The New Crew [IO]

Eastern Voyage, Part 1:

Eastern Voyage, Part 2:

In a resounding flash, Guren would miraculously find himself transported to the Land of Sky. Upon arrival the first thing that he noticed was the stark difference it had in comparison with Wind Country. Where Wind Country was sandy, barren, and in some cases desolate, the Land of Sky was lush, woody, and covered in vegetation. The trees teemed high above, blocking out the rays of the sun; and the grass beneath Guren's feet softly crunched with every step. Even the air itself felt more pure, as it did not carry grains of sand with it whenever the wind blew. And the wind, it did not roar, but instead it only whistled through the trees. Off in the distance, Guren could make out the silhouettes of colossal mountains, with a part in between them that partially hid the rising sun. And as it raised higher into the sky, its rays softly danced across the open fields off in the distance. If this wasn't the sign of a new beginning, than what was?



Shortly after he arrived, Guren would note the presence of Kaito and Seb appearing near him. It would seem that both of them had successfully traveled from Wind Country to this new location. With a soft smile upon his face, Guren would look upon the two and break the silence. "Long time no see, huh? Glad you two decided to join me. So far this place seems much more habitable than Wind Country," he commented, more as a statement about the necessary innovations that Sunagakure needed to take in order to make its desert biome less taxing to live within. And it was true. There would be no need for the weather controlled dome that Sunagakure required as the temperate climate that this place exhibited seemed sustainable. 

Waiting for his friends to comment, Guren would fold his arms across his chest then raise one to stroke the fibers of his beard. When Seb and Kaito both finished speaking, Guren looked to elaborate on the reason they had come to this place. "As promised, I'd like to explain a little further why I wanted to venture here. In my earlier days of taking office, I was approach by a traveling vagrant who informed me about this place. He spoke of riches, fertile soil, and potential. Though I wanted to explore this place earlier, it was never high enough on my priority list to come out here. Instead, I had our genin explore the areas surrounding Sunagakure in our Chunin Exams. I'm sure you both remember. At that time, I did have underlying intentions...potentially to annex one of those lands, or establish strongholds for Sunagakure in those places. But in any case, now that we are here I'd like to further assess this place's viability..."

Seeing as both men traveled with Guren here, he figured he could trust the two enough to be openly honest and not cryptic. With Seb, this was always the case. The two were, in Guren's eyes at least, best friends who had risen through the ranks of Sunagakure together. With Kaito, he always had seen the shinobi as a mentee although the teacher - student relationship was never establish. But regardless of the prior relationships the group had with each other, most importantly they were colleagues working on missions far from home. It was important that the trust was established early on, even if that meant Guren would have to answer for his sudden disappearance from Sunagakure. Once he finished his explanation, he'd eagerly await for a witty rebuttal from Seb or an intuitive assessment from Kaito; all the while continuing to caress the hairs upon his chin, in concentration of formulating a plan of action.

WC = 620

The morning sun was slowly but surely climbing its way from behind its hidden refuge, peering above the mountain pass as if looking out to gaze upon the beautiful lands of this lush country. The trees were abundant blanketing vast areas with pleasant shade and refuge from the sun should one need it. One such tree was being used like this, a resting place for one Satoshi Sarutobi as he had a morning meal. Nestled comfortably in the tree, the young man would hold on to a basket that held various fruits. It was a light breakfast, but one that he enjoyed a great deal. It consisted of mangos and bananas. He would have tossed some strawberries in this fruit ensemble but sadly the local store had been out, saying that they weren't currently in stock. Considering that they had the others, he didn't mind much. A visit to the nearby village would be on the man's list of things to do, as he failed to round out his meal properly and would need to amend that, but such was a task for later in the day. Right now he would just lounge in the tree and enjoy each bite taken of his juicy mango. A sudden shift in the scenery off in the distance would cause him to squint, an attempt to get a better view of just what it was that caused the birds to flee from the plentiful grubs on the ground. He had the benefit of a higher elevation to assist, but still it was not easy to determine just what it was that stirred the wildlife thanks in part to the trees. It looked to be... perhaps people? But that couldn't be, could it? 

Satoshi would slide from his perch, slipping down and landing carefully into the grass below while keeping hold on his basket of fruit. He figured if those were people, they were clearly lost out here. The bigger question he had though was where exactly did they come from? Despite taking a short break to eat in the tree, he still had a tendency to keep his wits about him and take in his surroundings, and those figures appeared out of what seemed like thin air. Satoshi would stand up, dusting himself off and make his way over to the position of these oddities. He couldn't say that he was really prepared in the event that they were a hostile force, but the likelihood of such a thing felt pretty low. This land wasn't without its occasional bandits or raiders, but they typically weren't capable of miraculously appearing out of nowhere. 

The trees would be utilized as cover for most of his trek, allowing him to approach closer without being in clear view to the common eye. Sure enough, they were indeed people, and they didn't look like they had been from around here. Satoshi was taught that shinobi are to use stealth to gather intelligence on their targets, and based on those teaching coming to mind he figures that he should probably listen to whatever it was that they were saying before any closer approach would be made. Now that he was in listening distance, he would attempt to determine who they were and why they were here. It was unknown if they had already detected his presence at this moment in time, but Satoshi figured that he should put faith in his grandfather's teachings just in case this was an invading force.


wc: 582
twc: 582

The travel token worked wonders, and in the blink of an eye, the scenery changed around Kato. Instead of the desolate deserts of the Wind Country, he now found himself in a luscious biome filled with green grass. Off in the distance stood blue ridged mountains, and behind that, the morning sun was starting to rise high into the skies. The Uchiha was met with a bit of a cold breeze, much unlike the harsh beams of sun that he was used to. Looking down upon the ground he could see dew sitting atop the grass. Whether it was from a bout of rain the night before or just normal for the area he didn't know, but he certainly was in awe of what now surrounded him.

"It really is different from back home..." Kaito said in agreement to Guren's statement. "One could get used to this."

As Guren crossed his arms upon his chest Kaito took the opportunity to zip up his Sunagakure flak jacket, wishing now that he had packed a regular shirt to wear underneath it instead of the fishnet tank top that he was currently sporting. The Third Kazekage had voiced his intention to have visited this beautiful place much earlier but the cards had not been in his favor. He too brought up Sunagakure's latest Chunin Exams, which Kaito had participated in. The genin had in fact been tasked with traveling out to countries that bordered the Wind Country, and Kaito shuddered as he remembered the mental turmoil he had experienced around that time and how he had killed innumerable numbers of bandits to protect the helpless people residing within the ruins of Amegakure no Sato. Shrugging that off, however, Kaito allowed himself to refocus and he too stroked the beard he wore upon his chin.

"The place is in stark contrast to Sunagakure, My Lord." Kaito said in reply to what Guren had said. "The viability of this place is one-hundred fold what Sunagakure is too. Plenty of land that is good for farming, more than enough sunlight, and there is plenty of water..." Kaito then stopped short. Something crossed his sensory crosshairs, but it didn't seem like too much to worry about. The Uchiha kept himself locked on, but he didn't dare turn his attention to whatever it was so that he could assess the situation and not spook whoever or whatever it was away. Instead, he lowered his voice and spoke softly. "I can feel a chakra signature at my four o'clock, My Lord. About ten meters out. I was just going to ask if you thought this place was inhabited, but I guess this just helped me to answer my own question."

WC = 451

Upon Guren debrief his comrade, Kaito would subsequently confirm the observations that the former kazekage suggested. He too seemed to take a particular interest in the sustainability of the Land of Sky. And for good reason. Both men had become deeply accustomed to the desert climate of Wind Country, so seeing something new that happened to be the polar opposite was encouraging. "I'm glad you notice this too. However, this is just what we can observe at the surface level. It will be important to scout out the area in case there are already people that call this place home."

Guren's response was almost perfectly timed, as Kaito every so subtlety seemed to noticed a presence that had their eyes on the Sunagakure entourage. He indicated a direction of the chakra signature that he felt, and so Guren without moving his body would shift his eyes towards the location that Kaito quietly described. Luckily, his own body's orientation allowed him a clear view of the place Kaito had mentioned. And so with the blink of his eyes, Guren's set of Ketsuryugan would emit a fluorescent red glow, focusing on the thicket of trees. What he would observe within the trees was the blood flow and chakra signature of the onlooker. Guren smiled slightly, as he didn't detect any abrupt chakra flow. The person likely was just a spectator, and didn't mean Guren or Kaito any harm. 

"Good call out," Guren would say, matching the level of Kaito's voice. Guren would now take several, slower steps towards the trees while ensuring that his hands had been visible at all times. He wanted to display a measure of good faith, specifically that he was not looking to conjure any type of technique that would offend the stranger. And when Guren's steps placed him just seven meters from the lad in the trees, the Chinoike would call out to him.

"You there, in the trees. My companions and I have come to this place without malicious intent, but instead to investigate its habitability. I assure you that neither myself nor my colleagues mean you any harm...But we would like to speak on even terms with you, if you don't mind coming down. We could use a guide."

At this point, Guren's own arms were raised so that his palms were easily displayed to the onlooker. There had been nothing in his hands, and if the person had any sensory capabilities they'd notice the only chakra flowing through Guren's body was funneled into his eyes to maintain his Blood Chakra Vision. Should the stranger have good eyesight, they'd notice the scares upon Guren's face but the otherwise well kept appearance he had. The way Guren carried himself was that of a kage, and if this person were familiar with shinobi customs at all, they should be able to deduce that. Either from the regality of his attire, particularly his yukata; or alternatively from his cordiality and calm handle of the situation. Guren however struggled to make out any particularly noticeable descriptors of the onlooker, as they had been covered by the guise of the trees. He did however note that this person had come alone.

WC = 561. TWC = 1181

Watching from the cover of the trees, Satoshi would witness as the men standing there seemed to be on to his presence. One of them would stare straight at his position and approach, keeping his hands clearly visible the entire time. A sign of good faith? Satoshi wasn't entirely sure who these people were, but once within seven meters of his position the man would call out to him. He declared himself of having no malicious intentions, and while Satoshi was not able to discern the truth through more traditional shinobi methods via techniques and jutsu, he felt that he was a pretty good judge of character. These people were on to his position before he knew that they were, and if they were seeking conflict it was very likely that they wouldn't be trying to peacefully interact with him. Satoshi would drop down out of the tree as gracefully as he could and then stand before these newcomers.

Satoshi was wearing his normal attire for the climate, a short sleeve black shirt with an odd logo on the left of his chest, and underneath it was a long-sleeve white shirt. His orange bandana was around his neck. His face was soft, not holding any malice or anger at these strange new people, instead a puzzled look of confusion. Each of them wore a headband to signify their allegiances, and both held the same village symbol. They were allies for sure, though the Sarutobi couldn't say that he was familiar with the details of what village the hailed from.

"I must say that I am impressed. Not many around here are able to so easily locate one hiding in the trees. I almost thought that perhaps you were an Uchiha, for their Sharingan is able to pick up on the most minute changes and the chakras of a person. Clearly I was mistaken, as those do not appear to be the eyes of their clan. But judging how you carry yourself I imagine you to be shinobi." Satoshi would glance over at the other man (Kaito), mostly to keep alert to the situation, "I am Satoshi of clan Sarutobi." The young man would offer, hoping that the others would reciprocate and introduce themselves as well.

"Forgive my being forward, but I must ask you a question that has me a bit puzzled. How is it that you got here?" Satoshi genuinely looked a bit perplexed as he asked this. "Most travelers come via ship, and as you can see this is no port. How did you manage to find yourself here in this forest?" Satoshi figured that it might be similar to the summoning formulae that his kin used to transport Shinobi Monkeys, but such a thing required someone already there to call forth the others. These folks all appeared at the same time.

Not wishing to be rude, the Sarutobi would discuss the matters that Guren was speaking of. "So what exactly brings you to the Land of Sky. This place is most definitely lush and habitable." Satoshi would offer, his mind unable to help but wonder why they were seeking such a place. "Are you looking to stay here? Most who travel here do so to avoid the people across the Kaizoku Sea." He would then point to his own head, mirroring where their headbands were resting. "I must say, I am not familiar with the village you are from. I am familiar with the symbols of Kirigakure no Sato, Sunagakure no Sato, Kumogakure no Sato and of course Konohagakure no Sato. That symbol is not one that I recognize, though."

WC: 603
TWC: 1185

The day itself had been interesting. The ground rumbled as the shutter for the underground gate of the once proud village opened as its guardian walked out of the area into the light of the village. The crimson color of his three tomoe sharingan would look into the distance as he took in a deep breath. Another day of patrolling and making sure none would dare interrupt the peace of the last people of the old ways. The days were long and peaceful for them but one had been under the impression that the world would forever be thrown into chaos and strife. His hand would slowly move to create a small semblance of shelter that would allow him to see unperturbed from the sight of the sun," Another clear sky...Hmm," he would muse to himself as he strapped the dented and scratched Sky headband onto his forehead as it pushed back his hair just a bit. The last active ninja of the village Noya Uchiha began his travels to check on the surrounding area. He had done this route every day without fail making sure none had found where his people had still been living either out of stubbornness or to preserve their old ways. Either or they depended on him in order keep stability among their people. His walk remained silent for some time as he checked his usual spots and the trade routes that were once taken. He had to deal with the occasional bandit group here and there but it was nothing that he couldn't truly deal with.

What he didn't have to deal with in what felt like years was another shinobi. In a sense he had missed the old days where he could be in the midst of battle and yet...things were never as it seemed. For what seemed like an hour or two he walked unperturbed and surrounded by nothing but nature until he had reached a certain point. He stood in silence, hidden by the nearby foliage but as he peered at the group he could see that they were with someone that he had an...amicable relationship with. Removing himself from cover he would come up behind the Sarutobi but since the other group had been facing him, they would be able to see his full form. As the conversation would continue he would stop 3 meters behind Satoshi and speak," What business do these...travelers have in our lands Satoshi? I assume they are merely passing through judging by the small bit of conversation," though as he spoke he took in a clear observation of the others. The fairly tanned one drew his attention the most. Not because of the scars, but the glowing red eyes. If not for a moment he looked for the three tomoe or any tomoe for a moment before chuckling inwardly for a moment. Not an Uchiha though the mistake could be made by the coloration alone, but the other. He merely glanced before crossing his arms. So far if Satoshi was merely conversating with them, then things were not at that tense....yet

WC 516

Kaito kept on his guard as Guren called out to the person in the trees. Once he came down and introduced himself as a member of the Sarutobi clan, however, Kaito felt a bit more at ease.

"The Sarutobi clan, eh?" Kaito said with a grin, holding his arms up behind his back and resting them behind his head. "We've got a few back home in Sunagakure, actually. Honestly, though, I had no idea there were any shinobi this far west." With the statement, Kaito had answered the Sarutobi's question regarding where he and his companions had hailed from. While he usually would make a point of not doing this, he felt that this Satoshi was a trustworthy enough person. Suddenly another person would appear behind Satoshi, but he seemed to be a friend of the Sarutobi's, so his sudden presence wasn't all that bad.

"My name is Uchiha, Kaito. We've come here with the use of these travel token things, or at least that's what my adoptive father used to call them..." He held up his now useless travel token, which normally released a blue glow when imbued with Chakra, but now did not as it had been used up. "In regard to why we're here, I wouldn't say it's to flee from something, rather to build and foster relations, at least that is of my understanding." Kaito looked over towards Guren. "Right, My Lord?"

WC = 236
Total WC = 687

Guren was slightly relieved when the man from the trees acted sensibly. For Guren it would serve as a testament that the man had been patient and opportunistic rather than blindly territorial. And the latter had been the former Kazekage's fear of venturing into a relatively uncharted land. Not for his own safety but the damage that the outcome a potential faceoff could have in the grand scheme of things. But instead, the man's introduction was cordial. Guren flash a quick smile upon hearing the comment about his eyes. The smile quickly transition into a look of curiosity as the man who identified as Satoshi seemed to be perceptive of the shinobi world. Guren would respond in turn in the brief moment that there was following Kaito's comment on the Sarutobi in Sunagakure.

"That's right, we are shinobi. From Sunagakure like Kaito describes. I am Guren Chinoike of the Ketsuryugan, not the Sharigan. And I am the former Kazekage of Sunagakure."

Should Satoshi choose to be inquisitive on Guren's identity, the Third would entertain any questions. But if the conversation persisted, then Guren would listen to the further questioning. And so the topic on how the group had arrived came up, which Kaito quickly answered after introducing himself. His explanation was about as thorough as any could give. Guren himself was familiar with the travel tokens, but their origin in the shinobi world had been a myster to him. And as he was explaining that, Guren's attention would quickly shift over to the newcomer who had approached the group of people. Upon arrival, the topic quickly transition into this new figure questioning Satoshi on Guren and Kaito's presence in the land. Guren sort of smirked to himself, perhaps this was one of the defensive locals that he had expected. His tone was rather sharp at first, before he cooled off after realizing the group was just talking. 

Guren remained quiet, as he wanted to see how Kaito would respond. The jounin seemed to handle his own verbally, stating that the group had arrived to foster relations in the new country. With a reassuring nod, Guren would retort, "That's right. Back when I was Kazekage, I was approached by a man who suggested that this land needed a catalyst to help cultivate its growth. And that's ultimately what brought us here. In regards to why you don't recognize the symbol of our village, that is because Old Sunagakure fell many years ago. The village had since been rebuilt as New Sunagakure...Hence the new symbol."

Guren would pause for a moment, study the two before him, and then offer a question of his own. "So do you and your friend govern this land by yourselves? If so, how have you been managing? As a former Kazekage I can imagine some of the trials and tribulations you and your people might face."

WC = 479. TWC = 1660

Satoshi would listen as the travelers spoke, his curiosity regarding them slowly but surely being sated... at least for the time being.  In reply to the statement of there being shinobi this far out, Satoshi would offer a short chuckle, "We have those that practice the shinobi arts, mostly housed and trained by a few notable clans. Nothing like the legions of shinobi the great villages are said to have, though." 

Based on the general feeling and aura the young Sarutobi had picked up on between these two, the scarred man at the forefront seemed to hold rank or title. Satoshi nearly asked on this matter, but the situation was quickly clarified as the man gave his name and his position as a former Kazekage, a title bearing much weight in the mind of Satoshi. The one standing in the back introduced himself as being of the Uchiha clan, to which Satoshi would give a respectful nod to both of these men. These newcomers seemed to be a rather interesting bunch. The travel bit was explained to be some sort of 'travel token' which the Sarutobi was not familiar with, yet it only made him all the more inquisitive regarding just what they were and how they worked. Inquiry for another time, perhaps. 

It wasn't long before another made their presence known, to which Satoshi would give a knowing head motion, "I wouldn't worry too much, Noya. I'm getting pretty good vibes from these guys. They seem to be here to investigate this place." He would offer quickly, yet politely. He figured that the travelers would no doubt further explain, hopefully easing some of Noya's tension. He couldn't say that it was completely unreasonable of a response as they could be here for unsavory purpose, yet Satoshi wasn't one to rush to conflict.

Satoshi would listen to the reasoning behind their being here, puzzled a bit by one line. "Cultivate our growth in what manner?" The young man figured that these people seemed to be the pleasant sort, so he didn't imagine that the growth of this land would require 'weeding' the current populations out. If that were the case he imagined this encounter would have taken a far different turn once they had noticed one another. "While I cannot say that we are a densely populated land, we do well enough most of the time. The larger clans try to govern the area as best they can. We all try to make every effort to work together, as none of the clans seem to be particularly large. I'm not sure of the others, but I do know that the my clan is not very large." Satoshi would look to Noya, not wishing to overstep and speak regarding the man's clan or familial strength. "Every once in a while a rowdy group of ruffians thinks themselves better capable of and one of the main families dispatches someone to deal with them. We usually keep things pretty orderly, only a handful of those I would consider problems. The worst of them gather all of the criminals seeking refuge here under their banner and cause havoc." Satoshi scratches his head a bit, trying not to think about the last major conflict they had with one such group. 

"For the most part we keep to ourselves and protect those not gifted with chakra." Satoshi would look to Noya, getting a feel for their thoughts on these New Sunagakure travelers. If he got the feeling that Noya didn't harbor a major distrust of these folks, Satoshi would turn back to them and smile, "I can act as your guide, as it is very easy to get lost here for newcomers. What exactly are you looking to see? I can take you to a few of the nearby towns if you'd like."

wc: 638

Hmm...

Noya had remained silent as he watched the interaction between Satoshi and the two foreigners in contemplation for a moment. He would particularly be watching their body movements. Mannerisms. Anything that could hide deceit and mistrust. It was safe to say that Noya had not been fond of non-natives of this land due to the sheer amount of bandits and marauders that had tried to take what this land had to offer. Between the Sarutobi and the few Uchiha that could fight combined with the other smaller clans it was no small feat keeping this land safe, but it was something he had pride in none the less. When names were give each one would be committed to memory alongside facial features and anything else he could muster for the moment. One thing that could be said about Noya was that he did not forget a face nor did he forget transgressions made against him or his home. None the less the stoic blonde would remain silent until Satoshi had mentioned something about them cultivating their growth to which he would have the same confused expression as his friend. The words did come off as... well as if they were trying to invade their home so he would give them an opportunity to explain and correct their wording, but if not then this conversation would end there. Noya would however chime in on how they were managing the lands given that Satoshi was kind enough not to speak on the Uchiha's behalf," We manage how we can. Though most of our clan here is comprised of elders and kids most of the fighting falls upon me, and in some cases some of the more "aged" Uchiha. We haven't had any issues thus far because we don't give second chances to those that try to desecrate our home. Those that try find that death is the least of their worries...and even beg for it," the words had a dulcet undertone that Satoshi probably would understand given the Uchiha's disposition. He never allowed anyone who tried to harm this land get away. No. If Noya had been dispatched to deal with a threat, the last thing they would see would be death but before that? It was best left unsaid.

The two would exchange glances for a moment before he scoffed and shrugged. He couldn't be standoffish at this point considering the two did not have any kind of... flaws that he could see that would harm their home however he was not so quick to let down his guard either. In any case he would wave his hand dismissively toward the Sarutobi before returning his eyes to the other two," You are responsible for these two should something happen Satoshi. Just remember that," from there he would wait for them to start walking and once they passed him he would take up guarding the rear. One thing he would never allow is unfamiliar people being behind him.

497 WC