This Time? No Sunscreen... [Open]

[Gotō Daiji]

"..."​

The Toraono Dojo.

How long had it been? Months? Years? Without technology it was hard to keep track of time...and out in the harsh desert that effect was multiplied tenfold. These unforgiving sands that covered Wind Country swallowed up everything that was offered to them and even claimed some things that weren't. Time was one of those things.

Sunlight bore down on the dunes especially heavily on this day. It was summer so the normally sweltering heat was nearly suffocating now. A cloaked figure stalked silently over the ever-shifting sands. The garment they were wrapped in was dark green in color and seemed to be a tattered old thing. A large hood was pulled over their face, completely obstructing vision of it. Almost their entire body was covered up...except for a pair of straw sandals adorning two legs wrapped in bandages. It was obvious to anyone from Sunagakure that this person was not native to the land. For perhaps he would've approached the village in proper fashion or followed some sort of protocol for entry. Instead this person only continued to move at a casual pace towards the Dojo.

Loose sand swirled all around as the figure grew nearer and nearer the village entrance. What sort of welcoming party was in store? An old friend? A new enemy? Only time would tell.

[Requesting Entry]

 

[Raizo]

Re: This Time? No Sunscreen... [Requesting Entry]

Ooc: I wanted to make sure; but according to the logs of threads since your last entry, Mako never left the village—so technically you are still here

 

[Gotō Daiji]

OOC: Oh snap that’s right thanks for the heads up...well in that case I’ll just change it to an Open RP! Come one come all.

 

[Zentaru Tatsuya]

"And thus, that concludes our tour of the upper ground. Thank you for coming on the tour today, and I hope you are now up to date with everything above ground... please, if there is anything we could do to make your transition above ground easier, let us know!"

---

Kyokuso stood around at the Toraono Dojo, long after everyone else had departed. He taken a tour of the upper grounds, and once that was done, he had opted to stay back to continue examining the dojo. It was truly spectacular, the place. When it was the only option to access the upper grounds (and thus also the underground), he had visited it once - but he had only gotten to the base and not much further up. He never realized just how magnificent the whole place could be, until he saw the pair of flags standing tall and strong now.

Unfortunately, he never had a chance to see this back when they all lived underground. He was told that when it was the only building of Sunagakure to be seen from this side of the ground, it seemed even more marvelous. Now that the village had expanded above ground, passage through the Dojo was more of a technical requirement, rather than a literal ability. That however, probably made properly crossing it even more important.

Kyokuso sighed. That reminded him, it was probably time now for him to head back in, before the guards grow suspicious and assumed he was going to go missing or something. Taking a last look at the sandy expanses outside of the 'gate', he noticed that a figure had appeared, and was heading straight for him. Or the Dojo, rather. The figure was practically entirely covered by a green cloak, bar the lower part of his leg, whereby bandages were visible.

A traveler, eh? Er... Kyokuso glanced around, realizing that there were no guards around. Where were they? They should always be here! And then he remembered that there were so many participants in the tour, that the guards had to spend time to usher them all back in. He happened to be an Academy Student, so was afforded a bit more leniency. But now he suddenly had to deal with a stranger!

Damn, let's just hope this guy is not a crazy psycho or something.

Kyokuso gave the stranger a slight, polite bow as the stranger approached the Dojo. "Greetings. My name is Taisen Kyokuso. Er, welcome to Sunagakure. Or welcome back, if you are returning." Kyokuso greeted the traveler, although without the grace he normally exhibited. This was a rather peculiar situation for him, and he was absolutely not sure what the correct protocols are. The mysterious vibe the stranger was giving off was really throwing him off.

 

[Gotō Daiji]

"..." Silence. A familiar sound amongst the sands when the hot desert wind wasn't ripping through dunes. Though...even to a foreigner, this level of activity at the village gates did seem a bit odd. Surely there were guards around somewhere right? Had to be. Perhaps they were simply occupied by more important matters. Sunagakure did seem to be a hub for activity. Last time the stranger was here the village was a subterranean one and well protected beneath a natural earthen dome...

...then the world's biggest sandworm crashed through the village canopy...as a zombie.

Interesting times, undoubtedly. It seemed this time around entering the village would be less...eventful than the first. The cloaked figure originally came unprepared for the harsh environment of Wind Country. By the time they stumbled their way to the Toraono Dojo they were dehydrated, starving, and horribly sunburnt over their entire body. It was a miracle that they survived such an ordeal. Either that or some sort of insane dumb luck. Either way, it was clear that this time was different. A heavy cloak might've been mysterious but it was as good a protection against the harsh sun and stinging hot air as any. This person was not a native to this land, that was for sure. But it was obvious from their attire and movements that they had learned how to navigate this land better than some tourist. All that time out in the sands were worth at least that much. The mysterious figure's approach towards the Dojo continued unhindered until at last an obstacle presented itself.

A small one at that.

Footsteps halted as Kyokuso presented himself before the stranger. A greeting was offered...though a tinge of nervousness was detected. It was to be expected of course. Usually a higher-ranking shinobi handled these sort of situations. Strange encounters with unknown people are unpredictable and often dangerous. This person could be anybody. A missing-nin. A terrorist. One of Shouki's psychotic flunkies. Or maybe just a crazy old desert hermit. Odds weren't in the young man's favor. From this distance the student was likely able to see the bottom half of the cloaked figure's face but the rest was still obscured in heavy shadow. For a few moments the neck region of the traveler's cloak rustled around as if something was moving on the inside. Unintelligible whispers emanated from within the hood soon after. The cautious greeting hung in the air as the stranger didn't so much as flinch in response. Maybe they were waiting for someone. Or something. Silence persisted as the figure loomed over the academy student. The longer they stood there the more erratic that movement within the cloak grew. An eerie murmur grew louder and louder by the second. A "hissss" sounded out, the figure visibly recoiling their head slightly. What would the young man do? What was protocol for an unresponsive unknown at the village entrance? Was there any? And what in the world were those noises?! Things just kept getting weirder...

 

[Zentaru Tatsuya]

The figure was looming ever closer towards Kyokuso, and he just had no idea how to respond. It was true that especially given his smaller stature, the figure seemed to be all the more larger. Standing at just 1m58, he was quite a bit shorter than the average 14-year old boy. Drops of sweat dripped down from his blond hair, slowly making their way into his blue eyes. He quickly wiped his face with the left sleeve of his kimono. As he moved his arm away, he realized just how much he was sweating. The Sunagakure summer heat was really getting to him right now, its pressure all the more heavier in this situation.

Watching as the figure kept on approaching closer and closer, Kyokuso realized that it was truly weird. He could now see the bottom half of the figure's face, which seemed like it definitely belonged to a person. That was good at least, that the figure approaching was human. A man specifically, from the way his jawbone was. Kyokuso could not be entirely sure. What was weird however, was the sounds that seemed to be emanating from the man's neck. Kyokuso was almost mesmerized by it, as his mind searched its memories to try to figure out just what exactly was making the sound. Puppet mechanisms? But he seemed human? Maybe he was a human puppet? Kyokuso could hear whispers underneath the figure's breath now, and that just did not bode well.

He immediately assumed a semi-defensive stance, not drawing any weapons, but at the same time ready to act at a moment's notice. The figure came closer and closer, and though the erratic sounds continued, Kyokuso yet notice anything of specific danger. Nonetheless, the non-responsiveness was enough to drive Kyokuso to action. Even as the figure was attempting to stop just in front of him, Kyokuso had quickly found the quick-release mechanism in his kimono, and as the figure visibly recoiled from whatever was going on, Kyokuso had casted his kimono off, leaping backwards a few times to create distance from the figure. Before his blue-gold kimono could even fully fall against the sands, Kyokuso had already assumed a fully defensive stance, his hands raised and ready to cast any Jutsu ready. A closer look too, would allow one to notice myriads of strands of cloth connecting his fingers to a wrapped up bundle attached to the back of his Shinobi garb. It would probably be safe to assume that this was another sort of quick-release mechanism, ready to release whatever was inside the bundle at a moment's notice. Just what was in the bundle though? It seemed to be relatively large, especially compared to Kyokuso's size.

Quickly, Kyokuso glanced from one side to another, attempting to spot any potential help. Just where were the guards? He could not see any just yet. Kyokuso's eyes drifted over his kimono for a second, which was now a pile of cloth on the ground. He could notice the orange six-sided flower crest of his family all crumbled up. Oh man, mom's gonna kill me if I don't at least pick that up later...

And that was the last thought before he turned his attention fully back towards the stranger, his face now betraying complete and utter focus. Gone was the nervousness of before, when he was yet to be sure of protocols. Right now, it was obvious what he needed to do. "Stop right there! Remove your cloak and clearly present yourself. State your purpose, and cease any suspicious behaviours immediately. Failure to adhere to these instructions will result in the use of force."

He simply could not tell the stranger that he was barely a Shinobi of Sunagakure now, could he? He needed the stranger to act as per his requests, which meant that the stranger needed to believe that Kyokuso was a full-fledged Shinobi, just... minus a forehead protector. Hey, sometimes Shinobi forget, right?

 

[Gotō Daiji]

Interesting. It seemed the Village Hidden by Sand was producing some fierce up-and-coming shinobi. Of course there was no way to be sure of this young man's rank...but simple context clues told all that needed telling. Almost immediately Kyokuso leapt backwards and readied himself for combat. Good reflexes. He was going to need those. Unfortunately for him this strange figure was no untrained civilian. The young Sand shinobi put up a brave front, but it was just that. A front. An arm was produced from within the cloak, bandaged from wrist to the elbow. It reached out towards the boy as if to launch some sort of technique and-...

...ripped the hood from its owner's head?!

"Eh?"​

Blink, blink. Mystery gave way to a wide-eyed young man, not quite twenty years of age. He was taller than the energetic young student, but at only 5'7" it was not by any considerable amount. Spiky black hair hung down to his shoulders, adding to his disheveled appearance. Now that his cloak had opened slightly it was apparent he wasn't wearing a shirt underneath. Ragged, dull orange trousers adorned his lower body that stopped just below the knee, and were held up only by the grace of a tied blue sash. Old bandages covered both of his shins and forearms. And a dusty looking taupe-colored muffler was wrapped around his neck. The man's eyes narrowed upon the Sand ninja as his hands came to rest on his hips. A second later he was leaning forward. After that? Tilting his head. It seemed as if...he was sizing him up? One of his eyebrows arched above the other as a confused expression took hold across his face. "You're not the Robokage." ...

...

...right. The enigmatic individual just continued to stare at Kyo, facial expression unchanging. It seemed as if he was genuinely bewildered by this development. After awhile of gazing his eyes began to drift, up towards the higher levels of the Dojo and side-to-side at their surroundings. "Hm..." he mused aloud. Surely there was something absolutely brilliant cooking upstairs. "This place looks a lot different than last time." This was true. It wasn't that he was wrong, it was just that the fact that he was confused was astounding. Because again, he helped bring down the Barynx. Y'know, the one that crashed into the dome and changed the village geography forever? For now he seemed to be content staring around and taking everything in. From the way he was acting it seemed as if he had been away for quite some time. He also seemed to be rather...odd. And in a country with gigantic man-eating beasts swimming through the sands that cover it? That was saying a lot. His head continued to move back and forth as his large round eyes took in more of the immediate area. "Wonder if Kuji's still around." Well. At least Kyokuso wouldn't have to wonder what the traveler was thinking. As for the young shinobi's request to state his business? It looked as if he was rather preoccupied with his "thoughts" at the moment.

An unusual encounter, indeed.

[mft]

 

[Zentaru Tatsuya]

Kyo's heart thundered within him. He was aware that Shinobis were not supposed to feel fear or nervousness in the face of any challenge, but he just could not help himself. Plus, he did go from being on a gentle, relaxed tour, to being shoved into guard duty in a very short time frame. That really did not help at all to prep himself for something like this. The intensity of the situation built up as Kyo continued to wait for what seemed like an eternity for the stranger to respond to his request. He watched the figure intently for any activity at all, his fingers tugging harder and harder on the strips of cloth that connected to the shrouded item upon his back. He could feel the cloth straining against his fingertips now - any bit more, and he'd release his weapon. He really hoped that it did come to that.

The figure eventually brought out a bandaged arm, almost seemingly pointed directly at Kyo. Yet, he still did not react. Until such time that the figure could be clearly perceived as a threat, he would not respond with an attack. The Shinobi of Sunagakure were trained to be ruthless, but they were not trained to be barbaric. Kyo's attention darted back and forth between the arm and the rest of the stranger's body - for it could simply be a distracting ruse, the raised arm. Then finally... the arm was used to lower the figure's hood, revealing a rather... blank face underneath. "Eh", was what the figure uttered.

Eh? EH? What EH???

Kyo watched intently as the figure went through the motions. Hands placed on hips, body leaning forwards, head tilting to the side. Kyo was puzzled as to what was going on, but for now at least, it seemed like he was in no immediate danger, especially now that it seemed like the stranger's attention was drifting off somewhere else entirely. Kyo was well aware of course, that it could be a trick - a diversionary tactic, but so long as he knew that, it was fine to exit his stance. Gently, he released his pressure upon the strips of cloth and they fell back to his side where they belonged originally. He stood a bit more upright from the slightly hunched posture he adopted for his defensive stance, and took a few step forwards to come closer to the stranger. Kyo had just so much to ask the guy. What is the Robokage he was referring to? And this Kuji?

Kyo felt like the stranger was entirely unaware of where he was right now. "Excuse me... may I at least get your name? Maybe then I can help you find... whatever you are looking for?"

 

[Gotō Daiji]

"Blank" was the perfect descriptor for his mug at that moment. "Hm?" came the young man's response, that one eyebrow still raised high above the other. The loyal young Sand shinobi had since relaxed his posture a bit. Apparently his uncloaked appearance was significantly less intimidating. Who woulda thunk? But now Kyokuso was directly asking for his name. "Me?" No. The other suspicious foreigner. See, manners were something the traveler was a bit light on and he often forgot to introduce himself. Now this was the second time a request for his identity had been made. It wasn't like he had anything to hide...so he told him. "I'm Sachi A. Mako." His tone was completely candid, as if it was an obvious fact that should've already been known. But his facial expression hadn't changed at all...

Confusion.

A finger came up to point (rather rudely...) directly at the younger boy. "Who're you?" A fair enough question I suppose...though there were certainly more tactful ways to go about such things. But he didn't even wait for an answer before he went to work. The impromptu gate guard offered to help find whoever it was he was looking for. Great! He was by no means a navigational expert so a guide was just the thing he needed. "I'm here for the Robokage!" A nod followed his statement, his eyes drifting upwards as he seemed to rack his brain for more information. "Think he's called Susuke." After a few moments of deliberation he nodded once again assuredly. Completely accurate. 100%. "Has a metal face and talks really funny." Just the next second his attention was elsewhere, the wanderer's head darting back and forth looking for something. "Oh!" Didn't take long for him to spot what he was searching for. "And a guy named Barko Kuji." An old twig from somewhere or other ended up half-buried in the sands. After crouching down and fishing it out he began to work on a picture. Because as we all know...this oddball is an artist extraordinaire.

"Looks just like this!"​

For emphasis, he tapped some of the more distinguishing features on the totally realistic portrait. "Fuzzy ears. Hat." Surely there couldn't be too many people around the village that looked similar. Members of the uh...Barko clan tended to look pretty distinct. And unless he had earned some sort of demotion since the last time he saw him "Kuji" was still the Medical Chief! The guy was practically famous. More famous than the metalman Kage however? Well that was hard to say. Good thing they weren't in any sort of competition. At least outside of the youth's head. There was no telling what went on up there. In anticipation of an answer, the foreigner looked up at Kyokuso from his squatted position. Surely the boy would be able to point him in the right direction. One of the two had to be around somewhere! And if not there was bound to be someone who knew. Or he might be able to find that other guy. The one with the nub for a hand. Names weren't his strong suit but he could probably recall it if he exhausted enough brainpower.

Started with an "R", he was sure of it...

 

[Zentaru Tatsuya]

OOC: Apologies for the delay. I had to clarify a few things... such as who our Kazekage actually is. XD
IC:
So Mako, it was. At least Kyo was able to get a name out of the stranger, who had since proceeded to rudely point a finger at Kyo and asked for a name, and then immediately continued on with a bunch of other questions and statements that Kyo was not quite able to interject with answers. So instead, Kyo decided to patiently wait for Mako to complete what he was trying to do, prior to actually trying to respond. Kyo's gaze followed Mako as the man searched for a twig to draw something on the ground. Once a portrait was clearly beginning to form in the sands, Kyo moved closer towards Mako to have a good look. As it turns out... it was the face of... a cat? What?

Kyo still did not let loose of his vigilance, lest Mako would attempt to something unbecoming to someone seeking passage into the village. Mako described the image as he tapped upon some of the features of the cat face, and it finally dawned on Kyo who he was talking about - both assuaging and Kyo and causing concern concurrently. So Mako knew at least two of the higher-ups in the village, but not enough to get the names right? Could Mako have heard of the names only in passing, and was now trying to pass it off like Mako was acquaintances with them? Kyo was not sure... but there was always a way to figure things out. He just needed to take Mako to the guards, then the passport office, and finally the Kazekage Tower. Byakko Kyuji was a Medical Chief, that's right, but he was away in Tea Country at the moment. Takahashi Sousuke however...

"I recognize who you are referring to now, Mako. I will take you to Sousuke, or at least try to see if we could get an audience with him. We will need to stop by the guard's office and then the passport office first to verify your credentials, if you have any. I am Kyokusō of the Taisen clan, though you can call me Kyo." Kyo paused for a moment, thinking of the next thing to say. "Please do not make any unnecessary moves until you are cleared. Please keep your arms to yourself, and please do not wander around. If you agree with those conditions, we are ready to head in now." Kyo stated, as officially as he could... for a 14-year old not-even-Shinobi-yet.

Oh, and Byakko clan members were fox-like, not cat-like. Why do people keep on thinking that foxes were felines? They are canines. Unless Mako was trying to draw a fox, and Kyo could not recognize the drawing. Eh, either way. Now he has a stranger to be responsible for... at least temporarily. What an interesting turn of events. He wondered if Mako had anything cool up his sleeves. If Mako turned out to be perfectly fine, Kyo would love to dig deeper into the life of the man.

OOC: If you do not mind, we can just assume the guards check you out and yada yada all that, and then we can continue at the Kazekage's Tower.

[MFT, WC: 498]

 

[Gotō Daiji]

A look of general bewilderment seemed to be the boy's default expression. "Mhm, mhm." he agreed, totally 100% following everything the boy was saying. "Credentals." Close enough right? The fact that he was attempting to repeat what he was being told at least meant that he was doing his best to listen. He might not have understood exactly what the young Sand shinobi was saying...but it's the effort that counts. Right?

Mako nodded and stood up from his crouched position, tossing his "stylus" over his shoulder as he began following his new guide. "Kyoh?" his inner voice thought aloud as he trailed behind Kyokuso. You would think a three-letter nickname wouldn't be that hard to remember but...

You'd be wrong.

"I know another one of you." Not that odd. Kyo was a fairly common name. Why did he feel like this was important to bring up? "Gramps made her fight me one time." ...oh right. There wasn't any good reason. The person he was talking about was Mizuki Kiyoko, his one-time sparring partner. Maybe she was still around too? Ooh, and maybe she'd gotten stronger! A fight would great. He always loved a good fight. But he had to admit his memories were a bit blurry. All that time in the desert did a number on his already shoddy information retention. It was like everything was a haze. Almost enough of a haze to make someone forget something important...like a certain mercenary known for his brutality that was left alone in Sunagakure without any inkling as to where Mako was going. Good thing it was nothing important, right? As far as conversation with his tour guide went, he wasn't really expecting a response from any of these musings. The traveler just had a habit of saying whatever popped into his head. Actually silently thinking was something that he never did. A hand came up to pat the drifter's exposed stomach as they walked. Even underneath the green cloak a low rumbling clearly sounded out in the desert air. "...got any food?" Hopefully Kyokuso didn't mind. With an attention span as short as his...this was probably going to be a long trip to the Kazekage Tower.

[OOC: Sounds good, looking forward to it ^^. Either I can start the topic or you can if you'd like! ]
[Topic Left w/ Kyokuso]

 

[Zentaru Tatsuya]

Kyo could not tell from just the blank expression if Mako actually comprehended anything he said. His words being mis-repeated did not help either. However, when Mako mentioned another of him, it was pretty clear that the guy had at least some comprehension of what Kyo was saying. Otherwise, Mako would not have been able to make the connection that 'Kyo' was the label assigned to the person standing in front of him. What made him curious was how Mako referred to another of him. A clone?

Kyo shook his head mentally. No, probably not. Either Mako meant someone sharing the same name-ish as Kyo, or have fought someone who looked like Kyo. Given that Mako was talking about a female opponent... Kyo assumed the former. Eh, not Kyo's concern right at this moment. Once they were actually in the village, Kyo would be more than happy to engage in further conversation with Mako. Right now though, he would rather follow through with the necessities as quickly as possible. Because right now, Kyo still regarded Mako as a potential serious threat.

As they walked into Sunagakure (although technically they are sort of already in Sunagakure), he heard Mako complained about being hungry. Kyo turned around and with a smile, told Mako that they could find something to eat once they've gotten in. Turning back towards the front, Kyo uttered a very, very silent sigh. He wondered when they might actually make it to the Kazekage's Tower.

OOC: I'll start the topic then, will probably pm you once done.
[Topic left w/ Mako]

 

[Zentaru Tatsuya]

OOC: Continued here: https://www.ninpocho.com/viewtopic.php?f=720&t=58783