Sure has been a while... {OPEN}

The new Tsuchikage would make a bold movement. Leaving the Iwagakure on his own to travel as he pleased, on top of that, he traveled to the village that was supposedly his enemy in broad daylight. He would wear is generic Jounin attire, a red vest with a white and red scarf wrapped around his neck. His black pants would stand out against his red sandals and while he carried no forehead protector, the symbol of the hidden stones was emblazoned on the end of his scarf.

It was broad daylight out, perfectly clear skies aside from a cloud here and there. The sun shone down from its peak, giving the area a bright sunny tinge. The hustle and bustle of the village could be heard, even from outside it's massive gates and as he walked through the massive open doors, he would be greeted with several Jounin with weapons drawn. Easy, easy... I'm just here on a tour. No need for anyone here to get hurt. With his hands up, he'd smile with his eyes closed, trying to wave off the attacking shinobi. The jounin, however, were not buying this hospitality that Amesuke was putting up.

You are not permitted entry here. State your business, then begone. Their voices all rang out at different times with energy that he had felt before. As if getting in a combat stance, they'd all ready their weapons, leaving Amesuke to shrug, walking around them and allowing them to see the words Yondaime on his right shoulder. Whistling a jolly tune, he'd ignore their threats. After all, no one needed to get hurt. He had business to attend to that was far above their heads anyway.

Seeing the Tsuchikage, many of the villagers would stop in their tracks, from fear? Maybe. Or maybe it was awe. Iwa had been known for their evil tactics in war and in politics, so it was possible that many thought he was a harbinger of death. With his hands in his pockets, he would move through the crowd, making sure to not bring forth any more attention to himself than he needed to. He would head towards the memorial, a sight that many would fear.

Does he plan on destroying the memorial?! Why is he here! We can't allow him to destroy the Konoha Memorial! Stop him now! The sounds rang among the crowd as he walked to the memorial and as he inched closer, the sound of various shinobi would ring out to him. Using shunshin to appear before him, he would tilt his head, looking them in the eyes with a smile on his face. What is is you need?

They would look back to him, readying themselves for a fight. We could ask you the same thing. Why are you here. This memorial is for Shinobi who died for Konoha. There is no way you'd be here to remember a shinobi that your own village worked so hard to kill! The last bit of his sentence hit close to home with him. Though they were not correct in their assertions, the thought of them saying something like that to him was a bit deep. Looking around, noticing the expression of every persons face, he would speak out, raising a hand slightly.

If I may speak... I was born and raised in this very village, like many of you... My mother died giving birth to me and my Father is still a shinobi in your ranks. So before you begin asserting your blames upon me. Learn who it is you're speaking about. Born of Senju blood, this village is as much my own inheritance as it is to any of you. Know that I have done nothing against Konoha and have committed no crimes to directly harm this village. Now if you will move, I must pay my respects. Grabbing one of the shinobi by his collar with one hand, he'd toss him to the side roughly, placing a single hand on the stone and closing his eyes.

He used to come here every sunday to pay respects to his mother. It had been a couple years now since then and he felt at fault for it. He partially was, but he'd never want to admit it. Of course, everything he'd done had been to protect the village he was born in.

As the hot sun began to rise in the morning, with the birds chirping and Villagers humming, Shizuko was still in his office, crowded by so much work to do, as he heard his assistant enter the Mansion and sit at her deck, he picked up a pile of paperwork and greeted her, Good morning Saotomi! as he slammed a large amount of papers onto her desk and walked off Good morning Hokage-Sama-- as she stared at the mess of paperwork, and sighed. Shizuko walked into the shower and began to un-dress, turning on the shower to a high temperture and began to watch as the room filled with steam, some of it exiting through the windows and door, he sat there for a few minutes after washing his hair, sighing calmly as he heard a call for his name HOKAGE-SAMA! as he jumped up, smacking his head on the shower nozzle, turning it off and wrapping a towel over himself and opened the door, Yes? he replied. A ANBU ninja was standing at the door, The newly appointed Tsuchikage has arrived in the City, he has arrived at the memorial and we believe he is going to strike. As Shizuko looked at him curiously, it seemed unlikely the Tsuchikage would peacefully walk into the Village by himself, I'll head there now.. You follow me. as he closed the door on the ninja, strapping his ANBU Uniform around himself, and tossed his cloak over himself and fastened it, strapping 10,000 Cold Nights to his back and he jumped out the window and without a hand seal, he faded into a large flock of crows.

As he slowly reached the memorial, he noticed a large crowd of Shinobi and Villagers surrounding the Tsuchikage, as he landed and reformed into his natural body infront of the Tsuchikage, he took a moment to simply stare at him, his Sharingan not activated yet, he noticed this man from before.. He was the one who assisted the young genin flee from the Hidden Leaf Village, it made sense that he would become Tsuchikage. Now he had to ensure that no harm came to his Village, not speaking to him directly he asked. What is his business here? as a Jounin replied He says he is of Senju blood.. and that he has come here to pay respects to his own kin.. as Shizuko turned to the Tsuchikage, paying memorial to his mothers grave, not saying a word till after he was finished. They have been enemies, but Shizuko wasn't cruel enough to not allow him to pay dues to his lost mother, that would make him an animal.. All of you leave.. The Tsuchikage is welcome in the Village.. for now. as he slightly stared towards him, not making any movements himself. He blinked his eyes a few time, it was obvious he was slightly exhausted, but still fully aware. He stood up, and offered a hand to the Tsuchikage, I apologize for the crowd, I am Shizuko Uchiha, Yondaime Hokage. no matter how angry he was at Iwagakure for what they had done, he wasn't about to make things worse by attacking the newly appointed Tsuchikage without a damn good reason.

Shizuko seemed overall calm, most of his body hidden by a white and black cloak and his upper head visible. A fairly sized scabbard rested on his back, with a dragons head imprinted onto it, unless this 'Senju' was fluent in Uchiha history, it'd most likely just be any other blade. His Konohagakure forehead protector visible in the sunlight, almost rudely reflecting. His face looked dulled and bored almost, stretching out calmly. He began to think of what had happened to cause this Senju to leave Konohagakure, perhaps it was his own choice and he simply did not wish to be apart of the Village, or he had more devious intentions, he was hoping to find out.

Hearing another approach, probably one of higher stature than those who were already around, he would listen in. Sigh... So much for that silent entry I had planned... Oh well... Next time I think I'll use something other than the front door to get in. He understood that the entire village knew he was the Tsuchikage at this point, so there was no point in trying to hide anything from them. Letting a tear roll from one eye down his cheek as he placed his finger over a single name on the stone, he would feel it roll down his face into the cloth scarf, being soaked up quickly. Within seconds, he felt a presence next to him, someone talking. The sound of the voice would pull him back into the reality of the world. He was in the present and he had pressing matters he had to deal with now. The past was the past and he needed to get over it. Pulling his scarf up over the lower part of his mouth, he'd grunt silently, nodding his head to the man. Turning his head to look at the man, the first thing he would notice is his eyes. The deep black eyes of an Uchiha that he himself had become infatuated with in his younger years.

The sight of his onyx eyes seemed to pierce Amesuke to his soul, causing him to think. Does he know... Her...? He was interested in knowing whether or not he did know the girl he was thinking of, but it meant nothing for him to know. Either way, the girl was nowhere he could reach her as far as he knew and as for now, she would have to be out of his mind too. Seeing his hand down for him to shake, he would deliberately ignore it. Sure, he was protecting his home village and all that, but for his plan to work as he wanted it to, he'd have to make sure they looked nothing like "friends." Walking away without looking to the man anymore, he'd speak, raising a single hand up, I'll be on the stone faces. Something tells me I need to see it before I go. From where he stood, he would tilt his head, looking up in the direction of the stone faces above. That's the last place I was before I left the village. The last place we were together... I wonder... If things had gone differently. If I had taken your place on the front lines. Would we still have ended up like this? This is probably all my fault. I should have taken your place and you should be here, safe. Thanks for that... "Sage"... It felt weird to say the girl's name, even in his mind, making him say it aloud softly. Sage... He'd stop for a split second, making sure his scarf was still wrapped around his lower face, then he'd walk on, his hands in his pocket.

With a roar of thunder, clouds began to dim the natural light and rain began to pour heavily over the Hidden Leaf, the sun was completely blocked out. As Shizuko stood there with is hand extended towards him, he was completely ignored, a rude gesture but it didn't seem to phase Shizuko, so he lowered his arm and sighed. Listening to the man about him heading towards Hokage Mountain, he didn't appreciate the idea of the leader of a Village that killed Konohagakure ninja everyday waltzing around his Village care-free, shooting the Tsuchikage a worried look. I hope you don't take offense in this.. But I can't have the leader of an enemy Village walking around my Village un-supervised. And watched as he walked away, sighing. He didn't trust him, and why would he? Iwagakure and Konohagakure were at war, this wasn't time to walk into eachothers Villages un-announced, but he let him walk off by himself. Shizuko turned the opposite direction as he walked off, secretly motioning one of the ANBU ninja to follow the Tsuchikage, just incase he tried to do something unpleasent. The ANBU ninja stayed a good distance away, only observing his actions instead of confronting him.

As Shizuko slowly walked back to his office, looking around as several citizens began to whisper towards eachother, pointing towards him. He eventually at the mansion and into his room, stripping himself of his wet cloak and looked towards the folded black cloak, with several leaf prints over it and the Konohagakure Forehead protector, he picked the cloak up and placed it in his satchel neatly. He looked towards Hokage Mountain, worried of what the Tsuchikage was doing in his Vilage, he left his room and walked off to his assistant, Please send a ninja to the Tsuchikage, and request he meet me in my office. I'd like to speak with him. as she nodded towards him slightly, a worried look on her face. He slowly walked into his office and unpacked the cloak, placing it over the table as he patiently awaited the Tsuchikage. He had paid respects to a grave in Konohagakure Memorial, and had mentioned his father being a Shinobi of Konoha, he thought the Tsuchikage to be foolish honestly. It's never a wise idea to walk into your enemies Village by yourself, but Shizuko himself had done some stupid things.. Only time would tell.

He would hear the man speak of not allowing him to walk around in His village unescorted and would scoff at the idea before stopping and saying, That's quite fine. As the thunder rolled, Amesuke would pull out an umbrella, holding it up and opening it. It's not like he needed, he could have easily just manipulated the water into a jutsu to prevent himself from getting wet, but he preferred not to. With one hand on his umbrella, he would twirl it in the rain, speaking to the ANBU who walked behind him. Ah... What a wonderful day it is, wouldn't you agree? He didn't expect them to actually answer, but he would speak anyway, not really caring about their responses. During his short walk to the Hokage Stone Faces, he didn't get lost once. He had known his way to the stone faces for quite some time and more so for him than anyone else, it was something he would probably never forget. Every sunday, after taking the time to remember his mother, he would travel to the stone faces and look out upon the village. Every step seemed as if he was moving closer and closer to the past, closer and closer to something he had forgotten. In his mind, he was a kid again, racing to the faces.

Flash Back

Hurry up Suke you slow poke! The long, dark hair would float along as the little girl ran along the streets. Amesuke ran behind her, chasing her to the Hokage stone faces. The sun was bright, shining down into the streets. As they turned the corner, the girl would stop, looking at the corridor they were about to walk through. Bring pink trees sat on either side of the corridor with petals floating down. It was truly a beautiful sight and with the sun shining just right, it gave a feeling to the entire scene that Amesuke and the girl didn't quite understand. It's beautiful Suke! Look at it! She was right, the scenery was almost perfect, it was almost as if he had been brought here for a certain reason. 5 Centimeters Per Second...

Wh-What? Amesuke replied to the girl, confused by her random outburst of a speed. Watching the petals fall to the ground, he would feel the girls finger intertwine with his own. She'd look over at him and smile with a child-like, innocent grin, saying,

That's how fast a sakura petal falls to the ground... I know it's a little weird, but I kinda have this... Thing... For cherry blossom trees. They're beautiful, ya'know? Amesuke didn't really know what to say. In all of his 13 years, nothing ever really felt this... Right. He would smile back at her, nodding his head and walking through the petals with the girl, he would hold a single hand out, catching a petal on his palm. Looking at it, he would notice it's completeness. A whole blossom had fallen from a tree, directly into his palm. Attaching it to a senbon needle, he would bend the end of the needle, sticking it into the girls hair. With a smile on his face, he would walk with her to a massive cherry blossom tree. With the lighting around, the blossoms falling would look like a sort of snow, coating the area and dropping to the ground slowly.

With both of his hands in the hands of the girl, he would look into the girls eyes, speaking, Sage... He wanted to say more to her. He wanted to articulate what he felt, but he just didn't know how. Before he had the chance to speak, he would be cut off by the girl, putting a finger over his lips to stop him.

Suke... I'm being pushed to the front lines very soon... I want to meet you here when I come back, ya'know? The words crushed Amesuke, tightening his grip on one of the girls hands. Once again, he wanted to speak, but was stopped by her. I didn't want to tell you because I didn't want you to worry. I know we're young. But I promise. I'll be back. So don't say good bye. Don't say anything... I don't know when or how... But I'll talk to you again Suke... But always remember when we next meet, it'll be under a Sakura tree... Letting go of his hands. She would lean into him, kissing him with a passionate feeling. Unlike Suke, Sage knew what it was she felt, and she knew very well that it was real. With that, she would disappear, shunshining into a cloud of petals. Suke sat stunned. He knew how he felt at that very moment and more than anything else... Deep down... He knew it wouldn't work out.

Real Time

Rounding the corner that he had rounded so many years ago, he would look down the corridor, noticing the barren trees that once bloomed with cherry blossoms. Clenching his teeth, he would walk down the corridor, trying his best to retain his composure. After this corridor, he had but a set of stairs to climb, then he would be at the Hokage stone faces.

Upon reaching the top, he would look out over the city, sitting down on the head of the first Hokage. It was a view that deep down, he missed. His forehead throbbed for a split second, causing him to put his hand on his head and double over. He thought he saw something for a second, but it darted away quickly. It was almost as if he was remembering something, but in this image, he was older. He was able to make out small instances of information, but very little else. He saw a young girl, possibly 16. Around her neck sat a Konohagakure Headband and over her body was a cloak that was black with green petals on the bottom. She was laid on some sort of desk. Was she in trouble? He couldn't make anything else out and he gritted his teeth from the pain of the headache. Putting both hands on the ground, he would shake his head, trying to brush off the pain and in time, it would recede, allowing him to regain his composure.

Laying back and looking up at the sky, he would place his arms under his head and just relax for a while.

**Now acting as the ANBU Ninja**

As she looked down to the Hokage, noticing his hand motion, she looked towards the Tsuchikage. Completely focused on him, and ensuring he didn't end up doing something stupid, her white-tan cloak blowing in the wind as she had a cat-shaped porcelain mask cover her face, she quickly began to follow the Tsuchikage from above, her mind was completely blank. The Tsuchikage seemed like he knew the area, and if what he said was true, he was of Senju blood, why did he choose to leave the Hidden Village? He had to have had a good reason, but she quickly emptied the thought out of her head, as it began to pour down rain even harder, the ANBU ninja reached for her tanto when she saw Amesuke reach for something, but it was a simple umbrella. And her hands fell back to her sides, listening in as the Tsuchikage began to speak, she actually did bother replying to it, This is a very sad day, like many others.. There is no beauty in it, not like there used to be.. as she continued to circle around him like a crow, she felt uneasy about him being here, and why did the Hokage allow him to be? Surely he had a reason, and she'd hopefully find out..

As the Tsuchikage arrived on the head of the first Hokage, the ANBU Ninja flickered into existence near him, not making a move. Her facial expressions were hidden by her mask, so it seemed almost as if the ninja was staring into the dark sky, but in all reality she was focused on the Tsuchikage, watching as he held onto his forehead. It wasn't a wise idea to be in such a high altitude during a thunderstorm, infact a pretty stupid one. But she simply stared at the man, gripping a kunai under her cloak tightly as she continued to stare at him, eventually another ANBU ninja arrived, handing a scroll to her. She quickly opened it up, reading the info and handed it back to the ninja, turning to the Tsuchikage lying down on the floor. The Hokage would like to see you, in his office. and with a single hand seal, she was gone, headed off towards Hokage Manor and arrived at the office window, entering as she replied. I have delivered the news, Hokage-Sama. as she stood behind Shizuko, not saying another word.

Feeling the rain beading up on his face, he was crying. It was something he'd normally never let himself do, especially in the presence of others. As the water ran down his face, he would imagine the scenes of his life, coming to the age he is now. Sitting up, he would hear the ninja speaking. Of course... I knew they'd never give me time to just be alone here. I don't even know why I came. Standing up, he would shake water from his hair and walk, heading towards the Hokage Mansion. He didn't need an escort there either, but he didn't mind hearing an extra pair of footsteps behind his own. This time, as he walked, he didn't even carry his umbrella, just walking in the rain and watching as it dripped upon everything. He thought he saw a girl walk past him and as they passed each other, it hit him, this girl looked so similar to sage. Turning his head back to look, he saw nothing, only the darkness and mist behind him.

Shaking it off, he would continue walking, gathering his chakra about his body. Doing a single seal, he would force the water around his body to immediately turn into a thin mist. Visibility wouldn't be blocked, but it would cause the water on his body to dry up. Walking into the Hokage tower, many would notice that even the soles of his feet were dry. Letting the chakra flow stop, the mist would fade away, making the air somewhat humid as he walked through the building. He knew his way through the mansion, ignoring the secretaries who asked if he needed assistance. He'd been there many times in the past. After all, he was a Senju and was related by blood to the Hokages of the past. Maneuvering his way through the building, he would come to the door of the office. Putting both of his hands on the doors, he would push them open, standing in the open doorway, waiting to be addressed.

As the rain began to fade away, nothing was left but a humid and calming terrain, mist shrouding the area as it began to turn gloomy, even with the sun shining. Shizuko sat calmly in his seat, looking towards the Tsuchikage standing against a wall, calmly looking towards him. I'm sorry if I interupted something of yours, but even if you're of Senju blood, it's not the best idea to walk into the Village your people are trying to destroy, especially if you're their leader.. as he picked up a plate and cup of hot tea, sipping on it lightly as he looked back to him, I was hoping to discuss the situation between our Villages, as such both of our Villages have appointed new leaders, you and I. And I was hoping you'd be as level-headed as me, so we didn't have to keep throwing soldiers at eachother and cause both of our Villages to suicide. Wouldn't you agree? as he yawned, his hair soaked by the rain as his ANBU uniform was visible on him, the Konohagakure symbol tattoo'd onto both of his shoulders. His face seemed calm, and his onyx eyes were bland and lazy. He sat back in his chair relaxed and loose.

Next to Shizuko stood the female ANBU Commander, she had been appointed to her rank before Shizuko had become Hokage, and therefore acted as his advisor, and guard. Red hair could be seen coming out of her hood and porcelain mask, she wore a white-tan cloak that covered all of her body, along with a set of gloves. Her stance seemed almost like she was a statue, her joints completely stiff as she stared towards the Tsuchikage, she couldn't seem to get a read off of Amesuke, he seemed strange. As she looked towards Shizuko, she prepared a single hand seal and vanished off to another locaton, most likely being requested for a mission.

Walking into the open room, Amesuke would take a seat, pulling his scarf down slightly, looking at the Hokage with a blank stare that gave absolutely no emotion. In all honesty, he came to realize that he cared very little about the actual war and more and more about a particular person. For the most part, he was ignoring what the man was saying up until the word "suicide" rank through the room. It felt as if time had frozen for a split second and Amesuke thought for a second. He truly thought, not the random spurts of energy in his mind which came from idle thought patterns. He listened to the word as it slowly echoed into his mind. Is that what this is to you? Suicide? Do you really think those who died in this war were doing it out of suicide? For a split second, Amesuke thought about punching the Hokage square in his jaw and just leaving, but that'd be good for no one. He would stop the Hokage midway through his speech, raising a single hand, saying, Watch your language. It was as if he spoke without his own will. However, it didn't mean any less. He was always told "your wording gives you away" and he was not a fan of calling loyal soldiers cowards or saying that they committed suicide in carrying out their acts, even if it was against his own. It would be the first time The Tsuchikage would speak clearly in this village and it would only be three words. He had very little to say on the mater because of his part in the entire situation. He had been on both sides of the war, tried his best to limit deaths and casualties.

Amesuke was at his very core, torn between two villages. On one hand, he had made a promise to protect the Iwagakure. He had villagers of his own back at his own home. On the other hand, he was born to protect Konoha. Speaking to the Hokage on his own matters, he would open a new topic, The reason I left Konoha... If you'd like to know... Was because the people here don't know how to handle situations... The council of both nations began to send children into battle. Do you understand what type of effect that has? I've been fighting from the age of 13. Do you realize that saying they're suicide-ing... It's downright rude! Sure, it was no place for him to be calling the Hokage rude in this own village, but it was something that needed to be said. He could get over the mistake of sending children to fight, but to then turn around and call it suicide... It was something that angered him to his very core. To think that Sage... Would be sent to battle, just to be called a tool of war or a suicide soldier. It almost made him want to continue the war, to let one nation completely turn the other into dust. The image of Sage flashed into his mind for a split second. He couldn't become that. He couldn't allow himself to become a monster. At least... Not yet.

I apologize for my outburst... I understand your sentiment, though I will make no promises, I'll see what I can do. The Iwagakure shinobi are not so easily swayed from fighting and dieing for their village. He would once again return to his emotionless face as he spoke to the Hokage. Is this all? Is there nothing more? He would wait for the man to talk again, sitting slouched in the chair with his elbows on his knees.

It seemed like the entire Village's noise had died out, hearing the sudden outburst from the Tsuchikage. Either he had misinterpreted what he meant, or was down right furious with what he had said. Shizuko didn't make a a slight movement, his eyes focused on Amesuke, it seemed he was more unstable than he had hoped, and it would be dangerous too. As Shizuko shook his head after he finished, [b]I apologize.. You misinterpret what I mean, I understand how you feel about sending children to war. I did not mean to insult ANY Soldier, as they are braver than I. But, our Council's send more troops, and more specifically. CHILDREN, into war and they die every day, I wish to end that, and this war. And I hoped as the new Tsuchikage, you would have the same ideal as I. as he sighed, his focus lowering down, away from the Tsuchikage, it seemed Shizuko's hope was all but hope and nothing more, his face became even more dull as he looked out, towards the window. He looked back to the black cloak with leaves printed onto it.

As Shizuko looked back up, I am sorry that I may have offended you, believe me. I understand how terrible this war is, and what our Council's resorted to. as he sighed, he looked at the coat and picked it up, When I first entered this manor, on my first night. I found this on my bed.. I believe it belonged to a past Hokage, but I have never seen any recording of one of them wearing it. I'd like you to take it, as a sign of peace. as he offered the coat towards him, he left it on the table for his decision, his face turning to a much more happy expression, instead of his previously worried look. He stood up, looking out the window. The fog had finally cleared, and the sun was shining brightly outside. I've heard Iwagakure, like Konohagakure. Is a very beautiful place, i'd like to travel there some day eventually, when we aren't all sleeping with a sword under our pillows at night.. as he yawned, his expression seeming charismatic and optimistic.

Amesuke would reel his feelings back as he listened to the Hokage speak. It was true, he didn't really mean to offend Amesuke by what he said and he could understand that. He would watch as the man would walk over and pick up a black and green cloak. For whatever reason, seeing the cloak gave Amesuke a strange warmth inside, almost as if he was looking at a long lost item. You could almost compare it to Superman and his cape. Reaching to grab the cloak slowly, he would feel a slight electric shock which would at first, make him want to pull back, but he would grab the cloak quickly, folding it and as he grabbed it, he felt as if he were remembering something, as if something he had lost or forgotten from long ago was returning to him. There was something about this cloak that both calmed him and caused him a great deal of fear and confusion. It would send chills up his arm as he looked at the green leaves and the leaf symbol on the back. It was almost as if it were trying to pull something from Amesuke.

Th-Thank you. He had to force the words out. More than anything he enjoyed the gift of the cloak for the reason that there were other people in the world who were trying to be peaceful rather than fighting all the time. Standing up, his entire demeanor would change. It was almost as if he wasn't the same person that had walked through the door to sit down and different entirely than the man who had been at the memorial. He spoke with a certain confidence that had escaped him through the years. As I've said. I'll see what I can do to prevent this war from escalating anymore. The last thing we need is more of our shinobi dieing off for a cause that even the leader of the two opposing nations disagrees with. On top of that, I need to make sure that the Kirigakure begins to see things from my point of view as well. He would clench his fist, pulling his scarf back up over his lower face and turning around. I'll see myself out. I know the way. Leaving the Hokage Mansion, he would walk back to the gates, using the same route.

Walking past the cherry blossom tree he had spoken to Sage under many years ago, he would catch a glimpse of a little girl out of the corner of his eyes wearing a light pink scarf and from his peripherals, he swore it could have been the girl. Upon turning his head, he saw nothing. Looking down the barren corridors of trees, he would give a blank look before turning and continuing on his journey. He had a long way to go. Don't forget Suke... I don't know when and I don't know how... But when we next meet... It'll be under a cherry blossom like this one. The thoughts floated through his head at 5 centimeters per second, floating on rifts and waves in his mind. It was a thought he couldn't shake. Upon exiting the gates of Konoha, he would look back once, putting his hands in his pockets and using shunshin to immediately vanish into a blur of nothing.

{LEFT}