As a Leaf Shinobi

[Itaru]

Kuroi took a step upon a boat that would take him back to the Fire Country. He had one objective, and it was to retrieve his headband. He cared not to stay there, as Teramune-sama would simply kill him if he was to do that. Kuroi dropped the paddle into the clear shimmering waters, and he began to push himself towards the same direction he came. It would probably take a while yet, having to row himself at this pace.

He couldn't help but be concerned about what Teramune-sama would do if he had known of Kuroi's return to Fire. Could he possibly find a way to understand? Kuroi didn't have the intentions to inform the entire country of Teramune-sama's plans, so what was there to be upset about? Then again, Teramune was a hard man to understand, and Kuroi couldn't help himself but feel a bit apprehensive about it.

Occassionally he would glance back at Munichi, now wondering why she had come with him. It was only to get back his Leaf village headband, it had nothing to concern her. Oh well, perhaps he company would make the trip go quicker. Gazing over the sea, Kuroi began to notice he didn't even remember the boat ride here. He must have been too out of it from that Sharingan technique delivered by Teramune.

He would allow the sail to push their boat a while as he reach into his pouch to retrieve two rice cakes, one of which he would hand off to Munichi if she wanted one, though he didn't say a word during this. Whether or not she would take it, Kuroi would then look to the Sea once again, now able to faintly see what he believed to be Fire.

[Demi]

As the boat set sail, her heart was pounding. The tug from the boat leaving the dock almost sent her over board; she, in no way, had “sea legs”, and she gripped the side of the boat tightly. She deathly hoped that Teramune would not find them. She looked over at Karasu. He was seriously thinking of leaving Konoha once he returned? Hell, she had noting but him in the Leaf Village, and felt obligated to follow. Not as an unwanted shadow, but she wished to help him if he ever needed. Over the side of the boat, she felt dizzy. Not seasickness, but she was scared of travel, she had lived in Konoha all her life. Sure, half of the time she survived alone, but now she was leaving her home country, to hopefully become stronger, and hopefully survive this journey with Karasu. She wasn’t the strongest of ninja, and was risking her life to do what she had coming for her.

The wind nearly knocked her over as the boat seemed to be moving quite fast, but everything still felt so unfamiliar. Even Karasu’s presence felt weird. Maybe it was the weird scents and people she had never seen before. She had nothing to miss in Konoha, but she missed it nevertheless. She pulled the cloth from her arm and dabbed the blood from her leg, then retied it, waiting for the boat to pull into Fire Country’s port.

The only familiar scent, a rice cake, opened her eyes and caressed her nose. A small smile eroded her face as she reached for the cake, and took a small bite into it. It seemed to dance across her taste buds, as she had not eaten in for what felt like days, weeks, years. She turned her attention back to the open sea, where in the distance, land would soon be near.

[Axcel]

Moved to tea

From Sea you go to Tea, then from there you can go to Fire country.

[Itaru]

The boat had landed in Tea. Kuroi understood this country to be a minor location, and there was no need to stop here for anything. Kuroi pushed the boat from the dock and hoped on with Munichi still on it. He began pushing the boat forth, toward Fire. The paddles splashed the water at the edges of the boat as he did this. He would stop and let the boat sail on its own for a while as he let his hand glide across the smooth waters.

He looked a bit troubled by something. He couldn't even understand his own reasons for returning to Fire to just leave it. For his headband? Was it only for that? Not even he could pin-point it exactly. Besides, he would simply leave again afterward, now becoming a missing-ninja. He quickly pulled himself from his thoughts and continued to push the boat toward Fire. Konoha.

[Demi]

She took a seat, seeing as the country they stopped in for a very brief amount of time was not what they had sent out for. The shores of Tea were soon passed up, and she sighed. However, after this, Fire was soon after. She couldn’t wait. She kept her eyes on the water and the small and large ripples caused by the paddling Karasu made. If he wasn’t so stubborn, and if there were more paddles, she would surely help him; but not to her surprise she was to remain useless on the boat ride, and he were to work and labor the boat’s sailing on his own. She could merely watch the sea as they distanced from Tea, heading towards Fire. Their arrival wouldn’t be too long from now.

[Itaru]

Kuroi took a step off the boat. Fire Country. Now was the time to search for his headband. He walked along the bank, searching for a possible shimmer in the grass. Thanks to the forest, the trees were blocking the sun light. He pushed the long grass aside in search for the headband that told where he came from.

After several minutes, and several yards away from the boat, he had picked up a damp Leaf Village headband. The sea's waves had soaked it, but he cared nothing about it, and quickly didn't waste a second to place it upon his forehead, and tighten a strong knot behind his head. He walked back to Munichi, "We could both stay, now that we're here. Although, live in fear of Teramune coming after us."

Karasu knelt upon the dock, gazing into the crystal clear waters. "They must not even notice we have left." He began to point out. There were no ANBU that had come searching for them, so what could that have made them? Teramune spoke of the Leaf being cowardly, and from what Karasu was seeing, it was true. "You can return to Konoha if you wish." He said as he stood up. "This may have been my birthplace, but Teramune's words are true. This village is full of cowards.

"They will run at the first sign of danger, and Konoha will fall again very soon, I have a feeling. I abandon Konoha now, and I will return to Teramune, at my own will." He said, and jumped onto the boat, and gazed over the land. It would be easier to walk into Tea, and take a boat back to Sea.

[Demi]

She listened to Karasu’s words carefully, then thought back to when she stood before Teramune. He was indeed a powerful man, and if he were to come back to them… they would both be dead. She let out a sigh and looked out to the open ocean, which awaited them.

“What he did in the forest… he clear it out… cleared it out,” the words trembled on her soft lips. She looked to Karasu, and could almost feel the tears approaching her eyes. Konoha was to be a waste land, from what she heard, and wished these ninja would only prepare themselves for the destruction. There was no time to warn them, there was no time for anything!

She turned her head, and the image of her home ablaze, completely demolished tore her heart in two. Maybe it wouldn’t happen… hopefully. But what Teramune had said was right.

“Goodbye,” she worded but her vocals made no sound.

She bit her lip, and took a step back onto the boat. Certain she’d never return to Konoha, she’d remain by Karasu’s side. Sure she had a choice, but this was definitely the better of the two….

[Itaru]

Karasu had to grown at the simpe sight of the Fire Country. It was supposedly one of the most powerful nations, but now he would have to look at it as a waste of the sea. 'Are you feeling regretful again that you must leave?' The all too familiar vibrations asked him, but he shook his head in response. He didn't want Munichi questioning who he was talking to if he was to respond to it with words. He gave his hand for Munichi to take, offering a hand out of the boat.

He could see the pain in her eyes. It was understandable, even for Karasu. Normally he would tell her to stop and dry her tears, but right now it didnt' seem right even for him to tell her to do such a thing. "We'll walk through Tea." He informed her. "Finally take a boat back to Sea." His voice was gentle and soft, much unlike what it normally was. "Here," he said and retreived a strange looking weapon. "Give me your wrist."

If she did, Karasu would wrap the device around her wrist. "It's a Chain Gauntlet." He explained. "It has to be used by two people, since I have one myself, I'm gonna give it to you to use. For when we fight together." His voice was a bit unsure. It was a gift for Munichi, and he never saw himself doing such a thing. "You'll understand how to use it soon." He concluded, and began to walk towards the south, where he would venture into Tea.

[Demi]

She nodded and let go of her lip. She couldn’t let her guard down completely, but she took Karasu’s hand to step back off the boat. She stood beside him, and seeing the chain, her eyes filled with wonder.

She held her wrist out as he wrapped the chain around her wrist, and thought over how they would get back to Sea. She nodded to his words, and followed him as they headed down south of Fire, straight into the Land of Tea.

[Itaru]

His air was now a bit damped with the soaked headband, but he didn't pay it any attention. Now he was to be a missing ninja, and with one final glance back at Konoha; his birthplace, he reluctantly turned his head away. The vocals in his head were true; he did regret it, but if he didn't he would definitely be killed, and then what would have been the whole point to this journey? He glanced back at Munichi to make sure she was following.

If any ninja dared attacked them, he would fight them and attempt to keep Munichi away from danger, and just the thought of this crossing his mind made him think: What the hell are you doing? Why was he thinking such things. Protecting her? He didn't like her. Suddenly, he spun around and pointed a finger at her. "I hate you!" He yelled, and turned back around to resume his walk. This was probably very awkward for Munichi.

Not only that, but he actually turned around again, "And I always have!" He needed to add. Although he was speaking this just to assure himself he really didn't find friendship in Munichi, he wasn't sure of how true it really was.

[Demi]

For only a while she followed behind him, in silence. Deep in thought. Her mind was telling her “no, no, no, go back home you little b*tch,” but her feet kept moving forward, staring at the Chain Gauntlet around her wrist. He trusted her enough to fight with him? Something almost seemed wrong…

The sound of his voice opened her eyes as she looked back up to him and his body turned around. His words were almost ineffective, she always knew he “disliked her”. Hell, he disliked everybody. She was certain she was no difference… but how random. She rolled her eyes to his hateful words, but when he turned around the second time, her brow lifted.

“I know,” she worked against her mind to come up with the words. “But what are you trying to prove?” her voice was hollow. She felt she had nothing left in her but the blood pumping through her veins, the material items on her, and this boy who claimed his hate for her.

“Do you not want me to come with you?” she watched him for a while, before her eyes traced back to the Chain Gauntlet.

[Axcel]

#Moved to Tea#

[Itaru]

Karasu adjusted his headband, and dragged his kunai blade over the Leaf symbol. This would show him to be a missing-ninja. He was hardly even listening to Munichi, since he coulnd't possibly care less about what a girl like her had to say. The metal blade was quite difficult to cut, but eventually he managed and placed the kunai back into the holster that wrapped around his right thigh.

Catching her last few words, Karasu began to think of how he would answer it. Karasu had have wanted to be alone on this travel, but since Munichi was also forcefully taken from Konoha, he would have wanted to give her the chance to return and stay if that was what she desired. Now he had seen it; she was also reluctant to leave again just after returning. It was so close, and they had the ability to return to their homes and rest in their own beds.

Karasu would have given a lot for that, but it wasn't enough. The scent of his apartment was all he could ask for, the feel of his wood floor under his feet. He wanted to live more than he wanted to smell, feel, and see that he was where he belonged. Nothing could be done about it, and now he had set a new destination for himself. To obtain the power equal to that of Teramune. Karasu would accomplish this.

Walking along side the trees, Karasu gazed up towards the tree tops, now suddenly noticing he never answered Munichi. "I don't care what you do." Was the only sentance he could come up with at this moment. "You could go back to Konoha and risk Teramune finding you all over again, and killing you and everyone around you for all I care." He ended his words with this, wanting her to know he didn't care about her the slightest bit, and to never get the impression otherwise.

[Demi]

“I’m aware of the fact that you don’t care for me. And, Karasu, not that you care what I think, but I don’t care too much about you either. I’m not leaving because of you,” she stared at the shaded floor as they wandered into Tea.

“I know what my fate would be if I was to remain here, and you can think me as stupid as much as you want, but I don’t wish to die among these, as Teramune calls them, ‘weak ninja’,” she shook her head to these words. She was no better than the ninja in Konoha, but she knew she was on her own on that one. She had pride in her village, but she wasn’t going to talk bad about the Fire Country. It was her birthplace, and if anyone was to die under attack in the near future, she had one hope… For her father to be among the corpses.

The walk seemed endless, but within a short while the smell of the ocean reached her nostrils as she breathe in the saline air.

Tea’s port was not too far now, and she followed Karasu on board the ship. It was a larger vessel, and the ramp that allowed people to come aboard was beginning to close as she hobbled on deck. She looked overboard, where the large boat was being untied and pushed from the dock, which nearly tipped Munichi over. She was sure she’d have to get used to traveling out on boats soon, for she was so clumsy once the ship was moving.

[Arkai]

Moved to Sea by Karasu's Request

[Itaru]

[Thanks to: Axcel and Arkai for moving this thead.]

Karasu's body decended from the boat, and he took another step into Sea. It seemed more like home by now. The smell of salt in the air became something Karasu had adapted to, but he would no longer go by the name of Kuroi. Not with this headband he wasn't anyway. Since hearing her say that she didn't care much for Karasu either, he grunted to her words. "And keep it that way."

Now he would resume training, to become stronger. Much stronger than Munichi could ever dream of becoming. He looked over his shoulder and shook his head in disapproval. He disappeared into the forest soon later.

[Exit Karasu]

[Demi]

Land of the Sea… Again.

What was it with Karasu? One minute he was helping her out of the boat so they could make their way to Tea together, and presented her with the Chain Gauntlet, which he wrapped around he wrist. The next second they were leaving Konoha and he tells her how he hates her and always did! She shook her head to the confusion it caused. But, now, she was sure of where she was. At first, she never understood where Teramune had brought them. But now, she knew they were in the Land of Sea.

She rolled her eyes at his words, and turned her head before he could even see, but by the time she looked back, he had gone. Gone to go train, she was certain. With his head so far up his ass he could only smell his own sh*t, which he would probably compare to flowers.

She grunted, and headed out, taking a different path into the same area of woods Karasu did to continue her own training…

[Exit]