Confusion [Open.]

Age : 30 Posts : 1012

Marks arrival to Kaminari No Kuni

A small sliver of lightning cracked behind the peak of a larger mountain laying just above Mokuzai’s crown. He’s been here once before; the lightning still an element that he wasn’t quite used to. At least his facial expression was hidden behind the pearl-like mask gracing his features.

He wouldn’t really know what to expect from the female he was traveling with. It was only the third time that he had been alone with the kunoichi, what exactly did she want from him? “Uh. Nice weather.” The lack of conversation skills for small talk with a female that he had a legit interest in was starting to slowly reveal themselves full force. He talked largely of how he was a womanizer and flirted relentlessly with Seika, but it didn’t really back up on how he would really choose to act. Thunder vibrated the earth beneath their weight while the road up ahead squeezed together to form a pathway. The only thing of this country that Mokuzai had a run in with were the black ops. It seemed that no matter the country, the Special Forces had the same goal like any other. Eliminate any threat they deem fit in any way they fashion.

A soft breath passed the nostrils of the nukenin when his strides started to slow down. Although he was marked by the Kirigakure band on his waist, Mokuzai still got a slight caution in his step when approaching the perimeter of a village. It was his nature and involuntary action at this point. Should he even be worried about the current state of Kumogakure? It’s the only village that he hasn’t been able to get into. Konoha practically gave him ease of access and Kirigakure was his home for the longest. The Hidden Cloud had to be a bit stricter during the traveling process. “So, what’s the plan for when we get to the gates? I don’t really know how to deal with these things, man.” At least he wasn’t lying for once. He’d probably get annoyed at how formal he would have to act like, and those type of acts usually never ended well once he started.

“Guess I’ll just leave it to you to do the talkin’. You’ve had to travel from one village to another before.” He could only assume such a feat had been done by her. Most Jounin level shinobi had multiple missions where they would travel to other lands, and sometimes villages. Mokuzai, on the other hands, usually snuck his way in, or find some other person to fool with his word play.

Boom.

The trumpets of the sky played their tune once again, causing the extension of Mokuzai to grip onto Seika’s wrist for a split second. Thunder was never something he would eventually get used to. It was the unexpected strikes that affected his reaction, truly. The gulp of his throat, muffled from his mask, allowed his senses to slowly form back into the norm. His hand returned to his side while keeping his strides that he once held. “I- Uh. Sorry.” He shouldn’t be acting like this. Not this weak minded or unstable. Moku knew he was stronger than this.

“It’s just an element. Can’t actually harm you.” He tried his best to calm himself down in his mind. He had actually expected Seika to eventually say something to get on his nerves. She usually liked picking on him when he showed some vulnerability every once and a while. His index finger and thumb went through the holes of his mask, pulling it away from his cheeks and sliding it in the bag on his shoulders. His hood slowly got pushed down, allowing his darkened locks to flow in the ever soft wind that graced his crown.

It probably wasn’t the smartest idea to go into this with hiding his features. The outfit itself was starting actually seem a bit more mysterious when he actually thought about it. The last action that he wanted to do was getting kicked out of the village before the duo even got a chance to talk. They didn’t have travel papers, they didn’t have really a legit reason to visit the village other than to scope it out.

However.

Mokuzai wanted to see the inside of the village. See how it works, and hopefully meet the Kage of the Cloud. He already had the image of a hulking man being Raikage anyway. Isn’t that how it’s supposed to be in the first place? “This whole village thing is just confusin’ as fuck. How do you expect me to keep my cool when we get there? You already know how I feel about village shinobi. Don’t think I have to repeat myself a third time.” The aggravation in his voice was that of a child. It was like he was in the backseat, constantly complaining that his fingers were sticky from the candy that he just ate. Moku knew this, yet he didn’t want to stop. It was just his nerves coming back when he had a run in with KYOBU.

“If KYOBU comes out. Don’t make a move. It’s probably better to be captured and placed in the village instead of makin’ it seem like we’re forcin’ ourselves in, right?” A light shrug came from his shoulders with the duo coming near a single path above a drop that went into the base of the mountains. The bridge in front of them clearly shown the gates on the opposite side, which were still a good 150 meters away. Mokuzai trapped his lower flesh in between his teeth for a few seconds while he came to a stop. The bridge was sturdy from the looks of it. No sway came from its direction with the wind, and no lightning marks from strikes could be seen. His foot reached out towards the bridge, placing the tip of his booth against the steel planks.

“If anythin’.” He commented, looking back towards Seika over his left shoulder. “Should be ladies first. But seein’ I don’t want anythin’ bad happenin’ to you if there is some sort of trap on this bridge. I’ll go first.” Mokuzai planted both of his legs on the bridge, walking slowly at first on the blackened structure. Various worries about shinobi blocking their path entered his head, but he didn’t want to show it on his expression or movements. He needed to keep confident just so that Seika would be able to trust his motives a bit more.

“I didn’t think about them approachin’ me first, so when we get to the end of the bridge, just jump ahead. You know how to do this conversation a bit more than myself.”

Age : 31 Posts : 1900

Echos of thunder stormed the barren wasteland of rocks formed into tall mountains and very minimal trees. It was clearly much different than the flat lands of Kirigakure. Surely the Island of Snow possessed mountains but hardly anyone ventured there to check things out. A look of uncertainty continued to possess the woman's face as cautious eyes scanned the rock faces. Thoughts of random ninja springing forth and striking her made her uneasy. She felt rather vulnerable, more so than she should, amongst the rolling hills. Certainly taking over order affairs seemed like a good idea at the time, but could she do it? Could she live up to what Shinjin desired? A sense of worry built up within her and nearly clouded her senses. That is, before she shunned them out and tried her best to remain confident. She needed to stay strong now. Especially amongst the village that attempted to murder her and her parents...

Claps of thunder persistently sounded off as lightning lit up the sky like one of Kirigakure's worst storms. Surely the hidden mist village dealt with frequent rain episodes but thunderstorms was actually a rare occurrence. Needless to say Seika fully realized the two ninja were in the lightning country; whom welcomed them with one of its well known traits. Of course, now that they had arrived, what should the two do now?

“Uh. Nice weather.”

At last the male had attempted to break their awkward silence. Seika felt bad due to the fact their present episode likely lasted an easy hour or so. Surely she talked to him during their journey but it was with very few words due to constant uncertainty. Her comfort around the male had certainly grown since day one, especially because she was able to pitch tent in a tree nearby him without him attempting to kill her, but she still was uncertain of his fighting skills or abilities. Could he protect her or aid her if necessary? Would he be a vital ally like Shinjin had been? Surely Seika had not felt any sort of personal desires or attachments towards Shinjin, in regards to interests, but she could not deny their capability of team word. He was the night while she was in the day in regards to their fighting styles. A two man team who could make ninja bow before them with their all around abilities and power. But what of Mokuzai?

"It certainly is different than what I am used to," she muttered back to him while keeping her attention on the skies and rock cliffs around them, "Less rain and more lightning. Definitely different than Kiri."

Mokuzai's sudden change in demeanor alerted Seika slightly, her hazel hues flicking towards him briefly to analyze before adjusting back towards the sides of the slight gorge they walked through. Seika may not have lived the life of a Nukenin but she could easily assume his own personal discomfort or uncertainties. He grew more cautious by the minute, just like Seika, and it truly made her wonder how Kumogakure would accept their presence. Seika was a Kirigakure shinobi and therefore a potential threat due to the uncertainty of Kumogakure relationship to Kirigakure. Not many had heard of it. Mokuzai, well, he was a Nukenin. Everyone wanted to eliminate him the first chance they got... except for Seika being the oddball as usual. Surely he had a Kirigakure headband but would this actually help them or hinder them?

“So, what’s the plan for when we get to the gates? I don’t really know how to deal with these things, man,” Mokuzai began, “Guess I’ll just leave it to you to do the talkin’. You’ve had to travel from one village to another before.”

Finally the kunoichi cracked a smile, her cautious demeanor showing a slight sign of released tension.

"Well in all honesty," she started off before flashing him an embarrassed expression, "I have never been to Kumogakure before."

Her facial expression flashed to her sassy look, "and perhaps it would be best you allow me to do all the talking due to your oh so excellent personal skills." She slightly smirked and stuck her tongue out briefly before turning her gaze, once again, to their surroundings. She obviously had some time for taunting but was too preoccupied with other matters, such as their safety, to stir the pot too much.

A bright flash followed by a loud bang made Seika nearly jump out of her skin. Her hairs stood up while her eyes slightly widened and mouth fell agape, shock littering her face. It took her a few seconds to let her heart settle. This was when she noticed the firm grip around her wrist from her fellow travel partner. Quickly, he removed his hand, and Seika flashed him one of her rare warm smiles. A depiction of acceptance and understanding. It made sense of thunder to frighten those who weren't used to it. To a Village Kuoichi or Nukenin, it could easily spell danger and therefore placed them on edge.

“I- Uh. Sorry.”

His attempt to cover the adrenaline was rather humorous yet kind of adorable too. She thought about sassing him but truly he could snap at her for being afraid herself, her face nearly flushing when the thunder clapped, so maybe this time she would let things go.

"It's alright. You and I both know what lurks beyond these mountains. It makes sense to be on edge.... and honestly it freaked me out too. Cannot lie about that."

Even though her pride wanted her to!

“This whole village thing is just confusin’ as fuck. How do you expect me to keep my cool when we get there? You already know how I feel about village shinobi. Don’t think I have to repeat myself a third time,” her traveler partner said with agitation, “If KYOBU comes out. Don’t make a move. It’s probably better to be captured and placed in the village instead of makin’ it seem like we’re forcin’ ourselves in, right?”

She pondered this question for a moment before nodding.

"Perhaps that would be best. The less of a threat we are the better. I mean... it's tempting to not even walk in looking like village shinobi. Surely this cloak covers me but I anticipated on taking it off once we were settled. We obviously cannot mosey on in like 'oh guys, how's it going?'... especially with...well... you. No offense."

After all, he was a Nukenin. A sometimes anxious and temperamental one too. Certainly a personality Seika could deal with, but she was not like most people either. What were Kumogakure's ninja like? Certainly people but what type of personalities did they possess? The pent up questions made her slowly but surely anxious all over again.

'Shinjin...why couldn't you come with us,' she thought with a heavy heart.

The scenery changed from rock cliffs to a more open terrain. The walls backed off slightly while a hazy gorge opened up in front of them. At first Seika had to squint to see what lied ahead but as they approached, everything became more clear to the naked eye. A bridge lie nestled between the opposite sides of the gorge. One which was rather rickety in appearance and questionably unstable. The red haired kunoichi, being a slight daredevil when it came to taking outrageous chances, was headstrong on tested this structure once the duo arrived. Mokuzai, however, appeared to have other ideas.

“If anythin’,” the male said before turning his brown hues back to gaze at her, “Should be ladies first. But seein’ I don’t want anythin’ bad happenin’ to you if there is some sort of trap on this bridge. I’ll go first.”

Now this was actually something Seika didn't expect. Her eyebrows raised slightly in curiosity as she carefully watched the male take a few steps forward onto the bridge. Flattered, a slight smile cracked in the crease of her red lips as she watched him practically tip toe across sketchy black boards. Seeing as how this interesting passage was quite firm and steady, despite a slight shake to the old ropes, Seika stepped out without much hesitation and followed behind the Nukenin without letting the fear of heights get to her brain.

'Don't look down. Don't show fear. It's not that far. Not far at all.'

Then came curiosity. Seika glanced slightly to her right and nearly froze in place. In fact, she did briefly as she stared at the dark canyon below with widened eyes. With haste, she picked up her steps and tried to not rush Mokuzai too much to get off the bridge. Not once would she admit her fears, due to her stubborn pride and need to be strong, but it was probably easy to see by her flushed face that heights freaked her out. The sooner they stepped off the bridge, the better.

'Maybe they're scared of water... like Kirima... yeah... just keep thinking about that,' she thought while trying to build up her self esteem. Mokuzai's voice cured the remainder of her fears as she tried to relax her adrenaline from the bridge.

“I didn’t think about them approachin’ me first, so when we get to the end of the bridge, just jump ahead. You know how to do this conversation a bit more than myself.”

Seika nodded, skipping ahead as he had mentioned while preventing herself from dashing off the bridge and onto the main land. Never before had Seika appreciated solid ground like she did today. In fact, she wanted to kneel down and kiss it while bowing in worship. Rather than doing so, she stopped dead in her tracks as though she had seen a ghost.

"Wait," she began, turning her entire body so that they may face each other one on one. It was nice to finally look at him without the mask on his face. She appreciated him for removing it earlier. After all, she just couldn't resist admiring his features. It was merely a matter of not doing so in a creepy fashion.

"We should probably reconsider walking up to the gates as ninja. I don't know if they will recognize you but well.. if they do.. then we will never get in. They'll see Nukenin and may want to kill you on sight. With me being with you, I'll instantly find my face in the Bingo Books and it's game over for my life as a Village Shinobi. Kirigakure will never accept me back ever again."

The thought of not being able to see her family and various friends in Kirigakure made her heart ache. She loved Kirigakure. It was practically her entire life.

"Surely your outfit is different than what people are probably used to seeing....granted...I don't know how often you change attire... but my clothing screams Kirigakure. I have to remove the cloak at some point.... heaven hopes I can shower once I do.... but when I am able to take it off, they'll know I'm a Jounin in a heart beat. I want us to come off as least threatening as possible."

She was speaking low already but now decided she would nearly whisper to the male. A thought expression crawling onto her face as she had.

"We want to scope them out... but how do we do so without screaming that we are ninja? A chakra sensor would recognize us if we used transformation jutsu. Maybe a disguise with lowered chakra frequencies will help."

How could she possibly put on a disguise though besides removing her headband and stripping completely? She had her cloak and that was it. Walking into Kumogakure near naked was not ideal either. So, what should they do?

Age : 30 Posts : 1012

The ground shook once Mokuzai got on the opposite side of the bridge once again. Each time the element flashed it’s hue in the darkened overcast, the drum like movement vibrated the earth underneath. “God damn it!” He went to his forearms on the ground, trying to keep himself calm in front of the woman. How could he be acting this immature? This childish? This didn’t look like his usual confident and quirk self at all. His fingertips dug into the dirt they laid atop of, keeping the small trenches from getting too wide. After exhaling his withheld breath, Mokuzai stood up to his full height, just in time for Seika to cross over the gapping area. She quickly took lead like he wanted, only stopping momentarily to turn around and face him.

~~“Wait.”~~

He didn’t really care for the tone that she spoke to him in. Was she just as shaded over the village as he was? For her not being in Kumogakure irked him personally, but that wasn’t the point here. “Why are keepin’ us from-“ His words were cut off from her plan. She was the lead shinobi after all, so he’s got to hear her out to some degree. With her worrying about her attire gave Mokuzai some sort of idea to work with. “How about you just wear one of my old outfits? They’re clean, I promise. No blood, mine or someone else’s, or mud. We’ll hide the bag somewhere underground where I can reach it, or I can seal some things in this.” He pulled up his right sleeve, revealing the fuunin tattoo on his right wrist.

“I usually keep kunai or shuriken in here, but it’s got the same sealin’ power of a small scroll. I don’t think we’ll need to be hostile in here anyway. It would give us away.” He quickly placed the bag that was upon his shoulders on the ground in front of him when he kneeled down in front of her.

“As for the plan to get in.” He pulled out a jacket with some intriguing designs. The outfit wasn’t the average shinobis’ but it didn’t scream Kirigakure! It's a base white color with a wolf fur hood that covers most of the jacket. The length of the jacket actually goes down to his ankles from the extended tips at the bottom. Yellow lines decorate the middle of the fabric, while black resides on the sleeves. Multiple belts go around its back and snap on the opposite side. It’s actually one of his favorite coats to grace his figure, but he would probably make it go to waste with his new given outfit. The pants, being pretty common to shinobi, were tight around the legs, giving him a bit more movement when he ran, so hopefully, she would take that to heart and not actually freak out when he offers it. “Get to strippin’.” He held out the outfit towards her with his silicone vest laying on the top. “Put your things in the bag when you’re done. Don’t tell me to not look either, we could have people eyein’ us as we speak. So make it fast, hm.”

Mokuzai rolled his eyes while thinking of the plan. “Sensory ninja won’t be able to tell transformations. Everything in the world, at least humans, have chakra. Even the civilians. They just don’t know how to control it. This seems to be a trade route. I wouldn’t be surprised if the village imports things through this trail. Why not act like we are traders? It’s way safer than actin’ like shinobi. We also need names to call each other by. I’m sure they have my name in the book, I don’t want you gettin’ into danger because of me. It’s not worth it. I’m not worth it.” Mokuzai clenched his jaw, moving his own optics with her while she moved to the area where she would change, getting a few peeks of her body.

Her supple fair skin caught his eye once again. When she pulled down her stockings from her thigh, he gulped. The jiggle of her thighs was more than enough for him to want to take her then and now behind the rock where they were settled.

When it came to her breasts showing their full form through the cloth on her torso, Mokuzai actually have to advert his gaze for a few seconds to fight the sudden instincts and desires that appeared from deep within his mind. His hands by his waist tightened into fists; showing the frustration and tension that was building up inside him. “I-I’ll just call myself Yoi.”

He hasn’t heard that name for a while—he hasn’t even said it himself. The moment that the title escaped his lips, his stare became blank. Not even the thunder from another strike could awaken him from this little trance that he got himself into. The rogue could still hear the laughter of the child he used to protect. The smile that would show him light and life in his darkened world. When he now thought of it, Mokuzai was alone. He had no one. No family. No friends. They either disappeared, were killed, or were never friends to begin with. The only thing that chose to stick near him, either by orders, or her own nature, was Seika. He didn't quite really trust her just yet. Not with his emotions, or his actions, but he had to make sure she didn't get harmed. Shinjin had a plan for the group of them. He already lost a few partners, he didn't want to lose anymore. Even if he had to put on the act of actually 'liking' them emotionally.

Was this depression? The feeling of a void in his chest that could never be filled up to its brim? His existence feeling like nothing but a leaf in the wind being carried wherever the gusts shot him to. Inoshi was gone, Akira was gone, Rukasu wasn’t really much of a friend, more of a business partner; even most of the village shinobi he tried to make friends with in his own personal way probably viewed him as a monster. “I’m not even the real Mokuzai..” The disbelief he had in himself was unbelievable. Even the woman he was interested in, being nude to his side, couldn’t get his attention.

It was kind of ironic for the one to be considered dark, to actually suffer from it.

Boom.

The vibrations around his feet allowed him to break the trance and focus on the task at hand. Walking nearby Seika, who was or was not still dressing, he clenched his jaw while his expression got serious. Without a word, the hand seals in front of his chest were initiated, being short and precise as usual while he muttered underneath his breath: “Mokuton: Henge.” A shell of Black, serrated mokuton covered the nukenin, pressing roughly against his skin to help with the transformation.

This was the first time he showed the color of his bloodline towards her, and it killed him that he couldn’t see her reaction. The barrier of wood dropped from his figure with a puff of smoke, revealing the nukenin to have brand new features. Even his voice had changed from his calm, energetic like volume, to something more husky and scruffy. He actually had more of a square and defined jawline; with nose to match. He was actually attractive, not that he wasn’t beforehand. The green eyes of the transformed Senju shot towards Seika’s direction.

“We’ll go in like this. Stick near the groups near the gate. If we find a cart, slip in it. Or.” He fixed the cloth against his body. “I’ll take you underground so we can latch onto the bottom of the transport. Once inside, we have to put on an act.” She should have finished changing, with Mokuzai still having a serious expression and tone. “I know I said you’d lead, but once inside, I’m takin’ it. I’m sorry, but I know a bit more about infiltrating villages than you. If you want to smart back to me, then please save it for when I have you in a safe place. It’s all that I ask of you. If we get caught..”

His eyes blinked slowly, grabbing the bag she placed her items in, and digging a small hole with his hands, placing it in the earth and putting a rock on top to cover the zipper of the bag. “and our disguises are broken. You run, and I’ll do my best to hold them off. I’m not offerin’ to be the hero, but you don’t deserve bein’ captured.” He snarled just at the thought itself.

Now that the plan was set, Mokuzai grabbed the hand of the woman, actually feeling the warmth of her palm press against his skin. His arm actually weakened from the texture of her flesh. It’s been a decent amount of time since he felt how soft her hands were to him. The last time he even got to preview her warmth was her healing session she gave him.

Mokuzai cleared the thought out of his mind so that he could get moving along through the line of merchants easily matching the pace at which they moved. He constantly kept his eyes peeled for a cart to slip into or ‘borrow’ for the time there. With the gates acting like some sort of checkpoint, the duo had more of a chance to get inside by going underneath a cart.

The nukenin tugged her to the side of the road, getting behind a tree.

“Don’t freak out when I do this. Please.” He turned her body around by her waist so that her back faced him. His hands rested in front of his belt, pressing his fingertips together for the seals required for the next jutsu. “When I tell you to latch onto the cart. Do it.” Both of his hands with the curve of her hips, pulling her body back against his while they both started to sink into the earth. With the amount of chakra that the merchants groups gave, the sensors would probably think some of the people were moving from one stand to the next.

Mokuzai didn’t know how she would react to going underneath the ground, but it was the only option for the time being. Occasionally, he would press his face against the earth, allowing him to peek out on how close they got to the transportation. His grip on Seika tightened when they got near.

It was finally time to start getting this plan going. “Just act like you’re climbing a tree and keep your feet planted against the cart. As long as you do that, you shouldn’t fall.” He spoke behind her ear when he slowly started to push her body up out of the earth underneath the cart. When she could get into position, Mokuzai would mimic her movements, settling on the opposite side of her. Every so often, he would gaze over towards her direction. Making sure she was alright with her placement.

“Meat? Are you serious? Just. Put it by the rest of the carts in the side of the butcher. Unload your own shit.” Mokuzai gulped when he heard cloud shinobi order the driver to pull his cart inside the village. They were finally getting into the village gates, and in the basic perimeter of the village.

Would this go smoothly?

The parking only took a few moments; allowing the driver to get off the cart before Mokuzai dropped to his stomach slowly, rolling to the right so that he could go underneath the rest of the carts on the opposite side. Hopefully, Seika followed suit and would appear in front of him. “Now, we need to get someplace where we can chill for a bit. We don’t need to start anythin’ before we get another plan goin’. What are we even here for? Just because we're in, doesn't mean we're safe.”

SC:

Jutsu:

Age : 31 Posts : 1900

Mokuzai must have read the woman's brain before she could even react to his offering regarding his clothes. Her face scrunched up just slightly at the thought of wearing another person's daily attire but the mentioning of his wear not being dirty eased her rejection at least a little bit. It may seem strange for her to wear male clothing but Seika could probably bet that the Kumogakure ninja have definitely seen worse things roaming their village. Not trying to say Kumogakure was filled with a bunch of weirdos but even Kirigakure's fine establishment has their own fruit loops in their circle of oddities. A flashback about the nearly nude male in a pink tutu, during one of her trips to the training grounds, still scarred her brain to this day. The sight was so horrifying that it made her slightly shudder uncontrollably every time she happened to think about it. What she would give to have that memory erased! Due to shuddering at the thought, as mentioned, she hop ed Mokuzai wouldn't take offense by mistake. She quickly cast him a warm smile, his form kneeling down shortly afterwards to pry open a bag he had been carrying.

"I didn't realize you possessed Fūinjutsu...interesting," she lightly muttered. The male was on the ground and preparing to open the bag at this point. Overall, it was obvious that she was leaving the door open for him to possibly talk about this particular skill, or others he was willing to share, but Seika would focus on such questions later. Although it was important to know who exactly she was working with, in ninja terms, getting into Kumogakure, undetected, was a bit more important at this point in time.

“As for the plan to get in" Mokuzai randomly said, his hands removing an intriguing white coat full of various patterns, colors, and... wait...wolf fur? Seika's eyebrows lifted as she starred at the fur on the hood, her thoughts questioning how her wolf summonings, Hati and Skoll, would feel about such attire. Hati would likely try to start a fight, since he did so with just about anything anyway, but Skoll was questionable all together. She herself, wasn't sure how to feel about the fact the attire possessed fur. There wasn't anything wrong with it at all but she was curious about the reason he had it at all.

'Didn't Mokuzai say he summoned wolves? I wonder if his summonings gave this to him as a gift....He's probably worked with his summonings far longer than I have...unless of course...he killed a wolf. Hmmm.'

“Get to strippin’.”

Seika's thought ended abruptly as Mokuzai handed her the attire he had removed from his bag. To be honest, she actually questioned putting the attire on and therefore was slightly hesitant. Not wanting to make Mokuzai wait, she still grabbed the articles of clothing and began to search for a place to change in privacy.

“Put your things in the bag when you’re done. Don’t tell me to not look either, we could have people eyein’ us as we speak. So make it fast, hm.”

"I don't care if there's the possibility of us being watched," she began while casting him a semi-challenging expression, "Don't look anyway."

With a slight huff, Seika walked towards her right and scanned the edge of the cliff side as she walked. Recently she picked up the earth element. Someday she could create her own changing rock with a few rocks. At the moment though, she lacked many jutsu with the element and therefore relied on what the earth had to provide without the aid of jutsu. Which...sadly...was nothing. Not a single cave or rock or nothing.

'Damnit' she cursed in her mind before shooting Mokuzai a frustrated look. Her cheeks turned slightly red before she sharply turned her head towards the rock outcrop and pretended he was not present.

"Look away!" she said with a squeaky bark, her face red as can be while she regretfully started to pry off her skirt. Innocence in its truest form crawled out of Seika's soul and grasped their girl in its claws. She wasn't sure if she should feel guilty, nervous, upset, or angry at what was presently occurring because she had never undressed in front of a male before. Seika always imagined the thought of nearly dying being the most nerve-wracking thing in existence - NOPE! It was precisely what she was doing right now! As quickly as she could manage, she tore off her clothes and tried to throw them to the ground in a neat pile while quickly pulling on his attire. If the male was watching then he definitely saw her in a bra in underwear. Again, most nerve wracking thing to ever happen to her and certainly something that made her feel extremely embarrassed!! Her cheeks were a permanent red, from raised blood pressure, for a good five minutes afterwards. Especially when she actually had to turn around and look at him again.

Carefully folding up all her items, the Kirigakure headband situated on top, she rolled her black cloak around the attire and returned to Mokuzai's side. She did her best to avert her gaze, cheeks still blazing red, while approaching. Once she actually did stand before him, she handed him the protected attire while turning her head away completely and closing her eyes.

"Quick, hide it before I take it all back," she said, passing the clothes off for him to bury somewhere. Seika would even give him with a slightly pouting face afterwards, cheeks finally starting to cool off as she had. Not even five seconds of being in new clothes and she greatly missed wearing her Kirigakure attire. Sure, she actually enjoyed the scent possessing the attire she wore but she also bled blue through and through. No one that knew her could deny that; despite the whole "treason" and "hanging around a Nukenin" thing. Minor details, right!?

“I'm fine with the new names and acting like traders," she said before waiting for him to face her again; his appearance completely different than what she had seen before. Once she had captured his eyes again, which were now green then brown, she would give him a warm smile as she always had when looking at him. To better explain this face, she looked slightly mesmerized with a hint of appreciation blended in. It didn't even matter that his appearance had changed, she still found herself caught up in him to the point she would likely begin to question 'why' all over again.

"Also...thank you for caring," she said softly, the red in her cheeks now dimmed to a slight glow. She would likely embarrass him with her goo goo eyes but she honestly didn't care too much if she had. Sometimes she wondered if she purposely tried to make him feel embarrassed or awkward because it was fun to see his tidy whitties get into a bunch. "Yoi is truly a wonderful name. I guess you could call me......Amaya."

The significance of her selected name was basically zero value. It was simply the first thing that came to mind. However, when Mokuzai mentioned Yoi, something seemed to be off about him. Again, she wanted to ask him questions about it. Yet, maybe it was best to not pry too much. What if he was a relation that he highly cared about? The last thing she wanted to do was cause him pain. She decided to wait until they were a bit more personal.... which may take a while if they keep up with their snarky comments and inappropriate shenanigans.

“We’ll go in like this. Stick near the groups near the gate. If we find a cart, slip in it. Or.” he stopped suddenly, reaching out to grasp a piece of cloth on her body while causing her to involuntarily shy away with a slight injured expression on her face. She didn't even realize she was making this expression but hoped Mokuzai wouldn't be offended, if he noticed. Once the clothing was fixed, he continued on. Seika's cheek grew slightly pink again. They probably looked like sunburn at this point. “I’ll take you underground so we can latch onto the bottom of the transport. Once inside, we have to put on an act.”

"Related, business partners, or dating," she asked. Certainly he looked a bit older but the two still seemed about the same age, based on appearance alone. Due to their actions, as of late, it probably would be awkward if they claimed to be related. Seika froze in her thoughts, 'what exactly is going on here anyway?' Was she that naive not to realize the fact he was flirting, her mind too focused on the whole ordeal with the Order, or was this his way of just showing her cared? She needed to figure this one out for sure.

“I know I said you’d lead, but once inside, I’m takin’ it. I’m sorry, but I know a bit more about infiltrating villages than you. If you want to smart back to me, then please save it for when I have you in a safe place. It’s all that I ask of you. If we get caught..."

Oh? There it is again. Genuine care of her? She really needed to pry into his brain and figure out how he saw her in his mind. Shinjin and other ninja would show this type of care to her but it was on a friendship level. This male was well, a bit different. Or was he? Females often look too deep into details sometimes.

Seika watched him bury her bag, a pain striking her heart as she tried to imagine herself still wearing her headband and Jounin jacket.

“and our disguises are broken. You run, and I’ll do my best to hold them off. I’m not offerin’ to be the hero, but you don’t deserve bein’ captured.”

A slight huff escaped her. It was hard to resist the urge to give him a smart comment due to the outrageous amount of pride within her tiger heart. She constantly preached of how she was fully capable of protecting herself without the need of someone else. It was her independence that thrusted her into this state of mind shortly after graduating the academy. She liked the fact comrades wished to protect her and yet struggled to accept their aid. Mokuzai had trouble saying thank you, Seika struggled with accepting the fact she needed to tuck tail and run without a fight.

"I'm afraid I can't make any promises Moku," she said while averting her gaze. She didn't want him to sucker her into saying yes by looking at her in the eyes. Her dang facade melted once he had. "We'll just see how the situation is first...if it's possible to prevent us both from being captured then I will stay and fight......and yes.....I understand the consequences of that."

If he was discovered then she would be instantly labeled. Every step she took around him, and any village ninja, was atop of egg shells. It would be too late to turn back the moment they saw him and she would instantly be a criminal. So, why was she here? Was it because of Shinijn's Order? Her own curiosity? Or something else? Was she recently acting out of line due to the loss of Jirou or was there a greater mystery behind all this? Truthfully, she didn't know anymore. So she continued to go with the flow.

The duo pushed forward towards the gates and eventually ran into various other people leading into Kumogakure. The watchful eyes of the group making her near nausea as she tried her best to keep her cool. She wasn't sure if she was more worried about herself or Mokuzai's identity being exposed. Her eyes flickered back around to gaze at various faces and to analyze the village walls as they grew closer and closer to their view. Resisting a gulp, she turned her attention towards a random male that was eying her from the corner of his eyes. He stood maybe seven feet away, with others around him, but he kept staring. Seika grew very uneasy. This was when she felt a hand grab her. Her eyes shot to the hidden Mokuzai with a flash of fear. It quickly eased up the moment she saw him and she tried to brush off her anxiety with an awkward smile; her eyes averting themselves afterwards out of shame for being nervous.

His grasp around her hand cast her out of her thoughts and intoxicated her mind with a sense of wonder instead. The signs he depicted were quite obvious and yet she continued to live in her denial of his apparent interest out of fear. The fact he was a Nukenin did not phase her one bit. The problem was the fact that she was terrified to grow close to another human. Scared of losing someone else and yet she continues to protect him the best she can. At first she resisted his grasp, letting her hand lie weakly as though uninterested in its touch, but as the two seemed to merge with a larger group of merchants she felt an overwhelming sense of uncertainty about the nearby people. This led to her attempting to interweave her fingers into his own while she let out a quick sigh. Not once looking at him and therefore continuing to live in her ignorance of what was happening now. She couldn't get close. Not yet. Not until she knew they were safe. Which, would they ever be?

Actions became to pick up pace as Mokuzai suddenly dragged Seika to the side and hid behind a tree. It was surprising that no one noticed their sudden exit but perhaps it was because no one likely cared. They had neared the back of the group around them until they were in the very end. What happened once they were behind the tree was something Seika hadn't expected either. Mokuzai asked for her to freak out, making her give him a questioning look, before suddenly she was whirled around and grabbed by the hips. The hairs on her back stood up on end, like a wolf with its hackles, as she nearly rose to her tip toes out of sudden anxiety. No one had ever, ever, grabbed her like that before. Surely Shinjin whipped her around and threw her to his side but never had someone full blown grabbed her by the hips and forced her against them. The rush of adrenaline coursed through her veins and as the two began to slip underground, Seika instinctively forced herself completely against the front of his body while reaching around and placing both of her hands over his. He asked her not to panic but she did anyway. After all, she had only just learned how to use doton techniques. This did not include going underground just yet!

When the duo resurfaced, after Moku spoke into her ear about cart instructions - giving her chills in the process- he pushed her up against the bottom of the cart. Her hands flew forward and grasped the underside while she hoisted herself up and held on for dear life; somehow managing to gather her long hair and wrap it over her stomach to guarantee it wouldn't drag. Mokuzai popped out of the ground beside her and grabbed on like she had, but with less anxiety of course. This caused her to flash him an uneasy smile. She had never done this before! It was crazy! But she was surprisingly having a ton of fun with this plan of his. It almost felt like she was living life on edge. Breaking into villages and shit. Woo, Nukenin life. Lord has she lost her mind?

Mokuzai's occasional gazes would end up being one-sided. Seika had closed her eyes after a few minutes of being under the cart. She was trying to keep herself as calm as possible while holding on with all her might. At least she doing fine at this point.

“Meat? Are you serious? Just. Put it by the rest of the carts in the side of the butcher. Unload your own shit.”

Seika's eyes opened and she stared straight at Mokuzai. The sound of the Kumogakure ninja made her stomach twist and turn with uneasiness. Doubt attempted to flood her brain and she prepared herself to fight if necessary. Without her Kirigakure attire, she felt naked, but at least she could still use jutsu. Thankfully the battle plans in her brain weren't necessary at this moment in time. The cart seemed to park and come to a stop, Seika stared at Mokuzai again to wait for his orders. She knew how to be a leader but also a follower. In this case, he was guaranteed the spotlight and would lead the way whether he liked it or not. No matter how hard she tried to deny his interest, she still found herself putting faith in him while granting him full trust. Had she not done so, they would probably still be arguing outside the gates. Yet, here they were. Dropping off the bottom of the cart, rolling out, and standing up. Seika brushed the dirt off his clothes while finally taking her first look of the village. Her eyes lit up like a Raiton technique, the golden in them absorbing as many details as it could while she forced herself to keep her mouth shut. So many new things to explore. So many new people. Where would they even begin?

“Now, we need to get someplace where we can chill for a bit. We don’t need to start anythin’ before we get another plan goin’. What are we even here for? Just because we're in, doesn't mean we're safe.”

Seika continued to look around in wander for a few more brief seconds. Before Mokuzai would wonder if she was ignoring him, she glanced in his direction and became a bit more serious in her demeanor.

"Thank you for getting us in. Basically we need to scope everything out," she said calmly, "We need to gauge their strength or at least see what Kumogakure is all about. Not saying we intend to meet the Raikage or anything special like that, but we can at least get a feel for their ninja. We can compare them to Kirigkaure's shinobi and see where both villages stand. One thing for sure, we need to see if the Allied Shinobi are still around or not. More or less, gather whatever information we can."

But why? To tell Hiroshi? Eh, not quite. Perhaps maybe she would but overall the idea of this was for the Order. They sought balance in this world. Eliminating the allied shinobi, a group of "global police" that was installed without asking other villages, would be a step in the right direction for balance. They needed to know if such groups still existed.... but yet again, why? Seika wandered if she should continue to follow this path without Shinjin. She wasn't Shinjin so she didn't know exactly what he had in mind.

"Whatever you do...don't speak of you know what..... Lets start walking and see where we lead. Come on."

Taking charge yet again, Seika bypassed Mokuzai while grazing her hand against his. She didn't grab it but also didn't completely ignore it. She wasn't sure of how to feel at this moment in time. There was a lot on her platter right now and being in a new place didn't help.

"We should consider finding a place to sit, rest, and grab some refreshments or food. I don't know about you but stale bread gets obnoxious after a while. Even sitting in a chair and observing people is more information than mindlessly wandering."

She glanced around at the nearby shops. A new idea coming to mind shortly afterwards.

"Maybe we should find a place to stay the night too. We may be here a while, although I am not sure of how long."

The duo continued to walk down the streets, blending into the various citizens around them as they had. Surprisingly, Seika felt like she blended in due to the white and yellow coloration of Mokuzai's attire. If people could stop staring at her hair though, that would be nice. Sure, it was red, but she really wanted to be low key right now.

Soon Seika stopped and glanced at Mokuzai briefly while pointing. Before them was a well decorated tea shop with a few people sitting around small tables and amongst booths beyond the glass windows. It seemed innocent enough. Definitely low key.

"How about there?"

Age : 30 Posts : 1012

She was actually commanding! He didn’t quite expect it to get that intense between the two. Was it from the touches that he gave her? He tried to be as gentle as he thought was needed to show the appreciate he had for her. Maybe she just viewed him as a comrade and nukenin instead. He shrugged off the emotional connection while he overlooked the structure of the village. Compared to Konoha and Kirigakure, The Hidden Cloud was much more advanced in technology. The floating center pieces, the lightning rods that captured each element strike. It surprised him how the people around the main road of the village had no reaction to the shakes of thunder or the crack of lightning. He was in complete awe of the civilians here. “Why the hell would I speak of that for?” Was she trying to make him sound stupid by putting words into his mouth? He must have really gotten to her; she did look kind of cute when she was made when he thought about it. Why was he having this constant thought of her invading his head?

Yet again, he allowed the thoughts to slip from his mind and concentrated at the task at hand. “Scout the village, huh?” Would it be better if they split up and tried to cover more ground that way? The idea did come in thought at first, but what if she ran into trouble and got caught? Mokuzai couldn’t deal with the thought of her getting captured. She was a village shinobi; the fate wasn’t hers to deal with.

The brush of her flesh against his was a simple gesture he ignored. They were pretty close together by the carts, so he passed it off as a mere accident of their grips sliding past each other. The transformed nukenin slipped his hand in the depths of his pockets. The sash he once held a head band now had a blank slit, only being useful for appearance purposes. He almost felt out of place yet again when random people would nod and smile in his presence. He knew it was because of the disguise that he had on at the moment, but the feeling of actually being appreciated for existing did make him feel pretty grand. The void in his chest could possibly be healed in this fashion- as long as he keeps it in check.

His emerald optics scanned each and every building that he passed. The architecture seeming a bit more modern and bulky compared to the laid back concept of Konoha, and the dark aspect of Kirigakure. The place looked like a fortress within a fortress. The defensive capabilities of this village must have been outstanding! It was truly impressive to see the cloud take care of itself in this nature. Mokuzai had no idea why the thought of the care of civilians, and the stature of the village itself took control of his thoughts. He practically lived to infiltrate and expose the weaknesses of the villages that he enters. “They really do have some sort of plan though..” His eyes couldn’t be kept off the sides of the buildings.

He just felt out of place; quite easy for a nukenin.

“Stay the night? Now you’re sayin’ we’re goin’ to have to spend more time here? The fuck, S- Amaya.” He truly wasn’t comfortable staying in an area where he could be tracked and hunted rather easily. He didn’t know the paths of the village, the exits that he could take. They’re on a fucking mountain, where could he go? The thought of staying here longer gave him shivers that literally shook his spine. The vibrations catching himself off guard, that he kept walking when Seika stopped to point at a nearby shop.

His chest bumped into the back of a random civilian, a hulking male to be exact. Mokuzai looked up to the towering man, blinking his gems slowly. “A-ah. My bad.” He rubbed the back of his head with a cheerful smile.

The man raised his brow, tilting his head to the side upon seeing the smile and apology of Mokuzai. “Uh. No..problem? Just watch where you’re going.” Mokuzai nodded quickly, turning his attention back towards Seika. He followed the direction of her arm extending out to point out a tea house, something that Mokuzai has only been in once in another part of this country.

“I. Yeah. I guess. I don’t have any money.. We’ll just have to bail before we get the bill.” He chuckled softly at his own remark. Mokuzai wasn’t really one that got the chance to use a public place for what it’s actually meant for. Did he just walk up to the place and ask for a table? Where does he leave the money?

He couldn’t have lost the ability to actually think like a normal villager. It’s only been 10 years since he was a part of any sort of collection, things couldn’t have changed. It was laughable on how awkward and naïve he was with the basic life of a village shinobi.

“Alright. Let’s get in there, then.” He walked forward in front of Seika, placing his hands in his pockets when the chime of the bell echoed throughout the shop from the opening of the door. Mokuzai tried to keep his calm, but the ringing of the bell caused him to stop in his tracks. He was used to that sound being used with traps and the likes; it was natural instinct for him to act strangely to that sound. A large sigh came from the male while he walked inside. What does he even do next? Does he wait for someone to come and sit him down, or does he pick his own seat? The multiple scenarios caused his body to shut down, and move to a random table on the ground out of pure instinct.

His underside slid against the softened mat underneath his weight, clicking his boots against each other when his legs were placed near themselves just under the low table in front of him. “Amaya.” He looked over towards Seika, tapping the empty spot across the table from him, signaling her to seat nearby. “Have a seat. Relax. Just..yeah. Relax.”

That was more for his mind. How could he possibly keep his cool in a time like this? Was he supposed to call a waiter over?

[Temporary exit- Continued in next thread.]

Age : 31 Posts : 1900

“Stay the night? Now you’re sayin’ we’re goin’ to have to spend more time here? The fuck, S- Amaya.”

Her name nearly slipping through his lips caused Seika to get a shiver down her spine. A part of her feared having her identity exploited simply because she wasn't sure how Kumogakure would react to their presence within their village. For all they knew, they had walked into a death rap. Ninja could be waiting in the shadows, especially KYOBU, to thrust out their kunai and slit their throats. It was nearly as nerve-wracking as Seika having to change in front of Mokuzai. Due to this reasoning, Seika didn't blame Mokuzai for showing signs of discomfort upon her mentioning the possibility of staying within Kumogakure's walls. The rouge male likely didn't stay long within a village for more than a few hours; especially with the pretty price tag for his head.

"I don't know how long we will be staying but we cannot continue to enter and exit the village every day. It's less suspicious to stay at a hotel or somewhere with walls within the village...." she whispered to him with a serious tone.

The duo had continued to walk down the sidewalks while investigating the various shops around them. Seika's eyes floated over the buildings, admiring the lavish architecture and wondering where Kumogakure could possibly obtain all the finances that were said to possess. This place was so much more different than Kirigakure in both designs but colors as well. Seika felt like a lost puppy in a huge maze at this point.

"If it makes you that uncomfortable...I'm willing to try sleeping in a cave or something..." she said without looking at him and keeping her voice low. It was her indirect way of showing defeat but hoping he still went along with her claim. Mokuzai could probably find them a nice cave to sleep in but that still did not mean she wanted to. She wasn't sure how she felt about slumbering next to a Nukenin without at least some sort of ally nearby. After all, their entire trip to Kumogakure was spent with little sleep due to this lack of one hundred percent reliance. Had she actually slept...Mokuzai would probably have left her stranded in the woods due to the fact she often screams bloody murder and cries from haunting nightmares. Seika prayed harder that he would say "lets stay in the village'. A nice comfortable bed sounded fantastic at this present moment.

This was when Seika stopped and pointed at the coffee shop. Due to this action, a distracted Mokuzai had bumped into a fellow citizen and thus made Seika rather nervous about whether or not a scene may occur. Thankfully the two males accepted the incident and walked off without hateful words being thrown around. This helped the woman relax a bit more. On one end, she worried about Kumogakure ninja coming after them, and on the other hand she was honestly worried about Mokuzai's reactions within the gates. She could understand his feeling of being overwhelmed, since he wasn't used to the village life, but she hoped this didn't transform into him lashing out at her or others. Seika wasn't trying to play babysitter but she needed him to act on his best behavior. Whatever his "best" may be.

“I. Yeah. I guess. I don’t have any money.. We’ll just have to bail before we get the bill.”

Soft chuckles from the male were countered by Seika shaking her head.

"I brought money so no need for that," her eyes rolled over towards him slowly, "unless you eat a whole cow. Then you're stuck washing dishes."

She flashed him a quick smirk before turning her attention back towards the establishment. Seika aimed to take a step forward but her travel partner made the first move instead. He shoved his hands in his pockets and crossed the street, Seika trailing behind. Confidence seemed to flourish within the male until they actually set foot in the shop itself. Seika nearly ran into the male, stopping only a centimeter from his back, and thus forcing her to take a step back out of curiosity. Mokuzai had paused the moment he heard the chime of the door sound off, but why? She blinked a few times in confusion as a few people turned to look at him.

'He's making a scene,' she thought, her hands rising up and lightly pressing the entire palm of her hand against the small of his back and giving him a gentle push. The tension of his back radiated through her hands and soon enough he was on the move, his form picking a seat and sitting down. Seika calmly trailed behind, her eyes floating to the staring people while giving them a nod. The common folk smiled back and returned to their plates or drinks as Seika imagined letting out a soft sigh. Mokuzai had already planted himself in a seat and was staring up at her with questionably fearful eyes. His hand was outreached across the table and tapping the empty spot directly across from him.

“Amaya,” he said before his taps, “Have a seat. Relax. Just..yeah. Relax.”

She tried her best not to give him a coy grin but it leached out anyway. After all, who was honestly the one that needed to relax here? Surely she did, but not as much as her male counterpart. Moving with a calm demeanor, Seika sat down at the opposite side of the table and immediately faced Mokuzai. Once she was comfortable, her head was tilted slightly to the left and her eyes peered at him in an attempt to catch his attention. She was doing her best to analyze his behaviors as a means of watching for any possibility of sudden outbursts from the nukenin. More so, she was wondering about how she could ease his tension at least a minor bit - despite her own personal uneasiness.

"Just remember to breath.....everything will be alright," she whispered to him a warm tone and a soft smile.

Surely her feelings were still frankly quite questionable but this did not stop the fact that she was making an effort to trust and accept this ninja. He was a member of the Order and Shinjin requested them to get close. Although she was in denial about her infatuation for them male, despite her actions, she knew that, either way, she would need to learn to trust him for the sake of the Order. So far, he had not proved any reason for her not to have faith in him. Did this mean she would allow him to get close to her personally? Possibly or possibly not. Would she at least try to form a bond between the two, whatever it may be; that was a definite yes.

["Exit" - Continued in new thread]