[Graded]On Top Of The World

[Nick]

[flash]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w5tWYmIOWGk[/flash] Few were fully aware of what was going on, only that there was a celebration; A truly rare occurrence in the grand grounds of Sunagakure no Sato, the gem of the endless deserts of illusion, oasis to civilian and ninja alike. A festival, in fact, one of the few occasions when alcohol was permitted to be sold and drank openly in the streets, despite the watchful eyes of Suna's ever present police force. Little could spoil the splendor on children's faces as never before seen vendors peddled treats and drinks on the streets, and entertainers worked for coin to be placed in their hats. It was certainly not what one would consider an especially rowdy party all the same , aside from the rare too-drunk citizen getting a little rough with their fellow man, an event that was quickly quelled before it could get too out of hand, or into notice.

For a moment, at least, all eyes were off of one of the youngest Shuudoushi to ever graduate from the academy, as well as one of the youngest to become a Chuunin, Zekka. The very same boy who had been training from birth, chasing behind the dream his father had set out before him, and before him, his brother, who perished while serving the village. The very same Zekka who had the grand honor of having Rei no Kami, the knowledgeable old codger of an owl sealed inside of him, marking him as one of the hands of the Kazekage, one of the hands of god. And there he sat, on top of the world, behind a curtain, waiting for his cue. In front of the curtain, meanwhile, a few of his fellow ninja, as well as clerical aids to the council were busy setting the stage, including the boys own father, directing people to set things up properly; Any inconvenience might reflect poorly on his son, and by extension, him and the rest of the clan.

[TyDie]

It had been a few days since Kiyori's return to the village... So much had happened over the past few weeks. One look at the woman was all it would take for one who knew her to realize that; after all, her body was now covered with pitch black tattoos. She had given her report to the council of course, and explained what had transpired in the ruins she had been imprisoned within, but a part of her mind was still processing everything. She had survived one of the most trying ordeals of her faith, and of her life, and come out on the other side with a newfound power granted to her by the Sun itself.

As she walked through the village towards the festival grounds, a large burlap sack strung over her back, her black and red eyes surveyed the area with a keen interest. She was searching for one young man in particular; the subject of this wondrous occasion, and her very own student who had just recently graduated to the rank of Chuunin. Zekka... I haven't seen him in months, and he's grown so much... I hope he still thinks fondly of me. It was clear that some of Kiyori's old shy habits had made a return with her newfound appearance, which clearly caught the attention of many within the festival area.

However, she wouldn't let such feelings of awkwardness prevent her from meeting with her Kohai. This was his day, and she owed it to him to be there by his side. After all, he didn't even know she had made her return yet. It didn't take long to find the makeshift stage, complete with curtains to conceal the man of the hour until they revealed him - and his spiritual friend - to the world. The boy's father, along with a few other shinobi, were setting the stage and preparing for the big reveal... but Kiyori wanted to get behind the curtain to have a moment alone with her Kohai before the ceremony began. With a bit of maneuvering through the crowds and a quick conversation with a shinobi keeping guard, Kiyori managed to find her way backstage.

And there she saw him - with his back turned to her of course. He was just staring at the curtains, likely trying to hear whatever the men on the other side of the curtain were saying. She couldn't help but get right up next to him before speaking. "Miss me? Glad I could make it before things got started." When the boy turned to face her, He'd see a large grin on her face and eyes that showed her pride in the boy.

[Nick]

Zekka had been working his best to remain calm under the circumstances. He had never actually appeared before a crowd before, let alone one so large where he would be the primary point of attention for those watching. All the same, his heart raced, and his eyes rested on a constant shade of green, a fearful color, one of worry and internal strife; On one hand he was excited to he graduating, and to no longer have to hide that he was a spirit host, but on the other hand... Well, it was an entirely different world he was entering now, as a chuunin he would finally be a real ninja, and he really didn't know if he was prepared for it... Though, the council seemed to think he was, and they certainly had a bevy of experience to hold over him in such matters.

He was so caught up in his own thoughts, he didn't notice the woman approaching him from behind, and jumped a bit as she began to speak, turning to face her, before... Who was this? His eyes shifted to a dark orange as he stared at her while she finished speaking. He looked her up and down, seeming genuinely confused for only half a second, before his eyes met hers, and the lack of recognition halted immediately, causing the young boy to wrap his teacher and friend in a sudden hug. "Kiyori-san!" He exclaimed happily, breaking the hug after a couple of seconds, his own smile breaking his face, while his eyes shifted from a teal color to a bright yellow of joy.

The Shuudoushi boys confusion, of course, came from her rather drastic change in appearance, thanks to the heavy tattoos coating her body, but it didn't take long for him to recognize the woman who had been training him to prepare for his fight, before she had her own mission to run off on. Certainly, he had not been prepared to fight as well as he or the council might have liked, but her advice and diplomatic teachings were quite possibly what allowed him to do as well as he did, talking his opponent down from the fight until it came to a standstill. And here she was, back on his official 'crowning ceremony', perhaps the best graduation gift the boy could ask for, but of course, he had a thousand questions, and despite his high willpower, he couldn't hold back from asking a few.

"Was your trip safe? When did you get back? Why did you get tattoos? Why... Welcome back!"

[TyDie]

Kiyori couldn't help but laugh and smile even bigger as her student gripped her tight in a hug, returning the expression and ruffling the young boy's hair a bit as his excitement got the better of him. She always liked seeing his emotions overrun him, his eyes got so pretty when they were fluttering with all kinds of different feelings. "Ha, it's great to see you too Zekka." Her eyes wandered around the area, taking in the fact that they were on a stage, and that this young man latched on to her right now was the reason for it. "I see you've done a bit of growing up during my time in Konoha. Ranking up and being revealed as a spirit host to the public is a big step, i'm happy I was able to make it back in time to be here for it."

Once the boy released her, the barrage of questions was rather adorable, but also slightly overwhelming. "Woah child, bring it down a few notches! I got back a couple of days ago, and as for my safety... well, that sort of falls in with your third question. I'll explain all of that later, but for now, I have a gift for you. I went and requested it specifically so I could give it to you personally." As she spoke, she brought the burlap sack around in front of her and held it out towards Zekka. "Sorry, I would've found a better thing to present it in, but it was kind of last second. I didn't even know about this ceremony until yesterday."

Upon opening it, Zekka would find himself holding his very own Sunagakure vest; The very same that was reserved specifically for chuunin and higher ranking shinobi. "I never found much of a use for mine; too constricting for my tastes. But well, you've obviously earned it. But hey, don't get a big head, you hear me? You should still listen to your sensei, even after ranking up. I haven't outlived my usefulness to you yet." She gave a small wink as she concluded her gift giving, and gauged his reaction with a big smile.

[Nick]

Zekka was completely overwhelmed with his emotions, something that the Shuudoushi were not supposed to do. Their tagline as a clan was "Suppression", and while that was normally meant for the effects they had on others, the clan encouraged its own members to remain neutral in their emotional output, it was proper for the 'noble' family. The boy was, however, just a boy, almost thirteen, and an adult by ninja standards, but still just a boy all the same, regardless of his experience in rather dark areas normally left to adults. He finally took a deep breath to calm himself, though his eyes rested on that shade of yellow all the same as he listened to his teacher who had been gone for far too long.

When Kiyori spoke of a gift, Zekka almost wanted to object. He was generally uncomfortable with gifts being given outside of his own family. Having grown up relatively upper class in terms of wealth, he didn't like to impose on others with anything of monetary value when he could, perhaps with a bit of allowance savings, purchase it himself. He smiled though at the sight of the burlap sack, and eagerly took it, beginning to open it,"You really didn't have to get me anything, but I really do appreciate..." The Shuudoushi began, opening the top to peer inside, left speechless as he slowly pulled it out of the bag. "It..." He finished, dropping the bag on the floor, and holding the vest out in front of himself, staring in a bit of wonderment.

This made the whole ordeal... real. Like many big events in peoples lives, the whole thing felt more like a dream, but the feel of the heavy vest in his hands cemented it into reality, making him rethink the situation... Before he wrapped her in another hug, vest still in one hand as he squeezed her tightly for a moment, again, only for a few moments, before letting go and immediately throwing the jacket over his shoulders, arms slipping through their appropriate holes. He was dressed as he normally was, in a nice robe, and simple protective clothing underneath it, and so the vest looked rather silly on him, but he seemed to beam with pride all the same, despite the fashion faux pas. "This is... Thank you so much, Kiyori. I look forward to learning with you for many more years to come."

Of course, before Zekka could finish speaking, voices could be heard from the other side of the curtain, not loud enough to interrupt them, but certainly loud enough to be heard through the thick cloth. The boy looked around him as he took notice of this, before looking down at himself, then at Kiyori, before smiling once more, and bowing to his teacher, regaining a measure of control over himself. "It's just about time. You're sticking around afterwards, right? We have too much to catch up on, I'm afraid." He admitted, almost sheepishly, before turning to the curtain, and opening it dramatically, stepping forth to a crowd of wide-eyed and cheering Sunagakure people.

[TyDie]

Kiyori couldn't have been happier with her Kohai's reaction, the happy hug he gave was returned with just as much, if not more joy behind it. After everything the woman had been through over the past month, her time spent in that land of darkness and death, she was so happy to be able to embrace the young Shuudoushi, and see him succeed in his career at such a young age. "There's no need to thank me Zekka. After all, it was your hard work that earned it. But you're welcome all the same. I couldn't be more proud to be your mentor Zekka, you're going to accomplish great things."

When the both of them heard that things were about to get underway, Kiyori began making her way towards the stairs she had come up from, but looked over her shoulder to respond to her student before going to join the crowd. "Of course Zekka, I wouldn't dream of leaving yet. After all, I owe you an explanation for my, uh, drastic appearance change. And you owe me a detailed description of your chuunin exam. One that i'm very excited to hear. But we can talk later, knock em dead buddy!"

As she finished speaking, she made her way back down the steps and into the crowd, trying her best to get a good view of the stage so that she could see the ceremony. This was definitely going to be something she would never want to forget.

[Nick]

"I'll make you proud." The boy stated, though Kiyori was already gone, making it unclear of exactly who he was speaking to. He played with the bangle on his wrist nervously, before fully revealing himself on stage, fulfilling his place as a jinchuuriki of Suna. An announcer had already given him an introduction; a man Zekka wasn't familiar with, though who was likely a relative of one of the members of the council, a bit of nepotism aiding in his placement of such a role. The boys eyes adjusted momentarily to the change in lighting from the backstage area, leaving him with a rather blank look on his face for several moments, before he smiled to the crowd.

Stepping further out on to the stage, which was rather empty, no podium to stand at and coddle notes as necessary, just him, in front of a crowd... Is this what stage fright felt like? He imagined it must, he had heard stories of such, but was he really scared of the people? Well, he was there for them, after all, he had been training his entire life to make their lives better, improving the village to help them... Or was it just to impress his father? Surely the village wanted him to care for it, did that include the people? Or was the village more the set of ideals it was founded upon? It was at this that Zekka realized the crowd was silent before him, and he was silent before it, and to that, he bowed as deeply as he could manage.

"I am Shuudoushi, Zekka." He rose from his bow, eyes shifting the multitude of colors that his emotions ranged to, if the owl had been paying attention, it likely would have called him weak for being so nervous. He was about to be awake, however, as the boy looked deep inside of himself, eyes closing shut for a moment, before thick, tangible chakra began to cover his body, and some sort of tribal tattoos all his own began to cover his body, vaguely resembling Rei no Kami as he entered his first jinchuuriki form. "I am host to Heki no Sabaku, and thanks to lord Hito's guiding light, by the suns grace, I am proud to serve this village as an arm of god."

Silence reigned. Minutes passed. Hours passed. Days. Years. Or so it seemed to feel like, until a cheer rose up from the crowd, shouts of the goodness of the sun, the graciousness of their kage for providing them yet another protector, and prayers finally cleared the din. Overwhelmed by the response, the smile on Zekka's face only grew wider, and he took another, more shallow bow. He briefly considered entering his final form as well, but it was rather intimidating, and only two people had seen it before, his father, and another Shuudoushi member who had been designated as his 'training dummy.' He decided to avoid his final form for now, deciding to embrace the crowd as he was. "Sun watch over us, and may its light protect us." He said, causing another cheer from the crowd. It was more traditional prayer, the same you would hear in any temple, and something that the village loved.

He nodded his head in several directions of the crowd, trying to make individuals feel noticed and respected, a common trick for speeches his father had taught him. His eyes did rest on Kiyori in the crowd for a moment, and his smile flickered brighter for a moment, another nod towards her. "Please, everyone." He projected his voice to be heard over the cheering. "Enjoy the festival as brothers and sisters, as we are all one under the sun. Light guide us." He said, another prayer, though more personalized this time. Zekka took one final bow, before exiting the stage from the side stairs, where several would attempt to shake his hand, touch his head, or other things that might provide them good luck for the rest of the year, or other such superstitions.

The host disappeared into the crowd, passing through mostly unhindered, and heading towards his teacher, for whom he wished to speak with more than anyone in the festival, not that he would say as such.

[TyDie]

After a bit of struggle and working her way through the crowd, Kiyori eventually found herself a perfect spot; clinging to the wall of a building via the tree climbing technique. It had been a long time since she witnessed a crowd of this size in Sunagakure, even the last golden week wasn't this packed. Then again, it wasn't often that the people of Suna were allowed to be acquainted with the hands of the sun theselves, and never before had a host as young as Zekka been revealed to the public. His ascension in rank and binding with Rei no Kami was a feat that was unheard of in the history of the village.

The boy had much to be proud of, as did his family and his clan. And herself for that matter; the two had practically become family over the past few years. When the curtains were drawn, and Zekka began to address the people, Kiyori's' eyes were focused solely on the boy. Her Dousatsugan recorded his every movement, his every word... This kind of event was of great historical significance, and she wouldn't dare miss a second of it. Not to mention this was one of the biggest days of her student's life; what kind of mentor would she be if she didn't take record of this incredible moment in the boy's life?

The crowd was awestruck by the reveal of Rei no Kami, but after a long, drawn out silence, cheers erupted throughout the crowd. A large smile grew along Kiyori's face as she saw how happy Zekka was in that moment. It was like the boy was finally able to show the village who he truly was, and although he was afraid of the outcome of that reveal, his worries were put to rest as the crowd roared with praise and joy. She could only wonder... would the village receive her with the same praise and joy when the truth of her power came to light? She could only pray that others saw her power as a blessing from the sun as well...

A shake of her head brought her from her troubled thoughts, and soon she noticed that Zekka was carving his way through the crowd in an attempt to get to her. Once he was close enough, she jumped down from the wall, and it would be her that pulled him into her embrace, albeit a short embrace. "You did wonderfully Zekka, I'm so happy for you. You can finally stop hiding who you are, and you've been received by the people as one of the many hands of the kazekage."

She knew that Zekka still had many questions on his mind. And she would answer all he had to ask... but not here, surrounded by so many people. "Why don't we slip away from the public for a few minutes, so i cam put your mind at ease and explain whats happened to me over the past few months. Follow me." Kiyori would then proceed back up the side of the building, making her way to the rooftop. There she would wait for Zekka to join her, and there she would answer anything her student wished to know.

[Nick]

As the host made his grand escape, he noticed out of the corner of his vision his own father looking towards him. It was hard to tell if it was pride, shock, or disapproval, as his mostly emotionless face left little in the way of interpretation. Maybe someday Zekka would understand what exactly his father was like, what he truly wanted from his youngest and only living son, but today was not that day, and until then, the Shuudoushi prodigy was happy to enjoy the day as it was meant. "Please everyone, enjoy the festivities, I'm flattered you'd all celebrate on my behalf." He called out to several members of the crowd as he moved his way through effortlessly, before taking a leap over the heads of a few civilians, to land on the building next to his teacher.

Zekka actually blushed a bit at the praise from his teacher, smiling at her as they walked up the building. For all the mention of him being one with god now, he certainly didn't feel any different. He felt like the same old Zekka who had mastered Rei no Kami in record time for a spirit host, the same Zekka who fought a mutated chicken beast, and the same Zekka who still had much to learn, and much to live up to. The boy didn't feel any more one with god than he had before he was sealed, his faith was as strong as ever, and while he sometimes doubted the politics of the village, his love of the sun would never waver. He nodded to his teacher as they reached the top of their meeting point, eager to ask many questions, but not wanting to overburden his teacher.

Taking a deep breath, folding his arms under his sleeves, and his legs underneath him to take a seat, he began his questioning. "Please, start from the beginning." His eyes were back to their milky color as he smothered his emotions to the best of his ability, though a glint of yellow forced its way around the edges of his hues every now and again. "Where exactly were you when you left Konoha? I had asked around, but nobody seemed to be able to say for certain."His brow furrowed in a bit of concern for a moment, before his eyes tilted upwards, as though remembering something. "Oh! And how did Konoha go? A success, I imagine?"

[TyDie]

Well, she knew it would be the hot topic. After all, she had been over a month late in her return, and the drastic appearance change only made people that much more curious. The woman had never expressed an interest in things such as tattoos or piercings, so for her to suddenly be covered head to toe in tattoos was certainly a surprise. "We'll start at the begining to make it easier. I'm sure you're gonna want a peak at the village hidden in the leaves through my eyes huh?" Kiyori smiled slyly; being able to give the gift of a temporary glimpse at her memories was one of her favorite things to do, especially for one as eager to learn as Zekka.

"Their poor village... those terrible people really dealt them a blow. The gate was decimated, the clan compound of their Hyuuga clan was destroyed, the Hyuuga leader was killed, and their leader was so taken aback by his failure that he left the village on some personal journey. I didn't want to give my opinion while i was there for fear of offending someone, but I can't imagine our kazekage ever pulling such a stunt. Regardless, I met plenty of wonderful people, including a Hyuuga who allowed me to watch the infamous Jyuuken style in use. It was a magnificent display, one that I will treasure forever. In fact, I made my own brand of Jyuuken, focused more on pressure points and weak spots instead of what the actual style does, which is a form of nintaijutsu used to block chakra nodes and prevent the use of ninjutsu."

The young woman then realized she was going on a bit of a tangent and shook her head to come back to the important part... Was she still afraid to even talk about what happened? She was avoiding it, perhaps to protect her student from such terrible knowledge? Who knew... but he certainly wasn't going to simply let her get away with not telling him. And as a shinobi, he had a right to know what dangers lay out there in the desert... but not yet. She wanted him to see the good parts of her trip, before she told him about the bad.

After closing her eyes for a moment, the woman performed a quick series of hand seals and placed her hands on the side of Zekka's head. "Here, i'll give you a brief summary of my time there." She would then transfer memories of her time in the village in a sort of slideshow fashion, showing him their time walking through the forest of death, their arrival at the gates, her time spent with Aina, her time sparring with Takeo, and of course Aina's display of Jyuuken. She would show him the hard work her team helped accomplish with rebuilding and providing medical assistance, but in the midst of all of this there was one memory that sort of slipped itself into the slideshow. One that she clearly didn't want Zekka to see...

One of Kiyori and Aina, at a bathhouse together, where Kiyori was clearly ogling the Hyuuga's nude body with a clear interest and desire. Kiyori had also looked down at herself in that moment, and as a result, she also accidentally revealed a bit of her own body to her student. Immediately Kiyori's hands broke away from her student's head, and her entire face went flush with embarrassment. "Gah! Ohmygosh i'm so sorry Zekka! You weren't supposed to see that!"

jutsuShow

~Dosatsugan - Recall - Implantation
D-Ranked Ninjutsu
While the Dosatsugan is active, the Henrin will perform a series of hand seals before laying both their hands upon a persons head. They will then proceed to lock eyes with them as they implant a memory of their choosing into the target from their own mind. This memory implantation is temporary but it allows the Henrin to share information with another person more easily. While the person won't recall all the exact details like the Henrin would(unless they are a Henrin), they can interpret the majority of the information transmitted into their brain. This implanted memory will only last for 2 posts before it fades from the recipients mind.

[Nick]

The young Shuudoushi smiled and nodded patiently, listening intently to his teachers every word, taking mental note of every word and phrase exactly as it was said, despite what personal opinions may have flavored such recollections. The brightly dressed boy was most impressed to hear of the infamous Hyuuga clan, and how his teacher had learned from them, if indirectly, their brand of fighting that was known through most of the ninja world. Perhaps more impressive was the fact that Kiyori had adopted their fighting style as her own, albeit with her own changes, truly illustrating what a genius his teacher could be, and earning a delighted clap from Zekka. He, himself, was working on pressure point knowledge as well, and having a teacher that could assist with that was above and beyond anything he could hope to achieve on his own.

The young man had wanted to visit Konoha with his teacher, but having been freshly sealed, and freshly a genin at the time, it was inadvisable to let him go on such an important mission outside the village, despite the diplomatic associations the villages had with each other. Hearing of her time in the village filled him with joy all the same, and as she spoke he felt on the edge of his seat. As she began forming handseals, his eyes flourished with color once more, a bright yellow of joy; He had always wanted to experience the Henrin's ability to share memories ever since the academy, when one of his fellow students had been warned off from doing it to other students.

His senses went in to overload as she touched his head, his mind flashing through innumerable memories of everything from the great forests of Fire country, to watching the Hyuuga fight as though it were right in front of him. Every detail was in hyper resolution and clarity, something he had never truly experienced before. Certainly, his memory was strong, and he had been taught to pay attention to the details, as was incredibly important in any stealth mission, but this was like staring at it through a new lens that wiped away fog. It filled him with joy once more that he could share his teachers moments like this, even the rather perverted ones. Speaking of, the boys eyes turned to a much darker shade of yellow with green around the edges, one that he had not really experienced in his young life. Pornographic material was not something one could easily come across in Sunagakure, and while sex education was existent, it was never in such dirty, lewd detail.

Zekka was speechless.

"Fine breeding stock."

Rei no Kami was not.

As the memories ended, Zekka simply stared at his teacher for several long moments, happy that his clothing was almost always loose in the form of robes, as he experienced something that would come up again in dreams he wished he did not have. His own face slowly filled with red, though he cleared his throat, trying to act considerably more professional now. "Ahem. Right. Do continue." He would have said more, but his voice cracked immaturely at the last word, causing his embarrassment to rise even more, his eyes turning a sweet shade of turquoise instead.

[TyDie]

The shock on Zekka's face only served to make the woman even more embarrassed at her slip up, but hopefully he would eventually forget he ever saw that little bit of her memories. After all, her memory would fade from his mind soon, leaving him with only a vague idea of what it used to be. In the hopes of moving on from her embarrassment, she cleared her throat and tried to bring herself back to the topic at hand; her tattoos and newfound power.

"Ahem... Anyways, I assisted as much as I could in Konoha and I think I left them with a good impression. I told them if they ever needed anything, suna would be there for it's ally in their time of need. I left Konoha about 2 weeks after I sent my squad out, so I should've been back a month ago. However... fate had other plans, as you can see. About a week into my trip home, I stumbled upon something in the desert sands, and when I tried to inspect it further, the sands gave way beneath my feet. I fell down into some sort of cavern... it was dark, so dark. It was as if light had never touched the place... It was the scariest thing i've ever had to endure. I truly thought that I had been abandoned by Her Light.

I spent 2 weeks alone in that darkness. I had to hone my sense of hearing and learn to create fire with Katon, just to survive. I faced all manner of horrifying creatures down there; scorpions, spiders, bats... zombified remains of creatures I couldn't even identify. And at the end of it all, I stumbled upon an alter to the sun, in some grand chamber. I came to the conclusion that the place was some ancient temple dedicated to a sect of Yuumagure, lost ages ago to the sands of the desert. The altar was guarded by some sort of terrifying dark spirit, and when I thought I was about to die, I prayed to the altar of the sun and touched it. In that moment, something I could never have predicted occurred... the runes lining the walls of the chamber lit up, and suddenly this immense power flooded the altar. My body was overcome with an incredible sensation as the altar transferred the power into me, and well... this is the result."

Kiyori would then close her eyes and positioned her hands as if she was holding a ball of some sort. As she began to channel chakra into her hands, the tattoos that lined her body began to glow dimly with a golden light. And soon, that same golden light was now filling the empty space between her hands; she had created an orb of light from nothing but her chakra. The glow was warm and inviting, as was the soft heat being generated by it, and it's color made it look like a small sun in the palms of her hands. "I... I have been blessed with the gift of Her Light. I overcame my trial of darkness, and held true to my faith. As a result, I can now wield and harness the power of Her Light."

With no idea of really where to go from there, the woman just sort of stood there awkwardly, awaiting some kind of reaction from her student.

[Nick]

Despite his embarrassment, Zekka recovered well, and it didn't take long for his teacher to want to move on either, it seemed, which suited him just fine. They could happily move on from that now-repressed memory, and never mention it to each-other or anyone else ever again, not even in therapy years later. That being said, he buckled down as she finished her jutsu of her time in Konoha, appreciating the spoken words just as much as the previous vivid images, and waiting on baited breath as she spoke of the dangers beneath the sands of Wind Country.

Zekka was well aware the deserts were quite dangerous, as Suna was even home to a so called 'monster hunting' guild deigned to take out threats such as massive scorpions, though hearing of dark spirits and zombified, flesh-rotten creatures sent shivers down his spine. He had heard stories, but he had assumed they ended at the cusp of somebodies lips, and didn't extend further than a campfire story told to academy students to tell them that the lights blessings would save them. But then here was Kiyori, living proof that the lights blessings DID protect from such awful monstrosities. Praise the sun.

Once more his eyes went alight with emotions, swirling shades of orange as his eyes locked with the circle she formed with her hands, until the orb of light began to slowly appear, almost matching the color his eyes took, until it was as if he was beholding the sun itself, staring directly into its light. He even went so far as to slowly reach his hands out, until his fingertips touched against the orb, before suddenly retracting them as if it burned him, even if it hadn't, realizing he was touching something that might as well have been a precious artifact. Arms back down to his sides, Zekka cleared his throat and nodded at his teacher, tearing his eyes away from the miniature sun. "Thank you, Kiyori-san. It's glad to have you back, the village would have had a great loss if you hadn't." He spoke with diplomatic words, but the tone of his voice made it clear he was more concerned about their personal connection.

"Well, I suppose I owe you an explanation of my Chuunin exam..." He looked down sheepishly at the floor as he spoke, as he certainly didn't have a grand tale of survival as she had just put before him. All the same, he began to recount the experience as best he could. "I learned a new bag of tricks after you left; Smoke ninpou. I had been experimenting with it for awhile, but I was never satisfied with the result until recently." He looked up, smiling proudly at his 'invention.' He certainly wasn't the first to use smoke, but it also wasn't something the archives kept notes on, as it was considered an unorthodox style. "My opponent was really surprised to see it! I think the proctors were pretty impressed, too. But..." He sighed, he really should have lost the more he thought on it, if it weren't for his disarming personality and even more disarming Shuudoushi bloodline, it would all be over.

"Aniya, my opponent, was well-versed in both genjutsu and taijutsu, which as you know, are my weaker points." Taking a deep breath, one of his feet tapped impatiently as he spoke. "I put up the best fight I could, and I think I kept up quite well with her taijutsu, but her genjutsu... It felt like she put a lock around my body. I could have broken out of it! I know I could have... But I couldn't form the handseal to kai out..." Which, to him, was the most disappointing aspect. His strength was his downfall, had he been in real combat, he probably would have been finished off without much of a second thought. "I talked her down, though. I knew I'd have to forfeit at that point, but instead I... Well, I guess I forced both of us to forfeit..." He seemed conflicted on the fact. Certainly, he had used his strengths to his advantage, but he wasn't sure it would have worked on someone who was actively trying to kill him. He smiled all the same, slowly, as he reached his conclusion. "But, well, as you can see... I won! We both did, actually. I'm really happy for both of us."

[TyDie]

Kiyori was rather intrigued by the surprise ending to Zekka's exam. After all, she couldn't remember hearing of anyone who forced a double surrender before. "Talk about a hell of an ending! But hey, it worked right? My opponent was rather similar. I never got his name, but he used cat claws and genjutsu, and the genjutsu worked in a way I hadn't considered. My eyes are capable of distinguishing genjutsu from reality with ease, but when I have a field of grass blocking my vision, it doesn't matter if I know the truth or not; I still couldn't see! It was quite difficult indeed, took a lot of clever thinking to get out of that one." As she ended, she let out a small chuckle which ended with a small sigh... her mind wandered back to what she had just been through, and she recalled that Zekka lost the actual 'fight'.

She became somber for a moment, turning her back to look towards the people below, all enjoying the festivities and living it up in the sun. "You know Zekka, if there's one thing I learned while I was stuck in that dark abyss, it's that a happy go lucky personality and kind demeanor will only get you so far when true evil rears it's face. I understand your exam was a test, but even with your Shuudoushi techniques, it may not be enough to save you... In a perfect world, your words would be all you need. If only we lived in a world like that..."

Kiyori sighed again as she looked back to him, then motioned for him to come join her at the edge of the roof. "And of course, it's not just your life on the line. You're a chuunin now, you have a bigger responsibility to the people down there. It's your job to be there for them, to protect them from threats they aren't even aware of. I... I don't want to see Suna look like Konoha did. I never want to see that. Just promise me that you'll keep improving, you'll never stop getting better, and for heaven's sake don't overestimate yourself. Push your limits, but also know when to stop pushing for the day. I just... I don't want to see you get hurt. I don't want to see anyone get hurt, but especially not you."

As she ended, it was clear she was fighting back tears... she couldn't bear the thought of something happening to her pupil. She shook her head a moment to help keep the tears from flowing before looking back to the people. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to rain on your parade. Go, enjoy the festival, you earned it."

[Nick]

The newly appointed Chuunin listened with rapt attention to the story behind his own teachers Chuunin exam, something he honestly hadn't even thought of, that at one point Kiyori was in no better of a position than he was. She too, at one point, was young, inexperienced and maybe even immature, but it was hard for Zekka to picture what she might have been like, as it was clear she had... changed, from whatever she was, perhaps even unrecognizable to those who hadn't seen the entirety of the growth. The Shuudoushi wondered if some day he, too, would be unrecognizably different from his current state, as he grew up, and became whatever it was he was meant to become.

He would have mentioned as much to his teacher, but it didn't take her long to change her tone completely. Zekka's eyes darted away dejectedly as she mentioned, even if indirectly, he was simply not strong enough, which was a harsh truth that he had been contemplating for himself ever since he had walked off of the field of their exam. He had gone over things from a tactical standpoint, revisited the situation in his head a thousand times about what he could have done differently. Perhaps if he had made a stronger assault in the beginning he could have prevented her retaliation. Or maybe once he realized she was so proficient with genjutsu, he could have kai'd at every available opportunity, just to be sure, but... Ultimately, it came down to her being straight stronger than him. His ninjutsu alone wasn't enough to keep him in the fight, and so he had to rely on his ninjutsu to keep him out of the fight instead.

The boy eventually did as she asked, however, several moments of silence reigning before he walked over to sit down next to her, legs dangling off the roof carelessly. He heard her words, and they hit his heart, but where others would take it as discouragement, Zekka finally took it as time to look up from the ground, staring in to the sky proudly instead. "This village... I owe everything to it, my life, the love of the sun, and the protection from the desert. Everything I do will be to support and improve the village, and to protect the people within." His eyes were a dark orange color, maybe courage, or perhaps pride over his village, as he looked down to see the people below.

"This is my home, and their home as well, and none will ever harm it, if I have anything to say about it! You have my word, Kiyori; I can't promise my own safety, the village must come first, but I can't well protect it from beyond the grave, can I?" He said, a wry smile on his lips, turning to face Kiyori now, as she told him to enjoy his own festival, but it didn't feel right to leave his teacher like that, especially when they still had a lot of catching up to do. He offered her a mischevious wink, which was odd for the Shuudoushi, before forming a quick series of handseals, and behind him in a puff of smoke was a shadow clone, who jumped off the roof to do as she asked. "I am, Kiyori. The people may need me, but you're one of the people, too."