Hunting Shadows [Village Entry]

"Tch. Damn this heat, how can people live like this?" The young male growled in brewing annoyance, lilac eyes observing their surroundings in a synecdoche manner. How many days had it been since he was forced on a path away from his family and village? How many days had it been since he was stripped of his honor, failing a mission so miserably that it caused in the death of his parents - freed of their mortal coil as shinobi yet not freed from their grief as mother and father? Tottori Hyuuga had long since stopped counting the days that he fled from the comforts of his village, marred by the curse that was being a "shinobi", chosen by his superiors to perform a mission that he had no desire of doing. Ever since that day where he failed the mission, left stranded in the middle of the Iron Country with nothing but blood and shattered ego, remnants of the withered murder that occurred on that bloody night - Tottori lost his will to live. He was a marksman who shot his bow without catching any prey. He was a man that swung his sword for no purpose, clashing against air instead of flesh. He was a shinobi that existed without having any missions. He was a hunter, that hunted shadows. A tool that had lost its use, was Tottori Hyuuga. However, unlike any normal tool, Tottori couldn't just wilter and break...he continued to exist, even when he shouldn't. What should someone do when their reason to live, their reason to fight another day has been exhausted? 

Walk.

He had two legs after all.

Among the years of living as a Hunter that hunted only the shadows, Tottori set his sights on a new location - Sunagakure. A land that was a haven but at the same time, a cesspool of Missing Ninja was a great place for Tottori to hone his skills for future endeavors, such as returning to his village as a stronger man. 

However, the trek to Sunagakure was less to be desired. The smell of dust and pungent sweat, the heat of the sun, the dunes and tan colors of sand, and the horizon, full of meaningless stratus clouds were etched in Tottori mind for eternity it seemed. The sand and the feeling of stepping on it simply blurred into normality into the young man, yet, the heat seemed to pose a bigger problem for the Hyuuga. He cursed himself for being ill-prepared for traveling by adorning his usual attire, originally thinking that the weather of Sunagakure wouldn't be scorchingly hot, but alas, life was suffering for Tottori. The point was further proven correct as the heat kept batting on the Hunter's body, his countenance beginning to drench in sweat once more from the sheer heat of the day. The heat was dancing on the borders of becoming unbearable, Tottori stopping dead in his tracks to take a rest as his tired body felt like it was baking from the inside-out. It was akin to the sensation of putting oneself in a flame-powered oven. If it were any normal shinobi, they would succumb to Sunagakure's heat and let themselves die of dehydration.

However, we were not talking about any normal shinobi, this was Tottori Hyuuga. Even if it couldn't be called an ambition, the Hyuuga had a simple wish: returning to his village so he could regain his honor as a shinobi! Every ounce of strength he had left in him was used to slowly pick himself up from the desert hellhole,  feeling as though his lilac eyes would melt from the scorch that was euphemistically called "air." Suddenly, Tottori peered at a peculiar specter in front of him. It was giant, so it couldn't be a human. It wasn't some kind of beast or monster since the male didn't feel any ounce of bloodlust. Suddenly, a chuckle - one similar to madness would appear on Tottori's visage.


"The gates..." And there it was, the infamous Cleft of Sunagakure. Despite Sunagakure being very accepting of Missing Ninja, the Hyuuga heard stories of one foolish boy who decided to attack a guard at the gates, causing an unceremonious death at the gates...he really hoped that he would get on their good side if that was the case. He didn't know if anyone was here, so the male would gather the rest of his strength - cup his hands on his mouth for added volume before yelling with all the strength he could muster.

"AYO CHIEFSSSSSSSS!!! CAN YOU LET A TRAVELER IN ON GOD?!" 

WC: 861

Guren found himself assigned to a lot more guard duty and internal patrol missions nowadays. Although it wasn't typical of the Deputy Kage to be performing such tasks, with a lack of Chuunin and Jounin to do the job he was one of the few appropriate personnel. Yet Guren didn't mind it as it gave him opportunities to meet all the newcomers to the village, report on any imperfections in the Sunagakure defenses, and spend some time with his friend Han. Of all of the benefits, meeting the newcomers was of the utmost importance to him. There was merit in seeing all the faces of those entering and exiting the village, in comparison to just reading the traffic reports through Sunagakure. It was much more intimate, and so Guren could get a better understanding of who all these people were. Thus the level of accuracy behind discerning their intentions was much higher. Smiling in the Eastern Guard Tower, he wondered if a similar thought process was employed by Han when he had greeted Guren at the gates almost two years ago. As luck would have it, there seemed to be a lot of allusions to Guren's past as a missing ninja lately. Perhaps his mind was just a bit more sensitive to subtleties that he previously didn't notice. And for what reason? Only Jashin knew.

Nevertheless, Guren digressed from his thoughts as he turned his head to lock his gaze with that of an incomer. From the distance, Guren could tell that the person approaching had a similar build to his own. Relatively tall and lean. Potentially a shinobi. And a loud one at that, as once he was within audible range he shouted in a rather boisterous tone. Guren would shake his head slightly and direct his attention to Han, who face palmed simultaneously. Guren would take the bullet here, standing from his chair and walking out from the post. As he did so, the sun's rays would cast upon Guren, illuminating his figure. Now removed from the confines of the guard tower, the stranger would have a good luck at Guren. Of course he wore his hooded kimono, which was layered overtop of Guren's pinstriped long sleeve shirt. Although it may seem unusual to be dressed in such layers, Guren had grown accustomed to the weather of Wind Country. And to him, today was actually on the colder side. Additionally within the barrier of the Regulatory Dome, the atmosphere was quite cool and comfortable. 

Guren began walking towards the direction of the approaching shinobi, and simultaneously unlatched a water filled canteen from his waistline. In a leisure motion, he would toss the canteen towards the man who would have plenty of time to catch it. And when Guren was within five meters of the man, he would halt and calmly instruct him to, "Drink. I'm sure your travels have been long and the journey, treacherous at times. I am Guren, Deputy Kage of Sunagakure. You can seek refuge here in our village... but before that pimp, I'll need to conduct our standard protocol." By this time, Guren would be standing still with a welcoming half smile upon his face. The wind would lightly blow his kimono, and offer a cooling breeze that both men might find soothing. "I'll need your name, status, and your shinobi identification card." With that said, Guren would extend his non-dominant hand forward to anticipation of receiving the man's ID. 

WC = 576

Tottori's rather...energetic call in front of the gates - resembling more of a lion's roar than anything, managed to draw the attention of some of the guards. For a brief moment, he activated his Byakugan to see about one hundred or so meters in all directions so he could effectively see and zoom in on the area so he could see if any guards were currently in the area...and also just in case anyone thought it was a good time to attack him, he'd know in an instant. Through the quick activation and deactivation of his esoteric dojutsu, the Hyuuga was able to discern two people that were located in the Eastern Guard Tower of the Cleft; an elderly man with his fair share of grey hairs and a man who seemed to be around the Hunter's age but he possessed an exotic darker complexion that was rare to be seen. Obviously, due to their high levels of chakra compared to other people as well as their positions in the area - there would be no doubt that they were true, shinobi and most likely the guards of the area. It appeared that the two were able to hear Tottori's roar and most likely due to seniority reasons, the darker-skinned male would bite the bullet and decide that he was going to take care of things. Well, that was pretty damn quick. Seeing as there was no more use for his Byakugan, he'd deactivate it in a flash. 

With a calm smile, Tottori would bear witness to the man making his way towards the Cleft and eventually arrive at the Hyuuga's domain. Seeing the guard walk closer to him allowed the Hyuuga to observe his characteristics more; just like him, the guard had a tall and lean build which made the Hunter completely sure that he was a shinobi. Within five meters of Tottori, the guard would throw a canteen full of water forward - the Hyuuga's eyes gleaming at the sight of water, something that he was utterly deprived of for the last three days thrown right before his eyes. He'd catch the canteen in the air with the sole use of his right hand immediately before it could fall to the ground and the water could spill out. Despite how animalistic it looked, Tottori would snap open the object immediately before shoving the water in his mouth, the liquid dripping through parts of his face but he didn't care...water...felt...so...damn...good...

While Tottori quenched his thirst as if he was some sort of dog; the guard would speak. His title - Deputy Kage of Sunagakure, his name - Guren. The Hyuuga's eyes slightly widened as he drank once he heard the mention of "Deputy Kage", as that meant that Tottori was in the presence of someone who took direct orders of a world leader...hopefully he wouldn't make a fool out of himself. Nevertheless, Guren spoke with cadence, requesting that Tottori would explain his name, status, and identification card. 

Thankfully, he met all of those criteria.

Gulping down all of the water until the last trinkle, Tottori would wipe the remaining liquid off of his mouth with his left sleeve before focusing on Guren, feeling that the water revitalized him enough to entertain a conversation with someone. "Sup, Deputy Kage Guren. Names' Tottori Hyuuga. Once a Kumogakure Genin, now a humble traveler. I come here for safe refuge and possibly to regain some of my strength so I can return to my home village as a stronger shinobi." The Hyuuga spoke transparently, closing his eyes to form a friendly smile before pulling out his identification card with his left hand, tossing it towards Guren - hoping that the man would catch it. The card held his status as once part of Kumogakure, as well as his current rank in that village. Miscellaneous information was also on the card.

WC: 741
TWC: 1602

Watching the stranger drink from the canteen was symbolistic of watching one drink from the fountain of youth. As he drank, his body seemed to relax as the water hydrated his soul. With some proper food and rest in him, Guren speculated that the man could continue his journey for even longer. Sunagakure would be able to offer that. And hopefully the hospitality that Guren was showing this man would be enough to incentivize the man to show good behavior in the village. If not, Sunagakure would have to deal with him. Guren specifically. But based on his first impression, he seemed alright. After drinking, he would introduce himself. The word "Kumogakure" would pierce Guren's ears like a kunai to the chest. His expression wavered slightly, returning to a more neutral look. "Kumogakure, huh? I'm sure we have others from that place residing here. Careful, in case you run into anyone you know...But otherwise, It's nice to meet you Tottori." Guren would continue while snagging the identification card out of the air with his left hand. He would quickly skim through the ID card for the relevant information, confirming that Tottori's introduction matched his paperwork. It did. Guren would then redirect his gaze back to Tottori before tossing the ID card back over to him. 

"Returning to Kumogakure is a dangerous plan. I would advise you stay here for some time. Seek work, shelter, and quality of life. We can employ you as either a Missing Ninja with missions that fit that description. Or alternatively, you can look to enlist in our shinobi force. Those are only two of the endless options for life here in Sunagakure, but in any case...you should meet with myself or the Kazekage in a private setting." Guren would finish. He too once shared the goal of returning to Kumogakure one day, but his resolve was to pay for his sins. Nevertheless to Guren it seemed like a pipe dream, so far diverged from reality that whenever he found himself debating the idea he would pinch himself to awaken. Returning to Kumogakure as a missing ninja would mean either death or imprisonment. No in between. Besides, life was good in Sunagakure. Hopefully Tottori would realize this one day on his own accord. 

"Well, everything checks out.." Guren would start after a brief moment of silence. "You're free to enter. Bear in mind these rules however. Do not attack anyone while within Sunagakure's walls. Access to the training grounds is permitted, save for the last couple. I recommend sticking to grounds 1 through 4. Show respect to Sunagakure shinobi, as you have shown me and as I have shown you. Transplants can obtained in the Hospital. Seek to speak with either myself, or the one they call the Ragdoll. Lastly...if you need me or the Kazekage, report to the Spire and ask the receptionist for a presence with us. We're nice people." Guren would finish with a slightly welcoming smile. With that, he would turn to the side and usher his hand in a waving motion towards the direction of the village. "And keep the canteen. I'm sure you'll need it."


WC = 525. Total = 1001

Being rather pleased with how accommodating the man was, Tottori would freely be at ease in the situation he was in. For roughly a year, he had to waste his adolescence on the run; being attacked by Missing Ninja for most of his youth and needing to kill and assassinate threats for the sake of self-preservation. He couldn't recall a time in this past year where he could safely say that he felt at ease with someone, but this man standing before him was able to do that so easily. Heh, if he wasn't affiliated with any village right now nor possessed any ties to Kumogakure, he would actually consider joining the military of Sunagakure...hell, even right now he was secretly weighing his options of what avenue would be his best fit. To stay in Sunagakure for the rest of the foreseeable future - forsake his past and join the military, or return to the village he was born in so he could finally reclaim his status as Tottori Hyuuga...not the shadow that was left behind that yearned to call himself that name despite not having a right to call himself by that sacred title. "Sigh." It was a simple thought that occurred in the oceanic depths of his mind. The Hunter was at an impasse, and it was such a big impasse where simply going to sleep and forgetting about it wouldn't go away. To stay in Sunagakure, the Hyuuga would have to think about which path he should follow. Not to mention that Guren somewhat urged him to not return to Kumogakure - probably since he was the  Deputy Kage and losing a potential asset was a bad move - but also because the path for returning to the village he was born in could be barbed with thorns and poison that would slowly lead to an insidious death on the way there. Perhaps it was better to stay in Sunagakure in the meanwhile, at least to weigh his options.

What a mess.

Nevertheless, Tottori wouldn't lose heart. It was mere factual information, not some sort of omen that was akin to "if you return to your village, you will see nothing but ruins" or something similar to that scenario. After warning the Hyuuga on the possible burdens and eventual shackles his pipe dream put onto him, Guren would explain the rules of Sunagakure once checking that his ID was valid. Most of the rules were self-explanatory which could basically be summarized as "don't be an asshole and start shit for no reason." Easy enough. What intrigued Tottori the most however was the talk about transplants; of course, transplants were a topic to come across when searching for power, but villages - especially shinobi of high status never talked about transplants so openly... In order to find transplants, Guren urged him to speak to either him or the Ragdoll; if Tottori desired to talk to the Kazekage or him, he would have to report to the Spire to request an audience. Again, all of these rules were simple, but that transplant talk really brought a lot of questions to the mind of his Hyuuga. "...What is the price of my Byakugan, if that's the case?" He thought silently, still keeping a neutral expression as Guren explained the rules. The Deputy Kage soon finished explaining the rules, jokingly telling Tottori to keep the canteen as the Hyuuga let out a small chuckle. He'd follow the Chinoike to the village, looking up to the sky as he was about to enter a new stage of his life.

He wouldn't forget the kindness Guren showed him.

[EXIT]

WC: 801
TWC: 2403

Claims:
+24 Stat Points
1750 WC Towards Vacuum Palm B - Rank [1750/1750]
500 WC Towards Storage Displacement [500/500]
154 WC Towards Space Time Art: Immaterial Tools [154/1000]

Without a further word spoken to the Deputy Kage, Guren would fold his arms and monitor the former Kumogakure ninja’s movements. He’d proceed to walk towards the entrance to the village, without any indication of hostility. He seemed calm, relieved, and maybe even happy to be gaining entry to Sunagakure. As he should be. It truly was one of the safest places in the world for a missing ninja to hide out. With that thought, Guren chuckled to himself. “Safe”. It was an ironic descriptor for a village of such inhumane notoriety. But nevertheless, it was what it was.

As the newcomer walked by Guren, he attempted to discern any notable chakra signature coming from the boy. Yet there was nothing wicked, like Kenshin’s. Or blood ridden, like his own. It was overall quite neutral, and almost…pure? Maybe it was his nativity. Or perhaps the intentions of the young man were so genuine that his chakra reflected that? In any case, Guren was more than comfortable with allowing Tottori in Sunagakure. Seeing as he too was from Kumogakure, Guren almost felt a sense of responsibility for him. And maybe that is why he sought to deter Tottori from returning to Kumogakure. To fulfill that responsibility, and to also look after his wellbeing.

Regardless, while Tottori was in Sunagakure, he would be safe. Guren would personally oversee that, as he did with all villagers and missing ninja in Sunagakure’s perimeter. As he would walk by Guren, Guren would offer him a nod of approval. And with that, Tottori would be waltzing right into the Sand Village’s gates.

-Exit-

WC = 266. TWC = 1267
25% Max Stat Discount
1125/1125 towards Genjutsu Binding

Approved