Parable of the Prodigal Son

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Parable of the Prodigal Son

Post by 7eleven » Mon Jun 15, 2020 7:06 pm

As Satori crested the hill, he could finally see the twin peaks of Kumogakure no Sato slicing through the horizon. The sun had just begun to set and he could just make out the building structures mounted between the two summits, the oranges and purples lighting the river below on fire. Satori became acutely aware that this was the same hill he stood upon as he took his last look of home before leaving, and he felt the past 6 years wash away from him. He was a kid again, the blood of fallen Lightning Country soldiers on his face and hands. The fading voice of the Enchougenma. Hayate Sensei looking down at him as he lay on the ground in failure, just after the genma had been ripped from him. These memories were heavy, pulling him down the hill and back the way he came. What if the Raikage would not take him back? Or worse, what if he was welcomed only to fail again? Satori considered turning back to continue his life of aimless roaming. In many ways, these had been the happiest years of his life. No longterm commitments to the village, no war. Just...endless wandering. Peace.

But no. Satori breathed in as deeply as he could. Exhaled. And set off down the hill and towards Kumogakure no Sato. He was ready to return home and face the consequences of defecting. Whether that would mean prison, or death, he was ready.

It was another several hours before Satori reached the first watchtower leading up to the temple at the base of the western mountain, the sun had been replaced with the sounds of nocturnal wildlife. He was awash in the familiar smell of stone carried on the winds flowing down the mountain. The sound of the river, the warm glow of the lights dotting the temple. And of course, the architecture. God, how he'd missed the architecture. Before he was able to trek the 40 or so feet to next tower, two men dressed in Kumogakure flak appeared swiftly before him. Satori was gripped with anxiety. In this moment he longed for distant streams and quiet farming towns.

One of the two men, who seemed to be younger than Satori, approached. The man had dark skin, white hair, and green eyes. Probably an Arashiyama. If things went south, this was probably the one he would need to be careful of.

"What's your business in Kumogakure?"

Satori again took a deep breath, his robes blowing lightly in the wind. He took a moment to look from the man in front of him to the man in the back, who was clearly keeping a close watch on The Eye floating just behind him. He wasn't able to discern much about him from his appearance, but just because he wasn't recognizable didn't mean he wasn't dangerous.

"I need for you to deliver an urgent message to Nakajima Hayate. Not a pigeon. It's important that you deliver this message yourself."

Slowly and with purpose, Satori reached his right hand into the fold of his robes and pulled out two objects. The first was Satori's Kumogakure Hitai-ate, still bound to the same ragged black cloth. The second was a 6-inch tall wooden carving of a jar, an exact replica of the one that Hayate had pulled the Enchougenma from before sealing it into Satori half his life ago. The carving had been infused with a trace amount of Satori's chakra, hopefully enough for Hayate to recognize it. He placed these two items carefully on the ground before taking a few long strides backwards.

The man scoffed, eyeing Satori suspiciously. "And what makes you think this is that important? That I would run to the Raikage in the middle of the night?"

"It's important because I need for Hayate to believe you, without question, " Satori paused briefly to pull off his mask, exposing his tossed hair and blue eyes. "when you tell him that Sunakimi Satori is home."
Last edited by 7eleven on Sat Jun 27, 2020 7:34 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Parable of the Prodigal Son

Post by Taiga » Tue Jun 16, 2020 1:54 am

Hayate leaned back in his desk as the sun set through the windows of his office. He slapped a report that read an audience with the Emperor of Lightning Country down on the table before cradling his head in his hands- lost in thought. Lately running the village and the country had begun to take an extreme toll on the once war-heros mental faculties. The money offered by the client as of little meaning to him- however who the client was mattered a great deal.

While Kumogakure had been mostly isolationist they had still kept up trade and good relations with neighboring countries. Perhaps their best relations had always been with the country directly south of them- Tree Country. Often as mercenaries Kumogakure shinobi had served them and the lineal ties to lightning country for many of the citizens of Tree Country had always only furthered their friendship... but when the civil war started the Kumo and much of the country turned increasingly inward for a time... and much of the assistance and service they had once given to countries like Tree had ceased.

While he was certain they understood the reasons why he still felt guilty, especially to Tree Country. He himself as a Jounin had often helped with spirit trouble there and ignoring that bond was never something that had been done lightly... which made this particular request all the more difficult. For a request now, it meant that the Daimyo was desperate- and while for Hayate that was good for desperation gave a way to repair the relationship and form a stronger bond, it left him in a particular situation.

It was no lie that Kumogakure had been short-numbered on high ranking shinobi especially post-war. While the younger generation was large they were still mostly academy students, genin, and chuunin... A mission of such importance was no place for children and yet who else could he send? While the war had been over for half a decade, a number of his most politically adept jounin were tied up in the other provinces, overseeing reconstructions, repairs, new infrastructure projects, and helping to continue to mend the morale of the people.

This mission was likely A-Rank at least... he leaned back in his chair and pulled a ninja roster from his desk, paging through it with a sigh of frustration as he began to nod off with each and every page turn... until finally he was asleep.
At the foothills of the leftmost of two mountain ranges which held the marvelous ivory city of Kumogakure up above the lake and valley below stood a guard tower. Built into the mountain itself it lacked the flare or beauty of the city above- a stark and grey contrast to what life had once been like before the village ascended into the clouds. All around the entrance stood both samurai and shinobi alike- standing astute with strict looks on their faces. As the sun began to set the tired guards had some sense of relief that their replacements would soon arrive.

A few hours later and just on the precipice of the changing of the guard- peering out onto the horizon the guards spotted something moving towards them quick enough to cause them to shift their formation. "Seriously?" one called out in an overly sarcastic tone. "Of course, right when were about to get off duty..." Lowering their spears the guards formed before the mighty stone tower. Some of the shinobi present would move away from the base of the tower and jog out to meet the guest.

The remaining guard watched by ideally.

"Always the dramatic ones eh, making entrances in the darn middle of the night."

After some short conversations and some odd objects being put down. suddenly the shinobi would return with the man in tow and enter into the tower. They'd have to go through the temple and up the passage ways to the fuuinjutsu lift that would take them up to the city and a temporary holding cell there while they waited for the kage.

The Arashiyama would look at him.

"Weapons please... we'll get you processed up top and make sure our story really checks out."

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Parable of the Prodigal Son

Post by 7eleven » Tue Jun 16, 2020 9:57 am

Satori's anxiety mounted as he was escorted up the stone path steps, and into the Fuuinjutsu lift by the guards. However, despite the situation, he found a small comfort in the fact that he was home. Well, almost. Seemed to be a good chance that he would be spending at least the rest of the night in a holding cell, at least until one of these guys felt like telling the Raikage that he was home. Satori sighed, realizing his impatience. These men were simply doing their jobs. He knew this wasn't going to be a smooth transition, it was best to simply go through the motions. What would happen would happen. He'd had been away from home for years, one night's sleep in a holding cell wouldn't change anything.

The man asked for his weapons. He looked around the rising Fuuinjutsu lift, unsure of what to do with his possessions. He laughed softly to himself, gesturing behind him with an extended thumb to the apparatus floating at his back. "This is everything. Do you have a box I can put it in, or are you going to carry all of it?"
for referenceShow
The Eye of Heaven
The Eye is an artifact of Satori's creation, comprised of X concentric steel rings imbued with Jikiton chakra. Each ring of The Eye is a separate component with its own ability or usage.

The Pupil is circular steel plate with a flat edge, 1 inch thick and 12 inches across. This component is imbued with Jikiton chakra and is used to hold the entirety of The Eye in place. The Pupil keeps the entire apparatus locked to Satori's chakra, suspended 18 inches behind him and centered at his shoulder blades.

The Iris is a ring comprised of a single 300 meter length of coiled ninja wire, loosely braided into a ring 18 inches across.

The Sclera is comprised of 24 steel orbs 2 inches in diameter, spaced evenly in into a ring 24 inches across. The braid can be tightened or loosened via Jikiton to decrease or increase its size, it can also be unraveled.

The Tears is a ring of mercury, 2 inches thick and 30 inches across. The mercury can be formed and manipulated using Jikiton.

The Lid is a flat-faced, flat-edged steel ring. It is 2 inches thick, 36 inches across when measured from the inner edge and 42 inches across when measured from the outer edge. While it appears to be a solid steel ring, it is in fact divided into 24 stacks of thin steel sheets. When manipulated and placed using Jikiton, these steel sheets will hold their position with a strength equal to Satori's [Control].

The Lashes is a ring of 128 2 inch long steel senbon, arranged in a ring 48 inches across when measured from the inner edge. The senbon extend vertically from the previous ring. The senbon are all coated in poisons, 32 senbon each coated with one of the below.
  • Immobilization poison that severely impacts coordination: -12 speed
  • Confusion poison that severely impacts concentration: -12 willpower
  • Disruption poison that severely impacts chakra circulation: -12 control
  • Tiring poison that severely impacts constitution: -12 endurance
Last edited by 7eleven on Sat Jun 27, 2020 7:34 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Parable of the Prodigal Son

Post by Taiga » Wed Jun 17, 2020 10:49 am

To be frank, the guards had no clue who Satori was. To them his "entrance" was quite theatrical, placing some weird stuff on the ground and then requesting audience with Lord Raikage? And then the whole "I'm home routine" thing... Adding to the fact his weapon was quit possibly the largest load of junk to be carried they only rolled their eyes and huffed with a very "well fuck this guy" attitude. Eventually the lift would open and the group would make their way through until they finally wound up at another white building- completely unremarkable in the fact that it was void of any kind of remarkable features... and clearly this was by design.

One of the guards would nudge Satori through the front door and into a room where a brief pulse of energy would let out- nothing that would harm anyone, but enough to cause the lights of the room to flicker. The room had pulsed a bit of jikiton to try to pickup on any weaponry or anything on his persons beyond the visible stuff he had mentioned before.

"Clear, nothing on his body... or in it..." one of the men would call as a small group of men came out of a back room to collect his stuff. The guards would usher him forward before leaving to go back to their post. Satori would be sat down direct opposite of a rather slimy looking individual.

With a voice like poisoned honey he would turn around and lock eyes with Satori.

"Shall we begin?"

Very quickly Satori would feel the room spin around him as suddenly his memories would come to life- and both Satori and the strange man would be there at the very day he defected from the village.

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Parable of the Prodigal Son

Post by 7eleven » Wed Jun 17, 2020 10:12 pm

Satori was instructed to sit at the table, across from the kind of man who looked... well, like the kind of person you didn't want to be responsible for your future. He skinny, pale, and emotionless. His sunken eyes seemed to like anything resembling empathy or compassion- which made him just the right man for this sort of job. He asked if Satori was ready to begin, but asked it in a way that made it clear that it was not a request. He had expected an interrogation, he had just hoped that he would have a chance to appeal to Hayate beforehand.

"I'll answer any questions that you have."

Before Satori even had a chance to finish speaking, he was taken by an intense spinning sensation that made him feel sick to his stomach. His vision went black, and suddenly he was back atop the hill looking out at the Kumogakure mountains against the skyline. He was just a kid again, roughly a year after the war ended. He felt the heavy sadness, The emptiness of having had the Enchougenma ripped from his body, the failure of not being able to live up to the responsibility. The guilt of the men he killed at war. The absolute, crippling weakness of at all. The smallness.

As Satori turned to head away from the village, he was again overcome by the sickening spinning sensation. He was now standing near the edge of lightning country, weighing his options. Trying to decide which choice would was the most cowardly: running from his responsibilities to his village, or his responsibilities to himself? He decided that he would never truly be able to serve Kumogakure if he couldn't find the man he was supposed to be, and he knew that he would be unable to do that while constantly surrounded by the reminders of his failures. He united his Hitai-ate and tucked it securely into his belongings.

There was more spinning by quick flashes of various moments of his journey: discovering his Kekkai Genakai in a moment where he otherwise may have died, meeting old man Tousha during the bar fight, various odd jobs and training sessions. And then suddenly he snapped back to the man at the table, his entire body damp with sweat. He could feel his heart beating rapidly, his stomach felt as though it were about to turn inside out. The sickness had subsided but had been replaced by something he had not felt in a long time: true fear. Not the anxiety he had felt leading up to this moment, but an absolute terror. What if the man didn't like what he saw? Satori realized that he hadn't adequately considered just how bad this could go.
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Parable of the Prodigal Son

Post by Taiga » Wed Jun 17, 2020 10:39 pm

As the scenes unfolded the two figures were still at the table- the slimy man standing still on one end and Satori sitting in the chair on the other. Memory after memory Satori was forced to relive it all at light-speed in silence. Every now and then the man's eyes would twicth, then Satori's would, and the scene would change to the next. When it was finally over they would be back in the room. The man would run his hands through his slick and oily hair with a sigh before looking back to Satori. So the boy was a former host- one who knew the most integral secrets of the village. He let out a cough and reached into his flak jacket procuring a cigar, placing it into his mouth as he glanced back at Satori, his hands once more fumbling in his jacket to close the cigar container.

"I can't say abandoning your post is a good thing kid, but at least you finished your mission first." he said as he pulled a chair from under the table on his side and sat down. He waves his hand. "I'll be frank. Abandoning the village like that sometimes ends in execution..." The man flicked his fingers as a tiny flame appeared on his finger-tip, lightning the cigar. Taking a long drag he sighed again.

"Given however you remained loyal the village and I could find no record of you divulging information or doing anything... bad for the village, I only hope you can get lenience from Lord Raikage... assuming he hears about all of this yanno." he removed the cigar from his mouth for a moment- the build up of tar and discolored hues of his fingers clear.

"Look buddy- I'm not this motivated to be on your side right now." he said as he returned the cigar to his mouth, kicked his feet up on the table, and leaned back.

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Parable of the Prodigal Son

Post by 7eleven » Wed Jun 17, 2020 11:06 pm

Satori's fear went as quickly as it came once he realized that this guy was full of shit. This man wasn't taking this situation seriously. Satori wasn't sure if he was stupid, arrogant or both. Who did this guy think he was, bragging about withholding information from the Raikage? Satori stood suddenly, with enough force to knock the chair backwards and to the ground with a clattering thud that echoed through the chamber.

"And what makes you think that you have the authority to withhold that information from the Raikage? How about you take 30 seconds to pull your head out of your ass- " Satori paused, to give the man time to do as he asked. "and think about how Hayate-sensei is going to react when he finds out that you just threatened to end the life of a citizen of Kumogakure no Sato."

Satori reached forward and yanked the table out from under the man's feet. He looked from the interrogator to the guards. "Now, here's what's gonna happen." Satori took a deep breath to calm himself, and continued to speak in a calmer voice, "One of the four people in this room is going to go find Nakajima Hayate and tell him who's here. If none of you want to do it, then I'm happy to do it myself."

After he finished speaking, he began channeling chakra again. He reached across his body with his right hand and touched the Fuuinjutsu tattoo on the back of his left. A few seconds later, the room would hear the interrogators voice playing from the voice recorder that he kept tucked into the seal. "assuming he hears about all of this yanno."
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Parable of the Prodigal Son

Post by Taiga » Thu Jun 18, 2020 12:29 am

The guard bit his tongue hard when the young man played back the recording... it seemed he was as in a pickle. In a defiant rage he was about to say how if the young mans arm went missing it would be pretty easy to get out of this- but then he remembered the visions he had seen in his memories. Force was not going to work very well given this young man was strong enough to toe-to-toe with a former Hokage. He was... much more powerful than him or any of the other guards. Putting his feet down from the tale and sitting back up straight he took another drag of the cigar, puffing the smoke out into Satori's face.

He was bitter and angry, but he also knew when there was nothing more he could squeeze out of someone he was interrogating.

"You passed the test! I guess you are a good guy like us... he said with a chuckle waving his hands. When the guard came over he waved his hand again. "Man, it is a huge drag to wake the Raikage up at this time of night..." he said as the guard would gently nudge Satori up.

"We'll just stick you in the cell over night and he'll come here first thing in the morning for you." the guard said with a wicked smile as he stood up and exited the room through a door to the back.

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Parable of the Prodigal Son

Post by 7eleven » Thu Jun 18, 2020 12:43 am

Satori had had enough of this man and his power trip. What an absolute moron.

Satori channeled Jikiton chakra through his hands, using it to grab hold of the door just as it was about to shut behind him. He ripped the door off its hinges and let it fall to the ground.

"LIke I said. One of the four of us is going to get the Raikage. I think we both know he's not going to be happy to find out that you waited 8 hours to give him this information. And just so we're on the level, I'm still recording this entire conversation."
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Parable of the Prodigal Son

Post by Taiga » Thu Jun 18, 2020 1:02 am

The guard's eyes went huge as the door behind him was ripped off its hinges. He turned around, shocked, then let out a massive laughter. He nearly bent over clutching his stomach in laughter. Who was this guy to make all these demands? Sure he had once been a host but he also cried his eyes out like a baby and fled the village... he was a criminal as far as the guard was concerned.

"You've done it now kid- property damage, threatening me, and demanding the Kage? Oh my yeah we will wake up the kage for this alright. He's gunna be freakin furious." He'd say nothing else before he would suddenly disappear through yet another door.
It'd would have been about another hour maybe but finally the man Satori was asking for would arrive. Dressed in his pajamas with a shinobi tunic pulled over it to keep him warm from the mountain's cold winds at night, Hayate slowly made his way into the holding building and into the room, stepping through the damaged doorframe carefully and over the massive steel hunk of a door. He looked tired- very tired. With deep bags under his eyes and a great deal older-looking than Satori probably remembered, the Raikage glanced to the guard.

"Like Is toldyas boss- this kid caused all this property damage, threatened me... demanded and audience with ya, look how tired you are, kids these days aint got noooo respect right boss?" he said pointing to the kid. The Raikage glanced back to the middle of the room and Satori, pretty much ignoring the guards rabble and stepped forward. A rather annoyed look on his face the tired man suddenly sprang to life with energy as he karate chopped Satori on the top of the head.

"You little shit!"

He was nearly fuming.

"All you had to do was ask for permission and I would of gave it to you." he said as his karate-chopping hand laid paused on Satori's head. His hand opened up and it scrunched the young mans hair instead. "You've grown a lot kid, come with me..."

The guards jaw was nearly on the floor.

"But sir with all do respects yanno, this kid-"

Hayate cut him off with little to no care for what he had to say.

"Wakaosuki, I expect you to put in for this door to get fixed immediately... its a matter of national security."

With that the pair would be off towards the Raikage tower- the moon shining bright upon the village. "Damn you got big, what have you been up to?"

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Parable of the Prodigal Son

Post by 7eleven » Thu Jun 18, 2020 1:22 am

After waiting around for nearly an hour, Satori had begun to think that the skeevy guy had blown the whole thing off. Which he should've seen coming, he hadn't given Satori any reason to think he would take this anymore seriously than anything else.

And then Hayate walked into the room- it was odd not to see him in the Raikage robes, but Satori also found it comforting. If it wasn't for the situation, he would have found having his hair scratched in that way to be demeaning. But to get to see an old friend again, and to be welcomed, was a great relief. And what was he going to do, chastise the Raikage after waking him up in the middle of the night after returning from a 6 year hiatus to break a door? He thought it best to hold his tongue. So he just followed.

"Honestly, Hayate, I- actually, hold on just a second."

Satori turned around, channeling more Jikiton chakra into his hands. He used it to lift the door of the ground and pull it back into place on its hinges. He then did the same with the hinge pins that had scattered to the floor, and slid them back into place. And...well, the door was still not in good shape. But his intention wasn't to fix the door, it was to prove a point. "I know you're really not fond of doing your job, so I just went ahead and took care of this one for you to." He paused briefly to turn his attention to the guards. "If you don't mind, could you grab my things and have it taken to the Raikage tower? I'd do it myself, but I'm a few years late to an important meeting." He then turned and closed the door behind him.

As he walked the streets of Kumo with Hayate, Satori felt whole for the first time in a long time. "Hayate, I was... ashamed. Of everything. My leaving the village was a failure. A necessary failure, but a failure nonetheless. And after everything else... I just couldn't bring another failure to you. I was so young when I was chosen, I didn't know who I was without Hyeonmu. It was like losing my closest relative and my legs at the same time."

"And as far as what I've been up to, really... nothing of note. I just trained and tried to get by, learned how to take care of myself. I knew I couldn't take care of the village until I could."
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Parable of the Prodigal Son

Post by Taiga » Thu Jun 18, 2020 5:53 am

"We all have those moments... I mean, I cannot be too strict considering I was a missing ninja for quite sometime myself... though forcibly so... Anyhow I understand your position." he said with a hushed grumble after. He still felt quite bitter over what Banri had done to him all those years ago... manipulating the situation to turn him into an assassin... forcing him to become a missing ninja to protect Kumogakure... but in the recent years since the war he had come to realize that was just the way his path was meant to wind up.

By the time they had made it out of the border zone and more towards the city Hayate was quite tired but tried to stay awake enough to hold the conversation as the two made their way through the streets of Kumogakure. Through narrow roads and over rope bridges that connected many of the outer boroughs of the village the pair eventually made their way to the other side of the twin peaks and up.

"You've got a good heart in you kid. And you seem to make friends easily" the Raikage said. By now the pair were getting much closer to the Raikage's tower.

"I heard from our friend the guard you were fraternizing with ninja of other countries- like some strong old guys and what not- probably at least bannin strength I guess..." he chuckled as he struggled to figure out the name of a man who ruled a country while he had only been a special jounin in his own. "I guess that means you became a man of the world or something?"

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Parable of the Prodigal Son

Post by 7eleven » Thu Jun 18, 2020 11:04 pm

Satori was overwhelmed with a sense of peace and comfort. Belonging. Talking to Hayate after all these years was unexpectedly... easy. So easy that it felt surreal, almost dreamlike. He spent so many sleepless lights in ratty ins and makeshift tents, staring into the darkness and imagining this. He didn't get it right, not one time. He imagined a lot of things: fear, anxiety, laughter, crying. But never easy. He had also never considered that Hayate's own history would play a part in his opinion on Satori's homecoming. "I'd hear stories, but I never knew the whole truth. I was still a kid when you were made Raikage."

Walking the streets of Kumo was definitely bittersweet. It had been a long time since had missed his mother and grandfather in such a visceral way. It was easier to forget when he wasn't home. But maybe that was a good thing. Maybe now he would have the opportunity to address his memories through as the man he is, rather than as the boy that he was. He couldn't wait to look upon the village in the light of day.

"I traveled to a great many places, and met a great many people. I saw things that I didn't think possible, savage spirits and Kekkai Genkai I had never heard of. I learned about myself and the world outside of the two mountains. But, no, Hayate- I am not a man of the world. I saw the world. I am a man of Kumogakure no Sato." The words felt powerful off his tongue. It was, perhaps, the first time he ever truly believed them.
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Post by Taiga » Fri Jun 19, 2020 9:38 am

Nearly ready to answer some rather hard questions, Hayate was relieved when Satori didn't ask more about his time as an MN or any more questions. To be honest he had explained it to very few- only partially to his own daughters. Letting the chat move on he merely nodded. He was happy to see Satori was filled with love, comfort, and duty while they walked the streets of Kumogakure and for him that showed much more than any interrogation could... it showed Satori felt kinship to Kumogakure in every bone of his body- his very fiber. This was what true Kumogakure shinobi were like- even Banri.

The pair was now growing ever close to the Raikage tower. Massive and visually shocking lightning surged around the top of the tower... a feat of modern engineering that only proved the fame of the highly educated engineers of Kumogakure was well deserved. It was also likely that Satori had left before the monolithic structure had been fully completed.

As the pair continued onwards Hayate slapped Satori on the back.

"Now that's a fine answer my boy... Many don't understand that loving your country isn't thinking its the best or greatest and ignoring the rest. It's leaving and seeing everything beyond but still choosing- hell knowing it's the place you belong. Wakoasuki isn't a bad guy you know- he just doesn't get that. He doesn't share the experiences you and I do, and so he often thinks anyone who left is a betrayer... But I think you coming back proves something big- that Kumo means more to you than anything out there- out in the whole wide world."

With that the pair would arrive at the tower's entrance, the guards merely bowing there head slightly as the pair would enter through the gates revealing not the interior of a building but instead a massive memorial park, lined with 8 statues of the former Raikage's leading all the way to a smaller building in the middle of the park.

"Welcome to Akino tower... This is the "Memorial Park" Hayate said with a pause as he pointed to the statues, then to his building.

"And that is the Raikage's office- a place someday your generation will inherit from me." Making way towards a park bench and sitting, he would pat the bench signaling for Satori to join him.

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Parable of the Prodigal Son

Post by 7eleven » Fri Jun 19, 2020 8:03 pm

Satori took a moment to take in the absolute majesty of the Heart of Kumogakure no Sato. It was one of the truest works of art he had ever seen. In the shadow of one of the greatest tragedies to fall upon Kumo, the literal destruction of one of the twin mountains, the village persevered in a way that he believed only Kumo could. They engineered the summit of the mountain. They took the literal collapse of one of their most treasured landmarks and made it more than it was, one of the village's greatest shames sublimated into one of its greatest accomplishments. This was the real Heart of Kumogakure no Sato, the tower was just a flawlessly engineered representation of the truth: a truth that he had spent the last six years searching for in the wilds. He hoped that he could live up to it.

After taking his moment of reflection, Satori joined Hayate on the bench. "Hayate-sensei, I would very much like to get to work right away. I'm sure that there will need to be some briefings, some debriefings, some evaluations...etcetera. Whatever it takes to get me back to working for the good of Kumogakure no Sato, I will gladly do. I've spent the last 6 years looking for something out there, and I've finally found it. I didn't come home just because I longed for it. I came home because I was ready."
Last edited by 7eleven on Sat Jun 27, 2020 7:32 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Parable of the Prodigal Son

Post by Taiga » Sat Jun 20, 2020 10:00 am

Hayate had nearly dozed off in the slight silence and break in the conversation as Satori took in his surroundings... when the young man spoke up again it jolted Hayate awake, his eyes turning the young man as he instinctively nodded his head. It was very clear to him that Satori was an honorable young man and dedicated to the village, but he in regards to his request, Hayate still did have his worries that an immediate mission was... too soon? The boy needed time to rest his spirit and be in the village. There was much to learn on the political standings of the village... the channels they took... policy changes in the like.

Scratching the back of his head he looked back to Satori. Despite his hesitations there was something of dire need that he had been struggling to find personnel for... the situation with Tree country. Though it was not likely going to be one of his wisest decision at the current juncture beyond himself there were very few capable and available to go deal with high level spirits.

"Ah gee... Honestly I think we should wait a bit longer before sending you out on work but... I guess you've grown quite powerful and you said it yourself, you've seen savaged spirits... hell you were a host to one of the strongest spirits the world ever saw..." he paused.

"You just got back... so it's really poor timing but our neighbor to the south is having some issues..."

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Parable of the Prodigal Son

Post by 7eleven » Sat Jun 27, 2020 7:30 pm

Satori took in a deep breath and considered how he would address the Raikage's concerns. Hayate's hesitation was slightly upsetting. He had spent the past six years studying and training relentlessly to rebuild himself as an effective tool, but Satori reminded himself that Hayate was more than just an old friend of his- the man was the Raikage, and Satori's feelings were irrelevant in the scope of the good of the village. And, of course Hayate's concerns were valid. The last time the two had spoken, Satori was just a child with the Ninjutsu skills of an academy student and a psyche in shambles. It was unreasonable for Satori to expect implicit trust after having a nervous breakdown and disappearing for half a decade.

"I understand your concerns. I will gladly cede to any questions or tests you have for me. Whatever you have in mind, I know I can handle it. But I understand that you have a job to do, and that it's more important that you know I can handle it."
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Parable of the Prodigal Son

Post by Taiga » Wed Jul 01, 2020 11:02 am

The Raikage reached out and patted the boy on the shoulder- no, the young man.

"I trust you completely- you misunderstand. I instead worry that your soul is a bit tired and that you need more rest within your homeland before being thrown back out on missions"

His hand rolled into a fist on the young man's shoulder, then to a pointed finger which he used to gently tap the man on the chest near his heart.

"We all need to recharge- and there is no better place for a Kumogakure Shinobi to recharge than here... But the task I have in mind would need you to leave the village immediately- well at the latest maybe tomorrow or the next day." The Raikage said as he leaned back on the bench.

"Tree Country needs our help fighting some spirits... I do not think it will be quick, or easy, but it will go a long way in solidifying an alliance with them. The old guard was allied loosely, if unofficially with them, but after the civil war we have not been in too much contact beyond trade. Your military help I think might give us an opportunity to try and make an official alliance this time."

Hayate hoped that this sounded alright to Satori, and also that the young man would be okay with leaving... so soon.

"I suppose you'd be like a... commando ambassador."

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Parable of the Prodigal Son

Post by 7eleven » Fri Jul 03, 2020 12:42 am

Satori couldn't help but laugh. He took in a deep breath. The smells of the greenery and water surrounding him felt both fresh and familiar in same moment. He couldn't find a word to describe exactly what he was feeling, but thought to himself that this is what nostalgia aspires to be. A dream realized, a reality carved precisely from a faded memory. "All due respect, Lord Raikage, but I think I think it's you who has misunderstood. I've spent the past several years recharging my soul. I'll set off tomorrow evening, I prefer to travel by moonlight."

Though Satori did find a blessing of sorts in the Raikage's gesture. After all these years, for the Raikage to touch his heart - almost literally - while the two basked in the light of The Heart of Kumogakure no Sato. Perhaps Satori was over-romanticizing the moment. But it reminded him of the fables that his grandfather, Sumi, would tell him as a child. Stories of a sand kings and moon spirits. "I didn't come home to be home, I came home to protect it. There will come a day for rest, but it seems that tomorrow is a day for work. It would be my honor represent Kumogakure no Sato."

Satori reached into his robe and pulled out his Hitai-ate, taking a moment to appreciate the reflection of the tower lighting the carving before tying it securely to his forehead. While he was not one to wear his on his head in the traditional fashion, especially now that he had taken on the mask of the black spirit Usagi, it felt appropriate to wear it as such now.
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Parable of the Prodigal Son

Post by Taiga » Fri Jul 03, 2020 6:00 am

"Aye-aye. Ya remind me of myself when I was a lad..." he muttered softly to himself, affirming Satori's will to serve the village even if it meant leaving where he had just returned to.

Though he was rather tired since it was the middle of the night, Hayate could clearly see that for the young man this moment and all that had led him to it had some sort of special or symbolic meaning. Choosing not to ruin the moment, he would stay silent as the young man basked in whatever feels he had.

After some time, Hayate would finally break the silence and the scene to pull things to a close.

"I am afraid I've grown much older and tireder in the past decade. Between a hard life as a shinobi and god knows how many times I've regenerated my body... I just can't do all nighters like I used to..." he said as he stood up, a drawn out yawn cutting the end of his sentence short, though seemingly in perfect timing as he had little else to say.

"You can sleep in the guest facilities in the tower- generally we hold dignitaries there but- as you are now a Bannin, Satori, I think you've earned the right to rest there until you set out tomorrow- we will process any paperwork and details at that time too."

For now it was probably best if they both got some sort of rest.

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Parable of the Prodigal Son

Post by 7eleven » Mon Jul 06, 2020 3:55 pm

Satori nodded in acceptance of Hayate's offer to stay in the Raikage tower. He assumed that his grandfather's old house had probably been sitting empty for the past several years, and while he assumed it would still be available to him it would likely need quite a lot of work before his old home was livable again. He smiled at the thought of filling that space again, sitting in Sumi's chair to write down his stories as his grandfather once did. Growing teas and hibiscus plants, smoking on the patio as he watched enjoyed the abundant cloud's of the village namesake. But that would have to come after the mission. Hayate was right, he would need some rest before embarking to Tree Country. He had less than 24 hours before he was to set back off, and he would need to be awake in time to sort out the logistics of both his return and his new mission.

"Thank you for the hospitality, old friend." Satori departed and made his way to the Raikage tower. It had been quite a long time since he had entered the building, but he had spent many hours there in his youth and was confident that he could still find his way.
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