Nagare looked over the hills and treetops of Konohagakure, out at the Hokage Monument and the Administration Building, and the eyesore that was the ruins of the south gate, all from the confines of his hotel room. It had a wonderful view, but mostly his eyes focused on the horizon in the distance, in the general direction of Kumogakure. He had been here in Konoha for a few weeks now, and had finished all of his training and his mission, and was ready to return home. He doubted anything had changed since he left, but that didn't bother him. He was just glad to be returning to where he belonged.

The day before, the Sannin had gone out and had Shougeki reforged into a new blade, a blade he named Aubade; a representation of he and Gakuto's 'sad parting'. It burned brightly with the flames of remembrance, and it was black and red throughout, his two favorite colors. He was excited to start swinging it around and killing stuff. He still hadn't gotten any real practice with a sword, so he'd need extensive training before he learned to master using a Nodachi like Aubade. His thoughts shifted back to the people he had met on his little adventure, mostly Takeshi, Sousetsu, and Kichirou. Tatsumaru came into mind shortly after...Nagare still didn't know what ever happened to the rogue, he assumed the man was dead, but it was too careless to just assume, when a criminal like that could still be out there. He chose not to burden himself with the issue, though; it wasn't his village to worry about, and besides, he'd hear about it soon enough if the rogue was still alive.

The Sannin stepped through the doorway of the crowded hospital (relatively full with victims of the invasion) and headed toward the north gate of the village. A pass through the large gateway trailed off into a familiar path surrounded by trees, some sort of training field on his left with a chain link fence, and a few meadows. The trees seemed different, this time around; not as vibrant, a bit more pale green than their usual vivid shade. A mourning symbol to the loss of many. Konohagakure wouldn't be the same, at least for not a few months. He wasn't worried, though. It was still a powerhouse of a village, with an Uchiha as Hokage. They could handle themselves well, if not better than the other four nations.

The Kumo-nin's pace was a steady slow one, as he took in his surroundings again. He would miss Konoha's beauty, but he missed the air of Kumogakure, his home, and his friends. Maybe in another life, he belonged in Konoha, and he would hold power and respect there. But in this life, he was happy where he was. A Sannin of Kumogakure, with honor. He couldn't picture himself anywhere else. He wondered how his squad was doing; he had left them alone on their first meeting to leave to Konoha so urgently, when in fact he didn't even have to do the mission for another week. They probably weren't too happy about that, but they would get over it. He'd give them some training that they'd never forget, no matter how hard they tried to.

The scenery around him changed, from the grassy treetops and the sunny sky to a grey mesh of clouds and mountaintops, snow in the distance and solid rock underfoot. He was near, by the looks of it; the village could be seen within a mile away. Nagare began to sprint, all the way back home, excited to be back. He didn't stop until he was through the main gate, past the crowded streets and at his front door, Aubade in-hand. He was home.

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Travel Word Count
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