And the horse you rode in on...

[Roku-kun]

~Open to anybody that's in Konoha, lol~

The birds were chirping and leaves were dancing gracefully in the cooling breeze. A four man squad of Kiri Shinobi were making their way by foot to Konohagakure, they followed the dirt road closely and avoided the trees. Rokuro had manufactured weapons that shot volley’s of kunai through the air whenever the trip wire was tugged, and thus he knew that the place to most likely trigger such a thing was in the tree tops. That was where most ninja traveled, after all.

The sounds of sandals patting against the soft ground in unison was barely noticeable over all the woodland noises.

Mist Ninja 1: ”Yo. Rokuro. Where is your head?”

Although he’d probably never admit it when asked, he’d just zoned out while walking and didn’t notice how close they were to Konoha’s main gates. They could be made out some distace ahead through the trees. Wearing thick black pants, a black long sleeve shirt and his light blue flak jacket, Rokuro smiled at the comment and replied with an innocent face, eyes closed and head tilted.

”Right. Scatter.”

In the blink of an eye, two of the Kiri nin were gone without a trace. The only thing they left behind was a cloud of dust, but with the wind blowing so frequently, that wasn’t out of the ordinary. With a nod to his other comrade, Rokuro picked up his pace and reached the main gates in no time at all.

Mist Ninja 4: “So this is Konohagakure? A bit overrated, wouldn’t you say? No one’s even guarding the gate.”

Roku looked over at him as the two came to a stop and put his right hand on the enormous door as if he were going to open it at that very moment. The wind picked up and started to disturb his neatly combed hair, so he tied it back in a long ponytail before speaking up.

”Don’t be so judgmental. We’ll see if it really lives up to all the hype once we get inside.”

A creak of wood. Rokuro barely tapped the door to gain entry to the village inside, and now they were surrounded. His eyes were closed and he was still smiling, but he didn’t remove his hand from the door. In fact, he kept pushing it open.

Leaf Ninja 1: “Hold, Mist Ninja!”

Rokuro stopped, but his comrade only chuckled out loud and reached back for his kunai pouch.

Mist Ninja 4: “Hmph, five of them…”

The leaf ninja responded by reaching for their own weapons, but Rokuro was quicker to the punch. His shuriken pouch was on the left side of his belt, right on the waist. His kunai holster hung right below on his left thigh. A long wire holder was on the very back of his belt at the base of his spine and exploding pouches were on his right thigh. The extra pouch on the right side of his waist was what he reached into, and he pulled out several folded sheets of paper.

”Ketsueki Rokuro…these are my papers, signed by none other then the Mizukage and Kiri-Konoha ambassador.”

He turned around and walked them over to the Leaf Ninja that seemed to call the shots, his partner did the same afterwards. Rokuro’s sword clung tight to his back, diagonally, and didn’t budge whenever he took a step.

”We’re here because your village seems to know quite a bit about Akatsuki. For the benefit of all 5 Great Villages, we must know these things as well.”

It was silent and tense outside the gate for what seemed like hours. Things didn’t look good and Rokuro couldn’t help but think that a fight was about to break out. Eventually though, permission to enter came and the two Mist Ninja were escorted inside to one of the main streets. They stopped in a tea shop and sat alone at their own table, but once all eyes were off of them, they whispered to one another.

Mist Ninja 4: ”I already don’t like it here. Lets hope this doesn’t take all day.”

”Relax, we don’t have to do anything. All the real info gathering comes later tonight. For now, go have fun…Scatter.”

Mist Ninja 4: ”Got it.”

He got up and left quickly, leaving Roku alone with two cups of tea and the bill. As much as he hated deception, this was the way the mission had to go. Hopefully, everything would go smoothly and no Leaf Ninja would have to get…well, you know…..hurt. After he finished his cup and paid, with tip, he too rose from his seat and stepped out into the main street. From here he could see the Hokage Stone Faces in the mountain side and couldn’t help but admire such a site for a moment….

[rayout]

suddenly a boy carrying a small puppet came strolling by and gave him a smile and a wave " im so board." he told him told smiling still " im rayout dude whats your name and can i help you with anything you looking for something? " he asked him holding out his hand

[Roku-kun]

Roku was slow to break out of his trance but once he did, he shook the boys hand. Wow, is he a gennin? They’re so…tiny…nowadays.[/I] He let go after a while and looked up and down the street rather quickly to make sure he was the only Kiri Ninja around. Sure enough, he was. His comrade was probably half way across the Village by now and the other two, who knows. They weren’t going to show themselves until night fall anyhow.

”Call me Roku.”

He shifted uncomfortably in place, the sun rays bounced off his headband. There were a lot of people around him, and they all seemed friendly. Too friendly. Growing up in Kiri, Roku was used to being one of the nicest. He’s carrying a puppet…[/I] Roku knew how difficult the art of puppeteering was. It took years to truly master such a thing, but every person had there own idea of what mastery truly was. Some related the term to how many you could control at a time, while others focused more on quality then quantity. No matter which route this boy, Rayout, chose to take, he had a long road ahead of him.

”Can you tell me where….the stadium…they hold the chunnin exams at is located?”

That was a close one, he almost couldn't think of anything to say. Rokuro wasn't exactly sure if this boy was from Konoha, he just didn't seem to carry himself like a leaf ninja. Not that that's a bad thing or anything. It's just that shinobi from certain villages tend to act certain ways. With a smile still on his face, Roku crossed his arms and stood patiently. He had an entire day to waste and although babysitting strange children wasn‘t the most enjoyable thing in the world to do, it was all he had at the moment.[/size]

[rayout]

Rayout noticing that he was a Kiri Ninja from the head protecter he was wearing. I was looking for my sister. have you seen her she looks like me but taller and see doesnt have a puppet." he said polishing the puppet (which is metal) " i herd you talking with someone earlier Roku.” he wanted to know if they had herd anything about were she could be "her name is sara" he told him waiting for a reply as the sun rays bounced off roku's headband. rayout starred up to the sun and looked straight into it with his eyes wide open. then looked back at roku " your kind of pale dude you dont get out much?" he asked him up front as he is allways

”the stadium?" rayout repeated the question " no im sorry im from the lightning village i just arrived here looking for sara." he told him wishing he could help him " i can look for it with you if you want."

[Roku-kun]

Three bright green leaves rose off of the ground and fell into the mercy of the wind. They flew in arcing patterns through the air and passed in front of Rokuro’s face as he listened to Rayout for a moment. They tickled the tip of his nose and the wind threw his long ponytail over one of his shoulders. The smile on his face gradually began to disappear and he looked up to sky after Rayout did, admiring the clouds instead of the bright sun.

”I afraid we don’t know anything about your sister or where she would be at the moment. We’ve only just arrived here ourselves.”

Roku explained while uncrossing his arms and slipping his hands into his pockets. The Mist Jounin kept his head held high, letting the suns rays warm his face. Then he heard Rayout say something about him being pale. This caused Roku to chuckle for a second, then he looked back down at the gennin and put his two cents in.

”Am I really….I never noticed. Being from Hidden Mist, I tend to take the stealthy approach majority of the time. So yeah, I guess you can say I avoid being out in the sun.”

He kept his hands in his pockets and started to walk off slowly up the street. He was surprised no one tried to bump shoulders with him or complained about how slow his steps were, everyone just accepted his behavior and went along with it. Everywhere he looked there were smiling faces and welcoming eyes. He called out to Rayout as he kept walking on, following the road in the direction he thought was the best bet in finding the stadium.

”Feel free to tag along if you want to. If your sister is here, she just might be somewhere in the stadium. It fits A LOT of people.”

The jounin took a right turn the first chance he got and kept moving.

[rayout]

rayout followed behind and then went to his side " ok i will tag along if she is there then i would introduce her to you she needs a boy friend " he said the last part laughing. " so why are you looking for the stadium?" are you looking to spar with someone there?" he followed rokus actions and also put his hands inside his pockets, carrying his puppet between his arm and side as he walked he looked around for a sign for the stadium " theres got to be directions or a map somewhere lets see we can find one in a shop or something." he suggested

[Alastar]

Tye had been already in the Hidden Leaf Village. He was on a mission by the Mizukage, evidently he was supposed to help guard the major leaders of the village. It truly was boring, all he was doing was sitting there. Out of nowhere, two Chunin guards appeared in the Elder's quarters. "A small band of mist ninja has arrived" said the first ninja. The Elder woman nodded and sent them away. "Tye your fimilar with water ninja, go see why else there here" she said. He stood up and nodded, then he disappeared. Off into the village, looking for them.

[rayout]

rayout walked over to tye "hey dude you want to help us out were looking for the stadium" he held out his hand " im rayout by the way whats your name and do you know were it might be?" he asked with a big smile, he was still looking for his sister but didnt think to ask him he simply stude there waiting for him to shake his hand and give him any information.

[Alastar]

Tye smiled, "I'm I don't. But I'll get someone to find your sis and the staduim for you" he said grabbing a nearby ninja. "My name's Tye, and this Fin. He'll help you find both things. By the way Rayout, have you seen any Mist Ninja anywhere?" he asked. The helpless Fin, stood there waiting for the Genin to reply.

[rayout]

rayout looked at the ninjas " no i have not im sorry" he smiled and waved at fin " hey ddue so you dont mind helping me?" he asked him and finished waving now he looked at him with a confused look on his face, " well my sister looks like me she even has a halo and the same eyes," he told him as he ate a some candy and he threw a piece to each of them " you like candy i loooove candy" he said unwrapping his 2nd piece

[Roku-kun]

Roku had kept walking along when it suddenly occurred to him that he could only hear one set of foot steps. Rayout’s had stopped completely, and Rokuro didn’t exactly jump at the idea of backtracking. He brought his right foot around to the rear of his left and pressed his toes into the ground. All his body weight rocked back onto the heel of his left foot, and Rokuro quickly spun in place and did a complete about-face. Much to his surprise, Rayout hadn’t fallen behind at all. He was making two new friends, it seemed, and Roku simply stood back and watched with a confused look on his face and hands still in his pocket. Only a second ago he was all about looking for the stadium and his sister…now he was talking about candy. Well, he certainly has an outgoing and positive personality. That will get him far in life…

Glancing over out the side of his eyes, Roku fixated his dark brown pupils on Tye. He’d never seen or heard of this man at all in his life, but he did recognize one thing on his person. His head band had the Hidden Mist insignia carved into it. Hmm….I wonder if he is a obstacle or a helping hand? We’ll find out right now.[/I] Roku took his hand out of his pocket and slipped it behind his back. Casually looking back over his shoulder, Rokuro allowed another of those cool breezes to rub against the side of his cheek. When he started facing forward again, his Hidden Mist head band was no where to be found, and his right hand was back in his pocket. Coincidentally, his glove with the Kiri emblem was also gone from view. A blue flak jacket wasn’t all that uncommon either. Now Rokuro took it upon himself to speak up.

”Rayout, what are you doing? Do they have directions?”[/size]

[Sachi;;Tsunade]

Sachi and Shizuka were racing each other, through an obstacle course of course. She was testing her new ninjutsu technique: Kaji-ita no jutsu (Fire board). They were twisting and turning, avoiding the trees, plants, and debris, anything that would slow them down. Their goal: The huge oak tree that was only a few meters away from Sachi. Yes, she was winning.

“Give it up!” Sachi called behind her. The answer to her statement was a roar from the leopard. Laughing, the elite Chuunin continued surfing toward the tree. With another giant roar, the leopard broke into a swift sprint and leaped into the air. Its bulk soared passed Sachi and landed on top of the tree as agile as any ninja. Astonished, Sachi shot through the branches and leaves, ending up sliding across the grass and slamming herself against the nearest tree.

When the dust cleared, she picked herself up from the ground and patted the dirt off her clothes. Shizuka pompously placed herself next to her master, cleaning her paws innocently. “You got lucky on that one, Zuka.” Sachi muttered as she picked up her pace. “Come on…if we hurry, we might get to visit Ichiraku Ramen before reporting to Tsunade.” In other words, Sachi had just come back from an investigation at Otogakure. It wasn’t exactly a pretty sight, but it was worth reporting, and that was pretty much the whole point of the mission.

The leopard padded after Sachi obediently and through the gates.

Back… It was good to be back. Nodding toward Zuka, the snow leopard then disappeared in a puff of smoke. Sachi didn’t need her anymore… Continuing her way down the street, it only took her a few minutes before she noticed that a special attire of blue, white, and yellow were…following her? No…She saw two pairs, but one was drifting away…Leaving… Confused, Sachi walked a little bit faster—a small test to see if it would follow—and it did. Sighing, she stopped and turned around, only to find the same eyes and body itself staring back at her brightly. “Um—may I help you?” Sachi asked uncomfortably. “Yes,” The girl replied. “I’m searching for my brother, Rayout. My name is Sara.” Sachi stared blankly back at the girl. What should she say? ‘That’s great. Well good-bye then’. Or ‘I’ll help…’ Sachi chose the second one. Yeah, like she even had a choice. “Well I’ll help you find your brother.” Sachi replied uneasily, remembering the other pair. “Follow me,” Feeling slightly confident, the Chuunin’s walk broke into a small trot—just to get it over with. She stopped at the street where she had seen the moving shadow and felt her lips twist into a grim smile. There he was…

[Alastar]

Tye laughed, "No thanks I'm good on candy" he said giving it back. Seeing the ninja appear, "Hello there" he said greeting the mysterious ninja. "You wouldn't happen to know anything about any Mist Ninja around would you?" he asked. He didn't have a head band or any thing that lead Tye to believe that he was really a ninja at all.

[Roku-kun]

”Hello.”

Rokuro responded with his hands still in his pockets and his long, black ponytail swaying slightly from side to side over his right shoulder and pectoral muscle. As lengthy and straight as the strands were, they kind of looked like a horses tail would. Of course, they weren’t anywhere as thick and coarse as horse hair. His hair was obviously well taken care of. Brown eyes focused intently on Tye as he posed a question about Mist Ninja in Konoha. He didn’t feel like lying, the entire situation was already dirtier then most of these people were aware of. So, in an attempt to both tell the truth and preserve the mission, Roku offered this response.

”Mist Ninja, of course not. Well, actually, I guess I do know a little something since I’m looking at one right now…”

Roku said through a half smile and joking tone. He laughed only for a second, and then made it known that he was speaking seriously now by changing up his voice tone. I have a couple of hours to kill…why not?[/I] He pulled his hands out only to crack his knuckles, and then they went right back into his pockets.

”Believe it or not, I actually do know where a Kiri Shinobi is at the moment, but I’m afraid I cant tell you anything about it just yet. For fairness sake, I have to help Rayout find his sibling before I can offer assistance to anyone else.”

His eyes roamed down to the back of Rayout’s head. He was actually starting to hope the little guy found his sister after all. Even in the line of duty, Roku still had a heart. Even if Rayout had a mouth full of candy and wasn’t that upset about the ordeal, Roku felt sorry for him.

Mist Ninja: “.pu revoc ecin a saw tahT .ydoog - ydoog rM woW”

A voice mumbled, seemingly coming from the collar of Rokuro’s flak jacket. Roku immediately raised his hand to slap the area. The moment his hand made contact with his collar, his miniature short range radio shut off. There was a very high chance that he was the only one who heard the voice well enough to understand. From everyone else’s stand point, no matter how close they were, it would sound like a meer fly buzzing around from all the static, and that’s if they even heard it at all. Combine that with the way he raised his hand to slap at ‘pesky insect’, and you’ve got another perfect cover up.

"I'm sorry, it was just a bug. Any way, I'll gladly tell you what I know later on but first I want to ask, Is it a bad thing that Mist Ninja are here?"

He blinked once and waited silently for a response from Tye.[/size]

[Alastar]

"Your referring to me? I guess you could say I am, but here on business." he said noticing that Roku slapped himself. Then Roku asked his question, "Fin can help Rayout with his sister" he said. "Depending on what the ninja are here for depends if there bad or good" he said firmly.