vaguely remembered in a context she knew nothing about, the female started to slowly process what she was feeling around her. The layout of the furniture, the size of the room, who was in it and the smell.... Oh yes. This place that she had wandered in to; it was dusty like the old pub was and it had that homely well lived in feel.... but it didn't carry the same musky scent of alcohol and tobacco that she often associated with that particular location with. Actually, now that she thought about it the room had a strong....canine? scent to it. 
From there it was a process of elimination. It was not the hospital, and she was definitely inside so she couldn't be anywhere near the monuments or the forest or..... the colour in her cheeks went from near porcelain white to a rosy scarlet as realization set in. Somewhere between the houses and a memorial; she had taken a wrong turn and was in the administration building. But not in the part that was available to those who were looking to take on missions. No, this was the part that had been closed off since one of the former Hokage's had disappeared and been presumed most likely dead. Which meant that they were not where they were supposed to be. She was. 

So much for making a good impression.

"Wait a minute...." the female suddenly questioned, putting the train of self doubt to the side for now as she took yet another step towards the two. This time subconsciously smelling the air around them. 
"....You still shouldn't be in here. This is the Hokage's office (at least I'm pretty sure it is), and not Sousetsu's either. His office his back down the hall. This room was Hokage Kenta Inu....."
Inuzuka. That was the dog clan, wasn't it? And this room... the door. Another pause. Another another shift in expression. As the young kunoichi recalled their current topic of conversation, yet another piece fell in to place and the blushing tinge of her cheeks deepened a few shades more. 
"But.... how.... when? You were supposed to be.... oh my goodness. My sincerest apologies for barging in here and interrupting your conversation. I was indeed heading towards the market but it seems that I may have made a wrong turn and uh.... ended up here. My... my sense of direction is.... well. I'm really sorry for speaking to you in such a manner and...I'm really sorry sir's. Please forgive me" 

Flustered:.... That was one way to describe how the Houkyaku was feeling right now. Flustered, devastated and most certainly distraught. 
Ever since she had managed the courage to get up and start exploring, Shizuka had just assumed that it would only be a matter of time before she could find her way around on her own. But of course it wasn't that simple. Whether she borrowed the eyes of someone or used the bird perched on her shoulder to see the roads she was taking. Shizuka couldn't read any of the signs. And it wasn't like there were people just standing out side her door ready to chaperone her every time she left the house. 
That would be terribly demeaning not to mention embarrassing. 
Perhaps this was what it meant to be caught between a rock and a hard place. 

"Ummm..... excuse me for asking but.... how far am I away from the market district? If you point me in the direction I should....should be okay"

------
Words: 774

Jutsu Used:

Ah, the wonders of watching realization hit. It always fascinated him in a way, reconciling his mental image of who he was in relation to who people believe he was gave him a sort of disassociation with himself that never really changed; his own mental image of himself was as that same cockney, douchebag kid that had too much to prove and too little time to do it; whereas most saw him as this towering figure of power and pride for a village that was only arguably his; depending on which side of the debate on his birth you fell. Or, you where like the daimyo and shit and saw him a disobedient tool with science experiment kids that was never more than barely acting with just enough thought toward the sanctity of the Fire Country to be allowed to walk free. Fun times, his life.

"Peace, young one. You don't need to be worried, no one's going to call the guards on you. Given they don't even know I exist yet, well, that wouldn't work for any of us. More so for our outlander friend here, as that's an international incident that doesn't need to happen just because some random Jounin got ballsy and tried to worm a promotion out of someone for catching a quote unquote spy." Which is sadly what would likely happen, unless it was someone like say, Rippa that came running if the alert was sounded. He didn't know the man well, but he was fairly sure that he was above that life by now, he was a distinguished Captain of a powerful group of ninja that was on par with the Seven Swordsmen of Kiri; so there was no reason to play the promotion game anymore. It wouldn't get him Hokage to do it, so there was nothing to be gained. "We where just about done here, honestly. It might be best for you if you just come with us, as the guards would be waking up for rotations fairly soon, and even the very accurate reasoning of being lost wouldn't save you from getting in trouble if they spot you. There are more ways out of here than just the hallway, many that no one outside of myself know about, or could access. Satoshi, you may want to follow me as well. You might have clearance to be in the area, but I highly doubt anyone is giving permission for outlanders to be on the Kage floor right now. Not unless there's someone pretending to be Sousetsu right now, anyway. Or things have just changed that much."

WC: 444

444 + 4442 = 4886

"Wait a minute........You still shouldn't be in here. This is the Hokage's office (at least I'm pretty sure it is), and not Sousetsu's either. His office his back down the hall. This room was Hokage Kenta Inu.....But.... how.... when? You were supposed to be.... oh my goodness. My sincerest apologies for barging in here and interrupting your conversation. I was indeed heading towards the market but it seems that I may have made a wrong turn and uh.... ended up here. My... my sense of direction is.... well. I'm really sorry for speaking to you in such a manner and...I'm really sorry sir's. Please forgive me"

Satoshi could help but speak at this point. The poor girl was obviously embarrassed, but there was no need. Neither of the seasoned ninja would judge someone over a simple mistake. "No need to apologize, you were simply mistaken." He would speak politely to the girl. She was showing nothing but respect, and that was rare in a younger shinobi now a days. She would continue to speak.

"Ummm..... excuse me for asking but.... how far am I away from the market district? If you point me in the direction I should....should be okay"

He was about to offer his hand in helping her get there. He didn't mind and he had nothing to do until tomorrow. However, Kenta spoke up first, making Satoshi smile.

"Peace, young one. You don't need to be worried, no one's going to call the guards on you. Given they don't even know I exist yet, well, that wouldn't work for any of us. More so for our outlander friend here, as that's an international incident that doesn't need to happen just because some random Jounin got ballsy and tried to worm a promotion out of someone for catching a quote unquote spy."

Indeed. Satoshi couldn't agree more. "He's right, it's best that people didn't know I dropped by, they might not take it the right way. I'm obviously not hostile, but some people are more paranoid than Kenta." He spoke honestly, know how the politics of a country went. Ever since being dubbed head of the Kanetsu clan, he had known plenty of politics.

"We where just about done here, honestly. It might be best for you if you just come with us, as the guards would be waking up for rotations fairly soon, and even the very accurate reasoning of being lost wouldn't save you from getting in trouble if they spot you. There are more ways out of here than just the hallway, many that no one outside of myself know about, or could access. Satoshi, you may want to follow me as well. You might have clearance to be in the area, but I highly doubt anyone is giving permission for outlanders to be on the Kage floor right now. Not unless there's someone pretending to be Sousetsu right now, anyway. Or things have just changed that much."

Kenta once again was being helpful as he nodded in response. He was obviously trustworthy and smart as a whip. He didn't want to get on this guy's bad side, that was for sure. "Thanks Kenta. I'm more than happy to follow your lead. I have nothing to do with the rest of my day." He spoke honestly again, knowing that anything said here would not be public knowledge. The girl seemed nice enough, so he was among friends it seemed.

Current Word Count: 602 + 1,466 =2,068
Thread Word Count: 3586

Note:

"He's right, it's best that people didn't know I dropped by, they might not take it the right way. I'm obviously not hostile, but some people are more paranoid than Kenta. ... Thanks Kenta. I'm more than happy to follow your lead. I have nothing to do with the rest of my day."

"Man has a point, there. Paranoia seems to the hallmark of the times in this part of the world, sad as that is. Although it hasn't gotten too out of hand, but being in a place like this... yeah. No amount of words will stop the ANBU from coming after us. Speaking of which..." Yeah, his ears where burning. He could /smell/ the movement of the ninja trying to surround this place. It seemed someone finally raised an alarm over the light being on, and people moving around within his office; so it was going to be a circus in the general vicinity in a few moments. Well, that was not what he had in mind. He didn't have to worry about people getting into his office, the instant he left the doors would snap shut and block them out, so that wasn't an issue. It was making sure they where long gone before that moment.

"Don't take this the wrong way, I'm not going to hurt either of you... but we need to move. And I am by far the fastest person here, soooo..." Without even bother to activate any of his movement jutsu he was up and moving, flashing around the room in a burst of golden wind. He moved for the youngest first, the girl would be easier to pick up yes, but also easier to maneuver into a stable carry hold. He highly doubted that she could handle moving at the kind of speeds that he or Satoshi could move, so he was just going to keep her safe by making sure that she was being carried in a way that she couldn't be hurt. With that in mind, he moved to her and was lifting her onto his shoulder in the amount of time it would take for even Satoshi to realize he'd moved at all, let alone crossed the room and picked Shizuka up and into a fireman's deadlift. He had her settled like a sandbag across his left shoulder in that time frame, and was back to standing behind his desk in roughly the same interval of time. He was reaching for Satoshi's arm, aiming to pull the other male with him, as he could rightfully expect the man's body to better handle the stresses of the accelerations without as many issues, so he was less worried about ripping an arm off or somesuch by forcibly leading him out of the office.

"Hang on, this'll be a ride.~" With that said, he was using angular momentum to have Satoshi's body clearing the furniture as he accelerated them all out the door and through the window across the hall; the force of the movement enough to have them soaring over rooftops and to freedom so fast that no one would be able to catch them.

The didn't call him the second coming of Konoha's Yellow Flash for nothing.

-EXIT-

WC: 557

557 + 4886 = 5443

5443/5350 B2-A3 Perception

"Man has a point, there. Paranoia seems to the hallmark of the times in this part of the world, sad as that is. Although it hasn't gotten too out of hand, but being in a place like this... yeah. No amount of words will stop the ANBU from coming after us. Speaking of which..."

As Kenta spoke, Satoshi felt himself nodding in agreement. What the former Kage said was true, no amount of excuses would allow him freedom should he be caught. The last part caught Satoshi's attention as he stopped leaning on the wall. He needed to be on both feet if a fast exit was in the cards. It seemed Kenta was already thinking of an escape plan. Anything to get him away from the many high level shinobi about to burst in. He was confident, but not a fool.

"Don't take this the wrong way, I'm not going to hurt either of you... but we need to move. And I am by far the fastest person here, soooo..."

Wait what? In what seemed like a half a second, the kage had moved to the girl and literally picked her up. In the same amount of time, He was back in his previous position with her over his shoulder. Satoshi had to blink a few times as he gathered how fast the man was moving. Almost instantly after, Kenta was beside him, grabbing for his arm. Satoshi immediately complied, allowing him full directional control of the situation. It was weird for him to submit like that, but he didn't have a choice.

"Hang on, this'll be a ride.~"

He was moving at insane speeds, even with a passenger and dragging someone with him. Satoshi had to give it everything he had to avoid a mistake while trying to keep some kind of pace. Soon after, that didn't matter. Across the hall and out a window they went. "This is awesome!" He barely got out as they flew through the air, his hand still being led by Kenta. Satoshi was now so excited about his training that he was actually grinning, a rare sight for him. Then, they were out of sight.

[Exit Thread]

Word Count: 370 + 2,068 = 2,438
Strength D -> D-1 = 325/325
Strength D-1 -> D-2 = 400/400
Strength D-2 -> D-3 = 450/450
Strength D-3 -> C = 525/525
Endurance D -> D-1 = 325/325
Perception E -> E-1 = 75/75
Perception E-1 -> E-2 = 150/150
Remaining Words: 188
Thread Word Count: 3956