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Hidden Fragment
Seventeen days after the events in Hidden Soul

The two figures made their way down the road, with the practiced ease of travelers who had done that same act on many other roads before. Silence was set upon them like a mantle, no need for words when there was nothing of import to talk about. Anything that had needed to be said, any burning questions that had to be asked, had already gone and went. After what had happened back in the Hidden Soul quarter of Hidden Federation, Kawari had been left with many questions. Unfortunately, by the time things had calmed down, Noze was in no mood to answer any of them. So they would remain unanswered, at least for now.

Noze had spontaneously decided to leave Soul after what had happened, not that the android could blame her. She hadn't exactly endeared herself to the locals with what had occurred. A change of venue seemed in order. With luck, if and when they chose to return to Soul, the locals would have had time to efface repairs, and perhaps forget what had happened. And why Fragment, of all possible locations? There didn't seem to be a real answer to that question, at least none that Kawari could deduce. Aside from the geographical, there was no connection between the two sections of Federation. If Kawari wanted to know, she would simply have to continue accompanying Noze on her journey.

They could see the edge of Fragment's lands, still under guard from some incident in the past. The armed guards that stood there seemed to be alert enough, there was almost no chance of sneaking past them. But why would they have to? No word had gone out that Fragment had closed it's borders. Even so, when they attempted to pass the guards without a word, one of the guards moved to interpose their swarthy frame between Noze and Kawari, and the village. He glowered at them, demanding to know their purpose. Kawari had no idea what to say, she had yet to get an answer out of Noze. She glanced at the silent figure next to her, hoping she would perhaps come back to herself, wake up a bit, enough to answer and let them proceed.

But no, Noze remained silent, simply standing there, standing blankly at the guard. Almost like she was... Wait! From what she remembered of Fragment... That could work! Spinning the story together even as she spoke it, Kawari attempted to bluff her way past the guards. "It's horrible! My friend here was in a terrible accident, trapped under the rubble when one of the other villages was destroyed! The medic-nins said she is alright, but she won't speak, she acts barely alive! She won't even eat or drink! I had heard that if she could gain access to the phase-shift reality within The World, she might possibly be able to come back to us! Please, you have to let us through!" She sent a trigger command to her systems, and a small amount of cleaning fluid secreted from her eyes, feigning tears.

The guard tried to maintain a gruff facade, but her story had gotten to him. In point of fact, he had lost a member of his own family during a similar accident, some years ago. She would have been about Noze's age now... Giving a harrumph of annoyance, he grudgingly moved to the side before waving them through. "Fine, go ahead." Just as they were passing, he spoke in a softer voice. "I hope she recovers..." Kawari thanks him before grabbing Noze's hand and pretending to guide her through the gateway and into Hidden Fragment. That had been too close. She had noticed a faint glow in Noze's eyes, almost like what had happened with the crone in Soul. If the two omens were similar at all, she couldn't let Noze be struck with the same affliction. Or rather, she couldn't let her do what the crone had done. She had pulled it off, just in the nick of time. Now, maybe now she could find out just why Noze had wanted to come here in the first place.
[691 + 1001 = 1692 out of ??? ]

Hidden Fragment

After they had made their way into the village, Kawari slowed to a stop, and let go of Noze's hand. She turned to face the other girl, hoping that she might finally show a little more signs of life, that she might give some clue as to why she had even wanted to come here, of all places. This section of Hidden Federation seemed almost deserted, there weren't the normal sights of people moving to and fro on various errands. even in the dark alleyways of the Hidden Soul quarter, there had been the occasional furtive movements of those who skulked in the shadows. But not here, for some reason.

She paused in her thoughts as she registered a series of faint tremors, faint vibrations in the earth that were gradually getting closer and closer. It was as if something extremely heavy was approaching. But what, and why? She began actively scanning, switching between a few optical filters before spotting an approaching heat signature. Bringing her vision back to the default, she turned to face this approaching entity. unsure if they were a friend or foe. She had never seen them before. A wild looking youth, wearing a cloak that hid much of their form. Pulling a cart, upon which was perched a computer. That was certainly an odd thing to carry around, to what purpose would the youth do such a thing? Curious. They were still a decent distance away, there was no absolute proof that they were headed toward her and Noze. But coincidence was seldom that, the fact that an irregular data factoid seemed to be intersecting their own situation immediately after the still unresponsive Noze had guided her here... it was one coincidence too much. Had Noze wanted to come here to meet them? Did she know them? They didn't seem to be exuding any sort of menace, so if Noze did have a connection to the youth, it was likely not negative, at least.

Kawari shifted into a ready stance. Not an offensive one, just one to be ready in case she would have to go into action, be it battle or retreat. She felt confident in her own abilities, but protecting Noze, if it came down to it, was another matter. She would wait, reserve judgment until after this youth got closer. To find out if it was them that the youth was headed toward, and if so, why.
[405 + 1692 = 2097 out of ??? ]

Chapter 2: Into the Rabbit Hole
The Chunin Exams, were finished; out of the brave warriors who took a shot at reaching the next stage of shinobi, only half were still alive by the time the exams were done. The other half of those brave warriors either died during the exms or failed. For the ones that failed the proctor was generous that day and still gave them a chance to pass and reach the Chunin stage of their shinobi rank. The ones that were given a second chance passed like Seibetsu, while a few others didn't receive the same treatment. As for those who passed, they received an extra boost in power depending on what they contributed to the exams; that and just making it through the end alive. Two people who passed the exams went by the name of Jeremy and Kai. It was already good enough that the two had receive good upgrades to their entire attire. When the two apprentices of Sonya went into the exam room and realized that they were going to be teaming up, that was just bad news for the rest of the teams. Asuka Sinobi, a Hidden Cloud member also passed the exams, taking him to the rank of Chunin. The Dattoumaru student known as Rosalia also made it to the ranks after arriving to this world more than a month ago. Lastly the ex-platinum haired warrior, now Miyanari swordsman passed the exams, acheiving the level of Chunin status as a shinobi.

Reiko Seldab

Just little over a month ago, the ex-platinum haired warrior made his debut to this world after his previous world and eveyrone on it all went to hell. If it wasn't for his teacher's secret technique with a little bit of luck, Then he, along with Jeremy and Kai would have been left to perish with his world. Shortly after their arrival, the Miyanari swordsman managed to see his friend Rosalia once more along with her sister alive,well and as a member of the Hidden Cloud village. The ex-platinum haired wariror however did not tell her about their plan on going back home and taking back what was theres via time travel. Reiko was dubious that she may decline their offer and make this new planet her new home. After the four of them got back together, the Miyanari swordsman, along with his ex- teacher's assistants gathered the courage to offer the dattoumaru student a spot on their team of attempting to do the impossible and rewrite history. After a few mintues of consideration, Rosalia accepted and right there their plan was set in stone. The first part of their plan was to train at the closest places to their home clans and learn everything they can there along with trying to find any information that could help them head back home. Of course everyone was entitled to do what they want, it was a suggestion. After the exama, Reiko read about a few places in his shinobi handbook that were close to the Hidden Cloud Vilage and decided to give it a shot. And the ex-platinum haired warrior did not feel like recreating the scene back at West City; biting off more than he could chew and end up in the afterlife.

The Cyan haired Miyanari swordsman was located minutes away from Hidden Cloud; well, not exactly. With his transportation technique he was minutes away from his home village here on this planet. Without it he was located a couple of miles west from his clan, meditating in an indian stance at the top of Mt. Usa. To say that the Cyan haired swordsman was in a comfortable place would have been an overstatement. It was cold as hell up there! If not for his skill and choice in electricity, he may have gotten severly sick by now. Luckily the Cyan haired Miyanari swordsman used his electricity to flow throughout his body to keep him warm. Plus the sweet silence that surronded him, only to be broken by the winds that were usually traveling at the altitiute the Cyan haired Miyanari swordsman was at. He didn't count the sound of his lungs taking in the cold air through his nostrils and releasing them.

words=709
1244+709=1953

The footsteps crushing the white, cold snow underneath the Miyanari swordsman began to slowly interrupt his meditation. Luckily for the intruder the Miyanari swordsman already accepted the fact that his meditation would have to be put on pause when he heard footsteps. One eye awoke when he was able to hear the first few steps, followed by the other eye. He turned his head to get the image of the figure brave and foolish enough to travel this far so he could get a energy reading with his ryuugan. Perhaps it was a member of the Hidden Summit Clan, convincing him that coming back down to get something to eat was best. If not that, then perhaps he or she was just checking on the Miyanari swordsman; that was likely, considering these temperatures were child's play to the immune system and external temperature of the clan members. His eyes got thin in suspicion when he couldn't get a reading on the energy of this newcomer, causing the Miyanari swordsman to get out of the indian stance he was comfortable in and arise on his feet. "Another test from Kai and Jeremy?....maybe her?"
When he turned around to address the newcomer, he realized that her apperance matched the description of a section of his shinobi handbook. He wasn't a threat to anyone, nor commited any crime as far as he was concerned, so why was an ANBU member here in the cold? "Can I help you?" he asked.
(quick post, gotta head out 4 now)
1953-1000=953+247=1200

Hidden Fragment
The aspiring blacksmith found herself in the curious segment of the Federated Commonwealth of Ninja Villages that ostensibly belonged to Hidden Fragment. As usual, there wasn't very much traffic within the village, nor were the people who were seen very busy. A very peaceful village, regardless of what else happened in the world at large. It is doubtful she would find much in the call for blacksmiths here, experienced or not. That wasn't her primary goal, though. Instead, she was still following an order she had received some time ago, to simply go out into the world. Supposedly, the more people she saw, the more lives she experienced, the better her skills would grow. She didn't really understand how the two were connected, but orders were orders. So she found herself here, in Hidden fragment of all places. With so few people out and about, she didn't see how int he world she could possibly learn anything. She would remain at least a little while longer, however, and only after her patience wore thin, only then would she move on.
[180 out of ??? ]

Yodan no Keishi - Hidden Fragment
The armor-clad explorer clanked down the road, the sound of metal plates heralding her presence long before she was in sight of the next village. She had left her home in search of adventure, in search of someone who could truly test her armor, and let her see just how much damage she could take. A reckless attitude to be sure, but she had faith in her armor, in the metal of her home. Only by testing it under the most extreme of challenges could she discover new ways to improve it, new ways to better both it's capabilities and her own skills. She needed more experience. She didn't even know which village she was currently in, but she hoped that wherever it was, there would be a suitable foe for her. Someone who could provide that extreme test, someone who could have a possibility of breaking her armor. She herself wasn't too strong, but her faith in her armor lent her added strength in her convictions.
[168 out of ??? ]

Hidden Summit
"On good terms? I see..." She turned slightly as a gust of wind blew from the side, flattening her cloak against that side for a moment as the wind howled it's displeasure over a simple conversation. She raised her mask-obscured gaze to the horizon, looking out from the side of the mountain, in the direction of the majority of the other villages. She surely couldn't see them from this much of a distance, but that didn't matter. She wasn't looking, she was feeling. "Can't you feel it? Trouble is looming, my blades are aching." No swords were visible, that unusual phrase may be the only clue toward her specialty that was given so far. There was something in her stance that spoke of the conserved movements of a master of the sword, but with the cloak, much of those movements would likely go unnoticed.

But her words were true. She could feel it. In her bones, in her swords. She had no clue from where the danger would come, just that it was coming. It was that aspect of the unknown that made her curious toward the political landscape of the Five Nations. If one of the great villages were too have been causing trouble, that may have been a clue toward the true danger that was yet to come. If they were all on reasonably amiable terms, however, that meant the trouble was even more well-hidden than she thought. That led her to believe that whatever the trouble was, it was guided, directed. Whatever the source, it knew what it was doing, and was keeping everything concealed until it would be too late. It was said 'now is generally the best time to do anything', and that statement was true here. Now would have been an opportune time to track that danger down and remove it's fangs. But there were no clues, no signs toward where it might be hidden away, skulking in the shadows like a ghoul.

That left the simple option of training, preparing. If she couldn't find the unknown danger now, then she would have to make sure that she was ready when it chose to reveal itself. The path of the sword was eternal, as long as she could still raise her blade, then there was room for improvement. That was why she wandered, feeling the power of the earth, the quiet strength of the wind, all of the elements. Letting them guide her course, letting the spirit of the land lend her it's wisdom.
[425 + 649 = 1074 out of ??? ]

Hidden Summit
"No matter, soon it will show itself, danger will not stay hidden in the shadows forever." She let her gaze fall, looking down the mountain. This was the first look she had taken down since she wound up where she was. She had realized she had been moving uphill for some time, but until now, the exact height she had reached had been a vague, unknown quantity. She had no fear of heights, no irrational fear of falling just because of higher elevation. But even then, she held a healthy respect for the danger such a fall could pose to the unwary. At the next comment out of the other's mouth, she realized that her vague suspicion was right. She had been so far out of the attention of the world at large, that her mask was no longer recognized. Whether that was for good or ill, there was no way of knowing. For now, she would simply enjoy the lack of attention. Even so, it would be rude not to answer, even if that revealed who she was.

"Indeed I am, my blades and I have traveled far, sharpening our edges on fate's whetstone. As for my blades," At that, she turned to face him. She hadn't made any move that could even be close to drawing a weapon, yet now a blade sat comfortably in her hand, the tip pointed down and to the side, a passive position. "As for my blades, they are always with me." She raised her hand, and the blade seemed to vanish before it could even point at the Miyanari, her hand once again empty. Some might say it was bragging, to show one's skill openly like that. Others would say it was only fair, to give a potential opponent a measure of your capability before the battle began. As for her, she was simply answering his question, nothing more. Which was why she had called forth her own personalized blade, the one she had forged herself. Long ago, in Hidden Katana, she had crafted the Shinzui no Kurobara. It was a long but slender blade, embellished with several flower patterns. This was only fitting, as Hidden Nano was her erstwhile home. And just like a flower, her blade had vanished all too soon.

After showing her blade, she realized she had failed in simple courtesy. "I forget my manners. I am Tamao Suzumi, practitioner of the Mugen Tsurugi, and native of Bisaigakure. And you are?" She slipped back into a neutral stance, her arm slipping back to her side as if she had not been wielding a blade just moments earlier.
[439 + 1074 = 1513 out of ??? ]