Overture [Requesting Entrance]

[Sanageyama Masaoko]

An endless sea of amber color flowers like scattered gems in a mine was the first restful sight of her side of the country that reminded her she was home. The plains of Asphodelus took her wistfully back to younger days. The bountiful far reaching trees at the base of mountain pass were next, filtering sun speckles through their vibrant green leaves. Under one of these trees she kissed Hoshikata and forever changed her world. But it was the challenging mountain pass that kept her attention by far. She strained up the rocky paths, trodden out by the feet of many travelers in times past. She hadn't stopped since Port Cirrus, running ahead of Bikou even. The Jounin promised to send in their report firsthand upon her return and this was were she parted ways with Hoshikata for a little longer. She was less sadden about it then when his sentence was first proclaimed. He would live out his banishment while she continued on to flourish in her village.

She was a creature of ambition, like most Shima before her, and there was never a time to weep over the dead or curse at her misfortunes. Haruka exchanged much to be as powerful and as steady as she was now. She would not forget the faces or words of those who left her alone. It was an insult to their memory any other way. Besides, memories are nice but that's all they are. It was an old adage of her clan. They tried not to get sentimental over the past, but noted the importance of tradition and honoring what was given in order to build their success. She was a true Shima in her heart, no matter how far she ran from it.

And there it was, the impending gates that encircled her village. Her stony gaze set onward, betraying the true feeling of exhilaration that trembled in her heart. She stood at attention under the shadow of the wall, adorned in her usual combat outfit that she claimed from her ANBU underlings in Roenesia. “Shima Haruka, Spymaster of Kumogakure, requesting entrance.” She commanded to any one of the shinobi that lurked atop the wall, already pulling her passport out to present to whoever attended to her.

[Topic Entered]
[Requesting Entrance]

 

[Morishige]

Post Music

Ai may or may not have been assigned to gate duty that day. He may or may not have volunteered for this duty so he could keep watch of the fearless leader of the Shima shinobi.

With every passing traveler, his hopes would rise and then be crushed once more as they were not whom he sought. "When will she arrive?" he would ask. Once again, a false hope passed by... he looked to his feet before noticing another approach.

A wide, toothy smile stretched across Ai's face as he saw who was approaching. He made sure to wave off any others who looked to be ready to intercept her. He would handle this one... with style.

With a whirlwind, Ai disappeared from his position on the wall, arriving down on the ground before her in a small cloud of smoke. The look he gave her could only say one thing: "I'm fabulous~"

But there was a sudden shift of demeanor, and Ai was throwing himself towards Haruka. "Haruka-chan!! You've been gone too long! We all missed you so much!" he professed loudly so that all could hear.

It was probable that his attempted hug was going to be sidestepped, so he prepared for it. No one in the Shima was big on hugs. Nevertheless, he would try for them as often as possible!

In any case, Ai was ready to catch his fall and stand straight up, then bow respectively as he reached outward for her passport. "Please allow me to handle your processing; I will be faster than those of the Seikon clans!"​

 

[Sanageyama Masaoko]

Wispy tendril of white mist billowed in the air before her as a shinobi appeared with flamboyant flourish. She wasn't alarmed, it was his ridiculous smile that made her take a step back. The next moment she was reflexively stepping her way out of his grasp as he flung himself onto her. “Did you just-?” She stopped herself short, grunting as she ground her teeth. Nothing pisses Haruka off more than imbeciles who couldn't show proper respect. Loud idiots were even worse. She had seen such an incompetent fool since Natsu fell through her roof.

She smiled coldly while his back was still turned, satisfied with seeing his attempt to catch her within his arms in vain. With a small cough, her smile retracted back into a heavy, stern stare. She handed him the passport, eyeing the gates distractedly. As he was distracted himself with checking her identity, Haruka properly studied the youth. Alarmingly energetic, but no less handsome than a slim crop of shinobi in the village. Something about his face bugged her. His pale gray, almost lavender hued if the light hit it correctly, hair was abnormal but it reminded her of her uncle and even her grandmother in her youth. She knew his face, from his jovial brilliant blue eyes and the peculiar but familiar beauty mark they shared under their eye.

Of course, Haruka failed to recognize him so quickly because the Shima girl had always lived in her own world as a child, but then it all came rushing back to her. She rarely spent time with her Shima relatives. Even when she was child, she spent less time with the boys in her family. The girls were always grouped together, if not off on their own with their tutors. And what little time was spent with the entire family, Haruka rarely strayed far from her mother's side, save for Setsuna when she still lived in the Estate. But it was hard to forget Shima Ai, son of Shima Aizen, her father's younger brother who ran the Daimyo court in the capital. Her father hated Aizen for having a son when he did not. He was the only of his siblings to have a son, which gave him and her mother much more pressure to have one. After all, a woman was incapable of ruling the Shima...

Still, Shima Ai was a precious prince of her clan and she never forgot how her mother and aunts all fawned over him as a baby. Disgusting. “Ai-Sama, forgive me, I did not realize who you were.” She spoke callously, not actually sorry. Haruka refused to relinquish a bow towards the boy, who in the grand scheme of things was much higher in rank among her clan than she. “I didn't even realize you were a shinobi...”

How very unlike a Shima you are.

 

[Shinomiya Masaru]

When word had been received that Haruka was to return to Kumogakure the boy was sure that no other could match his feelings of excitement and anticipation. It had been a long time since he had last seen his cousin, and without contact there was always a nagging fear at the back of his mind that something could have happened to her while away. He would always fight the thought away with the knowledge that she was Spymaster, and that with her skills she would not fall easily, but there was always worry. However, now that she was back the thoughts of unease were cleared away, and now Masaru made his way to the gates of the village to welcome her back.

He had made sure not to wear his cloak this day, as he wanted her to see the headband that he had worked hard to receive for her. Despite the overwhelming emotion that he felt, Masaru's token stoic expression gave nothing away but the speed with which he rushed to the gates was more than enough for those who knew him to know that something was different about today.

With the gates in sight Masaru upped his pace, eyes going from one person to the next trying to pick out his cousin. That's when he saw her. She looked just as intimidating as the day they first met, and he made to raise his arm in a wave when he saw the familiar sight of silver hair beside her. He faltered in step and lowered his arm, breathing slowly returning to normal as he slowed from a run to a jog, then from a jog to walk. Masaru hadn't had the official pleasure of meeting the guy who was now attempting to rush at his cousin, causing Masaru's eyes to narrow, however he was very aware of who this person one. They shared the same living space, though ruefully on Masaru's part, and anyone who was acquainted with the Shima knew of current heir.

Fighting the urge to grip his cross, Masaru walked up to the pair, giving each a low and respectful bow. “Shima-sama,” he greeted the chuunin first, though lower ranking than Haruka in regards to the military he was well above her when it came to the Clan. He turned his gaze to the reason for his being there and bowed once more, “I am glad to see you have returned safely, Shima-sama.”

[Topic Entered]

 

[Morishige]

He conversed shortly with the registrars at a table nearby about her return, making sure all the fancy doodads and seals were in place on the passport to make sure it was Kumogakure certified.

For a moment, he turned to look at her once more, only to realize she was admiring him. He turned away swiftly, a flash of red across his cheeks.

His whole family doted upon him. Anything he wanted was given to him. But there was one thing that Ai never ever received, no matter what he did. The one person he looked up to as a shinobi never once acknowledged him. Now she was watching him... He felt warm for some reason.

Once the passport was handed back to him, he quickly shifted and made his way back to her, looking down at the ground to avoid her gaze if it was still on him.

He stopped walking and held the passport out with two hands, his eyes venturing down his arms and up over her body to look once more at her face. It always seemed so ... cold. Then she spoke.

He cared not that she showed him the respect that he deserved; he didn't quite care for his position as heir to the family.

"She didn't..." he thought, repeating the words over and over in his head slowly. No, he wouldn't let it get to him. He sucked it up and restrained from showing his true feelings like a boss. He need to be tough.

"It's okay, I'm sure you have been busy with your work as Spymaster, Haruka-chan. You are cleared for entry, I guess." he said with a rather solemn tone to his voice.

It was then that Masaru had come forward to greet them both. It seemed he was there to welcome Haruka as well.

Ai returned the bow with a smile on his face, this one a bit forced; not because he didn't like Masaru but because his mind was still on Haruka.

In fact, he had always felt sorry for Masaru. His immediate family had put him in a very horrid situation which he had no control over. Now most of the people, if not all, at the Shima estate looked on him with scorn. Ai just wanted to be his friend. Maybe this was his chance to start that friendship.

​

[Entrance Granted as of this post]
[pTopic Left]

 

[Sanageyama Masaoko]

A rather cruel smile plastered Haruka's face as she noted the sorrowful tones in the dear prince's voice. “Thank you, Ai-Sama.” She said carefully, taking her passport back. She ignored his gaze, placing the small booklet back into the pocket it had come from. A young Shima with such an important part to their family wasn't normally encouraged to join the military branches of Kumogakure. Nor was he suppose to leave his station back in the capital with his father. It seemed this generation of children were rebels. She hadn't met one yet that disputed that. Setsuna had been the first to start the revolution and Masaru was her living proof. Haruka and Ai were just another fallen Shima dream. Pity...

Haruka feigned her usual disinterest as Masaru approached the two. She nodded her head towards him in acknowledgement, pleased to see he used his manners in addressing both superiors respectfully. “I promised I would, didn't I?” She gave the boy a sidelong glance. Her aura was toppling, but Haruka contrarily was happy to see her young cousin. If fact, it was the only think she had looked forward to for this dragging year. “Speaking of promises, I hope you have done as I asked of you?” She began to scrutinize the young boy. Only a slight up turn of her lips flashed for a dying second as she saw his headband gleaming under the gloomy sun. She didn't let him answer that as she faced Ai once again.

“I'm pleased to see you serving our side of the military, Ai-Sama. If you'll excuse me, I have some business to take care of now. Come, Shinomiya-San.” Haruka commanded, swaggering off just as she had come in. She tossed her head back, peering over her shoulder briefly. “I do hope to see some great things from you, Ai-Sama. I will be watching.”

[Topic left w/ Masaru]
[Village Entered]<i></i>

 

[Shinomiya Masaru]

Masaru looked from Haruka to Ai, wondering how close of a relationship the two had. He didn't think it odd at all the reaction that Haruka had when the other Shima got up close and personal with her, after all he didn't see many Shima partake in general affection such as hugs; however, there was nothing he spotted that gave away how she really felt about the silver haired abnormal standing next to them. The two of them were closer in age than he could ever hope to be, and being first cousins meant they must have spent more than enough quality time together as children. Both of them are also shinobi, Masaru's gaze shifted to the gates before them, attempting to get his mind off of how intimately the two Shima cousins knew one another.

Haruka's voice snapped him back into the conversation, and he nodded in response. He didn't doubt that she wouldn't try her hardest to make it back, after all Shima's kept their word, but the uncertainty of the shinobi life was more than enough to force someone to break their promises. When his end of the deal was brought up Masaru glanced to the Shima Prince then back to his mentor. He gave a slight nod in response, not eager to discuss in detail, and gratefully Haruka had no intention for him to fully answer. When came time to be dismissed he wasn't surprised that she asked for him to follow. This would give him the time needed to fully explain what he had done while she was away, after all a simple headband wasn't enough of an answer for her. He followed her quietly after bidding the Shima heir farewell with a deep bow.

[Topic Left]