A chance for the future.

[Uchiha Takeshi]

Takeshi allowed himself to sit at the Hokage office, he was going over the paper work once more it seemed that he was getting used to having to do this work each day, but there were always moments like today that brought a smile to his face. He finished his work for the day as he allowed himself to slide the paper work back into the desk knowing full well that he had a more important subject at hand. He moved the paper work and cleared the desk leaving one last folder in front of the desk. It seemed that he had a simple documentation folder of a member inside of the village and that was the topic of conversation today.

Sitting back in his chair he dispatched the messenger deciding to do this with Yukio present, with the Sennin down and out it seemed that he would have to rely on the Captains to start to roll out the Branch and make sure that they where becoming stronger. He sat patiently waiting for them to arrive pondering if they had finally got the message correct, he allowed his hand to run over his hair making sure it at least looked respective though he had been rushing around so much his own personal appearance had taken a small dip.


[Yoshihisa Requested]
[Yukio Requested]

 

[Shirai Sadao]

Making haste towards the Hokage office Yukio knew it would be a time for change, to give someone the chance to make their way up in the world but would they be up to the task that was something only time could tell and that was their purpose here today knocking on the office door before walking in the Hyuuga gave a bow of respect to his Hokage before speaking. “Here as requested lord fourth, I wonder how things will go today.”

It was a good thing to wonder though each task was a different one the way people would react to them was an unknown factor and what would come of this neither could truly tell though all questions would be answered shortly for better or for worse Yukio could only hope Kodoma could make the choice that stuck to his ideals the individuality of each member and their opinions being an important factor of the branch.

Taking a seat when allowed now the silence hung in the room not much to do bar wait for Kodoma to arrive before anything could be done the expression on the Captains face serious and content as was expected at times like this his mind focused on the task at hand already pondering on what to say and what would be the right things to ask under these circumstances.

 

[Kodoma Yoshihisa]

His hand hovering over the door knob, Yoshihisa mentally prepared himself for whatever there was to come: The day had thus far been rather uneventful aside from the amount of paperwork he had grown accustomed to at this point, making the summon to the Hokage’s office a welcomed change of pace. Within minutes he had found himself where his journey in Konoha had taken shape for better and for worse, giving a swift knock on the door as he waiting for the go-ahead.

Upon entering the room he immediately doubled in a deep bow at his superiors, keeping his gaze down as he uttered his greeting from behind his mask. ”Hokage-sama, Yukio-sama. As per your request, I have answered your summon.” The youth remained motionless for a good few seconds before rising up to face the others. The purpose of this visit was not known to him as of yet, although under the circumstances they presently found themselves it spoke volumes when something required both the attention of one of the ANBU captains as well as a direct assessment of the Hokage. ”My apologies for speaking out of turn, but I am still in the dark on the nature of my presence here today. May I please ask what my duties are from here on out?”

 

[Uchiha Takeshi]

Takeshi allowed himself to smile as he listened to the man speak, it was clear that he had no idea why he was here. But that would change soon, first they had to ask a few questions as he allowed himself to offer out for a seat in those few seconds offering the man a chance to have a seat. He would decide if he wanted to take that seat or not, that option was his and his alone, as Takeshi allowed his hand to come out and turn over the page in front of him, opening the folder on the entire progress that Yoshihisa had made since coming to the village.

“I will inform you of that and why you have been summoned Yoshihisa shortly though myself and Yukio will have a few questions to ask you first before we inform you of anything else. I want to make sure that we have a catch up as it has been a while since you have come to the village and I want to make sure that you are doing ok from here.”

Takeshi allowed himself to look over the folder and knew full well in those few seconds that they had a lot of work ahead of them. They had a few questions and he would be starting off this session in the good old traditional style that he was used to.

“So tell me how are you finding it inside of Leaf, how are you progressing inside of the branch and what are you doing daily if I can ask, just so I know what you have been doing recently to have a catch up.”

 

[Shirai Sadao]

It was understandable the man wished to know why he'd been summoned however all things did not come so easily and steps would have to be taken before handling such a matter. Leaning back in the chair for a moment to listen to what Takeshi would ask the Captain pondered for a brief moment wondering what would be the best angle to take this conversation from before nodding slowly leaning forward. "Indeed I find myself curious how you find the village at this point in time, do you feel things are going smoothly or have you found anything difficult to adjust too?"

His tone was caring clearly wondering if everything was going alright for the ANBU the Hyuuga not being one to shy away from his more caring nature towards those who served in the branch alongside him and Kodama had been nothing but a help since his arrival, however, the man was more than aware of the stress that came hand in hand with such duties. It had been some time since Yukio had been an ANBU and even longer still since the days of AiT though experience gained through those times hadn't slipped and that showed in the calculating look in his eyes.

"What are your opinions of the current trainees, this is something else I wonder though i spend a large chunk of my time with them getting a second opinion on the subject is never a bad thing." It seemed the Clan heads questions would be directed towards the man's views on the branch as a whole

 

[Kodoma Yoshihisa]

Upon taking a seat on the opposite side of the desk there was a pause during which he worked to remove his mask, the familiar tone set thus far indicating that the meeting at hand was by no means a formal one. ”It would be pointless to lie about these matters: Aside from my professional obligation, I haven’t tied myself down to Konoha. Granted, a vastly different culture takes getting used to, but that would imply I have a desire of any sort to experience it in a different light.” His hands resting on his lap, Yoshihisa’s stared out in front of him with his regular stoic expression plastered across his face, all the while internally torn on whether he had preferred this ‘casual’ approach over a life-or-death situation of any kind.

”As it stands, I feel like little more than a mercenary filing paperwork and aiming to rise up the ranks solely because I want to test my capabilities without being even remotely invested in the subject matter.” There was a weary sigh as he absentmindedly fidgeted with his mask, going through great lengths to avoid eye contact as he did. He knew that he couldn’t keep his inner thoughts to himself forever, but right now there was a burning desire to stall indefinitely from here on out. ”With my recent promotion to ANBU instructor I has become easier to regain some sort of grip on my life, to set my own standards in order to counteract dissatisfaction. But even if I try to deliver the highest level of quality, if I try to turn what I touch into gold, it still isn’t enough.” Another pause, and when he spoke next his voice would begin to show the first cracks in the facade that was his calm and indifferent exterior. ”Not a day goes by in which I am not feeling like I simply don’t belong here.”

Yoshihisa lowered his head as he realized that with the cat out of the bag, there could very well be no point beyond this to speak of. It was in the hands of his superiors once more, and bubbling on the surface was the nagging feeling that he had inadvertently begun to burn bridges from all sides. It couldn’t be helped. ”And while it pains me that I can’t repay the kindness you’ve shown me when I got here by putting my heart into my work, I should at the very least be thankful for it, Hokage-sama.” A sense of relief washed over him, the weight on his shoulders was momentarily lifted and for the first time in forever it almost felt like he had his mind to himself again.

 

[Uchiha Takeshi]

Takeshi allowed himself to have a few seconds as he glanced over to Yukio, he allowed a small sigh to himself as he allowed the conversation to continue, knowing full well that each step that they took was another one forward, though it seemed that Yoshihisa was not adapting to being inside of Leaf as well as expected, from a personal point of view, that brought doubt to the Hokage something that was rare these days, he would normally have just ended this meeting there, a nice polite gesture and it would go no further as he allowed himself to think over all of the replies that had been coming back and forth between the group.

Takeshi allowed himself to think on the situation as he glanced over to Yukio, it was clear that he was wondering how to approach this yet wanted to come with the best possible way. It was never good news when someone was saying that they did not feel part of the community that was something that Takeshi would not stand for as he allowed himself to bring his hands up to his chin as he looked down to the dossier file in those couple of minutes.

“I have to ask why you have not decided to try and integrate yourself into the life of the village, after all your military record speaks for itself. But people need more than that, they need to see what you are like when you live inside of the village. I must ask why are you not connecting with the village? What are your plans for staying inside of the village if I can ask, just so I have a rough idea of what you are wanting to do to allow yourself to feel at home? Just want to see what is keeping you from bonding with leaf is all”

 

[Shirai Sadao]

Meeting Takeshi’s glance Yukio felt they were thinking relatively the same thing, it seemed Kodoma didn’t quite consider himself a member of leaf village yet still wished to test what he was capable of taking a few moments to ponder on the mans words before listening to Takeshi speak. It was interesting to say the least there was very little they truly knew about this man, and what his goals and objectives were simply scratching the surface of his personality.

“I see, on that note you say you wish to test yourself while keeping the village at arm’s length, however to that end I must wonder if there is anything more to such a thing. What is it that prevents you from getting to know those within the village more, finding your place and seeking new heights with the trust we could place in you?” The Hyuuga wasn’t one to shy away from asking personal or blunt questions in essence the captain and Hokage were the two sides of the coin one being considerate and asking questions as such the other being blunt and direct.

Wondering how Kodoma would take these questions it was interesting to see what kind of person he was, nothing like what was expected then again judging by appearance and word of mouth was never a good way to figure out what someone was truly like most people having a public and a private face the two never getting too close to one another.

 

[Kodoma Yoshihisa]

Any other day Yoshihisa would have taken to the father-and-son dynamic before his eyes with great interest, right now his priority lay elsewhere as he painstakingly put his thoughts into a satisfying explanation. ”I have to admit that I got off on the wrong foot, feeling that if anything my stay here would be temporary and getting attached would only invite complications. I constantly reminded myself that everything I should be invested in was waiting for me back home.” It dawned on him that if anything, the village in a sense had somewhat grown on him, as making these personal confessions was something that he would have only done under direct orders to do so in the past. He felt so out of touch with what he used to know, not even having a clear opinion anymore on whether or not he preferred to be subjected to this treatment.

”When it became time to get realistic with my future, I decided that I may as well double down and think solely about my career instead.” He glanced over at his superiors, not entirely sure where to take this next. While there was plenty passion to be had regarding the subject of work, he felt like just perhaps now wasn’t quite the right moment to go about it and instead decided to elaborate from where he had left off. ”My social plans for the future in this village are still very much alive, however, although they are not my primary focus. But as with any man, there comes a point in time where you’d consider having a family of your own, especially when there is none in your life to speak of.” He, who would have refused to break under the threat of severe torture or death had basically blurted out the very first thing that came to mind and with it had given away what was such an intimate goal to him. He immediately regretted doing so, but like on so many other occasions he was not in the position to take back those words: Besides he also wasn’t amongst the select few who could completely do without company in his life.

He cast his gaze down at the mask, the woodpecker-stylized markings having faded to the point where it could barely be distinguished as a tool befitting his position. A pang of shame went through Yoshihisa upon the realization, although it didn’t mellow his tone in the slighest as he spoke once more, his words spat out with utter contempt. ”As for the trainees, present and not so distant future, I have to say that most would not even meet the standards I would uphold for them to handle the pencil they’d use to sign up for an exam. Expecting quality in but one thing, however the amount of transgressions from this generation of academy students and trainees alike make me think that with Soku-san and Izumi-san as the sole exceptions there may very well be no new additions to the inner circle anytime soon. The stain left by Dokuso Maru has to be washed away, and there are those all too willing to take his place.”

 

[Uchiha Takeshi]

Takeshi allowed himself to sit back in his seat as he knew full well that he still had a lot of work to cover, though a small smile came to his face as he listened to the words that had been spoken by Yoshi it seemed that the man knew about the training of the ANBU this was something he would have to get used to. Though he allowed himself to look over the records studying the work that had been done by the man since he had joined the village it seemed that his service record was a clean one, almost perfect.

“I understand that you are hesitant about getting involved in the village, but you will need to start to now. You wanted to call this place home and see what the future holds for you. I am sure that you already know that this would be coming and with your training of the ANBU branch, you have shown that you can have drive and hard work in that area so what is the difference for real life and how can I help improve that situation?”

Takeshi allowed his words to settle in before he wrote on the document that was in front of him. Giving the information that was needed to the pages he allowed himself to glance at the notes as he filled them in carefully. He finished the writing before he went back to leaning in his chair as he brought the purple eyes directly up to face the ANBU as he pondered the reply on the branch knowing full well that this man had the passion that he was looking for and the drive that would be needed that was something he could get behind and respected from a person who was willing to give so much to a village.

“Yoshihisa, it has been deemed that you are going to step up inside of the ANBU Branch, with the events of frost unfolding, war is around the corner and we need people who are able to lead, who are able to train and who are able to see the long term and not just the short. The end answer fills in the blanks that I needed. I cannot stress enough that you need to try and fit inside of the village though the future is unknown and we need the pillars of strength to hold things up.”

Takeshi reached into the draw on the desk as he allowed himself to produce out a black ANBU Robe with a white hood. Signalling the appointment and official title and capacity of an ANBU Captain. As he placed it on the desk he slid it in the direction of Yoshihisa.

“Yuki is acting branch Sennin as Maki is currently in disposed, you will report to her for a briefing of the expectations and what will be required of you. At the same time Yukio here will help you with the adjustments. Congratulations ANBU Captain.”

[Kodoma Yoshihisa is promoted to ANBU Captain.]

 

[Shirai Sadao]

Kodoma had passed their questions and quite well at that his open nature towards the situation proved he was worth of the position rising from his chair the Hyuuga took a few strides towards the newly appointed captain giving a nod of approval and respect to the man. "Welcome to the trio of captains, safe to say it will be something to adjust to though do not let such things concern you. Taken step by step it shouldn't be long before your in the swing of things." Nodding once more the Hyuuga chuckled in his mind seeing how different each test could be.

The moment took him back to his own ANBU Captain exam where as kodoma was taking the mantle of Diplomat Yukio's potion was gained very much by a trail by fire his chuckle coming from the realisation each test was never easy had one question been answered differently it could have gone any other way but that was not the case. With his addition into their ranks the branch would once again find the stability of three captains and from this point forward it would be up to them to make sure everything was in order for Maki's return.

 

[Kodoma Yoshihisa]

Pondering over the Hokage’s words, there was the struggle to find a single solution that he himself shouldn’t be tasked to obtain instead, so although he appeared to appreciate the offer for assistance all Yoshihisa could eventually do was politely decline. ”My thanks for your most kind offer, Hokage-sama, but I’m afraid nothing springs to mind that I require direct aid with as of yet. But I shall surely inform you whenever this changes.” He bowed his head in reverence, his gaze briefly falling on the documents as he sat back up, anticipating the next series of questions to be upon him any second now. When this wasn’t the case, the young man nonetheless couldn’t deny the gravity behind the statements as he was fully aware what bleak future there may be resting ahead despite not having known war during his lifetime. It wasn’t until he was presented with his new function that he was truly taken aback however, momentarily being at a loss as he couldn’t help but stare the coveted robes down from his end of the desk.

”...” There was so much he could have said, but at the same time he imagined nothing would have truly sufficed to commemorate this moment. His hand ran across the fabric of the robe, a shiver running down his spine like none before it and for a second he had been blissfully unaware that there was far more to the position than mere accessories, something he was sure to immediately remind himself of when he came back to his senses. ”I want to express my graditude for this opportunity, and that by accepting I will strive to bring honor to the branch that I have been tasked to lead.” Like clockwork he rose to his feet and followed with a deep bow that stopped an inch or two before his face would have slammed unto the desk. His words were still very much controlled and well measured, but it was most certainly a cause for celebration.

But all in all it felt liberating, to know that he could put some of his more ambitious ideas to practice with the office behind him, ideas that would serve a village that may not be his in his mind but was nonetheless plagued by sizable threats that couldn’t help but draw his attention, and with it his ire. If it had been any other scenario he may have asked not to forgo an exam, but as time was of the essence there was little reason to let pride take the wheel. ”It shall be my main priority to get informed first before setting a course of action, although I am afraid that the time draws near where establishing contact with the Shimokage may prove to-..” He stopped halfway through his sentence as he realized that he was making too many assumptions on his duties from here on out: As shrewd as he may be and despite his newfound authority, most of his actions carried enough weight that he was not responsible for them alone. ”My apologies. Please carry on.”

[MFT]

 

[Uchiha Takeshi]

Takeshi allowed himself to smile slightly as everything was sorted in one slow go. It seemed that the two of them continued to prove that they made the right choice in making him a Captain inside of the Branch. Takeshi allowed himself a few moments, a few moments to sit back and allow himself to enjoy the sites, he knew full well that the situation that they had found themselves in was one that was rare even by the standards of the Uchiha. As he allowed himself to enjoy the moments that like this when everything was calm, but once more Takeshi found his mind being pulled back from the dreaming reality that he was in.

“Anyway, that is now done now and I look forward to seeing what you bring to the branch, do not waste this chance. Do not let it slip from your grasp as someone who is determined I am sure to expect and see great things from yourself Yoshihisa. Now with that I think we are all done here in terms of discussing everything that we need to talk about. If you two will excuse me I have to go back to the tasks for the day to get them sorted.”

With that Takeshi allowed his hand to come out, it was not in malice nor was it in anything but kindness as he allowed the two men to be seen to the door before getting more paper work out and going back to his tasks. Takeshi allowed himself a few moments as he went back to the task at hand.

[MFT: 266]
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