Event Prologue to ACT II - Requesting Entrance and the Kazekage - OPEN (Day 1)

[Sand Council]

Entering: Yukina (Raizo NPC), Koori (Raizo NPC), Ryuzaki Oga (Event NPC), 2 Random Ryuzaki NPC Guards
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The five figures, shrouded in hood and cloak, would suddenly appear before the great wall of Sunagakure no Sato. The smallest of the figures would approach the wall, lowering her hood to reveal a figure that might have been noticed in the village the months prior, an individual that was always at the side of the Kazekage up until a few months ago. From behind her, a voice would boom.

"So this is it? This is the blessed land of Suna?"

The female, although paused momentarily, would return to her approach of the gate. "Attention, my name is Ryuzaki Yukina, the personal attendant of the Ryuzaki Raizo, the Kazekage. I am here to not only officially return from my travels within Wind Country, but I am here as a liaison of the Ryuzaki clan's current leader, Ryuzaki Oga, the current Konungr."

The Konungr, the title given to the current head of the Ryuzaki clan, would step forward causing Yukina to flinch ever so slightly and lower her head. The remaining three members of the party would also begin to bow as Ryuzaki Oga made his movement towards the gates.

"I am here on behalf of the sovereign people of the Ryuzaki Clan, to share information regarding the scourge of The Swarm and their master, Dominus. It is grave importance that I am able to present this message to my s--to the Kazekage..."

He would pause for a moment as if lingering on that word for a moment. From in front of him, the bowed Yukina would meekly reply, "Correct, Konungr".

"To the Kazekage, Ryuzaki Raizo. I would like to be escorted to him immediately to facilitate this information sharing as soon as you are capable."

He would lower his hood, and toss his cloak to the side. One of the guards that had served as his escort would raise up from his bowed position to retrieve the discarded clothing. Standing before the gates of Suna would be a rather large, muscular man with long white hair and an eye patch covering his right eye. He would fold his arms and await a response from those within. The second escort guard would raise up from his bowed position and begin to drape another piece of clothing around the shoulders of Oga. The final bowed figure, a young man with jet black hair (Koori) would remain with his head lowered.

 

[Kazu]

Kazu was out on his morning run around the village walls. A habit he had recently started, it helped to keep his stamina in good shape; it also gave him a good chance to patrol the village for any potential threats. In these uncertain times, caution could not be more overstated. Sweat glistened on the boy’s forehead, causing strands of his charcoal black hair to stick at odd angles, and continued to stream down into his crimson red eyes. The thick dark markings under his eyes – an odd birthmark he had been born with – helped to keep the desert sun’s harsh rays from blinding him. Even this early into the day, the desert heat could claim unprepared victims.

Rounding the leftward bend, Kazu approached the entrance to the gates with a determined look in his eyes. ‘One more lap. I can definitely handle one more.’ The boy’s plain white workout tee was drenched, along with his simple dark-tan workout shorts, though oddly the boy wore no shoes. His feet looked calloused, accustomed to the weathering they endured, yet the boy seemed perfectly relaxed towards his situation (and somewhat oblivious to its strangeness). His breath was heavy, not strained; despite the fire in his eyes, his face was perfectly calm and smooth. ‘Cousin Raizo wouldn’t want me to fall behind on my training! Neither would Father, or Enishi…’

As Kazu approached the straightaway over the gate, he noticed a group of five figures approaching and wondered if they were perhaps refugees? These past months had not been kind to those who lived without a wall around them, and the population of Sunagakure had swelled greatly from people seeking shelter and sanctuary. It was rather sad, really; Kazu hoped these five hadn’t lost anyone important to them. But as he got closer, and more details about them became apparent, Kazu couldn’t shake the feeling that he knew them. With hooded cloaks masking their faces, the young Ryuzaki couldn’t quite put his finger on it.

Then, the first of the group lowered her hood. She said something to the guards on duty, which Kazu hadn’t heard, before a large man stepped forward and sent a wave of bows rippling through the remaining entourage. He had yet to lower his hood, though his voice boomed loud with authority and strength. Kazu couldn’t catch the beginning of what the man said – though he still couldn’t quite tell who it was, the boy was startled to realize that he felt like his stomach was about to drop out from underneath him – but he nearly stopped stumbled over his own feet upon hearing the last bits of the man’s words.

“…grave importance that I am able to present this message to my s--to the Kazekage..."

"Correct, Konungr," said the woman next to him.

"To the Kazekage, Ryuzaki Raizo. I would like to be escorted to him immediately to facilitate this information sharing as soon as you are capable."

Kazu’s heart was in his throat. He could feel his own heartbeat ringing in his ears. ‘Uncle Oga?! What’s he doing here?!’ Kazu was the adopted son of Ryuzaki Ryohei, this man’s younger brother. Kazu had met Oga before, though direct conversations had always been minimal at best; Kazu wasn’t even sure if the man would remember him. However, the traditions of respect and honor ran deep in the Ryuzaki Clan, and Kazu’s body seemed to move before his brain could even process what he was doing.

Leaping over the edge of Sunagakure’s wall, the great battlement that protected it from the Unbent swarms and other disasters that had plagued these lands recently, Kazu landed gracefully a few strides away from the gates, towards the Konungr’s left. Catching the attention of the miscellaneous gate guards on duty, who had been moving to engage the group requesting entrance to Sunagakure, Kazu waved them away as he walked to stand in front of the Konungr’s group. Bowing his head, the rest of Kazu’s body followed suit until his back was nearly parallel to the sand below him.

”Konungr, sir, it is an honor to welcome you to Sunagakure. I am Kazukura, Ryohei’s son.” Righting himself, Kazu met the man’s eyes with a slightly worried expression. ”My father, he… he is doing well?” Ryohei had been attacked, the night Kazu first came to the village, and had managed to barely walk away with his life. After a few days recovery Ryohei had made his way back to the Ryuzaki Estate, leaving Kazu with the task of staying in the village to train, learn, and grow. He’d sent letters letting Kazu know he was alright, and had made it back to the Ryuzaki Estate safely, but the boy still worried about him.

Suddenly he realized he was chit-chatting with the head of his household, and did his best to keep his cheeks from reddening. He wasn’t sure how successful he was, though.

”You said you needed to see Cousin Rai- …erhm, uh, I mean, the Kazekage? Yes. I can lead you to him right away, sir, but… uh… well…” Kazu wasn’t sure how to say what he needed to say, especially to someone whom he felt ranked far higher than him in terms of authority, but there were procedures that needed following. He could not bend those rules, even for the Konungr. ”Before I can take you to him, I need to document your entrance. Passports, identification, your intended visitation length, and uh…” If Kazu had thought he was nervous before, what he felt now made that look like a stroll through the park. He had to fight to push the nerves from jumping up, and out from his stomach, into his throat. ”…I’ll just mark your ‘reason for visiting’ as ‘information sharing,’ yes?”

‘Oh Legatus,’ thought Kazu, as he awaited the answer from the imposing man in front of him, ‘why didn’t I just finish that last lap?’

 

[Mikaboshi]

PC: Sunahoshi Suzaku

"No--let me by--I want to see ..."

Suzaku pushed his way through the gate guards that were moving away from the scene of the newcomer after having been waved away by Kazu. They were experienced enough to see that this was a clan thing and besides from the look of the guy at the head of the new group none of them wanted to be the one to have to ask him for papers.

None of them except Suzaku, maybe.

He wasn't a gate guard or anything of the sort. Sousuke had apparently talked with the Sunagakure administrative offices and gotten him assigned to the rank of "genin" because of his age and general lack of official military training or protocol but that word didn't really mean anything to him. Mikaboshi had never spent much time on educating Suzaku about the hierarchy of Sunagakure's military potentially because he didn't fully understand it himself never having taken much time to care about something he considered so far beneath himself. So he was a genin for whatever that meant, to Suzaku he was still just Suzaku and that meant he pretty much did whatever he wanted unless Sousuke specifically told him not to do it and even then sometimes that just made Suzaku want to do it even more.

So despite not being an official "gate guard" or having anything to do with guard duty, Suzaku was not a terribly uncommon sight at the gates and the walls because he loved to spend portions of his time watching the new arrivals in Sand. He wasn't empowered with any authority to engage with people seeking entry and didn't really have any interest in doing official work for the village at the gates anyway he was only there to watch for new and interesting people to see having been isolated from large populations of people for most of his young life so far. By now the staff at the gates were used to Suzaku's presence and while some of them blithely tried in vain to stop him from pushing his way through, they knew that if he was determined to get out and see the new arrivals which were yelling at the gate and causing a stir then he would just find another way out there even if it meant going up and over the wall.

The other members of Oga's entourage didn't interest him much but Suzaku's eyes were immediately drawn to the Konugr. Even if he had no idea that the comparison would probably have offended Oga, the older man reminded Suzaku of his master. There was a powerful way that the man carried himself and a careful way that everyone around him moved. Staying out of the way as he usually did, Suzaku merely watched with the small crowd of gathered gate personnel as Kazu inquired about their travel documentation.

 

[Sand Council]

His eyes would glance down at the small figure that began to approach from the village. It was a peculiar method, sending someone so young to serve as the vanguard of the village. It wasn't necessarily the wrong idea in his mind, as the strongest shouldn't necessarily be the one troubled with answering the door, but he would have sent someone with a bit more seasoning. His free eye would peer down at the boy.

Yukina would begin to rise up and speak to Kazu before being cut off.

"It would take more than that to kill my brother, Kazukura. He is doing well, but you should go and check on him. It is almost time for your Trails, anyways, young one."

That was right, he remembered now, his brother had adopted a young ward. He never had a chance to see the boy in action, for all of Kazukura's life his fixation had been more on cultivating Raizo and Hana. He did, however, hear of the boy from his passing conversations with his brother. The Ryuzaki placed a high value on blood, but those who were brought into their clan, regardless of reason for entry, that proved their worth did not get treated any different. Looking at him, it would seem that Kazukura was getting close to the age to be tested, to see if he was truly fit to reside within the Ryuzaki.

The boy would then ask for something from him. Within that moment, a warm breeze would begin to generate within the area.

"A... what?"

The notion of what a passport was did not confuse him, the idea that he, a member of this country and a representative of a clan that traced its lineage back to a man who fought alongside the great Primus, needed to provide some document to enter the village that they had help build.

"Damn..." the figure who remained kneeling would say under his breath as his hood would fall back and his head would raise. His fists would clench, the vein within his neck would begin to tense up, he was ready to act if needed. To act to calm down the Konungr.

The feeling of the heat would begin to intensify, and it would definitely feel noticeably different than the normal heat of the desert. It wasn't unbearable, it was noticeable. It was like a giant lamp had been turned on over the head of anybody within the area. The eyes of the Konungr continued to gaze down at Kazukura.

" Did the haughty Sunahoshi really bring this village, the beacon of Primus' legacy, to become such a restrictive place... this is what they did with their blessing, turn their back on the people of this country?"

The sand under the feet of Oga would begin to turn to glass, glass that would start to extend outward slowly from him as a center point. He would take a step forward, a single step, and the heat would increase for all those within the area.

"I am sorry, Konungr! I have prepared everything, please let me handle this!" it wasn't asking, it was begging. The female's voice echoed throughout the area as the Konungr would pause. The heat would subside. "Very well."

Letting out a sigh, Yukina would pull forth some paperwork and hand it to Kazukura. Since she was the attendant of Raizo, she did not get to spend much time with Ryohei's family. This would be the first time she could remember meeting Kazu. The pinkish haired female would smile gently. "Entering today with only be Ryuzaki Oga, Koori-" she would point to the now visible face of the black-haired man, "and myself, Yukina. The remaining two vassals will be camping out within the desert for the next couple of days."

Koori would raise up from his kneeled position and clasp his hands together. Suddenly, all within the area would feel a calm and cool breeze sweeping through. "It's not much, but allow me to provide some relief."

The Konungr would fold his arms.

 

[Kazu]

"It would take more than that to kill my brother, Kazukura. He is doing well, but you should go and check on him. It is almost time for your Trials, anyways, young one."

There was much to process in that statement.

Firstly, Kazu let out a sigh of relief – which he didn’t realize he’d been holding in – as he allowed his eyes to close for a moment, releasing tension throughout his body at the same moment. ‘Father is going to be okay,’ thought Kazu. While not much had come of the mysterious attack on Ryohei’s life all those months ago, besides Kazu’s awakening of his latent bloodline abilities, the events of that night still weighed heavily on the young boy’s conscious. If Ryohei himself had not instructed Kazu to remain in the village to grow and learn what he could, the boy certainly would have returned to the Ryuzaki Estate along with his father. ‘It doesn’t matter whether I wanted to stay or not,’ thought Kazu, convincingly. ‘Right?’

Secondly, the Konungr’s mention of the Trials cast the pit of his stomach down past the surface of the sands, through the core of Ninpocho, and out the other side. ‘The Trials?! I… I’m to be tested?!’ Shock, excitement, nervousness, and anxiety all coursed just beneath the boy’s skin. He had heard rumors from Enishi, and even a little from Cousin Raiz- ‘From Lord Kazekage,’ thought Kazu, correcting himself. The Trials of Legatus were a rite of honor, a sign of maturity, and a test of strength. For the Konungr himself to consider him worthy of undertaking the Trials…

In spite of the raging vortex of emotions inside of him, Kazu managed to make a proper bow for the looming man in front of him. With a voice he hoped was steadier than it felt, Kazu managed to say, ”Yes, sir. I would be honored to accompany you back to the Estate; at the conclusion of your visit, of course.” Above all, excitement washed over every fold of his mind at the prospect of taking on the legendary Trials.

It was this, perhaps, which had caused the boy to slip ever so closely to rudeness.

Kazu felt a breeze that was impossible to be mistaken as a simple desert heat wave. Something else rippled through the entourage behind the imposing man – fear, tension, or perhaps even regret? – until one of those who had been kneeling stood, casting off the hood of his cloak and revealing a young man with eyes that seemed as cold as ice. However, there was no gaze icy enough to cool the rapidly heating air that emanated out from the focal point that was the Konungr. A bead of sweat appeared on Kazu’s forehead, and quickly gained mass until it slid down his left cheek and fell off the edge of his chin – the young boy could have sworn he heard it sizzle upon hitting the sand below.

"Did the haughty Sunahoshi really bring this village, the beacon of Primus' legacy, to become such a restrictive place... this is what they did with their blessing, turn their back on the people of this country?"

Kazu could not meet the man’s eyes. His neck was crooked forward, and his eyes cast down towards the ground in embarrassment. He was in a tricky predicament – as a shinobi of Sunagakure, it was his duty to uphold its laws and regulations; yet, as a member of the Ryuzaki, he was bound to obey the wishes and orders of the highest among them, the Konungr. Trapped, with no way out that he could see, Kazu had no choice but endure the brunt of the man’s anger as best he could.

Yet, despite his situation, somewhere in the back of his mind the young boy could not suppress his admiration of the man’s ability to turn sand into glass as he was. ‘I wonder if I could ever do that?’ Closing his eyes while chiding himself, Kazu tried his best to push that thought away. He tried very, very hard. ‘Maybe this is why I’m in this situation? Maybe I just get myself into trouble on purpose?’ That wouldn’t be the first time he’d thought such a thing.

"I am sorry, Konungr! I have prepared everything, please let me handle this!"

Opening his eyes, but not daring to lift his head or gaze, Kazu was surprised to hear the woman, who had spoken earlier, intervene. No, it was more like a plea for forgiveness. The hot breeze subsided, and a curt word from the Konungr signaled that she had been given permission to proceed. Kazu dared not sigh in relief. He dared not do anything, at all, until the Konungr had deemed it appropriate.

The woman approached, pulling out some paperwork to hand to Kazu. The young boy lifted his gaze ever so slightly, just enough to see the outstretched pages, and extended both hands to receive the paperwork. With everything in hand, Kazu allowed himself to rise ever so slightly more until he could see the woman giving him a gentle smile – hesitantly, he did his best to return the gesture.

"Entering today will only be Ryuzaki Oga, Koori, and myself, Yukina. The remaining two vassals will be camping out within the desert for the next couple of days."

”Understood, ma’am. I, personally, will fill out any remaining paperwork that might be needed. You are cleared to enter the village.” Holding the paperwork to his chest, Kazu would attempt to look the woman, Yukina, in the eye. Silently, he mouthed the words ‘thank you.’ She had stuck her neck out to save the boy from the Konungr’s wrath – he would not forget that gesture, and had appreciated it deeply.

"It's not much, but allow me to provide some relief," said the man with the icy stare, before an icy breeze to match swept away any lingering heat. ‘That’s interesting,’ thought Kazu, not having been aware of anyone within the Ryuzaki Clan who had an affinity towards the colder elements. ‘A curiosity for another time.’

”If you will all allow me, I would be honored to escort you to the Kazekage’s Office. Please, follow me.” Hoping to regain some semblance of his honor and dignity from this encounter, Kazu hoped there would be no objections. Assuming there was none, he would quickly transfer the paperwork handed to him by Yukina into a folder placed on the desk of the gate guards’ office for later processing. Kazu would not be making the mistake of making the Konungr wait for him to cross all the t’s, and dot all the i’s.

It was time to find out what this surprise visit was all about.

[ooc: Permission granted to Oga, Yukina, and Koori to enter the village. Topic Left Unless Stopped. Continuing to another topic, set in the Kazekage Tower, with an updated link posted here when the new topic is created.]

 

[Mikaboshi]

PC: Sunahoshi Suzaku

Suzaku was uncharacteristically quiet as Kazu confronted his uncle about the necessity of presenting his identification papers and Oga responded with a threatening display of power and an aggressive statement about the Sunahoshi. While Suzaku recognized the mention of his surname, the rest of Oga's words were lost in the deluge of chakra that came pouring out from his body. Most folks didn't really understand the physics of how shinobi could do what they did with the mystical energy that suffused their bodies and Suzaku was at the shallow end of people who had no idea how it all really worked but he understood some basic premises of it or at least he understood enough to understand what he was experiencing.

The air around the Konungr and throughout the central area of the gates snapped and popped with a rapid rise in heat causing most of the staff that were present to shrink back from the blistering display from the Ryuzaki leader. Squinting his eyes and raising his arm to shield his face, Suzaku weathered the rise in heat until it suddenly broke, Oga being convinced to restrain his rising temper by the timely intervention from one of his aides. He could still only hear enough to follow the general jist of what was going on but as Oga stepped forward out of the pooled glass around his feet another of his entourage moved to use his own abilities to try and bring down the markedly increased residual heat levels...

...and then they turned to leave?

That wasn't right. Suzaku wasn't gate personnel so he stayed out of things but he understood the way things worked. People who wanted into the village had to be documented. Identities, reasons for visiting, that sort of thing. He was hardly a fan of rules himself but to do something like what Oga had done when presented with a young man a little over Suzaku's own age who was just doing his duty...

"Hey, Old Guy!" Shouted Suzaku, moving from the sidelines as he did with one of his arms raising up into the air only to be caught from behind by one of the shinobi that were part of the regular gate duty rotation. The look on the older young man's face was one of warning that said "Absolutely do not do this" but Suzaku wasn't going to be deterred. With a jerk of his shoulder, he pulled free from the person trying to caution him against the course of action he was embarking on and stomped after Oga and his group. "You're gonna make a scene like that over followin' the rules then just head in like nothin' happened without so much as a "sorry for my bad manners"?"

The air was dead silent following Suzaku's shout. Any other activity in the general area had ground to an almost immediate halt. It hadn't been by accident that Kazu was the only person to approach Oga and his cohorts-- the staff knew the Ryuzaki Konungr from his reputation alone and that reputation scared them to their bones. From the look on his face and the impetuous way he addressed Oga, it didn't seem like Suzaku knew who he was or at least didn't seem armed with the same scuttlebutt about the kind of man that Oga was that the rest of them were.

"That ain't the way it should be, Gramps."

 

[Sand Council]

It would seem that everything would be settled after the work of Yukina. For the Ryuzaki party, that would be that. There would be no further need to discuss or dwell on the fleeting moment. In fact, doing such would have only been to disgrace the work of Yukina, or at least that is how the other Ryuzaki felt about it. For them, the Konungr's words and actions were not to be measured in right or wrong, that wasn't their place. He was the highest authority, they dared no question that power. Instead, they would mitigate the moments that might have been viewed poorly by outsiders. Those within the Ryuzaki would do such for various different reasons, some good and some bad, but one of the basic thoughts was simply this; such a situation, especially the one that just had unfolded, should have been avoided from the beginning. The Konungr wasn't at fault, Yukina was for not being better prepared. Kazukura was for venturing into an insolent action before the Konungr. Either way, it had been resolved without any issue.

"Kazukura, inform my son that we will have a word with him and his top officials tomorrow. Instead of taking us to him, take us to an establishment so that we may retire for the day."

Yukina would then chime in, "Yes, the travel has been a long one on foot. While there is urgency, it would be best to allow the Konungr and Koori a moment of rest. I will head to the Kazekage and catch him up to speed myself."

It would be at that moment that someone would begin to shout at the direction of the Ryuzaki party. A twitch would reverberate between all for members of the escorting party. The Konungr, the target of the shouting, would not take his attention away from the adopted Ryuzaki member before him. The green-haired boy would continue pushing his way up to Oga and company, but the Konungr would return to speaking the Kazu, "Never divert your eyes, even if a Lion stands before you."

The green-haired boy had now freed himself from those attempting to stop him, which would finally register with Oga. He would merely glance at the boy with his one uncovered eye before just as quickly turning his head back towards Kazukura. Within that one glance, it would ultimately depend on the boy he had looked at, but one message had been sent very clearly. You are not worth my time or attention.

Before Suzaku could take any more steps forward, an ominous feeling would come over the area as all four members of the Ryuzaki escorting party would quickly move from their previous destination and would now appear before the Sunahoshi, serving as a human wall. Chakra would begin to pour off all four members and start to create pressure within the surrounding area. All of their eyes would be glaring at the young man as if they were daggers. Standing at the head of this human wall was the female, Yukina. From her meek to pleasant persona from earlier, her eyes would now be sharp and her expression would be liked a wild animal that had just been released from her cage.

Yukina and Koori were members of Ryuzaki's elite group, something akin to Suna's ANBU, whispered about within the Ryuzaki ranks. A group known as . But that was a story for a different day.

"Apologies for causing any misunderstandings, but I am going to have to ask you to stop and calm down." It was still her normal voice, but Yukina's expression gave a much different message. This wasn't a polite request, this was a demand. The four escorts were now prepared to do whatever was needed to remove this threat before their Konungr, no matter what.

"Lowered eyes will only give you the comfort of not seeing your own death" Oga would say to Kazukura. "I've changed my mind, lead me to the Kazekage now, Kazukura. Let's go ahead and complete this family reunion. Yukina, Koori--when you are done playing around... we have business to complete." The will and the words of the Ryuzaki's Roaring White Lion, Oga, were absolute.

 

[Kazu]

Everything had wrapped up as nicely as could be hoped for, given the circumstances. In fact, given the standards of Ryuzaki tradition, diligence, and obedience, this entire exchange had gone rather smoothly. Kazu would walk away with a few minor bruises to his standing and reputation within the Clan, but that was a fair trade for avoiding the even worse outcome that could – possibly – have occurred.

"Kazukura, inform my son that we will have a word with him and his top officials tomorrow. Instead of taking us to him, take us to an establishment so that we may retire for the day."

"Yes, the travel has been a long one on foot. While there is urgency, it would be best to allow the Konungr and Koori a moment of rest. I will head to the Kazekage and catch him up to speed myself."

"Yes, of course! I think I know just the place after such a long journey through th-" It was just then that an unfamiliar voice came from behind Kazu. It seemed to be coming from the Gate.

"Hey, Old Guy! You're gonna make a scene like that over followin' the rules then just head in like nothin' happened without so much as a 'sorry for my bad manners'?" The ensuing silence was palpable. Every fiber of Kazu's being seemed to bristle with indignation; a fire, smoldering from deep within the young boy and kindled by years of heritage and upbringing, burned with the desire to tell whoever this person was to stay out of other people's business. As Kazu lifted his head to stare daggers at the interrupter, however, he caught the gaze of the Konungr's single green eye. The fire within was smothered, replaced by a white-hot ball of steel that weighed him down where he stood. Kazu could barely hear the other boy's words — "That ain't the way it should be, Gramps" — as if they had been shouted from across a great chasm. All he could hear were the Konungr's next words, spoken directly to Kazu.

"Never divert your eyes, even if a Lion stands before you."

To some, this might have sounded like chiding. An insult, a put-down, or perhaps even a scathing indictment of one's shortcomings. Not to Kazu. From the moment Kazu had locked eyes with the Konungr, a test of wills had begun; this was a lesson, and Kazu was eager to learn. The fact that the man spared only a momentary glance towards the newcomer, before returning his gaze to Kazu, only added weight to this outlook. Kazu did not avert his eyes, nor did he so much as blink, even while the Konungr looked away momentarily — the Roaring White Lion of the Ryuzaki had the right, while Kazu had none. Fierce determination and resolve shone in Kazu's crimson red eyes. 'Do not look away, even for a moment.'

"I understand, Lord Konungr."

"Lowered eyes will only give you the comfort of not seeing your own death."

"You are right. I have not earned that comfort, nor shall I ever. Thank you, sir, for reminding me of that."

During their exchange, Kazu was aware that Yukina and Koori had moved, faster than he could keep track of, from behind the Konungr to somewhere else that he could not see. He assumed they were behind him, standing over the newcomer with an imposing glare and battle-ready forms. 'Such is the way with the Ryuzaki,' thought Kazu. They would not have taken kindly to an insult on their Commander. 'They probably want to teach him some manners.' Suddenly, Kazu had an idea.

"I've changed my mind, lead me to the Kazekage now, Kazukura. Let's go ahead and complete this family reunion. Yukina, Koori—when you are done playing around... we have business to complete."

"Of course, sir. By your order, I shall take you directly to the Kazekage. However, if I may..." Kazu's voice trailed for a second, his gaze still locked in with Oga's intense green eye. 'Never divert your eyes,' came the echoed words of the man before him, and Kazu found strength in that new mantra. He continued, "...may I, with your permission, have the honor of educating this outsider in our ways? Please?" The question hung, for a moment, with an emphasis on the last word that signified how deeply this request mattered to Kazu. "After your business is completed, of course."

Kazu would continue to meet the man's gaze, awaiting his response. Kazu would respect the man's decision, whatever it was, without question; however, if he had been allowed to freely speak his mind, he would have said how much it would mean to him if the man would grant him permission. Of course, he could not say that, or even hint at it any more than he already had. Otherwise, Kazu waited — patiently — for the signal that they were ready to depart towards the Kazekage Tower.

 

[Mikaboshi]

PC: Sunahoshi Suzaku

As Suzaku crossed the short distance between where he'd been watching from the sidelines and where the Ryuzaku entourage had stopped, their leader Oga turned his head to regard Suzaku with indifference. There was a message that Oga was looking to send to Suzaku regarding his challenge to the way that the Konungr conducted himself but even though Suzaku caught the one-eyed gaze of the Ryuzaki elder and held it for as long as Oga spared attention enough to do so, Suzaku missed it entirely and was undeterred.

Not that it would have changed much even if he had understood the purpose of Oga's expression and mannerisms.

"Hey--" Started Suzaku, taking another step forward before he was buffeted with a wave of hostile presence and the four shinobi that Oga had brought with him filled the space between where Suzaku and Oga were standing creating a human bulwark and preventing Suzaku from approaching any further.

"Apologies for causing any misunderstandings, but I am going to have to ask you to stop and calm down."

This time Suzaku didn't miss the intention which was being put forward. The subtleties of some social interactions frequently eluded him but Suzaku was no stranger to aggression and posturing. The tide of hostility which washed over him crashed into Suzaku and filled the space around them throughout the area of the gates causing a number of the staff to run scattering into the facilities to report what was going on. If someone were going to start a fight with the entourage of Ryuzaku Oga at the gates of Sunagakure it was something that higher ups needed to know about immediately.

For his sake, Suzaku's face split into a wide grin. Where these sorts of situations made people nervous or uncomfortable, this was the thing he understood the most in life. Master had always tried to teach Suzaku to better understand and recognize social innuendo and interaction but those concepts had always escaped him in ways that fighting didn't. This was so much simpler.

"Your boss doesn't get to act like the rules don't just because he's important." Grinned the Sunahoshi youth, his hands placed in the pockets of the light jacket he wore.

Focused as he was on Yukina, Koori and the other two of Oga's number Suzaku either simply didn't or perhaps couldn't overhear the request that Kazu made to his elder. Again, not that it would have made any difference. It wasn't just for Kazu-- it was a matter of principle now. It wasn't right that someone important came to Sand and then started acting like the rules which were for everybody didn't or shouldn't apply to them. He was still relatively new to the area himself but in his mind and heart that wasn't the Sunagakure that Suzaku believed in. Despite the thrashing waves of chakra all around him, Suzaku seemed perfectly comfortable treading those waters as he slide his hands from his pockets and raised them up with his fingers curled into fists without his expression once wavering from the excited exuberance that played in his eyes and continued to pull the edges of his mouth into a smile.

"And if any of you got a problem with that then you can take it up with these hands."

 

[Sand Council]

When the green-haired boy finally made it clear his intentions were to resolve this by force, the Konungr would let out an audible sigh. It was disgust mixed with disappointment, a hint of annoyance wafting within it.

"The Ryuzaki is a clan of warriors, bathed in the hardships of preparing to live and die by battle."

He would not look at the boy who was ready to fight, but his words would be loud enough for him and all within the area to hear.

"We carry with this battle mentality a sense of pride: pride in our heritage, pride in oneself, pride in one's physical and mental abilities, and above all else, pride in our clan."

He would then cast his one-eyed gaze back down to Kazu.

"There is a difference between being a warrior and between being a fool. There are those with the strength that could change the landscape, but with the brain to barely see the simplest picture before them."

He would place his hand upon the shoulder of the young Ryuzaki, the ward of his brother Ryohei.

"A warrior doesn't need to go look for a fight... a fool will take on any fight, regardless of if the fight was their's to take."

Finally, Oga would turn his attention to the direction of his clan members and the green-haired boy. The boy seemed raring to go, and the fact that he was not phased by the accumulation of hostile chakra meant that he was a skilled fighter in his own right. That is what annoyed the Konungr.

"Lack of understanding, settling things with your fist... you may be a child, but one would have thought that even you would realize this isn't the schoolyard. You are some hero because you stand before me? I am some villain because you disagree with my approach? Is the world as you view it that... small?"

Whatever great skills that this child possessed, it seemed he did not gain the same in his mental attributes.

"A lesson for you, child, as it seems I am in a generous mood. Yukina, this boy seems to want you to explain this to your boss... could you please do so now."

Letting out a small sigh of his own, her expression shifting back to a more relaxed demeanor. It would seem like all of the Ryuzaki gathered before Suzaku would now relax.

"Yes, Konungr." Placing her hand upon her ear, activating her headset. She was not wishing to use this, she did not wish to embarrass her lord in such a way, especially since he despised such things. The Konungr wasn't dumb, he knew how to play this situation so far and it seemed that he still had a firm grasp on the pulse. Was he expecting the boy to make some reference to a boss or leader? Was he goading the child to keep acting to carry out what would happen next?

Once more she would sigh. "This is Yukina, attendant of the Kazekage requesting either Kazekage Raizo..."

Since the green-haired boy did not seem to fully grasp the connection between Oga and the leader of the village, maybe the next name would be able to talk some sense into the child, "or Takahashi Sousuke to come to the gate. A shinobi of the village is openly displaying hostility against a guest of the village, the father of the Kazekage, Ryuzaki Oga."

For the first time, Oga would smile.

"For one espousing 'the rules, the rules' you now stand ready to, by force, make us... do what? Is this customary tradition of the village? Take a small, family situation, and turn it into a fight? Some public spectacle? Are you willing to beat up the personal attendant of this village's leader to prove your point... that you do not respect us? Is this the honor the shinobi of this village carry with them? This village has fallen much further than I had heard... at least a Ryuzaki is here to clean up the mess that they left behind."

These questions would easily be meant for Suzaku, but Oga's line of sight would betray that notion. Instead of looking at the one he was clearly questioning, he would turn his attention to the rest of the gathered crowd. Who would public opinion better serve? This, too, was a lesson for the young ones present. Not all fights were black and white. Not all fights were won with fists. There was no doubt the boy was skilled, but it seemed he was still lacking experience. The same could be said for Kazukura.

 

[Kazu]

It seemed that Kazu’s lessons were not finished, yet. In fact, it appeared that he still had much, much, more to learn.

Kazu waited for the Konungr to grant his request. Truly, he believed there was a chance of approval. To Kazu, who had learned from Ryohei that pride in one’s self meant bolstering your words with actions, it seemed obvious to meet the outsider’s words of accusation with actions of force. To Kazu, the honor of his Clan was very important; having someone imply wrongness in the traditions that had molded and shaped him from infancy made the young boy hot headed. That, and the Konungr’s earlier implications of the boy’s increasing aptitude, had made Kazu eager to test himself.

It was this eagerness, this desire to test himself, which the Konungr seemed to find unsavory.

"There is a difference between being a warrior and between being a fool. There are those with the strength that could change the landscape, but with the brain to barely see the simplest picture before them. A warrior doesn't need to go look for a fight... a fool will take on any fight, regardless of if the fight was theirs to take."

The man said much before this. However, as he cast his eye down to look at Kazu and placed his hand on the boy’s shoulder, these words struck Kazu the most deeply. The young boy would not look away — he could not avert his eyes after what the man had said before — but he would not be able to keep the heat of his shame from reaching his cheeks. No words came to him; only silence, which stretched on. ’You fool!’ he thought harshly, ’you let your ego get the better of you! What if this had been a real battle?! Would your “pride” have wanted you to strut your skills, like so, while the enemy found an unguarded opening?!’

Snatching defeat from the jaws of victory was the cruelest way to fail.

Kazu forced himself to take a long inhale of air through his nose, and exhale it through his mouth. He did this two more times, before finally feeling confident that he would not crumble in front of everyone present. ’That’s the last thing I need right now.’ There would be time to process later. ’A warrior doesn’t fall victim to their emotions.’

The only thing to do now was to look to the future. He would salvage what he could from this encounter — the lesson was to continue. Oga’s words did not stop with Kazu; the outsider was the next subject of just as severe a verbal lashing. With the Konungr’s attention focused on the outsider, Kazu felt for the first time an opportunity to turn around and see who it was that had approached them, objected to the ways of the Ryuzaki, and whom he had been willing to ‘educate in the ways’ of their Clan. A boy with green hair, a wide smile, green eyes that sparked with excitement, and an eager battle stance of fists held confidently up in front of him. Overall…

’He seems very much like myself,’ thought Kazu. He would remember that face.

The Konungr would not just use words to make his point, however. Suddenly, Oga issued an order to Yukina: she was to explain this situation to her boss. She, and Koori, visibly relaxed, which confused Kazu at first, until she radioed in a request via her headset.

“This is Yukina, attendant of the Kazekage requesting either Kazekage Raizo or Takahashi Sousuke to come to the gate. A shinobi of the village is openly displaying hostility against a guest of the village, the father of the Kazekage, Ryuzaki Oga."

Kazu thought he understood, now, what the Konungr had been after. A chance to show the grace, maturity, influence, and strength of the Ryuzaki in a way that fists could never achieve. His earlier words had never been for the green haired boy, alone. Kazu’s eyes flickered up at the various gate guards, studying their looks of awe and fear towards the Ryuzaki entourage, gauging how long it would take each of them to convey what they had seen here to ten more people each. ’How long until the whole village has heard of the harsh, yet nuanced and effective, methods of the Ryuzaki Clan? What will they think when they hear that the Kazekage, or even the former Kazekage, comes at the beck and call of the Ryuzaki Clan?’ The Konungr was not fighting a battle; this was a long, carefully calculated, war. ’And I nearly blew the whole thing by wanting to show off!’

Kazu’s mind was ablaze. He would contain himself, but just barely. He wanted to see, for himself, how the next few minutes would unfold.

 

[Mikaboshi]

PC: Sunahoshi Suzaku

There was a pregnant moment of silent holding action between the Ryuzaki clan members and Suzaku, each waiting to see if the other party were going to be the one to throw the first punch and then finally Ryuzaki Oga spoke up and broke the extremely brief stalemate between the two. As soon as Oga began to speak, Suzaku dropped his fists and tried to listen without rolling his eyes in frustration at receiving what amounted to a scolding instead of a fist-fight.

"Lack of understanding, settling things with your fist... you may be a child, but one would have thought that even you would realize this isn't the schoolyard. You are some hero because you stand before me? I am some villain because you disagree with my approach? Is the world as you view it that... small?"

Raising his hands again and resting them on the top of his head as Oga went on, Suzaku turned away a bit and briefly lost his battle with his own willpower against the urge to roll his eyes, catching himself in the act just as it began and smothering it. As far as tongue lashings went, this was remarkably tame by the standards that Suzaku was used to given the verbal defenestrations that Master had dealt to him over the years for his various lapses in good judgement. Oga was right that this wasn't Suzaku's fight to be involved in but that wasn't the point of the fight. Nobody else would stand up to him because they were afraid of him, either of his power or his status. Suzaku wasn't afraid of either-- maybe because he was too dumb to know how much danger he was in or maybe because he thought he was capable enough to handle whatever came at him.

For someone who doesn't think he's a villain you're monologuin' an awful lot like one ya dingus.

"A lesson for you, child, as it seems I am in a generous mood. Yukina, this boy seems to want you to explain this to your boss... could you please do so now."

At the direction of Oga, the pink-haired girl-- Yukina, Suzaku realized --fully relaxed and turned away slightly to speak into a headset. She'd been the closest to Suzaku and would have been the first into the fight against him if they had come to blows so it was relatively easy for him to hear what she was saying. It was disappointing that Oga had interrupted them, he'd liked the energy she was giving off. Hostility was simple-- it was easy. There was nothing to misunderstand or misread about it, it meant that she wanted to fight and Suzaku had been more than willing to oblige. It was a let down that he wasn't going to get to see what any of them could do.

“This is Yukina, attendant of the Kazekage requesting either Kazekage Raizo or Takahashi Sousuke to come to the gate. A shinobi of the village is openly displaying hostility against a guest of the village, the father of the Kazekage, Ryuzaki Oga."

The others realized that Oga had maneuvered Suzaku into a situation where he'd potentially embarrassed himself by starting an incident but Suzaku didn't see it. The way he interpreted it, Oga was having Yukina call in the Kazekage-- who was apparently also a Ryuzaki and Oga's son --or Sousuke who was Suzaku's steward in order to intimidate him. It was just another show of force, if only a sideways one. Another way to try and cow Suzaku into tacitly recognizing Oga's behavior as acceptable and that was just not going to happen.

"For one espousing 'the rules, the rules' you now stand ready to, by force, make us... do what? Is this customary tradition of the village? Take a small, family situation, and turn it into a fight? Some public spectacle? Are you willing to beat up the personal attendant of this village's leader to prove your point... that you do not respect us? Is this the honor the shinobi of this village carry with them? This village has fallen much further than I had heard... at least a Ryuzaki is here to clean up the mess that they left behind."

"Hero and villain are your words. I didn't say those things, you did." Growled Suzaku, refusing to back down from the threat that Oga had made by calling his superiors by locking his eyes onto Oga's singular eye. "What you are is a bully. You could have just apologized for losin' your cool and throwin' your power around like that but instead you acted like that's beneath you. Like you're too important to bother with treatin' others right. So yeah, I'll always reject that way of thinkin'. You don't have the right to look down on others no matter how strong or important you are and I'll fight her..."

Suzaku nodded his head at Yukina as he spoke, dropping his hands from his head as he did but keeping his gaze squarely centered on Oga.

"... or him ..." This time he nodded at Koori.

"Or you. Or the Kazekage, if that's what it takes, before I just let someone that acted like you did off the hook. Bet on that, Mr. Ryuzaki Pride."

 

[Takahashi Aki]

The metallic form of the Steward looked deep into the glass tube that housed his skin suit. The skin suit was being cleaned. It was a funny thing to see it happen. Sousuke used to watch his metallic suits of armour get cleaned in a similar fashion, but now he was staring at an echo of himself beneath glass. He watched as little brushes scrubbed parts of the flesh suit, and little mechanical arms of his making do minor tweaking. He had almost smiled too broadly and caused the flesh mask to tear in a way that would betray his truer nature. The Lord Steward was a secretive man. He had his reasons for doing so. His secrets were not the malicious sort, but the kind that he would rather not have dragged into the light of day. The Lord Steward still had about him the blood of old. He was still very much the old power. He was very much a descendant of the First Men.

The radio crackled and came to life. He stood there listening to it, and learning that there was a situation at the gates. The situation required the attention of the Kazekage or ‘Takahashi Sousuke’. He listened intently and when he heard that the guest of the village was to be ‘Ryuzaki Oga’, the Steward’s metallic eyes narrowed. This should not register emotionally, but there was some bitter resentment towards the Konungr. The Steward did not agree with the assessment that he was a guest. No, when he had learned that the Konungr had been censoring him from the rest of the Ryuzaku line, a certain distrust of the man was given birth. He was certainly not pleased with the man. The Steward very much wanted to know why he was being censored. The Steward was trying to call all of those who were born of the First Men to Sungakure, to rally those powers of old against such threats as the Daimyo or Dominus as it currently were. The Steward rubbed his index finger and middle finger on his forehead as mild frustration was manifesting itself. He knew this day was coming but he was not exactly ready for it today.

The cleaning machine had finished its cycle and the glass tube was opened up revealing the flesh suit. The Steward reached for it and began to put on his second flesh.


***

The Bulwark opened up with a crack as the Steward marched out. He wore a grey and black Takahashi fire forged steel armour on top of his flesh suit, but he did not wear a helmet. His armour seemed to moved fluidly as he moved. Bit of it shifted about as he walked as if the suit itself was alive. The Steward took charge and began to take a head count. Yukina finally returned. The aforementioned Konungr was present. The Steward’s eyes clicked as his eyes changed colour. His iris and scalera disappeared and changed to pure white. His eyes glowed for a moment before his eyes clicked a second time before turning to normal. So this was the Konungr. Sousuke’s mind was running quickly as he detailed the man. He was instantly attributing the likeness that Raizo and him shared. He immediately took note of Suzaku and Kazu. It did not take the Steward long to figure out which of the two Sungakure ninja present was the ‘problem’. The Steward would arrive on his own time and not before. He would incline his head to Suzaku and Kazu appropriately, before doing so to Yukina. “Salutations.” He spoke calmly enough. “Yukina, it has been some time.” He would pause for a moment before looking over to the Konungr. “I was not expecting the Ryuzaki household to be coming this day.” He spoke showcasing surprise. “This is most unexpected as there was no documentation that this arrival was forthcoming… or accounted for in today’s itinerary.” He would look over to Suzaku then, not with a look of ‘I’m disappointed in you’ or anything of the sort. It was more of a curious look of sorts. While he trusted Yukina, he did not exactly trust her company. He did not trust the one that censored him. “Now Kazu, and Suzaku … I think I might have misheard something. I thought I heard that there was one of the shinobi doing his job? I highly doubt there was hostility here. Reservations naturally, as we are at war with an unclear foe. Yukina - a question if I may?"

 

[Sand Council]

The boy was an idiot. There was no other explanation to the Konungr, so there would no longer be a point trying to talk to the bullish young one.

"Petulant children... is this the identity of all the shinobi of this village?"

Once more his focus would be firmly back to Kazukura.

"I cannot imagine you being raised by this village, thankfully your father was able to instruct you properly. Otherwise... you might have ended up like that. At least Raizo is here to bring some discipline after the decades of decay brought on by them. Anyways... Koori, Yukina, we are departing. I believe this spectacle has been indulged long enough."

It would be that time when the Steward would appear. He was a strange sight, a man clad in full armor as if stationed in a battlefield, yet here in his own village. He would greet them but would not give his name. It seemed that manners within this village were a lost art from the top down.

"Steward Sousuke, greetings" Yukina would interject while bowing to Sousuke, in a moment introducing the Konungr to the man without the man doing it himself. It still annoyed Oga, but it removed his mind from that annoyance for a moment.

"The famed head of the Takahashi Clan..." Oga would mutter to himself as he began to take a renewed inventory of the man before him.

Yukina would once more interject, hoping to keep from hostilities returning after the Konungr had already settled down himself, "The meeting is unexpected because the Konungr and Ryuzaki Koori, an esteemed member of the clan, has come with urgent information for yourself and the Kazekage concerning the one known as Dominus and his plague of monsters. We would have messaged ahead, but to expect much getting through the greater expanse of the desert... The Swarm has been a massive hurdle for us to just get here with our own little group."

"Yes, with emergency information and still your village representative felt more the need to prioritize his own thirst for battle than to allow us passage to express this information at once..." Oga would say in an unamused tone.

Yukina would nod to the Steward as she would await his question. If he chose to move away from the situation a bit to ask, she would follow suit. If he chose to ask her without the need for privacy, she would remain to answer.

Koori would look away from the boy with the green hair, for the time being, watching intently the man who had approached Yukina. While Yukina seemed to know the man in the iron suit, he was still unsure if the figure was one he fully trusted. For a moment he would stop his vigilant scouting and would turn to the green-haired boy.

"So eager to fight, and yet, you had lost well before that impassioned little pep talk."

That would be the only thing the stone-faced man with dark hair would say to the young man, he would then once more turn his attention back to the man Yukina had referred to as 'Steward Sousuke'.

 

[Kazu]

Kazu watched, uncertainly, as the green-haired boy seemed determined to prove his point, no matter what the cost. It seemed Oga’s words were ineffectual at reaching him, or else he chose not to listen. Instead, the boy appeared to be doubling down on his stance; in fact, the longer the standoff continued, the angrier he seemed to get. Kazu studied the green-haired boy’s expression as the arguments kept coming and wondered why this meant so much to him.

“Hero and villain are your words. I didn't say those things, you did. What you are is a bully. You could have just apologized for losin' your cool and throwin' your power around like that but instead you acted like that's beneath you. Like you're too important to bother with treatin' others right. So yeah, I'll always reject that way of thinkin'. You don't have the right to look down on others no matter how strong or important you are and I'll fight her... or him... or you. Or the Kazekage, if that's what it takes, before I just let someone that acted like you did off the hook. Bet on that, Mr. Ryuzaki Pride."

’So then,’ Kazu mused to himself, ’this is about right and wrong? How far is he willing to push for his “right?” And what makes him so sure of it?’ Kazu found the other boy’s stubbornness amusing; in equal measure, he also found himself impressed by it. He decided that he would learn more about this other boy – now, if he could only find out his name.

The Konungr, on the other hand, did not share Kazu’s intrigue.

“Petulant children... is this the identity of all the shinobi of this village? I cannot imagine you being raised by this village, thankfully your father was able to instruct you properly. Otherwise... you might have ended up like that. At least Raizo is here to bring some discipline after the decades of decay brought on by them.”

Kazu said nothing in response – nothing more needed to be. Instead, Kazu found his brow furrowing against his will in a slight haze of confusion. ’Them?’ The young boy knew quite well of whom the Konungr spoke: the Sunahoshi. The whole clan seemed to share the same sentiment. Bitterest of rivals, the Ryuzaki scorned the “blessed” Sunahoshi Clan; however, why did the Konungr keep bringing them up in relation to this other boy’s defiance? ’Perhaps this boy’s attitude reminds him of them?’ Kazu wasn’t sure. All he knew was it was an interesting little detail to keep in mind. He continued to observe, and study.

It was then that another figure joined them: Takahashi Sousuke. Kazu had met the man, in person, once before – before that, the man had made himself known to Kazu during the Long Night. Sousuke was a source of respect, and intrigue, for the young Ryuzaki. However, seeing the way the man’s eyes shifted between himself, the green haired boy, the Konungr, and the other Ryuzaki representatives, Kazu began to feel rather nervous and uneasy. The Steward seemed to be weighing each of them, carefully, like one might a piece of raw metal before hammering it out into a more desirable shape; not to mention the way his eyes clicked, whirred, and changed color.

The Steward gave everyone a greeting in their turn, and Kazu felt it only right to return the gesture. Inclining his head lower than the Steward had done so, Kazu spoke calmly as well. ”Greetings, sir,” was all he’d say before returning to his silent observation. This was not the time for long introductions. ’Besides, there’s still more to play out.’

“This is most unexpected as there was no documentation that this arrival was forthcoming… or accounted for in today’s itinerary,” began Sousuke. Yukina would jump in quickly, probably wishing to keep things running smoothly.

"The meeting is unexpected because the Konungr and Ryuzaki Koori, an esteemed member of the clan, has come with urgent information for yourself and the Kazekage concerning the one known as Dominus and his plague of monsters. We would have messaged ahead, but to expect much getting through the greater expanse of the desert... The Swarm has been a massive hurdle for us to just get here with our own little group."

Oga would not let a single moment slip by, before adding, "Yes, with emergency information and still your village representative felt more the need to prioritize his own thirst for battle than to allow us passage to express this information at once..."

’He does not sound happy,’ thought Kazu. Clearly, the Konungr was not cowed by any means. How much of that was directed towards the green-haired boy, or towards the Steward, was unclear to Kazu. Something else caught Kazu’s attention, however; a look, given by Sousuke towards the green-haired boy, which seemed neither upset nor disappointed. Merely… something. The man’s face was hard to read for Kazu, but it seemed knowing if nothing else. Familiar. ’Do they know each other?’ Either way, Sousuke would continue.

“Now Kazu, and Suzaku…” Suzaku. ’Is that his name, then?’ There wasn’t time to dwell on it. ”…I think I might have misheard something. I thought I heard that there was one of the shinobi doing his job? I highly doubt there was hostility here. Reservations naturally, as we are at war with an unclear foe.”

”Yes, sir,” spoke Kazu, uncertainly. He had not been asked a question, directly, but he felt that this was the moment to present what he had to say. ”I met the Konungr and the Ryuzaki representatives at the gates and looked over their forms. It all seems to be in order. I was going to file it, properly, after escorting them inside.” Holding up the small folder of forms which had been presented by Yukina, which he had not had time to properly set down yet, he offered them to Sousuke for inspection and would gladly walk them over to the man should he indicate his interest. Otherwise, he would stay where he was and returned to silent observation.

There seemed to be a tension in the air. A collective breath held. Or perhaps it was just Kazu? ’Just keep watching,’ thought Kazu. ’Don’t miss anything.’

 

[Mikaboshi]

PC: Sunahoshi Suzaku

Before Suzaku could say anything further to continue his very public argument with Oga and his entourage, the Steward of Sunagakure appeared at the scene wearing his suit of metal armor and verdant green trappings. Suzaku didn't have a bad relationship with Sousuke by any means but just like everyone else in his life Sousuke seemed set on trying to tell him what he should and shouldn't act. There came a time in every young man's life that the deluge of wisdom and guidance from older authority figures in their life began to rankle them as they struggled to find their own sense of self in the world and that time had begun for Suzaku even before he'd come to Sunagakure.

"So eager to fight, and yet, you had lost well before that impassioned little pep talk."

All eyes had turned to Oga and Sousuke following the Steward's arrival and Suzaku only just heard the snide remark coming from Koori. He turned to make his own rude comment but by the time he'd realized that Koori had said something to him, Sousuke was already addressing him and Suzaku decided it was more important to address the Steward, given that Sousuke was the only person that was likely to be on his side in this situation, than it was to snap at Koori.

”Now Kazu, and Suzaku. I think I might have misheard something. I thought I heard that there was one of the shinobi doing his job? I highly doubt there was hostility here. Reservations naturally, as we are at war with an unclear foe.”

The other young man that Suzaku understood to be named Kazu gave a short report to Sousuke but declined to mention anything about the way Oga had been acting when he'd first arrived or about the way that the entourage had thrown around their power as though they shouldn't be challenged just because they were strong. It wasn't wrong to say that Suzaku had been more than willing to throw down when the Ryuzaki group had shown their teeth but in both instances-- the first time when Oga unleashed his chakra in an angry wave at the staff of the gates for irritating him and the second when Oga's four soldiers attempted to intimidate him with their own spiritual presences --it had been the Ryuzaki which escalated first.

"Yeah, that's all right except for the part where this big dumb asshole --" Suzaku jerked a thumb at Oga, a scowl on his face. "-- threw a tantrum about bein' asked for his papers like everybody else and then these jerks --" This time he motioned with his head at Koori and the other two of Oga's entourage which had separated from Yukina who had come up front to speak with Sousuke. "-- got up in my face for callin' Ol' One Eye there on his attitude."

 

[Takahashi Aki]

Oga would speak in his unamused tone, and it would be ignored by the Steward. What would not be ignorable was Yukina who very much answered the Steward giving him a fuller picture. She explained why there was a lack of notification. The swarm was indeed a menace and Sungakure was still learning things about their foe. Sousuke would motion for Yukina to come with him. “When I spoke to Lord Raizo about Nao, how did Raizo describe the way he looked at him and his cousins?” It was a very specific question, but depending on how Yukina would answer it would help the Steward be assured that Yukina and the entourage of Oga were who they said they were. The Steward had dealt with his fair share of skin changers in his day, not to mention his old mentor was a skin changer as well. Changing one’s skin was not at all difficult, but to have memories? Much harder. Few people were able to do that, and so the Steward would test Yukina just to make sure who she said she was. Perhaps the Steward was being paranoid, but this was a time of war, and every precaution had to be taken. Upon answering his question the Steward would act accordingly. Either he would be at ease or he would be further put on the defense.

Both Kazu and Suzuaku would come to him and speak of what had indeed happened from their perspective. Suzaku seemed to provide a little more substance than Kazu did with some colourful language. The Steward almost gave Suzaku a look as if to say ‘language’ but he did not do such a thing. Now was not the time to admonish the young Sunahoshi for his choice of words. “You were in the right Suzaku.” He would speak to the two boys in particular. Sousuke would fold his arms behind his back. Suzaku was very much his father’s son, and by each day he was growing more and more to be so.

When Oga would begin to talk out loud the Steward would not cut him off. He allowed the man to finish his piece. “I think not Lord Oga. This one was merely following protocol. We are at a time of war, and every precaution must be taken.” Sousuke spoke without hostility but with firm words. He did not use the term Konungr. Some would debate that this was one Lord before another. Some would say that the Steward was disrespectful for not using the term, but others would argue that this was words between two members of those who could trace their lineage to the beginning of the First Men. Ryuuzaki, Sunahoshi, and Takahashi. There were three surnames present of the First Men, and when that came they all were equally ‘Lord’ as it were. If Oga were standing proud and tall, then so was Takahashi Sousuke. Two patriarchs of their respective clans staring down at each other, and there were reservations about each other. Sousuke knew full well what Oga had been doing. He had been silencing him against Raizo. Oga made Sousuke wary, but that wariness would have been dispelled if Fenrir were present instead. Sousuke very much wanted to call Oga out on silencing his messages to the clan, but he did not. At least not for the moment.

 

[Raizo]

OOC: Yukina (NPC), Oga (Event NPC), Koori (NPC), and Raizo (PC)

Yukina would answer the Steward's question after taking a moment to think back to their very first conversation back in the Kazekage Tower, the night that Raizo won over the Steward and the Steward had won over Raizo. "He stated that he did not feel the same unease towards the former Daimyo Ishii Shiro that he did of the one known as Nao." She wasn't sure where the Steward was going with this information, but she hoped it would not lead to any further hostilities. Then the Steward would address the boy known as Suzaku.

Damn it...

She would clench her first together as her eyes would immediately draw towards the Konungr.

"The state of this village...seems they really did let this place ruin under their watch..." Oga would state while his one exposed eye would remain firmly locked on Sousuke. He would not clarify who "they" were, whether it was specifically the Sunahoshi or maybe the Takahashi. For him, if anyone was confused on the matter of who he was referencing then they helped make his point themselves. The two bloodlines had firmly linked themselves together, the failure of the Sunahoshi was the failure of the Takashi in the Ryuzaki elder's eyes.

The tension was growing stronger and more palpable by the second, even though the Steward had hoped his appearance would help ease some of that. Instead, it seemed he was taking a firm side in opposition of the Konungr, of the Ryuzaki.

"So, even the Steward of this village would find time to idly waste instead of ushering us in to see my son? I see this is a systemic problem after all" he would say as his glance would briefly return to the defiant young man.

Koori and the two unnamed guards would once more begin to tense up, attempting to read the totality of the situation and where it was inevitably heading. Yet, before it could reach that final rung, that point of no return, a had would slam onto the shoulder of Oga. The Konungr would turn to his side, as his son, Raizo, would now appear with his arm around his father's back. There was a carefree smile on his face.

"My, my, you should really send a more advanced warning, father..." His tone would be pleasant his smile would only grow, but the hand resting on the shoulder of Oga would clamp down and begin to tighten. Only the veins within the hand, now bulging, would give away at any hint of hostility. "Please...come right this way." There would still be a smile, but there would be a faint hint within the tone that maybe this hospitality was more intense than it appeared on the surface.

The Kazekage would glance around at those gathered and take a mental inventory of those present. "Lord Sousuke, would you mind helping clear up any issues that might have occurred in this sudden appearance. When you get done, please feel free to join my father and me for a little chat." He would then turn his attention to Yukina, "Yu, help Sousuke." Then Raizo would acknowledge Koori, "Come on buddy, I think I heard that you had important news, right?" He could almost feel a cold aura immediately start to emenate from Koori upon his words. Lastly, he would pause on the two young boys.

One was his cousin. "Great job, Kazukura!" He would then follow it up with a big smile and thumbs up with his free hand. Then there was the green-haired child. There was a defiant look in his face, there also seemed to be fire ready to roar within him as well. "Yu, get his name. Everyone else, thank you so much for welcoming my family into the village!"

With that, Raizo would pull his father close with a smile still plastered on his face as the two Ryuzaki made their way into the tower, but from under his breath the Kage would say, "Who the hell do you think you are..."

[Exiting with Raizo, Oga, and Koori]
[Remaining in the thread, Yukina]

 

[Kazu]

The stand-off was reaching its tipping point. Two perspectives seemed at war; at least, that’s what Kazu made of the situation.

On one hand, there was the side of actions and results: the Ryuzaki party had approached the village’s gates, resisted the standard procedure due to feeling the urgency of the matter outweighed the protocols, but eventually acquiesced after some prompting. On the other hand, there was the side of intention and attitude: while the Ryuzaki party had eventually come around to doing what was necessary, the resistance they put up and the assumption of exemption from the rules had caused tension, delay, and disrespect to the establishment that enforced those rules.

‘Is it enough,’ Kazu mused, ‘to do the right actions? Or is it also necessary to have the right intentions? Who judges whether the actions or intentions are right or not?’

“Yeah, that's all right except for the part where this big dumb asshole threw a tantrum about bein' asked for his papers like everybody else and then these jerks got up in my face for callin' Ol' One Eye there on his attitude."

It was clear that the boy called Suzaku felt very strongly in favor of the latter perspective, regarding the issue. Kazu, however, was not quite convinced. Taking a step forward, with eyes trained on the green haired youth, Kazu said, ”Pardon, but it sounds like your point is that the Konungr… was upset and impatient to share his information? The last time I checked, it’s not a crime to be impassioned. And, in case you forgot,” Kazu held up the folder containing the Ryuzaki entourage’s passports and documentation which he still had to fully process, ”they did present their identification. They can have reservations and criticisms about our security protocols, while still adhering to them.”

To the side of this conversation, it seemed as if the Steward of Sunagakure was saying much the same thing to Oga. “I think not Lord Oga,” said Sousuke. “This one was merely following protocol. We are at a time of war, and every precaution must be taken.” Kazu could agree with that. It was why he had insisted on getting the Ryuzaki’s paperwork, even though he knew it would draw the Konungr’s wrath upon him.

However, it seemed the man had grown past mere displeasure.

"The state of this village...seems they really did let this place ruin under their watch..."

Kazu said nothing. This was the second time the White Lion had spoken of the village with such disrespect and contempt. While the young boy may have grown up with the Ryuzaki’s animosity towards the Sunahoshi and their “blessings,” he still did not fully understand why the Clan despised them so. His time in the village had only deepened the divide between himself and the rest of the Clan on this issue. For all the time Kazu had spent in the village, he had not found a single thing to despise – he did, however, find himself growing increasingly more angry with the Ryuzaki’s Roaring White Lion.

"So, even the Steward of this village would find time to idly waste instead of ushering us in to see my son? I see this is a systemic problem after all."

Something deep inside Kazu snapped. A tempered rage, barely held back by the iron-clad bonds of tradition and authority, blazed out of control within him. Turning about-face, Kazu’s expression of anger and impatience almost seemed to match the Konungr’s own. The young boy locked his fiery red eyes on at his seniors’, yelling out, ”HEY!”

Kazu could see the unnamed Ryuzaki guards tensing. He knew what he was about to do could be disastrous for him. However, deep down, he knew that this was the right way. ‘I’m not letting him speak so poorly of my village anymore!’

”Stop shifting the blame to everyone else. Suzaku didn’t stop you, nor did the Steward. I did, and I’d do it again. Any house under threat asks questions of its guests before letting them in – even the Ryuzaki Estate wouldn’t be so foolish as to admit any stranger who knocks.” Kazu stared down his elder with the ferocity of a vicious Kyrinchor. He was tired of letting the prejudices of his Clan run amok. While not in full agreement with the boy Suzaku, Kazu was starting to see his point. ”I will not tolerate you speaking ill of this village.”

The young boy was ready for a reprimand. He expected it to come at any moment. Instead the Kazekage, son of the Konungr, and older cousin to Kazu, appeared with a smiling face.

"My, my, you should really send a more advanced warning, father..." The jovially grinning man had a hand clamped down on Oga’s shoulder, which at first seemed harmless and familial, but upon second glance betrayed a thinly veiled threat. Kazu, it seemed, was not the only one who tried to keep a careful lid on their rage. "Please...come right this way."

The youthful leader gave some more directions to Sousuke, Yukina, and the other Ryuzaki guards who had been waiting to break up whatever fight may erupt, then began to lead his father away into the village. Raizo did give a momentary acknowledgement to Kazu, Suzaku, and everyone else who had “welcomed” his family into the village, but to the young boy it felt ceremonial at best. As father and son wandered away, into the village, Kazu couldn’t help but realize he’d been holding in his breathe for a while now. Exhaling, slowly, he allowed himself to relax.

”Hey,” Kazu said, looking back towards Suzaku, ”I’m sorry about all of that. My family can be… kind of intense. I know you were just doing what you thought was right.” Walking up to the youth, only a year or so younger than himself, Kazu extended a hand. It symbolized a truce, a greeting, and an apology all in one. ”Can I make this all up to you? Ramen, my treat?”

 

[Mikaboshi]

PC: Sunahoshi Suzaku

”Pardon, but it sounds like your point is that the Konungr… was upset and impatient to share his information? The last time I checked, it’s not a crime to be impassioned. And, in case you forgot, they did present their identification. They can have reservations and criticisms about our security protocols, while still adhering to them.”

Suzaku wasn't sure what to make of Kazu. At first this whole thing had started with Suzaku feeling like he had to stand up for Kazu because the other young man had just been doing his job when Oga had grown... upset wasn't the word.

Frustrated? Angry? Honestly the man's emotions were somewhat hard to read, it seemed a little bit like "angry" as Oga's default emotion.

But now it seemed like Kazu was perplexingly taking Oga's side in the dust-up, as though it hadn't been him that the Ryuzaki Konungr had grown irate with for simply doing his job.

"My point is that your grand poobah rolled in here actin' like the rules shouldn't apply to him 'cause "muh warrior pride" or whatever and that ain't right. Havin' power doesn't mean you get to go around actin' like you're above anybody else."

“You were in the right Suzaku.”

Suzaku was ready to be rebuked by Sousuke for his impetuousness. He'd gotten involved when pragmatically speaking there was no need for him to do so. After all, nobody had been hurt and the moment of Oga's flare of temper was already in the past when Suzaku had stepped forward but there was something in his heart that told him it would have been wrong to just stay quiet and say nothing. Still, Suzaku knew that many of the authority figures in his life-- namely both his master and Sousuke --were creatures of discretion and subtlety.

“This one was merely following protocol. We are at a time of war, and every precaution must be taken.”

But then Sousuke did the unexpected and had his back. He announced that Kazu had been in the right for fulfilling his responsibilities as a shinobi staffing the gates and that he thought Suzaku wasn't in the wrong for standing up to Oga on his attitude. For a moment he was taken a back that Sousuke had so publicly backed him but there was a moment of satisfaction as the Steward took his side which Suzaku took to glance at Koori and give him a smug smirk as the conversation between the two heads of state continued.

"The state of this village...seems they really did let this place ruin under their watch... So, even the Steward of this village would find time to idly waste instead of ushering us in to see my son? I see this is a systemic problem after all."

I'll show you ruin you one-eyed son of a--

Suzaku's muscles coiled in anger as he prepared to lash out in anger at the Konungr's open insults towards not just the village but towards Sousuke who had been nothing but welcoming to Suzaku since he'd come to the city but before he could take even a single hostile step, Kazu's voice rang out in defiance of Oga's words.

”Stop shifting the blame to everyone else. Suzaku didn’t stop you, nor did the Steward. I did, and I’d do it again. Any house under threat asks questions of its guests before letting them in – even the Ryuzaki Estate wouldn’t be so foolish as to admit any stranger who knocks. I will not tolerate you speaking ill of this village.”

"Yeah! What he said!" Suzaku once more wore a wide grin of excitement as he looked square at Oga, gauging his reaction to Kazu breaking ranks with his elders.

Instead, the Eleventh Kazekage arrived to defuse the situation before anything else could be said or done and it was almost certainly a good thing that Raizo arrived when he did. Similarly as with Kazu, Suzaku was unsure what to make of the Kazekage who arrived so suddenly and with a rush of positivity. So far with the notable exception of how Kazu had switched sides so suddenly, the Ryuzaki had all very much seemed to be birds of a feather, all following the lead of the peacock in charge for whatever their personal reasons were.

"--Yu, get his name ..."

And then, that was it as Raizo looked to usher Oga and his entourage into the village without further incident. Or at least, that would have been it ...

"The name's Sunahoshi Suzaku!" He called after the group, his eyes alight with the fire of what felt like having won a victory.

His voice rang out loudly as he shouted after the entourage, with no intention of letting it go unheard by either Oga or Raizo. He knew that Mikaboshi would have been angry with him for so brazenly declaring his name the way he had but he'd done it before he'd even given the thought of doing it any amount of consideration.

And don't you forget it, old guy.

”Hey.”

Suzaku broke his stare at the leaving group of Ryuzaki to look back to Kazu as the other young man made a bid for his attention. At first he'd looked to stand up for Kazu and then had been unsure of his feelings towards him as Kazu seemed to take Oga's side in things but had ultimately landed on a feeling of admiration for him. It took guts to stand up to a guy like Oga, especially if you were related and Suzaku respected that even if standing up to him had taken a bit. The important part was that Kazu had done it, not how long it had taken him to arrive there.

”I’m sorry about all of that. My family can be… kind of intense. I know you were just doing what you thought was right. Can I make this all up to you? Ramen, my treat?”

Kazu offered Suzaku his hand and with a grin Suzaku quickly took it, returning the handshake with a firm vigor. The texture of his hand was oddly rough for a kid Suzaku's age and it was because of the various scars and healed over injuries that covered his hand and indeed most of his forearms and in some places on his upper arms. Suzaku's teachers had been harsh and extreme in their methods and he had paid for the lessons that he'd learned from them in blood many times over. Among Mikaboshi's many teachings had been an exhaustive review of etiquette and social interaction which mostly had mostly failed to find purchase with the young man but he remembered in that moment something that the Old Shadow had taught him about the importance of gifts.

"How could I say no to that?" Beamed Suzaku, releasing his grip after a bit. "I'm... well. I guess you heard what my name."