[Graded] Return to Sender

[Cylan]

Spending his last night outside of Rock Country in the very town where things 'all began' for him was one of the little twists that life threw his way that Kae considered stranger than fiction.

Kizashi and Junko both looked down, their trademark bright, convivial attitudes replaced by a gloom that the rogue Enkouten couldn't quite blame them for. Since the fall of Henkou, he'd pondered many times about what to do with his life. He hadn't seen his mentor in a year, and had spent his eighteenth birthday on the road, fleeing from the hunters that Waterfall had sent his way due to Yaksha's foolishness. Whispered words in bars hardly even mentioned Yaku anymore, other than to state the obvious, that he was alive somewhere, and in hiding. Hidden shinobi didn't do Kaemon Enkouten any good, however.

Gazing out of the window, he saw people moving through the streets below, smiles on their faces. The winter season was coming soon, and the year's harvest had been plentiful. It had been here, in this small town in Grass Country, that he'd been born, to a mother he'd never know. It was here that he discovered his bloodline in a petty fight where a few words struck chords. Closing his eyes and thinking back to those days, remembering the paths tread by the shinobi that Iwagakure no Sato had sent to retrieve him was a simple task for his mind.

From the table, he heard Junko speak.

"You don't really have to go back, do you? I'll miss you." The sincerity in her voice is what killed him. "Or, you could bring us with you! I wouldn't mind putting off my search to stay by your side! You saved my life, it's the least I can do." She was so innocent. Too innocent for the life they led.

"What is your last name?" He asked in a blank voice, his crimson orbs meeting her forest green.

"Senju. I've told you this a million times! You're supposed to be smart!"

"Senju. Mokuton. Your power is the bones that form the beast of Fire Country. To Iwagakure, you," A grimace overtook his face. He'd always tried to protect her from harsh truths, and that is what kept him from finishing his original that, "you'll be better off with Kizashi." She didn't deserve to be dissected like an animal or used as a bargaining chip. People always called the girl stupid. Sometimes, Kae wished he had her mindset. The ability to see things simply, often how they really were.

Turning towards Kizashi, he allowed the old pirate to speak. "Don't look at me to persuade ya. It looks like your mind's already made up." That jesting tone was in his voice, and he managed a weak smile. Kae knew how Kizashi felt about him, and the feeling of being a surrogate brother was mutual. Kizashi had last much, and gained little. "Heck, take me. They'll gawk at how you trained an old pirate to use Ninjutsu, that'll win you some points."

"Been over this," Kae's retort was quick, "you are worth a pretty penny to those who remember your name. And it is unlikely that Iwagakure would be happy about its secrets being leaked." He wished he could take them with him. But on the road he'd chosen to walk, no one could follow.

They talked long into the night, before all of them fell into an uneasy sleep. When Kae awoke with the sun's first light, Junko was still snoring, her light, blonde hair a mess. He pressed his hand onto her shoulder, burning the image of her into his mind and his heart. She'd been a good friend.

Stepping outside of the room, Kizashi stood there, looking at him with his single eye. "You never asked me 'bout how I lost my eye." Kizashi said, his voice low, oddly serious. "Don't think I've told anyone. It'll be my going away present to you." The older man turned, hands hidden by his cloak-cape. Up close, it looked so old, so tattered. Like a remnant of a past life, worn by someone that couldn't go forward without guidance.

"I lost it the same day my brother died. The whole crew got captured, and he took credit for being the captain so they'd hang him first. Bought me time to get away, and I ran like the coward I am. I got into a fight with someone as I got out of the prison. They cut my eye out, and I just kept running. The eye that got cut out...it's the eye that saw the future, and opportunities. It died with my brother. This eye, it's always stuck in the past. It saw him in you, and that's why I followed you." There was a moment's pause, and the grown man's face threatened tears, "I would've followed you anywhere."

Hardening his heart as he thought he'd never have to, the young shinobi turned away, and began to walk away. Two words were muttered, the monotone that spoke them cracking. "I know." He tried to walk away without turning back to face the captain, but quickly found the task impossible. Giving him one last, long look, Kae burned the image of Kizashi's face into his being, as he'd done with Junko. "Farewell, Kizashi Blacksheath."

"See you, Kaemon Miura."

The road out of the village was a short one, and Kae remembered the way towards the outpost on the edge of the Rock Country as if it was yesterday. He'd traveled this path against his will, once, but he walked this road of his own accord. With his head held high and hands raised in the air, he removed all hidden weapons, baring them so that those he met would be able to see. He made no sign of hostility as he neared the outpost, a forehead protector in one hand and an open palm in the other. All he could do now was calmly wait.

Whatever was going to happen...would happen.

"Kizashi, Junko, find Brennendes. He'll keep you safe through anything that happens." His thoughts drifted back to his friends.

[Versesai]

Rock County didn't hold enough outposts to button up every single inch of the border without incident or trespass, instead opting to use a scattered formation of them and out-riding patrols to hold the borders without needing too many soldiers, but this also meant that outposts tended to need means of quick communication across distances and fewer things were faster in the wilderness of Rock Country than the Kinjuu Border Guard; Specifically, the the Kou. Kaemon was not unlucky that this outpost was not just manned by the forces of Rock Country but had a rotating Kou member reporting twice weekly between it, Iwagakure and surrounding outposts. If it had just been manned by Rock Country's military he might've been turned away, cut down or simply jailed and interrogated at length until his identity was established. It was not however the Kou that he was to be thankful for, it was an overly eager young Chuunin whose appearance at the outpost saved him a confrontation with other shinobi.

The border force had seen Kaemon well before he had entered the actual grounds of the outpost which possessed thick walls and a lookout tower that had the call of alarm raised as Kaemon had stopped outside the outpost's gates, leaving him to listen and watch as forces quickly gathered at the gate. Two men on horseback were on Kaemon before he could even call out, the pair emerging from the cold steppe behind him with spears in hand, the banner of Rock Country's Tenrai on their back as they circled him. Not outwardly aggressive, but certainly meant to corral the man from approaching the outpost any further.

What saved Kaemon from any further hostilities was the head of orange hair in the lookout tower and the odd smirk that passed over the young man's face as he realized who was down there, or who he hoped was down there. Jinseie was not a member of the Kou and his duties had little to do with theirs, but he had volunteered to serve as a temporary replacement for an injured Kou member who had already been assigned to this area; Not a job most normal shinobi would be willing to take as running messages along the border was rough, exhausting and dangerously lonely, no backup unless it was required. To Jinseie it was proving he was willing to take any task for his village, for his village it was a way to gauge a slightly above-average Chuunin's potential and give the Kou member who'd managed to get buried in a rockslide a few extra days to recover without disrupting the Kou running schedule.

"Hold on!" Jinseie yelled out as the border guards readied to open the gate, Jinseie climbing down off the ladder to the lookout tower without any hesitation to asking the guards to stop the door. They were all trained soldiers and if push came to shove he was certain they could hold off a missing-nin enough, but he also hoped it was Kaemon. He hoped Kaemon had come back without intending violence and if he hadn't, knowing the young man, he had come with a plan for violence and Jinseie would have had enough time to perhaps warn the outposts along his path back to Iwagakure, but not enough to stop whatever Kaemon had planned. Either way, he wanted to be the one to figure that out and not the border guards.

The men at the gate were Rock Country through and through, studded metal and leather armor framing them as Jinseie's somewhat shorter form stepped in front of them. Bowing his head, he spoke simply. "I believe I know this man. He is from the Village and I would like to request permission to determine his intentions. If he is hostile I will handle him to the best of my ability, but if he is not I would like to arrest and return him to Iwagakure for trial." he said, his tone honest but firm. No nonsense, no lies, no throwing around of Iwagakure's weight or his status, a simple request to judge and deal with a traitor, one he hoped rang true and understandable. The watch captain he was speaking to didn't move or respond for a minute, but his face hardened slowly as he spoke. "You have five minutes to sound an all clear and arrest him. If he doesn't cooperate I'll take him into custody and you can bring a delegation and order from your village to secure his transport to the Village." he spoke, swiftly jerking the final lever that held the outpost gates closed. Dozens of soldiers stepped out but a single barked command had them holding in place near the entrance, leaving Kaemon to watch.

Jinseie didn't so much step out of the mass of soldiers as he did stride out of it, one hand cautiously around his back on the handle of his hammer and the other at his side. How much had time changed Kaemon, and what had it changed him into? Those questions needed to be answered before he took the man anywhere; As much as he liked the young Enkouten, as smart and as wily as he'd been and as sure Jinseie had been that one day this would happen, he knew he wouldn't be able to bring himself to let Kaemon walk away a second time, not here, not now. He was either coming to Iwagakure or dying today.

The smile on the chuunin's face reflected that as he stopped a dozen feet from Kaemon, smiling a bit brightly but it had hard lines at the corners of his lips, his eyes on Kaemon's forehead protector and then his face. "It's been a long time. You're a bit lucky I'm here you know, you're about to be hauled into a cage until they send for someone else." he said a bit darkly cheerful, letting Kaemon know he wasn't out of danger just because Jinseie had stepped forward. "What brings you out this way?"

[Cylan]

Many variables had been anticipated and planned for. Open battle, an arrow to the heart, words exchanged in heat. Jinseie Zoukane walking right out of a memory and into the present was not something that he anticipated. Making no sudden movements, no movements at all, he regarded Jinseie as warmly as one could when trained shinobi and skillfully wielded arrows were no doubt trained on him at that very instant. Unsure what his intentions were before he spoke but sure neither of them wanted this to end in bloodshed, Kae's thoughts drifted again to Kizashi and Junko in those moments that could have easily been his last. "Sightseeing. Heard Iwagakure is lovely this time of year." Beneath a calm, collected, middling voice was a tone that almost sounded exhausted. He'd spent so long since Henkou's fall running, running with people depending on him that were a part of something they didn't even understand. The mad dream of Yaku Fushinkou.

All men walked a road, and he had been blessed to not walk it alone. Regarding Jinseie, he remembered their meeting in the coal mining town. Much like he was now, he was a lost soul at a turning point of his life back then. So long ago a boy trying to decide whether to honor an old mentor or follow a new one met a boy who wholeheartedly believed in Iwagakure. A boy that gave a gift that a mind like Kae's appreciated above all else. Perspective. Now a man grown, he was tired of running. Iwagakure wasn't perfect but it was safe. It was safe both for him and the man that seemed like a father to him, if the village could be convinced. Those thoughts and so many more rushed through his head in only a few moments of silence. "During our last conversation, you said that Enkouten Musashi returned not because he wanted to face execution, but because it was his oath to return." Huffing, closing his eyes, words pressed through his lips that had been hard for him to swallow.

"The last four years of my life, your words haunted me like an old dream. They were categorized, filed away. But there was little understanding. Why would a man return to a place where he would be ostracized and outcast?" He paused again, looking at the men around him, taking in their positions and noticing that some seemed interested in what he had to say. Kae focused entirely on Jinseie. Even if his words affected them, they were for the orange haired man alone. "I walked many roads to get right back to where things began. This was the first stop on the road to Iwagakure when I was brought there as a child. Hated it then. Since then, walked many roads. Seen corpses of flayed men hanging for trying to keep his family fed. Watched as one of the most powerful beasts the world has ever seen tear a country apart. Hid like an animal from hunters who only knew a name."

"Iwagakure is civilization. It is a home. Homes are imperfect, there are bad eggs, but it's still welcoming. All this time spent running away from one fact...there was always a home for me, and it was here. I have committed no crimes in my time away from the village. If you will allow me Zoukane Jinseie, I will come back with you and face whatever punishment the village deems needed." A faint smile spread across his face. "Maybe after all is said and done, we can even call one another 'friend'."

[Versesai]

The memory of the first time he'd met Enkouten Kaemon flooded back in full force as the young man mentioned the mentor they'd spoken of, the man Jinseie had through reputation alone come to admire in the dutiful sense. It was not the man who made him remember, no, it was the sound of Kaemon's voice that revived Jinseie's somewhat dulled memories; This was not the voice of the young man who'd been confused, but hopeful, at their last meeting. Pensive and listless Kaemon had still held more vigor and life in his voice than the tone Jinseie now heard, one he'd have expected from the elder Shinobi after ten drinks and a week long mission. Information about Kaemon was hard to come by, he'd never outwardly made any significant pushes or crimes to warrant rumors and investigations beyond the cursory ones Iwagakure used to keep their outside information up to date. He'd never been noted to be dangerous or evil, simply gone from his village.

It was the tone that made Jinseie step forward as the young man continued and instead of clapping him in handcuffs or striking him, Jinseie reached up and put his hand on the man's shoulder. There was an air of respect to Jinseie and it was truthful, both at Kaemon's decision and his thoughts behind it which oddly mirrored Jinseie's own, except for the major differences that had each man in their respective places. Where Kaemon had seen restrictions, hatred and shackles Jinseie had always seen rules and solidarity, guidance and resolve. The exact opposite viewpoint often had a way of opening the eyes of the other viewpoint when presented properly and it had been so with both men. Where Jinseie's words had haunted Kaemon's mind, Kaemon's views had leaked into Jinseie's mind but had not shaken his foundation in Iwagakure. It was true, there were things that lowered the village in his mind, slavery for one, the integration of so much of it's policies into that of Rock Country bothered him as well in ways, but he had always resolved to do his best to take no part in them, or influence them if he could.

"I won't tell you that you'll be this free tomorrow, or ever again. If you speak the truth and your only crime is wandering, I can see your past being dredged up and you'll be interrogated, maybe imprisoned for a time while they sort it out. But I will promise that when you've finished your punishment and accepted what will happen, I'll be there to show you that you will have friends and allies." Jinseie explained, then raised his hand towards the border guards and waved them to come closer, then he reached up and lowered Kaemon's upturned hands to his sides and shook his head as if to say 'no need for that', though he did seem to relax now that he'd heard Kaemon speak. As much as he wanted to welcome Kaemon back without any other incident he knew that he had a responsibility, both to these men and to Iwagakure to follow this to the letter.

He didn't flinch as the small group of militia stepped around Kaemon, Jinseie keeping close to ensure no one did anything untoward either way and with a quick movement one of the men went to grab Kaemon's wrists, attempting to shackle his arms behind his back in an uncomfortable but not bending or breaking way, the shackles fit with a metal set of rings on each hand that held the fingers mostly in place, preventing hand seals or gripping much. The forehead protector would still be held, likely by his thumb.

"Iwagakure isn't perfect, you're right. And I don't know if it will ever be the home you dreamed of having, or even wanted now, but I know that I'd rather be nowhere else. Because I can lay my head down at night and sleep soundly. You'll be among countrymen soon, Kaemon, and while I don't know what'll become of you I do know that you'll be safe from everyone but yourself and your past when we get there." Jinseie added. If Kaemon offered no resistance the border guard would quietly move to march him into the outpost, Jinseie close to the group and the young man as he added "And maybe I can buy you a drink this time."

[Cylan]

Safe from everyone but himself. The thought brought Kae peace. There was only one person he trusted absolutely with any task. Yaku was held back by his vanity. Licht was held back by morality. Spade was constrained by his desires. The only gods he had ever worshiped were reason and logic. Like a lighthouse, they guided his actions through troubled days. He had always followed his own compass and it had kept him from being guided down darkened paths. Looking at the far plains that would inevitably lead up to the frozen wastes of northern Rock and the village that guarded it. Closing his eyes as Jinseie lowered his hands, he dropped all of the weapons and they hit the ground with a dull clunk. Hopefully the guards wouldn't just leave them, the items held great personal value to Kae. Throwing knives more detailed and long than average kunai with long feathered handles, tomahawks that looked like they had seen action, and a map of the whole world copied from memory with notes.

The more he thought about it, the more he realized that the map would probably help smooth things over given how it was up to date with detailed notes on the leaders and powers in the areas that he visited. Gripping his forehead protector and regarding Jinseie, he asked for a favor. "One thing. If you would be willing to put the forehead protector in its proper place. Left as a shinobi of Iwagakure, want to come back as one, no matter what comes of it." For the forehead protector of a missing-nin, Kae's was strangely well kept. The material had been replaced with one that almost blended with his hair perfectly and there was no gash through the village symbol. Sentiment was a dangerous vice but it was one that even someone as logical as Kae couldn't flush out of his system.

Whether or not Jinseie went along with his request, he went with the Chunin and the other shinobi with no protest at all. Taking a seat with a surprising amount of dignity and grace, he breathed a sigh of relief. "Resting easy...that's something I haven't done in a very long time. At least a person can sleep with both eyes closed in a jail cell."

[Versesai]

True to Kaemon's hopes as he was kept in place by the border guard, a straggler from the group seemed to hesitate at the weapons dropped on the ground before Jinseie stepped towards them and nod at the guard, carefully picking up the small mass of weapons before easily tucking the throwing knives into his own weapon pouch and the tomahawks were lodged into Jinseie's belt until Kaemon could retrieve them, though when he noticed the map he absently picked it up and rolled it into a fine scroll, opening up his jacket and tucking it into the scroll holsters inside his vest; He had more than enough time to catch back up to Kaemon in time for his request for his forehead protector and while Jinseie took a moment, once he'd slowed his step behind Kaemon enough to see his hand, he debated a moment. It would only be right to give Kaemon his request, but it also felt wrong in a sense; Kaemon had left Iwagakure behind and for him to return with symbol blazoned on his head it felt almost against what was about to happen.

Instead of ignoring or answering his request, Jinseie took a middle ground option by carefully pulling the protector from Kaemon's hand and tying the ends together, looping them like a strap and then carefully pulling the protector over Kaemon's head, then down to his neck where it hung somewhat loosely but still blazoned well enough, Jinseie's feelings and respect handled yet Kaemon's symbol was still given. It was a compromise but a sufficient one for both of them, at least Jinseie hoped.

With Kaemon seated now the guards took a rather resigned position around him, the captain of the patrol stepping forward to ensure nothing was amiss before motioning for Jinseie, crossing his arms as the chuunin stepped up and nodded. "He's your responsibility now, shinobi, but I'm sending word ahead of you to the next outpost. They have a runner who will inform your village; If he isn't there soon you'll be getting looked for, but not saved if something goes wrong." the man said, turning to Kaemon and giving him a cursory glance and there he left it, pulling his arm back to signal his men to return to their posts but the captain kept a careful eye on Kaemon even as the group of guards stepped away, leaving Jinseie to turn and exhale sharply.

Without the guards nearby Jinseie relaxed a little and that translated into him shifting himself slightly before speaking in a rather curiously upbeat tone. "Better than nothing. And prison food can't be that bad, unless they make you eat rocks and coal." as he stood there, attempting to figure out what his next move was beyond simply escorting Kaemon back. He doubted this would by a quick journey and even though he had a good reason, he still needed to make enough time that he could return to his duties quickly enough once it was done...

"I always did wonder if you'd come back willingly. I tried my best to tell you that you still had the option but...I don't even know if most people consider it an option." he suddenly said, smiling still as he let a thought rolling around in his head come to the forefront of his mind. "People make a mistake, or make a choice they regret and suddenly everything becomes about justifying that one mistake. A single act turns into a dozen more simply because the only choice is forward, always forward. Then one day I think most people stop thinking of 'home' as a place of safety, but a place past some forest of regrets and choices." he continued as he reached into his pouch, producing his thin pipe and pushing the tip between his lips, taking a soft inhale to check if it was clear. "The one thing I've learned though is that no matter what's waiting or what's between there and you, you can always go home. It just depends on if you're willing to face everything you'll find on the way back." and now he let the pipe dangle from his fingertips a bit.

Introspection complete, Jinseie reached down to nudge Kaemon a bit and get his attention. "So why now?"

[Cylan]

The air grew tense as Kae's crimson eyes observed Jinseie. He could see how the statement seemed to offend the other shinobi. It was understandable. It wasn't right per se but he had to do this on his own terms as much as he could. A prison that you step into willingly isn't a prison at all. At least that was how he thought. He'd had so many mentors in his life. People that taught him things and kept him alive. Some with slight words of wisdom, others with action. Jinseie's actions, today and years before, spoke loudly about his character. He was a man of ideals and those ideals had kept him from punching Kae's face in and dragging him back to the village. It spoke volumes of him, whether he realized it or not, to have actually been able to lay the foundation for his return. But the man before him was no fading memory. He was flesh and blood. The days ahead wouldn't be easy.

They'd be the very opposite.

The days ahead would be cold, spent sleeping under an open sky for what could be the last time for a while. Closing his eyes as Jinseie slipped the forehead protector over his head, he remembered the first time he saw Iwagakure's wall. He was only a child then. A small child, angry at the fate he'd been dealt. It wasn't his choice to be there. It wasn't his choice to be strung from one family to another and then be tossed into the academy because he was from the storied Enkouten clan. This time he'd be placed in a cell as soon as he arrived in the village. He'd be treated well enough and fed. He'd fall asleep safe, just as Jinseie said. Safe from everyone but himself and his own actions.

He had done nothing but try to survive in those years spent on the road. Survive at any cost. He kept his head down and ran. He was tired of running and breathed easy when the forehead protector was over his head.

"Better than nothing. And prison food can't be that bad, unless they make you eat rocks and coal."
"Enkouten eat rock. It is known. It's how the lava is fueled. Chakra magic is a lie."

He was Jinseie's responsibility and he didn't mean to give him any trouble. Nodding at his peer, he listened and said little else until he was sure that he was through with his point. "This has been a long road. There's nowhere else to run and people examine their life differently once they turn eighteen. Thought about a lot of things. Friends, loved ones, home and what home means. Iwagakure isn't perfect. Nowhere is perfect. Been running for so long, been stubborn, never stopped and thought for all the thinking that's been done." Looking Jinseie in the eyes, trying to word this just right and finding it difficult, he finally said "I grew up."

It was a somber thing to say, bitter. Once again he thought about Kizashi and Junko back at their inn, plotting their next move. They would still have to run. There was still a lot more to be done. Junko, like him, would be hunted because of her bloodline. Kizashi would protect her though. The old pirate was tenacious when he had to be. "You should gather supplies for the journey north. We'll be on the plains for a while." Assuming the suggestion was taken, he'd be marched inside to wait on Jinseie to gather his things. The journey to Iwagakure would be a long one but hopefully not filled with peril. Kae breathed easy, knowing that he'd be back soon enough.

[[We can end it here and do a social of us traveling when you have time or else we can keep going for a bit. Your call]]

[Versesai]

OOCShow

I think this is a good place for this social to end and traveling to take it's place.

It took a moment for Jinseie to find the right way to look at Kaemon when the man finally explained what had propelled his decision to return to Iwagakure and for a moment, there was a flicker of something in Jinseie's face, a recognition of exactly what motivated someone that for a second pierced that laid back demeanor and the soldier mentality Jinseie had adopted. Something that pierced those blue eyes down to a core where a young man had wandered lost in a world too big for him to comprehend and too slanted for him to climb, where ennui and apathy had created a vision of a world where nothing had ever come of him but a name and a tombstone in a quiet place and he would have entirely been happy with that, happy to live without regret or sadness.

Then the young man found someone who believed in those things he'd turned his back on, those meanings and powers that pushed everyone who found them into something greater. Duty, honor, sacrifice, home, family, life and death. The one who'd opened his eyes to potential, the one who'd showed him how his hands didn't have to just deal death if he followed his duties. For a second Jinseie seemed lost in his memories before it all flickered away and instead of his own tombstone he left the trip down memory lane with his thoughts on the grave of a long lost friend. Even though Jinseie had already crossed the invisible line of closure when he met Kae, hearing the young man he'd once thought to be so certain of his path reminded Jinseie of every value he'd come to hold dear, and why.

Everyone had to grow up someday.

Instead of lighting his pipe as he had anticipated, an act that suddenly made him feel rather childish again, Jinseie quietly pressed his thumb onto the mouth of the pipe and pushed until the slender object had compacted down into just a mouthpiece and an opening, then he tucked it away again into the pouch on his waist and with that he reached down to help Kaemon up, wordlessly motioning him to the gate where the guards would take ahold of him for a bit while Jinseie followed his suggestion, advice Jinseie would have given himself if he'd been thinking clearly and for once the chuunin seemed out of words, though he did give Kaemon a brief smile and nod before moving into the outpost for his gear. There wasn't much of a wait, Jinseie had not been stationed at the outpost, so his gear was relatively easy to get to in the outpost's grounds.

Five minutes later with a rough travel pack slung over his shoulder and a small ration bag in his hand, Jinseie stepped out of the gatehouse door and immediately draped the ration bag over Kaemon's shoulder before nodding to the guards who'd been keeping watch of him. "Right then. I stuffed that full of some rocks and pebbles for the road for you, we'll stop at the next outpost a few miles north and get some extra supplies there but after that we're on our own." he explained to Kae, not mentioning that he was unwilling to take supplies from most of the men here or at the next outpost for himself; If it hadn't been for Kae's presence he'd have probably hunted along the path back to keep his supplies up.

There was a bit of a pause as Jinseie best readied himself for the journey ahead and invited Kae to do the same with a simple comment as he nudged the man forward ahead of him a bit. "Ready to go home?"

[Cylan]

Many of the guards stared at Kae while he silently sat, waiting for Jinseie to come back. None of them spoke but their eyes spoke volumes. Many clearly did not trust his motives, their hands inching down to the weapons hanging at their side and on their backs. A lesser number looked at him with curiosity, as if he were some animal being brought to be placed in a cage. Given that he had been there before, he knew that look well enough. One or two that had been silenced by the words spoken to Jinseie looked upon him with warmth but it was only momentary. They were soldiers if not shinobi and understood better than most the damage that a rogue was able to cause. Closing his eyes and trying to enjoy the solitude of his own mind for the time being, he began to think about what would happen when he returned to the village for the hundredth time. There would be imprisonment, likely with no visitors allowed. Perhaps there would be some sort of interrogation but he felt that such things were being saved for the trial.

There were things he was uncertain about. Even with his power to anticipate the actions of others through logical deduction, there were things that slipped through the cracks, things he was unaware of. He was not omnipotent. There were cards in his hand that could either save lives or ruin his own. It was a dangerous game he had observed for so long. A game of nations played mostly in silence. Jinseie was trustworthy enough but loyal to their village. There were things he wanted to get off his chest once they were out there on their own, just the two of them. Kae's thoughts turned to fate's sense of timing as Jinseie returned just as the soon to be former nukenin's thoughts turned to him. Standing up wordlessly, he walked ahead of Jinseie. Making their way out of the outpost, Kae took in the landscape and closed his eyes for just a moment.

Opening them again, he was a young child in much the same situation. There was anger boiling inside his young body. Anger and resentment at being pulled away from the life he had been born into. The world was so large and he was an even smaller part of its grandeur. Two shinobi were with him then, men that could put on a facade of kindness for a child plucked from his home. They must have thought it was some grand opportunity. Instead, he felt trapped and utterly alone. Wrapped in the rags that were the only things he had left of his early childhood, Kae sighed and held back the tears. His hands were not bound then. Looking at the rough, olive skin, his thoughts turned to the power that cursed him. Lava. He was a member of the famous Enkouten clan. Training that power was not his choice. The clan belonged to Iwa and so did he. A strong hand clasped him on the shoulder. "Get a move on, we're wasting daylight." Not unkindly, but the decision was out of his control. Now though...

Kae opened his eyes. He had only been gone a moment. Now, the choice had been all his. "Ready to go home?" Turning back and looking at the Chunin, he nodded. "Ready." With most of what he had to say in front of others already been said, Kae had little to say as the two shinobi began their journey. As long as it would take for them to get to Iwagakure, there was no time to second guess his decision.