The Hoshikage Meets Shin! [Shin, Hikari, Donuts]

[Takaki Saeko]

[Moro may enter too if he wishes! At the time of this post, Kushin is actually out doing his mission from before]

Getting through the gates had been a singularly harrowing experience, filling Ai with a sense of trepidation as well as disbelief. While Hoshigakure was by no means free of intrigue or factionalism, Kumogakure seemed to have it in droves, even under the direction of someone as apparently omnipotent as Hayata Shin. There was definitely some tension between the Main Branch of the village and the medical branch’s leadership, which he mentally filed away for future exploration. Perhaps it was a natural consequence of having enough shinobi in one location to divide the village’s expertise into branches in the first place – Hoshigakure had no branches, only a central contingent. She would have to observe how Shin commanded such a massive war machine, and hopefully learn from him if her own village was ever to expand.

With the Ambassador’s help, Ai had managed to find temporary quarters to stow her travel gear and change into her official uniform of state (complete with headdress), which was by far more comfortable and showed less skin. After all, she did not want to inflame any weird passions that the Raikage might harbor for foreign women. Now, she stood in front of the man’s office, smoothing out any small wrinkles that might have been present, and concentrating on how she was to broach the subject of cooperation between two villages that started out as antagonists. She leaned over, hoping to glean one more bit of information from the Ambassador, who was to act as her translator in case her fluency in Kaminarijin was not as much as she hoped.

“Forgive me a quick question, Tanaka-dono, but what sort of man is Hayata Shin? I hear that he is possessed of uncontrollable carnal appetites,” she said, concernedly. She hoped that Hikari would be able to answer before the door swung open and their presence was announced. The man called “Donuts” had already gone on ahead to brief the Raikage before her appearance, and waited within. As a consequence, she was fully prepared to walk into a dark, candle-lit room festooned with bondage paraphernalia and the smell of silicone.

 

[Yukari]

Hikari made a mental note to request that there be at least one sort or 'spare room' at the torre on reserve for foreign guests. The traveler's quarters she'd found were hardly showing Kumogakure at its best. In fact, the whole of this debacle was showing Kumo in a less than favorable light. As such, it probably shouldn't have come as such a surprise that the Hoshikage would need to ask a question like "what sort of man is Hayata Shin? I hear that he is possessed of uncontrollable carnal appetites,”

The ginger haired Ambassador thanked the heavens that she wasn't drinking anything. Or eating anything... she likely would have spat it out, or sprayed the door before her, in her surprise. "I- no. No he- who told you that?" She ran a hand through her hair, "Hayata Shin... I've only met with him a handful of times throughout my career. Never has he done anything to suggest..." She sighed, "My apologies, I was a bit surprised by the question. Hayata Shin is most certainly not a man 'possessed of uncontrollable carnal appetites'. In my dealings with him, he has never been anything but polite. I do hope you like tea though. He is rather fond of the beverage." She chuckled, "You have nothing to fear. I believe he believes in diplomacy as much as I do. He may also offer you something to eat. You needn't worry much about offending him if the offering isn't to your taste. He is a gracious host." She paused, "And, of course, if you have any other questions, I'd be happy to answer them. You need not hesitate to ask."

 

[Takaki Saeko]

Ai briefly considered making a run for it as Hikari’s face briefly contorted into the strangest expression possible – as if she were trying to keep herself from crying, vomiting, or screaming all at once. Oh no, I’ve unearthed something horrible for you, haven’t I, Tanaka-dono? Did that Raikage force himself on you too? Does he molest all of the girls in this village? Is that why all of the younger women I saw as I walked here were clad in miniskirts, despite the colder weather? she thought, filling with regret. Were it not for the absolute necessity of tracking down and terminating Yukimura Enishi, she would have long left this den of exploitation.

“Tanaka-dono, I’m sorry,” she said with genuine compassion, reaching out to the young woman in an attempt to comfort her, only to see Hikari let out the faintest of…giggles? Wait, what in the world was going on here?

“My apologies, I was a bit surprised by the question. Hayata Shin is most certainly not a man 'possessed of uncontrollable carnal appetites'. In my dealings with him, he has never been anything but polite. I do hope you like tea though. He is rather fond of the beverage,” said the ginger-haired girl. Ai immediately felt embarrassed now – had she been misunderstanding the entire situation all this time? Then again, a good ambassador never badmouthed his or her leader under any circumstances. Still, Hikari’s words seemed genuine, as if the Shin she was familiar with was actually just a…good-natured goofball with a penchant for tea.

“Oh…I see,” said Ai, with some measure of relief. “Well, I thank you, Ambassador… I, ah, was under the impression that Hayata-sama had a rather different nature. It was my Sennin who told me to be careful around him for those reasons. After all, Kaibutsu-san fought alongside your famous warrior ‘Jee-zuss’ Saito Akira during our war,” she said, stumbling over the pronunciation of the famous Hyuuga’s unofficial moniker. “I feel more ready to meet the man now. If you would show me in…”

 

[Sato Daigo]

Shin was at the back of his office attending to a small coffee table with an array of cabinets suspending on a long wood rack. His broad back faced them as the two entered the room. He was dressed in his normal attire. He was wearing his notorious full body cloak that had subtle similarities to a medical robe. The designs painted on his cloak were enticing but simple. On the rim of the cloak were balloon shaped clouds colored in dark gray and on the back were two wide slips that showed Shin's coated legs. He wore simple black pants that most shinobi of at least jounin rank wore and on his feet were wooden sandals. When Shin turned his head his face was covered nearly up to the brim of his nose only show the dark forest green glasses that perched on the brim of his nose.

He was holding a tray that held a large boiling kettle, several tea cups and a spread of warm baked bread. The refreshments on the tray filled the air with an attractive and calmling aroma. "Good afternoon, Hoshikage." Shin said as he placed the tray on his table. He made a quick bow as his right arm pressed against his chest. "Please take a seat." He turned his head toward Hikari and Do Natsu. "Hikari and Do Natsu you can join us if you wish." Shin said offering two seat in front of his desk.

 

[Yukari]

Before she began to explain, Hoshikage seemed to react to her expression of mirth and surprise as if it were pain. "Tanaka-dono, I'm sorry," The kind expression said much about the woman. Hikari filed that away for future reference, as she continued to speak. Afterwards, the Hoshikage seemed embarrassed, but relieved. "Oh…I see, Well, I thank you, Ambassador… I, ah, was under the impression that Hayata-sama had a rather different nature. It was my Sennin who told me to be careful around him for those reasons. After all, Kaibutsu-san fought alongside your famous warrior ‘Jee-zuss’ Saito Akira during our war. I feel more ready to meet the man now. If you would show me in…”

"Indeed? Your esteemed Kaibutsu-san was misinformed about our Kage, then. If he fought beside Saito Akira, he must be a valiant warrior." She inclined her head, though she was unfamiliar with either name to any meaningful extent. I think I need to raid the Spymaster's information stash. I am ill informed about Kaibutsu's character, and only know Saito by vague reputation.. "None-the-less, Hayata sama's character was not presented correctly. Perhaps you could correct your subordinate as to his alignment, once this unpleasant business is over. I am sure it would not please him to learn that people called him a pervert all across Hoshigakure." She didn't bother to hold back a small smile. She then rapped on the door twice, "Raikage-sama. May I present the Hoshikage? She has traveled a great distance to meet with you, as you no doubt know. Hoshikage sama, Raikage Hayata Shin." She made the not-so-necessary introductions.

"Good afternoon, Hoshikage." Shin said, as he placed a tray of tea and hot breads on his table, he then bowed quickly, arm against his chest. "Please take a seat." He then offered Hikari a place at the table as well.

"Thank you, sir." She said, moving to pull the chair for the Hoshikage, not sure it was necessary, but all things considered, she thought it better to be safe than sorry. After she pulled the seat for the other woman, she sat down and folded her hands in her lap. "Everything smells lovely, Raikage-sama."

 

[Hameru Ren]

Having entered ahead of the duo to inform Shin about the arrival, the Spymaster had found Shin already aware. Not difficult to imagine, as the call of the Hoshikage's visit had been sent to the Torre since before he had departed for the Gates. And the man's personal secretary had no doubt informed the big boss once they had entered the Torre. Regardless, Natsu had excused himself and spurted ahead to the Raikage's chambers. It'd give Hikari a chance to get more acquainted with the foreign leader, a thing that seemed to be coming along well and would only improve with the absence of someone both of them regarded a pervert. Also, it'd give Natsu the chance to debrief Shin fully on what had transpired at the Gates. He didn't omit a single detail, aside from the groping. He didn't need yet another person thinking he was a perv, least of all his boss.

The man hadn't said much yet, only nodding. He hadn't even offered Natsu a cup of tea as the man was known to do, though Natsu could hardly blame him. There was a fellow Kage awaiting him after all. Besides, the Spymaster would've denied it either way. As the door opened to reveal Hikari and Nanasaki Ai, were greeted and offered a seat, Natsu stood a bit aside from the table. Not that he didn't want to be in their presence, but he was mostly here to keep an eye on things. If his opinion was requested he'd chime in, but otherwise he'd let the Chief Ambassador and the Raikage do their thing.

 

[Takaki Saeko]

“Ah yes, Sennin Kaibutsu is a valiant warrior indeed. It is said that he and ‘Jeez-us’ Saito formed an immediate bond when they met, and that their subsequent battles were manly in the extreme,” responded Ai to Hikari. “Still, yes, I do wonder why Kaibutsu-san did paint such an unflattering picture of your Raikage,” she shrugged, as Hikari rapped on the door and announced their entry. The doors opened, and both women strode in.

Ai steeled herself for the sight that likely awaited her, but all of that preparation did nothing against the shock that came next. She had been expecting to behold some sort of bloody-faced wild-eyed cross between a clown and an executioner, perhaps sitting on an iron throne and wearing a necklace of skulls with a pair of chained, starving Manticores growling at his feet. Instead, what she got was a simply-dressed man who seemed to be in the middle of preparing…tea and crumpets of all things. She could not see his face clearly at this time, only a pair of seemingly opaque, purple-tinted glasses that seemed to peek out from over the top of his rather oversized collar. Involuntarily, she held her breath – she had been prepared to greet a muscle-bound professional murderer, not a surprisingly cute nerd.

“Good afternoon, Hoshikage,” he said, asking everyone to be seated. Ai took note of the fact that the Donut-man was also present in the room, but did not seem to be making any sudden moves to start groping her or the Ambassador or covering them both in syrup. She also took note of the fact that the Ambassador seemed to be genuinely comfortable dealing with the Raikage personally – there was no trepidation or unease in her voice, unlike when she had been close to that green-haired man. Ai formally bowed.

“Thank you for your hospitality, Raikage Hayata,” she said. “I am honored by your presence and your willingness to meet under a flag of peace,” she said, before taking a seat. Protocol was that she would accept if a cup of tea were offered to her, but that she would not ask for another unless the others in the room also did so. Still, the heady aroma smelled divine.

“I realize that you are a busy man, so I will get straight to the point. Our villages, and by extension, our nations, are in imminent danger of open warfare. A shinobi of your village attacked and killed our late ruler in broad daylight with multiple witnesses present, including myself and your subordinate Do-nuts,” she said, glancing at the Donut-man. “In turn, my nation’s government has imprisoned two of your shinobi for the crime after a trial that even I will admit was grossly unfair and heavily biased against them. Finally, I just witnessed one of your subordinates leaving the gates after voicing barely-veiled threats against my village. Without some sort of intervention on both of our parts, the bloodshed will only continue. I believe that the most effective means of ending the hostilities between our forces is to track down and neutralize the man responsible for all of these developments: Yukimura Enishi, leader of the ‘Kingslayers’. So far he has managed to evade the reach of both mine as well as your agents, but I believe that if we work together, we will have more of a chance.”

 

[Sato Daigo]

Shin began to grab the cool white kettle as he poured himself a cup of tea. He listen to the woman's story and became unnervee when he heard the name Yukimura Enishi. It was a name that he had not heard for many hears. He was the same man who nearly costed Lady Kiyo's life. It was Shin who exonerated Kiyo to dispose of him as quickly as possible. Enishi was too mentally unstable there was not much that can be done for him.

Shin gave himself a few moments as he took a calm sip of his tea. "You did what you had to I only wish I was notified about these developments such that I could proceed with the proper solutions. In regards to Yukimura Enishi, I must tell you that he is mentally unstable and keep in mind that I am not condoning his actions but I do care for him as a cloud shinobi. If an insane man like Enishi is leading these 'kingslayers' then we may be fighting against ideals than just one man. Simply neutralizing him will not solve the problem. Do you know what the kingslayers are after."

 

[Yukari]

As she listened to the pair, she began to note the differing positions in the room, Shin seemed startled, but oddly caring for this 'kingslayer', the Hoshikage seemed to be all for mounting a manhunt and staging a sort of rescue, while Do seemed uncharacteristically silent. Hikari cleared her throat, "Regardless of mental instability, this man killed a king. I must advocate a very painful bout of torture then death or imprisonment, taking into account any information garner-able , and the wishes of his victims. I don't believe it is a time for pardons, sir. Forgive me, because I must, as Ambassador remind you of the stakes in this little game of Enishi's; War is very possible at this moment. War with Hoshigakure. Our medical sennin is out 'taking a walk' and probably creating an international incident!" She said, her voice even, but louder than one who knew her would expect. "I say so with the utmost respect for you and your person."

She stopped and frowned, "I don't believe anyone has offered the Hoshikage a cup. If I may?" Hikari asked Shin, then, assuming he would allow it, the red head asked, "Please, would you take a cup, or anything else Raikage-sama has prepared?"

After that, she returned to the topic, "Spymaster Do-san, what do you know about these 'Kingslayers', and can you shed light on what troubles us?" Any intel would be helpful.

 

[Hameru Ren]

Natsu paid close attention to the conversation. It was a test of political prowess from both sides, and one he potentially could learn quite a bit from. Ai seemed to perform the best. She held on to her aggressive and confident nature Natsu. It was something the Spymaster had to give her kudos for. After all, she was here all alone as representative of her people in the middle of Kumogakure, facing who was possibly the most powerful man of not only the Village, but entire country. However, when taking political finesse into account, she seemed to outperform said man by quite a bit. It wasn't that Shin seemingly didn't know what to do, he was just so very.. blunt about it.

Pouring only himself a cup and letting her explain the entire ordeal while listening calmly gave off an air of arrogance. Almost as if to make it painfully obvious that he held all the power here, and she was but a beggar asking for favors. When the Raikage pointed out the lack of notification, Natsu shook his head silently. Clearly, the administrational office had messed up if the reports had not reaching Shin. Either that, or he was talking about another thing altogether. Regardless, revealing the lack of knowledge on not only that front but even the Kingslayers was either very dangerous or very brilliant. Natsu was inclined to go with the latter, for surely Shin had to have been briefed on the Kingslayers more than what Nanasaki Ai had just told him?

Hikari was her usual self, and much like the Hoshikage. Straightforward and uncaring of protocol. They were a curious bunch indeed. He rubbed his forehead, mulling over the entire situation. It was dangerous to just blabber on at this point. He'd had to carefully consider what he said and how he said it. Luckily, Hikari bought him some extra time as she offered to pour the tea for Ai. Finally she addressed him to clarify the situation, a chance he gladly took as he cleared his throat. "First of all, I have to agree with you, Nanasaki-Sama. Cooperation will be crucial to stopping these individuals. As for the Kingslayers.."

Natsu sighed, not really wanting to continue. Truth be told, even he knew painfully little about them. Most everything Kumogakure had learned about the individuals had come from skirmishes and information carelessly revealed by the Kingslayers themselves. No attempts at sneaking in an agent had seemingly succeeded so far. "The Kingslayers are a band of criminals. Seemingly their goal is to 'create a more equal world' where nobility does not rule over people like they do now. That seems to match their self-appointed name as well. To overthrow the current hierarchical structure where one person can live or die at the whims of another."

It was a foolish dream. If they got rid of the current system, law of the strongest would come into effect. And that would mean people could still die simply because another wished it so. And if they replaced the current leaders by themselves, they were no more than hypocrites and would quickly be overthrown themselves. Of course, that's just how Natsu perceived it. He couldn't even be sure that actually was their philosophy indeed. "So far, we have been able to determine a few members. We do not know if their exact numbers unfortunately. Yukimura Enishi indeed seems to function as their leader. He has committed several crimes, all too grave to let him run on the loose."

"Then there is Tanaki Daishi, the 'Light Sage'. He was involved in the assassination of Kagetsu Kiyo, and an accomplice of Enishi from the start it seems. Then we have, or rather had, Nakamura Yukiko. She was a missing Hoshigakure Kunoichi. She was killed in combat by one of our own however. Before she died, she revealed two names. One 'Marie', who we have managed to identify to be a sniper-user and a general pain in the arse. Furthermore a Haikuno. He used to be one of us but.. Regardless." Natsu shook his head, before continuing the speech

"Next up is Horiuchi Yuuya. A dangerous man, he was sentenced to death but managed to escape the gallows. Quite a resilient man, he wears even more durable armor and wields a massive spear. Shinya Mitsuru aka 'Red Death', an ex-PRMC SOCOM is another member. A deadly sword user and assassin. Both were there during the killing of King Haninozuka. Then there was another one we had no prior intel on, the card-user. His name appears to be Shourai as exclaimed by Horiuchi. Not much is known about him. Finally, there appears to be a cat-like woman to be in their ranks. Of her we know even less."

That was about it, as far as Natsu could remember so quickly. What the other three would decide based on that information though was another matter entirely. And so he'd once more wait on the sidelines and see how it'd go.

[Word Count: 850]
[Marked for Training]
[OoC: Sorry for the delay! And for any mistakes (both in information or what would be known ICly) If I messed up badly somewhere, feel free to PM me and I'll adjust!]

 

[Takaki Saeko]

If there was one thing that Ai had learned surviving the byzantine intrigue of the Haninozuka Court, it was when to speak, and when to be quiet and listen. As a leader, she knew that words were weapons more powerful and potent than any jutsu in existence, and even more mysterious in the end. She could tell that Shin was a crafty one – he would have to be to survive the notoriously perilous upper echelons of the Kumogakure hierarchy. He knew better than to immediately express his opinion or to offer his support or decline. Like any shrewd negotiator, he wished to wheedle for a while.

It was a fine move to feign ignorance of events and motives so far – it would force her to explain more of the situation, revealing the cards in her hand, as well as force his subordinates to reveal their own levels of knowledge (which was a great way of keeping tabs on the underlings). After all, the vast majority of assassinations and coups always started within one’s own government. Telling her that he still cared in some fashion for Enishi was a subtle declaration on his part: The Kingslayer is mine to kill, not yours, Hoshikage. I alone hold the power of life and death over my subordinates, was the hidden subtext. For a moment, a chill ran down her spine. The puttering around with domestic affairs, the tea, the weird fashion choices – they were all a façade. The real Hayata Shin was absolutely terrifying.

Hikari did not help assuage her fears by again bringing up the fact that the green-haired man was out there on his way to visit harm on her people. So he was their medical sennin after all. Just what sort of twisted medicine was practiced here in the end if their most powerful healer was also a bloodthirsty sadist? And for Shin to be able to apparently control a mad dog like that also spoke to his power.

“Yes, Tanaka-dono. Gam-sahm-ni-da,” said Ai, slipping into her native tongue for a moment, to Hikari’s offer of tea. After all, her mouth had become unpleasantly dry in the last few moments. Ironically, the one thing Ai did not have to worry about was whether the tea was poisoned or laced with ecchi-donut-hormones or anything – someone like Shin did not need to drug his potential adversaries or allies. She sipped the steaming beverage, noting that it tasted good, but was unable to truly enjoy it. After all, that would require her to be relaxed.

Well, Donut-man, you may be a super pervert, but your intel is completely right, she thought, nodding in agreement with Natsu’s summary. So it was true – Cloud knew a lot of things, but not everything about their enemies. Now was the time to demonstrate her own value.

“The beast-girl’s name is Inuzuka Risei, Donuts-san,” Ai said to him. “She is one of the most wanted criminals in the Kingdom, and has murdered numerous officials in our lands, in addition to sheltering and aiding our own rogue shinobi. The female sniper is named Senada Marie. She is a half-breed - the offspring of a Kaminarijin prostitute and a foreigner from a distant land across the oceans. As a child, she was apparently subjected to a lot of discrimination, so she uses this as a justification for her crimes. And the card-user is named Shinsengumi Shourai. His weapons are the stolen property of the Great Library of Kyongju, and his muteness is part of the price he has paid to be able to wield them.

“The reason I know so much about these terrorists is that we of Star Village have been enemies with these Kingslayers longer than you have. After Yukimura Enishi assassinated Kagetsu-sama, he and Tanaka Daishi started their recruitment for their group near our countries’ borders, and carried out their first operations within the Serene Kingdom. It was only recently that they have branched out into Lightning Country.

“While we have the knowledge necessary to track these criminals down, we have not the strength. And while you have the strength, you have not the knowledge. So I am proposing that we work together to stop their plans for the sake of our survival. I am also willing to press Queen Ekaterina to have Takaki Masao and Shinrya Kitsune pardoned and released from their confinement. She is a reasonable woman, despite her age. She will see the logic in this.

“So what will you answer, Raikage?” she asked. There – she had laid her cards out on the table with a simple choice. Now it would be up to Shin to decide.

 

[Sato Daigo]

Shin waited patiently as he listened to Do Natsu and Hikari made their statements. It was interesting to examine the young girls veracity against Enishi despite having zero experience with the man. There was no doubt that Ensihi should be punish for his crimes but to insist that he should be tortured seemed sadistic let alone illogical. What profit would Kumogakure have if the village entertained such a proportion. Alas Hikari was still a child, in time she will understand. Contrary to Hikari's passionate statement, Do Natsu was more informative amd methodical. He defines the Kingslayers as a group of criminals that sought to overthrow the current political hierarchy structure. It was nothing far from obvious however Shin knew from experience that it was never safe to assume. It was still possible that Enishi and his Kingslayers had a righteous argument what good would it be to overthrow the current government. If they succeed all that would accomplish is the creation of another broken system designed by human hands. Do Natsu continued his discussion by summarizing the important figures within the Kingslayers such as Tanaka Daishi. From what Shin had remembered all of these shinobi and kunochi had some issues with the higher officials but not in particular to the shinobi nations. This fact was very strange considering how very little interaction or involvement shinobi had with nobility. In fact, the only involvement most shinobi had with nobility were through missions. If this was the case why would these individuals be so overtly concern?

Shin continued his deliberation on the matter in his mind until the Hoshigakure interrupted him.

"So what is your answer, Raikage." She said.

Shin peered at the cooled kettle sitting beside him watching the steam slowly flowing out of the mouth. Shin took a deep breath before removing his tinted glasses to give his countenance some presence to the conversation.

"I have two proposition with one appearing as an extreme to a general point of view. The first proposition is instilling a double agent into the Kingslayer organization. For this to be effective this person should join the organization by choice and not be aware of our purpose. However, I would not want any individual to experience such things. The second proposition is utilizing the intelligence that we have gathered and unraveling their plan. I must add that I have a source that could aid us substantially. You may know about Hayata Makora and his involvement with kidnapping recently crowned Shogun Shinrai. I am very certain that Makora was involved with the Kingslayers to some degree. I can ascertain that intel"

 

[Yukari]

Hikari listened to the information carefully, names stored in memory for later reference. Bits of information she'd not been privvy to collecting to form the portrait of an organization bent on destroying the structure of governments and kingdoms. She had little doubt that they would turn against the governments of the Shinobi communities if they achieved their goals. Whether or not they might be right to do so, the young kunoichi knew that power once gained was not a thing easily or happily released. Many would suffer, innocent and not-so-innocent, if the Kingslayers wer to succeed. She returned from her reverie once Shin began naming his propositions. The double agent idea raised some questions in her mind, and the idea of Shin's uncle- the one he'd spoken of to her when she was a student, she knew, remembering hearing and reading of the event from others- giving them information. She wondered what information the man might have that he would be willing to divulge, and worse, what might his price be in exchange.

The red haired Ambassador considered for a moment before saying, "Hayata-sama, Do-san, perhaps someone from our newly formed Deep cover division would be suitable for such an infiltration." Even if it was obvious that the Raikage would rather deal with the other Hayata, Hikari was adverse to that plan. The very idea of that option, seemed foolhardy. Hikari had to remind herself that perhaps for good reason, such decisions, were not hers to make. In spite of her headstrong way of thinking, she did believe in the system, in the leadership and the punishments for crimes committed. The idea of using a criminal like Makora in a way which might not yield anything profitable for anyone other than that man sat ill with her. However, "A deep cover operative might be able to infiltrate the organization and advance our cause from within the organization. At the very least, that operative would be able to verify whatever information you may glean from Hayata Makora, Raikage-sama."

 

[Hameru Ren]

Ah, information. The one thing Natsu had come to known to prove more valuable than money. He had shared his own fair deal of information, and now the Hoshikage paid him back with equal coin. Nay, perhaps even more. After all, with her extensive knowledge it was unlikely he had told her much new. Perhaps the death of Nakamura Yukiko. The fact that she was willing to share so much fresh information proved her willingness for this cooperation to succeed quite clearly however. More so than pretty words and oaths. And the Spymaster would not let it go to waste. Even if his Raikage would be unwilling to form an alliance, Kumo would have more details regarding the Kingslayers.

Shin's words made Natsu frown. Consulting Makoro was something the Chunin wasn't very keen on doing. The man had shown his capabilities for lies and deceit. It would be hard to verify the truth in his words or the consequences of following his information. Even more so, smuggling in an infiltrator was folly to Natsu, even if Hikari seemed to agree on it. The redhead was doing her fair share of information dealing as well, on that note. The newly formed and secretive deep cover division was now a known fact to Nanasaki. She'd definitely be triple checking her new recruits if she was wise. Contemplating for a moment if it was wise to further discuss the division in front of the Hoshikage, Natsu figured the cat already was out of the bag and spoke up again.

"Our previous attempts at this have failed, and even so, planting a spy would take time. Considering their recent highly aggressive actions, I do not think we have the luxury of time much longer. Killing a noble or two is one thing, assassinating a King is quite another. It's clear they want a war. Neither of our countries want this. Adding someone to their ranks would only make it worse I'm afraid. I say we try and consult your source, Hayata-Sama, and then combine our resources with the Bear Country to rid us of those blasted Kingslayers." Masao would have agreed with him if he had been here, surely? Or would the bar-fighting Sennin have already chucked a toilet at the foreign woman by this time? And what would the Kages do?

[Marked for Training]
[Word Count: 388]

 

[Takaki Saeko]

The glasses came off, and for the first time, Ai saw Shin's true eyes. She was perhaps expecting cat-like vertical slits or fiery red orbs of death or even featureless pools of white, but the reality was actually a pair of subtly purple-gray eyes lined with the crows' feet of a man who had suffered much during his life, but attained a certain wisdom because of it. They were kind eyes - gentle eyes - and when he looked at her sideways and let his face be unobscured by the high collar he wore, she was taken aback by how handsome he actually was.

She had to fight a surge of jealousy. This man had it all - classical good looks, power, wisdom, and an army three times the size of her entire shinobi corps at his complete and total control. He had subordinates who respected or at least feared him, and from what she had learned of the rumors about the Lightning Country bakufuu, the adoration of the Chancellor, Tachibana Ami. Overall, he seemed like someone a woman could easily fall for...

But the one thing that still gave her pause was the whispered rumors of what had happened to his uncle. The knowledge of the exact events that had transpired atop the Torre Celeste was still a closely guarded secret that few shinobi even in Cloud knew of, but elsewhere in the world, it was quite well known that Hayata Shin had defeated his traitorous missing-nin-of-an-uncle in single combat. And that...in retribution for Makoro's crimes, Shin had eaten him. Literally consumed his uncle bit by bit, tearing loops of entrails out with his teeth, ripping his heart out and drinking the blood, chewing the tongue into mash, and even popping the eyeballs with his teeth and sucking the juice and crunching the lenses. And all this while Makoro had been kept alive and in agony by arcane and unspeakable jutsu to prolong his suffering. It was said that the man's screams so distressed the Gods themselves that they had been forced to intervene out of pity for the man and consume the rest of him in a flash of light. Such a tale had even given the Beast-Sennin Kuro pause, although the lumbering man had snorted in approval all the while.

Wondering about those events almost caused her to miss the first of Shin's proposals. But when he brought up the second one, why was he referring to Makoro as if the man were still alive? Or, had Shin, by eating his uncle, somehow absorbed his memories or power? She shuddered involuntarily at the thought. Perhaps these Cloud shinobi were truly madmen after all, with the thin veneer of civilization spread over an orgy of cannibalism and ritualized rape. Certainly, the green-haired one was an example of this schizophrenic existence.

More likely, the stories were overblown fantasies made up by men like Donuts to strike fear into the hearts of Cloud's potential enemies. But was keeping Hayata Makoro alive in a windowless cell with his hands encased in cement and his body in chains in perpetual darkness really merciful, either? Either way, she preferred not to dwell on the possibilities.

"A deep cover operative might be able to infiltrate the organization and advance our cause from within the organization. At the very least, that operative would be able to verify whatever information you may glean from Hayata Makoro, Raikage-sama," said the Ambassador, making her opinions known and thankfully breaking Ai away from the disturbing thoughts of before.

"We have attempted to sneak sleeper agents in, as well as to contact individual members of the group. Not even substantial sums of money, promises of a full pardon, or even the granting of lands and titles have managed to sway any of their membership to betray the cause,” said Ai, regretfully. “They fight like demons, all because of their singular belief in Enishi alone. Having come face to face with him myself, I will admit that he possesses a certain eomsug, or how you say in your language, gravitas – if that is the right word - to him. It is for this reason that I believe if we eliminate him, the rest will drift apart and fall by the wayside.”

The Donut man seemed to agree with her, essentially confirming her suspicion that Cloud had not been able to achieve what quite a few Bear and Star agents had died for. The thought was bittersweet – at least those men and women’s deaths had not been made a mockery of. Good, she thought. He was responding to her hidden overtures and letting a bit more of his information known, and his reaction to the Ambassador did not indicate that rumors of a Deep Cover operation in Cloud were false. Though it was common knowledge that the Spymaster of Kumo had tentacles in every orifice of every nation in the northern hemisphere, and even a fingertip or two in the rectums of the southron states, it was good to have confirmation of this. But something else he brought up also made her more concerned. The specter of war.

Indeed, the reason she had traveled up to Cloud in the first place was to prevent a clandestine war from occurring between Star and Cloud, but she had not given much thought to the prospects of war between the other powers on the table. Technically, Bear and Marsh were still at war, and the Kagetsu Treaty was a pale shadow of what it once was. Marsh and even Bear had flagrantly violated several of the key points over the years, after all. Reigniting the hostilities between the two nations would be a guaranteed way to spill the conflict over to Lightning, and by necessity involve Cloud in the deadly game. It was a sure way to incite the type of social chaos that the Kingslayers desired so much – it would make the prospect of rebellion, or even worse, peaceful sedition, become conceivable to the citizenry.

“King Haninozuka once told me, Donuts-san, that when you play the game of thrones, you either win or you die. There is no in-between,” she said, shaking her head. “I share your concerns about war. The Marsh people cannot sustain their massive army without thinning its ranks through bloodshed, and I fear that our squabble may be eclipsed by another, larger one very soon. If we are to survive the coming storm, we must band together. Hayata-sama, by your leave I would like to have a constant and open line of communication between our villages, especially involving your Spymaster here as well as your Ambassador. And if you are able to...access your uncle’s memories, it might help us as well. I would also like you to call off your Attack Dog, the Green-Haired Man, before he does too much damage. I in turn will press for the immediate release of Takaki and Shinrya, and provide you with a full dossier on the members of the Kingslayers,” she said, rising from her chair to indicate that this was in fact her final offer.

Something stupendously silly struck her at the moment. A twinkling of pure insanity buoyed by hope and some degree of nihilism.

“I would also have a personal request that falls outside of the realm of these matters, Raikage. The Tanabata festival is coming up soon. I would like to accompany you to it.”

 

[Sato Daigo]

Hikari was the first person to respond providing insight how they could utilize the current deep cover opt division to infiltrate the Kingslayer organization; however, Shin or perhaps no one really knew how the organization operates even at the simplest level. More importantly, the mentality of the Kingslayeres were at a different level and if these men and women were following the insane ideals of Enishi then how were they go to integrate a sane person. Do-Natsu raised the obvious risks which is why Shin did not feel comfortable infiltrating the organization without any background information.

It was clear that the village would need Makoro if they were even going to approach Enishi. The Hoshigakure gave her last remarks mentioning how she used sleeper agents to get in contact with the kingslayers; however, their attempts produced no positive results ascertaining how useless it really is to reason to sway them from their crimes. Disappointingly, the Hoshigakage never attempted to understand why they were doing this. Their cause was noble but the approach they were taking did not seem to fruitful. Alas, this was all Shin's opinion and could very well be wrong. She did agree that a war between any nation would be less than desirable. Neither the raikage or the hoshigakure wanted the villagers to loose their lives because of terrorist.

"I share your concerns about war. The Marsh people cannot sustain their massive army without thinning its ranks through bloodshed, and I fear that our squabble may be eclipsed by another, larger one very soon. If we are to survive the coming storm, we must band together. Hayata-sama, by your leave I would like to have a constant and open line of communication between our villages, especially involving your Spymaster here as well as your Ambassador. And if you are able to...access your uncle’s memories, it might help us as well. I would also like you to call off your Attack Dog, the Green-Haired Man, before he does too much damage. I in turn will press for the immediate release of Takaki and Shinrya, and provide you with a full dossier on the members of the Kingslayers,” she said, rising from her chair to indicate that this was in fact her final offer.

Shin returned his tinted glasses to his face. "Of course, I will expect your offer for your alliance and about this green-haired man..." Shin said deliberating in his mind as to who she was referring to. "Could you be referring to Ishin Kushin? I apologize if his demeanor has offended you."

“I would also have a personal request that falls outside of the realm of these matters, Raikage. The Tanabata festival is coming up soon. I would like to accompany you to it.”

"Ah..." Shin said as she mentioned the festival. He remembered speaking to representatives of river country. Personally, Shin has never traveled so far out in the country. Right now there was too much to deal with in lightning country to go to river country especially for a social gathering. On the contrary, Chancellor Ami insisted that he go hopefully Shin could meet leaders from other nations."Of course you can accompany me. I plan on going to festival reasons not pertaining to a social visit. I must inform you that the chancellor of Kumgakure is accompanying me I hope you do not mind." Shin said with a smile.

Shin began to rise from his seat. It would seem that time had escaped them. The rays of the sun was cascading underneath the heavy clouds.

"Well I feel this meeting has adjourned. Would you mind accompanying me to a late lunch? I would not want your time here a depressing one."

"Do-natsu-san and Hikari-san, you are more than welcome to join us." He said as he faced the two.

[[Leaving Topic after Hikari , DoNatsu, and Masao leave]]

 

[Takaki Saeko]

Did I really just ask him out in public? In front of the Donut pervert and the cute ambassador? Ai asked herself, mortified. Of course, there were multiple explanations for why one village leader would want to accompany another one to the Tanabata Festival – after all, the powerful hung out with each other all the time in events like this to discuss business, right?! She cast a glance at Hikari, and wished she hadn’t. Of course the redhead knew what she had really asked for – ambassadors were paid to read between the lines, after all.

“Of course you can accompany me. I plan on going to festival reasons not pertaining to a social visit. I must inform you that the chancellor of Lightning is accompanying me I hope you do not mind," replied the Raikage.

“Ah… That is very fortunate. I would love to meet the current head of state of your nation as well,” said Ai, trying her best to sound professionally enthusiastic, even though she was sure that Hikari could probably discern just how crestfallen she really was. The rumors were true, then – Hayata Shin was the favorite of Chancellor Tachibana Ami. She briefly wondered how many times the Raikage had shared the woman’s bed, before forcing herself not to do so. Spiteful thoughts would not help her or her village, after all. Overall, it had been worth it to risk it all and come to Kumogakure. Their villages were now to cooperate with each other, and the shinobi of Cloud seemed to appreciate just how dangerous a threat Enishi and his ilk really were. Now, perhaps, they were one step closer to avenging the late King and putting an end to the danger.

“Well I feel this meeting has adjourned. Would you mind accompanying me to a late lunch? I would not want your time here a depressing one,” offered Shin. Ai smiled in response.

“Of course, Hayata-sama, I have heard great things about the local cuisine. I leave the decision in your hands,” she said. One of the rumors about Hayata Shin was that he always treated both friends and enemies to lavish meals – it was the one rumor about him she wanted to be true.

[Topic left by NPC]

 

[Hameru Ren]

Listening to the Hoshikage's reply, Natsu thought about her, or rather Haninozuka's words for an instant. They sounded quite familiar, but even more true. "Very wise words, my lady. Though it begs the question, what does winning entail precisely?" The question simply floated around the room for a moment, before the woman continued. She was someone who understood the need for cooperation. And by Raiden, was Natsu glad for that. An extra ally with a trustworthy leader would prove invaluable. Certainly if the latest reports about Marsh were true. And the Hoshikage's words only confirmed those suspicions.

The Spymaster held his breath as he awaited Shin's response. "Of course, I will accept your offer for you alliance.." Natsu felt as if he could ea an entire box of donuts in one go. No, two! Nay, four! But alas, those festive thoughts were ruined by the mention of the green-haired man. His expression darkened, just slightly. "It was Kushin-Sensei indeed, Raikage-sama. I do not want to accuse him of anything, but he did indeed seem to be quite excited about his stroll." He didn't want it to come off as hostile towards the Medical Sennin. Though he wouldn't complain either if the man would get a good scolding.

And so, the main goal of the meeting had been concluded. The topic shifted to a much more festive note, and Natsu could see the brilliance that was Shin. He had heard it often from Masao. And the Chancellor had threatened him just as often if Shin dared have another love interest. Yet this was the first time he saw the power of seduction Shin possessed. What a sight to behold it was too! The confident and independent Hoshikage was on the verge of blushing and tripping over her eagerness over asking Shin out. What a man. What a Raikage!

"I'm afraid I will have to excuse myself from the meal. This agreement will no doubt create quite the spark within Kumo and I want to make certain all of our agents are aware of the new developments. I look forward to the cooperation with you and the Shinobi of the Star. I bid the two of you a good time at the festival." The Spymaster informed, before making a formal bow before the two Kages and making his way to his own office. Today had been a good day. He just wondered if everyone in the Village would agree with that sentiment..

[Topic Left]
[OoC: Sorry for the delay on this x_x 'Murica and whatnot. On to the next arc of the story! Whoo!]

 

[Yukari]

Shin seemed confused when the Hoshikage brought up the green haired man. Personally, the ginger knew few other high ranking men with green hair, but she supposed as a Kage, one knew far more people than a newly appointed Ambassador. "Yes, Raikage-sama, Isaki-sama's demeanor was very disrespectful, and there is little doubt in my mind, with his reputation, what he has gone to do."

After that, Hikari remained silent, having little to add beyond advocating the use of their new deep cover operative division, and then fighting back a smirk as the Hoshikage flirted with Shin. Good luck there. Hikari thought. There had been much gossip about the Raikage refusing the advances of this woman or that. He, it would seem, was more interested in the intellectual side of life than the carnal side. Poor Hoshikage would simply have to suffer the sting of unrequited attraction. When the woman nervously looked back to her, Hikari gave her a knowing smile. She wished to communicate sympathy though, as well. Ah Hoshikage-sama, we have all felt the sting of rejection, don't take it to heart. She thought.

Shortly thereafter, Shin declared the meeting over, offering a meal. "I apologize, I cannot attend the luncheon. I have a prior engagement." She bowed her head, "Hoshikage-sama, please feel free to contact me for anything you might need, from questions and answers, to entertainment." She stood with the rest of them. "I'd be happy to assist with anything you might need to make your stay more comfortable, for however long you might remain in our city." Hikari bowed to each of them, then took her leave as well.

[sorry about the wait... I haven't had internet for forever D: but I'm back now ]