Mitsukai came to a pause as they walked through the village gates, she was expecting to see someone coming their way to greet them and to find out why they were here. Surely the sudden appearance of three Yokuchi shinobi, let alone known ones, would stir up some sort of curiosity for someone. She was positive that both her grandfather and Dezzy knew they were here the very second they stepped foot in the Land of Shadows, let alone the village.

She shifted her shoulder bag beneath her red cloak before using both hands to lower the hood of her cloak. She looked around with silver colored eyes. She had a feeling that even though their main location was going to be Hinowagakure she was going to be seeing a lot of Makkura in the time to come. Which, was exactly why she had wanted to stop by: an explanation was going to be needed or else she was sure all hell was going to break loose - though that could likely happen anyway given Emiko's itchy blood lust and the fact that she was damn positive her sister had been contemplating going back and nuking the place which was the reason she had been hanging back when they were walking.

Mitsukai kept herself quiet for the moment just as she had the entire journey, and simply waited to see if anyone was going to come meet them before she ended up making her way towards the Tower that she could clearly see from the spot she was standing in.

Emiko stopped beside her sister, Mitsukai, standing off to the right of her. She too took the time to look around as well with her yellow gaze: she figured her sister had stopped to see if anyone was going to come greet them since they hadn't exactly sent ahead notice of their journey. Would their sudden appearance stir up troubles for the village they had just abandoned? Emiko couldn't bring herself to care - hell, if it did eventually come to that she couldn't say she wouldn't go back to help and destroy the place and hopefully all of the bad memories with it.

She folded her arms across her chest as a breeze blew, causing her natural scent of blood and sand to float around more easily in the air around her. She had long ago come to terms with smelling like the blood of her enemies and so she simply shifted the red sash that went across her chest, thus shifting her gourd of sand into a more comfortable position.

"Is this going to be our new home?", came Shukaku's sudden voice in her head.

"More than likely... Hinowa and us just wouldn't get along. Wouldn't you agree?", she responded mentally while keeping her face as impassive as possible.

"I do agree.", came Shukaku's response before he went silent. Emiko took the silence to mean that the conversation was over and she was perfectly fine with that: she was sure a conversation of a different sort would be starting very soon anyway.

If Holeman could see then, he knew good and well that they could see him too. He'd been the one to show Alec how to use his radar, and Destiny was a Holeman the same as he was. The village of Makkura was something else; especially the tower in the center. There were many things within that he'd never seen before, and he could hardly believe all of the hallways and rooms inside.

Holeman decided that it wasn't worth being all emotional and pissed off, though he'd kept his mouth shut the whole walk here. Maybe he and his clan weren't destined to remain in the desert forever after all, especially if the village would always be ran by some uncaring moron. He expected someone to come after him just like last time and was totally prepared to fight, even if it meant he'd die.

He'd never been to Makkura before though, and began to look forward to visiting the home of The Dark Criminal Organization. A place like this would surely be guarded though, and seeing as Alec and Dez had the same radar he did, he half expected someone to show themselves sooner or later.

Two strong chakra signatures appeared walking into the The Land of Shadows, accompanied by one that was huge – possibly a Jinnchuriki. Alec recognized them to be 2 of his grand kids, Mitsukai and Emiko, and Holeman, whom taught him the chakra radar and performed surgery on him previously. Alec told the guard that they were coming and to stand down.

They'd be allowed to enter the village with no problems, being family after all. Making his way down through the tower, Alec wondered why they were showing up with no notice as they were. Had something happened in Yokuchi? What was up with Strafe? It wasn't to say he minded them visiting of course, but something was always prone to malfunction.

He didn't bother to transform into one of his disguises as he left the tower, headed down the main street occasionally tapping his polished Blind Fury stick in front of him. Eventually he would run into them, wearing his usual sarcastic grin.

”Well, if this isn't one big family reuni---”

It was then that Alec noticed Holeman's headband; a long scratch across the metal through the village symbol, similar to the Hanagakure headband that Alec himself still wore, which made the grin melt off of his face. He didn't see headbands on either of his grand kids. So they had abandoned Yokuchi... meaning there was the chance that Strafe was going to send a hit squad. If he was smart he would; Holeman was a radar and a medic, and Mitsukai had always been vicious in combat.

”...Well, you're all welcome to stay here if that's why you're here. You came to the right place. If Strafe sends someone after you... the guys could use the exercise.”

Mitsukai looked to Alec as he walked over to them and a grin spread across her face despite the situation: she was always happy to see a member of her family. She then gave a nod to her grandfather's words. "It's appreciated... I figured we'd stop by on our way to Hinowa. It's really warm up there so it'll be the most comfortable... Though, I do believe Emiko wishes to stay here. I figured we should give you the heads up though, in case someone does come here looking for us."

She glanced over to Holeman, figuring he could explain things in his own words if he wanted, but also figuring she should offer up some sort of explanation for her own leaving. "We bailed out of Yokuchi, but I don't know if anyone even saw us outside of the civilians who were begging Holeman to stay.", she said with a shrug. "Long story short: I went up to Niwa to search for these Ape Sages and I found them. After I proved my worth they summoned another kid around my age named Kurai who lives up in Hinowa who had proven himself to them before me. He taught me an awesome camoflauge move and I taught him my speed in return. Got me thinking for a few days how each and every time I've trained something - outside of what Holeman and I trained together - it's been outside of Yokuchi. I realized at that point that the only reason why I hadn't left was because I didn't want to leave my best friend. When I brought it up to Holeman, well... we agreed that leaving was likely for the best. There's nothing in that village worth staying for. We've gone through three Kage's and it seems it's usually the same story all over again..."

She then fell silent, figuring she'd give Holeman and Emiko a chance to explain things in their own words: she didn't want to speak for them.

Emiko nodded her head in agreement when Mitsukai brought up that the offer was appreciated, and again when Mitsukai brought up that Emiko would likely want to stay in Makkura: she was right, this was the best place for her overall. She listened as Mitsukai explained why she had personally left: how she had met the Ape Sages she had gone to find, proven herself, and then met another prodigy, they had traded some skills, and in the end it had led Mitsukai to realize that the only reason she was remaining in a village she got nothing out of was because her best friend was there and she didn't want to leave him - and then how Holeman had agreed it was time to move when she had returned to Yokuchi and explained everything.

"Gotta say my own reasonings are much the same. Between the numerous times the Sabure Elders have attempted to kill me both due to me not being willing to follow their brainwashed ideas as well as the fact Shukaku dwells within me with all of his power at my grasp..." she ended that sentence in a shrug. "Not exactly like there's a bunch of good memories there for me. Being sent to those Elders while I was a Genin by Luca even knowing they hated me and wanted me dead... being crushed to death by them only to be brought back and continue on with years of servitude to a drunk and then finally Strafe? I'd rather avoid more of that. Else I will go rage-mode and rip the place down to its very foundation. Only reason I stayed as long as I did was because I was worried for my sister and Holeman - I didn't want to see them being sacrificed for the 'greater good' next." Actually, that idea was still rather appealing even though they were well over dozens of miles away from the desert, and she figured it would be appealing for some time to come - maybe even act on it.

"I'd rather stay here then Hinowa. Volcanoes and large bodies of water don't exactly mix well with my skills."

Holeman appreciated the offer to stay here in Makkura. When he got older he considered taking him up on that offer, but at the moment his mother would have a heart attack knowing Holeman was living in the Land of Shadows. Hinowa was rumored to be a paradise, and even though he hated the cold he was prepared to endure the journey through the arctic tundra to reach it.

”The Holeman's destiny wasn't to remain in the desert forever,” he said to Alec. ”Besides... it's just more of the same. If someone were to come after me, i'm prepared to fight my own battles. Spook taught me a lot, I won't let it go to waste...”

Holeman was having himself a look around the village of Makkuragakure. He could see many of those infamous Ops guys wearing purple, the same guys who used to spray paint their dark symbols on the walls of Yokuchi back in the day. He wondered how Jr and Destiny were, he hadn't seen them in quite a while...

Mitsukai said that everything she'd learned and taught happened somewhere outside of Yokuchi. She also spoke of a kid named Kurai who'd sought the approval of Ape Sages in the forests of Niwa. If he was the same age as Mitsukai, and could use jutsu as complicated as camouflage, this had to mean the kid was a prodigy. Hinowa had that sort of talent in the small amount of time it existed? Alec was curious to know what else this kid could do...

As far as Emiko went, her story seemed a bit darker than Mitsukai's, the kind of story that would cause a village to be wiped off of the map, and Alec had himself with his son written one of those stories. If she wanted to stay here, it would just be a major benefit to Alec, seeing as Emiko was a Jinnchuriki, meaning The Land of Shadows had just grown significantly more powerful. It was this that brought the sarcastic grin back to his face.

Holeman was the “Chosen One” in his clan as far as the story he once told him back in Edge City went; the first of the Holemans in a very long time to expand the chakra radar to it's maximum, and also combine Raiton and Suiton to form Ranton. Though blind, the kid along with Mitsukai was instrumental in ridding Yokuchi of various serial killers, sometimes on multiple occasions. The duo were the material for comic book superheroes, but unfortunately their actions went mostly unnoticed by the heads of the village.

Alec didn't blame them at all for leaving. He now had an excuse to travel to this new village of Hinowa, and perhaps catch a glimpse at this other prodigy kid.

”Hmm, another Luca situation, right? Turns out Strafe is another one... Who's idea is it to put these air heads in charge?... Well, I want you to know that I don't blame any of you for the decisions you've made, and if there's anything we can do to help don't hesitate to ask. All of you are family, even you Holeman. I know you and Mits will be heading toward Hinowa soon, but you're welcome to stick around for as long as you want until then... As for you, Emiko. We can arrange for you to have your own house, or you can take a room in my Tower, it's your choice. Get your hands on a wireless communicator if you don't already have one, so you can stay informed by the village party line.”

Mitsukai nodded in agreement with Holeman's words. She too was prepared to fight her own battles, even if it meant that she might not make it to the end. She didn't back down from challenges and she didn't hide behind others and let them fight for her: she had more than enough experience to do that herself.

Mitsukai then looked to her grandfather and grinned fully. "I'll likely be back and forth a lot. Hopefully things in Hinowa will go better than they did in Yokuchi. Maybe I'll even get to summon one of those huge apes I saw and whoop some serious butt." Yup, she was definitely hoping there was some action up in Hinowa like there used to be in Yokuchi back in the day. Action meant growth, training, and becoming stronger and stronger, so she wasn't about to turn an idea like that down.

She glanced over to Emiko. She didn't have a problem at all with her sister staying here in Makkura, and she knew she was right: her sand would be at a serious disadvantage up there if she were to stay there long term - it could either be glassed due to the excessive heat or drenched to the point of becoming too heavy to move. Yes, all in all, it was better for her sister to stay here. She poked her sister in her side with yet another grin, "Better come visit sometime Emiko...  else I'll come hunt you down.", she said jokingly.

She turned her attention back to her grandfather. "I'll probably stick around for a minute; I know a certain someone who will whoop me if I don't poke my head in and say hello since I'm here."

Emiko thought over the two choices quickly and made up her mind even faster than that. "I'll stay in the Tower... likely be a good idea to keep close in case something happens or Strafe or someone does come after me.", she said, unable to suppress the psychotic looking grin that spread across her face at the idea of such a thing. Emiko was blood thirsty by nature, and having Shukaku sealed inside of her didn't help matters any: she was looking forward to a fight where she could go all out, and she knew that the only way she was going to be able to do that was if some high ranking ninja was sent to come get her.

As Alec mentioned the wireless communicator she slipped a hand into the small pouch she had brought with her and dug around in it for a moment with her right hand. When she removed her hand in it was a wireless communicator which she stuck in her ear. She had got it a long time ago and while it worked wonderfully she had never had a reason to use it or even bother with it, but now she would. "Got it. Never really had a use for this thing before..." 

She glanced over to her sister at the threat of being hunted down if she didn't come visit Hinowa at least once in a while and couldn't help but roll her eyes as she poked Mitsukai in her forehead. "That'd be more frightening if you weren't so short...", she responded playfully. At Mitsukai's mention of going to see a certain someone she quickly deducted that she meant Dezzy: which she mentally imagined as a rather funny sight seeing the two of them fight, even if it was just a friendly spar.

Holeman nodded his head while the familiar grin appeared on his face again when Alec said he was family. He wouldn't mind sticking around here for a while before heading up toward his new home. This was especially because he wasn't looking forward to another trek through arctic temperatures just yet.

”I'm... gonna take a look around,” he said. ”I'll come to that tower and say bye to everyone before I leave...”

Holeman started walking further into the village of Makkura...

[Exit]

So... it appeared that Strafe had just lost pretty much all of his power in Yokuchi. Currently, with Holeman, Mitsukai and especially Emiko gone, the the desert was wide open for the taking, and just he alone wouldn't be able to stop a proper incoming assault. Personally, there was nothing in the desert that would benefit Alec, and he had no plans of invading or ever tangling with Strafe again if he didn't have to. Having already easily removed one of his legs, Alec saw no worth in the situation.

No, his targets were set elsewhere, within trees that housed dog people that condoned cloning people; dog people who liked to run their mouthes and preach of past glories. But that was another story.

Emiko would take one of the rooms in the Tower, and Holeman decided to take a walk around, possibly to explore. Alec said something to one of the Tower Ops about preparing one of the unused rooms.

”One of the Ops will show you where you can stay, Emiko. I have to warn you, there's still a lot of secret rooms and treasures in there I haven't found yet, and little things like flicking on a light switch or bumping into something could open one of these doors. So keep your eyes open... I'll be around, should any of you need me...”

Alec himself then began walking slowly down the main street, back toward the tower.

\Exit\