Heat to Chill [Village Entrance - Arantima/Mizu]

Though her wrinkled face and gray hair might have suggested otherwise, Matsune Kei's heart beat with the tenacity of those thirty years her junior. Old age, in her opinion, came cheap; one needed only to do nothing interesting in life for the days to roll into weeks, weeks into years, and years into decades. Then, as if by some arcane act, one's newfound old age garnered the younger generation's respect and deference, all for living an altogether unremarkable life. No, in the shinobi world age meant very little.

Perhaps then this was why Matsune made her involvement in the day-to-day life of Tanbogakure's village life a particular point of pride. She neither hid behind an administrative desk nor consigned herself to retirement as many her age had long since done. Rather, each day, rain or shine, she stood watch over her home's gates, serving as the first of many friendly faces foreign merchant and shinobi alike met upon first entering the up-and-coming settlement. One had only a set time on earth, and she reasoned, it might as well be interesting.

Indeed, today, with the bite of winter strong in the air, promised to be just that: interesting. She had already admitted a full caravan of pilgrims bound for Hoshigakure, a wayward shinobi from the Land of Rain, and a group of merchants chatting about the latest crash in the salted fish market. By all counts, the day could have already been considered busy. Though, the arrival of two more foreign chakra signatures at the edge of her consciousness ensured that today's shift was far from over.

Standing within the shelter of what amounted to ramshackle custom's booth and wrapped in earth-toned attire, Tanbogakure's oldest gate guard gazed out at the village's newest arrivals with the kind eyes old age provided. Separated from all passersby by a glass partition, she often regretted allowing the Komekage to talk her into having such a barrier installed. Though, from time to time when facing down strangers of questionable origin, she didn't mind the extra layer of insulation, superficial though it may be.

"Hello, dears," she tilted her head back to make better use of the glasses that had slipped down her nose. "How might I help you today?"

What a strange pair. One appeared more metal than man and the other, with mismatched irises of red and white, sent an unnatural chill down Matsune's spine. The whole situation felt off, though it would not show through her gentle smile. After all, alongside age, appearances meant very little in a world where one could alter them on a whim, who was she to judge?

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WC: 438
TWC: 438

Matsune Kei Stat Page/Story

At the mention of Asahi Yagami, Matsune's brow furrowed in something toeing the line between disapproval and pity. Even those in the village not nearly as well-versed in the latest gossip as the gate guard knew the name of the Komekage's cousin. The man had a questionable reputation as an unabashed hedonist who—according to a friend of a friend—spoke to thin air in hopes of communicating with the dead. More importantly, however, the elderly woman did not recall the blonde-haired man having been away from the village for any appreciable amount of time, and she made it her business to know such things.

"Paperwork, indeed, please give me a moment," Matsune rifled through the cabinet to her left, though an observant eye would see that she dutifully kept Arantima in her blurred peripheral vision. "Unfortunately, I won't be able to issue either a long-term visa or a business permit here. For that, you'll need to speak with our leader; I'm sure your friend, Asahi, can acquaint the two of you. That said, if each of you could fill these out..."

She slid two sheets of paper beneath the partition along with two pens.

"...I can issue you a visitor visa, which should suffice in the interim."  

If the names Mizuki and Arantima carried any renown it was lost on Matsune. She never quite had the stomach for international affairs. After all, she had more than enough to pay attention to at home. Far better, she liked to think, to allow the titans of the world to fumble about on their own—keeping current with such happenings became too much of a chore as they rarely impacted the out-of-the-way settlement of Tanbogakure in its far-flung corner of the world.

"Please let me know if you have any questions."

She smiled the same gentle smile as before.


1. FULL NAME:

2. LAST NAME AT BIRTH (IF DIFFERENT):

3. DATE OF BIRTH:

5. CURRENT VILLAGE AFFILIATION:

6. VILLAGE/COUNTRY OF BIRTH:

7. PURPOSE AND PLACES OF VISIT:

8. LENGTH OF VISIT:

9. COMMENTS:

I, ____________________, affirm that the above is correct and true to the best of my knowledge. If information herein is found to have been knowingly falsified it is grounds for expulsion from the village or, if deemed appropriate, imprisonment and further legal proceedings commensurate to the severity of the case in question.

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WC: 399
TWC: 837

The woman’s expression was curious, open disapproval mixed with something close to pity when she mentioned her contacts name. Though she made no comment on the matter and proceeded forward with their paperwork - leaning away while still keeping her brother in her sights. After a moment she would have two papers in front of her with two pens. Turning to Arantima she would wave him over to fill out his paperwork alongside her. 

“A visitor visa would be perfect thank you.”, she would take the pen in her pale hand and tap the end against the paper in thought as she scanned its contents, fully reading it before beginning to fill it out. 

Visitor Visa Application


1. FULL NAME: Mizuki Kyuketsuki

2. LAST NAME AT BIRTH (IF DIFFERENT): Ohta

3. DATE OF BIRTH: March 19

5. CURRENT VILLAGE AFFILIATION: Vagabond

6. VILLAGE/COUNTRY OF BIRTH: Kirigakure

7. PURPOSE AND PLACES OF VISIT: Expansion of business dealings and formation of neighboring allies as well as tourism. 

8. LENGTH OF VISIT: Minimum of 6 months

9. COMMENTS:

I, Mizuki Kyuketsuki, affirm that the above is correct and true to the best of my knowledge. If information herein is found to have been knowingly falsified it is grounds for expulsion from the village or, if deemed appropriate, imprisonment and further legal proceedings commensurate to the severity of the case in question.

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Filling it out seemed easy enough but it felt like it wiped so much of who she was away from her, but it was easier this way - there would be time to explain it all clearly to the leader when she was able to request a meeting with them. Passing the paper back she would wait for any further instruction, an idle smile on her face as she took another look around at the entry to the village. Honestly it reminded her of some 40 years ago, passing through small towns and the beginnings of some of the major villages before they got their footholds again.

"Thank you," she accepted Mizuki's completed document and filed it away in the cabinet to her left before returning the glass partition. "Once you're done with that there..."

She nodded to the paper the quieter of the two visitors had handed off to his sister.

"...I'll just need to get a picture of you both for our records," she shrugged as if to apologize for the trouble. "Then I can issue each of you a temporary ID card."

If Mizuki did indeed hand off the second visa application, Matsune would file it away in much the same way as the first and return with camera in hand. Then, if neither individual objected, the gate guard would go through the documentation process. Snapping a headshot, signing off on the ID cards, and making the appropriate administrative notes. The whole thing was, unfortunately, a necessary evil in a fully functioning village—letting people in and out of the gates without documentation would surely lead to chaos.

"Perfect, here you are," she slid two ID cards beneath the partition. "These will give you free access to everything in Tanbogakure's residential district, please keep them on you at all times. Beyond that, is there anything else I can help you two with?"

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WC: 208
TWC: 1045