alchemest1

Ojousama...the village...surely it won't crumble without me. I'm unworthy as a servant to either now. She is...the village is...out of my reach.

Ryouko gave a gaze to the village. A chill ran through him.
This...feels like the last time I'll ever be here. This is a temporary thing.
I tell myself that, but what is this feeling?

"...Right. Lead the way. I can keep pace."

Roukyou simply nodded. He had known the answer befur it was spoken. despite his hatred of the procedure Roukyou was what he was and had been waiting quietly in his friends mind listening to his thoughts. Roukyou took a deep breath and let it out slowly staring out at the Village of the Leaf again. "This is good. Pardon my Brash and seemingly obtuse way of giving you the choice. Time is of the essence. As for who it was that loaned you to us. Do you really think the Immortals stray far from their connections with the Villages we were once the guardians of?" Roukyou let a small smile cross his face. "Lady Tsunade put up quite a fight at my request just so you know. She was loath to give up one of her best shinobi. Sakura-chan was rather distressed at the news as well. I thought she was going to take a swing at me she overhear Lady T and I talking." Kiba gave a sheepish smile slip. "Truth be told I have been here three days in total and have been to see Lady T twice." Kiba cracked his neck and kicked a small stone absently with his toe. "We had best be off. My group is about a days sprint from here."

The cigarette dropped out of Ryouko's mouth in surprise. There were a number of things that shocked him about this. Kiba was never this crass, for starters. Secondly, he had BEEN LOANED- by who? Who the hell saw fit to loan him out? But more importantly...the 'village of the immortals'.

"..."

What about Azami, Ryouko wondered? Sakura-Ojousama was out of his reach, to be sure. But...no, there were no answers. There was no one waiting for Ryouko at home-yet.

"Residence...no. But..." Ryouko half-grinned. "I could be pursauded to make an extended visit. It's not every day you get to go to such an interesting place with a rich history. Sure, lead the way."

Kiba sighed and cracked his neck again his features darkening a bit and a bit of his true age showing through. "You are right my friend. No matter how I wish this could be no more than a social call it is not." Kiba gave his friend a sidelong look then looked out over the valley a wistfully. "As always you are business as always. You really do work to hard, It'll send you to an early grave my friend. Sometimes I wish for that luxury only death in combat can end my endless trip of life." Roukyo absently raised a hand to the band on his upper arm and brushed the symbol of the immortals on the band there. Turning to face his friend Kiba sighed and pulled a sealed scroll from the folds of his military jacket. "You are here because I can trust you as an old friend. You have been loaned to the Kagirinai. These are your orders. I will not force you to accept them Ryo. Do you accept the request to take up residence in the Land of Demons with the remains of the Kagirinai?"

Ryouko exhaled again, looking at the view. He had seen it many times, yet was never disappointed by it's majestic beauty.
"Can't blame you. And I suppose you're right about that. Nothing less than 20 year old aged sake would get Lady Tsunade up here."

Kiba, of course, brought up the 'pervy samurai' thing. Not to mention the even worse 'Azami' thing.

"The girl had me dead to rights. But she didn't kill me. She did-not-kill-me...She saw me naked, and that wasn't ideal. But that's not what upset me. I...might be in love with her. And not just because I've seen her naked." Ryouko put the cigarette to his mouth. "I'm not that shallow, no matter what that BS legend you cooked up says."

Ryouko exhaled, and slid a sideways glance toward Kiba. "But that isn't why you wanted me to meet you here, is it? If it weren't important, we could have communicated via summons. Not that I'm not anxious to catch up with an old friend, but business before pleasure is a hard habit to break. So I'll just ask:
What brings you back?"

Kiba cracked his neck and took a sniff of the cold mountain air and let a brief smile play across his face as he caught the scent of his old friend wafting up from the side of the cliff. He was clearly taking his time getting up here. Kiba pushed himself up straight and strode a few paces from the gnarled tree he had been leaning against. Flicking his wrist again the senbon he had been twirling vanished. Kiba stared at his old friend as he emerged from over the cliffs edge in the distance and casually strode towards him. The same Ryouko, but perhaps more ragged and worn looking, yet Kiba could tell by the power emanating from him that his strength had grown considerably. Kiba let a rueful half smile play on his lips as his friend greeted him.
"My choice was made mostly because I wanted to see the village again." Kiba looked out over the valley again a ghost of longing flickering in his eyes. This past and he turned back to Ryo a grin on his face. "You know the Village knows who and what I am. What kind of stir would it have caused if I had walked through the village? the Kage of the Immortals strolling to the Kage building?" Kiba let out a barking laugh and clapped Ryo on the shouler. "It's good to see you my friend. My apologies for the location of the meeting. I have grown used to the colds of the Land of Demons." Kiba grinned wolfishly and lowered his head. "I guess the Famous Pervy Samurai has gotten to used to spending his time in the hot tub with the ladies." Kiba cocked a brow at Ryo and grinned even larger. "I hear you had some fun with an assassin here not to long ago. I can just see you fighting her while trying to keep your privates covered. Oh how I wish I could have been there." Kiba gave another barking laugh.

'Ryouko' wondered why he was still using an alias. He had found his comfortable, safe home. And yet...
I don't belong yet.

Exhaling on a cigarette, he walked casually up the mountain with his chakra focused to his feet. He wore no hat, but donned a tattered brown 3/4 length coat. This was no shinobi mission, and the mountains were damned cold.

Spotting his aquantance in the distant, Ryouko strode forward perfectly, offering no greeting. His friend already knew he was there, so he waited until he got close enough to stand on the same peak as Kiba.

"You picked a hell of a spot for a rendevous. Might I suggest somewhere flat and temperant next time? Maybe the grasslands of Kusagakure?"