Potential!;

[Messatsu!]

"So this is Sunagakure eh?"

Masuyo thought, trailing behind the the fabled Etsuko Soratsu with a moderate run. He couldn't help but notice how teemed and cultivated the village was which drove him to the desire of taking in the village's scenery. Unfortunately, exploring the Sunagakure and its many corridors took time, time that Masuyo seemed to not have had, evident by the level of seriousness Soratsu exerted through his movements. Allegedly, he wanted Masuyo to meet with the current Kazekage, perhaps to indoctrinate him in Sunagakure's lifestyle and culture which would have allowed him to blend in, unnoticed and incognito. Nevertheless, as important as it had seemed, it wouldn't have been right to say that Masuyo shared the same level of concern in regards to the 'objective', in fact, he cared very little about meeting the Kazekage, at least the aspect of doing so immediately upon arrival.

"A little exploring shouldn't hurt."

Swiftly and silently, Masuyo removed himself from following Soratsu's path of likely travel towards the Kazekage's off and turned to the right with a sharp pivot. Now west-bound, Masuyo increased his speed as he zoomed through the sandy street of Sunagakure, looking in ever conceivable direction to take in every bit of culture that he could. It seemed peaceful, although hot, but definitely peace; unlike Amegakure, it wasn't menacingly quiet, but instead bustled with the sound of manufacture and labor. What overwhelmed him even more was the chattering sound of a thousand voice speaking at once, and it had been during that moment that Masuyo clearly envisioned the new Amegakure. He smiled as he still sped through the village streets, but thereafter, he felt a necessity to gain a better view of the city from its grandiose rooftops.

Taking another sharp, right turn, he entered an alleyway which was perfect for what he wanted to achieve. While still running forward, he jump up and to the side towards the side of one wall. From there he ascended up to the rooftop's edge with a series of quick, zig-zagging leaps between each of the walls. Looking out upon the village, the civilians almost as small as ants, he noticed something, something that caught his utmost attention. He saw a large, abandoned temple deep in the southern horizon and although it seemed run-down and aged, Masuyo saw something entirely different. He saw a home, a home for his clan, the very clan that was nearly wiped out and separated throughout all the wars that plagued the world. Behind the ANBU mask given to him by Soratsu, he smiled and folded his arms while the loose ends of his robes submitted to the playfulness of harmless winds. He couldn't have stopped looking at it even if he wanted to, it was so. . .

Beautiful

[Bombshell]

The scenery of Sunagakure was something to behold, and even moreso to one whom is not a native of the land. Nina, a former Amegakure kunoichi found the relatively unfamilar rather splendid, possibly due to her fascination with things that stray from her norm. Everything about the village was new, from the strange architecture, to something as simple as the very sand that covered the grounds of the village. It had already been months since Nina had decided to reside in the village, and she still felt like she hadn't even scraped the surface of what this village had to offer culture-wise. So, every once and awhile, Nina would treat herself to a long, extended stroll throughout various sections of the vast village. She wanted to feel immersed in the culture, and figured what better way to go about immersion than walking the very same paths that the natives walk on.

The bustling streets of Sunagakure could be a little intimadating to most, but to someone like Nina, who's curiosity knows no bounds, it's like heaven on earth. As she strolled through the streets, she would make every effort to conversate to every single merchant that beckoned to her, and mind you she was in the market. She continued through the market to for quite sometime, until she would succumb to the sun rays who ever so persistantly pounded on her back.

Somewhat exhausted, Nina would approach an empty bench nearby, where she would sit. Her eyelids would shut as she exhaled, taking sometime to contemplate somethings that had been troubling her. In the past few weeks, Nina had pratically forgot the reason she came to Sunagakure in the first place. Her sole purpose originally was to locate other members of her family, the Kekkai. But in her time here she hasn't truly looked for them at all. Nina's head slouched over and her gaze would turn to the azure sky, were he eyeballed a peculiar shaped cloud. She began to track the cloud, until it was hidden by a rather large building. Atop it, she noticed, was a a young man in a rather stuffy robe. She chuckled, and could already tell the man was a newcomer. What was most noticeable, however, was the glorious orange hair that flowed from his head.

Nina bolt up from her slouch and on to her feet, there she would hesitantly walk towards the building were the man she was. She raised her hand to block the harmful rays of the sun from her eyes, and coupled with the fact that she was moving closer to the man, it wouldn't be long before she had a clear image of him.

Nina was in complete disbelief. Just minutes ago she was condemning herself for not searching for her bretheren, and now, only 35 meters away, was potentially one of her own. Nina could only hope that this man would take notice of her aswell.

[Messatsu!]

Although the majority of his face hid behind a cold and hardened ANBU mask, his orange hair was more than discernible. Overlooking the beautiful, wizened temple, the Sennin noticed it stuck out like a sore thumb as he carefully examined the surrounding area further. Everything around the village itself seemed new and thrummed with cultivation, everything but the temple. Within the safety of his mind, the vision of a small, black spot in the center of a white sheet came him; it was like a small focal point within the massive village. Having moved to a more suitable and comfortable position, he wanted to get a closer look, maybe even explore its interior.

Calmly, he stepped off the roof's edge and immediately began his descent towards the ground. Thereafter, he landed in front of a local restaurant in a low crouch to absorb the impact and came to a full stand a moment later. From there, the temple was still in sight, parallel to Masuyo in fact, but was still quite a distance away. A single, forward step followed his landing, beginning to make his way towards what he saw as temporary paradise.

Around the fifth step, he stopped, noticing a sliver of orange that popped into the corner of his eye. Reflexively, Masuyo's head turned to the side towards the colour only to realize it had been just some woman whom he did not know. For a secon he believed it to be his own sister, seeing a small resemblance from her smooth skin and the orange hair. As a bearer of orange hair and a traveler, it was safe to say that Masuyo didn't meet an overly large amount of people with that trademark shade of orange. Mentally, he questioned her heritage as a confused expression swept across his face even though it was hidden from plain view. After he observed the woman in a brief moment of silence, he turned and face the woman properly before greeting her.

"I don't mean to be so direct ma'am, but if you don't mind, may I ask what your full name is?"

[Bombshell]

To Nina's bewilderment, that very man she layed her eyes upon had descended from the high rooftop with a thud. His were afixed on something in front of him, but it wasn't too long before he'd fce Nina, giving the same look of disbelief Nina had just moments ago. To her avail, the man approached her, which was followed by him inquiring some rather personal information.

"I don't mean to be direct, but if you don't mind, may I ask what your full name is?"

Although as surreal as it was, it seemed that rather than Nina finding her it seemed they had found her. A delicate smile grazed her as she cheerfully answered,

"Kekkai, Kekkai Nina."

[Messatsu!]

"Kekkai?! You can't be serious"

These thoughts ran through Masuyo's mind as he observed the woman through his mask, shocked and bewildered from her response. In a fit of disbelief, Masuyo reached up, removed the mask from his face and threw it too the ground. Although his face and reaction said otherwise, he was overwhelmed with happiness to have finally known that his clan outside of his own direct family managed to survive. Had he not gathered himself and examined the woman the way he did, he wouldn't have believed who she claimed to beat. Excluding the announcement of her name, she wore the traditional clothing that women of the family does, from the feminine white robes down to the bright orange hair that all Kekkai were known to have. The expression of surprised on his face swapped presence with a light smile and a warm, heartfelt look of happiness.

Lightly, he chuckle and stepped closer to Nina as he hugged and embraced as he would have to his own family. Without even remotely thinking that it would have been remarkably awkward, he hugged her tighter and whispered into her ear thereafter.

"Masuyo, Masuyo Kekkai. There is still hope for our family.

[Bombshell]

It was apparent Nina's life was about to change for the better. This man, Masuyo was indeed her kin, and it was clear he had been searching for just one of his own aswell.

Masuyo would tightly embrace Nina in a hug, which, although felt awkward at first, seeing s he was still somewhat a stranger, it would only be a moment or so before she returned the gesture by squeezing Masuyo equally as tight.

Many things went through Nina's mind at that very moment. There was so much Nina had to ask him. So, after a couple more cherished seconds in her cousin's arms, she'd release him and begin to smile giddily before uttering a few words.

"My my Masuyo, it seems we have quite a bit of catching up to do. Here is not the ideal place though, Maybe we can go somewhere a lil' more private, hm?"

[Messatsu!]

Maybe the warm embrace had been a bit to much, but, surprisingly Nina went along with it and returned the favor. As she retreated Masuyo followed suit and listened to each word that fell from her parting lips while straightening out his robe. He nodded in agreement as she motioned towards relocating to a more private area, which, made complete sense when considering the rareness of the situation. His left arm and hand extended out in a lateral fashion, gesturing her to their area of privacy. Through his mind, having been new to the city, it was quite obvious that the place he chose was the beautiful, withered, temple he spotted from the roof's edge.

"This way. . ."

He smiled while gesturing towards the temple and walked towards its closed, dual doors thereafter. Just for a moment, he stopped, closed his eyes and took a heavy sigh, hoping that what he was about to walk into wasn't unpalatable. Finally, after using a moment to gather himself, his right arm reached forward and pushed one of the two doors open. A noisy creak was generated as the door was slowly opened, loud enough to alarm anything or anyone within. Fortunately by then, he knew that it was completely empty, evident by the lack of signatures he felt through the ground with the use of his Doton Ryouuken. Looking to his left and then to his right, Masuyo stepped into the temple completely and immediately noticed that the inside hadn't looked abandoned at all. In fact it was-for the most part- clean and definitely livable. It hadn't been picture perfect, but as something that can be refurbished, the Sennin managed to hit the jackpot.

Looking straight in from the entrace was a long hall with 2 doors on the right wall before a set of spiraling stairs led up to the second floor. On the left about 5 doors were spread across the wall, all of which were closed. As much as he wanted to explore the building, speaking with Nina had been his primary concern. Without even hesitating he moved into the closest door to the right which seemed to have led to a living room filled with sitting area's and tables. Again, everything still seemed relatively clean save for dust that naturally accumulates around all living areas. Nevertheless, motioning towards a chair next to a round table, he sat and began to speak.

"So, if you're a Kekkai just as I am, I'm guessing you're from the land of rain as well?"

Speaking eagerly, he reached into his white robes and pulled out his marked, Amegakure headband and sat it along the table for Nina to clearly see.

[Bombshell]

"This way..."

This man, Masuyo would quickly wisp Nina away, gesturing towards a structure that was seemingly uninhabitited. Nina examined the building, and from first glance it was quite rugged, she could tell that this temple certainly had some backstory to it.

She would notice the empty corridors and plethora of cobwebs that peppered the ceiling. It looked like this place hadn't been touched in years. It wasn't particularly bad, just aged. Nina's eyes flicked to Masuyo as he entered an empty room, save a couple of chairs and a round table. He then urged Nina to take a seat. Conforming to his wishes, she took a seat directly across from Masuyo, eager to hear what he had to say.

Without hesitation, Masuyo would inquire about Nina's origins, maybe to possibly solidify her claim to be kin. Nodding, Nina would begin to speak.

"Why yes, I am, it is were our family originates, silly. May I ask why you have left, though? Perhaps we have more in common than we know."

[Messatsu!]

As expected, Nina conformed to Masuyos gesture and seated herself across from him as he spoke. Quickly, she responded with witty confidence that managed to get a chuckle out of Masuyo. Although her words were playful, they were meant to be serious and out of respect, Masuyo took it as such despite the light sarcasm. In a moment of silence, he merely looked into Nina's eyes with compassion and wonderment, still believing that the meeting was phantasmagorical. Something clicked inside his head and whatever it may have been, it snapped his mind back into reality. Thereafter, he apologized for staring so rudely before actually processing and contemplating her words of inquiry about his departure from Amegakure.

"Well, that has a long and emotional story behind it, but, I wouldn't mind briefly sharing it with a fellow Kekkai. . ."

For a moment, he paused and reached into his robes for his Amegakure headband which had been marked out for at least 8 years. Having never cleaned it, the metal was scarred, dirtied, and even blood soaked. Lightly, he laided it upon the table so that it had been stretched out in a later fashion. And with that, he sighed and continued.

"Well, when I was about six or seven, Amegakure was infiltrated and my sister ordered my brothers and I to stay behind while she tried to solve the entire thing herself. After hours of waiting I was falsely informed that my sister was dead. In a fit of rage I left the village to gain power and sought revenge in the process against those who attacked. Long story short, after I found out that my sister was alive but held captive within Amegakure as an experiment. "

He paused momentarily as his expression swapped presence with one of sadness and continued.

"Come to find out it was my older brother behind it all."

[Bombshell]

The inquiry was awfully private, and it was almost suprising to Nina that he was so willing to spill this information onto the table infront of him. To most, the blood stained and battered headband Masuyo had just pulled out would mean little, but to Nina, it had an unmatched depth, and it spoke of the many hardships this man had went through. Nina knew now their pasts were very much alike.

Masuyo began explaining his story, and Nina listened ever so intentively. She inched in every few moments or so closer to Masuyo as to hear every single word he said in perfect clarity, she could not afford to miss even a morsel.

The rather depressing, yet strangely familar story touched Nina deeply. So much so, a small tear drizzled down her cheek, which she hastily wiped away before she would ask another question.

"Tell me Masuyo, did your sister possess a Kekkai Touta?"

[Messatsu!]

As he finished speaking he gathered himself once more and looked back up to Nina who responded ever so quickly. He noticed the single tear that rolled down the side of her face prior to her speaking which filled Masuyo's heart with warmness by just knowing she cared enough to not only listen but shed a tear. Nevertheless, he'd dwell on the woman's question and in the briefest of moments, he responded.

"Well, of course she does, as a beautiful femal- Woman of the Kekkai line, you should have one yourself. . ."

He spoke flirtatiously despite messing up and trying to play it off as thought the word never escaped his parted lips. In the middle of his words his face brightened up as he grinned and continued on speaking

"But to be specific she has the Boil release which, during my few experiences against it, I've found it and her to be quite frightening. "

Momentarily he paused and as he had done so, he leaned forward and looked deeper into Nina's eyes, almost passionately. Thereafter, his grin removed itself from his overal expression as the Sennin spoke yet again, turning the tables in the conversation.

"So, what about you Nina, whats your story?"

[Bombshell]

Nina's display of compaion was met with a warm smile and flustered by Masuyo, and she would notice the great pleasure he would find in knowing someone cared. Soon after, Nina would display her own flustered smile as Masuyo went on to compliment her looks.

Though they were family Nina felt an odd attraction to this character most would consider taboo in these perimeters. Nothing serious yet though, Nina foresaw a sort of flirtatious relationship between despite them being loosely related to her knowledge.

A second or two would pass after Masuyo ask what Kekkai Touta she possesed. Nina would then go through a mibor flurry of handseals to create but one crystalline shuriken. It would manifest itself in the space right above Nina's now outstretched hand, and in a second, promptly drop into it.

"I possess an intresting release reveled by many, Shouton."

She placed the shuriken on the table, and then skated it across to Masuyo to examine. Afterwards she began to share her story.

"My family was taken away more than likely for the same reason your sister was. We all possesed this unparalled release. The problem with it though, is that we were envied by many..."

She bit her lip as she struggled to continue.

"So much so, the government of Amegakure took notice, and decided to make them lab rats. I escped however and fled here, were I have since been searching for others with my orange hair"

SPOILER: Click to show

Shoton Ryuuken (Crystalization Commandment)
jutsu used- Shuriken Ranbu (Shuriken Wild Dance) [Qty: 1]

[Messatsu!]

Nina wasted no time at all and quickly displayed the rare powers of an advanced release. Swiftly, she weaved through a series of hand-seals and held out her hand. Thereafter, a crystalline shuriken took form from thin air and dropped into the palm of her hand as gravity too full effect. Impressed, he grinned and then listened to the words that proceeded the display of her abilities. Going straight into her family, she assumed that they were captured just as Masuyo's own sister had been. Not even for a second did Masuyo consider such a thing outlandish, how could he, especially after having experienced the same thing. When under the influence of Amegakure's government, being born with the power of an advanced release was nothing less than a curse. For a moment she paused and bit her lip, however, she gathered up enough willpower to continue on.

He quickly noted that she claimed to have been captured as well but through some miracle managed to escape, but how. Masuyo was curious. Contemplating on her words, he came to quickly realize that wherever his sister was held captive. The Sennin figured that if Nina was truly there too, and as such, could have possibly provided some kind of information regarding its location.

"I'm pretty sure its been a long time since you've been there but is there anything you can provide in terms of the location where everyone is being held captive?"

[KEITH]

+55 - gene
+40 - kami