Congratulations!?!? [Calling New Sennin]

[Kagetsu Yuii]

Yuii's eyebrows climbed at the sight of the booze, but she decides not to judge. Hadn't she just been thinking of having a few drinks herself? Raikage drinking was nothing new to Yuii. Kiyo had been quite bad when Enishi had gone away or after a stressful day. She could only imagine how difficult the change over was on Ayumu who wasn't really trained for the role. She would ask later, she decided, because someone had to make sure he was alright. It would be amongst the prying questions she was saving up, including inquiring into what had happened to his son's mother and what exactly the council had threatened to get her into Sennin.

Nervously Yuii laced her fingers together and fixed her eyes above Ayumu's head. She ought to have been prostrating herself on the floor begining for forgiveness but that felt strange regardless of Ayumu's new position. It wasn't that she didn't take him seriously, just that she didn't see how it would help the situation. "I purposefully and knowingly broke gate protocol last week", she began, voice calm, "and convinced the guard on duty to allow a friend of mine into the village. I vouched for him and assured the gate guard that I would bring him to see you. He doesn't have a lightning country passport and I was given very short notice of his arrival so there was no time to ask prior. I intended to bring him as I promised, but you were busy with the ceremony and I decided to wait for the new Main Branch Sennin to be named. It wasn't my place to decide that, I know, but it seemed like the best course of action."

There, done. She had admitted her crime. In all likelihood there was a report sitting on her new desk about what she had done. If Yuii had been the conniving type she could have checked and destroyed the evidence. Covering up Sunuke's entry into the village could have worked in her favour for a short time and if luck was on her side no one would ever follow up on it. As Main Branch Sennin she could have even snuck him into the roster without anyone being the wiser. But then there was always that slim chance that she would get caught and the damage that would do to her reputation would be irreversible. The gain wasn't worth that and what did she care if this gave him the excuse to refuse her promotion?

With a deep breath Yuii continued, wanting to defend her friend before the gavel fell. She needed Ayumu to know the man she had let in was not a threat to the village and deserved some consideration. "His name is Tanaka Sunuke. He isn't a missing-nin, he's a refugee from Fire Country. I placed him as a C-rank civilian in my reports and I've been trying for a number of years to convince him to join the village. He lived in one of my small villages, Kami no Rai and looked after the people there. They were very accepting of him, despite his heritage, and by the time I met him he was considered a part of their community." She took a deep breath, steadfastly refusing to look Ayumu in the eye while she spoke. She just couldn't stand to see how disappointed he was in her yet, "They hid him from me for the first two years I visited, you know? Mountain people are fiercely protective of their own and I'm certain they would have kept doing it too if he hadn't willingly come forward one day. We've been friends since."

That wasn't exactly the tale. Sunuke had actually bungled his way into her camp one afternoon and weaselled his way out of being dragged to Kumogakure with boy-ish charm but the details were unimportant.

"So, I guess I'm twice guilty, because I helped them to keep him. I told myself that it was in the best interest of the village I was looking after because I knew as long as Sunuke was there they would be safe but I admit that personal feelings also swayed my choices. He's ... a brother? We've grown close, and I hope that despite what I've done you'd be willing to meet him without prejudice." And if he said no? if he decided to arrest her and Sunuke? Well, Yuii didn't know. She hadn't planned for that but she could only hope they would be gentle with her friend. He was innocent in all this, after all.

 

[Kogami Ayumu]

The surprise was evident on Ayumu's face as Yuii started out with the admission that she had broken gate protocol. He had been expecting her to say something about her recent promotion. He expected her to come back and complain. But to come back and admit to purposefully disobeying the law? That was pretty low on the list. For a moment, he wondered if she was just making something up to try to disqualify herself for the position of Sennin. If it was a made up lie, she had quite some skill with coming up with a story off the top of her head. Ayumu wasn't entirely certain what to say at that moment. She had not done the right thing by the village's rules, that was clear. The guard in question also should not have simply allowed her to convince him. As she admitted, it wasn't her call to make at the time. Sure, it was her friend, but those rules were in place for a reason- the safety of Kumogakure.

Before Ayumu could say anything, she continued, painting the picture of her friend Sunuke. He was a shinobi from Leaf before their troubles with the Fire Country shogun displaced the majority of its population. Unfortunately for them, Ayumu's one interaction with a Leaf refugee had been a deranged psychopathic red head who had killed Kumogakure civilians out in the open and had to be put down. Fortunately for them, Ayumu was level headed to know that one psychotic woman didn't represent all of Konoha's refugees. From her testimony, he seemed like a decent person that chose to use his power to protect people rather than for personal gain. Ayumu sighed, crossing his arms as Yuii finished. If she had brought him immediately or even called Ayumu to the gates, this situation could have been avoided entirely.

Her request was that Ayumu would meet with the man now and give him a fair chance, despite Yuii's actions. Ayumu could either allow the meeting or he could deny it and have Sunuke expelled from the village. The decision was entirely in his hands as the Raikage. Admittedly, he had a rocky past with foreigners including one who had aided in the assassination of Shin and other attacks on the village. However, Yuii was desperately vouching for this man and had known him for a long time it seemed. After what was being asked of her, meeting this Sunuke was probably the least Ayumu could do.

"You really should have brought this to me immediately... but you know that. However busy I might be, I'll make time. I just want you to remember that in the future," Ayumu said in his best not mad just disappointed voice. "As a favor for the new Sennin, I will meet with him to decide whether or not he has to go. If he stays, he will be entirely your responsibility to watch," Ayumu said reluctantly. He leaned back in his seat, steepling his fingers. Admittedly, he was curious about this Fire Country refugee whom Yuii was so desperate to protect.

"Why is he here now all of the sudden instead of back in the village you spoke of?" he probed, wondering the refugees purpose in coming. It sounded as though this was the first time he had ever visited Kumogakure, so he wondered why he had come now of all times.

 

[Kagetsu Yuii]

"I-" Yuii opened her mouth to argue then thought better of it. She wanted to say it wasn't right that she was treated better than any other Jounin in her place. She wanted to say that she really had the best intentions when she decided not to bring Sunuke forward sooner. She had assumed she was taking the correct course of action when ANBU hadn't come to know down her door on the second day. How was she to know the new Sennin hadn't been picked yet, or that the matter hadn't been addressed at all. Apparently no one had thought it was important enough to alert Ayumu directly either, which was telling. They all knew how hard he was working, but it was more than that, there had been a complete power void while none of the Sennin were available,

Horrifyingly, she now filled that void.

"Yes Raikage-sama." she muttered, avoiding his eyes like a chastised child, "Of course." Yuii was stuck between wanting to curl up in a little ball and beg for forgiveness and standing up for herself. The former was reflex from time with her clan and the naturally assumed submission that was expected with elders, the later was her own stubbornness and confidence that had built outside of their care. She had to keep reminding herself that this was Ayumu, not her aunt Ichiko. There was likely no alternative or conditional to his forgiveness that she was obligated to full fill.

She already watched Sunuke closely, though it was not out of fear that he would cause anyone grief. He had a tendency towards getting into trouble that was mostly harmless but alarmed her sometimes. There was SO MUCH more to Kumogakure than there was to Kami no Rai. So much more opportunity to stumble into a den of criminals, or get his wallet stolen, or end up coerced into some harlots bed.

She expected Ayumu's follow up question, and she finally came up with enough bravery to look up, "Because I wasn't going to be visiting anymore." She stated, squirming slightly, "There was no reason for him to come to Kumogakure before now because I would visit twice a year." And sometimes Sunuke had tagged along, though she'd been very careful to keep work and company separate. His ability to keep up with her had been quite admirable too. Probably better not to mention that; it would sound bad.

"How should we proceed? Should I get him or would you like to ask me more?" Like pulling off a bandage, telling Ayumu had stung less than the situations her mind had created. She should have known, he really was the nicest shinobi alive.

 

[Kogami Ayumu]

Ayumu winced slightly at the Raikage-sama title Yuii used. Of course, this was what most people called him and there was no reason to dislike being referred to as such, but Yuii and he were generally friendly enough to be on a first name basis even despite his position. It was the hard truth of being the Raikage that he couldn't always be the buddy of his shinobi in every situation. That was something he still needed to work on. Even now, he was likely being too soft on Yuii. She probably realized that too, even if part of her wanted to complain that he chastised her at all.

To his question about the reason for Sunuke's visit, Yuii gave the obvious answer. A visit, mainly because she was planning on staying in Kumogakure for a while now. There would probably be even less chances to visit now that she was the Sennin. He realized that this was a hard burden to place on Yuii, given her love of traveling. All the more reason why he felt obligated to give her guest a chance. She asked whether or not she should bring him now prompting a nod from Ayumu.

"Yeah, bring him here as soon as possible. Technically he shouldn't be inside the village yet since he wasn't approved, so we ought to rectify that... make sure our new Sennin is on the up and up officially. So long as he's as harmless as you say he is," Ayumu said with a grin. Of course, how would he really be able to tell from a meeting whether or not the man was truly harmless? That was the trouble, he supposed. Yet another decision that would fall to him now and in the future.

"Chop chop!" he said, shooing Yuii with his hand jokingly.

[Topic Left upon Yuii leaving]

 

[Kagetsu Yuii]

Yuii nodded in agreement and cringed once again a little at the reminder. Sennin, why? Why her. It made her want to steal that badly hidden bottle off Ayumu and drink memory of today away. How dare he force her to be a responsible shinobi that had to be held to standard.

The blue haired woman blushed and managed a wry smile at the joke. Ayumu really was the best. "Y-yes right away! I-I'll have to go get him. Wont be long." she answered, saluting half seriously. One might consider is a conspiracy that Yuii's home had ended up close to the Torre. It had been her request to be able to see it and a large amount of work had been undertaken to acquire her tiny space. It would be convenient for her from now on, and she didn't have far to run to collect Sunuke. Hopefully Ayumu wouldn't change his mind or drink himself under his desk while she was away.

She rushed to leave then paused and tossed back a sincere, "Thank-you!" before shutting the door behind her.

Here was hoping Sunuke was awake or wearing pants.

[Topic Left - I'll create another for this in the morning]