Throw Wide the Gates[Open]

The day above Hoshi was a beautiful one. Clear blue skies and a sun settled high above them illuminated everything around the country of Haven with a basking yellow light. The temperature was typical for that of the arid country which might make some uncomfortable, though, for the people of Hoshi, it was just another lovely day. Fauna stood in rows leading up to the front gate, ever maintained not only by the people but the shinobi as well. Once more, Yuuma found himself situated at the gate the allowed entry into the village, his gaze roaming the landscape with a little more excitement than usual. The Chuunin exams were soon, and that meant people would be arriving by the droves in order to compete. The young man had practically jumped at the opportunity to play gate guard when he learned that people from other villages would soon be making their way in. In his absence, Yuuma had roamed the land of Mountains and of Earth, dipping briefly into the land of Wind but found himself less than prepared for the terrain and harsh conditions for Haven’s distant southern cousin. Dressed in the typical short robe he was accustomed to wearing, lengthy sleeves drooped from his waist as his hands clasped at the mirrored wrist of each arm. His forehead, bearing the scar that had been etched into it by Shina in the likeness of the village shinobi symbol with a strike through it, stood unhidden by headband or cloth. His shinobi headband instead hanging at his waist.

Joining him at the front gate, aside from a small trio of Queensman standing in their shining metal armor, was a pair of others that would be assisting the young man with entries as needed. Archimedes, his feathered companion, sat perched at the top of the gate in order to keep a watchful eye on the going ons, as well as to utilize the excellent perception that allowed him to see much, much further than a human might. Particularly on such a nice, clear day. The other was a tall, bronze-skinned man who went without shoes or shirt, displaying just how he had gotten the complexion he had. Blue tattoos decorated either side of his face which a dark, high-collared cloak adorned his neck alongside a necklace made of teeth. He stood with his arms folded, quite the contrast compared to the almost pious-looking shinobi at his side.

This man was Seto Yomiyama.

Yuuma didn’t know Seto well, though the guards gave him a fair bit of space. Admittedly, as imposing as the man was, Yuuma found quite the comfort in the seasoned warrior presence alongside him at the gate. Even when Seto had requested Yuuma to touch his hair as a testament to just how soft it was. An offered Yuuma ultimately accepted. Now, the two of them stood nearby the entrance, making small talk about this and that as they waited for the arrivals to approach the gate in search of passage.

WC- 502.

The former farmer Page and his wild raised wolf companion Sheffield would hop off of their boat, docking it along the coast of Haven country before dusting themselves off and securing it in a storage displacement. They would stretch after a long time spent cooped up in their boat, although after making a long travel in his not so distant past, Page found himself much more glad to be traveling by boat than by foot, something about him just felt naturally acclimated to the water. They had docked their boat on the coast, and looking around both Page and Sheffield would not be impressed by the lack of foliage or arable land. Casting this aside as Page knew he would only be fighting, not living here, he started looking for a pathway to get the local hidden village. "Well Shef, I suppose they don't call it a hidden village for nothing, lets see if we can find a pathway for use to get to Hoshigakure," the sand shinobi would say to his nin ken comrade, the dog nodding along agreeing as he lifted up his nose to sniff for clues. Eventually, after much digress, they would find a frequently traversed road that bore the scent associated most with something all hidden villages should have, kebobs.

They found the path to be quite the winding one, and after stopping at one too many cities that definitely were not Hoshigakure, they found them more and more sparse as he felt himself getting closer to where this village must have been. Eventually the two would come across what obviously looked like village walls, surrounded with some sort of odd translucent aura, like a bubble. Following around the walls being careful not to touch it as it extended one hundred meters off of the base wall. As Page and Sheffield would wander around the circular wall of chakra, they would postulate about what could specifically be found around the country and the village, especially in terms of what food they make and produce, looking from here the harsh conditions gave the former farmer approximately zero clue on what they would be eating. Gazing inward on the wall, seeing each parapet and making a game of counting them as he guaranteed that he would find this entrance, without absent mindedly passing it by, eventually spotting the gates proper along this rigid yet bubble surrounded rim.

Preparing himself to enter the bubble, Page would look towards his dog before putting his finger up, about to touch, wincing as the wolf would retreat from behind him to more sturdy cover, a rock, just in case his master would go flying back. Page put his finger through the bubble and felt a shock go through his entire system, ceasing his muscles and sapping his strength, nothing too far in terms of sending him back or anything, but a definitely noticeable shock that would cause him to recoil, and even though they were 100 Meters away, prepare to talk to the gate guards he could see. Cupping his hands in putting all the strength he had outside of the bubble into shouting towards them, the Sand Genin would shout out, "HELLO OUT THERE, IS THERE ANY WAY YOU CAN LET ME IN PAST THIS ELECTRO BARRIER, IT NUMBS ME A WHOLE HELLUVA LOT AND I WOULD APPRECIATE A WAY AROUND IT WITH MY COMPANION HERE. WE ARE HERE TO JOIN THE CHUNIN EXAMS AND HAIL FROM THE VILLAGE HIDDEN IN THE SAND. MIND COMING CLOSER SO I DON'T HAVE TO YELL AND MAYBE YOU CAN HEAR ME BETTER!?!?!" Sheffield would bury his head in his paws to prevent any hearing damage from the incredible noise whipped up by the sand shinobi.

WC:622

In order to pass the time, Yuuma and Sato had taken to striking up a conversation here and there, and while the elder had been somewhat of a hard nut to crack in terms of social skills, the two of them had eventually landed on the topic of hair care and the products used for them. This was the subject that was interrupted by a call from the tops of the gate. Archimedes had spotted something. Drawing a quiet between them, the two guards would look out across the plains that approached the village and would eventually spot a man who..was simply standing there. Although it was difficult to tell from this distance, there was certainly a figure and some manner of animal accompanying him. It was even harder to discerned what he was doing from that distance, but it seemed like he was having some manner of issue. Something seemed to have confounded him. It wasn’t until he started shouting that the two of them got any idea. Thanks to the lack of much of anything between them, the man’s distant voice would sound like a distant echo though was thankfully understandable. Despite the clarity, that didn’t stop the two guards from looking at each other.

“The hell is this guy talking about?” Sato would furrow his brow, unfamiliar himself with the intricacies of any village defenses.

Yuuma would mimic his confusion in a shrug. “No idea.” In truth, Yuuma had not been aware that any defense WAS active. Why would they be? The company was expected. Yuuma had little idea what the man was up to but would take a few steps forward and cup his hands to call to the man. “You are free to approach! Nothing will ail you!”

“Maybe he’s lost his mind.” Sato would say behind the man, though Yuuma had no response to offer.

WC- 310
TWC- 812

Page stuck his finger out, and following it along the bubble and tracing his path until he came to a point that no longer had the green bubble hue but was instead completely clear, and upon entering he felt no shock, there was a hole for him to enter through without negative recourse. "NEVER MIND ALL THAT RABBLE! I FOUND A HOLE!!!" the former farmer would shout before awkwardly scratching at the back of his head as he approached the two guards embarrassed as he had just made a bit of a fool of himself.

Getting closer with his hungry dog coming along the right side of him, the man and his best friend would properly greet the two guards, lowering his voice to be proper with the situation, "Hello," he would start, "Sorry for that mess, just my first time here around Hoshigakure and going around to find the proper entrance proved more of a challenge than I would want to admit, anyway, I'm requesting entry to the village on account of being a participant in the Chuunin exams, so if you would kindly let me through I'll be out of your hair in no time."

WC:197, TWC: 819

Grinning to himself, Yuuma would bring his hands back to his waist to grip at his wrists as he took a few steps back and fell into line with Sato once more. Watching the man approach, Yuuma would take in the features of the foreign shinobi- it had been drastically different from the last guy he had let in the gates. This guy walked with purpose. He knew he was supposed to be here. It was invigorating confidence. Yuuma’s eyes strayed to the pooch that accompanied him, admiring the well-maintained coat and demeanor by which the beast was conducted. “Welcome.” Yuuma offered in a bright smile once the man was close enough to conduct a more personal volume of conversation. “My apologies if you were put off by our village- some people find it rather difficult to maintain their cool in all the..heat.” He said, motioning around to the arid climate that surrounded the approach to Hoshigakure. As opposed to the rest of the land, however, Hoshi sported no shortage of foliage and greenery, particularly around the gate. It was clear that the people of the village cared very much so for the land, as the abundance of fauna just within the gate and the village proper would display.

Without further delay, Yuuma would withdraw a pad of parchment he had tucked beneath his left arm as well as a pencil from a pocket within his robe. “Name and village?” He asked. It was clear the man was from Sunagakure given the band he openly wore about his person. Still, Yuuma had been asked to document the people who entered and their homeland though little else was needed given that the exams were reason enough for someone to enter the village. Presuming the man would share the information with him, Yuuma would jot down a few things on the parchment before bringing up a slip from another pocket, bracing it against the paper in his hand before writing down information that had been offered by the man. Once a few moments of writing would take place before Yuuma would smile once again and offer the man the slip of paper. “Here you are, a visitor’s pass. Since it is your first time in the village, you might consider stopping by one of the information centers to familiarize yourself with the layout. Otherwise, I welcome you and your companion to Hoshigakure. Best of luck in the exams!” In spite of this man being part of his competition, Yuuma would greet him off the field like he might any other friendly face. Stepping aside, Yuuma would no longer bar entrance through the gates to the man or his canine companion, both of whom would receive their own individual waves of departure.

WC - 460
TWC - 1,272

"Oh its all fine, used to the heat at this point," he would say, plinking the Suna headband tied to his left bicep, before continuing, "Name is Page, from the Village Hidden in the Sand, and here is my ID card just in case you need it, as well as my friend here, Sheffield's. He will not be competing in the exams but he does have an ID just if you want to check it out, make sure everything is kosher." The two sand shinobi would examine the two ninja from Haven go about their routine of marking people in, and when they had finished offer up a simple, "Thanks for making this process so easy, say, are you by any chance going to be participating in said exams, or just watching?" He would allow the guards to respond, nodding along.

Regardless of the answer, he would say the following, "That is hella cool man, say, I am actually waiting on some other ninja from Suna, you wouldn't happen to know a place where I could get good eats? I know guard duty can be starving and I'd like to get on the right foot with yall from the start, so would it be cool if I go and pick yall something else then wait by the gate for my comrades? If I'd be a nuisance I understand."


WC: 228, TWC: 1,047

Yuuma had returned towards his position when he turned to find the man from Suna was still around. Not that he minds, of course, but he had assumed it would have been a long trip. The resiliency of the man’s fortitude to come such a long way and still be in the spirit to socialize was admirable, and he would find no dissuasion in Yuuma. The robe-clad ninja would return his gaze to the wandered, the same smile ever-present. “As a matter of fact, I am indeed participating. My name is Yuuma Fujiwara, and I am a Genin of Hoshigakure.” He’d bow his head again as he introduced himself, displaying his respect for the man regardless of the fact that they might soon be clashing in the arena of both wit and skill. It wasn’t as though it was a fight to the death or anything. Motioning up to the top of the gate, he’d draw the man’s attention to the solitary creature sitting at its crest. A barn owl that was a light tan in a majority of its color. “That is Archimedes, my own companion. I’d invite him down here to greet you more properly but he..isn’t the most social of creatures.” Yuuma chuckled some; one that knew Archimedes better might even say he was putting it mildly. Thumbing behind himself to the tall, shoeless figure, Yuuma would continue. “That is Sato. He’s also not much of a talker. At least not compared to me. Nice guy, however.”

The man’s query on a good place to eat would spark a moment of thought in the Genin, one of his hands leaving its robed sheath to touch at his own chin. Thinking of good places to eat, he hadn’t been back to the restaurant he had worked at before he departed Hoshi. He wondered how they were still doing. “The Galaxy Cafe is a good place to stop if you are hungry. I would..” he trailed off, trying to think of the best way to put it. “It might sound strange but the average citizen doesn’t have the fondest look upon shinobi- wandering into the wrong place might garner some funny looks. I apologize in advance if this happens, but please do not take offense. The situation between the people of Hoshigakure and the shinobi is a long-standing and somewhat complicated one.” Clapping his hands in front of his face, he offered an apologetic gesture. “Be that as it may, I have recently eaten in preparation for my duties here at the gate. That being said, you are of course more than welcome to await the arrival of your companions. I am somewhat surprised that you did not arrive in a group. How was the travel from Sunagakure? Did you find the land treacherous?” It was clear that, even on a surface level, Yuuma was quite curious about the lands outside of the ones he called home. As Page no motion to take immediate leave, Yuuma would venture closer in order to close to a more comfortable speaking distance with respect to how Sheffield might respond.

Privy to the nature of territorial animals, Yuuma would do his best to acknowledge the wolf as well- having an animal companion himself, he could say he felt a great deal more at ease striking up a casual conversation.

WC- 555
TWC- 1,827

"Well nice to meat you then Yuuma, I assumed you would be part of this village," Page would state, letting out a hearty laugh with the second bit. The former farmer was unaccustomed to bowing, raising his hand for a hand shake at first, before awkwardly mimicking his fellow genin. "Well its nice to meet all of you," the farmer would state, looking over towards Sato as Sheffield stared at the bird up high. The two of them would look at each other and solidify their read on these people, respectful and respectable folk, some he would want to talk with a bit more even if Sato wasn't the talking sort.

Hearing the gate guard describe the social division between the ninja and the citizens perplexed Page, he hadn't ever encountered that sort of thing as to him there had functionally not been a difference for all his life up until this point. He had to think about it as he listened to the gate guard's questions to wrap his head around the topic. Eventually he had gathered his thoughts and was ready to speak his peace on the matters at hand. "If that is the case it might be best for me to wait for the rest of my comrades to show up before I get something to eat, I can be quite oblivious and a bit clumsy, and I'd hate to cause some sort of incident, so it would be best for me to have some ally to make sure I stay in line, but I'll be sure to check out the Galaxy Cafe after they arrive, I'm sure my teacher, Raleth Sarutobi, would be more than happy to go, he owns a tea shop himself after all," Page would pause for a moment, trying to calculate when his teacher or his roommate would be arriving, if they would be.

"Anyway," he would start back up again, "The trip from Suna was an easy one for me, although I imagine it will be very different from my allies. I had to take a stop at Konohagakure, so I departed by myself and as such arrived here by sea, whereas I imagine most will be traveling by land. The travel itself was uneventful as the seas were calm, the only problem arose once I landed in Haven country, it was pretty hard to locate you guys. I don't suppose they call the villages hidden for no reason, just presented the only real obstacle," Page would scratch the back of his head as he admitted this fault, again showing a nervous tic.

 He would then transition to asking some questions about Hoshi and the ninja that let him into the village, "So are you a native here, have things always been like this between the ninja and the citizens? You mentioned it is complicated, but has it devolved into violence yet? Would the exams be put at risk?" He would try not to overload the boy with questions, but his mind was so overtaken with them he found it hard not to ask.

WC: 513, TWC: 1,560

Perhaps to the surprise of the farmer, Yuuma actually responded to his extension of the hand with one of his own. His handshake was brief but firm, displaying that this was not an unfamiliar greeting to the boy. His expression shifted, betraying his curiosity as the man spoke about his travel first to Kono, and then by sea to the country of Haven. Having done a fair amount of travel himself, Yuuma had a fair bit of interest in the lands beyond his own and had yet to actually make contact with any of the other villages. Finding someone who was so willing to speak plainly with him was exactly the motivation Yuuma had taken to volunteering for Gate duty. Unfortunately for Page, he may have opened a can of worms by humoring the Genin. For the moment, the farmer from Sunagakure was going to find himself a captive audience in Yuuma, and his insatiable curiosity for the lands that remained unknown to him was worn on his face like a mask.

A flurry of questions entered his mind, but Yuuma would do his best to hold back the dam from breaking until he could return in kind. The man was curious about Hoshigakure though Yuuma’s expression might betray him once more off the bat as he asked about Yuuma’s own relation to the village. It was as good a place to start as any. “A native? I...well, no,” Yuuma answered, shuffling slightly in place as his gaze wandered down to the ground and then back up. “I’m actually from a small farming village that isn’t far from here...but it was attacked by bandits and burned to the ground. The shinobi of Hoshi saved me and a handful of others from the village, and ever since then I have been working to repay my gratitude.” A strange statement to make given the marking on his forehead. “As far as the longevity of the conflict, I’m not particularly sure. I know that, once upon a time ago, Hoshigakure was ruled by a Queen and the Church. When the shinobi first arrived, the church thought we were demons because of our Jutsu. They considered it black magic.” As he spoke, his voice volume continued to lower until the conversation was somewhat of a murmur, a glance being cast at the Queensmans before looking back. “There was a lot of distrust, but the royal family really liked shinobi because we defended the village from threats. It’s been...a long process to earn the trust of the people. It hasn’t turned violent in many years, but there are some sects in Haven that would see great harm come to us, like the Jaws of Grima.” His face soured some, recalling the reprehensible acts the now-bandit group had taken upon his kind.

Shaking the thought from his head, he’d return the conversation to something of a more normal volume. “The shinobi have tried very hard to mend the relationship between the citizens- who are often looked down on by the nobility- and ourselves. We even give our younger members jobs such as cultivating the plant life, keeping the city clean, and protecting local businesses.” Yuuma would sweep a hand around them in a display of the array of fauna that lined the walls of Hoshigakure leading up to the gates, making it look almost like an oasis in the otherwise arid landscape. “It is our home too, and while many might look as us with distrust, we will do our absolute best to keep it safe and flourishing.” A prideful smile would cross the boy’s face as he swelled up with some pride. “That being said, I do not think the exams would be put at any risk. The Queensman are the law of the land, and they answer to the throne.” He nods a couple of times, allowing the man to make comments or remarks after his somewhat tirade of an explanation of Hoshi to the best of his ability. Having not been born here, there is a fair amount that not even Yuuma knew, but his days in the Academy had made sure he at least understood his place as a shinobi among the people of Haven.

Questions having been answered, Yuuma could no longer restrain his own curiosity, though did his best to not simply dump his thoughts onto the man. “You said you came from Konohagakure? What is the land of Fire like? Are there forests as far as the eye can see like I’ve read about in books? Did you have to cross through the forest of the Great Stag? A journey by sea must have taken you some time, though I’m pleased to hear it was a calm trip...and what of the land of Sunagakure? I know our Kage was there not long ago for the summit, but I’ve not learned much about it myself. What sort of place is it? Are your jutsu largely earth-based as well? Do you have farms in the county of Wind? I imagine the landscape would make crop growth rather difficult..” Although he managed to pull himself back in, it was clear that Yuuma had many, many more questions for the man who had trapped himself with a guy who was probably too curious for his own good. 


WC- 883
TWC- 2,710

Those positioned at Hoshigakure’s gate would soon be greeted by a rather peculiar sight. Anyone looking towards the horizon from this location would now begin to make out the silhouette of an abnormally large ‘thing’ making its way towards the gates in a lethargic manner. This ‘thing’ was still too far for human eyes to decipher what it was, but it’s presence was large enough to draw the attention of anyone who may have noticed.
 
In the distance, a tan girl with blue hair and large orange eyes could be observed slouched over the left shoulder of an enormously large brown bear, with her back against the side of the bears head and her legs dangling off to the sides. The girl’s arm was now reaching backwards, feeling the bottom of a burlap bag that was also stationed on the top of the bear’s head. The large bear let out a sound that was indictive to the girl that it was time to feed her furry taxi another fish in payment for his services. The girls hand searched the bottom of the bag, but to no avail. The bear let out another moan, becoming impatient, as Fu came to the realization that there was no fish left.
 
“Sorry bud, we’re all out. Just going to have to wait till we get there…” She would say, giving her companion the bad news. The bear let out yet another moan, this one much more disappointed sounding then the previous. “Hey look!” Fu would say, now sitting upright and no longer using Archie’s head as a pillow. “We’re almost there!” It felt as though the duo had been traveling for days and she was excited to get something real to eat and a comfortable bed to sleep in.
 
Archie and Fu continued to travel in this fashion until they ultimately arrived at the gates of Hoshigakure. Upon arrival, their appeared to be several people in attendance. Some wore fancy shiny suites of armor, others appeared to be busy helping travelers check in. One thing was certain, almost everyone was now acknowledging Hoshigakure’s newest arrivals. Fu was growing accustomed to the looks she received when traveling on the shoulder of a 10 FT tall bear that walked on its hind legs. Most avoided them at all costs while others whispered as she passed. Fu was too carefree to pay their gossip any mind. To be honest, she thought it was bad ass. Now at the gates, Fu would jump down from the bears large shoulder and land gracefully on the ground. This kunochi was approximately 5 Ft 7 Inches tall and had long blue hair and large orange eyes. Her skin was tan, and her body lean and muscular, but still feminine. Slung across her back was two katanas, and beneath her robe were several weapon pouches.
 
Now that she was back on land, Archie would collapse onto the ground into a seated position, resting for the first time since they departed. This action would shake the earth to its core and create a solid ‘thud’ sound as the bears weight was now making its presence known. Fu reached into her robe and secured the paperwork and credentials necessary to enter the village. For now, she would wait until it was her turn or until someone got around to checking her in. She was not worried she would be skipped as her entrance was more than enough to draw the attention of everyone in the vicinity, but she sure hoped it wouldn’t take too long because she needed a meal and a nap- pronto.

WC: 600