The Start of something New

Kagura paused at the entrance to the Administration Building, collecting her thoughts and contemplating what she would be doing when she walked in. It had all been coordinated ahead of time, although she had intentionally been very vague about her reasoning for wanting to visit with the Hokage so that people who were setting up the appointment wouldn’t get the wrong idea. According to the staff in the Administration Building, Kagura was present to discuss the future of what the brunette would be doing for the village. Many people were excited for this, because as a Jounin, Kagura had been doing next to nothing productive for the past few months, since Akari’s death and subsequent funeral. It was fortunate that the appointment was in the early morning as well, as she would have the entire day to handle what she needed to in the case that the Kage said ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ without question.

Kagura had already played out both scenarios in her mind repetitively, and one way or another, everything was about to change. She still had the Konohagakure’s Leaf etched into her chestplate, prominently shown and shined as normal, as it wasn’t the village itself that was to blame for the change. The brunette loved the village more than anything, even more so with Akari’s passing as her legacy was completely and utterly in servitude to the wellbeing of their combined home. If things went well, Kagura would continue to work for Konoha and the betterment of the Fire Nation as a whole, but she could no longer stay here. Too many memories of Akari’s time with her continued to haunt her, too many visages of where they visited, ate and drank, or even fell in love loomed around every corner, every street… it was one reason she had avoided the Uchiha Compound so much.

That had been their home… she needed to find a way to heal, and every time she was haunted by one of her memories, the wound would reopen anew. Kagura could not mend here… she was certain of it. The only way she could be productive again was outside the village walls. If that was as an ANBU for the Hokage and just silently sending messages back to them giving them details about her travels, that was fine. Kagura was uniquely suited for gathering information, being a Shadow Clone specialist, and was more than capable of taking care of herself with her combination of Lightning Jutsu and overall skill and power. There were few who could stand on her level, not to mention the nigh Bijuu level of chakra she possessed, so there was little doubt in her mind that the Hokage would hesitate because she thought that Kagura would get into trouble.

Not to mention the fact that the past few months had been spent studying, learning, and trying to keep her mind busy so as to not focus on the gaping hole in her heart. Her skills were as sharp as they ever had been, but she was also very intelligent, more so than in previous years due to intense study of politics, strategy, economy, and everything else she had access to. Reaching the outside of the Hokage’s door, she waited a moment and took in a deep breath. She hadn’t concealed her presence in the slightest, so they likely knew she was there already, but that was on purpose; to sneak into the Hokage’s office could be a sign of a threat, and that was the opposite of her intentions. Knocking loudly on the door three times, she put her hands behind her back and waited.

Tengoku had been going over his appointments for the day idly. Each one was mostly just talk about this policy or that. How a new policy would affect the village positively or how they disagreed with one of his policies. One was even a father of a thirteen year old genin who demanded his kid be allowed out in active combat. The mans daughter had sat there in clear fear of her father as the man screamed at Tengoku red faced. When Tengoku had told him no the man blathered before muttering a threat. A simple display of lightning chakra had been enough to make the man hesitate. He had explained when his daughter came of age it would be her choice. Then while smiling to the relieved young lady he reassured them she would remain safe within the village until such a time. The man had growled under his breath but didn't make any more arguments. Still by the way he yanked his daughter out of there by the arm and the fear in her eyes....he had assigned a jounin with the task of observing the man. If he laid hands on her or abused her in any way under observation he would be placed under arrest and his daughter provided housing. He would not tolerate abuse to children.

Still for now he was sitting on the window sill with his boot clad feet up on it as well. His balance was significantly impressive as he continued to take a break and read a novel her rather enjoyed. It was a book about a young man seeking vengeance for his murdered father. He had fallen in with the wrong crowd early to try and gain his vengeance but now...now he was starting to see them for the evil group they were....and was turning a new leaf. He liked this novel because it showed that sometimes even those considered evil had their reasons...and could one day be redeemed in the light. It was easy to lose yourself to darkness and he didn't want to see people fall. For now he was wearing a sleeveless gold and black colored kimono with one long glove on his right arm. His three swords rested against the desk a meter away from him and pants were on under the kimono itself. Around his upper arms, wrists and ankles were adorned with feathery gold jewelry and his long white hair spilled about his person majestically. His white wolf like ears popping out of the top of his hair as they twitched.

He heard her coming of course as bright amber eyes finished the paragraph he was on and glanced to the door before she knocked. Waiting to be polite as he folded the corner of the page he was on and closed his book. When she knocked he would rise from his perch and set the book down on the window sill before moving over to the desk. He would move around it and lean back against it calmly. He knew this one at least. Still he didn't think she had seen him in some time. He had grown since then and some might even consider him on the same tier as her. Still he thought that whole consideration silly. Yet it made him curious. He didn't even need to activate his sensory to feel her chakra pressure from there. He was attuned enough to his sensory to know that pressure was vast. Still he would let about ten seconds pass before answering her knocks. Curiosity in his smile.

"Please come in Kagura. It's been a minute hasn't it?"

Ten seconds felt like an eternity for the brunette, and in that small amount of idle time, she began to think about the dream that she continued to have on the rare chances that it wasn’t a memory of her and Akari together to torment her heart. A star-filled sky, large columns made of white stone in a semi-circle around a singular point, which was a round platform with a single podium. On that podium sat a flower, black as midnight, that seemed to radiate with a power that she could never identify. And then the subtle word whispered so faintly that she wasn’t entirely certain that, even in her dream, she had heard them properly. “Find.” Normally, she would have dismissed that entirely, knowing far too well that it was nothing but a dream, but it was the same dream over and over again, and the tone had a sense of urgency that nagged at Kagura’s instincts… but more so than that was the voice’s owner.

It sounded just like Akari.

Shaking her head gently to clear it, the brunette tossed that aside for the moment when she heard Tengoku’s voice. Entering quietly she waited until she was completely inside and had shut the door behind her before speaking up. “Indeed. You aren’t lacking in confidence anymore, it appears, Hokage.” There was some emphasis on those words, and a fair amount of pride, but it was obvious to anyone, even without sensory, that the tiny smile she was mustering was fake. She was trying to be polite, trying to express how honestly proud she was of Tengoku’s accomplishments, but the gaping hole in her chest made it difficult, even if it wasn’t physical. She stood up straight, as usual, her hands behind her back gently and her sword on her hip; there was absolutely no threat here. Kagura would die before letting someone hurt the village, and that meant the Kage too… and she knew all too well that if something happened while she was gone, she would blame herself, but that was what had kept her here all this time.

Not anymore. What use was a Jounin in the village that wasn’t able to perform as a Jounin? She could better serve the village in other ways. “I know you are busy, so I won’t waste your time. I need to leave the village.” She let that sit for a moment, letting her now serious expression sink in exactly what she meant; she didn’t have any intention of returning. But she also didn’t say anything about not wanting to be allied with the village; she had no intention of becoming a missing nin. “I believe that the best way to facilitate that while still serving the village is to become an unmasked ANBU and roam the different countries we have. I can send regular reports about any countries you are wanting information on as well, and perhaps mend some broken bridges that sorely need it.”

The meat and potatoes were out of the way, it was time for her to stop with the logistics and say her reasoning… he would need to know. “You know how Akari passed. Slipped into a Coma, then wakes up, only to slip back under and then… never wake up. I have her in an urn in my home… but I can’t stay here. It haunts me in a way that I can never shake, can never heal from while I am constantly reminded of the memories we shared. I love Konoha, and always will… but it cannot be my home anymore.” Her serious expression melted as she spoke, and it was obvious she was holding back another wave of crippling depression through nothing but sheer will. “This is simply my opinion on the matter. If you have a better idea, I am all for it.”

She waited then, for what he might say next.

Tengoku would smile about the comment about his confidence. It had been something for him to overcome after all. Having been bullied and called a freak as far back as he could remember he had developed a very difficult social anxiety which had led to a bit of a learning disability. He had been so timid his sister had been the one he had turned to for anything. She was well known for finishing fights others started with him. Still they had promised each other they would get stronger. Now they stood at the top of the country and he could be timid no longer. The Shinku twins had risen from orphans to the Hokage and Jounin commander of the village hidden in the leaf. Kagura had been there briefly during a time when he was still timid and weak. Back when it would have been difficult to see him in charge of delivering a paper. Still he would nod to her and speak in a calm voice that mirrored his amber eyes. "We all have to grow up sometime Kagura. We can't stay innocent forever." Which was amusing since his nickname throughout the entire village was 'the paladin'.

Still he would cross his arms and lean back a little. The desk at the small of his back supporting the majority of his weight now. Yet he seemed to remain balanced without thinking about it. One heel up against the desk slightly as she approached. Her smile so fake it made his heart hurt. Naturally they were colder after everything. Everyone was after the war. As if they were just tired and had forgotten hope. She spoke and soon he understood. His amber eyes watching her but his fingers on his right hand slightly turning the golden bangle there. The feather shapes shifting along his muscles as he seemed to contemplate. So yet another wanted to leave.

He would take a breath and hear her out though as the smile faded and a frown returned before it. He wasn't pleased as this was a time of turmoil. There was another battle coming with impossible odds and his powerhouses were either fleeing out the gates or focused on keeping them there. Or retired and playing grandfather somewhere. Now with her leaving as well...even that report of a fresh academy graduate giving it a go. The gates were secure and people were ready to abandon ship....what would happen when the enemy did come?

Still he would sigh before his eyes focused on hers. He would contemplate in silence after she finished for about thirty seconds of silence as he simply studied her. Those almost golden eyes would watch her. As if they could see all. As if they could sense all that was wrong in her world. Finally he would speak in reply to her. Breaking the silence abruptly.

"I can see how troubled you are. It is a dangerous time to be traveling to be honest. But you are capable. However I can't have a spy being discovered. So no reporting anything specific about where you go. Keep it personal so anything intercepted can't be considered a breach in the peace. As it so happens you can be far more open about your travels. As we have an exchange program with Kirigakure and Kumogakure now. However it is important you stay away from Iwagakure and any lands it owns. Including Sunagakure now. They are not as peaceful after the war and have demanded that Konoha stay outside of their borders. If you go there you go without Konohas permission and if they....if the worst happens we can not so much as demand an explanation."

Kagura heard his words regarding ‘growing up’ and felt them hit home far more than the Hokage had intended. That was exactly what Kagura had been at the time; a child. As much as she had grown, she had been living in a fantasy world where absolutely nothing would go wrong, she wouldn’t experience heartache, and she was genuinely happy. But alas, that had been robbed of her, as well as any chance at mending the emotional trauma she felt inside… her innocence gone and dead. She was positive that there was no gaining that innocence back, but she was certain now that she would be able to heal, just not here, not now. One day she would be able to return with her head held high… but there was honestly no telling how long that would take. But every day she delayed was another day lost, and there was simply no better way to start the process than taking this step.

She already had her traveling arrangements made; she would travel to the Land of Wolves and find a little spot there in which she could build a home with her own two hands. Everything new. She would maintain her home here and have a neighbor keep an eye on that and collect any pay she would still receive, although she fully expected for that not to be the case; she wouldn’t be working for the village directly, after all, so why would they continue to pay her? Hardly a problem… just meant that she would need to find a way to earn her own money. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Tengoku spoke once more, and she listened to each part intently, only nodding quietly at each part to ensure that he knew that she had heard him clearly.

Report nothing specific about anyone that could violate any treaties. That much made sense; messages were intercepted all the time, and that could be taken seriously as a violation of the peace they had hard fought for. Kirigakure and Kumogakure were open to travel to, but not Iwa or Suna… she had heard about that and wasn’t sure what could be done to mend that broken bridge. Time would tell… but Kagura was not ignorant to the fact that she was strong, and that the village would need her in the near future. “Konoha will always be where my allegiance lies. If you have need of me, I would come back with best speed. That being said, if you have a method in which I could do so at long distance it would be a good idea; my current plans take me to the Land of Wolves.” She wouldn’t go into details about the repetitive dreams she had, nor how they seemed to compel her to travel towards that place specifically.

None of it made any sense, by any right, but that wasn’t a problem for her; she had to get out of the Land of Fire, for now, start fresh, and do her level best to heal her broken heart. A compelling dream taking her to a place that fit those needs was a welcome direction that she would absolutely pursue. And once she healed, she would see where things lead from there… who would she become? What would she find in the Land of Wolves? This mystical place from her dreams? Another clue? Those would be nice, but the thing she wanted beyond anything else was not some thing, but inner peace. If she could manage to find that, in whatever form that would be, she would be able to be herself again… or so she hoped.

Tengoku would listen quietly a moment before he would let a finger tap on his crossed arms. He wasn't impatient really. Just a habit of his when he was deep in thought. He had suspected that she would want to visit another major nation but this was of course unexpected. The Irony of her asking someone with wolf traits if she could go reside within the land of wolves wasn't lost on him either. After all a lot of his styles and abilities were bred off of his wolf traits. Something he now believed had been intentionally placed upon him in the womb. Though he had no proof. Still the matter at hand took precedence. Kagura had known him and trained with him when he was just a weakling. When he had hardly any right to call himself a swordsman she had trained with him. Believed in him. So he supposed it was time that he believed in her. His amber eyes observed her softly a moment before he would take an audible intake of breath. Before rolling his tongue over his canines and turning around. Moving around the desk and taking a seat. His hat hanging on a wall behind him. It was terribly uncomfortable on his ears.

"Take a seat please."

He would comment before lifting a hand to indicate a chair on the other side of the desk. Designed for meetings such as this. He would pull out some specific papers. Documents for travel he had on hand for exchange requests. He had made a habit of doing so with the two Uchiha that seemed intent on leaving the village. Surely others were too. Though she wasn't going to either of the major nations they held a pact with. No she was intending to go beyond them and across a sea to a land where they could not support her if she were to find trouble. Kirigakure or Kumogakure would be hard pressed to be of any assistance. His amber eyes glanced at the map one more time before he set the papers out before himself. Collecting a pen from a pen holder on his desk he would begin to write out the travel papers and read them over as he did. This was an interesting document as it gave her permission to travel freely and indefinitely but marked her as a citizen of Konoha still. Perhaps others would see this choice as weak. Letting someone so powerful slip through his fingers. She had offered to rush back if trouble occurred but he wasn't sure they had a way to bring her back faster. Not one he could offer her. Still he would speak as he wrote.

"Unfortunately as there is a sea between the land of wolves and us I don't expect you would be able to make it back with any real speed. Nor would we be able to assist you if something were to happen. Still if you intend to reside there keep a behavior level expected of you. We are no longer a conquering nation. Not so long as I am in power. That said...why the land of wolves? Any special family ties or anything?"

He asked her to take a seat, and Kagura complied without complaint; she worried that her request would be denied and then she would be leaving, but apparently, he was seriously considering granting it outright, so a more in-depth conversation would need to be had. He began to write a document of some kind, something she could not read from her current position but didn’t need to, only to pay attention to the conversation and answer any questions he had. Of course, there was one she expected above all others, and Tengoku did not disappoint in any way. First, she quietly shook her head from side to side at the query if there was any special family ties in the Land of Wolves, and then hesitated a moment more because she knew that what she was about to say would seem exceptionally odd… even for the world that they lived in today.

“I… keep having this one dream. Outside the nightmares that are more common, there is a single, repeating dream where I find this shrine… and I can hear Akari’s voice, calling to me, directing me there. I don’t know if I will actually settle in Land of Wolves… only that it is the place that I need to go to solve this riddle. But the biggest thing about this dream that makes me think it is more than just a dream is the fact that I cannot shake the sensation of being watched while I am in it. More than a gentle sensation, but an intense one, and it is more than just one thing peering into what feels like my soul. And a sense of expectation.” She finished, but her eyes never left Tengoku, knowing full well that he could easily dismiss her request based on the seeming stupidity of the reasoning if it had not been for the seriousness in her tone.

She had not wavered once, even with her hesitation between speaking different parts, and the intensity of her motivation could be felt and seen in her expression. Kagura wasn’t kidding about unraveling this mystery, the fact that she could hear Akari’s voice clearly call to her, and the power of the people staring her down with expectation within it. It wasn’t like the swordswoman couldn’t understand how wild it sounded, but every time she wasn’t tormented with the dreams of watching Akari die, she had the same dream over and over. She couldn’t explain it any other way. “I will keep you posted on my travels from place to place, and I am hoping to be much closer once I find this place and discover its purpose, but I can make no guarantees… only that if you need me, I will do everything in my power to be here.” She wanted to make sure he understood that she knew where her loyalties were, that this was her home, and she would be there to defend it if necessary. Kagura had no illusions that this world continued to be a dangerous place, and she was strong and needed to be available.

[4]

Tengoku would pause in his writing momentarily as his ears twitched at her explanation. His amber eyes as his hand stopped would rise to glance at her. Studying her openly for a moment. He was far more brazen than he had been. Not only did he not cast his eyes down to avoid eye contact, but he seemed to exert confidence. As if he held no fear anymore. It wasn't true but he pulled it off at times. Still he had to wonder to himself about this story. In this world there were many ways this could happen. Bijuu, possessions, genjutsu, all of it was all a possible explanation for this. Not to mention the unknown with endless possibilities. When one began to think they understood the laws of the world something always came and shattered those expectations. So perhaps this was a good thing. Something to settle her sense of loss. To fill the voice she felt and give her purpose. On the other hand it could lead to catastrophe. Perhaps it was someone or something in search of a powerful vessel to reincarnate. He couldn't pretend she wasn't vulnerable. He could sense it and see it in her eyes and she spoke openly about it.

Tengoku would put the pen down. The document for her travel was nearly completed already. However it still required his signature. He would lean back in his chair and cross his arms as he thought on the situation. Keeping her here would be cruel. It would place a near prison like world around her and hurt her current state even further. Potentially creating another powerful enemy for the village. He didn't wish to see more konoha jounin executed for insane crimes. However he couldn't ignore the very real possibility of her placing herself within mortal danger. She offered to continue reporting in and would come to their aid if she could. He didn't see a very valid way to do that at the moment. Not without involving the Uchiha and he didn't wish to ask them for anything. They had their own internal turmoil since he took office. A non Uchiha ally moving out of reach was a wound he would have to hope he could afford. He ended up deciding in the end the best thing to do would be to share his concerns with her. Let her make her own decision with the facts laid out blatantly in front of her.

"I can't pretend this doesn't concern me. There are a great many ways to influence the mind. Especially in dreams when our minds are more open. If someone was targeting you or perhaps had a purpose for your body such as possession or a vessel for reincarnation....they would use what you wish for against you. Are you certain you aren't being manipulated? Can you tell me without a doubt that this is something you can do and not lose yourself to it? More than my concern for you Kagura the village could suffer the consequences if your wrong."

Kagura was no fool. The moment she began to explain, he stopped writing and was almost immediately concerned. Of course, he would be. She was too. Overly so. Everything in her body was at war with what she needed to heal to the possibility that this was a trap and it would lead to her death, or worse, capture. But that last bit… she was positive she wouldn’t let that happen, but she needed to convince him of that.

“When it first happened, I had the same thoughts. So, I did a test. I spent a week in the Sensory Tower surrounded by the most powerful sensors in the village that had amplifying equipment. A good group, truly. You have some talent in those walls. Finally, on the sixth night, I had the dream again, and they were unable to detect any fluctuations at all.” This meant that it was something that was either non-chakra based, and therefore not Genjutsu, or it was something internal. It would take some time to discover the truth of it all, but considering she needed to get away anyway, she figured it was worth a try.

But then, the softness, despite it being more curtesy than genuine warmth, left Kagura’s features completely for a moment to punctuate the seriousness of what she was about to say next. “I would use every once of my chakra to erase my own existence before I became a threat to the Village. Burn Chidori straight through my heart, or fall on my own sword. Akari loved Konoha. I love it too. And you will always find me as an ally, or I will have joined her in the next world. There is nothing this world could offer me that could ever change that.” With that said, she relaxed once more, and finally took a breath and closed her eyes… but not for long.

They trailed to the wall, to Akari’s sword that was hanging on the wall, an artifact of the village, and a testament to what she was fighting for in the first place; peace. “The most likely thing to happen is I travel there and find nothing, and return home. Perhaps find a place outside the village to make a little house and do what I can to help in my own way. Maybe I’ll find something to put my soul at peace and be right as rain. But I know you can feel it as much as I can. The ‘good’ in me is gone. I’m hollow. I feel like my soul is simply dead. I need to find something to get something like that back. Anything. And Konoha, for all its wonder and my love for it, does not have the capability.” Kagura took another deep breath and sighed, almost looking defeated now.

“I know this is a fool’s errand… but I need to do something if I am not going to simply sit idle until I grow useless. For the first time in forever, I feel like I might have a purpose again.”

[5]

Tengoku would listen quietly as she spoke of an experiment with the sensory station. He was familiar with them as he was a sensory nin himself. He would have liked to personally been there sensing her chakra for one of those dreams...but that also didn't exclude the possibility of genjutsu. Sage chakra could not be detected by normal means and as far as he knew....none of those in the sensory station had mastered any form of the sage arts. Nor did he recall seeing any record of this experiment. A private affair or no that station was expected to report to him. Still even if she was lying to him she was doing so from a place of deep seeded pain. She desperately wanted to leave and he could see that much. She was either very good at deceit or she was genuinely wishing to leave because it simply hurt too much. He had a moral dilemma on his hands. On one hand she needed space so she could heal. On the other, she was being beckoned towards something unknown at the land of wolves. He would have liked to send someone with her or have gone himself...but he was preparing for a different war. His amber eyes would regard her a moment longer before he would speak once more with a sigh.

"You aren't Hollow Kagura. The very fact that you would willingly lay your life down for the sake of the village speaks of an abundance of love still within your heart. Still I am hesitant about this. Terrible times are coming and losing a member of our forces will impact us greatly. I can not say the village you return to will remain the same."

Tengoku would lean forward finally and finish the document. Picking up the pen and with a flourish he would write his signature. It would drive her mad likely to never look into this dream of hers. To never know why she was being summoned. His eyes reviewed the document a moment longer before he would open his desk and collect a leather wallet looking document holder. This document would need to prevail the elements likely so he would fold it and place it within the pouch. Closing it before handing it over to her. Settling back into his chair once more as he appeared more tired than he had before the meeting. Still a soft smile played on his lips.

"I would have liked another spar with you. To show you my growth. But alas it wasn't meant to be it seemed. I hope the purpose you seek is fulfilling enough to help heal your wounds."

For the briefest of moments, Kagura’s prior smile, the one full of warmth and life, showed the barest hints of curving one side of her lip upwards as he spoke about her not being hollow and dead inside. He wasn’t wrong… there was love for her Village within her, but it was buried deep within the pain she held, the hole she felt like was in her chest couldn’t completely nullify her just yet. If it had, she wouldn’t be sitting here talking to Tengoku; she would be in the same urn as Akari, sitting on someone’s shelf, and her soul, she hoped, would be with Akari again. But she was here, still struggling and making herself push on, if for no other reason than because Akari would kick her ass if she would have taken the easy way out to be with her.

But then her mind moved to these upcoming ‘terrible times’ and her eyebrow raised. He was obviously under absolutely no obligation to tell her anything, but she wasn’t lying about anything she had said thus far. “If you need me, I will be here. I mean that. If I have to delay in my search to save Akari’s home, I will do so. I will see what I can do to cut down on travel time as well.” That pending ‘terrible time’ could be in a week, or it could be in a month, or in three months. Nothing could be outright predicted. “And while you are right that this place may not be the same, there is nothing to say that it could not improve for the good of the people here. Nothing is set in stone, least of all the future.”

Kagura saw how tired he appeared as he handed the paper over, and Kagura reached a bit further and grasped his hand gently. “I know this is no easy decision. Thank you for trusting me and giving me this time.” Once that moment was passed, she gave him a gentle squeeze, the closest thing she could manage to hug, and then released him, pulling the document back and putting it aside as she slowly got to her feet. She looked at him with a small smile again, but this one wasn’t as warm as before, but still held a smidge of her prior personality. “A spar you will have when I see you next, so long as I am not helping with some sort of war. And I hope so too… for both of us.” She took another small moment to take a breath, and stare at Akari’s sword on the wall for a moment more, feeling the tug on her heart, and then waiting to see if Tengoku had any closing remarks. If he did not, she would make her way out of the office.

Tengoku would raise an eyebrow as she grasped his hand however lightly she intended. He could barely feel it. A pressure sure but like one had when the nerve was numbed. He would let his amber eyes shift to her hand. Curiosity coming over him as he expanded his sensory in silence. Using that chakra sensory to its full potential and feeling outwards to the full thousand meters. He could feel dozens upon dozens of signatures. He could feel them in every direction and in varying degree. From a small child freshly born at the hospital to the jounin having a spar at the grand training facility. Still she would shine brighter than most in the village. Making no attempt to hide it. He felt her squeeze as she tried to reassure him and he considered the difference between them. Chakra wise she was superior. Powerful in her own right in comparison to anyone he knew. Still despite the differences in chakra he knew she was fast too. He could perceive her attacks but he wasn't sure he could ever catch up. He was more certain of that now. That his blade was going to be the fastest. However he could tell now at his level...he was physically stronger.

He was being forced to learn there were different kinds of strength in this world. Different minds and some more savage and unethical than others. Still the one all knew as the worlds strongest was at that summit. She had shown him that ancient powers were on the move. Ancient and terrible. Powers she rivaled. That Shimiko rivaled. He needed to as well. Still he would give Kagura a nod. He wasn't sure what else to add to the conversation. She would come if she could in their hour of need...but she would need to be stronger for this too. Perhaps this journey of discovery would benefit her there. Grant her power and let her maintain control. It was optimistic and foolishly so. But his sister wasn't here to consult and he didn't like taking others freedoms from them. He wanted them to feel free and heal. He just hoped he wouldn't regret it later. Once she was gone he would sink into his seat and let out a sigh from the depths of his chest. Well that was just great. People trying to leave left and right. At least this one had the presence of mind to just ask...damn Uchiha.

exit thread
6 posts = 60 exp

A simple nod was the only reply, and she knew that she was being dismissed. Considering what had transpired here, she would only bow her head once in respect, before turning and moving to the door. She had come prepared. Just outside the door was everything she owned of value inside of a large backpack; she had some help sealing what she would need into scrolls to save on space, and she could unseal them once she arrived at her destination, wherever that might be. Nothing would be the same, and for all she knew, she would be coming right back here after meeting up with a dead end.

Or she could be discovering something this world has never seen. Either way, she needed the break, and time to heal.

Slipping the pack onto her shoulders she moved towards the exit, giving a respectful nod here and there as she left. Kagura waited patiently until she was outside the building before carefully taking a breath, and concealing her chakra entirely; it was taxing to keep it hidden, but she would need to do so in order to ensure that she wasn’t so easily tracked on her journey. She would sleep in caves and other natural barriers that would help conceal her massive chakra pool and make her way towards the gates, knowing that this very well could be the last time she saw this place.

No it wouldn’t. She would be back for that sword that belonged to Akari, if nothing else, to add t the shrine she would keep for the fallen Uchiha when she settled. But she would do that once she felt like she had earned it.

[EXIT]
[7 Posts, Social 2 Writer Thread = 70 EXP]