Maybe Tomorrow [open]

[Takahashi Aki]

Sousuke was getting mighty tired of being referred to as the Mad King. It was a very annoying thing. He was certain of his lack of moral insanity. He was not a criminally minded individual. He was a man focused solely on Sungakure, for the most part. Something or someone had spawned a series of lies about his character, and thus had placed him a very annoying predicament. The bowing was getting more and more tiresome, as was the constant motion of 'please get up'. Some people complied, others didn't. If he reached out and touched someone, everyone grew surprised and or shouted at him. In turn? He did not raise his voice. He merely took it one step at a time.

Sousuke did buy himself a bag of apples which ate on his travels. The Kazekage paid the merchant triple its usual cost to simply let him know he was not some monster who was going to take his wares for free. This trip was going to be expensive, if things were going to continue the way they were. A funny thought came over the Kazekage. He had only ever met people from Konoha and Mist. Both villages were very much ruined by cataclysmic events. There were others villages here too as evidences from the entry point. There was a village in the Clouds, and a village that was known as Stone. He imaged both places. The former a place located in the mountians hidden from view in the clouds high above. Quite the opposite from Sungakure's position for the last thirty years. For the village of Stone he pictured a mountain and carved from the side of it monolithic towering structures. At least Sousuke had an excellent imagination for what the other ninja villages could look like.

As Sousuke made his walk down the roads, Nemuri fluttered about. The moth had kept at his side since being summoned. The moth kept her wing beats consistent, but they were not strong enough to knock over the wares and structures of the merchants. "Tough break Sousuke. Someone out there wrote a piece about you in those humanly gossip magazines. There were some other peices about other village leaders, but most of them seemed ... tame and silly compared to yours. Didn't Shiori once think you were homosexual?"<i></i> Sousuke didn't answer, but he did nod his head.

 

[Mikaboshi]

Re: Maybe Tomorrow

[col]"The Mad Kazekage ..."

The sound of Mikaboshi's voice would suddenly appear next to Sousuke as his physical form leaped seemingly out of no where, sitting upon a large mass of what looked to be a black cloud which floated him alongside the Kazekage matching Sousuke's pace evenly. Mikaboshi sat upon the cloud with his right leg over his left as he held a periodical in his hands, reading aloud as he did. Mikaboshi had come to Soon's Haven on his own with no intention of participating in the Intervillage Exam but rather to gather information for the future. It was entirely possible that the faux shinobi of Sora would end up being his allies against Sunagakure if the Sand-nin were foolish enough to betray him before they'd seen to the end of their mutual foe but he doubted it from their behavior thus far. Even if Sousuke spoke to him, Mikaboshi would continue to float alongside him seemingly absorbed in the gossip magazine that he was reading aloud.

"War Criminal Has Taken the Diamond Throne!"

His experience so far had been... interesting. Finally as if realizing that Sousuke were standing beside him, Mikaboshi would fold the gossip rag in half as he peered down at Sousuke from his floating cloud and cock his head to the side in a decidedly avian way as he was wont to do from time to time.

"Have you read this? Fascinating, really." He motioned with the folded periodical as he spoke for emphasis. "If only they knew the truth."

The truth was that the legitimate heir of the Diamond Throne had refused the seat in favor of giving Sousuke the throne legitimately... and of course that legitimate heir was now also a meat suit being piloted around by one of the most feared supernatural entities in common Wind Country mythology. Even though the gossip magazine had simply made up a bunch of lies... the truth was so much more bizarre.

"Did you know that they think you're in league with demons?" There was clear amusement in Mikaboshi's voice as he spoke. He was truly getting a kick out of the whole thing but of course he was. The people of Soon's Haven were doing his job for him. Why wouldn't that be funny?|[legend="[[b][u]OOC Notes[/u][/b]] - [SCENE BGM]"]

Mikaboshi - Ancient Rogue

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[Takahashi Aki]

"I've missed these talks. Really I have. I assume you're functioning well enough considering you've yet to visit me for any form of repairs."<i></i> Sousuke spoke to Mikaboshi. He looked down at the ground. There was a frankness present. He missed Katuso for his ... heart. Mikaboshi was older and indeed wiser. He knew Mikaboshi for a lot longer too. "I did steal the Diamond Throne ... if we all want to be technical."<i></i> Mikaboshi was using Katuso's body. He formally took the title not that long ago. Sousuke sighed and ruffled his own hair. "Of course they would say I'm allied with demons. The Toraono clan has half demon clan members in it. To some people there is no difference."<i></i> Sousuke looked at the cloud Mikaboshi was sitting on. He looked up and then down. "Weather cloud or shadow matter?"<i></i> He inquired.

"Heh."<i></i> Sousuke was amused himself. Slightly. "The retired Raikage was one of my allies during the Cabal invasion. He came here trying to get information from the Tomb Entombed."<i></i> Sousuke spoke lowly to Mikaboshi. He turned his head to Mikaboshi. If Sousuke wanted to he could flip the table on Soon's and invoke the wrath of Cloud upon them. Mikaboshi would know where this was going. After all this was something he learned from his mentor nemesis. Oh yes. What would Kumogakure do if they learned a war hero of theirs was lost in Soon's? Even Sousuke could not get a straight answer from the Fukui clan about it. He had kept an eye on the Merchant state. Something was foul here, for quite some time. "Soon's also had a cultist issue a while back. They infiltrated the Fukui clan and had brought them quite low."<i></i> He spoke in a normal voice now.

"The entry point was ... unique. Questionably employed women in scantily clad outfits. Articles about three other leaders of other villages in the same magazine. Usually publishers want a steady income over time, and play these stories over time instead of all the time at once."<i></i> He spoke. This was the first time he had seen Mikaboshi ever read a gossip magazine. It was ... awkward. He considered himself above such things, but even this must have made him break that one rule of his. "Shouki is out there. I expect him to make a scene, and his brother, a physically weaker man but intellectually greater, seems to take great interest in torturing Ancients. Shouki is the bastard son of the Daimyo and Susumu is the legitimate heir."<i></i> He reminded Mikaboshi, but also giving him new information. "So. Maest--"<i></i> He began referring to Mikaboshi as he used to. He stopped though. Mikaboshi was free. He was still the teacher, abhorred of course given what he had done. "Maestro. What would you do, in this situation? Some say it is better to be feared than loved, others say the lion does not concern himself with the opinions of a sheep."<i></i> Sousuke himself had tried to diffuse the situation with comedy, but that certainly did not work.

 

[Shinrya Kitsune]

Kitsune had been tracking an odd chakra signature all morning, it wasn’t like the ones she was used to seeing, this one seemed familiar, yet not. It had the same basis as her own summoning techniques, but the target was very different. Given her desire to collect knowledge she just had to know more about it, and the summoner for that matter. After a while, she came across a second, darker, signature, which indicated there were other forces in play here. Further up the street were the so-called “war criminal” from the article she had seen at the hotel where she was staying.

How very peculiar that she’d bump into the Kazekage so easily. And, Kitsune guessed, the dark chakra came from the fellow on the black cloud, while the summon signature must’ve been the moth next to the Kazekage. However, what really caught Kitsunes attention was the mechanical suit the Kazekage was wearing. Now she really had to investigate. She hurried along the street and caught the last bit of a conversation between the two people ”The lion does not concern himself with the opinions of a sheep.” was what she heard. She tapped the Kazekage on the shoulder, gently.

”Excuse me, Kazekage-san?” she said in her usual melodic voice ”Hi, Duchess Shinrya Kitsune, Medical Chief and Head of Research in Kumogakure. I couldn’t help but notice your mechanical suit there, and it intrigues me. On another note, I believe you’re the perfect person to speak to regarding a little trade proposal I had in mind, between my provinces and your lovely city here.” she rambled, rather enthusiastically. It wasn’t often she got to see new technology that she hadn’t already had her fingers in, in one way or another. ”Is there a place where we can discuss these things?”

[MFT; WC: 301]

 

[Mikaboshi]

Re: Maybe Tomorrow

[col]Sousuke seemed unconcerned by the fact that the magazines were making him out to be some kind of tyrant. Was he not paying attention, then? He was deep in what they knew to be enemy territory as the city swarmed with samurai and soldiers at the command of the Daimyo, to say nothing of the looming threat of the Sovereign Academy. Based on the fact that Mikaboshi's strategy was... well exactly this, it was easy for him to see what play the Daimyo was running against Sunagakure. It was a good plan. Needlessly complicated where the Daimyo was concerned but good none the less. And here was Sousuke, strolling down the street while his enemy silently outplayed him.

It was almost boring, really. Where was the fun in playing against an opponent that didn't even realize that a game was being played?

"A little from column A, a little from column B." Responded Mikaboshi in reference to Sousuke's question about the cloud he rode.

Sousuke then sought to remind Mikaboshi of the stakes that they were playing... and Mikaboshi fought to roll his eyes. Did the Kazekage really think so little of him that he thought Mikaboshi had forgotten about the enemies at large? Between them it was Sousuke that seemed to have lost sight of what was important. He was toddling down the street without any bodyguards with him or protection of any sort save for the impish summoned creature with him as if he were still at home on the streets of Sunagakure. He then asked Mikaboshi a question of philosophical nature; fear or love? Shaking his head, Mikaboshi hopped down off of the cloud he was on and casually tossed the gossip rag he'd been browsing for needles at Sousuke behind him without any regard to the fact he'd just likely committed a crime by littering. He prepared to respond but as he did a young woman approached and tapped Sousuke on the shoulder. Immediately suspicious, Mikaboshi said nothing as he had no real interest in what Kitsune had said. He had no stake in trade proposals between Sand and Cloud... but he could not simply let Sousuke continue to wander about the streets alone without supervision. The fool might hurt himself before he had a chance to exact his revenge properly.|[legend="[[b][u]OOC Notes[/u][/b]] - [SCENE BGM]"]

Mikaboshi - Ancient Rogue

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[Takahashi Aki]

Mikaboshi threw the magazine but Sousuke willed the papers to him. A new found affinity he had. Paper was something that people saw use for. Money. A device to write on. Sousuke held the magazine and rolled it up. "Haaaah. So. Both shadow matter, and weather cloud. Fascinating."<i></i> He then sighed as he shook his head. This was a trend of sorts. Sousuke once upon a time cleaned up after Katuso and the mess he made. Katuso made a decree that the members of the Cabal should be spared. That was quite an uproar of sorts. The Suna Courts questioned the heir's choices. Sousuke went out of his way to argue that there was merit to Katuso's thought process. They did reclaim the surface thanks to Kaito. Sousuke would stare skyward as he remembered the very uncomfortable situation he had in his household when Katuso and Naganisa continually made love and loud sounds. Sousuke's eyes would narrow at the thought of it. Yes. He too had to clean up after that too.

And now he was cleaning up after Mikaboshi who was in Katuso's body. Did Mikaboshi inherit Katuso's ability to make a mess of things? To a small degree. Yes.

"If you want to roll your eyes, please do. Your eyes have this particular motion of sorts."<i></i> It wasn't that Sousuke thought little of him. No. No. No. Mikaboshi wanted his revenge as well. It was more akin to a small child telling an adult about having to be responsible because they were an adult. Mikaboshi was very much an adult. If he were human, and his age mattered, Mikaboshi was not so much as an adult as a fossil truthfully. Sousuke's facial expression soured slightly. Mikaboshi was shaking his head. Why was that? Was he above the question that he was asked?

Sousuke's thought process was then disrupted as a red head tapped him on the shoulder. First thing was that the woman was foreign as evidenced by her dialect, but more importantly she was not bowing or being in a state of terror of fear. That much was evident, and actually appreciated."Duchess."<i></i> He inclined his head in a form of greeting. "Ah... well... Soon's is not my actual city."<i></i> He explained. "Trade though does sound like a unique and lovely opportunity."<i></i> He frowned though. He placed his hands behind the back of his head. "Everywhere I go people bow before me because I am a great and terrible war criminal. I do think my options are limited."<i></i> There was sarcasm in his voice, but it was not aimed at her. "That being said. We may be able to conduct business. My family by trade is a manufacturer."<i></i> He explained. Sousuke wouldn't admit it, but he had yet to truly figure out how gun powder worked properly. Each time he had tried to figure it out on his own it was far too volatile. Now if it was elemental metals, or elemental powders then that was a different story.

 

[Shinrya Kitsune]

Kitsune grinned. ”No, I figured it wouldn’t be.” she said ”It’s like in Lightning, the Raikage doesn’t control Raiden’s Eye.” She tilted her head a few degrees when he mentioned being a war criminal and apparently being terrible. ”Regardless of that, you’re still the Kazekage, and you probably have a few things up your sleeve.” she said optimistically with a sly smile. ”Manufacturer, huh? My businesses produce both raw materials and processed goods. I’m in a variety of fields, including spices, food, alcohol, weaponry, and so on.” she listed before withdrawing a tablet from within her clothes somewhere. ”And electronics. I’m quite the tinkerer myself.”

She looked around, trying to spot a place where they could go to sit down in the shade. ”Do you have a place we could go to sit down and discuss this in further detail, Kazekage-san?” she asked him and tapped a few buttons on her tablet to bring up a list of production businesses and other materials regarding the whole trade thing. If all went well, she could be looking to increase her wealth considerably from the trades done with Sunagakure. Of course, Sunagakure would stand to benefit from it as well, all the goods produced by Kitsunes provinces were of the highest quality.

 

[Takahashi Aki]

Sleeves. Magicians usually had things up their sleeves. At the mention of sleeves Sousuke looked to his. Well. The armour he wore, somewhat had sleeves. He would need to unlock a portion of the wrists and then allow the sleeves to flow freely instead of being attached to the glove portion. Truthfully? Well. Literally he had nothing up his sleeve yet. He could certainly have something up his sleeves quickly enough. Metaphorically? Well. Yes. There were plans. Some of them were hidden in plain sight, yes. Others were not going to well, and finally some needed more research before beginning.

Sousuke watched curiously as the red head produced a tablet and began to fiddle with it. Sousuke had never seen such a device before, but it seemed to work like a clip board, except one didn't need to flip pages. His eyes narrowed. Well. Devices like that would put an end to the use of paper. Training his secretary to use such a device might be difficult. Sousuke assumed that he could figure out the device quickly enough. She asked him if he had a place where they could go to discuss these further transactions. "Unfortunately... no I do not have a place to go to sit down and discuss further ventures."<i></i> He looked about, "Soon's has changed quite a bit, since I've been here last."<i></i> He looked skyward for a moment as he considered what she had said. Spices. Foods. Alcohol. Weaponry. Well at least a few of those he had use for. Sousuke was already quite proficient for creating weaponry. Food and alcohol though? He was exceptionally terribly with it. "Diamond sand while once a threat to us, have been used in building material, and for building exceptional glassware."<i></i> He began to explain. "Emberite and Shalite are common in Wind as well. The former is used for structures, the other is used for heating, which isn't a problem in Suna most of the times."<i></i> He was beginning to open the door for trade. While a manufacturing state within Wind, Sand did have some natural resources. "That being said, tell me what your business produces in terms of raw materials?"<i></i> Occasionally sometimes one had access to resources, but not the talent or the skill sets to hone and make use of said resource. If anything Sousuke was hopeful that the duchess was willing to part with some of her resources for Sousuke's own tinkering purposes.

(MFT: 406)

(Just going to proceed a bit further, since chat is between the two of us)

 

[Mikaboshi]

Re: Maybe Tomorrow

((I'm sorry about the huge delay on this! I really don't have a lot to say considering I wasn't addressed and I'd rather not ramble on for 400 words about Mikaboshi day-dreaming so consider this a pass on my part. Mikaboshi watches and listens quietly.))

 

[Shinrya Kitsune]

Kitsune listened and scratched her head a bit ”Well, I’m staying at a nearby hotel, we could conduct our business in their air conditioned lounge or a meeting room.” she suggested before getting to the other part of the talking. ”Diamond sand, huh? Sounds like an interesting material to work with.” she said with a smile. ”Well. We’ve got various types of timber, iron ore, coal, silver, gold, various rare metals, some of which with incredible chakra conducting capabilities.” she said and checked some of the resources off of her metal checklist. ”I even managed to make a chakra battery from an alloy I made a while back.”

She gestured towards one of the large buildings not too far away from the area they were currently in. ”That’s the one, over there. It came highly recommended.” Kitsune explained before continuing with her listing of what raw materials her provinces produced ”As for the other kinds of materials, they’ve also stumbled upon veins of precious gemstones of all sorts. Then of course we’ve got crops like wheat, corn, rice, barley, and so on. Due to the very different climates of my two provinces, we also produce all sorts of vegetables and fruits, from apples to bananas.” Kitsune said, halting there, due to having been practically across all the areas her provinces produced goods, in broad strokes.

 

[Takahashi Aki]

Air Conditioning? Oh. Right. That thing that makes things colder. Sousuke's eyes narrowed as he looked at the ground and thought about the device. The purpose of it was to keep one cool and calm. In the case of Sousuke it gave him a cold that had lasted a few weeks. Still though whatever made people comfortable. "A non-alcoholic serving lounge sounds fine, so long as the air conditioning is kept to a minimal."<i></i> He answered at first. He looked over at the building. His expression soured. That one? Yes. That was the one that was susposedly infested by coackroaches. Prior to the whole debacle where the relationships between Soon's and Suna got awkward, Sousuke had sent them a bug zapper to contest their little problem. He never did hear back from them, but he had been sent a cheque for his services which was enough for him. His grandmother had declared that they should have paid him more for it since it was 'highly effective'.

Kistune listed a number of things she had to trade. Some of them sand indeed did have, others were considered rarties. Timber wasn't common in Suna unless someone had access to the element and was able to grow trees from that. Even using those techniques did not result in a flawless product as often merchants and lords argued about the age of the tree due to the number of rings in the trunk. "Chakra battery huh. That is definitely something I had not considered. More so due to the reason of it being an environmental hazard."<i></i> He nodded his head. It was an age of wonders so anything was indeed possible. "We have a spice market, and we also trade in chakra crystals too which based on their colour determines the element. Power cores was an older tech that I was working with, but I've moved on since to larger products and designs."<i></i> Duchess. Right. This person was nobility. Most of Sungakure's nobility came from lineage. "Duchess. Your title inherited I presume through ... marriage or through your ancestry? I presume the later. I would also have to think you've inherited lands overtime. Out of curiosity, how does Cloud deal with inheritance law? Most states still work with the male inheriting everything even if a woman was born to be first in line."<i></i>

 

[Shinrya Kitsune]

A smile played on Kitsunes lips as they headed for the hotel. ”An environmental hazard, eh? Strange. None of my equipment has indicated such a thing. Then again, I suppose temperature plays an important role in these things. I come from a rather cold environment, so I don’t have to invest as much thought in terms of cooling the mechanics.” she pondered out loud. ”Your chakra crystals intrigue me. They could be used for interesting things. And the spices also sound delightful. I’m definitely interested in arranging something with those.” she continued. Foreign spices were always in high demand in Kumogakure, and Kitsune would love to have more things to work with in her kitchen too.

”You’re partially correct. My title of Baroness is an ancestral one, while my title of Duchess comes from a province I was bestowed by the Lord Shogun of Kaminari no Kuni. In regards to inheritances, Kumogakure itself doesn’t meddle in them, nor does the country. They leave it up to the family, or clan, to decide.” she explained, realizing that there were a ton of differences between Sunagakure and Kumogakure indeed.

”For example. My clan is matriarchal. Even if I had seven sons before my first daughter, she’d inherit the whole thing. That’s just how it’s always been, and I don’t intend to change that. Of course, that’d necessitate my death to even become a thing, and I don’t exactly plan on dying anytime soon. Too many things to see and do first.” she continued with a grin and winked at the end. Who knows? Maybe Sousuke would appreciate the candor. Maybe he wouldn’t react to it at all. Regardless, Kitsune was in a good mood and would make jokes because of it.

[MFT; WC: 289]

 

[Takahashi Aki]

The Baroness certainly had more space to explore concepts than Sousuke did. Sousuke on the other hand while Steward had a very strange situation. He lived with his girlfriend, who lived with her brother ... who ... well ... let's just say the household sometimes had some unique moments. Everyone in the household had a pet. Maybe multiples. "Well, in contrast I live in a hot climate... not to mention if this was five years ago my accommodations were far less roomy. A battery leak in close quarters would not bode well for my immediate neighbors."<i></i> Sousuke's mind rewound and played out an awkward moment when Shinji had brought someone new home, and Sousuke had resorted to earplug to block out certain sounds. "The chakra crystals are most commonly used for energy and light sources."<i></i> He explained. "That of course is a basic application. Power outages aren't a problem for us."<i></i>

Sousuke absorbed the knowledge of how titles and lands worked in Lightning. Seemingly the relationships in Lightning seemed better? Well, between Sand and Wind Country the only thing to do was improved forward. The family unto which Kitsune belonged to was a matriarchal clan. "Our family title was inherited, regardless of gender. The former title of Steward or Stewardess was usually taken by the eldest, but said eldest could abdicate unto another sibling or a child."<i></i> He explained. Things were going to be much more different now. Considering that well ... Sousuke was now Kazekage due to situations beyond his control. He had no proper heir as it was right now. That being said Aki did stand to inherit everything, the child would need a Regent. "History tends to prefer patriarchy. It certainly has been slow to change, but there are certainly anomaly to this."<i></i> Strangely Kitsune would wink at him. Was something in her eye? Mmm... maybe not. Maybe this was one of those social things people did to further the discussion. Why? Why would people do such things? "I've been told there are lots of things to do and to see. That would involve me to shirk my responsibilities to the people who I look after, and in return they look after me. I'm married to my work more or less. I've always wondered what vacations are like."<i></i> His expression didn't sour, not quite. He phased out for a moment as he was trapped in a memory. Katuso telling him the same thing. Katuso was still with him, just in a darker and crueler way. He wondered exactly how Katuso knowing what he did know manage to live outside of Sand all this time. The man who should have been Kazekage could have been arrested in accordance to the logic that Fuu had put forth. A troubling notion, to put the ruler of the state under house arrest. Sousuke knew all too well his duties. He returned Kitsune's frank and honest attitude accordingly. "Being who I am, travel is difficult for me. Do tell me more about your lands. There must be monuments or natural wonders."<i></i> He may never get to see them, but at the very least he could hear about them.

 

[Shinrya Kitsune]

”That’s true.” she said ”More so with chakra powered batteries, as they tend to end up closer to bombs than batteries if left to become unstable. Or leak.” Kitsune recalled when she had tested her chakra grenade and decided it was too dangerous a technology to be allowed into anyone else’s hands. It had obliterated a full square kilometre of land, leaving only dirt and rocks behind. No trees, no animals, nothing living. Truly a horrifying weapon, that no one needed to see ever again. ”But yeah. I’m highly interested in the chakra crystals, that’s for sure.” she ended up deciding.

When Sousuke explained how his own family worked, she nodded a few times. ”So it’s gender agnostic. That’s a novel concept. I like it.” she commented with a smile. ”And you are indeed correct that history seems to favour patriarchy. I’m not entirely sure why… It’s a tad different in Kumogakure though. Our first Raikage was a woman named Kagetsu Kiyo. So we’ve been having male and female leaders for ages already.” she explained, giving Sousuke more insight into the world of Kumogakure.

”I can imagine the job of the Kazekage is quite demanding practically all hours of the day.” she said, sympathizing with the poor man. ”Well. My ancestral province, Raimei no Seika, has a few mountain ranges running through it, but is mostly fertile wildlands. We have a hill in the exact geographical center of the province with a big shrine to a deity of prosperity, and fertility, said to have fox messengers.” she explained and then went on to discuss her other province ”And in my other province, we’ve got monuments to Raiden, the patron god of Kaminari no Kuni, but nothing exceptionally special, it’s mostly manufacturing and such.”

 

[Takahashi Aki]

"I think some creation myths involve man being the first sentient creature. ... Then you have the whole earth mother concept. I think it's just patriarchal because most old world cultures run with the concept of the former more than the latter. Man arriving first that is"<i></i> Sousuke suggested. To Sousuke it didn't really matter who created the world, just that it was present and that most people were living there. "It really doesn't matter which came first, either way both parties are required in traditional reproduction."<i></i> He scratched the back of his head. Even Ancients reproduced somehow. Sousuke didn't want to know how of course.

Soon enough Sousuke would find himself in an air condition setting sitting in a relatively leather couch. He had his legs stretched out across from it and in his hands he had a very large glass of cold cider. Okay. Maybe this wasn't so bad. He had listened to the woman speak of her province. It was something fantastical to imagine. Sousuke wasn't used to seeing mountains. Real ones that were, not just photographs. It seemed ideal. Wonderful even. When she spoke of more deities and fox messengers he seemed to stop and thought about it. He drank deeply from his cold cider and stared at an overhead vent. Made sense. The fox parts. Her name was Kitsune so foxes were abound to be mentioned or ... played a part in some role. "My real estate pales to yours in contrast. Not much real estate at all really. I do have to settle the estate of my deceased father."<i></i> Sousuke never did see the body of his father, but a recording played of his father who placed a message in the Black Blade which explained some things, but not everything. His mother of course was missing. There was his grandmother but she was ... it was hard at times to believe she had given birth to his mother. Certainly they looked identical, but their personalities were worlds apart. "Sungakure is ... well it is a ninja village, but it is its own independent state of its own. I'm not sure why any of the ninja villages are called villages since they have ... well if we use Suna for example we have hundreds living there. It's more of a city at times really, but even then our untapped geography could be something more."<i></i> He explained. "We are expanding, not aggressively mind you. We are building above our original lands which was uninhabited. Merchant culture is a thing, and it can be infuriating at times to deal with. Haggling is ... I don't like it."<i></i> Sousuke asserted. He frowned, "Cloud sounds a lot safer though. We have had sandworms return after decades of too hiding underground. Not to mention bandits, and ... the odd demonic anomaly. We have giants too, but really they're just a tribe of very tall people. One of them lives with us. He's like seven feet of like ... pure muscle and bulk. Most people consider him a monster, but usually that is until after they've heard him talk. He has a very thick dialect."<i></i>

 

[Shinrya Kitsune]

”That’s… More or less the same with Kumogakure. Though we do receive funding from the Shogunate of Kaminari no Kuni, we operate independently. I suppose we could both be referred to as city-states, really.” she replied and leaned back in her seat. ”Well, I wouldn’t exactly call us safe, but we don’t have sandworms to contend with. There’s the typical bandits roaming around and a few demons here and there that we tend to make quick work out of. Can’t have them spreading their infestation around the countryside again.” she commented and shuddered a bit, remembering back to the last great demon war. It had been a bloody affair and one none of the Kaminarians would want to repeat anytime soon, if at all.

In an attempt to steer the conversation back to the trade routes and such, Kitsune decided to ask a vital question ”Seeing as you’re not exactly a fan of haggling, how would you propose we proceed in regards to opening up trade routes between my provinces and your city?” It was an important question, for sure. And Kitsune would need to know how to proceed with this in order to come up with appropriate materials trades. Of course, they’d likely also need to establish actual lines of communication between the countries in the form of messengers or telegrams or some such option. ”While I remember, is Sunagakure equipped with a telegram office, or is that a form of communication you haven’t begun using yet? If not, then I could have a team of engineers help establish it. And of course give you a full set of schematics for study and reproduction.”

[MFT; WC: 275]

 

[Takahashi Aki]

Sousuke for a moment focused on a wall. It wasn't that the wall was more interesting than the Duchess before him. It was the fact that he needed something else to focus on for the moment. Sousuke did not like being social overly. He was doing this because he had to, it was expect of him to do so. He was the Kazekage after all. What would Katuso have done? He suspected that there would be flirting and some playfulness but then again Katuso could not solve a rubix cube if he tried. Katuso was not a man of technology. He was a simpler individual who ... oh who was he kidding. Sousuke had to merely be himself and no one else. He would stop staring at the wall, and would instead reach for his cold cider. He noticed as Kistune spoke of demons, a slight shudder. He would indeed grow suspect that for Cloud demons were ... something of the man and something that lingered in their foreground. A threat that had been subsided, but at a cost? A curious thing to expand upon, if the other part was willing. Given the shudder, Sousuke suspected it was not something to speak of. Such was further evidenced when the ruby haired duchess stirred the conversation back to trade. "I believe in fair trade and fair return. A concept lost on those who are morally insane. I'm not looking to line my pockets with currencies. I just want Sungakure to be a better place."<i></i>

"Communication wise? I ... do need to fix up a few things. Telegrams are fine. I was working towards something better than telegrams, but that is a project that ... has been going on for a while. My sennin uses a blood seal for long distance communications. It's not a method I enjoy using, which brings us back to telegrams and more traditional methods of communication ... until I figure it out."<i></i> He paused, "The new form of communication that is. I will tell you this though, it involves a form of recording."<i></i> He added. Now then. Back to trade. "I suspect, spices are something of a rarity for you? Let's begin with food stuffs, or materials."<i></i> He suggested. Spice was a funny thing. Historically, at some point or another, it was worth gold. An odd concept to consider, but it did happen. Did Sousuke suspect it was going to be worth gold today? No. That absurd. That was of an age that had passed.

 

[Shinrya Kitsune]

”Why of course. If we can’t build our trades on being fair, we can’t expect to trust each other. Of course, I’d like to point out that I do not act on behalf of Kumogakure, nor does its government speak for my provinces.” This was merely a precaution of course, but Kitsune felt she had to state it, in case the government of Cloud decided to do something stupid that’d necessitate her leaving the village military and becoming semi-civillian. ”A blood seal? That’s an… Interesting method. I think I’d prefer sticking with telegrams and couriers until something better is created.” she said with a polite smile.

She nodded when Sousuke asked about the spices. It was true, Kumogakure didn’t have much in way of spices asides from salt. It’d be worth its weight in gold in Cloud, that’s for sure. ”They are indeed a rarity. Our food isn’t all that spiced, so much of it ends up tasting somewhat same-y. Unless, of course, you have access to your own herb garden with a variety of herbs. But not everyone has that, so I’d be very interested in arranging something with herbs. As for other food stuffs, well, we’ve got a variety of meats, both game and not, birds, and fish. Surely something there’d interest you?” she suggested, there was both beef, pork, boar, many kinds of fish and birds as well. A veritable smorgasbord of meats, if you will.

In terms of materials though, the list was rather long. ”Well, as for materials, we’ve got things like marble, granite, metals of many kinds, several types of wood, gemstones, and I could go on. But I’m sure you get the idea, Takahashi-san.” she said with a slight smile. Now it’d be up to him to show what items had his interest, and if he wanted it badly enough to trade for it.

[MFT; WC: 311]

 

[Takahashi Aki]

Not to anyone's surprise, or rather Sousuke, the Kazekage knew full where Kistune was coming from. "So what happens in the event Cloud blocks trade then? Or proceeds with a policy of ... fierce and vicious taxation on the goods that are being ported over to your provinces?"<i></i> Sousuke queried. Sousuke imagined a crate of goods being stuck at a gate with a sign saying 'for Kistune'. That is the problem with boarders. Practically speaking they were invisible lines drawn by man to prevent outsides from getting in. Those invisible lines would then become more visible ones that were created by walls. Walls caused then boarder wars, and wars caused misery death and etc. etc. "I am agreeable to sticking to older methods of communications."<i></i> Keep things simple. Sousuke was not quite comfortable yet with revealing his new communication method yet.

Sousuke mulled over the choices that Kitsune had offered him. He thought about it. He would shift his gaze over to her. "What game does your province offer? Usually some are heads of state are harsh about trapping and game hunting. In some places in the world, it is illegal to hunt on crown property. An old concept, but one that ... sometimes is still present."<i></i> He thought about it more. "Something I saw in a picture once, which inspired me. A stag. Not many of those in Sand, but maybe in your province?"<i></i> Their antlers were a design that interested him. A chilidish notion really. He thought of antlers like ... swords on one's head or crown. There was something regal about the stag.

The materials that Kitsune listed were rather ordinary. He had access to most of them except wood. Sousuke again reached for his cold cider and drank from the glass and chewed on the ice as thought about what to pick. Well, wood was the one thing he wasn't going to have easy access of. "Expand upon what kind of lumber or timber you have to offer. Properties, colour, age."<i></i> There were trees in the world that had rather unique properties, and some of them were named after various metals. Iron Trees he had heard rumors off. An outlandish concept for him to grasp, but he were was though with an outlander.

 

[Shinrya Kitsune]

Kitsune smiled. It was the kind of smile you’d see on a shark as it spots an exposed rear to bite. ”Nothing happens. Because the goods don’t pass through any Kumogakure-owned lands to arrive at my provinces. Kumogakure can’t tax what goes on outside their borders. The Shogun on the other hand could do something about it, but I’m fairly sure that after saving his life twice, he’d be disinclined to disturb business. Not to mention that it’d reduce his tax income, and that’d be bad for business.” she explained and gave a slight shrug to the whole ordeal. If anyone tried prevent goods from arriving, she’d just find ways around said prevention.

When Sousuke asked about what kinds of game her provinces offered, Kitsune had to actually think for a moment to remember it. It was a varied list that just so happened to include stags. ”As luck would have it, there are indeed stags roaming my lands, as well as thunderhawks – the smaller cousin of the majestic thunderbirds that roam our mountains, boars in a huge variety of sizes, quails, pheasants, bears in as many sizes as the boars, foxes – though people are prohibited from hunting them, and many other kinds.” she said, giving a short list of various animals. ”Do any of those strike your fancy?”

Lumber eh? Well they did indeed have some quite interesting things in that department. ”There’s the common types like oak, pine, ash, and birch, but we’ve also got something the locals call Iron Root. The tree itself doesn’t possess any remarkable qualities except a sweet sap that can be refined into syrup, but the roots of the tree are strong as iron, and they grow deep and wide. Kitsune said, hoping it’d pique the Kazekages interest, but if that didn’t do it, then perhaps the next thing she was about to describe would.

Then we’ve got a special section of forest, where the trees are crystallized and opaque. This is interesting because the crystal filters out harmful rays from the sun, along with heat, yet still lets light shine through. As for the strength of the crystal, it’s about as strong as properly made steel, but that’s only after it’s been severed from the roots. While planted, it’s as pliable and easy to chop down as any regular tree.” she explained ”As for ages, there’s trees from five centuries ago, and all the way up to trees that was planted only last year. I maintain a strict policy of for every tree cut down, two new ones must be planted in their stead. That way I maintain my forests without harming the areas ecosystem.”

[MFT; WC: 443]