Gate Duty:

Recruit Ronin:

Anon was in the kage's manse, in an office just after the entrance hall, being handed two scrolls with his missions on them. One was detailing gate duty, which was rather easy, he just had to sit around at the village gate and ask for the papers of anyone coming or going, make sure they weren't going to be a danger to anyone inside or outside the village and ensure they had the proper authority to enter or leave. It was pretty simple and if anything else, pretty boring. Who would want to spend their free time standing around at the village gates, checking papers and orders and waiting around? He was to be given a remote radio to call for back up if anyone made any fuss about what was going on, but other than that, his gear was not needed for this mission. He wasn't sure about the second but the Jounin behind the desk assured him it was the case with that one as well.

His second mission was to try to convince a wandering ninja to join the village hidden in the sand. It was more of a diplomat's mission but they were assuring him that anyone could do this sort of thing and that it would be quite the boon if he could convince more ninja to come to their side so that they would have ample protection for the village in case anything went awry. That wasn't exactly the most likely thing to happen, but it was a good idea to strengthen and bolster defenses that they did have and add to the man power. Though it would be quite hard to convince any old wandering ninja that their life of freedom and vagrancy was less appealing than staying in a village surrounded entirely by deserts, sand storms, and more deserts. There were few oases here and there but for the most part it was a wasteland all around their village. Anon could certainly try though.

Taking the radio with and signing the two scrolls to leave with the jounin, he left the kage's manse to begin his shift as a gate guard, and to keep on the look out for any wandering ninja coming through the gate. With luck he could just possibly meet a ronin or two that wanted a new home. But he was never that lucky. He didn't know if anyone else had actually had any success on this mission, but if they had that meant there was at least a tiny fraction of hope for Anon.  That is, at least what would be the case if there were still some ronin wandering. Which is what he hoped for as he made his way through the village, no longer bustling. It was past mid day and began to drip into the early evening, so there were less people around the village out and about but still a healthy influx of people apparently entering and leaving the village. It would be to his discretion who would leave or not soon and he wasn't too excited. With a sigh he mentally prepared himself for the hours of standing in one spot, checking ids and papers.

It would be a few more minutes before the young shinobi, now gate keeper and diplomat apparently, would reach the gate to relieve the ninja before him. The man looked relieved to be getting rotated out and once Anon stood in place to begin checking papers, the man ran off to presumably go home and go to sleep. It must have been a long day for the last guard to want to rush home so quickly, but Anon paid it no mind. His shift was just starting and he had to be calm and focused to keep track of everyone coming in and out. His counterpart hadn't given him the clip board used to track the comings and goings of people through the gates so Anon had to pick it up off of the ground along with a pen to begin making note of everyone he'd seen through the gates. So far that list was rather empty, but Anon suspected that in no time at all it would become full of the many various people that were known to circulate the different lands and come through Sunagakure no sato.

Sure enough, after a few minutes, the first group of ninja arrived at the gates, looking to re-enter after having completed missions, scouting, or just training. One by one, they showed their papers to Anon. And one by one, they were logged coming in, their names and times of return written on his logs. Each of the group of what seemed to be ten ninja were from Sunagakure no Sato, so Anon couldn't exactly try convincing any of them to join the village. He tried to keep his hopes up about completing his second mission, but he wouldn't hold his breath for something so circumstantial. Still, stranger things had happened.  His attention went back to his duties as noticeably young shinobi, a pair of them, approached his position at the gate. One was standing in the back, looking sheepish, and the other seemed head strong, and determined. Anon looked down at them expectantly for their papers.

"Well, we figured we were just gonna go right outside the gate. Just a few minutes to gather some herbs. Then right back in. Come on!"

Silently, Anon grabbed two request forms and handed them to the headstrong kid, then waved them away. He didn't want to be the mean official, but he couldn't put his neck on the line in case these two were lying about their reasons for leaving. With a sigh, Anon marked them on the records, but as he didn't know their names, he gave brief descriptions of both so that it would be reported, otherwise it'd be a new problem.

Mission WC: 1,000/2,000

Pain...

Everything hurt.

It hurt to breath.

It hurt to think.

It hurt to move.

But that is exactly what he did. His fingers flexed in the dirt of the forest floor as the body lay sprawled out upon it. Several other bodies lay strewn around him, or slumped up against trees. He could only see them because of the light of the dying campfire illuminated them – the eerie orange glow painting them into a ghastly tapestry. Despite the number of bodies, only his drew breath. Only his body ached with the pains of being alive, the painful throb that each thought brought with it as it passed through his mind.

You have to move, Chylde. Get up.

There it was again, that voice that spoke to him. The same voice that he remembered, the voice that 'woke' him from his slumber.

More will be coming, Chylde.

He had to move. That voice had yet to be wrong in anything it told him; it had told him he would find this location, and that it would be scarcely guarded. He'd acted upon the impulse, but found himself surrounded by several people, each armed and looking to harm him. The resulting fight had been messy, to say the least; bodies were strewn in places, ripped apart as if pulled in two by horses. One poor woman, the last person to fall, was skinned alive – her flesh grabbed and ripped from her body while she kicked and screamed in the monster's hands. But he remembered none of this – no, his mind hurt too much to remember much of that. Their screams had pushed all rationality from his mind, leaving only a monster hidden in human flesh behind. When the screaming stopped, slowly the mind returned, like a timid animal peering its head out of the burrow it hid in when it sensed danger.

Get up!

Another thought, another shot of pain through his skull. With a groan, the male began to flex his limbs and digits once more. As he began to attempt to sit his seven foot four frame up, he came to realize just why his chest was hurting when he drew breath; there were several slashes and cuts upon it were still bleeding, as well as three shuriken embedded in in his left side. The did not seem to have hit anything vital, but they did bleed as he removed them with his right hand. He would have used his done it with his left hand, but the kunai that was protruding from his palm was making that rather difficult; a sharp tug, and a scream of pain later and the Kunai was free. The bleeding grew more intense with the kunai free, and the male had nothing on hand really to stop the bleeding. Unless...

Cloth was ripped from the dead bodies to form a dressing. The Kunai was heated until it glowed in the fire, then pressed to the wound to cauterize and close it. Once the cloth was wrapped and secured as best he could on his had, the male looked around. There were supplies here; food items that he could take with him to keep himself from going hungry. He did not care that he was looting the dead – if they valued their lives, they would have just given him their stuff when he asked, he would not have to given them death in the manner that he did.

It was truly better to give than to receive.

But it was fine to him. Now that he was calm, he did not mind killing. He simply viewed their deaths as a matter of necessity – it was either going to be him, or them, and obviously, he was still standing. Speaking of standing, one he gathered what supplies he felt he would need, he would begin to walk, not particularly caring or noticing what direction he was heading in. Something told him that the metal head bands each person he killed was wearing meant something – they were all identical, so the male assumed they were part of some organization. He had no clue if it consisted of just them, or if there were more of them, but he did not want to chance it...

“You seem awfully wounded, mister.”

In a moment, the monster paused his stride mid-step; there was a child before him, seemingly have popped out of thin air.

A child that spoke to him.

Was this a trick? Was it an attempt to stop him, distract him so that someone could take his hard 'earned' gains? To put another knife into him? Another shuriken? Maybe something even worse?

A bigger knife? A bigger shuriken?

No. No.

He watched the child warily, taking a moment to carefully think on his choice of words. Each word was spoken in a child like manner, save for the last one, which held the undertones of sarcasm. A light smile tugged at the monster's face as he dropped the bag that contained his stolen goods upon the ground. Those violet eyes peered at the child through the hair that fell over his face, taking note of his diminutive size comparable to the monster's own. His head tipped to the right, carefully considering his response and reaction to this child. The devious mind began to turn its gears, imagining out the child's death; perhaps Kijin would open him like a book, each slice of flesh a page in a novel written on the subject of pain and suffering. Blood would be ink, his organs and bone be the bindings of the pages. A delicious idea; the monster actually took a step towards the child in order to begin acting this idea out.

“My injuries are none of your concern, child. But tell me... what is your name, child? I would like to know what needs to written upon your tombstone.” The smile was back, that delicious, wicked smile. The tongue snaked between the parted lips, licking away at a drop of blood that dripped near his mouth. If the voices did not want him to harm this child, then there was nothing against making afraid, no? He was curious as to how this child would respond to the 'threat', if he even were to perceive it as such; many would, but this child knew nothing of those whom spoke to Kijin. Those terrible voices that stroked the madness that crept through his veins alongside and betwixt his blood; the song that lulled him to sleep, that woke him in the morning and drove to treat the people around him like toys, pieces of a deranged game that none knew they played in his presence.

No one else could know, no one else could comprehend it. Unbeknownst to Kijin, it was his clan before death that focused so much on the art of casting illusions, or Genjutsu. Their minds didn't not work the same as most people -- their view of the world was askew, a bit off center, and they loved it. A mind that could not be understood that operated a body that contained a soul that was born of fury. It was a most interesting combination that made Kijin an unpredictable person to be around.

“A tombstone is all you will get. This body of mine will never be buried six feet beneath the ground by the likes of you.”

Kijin could not help but chuckle at this child's boldness. This child had balls as big as church bells, and made of brass, it would seem. He was brave, doubt about this, but bravery would only carry him so far in this world.

“I would like to know the name of the person that is aiming to kill me, however. I will never forget it, even long after your death “

Oh? The Unspeakable Horror grinned even more now, head tipping again as the he took another step towards the child. The child thought of him as wanting to kill him? Good, good.

Trust no one. Chylde.

Kijin spoke again, staring at the child before as if looking through him. The expression on his face was that of amusement, as if he were remembering the funniest joke in the universe, but could not quite remember the punch line. Perhaps this child was the punch line? Perhaps not. Either way, it was amusing as hell to him.

“You ask the wrong question, child. I do not aim to kill you; more so to the point, you interest me.” A straight answer, something rare from his kind, but it was the truth. He could not help but be curious as to why the voices he heard specifically told him not to harm this child. There had to be something special about him, something worth seeing. “If you wish to try your question again, please, by all means.”

He would and could continue to amuse himself for hours on end with this child; toying with him through word play and the like. It was the most amusing game that one could play with another individual...

"I have a feeling you are not going to introduce yourself, I might as well introduce myself.”

Oh, but Kijin was more than happy to introduce himself, but this child did not ask the correct question. He had previously asked Kijin for the name of the person who was aiming to kill him; this was information that Kijin could not provide, since Kijin was not aiming to kill the child like he assumed. Not that Kijin could blame him for assuming as such, as it was Kijin's intention to be confusing with word play. But for this child, Kijin could imagine him to be a source of great entertainment for some time.

“Ikari Soneho is the name. You did not introduce yourself previously, either. So it is only natural that now, you do the same. “

Ah, now he was playing correctly, and asking the correct questions and making the correct requests. He wanted to know Kijin's name, then fine. At that moment, he had no inkling of an idea of the history and legacy of this child's name, nor did he care. He only know the Soneho clan to be summarily as this child that stood before him, and it satisfied him. He would be told the larger male's name, since he asked ever so nicely. The larger male's lips curled back, revealing teeth that seemed to be a bit too sharp for a normal man, in a wide grin. He was about to part his lips and address the child's concerns as to his identity, but then the child opened his mouth and bumped his gums together again, tongue twisting and moving within its home to formulate yet another question for the Unspeakable Horror to answer.

“Other than that, what is a man like you doing here? With those wounds, at all. They look pretty fresh.”

Again with the concern for his wounds? For a rude child, he seemed to have a bleeding heart – perhaps this was something that could be exploited at a later date when the time was right. For the moment, the larger male did not respond; instead his right hand moved, with his left index finger extended. Said digit would find the wound that once contained the kunai and disappeared into the bleeding orifice, a soft sigh escaping from betwixt his lips as his fingertip curled within and tugged on the edge, stretching the wound another half inch across to the sound of flesh ripping and another sign of pleasure from the Unspeakable Horror. The entire time that Kijin did this, he stared directly at this child, his gaze never wavering. Those violet eyes would lock with those of the child if possible, as if searching his mind for something. After all, the eyes were the windows to the soul.

After freeing his finger with a wet sound, the male would move the blood-stained digit to his mouth, licking the vitae from it before he began to respond to the child's question. “These wounds...? They are scratches from a desperate animal, one fighting to keep his own life.” Eyebrows would raise, that too sharp grin spreading wider like a Cheshire Cat who found a new toy to torment. He would not tell this child that the animal that inflicted them upon Kijin was another persona – he did not lie to the child, but rather neglected to give him to the full story. Man was just another animal in the world, after all. “But as for my name, it is Kijin. Unfortunatly, I do not know my last name, nor anything before this time yesterday...”

Why did he reveal this to the child? Why reveal a weakness to someone who could potentially be an enemy? Simple; to lower their guard, to make them believe they possessed the upper hand, to make them feel as if they were in control. That way, if and when the tables had to turn, Kijin would be the last person suspected.

That is right, Chylde. Keep them from suspecting you, keep them guessing. Never reveal your true hand; never show your full power. Play the part of the poor, pitiful lunatic. Keep them guessing.

“As for me being here, well... I was just passing through the area. That is, until I was attacked by that pack of animals. Now that I've taken care of them, I suppose that I can continue on...”

The larger male would shift his body some, bending over to retrieve the sag of supplies that he'd 'won' and lifting them to his shoulder, despite the wounds on his torso. “Do you have any more questions, Ikari of the Soneho clan, or shall I be on my way?”

"Your behavior has made a slight adjustment since a few moments ago. You were the silent type and intimidating, yet now you share with me the information that you don’t know your last name. Let alone the fact that you, what I assume, are black outs. Perhaps.. Did the warmth of an innocent child such as myself open up your heart, old man?”

At that point, something clicked within the mind of the monster, and the world tilted slightly. A sense of realization flooded his mind, and the voices spoke to him again.

Pay the apparition no mind, Chylde. The child is not real.

What..? His mind was playing tricks upon him once again? As the body halted, the eyes blinked and the mind of the monster cleared itself. With the bit of clarity he gained, came the vanishing of the small child. The monster frowned and growled in a frustrated manner, turning away and continuing down his path. He had to stop falling in these mental traps, and get to where he was going. To where he was going, he had no clue. But he would take his time, and make no haste to reach his destination.  He would arrive there when ever he did. He would not be late, nor would he be early.

He would arrive precisely when he wanted.

For hours, the monster walked through the darkness of the forest until it gave way to grasslands. Through this, he would continue moving on, even as the sun rose up over the grasslands, as they themselves gave way to the burning sands. Through the motions, through the journey the male noticed none of it. He moved in his chosen direction without faltering. In the distance he could see a large wall.. something... and what appeared to be a gate. Where.... just where was he?

Was this another apparition? Another trick? Time would tell...

2621 wc

Anon continued his checks, making sure that the people coming and going were allowed to do so. There still wasn't much that he could do in this position or to alleviate his boredom but he stuck with the mission. He couldn't do much else, he was already on it. There were times though, that no one was coming through the gates and as such Anon had the time to space out and think back on his days through the academy, but mostly he thought of the days he spent in the village after first arriving. How everything had happened and led up to him finding his own place.  A lot had happened in those last few years and it dawned on Anon that he hadn't actually done much with his time in Sunagakure no Sato. He'd mostly grown an apathetic view on things, stayed angry at his clan, and laid around doing nothing. It wasn't up until recently that Anon had started taking missions to earn money and make his place in the world. He figured the more missions he did, the more his Kage would see to it that he deserved to become a Chuunin and continue on moving up in the ranks. That's why he was out here dying of boredom.  He was doing his best to make it through any mission that came his way and he wanted to become the strongest ninja in the village.

Time went on and Anon stayed at the gate, watching for anyone who wasn't supposed to be coming or going and eventually he made his way outside the gate to watch for more people once his shift change came. He was going to help out still and make sure no one else needed anything before he left. It was dawn now and less ninja were coming or going but there were still a good amount that were moving through the gates on missions and such, apparently Anon staying was a good idea though because upon double checking some of the people leaving he found that they didn't have proper clearance.  He made a mental note to chastise the other ninja later and sent the ne'er do wells back in to fetch the proper papers. Those that complained or refused, he grabbed his radio and let the ninja on the other end know what was going on. They promptly came and escorted the trouble makers back into the village, towards the kage manse. Bit of a dick move, but nothing that wasn't asked of Anon to do when he saw trouble.

It was now morning and the sun was high in the sky, and Anon looked out to the sand dunes, watching the people flock towards his village. He was getting tired now and still hadn't seen a single Ronin looking for a village to join or just a ronin in general. He was losing hope in his second mission and pushed it from his mind as he checked papers and let people through. He had decided to stay over hoping for ronin to come and nothing had changed, no one had came that was a ronin. It was his fault he stayed over but he was hoping he would have at least met one other ninja. Once the last group cleared out he was ready to go home and sleep after turning in his gate mission. With a stretch and a yawn he began to turn back towards the gate, waiting for it to open. With a final look back, he was ready to go back. Until he saw a figure coming towards the gates in the distance. It was impossible to tell any specifics at this distance but it looked to be that they were coming closer and closer. Could they be coming to the village? It was possible and it was enough reason for Anon to stay at the gate and wait, this was his last chance to meet a ronin to encourage them to join the village. If there was even any chance of him being able to convince this ninja then he was going to take it. On the other hand, he didn't actually know if this ninja was a ronin or not. For all he knew it could be another Sunagakure no Sato ninja heading home from a strenuous mission. This dampened his spirits a bit, but not completely. As he waited, another ninja came out to him and began a conversation.

"Thought you were coming in, Anon?  Still got something else to do or do you just love standing outside of this gate so much?"

The older ninja laughed, patting Anon on the shoulder. He was a special jounin, here only to oversee the gate duty and make sure that nothing violent happened to the young ninja performing the duty associated with guarding and checking papers at said gates. He was a stout man, about Anon's height but a bit rounder than he, with a black and grey goatee upon his chin. Anon thought he looked like a hairy dumpling but didn't mention the fact. He was just appreciative that he would have someone to talk to while he waited for the figure in the distance to get close enough for him to figure out what kind of ninja he was. With a yawn, he looked back at the special jounin.

"Actually, I was about to leave until I saw that figure in the distance. My second mission here is to recruit a ronin to the village and if this figure turns out to be one I can kill two birds with one stone. It's a long shot but could possibly be worth it in the end."

At his words, Anon pointed to the figure, who was getting closer but still to far out to tell. The special jounin looked at him as well and squinted his eyes trying to get a better look. He gave up eventually as there was a fair amount of distance from the gate to the figure and neither of them had the eyesight to tell exactly who was coming at that point in time. With a shrug the older ninja made his way back through the gates, leaving an after thought with the young genin.

"Well if he is a ronin make sure you treat him well and take him right to the kage's manse for processing. That way if he does join us it'll be a simple process for him and you to turn in your missions."

Anon nodded and turned back to the figure in the distance, watching and waiting for him to get close enough.

WC: 1,126 + 1,000 = 2,126

Where the hell was he? He could remember, yet not place his location. Hot sands, scouring winds that seems to shave the very flesh from your bones... he could feel the memory of this place, tugging at the back his mind. Perhaps it would come to him in time? Pushing the thoughts and memories aside to make room for the porcupine that decided to tap dance its way across the male's mental space, Kijin continued his trek across the sun scorched wastelands towards the gate. Despite him being able to see the gate so clearly in the distance, a trick of the light would soon be lifted from his eyes, the sort that seemed to bend space and distort it severely. Instead of what would appear to be another ten minutes of walking time would end up taking the male another hour to cross the expanse, his lean frame be pressing on despite the heat of the sands.

Thank the gods he was not a normal person; while he could feel the heat of the air around him and earth beneath his feet, he could actively not pay it any mind, as it would do no damage to him that was  not worse than his current state of being; the male looked like death warmed over. His very life force was the only thing holding his carcass together and keeping him from decomposing; so long as the male had chakra in his body, he would not die. In a sense... he was a sort of immortal? Not that he would ever tell people that... it was a secret he kept to himself. But beyond that.. he did not scare, he did not tire and he did not stop. He was an undead juggernaut, and he was -- what the hell was that in the sand?

Those pale eyes blinked as the male stopped midway through the distance towards the gates, having spied something glinting in the sunlight. Curiosity would get the best of him, and the male would approach the half buried object. It was some sort of crystalline object; and after digging it free of the sands, it would be revealed to be a trident of sorts. Tt was a strange looking weapon, bearing a resemblance of a cross between a trident, a bishamon-yari (a Japanese spear), and a ji (a Chinese halberd) with a crystalline appearance. Like the ji, it bears a horsehair tassel, although it was black instead of the traditional red; similarly the two side blades are straight with concave edges as opposed to the usual crescent blades of the bishamon yari. The other end of the weapon seemed to turn into a corkscrew or drill shape. In total, the spear seemed two and a half [2.5] meters long. The screw portions seemed to extend 16 cm down the shaft, while the actual spear head appeared to be 30cm in length. The additional points of the spear are slightly shorter at 23 cm. Giving the weapon a quick twirl in his hands, Kijin judged that it was light enough to wielded in one hand. Shifting the sack of supplied to his left hand, the male would grip the spear in his right hand and continue on his way. He had some knowledge of using a spear as a weapon, so a find like this was a boon from the gods...

It would not take him much longer to reach the great gate that he had observed in the distance. Kijin would approach, and he would see some flesh pointing at him, he could see another one as well, this one seemingly larger. A wicked thought crossed his mind as the creature stared at the duo.

"The larger they are, the larger the grave that must be dug."

"Silence yourself. I do not have time for your foolishness."

Cremation was an option, of course, but an option to one that hasn't already bathed in flames, felt the painful, fickle touch of them on their names, or knew what it was like to inhale nothing but smoke and exhale only ash. No, this is a place of sand, so no rivers were in sight either, but perhaps the corpse can be given a shallow grave, one that would point to the raging sandstorms as the main method of ridding it. It seemed though that he wouldn't have to do that, as the other left, leaving only the pointer, the one that can't help but shoved his finger in the direction of others, almost as if he had seen something surprising, almost as if he didn't just stand at the gates and greet in Ronin this entire time.

"This could be someone you know."

"Everyone I know is dead."

He would proclaim when he was around five meters away from the other male, glaring at him. The six foot two monster wouldn't move though, instead he would only glare at him, waiting for something to happen, anything. Talk was too cheap and worthless for him to be the initiator of this conversation. Those that gossip are weaklings, people that cannot bring their actions up to back what they say, a toxic influence upon this world. This was the ninja's village, and as a walking corpse, Kijin would rather see a pair of balls on this stranger rather than displaying his own. The fact that he breathed in Kijin's direction was a direct insult, a sign of life that he had none of. For him, a husk, he had all the time in the world to wait, but none to waste on another that wouldn't let him into the village, should things go down to that.

"We could kill him."

"Flay his flesh."

"Make him like you."

"Not like me, but how I should be. A corpse to start the pile."

He would think to himself as he waited to see what this male's intentions with him are. If he said nothing, Kijin would merely enter, not wishing to waste time on this silent flesh, but should he speak, he would hear him out, and judge his soul accordingly. His glare wouldn't leave as he would stare directly into the male's eyes, waiting for him to speak, to waste his words like the living flesh he is. He was but one soul out of many more Kijin could meet, and if he didn't speak in the next few moments and get those words out of his mouth, he would simply walk past this person, and move on to find someone else that would prove more worthwhile.

Gods help them all.

1102 | 3723

Closer and closer the figure had gotten, growing taller by the second. He stopped for a moment to reach down and dig something from the sand it seemed. It was only when the figure stood a mere five meters from his own person that Anon got a good look at him. And it was a ghastly sight to behold. The person, the man? It was at least six feet tall, a good few inches taller than Anon anyhow. The beast had grey skin with exposed muscles, ligaments, and bones. Almost as though he had died, rotted, and then became reanimated to walk the Earth once more. The man, and Anon was almost positive it was a man, was missing his lower jaw, so that only the upper part and teeth remained. His eyes, which were glaring at Anon, were a ghostly white, as though chakra was simply shoved into the sockets. Trailing to the man's hands Anon saw no skin or muscle, only bones that looked sharp enough to cut like claws, and in one hand was a bag of what he guessed were supplies, while the other held a long spear, which looked as though it was plenty deadly. That must have been what he stopped to dig up. Though whether it was a find or simply a treasure he had buried long ago, Anon couldn't guess. This would be a problem for anon as he didn't actually have his weapons that day, so he wouldn't be able to properly defend himself. He silently pushed this thought form his mind and noticed that he'd seen no hint of a hitai-ate on the man whatsoever. So he was either a ninja, or simply a walking killing machine. Anon hoped the former was true and that this ronin would agree to join the village, or at least not destroy it.

"Hello there, welcome to Sunagakure no sato. I'm unsure if this question will bear fruit but you don't happen to have papers clearing you for entry do you? If not, and you're not a part of any village, you could come with me to the kage's manse and join Suna. That is if you promise to keep a tight grip on that weapon and keep it away from the flesh of our ninja here. A stranger holding a weapon isn't usually a welcome sight, but I'm sure you're used to responses like that, aren't you? In any case, I am Anon. Anon Brier, and I'm on guard here at this gate. If you've not come to join us or to visit, I'd ask your purpose here before allowing you passage."

Straight to the point wasn't usually Anon's style, neither was speaking as loudly as he was, but as he was still standing rather far away from the other, he wanted to ensure communication would reach him. In case it didn't, he stepped forward until the two were only a meter from each other, staring each other dead on, Anon matching the man's gaze with his own cold and apathetic one. His hazel hues glinted in the sunlight and his hand held onto the belt with his hitai-ate attached to it. He watched the other carefully, for any signs of movement, or any signs of hostility. Whichever came first if he opted not to answer Anon's questions.  This man was potentially dangerous and while he did have his radio, he'd feel better with his swords on his belt over this mechanical box of uselessness. He'd just have to make due with jutsu if it came down to it and that wasn't exactly a great idea. His scrolls weren't even on his person and they had his kunai and shuriken sealed inside them. He'd do anything to have something for his own protection at this point in case the man he had addressed turned out to be hostile. He'd have to play this carefully.

"Should you come on peaceful terms, you're more than welcome to our village. Should you come on more hostile terms, this isn't the place for you. We have enough trouble working on our village's infrastructure and don't have time to deal with another rogue ninja wanting to do us harm. If you've come looking for a new home and a new land to join, we can definitely work something out. All I need from you is to know what your intentions are."

Anon apathetically stared back into the eyes of the other male, unwavering in his own gaze. He himself didn't care for dealing with riff raff from out of townees that only came to attack a weakened animal, the animal in this case being his village. But perhaps he was judging this newcomer too harshly. Perhaps this man was simply looking for solace and refuge and Anon was being rather rude in receiving him. Rude or no, Anon couldn't take any chances and had to make his point abundantly clear without threatening the man in case he was truly there on pure intentions. Though, pure intentions were rather hard to come by these days and you had to see enemies in every shadow or you may not survive the day. This was a world of ninja. A world of lies, deceit, trickery, war, and bloodshed. The man standing before him had obviously seen at least three of these, bloodshed being the definite first, but the others Anon wouldn't be able to pinpoint without actually getting to know him and judging for himself whether he'd experienced the rest. Perhaps Anon was wrong and he hadn't experienced any, though that was a very slim chance, if one even existed. Anon patiently waited on the reciprocated answer to his questions from the one standing across from him as the desert wind blew sand up around them, the scorching sun bearing down upon their heads with its radiant light, warming even Anon who was used to this weather to his core. Either way, he could tell this would be interesting.


WC: 1,037 + 2,126 = 3,163

"Hello there, welcome to Sunagakure no sato. I'm unsure if this question will bear fruit but you don't happen to have papers clearing you for entry do you? If not, and you're not a part of any village, you could come with me to the kage's manse and join Suna. That is if you promise to keep a tight grip on that weapon and keep it away from the flesh of our ninja here. A stranger holding a weapon isn't usually a welcome sight, but I'm sure you're used to responses like that, aren't you? In any case, I am Anon. Anon Brier, and I'm on guard here at this gate. If you've not come to join us or to visit, I'd ask your purpose here before allowing you passage."

The male remained in place, staring at the smaller male that stood before the gates as he spoke. Kijin had nothing to say for the moment; despite the distance, the male had no problem hearing the shinobi as he spoke. Even so, Kijin's head tipped to the side he listened.

"Should you come on peaceful terms, you're more than welcome to our village. Should you come on more hostile terms, this isn't the place for you. We have enough trouble working on our village's infrastructure and don't have time to deal with another rogue ninja wanting to do us harm. If you've come looking for a new home and a new land to join, we can definitely work something out. All I need from you is to know what your intentions are."

A though crossed the larger male's mind; if he were truly here for hostile reason other than mere chance, why would he inform this persona of it? If he truly wanted, he would hide his intentions, and wait until he entered the village to unleash his dark plan, if there was one. For now, the male simply stared at the Sunagakure no Sato shinobi for a moment longer before making a motion; The spear was driven into the sands next to him before chakra was pooled into his free hand until it glowed  an eerie ghostly green color. After a brief moment, the disfigured male would lift the palm over himself, allowing the strange liquid to pour down over himself. As the liquid rolled down his body, the corpse began to knit itself back together, sinew and flesh covering the bare skeleton as best as it could. The entire time, the creature spoke not a word as the medical ninjutsu worked its miraculous magic on his frame, restoring his body to near pristine condition.

Tearing a strip of cloth from the sack that he carried, the male would fashion a sort of shawl to cover the lower portion of his mouth, hiding from view the only thing his healing could not rightfully mend: the gaping hole where his jaw used to be. With this covering in place, the male fully turned his attention to the Shinobi of Sunagakure no Sato, lifting his free hand in a non threatening manner and spoke.

"Peace, be still. I bear no ill intentions towards your village; I am merely a traveler seeking a place to rest."

It was a perfect bit of speech, miraculous in its own right that he could do so given his condition; while he did indeed not bear any ill will towards this person, the male took careful note of the shinobi's words; the infrastructure was less than solid in some way? If that was the case, then perhaps it was not wise to speak that to a stranger. After all, loose lips sink ships, and if Sunagakure no Sato was in such a shape, it would not take many canon shots to down it. Mentally storing the information, the creature nodded towards the gates behind the shinobi.

"Would you happen to know of a healer? I do believe I could use a bit of looking after..." The words were spoken in an amused tone, hinting that the creature did not take them seriously. The free hand reached out, grasping the spear once more -- he did not want to leave it behind. It seemed like too valuable of a creation to simply leave lying about here.

710 | 4433

115 | 125:

Anon quietly watched as the other male pushed the spear into the sand, using his now free hand to form a type of green chakra, pouring this new chakra over his body. It would seem as though time was reversing to Anon. He watched the wounds close themselves and heal, fixing the problems that were prevalent on the creature's body. Skin was reattaching itself to muscle and sinew, while the bones that were exposed were being covered by said skin and other tissue to the best of the jutsu's ability, or so Anon assumed. It was really rather interesting to see medical ninjutsu at work, as Anon hadn't actually seen anything like it himself. He wasn't a medical ninja, nor had he seen it at work before and this was a really intriguing turn of events, if not rather informative. This information would be stored in his memory for later study, should he get the chance. The man then tore a piece of cloth from the sack he carried to make a sort of shawl to cover the place where the lower jaw had been missing, making him appear much more normal, if not a bit eccentric at the very least. It was then that he spoke,  the voice sounding a bit harsher than it probably should to Anon, his own voice being fluid and charming, as if it were silk dancing with the wind on the sands.

"Rest? I suppose so, you can come with me and we shall go to the administration building. If you don't mind checking in there first, that is. Then I can take to you to a nice inn in the market district. They have great food and drink as well as beds that can match your choice. Soft, hard, etcetera. As I said before, try to keep your weapon in a non-hostile position. Not everyone is as understanding as I am."

With that, Anon turned as the man picked up his spear. He waved for the men to open the gate, waiting on them to do their job. Once the gates had fully opened, the bustling streets of the village hidden in the sand were exposed to the two. Anon quietly moved his form through the gates, the gates themselves staying open for both of them and would close once they had passed through the threshold. Once in the village, Anon called the jounin he had been talking to before over so that he could report what he was doing before leaving his post. His watch was over anyway so there was no longer a purpose for him here. When he saw the jounin approaching he sighed, finishing up his check list on the clip board, marking the strange looking male down as an entrant without papers, scratching his head after he finished. When the jounin reached them, he handed the clip board over before he began to speak.

"Entrant without papers, no need for approval. He's coming with me straight to the administration building before anything else so he'll be cataloged there as well, please give my best to the rest of the men and send someone out to cover my post. My mission is complete."

They nodded to each other and Anon waved for the male to follow him, moving through the streets on his way towards the administration building. There was a lot that the city had to offer and if this other man was a ronin, he could try mentioning a few things to him in the hopes of convincing him to join the village as they desperately needed the people. Or perhaps he should not say anything else and hope that the man decided for himself to join? That seemed pretty risky in itself and was the least likely scenario that would unfold. Anon couldn't take any chances, but he was also hoping that this man was true to his word about not being hostile so that his joining the village would be smooth and quick, if he could be convinced. As they passed a dango stand and Anon paid for a couple sticks, walking with them in his hand, he looked over his shoulder, talking almost off handedly to the man who would be walking behind him at this point if he'd decided to come with.

"I didn't catch your name, I am Anon Brier. Not a name that you'll hear often if at all, but it's my name nonetheless. I'd like to ask yours. I understand in the age of ninja one must be secretive and if you prefer to not answer, that's fine. I won't hold it against you." Anon paused and stopped to allow a cart to pass him, before he continued to walk and talk towards the man behind him. "I'm obligated to once again offer you the chance to join our village. We have many thing that one would find agreeable to any cause, and we're always looking for new people to join our ranks.  I'm unsure if you enjoy being a free agent but would you consider Sunagakure as your future home?"

Anon felt as though somehow he was being too pushy but one had to be forward and blunt with these types of things. He was no diplomat and lacked proper subtlety in his language, all of the subtlety he practiced was put into his ninja arts, and combat. His speech did need some improvement but beating around the bush was never his strong suit. He just hoped that he wouldn't anger the other male by being straight forward and blunt with him instead of easing into the subject. His way was the only way he knew and that meant that being blunt and forward was the way he lived his life. It caused him no small amount of trouble sometimes as many people couldn't handle being told things bluntly, but it was useful sometimes. Honesty in a world of deceit was a rare trait. While Anon wouldn't give up village secrets easily, he wouldn't lie to people about what his intentions or thoughts were, unless doing so would put his village in danger.

Anon stopped and waved for a chuunin to take the male to the administration office in his stead, returning to the gate. He stayed on duty for another hour or so, seeing another figure approaching in the distance. This man was about six feet tall, wore kimonos of the finest quality and looked to be a wanderer as well. He was obviously dehydrated when he came up to Anon, smiling and rubbing the back of his head as he bowed in greeting.  Anon bowed back, and waited for the male to speak.

"I don't mean to trouble you but I've been travelling for a few days. Is this the village hidden in the sand? If so I was hoping to try and join."

Anon nodded and waved for one of the other guards to come over, who did with a water bottle in hand after looking the man over. Anon offered the man the bottle, which he graciously drank from and bade for him to follow the young genin into the village. The wanderer did so at his behest and the two entered the village together, making their way through the gates. They walked through the large village market place, the bazaar district, and then the village center. It was some time before they came to the administration building, and Anon entered with the male, taking him to the office for wandering ninja check ins. He waved the wanderer in where he was immediately started on his vetting process. While Anon was there, he decided to turn in his two missions, both being successes and headed out of the administration building, going home to relax. He was keen to finally sleep after such a long night of missions

EXIT

WC: 1,337 + 3,163 = 4,500

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