Home away from Home (Open, POI, No Fighting)

[kininata]

Kininata was sitting on the chair at his porch. He was staring at the waterfall just across the valley from his lodge. A glass of water in his hand, he could feel the feel slowly warming it up... and would release a tiny amount of chakra to turn some of the water into ice. Before him lay the day's labour, long chopped into firewood for the night if he needed it. There hadn't been any recent trouble he'd heard about for over a week, and for the first time in a while he didn't mind. He'd been running around for so long, that having time to relax from his training, from the odd jobs, he was just thankful that he could just sit back and enjoy a cool ice water drink with the sun in the sky, the warm weather beating down, and the sound of the water fall adding to the background.

He was thinking of his home back in Ame no Kuni. It was nice enough, but it wasn't his home. It was his family's home, and he was the only member of his family left now. It was a place of memories of where he had lost so much of his childhood to terrors old and new, and he wanted somewhere quiet, somewhere he could say he made with his own two hands and call his.

It was a simple four room wooden lodge, single floor, and quite plain. A few simple extras like the porch, a small garden for planting vegetables and fruits, and the lake near the waterfall gave the chance of fish, as well as hunting in the nearby woods. The lodge had a living room, a bedroom for two people, bathroom, and his ninja training and outfitting room. This was the only odd room out of them all.

The other three had simple doors, windows, and nothing really secure. The outfitting room had a solid metal door, three locks, no windows, and several compartments containing his combat gear, weapons and supplementary tools. It even had a floor safe for the more delicate and valuable items. He hardly went in that room, now, since he hadn't been on a real assigned mission in some time, and things had been so quiet. He still trained, he still practiced, but he could do that out in the open, without any of his equipment.

He was at peace. All he was waiting for now was for the next letter from his dearest heart, or from the new Amekage. He actually struggled remembering which one it was now, he spent so little time at the village. He even struggled remembering the last time he was there.

[Marii K. Kazeraikou]

Hikari Kino (imagine her being slightly older).


[Enter]

'FINALLY. Some water' thought the woman as she saw the lake. She had been walking for some time and needed a rest. Hikari was wearing a khaki green rain coat, simple gray sweater plus a pair of navy blue slacks.
A medium sized beige backpacker was strapped onto her back while a pair of black knee-high wellingtons were on her feet.

The woman looked like an ordinary traveller to most people. But looks could be deceiving. Under her rain coat was a weapon pouch with numerous shinobi weapons plus poisons that could inflict nasty wounds.
Another aspect was her specialities. The female could make the water obey her or cast illusions...she was after all a former Ame shinobi.

Both of her teal eyes checked the area. She saw the house, but there was only one person sitting at the porch. 'Better be careful - he could be a Suna shinobi' thought the dark blonde woman.
She removed the water bottle as she approached the lake. Her face was not hidden since she had not done many missions lately.

The woman sent some chakra to her right hand as she came closer to the lake. She then hold her hand above the water and pulled some of it out. It looked like a small snake was wiggling itself into the bottle.
Hikari glanced up at the man at the porch. They were just 100 feet away...enough that they could see one another.

'Hm. He looks a bit familiar. But where have I seen him?' pondered the female as she tried to find out who he was.
His skin tone was a touch too dark compared to the red-haired Kazeraikous she had met. Maybe he was someone from Amegakure?

[kininata]

He felt a trickle a chakra in the distance. Very small,similar to how Kininata would grab water or chill it down. He looked around and saw by the lake a figure, taking water to a container. The stranger wore a khaki green rain coat, what he thought was a gray sweater and a set of blue slacks, though they were close to black. They wore a pack, and had a set of knee-high boots on - the kind of thing you'd see from a traveler from Ame no Kuni or the local area. But there was something odd... the chakra. This person was probably a ninja.

'Great, let's go be friendly.' he murmured under his breath as he carefully and cautiously rose from the seat on his porch, water still in hand. He took a few steps forwards to the edge, against a waist-high fence, and smiled. Then his mind raced. He knew that face... where

His mind shot back, to a couple of years ago. Longer still, and he saw traits he had seen before; the hair, the face, the complexion. Then, finally, he remembered his last trip to a certain land, to see someone important to him. The smile turned into a grin.

'Hikari Kino-San?' he said, firstly quietly as though he was questioning the sight. Hikari Kino had once been a ninja of Amekagure, until she left long ago, and she was someone that his family knew. There was no mistaking the sight before him now. He ran his empty hand through his hair and stepped away from the lodge towards the familiar face.

'Well, Hikari Kino-san, its certainly been a while.' He then spent a moment remembering he was quite different from the last time he saw her. 'It's Kininata Hyouketsu. Welcome to my little home by the waterfall!'

[Marii K. Kazeraikou]

((OOC: Not sure if Kininata really has facial hair or long hair. Let me know if he does/does not and I'll edit accordingly))

The female looked up as she saw the stranger approach. She saw that his eyes were bright green. "Hikari Kino-san?" inquired the man.
Hikari stood up as she screwed the plastic cap onto the water bottle. Her eyes glanced around them to check if there were anyone else nearby.

"Well, Hikari Kino-san, its certainly been a while. It's Kininata Hyouketsu. Welcome to my little home by the waterfall!" greeted Kininata.
Her eyes widened in pure shock. Was the man in front of him really KININATA HYOUKETSU!?

'No wonder he looked familiar! But he seems a bit...scruffy perhaps? I can't remember him having a beard like that the last time I saw him' recalled the woman.
She could not help but to notice his hair as well. His cardinal red hair was at least three inches longer than her long bob.

"That reminds me. Do you remember the one will our shadow has?" asked the dark blonde woman as she took a step backwards. Being a shinobi who lived in a foreign country had taught her to be cautious.
All Amegakure shinobi that had spent at least a year in that village knew the answer to her question. Especially if this was the person who she thought it was.

SPOILER: Click to show

Copied this from the Amegakure info center:

The Amekage has but one will: Achieve your own personal reality, and surpass all expectations of your own.

[kininata]

As he drew closer to Hikari Kino, he could tell she was getting into a defensive posture. Her subtle movements showed she was uncertain about Kininata identifying himself. He then saw, for a moment, what he looked like, when he caught his reflection in the glass of water. His hair was longer than her's, longer than even he was used to having it - right down to his waist.

"That reminds me. Do you remember the one will our shadow has?" asked the dark blonde woman as she took a step backwards. Kininata stopped moving, and spent a moment rubbing his stubble as he tried to remember the will. There was the one all Ame shinobi followed, and there was also the one that Amekage followed. It was different, and he held out the glass. The water rose out, forming into a snake-like flow to spin into a sphere.

'Achieve your own personal reality, and surpass all expectations of your own.' He spoke with confidence, and then slid the water back into the glass. 'Technically, Hikari-san, there is more to that than what most villagers know - between Amekage - but I'll save that one for another day.' He said, smiling, and offered out a hand of friendship.

He then looked back at the lodge, then towards her. 'Why don't you put your feet up for a little while, share a drink with me. You look like you could do with a little break. Tell me about Marii, I haven't seen her in a while and I'd like to hear a little before I plan my next trip to see her.'

[Marii K. Kazeraikou]

A water serpent similar to the one she had made came out of the water. "Achieve your own personal reality, and surpass all expectations of your own. Technically, Hikari-san, there is more to that than what most villagers know - between Amekage - but I'll save that one for another day." told the male. He then held out his hand out in friendship.

The female smiled since she knew this was the right person. Her smile was very similar to the one her daughter had.
"Why don't you put your feet up for a little while, share a drink with me. You look like you could do with a little break. Tell me about Marii, I haven't seen her in a while and I'd like to hear a little before I plan my next trip to see her" informed Kininata.

Hikari nodded as he walked up to the porch. "I'm afraid I can't stay here that long. I'm going back home to visit my parents" told the woman after she had sat down.
"As for Marii...I think there is something you should know. Have a look at this" muttered the Chuunin as she opened her backpacker.

She pulled out a newspaper that had been published last week. On the front page was a huge photo of the Kumogakure research center plus some ANBU's. But it was an article at the gossip column that would draw his attention.
'Sannin measuring up' stated the headline. Underneath was a photo that had been taken at a tailor workshop.

On the said photo was a female tailor at the same age as Hikari plus a very familiar woman. It was Marii. She was standing at the stool while the tailor was measuring her sleeves.
"I think you may know why I'm on my way to get my parents. It's not every day your grandchild reaches that kind of title" informed the female.

Marii had not changed that much. Her figure was a tad bit more athletic while her hair was a little longer. But her face looked slightly pallid, which could be due to the camera flash.
How would the man react when he saw what had happened? She was after all considered one of the strongest shinobis of her age in Kumogakure now.

[kininata]

Hikari nodded as he walked up to the porch. "I'm afraid I can't stay here that long. I'm going back home to visit my parents" she told him. He nodded back to hear and poured out a glass of water, trickling a little chakra to chill the glass for her.

"As for Marii...I think there is something you should know. Have a look at this" muttered the Chuunin as she opened her backpacker. Kininata stood waiting for Hikari to pass over the newspaper. There was an article regarding a research center, a piece about ANBU, and then the article that Hikari was leading his eyes to. 'Sannin measuring up' stated the headline. Underneath was a photo that had been taken at a tailor workshop.

On the said photo was a female tailor at the same age as Hikari plus a very familiar woman. It was Marii. She was standing at the stool while the tailor was measuring her sleeves. Marii had been made a Sannin. "I think you may know why I'm on my way to get my parents. It's not every day your grandchild reaches that kind of title" informed the female. Kininata wore a grin and a face that oozed of pride. He had his own ideas of being Sannin, someday, and he had always been following behind Marii ever since that first Chuunin exam they both went to. Admittedly, he did reach Kage before her, so he had at least one up on her...

'She's worked so hard over the years. She really deserves the title, especially after what happened with Shiki. Speaking of which, I need to talk to her about that.' He paused a moment, looking back at the waterfall.

'Hikari-san, how would you like a traveling companion?' He asked her as he walked onto the porch. 'I was planning to head over and see her in a few weeks, so I guess a surprise visit for her Sannin celebration would be a good reason to leave early. I could always be your bodyguard, like when I was a kid.'

[Marii K. Kazeraikou]

"She's worked so hard over the years. She really deserves the title, especially after what happened with Shiki. Speaking of which, I need to talk to her about that" told the male. He paused a moment, looking back at the waterfall. The female took a sip of the water in her bottle.

"Hikari-san, how would you like a traveling companion? I was planning to head over and see her in a few weeks, so I guess a surprise visit for her Sannin celebration would be a good reason to leave early. I could always be your bodyguard, like when I was a kid" told Kininata.
Hikari let out a small laugh at his bodyguard comment. She could remember the time where he had 'protected' her when she was walking him home.

"Well - we need to pick up my parents first. We should be able to get to Amegakure before dark if we hurry. Do you need to pack anything or are you staying at the...previous place?" inquired the woman.
She wondered if this was a sensitive topic for him. Especially since he had probably not lived in Amegakure for some time.

[kininata]

"Well - we need to pick up my parents first. We should be able to get to Amegakure before dark if we hurry. Do you need to pack anything or are you staying at the...previous place?" Hikari asked. A brief, momentary sadness touched his face, and then disappeared almost as fast as it emerged.

'I can be ready in about ten, maybe fifteen minutes. Quick change, pack a bag, and grab my gear. Might get my shaving kit and get rid of this growth on the move - it needs to go.' He started in his reply. 'As to the house in the village, its still there, and I go there still. Only when I need to, so it'll be fine going back. I'll need to do a quick shop for food though if we're staying longer than the day - I don't keep much there anymore.'

He allowed a moment for a reply, then headed inside. He quickly formed seals for Mizu Bunshin and started the fast gathering of his gear between himself and five clones. Within a handful of minutes he was garbed, geared and packed. He stood at the mirror to check himself; the new red combat clothes, looking far more towards samurai than ninja in all fairness, was suiting him more than he realised. The three katana, two of which were strapped at angles on his back, added a degree of fierceness and veterancy to his form. The hair was now in a complex knot, with the ice gourd still attached to his pack. Giving himself a nod, he stepped back out to Hikari.

'Ready when you are, Hikari-san.'

[Marii K. Kazeraikou]

The female noticed the brief sadness in his emerald eyes. But it disappeared in just the blink of an eye.
"I can be ready in about ten, maybe fifteen minutes. Quick change, pack a bag, and grab my gear. Might get my shaving kit and get rid of this growth on the move - it needs to go" told the male.

"As to the house in the village, its still there, and I go there still. Only when I need to, so it'll be fine going back. I'll need to do a quick shop for food though if we're staying longer than the day - I don't keep much there anymore" told Kininata.
"Right. I just need a moment to freshen up a little" told Hikari before he went back into the house.

The young man emerged just ten minutes later. He was clad in red combat clothes and had three beautiful katanas strapped on his back. The copper hued hair had been tied into a complex knot.
"Ready when you are, Hikari-san" stated the Chuunin. "Let's go" answered the woman.

She would continue her walk on the main road towards Ame no Kuni. The road they were taking was one that was often used by traders. It was a fast route with a smaller chance of encountering shinobis.
'I wonder why he stays out here in Hi no Kuni. He has no family out here as far I know' recalled the Chuunin as they walked past a small farm.

'But maybe that is exactly why he lives here. Kininata-kun has no family left in Amegakure no Sato or anywhere else. I wonder what he's going to do since Marii-chan lives in Kumogakure no Sato.
I never really realize how far away our nations are until I travel. At least I had a good reason for leaving my parents behind' thought the female.

It would not be long until they reached the border. The blonde glanced up at him for a moment. "Uhm - how have you been doing lately Kininata-kun? I can see you're looking better than the last time I saw you" started the woman. She tried to keep the conversation light since she knew how hard long-distance relationships were.

[kininata]

After both of them had gathered themselves, Hikari replied "Let's go."

They started their walk to the road for Ame no Kuni. He knew the route like the back of his hand, and several times he had to remind himself that Hikari was with him. He could tell that Hikari was thinking about something - he had seen that face so many times in his old friends, his father... in his own reflection.

It would not be long until they reached the border. The blonde glanced up at him for a moment. "Uhm - how have you been doing lately Kininata-kun? I can see you're looking better than the last time I saw you." started the woman.

He gave her a slight nod. 'I've been working hard to get back into shape. Recovering from injuries like I've had over the years can be pretty difficult. I owe a lot to Marii for that.' He said, and tapped his chest a few times. 'I suppose the only real regret I have now is that, according to doctors I've seen, all the traces of my Kaishin heritage have vanished. I had a few hopes that maybe I could get lucky, that it might even develop, but that was just wishful thinking.'

He grinned after a moment, and gave her a glance. 'Though in honesty, I've been feeling a hell of a lot better since it did vanish. Like a burden lifted, a dead weight. And living out here, away from politic and distractions, its done my mind wonders.'

[Marii K. Kazeraikou]

"I've been working hard to get back into shape. Recovering from injuries like I've had over the years can be pretty difficult. I owe a lot to Marii for that." told the male while he tapped his chest a few times.
"That's good to hear" replied the female. Her teal optics had a somewhat intrigued look as she listened to him.

"I suppose the only real regret I have now is that, according to doctors I've seen, all the traces of my Kaishin heritage have vanished. I had a few hopes that maybe I could get lucky, that it might even develop. But that was just wishful thinking" admitted Kininata.
Hikari nodded while she let him do the talking. She had not seen him in a while and wanted to catch up.

"Though in honesty, I've been feeling a hell of a lot better since it did vanish. Like a burden lifted, a dead weight. And living out here, away from politic and distractions...its done my mind wonders." finished the young man with a wide grin on his face.
His statement made the older woman purse her lips a little. It appeared that the politics were still a bit shaky in Amegakure.

'I guess some things never changes' concluded the blonde as they walked through the forest. "I'm happy to hear that your health has improved Kininata-san. But what does your chief think about you living in Hi no Kuni?" asked the female. Her voice had a concerned ring to it. She knew how hard it was to leave a village even if it was for the better.

[kininata]

The forest that marked the border of Ame no Kuni and Hi no Kuni was getting closer, the lodge home he'd built himself starting to fade into the horizon.

"I'm happy to hear that your health has improved Kininata-san. But what does your chief think about you living in Hi no Kuni?" Hikari asked. He winced slightly at that, almost sheepishly.

'Yeah... about that. I haven't actually officially told them about that.' He admitted, rubbing the back of his head. 'In truth, I haven't been really in touch with the village much over the last year or so, to the point where I'm not sure who is the shadow is anymore. I'm not sure if I'm registered as dead or missing at this point either.' He shrugged his shoulders, and his right hand moved seamlessly down to his sword handle. 'Well, I'm sure we'll find out soon enough.'

He then moved very quickly to change the subject. 'So, how's Marii and the rest of the family?'

[Marii K. Kazeraikou]

"Yeah... about that. I haven't actually officially told them about that" admitted the male. He had a sheepish look at his face.
The female stared at him with wide eyes. Had the shinobi control gone THAT low!?

"In truth, I haven't been really in touch with the village much over the last year or so, to the point where I'm not sure who is the shadow is anymore. I'm not sure if I'm registered as dead or missing at this point either. Well, I'm sure we'll find out soon enough" told Kininata.
"I just hope they won't arrest us or anything. Being bailed out by my parents is the last thing I want" muttered Hikari.

So - how's Marii and the rest of the family?" inquired the younger man. The woman glanced around them to make sure nobody was nearby.
"My husband plus my oldest child are being quite busy at the moment.
Makoto on the other hand is taking a really tough test at the moment. I'll probably get the results when we return" told the Chuunin.

"My youngest child has decided to specialize in engineering. Combined with his Chuunin title, it should give him an advantage in battle. He's in school while taking missions to pay the tuition" finished the female.
She saw the border control ahead of them and pulled out a copy of her documents. The blonde prayed that this would not end in arrestation or anything similar.

[kininata]

"I just hope they won't arrest us or anything. Being bailed out by my parents is the last thing I want" muttered Hikari. He gave a playful smile at her concern. Truth was he held a identity scroll that he could easily use to solve the problem for himself. He had more of a concern for Hikari; yes, she was a home grown shinobi of Ame, but she'd been away for a long time. How they may react to her was more on his mind, and that was a large part of the reason he offered to come along - to prevent that problem.

"My husband plus my oldest child are being quite busy at the moment.
Makoto on the other hand is taking a really tough test at the moment. I'll probably get the results when we return" told the Chuunin.

"My youngest child has decided to specialize in engineering. Combined with his Chuunin title, it should give him an advantage in battle. He's in school while taking missions to pay the tuition" finished the female.

'I'm glad Makoto is working so hard, as well and the youngest. Engineering is useful for more than just ninja work, but it'll certainly give him an edge. The work I did to understand group tactics and fighting really helps me make the most out of my techniques.'

He could now see the border control point, and slid out his own documents as well as the scroll. Hikari would recognise it - it was a scroll only Amekage's bore, and this was as good as gold when it came to proving one's identity for the borders. 'This'll be a piece of cake.'

The Ame ninja saw them approach, one of them advancing forwards. Three others were nearby and were already making a gap in case things didn't go well. Before the border guard could ask, Kininata handed over both the scroll and the document, waiting patiently for them to be checked.

[Marii K. Kazeraikou]

((OOC: Let's move on to Ame no Kuni))

"This'll be a piece of cake" stated the male as they approached the border control. Kininata then pulled out a scroll that the female had never seen earlier. She raised an eyebrow while she found her shinobi ID. Hikari felt a bit uncomfortable when the guard glanced at her. She was not sure what he could be thinking about.

"Your documents look valid - so does your ID. Welcome to Ame no Kuni" greeted the ANBU. "Thanks" replied the woman in a polite voice. She laid her documents back in her bag after putting her ID inside her jacket. The Chuunin would then catch up with her travel companion.

The scent of rain was refreshing to her. 'At least Ame no Kuni is less frosty and windy than Kaminari. I won't miss that so much' mused the female.
"How long do you think you're going to stay Kininata-kun? I'll travel back to Kaminari in two days" informed the blonde after making sure they were alone.

[kininata]

((OOC: Agreed.))

The documents check went quickly and there weren't any problems, which was fortunate. "Your documents look valid - so does your ID. Welcome to Ame no Kuni" greeted the ANBU. "Thanks" Hikari replied and then caught up with Kininata.

He could feel the moisture in the air, the build up to another shower that often came over the land before them. "How long do you think you're going to stay Kininata-kun? I'll travel back to Kaminari in two days" Hikari queried.

Kininata shrugged at the question at first. 'Honestly, I could leave when you do for Kaminari. I have everything I need for the trip, except maybe a little extra food and drink. Plenty to read, a few routines to work through. I could probably leave the same day we arrive, really. But I'm happy to give you time to spend with your parents.' He said this, and then a thought crossed his mind. This was an opportunity to make this a little better, to make it better with the two lands. 'Actually, I supposed I could pop into the Amekage's office to give them a catch up - maybe see if there's been a new one since I was here last time.'

[[OOC: move to Lightning, Rain, Family, Friends ]]