A Tale of Two Cultures

Mission Details:

The responsibilities of growing up meant harder and harder missions... either to mentor new shinobi, or to secure the village.  The days of collecting cats and weeding gardens were long gone.  Now his mission were more of that every young ninja dreamed of.  Recon, info gathering, threat handling.  And there were the odd tasks deem too difficult for younger ninja.  Truth is, many of his missions related in some way to teaching younger members. But there was talk of an ANBU-grade status, which would give Arashi more freedom and more difficult and dangerous tasks.

It was a prospect Arashi was interested in, mostly because his mother wanted him to be ANBU before he was allowed to explore his ancient homeland.  But on the same side, the more he assisted with Hoshi, the more he felt loyalty and care for his adopted village.  The more he was starting to realize that this.. this was the future of his clan.  This is where the Tekiatsu clan would be reborn.  And in fact, Arashi was even starting to warm up to the suitors that wanted a relation to the so called royal family. 

At least one of those suitor, at any rate.

This was one of the cases of helping the village.  Barriers were hard to break down, both physical and social.  Hoshi was becoming more accepting of their new status as a shinobi village, but there was still a significant pushback from the traditional communities.  One of these was the relations between shinobi and civilians.  It wasn't outlawed, but there was still a stigma that dissuaded many from coming together.  Not everyone was like his friend Tsuji... especially when it came to the elders and adults.

Arashi had been summoned to the Mission Center by the Kage himself, but when he arrived, there was no Den.  Instead it was one of his aids calling him in for a.. sensitive mission.

A young shinobi made the ultimate pledge... he was getting married to a young woman who fell in love with him, and Hoshi was already rumbling their discontent.  Not only that, but the shinobi family themselves had a particular disdain for the traditional people of Hoshi, and were just as driven to drive their son from the young girl as the girl's parents were to save their daughter from becoming one of "them".  It was a typical case of Romeo and Juliet, but with the added fact that not only would Arashi need to combat the stigma and discrimination of the older village, but the shinobi family was willing to do what it took to stop their son from "diluting' the family line.

This was Arashi's main task.  They needed an escort as Arashi searched for someone who was not afraid of standing up against tradition, and legally marry them in the eyes of the Court.  Lucky for them, as Arashi was considered a Royal, his blessing would be enough to legalize a marriage... if they were able to find someone to perform it.  He took the time to get an understanding of the situation from a friend of the couple.  What made the shinobi special, as well as everything important about the woman.  It was something that really had to be done and quickly, for the sake of the village as well as the couple.

Unfortunately, Arashi had also promised someone that he would help them learn jutsus.  Water style, even; his natural element.  His first.  There was the fact that his body chemistry changed how they looked like, but at this point Arashi was more than confident that he could manipulate the Cloud chakra to be more... moist.. than normal.  Sure, he couldn't teach Cloud release, but he could come close.  But in any case, he was asked to undertake this mission the same day he said he would teach.  Instead of cancelling, the older shinobi started to think of using this as an opportunity to not only teach and train another new ninja, but to also give a lesson in duty to himself and the village.  And that's why Arashi found himself on a table outside the Royal Training grounds... normally private property except for who he or Den allowed in.  And in this case, it was allowed.  At least for young Yuki, someone who was already showing quite a bit of promise when it came to water nature.

As he waited for the genin, he read through the mission scrolls he was given, with pictures and details on the two subjects, as well as their families, while he waited for the guards to allow a new ninja into the village.  At least, new in the sense that this would be the first meeting between two, and possibly his first entrance onto Hoshi's sacred royal grounds.

(wc: 1060, 6040 to go)

Pein had just awoken, this time not at the gazebo but instead in the training grounds. The night before, he had been training extensively, primarily on his meditation. Through his meditation, he had been working on controlling the different types of nature affinities within himself. There was his natural born element: water. Then there was the second: wind. And finally, his familial bloodline's ice. Awakening the potential which slept within him was the easy part. The difficult part was keeping a good balance of the three flowing throughout his body. At times when he grew frustrated, he could feel the ice coursing through his veins. When he felt more gentle and in touch with his feelings, the water seemed to predominate his body. And when he felt like just lashing at anyone, the wind seemed to cut his body from the inside as if it wanted to be let out. And so, Pein took to meditating. He had been focusing his mind, body and will to control the three types. Through the meditation, he became more in tune with his internal affairs and chakra network, seeming to understand these elements more in the process. As he did so, he got a better feel for how to handle those affinities and potentially how to better incorporate them to work together. And so, he meditated. He meditated with his legs crossed, hands resting upon his knees and back sitting upright. It was quite a comfortable position for him, so much so that his meditation transitioned into him drifting off. While he slept in that upright position, he dreamed of Yukigakure. Snowy, quiet, homey Yukigakure.

But all that seemed to be interrupted when he was awoken. His eyelids cracked barely, revealing the bright sun and a shadowy figure standing in front of him. It had been someone he never interacted with but nonetheless someone he recognized. 


"So..." Pein began with a yawn, "you must be the shinobi that's been conducting surveillance on me. No?"


Pein paused, waiting for the shinobi to respond, and he never did. Instead, he just looked at Pein, just as every other Hoshigakure shinobi had looked at him: in disgust. Pein did not understand this look. He had done nothing, said nothing and had nothing in Hoshigakure. There were no records on him, no information on him; he was basically a ghost. And yet everyone he had met in this village seemed to be displeased by his sight. As the shinobi's eyes glared upon Pein's figure, they seemed to cut away momentarily as his hand reached for something in his jacket. Rummaging through it for a second, his hand movement finally stopped as his fingers seemed to lock on and clutch something. Removing his hand from his jacket pocket, his fingers held an envelope. The shinobi then extended his arm out and forward to Pein.

Rather taken by the encounter, Pein grabbed the letter from the shinobi's grasp, and as he held it in his hand the shinobi disappeared before his eyes. The front of the letter read nothing but "Pein" brandished in a rather harsh, bold font as if the person who addressed the letter felt a degree of discontent towards the foreigner. Pein's eyes widened slightly, there were few people within the village who knew of his name, but none would be aware of his last name. He had worked hard to keep it a secret and did not plan on revealing it to any for his own personal safety. Pein slid his index finger into the crevice between the sealed, glued paper and the fold then lifted it up along the fold, tearing it open in the process. When the seal was broken, he grasped the paper inside of it and set the envelope down and next to him. The letter read the following:

"Pein,
Your progress has been noted in the village and we seek to make an agreement. If you help the village, we will help you. Show up to the royal training grounds immediately and there will be a chunin waiting for you. You are to assist him in his mission and he is to assist you in your training.
-Elders"

 Upon reading the letter, Pein was even more in awe than before. It had been sent from a group of shinobi within Hoshi that seemed to have information on Pein. It was probably all reported from the shinobi who gave him the letter. They seemed...cornered for his well being, seeking to improve him as a ninja while giving him experience through a mission. It was almost...kind. But Pein shook this thought, ultimately deciding that the group had simply wanted him to do a mission for them. 

So Pein would rise from his seated position, wipe his eyes and start for the Royal Training grounds. It was a short walk away, allowing only ten minutes to pass while he walked. But in those ten, brief minutes, Pein's mind ran. It carried a notion with it, forcing him to ponder the thought of a group actually showing care for him in the village. It instilled a similar feeling within him that he had during his time in Yukigakure. But was it genuine? Only time would tell.

Reaching the threshold of the gates, Pein proceeded past them. In front of him awaited a shinobi, who was passing the time by reading documents in front of him, perhaps the mission briefing. He was smaller than Pein, just shorter and likely weighing less than him. As his head was down, his mid-length hair hung down and concealed his face, not revealing his physical identity to Pein. The chunin seemed slightly mysterious to Pein, but not necessarily intimidating. Perhaps he was younger than pein was? Nevertheless, he was still a chunin, more experienced than Pein was. He had to have been quite the ninja if he was designated a mission with Pein who hadn't completed a mission before and who didn't even know jutsu to defend himself. As Pein approached him, he didn't make a sound. He wasn't exactly sure what to say to the chunin, for he wasn't the most extroverted person. Instead, when he would finally reach him, Pein would instead place his foot on the floor slightly louder than his casual footsteps were, sure enough to gain the gaze of an attentive shinobi. 

(WC: 1058)

He had to admit, the file on Pein was... disturbing, to say the least.  Not even in the sense of the person in question, but the wording of the file and the descriptions from others gave rise to a clear prejudice against the genin.  This was already something that Arashi himself was more than annoyed at.  Evidently there was still some cause for concern with their own leaders.  Probably not Den, but it was the Academy administration who seemed to have a grudge against the boy.  

It disgusted Arashi to see this kind of bigotry against young shinobi, and the fact that this person didn't even have a place to stay and live was not going to be tolerated.  Already, after the mission, Arashi was planning on having a word with the council on homeless shinobi.

Speaking of, however, hearing the approaching footfalls alerted the Chuunin to the subject in question, and Arashi put away the file on Pein before looking up.  

"You must be Pein.  Have a seat, I've been going over the mission information.  I'm sorry that this isn't just a training like I was planning.  We've had... a situation... come up.  As you might be aware, Hoshi has still only recently been made a protected Hidden Village.  And that there is still animosity between the shinobi and the other villagers.  One of the things that seems to have remained prevalent is the segregation between shinobi and traditionalists.  There have been strives, but in this case even the shinobi families seem to want this separation.  Unfortunately, its a story worthy of a romance novel." he said, turning the images around, showing a shinobi and a young woman.

"Yuuri Shinku and Ichigo Dagotsu.  Ichigo is one of our higher ranked Genin, part of the first class from the Academy.  Yuuri is the daughter of a prominent Traditionalist Councilman.  And they both decided to pair up.  Legally speaking, there is nothing wrong, but they need two things.  Approval from the royal family and someone qualified to marry them.  I'm still waiting to hear about a location, but in the meantime, word is that both families are willing to do whatever it takes to keep the two apart.  And I mean whatever it takes.  We can't get a hold of the Dogotsu clan, so its up to use to protect the two until they can be wed and protected.  My last resort plan is here in the palace, where they would be protected." he said, shaking his head.

"Now, I've read about you, and initally I wanted to help you train.  Here is the interesting thing, my clan element is known as the Cloud Release.  Its made when you combine water with wind nature.  Sound familiar?" he said leaning back and crossing his arms.

"In a sense, you and I are distant cousins.  Cloud Release is a varient of Ice release, whereas Clouds are more wind oriented and Ice is water oriented, but still we share some commonality.  That means, though, that I'm probably the best one in this village to train you.  I won't be able to teach you the clan techniques, but I can help you remain in control of them.  That's why I requested you.  So while we wait, I do want to know the state of your chakra control and reserve.  Tell me a bit about yourself.  To be honest, this file they gave me is crap." he said, showing Pein's Registry file and dropping it on the table.  It was clear he held no love for the writers of that file.

"In addition, I heard that you tend to sleep wherever, and that you were never given a place to stay.  This is absolutely unacceptable.  Every shinobi has the right to a place they can call theirs, and I'm going to make sure we find some sort of apartment for you.  If Akihana heard what had happened to you, I can assure you she would have been livid.  But since she is not here, its my turn." he said, standing up and gesturing to the training field itself.  He jumped in and stood poised, waiting for the younger genin to enter with him.

"I want to get a taste of what you can do, and where you need to go from here.  What would you like to learn, and is there anything you want to show me?  That kind of stuff.  Come on in, you won't be able to hurt me." he said, gesturing to come into the training combat arena.  

The Queensguard stiffened a bit as they watched the two, but otherwise remained where they were.  Arashi had already said not to interfere, but it was just second nature that whatever they do, they do for the protection of their royal blood.  Of which.. Arashi apparently had.

"Don't worry about the guards, or any other shinobi.  Its just you and me."

(WC: 816)

(Just a quick fyi, Pein has yet to reveal any information regarding his history to anyone in Hoshigakure so there would be no records on him. However, I don’t expect you to redo your entire post, that would be pretty lame. But do me a favor and keep Arashi’s knowledge of Pein being a Yuki to himself :D)

As Pein approached the chunin, he noticed him rustling with the papers. However once Pein’s foot was planted on the ground and he ceased to move, the chunin must have noticed the young Yuki. He had taken the files he had and hid them away. Those files must have been some sensitive information concealed within those files, and so Pein’s mind began to wonder. What could be in those documents? What if there were something on him within those papers? Perhaps someone had dug up some information on him, but who and how? He was sure he covered his tracks when he had come from Yurigakure, but maybe not well enough? No…it was impossible for anyone to know that he was a Yuki. Unless….

He quickly broke his focus on these thoughts as the chunin began to speak with him. He had already known Pein’s name, which did not come as a surprise to him seeing as that was the most information he had given anyone in Hoshigakure. This was fine, it wasn’t like the chunin had a whole biography on Pein. But still, it would have been nice for him to tell Pein his name. Nevertheless, when offered, Pein sat several feet over from the chunin. Now sitting, Pein continued to listen to the briefing from Arashi. It seemed as if this were the classic Romeo and Juliet story. Yuuri and Ichigo were in love and wanted to begin a life together but it seemed as if their respective families were disapproving of the whole situation.  That disapproval was something that Pein could relate to. His entire experience so far in the village hidden by the stars was nothing but cold shoulders and harsh looks. He had yet to receive large amounts of verbal and physical lashings but he could only imagine the annoyance of that. This pair probably had to deal with that constantly.

Pein hung his head low and clinched his fist in slight frustration. In all honesty, he hated the judgmental people from this village. But he did not want to let these feelings be portrayed. Just as he began to grow angry, he exhaled the steam from his emotions and leaned his head back and looked up at the sky. He knew exactly how the couple felt and it was unfair for their family to be so controlling. Thus, Pein decided that he could rally behind this mission. It had been the first thing to truly strike a chord and resonate with Pein’s interests, but when it did it would not stop.

As Pein held his head back and his eyes focused on the sky, they would in turn widen out of pure shock. Apparently, the chunin had been reading about him. But Pein tried to keep his cool, he didn’t state any specific regarding his history but based off of his mentioning of him too having a clan element consisting of water and wind nature, Pein’s secret was out. When asked if the clan element had sounded familiar, Pein nodded his head subtly. Just when Pein thought it couldn’t get worse, it did. He had known about Pein’s ability to use the ice release, he had known that Pein was a Yuki. He began to tense up, worried for how his reaction would be. But as it turned out, the chunin seemed to be rather accepting of Pein’s identity. In fact, it seemed as if he wanted him to be more proud of it, stating that he desired to further Pein’s ability. That’s when he threw the file down in front of Pein, proving his honesty and that he sought to learn more of Pein.

Pein picked up the file and rustled his fingers through it. There was not much in the file, but was there was unpleasant. It mentioned Pein’s current living situation, his elemental releases and a speculation on him being from the Yuki based off of a slight demonstration of the ice release. It hit Pein, the shinobi watching him had seen him awaken his Yuki potential the other day. The lack of privacy truly bothered him. He set the files aside and sighed.

“To be honest, I didn’t want anyone to know that I’m a Yuki. My village was destroyed, family killed and everything I had known was lost to me….I still to this day have no clue who the attackers were, and so I keep my identity secret in case whoever’s listening wants to finish the job…” Pein began in a slightly depressing tone.

By this time, it did not hurt him to think back on the tragedy. Instead, it hurt to simply reveal the information to another. But something about this person seemed trusting and genuine.

Continuing, “I just recently learned the wind release and thus tapped into my ice release, but I have yet to learn any jutsu for any of the three elemental affinities I have awakened.”

Pein would then pause, waiting for the chunin to respond to Pein’s chakra status and his ability as a shinobi. He felt rather bad about not knowing any jutsu yet, but he tried not to let it get to him. After the chunin would respond to Pein’s status, he then continued to go on to mentioned Pein’s living status in the village. He was displeased with Pein’s homelessness, but Pein truly thought nothing of it. He had been living this way for years since Yurigakure was destroyed. Nevertheless, he was intrigued by this person. He was very passionate about the things that he spoke of, and although Pein had no clue who Akihana was, his reference of her was indicative of his own character. She must be a good person.

Pein would speak after the chunin finished his speech. He would ask the only thing that had come to his mind.

“Who are you?”

After the introduction, he suggested and welcomed Pein into the training grounds. Simultaneously, he had made an offer to teach Pein jutsu that he couldn’t refuse. Pein nodded and entered the gates. As he passed through the threshold, he planted his feet firmly upon the ground deeper within the training grounds, giving the two some privacy away from the queensguards.

“I want to learn water release jutsu. You even mentioned that it was the primary component of my ice release, so having an understanding of it will help me learn my ice jutsu.”

The words Pein spoke to the chunin today were the most he had said to anyone since he set out from the ruins of his village. But something about the chunin was comforting, almost as if he had faced some degree of adversity in his past and now he wanted to stand against it. Perhaps Pein would make a friend for once.

(WC: 1130)

(Ack, sorry!  I won't make it public.  We'll just say that with medical prowess like Akihana's, there is information they are able to gather that you wouldn't expect.  And I'll try not to assume anything.)

The mission parameters seemed to agree with Pein, and his body language told him that he wouldn't have to worry about whether this genin would accept such a mission.  Arashi didn't smile (for once), but instead nodded.

What he didn't know was that the information he held was unknown to his guest. 

Arashi had the look of shock, and pulled the file back at himself.  He got this from the university, and he assumed the hospital records were from the actual medical center.  But apparently for the Chuunin, Hoshi protected themselves by making sure they knew about their residents.  While the older man was slightly horrified by that fact, he could certainly understand it.

"I see... I'm sorry.  This information is speculative.  I.. I didn't know..." he said, before closing the file.

"Your secret is safe with me, if you wish it so.  But if you are concerned about being hunted for your name, you don't have to worry here.  We strive to protect this village and all its inhabitants.  That you are here means you are also under this protection.  Its not perfect, nor impenetrable, but it us strong.  But if you want seclusion, I can offer it." he said, nodding his head.  The young man had just stood up when the question finally came... who he was.

"You're right, I haven't introduced myself.  My name is Arashi Tekiatsu, elder son of the Akari Clan in Hoshi, and the Crown Prince of Haven's Throne.  Don't ask about that last one, it wasn't my idea.  My mother is Akihana Akari, and despite our protests we've become defunct royalty.  And I actually have a couple of things in common with you.  My family... my birth family... was a prominent clan in Kumo.  We were sworn to protect the village, and when Kumo was attacked, they fought and died.  But when our invader not only discovered our clan's secret abilities, but found out we used that ability to trick him... well, your clan was destroyed for your abilities, and so was mine.  I watched as he slaughtered each one, and then finally found our clan retreat.  They were wiped out as a group, and I just happened to be out at the time and spared from it.  If it wasn't for Akihana, I would probably be dead."

Arashi went into the training field and waited for Pein to join him.  "I don't say this to try to lessen your pain, or what happened to you.  Just so that you know you are not alone.  I don't talk much about myself unless its for a purpose, and this is one of them.  Publically I'm just the son of Akihana Akari, and Hoshi's first Chuunin, soon to be Jounin."

When Pein announced what he wanted, Arashi smiled and nodded.  "I haven't heard back from my contacts, so I think we have time while we wait.  I can show you some things about Water nature." he said, flashing signs and shouting the command for the Water Clone Jutsu.  The caps on the water canteens on his back popped open, with white clouds spilling out to form 4 identical clones of Arashi.

"Don't worry about the initial appearance, most of my water and wind jutsus are augmented to have Cloud release.  Its kind of a drawback in some cases." he said, looking at the images of him standing there.

"This is an example of an intermediate technique.  Have you considered why our chakras are called Nature?  It's not always referred to as such, but the accepted scholar definition calls them chakra nature.  They are so named because chakra is a living thing, and all living things have a nature about them.  Mastering a different nature means being able to flow your chakra to match it.  I was born with Water first, so it came naturally to me, but mastering it took some time." he said, remembering years and years ago when it was an uncle or his father teaching him.  It brought a smile and a couple of tears.

"Anyways.  When using water, you have to understand the nature of water.  You cannot treat water like you would air.  Air is about... grace.  You bend yourself with winds and direct it into your techniques.  That's why most Wind techniques are spread out.  Especially low level wind techniques.  You provide a sort of dance with Wind.  Water, is similar in that regard, but with a clear difference." 

Arashi began to create a chakra ball, which glowed for a moment and then turned white, before turning blue and sloshed liked water.

"Water has mass.  It has strength.  While you can easily direct and eventually control winds, water will fight you.  The trick is to anticipate the flow and then direct it.  If you try to fight it, you will only hurt yourself.  Ebb and flow.  You move with it and use its own nature to make it do what you want.  Like this."

Arashi centered himself and focused on the water portion of his chakra, before making just the sign of the tiger, and shooting his eyes open.  "Rising Water Slicer!" he shouted, and the ground shook for a moment while a blade of water pierced the surface and traveled towards a large boulder, impacting it and cracking the boulder in two.  Arashi released the sign and the water fell back into the ground. 

"The way I was taught, focus by picturing bodies of water, rivers, tides, lakes, oceans, that kind of stuff.  Follow their movements in your mind, and your chakra should respond.  That water slicer might be too advanced right now, but I can teach you a couple of defense maneuvers, like the water clones here, or water replacement, and the hidden mist.  Those.. those may come in handy." he said, walking over to Pein while his clones stood by.

"To replace yourself with water is very similar to the replacement technique.  Its just these signs, but what makes the water occur is tapping into the water nature.  Your chakra responds to your Will.  If you think of immersing yourself in water, that is what will happen to you.  And unlike the standard replacement, the replaced clone will slowly drain, giving more time to surprise or delay an opponent.  This can help you escape.  Go ahead and..."

Arashi trailed off as a falcon landed on the fence, and Arashi bit his lip.  "Go ahead and try it, we may have to take this on the road." he said, as he took the message and read it. 

There.  They've secured an civil officer to perform the marriage, but both the families had gotten word as well, and they were on their way.  The two didn't have a lot of time.

Arashi turned around to see the younger boy's first attempt, and nodded.  "That's a good start.  Time's up though, we'll have to get going.  The feuding families have made their moves, we need to prepare for the worst." Arashi said, going to the table and packing the paperwork on the table into a smaller size into a hip pocket.  As soon as he was ready, he sent one of his clones out, and the others turned white and dispersed into the air.

"Let's get going, use what I told you to train yourself to tap into your water nature.  The sooner you can do that, the sooner it will become second nature to you.  Then is when you can start combining your elements to tap into your genetic potential." he said, as he jumped from roof to roof to get to the two lovers.


(W/C: 1302)

(No worries, if you don’t mind I’m going to rp as if you were teaching Pein how to use the water replacement jutsu instead. I’m not too interested in the water clone )

The shock upon the face of the soon to be named chunin, confused Pein. He was not sure why the chunin had seemed to be so taken by Pein’s history and his wish to keep it discrete. Was it really an uncommon thing for shinobi to want to conceal their identity in Hoshigakure? Perhaps it was, but Pein wouldn’t know. All he knew was that he did not want to go off and flaunt the fact that he was a Yuki giving the obvious disapproval the world had on his clan. Pein’s shock and sorrow came from the fact that despite all of his attempts to remain low key, there still somehow managed to be files on him being one of the last survivors of the Yuki clan. It was a tragedy, truly, but it would work itself out. Pein had a degree of trust in the chunin. He seemed to be an honest and genuine person, not something Pein had come across often in his days, so he could tell something about the chunin was different. But a good different.
 
The chunin had tried to make the situation better, telling Pein that he would be safe within the walls of Hoshigakure due to the shinobi’s oath to protect the village and its shinobi. But Yurigakure had that same oath, and now it lies in ruins. Pein at least believed the oath of Yurigakure however, due to all of the shinobi there being more trusted by Pein. All of the ninja Pein had met in Hoshigakure seemed to be unpleasant ones, so why would they ever protect Pein? Additionally, Pein did not even want the village’s protection. He didn’t want to be seen as some sort of person that couldn’t defend himself, and so it was up the village to protect him. Such an idea was an insult to Pein, who at this time seemed to bear a stiff, stern face reflecting on all of this.
 
“To be honest, I haven’t been too welcomed here. After years of traveling I made my way here for refuge and it seems as if I was only met by disapproval and rough glares. I’m starting to think that the village may not be for me…and once more people find out about my clan, I can only imagine the reactions then. They don’t want me here, so I don’t want to be here. I mean hell, I even have a shinobi who’s assigned to watch over me at all times. ”
 
Pein was honest. He was no fool. He could tell that the people of Hoshigakure didn’t want him there, not even the elders that wrote a letter to him in blatant frustration represented by the letter’s diction and font. Why would they protect him from anything if they couldn’t even stand his sight? As much as Pein believed the chunin to be honest and have good intentions, he knew that he could not promise anything on behalf of the whole village. Pein had already faced them on a daily basis.
 
Finally, the chunin gave his name. Arashi. And that was when Pein realized that he messed up. He really just expressed to the heir to the entire country that he felt like he had no place in it. How would he react? Surely Pein would be subject to even more supervision than he already had to deal with? Pein would likely be punished. But he did not care, anything was better than walking the streets of Hoshigakure and dealing with constant rejection on top of the constant reminder that everything he knew had been taken from him. But instead, Arashi did something different. He started relating to Pein. It seemed as if they weren’t so different. Both lost their clans, family and their ways of life and were forced to rebuild from there. Perhaps Arashi would not seek to punish Pein after all, maybe he understood the feelings Pein had been undergoing. After Arashi finished his revelation of his own past, Pein said nothing. There was nothing for him to say to be truthful. Both of the two shinobi had been subject to the cruelties of the world and yet both still stood to do. The only thing Pein could offer in response was a silent nod out of respect and understanding.
 
But the two moved on from there, and relocated themselves to the training grounds. They had time to practice a bit of jutsu. But before the actual practicing commended, Arashi provided a well thought our analysis and explanation of the water release. He seemed to think of it more in its natural element rather than the way Pein thought of it, which was an extension of his personality. But it made sense, Arashi’s way. As he had focused on how water existed in its natural state, it gave a clear and more accurate depiction of the affinity. Pein’s fuel for his water release had always stemmed from his personality, feelings and the experiences he had been through. But it seemed as if Arashi wanted him to consider the natural water. The water from lakes, oceans, rivers, ponds, streams, reservoirs, and more. All of those were natural. Pein looked at each clone that stood in front of him made from water, also dripping to form small amounts of water at their feet. Pein closed his eyes, focusing on the water around him: the clones themselves, the water from the nearby pond and the water in the air. He could feel the chakra emitting from all of these bodies of water, and wanted to harness them.
 
Trying to recreate the clone technique that Arashi had just demonstrated, Pein had missed out on seeing the one hand seal that Arashi had executed in order to make the clones, and so he tried to just feel it out, letting his hands take on whatever hand seals the water surrounding him told him to. They first formed a tiger. Now had that been the end of it, he probably could have successfully created a water clone. But instead, his hands kept going. They went on to make a boar, ox, dog then snake right after the tiger had been finished. As a result, Pein’s body immediately phased into water. It was stunning, for it was not what he had planned to do at all. He just wanted to make a clone. But as his body was phasing back into its natural self, he could feel the chakra from the water coming to him rather than him having to pull it to himself. It was incredible. Although he failed in making a water clone, he felt as if he had still done something successful.
 
Right after he finished, Arashi still seemed to congratulate Pein on his effort. For why? Pein didn’t know, but it sure felt good.
 
“Thank you…”
 
But now, the two had to move. It was time for them to handle the mission, evident by Arashi’s sudden movement and taking to the rooftops to travel. Pein followed quickly behind him, running full speed to try to keep up with Arashi’s advance pace.
 

As Pein followed the chunin, he called out to him, “I can’t wait to learn some actual ice release after my  awakening of it….but where exactly are we headed first?”

As he traveled behind Arashi, he could only think about some of the aforementioned ice release jutsu that his father had shown him. He really wanted to apply it in practice but first came the theory. He thought about what Arashi had told him, the elemental nature aspects of the release and how focusing on its natural state could draw a shinobi closer to the element itself. He thought about the exercise he had just done with the water, reflecting on its natural state in the environment. And so now, he tried to do the same but with ice. He began focusing his mind on glaciers in the ocean, ice sheets, black ice on the traveling paths, snow buildup upon mountaintops and the ground and other examples. Thinking about these, he took it a step further. What were the bodies of ice like? Cold. Sharp. Hard. Just like Pein’s personality. It would take some time for him to not associate the ice release jutsu with his own destructive personality but for now he was making progress. He was understanding the basic fundamentals of the jutsu he sought to learn before he would try to execute the jutsu right then.

(WC: 1450)

Arashi nodded.  He didn't think it was right, but he could feel the reason.  Though he decided not to answer while they were training, he did speak up while they moved to the rendezvous point.

"I'll have to see if there is any information left from yo- from Kiri.  If it's as similar as mine then the challenge will be merging the two natures.  But once you are able to do that, that release will come a lot easier, and definitely more controllable." he said, answering the first thing that Pein said while they moved through the more... traditional area of the village.

"Truth is, Pein, is that this mission is not going to be easy.  I know you don't have very much faith in the Village elders, but you should know this mission is considered top priority.  A rank.  Usually never given to genin three man teams, let alone a single genin with a chuunin sensei.  One of the hardest parts is that we have to escort the old fashioned way.. no jutsu for a while.  Hoshi is in a cultural battle of acceptance for all shinobi, and that's unfortunately why you haven't exactly been welcomed."

Arashi stopped on a roof for Pein... they weren't there yet, but he thought he could help explain some of the politics.  "First of all, I don't think this has anything to do with your bloodline.  Catching you with ice?  That was very recent, and restricted to medical staff.  The elders don't know about it.  But the truth is... everyone is looked at suspiciously.  At least at first.  Hoshi suffered through decades of assaults from missing nin; its ingrained in the populace the dangers of the ninja.  And unlike the other villages, this is not fully a shinobi village.  I'm well respected because I came with the first group, and immediately helped stop the attacks on the village.  Half of our new generation and even some older ninjas are from this village, but the other half is outsiders who decided to make Hoshi their home.  But these outsiders have to deal with the stigma of suspicion.  I'm not saying there isn't any prejudice; actually I think in your case it is some sort of bigotry involved.  But for ninja like us who weren't born here, we have to prove ourselves to not only the village elders, but to the non-shinobi village of Hoshi.  This mission will go a long way to help that." he said, turning back to the direction they had been moving.

"We are going deep into the more traditional part of the village... a holdout of anti-shinobi stigma.  Jutsus are not allowed unless absolutely necessary.  Yuuri and Ichigo are currently held up in that part of the village.  In hiding, since the girl is from that part of it.  Unfortunately, both families have found their location.  So we need to get to them and escort them back to our side.  Think of it as a stealth rescue.  We have to blend in the best we can, move with the crowd and slowly make our way back.  I don't think its going to be a clean mission, and its only going to get harder once we cross from this part to our part.  One step at a time.  There is an apartment about 12 kilometers over.  That's where they are." he said, kicking off the roof and sailing to the next one, crossing the remaining distance within a shorter amount of time. 

Arashi jumped slightly lower on the last leap, landing not on the roof, but on a balcony instead, where he stopped for a moment.  He gestured for Pein to be silent while the older ninja walked around the balcony/hallway, and went to a door where an etching of a cloud was visible in the top corner.  Arashi held Pein back, just for safety, and sighed.

"Good, looks like no one else has arrived.  Give me a second." he said, doing hand signs in quick succession and then slamming his fingers and thumb into the door.  Lightning shot out from his hand to the ends of the door, and then a paper seal appeared in the middle, which Arashi removed.  He then opened the door, where inside were the couple from the photos.  Ichigo smiled as he approached.

"I'm guessing this means you found us a route?"

Arashi smiled and nodded.  "Even better, you're getting married at the Palace.  Safest place.  We found an officiant who will perform it.  But we must hurry, both your families are onto you." Arashi replied, opening his bag and pulling out large cloaks.  It was Yuuri who was staring at the younger genin.

"Arashi-sama.. who is that?"

He turned, and gestured Pein to walk in.  "This is Pein Y-, this is Pein.  He's volunteered to help us."

Yuuri smiled, and immediately rushed to hug the younger ninja.  "Thank you, thank you very much.  We really appreciate all you're doing.  My family was completely wrong about you guys." she said, letting go so she could put on the cloak she was given.

"Alright, we'll have to make it natural through this center.  Keep weapons ready, but don't advertise that you are a ninja.  That means no headbands.  Yuuri, if we get attacked, I'll send you with a clone to a safe place.  Don't try to be a hero.  Ready?  Let's do this." Arashi said, putting on his hood, and opening the door.  It was go time.

(W/C: 912 - 7716 total)

Pein had already awakened his ice release, so Arashi’s initial comment had been rather confusing to him. Pein didn’t read the file on him in full detail so perhaps it did not explain that Pein had already unlocked his clan’s jutsu. The problem was that he did not know any jutsu yet for it. And so, that’s what had originally been asking Arashi advice on. But now thinking back on it, Pein realized that he worded his comment rather awkwardly. It would be easy for Arashi to misunderstand Pein for not knowing how to utilize the ice release. But to be honest, what good was having the element without having any jutsu to back it up? Nevertheless, Pein did not comment on this.
 
Instead, he continued to keep up his pace with Arashi. When he reached the rooftop, he followed a similar path as the chunin. They leaped from a chimney to the rooftop of another building, which was a tiled roof slanted at an angle. Pein slid down the angled roof and upon reaching the terminal point of the roof, he leaped off and away from it towards the next building. He grabbed the ledge of it and quickly hurled himself back over top of it. Pein recognized this part of the village, it was the civilian side. No one was friendly to those that used jutsu, so he did not want to be seen leaping from building to building. That was why each jump had to be correctly timed and calculated so that no civilian would notice the two.

That was when Arashi began to confirm Pein’s thoughts. Pein had figured that this mission were to be a low profile one, escorting nobles in an area that hated shinobi. There was no way that he would be able to truly use jutsu this time around, and that’s exactly what Arashi had been touching on. He noted the difficult of the mission due to the restriction of jutsu, and Pein began to wonder what they would if combat began. Earlier Arashi had told Pein that the people who wanted to disrupt the mission would do anything and everything that they could in order to prevent it from happening. Thus, Pein figured that they would potentially attack Arashi and Pein if they had seen the mission taking place. So the utmost amount of discretion would have to be employed in order to complete the mission as a success.
 
After some time had passed and a lot of distance had been covered, Arashi had stopped in place a distance ahead of Pein. Pein hastily caught up but while making sure to employ stealth in the process. When he finally made his way next to Arashi, he looked upon him to see what the reasoning behind their sudden halting was. It seemed as if Pein’s comments regarding not being welcomed and not wanting to stay in Hoshigakure bothered him. That was not Pein’s intentions, to be truthful he just wanted to express the feeling he had inside to someone who could relate. But despite Arashi’s slightly noticeable amount of dissatisfaction from Pein’s comment, he did not judge him. Instead, he went on to explain the situation regarding Hoshigakure and why it was so resentful of outsiders. It was fear. Something Pein hadn’t felt or seen since the slaughter of his village. The civilians just feared shinobi due to shinobi in the past making life difficult and terrifying for them But these shinobi that attacked Hoshigakure in the past were of no villages. They were missing ninjas; Pein had never seen or heard of any of these. But as their title could infer, they were likely ninja missing from their home villages. Judging from Arashi’s quick history lesson, Pein figured that the missing ninja that had attacked Hoshigakure were likely after ryo or even the assimilation of Hoshigakure into their assets. It made sense why the villagers were terrified. But still, even Arashi recognized the degree of bigotry involved in Pein’s situation. He felt as if he understood the village more now, but still couldn’t help but be dissatisfied with his time in the village. It was still quite the appreciated insight of information provided from Pein’s new companion, as it gave him a different perspective to consider that he had yet to think of.
 
Pein noted Arashi’s shift in bodily direction, they were no longer traveling straight ahead. Their intended destination must have been in the location that Arashi’s body was oriented. Pein anticipated him to immediately take off and continue down the path of travel, but instead he continued to speak. This time, he was giving Pein a more detailed debriefing of the mission. He restated the strict prohibition of jutsu within the location, which reinforced the concept in Pein’s mind that he would have to rely on stealth in order to complete the mission. But this time, he gave Pein a better indication on where the shinobi were hiding and confirmed that the genin and chunin would have to smuggle the couple across the border. It didn’t seem like the hard part was going to be getting to the couple, but instead getting the couple past the boundary of traditional and recent Hoshigakure. The only comforting part about this was that it would get hard when they crossed over past to the shinobi side of the village. It meant that at the mission’s hardest part, the pair would be able to use their jutsu.
 
Pein’s response to Arashi’s statement was short and simple. “Understood, lead the way.”
 
The two then took off again, only this time they were traveling much faster. 12 kilometers was quite a distance, however it did not take long for the genin and chunin to cover that trek. As they had made significant forward progress, Arashi seemed to be lowering himself from the rooftop onto a balcony. He motioned over for Pein to drop down but be quiet. Pein, still on the rooftop, took slow and quiet paces until he stood on the edge of the roof then squatted down so that his hands were on the edge. He then grasped the edge, twisted his body and lowered himself to the balcony. He made sure that when he landed, he was on one side of the door so that no one would be able to see him and he would be able to subtly follow the commands of Arashi. Arashi held him back while quickly assessing the situation; no threat was detected and so the mission was going smoothly so far. As Arashi did his handseals then released the door in front of him, Pein held a keen eye to his surroundings, making sure no bystanders were watching. If anyone were to see Arashi perform those hand seals it would be quite obvious that the two were shinobi and even more obvious of their intentions in this part of Hoshigakure.
 
Opening the door, Pein and Arashi were immediately met by the couple that Arashi had shown Pein back outside the royal training grounds. The woman was beautiful, the guy was scruffy. What the two were doing together made no sense to Pein, but it’s not like it ever would. Pein didn’t know love, and he hadn’t for quite some time. The only reason why he could support the love of the Romeo and Juliet – esque couple was due to the fact that they shared a common trait with Pein: the village’s rejection.
 
Arashi seemed to great the shinobi with an equal level of sincere happiness that they had met them with. Meanwhile, Pein had just been silently standing behind Arashi. He did not know the couple, and they obviously did not know him, which was evident by Lady Yuuri’s questioning of his identity. As Arashi introduced Pein, his true identity almost slipped his tongue. No way. Pein could not believe that. He literally had just requested that Arashi kept Pein’s background to himself and yet it almost slipped out. But Pein did not react. He understood that it would be difficult concealing such preliminary information, but the effort was still there.
 
Right after the near tongue slip, Lady Yuuri immediately rushed to Pein and forced a hug upon him. It was different. Pein had not been this close to another person since the fall or Yurigakure. This level of affection was now foreign to him. But yet it was comforting. The last person he had hugged was his mother, the day of her death. He remembered her sweet smell, warm body and soothing voice. It felt like home to him. But Yuuri’s hug wasn’t the same. It was genuine, yet it felt distant. It wasn’t like anything he had known. He tried not to think about it though, as his arms flew up rather awkwardly as he was obviously not sure what to do in this situation. (I’m guessing she hugged Pein?)
 
When she would let go, she continued to thank Arashi and Pein. But truthfully, the mission had just now begun. They draped themselves with the cloaks Arashi provided while he continued to give everyone the lowdown. Weapons were to be ready, headbands were not. Pein understood this, so he grasped his angled headband which rested upon the crown of his head and slid it down so it felt around his neck. He then tucked it inside of his thick scarf and made sure no bits or pieces of it were exposed. The other shinobi seemed to do similar things, hiding their headbands.
 
Now, as Arashi opened the door, it was time to begin.
 
“I’ll take point if you want to watch our back Arashi. You’re more skilled than I am so you’ll have to defend us from any rear ambushes. Try to walk in a tight, casual formation though. Anything too noticeable will draw attention to us. So form behind me in a wide diamond, Yuuri and Ichiro being in the middle. We’ll walk as if we belong. Try not to stay too far behind them, Arashi.”
 
Pein’s strategy was a clever one. With everyone remaining closer together, it would appear to an untrained eye that it was just a group walking in a cluster. But to a shinobi, it would easily be recognized as a protection formation. The lead shinobi serving as the distraction and first line of defense in order to allow the others to escape if need be. But the advantage to using a formation while within Hoshigakure was that even if a shinobi were to detect it, he would likely think nothing of it for one reason: they were within the village. Combat and killing was not allowed in the village, so activity within the walls was not a common occurrence.

As Pein passed through the threshold of the front door, the bright sun passed fell upon the genin. He took several steps forward and outside of the house before he paused. When he halted, he stretched out casually and let out a yawn. The true intent of his pause was to allow the three people behind him to properly form up on him but while doing so in a subtle manner. When he would finish yawning, he would start walking forward. He had known this district quite well, for this was the one that he had always walked around. To be honest, this portion of the town was always quiet, inhabited mainly by senior citizens. As Pein walked past house and house, he would never turn his head back to make sure that everyone was still following. Doing so too many times would create a degree of suspicion, and the group could not afford that. Instead, he kept his eyes straight, hands in his pockets and head low.
 
They passed house and house alike, followed by the passing through of the market. Giving the time of day and day of the week, the market was actually empty. The was no one hackling prices at the market, no children running around the plaza and no one to bump into. And this was all normal. Pein made this walk multiple times. He would this area of the village pleasantly peaceful. It was always quiet and had the best breeze. To him, this was normal. Perhaps to someone unfamiliar with this area it could seem as if it was a trap. But it wasn’t. Pein almost fell into his normal swing and pace when he led the team, almost forgetting that he led the mission at this point. But that was the point. He knew people would recognize his face around these parts, for he was always one to come around and walk. If they saw him walking with a group, they probably wouldn’t think anything of it. And so that was Pein’s intentions: being casual.
 
And it worked out pretty well for the group. In almost no time they had already passed through the rest of the traditional portion of the city. But now the group was entering shinobi territory. There were no rules against shinobi or jutsu in this area, yet Pein was still banking on the fact that dangerous combat was not to be conducted throughout the village. Such an offense was likely punishable by not only jail time but probably stricter consequences. Pein in particular was not concerned for his well - being. He could be imprisoned or exiled and his life would not change that much. He’d go from being homeless within a village to being housed in a cell or homeless outside of a village. Neither option was that bad. But he did not want to risk failing the mission for Arashi and ruining the lives of the wanted to be married couple all because of his recklessness. So now, with the stakes higher than they were in the traditional sector of the village, Pein lifted his head more and kept a sharp eye on everything around him.
 
His eye flickers and mental analysis of everything around him was strategic. He paid attention to everything from a cat scurrying across the street to small talk being made from one shinobi to another and even familiar faces he passed along the way. Then, Pein began to slow down his pace as his eyes had met a potential threat up ahead. There were a group of shinobi waiting around idly. They did not appear to be any face that Pein had ever seen in his two weeks in the village, and he had seen a lot of shinobi. To be truthful, their attire gave Pein the impression that they weren’t even from around this area. If he were to have gotten any closer, he would have been able to confirm their status as foreigners, evident by the headbands upon their heads. They were no hoshi ninja. They were other.
 
He turned around casually and looked at his group. He had stopped the team by a ramen vendor a distance of 30 meters away from the group up ahead. It was a low key place to stop, somewhere any group would stop to grab a bite to eat.
 
“That group up ahead…briefly look…” Pein began while emphasizing the word briefly, “those aren’t shinobi from Hoshigakure. You can tell by their attire. From here their demeanor does seem domestic either. I’m willing to bet that they’re mercenaries hired by one of your families to keep an eye out for our passing.”
 
It was an accurate hypothesis, and his risk analysis was a safe one. If the mission were to be a success, the group would have to keep their eyes peeled for things like this. He wasn’t much of a speaker, but he could articulate a potential threat if need be. Pein’s thought process was natural strategic, and so this was something that he could actually do well.
 
“I don’t doubt that Arashi and I would be able to take them…but the thing is, they’re not from Hoshigakure. They would not play by our rules, and so it could potentially end up being a battle to the death, and that’s not what was in the mission briefing,” Pein continued, “So here’s what we’re going to do. Arashi, take Yuuri and lead her through the ramen shop. It should spit you out at a back alley that is used by the ramen owners as a break spot. It’s long, narrow and secluded so the chances of you getting ambushed there are slim to none. Even if it were to happen, it would be impossible for more than one enemy to fit down there and I’m confident in your abilities. Meanwhile, Ichigo and I will travel by rooftop. You should be able to find your way from the back alley to the royal grounds, I’ve made the path several times. The store owner should be okay with it. But make haste.”
 
Pein’s suggestion was quick and lacking hesitation. He knew the group would need to act fast and smart if they were to succeed in this mission. And so when he would finish his statement, he grabbed Ichigo by the shoulder cloth and pulled him in the direction of another alley. When the two were in the alley, Pein instructed Ichigo to follow him and stay close. They sprinted up the secluded wall and were now had the high road to their advantage. They could see the group of shinobi’s still talking amongst themselves while waiting idly by at the three way intersection below. They must not have cared too much about their assigned mission and were likely paid in advance, because their degree of attention to their mission was lacking. Either that, or they were just a bunch of sorry excuses for hires. 

Nevertheless, Pein still had to lead Ichigo to safely while he just hoped Arashi would do the same for Yuuri. The genin pair leaped from rooftop to rooftop, in a similar stealthy fashion as how Pein had traveled earlier. Only this time, Pein was more cautious. Not only did he have to look after his own life, but he had to look after Ichigo’s as well. Additionally, he knew that if anything were to happen to Ichigo, Yuuri and Arashi would be quite disappointed in him. Failure and pressure were not things Pein was used to or that he typically was even concerned about but this time was different. Pein actually valued Arashi’s opinion on him. Out of all the shinobi in Hoshigakure, he was the only one to relate to Pein at all. In fact, he was the only one to even try to help Pein, going on to help him learn jutsu. For Pein to make a mistake this late in the mission would be nothing but disappointing.
 
Luckily for him, by this time it was clockwork. As the two traveled by rooftop, all they had to do was stick together, be quite and continue forward. Doing so allowed them to end up only some meters from the royal grounds as they stood upon a rooftop gazing at it.
 
“Pein….thank you. I never would have imagined Yuuri and I overcoming the odds and being wed together, but you have been influential in-“ Ichigo began, obviously getting emotional in the process.
 
He would have continued had Pein not cut him off with a cold yet honest, “The mission isn’t done yet. We still need to get to the grounds and wait for the others…”
 

With that, silence fell upon the two. Ichigo nodded, realizing the brute honest person Pein was. He couldn’t help but respect it though. Pein was committed to giving forth his all until the mission was completed, and that’s what led to his side’s success. The two leaped down from the roof top and landed close to the royal grounds gates. Pein did not have access to entering the gates and so the two would have to wait just outside of them for Arashi to come through and utilize his clearance to open the gates and lead the way to the palace. While he and Ichigo had waited for the chunin to arrive alongside Yuuri, Pein began to think. He couldn’t help but think about the ice jutsu that had been on his mind all day. But he also couldn’t help but wonder if everything had gone smoothly with Arashi and Yuuri.

(WC: 3,388; Personal TWC: 7,026: Topic WC: 11,104)

A true shinobi comes out during missions and when the stakes are high, and Arashi couldn't be more impressed at how quickly Pein took to leading, and coming up with tactics.  It was a benefit to the Chunin that Pein was able to figure out the logistics, it meant that he could handle the more difficult task of keeping the lovebirds safe from harm.

"Good idea.  Ichigo, you're only a new chunin, so you need to keep an eye on yourself.  I'll make sure Yuuri is safe.  Pein.. after you."

As Pein led the way through the older parts of the village, Arashi made sure to keep his eyes everywhere.  He was more than aware that the family was out there, looking for them, and as they crossed through the market, his seal was breached.  It was like a sting in the back of his head, and he struggled to make sure he didn't make a motion to show that he felt something.  He did end up tensing up, though.

Ichigo too, and Arashi immediately caught on it.  "They aren't here.  They just found the house.  By the time they track us, we'll be in the shinobi district." he said, allowing the male half to relax.  Within no time Arashi was proven right, as the group finally crossed into the next district, entering the shinobi zone.  They continued on for a bit, and Arashi was about to say something when Pein stopped them.

Arashi nodded.  "Probably just entered... I bet this was in the works for a while.  Hoshi wouldn't have let them in if they knew the true intentions.  I'm almost positive that the Dagotsu clan is around here. We probably won't be able to escape the brunt of it."

Pein gave a detailed plan of splitting the group, which while Arashi was a bit skeptic at first, the merits of the plan impressed him.  The clan would spare their son if they could help it, so Pein would be in far less danger... plus it would leave Arashi to handle the larger issues should they catch up.  With a nod to Pein, Arashi took Yuuri's hand.  

"Stay safe."

Arashi kept his hood tight over him, running with the hooded Yuuri beside him.  Almost immediately after they made it to the end of the alley, the clan had found them, leaving Arashi to make it a chase until they were finally cornered.


"Give it up, Ichi-kun. Your father has called the entire clan.  We don't want to fight our own, but you are giving us no choice.  If we need to protect you from this temptress, we will."

Arashi smirked, and raised his head.  "I'm afraid you got the wrong person." he said, as he summoned 4 cloud clones to him.  The ninja immediately put up their weapons and attacked, and Arashi turned to Yuuri.  A fog billowed from the 5 Arashi, and the fighting started.  It lasted for a good long while, until finally the clones were defeated, leaving the clan to chase after the last Arashi and Yuuri.  They were just about the cross the main square before the Royal section when a hail of kunai and shurikan impacted their backs, causing them to stumble.  Arashi and Yuuri were barely able to hold on to their balance, as the other clan moved in.  Just when they were no longer able to stand, the two turned white and dispersed, leaving a confused clan standing there.

"Good call on splitting Pein." Arashi said, walking with Yuuri to the gates behind them.  The royal guards there immediately saw him and allowed entrance to the group.  Arashi led the group to the main Palace, where their official was waiting to get them ready.  Arashi stood back with Pein as the couple gave their thanks and left.

"They wanted to target Yuuri, and I think they hoped that Ichigo would be with her.  I probably could have fought them, but I didn't want to test my strength, not when there was someone unable to defend herself."  The chunin smirked down at Pein.  "Those water clones I showed you?  They can be used as a diversion, which is what I did.  The look when they saw my last clone poof... I think its clear that they lost this one.  You did good, Pein.  Better than I thought.  I'm going to report to the elders, and I can assure you I'll have an apartment for you by the end of the week.  And feel free to get a hold of me for training.  I saw strength there, and a will to boot.  You'll be able to gain your heritage in no time.  Personally, I would be surprised if you didn't catch onto water nature very quickly.  For now, take this to the hotel across the square." Arashi pulled out a red card with the Royal seal on it.


"This will be your home for now, and its overlooking the gardens for access.  I have to get going though, so go ahead and get settled."

Arashi waited for Pein to leave before leaving for the university. If he hurried, he could make it in time for the wedding.

EXIT
(WC: 863, PWC: 4941, Total: 11967)
(Claiming Five Element Seal, 1941 towards Three Element Storm Sealing)