Rogue stood quietly outside of the administration building in Kirigakure no sato, staring up at the daunting building. There was something he was here to do and he knew that he would not be able to return to the island without doing it. He was here to find information on the man known as Sero Osada, and to decide after learning about him whether or not he still wanted to train with the man. The problem would be finding the public information and then finding an Uchiha by the name of Teru. This was all so much for him to do and he didn't know the first thing about this village, so he decided to come to the one place that he knew for certain he'd get what he needed: the Mizukage. He had not long ago healed from the bout the two had, still a bit tender from the beating received. His right hand rubbed his chest where a large bruise had been not long ago and he sighed.

Rogue had left his jacket in the boat he used as his home for the time being, choosing only to have been dressed in his navy pants, socks and shoes, a white Tee shirt with a yellow dragon depicted upon it, and a sword in his left hand. The sword had the symbol of Sero Osada upon it, which he was to show to someone in the administration building, or wherever he'd gone to get the knowledge he needed, so that they could pull up the public records regarding the seal. Honestly it was quite strange to the wanderer to have someone he'd just met, let alone someone whose home he had intruded in, give him a sword in trust that he would take it to the right people to do some research. Quit the trust exercise, not that Rogue would dare betray someone he was looking to be mentored by.

With a sigh, the young man stepped into the building, stopped by a few guards who wanted to know why he had the weapon he was carrying. After a few minutes of trying to explain, he simply showed them the symbol and they pointed him in the direction of the Mizukage's office, instead of a public records department. Or were they in the same place? Rogue honestly had no idea. He'd only been here once and the last time he'd been here wasn't the most pleasant memory. Still, it was nice to be in the familiar looking waiting room again. He stepped up to the desk where a woman sat and waited for her to finish her paperwork signing and note writing to speak up.

"I need to see the Mizukage regarding this symbol, please. And I would possibly like a few of the public records on it."

After she studied the symbol, the receptionist looked at Rogue and pointed him to a chair to sit down. He did so and watched her ascend the stairs to the mizukage's office to inform her of his arrival. When she returned, it was alone, and she sat down, going back to work. The wanderer sighed, leaning his head back against the wall, waiting on Ayakashi to appear again. He'd still need to find the Uchiha girl, but the first step would have to be getting the information he was tasked with finding. Even if he didn't like what he found, he was insistent on completing his mission. Rogue laid the sword across his lap and looked around with his deep ocean blue hues, trying to find something to keep him busy to pass the time as he waited. It would have been better, probably, to just find the Uchiha girl first and get her to show him where the information on Sero Osada could be found. It was too late for that now, though, and he only hoped that finding her would be as easy as asking the Mizukage where she would be. Though he figured that was asking too much of simplicity.

Rogue noticed that a few onlookers were whispering and watching him, pointing in his direction. This was possibly due to the fact that not a week or two ago, he'd been tested by the Mizukage to prove his worth to the village. It was completely one sided and he'd taken heavy damage during the entire bout. From arrows, a kidney stab, shots to the chest, and not to mention fractures and internal bleeding. He was so completely worse for wear in that fight that many people were probably surprised that he was alive, much less moving around again. It was actually his immense will power that kept him going in the fight, and he had been able to land a hit, a single solitary hit, on the Mizukage before he passed out. Luckily for the wanderer, Lady Mizukage Ayakashi had a medic ninja by the name of Strafe Aisu who had made sure that his recovery was expedient. He was still a bit sore, but all in all he was almost completely healed up. He would probably be more healed if he'd taken the bed rest as he was advised, but he decided that time waited for no man and no ninja, and he had to get a move on trying to improve himself. With that thought in mind, he'd had his recover facilitated and pushed his body to grow stronger so that he could leave his hospital bed behind. Rogue turned to all the people who were looking at him, with worried glances and smiled, giving each of them a thumbs up in turn. He was not going to let something like a few bruises and bumps stop him from keeping his promise. He'd grow stronger and show the Mizukage that he wasn't going to let anyone down or allow anyone around him to die. He was stronger than people gave him credit for, and thanks to the Mizukage he knew that he could push himself if he tried hard enough. With that in mind he yawned, and laid his head back against the wall again, closing his eyes. For now, he'd have to wait.

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Word Count: 697

Dango?

The sun would float into the west end of Ayakashi's office when she heard the two call-ins from downstairs, each of them appeared to be rather minor while she had a blueprint of the Daimyo manner having been charted by strafe and a missing genin while they were within the compound. Ayakashi had sent coded messages with the high general of the Daimyo's army with the evidence and medical files of Zhuge copied upon them in hidden ink. The depths of the advisors' depravity knew no bounds... The General was not able to take up arms against the Daimyo, it would cause a civil war within the ranks of the Samurai, but, what he was able to do was ensure that the path they had was clear, and that no man would raise a sword to aid the advisor... But that still left the honor guard. Ayakashi needed a way to deal with potentially hundreds of the best trained Samurai in the country who had been stationed to defend the Daimyo as well as the assassins, notably some of the most powerful fighters Ayakashi had ever met, save for perhaps the Aoi Bara... but not even they were here to help her at the moment... she'd already asked them to fight a war for her... she couldn't do any more...

'Oh Ayakashi, but you're so good at sending others to their deaths... '

Aya shook her head at the thoughts, no, she wasn't allowed to think that way, no matter how hard things got, sending innocents to die and tearing the nation apart was not the course of action that was right to take. Though, Ayakashi's tunneled world was broken into when she heard a buzz on the coms, it seemed the twins wanted her for something. So, leaning over and wiping some of the sleep from her baggy eyes, Ayakashi would reach over her desk and with maximum effort, grip the mic, answering it and asking what the twin wanted. "there are a couple of people down here waiting for you, one of them has bought you a package, the other... well... i think you want to handle this one yourself, he's asking for information of the head of the Osada clan, I think I will leave it to your discretion as to how much you want to divulge. He is your prodigee after-all."

Ayakashi would let out a groan and ask the receptionist inform them that she was on her way down. Picking herself up, she would drag herself into her basic equipment, her cloak, the two sword hilts to one side with the sheath to changeling on the other, arrows and a folded up fuuma on her back with her mask hooked to her hip covering the bladeless hilts. Much, if not all of the remainder of her equipment was within the office, but, as she took a strike out she would look to the bannister and the hole through the middle of the spiral stairway that led up to the top floor she resided on. Lazily she would plant a hand on it and allow herself once again to plummet to the earth, landing feet first on the ground and absorbing the shock with her knees as they bent, caught her, and extended back up like springs pushing her forward at a brisk pace. Looking over the room she could see Rogue and Teru seemingly talking to one another, adsressing Teru first, she would stretch her arms high above her head at an angle behind her that would not seem possible.

"I was told there was a package?" She spoke, a little sharper than usual, but it was because she was tired, which allowed her to get a little grouchier than she normally was, at least, she hoped it was because she was tired, she felt a little light headed, nothing too bad, like the beginnings of a head-cold, like her body was fighting something off but she didn't know what. As she would wait for what she was being handed she would look to Rogue, the little sea-horse that had come to her a few weeks ago and pleaded that she allow him to be trained in thier country as a genin. With utmost reluctance, Ayakashi had given the boy a near impossible task... to become the best, and prove them all wrong, however, he seemed to embody the unstoppable nature of the ocean itself... no matter how much it is punished, you cannot destroy it. Giving him a nod in acknowledgement, as if to say 'after Teru has spoken, you may say your piece.' Yet without saying so much as a word.

As they said, a picture could say a thousand.

Rogue quietly watched a young woman sit down next to him with a box in her hands. She was apparently here to deliver something, but that was none of the wanderer's business.  He simply stared at the stairs, quietly waiting and anticipating something he'd expected to happen from his first visit. The girl beside him casually leaned back in her chair and turned to look at the sword he held, quietly to him asking, where exactly he'd gotten such a thing. The wanderer looked from the sword to the girl, contemplating exactly how much to tell her. He was looking for information on his new mentor and would no doubt find people who knew a bit about him, should he show this sword with the symbol. Before he actually had a chance to reply, there was movement from the stairs and once more, Rogue watched the Mizukage land with grace and push forward at a brisk pace. This would be his chance to finally find information on the symbol and his new mentor, then perhaps he'd find out where this Uchiha girl was.

The mizukage first addressed the girl who'd sat beside him, inquiring about a delivery. Rogue looked over the box silently, ignoring their little exchange. He wasn't here to hear about a delivery. He was here to discover more about Sero Osada. The mizukage nodded to him for him to say his piece when the girl was done and the young ninja stood up quietly, twirling the sword around in his hands. When it was his turn, the male would silently stand and step forward to hold the sword out to the Mizukage, symbol first. He'd get on one knee, bowing as tradition went,  or so he was taught, and waited for the Mizukage to take the sword from his hands while he spoke. "A man I met on an island named Sero of the Osada clan has asked me to bring his sword with me to find information on him before he agrees to teach me what he can. I know that I am training under you as well, Mizukage-sama, but I met him before coming to you and I wish to challenge myself as much as possible. Your challenges are so different from his but I feel the experiences from both of you will be valuable and help me grow stronger."

The ninja stood quietly and nodded, tilting his head towards the girl. She would have heard everything he had to say, but that wasn't his prerogative at the moment. He only cared about getting the information he was tasked with and returning. He knew that soon he would be called on to train with the Mizukage as well and would no doubt be going through excruciating practices. This would not shake his determination, however, as he had a promise to keep and no one was going to stop him from fulfilling it. In his eyes, training under the Mizukage and this strange man would be quite the boon to him and he would ascend through the ranks of the ninja within the village, possibly becoming the strongest ninja in the land. If he could only pass his two new mentors in that respect, he'd succeed in his goals.

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Word Count: 655

The Mizukage had taken the blade and swung it, studying some sort on intricacies that Rogue hadn't seen, or couldn't. He was no weapon master, nor user.  He assumed from the weapons and armours he'd seen in the office of the Mizukage that she was one or both of those. When she had acknowledged the blade and handed it back, speaking once more to Rogue. She spoke of some general information on Sero, something that one could assume from meeting him, but this would confirm anything he might not have truly known.  What she finished with was interesting news though. Captain of the Seven Swordsman and... Heisho? Rogue had no idea at all about what a Heisho was, he was still rather ignorant to the names of titles and the hierarchy around the village hidden in the mist. He'd heard quite a bit about the seven ninja swordsman though. They were said to be blade masters without equal. One swordsman was worth ten or so normal ninja. They wielded legendary blades that took time and patience to master. Have skill with one of these blades was no small feat. That was something that really stuck to the young dragon's mind. A blade master of the village hidden in the mist would have quite a bit of power. He was lost in thought at this idea.

The girl spoke up again and Rogue turned his attention towards her, tilting his head. It wasn't that he'd ignored her before but she certainly seemed miffed that he hadn't immediately chosen to respond to her. He should know how Sero treats his students? It wouldn't be easy? He hoped that it would not be easy, he didn't want easy. If he did, he would not have come straight to the Mizukage with his request of joining the village, nor wanted trained by her. If he wanted easy, he would not have chosen the strongest shinobi nation for his journey to power. He wanted results, and with easy, results were never to his standards. He knew his path was not that of an easy route, and someone telling him as much would not have him sway from his path. He made to speak to her about this, but then his other teacher decided it would be her turn to speak. His attention turned back to the Mizukage, listening intently as she spoke. She actually gave him her blessing to train under the captain of the seven swordsman and shocked the young genin with news that Sero's father was the previous Mizukage and her teacher. Quite the interesting turn of events. She told him a bit of information he knew about where the man lived and said Teru would be happy to show him. Which was good, since Sero had made that request as well. Then the Mizukage made a request which had his head spinning. Take.. take something from this man and then even do it without his knowing? The genin was flabbergasted as he watched the Mizukage walk away, his path set.

"I.. But. I don't.. yes Mizukage-sama."  He sighed and clenched the sword in his fist, bowing. It was one thing to give him this mission as is, it was another that she did it in front of someone else who apparently reported directly to the man he'd have to steal from. Which made this mission infinitely harder. He would not back down from this, however. He didn't want to disrespect either of his new teachers, and this mission had to be done. The problem would be in the doing then. The ninja turned quietly to the girl from before, Teru, and bowed once more. "I would be honoured if you would accompany me to the island. I have a dinghy at the docks that I use.. quite regularly. I'm an avid fan of the water, you could say.  At any point that you are ready, I'd appreciate you taking the time to journey with me. Just say the word, Lady Teru." He finished his speech and bow, then allowed his ocean blue eyes to look into her own. His eyes went from a light ocean blue to what looked like a sun kissed sky blue, a lighter colour than before.

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OOC: Doing an exit post to close this due to inactivity.

Rogue watched the girl quietly and when it took her too long to respond he sighed and shrugged to himself. It seemed that she was intent on not coming back with him so he'd have to tell Sero himself what he learned and that she was less than willing to come with. With a yawn he bowed to the departing form of the Mizukage and the receptionist then made his way towards the doors. He looked back at the girl who only stared at him and wondered if he truly would see this.. Uchiha, Teru ever again. Not knowing the answer to such, Rogue made his way out of the administration building and back into the streets with the weapon of his teacher in hand. Soon would be the time for him to double his efforts on training and then he would figure out how to become much stronger for the sake of his clan. Rogue walked in the direction of the docks of Kirigakure no sato with the intent of boarding his dinghy for the island that Sero lived on to continue along with his training. Soon things would get a whole lot more interesting.

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EXIT

Training: