[1] hounding.

[luneth]

[STYLE=margin: 20px 65px 15px 65px; text-align: justify;font-family: arial;font-size: 10px;]It was entrancing, the way the endless plain of rice plants uniformly swayed with each subdued squall sounded by the ceaseless breeze of Ta no Kuni, the wind's light essence feeling like feathers gliding easily along my uncovered pallidity. The current's whispering melodies were as peaceful as the view itself, calming my mind and liquid gait. I was surrounded in every direcion by the spindly obstructions, the lower of my vision encompassed by a sheer green, off-white, and tinges of brown – the rich soil these biennials were jutting healthily from – while above existed the unclouded, azure skies; a blanket of blue hues wrapping around the full horizon.

At the plant's highest, they pointed upward inches above my line of sight, even the lowest just below my chin; the packed earth my narrow tabi's padded along would be one of the few lengths unaffected by the seemingly wild and insuppressible vegetation. I had walked this same trail for miles, following instructions given a way back, and was finally beginning to discern from the environment the subtle signs I'd been trained to spot, and had amassed much experience in exposing, the minute traces signifying life. It was a gratifying experience, prompting me to quicken my pace, though I knew hardly anything other than a few stalls awaited my arrival at the modest trading post settled along the side of one of the county's main roads.

The past two weeks had seen my journey scale the full breadth of Ta no Kuni several times over, I myself merely enjoying the scenery, the plant-life that was all but impossible to find among the spiry stone platforms of Kaminari no Kuni, the feeling of being so connected to the shinobi world, rather than closed away at its northern corner, while too surreptitiously gathering as much information on the land as possible. It was difficult; I had yet to find any capital city, or even large town, and the diminutive settlements I had investigated weren't obliged to tell me anything unless I brought my chokuto to their throats, which was an act I wanted to avoid, if at all possible. My only present intents were to reach this hidden settlement I could almost feel I was on the verge of locating, for a much needed recoup, and to gather my thoughts.

I was a step closer in my hunt, as my shadowy figure – garbed in a flowing black top, skinny pants, and ninja tabi's all matching in hue – appeared uphill from perspective of the merchants below. They were all situated at the front of a sizeable huddle of tints, dotting the background, while their scattered, lightly populated stalls headed the fore. A whiff of the scent, both smoky and rich in a certain kind of meat, aroused my tastebuds, heightening slightly the corners of my mouth. My gaze searched for the weapons table as I reached level ground.

The rice paddies had began to cut off in my decline from the hill, moving outward, circling the far bounds of the settlement ahead before returning to their ordinary arrangement on its opposite side; allowing me free, unobstructed vision for the first time in hours. Spotting the metal of familiar tools, as well those unique to these lands, my direction was projected, and I materialized in seconds at the stall's front, an intrigued, hardly expressive look conjoint with my calm aura. In reality, I was only here to replenish my stock of weapons, a task I'd put off for some time, before continuing my search, though I couldn't help but wonder what information the merchant, a rather burly, bearded man, would willingly impart to a paying customer.

It couldn't hurt to atleast inquire, as my nimble fingers finished drawing the required ryo, handing it to the man, and in return grasping a sizeable pack containing an assortment of glinting steel from the table. My tranquil voice would contrast the rough commotion surrounding us, while my words were calmly uttered, in a refined, coercive, and slightly forcible way.

[STYLE=margin: 0px 170px 0px 10px;]"so, is your business centered here?"[/style]
[STYLE=margin: 0px 10px 0px 170px;]"nah, 'course not. my boss has a bigger shop out in tenjin, we're all part of the shop district there."[/style]
[STYLE=margin: 0px 170px 0px 10px;]"eh, in tenjin?" I was curious, unsure of what that was.[/style]
[STYLE=margin: 0px 10px 0px 170px;]"yep. you should give it a visit some time, much wider collection there."[/style]
[STYLE=margin: 0px 170px 0px 10px;]"hmm.. i'll be sure to do that. only.. i'm sort of lost.. could you point the way, from here?"[/style]
[STYLE=margin: 0px 10px 0px 170px;]"haha, this place tends to do that, no worries, just take this path out of here, you should see a four-way after that, go left, another four way, go straight, an' your there."[/style]
[STYLE=margin: 0px 170px 0px 10px;]"it's appreciated, i'll head that way now, then."[/style]
[STYLE=margin: 0px 10px 0px 170px;]"yeah, take care."[/style]
A single, sweeping glance around the vicinity and I took my leave, placing the sack of fresh weaponry in the bag hanging from my shoulders. I'd replay once the man's directions in my mind, a sly smile forming for only an instant amid my impassive facade, disappearing as quickly as it'd arrived. I had received what I ulteriorly sought in a way much more smooth and easy than I had imagined, causing concern as to whether the man had mislead me, whether he'd lied or not, though the genuine, if banal look on his face would effectively protest my worry. Either way, given time, I would find the place, one way or another. With this in mind, I'd exit the outpost's perimeter, once more overcome by the earthy scents and plant-laden landscape of Ta.

[/style]

[Yox]

An endless trail of rice fields lined the path toward the village I hailed from. It surely wasn't called Ta no Kuni for nothing. These fields were everywhere. It was the perfect place to have a village tucked away from the world. The misleading imagery of farmers populating the land only made it more appropriate to have a secret underground world existing below. The farmers and us worked together. They kept our little secret safe, and we made sure that little harm came to them from outsiders.

I was on a routine scout on the outskirts of the land. From time to time, shinobi were sent out from the underworld cavern to the world above to watch over the land. The ninja of Otogakure were the guardians of this land. Although there were not many of us at the moment, we were not a force to be taken likely. We knew this place like no other. Tunnels stretched underground through the land, ensuring that no one could ever run from us here. This was our territory, and any outsider that was looking to bring us harm would be easily dealt with.

Near an outpost, I was disguised in typical farmer apparel. A heavy brown cloak hung over my standard shinobi attire, concealing everything below as well as my appearance as a ninja. A wide-brim rice hat perched on the top of my head, adding to the farmer-like appearance and also hiding my face. When I stood within the rice fields, I was like any other farmer. It was perfect for scouting missions like these. I could make my way across the land, watching over people as they passed through and remain in control of the situation. Wheeling a small bag of rice on a cart, I looked as if I too was heading into town to trade some goods. It was deception at it's finest.

One character caught my eye as he made his way through the fields. His short-sleeved black shirt made it obvious that he was not from around here. No farmers would ever dare wear something so revealing on the arms. The sun here shone bright above the fields. Without the proper clothing protection, their skin would be sizzled. Thus as he stuck out as a foreigner, I made it my role in tailing the boy as he moved passed my position.

Following closely behind the trail, I made my way across to various rice paddies. I made it seem as if I was inspecting the growth and efficiency of the rice by picking some of it up from the water. In reality though, I was simply sticking close and trying to listen in to whatever the boy said. If he was to give the slightest hint that he was here to cause havoc to the farmers or the citizens of the village, I'd be on his case in an instant.

He stopped at a nearby stall within the outpost. Not much was out here, but people still did regularly pass through. Many shop owners from Tenjin set up little stalls out here with only a taste of what they had within the big city. I looked in closer as the unknown figure made his way toward a weapons stall. This interested me quite a bit. I had to find out more. He seemed quite young, around my age, though it did not mean that he wasn't a threat to my village. I had to keep on his tail no matter what.

I listened to his words very carefully. He wasn't from around here. It seemed I had been right. With the weapons now in his possession, it seemed as if the stall owner was giving him directions to the village. Well, I couldn't have that. A foreigner with a bag weapons heading toward the land's capital. It was a good thing that I had been out here on this scout. It was time to confront him.

"Where do you think you're going with those?" I said from behind the boy as he was just about to take off. I flicked my brown cloak to the ground and my rice hat. This revealed my Otogakure headband shining proudly at the front of my forehead. Once he looked at me, he'd be fully aware of what I was; a shinobi of a land he did not belong to. It was time to teach him what we did to outsiders that weren't welcome here.

[luneth]

[STYLE=margin: 20px 65px 15px 65px; text-align: justify;font-family: arial;font-size: 10px;]I inhaled deeply the fresh air and adrift botanical aroma weaving through the green stalks, lazing my gait slightly as its richness permeated throughout my lungs, producing the fleeting image of a content smile along my visage, unseen by anyone, I suspected, as I should have been walking alone; yet, I couldn't help but feel that I wasn't. It was amusing – the recognizable, hushed padding of footsteps sounding from a relatively short distance behind me, as if they in themselves were que'ed by the sudden sense of admonishen I'd felt. They'd be disregarded as I almost playfully continued my pace ahead, though at a more controlled rate, while nonetheless allowing the hind of my conscious to ruminate over who my pursuant may have been.

It was possible that the noise's source was actually of no concern, instead a traveler alike myself, though the subdued nature of the footsteps my senses had long ago been attuned to betrayed the more benign assumption. I'd never been one to hope for, or expect the best either way, my own more cynical speculation leaning toward a bandit or two, a group if I was unlucky. Predicting who exactly was nigh on impossible; the land of rice wasn't known to be a particularly safe area – it wasn't known for anything, really – which did nothing to aid in narrowing the plethora of likely possibilities, leaving me at a disadvantage, however trifling. I wasn't fool enough to have expected a safe journey, however, thus even at the initial murmur of the distant sound I'd prepared myself for what I had to anticipate as the inevitable.

My provision was displayed by the unruffled, impenetrable facade equally complemented by my disposition, and the idea that I had to have looked atleast somewhat innocent, as a mere youth. Turning at the accosting inquiry, I was curious as to why his tone had emanated some form of authority, not only over me, but the land I stood on – which, as far as I was concerned, was ruled by noone. The idea was riveting, as my grey contacts befell the hitai-ate bearing a symbol I'd never before seen; to think there was a shinobi nation, possibly new, among this land I found so pleasant, even during a time such as this, amid my wandering in between homes and as a vagrant of the land. More than merely interesting, it was perfect.

My satisfaction at the glinting insignia wouldn't be shown, even as my both inexpressive and apparitional gaze moved to meet his own, deluded too by my calm words.

[STYLE=margin: 0px 0px 0px 7px;]“i'm going home. this is the trail back to tenjin, correct?”[/style]
[STYLE=margin: 0px 0px 0px 27px;]I'd pause for only a moment, continuing as the question would be answered for him.[/style]
[STYLE=margin: 0px 0px 0px 165px;]“yes, it is. now if you don't mind, i'll be leaving... dumb ass.”[/style]
I remained tranquil, not a hint of animosity voiced even in my insult. His reaction was surely predicted, still, as if oblivious, I turned in the direction I'd been previously.
[/style]

[Yox]

The moment he turned his face to me I knew he wasn't from around here. Those eyes of his. They were very distinctive; nothing that I had ever seen in Otogakure before. I had lived here my whole life, and not once had I recognised such a trait as one from my own village. He had a fixed look across his face as if he were in control of the situation, as if everything was going to his plan. Though with my presence now in his path, it was now time for him to think otherwise.

He asked me if the path ahead of him lead back to Tenjin. Was he trying to belittle me? Of course someone of my stature would know. I hailed from the very village of this land. The idiot probably didn't even look at my shining headband. Or perhaps he was trying to mock me. He was playing mind games with me and I wasn't going to have it. Then he had the nerve to offend me to my face. No one got away with that. Little did he know that I had a few hidden talents of my own. Sure he had those strange looking eyes, but I had my bombs. It was time for the fireworks to be let loose.

"Oi ass hole," I called out to him as he turned away from me, "we're not finished here. I know you're not from here. I overheard your conversation with that merchant before." Upon finishing speaking, I jerked my right thumb back toward the stall in which he had come from. With a little grin across my cheeks, I continued with my rant. "And if you think that you can just call me a dumb ass and get away with it, think again. Let's fight fool!"

I rushed toward his front, swinging my arms in all directions. I had not planned out how I would go about this fight. All I really wanted to do was smack him over the head and render him unconscious. The bastard had called me dumb. I certainly was not. In the academy I finished at one of the highest in my class, but this ignorant ass hole didn't know that. I can't believe he'd even pull that out on me when only just meeting me. I hoped the boy was hungry, because it was time for me to deliver to him one knuckle sandwich.

[luneth]

[STYLE=margin: 20px 65px 15px 65px; text-align: justify;font-family: arial;font-size: 10px;]A transient smile anteceded my halt from a sudden pace in the opposite direction, fading into nothing as I turned at a 90 degree angle toward the boy's call, the thin width of my body now perpendicular with his own. Very well, unbeknownst to neither the weapon's merchant nor I, the confrontational youth ahead of me had eavesdropped in on our conversation; his own pursuit made much more sense now, atleast, as like and unalike him, at one point my eyes had made me a rather valuable commodity in the work of patrol and identifying foreigners within Kaminari no Kuni's jutting borders. "Okay, you caught me," I voiced amusedly in his moment of pause, my hollow countenance calmly reciprocating the consecutive turn in his body language and tone, outstretching the full measure of my arm and palm in line with him (left).

My prior, unnecessary use of derogatory slang had played its role well, my hidden motive coming to fruition as the anger rose with each word in his response, until finally he'd charge. Only a handful of meters away, his crazed bearing would converge on my palm in less than a second. In the blink of an eye, and in step with my opposite standard's 45 degree edge ahead, my open hand morphed itself into a closed, two-finger nukite form, the stone-like rigidity of my index and middle digits pointing directly at the narrow expanse between his eyes.

The boy himself was a few inches shorter than I, his pupils almost in line with my shoulder, and thus possessed a shorter reach – this not only due to his height, but too the fact that he was throwing uncontrolled punches from a closed fist, whereas I utilized the entire measure, down to the smallest fraction of an inch, of my elongated appendage. There was as well the factor of training and tact in close-combat situations; the larger share of my life had been expended incessantly studying the martial arts, training my Jūken style of fighting under the acute watch and tutelage of the Hyūga Ichizoku's most elite and experienced members, whereas, as displayed by his rudimentary approach, I felt it safe to assume that not only could he not boast the same melee-comprehensive background as I, but in addition hardly had any form of viable experience in the field at all. Unlike before, the cards were now in my hand.

I acted the instant his swinging, momentous form came into range, my two fingers suddenly appearing at his temple, and with but a mere touch, the subtlest of chakra-imbued taps, (should it connect) his body would fall to the ground as if lifeless. It wasn't, of course, though indisposed and unconscious nonetheless. My outer projection had inched its way forward, just as its matching lower, in tense anticipation should my initial knock have missed. However, assuming it hadn't, his inanimate figure would be pulled from the ground and slung over my shoulders, my thin frame incising from the oft-populate trail and far (50 meters) into the tall greenery.

---

¹ hyūga tier one mastery — low.
[/style]

[Yox]

His fighting style was rather unorthodox to say the least. It was nothing that I had ever seen before; obviously due to the fact that he did not hail from this land. I knew I had been right about him, I always was about these things. It was a part of my intuition when it came to judging people. I knew when people were lying to me. And he thought he could trick me so easily. Heh, think again.

When his two fingers extended out I thought he was joking. My eyes traveled to either hand, watching them form into this strange style. What game was he trying to play with me? Didn't he know that to fight you had to use your fists. He was either a serious idiot or was making a mockery of the conflict that was approaching him. Either way it made me mad. Soon enough, my fist would come into contact with his cheek. A little smack across there should shake him back into reality. Then he could stop with the two finger bull shit and cut to the chase as to why he had invaded my land.

I assumed his finger nonsense to do nothing to me. Thus, I would take the prod head on to wherever he was aiming it. I could see him now fixing his stance to position himself for my incoming attack. So he was going to stick with it after all. What a joker. Did he really think that I'd be swayed from a mere tap from his hands? This guy had a few more screws loose than I originally thought. It was time to teach him a lesson for messing with the ninja of Otogakure.

"Take this!"

I screamed out as I went to go smack him with my clenched fist. In the meantime he had moved his fingers up toward my temple. Thinking nothing of it, I took the blow to the head. A moment later though, trouble started to occur. I stopped dead in my path. My arm, still raised, was locked and unable to edge closer to this asshole's face. What had he done to me? My body remained stunned on the spot, though my mind was still clear. It was as if I had lost control of all movement. Thereafter I fell to the ground with a thud. My body sprawled across the ground fully open with my eyes looking up into the sky. Just what the hell was going on?

I was able to tilt my head slightly to the side. The boy stood there with a finished stance just after coming into contact with my head. I eyed his fingers closely. Just what exactly had he done to me? What sort of power was this? That was the issue with foreign shinobi. You never knew what skills they had deep down. Dammit, I had been too naïve. I had fallen right into this guy's trap. And now, I would pay the price.

"You... asshole," I cursed at him.

[luneth]

[STYLE=margin: 20px 65px 15px 65px; text-align: justify;font-family: arial;font-size: 10px;]Mere seconds past our abrupt scuffle, my weighted strides would break free from the rice paddy's dense columns and into a relatively sizeable clearing, compared to any I'd seen in Ta thus far. My footsteps quickened as they were finally disentangled from the elevated, yielding soil and onto packed earth, my unobscured vision focusing in on the oval-shaped body of pristine water centered at our fore, its lengthier sides spanning for what looked to be atleast a kilometer in either direction, while, of course, behind and around its perimeter existed the tall, green stalks and hanging white rice embodying this land's name and reputation.

The boy's inert body was shrugged from my shoulders once we'd reached the reservoir, landing with a harsh thud a mere five meters from its start, which I treaded forward to kneel beside. I caught my breath in the passing moments, pondering what exactly my intentions were, and what I planned to do with the unseasoned, now-insensate shinobi native to this land.

I could just leave – the boy would eventually wake, unharmed and alone – though reflecting on our exchange, how immediately hostile it had gotten, it was a testament to the rising tension between the shinobi nations, with very few capable of considering themselves allies, and even then, I doubted that they ever could genuinely trust one another. Though I had prevailed in the conflict with the youth before me, who was to say my next run-in wouldn't be as skilled as I myself was? It was more than likely, thus easy for me to admit that I required some form of backing – a ninja village to align with; unlike my earlier years, I no longer had the looks of an innocent and reputeless child, and with the slight chance that a bingo book had my face and information in it, travelling alone in the way I had was no longer safe.

The odds were stacked against me, as a trained ninja without a ninja village; at any time I could be ambushed by any number of shinobi from any village, even now, Anbu from Kumogakure could have been converging on my location – not to capture me, or allow me a safe return to the village, but to kill me. It was the unpleasant reality of my situation, and a burden I had knowingly accepted upon fleeing my home. Naturally, I didn't regret those actions, as living any longer within the evocative, reminiscent remains of the once-grand Hidden Cloud would have driven me beyond insanity; it was necessary for me, at the time, though unfortunately, at my present it was the cause for my sitting here, beside an unconscious boy even younger than I, brooding on my unsure future, and the necessity to adapt and improvise regardless.

Throughout my comparatively short span of years, however, I had been in situations much worse, and more dire; these senses of tense worry and uncertainty weren't new to me, and as the seconds continued to lapse, and I remained put, mulling over my path, it would eventually be made clear, as would several conclusions surface.

Should I wake the boy for interrogation, there was more likely a chance that he'd accept death, or lie in lieu of aiding me, and even if I was proffered the answers I sought, joining their hidden village would be nigh on impossible after such a violent exchange with one of their own shinobi. I had made a mistake in provoking the boy, and that alone was the reason I couldn't stay; while it was possible that good could come from the situation, the probability was extremely slim, and not one I felt I should chance, as, if my plan should go awry, I'd be trapped in a land with foreign shinobi, all bent on my extermination.

I was forced to leave their land, in exile from yet another country, though with the prior ponderings still fresh on my mind, I knew that finding a home would remain my top priority.

---

exit.
[/style]

[Nirvana]

Haru: 40
Yox: 30