[center][h2][color=Crimson]Senju, Hotsuma[/color][/h2]
[sub][i]Tiger of Konoha[/i]
[@Hillan] - [i]Shimodaruma Reisei[/i]
[@Angel Eyes] - [i]Oichi Tsubaki[/i]
[@Raijinslayer] - [i]Uzumaki Kiyoshi[/i][/sub][/center]
[hr][hr]

[color=Crimson][i]"Five million ryo…. I guess it serves me right, but that doesn't really make it hurt any less."[/i][/color] 

After four years he was finally back in Konohagakure, though perhaps not exactly in the fashion he would've liked. Having been stopped by Konoha shinobi while mulling over the merits of returning of his own free will, Hotsuma had surrendered willfully, unwilling to harm his fellow countrymen after so long spent away. While he should've expected it due to his rather abrupt appearance all those years back, being court martialed wasn't exactly a pleasant experience. And [i]five million ryo[/i]? Perhaps it was better than incarceration or execution, but it certainly seemed like he'd be slaving away for quite a while to properly pay the hefty fine off. There was some small comfort in the fact that he was allowed the position of jounin in order to earn money, but it all seemed rather abrupt. He hadn't even been back for a whole day yet when they shoved a uniform at him and had him meet with a squad. It was an awkward start, as Hotsuma had never been terribly good with introductions, but at the very least he'd gotten to know all of their names. It was a lot at once, frankly. Hell, Mawari was [i]Hokage[/i]. With that in mind, he hadn't neglected to see how the Second, his former master, was doing after the war. And while it pained him somewhat to see what the war had done to the man, it was good to catch up.

It certainly did him good after he'd received news about the death of his older brother. Taken by sickness. While on the one hand it may have been better than a violent death at the hands of enemy shinobi, Hotsuma couldn't help but feel ashamed. He and Madarame had promised to see each other after war's end, yet neither of them were able to hold to their word. But the blame lay purely on Hotsuma. If he hadn't decided to desert, he could've at least been there at Madarame's side when he passed. He could've [i]kept his word[/i]. While Hidorama and Kureha were glad to have their youngest son back, Hotsuma decided that he'd rather not live within the walls of the Senju compound. That being said, Hotsuma had managed to acquire a home shortly after his arrival, and while it wasn't the most comfortable, it was something he could live with.

Hotsuma didn't have anything of note lined up today due to a lack of a mission assignment, but that didn't mean he still didn't want to break in the new uniform a little bit more. It felt a bit odd being back in a flak jacket, or even wearing a forehead protector, after all the time that had passed.  But soon enough he'd get over it. He'd certainly have to if he was ever going to pay off that five million ryo, that much was for sure. He had been considering calling the squad together to run some drills when he heard a figure dropped down into his line of sight, immediately putting him on the defensive. [color=Crimson]"What the he-..."[/color] Mawari? No. Despite initially being startled by the sudden appearance of the woman in his home, it quickly became apparent that this figure wasn't the Hokage herself, but a mere clone. What in the world was she doing all the way out in Kumogakure? With a pair of chunin and a [i]genin[/i] no less? [color=Crimson]"Well, I can't exactly ignore that now, can I?"[/color] Hotsuma muttered, sighing as he exited his house. Mawari always knew how to lay it on thick, but putting responsibility for three kids' death on his shoulders? That was pretty heavy. Well, no helping it. Breaking into a quick sprint, he raced off to find the members of his squad and gather them for the impromptu mission that had been thrust upon them….


[hr]

[center][i]Just Outside Konohagakure[/i][/center]

[color=Crimson]"Alright, well…. I already gave you guys the rundown on why I snatched you up, but I figure I should make some things clear. You are not to speak of this mission to [i]anyone[/i]. If anyone knows the Hokage was out screwing around in Kumo territory, it'd cause one hell of a mess. Second off, keep sharp. I just met you guys, so I'd rather not have to tell your parents I let you get yourself killed on my first day as your squad leader, alright? Reisei. Tsubaki. Hopefully our comrades won't have gotten themselves terribly injured by the time we arrive, but if they do… You know the drill. Kiyoshi, you do what you do best. Best case scenario is that they have the Kumo-nin mopped up by the time we get there. But if not, I wanna see your A-game from all of you. Lady Hokage may only have one eye, but it'll be plenty to watch the four of us with."[/color] Hotsuma explained, flashing the team an "OK" sign before turning on his heel.

[color=Crimson]"Try to keep up. We're gonna need to fire on all cylinders for this one."[/color]
And with that, the Tiger of Konoha and Team Wanderer were off to assist the Hokage and company, and hopefully avoid a full-on international incident while they were at it….