Homeward Bound

Cont. from here.

It had taken her a long time to get up the mountain, but if she was to find her hometown, she knew she'd have to begin a proper search, and in theory trying to spot it from above might work. Still, as she sat down to take a breather, she wondered if she would ever find her home before she died from starvation. Speaking of food, she'd reach into her clay pack and pull out her last unleaven bread. It took forever to make the darn thing, but it served it's purpose as she nibbled on the thing.

She took a moment to enjoy the world around her. For a Missing-Nin Diana was a strange woman. She was well into her 20s, bordering on 30 so she was somewhat past a normal ninja's prime, though not so far that she couldn't improve herself a lot more. She was a part of two diametrically opposed bloodlines, one that symbolized Order, the other Chaos. And she hated to fight. Sure she had to kill a few times, but they were in self-defense. Really if it weren't for a small mistake in the Land of Honey she probably wouldn't have even been on the radar, but it had happened, and now she was here.

Reactivating her admittedly pitiful Sensing Technique she'd place her free hand on the ground and see if for some reason Iwa was just buried under the ground, as it certainly wasn't a non-possibility.

---

50/50 CP
Sensing Technique; -0.5 CP, 50m
49.5/50 CP Remains

Masaru would just be taking a stroll through the mountains when he saw the movement off in the distance, someone scaling a mountain just over the horizon would cause the man to change his path to head towards them. Nothing escaped his keen sight, no matter how far away it might be. Masaru enjoyed these little walks in the mountains, it help clear his mind as well as see what was going on in his nation. Of course, his subordinates within the village don't seem to like it as much. They always tell him about how it's a security risk, it's against protocol or that it was unorthodox. He would sometimes grow anger with how many times he had to remind them that he didn't care about the risk, he wrote the protocols, and that he didn't care how the other Kages conduct themselves he was his own man and would do things his own way. This walk was his little piece of Zen, his happy place. Though this is the first time he saw someone scale a mountain while he was out, which spiked his interest in investigating it. Most shinobi within the land of earth served him in Iwagakure, of course there were small factions that have begun to sprout up they were no threat to the man. If this lone figure on the mountain was a member of one of these factions, then perhaps he could use this as a way to start a dialogue between them and the village. Of course he would like the nation to come together in this time, he knew that there were those within his nation that did not feel that way. Those types would be dealt with in kind, they will either be brought to heel or they will find themselves upon the racks of Dead Man's Alley. Masaru could not allow cells of radicals to exist in his domain, but the more of those that could be brought into the fold the better. He just hoped this individual was someone that could be talked to rather than fought. As he drew closer to where the woman was he would call out to her, "Hello there, pleasant day for a walk now isn't it?"

[1]

Munching on her flat piece of bread, she'd tense up as she had heard a voice call to her before he would be picked up by her sensory. Looking around it'd take her a few seconds to spot him even with her jutsu activated, and after setting the bread back in her bag she'd wave him over, curious as to who it was that had stumbled across her, or was it the other way around?

"Hello there, and indeed I agree that it is a lovely day for a mosey in the mountains." She'd take a look at the man who had called out to her. Tall, brown hair, clothing that symbolized he was a high rank official, and his chakra affinities happened to contain several advanced elements known to Iwa, making her curious as to how he had gotten two. Was he a natural born like herself, or did someone implant them into him? "Still, while I had expected someone from my home to find me eventually, I did not expect someone of great importance to be the one to find me, nor the one to join me here.

By now she had figured out who he was, Tatsudashi Masaru, or better yet the Tsuchikage of Iwagakure himself. On one hand, the fact that he hadn't attacked him was a good sign as that meant he either didn't see her as a threat, or it meant he saw he as weak enough that her being a threat was meaningless. Either way the fact that the head of state was here made her a bit nervous. Reaching into her bag again, she'd break off the part she had bitten into and offered him the uneaten half. I should introduce myself. My name is Diana Elena Moneta, and I have been trying to find my old home. Would you care to join me for a fairly light lunch?

Masaru couldn't help but smile at the woman's nervousness, as it seemed based on her comment that she knew who he was. "Well Diana, it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance. My name is Masaru Tatsudashi, and thank you for the offer however I am not hungry but I would be happy to join you." The man would state moving closer to the woman, he would keep his eye on her though as he knew better than to lower his guard. The way she spoke of her old home as well as the mention of someone from her home finding her, made Masaru wonder if she was referring to Iwagakure. "Perhaps I could help you find your home? That is of course if you don't mind me offering. The Chang Mountains is a vast span of Tsuchi No Kuni and it is very easy to get lost or turned around. But I have to know, exactly how long have you been gone that you don't remember where your home is? I don't mean to sound rude however it's a strange that you cannot find your own home." As he spoke the words he had to fight back his smile, even if she was speaking of Iwa and knew exactly where it was she still wouldn't find it. Considering he used the greater earth moving core technique to literally move the village to a new location within the Chang Mountains range, it was no real wonder why she couldn't find it. For the time being however Masaru would play the part of an innocent concerned Kage trying to help the woman find her home, but in reality he was doing his best to get a read on her. If it was Iwa she was looking for, what were her intentions. These were things were something he would need to know before he knew he could trust her, but he would take it slow considering it was such a beautiful day there was no need to rush.

[2]

She'd nod, and would swap the uneated half out for the partially finished slice from her bag, quietly munching on it as he spoke. "That is understandable, and I am glad that you are offering to help. I apologize for not saying where my home was, but I needed a little time to make sure that you were in fact Masaru and not someone trying to impersonate his looks. I am in fact looking for Iwagakure, though due to reasons that I can not explain, I do not recall where it is located. All that I recall is that it was in a highly mountainous area in the Land of Stone, but that is it. I wish I could say more on why I do not recall where it is located, but that answer still eludes me." Even as she spoke, her posture didn't slouch or sag to show any emotion, the only way one could tell she was disheartened coming from the dip in her voice. She only had theories to work with, the best being that she had crystallized parts of her brain and removed them...somehow. It was certainly a possibility, but that was all it was: a theory.

She'd raise her arm up and snap her finger. "Oh, I should probably provide some proof as to me being related to those within Iwagakure, if you will permit me." If he gave her some sign to let her show him proof, she'd preform four hand seals, and once she was done a circle of light would pass over her arm, forming a blue crystal blade attached to her arm. She'd hold the technique to allow him to properly study it if need be. "I hope this is sufficient enough proof as to my Iwagakure lineage, as I would prefer not to reveal my other proof out here in the open in the case of uninvited onlookers."

---

49.5/50 CP
Sensing Technique; -0.5 CP, 25m
Jade Crystal Blade; -3 CP
46/50 CP Remains

Masaru was unsure why she needed to ensure he was Masaru, he did not know of anyone pretending to be him. Still he would remain silent and lack facial expressions as she spoke, he would nod when she asked permission to show him something. The man's eyes would narrow at the sight of the crystal blade, she is a Korikane. She spoke of other proof but did not wish to show it in the open, though despite the fact that the Korikane hail from Tsuchi no Kuni. Their loyalty have been hard to place since his taking of the Throne, so to speak. Not all the Korikane have openly defied him, some even still serve him as shinobi. But there are those few that follow Verneuli Furakkusu Korikane, he is one of the men who has openly stood against Masaru and his claim for the past three years. While he had not be able to convince the entirety of the Korikane to leave Iwa when Masaru made his claim as Kage know, he had taken with him a large portion of the Korikane with him. Those few Korikane who kept their vows to the city have been no trouble for him, but Verneuli and all of his delinquents were the reason Masaru had to use the Greater Earth Moving Core Technique to literally move the entire village of Iwagakure.

Masaru would tense slightly as his steel skin activated under his clothing though not enough to be noticed by the woman, leaving his hands, neck and face unprotected by the impervious armor. If she worked for Verneuli this could be a trap or an attempt to find the new location of the village, he could easily cover what remained of him in a second if the woman decided to attack him. "Tell me Diana, what do you know of Verneuli Furakkusu Korikane?" All pleasantries were gone from the man's voice, and only the cold dark tone of a ruler at war would leave the man's lips. Masaru's eyes were narrowed staring at the woman as if he was trying to bore into the woman's very soul, though his tone had lost all emotion his eyes showed that he hoped she was not one of Verneuli's Soldiers.

[3]

She'd let the crystal blade dissipate back into vapor as she had no more need of the blade, but his voice put her on edge. While she didn't have her sensing technique up, it was extremely clear to her that her that the conversation had turned in a direction that she'd rather not go down, but she was to close to the Kage to run away, and doubted she could even outrun the man's jutsus if he did attack. Heck, she wasn't even standing, just sitting there with her clay backpack and half-eaten bread.

She wracked her brain for any possible answer, but found none as she responded in her stilted (and now concerned) voice. "Verneuli Korikane? I have never heard of the man, though given the name I can make some assumptions. Is he the current head of the Korikane clan, or is he a troublemaker giving you problems?" Was her information wrong? Last she was informed the Korikane lived in Iwa, but politics could change allegiances in a heartbeat. Was she related to him directly, like a father or uncle? Or was he just a distant cousin? More questions with answers she didn't have answers to, and with so many variables it put a strain on her posture, her hands and fingers tensing up in case she did have to flee. In order to get some sense of control back, she'd return the favor and not break eye contact, her eyes staying open and to bear her soul to his eyes.

She'd continue to eat the unleavened bread, finishing off the original half and grabbing the half she had offered the Tshuchikage from the bag. She wasn't trying to mock, intimidate, or even blow him off, but the meal wouldn't finish itself.

A wave of relief would wash over the man at the woman's answer to his question, it was obvious to the man that she was no pawn of Verneuli. The man's posture would lax slightly, yet his impervious armor remained active under his clothes. "Forgive me, I did not mean to alarm you. In a manner of speaking you could say he is both, three years ago when I first came back home to Iwa and took the Mantle as Tsuchikage. Verneuli and some others openly rejected my claim, yet refused to challenge it. After it was made official he lead a large portion of your clan out to form a new Iwa under his rule, I needed to ensure that you were not one of his people before I told you the reason as to why you can not find the village." Masaru would stand before offering the woman his hand to help her stand, "it is better that we not stay here to long, we can continue our conversation on the road if you don't mind that is."

If Diana accepted his reasoning and took his hand, the man would take Diana and lead her down the path that would lead them to Iwa. "Again, I apologize for my manners, but is not everyday that I encounter a Korikane outside of Iwagakure that is not loyal to Verneuli. When I became Kage, some of the Korikane supported me. Verneuli was able to convince a large portion of the clan to follow him in his leaving of the village, I did not stop them as that would have only caused more hatred. However, since that day Verneuli and his followers started causing problems for the village. Attacking merchants, setting up tolls on the road, even going so far as to attack the village on more than one occasion. He left me with no choice but to move the entire village, to stop an all out war. I knew it was the only way, I do not blame the Korikane that follow him. They are blinded by his charismatic character, if he was not in the picture I could see the others returning to the fold." Masaru would stop talking allowing Diana time to process the information he just told her before hitting her with another question, "so tell me if you are not one of Verneuli's Soldiers, where exactly are you from and what have you been doing all this time?"

By the time Masaru had offered his hand to her and given the explanation, she had finished off the rest of the bread and felt a little better. She'd take his hand and stand up. "No need to ask for forgiveness, you are only doing your job. As for your offer, while the mountains may be lovely, even I tire of the same scenery over time and I am ready to sleep in a proper bed again." She'd consider what he had said. Whoever this Verneuli was acted tough like a leader, but did he not have the spirit of one? Being able to get most of a clan out of a major village was impressive, but why did he not challenge Masaru? At least she had a answer as to why she couldn't find Iwa, despite her directions.

As they went down a path that she had to assume was back home, she'd continue to listen, her opinion of the troublemaker worsening as the Tsuchikage kept explaining. When he had asked where she was from and what she had been up to though, Diana's mostly expressionless face would change, with a small frown forming, though it would go away after a few seconds. "Like I had said earlier, I am pretty sure I come from Iwagakure, but my memories of the place are sparse. I recall that it was decently sized village, but not big enough to consider it anything larger then that. However other then very brief flashes in dreams, everything that I did and saw before I was thirteen has been either suppressed or erased from my mind. The farthest back I can recall was that of living in the Land of Keys." She'd pause for a moment as she kept walking along, knowing full well the implications of what she was going to say. "I do not even recall what my family looked like, nor even if I was an only child if that helps you understand the issue I face. A part of me hopes that there is some record in Iwa that proves I am from the village, but until we arrive I will not know for sure."

She'd continue, purposely trying to not give the Kage a chance to respond to her comment on her parents. Her speech was a little less stilted now, though her lack of contractions was still there. "As for where I have been, I have been traveling the land, taking up small jobs and generally enjoying what they all had to offer. Every so often I would find a small town or village and in exchange for work they would let me stay for a while. As such I have gained many skills, though many of them would not be considered 'common' for a wanderer. I would ask that you do not interpret that as me not being able to fight though, as I have had to defend myself on multiple occasions. As such while I will gladly help you with Verneuli, I would prefer to talk to them instead of fight, though I do not know what will happen if any of them recognize me."

Masaru would listen to Diana as she spoke of her story and her lack of memories, in truth he didn't know if the village would have the answers she sought but that didn't mean he couldn't help her. "Well, you do not need to worry about Verneuli for now. I doubt he will be out in the open right now, but unless you have a silver tongue I doubt you will be able to convince him to change his mind. His followers however, I hold no qualms with. They are merely following their clan leader, just as a soldier follows their general. They would be welcome to return, as would Verneuli, but I am doubtful that he would as it means he would be admitting he was wrong. However that can be a discussion for a later time, as for your history, I am sure there are some records within the Korikane compound. Clans like to keep track of the members usually, so a record of your birth could be kept there. Though I cannot say for certain as I do not know if they operate the same as my clans." Masaru made sure to enunciate the 's' in clans to ensure that the woman understood he meant more than one clan, "there is one thing I will need from you before I take you to my village. The world has been at war, alliances have been betrayed, and I have been scorned before by one I thought was trust worthy." Masaru would stop walking and look at Diana, his glare not nearly as intense as the look he had given when he suspected her working for Verneuli yet still the tone of the seriousness would be present in his words. "I will bring you to Iwagakure, walk you to the gates of your clan compound, introduce you to your family, and help you find the information you seek. However, I cannot allow the secrets of Iwagakure to get out again, If you swear your fealty to me and serve me and the village for your remaining days, then I will ensure that no harm will ever befall you and you will be home with family and friends." Masaru would pause giving Diana a chance to respond to his words, he would allow her to respond to his statement of swearing loyalty to him and the village of Iwagakure before being allowed to view it's secrets. Asking such a thing is not something most are willing to give so lightly, and wanderers are even less so to give up their freedom but everything comes at a price. The other option would be Masaru taking her to the village, get the information she needed and then take her back out into the mountains and erase her memory of the villages location. He did not mention this option aloud as he did not want to do that if he didn't have to, he would only mention it if Diana refused to swear loyalty.

[5]

She'd give a small nod of understanding, happy to know she wouldn't have to deal with the rogue Clan leader at the moment. Her manner of speech often made it hard to honey her words, and she would rather avoid fighting, so to hear she could put it off for later was a small relief. Then came what she had been hoping to avoid, at least for a while longer. As they stopped she'd keep eye contact, paying close attention to what he said. Once he had paused, she'd take a moment to think about what was said.

"It seems that the rumors I have heard in my search for Iwagakure were true. You are too trusting, even if the person before you could be a potential threat, son of steel and brimstone. But the fact that you still have said quality, even after your betrayals speaks fair volumes about your character." The stilted speech was finally gone, instead mirroring the seriousness that Masaru had in his own voice. Even her stance had changed to convey the severity of which she took this, her back straightened and hands in front, slightly cupped.

"Still, while I am grateful for your offer, I cannot accept, at least not until I have an answer to the circumstances of my birth. While I do desire to know of my lineage properly, what if we found out that I am not in fact from Iwa? If that is the case, then how can I accept an offer that has no more value to me? I may have similar genetics, but would they see me as a friend? A family member? You said yourself that the clan is already fractured, how can we be sure that they would accept me as one of their own when they have already betrayed their own kin? And you say that you would ensure no harm will ever befall me, when by your own admission those under your rule have already been harmed by those once considered their neighbors." A part of her wondered if it was due to her reluctance of wanting to swear fealty that she left, or maybe those she would've once considered family had been the reason why she had managed to get out.

"I truly am grateful for your generosity, but to ask for my freedom in return for complete loyalty is too high of a cost for me to pay Wandering Sentinel. However, I understand your need to protect the village, and most would not offer something like this unless you were either in need of a specific service, such as rebuilding after a terrible war, so I propose a different offer. I will willingly come, senses deprived and subjecting myself to a full mind, body, and intent search if you see fit. In return for the knowledge of my heritage and possible birthrights, I will assist Iwa and earn the secrets that one would normally consider a birthright by providing my services as a merchant and craftswoman would. If I am in fact from the Land of Stone, I will also assist in helping reunite the Korikane under your rule as a guesture of good will. Once that is done we can discuss new terms for me coming to and fro as I would not want to deprive those who are less fortunate in smaller village from the help they may need after the war that was fought. And if I am not in fact from Iwa or I break these terms, then you can kill me and take whatever you think may be useful if you feel that it is important enough for your nation's security Tshuchikage." It was a gamble, making a counter proposal to someone who by all accounts could kill her in an instant, but she would rather stake her life on her freedom then to permanently be stuck working for a place she didn't even know if she fit into. But there was another layer to it all, as by making a proposal like this she hoped that she had made it clear she had nothing to lose if he said no to the terms.

A smile would form on the man's face as he listened to the woman's reply of his terms for showing her Iwagakure, she was brave to counter his offer and he respected that. Though it would seem she had misunderstood him, he would allow her to speak and say her peace before he would respond as it would have been rude to interrupt her before she had finished. "I fear you have misunderstood me, and you seem to think I am a fool, I am not." Masaru would lift one of the sleeves of his coat to reveal the pitch black steel with red glowing veins covering his body, "I am not as foolish as I may appear as for what I had said before, allow me to explain. Yes, Verneuli Furakkusu Korikane caused problems for myself and the village. However, no one under my protection within the walls of Iwagakure have been harmed. Verneuli is a delinquent child in an adults body, he was not stupid enough to actually harm someone while they were still in the village. He knew what I would do to him if he did, but I can see where the misinterpretation came from. When he attacked the merchant he simply robbed them of their wares for his militia, as I said they are not bad people simply misguided. When he attacked the village all of my people were safe and protected behind the wall only myself and a handful of my high ranking shinobi were in harm's way and each of those men chose to be there. I don't wish you to think of me as a leader who demands to be followed blindly and unquestioned, I would ask nothing of my men I would not do myself. I stand to defend those who cannot defend themselves and I will do so until my dying day. So when I tell you no harm will befall you, then that is exactly what I mean." Masaru would glare intently into Diana's eyes as he spoke wanting her to understand the truth in his voice.

"As for your question of what happens if you were not born in Iwagakure, I can understand your past is important and I will do everything I can to help you find the answers you seek. However to me it makes no difference if you were born in Iwagakure or the isles of Mizu no Kuni, you have the blood of Tsuchi no Kuni running through your veins and Iwagakure is your home. I would say the same to every Kotoshura, Tetsudashi, Muramatsu, Kizimura, or Tatsuda. This is were our ancestors came together and formed the village Hidden in the Stone, however I will not force you to stay if you do not wish. However I hope, that if the day comes that you discover that you were born somewhere else, that you will still find yourself at home here. As for you swearing loyalty I do not wish to take away your freedom, in all honesty you would have more freedom at least within the walls of Iwagakure. You would be allowed to move throughout the village as you pleased, your pick of any of the penthouses that isn't already claimed to stay in until you have decided whether or not you will join the Korikane in their clan district. You would have access to all the village files save for those that I have Restricted access to, for the protection of the village. You would also be welcome to train with me if you chose to, besides there are other forms of service than military life, as I understand that is not for everyone. You speak of crafting, your services would be greatly appreciated within the village as the services you can provide is limited in this area. Once your loyalty is proven you would be allowed free movement in and out of the village so long as you inform me of where you are going so that I can reach you if necessary." Masaru would take a deep breath, before finally looking away from Diana and sighing. "Your goals and mine may align more than you think, you speak of helping the minor nations. I wish to help them as well, to bring them the same stability and protection that Iwagakure has. Yet, I cannot just allow anyone to have knowledge of my village. If you will not swear fealty to me then there is only one option, I will place a seal upon your flesh that will Rob you of all of your senses. Once inside the village I will remove the seal, from there you will be placed under village arrest. Since you technically will not be an Iwagakure citizen, any and all requests to view any of the village files will require you to go through the village bureaucracy. Between you and me, they are real sticklers for red tape and protocol. It could take weeks or months for all the paperwork to be filed, just to allow you simple access to the birth records. With the exception of inside the one room apartment you will be allowed to stay in, you will not be allowed to go anywhere within the village without an escort and if you so much as approach the walls you will be killed." Masaru would stop talking still not looking at the woman, he hated saying those words but she needed to understand the outcome of her choices. After giving the woman a few minutes to consider everything he had just told her, Masaru would look back into her eyes and ask, "So will you trust me with your eyes open and swear that you will never betray Iwagakure, or will you have to trust that when I place this seal on you I do not simply lock you away or kill you?" Of course him killing her was a bluff, however his face would show no sign of it having long ago learned the importance of a poker face. He was hoping that by explaining to Diana that by swearing loyalty to Iwagakure she would hold more freedom than she would her way that maybe just maybe she would change her mind.

She'd stay quiet and listen to his rebuttal. As much as she didn't want to admit it, she had gotten several things wrong, and almost gotten herself a deal that would've restricted her more then she would have wanted. While it wasn't a battle by any means, if it was she recognized that she had lost this one.

"Well, it looks like I will have to study up on Iwagakure's laws, though before I do that I must refute the thought that you are a fool. Fools do not get into power. A bit too trusting to my liking, yes, but not a fool." Sure he had revealed that he had covered his body in...well some sort of steel, but that didn't mean he wasn't trusting. If he had really wanted to he could've just taken her then and there. Instead he had given her the time of day to come up with a counter, and technically just insulted him. Sure he had been suspicious of her, but that was justified at the time.

"I have not put enough trust in you like you have in me, so I will share what I believe to be my other proof that I am from Iwagakure." She'd bring her right arm up to the side of her, the hand parallel to her head and would release some chakra. Small popping noises would come from her hand, as little firecracker-like explosions came from the tips of her fingers. Not enough to harm, but enough to sting a little if touched. "As you can see, I do not only share the blood of a Korikane, but also that of a Kotoshura." She'd bring her hand down and would stop releasing chakra, not enjoying the tingling feeling.

"While I still have some reservations, I...will swear..." Her right pinky twitched as she forced the words out. "...fealty. But I am only doing so because I would rather not deal with the red tape and house arrest." A part of her wanted to toss up the bread she had eaten as soon as she had said those words, as if a part of her soul was taken. Yet her need to find out more about her home kept nagging at the back of her mind. "But just because I am doing so because of those reasons, that does not mean I will reveal the village or it's secrets."

Seeing the small explosions Masaru would make the connection before Diana said them aloud, like him she was the product of an inter-clan relationship. Whether it was for peace such as his was or not did not matter, the fact that the child was born and possessed both gifts was rare. He could see the strain on her face as she spoke, raising his hand to stop her as she said the word swear. "I already said I do not wish to force you to do something you do not wish, however the fact that you were about to do such shows me that I was right about you." Masaru would grin as he said the last part, "I would rather have a Free Guest, than a resentful Subordinate. I will show you that I too can be trusted, you will not have to swear fealty to me and you will retain your freedom within the walls of Iwagakure as my personal guest. In time I hope I can show you that Iwa can be your home." Without another word Masaru would begin walking again towards the village, even if the woman didn't follow him right away she would be able to reach it within an hour of walking this road. Though he hoped she would come with him, he would not force her too. The days of the Shinobi were changing and she could help Iwagakure change with it, but he would leave it to her choice if she would help the village or not.

[7]

She'd stop and listen, a bit surprised that he'd interrupt her. As he spoke she'd keep a mostly neutral face up, though as soon as he said she'd be treated as a personal guest, her eyes would widen as she didn't expect him to take this sort of 'third option'. But, it almost perfectly worked out for her, and that was very surprising. No other town leaders in the minor nations had offered her such a thing, and yet here he was, offering her a chance to not only find out who she used to be, but also with her being a personal guest the red tape was practically a non-issue. And with her being a guest the ability to leave was, while probably not the best idea if what he said about normal guests were true, still open at least.

"Well I-oh we are walking again now." She'd jog a little to catch up and follow him. If he was willing to let her stay as a personal guest, she'd make sure to put in the effort to not let him down. "If you think that if for the best, then I will do my best not to abuse the gift you have given me today." Maybe it was because she had shown that she was of two lineages, or maybe it was because of her conviction, but it didn't matter that much to her. Either way she was finally homeward bound.

Masaru would not comment on the woman's remark, he had a way of reading people and whether he had her trust or not did not matter as she had his. After another hour of walking the Outer wall of Iwagakure would slowly appear over the horizon, the one hundred meter tall wall visable from a far distance away. "Allow me to welcome you to Iwagakure, Diana." The male said with a smile without slowing his pace as the wall grew ever closer with each step, he knew for someone like Diana it might take some explaining. The first look beyond the outer wall can be a bit intense for the weak hearted, still the male would remain silent until the reached the gates of the massive wall.

{~Exit~}

[8]

She'd look upon The Wall as they arrived, surprised at the sheer size of it all. The amount of earth he'd need to move in order just to move this was staggering, and yet it sounded like he had to have moved it several times. If she had some sort of camera, she would've taken a photo where she stood, and yet all she could do was just try to memorize what she was seeing.

it was a marvel to behold from afar, like seeing a mountain off in the distance or a ginormous waterfall. And yet unlike many of those natural phenomenon she was going to see what lied beyond, what secrets such a world wonder would hold. Speeding up a little to catch up again as she had slowed down at seeing said Marvel, outwardly showing a little excitement.

{Exit}