[episode one] welcome back

[kinezumi!!]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=cellpadding,0,true][atrb=style, width: 100px; border-bottom: 20px solid; ]	[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=cellpadding,0,true][atrb=style, width: 200px;]	[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=cellpadding,0,true][atrb=style, width: 100px; border-bottom: 20px solid; ]
[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=cellpadding,0,true][cs=3][atrb=style, width: 360px; border-right: 20px solid; border-left: 20px solid; ] [STYLE=padding: 10px; font-family: tahoma, verdana; font-size: 10px; line-height: 12px; text-align: justify;]They buried him in the deepest, darkest hole they could find. They fashioned that hole a prison, they did this not for his comfort, but for their conscience. So they could go to bed at night knowing that they didn't unjustly throw a man like him into the darkest trench they could find along with others they saw as threats. They sealed him here, in this cave that stretches through four countries, hidden away underneath the earth and the entrance covered in fuda and shiki, markings extended outward from the boulder that barely let any light in. Three decades underneath these chakra sustained lamps, with these men and women they threw in here with him. They were forced to become a civilization, one that was cut off from the world, feeding off of the beasts that dwell the depths of the earth with them and drinking the water that ran in their caves. They were all ninja, all faced with this situation. The weak died, the strong lived on, and for that, he thanked his enemies for putting him in this situation. Three decades and for the first time in a long time, he smelled fresh air wafting through the small settlement they'd made. They threw him down here expecting him and these other prisoners to die. The sun hitting his eyes was the most glorious pain he'd ever felt in his life as he emerged from the cave's entrance laughing heartily. The seal was undone. Evil walked the earth once more. EPISODE ONE WELCOME BACK↲ "Kinezumi? Kinezumi-kun?!" The small bar on the edge of Hi no Kuni was bustling with people that all fell silent as the loud tattooed man suddenly piped up. This bulking man who wore his cloak open, revealing his chest that was covered in tattoos to the public, slowly lumbered toward the figure he was calling out to who sat off in the corner by himself, huddled over a bowl of steamy curry over white rice. "It's you, isn't it? I haven't seen you in five or so years...!" The man laughed, placing a hand on Kinezumi's shoulder and giving him a soft shake. The chopsticks clattered against the side of the bowl and Kinezumi stared up at the man through his wild hair. "It's me! It's me! Yusuke! You helped us fend off that attack...our village is forever in your debt!" Kinezumi's nose wrinkled, he bit back a response and went back to his bowl of curry. "Ah, you went and grew up...! Look at you, you have chin hairs now!" Yusuke went on to tell the entire bar how Kinezumi was a hero in some parts of the world. He didn't stop there, he went on to state the funny things that happened while they were comrades. "He used to end his sentences with chu!" Kinezumi sighed, standing from his chair. The sound of the geta he were wearing knocking against the hardwood underneath them got Yusuke's attention. He looked up at the slightly taller man, placing a hand on his head and forcing him to crouch a bit so that they were at eye level. "Ara...who are you? Why are you being so annoying?" Kinezumi asked, all he wanted to do was sit and enjoy his curry and this guy was making a scene. "It's you, right? Kinezumi-kun?" The man asked, his eyebrow trembled. "You...you look just like him--" A fist was thrown, a nose was broken and bashed in, Yusuke was sent flying across the room and into the counter. Promptly, he kicked the chair he was sitting in over and began clawing at his ass through his shorts. "You all should try shutting up once in a while." Kinezumi grumbled, then sighed, he pushed the bowl over the edge of the table, allowing the curry to spill onto the floor. "The curry here is crap. I'm not payin' for it, someone should really clean this garbage up off the floor." With that, he left, no one said a word to him save Yusuke who called out to him as he disappeared through the cloth divider that led out onto the street. Did he really talk like that, he thought. Chu? The thought of the person he used to be as a kid annoyed him. Yusuke hurried out onto the street, looking around for Kinezumi, but he'd vanished into thin air faster than he thought was possible. He assumed that Kinezumi was just an exceptional ninja who could vanish like that while rubbing his swelling cheek. It wasn't untrue, but Kinezumi didn't vanish of his own will, he was pulled from the material world to a forest where the trees scraped the sky and were hollowed out. Kigakure no Sato, where the ninja squirrels resided, a secret space between here and there that could only be accessed by few. "Ora, Ririsushi...I told you about reverse summoning me to this place so suddenly like that. Next time I'll kill you." Kinezumi muttered as he stared at the tall squirrel that stood before him with a forehead protector over his eyes. "It's an emergency, Kinezumi." The squirrel said in a low and serious tone watching Kinezumi dig in his ear with his pinky. Ririsushi had a scroll held in his tail which he showed to Kinezumi. "Your grandfather left me this, he told me that it was the last thing he would ever leave you and that if it ever activated to give it to you." Kinezumi took the scroll, unrolled it and looked at the intricate patterns on it that led to a circular pattern i nthe center. The calligraphy on the page was glowing red, as if the markings were agitated by something. The glowing ink slowly died and sunk into the page, leaving a readable message on the page. They were directions somewhere. A place between the lands of fire, lightning and earth. [/style][STYLE=padding: 10px 30px 10px 30px; font-family: tahoma; font-size: 10px; line-height: 12px;]words -- tags j, mitsu notes holla atcha boy[/style]
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made by zetta

[odawara mamoru]

「OUTSKIRTS OF IWAGAKURE」

With the spring moving in, the cold mountain air slowly began to climb, life returning to the tall peeks of Tsuchi no Kuni. In these times of peace, however rare, the Odawara were not as deprived as some, able to relinquish their arms in exchange for the chance at a normal life.

The Odawara adapted well to village life, finding it rather liberating. Constantly fighting had worn them down gradually, and the last decade had been a time to treasure. Over the past decade, they had become known for their dojo at the southeastern border of the village, hidden away in the mountains, welcoming anyone willing to learn.

Tending to his bonsai tree, Taizen too found the village life reassuring. Finding the importance to enjoy the simple things in life while continuing to uphold the duty he owed to his clan and village, he along with the Odawara prospered. The path his father and those before him took managed to bring their people to a place they could call home. A place they would protect by any means necessary.

"Taizen-senpai... t-they're here again," called the voice of a simple boy whose purpose for being here was tending to the dojo's everyday needs; one of the last sons of the Odawara, his tone held back doubt in what was to come.

Pausing, Taizen gazed at the branches of his bonsai tree. It was tradition for an Odawara who sought to learn the clans hijutsu to uptake a tree for themselves, to care for it, and to mold it in an image they saw fit. This tree in particular was given to him on the night of his seventh birthday. "Yare yare... guess I should see to these wrinkly geezers, neh?" he turned toward the boy, a smirk breaking the shadow that formed upon his features. The child returned with a grin of his own, as if the large burn across his face that still festered hadn't existed, as if it weren't caused by these types of men.

"Hai!" the boy bowed, returning to his dojo duties in a timely manner.

Sighing, he gradually willed himself up from his position on the floor, headed toward the front of the dojo where three clan members of the Nobunari stood, defiant, their stares never wavering from Taizen's sight.

"I take it you've come to enlist in the dojo, Jinkaku-sama?" his face stood firm, though the remark was obviously dripping with sarcasm.

"Kinkaku's hand is not well, Taizen-san," the much older man's nostrils flared in frustration, stroking his long, flowing white beard, his brow knit together like two large white caterpillars fusing. The wildly veteran was none other than Nobunari Jinkaku; Kinkaku's father, one of three heads of the Nobunari Ichizoku. In a time before the realization of the hidden villages, the Odawara and Nobunari were notorious for their battles. They clashed often, a fair share ending in Odawara victory. The unification of the clans in Tsuchi no Kuni lead the once enemies into allies, though the differences between the two still remained stagnant to this day.

"Neither is the boy's face," the thumbed over his shoulder at the kid, his mind reaching back to the moment he'd crushed Kinkaku's left hand for what he'd done. Taizen could still trace the sound of the young man's hand breaking back to that very moment, the shriek of pain he yelped evidence to the damage he'd caused. It was well warranted. He'd scarred a child, for life.

"We require compensation; eye for an eye." One of Jinkaku's bodyguards spoke, the tall, slender man's eyes honed in on the dojo.

Returning a stare Jinkaku knew very well, Taizen lowered his voice, sure only the three before him could hear him. "I already acquired it," his words bit like an icy chill rolling up their spine.

"That--"

"Taizen-senpai!! Taizen-senpai!!" a skinny, sometimes clumsy subordinate of the Odawara, one of their messengers, sprinted to the dojo floor.

"I... uh..." catching his thoughts, the young shinobi's eyes traveled to each of the three Nobunari before focusing, realizing the severity of the information he held. "W-we have news requiring your immediate attention!"

He turned to the Nobunari. "We'll finish this later." Accompanied by his subordinate, Taizen returned to the confinements of the dojo to sort out whatever mess was starting.

「CONT: JOURNEY INTO PARTS UNKNOWN」

[Zetsumei Mitsukai]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=width,350,true] [STYLE=width: 100px; height: 100px; border: 5px solid #111111; float: left; margin-top: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5x;][/style] [STYLE=text-align: left; font-size: 10px; font-family: arial; margin-top: -2px; width: 350px; color: #212121;]— WELCOME BACK BOYS[/style] [STYLE=text-align: left; font-family: arial; font-weight: bold; font-size: 20px; margin-top: -6px; margin-bottom: -3px; width: 350px; color: #212121; letter-spacing: -1px;]CAN I GET AN ENCORE[/style] [STYLE=text-align: justify; padding: 5px; border-left: 7px solid #111111; border-top: 5px solid #111111; background-color: #f3f3f3; width: 375px; font-size: 10px; color: #212121; margin-left: 20px;]"Oraaa, Kodi, watch your form, baka!! "Yes Mitsukai-sensei," the tiny academy student replied, his shaggy hair sticking to the sweat covering his face. His shoulders squared off with the girl in front of him, a tiny blond no older than he was with her fists up and her shoulders rounded, ready to strike at any given moment. Mitsu leaned on the edge of the roped off square ring watching her students spar. "Kodi, fix your stance. If you don't, Minari is going to--" THUD!! Before she could say anything more, the little girl and delivered a powerful right jab to the boy's gut, making him stumble back to catch his breath, but before he could recover, there was already a left hook headed for his jaw. The little boy hit the floor of the ring with power, and lay there, his eyes swirling in a daze. "Minari, sheesh, you didn't have to deck him." Mitsu muttered, lifting the top rope of the ring and stepping in under it. She had been training them all day, not so much for their benefit, but perhaps more for her own. Something to keep her mind off of everything. "Sorry Mitsukai-sensei." The tiny girl said, stepping to the side and allowing Mitsu past her. The chunin crouched into a squat and examined her student, then poked the kid in the forehead with a sigh. "Get up, pansy. You're fine." The boy's eyes returned to normal and he rolled around back and forth in exaggerated pain. "Ow! Ow! Ow! Ow! Ow! She hurt me, Mitsukai-sama! Minari hurt me! She didn't have to hit me so hard in a spar!" "HEY YOU JERK, YOU'RE NOT HURT THAT BAD!" Minari protested. "Minari." Mitsu said before standing. "Not unless you count his ego..." The little girl muttered. "MINARI. ENOUGH." Mitsu's voice was firm and serious, something her kids were not used to. Mitsukai-sensei -- their Mitsukai-sensei -- had always made training fun. She was always serious about learning, but never to the point where she'd yell at them for anything. Heck, she'd more likely walk over and toss one of them out of the ring for insubordination rather than raise her voice at her students. Its not how she taught them. Its not how her father taught her. The two students, as well as the five or six others in the other parts of the gym training with the training dummies and punching bags all turned to see what was going on. Mitsu didn't turn around. She merely hopped out of the ring and dropped down to the concrete floor, not wanting to look at any of their faces right now. She didn't have to take this out on them. That wasn't fair. "Okay, all you runts, get out of here." She waved her hand with her back still to them. "Class dismissed." "But...Mitsu-sensei--" Kodi said, heading in her direction. Mitsu spun, her face more serious and grave than it had ever been with him. "Kodi, go home. All of you. Training will resume tomorrow. Go." The kids slowly filed through the dojo door, Minari and Kodi bringing up the rear. "Did we do something wrong, Mitsukai-sensei?" Minari asked, her eyes cast downward, gazing upon Mitsu's colorful kicks. A soft hand laid upon the girls golden locks. "No, you bakas. You can never do anything wrong. Not even you, Kodi." The two smiled as she ruffled both of their hair and sent them on their way out of the door. Maybe it was a bad idea to come here today. Something had felt off, with it being exactly four months since her father went missing. But Mitsu was not one to sulk and dwell on things that couldn't be changed. At least, not in front of anyone. Slowly, she headed out of the door behind her students and placed her hand on the light switch, looking back at his legacy one last time. It wasn't the same without him, and there was no way she could be him. She was no where near strong enough to even come close to his ability. "Che, stupid old man. Thinking I could do this." She muttered. "Get your ass back home..." It wasn't even dark outside, and Mitsu found herself laying on her bed, reading a weathered piece of paper by the light of the setting sun. The letter her father had left her on her birthday seemed so much more cryptic now than it did the day she opened it. There were no words, simply a symbol drawn on a piece of paper that meant absolutely nothing to her. Or so she thought. As she lay flat on her back, legs dangling off of the edge of her bed, she held the paper straight out above her. What did it mean? Could it have something to do with the mission he went on that day? She had never thought to ask her sensei or the Kage if they knew anything about it, and she didn't know why. Something in her just...told her not to. "What are you..." She whispered, turning the paper at different angles, trying to decode the thing that had haunted her for months. Then suddenly, the symbol moved. It began to shift and morph into something else. Startled by its sudden movement, Mitsu tossed the paper to the floor. "AHHH WHAT IS THAT WHAT'S HAPPENING!!" she exclaimed, jumping up and stomping the paper repeatedly. "GO AWAY OH CRAP HOLY SWEET--" Then, as suddenly as it has started, it stopped. There were words there now, an actual letter, something she could actually read! Mitsu snatched the paper from the floor and read it. "To my daughter, I will keep this quick: If you are reading this, then I haven't come home yet. And if that is the case, there is something I need you to do. Check the floor board under my bed, closest to the back left side. There is a compartment there with a seal. It's a seal you know well, and only you can open it. I never taught your brother how to break it, and it is important you never tell him of this letter or of what you are about to find in that compartment. Open it. The rest will all fall into place. I love you, and Happy Birthday Dad." Mitsu hesitated a moment in disbelief. She knew in her heart of hearts there was a reason she kept the letter, but now the symbol changing into the last words of her father to her seemed a little anticlimactic, as it told her nothing about how to get him back. It only led her to what she thought was maybe a well hidden birthday present from four months ago. And why hide it from Shinsuke? She knew she wouldn't find answers standing there being sentimental, trying to make sense of what was unfolding in front of her. She was a shinobi, and investigation was a part of what she did for a living. So, she followed her father's instructions, went to his room and shoved his bed out of the way, found the compartment with the seal and broke it using the jutsu her father had taught her. The top of the compartment popped open to reveal a tiny holding space for... ...a scroll? Mitsu's brow knit together curiously as she reached in and pulled it out. "This is my birthday present, dad?" She muttered, unrolling it. And when she did, there was yet another symbol, distinctly different from the first, still unreadable, but in a similar style as the last. Only this one began to move and morph as well at her touch into what looked like a map. Mitsu stood quickly, her eyes scanning over the map intently. This was it! Maybe this was the one piece of information she needed to find her father!! The answer had been right here under his bed the whole time, waiting for her to find it. And she would find him, if she had to walk across the universe to do it. "Hold on old man," she said, stuffing the scroll into her inner jacket pocket. "I'll be there soon." [/style] [style=font-size: 10px; text-align: center;]TEMPLATE BY SAMARECARM OF OTE + BTN[/style]

[kinezumi!!]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=cellpadding,0,true][atrb=style, width: 100px; border-bottom: 20px solid; ]	[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=cellpadding,0,true][atrb=style, width: 200px;]	[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=cellpadding,0,true][atrb=style, width: 100px; border-bottom: 20px solid; ]
[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=cellpadding,0,true][cs=3][atrb=style, width: 360px; border-right: 20px solid; border-left: 20px solid; ] [STYLE=padding: 10px; font-family: tahoma, verdana; font-size: 10px; line-height: 12px; text-align: justify;]"You've got to be shittin' me..." RED LIGHT TOWN, TA NO KUNI Kinezumi stood in front of a large news stand, looking at the digest size novels they had on display. One had a character on the front with messy brown hair and markings on his face in ninja garb. KINEZUMI GŌKETSU MONOGATARI "This...can't be real." Kinezumi grumbled under his breath, grabbing the novel from the stand and squatting before the stand, flipping through the book's pages and reading passages to himself. He wasn't sure what was more upsetting, that someone wrote a bad book about him or that he didn't see any royalties from it. "HEY! This is a business, buddy...you either pay for the merch or beat it...! This ain't a library!" The stand owner yelled down upon Kinezumi who glared upward over the top of the book at him. There was nothing more that he wanted than to set this stupid stand on fire along with all of these books. He'd stirred up enough trouble for one evening, though. He rolled the book up and tucked it in his back pocket, placing down a few bronzed coins on the counter before trudging off. The directions that were given to him led him here, to this hole in the ground they called a town. Every street corner was a brothel or bar or some sad excuse for a restaurant that made most of it's money from the seedy characters that hung out in these parts. He didn't know why he was here or what he was supposed to be doing, just that he was supposed to be here because of something his grandfather left him. Why he felt the obligation to come here at all was beyond him, the only thing the old man ever did was die on him when he needed him the most. It wasn't as if there was much here to look for, he couldn't occupy his time by slipping into one of these bars with how bad the swill tasted here and while Kinezumi was very much a male who loved women, he wasn't the type to jump into a brothel. Especially a brothel of such low quality. "Next time you should write down more than fucking instructions, you old fuck...!" The frustration had bubbled over, he stared down at the rolled up scroll and snarled when he felt something press against his back. Kinezumi turned, peering over his shoulder at the shorter, older man standing there, prodding his back with his index finger. "This symbol...on the back of your robe..." "Oi, old fart..." Kinezumi stepped away, turning to face the peculiar old man. "You shouldn't touch strangers like that." "You shouldn't speak to your elders like that." The old man said, his lips curled into a grin. "You shouldn't dishonor your clan the way you do either, Gufū-chan..." "Ara...?" Kinezumi's eyebrow poked upward, puzzled by the fact that this old man knew his name. Was he another fan? Was he the reason why he was here? The man promptly clapped his hands together, Kinezumi could feel his chakra, the thickness of it, it caused the wind to take pause and the red paper lanterns that were strung back and forth above to sway. He maneuvered his hands into seals, tangling his fingers and making complex signs. Kinezumi was still a bit awestruck by how fast he was moving for an old man, and before he came to, the old man was already sucking in an obscene amount of air. "Fūton--!! Tatsutoppa!!" The wind that he'd produced from his lips was deafening, the force lifted Kinezumi off of his feet and into the air, sending him hurtling while forming seals of his own. "Katon--Gōkakyū no Jutsu!!" Flames burst above the rooftops, mixing with the wind that swept through the narrow avenue. The flames quickly grew, bright yellow lit the night sky in a way those neon paper lanterns never could. The fire exploded and swallowed the flames until the wind died and the flames began to unravel. [/style][STYLE=padding: 10px 30px 10px 30px; font-family: tahoma; font-size: 10px; line-height: 12px;]words -- tags j, mitsu notes y'all some page stretchers[/style]
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made by zetta

[odawara mamoru]

Leaving to the confinements of his study, tucked away with the faintest glow of flickering candles to provide light, away from distraction Taizen scanned over what had been delivered by the unmarked courier. The bird carrying the message held no symbol or sign of belonging to anyone, clan or village, meaning that the message wasn't meant to be traced.

After further examining its contents, the letter was written toward him directly and not the Odawara, leaving it to a personal matter. To make matters even more unpredictable, the letter gave specific orders to reach the grave of his father without the knowledge of any, and by no later than sunset.

Deceased for the last thirteen years, controversy rose in the pit of Taizen's stomach.

Soaked in tension, the seal which held the letter was recognized almost immediately, yet it was an impression he had not seen used in years; not since his late brother, who he too had lost.

Gathering what he needed, Taizen left the dojo, and then the village, returning to the grave of his father after all this time.

「MT. TAKUMI」

Overlooking the mountains of Tsuchi no Kuni, Mt. Takumi was the largest mountain surrounding Takumi Village, a village of artisans and birthplace of Odawara Tenzin, once proud leader, father, and husband.

Kneeling before his grave, after paying his respects, he waited, then waited some more.

As the sun set and night fell, once the land was covered in darkness, Taizen's perseverance had begun to wear thin, leaving him to slowly pull away from these past hours of solitude. He'd visited his father, and nothing had come of it. The message had meant nothing until suddenly, the moonlight tore through the hazy mist in the sky, its light penetrating the gravestone of Tenzin's.

"No..." His eyes deceived him. They must have. Pressing his hand to the stone, on this cool spring night, the stone shimmered with light, casting a peculiar image, one he suddenly remembered from his early childhood.

He remembered asking about it, intrigued for the moment. At the time, Taizen must have been no older than seven, curiosity getting the better of him, his father strayed from the question, though quickly took to his elder brother, Tensai, regarding the message they'd received.

Was it another clan?

Did they require aide from the Odawara?

Swiping the scroll from his pouch, he held it close, examining it for something, anything, which is when it too began changing. The light from the moon made its manila color transform into a feint haze of blue, the words unraveled, twisting, contorting, until they'd changed entirely. It was no longer a message, but a map, constructed into parts or steps, each revealing landmarks he'd recognized from his childhood into early adulthood.

Suddenly, he knew what had to be done.

[Zetsumei Mitsukai]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=width,350,true] [STYLE=width: 100px; height: 100px; border: 5px solid #111111; float: left; margin-top: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5x;][/style] [STYLE=text-align: left; font-size: 10px; font-family: arial; margin-top: -2px; width: 350px; color: #212121;]— Let The Adventure Begin[/style] [STYLE=text-align: left; font-family: arial; font-weight: bold; font-size: 20px; margin-top: -6px; margin-bottom: -3px; width: 350px; color: #212121; letter-spacing: -1px;]THIS IS WHERE WE COLLIDE[/style] [STYLE=text-align: justify; padding: 5px; border-left: 7px solid #111111; border-top: 5px solid #111111; background-color: #f3f3f3; width: 375px; font-size: 10px; color: #212121; margin-left: 20px;]"Where do you think you're going." Mitsukai stood in front of her father's gym, locking up when she was approached by a familiar voice behind her. "Sheesh, guy, you can't just sneak up on me like that. Besides, that sounded more like a statement than a question." "Well, I'm asking you." "I have a mission." She said with a cold, straight tone, not even bothering to turn to look at the figure who was leaning against the tree with his arms crossed. "Shouldn't you be out on a mission as well, Shinsuke?" Her brother looked at her, a smirk adorning his lips. He never came by the dojo unless it was to keep tabs on his sister because even though they were not on the best of terms, she was, in fact, still family and he seemed to show some concern in that area. For now. "I've just returned." "Well congrats. Go collect your pay and buy some girls or something. And leave me alone." "Why do you have to be so stubborn?" He asked, still leaning firmly against the tree. Mitsukai headed off in the opposite direction, not answering him at first, but then after thinking about it for a moment, turned gave in to the temptation to retort. "Why do you have to check on me every five minutes? I'm a big girl and I can handle myself." Shinsuke shook his head in disdain. "Can you, Michan?" His tone was condescending, almost mocking as he still refused to move. "Peace, brah." Mitsu said, simply spinning on her heels and continuing toward the village entrance. She chucked two finger in the air behind her head as she did. "Catch you on The Flipside." As she disappeared out of sight, Shinsuke narrowed his eyes upon his younger sibling. She was up to something. She had rarely taken any missions not related to their father in the last four months, thrusting herself into the upkeep of the dojo. No, he was aware that she had found something new, some significant piece of information, and he was determined to see what she was up to. RED LIGHT TOWN, TA NO KUNI "Ta no Kuni." Mitsu muttered, standing at the entrance of the village. The one thing she could remember about this place as a kid was that no one came here for business, that was for sure. It was a place her sensei said for her to avoid if she could, and somewhere her father would not have approved of, definitely, but this was where the map sent her. The drawing on it was old and a little out of date, as if it were made before the formation of villages, and it did not account for certain man made landmarks, but she was sure she was in the right place. She followed the map perfectly, even taking the route it laid out for her instead of taking the shortcuts her and her team had laid out when they were genin, training and traveling. "So why send me here, old man. Is this where you decided to hide for the last four months?" She asked herself, finally mentally pushing herself to move inside. As she headed down its ragged streets with its jagged signs and haggard residents either stumbling around drunk or trying to steal your wallet -- or both -- she kept her eye out for anything unusual that might have presented itself as a clue to why the hell she was even in this slum in the first place. "What exactly am I looking for..." She said, thinking aloud. Then suddenly a giant yellow fireball lit the sky in the distance, a few blocks down from her. Just as quickly and violently as it had appeared, it burned away. That was no run of the mill flame. "...well that was easy." She said with a sly grin on her face. Mitsu had no idea what she was about to run in to, but she slipped a kunai from her thigh pocket and hurried onward, turning and cutting down into an adjacent alleyway and bounding upward. She projected herself onto a dumpster, then lept upward, clinging to the fire escape above her head. She needed to get a better vantage point of what was going on before she jumped headfirst into danger. If it had been any other mission, maybe. She couldn't screw up her chances of finding her father. As she pulled herself upward and scurried to the roof, she ran to the opposite side and crouched. There was an unimpressive looking, skinny guy with scraggly hair standing where the flames had disappeared, and not to far away from him, only a few yards perhaps, there was an old man. If this was their fight, she wanted no parts of it, but if they were trouble, they might make her search a little harder than she anticipated. She crouched low and watched, making sure not to be seen. Notes: Y'mammy. [/style] [style=font-size: 10px; text-align: center;]TEMPLATE BY SAMARECARM OF OTE + BTN[/style]

[kinezumi!!]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=cellpadding,0,true][atrb=style, width: 100px; border-bottom: 20px solid; ]	[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=cellpadding,0,true][atrb=style, width: 200px;]	[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=cellpadding,0,true][atrb=style, width: 100px; border-bottom: 20px solid; ]
[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=cellpadding,0,true][cs=3][atrb=style, width: 360px; border-right: 20px solid; border-left: 20px solid; ] The sound of his geta sandals crushing the roof tiles. Kinezumi wiped the sweat from his brow. "I'm impressed." The old man said, emerging through the smoke that blew over the rooftops they were now standing upon. The way the curtain of smoke rolled across his wrinkled skin, his eyes were piercing, he appeared like some sort of ogre. Just as Kinezumi thought he was going to come at him again and strike, the old man pulled out a small sack and dropped a pill in his palm, his lips curling into a smirk. "Time for my heart medication! I haven't walked so much or gotten so excited since I was a young man...!" "Who the hell are you?!" Kinezumi asked, shaking his fist at the elderly man sipping on a flask of water to wash down the capsule he popped in his mouth. "You will address me as Senpai. Matsumoto-senpai." The old man grumbled, clearing his throat, his voice was like grinding gravel and his beard was long and white. He stroked it firmly, making sure to gain his footing at the top of the roof, pointing out at the rooftop across the way. "Did you bring your girlfriend along or is she part of the Order?" "Wha'?" Kinezumi looked over his shoulder toward where Mitsu was hidden on the adjacent rooftop. His eyes narrowed before he looked back to Matsumoto, his eyebrows furrowed. "The Order?! What are you talking about?!" words -- tags j, mitsu notes short cuz i'm blown sry
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made by zetta

[odawara mamoru]

It'd felt like ages since he'd traveled down the mountains of Tsuchi no Kuni. Not since he was a young boy had he dared trek the mountain terrain, though with the news brought to him seemingly out of place, leaving him with only this message, this map... As a child, the Odawara stayed within the confinements of the mountains, though rare occasions occurred when they left, his memories as a child forced Taizen's repressed thoughts, reeling his mind backwards toward a certain point in time, a time he'd long since forgotten, believing it to have no meaning. No older than ten, along with his father and brother the three traveled down the mountains until coming to the small country of Ta No Kuni.

In his early years he'd heard stories, his imagination getting the better of him; mainly because of the "relatives" they'd visited on two separate points in his life. Though the first trip he was far too young to remember, the last, though brief, had left him in wonder.

Little did he know it was for an initiation; for his older brother.

Those same relatives, though not related by blood, held a bond unlike any other. It was also not long after that when Tensai had gone missing. That was why he'd come this far.

"This place hasn't changed much." The sky lit up, swallowed by the darkness in one fell swoop, leaving a grin from ear to ear on the young man's rugged features. The stories of the Fūma reached into the depths of the mountains, and he fully expected them to be at the center of the fireworks display.

Following the trickle of extinguished fumes filling the air, he quickly sped onto the scene by rooftop, taking notice of the old man first, recognizing a much younger him from his past. There was little mistaking it. He was in the right place.

[Zetsumei Mitsukai]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=width,350,true] — Let The Adventure Begin THIS IS WHERE WE COLLIDE "Did you bring your girlfriend along or is she part of the Order?" "Girlfriend!?" Mitsu said, standing straight up on the adjacent roof from theirs, and immediately giving up her cover. She was so outraged that she cared less about whether she was seen or not. It was times like this, she normally could hear her father whisper something about controlling her emotions, not letting them get the best of her on a mission. Somehow, that little voice had gotten lost in the shuffle between her outrage and her demand for answers. Running forward, she propelled herself from the edge of the roof and bounded over the small chasm between the buildings, landing not too far from between the two, the scraggly haired boy on her right and the old man on her left. They were all looking at each other in their triangular formation, Mitsu and the boy looking angry and confused, and the man looking mellow and content. Then suddenly, that's when she saw it. The strange symbol she had seen on the birthday letter from her father that led her to the scroll, it was on the back of the man's hand. "Hey! Who are you!? What the hell is the Order?" She gripped the Kunai handle firmly in her palm. "Where is my father?" The old man began to move toward her with his hand still stroking his long, white beard. It was strange. When their eyes met, she blinked, but never let her guard down. There was something familiar about his face, but it was impossible that she had ever known him. Yet, here he was with ancient familiar eyes, seeming to stare right through her. "Ah, the rebel fire of a Zetsumei courses through this one." He said as if fascinated by her. Mitsu stepped back slightly, unsure of what to do next. Normally, she would have readied herself for battle, but there was something about the old man that just did not threaten her at all, and that in itself unsettled her. He was hiding it, but she could feel that there was much more power in this man's chakra then she had in her pinky toe alone. "How...did you know..." TEMPLATE BY SAMARECARM OF OTE + BTN

[kinezumi!!]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=cellpadding,0,true][atrb=style, width: 100px; border-bottom: 20px solid; ]	[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=cellpadding,0,true][atrb=style, width: 200px;]	[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=cellpadding,0,true][atrb=style, width: 100px; border-bottom: 20px solid; ]
[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=cellpadding,0,true][cs=3][atrb=style, width: 360px; border-right: 20px solid; border-left: 20px solid; ] "Ora." Kinezumi lazily stared at the girl who was outraged and yelling at the old man. "Hey. Pay attention here." Kinezumi waved his hand to garner her attention. "Why are you so angry that he called you my girlfriend? Oi, Loud-chan. Pay attention." Kinezumi continued waving his hand as the old man began approaching her while combing his fingers through his long white beard. "I'm cute as hell, what's your problem? If anything I should be the one insulted." "I have no idea where your father is." The old man said. "I was hoping that he'd be the one to show up for this instead of a bunch of kids...it appears that I'm the one who didn't have the gull to go and die or get lost. At any rate, there's three of us who've gathered and I sense a fourth, this is enough to get what needs to be done done." "Oi! Shut up, old man!" Kinezumi stomped toward the two, he got in Mitsu's face and pointed at himself, his brow twitched, his nose wrinkled and his bottom lip poked out in the most unattractive way. "Apologize and tell me I'm handsome!!" He demanded. words -- tags j, mitsu notes y'all insultin'
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made by zetta

[odawara mamoru]

"Matsumoto-san, neh?"

The old man spoke as if he knew the generation who came before them, like old comrades who were one day destined to be reunited.

Destiny had a funny way of revealing itself.

It had been more than a decade since Taizen had last laid eyes on him. Only a boy at the time, he began to see it clearly, remembering the small gathering for his brother that day, a right of passage he was excluded from entirely; this old man, who was much younger looking then, was a part of it.

Like his father, Taizen's curiosity got the better of him. Staring down someone who might of had a hint or clue as to what happened to his brother, there was already tension brewing beneath his calm, laid back attitude.

Glancing to the odd pair, who half-argued like an old married couple, he had little reason to mettle in their affair, deciding it was important to pick the old man's brain for information.

"Were you responsible for that fancy lil' trick with the map..?"

"Trick?" the old man shook his head no, continuing to comb his beard with his hand. "There is no trick. The three of you have been called with a purpose in mind."

"The three of us?" He stood dumbfounded, his gaze shifting toward Kinezumi and Mitsu. They weren't shinobi of Iwagakure, that much was certain from the beginning, and from the way the loud and obnoxious one acted, they didn't seem all that important. More like children or teenage girls bickering than anything. "You're kidding, yeah?"

[Zetsumei Mitsukai]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=width,350,true] — Let The Adventure Begin THIS IS WHERE WE COLLIDE "What is this crap?" Mitsu was not impressed. There was an old man with no information to help her, another sort of old guy who looked like he thought he knew what he was talking about but probably had no idea. And that other guy. "Look, I'm busy doing something important. I don't have time for two old geezers." She said, turning and walking away from the trio with the wave of a hand, completely overlooking Kinezumi altogether. "I'll let you ladies get back to your book club or whatever. Just pretend I was never here." They all seemed to talk in sagely riddles, and Mitsu did not have any time to waste on Professor Leyton and his raggedy band of vigilantes or whatever they were. She walked to the edge of the roof and stepped off the edge, landing on the fire escape and crawling back down. Something bothered her though. She knew this could have been what she was looking for, but being with those three didn't give her any new clues. No, if it was fate, she'd see them again, maybe. As she dropped down to the sludgey ground below, she put her kunai back in her pocket and looked upward at the roof she had just come from. Who were those weirdos anyway? "Hey there, red-chan." Mitsu turned to see three skeevy guys enter the alleyway with smiles on their faces. And these weren't the kind of smiles you wanted to see by yourself in an alley at night. "You lost? Maybe we can help you find your way..." TEMPLATE BY SAMARECARM OF OTE + BTN

[kinezumi!!]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=cellpadding,0,true][atrb=style, width: 100px; border-bottom: 20px solid; ]	[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=cellpadding,0,true][atrb=style, width: 200px;]	[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=cellpadding,0,true][atrb=style, width: 100px; border-bottom: 20px solid; ]
[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=cellpadding,0,true][cs=3][atrb=style, width: 360px; border-right: 20px solid; border-left: 20px solid; ] "Lets have a little fun, neesan~" Their intentions were clear. One could see it in their eyes, they were hounds and in their beady eyes they were staring at prime rib. Such quality of woman was rare around these parts. Before they could lurk too close, two blocks of wood came crashing down atop of their craniums, jarring them and making their backs go rigid. Kinezumi stood tall on their skulls, keeping his balance as the two bobbed back and forth under his weight. His eyes glared down upon the red haired woman who'd so easily insulted and ignored him. Who did she think she was? He had a really bad novel written about his exploits. He was the greatest of the first generation Konoha ninja, he was the greatest of the great, in fact. "You're annoying as hell, you know that?" Kinezumi asked brazenly. Had he purposely saved her or were these unsavory men just unfortunate to happen to be in Kinezumi's path? It hardly mattered, it wasn't like she needed to be saved, anyway. Hopping down from the heads he was perched on, he landed before her with a scowl. "Ara...I'm going to follow you around until you apologize." Kinezumi declared, crossing his arms over his chest. Matsumoto stroked his long white beard, Mitsukai had run off, and Kinezumi went off shortly after her. There wasn't time for this. The old man looked over his shoulder at the only remaining member who managed to show up, Taizen. "I don't kid." The old man's eyes narrowed, he wouldn't bother with chasing after the other two, the situation was much too dire for that. Taizen would have to be enough for now. "You're the Earth's representative, yes? Odawara-san, there's little time to explain--you were summoned here when the seal was broken. If the seal's broken then that means that everything's at stake. It means he walks among us again." "Stand with me, Odawara, and help me save everything or leave like the other two have and put the harmony this world has attained in jeopardy." Matsumoto put his hands behind his back. "The choice is yours." words -- tags j, mitsu notes late
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made by zetta

[odawara mamoru]

Watching the others leave left Taizen alone with the old man, which he preferred in all consideration; Matsumoto was the one with the answers.

"What seal?"

"Who escaped?"

These questions were the simplest of a wide variety, yet were far from the answers he truly sought. Whatever reason Matsumoto had called the trio here for, the other two and what they meant to this old man meant little to him. He wanted to find his brother, to seek the truth, and if said truth meant aiding Matsumoto in his quest to restore the balance of harmony to the world, then he would do just that.

However, Taizen's intentions were not based solely on the safety of the world. Iwagakure was his home. To him, it was not his duty to police the neighboring nations.

"I'll aid you, Matsumoto-san. And after we're finished, you will answer my questions."