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| - The uncontested ruler of the Land of Fire through the use of his puppet daimyō, a secret only held by two others, he ruled the entire Land hidden under the mask, using this rule and political status as a method of becoming the Hokage of Konoha. He walked next to his right hand, Asuka Uzumaki, an elite guard belonging to Konoha's very own ANBU. She was a warrior at its finest, someone who worked alongside Yami loyally and respectfully, for he respected her and the skill assets that she provided. They had walked from Konoha, something that the council protested, believing that he should possess his own escort, but Yami concluded that it was not necessary, bringing two people along with him; Asuka, his right hand, and his adviser Hayazumo, the grandson of the legendary Sannin, Jiraiya. Yami sighed, glanced over at Asuka and then over at Hayazumo. The three were surprisingly different, despite the fact that they all held one thing in common; prestige within the village. Asuka could be categorized as a military general, someone who was tough, direct, and emotional. She made for an excellent fighter, which is the reason she was chosen to be his bodyguard, his right hand, the controller of his military. Hayazumo was calm, composed and relaxed. He made for an excellent diplomat, being the reason he is chosen to accompany Yami on foreign affairs with other villages, towns or countries. He was the negotiator. Yami, on the other hand, was an arrogant, flippant, humorous asshole, though in a funny way that seems to appease everyone rather than annoy them. A tease, a jokster, someone with a sense of humor is what many of the villagers would describe him. Charismatic, likable to an extent, powerful, but before anything he is loyal and the villagers know this. As such, they trust him and they trust what he will do. Nevertheless, Yami’s intellect has truly shined and is evident with the smart choices he has made over the years to gradually improve the village overall. He was under the protection of an umbrella, for they were in the country where rain fell, thus he was prepared. This umbrella was not an actual umbrella, but rather his shadow. It was shaped like a dome, ensuring that he didn’t get a drop of water on him. He looked over at Asuka and Hayazumo, both who had their own umbrellas but not one as elegant as Yami, he laughed. “Aren’t you two happy that I informed you to bring umbrellas?”, he stated with a smile laid upon his visage. He turned to Asuka and with a smirk, “Especially you Asuka. We wouldn’t your pretty hair getting destroyed by the rain. That’d be a pity to see, the blood of your enemies drained from every little strand of hair”, he teased, before looking over at Hayazumo. “And you’re newest book may get wet. What are you writing about now? Perverts spying on women like that grandfather of yours?”. He burst out into laughter, looking forward as he continued to walk. “Sometimes I just crack myself up, but enough with the teasing, before Asuka here splashes water on me. We should be approaching Amegakure relatively soon, but before we do, we must be careful. Their ruler is unpredictable in nature, so be on your toes, okay?” and with that, the group ventured on towards the gates. There, a group of a shinobi waited, seemingly waiting for the Kage to arrive. Without hesitation, seeing this as a chance to boast, Yami leaped forward, jumping over the puddle of water and smiled. “You are allowed to sneeze”, he declared, looking towards the shinobi of the rain. With a bewildered expression the leader of the group stepped forward, “E-Excuse me?”. “I said you may sneeze now!”, Yami repeated once more, “for you are blessed by my presence”. This was his arrogant nature, obviously a playful one, but deep down he wasn’t kidding. At least about being blessed by his presence. Hayazumo and Asuka who were following behind responded immediately. Asuka, the violent, fierce and tough one began scolding the Nara Kage for his behavior, while Hayazumo began apologizing for it. Regardless, one could tell that they both were obviously much more responsible than him. Members of the rain shinobi whispered among themselves, “This is the Yami Nara that we heard about?”, one stated, the other responded, “He seems like a jokester”. Yami erupted with a yell, a warrior’s yelled he called it, silencing everyone. “What the hell, Yami?”, Asuka yelled, expressing her anger, but more of her annoyed disposition. “What’d you do that for?”, she questioned. Yami smirked, bowed and assumed his normal posture once more, “to obviously shut you guys up. Especially the whispering shinobi over there..”, the man pointed. “Now, are you guys gonna get us out of the rain or are we going to continue standing here. It is a bit chilly after all”, the man complained. One of the shinobi responded immediately, “Oh, yes sir! But first, we were said to wait for the other Kage! They will arrive shortly, so if you can wait for a few more min—“ the guard was interrupted by Yami, “Um, I don’t think so. I’m a very important guy, even more so than your—“ and he was interrupted by a fist to the gut from Asuka. “We’ll wait for now”, Hayazumo filled it, taking advantage of Yami’s pause. And with that, they stood and waited for the other Kage to arrive so that they themselves could take their leave. The mud gave way under his feet, as he and his attendant moved toward the hulking structure of a village. The rain continued to patter, and Kinpa why Izaya decided for it to rain on everyone, before the exams even began. Was it really necessary? No matter, Kinpa thought as they neared the gates, Tābin flanking him. He wore a special jacket-like robe over his usual garb, to keep from getting wet. Tābin dressed in the same way, but kept his hood down. It seemed, the Navy Leader really like water's feel. He'd been out on the water so long, he was used to rain. Tābin looked around. "Where's Chinka? She said she'd meet us here, she was determined to see her squad arrive. Surely they've arrived by now." "Up there, Tābin." Kinpa said, pointing to the closest metal skyscraper near the gates. He glanced, and noticed his friend, and fellow high-ranking shinobi. She seemed to have been observing arriving genin, but now, seemed focused on one man in particular, The Shinobi of Shadows. A man, who's use of shadows got him greatly renowned in the shinobi world, who Chinka very much... respected. Tābin decided he'd never understand that. The Hokage, who they were coming up to, seemed different than Tābin expected. Though he and Chinka differed, he always expected him to be, more intimidating. But here he was, a man who he'd regarded in the same light as his own Kage, who didn't seem like he was all that. But he knew he was the Hokage, and on top of that the Shinobi of Shadows, someone not to be underrated. Yet. He wished to see how this would turn out first. Hopefully, he could make friends with this fellow, Chinka would sure try too. Speaking of who, she seemed to have noticed their approach now. The Dark Mistress, dressed in her body armor jumped from her ledge, landing next to Tābin and the Tsukikage. The moon trio complete now, moved on to the gates, and Kinpa made small talk with Yami and the Ame guards, wondering what the hold up was. Tābin and Chinka stood side by side, looking into the little fog forming where they had come. They awaited the arrival of the other prestigious Shadows, wondering if they'd all be as intriguing as their Tsukikage, and the Hokage. The young Raikage, atop a hill overlooking Amegakure, gazed admiringly at the village’s skyline, taking in the metal skyscrapers with awe... His umbrella rested comfortably over his shoulder, the rain having ceased. The sun made a welcoming appearance, bursting out from its hiding spot behind the storm clouds and illuminating Amegakure. The skyscrapers so admired by Yoru glistened cheerily, making the village appear a bustling metropolis. He glanced at the two childhood friends on either side of him, smiling. A mighty wind picked up, blowing Yoru’s hair around. The sun’s beams pouring over him made it appear as though his hair, drinking in the sunlight, was simply golden fire dancing around his head. “Alright,” he sighed, “Mamoru, Kei. Let’s grace this summit with our presence now, eh?” The trio descended from the hill and made their way to the village gates. Of course, they were accosted by the guards keeping watch. Yoru simply presented his special invitation from the Amekage Izaya, and the trio was granted entry to the arguably most xenophobic of all the shinobi villlages. It had been almost an epic quest, travelling to Ame from their home in Kumogakure. Given the distance and natural obstacles in their path (namely the Land of Lightning’s mountains), it may not have been a grand odyssey, but it was certainly no small feat. Yoru had opted for him and his companions to traverse the great distance between the two villages on foot, preferring not to “travel with style.” Of course, his advisors had originally been concerned with his safety. The confident man had brushed aside these advisors, having the utmost faith in himself as well as Mamoru and Kei. When he was notified of the Kage Summit in Amegakure, naturally, he’d immediately chosen Kei and Mamoru as his bodyguards. They were the childhood friends who had been with him through everything. They’d been together through basic training as a Genin, carved their respective niches as Chūnin, and made names for themselves as young Jōnin elites. Mamoru and Kei were more than Yoru’s friends, they were brothers to him, regardless of their lack of blood ties, and in fact, they were even by his side as it was announced to their entire village that Yoru had been named the Sixth Raikage. Thus it was that these events had brought them to this point, walking leisurely through Ame’s streets, flanked by the gargantuan metallic skyscrapers that were even larger up close. The trio noticed a group of shinobi gathered, and they walked over. Upon drawing closer, Yoru recognized in particular Yami Nara, the Hokage. Listening to Yami’s blustering wearily, he scanned the group for more recognizable faces. His eyes quickly fell upon Kinpa, the Tsukikage of Getsugakure. He quickly deduced that this must be where the Kage and their bodyguards were meant to gather, and decided to remain quiet for the time being and just observe. It was evident to Yoru that he, Mamoru, and Kei were among the earlier arrivals. After all, the only Kage he recognized were Yami and Kinpa. The other shinobi were either Amegakure’s or bodyguards of the Hokage and Tsukikage, he determined. Well, he thought, this is definitely bound to get interesting... He straightened his Kumogakure headband absentmindedly, too focused on his surroundings to notice what he was doing. The Kage and their bodyguards all seem appropriately strong...but I think my right and left hands and I can give them a run for their money, he thought confidently. The slow but confident rattling of wood on stone somehow managed to surpass the rustle of the endless rain. The carriage, drawn by two horses guided by an unfortunate and drenched driver made its way to the mountain range of metal that inched closer every second. Inside was room for six, but only three spots were occupied. A vermilion-haired man, seated at the right window stared eagerly at the approaching city, an entertained smile resting around his lips. Across him was a noticeably less enthusiastic brown-haired man, fiddling around with an unlit cigarette. Finally, seated next to the red-haired was a young woman beaming with self-confidence, tying her hair into a ponytail. "It truly is a beautiful country, don't you think Makushimi-nim?" The red-hair showed respect with his honorific when he spoke, but he didn't take his gaze away from the window. Makushiki sighed and looked outside as well, though he only saw the road they had traveled falling further and further behind. "It is, Yeomra-sama. It's a shame that it is always raining, otherwise we might have gotten the chance to see even more of the landscape." Yeomra laughed, a sound so clear and careful it was like he had practiced hours until he found it. "Luckily Juiz managed to arrange a carriage so we did not have to walk through this storm. I've known her for so long and she still manages to surprise me everyday." Makushimi looked away when Juiz turned her gaze to him. He avoided looking that woman in the eye, because it gave him the feeling that she could see right into his thoughts when he did. She was also the reason that he had come to this meeting without any bodyguards of his own. Yeomra had assured her presence alone was more than sufficient, which Makushimi had doubted at first, but still... She had managed to arrange meals whose ingredients could only be found in foreign countries, book rooms in supposedly-full inns and then this carriage in a matter of minutes when the imminent threat of rainfall appeared. How she did it Makushimi couldn't figure out, but somehow the woman was in total control of every single step they took during this journey. Finally, like a sign from the heavens to mark the end of their travel, the rain stopped when they reached the gates. The carriage stopped at the entrance of Amegakure, and the three passengers could hear the guards claim that their ride wasn't allowed within the village for security reasons. They stepped out, one more gracefully than the other. Makushimi lighted a cigarette and nodded calmly when the guards addressed and welcomed him. Juiz spoke shortly with the driver, who then took off without even asking to be paid. When they were complete again, Yeomra showed off another calculated smile. "Well then, let's see if the village is as nice as the landscape, shall we?"
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