Near the top of Lamina Peak, one of Tsukigakure's greatest mountains, there is an overlook where one can see almost all of eastern Tsukigakure.

Shinoe had found herself here more than a few nights when sleep fled her. The climb up and then down again made her body weary and eager for sleep when her mind would not otherwise give it. But most of all the view from the side of the mountain was breathtaking and always filled her with a sense of peaceful serenity as she looked down at her new home, the country for which she now fought as a shinobi. She wasn't sure about her loyalty to Tsuki, but didn't see a reason to betray it. Tsuki and it's inhabitants were providing her comfort in the form of teachers, new dwelling and influential company. Friendship...was not something she was sure of. And family...she had no real any longer, she'd seen to that herself. As she sat cross legged at the tip of the overlook, the brunette's fists tightened in her lap. "Nng...maybe I need to train harder..."To rid herself of these troubling thoughts, these haunting memories.

A figure stood in silence at the top of the look, seemingly dead to all the world but itself. It had been here for some time and the females presence had not caused him to move. As she spoke, he found himself speaking in response even though he knew it could lead to less than pleasing things but, he was hiding and there was no real good way around that. "Training never hurt anyone."

The voice spoke itself from behind the kunoichi and from a male. He walked forward and into the light. He wore light-brown platoon sandals with straps in the same color as his kimono and nail polish on his fingernails and toenails, red in color. When wearing this outfit. He wore a mask over his face, which was white with thin, curved eye-holes and a red wavy design in place of the mouth, as well as the Hyougagakure's symbol etched in the top with a line scratched across it.
1/30

Having thought herself perfectly alone save perhaps a few creatures in the surrounding trees and bushes, Shinoe immediately jumped to her feet when she heard a voice other than her own ring out atop the overlook. Her fists were raised to protect herself, however she did not attack, scanning the darkness for the source of the male voice that had spoke. The man soon revealed himself by stepping forward, letting the moon and starlight illuminate his figure. His clothing was nothing of note, though he was tall, but what caught her eye the most was the mask that he wore, kitsune in nature with a white base and red lines in accent, but the most noteworthy thing was the symbol for Hyougagakure in the middle of the mask's forehead, struck out by a cutting line. Frowning at everything she saw the brunette demanded, "Who are you? Some sort of spy from Hyougagakure?" She didn't respond to his first statement, almost having completely forgot it from surprise of someone else suddenly appearing.

The figure stood firm and silent as the reaction of the girl came to full motion, her body shifting around and pulling itself into a fighting posture or at the most, a defensive one if he were to declare an attack. She soon spoke of who he was and if he was a spy of sorts for the Hyougagakure to which he would reply simply with a shake of his head and a few words "I can not say who I am though I am not a spy."

The figure would then turn his attention over toward the village that so shown itself below the peak. "What kind of place is Tsukigakure?"
2/30

Shinoe's eyes narrowed in further suspicion as the man stated that he could not reveal who he was though assured her that he was not a spy. "Well that's not very convincing..." She stated, but lowered her fists. If the guy had wanted to attack her, she was pretty sure he woulda done it before she had known he was even there. Which also made her wonder how long he had been there... Shaking off that ominous thought, she concentrated on his question. "Tsuki?" Gesturing past the overlook where one could see all of eastern Tsukigakure, highlighted by the lights of the villages and towns as well as by the moon itself that the country was so named after. "...Dunno. Haven't been here long. Guess it's nice. Lots of people, some nice. Country's beautiful and there's lots of festivals. Doesn't seem to be a lot of hate for other villages, guess cuz of all the trade and tourists." The brunette shrugged, not really knowing what else to say or what the man was looking to hear. Then eyes focusing back on the stricken out Hyougagakure symbol on his mask which she gestured to she asked, "What kinda place is Hyougagakure?"

The man took note of the shinobi lowering her fists and adopted a less hostile figure toward him "Gratitude." When she spoke of the land just below them, the figure would nod his head in agreement that it was what he was referring too. She then began to speak simply of the land. That is was a land of many people and had no hostilities toward other lands. The figure nodded his head and was then asked about the symbol that he donned to which he would raise a hand, rubbing the Hyougagakure mountain symbol.

"The land is cold and unforgiving outside of the wall. Which, to this day, remains unbreachable by all that have tried. The people are kind to one another and fair in their rule. It doesn't give power to a single person like a Kage anymore and is split to a kage and a village leader." He walked forward and stopped a foot or so from the cliff as he looked over the lights and the land.

"You say your not from here but call this place your home now. You are treated fairly?"
3/30

Shinoe raised an eyebrow, giving the masked man an odd look as he stated an odd word of thanks for her lowering her fists, but didn't bother questioning it. As he explained what the icy country was like, she couldn't help but frown and wrinkle her nose a little in distaste. "Well that sounds...quaint. But not horrible I suppose." She commented with sarcasm at first but then honesty shone through. The nintaijutsu genin observed the tall male as he got nearer to the edge of the overlook and thus her.

She was a little mystified of his question but answered nonetheless, "More or less. To be honest I think the person I met when I first arrived treats me a little partially because of pity or something but so far no one's been biased against me. Or at least no one too strong for me to punch their lights out for trying." The brunette gave a feral grin before adopting a more serious expression. "Say, from the looks of it you're not part of Hyouga anymore. But are you just a wanderer now? What does a shinobi outside of his home country do? Are you thinking of joining Tsuki?" Perhaps that was the reason for his questions about her new home.

The figure remained focused on the overlook of the village below him as she spoke of the mediocre soundings of his former village "Your right, it does sound, quaint. I wish it could be more exciting and full of bustle as other lands." She then began to speak an answer to his question and it seemed that the people of the hidden moon were not biased and acceptable to most. He moved his arms behind himself and held his hands within one another as she then asked more about himself.

"I am though I hold no anger toward Hyouga, quite the opposite. I just can't do what is best for the land while still being part of it. So I travel, search for ways to better myself and Hyouga by any means. It isn't horrible but I do miss the cold air and crisp mornings that only the hidden glacier provided but I stand committed. Where did you originally come from if its not to rude to ask?"
4/30

Shinoe was interested to hear the masked man's reply about his country and decided that she was glad. The description fit her needs more or less. As he went on to explain his reasons for leaving the Hidden Glacier she was rather stunned. She honestly had never met someone so devoted to their country. "Hah. Wow. Well good for you. Hopefully you can at least visit. I can understand missing the little things." While she hadn't absolutely loved her life on the Isles, things like the constant sound of waves and smell of fish were things that she nostalgically missed.

But at his question of where her own homeland lay, the brunette hesitated. "Ah...well. That's...." She ran a hand up through her bangs and let out a long sigh in consideration. "That's a secret. Don't mean to be rude, but you never know who to trust right mister mysterious masked man? But my cover story is that I come from a small fishing village in Hyouga. Have any little tidbits to aid in my backstory?" She asked the question half jokingly.

The man let his head turn ever so slightly in the direction of the girl as she spoke of meeting someone as dedicated as he. Yes, it was strange for one to seek new heights outside the village but to do so For one's village was something to behold and something he was still willing to endure, at least for a time. But, to his question about her origins, she withheld the information and for a just cause it seemed. Since it wasn't something of dire importance, he need not press the issue.

Though, she then began to speak about being from a small village in Hyouga and wished for a bit more knowledge on the area. "True, I guess I can not be one to talk about revealing secrets." He then turned back to look upon Tsukigakure once more and continued "Well, the best thing to know is that ice-fishing is a commodity that can be afforded and not in short supply. The winters are colder but bears wonderful gifts like the Heliopisces. An extremely delicious type of fish that can only be caught during the colder seasons."
5/30

Shinoe let herself fall on her butt, keeping her legs bent, and putting her arms loosely around her knees, holding her left wrist with her right hand as she glanced up at the masked man. She was glad that he wasn't a hypocrite and understood her want to keep some things to herself. Following his gaze, or where she thought it was going, the genin looked out at the lights of Tsukigakure, marveling at how expansive it was. Very different from the small island she had grown up on. And yet it wasn't a bad change. She had to admit she was surprised that he was supplying her information but definitely wasn't complaining. Giving a smile of wonder and appreciation she replied, "I'd hate to imagine what Hyouga's summers are like. Probably still frozen. But that's interesting, I didn't know they did ice fishing all year round. I wouldn't mind trying these h-helio-peeces." She stumbled over the name awkwardly but shrugged it off. So Hyouga's surrounded by water right? Do you guys ever get pirates?" The brunette attempted to ask casually.

The man continued to stand ever vigilant, his gaze seemingly aimed toward the vast expanse that was the hidden moon village. His attention did turn toward the girl as she tried to pronounce the fishes name and did so as any person would that had not heard the name. "Yes, still frozen. I guess it would be called an island but the size of Hyouga is vast and there have been note of pirates from time to time but due to the cold weather, the seas usually stay clear. The Frozen Sea tends to take the ships that don't know the waters well enough and even then, tend to protect Hyouga from things like pirates. I would think that Tsukiga would have more pirates since its near warmer waters."
6/30

Shinoe removed her eyes from the scenery and simply stared at her clasped hands as she listened to the masked man speak. She wasn't too surprised to hear that there wasn't much pirate activity in the North, due to the reasons he spoke of. But what he mentioned about Tsuki etched a deep frown on her visage. Surveying the varied scars on her hands, the brunette murmured, "One can only hope that you are proven false." She was already afraid to go near the port for fear of seeing one of her father's ships, but hoped that it was only her delusional paranoia that made the possibility feel so real. She attempted to reason that the Hidden Moon Village was very large and Suitomo couldn't possibly find her in such a population, but her gut spoke true.

But as her reverie broke with a soft breeze blowing through, Shinoe looked back up at her conversation partner and decided to change the subject. "So you're traveling all over trying to find ways to help your country right? What are the other Villages like? How many have you been to? I'd never been outside my own country until I moved to Tsuki so I'm curious."

The masked man took note of her words against pirates against Tsukigakure but kept any sort of comments to himself. He nodded his head in agreement though "Yes, I hope it rings false as well." He then turned his attentiuon back toward the lights and the village as she would look up to him and speak of his travels and what the other villages were like.

"I've been to Kusamuragakure in the Cherry Blossom Country. Everywhere within the Blizzard Country. I've been to a few places within the Heat Country. And I've only been to Lamina Peak here in Death Country. I've never been so far south to the Ocean Country and its islands but I'm sure I'll make it there in all due time."
7/30

Shinoe looked back up at the mysterious man, impressed at how far he had ventured. To almost every country but her own and nowhere else in Tsuki but here. "I bet your feet are just huge lumps of callouses now huh? Heh." She was tempted to say something about Shippugakure, but didn't want to give anything away about herself so stayed silent about it, choosing to talk about one of the other countries. "I have to admit, I've always wanted to come to Tsuki. Even just to visit. I never thought I would call it home. Not that I call it home just yet anyway but still." She shrugged awkwardly, hoping he would understand what she meant. Suddenly standing, Shinoe walked up to the edge of the over look to cast her gaze out at the dwindling lights of the country's east, lamenting momentarily that the overlook was not facing the west. She might've been able to see her house from here. The thought made her chuckle a little but it was stilled when she heard and felt a mild shift in the dirt. "...Eh?" And then the ground gave out underneath her, a chunk of the overlook's edge crumbling from age and use. "AAAAAHH!" Shinoe involuntarily screamed as she began to fall.

The man turned his attention down toward his feet as she spoke of callouses and he then looked back into her direction "A minor discomfort." She then began to speak of the country they were currently in and he would nod in silence to her words. He turned his gaze ever so much toward her as she rose from the ground to look over the sights that he himself was looking at. It was something he was enjoying greatly...till she began to yell and suddenly, she was gone with part of the land. He let his attention be drawn downward as she was falling. Surely, she would die from such a height and that would be a nasty sight.

The man jumped up and off the ledge and fell after the girl and took little time in catching up. He would aim to quickly wrap an arm around the girl and withdrew a kunai and stabbed it into the wall but they continued to fall, the man slammed a foot onto the wall as well as the claws on the bottom of the soles dug in as well and slowly, but surely, they slowed till finally, they came to a stop. A breath escaped from behind the mask "If you wished for a change in scenery, all you need do was ask."
8/30

Shinoe had no idea what to do. She was falling and she didn't know how to stop herself. She didn't know any techniques to help her and she had no means of slowing her descent. She was panicking. "AAAAAAAAAAngoof!" The last of her scream was cut off as she was suddenly caught by the man in the mask. However they were still falling, albeit slower as he had dug a kunai into the side of the mountain as they slid before eventually coming to a stop. Panting, she looked about them and saw that they were precariously hanging by the kunai, which did not make her feel any better. At his joking comment she let out a strangled gurgle of protest before managing to say, "I want a change of scenery now. Preferably one that has stable ground underfoot!" The brunette clung tightly to the Hyouga man's torso, arms wrapped around his neck and legs curled up tightly.

The man held onto the girl with the goal of making sure she did not cover the ground with her own blood. He took note that she stared at the kunai that was their saving grace for the moment. She then seemed to dislike the small comment he had made about the change in scenery and she wished for it to change again, this time with what she called to be stable ground to which he would look down and then outward "I am not we versed in earth style jutsu. Are you?"

He himself then turned his attention toward the lights of the city from their new angle, the lights far closer than they were before and he now began to think of just how the two of them would make it to the ground in once piece and with as few fractures as possible.
9/30

Shinoe was still clinging tightly to the masked man, disliking the need for such close proximity but was not about to loosen her grip unless solid ground was under foot. As he stated about his lack of proficiency with earth jutsu and asked if she was she shook her head before explaining, "I'm just a genin and I only know some water jutsu."

An idea then came to her about her using her kekkei genkai to slip from the man's grasp and hopefully fall harmlessly through the trees and brush to the ground as jelly like water...but wasn't entirely sure if it would be as harmless as she hoped in her mind. Plus that wouldn't help her savior at all. Groaning, the brunette was about to give up all hope when she remembered something. "Wait, I do have a canteen of water on my belt though."

The man continued to keep his composure with little to no effort on his part. He kept a firm grip on the small weapon he used as their saving grace and the other on the girl in his grasp, lighter than the blade but enough to ensure that she would not plummet. He then turned his attentions to the girl as she spoke of being a fresh recruit and knowing only a few jutsu's in the water category which wouldn't help their situation at this current point in time.

"Well, then I am sure something will come to mind in all due time." He then listened to her moaning in disappointment, most likely over their situation but then brought up the fact she carried a canteen of water. "No thank you, I'm well nourished at the moment."
10/30

Shinoe clung tightly to her unknown protector as they swung just slightly. She wasn't overly afraid of heights but she didn't think he was holding on to her nearly enough. How long could he hold onto that kunai before his grip began to slip? Glaring at the kunai, the brunette the shifted her eyes to downwards to the forest below. The height wasn't ridiculous but it didn't look like a walk in the park either. At the masked man's care free attitude she scowled. "Well we don't exactly have all the time in the world here now do we?" And at his misunderstanding of her comment about her having water she growled and explained, "It's not to drink it's to use for water jutsu. Can you do anything with it? Or if not... Could you figure out a way to get up or down to save yourself if you didn't have to worry about me?" Her expression was flat and absolutely serious, not wishy washy in the least. She had the vague impression that alone either one of them could save themselves but together they were at odds.

The man turned his attention to the blade in his grasp, the kunai that seemed to worry Shinoe. She looked as if his hand would release the blade at any moment but to his knowledge, surely it would take days for one such as he to give in to such things. She then spoke of not having all the time in the world and he would turn his attention toward the ground. She would then tell him that the water in the canteen was for jutsu purposes if it would help at all.

"Actually, that can be useful. If I may, could you lift up my mask just enough to give me a nice amount of that water to drink?"
11/30

Shinoe glanced out at the forest and city rather than up at the kunai or man or even worse, down. The sight almost made her forget for a second the perilous situation she was in. She didn't think that she would die. But there was a slim chance. At the very least there would be some pain and she wanted to avoid that if at all possible. When the man gave his reply and asked a favor of her she frowned. He wanted to drink it? Maybe that was his technique or something. "If you're sure..." Shifting slightly, the genin trembled minutely as she held onto the stranger with one arm while the other snaked around her back to detach her canteen and bring it around. Nudging the mask upwards with her spare two fingers to just below his nose, she popped open the cap and put the opening to his lips before slowly tipping upwards and held it there for a few seconds before taking it away. "Is that enough? What are you going to do anyway?"

The masked man was pleased that she would comply to his wishes with little other words. The fresh air against the lower portion of his face wasn't unwanted, that much was true. He let his lips place themselves over the containers opening and begin to drink as she tilted it back and the water flowed down his throat without a problem. Once done, she removed the canteen from his lips he took a deep breath and sighed as he would lower his head and then quickly flick it back up, moving the mask back down into its rightful place.

He would then turn his attention back toward the girl as she spoke to him about it being enough. He then replied "I would like to think so. It shouldn't take too long to knit the chakra but I would also think that you don't enjoy this particular scenery." And with that, he placed his feet firmly against the wall and continued "I would like it if you did not scream and if you do, please not in my direction." And with that, he kicked off the wall, the kunai bursting from the wall and the two of them being sent outward and away from the wall...and downward.
12/30

As she watched the man swallow the water and expertly reposition his mask without use of hands, she popped the cap back onto the canteen before hooking it back into place on the back of her belt. She frowned in confusion as he mentioned knitting chakra and wondered how one could do that to chakra but didn't pay it any mind. Instead shaking her head in agreement as he surmised that she didn't like where she was currently. As he shifted and moved so his feet were against the cliff's wall, the genin hugged tighter to him, trembling slightly in anticipation. When he mentioned her screaming in a direction other than his own, her eyes widened and she asked with trepidation, "What're you gonna-" But her question was cut off as suddenly they were moving very quickly away from the wall...before they started to sink through the air, hurtling towards the trees and ground. Shinoe bit her tongue in an effort to keep quiet as she buried her face into the masked man's chest, a strangled scream sounding in her throat but not getting past her lips.