I am Asami [Village Escape]

Hot tears continued to spill from the chuunin's eyes in an uncontrollable torrent even as the deputy kage approached her.  She was in her own world, a world devoid of happiness. The emotional weight of the past couple of months once more fell on her in a heap and she found herself reliving each heart-wrenching moment again and again. The day everything changed between her and Hayate, the day she was told of her parents' demise, and the many small instances of callousness that so pockmarked everyday life in Kirigakure. It was all too much and though she heard the man's words they sounded far away as if being spoken from afar.

Soon, however, mother nature took mercy on the child as the tears stopped flowing like a well gone dry.

"I'm afraid I will come to regret it," she forced out between heaving breaths. "I need to know if they're truly gone."

A pause followed as she hesitantly turned her face towards the cloaked man as if she were afraid of the rebuke that must surely follow.

"Gekou-Sama," she met the man's gaze and set her jaw in defiance. "It's all my fault, I know they wouldn't have died had I not become...this."

She spat out the last word in disgust and gestured to her small form—pent-up sorrow had clearly chased reason from her mind.

"I just know it," she nodded as if to affirm her own statement. "So, if there's any chance they're still alive I owe it to them to try and find them, even if it does mean chasing rumors."

The girl tightened her grip on the till, turned her attention back to the black waters, and guided the boat in a wide turn that would eventually bring them back towards Kirigakure's central harbor.

"I can't stay here not knowing."

For the first time all evening, her voice did not waver nor did it wane. Rather, it filled and swelled with a fire that had not shown itself in quite some time. The chuunin now knew what she had to do; she needed closure and if that meant chasing rumors to the ends of the earth, then by the Terumi blood in her veins and the sorrow in her soul she would do it, Kirigakure and all it stood for be damned.

Slowly the girl would return from her sad state and she would bring her answer with it. It wasn't entirely unexpected, but it still put Naoki in a bit of a bind. He maintained an expression of sincere understanding, but with each word spoken it was becoming more clear the Chuunin intended to leave. As she took pack of hold on the tiller, he let it go and put it on her right shoulder, sort of to comfort and let her know he understands. Granted, if she allowed it. But seeing her turn the ship back towards the harbor, presumably with the intention of having him disembark, he felt a bit force to make another shot at dissuading her. "Do you not think that they would have returned if they could? And if they couldn't, being your parents, loving you and knowing how much you'd worry, don't you think they would at least have made sure to let you know they survived? What could possibly be more important to them than returning to you?"

Given her newly found resolution, Naoki felt like this was a long shot, but it was worth a try. He couldn't just let her go and become a hunted criminal without at least trying first.

Asami did not shrug the man's hand off as she once might have, rather she allowed it to rest on her shoulder as she looked steadfastly forward. The fact that the man did not raise a hand or attempt to take her into custody outright bolstered the young chuunin's confidence. And though, for the briefest of moments, the man's words filled her with a flicker of doubt the strength of her newly-found conviction quickly snuffed it out. No, the die was cast and there was no turning back, for to do so would be a betrayal of both herself and her parents.

"I don't know," she admitted. "I don't know what could be more important, but I have to find out."

The confidence drained from her voice as she continued, but she did continue.

"And if I find out they're gone, then...then at least I'll know."  

Pushed forward by the wind and the pulled in by Kirigakure's central whirlpool, Asami maneuvered the small vessel back into the harbor. It was always easier coming home than leaving and yet the girl's heart beat a little faster as they slungshot themselves back into what should have been safe waters. It felt as if the whole evening had been building up to the next the next question.

"Gekou-sama," her tone softened as The Whisper's moorings came into view. "Are you going to stop me?"

Thump-thump

Thump-thump

Thump-thump

Naoki remained serious, though his expression might have betrayed a bit of sadness, possibly deliberate. Although his words seemed to have made the girl doubt a bit, it was not enough to make her reconsider. As they were nearing the harbor, the deputy kage was considering the best course of action here and as they passed the whirlpool and were almost back to where he found the Chuunin at her boat, Asami finally asked him if he was going to stop her; the decision had to be made.

"I can't let you go like this, I'm afraid." He would say, as purple flames erupted from the left hand he had placed on her shoulder. Unless Asami managed to do something to prevent it, the former leader's chakra would surge and the seal would overwhelm her, causing the girl to lose consciousness and fall limp into the Uchiha's arms.

Assuming that came to pass, he would then gently let her rest against the deck and immediately form three handseals. Wooden branches would stretch out of his body and form into two copies of himself. When done, both wood clones would start working on securing the ship at the harbor as Naoki sat down against the tiller, a step from the unconscious Chuunin in brown cloak. If he had let her go like that, she would have been branded as a rogue and hunted, which would have been a real shame and a waste. Naturally it would have been the best if he had managed to persuade her to stay and they could have worked out the problem in due time. But now that he failed at that, the man needed to find another route. Turning her in as someone who attempted to escape would cause her disgrace among peers at best, but more likely get her imprisoned or at least in a really awkward position with the village. No guarantee that she would not try to escape again and with her determination to find her parents shut down like that it would only make it more likely that she would turn against the village in the future. The most reasonable solution was to let her go, but make sure it was official and she was not seen as a traitor to the Mist.

When the clones had done their task, Naoki would glance at one of them and dispatch it back into the village, specifically to his office. Fortunately they were close enough for him to pull this trick. It took about half an hour to get things in order after which the clone returned. After taking from the clone what he needed the Uchiha had the two of them release the ship and then dispel. With the female Chuunin passed out on the deck, he would mimic her movement he had observed with sharingan to expertly and safely get the boat out of the harbor, passed the whirlpool and into the sea, sailing towards the storm barrier.

About four hours after he took the boat through the barrier, using the special handsign to create a safe passage of course, the girl would wake up. The seal that knocked her out was already undone and it was sunny outside the storm. Sitting somewhat relaxed by the till Naoki would probably still faintly smell of cigarettes, one of which - keepsake of his dear friend - he had smoked maybe fifteen minutes ago. His eyes would be trained on the Chuunin; alert to see her reaction. Otherwise he would look most non-threatening.

[120-ish power of 5 element seal, in case you're wondering.]

It started as a cramp in her shoulder but soon evolved into something more as a wave of cold pain washed over the young chuunin's body. Turning to the man by her side in alarm the last thing Asami saw was the stony face of the deputy kage before everything went black. And though her physical body certainly fell in reality, she never felt the impact that must have surely followed whether that be into the steady arms of Naoki or onto the hard deck of The Whisper. Rather, it felt as if she were floating in an inky sea of nothingness and for a long time nothing was all she felt.

Many hours later...

The soft dip and bob of a vessel underway coaxed the chuunin back to consciousness. Struggling to her feet, the young girl's head swam, her right shoulder ached, and for a moment she doubled over in a sudden rush of nausea. The last thing she remembered was darkness and yet now the glow of morning light was washing over her small vessel. She didn't remember ever passing through the storm—

Gekou-Sama.

The alarming thought hit her the same time the vague smell of cigarette smoke did. Afraid of what awaited her but knowing she had to face it, Asami slowly turned around to face the stern of the boat and the man at the till. For a few moments, she considered flight only to think better of it as it became increasingly clear that there was no land in sight—she didn't like her chances adrift at sea. So, for now, she was stuck; stuck with her boat, with her aching shoulder, and with her kage.

"What happened?"

She tried to sound strong, but her voice cracked and her stomach rumbled, once more her youth was showing.

"And," this time when she spoke she gave up any pretense of sounding strong. "Where are we?"

Observing the girl struggle to her feet Naoki was trying to guess her reaction. As she turned to him, he could see that she was reasonably alarmed, but when she spoke he was glad the kunoichi had not chosen to flee or - what would have been even more stupid - attack him. Letting a faint smile manifest on his face the Deputy Kage raised his left hand and with the thumb pointed behind him, where a distant blob of dark clouds and stormy winds could be seen rising above the horizon, if one took their time to look for it.

"I would say we are some 25 miles to the north of the barrier. Winds have been good to me." He would say.

He wasn't really into sailing, but he managed to learn from the girl just enough to keep this boat going in the same direction. And by his reckoning the speed he was going at was fairly decent, superb even, when exiting the storm - the thing was blasting wind outwards like crazy.

"As for what happened, that is still open to interpretation. But I have a few ideas..." The man lowered his hand and his expression became a bit more serious to let the girl know he was not joking.

"First interpretation is that you took your boat and simply sailed off. I haven't seen you last night and nobody saw you leave. Naturally you would be reported as missing, which would be investigated and conclusion would be reached that you left the village without permission, earning you the criminal brand of a rogue ninja." He would end that scenario with a gesture of sliding his finger along his forehead.

"Another interpretation could be that you came to me with a request to let you leave the village to investigate the death of your parents. We came to an agreement, done the needed paperwork and I let you sail off as a wandering ninja representing the Mist." Finishing that offer, Naoki let the girl think on it a bit, as he was slightly cryptic about it, while he changed his sitting position at the till, cause his back was starting to ache a bit.

"Or maybe you prefer this one; I met you at the docks, sailing around during the night seemed like a good idea so we took your boat around the islands and outside the storm barrier and in the morning returned to the village to continue our duties as the respected ninja of Kirigakure." With that he grabbed the tiller a bit more tightly, as if to turn the ship around. But he didn't. He waited for her response.

"Oh."

The exclamation fell from Asami's lips as she shifted her attention to the distant storm wall. She couldn't quite recall having passed through Kirigakure's grand defenses, but they certainly had and the boat seemed no worse for wear. Perhaps she'd fallen asleep in the crossing? As if to hint at the unsettling reality her shoulder sent another cramp-like pain through her body. It was, however, a hint quickly forgotten and discounted, for Naoki was speaking once more.

And, indeed, as he spoke the pain in her shoulder was soon forgotten and replaced by what felt like a growing weight around her neck. Pushing through her damp slicker and past her now matted black hair, she undid the emblem of Kirigakure from her neck.

The weight was gone.

Clutching the headband so tightly her knuckles whitened, the chuunin felt the sudden urge to throw the thing into the depths. Yet, she hesitated. As silly as it was the little piece of metal and she had been through a lot together. Missions, festivals, and tournaments, it had always been there as evidenced by its fast-fading luster and nicked patina. Could she really throw all that away in an instant? Consign all those memories to the deep? Could she forget?

Her arm became a blur of frustrated motion as the sea sloshed expectantly.

No, she couldn't do it, not yet anyway; her arms fell to her side with the headband hanging limply to her right. All she wanted was to ascertain the fate of parents, not plunge headlong into a life of crime and debauchery. She still loved Kirigakure; it was, after all, the only home she knew.

"I can't turn back now," she took a concerned step forward as the deputy kage feigned an attempt to turn back. "But I also can't abandon my home, not completely."

The fire flared in her voice once more as she tied the mark of Kirigakure back around her neck. The path of a wanderer would no doubt be hard, but if Naoki would allow it, then she intended to walk it. This wasn't her final goodbye to the village hidden in the mist, she'd be back.

"I'll fill out whatever paperwork you need me to."

The former leader's face remained expressionless for a moment after the girl answered. But then he allowed himself to let out a warm smile. "I'm glad that's how you feel." He stood up from the till and reached into his clothes to retrieve three small simple scrolls which were prepared for this exact outcome by the wood clone he had sent back to his office. He would walk up to the Chuunin and handing her the first scroll explain:

"This one is to let the village know it's official, that you are still a ninja of the Mist and will not turn your back on us. Your name is already in there so you only need to put your fingerprint next to it; blood works if we don't have ink."

The scroll was akin to a contract or a set of orders to a wanderer of the village. It explained her position and responsibilities as one, mainly that she must not do anything to draw shame to the Mist's name or endanger the relations with other factions and that she could be recalled in which case she must return at once. Naoki's own name and fingerprint were already there.

Assuming the kunoichi signed the scroll and returned it to him, he would hide it under his clothing once more and then hand her the two remaining scrolls, one at a time and explaining each.

"First is a writ confirming your status, should you decide to interact with the other villages. Though I must suggest caution if you find yourself considering it. These are stressful times and most villages are on the edge. The second scroll details your contacts in the mainland and channels of communication with the village. We expect to hear from you regularly, details inside. Make sure to burn it once you memorize it."

He would roll his eyes as if trying to remember something and then conclude. "Yep, that should be all. Got any questions?"

Without hesitation, Asami took her index finger between her teeth and tasted the now familiar metallic tang of her own blood. Pulling it away from her mouth, she allowed the blood to well up on the tip of her finger before dabbing her thumb into it and subsequently marking the document Naoki presented her with. Gone were the days of the young girl losing her lunch at the sight of blood—she had seen and drawn too much of the crimson fluid for it to phase her anymore.

She returned the first scroll without a word.

That next two scrolls came with an explanation; the first would serve as her credentials and the second as instructions for contact. While she had no intention of straying into any of the major villages she could appreciate the deputy kage's warning for what it was, an honest assessment of the world at large. As for regular communication? Well, that couldn't be too hard, right?

"No," Asami shook her head. "I think I'm good."

She held up the first scroll containing her travel documents.

"This one is my passport."

The scroll disappeared from her hand and into the ether.

"And this one details my communication protocols."

The second scroll disappeared much like the first as the chuunin fell into a respectful bow.

"Thank you," she rose from her bow wearing a gracious smile. "Thank you for everything."

It was strange. Asami had not foreseen the past twenty-four hours going as they did. Yet, here she was atop the waves with the former leader of Shimagakure. And, more to the point, she was not being taken into custody, but rather turned loose on the world beyond Kirigakure's borders. Life, it turned out, was funny like that and full of surprises—both good and bad as she was certain to find out.  

[Committing 1000 words from this thread to train Storage Displacement. -30 ap and screw cooldowns for the moment, I've got a plot to advance.]

Nodding to Asami's summary of the purpose of the first scroll, Naoki would notice with his concealed sharingan that she was gathering chakra in her hand and observe the simple spacetime manipulation she performed to hide the scroll. Reminding himself that she was not without talent and that she would probably be just fine outside the village he would nod with a smile as she did the same to the second scroll.

As the girl bowed in gratitude the Uchiha man would extend his left hand and see if she would let him put it on her head. It was to mess with her more so than anything else, given how the last one worked out for her. Regardless if she let him or not, he would quickly pull his hand back and chuckle to himself.

"Good luck out there."

And with that he would take a couple steps back, form a single handseal with his left and exit the sea transportation as a translucent sphere of chakra enveloped his form and then pulling him through spacetime back to the village to continue his duties as a respected ninja of Kirigakure.

3450 w.
[Exit,
making Asami Ronin (C-ranked Wondre)
500w. to sharingan copy that storage displacement there
2000w. to learn Seal Architect
950 w. towards mastering of storage displacement
and +34 bonus AP]