Desert Refugee

Nobu Sen Katto found himself dehydrated and hungry as he approached the gates of the village of Hoshigakure. Of course, the man knew nothing of this place, only that it was some sort of settlement. If there was clean drinking water and something to eat he wouldn’t care about much else. The young man would approach the gates, unsure of the protocols of the village. It had been a long time since he had been to any settlement this big, and it made the former Sand shinobi question just where he was.
 
A light blue cloak would billow as a passing wind caught in it. Hopefully this wasn’t some sort of den of thieves and murderers, else he might be walking directly into his own demise. Still, the desire to survive outweighed the cons, since he knew that if he didn’t drink something soon he would likely die. The man would approach the gates, hailing the first person he saw that looked like they had any sort of authority.


--Seeking village entry--

Still mustering up the courage to enter Hoshigakure and request citizenship, Aichi was momentarily sitting behind a few rocks waiting for daylight to break. The missing boy had piled them up to protect this skin from the harsh sun, and was snugly crawled up underneath. He was laying on his shawl, having taken it off to rest from the heat. It was warm out for a typical day in Haven Country and by no means was it safe outside the village. The heat, storms and bandits were a lot to handle by themselves.

Of course this brief relationship would be shortlived. The surrounding dangers of wild life ever present outside of the Village, even nearby the gates.

Suddenly Aichi was done resting, and the silhouette of a snake he found crawling up to him went flying through the air. The head followed, and if anyone was there to hear it, Aichi was puking. Terrified of slithering surprises when laying down, the boy reacted instinctively. Maybe it was living outside since he was eight years old, or maybe it was the Berserker in him. Regardless he ripped the head off the non venomous snake with his teeth. The taste was truly wretched.

The makeshift den was no longer suitable, with puke inside and around it. Grumbling quietly Aichi picked up his shawl. There were puke stains all over it, clear and mucous from a lack of food. Aichi figured it was time to retire the cloak, and he buried it in the sand. At least 50 meters away from the gates still, he couldsee the high rise towers.

Unfortunately he would have to walk away from the village first, and get a drink of water from a nearby river. The river was his main drinking source, and even had fish to eat. Though rarely. Aichi knew how to find it and set off, coincidentally following the same snakes trail from where it had come from.

A few hours of travel passed, and Aichi was drinking at an oasis. There were shrubs growing by the waterside, and little bugs were crawling around. They looked like super soldier ants, and Aichi did his best to ignore them. Sipping slowly, he dipped his hand back and forth from his mouth. The water wasnt as cold as you might expect from a river, and probably wasnt all that clean either; but the drink satisfied his thirst and Aichi trekked back another eighty meters towards the gates. The life of a nomad was constant walking above all else.

Feeling brave from all the adventure so far, Aichi chose not to stealthily hide in anxiousness while stalking the gates for shinobi to ask about citizenship. Usually fearful of society anyway, Aichi was an adept in the art of stealth. Today would be different however. Today would be the day he made his way into the village. Aichi stood strong and tall, his red shirt flapping in the sudden wind gust wind as he straightened his posture to properly approach a shinobi of Hoshi.

The teenager was walking, slower and slower as his anxiety reached the foreground of his mind when confronted by the sheer intensity heralded by Hoshigakure no Satos gates. Brick and mortar made for a great foundation, and ornate ceramics covered the peepholes. Aichi wondered what kind of ninja guarded those slotted windows.

The young Jugo was standing about twenty meters from the actual entrance. Not hiding. There was no cloak over his shoulder that he had saved from a victim of his rage, and that made him feel stronger. Aichi almost didnt think about his mother, until he did. Suddenly his posture broke, and he looked at the dirt. He didnt turn around though, instead just standing there.

After a few seconds of mournful recollections, Aichi wiped a tear from his eye and picked his head up. It wouldnt be long before someone noticed him, and Aichi figured through all the tears he probably wasnt ready. Turning on his heel the young man was self dejected by his own shortcomings, and was ready to sleep in the woods again.

"That's my life.." Aichi muttered aloud as he walked by someone who was on the same side of the gates as he. Aichi paused to check him out, curious if he was a shinobi returning home.

Nature Stacks: 1/6
WordCount: 721

Nobu was waiting patiently as another person approached him from behind. Usually such a thing was concerning, to say the least, as being approached by an unknown person out in this world often meant you would find a knife at your back and a the breath of a bandit on your ears, asking for all of your money. Nobu of course hadn’t been in much of a position to defend himself even if he wanted to. Luckily, the newcomer didn’t seem to seek his wallet nor his life.
 
Nobu would glance over at the youth, his hood keeping his face covered in shadows. The man was tall with a decent build, yet his face gave away his youth. Nobu wasn’t sure how old this man was, maybe early teens, probably not much older. He looked ragged, yet the lack of any stubble on his chin made only cemented Nobu’s thoughts on his age. His clothes were worn, suggesting that he didn’t have many outfits. No sign of a headband, so this person probably wasn’t a shinobi. Hell, Nobu was hard pressed to be able to call himself a shinobi anymore.
 
“I’m new to these parts… do you know where we are?” He would ask, his voice slightly hoarse from not keeping hydrated as he should. It was a simple question, but an important one all the same. He hoped that this young man could at least help him better understand just where in the world he currently found himself.
 
There wasn’t a great deal of people on the road leading into the village, which made him wonder where all of the other people were. Still, at least one person would be there to keep Nobu from losing himself in thought. “Are you from this settlement?” He would ask, curious as to what this young man was doing out here. Training? Perhaps, perhaps not. Maybe he was in the same boat as Nobu, a wanderer looking for somewhere to fill his belly and gain his bearings.

WC: 335
TWC: 504

Most of his young life went like this. Usually he approached some, curious but probably walking the other day. This was the situation that made kings, and queens. It was always in this one moment, like a block of wood sinking into its channel, people made 5themselves true to who they are. 

A rare moment to find usually. Especially for a woodsman, or homeless nomad. When that moment happened however, Aichi was always certain of it. As if a sixth, or seventh, sense struck a chord that one action would define it. 

Two people, inconsequential to the current standings of one another, both look each other. Usually after this analysis people would give aichinsomrthing as charity, or attack him after chasing him like a monster for weeks. Either way Aichi always responded the same. 

The young man was standing there looking homeless, feeling homeless. He wiped his tears real quick; and while the curious stranger glanced him over the Jugo Berserker pushed away his regrets. He hadn't met lots of people in his travels but enough to know that crying and thinking about murder made it hard to talk. After all these years as a child, homeless living in the woods, he was home, or at least closer than he had been in years. 

Aichi dusted himself off, as ifntonsay no more glancing. The young boy was tall, but his face was soft. It was hard to tell he couldnt stop thinking about being homeless, and he responded with a sort of cheer. 

It was nice to talk with someone when you were preoccupied with the reality of grieving over your mother's death, and pubesence in general was difficult to endure as a nomad. His voice cracked, hinting at a future deep voice. 

"Yeah this is the pleasure of Hosigakure. Great settlement." Aichi's voice went a bit flat, recalling his encounter as a child in jail for murder. He just couldnt get misery out of his ear. Irritation was sitting underneath his tongue, but he was glad to be away from it. That nagging reminder had to go thought.

Continuing on Aichi put his thumb and pinky out, giving a shake. Some kid told him that was cool, the nomad didnt know better. He waved his hand and said, "I was born here. Hei-Lee's Comet Infirmity for the Stars. Uh." surprised the way he shared sp much, Aichi paused for a second and continued again. This time without awkward advertisements for the nursery of lower class single mothers. 

"I take it you aren't a regular to the gates?" Aichi grinned and hoped to take the focus away from thevillage. He was still a bit nervous and hadn't grown all the courage he needed. Aichi was thinking about all the fun he had roaming between the gates and the border while he grew strong enough to control himself around the village. Strong enough to be a Hoshigakure Shinobi.

All the fun he had learning to control his bloodlust. The same bloodlust that panged through his bloodstream. Aichi could feel the nature chakra solidifying like a sludge inside of his blood. The young boy wondered how much longer he would have until the cursed bloodline surfaced again. Aichi wondered if he would remember the moments of it, somrtimeanhe didn't. 

Aichi didnt seem too worried, the effects seeming slow. However he had less time than he thought, and the dark black sludge began fusing itself to his blood. His body grew real warm, and he knew it would be a bad one. Th young man showed no motion of his changing nature chakra value inside, but if he had chakra vision it would be clear. 

Smiling still Aichi crossed his fingers together. The claws were usually first to form.

Nature Stacks: 2/6* edited for clarification, I have no idea why I wrote /3 first. Lapse of mathematics I suppose.
Total WordCount: +629=1,350

The gates seemed extra bright today on a blessed morning that Tsu was given the task to watch the gate. She didn't mind the job, but it would get very long and boring over time. Person after person would get tiresome;  ask them questions like "why are you here today?", and always checking their stuff (some with carts full of stuff to inspect). Tsubaki craved something exciting. The chunin exams had ended and all the fun people were gone and there was no schedule for any important officials. However, sometimes exciting events or people come through unannounced. 


"Come on. This is so boring." Tsubaki finally moaned to her coworkers. They were just sitting out for the time being as there wasn't a single traveler at this time (pretty normal for this time of day). "Don't worry, Tsu. Just 5 more hours till your shift is over." A fellow female shinobi teased her. Tsubaki groaned and leaned her head against the gate wall. For a brief moment, she prayed for something. Anything. 

Perhaps praying for the first time in a while paid off. Tsubaki would get alerted by her co-worker that there were two figures approaching. Tsubaki sluggishly looked at the two. One was an older man, not quite a child but definitely a man, sporting a large blue cloak. The other was a boy, hailing taller than the man beside him. She could make out the boy to be around 14-15. Both of them looked a mess, the man especially like they have been traveling for a long time. They needed immediate care. Luckily, it was exactly what Tsubaki was good at. 

"Heads up, Bran.  Go get me some water and some snacks for the two. We might need to provide some aid for these ones," Tsu commanded. The shinobi would quickly run into the shelter where the guards would rest and hide from the sun, it also housed some emergency care (courteously provided by Tsubaki herself). Meanwhile, Tsubaki rushed over to the two. 

"Are you two alright? Do you need any assistance?" Tsubaki would ask, keeping her distance of a couple of meters to make sure they weren't hostiles while keeping her voice calm and nonconfrontational. "My name is Tsubaki Senju, a jonin of Hoshi. I'm also a medical ninja."As she got a closer look at them, she noticed more sun-scorched looks on them; dried skin reddened by the harsh UV rays of the sun. They had been traveling from the desert. Most likely either from Suna or previous passed through. The other shinobi had returned to Tsubaki and held the waters and snacks in her hand, waiting for a response from either one of them. 

WC: 447

The youth was a native it would seem. Nobu would make a mental note, as the settlement was named Hoshigakure which wasn’t a land he was very familiar with. Vague recollections would flash behind his eyes, pondering just where he had heard that name before. Perhaps nowhere, his memory seemingly failing him at the moment. The man would offer up some sort of hand signal, its origins unclear. Still, it didn’t appear to be a hostile motion so the man would nod, acknowledging him as someone who is at least on neutral terms.
 
When asked about his regularity here, Nobu would shake his head softly. “No, I’ve never encountered this place before. I will say that it is a sight to behold in a rather unexpected place.” If it wasn’t for this settlement, it was very likely he would have simply died out here, his life taken without serving any purpose. Hopefully fortune would be turning to his favor. “You seem a little tense, and a bit overwhelmed… are you okay?” He would ask, honest compassion held firmly in the tone of his voice despite being slightly hoarse.
 
It didn’t take long for a woman to approach the pair, obviously keeping her distance. His parched lips would almost smile, her stating that she was a Jounin. That rank was something he hadn’t heard in… many years. “This is a shinobi village…” The man would pull down his hood, revealing dark, shaggy hair and more beard than he preferred. One could only use a Kunai so well without a reflection, and he didn’t trust his hands to remain steady enough for a close shave anyhow. “I’m not hurt, but if you have any food and especially water.” As he was stating this, another rushed over to hand Tsubaki exactly what the man was requesting. “I imagine our needs were rather obvious to one of your position.” Nobu would hold out his hand expecting her to toss it, “I would understand if you don’t trust me. You don’t know me. If you would be so kind as to at least toss me one of those waters, I would be very grateful.” He was an outsider here, and honestly they had little reason to trust him.
 
Once he would get some water, he would offer his name, his voice far less raspy than it had been prior. “I am Nobu Sen Katto, former shinobi of the Village Hidden in the Sand, Sunagakure. I can prove it, if you will allow me to reach into my pocket.” If given permission, he would reach in and pull out a very old and barely taken care of headband showing the symbol of his former village.


WC: 449
TWC: 953

Aichi noted that this man seemed to be sort of vague. It was unclear why he was so unsure of where he was, but he seemed to be looking for something new. Finger crossed to hide his hands, and that Nobu would be a good man; Aichi responded to who would later be remembered as Nobu of the flowing blue cloak. 


"It's hard to imagine someone unaware of Hoshigakure," Aichi naively thought to himself as another gust came by. The young boy had roamed the hundred kilometer radius around his home village for so long. So long he actually hadn't ever much considered the other great villages. In Haven country most of the people were preoccupied with their country's inner dealing; talk outside of Hoshi was usually spare. 

Aichi was familiar with each, or kind of. When Nobu completely introduced himself, the young man nodded. Hearing someone's origins, the path that led them to the here and now; that was Aichi's (writers) greatest pleasure. There was a particularly long lasting effect as Aichi was smiling, obviously trying to avoid something. 

Of course this was the fact that his right hand was turning grey. The transformation usually began with a slight discoloration. Never the less he remained as calm as he could. Before the jonin introduced herself, he happily replied to Nobu. 

"Ah well. I dont live here any more, its a-" Aichi stammered for a second, trying to think of the word he was looking for. He needed a word between surprise and haunting. Being so near the village was hard, and he knew he would have to address why he was given a leave. "It's an experience to take the shinobi world in at once. With such a monument as my home Hoshigakure, you might say I'm awes-struck to be back here."

Aichi spoke quietly and his light orange hair brushed his shoulder, the wind pulling it behind him and revealing two red stones in the lobes of his ears. Aichi peered off into the distance, and noticed that his conversation with Nobu was becoming a topic among the ninja who stood near the gates. 

Eventually a leader stepped to the two dirty males and entered into conversation with them. By all accounts she seemed like the right type of ninja for guard duty, and she seemed to take notice of their parched appearance. Aichi accepted the water from the same associate of Tsubaku's who had informed her of their presence. He gave a friendly nod and quietly accepted the drink. 

After Nobu's introduction Aichi introduced himself. He was gasping from drinking the water too fast, but he caught his breath without missing a beat. The excitement was clear, and had he not been drinking bear piss water from downstream for the last eight years, he might have taken the opportunity to salute. 

"My name is Aichi Genki, I'm from Hoshigakure, but I was advised to leave." Aichi started to choke up, planning ahead in his mind what he would say next. He didnt really want to mention he had killed his mother in a bloodlust; so instead he drank some air from the empty water bottle. The suction crinkled the plastic loudly, an awkward presence to replace any word he might have mistakenly said. 

Trying to avoid the mention of his past jail time, and the magistrates suggestion due to his patriarchal lineage; Aichi tried to speak a little louder to Tsubaku. He tried to convey a tone of respect, but all the memories of his mother were flooding his mind. Instead of talking he fell silent. Aichi wanted to reach out, but he was falling into a pit. 

Wanting to express his need for help, Aichis pride held him back. He just couldnt ask for help after what he had done. Aichi imagined what he might say to let Tsubaku know he had pulled his mother's jaw from her head. He wondered if she was aware of the rage a Berserker could take on. 

Aichi was swelling with resentment for his Jugo bloodline. The young man wasnt smiling anymore and his hands were exposed. His right hand, holding the bottle had gone completely black. It wouldn't be long before the nature chakra began to mutate his body and grow the sleek black flesh of his Jugo blood line. Aichi however didnt notice, his mind was pulled in so many directions. Hiding from his past, preparing his future, protecting his ego and not to mention his homeless state of living. Things were bad for him, and he didnt even recognize his Transformation begining.

Nature Stacks: 3/6
Total WordCount: 765 + 1,350 = 2,115

The two were responsive, a good sign for Tsubaki. They weren't dangerous (at least for the moment) so Tsubaki threw the two drinks of water. The boy would guzzle the water down quickly, showing his desperation and the actual need for some aid. They might need to go to the hospital to get checked up for any kinds of dehydration damage or UV damage.  

The older man introduced himself as Nobu, a shinobi of Sunagakure. He requested that he'd be able to reach down to grab his headband to show it to Tsubaki. She wasn't concerned for her safety, she just wanted the man to trust her. The headband was the previous design for Sunagakure, but that was from quite a while back."Are you aware that this headband is part of the old design of Sunagakure? You must be an older member of the village before the reformation by Kenshin." She would be interested to hear his story. It's possible that he left after the original destruction of Suna and suffered in the desert trying to survive. Or he was missing a ninja using it as an excuse to get in and cause havoc. However, he wasn't the only interesting person. The boy seemed to be very curious too. 

The boy introduced himself as Aichi Genki. Aichi said that he was from Hoshi but was advised to leave. Tsubaki could figure it out pretty quickly from there. "You're absorbing natural energy. It surrounds you like a moth to a flame. I had to train in the forest for months to get the ability to use Nature energy. And I know only one group of people that have that kind of ability." Tsubaki smirks, feeling pretty proud of the detective work. He must've gone beserk at some point, leading him to be kicked out of Hoshi. It was a mystery how she never heard out any case before that could lead it to be him. "Don't worry, Hoshi is a good place to come for some refuge. We have a lot of masters of Nature energy that might be able to help you work on you're...bloodline situation." Tsubaki wanted to be careful with her words as she wasn't sure about how much of a secret he wanted to keep from the other man.

"However, to seek refuge here in Hoshi, you must answer every question I have truthfully. If we find any falsehoods in your reports, you will be removed from Hoshi. Understand?" She would look at the two with a stern look. "Also, you would have to go through screening at the hospital. I want to make sure there isn't anything wrong with you after days of dehydration or possible sun damage." She would lead the two to the gates, but only into the guard booth where she could ask the questions.

WC: 472
TWC: 919

Nobu would listen as the young man spoke. For one so young to have to “experience the world” whether or not they wanted to… that was something that Nobu understood. Sometimes things outside of your control thrust you deeper into the world than you have any right being, like tossing a child out at sea. At that point, life gives you only two options. You need to both swim and survive, or you can simply surrender your life and die. It was unfortunate that fate cast this young soul into such a position.
 
When given the water, Nobu would sip on it making certain to take his time. Aichi Genki would chug the water with haste, having to try and catch his breath. The Hoshigakure Jounin would then speak up, breaking the sudden silence. “Old design? I know nothing of any reformation. Is this Kenshin fellow a member of the Kumogakure Empire?” It was a very silly question to hear for anyone that hadn’t been living under a rock for the last five years, but Nobu had done just that. “Last I saw of my homeland… It was being invaded by shinobi from Kumogakure. That was the unfortunate day I lost my master… Lord Kazekage Koroshi Uchiha.” There was a long pause before he would utter the name of his lost sensei, the words obviously painful to say out loud.
 
He would take a moment, giving Tsubaki Senju a moment to speak with Aichi. She mentioned something about nature energy, and while he didn’t know much of anything about nature energy or the sage arts he did recognize the beginnings of the transformation the berserker standing just meters from him was undergoing. He has seen this before, the hardening and discoloration of the skin. There was a man in Suna… a chef… the memories were fuzzy, but very clearly there.
 
When questioned, Nobu would accept the terms without hesitation. “You need not worry, I have no intentions of deception. I will answer any questions you have to the best of my ability.” When offered the hospital stay, Nobu would not know what to say. “I appreciate the offer, but I don’t like to be poked and pried.” He of course was concerned that they would discover his bijuu chakra which would only lead to his doom. The man was completely unaware that his seven-tailed beast housed inside was long gone, only a hollow cage left where it once resided.

WC: 409

Aichi raised an eyebrow when Tsubaki mentioned nature energy. Having studied his own family line thoroughly, searching for his father while a missing nin; Aichi had a firm understanding of what she meant. The teenager stuck his hand in his pockets after throwing the trash into a dumpster nearby the gates. He saw his fingers had changed form, black as night with razor sharp claws. 

Aichi nodded, confident he would gain help with his transformations by learning with others who knew about the potent Jugo interaction with Nature Chakra. In fact as he was listening to Tsubaki his eyes turned yellow. The familiar alteration of vision caused him to get worried, and he could feel the familiar growling inside of his ear. As if nature was grumbling, discontent with his passive actions while the mother earth was trampled underfoot. 

Feeling internally uncomfortable, Aichi spoke anyways. His voice was begining to rumble, the familiar screams of his Berserker transformation popping in and out through his speech. "O-of course I will be truthful. I could certainly use help, and maybe these masters could help me with this." Holding his two claws up, Aichis visible skin was entirely black. Soon the bulk would accumulate and he would lose his mind. 

While the Sand ninja spoke Aichi was casually transforming. He made no noises but a vicious rattling in his chest was heard in the background of the groups conversation. The staunch guardian of Haven Country's wildlife was anxiously holding his head, and soon Aichi would have to leave. If he transformed now there would be no certainty of safety for anyone. 

It wouldnt be much longer, and as Aichi was trying to hold his mind together; his body began to transform. 

Nature stacks: 4/6
Total WordCount: +289 + 2,115 = 2,404