come home | russki

[Masahige]

So, this was the exterior of the Hidden Rain Village. Masahige looked up at the outer wall, and then set his gaze down at the shinobi guarding the entrance. They gave him wear gazes, but were aware of who he was. Masahige was not so simple as to show up unannounced. A week prior, he had sent a message to Ryuze that he would be coming back for Sio.

The time seemed right.

Without a guard to accompany him, Masahige approached the shinobi at the gate. A bat hung from one of them by the beard, and it was the bat that addressed Masahige.

"Lord Hokage, please follow us."

And he did. He had to say- the workings of the Hidden Rain's outer and inner walls was spectacular. It wasn't something to be easily bypassed. This had certainly been the best place for Sio's safety. And, from what he had heard, it had been great for her improvement as a ninja.

---

After entering the village, Masahige was escorted to see Ryuze. His sole purpose was to come for Sio, and then leave. There would be no dilly-dallying. However, he would assure Ryuze that her aid in taking care of Sio would benefit with continued financial support from the Hidden Leaf.

[Wani Ryuze]

Ryuze had been dreading this day ever since that first moment that she and Sio had arrived in Amegakure. She knew that even though it was an exciting and dangerous undertaking, that eventually what was borrowed would eventually have to be returned.
But damned if Ryuze wasn't going to miss her friend.

Sio had all but become a member of the family. She stayed at Ryuze's house. They had meals together, and sat and talked. What had been an empty shell full of things where Ryuze only returned to because there was no room in her office, had become a home. Sio painted the rooms bright colors, and fixed the things that were broken. She built fires in the fireplace, and they made meals. It was no longer a hollow box, dark, lonely and full of things. No, it was a place of memories now.

Ryuze wasn't sure how she could go back to it alone.

And so her anxiety was building again as the date grew closer from the time she pulled that message off the hawk's leg. Sio was excited to know that she was going home, and Ryuze forced a brave face for her, but she was being shredded inside. She had come to rely on the Leaf jinchuriki. Perhaps unfairly so. That was a lot of burden to put on someone that you care about. And so Ryuze would do her best to take what she had been taught, both directly and indirectly by Sio, to improve her own life, and to make things better for her village.
When she got the message that Masahige had arrived, she ignored the fact that her heart skipped a beat, and forced herself out of her seat. It was an uncharacteristically clear day...some might see it as an omen, but Ryuze didn't like the days that it didn't rain. And she didn't feel right making it do so, just to suit her mood. Her feet were heavy, but she carried herself with dignity and poise as she left the building under repair to go and meet the Hokage. Smiling as she approached, she extended her hand to shake his own.

"It's been too long, Masahige-san."

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[Masahige]

He extended her hand and shook hers, and returned her smile with his own. She had done very well on her promise with Sio, and Masahige was more than pleased. He'd learned that she was to be trusted, when her price was met.

"Yes, it has been," he replied, knowing her meaning. But for other reasons, it had been just long enough. The Hidden Leaf Village had settled down tremendously. Internal conflict over the spectacle he performed after Sio's departure form the village had died down almost completely. Kumiko had taken care of the darker dealings with quite a few vocal insubordinate villagers.

"How has your village fared?" he asked. Masahige knew that things couldn't be made to be dramatically better in such a short time. It was a lot easier to fall than it was to rise. But, hopefully, the influx of coin coming to the village had done something of a jump start.

[Wani Ryuze]

It was a question that Ryuze would now be proud to answer. How was their village faring? The answer was all around them. Roads and pathways were being rebuilt. Buildings torn asunder in the photographs that she had shown Masahige earlier in the year were either completed or nearing completion. The streets, once desolate or littered with the downtrodden and defeated shinobi were now a little busier, children playing and running, people on their way to the businesses lining the pathways.

"We're good." Ryuze said simply, looking around. "Much better. Our hospital is up and running again, and the academy should be completed by the end of the month. The village is working with a lot of the farmers and sources living in Ame no Kuni to get trade routes established again. They seem excited about having the village as a client. We sent two Genin to these most recent Chunin exams, and one returned a Chunin, so we're pretty happy about that."

Ryuze nodded, thinking back on these times. Sio had done quite a bit in boosting the morale of the village, as well. Everyone she met, she seemed to ignite a fire in to do better, to try harder, to live happier.
"I met with the new leader of the Village Hidden in the Grass a few months back. She seems...nice-ish..."
Ryuze wasn't quite sure how else to describe Subori. She certainly did seem nice, but there was something that nagged at Ryuze's intuition about her. Something...dark. It was possible that she was just paranoid. A victim of life lived within the fishbowl that is Ame all her life. But Ryuze never ignored her gut.

"We're getting there, with your help, Hokage-san. For that, I can't thank you enough."
She paused for a moment, biting her lip before looking back up at Masahige with her singular eye.
"I'm guessing activity must have died down quite a bit, for you to be retrieving her already. Just know that Sio's welcome back any time, for any reason that you see fit."
Ryuze tried to keep the emotion out of her voice as she said as much, then clearing her voice and turning, beckoning Masahige.
"Right this way. She's at home, getting her things ready. She couldn't be more excited to finally be going home. It's all she talked about during training this morning."

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[Masahige]

It would be wrong to say that Masahige wasn't happy for Ryuze or her village. The Hidden Leaf Village had always owed a debt to the Hidden Rain. Always. And yet, even Naruto had been unable to pay them back for, not only the damage caused before his time, but the resulting damage in removing Nagato from leadership. The Hidden Leaf had forsaken the Hidden Rain.

And now, Masahige had done right by them. He had done something even Uzumaki Naruto could not do. And that was something to be proud of.

"Nice-ish?" he questioned, wondering what this leader of the Hidden Grass was truly like. He knew that the borders of the Grass Country were constantly on guard, and the working of the country's government had been shielded from foreign nations almost completely. The Hidden Grass Village was extremely isolated and an unknown factor in today's world. It was unsettling to hear some doubt of it's leader's character in Ryuze's words, but he put that aside for now.

Sio was a much more pleasant topic, so he mulled over her words on Sio's interactions. It seemed she was blessed with some of Naruto's personality. That was almost frightening, to be honest.

"Once Sio has returned, she'll be tested to become Chūnin herself," he admitted. "As she missed out on the Exams, I think it's only fair we allow her the opportunity to rise through the ranks for her hardships. As a Chūnin, she would also be permitted to act as envoy between our two villages, should you find that agreeable."

He didn't say anything about the state of matters, but Ryuze was generally correct. In the village, the state of affairs had settled down greatly.

[Wani Ryuze]

True enough, Masahige had done right by the people of the Hidden Rain. They never held any animosity toward the Leaf for what had happened. After all, they were grateful to Uzumaki Naruto and the rest of the Shinobi Alliance for what they had done for the world. And what would happen over the next 60 years would make the previous destruction of their village look like spilled milk in comparison.
Really, Ryuze was just beyond indebted to Masahige and Konoha. They had owed her nothing to this point.

"Yeah. Nice-ish." Ryuze reiterated, brows furrowing as she nervously ran a finger around the outer rim of her eyepatch. "I can't really explain it...I'm good at reading people, and there was just something about her. She is certainly generous...she offered our village military aid, sharing in scientific developments and the like...she offered us an alliance, but I refused."
That part still bothered Ryuze. Should she have accepted? It might look a bit suspicious to want nothing to do with your fellow lesser villages, but Ryuze had her reasons. Either way, she could not win.

"I just...I don't have anything to offer anyone else right now. And I had a feeling that that aid might eventually come at a price. A price that we're not equipped to pay. I suppose maybe I'm just not used to people wanting to help me. But at the same time, I just want to look out for my village. I could honestly care less about the others, at least for right now. I just can't afford to."
Ryuze knew if anyone would understand her standpoint, it would be Masahige. Someone else may take it the wrong way, but it wasn't how she meant it at all. She could sense it deep down, that they were a lot the same. They had now entered the Wani district, houses constructed of steel and adobe brick. It was a somewhat primitive-appearing section of the village, only because the Wani weren't as enthralled with technology as some others might be. Everything was very...basic, compared to the rest of Amegakure.

"I'm sure she would enjoy that. It wasn't easy once she found out about the exams and wouldn't be able to compete. She put on a brave face, probably more for me than anybody. But I just wished there was something I could do. I'm glad she'll at least get that chance now. And I'd love to have her back as an envoy for relations between the Leaf and Rain."

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[Masahige]

Masahige considered what Ryuze told him. The Hidden Grass had been isolated for so long, and it was now making an offering to the Hidden Rain out of nowhere. Perhaps the Hidden Grass had adept spies that were privy to the dealings between the Hidden Rain and Leaf? It was a possibility. That bitch in the Grass was making moves, and it made Masahige uncomfortable.

At least Ryuze was somebody he could trust.

"Your village is a strategical point on the map," Masahige said. "I don't know the intentions of the Hidden Grass, nor would I attempt to discover them at the moment. However, they have been isolated from the world for a very long time. That their leader would come to you now -- we both know that it isn't just to make nice."

No. There was a plot brewing in that backwater village. But for now, it was of little consequence. More important things were at hand.

"I'm positive that she'll be able to pass the test given to her. Once she does, she'll be able to begin acting as envoy. It shouldn't be long before you see her return here with her new title."

[Sarutobi Sio]

Sio could hear Masahige and Ryuze approaching, and hurriedly shoved the last of her things into her bag. Even Kurama was smiling that day at the exuberance of his partner. He was looking forward to getting back to Konoha, as well. This hiding and suppressing his chakra was pissing him the fuck off. He wanted to cut loose again. As much as Sio wanted to practice learning the Bijudama and progress in her tailed states. Something they had been having trouble with in Amegakure, with her guarded status and constant eyes watching them.
Closing the clasp on her things and sealing them into her scroll, she then dropped the roll of parchment into the holder on her belt and beat both the Hokage and the Lady to the door, snatching it open and meeting them both with a beaming grin.

"Ryuze-san! Hokage Masahige! I'm so glad to see you both!"
And she truly was. Though she would miss this place, she was sure that she would see Ame and Ryuze again soon. But there was no measurement yet for the amount that she missed Konohamaru, Moegi, Minato, Kumiko, and so many others back in the Leaf. Ryuze smiled, nodding and stepping back out of the doorway so Sio could exit. The tears were daring to leak back from behind her eyes, but she willed them back. There would be plenty of time to let them fall after the pair was gone.
"Well, Sio-kun..." Ryuze said, beginning the escort of the pair of them back to the gates. "It really was a pleasure having you here. I can't thank you enough for all you've done for us, and for me. You'll go down in history as the best Boca this village has ever had."
She really did mean the words from the bottom of her heart. During the time Sio was there, Ryuze had not a free moment to think about being anxious. To even consider what things might be like if she wasn't around. She had given the young ruler focus and direction. And that meant more to Ryuze than anything material.

She had begun to live.

"Thanks, Ryuze-kun." Sio said, smiling, placing her hand in her pocket and feeling for the token that Ryuze had given her. She didn't know what it was or what it did, but Ryuze had insisted that she have it. Perhaps it was something to assure that Sio eventually had to come back, perhaps to return it, or it was the socailly-awkward's attempt at gift-giving. Regardless, Sio would treasure it forever. She looked to Masahige, grinning.

"I can't wait to show you everything I've learned."
Even looking at her now, it wouldn't be hard to see that there had been a change in the girl. She was slightly taller than she had been when she left...not very noticeable, but what would be noticeable would be the thin layer of lean muscle gained from day in and day out of training and work. Her eyes were different, also. Besides the slight burgundy tint that they held through her blending with Kurama, they burned with a slightly-cocky determination that had not been there prior. Her entire carriage was more upright, confident now. Much like the fox within her.

Yes, it was safe to say that Sarutobi Sio was the balls.

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[Masahige]

"And I am eager to see what you have learned," he replied to Sio, giving her a meaningful nod of approval. He could see what was different about her, and not just in her eyes. Her body language was different.

"Once we've reached the Hidden Leaf, you'll have your chance. But until then, you'll have to keep your abilities suppressed."