Hikari had held off her trip to Yokuchi as she had mentally planned out how she was going to go about things, and if she truly wanted to learn Medical Ninjutsu or not. The answer to the latter question was simple: yes, because she could better help her village and her family with the medical knowledge to be able to cure any illness, poison, or disease, and be able to mend bones, scrapes, burns, and so on.

So, with her mind made up, and some more reading under her belt, she felt she was prepared to go look for the famous Holeman clan she had heard stories about and see if she could convince one of them to teach her at least the basics if not more. She knew the desert was going to be even hotter, and a lot dryer, than their little slice of paradise, but she also knew that the world outside of the ring of volcanoes was incredibly cold: so she dressed for the freezing cold and packed for the warmth and dryness of the desert. She wrapped a cloth around her eyes to keep the coldness of the tundra and the sand of Yokuchi from irritating them while she was traveling.

Her outfit was white and warm; consisting of several layers that could be removed after they were out of the frozen tundra's icey grip. She also carried a pack on her back with her basic supplies, and as always had her pouch around her leg which carried the weapons she hardly used - still, always better to have them with and be prepared then suddenly need them and be without.

She walked out of her bedroom, closing the door behind herself after a final glance back to make sure she wasn't forgetting anything. Upon turning back around she found herself facing mother Yanagi. A grin swept across her face and she hugged her tightly. "Don't worry, I'mma be fine... As soon as my training's finished I'll come back, I promise."

Kurai was sitting cross legged on the front porch. He'd gotten back from his training with the sages in Niwaurushigakure not long ago, but hadn't went into the house yet. He saw his father on the way into the village, who gave him a strange look. He said the boy looked somewhat different. Kurai looked at his reflection and didn't see any changes, but his father said he had a certain “glow” about him, and just glancing at him he could tell that he'd grown a lot more powerful.

Not one to bask in fame or power he'd gained, Kurai's gaze was upon the horizon. The elders told him that powerful Yanagi warriors in the past that could wield now long forgotten jutsu and techniques were skilled in the ways of Earth, Wind and Fire. Kurai was never really one to ask someone else for help, but he'd have to swallow his pride and do so if he ever hoped to learn to manipulate Katon.

So with his head resting atop his left hand which was positioned upon his right fist, Kurai though hard about who there was here that could at least teach him the basics of Katon manipulation. His parents were out of the question. The old man from the market? The caretaker? One of the heads of the village? Kurai was about to write them all off and have a go at teaching himself...

Once released from mother Yanagi's hug she stepped around her and over to the front door. She turned back, waved goodbye, and then opened the door and stepped out onto the porch: and instantly picked up on her brother sitting there. She closed the door behind her, blinking underneath of the black cloth. "Kurai, you're home earlier than I thought you'd be. I didn't even get a chance to leave yet for Yokuchi - it's where I'm headed now."

She glanced up towards the sky, wondering exactly how hot Yokuchi was going to be compared to here - and also noting how hot she was getting in clothes meant for winter, not the summer like temperature their village held. She was going to have to get a move on quickly before she ended up getting heat stroke from all of the layers she had on. "Mom's already starting to worry, I can see her pacing back and forth inside... maybe you should come with me, she might try and worry your ear off if you stay here while I'm gone. I heard there's some other Yanagi in Yokuchi, I thought maybe it'd be cool to meet them."

Kurai looked up when someone was coming toward the front door. Shinsai told him it was his sister. When she stepped out she looked like she was about to go on a trip, and what she said only confirmed it. So she was headed to the Desert, where he'd passed by twice, and also the destination of those people he rescued from the clutches of bandits.

Kurai thought it a good idea to take a visit to that village called Yokuchigakure, to see if those people were alright, and also to meet more of the Yanagi clan. Perhaps one of them knew how to generate Katon, and would be willing to teach him the basics, so at least he'd have a running start. In any event, it was an excuse to get out of the village again, and see other places he hadn't before.

So Kurai stood up and stretched, producing several popping sounds, then stepped off of the porch and down the front walk as he headed to the main road through the village that lead to the front gates. He happened to encounter their father again on the way. “Yokuchigakure, huh?” he said to the 2 children. “Well, I feel a lot better now that Hikari isn't making that journey alone, Kurai. I don't know how your mother is going to take you leaving again after just getting back, but this was to be expected since the elders prophecised that you two would be the next big thing. She'll worry my ear off, but i'll deal with it as I always do. I know you two will be just fine. Go on, don't let me keep you.”

Father Yanagi rubbed the tops of his twin children's heads with a grin before turning and continuing on home. Kurai nodded to his father, then continued walking toward the front gates. Once through them he'd continue on with his sibling through the wilds and wilderness until reaching the lake that Hinowa was situated in the center of. With chakra coating the bottoms of his feet he began a skating-like motion on the surface of the warm waters...

Hikari nodded at her father's question about them going to Yokuchi and then gave a wave of goodbye the same as she had done their mother. Then, it was time to head out of the village; and Hikari could already feel her excitement bubbling up inside of her. The idea of getting a chance to learn something that no one else in the village knew was awesome and she found herself unable to wait to get started.

When her twin reached the lake she watched him for a moment as he began to skate his way right across his water. Giggling, she too stepped onto the water with her feet coated with chakra to keep her from falling in and then she proceeded in the same direction as him - using her regular sensory since Shinsai didn't work on the water. It was enough to keep her following her brother and not running into anything or falling on her face; or into the water as it were.

As they got closer to where the frozen tundra of the outer lands were she could already pick up on the chill in the air, and as soon as they were off of the water she lightly wrapped her feet in special bandages that would allow Shinsai to work while keeping her feet from suffering from frost bite that the cold would likely cause within ten or so minutes. Once finished with wrapping her feet she was good to go again; and ready to start working their way across the frozen landscape.

Once across the water, Kurai paused so that Kurai could put wrappings on her feet because of the arctic cold ahead. He didn't want to spend too much time in the cold area beyond the volcanoes, so before performing the technique on himself, he lay a hand upon his sister's shoulder and activated his Light-Weight technique. Hikari would feel herself become much faster than usual. With these speeds, it would take the both of them to cross the cold plains in minutes. After using the technique on himself and putting his mask apparatus on to block the stinging cold winds, Kurai took off running.

Sure that his sister was right with him, Kurai wasted no time in crossing the large field of snow and ice beyond the volcanic ring responsible for keeping their home warm and livable. It would be only minutes before the cold began to fade, replaced by the mere chill of Kumo, as they'd crossed the border into Cloud territory. Still, Kurai didn't stop, zig-zagging between others on the main footpaths, for this was home to those with the one weakness to Yanagi. He didn't want to risk getting into it with anyone here, natives or bandits, especially now that his sister was with him.

Eventually all of the clouds and mountains vanished, and then came the massive heat, and the seemingly endless brown ocean of sand. Kurai slowed and stopped to reverse the technique upon he and his twin now that they were in range of their destination. Kurai looked off into the distance of where the bandit came was to see smoke still rising from what remained, even 3 days later. He didn't regret what he'd done out there.

Yokuchigakure was in the distance. This time he headed toward it, along with many other travelers headed for the Sandy village...

/Exit/

After Hikari felt her brother touch her shoulder she could tell something had changed, and upon starting to move again she could easily tell she was a lot faster than she had been before. She kept up with her brother as they moved across the frozen tundra that was outside of their lovely village, and then through Kumo's territory. She too moved her way around the people, being careful not to make contact with any of them - the last thing she wanted was to accidentally bump into the wrong person and get a nasty taste of Raiton. That was a fight she wasn't looking forward to.

Finally, once outside of the cloud territory they reached Yokuchi and she could feel the massive heat and knew they had finally arrived at their destination. A grin plastered itself across her face as she stopped and her brother canceled whatever technique he had used on her to make the pair of them faster. Finally, it was time for her training to get under way.

She walked with her brother into the sandy village, wondering where she would look first for the famous Holeman clan...

[Exit]