Southwestern Gate

One of the two side gates to the village, which looks just like the primary gate, but is only open in cases of emergency or when ordered by the Anbu or higher.

Two large wagons were stationed at the at Konoha's Southwestern gate and for the first time in years the gate was opened. It was buzzing with military activity as dozens of Shinobi from Chuunin and Jounin to cloaked ANBU worked with supplying the wagons and getting ready to move out. Masuyo herself was coordinating the whole operation being the natural leader she was. Her outfit was a bit different from her usual garb as she appeared more battle-ready than usual. Masuyo dressed in her standard gear choosing not to wear the common Hokage garb. Her footwear consisted of standard black sandals fitted for comfort and security. With the toes and heel left exposed they provided additional balance, while the rest of the foot up to the ankle was protected by the thick nylon material of the sandal. The soles of the sandals are reinforced with hardened material to resist heavy impacts and weathering. She wore a pair of loose fitting black pants with the bottoms near her ankles taped securely in white bandage wrap. This provided balance and reinforcement to her ankles while closing off the ends of her pants. In addition, more bandage wrap was wrapped around her right thigh which allowed a navy blue holster to be strapped over comfortably. Around her waist she wears the basic utility belt which carries two green holsters on her right side along with two tool pouches around her back side and a canteen to the far left next to her signature long sword, Blacktongue.

A titanium mail shirt is worn under a common long sleeve black top having a red seal of fire placed on the outsides of each sleeve towards the upper arm. Over that was a fitted green flak jacket provided by Konoha's armory and fitted with steel plated inserts making the jacket like a more flexible breastplate having the steel in all parts of her leather. The jacket was zipped up and secure firmly on her body. She wore a pair of banded steel arm guards which protected the backs of her hands and down to her elbows with a narrow soft spot on the backs of her wrists to allow freedom of movement. Around her forehead Masuyo wears her forehead protector as it should. The black cloth is tied in a knot around the back side of her head keeping her hair in place with the steel plate facing the front for identification. The steel plate has Konoha's emblem engraved on the front. She wore a piece of cloth around her neck which could quickly be moved up to cover her mouth and be worn like a mask for essential stealth operations. Masuyo has straight black hair which extends down to her mid back. Two strands of hair drop down touching her chest which leads into her bangs, those being cut shorter and swept to the side. She stands at 5'9 weighing approximately 145 lbs. Her fair skin is complimented with her voluptuous form which is completed with a pair of hazel eyes. Covering her entire body was a large black cloak with the hood down.

Masuyo held her Yari spear in her right hand with the butt of the shaft in the earth monitoring the Shinobi as the platoon of soldiers readied for action loading the wagons with goods and fetching those who needed to be there. In her left hand she munched on a plum filled rice ball being her snack before traveling. Masuyo's backpack was placed in the coach of one of the wagons. Shinobi worked on harnessing the war horses onto the wagons getting them ready to move out. "How are things coming along, Rion?" The Chuunin presented itself before Masuyo with a clipboard in hand. It helped work as a to-do list to make sure everything was set before the squad set out. "Everything looks set! We just need the rest of the troops to rally up before you're ready for departure." Masuyo nodded and dismissed the lad. Overtime the Shinobi would gather who she planned to take with her. Masuyo was familiar with Akeno and what her weaknesses were. That helped her select the right troops for battle.

NPC groups:

Hiroshi came flying in from the skies on his sand platform, to which he began to descent as soon as he saw the buzzing activity of the military move around at the Southwestern Gate, having a good guess this is the spot that the guard was talking about. His descent would've surely catched a few eyes and with Hiroshi's eagle eye view, he would spot Masuyo from the crowd and as soon as he could identify her, he would descend slowly to the ground so he wouldn't accidentally hit anyone with his sand platform, he would then jump on the ground and the sand returned itself back into his gourd.

He grabbed the two scrolls from his hip pouch, having each in one of his hands for Masuyo to grab. As soon as she were to grab them, he would give the report. "That blonde twin came back from Iwagakure, the Twins lost to her and apparently Akeno gave her these scrolls, which I'm assuming are messages from her. I've told the Twins to wait in Tanzuku Town until further instructions were given to them. Gin was with them apparently, but he got called to deal with another situation according to the blonde twin." and with his oral report given, he would simply stand there and wait for his next order, if she were to give any.

Scroll Messages:

Overseeing the dozens of unnamed Chuunin made notable Chuunin easier to spot among the crowd. The redheaded Chuunin, Hiroshi, was one she recently promoted. He wore his flak jacket like the rest of them yet his unique appearance and familiarity helped her recognize him. He carried two scrolls on his hand. She stuffed the remainder of the rice ball in her mouth and munched on it with full cheeks wiping her hand on her flak jacket before Hiroshi got within full conversation distance. He reported some obvious news to her about the loss of Iwagakure. What Hiroshi possessed were messaged prepared by Akeno herself. "Mail for me? Have they been checked for sabotage?" Masuyo would have hoped the Twins didn't mindlessly accept scrolls from an enemy that tried to kill them only to find out one of the scrolls were stuffed with explosive tags. And above all else getting within the gates without being checked. Fortunately, the explosive tags had a limited detonation range of fifteen meters upon manual trigger. She doubted Akeno could get so close to Konoha or even bother to leave Iwagakure in the first place leaving it unattended.

Masuyo would take both from Hiroshi and opened the first slowly. There was legible text which meant no Fuuinjutsu. She unraveled it entirely. It was a poem. He eyes scanned over it once, ultimately not entertained by poetry or whatever Akeno was trying to get across to justify her betrayal. "Bleh." She tossed the first scroll aside landing into a puddle of mud. She'd take the second scroll and open it with the same precautions as before. It was safe and had a real message inside. It was a declaration that Iwagakure was under the possession of Akeno and a loose threat of attempting to retake it. "Interesting stuff. I never thought we would have a traitor on our hands. Nonetheless I assure she won't enjoy her throne for long. Because of my departure Konoha will be going on full lock down. This means absolutely nobody will be allowed to enter or exit. Even our own Shinobi until the second-in-command returns, which is Akihiro, my squad or myself. The gates will also remain closed. Hiroshi, you will be tasked with ensuring everything stays balanced while I'm gone. It won't be long. Until then, you're dismissed." She'd let Hiroshi carry on with his business. She waited for Sachiko to join her before hopping on the wagon and moving out.

Sachiko had been summoned to go and assist the Hokage on a mission to Iwagakure, which was nice. It was her first real mission as a Chuunin, and beyond that, it was with Masuyo herself, so there was little room for error. She needed to show her that she had earned the promotion. Sachiko didn't like to disappoint the leader of what she considered her pack, and especially when it came to a traitor to Konoha. Akeno had left them and attacked Iwagakure, which Konoha had adopted into their fold. This just wasn't something she'd let stand.

She had at least mostly prepared for the mission in advance, giving herself some unconventional weaponry to utilize that night end up evening the playing field out a little bit. Her backpack was filled mostly with bottles of alcohol, although they had been partitioned with some spare clothes and rags she had from home. That helped stop them from clanking together and making noise, as well as giving them some cushion so they wouldn't shatter easily if noticed. 4 of them had been individually tied off at the tops with a 15 foot line of steel wire each, 3 of those bottles having explosive tags wrapped around them. The other 5 bottles had been opened up and had half of a cloth bandage in each of them, which had been soaked in alcohol themselves. 2 of those bottles also had explosive tags applied to them.

She had on her steel arm and shin guards, underneath the arm guards her hands had been wrapped in cloth bandages, much as many taijutsu users opted for. She liked to have them on for taijutsu purposes, but they had a secondary reason as well, which may end up being apparent later. Her clothes were basically the normal Konoha outfit, so there was little to distinguish her from any other random Chuunin or Jounin of Konoha. Her Flak Jacket had the inserts that she'd gotten placed in their slots.

She had on four pouches on her belt, 3 of which were filled with 5 Kunai each, one of the pouches having explosive tags wrapped around the handles of the kunai inside. All 15 of those kunai had additional wrapping on their handles, as she had ripped up cloth bandages to wrap the handles to hide the tags. She had repurposed the wire from a previously used bottle to be wrapped around the handle of one of the explosive kunai. It was more or less going to be a surprise to her opponent and made the kunai actual threats to watch out for, while she would know which pouch housed the surprises.

An additional pouch held 1 flash bomb, 2 smoke bombs, and 1 chili bomb, for additional versatility in combat. She had 2 further kunai on each of her thighs in holsters for quick draw, although there was nothing special about them. Her headband was fastened tightly to her forehead.

Since she hadn't used much of her arsenal against Yui during their match, she hadn't really seen fit to replace any of the items she'd used, although she had given it some form of thought. Ultimately, she didn't really see too much of a reason to purchase anything further for the time being, as more stuff would just weigh her down.

So it was that she showed up at the gates, as Masuyo was talking to Hiroshi. Sachiko had never actually met Hiroshi before, so she didn't recognize him at all, nor pay him any real attention. She loaded her pack onto the wagon and sat down on the back of it, kicking her feet in the air while she awaited the time for them to leave.

-Exit to Iwa, following Masuyo's path-

With the scrolls delivered and the order given, Hiroshi didn't have much reason to stay around. He was half-expecting to be assigned along with whatever this operation was, but he'd accept the responsibility of keeping things running while Masuyo is gone. "Understood, good luck." Hiroshi would say, before turning around and heading back into the village through the open gates.

(Exit)

As Hiroshi left her sight she saw Sachiko enter the scene all dressed in her uniform and armor. She didn't say much but loaded up her stuff in the wagon. She was the strong, silent type for sure. "You're up here with me, Sachiko." Masuyo said, gesturing to the front of the coach. Masuyo would climb aboard and pat the seat next to her. She'd reach into her backpack and retrieve a bottle of whisky which already had a glass or two out of it, but still plenty to make forget about a long journey. "Take your mind off some things." She said before taking a dram of the opened bottle and handing it to Sachiko. The Shinobi would begin filling the cargo space of the wagon before they began rolling out. The moved fast and the dirt roads helped make the ride much more pleasant.

[Exit -> Senju Forest -> Land of Grass -> Kyoto Meadows -> Great Chang Mountains | 36 hrs - 2 hrs (dirt road) - 1 hr (bridge) - 12 hrs (fast travel Senju Forest) - 12 hrs (fast travel Kyoto Meadows = 9 hrs]

Cheap Liquor - Increases Stamina by +2 advantages and Perception by +1 tier. Countdown: 3 | Duration: 10. 1/2 servings consumed.

Sachiko had travelled at a fairly slow pace, taking her time getting home rather than rushing it. She had enjoyed the time more or less out in the wilderness again, but that could only last for so long. Eventually, her path took her back home and to the village. The walls and gate were a sight for sore eyes, and Sachiko gave a smile as she set her gaze on the familiar walls.

She was finally home.

As she approached the gate, she moved to the check in area, where a chuunin was on guard as usual. Providing her identification, she signed in following the proper protocol, and slid the check in book back towards the guard, collecting her ID and entering the village.

Full Name: Sachiko Yamada
Citizenship: Konohagakure - Chuunin
Reason for Leaving/Entering: Returning from Iwagakure
Expected Duration: N/a

[Entering Konoha]

Full Name: Ashitaka Inuzuka Senju
Citizenship: Konohagakure, Land of Fire
Reason for Leaving/Entering: Investigation into string of murders and abductions. (Missions)
Expected Duration: Unknown. Shouldn't be more than a week or so.

Nyguyen ordered a contingent of shinobi to the Land of Rivers after reports that the country had fallen under the control of the Land of Wind. 7 units of A-Rank Ninja were sent out.


Northwest Fire Country (24 Hours) -> Southeastern Fire Country (24 Hours) -> Land of Rivers

Kiyoshi would exit his shop with Akimitsu following closely behind him, wearing his Mobility Suit v2 as was custom for the red haired male. The Aburame that followed behind him, his face nearly fully covered with his cloak as well as sunglasses with a large gourd on his back, all of which were items made by Kiyoshi. Akimitsu's cloak would match the cloak that was also draped over Kiyoshi's puppet armor, so that they looked like a matching pair with the except of the fact that Kiyoshi's face was covered by his helmet. Looking to Suguru who was smoking a cigarette Kiyoshi would motion for him to come forward before handing the male a small package which held the same cloak that the other two were wearing as well as full body armor which Akimitsu was also wearing even though it could not be seen. "You can have these as a small payment for your assistance on this, I will also have a Ryo payment for you when we return to the village." he stated as he pulled out his Zip-Board and began the way towards the gate. "We will be leaving, shortly Suguru. This is Akimitsu Aburame, he is also a friend of mine that will be traveling with us, though he is not much of a conversationalist. Him and his insects will help us watch our backs along the way." Kiyoshi stated as he began hovering through the streets of the village, that is of course assuming that Suguru was following him. "The Hokage has given us the use of a Corvette for our travel, we just need to reach the Kaizoku sea to board the ship and from there it will take us to the Land of Sky where we are to meet with Okane and with any luck make some allies."

---

Giving Suguru Cosmic Armor and Cosmic Cloak.

Items:

Suguru waited outside, giving passing glances to good-looking women while he smoked. He missed his friend Drakon very much, having not seen him in a long time, yet he suspected that his comrade was in some secret mission in service of the village, which is why he did not even get a goodbye.

Looking up at the sun, he saluted. Wherever he was, his friend would know, according to the mind of the chuunin.

The Puppet King came out of the shop, and led Suguru to the gates. He had excepted some cart or the like that needed carrying, a perfect opportunity for him to rip off his shirt cooly and carry it with his inhuman strength yet his companion came out only with scrolls in hand, before handing the chuunin a small package.

"Payment? There is no need for payment!" Suguru announced with a grin, before resting his hand on Kiyoshi's shoulder in a gesture of friendship. "We are just two badass shinobi from the legendary leaf village, with a manly bond formed in battle."

That being said, if Kyishi insisted on the reward, Suguru would not press his rejection. He was in desperate need of money after losing a chunk of his savings at a game of Chō-Han against a Hyuga who for reasons the shinobi could not understand, seemed to know exactly what to bet.

"Strong and silent." Suguru shot finger guns at the quiet Aburame as he was introduced. He had no idea what the clan had to do with insects, but he trusted Kiyoshi's word blindly.

"Your insects smell anything, you tell me and I will put the-" The chuunin punched the air with a whoosh, before flexing his arms. "-hurt from the Fist of Konohagakure. I'll lead to way so if there is any danger, I can instantly-" And Suguru punched the air once more to demonstrate his very simple point."-deal with it Fist of the Leaf style."

Travel Timer:

Kiyoshi would simply shrug off Suguru's attempt to refuse payment, he wouldn't get off for doing anything for free as long as Kiyoshi was around, it seemed he would have to show the man the laws of equivalent exchange one day. "As a friend I have to insist, Suguru. The armor and cloak will provide protection, and I want my friends protected. As far as the Ryo Payment, it is a thank you for you taking the time out of your schedule to assist me in my travels." Kiyoshi stated, his tone still friendly though holding the fact that this matter was decided and there was no point in trying to stop it. "Stick with me Suguru and I promise you will be a very rich man, in more ways than one." Kiyoshi would add with a wink.

When Suguru stated that he would lead the way, Kiyoshi would not argue he was happy to follow behind the other man, after all his protection is what he needed on this trip, but at the same time his company was also appreciated. Kiyoshi's Zip-Board would be able to keep up with Suguru with ease and Akimitsu would trail only slightly behind them as he protected their rear of the travelling entourage.

---

Exit following Suguru's path to Sky

Zamasu would enter through the gates of the village, showing his identification to the guards, he had only one destination, the Hokage. He had to deliver the message his master sent, and then hope that the Hokage would have a faster way to get back to Kiyoshi as he hated being so far away from his charge.

{Zamasu Enters Konoha}

Kiyoshi and his entourage would enter the village with a look of shock on every one of their faces, the village looked as though it had fallen under attack since he had been gone. He remembered the two tails attacking Kirigakure, and couldn't help but wonder if something similar happened within the village. He would touch his small pack which held the sealed item that Konoha had officially won from Okane's auction, he would need to deliver it to the Hokage with his report of his time away before he went home to unpack and unwind.

{Exit - Entering Village}