The Sage's Arrival in Konohagakure (Open)

Roku walked through the gates of Konohagakure unhindered. It was midafternoon and the Genin guarding the gates at this time of day couldn't be bothered to do his job properly and pay attention to who was entering the village. Not that Roku was in Konoha to cause trouble - he had come up cold on his parents, and decided to make some headway on his other major objective - to learn. He'd been traveling around for much of the past year, learning ninja arts, and tracking his ever-elusive parents to no avail. He had been far too focused on the latter to make any progress on the former as of late, and he failed in every attempt to track his parents.

So, essentially, he'd been doing nothing productive for almost a year now, and the next few days were going to be important in changing that. Honestly, the only thing he'd managed to do was make good friends in Konohagakure and Kirigakure. Now, he stood just inside the village gates, trying to remember where the training grounds were and wondering whether he preferred to begin by eating or training. Naegling was strapped to his back and he leaned on his Blackthorne dueling cane, tired but cheerful expression on his face. He'd mostly abandoned his old demeanor, insisting on gentlemanly manners and suits and ties, as they'd died with his caretaker, the man who taught Roku such habits.

The sun hung like a golden disc in the blue and limitless sky. As it journeyed across the sky and parted fluffy white clouds in its wake, it was covered periodically by the clouds and scattered shadows throughout the landscape. Below the cloud cover walked the people of Konoha. A strong and resilient people who are known to recover from whatever hardships and to push through problems with the will of fire.

Among them walked a young man. He was known simply as Kyo of the Hyuga clan; a youth who's skill was reflected in his given rank. But he was humble and never liked to show his abilities without cause like being provoked. But today was not going to be that. There were certain people that congratulated him on his promotion and he thanked them graciously. Kyo was not dressed for battle either. He had no weapons on him because he himself was a weapon.

Draped upon his frame, he wore the traditional Hyuga robes. Black with white trim, with the clan symbol emblazoned upon his back and chest. The robes were very loose and allowed easy movement. Upon his feet were white socks fitted into bamboo sandals. His pearl white gaze was hidden by his usual sunglasses. His white hair was in stark contrast to the darkness of the robe. As he walked, he saw a new person with an interesting weapon on his back. His mode of dress also was not of the fire country which sparked Kyo's curiosity.

"Hello, my name is Kyo. Can I help you with anything?" Said Kyo with a gentle smile on his face.

As exhaustion from travel clearly dulled some of Roku's features, and his fatigue over the last month or so of travel creeped its way across Roku's otherwise bright, youthful, and cheerful appearance, he couldn't help but appreciate how different he'd become in the past year.  Before, he'd never allow himself to do something as unsophisticated as slouching, even if it was to lean on his cane for support. He scanned the crowds, but, admittedly, scanning in his current condition more so consisted of lazily pointing his eyes in the direction of large clusters of people, and thinking something along the lines of "yep, those are humans all right."

It was, however, at this moment that Roku was approached by another individual - a boy, who seemed to be about the same age as himself, and that caused Roku to perk up a bit; if only a bit.  The young Senju-who-didn't-know-he-was-a-Senju smiled at the newcomer, noticing what seemed to be a familiar symbol on his chest, though he couldn't quite place its meaning.  Roku memorized it so he could figure out what it meant later.  There were some things, however, that Roku had yet to shake, and his speech patterns were one of them.  When he answered the newcomer's question, his voice betrayed absolutely no hint of the obvious fatigue plaguing his features, and his language and tone were in such contrast to his physical characteristics that it was almost plausible that the other man would think, when Roku spoke, that it was actually someone else throwing their voice.  To some people, it may be as odd as a snake howling or a lion singing like a bird.

"My dear man, I apologize for inconveniencing you this rather beautiful afternoon, but I was just contemplating my lunch as I realized I do not know much about the area.  Have you, by chance, got any suggestions? I do like a good steak." Despite his pristine voice, Roku wanted nothing more than to eat and meditate a bit, hopefully rejuvenating himself a bit with some Nature Energy.

"Certainly. There is a place not too far from here. As compliments to a visitor to this village it will be my treat." Said Kyo genuinely smiling.

Assuming the visitor would follow him and walk beside him as an equal, Kyo would ask, "What is your name? Its pretty clear to me you are not from here."

Kyo was not threatened by this one. At least he did not feel as if he was in danger. He was respectful so far and in turn, the Hyuga gave him that respect. The visitor also was in no danger here so long as he showed respect to the law of Konoha which at this time meant simple things. Such as not murdering the people that lived here or stealing anything valuable. This one's demeanor did not exhibit such traits, at least for now. It was advised that visitors that enter the village be treated cordially yet, caution was not to be thrown to the wind at all. Kyo knew nothing about this person other than how he looked physically. And as ninja, even these things could be a deception. All in all, Kyo rounded a corner and went down another broad street filled with people. There was a steak restaurant that had Shichirin style  grills which were ideal for meats. Kyo looked around and assuming the visitor was still there he went in.

Inside had a lot of people sitting and eating. Most watched as their food was being prepared for them. There was the normal hushed chatter of the guests and the sizzle and metal clanking sounds of the chefs as they worked on their flat iron stoves. Kyo Gabe the signal for a canter of saki as he approached their padded seats on the floor. Kyo folds his robe sleeves as he poured saki for himself and offered the visitor as well.

Being present in such a place as Konoha, with the activity of the people around, was rather refreshing for Roku, the fifteen-year-old sage, who had spent very little time in any sort of civilization greater than small settlement of a few huts and gardens. He was used to the bustling marketplace of Kumogakure, the trading metropolis of the surrounding countries - but Konoha was just as busy, and he loved it. An odd, seemingly misplaced smile stretched its way across Roku's face, and he responded kindly to the gentleman who had greeted him. "Ah, you're too kind. But I suppose it'd be rude to turn down such an offer, huh? Thank you, very much."

As the other man turned and began to walk in the other direction, Roku followed him, lengthening his stride in order to catch up, walking abreast of the other individual. He responded once more to the other man - he thought of them as men, as no one could witness the things a Shinobi witnessed and still maintain the innocence required to be referred to as a boy. He smiled politely, saying "I am Roku Enzoka, of Kumogakure. What of yourself?" One could still consider Roku's mismatched voice and demeanor quite comical, and the thought caused him to smile inwardly at himself - something he wasn't quite sure he was capable of a year ago, unless the smile displayed was of the same false nature as the light thought to be "produced" by the moon.

When Roku broke the threshold of the restaurant, the aroma of delicious smelling food wafted to his nostrils, and he immediately counted himself lucky that this was the place suggest by the Konohagakure Shinobi. He smiled. "I think I like it here." His stomach rumbled, along with the recognizable sound of potatoes falling into a large pot of water somewhere in the kitchens, a sound Roku had heard many times in The Lord's manor. The servants there were accustomed to preparing large banquets. Roku took a seat next to his host, comparatively shabby for one of the few times in his life. "Konohagakure is such a beautiful place. I love coming here... all the green - it's fantastic."

Kyo nodded at the man's words with a gentle smile and a nod. So Roku was from Kumogakure no sato. Interesting. Kyo guessed he was a shinobi and he thought it would be rude to use his byakugan here right now to find out, especially when he could simply ask the question and it would be up to his guest to answer or not.

"Well as was said earlier I am Kyo but the emblem on my robe you no doubt saw already represents the Hyuga clan." Replied Kyo as they were settling in to eat and the chef was ready to take their orders. He took the basmati rice chunky vegetables and steamed cod.

By that time the waitress and manager came to greet Kyo personally as they brought the canter of saki and two small earthen cups. The steam of the saki entered the Hyuga's nostrils as he savored the aroma and took a shot of saki.

"Konoha is a beautiful place. It is my home and it is where my heart is. I've been to the Hidden Cloud once to participate in the last Chuunin exams one year ago." Said Kyo proudly. "So tell me, Roku of the Hidden Cloud, have you come to also test Konoha's abilities?" Asked Kyo bluntly as he did so on purpose to hopefully catch Roku off guard. His tone was not hostile but more stern as he calmly sipped his saki.

Ah, the symbol. It represented Kyo's clan, huh? It was an easy enough idea to guess, Roku supposed. The Hyuuga clan, though? Roku had spent enough time in Konohagakure as of late to learn that the Hyuuga were one of the more powerful clans in the village. Still, Roku knew not the nature of their abilities. He'd never fought a member of the Hyuuga clan, and while he always loved a spar, it wasn't one of his priorities. No doubt an irresponsible way to think, but still. He just wasn't that interested in the abilities of the clan. That said, Kyo as an individual interested Roku, as did Konohagakure as a people and as a culture, and that idea kept him sitting next to the other man, engaging in conversation.

At this time, as the waitress approached the chosen domain of the two men, Roku looked around, surprised by the relative intimacy the establishment maintained, despite the obvious large amounts of traffic it pulled in. Such businesses were always Roku's favorite, and he settled in comfortably as his sake arrived, though, for just a moment, he left it untouched, responding to Kyo's question. "Nah, I have no interests in such notions. I would like to learn from the village, however. I seek to learn the cultures and arts of as many villages as I can..." Roku trailed off, in thought. "Sunagakure, though... that one will be a tough nut to crack. But I'm sure I'll find a way." Roku smiled, pondering the idea. It was a fun idea. He'd do it eventually, somehow. "That said, I suppose that means I'd be exposed to the same things as one who came here to test the village's abilities, huh? I have more of a scholastic purpose than they do, I suppose." Now, Roku took a hard swig from his sake. "Anyway, what did you think about the village when you visited?"

Kyo's mind reflected on the attacker at the Chuunin exams with such ferocity that he had successfully interrupted the exams. So much that it interrupted the exams but Kyo was not promoted to Chuunin; no one was. Bitter after the fact, Kyo trained in hope that one day he would find the ones that not only tried to stop his progress but had assassinated the Hokage as well. Kyo imagined that since Roku was of the lightning country, he would know of the pain of also getting their Raikage assassinated as well.

He was not sent to test Konoha's abilities. Oh please Kyo, what were you thinking? As if he really was here to do that he would say so honestly. Kyo laughed within himself at the thought. Kyo looked at Roku as he mentioned Sunagakure no sato. Roku was a thoughtful one at least. Exploring the cultures and arts of the various villages was indeed tricky. Noble but tricky. Maybe he was more genuine than Kyo thought. For now he will give him superficial information. The kind you could find on a tourist pamphlet.

"Your village..." Began Kyo after taking another deep drink of saki. "Was one of the most beautiful sights I had ever seen." Kyo continued a bit describing certain aspects of Kumogakure that he remembered and appreciated then told Roku what he thought would be best for him to know about Konoha for now. "Do you want a travelling companion?" He asked suddenly.

Roku smiled, listening to Kyo's description of Kumogakure. He shared the other man's appreciation for the village. The mountains were what struck Roku. So many hours spent climbing the mountains, always with different challenges, gaining control of his body, becoming stronger, faster, more agile, gaining resilience. But that was never the greatest reward. Roku always chose mountains overlooking his home, with beautiful views of the entire village. Inside the village, it was sometimes hard to look at the big picture. But with such a view... it looked like the bustling metropolis it was, full of life, laughter, and commerce. The warm feeling he used to get thinking about the views of the village was absent, as in his inner mind, he saw the dead body for the first Raikage, and of The Lord who took care of him in place of his parents. The feeling manifested as a grimace on his face.

Those thoughts were expelled from his mind at the rather abrupt question coming from Kyo. He hadn't considered the idea, and while his first thought was of how little he knew Kyo, the idea of a companion on his travels, someone who shared his interests in the villages, was rather appealing. He cocked his head sideways, considering the idea. "Don't you have duties here? I spend little time in my home village. Is that something you're okay with?" While his mind told him it could put him in danger, travelling with a stranger, Roku couldn't help but to evaluate the benefits, among them being the safety provided by not being alone, and a deeper understanding of the personality of the villages, as two minds evaluating their findings would always be better than one.

His mind turned back to the information Kyo had given him about Konohagakure. None of it was very insightful. He knew that, and if Kyo was as powerful a Shinobi as his membership to the Hyuuga clan suggested, he was aware of the danger of supplying the wrong kind of information about the village to the wrong person. Still Roku took the information in gladly - he had to start somewhere. In fact, the very idea that Kyo was so cautious about what he told Roku told him something about the village, and the training offered to its ninja. Of course, the other man may not be representative of the whole, and Roku had to take his observations with a grain of salt, but that didn't stop him from making them, and attempting to draw connections. Perhaps it had something to do with the loss of their Hokage at the Chuunin exams? Or was it something that had always present on Kyo's mind?

"I do have duties here. However this is special Roku. We will be information gathering on not only culture and fine art but the organization known as Black Sun." Said Kyo as he looked at Roku.

He highly doubted that Roku had any affiliation to Black Sun. Roku wasn't overly friendly and he did not immediately take the bait to fight Kyo and thus learn one of Konoha's shinobi jutsu. Had he been Black Sun, Roku would not have said that Suna was a tough nut to crack. Since Black Sun had the unmonitored ability to come into a country and assassinate the Kage. Not just some random ninja but the Kage. The one who supposed to be the most powerful shinobi in the village. So they had some clout. Kyo was relieved when he confirmed this visitor was not a part of Black Sun.

Roku had unexpectedly inspired Kyo to leave this village in search of those that had killed his sensei and attacked his village. He was going to train more before he headed out but having a travelling companion had its perks. Roku did not appear to him as someone who was weak so he knew that if something were to happen, he would not have to protect him nor would he be alone.

A thought entered Kyo's head which promoted him to ask, "After you eat, would you want to come with me to where the Hokage died? If we are looking into an entity such as Black Sun, it must be secret. You see the gravity of this situation don't you? If you want to stick to historical artifacts now is the time to say so."

Kyo stopped to allow Roku to speak and for him to think about it all. Kyo however had made up his mind when he returned from the Chuunin exams and heard that Kosuke was dead to hunt his killers. But Roku the adventurer was indeed the catalyst for this quest.

Roku flinched reflexively. He wasn't an unfriendly guy - but no one had taken so naturally to him before. Was it the change in his own demeanor? Even in this short interaction, Roku's diction had become progressively less... "civilized" was an unfortunate way to put it. "Refined? Uptight?" Whatever. It didn't matter. What did matter is that the change was present. Not that he'd had trouble making friends before, but they were always the boring sort. The sort who held conversation because it was polite, and not at all because they were even the least bit interested in what the other had to say. Should he be worried? Defensive even? Of course, he was in a foreign nation, a reality that meant he could be put in danger at any time. And Konohagakure was not a village to be trifled with. It was, perhaps, one of the most powerful in the world.

All thoughts left his mind to be replaced by a buzzing of new ones when Kyo spoke his next sentence. "Black Sun, eh? I have my own theories on them. Tell me, do you know anything about them? If you want to crack Black Sun..." Roku was astonished with himself. The mention of the organization had taken him aback, yes, but he found himself far more open to the idea than he would have expected. "Well, we'd have work to do. Training. Information gathering. Infiltration techniques. And there's a chance..." Roku didn't continue. The idea of what he was going to say made him sick, and it could easily be seen on his face. People had done dark things in the past to crack organizations like the Black Sun. Horrible things, things that changed them. Perverted them. And, they didn't always end up on the right side in the end.

Roku's sake sat on the table in front of him, next to his food, forgotten. The hunger that had previously ebbed at his stomach had vanished, replaced by curiosity. And now he replied to Kyo's second query, a bright look in his eye. Curious, motivated, a bit confused, and, most notably, excitement. He wondered what the Lord Raikage would think of his volunteering to take on such a burden. Would he be proud? Would he think it irresponsible? It didn't matter. Roku would always return to Kumogakure, should they need him, but this was his story. "Let's do it. They're dangerous, and I don't see anyone doing anything about them. I want to make a difference."

"But if it must remain a secret, I have to ask. How do you plan to get me to the scene of the Hokage's death? I'm sure they wouldn't look kindly upon a foreign nation getting too close a look." What Roku was asking without asking was a big question. Are you willing to do what it takes? It seemed like a lighter question than it was. The two of them could potentially get into trouble if Roku, someone who would have trouble getting authorized to view the scene of the Hokage's death, was caught unauthorized at the scene. Not a big deal if the perpetrator was from Konoha. But what about Roku, of Kumogakure? What did Kyo think?

As expected, Roku's composure shifted a bit by some unknown cause to Kyo but he had a few guesses. So he was intelligent as well. He had bypassed Kyo's thought process and thought ahead of the circumstances surrounding visiting the site of the attack. Now it was confirmed, this Roku was someone  he was willing to work with. His questions were methodological and spot on and Kyo answered them accordingly as he ate. Accustomed being under pressure during dinner with his own parents talking politics, he decided to eat and also they were leaving as soon as they fleshed out these questions posed by Roku. Kyo for safety decided he would at this point activate his Byakugan to ensure no one but Roku hears what he had to say. Because at this point it was the only information they had.

"At the Chuunin exams during the first part, the present Raikage Jugo Lucifer was the proctor of the exam." Began Kyo reflectively. "A Jounin came and whispered something to him and with that his face changed. Instinctively, I knew something was wrong. The winners of the first round; Hibiya Ayano, Azayllyn who was from Kumo went to the balcony of the examination hall to observe the fights."

Again, Joy paused to pour himself some say and take a deep drink again. "During the first exam, a shinobi from Suna suddenly quit because he didn't want to leave his qualifying for the second phase of the exams by a dumb idiot's dice roll...whatever. Anyway, that Suna nin was replaced by a blonde haired unknown named Muko."

Kyo paused as he called a waitress and asked for her note pad and pencil that she used to take orders and she gave it to her and he sent her away and began to draw. It was finished in a matter of a fourth seconds and he handed Roku the picture of the one called Muko.

"Its possible that this face was also a disguise. But still its something. We also need to find out what papers Muko gave the proctor to gain entry into the exam. I mean where did he get permission? Soon after,  he caused a massive explosion where one of our team mates died in the rubble and he escaped. We were evacuated home and founded out about the death of the Hokage."

The memory was still painful to Kyo as he took another drink. Roku was right. There was always the possibility that either of them could join Black Sun. "If I join, kill me. Cause if you join I promise I am going to kill you. As for us going to where Hokage sama died, you Henge into a Konoha nin and we shoukd be fine. Im a special Jounin and you will me you will be safe. Now Roku, tell me what is your take on everything."

Those eyes... Roku remembered where he had seen the Hyuuga clan symbol, and why it seemed familiar. He'd read about some of the known skills of Konohagakure, and the symbol was affiliated with the ability to use the Doujutsu that Kyo had just employed - the Byakugan. So. It was a Kekkei Genkai? Roku wasn't sure, and he was almost prompted to ask, but he knew that some clans were very, very secretive about their abilities, and he didn't want to offend Kyo. He'd tell him if he deemed it something Roku should know. Which, would hopefully happen before their eventual departure from the village.

A crooked smile appeared on Roku's face. So, Kyo IS serious. At least, serious enough to encourage Roku to break the laws of Konohagakure. He listened to Kyo's account of the Chuunin Exams intently, nodding at each pause or breath. It was along the lines of the accounts of others who had witnessed the attack of the Black Sun. Roku shivered just slightly, as he always did, when he thought about just how vulnerable large villages, with large populations like Kumo and Konoha, were. There was no way to track every single person within the walls, to analyze them appropriately, or really, to monitor outsiders at all outside of routine patrols.

As Kyo wrapped up his descriptions of the events, Roku took a moment before he responded. Three seconds, or three minutes, he wasn't sure. He opened by expressing his sorrow for Kyo's loss and for the loss of his teammate if he knew him well. He couldn't remember if the teams were assigned randomly or if they had been chosen before going into the exams, because he hadn't taken part in them. He was, officially, still a Genin, even, though his actual capabilities far outstripped any other Genin in Kumogakure. He'd actually lost interest in gaining rank because of the circumstances, though he knew that eventually, and sooner rather than later, he'd need to be getting home to make some headway in his career. He briefly considered the idea of becoming Raikage before shrugging it off as something that he just wasn't fit for. He was meant to be in the field.

Finally, however, Roku began his take on the events. It wasn't anything truly insightful, and was intended more to just lay what they needed to be looking for on the table. "Well, while many people blame other nations on the attacks of our Kage, national leaders have been taken out methodically for months now. Even the Head Shogun in the Land of Iron was assassinated. I don't know the details on it, because Kumogakure hasn't looked into it. Anyway, the reason I bring that up, is that it simply cannot be a coincidence that three world leaders have been taken out, I even believe the Mizukage was replaced for some reason, though again, I am not quite sure why... and two of those assassinations took place during a Black Sun attack. There's a chance that there is a lot more to this than some people think."

Roku paused for a moment, before continuing. "Anyway, people may be correct in that foreign nations had a hand in other villages' leaders' assassinations, but I don't think it could be a coincidence, and we have to assume that even if it is true, Black Sun is somehow manipulating the village or villages into doing these things. We have to assume that they've had a hand in all of this, and if not, they they've done it directly. I do not have much knowledge on the subject, however..." Roku avoided mentioning the fact that he was only a Genin. It didn't matter much to him, but he didn't want Kyo to assume that he was incapable because of his rank.

Abruptly, Roku shoved a slab of meat in his mouth, quickly swallowed, removed Naegling, and stood and walked into a bathroom. There he transformed and reappeared a few moments later as a very young boy - perhaps ten years old, and walked past Kyo, gesturing his head for Kyo to follow, while staring at Naegling, hoping that Kyo would realize it was him, drop the required money on the table, grab Naegling, and follow Roku out. He didn't want to draw any attention inside the restaurant or reveal himself as Roku by grabbing Naegling or stopping to talk to Kyo. If Kyo followed him outside, Roku would whisper in a hushed tone. "I'm your Genin protege that you're teaching to investigate a crime scene," Roku said, indicating his fake Konohagakure headband, faking a rather convincing, but still awkward, boyish smile. "Sound like a plan?"

Kyo's eyes narrowed as he heard Roku's words. The Head Shogun was killed? Very strange that the dreaded Samurai had not done anything about this. What was this world coming to? Have ninja and samurai turned into cowards? Is this what his generation is becoming? Scared little rats who run and hide at at the actions of some other cowards who could not fight the Kage fairly? The same cowards that from what Kyo heard, two of them were needed to bring down the Hokage? How dare everyone?! How dare they just stand idly by and let these cowards draw another breath!? It was insanity! Kyo could not believe what was happening to his mind right then and there.

It was as if he hated and loved Konoha at the same time. It was as if he wanted nothing more than to watch the whole world burn just to get at Black Sun and he wanted to save it at the same time. What was this anxiety that he felt deep within himself?

Then just as he was about to run amok right in the restaurant, he remembered he was not alone. Weather Roku felt the same way or not he was uncertain. However, he knew he was not alone on this path. These so called replacement Kage had better quench this thirst, his desire for getting to his goals or else his and Roku's task would be a lot harder. Somehow they would have to rally the forces of both Samurai and Ninja for the sake of the entire world.

Roku shoved the meat into his mouth and magically swallowed it and removed his weapon from his person and went to the washroom area. Out came a young boy of about ten years old. Kyo recognised him because of his Byakugan and saw the circulatory system of Roku earlier while they sat. Kyo calmly picked up Roku's weapon to not bring attention to himself and followed him outside until they were out of ear shot from people. Kyo simply nodded in acknowledgement at Roku's suggestion. Sounded perfect to him. As they made their way towards the Hokage tower...The place where the Hokage died, he asked,

"Do you think it will look suspicious a youth having such a weapon as yours? Can u conceal it somehow?" He said handing Roku his weapon.

This thread will be continued in the following thread due to change in location:

https://nrnewbeginnings.rpg-board.net/t1060-investigating-the-death-of-the-hokage-private#6758