one | awkward reunions

[Kenta]

A familiar wind swept across the avenue as a familiar shadow graced the Hidden Leaf with its' presence for the first time in over a year. Looking around, he barely recognized anything. So many changes had happened, but at the same time, everything was just how it was when he left a year ago. The birds still flew gracefully through the afternoon's skyline, the bustling villagers roamed, completing their habitual routines, while the future legends and shinobi of the Leaf ran the roads playing ninja. He stood almost bedazzled; looking up towards the sky, he took in the ambrosial aroma that wandered delicately through the air that he had sadly become unfamiliar with. It was comforting, knowing that things continued to progress, that his home continued to thrive while he was absent. A part of him was surprised, yet another part wasn't at all. The sugegasa that cozily rested upon his frivolously unkempt mop swayed backwards with the simplest of gestures. What was now revealed from the veil of shadows was a youthful face half covered in bandages, with thick, black locks falling down across his face. Tucked between his obi, and hidden under the folds of his happi, was the slender scabbard of his shirasaya. The young Fujiwara clansmen had finally returned. "Makkun," a raspy voice called from across the way. Peer to the side only moments after being altered, he dropped his guard after he recognized the voice that had beckoned for his attention. It was surprising almost, he'd been gone a year but he could still recognize the voice of his sensei, Fujiwara Fusasaki. "This is quite the surprise. Muchimaro led me to believe that you wouldn't be returning for another month." "Ara," Makoto muttered, shrugging. Turning so that he would be face to face with Fusasaki, he grinned a teethy grin. "I felt compelled to leave after completing the mission you gave me to do, I didn't have much of a reason to stay any longer. Besides, I hadn't seen this place in a little over a year." "Is that so?" Fusasaki observed him in an examining manner, he couldn't hide the delight he felt from seeing the boy he raised become the man that he is today. It was nostalgic, almost. The last time he felt this was when Makoto was promoted to the rank of Genin, and later when he advanced to Chūnin; even now, he couldn't disguise the pride he had in the boy. "You've grown a lot since the last time I saw you, you're almost as tall as me. You almost look like a full adult now." "Yare yare. A lot changes when I've been gone a year and a half," dismissing the older Fujiwara with a smirk, his expression became more sinister. "I bet you still can't beat me in shogi though, haisha-senpai." "I've gotten a lot better, I'd have you know! I've even beaten Saiko-chan!!" Fusasaki exclaimed before his grew blank, and shamefully buried itself in his chest due to the half-lie he just told. "Oh, I almost forgot! I have errands to complete, plus I'm sure you want to meet up with Ittō and Tsubuyaku." Just the sound of their names made the very air grow thick and humid. Truth so have it that he didn't have any intentions of seeing his former teammates. "How are they," he asked in a monotone. It had been nearly three years since they last spoke. There was no telling what they were up to now, so a part of Makoto wanted to see them but a another didn't. "I could answer you, but I rather you find out for yourself. Besides, I have stuff to do. You have intentions of coming to the compound? I'll talk to you then."

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[D]

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[atrb=style,width:450px;background-image:url(http://i.imgur.com/dDxps.png);][atrb=valign,top] "This'll be my last class with you kids," Ittō began, his arms folded over the chest, face stern as it usually was during class. There was no sadness in leaving this classroom for good. "Most of you will shape up to be fine shinobi if yous continue to discipline yourselves. Others... quit now. That's all." He flashed a smile as he left the room, a sigh of relief leaving his mouth as he placed his hands behind his head. Finally. Finally free. He thought it to himself over and over again before he finally pushed open the doors of the Academy for the last time, in his life, the sun beaming down onto his face, warming him. He didn't know where to go from here. There were so many possibilities. He could take up training once again, Futsunushi knew he was rusty, and there was still that jutsu he wanted to perfect before he brought it out in battle. He could go to the Hokage and reinstate himself as an active shinobi, possibly leave on a mission today. The possibilities were endless now that he didn't have to run back and forth teaching rambunctious children... He was chasing the sky though the streets now as he could feel the Hokage mountain fall back into the distance and the gates of the village draw closer to him. He was walking nowhere, or maybe he was walking somewhere. He was so clueless as to his intentions that he couldn't tell. He couldn't help but continue to think about what his intentions were now. He wanted to go back to becoming an active shinobi, that he knew, but what sort of missions would he take? Intelligence gathering? That was the sort of thing he was employed to do when he was working with Ōjin. Ōjin... his sensei, whose death caused him to change his old life. And then there was Makoto and Tsubuyaku. Where were they? Three years without seeing some of the closest people to him in his past and he couldn't help but wonder now what they were up to. Were they they same as him? Unable to perform the call of duty without the man who showed them what duty was? The Hata clan held a memorial for Ōjin when he passed on, KIA, and that was the last he ever spoke to his teammates. 'Huh...' a familiar sensation washed over him as one of the many cerebral electrical impulse patterns made its way into his range. 'Makoto-kun.' ■■■ "You don't sound so happy to ask about us," Ittō said half-jokingly as he appeared atop an awning adjacent his old teammate and his leaving teacher. Green eyes darted down onto his dark-haired teammate, low and filled with what looked like regretful disdain. "It's been a while... Makoto-kun." He couldn't really blame him, could he? It was Ittō who started the break up by leaving the team without another word. Now it was Ittō feeling the seeds being planted in his mind to reunite. Well, if this was anything, it would be an awkward reunion.

[Kenta]

In the only instant that allowed him to receive a quiver of awareness, before he could even utter a word he was unfortunately taken by surprise as he heard a familiar tone beckon for his attention. Instantly he tuned into their vibe; head cocked, he peered over his shoulder only to be taken aback by the arrival of his former teammate - Yoippari Ittō. Turning to face him in one full swoop, Makoto garnered a grin of sorts. With the simplest of glances he gave Ittō a quick once-over. It has been roughly three years since they last saw each other, let alone spoke. Not to mention, for the most part, although he knew he would, he wanted to refrain from seeing his old teammates. He thought his return would go smoother this way. It wasn't that facing them was too much for him either, or that he wouldn't know what, but more-so that, well, it would be completely awkward. While he would handle the situation adequately, and calmly, mind you, he wasn't all that chummy after the green-eyed Chūnin abandoned his team. Not knowing any better explanation for the situation he assumed the sorrow from Ōjin's death lead his estranged friend in a mild depression, while for him it was the total opposite. Their sensei's death drove him vigorously to the point of hyperactivity, so much so that he did a full years worth of missions back-to-back. "Ittō-kun..." he responded acutely, displaying himself with a cool flare, Makoto's brown orb fell onto his former teammates' pools of green accordingly. "This is a surprise... I almost didn't expect to see you outside of the Academy while I was here."

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[Sarutobi Sio]

"Times really are changing..." Tsubuyaku muttered as she left the prison, hands rammed in her pockets and a peppermint stick easily rolling from one side of her mouth to the other. It was easy to see that the Chunin was none too pleased, though it would seem she would have every reason to be, being that she was off work early for the day. What was there to do with the rest of the day for a workaholic? She supposed she could go back home to train for a while. After all, there was no such thing as 'too early' if you planned on doing it all day. Of course, there would be the added inconvenience of her foster mother nagging at her not to overexert herself while shoving cakes and glasses of tea at her. Not an inconvenience that she would be constantly interrupted with these things, but the inconvenience that she would be all too tempted to take her up on the offer and forego the training today. After all, there was far too much weighing on her mind.

Maybe a walk would do. She hadn't just gone on a walk lately. Maybe a refreshing walk around the outer perimeter of the village walls would clear her mind and settle her nerves.
She wasn't far from the gate when she noticed two familiar shapes occupying the space up ahead. Even though it had been this much time since the trio had seen one another, she still didn't need to see their faces or even gaze upon them for too long in order to know who they were. For a split second, Tsu was ten again. Reunited with her two best friends, and nothing was wrong in the world. It was a feeling in a moment that she wished she could bottle and keep forever.

Before she knew it, she was walking. Then the wind was whipping across her cropped locks and she was running. The tears started, cool on her face and flowing like a river. When she got to them, there were no words on her tongue. Only in her heart, and she stood there, tears streaming down her face, just glad to have her boys home again. A hand raised shakily in a greeting wave, a smile forcing itself on tearstained cheeks, words still far from her at that moment, but also far from necessary.

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[D]

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[atrb=style,width:450px;background-image:url(http://i.imgur.com/dDxps.png);][atrb=valign,top] "I decided that teaching kids how to be smart and make plans wasn't in my best interest." Ittō responded monotonously. "I lost sight of some things... it only took me three years to see that." A look of shame washed over him as his fell down to the ground. Here he was now, three years after the fact not quite sure how to ask for one of his dearest friend's forgiveness for destroying their bond. While he stood at the bridge, he was uncertain that it could ever be rebuilt or if he could ever swim the distance between the two sides. The waters pushed far too rapidly. As he stood there, wondering why it was he made him self apparent here, fighting through the embarrassment he could feel the presence of the third. If anything, now here stood another burned bridge before him. As he looked down both, he feared for the times to come--for the painstaking work of rebuilding and if that work would even commence. "Tsubuyaku-chan...," Ittō stated calmly, his eyes absorbing the tears that fell from her face, letting him know how much she still managed to care despite the years of distance. "It is so good to see you again." He turned back to Makoto now: "It's so good to see you both again... my nakama."

[Kenta]

Listening to Ittō's confession surprisingly swayed the usually frigid Chūnin enough to make him believe what he was saying, a feat which wasn't usually so whimsically done. His expression stirred briskly as his eye brow curved and arched right below the bandages that concealed his face. The look of sincerity is one that isn't easily dismissed, noting the distress his friend displayed, Makoto had to acknowledge that. 'It's unlike Ittō to act this way...' he thought inwardly as a warm, familiar sensation garnered his attention, altering him to the presence of another. Their was no mistaking the sense of excitement that was exerted, nor the person it belonged to. 'Tsubuyaku-chan.' The theatrics that followed is where Makoto would withdraw himself. While he couldn't deny the irony or joy that was present in the situation, throwing pity parties and letting off water-works wasn't his thing. He spent that last three years of his life making himself void of those emotions, but unfortunately it wasn't possible for him to ignore them. "Looks like we've all arrived, un?"

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[Sarutobi Sio]

Well, this was certainly embarrassing. Not to mention not at all how she had envisioned this day would come. And she had envisioned that this day would come. She had imagined a day much like today, where they would all converge from opposite directions in front of the gates. And while no emotions would be shown and no words uttered between the three, the meaningful gazes shared between them would be all that they would need.
Apparently, Makoto and Ittō had gotten the memo on that. Tsu-kun was the only one standing here, bawling her eyes out, and was late at that. Still, an important question remained: what was the meaning of all this? Was it just a happenstance crossing between the three, or was this the start of a new chapter for Makoto-Ittō-Tsu? She honestly hoped for the latter...life had been all too stagnant lately for her. And while the trauma of their loss still hadn't quite worn off even this much time later, there was nothing to be gained with more stasis or time apart. This was her family now. All that would be left of it. All she wanted was to be with them.

"Ittō-kun..." she finally said, attempting to halfway compose herself. She was one of the most feared prison wardens in the village. Hulking beasts of monsterous men accused of terrorism and treason, alike, slunk back to the far corners of their cells when her footsteps echoed the halls. An utterance from her voice could send a fight scattering like cockroaches. There would be no way that she was just going to stand here and blubber like a child who had missed out on dessert. "...And Makoto-kun...it's good to see you both again, too."
The words were sincere, leaving her lips with no pretense, no alternate meaning. She had missed her boys.
"It's been too long."
And indeed it had. Hopefully not to be longer. A smile twitched at the corners of her lips...reminiscent and mischievous, just the way it had been back then.
"But what have we all arrived to?"

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[Kajiba]

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[atrb=valign, top][atrb=class, icon] A K A I N U

[atrb=valign, middle][atrb=class, grey] Umi wa mite iru sekai no hajimari mo "The ocean sees the beginning of the world," Umi wa shitte iru sekai no owari mo. "and the ocean knows the end of the world." A titan of a man proceeded to walk through the gates of Konohagakure no Sato alone. Adorned in armor with a white fur cloak attached it was clear this man was no merchant or civilian. Kajiba only made it five steps before he was approached by one of the guards. The man was young and still looked a little green. Kajiba's expression soured as he pressed forward. "State your business," the youth said as extended his hand to stop the man that towered over him. However, as soon as his hand touched the metal of his armor he cried out in pain. The sizzling of flesh could be heard just barely over his wails. Other guards came out and surrounded Kajiba with their weapons drawn, to which the pirate captain merely sighed. "Peace has made you slow in the brain, no?" he said as he glanced back to the burned guard. He then reached into his shirt and extracted a scroll. Kajiba scanned the group until he found the one that looked to be the commander and tossed it to her. "You're...," she started to say after reading the document, but was cut short when Kajiba snatched the scroll from her grasp. "Aye," he grumbled as he tucked the scroll back in its place. The commander begrudgingly called the guard down and allow him access into the village. Dakara izanau susumubeki michi e to. "Thus, it calls us towards the way we must take." Dakara michibiku tadashii sekai e. "Thus, it leads us towards a just world." Despite being used to drawing a crowd Kajiba did not find this particular brand of attention comforting. Too many other shinobi around keeping a watchful eye on him. Almost tempting him to try something. Which on any other day he would gladly do, but this mission was more important than "greeting" the locals. So he took to the rooftops, leaving only a swirl of dust in his wake. Extracting another parchment from his shirt he examined the three individuals. There was not a lot of information presented but it was more than he needed. "OK, Rinko. Let's see if this technique was worth the hassle," he said as he ran through a complicated string of handseals. Taking a deep breath he sat down and closed his eyes and entered a meditative state. What happened next could only be described as mystical. As if he were a bird he gained a bird's-eye-view of the entirety of the village. As the effects of the jutsu progressed everything started to lose color. Taking another deep breath he noticed three bursts of color not to far from his current location. "I am disappointed Ōjin," he said as a dark smirk spread on his face and opened his eyes as the jutsu dispelled. "Your protégé make this too easy." Itami kurushimi tsutsumikonde kureru "Enveloping pain and suffering," Ookiku yasashiku tsutsunde kureru. "greatly and kindly wrapping them up."

BY RINNE OF OTE

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