A break. Dawn Expands.

[Moongem]

---It had been a week since the small organization known simply as 'New Dawn' departed from Kirigakure and began towards the Land of Oceans to confront the Hakumei Seidei member, Kurohari Reizo.

After days of nonstop travel, the trio reaches Kumogakure, the Village Hidden in Clouds and opts to rest there for a day before continuing to the neighboring nation of The Land of Oceans.---

Onikaru looked at the horizon. On his face was a deadly, fierce look of determination and a small bit of fatigue. On the horizon, could be seen the white gates of the mountainous Village Hidden in Clouds. He turned his head over his shoulder and looked at his two companions. He blinked his eyes and then spoke in his calm, cool, yet dark voice, "How are we doing back there?" He asked, he decided it was a good question as today was their seventh day of non-stop travel. He felt the fatigue bearing down on him and planned to stop in Kumo for the day, but would like to make it seem like he was doing it for his comrades.

Minzuri breathed in deeply as she reached the top of the hill with Onikaru and spoke through deep breaths, "Yeah, Karu-kun..." She breathed a bit more and then spoke again, without the heavy breathing, "Yeah Karu, I'm okay..." She said with a tired smile. She looked back at the dark haired girl behind her, "Ryuu-chan, you?"

[Rinko]

Ryuu panted heavily as she hauled herself up the last bit of the hill. Her damp hair hung in her face, masking the furstration in her eyes. Her fists gripped the crutch under her arm, and her chain clung around her sweating shoulders. Walking with a broken leg was hell, but she never once complained. She didn't plan on starting, either. She heard Onikaru's voice, but waited to respond until she was at the top of the hill. Once there, she leaned against her crutch, sweaty and panting. When Minzuri asked her if she was okay, Ryuu decided to avoid eye contact, masking her pain. She glared at the grass below from behind her hair and answered cooly, "I'm alright."

[Moongem]

Onikaru lifted his right arm and rubbed his wrist against his forehead, wiping sweat from his brow. His raven colored hair was slick and greasy-looking as he shoved it out of his face. He looked back at the village and smirked; unlike Mist, Cloud village had almost fully recovered from his last 'visit' here. He smiled and fell back, landing on the grassy hill with plop, "I'm gonna go ahead and assume that we could all use a small rest for a bit... after all, this village my not be as polite as the mist... they might just attack me from the get go..." He looked back at the two of them, apology in his eyes, he knew his reputation could cause them a bit of difficulty in the future.

Minzuri smiled and quickly followed Onikaru to the ground and exhaled deeply as she laid on her back, her yellow hair swimming into the grass. Her eyelids slowly closed as the heat from the sun behind the clouds beat down upon them.

[Rinko]

Ryuu followed Onikaru and Minzuri's example and carefully set herself on the ground, then tossed her crutches aside. she laid on her back, brushing her hair out of her steely gray eyes. She watched the clouds as they lazily rolled across the sky. She realized her chain was still underneath her, so she sat up, and threw it off of her. It was a small relief. It landed by her crutches with a small shhhhink. Ryuu leaned back on her arms, her back towards her comrades. The rest was welcoming.

[Moongem]

Onikaru heard the noises made by Ryuu's chain as she to rested herself. Onikaru's eyes slowly turned a glowing red color and he looked down at the village, he was scouting with his Sharakugan. It seemed to be a 'average day' down there, no one seemed to expect anything coming for them, let alone a infamous three man organization. He closed his eyes and they slowly faded back to black again before he opened them once more. He spoke in a tone that was given to a natural leader, "When we go down there...It'll be quick, precise and for few reasons." He started, "He will comb the village, only once, I'll be using my Sharakugan to look for a 'out of the ordinary' chakra signature... if were lucky, we'll find a new 'friend' here..." He said, looking at the two of them calmly.

[Rinko]

"Mmm?" Ryuu said, looking at Onikaru, "That sounds like a plan." Sweat still beaded on her forehead, which she wiped away with the back of her hand. She ran her fingers through her bangs, pulling them back. Seemingly merciless, cold gray eyes could be seen clearly for once. Then the dark hair feel over them once again. "And if we do find someone? How will we convince them to join us, Oni-san?" She twisted herself, and looked passed him towards the village.

[Moongem]

Onikaru remained silent for a moment, he hadn't really planned that far ahead. His thought continue to can at a normal pace before he looked back at her, "With any luck, they'll wanna join us. Come of there own will..." He looked down, "However..." He began again, "If they have some extraordinary chakra and refuse to come with us..." His eyes glowed a bright, solar red, "I'll be a little more persuasive...." He said in a cocky tone.

[Rinko]

Ryuu's face remained neutral. "Hmm.." she said, "I see." She nodded, and turned back around. She carefully laid down again, and watched the clouds. Her hair fell out of her eyes again. She was too tired to replace her bangs, so she just left her face out in the open. Ryuu glanced at Minzuri to make sure she was alright. Then, she closed her eyes and allowed herself to res, focusing her Chakra into her left leg, trying to speed up the healing.

[Moongem]

Onikaru turned quickly as he felt a shift in nearby chakra, thanks to his eyes, and noticed Ryuu, his eyes thinned a bit as he realized the pain she must've had in her leg and then sighed after taking a glance at her usually hidden face and turned away, "With any luck..." He began, "We'll be able to find a medical ninja..." He said, keeping her condition and all of there future conditions in mind. "Or at least someone who can moderately heal..."

[Rinko]

Ryuu's eyes opened slowly, and she sighed, realizing Onikaru was right. "Yes.." she said, "I probably should try to save my energy." She stared blankly ahead again, the clouds slowly sweeping against the sky. Her grey eyes followed them with little interest. Her thoughts began to waver, and she closed her eyes, letting herself slip away into a dreamless rest.

[Moongem]

Onikaru's Sharakugan allowed him to watch Ryuu's chakra smooth out, showing that she had fallen into a sleep. He blinked, his eyes turned to a dull black color and he worked himself to his feet and looked down at Minzuri with a bored look on his face, "I'm going to the village..." He started, Minzuri automatically beginning to stand up when Onikaru's voice stopped her, "Stay here... watch her... she's still injured." Onikaru turned and slowly began down the hill, against his bodies wishes and disappeared after he moved into a sprint.

Minzuri plopped back onto the ground and sighed heavily before looking down at the resting Ryuu. She blinked at her and then laid back down in the grass, staring at the sky with curious eyes.

[Rinko]

Ryuu's brows were furrowed slightly, image-less thoughts, not quite dreams, sweeping through her mind. She was subtly aware that Onikaru had left, but she had no intentions of waking. Her body's will simply out-matched the will of her mind. She knew Minzuri was with her, which put her at ease. She didn't want Minzuri to cause herself any unneeded pain. Eventually, the thoughts ceased, and Ryuu fell into a deep, black rest.

[Moongem]

The clouds in the distance were large, obscuring the mountainous horizon that expanded around them. Onikaru's eyes examined this, and he sighed, they couldn't catch a break; he could smell that soon enough, it would be raining. His dull, black, eyes examined the clouds once more and he inhaled through his nose, smelling the area; everything Akira-sensei had taught him when he was part of Onigakure's last Chunnin exam.

He knew for sure now; rain was in the future. He supposed that was why it called, 'The Village Hidden in the Clouds'. A while after he ended his thoughts, he realized that he was at the gates of the village. The two guards in the sky box that hung on the ceiling of the gate stared at him as he nearly walked right in, his head tilted back and he quickly changed gears, he decided that it was time to use the personality that his father always had. An impressively realistic smiled cracked past his lips as he tilted his head up and looked at the sky box were the two guards sat. "Hey there." He said in a loud enough voice that they would be able to hear him, but only barely.

One dropped down in front of him, a condescending look on his face as he stared Onikaru down, he spoke with a strict demeanor, yet quietly and calmly "Name; boy" Onikaru blinked at him blankly, looking very much like his father as he did-so, "Akira Ketsuhari." He said, pulling from the top of his head. The man spoke it into the two-way radio on his neck and they waited for a moment, a threatening look thrown at Onikaru, who replied with a wide smile. Not to long after, a muffled buzzing could be heard from the man's radio and he held his ear, listening to it. "Akira Ketsuhari... Mist Village Chunin here on part of the war. Your free to enter." He stepped to the side, smiling inside as he remember seeing a list of War-Bound Shinobi during their time in the Mist Village. He stepped forward, entering the village.

Minzuri heard something behind the two of them, she blinked a bit, it was quiet, but she heard it. Being from Konoha originally helped this. She sat up slowly, making it look natural, She reached behind her back and grabbed the pouch she kept on the back of her belt. She opened and dumped the contents of the pouch down on the grass in front of her; shuriken, kunai knives, razor spool wire and a small black ring. She reached down and took the ring and dropped it in her pocket before sorting through the various ninja tools that she had, displaying to what ever made that noise, probably a Cloud Village Patrol that she had disarmed herself and meant no harm. The noise became more apparent as it occurred once more louder this time.

[Rinko]

Ryuu rested a moment longer before a feeling of dread loomed over her, for no apparent reason. She could never sleep so well, hence her pallid skin as proof. She groaned, and lifted herself up off of the ground with rather weak arms. She looked around blankly a few moments, then her eyes rested on Minzuri. Ryuu noted that Minzuri was disarming herself. Ryuu's only weapon was a few feet away from her. "Are you alright?" she asked, but then she heard a sound-- was someone coming? Ryuu tried scanning the trees for an answer.

[Moongem]

The noise came louder and became apparent as foot steps as they neared. The noise showed itself as a silhouette of a person at first before showing itself as a person. A male with jet black hair that barely brushed over his ears. A strange patch of white hair traveling down from the top of his head and down to the left side of his bangs. His skin was tan, olive colored and his eyes a strange shade of yellow. He looked down at the two girls in front of him, the sun reflecting off of his cloud village head band. He blinked at the two of them, a tanto (short sword) twirled between his fingers as a sigh slipped passed his lips and he spoke, "Now..." He looked at the dark haired girl, "Why are you two camping out in front of Kumogakure?" He asked them.

Onikaru blinked boredly as he glanced up and down the streets of the Cloud village, no special chakra, what so ever.

[Rinko]

Ryuu glanced up at him, her cold gray eyes taking in detail. Her response was, "We were traveling, and we stopped up here for a rest.. We're from far away, and we offer no trouble." She was too tired to be prepared for any type of battle. Her eyes drifted to his tanto, then to his face. "Should I offer my name?.." she thought to herself. She glanced at Minzuri, then to the unidentified male. She mentally shrugged. "My name is Hiyaka, Ryuu."

[Moongem]

Minzuri jumped a bit as she heard the voice behind her. She turned quickly and looked at the guy, looking him over, noticing the Kumogakure head band on his forehead and then looks back at the weapons behind her. She looked back at him, noticing the Tanto and slowly getting to her feet.

He looked at the two of them, the tanto stopping as the blond haired girl stood up. He listened to the dark haired girl, "Offer no trouble?" He said, his tone was cocky yet still sounded like a question; a rhetorical question. The sun slowly hid behind the clouds as he stepped forward, "Some how, I doubt this is all your team..." He glanced at the long, black, hooded cloak Onikaru had left behind, "They obviously aren't here to rest..."

[Rinko]

Ryuu frowned, and remained sitting. "Great, what now?" she asked herself. She glanced sideways at her weapon. It was too far away to reach within a reasonable time period. She felt trapped, and she hated it. "Well, if you feel inclined to think differently, feel free to do so," she said coldly. "Onikaru-san," she thought rather nervously, "Hurry back, please!"

[Moongem]

Onikaru frowned as he stepped outside the gate of the village, not a damn person in that village was potentially extraordinary. He looked at the viillage one more time before turning back towards the hill he left his two team mates on and his eye brow lifted, it seemed someone had joined them... someone with an extraordinary chakra... He leaned forward and began to run up the hill, going to see if this person was a potential friend and/ or a foe.

The man smiled at the two of them as he pointed the Tanto at the one standing, the blond girl, "I see you've disarmed yourself... Perhaps you can give me any useful supplies you have on you..." It was quite clear this guy wasn't a normal Kumo Ninja, pointing the blade at them in such a fashion.

Minzuri's gaze dropped, following the blade as it was pointed at her, she jumped a bit and blinked, beginning to realize that they were being robbed.

[Rinko]

Ryuu groaned, "Oh, come on! Really?" She flopped back into the grass, unintentionally seeming a bit arrogant. "I may be in no position to say this, but do you know who we are? Have you any clue, remotely?" She glared up at the sky, her gray eyes looking for something. She clenched her fist, and a crackle of lightening could be heart.

[Moongem]

He blinked at the dark haired girl who had addressed herself as Ryuu, he seemed a bit confused by her reaction a bit. He lowered the Tanto a bit, but the blade still pointed at Minzuri, "W-What?" he said, noting the small smirk that had appeared on the blond haired girls face. He lifted an eye brow at the two of them, curious as to who exactly they were.

Minzuri's lips curled into a smirk as she felt chakra flowing back into her, she hadn't felt it since they're fight with Zaneku. She smiled, knowing she could fight, if she needed to, she wasn't about to become a victim to a simple robbery.

[Rinko]

"Oh, yeah," Ryuu said with a wave of her hand, staring at the sky, still. "I don't think any introductions would be needed if our leader were here." Ryuu sat up. "Right, Minzuri-chan?" Ryuu got a cynical smirk on her face as she remained sitting. The smile was foreign and eerie. "Well, shall I say it myself, then? Does New Dawn ring a bell?" Ryuu stared at the newcomer with a face of stone, matched with her cold grey eyes. She could feel Minzuri's chakra building. Good, she was able to fight. Ryyuu was't quite sure of her strength yet.

[Moongem]

The boy's eyes widened a bit as the dark haired girl spoke the words, 'New Dawn'. He remembered that not to long ago, the village had been attacked by two, only two, men. One of jet black hair, who seemed to be no older then himself. The other had been called a 'snake' by the Raikage; a memory of the old world's Orochimaru. He looked at them unbelieving eyes and lifted an eye brow, as a humming sound emitted from his right arm. "And I am to believe that YOU are a part of New Dawn?" He snickered a bit at the two of them, "That particular group has been here; they attacked us once before. TWO shinobi, two MALE shinobi." He looked at the two girls, "The two of you.... couldn't possibly..." a bright white color began to emit from the boy's right arm, "I should kill you for impersonating a member of THAT group." When he spoke, he seemed to have a kind of admiration in his voice.

Minzuri felt charka swirl around her right hand, as she saw the glow emit from the boy's hand, she lifted her own and pointed to fingers at the boy, the resulting blow of chakra blowing her hair back a bit.

[Rinko]

Ryuu clenched her fist, a sharp crackle of electricity could be heard. "How dare you mock us!" She stood up, her leg barking out in pain. She ignored it. She reached for her bladed chain whip, and clutched it tightly. Yellow lightening Chakra coursed its way from end to end, creating a light buzz followed by crackling. "What proof do you want? One of us is dead, and one is in the village. If you don't believe us, I guess We'll have to show you," she said coldy.

[Moongem]

The boy stood his ground as the two girls seemed to preparing for a fight. He looked at the two of them, and saw the blond one move back and could feel the wind echoing around her and the electricity from the other. A warm energy began to emit from the boy, almost as if he was emitting energy. She looked at him eagerly, as she moved a comfortable distance from the boy. She brought up her other hand and her fingers melded together and pointed at the boy, she felt the energy in the air shift suddenly.

The boy lifted his arm, his arm's shape shifting as the skin and flesh was pulled back revealed a bright blade of pure energy that was pointed the closer on, the girl with dark hair. A sudden humming sound blasted past Ryuu, a gust of wind followed. The boy lifted his arm quickly, the chakra sharpened wind crashed against his now energetic arm and a high pitched screech resulted. He thinned his eyes and moved them towards the dark haired girl, expecting her move to be next.

[Rinko]

Ryuu's eyes widened. She leapt to the side, and almost fell because of her leg. "Damn it.." She mumbled. She looked up and saw his arm. Her eyes widened again, and she glanced at Minzuri. "Hey," Ryuu called to Minzuri, "I think he might be what we're looking for." She eyes her opponent again, watching him coldy. "We just need to keep him until Onikaru-sama gets here.." Ryuu began to twirl her blade, and is sung with electricity. She spun it faster and faster until she was hidden beneath a shield of yellow. The glow began to intensify, and Ryuu threw her arm back, and brought it forward, the blade dancing towards the boy's arm, meaning to trap him.

[Moongem]

His eyes moved down as the chain wrapped around his glowing arm. He smiled as he moved back, narrowing avoiding the blade at the end of the chain. He smiled as he pulled on the chain, the metal beginning to warm, the chain turning a hot orangish-red. His eyes suddenly widened as the humming sound came once again. A small splash of blood splattered on the ground, a shine reflecting off of it. The boy had lifted his other hand, his arm now glowing fully, blood poured down it as he had only activated his jutsu a moment before the wind would have hit him. His eyes moved to the blond girl and watched her fingers twitch as the humming sound came again.

His feet shifted to the left and moved him, the bullet of wind narrowly avoiding him. He threw his arm out and few sparks of energy shoot from his arm and flew to the blond girl. He then looked at the dark haired girl and a smirk covered his lips as he exploded in a cloud of smoke, when it rose, his body had been replaced with a simple log. Substitution Jutsu.

[Rinko]

Ryuu watched as her chain began to glow, and as Minzuri hit the boy. She gasped a little as he went up in smoke. A damn log! She pulled her chain back, and looked around uneasily. She focused her chakra to her arms. They glowed a little, along with her chain. He could be anywhere.. She crouched slightly, trying to pick up on his chakra.

[Moongem]

He appeared behind the long range fighter, who he determined would be the best choice to attack, given her ability to attack from a far. Suddenly his body stalled, something was wrong, something was wrong with the area. He looked around, his eyes traveled down and he saw the burnt, gray, ash colored grass below him where just a moment ago, the grass had been green just a moment ago. He looked around as he watched the two girls fade away. He gasped as he felt panic beginning to take him over. He didn't know what was going on but watched as the once grey sky turned a blood red color. He mouthed the words, "W-what is this?" but no noise came from him. He moved his hands to his mouth and looked around the dwindling area, The tree's were almost all gone, faded, just like the girls had.

"Was this gen-jutsu?" He though to himself, the thought lingering inside his head. Suddenly, the negative image of a boy appeared in front of him. The boy's negative image gave him a strange appearance; white hair, pitch black skin and eyes that had four circles inside them that seemed to pierce through him. "Koto... Amatsukami." Were the words that echoed throughout the realm he was stuck in. He felt his eyes glued to the eyes of the figure in front of him, he felt something inside his head, something changing. He watched as a small stream of blood fell from the boy's eyes and he suddenly felt like he wanted to protect those two girls he had been fighting for a short while. Help this boy. His eyes glazed over and his head fell backwards and his body went limp.

The boy fell back almost immediately as he appeared behind Minzuri. She had already turned quickly, her hands aimed towards the boy's chest, but then realized that he was unconscious and falling backwards. The boy hit the ground with an extraordinary 'thud'.

Onikaru opened both his eyes, both of them shining a radiant scarlet. He looked up, about half way up the hill. He sighed as he wipped the small trickles of blood that flowed from his eyes. He straightened his back and began up the hill a bit slower, no longer rushing.

[Rinko]

Ryuu had no idea what was going on until she heard the boy land. She looked quickly towards the direction where he fell. He was.. knocked out? Ryuu looked down the hill and saw Onikaru and his bleeding eyes. She cringed a little, and hoped he was alright She tossed her chain to the side, and let herself sink to the ground. She sighed, feeling a little relief. "So I guess he's the one, then?" Ryuu looked at the boy, wondering what Onikaru did to him.