The day had come for the exams to begin. It was still at the trials stage but this separated the over eager from the chosen. From the trials would raise champions and it would prove difficult to stop a single one of them. Some would dominate the playing field and others would struggle through sheer willpower. He was eager to see who passed the trials and see for himself who the contenders were. This competition didn't differentiate between the bad and the good. If they were sponsored they were a part of the exams. For his own history Rippa had to train and rank up in near secret from everyone but the Hokage. His own uncle having plans for him at the time. Dastardly ones at that. Still he wasn't without power due to them. There was no point in questioning his past. He had risen to the highest station he could. He had become the Hokage. The great shadow of Konoha. Considered the strongest man in what was once considered the strongest nation. Yet still a part of him regretted what he had missed out on. That part of him was rather excited to be going to bare witness to these exams. To attend his first ones.

Anyone would see or hear them on their approach. A dust cloud on the road in the distance since it hadn't rained for a couple of days and the sun was out. The roads torn slightly by the heavy traffic across them enough to create dust to kick up. Even if it was a small amount. Along with that horses were not quiet by nature. Even at a trot with nine of them it was a very loud noise. One might even feel them approaching if they were just over the crest of the next hill. As they crested it the first thing they would see was a man and a woman riding side by side on black horses. Konoha headbands flashing with long coats announcing them as sword priests. The man was riding with a long bow across the front of his saddle and a quiver on the side of the saddle behind his right leg. A black coat adorning him with wild hair and a beard. Hawk like eyes staring across the land. The woman on the other hand had a spear sticking up from the left side of her saddle where it was sheathed and a halberd across her back. Her coat was black as well. Her blonde hair tied back in a pony tail with an eye patch over her left eye. Both looked about them with cold eyes.

However behind them was another scene altogether. A white horse appeared only a couple paces behind them in the center. Over his shoulders was a red long coat. Open in the front that showed the zip up black tan top with the high neck hanging just next to either side of his broad jaw. His wide shoulders suggested his strength while he shifted in his saddle. His dark shinobi pants held up by a belt with what appeared to be eight bolt heads along the front. His blue eyes matching the sky as unlike the first two guards he was smiling. On his back was two curved hilt katana as well which suggested an odd form of Kenjutsu. He stood out enough with the red coat and white hair as well as the white horse marking him as the VIP being guarded. But there was little in the way of question as to who he was. A red hat of an odd shape with a known symbol draped over his head with white cloth hanging about the back of his head. Cut back to avoid limiting his vision. He was easily immediately identifiable as the Hokage. On the main road into Kumo from the west.

After he covered the crest of the hill it was clear where the other horses had come from. A random assortment of men and women in two rows of two were wearing Konoha flak jackets. Shinobi chosen for the guard from the village. The last two in the back though were in black cloaks covering almost their entire body aside from their feet and their mask. Which showed only a painted ANBU Mask. The ANBU had insisted two of their elite accompany the Hokage. He had wanted a small guard but due to advise given he had only been able to limit it to this until he was under the protection of the village hidden in the clouds as their guest. The councils hand chosen guards were the two ANBU and the four assorted shinobi from the village. The two sword priests however were his choice at least. A couple of squad commanders from his old division. People he had opted to train with back in the day. When he was the commander of the sword priests before his call to office.

Still after they crested the hill it was clear they were in the land of clouds now. Slowing themselves down to a casual pace now as to rest the horses if they were needed but more to appear friendly. A bird flew overhead and would cry out as if announcing them before flying off on a hunt likely. His own sky blue eyes would watch it a moment before the bowman ahead of him would drop back. Passing him a canteen of water to drink. He also was looking in the direction of the bird. Still Rippa would smile and partake of the cold water with a small bit of gluttony. They would be making camp soon anyway for a fresh appearance in the village in the morning. He could enjoy a bit of water for the moment as they would just send one of the guard out for more water that night. Still he would hand it back. The guard moving back into position without a word. A small chuckle coming from Rippa. They certainly were serious.

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"No! We are not stopping so you can eat AGAIN! I swear you have an eating problem." Rhys stood in the middle of the road scolding his friend, the adolescent rhinoceros, Reorx. They had been traveling the wilds for just over two months. They had traversed the desert in search of the vile men who had destroyed their home.

   Sunagakure now lie in ruins. Soon it would be reclaimed by the sands that had once stood to protect the village. Rhys had no clues as to the origin of the invading force, but would do everything he could to find the perpetrators and inflict his justice upon them. There had been no sign of his enemies in the desert sands, so the pair had continued walking.

   It was unlikely that the assailants were still in the area so Rhys and Reorx needed a new plan. The chuunin exams were just what they needed. Representatives from each major village would be in attendance and somebody was bound to know what had happened. So with a new goal in mind they left behind the sands of Suna for the hard packed land of lightning, and the village hidden in the clouds.

   They had stopped on the main road leading to village up ahead. The exams would begin soon and Rhys was eager to finish the journey, but nightfall was soon approaching. He decided it would be best to find a place to set up camp. Rhys and Reorx were walking along the bank of a small stream when they saw a great plume of dust on the other side of a small hill. The pair made their way over to the cause of the rising dust to see a caravan of some sort setting up their own camp. They looked well armed and well to do.

   Rhys's first instinct was to leave such people to their own business, but he needed information and people with money often had their own sources of information. So Rhys and Reorx made their way toward the camp as casually as the strange pair could muster.

"Hey! You guys have room for one more?"

(358 wc)

The horses finally came to a stop and Rippa would dismount his own horse. Moving in a swift motion to land on the ground. The rest of the guard set about dismounting almost just as easily. Some set about unloading the camp material while others set up a guard patrol. A couple of the basic shinobi would go and begin taking care of the horses. Unstrapping the saddles so as to let the horses fully rest. It was a nice journey with lots of views but beyond that there wasn't a lot of time spent on breaks. Rippa for one was glad to be off of his horse finally. His back felt a little stiff now but he was happy to be on his own two feet. The solid ground underneath him was comforting. He would take a deep breath. Closing his eyes as he took in the air of the land he had spent a couple of month within recently before he was named Hokage. It was a comforting air even if things had changed in that time. He was actually rather excited to see what had changed and what remained the same. What was more was the exams taking place. Who would overcome in this challenge?

That aside he was brought his pipe. A long stemmed sherlock pipe loaded with tobacco grown in Konoha. He would smile and nod his head to the sword priest who brought it to him before lighting it with a spark of katon from his finger. Settling on a stone like a chair as he puffed at it. The camp being set up around him with minimal difficulty. The horses being tied to a line between two tree's as he let his body relax. Enjoying the bitter taste of the smoke as the tents were brought up in a circle and the center being transformed into a fire pit. They didn't intend to be cold tonight nor did they intend to have a cold meal. The truth was they weren't expecting to be in any danger. They were in a country protected by their own elite abilities and there had to be a good guard up around the borders. That said all the talk of threat seemed to be on the opposite side of the continent. Even Konoha had upped their own guard for the time being while he was away. So it wasn't much of a surprise that their guard was lowered enough to let a man close to the camp unnoticed.

However it was just embarrassing that he brought a rhinoceros with him. To miss something that massive was just...it was unbelievable. Still the man crossed into their camp without a worry in the world. The moment he announced himself the camp shifted from their task and rapidly surrounded him. The two ANBU members moving to guard behind the hokage and the two sword priests moved to guard in front of him in a four point guard. The four assorted shinobi also took a four point flank around the two newcomers. Chakra crackled in the air a moment before they stared at the man and his companion. Ready to take him down should he go for a weapon. However from behind the majority of them came a sound of Rippa clearing his throat. There was hesitation but as he rose up from the stone the people seemed to lower their chakra levels. He would place a hand on the shoulder of one of the sword priests and they moved to the side. Allowing Rippa to walk up to him and stand between two of his jounin guard. Puffing on his pipe before his free hand rose in a hello. A bright smile meeting his sky blue eyes as he regarded the newcomer to the camp.

"Please excuse them. They are just feeling a sense of duty above and beyond at the moment. Nervous of the unknown. I don't think we brought an extra tent but I am sure there is room around our fire. As for their nerves. I am sure an introduction would ease the situation just a bit don't you?"

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