The Diplomat makes his way to work his magic. [Mission: Check Up]

Age : 28 Posts : 2538

The Diplomat works his magic | Check Up: B-Ranked Mission | Isamu Senju

Isamu woke up to the sound of birds singing, which was rare. Usually the climate of Sunagakure no Sato was too hot for birds which had a happy enough temperament to sing at dawn. This meant the day ahead would be mild, which would made Isamu smile, even with his eyes still closed. He was laid in bed, his head resting into his pillow. He lay still there for ten minutes as the street outside his house got louder. More people came out of their houses and went about their daily business, making more noise collectively in the village. Isamu knew he would have to get up now, he didn't want to be in the hot, sandy deserts of the Wind Country during midday, the hottest part of the day. Even by his standards, it would burn and be uncomfortable. Once his mind was in the zone of his mission ahead to Kirigakure to solidify ties between the two villages, at such a critical time considering the Chuunin Exams which were taking place. The second round of the exam was taking place and the third part of the exam was being planned. Rolling out of bed, Isamu placed his feet on his bedroom carpet and walked over to the bathroom, which was an en suite. He set the tap running cold water and washed his face, which was both cleansing and refreshing, immediately waking him out of the remaining traces of his sleepy stupor. Knowing that today, Isamu would represent the whole of his village, he knew he would have to be looking his very best. Going over to his wardrobe, sliding the doors open, he pulled out his suit which had been presented to him by the Kazekage himself. Pulling it out of the wardrobe and taking it into the bathroom, Isamu got changed quickly and carefully. He was feeling fresh and went downstairs to have some breakfast and pack his bags before he left the village for a few weeks. Pouring himself a bowl of muesli and skimmed milk, being on his usual strict diet, Isamu tucked into his breakfast and finished it quickly. Then he washed his bowl and spoon up and returned the to the immaculate cupboard, his house perfectly clean as he looked back over the threshold of his doorway as he left, his backpack over his shoulder. It was going to be a long journey.

Isamu left his home and made his way towards the east entrance of Sunagakure no Sato. Walking through the village, he didn't bump into anyway who might distract him with chit-chat or otherwise waste his time, which was quite useful to him. Of course, there were four Chuunin on watch at the east entrance and they shouted down their 'good luck's and 'fair well's to Isamu, as he was a well known character around the village. Isamu replied with acute politeness, waving his hand at them and smiling. However, he didn't stop walking because he didn't want to waste time. For half an hour, Isamu followed the roads to the desert plains he would have to cross if he wanted to reach the Fire Country, travel across it, reach a port and set sail to the Water Country. It wasn't long before the dirt road leading from Sunagakure to the Wind Country desert plains ended, Isamu wasted no time into walking onto the hot sand, but his pace didn't change. The time was half past nine in the morning and the deserts were rather cool. He hoped to have left the plains of the desert by midday and be in Konoha, where he could stop for ramen and continue on his journey to the port. He was keeping by his plans easily, as he expected. Isamu didn't think too much of himself nor shoot himself down unecessarily. He was a realist and he knew he could achieve his targets in an average time. He couldn't slack off, but there was no need to overwork himself so soon in the mission. Once he had finished trekking across the plains, Isamu was glad his feet were walking on solid ground, rather then sand which shifted easily under his ample weight. He was now walking along the better standard roads of the Fire Country. There were green trees on both sides of the road, which gave off a wonderful aroma, which tickled Isamu's senses. Isamu wasn't quite sure about what to expect when he passed through Konoha. He had been aware of the village's very public downfall, as the 3rd Hokage had stepped down, the village wasn't prepared, didn't know who to give leadership to and eventually the village was just abandoned and left to overgrow. As he reached the village gates, he saw they were left ajar, so anyone could visit, even civilians. "I suppose there's no point blocking away the memories." Isamu thought to himself, pushing the gat slightly with a loud creaking noise and entering the village.

Just like the rumours, Konoha was wasten and barren. All of the businesses were boarded up with wooden planks. Weeds were growing on the streets and roads. The Hokage Mountain was cracked and chipped, the faces of those wo made this village great; defiled. As he was walking through the village, he noticed more monstrosities. The lakes in the village were no longer crystal clear, but green with algae and fruitful with wildlife. Buildings had bricks missing and there was waste strewn across the street. The village was deafly quiet, which wasn't suiting, considering Konoha was the loudest place Isamu had ever been to. There was only the flapping of birds' wings and the croaking of frogs' necks. Konoha had been de-civilised. Whilst most people might think this was a bad thing, Isamu didn't. Seeing it first hand just showed, with there being no humans in Konoha, the wildlife of the Fire Country had a sanctuary to stay safe in. A gift, from the humans. Also, at least all of the people were healthy and safe and had left this village of their own accord. "Unlike Iwagakure no Sato..." Isamu shuddered at the thought. Knowing there would be no supplies here, Isamu exited through the eastern gate of Konohagakure no Sato, leaving the memories behind him. He was sure the residents had taken all of the village resources with them, so there was no point wandering the village, wasting time. He wanted to be in Kirigakure no Sato by today. Isamu was sure he would come back at some point to have another look around the village, as it truly was fascinating. He just wished he had more time on his hands today. The eastern gate of the village was also propped open, leading Isamu to assume this was the case with all four gates, which made him smile. Luckily, no-one was around to spy in on this minute display of emotion, which was an odd occurance for Isamu.

Deciding to leave the memory of Konoha behind him, Isamu travelled on his way to the very edge of the Fire Country, where he was sure to find a port which would take him to the Water Country. It didn't take Isamu very long to reach a port, at the eastern coast of the Fire Country. The port was full of ships and sailors, with people boarding and getting off the boats. There were boats of every kind, from small wooden paddle boats to big luxury cruisers. Isamu only wanted a boat with speed, as he was longing to be in the Water Country. Looking around the port carefully, ignoring the sound of seagulls gawking and people talking, Isamu spotted and empty boat with a sailor at the hull. The boat was just smaller than what Isamu would call average, but it look hydrodynamic and the motor looked ready to rumble. Walking hastily through the crowd, gently pushing those in his way, out of the way, without hurting them, Isamu made it over to the boat. "Why hello there." Isamu said, practicing his presentable voice and self, whilst attracting the sailor's attention, who was looking down, smoking a cigarette. "Y'alright matey?" he asked, looking up at Isamu through his lashes. "I am quite well, thank you," Isamu responded politely, "In fact, I was wondering if this beauty-"-he tapped the boat-"could sail me over to the Water Country? I'm sure even if the boat is incapable, with a sailor like you, it will manage." Isamu finished off his request with some encouragement and sucking-up to the sailor. He was really laying it on thick, because he wanted to get to the Water Country, soon. The sailor cracked a smile, his golden tooth sticking out over his lip and glinting in the sunlight. "Alright matey, 'op in my boat and I'll take you thur." He motioned with his arm for Isamu to jump in, which he obliged. The sailor walked over to the back of the ship, leaving Isamu to get comfortable. He sat down and as he did so, the motor started with a roar, along with the shout of the sailor. "Oho, land ahoy, matey!" This man said 'matey' far too much for Isamu's liking, but it was bearable. It had to be, if Isamu wanted to get to the Water Country looking presentable. Isamu's prediction was right. The bottom of the boat was hydrodynamic and sliced through the water like it was bread, without any spray which might make his suit wet, even though it was waterproof. Isamu sat comfortably on the deck of the boat, chatting with the sailor for an hour it took to sail across the sea to reach the Water Country. He paid him the money required and bid him farewell.

Stepping back on to solid ground, Isamu wasted no time in travelling across the Water Country to reach Kirigakure no Sato. It was lucky his suit was waterproof, because on this side of the ocean, it was raining lightly. The sky was covered in thin, wispy grey cloud cover, which did enough to fliter the sunlight. Isamu looked up into the sky and smiled. He was almost there. He could practically feel the increase of oxide in the air, as a pale blue mist hung around. Walking through the mist, Isamu noticed that it got heavier as he got closer to Kirigakure no Sato, which was the be as expected. There was a rumour than the mist was controlled by the Mizukage and he could use it to protect the village, as well as indentifying enemy threats. "I really hope these villages stay allies." Isamu thought gravely, knowing a lot of that would depend on his performance. Isamu never was much of an actor, but he would give this his very best, for the sake of his village, which meant a lot to him. Passing through one of the many small villages on the way to the Hidden Village of the Water Country, Isamu hired a messenger bird and sent it ahead of him, with a scroll attached, politely announcing he would be there soon. He sent this to the Mizukage Tower and hoped it arrived in time. Then, he thanked the man who hired him the bird and continued on his way. Isamu noticed that the roads around Kirigakure no Sato were much emptier than the previous ones he had travelled. He barely passed anyone on his way, which suited him just fine. Eventually, yet on time, he turned up at the western gate of Kirigakure no Sato. The village towering over him, enticing him to enter...

Word Count: 1,931.

*Topic continues here: https://ultimateshinobi.darkbb.com/t2610-the-diplomat-arrives-mission-check-up#27526*

Age : 28 Posts : 2538

The Return.

Isamu stood at the top of the Messenger Bird Tower in Kirigakure no Sato, the rain falling heavily onto the roof, dripping down off the side of the roof and falling to the ground. The wind was slow and calming, brushing past his body gently. It was rather warm, even with the rain, so Isamu wasn't uncomfortable, even though the climate was much colder than he was used to, from the Wind Country and the wind was much tamer. Isamu looked over the village of Kirigakure no Sato, having a good view over it, considering he was stood at the top of the Messenger Bird Tower, which was one of the tallest buildings in the village. Isamu stood there for a few moments, watching over it, lost in his own thoughts. The Kiri Chuunin who stood watch over the tower and the birds came over to Isamu and stood beside him. Isamu had recently done business with him to hire a bird to send to the Kazekage informing him the mission was complete and he would soon be on his way home. Isamu was now debating in his mind whether to go and find Ahora. The Chuunin spoke to Isamu, breaking his train of thought. "It's beautiful, isn't it?" It took Isamu longer than he would've liked to realise the Chuunin meant the village. Isamu could relate to him with that, as he loved his own village in the same way and if he had seen a Kirigakure shinobi at the top of Sunagakure no Sato's Messenger Bird Tower when he was in there, he would possibly have said something very similiar. "Yes, it is." Isamu replied, turning on his heel and walking over to the steps, walking down them one at a time until he reached the bottom of the tower.

He took a step out into Kirigakure and the rain hit him. It send a shiver down his spine, but he didn't stop. He walked down the Main Street of the village until he made it to the Gates. He didn't even hesitate, nor look back. He walked out of the gates, then when he was several feet down the road, he looked back, up into the Mizukage's Fortress, where he was sure Arashii was watching his departure out of the window that was glinting gently in the little sunshine that was left. Hoping he'd be able to see him, Isamu let a smile escape his lips, then turned and walked down the road. He prepared himself for the journey. He wanted to be back in Sunagakure no Sato by the next day, so he would have to sleep in a hotel in the River Country, as he estimated that was how far he would be able to travel before the night set upon him. Isamu walked along the roads in the Water Country, the gravel crunching underneath his feet. But he could barely hear it, because his mind was miles away. He wasn't his usual alert self. He couldn't really be bothered. It all seemed a bit pointless now, anyway. If anyone attacked him, he had the confidence in himself to beat them. Isamu felt like he was losing his ideals, but it was only because he was now depressed. The range of emotions that had gone through him in one day had been unreal, considering he normally surpressed them and locked them away. He wondered how Ahora had managed to unlock all his hard work in a matter of hours. It really was amazing, yet annoying. His emotions regarding her were confusing, but he couldn't not think about her. So much so, that he reached a port to take him to the Fire Country much faster than he thought he would. But he didn't, it was just he was so distracted, time seemed to fly, along with his feet.

Somehow, Isamu found the same pilot he had used to travel the ocean as last time and the pilot obviously recognised him. But Isamu wasn't as cheery as he had been last time. He just assumed the pilot would recognise him and allow him to ride. He dropped the money into his hand, boarded the ship and went under-deck and layed on one of the beds, waiting for the pilot to come down and "wake him up" when they arrived. Of course, he wouldn't actually sleep, there was too much on his mind for that. But he wanted to be left alone. The room he was in was dark and he didn't bother to light it. Collapsing onto a bed, Isamu shut his eyes and blocked out the world for the duration of the ride. It would've been hard to sleep anyway, even if his mind wasn't as full as it was. The boat rocked from side to side as it sliced through the waves and it was a rather weird sensation to cope with, when you were much closer to the water than the deck. Much sooner than Isamu expected, the boat stopped moving. He didn't get up, though. He waited for the sailor to come downstairs, rap sharply on the door, then open it. He allowed the light to beam into the room and Isamu mimed waking up. He got up and walked past the sailor without another word, surfacing back, the wind hitting him harshly. Isamu thanked the man for travelling him across the ocean, stepped off his ship, then carried on his way.

He did feel bad about being cold to the sailor, but it couldn't be helped. He was on an emotional journey right now. Locked in the confides of his own heart. He couldn't let anyone in, or out. He needed to do this, himself. To figure out, who he was. This really was different, it really was weird. Isamu knew, that on the battle-field, even if he was fighting Ahora, his brow furrowed, he would have to lock away his emotions and do what he had to do, no matter who it was. He knew that. So why was it so hard? Scared of what was happening to him, Isamu turned on the speed. His legs pumped with blood and his feet smashed against the ground with each step he took, sometimes smashing his footprints into the road. He was in the Fire Country and the economy of it was already fucked, so he didn't give it a second thought. He ran and ran, his stamina getting lower and lower, until eventually, even he was tired, which rarely happened, as he was one of the fittest people he knew. His breathe became ragged and his heartbeat increased massively, his heart smashing against his rib-cage. But he didn't stop, no. Isamu had felt pain before and hit the wall, he knew how to deal with it, easily. He wouldn't allow this to stop him. He just wanted to get as far as possible, as quickly as possible. He would feel better once he was back in his own home.

Once he was in the River Country, he slowed his pace to a walk. This allowed him to catch his breath, allow his heart-rate to return to normal and make sure he didn't damage any of the roads with his running. Unlike the Fire Country, the River Country was fine economically as it relied on Sunagakure no Sato quite a lot, so Isamu's headband would be respected a lot, around here. People who passed him in the River Country certainly gave him a lot of respect and Isamu managed to find a good deal for a hotel to sleep in overnight. He was given a shinobi discount, which pleased him and helped his depressed mood, slightly. He paid for the night, then locked himself inside his room. He hadn't cheered up that much, yet. He pretty much went to bed a few hours earlier than he would've done, counting the factor his thoughts wouldn't slow for several hours, so he tricked his mind so he would at least get a few hours sleep, at best. Having stayed up most of the night, Isamu finally drifted off into an uneasy sleep, which lasted for the rest of the night. When he woke in the morning, Isamu grabbed his free breakfast, ate it as quickly as possible, payed the bill, thanked the owners of the hotel for their hospitality, even though they had barely spoken overnight, then left quickly. Normally, he would've admired the River Country, but he didn't have time. Walking for an hour, giving his food a chance to digest, Isamu set off again at a run. By this time, he was in the desert plains of the Wind Country. This environment gave him a sense of home, which calmed his emotions a little, but not fully. Isamu found it no harder to run on the sand than he did the gravel, unlike shinobi who weren't used to Sunagakure no Sato's sandy climate. It was one of the skills he had gained in his lifetime. Speeding across the plains, sand whipping up behind him, Isamu was glad when he saw the gates of Sunagakure no Sato over the horizon. He was home...