Test Drive Post!

[sunshinemods]

Sunshineverse

Okay everyone, it's time to test some people out! The rules of the game are simple. You have a character you would like to try out as a native to the setting of this game. You want to see if this is the right setting to play said character in, right? Well, then all you have to do is drop them into this post as a top level comment with this as the header: Character name | Series (OC's just put Original here) | Planned Village Affiliation Then you comment around and play with everyone else! If you need some ideas on how to get started, you can drop your character in during the middle of a mission, have them at an eatery around their village, or maybe even just doing weapons practice. It's up to you how you want to set out, so feel free to put your characters in this version of the Naruto universe however it most seems appropriate. Just be sure to say where you put them somewhere in your post though, otherwise two people might not even be threading in the same country. One last thing! Remember that your character was born in this universe, so whatever else you decide, your character is a world native, even if they might be a tourist in the village you decided to test them out on. And that's it. Just be good to each other and have fun! Threads you do here can count toward future activity checks, so long as the person you're threading with gets in too. These threads can also be used for samples on your application. Communities♦ Main Community ♦ Missive Network ♦ OOC Community General Info♦ Premise ♦ Rules ♦ F.A.Q. World♦ Country Information ♦ Maps ♦ Sunshine Timeline ♦ Character Histories Applicants♦ Applications ♦ Character History FAQ ♦ Nationality Guide ♦ Taken

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Shishito Nanako | OC | Kirigakure

[pursuitoftruth]

Nanako loved her job. It wasn't something many shinobi or kunoichi could say with full honesty, and even fewer of the upper-ranks could, but that was the plain truth of the matter. Taking up the mantle of Department Head—and for Torture and Interrogation, of all options—was something she had never once regretted, even if that meant that she essentially lived in her office, deep in the bowels of her village. Not to say that it was a chore; it was a very nice office, with one whole wall dedicated as a tank for her jellyfish summons. She had also twisted the budget over the years to spring for an underground artificial greenhouse, but there were still times when she missed the sun, the sounds, the traces of life aside from her staff and the assets they worked with. She loved them all like her very own children—mostly—but every so often she need a breath of literally fresh air.

And her vacation days piled up.

Her superiors didn't like that, because a stir-crazy Head of T&I wasn't something anybody wanted to chance, and that left her here. She was a few islands south of Kirigakure proper and enjoying a nice, brief vacation at a moderately popular tourist spot during the off-season. Given just how much she knew about... well, everything, she had guards with her, but by and large she was free to roam as she pleased. She had also taken the chance to summon up her newest contract, whom she had gotten off of a recently-deceased prisoner. He was a grand fellow—a kraken, some of her more superstitious children had claimed—but the poor dear was still regrowing a tentacle that had been lopped off at some point.

Nanako was perched on the ledge of a suitable cliff in her new two-piece bathing suit—a little more risqué than her normal wardrobe, but it was what the hotel had to offer and she had the right figure for it, even as she edged closer and closer to thirty—peering down at the giant sea creature. A little ways behind her was her bag, filled with towels, mystery novels, and an armory's worth of sealed weaponry.

[not_thedragon]

The return of the kraken was not what Sasuke had been looking for when Obito's head of HR had set down a vacation request down in front of him with a harried look and demanded that he take the days he had accrued before they rolled over into an apparently-unacceptable amount. Kiri hadn't been his first choice, but it had occurred to him after reviewing the lowest-cost options that it wouldn't hurt to be close to the village: tourist trap or not, there was still a chance that he might pick up an interesting trail here or there.

It was distantly possible that he wasn't very good at grasping the concept of a vacation, but that, he decided firmly, was because the ghosts of missions past apparently liked to return. He'd been taking a stroll along the beach, patently unhappy with the limited number of weapons that could be stored in swim trunks and a towel, when he'd spotted the first tentacle.

There was no way to be sure if -- but then the stub of the regrowing one lifted clear of the water and his eyes widened.

Someone was standing close enough to the thing that it could easily reach up to grab her if it wanted, which was what ultimately spurred Sasuke to action rather than dragging a hand down his face and calling it a day. It was a short jog to the base of the cliff, Sasuke staying just clear of the water as he waved his arms and yelled at the creature in a general bid to see if it could be distracted from its target.

Jiraiya | Naruto | Konohagakure

[toadtales]

Wanderlust, and other things, usually kept Jiraiya on the move, but every once in a while home called to him and he couldn't help but go home.

Mostly it was quiet visits, in and out, with only brief stops to do a little research (Konoha still produced plenty of beauties, heheh), and visit his friends and family. But today he was feeling like something a little different! He'd been a little bored lately, with Naruto having returned home, and what a way to get a little excitement. Maybe meet some fans.

Besides, if he didn't practice his poses from time to time, he'd get rusty. So Jiraiya strolled up to the gate, drew himself up to his full height, cleared his throat, and posed.

"Dry your eyes, for the great Toad Sage has returned to you! Mount Myoboku's Great Jiraiya, with peerless pen, and astounding shinobi arts, has heard your cries for--"

The shinobi at the gate just held out a hand. "Papers, please."

Jiraiya stamped his geta on the ground and crossed his arms. Rude!

[abileunaspada]

What in the --

Old guy with wild hair coming through. She witnessed the scene with eyes-hardblinking at what one of them was witnessing. The other was just being a copy-cat. Still, the scene was kind of hard not to watch as she happened to be in the area, and -- peerless pen? Astounding Shinobi Arts? The name Jiraiya was kind of familiar, even though she couldn't put her finger on why at the moment.

Still, what kind of moron bragged about being a great Shinobi? Seriously?

Well, it wasn't any of her business. She stopped staring after a bit and tried to walk away, even if her curiosity wanted her to pursue the subject more.

[senseiofthesea]

"Jiraiya-sama, the sooner you complete the formalities, the sooner you can find a more appreciative audience." Iruka had an armload of goods for the guards, half paperwork, half lunch, and flashed the man a smile.

"That makes sense, doesn't it?"

[not_thedragon]

Sasuke might have, perhaps, been more awed by Jiraiya if he hadn't had Tsunade as a master first. As it was, the clan-trained respect for his elders was most of what stood between him and raising an eyebrow at the white-haired man posing in front of the gate. He managed to retain an expression of polite disinterest, hand still extended.

"Papers," he repeated. "Even if we recognize you, Jiraiya-sama, the procedures are in place for a reason."

Not that Tsunade seemed to put much stock in doing anything other than wandering flagrantly in and out of the village as she pleased, but Sasuke was reasonably certain that she at least generally expected to be recognized without a song-and-dance routine to announce herself. (It was difficult to imagine Tsunade together with song-and-dance in the same sentence, really, though song alone was not completely unheard of after enough sake.)

[[this is great omg]]

[ninjaindianajones]

Pretty sure half the village heard that.

Mika felt a wave of nostalgia as she was walking by the gates, the voice was vaguely familiar and the name more so. Jiraiya? As in the that guy who writes those books?

The very same ones that had gotten Mika to seriously begin questioning her sexuality??? Along with her brother's porn magazines?

She did a half turn to look at the man, sort of expecting-- something amazing given the loud entrance. The expression on her face was priceless. Great, an old white haired man. Disappointment. Did she really want his autograph now?

Unfortunately Mika was too slow in making up her mind as Jiraiya was already walking through the gates and she's sure that they've made eye contact. She'd been staring right at him. So the woman put on a smile to hide her previous sour look. Oh gods was he going to talk to her.

Juugo | Naruto | unaffiliated

[notbalanced]

The cave he'd been hiding in had been ruined when it had come out last time. Juugo had stared at the caved in rubble that had been left behind for a long time, only a little relieved that the rage had been taken out on stone and wood, and not any of his friends. They had gotten the other birds and animals far away in time.

But he couldn't rebuild it, so he had to move and find another spot. With the guidance of his friends, he'd started walking and looking for a new safe place. Maybe this one would last longer.

If it hadn't been for the close call with an unexpected busy road not long ago, Juugo would have felt almost content. The trees hummed with sleepy life, and it was warm for the season. There were plenty of birds and animals awake, and while a few friends had come with him, the new birds were curious and friendly too. It was nice, but there were people so close. Too close. When it got control again, he'd kill and--

Juugo shook as fear gripped him, barely able to stop breaking into a run. They wouldn't die, because he wouldn't be here. Juugo would find another place to go looking in.

But he'd been walking for longer than he could really remember and he was hungry and tired. He needed to stop and eat before too long, and the stream he could hear in the distance felt like it might have fish. He could fish, eat, and be gone before sunset. With that thought easing the tight clench of fear, Juugo started towards the stream.

[thelittleprincess]

That stream had plenty of fish, and as an added bonus a small genin and approximately half a dozen summoned bunnies. Shisui had been extremely hesitant to let Ami out of his sight outside of Konoha, given their track record on that front, but he had needed to test her survival skills and had been called away to reinforce a mission a few towns over that had escalated.

He certainly wasn't bringing Ami there, so she had been buried in summons and told to take every precaution.

Sensei can never know, was her initial, knee-jerk reaction when she heard somebody approaching and looked up at what had to be one of the tallest men she had ever seen in her life. Including Sephiroth. Except, no, there was no way her teacher wouldn't find out, given the six different eye-witness accounts he would have, so it fell to Ami to salve the situation. Crouched as she was—in the middle of trying to start a fire, a few fish already caught and prepped—the forehead protector she used as a belt was mostly hidden.

The man looked moderately well fed, but also like he had been living in the woods for months, if not years, so she kept her voice quiet and slow.

"Hello...?" Not the best reaction, but she had a kana up her sleeve and several wooden skewers at her feet if he tried anything.

We'll say ths was a couple years ago if we decide to keep it.

[teachingpeace]

The day was dry, but that was on purpose. At least, at this edge of the country. He'd been testing out using less in the way of his paths, to try and conserve and bolster himself, but it simply hadn't been working as well as he hoped.

So he'd been easing off the rain as well, which meant he was taking this border at a leisurely amble, in his own body with a hat low over his brow, and trying not to waste energy getting a sunburn, and wasn't that a bizarre concept, that he'd have to find energy to heal from. He was, however, surprised to see the boy, who he'd seen before, twice now in fact, through the eyes of different Paths, had ventured near his borders again.

And this time, just over, which let him have an excuse to approach. He looked tired and worn still, true, but he'd been improving, and feared nothing from the youth who currently had his curiosity.

"Hello."

Re: Juugo | Naruto | unaffiliated

[abileunaspada]

Border patrol in winter was normally fairly boring, as although there was an assortment of local wildlife most of the flowers had ended up gone. Still, finding the odd hardy blossom was always a pleasure, and it was more common near the river. Adela adjusted the scarf around her neck as she approached the flower, gently brushing its petals before she heard footsteps. There shouldn't have been another shinobi coming around this place for quite some time, so the noise had her immediately on edge.

Adela didn't take long to approach, silent and precise with her steps in the leaved trees as she observed. A tall man, alone... No, not quite. With small birds. Were those summons? She couldn't tell.

Still, for the moment she just watched, not wanting to startle him or even alert the other that there might be something wrong. It was hard to be so silent, the only sound the slight inhale and exhale of breath in the cool air. It seemed like he was just fishing, but otherwise wasn't doing anything... Soon she'd ask for his identity, but maybe it wouldn't be needed. Maybe he was just a traveller passing through.

No. She couldn't afford to be complacent. She cleared her throat, calling for his attention as she landed on the ground, a hidden kunai ready in case he attacked, "Excuse me, sir?"

[not_thedragon]

It had been a while since Sasuke had had the time to go wandering through some of further stretches of forest around Konoha, busy as he'd been. This particular weekend had turned up like an unexpected and inexplicable gift: totally empty of clan engagements, missions, or leads to follow. He'd taken the span of perhaps five minutes to feel guilt about not taking the time to spend with his family before he'd packed a tackle kit and the minimum complement of weapons and taken off for the weekend, goshawks in tow.

The stream he'd sought was a distant tributary of the Nakano River that ended up in Konoha. It was one of those locations that was quiet and felt uninhabited despite its proximity to the road, tucked away behind uncomfortable brambles and a strange overhang of rock that made it look more desolate than it was.

That same overhang meant that fish tended to gather in its shadow in the late afternoon, enjoying the cooler water, so Sasuke was perched just out of sight on a convenient flat rock, line dangling in the water and goshawks behaving themselves in order not to alarm any of the regular forest creatures around. It was so rare that he was interrupted, and by anyone with enough chakra to be a threat, that he almost didn't lift his head when the sound of footsteps came from upstream, assuming that whoever it was would find the road and leave.

They neared rather than departed, however. He glanced up at the same time as a tall stranger emerged, not much older than him by the looks of it. No village marker, and dressed like a civilian, but there was enough chakra present that there was no way to write it off to a fluke.

Sasuke stayed where he was, both hands still on his fishing rod, but his gaze locked on the stranger's with an assessing look.

Rᴏᴄᴋ Lᴇᴇ|Rᴏᴄᴋ Lᴇᴇ's Sᴘʀɪɴɢᴛɪᴍᴇ ᴏғ Yᴏᴜᴛʜ|Kᴏɴᴏʜᴀ

[browmance]

It was an average but productive day for Konoha's Beautiful Green Beast, having completed his morning, mid-morning, and early afternoon training regiments thus far, done his mid-afternoon cleaning and light grocery shopping, and gotten in a refreshing midday shower. He had a few hours before needing to start on his evening sprints, so presently he was just enjoying a leisurely walk through the peaceful streets of their idyllic ninja village.

There were birds chirping happily in the trees, civilians hawking their wares and greeting each other politely, and though Lee waved boisterously to anyone who so much as briefly looked his way, he found that most of them were likely very busy as few people made eye contact as he passed them by. Still, all in all Lee found no complaints to be made on this refreshing day off. At this rate he might even have time to get some laundry done after dinner, and--

Coming to a full stop both in body and mind, Lee glanced around at his surroundings as all at once he felt something very slightly amiss with the scenery. It was a sort of discomfort, something like faint paranoia that raised the hairs on the back of Lee's neck-- Or perhaps it just felt like indigestion, but all the same it--

There!

Lee caught sight of his target as a gust of wind briefly raised the flap of some curtains at the entryway of the small bakery just across the way. It was a person. A person he knew, probably, though sometimes it was hard to tell from the back. And they were sad.

"--fear not, for it is I, Rock Lee!" he announced as he sprinted in, arms still full of his own groceries. But never mind those, he didn't need those. Dinner plans were for people unburdened by the sorrows of a loved one! So he tossed the bags aside without another thought, attention still fixed upon the possibly sad person whose identity he had not yet fully confirmed.

"I have come to assist you!"

why don't i have more horrified icons

[not_thedragon]

Everyone in the bakery froze at once, which was generally the reaction that shinobi had when sudden entrances and loud noises were involved. Slowly, Sasuke turned from where he was in the middle of paying for cinnamon buns as the counter, staring at the intruder with unavoidable recognition.

If he thought about it, nobody in the village could avoid recognizing Rock Lee. He was essentially a smaller Gai.

After a long pause in which the other people in the shop glanced at one another in consternation, he finally ventured to offer: "No one here is in need of assistance."

DON'T MIND ME, JUST SNEAKING THIS IN HERE

[kunoichi_dragon]

There was a chill and a shiver that ran the length of her spine at that first, boisterous call, familiarity already freezing the kunoichi's movements for what was likely to come from the encounter. Because, of course, Tenten recognized it almost instantly. Unbound enthusiasm and all. But then, her teammate would not be her teammate without the eccentric exuberance, now would he?

Still, there were far better ways to enter a bakery. He was well aware of that... right?

Sighing, Tenten reached across the counter to take the pastries and baked goods she'd just purchased. "I'm fine, Lee. That's... not necessary."

gurgles incomprehensibly

[heavenly_earth]

Reeh's a tag that I nac't tewir sylipm sabeeuc I'm oto teedcix to nteeatccnro orprlepy. Lee is yealrl daolearb dan I twan ot tga mih thwi mgsointhe ttha lilw kame rfo a dgoo rahdte, btu eht uetc of shi ertoh ethsrad is jtus oto dricinagstt. Nhew I cna riewt hmongsite rporlpye, I'll make rseu ot tdei stih metmcon. Ti'll veha hngiseotm to od iwth Neji itygrn to uby a tgfi rfo Anthia I tikhn.

Ni het aemietnm, oejny eth mraesdlbc ttxe of supre elvles fo igdisesnd. Emylsf and Pen ahve eenb esdetarep for a Lee rfo a aeyllr nolg imte adn ew'er prsue iedextc. If yrnveehgit soge ewll, ew tghmi eb blae ot lure atht Ttenen oot! Ew sutm rty ti oettergh! Hha I lyaerl tnaw a mopcteel Etma Agi!!

Uchiha Ayane | OC | Konohagakure

[uchiba]

It's nice to be home, nevermind if she's getting mud all over the proverbial carpet. (To the gatekeepers' credit they didn't so much as bat an eyelash when she cleared inspection leaking half of Rain from her barely recognizable tabi boots.)

...She fucking hates Amegakure, passed through enough times to dread the inevitable detours she'll have to make in the future. It's for the most part a swampy deathtrap, rife with missing-nin and waterborne illnesses and rude locals, no single one being necessarily any less terrible than the other.

Waterlogged and hungry do not a happy kunoichi make, and as soon as she's dry enough to sit down without causing some sort of unsightly stain, or puddle, or combination of the two, she does so at the nearest source of Actual Sustenance she can find. (A small udon shop.)

She orders two portions, scratching idly as she waits at the spiral tattoo on her shoulder, hidden under her left sleeve. (Then fidgets with the prosthetic attached just a couple inches under the scarlet ink.) As soon as the noodles arrive she starts on the first batch with all the grace of an ANBU who's just returned from a three-month desert mission.

(Feel free to join her, just don't expect her to talk until she's inhaled no less than half her bowl.)

[not_thedragon]

Sasuke almost reconsiders his food choice when he recognizes the Uchiha currently trying to crawl into her udon. As much of a drowned rat as she might look, it's impossible to mistake his cousin once he's actually inside the shop, and he thinks for a fleeting moment that he might be able to slip right back out and continue his past month's general trend of avoiding everyone he's related to under pretext of work.

But there's Obito's admonishment to act as if everything is normal still hovering, which means he can't ignore people whom Fugaku's children shouldn't ignore, so he forces himself to pull the door shut against the evening wind and approach with something like his usual greeting.

Which is, thanks to a childhood's ingrained lessons, "Ayane-baa-san. Welcome home, I presume."

I swear I'm going to try and not misname her as Lucina HELLO

[abileunaspada]

Huh... That wasn't a face she thought she saw before. Adela had decided that the day was a good day for noodles, ordering her own beef bowl before seating herself next to the mysterious lady. Obviously a ninja, judging by her gear... Possibly a more experience kunoichi.

Adela couldn't help her occasional gaze however, unable to tell just how this woman seemed just a little familiar. Maybe she was part of one of the village's clans... That'd make the most sense. She couldn't say for sure though, and it wouldn't be smart to just assume. Unfortunately, Adela had gone beyond the occasional glance and went into staring between mouthfuls, still trying to figure it out without realizing that she had started to become rude in her attempted observations.

[pseuchiha]

It's not as though Uchiha Takuya doesn't have better things to do than track the comings and goings of his one remaining relative with a pulse who he doesn't feel the pressing need to correct that fact. He has his own responsibilities and obligations, a strict training schedule to keep up with, and a mess of people he's volunteered to gut on behalf of the village that he's about a week and a half behind on working down the list. So there are plenty of places he could be, things he could be doing, people he could be doing said things to--

But it always itches a little, when Ayane is out on her extended assignments and there's never any promise that she'll return. Already left a limb out in another village, nothing stopping her from dropping the rest. And so he always makes it his business to know exactly when she's returned, and knowing his dear auntie's appetite he waits at the most likely spot near her entry checkpoint.

Claiming the seat beside her without a single word of introduction, he also idly pokes a spoon into the broth of the bowl she's actively working on, petulantly helping himself to a sip just because he can.

"You'll never get a husband at this rate, baasan," he comments, drawing out the syllables of the less than flattering term of endearment. "You're not even making an effort. What is the clan going to say?"

She's a babe! Schwing! [I'm sorry |:]

[ninjaindianajones]

No one was at their best fresh from a mission, a nice shower and hearty meal really did wonders. Mika was still recovering from an excursion herself, having been gone for several weeks. A few days of grandma's stew and convenient udon brought her to nearly 100 percent.~

Having a nice view while eating helped to. Despite the grime on Ayane Mika noticed her right off. The looks reminded her of the Uchiha, being around them often meant she could pick up those little details they all shared. This one was cute, kudos on the double bowls, Mika could respect a woman with an appetite. She waited for the other to get comfortable before casually moving nearer to order another bowl herself. She looked over and smiled.

"Hey, don't think I've seen you here before." Oh yeah, just gonna act like she'd only noticed the other then. Smooth.

uchiha takuya | oc | konohagakure

[pseuchiha]

When Takuya was a chuunin, right at the beginning of his troubles, he'd been young enough and angry enough and bitter enough to believe that he had hit rock bottom. That his life was as terrible as it was ever going to get, and that crushing, unbearable weight of the clan's collective shame and disappointment bearing down on him was going to be the end of him.

But he was wrong. Back then was only the beginning. The end did not come for him all at once.

No, the end is just this. A thousand little deaths, like needles pushed into his skin, like swallowing broken glass and having to take seconds, like being cut open and stitched shut filled with hot coals that burn hotter with every breath he takes, every step, every heartbeat.

He'd thought himself to be past disappointment, past sorrow, past anger.

And he was wrong.

It doesn't seem that Uchiha Takuya can ever exhaust himself of being wrong.

He doesn't know how long he's been standing here. Outside his empty, shuttered house.

They moved without telling him. His parents. That or they died, but were that the case there'd be at least someone gossiping about it. Takuya doesn't expect much out of the family, but he does expect Ayane would have heard something of her own sister's death, and he would like to think that she would say something to him about it.

But then, what does Takuya know about anything anyway.

He's not really sure why he came, just that it's been a long time since he's been home. It's been colder lately. He brought some things for nabe, though he wasn't going to stay for dinner.

They're still his parents.

...well, it's still his mother.

It's not like it matters, not really. They're a shinobi village. Plenty enough people don't have parents at all. This is little different.

Takuya sits down on the porch of the empty house and doesn't move again for a while.

[not_thedragon]

Sasuke doesn't recognise the person standing outside the empty house on immediate sight, though there is something familiar enough about the face that he can probably assume that he knows the guy. Then again, given what part of the village this is, he usually not only knows but is in some degree related to the people wandering around.

Not that this one's doing much wandering. Was he looking for someone, maybe?

"Hey," he calls down from the roof he's been travelling across, dropping down with another curious look -- trying to match a name with the face. "That family moved about a month ago." Sasuke had been detailed to rally some of the younger cousins to assist with the move, to his considerable displeasure. "Who were you looking for?"

Ronin | epic| ...independant clan? idk

[sweetestsmile]

It had been a while since Ronin had left their forest, but this was urgent. And maybe they'd been apart from the larger world for too long. Ronin didn't even know if he would be welcome here anymore. So much had changed since his last visit, which had been recon during the last war the stomp--well, it wasn't polite to think of them like that, especially since he needed their aid-- the village ninja has waged on each other. It had been the wars, really, that had dissuaded them from joining the villages. Better to remain small and peaceful, tending to and protecting their forest than to engage in such bloodshed.

So Ronin perched his bird, and took a few hops to the ground. He didn't want to be big again, even though he was old enough to still remember a time when big had been the normal size, but needs must, even if it made him feel so clumsy and slow. It was so much harder to get and keep people's attention when he was small, which, truthfully was usually one of the best benefits. The hand seals were hesitant at first, then picked up and then--

It was disorienting, making him feel like he was being spun in a tornado, and Ronin remained kneeling for a moment, shaking his head.

To an onlooker, it would appear like a flickering image of a man, suddenly growing (and not all at a pace with himself) and distorting and finally settling into something solid. The very solid, and very real, chakra and all, man, was dressed in green--leaves, it looked like--and carried a very sharp sword. And an instant later, a hummingbird fluttered down and set himself on the man's shoulder.

Ronin smiled sadly at his friend's forlorn chirp. "This won't take long; then I'll be back to normal."

But he had a mission, so Ronin marched up to the first ninja he could identify. "I'm Ronin of the Youjin Clan. I've come on a peaceful mission and it's vital that I speak to your leader as soon as possible."

Yakushi Kabuto | Otogakure

[sound_council]

Returning to Konoha after years away felt like a punch in the gut. Eight years gone, and nothing really had changed. The same shops, the same ramen stand, even the academy was still where it had stood eight years ago.

But Kabuto had changed. This wasn't his home anymore, if it had ever been. Every corner reminded him of Nono, and every curious look sent him back to his time at the achademy, where it was a good day if the teacher remembered his name during roll.

But now...he adjusted the Sound headband, and called his most recent team back from gawking. In truth, they weren't quite ready for the Chunin exams yet, but a new village had to keep up apperances and it wasn't time to reveal their true power yet.

In a few more minutes, the Sound delegation would meet with that of Konoha's, and they'd spend the rest of the day posturing and pretending they weren't sizing up the competiontion and trying to get as much information as possible out of the newcomers. He didn't mind. He'd done this before, taking his teams to various functions across the ninja world, pretending the fool and lulling them all into viewing the Sound as unimportant. But there was a certain feeling of triumph now.

I belong here, he wished he could say. I wasn't worth anything then, but now I have much right to be here as any other representative.

And, because there was still that voice in his head, the one that still thought he wasn't worth being noticed, wasn't special enough to be worth saving, he couldn't help but ask himself. Am I finally worthy of their notice?