The Welcome Wagon

[Kabu]

So it was finally time... Eiko had been planning every detail of this trip for months on end but even as she was riding the train towards Fire Country she couldn't help but feel a bit nervous. She was after all going to be visiting another village... even if it was an allied village. "I hope this trip goes well and that I make a good impression." she muttered to herself as she looked out the window, watching the scenery roll on by. After a time she let out a sigh, relaxing in her seat. She had to believe it would be fine, she couldn't be stressing out over it before she even arrived. They would hopefully already be expecting her as she had sent a notice ahead with her expected time of arrival so for now all she had to do was wait.

---

From there an hour turned into two and further even from there a full day passed, Eiko stepping off the train the next day with a stretch and a yawn. The sun had just begun to rise, enveloping Tokugashou City in the glow of an early morning. She couldn't believe it had only taken a day to travel between countries... but here she was in Fire Country. The trains were a real marvel of technology... It was hard to believe just how far their two countries had come in only a few years.

However... with a quick look around it became evident her escort(s) weren't quite here yet and so she made her way over towards a nearby teahouse, taking a seat at an outdoor table. She ordered a sweet tea and it was there that she waited, sipping on her tea as she looked around at her surroundings. It was all so new to her... and while she was still nervous she was also excited. Excited to see what another country was like, excited to see what the people were like, and finally even excited to potentially make some new friends. That last part was honestly the most exciting... She absolutely loved her friends back home but hey, this was a perfect opportunity to make other friends away from home.

"Honestly... I'm really looking forward to this. I just hope my escorts don't take too long, and that they're friendly....

[Izanagi]

Greeting foreign shinobi had never been something Takeshi had really expected to be part of his duties. His brother Yozei was always more interested in foreign affairs and travelling to other nations, but he had moved South to rule as a Prince over Dragon’s Breath. Now, Takeshi was left as the Hokage’s eldest son within Konoha. Of course, he had his sisters too. Hanako however had married recently and seemed content with her life as she settled into a new home and her duties as a newlywed wife. But his twin sister Kaori he naturally kept quite close with. The two were both Genin and despite the difference in the colour of their eyes and last names they were each half Hyuuga and half Natsuki. Expectations would fall on both of them as they grew older and so it was that the two set off together to Tokugashou city to greet the daughter of the Raikage who also served as the Lightning country Emperor.

Of course, given that the twins were each Genin and only 13 years old, they were guided and shadowed by a pair of trusted Anbu operatives. The men made themselves scarce as they arrived in the city, turning invisible and shadowing in case there was trouble. When the time came to make their way back through the forests they would guide them. Even as children of the Hokage, Genin weren’t privy to the changing routes and patterns of the forest.

Takeshi wore his usual outfit, a white and teal haori with silver hawks on the chest. His dark hair was tied back into a high ponytail, long bangs framing his face and the signature white eyes of the Hyuuga clan. He wore his Konoha forehead protector, concealing the curse mark sealed onto his forehead. Across his back he carried a black bow and a quiver of arrows and at the left side of his hip he carried a dao style sword, 3ft in length in a black sheath with silver embroidery and a burgundy grip.

Though as they arrived at the train station, regrettably about 10 minutes late it became apparent that the platform had already cleared out of passengers. “She must be nearby” he stated to his sister, who stood a few inches shorter than himself. Without a second thought he activated his Byakguan, his natural response to most situations. Chakra signatures flooded his senses. Even the invisible Anbu operatives became clear as day to him, but he wasn’t alarmed. But there was another chakra signature that stood out, considerably stronger than the average civilians or handful of Chunin guards stationed in the area. “There” he said, deactivating his Byakguan as he turned toward a nearby tea shop, no more than 30 meters away. He would walk alongside his sister and let her make the introductions. Though he had been taught some formal mannerisms by his uncles in the Hyuuga clan he didn’t actually like being so proper and besides that his gut feeling was that friendly would be better. And in that regard Kaori easily outshined him.

[Willoria]

Kaori hated how quiet the trip out had been. She too felt more like this was something Yozei should be doing, but of course now that he'd gone back to his mother's family it wasn't really something he could do. The young genin couldn't help feeling a little bitter about it still. She missed her brother, since he'd left there had been a few reasons to be bitter about it but now a new reason had been slowly eating away at her. She and Takeshi were left to do formal things like this, and though she loved her brother and had always been attached at the hip to him their differences were becoming more and more apparent. He trained with his clan, often leaving her to train on her own now. Plus he clearly had other duties as well, adding to her alone time. But the alone time was something she was slowly adjusting to, now it was the constant comments about their differences. He gained so much from their mother, the Clan traits, and she gained so much from their father, but that meant in the eyes of many she was simply normal. As they came up on the train platform she felt the questions eating at her already. 'Is this going to be another meeting that start's with someone shocked that we're siblings?'

She buried it all in the back of her mind with a heavy sigh, doing her best to put a smile back on her face as always and sparing a glance at her brother as he looked for, and quickly located, the person they were supposed to be meeting. As she walked with her brother to the tea shop, it was easy to spot the woman. The description they had been given was pretty accurate and a smile easy came to rest on Kaori's face as they got close and she gave a short bow as they drew close. "I believe you're looking for us." she said kindly. "I am Natsuki Kaori." she added, introducing herself before motioning to her brother. "And this is my brother, Hyuuga Takeshi. We were sent to meet you and escort you to Konoha." Her hands folded neatly in front of her once the introductions had been made, and Kaori herself wore her usual clothing, almost all black that somehow made the cerulean blue of her eyes stand out all the more. Though in addition she had on a black cloak, underneath which and clinging to the inside of the fabric were many blue butterflies, the start of the swarm she was working on training and raising up. There wasn't a whole lot yet, but she was working on getting them to travel with her and so this was simply a start.

[Kabu]

Eiko wasn't really sure for how long she waited, at some point having pulled a fairly innocuous romance novel out of her bag and begun reading to pass the time. She had made sure to travel light, bringing only the necessities and a few books... though in her mind the books were a necessity. Ever since she was a kid she had enjoyed reading over other hobbies, in her youth having served as a distraction from her feelings of loneliness, and even now as an adult she still loved it.

Eventually she looked up from her reading, having caught the sound of footsteps very explicitly heading in her direction. Upon doing so she spotted a pair of young teenagers, her head tilting at the sight of them. Could they be the ones she was waiting for? They were still young but they were very clearly shinobi, even if only Genin. As such, just in case she marked her spot and tucked her book back into her bag, standing up just in time to hear the girl make introductions. Well... it seemed the pair of them were siblings but they looked and acted so very differently, Kaori certainly being the more polite of the two. Not that she was about to make any mention of their perceived differences. Really she wasn't even phased by so much as their last names being different... After all she was adopted and she and Hayate couldn't be any more different if they wanted to, and she had only recently taken on his last name herself.

"Ah, thank you for having me. It's a pleasure to meet the both of you. I am Nakajima Eiko, Jounin of Kumogakure and adopted daughter of Nakajime Hayate." she introduced herself with a light bow and a small, gentle smile. She had always been the polite and friendly sort but in line with her position as the Raikage's daughter she had put some amount of study into formal etiquette for times like this. She had very quickly learned however that she actually hated being too formal and so had learned to mix it in with her normal speech patterns, finding a balance of sorts.

"So, shall we get going towards Konoha? I would very much like to get to know the both of you as we travel. After all, this is a wonderful opportunity to make new friends and I am never one to pass up a chance like that."

[Izanagi]

Takeshi maintained a neutral expression as Kaori introduced them. He bowed after Eiko did, and then responded to her introduction. “A pleasure to meet you too” he said simply. He was quite interested in learning more about their allies from the cloud village. Konoha and Suna had been close allies as long as he was alive but he hadn’t ever had interactions with Kumo shinobi until recently, despite knowing they were allies and partners in the railway project. His natural distrust of foreigners had him skeptical of the relationship with the Lightning Empire. Though having his life saved by a Kumo Jounin only a few weeks ago had certainly warmed him up to giving them a chance.

He noted the romance novel, naturally an observant sort. Though Eiko seemed eager to get going and gathered her things and Takeshi extended his arm, “Of course, I’m sure you’re eager to see Konoha for yourself. Tokugashou is a large trade city, but it doesn’t quite compare” he commented, making some idle conversation as they walked westward toward the edge of the city. He nodded and smiled at the woman’s request that they get to know each other a little. “I noticed you like to read. I prefer adventure stories myself, our big brother Yozei left some of his for me when he moved out” he said. His voice was soft and pleasant, a gentle sort. But it was like he was holding something back, his jawline tight and his pale eyes hardened. Despite his youth he had been forced to grow up fast, and reading stories were some of the few fragments of his childhood he could cling to, but even that left a bitter taste in his mouth as he thought of Yozei leaving so soon after returning from the war. He longed to be properly recognized by his brother and to stand as his equal. And he knew how hard it was on Kaori having him gone, the two of them had always been close.

[Willoria]

Kaori couldn't help seeing the book before Eiko was able to tuck it away and she almost squealed. "Oh that's a good one isn't it?!" she suddenly asked, almost too excited for her own good. "Have you seen the new one, it's even-!" She suddenly stopped herself and glanced at her twin brother out of the corner of her eye as if she just realized what she was talking about in front of him. She blushed deeply and cleared her throat. "Right, we should get going." She muttered, rubbing the back of her neck awkwardly. She was suddenly all too aware of the book Eiko had been reading could be a bit saucy, and the sequel she had mentioned was even worse. When she had bought it she had specifically made sure no one in the family saw her bring it in.

She immediately fell quiet as she followed her brother and Eiko as they started away from the little tea shop. Takeshi mentioning Yozei caused her to pause briefly, glancing at him and suddenly being grateful she was actually behind him for the moment as they started the walk. She rested her hands behind her back for the moment, under her cloak. As she moved she could feel the butterflies moving gently against her fingertips, it was an oddly comforting feeling as she sighed quietly to herself.