Returning a Stray Mongrel

How long had it been since he'd seen Hoshi's walls? Mere weeks, perhaps. Yet here he was, again, with no Maku in sight. That was probably for the best, Kozai thought, as he walked toward the gates. As he neared the area, anyone with 81 stats or lower would be frozen in place by his sheer power, which would manifest as small white wisps, kind of like icy smoke around him.

As soon as he reached the gates, the wisps would come together, coagulating into a massive white skeletal monster that shrieked skyward before dissipating. Even though his display of power would still be in effect, the white manifestations would be gone. The shriek, however, would echo and rebound throughout the relevant parts of the village. Whoever was in charge around here would probably hear it (and hopefully, see his brief display) and come to see what was going on.

However, it was of note that as he was walking toward the gates, he began to mind read the man within him. Denkiteki, was it now? Well then... he didn't have time to examine all the man's memories, but because of his genesis surgery, Denkiteki would not be able to tell that he was mind-reading him (due to the sense-jamming mechanic). Most notably, he needed to find a person named Akihana.

Should there be any guards, he'd ignore them unless they took action. Among Den's memories, he found something about him telling one of his own creations to go look for Akihana before he engaged Kozai in the woods outside Hoshi. So... she should be coming around any time now.

“Mommy, were you crying last night?” Arata’s eyelids were heavy, his voice laced with the fast approaching onset of deep sleep. It was only in his clouded form of mind did her six year old refer to her as “mommy”, and only in this state would he ask her a question he normally never would. It had taken Arata a while to understand his mother was human and that it wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. The boy still showed signs of irritation at Akihana, especially at her passive nature but with Arashi’s help, he was at least learning to tolerate it if not support it.

And then there were moments like these when he was just her little boy.

“Why would you ask that?” the blonde questioned in return, not wanting to lie. In truth she couldn’t remember if she’d shed a tear or wept out her entire soul when she’d received the letter and the blue rose she had left behind. All she really knew was that the prominent emptiness that had lodged itself inside her was still very much there. Along with Makona, this was another sensation she would have to get used to, and unlike the Bijuu, this would hurt far more. Perhaps Makona had sensed her grief, perhaps it had decided that it couldn’t do anything worse to Akihana than the kunoichi was doing to herself, whatever the reason, Makona had been quiet and for that, the blonde was grateful.

“I heard you,” Arata responded, his eyes closing. “You were s- sa-,” and just like that, he was asleep, his head laid carefully on the young woman’s lap, his dark hair strewn all over the soft pink gown that adorned her frame. It wasn’t really time for him to sleep but with a six year old as excitable as hers, she would not look impromptu naps in the mouth. Leaning down, the blonde lightly kissed her child’s forehead, saying the usual prayer for his sweet dreams. Arata had gone to sleep in a weird position, with not only his head in her lap but one of his hands holding on to hers. Not wanting to disturb him, Akihana used her free hand to summon Momma Dough.

“What Is it child?”

“Momma Dough, could you please take Arata to Sanctuary, I’m afraid he’s never going to get any rest here, and you know he’ll wake up the second I move.” The slug nodded, wobbling towards the blonde in the private section of the sunny courtyard where mother and son had been spending time that afternoon. The slug lumbered over to Akihana, giving her a long, doleful look.

“What did you do to yourself, child?”

“It’ll be okay Momma Dough, please just take Arata. And after that, if you’d be so kind as to find Arashi, I think he’s studying in the palace library. Ask if he’d like to join his brother for a bit of peace and quiet too.” The matriarchal slug nodded, extending a thick fuzzy hand to touch Arata before both disappeared in a noiseless plume of smoke.

Rising to her feet, Akihana smoothed own her dress, a pale pink floor length number that didn’t have much to its credit save the fact that it was actually hers. Princess Lissandra’s clothes no longer adorned her body though they did occupy the ample cupboards in her chambers. After the passing of the latest princess from Bird Country, Akihana had come to the realization that no matter what Queen Shiera thought, Akihana could never be like those girls. Those regal, royal symbols of hope that warmed the heart of the city, they had their own place among the stars now and Akihana was a poor replacement for either one. No, better to live as herself than a copy that could never hope to live up to the original. The kunoichi had never pretended to be more than she was but recent events had made her realize that she was even lesser than she had thought.

Perhaps if she’d been more compelling, he would have stayed…

Shaking her head, the medical ninja made her way inside, determined not to think such thoughts. Just as she was about to step through the threshold to the antechamber, two Queensmen came charging around the corner, nearly bowling her over if the Kunoichi hadn’t sidestepped them and pressed her body flat against the wall. The Quensmen seem to continue for a moment before turning around and realizing what they’d done.

“So sorry Your Grace,” Began one just as the other said “There’s an intruder.”

“Calm down Sirs, please, tell me what’s wrong,” she asked, her voice slow and soothing, not unlike when she dealt with her sons on the verge of irritation.

Both Queensmen looked at each other before beginning to speak once more. Realizing the error, one closed his mouth, letting the other talk.

“There’s someone at the gates, we don’t know if he’s… your sort but there are monsters in the sky, Your Grace,” the man explained almost apologetically. “We can’t find Hayato-sama, and Prince Arthur seems to be missing too. The people at the gates Your Grace... they’re scared. And the priests are saying the…” He didn’t need to continue, Akihana knew exactly what he meant. Of course the religious elders of Hoshi would see it as God’s wrath raining down upon Hoshi for the blasphemy that were ninja. Sometimes Akihana wished she could simply call a congregation and have them sit together until all differences were sorted but she knew that wasn’t a possibility at the moment. If only people saw others as people first and shinobi later.

“It’s going to be alright, I’ll find Den and the prince, and I’ll go with you,” she reassured the two men who let out audible sighs of relief. The blonde had no idea what could be terrorizing the guards and civilians at the gates but it certainly warranted a looking at. “Please excuse me a minute.”

With that, the kunoichi ducked into the nearest room, the portrait room as it turned out. First making the handseals for her summons, she called forth Cream, Cookie and Fondant. Cookie immediately curled into her body, slithering his way up her sleeve and lodging himself safely in the crook of her elbow, gathering nature energy, not pleased at being disturbed. “Cream, please find Den and deliver this to him,” the blonde requested, writing up a hasty chit of paper informing Den to meet her at the gates. She had no idea where the other sage was but if he was in the city or anywhere Akihana had been before, including Sanctuary, the little slug would find him. Cream nodded before disappearing with a small pop and a salute. Next, Akihana coaxed Fondant towards her, the gentle slug slow but steady as she placed it on her shoulder.

“I need your help sweetie,” the blonde asked but even before she had completed the request, she could feel the health boost running through her system. Her slugs may not look very impressive in the traditional ninja sense but they were hers and she would never trade them. Finally, Akihana made the last handseals for the session, one for a shadow clone. The clone, due to their telepathic link, did not need telling what to do. The mirror Akihana in the same pink dress, small gold tiara and loosely braided golden hair nodded her head slightly before exiting the room towards the two Queensmen, leaving the real Akihana to help Cookie gather nature energy and wait for a reply from Den.

“Aright, let’s go,” the clone kunoichi spoke, making her way to the Queensmen who – albeit frightened – walked ahead of her towards the gates where all the commotion was coming from. As she neared the gates, the clone could tell something was very wring. The monstrous figure that dominated the skies - though gone now - was indeed a terrifying sight and she already knew no matter what the outcome of this event, this would just be another thing the pious people of Hoshi would forever chalk up against ninja. Still, they would cross that bridge when they got there.

Turning on her own display of power, the clone made sure not to send any threatening images, her own aura reflected in a peaceful rainbow stretched across the sky, rays of warm light spilling in shards across the glowing prism of color. While some shinobi used their aura to incapacitate lower ranked ninja, Akihana used hers to put people at ease. She hoped a similar effect would manifest on those who were paralyzed by the skeletal figure now as she made her way to the young man who seemed to be responsible.

“Well met, sir.” She began, nodding curiously as she reached within five meters of the stranger. The two Queensmen accompanying her froze in their tracks but Akihana stepped ahead, walking without fear towards the stranger. “Welcome to Hoshigakure, I apologize for the request but could you please retract the aura, it’s scaring our civilians, especially children.” Should he comply and the shrieking end with her request, the blonde would thank him with a grateful smile. Should he not, she would let it go. The man clearly seemed upset, and though this spectacle would cause more problems in the long run, there was an upset person to see to right now.

“May I ask your business in Hoshi?’ she inquired politely. “We usually have a very straight forward entrance policy. If you’d allow, one of our guards would be happy to register you and allow you entry into our city.”

(Not counting AP yet because hopefully this won't turn into a battle. If it does, I'll of course tally up the numbers. Sorry for the long wait, Khai. <3)

Kozai didn't have long to wait until some woman showed up along with her guards. It didn't take him long to use Denkiteki's memories to identify them as "Queensguard". So, Hoshigakure was ruled by a matriarch after all. He'd never heard of such a thing, but it meant little to him. Thinking on it now, he should probably process as many of Denkiteki's memories as possible, starting with the ones pertaining to this woman, "Akihana". After all, was she not standing here before him? Regardless, this was a good thing. She was the one with whom he wanted to speak. He noted what she was wearing... what was this, some kind of traditional get-up? Kozai had no sense in fashion (just look at what he wore!) so he couldn't exactly judge her for it. Still, didn't it seem a tad... unprofessional? It wasn't efficient and streamlined enough. Oh well, clothes aside, he took a single step forward, constantly examining everything with his sensories. With this, he was able to get a scope of exactly how the woman was, how fast she was, how durable she was, even the power of her chakra. Everything was subject to his cold, harsh scrutiny.

Then, on the very edge of his vision, he saw it: an identical copy of the woman in front of him. Or was it the other way around? After all... this one had that slug on her. Den knew about them too, though Kozai didn't care much to analyze the information about them within Den's mind. All he knew was that they, like Den's snakes, had something to do with that nature energy power. Prior to this, Kozai had no idea that such a power existed... his sub-conscious briefly danced over the possibilities for its use, whether as a weapon or as a healing tool.
Huh... so, she was too afraid to come out and face him? No... more like she was too smart. He had to admit, he approved of this method. If there was any sort of conflict, then the "real" Akihana would be safe and prepared to deal with anything that might come. Naturally, the inhabitants of village had most likely already marked him as a hostile, especially since he had taken a much more direct approach to entry this time around. As expected, he thought, while examining the "real" Akihana more closely. So this was Hoshi's healer?

From what he now knew, she had been taken from Kumo, which had been destroyed by none other than... Youka?? Now that was something interesting to learn. Regardless, this explained quite a few things to Kozai, especially why he had been unable to summon the dark boy from Kumo before. Most likely, he was dead; what a waste of potential. Oh well, people died every day. It wasn't like he had been there to prevent it. What was most interesting was the wide variety of interactions she had had with the people around her. So much information to analyze.... it was best to just extract the most important parts.
So, she had access to some kind of dimension stemming from Denkiteki's own powers? ... Just like Arcanis, huh. Knowing this made Kozai much more wary of these Hoshi folk. He had seen and experienced firsthand what those "other worlds" were capable of, and he didn't want to get trapped in one again. Absentmindedly, he thought of the ring that was still around the ring-finger on his left hand. Originally, it had been a passage to Darcania, but now that Arcanis was dead, the dimension had collapsed (most likely). Still, not that much of a loss. The ring, at any rate, was now just a useless hunk of metal.

Knowing that she was also a medical ninja made things more simple and yet more complicated at the same time. On one hand, they operated on a similar basis and used similar techniques. If forced to fight her, he could analyze her moves pretty quickly, no doubt. However, if this was indeed not a confrontation, then he'd have to face the fact that from what Den knew of her personality, she most likely followed a code of ethics. How disgusting, he thought.
Regardless, he'd pretend to be fooled by her ruse of sending forth a clone. He'd probably be able to get more out of her that way, but that really wasn't his goal here. Kozai was at these gates for one reason only.
From what he now knew, Kozai wasn't surprised at all by her request. Selfless regard for others... it was something that Kozai had somewhat limited understanding of. Ever since he had been a young chunin who had nightmares about himself, he had always valued "the individual". Self-concern was something Kozai believed in more than most other people, something that both Agito and Echo had tried to sway him away from.

However, since they hadn't given any concrete evidence as to why senseless altruism was profitable, he hadn't given it any mind. Why chase after something not grounded in fact? Sure, altruism in some cases was good. Take, for example, vampire bats. There were instances of this in nature everywhere. But for humanity? Hah! Human beings were selfish beings inherently. Of course he should expect their altruism to be corrupt. Still, it was part of what mankind was. That sort of thing... it wasn't necessarily bad, now was it?
He toned down his aura as the feeling of power evaporated around him. Now that he was before Akihana, the expression of anger on his face deepened slightly.
"I'm not here to scare your people."
Thrusting his right arm out to the side, the flesh of his hand began to ripple, and with a drastic ripping sound, Denkiteki would fall onto the ground beside him, a little moist with interstitial fluid. Kozai gave him a little glance of disgust, then turned back to Akihana. When he did raise his eyes to meet hers, they would be burning red with the power of the sharingan. Now that she knew that he had the village's leader, she'd most likely engage.

"Is this yours?"

His deep voice was tuned to fit the harsh and piercing query. Kozai would lower his arm to his side, his sheer rage unconsciously manifesting as small amounts of frost around his feet.

"This one went out of his way to monitor me and hunt me down."

Kozai knew this from his examination of Den's memories. The manner in which Den had done this... it was fascinating. Kozai would be sure to attempt to replicate these effects later using different methods. However, now was not the time to think about that. If anything, Kozai was focused.

"You'll stop your village's operations to hunt me down. It's not like I'm causing your village any harm; and what I do with the bandits in the area is my own business. Attempting to punish me for using their corpses won't get you anywhere."

This was a vastly different approach then what he had tried last time. Rather than taking the sneaky approach, he had just walked up and stated what he had come for. He felt that maybe the indirect, subtle methods didn't quite appeal to these villagers. Well, that was their preference, and he'd cater to it.

Naturally, he'd keep a careful eye (and his sensories) out for any other movement. The slight breeze over the land shifted his rather scuffed labcoat and dark hair, as the night bore on. Kozai's body was tense, ready for Akihana to rush at him. His subconcious was still compiling what Den knew about her abilites... what fearsome power. Still, he'd be ready. Had he not been training and studying all his life for encounters like these? If she didn't intend to fight, however, then his business would most likely be done here.

In truth, there was something about that woman that Kozai couldn't quantify. As such, it made him uneasy. Despite her rather unique clothing, there was something.... matronly, perhaps, about her. Thinking back to every shinobi he'd ever known, there was no one he'd ever met with this kind of aura. No, it was more like... he'd wanted to feel this kind of presence for a very long time. Had he ever really experienced a person like that? A... mother?

What was he thinking?

He couldn't possibly form a silly attachment to a person he had just met, a person from a village that was apparently hostile to them. Besides, he had no place here, in a village full of idealists... right? He'd just head out onto the borders again.... where else would he go? Konoha, Suna, Kumo.... there was no place for him. Well, again, it was as he thought. He didn't need a place to take him in anymore. This encounter with Denkiteki had proven that to him. People didn't trust him, and rightfully so. After all, he didn't place his trust in any human being... well at least, not anymore.

To say that Akihana was surprised at the way this stranger expelled Den, her Golden Eye studying his movements intently, would be an understatement. The blonde had seen a lot in her time but this was not something she'd witnessed before. Still, as Den landed on the ground - and not too gently at that - her first thought was concern for the Hoshi leader. Worry clouded her expression but he looked unhurt save the small film covering his frame.

"Yes he's ours," the medical ninja confirned, her expression equal parts worried for Den's current condition and grateful to the stranger for bring her friend home. "Please allow us to take him to the hospital," she requesting softly, assuring him that while she had no problem continuing their conversation, she had to ensure Den's safety first. A few orderlies would step in at her request, taking Den with them.

"I'd like to extend my gratitude to you for bringing Denkiteki back," she spoke once more when Den and the orderlies were gone, "We've just suffered a great loss, I don't think we could have recovered from another." Of course, she might never recover, but this stranger didn't need to know that. The sadness in her heart had to remain unseen for the moment.

Golden eyebrows rose in surprise when the young man revealed that he had been hunted. "Hoshi is not in the business of hunting down people who don't mean it harm," she replied simply. "I'm afraid I can't tell you why Denkiteki came after you but if you truly mean us no harm then Hoshi is not a threat to you. " raising her golden eyes to his once more, the kunoichi tried something.

"Where are you from?" She asked, her worry for Den finally fading enough to properly take in the boy in front of her. "And would you like a place to rest?" she added automatically, her maternal instincts latching on to his thin frame and dark eyes that indicated a lack of sleep. "We owe you a lot more than food and bedding for the night but I hope its a start. I'll be able to talk to Den while you rest and we can sort out this whole confusion. Hoshigakure might not be as comfortable as your home but we try to live by a code of brotherhood and kindness."

As the attendents came over to collect Denkiteki, Kozai gave them no mind... at least, outwardly. Internally, however, he was monitoring them using his sensories. Any aggressive moves (which didn't happen) would have resulted in his instant retaliation. From Den's memories (which at this point were only about 12% processed), he knew that this woman was powerful, but not dangerous. How was that possible? She was clearly human.... Kozai had made sure of that to within 96% of certainty. But yet... she was somehow not bound by the rules of "power use leads to more power use"? For people like that to exist... it was contradictory to his own perception of the world.

"Tch. Sure, take him." He'd speak in response to the woman's first quip about allowing them to retrieve him. He wanted to examine Denkiteki's body some more, as he now knew that the man was a researcher as well. Naturally, they had different methods, but that was to be expected. As an individual, it was pretty unlikely that anyone would have the same type of processes that Kozai did when it came to information-gathering. What surprised him was that he still hadn't been attacked yet. Sure, she had been surprised at Denkiteki's presence, but he at least expected her to go for the throat.

Skimming through Den's memories again, he noted that she was speaking the truth. The man had acted... independently? Then the village wasn't hostile to him after all, perhaps. In that case, what motivation did Denkiteki have for this? Was it out of rash concern for his suboordinates? How irrational. Regardless, he knew very well that to put trust in people like this would be certain doom. Every aspect of his mind was screaming at him to leave this place be and find somewhere else to settle down.

Deep inside, though, Kozai was really just a hurt and lonely teenager, despite what he thought about himself, or what he thought he knew about the world. Akihana's rather motherly aura drew out something in him that he hadn't felt before.

"Very well." He supposed that he should be polite about this, considering what she was offering. "I'll take you up on your offer."

But don't think that your "brotherhood and kindness" will change anything. I'll cooperate and be a "good person"... but I still don't trust any of you.

"I'm originally from Iwagakure, but I'm sure you became aware of its destruction a long time ago. You could say that I've been wandering since then."

[Shortposting to get this over with, since I know you're getting busy]

Akihana nodded, trying and failing to hide the small flash of pain in her golden eyes at the mention of Iwa's destruction. There was a lot Maku had done that was worthy of objection though perhaps his recent disappearance worst of them all. Still, now was no time to dwell on shaterred dreams, there were children to look after.

"I'll show you to the spare lodgings by our library," she offered kindly, turning to lead him there herself. "Hoshigakure has a rather extensive if unorganised archives, we've been trying to sort it out but as things stand, people in a new ninja village are for more interested in being outdoors than in the company of old books. The building itself I've been told is of remarkable arcetechture."

Akihana would slowly lead him through the city, pointing out places of worship, where he could get food, water and medicine if he required, she even stopped briefly in the town square where a group of children were jumping ropes in a game, pausing to adress each child by name and making them greet Hoshi's newest visitor politely. One dark haired little girl would look up at the young man curiously before blushing deep red and shying away.

"Well, I have a feeling little Shehzaadi will discover an interest in the library," the blonde smiled before the small party moved onwords.

Twenty minutes later, Akihana had had the lodgings opened and inspected to make sure it was habitable before she turned to the teen once more. "As I mentioned before, my name is Akihana, but sometimes people of this city refer to me as "Your Grace" or even "The Mother", you may address me as you like, I don't mind. What would you like us to call you though?" It was more polite to ask what he preferred being called than to ask his name, and Akihana was not one to be rude.

Following the woman in, he noted the features of the village. Not really changed much since he had last been there, but there were now actually people in the area. Made sense, he supposed, considering the time of day. At this time, of course, the sharingan would be deactivated, as any sort of crisis seemed to be over. Now that he was given a closer look at the village, he noted just how.... well, traditional it looked. Yes, that was one way to put it. The systems within buildings and underneath the earth were antiquated, at least, compared to what he had been used to.

He'd be housed near the library...? This was good. He'd have easy access to all the information. Naturally, he'd expected that it'd be disorganized. A village like this probably wouldn't value objective information very much, and what Akihana said only served to confirm that very suspicion. That was fine, it looked like he'd now have something to fill his time. Who knows; this might even be entertaining. The thought of finding books that he hadn't quite read yet filled him with a sense of anticipation. Even more information he would eventually be able to commit to memory.

Place of food, water and medicine? Well... not really pertinent to him. Eating and drinking would prevent him from having to use chakra with Seisei, but being a medical ninja, medicine was entirely unnecessary. Still, he guessed that it was just a kind gesture from the woman, as useless as it was. He didn't make a comment, but instead followed her on to the town square.

Children playing, huh. They were being polite, though he assumed that it was only because Akihana was there. No doubt they were all adorable rascals. Not a bad thing, per se. He noted that one of them was blushing; something he definitely wouldn't miss or ignore. He didn't have feelings towards children (he wasn't that kind of person), but he didn't have an issue with helping a kid maintain a healthy crush. He knew that Tatakai back in Iwa had had a similar attachment to him... before the village was destroyed. No doubt she'd hate him now for his "cowardice".

At any rate, he'd give the girl a seemingly kind smile. What was wrong with him? Why should he care about these people? He quickly checked over his own system... no genjutsu. Was this what his friend had spoken of?

After looking around his lodgings, Akihana would speak to him.

"Akihana-san," he began politely, "this is really quite a lot you've given me." Most certainly, this was true. He'd lived in a hut and a beggar's shelter in Ame before, and those had been good enough for him. An actual apartment like this was pretty good.

"Before I get settled in, though, I'd like to see Hoshigakure's hospital. I'm sure you and Denkiteki have improved it?" He made sure to omit the honorific for Den's name... he didn't intend to show much respect for a man who'd assaulted him out of nowhere.

At his request to see the hospital, the blonde nodded politely. "I'm afraid I'm needed back at the palace soon," she replied, the regret clear in her voice at not being able to show him around herself. "Quite apart from my role as the royal healer, I have a six year old son who might have run into some company." Smiling softly, she added. "A mother's work is never done."

As she reached the door however, she spoke once more. "I can leave these guards with you though, they will show you to our hospital, our ninja academy and even the palace if you so wish. These gentlemen will act as your guides to our city until you choose to dismiss them. " At her words, the two Queensman snapped a sharp salute at the dark haired man, indicating that they were at his disposal.

"I do have a request though," Akihana murmurred softky, a note of firmness in her voice but in no way a threat. "The civilians of this town are deeply religious, and most fear the ninja arts. I worry for those already praying at their altars after your display of power, so if you could be so kind as to not practice ninjutsu in the public eye, I would be very grateful to you. We try to do the best by our people and frightning them was never our goal."

"Of course." Yes, he was foolish to think that she'd have time for that. What surprised him was that she had a child. A quick look at Den's memories confirmed this to be true... it might actually take him a while to process all of the man's experiences in detail. Well, he could take his time, now that he had a place to stay. He could start after his visit to the hospital, which shouldn't take too long. These guards seemed competent... at least, as far as Hoshi's standards went. For once, though, Kozai felt a little tired, surprisingly enough.

"I understand. Very well then, goodbye." He'd speak in response to Akihana's advice about the people's suspicion of chakra. This might be... difficult to work with.

As the woman left, Kozai sighed before turning to the guards.

"Well then? Show me your village's hospital."

The long summer was over. Cold winter had come to Hoshigakure.

[potential exit?]

Akihana waited until he'd agreed and then made to leave. While it was true that she had enough to be getting on with, a part of her felt almost compelled to stay with this boy. He hadn't given a name and she hadn't probed, he had admitted to being from a village now long destroyed. They were nowhere near close enough for her to ask of his family but to Akihana, it was important to know that someone was at least looking out for this young man who exuded an air of loneliness and fatigue.

"Please look after yourself," she managed simply and with sincerety. Someone out there might look out for their young visitor but in here, it would have to be her. "Stay safe, until we meet again." And with that, the blonde left the small lodgings, threading her way back to the palace where the real Akihana still sat meditating.

(Exit - will edit in claims later)