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(Rokkaku) It was a cold morning in Rokkaku. Some of the ninjas were still asleep indoors, but not Mondo. He liked cold weather. In fact, he was sitting on the edge of his roof, wrapped in a huge length of cloth. It was early in the morning, and Mondo wanted to be up early enough to see the sunrise. He thought of how he enjoyed these simple things in life, and allowed a small smile to creep through onto his face. "Careful Mondo" a voice said "wouldn't want you to start liking the happy look, would we?" Mondo was on his feet in a flash, facing the unknown person who spoke to him. The figure stood there on his roof, several feet from him. As his eyes fell on his black hood, and the small crest adorned on it, he relaxed. "I suppose not, Lord Hanzo." Mondo said, and sat back down, staring back into the skyline and watching the rising sun. He spared a small glance beside him and saw that Hanzo was sitting next to him, also watching and having not made one sound in getting there. Together, they watched the sun come over the forest treeline and bring morning to the hidden city. "Lord Hanzo" he asked "how long have we done this? Just sat out here and watched the sunrise? Surly we could be training or something of that nature, instead of wasting time." "Mondo, why do you ask? You already know the answer, and if you really wanted to train you'd be doing that right now, correct?" Hanzo asked. Mondo said nothing, and continued to stare into the sky with Hanzo from his roof. "Hmm..." Hanzo said, er, hummed. "The sunrise is over, and morning is here. I must return to my duties. I swear, since Kasumi left on her vacation, it seems like there's no end in sight to all this work now." And with those words, Mondo looked over to his leader, only to stare at the empty space Hanzo had occupied moments earlier. "I think..." Mondo said to himself "that this will be a very interesting day indeed...". And with that, he got up, unwound the cloth, his only shield from the cold, and went back downstairs to start his breakfast. ***a few hours later*** Mondo walked along the past the wooden building of the village, his gaze slightly downward in deep thought. As he passed one building in particular, he felt the almost instinctive need to look inside the window. As he walked along, he saw those two assistants to Kasumi, running around like decapitated chickens trying to file papers and reports and whatnot with a speed no normal human would try to keep up with. He allowed another smile, but kept it inside, should some passer by happen to notice like Lord Hanzo had. He had been around, lurking in the shadows when Kasumi left, and knew her reasons for leaving. "Maybe I could use a vacation as well..." he thought to himself. As he thought that, he promptly stopped in his tracks, trying to comprehend the meaning of the thought that passed into his mind so quickly. "Master Mondo? Mondo? Hello?" came a small voice from Mondo's left. He turned and looked into the big blue eyes of Kira, one of the young girls who lived in the village. "Hey kid. What do you want?" Mondo asked "Nothin. Just wonderin' why your looking so weird. Quieter than usual." "No reason kid. Just go along and play, okay?" Mondo said, letting one of those small rare smiles creep back onto his face. It stayed there until Kira ran off to play with her friends. Then he continued on his way, with a destination in mind, instead of the random wandering he had planned. He came upon the a large home and opened the door. Standing there at the far end was Hanzo, meditating. "Lord Hanzo, I have come to make a request." Mondo said. "Oh wait, Mondo, don't tell me. You want to leave the village and take a vacation as well, eh?" the old ninja said with that odd, knowing tone only elders seemed to be able to use. "Well, sir.." Mondo began "its not exactly a vacation. I'm not overworked or anything, here. I just think I cant become any stronger if I stay cooped up in the village. I need to go into the real world, to see things not available here in Rokkaku..." he finished lamely. Mondo stood there unmoving as Hanzo stared at him, as if trying to find some lie in his reasons. "....Mondo" he started "you are not being completely truthful to me, are you? Don't apologize, its not like it matters. I know your real reasons for going. I've seen the way the people of this village are around you, and I don't doubt you have too. Very well, go. Just..don't incite anyone else to leave, okay? I have enough ninjas leaving the village as is." Lord Hanzo seemed, almost for a second, to be smiling under his hood as he said those last words. "Thank you sir" Mondo replied, and turned to go back to his house and pack his things. On the way there he saw Kira again, and told her where he was going. "Aw, but Mondo, I'll miss your ramen too much! No one in the village makes it as good as you!" Kira whined. "Relax kid, I'll be back soon enough. And when I do come back, I'll fix you and your family the biggest dinner this side of Toran, deal?" Mondo said, offering another of his rare smiles. "Wow, three in one day" he thought. "Oh...okay. Miss you Mondo!" Kira said as she jumped up and hugged him quickly, wrapping her tiny arms around his big neck. ***one hour later*** Mondo stopped just outside the village, his pack dangling over his shoulder. He turned, and took what would be the last look he got at the village in a very long time. Then, he turned back around, and started for Banner. "Maybe I'll see Sasuke around" he thought to himself "or better yet, Kasumi. I'll bet she's having the time of her life by now. Hmm...I suppose I have enough potch for the Banner inn...but maybe they'd like an extra hand for the cooking tonight. I'm sure they'd drop the room price a bit for help like that..." And, letting his train of thought wander, Mondo kept walking. It had been a very interesting day indeed, just as he'd predicted.
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