The [festival] closes! A goodbye topic! [Open]

[Kanade]

Chiaki walked slowly past the booths that were now starting to pack up their wares. There were a couple of them that were still open, and were selling goods to the hangabouts that were straggling behind, or were enjoying the relative peace in the wake of the festival.

The streets were still recovering, and there were street-sweeps that were cleaning up the less-used alleys. The rest of the festival was going to be the final announcements of the strongest, and then a big fireworks blowout, before people would be told to go home in the early hours of the morning. Chiaki had enjoyed her time here, and teared up now, looking at the streets that she had enjoyed time with all of the people of her past, and hopefully the people of her future that she wanted to continue relationships with.

It was the first time that she recalled that the fighting was set aside for some fun between villages. No fighting, no wars, just some good fun. Everyone needed a vacation, and the Samurai that permeated the place had kept the peace.

She walked toward the place where Hanako said that she would be waiting for Chiaki, her sensei. She had said that she had something to say, so Chiaki wondered what it was. Chiaki was wearing a comfortable athletic-wear, purple in color, and her butterflies flitted to and fro about her, waiting for her to do something. They alighted on spilled sugary drinks and bits of meat that were left over, drinking the sugar and blood alike.

Smiling, she looked toward the afternoon sun, already beating a hasty retreat behind the tallest of the rooftops. It was a lovely festival, and she was loathe to have it come to an end.

[HotelBravo]

Hanako extended her senses. She wasn’t sure what she was looking for… someone familiar is what she hoped ah! There she was. Her chakra touched Chiaki’s and she opened her eyes. Hanako had been sitting on top of a roof of a building with her legs hanging over the side. As she sensed Chiaki’s presence she slid down the side of the wall, using her chakra to guide her descent until she was on the market stall laden street, where the ghosts of the festival danced in the form of the locals cleaning up the tokens of celebration.

Hanako’s manner of dress had become more and more serious as time had moved on. When she first met Chiaki she wore only her one pink Kimono, which had evaporated into rages during her stay in the land of stars. Then she had been given a number of outfits in the Land of Stars when Chiaki took her shopping. This was not one of those outfits - that had been cute. The truth was, Hanako was still a growing girl and she was already out growing those outfits. Hanako wore a one piece skin tight suit with bandages wrapping her arms and legs, a set of sandals and a shuriken holster on her thigh. She had a pouch on the back of her hip - and hidden beneath the bandages - her arms and legs were now covered in fuuinjutsu - and she had saved a special spot on the back of her neck as Chiaki had mentioned that she would need space to place her own seal on Hanako.

As she had continued her training under Chiaki’s guidance she had built on a lot of muscle as a result of the harshness of the Land of Stars. Hanako’s arms were well defined and muscled. Her thighs were powerful and the sinew danced like threads of a rope knotting into powerful muscles all the way down through her calves to her feet. She looked like something of a female body builder now - she was completely transformed from that tiny little girl that she had been once upon a time. Even without the muscle, the childish body that she had before had finally blossomed into that of a young woman as her hips had flared out and her chest had swollen enough that despite her physique she was unquestionably a young woman.


Hanako could have been a different person. Certainly the missing person reports from Kumogakure would be sorely outdated considering her appearance.

”Chiaki-sensei!” Hanako called out excitedly as the elder of the two came into the view of her eyes. Hanako pulled the bandages on her arm aside and accessed the seal to release a bouquet of flowers - the centerpiece being a pink Hydrangeas. She held out the flowers for Chiaki to take. ”I saw some flowers and then I thought about getting some for Granny but then I also thought about getting some for you - but it was too noisy so I had to hide in the flower shop - and then I saw that girl who was made out of poison - ” Hanako happily rattled off the things she had done and experienced in the festival.

She may look like a young woman, but it seemed that maybe she hadn’t changed so much after all. Hanako was still Hanako.

[Nick]

Farewell From a Frog Fuhen had spent most of his time at the festival in a diplomatic capacity. Ninja activity may have been expressly forbidden, but business talk in regards to peace between the nations seemed as appropriate as anything else... Besides, it wasn't like the Frog was going to train himself any further, that would be nonsense. Still, he'd been observing people around him as he moved from place to place, feeling out the warrior spirits of so many he'd never get a chance to meet, and he smiled.

Oban reached up to give him what almost looked like a pat on the shoulder, but with one swift movement she ripped out a single strand of his hair and held it up in front of his face with a laugh. A single hair of shock white amongst his raven locks that he'd had since he was a babe. He laughed too, and reached up to undo his ponytail, letting his hair flow free for the first time in so many years that he'd almost forgotten what it was like since before he'd made his promise to himself not to cut it.

His time was over, he realized. But he'd worked hard to leave the world a better place than he'd come into it, and if that meant he had to burn fast and bright so that the next torch could be ignited, so be it. Oban didn't see it, didn't feel his life force escaping at every breath as he did, and how could he tell her? This was the first time the two had time to have fun together since they'd first met. She'd be well taken care of after his passing, as would their shared child that she carried. Maybe that child would grow up to take his place, even without his tutelage, or maybe one of the dozens of youth he'd inspired in his travels.

He was certain in his uncertainty, but for now, he just wanted to enjoy the last moments of the festival and watch fireworks go off with his partner. He'd done okay.

---

A Lack of Generational Guidance Fukazawa, Suzuko, would never get to meet her father, on the opposite end of the festival, and blissfully unaware of his existence, and not so blissfully standing there with a look of horror on her face as 'The Strongest' was announced by rank. She hadn't entered herself, of course, she'd never consider it because she didn't need some external validation, she knew that she was good, and certainly wouldn't want to embarrass any of the lower class fools that had also entered...

Goro, on the other hand, had entered her without her permission, and when her name had been called she knew it had to have been his fault almost immediately. At first she'd been angry, but then scoffed, the prize money for first place was as good as hers! Not that she needed the money or anything, she was well taken care of and had plenty of spending cash to throw around during the festival, but victory always tasted sweeter than festival food.

Of course, that surety and confidence only crushed her more when the votes started to tally up when her name was called, each vote making her cocky grin drop bit by bit until she was left mouth agape. She'd worked so hard to be so strong, and people were supposed to recognize and acknowledge that! She felt a tightness in her chest. Did people really think so little of her? Worse, did people not like her? Was it the perfume she'd put on? Was it because she was so sweaty while training? Suddenly, it started to become harder to breath.

She was uncertain in her certainty, and for now, she couldn't enjoy the last moments of the festival, chest tight, and a stinging in her eyes like she wanted to cry but couldn't. She hadn't done okay.

[Taiga]

Who would have ever fathomed that a simple trip to a bathhouse during a world festival would lead to an encounter with one of the highest profile Kumogakure criminals? It was truly astonishing to witness the rogue shinobi of the world brazenly flaunting their identities amidst the sea of guests from their own countries and villages. Hayate had to commend them for their audacity, cunningly exploiting the peace and temporary armistice granted by the event. However, this double-edged sword meant that once the festivities concluded, numerous nations would have a clear idea of where their fugitives would be making their swift departures.

He'd never have meant to do much more than foreign relations on this trip, it more of a vacation than anything... but a mere dip in the tranquil waters of the onsen had upturned Hayate's plans, presenting him with an urgent task that demanded completion before the festival's end. He had already instructed the formidable forces of the Raikage's four limbs to remain on standby, and the Black Ops had been ordered to stand down temporarily. This mission was to be undertaken by Hayate alone. He had steeled himself to face this not as a warrior but as a former teacher, as a village leader, and as a father.

Emerging from the depths of the shadowed streets, the Raikage stealthily maneuvered between the buildings, his path leading toward two former Kumogakure shinobi. Official records labeled them both as missing ninja, but the meticulous investigations conducted by the bureau hinted at the possibility that one of them had fallen under duress, unwittingly trapped in a dire situation. They just didn't believe the little Hanako had it in her to body bag four of her country men and flee, and given her mental state, they doubted she knew what she was getting into.

"Chiaki-sensei!"

Hayate's heart skipped a beat as the voice of the child he had tirelessly sought echoed through the air. Though he was reluctant to admit it, a deep-seated sense of failure to his own daughters and children had driven his unwavering determination. It was a guilt that gnawed at him, propelling him to relentlessly pursue the best outcome in this case, if only to find solace amidst his own parental shortcomings.

Approaching Chiaki and Hanako from behind, Hayate raised his hands in a non-threatening gesture, closing the distance without uttering a single word. His presence alone conveyed a weighty message, his voice resounding in a tone colored with both warmth and authority, "A beautiful finale to an exquisite event—I've always held a profound fondness for the summer fireworks." The words, coated in an enchanting hue, carried an unspoken assertion that he would not leave here without what he was hoping to achieve.

[Kanade]

Chiaki listened to Hanako with a fond smile on her face, it was the only emotion she had ever had for Hanako. The ramblings had become something of a soothing thing for her. She enjoyed the lists and the eagerness of her pupil. The protoge that she had always wanted, the little sister she had always needed. Lifting a hand, she rested it on Hanako's head and played a bit with her hair, then reached down and wiped a bit of dust off the girl's cheek in a familial way. She was growing fast, did all girls?

When the bouquet was produced she took a single flower and sniffed it, "Let's save the others for your grandmother, hmm?" She made a deal with Hanako, "I only need one flower." She gave it to two butterflies who interwove it in her updo and then sat in her hair, making butterfly satellites in the gem of the hydrangea. "What else did you do little one?"

She heard Hayate as he started to approach them, and knew that it was him from his gait. She had heard it thrice, had committed it to memory. Turning around, she looked at the hands raised. No need to call for the samurai then, nor escape via a quick teleport with Hanako. Best to just talk this out.

"Fireworks are my favorite." She said in a guarded tone, "Last time I witnessed them they were in Lightning Country, Raikage-sama." She knew what he was here for, or at least she guessed. Looking down to Hanako, she said, "Hanako-chan, I think that the Raikage is here to tell you that your mission is complete."

She dug around in her pocket and produced a butterfly, it looked like the ones that were in her hair, dancing in agitation at the feelings that Chiaki couldn't acknowledge right now, "Listen here sweetie, if anything happens to you, you tell this butterfly, and I'll come get you. Ah, did you still want that seal that we had talked about? I saved it especially for you."

"Training Hanako was a success, Raikage-sama, she is as dear to me as a little sister, and is a most wonderful girl. I trust you'll treat her with nothing but kindness." She had to go with the thing she told Hanako. She had really kidnapped the girl, taken her for not only the sake of saving the girl's heart from breaking again, but to save Chiaki's own heart from breaking. She knew, however, that the Raikage could probably kill her. Might still do it. Best to not have Hanako there for that.

The words, however, were dipped in a threat, a veiled one that she had learned from Maido and Shinjiro. She was not the Chiaki that had left Kumogakure, but was someone different now. She wouldn't let anyone else be hurt because of her. That's what Takeo had said, that was what she had resolved. She was going to heal the world, that was the original goal, side-stepped time and again, but she was firm in it again.

[Trusted Grader]

With so much drama in Iron Festival, Chikara could barely believe he was still in Pebble Country, he had been drunk for what? 2 weeks straight? Insane, that couldn't be possible, but it was. The man, now more alcohol than human, stumbled out of the shadows and into a trashcan, killing any type sentimental feelings that might have been passed around.

"Ighj... II... F... Jesus.... II... Enz... ENZA!" He pushed himself off the ground and began to crawl towards the ceremony. Look at those... Lovebirds... Talking shit... I hate pebble country... Good drink though, expensive... Blah... If only.... If only Chie was here... The man cursed under his breath as he struggled to get back on his feet, his vision was blurry and his mind was racing to different subjects as he struggled to stay afloat.

Shoryoku had flown away somewhere and he hadn't seen his vision within his minds eye and for some reason he kept losing Enzaragi, or was it that Chikara kept running away? Who knows at this point, what he knew was that whoever was in front of him looked like two parents talking about their child and that was awful, or so the drunk thought.

"Nobody cares about your stupid.... Drama." Chikara pulled himself up to his knees as he pointed his middle finger at the people in front of him right before he puked and passed out.

[Mre-face]

It had been an exhausting two weeks making Enzaragi feel homesick. First week was fine but another was a bit much. It wasn't much of an vacation when you had to take care of your drunk friend who was on a two week bender. It had gotten to the point where Enzaragi didn't really care where Chikara went but always wound up looking for him to make sure he was okay before continuing on.

He had lost him yet again and found him stumbling into objects barely able to control himself before muttering nonsense about some "Jesus" character. Who was this man would he bring salvation to this danger filled world and rescue us from our grievances and sins? Regardless the nara would end his drunken stupor before flipping off three strangers, puked and then fell asleep near his own vomit causing Enzaragi to hide his face in shame before gently kicking him over to distance him from the bile then wiping his friends mouth and then picking him.

"Sorry for my friend here. But man this was some festival huh?" After apologizing for Chikara's behaviour Enzaragi would look towards the fireworks seeing it as a rather fitting end to this whole festival.

[HotelBravo]

As Chiaki and Hanako spoke, Chiaki turned around and Hanako’s gaze followed her at the sudden and strange movement. Hanako was apprehensive - sensing the tension and suspecting hostilities to break out. Her muscles tightened, at least until she saw the man that had been behind them and now standing before them. It hadn’t been so long ago that Hanako wouldn’t have been able to remember this face. One year ago she had just barely graduated from the academy - but during her time there she had observed a set of portraits that had been hung on the wall everyday. This, the teachers had explained, was the chain of command for Kumogakure. At the time her chain of command went from her teachers to the principal of the school then through a few others before reaching the Raikage. The familiar face that she recognized as being the top of the chain of command.

Memories of her Granny were summoned to her mind. The elderly woman had told her so long ago to listen to her superiors no matter what. Hayate was the superior of her superiors. It was a face she had never expected to see, but one she recognized as being legitimate because Granny had said so. Hanako hadn’t seen Granny in over a year now, but she knew that Granny had always been right.

Chiaki responded in a guarded tone - and Hanako picked up on that, but it made her confused. She sensed the conflict in the words of her Granny and the way that Chiaki had expressed herself. She took a step back, nervous and girlish like someone much younger than how she appeared. After addressing the Raikage Chiaki turned to her and relayed that her mission was now complete. She accepted the butterfly and nodded her head when Chiaki asked if she still wanted the seal placed on her.

Hanako wasn’t sure what the protocol was for meeting directly with the Raikage, so she just stood awkwardly with a deer in the headlights kind of look. She may have been 14, but her body language was that of a girl much ”Hello.” She answered to the Raikage. Her mind raced one thousand miles an hour, but it was mostly of useless tangents and she had difficulty with calming her thoughts down enough to consider the ones that had mattered the most. Questions like, Why are you here? Why is this happening? The mission just suddenly ending? Hanako desperately wanted to think those thoughts but they kept slipping away, so instead she just looked on the scene with confusion, not sure what she was supposed to think about all of this.

[Texas]

1st?!?! Akihiko stared at the board for a little too long. His name at the top brought pride and excitement. It was a testament to all of the training he had been going through for a little bit less than a year. The poorly behaved child went from being proud to getting nothing but bad idea. His hands went up to his chest and they started devilishly connecting as a shit eating grin grew upon his face.

After a couple minutes of gassing himself up, Aki ran to the market. There was a toy shop that sold fake jewelry and fun toys. What really caught his attention was the fake golden crown that was for sale. He used a couple of ryo to purchase it and without hesitation, placed it on his head. The child arched his back and puffed his chest, there was someone he wanted to bother heavily... I wonder who she could be? When he left the market, he saw a crowd forming. Unaware of what was going on, the pink haired delinquent placed both of his hands around his mouth to make his voice a little bit louder than normal.

"SUZUKO!? SUZUKO?! WHERE ARE YOU??"

the pre-teen couldn't help himself when it came to teasing Suzuko. All he wanted was for her to see his crown and proclaim it as his prize. The child would walk through the crowd a little bit while saying her name every minute or so. What really caught his attention was the stature and clothing of the Raikage's back. He was a bit away, but his scattered attention brain stopped for a second and made him think.. what was he up to?

[Golnax]

"THERE YOU ARE!!!" came the unnaturally angry cry of an otherwise peaceful, relatively, and friendly mushroom!

Shiun Kinoko had spent the entire festival looking for familiar places, going all over, bumping into seeming everyone who WASN'T who she was after, and only now, as the thing was coming to an end and the crowds had thinned, had she finally caught a glimpse of a familiar duo from her home nations of Heart in the form of Suzuko and her ever present body guard and chaperone Goro!

A sinister, malevolent aura of rage radiated off of Shiun that Suzuko would probably feel from all the way over there which, given the current circuit the moment, would probably feel like poison mixed into a wound. Not that Shiun particularly cared about the venomous influence of her emotions right now considering she'd spent the entire festival totally lost! Now that she'd spotted them through the crowd, however, she wasn't letting them get away!

Shiun got into a picture perfect, textbook accurate, Olympian form sprinting position and ran as fast as she possibly could, zipping past strangers and acquaintances alike as she made for Suzuko and Goro only! She weaved, she spun, she zig zagged her way through passers by all without touching them, losing her momentum or otherwise getting distracted as she cleared the dozens of meters between her and her fellow samurai as quickly as possible; an unstoppable juggernaut with uncanny agility!

When as last she was upon the two she thought about attacking Suzuko right then and there, but oh no; Goro would have shut that down in a heartbeat, and Shiun would not be denied her satisfaction! Instead, she came to a sliding, skidding halt in front of her friend and, once her momentum had ceased, she raised both of her fists and started to beat on Suzuko! Head! Shoulders! Face! Chest! Whatever she could reach she threw hammer fists at (which were noticeably, even if Suzuko didn't block or defend herself for whatever reason, not at all intended to harm, no matter what her aura might say).

"Do! You! Have! ANY! Idea! How! Scared! I! Was!" Shiun demanded to know as she beat on Suzuko. Before Goro could get involved and stop this whole affair, though, Shiun was pulling the young heiress into the tightest embrace she had ever given, suddenly sobbing very loudly, very violently, her petite body quaking on the spot as tears ran down her face and Suzuko's head was pulled in beside her own beneath the mushroom cap. "I was so scared I wouldn't get to come hooooooome!" she sobbed, her words broken up by ugly crying hiccups that could not have any follow up as she simply stood there, crying her eyes out!

But something strange would happen, something that one Suzuko with her peculiar gift would be able to notice. Shiun's rage and anger, so venomous, hot and righteous just a moment ago was melting away, replaced not with sorrow, not with fear, not even relief but... Joy. Unadulterated, unapologetic, unfiltered joy. More than that, though, was a deep, blooming sense of love - not romantic, not really, nor platonic, but more like the love a lost child has when being reunited with the familiarity of a family embrace. A love in comfort, in safety, in reunion.

And that's what this was, a reunion. And it was good.

[Taiga]

The fact of the matter was Hanako had been kidnapped from the village but someone who was now complicit twice over with the death of imperial citizens, including members of the military now. There was a time for crime and punishment, and a time to be human however. Hayate saw how tenderly Chiaki treated Hanako and had to wonder what she was playing at. What was her angle, why had she taken the girl, why did this child mean so much to her? Perhaps Hanako was key to understanding the situation more. Regardless of his questions, for now, the goal was to return the child to her rightful belonging peacefull.

Choosing not to shatter any relationship or image Chiaki had with Hanako, the Raikage would nod.

"The Lightning Country fireworks are truly a beautiful site." he said as he stood closer to the pair, cleared his throat, and then nodded again while saying "Thank you for looking after Hanako on this mission, Chiaki-san.". The Raikage's tone was conflicted, though a truly thankful honey shone through the strongest of the myriad of feelings his voice had carried, truly thankful that Chiaki hadn't seemingly hurt or done anything wrong to the child she had taken away wrongfully from her home.

"What beautiful flowers, may I have one?" they Raikage said as he reached for a flower, dropping coin to the stall before taking a sunflower and comically placing it on his ear, in his hair. He made note of the butterfly- they'd need to consider doing something about that later in case it was a backdoor back into the village for Chiaki.

He pondered what the seal she offered was, but that would be something for another time.

"I'm glad you two could do some training and travel. It certainly seems to be a successful mission, and I'm sure Hanako will tell me all about it later, ne?" he said winking and making a girlish expression with the flower in his hair, hoping to lighten the mood, and ignoring the thinly veiled threat Chiaki had labored against him.

A criminal who kidnapped children was in no place to make threats; though he would placate the lies she told the child as a token of his thanks for her peacefully returning the girl, and also having seemingly not done anything ill-willed towards her.

"Hanako, I think some other youngins like yourself are at the event, why don't I take you to them for a bit while I get the mission report from Chiaki?" he said as his eyes tightened on the pair. He hadn't known Hanako very well beyond the reports, but for a fourteen year old she seemed cognitively.. stunted... making the conflicted feelings he felt even more conflicted.

He wanted to launch into a diatribe, his inner voice screaming How utterly selfish to take advantage of this child for whatever emotional void she has- but the rational side of him cut the emotional side off. It was better to ground himself in facts and figure things out first.

"When the report is done, we'll come find you to enjoy some ice cream." he said with a smile. He kind of wanted ice cream too after having to deal with all of this.

[Mre-face]

Asaganrei had been enjoying the festival, seeing new sights outside of Fire Country and Konoha was always fun but the biggest reason was the food. Every day there was something new to try from all food categories. Entrees snacks dessert you name it and Ganrei had most likely eaten it. Maintaining his size and trying to slowly eat more to increase his size was expensive but worth it in his eyes as it complimented his training perfectly.

The fireworks were the icing on the cake as they put. He had found himself a nice seat to watch over the final celebration eating a big meal alongside it with a dessert to finish off the day before heading home later. Man I can't wait for next year this was great. Shame I couldn't try everything the world is so diverse maybe one day I can just travel around and try so many things! The festival had made the foodie want to try more foods across the world it was so exciting to see how many different ways there were to prepare meals and the similarly in those differences. He longed for him to become high ranked enough to explore the world on his own one day.

[Kanade]

Chiaki nodded at Hayate, giving him a false smile, but it was one of her best. It was the smile when she already knew the worst outcome for her patient but hadn’t given up hope yet. “Of course, Raikage-sama.” The smile turned genuine as Hanako said hello. She channeled chakra into her hand and placed it at the back of Hanako’s neck, the seal formed and she nodded, “There you are little one,” She said and then telepathically communicated, ‘it’s probably best that you do as he asks.’ There was a warning in her tone as she continued on, her gaze went back to the Raikage. Surely he wouldn’t do anything during the festival, but that wasn’t a guarantee. She had seen what he could do at the hospital, but there were also bystanders here.

She had no idea, truly, what his fighting style was, but it went without saying that the title Kage was given to one that was highest on the military platform. He was strong, and had the military intelligence chops that Chiaki just didn’t have. Chiaki thumbed a pebble in her pocket, ready to make a hasty escape if need be. If he forced her to retreat, she would come after Hanako, but she was willing to do a peaceful transition here.

Truth be told, she couldn’t take care of Hanako, and she hoped that Hanako could have more interactions with kids her age in Kumogakure. She had expected for Hanako to fit better into Kintsugi. She had expected to be around for Hanako more. She had also expected that her and Nozomi would get on better. Between the weird development that Nozomi had undergone, and Hanako’s own mental faculties, she had been pushed from bad situation to bad situation, and now Chiaki was forced to turn a mirror on herself.

She wasn’t the best person, and couldn’t build a place for Hanako. At least not yet. Perhaps when Kintsugi got off the ground, when she started the hospital there, when she had some clout on an international scale, then she could figure out what to do about Hanako. Hanako had grown on Chiaki, and the unlikely little lost girl that was looking for her grandmother meant so much to Chiaki.

How much she had grown. How much had Chiaki missed and not been there for her student. Her little sister. She couldn’t keep a frown from forming for a split moment, her eyes blinked rapidly and she nodded to Hanako. She didn’t know how much would go through the telepathic link to her protege, but she hoped it was at least some.

[HotelBravo]

The disconnect was still there. Hanako had come to implicitly trust chiaki, but she could sense that there was something there. A dangerous edge - a tension in the air. She recognized the face of the Raikage, however. It was one she had seen so many times on the walls of the academy - a little demonstration showing the chain of command. Her instincts were weak when it came to people. She had not grown up surrounded by peers, and most of her current training had been completed in the land of stars - fighting dinosaurs. Despite the strange air she had to trust the words they were speaking. She had no other choice than to believe that Chiaki and the Raikage were both saying what they meant.

As if to try and ease the tension, the Raikage moved over to one of the stands and purchased a flower of his own, placing it in his ear. It didn’t seem to phase Hanako in the slightest because her sense of comedy was something that other people couldn’t understand. Instead, she just took it straight forward that this was how he wanted to appear and found nothing funny or wrong in that. She didn’t have anything to Hayate because she didn’t have anything to say. What was she supposed to say? It seemed like a normal thing to react to what he had said so far but she just didn’t have strong feelings one way or the other.

Hanako stood and allowed Chiaki to place her seal on her, and received her telepathic message. She didn’t need Chiaki to tell her that she should follow the Raikage, she had already intended to do so.

”Okay. Goodbye Chiaki. Talk to you again soon.” Hanako agreed with Hayate to go visit with some of the other “youngins” and moved, but then Hayate hadn’t actually clearly indicated where he wanted to go with a gesture or any sort of verbal direction, so after moving a bit she just stood where she was looking at him confused, and looking for more answers.

He mentioned something about ice cream. Hanako frowned. ”Ice cream is high in sugar and low in nutrients.” Hanako was not aware that this might be her last meeting with Chiaki. It was a cruel thing to do to Chiaki, but Hanako had no way of knowing.

[Taiga]

The Raikage watched as Chiaki put a fuuinjutsu on Hanako's neck, tenuously. He didn't like the idea of a missing ninja criminal just handing things to his shinobi or marking them, but, now wasn't the time to make a big deal of it. Making a mental note they'd need to double check that later, he let out a sigh as he looked upon the two who said their goodbyes, his head throbbing. He had more questions than he had answers, and to be honest, he would of never imagined the young girl he had pegged to be a prodigy would grow up to be such a mess and pain in the ass. It was unfortunate Chiaki had fell-in with the wrong crowd, and perhaps even more unfortunate that she had crossed lines that even he couldn't bring her back from.

Shaking his head gently and taking another sigh, he focused on the matters at hand as he realized Nakano stood frozen, unsure of what to do. For now it was best to let the child enjoy the event- the lies... the journey she had. Perhaps Chiaki truly did care for her. Perhaps it was out of desperation or some missing void within herself. It didn't matter much as long as Hanako was okay.


"Aki-kun!" he wailed out, his hands cupped around his mouth as he called out to the boy and beckoned him over. He'd pointed his finger off to Akihiko who was running around screaming "Suzuko!" and chasing Shiun. "Why don't you join them- he's a genin like you!" he said gently, though with a slight smile. The boy and his two Heart Empire companions had been up to a lot of no-good in the past few weeks, but that was the kind of no-good and socializing maybe Hanako could use. A chance to bond with her own generation and to get more experience in dealing with others- develop her lacking intrapersonal skills.

Hopefully a light-hearted acquaintance to be made.

Once he was sure things were settled there, he would signal to Chiaki to walk with him, hopefully going off into an alley or somewhere else, away from Hanako. At the first chance he'd get for a dialogue, he'd bow his head to Chiaki.

"It seems you've really taken care of her- even if you did kidnap her, Chiaki." he said with a sharp tongue, before bowing deeper down. "For that, I'm nothing but grateful. I'd like to think the circumstances of you abducting a child you had no legal guardianship over were something out of your control, that you had to do, given whatever foul shinobi had come to the village to fetch you." he said as he rose from his bow, his hand precariously perched on the edge of his chin, not quite scratching it, but holding it as a look of perplexation crossed his brow.

"We have reason to believe you killed four Kumogakure shinobi when you abducted Hanako, but something tells me thats not you. Killing isn't your M.O., least not that we know of. And you generally seemed remorseful last time you... assaulted a fellow citizen." the Raikage said as he tilted his head and leveled his eyes with Chiakis.


Chiaki was perhaps a story much more tragic than even his own- he knew deep down she wanted to do good but she had in the process mistakenly done so much wrong. At any rate, outside the walls of the village and their country, she wouldn't be able to harm that much more.

"You're far more trouble than it's worth, so I'd like to make you a deal, in part for my gratitude to the care you gave Hanako. Let us make sure you don't have any dangerous memories to the state or secrets, tell me who killed those shinobi, and you're right as rain in my books. You will be released of any duties or ties to Kumogakure and the empire. We won't hunt you, we won't come after you, and we won't care what you do so long as you don't harm us or the allied nations." the Raikage said sternly, laying his offer out on the table. He wanted very much to wash his hands of the situation and be done with it, but he needed some answers and some assurances.

Without them, he'd have a hard time justifying not sending everything they had for Chiaki once the festival concluded.

[Trusted Grader]

Kitsui walked around the festival enjoying most of what it could offer, he hadn't been elected in the rankings but he still got to see who he was up against, which emboldened the young warrior, he had been sent here with most of the eligable ninjas and had secretly been wanting to get closer to his bully, Asaganrei, he had bought two hotdogs and wanted to share them with him to try to buy himself into the ring instead of fighting him another year. A sigh rolled off his breath as his dog wined, both knew that the fireworks were in the process of being fired, which made the dog nervous.

"Yeah, I know." Kitsui shrugged at the dog, Shikon was busy staring at the food to care what he was talking about but once they started walking so did the dog. The Inuzuka reached the Akimichi and gently nudged his shoulder. "Hey there big fella, you don't happen to be hungry do ya?" The young warrior tried to be confident but almost faltered when he was standing next to the burly teen. Shit, what do they feed this big boy?

Kitsui was shocked that someone could even manage to afford to take care of this kid, but he did look formidable, hopefully if rumors were true then their teamwork in the future could click. Kitsui was a hunter, or at least he had been trained to track foes with Shikon and was working on learning how to capture his foes, no matter the size. Perhaps with his size and strength he could knock them out or kill them. Kitsui grinned as he offered the hotdog/s to Ganrei.

[Mre-face]

As Asaganrei wandered and pondered on various foods through the world and how this festival had been greatly entertaining it was a memory that Asaganrei was sure to treasure. Soon his hungry solitude would be interrupted by a familiar voice and face. It was Kitsui the boy he loved to jokingly rough around and annoy when the time presented himself. And right now he had the perfect opportunity to do so. The Inuzuka had offered him a hotdog which was right on time as the Akimichi had started to become hungry he wanted to save his appetite for the final celebration. So Ganrei did what he always did best when offered food by his peers and scare them a little for his own amusement.

"OI, Why would you think I'm hungry? Is it because I'm fat?!" The tone was menacing as he towered over the smaller boy, his body enveloping him as he stood proudly. Kitsui's inner thoughts were true his appetite was rather expensive. Despite how intimidating he looked on the outside for a cheap joke, currently, he was hiding an inner smirk that he would surely burst out laughing loudly if he wasn't good at saving face.

The large boy let it sit for a while before cracking a small smile and grabbing the hotdog with great joy. The old adage of the way to a man's stomach was his heart rang truer than anything for Asaganrei meaning that Kitsui had earned some of his respect. "Cause if you thought that! You would be right. Thanks for the hotdogs Kitsai." again smirking as he intentionally mispronounced his name just to mess with him further. "Wait... Hot... Dogs... You didn't make this out of some poor Inuzuka's pet, did you?" The statement was ridiculous and would likely come across as very strange for Kitsui but this is what Ganrei enjoyed the most making people feel slightly irked or uncomfortable for whatever reason.

He snickered quickly before turning around and pointing to where ever it was that they were going. In a way, they complimented each other perfectly one had speed and was a strategist the other was more of a brute if they put their two unmannered heads together they could make a deadly team.

[Kanade]

"No thank you." Chiaki shook her head, "I won't let you into my mind or my memories. I was only a chuunin when I left, so whatever chuunin know, I knew." She shrugged, "You can look through my missions and see what I knew, which was very little, about the defenses of Kumogakure no Sato. I knew so little about them that I led my teacher Maido there to die." I was a medical ninja, and I take with me what I learned from my clan, though I cannot teach it to others. She swallowed hard.

"As for who killed the shinobi, it was Shinjiro." She stated in a curt manner. "You should know him. Hanako will use the butterfly to tell me of an emergency only in the future. I can only guarantee that if she doesn't use it, nothing will happen." she shook her head, "Send who you will after me, but know this, I am like my teacher and not so easily killed." She smiled, her face looking every bit the silicone it was made out of at that point. "Cros is the only ninja who scares me from the village, besides you." She kissed Hanako on the top of the head, then sprinted as fast as she could from the place, channeling chakra as she did, and disappeared, using the anchor, to the Kintsugi base.

Collapsing there, she sobbed, she felt the emotional pain more acutely than she had physical pain in what, ten years? fifteen? fourty? how long had it been? Years had no meaning to her now. She had lost.

More completely than she had any time in the past excepting the time with Maido, she had lost Hanako, the girl who she had taken care of like a younger sister, almost like a daughter.

As she crossed the threshold of her own room in Kintsugi, shutting the door, the fireworks finale started. The festival was coming to a very fantastic and bright end, the booms like peals of thunder rolled across the whole festival. The flashing lights, the myriad colors illuminated the people gathered there, twisting their shadows in an elaborate dance, though not many people moved, their shadows danced and spun, pirouetted and bowed in the flashes, the bright sky-blooms of the end of the festival. There would only be 24 more hours of protection from the Samurai, then everyone would be escorted from the festival grounds.