The Crossroads [Private]

Shini walked into the great city of Sunagakure, confused as to which world it had come from. It could have been the successor of Gaara, or of the other worlds that existed. There was so many parallel worlds that the possibilities were endless.

She dawned a coat, much like the last Hokage, Naruto, sporting a Sarachi band around her chest. Her pants were of the same red gi that she wore, the flames still just a design. However, her massive sword would remain on her back as she entered the city of sand.

Who knows what was in store for her.

Akira walked along the streets of her great City of Sunagakure. It was a mysterious looking city. It was also quite large but seemed peaceful. This city was ruled by one woman, who was respected by all. They called her the Mother of their city. That very woman was Akira. Even though she might have look ed scary and cold, she had a love for this place. This place was her home. This place was everything to her. She had no family or anything else to hold on to. It was easier to grow more attached to tell city after it had been relocated in some unknown place.

Akira liked to get out of her home and away from work things every once in a while. So, she was on her way to one of her favorite restaurants. It was more towards the outer area of the city, which was why she liked it, because near the center of the city was where she spent most of her time. This restaurant was smaller so there weren't many people that went there.

When the doors opened, Akira could see there were only about ten other people excluding the ones who worked there. As always, she took at seat at the back left corner table and was handed a menu. "Whenever you're ready let me know," the waitress would say. "Thank You, my dear," Akira would answer in a soft voice as she looked to the waitress.

Wandering a bit deeper into the city, Shini would be in search of their leader. It was strange to visit such a familiar place from another unknown land. While the sand was present, their seemed to be an odd feeling. Who was to say what it was really.

Taking her time to look for local shops that were popular among the community. "Food smells good..." she'd think to herself, sniffing at the aroma that entangled her.

She would open the door behind the mysterious woman, a bit unsure of anything. She would find her way inside, only to take a seat to the table next to the woman.

Who knows what was in store for the Kage.

OOC: Sorry about the short post!

Akira looked over her menu but couldn't decide on what she wanted. So for a moment, she would look up to see those around her. Across the room, there was a little girl about the age of five with long blue hair and big brown eyes. With her, was a young woman with blonde hair and brown eyes. The little girl seemed very happy with her rice ball, as she ate away, and the woman just smiled at the child. Behind them was an older gentleman. He sat quietly and ate his steak. Akira couldn't see his face but the color of his hair and his clothing gave his age away. However, the real jewel that caught Akira's eye was the one sitting next to her. This one was new. Akira certainly hadn't seen her before but her clothing seemed to shout "importance." Who was this woman? Before Akira could think to say anything, the waitress returned. "Are you alright, mother?" She would ask. "Oh yes. I'm sorry, my dear..." Akira would say as she looked at the brown haired girl in front of her. "Would you mind getting me some tea? I don't think I'm in the mood for food right now." The waitress would smile, "Certainly," she would say before moving along.

"May I have a tea as well?" Shini would plead the waiter for the same drink.

She wasn't sure what to order, sliding the menu she had across the table. She had bad memories of wandering out of Yamigakure. It seemed that everytime she was in another village, it was for assassination. When she was out exploring, it was to find information leading to an assassination. It was odd to adjust to a world so close to peace. But who was to say utopia was not already reached?

She would nervously tap her fingers on the wooden table, as if making a song with her thoughts. She needed a reason to be there, and she need to find allies. Even if this village had some dark views, she would have to put her own morals aside for the better interest of her country.

Akira couldn't help but notice the one next to her had ordered the same thing as her. Perhaps, the woman felt the same as her and just didn't wish to order much. However, Akira felt slightly uneasy about it. Who was this woman and why was she here? Her red eyes stared forward, yet she kept her ears fixed on this one next to her. Akira had sat in silence until the waitress returned. "Here you are, mother," the Brown haired girl would say as she gently set the cup down. "Thank You, my dear, " Akira would say in the same soft voice as before.

Akira would wait until the woman next to her received her order and the waitress had left before she would speak. "What brings you to this city?" Her voice would be calm as she asked the question. However, she didn't look in the woman's direction but at the cup that sat on the table in her hands.

"Thank you." she would say, receiving the drink she had requested. Being inside Sunagakure just make her uneasy and restless. It seemed as if something was amiss, as if something she had overlooked. Her sword would lay on the table before her, the great Kubikiribōchō blade. But then the woman had spoken.

"Peace." she had said clearly. She kept her eyes on the steam from her cup, thinking about her people. "I take it you don't take well to outsiders?"

The second she said it, was the second she regretted it. It seemed hostile, but she was a nervous wreck. It had been spoken out of curiosity. How safe was she? Would they try to kidnap her?

Akira listened to the woman's answer to her question. 'Peace?' She would ask herself. 'How odd.' It would take a moment for Akira to wrap her head around since she was asked a question herself. What really was peace? Certainly there was no such thing as true peace. Perhaps, this woman's definition if peace was the same as everyone else's. Peace being simply something that keeps yourself safe from another and not truly peace at all. Selfish peace is what she liked to call it but what was the matter with that? "I wouldn't necessarily say that now. Just not used to seeing people pass through really. Just not used to this place. Just a little skeptical is all." Akira would take a sip from her tea and turn toward the one next to her. She couldn't help but notice the large weapon the woman carried. How could one not be skeptical of that? Of course, there was the talk of peace but appearance isn't always truth.

"Your city is not so different.. from mine." reaching out to the cup, she would hold it and its warmth. It would not be removed from the table, but simply wrapped around by her hand. The heat itself was comforting to remind her that she was still alive. And that she had escaped the cold hands of Death so many times. But after all, her brother was the son of Death himself... or that was how the stories went.

"Do you know about the world you live in?" she couldn't hold herself to not speak with her arrogant tone. She didn't mean to, it was just how she spoke. She wanted to help to say the least, but she also wanted to ensure that the city closest to hers would not wage war so fast. At least... not before they were prepared.

"Not so different huh?" Akira hadn't been away from her own city, yet. She had no idea what this woman meant by they weren't so different. Perhaps, it was the looks or the feel. Then again considering the conversation, it could be the way the places see other people. It would make the most sense. Who could say though?

'The world I.. we live in?' Akira's mind thought it over. Her mind had really been focused on her own city than figuring out the rest of this world. Of course, she would search around sooner or later but for now she only cared for her city. "I may. I may not. Is there a reason you'd like to know?" Akira would say before taking another sip. Her face showed very little emotion. She was about as blank as a canvas before it's been painted on.

With a small twitch, she would still caress the cup. Her left hand would rub the side of her sword, only to tap her fingers on the blade, just as she did to the table.

"This isn't the same Sunagkure I knew when I was a child." she said, her gaze still on the cup. "So even though our worlds are different, we come from the same basic universe." For her to wrap her mind about all of these parallel worlds seemed to baffle her. It was crazy to really think about how many planes of existence there really was. They weren't alone in this world by any means.

"So... humor me for a story." She smiled nervously at the thought. How different was this world. "What's the story about the origins of Chakra in this land?"

It was then that she would finally look over at the girl, noticing her very unhuman features. it was a strange world they lived in.

Akira would listen to the woman next to her. Akira could have told her straight off it wasn't the same Sunagakure she knew. If it was, Akira surely would have seen her before. If it was, then Akira would be quite concerned considering they weren't in their own world anymore. Akira would sip once more as she listened to the woman next to her ask another question. It would take her a moment to think it over. Would it make a difference to tell? How would she react? Akira stared off into the distance for a while wondering and wondering.

"Well," she finally spoke, "they say our world was built fully on survival. That's all it had to offer. You were born. You lived as long as you could survive. Then, you died. You spend your whole life trying to survive. You become as strong as you can. You do everything you can to survive. Well, they say at one point it became hard to do even that. People were so weak they were dying faster than the world could repopulate. It was.. total chaos. So, they prayed and prayed to a god they believed in all along but never acknowledged. They say this god heard their cries and sent them a gift for finally turning for help. He filled a box with "magic" and threw it to the ground. When it reached the solid ground, it broke open and light poured out. It filled the world. it filled the bloodstream of people. It became know as chakra later on, but they say the world became better after that. That people became more powerful and could hold their own. The world stabilized." Akira would sigh after telling that story, "Now, I'm not saying it's true, that story, but it's what's been told." Akira's voice would become very soft. "Honestly, it makes little sense to me, but whatever floats their boats."

"So I guess if I told you that you were all already dead, you wouldn't believe me?" She looked into the face of the Mother of this land, only to look back at her cup. "At least... that's what it feels like."

Her own lore and tales seemed to crumble with each passing second. Did this world have tailed beasts? If they did, were they the same? Did they maybe have them with different numbers? Could Matatabi in this world have 9 tails instead of 2? Who was to say. Nothing was known really.

"You're in Pandora now." she would say. It was weird to be the only to try to explain Kaseki's world. But there she was... trying to explain. She was unsure about most of it, trying to make sense of these unknown lands. "People are already at war with each other." she would begin to say. "All for a little bit of power from the other lands." She stopped... and paused.

"So will you join Yamigakure in our plight?"

"In a land where life is based solely on surviving, it would be hard to know what death felt like. You can't feel death if you've never lived," Akira would reply quickly to the woman's words. However she wasn't completely done. "So, I suppose you could say we'd believe it but we would have already known. Since, we've been dead all along." To most people, this might seem a little odd or they just might not understand. However, Akira knew what she meant and she was sure others of her city would understand too.

For a moment, things were silent until she heard a voice, the waitress, "Is everything ok, mother?" Akira would look to the girl. "Of course, My dear. Thank You." The waitress would move along. Akira would think about her words and then about the waitress. 'She works a normal, safe job to survive.' Akira hadn't really noted the way other people survived to be honest. She normally told people what to do and survived the way she knew how.

However, her thoughts would float away as the woman's voice filled her ears again. 'Pandora..,' Aira would say the name again and again in her mind. Of course, this would be her first time heading of it, since not many people stopped by the city. The next part certainly made Akira's full attention turn to the woman next to her. The Demon's eyes scanned the woman's face. "War for power?" Akira felt so odd thinking about it. She didn't really understand how people could be at war for power. To her, war was only waged for survival. Everything revolved around survival. However, they were in a new world. One that would make her think deeper about things. One that would be more complicated than the one she came from. Perhaps, learning more about this world would be the best for her village.

Would she join Yamigakure? Surly, this woman didn't know much more than her, right? If she's asking for allies, then surly her city.. or home.. was weak and wouldn't cause any problems? They both seemed fairly new to this world. Was it safe? Could this guarantee better survival? She sure hoped so because the next word that came from her mouth was, "Yes." She would then look down at her tea and take the final sip.

"Then may your enemies be my enemies. And my allies, yours." She would say. Reaching to her weapon, she would grab it by the hole in the center, rather than the handle. Lifting her cup to her lips, she would finish it in a single chug. Reaching in her pocket with her free hand, she would pull out a few hundred Ryo and place them on the table.

Shaking her head, as if the tea had given her some mental rush, she got up from her seat. She would make her way to the door without looking at anyone. "Perhaps you should send people to scout Pandora and Wonderland for your own benefit." she would say, "I'd tell you, but I think its best you find out this world for yourself, just as I did."