<div style="text-align: center"><span class="fixed-color" style="color:#0040ff">A solemn figure knelt beside a large, natural pond that lay behind a small, seemingly homely, cottage. Koi fish of black, white, and orange hues swarmed towards the pale hands that dared to breach the cool surface of the water. Unnaturally hued eyes of sapphire seemed warm as the fish nipped and swam about the girl's fingers. She felt at home like this, in the water, with these odd creatures around. The thought made her chuckle.<br/>
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"Aoi! Aoi-San!" <br/>
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A young girl's voice caused the figure to stir and slowly, Aoi pulled her hands from the small pond, reluctantly breaking the serene atmosphere she'd been in. The young woman sighed and raised her head, eyeing the approaching messenger through sapphire strands of hair. As the messenger girl came to a stop in front of the Chuunin, dust unsettling at her feet, Aoi came to stand from her kneeling stance. <br/>
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"Aoi-San..." the girl huffed, trying to catch her breathe. Aoi waited patiently. After a few moments, the girl managed to stand straight and hold out a small scroll. "I was sent to give you this."<br/>
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Aoi took it. "What's it about?" the soft voice asked, almost without emotion. Likely, this was business. <br/>
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"I don't know." The messenger replied meekly. "I was told to deliver it to you, not to question. It was meant for your eyes only." She bowed. "I'll be off now." Then the girl turned on her heel and was gone in a moment. <br/>
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Aoi sighed and broke the scroll's seal, before rolling it open to scan the words before her. It was indeed work again. Guess it couldn't be helped when she was the best Chuunin that Oto had to offer. She rolled the scroll back up and slid it into one of the black pouches that hung from her side. Sapphire eyes looked back at the pond for a moment, before she made her way into the cottage, seeking out her traveling pack. <br/>
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Sweeping it up into her grasp, she swung it onto her back and made her way back outside. She pulled her mask up over the lower half of her face, adjusted her weapon straps, and pulled on black gloves she'd pulled from one of her pouches. She wouldn't make it there first, but she'd still make good time she thought determinedly, kicking herself into a fast, high-paced run.<br/>
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