One way trip [Requesting passport][Ayumu]

[Maikeru]

The halls of the Torre Celeste never ceased to amaze the young Uchiha man as he walked towards the destination of his business that day. The massive structure was an architectural masterpiece and just filled you with wonder and amazement as you looked upon its monolithic form. As usual, the building was busy and bustling, various shinobi from all of the branches going through the daily errands and busy work before getting to their actual jobs. He always wondered what it must be like to be a Sennin, or even the Raikage, and have an office in this building. The paperwork alone must have been a killer, or at least he always saw Takeshi surrounded by a mountain of it. Whether that was true of all kage, or just him, was something that he would soon find out.

For something like this he would normally have gone and seen his own Sennin, in this case, Kagetsu Yuii, however, his circumstances were a bit left of ordinary. He had been put on a travel ban when he moved to this village, Ayumu saying he wished to gain some trust from the young shinobi before he allowed them to travel and represent the hidden cloud village. Well, Maikeru felt he had met those requirements and then some. Chuunin, god slayer, stood with Kumo at the conflict at the gates, Maikeru in his own opinion had been an example of a competent cloud shinobi. Hopefully the Raikage agreed.

Giving a small nod to the secretary as he walked into the outer office before Ayumu's, he approached the door. With trepidation and a bit of fear, he knocked three times.

"Lord Raikage," he began, calling through the door. "It's Uchiha Maikeru, I am here to request a meeting with you if time permits, sir."

 

[Kogami Ayumu]

It had been a spell since the battle at Dragon Tooth Pass, the fight against the creature that threatened to tear through the gates. By now, Ayumu's wounds had mostly healed. Though there was still a bit of aching, it was nothing some pain management couldn't take care of. The battle had been the last time Ayumu had seen Maikeru, and the state in which he and Reicheru had left the field it was a small miracle they had survived. However, Ayumu had heard that they'd pulled through and seemingly made a full recovery much to his relief. Seeing them there, putting their lives on the line, had certainly done much for his opinion of the Konoha natives.

The knock at Ayumu's door broke his focus on the paperwork before him and he looked up to see Maikeru. The door had been left ajar as it usually was when Ayumu was not in a meeting, so the announcement of who was at the door simply reaffirmed what Ayumu could already see. Glancing back down at the paperwork on his desk, Ayumu wordlessly waved Maikeru to come in before adding a few signatures to the paper before him and sliding it to the side of his desk. After a couple of moments, he looked up once more and greeted Maikeru with a smile. "Maikeru, good to see you on your feet. How are you doing since that battle?"<i></i> Ayumu asked. "How's Reicheru?"<i></i> he added, assuming that Maikeru would know how his girlfriend was as well.

 

[Maikeru]

Maikeru's looks had changed quite a bit since Ayumu had last seen the young shinobi. His right arm was missing from the elbow down, leaving his long sleeve blue shirt to hang loosely from that point on. His left eye seemed to have been replaced by a singular Rinnegan, which seemed to glow with a dim light in the light shadows that were cast on the young Uchiha. Entering the office he gave a small bow to Ayumu before taking a seat in one of the chairs near his desk. Sitting up right, he placed his one good arm on the arm rest of the chair before speaking.

"Ah, and you as well Raikage-sama. I was impressed by your display on the battlefield. I'm a bit lighter, but just as healthy" Maikeru said, giving a small smile as he motioned with the stub of an arm that remained. "I kid, that was after the gate battle. Reicheru is fine, I think at least. We... shinobi weren't the only thing lost on the battle field."

Maikeru shifted his eyes towards his left arm for a second, before returning his attention back to Ayumu. The Mark of the King seemed to hum to him underneath his skin at the mention of Reicheru. He was surprised at how quiet it was being in the presence of Ayumu however. Even around Yuii it burned painfully against him, but with the Raikage there was nothing. Strange.

"But, enough about me. How are you holding up after the battle? I imagine things haven't been easy with the rebuilding and investigations into the matter." Maikeru said, before leaning forward a bit. "Or perhaps you would prefer to get right down to the point of my meeting?"

 

[Kogami Ayumu]

It was impossible to miss the changes Maikeru had undergone in a short time be it the missing arm or the new eye. The question of how he was doing was more so a question of "how are you doing... other than the obvious". Fortunately, Maikeru seemed to be taking the challenges he now faced in stride. Truth be told, Ayumu hadn't heard about the arm but upon seeing it he had assumed it was something that had happened as a result of the battle at the gates. Maikeru cleared that up, as well as something else that Ayumu had not heard about. Apparently, he and Reicheru hadn't been doing well. They had stabbed one another in the midst of that battle, though Ayumu knew they weren't in control at the time. It wasn't his business to pry in to their relationship, though, and Maikeru didn't seem to want to talk about it. He redirected the conversation to Ayumu, asking how things had been going with rebuilding and investigations following the attack.

"The rebuilding effort is going just fine. Were we a village of normal folk, the destruction might have been devastating, but when you've got shinobi capable of molding both wood and metal and those strong enough to lift a small house... it certainly speeds things up,"<i></i> Ayumu replied, recalling the speed with which the damage to the gates, one of the first projects, had been fixed. The other part to Maikeru's question was a little more complicated.

"As for investigations... well, that's more complicated than using a few jutsu, but there are some leads. At any rate, you didn't come here to talk about that I imagine,"<i></i> Ayumu continued, shifting towards the reason for Maikeru's visit. Not many people came to his office purely for a social call. Usually, they wanted something.

"What can I do for you today?"<i></i>

 

[Maikeru]

"Not entirely, no," Maikeru responded to Ayumu's questioning about his reasons for coming. "Though, the attack does interest me. I do have quite a special connection to the events of those days after all."

Which, while sounding a bit conceited, was the truth. The mark on his left arm was a stark reminder of the days of that event, one that refused to let him forget about his mental intrusion into the mind of monster King Maji. He ran his hand along his chin as he thought about that day, the memories flooding back like a torrential wave. They had lost a lot of good shinobi that day, but, Cloud had survived. He hoped the man and women that had fallen at least took some pride in that fact. Their death let another Sunrise shine on Kumo. In Maikeru's opinion, there were few deaths nobler than that.

"But, you are a busy man, I suppose that keeping this succinct is the best option. As you're aware, Lord Raikage, spring is upon us. When I lived in leaf every year I would gather Sakura blossoms and place them at my sister's grave. She always loved watching them blossom." He gave a small smile at that thought, remembering their childhood spent by the rivers just watching the trees. "Well, since I've been here my father has been taking care of that for me. But, with his new job as a traveling merchant, no one is home at the moment to take care of it."

Reaching into the inner pocket of his light jacket, he removed a few pieces of folder paper, before leaning forward to lay them on the Raikage's desk. It was the paperwork for a temporary passport, already filled out. All it needed at this point was approval from a village official.

"I just need a few weeks. Go to leaf, visit her and my mothers grave, maybe stop for some Ichiraku. I understand the concern with me going back to leaf, but I think I've earned at least this much trust Lord Raikage."

 

[Kogami Ayumu]

The meeting progressed to the heart of the matter, the reason for Maikeru's visit: A passport request. Not an uncommon request, it was one that Ayumu received with some regularity. Yet, the situation in this instance was unique. Maikeru was not your standard Kumogakure shinobi. He had left Konoha behind, not under the best of circumstances, to make his home in Kumo. Now he wanted to visit it as if he was any other shinobi. Ayumu understand the desire. Konoha was Maikeru's hometown. He had family there, and as Ayumu was now learning somebody very important to him rested there. As the man put it, he just needed a few weeks to visit those graves. Were it only so simple.

"It is my understanding that Takeshi still rules as Hokage in Konoha. With all the things you've told me... are you sure that it's wise for you to return there? Do you think you would be welcome?"<i></i> Ayumu asked, shifting in his seat as he temporarily ignored the pre-filled paperwork for the passport that Maik had slid onto his desk. He was sure the man didn't expect to simply get a signature with no discussion on the matter beforehand.

"It's true, I have accepted you as a shinobi of this village, and we have a treaty with Konoha, but do you believe Takeshi would honor that when it comes to you and your friends? We didn't exactly get his signature on any paperwork," Ayumu questioned further, scratching his head. It was inevitable that they would find out how Konoha felt about the refugees shifting their allegiance to Kumogakure, but this was something of a trial by fire.

 

[Maikeru]

Well, this was expected. In Ayumu's position, Maikeru would have done the same thing, and he did make a number of fair points. Leaf wasn't ever going to be Maikeru's home again, not as long as Takeshi held the power there and his minions and lackeys walked the streets. Uchiha Maikeru might as well have been dead in their eyes, even if he had left with permission of the Hokage. Crossing his arm over his chest, Maikeru clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth as he realized how awkward the position looked with just one arm.

"You do have a point, Lord Raikage." He started, " However, I did leave with the permission of Takeshi. He might not have signed anything, but I imagine that was to protect his own image. Could you imagine someone of his own bloodline leaving the village because of him and his... children, I guess. I don't know they all had a weird relationship. Imagine if that got out as the official story to other villages, instead of him just being able to say I left of my own volition. It wouldn't be a good look.."

Sighing, Maikeru leaned forward, placing his finger on the top line of the document which read two words: Otani Akira.

"So, let's not send Uchiha Maikeru back home. Instead, send Otani Akira, a life long member of Kumo. I'll tell them I came to study local monster life or some bullshit as part of the treaty. It's not like I look anything like the raven-haired boy who showed up on your doorstep almost two years ago Lord Raikage." Maikeru finished his piece, leaning back into the chair again. "I understand your fear of allowing me to leave and visit Konoha, I really do. But, I have a life here now. I'm not going to throw that away to be forced into missing nin status. I'm pretty sure not even your kindness extends towards forgiveness for killing a Kage."

'Plus, I'm not even strong enough yet...' Maikeru thought to himself.

"I promise, Lord Raikage. I will not kill anyone unprovoked. I will only act in self-defense."

 

[Kogami Ayumu]

Ayumu certainly hadn't ruled out granting Maikeru's request, but there were definitely some concerns to be addressed. Even Maikeru couldn't deny that. He argued that he did leave with the permission of Takeshi, signature or no. Ayumu couldn't deny that if the Hokage himself had given them permission to leave, he shouldn't be surprised that they took their services elsewhere. Yet, people didn't always act as they should, and given the things Ayumu had heard he couldn't really predict how Takeshi would react.

"I'm not saying that you weren't allowed to go freely, I just don't know what that means in Konoha's eyes..."<i></i> Ayumu mused in response, closing his eyes and pinching the bridge of his nose. There were bound to be complications to letting the refugees join the village. He'd known that and allowed it nonetheless. He opened his eyes as Maikeru pointed to the paperwork, drawing Ayumu's attention to the name he'd filled in. Otani Akira... a false name. He was suggesting that he go under the guise of this false identity, to not let anybody know who he really was. If they bought it, it would certainly sidestep the issue. It didn't hurt that as he pointed out he looked nothing like his old self. It wasn't the only way to identify a shinobi, but if he avoided suspicion...

It was Maikeru's final words, though they were meant as reassurance, that gave Ayumu the most pause. Until now, neither of them had mentioned him killing anybody or being a threat to Konoha, but now he'd gone and specifically made a promise not to kill Takeshi. At the very least, that meant it was something he'd thought about. Ayumu's eyes narrowed slightly. He understood thoughts, but they could extend no further than that. Not with what was at stake.

"You are right about that. The ramifications of you doing something like that as a shinobi of Kumogakure far outweigh anybody finding out who you really are. Konoha declaring war would not be off the table. If you were to put personal vengeance ahead of the village's safety, I would hand you over to Konoha myself,"<i></i> Ayumu replied, sitting back in his chair and folding his arms sternly. There were no signs of humor present on his face.

"That said, you have earned trust... you put your life on the line for Kumogakure... you almost died. I won't dismiss something like that easily,"<i></i> Ayumu continued, his expression softening slightly. "My question is, what will you do if they discover who you are?"<i></i> he posed. It wasn't out of the question. People had methods of figuring out things they shouldn't know. It was a risk, no matter what.

 

[Maikeru]

"The risk is worth the reward for me." He said simply, shrugging his shoulders. "My sister.. she meant, she means, a lot to me. I never wanted to be a shinobi, but she did. She was too sick however and the academy would have never accepted her. So I went in her stead. I would come home and tell her all about my day, and the way her face lit up made me want to continue with my lessons. To excel in them so that I could be half of the shinobi she would have been. There is absolutely nothing I wouldn't do to be able to continue to honor her memory, Lord Raikage."

Pausing for a moment, Maikeru realized he never really answered the Raikage's question. What exactly would he do if he was made as Uchiha Maikeru? In his heart of hearts, he hoped that Takeshi would honor not only the deal that he had made with the younger Uchiha but the treaty that had been signed between the villages under the reign of Lord Second. No matter how you sliced it, Maikeru was a cloud shinobi. Harming him unprovoked, or denying him entry, directly went against the wording and intent of the treaty. But, this was Takeshi, the man wasn't exactly predictable in ways that other people were.

"As for specifics?" Maikeru shrugged again as he let out a deep sigh, his fingers coming up to tap the Kumo haite-ate that was tied loosely around his neck. "I suppose I just have to hope that my family will take care of what needs to be done in that case. Either freeing me or..."

He trailed off at that point, letting the silence speak volumes about what was said.

"You can say whatever you want about Takeshi, I've probably said worse myself. One thing you can't say about him is that he's stupid enough to upset Kumo." Giving the Raikage a reassuring smile, Maikeru leaned back in his chair once more. "If anything goes wrong, I'll do my best to come home. That's the best I can say to you, Lord Raikage."

 

[Kogami Ayumu]

Ayumu could certainly see how important this was to Maikeru, despite inherent risks involved. As Maikeru told him about his late sister, Ayumu pulled out a scroll and unfurled it, picking up a pen and beginning to write. He nodded as Maikeru continued to show that he was still listening. He peered up from the scroll as Maik pointed to his headband and nodded again. Despite his obvious distaste for the man, Maikeru seemed confident that he would stick to his word about respecting his separation from Konoha. As Maik concluded, Ayumu had finished writing. Opening and reaching into a desk drawer, he pulled out a stamp and pressed it near the bottom of the parchment before setting the stamp aside.

"As a back up plan..."<i></i> Ayumu commented, sliding the open scroll across his desk for Maikeru to read and waiting for him to do so.

To whom it concerns:

I am Kogami Ayumu, Raikage of Kumogakure. I am fully aware of Uchiha Maikeru's former life as a shinobi of Konoha. When he and his comrades were released from their duties there, they made their way to Kumogakure as a known ally of Konoha, and told me their stories. Given their new unaffiliated status, I made the decision to accept them into our own ranks as shinobi. Some of them chose to take different names in order to ease their transition. He and the others are fully fledged Kumogakure shinobi, and as such I ask that you treat them, in this instance Maikeru, no differently than you would any other shinobi from my village.

Sincerely,
Kogami Ayumu, Raikage

When Maikeru was finished reading, Ayumu would retrieve the scroll and roll it up before spinning around in his desk chair to do something as he continued to speak. "If they do figure out who you are somehow, you can give them this. That way, they don't think you just stole that headband or something,"<i></i> he went on. After a few moments, he spun back around and slid the scroll back to Maikeru, sealed with the seal of the Raikage. That done, he took the stamp he had left out and pressed it down on the application that Maikeru had brought in, giving his approval.