The Country of Fire [Private]

[Shu]

Walking over toward Susukino District with a stranger was becoming a norm in the village as the village had been comprised with refuges from Konohagkure to Kirigakure, even though the gates had been sealed off. It was not Shin's intention to deal with another foreigner but Shin was compelled by the boy's story to at least consider his request. If Shin was going to do something at least it would be mutually beneficial. With the information he had gathered from the other refugees, Shin could still gain more knowledge from this boy, perhaps the boy would provide a different perspective.

The Raikage and the Konohagaki were accommodated by the usual ANBU guards assigned to Shin for the day. They remained austere paying more attention to their surroundings than the conversation between Shin and Ginjiro. Eventually, they arrived at the ramen shop which was busy as usual. The smell of shōyu broth could be felt as they reached toward the open entrance. A young woman with an apron approached them immediately recognizing the raikage giving a slight bow. "Good afternoon, raikage-sama."

"Good afternoon, Shizu-san." Shin nodded with a smile. "Do you have an opening outside for me and my guest."

"Absolutely." She said as directed them toward a table at the front. "Will you have the usual?" She asked. "Yes and a pot of green tea and a pitcher of water." Shin responded. "What would you like Ginjiro-san." Shin asked as he turned toward him.

[Ryuujin will arrive when the thread is done.]

 

[Kazu]

It seemed as though Ginjiro's time with the Raikage had not ended yet. The Raikage seemed to still have business with the young man, and had decided that staying cooped up in the little conference room was not the most fun thing in the world. That was fine with Ginjiro. The information in their scrolls would have to be copied anyways, so while they were doing that Ginjiro would accompany the Raikage to the place of his choosing—a ramen shop. This wasn't actually the part that through Ginjiro off. Ramen was fine with him, and even a Raikage had to enjoy the simpler things in life—food, free time, board games, and many other enjoyable parts of life. What Ginjiro wasn't used to was the gaggle of ANBU who were following the two of them on their way to the shop. Actually, following wasn't quite right. They were guarding the pair of them. Ginjiro understood the need for it with this Shin guy being the Raikage and all, but he himself wasn't used to it at all. It felt weird, being surrounded by elite shinobi wherever they went. He'd lived in a village before, so he knew that this was protocol, but it had been years since that time. And even then, it had never happened to him. Ginjiro decided that he'd simply have to try to ignore the oddness of it, and merely focus on the here and now. There were much more important things happening than whether or not he was used to having guards around him.

When they arrived at the ramen shop, Ginjiro's senses started going crazy. The smell of the noodles and the broth was filling the air, mixing with the aromas of various foods, spices, and ingredients. The wafting scent was tickling at his nose, inviting him to come inside, sit down, and start up a conversation with the chef and other patrons as he enjoyed a meal. The warmth added only added onto this sensation, making his body long for the pleasing temperature at the bar. Even the noise—the rowdy sound of a dozen different conversations all mixing together—seemed comforting and soothing to his ears. Everything about this place was wondrous. Had it really been that long since he'd had a bowl of ramen? Perhaps. It was time to end this multi-year gap in his enjoyment of a good bowl of ramen. As the Raikage was approached by a woman who appeared to work at the restaurant, Ginjiro listened to the man place his order. Green tea? This man must have known Ginjiro's weaknesses. If he was trying to get Ginjiro to tell him anything he wanted, he was on the right track to doing it. Well, not really, but still.

As he asked the young man what he wanted, Ginjiro would turn to the woman who was still there and tell her what it was he wanted. "A bowl of sansai ramen and a side of inari, please." Smiling at the woman, Ginjiro was really looking forward to this meal. He had to really force himself to concentrate back onto what they were doing here. Waiting for the Raikage to sit down at the table first, Ginjiro would then join him. Ginjiro jumped right into the issue. "You said you wanted to know more about Leaf City, yes? What would you like to know about my home?"

 

[Enatsu]

Yuuto was disguised, as an old man. Immediately after leaving the tower he went to get his get up from a local costume shop. Latex and fillings could go a long way when applied right. What people tend to forget is that chakra was not everything. While at times he liked to profess his knowledge of chakra most of the crimes committed had used no chakra to begin with eliminating the traces for a chakra sense. Destroying his presence after was to wipe the traces of anyone else left behind. The goal in itself was to over-do the protocol standard, and make them question how to proceed. It would inevitably lead to him being able to observe the Raikage's reactions and this was just one of many situations he could see how frightened Shin was becoming.

Maybe frightened wasn't the word her however. "Mental Journal initiate, Sovereign root. Today I have witnessed Hayata Shin once again do something outlandish. His decisions were to push his morality of being kind but the process of the visitor was far too forceful. He may be desperate to beat his brother but if the given information is not enough he will want more. Furthermore this hinders Cloud's progression as we should not even be studying Kinjutsu. Currently I myself am seeking a way to purify the dark techniques given to me, as I have not once twisted a corpse to make their spirit come back, I have only communicated and made deals with spirit. To allow one's rage and to allow one's justice. I create creatures with my life force is it even appropriate to label me dark if I do not use it in a twisted manner? Either way, at least I'm not cutting deals with unknown forces and demons who wish to rule the village." He said this casually in his mind while he purchased some flowers.

He was but an old man in a crowd of people and as a trained Anbu his subterfuge techniques were a bit more than superb. Not to mention the recent takes he had done in the village. To pick this one man out of a crowd of many who "knew" the Raikage and surely would turn their heads to view him as he walked with another person accompanied by masked Anbu. Literally he was sticking out like a sore thumb. Yuuto would blink three times, using the Snapshot Ninjutsu to take a picture of the scene before continuing up the road. He would seek other matters to attend to and not waste his time any further. He had planned to steal some more documents but from Hikari's office this time, however there seemed to be another event going on at this moment. One that was far more interesting than the Raikage's obscure kindness. Another day Hayata Shin, another day. he thought to himself.

[Topic Entered/Left]
[Wasn't sure about the Ramen Shop but since you said you had Anbu with you, and went into an open entrance taking a place in the front I'd assume I could view you going in]

Here's some Examples of Stage Make-Up and its wonderful uses:

Spoiler

Spoiler

Spoiler

 

[Shu]

The woman nodded her head as she scribbled down their orders in a small white notebook before leaving them. Ginjiro wasted no time in starting the conversation.

"Yes, I do have some questions about your village that I hope you can answer." Shin said as he hand disappeared into his coat and pulled out a black notebook with a silky white quill pen poking out of the binding like a feather of a peacock. "If you don't mind I would like to take some notes." Shin said. He did not mention this to the young boy but Shin has been cataloging most of refuges stories in his personal journal to help cross-reference most of the facts and especially the motives of each individual. It was adamantly clear that this boy's motive was to gain knowledge of Hitokugutsu, but it was unclear if his journey to Kumogakure was more for a safe haven than mere pursuit for knowledge.

"Let's start simple and I apologize if my question is too forward. Could you tell me from start to end how you lost your village, in your perspective?" Shin said. Suddenly he noticed a glimmer of light reflect against his glasses. The guards seems to have noticed an elderly man peering at them. It was not odd considering the raikage spent most of some of his time in the public when clients and paperwork did not over take him. The man stood there for only a brief moment before departing in the opposite direction.

The two ANBU chatted among but quiet enough to not overtake the raikage's conversation.

 

[Enatsu]

OOC: Hold up, since when did Snapshot Jutsu give off light?

Spoiler

A surveillance technique used by the Anbu to 'record' an event down to the tiniest detail. When stored, the user is able to clearly recall their recording as if looking at a picture/video, and is able to share these memories with others. This is often done through creating a projection made of chakra, or by tapping their target to share their recorded memory directly into the mind of the target through genjutsu. Images (but not videos) even record the chakra signature of a target, which can be stored for later use, such as helping to detect a target known for physical disguise.

Information
Prerequisites: C Rank

Rank 1: Records a mental video of the thread; this only records what the user witnesses during a thread (it is their memory). Requires awareness of the target.
Master: The user may now retain up to 3 Snap Shot memories.

Cost 1 AP, 450 CP

Notes:
- This Jutsu does not require handseals, and is always a hidden action.
- This Jutsu is primarily for IC purposes, can be used in battle to thoroughly record the details of the battle.
- The user may only have a single Snapshot memory saved at a time (this remains until removed). Reusing the technique deletes the previous memory. This is increased to 3 memories when mastered.
- Rank 1 records the targets appearance at the time of use, and their chakra signature. Each characters chakra signature is unique, and will never change under any circumstances. All paths of a Rikudo Sennin share the same chakra, and have a single Chakra Signature (the 'original' RS user).
- At all ranks, the user may choose to share the memories recorded by this jutsu with others. This simply allows them to view the recording.
- At all ranks, the user may choose to transfer a recording to another, filling one of their memory slots but removing it from their own.
- If someone is dead or KO'd, their snapshot memories may be viewed/transferred/removed regardless of whether they give permission or not (cannot be done in battle).

Nowhere on this lore does it say that. I didn't RP it like that either. It's a mental video. If you wanna "catch" me use the RP provided, don't make up flavor to get your way. That's poor Roleplaying. Also since when did Faceless NPCs pop off Snapshots? I mean that's cool I don't have a problem lol, just found it funny.

 

[Kazu]

[ooc]
As I understand it, I'm good to post now? If things change, let me know so I can edit the post or something. Hopefully that doesn't have to happen, though!

Fidgeting in his chair a little, Ginjiro was trying to make himself comfortable in the wooden seat. His body wasn't used to processed wood anymore. He'd grown accustomed to rocks and roots, forgetting the comforts of a village. It didn't bother Ginjiro too much, but it was a little odd feeling out of place in a village like this. It reminded him exactly how long it'd been. Speaking of how long it had been, the Raikage wanted to jump straight into the business of his missing village. Ginjiro had been the one to bring up the subject when they sat down, so it didn't surprise the young man that Shin wanted to get the ball rolling. He was quite polite in his questioning, asking if Ginjiro minded if the man could take notes. Ginjiro knew the man was wanting to compile his answers about what happened, which led the young man to believe that the Hidden Cloud did not, actually, possess that much knowledge on the incidents that had transpired in Leaf City for the past while. Was communication between the two villages really that strict? "No, that's okay. If it's for your records, I'm happy to share." With that, the Raikage withdrew a black notebook and a silky white quill—this man knew how to add some class to the environment! "That's fine, too. I'd rather us delve into the matter directly than waste both of our time with politics." Well then, if his words were going to be written down in such a prestigious manner, he'd better make his words worth writing down! Taking a deep breath in as he thought, Ginjiro did his best to organize all the events in his head properly.

"Let's see. For me, I first began to lose my village when my brother, Ayatsuri Katsu, invaded. At that time he cut me off from my clan, and thus one of the main pillars that bound me to my village. From there, I was hospitalized up until the Civil War came to a head. It was right as I was healing from the surgery of acquiring this metallic arm of mine that the village was attacked. A lot of it was hazy for me, and I still don't know the exact details of why it happened, but I know that the Daimyo had his samurai march into the city to drive out all of the shinobi. They slaughtered many people, and the shinobi of Leaf City tried to protect as many civilians as we could, but there was just too much of an overwhelming force." The tea came over to them at that moment, and the young man stopped with his story to thank the waitress and accept a cup of tea. The warm liquid was refreshing, and it helped the young man to calm his nerves. He'd gotten used to recalling the events by now, but they still rattled him just a little. The tea definitely helped him to keep his composure. "From there, the Red Rain was a major factor that kept the shinobi of Leaf City out. I don't think anyone knows what caused it, but they say it was like a biblical event. Rain, the color of red autumn leaves, poured down from the sky for weeks. It would sap the chakra of all of those who stood under it, and essentially wiped out any lingering shinobi. They say it was the doing of the Goddess of Fire, who had become angry at the inhabitants of Leaf City once again—just like when the city was first founded. I'm not sure I believe that, but that's what they all say."

Ginjiro was starting to ramble a bit, wasn't he? He felt like he was. He was also wondering how long it would take for that food to come. He knew they'd just ordered, but perhaps a meal for the Raikage would get pushed up the list a bit? Whatever, it would get here when it got here. Ginjiro would like to have his tale done before it got here anyways, so he'd try to wrap this up quickly. "I suppose the fact that I couldn't physically return to my own village was also a huge blow to me. How could I have a village without the village? I don't have an answer to that question, but I do know that that wasn't the last straw. What really did it for me was how all the shinobi of Leaf City dissipated into nothingness. If we'd all stuck together, maybe we could have rebuilt a new village together. But that didn't happen. The core of what made Leaf City my home—the people who inhabited it—was gone. It was then that I lost my village completely. Lots of things led up to that point, but that's what it all came down to." Ginjiro had to think a moment more. Was that it? Was that all he had to say? No, there was one more thing he had to impart. "That's why I want to save my remaining clan members so badly, Lord Raikage. I can't re-gather the shinobi of Leaf City, and I can't drive all of the samurai out of the village by myself. But my clan? If I can save them from my brother, then I'll be able to at least reclaim a little bit of what I lost. At least then, something that ties me to Leaf City will still exist—I won't have to be without a home anymore."

Yes, that was what the man had to say. This was the story of how Ayatsuri Ginjiro had lost his home, and of how he could hope that one day he'd reclaim it. The young man had said what he'd needed to say, and so he relegated himself to leaning back in his wooden chair and quietly sipping some tea. It was rather nice in this cold environment; though, some ramen in his stomach would probably feel even better.

 

[Shu]

It was true that destruction of the Konohagakure and most of fire country was due to a supernatural phenomena. At least, the catastrophe did not spread through out the country. There were other private military factions that residing in the country like the Mishima clan, the very same clan that Misa, Shin's mother, was born from. Ever since Shin's father, Takama had taken his betrothed from the clan, the Mishima clan made very little attempts to keep in contact with Misa. In fact, she was more or less banished than blessed when she married Takama. The Mishima clan was composed of Uchiha and like any Uchiha clan they believed themselves superior to anything or anyone. In their mind, Misa dishonored them by marrying some outsider regardless of his skills. It was sad to see that a man could be hated within his own home.

Shin silently scribbled into his notes as he continue to listen the boy speak. Meanwhile, two young waitresses walked toward their table brining with them a pitcher of water and a pot of steaming hot tea. Ginjiro continued to explain why he could not return to what remained of his village. He could only guess where the rest of the shinobi were located. Shin took a moment to pick up the iron kettle as he poured the green liquid into an empty cup.

"If you had the power to redeem your brother or kill your brother, which would you choose?" Shin said as he took a sip of his tea.

 

[Kazu]

"Redeem him, or kill him?" Ginjiro blinked at the man. He didn't know what to say. His mouth was slightly agape as he thought, as if he was about to say something but had stopped before he could. The man was looking directly at the Raikage, into his eyes. Slowly, he began to speak again. "I'm sorry, but I'm not quite sure I understand your question..." Grabbing his cup to take a sip, Ginjiro's gaze seemed to pass through the Raikage now. He was thinking, trying to organize his thoughts. They were a bit of a scrambled mess right now, so it took him a moment to collect his thoughts. When the young man spoke, his words were like his thoughts being spoken out loud—they were directed both at the Raikage and not at him. "I can't imagine a situation where, if someone had the option, they would kill. If I can assume that this 'redemption' of my brother would also involve reparations for all the misdeeds he has committed, then I can see no reason to kill him. That is, excluding practicality." Ginjiro took another sip of his tea. It really was quite delicious. "Practicality is the element of this world that will ultimately lead it to a pragmatic situation. This world could be perfect, if not for practicality. In answer of your question, Lord Raikage, I would choose to redeem him if it were up to me. But it is not, is it? I can't control whether he will try to kill me first, or whether I will be able to weaken him to a point where redemption is an option. If it comes down to his life or mine, I may be forced to make a decision that I do not want to make."

"I think all men must make decisions that they don't want to make. We must all face the demons of this world. The true test, I think, is whether a person can make those decisions without succumbing to them. I am more than my actions, Lord Raikage. If I must kill my brother to save my clan, then I must be prepared to stay true to myself. Does he deserve to die? I don't think that's a decision I should have the power to make. But life doesn't always go the way we want it to, does it?" He was rambling. Ginjiro knew it, and he knew he'd sort of gone in a different direction with his answer than the Raikage was asking for. Ginjiro's eyes looked around the restaurant. He needed to do something else to keep his mind clear. Too much of this and he'd start speaking gibberish to the leader of the Village Hidden in the Clouds. That was not something one wanted to do. "I guess, what I'm trying to say, is that your question feels loaded. Are you trying to see whether my head is stuck in idealistic clouds? Are you trying to test my understanding of the shinobi system? Please, sir, be straight forward with me."

 

[Shu]

Ginjiro's face dropped as he heard Shin's clear binary question. There was nothing complicated about was asked the expression on the young man's face was like a man on death row. The boy peered straight into Shin making sure that he heard the man right. He took a moment to think before giving an answer. His answer covered most of everything that would be expected him from his sense of humility to his zeal for his clan; there was nothing in his response that Shin could find any fault to.

"Both. I wanted to hear your resolve as a shinobi whether or not you are honest with your abilities. However, the way you reacted and your words appear conflicted. Perhaps your decision, to kill or not, should be examined by your clan, lest your people see you as no different to your brother. Alas, I am only speculating."

Finally, the food arrived as the two waitress placed two large bowls in front of them. The aromatic smell of the brewed vegetables and broth soothed the atmosphere like a hot sauna in a forest, hopefully it would calm the capricious Ginjiro.

"May I ask if you know where you hokage is?" Shin asked as he picked up his metallic chopsticks.


[Apologies for the late post. I was thinking about how Shin would response.

 

[Kazu]

Ginjiro listened for Hayata Shin's answer, expecting a certain kind of answer. Granted, the young man did expect most of the Raikage's answer. He had wanted to test Ginjiro's resolve in his answers, his dedication to the meaning behind the words that he spoke, and the degree of honesty with which the young man spoke of himself. This was as he should do, as there was still much to consider here. However, there was another part to the Raikage's answer that through the young man off a little bit. Hayata Shin speculated that, perhaps, Ginjiro ought to know what his clan wanted of him first. The Raikage postulated that, should Ginjiro handle this in the wrong way, that he might end up just like his brother. The young man's mind went a little blank—he hadn't considered that. Become like his brother? How was that even possible? His brother was...was...something. Twisted, evil, malicious, and...determined? Ambitious? Strong, and following a set of ideals that drove him forward? That...that sounded like himself. Could he really become like his brother? Was it that easy to deviate onto such a path? Or, perhaps, the path his brother walked simply wasn't that far off the beaten path. These were words that the Ayatsuri would have to think long and hard about—there was no easy answer here.

As the young man tried to organize his thoughts, their food arrived. As the steaming hot bowl was placed in front of him, Ginjiro barely noticed it. It took him a minute to recognize the fact that the food had arrived. Still distracted with his thoughts, the young man picked up the metallic chopsticks with his left hand, the biological one, and began to slowly eat his food. It was good, for sure, but the Raikage's words still bothered the young man. It was for this reason that he was glad the man decided to shift the subject of the conversation, inquiring now as to the origins of the village's Hokage. Ginjiro had to think back on that one. "The whereabouts of the current Hokage?" Lord Raikage, I don't have the faintest clue. He's disappeared, melted away by the horrid Red Rain. Leaf City's first, and last, Hokage was named Yamaguchi Kami. I met him once before, when he personally assigned me a high rank mission when I was in the Academy. Since then, I haven't seen or heard of him. I'm not sure if anyone has." Where did that man disappear to? With his influence, you'd think that he would have been able to prevent the collapse of Leaf City. Perhaps family connections can't buy everything, contrary to what they would have you believe.

"Are there any other questions, Lord Raikage? That can't be all of them, can it?" Surely the Raikage had at least one more question to ask the young man. If he wanted to ask anything, now was certainly the time to do it. While Ginjiro waited for the scroll to be transcribed, he was at the mercy of this man. Wonderful. So, while he was dependent on another man's generosity, this was the perfect time to capitalize on the issue. But perhaps he was beginning to think too much like his teacher? Not everything boiled down to black and white in these issues.

 

[Shu]

"Kami?" Shin thought to himself as he raised a curious eyebrow. It was strange that a military leader would require his associates to call him as a revered divinity unless that was his real name which Shin would need serious convincing to believe in that. Regardless, Shin was going to have a hard to asking the hokage since Ginjiro had no clue where the man was. Did Ginjio had any idea so the whereabout of the other leaderships, perhaps a sennin of some kind.

Shin stopped scribbling into his black notebook as he raised his countenance toward Ginjiro.

"I am surprised that the hokage would allow a student to participate in a mission, let alone a high ranked mission. Well, if you don't whereabout of your hokage you must have an idea of the rest of the leadership. Also, what about the rest of the shinobi and kunochi of your village?"

 

[Kazu]

The Raikage's comments were expected, at the very least. No one would believe that he, as a young child, was sent on a top-ranking mission to a foreign country. Though Ginjiro could prove it if he wished, he felt that this probably wasn't the time for such gloating. After all, he didn't want to reveal just how good he was—hypothetically, only a child of great skill and ability would ever be allowed on such a high ranking mission. The Raikage was wrong to assume that such a hypothetical situation couldn't exist. Regardless, it wasn't Ginjiro's job to correct this man in the errors that he made. It was Ginjiro's job to get him to trust him, and to provide enough reason for him to hand over the documents that he needed. And so, the young man patiently continued to answer the man's questions. "Yes, I know of a few. The few that I know of have assimilated into the lands of Iwagakure. I do not know how many, nor the exact members who became apart of the nation, but I do know that some did seek refuge there. That's all I know, I'm afraid." Averting his attention down, he allowed his senses to drink in the goodness that was this food. Ginjiro's stomach longed to be warmed by the succulent broth, and so the young man obliged the earthly pleasures of his body. Noodle by noodle, sip by sip, the young man began to consume the meal that had been placed in front of him. In between bites, he would gulp down a mouthful of the sweet green tea.

It took a minute or two, but the young man was now ready to talk again. He had just needed a few bites of food, is all. "So, Lord Raikage, I believe I have a few questions for you." Placing some more noodles into his mouth, and slurping them up until the last strand disappeared, the young man maintained eye contact with the leader of this village. "I want to know what sort of information resides in these scrolls you're having made up for me. Also, I would like to, once again, request an audience with this Keiji fellow I met. I do believe that whatever knowledge you give me will be better coupled with a medical shinobi like him to help aid me with understand the information." Ginjiro didn't really need help understanding the material. He was sure that he could riddle it out himself. But this man, Keiji, seemed to know more about the situation regarding this knowledge. He had said that he could only reveal his knowledge with the Raikage's permission—Ginjiro needed to obtain such.

Besides, the man with the dreadlocks had intrigued the young man. Something about him drew the Ayatsuri's attention, making him want to know more about this medical shinobi. Ginjiro would find him, one way or another. Still, he would prefer if he could meet with him diplomatically.

 

[Shu]

It was not surprising to hear that most of the shinobi and kunochi from Konohgakure no Sato had scattered across the varies countries but at least some of them resided in the heart of Iwagakure. There was still the question as to where the rest of the village's leadership reside, at least, Shin knew and have spoke to the last standing mizukage. With most of Shin's questions quickly exhausted, Ginjiro wasted no time in asking his own. His inquiries were a repetition of what he had already asked back in Torre Celeste. Shin wiped his metallic chopsticks on the red napkin rested on the table and poured himself a glass of water.

"The book was written by physician who successfully converted a terminally ill boy into a puppet, date about twenty years ago I would say. It contains a rigorous explanation as physiology changes on the body from the metabolism to fatigue. It is excellent anthology for a medical nin as well as any equipment militant." Shin said as took a long sip of his water.


"You are rather persistent about seeking an audience with Keiji-san. Keiji is not a chief among of medical branch and he would not be as prepared with the knowledge you seek not to mention he is a busy man. Perhaps there is something else that you desire? Either way, if you sincerely feel this is necessary you may speak with in my presence. I hope that would not be a problem?"

 

[Shinrya Kitsune]

Kitsune was heading through the Susukino district on her way from the gates towards the Torre Celeste. She was still carrying the tiny clay bird with Shins name on it. It seemed entirely inert according to what she could tell with her eyes. Oddly enough fate would just so have it that she’d find him sitting at a restaurant with what seemed to be a young man. Shrugging slightly, and thanking fate for her bumping into him earlier than the tower, she headed over to the two men. She overheard the last snippet of conversation as she headed over. ” Keiji is not a chief among of medical branch and he would not be as prepared with the knowledge you seek not to mention he is a busy man. Perhaps there is something else that you desire? Either way, if you sincerely feel this is necessary you may speak with in my presence. I hope that would not be a problem?”

”Konbanwa Raikage-sama~” she said as she reached their table. ”I hope I’m not interrupting an important meeting, but I couldn’t help but hear you mentioning my branch~ Is this young man seeking information on something medical? If so, maybe I can be of assistance, as a Chief and Division head.” she said in a chipper tone before remembering the bird. ”Ah! Raikage-sama. Before I forget, I was at the gates earlier, and this landed. It has your name on it.” she said before pulling the clay sparrow out of her purse.

”I’ve been unable to detect any residual chakra in it, but it seems to be the same kind of clay as a Toujigikou would use. It also says ‘from the man without a Clan and without a Country.’ I figure that you know who that might be?” she inquired and held out the bird so Shin, or one of his guards, could handle it as they wished.

[WC: 319; MFT]

 

[Kazu]

Listening to the Raikage's words, Ginjiro allowed a breath of air to travel in through his lungs and then back out. Again, he brought in another deep breath of air, held it in his lungs for perhaps a few seconds longer than usual, and then released. He had been evaluating what the Raikage was telling him, and he needed to explain that, while his information was helpful, that there was only so much it was capable of showing him. "It sounds like this scroll would contain information as to the physical implications of what it means to live in a puppet body, and even some challenges in capturing the human essence and transferring it in such a way. However, there is one thing this scroll seems to be lacking." Ginjiro was actually a little bit surprised that the Raikage had no realized the one problem with this before he'd decided on that piece of work in particular, but that was not much of his concern. Ginjiro took a sip of tea before continuing. "There seems to be a distinct lack of mention of the chakra network. While this scroll would provide invaluable knowledge on the physiological make-up of a person with a puppet's body, I need to be able to fully decipher what my brother might have done to himself. In your example, chakra is not present—I assume the young boy was not a shinobi? Chakra is tricky to deal with, as it requires organs and a body to process it. Some sort of artificial means would have had to have been developed in order to maintain the level of chakra control found in a shinobi." Indeed, the knowledge that the scroll seemed to contain left the young man wanting much more. There was only so much scripts and documents could provide—talking with another person, on the other hand, could hold an infinity of insight. "I am persistent because he seems to know what I need to. He is a medical shinobi. If he can help me to better understand what it is I need to know, then I will seek him out until the end of my days."

It was at this moment, though, that a newcomer arrived. A woman, with flaming red hair and a sleek blue outfit. She seemed to have a cheery personality, and her confidence showed when she walked right up to the two of them out from the streets. She didn't even stop for the guards. As she spoke, two things became clear: the first was that she knew Shin, so she was probably a Kumogakurian shinobi, and the second thing was that she was a very high ranking medical officer. In fact, she said that she was a Division Head. That, certainly, was impressive. Perhaps this woman could be of just as much use to him as Keiji would have been? Keiji seemed to already have the knowledge that Ginjiro sought, but perhaps this woman had it too? It seemed as if a small test was in order. Turning to the woman, the young man posed her a simple question before Hayata Shin had time to intervene between the two of them. "I am. What can you tell me about the Hitokugutsu Technique?" Her reaction, and her level of understanding of what the young man had said, would be her test. If she didn't know it immediately, then he would not bother with her. Likewise if she responded in a virulent manner. He didn't want to bother working with someone who was unsure on this sort of issue, and so he wanted to see whether working with her on this issue would have been problematic. Hopefully she was both more open than Keiji, and more knowledgeable.

 

[Shu]

Before Ginjiro could respond to Shin's comments, a young woman approached their table with sanguine temperament as disclosed by her cheerful countenance. It was Kitsune who was more than eager to join the conversation, at least she had a reason to Shin's no longer private meeting. She handed him a sealed parchment with the words, "from the man without a Clan and without a Country". It was rather vague considering there were many people in lightning country who had lost their homes, especially the refugees that were stationed in Kumogakure.

"Thank you Kitsune-san." Shin said as he removed the seal from the parchment. His eyes glanced back at Ginjiro who seemed to take an interest and not just because she was attractive. He took no time in asking her about hitokugutsu.

"Before we do anything else it would be proper to do some introduction. Kitsune-san, let me introduce you to Ayatsuri Ginjiro, a shinobi from Konohagakure. He is on a journey to restore his clan from his corrupt brother who has been poisoned by his own power. His clan is the only thing he has left from his village. He believes that seeking the power of hitokugtsu will save his people. I still have doubts about that." He said.

The waitress walked by as they began to pick up their now empty bowls and the cold iron-plated kettle. One of them inquired if they needed another seat for their new guest. Shin nodded his head. They probably had twenty more minutes to spare before the books were parsed and ready, at the same time Ginjiro could satisify his palate with Shin's supervision.

"Ginjirou, this is Shinrya Kitsune, our chief medical kunochi and head of surgery."

 

[Shinrya Kitsune]

”Konoha, eh? Wow, you’ve come a long way from home.” Kitsune said as Shin told her that Ginjiro came all the way from there. ”I’m amazed that the climate doesn’t seem to bother you all that much Ayatsuri-san. Ah, right. I should introduce myself properly. I’m Baroness Doctor Professor Shinrya Kitsune, Ph.D., M.D., Head of the Youritsu, Chief of Research, and Chief of General Surgery.” she said, then took a few short breaths after that mouthful called titles. ”But Sensei will do~.” she added in a cheery tone. Once a chair was brought over, she’d sit down and look at Ginjiro. ”Well, I happen to know a lot about it, given that research on puppets is something I’m currently doing personally.” she replied before continuing

”Specifically, regarding human puppets, it’s a highly complicated process that can take a long time, but it’s very much possible to do. However, once it’s been done, it’s nigh impossible to undo. You’d basically be a walking prosthesis. Not a very fulfilling life, I imagine.” she said in a serious tone. ”However, if you wish to know more about it, then – with Hayata-sama’s blessing of course – I can show you, and tell you, a whole lot more.”

She leaned back in the chair and watched both Shin and Ginjiro, closely. What happened next was all up to Shin, as he was the commander in chief. The ball was in his court. The dice had been thrown. Kitsune was excited, of course, to be able to talk about her research, and surely Ginjiro would be more than happy to listen to what she had to tell him about human puppets.

 

[Kazu]

Ginjiro was perplexed. The young boy mentioned once that he was interested in Human Puppets, and suddenly everyone thought that he wanted to know about them for his own uses. Did he mention, even once, that he wanted to become a Human Puppet himself? If he did, the Ayatsuri man surely didn't remember it. Whatever, though—he would clear the air with these people later. No matter what these people thought he wanted the knowledge for, Ginjiro would have to be the first one to admit that he was rather impressed with this woman. Kitsune was her name, and though her titles were long and annoying, she did seem to know an awful lot about the subject which he sought knowledge of. For that, he was willing to put up with any amount of ridiculous titles and false allegations. He did his best to give her a smile, as he calmly responded to her words. "The difference in temperature is quite stunning, but I am finding that it's not too bad. A little cold isn't the worst thing for me." The subject wasn't going to linger on with such trivial matters, though. Hayata Shin didn't seem to waste any time in filling this woman in on the young man's purpose here. It didn't really bother him too much, but it was pretty annoying that he didn't even let Ginjiro introduce himself. He supposed that the Raikage was just trying to be a good host, though. Assuming that to be the case, Ginjiro could forgive him this time. Stilll, he did rather wish he could just talk to this woman on his own.

Following up on her words of warning with the consequences of turning one's self into a puppet, the young man was getting rather tired of explaining to every single person that it wasn't so that he could become a puppet. Rather, Ginjiro had had enough. He was just going to let her think whatever she wanted. Just giving her a smile and a nod of understanding, the young man answered her rather innocently. "Duly noted, Miss Kitsune." He wasn't using that ludicrous title she came up with. There were way too many words in such a title. Dividing the attention of his eyes between this woman and Hayata Shin, the young man was ready to move this along. "Well then, if we only need Lord Raikage's blessing to continue this..." Ginjiro was looking straight on at the man with the glasses himself. His answer as to whether the two of them would be allowed to converse further was of great importance to the young man. Something told him that, should Shin be willing to allow Ginjiro to question Kitsune, Shin would be there to watch over any progress that might be made. If that was going to be there case, then things were going to get much more complicated, much more quickly. Hopefully things wouldn't come to that, though.

 

[Shu]

Even though Shin had introduced her, Kitsune might had felt it to be inadequate making it her prerogative to expanding her introduction layout out all of her titles. She was one of the few that believed such economic status and extraneous labels were important. Clearly, Ginjiro-san did not believe that to be the case merely making a terse acknowledgment of who she is. Regardless, they were both were eager to end the formalities and start the real conversation. Ginjiro and and Kitsune glanced at Shin waiting for his permission.

"Very well, Kitsune-san." Shin replied. Shin reached into coat as he pulled out a silver pocket watch with the cloud emblem embossed on the front cover. He opened the pocket watch and checked the time. They have been sitting here for some time now and yet no word from Bibliotheca Conscientiae. His eyes shifted back toward the two of them as he returned the watch back into his cloak.

[Shin will just be a spectator until he feels the need to intervene]

 

[Shinrya Kitsune]

Kitsune cracked her neck once and grinned. ”Well. Where to start… Alright. Well. Most, if not all, human puppets retain a few characteristics from their old bodies. That would be things like their heart, brain, eyes, the most vital organs. And of course their chakra system.” Kitsune said and looked at Ginjiro. ”Once the patient is placed into a deep coma, you can begin replacing things. Suddenly you’ve got a mostly blank canvas to work with. However the fascinating part is how you basically construct a body that doesn’t require sustenance and little to nearly no rest at all.” she continued.

”As it just so happens, I’ve been researching this field for the past few weeks. With Hayata-sama’s permission, I’d like to bring you to my lab. You seem to me like an intelligent person, and I’d like a bit of input on a project I’m working on.” she said and looked to Shin for permission to bring Ginjiro to the research wing of the hospital. If he agreed, she’d show Ginjiro a seemingly deactivated human puppet she found in one of the labs in the basement of the hospital, and ask for his assistance in reactivating it and potentially discovering the origins of it.

It isn’t every day you meet someone with an interest in something you happen to be working on currently. Hopefully, Kitsune would discover the origins of the human puppet she’d been tinkering with, and who knows? Maybe Ginjiro would learn a thing or two in the meantime.