Hoping for a safe haven (requesting entrance)

[Chigokai Yuna]

Uchiha Hana and her clone held both baby Yuna and Moji in their arms. They were both tired and exhausted. She knew her clone was just about done, so she took Moji in her arms, cradling the two babies gingerly in her arms.

Just as she took her son, the clone poofed into nothingness. She was scared. Not for her own life, but for her children's lives. For her husband's. Ziren. Please be safe. She thought to herself.

She had them wrapped in nice warm clothing, but she herself was cold. "Please, please let me in " she said to herself, her red hair blowing in her face.

Hana, herself wore a winter coat and blue jeans. But it was nonetheless cold for her, as this is a different climate change for her.

She made it to what looks like the entrance to Cloud. She figured that there has to be some sort of same system as in Leaf. So she waited at the entrance, shivering and holding her two babies close to her chest.

"May I please come in?" She half shouted, not knowing if her voice could work in the cold like this.

(Requesting entrance)
(Topic entered as npc Uchiha Hana)

 

[Omoi Tetsu]

There was, generally speaking, no greater corroding force than time to wear away at a person's honour. They could be fully invested in a cause, wanting even to devote their life to it, but staring at cliff faces every day just to mark the passage from day to night inevitably pummeled against a person's integrity. They would begin marching to their post with a steely resolve and a back straight as an arrow, but as the days and months went on, it was easy to convince yourself that it was possible, even if it wasn't maybe likely, that the world had simply forgotten about you. That you had, perhaps, upset someone important unknowingly, and the consequence of that was to be thrown away at the end of the Earth, suffering in your ignorance, for nothing. And then that would be your life from then on.

This was the mood that Tetsu sensed every time he visited the Dragon Tooth Pass. It reminded him that there were reasons to be thankful for the freedom that homelessness and intermittent unemployment provided, and that one of those reasons was also that this was the only place (so far) that he was ever able to peddle his moderately disgusting (and improving every batch) brand of alcoholic apple cider. The Anbu here seemed to revel in offering the drink up as the prize to the losers of the various little contests they could come up with with what little resources and will to do anything but freeze to death they had. The boy was waiting around for third shift, he was still trying to make some sense of the schedule the Corps seemed to have, wondering for a moment whether they might make it intentionally difficult to track. Nonetheless, he would hope against hope to see one or two familiar faces he could push his swill on.

Instead, what he heard was a voice faintly pushing in from the howling winds, asking to be granted in. The boy hobbled out, remarkably sober considering the hour, a gust of snow and wind lightly cloaking him as he emerged toward the woman. He stopped short, noticing the two mounds of what appeared to be small, bean-like humans wrapped up against her chest, and decided he should address her from the inside of the village instead. "No babies allowed. Please leave." If they weren't going to be paying taxes, they shouldn't be allowed in, right? Alright, he might have been just a tiny bit tipsy.

 

[Chigokai Yuna]

Hana had hoped for at least some sort of reassurance here. But the boy was rude, to say the least, telling her that her own babies are not allowed here. She wanted to break down and cry. She was strong, but her husband, Ziren, was stronger, he did everything that she couldn't. He isn't here right now, but she is. And she needs to look after her baby twins.

Little Yuna started making small noises, Hana tried to calm her daughter down. She had to work with what she has now.

"Please. I come from Leaf. I seek refuge here to keep my babies safe from a war that is happening over there. Not only are they facing an unknown enemy on the outside, but there has been civil unrest there for quite a while. My husband... He is still over there, he wanted me and mine and his children come here, where it is more safe here."

She paused for a second, then said, "A while back, my husband was invited to come over here. By a person named Yomi."

 

[Seijin]

Musashi was definitely probably, maybe, kinda sorta, juuuuuuust . . . perhaps on Gate Duty for the day. Though, to be fair he could have equally been on probation. It wasn't as if a higher up had personally spoken to him but all the same he was just as likely to not be the sort of guy with the sort of problems that would trigger an immediate reaction from the ANBU Sennin and ANBU Captains about the last gate thingie majig that had happened. Being that nobody stopped him when he clocked in for duty, and that he'd managed to be this long into the work day, when somebody showed up at the gates, he put his mask on and appeared just a few yards in front of them in a cloud of smoke that quickly dissipated.

Unfortunately there was somebody else at the gates that just beat him to it. Fortunately for the woman, he cries fell on ears that actually cared, that actually had skin in the game. Normally Musashi wouldn't have said anything, normally he would have written words instead of spoke them, but this . . . this was important and he couldn't allow this to pass. "Konohagakure are our allies at the moment. What is this war that you speak of? Last I heard, the Civil War within the Fire Country was ended and peace was established. What you speak of now . . . is quite troubling." Hopefully the odd drunk would bugger off. Musashi had serious business to contemplate if what this woman was speaking of, actually was the case. If Takeshi had screwed even this golden pooch that had been handed to him, then Musashi would have to make some very serious decisions.

 

[Chigokai Yuna]

Hana looked at a newcomer making their way towards her. She hopes that this person, at least cares more than the first gate guard.

He then talked about how Kumogakure is allies with Konoha, and that if there is a war, then it unsettles him. He asked her what is actually happening.

"Frost." Hana said. "They call themselves Frost. They have declared themselves enemies of the Leaf. Along with the imminent threat just outside the Gates, there has been civil unrest. Part of it, I believe is from the dangers on the outside, ready to attack any Leaf citizen that walks out of the Gates. But also, there has been a question in leadership, mainly from the academy students. One even tried to go missing and flee the Village only to be killed."

The Kumogakure climate was unknown to her, and she herself was cold. "Please, can we talk somewhere inside? Where it's warmer?" Hana kept her two babies close to her chest, they were starting to wake up, not liking the cold one bit.

 

[Seijin]

Musashi was inclined to allow her in, really he was. A mother with her children out in the cold, that was dangerous, but for all of what she said, it could be a ruse. Frost was a non factor in Konoha affairs easily up until he'd left all of . . . three or so years ago, now? To hear that a relatively non playable character in terms of world affairs was now threatening Konoha . . . that was something that was hard to believe. Even worse, that apparently Academy Students were being slaughtered at the gates? Was there no other way? A kid was a kid was a kid, and if they couldn't be trusted to make it to the rank of Genin, then surely they weren't exactly mature enough to only warrant execution. That was beyond bad form, that was practically a crime against humanity itself. Nevertheless, despite what his gut was telling him, that the woman would be quite cold in the frigid temperatures of the mountains, Musashi just had to know a few more things.

Holding his hand up, he stopped her from approaching any further. "Ma'am . . . I really want to believe you but I find it hard to believe that Konoha would have an ounce of an issue with wiping the Frost forces off of the map and then some. If they're struggling then it's not our job to handle their light weight unless they're welcoming to the idea of annexation, something that I'm nigh sure that they don't want repeated as in the past. That aside, who is the leadership being questioned and what exactly did they do to deserve being questioned? Heck, who's your husband that he should expect you to so easily namedrop the Sandaime Hokage's name and expect clear and easy passage? You'll have to forgive me but what you're saying borders on the thin line between treason and words inciting to a complete demolishing of a very prosperous alliance. I'll need identification papers and your quick and concise reply. Put simply, it's my job to stop the drama at the door and you've just dumped an entire goody bag of tea at my feet." Hopefully she was lying, or if anything, hopefully she was deranged from the lack of oxygen. Musashi wanted to give her a bit of warmth but whether physically by way of chakra or emotionally by way of understanding, it was better to prevent an explosion if at all possible.

 

[Chigokai Yuna]

Hana couldn't believe what she was hearing. At first, the man sounded genuine, but now he is basically accusing her and calling her a traitor of Leaf.

Tears were rolling down her face, but she had to be strong. For her babies. She took a deep breath, to calm herself down. "They had kidnapped and tortured one of our Sennin. They incapacitated him. He's still alive and now back in Leaf. I know that Sennin well enough to know he can dominate the field of battle easily. Whereas the leadership in question. The current Hokage. Uchiha Takeshi. He was the one that personally killed the academy student that tried to leave in front of the gates. It was at that moment, when a lot of people, mainly the academy students started to question Takeshi. And for who my husband is, he is Chigokai Ziren. He is a Medical Chief in Leaf. He also questions Takeshi. Mainly for all the wrongs the Hokage has done to him. He beat Ziren up, and made him cut his own arm off. I can kind of understand why he did that, with Ziren accidentally hurting someone the Hokage thinks of as family. But then he also involved me and one other uchiha girl to be punished for no reason. The sword that Takeshi made Ziren cut his own arm with? Was a sword that was in my side. He made Ziren pull the sword out, or Takeshi would take my eyes. He punished and demoted Ziren all for the reason of him arguing why Ziren isn't like Maru, a mercenary ninja now, who had been filled with dark thoughts and wanted to purposefully harm those in Leaf. His reasoning was all the things that he considered a 'crime' in his book. What were those crimes? He fought alongside Umashi, one of the previous Hokage against Maru, who was harassing a person from a different village. He chased Maru down when he kidnapped me in Tea. Not dealing with killing his own brother any sooner. Since his brother was a threat to the Village, though his own goals was to kill Ziren. Look, Ziren is good at heart, he's learned from past mistakes that were actual mistakes on his part.he went from being demoted to academy student to Medical Chief in months. Tsukasa Mikasa, Medical Sennin herself promoted him to that position. Whereas how Ziren knows Yomi. He thinks of her as a mother he never had. He has known her since she was Hokage. He met up with her a while back in Tea. She then invited him and a girl to come by Cloud sometime. And for passport..." Hana stopped. Ziren had went to the Medical Sennin to ask about passports for his family, but he came back empty handed.

"Ziren. He had asked for passports from Mikasa for me and my babies, but she only just said for him to escort us to the outer village zone of Fire Country. The gate guard at Leaf got word from her office and let us through. I'm not betraying the Leaf, as you accuse me of, Sir. My husband just doesn't want me and mine and his children to be casualties in the war with Frost. He specifically got permission from his Sennin, to see me and my children to be at least safe from the outer village zone of Fire Country. He was then ordered to go back. Though, I have a bad feeling. There's one other person, from his past that wanted him dead. I think whoever that person is, has made their move when he is on his way back to Leaf."

She paused. "Look, you're cautious, I get it. Some woman with two babies comes up to your Gates without a passport, and only thing you can go by is her word. Of the things she said, of a war brewing in Leaf sounds almost impossible. But please. I wouldn't have gone this far, risking my babies well being to come this far and spit lies at anyone to cause 'drama'. Have someone strong escort me around Cloud, if you really don't trust me. I just can't go back with the Frost just on the outside of the walls of Leaf. We were lucky enough to not be encountered by any of them when we first left the Village. And if that person, whoever escorts me and my babies around the village sees me as not a threat, then a vote can be made about it, if they see that I'm not a threat, to stay in the village."

Her tears were freezing from the cold. "Please. I'm not here to ruin an alliance. I got permission from the Medical Sennin to leave the village. I'm just here so that I know my babies are safe and sound."

 

[Seijin]

The old man is a waiting for to carry you to freedom,
Follow the drinking gourd . . .



Normally he wasn't allowed to cry, normally he wasn't allowed to show a sign of weakness. Normally people didn't curb-stomp a nicely wrapped gift. In order to be hurt, one had to allow themselves to be hurt, and behind the facade, behind the mask, behind the new reality that was granted by the Raikage, Musashi felt the ability , the choice, and the due regard for natural formalities forcefully taken from him. He wasn't allowed to feel. This . . . Ziren's wife? His children? His life? This wasn't right, of all the things that Takeshi could allow, this shouldn't have been one of them. All that Musashi had wanted was to retire in peace and here . . . right now . . . this was nauseating to even hear. Vomit threatened to come to the fore but he bit his tongue in order to keep from showing a weakness. This was disgusting, and if her words were true, Takeshi was the worst sort of human and like a rabid dog, he needed to be put down.

This was not what he had been instructed to do, this was not the new way of Konoha. For all of his flaws, even Kami didn't kill children. There was simply no excuse for this, no way to justify the taboo joy of such a treatment of a child. A headache was brewing, he couldn't stand to be here anymore, like this. Yomi would need to speak up for what she knew as well. Somebody would answer for this, somebody would have to answer for this. Was it a mistake to leave the village in the hands of an Uchiha? All Takeshi had to do was stick to the plan, show up to a bunch of graduations, protect the gates, generally be a decent human being and go home every night to Yuki. Was that so hard? Was she not enough to sate his lust, his perversions? This was worse than the crimes of Kami and completely on par with those of the Daimyo!

Putting his hand down in defeat, he snapped his fingers and summoned Gin and Kin, his Tsukumogami. Appearing with warm blankets and at the side of the woman, they ushered her forward towards the gates. Attempting to dry her eyes and to calm her and the children, they worked in tandem to carry out the will of Musashi. Speaking to her, the ANBU operative shook his head and put on a more calming tone. "Please, follow me. Your faith has not been misplaced." Turning to lead her directly to the Raikage, Musashi's mind was a chaotic mess of jumbled thoughts. Was this all his fault? Should he have just stayed? Could they reverse this? Would Takeshi see reason? Or . . . was he too far gone and drunk with the power of life and death over the masses.

Musashi didn't want to repeat the fiasco with Kami, he'd tried to avoid it. There was one person though, one person who refused to give the filthy Uchiha a second chance and Musashi should have listened to him all those many years ago. This was the price to pay for not listening to the man whom he considered a brother. Before he'd been able to save face, to project a show of peace. However today, in this moment, this hour, tens of ANBU had heard this womans words. They'd in turn go on to tell their friends and their families and the hushed whispers of the Land of Fire would set a blaze in the hearts and minds of those in Kumogakure who never wanted the alliance in the first place. The words never said were often the loudest, and a tune whistled in the wind could carry on forever. A caged bird had escaped due North to freedom. History would be remiss if the truth could any longer be contained.

Yuuto was right.

OOC: Hana allowed into the village and taken directly to Ayumu.
OOC #2: Topic left unless stopped.

 

[Chigokai Yuna]

Even though the man was wearing a mask, there was a silence, kind of like an awkward silence, but also unsettling, to say the least. Finally the man summoned, something, and those things had warm blankets, in which were wrapped around her.

When the man spoke, it was nice, calming, as if he didn't accuse her of treason and disrupting peace between two nations just a minute ago. She didn't know what to think of the man, but she decided to put her trust in him for the time being, as he took her, with him to a building.

She just wondered if what she said, was the right thing to do. There were still people in Leaf she thought of as friends. And Ziren... She doesn't know why, but she has a feeling that he didn't make it back to Leaf. But for right now, at least her babies are safe and sound now.

She allowed herself to be directed where he was directing her.

(Entering village and going to Ayumu with Umashi (masked man she doesn't know))
(Topic left)

 

[Omoi Tetsu]

Of course, it went without saying that all of this was pretty lame. Tetsu wondered if putting on an Anbu mask automatically made people straighten out their backs and start speaking in a lower and more serious register. Of course one of these Anbus with a stick wedged a little too far up was going to come along and ruin his fun. Well hey, at least he got to learn a little more about international politics. He'd tuck that away in his mental filing cabinet labeled "shit that would probably never be useful." Well hey, a small price to pay; it seemed like putting yourself in a position to be privy to sensitive information really only required being in the right place at the right time and acting out in a way where no one took you seriously. It wasn't as if he didn't know that already, but it was always nice to get one more data point to reinforce your theory. He hobbled away, the retroactively unnoticed third party to the exchange.

[Topic Left]