It had been a long time since Moriko had seen the Kazekage in person, so it didn't seem like a bad idea to go to the impending announcement.
"Hm, I wonder what that's all about," Tsukiya said with a sense of leaden irony as they caught the talk of the crowd. He was helping her push through the crowd so she didn't have to bump too many people, as she had not wanted to stand with other members of her family.
He of course knew very well what it might have been; Moriko had told him everything about the mission that had served as her promotion to Genin with the Kazekage, including how he had been bitten by a particularly toxic creature and seemed weakened from it. But it wouldn't be a good idea to throw that one around to people who didn't already know. Especially civilians, who never would have any need to know.
Off to the left side were a smaller cluster of light blue heads, and Moriko deliberately tugged Tsukiya in the other direction.
They had both gotten taller and stronger in the last couple of years, though she was starting to outpace him in height and him her in strength. They had also started dating, run more than one mission together, and well, it was honestly better than Moriko (as a general cynic) could possible have expected. Obviously her mother had never had this level of understanding and synchronization with her father. Why would you give that up by running if you did?
(To be fair, it probably wasn't 'running' in the common ninja parlance as to her knowledge, Moriko's father had not been a ninja. He had just moved away with her twin. Objecting to the Tsurara lifestyle for his son--but not for his daughter, apparently. Swell. Moriko was glad she hadn't been taken, but also somewhat bitter that she hadn't been considered important enough to take. Clearly one take-away was 'don't marry a civilian.')
They found a spot on the right-hand side of the crowd, on the edge so Moriko could have Tsukiya between her and people who might touch her (by accident was not as bad, but it was still an irritance she could do without). It was the little things, really.
They watched, both of them cataloguing everything, she knew--her the details of the speech, him the body language and the reactions of the crowd.
"Going to try?" Tsukiya asked in a low tone after the initial speech concluded, inaduble save to her over the sounds of the crowd.
She sniffed. "I don't see why I would embarrass myself like that. I'm not yet on the level of the people they'd actually want as Sennin. Don't tell me you're considering it for yourself!"
"Mm, maybe," he said, but his tone was idle enough that she knew he wasn't really interested--or else he'd have been all-in. Likely he thought the same as her. "Do you think they only look for strength and experience?"
"Experience, yes," Moriko said. She brushed her hair back. "I think that part is likely important. You don't think he actually meant that part?"
"My read is that he does," Tsukiya said. He tilted his head, watching the stage still as the Kazekage's assistant answered questions. "It's an optimistic notion, but I believe he intends to find people who are reliable. Rather than simply entrenched and experienced. Tradition isn't a reason for anything--and given that he is bucking tradition by holding a contest rather than simply selecting Sennin as his predecessors have? That seems to indicate he means it, yes."
She ruminated on this. While she was thinking, someone actually voiced the question--and the Kazekage's assistant backed it up. Yes, any ninja.
If you believe you are not worthy. If you are not up for the challenge. Hm. She frowned.
"Clever phrasing," Tsukiya said when he noticed her expression. "Weed out those without the true inclination and challenge those who will put their hackles up. It's a light psychological trick, dear. I would wager she is even glad of the question being asked. It gives her a chance to hammer out things that would not have fit into the earlier speech."
"So there can be no doubt," she murmured, still thinking. She ignored the Jounin who was making an ass of himself, even when Tsukiya snorted derisively at the attitude.
"Idiot," Tsukiya said lowly. "If you have been deemed inadequate compared to your peers already, why declare it in front of everyone? He's also just gone and given her another opening to make a point. I have to admit this is well-handled."
Did she want to be a Sennin? Moriko did not think her odds were very good anyway, but taking the chance meant she could possibly succeed, while not doing meant she couldn't. She had pondered the idea of attempting to join an Order, sure, but this...
And did that war with her other inclinations? She had been careful to not develop a reputation for being bloodthirsty, and indeed mostly seemed to be regarded as cold. But she was, and during an intense test she might put that on display. Only...was that a bad thing, at higher ranks? Ninja killed bandits all the time. And monsters. In the light of what they had done on orders the young scuffles she and Tsukiya had had with those back-alley bandits hadn't been that serious.
Well. Never mind the actual actions--the bloodlust for its own sake was the issue.
Wasn't it?
"It's a gamble," she said finally. "There's a reason you don't want to; why doesn't that work for me too?"
"Why indeed?" he said. His smile was slightly crooked, just for her. "The reason in my case is I genuinely prefer to operate around the edges. You don't have that option and never have. You have a need to elevate yourself beyond your family that I don't possess. And even if you aren't chosen--if you attend and do well enough, you'll have done that."
Moriko pursed her lips and glanced at the stage again.
Four months.
"I'll think about it some more," she said finally. "But if I do decide to, you'll have to help me practice and review. It won't be just fighting, but it's likely it'll be a component."
"Agreed," he said solemnly. Just a quirk of a smile on his lips. She reached over and brushed a hand through dark blond hair. "I do mean it, dear."
"I know. With me, you always do." She sighed. "I suppose we hang around until it's definitely done in case there's more useful details."
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