The Calm Before the Storm [TRAVEL TO TEA COUNTRY]

Age : 30 Posts : 1637

It had only been a few days after Kyousuu received Yuuto's letter that the tragedy had befallen Kirigakure, and though the village was no more, Hanketsu had , fortunately, stayed out of trouble. Even so, he knew that Yuuto was still, to an extent, attached to Kiri, so with it gone, he needed a new purpose. The man said that wanted to separate himself from Water Country for a while in order to take the time to consider what his options were. For that reason, he arranged for Kyousuu to meet up with Hanketsu - and consequently his brother - in Tea Country. Since the daimyo there owed Yuuto some favors, the group could take refuge there without having to worry about stray shinobi or other law enforcement disturbing their peace.

At least, that's what was written in the letter. Even though the man had spared his life, Kyousuu was still rather hesitant when it came to trusting everything that the nukenin said to him, whether it was through writing or in person. Thus, though he would visit Tea Country in order to go through with this long-awaited meeting, he'd be sure to watch his back and make sure things were as safe as the man had described.

He left Water Country by way of a small row boat, whose owner had been paid quite a generous sum for a ride across the ocean. It was large enough for a couple of people to have ample leg room, but small enough to make travel easy. In order to expedite the process, the owner and Kyousuu took turns rowing to avoid having to stop for long periods of time. Neither of them spoke aside from announcing shift changes, which left the jinchuuriki with some time to think about things while he relaxed on a soft, plush quilt that was placed in the bottom of the boat to make the ride more comfortable.

One of the most pressing matters was that of the bijuu. Not just the one sealed within him, but any others that might exist. If they really had such immense power that they could obliterate a village in no time at all, taking out thousands of people, then how much of that power could he use without losing control? He didn't think it was possible for a human being to be able to control such power. Not even close. That alone made him worry about where he would go once he began to pull from Son Goku's power. He'd have to make decisions about when, where, and how to use that power, and once he was able to use it, would he become more of a target?

He couldn't allow himself to be taken, killed, or forced to do things against his will, especially if it caused harm to others. More than that, he couldn't let those close to him become targets. More specifically, he couldn't let his burden become his brother's. Now that they were finally going to make face to face contact after all those years, anybody that wanted to get to Kyousuu would know exactly how to do it. Even though they would have the rest of Hanketsu to deal with, if they wanted it badly enough, they would find a way to get through.

Kyousuu glanced around at the water, which seemed to glitter as the sunlight hit its surface. Even though the resting spot on the small contraption was comfortable, he would feel more at ease on something larger and sturdier than this. It almost seemed shoddily put together at first glance, but it had lasted an entire day thus far. It would still be at least another two days before they reached their destination, but they had packed plenty of provisions for the journey.

After the brunet finished his lunch, he swapped placed with the boat's owner, who then opted to eat his portion before taking a nap. They nodded at each other as a gesture of understanding, and Kyou focused on his task.

Rowing a boat wasn't too difficult, but after long periods of time, it really caused a burn in the arms. Luckily the boat was built in a fashion that allowed it to travel without being rowed for a fair stretch, and the oar rested inside of a ring with an elastic band that prevented it from falling through. He could take a break after every few strokes as long as he put enough force behind them, which allowed him to rest his arms while on the job. The wind pushed the water in the direction of their travel, which also helped move them along.

The third day was rather slow, both because they had been on the boat for long and because the water was so still compared to the waves near Water Country. They would reach Tea Country within 48 hours, and Kyousuu wanted to begin mentally preparing himself for the meeting. He sat back and pulled the crumpled letter from his pocket, smoothing it out on his leg.

Kyousuu,

I hope that you managed to get out of the chaos and that this letter reaches you in time.

There are a few things that I want to say to you.

First, don't worry about Daitarou. He and the rest of Hanketsu managed to get out before the worst happened, and we will be seeking refuge in Tea Country for a while until we can figure out our next move. Staying in Water Country would have been too much to bear for the time being. Kiri wasn't our permanent home, as we are rogue ninja and will never find a home within a village's walls, but we were all affected by its destruction. Takeshi and I called that village our home at one point, and we tried to help from the outside to get it back on its feet when things went wrong. We no longer serve that purpose, and even though I have the rest of the group to look after, it's going to be a bit more difficult to find somewhere we can call our safe zone.

Secondly, I know that you really wanted to meet up with Daitarou, but it was impossible to arrange a meeting while the village fell apart. For this reason, I'm going to be waiting for you in Tea Country. We'll all be here, but I won't force everybody to stick around. If needed, they'll move around the outskirts of Fire Country and head somewhere further north until I can get my mind settled. That note I stuck inside the letter is the name of the inn we'll be staying at. They know me well and won't compromise my safety for fear of risking their own.

Lastly, though this might seem a bit random, your brother mentioned something to me about possibly pulling you into our ranks. I'd rather get to know you better before doing anything of the sort, and I don't think keeping a jinchuuriki away from Konoha would be a smart move, but I'll take it into consideration and analyze the situation once we've properly sat down and had a conversation. We'd have to consider your thoughts on the matter, anyway. While you were eager to meet your brother, there's no telling how you would feel about abandoning your village.

That's all I have to say for now - we can discuss things once you arrive at the inn. You may run into Ichirou, Airi, and Izumi before I actually see you face to face again as they have a habit of loitering around the inn's entrance. 'Til then, I suppose.

Regards,

Yuuto

After a grueling two days, Kyousuu finally saw the docks of Tea Country. He put as much force as he could muster into rowing before leaving the last stretch to his travel partner. As they approached the dock, Kyousuu grabbed his things and waved farewell. He didn't want to wait until the boat touched the wooden planks, so he ran along the surface of the water with a small piece of paper rucked between his fingers.

[END]

WATER WALKING: