Don't Deviate from the Path Before You [Requesting Yuii and Ayumu, and Leaf Refugees]

[Kanagawa Nozomi]

Nozomi wasn't too fond of what Yuii had to say, but she was her superior, so she had no reason not to acquiesce to what she had to say. She bowed her head a bit and simply stated, "You are correct, Lady Yuii. Pardon me," she said, as if asking for forgiveness for speaking out of turn. It didn't matter if Nozomi liked or disliked something her superior said, order is order, and she will maintain that. She didn't have much of a choice in the matter, anyway. It was at this point that the door had opened up and the Raikage entered into the room. Still standing, Nozomi turned and bowed deeply, at the waist, towards the Raikage. "Welcome, Lord Raikage," she said towards the man as he entered. After a brief moment, she stood erect and turned her eyes towards the students for a brief moment before darting her eyes between the back-and-forth among Yuii and Ayumu. It seemed Ayumu had called her out on her behavior towards the Leaf refugees. It wasn't her place to step in to defend her Sennin as it was 'THE MAN' himself that made the comment. The one person she ought-not talk back to.

It was then that Reicheru told the tale of what happened in Konoha. This perturbed her immensely. The fact that Konoha would freely murder children instead of educating them hit her on a personal level. She had issues with the killing of children whens he was made into a child slave and a child soldier before being re-introduced and re-integrated into Kumogakure society. She experienced this kind of oppression quite vividly, too vividly as a matter of fact, that something still-fresh in her memory still caused quite the violent response from her. Just the mention of this information caused her to bite her lower lip, her balling her hands into a tight fist. She was having troubles maintaining her usual calm and collect demeanor from hearing about this. The following news didn't bother her at all; a helpless and inept leader isn't something that bothered her. It was the village's fault for putting such an inept and cowardly leader into power in the first place.

The tower incident was then told, causing Nozomi to take a sharp breath in through her nostrils. Her face twitching between keeping a stone-cold demeanor and displaying anger about the story that she had heard. She took a deep breath. These were just tales, they have yet to display any proof. She needed to keep her cool until she was shown proof of such atrocities. As Maikeru began to speak, her eyes darted towards him confirming her words. Again, just words. She needed to remain calm until actual proof, which they claimed to have, was proven to be shown. Daenirisu then displayed the evidence to the Sennin, her comrades, and the Raikage. She wasn't privy to watch the incident but the vocal and audio clips were enough to give context to what happened. She shifted her arms to cross over her chest, under her breasts, and waited for the words from the Raikage and the Sennin present before making a reaction.

Her initial thought was to just kill those responsible for these heinous crimes, but she wanted to have faith that justice will be served for those who innocently lost their lives. She, however, realistically knew that the murder of several foreign children wasn't enough to bring the villages to war nor break the treaty; which she saw as a farce to begin with. She wasn't holding her breath, but whatever the Raikage and Sennin deemed fit was what she had to live with. Her eyes turned towards Reicheru for a moment and the thoughts of grooming her to become a killer, like herself, started to grow like a tumor in her mind. Nozomi had experienced this many times before. Even if vengeance was, at the most, empty for those who fulfill it; it was certainly a cathartic feeling for even a brief moment. Knowing that the ones who turned your life into a living hell, for ending the lives of those you loved, having died to your hands was a satisfying feeling. Maybe she could grant her that satisfaction without completely turning her into a monster.​

 

[Kagetsu Yuii]

Yuii's face flickered to a warm smile as Ayumu showed himself, and she joined the throng in standing and bowing to her beloved Raikage. She resisted the urge to give him the usual sheepish smile or to slip into the casual conversation that was normal for the pair in all but official matters. The deep-rooted friendship between Sennin and Kage could erroneously make them believe they were of one mind.

Her smile turned bitter and self-mocking as the Kage quietly alluded to her own husband. There was nothing to gain from admitting her own connection with the countries of Earth and Fire and the Kage's chastisement managed only to remind her that she was supposed to be feeling sorry for herself. "Of course, Raikage-sama" she agreed sweetly to the ill-timed comparison while stepping aside to offer her own chair to the Kage, "But a lack of tact seems to also breed true. You do understand my position, don't you?"

Yuii picked a new chair next to the one she had offered Ayumu and sank into it with the same slouched uncaring attitude. Her attention seemed almost entirely on a wrapped candy that she casually opening. The Kage was here now and that meant she was supposed to follow his lead, offer him support and voice her opinion when he asked for it. Then again, Yuii had always been a terrible Sennin.

"What you're claiming is a bit outrageous, isn't it?" she asked as if the very idea of a Kage being wrong had never occurred to her. As if by accusing the Hokage's integrity they were also judging her own Kage. " Our Kage lead and protect us. If they needed to die then..." she left the last words hanging and tinged with doubt. "I'm sorry Raikage-sama, I shouldn't have spoken."

 

[Kogami Ayumu]

The first to speak up was the girl who seemed like she could be the leader of the bunch. She introduced herself and her companions while speaking in a very respectful manner, mindful that Ayumu might be busy. Truthfully, this was his highest pirority at the moment- he wanted to hear more, to figure out what was going on. She began with a summary of the problem, that the Hokage allegedly did not care for his people and that students were being killed, even by the Hokage's own hand. This lined up with what Ayumu had heard already from Hana, but he did not say anything.

She recounted an instance of a young Uchiha whom in a moment of foolishness had decided to try to flee the gates. Naturally, in a shinobi village, this was forbidden and he would be stopped in Cloud just as quickly as in Leaf. Yet by the sounds of it, it didn't end at preventing his escape. He was executed on the spot by the Hokage himself. This was clearly the incident Ayumu had heard about already. It didn't sound pretty and Ayumu wasn't keen to believe it but that was yet another source claiming as much. Cloud has rules about stopping runners at the gates. Killing was not off the table if the runner resisted, but in the case of a kage stopping a student it would be considered excessive force to be sure. If the runner could be incapacitated and arrested that would certainly be preferable, especially in the case of a young one. Ayumu nodded, allowing Reicheru to continue uninterrupted.

Continue she did, mentioning an incident where a fight had broken out between several shinobi over the incidents that had occurred. Nearly a civil war... it unforunately reminded Ayumu of how Shin had been cornered and attacked by his own people over disagreements with how he was running the village. Yet, while Ayumu could never have sympathized with the reasoning of those that killed Shin, he found himself questioning whether he might have felt the same in the shoes of those in Leaf.
Reicheru went on, describing a families and individuals fleeing the village in the aftermath. This, of course, explained Hana's recent arrival. Yet what came next was clearly personal for the girl and her companions, evident by her inability to hide her emotion in the midst of the story. More students, obviously their friends, were killed as a result of rebroadcasting a message that admittedly they should not have. Executed on the spot, again, without question. Yet, the one who had broadcast the message to begin with was unharmed? Forget the morality, where was the sense in that? Ayumu averted his gaze for a moment as he pondered, showing his distaste for what he was hearing.

As Reicheru went quiet, the boy chimed in to coroborate her claims as well as speak on the Hokage himself. He claimed that the Hokage didn't care about those that were killed, and that he had in fact promoted those responsible. Yet, at the same time, he had also permitted these three to leave just as he had permitted Umashi and Yomi to do the same. Was he simply trying to rid the village of dissenters in a manner which would draw less negative attention than killing them? Well, that was just speculation. Daenerisu also agreed with Reicheru's account of what had occurred, and offerred up the proof they had, the snapshot that would show Ayumu what happened that day.

"Yes, let me see it,"<i></i> Ayumu said, prompting Danii to share the snapshotted memory. Ayumu watched the events play out silently, his contenance grim. The three children, juvenline in their mannerisms, jested with eachother as they worked to set up the broadcast which Ayumu heard as well. The broadcast called Takeshi out for the actions Ayumu had now heard described on multiple occassions. As it played, the kids chuckled as they didn't seem to realize how big a mistake they had just made.
Moments later, the tower was annihilated by wind ninjutsu launched by an ANBU. Another girl showed up, gleeful in her demeaner, giggling like a school girl. Another woman showed and issued a threat to them. The boys tried feigning innocence to no avail. One of the girls who had arrived to stop them declared that they were now considered missing-nin and gleefully declared that they wouldn't live to make it into the bingo books. And so the three attacked and easily overpowered the boys, the difference in their strength clear. It was over in an instant and the snapshot ended abruptly as a blade swung for the jutsu user's neck. Ayumu drew a long breath and was quiet for a moment as Yuii spoke, expressing her disbelief that a kage's integrity could be in question. She apologized and then went quiet, leaving it to Ayumu to speak.

"Kage are not infallible. Myself included,"<i></i> Ayumu said, pausing for a moment. He knew better. In recent history, the village had a Raikage named Haruka whom had killed her predecessor and covered it up in order to attain her position. Kages were human. "Ideally, Yuii, you're right- that should be the role of a kage. And sometimes that means making tough decisions... but this..."<i></i> Ayumu paused, going quiet as he found himself at a loss for words momentarily. The three shinobi had given not a single ounce of care for the children as they killed them, one of them even seemed happy to do so. The difference in power was almost immeasurable between the two sides, yet the victors had not even tried to hold back... it had been their intentions that none of the boys would live. And they were promoted for it? But of course, it would make sense if their Hokage was of the same mind.

Ayumu felt a bit sick thinking of what he had just watched... and angry. Had he been present, he certainly would have tried to intervene. To stop the senseless killing, to hear the boys out. They were in the wrong according to their village's law, but did they deserve to die without question? Ayumu's fist clenched tightly. There was nothing he could do, it was but a memory of something that had already happened. The anger boiled within, fresh off of what he'd just seen. His eyes glowed faintly as chakra gathered. The spirit V'eru within him cautioned him to calm himself and after another deep breath he did, unclenching his fist.

"I've heard other stories as well, from others who came here from your village. A woman named Uchiha Hana told me that the Hokage attacked her and her husband Ziren, that he stabbed her, and then forced her husband to take the blade out of her and cut off his own arm... is this something any of you were aware of?"<i></i> Ayumu asked. He asked partially to see if they could corroborate the story and also to make Yuii aware of what he had already heard. It didn't seem so far fetched right now.

 

[Suika]

Not really expecting a response from her contrived query, Suika soon was immersed in the heart-wrenching story that was passionately told by Reicheru. The Leaf shinobi was obviously distraught; the kunoichi sensed a sorrowful sincerity in both her tone and demeanor. Although the Chuunin had no reason to believe these foreigners, a regretful truth was painted by these ninjas from the Land of Fire. As a previous victim of trauma herself, it was easy for her to recognize the signs. She knew the trio before her felt powerless and victim to a system they had no control or say over. Their presence here was the ultimate symptom of their admitted defeat – they were grasping at straws.

However…

They were not weak. No, while they had probably encountered a medley of tragedies throughout their time in Leaf Village, Suika also sensed in them a fiery aura that burned for justice and peace. There was plenty of fight remaining in them… she felt this in her bones. Although most would express dismay or disbelief when an account like this was shared, the kunoichi expressed neither. While she held on to her natural disposition of neutrality, she fought the urge to unveil glimmers of hope for them. If permitted, she’d want to chat with these shinobi later in private. While she carried the needs of her village first, Suika also had her own agenda.

“Hm?”

As told, Suika quietly turned away when the snapshot was shared. She was a bit curious, but she gave the Leaf shinobi the privacy they requested. The responses from her superiors after were no surprise. Yuii appeared cold and unaffected by the proof of their story, but the Chuunin understood why. The duty of a Sennin was beyond just believing every tale that slipped through your gates, especially if the safety of her village, Raikage, and, most importantly, her ailed child was at stake. Plus, she owed them nothing, not even a drop of common empathy. While Suika herself knew she’d react differently than her superior, there was a certain aspect of the Sennin’s behavior that she admired. She took mental notes.

Ayumu, on the other hand, looked visibly perturbed. Examining his words and tensed body language alone were enough to know that this angered him. But then again, the Raikage had previously revealed that these weren’t the first Leaf shinobi to enter Cloud Village’s gates. Upon the retelling of another gruesome account told to him by an individual named Hana, Suika fought the compulsion to wince.

Goodness, Uchiha Takeshi was an asshole.

 

[Santaru Kaede]

Danii takes the Raikage’s hand in her own and allows herself to channel chakra into the seal storing the snapshot. As she shares the snapshotted memory, she is careful to not make any sudden movements or move too quickly. She knew how being allowed this close to the Raikage was an honor, but also knew that there would be tension in the room from the others as they watched her carefully. The snapshot played for the two. At the end, Danii flinched away from the Raikage as the image of the sword came flashing towards her head. The memory of the pain of death from a blade caused her to recoil. She had been unfortunate to feel the all too real pain over and over again from an especially brutal spar and the memory reminded her of it.

“I'm sorry, sir. Watching a friend's death through their eyes is hard to grow accustomed to.”

She gently rubbed her neck where the blade would have struck. She watched as the Raikage turned the evidence over her head. Somehow the clenched fists, and other small signs of anger she could see forming, managed to both relieve her and induce it's own type of anxiety. On one hand, the emotions, and his admittance to not being infallible, confirmed that he was indeed a human being like them. On the other, she began to sense just how large their power difference was. Through her recent trainings, she had come to understand the raw power that could come from emotions, but that power could also be unpredictable. The breath didn't escape her lungs until the Raikage composed himself. A newfound respect for the Raikage washed over her. Compassionate and in control of his emotions, but reasonable and investigative at the same time. The type of leader she could admire and strive to emulate.

“I'm sorry, but I never met Lady Hana. And I haven't heard of her story, but I was just a genin in Leaf. Reicheru or Maikeru may have heard more about it. But if you want my opinion, the story doesn't sound unbelievable after what I've seen what the Leaf leadership are capable of. They seem to find an odd joy in torturing and killing those weaker than them as you just saw.”

Danii looks the Raikage directly in the eyes and shares her opinion, her voice no longer quivering and her body noticeably less tense. Either sharing the snapshot or the Raikage's compassion, or a combination of both, seems to have strengthened her resolve.

 

[Maikeru]

For most of his life, Maikeru had done his best to distance himself the stereotypical actions of the Uchiha clan. It seemed that no matter where he went everyone had a predisposition towards the clan his blood hailed from, and if he wanted to succeed he would need to break and surpass those expectations. There were times, however brief, where his Uchiha blood really came out. For a moment, the words Yuii spoke seemed to shatter whatever calm disposition he had been attempting to maintain. His jaw clenched, his eyes drawing into a tight scowl as he looked at the Main Branch sennin.

He was going to rise from his chair, to scream everything he had been holding back since he had walked into this village, until he saw the look on her face and heard the apology she spoke to the Raikage. Instead, he closed his eyes, leaning back in the chair that had been given to him. He let out a calming, slow breath. Inhaling through his nose, and exhaling through his mouth, he attempted to find his center. His hand reached for Reicheru's, trying to interlock his fingers with hers. She was his rock, after all. The voice of reason that kept him from going off the deep end, the one thing that kept him making the right choices.. most of the time, at least.

"I am sure Lord Tenth is a great Kage." He responded instead, opening his eyes before speaking with Yuii. "After all, the people of this village seem terrified of losing him. I can't think of another reason why three children from an allied nation would be followed an interrogated so thoroughly."

He paused for a moment, thinking his next words carefully. Everyone was on edge here, even Yuii despite how well she was hiding it. The implications of what they were saying were rather great, after all.

"However, I assure you that I speak nothing but the truth." Maikeru looked between Yuii and Ayumu as he spoke, doing his best to keep eye contact with at least one of them. "Uchiha Takeshi is a vile excuse for a Hokage who brings dishonor to the name. Lord Umashi was the last Hokage we had in my eyes, since him the spot has been vacated and leaf has fallen into a terrible cesspool of nepotism and greed."

"I'll submit myself to whatever you wish to get you to believe my tale," He continued, "Bring in a Yamanaka, or whatever the clouds equivalent is, and have them read my mind. Lord Tenth, I'm not asking for a hand out here. None of us are. We're simply asking for a fresh start in a village that doesn't kill their shinobi without reason. We're asking for a safe place to foster our talents, and to pledge those talents to your village."

It was hard to get a read of the room, or to decide what to say or do next. Honestly, he was at the limits of his charisma here. He was usually so good at this, it was quite an awful time to be having an off day. However, the Raikage's question intrigued him.

"Uchiha Hana? Yes, I know of her." He said, his pupils going to the top of his eye as he thought back on the Uchiha clan members inside of the village. "Yea, we were in the same clan for a while after all. I can't say I know her as a friend, but I can speak true that she is indeed married to Chigokai Ziren, that much is rather common knowledge."

The next part was confusing to Maikeru, though. He had known the Hokage was a cruel man, but, he didn't know he could be driven to that level of barbaric punishment. Biting his lower lip as he thought, Maikeru continued.

"As for stabbing her and cutting off her husbands arm, well, I can't completely confirm that." He admitted, giving an apologetic bow of his head. "However, I am aware of the prosthetic arm that Ziren has, so, her story is at least plausible. If I may add further conjecture, Lord Tenth, she has no reason to lie to you. No one in the village outside of our immediate families knew we were coming here, and she is fully aware as an Uchiha that genjutsu can be used to read someone's mind. Without someone to confirm her story, and knowing of that fact, why would she lie about something so heinous? That is something you would investigate, and find to be false rather quickly."

Taking a break from speaking, he took a sip of his hot chocolate. The hot liquid had gone luke warm now, but, it was a nice way to break the silences that were forming as each side thought of the best way to counter what the other had said. There was no trust in this room, or at least very little of it. How odd for allied nations, though, with Takeshi as Kage..

"Lord Tenth, if I may speak freely?" He asked, setting his hot cocoa down on the table before him. "The tension in this room is palpable. Between the number of cloud shinobi who could easily take all three of us by themselves if we became an issue, and the shadow on the wall behind us, I get the feeling there is no trust. Though, the same can be said for us. We came from a village where it was just as likely for the leadership to kick you to your knees than lift you to your feet. Perhaps I can offer an olive branch of sorts?"

Maikeru rose from his seat for a moment, careful to move slowly, to allow the watchers in the room to see his every movement was non hostile and clearly visible. He fell to his knees just as slowly, before placing his forehead against the ground in a show of humility.

"Lord Tenth, take me on as your disciple. Teach me to love this village and it's people as you clearly do. Show me what it's like to truly have a home. After all, with all the shinobi around you, it's the easiest way to keep an eye on me and subsequently my friends, isn't it? I couldn't do anything treasonous if I'm being watched by the Raikage and his bodyguards."

 

[Saitou Rei]

While her friends added in details to the story, the young Saitou continued searching the eyes of those listening. Nozomi's efforts to keep an unaffected shinobi front were evident, and the Raikage's distaste was visible. The shadow on the wall kept quite, and Yuii's assistant… she had introduced herself, hadn't she? 'Oh no' Reicheru panicked, having been so singularly focused on the Raikage's arrival previously and anxious for this meeting that she couldn't remember the girl's name. Saki? Suki? …Suika! Taking note of the name of the young girl who had made it into the good graces of her village's leadership, Reicheru tried to get a sense for how she was reacting, being the closest in age to the trio among the Kumo shinobi present. It was to little avail as the girl kept her emotions in check, a good move for someone seemingly at the right hand of a Sennin. Even so, the reaction of the room was more in line with what Reicheru would expect from a rational human being than what she had been met with in Konoha…

…at least until Yuii spoke. But even then, she spoke less with disregard than it was disbelief it seemed. Still, her words stung. "If they needed to die then..." Gritting her teeth, similar words from none other than the Hokage himself echoed in her mind. The mental image of the man looming over them as they knelt beside the corpses of their friends threatened to undo her, her eyes beginning to take on an indigo hue for anyone looking carefully. Ironically, it was Maikeru's hand in hers as he sought to be brought down that actually centered her. Her eyes shifted to Nozomi, then Suika. 'Get a handle on it, Rei.' Emulating the stone-faced kunoichi around her, the dark haired girl pulled herself together. Things truly seemed better for the people here in Kumogakure, she reminded herself. Perhaps something like this could be hard to swallow, even for an experienced and knowledgeable Sennin if a place like this had always been their home.

Lord Ayumu received her full attention as he spoke, her ears perking at the mention of a familiar but unexpected name. She listened and nodded as Maikeru answered his question, searching her own memories for any mention the blue-haired Konoha shinobi might have made of this. He had shared quite a bit of his storied past with her in Kenshin's office, but not this particular tidbit. Though much time had passed, she was certain she would have remembered this detail on the day her faith in her Hokage was shattered. "I'm in the same position as Maikeru. I too can confirm Ziren is missing an arm, but how that came to be I was not aware. Ziren was always respectful toward authority, so I can understand why, if that's true, he wouldn't have shared that with us."

While she turned this new information over in her head, she almost didn't notice Maikeru rise. His words quickly tuned her attention in, and her concern over his statements about their collective trust soon turned to shock as the Uchiha slowly went to his knees. If the situation were different, she might have smiled. Pride was a defining trait for Uchiha Maikeru - this act of humility was a monumental moment for him in Reicheru's eyes, though she was almost saddened by knowing that no one witnessing it outside of herself and Daenerisu would understand how deep it went. Perhaps there was something beautiful in that though. At a loss for words, Reicheru instead also took to her knee in a show of solidarity with Maikeru's intentions. Though she thought his words and asking to be made a disciple of the Raikage was quite presumptuous (all progress could not be made overnight after all), she hoped this might help communicate the genuine heart behind their words.

 

[Kanagawa Nozomi]

Anger. An emotion she hadn't felt in a long, long time. She felt nothing when she re-encountered the son-of-a-bitch that made her into a child-soldier. The last time she felt anger equivalent of the anger she was facing now was when he pulled the trigger and killer her sister. She did her best to keep her composure; anger slipping out little-by-little as the video continued to play. There was no respite from this emotion even after the video, or the audio was all she witnessed, had completed. It was then that her sennin had spoken. This caused her to turn her eyes towards her at the 'if they needed to die' bit, putting immense pressure upon her balled-up fist. She wasn't too happy with what Yuii was starting off with nor were the retraction of those words. It didn't change her opinion of her Sennin, but it most certainly didn't paint her in a positive light for a brief moment. Nozomi would most likely forget her words by tomorrow, unless she says something completely egregious.

A story of a couple cropped up about Uchiha Hana and Chigokai Ziren. The group corroborated on the claims made by another asylum-seeker, to a degree, making the stories somewhat align due to the evidence of a lost arm. For someone to make his people do that is heinous. The more and more she heard about this Hokage's atrocities, the more frustrated she became from just hearing all of this. It was then that the one named Uchiha Maikeru started to talk; hoping for a brighter future here in Kumogakure. Hopefully, the Raikage would agree. Everyone deserved a second-chance at life and she believed the three of them deserved it as well. It was at this moment that the Uchiha prostrated himself before the Raikage. This caused Nozomi's eyes to open up in shock. For one to drop to their knees and throw themselves down before the Raikage was either a clever ruse or an act of desperation.

Her head turned towards the Raikage for a moment, then to her Sennin, then back to the Raikage. "My Lord, I will take responsibility for their stay here. I also wish to take one of them under my wing to show the ways of the Merces," she said before bowing deeply to the Raikage. Whether she was enchanted by the story of these children or she felt an extreme amount of pity was besides the point. Having never felt such anger like this caused her to think irrationally. She could only imagine the three of these children also felt anger brewing in their hearts. It was her hope to harness that anger into something that would be useful for the village; in her instance, she had planned to take one of them under her wing to be a killer for the Merces Letifer. Nozomi stood up from her bow towards the Raikage and then turned to give an equally deep bow to Yuii, her Sennin. "With your approval, as well, Lady Yuii," she said, almost begging.

If she had to, she, too would prostrate herself before the Raikage and the Sennin. The two of them should know of her Master Ranking position in the Merces Letifer and her history with the Assassins of Cloud should speak for themselves. She would hold this position until she was given an answer from her Sennin.​

WC: 565 -- MFT

 

[Kiri]

Things were definitely moving quickly. The children laid their claim one after another, exposing more of the deeds that the Hokage and the current regime had done, and perhaps, continue to do. Uri would glance between them and the Raikage every now and then, trying to see for any reaction. As much as he was calm outside, inside he could feel his blood boiling. Certainly, he felt pity and a grain of sympathy for the children, but he was also keeping in check his position. He didn’t want to cause any untoward incidents at the moment, and really, he didn’t want the children to be his target.

And yet, it was so difficult to truly surrender himself to the act of pity. He didn’t so much as want to be lax when already the other Kumonin already was. Taking them her charge, her responsibility, her wing, her eyes? That sounded far too pompous. Bargaining for another may be a sane occurrence, but a bargain only becomes possible if the scale weighted equal. Did the Kumonin actually think that her word, her life, was equal to three?

Looking on back to the Raikage and the Sennin, Uri couldn’t help but add in his own few thoughts in the matter. “If what they say is true, then all the more reason to be careful. They may inevitably bring trouble to the village, but it would also be unheard of to just turn them away. Though I wouldn’t really want to come out bargaining for their welfare so easily, if you Lordship will grant them sanctuary, I would like to put myself up for watching over them as, even if from the shadows. And I think knowing that a shadow is watching over your actions is a far more effective strategy, much like how a panopticon works.” He turns to face the children, “That haunting and knowing feeling that there lurks an eye that scrutinizes every action you make, but also allows the individual to harness the same energy to discipline and watch their own actions by their own. This way, it is not anyone else’s responsibility should they be caught violating Kumogakure’s laws, but their own.”

 

[Kogami Ayumu]

The one known as Maikeru seemed to take some offense to Yuii’s hesitance to believe their stories. He thought it perhaps excessive that they were being questioned thoroughly, though if he were a Cloud-nin he’d know it wasn’t out of the ordinary for their security to be tighter for foreigners, allied nations or not. He continued on to reinforce his notion that Takeshi was a dishonorable man, bringing up the name of Umashi as the Leaf’s last good Hokage. He then made clear their intentions here: to pledge themselves to Kumogakure as a place they felt safer than their own home.

The first to answer Ayumu’s inquiry about Hana was the one who had shown him the snapshot moments ago, looking understandably perhaps a bit unwell after the experience. She had not heard the story, but was ready to believe that it was true without much convincing. He noted that she seemed somehow more at ease, though he wasn’t certain why. The next was Maikeru, who verified that she was married to a man named Ziren who was short one arm. Reicheru backed this up as well. Though this didn’t confirm that Takeshi was responsible, it did mean that at the very least the entire story wasn’t fabricated.

From there, the conversation quickly took a turn as Maikeru noted a feeling of mistrust between those present in the room. He wasn’t wrong, yet Ayumu did not see it as anything more than a healthy dose of caution from both sides. Kumogakure had a treaty with Konoha, yes, but these were not your usual Konoha shinobi having come making such claims. The situation had to be handled delicately. On the side of the three from Leaf, they had little reason to be sure Kumo wasn’t going to hand them over to Konoha with a list of the accusations they had made. Yet in an attempt to foster some kind of trust, Maikeru made a shocking proposition: he wished to have Ayumu take him on as a disciple. Ayumu’s eyebrows raised slightly in surprise. ’He’s a bold one,’ Ayumu thought to himself.

Before Ayumu could respond, the Jounin in the room bowed deeply and made a plea to take responsibility for the Leaf-nins to stay in Kumogakure. She had obviously been swayed by their plight if she was so willing to put herself on the line for it. The ANBU also had his piece to say, though he took the more cautious side, offering his services to keep an eye on them from the shadows. Ayumu scratched his head quietly for a moment and then slumped back in his chair, heaving a sigh.

”Let’s not get ahead of ourselves here,”<i></i> he said, looking to Maikeru who had made the most drastic suggestion. He could only imagine how many people would take issue with him having a foreigner freshly joining the village so close to him. It was a bit quick. They hadn’t even decided if the trio would be allowed to stay. I’m not prepared to break any treaties over rumors, disturbing and concerning as they may be… yet I’m also not about to turn some kids in need away. I may need to have myself a conversation with this Takeshi in the near future…”<i></i> Ayumu began, wondering how and when he might have an opportunity to have such a talk. He went quiet for a moment, turning the information he had heard over in his head in order to make a decision.

”For now… I’ll allow a provisionary citizenship for you three while we figure out what’s going on with Konoha. As much as I like to help people out, the village has to be my main concern, so consider this very provisionary. If you mess up, you’re out. If I do end up finding out that we’ve been deceived or lied to, well, as you can imagine that would be very bad,”<i></i> Ayumu began, revealing his decision on the matter. If everything they said was true, he wouldn’t just throw them out. That just wasn’t his style, for better or worse.

”In the meantime, it’s certainly not a bad idea to have someone looking after you,”<i></i> Ayumu continued, pausing for a moment in contemplation. He already had two volunteers with different methods for such a task, but would that be suitable? He needed to know a bit more about these three. ”What were your ranks and branches in Konoha?”<i></i> Ayumu asked, looking to get more information.

 

[Maikeru]

Maikeru slowly rose to his feet as Ayumu finished his piece, before taking his seat back at the table. As much as that show of humility stung his Uchiha pride, he felt it had spoken volumes about the severity of their acquisitions. After all, if there was one thing that everyone knew about Uchiha, it was that their pride was often more important to them than their lives. He was quite surprised by what Ayumu had said, however.

While he hadn't expected to actually become Ayumu's protegee, he also hadn't expected to be given provisionary citizenship without some sort of test. Something that they could offer to Kumo in order for them to take such a risk. What this was what a Kage was really supposed to be like? He kept his surprise to himself, however, preferring to sit in a neutral position with his hands crossed in his lap. He took a moment to look to Danni and Reicheru, giving the two girls a small reassuring smile.

"Well, in Leaf was a chief medical shinobi." He said, offering up the information Ayumu had requested of them. "I was trained personally by the Medical Sennin Tsukasa Mikasa, though I don't know if that name holds any weight. I'm not sure how much her notoriety has spread outside of Konoha. I can only attest that she was the most gifted medic I had ever met."

He paused for a moment, feeling he should give up the reason he was promoted so highly so quickly.

"Though, I should be forthright with something. I was given Chief Medical Shinobi because of a field promotion from the Hokage. I believe it was a way to try and appease me from the actions taken against those I loved. I would leave it up to your own medical shinobi to assess my worth in the field."

 

[Saitou Rei]

It wasn't long after putting her face to the ground that Reicheru's eyes widened in surprise as the woman who'd met and led them here, Nozomi, spoke up and offered to take responsibility for the three. Why? Why would she do something so reckless for people she didn't know and had so little reason to trust? A warmth she hadn't felt in quite some time filled her from her core as she considered the goodwill she had seen in the people of this village so far. Even the ANBU's distrustful comments from behind them weren't enough to dampen her spirit, as even he who seemed among the more hesitant hadn't recommended deportation.

Then, finally, the Raikage spoke and handed down his own judgment. In truth, it was far more than Reicheru thought she had any right to hope for. Though admittedly she had been praying for such an outcome, she hadn't dreamt it would be quite that simple. Citizenship. Well, a provisionary one. Mulling over the word as she followed Maikeru's lead and took to her seat once more, she supposed that was comparable with the test she had expected to be put through, and in truth more telling. One toe out of place at any time, and they could easily find themselves out in the cold without a home once more. A decision that was both kind and just. As Ayumu continued, Reicheru considered the man and almost wondered why she hadn't learned more about him at Konoha's academy. Almost, because she knew that an essential rule of any dictatorship was to make its ruler seem like the best, or at least the most palatable possible option.

Returning Maikeru's smile, she waited as he gave his response before doing likewise. "I was a Jounin in the Main Branch, and head of the academy for a short time. However, my promotion came the same way Maikeru's did…" She meant to stop there, but after a small pause the rest came like word vomit; there was nothing she could do to stop it. "I was still only a Genin prior. I was not, no, am not qualified for the position. I had my reasons for taking it at the time, but I am becoming more and more aware of just how much I don't know. I'm certain such a rank would not be handed out so simply to a foreigner anyway, but I want to be clear that I will start anywhere, do anything you see fit Lord Raikage and Kagetsu Yuii-sama, to earn my place here." Hands folded in her lap, the Nanjirou's grey eyes connected with both leaders' before she bowed her head, both in respect and to signal that she realized that she had probably said too much. It was their place to assess her value, not hers. Honestly, this was now the small stuff she cared little about - the important thing had been promised her already, even if only on a potentially temporary basis. Citizenship.

 

[Santaru Kaede]

Danii watched in surprise as Maikeru knelt before the Raikage, but she didn't show it. Maikeru always seemed to be one of the flashier ones in the group. And he definitely seemed to know how to make himself appear humble when need be. Danii watches how the Kumonin react to his pledge. The woman they met at the gate caught her off guard with her offer to watch over and train them. She was surprised that someone would put themself out there for the sake of some strangers, but admired her for her sympathy. It was odd, and slightly comforting, to hear the woman make her offer. But that feeling was only fleeting, as the ANBU opened his mouth. She wondered if there was something about the ANBU branch that attracted those without tact or diplomacy. His thinly veiled threats reminded her of their treatment back in the Leaf. Before she could even open her mouth to speak out against it, the Raikage spoke and eased her mind. She could only pray that people like him were rare here as she listened to the Raikage offer them temporary citizenship. At the very least, she hoped that the leadership here would not allow him into a spot that required a bit more charisma and interactions with foreigners, such as any role that followed the kage around. The last two seemed to remain quiet and hard to read, what Danii would expect from people who deal with delicate situations like theirs on a regular basis. She hoped to learn more of that aspect from them at some point.

Danii's eyes grew wide as the Raikage made his offer to the three. She wasn't expecting such a generous offer and knew she had to take advantage of it. She had to prove that it wasn't a mistake. She did grow a bit embarrassed as her friends told their rank and occupations though. Unlike them, she was only a genin and had not provem herself on the battlefield. And unlike Maikeru, she was not mentored by anyone outside of this group. Despite her faltering self confidence, Maikeru's smile calms her down. She knew that they would be getting the fresh start they had hoped for. She waited her turn and then began speaking.

“I was only a genin of the main branch when we left the Leaf, but I have been trained in both the sword and manners of the Samurai by my grandfather since I could barely walk. As a student, I was recruited to a group of swordsmen with these two and another in hopes of perfecting our technique. I must admit that I come mostly as a blank slate though with hopes to serve to the best of my abilities as you all see fit”

Danii ends her spiel with what she hopes is a bit of humility as she bows her head in respect to the Raikage.

[WC: 487]
[MFT]

 

[Kagetsu Yuii]

The Main branch sennin's first mistake was allowing for Ayumu to be the first to watch the snapshot that Danii presented to her Kage. Procedurally she should have gone first. She had to make sure it was safe, check for tricks, protect her Kage. Internally she winced- Ayumu wouldn't care about her failure but she did while externally she watched her friend's face for any sign of distress that signalled she needed to intervene. Luckily for all of them, there were none, just anger and disbelief followed by a reminder for her that Kages were not infallible.

Intuition told her whatever he had watched was bad. Very bad.

Yuii sunk into silent reflection then, sparing barely a glance of acknowledgement for Maikeru as he addressed the protectiveness of her people. To her it was natural. They had lost Kage before to foreigners, good Kage whose death rocked the foundations of their mountain. Under her watch, Ayumu would die to nothing other than old age- if his wife would even allow that much. Briefly, she wondered why the Leaf shinobi would think their security was over the top for a kage, the only Hokage she had ever met had been guarded as well as Ayumu ever was, but the answer was probably in that snapshot and the sadness in her own Kage's eyes.

Her face betraying none of the astonishment she felt as Ayumu's line of questing betrayed he had been keeping secrets. The ease with which the Raikage believed their tale made sense when additional stories of maiming and tragedy were connected. Being briefed on the matter would have helped Yuii as well, but she had to believe that her Kage had a good reason for holding this to his chest. They all had to believe that what the Raikage did was for their best interest, no matter what Ayumu might think, he was their point of hope and order.

It was on that basis that she didn't argue when Ayumu decided to grant the three provisional citizenship. She didn't argue with the Anbu when he spoke of caution and watching them either though. A similar, if a more tactful, plan had formed in her mind. She dwelled on that and her Merces girl's request as the three stated their previous ranks in Leaf.

"Fine." Yuii sighed, taking over on Ayumu's behalf as it became apparent the future of two of the three would be in her hands, "My branch for those two and medical for the boy. Genin infantry for these two for now- they'll have a chance to prove they're worth more than that." she eyed the two girls, then moved on to the boy who had the audacity to ask to be Ayumu's shadow. His affiliation with the medical branch explained why he was so irritating. "No doubt 'they' will want to test him no matter what you decide, Raikage-sama." then under her breath she added, "Raiden have mercy on him."

The reminder that the medical branch would do as they like, and her own willingness to decide the future of the two girls even while Ayumu sat right there was a reflection of the dynamic between the Sennin and their Kage. Their loyalty was absolute and Ayumu's word was final, but when it came to deciding the particulars of the three branches Ayumu rarely challenged them. He trusted them to do their jobs right. Even Yuii.

She seemed to contemplate the two girls, then Nozomi and even Suika. The half-formed idea she'd had clicked into place- it was almost as if fate had designed who would be here this day. "Gun bunny's request has some merit, and the ANBU is zealous but partially correct if you don't mind my saying so Raikage-sama. They'll need someone to ghost and teach them our ways and I won't let them bumble around the village on their lonesome with a rank of any kind from my branch. Bunny can take on one, Bronze here the other to make sure they learn." She jutted her thumb towards Suika, just in case there was any question of who she meant. "This provisional citizenship will also have to come with some limitations no matter the ranks decided." she glanced at Ayumu, then at the girls again, "I don't want them near the gates until I'm certain of them, and I definitely don't want them leaving the village. Lightning is far different from Fire. Imagine if they stumbled into the Tenouzans or one of the nobility, or a band of Marsh raiders without any idea of the dangers. With your permission, of course, Kogami-sama."

 

[Kogami Ayumu]

Each of the Leaf shinobi responded to Ayumu on their own, giving their branches and ranks. Ayumu was surprised by how highly ranked two of them were given their age and apparent tension with the leadership, but it was the least of many surprises he'd had today. They both seemed willing to admit that perhaps those ranks had come a bit prematurely. Two of them were of the Main Branch, which would place them under Yuii, and one under the Medical branch meaning he'd be reporting to Kahako. Ayumu already knew Kahako wouldn't be happy about that. Probably less so than Yuii, even, which was saying something. Yet as Yuii did, she would begrudgingly accept him. Hopefully in time they would find their place and earn the trust they wanted. If Kaji was able to become ANBU Sennin, that wasn't too tall of an order.

Yuii resigned herself to her fate of accepting the two refugees into her branch and was quick to decide they would start at the rank of Genin. Ayumu had no argument there. Indeed, he tended to trust the Sennin to make decisions regarding their branches and questioned it only in rare instances. Besides that, they were still largely unknown to the village so entrusting them with too much right off the bat would have been an unwise move. He also agreed with the idea of having someone from their new branch watch over them, including the one who would be headed to the medical branch. Kahako wasn't here to make the decisions on the rank or who would be responsible for Maikeru but Ayumu could guess well enough to let him know where he'd stand in his branch. Meanwhile, Yuii had some further security concerns regarding the newbies, requesting some restrictions regarding the gates be put in place for now.

"I think that's fair,"<i></i> Ayumu commented, noting that it would make them easier to keep an eye on. Next, he turned to Maikeru who was likely waiting to see where he stood as decisions had already been made for his companions. "As a medical shinobi you'll be reporting to Shinrya Kahako, the medical Sennin. I think we can assume that she will feel similarly to Yuii and that you'll be starting out as a trainee. You'll find that we promote based on merit rather than for appeasement here, but if I've judged you three correctly that should be to your liking. If you prove yourselves it will come in time,"<i></i> Ayumu addressed Maikeru and then all three of them. Next, he looked to the lone ANBU in the room.

"None of the three will be assigned to your branch, however your Sennin should be made aware of the situation nonetheless as a matter of security. If he sees fit to commit resources to monitoring them, that's up to him,"<i></i> Ayumu added. He wondered how Kaji would feel about the new recruits from his former home. Time would tell how the village as a whole would respond to these events. They weren't the first foreigners to be committed to Kumo's ranks and who knew if they'd be the last?

"At any rate, I suppose I'll be the first to welcome you to Kumogakure... I'm sure someone has some headbands in a drawer somewhere in this tower,"<i></i> Ayumu said as he turned his attention back to the three new Kumo shinobi.

[OoC: Reicheru/Dani approved for Genin, Maikeru approved for MiT]

 

[Suika]

The next set of events transpired rather quickly. After the Leaf shinobi pleaded their case, which Suika did find compelling, they were met with mentorship offers from two of the superior shinobi in the premise. One of these offers was from the shadow in the room. To join the ranks of the masked protectors? ANBU were needed in the village, and their purpose within the village’s network were noble; however, the kunoichi always found that branch particularly dull. What real influence did one have when hidden behind a mask? Nonetheless, she expressed no visible opinion. Next, the Main Branch Jounin, known as Nozomi, offered to take one of these refugees into the ranks of Merces. As masterful as she was at keeping her cool, Suika flinched at the woman’s brazen offer.

“Merces… ugh,” she thought with slight disapproval. Before she had joined KSIS, the kunoichi was approached as a potential recruit for Kumogakure’s Merces Letifer. She didn’t dislike that subdivision, especially as someone who aspired to run the Main branch someday, but she did feel uncomfortable with their methods. As a shinobi, Suika was not against killing, but she felt that she’d personally require a good reason to take a life. The thought of being ordered to assassinate someone through a contract, which often did not disclose why that specific person had to be eliminated, did not sit well with her own moral compass. The girl, who once snapped a bunny’s neck without hesitance by her sensei’s request, had changed a bit over the years. Her growing attunement to the spiritual realm softened her in some ways. Whether this was great for her shinobi career or not was yet to be observed.

Regardless, their fate was not for her to decide, and she was completely fine with that. After they shared their previous ranks and the questionable ways they were promoted, both Yuii and Ayumu decided to approve their provisional citizenship and shinobihood within Kumogakure. “Good decision,” she affirmed. It was a bit risky, but what was a ninja village without some risk? It was then that her Sennin, Yuii, offered her and Nozomi’s services in mentoring the newly branded Genin. Suika had no problem with this; not only did she always welcome a training buddy, but she saw this as an opportunity to keep a closer eye on the new recruits. Plus, if she were to run major parts of the village someday, it’d prove useful to gather their intel on Konohagakure. Suika was the ambitious type, after all.

“Welcome to Kumogakure,” Suika followed after Ayumu. They did have a hefty stock of headbands, but first they had to be officially processed. All Genin were required to complete their registration and paperwork; it was tedious, especially for people like Yuii and, by default, Suika, but it had to be done. “I’ll help get the two started with their Main Branch registration, Yuii-sama, Ayumu-sama, with your permission.” If granted by her superiors, and after giving some time for the newly inducted shinobi to give their possibly elated responses, the kunoichi would then motion to both former Leaf kunoichi to follow her. “We have a fair amount of paperwork to fill in and process, so if you’d please follow me, Reicheru and Daenerisu. We’ll make you Kumo ninja in no time.” Maybe around then, too, would the kunoichi discuss who they’d prefer to shadow.

[Topic Left when permitted/when mentioned shinobi leave]

 

[Kanagawa Nozomi]

Nozomi cracked a smile, something that isn't very characteristic of her. The only people she actually smiled to was towards children as a means of comforting them; especially for those she understood the plight of. It wasn't something borne from happiness, but something borne from empathy and the desire to make a better world for them. She didn't wish for them to live an awful life the way she lived, but to give them something she didn't have as a child; hope. However, the smile she displayed was one of joy and happiness. While it was still a positive reaction to something for another person, this one was still quite selfish. She bowed to the Raikage after his words were given and the words, "Thank you, Lord Raikage!" came from Nozomi's lips and she turned towards Yuii and bowed to her as well, thanking her for accepting the Raikage's words; even if her words sounded hesitant and forced.

It was proposed that both Suika and Nozomi were to look out for the main branch provisionals. A sweet flavor filled her mouth when she heard the Raikage's words against the Shadow-on-the-Wall. While it was their job to look out on-behalf of the village, Nozomi didn't feel their prickly attitude was necessary. She did, however, respect the masked man for doing his job and doing it well.
Sometimes things required a more delicate touch that someone hiding behind a mask just couldn't do.

As talk of administrative work was being discussed, she rummaged through her Bag of Holding, looking for her cloak. A muffled 'meow' could be heard coming from the now-open bag. It might've sounded awkward to those uninitiated to Nozomi's use of the bag, but those who knew her would know that the sound came from her cat named 'Sakura'. Pesky little pest had a bad habit of crawling into this wondrous item. After a moment, she finally dug out the cloak and pulled it out with a cat clinging onto the outside of it. She shook the cloak a bit to try to relieve her possession from the pesky creature, but relented and put it on even with the cat clinging on in it's playful manner. She placed the cloak over her body and placed her hat back upon her head.

"You two, I would like to see you both after this meeting is over and you two have been settled in. Whether you join Merces or not is your choice, but I still want to meet with the two of you at your earliest convenience," she stated in a quasi-authoritative manner. While administrative work wasn't something she is too good at, she could always help them with integration and even getting a place to stay. She also wished to stoke the flames that burned inside of them. While Maikeru would be her best choice to build the fire; these other two have the same capacity for it.

She turned to Ayumu and Yuii and bowed to them once again. "Again, thank you. I'll be sure they remain productive members of the village. I'll take my leave now," she said as she turned her eyes towards Daenirisu and Reicheru, eyeballing them and flashing a little smile and a wave. She was serious about wanting to meet with them after this is all said and done. She had work to do to make them good shinobi of the village; proud and loyal tools for the government. With her final words, she exited the room with a black cat sitting upon her shoulder.​

[Topic Left]

 

[Kiri]

Without further ado, it would seem as though the Raikage had finally made his decision. Uri agreed that a mentorship was required, at the very least, it would make sure that the children were looked after, watched at all times. And of course, no one was assigned to the ANBU branch, which didn’t really matter since he knew the branch would be far more selective if the new entrant was someone from the outside. Nevertheless, he wondered if their Sennin would, indeed, request that the three be watched over from afar. He supposed, just as the Raikage spoke, that a proper reporting of the day’s events was in order.

Thus, having all said and clarified in this situation, Uri would straighten his stand, glance at the three one last time before bowing at the Raikage’s direction. In that instant, he would let himself slip into the shadows of the room, his chakra dispersing around him and disappearing.

[Topic Left]

 

[Maikeru]

Well, it seemed things had wrapped up here nicely for the time being. Returning to his chair, Maikeru listened to the Raikage and his Sennin speak, nodding where appropriate but respecting his position in the room. As their ranks were given out Maikeru did have a second of regret as he realized how far down the ladder he would sink moving to Kumo. From chief med nin to Medic in Training. The thought didn't exactly excite him, but he didn't really have another option outside of returning to Konoha. Meaning he had no other options.

"Well, then I shall report to the hospital then." Maikeru said, raising and giving a respectful bow. "With your leave, Raikage-sama."

As Maikeru walked out of the room, he paused near Danni, leaning over to whisper to the girl.

"I'd like it if you'd give me that snapshot, I have an idea of how to use it."

He would wait a moment for her to transfer, before continuing his way out of the room.

[Topic left unless stopped]

 

[Santaru Kaede]

Danii relaxes a bit as she is welcomed into the Kumo forces. For the first time since they arrived in the room, the young nanjirou could feel the tension beginning to leave her body. She rose and gave a polite bow to the Raikage.

“Thank you sir. I’ll do my best to make sure you don't regret this decision.”

She gathered her things, gives another bow to her new Sennin leader, and follows Suika. She pauses and listens to Nozomi and gives her a nod.

“I look forward to it. I will make sure to find you once we get settled in.”

Just as she was about to leave the room, she was stopped by Maikeru. She nodded as he whispered to her. She grabbed his hand in one hand and tapped the seal with her other. She quickly played the snapshot for him to record on his own. Without saying a word, she let go and followed back after Suika to go start her paperwork.

“Thank you for your help Suika-san. I hope we aren't distracting you from anything else too important. Hopefully the paperwork won't take up too much of your time.”

[Topic Left]
[WC: 192]