A Sandy Situation

[Uziuke]

The boy silently gazed upwards at the golden statute that stood tall inner the bright blue sky. The boy wondered who the hero was and what he did. 'He must have been a great warrior.' His sights eventually lay on the Kazekage tower. The building looked great, but what amazed the boy were the carvings of clan names that riddled the tower. 'It's a lot to take in. I guess the kage towers were all built with elegant design.' He placed his hands in his white pants pockets. The silk blue shirt that he wore was tucked in his pants neatly. He was on a mission today to get back into the shinobi lifestyle. He felt that he'd been taking things a bit too lightly. He felt more like a civilian than a shinobi on duty, so it was time to get back on the case.

The teen stepped through the doors of the tower confidently, not knowing what to expect, but knowing exactly what he wanted.

[ Topic Entered ]

 

[Michi]

OC: OK Sousuke join us here, I know you will because I am here. This guy wants to join Sand so chop-chop.

IC:

Shiori, or rather at this juncture Rioshi was sitting behind the desk in Sousuke's office. The room was drab in terms of aesthetics, a room with grey walls and a plush yet still grey carpeting. The large desk and trio of chairs was the only 'decorative' product placed in the otherwise sterile-seeming room. Even the woman, attractive by most standards seemed to forego colors in favor of simple white garments. She sat behind the desk not doing much in particular, the truth be told she was rather efficient even if the Stewart or rather Kazekage failed to notice. He was off someplace, likely his lab in the space adjacent. She wondered if he suspected her, the room seemed to be soundproof now so she could not be quite certain that he was working on anything in particular or if he was even there at all.

As the teen entered through the threshold, door left slightly ajar, she looked over the young man. She did not recognize him but that did not mean much in the realm of the shinobi world, the shinobi forces have been bolstering as of late but she did not entirely know why. She assumed that Sousuke was garnering additional forces to face the looming Ancient threat, knowing next to nothing about matters involving the Daimyo and his waiting forces. Shiori looked up at the glass clock, it was early in the day she Sousuke had no scheduled meetings at this time that she knew of. Was he keeping secrets from her still -- the naughty man. She stood up as he entered and greeted him professionally enough. "I am the Steward ... I mean Kazekage's secretary Rioshi, do you need me to call for him?"

Regardless of his answer she walked across the room and pressed a button that turned around one of the blank walls in this minimalist space. It was a coffee pot, well rather a coffee vat. Sousuke had a thing for coffee, she found the dark tarry liquid to be most foul but he would seem to disagree. There was of course something extra in there, just a drop hidden by the bitter and strong taste of his coffee. As of late, Sousuke might be feeling less certain, there might be a scratching at the back of his mind and a creeping just beneath the skin. It had been going on for weeks, this slow and progressive treasonous act. She hated him and a large part of her wanted him dead and gone, but another part of her wanted to see him suffer and rot away in a padded room someplace chained like an animal. She was strong enough to kill the insufferable man at this point if she so wanted to but what was the point? It would be over for him and his payment would never be extracted.

Still she put on a pleasant enough of a face as she smiled and pointed to a seat. If he gave her the affirmation she would call on Sousuke and likely a wall would open and he would arrive post hate.

 

[Takahashi Aki]

A white screen and a black outline of an armoured suit with the face of a man is present. The brisk out of a walking is heard and approaches. A shadowy figure that matches the outline. Upon the outline and the figure standing perfectly within the outline the shadowy figure is revealed to be Takahashi Sousuke. He turns from a sideway position to look at the audience. He looks very tired but nods his head at the audience. "Good evening. Tonight's tale of terror involves plumbing and the dangers of it not being properly attended to. This is especially the case when it involves little creatures of green flesh and a tricky nature."<i></i> Sousuke would look at the audience with a very annoyed look. Perhaps it was because this was happening in the first place. "Well, at least for you good viewers you will not be subjected to. Maybe the writer of this farce may write a narrative of it later, but not now. I would think dear viewer, you are subjected to the aftermath of it."<i></i>

***

Sousuke would enter the tower office shortly after Uzuike would. He wore his mesh wear. Shiori would perhaps begin to see a trend in the colour scheme of the Steward. Black and white. Today though the colouring was very off. He was green, oh so very green. He was green with envy in a way. The Kazekage was covered in slime which was dripped off of his person. In hand he had a glass case. Strangely the glass case would have blinds surrounding it. He would walk forward to Shiori's desk dripping green slime and he would promptly put the case on the desk. He would let go of it, and the case would begin bouncing about violently. He looked over to the trick wall with the coffee brewing. Good. Coffee was brewing. Sousuke didn't quite catch on to the fact that Rioshi was slowly poisoning him with paranoia. It was working though, but perhaps in the most awkward of ways. He was beginning to think that his secretary was a slouch and terrible employee. Poorly written messages. Poorly written letters. She was going to sabotage her own typewriter to get out of work. He turned slightly to the teenager that was at the table too. He turned to the teen, then to Risho, and then to the box. "Good morning."<i></i> He stated. "Lady Haku Tomoko III had a plumbing issue that turned out to be an infestation of little green monsters coming out of her sink. She relies too much on her house keeper who was absent. I have to wonder what she has that would allow these creatures to spawn upon contact with water and thus ... multiply faster than rabbits."<i></i> He shook his head. "Seven hours. I've been up since 3:42am dealing with this situation."<i></i> He turned once again to Uziuke . "I don't believe we've met, and you don't carry a sigil that I recognize."<i></i>

 

[Uziuke]

He laid eyes on a woman with striking beauty. She was dressed in all white. She looked rather stern as if in a bad mood. Hopefully he wouldn't have to endure her wrath. As the boy approached her voice graced his ears. The boy took his hands out of his pockets, watching as she moved across the room to make coffee. It took the boy a moment to reply. What he wanted to speak on would change his entire lifestyle. He looked to the ceiling with a sigh, sort of shrugging off his thoughts. He was certain this was the step he wanted to take, but before he could speak up a visitor popped in.

'Looks like his day isn't going well.' The boy kept silent as he watched the stranger speak to the woman. 'Green monsters hmm?' The boy kept an eye on the moving case, ready to defend himself if things got gritty. It was only a matter of time before Sousuke addressed the drifter that witnessed his messy aftermath. "Well I'm a traveling nin that has no home. The only ties I have now are with my family and the wind." It was true that the boy and his clan breezed through villages before he could get to make acquaintances. But after reaching Suna, the group began to set up nest. The boy was mature for his age. It was nothing for the wild to toughen him up and prepare him for what came with being a shinobi. But what was great about him was that he never lost his heart while out there.

He thought of his adventures within the village before speaking again. "Well, after touring your village and living here for a while, I found myself being drawn back into the life of a shinobi." He began to walk away from the desk, looking past the glass doors to the view outside. Being able to call this village his home made him feel some sort of way on the inside.

Of course he didn't know that this slime covered plumber guy was the Kage, but he continued on nevertheless. He turned back around to the two, speaking more so to Rioshi. "I found myself at a pause, not knowing what to do." He then looked to the plumber guy before continuing on. "But now I'm ready to speak to the Kage. I want to join the village as a shinobi." He spoke with a nonchalant attitude, as if the process was nothing more than a walk in the park.

 

[Michi]

She was always in a 'bad' mood, repetitive death and exile tends to do that to a woman. She was biding her time before she was discovered once again, but this time hopefully it would not be through her trusting folly as she put her confidence in yet another labile man. Sousuke made his way into the room rather quickly, she had not even had a chance to call for him before he had arrived. Was it by happenstance or did he somehow know that there was a visitor? She was not entirely sure. She ceremoniously stood in place for a few moments, poisoned coffee in hand when his presence was made known. His entrance as dramatic as usual which was saying something because normally he would enter through a previously undiscovered door in the floor or the ceiling or a bare wall from which she did not previously discerned a seam. Sousuke was covered in slime, it seemed to ooze through and over the links of his mesh. On his... well one could suppose for the time-being her desk Sousuke relinquished his grasp of a metallic case that seemed to have a life of its own. It bobbed and wobbled and Shiori brought her eyes even with the curious device with mild interest.

"Well I'm a traveling nin that has no home. The only ties I have now are with my family and the wind."

The stranger declared. He was a wandering shinobi by his own testament, Sunagakure had encountered several but less one most banal excuses for me and whose presence or lack thereof had little effect in these environs. Sousuke continued on about the Haku clanswoman's plight but Shiori's interest was not on the village aristocrats but rather on this potential ally or barrier. "How unfortunate," she replied. She had heard stories, well accounts from the displaced but in all honesty the misfortune of foreign regions was none of her business. Yet still, the frozen tundra that was once a vibrant island community was at one time big news and she was more than familiar with the ire and contempt some dislocated shinobis of Fire felt towards samurais.

"Well, after touring your village and living here for a while, I found myself being drawn back into the life of a shinobi."

Shiori nodded as she started to pull the proper papers from the Kazekage's desk. Sousuke blathered on about an early wake-up but she was not paying attention. "Is that so? Were you among the refugees the Toraono Clan welcomed?" She purposefully inquired in hopes of getting a rise from the Kazekage. "Our wise and trusting Border Sennin Toraono have a habit of inviting outsiders into the village indefinitely," she commented. The statement was of course intended to open old wounds and perhaps deepen the fissure between the demon clan and the ruling house a bit more. Ancients did not look onto demons kindly but a part of that was because they saw them as a powerful force and while pride would prevent her from allying with a clan that is as trustworthy as a denizen of the Deep Court, she had no qualms maneuvering them both into positions of conflict against one another. The Toraono Clan had unwittingly assisted the Cabal in their infestation of the village over a year ago, his dojo a building that like the maw reached the depths of the village but also the surface. Damaged by the Djinn some time ago, the building had been long ago already fully repaired but the rubble was not cleared away from the terminal and initial points of the passage to and from Sunagakure because their 'builder' was truly not a friend. Still, the Toraono took the brunt of the blame - how could they not know that their building was not fully repaired? How could they be so trusting of outsiders? Had they given the Cabal the resources to cause the devastation they did? Most likely.

"I found myself at a pause, not knowing what to do."

He continued. Shiori pulled out a pen as she watched from the corner of her eye the shifting box and the ecoplasm-covered 'superior.' She assumed that he was speaking to the Steward this whole time and not her for the most part as he explained how he came to this conclusion in a rather simple manner. She knew the routine by now, Sousuke was going to give a lengthy monologue about justice and hard times that lingered just over the horizon. Allude to an insidious presence or outright claim that antediluvian beings the seek the destruction of humanity. He was not wrong on any of these things of course. So imagine her befuddlement when he went on to request the Kazekage's presence.

"But now I'm ready to speak to the Kage. I want to join the village as a shinobi."

"Oh-oh, good." Shiori stammered as she looked over at the Steward, he was a mess and she shook her head. It should not have come as a surprise that he was unrecognizable in this state. "Mister Kazekage Sir, can you take an unscheduled appointment?" She finally announced to the man covered in ick.

 

[Takahashi Aki]

"Travelling nin with no home."<i></i> Sousuke repeated. The Kazekage knew of two places that fit that immediate description. "You are most likely from Kirigakure which is frozen in an ice age, or Konoha which is uninhabitable due to a kinjutsu. You have my condolences for your lost homeland."<i></i> The young teenager, Sousuke would gather, was made of stern stuff if he survive either of those confrontations, be it that he survived a natural disaster both the manmade or the natural sort. Sungakure had become a home to some nin from those two areas of the world. It started first and foremost with Shuu who came with wounded people and Sousuke took them into his village and kept them safe. He missed Shuu. He wondered where she was these days. She did not leave sand, but he figured the well endowed, very violent, white hair medic had receded into retirement. For a moment Sousuke seemed to be frozen in time as it took him a moment to factor that had been ... quite a long time ago now. A disturbing thought. Rioshi, or rather the vile Shiori, had snapped him back into focus as she spoke of the Toraono clan. It was a vexing statement. Everyone had their limits, some were exploited, and others were blind spots. All knowing was a quality that only a few handful of individuals had. All the same, Sousuke was cautious in trusting people especially his secretary of all people. The coincidence of her name being an anagram of Takahashi Shiori was not missed by the Kazekage, rather he lacked evidence to truly be in a position to make his final conclusions. The daily dosage of paranoia being given to him was not without some form of wretched reward.

Much to the confused writer of Rioshi's disappointment, the Kazekage did not actually monologue about justice. If he was going to monologue it would be about technology and his desire to become a superior individual. Her stammering was met with a raise eyebrow. This woman did not have to do that. She had no need to stammer. She was a confident, head-strong woman, who was of course an Ancient in the flesh of another. The anagram of her name bothered Sousuke so very very much. Acting upon so little data was most questionable and perhaps coincidental. Then again that was the paranoia speaking. "Yes... yes... while I'm here dictate my messages to me. I am certain I have a few to deal with."<i></i> He would look over to the boy now. The Kazekage chuckled slightly. "Surprised?"<i></i> He would answer. The box he brought in began to rattle and bounce about the Kazekage quickly grabbed it and held it down. "Part detective. Part plumber. Part marital counselor, but I abhor that job the most... I wear many metaphorical hats in the village. Why do people call them hats? I do not know. A most perplexing and annoying metaphor, I assure you... young...?"<i></i> He would inquire the name of the boy. "What can you bring to the village in terms of skill sets? Proficiency in fire, lightning? Can you build towering structures? Can you close wounds? Can you track wild animals and detect anomalies in the surroundings? Pending your answers, I am trying to situate what working cog you may become in the village ... and no cog is not an insult. Cogs are instrumental to working machinery."<i></i> He spoke in a welcoming manner of sorts.

 

[Uziuke]

"Well how about that one." Uziuke said aloud as he rubbed his chin. Never would he have thought that the Kazekage was standing right next to him the entire time. It was quite the surprise. "I'm Uziuke."</B><i></i>

He looked towards the case that the Kage kept secured while thinking of the kage's question. Whatever it was inside of it surely wasn't happy being locked up. The boy's pupils lay dormant as he kept his gaze on the object of interest. Finally, he gestured towards the item that held his attention. <B>"Maybe my abilities can be tested out on whatever is in the case." He figured that he could take it as some sort of evaluation test. What harm could come from such a small task?

'Judging from how the kage looks it won't be easy. It looks like he had a rough time. I should use my wits here.' He wouldn't back down from the challenge. Especially if this was his way back to the shinobi lifestyle. There had to be some way to show what he could do. As the saying goes, easier said than done.

 

[Michi]

The answer was 'yes' it would seem. Rioshi silently stood up and lifted the strange ectoplasm-soaked container off the desk. She kept it at arm's length, the handle pinched between two fingers she shuffled across the room trying to avoid getting goo on her midriff as she dropped the canister into the waste bin. She wiped her hands together as if she was relieving herself of unnecessary grime before she returned to the desk and jotted down on a yellow sticky note INCINERATE that she stuck to the side of the can. She was not going to deal with some bouncing angered spirit for the rest of the day chattering and clamoring about in there. Whatever it was, it was utterly inedible so she had no use for it but to see it get destroyed.

She returned to her desk and started to leaf through notes and calls she had received while he was out. There was nothing of actual importance that transpired this early in the day. A few scheduled deliveries, a cancellation, a few items she made a double requisition for and a list of menial errands Sousuke had left for her. Mostly retyping things that were already typed, getting more coffee, picking up his dry cleaning and did the last one say make me a 'sammich'?. He was an eccentric, that much was true but she expected something more profound considering the amount of toxin she had been dosing him with these past few weeks. She noticed barely any difference in him in all honesty and for that reason she was going to have to up her game. She wanted him institutionalized -- she wanted to see him ashamed and humiliated, left alone to his own madness. In time he would deteriorate if she was willing to play the long-game but she had felt insulted by him, actually hurt. Not the physical kind, although that too had transpired but rather the fact that she actually carried the belief that -- Well, never mind, that horse has been beaten to death several times over by now.

"Exam?" Shiori queried as she pocketed the list of errands she needed to complete hopefully before noon. "Why don't you just ask him to spar?" She commented as she readied herself get and I quote "the biggest can of domestic fair-trade whole bean coffee sold". It was a terrible idea, not for her but for either of them. She did not know the teen's skillset, but Sousuke was a full grown man who has demonstrated his skill in a fight on several occasions. It would be an unlikely victory for the foreigner and even if he did win, it would grate on the Kazekage's pride. Still, it would be an entertaining display, if for nobody else it would be for her. It would be her hope of course that the former Steward lost and did so miserably, but she dreamed too big.

OC: Bad Plan (hers), but if you are stuck for ideas the dummy demo is an idea Ray or whatever horrible fate you wish to have befall my character =/

 

[Takahashi Aki]

"Nice to meet you Uziuke."<i></i> He smiled slightly. Smiles were those things that one tried to do to put on a good impression. Sousuke was not very good at those. In fact he had a track record for making the worst kind of first impression. When it came to second and third impressions, the Kazekage fared quite a bit better. At any rate he watched as madam secretary walked over with his box of terror. "Be careful with that."<i></i> He warned her. "They do seem to very much enjoy the presence of the female gender."<i></i> He added. She went over his messages. There was the request for the sandwich, that much was true but it was not some blundering fool's words of make sammich it was 'acquire me a sandwich from the Takao Deli, please no pickles or olives, double mayo, double mustard, two thin layers of ham, one layer of roast beef, two layers of cheese but not sequentially, lettuce in between the layers of meat, served on rye bread'. Sousuke didn't trust her to make the sandwich, no, no, no, she was out to ruin his diet. She had gotten him the wrong kind of coffee on no less than three occasions. Instant coffee was Bitch Suna incarnate. Oh yes. Quite. It was vile, loathsome, and most of all ... depressing. No wait. That was -- was that the chemical paranoia her poisoned coffee was doing to him? Was it? It was. Not that he knew. Yes. Madame Secretary was the arch-nemesis of the Kazekage. A different flesh, yes, but the intentions were vile, evil, and would result in the destruction of humanity. Her attempts to ruin him and hurt him were numerous. Her vile designs may be realized indeed, but her endgame would not. That being said, she wouldn't be able to wear her current clothes if she fattened herself upon souls. Not. Madam Secretary would have a waist line that would be three times the width of the Kazekage tower if she had it her way and humanity was no longer a thing.

"Get me the biggest can of domestic fair-trade coffee."<i></i> He would say in accordance with what her narrator readied her for. Before hand she was suggesting that they spar. Sousuke had been looking at the ceiling at that point. "Mmm... no."<i></i> He would look over to the case. "But... Uzizuke does have a brilliant suggestion. Let's see what he makes of them. Containment strategies are often a good test to see one's clever nature. Let's give him the room he needs to in sector six."<i></i> He stomped his foot soundly three times. Tiles from the floor would open up and reveal a set of stairs leading into a basement of sorts. Sousuke would go collect the box and hold it very tightly. "Come Rioshi, bring your type writer. I have a dictation for you regarding a memo to be mass produced."<i></i>

MFT

 

[Uziuke]

Rioshi's suggestion to spar went out the window as the kage suggested a different approach. A visit to sector six would give them all the information they needed. 'Sector six. Sounds interesting.' From the way the two adults acted it seemed they knew each other really well. It was either that or they were going to rip one another's head off. It was sort of difficult to tell.

Even though Mist was the boy's original village, he felt that he could continue his studies elsewhere. The more you see the more you know right? This is what pushed the boy to continue the shinobi way of life. Of course he was putting himself in jeopardy, but it was what he needed to keep his mind off of all the depression that came with having a broken village.

The floor opened to reveal stairs that led to the basement. As he followed the two he thought of any other questions he had for them. Nothing came to mind as he continued on while preparing his mindset for what came next. 'This could be the perfect time to practice those techniques that I learned while here.' He kept silent as he kept his pace.

 

[Michi]

Sousuke's warning for the female gender made her leer, it was a somewhat ugly lopsided expression that came in and out of focus on her face. Her lives as a 'human' had not been kind or pleasant and these events and perceived betrayals had embittered her towards humanity. There was a time when the lonesome antediluvian entity only wanted a friend, someone who would accept her for what she was. She was going to abide by the First Law and cede authority to the victors of a battle won and lost long ago. Yet she felt slighted by Sousuke's rejection, not of her love although she had at one time a jealous desire for him but her passions even as a perceived human were unrequited. She did not take up arms against her cousin until after she saw Sousuke pull on Mikaboshi's leash like some dog and took from him power that was Mikaboshi's alone because he could. He mentioned it so off-handedly, as if it was a petty thing and then regailed listeners with a tale of his valiant victory and it made her physically sick. His loyal dog, it was ironic really how up until that point Mikaboshi satisfied his needs yes but he had no active desire to hurt Sousuke before this point. Friendship is never one-sided and when all one did was take, one should not be astonished when the sap does a heel-face turn. History might not have remembered it as such but he was one of those bleeding heart lesser Lords that actually believed that humanity could coexist with Ancients if they had the durability and power to do so. She did not share his sentiments and it was a source of contention between them. Sousuke unknowingly discarded his strongest and most prolific advocate in one fatal swoop.

She took in a sharp breath as she remembered and she kept the canister at arms length. An ectoplasmic Susumu... No thank you. Aye, she replied as she relocated the strange metallic container.

She was hoping for a 'friendly' match of brawn between the two, while she knew it would never end in the demise of one or the other nor would it likely end in injury for either party but it would have conferred great benefit to her. She wanted to see what he could do from an external perspective. What tells he had and what techniques he now favored since their last scuffle. She had no intention of fighting him, not yet. She wanted to destroy him. She could not hide her disappointment when Sousuke rejected her idea for a spar to determine the stranger's aptitude. She frowned, instead they were going to sector six - whatever that was. She had to wonder how much of the tower was relegated to the Kazekage's personal use when the floor opened up to reveal a spiral staircase. It had to be massive, this space he had been afforded, the time, effort, money and technology squandered on this one place was exceptional and spoke volumes regarding his priorities. She saw him differently when her vision of him was not shaded by a rosy hue of love or friendship. She saw him as narcissistic and self-centered, while he was brilliant in his own way he was a social moron. It is a funny thing how love can turn to hate, the diametric opposition. She would have not been as hurt or as insulted if she had been so rejected and betrayed by another but her sentiments towards him only deepened her simmering rage. She was correct however, humanity and Ancients should not coexist, at least as equals. She would invoke the first law again and see if humanity was truly meant to rule.

For now the lonesome Ancient would play the long game and hide in plain sight. She was gathering for forces and her strength. She could overtake him now but she would not be able to overthrow his officers independently, not yet. She had already lost once in her anger and her haste as she took arms against him. She would not make the same mistake twice. She was going to learn everything and then she was going to break him.

But for now, time for dictation.

 

[Takahashi Aki]

Sousuke would lead his adoring and very faithful secretary and Uziuke to seemingly an empty room beneath the reception area. Sousuke tapped his fingers together. "My dear Rioshi. I didn't know you felt that way about me, how tremendous."<i></i> He spoke curiously. Was that sarcasm in his voice? He had carefully noted her disapproval of the scenario they were taking now. "I know you like watching me move, I see your longing gaze upon my form as I've ran hundreds of thousands of laps around the tower."<i></i> Without out a doubt the sarcasm was manifesting in ways perhaps most concerning. Sousuke was usually a person for the most literal interpretations. The expression on his face was without any smirk, but he did roll his eyes. It wasn't the most appropriate follow up but it was one.

Sousuke walked ahead towards the end of the room. He motioned for Rioshi to go sit in the corner. He wouldn't enclose her in glass this time no. The last time he did that she threw up a very strange substance of sand and other stuff in the corner of his office. Sousuke would place the case down and would not at Uziuke. The case was opened and out of it poured no less than ten green terrors of a small fiendish sort. The noise they made was an assault to the ears. Three of them jumped and hanged off the roof. Three others began to ran towards Rioshi. Two of them ran for the exit, and two others well, they charged towards the boy. The three running towards Rioshi would be greeted by a stone wall coming out of the ground. Sousuke was the creator of the wall as evidenced by his hand gestures. A smirk did appear on his face. The three slid down the wall but they then turned upon the boy and started towards him with fangs and claws bore. Each of these creatures were slanky in limbs, but it did make sense that the box contained all ten of them.

Sousuke would begin his dictation. "Memo. Letterhead. Today's date. To Lord Nobu. Paragraph indent. I humbly thank-you for the invite to your season end for your numbered company. I will be declining as my schedule does not allow me to do so. There was a double murder in the Grand Palaias that requires my investigation. I am instead writing to inform you of your wife's extra marital affairs. Lady Haku Tomoko, titles titles titles, has been courting two men of a much younger age. One of the two parties involved was the marital advisor that she had chosen. I am not surprised considering she does not wish to heed my council. I suggest you visit Hashigaki Matsu my legal council to begin the divorce. I would also advise that you reconsider your will as you have several assets that now need to change hands from your wife to your heirs. Should you wish to catch her in the act of this, I would recommend you book a room at the Red Rose on the twenty-third. ... ... You know where Red Rose is located. "<i></i> The green creatures trying to escape the room were denied their exit as Sousuke rose another stone wall blocking their exit.

 

[Uziuke]

The boy looked towards the case as it was placed on the ground. His only warning was a nod from the Kage before he opened the case. It spat out it's contents, small monsters that were just as savage as the beasts that roam the outskirts. The perception of movement around him seemed to slow as he observed his opponents. He came up with a plan in no time.

Watching as the Kage flew through a few hand seals, the boy lowered himself to the ground. Chakra and heat began to condense in the boy's palms. Dark marks began to spread across the boy's body as he activated his astral seal. As the front line of the monsters got close the boy slammed his hands to the ground. Afterwards the boy vanished almost instantly, leaving two exploding notes behind. One for each monster. They were set to go off asap.

The boy would reappear before the next three monsters. Quickly the boy cupped a hand to his mouth. He could feel the great flow through his body as he exhaled flames unto the three gremlins. Their movements were easily predicted with the boy's sharingan always active. Hopefully it was enough to burn them to crisps.

The boy then looked to the three hanging from the ceiling. He clapped his hands together with enough force to throw the three off balance. If they fell directly below they would be devoured by the flames that Uziuke created with his eyes.

The two near the exit would be easily dealt with as well. In a blink of the eye the boy stood before the gremlins. His right fist held a purple chakra as he punched one of the creatures with the force and consistency of tempered steel. The last, he'd use a dynamic two punch combo to finish it off.

"Hmph, that wasn't so bad." He turned around taking a second look at the battlefield.

[ MFT | +250 ]

 

[Michi]

She followed the Steward into the dark depths. As she rounded the stairs, if it was dark or bright it did not matter because she could see everything clearly. The scrape of their soles and the click of her heels reverberated off the walls. The room looked empty.

"My dear Rioshi. I didn't know you felt that way about me, how tremendous."

His voice echoed as they descended.

"I know you like watching me move, I see your longing gaze upon my form as I've ran hundreds of thousands of laps around the tower."</B><i></i>

She shook her head. Nope. All the nope. There was a time when she thought she could get over the whole intimacy concept regarding humans and Ancients, human sex was just so... gross. There was all of those fluids being exchanged and the sweating and the sounds, the noises made resembled... actually she had no words to describe what they sounded like but it sounded awful. There was a time where she thought and she wanted to make an exception and it would have been with him, that was of course before he killed her. Before she saw the disgrace of her brother under his authority. Before the unrepentant Steward threatened her with a final death and left her in fear of subjugation. She reviled this man now and she wanted him to suffer. It was the reaction of a petulant woman more than an enduring Ancient, but her time among humanity did change her. <B>"I was actually watching your friend," she lied. She also did not define which friend but she had seen several with their comings and goings and any of them would do in his imagination.

Sousuke wordlessly commanded her to sit in the corner to which she acquiesced. She sat indian-style on the floor, the typewriter on her lap. "Ready," she called out before Sousuke droppedf the case onto the floor. As the door opened,a terrible cry could be heard that resounded off the walls. Shiori cupped her hands over her ears and the typewriter fell to the side. She let out a pained yell and closed her eyes, she could not hear what she yelled but surely Sousuke could. "Are you crazy!" She opened her eyes in time to see a trio of fiendish little imps bound in her direction before a stone wall separated her line of sight from the goings on in the room.

Still she could hear Sousuke's voice call out, he was dictating while he was fighting.

"Memo. Letterhead. Today's date. To Lord Nobu. Paragraph indent. I humbly thank-you for the invite to your season end for your numbered company. I will be declining as my schedule does not allow me to do so. There was a double murder in the Grand Palaias that requires my investigation. I am instead writing to inform you of your wife's extra marital affairs. Lady Haku Tomoko, titles titles titles, has been courting two men of a much younger age. One of the two parties involved was the marital advisor that she had chosen. I am not surprised considering she does not wish to heed my council. I suggest you visit Hashigaki Matsu my legal council to begin the divorce. I would also advise that you reconsider your will as you have several assets that now need to change hands from your wife to your heirs. Should you wish to catch her in the act of this, I would recommend you book a room at the Red Rose on the twenty-third. ... ... You know where Red Rose is located. "

Hesitantly she started to type, silently cursing the eccentric asshole the entire time.

OC: Not much for me to do here but yell. IC she will not use her jutsus in front of Sousuke.

 

[Takahashi Aki]

"End of the first memo."<i></i> Sousuke had folded his arms as he watched the child go to work. He observed him. Witnessed him. What did Sousuke see with his eyes? That was multilayered, and merely went beyond seeing. He detected an increase in the room's temperature. The temperature had in fact rose in the room. That was certainly a strong contrast considering the chilly aura that Mikaboshi and Kazuki had offered. The room did not become a sauna in terms of the heat increase, but it was noticeable indeed. He observed the child's increase in power as dark runic tatoos began to surface on his body. A cursed seal no less. A power that for most came at a cost. To see it on such a young person made Sousuke concerned. Cursed seals had a lingeringly and sickly effect on people. A moment later the boy had vanished, phase shifting no doubt, or what others would call shadow dance. He left an explosive trap for his enemies, but more importantly relocated himself before his foe unleashing the pent up heat in the form of a fiery jutsu. The little creatures were indeed burnt to a crisp. He was able to shake the ones off of the ceiling easily and they too had met a fiery death. The ones escaping were beaten to death by the Uziuke's hands.

The lad would be met by a clapping from Sousuke. He was watching the boy though. "Curious. Very curious youngling."<i></i> He would begin, "You've readily shown me a cursed seal. That troubles me, as it makes me concerned over your personal health now. Have a seat please."<i></i> He would form a few hand seals and a block of stone would appear for the young one to indeed sit if he was tired. "Well, fire is one way of dealing with them. Luckily you had not used any water jutsu as ... well ... then they would have multiplied greatly. That would have been concerning--"<i></i> Rioshi had asked if he was crazy. Sousuke lowered the stone wall that she was behind. "No. I am certainly not crazy, sometimes you need to run before you walk. Old saying Lord Nobu has."<i></i> He didn't forget about the comment about her looking at his friend either. He turned his had to face her once more. "Ah. My friend. Pity, he's getting married. I have several weddings to attend to, but if you're talking about Shizune she thinks you're a twig and needs more meat."<i></i> He added before returning his attention back to Uziuke. "What line of work are you available for? We all have limits."<i></i>

While he gave the youngling a moment to recoup if necessary Sousuke would begin his next dictation. "New memo. Today's date. To Sunaku Yoko. Kindly review the reserve fund. I had noticed several expenditures that I had found to be overly costly. I have inquired with the window company you had used to replace the windows that were only installed four weeks ago. They had quoted me one tenth of the cost you claimed they charged you. This is most suspicious considering the reserve fund is exactly three times below what is expected for this time in year, but noticeably the wages for the board of directors had increased substantially. I would suggest you come clean immediately as I have heard some other disturbing rumors about some extra legal activity after dark involving ... substances of ill repute. I expect an answer to this, or I will permit the residences their desire to have a new committee elected. End memo. Include the usual letterhead, address for MSCC 1042."<i></i> He paused for a moment. He would approach her looking at the type writer. "I hear a distinct off click in the S and T keys. Did you want me to fix that now or later, or would you like for me to simply order you a new type writer?"<i></i> He inquired as he sipped his poison coffee. The ever looming suspcious of her trying to ruin him entering the recesses of his mind.

 

[Uziuke]

The ancient markings on the boy slid back into their original position as he deactivated his curse seal. 'That wasn't too bad. He looked to the Kage as he was addressed. There was a bit of concern about the boy using the dark arts. The mercenary sort of shrugged it off. When he first received it he had trouble controlling himself and his rage. He knew that it came with a price, but he didn't let it bother him.

He denied the seat as he moved on to the question that he was asked. He had a bit if time to think about it while he addressed Rioshi again. 'Maybe I should take a different approach to the shinobi lifestyle. With a new village could come a new start for me as well.

"Well, I've seen a lot while out there. What concerned me the most was the amount of violence out there." The boy paused, knowing his mindset had changed a lot since he was a Genin back in his own village. "Maybe something in the medical field. It's something I started on while in the academy, but I didn't have much time for my classes." His story was very personal so he kept things brief.

 

[Michi]

She would not see the curse seal used, there was this wall obstructing her vision. She would 'see' or rather hear the 'splat' of the strange gremlin... goblin-like... creatures? She had no idea what they actually were or why he kept them around only to set them loose, run amuck and then get slaughters. Yes, she was empathizing with the 'monsters' because Sousuke was another kind of fiend even if nobody else seemed to notice. She curled her legs up on the seat she had taken beyond the wall. The clack of keys against the paper of the rather retro typewriter Sousuke provided was the only sound that could be heard except Rioshi's protest over he entire situation at hand. He was a lunatic.

After the slaughter had been completed, the wall receded into the floor. Rioshi glared back at the Kazekage. The floor and ceiling marred with gore and singed from fire, a fitting scene. He applauded he stranger who took to the butchery as some would riding a bike.

"No. I am certainly not crazy, sometimes you need to run before you walk. Old saying Lord Nobu has."

"I am not a ninja," she forced out a reply, "I have no need to even walk."

"Ah. My friend. Pity, he's getting married. I have several weddings to attend to, but if you're talking about Shizune she thinks you're a twig and needs more meat."

A statement to which she had no comment. Weight was one of those taboo topics, even for a woman Ancient such as her. She had complete control over her form and her size, this figure was considered to her to be the human ideal and he was just wrong. What could one expect from a robot anyways? If he had sense or the ability to treat someone as a friend there would not be this rift between them and she would not be after his head. He would continue on with two conversations at once, one with the young man who was apparently a Medic hopeful and the other his continued dictation.

"New memo. Today's date. To Sunaku Yoko. Kindly review the reserve fund. I had noticed several expenditures that I had found to be overly costly. I have inquired with the window company you had used to replace the windows that were only installed four weeks ago. They had quoted me one tenth of the cost you claimed they charged you. This is most suspicious considering the reserve fund is exactly three times below what is expected for this time in year, but noticeably the wages for the board of directors had increased substantially. I would suggest you come clean immediately as I have heard some other disturbing rumors about some extra legal activity after dark involving ... substances of ill repute. I expect an answer to this, or I will permit the residences their desire to have a new committee elected. End memo. Include the usual letterhead, address for MSCC 1042."

She complied and finished the letter, her typing rather proficient as she wordlessly finished his letter.

"I hear a distinct off click in the S and T keys. Did you want me to fix that now or later, or would you like for me to simply order you a new type writer?"

"I'll make do," she replied coldly. "More coffee?"

 

[Takahashi Aki]

The boy had not offered the seat offered. Curious. Usually these seals demanded a lot from the individual, yet he showed no signs of being tired and or outright exhaustion. He could be hiding it of course, in that case he was hiding it quite well. Perhaps if the fight had lasted a longer time then he signs of exhaustion would have become apparent. That was not the case though considering the fight had ended in less than a minute. This was certainly a ... well, this was a show of skill not to be taken lightly. The thought had crossed Sousuke's mind that the boy may be a prodigy of sorts. That was merely speculative of course. The boy had spoken to having seen alot in the world. That this world was driven by violence. "Yes... there is a lot of violence out there. Warlords attempt to take land from farmers, and should the farmer not relinquish what his family has held for generations he is taken by the blade."<i></i> He narrated, "There are those who see this and they take up arms and fight these men or women who make land grabs. The result? The warlord is slain, and then their sons or daughters go out for revenge for the sake of family honour. It is a never ending cycle of sorts all because one individual stood up to another. Years and years will pass and nothing is ever better, only worse. Then one tries to rise above it all, and succeeds only for a time, but fails ultimately."<i></i> Sousuke looked to the ground. He was thinking of Katuso who wanted to merely make Wind Country a better place. Sousuke unlike Katuso was resolving things with violence and that was not making things better at all. Only worse. His ultimate end game was to prevent Ancients from coming to power again and thus reigniting the War of the Ancients. Untold hundreds of thousands, maybe millions would perish. The only other one in the room, aside from Uziuke, would be a harbinger in this total cease function. Sousuke had his suspicions. A tweak in her voice, an anagram of her name. It wasn't enough to go on. It bugged him. "What would your answer be to the mass of violence in the land?"<i></i> He asked the aspiring Suna nin.

Rioshi finished her memo. "Yes please."<i></i> He answered, "I have a very long day. May need to have a warp seal on the canister to send it back and forth."<i></i> He mumbled to himself. He looked to his secretary. "You may not be a ninja, but how do you maintain your physique without so much as walking?"<i></i> He would inquire. "Unless of course you're hiding something from me. I mean a woman does care about her size, but how does she maintain it? Ancestry can do quite a bit for one, but ... even then maintenance is required for such."<i></i> He pouted, somewhat. He imagined for a moment that Rioshi in fact was grossly overweight but managed to flap her fat inwards having it tucked somewhere. One could certainly do amazing things with the human body. Perhaps she used what was that ... liposuction? Yes. That would work too, but she had no visible scars. "You could make due with a flawed type writer, but the longer you let those keys continue to be malfunctioning, the more you run the risk of other keys of the surrounding letters eventually malfunctioning as well... then that would led to frustration, and I wouldn't be a very good employer if my employee is frustrated."<i></i> He paused for a moment. "Take a break. My next dictation is going to be quite lengthy. I wouldn't want you to chip your well manicured nails."<i></i>

 

[Uziuke]

He thought of the fights that he successfully overcame. As a mercenary he avoided violence until it came down to a task of survival. "I believe as shinobi, violence will always come our way in some shape or form. No matter how much we try to avoid it." Traveling with Akkuma gave him insight on different topics. "It wasn't until I saw someone die that I realized how serious it was." The boy looked to the Kage before carrying on. "It's yet another reason that I want to trek the medical field of the shinobi life. Other than that, The boy smirked. "There's not much more that I can say on that topic. Coming together more as a nation would be great, but I'd like seeing the medical benefits of helping out comrades while on the battlefield."

 

[Michi]

Sousuke offered her a break and she accepted the offer, more out of frustration than otherwise. The man was simply incorrigible, she wondered what she ever saw in him in the first place. Still, she was biding her time and learning. These tensions between third parties and the Steward... rather Kazekage these days might do him in long before she ever had the opportunity. It was something that she could only hope for. She nodded an affirmation, "of course sir." With that she placed the typewriter onto the floor, carefully bending over so as to not drop it and damage it further. It was just an archaic typewriter, she would have preferred to hand write whatever needed to be sent but he was the boss.

"I will be upstairs in your office, papers will be drawn for..." she waved her hand in Uziuke's direction. "Your new medic." With that she would saunter away, the click of her heels resonating off the walls with each click.

[Topic Left if not stopped]

OC: I was never adding anything really here and I am loaded with topics atm in the event.