The swim had been a little perilous, but he had made it across without almost drowning. Wouldn't that have been a funny demise for him. He had taken the morning to rest and dry off, not minding the salt crystals and sand granules that clung to his fur even as the water evaporated. It was a familiar sensation, and as an avid swimmer there was no sense in brushing it off as he would likely just get back into the water sometime soon anyway. With the scent of ocean sea salt strong in his nose Hage didn't realise just how close he was to a pack border until the musk of it hit him right in the face upon trying to squeeze through the thick bamboo. As an unfortunately small wolf, he had a knack for slipping into tight spaces, and while he may have been able to get through, the pack border repelled him. Hage was no rogue; he would never purposefully enter claimed territory without express permission, and so with ears flicking back against his skull and muttering under his breath he moved back from the bamboo. Just because he didn't break rules, it didn't mean he had to be happy about it. It seemed he would now be going around the bamboo forest instead of through, even if that added more days to his trek time. Whatever, it wasn't as if he was in a hurry. He could lose that time.

It wasn't every day a stranger approached the bamboo, least of all for them to think about it for a moment and then turn to go the other way. Hattori's borders were well-marked and maintained, there was no denying a pack resided here, even the nose blind would realise that, so he couldn't say he was surprised by the loners behaviour. Still, he found himself stepping out of the Maze to take a proper look at the loner, only to find his markings were familiar. That this was a wolf far from home.

"You are from Nihon." He uttered, loud enough for the loner to hear him speak.

He had barely turned to walk when an imposing figure stepped out from the bamboo, swatched in an inky black with splotches of orange all over his body. The wolf stood at almost three times his own height, and Hage found himself tipping his head back just to look up into the wolf's face. While he had never seen this wolf before, the markings were distinctive of his homeland. Perhaps they were cousins? The other wolf's grey gaze was intense as he spoke the native language of Hage's homeland, and he nodded his head at the question. "Yes, I have travelled from from home in search of my own path," he said simply, feeling the words roll comfortably off his tongue. Though he had no real preference over his native tongue and the common language, Hage liked the way it sounded. It seemed more elegant, and befitting of royalty. Though here he was far from that. "I am Akizora Hageshī." His introduction was brief and to the point, but not rude. Clearly this wolf was part of the pack that lived within the bamboo and Hage was not about to go pissing him off, but he was also not a wolf of unnecessary words. He waited silently for the wolf to give up his own name, allowing a rare moment of patience to overcome in given the circumstances.

The stranger was polite enough, cordial in his response and seemed glad to speak the native tongue. Hattori understood that sentiment and nodded curtly, listening as the tiny koi introduced himself. His markings were not from a bloodline he immediately recognised, but that was to be expected since he had been away from Nihon for years now, much had likely changed in his absence. His offered name was equally unknown to the Kaicho, but that mattered little in the silver of his eyes.

"Hattori." He introduced himself in turn, nodding politely as one did in their culture. "I am the Kaicho of Tojo-kai." He went on to explain, knowing the stranger would understand the weight of his title, what it represented.  "Many koi wolves reside here."

The other wolf was just as polite, but not overbearingly so. Hage dipped his head respectfully, thinking back to see if he remembered the name. While he hadn't directly met another bearing it, he felt like he had heard it in passing when he had been younger. It sounded vaguely familiar, at least. Goldenrod ears perked forward at the title introduction, immediately lowering his head an inch and making sure his body language was appropriately considerate of the rank difference between them. His gaze dropped to Hattori's chin, only flicking up at the mention of more wolves that had either originated from their homeland, or were at the very least descended from them. "There are more of us here?" Hage had intended to separate from his family and make something of himself where he would not be held to ridiculously high standards and compared to all those who had come before him. At the same time, he missed home. He missed his brethren. Perhaps it would be good for him to return to a more koi-centred family, but consisting of wolves who did not already know him. "Do you have room for one more koi?" It was a forward question, but Hage did not like to beat around the bush. He was quite direct, liking to get to the point of the conversation rather than engaging in small-talk.

Hattori grunts in affirmation. It was mostly intentional too, though non koi wolves were not thrown out if they wished to join. As long as everyone pulled their weight, Hattori would make room for them. It was as simple as that. He knew the allure of finding a home amongst kindred spirts, that joining would likely be an alluring prospect and sure enough the tiny stranger asked if there was room for another. Hattori nodded, willing to open the proverbial gates and let him in. There was a brief matter to discuss beforehand though.

"There is, however I wish to make some things clear before you are one of us. Outsiders, in no circumstances are allowed within the Bamboo, that is simply how it is and will always be. You are free to roam and are not restricted to pack territories, but do not make it a habit of being absent for months at a time. Do you have any questions?"

While most other wolves would be more open with their emotions and expressing gratitude at the initial confirmation of a potential opening in a pack, Hage simply pricked his ears forward, brows raising slightly in anticipation. It was uncommon for him to fully show his emotions, the only one that was really able to slip through often being annoyance. But here he had nothing to be displeased about, and so he appeared likely more calm than Hattori was expecting of him. He listened attentively as Hattori spoke, explaining some rules on the comings and goings of pack and non-pack members. Hage nodded firmly in response. "None for now, your rules are reasonable." As a stickler for rules, he would not deviate from them in the slightest. If no outsiders were allowed within the Bamboo then he would ensure it never happened on his watch. His silvery grey gaze glanced at the bamboo stalks behind Hattori, wondering just how extensive they were, and if anyone would show him around should Hattori decide to let him join.

The newcomer was agreeable enough and didn't seem to have any questions. If he thought of some later he would only need to ask. With a flick of his tail, Hattori gestured for the tiny koi to follow him, to step into the Bamboo. From the outside it seemed near impenetrable, a fortress made of ancient trees, but Hattori had lived here long enough to know the paths and routes by heart. And in time Hageshī would know as well. As the Kaicho led him deeper, he turned to the yellow and black wolf.

"What are your interests? Do you know how to fight?"

Hage wasted no time in following after Hattori, having to take multiple brisk steps for each of the other wolf's long strides. He was envious of the height advantage, wishing his own growth spurt had continued beyond somewhere between a child and adult. But it seemed he was cursed to forever stay this small. At first the bamboo had seemed like simply just a thick forest of sorts, nigh impossible to get into other than for the occasional small gaps just large enough for a wolf to squeeze through, not that he had any issues squeezing into small spaces. But he quickly realised it was a maze, with branching pathways that all looked exactly the same. It was safe to say he was completely lost, and fully relying on Hattori to guide him through. Even with using his nose he'd struggle to follow his own scent trail back out. He craned his neck up to look at Hattori as the wolf spoke again. "I know the basics, but I'm looking to improve my fighting skills." Given his small stature it was difficult to learn how to fight without being pushed around, but he had learned to focus on his speed and defense so far. "I like to learn, doesn't matter what it's about." Knowledge was important to Hage, regardless of what it was. Except politics, he didn't much care for the specifics of that.

Hattori nodded. Most koi wolves had a basic understanding of fighting, it was simply a part of their culture, but as with all things skill levels varied. Hattori knew he'd arrived here in terrible condition, that it took seasons of training and recuperation for him to be back in his best form. He imagined that applied to many who made the journey from Nihon to Boreas or Auster. It was a long way, the journey as tiring as it was difficult.

"You can learn here, if you wish. There any many wolves who would spar with you. Or if you wish, we could hunt some predators together.?" Hattori was always willing to cut down the predator populations around his claimed territories.

He was not new to the idea of sparring as it was a common way for youngsters to begin to understand how to move and fight, but predators was not something he had very much experience going up against. Given his small stature he was one well-timed bite away from certain death while growing up, and even now that was still at the forefront of his mind. But with some assistance, especially from a wolf as large as Hattori, he would be willing to give his skills a test against something else with just as sharp teeth. "Both options are agreeable to me," Hage said with a definite nod. Whether it was with Hattori or another member of Tojo-kai he would not mind. "Is there anything else I should know law-wise?" It would be good to at least be aware of the most important rules before he began to integrate with the others.

Hattori thought for a moment, his eyes narrowing slightly. Were they any laws of note? Most were very basic and entirely reasonable if you asked him, the only one that really stood out was no outsiders inside the Bamboo. But he'd already told him about that.

"We do not involve ourselves in the squabbles of others, nor do we need to make alliances. We are not outwardly aggressive, we simply are self-sufficient. If you meet an outside you are not forbidden to speak with them, or befriend them if you wish, simply do not tell them clan secrets or bring them inside the Bamboo. If you must provide them with shelter, then use the Bay. "

As they wove around bends and corners a wolf unfamiliar to this place would have a hard time navigating. There were no signs or directions, simply the occasional lantern to light up the darkest areas, where the bamboo grew its thickest.

"If you ever find yourself lost, call for help. Someone will find you. " Either a companion or pack mate, it didn't matter really.

Hage made sure to pay attention, and to look like he was paying attention as that was usually where he drew the line. It took effort, but in this case it was worth it. He didn't need to think too much about Hattori's words, finding them pretty self-explanatory. Making friends wasn't really a thing he did often, if really ever, finding the comfort of being alone sufficient majority of the time. But it was good information to know regardless. "That sounds reasonable to me." He had been so focused on Hattori that he felt completely lost within the bamboo maze, not even sure which direction they were currently heading in, but not that it mattered. The place was full of twists and turns. His silvery grey eyes glanced once more at the other wolf, nodding in response, feeling that he might have to do that a few times before he got a sense of this place. Of course he would try to find his own way out, likely getting himself even more lost in the process. Asking for help was hard for him, but if it was between taking a hit to his pride and being lost for days, he could make an exception. He assumed Hattori was leading him to where the main pack living area was located, even if to him it felt like they were just going in circles. Idly Hage wondered just how many other koi wolves there would be, and if they would be just as welcoming as Hattori was.

Hattori prided himself as a reasonable man, the sort who didn't make things more complicated than they needed to be. He had no doubt made mistakes in his past and made a right mess of things, but he felt as though he had turned over a new leaf. Mellowed out somewhat after his deeds of the long night. At least here new beginnings could be forged, like the sprouts of young bamboo. He was confident that Hage would fit in well here, that this could be his new home. He simply needed to make an effort, which he seemed to be both capable and willing to do.