Preperations |Private|

[Hana~Kyo]

Out of the hidden base that housed the many skilled shinobi of his nation and out onto the road leading out of the capital down toward the dock. He would prepare to head down, waiting only for Natsuki. His desitination however was not the docks but a small house located a mile or so to the north of them. It was the home that he had grown up in after he and his mother fled Hi no Kuni for Mizu no Kuni just over a decade past. He wanted to visit his mother and say something to her about his mission that may take him away for quite some time, he also wanted to pick up some new clothing for his trip.

He leaned back against the gate that led out of the city and down the path while he waited, his gaze fixed off at the distant horizon. Soon enough he would venture forth from his home land with no real destination, simply following Natsuki and doing whatever they so please, a freedom he had not yet been able to enjoy in his lifetime.

~Enter~

[Natsuki Kikkawa]

|Enter|

Walking a little bit behind Toshizo (enough to make him wait a bit), Natsuki was rather lost in thought. Surprisingly none of the traps and such got to her as they left. Her body seemed to react to his movements all on it's own. Within her mind she had thoughts about where they should travel first, how she would proceed with her newfound job, etc. She was so lost in thought she nearly bumped into Toshizo whom was leaning against the gate. Snapping back to the 'reality' that was the current situation, silver irises looked to Toshizo thoughtfully, ready to follow him wherever. It was strange as soon their roles would be reversed, he would be following her, wherever she felt she could do her job. They'd have to find a different source of income since Toshizo couldn't simply march over to the Mizukage and request a mission.

She couldn't help but wonder what he was thinking, how did he feel about all this? She failed to glimpse into his eyes when they were leaving but she hoped he'd be happy traveling with her.

[Hana~Kyo]

Returning to the real world from his fantasizing, Toshi's head titled back ever so slightly to gaze upon the person he had been charged with protecting, the person who had unexplainably captivated him during his mission, and still holds a strange allure that Toshi himself could not entirely explain. "If you don't mind, I would like to stop by my house before we leave the country. It's a short walk north of the docks down the beach so it is not too far out of our way." He then turned and headed down the path, it had been a while since he returned home and it would be best if he went home to see his mother before departing on such a long venture.

The mid-day sun loomed high over head, it's rays illuminating the landscape around them. It was days like these that Toshi was thankful for the mist that hung ominously over the nation's land and provided a cooling refuge from the heat of the sun at it's peak. As they neared the docks, he detoured off the path and into the mess of trees that lined it's edges. Even with the lack of a path to follow, this was a trip the Chuunin had made an uncountable number of times and needed no path to tell him where to go. Several moments later they emerged from the dense forest and stood upon the shores of their nation, the sounds of the water rolling gently over the shores was one that Toshi had found much comfort in as a child.

A wave of nostalgia washed over him as he set eyes upon a small outcrop of rocks where he had sat on a number of occasions and painted the sea that stretched endlessly before him. Another hundred yards or so up the beach was a house, it looked run down and abandon but he knew it to be quite the opposite. He approached the door of the house and pushed it open, the inside was slightly nicer than one might assume based on the outside appearance. The door opened up to the main area which was mainly comprised of the kitchen with a table in the center surrounded by five chairs, the back wall was lined with three simple wooden doors which led to the three bedrooms that belonged to him, his mother, and their friend. The most noticible thing was the dozens of paintings that lined the walls, there were so many that some were even stacked in corners of the house due to a lack of room on the walls; they were the many paitings that had been done by both himself and his mother over the years.

Before actually entering the house, he would step to the side and gesture for Natsuki to enter before him. "It's not much, but welcome" he would wait for her to enter before entering himself and closing the door behind him.

[Natsuki Kikkawa]

"Not at all, I'd be delighted to visit your home." his invitation, though very casual, really made her happy. Thoughts shifting to what his home might be like just as he began to head down the path. The rays from the mid-day sun whilst looming high over head, weren't as strong due to the mist that blanketed the island. On this particular day, with the mist not being nearly as thick, Natsuki looked out to the landscape ahead of her. The bright rays illuminating the landscape far into the horizon. "Beautiful." was the word that came to mind, yet she had to be careful as Toshi made a turn and began to venture along a path that only he seemed to know, for below there was no signs of an evident pathway that Natsuki could see. The forest they went through was rather dense, thick threes loomed over them and silver hues observed them all thoughtfully.

Since she was focusing on the scenery, no sooner would she see the opening just up ahead, allowing them to exit the dense forest only to bask in the presence of the shores just ahead. Waves would roll and crash into rocks, while others calmly reached the beachside. The image that now painted in her mind was a beautiful vista; something she'd remember forever. The final stretch towards his home seemed to pass by rather quickly. The house was small, seemingly cozy did it not appear to be abandoned. Pressing on, Toshizo went to open the door, providing a quick glimpse inside.

"It's nicely decorated..."

Her comment made her more curious as to the layout of the house and what sights awaited inside. She had thought he'd enter first but like the gentleman he was, he'd step to the side allowing her to enter before him. She curtsied quickly before entering. Despite his humble words, Natsuki really did like the look of the house on the inside. Her eyes seemed to light up, glancing at everything she could. She made sure not to wander too far away from Toshizo, she was his guest after all.

[Hana~Kyo]

After both were in the house Toshi took a look around to see if his mother was home. At first glance it looked like both his mother and the owner of the house were out. He removed his gear and pouch and placed them down on to the table in the center of the room. "I just want to get some new clothes to travel in and to tell my mother that I may not be returning for a while." He carried himself away from the table and over to the main area of the kitchen where he filled two cups with water and placed one down on the table while taking a drink from the other, "Here ya go."

The middle door along the back wall creaked as it opened and a slender woman emerged wearing a simple white dress, her long red hair fell neatly down her back all the way down to her waist, scattered bangs hung down over her deep emerald eyes. Toshi's mother was not all that old herself but even still she did not look her age. The emerald orbs blinked a few times while they grasped the scene that she had stumbled upon. It was understandable for him to not recognize her son, he had dyed his hair and completely changed his appearance since last they met after all. "Toshi!" she shouted as she ran across the room and wrapped her arms around him, much tighter than was neccesary. "Hi Mah..." his reply came with a bit of strain as he was struggling to draw breath in the tight embrace of his mother.

The woman would then turn to the other visitor, one whom she had not yet me. Toshi could tell that his mother was taking in every aspect of Natsuki, the same way she did pretty much every person he had ever brought to his home. The woman turned back to Toshi and gave him a little push on his shoulder, "She's a good one Toshi!" she said with a smile, "It's about time you found some one like her." without bothering to let Toshi or Natsuki correct her she sat down at the table and turned to Natsuki, "So how long have you two been together?" despite the eccentricity of her statements, her voice was very smooth and well pronounced; her classy up bringing with the Li clan was quite evident in the way she spoke.

The Chuunin had figured something like this would happen and he quite honestly didn't care enough to correct her, instead he would do no more than release a deep sigh and look over in the direction of Natsuki, "I'll be back in a minute." He turned away and headed off into the room on the far left, his room, in order to get some new clothes and leaving Natsuki to deal with his mother.

[Natsuki Kikkawa]

While his explanation for his action wasn't necessary, it was still appreciated. So was the cup of water; "Thank you." was her immediate response as she took the cup into both her hands. Just as she managed to get a sip in, her ears picked up on the creaking sound coming from a door. It was the middle door along the back wall and no sooner did it reveal a rather slender woman. Her simple white dress, long red hair, and emerald eyes made for quite the appearance; truly mesmerizing. Natsuki's eyes certainly lit up when she emerged, though she was taken a back by the sudden hug that Toshi would receive. Her mother never did that for her, even when she was younger. It made her feel perplexed, but only for a moment. Soon his mother would set eyes on her. Natsuki didn't miss the way her eyes analyzed her and she began to blush slightly.

This was before she was caught off-guard by his mother's...assumptions. Her blush which started as a feint pink soon became red as her cheeks flushed. Her silver hues glanced to the left slightly embarassed. Her mind was struggling for words to say, she wanted to clear up the misunderstanding that was emerging but her mind and body seemed to fall out of sync for no sooner did she blurt out something moments after Toshi bailed on her.

"A few weeks..."

When she realized what she had blurted out, she tried to fix her mistake before she further complicated the situation:

"He's my guardian and a good man...I'm happy to have met him."

She wasn't helping her cause with the words she spoke, in fact... the more she spoke, the more nervous she became. To ease her nervousness, she began to play around with her skirt. She'd coil the fabric of the white dress around her index finger, ocassionally tugging at it before unwinding. Now this wouldn't be much of a problem for a normal girl but Natsuki was trained like a kunoichi but without the basics of a kunoichi. Therefore, she really didn't know her own strength at times...

[Hana~Kyo]

Toshi:

Toshi raided through his closet looking for something he could wear to start out their journey, it had been a long time since he went through his clothes and he laughed at some of the stuff he found tucked away inside the mess of things that was strewn across the closes floor. Finally he stumbled on something that he thought suitable for the trip, it was something he had worn a while back during the chuunin exams and the outfit brought back memories for him, the weight of these memories was the perfect thing for this trip. He replaced his clothes with the new outfit he had chosen before returning to the main area of the house. He emerged from the door wearing his new outfit. (Image)

He returned to the sight of Natsuki and his mother just as she had left them, he had no doubt that his mother had done some prying of her own into the affairs of the duo. The ANBU moved to the table and sat down before swinging his feet up onto the table. His long fingers twisted the long bangs that hung down in front of his eyes, "I really need to do something with this hair, it's too long and i feel like it's just going to bother me." He reached across the table to pick up his pouch and gear to attach it on to his new set of clothing so that he did not forget it on accident, he then took another sip from his glass and looked over to Natsuki wondering what kind of things his mother had asked her.

Toshi's Mother:

With the initial reply of the young woman, the lips of the woman would curl into a devious grin, a look that clearly displayed her pleasure. "A few weeks huh?" the words were spoken on a barely audible level and were more her repeating them to herself then a response to her guest. It was the next set of words that she found interest in, "Your guardian?" Toshi's mother was a very nosy woman, she was the kind who could not help but meddle into the affairs of others. "Please do explain this."

Before she could reply the red-haired woman would speak again, this time with a gentle smile resembling the one that Toshi used on numerous occasions with Natsuki, "I'm sorry, I seem to have forgotten my manners. I am Izumi, Toshi's mother. I find it rather surprising that my lazy child has ended up as your guardian, please explain if you don 't mind me asking."

Moments later Toshi returned from his room and sat down adjacent to Izumi and commented about his hair. "Maybe you should have some one cut it then." she said with a bit of sarcasm made obvious in her tone. Her gaze would continue to shift back and forth between the Toshi and the young woman as she continued to try and get a grip on what exactly the situation and standing between the two were. Last she had known of her son, he was a lazy slacker who slept most of the day and would rather be painting then doing anything physical. She was also rather amazed by her sons change in physique, she had not seen him for some time and the little skinny little son of her's who had left to join mist was now a toned and well built figure.

[Natsuki Kikkawa]

Tug, Tug, Tugh!

Natsuki felt nervous, for some reason she couldn't help but feel pressured by the woman whom she came to know as Toshi's mother; Izumi. Thank goodness for Toshi whom came downstairs shortly after. His comment about his hair seemed to distract Izumi for a moment, allowing Natsuki to think about her words more carefully. Admittedly, if she wasn't cut off prior she may have just blurted another answer, one that could have served to give the wrong impression. Not wanting to remain silent, for fear of being rude; Natsuki would speak up.

"If you'd like, I can cut it for you, Toshi-san."

A friendly gesture and yet she approached him so casually, her movements somewhat alluring. Once she was by his side, she began to look around in case a pair of scissors were available in plain sight. If none was available she'd follow up with a simple question.

"Could I get a pair of scissors please?"

Even if Toshizo didn't want her to cut his hair, she certainly was contemplating cutting her own, Yet before she could venture into a completely different conversation topic, she decided to answer Izumi's prior question.

"Oh yes, Izumi-san to answer your question, he was choosen to become my guardian by the Mizukage. I've been tasked with a specific job for the Kage herself and she felt Toshi-san would be the perfect candidate. I agree with her decision as well." the last part she added, albeit in a slight whisper. It caused her to continue tugging on her dress when suddenly...

RIP!

That lovely white dress she took pride in wearing was ripped. She nearly jumped in surprise but that would have caused the damage to the dress to increase. It was a somewhat embarassing situation, her cheeks flushing a deep shade of red.

"P-please excuse me..." was all she managed to say, albeit in a whisper again.

[Hana~Kyo]

Deep emerald eyes stared aimlessly in the direction of the young woman while he ran the idea of a haircut through his head. It had been a long time since he had short hair, but on a long journey such as the one they were preparing for it might not be such a bad idea to keep his hair short, it would at least be easier to manage that way. The glazed look that filled his eyes disappeared as the anbu snapped back to reality upon his own reply, “Ya, that’s not too bad of an idea. The scissors are in the cabinet over there.” With the long fingers that had previously been intertwined with a length of his hair, he indicated a simple wooden cabinet over the kitchen sink.

Shortly after his comment, the distinct sound of the ripping cloth emanating from her dress brought his attention back to his companion. He had noticed her playing with it earlier but didn’t realize how hard she had actually been pulling on the thin fabric. The haircut however would have to be put on hold as his mother rose to the occasion. “Ah! Wait here for one moment!” she said before rushing away to her bedroom. From the living are that both Toshi and Natsuki had been left behind in, he could hear the sounds of his mother rummaging through a countless number of things that had been stocked away in her room.

Several silent moments passed before the woman reemerged from the room, her vibrant crimson hair whipping around the corner as she returned to the area where the two of them still sat in confusion. The silence was broken by the words of his mother.

“Natsuki dear, I have a lot of old clothes sitting around that I have been meaning to get rid of. If you’d like to take a look I laid them out on the bed in my room. Your welcome to anything that’s there.”

The next statement would come from Toshi who was for the most part just procrastinating before he had to let her cut his hair. “Ya, Why don’t you grab some new clothes first? You can cut my hair after you find something that you like, How does that sound?” The simple words were accompanied by a gentle smile as he waited for the reply from the young woman standing before him. They had a long, long venture before them and it wouldn’t hurt for her to get something new to wear either.

[Natsuki Kikkawa]

During Izumi's absence, Natsuki couldn't help but look towards Toshizo in an awkward way. Her left hand folded her dress in a way to hide the rip as a temporary measure. Her silver irises would take shy glances at him and then towards the cabinet. She was too embrassed to say anything, causing a brief moment of silence before Izumi broke such silence by calling out to Natsuki. Her gaze moved to the direction of Izumi's room just as Toshi was about to speak up. It caused her to perk up somewhat, a shy glance in his direction as she caught sight of his gentle smile. It made her smile too before nodding her head in agreement. She then made her way in the same direction Izumi hurried to earlier.

"I-I'll be right there." Natsuki called out, moving awkwardly due to the positoning of her dress. Once she entered Izumi's room, she let out a slight gasp of surprise which was audible in the living area. "Oh wow Izumi-san, there's so much outfits here!"
Natsuki's once shy voice had turned into a young teen at the mall. Everything looked like it was on 'sale' and she just had to 'buy' everything. To say that Toshi would be waiting awhile was a clear understatement. Natsuki would proceed to try on the various outfits present until she found the one she wanted to travel in. Of course, the rest had to be used on some sort of ocassion that only Natsuki would know.

With everything decided upon, without even thinking Natsuki would move to embrace Izumi in a tight hug. Tears were streaming down her cheeks, they weren't tears of saddness but rather tears of joy. It had been a long while since she ever really received a 'gift' and it was quite a generous one at that. After the emotional outburst, she'd need some help actually getting into the outfit in question due to the various parts it had. Likewise, since she wanted to cut her hair as well, it only added to the amount of time it took for her to change but in the end, she'd be ready.

As far as her new attire was concerned, it was certainly a new look for her. It wasn't as conservative as her previous dress code and it had a sense of style and flair. This resulted in her taking her time to get back to the living area. Peaking from around a corner in Toshi's direction.

"...U-um, are you ready now...to get your haircut I mean, Toshi-san?"

[Hana~Kyo]

Time passed by ever so slowly as Toshi remained sitting at the table in the center of the living area that had become rather quiet with the disappearance of Natsuki. Thoughts of what could be taking the two of them so long slowly dragged his mind from reality. All she is doing is getting some new clothes, so why is it taking so long…, formulating possible answers to the question all he could hope to do to pass the time until the returned from the room.

Surely enough, he had come up with a plentiful number of theories by the time the door to the room creaked open to reveal his mother and the newly outfitted Natsuki. Hazel eyes blinked in slight confusion as he stared down his friend in her new clothing, compared to her old outfit it was rather interesting, not that he really had any complaints about it. At a lack for anything better to say and given the fact that all words seemed to escape his tongue at the moment, he said the only word he could think of at the moment, ”Nice…” back on his mission, he had been captivated by her strange allure but this was the first time he had seen her in this kind of clothing, and with the distraction in front of him he neglected to hide his thoughts, anyone who were to look at his face could clearly read what he was thinking.

Without needing to read too much into the situation, Toshi’s mother had already formulated her wild conception of what was going to happen here between the two of them, “I have to go pick some stuff up at the market, I will be back later.” was all she would say before picking up a bag and taking her leave through the front door and out on to the beach. It was then that the subject of the haircut would return . Toshi centered himself on his chair and ran his fingers through his dyed hair. “I guess so, don’t cut it too short please.” His eyes shifted over to the cabinet that housed the scissors before a deep sigh escaped his lips.

“Is there anything else other than my haircut that you can think we should do before setting out? I would hate to get in the middle of no where and realize we forgot something or we left something undone, that would kinda suck.” he laughed as he finished his statement, at what he had no idea but he still did. Most likely it was the thought of the irony of his situation, he had lived his entire life for his nation and his Kage. Now in order to follow his orders who would need to everything but that, and when he thought about it in depth he began to realize he had no idea how to live normally, to live without following the orders of some one else, of his own free will.

[Natsuki Kikkawa]

She had been really nervous about his thoughts on her new attire, his loss of words only added to her anticipation. For a moment she had to look away feeling her cheeks flush as she began to read the expression on his face. She was happy that he liked it yet she wasn't sure why she was so embarassed. Once she felt she could look at him with a straight face, her silver irises looked into his hazel ones, lips parting to say something when she was cut off by Izumi mentioning that she needed to pick up items at the market. It was so awkward, mostly due to the fact that it broke the silence between them. When she was ready to resume, the conversation about the haircut was what came up. Nodding her head to comply to Toshizo's terms, she moved to the cabinet which housed the item needed. Carefully she reached up, albeit with her tippy toes to the cabinet and got the scissors.

Moving behind the Chuunin, she'd prepare to cut his hair. Her left hand would slowly trail into his dyed tresses, playing with his hair momentarily. It caused her to giggle but no sooner did she begin to cut his hair. They were steady cuts, she certainly wanted to do a good job with his hair while abiding by his request. Yet his new question surprised her somewhat, causing her to momentarily pause in cutting his hair.

"Forgetting something..." She simply repeated it though it was mostly to herself. Subconsiously, her left hand moved to around her neck which she began to play with. That was when she remembered... her mind seemed to have supressed the memory mostly but it started to resurface.

"My blouse...it's rather tight, therefore...I'd like to give you something."

Loosening her blouse one moment, she then proceeded to remove a necklace from around her neck. It was largely hidden by the cute bowtie she had in place as well as the collar. Initially she hadn't even worn it, simply keeping it within her pouch but she thought to put it on without remembering it's origin. The necklace in question was something from her mother whom she didn't have a strong connection with. It caused her to sigh before placing her left arm around the chair to present the necklace to Toshizo.

"...This is it, it's a necklace...I really don't need it anymore especially not with this outfit." she tried to smile and lighten the mood despite the fact she was feeling somewhat uncomfortable with her new thought train. She didn't want to remember her parents, especially since she was finally free from them. Instead, she proceeded to finishing Toshi's haircut, it was a good means to distract her mind and the cut seemed to come out rather well or so she thought. She'd need to get a small mirror to display to him the new look.

"So Toshi-san, what do you think, is it suitable?"

[Hana~Kyo]

Emerald orbs followed the figure of his partner as she traveled across the room to retrieve the scissors from the cabinet that he had indicated. As she stopped just behind his chair, he allowed himself a deep breath before closing his eyes and relaxing his body that had been tensed in nervous anticipation of the soon to come hair cut. Gentle fingers slowly made their way through his vibrantly colored hair. Despite his forced calm, a brief feeling of nervousness flashed through his mind with each clip the scissors made.

When Natsuki paused to tell him that she had something to give him, he could not help but wonder what it was that she could want him to have. Attention focused on the object held before him, it was a simple necklace he had never seen before. Thinking back as far as he could he could not remember his mother possessing such an object and so he assumed it was something personal of hers that she had brought along with them from the village of Hamaguri where they had met not to long ago.

With his right arm, he reached out and took hold of the object with particular care; using his fingers to turn the object within the palm of his hand, he looked over the trinket with unexplainable interest before turning his head so that he could make at least partial eye contact with the woman behind him, ”Thank you very much, I will gladly accept this.” he said as he lifted the necklace to place it around his neck, it may not have seemed like much of a gesture to most, but Toshi knew that to him this object would serve a great purpose.

After he had taken the necklace Natsuki continued with cutting his hair, despite still being a bit nervous he wasn’t quite as hesitant about the whole thing. A bit of time passed before Natsuki picked up a mirror so that he could see the work that she had now completed. He ran his fingers through his hair as he peered into the mirror, shifting his head ever so slightly in all directions so that he could get a look at all of it. “Not bad… not bad.” with that simple comment he stood and reached his arms up into the air to allow himself a good stretch before turning to his companion. ”Well then, now that, that’s taken care of… What else is there to do before we head out?”

[Natsuki Kikkawa]

Despite the trinket's origin, Natsuki was reliefed that it found someone whom appreciated it. A small sigh of relief escaped her lips before returning a simple "You're welcome" to him. Now with everything said and done, his response to her haircut was pleasant. A simple comment, yet Natsuki had treasured it very much. They seemed to be prepared but just as the chuunin inquired about last minute preparations...

_______________________________________________________

A firm knock was made against the door to the establishment. The guest on the other side of the door was but a young girl, no older than the age of thirteen. Raven tresses framed her features resting a little past her shoulders. Her sense of fashion was quite simple, wearing a red short sleeved shirt, black pants, and dark grey sandals. Perhaps one of the most defining features of this young lass was that her forehead was covered by Mist's famous forehead protector. It was quite shinny, indicating that she was possibly a graduate of the academy. Likewise her pouch was fresh too, having never seen true combat as of yet.

Just why would a genin be at this residence?

[Hana~Kyo]

An audible sigh escaped the lips of the ANBU as he heard the knock on the door, “Who the hell could that be?” he commented more to himself than to Natsuki. Taking one last moment to stretch before maneuvering around the table so that he could reach the door, he reached out and grasped the door knob firmly before creaking it open only enough to reveal himself standing there, from outside nothing would be visible through the solid frame of Toshi, not even Natsuki.

He was surprised to see the cause of the knock to have been nothing more than a young girl from Kirigakure, had she been sent by the Mizukage to tell them something before they departed? Despite the fact that she was a little girl Toshi remained on his guard, he still remembered the events in river and had no intentions of letting his guard down just because it was no more than a girl. Eyes bearing down on the girl in front of him, his piercing gaze was fixed upon her own. If anything the look he was giving her could come off as hostile, he wasn’t entirely sure why he had resorted to such treatment of the girl but there was no use changing his demeanor now, his words followed with a hint of bitterness. “What is it you want here?” It was all he would say before standing there in waiting, expecting a reply.

[Natsuki Kikkawa]

A soft smile plastered the young girl's face now that the door opened. She was fortunate; it revealed the target whom she was looking for. When he asked for a reply the first thing that would shock the older man was her first response.

"Toshizo-san, age 21...Chuunin and Unclassified ANBU. Kirigakure needs you therefore you've been Activated. Report immediately to the Capital with this scroll in hand."

As quickly as she said it, her right arm moved to present the chuunin with the scroll in question.

"Do not open it until you've left your house, failure to comply will result in a penalty."

She then moved away from the door, though not in a great rush it was fairly quick. She'd rotate clockwise and begin to walk away, her locks trailing with the wind but she'd mention one more thing.

"You have five minutes before they come after you, that is...Uchiha comes after you."

With that, she'd proceed to leave the vacinity, a small amount of mist gathering in her former position; disguising her movements as she made her way from the young man's location.

______________________________________________________________



Meanwhile Natsuki had moved her way over so that she was behind Toshi's shadow, effectively blocked from view. Her expression easily readable; for it was that of confusion and nervousness. The way he answered the door was somewhat hostile, making her believe that an enemy had come to them...most likely after her.

"Toshi-san...?"

Her voice crackled mostly, indicating the building fear that she had. It was a bit hard to make out what was told to the ANBU due to the soft voice of the person from outside, which only made her more tense.

[Hana~Kyo]

Toshi accepted the scroll from the young girl before she turned and walked off down the beach away from the house. He momentarily ignored his companion’s words as he eyed the scroll with great suspicion, there was no doubt that something was going on, something important. He had been assigned a serious mission by the Mizukage herself to protect Natsuki on a very important task, to be called back to aid the village now meant there was no doubt that something big was happening. Slowly he turned back into the house and shut the door, eyes still locked to the scroll as if attempting to read the contents through the outside.

The emerald gaze shifted up to Natsuki who had inquired about the situation moments prior, he bit his lip in a fashion no different then he had done back on his mission in Hamaguri; he was extremely conflicted about what to do, either way he would have to go and find out what was happening, but what would he do with Natsuki. If there was an attack on Kiri there was no guarentee that this place wouldn’t become a battlefield and he would not be able to protect her, but then he could also be leading her right into danger, or it may not even be anything like that. Either way it was still his duty to protect her, a mission given to him and him alone, something he wanted to do.

With steady steps, he would cross the gap between himself and the young woman he had rescued from her father. They stood no more than a foot apart when he placed a hand on her shoulder and looked down at her with a very serious gaze, “Do you trust me?” were the first words to escape his lips, but he would not wait for a response before continuing on, “If you do then please come with me, I am not sure what is going on but I have been put on duty and called back to Kirigakure. I do not want to leave you here out of my sight, It is my mission and my will to protect you and I will not fail to do so.” With his final word he turned and moved back to the door, pausing at the door only for a moment to speak, “Stay as close to me as possible.”

Exiting the house he stood out on the beach front and unraveled the scroll that had been handed to him, he was no longer within his house so he could afford to open it and take a look at it‘s contents, but he did not move from his spot as he wanted to make sure that Natsuki was safe and with him before he moved on. When she got there, they would have to move fast as he was given a time limit of five minutes before people would come for him… that was the strangest part of all this, why would Uchiha be after him.

[Natsuki Kikkawa]

Danger. Though not what she suspected, something bad must have happened. She could only stand and watch, almost frozen in fear as Toshizo approached her. His arm rested in her shoulder and her silver irises looked up into his own. He asked if she trusted him but did not give her the chance to respond before continuing to speak. "Why would Mizukage-sama ask for TOshi-san to return...it must be urgent.", her mind was beginning to race but his words snapped her back to reality. Her legs were no longer frozen and she quickly moved to his side, following him as he exited the house. They'd proceed to walk out to the beach infront where he began to unravel a scroll. Once the scroll was out he paused, carefully examining it's contents. She was a little behind but as soon as she got him it would seem like Toshizo was on the move again and rather quickly at that.

She'd attempt to read the contents of the scroll with him but ultimately most parts of the scroll would be blurred or difficult to read from her position.

"You've been activated."

Reading this scroll means that you've accepted to aid your village from the threat that has been growing from within our own walls. A secret investigation has been done on Hachidaime Mizukage, revealing that her rule is largely corrupt. It begins with a specialized force within ANBU known as Sector Seven. This squad has been established with Missing Ninja largely prevalent in it's folds. This group has been the reason why many Uchiha have migrated to Kirigakure. Whilst many are innocent, there are a few whom have alterior motives for their people. We've found evidence pertaining to the Mizukage's involvement in plans for Uchiha to take over Kirigakure, moulding the village to their own plans. She is currently a wanted criminal and her followers are already moving to make sure they cover their tracks by eliminating those who wish to resist the ruling of Uchiha.

Once you're within the capital you will meet with the special task force whom have investigated the matter. There you shall see the proof for yourself and how it involves you directly.

[Hana~Kyo]

The more the ANBU read down the scroll, the greater his disbelief grew. With every sentence he read his hazel eyes grew wider, his heart beat accelerated, he just couldn’t believe what he was reading. ‘The Mizukage… corrupt?’ it was the only thought that inhabited his mind at the time, the only thing he could think about. When he had completed reading the scroll his arm fell limp at his side, the scroll slipping from his fingers and falling to the ground; his entire body felt weak as he dropped down to his knees, his head tilted down and his vision fixed on the ground in front of him.

Everything he had done so far, his entire life had been lived for the village, for the Kage. It threw into question everything he had ever done, for how long had the Kage been corrupt? He began to wonder if everything he had ever done was all just aiding her in her corruption, his blind faith betrayed. He fell forward, his head banging against the earth, hands grasping the tightly at the sides of his head. He had been used, he began to think that every thing he had ever done so far in his life had been aiding the very thing that he had devoted himself to stopping.

Even still, the Kage aided him in rescuing Natsuki from her village; something he was grateful beyond words for. Why would a traitor allow such things, why would a traitor care about the safety of the people in the land of mist. Slowly his emotions changed, he was still immensely confused but that no longer mattered. He rose from his hunched over position on the ground, it was look only Natsuki had seen before. Unspeakable anger swelled inside him, this was not just a betrayal against the village but him personally, the person he had trusted with the safety of that which he cared for was nothing but a liar.

Once again on his feet, he stared off in the direction of the capitol with an intense fury, through gritted teeth he would speak but two words, “Let’s go….” with undying conviction he continued his path to the capitol leaving the scroll behind him on the ground, he would find the truth of these accusations and if they were as stated… he would bring an end to the Kage himself.

|Exit|

[Natsuki Kikkawa]

Whilst Toshizo's mind was filled with questions and disbelief, Natsuki remained largely in the dark about such. He was so lost in thought that he stood there, looking to the ground. His hands releasing his grip on the scroll which caused Natsuki to worry. She leaned down in order to pick it up for him, reading it's contents carefully before he spoke once more. Two simple words which she only nodded to, following him as quickly as she could. It would seem they had a direction to go to, a specific destination which only Toshi knew at the moment. As for Natsuki, she'd wrap the scroll up and place it away for now.

|Exit|