Northwestern Gate

A freaky looking shinobi with a gourd on his back flagged Konami and then approached. He said the village was still under lockdown and that Masuyo was unavailable. The blonde retrieved a pair of scrolls and handed it to Hiroshi. There was no use arguing with him about letting her in the village. Konami guessed something else may have happened in between her departure and her arrival if the village was still on lockdown. She was also curious as to whether or not Konoha was any closer to finding the Hokage and those responsible for his disappearance.


"My sister and I fought Akeno Tatsuda, a former Jounin of this village. She was in the process of assaulting Iwagakure and Gin Akiyama was called elsewhere to deal with another situation. We tried to beat her but unfortunately we lost. She let us live but gave us these scrolls to deliver to the Hokage"

Konami guessed that either Masuyo had officially taken the title at this point or the village was still in the hands of the council. Either way, they'd want to read the message before taking further actions.

"I can wait in Tanzaku Town but I do think its quite important I speak to Masuyo before she takes action against Akeno"

Six hooded figures donned in ANBU masks would hop over the meeting below and land on the dirt road to the other side outside the village. They would make haste to the Land of Earth and lock down the Great Chang Mountains until further reinforcements arrived.

[Exit -> Senju Forest -> Kyoto Meadows -> Great Chang Mountains | 36 hrs - 2 hrs (dirt roads) - 1 hr (bridge) - 12 hrs (fast-travel Land of Grass) = 21 hrs]

NPC groups:

After receiving the scrolls from the blonde, he listened to the situation and his eyes had widened when he heard about Iwagakure being taken over, especially to a previous Jounin of the Leaf. He thought about opening the contents of the scroll, but decided against it and thought it would be best to deliver them to Masuyo. For now, he would shake his head in her request of wanting to talk to Masuyo. "Not at the moment, but I'll make sure these scrolls are delivered to her. I'll mention your effort in this situation but for now, just wait at Tanzuku Town until further instructions are given."

Hiroshi quickly walked back into the village, trying to ask the nearby guards of the location of Masuyo just to be told that she's at the other gates, which possibly meant that she was about to head off somewhere... with that bit of information told, Hiroshi didn't waste any time in delivering the scrolls, sand came out of his gourd and became a flying platform, to which Hirosh jumped on and he started to fly towards the other gates, trying to there as fast as he can.

(Exit --> Southwestern Gate)

The Kazehana took the scrolls but denied a meeting with Masuyo which annoyed Konami. She had risked her and her sister's life in defense of Konoha's interests but yet they still were not permitted entry into the village. Once Masuyo knew the full extent of the situation, she'd probably want to deal with the situation herself. Gin was off on another mission and the twins had not secured Iwa, every day that Akeno held the village would be a mark against the Hidden Leaf. The Twins nodded and allowed Hiroshi to take the scrolls, then they'd head to Tanzaku Town as requested.

Exit to Tanzaku Town

A squad of three cloaked ANBU would leave the gates after receiving message from Masuyo to patrol some of the lands to prevent a person of interest from influencing other parts of the land.

[Exit -> Senju Forest -> River Valley | 24 hrs - 2 hrs (dirt roads) - 1 hr (bridge) = 21 hrs]

ANBU:

Mission Details:

A warm breeze flows through the Land of Fire, and Konohagakure succumbs to the embrace of wind. Rin sat under the shade of the towering gates with his dark hair swaying in the breeze. His crimson eyes looking up nonchalantly at the fluffy white clouds gradually drifting along the sky. His mind was filled with questions, and the bijuu inside does not provide answers aside from snarls and glares. The village was somewhat bustling with activity as locals and shinobi alike made their way with purpose. More often than not it is because of their jobs, but some people appear to be shopping for groceries before the heat really starts picking up.

Rin is a 5'7" teen with an athletic build as the muscles along his body are defined. Garbed on his person is a short sleeved deep green shirt with a Chunin flak jacket. Underneath said jacket and shirt is a titanium mesh shirt. Protecting from the back of his hands all the way to his elbows is a pair of steel guards. Clipped around his waist is a utility belt that holds his hip pouch and a single knife that has a blade shaped like a talon at his right flank. Rin also wears baggy navy blue pants with a matching holster held by a white cloth on each thigh. The holster on his right holds 3 Kunai, and the left holster contains one knife that has a handle made of Senju wood wrapped in leather. Placed over ankles to just below the knees is a pair of leather shin guards. Feet covered by a pair of leather sandals, and finally Rin's headband is wrapped around his forehead with the Konohagakure steel plate facing forward.

A sigh escaped from his lips as Rin waited for the new Genin, Taiga Amari, to arrive at the gates. Supposedly Rin needed to start teaching at least one of the fresh Genin on being a Shinobi. Despite Rin's rank as Chunin since most people of his rank doesn't teach people normally. Still it wasn't a big deal for Rin since he views it as helping his fellow shinobi to become better and more reliable. He was given the task to go on a mission with Taiga, and thus Rin chose a simple mission of dealing with a pack of boars. He just hopes that this Genin at least comes prepared for the trip, unlike the last one who came with literally no tools or supplies. Set beside his foot is a bag full of supplies from food, clothes, and hygiene products. Stuff that's practical and easy to carry.

Itaken approached the gate slowly, his feet pretty much dragging on the ground he was so slow. It had only been a couple days since his triumph over the previous Senju clan head, a feat that had taken much of his remaining strength from him. Over the course of his personal mission he had neglected to really eat or exercise the way he should. Mostly he had just trained his body's ability to take abuse to an absurd level, one almost unheard of among people who didn't use a technique to enhance their body. Now he was tired, his body emaciated to look as if he was near starvation. His ribs showed, his muscles were leaner than usual, and his face was more drawn and hollow than usual. Despite that appearance, Itaken was a man among men. He could take abuse without it fazing him, brushing off attacks every other person living would consider potentially fatal without a means of protection that was not their own flesh.

He had on no shirt, preferring to feel the sun on his back since he had spent so long in horrible conditions. It felt good and he cared little for the looks of pity and horror people gave him as he passed them. One could tell he used to be in near perfect physical condition, but that would take time to get to again. A Konoha headband was tied around his forehead, keeping his surprisingly healthy locks of hair in line. Navy blue pants that used to fit his form well hung loose, a sash tied tightly around his waist to keep them from falling. They were ripped off just below the knees, giving him a rough look. His spiked gauntlets were on his hands, seeming slightly too large for a form that was as malnourished as his was. His body had been so busy healing the damage caused from the terrible conditions he put himself through that it had neglected to keep his weight on his bones, a sacrifice he was willing to make. This was the result of his focus, and it was a consequence he could fix. He wore no sandals either, making his appearance rather bland when compared to many of his peers.

The Unbroken got to the gates and rested his back against the wall near the entrance to the village, waiting for his team members for the mission. His manner of coming home had caused the village to want to use him immediately, though his appearance made them reluctant to put him in the field alone for fear he would die on them. It was preposterous of course, there was nothing that could kill him. Itaken folded his arms across his shallow chest, patient as a stone. He had been matched with an Uchiha jonin and an Uchiha genin apparently. For a group of bandits, two jonin and a genin from renowned clans was overkill with a peanut gallery in his mind. But, he didn't make the decisions. He just followed orders. Once they got there, Itaken would greet them with each with the same greeting. Too bad he was socially awkward.

"Itaken Senju."

That was it. No fancy "how are you's" and "You ready to kill some bandits". Just his name and a nod. Once the two had arrived, Itaken would head out with the two of them. Hopefully they didn't go too fast, his legs just weren't working like they were supposed to it seemed.




[exit]

Kimiko approached the gate, her hands shoved into the pockets of her flak jacket. She wore the jacket over her hoodie, so that the sleeves which only went to her elbows stuck out. Under that was the usual long sleeve black shirt of Konoha's military. Other than a pair of shorts, her legs were bare, until down to her boots, which were a pair of plain black combat boots, well worn and scuffed.

Her bangs covered one of her eyes, while her headband hanged loosely on her neck. She was a pretty young girl, but quite capable, something notable given her age. It appeared that the Uchiha clan had no shortage of talent, for sure. Lately it had been cropping up immensely. Rin Uchiha was the new Jinchuuriki of the 9 tailed fox, certainly no small accomplishment. Akihiro had become the new clan leader, and at such a young age as well, a couple of years younger than Kimiko was. Their previous clan head, of course, Satomi Uchiha, who had also been the hokage. The first hokage, Kazuya Uchiha as well.

She had been recently promoted to the rank of Jounin, but hadn't really done a mission since her promotion. It didn't seem to her that the mission they were going on was quite necessitating two Jounin and a genin, but she didn't really mind. Another Uchiha and a Senju going on a mission together was probably some sort of clan bonding exercise.

She'd heard rumors of the new Senju clan head. The name itself was enough to give her that. Kimiko smiled as he introduced himself, offering her own name. "Kimiko Uchiha."

They waited for the genin to join them, and once he did, they would set out. She was actually quite excited about being on her first mission as a Jounin. "I hope we have some good fun. Missions when I was a chuunin were kinda boring for the most part."

-exit-

A time much later than the boar mission, Rin approached the gates of northwest with his bag of supplies over his shoulders and a bow of platinum snug diagonal on his back. A quiver of arrows can be seen on his belt of the left flank. Along with his karambit secured with his hip pouch of tools at his right flank. On each thigh is a navy blue holster. The right holster holds three Kunai, and the left holster contains a single knife of Senju wood as a hilt. Armored over his arms, chest in terms of flak jacket and titanium mesh shirt, and the shins of leather guards. His headband wrapped around his forehead with the steel plate facing forward.

Rin was on a mission to hunt after a certain dragon. It has been months since they received the mission, and no one else has taken it up. So Rin makes sure to take care of this as soon as possible. While he did sign himself out for the purpose of a mission that shouldn't take him more than a month. Rin sets out for the Land of Grass.

[Exit -> Land of Grass (24hr)]

Kimiko had rushed on ahead of Itaken to get home. She didn't really want to travel back from her mission at his pace and there was a comet she had to catch with some of the other Uchiha clan members.

Signing in with another completed mission under her belt, Kimiko provided everything she would need to enter the village, heading to the administration building, so she could fill out her mission report. From there, she'd need to head to her home so that she could get prepared for the night that Hagoromo's Comet would arrive.

-Enter Konoha-

Mission Details:

If there's one important aspect to being a ninja, it's to keep appearances. Kureji would like nothing more than to only do things that benefit him, but he had to show some form of activity every now and then as a Genin and this is one of those days. He wore the headband in the expected way and wore it around his forehead, wearing a skin-tight black shirt with long sleeves being covered by a dark-olive green jacket that's open. He wears long, comfortable pants that match with his shirt and lastly, he wears the typical blue sandals every Genin wear. He isn't a fan of this appearance, and would prefer something a bit more formal for any occasion but he did have to look like he takes his job of a shinobi seriously, after all.

It didn't take long for Kureji to arrive to the gates, he arrived precisely on time, not early or late, on time. It seems this even got a reaction from Hibiki, the man who's teaching Kureji guard duty today as he took a quick look at the time. He still remained seated at his desk however, looking around. It took a split second for Kureji to be confused, just to realize it's as if he was looking for someone else. Kureji remembered he was assigned a partner for this mission, to which he'd prefer to work alone on this one but regardless, he could wait patiently and he'd imagine whoever his partner is isn't too far behind considering the time.

Taiga waited against the wall next to the desk office where she would be working today. She expected help with her job, as most duties in her field did. Genin shared a lot of the missions so they could get used to teamwork. Taiga preferred not teaming with a sensei and working with randoms on occasion. It gave her a feel of the real ninja world, as she wouldn't always have familiar faces to work with. Taiga saw a younger man veer off the main road and towards the office, opening the door as he passed through. He looked young enough to assume he was the Genin she were to work with. Pushing herself off the wall she would follow a small dirt trail around the office and into the door shortly behind Kureji.

"Hello. Are you my partner for today?"

She gave a quick once over his appearance. He seemed average with no remarkable features about him. But he was a Genin like her, after all. There wasn't a lot to expect. Taiga carried the majority of her ninja tools. She carried two pouches and two holsters on her belt with most of her weapons in those. A steel tanto on the front of her belt and her staff across her back on a sling. On her right hand she wore two kakute on her middle and index finger with the spikes facing inwards. Under her shirt she also wore her mail shirt as protection. She hoped things didn't get dirty at the gates, but it never hurt to be prepared. She chose the staff as her primary weapon since it was less lethal than her other weapons. It also gave her a nice reach advantage.

As soon as Taiga came into his sight, he inspected her a bit, as if he was studying her features carefully. "Clanless? must be. She has no features associated with those of the clans in this village." he thought, one benefit to being a Genin however is the chance to build a relationship with those that have kekkei genkai, to see how they work in person. But regardless, that's a chance he'll have later on and not one he's rushing to do. After appearing emotionless and unresponsive for a few seconds in the real time, he finally replied back to the girls question. "Kureji Toukei, let's get this over with." D-Rank missions tend to be tasteless and a waste of time, but it's something he has to do as a shinobi.

Hibiki had noted the introductions given to each other, giving a look to Kureji at his rather cold introduction but decided to move past it, finally standing up from his desk with a heavy sigh and moved on over. "Kureji and... Taiga, if I'm correct?" he asked as if he was making sure he got their names right. "Okay, you just have to do a bit of simple guard duty. I'll be there to make sure it goes along smoothly, so don't get nervous. It's pretty standard stuff, we have a book of records to check whether or not a visitor is allowed to enter our village. It used to be pretty lax and people we know who are apart of Konohagakure's military wouldn't usually need an ID check, but with what's going on in the world... administration has been stricter and we have to check the ID of everyone, regardless of who they are and if they're not apart of Konohagakure, the reason for their visit." Kureji had assumed it was something along those lines, but Hibiki took a pause for both of them to absorb in what was told before he continued.

"The procedure we follow is getting the visitors full name, their citizenship, the reason for them entering and the expected duration. We follow this format for people leaving or entering the village, just take a seat at the desk and they'll line up. Thankfully it's not too busy today, but that doesn't mean you can slack off." Kureji felt indifferent to the explanations, sitting down on a chair near the desk, which is underneath a large built stall near the gates. If anybody were to pass through the gates, they'll make their way towards the stall and the two genin would have their chance to check the visitors identification.

Taiga moved her feet quickly to cut off Kureji as he turned the other way to recenter herself in his view.

"You don't have to be so rude about it." She stayed there, not moving but maintaining solid eye contract as her amber eyes beamed into his soul.

She did not look angry nor sad, but determined. She was fixed on getting a proper greeting from the boy. He didn't even answer her question if he was her partner on the mission. For all she knew he was here for an entirely different mission. All she got was his name, which wasn't enough. Taiga was determined to do her job right and this required full cooperation with all of her allies. If Kureji was giving a negative vibe she couldn't rely on him. She needed to get on even footing with him before she could comfortably proceed with the mission.

Kureji found it to be a complete waste of time of whatever Taiga is trying to pull, it only incited a very judging look back towards her determined gaze. He simply didn't have the patience nor reason to argue with her otherwise, giving an annoyed sigh. "Kureji... Toukei. I am your partner for this mission. I hope we can work together and get this job over and done with. Please let me through." that was probably the best she's getting from Kureji and assuming she'd accept it, he would go through the door and the business with Hibki would proceed as planned, he would've found their little staredown a bit awkward but otherwise, they still had a job to do in the end.

He took his seat, simply keeping to himself. If she got offended over such a light sentence, she's the sort of person he'd rather not interact with at all. He wouldn't think further on that however as a man came by, black hair with a ponytail, a light stubble, one could tell he's at least in his 30's. He looked slightly suspicious in Kureji's eyes. "Name, ID, reason for entering." Kureji asked the man, who gave Kureji his ID which clearly stated he's a citizen of Konohagakure. "Coming back from a long trip, so I'm a little tired." the man said, Kureji gave the ID back to the man and gave a nod. "You're free to pass." and with that, the man continued on, a nice and simple job.

Taiga made her partner give a much more appropriate introduction. He had some nerve and it gave her a feeling this wouldn't be the first incident. She may have to resort to more drastic measures if his behavior consisted. But for now, she will play ball. Stepping aside she would let the boy continue through. He seemed like a delinquent. The kind of ninja whose motivations were purely out of lust for power, wealth, or violence. That was unfortunately some ninja, being largely mercenaries for personal gain. It wasn't often Taiga would come across somebody with admirable traits. A man wholesome with depth and desire for fulfillment. Kureji impatiently took a seat at the desk. Taiga, who also shared the same desire to be comfortable, would take the neighboring seat.

She was a bit curious how the entire process happened. She never left the village herself so it would be the first time she got this close to the gates. From beyond the heavy doors she saw the mostly untamed forests which flooded the land in color, concealment, and timber. Just seeing the open forests from the inside of the village made her feel protected and cozier in the village walls. It was something easy to take for granted. How tall walls, paved roads, and close-nit buildings was what separated a safe environment to the wild outdoors. Taiga quickly snapped herself out of her daze to focus on her work. It was not like her to lose focus so easily. She'd inspect the man and listen to his dialogue to see if she could pick up anything sketchy. But to her first impressions, he was just a regular guy returning from duty.

Just as Kureji wrapped it up with the guy who went on ahead, another one passed through. A woman, dressed casually with a flowery pattern outfit and a straw hat as if she'd got back from a picnic, further evidenced by the typical wooden basket used for one which she's carrying. She tried to walk on ahead but Kureji yelled out to her. "Excuse me!" to which shook the woman for a second, seeing Kureji and walked on over. She seemed confused at first but her eyes lit up as if she figured it out. "Oh... Genin, huh? that explains it. Hibiki usually lets me pass without much wor-" to which Hibiki quickly stepped in with a nervous laugh, cutting her off. "Hey Miriam! sorry about that, kids are new to the job. You can go on through."

As soon as the woman started to walk off, Kureji made eyes at Hibiki, seemingly taking offence at something he said. "I'm not a kid." to which Hibiki was a bit taken, but replied by saying. "Are you under eighteen?" to which Kureji didn't even respond to. "Then you're a kid in the villages eyes. Don't take it personal, I'm sure you'll be a full grown man doing gate duty in a few years time, kid." Kureji knew that it shouldn't of been a big deal, but the way Hibiki worded his responses got to him. He's a little pissed and he's more so internally burning up, but he knew to keep it under check. He turned to Taiga, saying "Next one's your turn, I've already done two."

Taiga sat around bored and unmotivated. Was this really a Chuunin-grade mission? Inspecting documents and letting people through the gates? She was not a fan of fighting but expected Chuunin to do stuff requiring a bit more skill. But finally there was some action. A woman thought she could bypass security! Kureji called her out as Taiga got a head start in attempting to intercept her. She left the booth and circled around the other side standing in the girl's way. She managed to wield her wooden staff during her transition holding it at her side. She didn't want to come off as threatening but she had her stick ready just in case she needed it. The woman spoke in a condescending tone which motivated Taiga to give her a quick knock on the head to remind her who was actually a ninja. Her name was Miriam, which was shared by their supervisor giving her the pass.

But Taiga wasn't going to let that happen.

"I don't care. For all we know she could be a ninja transformed to look like her. Or even worse, she could be a spy and Hibiki be her 'inside guy' giving her free passes. As long as I am here, you and everybody will follow the rules as normal."

Whatever the case was, Taiga was not going to let the girl through without follow the rules. If she tried to weasel her way out Taiga was not to hesitate on giving her a corrective whack to the side of her knee using her staff.

As expected, Miriam didn't take to the Genin's attitude very well. Hibiki had to quickly step in but before he could resolve the matter, she dug through her basket for a few seconds and when she finally grabbed something out, it looked like identification. If Taiga took it and read it, it'd clearly state her identity, with the most important detail being that she's apart of Konohagakure. "Hey hey now... let's all calm down. I'm sorry about that Miriam." if Taiga is okay with it, Miriam would pass through, otherwise Hibiki might have to scold Taiga.

Meanwhile, Kureji simply witnessed the entire thing happening from the booth. He felt like it was unusual for anybody to get a free pass like that at all, agreeing with Taiga to that extent but with how she's treating the citizen, she might be overdoing it a bit... regardless, this at least brightened up Kureji's day a bit, watching the whole drama unfold.

Miriam showed her identification card, as she should have done before entering the gates. Taiga took the card and examined it closely using the best her natural perception could offered to try and see through any illusions. Scratching her thumb against the surface she ensured it was real and not a fake. Handing the card back to Miriam she stepped aside.

"Make sure you show your card every time."

Hibiki stepped in to try and apologize for Miriam for whatever reason. Taiga turned herself around and started walking back towards Kureji.

"I'm sorry you think she deserves an apology, Hibiki."

Taiga found it somewhat pathetic how this man was willing to bypass gate protocol to keep a girl happy. All it took was an enemy observing this bad routine and easily slip through the village's primary defense. She dared Hibiki to try and scold her for her behavior. Taiga wondered if she could even get him fired for his negligence. But she wouldn't fret on it. Unless he tried to overstep his bounds as a "mentor." Standing next to Kureji she turned her head to face him with the same stone facial expression she always wore.

"What were you saying again?" Taiga vaguely recalled a small blurb coming from his piehole about her not doing enough work.

Kureji got a bit of a chuckle with how assertive Taiga got with Miriam, regarding the whole card thing. He shouldn't be finding it funny, but he did. Hibiki looked none too pleased and as soon as she sat down to shove the "work" she did into Kureji's face, his little grin turned back into his cold, calculating face once more. Before he could even be given a chance to reply back to her however, Hibiki went back, his face clearly conflicted of emotions. He didn't know whether to scold or let her pass, but after a few seconds of silence, he finally made up his mind.

"You two can head off, I think you've uh... done enough work for today." a bit weak in the voice, even Kureji could see that he essentially got humiliated by the Genin. An interesting sight, one that Kureji liked, but he took what Hibiki was saying and sat up from the desk... well, it didn't take very long and he honestly expected it to last a lot longer, but if he still got paid and this counted as a completed mission, he could live with it.

If goodbyes were to be said, he'd give one to Taiga and Hibiki and simply head off, he'd collect his ryo later on and head straight on home.

(Exit)

Taiga shrugged regarding Hibiki's response. She was getting paid regardless, so she didn't mind it much. Whether she got in trouble or not determined whether or not she told the administration what Hibiki was doing at the gates, being so careless with his gate guard duty. She took his nervousness as compliment. Maybe she was what he needed to keep him in check. A lot of people got too comfortable in their positions. This could jeopardize the village's safety. Storing her staff back on her back she'd split ways with Kureji, unhappy with how he treated her that day. Perhaps things would get better. But she didn't hold her breath.

[Exit]

Zenaku walked up to the main gates that allowed people to enter or exit the village, he wanted to get some training in but he wished to go out side the village to do so. As he approached the gates he was stopped by a guard. " hey you leaving the village, if so I must ask why." The man said and zenaku could understand he was only doing his job. " yeah I wish to do some training out side the village, I shall not be gone long I would hate to be caught up in this storm. " zenaku would say as he placed his hands in to his pockets. " sure go ahead, just make sure to be back in the gates by nightfall." Nodding his head he exited the village.

[Exited]

(Interrupting Exit, given permission by Akihiro to use the NPC.)

Despite what the guard said, another one of the guard had a closer look at the exchange given at the gates. As soon as what appeared to be a pass given by the guard, a second one stepped in and went right in-front of the Genin. He crossed his arms and had a stern demeanor, clearly intent with not letting the genin pass through the gates.

"No, you are not allowed to pass." the guard stated, "Gate Protocol dictates that a Genin must be accompanied by a chuunin or higher rank in order to leave the village. If you want to do training, there are the training grounds but without proper reason or authorization, you are not allowed to leave the village." the guard wasn't planning to move, and if the Genin were to move along or ignore what the guard just stated, he has the full authority to non-lethally take him out.

Guard NPC: