Sunagakure Gate

[KEITH]

The Kazekage had stared into the blue eyes of the Kusakage that had stood before him, waiting for her to give her reply upon the matter, knowing that it would cause some thoughts to flow through her head. But, he'd wait patiently for her to give a reply, and she soon would, offering that perhaps she could help him. It was something that he didn't expect her to say, but he wasn't too surprised. He had known that he couldn't let others surprise him; he should be ready to understand everything quickly, so he wouldn't be thrown off by a question, answer, or a statement that someone would make.

He didn't exactly know her all too well, after all, so he could probably expect her to do things that he didn't think other people would do. With everyone being unique in their own special ways, he had known that since she was the leader of a village, she had to be the most unique shinobi and person within her village. With her answer replied, she would receive a smile from the Kazekage as she had closed in a meter from him. He didn't know her reason for coming any closer, but perhaps it was for the same reason he had gotten closer to her initially - there was no reason to be afraid.

With that, he would close another meter toward her, leaving a single meter in between to the two great figures that lead growing villages. He would extend out his right hand toward her mid-section, though in a non-hostile or violent way - but in the way of commencing that a handshake was wanted.

("Perhaps I will take you up on that offer, Kusakage-chan. Especially if you're really up for it when the time comes. But, since we have that settled, let's shake, and announce the alliance between Sunagakure and Kusagakure.")

He had said in a reply to what the woman had said moments ago, with a smile still upon his face. He had wanted the woman to be the friend that he needed, but then again, that was up to her and what she had really wanted. He couldn't get it out of his head that she was, as time went by, her personality continued to resemble that woman that Soratsu had told him about so many years ago. Blanche- are you Blanche? He would continue to say to himself in his head.

[Apple]

With that, he would close another meter toward her, leaving a single meter in between to the two great figures that lead growing villages.

The distance between the two of us would close once more as he himself chose to take the last leap. Of course- If he’d known exactly who I was then perhaps he’d have kept his distance, or maybe he was just a fearless bastard. But he didn’t exactly have to fear as I was simply here on business- or at least, at the moment I had been. Previously, I’d been the audience of Soratsu himself the acclaimed brother of this shinobi, and he’d done himself no favours by leaving me so abruptly, it was something which I’d have to speak to him about the next time I’d see him. As of now and as the Kazekage spoke the last few words from his lips regarding the treaty between Kusagakure and Sunagakure, I’d simply nod my head from the short distance we were at, agreeing to what he said, although not before his arm outstretched. Of course- perhaps it had been just me expecting him to do something at such a close range, but needless to say I was still on guard. Given all of the tales which he’d weaved about himself already during out meeting, I was on the advantage at the moment, but just because he was willing to form with an alliance with Kusagakure, would he jeopardize it so with his own rash decisions? And what of that plan? Just what did he have in store?

Of course, the hand itself soon was revealed to be a signal for a handshake, and being the confident leader I was, I took ahold of his and shook it quite powerfully- Nothing that could break bone, but perhaps an indication of my strength, and the interest I had regarding the little agreement we’d both come to. Of course it was up to him whether or not he’d be man enough to accept it and respond with an equally strong shake, but- my part was done, and with a sturdy ”I hereby acclaim the bond between my own village of Kusagakure and its new ally, Sunagakure.” I spoke it in a tone that I would use when speaking to an audience, not simply the Kazekage himself, although despite the formalities with a playful grin on my face.. It wasn’t as if I was mocking the words, no. Far from it. I was simply bringing that same light-hearted enthusiasm to the important step that we were currently taking. Perhaps I’d said it with more formalities than was expected, but soon removing my hand from his, the grin soon gone in place of a smirk I’d nod one more time before shaking my head, again causing my blonde hair to tumble about my waist in the pale light of dawn.

”..I would leave you now, but..

..it would be impolite to leave a lady to travel through a foreign country by her lonesome,

..correct?”

And just like that I’d make my leave, expecting him to chase after me like some kind of lost puppy. As I walked away from the gates with my arms now crossed, my hips would swing from side to side perhaps not in an over-exaggerated way, but moreso in a way that would make any man want to follow me.

One by one, they soon fell in line.

-EXIT

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[KEITH]

With the newly created alliance between Sunagakure and Kusagakure, both villages would be allies to each other and protect each other in the times of trouble. With the words of the Kusakage stating that it was official, the two would be able to go onto bigger and better things from this point on. It had seemed that the young woman was ready to leave, but she didn't want to leave by herself, she didn't really know what the desert was like or what had lived in it. No matter how strong she was, the desert could still consume her, so he thought it was best to heed her word, and escort her out of the country.

He would follow her as she'd make her leave, walking beside her just one meter away, nodding his head at her.

("Yes, I can't have my new ally getting lost in the desert, can I?")

The Kazekage had said with a grin, exiting out of the village gates, into the desert that was known as the country of Wind.

[Not Masakuni]

Apple - +55
Circa - +52

[Kenchiro]

((Continued from "Deserted"))

It was so good to finally be looking at his home's gates once again. And with plenty of time to spare, too. Apparently, hiring that coach was a smart decision, even if it meant he was going to have to do something with the horses afterwards (Currently, they were outside the village, grazing and generally being horses.). "So, Money," he said, looking back at the reporter he had picked up on his journey, "whatta you think? It might not be a fancy set up like you got in Tsuchi no Kuni, but it certainly gets the job done, don't you think? This is my home, the Village Hidden in the Sand."

Strolling up to the gates, he shouted up at them. "Yo! It's me, Kenny Nagakin! I got a stranger in tow and we're both kinda thirsty out here! You mind opening the gates and patting us down and all that fun stuff?" He smiled back at his fellow traveler. "They're pretty serious about security here. Ninja stuff, you understand. Just a fair warning, Money: if you got any weapons on you or anything, they're probably gonna take them. You know how it is with clandestine assassins and their concern for strangers with pointy things."

[Yoichi]

一Sand Castles

Monosuke Akira

"Well darn, I left my sword collection back home," he mused with sarcastic air. Pressing forward towards the village gates, he stood beside the shinobi, taking his lead as they passed through security. It was apparently tight, and he managed a shit eating grin as they frisked him down. "At least buy me dinner first," he mustered, though their search would yield no weaponry. The only supplies the young journalist had brought were those of a reporter; this place was hard pressed with visitors it seemed. Glancing over to his travel companion after reaching the end of customs, he waiting his guidance into the village. He couldn't help but look up at the towering walls of sand, the complex infrastructure that built this village left him with a feeling of awe. "Its amazing," he responded, his eyes stuck on the village like a child exploring a candy shop for the first time. Exit to Sunagakure.

mission

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[KEITH]

+10 @ gen and ken

[Messatsu!]

[Enter]

Continued From; of the hour

With the masked man paralyzed and incapacitated, he remained hoisted upon Masuyo's right shoulder with his torso hanging over Masuyo's back. Limp, but unable to move, his body stayed that way as long as Masuyo hadn't decided on letting him go. For the masked man his luck just seemed to have continuously gone down hill. Nevertheless, as Masuyo approached the guarded gates of Sunagakure, he presented himself clearly and respectfully.

"Masuyo Kekkai, citizen of Sunagakure. This Sunagakure shinobi and I have come across a foreign ninja within the desert. As of now he's incapacitated and unable to lift a muscle. That said, I'd like to meet with the Kazekage."

A simple nod from the guard after having obtain a bit of tweaked info on Masuyo, he'd been cleared to re-enter his second home.

[Exit]

[Shinryu]

Enter.

Ryuuji followed the man who hoisted their captured prey over his shoulder, silent until he reached the gate. His sunagakure headband materialized as he reached it, nodding to the guards.

"Nakajima Ryuuji. Returning from surveilance with enemy prisoner and escort. Send word ahead to the Kazekage that we've captured a foreign ninja."

With that, The sandman continued on, headed towards the Kage tower, having finally learned his new companion's name.

'Masuyo Kekkai... eh? I'll learn your secret soon enough.'

[Exit to Village]

[Trigga]

The air was so desiccated.

And the temperature was furious. The tales that had reached so far across the flat sphere showing promise and truth as the man trekked the grand expanse of golden immensity. Sounds, once meaningless and overlooked had become a luxury for the closest person was miles away and the passing birds didn’t sojourn long enough to entertain.

Sandaled feet did well to keep the grains beneath his toes from slipping him into an uncomfortable position, but nothing could have made this voyage any less accommodating; too much clothing did well to keep the sun’s grinning rays from peeling your skin, but weighed you down and invited ample perspiring. However the lack of clothing did nothing more but platform one’s frame to the sun and its immense heat; such a cruel milieu to raise a family or lead any contemporary civilization—it was ideal for conceiving Shinobi however.

Shouldn’t be much farther, Standing in the wealth of his own self-imposed camouflage, Ryūsuke looked down into his hands. His digits but the platform to a map which directed him to the renowned Sunagakure no Sato—the Village hidden in the sand and named so appropriately so. He had heard much about the mysterious desert-ridden village and while his former home hadn’t been on the best terms with the Hidden Sand, he remembered marking his own map with its location after one of his faithful shinobi returned its location for a small fee and the opportunity e to gain some intercontinental experience.

“I should be there before nightfall.

[/color]” Time to make haste. And with that, he vanished into the distance; his footsteps concealing beneath the ever-changing sands as the shifted with the passing breeze--- a traces of his existence moving with the winds.

Hours had elapsed and the once beauteous blue that painted the heavens had taken on a more autumn scheme. Purple and orange now painting its canvas as the masked Uchiha moved through a large cavern before finally coming within ten meters of the immense gate; two guards patrolling its edifice.

His instruments of destruction were well-hidden; masked within several scrolls that were scattered along his person save for a single kunai which he hid in a special place. His attire was nothing more than darkness as his clothes were concealed within the secrecy of a dark robe. His hair tied back and pulled up as a dark cloak blocked out all his facial features. Nonetheless, unknowing to the two, his eyes shimmered with a brilliant crimson fixation.

They would approach in time, they always did. For now, he could simply wait.
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[marvolous.]

It had been a long time since any form of action had occurred at Sunagakure's gates. Guarding it was, for a lack of a better term, a shitty job, but it had to be done. To make the time go faster, patrolling units were rotated after every hour; keeping the men and women guarding it's large expanse on their toes. It was a required process, one that helped ensure that the boundaries of Sunagakure were never infiltrated by intruders with the help of one of their own.

Tch. It was near nighttime now, the sun's gradual disappearance foreshadowing that darkness was nigh. On patrol of the gates were just two ANBU, each stationed at strategic locations that allowed them clear sight of the structure's many blind spots. There were other ANBU around, many keeping watch along the village's outer wall, but only Genma and Izuna remained to prevent any unauthorized access.

Izuna, being one of the village's finest trackers, was the first of the two to note the appearance of another. The stranger's presence was felt long before he was even seen, allowing the two ANBU to intercept him before he even touched down on village soil.

Taking point was Izuna, his position from the shadowed intruder roughly a mere ten meters - about the same distance from the intruder to the actual gates. Genma, on the other hand, kept to the sides, remaining parallel to his kin from about five meters away.

"Speak your purpose...



.. or leave."

His digits caressed the hilt of his sheathed katana, ready to draw it should he find it necessary.

[/font]

[Trigga]

He stood in the absence of allies and treaded land that was all but humble to his kind—the residences of Konohagakure were merely scum in their eyes. Or so ways had been such when he reigned as Hokage and while several years had passed, his ears were close to felonious underworld and news of a treaty had been all but tangible. It saddened him, or his former shell—caring little for what was and focusing on what could be, he abandoned his empathy in the sight of gaining true enlightenment.

Ten meters, nothing but a stretch of earth and two guards that posed little harm to him halted his entrance. Having scanned from afar well before his descent in steps, Ryūsuke noted a rather secure pattern in security. While two guarded the gates at all time, several had moved along the Wall’s top-flooring, patrolling from all angles—this made it difficult to not be seen; this didn’t however cancel his ability to become invisible.

His body convulsed slightly at the strong wording that escaped one of the Anbu’s mouth. The human psyche was something truly brilliant and the ability to deceive was but expected from a Shinobi; luckily his background wasn’t placed on a pedestal for all to see. Weak tremors, not meant to set on guard but to simply alert them of his actions would suffice as he coughed.

“W-water….(coughs)… I ne—

[/color]” He collapsed. Dropping to his knees before promptly falling face first into the dirt, he precluded the pain as his eyes closed. Shinobi they were trained to be, but it was only human to feel some compassion for another—it couldn’t be displaced and when faced with left or death, the most rigorous of training and the most disciplined of bodies would only fail you in the end—the Uchiha was not a stanger to such a realization.

His fainting was nothing more than a show, a gimmick; alas it was well-masked and given such a dry, barren desert being their environment, it wasn’t so farfetched. Body shuddering slightly as he ‘slept’ he awaited anything, the slightest movement from his two onlookers. There wasn’t much time to react and surely a life was as precious to them as guarding the walls; hell, their job was in place for that exact reason—to protect.
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[風影]

Yes, their job was to protect. However, that only extended to the men, women, and children of Sungakure; from what Izuna could tell, he did not belong in any of those categories. He was just a mere vagabond for what it seemed; ANBU was not responsible for helping in any way, much like they weren't responsible for saving an ant from being crushed by a shoe.

"Genma, stay put." Izuna said, drawing his blade from it's sheathed position. It was brought out infront of him, daring the collapsed man to make any sudden movements. When he remained immobile on the ground after several moments Izuna brought himself closer, taking a small step with each stride.

"It looks like he really did collapse." Jabbing his katana into the man's side, Izuna turned his head back to look at his partner. "Send word to the village, we need to get a medic out here."

[Trigga]

Looking up as dimly as a true man deprived of any energy could, Ryūsuke—with a half-sealed eye—peered upon one of the two approaching. Expecting them both to move upon the malformed cattle, his expectations were ignored; regardless, one was better than none and his plan wouldn’t be foiled. He just required a more cautious approach and an even craftier gambit.

A hand pulling on the clothed handle of a blade, the Anbu who seemed more susceptible to leading approached. Adding to his own self-imposed theatrics, the Uchiha’s fingernails dug into the crusted sands, digging dirt and golden grains into his palm as if gasping for mobility.

It wasn’t long before the man instructed Genma—or so he called him to retrieve medical aid from within the village. His sword but an extension of his hand as its tip jabbed into his side without the intention to kill, but to aggravate. Trying, such a frustration was easily overcome as Ryūsuke, with all the intentions to deceit jogged his head back gradually, allowing his eyes to peer upwards towards the man who cared so little for his life and took pleasure and using him as a toy.

He said nothing, but rather attempted to gain the man’s attention and sightedness with his rather simple, but all-vital motion. Genma would seek out the help of others, leaving his friend alone. An opportunity of such this magnitude only came once—he had to capitalize.

[風影]

OOC: This post will be lackluster, but will suffice to get to the point. It'll get better when I stop using NPCs

---

The jab of Izuna's katana into the man's sides wasn't done without a purpose. It was a light poke, nothing meant to pierce skin or even to draw pain, but rather done out of precaution. By inflicting such pain - despite, of course, being quite minimal - Izuna was ensuring that the man infront of him was truly there; in the world of shinobi, using Shadow Clones was ever-so-frequent when attempting to gain intel on a village - he had to be positive that this wasn't the case.

Not on that, but the tip of the blade was used as a means of checking if the man bore armor underneath his rather large cloak. He wasn't, for what it seemed, only further proving his case that he was, indeed, just seeking a source of water. Still, necessary precautions had to be taken if he was to be helped by the village.

"This will only hurt if you move." Sheathing his katana, Izuna grabbed both of the man's arms - watching, warily, for any sudden movements. Assuming he wasn't foolish enough to try something in such a position, both of his arm would be forced behind his back, held together at his wrist's by a simple zip tie. It wasn't tightened enough that it restricted his hands from moving, but formulating handseals were out of the picture.

"Stand up." Regardless of whether or not he would oblige to my order, he would be forcibly picked up from the ground. "Walk infront of me, slowly. Don't try anything stupid."