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The sound of crumbling beneath him would alert him to the idea that someone had discovered the portal in which he had closed in order to prevent them from ever being able to discover it. It was a prolonged entry- initiated by the removal of his obstacle, then the shuffling of flesh through the hole in order to reach him. It would mean that his pursuer was either as small as he was, or was capable of contorting themselves with an incredible amount of ability. Deeming the second too illogical to conceive in his weakened state, he would slide his head to the side to observe this new intruder.

Dust began to accumulate into a screen as the rubble would crumble once it reached the ground. Soon, within the field of dust a boy would emerge. Not too far from his height, it was the only detail in which he could really see. The light of the outside world enveloped the boys back, leaving nothing but darkness to be seen at his front. That was, of course, before the extension of his hand. Within an instant the boys hand would become engulfed in flame, revealing the details of his profile to the dark haired boy. Causing Ushinawa into a forced step backwards by the sudden creation of the flame, it would become quite obvious that the boy whom had followed him here was trained much more thoroughly than the men who had originally given him chase.

Stark white hair and horrifying red eyes faced him. The subtle and boring features of the rogue being perfectly contrast with the bright and outstanding details of the boy at his opposite. Having turned to face him completely, he would lower the lime green lamp which he had been using to light his path- the only true thing he would be needing to see at this point being the boy's body. At this distance, nearly 20 meters away from each other, they could see each other quite clearly- Ushinawa perhaps being at an advantage given the power of the boy's flame.

The boy's appearance would give him an very clear understanding of what might have been going on. If he were to claim his name, as proud as he was to have taken it, it would be revealed that he was not some random desert shrew. If this boy was a recruit of the Bright Lights, then that meant he was here to finish the job. Face to face, it was far from evident that Ushinawa could claim victory. He only had one option left: to run.

Turning on his heel, Ushinawa would begin to sprint down the hallway. Raising his light to his face level he would allow it to illuminate a few feet ahead of him, having to rely on his reflexes to ensure that he would not run into any of the rubble which had accumulated after countless earthquakes and desert storms. Pillars and fallen idols littered the pathway giving him ample places to hide- if he chose to do so. No, his focus was to flee. Dodging various rocks and pieces of stone, he had to get into a position where he could claim the advantage.

Within a flurry of dust and fallen blades of grass, Ushinawa would appear. With his body in a similar condition as to what it had been previously, he stood with his head lowered- the manner of his arrival clearly still having taken hold of the loose articles of clothing and hair which clung to him. As the inertia of his movement died, he would look up at the Kazekage with his dominant eye- a silky hazel transforming into a deep green.

The wounds from their previous encounter had left him with one eye, temporarily- the bandages covering his face keeping the top right portion of his face to stay hidden behind stark white wrappings which almost matched his skin. Without words, he would wait for an order, or for his teammates to arrive- whichever happened first.

From his seat atop of the cot he scanned her movements, and the words that matched. She was an odd one to say the least, and despite the acute respect for her ability, he was nevertheless left... suspicious. She had always owned the odd air that surrounded her. The flamboyancy, the flowerful wording, sure, it was something that could have easily have been a character trait. It wasn't absurd for someone to have developed certain quirks such as this over the course of their lifetime- but that wasn't what planted the seed of doubt in the young man's head. The entire process of searching Mizu no Kuni for Kirigakure had been something rather unplanned. They had gathered no intel aside from being able to find a ninja who simply bore the symbol of the village. They had taken no note of how the ship would possibly know where the village lay, aside from a hunch. They had not developed a definitive plan as to how they would both arrive aboard the ship which had proved to be the method of chosen transportation, and now they had yet to decide on a plan which would allow them to escape the ship in the first place- let alone how to pursue the group once they reached the shore. She was eager, and it exuded from her. 

In the desert, there was such thing as eager. In the badlands, where he had lived for the majority of his short life, nothing survived. The constant depravation of resources loomed over the heads of the plants, beasts, and men of the dunes in which it consisted of. If the elements did not make short work of you, the animals which harvested your meat to live one more day would. If you were able to somehow overcome the beasts which filled the desert, then you would no doubt meet your end and the hands of people like him. Cold, calculating, detached. There was no time for feeling, emotion, or flamboyancy- death was certain for those who did not exhibit anything but the will to survive.

Akira was a woman with power, and while he could not deny that, he could only question how she would possibly survive for more than a few days in the desert. Aside from her lack of planning and body language, it was the monologue that she would provide that would be the straw that broke the camel's back, if it were. While he had not been a Suna ninja for more than a year at this point, he knew that they were still residents of the desert that he had called home for his entire life. The words she spoke had a clear message of sympathy. If she was in fact a ninja of Sunagakure... she certainly didn't deserve the title of Jounin. 

Ushinawa's eyes sharpened as he observed her head for the door. Despite her motioning for him to leave, he would remain stationary, the thoughts of her dispersing in only a few hundred directions. They hadn't even decided on a plan of action, let alone a rendezvous point- and while he had done it a few times during this mission alone, he was not one to act so recklessly. As he looked towards the pale green paint which covered the door to the cabin, he would begin to consider the paint which covered it. He began to wonder what color the wood beneath it truly was. 

He would have to speak with Mu-n upon his arrival back home. 

Having already made his assessment of the ship prior to everyone's arrival, he had familiarized himself with the halls in which he would utilize to exact his plan. From his position, he would be on the left side of the ship, sharing a wall with the exterior of the ship. Turning towards the respective wall, he would slowly unsheath his tanto. Delivering three quick blows, twisting the blade slightly before entering the tip into the side of the ship, he would create a delta shaped hole- the chilling air of the outdoors instantly moving into the cabin. Hardly noticeable, the fourth strike would remove the excess wood- having it fall into the ocean beneath them. With a quick sheathing of the blade, and a few handseals, another version would appear before him in a flash. Looking at each other for a moment, the clone would turn to face the open hole without a word. Despite the company, Ushinawa still couldn't help but feel as though he had been abandoned. He really was on his own.

Moving to the door, his small right hand would extend to lock the handle behind Akira. Turning his back to the door, he would place his weight against it as he slid into a crouching position. If someone were to attempt to enter, he would be able to know immediately- catching them if they decide to run, or unlock it if they attempted to open it once more. For now, they would simply have to wait. Closing his eyes, his head dropped and his hands folded into a flaccid form of the snake seal. 

48 minutes later.

"Land!!" A deck hand would shout- the sound barreling through the trianglar hole and into the ears of both the clone and the boy who had since been prepared for the arrival.

"How far are we? Is it Kirigakure?" Ushinawa asked, moving to unlock the door behind him.

"About twenty meters out. I'm not certain, but I see a village." The clone replied quickly, keeping his sight towards the peep hole.

"Do you have any visuals on Akira?" He asked, the clock of the lock revealing the open door.

"... No." The clone said with a taste of disdain. 

Within an instant he would disperse into nothingness. In his stead, Ushinawa would remove a small green canister from his satchel, and with a quick 'pull' of the top, place it onto the cot which he had once occupied. As the smoke filled the room, he would quickly reach back, placing a small black piece against his mouth, and after a few checks, would begin to breath as regularly as he had been initially. Opening the door slightly, he would ensure the lack of movement in the hallway would be clear before exiting. The smoke had reached the hallway, and given the wooden composition of the ship would begin to fill a portion of the ship to resemble the aftermath of a fire. Commotion could be heard above him, and while he was unsure of his teammate's status, he, like her, had no doubt that she would be able to handle herself well enough. Moving with haste, he would make himself towards the bathroom before making his final set of seals. Instead of him, the image of his previous disguise would appear in full form. 

As the sound of clamor could be heard above him, followed quickly by the sudden rush of men running down the steps and towards the cabin, Ushinawa would confirm their number before sneaking out of the bathroom- a wire and senbon being placed onto a board across from the bathroom door- allowing the ajar portal to trap those on the opposite side there for a short while. While it wouldn't kill them, it would leave them occupied in case they discovered the canister. Rushing towards the stairs, the sound of further steps would take hold of Ushinawa's attention. Quickly making his way behind the steps, he would see a number of men rushing down towards the room.

"Who did this!?" One would shout as they attempted to pull the needle and wire out of the way.

"We can worry about that later- there's a fire!" Another would shout. 

Making his way towards the stairs with a cautious peek, he would move towards the deck with absolute certainty. The sun was shining brightly, and the cramped cabin space left him without much to miss in terms of the sun which he was provided with daily back home. In the very short distance he could see a number of docks approaching rapidly. This was his only chance before either the docksmen or sailors caught eye of him. Making a quick dive into the waters below the ship, he would sink low beneath the surface- his breathing ever consistent with the help of the black mask covering the bottom portion of his face. Another set of handseals would give him the appearance of a rather large fish- while also giving him the assistance of being able to swim much faster. Whether or not he could find Akira after the ordeal was an afterthought.