The Sky's The Limit [Quest]

[Umehara]

The sun's radiance washed over the land like a blanket of peace that day. The cool winds of change prospered as boats moved in and out of the harbors, bustling economy rampant to those who would attempt to make a living by means of seafaring ways or discovering the secrets of the waters beneath the vessels. Clouds billowed high into the air and cast a shadow as the beginning of the afternoon rolled in. And with the busy seas and the edges of the islands holding business and pleasure alike, it was sure to be opportunistic to those who would reach out and seize it.

And that is where this journey begins.

At the edge of one of the islands sat a dock that interrupted the tranquility of the sea. Pillars of smoke rose into the air as a single ship stood on its last leg. Fire danced to and fro as a trio of unidentified Non-Ninja crowded about the cowering form of a frail teenager. Sulfur mixed with the air to sting the nose as they'd destroyed all that the young one had seen watch over. With kunai at his throat, the entire vicinity had been abandoned.

"The time for games has come and gone, boy. Your father owes us, and we intend to collect....even if we have to keep your legs for collateral."

The young one's eyes narrowed in retaliation.

"Go ahead. Then you'll never find him.." he spat.

A Gamble, indeed. Not only from the boy, but from yourself if you choose to help him or those who threatened to harm him to meet their needs.

Decisions, decisions...

[Naota]

It was a glorious day, the sun was out finally after much precipitation and the occasional hail. The island he currently was on wasn't a big one to be named but he did consider this a solitary vacation since he had just finished the chuunin exams. The young kage sat upon a lawn chair in a nice hotel, a pond nearby and a veranda with a man serving cocktail behind him. This was boring though. Sky stood up and ventured into town, a hustling bustling port with many ships and crews having a hardy time at the local pubs and fish markets.

Hardy crews, pirates, sea men. There was bound to be a fight eventually. Which there was, Sky overheard the crowd screaming and running away from a pair who seemed to be in a captive and captor situation. The Kage would walk forward and look at the man, his eyes never closing nor averting from his visage. Taking on a calm tone he'd say:

"Let him go."

Sky wasn't one to like violence when not needed. Especially over something as trivial as money. A life could never be payed with money. NEVER. The warning to this man came with a flame igniting upon the Kaishin's hand. His other hand was exuding a mist of cold air. Both ready to strike at any moment.

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[Umehara]

The decision had been made. The young boy's eyes widened to a great degree as the two turned their attention from him, staring into the face of the savior who had come to liberate the child from punishment. But no sooner than when they'd turned their backs upon the boy, he rolled backward to his feet and leapt toward their center flank. From the confines of his shirt did he unleash a stun grenade. Its potency was enough to cause the Kage himself to suffer only a mild paralysis, though their assailants would suffer a fate far worse. Left completely open to the discretion of how to be dealt with, the teenage boy quickly dashed past the Kage without so much as a thank you.

He rushed up a set of stairs that would inevitably lead him to the less populated region of the island, the shadows there fitting for one so small to maneuver. But before he could make his escape, he turned and raised a hand toward the Kage with a mischievous grin. "Thanks for the help, clown! You take care of those two and find me? MAYBE I'll show you around and get you acquainted with the people. Can't risk you being one of these assholes, though. No offense!" he exclaimed. With that, the boy would vanish into an alleyway to leave Sky to secure the fate of the downed.

Groans of pain and discomfort accompanied the Kage's fresh victims as they used profanity to a great degree, all that were now at the harbor watching Sky to see what consequence they'd receive in the end.

Half of them desired death for the destruction they'd caused. Half called for due justice. But they would be released from their stunned state within the next set of seconds, so the choice was Sky's to make. If they lived, then perhaps the hunt for the child would begin all over again. But if they perished, then the noble Kage Sky would be forced to use instinct alone to search for the missing boy.

Time was of the essence.

[Naota]

It seems as if this day would be something more than he bargained for. The boy in front of him would slide out from his edged prison and deal with the foes with his own grenade. As it flew Sky would shield his face, but to no avail. For a few seconds he was disorientated and only heard the young boy taunting him as he fled. The Kage's duty was now to find this young boy and kick his ass for doing something so reckless. Though to find out where he went he'd have to find out more about the boy. He'd need the captors for that.

After rubbing his eyes for a second he'd walk over to the brutish man and go to grab him by the collar, screaming at him: "TELL ME WHERE TO FIND HIM!" The kaishin's hand would ram into the man's face until he answered and then a solemn threat. "If you don't tell me, I'll end you and any legacy you've left behind." Sky's a bit weird when he snaps. He becomes cold as the ice he uses and evil. Sort of.

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[Umehara]

The sickening snap of his face nearly became audible as Sky threatened his life, the meager assailant's knees planted firmly on the ground as his arms draped to either side of him. A hard gulp came in response to Sky's words, yet this poor soul was no more than a pawn upon the chessboard. If Sky was listening, he'd hear the audible cheer of the crowd. A line of blood spilled from the corner of his mouth as he weakly stared into the Kaishin's face.....until a smirk crossed him.

"You're....pretty..." he noted."

It seemed that the Kekkai Genkai of the strong-willed ice users would work in Sky's favor this day. Most likely dazed from a mixture of the hard collision between his face and Sky's hand and the stun grenade, he allowed the Kage to support his weight as he spoke and pointed a weak finger toward where the boy had run off. "H-...His name is Hiko. His father...u-...used to be a collector of ninja tools. Gotta....gotta get to the high point of the outskirts of the town to reach the little prick..." he coughed.

The second assailant, just as dazed, would not be outdone. He tugged upon Sky's leg, slowly moving and laying on his side. "His f...father...father's door is painted with an azure phoenix. Gotta know the...the password to get in..." he whispered. At this point, the crowd began to descend upon them like vultures to the feast. "We want a piece!" they would yell. An elderly woman's cane narrowly missed the Kage's head as it came crashing down onto the oppressor he'd been holding in his grasp. Knocked out cold, Sky would find himself pushed to the back of a crowd of townsfolk who had plans for the unfortunate miscreants.

From the shadows, a third figure lurked in silence. As if melding with the darkness, his lips parted to speak a single sentence.

"I don't like it when my hold on things gets loosened by some pretty-boy with a nice smile - take care of him....and tie up the loose ends with the boy and his stubborn pappy, too."

[Naota]

He was told that he had to move to the outskirts of town. No, the highest part of the outskirts. Meaning their had to be some mountains of large hills. He was also told he needed a password. He should head to the so called house but he knew naught of this password. Though he thought back to the chuunin exams, a recent test that had him reimagine what it meant to have to go through a door.

"I'll be-"

Cut off by the crowd pushing him out of the circle. They moshed and raved at the bandits, probably taking them out. Sky could do nothing for them. Outskirts though...he had to leave the same way he came into town. While he thought he'd be unaware to the person in the shadows speaking ill of him. After a second of pondering, he'd move out to the edges of this township.

What would lie ahead?

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[Umehara]

The approach to the outskirts of the town was a rather easy one, though upon his arrival he would note that there would be a plethora of ways to ascend until he could get to the highest edifice where the boy had been said to be waiting. Elevated platforms were his to traverse along steep hills, the townspeople leaving jars and the like upon the edge of railings that would lead up and to his destination. Life was relatively simple for those who dwelled here - children played in the street with no worries of what tomorrow would bring. Fresh fish was strung up and glistening against the day's radiance as peddlers sold their wares and traveled the expanse of the town to make the day's ryo quota.

As Sky approached the labyrinth of hills with which to reach the top of the town, an older male approached from behind and quickly wrapped a muscular arm about Sky's neck. "Bro, I saw what you did back there! Awesome!" he exclaimed. Excited beyond the norm, the young Kage would be subject to a bicep threatening to cut off his oxygen supply. Moments after, the bulky man (standing at an impressive 6'2), throw his arms out and gazed over the obstacle that the very Kage was about to traverse. "Name's Sanji, bro!" he exclaimed. A pair of azure-colored sweatpants shuffled over his sandals as his wild blonde hair flew with unkempt grace against the wind. A simple white t-shirt fell over his well-defined musculature. Truly, this was one of the more eccentric people who inhabited the town.

Sanji folded his large arms across his chest, his eyes curiously moving from Sky to the hills. "I see you're trying to reach the Hawk's Nest. It's what we call the high point. Only certain people get access, bro. I'm afraid I can't let you past after what those two idiots did to the harbor. Besides...I know you're looking for Hiko. We won't fail him a second time." Sanji grunted.

This had been the source of Hiko's bravery - the ability to escape into solitude, and most likely the reason he hadn't been concerned about whether or not he was beaten up. Even tailing him would prove to be a problem, as he wasn't going to lead Sky to his father or give up any other relevant information without some persuasion.

Sets of eyes watched as Sanji regarded Sky. "Hiko's special. His father's known as one of the best ninja to ever walk the Land of Seas. What're you here for, dude? What do you want with little bro?" His voice was no longer one of approval. Now it was one of protection. He stood before Sky and blocked the only comfortable pathway that would lead up to the highest of the outskirts, falling statuesque. He could smell those who had a thirst for power.

What made this young stranger different from the rest?

[Naota]

As he made his way to the hills, he'd notice the many ways to get to the top. Meaning that if one had to catch the person living here, they'd have to have a ton of people or just be hella lucky. As he looked up at the grand emerald field of grass he'd feel a large meaty arm wring around his shoulder. A bit of suprise overtook him, he gasped slightly and then looked at the blonde man. But before he could say anything the tall guy would say that he was protecting this hill. Making it seem as if Sky was going to hurt the boy. He'd clear this up.

"You seem to misunderstand, I do not wish to harm the boy. I want to ask him a question."

Sky was a rather famous shinobi. Being the Raikage and what not, but he rather tried to keep it secret when in public. The less they knew, the better. As the blonde pair stood their, a gust of wind would blow on them. Swaying the hair on Sky's head showing his orange eyes.

"Can you trust me. I promise nothing shall harm the boy nor his father."

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[Umehara]

Sky's words, perhaps, were truer than most had offered. Sanji regarded him with a knowing grin as he listened without interrupting him. Still, there was a spark within his eyes that spoke of battles and experience. A single hand rose as Sanji's head tilted to the side, five fingers jutting outward as he spoke. "I'll tell you what. You give me your name and last five minutes against me, and I'll take you to Hiko. I want to feel your promise through your fists. Empty promises are a consequence." he stated. There was no getting around it.

Before Sky could answer, Sanji had already stepped back upon his left foot and allowed his hands to raise afront his face. His knuckles mottled white as he stared into the eyes of the Kage, searching his soul for the truth of a valiant ninja. Sanji's memories faded back to those fateful nights when he was weak and starving in the street. Hiko's father, a talented man of kindness and humility, had seemingly come out of nowhere to save his life. How, then, could he have repaid the kindness of a ghost?

...By protecting his seed.

Sanji wouldn't make the first move, however. Honor was amongst him and those who watched from the safety of the higher platforms. They cheered for Sanji - evidence that this was not the first time he'd come to blows for those who desired to get close to Hiko. Whatever this stranger wanted with Hiko, he would have to reveal with the will of truth. "Hiko's father is like family to everyone who resides on this island. I get the feeling that you'll do whatever it takes to reach your goal, bro. Show me your way, and I'll show you mine."

The air about the area began to grow thick with tension. And if Sky was observant, he could make out the faint hint of electricity crackling around Sanji's fists. "Go all out! The residents love a good sparring match. Well, until the panties get knocked off the clothesline. Then we're ALL in trouble.." he joked. A female voiced shouted a resounding "Damn right!", causing laughter among them as Sanji's eyes remained focused on Sky.

"Come at me, bro!"

[Naota]

[Lost Muse, Exit]