Oh, Before I forget

Denkiteki, Toma, and Tomoya would travel through the land of earth alongside Akihana and Maku, traveling on there way to the neighboring Haven Country.

Denkiteki was dressed in his normal traveling attire, his manipulated fabric in the form of a jounin vest that seemed similiar to the style of old kirigakure, the pants and shit black and the vest a dark brown color. His cloak was on a well, covering his form and eliminating any scent that came from him. His weapons were in their usual positions as well. He was meant to appear as a sword for hire and hopefully he looked the part, he wasn't armed to the teeth but hopefully he would come across as someone who was deadly. Toma looked a bit young and Akihana's demeanor wasn't intimidating, though Den wondered if her medical skills alone might perhaps be enough to secure an alliance with a country that lacked any form of shinobi, let alone medical nin.

Toma's attire was simple shorts and t shirt, with his weapon pouch attached to his belt at his hip. Tomoya was dressed in pants and a short sleeved shirt, with his weapon pouch in the same position. Tomoya's sword was at his right hip as he was left handed like Den, Toma's sword however was extremely long and he had to wear it on his back, the hilt poking out over his shoulder.

As they traveled through the hilly landscape of Haven Den wondered if he would need anything from Maku or Tomoya, seeing as he wouldn't really have access to them for help soon due to them trying to infiltrate the group that murdered Min. He didn't need anything form Tomoya, he believed that the being had managed to seal the cloned bijuu into Akihana fairly well and that the seal wouldn't need any adjustments anytime soon. What about Maku? Den had actually been interested in some of the space time techniques is brother had used, the strange golden bubble that had teleported Den and Aki, at one point also seeming to disappear from one spot and re-appear in another when they first met at Shimagakure.

Thinking he might as well ask his brother about it real quick Den's eyes turned red as he released a tad of his chakra into his eyes, the sharingan adapted so well to his body now that activating its 3 tomoes required no effort. If the group was traveling at a pace Den would call out to his brother, but if they were currently at a slower pace he would simply speak.

"Maku, remember when we first met and Naoki teleported us out of that bar? What technique did you use to travel away from us so quickly after we appeared at the bar? I’ve been meaning to ask you if you could teach me it.” If it was actual teleportation like it had seemed, Den would love to have such a technique in his arsenal. He had tried to develop his ability to teleport using Sanctuary to the point of being useful in combat, but it had such a delay that there was really no way he could use it in combat. Maku had teleported as soon as they had arrived at the beach, near instantly. Den hadn’t really thought upon how powerful the technique was at the time as he had been busy trying to procure Maku as an ally. But now that they were traveling to Haven, the place where Den’s enemies resided, Den would likely need a technique that would allow him to easily get out of sticky situations.

-1 AP for sharingan (nullified by sage transformation ap regain)

This land was... not level.

That was Akihana's first impression of Iwa and its surrounding area. The land beneath their feet might have been flat it it was far from even and the kunoichi had to wonder what had happened to it. She had heard there was a minor shinobi village here, and that gems and other minerals were produced locally in Earth Country. From what she could remember, farming had also been a sizable trade here and now it just looked dusty and neglected. No farmlands greeted the travelers, no people for that matter either though that could be because they looke collectively intimidating, all save Akihana who added a touch of softness with her white cape and picnic basket, the hood of her cloak covering her golden head. The cloak, a creation of Den's, let the dust particles off her and gave her more shade than such a garment normally would and the kunoichi was thankful for it.

Thankful, but watchful at the same time. If they hadn't ran into anyone by then, it could only mean that either they had walked into trouble or were about to. People were dependable that way. Akihana personally preferred meeting the locals on a mission to get a better lay of the land. But here the lack of locals suggested the presence of something a lot more ominous.

"I heard there used to be a small ninja village in here, Iwagakure if I'm not mistaken," she asked her travelling companions, her soft voice nonetheless carrying over to everyone when she spoke. "Anyone know what happened to it?" Akihana would wait a few moments for a reply and then fall silent, considering the answer.

It would be at this moment when Den spoke up, mentioning someone she had never heard of, the kunoichi filed the name away for later reflection as she focused now on keeping up with everyone else. Den seemed to be travelling slower so the others wouldn't feel bad and Akihana could appreciate the sentiment. Her training lately had proven that she could be almost if not completely on par with Den in terms of speed, and the kunoichi had the mischievous idea to challenge the young doctor to a race one day.

The blonde banished the thought quickly. They were on a mission, they had to remain focused.

At Den's words Maku would slow, and essentially come to a stop. After all, it wasn't easy to teach someone something while running at full speed. Once they had, he would think back to Shima. It had seemed like so long ago, a life time almost. When so many things had been important, and there still had been goals. Now however, was diffrent and a little thing like protecting his secrets mattered much less.

"O yea, I just call that blinking." He said wth a smile. "Basically it's just moving from one space to another instantly. Transposing yourself in space to a new one. It's.....I don't know, simplicity incarnate." Forming a single hand sign he would appear instantly 5 meters forward to be standing next to Den. "I suppose it's limited. You need to see where your going, and you appear just as you were, but small sacrifices for the pinnacle of dodging techniques." He would say with a chuckle. He normally didn't need the seal, but he was not naive to the sharingans powers. How they made it easier to see the distribution of chakra, the way the whole thing worked.

"Give it a shot, your my equal with space and time chakra I think, so no doubt you'll pick it up easy. Just....errr don't aim to low, don't want to splinch off a foot in the dirt." He would say with a half grin or maybe a grimace. Leaving it up to interpretation of he was joking on the plausibility or not of what he had just said.

As den practiced, Maku would address Akihana and her query should she still ask. "It wasn't so small. I used to live there. It's where I got my first real job, which led to a great many things. It's gone now though." He would say wth a flick of his wrist in a nonchalant gesture. It was true, it was gone. He had seen to that. The systematic destruction of the place, countless souls silenced when silence still held priority. A shame really, their voices would have been an aid. Such pointless waste, and if there was something Maku hated it was pointless waste, even if he had been a party to more waste than anyone he knew.

Akihana was wondering about the populace of of Iwagakure. Denhad personally never been to the place, but he knew a few things about its recent history. Tengakure had originally been the one to take it over and reduce it to a minor village, and for some time the village was very inactive before some man called Near took it over. One of Den's former creations, Takehiko, had met this Near just before his death at the hands of some wind user, which Den didn't realize was Echo, the 9 tails jin that Den had met while he was in Takigakure.

Den's brother quickly explained how the jutsu of his worked, and refered to it as blinking. as he made the seal Den's sharingan would capture Maku's chakra flow in its gaze, memorizing eveyr detail of it just before Maku disappeared from existence, re-appearing even closer to Den.
It was in fact a space time technique, and as Den’s mind deciphered the technique he saw how it worked, how it was better than his teleportation for quick movements.

As his brother finished explaining the technique after teleporting in front of him Den could only say “That’s absolutely amazing.” Den had desired a technique of such potency, even with its limits such a technique could get a person out of some very sticky situations.

His brother told him to give it a shot, but to watch out in case he lost a foot. Den looked to his brother with surprise a moment, wondering if he actually meant that. There was no answer in his brothers visage, and Den had no desire to test the theory even though he could regrow his foot, so he supposed he wouldn’t find out if his brother was joking or not anytime soon.

Maku left Den to practice the technique as he explained some facts about Iwagakure to Akihana. Taking a deep breath, Den went through the information he had gathered from watching his brother do the technique, and from the explanation his brother gave as well. Performing 3 hand seals, Den’s chakra molded itself in the same way Den had saw Maku. His sharingan had perfectly deciphered the technique, so mechanically his performance of the jutsu was perfect as he disappeared from time and space for a split moment, appearing 5 meters forward. He had focused a bit to high up however, and was 3 meters above the ground as well.

Den landed on the ground fairly softly however, his feet not making a sound even as they flattened the grass beneath them. Grinning, Den would turn to his traveling companions as Maku finished explaining a bit of what he knew about Iwa to Aki, ending by saying the village was gone but not explaining why.

As soon as his brother finished speaking Den would speak, “Sorry for causing the delay everyone, shall we continue?” Fortunately thanks to his sharingan Den managed to learn the technique almost instantly, Maku’s explanations had helped as well. His eyes returning to blue, Den would look between Maku and Aki as he asked, “Do you think we should be splitting up soon as well?”

(WC for Blink reached, sharingan copy + being taught to strong)

How a whole village could just be gone, Akihana had no clue. Though the kunoichi feared asking the question would be more problemetic still. For now, she could exist in the prepetual state of not knowing what could have happened to an entire ninja village to the extent that no signs of any kind of human settlement greeted the three travellers so far. It wasn't that the blonde was ignorant of what at least one of her companions were capable of, it was more that she had decided a while ago not to see him that way. Naive as it might be, Akihana hoped that if she stopped seeing him that way, he too would come around to her way of thinking.

And if not, she had been disappointed before and lived.

The young woman watched Den learn the new jutsu, another creation of spacetime and extremely handy too from the looks of it. It was a pity she couldn't learn it.

"I think it might be best. Maybe we're being avoided because we look too formidable as a group. On our own we might have a better chance at nearing Haven and seeing what's going in in there." With that, the kunoichi would prepare for what the group decided next. "We can meet at the gates or even inside the village to go over what we found," she added the suggestion politely.

Akihana seemed to accept his story at face.  Or she pretended to, either way it came to the same result.  He didn't much think her gnorance was the factor, instead maybe self inflicted naivety.  In answer he just smiled and left things the way they were.  After all, nothing could change the past, that's why it's in the past.  If ones sins where to take one to salvation, are they really sins?  Though, given the current state of assignments.....salvation isn't on the menu.  Revenge perhaps, but not salvation.  It's a dangerous ideology when one gets the two mixed up.

As Den seemed to get the hang of the technique, He gave voice to the idea of breaking off.  It was true that it had even been Maku's own idea.  The only part that unsettled him was taking one of Den's students, at least that's what he assumed they were.  He wasn't used to working with anyone on something of this scale with anyone, except perhaps Youka.  It was in fact Aki's suggestions that sparked the light of an idea.

"Meeting at the gates, I think that's a fine idea, a fine idea indeed.  I think we should do that."  He would say.  Probably over stating the fact that they should indeed.....meet at the gates.  A fact that either of the expierenced shinobi might pick up on.  This would give Maku his own chance to break away for a bit.  He wanted the opportunity to look upon the city a bit without the eyes of others.  He viewed this new place like a beautiful women, and he'd have her hands on her first.  To converse with her, learn a few of her secrets, but just a few it would of course be their first rendezvous.  He could play the gentleman.

"I think it best if I err go ahead on my own.  Just for a bit you know."  He would say with a bit of a coy smile.  "It's just....I think I have a knack for certain things, and well....:solo I think I can get farther at first.  No offense meant."  He would add with a brief bow and salute towards his intended traveling partner,  

He would hear what the others had to say about this, but already his mind reeled over the possibilities he could achieve by himself.  His skill set, his abilities were practically tailor made for infiltration.  His personality and charisma as good as any cloak.  He just wanted an extra day or two.  That wasn't so much to ask.....now was it?

Akihana voiced her agreement on splitting up now, saying they should meet back up later upon arriving at whatever major city or village they found. Den was fine with that, and as his brother spoke t seemed Maku didn’t want to infiltrate the enemy force now but instead check things out and meet back up with them after doing so. They wouldn’t get as much information as they would have if Maku did infiltrate the enemy force, but if his brother would join him in fighting the enemy sooner that just meant they would become a more potent force within the region quicker. Den had witnessed his brother’s incredible destructive power, and imagined with his great chakra control he possessed a number of techniques that could be used with great precision as well. Together, and with Akihana operating as their medic and perhaps also as a combatant there was little doubt in Den that they could take on most obstacles.

Tomoya was a bit upset to hear he wouldn’t be traveling with Den’s brother, he was interested in possibly getting to know Maku and see what traits he shared with Tomoya’s creator. He didn’t let these feeling show however, instead he just smiled, “Alright, I’ll just stay with the others then.” Tomoya had sort of liked the idea of infiltrating somewhere again, he had quite enjoyed Kumo even though gruesome things had happened at the gates a few times.

After Tomoya spoke Den would chime in with his own words, “Alright, we’ll find the capital of this place and try and see if they’ll accept out offers of support, meet us their once you’re ready.” Den would nod to his brother, hoping that he’d be alright. He knew Maku was more than just capable, but he seemed to have a knack of getting involved with serious situations, he didn’t want for some being like the one that had taken kurama to cripple his brother and this time Den not be there to help him.

He had to remember that his brother had gotten along just fine without him before though, and that the situation with Kurama had likely been a special one. Maku could take care of himself, with techniques like the one he had just shown Den and the raw power he could unleash as well Den most likely had nothing to worry about.

If no one had anything else to say, Den would lead the rest of the group onwards towards Haven, leaving Maku to find his own path.

TWC: 1546
1,000 towards learning blink (half because taught, halved again because sharingan copy)
546/1000 towards mastery
700 ryo

[Exit]

approved

Once it had been decided that they would split up and meet back at the city that functioned as the capital of Haven, Akihana took a moment to mentally wish everyone a safe journey before looking at Den. Directing chakra to her feet, the kunoichi tucked her picnic basket safely beside her before adding another precaution.

Not that they would be attacked mid journey, at least she didn't think they would, but an extra layer of genjutsu never hurt. To anyone viewing her them from afar, Akihana, Den and the rest would simply look like dust clouds, gone before anyone could recognize ninja and the speeds with which they traveled. It wasn't so much a jutsu as an aura of chakra around the blonde and those within range of of her but it did help deter any unwanted attention until they had reached their destination.

Once the precaution was in place, Akihana sped off after Den, keeping her gaze straight ahead and leaving her thoughts in an entirely different direction.

(Exit Akihana)

793 words towards Demonic Illusion False Surroundings

It seemed settled.  With nothing left to contribute Maku merely watched as the people he called company take their leave.  Quite a group, formidable indeed.  In a world were team work was often over shadowed by individual glory he doubted very much that the pairings before him need take pause at any but the most extreme of circumstances.  Soon he would be alone, the dust his only ally.  It wasn't so bad, the silence.  Well ok it was half way to torture at times, but still it was the lot he had choosen to draw.  It was for the best, at least he thought so.

He would begin to walk slowly in the direction he believed the Capitol was.  It wouldn't take long to get there once he actually picked up his feet so no need to rush.  Plans and schemes ran through his head as he anticipated the lies and secrets he would weave in his route to making their plan come to a true fruition. Some elaborate, and some so basic it was almost laughable.  Though, simplicity was often the most dangerous kind of complex.  Walking through the front door was quicker and so often unexpected.  He would find out exactly what they were dealing with, and in his own way.

A few more steps and he slid the mask completely over his face.  His chakra immediately cut off from sensory except for those stronger than him.  Making a half hand seal his chakra would raise even further.  A bluish tiny covering his body.  Well, best make sure just in case.  Another seal and he seemed to vanish in a cloud of dust.  300 speed he made his way well past anything and anyone in front of him.  He wanted to get their quick, and unseen.  So overt well, it's almost covert.

(Exit into haven country, claiming a turkey sandwich cause it's lunch time, that'll be all thanks)