Maybe the last sunset over the horizon (open)

[Chigokai Yuna]

Ziren looked at the horizon as the sun was setting. As the ex-AIT stood there, on top of one of the Heads, he couldn't help but feel a certain sadness that took hold of his heart and felt like something was squeezing it. Despite how Kenshin told everyone about what happened to Maki, during the Main Branch meeting, some words flew around and got wind to some of the other villagers. He could see that everyone walking around down below are all tense.

He wore something a bit different today. He believes that anything and everything matters. Even how one is dressed for battle. Casual clothing won't do when fighting against whoever the hell these people are. Today, Ziren wore a red kimono with black stripes on it. The belt to keep the kimono in place was a deep dark red. He also wore some slightly baggy black jeans so that he could move at speeds that he is used to without tripping over his own self. Attached to his hips were his double throwing scythes, and in a hidden pocket was a scroll that held another of his weapons. He may not look intimidating, considering how only the throwing scythes are visible, but he has other, more sinister weapons at his disposal for when the time comes. His metal arm glistened in the sunlight, his permanent bloodified eyes scanned the area, looking to see if these enemies will plan a preemptive strike.

He has a feeling that enjoying a nice view like this will soon come to an end. His mind flash backed to many times of him coming here to relax, to meet other people, to talk about life problems and such. Ziren closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Soon, the conflict will rise. And soon, the resolution will be seen.

But until that time comes, Ziren will need to be ready for anything. It might help to understand what the other branches are doing, to coordinate together. He leaned back on the stone surface as he just kept thinking about all of this. He closed his eyes and concentrated.

 

[Myakashi Migoya]

The view from the Hokage monument was always breathtaking, especially during the sunset as it brought the golden shine of the buildings and the vivid greens of the forests beyond together. Migoya had often sat there, pondering things, perched on the stone heads of the so-called leaders of the village. He wondered if they were built out of respect, or to remind the citizens below that they were always going to be looked down upon.

But he was not here for sightseeing, nor nostalgia. No - it was a time for preparation for war and 'Sparkles' had lumped him with a Genin... one 'Ziren'. Naturally his family had found out basic information about him, and Migoya had watched him for a while from the shadows. One thing was clear - this was no ordinary Genin.

"The calm before the storm is often the most... anxious don't you find. Id rather get things started than wait for them to happen to me."

The voice seemed to come from no-where, before a black-robed figure seemed to emerge from one of the nearby Hokage's heads.

"Though, right now it seems like we have intentionally been put into the dark, dont you agree?"

The figure turned to face the kimono-clad shinobi, deep red eyes meeting bloodstained ones as the albino smirked.

"Forgive my manners Ziren-san. I am Migoya of clan Myakashi. Kenshin in his wisdom has placed us together to battle the incoming horde. I believe that it is important that we... discuss tactics and the like." . Migoya's voice clearly showed a measure of distain, especially at the mention of the Sennin. "That is, if I havent caught you at a difficult time?"

 

[Chigokai Yuna]

Ziren had become aware that someone was nearby, a blood flow that sounded familiar to him, only because he thought it might be helpful to know it. But he couldn't fit a face to it, that is, until the owner of the blood flow spoke, and came out of one of the heads. Ziren opened his eyes to focus on the guy that was nearby.

"Patience is key, especially if you don't know the enemy inside and out." Then the man said that they were put into the dark. He nodded, as he tried to remember where he saw this guy from. And that's when he remembered, this was the guy that stormed off after the main branch meeting. "I agree with you there. It is unsettling to not know who was it that managed to maime one of our Sennin."

He then introduced himself as Migoya. And explained that they both were in the same squad, so they should talk plans. But Ziren wasn't stupid to hear the kind of tone he had.

"Right now, it doesn't matter who you hate and who you like. Right now, what matters, is to keep our Village safe from those who want to take it all away." Then the man said, that they could plan, if Ziren was able to. "Yes. That could suffice. You just caught me reflecting here. Remembering the past and all."

He then let out a sigh. The other guy that was supposed to be with them, he hasn't seen much around, more or less must have been hiding about. But that would have to wait, even if the guy was their leader, he would just hope that this San guy would show up too so that they could all come up with a plan that all could agree on.

"So in order for us to learn how to fight as teammates, we will need to learn how each of us fights as an individual first. Tell me, what do you excel in?" A small part in his mind twinged. A memory. One of which him, Soku, and Izumi were on an ANBU team. But now, they are still part of the organization, whereas he is not. In a small moment, his fists clenched, before relaxing. Ziren shook his head. Focus! This is no time to feel sorry for yourself. You are stronger than this.

He looked at Migoya as he waited for the man to answer.

 

[Myakashi Migoya]

Migoya turned his head to look once more on the village, hiding his facial features.

They were typical responses from one who had not seen much actual conflict in his life. One did not hold back and be patient when you didn’t know your enemy, rather you provided opportunities for them to display their abilities… then you were patient with that knowledge, waiting for the time to strike. To just sit back and do nothing courted danger, as a lack of information could be disastrous.

Migoya noted the subtle rubuke about displaying his emotions about Kenshin - clearly this person did not know who he was addressing, nor did he care, but his point was telling. Good. He knows to remain focused. Perhaps there are some shinobi of worth in this village. The safety of the village - that is why I am here. Nothing more, nothing less.

“Perhaps it is in the past that we will find our answers. Perhaps we can find some information about the structure of the Park - effective ambush spots, choke points and the like.”

Ziren then suggested they talk about their respective expertise, something Migoya usually detested doing, as knowledge was power. But given that both of them obviously disliked having to work together as Kenshin clearly didn't know anything about their abilities, perhaps it was time to show that thug how things should be done.

“I agree.” Migoya said simply as he raised a robed hand, his white palms raised upwards as several small white butterflies flitted from his palm towards Ziren.

“I specialize in ninjutsu - mostly to control the battlefield and lay waste to large amounts of enemies. My bloodline permits me to excel in this… arena. So, Id prefer to stay out of melee combat and attack and control from afar.”

He clenched his fist, each butterfly exploding in different colours, close enough to give Ziren a measure of warmth, but enough to show that if the butterflies had landed, it would have hurt. A lot.

Migoya turned his head to look once again at Ziren, clearly interested in his abilities.

“Yourself?”

MFT
WC: 351

 

[Chigokai Yuna]

"The past..." Ziren had said. "Whose past are we looking into? Mine? Yours? The Leaf's? The unknown enemy?" Ziren thought about how his past made him into the person he is today. A lot of it was bad, and he can only remember a few good memories, but a lot more bad ones.

Then, the man agreed with Ziren about talking about what they can bring to battle. He listened and didn't even flinching as the butterflies blew up so close to him. A ranged ninjustu user, with a bit of explosives.

And now it was his turn, Ziren let blood come out of his right hand, forming into a little rose. The blood hardened, and Ziren remembered about Hana. He had given one to her, said that that rose was connected to his life, and if the rose turned back into a puddle of blood, that would mean that he...

The blood turned back into liquid and seeped back into his skin."I am a ninjustu, taijustsu user. I also have an uncanny power to level the playing field if they come in by the hordes, both of wiping them out and making our numbers rise. I can take a hit if needed, and if not, let's just say I got some healing techniques to make me a problem for our enemies to face. I prefer to get in close, but I've also come ready with knowing that I may have to do ranged if I am forced to. I also can make them bleed a whole lot. Unless if it is a human puppet, kind of hate those kind of people. Can't sense them since they have no blood and all."

He stopped, and waited to see how the guy would react to all the information that he had thrown at him.

 

[Myakashi Migoya]

"I believe the answers lie in the Histories of Konoha..., " Migoya said cryptically. "We have an enemy that has a perceived slight against us. Do we deserve it? I tend to believe this is a ploy by another power - a way of weakening us... but enough about my grand conspiracy theories".

Migoya sat down on the Hokage's head - he didn't know which one it was, but he had probably met him at some stage. Sexist bunch - when would a woman hold the reins.

Drawing back his hood, Migoya let Ziren see his shock of white hair - clearly this young man was albino. A strange sad smile graced his features as his piercing eyes seemed to read the blue-haired man, taking in the finer details of his form, one of the benefits of his own bloodline. He seemed more relaxed now, as if piecing together some sort of puzzle in his head, and coming to a conclusion.

"Hmm.... That explains the fact that you are drawing energy from me... And that blood rose - a member of the Chikogai bloodline if I am not mistaken - I know a few members well. A very powerful clan. And you also seem to be versed in dark jutsu - do not fret, I strongly believe we need to draw power from wherever we can if we are to overcome our opponents. It however does pose a problem - I am able to resist your 'drain' somewhat by concentrating, but during battle this may cause an issue. Are you able to, well, turn it off and on at will?"

Migoya's knowledge of 'dark sages' was rudimentary at best, based on the knowledge contained in the Myakashi library. Somehow he felt that in another life, he would have walked down this path. He also wondered if Ziren had picked up the fact that he had five hearts pumping away, increasing the temperature of his body, depiste the lack of internal organs.

"Ill be honest - Im worried that my style of ninjutsu will trip you up - that I might unintentionally hit some of your minions. Perhaps a separate plan of attack - you acting as bulwark due to your high resistance and ability to summon, and myself, well, blowing things up", he said with a smile. "In any event, lets get a better view of the village layout shall we?"

A small motion with his left produced a small looking white bird which rapidly expanded. Once it reached a suitable size, Migoya walked casually on it, willing it to fly next to Ziren. "Hop aboard - I find a bird's eye view more helpful". A pale hand, a visible scar across the palm of it, was freely offered to help Ziren aboard.

"I also hear that you guys are good with seals. I wonder how I could convince you to make one for me... perhaps I could help you with that arm of yours...", Migoya said casually, almost in a friendly tone, a very different personality from what he had demonstrated before. After all, if these two were going to fight together, might as well be friendly.

 

[Chigokai Yuna]

Ziren nodded to what Migoya had said. He's been to the public library enough to see that there were times of which were not recorded. This could very well much be an enemy from the past that has finally decided to show themselves. But why now of all the times?

Upon getting a better look of the man that was on the other head, as he took his hood off, Ziren could finally see the white hair underneath. But he was not surprised at all, not even when he realized that the man before him had five hearts. In his time, he has seen a lot of things, in which people think that he doesn't, since he has been inside these walls for a while.

"Probably. I wasn't born here so I don't know all of the details that took place before my arrival." Ziren said.

Then Migoya had took note of what Ziren had said, about being a Chigokai, and a dark sage. He let out a sigh, "I'm far more different than my brethren. I've talked to quite a few of them. And sadly, I had to kill one. My brother. As for my aura of death, I've looked into it, in a book that I confiscated a while back. I could, in theory, use a justsu that could make it to where it only effects the enemies. But it is a very advanced justsu. Have been trying to master it, with no results."

Then the man said that he might accidentally hit Ziren's summons, along with coming up with a new strategy. With that said, the man before him made a bird and it grew in size, in which, Migoya hopped on and gestured for Ziren to come on too. He grabbed the man's hand and climbed on to the bird creature thing. "For worrying about hurting my summons, don't worry about it. They are moreso a diversion, or even better, an annoyance to the enemy that could buy us valuable time if needed. Now me and you have to realize something. Even though we are stationed at Kitsune Park, we have to be ready for anything. Whether our squad be relocated somewhere else, or we are forced to retreat. We need to take everything in as a possible scenario that could either be in our favor, or against us."

As they were up there, flying, Migoya had asked Ziren a request. He was asking to get a seal. He let out a small sigh, thinking this through. "I do not seek anything in return for this request. But before I do this, I need to ask you this. Who did you kill and why?" Depending on how the man answered Ziren's question was how he will respond to the situation. Not a lot of people can live without their hearts. "And also, I need you to understand one thing. Though my soul may be tainted with darkness of being a dark sage, my heart is also pure. Or as good as it can get, at least. If I were to give you a Seal, I need to know that you won't succumb to the corruption and think that power is all that you need. Promise me that, and how you answer my question, and I'll see about giving you a Seal."

 

[Myakashi Migoya]

“All I can say is I have been here for a very long time, and the only group I have met who have the resources and hatred of our village to pull something like that off is the Samurai… and the Daimyo. If that’s the case, I'm sure more specialised individuals will find that out - we just need to worry about guard duty.”

This time his annoyance did not reach his voice. It was he who had suggested intelligence gathering months before, and was rebuked. It was he who had suggested that a small group find out more information about Frost, but again was rebuked. He wouldn't be surprised if someone else was given that job, and received all the glory for suggesting it. Typical.

The clay bird, shaped in what appeared to be an arrowhawk, flew gracefully in the currents of the wind above the village. Shinobi, obviously on guard since the declaration of an imminent attack, looked upwards at the pair riding the bird - an uncommon sight. Migoya would simply wave, his chuunin vest providing the guards with some relief that this was just another shinobi doing the rounds.

Below the pair, Konohagakure flourished, yet there was a genuine tension in the air as people seemed to be packing away valuables, stock and the like. The gates were on lockdown, and more patrols were walking the walls.

Migoya listened intently as Ziren spoke, his words finding an odd resonance and familiarity about them. So much in common these two.

“Understood. I will do my best to avoid it, but explosions tend to be rather chaotic,” he chuckled. “And this isn't my first war, despite my youthful appearance. I am more than happy to relocate us should the need arise - and in fact I am expecting it.” Undoubtedly the frost shinobi would push back the Genin at the gates, their own losses taking its toll, before a fresh faced Kenshin would appear to be the savior of Konoha. It was all very clique and expected.

“Note the choke points within the city however - should we need to relocate we can do far more effective work if we are placed here, here or here.” Migoya continued, pointing to clear areas where there was only one ‘causeway’ between areas. “But I feel Im preaching to someone who already knows this”.

However, Migoya’s request brought forward questions, and again the Myakashi was pleasantly surprised at the responsibility that this one understood he had. He was certainly one to watch for.

“Good questions. I suppose the first is linked to my acquisition of hearts - not something that I take for granted. I once worked in the palliative care unit of the hospital here, watching over friends and colleagues as they entered into their next adventure. Some knew of my… unwanted condition, and offered me a piece of themselves, so that we could be together forever, figuratively.” Migoya’s voice hinted at sadness. “So within me beats the hearts of Konoha’s greatest - some heroes, and some foes. The important part is this - I have never taken the heart of someone who was not a threat to this village.” His words were the truth - it was one thing Migoya was fiercely proud of.

“As for your second question… it is good you understand this, as it is clear that some in this village do not. Power for the sake of power is meaningless. There is always a bigger fish, something which our Academy Students and the Hokage alike must remember.”

He gave a small smile as he goaded the bird forward, his white hair flapping in the wind.

“I’m more of a knowledge gatherer, a student of the world. To me, knowledge is power as it grants perspective - my use of your seal would only be to ensure the protection of my knowledge, and that of my clan and the village. That I promise.”

A small wooden puppet would appear out of Migoya’s robe, and clamber onto his shoulder. Migoya turned, his bird creation still flying fast around the village, as he looked into Ziren’s bloodstained eyes.

“Like you I cover myself in darkness, not because it makes us evil, or hides evil acts and intents, but rather it hides that which has hurt us. By putting that pain away, it enables us to help others more easily - and to act more confidently in doing so”.

Migoya chuckled inwardly - clearly his meeting with the great spirit of the World’s tree had changed his perspective on things. He turned once again to face fowards.

“But dont tell anyone - wouldn’t want to wreck my reputation now.”

 

[Chigokai Yuna]

Ziren listened to what Migoya had to say. He spoke, as if he was wise. His words were careful, to say the least. He was calm, and sure of himself.

He studied the man trying to see if he was playing a game, as in which if someone asks for a seal, that they would want to do anything in order to get the Seal.

Ziren stayed quiet as to think this over, as the man was pointing out areas of interest, when it comes down to fighting. And then he spoke of the hearts. Of his friends and enemies alike. Friends, who have passed on, who let him have their hearts, and enemies of the Leaf, who posed a threat. He sighed as the man sounded sad, he knows exactly what it is like to lose people that he cared about.

When he talked about the Hokage, Ziren stayed quiet, there was history there. Not a lot of good. Phantom pains shot through the stump of his left arm, remembering of the pain. But he didn't show it. Right now, the most important thing is to focus on the task at hand. And make sure that Konoha lives through this soon to be tragedy of a war.

And then Migoya had compared Ziren and himself, as if they were one and the same, along with him not telling anyone about his secrets, about ruining his reputation.

A sigh escaped his lips. In his younger days, he probably would have started yelling, but he has grown. And knows that there's always much more than meets the eyes.

"Though you are right about me wanting to help others and have high confidence when it comes to having these dark powers. I don't hide away from my past. Of all the hurt that has been buried deep inside of me. I am an open book and will often tell people how it is. And as for your reputation and wanting the Seal, it can't go both ways. I won't say anything about you having a Seal. But if you choose to hide away things from people only because you don't want your reputation to be ruined, then you'll lose that trust you have from them. And what good is your reputation if everyone is dead? I'd rather be fighting alongside a man with five hearts, and a cursed seal and know it because he told me, than to not know, and suddenly they do some cursed seal stuff, making me wonder if I should trust them."

He then stopped. He knows that it was harsh. But if Migoya really wants this, he will need to choose. His reputation. Or all of the people inside of the Village. Ziren is also doing this for Migoya's own sake. If he suddenly shows up with a cursed seal without even talking about it, a lot if people will be scared. And in that fear, people don't think rationally. Many wars are won before the enemy even reaches whatever place they are going to attack. Because of the fear that makes people think irrationally.

"I will give you the Seal, if you choose to not hide it, to show people that you are not scared of who you are, and that you will still defend this Village even if they are scared of you. Actions. They speak louder than words to people. Show them that you are who you say you are. A Leaf shinobi who will defend this Village from the enemy."

 

[Myakashi Migoya]

Well, he had tried to be friendly and yet again his loyalty was questioned by individuals who were completely disrespectful to a veteran of so many wars. Certainly, he had kept a low profile over the past few years, but the astounding disrespect shown to someone who had sacrificed so much was… painful. Part of him wanted to turn around and teach this Genin exactly who he was, and why intelligent people feared him.

An open book. The Kenshin school of obviousness. Tell everyone everything about you, let them know how powerful you were and then expect them to respect you. Perhaps this Ziren character had potential, but he simply pushed aside anything of himself that was interesting. He killed his brother and it didn’t bother him? He claimed to be an open book, but rather than hiding his feelings with darkness, he simply switched off his emotions.

I thought I was cold…

Migoya chuckled at Ziren’s words, but there was no mirth in the sound.

“My comment about my reputation was a joke Ziren… a sense of humour is rather important during tense times.” He let a sigh escape his lungs as he lit a cigarette, obtained from a secret pocket in his robe. He drew in the flavour of the rare herbs, as he tried to suppress the rage that these new Konoha shinobi caused him. He sat on the side of the bird, his legs dangling over its side as he continued to smoke away.

“I grow weary of having to prove my loyalty to Konoha to boys who were not alive whilst I was fighting for the freedoms they take for granted. I have watched friends die for that freedom, fought Samurai to ensure it, and have stained my hands with blood - both my own and others - so you, and others in this village, can sit there and judge me”. His words had no hint of harshness to them, rather sadness and resignation that this village simply hated him - and he didn’t know why. Sure he was arrogant, but he literally was the best at certain things… it wasn’t his fault others couldn't handle that.

He drew in some more smoke, letting it out and watching it form into varied shapes.

“Keep your seal if you believe I would do the village ill with it - I simply asked because of the benefit it might bring us in the upcoming battle.”

Another cigarette came into Migoya’s hand, which he offered to Ziren. “It’s a type of rose-mint hybrid that I created. Not bad for your health - and it helps calm the nerves.”

His gaze continued to watch the sun set over the horizon, the elevated view showing the beauty of the village, one that he had fought for over 80 years. He took a long and deep breath inwards, the rose-mind flavour helping ease his annoyance.

“So, what are your thoughts Ziren-san? Any strategies you wish to provide?”

 

[Chigokai Yuna]

After Ziren had said what needed to be said, he watched the man as he brought out a cigarette and started talking. Even though his voice had no harshness, the words he chose to say made him think otherwise.

"You jump to conclusions too soon if you think that everyone here hates you. And I wasn't exactly judging you, I just need you to listen. As I've said before, people act irrationally when they are ruled by fear. The least you can do is not hide a cursed seal and tell them that you are here to help, rather than look bad, since those things are often considered to be bad, in the eyes of people who cannot think straight. I've lost my own reputation from people who thought highly of me when I was once demoted down to academy student. But I didn't let that stop me. I decided to make myself a better person, and best every obstacle that was thrown at me."

Then Migoya had offered him a cigarette. Ziren shook his head, "No thank you, I don't smoke."

And then he asked for what kind of strategies to have. He looked over the area. "The major points of where we could possibly be at, if things change, are the gates, the hospital, and the Hokage Mansion. That's if they give us new orders, those places will be the most likely places to be, so it'll be good to prepare some things there just in case. As for if we have to retreat out of Kitsune Park, we would need to most likely go into an alleyway, as a choke point, if anything I could summon another of my armies there to block off the enemy while we find a better suitable place for when the enemy tries to strike again."

 

[Myakashi Migoya]

He took another drag on his home-made cigarette, letting the blend once again soothe his nerves. He listened, he always did so, to Ziren's words - again things were misinterpreted by both sides. So Ziren worked towards regaining that which he had lost - position and reputation. It was an understandable goal, even though the approval of the Hokage and others were unimportant, given their bias. Migoya deftly placed the offered cigarette back into a pocket, taking no offence at Ziren's statements. Deep down Migoya wished things could be so simple as being honourable, working hard, and progressing due to that. That was someone elses life. His was one where deceit, manipulation and hiding were not just choices, but required in order to survive. One certainly did not thrive in the underworld with 'honour'.

Nodding slowly at Ziren's appraisal of the possible situation, Migoya's head furrowed in thought. He was correct - the three principals areas, other than where the civilians would be hiding, were those three positions. The Hokage would be a target, given the reason for the invasion, the gates were a choke point, and the hospital - well, one could cause the most devastation there, against innocent people. Demoralizing the enemy was an effective tactic and one that Migoya would do if the shoe was on the other foot.

He exhaled another breath of smoke, the smell pleasant on the cooling evening air.

"Agreed. We also have the benefit of knowing our terrain better than the invaders, and the opportunity to manipulate that terrain to our own advantage. You probably have a better relationship with Kenshin - perhaps you could ask him for permission to barricade certain routes throughout the city, laying traps and the like after we have evacuated the civilians. A funnel effect so to speak, so we have the advantage of small clustered groups to target. It would be unwise to sit back and let our enemy dictate how we fight - we should be making them pay for every step they take on our land."

He looked over the edge of the bird, focusing on key points in which earthen walls could be erected to hamper the Frost shinobi's advance, taking mental notes for future reference. He also noted what equipment, exposive notes, makibishi spikes, and other traps would be needed to be placed - something his clan would be specifically well suited to undertaking.

"Have you heard from our squad leader? I have not had any interaction with him..."

 

[Chigokai Yuna]

Ziren watched the man as he thought about things inside his own mind and finally out the other cigarette away. He was silent for a while, which let Ziren himself look out at everything below. It was a nice setting, along with the view. Only the second time he has flown over Konoha. The other time was when he was with his Santaru sister when she made a cloud for them to ride on. Ironically enough. Both of these times, of having a nice view like this, flying around in the air, were during grave times.

Finally, Migoya broke the silence as he came up with a possible strategy for to combat the enemy. It was a good idea, but then another thought came to mind.

"It is a good idea, but what of one of our own gets caught up in one of these traps? As you say, we could funnel the enemy down to a certain point, but it would be hard to keep track of all the traps we could put in place. Not exactly shooting down your idea, just seeing if we could find a way to combat that situation if it were to happen. As you can tell, I look for any possible scenario of how things can play out. But since a plan that could prove useful, I will see what I can do of talking to Kenshin about this."

Then Migoya had brought up one thing that still bugged Ziren in the back of his mind.

"No I haven't. Not since the Main Branch meeting." This is what troubled Ziren the most. It was the two of them making the plans, and whatnot. As for their leader, they know nothing about him, save for his name. They don't know what he can bring to the field, and how to incorporate what they have into what he has. And they don't know if he has plans himself of how to go about doing things.

 

[Myakashi Migoya]

Migoya, his gaze still lingering on the village below, nodded as Ziren explained the problems with his suggestion - naturally he had taken that into account, but did not think he had to explain it clearer.

"That is why Kenshin needs to organise it. If our shinobi are aware of the threat they can avoid it - and if it looks like they are falling back in areas without traps, the enemy is more like to want to follow... like a fish following the worm. Thank you for speaking with him - some of our leadership tend to believe that because my methods of protecting this village do not agree with their own that they are worthless." But enough about that.

Talk turned to their missing squad leader.

"Puzzling, and worrying. In any event, the magnitude of this task should be coordinated by upper leadership, and with you having Kenshin's ear we will not have need of a squad leader."

Migoya started to stand up on the bird, looking around the village once more as if making up his mind about how things should progress. The bird, having been given a silent command, started to lower itself to the ground.

"There is much to be done. I will aid some civilians in transporting themselves and their goods to the bunkers, and once official word has come down start to prepare defences. Until that time Ziren-san, should you need my assistance I will be... around."

He had obtained enough information from his squad mate to organise some sort of defence, yet once again knew he was being dismissed as a burden rather than an asset. It was the meaning of his life.

The bird landed and Migoya got off. "It will take you back to the monument if you so wish, otherwise you can get off here. Take care, and I will see you shortly."

Migoya offered a polite bow, before turning and disappearing into the crowded street.

[Topic Left - thanks Ziren!]

 

[Chigokai Yuna]

Ziren listened as the man spoke. He had a strong mentality, and thought that he was alone at times. He sighed, unfortunately, that was how he had felt when he finally lost his cool when talking to the Hokage. He doesn't know if he can ever forgive the man for what he has done to him, and the words exchanged. But Ziren does know one thing. The Leaf needs all of it's shinobi. And it will be stupid to fight amongst themselves while the real enemy is out there beyond the walls.

When the man said that they won't need a squad leader if they have Kenshin, he sighed. "All shinobi are equally important. You may never know, our squad leader might be busy with other issues, and when he does come, it might help turn the tide when things look grim."

They had landed with ease and Ziren got off and turned to Migoya. He could tell that the man had a lot on his mind. "Darkness. You say that we hide in it so to help others. But also remember that there is light at the end of the tunnel. Have faith."

Then the man offered up his bird for another ride. This time, it will be Ziren, going back to the monument. He nodded. "You take care also."

With that said, he jumped in the bird and flown to the Hokage Rock. As he jumped off, the bird kept flying, away, probably to where Migoya was.

Ziren stayed there, looking as the last bit of sun disappeared over the horizon and night fell on the Village.

(Topic left- and you're welcome)