Private A Sprout That Has Climbed To The Clouds [Requesting Raikage for Rank Up & More]

[Ryuu Nozomi]

The morning air was cold as Nozomi stood at the base of the Torre Empirea, craning her neck just enough to take in the full height of the central spire before forcing herself to stillness again. Five towers rose together like the fingers of a single hand, art deco lines catching the light in deliberate angles. Polished stone and inlaid metal reflected the sky in pale bands of gold and steel-blue. Power lived here, not the explosive kind that she understood instinctively, but the sort whose decisions change the fate of the nation as a whole. She adjusted her posture without thinking, spine straightening, and shoulders settling into something unassuming. This was not a place for intimidation or bravado.

The Legation’s main entrance was already active as administrators moved with efficiency. Civilians passed through controlled checkpoints, and shinobi in uniform paused to confer before being ushered toward elevators guarded by silent ANBU. Nozomi approached alone with empty hands that licked nervously at her palms. Her chakra was pulled tight and shallow beneath her skin to make sure she set off no alarms. Even the curse seemed to play nice and its usual restless hum dampened into a low, resentful murmur.

Inside, the air changed immediately. The lobby was cavernous with beautifully tiled floors in geometric patterns, walls accented with brass filigree, and stylized lightning motifs worked into the architecture itself. Everything here spoke of modernity layered atop tradition, like a new power built with an appreciation for the history that brought it about. Her sandals sounded far too loud against the floor, and she hated that she could notice her own steps. Still, she made no effort to have chakra dampen the sound.

A reception desk waited ahead, manned by two clerks whose expressions suggested they had already processed a hundred requests before breakfast. Nozomi stopped at the designated marker, bowed once and spoke when acknowledged.

“My name is Ryuu Nozomi,” she said evenly. “I am here to formally request an audience with the Raikage.”

The words felt heavier than they should have. One clerk glanced down at a ledger to quickly assess. There was no overt hostility that came from the receptionists, but no warmth either.

“Purpose?” the clerk asked.

“I wish to submit a civic report and a recommendation regarding rank advancement,” she replied. “On behalf of a kunoichi under my supervision during a village reconstruction effort.”

That earned her a pause. The clerk’s gaze sharpened as if he was suspicious, she had said something which caused alert and pens stilled. Though as a few names were checked and a runner was dispatched without explanation, she exhaled. Nozomi waited, hands folded loosely in front of her as she maintained a carefully neutral look upon her face. This was the part she disliked the most... Waiting while others decided whether she was worth hearing out, or not.

She was eventually directed toward a secondary office that was relatively small and quiet. The room was paneled in dark wood and brass trim and a secretary sat behind a polished wooden desk in a corner near the entrance. The woman would explain procedure and Nozomi listened carefully, committing each rule to memory.

She was to remain seated, she was not to approach the inner doors for any reason, and she was not allowed to speak unless addressed directly. Then she was reassured that the Raikage would absolutely see her when time permitted. She nodded to each instruction as if they were already familiar to her.

The secretary gestured to a chair near the wall across from the inner doors. So, she sat carefully, with her back straight and hands resting on her thighs as if she had practiced her posture for this very moment. Still, Nozomi could not help but feel a pit in her stomach, and she had to remind herself that it was not fear, it was anticipation.

 

[Shinrya Kitsune]

Inside the inner sanctum of the Raikage’s office, the silence was a stark contrast to the buzzing efficiency of the lobby below. Here, the air was cool and smelled faintly of sandalwood and old paper. Kitsune sat behind her massive desk, a sprawling surface of dark, polished wood that seemed to float in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the village hidden in the clouds.

She was currently signing off on a budget allocation for the western border patrol, tedious work that required a sharp eye, but very little soul. When the intercom on her desk chirped, she welcomed the interruption.

"Raikage-sama," her secretary’s voice came through, tinny but clear. "Ryuu Nozomi is here for her appointment."

Kitsune capped her fountain pen with a decisive click, setting it down parallel to the document. A Ryuu. The name always carried a specific weight in Kumogakure, often associated with volatile power or complex internal politics. Both were true for Rei, and her clansmate Tama. For one to come through the front door, requesting an audience for something as bureaucratic as a rank advancement recommendation, was... refreshing.

"Send her in," Kitsune commanded, her voice projecting authority even through the small speaker.

She stood up as the heavy double doors unlatched with a magnetic thud and swung open. Kitsune smoothed the front of her charcoal three-piece suit, the tailoring impeccable, emphasizing the sharp lines of her shoulders and the confident set of her posture. She watched Nozomi enter, her golden eyes dissecting the kunoichi’s gait, her posture, and the way she held her chakra close to the skin.

Kitsune didn't sit back down immediately. She preferred to greet most shinobi standing; it allowed her to gauge them eye-to-eye.

"Ryuu Nozomi," Kitsune said, her tone level and professional, though not without a hint of welcoming warmth. She gestured to the single, comfortable chair positioned in front of her desk. "Please, take a seat. My secretary tells me you’ve come regarding a personnel matter and a civic report."

Kitsune rounded the desk, leaning her hip against the edge of it rather than retreating behind the barrier, crossing her arms over her chest. It was a power move, relaxed but dominant, asserting that this was her space. "It is rare that I get hand-delivered recommendations for field promotions. Usually, they are buried in paperwork. You have my attention. Tell me about this subordinate of yours."

 

[Ryuu Nozomi]

Nozomi crossed the threshold only after the doors had opened completely. She made sure to wait that final half-second so she did not appear too eager. The sound they made closing behind her sent a brief spike of nerves through her chest that she had to consciously quiet. This was not a battlefield, she had to remind herself. There were no traps, angles, or enemies in this place. She told herself of that over and over as she walked forward, each step measured with hands clasped loosely in front of her rather than at her sides where instinct wanted them to be ready for anything.

She bowed first. Deep, respectful, and held just long enough to be unmistakable without becoming theatrical. When she straightened, she took the offered seat only after Kitsune’s gesture, settling into it carefully. Her heartbeat was loud in her ears, she hated that feeling. After all, this woman was the Raikage.

Nozomi kept her chakra pulled tight, disciplined, as she lifted her gaze to meet those golden eyes which were already assessing her. She swallowed and forced herself to breathe out slowly.

“Yes, Raikage-sama. Thank you for seeing me.”

She paused, if only to remind herself again to speak plainly and honestly. That this was not a war of intellect.

“I’m here to formally recommend a subordinate for advancement,” Nozomi continued, reaching into the slim portfolio she carried and setting it neatly on the desk’s edge before opening it. She did not push it forward yet.

“Her name is Shuusui Ruri.”

Saying the name grounded her back into reality as if it gave purpose to her once again. Nozomi spoke of the hot springs and of her own failure of restraint. Of uncontrolled power and of beauty destroyed because she had not yet learned how to temper force with care. She did not excuse it or attempt to soften it. She stated it as fact, as a burden and responsibility she must bare.

“I intended to repair what I broke,” she said quietly. “Alone, if necessary. Ruri was under no obligation to assist me.”

Her hands tightened slightly in her lap as she continued, “Yet, she chose to anyway.”

Nozomi described the girl as resilient to survive amid the devastation and steam. How she did not retreat and was never frightened. She spoke of Ruri’s willingness to work. Not for recognition or reward, but because the task needed to be completed. She detailed the cleanup, the labor, the days spent hauling debris and stone by hand. She spoke of the quarry and of marble torn from the mountain not through brute destruction but through precision, skill, and understanding.

“Ruri used her Byakugan to read the stone,” Nozomi said, lifting her eyes to Kitsune again.

“Not just surface fractures either. She identified fault lines with the same clarity described in advanced Hyuuga records. Texts I have read spoke of seasoned adults being this capable, not students.”

She slid the portfolio forward now, opening it so the neatly completed forms were visible. She had included diagrams, plans, permissions, logs of events, civilian statements, and photographs.

“She cut slabs the size of houses,” Nozomi continued, the quiet awe she felt slipping into her tone despite her attempts otherwise.

“She did it cleanly and repeatedly. She learned to shape rather than shatter. She adapted techniques in the moment and carried loads that otherwise would have required teams of civilians. She did not even stop when exhaustion was biting at me, and motivated me to continue.”

Nozomi paused to breath and steady herself before continuing on.

“I have already received my own Genin appointment,” she said, the words still feeling strange to say aloud. “But... I was not yet even a Genin when I trained her, and that is precisely why I am here in person.”

She bowed her head slightly.

“I recommend Shuusui Ruri for promotion to at least the rank of Genin. And… respectfully, Raikage-sama, I believe she meets the practical criteria for becoming a Chuunin.”

She did not flinch from the boldness of that statement.

"Her judgement, adaptability, endurance, and self-sufficiency under such conditions exceed what I believe is the requirement for such a title."

She hesitated, then added, softer but no less firm, “I also request that her clan be acknowledged. The Shuusui name should stand beside the rebuilt springs. Not as decoration, but as record that one of theirs rebuilt what was destroyed.”

Nozomi bowed again, deeper this time. Then, carefully, she straightened and made her final request.

“There is… one more matter as well.” Her fingers curled, then stilled.

“I wish to continue my academic studies. Specifically, in Ancient Kumogakuran history and language. I believe there may be connections in our past to my clan’s condition that have not been fully examined.”

She met Kitsune’s gaze, open and unguarded.

“I understand access to such material requires your approval. I would not ask if I did not believe it mattered.”

She fell silent then, hands returning to rest calmly in her lap. Whatever came next was no longer hers to control, and for once, she allowed herself to accept that fact.

 

[Shinrya Kitsune]

Kitsune listened in silence, her expression unreadable as she leafed through the portfolio Nozomi had slid across the desk. She took her time, letting the silence stretch in the room, not to intimidate the girl, but to give the report the respect it deserved. She studied the photographs of the quarry, the clean cuts of the marble, and the diagrams of the fault lines. It was meticulous work. It was professional.

Finally, she closed the folder and rested her hand atop it, her golden eyes locking onto Nozomi’s.

"You present a compelling case, Ryuu Nozomi," Kitsune began, her voice smooth and carrying the effortless weight of her station. "To manipulate stone of this magnitude with such precision requires not just raw power, but a fundamental understanding of chakra control that most Genin take years to master. For a student to do so is... exceptional."

She picked up a stamp from her desk, inked it, and pressed it firmly onto the form regarding Shuusui Ruri.

"Shuusui Ruri is hereby promoted to the rank of Genin, effective immediately," she declared, setting the paper aside. "As for the Chuunin rank... while her power is evident, rank is also about experience and leadership. Let her wear the headband first. Let her feel the weight of it. If she continues on this trajectory, the rank will follow soon enough. And yes, the Shuusui name shall be etched into the cornerstone of the new springs. Credit where credit is due."

Kitsune then stood up, moving away from the desk to stand directly in front of Nozomi. She crossed her arms, tilting her head slightly as she analyzed the woman sitting before her.

"Now, regarding your own status," she said, her eyes narrowing slightly. "You came here today to advocate for a subordinate. You took personal responsibility for the destruction caused by your own hand. You organized a reconstruction effort, managed logistics, documented the process, and led a team to success without oversight."

A small, knowing smile touched Kitsune’s lips.

"Those are not the actions of a Genin. Those are the qualities of a leader."

She reached into her desk drawer and pulled out a different form and signed it with a flourish before sliding it across the desk toward Nozomi.

"I am changing your Genin appointment, Nozomi," Kitsune said calmly, watching for the reaction. "Because you are skipping ahead of it. You are promoted to Chuunin, effective immediately. Kumogakure needs leaders who clean up their own messes and elevate those around them. You have done both."

She leaned back against her desk, her expression softening just a fraction.

"As for the archives... the history of the Ryuu is a bloody and complicated tapestry as far as I can tell. Most avoid pulling at those threads for fear of what might unravel." She nodded once, granting permission. "But ignorance is a weakness I do not tolerate. You have access. Section 4, sublevel B. Just be careful what you dig up, Chuunin. Sometimes the past is buried for a reason. Make sure you keep Rei informed of your progress, as well."

[Promoting Nozomi to Chuunin]
[Promoting Ruri to Genin]
[Allowing Nozomi to learn Ancient Kumo - Classical]

 

[Ryuu Nozomi]

For a moment, Nozomi did not move. The sound of the stamp meeting paper echoed louder in her mind than it had in the room. A simple press of ink and years of expectation shifted. She watched the form slide aside, watched the declaration settle into reality. Ruri had done it, she was a Genin now.

A warmth spread through her chest that she did not attempt to suppress. It was not pride in herself, but pride in another she had helped build up. It was a sense of satisfaction and relief all at once. Like a certainty that effort had not vanished into obscurity. When the Raikage rose and stepped around the desk, Nozomi straightened instinctively, but did not stand. She held the posture of respect. Her gaze remained steady and attentive, even as the next words reshaped her own future.

Chuunin. The title did not strike her like lightning but settled like a weight upon her shoulders. Something real and deliberate.

'Kumogakure needs leaders who clean up their own messes and elevate those around them.'

Nozomi lowered her eyes briefly, not in avoidance, but in acknowledgment of her deed. The Raikage had taken in all the information of this report and saw through the logistics, diagrams, and photographs. Through of all that, the Kage saw... Her, and it was nice to feel that sense of recognition.

“I am honored, Raikage,” she said carefully, her voice steady despite the rushing current of emotion beneath it. “Shuusui Ruri has earned that headband with her own hands, and I am grateful you see what she is capable of becoming.”

She allowed herself the smallest hint of a smile at the mention of the cornerstone. The Shuusui name etched into stone as something permanent. A record of action and a hallmark to all future Shinobi that hard work does pay off.

“I believe that such a recognition will mean more than the rank itself,” she added softly.

Chuunin, the word still felt foreign as she tried to equate it to herself. Still, she managed a few words to the Raikage on the topic.

“I am humbled and I will not waste the trust you have placed in me,” Nozomi replied. There was no flourish in her tone, and she kept at bay the swelling emotion within.

“Kumogakure has given me structure, discipline, purpose, but most importantly, a home. I now understand what it means to belong to something larger than myself. I will continue to act in the village’s interest even if or when the path forward becomes complicated.”

She did not elaborate and she knew she did not need to. The Raikage would understand the implication, because leadership and politics was not a clean game. There were always uncomfortable decisions that needed to be made which required great resolve.

At the mention of the Ryuu archives, she would nod. There would be much study ahead, and yet she was grateful for the opportunity.

“I am aware that some histories are buried because they are dangerous, but ignorance would leave me vulnerable to my own blood and a possible threat in the future. Of course, I will proceed carefully, and Rei will be informed of every development. If I encounter anything that threatens the stability of this village, I will bring it directly to you."

That promise was easy to make as it was simple truth. Nozomi rose smoothly to her feet then, stepping back just enough to allow a formal bow. It was deeper this time, not submissive, but still respectful.

“Thank you again, Raikage,” she said. “For the promotion, for the access, and for trusting my judgment.”

When she straightened, her posture had shifted in a subtle but undeniable way. The nervousness she had carried into the Torre Empirea had not vanished but it had been refined into something else, responsibility and purpose.

She took a single step backward, hands at her sides.

“If there is nothing further you require of me,” she added quietly, “I will return to my duties.”

And unless stopped, she would turn and walk from the office not as the girl who had entered it that morning but as a Chuunin of Kumogakure.

[Leaving Topic as a Chuuuunin!]