Welcome to Gaia! ::

Saikoro let out a stifled yawn as he turned to face the boy with a lazy gaze, "Oh? You're finally awake." The man said with a soft grin as he shifted the weight off of his leg and leaned back onto his hands, his eyes moving back to stare at the setting sun. The glistening mist that clung to the air made the scene carry an ominous feel as the world around them darkened slowly and the haze sunk into a gray darkness. "Snake-eyes, hunh? That's an interesting name, I can dig it... Anyways, no where important for the time being. The Chuunin Exams are at the end of the month, so those are currently my only plans. Why do you ask?"

-It was a nice day and Soul had been refining his skills everyday. He could feel himself growing stronger and knew that the day would soon come when his mentor Sai would return to the village.-

Soul Opened his eyes and saw the misshapen room configured before him. With a blur to his vision everything was an off white and nothing had distinct characteristics. After wiping his eyes he could make out the clothes on the floor, the mask that hung on the coat hanger along with his shinobi headband and jacket. After getting dressed and grabbing his gear for a hard training session Soul walked out the door to his home. Under the disguise of Kira Moto Soul has made a place for himself within the Mist villiage. Now with the chunin exams coming soon, it was time to start training harder than ever.

Soul made his way through the village leaping from building to building summersaulting as he went to help build agility, leg strength, and to just plain out look cool. When he reached the cliff he jumped over without a moments hesitation. Just as he and Sai had done months before he landed on strategic boulders on the way and hit the sand with a role to help continue the movement and cusion his landing. Though when he rose and looked up, what he saw was unexpected. "Saikoro.. You're back!" Soul walked to his side and noted the presence of another. With the way he was standing it was apparent he wasn't any harm, and even bore the mist village shinobi headband. Soul gave Sai a look as if to say 'Who's this guy?'. Then brushed the sand from his shoulders.

Musica met Saikoro's freezing glare unflinchingly. Which actually surprised Musica, considering how badly he wanted to run and hide from the man before him. It was odd, feeling so bold without reason. It wasn't exactly uncommon knowledge that Saikoro could beat, even kill, Musica. But this was an opportunity to grow and live an actual life, and he used that determination to brace himself against Saikoro's gaze. And I'll be damned if I let this chance fly by.

Musica hopped from the tulip, the sand on the shore cushioning the impact. The young ninja began to stretch as the flower slowly sank down into the ground, as if the sand were eating the plant petal by petal. Musica eyed the newcomer as he lowered down into a half split. "My name's Musica." He called cheerfully, his eyes closing as he smiled casually. Despite having just fought, Musica felt refreshed and full of energy. The boy rose and stretched his arms above his head. "It's going to be a pleasure to get to know you."

Musica grinned and lowered his arm, quickly running his eyes over Kira. "I was going to say the exact same thing," the shinobi said as he made eye contact with his opponent, his determined look erupting with blue flames. " But I didn't, because it sounded cliche` and un-cool." Joking aside. Saikoro said we were the same, but opposite. Musica's legs and feet slowly gathered chakra as the boy thought. Does that mean that this kid fights at long range? A wolfish smile crept over the kid's face as his right hand began to glow a molten orange. Only one way to find out!

Blasting Hand! Musica slammed his glowing palm against the shore, the sand in between Kira and Musica sharing the same orange glow momentarily. The rush of discharging energy rang in the air just before the glowing sand exploded into a thick cloud. It was then that Musica rushed forward, using chakra enhanced speed to seemingly disappear and reappear, as if circling Kira. Silently, Musica appeared behind his opponent, just finishing a string of hand seals, his chest puffing out as he too a large inhale. Futton! The shinobi thought just as he released his breath, the air replaced with scalding hot water.

Soul just acknowledged Musica as he claimed his statement had been cliche and uncool. It got to him for a second and could tell by the wolfish grin on his face that he was trying to cause some tension in the form of a joke. 'Go ahead and joke all you want, we'll see who's laughing at the end of this all' Soul crouched low in a horse stance, it was clear he didn't plan to move much in this battle unless need be.

Soul watched his opponents eyes. There is always an instant, if even for a millisecond, where the opponent tenses the muscles around his eyes before he strikes. In that one moment it would be essential to begin his defenses. 'Stay calm.. wait for his hints, watch his waist and focus on his whole body. Wait for a single movement. He just got out of the academy so he can't have too much battle experience. In that one instant I must create my defense, if I'm even a second off it could set the pace of the whole battle... Wait... Wait... THERE!' The instant the attack began Soul was prepared. He instantly began to create the complex mix of hand signs that would activate his jutsu; However, he didn't expect Musica's speed to be at the level that it was. There was a moment of pause until Soul regained his composure. He tried not to allow himself to be distracted by Musica's movements. He was flashing around him in circles trying to remain unseen so he couldn't be attacked. A grin played across Soul's face, 'This should be fun!' The area surrounding Soul became more dense, everything in the vicinity was being polarized. In an instant any threat within the jutsu's radius would be nullified. Just before the jutsu was fired an intense burn was felt on Soul's back. He flew forward from the hit, planting a hand on the ground he caught himself in time to complete a front hand spring. He faced his opponent and finished the jutsu. With his defense up it was time to start this.

Soul took a small step forward and felt the heat spreading along his back. The pain was immense, but he had to pull through. "That wasn't bad, but don't expect me to allow you the same privilege twice." Soul reached behind him and removed his Chain sickle and charged at Musica. His speed was slower than Musica's but he didn't plan to let that effect anything. He parallel to the rock wall before running along the side. He lept off towards Musica then purposefully missed. Though in the process he attempted to entangle Musica in the chain by doubling back and ending behind him.

As Drake entered through the steel door, he instantly came to the conclusion that what he saw could not be labeled a 'library'. Instead of rows of shelves filled with books and scrolls, most of the warehouse floor was covered with large wooden boxes. Some were open, the lids laying next to the crates. Others were still nailed to the top of each box. 'Well', Drake said to himself, 'this is going nowhere fast'. Drake took a quick glance around, and noticed an elderly man flipping through a large book, which was on a make-shift desk composed of several crates. Drake approached the old man, who turned to see who was walking toward him. Neither of them said anything, as the old man looked up at Drakes forehead, noticing the headband. "Leaf ninja, eh?" the old man said to Drake. "What brings someone like you to Mist? And why are you in this warehouse?". "My name is Drake. I was sent here as a request from our library to get some more information surrounding Mist history and culture. I went to where the old library was, but it seemed to be closed down for repairs. Someone pointed out that it was in a warehouse till the old library is fixed, so here I am". Drake knew that the old man could question this, as most times these requests have to be sent ahead and approved before someone could be sent to retrieve the items, but he had a lucky feeling that this wasn't going to be brought up. "Well, I would if I could, but I would need permission from the Council before I could do that. And even if they wanted to give me that permission, I would have no idea where the books and scrolls are, as the morons who packed it didn't give a accounting of what is in each crate." the old man said to Drake. "But, you can ask me what you need. I might be able to help you". Drake thought about that for a moment. He was only hoping to see if he could find a scroll about the Seven, maybe even to find out what happened to them, to gain some sort of clue to the possible location of one of the swords. But, he was going to have to see what the old man knows before he could do anything else. "What can you tell me about the events in Mist after the first Great War?". The old man rubbed his hand on his chin for a few seconds before answering. "Well, not much of what is already common knowledge. Ninja from all the country's retreated back to their respective villages. The ninja from mist returned, and that's when our past leader's reformed the old ways, changing laws and tradition to hopefully clean their bloody past. First came the new tradition of the Academy, then the securing of Water. Finally, most of the ninja who fought in that war became advisers or new teachers of the academy, and younger ninja took there place". That piece of information sparked Drakes interest. "The veterans? What happened to them?". "Well," the old man began, "they went on to give either strategic advise to the Council, or taught new students at the reformed academy. Unfortunately, many of the veteran ninja could not stick to the new ways, and most of them were forced to retire before starting an incident. Others simply couldn't stand the new laws and left the village, becoming renegades and little more than bandits. As far as I know, not many of them are around these days". Drake then knew what he could do. If he could find one of these veteran's, they could perhaps tell him about the fate of the swords, or at least point his way to someone who does. "Could you tell me where one of these veterans are?". "Why would you want to know that?" the old man replied to him, sounding suspicious. Quickly, Drake said to him, "Well, maybe they could give me a written account from their point of view, both during the war, and during the reforms. There are few books or scrolls that have that kind of knowledge". The old man stood there pondering, scratching his head.

"Well, I can't see the harm in that. Though, I have to warn you, he doesn't really like having surprise guests and all, but if you tell him why your there, then everything should be alright". The old man then turned around and grabbed a folded piece of paper from on top of one of the crates that was near him. He laid it on the crate that was in between Drake and him, then unfolded it, revealing a map of the Water Country. Drake had never seen such an extensive map of Water before. It showed several roads, as well as rivers, small lakes, even deltas.The old man then placed a finger on the map, and moved it gently across the paper. "Now," he said, "If I remember, he lives right here". The old man was pointing at an island that was a little ways east of the fishing village that Drake had arrived on. Unfortunately, it would seem the only way to get to the island was to travel by boat. Drake looked up and looked around from where they were. He saw on a clock that it was only about 15 minutes after 3 o'clock. Hopefully, if Drake was able to get to the fishing village fast enough, he could get Thomas to take him to that island. Drake was about to turn for the door, when the old man spoke up. "Since your here for any historical or cultural references to Water and the first Great War, I have something that might help you with your task. With that, the old man turned around and walked over to one of the open crates. He reached in and pulled out books and scrolls. Drake started to wonder what the old man was looking for, when he heard the old guy say "Here it is!". The old man then walked over with a semi-large book. "This is about the history of the Great War. How it started, and how it ended. In the chapter detailing about the five great country's, you'll find reference to battles with Mist ninja against the other village ninja". The old man handed Drake the book, then backed away to return to his work. Drake stared at the cover. It was bound in rough leather dyed blue. The title was 'The First Ninja War'. Drake rubbed his hands across the cover, then said to the old man "Thank you". Then he pulled his pack from his shoulders, opened it, and placed the book inside, the closed his pack and re-shouldered it.

Drake walked toward the steel door, and opened it. Right after the door closed, Drake felt a cold shiver run up his spine, then heard Harbinger speak to him. 'Beware. Eyes are upon you. They watch from the shadows. Do not attract any attention to yourself. Doing so will compromise your mission. Do what you must to get them off you.' and then he was silent. Drake didn't freak out, and kept his calm. He walked forward, heading back into the busy streets of Mist. Drake walked for awhile, but didn't notice anyone following him, or watching him. But, Harbinger has never really been wrong. Drake didn't know why, but he trusted Harbinger...to a point. As he continued walking down a street, Drake saw a ramen shop on the right. So, since he still had time, he walked over and entered the shop. Drake walked to the back, and sat down. After a bit, the cook came over and asked what he wanted, to which Drake only asked for one bowl. After the cook left to go make his food, Drake pondered on what to do next. He knew that just eating in here won't make who ever is watching him go away. Plus, it's possible that he was being followed ever since he entered Kirigakure. Though, unfortunately, he had no evidence to base any of this as fact, so he was stuck at a impasse. The cook soon returned with his bowl of ramen, plus some chopsticks. After thanking the cook, Drake broke open the chopsticks and started eating. The ramen was delicious, but the utter base of reality lingered in Drakes mind. Then, Drake decided to try something. While he was still eating, Drake looked up and around, like he was checking out his surroundings, but in fact was seeing if anyone was looking in his general direction. at first, it looked clear. But then, when Drake looked out the window, he saw someone. It was the guy he had asked directions to find the library before he found out it was closed. The man was just standing outside, acting as if he was checking out some meaningless item or another, but he would glance toward the ramen shop every few times. Drake was sure it was him, but how to get rid of the guy? Then, it came to him. This guy was probably following him to make sure he didn't learn anything of importance. Or, if what Drake thought might be true, this guy wasn't a mist citizen or ninja at all, but someone who might be after the swords. that, or the guy was sent to make sure no one can find them. It made sense. One way to check ones own information was to find another who found other information relevant to what your goal was, then follow him till you can overhear him, or, if that fails, to see where that person of interest goes. If they go somewhere part of your goal, you've got your guy. But, if he does nothing, sort of what Drake was doing now, then he was just wasting your time and he knows nothing. The whole thing was a question of timing. How long would this guy wait till Drake left? An hour? Two? Maybe till he leaves the shop? Any of this is possible. Drake was just going to have to stall till the guy leaves.

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(Stage 2 part1-200/200 part2-6/75)

Drake ran as fast as he could down the main road. He felt as if every part of him was racing to get to that fishing village. As his legs beat across the ground, Drake looked up, and saw that, not too far from where he was, was the village. Excitement ran through him, but then he felt that familiar cold shudder, and Harbinger started to speak. 'Remember. It is unknown whether or not one of these blades will be there. This man could feed you false information.'. Then he went silent again. Drake thought about what Harbinger said, and he realized he was right. He didn't what to expect, so he kept his cool, and continued to run to the village.

After a half-an-hour passed of running, Drake finally reached the small village. He stopped running, and went into a fast jog. As he made his way to the dock, Drake hoped that Thomas was still here, and that they could go right now. If he wasn't, the he was going to have to wait till tomorrow, or find someone who will be willing to go out at night. As Drake finally made it to the dock, he saw Thomas's ship still docked. As he felt a wave of relief, he heard Thomas's booming voice say "All aboard!!". Drake quickly ran over to the ramp of the ship, and he saw Thomas looking down at him. "Ah! I didn't expect to see you again today! You here to go back to Fire?". "No. I was hoping that you might be able to take me a little bit off the path you usually take". Then Drake told where he needed to go. Thomas stood there, arms on his hips, and his head looking up into the sky. After awhile, Thomas finally looked back down at Drake. "Well, it's not where I usually go. But, since no one else is on, I'll take you there now". And so, Thomas walked back up into the captains cabin. Drake let a breath he didn't realize he was holding. He went over and sat down on one of the benches, placing his pack next to him. As he sat there, the boat lurched forward, moving out of the docks and into open water. But, instead of going straight, Thomas maneuvered the boat north, heading in the direction of the island Drake needed to go to. As the boat rocked back and forth from the waves, Drake felt tired. Then, without warning, he closed his eyes and fell into a light sleep.

Drake awoke when a lurch pushed off him the bench he was laying on and onto the ground, smacking his face into the ground. "Ow..." Drake said to no one in particular. Drake pushed himself up, then felt a heavy arm lift him onto his feet. "Sorry about that.", Thomas told him, "But, you'll be happy to know that we are at the island you needed to go to", pointing north. Drake looked toward the place Thomas was pointing, and saw the island. It wasn't a really big island, but not that much of a small one either. It had a forest of palm and coconut trees, as well as a assortment of bushes and other foliage. But, the one thing Drake saw that stood out was a wooden hut sitting perfectly in front of the forest. It seemed to be made of the trees from the forest, as was the roof, which was palm tree leaves wrapped into bundles. Drake went over to the railing, looking over it. Below, he saw that they hit sand, and were, in a way, 'beached' on the island. Drake turned to look at Thomas. "Will we be able to leave?". "Oh, yeah. I'll just have to push her out into the water when were ready to go. Don't worry, I've done this before" Thomas reassured him. Drake looked back at the hut, then he grabbed the guard rails and leapt over them, landing on the sand. He turned his head back up the ship, and said "I'll be back soon.", then he started walking toward the hut.

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