Still walking next to the wall, though now out of sight again as he returned to the main entrance at his usual calm pace, Ibiki pondered the encounter he had experienced just now. The girl was probably a civilian and shouldn't really be of any concern to him.<br/><br/>For most shinobi, blending into the local populace of any given place was a valued and important skill, but the Hyuga with their distinct appearance were not a natural choice for social infiltration. There were techniques to disguise one's appearance, of course, but a shinobi who actually could look like a local with a simple change of clothes would always be more difficult to identify. As a result, the clan put less effort into outside interaction while training their children and when the individual was an important existence for their continued line that was twice as true.<br/><br/>What he really should be thinking about, he thought, was that his suspicions about the guards -- and thus, his parents -- being perfectly aware of his little trips had just been confirmed. Yet Ibiki couldn't help but wonder: he was to go to the Shinobi Academy soon. Would the other students there be more like the girl he had just met, this Midori? He had often heard his father say that other shinobi were undisciplined, that only those who had the will to excel would ever succeed.<br/><br/>In a way, he thought so as well - some of the other clan children he trained with kept claiming that it was unfair that they had to spar with him, that he was a 'prodigy'. He understood what the word meant, but he didn't understand them - even great talent was nothing if it wasn't refined day after day. That, his mother had told him. He was better than them because of his training. He was the heir, so what another Hyuga trained for one hour a day, he had to train for two.<br/><br/>Midori hadn't looked like a bad person. Unfocused, perhaps, but for a moment Ibiki felt childish curiosity warring against the lessons he had been taught. As he stepped onwards and the compound gate came into his sight, however, the train of thought was quickly forgotten.<br/><br/>---------------<br/><br/>Jiunji's white eyes turned towards Midori again after she had addressed him. After their little walk, he wasn't exactly surprised at her manners anymore, though he halfway thought the woman behind her, her aunt, would stop her for a moment. It was expected of his clan to turn their nose up at commoners and 'lesser' shinobi, a trait that hadn't found its way to him. Perhaps that was the reason why he had never been promoted beyond anything but the guard duty he considered a chore -- though, to be fair, most others thought it a fairly prestigious position.<br/><br/>He waited for her to finish, then replied, speaking more than he had to her so far: "This village can be dangerous if you don't know the rules. Walking alongside our wall is not the problem, but doing so and being mistaken for a spy is, " he hesitated, for a moment, considering his choice of words, "not something you want to learn about."<br/><br/>"Your aunt and uncle will teach you where you can't go and how to behave. Until then, you best stay close to them." The Chuunin explained all this in a factual manner. Not particularly kind, but not unpleasant either. He still maintained professional conduct, even if he was more inclined to help than some others.<br/><br/>While a warning to stay away from the compound for the foreseeable future might be best, Jiunji was certain her relatives would ensure that on their own.<br/><br/>"Should you get lost again, seek out someone wearing one of these," he finally added and adjusted his head protector with the prominent leaf emblem for emphasis. "They may not always be friendly, but they have a duty towards the villagers."  Whether they wore it because they believed in the unification like he did or because they were employed by the village itself didn't really matter and he didn't want to make his explanation overly complicated.<br/><br/>His gaze briefly drifted towards Kanetaro again, where it lingered for a moment, before he gave a barely noticeable nod and began then, without another comment, made his way to the exit.<br/><br/>-------------<br/><br/>" … and the smallest of the five great nations is the Land of Water, which consists of many small islands and thus has always been difficult to target with large scale attacks." Kiko was in a sitting position, leaning over a scroll that she had opened up for the young heir she was currently instructing. The map was one of the known world and as she spoke, she showed the exact locations with a small wooden pointer.<br/><br/>"And the main shinobi presence there is … ?" she questioned, trailing off as her white eyes sought out the matching set of her charge.<br/><br/>"Kirigakure," Ibiki replied immeditely. "The Hidden Mist Village. They specialize in water element techniques and are experts in stealth assassination. They are very secretive and cruel. Their most notable warriors are the Seven Mist Swordsmen, who gain that title by merit of their fighting strength."<br/><br/>"Well done. And the location of Mist Village?"<br/><br/>"We don't know," Ibiki replied after a moment's thought. "It is suspected to be situated in the mountain range … there."<br/><br/>"Specifically, it's theorized position is … there." She reached out and led Ibiki's hand a little further to the right, into a mountain valley that was surrounded by high mountains and thus pretty much completely cut off from the outside.<br/><br/>Ibiki nodded, a light frown on his face. He didn't like getting things wrong -- almost wasn't good enough, as his bruised ribs still reminded him.<br/><br/>"And what is our stance on the Seven Swordsmen?"<br/><br/>"They glorify the individual," the boy repeated. "They are too well-known to be considered successful shinobi. While we as Hyuga are a clan recognizable by our appearance, they are entirely unrelated and would be better served disguising their skills. They are to be considered dangerous but foolish."<br/><br/>"Yes," Kiko nodded, her eyes briefly softening as her voice dropped to a more quiet tone. "But never underestimate an opponent because of that. Some cultivate a reputation as a tool like any other. We do it ourselves, too, to some extent."<br/><br/>She paused to put her own pointer to her side, eyes briefly flickering to the sand clock next to them. She had less time with the boy nowadays than she liked due to the increase in his other trainings, but there was still a little more time. Wetting her lips, she continued. "If the Hidden Mist sends one of their swords, they can charge higher fees for their services and use that name to cow their enemies. And since they have the replacements slay their predecessor, they only add to their reputation and ensure they're always top assassins."<br/><br/>Ibiki mulled that over with a pensive expression, trying to mesh together what Kiko had just told him with what he had heard from other instructors -- potential enemies were a subject approached from many different angles, after all. He had basically summarized what he had been told by others, including his father, but Kiko somehow stood out among them. She was a patient teacher and told him many things he asked about that others would not.<br/><br/>Being careful not to underestimate them wouldn't conflict with what he had been told. He could remember that, at least.<br/><br/>"Teacher," he asked haltingly after noticing that the brief period of silence had dragged on. Perhaps this was a good opportunity to voice his concerns. "I am to go to the Academy soon, am I not?"<br/><br/>She nodded. "And you're wondering what it will be like?"<br/><br/>"Yes."<br/><br/>She paused, leaned back and folded her hands together. "Honestly, Ibiki, I couldn't say. It's a new thing, but I think it will be good  for you. You will face some difficulties there, of course -- I heard they will be accepting untrained children, too, and you will certainly stand out all the more for it." She sighed, not sure if any of this was getting through to him. "Try and make friends there. The times are changing, we're part of something bigger now and you being sent to the Academy is a gesture of the clan supporting this, so it's best that you get along with your fellow students."<br/><br/>Ibiki nodded in response -- that made sense, in a way. The idea of learning alongside students that were just getting started on the basics didn't really appeal to him -- he knew how to mold chakra, he had been trained in martial arts as soon as he could walk. He wanted to learn things that were new to him.<br/><br/>Still, if it was his duty to go there and complete the class to become Genin, he would do so. He'd keep to himself, then there wouldn't be a problem and he would get along with the others just fine.<br/>