Cut and Dry [Requesting Hokage & Takeshi]

[Kodoma Yoshihisa]

Begrudgingly he admitted to it, but Yoshihisa was actually starting to get somewhat fond of the Oak District; As modest as his savings had been upon leaving his life in Iwagakure behind, even he hadn’t expected to nearly blow through them all in a single night! Copious amounts of anmitsu, dango and green tea -that was to die for- drained the teenageri’s pockets faster than he could possibly fill them. Konoha in all its splendor had left him with an experience he was never going to forget, thawing the cold outlook on the world beyond Iwagakure’s borders. He may just have build up the courage to actually attend the meeting with the Hokage in person rather than send a clay clone to pose as himself. That said, when was he suppose to report at the mansion for his examination?

Dashing through the streets at the crack of dawn, on occasion colliding with a passerby and apologizing profusely, Yoshihisa had an epiphany that an overexposure to such luxuries might pose a problem in the future. But even he had to admit how sloppy it was for one with aspirations to belong to the most elite of ANBU to only check in with barely five minutes to spare. Punctuation and preparation are key elements of survival, a phase he might as well have had seared in the back of his hand, but here he was, gawking in awe at the building he could have scouted in and out by now. Collecting his wits and composure alike, he passed through the front door of the Hokage mansion and made his presence known at the reception desk. The rustling of papers was brief but almost unbearable, only made infinitely worse by the fact that the receptionist was so kind to point him at the direction of the Hokage’s office with a warm and almost motherly voice; Great, he had forgotten to put on his mask.. Muttering a ‘thank you’ underneath his breath, Yoshihisa ascended the flights of stairs in such a rush he caught himself just in time not to blow the door of the most powerful shinobi of Konohagakure straight out of its hinges upon knocking.

At least he looked presentable as an envoy of Iwagakure. Somewhat.

 

[Uchiha Takeshi]

Takeshi was walking by that exact moment as he spotted the new comer that he didn’t recognised it seemed that someone was in a hurry to meet with the Hokage, that didn’t bother the Uchiha what did was the fact that he didn’t know the man as he turned and whistled to himself he begun walking towards the man his eyes glancing around as he tried to identify everything around him it was clear that Takeshi was just here doing some work but he had also been told to keep away from the Sennin duties just for a little bit longer, but he was always on alert his role had taught him that much.

“Why hello there, sorry I didn’t see you there sooner, ah going to see the Hokage. Well must be an exciting day for you. Its not every day someone from….”

He trailed off it was a leading question and he wondered how the new face would answer it, though that was something for the future he wondered if the boy would break. If he would let his tongue slip as he stood there waiting for an answer, his hair gently swaying as he continued to come close to the door before wrapping his knuckle on it a few times.

“Its ok, I’m sure that the Hokage will be willing to see you, lets give him a few more knocks to see if anyone is home”

With that Takeshi allowed his hand to bang on the door as he sighed to himself waiting to see if they would be allowed in, the Uchiha kind of wanted to see what was going on though he wouldn’t tell Umashi as much but the appearance of excitement in his eyes made it that much to obvious for anyone to ignore bar a blind man.

[Topic Entered]

 

[Seijin]

What the guys would find would be the Hokage's door slightly open and the Hokage running around muttering something or another concerning about a tournament and people to send and people to prepare and food to pack. Interestingly when he sensed that there was someone at the door, instead of turning to greet them, he busied himself about his office in his medical whites. As far as he was concerned, if somebody was at his door and not concerned about going to the tea Country then they clearly must not be from around the local parts of the area. "Howdy, uhhh . . . whatever you need, the receptionist should be able to assist with any signatures needed. If you actually need me, need me, just go ahead and start talking, I'll answer what I can . . . just busy busy busy ,at the moment.!" Continuing to rush around, Umashi wouldn't break his stride and soon he was back into his best rhythm for getting things done in a timely manner.

OOC: Sorry for the short post, trying to get out of topics in order to get to Tea as quickly as possible.

 

[Kodoma Yoshihisa]

Pauzing for a quick breather before seeking audience with the Hokage, Yoshihisa hastily strapped the ANBU mask in front his face and checked for any irregularities that might have tipped off the guards regarding his identity only to swiftly come to the conclusion that there were none; As gruesome a method it was he had subjected his body to on a regular basis, it would have been short sighted to assume the chakra molded coating of clay clad to his being was only suited for protection when long ago he had found many uses for it in the field of reconnaissance to which he could attest. For one had to be rather crafty -or perhaps just incredibly bold- to be able to feel at ease with such a high density of Hyuuga and Uchicha, a true bulwark of ocular jutsu no doubt not too keen of potential rogue elements such as himself just trying his very hardest to blend in.

His inspection of the finer details of the details was cut short by a stranger, one that seemed to have an interest in him on a level where warning flags would be in order. It went without question there would be guards stationed around here, especially on this floor, however he couldn’t shake off the feeling that it was almost too thinly veiled to be genuine, so much so it made him doubt if they might be unto him, only the thought quickly perished before it had a chance to root deeper as he reminded himself he had no hidden agenda to speak of, nor would it be doing him any good if that happened to be the case. “Iwagakure, although these days my journey has taken me nearly everywhere but there”, he replied as he followed closely behind his senior into the office of the Hokage, adjusting his woodpecker stylized mask as he did. Yoshihisa cursed beneath his breath as the maws occupying the palms of his hands began to protest at the near mention of food, the curious chirping they produced just barely stifled by the thick gloves worn by the youth. “My apologies, but I had sworn to Kenshin-sama I would personally pay your office a visit, Hokage-sama, as to clear myself of any suspicion.”

...

Apologies for the poor quality. I wasn’t really sure what to write about.

 

[Uchiha Takeshi]

Takeshi allowed himself to lean back slightly as he listened to the words of the man, though he was trying to get himself to understand where the person was coming from, he looked at the mask and a small smirk came to his lips, though he tried to hide it from the people that were around him as he studied the man looking back to the Hokage he sighed slightly remembering that he still had to prepare himself for the tournament, that was something on his list of to do thing. Knowing full well that he still had to pack his stuff before leaving for tea country.

“Nice haven’t been there myself, and such a nice flashy mask I have to admit, I’m guessing it’s an ANBU mask from the look of it, though not one that I have seen inside of the Branch its different to see stuff like that an I have to admit it always fascinates me.”

Takeshi allowed himself to sigh slightly for a few minutes as he then turned his attention back to Umashi with the name dropped so it seemed that the man had already spoken to Kenshin, that was interesting to say the least. Though it would be down to the Hokage to decide what would be done, that much was clear, and the choices had to be done and the words had to be spoken. Though it seemed that the Hokage was busy the Uchiha coughed slightly before speaking trying to word it correctly.

“Umashi, I think you need to hear this man out, if Kenshin had to send someone here we should give him a few minutes, besides the tournament will be done soon so we know that we will be on the move, but at least this way lets hear him out.”

 

[Seijin]

Recognizing the signs that this was rather important for him to listen to, Umashi stopped doing what he was doing and straightened up to motion towards his desk. "Please, have a seat. I'm currently trying to get ready for an important trip and . . . well . . . never mind on all of that. I hope that your trip was well!" Umashi nodded as he smiled and took a seat behind his desk. Things may have been a mess but he was still the Hokage and the Hokage had to do Hokage things when duty called. While it had been a while since he'd actually seen a true Iwagakurian shinobi asking for admittance, Umashi was more than happy to accommodate an ally that had more than graciously taken care of the good people of Konohagakure. "So, what sort of thing should I be clearing you of? I trust Kenshin well enough, but it seems odd to me that I'd even need to question an ally!" In truth, Umashi questioned the tea leaves that ended up in his teacup every morning and he had a habit of questioning gravity if it seemed to not be doing its job properly. Giving the guy room to speak though was what he was actually getting at, in a round about way.

 

[Kodoma Yoshihisa]

His efforts to silence his hands bore fruit for the time being, giving Yoshihisa the opportunity to turn his full attention towards the conversation at hand. “Truth be told”, he muttered quietly as he took a seat on the opposite side of the desk “My journey here was nothing to write home about, and even as I sit here I am not entirely sure if this is my final stop”, he paused for a brief instance before he decided to take off his mask and tore away at the clay disguise. Underneath what had been the visage of a rather well aged man was the face of an adolescent, by all means an enigma on whether he was even permitted to drink even if you dismissed the possibility of his true face was hidden beneath another layer.

“I have had very few references the past sixteen months to know whether or not my attempt to hide my identity was petty or downright brilliant, so I would cut my losses when I find myself under non-hostile conditions in room with shinobi who could easily obliterate me when provoked, which more or less clears the problem Kenshin-sama had with me seeking entrance into Konoha.” By the time his initial explanation had come to a close Yoshihisa was done peeling away the clay, having balled it back up and was idly fiddling with it as he proceeded. “To clarify, I hold no ill intentions when it comes to my visit here, but to expose my identity for a trivial visit isn’t in my nature nor my line of work. But considering I didn’t get past the gate and got an audience with the Hokage, my priorities have somewhat shifted and I suppose I could offer my services as a mercenary to your village.” He ran his gloved fingers through his hair and let out a short winded sigh, as if not entirely sure how this had suddenly turned into a makeshift job interview. “Perhaps ‘mercenary’ isn’t the right phrase, but I assume you know what I mean.”

“All I can ask for in case you decline is a permit to travel to the next village and be granted exit from Konoha.”

[MFT]

 

[Uchiha Takeshi]

Takeshi listened to the words from both of them, it seemed Umashi was still busy as always, he allowed a small smile to come to his lips at the familiarity of seeing the Hokage on the move all the time, it was good to have the return of Umashi even if Takeshi never spoke those words to him, even after everything that had happened since his return. Takeshi was proud to have the Hokage back and in full fighting form, it was something he had come to respect and admire the man for what he did on a day to day basis.

“So, you have just been on the move then, not doing anything that could be considered a crime, you know I am not really seeing anything wrong with that part so far. “

Takeshi leaned against the wall as he listened to the words that were being spoken, it seemed to him that the newcomer still was avoiding all the questions, that was something that Takeshi frowned upon, secrecy was one thing but denying yourself a presence was another thing. As he allowed himself to listen to the words being spoke he looked towards Umashi once more, Takeshi decided to aid in this matter as he leaned there, wondering if Umashi would start to see him for what he was doing. Progressing himself and trying to shift how he thought about things.

“So I was going to ask you about this, what is your actual training, cause I am always looking for someone with a certain talent to say the least. Though I am more inclined to see what you think being a mercenary will get you? Do you not want to seek a home or settle down and find your footing somewhere that you can belong? I mean I get the life of moving from one place to the other, I have been there myself. But I came back and was accepted by Umashi and have made a life for myself here, would you not like that same opportunity?”

 

[Seijin]

Stroking his chin, Umashi sat back in his chair and watched everything play out before him. Here, the shinobi was asking for a pardon to be allowed to continue to roam without retaliation and on the other hand, Takeshi was basically trying to recruit him. Finding it all very funny, Umashi smirked and allowed Takeshi to finish speaking. While it was fair enough to say that Umashi wasn't overly pressed concerning where the guy ended up, the biggest thing that he didn't need happening was the guy off and becoming a threat in the future because Umashi decided to play the roll of the nice guy. "Yes, before we can just release you, I'd honestly need to know something or another to tell Iwa. We're allies as you know, and for me to just pardon somebody who should by all accounts be reporting to Konoha . . . seems a bit wrong." Again, shrugging, Umashi sank back into his chair to see what the guy had to say.

 

[Kodoma Yoshihisa]

Yoshihisa was thorough in his observation of the two men, the rather casual interaction they shared could only be lost to the most oblivious of people and yet set off all the alarm bells at once; The cultural and political divide between Iwagakure and Konohagakure was immense and so far had been a stepping stone he couldn’t get past without expending an unnecessarily large amount of effort. His own expression blank and unable to tear his gaze away from the man seated in front of him Yoshihisa, carefully searching for the correct words, began to focus his efforts on at least providing the information directly asked from him. “I would need clearance in order to discuss details of my training under the ANBU, as would.. nearly everything that might bear the label ‘confidential’ within our archives.” He shifted on his seat, the creaking of the wood breaking the silence.

“You must understand that I have devoted my life to my work, knowing that there might be little to no space for growth as an individual. But if you must know what my personal desires entail, it would come down to providing for family back home, as they now are missing a pair of hands to make ends meet.” His eyes didn’t reflect the sadness he felt, neither did the knot in his stomach obstruct his sense of judgement of the situation at hand. He was here as a shinobi, and would settle it by the means provided to him; Iwagakure had been a harsh environment to grow up in, groomed for the qualities that might end up being appealing for other countries to get their hands on. Could be a selling point, no? “That said if I end up living up to your standards I assume you could contact Iwagakure regarding the deployment of call sign Umakaki.”

[MFT]

 

[Uchiha Takeshi]

Takeshi listened to the conversation that was going backwards and forwards, it seemed that the man that had arrived was simply trying to avoid answers, Takeshi allowed a sigh to come to his lips as he looked over to Umashi for a few seconds it seemed that the boy wanted to evade more questions than he wanted answers for though Takeshi allowed himself to perk up as the conversation mentioned the ANBU. It seemed that Takeshi was learning a few things on the back foot of this conversation thought eh question here would how much more information could he get out of the new comer he allowed his eyes to narrow slightly as he leaned against the door frame it seemed that Umashi was preparing himself for the tournament.

“So, your part of the ANBU branch then, that is something interesting, so what rank where you then I am guessing your secrecy is something that is coming to be a pain, but we can always get Umashi to speak on behalf and find the information we need if that is what you would prefer?”

Takeshi waited to see what would be decided he had made the offer but first it seemed that the man would need to be direct right now as the Sennin watched him and studied him, it seemed that he respected himself enough to hold his own and wasn’t willing to give up information easily it was clear that Takeshi would have his work cut out for him to understand this man but he liked a challenge and that just improved his spirits.

“So the offer is there, if you need to provide why not let Leaf pay your wage, take up your work and find you a place inside the village that will work for you and work for us, that isn’t an offer everyone gets and im sure Umashi can vouge for that one.”

 

[Seijin]

Though not trying to be rude, as they spoke, Umashi was able to spy a look at the time in order to reaffirm just how much he still had yet to do. Busy here, busy there, busy, everywhere. Nodding his head as he mentally pulled himself back into the conversation, Umashi pulled out a pen from a desk drawer, along with a sheet of paper with the official Konoha letterhead on it. Looking to Takeshi, Umashi signaled with an open hand the items sitting on his desk. "It all sounds good to me and fortunately, we have an open relationship with Iwagakure. As the Hokage, I'll be leaving the decision to the ANBU Sennin, Takeshi, to handle as this will directly involve his branch." Standing to excuse himself, Umashi gave a curt bow and flashed a smile. "If you'll excuse me, I must be going. I've a meeting with the village council concerning important matters. I do look forward to working with you in the future though!" Nodding again and moving quickly towards the door, he looked at the clock on the wall and left the two alone in his office while he went down the hallway towards the meeting rooms.

OOC: Topic left unless stopped. Leaving the details and such to Takeshi.

 

[Kodoma Yoshihisa]

“My training to become a full fledged ANBU was discontinued after the Basilisk rampage had hit Iwagakure a good twenty months ago, so that would leave me at the rank of an aspirant member, but considering the fact I cannot bear to let potential go to waste I can assure that -without wishing to be arrogant- I now bring more to the table that is of use to you than your average recruit.” Yoshihisa produced a smile in return as the Hokage excused himself, knowing all too well from previous experiences that with any position of power there never were enough hours in the day. “My sincerest gratitude for your presence and your invaluable time, Hokage-sama. I can only hope my services will meet up to your expectations if it comes to that.”

He turned his attention back to Takeshi, the man now outed as the Sennin of the ANBU branch. “I mean no disrespect, Takeshi-sama, in keeping the required information from you; I will be blunt here by saying that Iwagakure has kept different views when it came to ‘allies’ and ‘open relationships’ when we talked behind closed doors, as a result there won’t be much getting past me without receiving a green light from my superiors.” For the first time he allowed his gaze to wander across the office, studying the decor set out in front of him with the greatest care. Yoshihisa was aware that he didn’t make himself any less suspicious by acting the way he did, but he didn’t seem like he could be persuaded to produce more work-related information than he actually had to in order to keep the conversation going. “I have already complied to the condition of being tailed during the remainder of my stay here, so I see few complications if you decide to contact Iwagakure’s ANBU branch in the meantime. Whether or not I have the privilege to work for Konoha rests entirely on their decision, not mine.””

[MFT]

 

[Uchiha Takeshi]

Takeshi listened to Umashi speak for a few seconds, noting the appearance and rush that the Hokage was in, he could never truly blame the man for trying to rush around all the time, it was clear that he still had a lot of work to get done. Takeshi watched as the man left it seemed that it was now down to him to deal with the newcomer that he was with. Takeshi seemed to have an understand that this solution would now fall to him, the question was how he would deal with it and how would he handle the man that seemed to want to give so little away from any question he was given.

“So the main question that we have to look at here, is do you currently want a job inside the Branch or not. I prefer a straight answer than just a leaf on the wind reply. So do you want to forge a new path forward, one that can see you achieve a lot of things if you are willing to push the hard graft into it. You will have to make that decision as I cannot make it for you, and honestly you’re the only person I need to hear from not the other village.”

His voice cold as he spoke for a few seconds, Takeshi stood in the office dormant and unmoving deciding to not speak for a bit instead waiting to hear what the decision would be. Takeshi stood silent and just waiting for the reply that would see what happened next. He wasn’t about to send letters off when someone’s decision was all he needed.


[MFT]

 

[Kodoma Yoshihisa]

There was a brief moment of pause from Yoshihisa’s end, seemingly weighing his options in the current environment. He could either keep fooling himself with the premise that he was still actively employed within Iwagakure and was living up to his full potential, or he may as well face the fact that this opportunity was godsend in terms of payment and career move. “I had honestly not set foot in Konoha in order to pursue a career or to settle down, so if anything it has caught me off guard to be offered a position out of the blue.” While his words were still carefully weighed with the greatest care, the young shinobi was suddenly a whole lot more direct in his approach.

“However I will accept your offer on the condition that I at least get to have a shot at starting higher up the ladder, for I may as well be bold and see if I can hold my own these days.” He would grin underneath his mask, at least finding some enjoyment in seeing if he could ride this merry-go-round to the end. It however went without saying that most of his pride stemmed from a desire to test his capacity, and whether or not he had what it took to accept this honor in the first place.

“So you have my answer: Yes, I can see myself offering Konoha my services as an ANBU on my own volition, if you don’t expect me to sell myself short in the process.”

 

[Uchiha Takeshi]

Takeshi allowed himself to listen to the man that spoke, it seemed that he was giving it consideration yet as always, he was able to look over the obvious answer and that is what Takeshi always liked in people. No matter who you spoke with you can have the exact same conversation with someone else later and it would change just by how they replied to your questions, this is what made everyone so unique and so special. Though Takeshi allowed himself to wait and just listen for a bit it seemed that now the offer was there, and it was directing the man was contemplating it completely.

“So you offer terms with terms, well that is unexpected after all I have to give you some commitment for going for that one, most people would of just shied away from it and not tried anything else”

Takeshi allowed his words to resonate round the room as he pondered the proposition it seemed that he had been offered, while another AiT would mean more boots to fill and more team leaders to fill it caused an issue the simple fact that there was not enough team leaders compared to the amount of Anbu in Training that he had to spread around this means that he could use someone ready and willing to step up to the plate once more and the man seemed that he wanted an outcome that was more desirable, Takeshi allowed himself to nod for a few seconds as he pondered the ideas.

“Fine, ill let you join with the rank of ANBU, but be prepared for a hard graft it is not as easy as you think and believe me you will have to push yourself to the very limits, I will send for you soon when I make the changes to the teams inside of the branches”

[Rank of Leaf ANBU Granted]

 

[Kodoma Yoshihisa]

Yoshihisa rose to his feet, hands casually clasped across his midriff and his head slightly ajar as he listened to Takeshi. For someone with such a strong desire to be in control, the feeling that he had quite possibly gambled with his entire future slowly crept up on him, a harrowing thought indeed; He had so little investment in Konoha to the point where it could be razed in similar fashion to Iwagakure and he actually doubted whether or not he would even bat an eye at it. And yet here he was, practically enlisted and ready to swear fealty to a kage he even addressed with ‘sama’ out of etiquette rather than admiration or genuine respect. Perhaps he was indeed better off serving as a mercenary whilst ignoring the bigger, often politically themed picture?

“I’m afraid I’ll have to be clique here and say that with my newfound obligation to perform, I simply am not in a position to afford failure from my end.” Then again, he mused, there was something rather cathartic about belonging once again, no longer having the luxury of having to answer to non other than oneself, of even having obligations to speak of in the first place! “Not to mention, I can only hope that the hardest graft by Leaf standards will be enough to break a sweat by, for I am more than capable of handling a meaty challenge.” He clearly still had to get the hang of banter ‘Konoha style’, for even he taught this level of smugness was pushing it a bit, but as the wide grin crossed his face, mask in hand, he at the very least left the impression that he was going to try his very hardest to hold true to those words for the Leaf’s benefit and to defend the Stone’s image in equal measure.

“Also wouldn’t it be easier if your branch has a clear picture regarding what sort of skills I bring to the table so they know what team I should be assigned to?”

[MFT]

 

[Uchiha Takeshi]

Takeshi listened to the new Branch member speak as he allowed himself to consider the options that he has being given right now. It was clear that the boy was still new and fresh to the world that much could be judged by the way he spoke and the words that he used, though Takeshi supposed he had a point about understanding where his skill set was at and what kind of abilities he had as he considered all of the options in front of him for a brief few moments before deciding on what course of action to take.

“I guess you are right then, there is nothing like a good old shake down to find out what skills someone has, let me just get ahold of one of my fellows and I am sure he will take you threw the paces that you want and give me a picture of what sort of skills you have”

Takeshi allowed his hand to come to his neck as he reached for the mic, though threw the ANBU channels anyone would be able to turn up this request was for someone more specific and with that in mind he allowed his finger to press down onto the button that was at the collar of the Sennin’s outfit.

“Manzo, come to the Hokage’s office, I have a small task of you, make it snappy oh and this time remember to bring your mask”

Nothing more than a whisper Takeshi allowed himself to turn back to the man as he smiled for a few seconds, knowing full well that he would be pushing his newest member of the branch to truly see how much he knew and understood, this would be interesting in the grand scheme of things and even Takeshi wondered how the outcome would go.

“Well lets wait for his arrival I’m sure he will introduce himself, then we can look at leaning the bigger picture about you”

[Summoning Manzo]

 

[Kato Hana]

Manzo happened to be walking next to the mansion when he got the call. It was a strange way of putting it. ”Remember to bring my mask? He makes it sound like I forget it. “ Sure there had been times he had not worn it but those were purposefully events not because he had forgotten it.

Making the turn he started to trot towards the Hokage’s office, wondering what this was about. Not that it really mattered as his mask begin to form on his face, almost as if the water in the air was becoming harder and more solid.

As he reached the Hokage’s office he stopped in the antechamber to see the receptionist. ”I was summoned here by the ANBU Sennin“ he simply told the receptionist before being waved in.

As he entered he was looking the model of an ANBU, dog mask covering his face, uniform on though under his armor. A model ANBU if a model ANBU was overweight. He had managed to lose some of the weight since coming home but it had been a struggle. Not that he really let that slow him down in the least. Taking in the scene there was someone that he did not recognize. The stranger did not concern him at the moment because if he was a threat, the call would have been very different, and likely they would be rebuilding the mansion again.

Facing Takeshi, he announced himself”Zeta, Reporting as ordered“ While the stranger might not be a threat, Manzo treated Takeshi formally as his rank was respected.

 

[Kodoma Yoshihisa]

By the time Takeshi had finished calling in Manzo aka Zeta the grin on Yoshihisa’s face had long since departed, replaced by his usual expression of focus and determination. “I know myself well enough to know that I’m not yet at the stage of a licensed miracle worker, meaning all I can do is survive long enough to make it that far.. all the while leaving an impression.” He flicked his shoulder length hair out of his visage with a toss of his head and of all his sensory organs his eyes seemed to go through the greatest lengths to cast aside any and all trickery that might be in play from this point onwards: For the saying goes that on the subject of Genjutsu there is no such thing as coming too prepared if it denies your opponent the first blow.

Yoshihisa concluded there were no outside influences he was aware of that were trying to give his future opponent the upper hand, a point only hit home when Manzo entered the room: Even with his training Yoshihisa couldn’t help but imagine the ANBU was probably more reliant on Taijutsu than anything, possibly a member of the Akimichi clan at that. It was an assumption that could very easily cost him his life, causing him to quickly shake off this shallow first impression and just view his brand new colleague as a blank slate rather than anything, picking up what was concrete evidence only. “Umakaki, recently transfered from Iwagakure, it’s pleasure to meet you.” He bowed his head every so slightly before he fitted his own mask back in place and set his eyes upon Takeshi once more.

[MFT]