The two of them went through the air, almost as if they belonged there. This was of course, not true seeing as the two suddenly began their decent downward to which the masked man would shift the kunai back into a holster as his hands would remove themselves from the girl. She seemed to be either smart enough not to let go or horrified enough to that she couldn't but his hands were needed for the time as they clasped together and then formed the hand seals for the tiger, snake, rat, snake, and then the tiger again.

He then held one hand down toward the ground "Water encampment wall," as the words left his lips, a jet of water shot from his mouth and a fence of water was blown further outward and raised with tremendous might at the ground. The water circled around the masked man and thus, the girl as they seen struck the ground, the water crushing several trees and bushes before engulfing the two before splashing outward once his feet touched the ground.
13/30

Sometime during their descent, Shinoe's scream died in her throat, having never escaped her mouth. Though when she felt the stranger's hands remove themselves from her person she was tempted to scream again, but as she peaked out, she saw the jutsu hand signs that he was making and was reassured that he wasn't trying to drop her. Though the sudden burst of water from his mouth did surprise her. Shutting her eyes tight in instinct as she saw the ground rushing towards them she blinked them open as she felt the crash of waves around them and for just a second she felt safe in envelopment of the water's arms before it dispersed around them again, leaving her drenched and gasping. Hesitantly, the genin stretched her feet out to touch the ground and once she was assured that there was ground there she stood on her own two feet before extracting her arms from around the masked man, wincing in discomfort from their stiffness. As she stretched her arms, her body automatically began to slowly absorb the water until she was relatively dry. Looking around at the slight crater they had made from the impact of the water she commented genuinely, "Cool jutsu. Um...thanks by the way. For catching me...and saving me." Shinoe finished abashedly, not looking up at his hidden eyes. She didn't have to do this often and it felt awkward. "Sorry I wasn't more useful."

The masked man slowly let his arms move themselves outward as to make sure the girl could move away from him. She released him without a problem but a minor wince but surely it was not his own doing. He let his own posture straighten itself out as she began to stretch herself. He let his attention follow her own as they looked around them at the slight disturbance they had created, or more over, HE created. She then spoke of it being a 'cool' jutsu and she thanked him for catching her and preforming a rescue their after.

He raised a single hand and shook his head once "Thanks isn't required but appreciated. Without the water you gave me, the situation could have ended differently and..." He paused as he noticed that she was dry, abnormally dry after their previous situation would allow. He raised his hand up and took hold of the mask and placed it back into its normal position. "I'm going to assume you are a Suiton user as well? I am sure that one day I'd like to help you in your endeavors but I have to ask. How did you dry so quickly?"
14/30

Shinoe looked up as her unknown savior spoke, glancing at his raised hand before staring at his mask. Smiling just slightly as he shrugged off but accepted her thanks nonetheless, she nodded as he acknowledged her aid. The genin's head tilted slightly as she saw that he seemed to be staring at her and felt on the spot, but when he asked if she was a suiton user she blinked before replying, "Yeah..." As he asked his second and final question, her expression twisted into one of disgust and frustration, turning away but not completely around, looking off at the starry sky.

Scratching her head absently before moving her bangs around, Shinoe thought for a moment before admitting, "I don't do it consciously. I was born with a kekkei genkai called Hydrification. I can absorb water and even turn myself into water." The brunette then reached for her belt before pulling out a kunai and raised it high before bringing it down on her left arm. However instead of seriously injuring herself, the blade passed harmlessly through her now see-through water like arm, before it solidified and she put away the weapon.

The masked man listened as she agreed to being a water release user, once such as himself in ways. To his next question, she seemed to falter but regardless, followed through with words, speaking of having a kekkei genkai that allowed her to liquify and absorb water as well. There was a pause as she brought out a kunai and it made him wonder if she was about to turn on him but she simply showed him the act, the blade turning her arm to water or more over, her arm turning to water itself.

He nodded his head at the sight before speaking "That is quite the something useful. Something that is better used as a surprise against unsuspecting enemies. Best to keep such a thing hidden." He began to think then, if she could form into water, would she have blood? Was their some sort of way to bypass this or was it just what she was? "But otherwise, you have the makings of a great ninja. A leader even."
15/30

Shinoe gave a crooked smile as she nodded in agreement as her masked companion observed that her kekkei genkai was quite useful and best as a surprise for enemies. As he advised her to keep it hidden she nodded again, but this time her expression was flatly serious. "I've never told anyone else since I've come to Tsukigakure. Though sometimes I train on my own away from everyone. But sometimes it's kinda hard to hide, being able to automatically absorb water an all." She shrugged differentially. When he commented that she could be a great shinobi or even leader though, she froze and her eyes went wide in incredulity before narrowing in shrewd disbelief. "And how do you figure that?"

The masked man listened as she spoke about not telling another soul in the land of her bloodline limit and that she trained in secret though it was hard sometimes with the absorption being something she either wasn't able to control or couldn't even if she wanted to. But it was what he said afterwards that caught her attention more so, mostly in disbelief and spoke to him on how it was he thought that.

"Simple. You are a kunoichi. You are already seen as less of a threat. You have the power of water, quite literally, at your fingertips whereas most shinobi must acquire it from other ways. You are everything that one would think a secret weapon to be. You look like something but are something so much stronger underneath."
16/30

Shinoe's lip curled slightly as he explained that being a female shinobi made her be seen as less of a threat. Plenty of others had made that mistake and had been quickly corrected by her fists. But she tried to keep a level head and hear him out as she didn't think he was insulting her. As he explained that she had the power of water at her fingertips unlike any other shinobi she smirked, feeling proud of her kekkei genkai for once. It was rather useful after all. But as he finished up she shook her head. "That all might eventually be true. But considering I'm only a genin it's going to take forever. But anyway, that's not a good leader, just a great shinobi. A good leader..." The brunette hesitated as she tried to think of how to word it. "There shouldn't be any doubt about how powerful a leader is. Everyone should know it and respect it and fear it. Having surprises and hidden jutsu up your sleeves is fine but that won't be a deterrent for enemies." Shinoe thought back to Shippugakure with it's constant pirate attacks and realized she didn't even know the Kage's name.

The masked man thought back on what it was that he had said and then came to the realization that his words could actually be taken in an offensive way. But this was something he did not have to worry about at the moment as she seemed to brighten up and shook her head in agreement. She spoke about just how far away it would be for her to become what he spoke of and it was only right, the current status of things tended to blur such hopes and dreams.

"But every great leader, no matter the stature or power, started out as how everyone else does, simple. They start simple because without that beginning, they would not know what they want or how they want to acquire it or even if it was worth the fight to grasp it. It is that start that creates such hero's and legends. Fear and respect are never given, they must be taken and earned."
17/30

Shinoe tilted her head as she looked down at the puddle around their feet and nodded slowly in acknowledgement of the helpful stranger's words on how every great leader started out the same as everyone else. But that didn't mean that everyone else even had the potential to be a great leader. However she didn't voice that opinion as he was still speaking. His last statement made something inside of her flicker. It rang true and she wondered how many people in power had never lived by that creed. Because they had money, title or influence, but never real power to wield the fear and respect of their people. Could she really become that person? Looking back up into the man's hidden eyes, her expression was eager but serious as she asked, "You must be at least ten times the better shinobi than I am. But how close are you to your goal? Can it really be accomplished? Is it worth the fight?" She desperately wanted answers to questions she didn't even know she had and this stranger seemed to hold what she sought.

The masked man looked down at the girl as she seemed to be listening with the utmost attention to the words he was saying and this was good. Soon, she turned attention to him fully and spoke to him. She spoke of how much stronger he was than she and just how close to his own goal he was and if it was really something that could be accomplished and if, in the end, would the fight be worth it. There was a pause, for more than a standard moment before his voice spoke out yet again "I will never know how close I am till I aim to complete what I've put in motion. But I have tried and failed but never once, even at this very moment, do I plan on stopping. The more I dream of my goal, the larger the wave becomes that will inevitably come crashing down."
18/30

Shinoe waited with bated breath for the masked man to answer her and after a moment of consideration, answer he did. She wasn't entirely satisfied with what he said. How could someone not know how close they were to completing their goal? But what he said next surprised her even more. "You've already tried and failed? How could you still go on? What if you just fail again? What if you never become a kage?" Those questions were her very doubts and knowing what she did from him she just didn't see how it could be possible. Though she could understand what he said about water metaphor, which was rather appropriate she thought.

The masked man moved himself over toward a tree that had been uprooted and would now be used as a chair or seat of sorts as he sat himself down after listening to her words. He would nod his head without shame or hindrance "Yes, there are many forms of failure in the road to victory. Some were subtle and some were outright crippling but that is what defines strength and will. If you let yourself be taken down by your own doubt, you will never become what you need yourself to be. You can't let the word 'never' consider with your dreams and goals. That would be like your own body turning against itself. I continue because I have something that I will obtain one day."

He then turned his attention toward the sounds of water off in the distance would would assumable to be the ocean "There are unknown things that, if you listen carefully, you can even hear them cheering. I hear that as the future, just out of sight but it will come, like all things. You just need to hear that cheering and keep it in your mind and heart."
19/30

Shinoe stepped towards where the helpful stranger made his seat on a tree stump and she lowered her body into a comfortable crouch, her elbows resting on her knees as she looked up at him as he continued to speak. She was captivated that he could openly admit his failures without shame. Coming from a harsh place where if one showed an ounce of weakness they'd be targeted, it was an alien concept and yet not an unpleasant consideration. The brunette smiled as she noted that he said 'will'. He was so sure he would attain his dream. When the masked man looked off into the forest she followed his gaze but couldn't see or hear anything of note, so just listened to what he had to say.

She thought about hearing the cheering that he spoke of and tried to remember what it sounded like. She had heard the cheering of crowds at fights or of the men when they returned with a good haul...but the cheering of an adoring crowd... Shinoe imagined that it might sound like waves, the sounds washing over her. It gave her goosebumps just to think of it. Smiling faintly she wanted more than ever to do something to deserve those cheers. Standing, the genin pointed at herself with a grin as she declared to her newfound friend, "They're going to be cheering for me some day. You're looking at the future Umikage of Shippugakure, Shinoe Mizushima!" Her expression dimming somewhat in realization, the brunette mentioned, "Hey, will I ever get to know your name?"

The man took note that she followed and crouched down in an interested posture to make it look as if her interest was completely locked on him which was something to admire. After he had finished speaking, she rose up and proclaimed with a self pointing that the cheering would be for her one day and even spoke about being the future Umikage of the Hidden Hurricane and he would nod his head in approval of the statement. He then listened as she spoke about if she would ever get his name to which he would lean forward and raise from his seated posture and rose his hand to place it on top of the brunette's head in a kind manner as he would soon speak "I await the day when I hear about your anointing Shinoe Mizushima."

He would then return his hand back to his side and continued "For my name, I think it would be better for the both of us if I remained 'The masked man', at least for now." He then turned and began to walk away from the girl.
20/30

Shinoe looked up as her companion rose from his seated position and grinned when he said that he was expecting news of her leadership. "Well it won't be for a while, but thanks anyway." Tilting her head as he looked away, the genin narrowed her eyes slightly when he proclaimed that he would remain nameless for now. Shaking her head, the brunette replied, "You'll tell me eventually masked man. Maybe next time." Shinoe raised her hand in a sign of farewell as he walked away and sighing, she looked up, craning her neck to see the overlook they had fallen from. She'd have to keep an ear out for news of a new kage in the Hidden Glacier. Turning the other way, the genin walked away into the forest with newfound purpose.