By Our Powers Combined, We Summon the Robokage! [Requesting Takahashi Sousuke]

[Zentaru Tatsuya]

The Kazekage's Tower - a building that stands tall and proud, pretty sure meant to be a symbol of Sunagakure's unyielding and courageous rise from the dark caverns below. Probably. Or something. He was not too sure. He was just happy that his family's crest was painted onto a side of the tower. He'd like to believe it happened to be the front side, even though all eight sides were exactly the same, and had entrances at the foot of each.

Kyo arrived with Mako, and beckoned the stranger to follow him into the building. Once inside, he could see the stark contrast in the how busy the place was. People were rushing back and forth constantly, and the reception seemed to always be occupied. Kyo lead Mako towards the closest one that was free, and addressed the receptionist behind the counter. "Excuse me, I am Kyokusō of the Taisen clan, Kyo for short. I am here with a certain Sachi A. Mako, who is here to see Takahoshi Sousuke. I would like to formally request an audience with him." He stated, realizing then and there that he was missing out an important detail - the specifics of why Mako wanted to talk to Sousuke. Oh wells. He felt like it was because they were old friends. Were they? Maybe. Maybe not.

He was a bit tired now, to be frank. But also actually very excited. It was now approaching the evening that he had arrived, given the detours that Mako and him had on the way. Then again, it was summer, so plenty of daylight - and hence plenty of time left to meet the Kage. Kyo had a chance to know a bit more about Mako while making their way here, and needless to say he was keen to stick around, to see what would happen.

OOC: Mako, feel free to add in any tidbit that you'd like, I purposefully left the description of the process of Kyo and Mako getting to the Tower untold, so you can add it in. They could have stopped for some food or whatever. Kyo's family is rich so he probably paid lol.

[Thread entered as Taisen Kyokusō]
[Entering with Mako]
[Requesting Takahoshi Sousuke]

 

[Gotō Daiji]

After a few seconds of struggling, a youth with a gigantic shank of meat strapped to his back squeezed through the Tower doors. "Hehe...~" a sly laugh sounded out as he sauntered over towards his last-second guide. As he walked he couldn't help but let his large round eyes wander around the room. This place was huge! "Wow!" An understatement if there ever was one. His gaze drifted upwards as he stopped in the middle of the lobby. Y'know, for being a desert village, Sunagakure sure had a lot of vistas. Hidden caverns, untouched oases, giant towers...he never would've imagined somewhere like this could hide such wonders. "Sosuke lives here, huh?" By this point the foreigner was attracting a lot of eyes. Partly because of his bedraggled appearance and partly because of the person-sized hunk of food he had tied to his shoulders. Any gaze that came his way was returned as soon as the wonderment wore off. Mako's head shifted back and forth, eyeballing just about every person in the lobby. "Who the hell're all these people?" "Odd" didn't even begin to describe the situation...

Seemed like a common theme, with this one.

It took a while but eventually his confusion faded and he gave a simple shrug, jogging slightly to catch up with Kyokuso. One of his hands reached behind his back to tear a chunk of meat off the bone, popping it into his mouth immediately after. "Hanksh ahgen foh da fooh!" Gibberish? Probably. Mako's usual blank expression occupied his mug as he chewed vigorously...until he attempted to get it down. His mouth was big, but the hunk of protein he'd inhaled was a bit bigger. Luckily all it took was pounding on his exposed chest a few times to dislodge the problem. The traveler then took a rather painful-looking swallow, hunched over, and sighed afterwards. "Whew!~" Yet another close call. Eating was a dangerous activity after all... "How'd you pay for all that, anyway?" the question came as Mako stood back up to his full height and turned his attention towards his temporary guide. Not just the hunk of meat, but Kyokuso actually footed the entire bill when the two stopped to grab some grub on the way here. In typical Mako fashion...It was pure chaos. He must've eaten the restaurant's entire inventory! Or damn near it, at least. But still the boy didn't so much as break a sweat (or if he did, he was good at hiding it) when they were quoted a cost for the massacre. He must've been rich! His usual innocent-looking eyes narrowed upon the lad and he leaned backwards a little. It was obvious. He had him all figured ou- "...are you a robber?" Of course. It was the only explanation. The only. Explanation.

In the meanwhile, he would simply stand there and wait. Not much else to do now. Hopefully Sousuke wasn't too busy dealing with...robot...stuff. Metalmen were very busy people. If he was too distracted, the foreigner could probably always find that "R" guy around somewhere. If he remembered right he had a pretty distinct presence. Kinda like his. If he put his mind to it he could probably feel him out. But perhaps that would come later. Wonder if he ever got that nub fixed...

[Topic Entered w/ Kyokuso]

 

[Takahashi Aki]

The receptionist looked at the boy and his company with a bit of a curious glance. The girl was a goth teen who had got a summer job at the Kazekage tower. She looked at Kyokuso and then back to Mako, then back to Kyokuso. The receptionist was for a few more moments longer a mute, until she spoke up. "L-Lord Sousuke? The Steward is ... ... he's occupied at the moment, but he's supposed to be back in like two minutes. He's pretty prompt with his time schedule ... and he's not known to be late."<i></i> She would pull an appointment book open, and she would flip the pages over to today's date. She ran his finger down the timelines. "Right. So. He's ... uhm Doin' a Mission in a place called 'Inferno', which is like ... not a really nice place. It's really fiery with demons and stuff. That being said ... it's supposed to be over in like ... one minute and thirty seconds. I'm pretty sure he'll take the appointment, but he'll be like not very neat and tidy. He might be burned in a few spots, and or covered in purple goop. It's a thing. It happens. Who knew demons bleed purple."<i></i>

With fifteen seconds to spare on the clock, the doors would open and in came the smell of something burnt and burnt to a crisp. If the two gentlemen would turn around they would indeed find who they were looking for. Like the receptionist said, they would find the man's armour darkened in certain places, and the cape he wore had some holes burnt through it. The man of the hour was very much here, and maybe in some respects was the same man Mako had met some time ago. The lenses on his helmet glowed white as he took a few steps forward. As forecasted yes, there was indeed some purple goop on his armour which was seemingly burnt on. He looked at Kyokuso and then Mako. The eye lenses seemed to glow brighter for a moment, as he walked to the reception desk. "My messages if you'd be so kind."<i></i> The receptionist would pout for a moment, and then hand him the messages. He would turn around and look over them. "I suspect Kyokuso of the Taisen Household and Mako of the House Sachi are here to see me."<i></i> The receptionist turned a slight shade of pink. Sousuke would turn around once again and notice the shade of pink, which meant he was indeed correct.

The teenager's mouth opened, then closed, then opened. "Uh... yeah. Right you are as usual Lord Steward!"<i></i> She paused for a moment. "How'd you know?"<i></i> Sousuke would point to his head with his index finger. Oh yes. Of course he knew, the man was a walking encyclopedia of Sungakurian house names and he knew everyone. She always wondered how he knew, but the answer he would provide was 'he knew, because it is expected that he knows'. The Steward at the time of the incident at the Orders was the Kazekage. He was Kazekage in the absence of a Sunahoshi. Now that Sunahoshi Katuso had taken the throne, Sousuke had stepped down as Kazekage.

The Steward would turn to look at Mako now. He would stare at him right in the eye. "Your hair and clothes have seen better times. Still the same face, eyes, and cheek bones. Smile lines. They are indeed a thing, or so I've noticed. Yet here you are fully functional."<i></i> He spoke mechanically, but it was pleasant enough. Sousuke would then turn his attention over to Kyokuso. "Young Kyokuso of the Taisen household. How are you faring in completing your undertakings for this particular day?"<i></i>

MFT 300+

 

[Zentaru Tatsuya]

If it was not for the fact that Mako was so obviously abnormal, Kyo might have reacted quite vociferously to being accused of being a robber. But given this case, Kyo simply turned around and shook his head in response to Mako's suggestion. "No Mako, I've told you. My family has money... we are not of the great clans of Sunagakure, but the Taisen clan still has a decent standing. We can... afford things."

Kyo pondered for a moment, wondering whether to go ahead with saying what he was thinking in his head. He was just so, so curious. Urghh. Nah, he was taught better than that. So instead, he silently waited for the time to pass, as Mako continued to chomp on his food or whatever he was doing. With fifteen seconds to spare, Sousuke appeared, in all his splendor. Kyo had never seen the Kazekage-Steward in real life before, or even pictures of him. But he had heard of very detailed descriptions, though even those did not do Sousuke enough justice. The man really was in full armor, made from some material Kyo could not identify. He was not even sure what the glowing lights were or... if Sousuke was even (fully) human? The question that was bugging him was coming further and further to the forefront, now that both Sousuke and Mako was in the room.

Kyo watched as Sousuke approached the reception for his messages, and, prior to really going through them, asked about both Kyo and Mako. For a second, it did not register - but then Kyo realized that the receptionist did not actually write down details of him and Mako quite yet. So wait, what, Sousuke just knew who they were?

Was it a mind probe? No... unlikely. Kyo may still be only developing his bloodline powers now, but he would know otherwise, especially given the specific blood that coursed through his veins. Yamanakans were proud of their sharp mentality, and it would not do if they had their mind simply read. So that means... Sousuke simply knows about Kyo because, well, he knows about everyone. He listened intently as Sousuke addressed Mako, and once again, that nagging question came to the forefront.

What did Sousuke mean by 'yet here you are fully functional'? Did that really imply what Kyo was hoping it implied?

Good afternoon, lord steward." Kyo greeted Sousuke upon being addressed with a polite bow, first before answering the question directed at him. "It is an honor to meet you. The citizens of Sunagakure, myself included, have you amongst those to thank for keeping us safe." On to answering the question. "I have fared well today lord steward, thank you for asking. I have... learnt a lot today."

And now, to his own question, one that he just could not hold in anymore. He just hoped it would not come out as being too rude. "Lord steward sir, it seems like you and Mako knows each other. Given your... appearance, and Mako's, may I ask if you... well... are you both human puppets?"

He felt embarrassed, more than anything else, for asking the question. Turning yourself into a human puppet may be illegal elsewhere, but it was not unknown here in Sunagakure. So that was not what made him hesitant, nor embarrassed. Heck, the Monzaemon clan that he was partially descended from practically turned human puppeteering into an art form, with many of their long-time members human puppets. It was actually because of this that Kyo was embarrassed, and felt dumb. Both Mako and Sousuke may not be human puppets, which would have meant that Kyo asked a stupid question. That, or one or both were human puppets... and Kyo would feel dumb for not recognizing that fact.

 

[Gotō Daiji]

It didn't take long for the mythical Robokage to show his face helmet...and even less time for him to start doing his usual analysis. "Hahaha!" A large grin formed on the youth's face as he turned to see his old friend. Well, "friend" is sort of a loaded term, but regardless of Sousuke thought of him, Mako definitely considered the eccentric Steward one. "You still talk funny." As mechanical and enigmatic as ever. Mako's grin didn't last long, however. Now that Sousuke was here it was time to get down to business. Surely he had some important matter to discuss with the man. The foreigner was a man of action! Not prone to the frivolities and small-talk that common people loved so much- "Woooooah!~" Sparkles took the place of his eyes as he rushed over to the Robokage. His head bobbed up and down as he inspected the armored man, poking and prodding the metal shell in various places. By all accounts? He seemed to be thoroughly impressed. "Upgrade?!" 'Blown away' was an understatement. As far as anyone knew it was a simple metal suit used mainly for protection. But Sousuke didn't seem like the type for simple anything. It was probably chock full of all kinds of traps, gadgets and other doohickeys. Robos were so cool! "What's it do?" Came the second question. He just had to know. Mako's finger reached out and flicked one of his gauntlets. Apparently it was made out of some pretty tough stuff because damn that hurt! He shook his hand in recoil and raised an eyebrow. After a few moments of what was undoubtedly deep thought the youth crossed his arms. His eyes glanced from his sheathed shank of meat back to Sousuke in front of him. Surely there was something profound running through his mind...

"Can it cook rice?" Like I said. Profound. A batch of steamed grains would go great with that giant hunk of meat he'd been lugging around. And if a masterwork custom crafted suit of plate was good enough to protect the Steward, whipping up some rice should be no problem at all! Right? Right. Mako took a few steps back but continued to grin as he listened to the metallic man speak. He didn't always understand what Sousuke was saying but it sure was funny! His hands came to rest on his hips as Kyokuso spoke up, explaining his family's situation. It sounded familiar. Almost like he'd just explained this to him when they stopped for food. Huh. Weird. "Well if they can buy a buncha food...they sound pretty great." Nod, nod. As we all know, Mako was a scholar amongst scholars. But clearly he was not well-read on the Great and Lesser Houses of Sunagakure. A topic of study for another time. Both Kyo and the Steward spoke to one another, offering kind greetings and other such pleasantries. But just as the conversation got rolling the youngest among them asked a rather odd question. Not Mako-level odd...but not too far off either. "Hm?" an inquisitive sound was all he could offer in response. Human Puppet? What was that?

The youth's eyes drifted upwards like he was looking for something. Not long after that he raised one of his hands and ran it back and forth over his head, apparently checking for something. "...no strings." Shocking. Still, maybe he just wasn't a marionette. But one thing that almost every puppet was? Hollow. A loud THUNK! reverberated throughout the lobby as the peculiar young man knocked rather harshly on his head. Contrary to popular opinion his head wasn't empty...just a little spacious. In conclusion? He wasn't a puppet. At least as far as he knew... "Probably not." I mean, he couldn't exactly be sure. And for a while he did associate with a mad scientist who happened to have converted her body into one of those walking puppet things. Kudaranai always seemed curious about him. A little too curious. Also she watched him when he slept. Strange. For now Mako would simply stand there with his hands on his hips, face blank as ever. It felt like he'd forgotten something...but he couldn't quite place a finger on it. Oh well! Maybe it would come to him soon.

 

[Takahashi Aki]

Mako claimed he talked funny. "I have spoken as I have always have."<i></i> He answered Mako in that regard. The meat wielding man approached Sousuke and his eyes lit up. There was something of pause for a moment from the Steward. Mako in turn proclaimed 'Upgrade?'. The Steward considered it and looked at his own frame as if he were seeing it for the first time. In some respect, maybe he was considering Mako thought it was an upgrade. The Steward was a tinkerer by nature. He thought about it. Well, this particular model of suit was smaller and was more chakra proficient in terms of raw power. He traded durability in order to be faster. "I suppose. I've lost count at the number of suits and armours I have been making. Somewhere in the ... ... no. This is model number two hundred and sixty-seven of the Mk4 line."<i></i> What did that actually mean? Well, it meant that Sousuke had made alot of armoured suits. Alot, if this was of the Mk4 line. "This model? It allows for my psionic techniques to manifest with less stress due to having to put my mind on ... far too many things. It's also lighter, which allows me to move faster. I've fixed a cooling issue, and allowed for plasma chakra to reach the higher temperatures with little to no time for up scaling in fear of an internal overheating."<i></i> The Steward would drone on for several minutes in a monotone voice about the virtues of this new armour, which might put some to sleep. The receptionist had long since passed and was having a nap.

Kyokuso would state that he was learning something today. "Personal development should be an everyday occurrence be it learning something ... anything really."<i></i> He remarked when it was stated that he had learned something today. "We will always have room to improve and become a superior version of ourselves."<i></i> He remarked. Sousuke always had and always will work towards to becoming just that. The Steward of today was an improvement of the Steward years and years ago.

The question of could he cook rise with it? He went silent. Sousuke wasn't sure if this was a joke, or if he was being honest. He would reach up to his helmet and several clicks could be heard as he was taking the helmet off. Mako would see actual flesh this time. There was a cross like scar on the Steward's face which bridged his nose and part of his eye. His other eye was highly unnatural as the scalera was grey in colour. The man's facial expression was as rigid as if he had the helmet back on. He looked at the helmet and considered Mako's question. "I don't see why not if I had the proper lining in the helmet so I don't scald my face for when I put the helmet back on."<i></i> He answered. Mako would find Sousuke looking 'young' being a man in his mid to late twenties at least in his features. Yet he was older than that as he was past his thirties slightly.

When asked if he was a Human Puppet there was an answer for that too. "I will admit that significant parts of my person are in fact a machine. Lower legs. Arm. Eye."<i></i> He answered. "Some people have come to the conclusion that ... I am an automaton , indeed yes."<i></i> He didn't quite answer the question. Mako then blurted out that there were no strings. "Indeed no strings, but very much metal."<i></i>

 

[Zentaru Tatsuya]

So not a human puppet then. Kyo's interest diminished slightly, even though the armor is pretty cool. Hearing Sousuke describe the armor makes him want to see about creating his own, but then he realized that it was probably more so the child-like glee expressed whenever something cool and different is shown, not true interest. Thinking about it, armors are probably not really his style. He could see that Sousuke's was pretty flexible, but still. He'd rather not wear one.

Hm... what if he had the chance to turn into a human puppet? Would he actually really want to become one if he has the chance? It always seemed like 'the dream', but now he wondered if it was really just a wish instilled in him just because he was surrounded by so many people with that exact same goal. If that's the case, he should go on a soul search and find out exactly what he'd want to become... there were so many opportunities in the Shinobi world, having to make a choice is going to definitely be hard.

Back to reality. There was really not a lot for him to do here, now. It would be interesting to talk to either Mako or Sousuke, but probably better privately, and not when both seemed to need to engage specifically with just each other. Time to bid adieu then.

"Thank you for your enlightenment, lord steward." Kyo addressed Sousuke as he gave the lord steward a polite bow. "I always wish to know more about the greatest Shinobis of our village. It is however getting late, and I have completed my task of escorting Mako here. If nothing else, I would like to take my leave now." Kyo requested, politely.

He also turned towards Mako, and also gave the ex-stranger a politely bow. "It was a delight to be of your acquaintance. I am sure we will have more chances to meet in the future. Should you wish to find me, I am current an academy student and thus will spend most days at the academy. I can also be found at one of the Taisen clan residences, the one headed by Taisen Koho and Chikamatsu Momoka. It's one of the clan mansions still underground."

OOC:

[MFT, WC: 375]

 

[Gotō Daiji]

Yet another laugh sounded out as the Robokage continued to speak. "Hehe...~" 'spoken as I have always have'. Classic Sousuke! It seemed the foreigner's demeanor was rather childlike, and with that came about the same grade of attention span. Man oh man, was the Steward a funny guy. Mako didn't have much of a clue as to what he was saying all the time...but whatever it was, it was hilarious! As his armored ally rattled off the specifications of his suit the youth nodded continuously. He was trying his absolute hardest to pay attention. It was just that 99% of the science jargon was lost on him he wasn't well-read on the subject. What he did understand however, was the bit about improving. He knew about that all too well. "Yeah!" he concurred, his gaze drifting off into empty space in front of him. "Gramps trained me in the desert..." his voice trailed off as that goofy grin of his started to fade with every second that passed. It was like he meant to continue on with his sentence but got distracted? Speaking of distractions, for some reason the boy's left eye began to twitch. Noticeably. And for a second it seemed as if a look of sheer horror flashed across his face. "..."

After an uncomfortable moment of silence, Mako seemed to find the words he had lost. "...for a long time." Emphasis on the 'long'. Just how many months had he been away? Enough for his hair to have grown almost down to his shoulders...but that wasn't an exact measurement! The boy's grandfather was many things but a timekeeper was not one of them. Eventually he managed to shake off whatever terrifying flashback he was experiencing. Apparently whatever it was his gramps had him doing out in the sands was enough to faze the usually unshakable Mako. I mean, he had looked death directly in the eye in the form of the reanimated corpse of the world's largest sandworm. And even then he didn't falter. But Grandpa Gō? "Scary." Nobody knew fear --true fear-- until they had encountered his grandfather. A different story for a different time, perhaps. After his sudden post-traumatic er..."episode", the boy was brought back to attention by the answering of his question. A most vital one, at that. But while the idea of a rice-steaming suit of ultra-mega-cool armor was something of vast interest to the boy, he was a bit taken aback because...well....

Sousuke took his mask off.

If a man's jaw could drop completely to the floor, that's what just happened. "EH-..." Not only was he surprised seemingly beyond belief, WHA-?!" he couldn't seem to decide on which exclamation to use. Mako's eyes bulged until they almost popped out of his head and he jumped back slightly and brought a finger up to point (very rudely) at Robosuke's face new mask. "You took your face off!" A sight to behold, surely. An oddly-dressed foreigner lugging around a huge shank of meat shouting and pointing at Takahashi Sousuke. He sure had moved up in the world! If only Yama could see him now. "Mm?" In the next second he was leaning in uncomfortably close to Sousuke's face, examining it with a raised eyebrow. "Mm." the second grunt seemed like one of approval. It was a bit of a shock at first...but it seemed like he was acclimating to the Steward's new face rather quickly. "That armor really is cool!" Yes. It really, really was. Mako would continue to eye the armor in various places. He grew up with precisely zero technology around the house. For a bumpkin like him, this was the coolest thing he'd ever seen! But according to the Steward he was no puppet. Part metal...but no strings. Well that was one thing they both had in common. Mako raised his hand once again, this time to wave it over Sousuke's head instead of his own. After a few seconds of confirming, he nodded. "Yep." Good thing he, the world's #1 detective was there to verify.

All this excitement seemed to have taken its toll on Kyo, who prepared to leave soon after he fulfilled his unofficial duties as Village Guide. A smile came to his face as he nodded in acknowledgment towards the student. "Thanks, Keyo." he placed his hands on his hips and beamed. "I'll come see you sometime at Chikamomo Mansion!" Yep. That was it exactly. And speaking of bad memory... "Oh!" A light bulb figuratively sputtered to life above the lad's head as he snapped his fingers together in remembrance. He turned towards his armored acquaintance, an unfitting frown plastered across his face. "Susuke." Wrong name. Deadly seriousness. If he wasn't grinning or laughing it meant that something was wrong. Very wrong. "I need your help." Mako's large eyes had narrowed, adding to his solemn appearance. Whatever the youth had on his mind appeared to be no joke. And if he was coming to someone else for help? It meant that it was unconquerable through sheer force. Which really wasn't good. Punching things was his specialty...but when it came to matters of critical thinking? Or situations that required finesse? Or math? Not so much.

Hopefully Sousuke was the right man for the job. And if not? He could probably point him in the direction of someone who was. Or at least give him a few clues to go off of. The Robokage was wicked smart. If he couldn't help him out, no one could!

[mft]

 

[Takahashi Aki]

Sousuke would nod his head. "Alright Kyokuso. May you succeed in your future undertakings."<i></i> Assumedly Kyokuso would make his departure. At least that is what seemed to be the case here. The Raisen clan residence remained underground. Some people indeed refused to make the transition. While some thought the concept of the underground village was folley, it was what kept Sungakure on the map during the years of the Diamond Maelstrom. Indeed Sand was criticized for the decision, but what most people did not know was that the situation which caused it was outside of the control of Sungakure itself. Sousuke's father did what he could during those horrible years and came up short, but most people had an unrealistic expectation and concept of disposed resources.

Sousuke simply stood there while Mako was inspecting him. The proclamation that Sousuke took his own face off was a bit absurd. However, it was somewhat understandable because Mako literally had never seen Sousuke outside of his armour. It was perhaps a bit of a shock to Mako, considering Mako's seeming humble education and experiences when it came to technology. Did Sousuke freak out when his personal space was invaded? Not really. He just stood there, accepted it, and allowed things to go on. "I assure you the armour is not chilled at this moment in time. Maybe higher than room temperature."<i></i> He answered frankly and quite seriously. His armour was not cool. It did not involve any cold or frigid metals. "...Yep...?"<i></i> He would inquire with Mako. What was it he was agreeing to? What was it he was agreeing about? What in general?

The good humored Mako would become quite serious. He was asking Sousuke for help. The mood here was very different. "You need my help?"<i></i> Sousuke was used to being asked for help by people on quite a few occasions. "Alright."<i></i> He answered. "Please detail your situation, and I will do what best I can including referrals if required."<i></i> Sousuke answered.

 

[Gotō Daiji]

Any hint of a smile was gone by this point. By all accounts this was odd when it came to Mako. Sousuke's response about his 'chilled armor' normally would have the youth rolling on the ground but there wasn't any time for that now. Usually if he wasn't smiling, laughing, or goofing off, he was most likely throwing a tantrum about something or other. But not this time. This was as serious as he'd ever been. His childlike features didn't do him any favors in making him appear grievous but hopefully his expression was enough. "You're the smartest guy I know." he began, his gaze meeting the Robokage's. This was true. Hardly unbelievable as he didn't seem like one to hang around the intellectual spheres of society...but Takahashi Sousuke was a mental giant among giants. If his suits of armor and instantaneous calculations were anything to go by, anyway. A hand came up to untie the knot near his shoulder that was holding his treat in place. "I didn't know you were the boss so I didn't say before..." They'd been in each other's presence twice before. But he was only truly aware of him during that door debacle with that other "R" guy. During their battle with the Barynx there were far too many people present for him to make heads or tails of anything. Plus he was suffering from a severe concussion and several broken/cracked bones. Tanking multiple hits from the world's largest sandworm didn't come without consequences. In dramatic fashion the youth swiped the hunk of meat from behind his back and slammed it down on the ground bone first, his hand resting on top of the other end and keeping it stable. "I'm unfreezing Water Country." ...

...

... bold claim if there ever was one. An emphatic nod afterwards reaffirmed his convictions. His 'serious' face was in full effect now. Though it wavered slightly before his next statement. "But the ice is really cold, not like cubes." The frost covering the nation was not normal...not even by ninja standards. "Fire doesn't work." he added, his eyes drifting off to the side as he seemed to be thinking back. Imagine that. Mako...thinking. If that wasn't a red flag I don't know what was. Even from someone like Sagi who specialized in fire jutsu and whose flames burned hotter than anyone's couldn't even cause the ice to sweat. It was truly a conundrum. And considering what caused the catastrophe...this was no surprise. "And I don't know how to get rid of it..." His attention was brought back to the present as he once again locked eyes with the armored man. "...but I made a promise." his brow furrowed slightly as the hand clutching the bone of the meat clamped down on it. His body language told all that needed telling. "I'm going home no matter what!" If it wasn't obvious by now, this was no mere jest. But Sousuke probably already knew. This was the same sort of crazed determination that carried him this far into his life. The same that caused him to stand back up after being swatted like a fly by the Barynx. It was how he survived his training with Yama, and his most recent session with Gō. Mako was not one to quit. And even suicidal odds or an insurmountable opponent wouldn't be enough to stop him.

Was he dumb? Yes. But he wasn't a complete fool. He knew that he wasn't strong enough to do this by himself. He was at ground zero when Kirigakure froze. He saw the Shadow that created the frost firsthand. If anyone knew the scope of this thing's power it was him. Fighting his grandfather in the desert for months on end might've sharpened his skills...but not by enough to solo the monster that took his home. He needed assistance. Or at least an idea of what to do if slaying the beast that caused the permafrost didn't dispell it. Hopefully the Steward could math it out or at least give him some sort of hint. If there was anyone in the Ninja World who could come up with a solution for this problem it was the man standing here in a metal suit covered with purple goop and scorch marks. Sousuke was eccentric, enigmatic, and a bit too literal at times. But he was undoubtedly a genius. Maybe the smartest man living. Surely he could figure something out...

..right?

[mft]
[OOC: Sorry about skipping! I wasn't sure if Kyo had left in the last post so I PM'd him but I haven't heard back. Didn't want to hold the topic up but we can return to normal order after this round if he's still in ^^]

 

[Takahashi Aki]

The Steward received the compliment in a strange manner. He paused from his walk and looked to Mako. He fell silent for a while. The Steward had been told he was one of the brightest minds in the current era. Yet his intellect came at a cost. He lacked social skills, and traditional wisdom. Sousuke was a challenged individual. He did not consider himself to be a very successful individual in the face of what he had indeed achieved. The Steward had convinced himself that he was responsible for the current plight of wind country, but it was all due to his programming. After a while he blinked and snapped out of his daze. "I'm smarter than some people in certain fields, but I lack certain skills to be a properly balanced individual."<i></i> Skill and knowledge were two very different things. Sousuke was able to see the flaw and weakness in certain things. He made a shrugging gesture of sorts at the boss remark. "I don't like broadcasting who I am, makes people have a particular view of you. I work for my people, and they work for me."<i></i> He paused again and listened to Mako's plan of action. He was going to attempt to put an end to the natural disaster that had destroyed Mist, and Water Country as a whole.

The Steward folded his arms behind him and continued walking. The two were walking to the cafeteria. "I've hosted a number of refugees in Mist during my days as Steward-Kazekage. These days I'm merely the Steward to the Kazekage. I suppose the long story short of it is ... I was holding the title until the heir was capable ... no he wanted to hold the title. Proper. So, I am in fact less of the boss than you think I am presently. That being said ... I am familiar in some regards to the situation. I've never been given the full and complete story. With what I've been presented, it seemed like ... a 9th level end-game cataclysmic natural event occurred."<i></i> The more and more accounts the Steward had been provided, it was getting to be a stretched tale. Now that Mako had presented him with his place of origin, seemingly, it made the Steward rethink of what he actually knew about the decade old disaster. The more Mako spoke of it, the more he wondered about it. Did everyone see something different? Were people affected by it that it caused them to see... a falsehood and not the truth?

"The home you're looking is not going to the home you've recorded or experience in your mind."<i></i> The two of them finally approached the cafetaria room which was remarkably empty. The Steward would motion for Mako to go have a seat, and Sousuke would acquire some grey gruel from the fridge. While he was heating it up, he continued. "Explain to me in specific how fire doesn't work. Does it not catch ... in terms of lighting a fire with timber? Fire jutsus have no use? Mist was of a Tropical climate I've been told. You need more than just simple heat or fire if you're trying to change climate as a whole. You need to counter invert this catastrophe and make sure it is maintained so as to ... literally change the landscape as a whole."<i></i> The Steward had an expression of deep thought upon his visage. His eyes narrowed and he looked to the ceiling as he awaited more data from Mako about the situation.

 

[Gotō Daiji]

Modesty.

Not something one would expect from the Steward. Being fully aware of your intelligence would drive most people to harvest an equal amount of arrogance. But not him. Mako listened intently as he spoke of his skills and shortcomings. As much as he had done for the people of Sunagakure he claimed that they had done the same for him. "There's a ton of stuff I can't do, too..." came his response, the youth's grip on the bone of the leg of meat tightened. Doubt was something he very rarely expressed. Especially in himself. But when it came to this one particular topic he was well aware of his own faults. If he had only been a little faster...or perhaps stronger he might've been able to stop that thing. But he wasn't. And he didn't. Fortunately the destruction of his home taught him a very valuable lesson. He couldn't do everything by himself. No matter the strength granted to him by using Gain or how fast his Trigger made him, returning his home to normal was a task he just couldn't accomplish by himself. He needed allies. And more importantly? "...that's why we have friends." A slight smirk formed on his lips as he nodded towards Sousuke. Listening to the Steward speak told all that needed telling. The foreigner was no social psychologist either...but if there was one thing he understood it was emotion. His simple mind consequently granted him the luxury of being a great judge of character. As far as he was concerned? Takahashi Sousuke was exactly the kind of person he was looking for. "You're a good Kage." he quipped, nodding towards the man. "I know you can help." With that, the duo began to walk, Mako picking up his over-sized shank of meat and shouldering it as they moved. Sousuke spoke of himself abdicating the title of Kage to its rightful heir. Odd. "Hm..." Back in Kirigakure the mantle of Kage was not tied to any particular bloodline or family. It was the rank of the strongest ninja in the village. Something that Mako happened to concur with. "Gotta be some strong hair if it's the chief now..." Just as he was about to be dragged into a discussion on the pseudo-monarchy of Sunagakure and his disagreement with it, the Steward focused the discussion once more. This time it was he who stopped walking...

"..."​

Grit teeth and a clenched fist was all he gave in response at first. Just thinking about what happened caused his blood to boil. It wasn't just that his home had been taken away from him...he saw it happen firsthand. And the monster responsible for it all. He had since laid his portable protein to rest upon a nearby table and was standing a few feet away from the Steward. Upon being told that his home might not be the same as he left it, Mako offered a sharp, "I don't care!" in retort. If Sousuke were to look at him he might notice something startling if he was observant enough. Mako's entire body was trembling. "Even if I never change it back...I have to try." The sheer fury present in his words was almost palpable. His normally wide eyes were narrow, and his pupils were smaller than they'd ever been. Along with his constant shaking this was quite the sight. Normally carefree and full of childlike joy, the Mako standing before the Steward was a much different creature. This was what happened when you pissed him off. And if it wasn't for the extremely harsh training he'd undergone the entire Kazekage Tower would likely be trembling along with him at this very moment. It took a little bit, but eventually the youth managed to steady his shuddering frame. His left hand came up to clutch the wrist of his right, exhaling a deep breath afterwards. It was hard for him not to lose control when it came to discussing his home. He had to save all of his anger for what needed it most. The time to unleash his wrath would come soon enough. If he had his way, at least. "Sagi couldn't melt the ice and his chakra's hotter than anyone's." It was true. Demonic fire, flames from a Pyromaniac, Scorch Release...these things simply weren't hot enough to thaw the enchanted ice that covered Water Country. But Sousuke was right. Even if they could somehow find a way to chip away at the permafrost they would still have to devise a plan to change the climate. Not a simple task. "In some places, it's so cold that you can't even start a fire..." Heat wasn't the only thing that perished when exposed to the unnatural cold that encompassed the nation. So did kinetic energy.

Starting a campfire was impossible. So how would he be able to reverse a catastrophic climate shift? Up until now his only plan had been to beat the creature that caused the Great Freeze until it turned everything back to normal. But what if that didn't do it? What if even killing it didn't dispel the calamity that had befallen Water Country? Technology was advancing all around the world...but definitely not fast enough to have a solution to something like this. Plans had never been his forte. Maybe the Robokage had something up his metal sleeve? "How do you fix that?" the youth asked, truly at a loss. If his 'brute force' option didn't pan out then his homeland was likely to be lost forever. Hopefully a genius would be able to formulate a more substantial strategem. To pull this off he'd need a miracle...and more than a little of that "A." luck.

[mft]

 

[Takahashi Aki]

The admission that Mako too had limits, was encouraging really. People were by nature social creatures. People tended to thrive with others, or they were polluted and become morally corrupt. It was the environment and the nurturing of an individual which determined how they were. Sousuke believed in nurture over nature, but then there would prove to be an exception to the rule. Ancients were one of those things that were the exception. Their nature could not be denied, and it was that which made the Steward wary of them. Mako made the assessment that he was a good Kazekage. The Steward snorted. "Not always. For all my intellect I've come up short a couple of times."<i></i> Sousuke couldn't outwit Mikaboshi. Mikaboshi had years and years on him and that resulted in something called wisdom which was something the Steward at times was found wanting of. He could not outwit Mother Suna either, and he didn't have the smarts to deal with her properly. Factually Sousuke could probably beat both of them in calculus, but both of them were above and beyond the Steward in the one damnable thing he hated most. Mysticism. Mikaboshi always claimed it was simply a science with different rules, but Sousuke never quite could bring himself to discarding the natural rule of laws.

The concept of strong hair, made Sousuke absent mindedly reach up and run his fingers past his own hair. He realized what he was doing a moment later. "Katuso does have better hair than I do. I think he probably takes better care of his own hair than I do, so yes it may in fact be stronger."<i></i> The jokes seemed to vanish for the moment as Sousuke observed an emotional response take place. Sousuke rarely had those. Most things he reacted to were not an emotional response. The Steward stood there and watched. He observed Mako. He drank in the details of this rage. "The eco system has changed. There may be bears there who live there who have white fur. Plant life is highly unlikely."<i></i> Mako claimed that a companion of his, an entity named Sagi, who had flames hotter than anyone could not in fact melt the ice. The Steward rolled back and then forth on his metallic heels. He was deep in thought. "Do you know what the sun is, and how it works? Can you confirm constant cloud coverage in Water Country?"<i></i> Two important questions asked. "It takes eight minutes and twenty seconds for the light of the sun to travel to us. If there is constant cloud coverage over water country then ... then ... the country itself is not receiving the heat of the sun."<i></i>The Steward awaited more data. He needed more data. "What is the situation with the ice on the boarder of Water Country? Does the ice ... cut along the boarder or has it grown past the boarder?"<i></i> He further inquired. Did the ice cut along the boarder proper? The Steward had a look about him. The cogs of the mind were rolling.

 

[Gotō Daiji]

Odd. It seemed that this type of self-deprecation was something that they both had in common. Not often. Not loudly. But every once in a while a fool and a Steward to the Kazekage sat down and humbled themselves. There was truly no way of knowing what Sousuke was thinking but surely he had a list of failures just as big as Mako's...but there was a key difference between them. A difference the Water Country native was painfully aware of. The foreigner's stern facial expression remained unflinching as he stared at the armored man. "...you coulda died fighting that worm." His voice was quiet now, much more than usual. Narrowed eyes would meet with the Steward's. Mako was no genius. Definitely no social scientist. He didn't know the intricacies behind interactions between himself and others and he couldn't deduce people's motivations well at all. But he knew a good person when he saw one. And that's exactly who was seated before him now. "We both put it all on the line for our homes..." Mako worked his body until its breaking point evacuating civilians from Kirigakure during the Great Freeze. Overuse of his Trigger pushed the thresholds of what the human anatomy could tolerate. Pain, fatigue, blood loss. He gave all he had and then some in an attempt to save his village. But still, it wasn't enough. "Yours is still here." And that was the difference...

...Sousuke succeeded where he had failed.

The black-haired traveler allowed his cloak to close in the front. At the Steward's suggestion that arctic bears may have taken up residence he simply shook his head. "Nothin' lives there anymore." It was true. He hadn't been back to Kirigakure in a number of years but he was still sure of this fact. The exact amount of time was a little hazy as he wasn't exactly a clockkeeper...but nothing mortal could survive in that cold. Not even animals adapted to particularly cold temperatures. Nothing but Shades danced there now. Wicked things of unknown origin. Water Country had no normal climate. Nothing natural at all about it. "Mhm." was his short response to whether or not he knew what the sun was. To anyone else this might've seemed like a redundant question but when it came to the 'genius' known as Mako? It was better safe than sorry. "Last time I was there it was cloudy...but d'ya think the sun'll work?" A fair point. Heat itself seemed to not be enough. And if direct chakra-generated flame wasn't enough to do the trick would sunlight be any better? Perhaps there was some science stuff he was overlooking. Actually...there was definitely some science stuff he was overlooking. Surely the good Steward could help him out.

Beneath his dark green cloak the youth folded his arms when asked of the situation about the ice on the border of Mizu no Kuni. His eyes closed as he thought back to the day he left Water Country. It was a lot to recall. "Weird." was his short and to-the-point response. Mako was no climatologist in any sense of the word. But hopefully the Steward's own intelligence would fill in the gaps left behind. "It froze the water around all the islands but it didn't go far." lucky for him, too. If it had? Mako and co. would have surely been victims of the Freeze as well. Water Country's unique position as an island nation had many advantages. In this case it meant that the disaster that struck there couldn't spread to any of the other countries or Shinobi Villages. Unfortunately it also meant that help wasn't readily available. And that evacuating was even harder. There were plenty of citizens who made it to the outskirts of the country only to be flash-frozen while searching for a vessel to escape on. Too many people. Not enough ships. "We had to row really fast to get away..." ...they had to row. That wasn't a error on his part. The gluttonous wanderer and his traveling companion got away from the encroaching ice on a rowboat. And just by the skin of their teeth, too. If this had been anyone else it would be a shocking revelation...but if you'd spent any decent chunk of time around him you would know to expect the ridiculous and seemingly impossible. Did Sousuke have enough info to go off of? Could he concot a master plan to help save his home? It was a longshot for sure. But if anyone could do it? It was him.

[mft]

 

[Takahashi Aki]

The Steward sometimes forgot to see the goodness in things. Such was the case being a pessimist. Katuso would certainly point out to him the number of victories he had, yet to Sousuke they would always feel hollow. Was it because the Steward himself was a hollow person? Metaphorically speaking the Steward was a man with a damaged soul, and only true spiritualists would be able to see it. Most people saw him as a man that was challenged mentally and or socially. "That is true."<i></i> He spoke, "I still do have Sungakure."<i></i> It almost seemed like for a moment that Sousuke was going to smile, but he didn't. That was probably the best that Mako was going to get out of him.

So. Back to the facts. No life. Not even arctic life was there. The Steward didn't have to worry about ruining an ecosystem. He held out his hands and conjured a plasma image. It was of an island, and above it was the clouds. There was a sphere above the clouds and the orb would project beams onto the clouds. "So. If the cloud coverage is constant, it blocks out the sun, and thus heat is not reaching the island. That's a problem. If you're going to long term fix the cloud coverage, you're going to need someone with storm control. You need to get those clouds out of the way."<i></i> The plasma image would change removing the clouds which just fizzed out. "See? Sun beams hit the ground, and thus heating the land. It'll help, but in the long term you will need cloud coverage ... because rain is necessary to grow crops and what have you."<i></i> He was explaining. He would dismiss the image, and then showcase another plasma image. He took in the information of how the island was frozen, but not the waters surrounding it. That's a curious thing. Sousuke would hold up his hands and a series of plasma images in very strange shapes would appear. Sousuke was doing the calculus. He would make a sweeping gesture with his hands and move the calculations aside, he would begin doing another set of calculations. He would then sweep those to the side too. He would fold his hands behind his back. This is what Mako probably wanted to see. The Steward's eye would shift skyward for the moment and almost roll over. Usually the saying was, don't fire until you see the whites of their eyes, in the case of Sousuke it was the black of his eyes. His eyes would then roll back into their normal place. "Alright. So. Aside of the cloud coverage, you need to have a constant heat orb, some call it a sun shard, and others call it a photon ball. Photon and Plasma are ... close enough in terms of heat. You need one or the either, maybe even both. You need said object to be birthed in a place and then moved while constantly being given heat and then giving off heat. You need to approach an ice boarder first and then push it into the island. You might need a few to have this go off properly because you've said that heat itself cannot sustain itself... granted the heat is ... going to melt things quickly and I'm ... pretty certain most people encased in the ice are already dead."<i></i> A grim fact, but one that needed mentioning. "You could have like five sun shards birth and then have them converge on mist. Keeping five sun shards up and running is ... going to be a drain, considering you're going to evaporate water too which ... is a problem in its own right."<i></i>

 

[Gotō Daiji]

A twitch. At the edge of Sousuke's mouth when he mentioned that despite everything else he still had his home. It was the closest thing to a smile he was going to be offered. It might've sounded like it, but Mako wasn't particularly trying to cheer the Steward up. Only stating what was true. In all honesty the dimwit and the genius had more in common than most would ever admit. Both of them were highly atypical. People saw Sousuke's eccentric personality, armored shell, and constant calculations as odd. People also saw Mako's extreme naivete, lack of brainpower, and ignorance of manners and tact the same exact way. They were both outliers...just perhaps on opposite ends of the brainiac spectrum. But what set them apart from most people also brought them together. The cloaked foreigner truly understood the Steward in a way only his simplified perspective on life could. The man before him wasn't a strange metal recluse. He was a guy who really cared about his home and all the people in it. Just like him.

During the former Kage's assessment of Kirigakure the youth kept his arms folded underneath his cloak. "Hm..." Normally he had the attention span of a goldfish but this was no boring matter. I mean, sure all the details were kinda hard to follow...but there were a few key things that piqued his interest and helped to maintain it. "A guy that can move clouds?" Incredible that someone like that could even exist. But that sounded extremely rare. The only person he knew that could influence nature to such a degree was his uncle, Yama. And he couldn't move clouds! At least he thought so. Mostly the drunken lech just stomped around on the ground and broke it... "Ooh...~" a vocalization came, signalling the youth's increased focus. Technicolor shadows danced around the room as the Steward held his hands out and materialized a plane comprised of pure energy. It looked familiar. He was pretty sure a lasso made out of this stuff was thrown at him one time. Mako nodded his head as Sousuke explained that the sun would go a long way in assisting the thaw. It made sense. The only reason he was skeptical was because he'd seen firsthand the effect of heat on the frost covering Mizu no Kuni. If anything, some help from the big glowy ball in the sky couldn't hurt.

His eyes darted back and forth as the Steward conjured various symbols of different colors and sizes. He didn't know what any of it meant...but it sure was cool to look at!

"Mm?" an inquisitive grunt was followed by a thoughtful stroking of his own chin. Was Mako actually thinking?! "Mhm..." he nodded in agreement as his eyes rolled off to the side. Of course! It was so obvious. This plan was so easy to grasp that even he could've thought of- "Plotoes and Phasma, got it." ...well, at least it was somewhat close. As far as comprehension it seemed the foreigner actually understood the gist of what was being explained to him. Sousuke was very articulate, almost too much so. But it was better than being vague or leaving out any details. Right? "So..." he started, once again crossing his arms as he closed both eyes. The ol' pink thing upstairs seemed to be running...it was just a little rusty. "We just need a buncha heat?" A decent plan. Not too complicated. Easy to execute. All kidding aside it did seem a bit obvious but if put under scrutiny it made perfect sense. Sagi, the foreigner's acquaintance did possess the hottest flames out of anyone he knew. But even so he was only one person. No matter how much chakra he had at his disposal there was no way he could heat an entire country...but with this strategy? Kirigakure just might have a chance. The youth nodded as the Steward continued to explain. Like any plan this had its risks. But it was much better than "go home and beat up what caused it". He still 100% intended on doing just that, but there was no guarantee that would fix anything long term. At least with this it gave him options. "Sounds good." another nod. If there was any possibility of returning his home to normal, this was it. One step closer to his goal. He had sought out allies. Reunited with family. "Trained" in the form of stopping himself from dying. It had been a long road but Mako was approaching the end. Inch by inch. A snap of his fingers and a sudden thought popped into his head. The boy's gaze came to rest on the Steward. "You're wrong about one thing, though..." Ever since he had started talking to Sousuke, the boy's face had been stern. Due to his innocent-looking facial features it didn't do much to convey deadly seriousness, but it was still very out of character for him. Something had just changed. If he was paying attention the Steward would surely notice the beginnings of a smile starting to form on the foreigner's face...

It was apparent by his expression that memories were replaying in his head. "Everyone..." Games. Fights. Exams. Missions. Relaxed evenings. Old acquaintances and lost rivalries. "...my friends, the villagers...even all the guys in jail..." A hand came out in front of his body and clenched into a fist. It wasn't a full-on grin...but Mako now wore a smirk on his face. "They're alive." He spoke with full confidence. For a moment his eyes glanced down at his hand. It couldn't be explained and he certainly had no proof. But he just felt it. Somewhere deep down. It was certainly a long shot but who knew? Most of the silhouettes suspended in place were done so instantly. It took a while for the effects of the Great Freeze to reach all the way to the outskirts of the nation, but once the frost touched anything living it was immediately flash-frozen. Mako was the only person he knew of that had escaped with only frostbite after coming into direct contact with the substance. And he couldn't possibly deduce why he was resistant to it (even if it was only the slightest bit). If it was like he hoped, most of the denizens of the country were trapped in a sort of icy stasis. Cemented in place but still very much living while their bodily functions were put in a state of unwilling sleep. It would soon be time to wake them up. And he wasn't doing that without waking up the Thing that caused the calamity in the first place. He'd be ready for it.

Soon.

[mft]

 

[Takahashi Aki]

Mako almost had it. Almost. He just got mixed up on the consonants and the vowels of plasma and photons. It was admirable. Truly it was. Most people tended to fall asleep at this point in time, but Mako was in fact not asleep. Okibi fell asleep during these explanation. Katuso seemed to fall asleep too. Roku was a little bit used to it, but he wasn't certainly not on the same level as Sousuke. Kazuki dwelled in the frustrating form of mysticism or more commonly known as magic. Sousuke hated magic. He hated it because it did not conform to the rules of man. Magic more or less did whatever it wanted because it could. That in itself was dangerous, magic itself could be the undoing of the world at large, and thus science and technology was needed to scale back the power of magic. There was the silly notion that magic was in fact a science to others, but Sousuke paid that no mind. Preposterous concept really.

Mako revealed something that caused Sousuke some hesitation. People were in fact still alive underneath the ice. Theoretically this was a form of stasis. It made Sousuke wonder how the people stuck in stasis were not dead from hypothermia, or dead from lack of nutrition. Normally this wasn't going to be the case unless. Sousuke's eyes narrowed for a moment as he looked skyward for a moment. "Unexpected."<i></i> He remarked finally after a long period of silence. Sousuke was going to have to make do with this. "Tell me. Does the name Kendori Shuu mean anything to you?"<i></i> The Steward would inquire. Shuu was a medical nin from Mist who had lived in Sungakure for a time. An older woman who... well if one pushed Sousuke hard enough to describe the woman he would indeed describe her as handsome. She wasn't a dainty, lady-like woman, more of an older woman with tremendous experiences. Aside from the word handsome, motherly was another word that came to mind. Maybe not quite motherly, perhaps sisterly. She came to Sand when Sousuke was ... maybe still in his early twenties? It was over a decade ago now. She had disappeared for quite some time now, and the Steward was merely interest if Mako knew of the woman. He was curious as to who she was before the ice took Mist.

"Aside from yourself, do you have any allies or people who you may call upon to assist you in this undertaking? This will require multiple hands, and certainly ... more than ten. You will need to have these people communicating and capable of giving breaks and swapping in and out while feeding the sunshards."<i></i> The Steward would indeed inquire. This was going to be a numbers game. "Weather is something that has defeated armies on occasion, the reason being that people have underestimated it."<i></i>