Homecoming

[JediBrainWash]

A cloud of white smoke exploded outward in an audible ‘whoosh’, the air filling the space rapidly displacing to make way for what lay hidden inside. Iga had not gotten used to the sudden form of transportation utilized by the Black Salamander Sage, and as he sat atop Imori the sinking gut feeling of reverse summoning disoriented him. He slid down the back of the large salamander as the smoke of the summoning jutsu cleared and looked around the area. He had been brought to the roadway leading to the west entrance of the stone village, just outside the village’s large defensive wall by roughly 100 meters. Iga brushed the fallen mohawk out of his mismatched eyes and turned to face Imori.

”Thanks for the ride. You’re a mighty fine steed.”

”Still such a smartass. Good luck Kid. Reach out if you need me.”

Iga smiled at the large salamander, still remarkably young for his kind, and nodded at him before the red amphibian disappeared into a smaller poof of smoke. Iga had been away from the village for 2 years to this very day, having left after his chuunin promotion on invite from a younger and much smaller Imori. The young salamander had appeared to Iga in a pond with a reverse summoning scroll that had taken Iga to the salamander home of Lake Tono. To Iga, it seemed so long ago. For two years, he studied among the salamanders, forsaking nearly all human contact. He looked at the dirt road leading straight into the flat of the incredibly enormous encircling wall of the village and began to walk towards it. Though dirty, he wore his typical ninja garb, outfitted with his now-worn chuunin vest bearing the village’s symbol.

[Varian]

Yuji had stood guard for most of the day on the western wall. Standing along with a group of Chuunin who were also performing the same duty as him, the group being supervised overall by a pair of Jounin. Yuji's task had been a mind numbing one thus far, a clipboard in hand containing a list of all Shinobi who were due back from missions around this time. The list was around six pages in total - printed both sides - covering an entire month's worth of Shinobi who were due back. There was no guarentee any of them would have even shown up today, so far Yuji himself had only ticked one name off the list.

The weather hadn't been the best either, a strong gust of wind had been funnelling through the Shinan valley battering against the group who stood guard here. The Jounin in charge of operations was in communication with the sensory unit for this segment of the wall currently. It was less than a surprise then when the large salamander had shown up only a hundred meters out from the wall. One of the chuunin had already been dispatched to assess the intent of the Shinobi who approached.

Once no immediate threat had been detected the chuunin would return to the group by the gate ahead of the one who approached Iwagakure. Upon arrival at the gate the returning shinobi would be pointed towards Yuuji who held his clipboard ready. "Name?" The Fukusha asked in an impatient manner, already preparing to flip through the pages on the clipboard.