Den of Scavengers [INV]

[Yōsuru Shin]

It had been a long and hard road through the desert. The hottest days one could experience, swiftly followed by the coldest nights. It was no surprise there were so many tales of people getting lost out here and never returning. To anyone who wasn't careful, the desert would devour them.

Yōsuru took a sip from his waterskin and splashed some extra over his face. He had ensured they were well provisioned for the journey, having known these Sands well. "How are we feeling my Fire Country friends?" He calls back to the rest of the group, face still dripping with moisture. He turns around and gives them a wide grin. "Would you believe me if I said we're almost there?" It was unlikely given that every time they had asked how far it was to go 'almost there' had always been his answer. 

As he turned he felt a shoot of pain through his leg again and he lent against the cane he had purchased in the Land of Rivers. 'Not much further now...' He thought to himself. 'We'll get me all fixed up...' With a grunt he pushes himself back up to a full standing position, leading the group onwards through the sands. The desert made travel difficult even for a Shinobi. Unlike other countries, there was not many pieces of tall foliage or trees to glide through elegantly, leading most to make their way slowly but carefully.

The yellow sands started to turn a brown, and then a red as they progressed. As the arid air became dryer and breathing became more difficult. Now they were in the infamous Demon Desert. The place all travelers were warned to avoid. It was said in some legends that the dried out corpses of those that had died of thirst still wandered around these parts, endlessly searching for any source of water they could sup from. Luckily that was just an old wives tale...right?

Yōsuru pushed forward. Using his long cane as support as he walked. Sandals pressing into the crimson sand as he and his group pushed past the dead plants and ocassional dried corpse as they progressed further in.

And then the moment came, the moment he'd been waiting for. His smile soon cracked into a sly smirk that he quickly concealed before turning around. "Here we are...Shin Clan Headquarters..." He announced in a dead serious voice, arms spread wide as he revealed the completely empty desert around them.

[Kuroda Uchiha]

    "If you say we're almost there one more time, I'll shave your head bald in your sleep." Yagura grumbles at Yōsuru's jape. "It's why I stopped asking miles ago."

    Kuroda and Hana sit in the shade of a sand dune, Hana fanning herself. As Yōsuru did, Kuroda siphoned from his own water skin. All three Uchiha were still wearing their long sleeved cloaks, as Kuroda had learned the hard way just how dangerous it was to leave skin exposed in the heat of the desert. He had gotten a nasty sun burn on the tops of his arms, and his skin was still peeling and red. The cloaks, while hot, still protected them from the harsh sun and the grating sands that get whipped up by the winds.

    When Yōsuru started off again, the trio started after him.

    Hana moved over to Arata first, and offers him one of their spare water skins.

    "Here - we can refill once we get to the village Yōsuru speaks of. Cool off with this." she says, handing it over as they walk.

    "Yōsuru," Kuroda says, having caught up. They had noticed Yōsuru's increasing limp, and it was starting to worry Kuroda. "Do you need a break?"

    Whether or not Yōsuru answered, something caught Kuroda's attention. He stops, prompting Hana and Yagura to do so as well. The three Uchiha all gaze over at what looked like the dried out remains of people.

    "So... there's some truth to the rumors of the Demon Desert after all." Yagura mutters.

    Together, the three Uchiha close their eyes and press their hands together in silent prayer for the people who had died so unceremoniously in such a place. After a few moments, they open their eyes and follow after Yōsuru silently. After some time passed, Yōsuru stops and finally announces that they had arrived at their destination. But...

    "There's nothing here?" Hana asks, tentatively, looking around.

    "A genjutsu protecting the entrance, perhaps?" Kuroda suggests, thinking about the numerous genjutsu misdirections that lead to the Uchiha Village. It could very well be the same, or similar premise. Kuroda looks over to Yōsuru. "Am I right in that assumption?"

    Yagura, for his part, had turned away from Yōsuru, and had begun scanning his eyes across the surrounding area, taking in every potential hiding spot he would typically hide, or command his own patrol shinobi to wait.

---

Kuroda:
Items: Shinobi Armor, Elite Shinobi Armor, Forehead Protector, Chakra Armor, Chakra Meteorite
WC: 407

Minions:
Hana Uchiha
Yagura Uchiha

[Arata Namikaze]

HP: 460 (560 w/ C.A.)| Chakra: 24 | Regen: 7/post

---

TAGS: Kuroda Uchiha Yōsuru Shin

---

NOTES: Notes here

Arata chuckled at Yagura’s snappy response to Yōsuru. He had come to like the grumpy Uchiha over the course of their journeys. He smiled, too, at Hana as she offered him some of her spare water. “Thank you, that’s kind of you,” he nodded, splashing a bit of water on his face. "But I hope you're saving plenty for yourself." The day’s travel had been harder than most. As the sand gradually shifted from gold to dark red, he began to understand why.

“The Demon Desert—this is a first,” he spoke softly. The merchant caravans had avoided it at all costs. It had quite the reputation as the most hostile part of the Land of Wind. Even if it offered a more direct route for the merchants, that boost in efficiency meant little if you ended up dead in the middle of the desert. The dried corpses which lay fallen along the way showed just how possible that was.

Looking around, he chuckled a bit, “Ah, the mighty Shin clan headquarters…” he threw a hand out in front of him. “Look! Those stunning views—those marvelous homes!”

His smile continued as Kuroda suggested some jutsu disguising the village’s location. “Hm, that’s not a bad thought.” He looked around, and then stared down at his feet. “Or…are we standing right on top of it or something?” There were plenty of underground cave systems tucked away in the desert. Cool during the day and warm at night, they made for good shelter. Perhaps the Shin had taken up residence in one of them.

Made by Zeref of THQ

[Yōsuru Shin]

"Ahh, it's not nearly as fun when you're all too clever." He tuts, shaking his head. Though the Genjutsu guess was a good one, the Shin had found a while ago that there wasn't much need for such protections. Living out here in the wastes did away with most potential intruders. Arata however was far more on the money.

"I'm sure some of our security will be annoyed that you figured it out so fast Lord Namikaze. But they'll get over it." He smirks, bending down with a pained frown as he scoops up a handful of hot red sand and sifts a bit of it through his fingers. A few grains remained which he clasped in his palm. He closed his eyes and began to speak.

"Cypros..."

He whispered, though it was eerily audible, as if his companions could feel it being whispered right into their ears. Red sand blew from his palm, swirling around each and every one of them.

"Phaeros..."

The same again, though this time they would hear a loud click under their feet as the red sand swirled around.

"Inaros..."

His eyes snapped open as the last few grains blew from his palm and scattered to the wind around them. Another click, and then a rumbling as the sands in front of them began to part and fall. Revealing a dark set of grey slate steps leading down into the depths. 

Yōsuru steps forward, using his cane for support and takes the first few steps down before turning and looking at his friends. "Come along then, I promise it's cooler down here."

[Kuroda Uchiha]

    Kuroda blinks at the question of whether they could be standing atop the intended destination. It hadn't occurred to him, but it did make sense. The Land of Earth was renowned for the shinobi that could virtually shape and reshape cliffs and plateaus to their liking. They could even build homes if their Jutsu was good enough, so it made sense that if the Shin had skilled enough Earth jutsu in their command, making an underground base wouldn't be far-fetched.

    It turns out Arata was closer to the truth than Kuroda, as Yōsuru conducted a kind of ritual with the red sands. Soon, a stairway had appeared in the ground!

    "That's pretty neat." Hana comments, slipping her hat back. There would be no need for it underground, after all.

    "Well then - let's go meet your kin, Lord Shin." Kuroda says, taking one last smarmy jab at Yōsuru for the fun of it. He takes the lead of the Uchiha, following after Yōsuru. Kuroda and Yagura both also slip back their hats, and allow themselves to be led down the steps.

---

WC: 183

[Arata Namikaze]

HP: 460 (560 w/ C.A.)| Chakra: 24 | Regen: 7/post

---

TAGS: Yōsuru Shin Kuroda Uchiha

---

NOTES: Notes here

“I—really?” Arata questioned. “I wasn’t all that serious with that suggestion…” It had just been the first thing that had popped into his mind. Still, as he watched Yōsuru go through an intricate ritual, and as the sands split to reveal a staircase leading down into the depths, it became clear that the hidden village of the Shin was a real thing.

A cool wind blew up the stairs, rushing out into the desert air. As the party descended them, the coolness only increased. Arata unwrapped the cloth from his head, enjoying the damp, cool environment. “Phew…” he whistled, “it’s so cool down here. I see the appeal.”

As the group walked, Arata glanced around at the stonework. The location felt ancient. Whether it was or wasn’t, he had no clue. It had the same feeling as some of the old temples which dotted the Land of Fire—a feeling of being set apart from the rest of the world.

“You know, Yōsuru,” he offered with a joking grin, “we've talked a bit about you trying to rehabilitate the reputation of your clan. Doesn’t the whole underground lair thing give off a bit of a…villainous aura?”

Made by Zeref of THQ

[Yōsuru Shin]

He rolls his eyes at Kuroda's last minute honorific before turning around halfway to look at Arata as he spoke. His body halfway in the darkness, he seemingly gave off the villainous aura the Namikaze mentioned, with ghostly skin and dark eyes peering from the darkness. He smirks slightly at the insinuation. "You've figured me out. Getting us out of the hot sun was merely a ruse. I plan to harvest you all for your DNA and feed the remains to my ravenous young." He rolls his eyes. "Villainous or not, it beats being up here." He descended down a few more steps, the party could choose to follow him or not, but if they deliberated for more than a minute, the hatchway would begin to close.

The stairway was lit by special torches that were designed to burn hypothetically forever. At the very least, it had been decades since anyone had to replace them. They provided a dim light, but enough that everyone could clearly see ahead of themselves. And wouldn't trip over anything in the darkness.

"I may have mentioned this, but no-one outside the clan has set foot here since before the War...perhaps even earlier." He begins. "So the people here might be a bit...disturbed by your presence. Don't take it personally." The group would continue down the long flight of stairs, descending deeper and deeper, it was quite a long way down indeed, but at least the cool air would diminish the lingering heat of the desert on their skin.

Eventually their descent was finished as they came to a massive underground cavern. Long stalactites stretched down like spiked fingers from the shadowed ceiling above, while life calmly dwelled below. There were quite a few constructed buildings, making the aesthetic of a small village apparent, even underground. But other spots were directly carved into the rock itself. The Shin had adapted it for their needs.

He turns to look back at the group before speaking. "I'm going to say this now so i don't have to say it later. Please don't wander around too far without a guide. These caverns go deeper still, and are built intentionally confusing. Our Shinobi are made to memorise it perfectly as one of their trials. If you try to go exploring. I assure you, you will get lost."

He takes a last few steps towards the Shin settlement. Passing by a building that looks to be some kind of school. One of the children points and soon enough there are plenty of small faces pressed up against the windows, some excited at the re-appearance of Yōsuru and some intensely curious about the strangers with him. A few of the children bare the hallmark pale skin, white hair and wide eyes that the wider Land of Wind had come to associate with the Shin.

"I'll give you the full tour soon, first we'll go to my office and then I'll sort out baths and living quarters for you all. We should be fine as long as we..."

"YOSURU SHIN!" A raised voice cut through the daily routine of the Shin clan, causing many to look in its direction before focusing on Yōsuru and his group. "Before she realises I'm back..." He finishes before spinning on his heel and facing the voice, who it turned out was attached to a woman perhaps a few years Hana's junior. Like some of the students, she was what some might call a 'purestrain' Shin. With the same ghostly pale skin, stark white hair and dusky wide eyes. She had her hair up in a tightly woven bun at the moment, and she did not look happy to see him. "Sari! I was just on my way to see you! You got my raven, right...the one about how I was...going on a trip...a very important trip...that raven?" Only a cold, silent stare was received as a response, and the other Shin around them decided their curiosity wasn't worth getting drawn into this drama. Yōsuru cleared his throat and gestured to Sari. "Everyone, this is my assistant Sari Shin. Sari these are...my honoured guests. Let's not embarrass them with a scene in the street." This only caused her frown to deepen as she stormed towards him. She wore a dark blue robe tied with a sash with a golden shawl around her neck. The clothing looked durable but loose enough to provide good temperature control.

"You're right, it'll be much easier to explain the amount of paperwork I found myself up to my neck in if I can show it to you!" She grumbles to him, storming off past him with a dramatic gesture of her hand. "Follow!" She commands the group without turning back, causing Yōsuru to shrug apologetically. "She's uh...usually in a better mood. Don't let this...don't let this sour your impression." With an unimpressed stare from a now stopped Sari, Yōsuru quickly follows her towards his office building. A modest but still sizeable estate.

[Kuroda Uchiha]

    Yagura barks out a laugh at Yōsuru's snide comebacks, appreciating that shared sense of humor. And indeed, the skin on their faces, though protected this entire journey through the desert by their collars and straw hats, appreciated the feeling of cool air as it hit them. The air was stiff, but it was easily forgiven for rescuing the Uchiha trio from the ever-beating sun above ground.

    The way down was relatively dimly lit, likely to give those who ventured to the surface time to let their eyes adjust to the change of light before getting above ground and into the harsh sunlight. There was some danger in descending stairs in dim lighting, but that's what keeping a steady chakra flow to the feet was for - preventing slips.

    "Given that our patrols scrutinized both you and Arata as I brought you to the village, and the curious stares of the villagers besides, I'd say that's par for the course." Kuroda replies to Yōsuru's remark. "We won't take it personally, not when we know that same treatment is given by our own home."

    "This place is amazing," Hana says as Yōsuru tells them, well warns them, about the place and its treacherous designs. She gazes around at the incredibly spacious underground village. "It must double as a fortress, for dealing with invaders as much as it is a home then. Enemies unfamiliar with the layout would be in danger of ambushes and traps every step of the way - that's clever."

    "I imagine your own patrols would find us if we did become separated somehow and got lost." Yagura says. "So it may be better if we are spotted by as many people as possible here, and in your company. That way, it is less likely that we could be mistaken for intruders."

    Kuroda waves at the school children as they pass by - the living circumstances were certainly different, but the curiosity of children would always be the same no matter where you went in the world. Suddenly, as Yōsuru continued to speak, an angry voice broke through the relative quiet. The three Uchiha all turn to see a young woman striding towards them, with an expression Kuroda knew all too well. And that those eyes were locked on Yōsuru, he knew they were about to witness something fairly funny.

    "You're in for it now, Yōsuru." Yagura says, grinning with amusement as they begin to follow after Sari and Yōsuru.

---

WC: 414

[Arata Namikaze]

HP: 460 (560 w/ C.A.)| Chakra: 24 | Regen: 7/post

---

TAGS: @

---

NOTES: Notes here

Arata let out a soft whistle as the group entered the cavern which housed the Shin village. The cave itself was impressive enough, meriting plenty of appreciation—the fact that the Shin had managed to carve it into such a fine home was even more impressive. He would need to keep his eyes open during their visit. There was much to be learned from the organization and construction of a village like this—things which could help his own people, if applied creatively.

He nodded especially at Hana’s evaluation of the fortress. Fighting in tunnels was a nightmare for any strategist planning an assault. Still, there were ways of going about such things. He wondered how the Shin planned to defend against earth style jutsus. Cave-ins were no laughing matter.

He chuckled a bit at Sari’s interactions with Yōsuru. He nudged Kuroda and grinned, “I think they missed him while he was gone.” It seemed every clan had someone like a Sari—the sort of person who kept everything running. She was the kind of person who didn’t appreciate a clan leader ducking out for a lengthy trip to another nation. Understandable.

As the group started moving, following in Sari’s wake, Arata smiled and waved at a few Shin who had stopped and started staring at them. Their response was slightly less friendly, as they frowned at him before shuffling back into the buildings they had come from. “Oh, well,” he muttered. These sorts of things took time.

Made by Zeref of THQ

[Yōsuru Shin]

The travelling party would soon find themselves in an office. Presumably Yōsuru's office. A banner bearing the crest of the Shin hung on the back wall, and whilst most of the furniture was cushioned, the majority was made out of stone rather than wood.

The previously furious Sari had taken a few deep breaths as they walked and had now smoothed out her clothes and fixed her hair. Demeanour now night and day from the rageful beast before. "Forgive my outburst earlier honoured guests." She says with a bow, intentionally not apologising to Yōsuru. "There was simply some...miscommunication about our Leader's departure. Which upset our Elders." She explains. "Fah! When are they not upset? Probably wishing Voruun herself had swallowed me up the decrepit old fu-..." "REGARDLESS...of that..." She interrupts. "My demeanour was unbecoming, and I hope you will forgive me." She bows again. "Thank you Sari, and don't worry. I'll be sure to come back for my lecture in a few moments, for now let me get our guests situated. It has been a long journey." She nods her head and gestures to the door for all of them, Yōsuru leading them out into the corridor of the sizeable building.

"I'll need a bit to get rooms sorted for you all. Kuroda and Hana I imagine you'll be sharing. Arata and Yagura..." He pauses for a few moments. "I imagine you will not be?" If they wished to share that was always an option, but he assumed the two men from differing clans would prefer quarters to themselves. 

"In the meantime, let me show you all to the bathhouse. I'm sorry if private baths are what you are used to, we don't have them here, but they should be fairly unoccupied at this time of day." It's a short journey out through the town, and then a jaunt down a small flight of stairs to a lower level of the cavern. Seemingly a smaller cave connected to the wider network, and adapted for use. "Ladies change on the left and gents on the right, but I'm afraid the bath is communal. Just behave yourselves. Towels and everything you should need are provided, get the sting of the desert off you." He smiles and gestures. "When you're done come meet me back at my office." With a smile and a nod he departs, leaving the group to bathe, or not, as they desired.

If they did decide to bathe, after changing they would find a sparkling lake of water underneath a roof of beautiful quartz. The pool was heated by specially applied fire jutsu, to give it almost the same feel as a hot spring. Two other people inhabited the bathhouse at the current time, though both sat on almost opposite sides, and were not yet conversing.

On the right, a young man. Possibly a few years Kuroda's junior. With the trademark white skin and white hair of the Shin, currently his eyes were closed and he was seemingly just enjoying the water. On the left, a young woman, likely only just having entered her twenties upon first glance, was reading a book in the dim torchlight.

[Kuroda Uchiha]

    Kuroda smirks at Arata, amused by the man's comment. When they started moving again, Kuroda notices the same thing Arata does.

    "It isn't much of a surprise - you probably saw similar looks from the people in my village." Kuroda says evenly. "Tight knit communities tend to be rather wary of sudden appearances of outsiders. It will probably be best to let them interact with us, rather than us trying to force interactions with them."

    Soon, the group enter a building and are led to a fairly modest office. It was practical in its decoration, and the Shin Clan banner was something to be expected. Sari turns to them, and apologizes with a sincere bow.

    "Think nothing of it, miss Sari." Kuroda says, bowing his head politely. Yagura and Hana also bow in acceptance of the apology. They straighten their posture, and Yagura grins at the short outburst by Yōsuru, and Sari's quick interjection to stay on the conversation.

    It seemed, though, that they would not be having their discussion in the office. Yōsuru led them through the building and back out onto the underground streets. It was a surprise, where they had been brought to, but not unwelcome.

    "Thank you, Yōsuru." Hana says. "I think we will take up that offer. The journey across the desert has been hard on us, and I'm sure your baths will be a great relief."

    Kuroda and Yagura nod as well. Yōsuru seems to take leave of them, so they go about preparing for the communal baths. Such a thing was not unknown to them. In the Uchiha village, communal and non-communal baths were held in separate buildings, but close by. However, the closest the communal bath got was a large pool of warmed water that had a thick wall separating the men's and women's sides.

    There was a little surprise to find that there was no wall separating the sexes here, but they didn't fuss. Kuroda and Hana simply sat together in the warm water, letting their muscles relax for the first time in days. Yagura sat alone, but nearby them, placing himself between the young Shin man and them.

    "This feels nice..." Hana sighs, sinking slightly deeper into the water and laying the back of her head against the stone. Kuroda agreed, letting his eyes shut. Yagura did neither of these things, but did seem to appreciate the opportunity to relax.

---

WC: 403

[Arata Namikaze]

HP: 460 (560 w/ C.A.)| Chakra: 24 | Regen: 7/post

---

TAGS: Yōsuru Shin Kuroda Uchiha

---

NOTES: Notes here

Arata eyed Yōsuru’s office—what he presumed was Yōsuru’s office—with a fair amount of admiration. The Namikaze’s own workspace was far messier, and perhaps a little smaller. The stone furniture wasn’t exactly the most inviting, but there were worse offices that one could have.

With a polite nod, he smiled at Sari’s apology. “There is little to forgive. Thank you for your hospitality.”

As the group moved back into the corridor, Arata cast a glance at Yagura. “No offense, friend, but after a long journey, having a room to myself sounds like quite the gift.” Turning back to Yōsuru, he added, “If it’s not too much trouble, of course.”

Not long thereafter, he found himself settled into the same communal baths as the three Uchiha and a few of the Shin. Steam swirled up from the waters, providing a thin fog throughout the house. After days of dry, desert air, the humidity trapped in the bathhouse was heavenly. As Arata eased himself into the bath, his blonde hair dipping into the waters, his muscles loosened at he let out a relaxed breath. He would need to be careful not to fall asleep here.

Keeping Kuroda’s earlier comments about the wariness of the Shin in mind, he had set up a respectful distance from the young Shin man who shared the bath with them—though it was unlikely the man even knew they were there. His eyes had remained shut since Arata had entered the room. Yagura, Kuroda, and Hana sat a similar distance away, each of them relaxing as the harshness of the desert wore off.

As the minutes passed, Arata’s eyelids got progressively heavier. Once they were settled in their rooms, he would need to take a nice, long nap.

Made by Zeref of THQ

[Yōsuru Shin]

Returning to his office. Yōsuru realised Sari was no longer here, with a sigh of relief he stepped in and gently shut the door. Only to realise Sari very much was still here as she came out from behind the door, slamming it shut and blocking his path to freedom. "Gah! Jashin's arse Sari you're going to give me a heart att-" "What in all the hells do you think you're trying to pull?!" She very quickly cuts him off. Despite being many years his junior, she scolds him like a mother scolds a child. "First of all! 'Sari I'm going for a walk' implies you will be back in a few hours at most. There was chaos when you didn't come back! CHAOS!" She shouts. "Sari I-" "Hush! I am speaking!" She interrupts. Some part of Yōsuru wanted to remind her that he was the clan leader, but it seemed that he was going to get this lecture either way, no point in making it worse.

"Then when you finally decide to send a letter, I find out you're vacationing in the Land of Fire. Whom, need I remind you, WERE OUR ENEMIES NARY A YEAR PRIOR!" Yōsuru opens his mouth to object, but Sari's glare prompts him to swiftly reconsider that course of action. "And now, while I've been trying to keep the elders from re-electing a new leader in your absence and sorting all the paperwork whilst clearing the pigsty that was your office! I find out that you've brought strangers from the Land of Fire into our home without warning me!"

Panting heavily, it seemed like she was taking a breath for the first time since she started. "May I speak now?" Yōsuru requests, eyebrow raised. To which his assistant nods. "First of all, I never took you for the xenophobic type Sa-." "I'm going to stop you right there before you continue that idiotic sentiment. I fully supported your pleas for peace. I have stood by you during your motions for reconciliation. Xenophobic I am not. My problem with the lack of warning is the cave is a mess! I had no time to clean! What must they be thinking of the Shin after seeing the amount of dirt and dust around. And now I have to worry about their rooms? They're nobles right...what do you think a manservant in each room? No...no...TWO MANSERVANTS?!" 

Classic Sari, neurotic about every small detail. It seemed in her stress about making a good impression she had forgotten what she was initially so mad about. "Alright well, first of all. If they are thinking anything negative of the Shin I don't think its our lack of cleanliness. Second of all I think if they did notice any dirt they'd attribute that to us living in a literal cave system. And third of all, Sari, do you think the nobles of the Land of Fire would accept anything less than three manservants per room?" He asks with a teasing smile.

The way her eyes widened in stress showed that she didn't view it as a tease. "My word, you're right! I've been such a fool! I'll make arrangements immediately." She had seemingly forgotten all about how mad she was as she hurried to the door to start getting the rooms arranged. She only stops for a brief moment. "...Yōsuru, there were Uchiha among them, correct?" She asks, to which he nods. "Do they know?" She asks cautiously. To which he doesn't answer. Nodding slowly, she departs, closing the door behind her.

Steadily Yōsuru limps to his desk and sits down, discarding his poncho and satchel for now and resting his cane against the stone surface. He rolls up his trouser leg to check the status of his injury. Blackish-blue skin crested the edges of a wound that was starting to seep with blood and pus. "That's not good...I forgot to ask her for a doctor..." He sighs, trying to ignore the pain for now. He rolls the trouser leg back down as his eyes crest the main document sat in front of him. Summons to the Elder Council - Yōsuru Shin. "That's worse..." 

---

In the relaxing waters of the bathhouse the visitors from the Land of Fire rested. The young woman was still engrossed in her book. While the pale, white-haired man's eyes slowly opened, revealing the wide, dark eyes that some of the Shin bore. "Oho? Drifting leaves blown into the desert sands, my what a curiosity." He smiles, taking in the features of the four visitors across from him. "Never thought I'd see anyone but a Shin...true or not...grace these halls again." He moves across the edge of the lake, sliding slowly in a sitting position closer to the group, not quickly enough to denote aggression. "How very interesting, what has brought you flickering flames to our dreary cavern?" 

[Kuroda Uchiha]

    When the Shin speaks up, it is Kuroda who replies.

    "A pleasure to make your acquaintance." he says, offering a polite nod. "We have traveled far with your Clan Head, Lord Yōsuru Shin."

    Kuroda recalled Yōsuru half-jokingly telling him to try calling him Lord in the presence of his Clan members, and see what happens. Well, now seemed like a good opportunity to see what the Shin leader had been talking about.

    "I am Kuroda Uchiha, Clan Head of the Uchiha. This is my wife, Hana - and our kin, Yagura." he says, introducing them. He would not speak for Arata, as it was not his place to do so. "In truth, we have come to speak with your Elders and Yōsuru on the matter of a potential alliance between the Shin and Uchiha."

    Kuroda smiles friendlily.

    "To whom do I speak to?" he asks.

---

WC: 147

[Arata Namikaze]

HP: 460 (560 w/ C.A.)| Chakra: 24 | Regen: 7/post

---

TAGS: Yōsuru Shin@kuroda

---

NOTES: Notes here

Arata’s eyes drifted back open, sliding over to the young Shin who had begun to speak. A poet, it seems, he thought, or maybe just a touch insane. All the strangest people seemed to toe that line. The Shin spoke as though he was several decades older than he appeared. He reminded Arata of a few of the monks he once knew at the temple—several had possessed that same slow, far-gazing aura as the individual before him now.

Curious, that. He had always assumed the monastic types of the world were born from spending too much time under the trees and stars of far kinder environments. Living underground didn’t seem that it would lend itself well to a contemplative spirit.

Still, if the contemplative spirit could have avoided drifting closer to him in the bath, Arata would have appreciated it. He had been able to hear the other man just fine from where he started.

“And I’m Arata Namikaze, head of the Namikaze clan—from the Land of Fire, as I see you’ve managed to figured you.” He wasn’t sure what else the man’s references to blowing leaves and flickering flames could mean if not in connection with the forests of the Land of Fire. “I’ve travelled here for a similar purpose: a friendship between our clans, and an agreement to help each other in times of trouble.”

Made by Zeref of THQ