[Minamoto Mei]

Mei took in a long, slow breath, tasting the air in Yukigakure for the first time in five years and sighed, a mixture of sulfur, snow, and salt filling her nostrils with its familiar, acrid scent. It had been half a decade since the Yuki woman had set foot in the village proper, and as she looked out at the buildings from her place atop the wall, she couldn’t help but wonder. The time she had spent apart from the village and shinobi life had been wonderful, even if her wife was a handful and a half on a good day, but to see Yukigakure again, to see it slowly recovering so well from the loss of two Lady’s back to back… it was almost enough to make her smile.

Almost.

Leaping off the wall with a grunt, the white-haired woman made her way across the rooftops, noting her GOKA tail the moment they arrived but not bothering to shake them. It was likely the news hadn’t broken yet, not with her only just arriving, so they could be forgiven the paranoia. It was highly likely they simply didn’t recognize her, even with the Yukigakure headband slung about her neck. Still, she wasn’t about to just let them get away with the disrespect- she would have to have a word with whoever was in charge of the group these days, if anyone even was, and make sure they knew to keep their dogs on a tight leash. Especially if they want to keep them intact.

The thought put a soft smile on the Yuki’s face, her lips parting as she took in the cold summer air and landed in front of the building Shuuka had written about, not the official Lady’s office but a secondary one set in the village and meant for use whenever the Castle of Black Ice was in need of renovation. Or whenever the Lady wanted to meet with someone without a thousand people knowing about it ten minutes before anything was discussed.

Mei entered the place without a word, giving the Chuunin who was manning the desk a scowl when he tried to speak to her, and went into the office in the back, shutting the door behind her before she said, voice calm and artificially polite as ever, "Lady Shuuka.” There was no bow, only a slight dip of her head, but Shuka would understand the lack of deference for what it was; Not an insult, but a statement. I am not yours to bend, as Saya did.

Yuki Shuka