Northwestern Gate

Zenaku was about to cross the line which would allow him to leave the village but just then another guard walked in front of him as he had his arms crossed. The guard told him that he was not allowed to leave unless he was with a chunin or higher. " really I did not know that, damn I guess I shall head back." Sense he could not leave he would go to the training ground.

Exited. Headed back to the village

Kimiko Uchiha, a Jounin of Konohagakure, and thus much safer than a lone genin, approached the gates, Identification in hand to sign herself out of the village for a bit. She had some training to get done, but the types of jutsu ahe was going to be working on weren't precisely conducive to a safe environment when used inside the village. She would have to find a massive clearing of some sort to work on them.

It was with that goal in mind that the Jounin left the village, after explaining what she was doing and that she only planned to be gone for a few days at most. She was fully capable of fending for herself, and didn't need any supplies besides her ID, Headband, and flak jacket.

The gate guards, having no reason to stop a Jounin from leaving on a training excursion, let Kimiko pass without any issues, and she was off on her way to go find a safe space to practice her high level Katon jutsu without causing potential devastation to the village in the process.

[Exit Konoha]

Leading "Raijin" back to the village, although from behind him so he couldn't pull anything, Kimiko's hands were already prepared to use the Shadow Clone Jutsu, although she did this behind her back, just in case he tried anything. Overwhelming numbers was an easy enough way to take someone down, after all. Still, "Raijin" wanted money, and if he tried anything stupid, he wouldn't be getting any of it, so Kimiko hedged a bet on this that, at least for now, things wouldn't have to escalate at all, and perhaps they'd gain an informant in the Society.

Their walk wasn't exactly quiet, as Kimiko was a very inquisitive girl and liked to talk. Questions were thrown out, and whether they were answered or not, it didn't really matter. Kimiko passed her time by talking and thinking. She didn't know a whole lot personally, but that's why she was inquisitive, since she wanted to know more about pretty much everything. "So, why did you decide to want to become an informant? Not loyal to your group? Are you loyal to anyone, I mean you left Kumo after all, so you weren't loyal to them."

The way she asked questions sort of strung together, as she rarely asked only a single question at a time. Kimiko's overactive mind tended to pump a bunch of questions out all at once, before she really even had a chance to receive an answer to any of them in the first place, and usually by then, she was already onto another question that she wanted to know the answer to. This was just the latest in a list of questions that she'd asked the "rogue" on their way to the village.

"And like, what's it like? Being a rogue? Can't imagine its a fun life. Sure, you get to do whatever you want, but you're always being hunted, you know? And that's not really particularly fun, lotta anxiety. Is that why you want out of the life? Tired of being hunted? Rethinking your decisions after you almost died at the Prison?"

Kimiko wasn't the most subtle either. She threw in verbal jabs at him everytime she could. It's just how she was. She didn't really like him, and thought it was pretty funny, even if she had no clue that this wasn't even the real Raijin.

They were a bit away from the village at this point, half a kilometer or so. Kimiko took a moment to make a clone that rushed off ahead of them to inform the gate guard that she was with a non hostile "Raijin" at the moment, but not to let their guards down. She kept "Raijin" going at walking pace most of the time, just to annoy him more, since he seemed to want to find Konoha in a bit of a hurry.

-Used Shadow Clone jutsu, 1 clone-

At first Shimiko was amused by Kimiko's endless and needling questions. Outwardly she scowled and grunted whenever Kimiko asked a pointed question but inwardly she giggled. Unfortunately, Kimiko didn't stop there and she kept on bothering the disguised ANBU. It didn't take long for her passive amusement to turn into genuine annoyance. She knew it wasn't good policy to answer these questions. She'd need to invent more lies that she'd need to keep track of later. Keeping track of lies wasn't in of itself difficult, but they would box her in later. She had no intention of being boxed in as a result of idle questions and chatter. Having to put up with this jabber was getting on her last nerve though and by the time they had finally arrived she was a hair away from decking the Uchiha.

The sulking silence and expressions of irritation had reached their boiling point. When they finally arrived at the gates, Shimiko-Raijin resisted the urge to turn on Kimiko and cuss her out. She didn't like cursing herself but since she was "Raijin" today a few swear words would be more than okay. Unfortunately, she still needed to get to the Raikage's Office and if she acted up then Kimiko would only aggravate her further.

"......."

Is she seriously slow walking us on purpose? What a colossal bitch!

After a while, they arrived at the gates, with Kimiko's clone having given them a heads up way ahead of time. Raijin hadn't spoken, clearly annoyed with Kimiko's own rambling, and she wasn't put off by that in the slightest. "Well then, here we are." She said, and was once again ready to fight depending on what Raijin did, her clone up ahead with the guards who were present.

Having gotten a prepared meeting, in addition to the usual guards at the gate, there were 2 A rank ANBU groups that arrived on scene, dispatched from the Defense Coordination Center, with word having been brought to the Hokage's office to inform him about Kimiko's 'discovery'. The nation didn't commit their entire forces to the main gates, in case it was a ruse to pull out dedicated troops from elsewhere and create openings on their watch. Raijin was worth being watched, but with the amount of shinobi around and Kimiko's presence, as well as whoever the Hokage decided to bring with her as guards, they should be more than enough for a trap.

Kimiko looked at the group, her clone with them and nodded, the clone nodding as well. "Someone should be retrieving the Hokage and he can decide what happens from here, but for now, you can wait outside the gates, until we get the say so to let you in from the top. Shouldn't take long, I sent word ahead, obviously, speed up the process, ya know?"

She had stopped being as much of a pest the last stretch, and was back in business mode.

A scout from Kumo had arrived not even ten minutes ago to the Hokage's Office to inform Neko-Sama of the arrival of two kunoichi seeking an audience. Playing it smart it sent a Clay Clone to meet them and hopefully have a peaceful conversation with the two that could be profitable for everyone.

Upon seeing the kunoichi, they'd see a black cat wearing a Kage's outfit, stroll up to them, "Greetings, I'm Neko-Sama, the current Hokage. I hear that you're hear seeking an audience, would you like to speak at my resort in a secure, private suite? Or would you rather speak in my office?"

Neko-Sama gave the gate guards a signal with it's paws to show them to relax and a slight nod to get them to stand back. Hopefully this wasn't a poorly set up attack on an apparently weak Kage, but it wouldn't do to have it's men within the blast range if things went south.

"Raijin" had finally arrived at the gates of Konohagakure no Sato and was greeted by a sizeable contingent of shinobi. He smirke and put on an air of self-importance. Despite Kimiko's insults he was still a big enough threat to warrant a militarized welcome wagon. Kimiko had dropped her annoying act and transitioned back into her role as Jounin Commander. At this point, Shimiko was more like to believe she was in fact the Jounin Commander as shinobi appeared to be operating under her command. Shimiko-Raijin nodded at what Kimiko said and merely jammed his hands in his pockets. He was hoping that he would be able to gain access to the village but it appeared Konoha was far smarter and more careful than that. He busied himself with staring down the guards and trying to look intimidating.

A cat prowled onto the scene and for a moment "Raijin" blinked and worried that he was under the influence of Genjutsu. The cat was wearing Kage robes and was acting as though it had authority over the situation. The creature spoke up and "Raijin" was speechless for a moment.

No. Fucking. Way.

"I thought Neko-sama was just a nickname. This village is full of surprises."

Shimiko analyzed the body language of the guards and everyone else in the area. She came to the conclusion that this was in fact the Hokage. Apparently the Kage was either some kind of magical creature, a summon, or a shinobi that really like the Transformation Jutsu. Whatever the case, this wasn't a trap or an illusion. If he continued to stand there gawking he'd look like a fool and thus Shimiko decided to play it cool and just go with the flow.

"You have your own resort?" he asked. "Let's go there. Its a fitting place to discuss business"

Shimiko wasn't the type of gal to pass up a chance to visit a resort. If Neko-sama concurred he'd follow the cat into the village.


Exit into Konoha.

Word had spread quickly of the terrorist's arrival. As a Jounin, and as someone who was given asylum here, Seigi felt personally responsible to make sure he was there in case he was needed.

Racing across rooftops, not far from where the gate was already, Seigi slid to a halt, jumping into an alley and exiting into the bustling, quickly arriving at the Northwestern Gate. By the time he got there, both the Kage and the groups of ANBU had arrived, the Kage speaking to Raijin just outside the gates. It seemed as if they had the situation under control, which gave Seigi slight relief. The last thing they needed was someone entering the village and doing something terrible like destroying a market place or holding Konoha kunoichi hostage. Seigi made himself visible, but not in the way of the group, taking note of everyone involved, just for his own referencing. Resting his arm on his belt, he watched silently from his position in front of a small shop facing the gate, 50 meters into the village.

"It's about time something interesting happened." Seigi would remark under his breath, chuckling to himself now that he felt a little bit more comfortable in the situation.

The Hokage seemed to be more or less comfortable with the idea of Raijin entering the village, so Kimiko relaxed a little bit on her issues. She dismissed her clone, and followed along with Raijin and Neko Sama. She wasnt about to leave the Hokage undefended unless she was dismissed.

At this point, she didnt really care that much if she was discovered to not be the Jounin commander, having lied to Raijin earlier, since she was still a Jounin, and was with the Hokage as it was, so between the two of them, a fight with the rogue would be over quickly enough. In the wild, she was more prone to lie to protect herself, but at home, there was no need to.

She saw the presence of another Jounin not too far away, her Sharigan still active, but she made no attempt to acknowledge him, as she didn't want to draw attention to him just yet. Perhaps she should though. Raijin needed to know he was surrounded by Jounin and shinobi everywhere in the village.

All the same, she still said nothing and walked along with them.
-exit?-

At Raijin's shock Neko-Sama gave a grin that was more fitting for a cat that had just found a particularly fun mouse to play with, "A logical deduction to make, it seems my reputation from Iwa truly hasn't proceeded me. Interesting."

Giving a small polite nod, Neko-Sama's grin turned a touch less playful, and more courteous, "Nonetheless, I'm always interested in good business, as long as you don't cause too much of a ruckus, and take your time to enjoy the finer parts of our villiage. I'm sure we can help each other with whatever you came here to propose."

After Raijin's choice, Neko-Sama purred contentedly, "A fine choice. I'm sure our five star amenities will be pleasantly accomidating to your tastes. Follow me."

//exit.

Neko-sama was a reasonable Kage. Shimiko liked reasonable Kage. If all went smoothly then she was certain she'd have a reliable ally in the fight against the Society. The disguised ANBU nodded and smiled before following the cat through the gates. She could see that more and more Jounin were arriving. It was a logical response given that she was pretending to be a major terrorist. Maybe the real Raijin wasn't even worth all this trouble, but she couldn't blame Konoha for being too cautious. As she scanned the crowd of Jounin, one in particular caught her eye. Shimiko's impeccable eyesight was naturally drawn to the familiar face and when she recognized who it belonged to she stopped dead in her tracks.


...

She looked again. Eyes, chin, skin color, nose, cheekbones, the hair was a bit longer than normal but its color and texture were identical. The man's height and expression were unmistakable. Her heart sank and despite years of meticulous training, she began to hyperventilate. Quietly at first but the intensity gradually increased until it was noticeable to the others.

No....

Shimiko-Raijin quickly formed a single handseal. Release!  Nothing. This wasn't Genjutsu. She had known it the moment she had laid eyes on him. Shimiko was highly intelligent. A true whizz kid with years of experience and training under her belt. She had followed her brother's paths and was an expert in espionage and subterfuge. She trusted her natural instincts and she was certain that if someone ever caught her in an illusion, she'd be able to snap out of it in moments. But this was no illusion and if it was, it would have been broken by Kai Release. Either this was some kind of experimental Genjutsu that was unique and exclusive to the Uchiha and their allies, or more likely, what she was witnessing was reality. She could hardly believe it. The talking cat named Neko-sama was one thing but this was an entirely different beast. She stared at the individual for a bit longer and was forced to accept the haunting obviousness of the truth. That was her brother. Seigi Chinoike. Nidaime Raikage of the Village Hidden in the Clouds.

"No...its not possible" Shimiko-Raijin swallowed and retrieved a serrated kunai. Shimiko was so startled and disturbed by his appearance that she could feel her voice cracking. Unfortunately, she couldn't afford to break character.  She needed to keep up the charade. This was some kind of advanced trick. A Genjutsu? A trap? An elaborate ruse? She'd get to the bottom of this. There was no way that could really and truly be her dead brother. Seigi died from the plague in Kumogakure. She had seen him at the hospital, she had buried him in the cemetery. That was his body they lowered into the casket. She had heard stories of people surviving the plague and even rumors of people being outright resurrected. She had gone to great lengths to bring him back but she had been informed that it simply wasn't possible. No level of cutting edge techniques, treatments, or otherwordly magic could bring her beloved brother back from the dead. And yet here he was, watching her as though she were a strange (although given he disguise, she was a stranger). He was wearing a Leaf village headband and was acting as if his presence here and now was the most natural thing in the world.  

"Raijin" was sweating and his grip on the kunai was shaky, but underneath it all there was a fierce determination in his heart. The woman who was playing him would sacrifice damn near everything on the planet to get her brother back. If there was a 1% chance this was really Seigi, there was nothing she wouldn't do to take him back home. However, first she needed to actually ensure this wasn't some kind of elaborate trick.

"What the hell is this? That's Seigi Chinoike, the old Raikage of Kumo. What the hell is he doing here? I though he died from the plague! Talking cats? Dead Kage? If you think I'm some fool to be toyed with, you're deeply mistaken. Starting explaining or else!"

Just as everything seemed fine and Seigi felt he could let his guard down, the situation changed dramatically. His lone eye caught Raijin's gaze, the two making eye contact for a moment, when Raijin would stop dead in his tracks. More confused than anything, Seigi stopped leaning against the wall, straightening his posture, watching as Raijin's breathing became labored, and the terrorist would form a single handseal. Seigi would brace himself for whatever would come, bracing his feet in the ground, but.... nothing happened.

"What the hell?" Seigi would mutter to himself, his relaxed posture quickly shifting defensive, just as Raijin would speak once more, but Seigi was too far off to hear his words, only seeing his mouth, and then producing a kunai, almost transfixed on Seigi. Seigi's eye bounced from Raijin, to the Kage, the Jonin moving quickly to close the gap between them, as well as reaching within ear shot.

"....hell is this? That's Seigi Chinoike, the old Raikage of Kumo. What the hell is he doing here? I though he died from the plague! Talking cats? Dead Kage? If you think I'm some fool to be toyed with, you're deeply mistaken. Starting explaining or else!"



....Seigi...Chinoike..?

"Hold on, nobody attack!" Seigi would scream, quickly trying to deescalate the situation. "This isn't a trick. I am here. I am real." Seigi would say, raising his arms up. He had just as many questions as Raijin did, but he needed to play this smart if he wanted answers. "So is Neko-sama. Nobody is trying to fool you." He would keep his arms raised, slowly making his way closer to Raijin, inch by inch. "My name is Seigi, but it's not Seigi Chinoike... It's Seigi Dochiwa." He would stop moving. He needed to choose his next words wisely. This person was pretty convinced he was someone else, perhaps THIS universe's Seigi, but how could he explain that without sounding like a mad man? In a stroke of genius, however, Seigi had an idea.

"But perhaps you might know me better than I do. Put the kunai away and we can talk."
He would begin to slowly lower his arms, but kept a watchful eye on his surroundings, prepared to move if anyone attacked Raijin. He wasn't nearly as strong as he was in his past, but this might be a clue as to how he got here and why this universe was the one he was transported to. There had to be a reason for all of this, right?

Kimiko's guard was lowered slightly, but hadn't been dropped completely, so the moment that she saw "Raijin" beginning to channel chakra and form a hand seal, she began to make her own move, forming a handseal of her own, and made several clones of herself. The usual Shadow Clone Jutsu had a massive drawback in that it split your chakra so much that it became a very dangerous thing to utilize, even with high chakra, given that the original wouldn't have as large a pool of chakra to draw on. That meant most people were restricted to about 3 or 4 clones at most if they wanted to be able to continue fighting with any sort of efficiency.

Konoha had a leg up in that they had a secret technique that allowed the user to create clones much easier. Of course those clones would be much weaker, if there were enough made, given that if they didn't have enough chakra placed into them, they would suffer as if from exhaustion, but that wasn't a concern of Kimiko's. She had made 10 clones total, each with a total of 10 chakra a piece, enough for a jutsu or so among them, as well as a maintenance of the Sharingan each.

However, before any of them moved, Raijin began to pull out a serrated kunai, and they jumped into action immediately, four of the clones immediately moving to jump in front of the Hokage, to protect the cat. The remaining 6 clones moved to circle "Raijin", and Kimiko began to start weaving signs for the Fire Dragon Flame Bullet technique, a powerful jutsu that would quickly deal with the Rogue without massive destruction to the village or anyone else, but before she finished, Seigi interrupted her, causing enough hesitation that she stopped mid weaving the seals.

Partially through the seal making process, Kimiko's eyes moved to the Hokage, for a cue as to what to do. If the Hokage ordered it, she'd finish her seals and attack regardless, but if not, she'd stop. The clones would not be dismissed, however. This boy was clearly more unhinged than they'd originally thought, drawing a kunai and attempting a jutsu in the middle of a village. Kimiko wasn't certain what he'd been attempting, unable to fully decipher chakra, but it was familiar to her somehow. Nothing had happened though, so she wasn't quite sure.

She didn't see any active techniques circulating, so perhaps it had been nothing.


Chakra: 184.2/185 (Sharingan active for 4 posts in this thread)
10 clones made with 10 chakra each, Multi Shadow Clone jutsu
All Clones: 9.8/10 (each has sharingan active) (All clones: Exhaustion Threshold reached)
Kimiko: 84.2/185
Potential A rank: Fire Release: Fire Dragon Flame Bullet -10 chakra (Ninjutsu perk reduction)
Kimiko's chakra if used: 74.2/185

Neko-Sama noticed Raijin's anger, Seige's attempt at diffusing the situation, and Kimoko's waste of chakra surrounding the person and more important putting them all in the Clay Clone's blast radius. Not something that Tatsu wanted, raising it's masculine voice Neko-Sama wouldn't yell, as much as let his voice carry loudly over the chaos, "Stand down Kimiko! Raijin, we seem to be at a misunderstanding, this was someone from the Blood Prison who we're giving refuge and protection towards. But it's as he says, I am truly here, there is no trick. Let us put down our arms, and talk calmly, peace less costly for the living than fighting. Now what do you say? A nice talk and let us explain what is happening? Doesn't that sound more beneficial?"

Neko-Sama would fly onto Kimiko's shoulder's via "Lighter Rock Weight" and under the guise of bunting and purring would whisper, "Clay Clones, we're in no danger, but you all are within blast radius if an attack is needed."

Before flying over to Siege and repeating the message, after delivering the message would go to a rest near Raijin, talking i in a calm and reassuring tone, "Now if we're all a bit calmer, let's be off, or we can take time to let hotter emotions cool. We have the time after all."

Konoha did not take kindly to Shimiko's outburst. In an instant, Kimiko had moved from her position and formed several clones which surrounded Shimiko. In response, the false Raijin kneaded chakra within his body in preparation for his own retaliatory strike. The righteous heat of battle was kindling within Shimiko's spirit and once it was set ablaze the only thing that could smolder it was blood, blood, and more blood. "Raijin's" eyes narrowed as he prepared to time the release of his own technique with the formation of the last seal when Seigi and Tatsu called for an end to hostilities. Shimiko looked to the man who bore a stark resemblance to her brother. He claimed that he was Seigi, just not Seigi Chinoike. He gave an unfamiliar and unconvincing last name. He mentioned that perhaps she did know him better than he knew himself. This caused "Raijin" to tilt his head in confusion.

Tatsu chimed in to provide clarity but her words only added greater intrigue to the mystery. Seigi was trapped in the Blood Prison?. The Hokage had flown from one position to another. She landed on Kimiko's shoulder and whispered something. An assurance of some kind.

"Okay. The man with the same name and appearance as..." my brother "the old Raikage has a new last name and is from the Blood Prison. The talking cat can also fly. You gotta be kidding me"

If this was a Genjutsu then they had her so good that fighting would be pointless. Judging by everyone's reactions (especially Kimiko's) she came to the conclusion that this was in fact reality. It was an unsettling realization, but given the circumstances it fit. Shimiko was trembling inside. She was burning with anticipation to know what the hell was going on. However, she could not afford to blow this opportunity by resorting to something as crass as violence. She was strong but she was not confident in her ability to take down an entire village, especially not when she might have to fight her own flesh and blood. If this was her Seigi, then he'd be every bit as strong as she was if not stronger. Shimiko had been chasing Seigi's shadow for years and though the Chinoike flattered her with notions that she had surpassed her brother's peak, there was no way of knowing for sure. With this in mind, Shimiko decided that she'd need to play it cool.

Jashin forgive me....but I cannot lay waste to these heathen liars and charlatans. Give me the strength to press forward and uncover the truth.


Shimikojin chuckled like a dudebro and put away the kunai. The chuckle broke into a rather convincing laugh. He turned to Kimiko and winked at her before raising his hands and showing that he had no intention to continue fighting. She was certain that the Uchiha wouldn't disobey a direct order from her Kage and so she more or less relaxed.

"Quick on the draw...I like it" Shimiko did have a lot of respect for this Jounin Commander. She was quick on her feet. Not nearly as quick as Shimiko, but still quick. The Jounin Commander wasn't even distracted by the confusion and claims that Shimiko had spat out. She had said nothing and refused to engage with idle banter that could only serve as a distraction. Kimiko appeared to have one mission: Protect the Hokage at all costs even if it meant neutralizing an unknown threat. Shimiko was starting to like this girl more and more. The admiration however was soon smothered by feelings of uncertainty and Dread. She turned to Seigi and stared at him for a long time. She analyzed him from head to toe. She recalled everything he and Neko-Sama had said thus far and no matter how she approached it, it simply didn't make sense.

Experimental Cloning?
Brainwashing?
Faked Death?
Next Generation Genjutsu?
Shapeshifter?
Alternate Realities?
Resurrection Techniques?

Shimiko ran through the list of potential possibilities and categorically dismissed each one. The Blood Prison had published a mega-report in the aftermath of the jailbreak. The vast majority of it was redacted, at least the parts concerning Block C inhabitants. She knew that they had gotten up to some freaky stuff in that prison but nobody save its mysterious benefactors knew precisely what was held in that unit. The report had only concluded that the destruction of the prison represented an S-Class threat to global peace and security. Criminals and Aliens would see this as marking the beginning of an "Open Season". Nothing and no one was safe.

"Let's talk"

"Raijin" finally said. He walked through the gates as planned. There was a ton on his/her mind now and the original purpose of Shimiko's mission was now a secondary concern.

Exit to the Resort

"Peace. For now."

Raijin still seemed skeptical, but at least Seigi didn't have to worry about the explosive clones that had surrounded him, thankful that Neko-sama had given him the heads up. With a heavy sigh, Seigi would lower his arms to his sides, his eyes glancing over to Kimiko. He understood her need to protect the Kage and he hoped that he didn't interfere with that, but he had questions that needed answers and as much as he hated to say it, that superseded anything else Seigi cared about right now. His mind was still in fragments and while he did know that he wasn't from here, perhaps there had been a version of him in this universe that had perished, oddly enough, around the same time he may have entered this world. His timeline was muddied, Seigi unsure of how long he was in the Blood Prison, but it would make sense why they would refuse to listen to him and who he had been. If it was after the Raikage was killed, why would they believe Seigi had been him? Sure, he got the universe wrong, but things were beginning to make a little bit more sense. There was still blanks that were missing, but... now that Seigi thought about it, he recognized this man. He had seen him, when he had escaped from the prison. He had been carried out on a stretcher, to somewhere unknown to Seigi, but he was sure they were one and the same.

Raijin wanted to talk, walking through the gates, the entourage of Shinobi now moving forward, deeper into the village. Seigi was unsure of the destination but followed the group, quiet unless spoken to.

[EXIT to Resort]

Kimiko held the seal for perhaps a moment longer than she needed to, debating whether she should attack regardless, but an order was an order, so she dropped her hands, cancelling her cast of the jutsu before she completed it. The clones around "Raijin" and the Hokage disappeared, returning their chakra to her. There was no reason to keep them active it seemed, so she wouldn't bother for the moment then.

Kimiko's gaze moved over to fall on Seigi, the one that this commotion seemed to be about. Why did Raijin even care about Seigi? Even if he had been the former Raikage, that didn't matter too much to most people, let alone a Rogue Ninja from Kumogakure who left the village as a genin. The Sharingan moved back from Seigi to "Raijin", unsure what exactly was going on, but already beginning to form questions in her head.

Raijin and Seigi weren't the only ones who had things to figure out. Kimiko's mind was throwing up massive warning signs, but she wasn't sure what they were directed towards. Something was off. However, that was something that she'd have to figure out over time. While they walked, she began to think of the questions she wanted to ask, and how she wanted to ask them.

"Course I'm quick. Although you're lucky I'm not my boyfriend. Aki's probably more dangerous than I am, especially when it comes to protecting things he cares about. You'd have been dead, no doubt." Kimiko threw in as an aside. Best to keep Raijin in check with threats of greater danger, especially since she would be around him a bit longer. If Raijin thought someone was more willing to kill him regardless of orders, perhaps he'd be less likely to pull anything stupid again.

She didn't want anyone here to have to fight if they didn't have to.
-Exit to Resort-

Taiga followed the road which led straight to the front gates after completing her shopping spree. She had what she needed. Now all Taiga needed to do was board the ship Konoha had waiting for their Genin to take to Kirigakure where the Chuunin exams took place. It was Taiga's first time out of the village ever which was a new experience. She had been rather close in the past working as the gate guard for a mission. It was the first time she met Kureji. She held the same resentments as before. The village seemed a lot more cozy now that she took at the gates. From her point of view she could see the vast openness of the Senju Forest which surrounded Konoha. Taiga waited at the front gates for the other Genin to show up for the Chuunin exams. She felt it was safer for them to all travel in a party instead of individuals. She would stand before the gates gazing into the forest daydreaming and letting time pass.

Shimiko would meet Seigi at the gates of Konohagkure. The mission had been a smashing success in every sense of the word. It wasn't necessarily quite how Shimiko had pictured it going, but it still worked out in Kumo's favor and that was all that mattered. The still disguised ANBU would nod to her new partner and speak bluntly. He also spoke in an slightly different voice. Maybe he was trying to impress the man?

"We're taking a roundabout route to our destination. Don't want any pesky interlopers following. Let's head out"

And with that, they'd be off.

Exit

(OOC: Seigi copy and paste this path into your post. )

Northwestern Fire Country -> Land of Hot Springs-> Land of Frost (48 Hours)

In a mere fifteen minutes, Seigi quickly ran to his apartment, grabbing what little belongings he needed. It wasn't much, just an old rugged backpack he had stolen from a body long ago, and a worn, black cloak with frayed edges at the bottom. He said goodbye to his apartment, closing the door and placing the key under the mat. In the blink of an eye, he was gone, on his way to the gates.
Raijin met him there, seeming to have been waiting for him. He told him they were taking a roundabout path to avoid any followers. Seigi couldn't help but feel a little anxious about that, but he knew what he had signed up for.

"Right. Let's go."

[EXIT]

Northwestern Fire Country -> Land of Hot Springs-> Land of Frost (48 Hours)

zenaku woke up early cause his mom and dad was having a fit so he got up and went down to see what they was having a fit about. when he got there he received a letter, so opening it up he read it over. He was shocked to find out that there was a chunnin exams coming up in the hidden mist village and zenaku actually made the cut.

so he ran up stairs and grabbed all that he needed to go with and walked out the door, it seemed that all genin was to meet at the north side gates to get on a ship heading to the land of water. on his way there he walked past some ninja, they looked to be like him a simple genin but they was much younger and probably weaker but he did not know that for sure.

As he was watching them his sharingan suddenly activated and he noticed that he had two tomoe now instead of just one but he did not understand why or how. Was it the missions he went on or did he just manage to get stronger and that was why it happened, he did not care why it happened he was just happy it happened.

As he was watching them it seemed like things was in slow motion all of a sudden and he could clearly see every detail that they was doing, this made him be able to learn what they was doing which means that he must have unlocked the ability to coy other ninjas moves. He has heard of this technique from the elders in his clan as it was a very powerful doujutsu.

He needed to stop hanging around there as he needed to get to the gate so he quickly dashed off towards his destination. it was not long but he managed to arrive to the gate and who did he see standing there but taiga.

" Hey taiga i see your going to the chunin exams to ha." Zenaku said as he was waving his hand as he approached.

Learned copy jutsu for sharingan 350/250

Kureji was thrilled among many things to have a chance at the chuunin exam. He received the letter like others, although his combat might be a bit lacking, he imagined they had a few days to prepare for the chuunin exams before and that'd give him enough time to refine his jutsu before tackling on the exams. He also doubted that a ninjas prowess in the combat sense was the only thing being tested, if it were a theory exam, he'd undoubtedly have that aced.

He packed the essentials, different outfits, foods that'd last him a fair bit on the journey to Kirigakure along with a sum of ryo that should be more than enough for his stay in Kirigakure among other supplies. He's as ready as he needs to be and already went by the gates, seeing two genin, one familiar, the other one not. He went for the Genin he already knew. "Taiga, getting ready to leave?" he'd ask, while taking a glance at Zenaku, giving him a slight nod and nothing else until he talked to Kureji.

"We should head off soon, the sooner were on the road, the better." he already assumed they were travelling together, safety in numbers and all that.

Kimiko was one of the Jounin proctors for the exams, so it only made sense for her to head out with a group of genin herself. She was still thinking about the meeting with Raijin, Seigi, and the Hokage, unsure about what had happened fully. The entire conversation had set her on edge. Almost seething with rage as well. Kirigakure had assassinated not only a previous hokage, but more importantly, the former Uchiha Clan leader. It made sense now. He had gone missing, and she thought that nobody knew what happened to him, but the Kage had just been sitting on that information. Kimiko was immensely pissed off. But still, she needed to worry about the Chuunin Exams first, before she worried about anything else.

She had on her Jounin uniform, which was a little different than the standard uniform. Her pants, instead of full length, were shorts. She wore a long sleeve undershirt, with a short sleeved green hoodie over it and her flak jacket of the same color over that. Rather than sandals, Kimiko wore shin high combat boots with thigh high socks. The Jounin's headband hung around her neck.

Strolling up to the gates, the young Uchiha saw the group of genin she was supposed to escort. Most of them were around her age or older, so it was strange that she was in charge, but she was a fairly young Jounin anyhow, and standing at 5'1"(and a half), she was shorter than most people she knew, and it was always interesting to see herself in charge of people older and taller than her. Uchiha prodigies were a dime a dozen, or whatever. "I'm Kimiko Uchiha, your Jounin escort." she said, hands in her flak jacket pockets. "Ready ta head out whenever."

She moved over to sign out herself and the group of genin, so that they could leave. Best to get there early, after all.

Taiga watched as Jin and Kureji arrived to the gates within a few minutes of each others. Each of them asked her the same rhetorical question, one Taiga didn't feel like dignifying with a response. But soon the Jounin showed up, which was apparently needed for them to leave the village in the first place. She presented herself as Kimiko Uchiha and stated that she was ready to head out whenever. Taiga nodded.

"Very good. Let us head out, then. I have some business to take care of in Kirigakure first before the exams start." She said matter-of-factly with a hint of urgency in her voice.

She was selected to make medicine for the Chuunin Exams by the Mizukage and thus needed some time to settle down in the village before getting to work. Kimiko was kind enough to sign for each of the Genin saving them the process of signing out one by one. When the group was set for departure Taiga would follow the Jounin staying close by.

[Exit to Kirigakure]

After zenaku arrived he noticed another genin arrive to the gates but he did not even say any thing to zenaku and instead just spoke to taiga. But he was a nice guy and decided to say high to the other genin. " hello I'm zenaku uchiha it's nice to meet you" he would say as he raised his hand in a waving motion.

Just then a woman appeared and he could already tell she was much younger then he was, which was a drag in most cases in which he took so long to pass the academy so nowhere he was still a genin at 21 where most others was 13 to 17. It was cool tho that she was a uchiha like his self and so she signed them out so to not miss the boat zenaku got on and found a spot to set down.

[Exit to Kirigakure]