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First Gate [Video/Action]

[Video]

[The video feed suddenly kicks in with the sound of rushing winds and the sight of a blue sky. And soon, falling into view is bushy-browed teenager with a bowlcut, confusion and panic written all over his face.

Upon arrival, Rock Lee and his book open have begun freefalling through the sky to towards the village. Lee keeps his eyes focused on the open book and pushes himself through the air to get a closer look. Just enough to tell that it's some kind of communication device... and that it seems to be recording his face, and his movements.

Can they hear him, too? A million thoughts rush through his head. What happened? Where did everyone go? Why am I floating through the sky? Somebody help me down! But... if people could see him, he wouldn't want to look weak, would he? He's Rock Lee, after all. The Green Beast of Konoha. He can figure out a way out of this.

What would Gai Sensei do?

So he opts to force on a smile, one full of shining teeth, and he flashes a thumbs up towards the camera and shouts as loud as he can.]

DYNAMIC... ENTRY!

[Lee can find his way down. After all, his training weights are gone. He feels so light.]

[Action]

[If anyone misses out on the high-paced action, they can find Lee after he lands - either traveling to the item shop for his headband, weights and equipment or to the clothing shop for his valued green jumpsuit and vest. He'll also jog around to survey the village and some of the forest afterwards, eager to greet his new neighbors in the process.]

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What kind? [ That's a good question. Ikki has to think about it. ] We-ell, at home there're four nations - Earth Kingdom, Air Nomads, Water Tribes North and South - so I guess technically more than four, 'cause both of them get representatives on the council? - and then the Fire Nation. There's also a United Republic of Nations, which is what my home is kinda part of, although Air Temple Island is also kinda just itself, y'know?

Anyway, it's a big place. I haven't seen everything yet. The Water Tribes, that's where my GranGran and Uncle Sokka are from, they're cold. They're at the poles, and they're all ice and ice water and more ice, but they're also really, really pretty. You get these lights in the sky, in those places. Like the spirits just reached up and painted the sky all different colours, and the paint just shimmers and never dries, but just goes on glowing and existing. It's my favourite part of the South Pole, almost. [ The first favourite part, the real favourite part? That's Katara. ]

The Earth Kingdom has the biggest land, and it's - well, it's lots of different things. Deserts and forests and swamps. It's always growing, in one way or another. That's where Republic City's at, down south in the Earth Kingdom. The Fire Nation's hot, and there're jungles and things, and some of it is a bit closer to cold, and...I guess it's just as different as the Earth Kingdom, you know?

The Air Nomads, that's my people, they used to live in these huuuuuuge temples, one at each corner of the world. There were two temples for the monks and two for the nuns, 'cause they all lived separately. Daddy's taken us to see them, the temples, you know. They're...quiet, and old, and they feel empty but also somehow full. There's one that has people in it, but the other three are - well, I guess maybe someday we'll open them up again, and rebuild 'em, but that hasn't happened yet.

[ She trails off, thoughtful, finally stopping her fast-talking monologue. ]

[As she talks, Rock Lee scrambles around his person looking for his notepad, hoping to record all of his information. Halfway through, he gives up and just listens intently, staring with unblinking eyes. This... is a bit too expansive for a child's imagination. There were some similarities in the elements used in the names, but... everything else sounded so unique.]

It sounds like a beautiful and fantastic word, Ikki-chan. Are there any ninjas?

Hmmm. I think that the Kyoshi Warriors are kinda like ninjas? [ She sounds...somewhat doubtful, though. To be honest, she hasn't gotten as much information on Shikamaru's world as she'd like.

Which makes this a perfect chance! ] What's your world like, Lee?

[He pauses for a moment. It's still so hard to conceive that he is not just in some obscure village of his world. That home is on some unreachable other planet. He should at least humor this girl... but at least he has enough insight to spare her from the more traumatic details.]

My world is divided into multiple nations, but there are five primary ones. Similar to your world, they are each affiliated with an element: the Land of Fire, Land of Wind, Land of Water, Land of Lightning and Land of Earth. Each is ruled by a landlord, but each also contains a hidden village where the ninjas live. The ninjas do... lots of secret, special missions for the landlords, and the head ninja of the village is called the kage.

Shikamaru-san and myself both hail from Konoha Village, located in the Land of Fire. And our leader if the Hokage. That is where I learned from the most important person of my life, Gai Sensei. He is my mentor and brought me so far along my way of the ninja! I owe him everything for his passionate mentorship and the morals he has dispensed about the ways of youth!

Was Gai-Sensei everyone's ninja teacher in Konoha?

Oh no, there are multiple ninja teachers throughout the village who are of "jounin" rank, and there is even a ninja school. Once we leave the ninja school, we all become part of three-person teams with one mentor teaching us. My team contained Neji Hinata and Tenten. But Gai Sensei has always looked after me, ever since I was a failure.

What's a "jounin" rank mean? Did everyone go to ninja school? What was Shikamaru's team and teacher?

A jounin is one of the highest rankings a ninja can get! They have the most skills and get to do the... hardest missions! And they are also qualified to be in charge of teams of younger ninja. Ever ninja goes to ninja school! The ones who don't are the civilians who are sworn to protect.

Shikamaru's team contained Chouji-kun and Ino-san. Chouji-kun is a funny guy who is part of the Akimichi clan. He eats a lot but is mad when you call him fat, and he is much more skilled than others take him to be. And Ino-san loves flowers and has a variety of skills at her disposal. The three of them share a great bond because their families are already close! And [Ah... Asuma. Awkward subject. He puts a hand on her shoulder.] their teacher was a very great man named Asuma Sensei. He was very funny and smart.

What're the other rankings? What's your ranking? What's Shikamaru's ranking? So you're like superheroes? [ She's learned about superheroes. She likes what she's heard. ]

[ Ikki glances up when the hand falls on her shoulder, and that seems to amplify the was.

Another sad story, huh?

So she says something else instead, after a second of hesitation. ] If they're close to Shikamaru, they must be really nice!

[He holds up one finger for each question.]

The primary rankings are genin, chunin and jounin, and you can also count the kage. Shikamaru-kun and I are both of chunin ranking, but he was the first of our class to reach it! Super...heroes? You could say that, but we are much... sneakier.

[He picks up on that, slightly panics internally but puts on a broad smile at the diverting statement.]

They are! If you ever meet them, you can trust them as friends!

Wo-ow! That's 'cause he's really cool, huh? [ ...Okay she sort of thinks Shikamaru is awesome, okay. ] How do you get to a new ranking?

Ah, I will! So you're friends with Shikamaru, right? So you're trustworthy, too, Lee!

By proving your progress! There is a very special exam for genin to become chunin!

Thank you, Ikki-chan! I am glad to have earned such trust without any conditions. You can be assured that now I am here, I will do what I can to keep the people of this village safe.

What kind of special exam? D'you have to sing?

Well, that's good! I'm sure everyone'll be glad! There's lots of people here, y'know.

Ah, I could only wish for such a contest! Singing would be a wonderful way to express the power of our youths. But the chunin exam is quite different. [Now to lightly sidestep around casually mentioning the deathtraps.] It tests all the skills required of a proper ninja - our abilities to be sneaky, to survive and to do combat. And... and there are judges watching over us to ensure we do not get badly hurt. [Quite an exaggeration, there.]

I hope that they will! And I look forward to getting to now each and every one of them!

How'd it test all that? [ That sounds difficult and less fun that the contest she was picturing, man. ] Did you have fun? Well, it sounds hard, but you sound happy about being a chunin!

Ah, although to become a master airbender you have to master all the forms or create a new one. [ NOWHERE NEAR THAT. ]

These are closely guard ninja secrets, but the first stage was a written test, where we were supposed to cheat without being caught! Then we had to live in a forest. And the last stage of the exam, we had, uh, friendly matches with each other. I did indeed have fun, but it was not until my second attempt that I succeeded in passing!

Ohhh and are you a such a master Airbender, Ikki-chan?

You were supposed to cheat? How'd you do it? Didn't anyone get caught??

Nope! You'll know a master if they have their mastery tattoos - they're blue arrows, which would go here, and here, and here - [ she traces the paths on her skin, lightly. ] Girls who're master airbenders shave their hair back to here, too; the boys shave their whole heads. How do you tell if someone's a jounin or chunin?

My teammate, Tenten, used signals to inform me of the correct answers. And yes... some were caught and disqualified. No one I really knew, though. My peers all advanced, but Shikamaru-kun was actually the only one to advance to the chunin rank that year.

Ah, that sounds like a fascinating practice. I am sure you will earn gorgeous tattoos one day! As for the differences... a ninja receives this flak jacket upon becoming a chunin! [He tugs at his own.] Jounin have a minimal difference in uniform; their primary difference is in their power and authority!

He's really amazing, so that's probably why! [ SHADOW PUPPETS. ] So your peers're Ino and Chouji and Shikamaru and Neji and Tenten? [ Confirming that she has this straight, here. ]

The tattoos were modeled after our flying bison! They were the very first airbenders, and our first masters learned from them.

[ She looks at the flak jacket, curiously. ] It's got a lot of pockets! That's neat, though. So anyone with that jacket is a chunin OR a jounin?

I guess you can only really tell airbending masters from looking at them - the other benders don't have mastery tattoos. [ So. Only one real way to tell one form of mastery at a glance. WELP. ]

Yes, and they are only a portion of the Konoha 11! There is also Naruto-kun and Sakura-san and Hinata-san and Kiba-kun and Shino-kun!

This is most fascinating! They sound like truly wonderful creatures. And yes, the many pockets are useful considering the many tools a ninja can carry on their person. The jackets are used for both chunin and jounin rank, yes. And that is good to know. The tattoos alone sound like a clear way to tell the difference.

But you said three man teams! Did they have a five-man team? Who was their teacher?

Yep! Although there's only one master airbender here, and he's my grandpa! And the Avatar. The other two Avatars haven't mastered airbending yet, so they haveta take lessons along with me!

Oh, uh... they are actually two different teams. Hinata-san, Kiba-kun and Shino-kun all form one team which is led by Kurenai-sensei. While... Naruto-kun and Sakura-san are on another team with Kakashi-sensei. [He bites his lip; he dreads having to describe Sasuke's story to anyone. Luckily... there is an easy solution at hand.]

I almost forgot Sai-kun! He is the teammate of Naruto-kun and Sakura-san, yes. [Knew you were good for something, Sai.]

That sounds most interesting! He must be a very wise old man. What is this "Avatar" you speak of?

Soooo you're the Konoha 12? [ This is simple enough math that she does not get a headache, although Lee can watch Ikki count them up on her fingers one by one. ]

Are all of them chunins now? What about jounins, are any of them jounins? Do you have to pass an even bigger test for that?

Nope! Grandpa's fourteen. He's from a long, long time ago for me! An' he was actually made a master at twelve 'cause he made up a form.

Ah, remember bending? The Avatar is the only person who can use all four forms. That's 'cause he's the link between the spirit world and our world, and he keeps balance in the world, and between the four nations. He's a really old spirit - the Avatar spirit is reborn one lifetime after another. Korra is grandpa's reincarnation, and grandpa is the reincarnation of Roku, who's also here!

...Yes! Yes we are!

We are all still of chunin rank. There is another test to become a jounin, but as I have not yet gotten that far, I do not know what it entails. [Disclaimer: All of this paragraph may be subject to jossing because everyone may actually be jounins already.]

Ah - a fourteen-year old grandpa? That is most interesting. [And frightening. Better stay away from that guy.] He sounds powerful for his age. Especially considering all of this stuff regarding the Avatar. There are... three who incarfnations here, you mean? [His head is reeling from all of this.]

[ time skips are confusing and jossfilled ]

Is Sai really forgettable?

Yep! He's really super powerful and fun and nice! He's mastered all four bending forms. [ She nods. ] They're from different times. Uncle Roku is from reallllllllllly far back, Grandpa is from something like seventy years ago, and Korra's from my time!

DYNAMIC... ENTRY!

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idk random very belated tag

Awesome! I'm completely fine with any backtags

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