Good, Or Don't Be [Village Entry]

Word will come of the Mizukage's arrival well ahead of her. She's likely made contact with sentries in her journey through the Land of Fire, and her travel is not exactly subtle. Murata and her companion Ban ride astride the great wolf Kazane, the two-headed beast fitting comfortably under the canopy only due to this forest's esteemed age.

The wolf stops a fair amount short of the gates, and Murata steps gingerly atop her right head, calling to the village's guardians.

"I am Sugi Murata," she says, the signature triangular hat on her head communicating title. "The Hokage should be expecting me."

The ANBU had heard ahead of time that the Mizukage had been sighted within the lands of Fire and once word had gotten back to Ishimaru he knew it was time. Standing from his desk he would push open a door that would lead him to a room with a multitude of scrolls. Grabbing two specific scrolls he would sigh knowing that this meant his family and village would be finally free," This is for the well-being of Konoha and all of its people...," and in that moment his body would disappear in a display of yellow and black. Flashing forward at Murata's arrival, the moment she finished her sentence his form would appear 3 meters in front of her, accompanied by a few ANBU who had landed moments after he had appeared. Waving the ANBU away he would smile toward the Mizukage," Lady Murata. Timely as ever. I hope your travel has been fine... How was your "Talk" with the Kazekage? I see by you being here that you lived through it, but that is neither here nor there," stepping forward his hand would reach into the depths of his sleeves and produce two scrolls, both marked in an intrinsic form of Kanji. He would wait until she had grabbed them and once she did he would speak," As we agreed, these scrolls contain the information necessary to learn both Rasenshuriken and the Multi-Shadow Clone technique," he would wait of course for them to inspect and speak before saying anything else of course.

After a day's worth of travel, the Laughing Monk had arrived at the shores of the land of fire. Shortly after exiting the vessel, Ban and Murata would take on her summoning, Kazane, a two-headed giant wolf who could support travelers on their back. The duo would hop on and comfortably travel to the Land of Fire's Konohagakure. Ban had never been to the land of fire before. The forestry was alien to the Hozuki but mesmerizing. She watches from on the summoning's back the beautiful sights of the trees. The bare winter branches hung low to where Ban could touch them. Murata seemed too focused on the mission at hand to be enjoying the sight, or perhaps it just wasn't as interesting to her as it was to Ban. 

The wolf stopped at the gate and Murata and Ban hopped off. The Mizukage would present herself to the gates and explain who she was and that the Hokage was expecting them. Ban would stand behind Mur's shoulder with her maul in hand like a sentry. Indeed the Hokage was because as soon as they arrived, a flash would appear before them as the Hokage. Ban wondered if it was the same techinque the Kiri Jonin, Ruin, used to transport the genin from Hoshi to Kiri in an instant. It was impressive. 

The Hokage was joined by a few Anbu, who was waved away by the Kage. They backed up 5 meters behind the Kage as he revealed 2 scrolls. Ban didn't know exactly why they came to Kono originally, but it seemed that Kiri and Kono had come up with some kind of deal or sale of the two techniques, Multi Shadow Clone and Rasenshuriken. The Hokage also mentioned Mur surviving a "talk", implying that it was more than just that. Ban was confused by this, had something gone down at the Kage summit that she wasn't aware of? Though she was confused, Ban's face showed no emotion in front of the shinobi of the leaf.

WC: 337

The Hokage appears in a flash of yellow, presumably showing off that same technique she had been unable to get from him. Murata slips down from astride her wolf, who takes a few curious sniffs at the air, investigating the young man with four pale yellow eyes. Murata lifts her chin to Ishimaru in greeting, nodding respectfully to the likely-terse ANBU as well.

"I'm glad you made it home safe as well, Lord Hokage. The Kazekage went running back to her village with her tail between her legs," Murata says lightheartedly, not seeming too troubled by the escape. "We'll be continuing talks soon, in one form or another."

She graciously accepts the scrolls, giving them a delicate once-over as token assurance they are what they are supposed to be before putting them away on her person. In exchange, she draws out a scroll of her own to pass to Ishimaru, one of a different nature.

"This is a copy of my order to Kirigakure to turn over all holdings here to the Land of Fire and the Hokage," she says. "As written, it's a return to all legal status held before the First's invasion - if you need to make any changes, that power is of course now in your hands. As soon as you sign your portion, the Leaf will be free."

With that official business out of the way, Murata continues.

"Might I request, now formally as an equal," she says, gesturing to Ban, still astride the wolf, "That myself and my companion be allowed entry into Konohagakure for about a day's time? My villagers have requested we do a bit of... shopping," she says, flashing the paper Goro handed to her, scribbled with various requests for Konohagakure-exclusive candies. It may not be direct reparations, but hey, some of Kirigakure's money will be returning to the Leaf in some form.

"Is the ramen here actually any good... or is it just talked about so much for historical reasons...?" Kazane murmurs, perhaps startling the Hokage, one head picking up where the other left off.

344
TWC 446

From those words he could only imagine what had happened and what would soon come of the world," Then it would seem the world is once again in a tumultuous era. Hopefully heads will find a more...desirable outcome for this, but if war is what the fates desire then war is what the fates will see. At either rate," he would stop short of his sentence as the scroll was exchanged and soon one was handed to him. Looking it over for a moment he would open it and read over the contents to ensure a free Konoha with no other strings was given, though he didn't think Murata was that kind of person to do something like that. After being satisfied with the terms in the scroll, he would bring his right hand up to his mouth and bite into his index finger just enough to draw a sliver of blood and sign the scroll. With that one of the ANBU would step forward and take the scroll as it was handed back and poof in a display of smoke. Finally they were free. A small smile appeared on his face as he nodded and stepped to the right, using his left hand to extend a welcome to the two," As an equal you and your guard here are more than welcome to enter the Village, just be mindful where you go. A lot of the village is in a period of remodeling. As for," and his words would fall short as he heard both heads of the wolf speak which caused him to chuckle slightly," Our Ichiraku Ramen is the best in the Nation...let alone the world. You'll definitely not be disappointed...I didn't catch your name?," he would ask the wolf, not surprised that it could talk. He did after all have a fully sentient form of chakra living within him that was also the other half of him. With that he would lead the three into the village, his hands moving back into his sleeves as he did so.

"Kazane," the right head says with a chuckle, seeming satisfied with the Hokage. She dips her heads respectfully to the man before moving to follow him, and Murata raises her eyebrows, seeming surprised by the wolf's actions. Well, she is easily wooed by food, as much of a troublemaker as she can be. "You heard him, girls. Our first stop is Ichiraku."

"As long as we all behave ourselves," she reminds, smiling in return to the Hokage, thankful for his graciousness throughout this entire process. He would have had every right to be far more hostile throughout.

Murata shrugs easily and follows behind, content to allow her to run up a tab worthy of her size in exchange for ferrying them here. She falls into line behind her wolf and the Hokage, eyes roaming over the wintery village that opens up before them as the gates pass by.

148
TWC 594
Training 10AP, claiming Rasenshuriken and Multi Shadow Clone scrolls, freeing Konoha  

The exchange of papers went well; both pages seemed pleased with the result of the trade. A freed nation for a couple of techniques. Though claiming Kono was one of the legacies left behind by Xy, it didn't seem to offer Kiri but a way of claiming more taxes. Ban had no opinion about the release of Kono besides she trusted Murata. What struck her more was the conversation of war and the implication of conflict between Kiri and Suna. Ban or much of Kiri was aware of this confrontation publically yet. So many questions were left open for Ban to ponder asking her Lady Mizukage. Right now when they were in potentially hostile lands, it wasn't safe for Ban to openly question her friend. The Hozuki missed feeling secure with Murata like they were just close friends. But everything seemed so stiff in Ban's head and she felt she needed to present differently from how she wanted to. Duty before pleasure. The creed of the shinobi. 

Exit into Konohagakure.
WC: 167
TWC: 504
Claiming
200 Wc toward Feint (500/500) continued from  this
10 ap