Move Along Home

A cloaked, hooded figure walked up the lone path to the village gates... the gates of his home.  He could remember the first time he walked this path, a young grief-striken child still in shock over the sudden loss of everyone he knew.. or almost everyone.  The survivors as they were called, the ones who were able to flee Kumogakure during those dark times.  Kumo was long since recovered, and no longer tainted with decay and rot the demon left.  

Better still, the taint of his own family was gone; the traitorous uncle and cousins put to justice.  With the exception of one cousin without their bloodline, Arashi was once again the last of his clan.  With the wind blowing around him, swaying his cloak and scarf around, he made it up the more beaten path to what was now a proud village; one he heard was hosting the next round of the Chunnin exams.  

The man looked up at the guards at the gate... he remembered the shiny armor of the Kingsguard... and he remembering wearing that heavy hunk of metal.  He gave a small smile on his lips under the hood, stopping just when he heard them call out.  They yelled for him to identify himself, and Arashi stood motionless for a bit, before reaching up and pulling his hood back to reveal the older, worn, but unmistakable face of one of Hoshi's heroes.. and the lost adopted Prince of the crown... the crown that had long since been put to rest for the final time.  

"I have returned... home." he said, loud enough for them to hear.

A double column of shinobi in chainmail and flak jackets was standing guard outside the village gates, eight strong. Gray cloaks snapped in the wind as they surrounded the hooded man that appeared.

Harold Graymane was armored into his own ornate and black red armor, with a helm under one arm. 

“Identify yourself.” The brown-eyed warrior demanded and the man reached for his hood. The guards pressed closer, bare steel on their hands. There was no active jutsu to be sensed, but Harold was reassured only when he saw the face underneath, a sad smile on its lips.

“Hold!” The Yukigakure warrior commanded the guards with ice in his voice. Harold had been one of the first men to pledge his fealty to Akihana when she arrived in Haven with the desire to establish a shinobi system. Along with her many companions was a young teenager that claimed to be her son. 

The ghost that showed up the gates looked as if he had aged ten years since the Northman last saw him. It did feel that long ago. Despite the aged and more ragged appearance, there was no doubt as to the nature of his identity. 

“People thought you were dead for a long time...Arashi Tekiatsu”  The name not in the bingo books, but in the history of this very village itself. 

WC: 231

Arashi looked up at the guard who spoke, and a small smile sprouted on his face. "There have been many chances, but for now reports of my death are greatly exaggerated." he said, letting the wind die down a bit while he looked around.

"Hoshi has grown so much as well...." he said, looking around, before turning back to Greymane. "I decided I wanted to come home. I've done my best. Taken care of what I needed to do.. or at least most of it." he said, shaking his head. "I couldn't find my brother. I wasn't going to officially come back until I did so, but..." he let it drift a bit.

"But I have a family to take care of now." he said, gesturing to the doors with his eyes. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a Hoshi headband... literally one of the first created for the village. "I want you to know; I never left. I have always been of Hoshi." he said, holding out the well taken care of headband for Harold to view.

"May I enter?"

“They have to be. Else I have gone half-mad and I’m talking to the wind. Once the current let down, so did Harold’s woolen cloak patterned with white sunbursts. A massive husk of a man, Harold had been blessed with a thunderous voice and an imposing figure. 

“I’m sorry you couldn’t find your brother,” Harold said sympathetically. What happened to the Tekiatsu family was wrong. Most men don’t know the feeling of being angry in your bones. Instead, they want the angry man to do something he cannot do, move on. At best you can only hide the anger.

Harold knew that when Yukigakure, his own ancestral village was burned and any leftover family he had there slain by the same beast that did for Old Kumogakure. A beast that no longer plagued the world with its presence.

“There is no question of your honor, sir. You may enter.” The ice warrior assured him. On Harold’s command, his men pushed open the great oaken door twenty feet tall and banded with bronze.

"Two of my men will escort you to the Leader's Chambers at the Unseen University, for debriefing." The swordsman let the Hoshi hero know. "Shina has been left in command of the village forces until the Hogokage, Ayato Hyuuga returns from Suna. The Seventh brokered terms of peace with the other great nations the ravens tell us. They are expected to arrive soon, to start the Chuunin exams. You will have the opportunity to meet with him too then."

Arashi gave a bit of a chuckle at that.  "Well... hopefully you are not going crazy, and I am not in denial.  Otherwise I think we would have bigger problems then just two veterans losing their minds." he commented, watching as the doors opened and a plan was enacted.

"If the young Prince Arata should return, make sure I am notified.  Part of me wishes to shove Tsuji in his face.  That not only did he fail; the opposite instead occurred." he commented, putting his headband back on in his head as they started moving inside.  He listened, nodding, and couldn't help but give a smirk.

"People kept saying I was going to be the third or fourth... and now we have the Seventh." he said, shaking his head.  "Let's try not to push our numbers anymore than they need to do.  Ayato Hyuuga?  I hope he's in it for the long run.  I don't think we need an eighth yet." he stated, looking around. It was clear that the village was getting ready for the exams, which was a rumor that surprised him, but in a good way.  "Who'd have thought our little refuge would become the host for the exams?  I didn't even get the privilege of going through the exams in a traditional way.  Our village better do well; all eyes will be on us." he said, turning back to the older man.

"Alright, I hope to see you soon; I'll certainly be around a lot more.  Thanks again." he said, as he turned and walked with the guards assigned to him; headed for the village ninja seat.

[Exit to Village]
[WC: 716]

(Claiming: Village Access, 7 stats)

Approved