No Reason, No Allies; A Lost Soul in a Dangerous World

The salty air of the desolate beach near Kiri blew strongly in the air that day, the sea beginning to chop, as if there were a storm coming, or perhaps it was just going to be windy and cloudy that day. Regardless, it still gave a forboding sense to the village, whose shield glistened due to the salt in the air... an oddly alluring, yet ghastly sight.

It was here that Iko found himself approaching the village. No disguises, no tricks, no illusions, no Sharingan. He coughed while he walked, suggesting that either the weather or sheer luck wasn't on his side.

To seek my past... what a riot... Iko darkly reminded himself of the rather faulty reason for which he left the Leaf. It would seem almost comedic if it wasn't plain tragic; the only clue he had led to the fact that his past ancestors no longer existed, or even had a notable history. Just an old piece of armour in a broken building. Not much of an inheritance.

It matterred naught why he left; he now had to gather the resolve to face his fate, no matter what it would be. He coughed again while thinking of this; truly, this young, lost soul didn't think things out clearly enough, having thrown away everything for nothing. Still, he walked on, towards the shore, looking onward: his last stop on this depressing journey... not looking like the murderous rogue he was 'made up' to be by the media, but the wandering, weakened spirit he truly was.

A long boat ride what just what Mikami needed, the smell of water again, the people, the soft pulse of the ocean as the boat carried across the waters. He missed the feel of the ancient lake, but he was glad to be back home, and was especially glad that he was around good cooking and technology again. As he sat on the boat, his stomach called out to all the smells and wonders of food, all types of flavors and tastes that he had missed so much. Yet, in spite of his hunger to eat food drowned in fat and sugar, he sipped on the horrible take-home shake that Yan had made him before he left. The one full of plants that tasted as if they were forged by dumps.

As the boat docked against one of the many checkpoints in Kirigakure, Mikami lugged his bags as he forced his way through the crowd, out into the sandy beaches. He was home, finally. He was also wondering why he had not received any respect of any kind, any greets or anything. He was the Mizukage, his people should know his face. Mikami ignored them, walking out towards the beach, to a smaller checkpoint where he could get someone that he knew out to see him. As he did, he looked over into the water, realizing that his hair had grew unruly, his beard and grown in, and the scent of that grotesque herbal soup/shake was lingering on his breath. Pushing back his obvious beauty setbacks, he focused ahead, looking at a lone figure in the distance that looked familiar.

As he got closer to the person, he realized the build. He was unlike a human, and seemed to be a wolf man, the same person he had met in Konohagakure when he dropped off their cellphones. Mikami picked up his pace as he walked towards the man, wondering what he was doing. It was good to see another shinboi of Konohagakure, but what was he doing here? No matter, Mikami was happy to be home. "Hey! You're from Konohagakure! Excuse me, I forget your name... But, what's going on? What brings you to this side of the world?" Mikami asked as he approached him.

"Hey! You're from Konohagakure! Excuse me, I forget your name... But, what's going on? What brings you to this side of the world?"

Half-shocked with who he was now talking to, Iko turned to see Mikami, the Mizukage, talking plain as day, as if nothing was wrong. He was unconsciously checking his peripheral vision, but, for the most part, he was just at a loss for what to say. It truly would have been easier for him if Mikami knew what he had done, so that Iko wouldn't have to remind himself of his mistake once more.

"I," Iko shakily started, before turning his head in a small coughing fit, both involuntarily and as an unconscious measure to look away for a moment, as a device for guilt. Still, this was not something that could be looked away from so easily.

"I came here of my own accord," Iko resumed, knowing that this wasn't enough to suffice to explain; from this, he merely meant to say that it was not Konoha's will that he would be here. Iko mentally sighed, not exactly sure of how to continue from there, or at least, he feared the Mizukage's possible reaction.

"More accurately, I came here to turn myself over... I removed myself from Konoha about a week ago. I'm not proud of my actions, and I am prepared to disarm myself and turn myself over to you," Iko replied, barely managing to make eye contact with the Mizukage while explaining this. Still, it seemed honest, and did match whatever information that Mikami would have heard and possibly somewhat forgotten days ago.

What the hell was he talking about? Mikami was confused to say the least. Maybe it was the herbal drink he had been eating and being so high up in the mountains training. Did he mean that he had left Konohagakure, as in he was some missing nin? It was odd taking in that type of information. Someone like him, who seemed to be a formidable jounin, of course very powerful and loyal to his country. Mikami was utterly confused. As the Mizukage he was in a tough spot, if he was missing and if he was harboring him, the potential of war increased... exponentially.

Mikami went up to the shield, and looked at the guard who instantly recognized his face, regardless of his appearance. The shield opened up into a large door, big enough for the both of them to pass through. Mikami knew this situation was delicate so it was best to discuss this in a manner where they could sit down and discuss it. Out here in the sandy beaches was not the best place, and if they were behind the shield then it would be better off, if Konoha decided to come knocking. "Well, I don't know what to say to that, but I have to agree that it's odd that you're turning yourself into me. Either way, I think we should sit down formally. I miss my air conditioning and my leather seats and my technology. The house is not too far from here, I know a secret path we can take to get to the back of the mansion." Even though Mikami fount himself being very hospitable to what was a 'criminal', he also felt like jumping to conclusions would be the wrong thing to do. If Iko was planning to hurt or kill him, he could have the entire village on him in a flash. But he could tell that Iko was smart, and also that he was sincere to some degree. Choosing an island with a shield that no one could escape or enter, a man advanced with top of the line weapons, and a foreign territory would not be smart on his end if he were trying anything. Mikami looked at him as he walked through the shield, with Iko right behind him.

Iko nodded, and followed Mikami, surprised yet thankful for the hospitality the Mizukage chose to give him. Ordinarily, Iko would be overly curious and alert to the surroundings of another village, paying attention to roads less travelled and remembering faces to try to avoid: however, today was not a day when Iko would adhere to this norm. Knowing his condition and relatively acceptant of his fate, he simply followed behing Mikami with a constant, solemn face, only broken by the occasional cough.

Air conditioning. Seats. Technology of any kind. Just a few of the things that Iko took for granted before this whole damned journey. How much he had thrown away for naught... no, it was not the time to think that. As painful as it was, he still had to focus on the situation at hand.

At any rate, Iko followed Mikami as he directed, waiting to speak until he was spoken to: regardless of the situation, he was still dealing with someone of stature, and felt it wise to show respect.

After a few trails, back roads and narrow paths, Mikami and Iko had made it to the back of the mansion. After a few steps on to the perimeter of the yard, they were instantly swarmed by tons of guards who had all sorts of weapons in hand, ready to launch. Even though Mikami's face looked considerably different from his normal business-like get up, they all dropped their weapons and their guard as Mikami raised his hand, putting them at ease. The guards resumed their positions, hidden amongst the foliage of the forest as Mikami stepped into a large den.

As they stepped into the house through an open sliding glass door, Mikami felt at home once again, looking around to his belongings in the den. At the far corner, a massive sofa stood up against the wall, welcoming its soft leather to any of it's visitors. A large coffee table was in the middle of the room, angled perfectly to a large television which hung from the corner of the room. Near the door, a desk with a computer hummed a bit, as it stayed in it's low power mode. The soft carpet beneath his shoes welcomed him as he kicked his shoes off, walking barefoot over to the corner of the sofa were the remote was, near the computer. A small refrigerator hummed at the other end of the large sofa as Mikami spoke. "I see you've got a small cough, there should be some type of generic medicine in that fridge, along with some food or snacks. Sorry for the comfortableness of this room, I know it doesn't seem very 'official' or business friendly. I spent most of my time here lounging around and watching television." Mikami laid back into the sofa, pushing it back towards the wall as the seat leaned back into a partial recliner. He reached on the other end, in a small built in compartment and reached for his laptop and set it to the site.

Mikami was about to open it until he realized something. "Well, hmm. I bet the Hokage has sent me information about you going missing. First, I want to get this figured out and settled before we go into detail or technicalities or what I should do by 'law'. You honestly don't seem to be a threat and I feel quite comfortable with you here. As a missing nin I'm supposed to be at your neck by now, but if you were going to come here for a fight you would have already made a move. But I digress, my simple question to you is why? Why did you leave?"

Considering the sofa was virtually the only seat in the room other than the one at the computer desk, which was obviously not set out for guests, Iko far from thinking that he would sit on the same seat as the Misukage, he merely stood, nearer to a wall so as not to draw the focus of the room upon him (which would often happen if one stood in the center of the room, where a proud guest may stand), as Mikami settled himself in his sofa. For the moment, he politely refused the medicine, his cough somewhat stable, his body forgetting it, mentally knowing the gravity of the situation.

"Well, hmm. I bet the Hokage has sent me information about you going missing. First, I want to get this figured out and settled before we go into detail or technicalities or what I should do by 'law'. You honestly don't seem to be a threat and I feel quite comfortable with you here. As a missing nin I'm supposed to be at your neck by now, but if you were going to come here for a fight you would have already made a move. But I digress, my simple question to you is why? Why did you leave?"

Iko sighed mentally, as he began to bring up his memory, bringing up that night to his memory, from what seemed ages ago.

"I guess I felt I was lost," Iko started, not exactly sure how to explain this story. It was not a valiant one, nor something he was proud of: it seemed stupid, foolish, selfless, and baseless. "I had lost someone important to me back in Konoha... you may think, as a trained ninja, that I was better equipped to cope with loss, yet... this person was my former sensei and my mentor. He had given his life to save someone that I had wounded in a training spar, when he lost control of his bloodline."

Iko paused, the tone of his voice suggesting that there was still more to this, as Iko collected his words once more. "I felt sick after that, yet... instead of being held responsible for it, I was awarded... the Hokage's trust, a position in the ANBU, things people spend their entire carreer to strive for and never attain, which I get off of a tragedy... perhaps I could have hated them for it; this event did make me think of the village again, but, looking back on the events now, I don't think there's anyone to blame for what happenned... still, it made me lose faith enough to consider leaving the village," Iko explained, realising that it was somewhat a roundabout explanation, before continuing.

"I guess after that, considering I was adopted into that village in the first place, I felt it was no longer where I belonged... in that way, the other reason I left was to see my roots with what little evidence that I had, which ultimately left me to a destroyed ruins in Kumo... if anything, after seeing that, I saw my basis for leaving was entirely feeble, unwise, and selfish. Because of all of this, I guess that's why I find myself standing here now," Iko explained, not exactly proud of his words.

Mikami began to think deeply about the entire situation, it was one of national security. Here he was, chatting with a missing-nin in his own house, inviting him into his own luxuries. If any of the other countries were to find out about it, it would no doubt cause emotions to stir and battle to beak out. However, he felt that no matter the reason, he had no real right to throw Iko's life into harms way. He seemed as if he was honest, opening up his true emotions and being clear about the situation.

Mikami knew that this would be a rough road for the both of them, but he had an odd feeling about Iko, an odd feeling that might give him troubles with Katsumi and the Fire Country. "Well, I see that theres only two things you can do right now. If you really feel that your decision was unwise of you, then you could possibly go back to Konoha, that is, if you really feel you left without a cause. If you really don't want to return back to the village, I can't blame you and honestly, I can't actually make you go back. If you do choose to not go back, i think I could welcome you here, with the same position and everything. The choice is up to you, whether or not you wish to stay here. Just know I'll put my trust in you. If you swear your loyalty to this village and my authority then you can call Kirigakure your home as do I. You must be prepared though, this could cause war. I could report you in as dead, but they would probably want a body. All that could be arranged though. The decision is yours. Throwing you out into the world will probably bring me more trouble in the long run, and you seem like a talented individual. Tell me more about this sensei of yours though. He seems to be the key to all of this."

Mikami opened up his laptop, looking at the email that he'd received from the Hokage. It seems that she had been specific about what she wanted done with Iko, but Mikami could careless now that Iko was coming straightforward with it. He dumped the email into the trash bin, and then emptied the trash. The small speakers produced the sound of crumpling paper as Mikami continued on with his laptop, refreshing his ability to type a high speeds. Though he was concentrated into the info on his laptop, he was still listening to Iko.

"If you do choose to not go back, i think I could welcome you here, with the same position and everything. The choice is up to you, whether or not you wish to stay here. Just know I'll put my trust in you. If you swear your loyalty to this village and my authority then you can call Kirigakure your home as do I."

Iko was rather surprised to hear these words come from Mikami: even what Iko considered his 'best case scenario' was far from what he was just now offerred, quite possibly the only oppurtunity he would ever have to return to a 'normal' life, something that he would no longer haphazardly throw to the wind. The tension of war due to this was real; however, the Mizukage even had a plan for that at this very moment: Iko was bewildered, even, that the one Iko had the most reason to fear was reaching out to him this far...

"Tell me more about this sensei of yours though. He seems to be the key to all of this."

Iko thought for a moment. Truthfully, he didn't know much about his past sensei, except that he was another rare individual who saw 'something' in him, something that Iko possibly didn't even notice about himself. Still, there was a way for Iko to answer this, based on what he had seen Kenshi do.

"My sensei, Kenshi Uchiha, was a rather 'removed' person, if that makes sense; very wise, slightly strict, and someone who felt it was more important to learn by ourselves rather than having him just teach us generic technique upon random skill. Still, for some reason, he found it very easy to trust me, even in the short time he was my sensei. I never knew much about him, personally, not about his past or his relations, yet what I saw in his actions... truly a noble ninja..."

There was surprisingly little to say, yet it seemed complete, at least from Iko's perspective...

"If you would accept me, then, of course, I will take you up on your offer to join your village," Iko added, not wanting to leave that question in the air.

Mikami was glad that he was willing to accept his offer, willing to become apart of the Kirigakure shinobi. Even though they were few in number, they would not be trifled with at all. Mikami no doubt was the strongest Kage among the villages, obviously ranked No. 3 among shinobi in the world. Even though that 'ranking' wasn't official, the three I's he bared underneath his left eye as a tattoo signified some rank to his power.

Mikami closed the laptop and folded his hands as he spoke again. "Well it's good to see that you are willing to join us. I'm going to have you fill out some papers and all, but I can't have you fill them out until I collect them. I'll be glad to see what you'll be bringing to the table. For now, take some time to fix that cough of yours and get relaxed. There are shinobi hotels located around here, so you can train and what not. Get used to the village and learn its structure." Mikami tossed Iko one of the glass-like cellphones. "I'll call you on that if I need you. Be prepared to go to war, if Konohagakure calls me, I'll burden the responsibility, but if they want to go to war over you, we just can't stand back and do nothing."

Mikami re-opened the laptop, and began to clack away at the keyboard, focusing on his work and inputting a few bits of data into it. He knew that if Konoha found out about Iko there would be consequences to pay. But, there was a slight advantage he had. Missing nin were supposed to be killed, in fear that they had informations about their other village, or were just pure havoc creators. However, since no one was allied with Kirigakure, he had nothing to lose because of that. He was not breaking a treaty or an alliance, he was simply taking control of the situation. If war were to start over that, he could be to blame, but the blame was not significant, nothing to throw stones over. Mikami fount this situation very interesting.

Interesting indeed.

Iko caught the phone, and nodded. "Thank you, sir," Iko replied, with a proper bow, before turning to leave the office.

A second chance. Something that would not be taken for granted again... still, Iko was wary of what the consequences of this circumstance would be, especially if war were to break out. Shaking these thoughts out for the time being, Iko went to seek a hotel, meaning to rest until this cough was worked out.