Although her mind raged like a solemn storm, those around her remained ignorant to her inner turmoil; as the grin resting upon her lips portrayed enough false happiness to keep them all deterred. Shizukana smiled as she took in the crew before her. Although her happiness was fake in every aspect of the word, she pushed herself to seem as though all was right in the mind.

For she could not bring herself to ruin the atmosphere that surrounded the camp. Shizukana watched as Hinata and Sakura cheerfully chatted about their excitement over finally meeting the Sairen Clan, while Kiba and Naruto boasted about their newfound strengths to one another. She shook her head before returning her attention to her weapons. With her bare feet resting on the cold earth, Shizukana pushed her toes into it as she sharpened her bladed boots. The coolness of the earth, and the faint detection of water in it- allowed her to know that they were close to the shoreline. The trees were thinning out, and the soil was damp; indicating they had at most- half a day's run before they could take the ferry to the Hidden mist village.

Her smile turned vaguely genuine at the mere thought of the ocean. The crispt smell of salt-water, the sight of fishing boats, and the shouts of children playing in the water. No matter how much she loves the Leaf, she finds herself frequently becoming homesick.

After she completed the left shoe, Shizukana picked up the right and began to sharpen its blade. Her mind drifting elsewhere as she finished the monotonous task of cleaning up her blades. As she worked, Sakura and Hinata approached her, their advances going undetected by Shizukana. Something both rare and worrisome, as Shizukana was usually very vigilant with her surroundings.

"Shizu-Chan, can we ask you a couple of questions?" Hinata's tone wavered as Shizukana looked up slowly, her pupils narrowed to slits. However as she took in who was before her, her posture calmed and she waved a dismissive hand towards the ground in front of her. "Of course, take a seat."

As the two girls took their seats on the ground, Shizukana tilted her head back down toward her weapons. As she grated the wet-stone across the blade of her weapon, Sakura and Hinata briefly glanced at each other before addressing Shizukana hesitantly.

"Can you tell us a little bit more about the Pearl Chase?" Sakura asked, a slight smile upon her face. A small sigh escaped Shizukana, but nevertheless; she put down her things, and glanced up at the two with a small smile.

"What would you like to know?"

At this point, the conversation had drawn the attention of Kiba and Naruto. As such, the two of them moved toward the three girls, and sat down in front of Shizukana; their faces lit with interest. Shizukana's smile lightened at this. Their curiosity filled her with a small sense of pride.

Sakura was the one to ask the first question. "What is the purpose of this chase? you once said that they hold it annually, but I still fail to see the point of it all?" Instead of getting defensive over such a question, Shizukana merely regarded Sakura with patience. From an outsider's perspective, she could understand how some of their traditions could be confusing.

Compared to the rest of the world, their traditions could almost come off as barbaric, unnecessary, or outdated. So it is easy to understand how many could get confused.

Leaning forward, Shizukana regarded the four of them equally, her body relaxed as she began to recite her answer. "The Pearl Chase is an age-old tradition of our clan. It was first created when the clan went through a period of unrest and uncertainty. Not only is it a way for us to strengthen our clan, but a way for us to forget a year's worth of grievances. It is not only an event that participants may enjoy, but for the entire clan to celebrate in. Hence why the chase follows right after the Ocean festival."

Shizukana's answer only seemed to arise more questions, and she was surprised to find that it was Kiba who asked the next question; his head tilted slightly in confusion. "What even happens?"

"Do you mean during the chase? Or the Ocean Festival?"

"The chase"

Shizukana laughed as her hand reached down into her weapons pouch. Pulling out her hand- she produced a black pearl attached to a silver chain. "The pearl chase is an event that takes place after the Ocean festival. The purpose of the event is to find perfect couple pairings-" She looks at the others with a small grin on her face, as memories from her youth flashed through her mind.

"In the Sairen Clan, the Women are usually stronger than the men, as our people take after the traits commonly associated with literal Sirens. In order for the clan to prosper and thrive, couples must be of equal power; to create children that will continue on a strong bloodline. Although it sounds traditional- the pairings are not assigned. individuals must choose a partner of their own. During the chase, the Men will hunt- or chase, their significant other for six hours; while underwater. The women must evade, fight, and defend themselves less their pearl be taken. If the Man is capable of capturing the pearl, and bringing back his female, then he is deemed worthy of that match." Shizukana pauses for a mere second before putting her pearl back into her pouch.

"However if the man fails to capture his woman, then he is deemed unfit of being her partner. For it portrays that the woman is the ultimate protector. In most cases, with other clans, that wouldn't be seen as an issue. However; since the women of our clan are targeted more than the men, they need support from their partners. Not being able to go hand-to-hand with your significant other is a sign of weakness. It shows others that the woman would lose her life protecting the man, rather than the two looking out for each other on equal grounds." explained Shizukana, as her eyes watched the others' expressions cloud over with confusion. Naruto is the one that spoke up shortly after, his tone both confused and slightly irritated.

"Well, what happens if it's the woman who is weak? Is there a social punishment for them then? I find it unfair how so much responsibility is thrown onto the man." Naruto huffed once he finished. A sardonic grin etched itself upon Shizukana's face, her eyes flashing with slight irritation.

"Is it not ironic how in many cultures it is the women who have to fight for the men's attention? The women who are thrown into the brunt of social responsibility? If the women were too weak in my clan, we would have died out many generations ago. It is our women that are trained from birth, our women who fight on the frontlines. Of course; the men fight and train just as hard, however; due to our biological traits, we are typically stronger. Nevertheless, in the case where a female was the weaker of the two, we can usually tell by the state of the male after the chase." Shizukana's grin seemed to become grimmer the more she thought of it. For the talk of this chase was making her solemn. It was going to be a miracle if she were given the chance to participate this year.

"What do you mean by state of the man? What usually happens to them?" asked Hinata, her voice once again worried and slightly frightened. Shizukana locked eyes with Hinata's pale irises as her tone turned serious.

"The man is usually hospitalized, or at the very least? In a very sorry state compared to when he first went into the water."

They looked at each other at that point, at a loss of words.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The sound of drums and chants filled the air with eerie music. Shizukana Shivered in excitement as the group moved towards the gates of the Sairen compound. For the first time since she departed from the leaf, Shizukana grinned from ear to ear as her joy radiated off of her in waves. The walls of the compound rose high into the air, with symbols of strength etched across its walls. Made from the finest sea stone, the compound looked imposing with skeletons of mighty sea creatures hanging from the top while the gates remained lit with torches of blue flame. Shizukana turned to the other four, her grin contagiously bright. "Well come on then!!"

She grabbed the hand of those closest to her- in which case ended up being Sakura and Kiba. As she pulled them along, Shizukana leaned her head slightly and keened out towards her clan. Her screech echoed and caused the chanting to come to a halt. However, only for a mere second, for the air filled with replies, and the sound of feet nearing the gate brought even more joy to Shizukana's soul.

The gates to the compound opened wide, and a flood of people threw themselves through the gate, and into the open street. From the crowd of happy faces, Shizukana could spot a few looks of displeasure, but she paid them no mind. For she was looking for three certain individuals that she knew heard her call.

"Shizukana!" her head whipped to the call, looking fractally in the direction.

"Shizukana!" she soon realized that it was more than just Rin, Mamoru, or Takeshi calling her. The children she had played with during her last visit, the ones she told stories to, and the ones she helped train; all came running towards her. Dropping Sakura's and Kiba's hands, she ran and dropped to one knee- her arms open as a crowd of children hurled themselves into her.

She laughed with glee, as she was taken to the ground, the children piling on top of her in desperate hugs. "We missed you!" they all shouted, as their tiny hands grasped her fervently. She tried to hug them back as best as she could, but due to the fact she had several children hanging from each arm and leg, it was hard to move at all.

"I missed you too!" She said with laughter. They all continued to hug until the rest of the clan surrounded them, and a familiar voice ran through the clan. "Okay okay! give her some room to breathe! We all want to see her too!"

The children ran off in a fit of giggles, their various shades of dark hair flying as they sprinted back towards the compound. Looking around, Shizukana takes notice of the traditional wear upon everyone's bodies.

It would seem as though they barely made it in time for the start of the festival. Shizukana turned towards the direction she heard the familiar voice, sharing warm smiles and she greeted those around her. When she managed to spot them, warmth filled her chest- as if she was finally able to take a break from the consistent melancholy.

"RIN!" She shouted as she rushed toward her friend, spreading her arms wide and as she grasped Rin in a tight hug. This caused a round of chuckles from the others who had gathered, as they knew the close relationship between the two girls.

"Glad to see you made it back in time for the festival!" Shizukana pulled away from her then and regarded Rin with exasperation. "Well of course! I wouldn't miss it for the world." Rin smiled at her before she looked over her shoulder towards the four she left behind. Rin's smile seemed to drop a fraction. "Wheres Hikaru?"

Shizukana struggled to keep the grin upon her face at that question, however; she merely grasped Rins shoulder and gave it a reassuring squeeze. "Let's talk about that a little later shall we? Where's Takeshi and Mamoru? The three of you are usually never far apart for long."

Rin merely shrugged her shoulders in disinterest. "No clue. Takeshi said he had some business to take care of, and as of Mamoru?" Rins face reddened the slightest, causing Shizukana to smirk knowingly. "He's preparing for the chase. Said he has a few things he needs to take care of before he joins in the celebrations."

"Ah,"

Rin nods her head back towards Kiba, Naruto, Sakura, and Hinata. "You never informed me about any guests. Why are they here?" Shizukana turned and waved them over before she turned towards not only Rin but the rest of the gathered crowd. "I thought it only appropriate to bring some of my friends from the leaf to come and celebrate some of our traditions. I may be a leaf shinobi, but I am a Sairen at heart; and what better way to join both fragments of my life together than during the ocean festival?"

When the four of them finally managed to push through the crowd to get to Shizukana, she wrapped her arm around Sakura and Hinata a wide grin on her face. "Well then! I think we should get these shinobi into something more suitable for the festival, yes?"

Everyone around her cheers happily, as two women and two men approach the leaf shinobi with a joyful purpose. "Shizu, what is going on!?" cried Naruto as one of her clansmen haul him away towards the village. Shizukana laughed merrily and waved him off dismissively. "Just wait and see! You'll be fine!"

"Hey let go of me!" shouted Kiba, struggling to get out of the man's grasp as Akamaru followed curiously.

While Sakura and Hinata gave no verbal protest as the boys did. They still gave a look of skepticism. Giving them the thumbs up Shizukana once again addressed the rest of her clansmen. "Who's ready to celebrate!"

Everyone shouted and cheered in unison- Their excitement contagious as everyone made their way back into the compound. Falling into step beside her, Rin gave Shizukana a look of confusion. "I know you said we would speak of this later, but honestly Shizu-chan. Where is Hikaru? You guys are normally inseparable."

With a heavy sigh, Shizukana continued to walk forward without saying a word. Shizukana knew that the next few days would be troublesome, to say the least. Although she came here to celebrate, she, unfortunately, had a mission to complete, and clan politics to deal with. Consistently talking about Hikaru's whereabouts was not something she was inclined to discuss- yet knew it was inevitable.

For she knew it was simply unavoidable, and that fact alone made her immeasurably tired.

She knew, deep down; that it was going to be a long, and exhausting day.