Walking throughout the crowd of people, Kilala Mitsumoto kept her eyes on the target. She was desperately trying to get away from everyone and get a little peace to herself. Having to smile all day long was making her insane. Every second she would have to smile at parents as they spoke to her about their sons and daughters graduating from genins to chuunins. It was part of the job...she was a teacher in training and everyone knew her after all.

Finally making it through, only having to stop twice for quick conversations, Kilala walked to the deserted shaded tree where she placed her back against it and gave a great sigh. The wind blew softly around her and she followed it as it danced through the leaves of the surrounding trees. As she turned her head, Kilala noticed Yuudai walking away from the celebration. She had a pretty good idea why... She quickly jogged over to the boy and put a hand on his shoulder to stop him. "Yuudai, where are you off to? You should be back at the school with everyone."

Kilala smiled at the boy's last comment and shrugged. "Well, you got me. I was trying to get a bit of a break from all the parents. But, this doesn't mean you can't take a break from training and celebrate a bit, don't you think?" she asked, nudging him in the shoulder. She knew, as well as the rest of the village, about Yuudai's past and understood why this graduation may have been hard on him. "How bout we go get something to eat?"

"Let's go to Morimito's Ramen House," she replied, hurrying along so none of the others would see them. "Teaching is going well, thanks for asking. Hope all this hard work will help me gain a rank as well." They entered the ramen house and sat down at one of the outside tables. The place was busy as usual. "How are your techniques coming along? I know you practice every second you can."

Kioshi Hatsumi was in Morimito's Ramen House at the time the two entered. He was sitting in a far corner, slowly eating his ramen. He looked either extremely tired or very deep in thought.

He was adorened in casual clothing, slacks,a T-shirt, and a light vest, all contrasting shades of grey. His green eyes seemed distant, staring into the his ramen bowl like it was some sort of confusing puzzle handed down to him by a sage.

As he slowely slurped down some noodles, he saw Yuudai and Kilala walk in together. He didn't now them, He didn't know anyone here. And most probably didn't know him. He didn't where a headband, so most would assume he was an out of towner. And the would be correct.

Finishing the last of his noodles, he slurped down the rest of his plain ramen. He stood up abruptly, and placed his pay on the table. He had left a pretty nice check. He had just had plain ramen, and it was still some of the best he'd ever tasted.

He walked out of the shopand stood outside the entrece for a moment, brushing his messy blonde hair from his eyes. He glanced around, and then back into the ramen house, looking Yuudai a quick look up and down, as if sizing him up.

With that, he turned down the street, and began heading for his "home". The building he would be sleeping in for probably the next few weeks.

"So... The Adachi have not disappeared from this world ...interesting..."

Kilala could see Yuudai looking at someone behind her, but she didn't want to turn around and make it so obvious she was looking. Instead, the young man moved to a new subject. "To the hokage? You are in a real hurry to make me teacher? Any reason, might I ask??"

The place was pretty empty. Sliding rice paper doors separated the bedroll from the rest of the apartment. There was a place to cook eat near the entrance, and two other doors, one leading to closet with his clothes, the other to the bathroom.

The biggest thing was that the white washed walls were completely bare, and there was nothing in the room that wasn’t completely necessary. Kioshi sighed to himself. This was definitely not how someone under cover should live. It be pretty obvious to any professional who walked in here that this was definitely not a civilians house.

He didn’t care enough right now. He had orders to check up on. Reaching into a back pocket, he pulled out what looked like a playing card. However, scrawled across one side of the card, seals where written, in circular, curving formations.

Kioshi walked to a portion of the room, facing a specific wall. He placed the card between two particular floorboards, and stood up strait. His hands glided through what seemed like ten seals effortlessly

“Passwall jutsue, Release!”

The card sunk into the crack of the floorboards. A section of the floor flash briefly with a brilliant light, but once it had receded, only a staircase remained.

Kioshi made his way downstairs, locking the jutsue behind him. The room in the basement was small, stuffy, and lined with all manner of weapons, tools, and scrolls. A small table at the far end was where he found his note. He read over quickly, then it a candle, and burned the note.

“Meet with the Hokage and ask for his assistance in your pursuit of the escapee,” Kioshi recalled the information to himself as he watched the scroll shrivel and glow in the flames, “Something is simply not right about this…”

In a matter of ten minutes, Kioshi was back out on the streets. This time, he was headed for the Hokages’ house, and this time, he was armed. Concealed scrolls, knives, and strangely, a deck of cards were all on his person. Something told him it was wise to be prepared, though he hoped he would not need to see combat just yet.

Kilala smirked and put down her chopsticks. "Well, I see there is no slow going with you. Yes, let's go," she paid for the meals and gave a slight bow to the cook, pushing the cloth curtain aside to leave the restaurant.

On their way, Kilala noticed a young man she didn't recognize and she pretty much knew every family in the village. She studied the stranger as he seemed to be heading toward the Hokage's. 'Perhaps from another village?' If he was wearing a forehead protector with his village's symbol, she couldn't read it from behind.

She made a quick hand sign. "Silent spy technique," she said softly and a small butterfly appeared in a small puff of smoke, flapping it's translucent wings in front of her. "Check on that man up there..." This technique allowed the small butterfly to attach to anything and Kilala would in turn be able to see through it's 'eyes' without the target knowing.

(I'm going to just go ahead and play the Hokage just because I want to play something out alittle. He'll be a NPC for now, and I wont give him any defineing details for anyone who wants to play him for later)

As Kioshi made his way to the Hokage's house, he picked up on Yuudai's presence. The glancing behinf him, he saw that both the girl from the Ramen house and Yuudai were behind him. He continued, not thinking much of it. Whether they were siply going the same way as him, or if they were curious agents, it didn't matter. It wasn't like he was doing anything wrong.

However, it wasn't long before he sensed a strange surge of chakra from the girl. An indication that she was most likely using a technique. He placed his hand on the seal upon his chest, as if he wondered wheather to trust the tatoos abilities. After all, it was only because of this self make seal that he could read surrounding chakra so well.

He turned, catching a glipse of a hand seal, and the formation of something translucent. In his minds eye, he could see the currents of chakra being used, but only faintly. He geussed it was some kind of security technique. His years of ruthless study and hard labor in school had brought him the ability to understand techniques with only faint indications.

He reacted accordingy to the situation. placing a hand above his deck pocket upon his belt, a card poped out into his fingers. A small amount of chakra would flow into the card, befor he threw it onto the ground. The seals upon the card would activate, causing a thick cloud of gas to burst into being around him.

Multiple footsteps would be heard from within the cloud, and quickly die off. Three shadow clones would draw the attention of the butterfly, walking off in different directions. The true Kioshi would not actually be in site at all. In fact, he was underground. Thanks to another one of his nifty cards, he was using the earth meld technique, and was making his way to the hokage's through the soil, out of sight, and hopefully unfollowed.

Upon reaching the Hokages manor, Kioshi would meld out of the ground, and would be standing at the front gate. He would make his way inside, go through the boring formalities and agreed to be searched for weapons. It was sad really just how bad county relations were now. No one really trusted anyone.

"Ah, Hatsumi Kioshi. What brings you to our village friend?"

"Don't be humble. You already know why I'm here. If you didn't I would have been arrested and interrogate."

"Do you really think we're that agressive to outsiders Kioshi?"

"You should be... Now that he's on the loose."

There was a slight pause, and Kioshi was positive the old man was trying to probe into his mind with those eyes of his.

"Is that why you're here, to look for him?"

"Our village has sent hunters to almost every hidden village as sentries. He's our problem, and the village doesn't want to have to take the blame for anything that happens because of him."

"You beleive he is here?"

"Yes, but I'm the only one. Thats the reason I made sure I was here, and not someone else."

The old man laughes slightely to himself.

"You certainly are a motivated young man. If you need to accomplish something, it seems you work very hard at it. You remind me of someone else."

The old man gazed into the crystal ball on his desk.

"I'll make you a deal Kioshi. I'll let you find this man, but only if you let these too tage along and help you. They'll be here shortly."

Kioshy stared hard into the ball, not sure who he was referring too. And then, he realised it was the same two people from the Ramen Hut.

"Well I'll be damned..."

Kilala's eyes turned a translucent color like that of the butterfly as it rested on the unknown man. They could fall back a little now that she would be able to track him. 'He would be a fool to think he could attack the Hokage, though,' she thought and just at that moment, a puff of smoke surrounded the man and a few clones suddenly separated from where he once stood. 'Dammit! He must've sensed the butterfly... but how?' People in the streets were taken aback and screamed in surprise. 'He's obviously not friendly if he feels he must run.'

Kilala watched the three clones separate, one most likely being the real one. She wouldn't be able to send the jutsu out again since the butterflies weren't as fast as the running of the clones and the real man. Her eyes fell upon a few more jounin who were passing in the area. They had both pulled out kunais and noticed Kilala and Yuudai. "What's happening??" one called out to them. Kilala was about to reply, but stopped when she saw Yuudai immediately off toward the Hokage's, jumping from roof to roof. 'That boy is fast...'

"Kilala?"

His voice broke her sight from Yuudai and pointed toward the directions the clones were heading in. "There's a stranger in the village using a clone technique to make his way, what seems to be his way, toward the Hokage's. Follow the clones! One is probably the real ninja, so make weary!" The jounins broke out, she heading toward the Hokage's as well. Yuudai was far ahead of her. She hoped the boy would have enough sense not to fight the man alone. As she ran over rooftops, Kilala called to other jounins she found on her way to the Hokage's, gathering more of a crowd as they hurried to their destination.

"Well, you sertainly have caused quite the comotion Kioshi. Hopefully those two will give me enough time to explin to them whats happening before they attack you."

Kioshi was slightely ashamed that he had been found out. On a usual hunt, being found before you killed the rogue ninja usually meant failure. The fact that a couple of Jonin on the streets of the village suspected him made him feel incompatant.

"Why must these two help me? Are they there to report my actions?"

The old man thought for a moment.

"Thats partially the reason, but your thinking too small. I know that if the sand village actually tried to attack us, they wouldn't just send one man to address the hokage like you've done. They aren't stupid enough to think you can take me on... I hope.

The old man gave Kioshi a half smirk, but Kioshi was too buisy studying the scene within the crystal ball.

"I simply believe that if a small groupe of both leaf and sand village shinobe were th ones to combat this rogue ninja and bring him down, it would further streangthen our relations. Besides, this criminal has traveled all the way from your land to ours. He has become our problem aswell, and I want him taken down now! Leaving this mission to a single hunter ninja is not good enough...."

Kioshi clenched his fists. He wanted to defend his village. Say that he could take care of this problem by himself, and that his village was competant enough to handle the situation by itself. But he knew that he could not. The village had actually disregaurded the eye witness acounts of him in Kohana.

And so he made up his mind. He would do whatever it takes to bring the fugative in as soon as possible. To make sure his village did not look like fools, and to gain the honor and respect from his peers that he craved so much.

When the two Jonin were within a block, both Kioshi and the Hokage made their way to the entrence of the Hokages' manor, so they could meet them as soon as possibe. They did not wait long...

Kilala and now about a dozen other jounins came up the stairs of the Hokage's building. They rounded the corner and Kilala quickly fly kicked the door open, snapping it off its hinges. "Hokage-sama!!" She saw Yuudai had already gotten inside and was using his family's jutsu. "Yuudai, stay back..." From the look of things, the Hokage wasn't at all phased at the man's presence and Kilala relaxed her stance a bit, lowering her kunai. She bowed her head a bit.

"My Lord, I apologize for the instrusion. We were unsure of the man's intentions and he suddenly used a jutsu to get away from us. We assumed he was here for unwelcome reasons and hurried here." Kilala paused a moment and looked away from the man, to the Hokage. "But it seems we have made a mistake?"

Kioshi was standing calmly next to the Hokage as both Yuudai and a small army of Jonin headed by Kilala burst into the meeting chambers. Both explained themselves instead of attacking, so it was pretty obvious that they realised he wasn't a threat, or else he'd have become a Kunai pin-coushin.

Kiosh lowered himself to his knees and bowed to them all.

"My name is Kioshi Hatsumi. I must apoligize for my previous actions. There was a misunderstanding. My orders were to cary out my mission without my enemy knowing..."

He stopped realising how vague his reasons were and hesitated slightely, trying to find a better explaination.

"Our geust here has come from the village hidden in the sand," the Hokage explained, "and he has come here on peaceful terms. He is a hunter, who was assigned to search our land for a rogue ninja. Luckily, he was bright enough to ask us for assistance instead of sneaking around our village. Right Kioshi?"

He looked back at the Hokage, who had by now made his way to a comfy seat behind a wooden desk at the other end of the room. He was smiling with a pipe in his mouth, and smoke was framing his face.

Kioshi was glad he had said something. His explaination was much more believable and made much more sense than what Kioshi had tried to say.

Kilala folded her arms across her chest and gave a slight smile to Yuudai. 'Always trying to take the big jobs...' she thought and could see the Hokage thinking the same thing. It was good to be so eager, but also dangerous. "We'd be happy to help you," she said, nodding to Kioshi.

Kioshi could feel everyones eyes in the room shift from the old man, to him. He did not like being put on the spot like this.

“ Who is this rouge ninja and what assistance do you require?”

"We'd be happy to help you"

For a second, he was so surprised by their eagerness that he could not answer. He was especially surprised by Yuudia, who had moments ago seemed ready to cut him down, but now seemed just as eager to find another target.

"On behalf of my village, I thank all of you..."

He bowed once again befor getting to his feet once more.

"The man my village is hunter, and the one I have come here to track down, is known most commonly, as "The One-Armed Demon", Masaru Tokushima."

The name was familiar to Kilala and most of the other jounins in many of the villages. She wondered why Kioshi was trying to track him now. He wasn't an easy target to find. "Why do you think he is here in Konoha? Hiding? Not very smart... There are many who would know his face. Is he in the outskirts of the village, perhaps?"

(OOC: lol Hope that didn't screw up your intentions Sent. Figured if he was most commonly known as something, he must be fairly famous. Went into my own tangent. Let me know if I should change it.)