Fire + Lightning = Plasma [Private]

[Seijin]

Thumbing through the book about the history of the Raikage, Umashi found himself thoroughly engrossed in the biographical work. It was interesting to see that they had such a deep and rich history. It was certainly more than Umashi could say about Konoha. While they had a deep history, the majority of it was filled with what the Daimyo did, not about what the Hokage before him were about. Their names were mostly lost to history itself as it wasn't until more recently with the Yamaguchi clan that such remembrances became common knowledge. Of course it could probably also be said that the Hokage before Yamaguchi Kami were most definitely puppets of the Daimyo. The room that he currently sat in was quite cozy and considering the woodwork of the table that he sat at, the craftsmen were definitely at their best here.

Shifting in his chair, the white ceremonial Hokage robes that he wore were . . . not his natural style in the least but official meetings called for such fomarlities. Umashi would be far more comfortable if he could be in his common everyday pirate gear but when one was meeting with a fellow Kage, one had to dress the part of a shinobi, not a pirate. Feeling a bit rebelious to the established order though, Umashi refused to wear anything but his pirate boots. People ought to be focusing on his policies and his words rather than the shoes he wore . . . right? Turning another page in the book, Umashi got to the section talking about Shinbatsu and was instantly a fan. A man much like himself who possibly rose from the ashes of slavery to become a well known leader? For a moment Umashi's blank face cracked a smile as he gestured to the picture of the man on the page. "Now this is a man after my own heart." Having had Kaji alert the Raikage of his presence and being told that the Raikage may or may not be showing up with "others", Umashi continued reading a book as he formed in his own mind ideas of how history would see him.


OOC: The Meeting Agenda that was sent to Ayumu is below. It's expected that Kumo's Sennin/other prominent people might be involved with the meeting as well. Kaji is considered to be in the room with me per this post even if he ends up posting out of order.
- Medic's without borders between Konoha and Kumo.
- Transcontinental Railroad.
- Border dispute between Bear Hoshi and Konoha concerning an island off itheir shared coastline.

OOC 2: The Hokage robes are the quintessential Hokage robes with Nidaime Hokage written on the back. Umashi's profile can be accessed via my signature.

Spoiler

 

[Kogami Ayumu]

A late night had Ayumu dead on his feet this morning. A demon possessed child running amuck in the village and sending a child to the hospital was the kind of thing that people expected the Raikage to pay attention to, unfortunately. That meant a number of late nights to come, even after the night of the incident itself. The work of a kage was never really done, something Ayumu expected Umashi understood himself. Still, even if Umashi did understand, Ayumu hoped the man wouldn't pick up on the fatigue Ayumu was hiding that morning. After the Hokage's arrival at the tower was announced to Ayumu, he stopped what he was doing immediately. He stood up from his desk, retrieving his swords and made his way to the stairs which he took one flight down to the conference rooms where Umashi and his party had been led.

Upon arriving on the proper floor he noticed Yuii had showed up around the same time, or perhaps had been waiting for him, and was looking about as exhausted as he was. At this point, out of sight of the Leaf shinobi, Ayumu was making no effort to disguise his lack of sleep. "You look like I feel," Ayumu said, his statement followed by an involuntary yawn which he stifled with one hand. Thinking about it, he realized that he probably looked like he felt as well. He slapped both of his cheeks simultaneously to wake his face up a bit before proceeding down the hallway to the door to the conference room which had been closed for the moment. "Here we go," he said as he paused for a moment at the door before opening it and stepping inside with Yuii just behind him.

The conference room chosen was probably the nicest they had, reserved especially for this meeting today because of that very fact. A large mahogany table sat in the middle of the room accompanied by several comfortable wooden chairs with cushions, the majority of which would go unused in this meeting. A few reading materials, which Umashi had found, sat in the middle of the table for the perusal of guests who were awaiting being seen alongside a pitcher of water and glasses. A large window spanned the largest section of the wall across from the doorway from the hallway giving an excellent view of the village below and filling the room with natural light so long as the curtains were open. Fortunately around this time of day the sun wasn't pouring straight in but giving enough light to make the overhead lights unnecessary. The other walls were decorated with portraits of former Raikage.

"Good morning," Ayumu said, all evidence of his lack of sleep gone as he looked at Kaji and Umashi, noting the robes which Umashi had adorned for the meeting. Ayumu had debated on wearing his own but had opted out of it given the last time he had seen Umashi the man wore nothing of the kind. Now he wondered if he had made the right decision. "Ah, the Hokage have robes like that as well? Interesting, I wonder if the tradition can be traced back to some shared origin. I hope you can forgive my not wearing my own. In truth, I only do if forced, usually," Ayumu admitted. At least he was still in the uniform that he usually wore which came across as pretty formal anyway. Leaning his two sheathed swords against the back of a chair, Ayumu took a seat across from Umashi leaving Yuii the choice to take a seat herself or stand at her preference.

"Well now. Where do we begin? I've never met another kage, to be honest. Should we talk about our interests? Our likes and dislikes?" Ayumu joked. He hoped that joking was appropriate. From the brief interaction he already had with Umashi, he seemed like the kind of guy to appreciate it given that he had cracked a joke of his own back at the gates. It seemed like a safe enough bet that he wasn't that straight-laced. Ayumu knew what was on the agenda, of course, but the details were really known only to the men across the table from him. He would leave it to Umashi to begin the conversation in earnest.

 

[Okada Kaji]

The sunlight peeking over the mountains indicated the morning hours as it shined through the wide conference room window, blinding Kaji. He was standing by idly, idling with squinting, baggy eyes still bloodshot from the long night before. He felt as if he hadn’t had a wink of sleep, and every other breath he took came out as a yawn. For the occasion, Kaji had come dressed in the standard uniform of Leaf Shinobi, detailed as follows: a 7th edition, pale green flak jacket that was half-zipped with a kunai holstered over a shoulder, a long-sleeved jersey in midnight blue, a red unity band on one arm, the scimitar Eelspine strapped to his waist, a tool pouch full of sharp things, and black slacks that led down to his blacker leather boots. He didn’t bother with a clunky headband though and wore his pewter leaf pendant on his collar instead.

However, Kaji was as professional as they came, and already set up a coffee pot in the far corner of the spacious meeting chamber. In fact, Kaji had brought along a small satchel of ground coffee beans with an exceptional strength he acquired at Port Cirrus. He was waiting beside the brewing pot as if he were guarding it and not the Hokage, who was indulging in some light reading in his downtime. “Get ready for the greatest deal we’ve ever seen” Kaji bantered, trying to make light of the tense waiting period. But in all seriousness, Kaji was impressed that they had arranged the meeting with such ease, in a village so guarded as Kumogakure. Ever since their days in Stone, Kaji had good reason to be confident in the leadership of the Nidaime Hokage, Umashiashikabihikoji.

The guarded Jounin then stiffened his posture as the Raikage and his first Sennin, Yuii proceeded into the chamber. There was a tinge of red in his cheeks as he laid eyes on them, particularly the sennin, whom he spent an adventurous time with the evening before; their meet up by chance at the Tavern. Kaji bashfully looked away is if all of their deeds would flow from his mouth if he made eye-contact with any of them. “Good morning everyone,” he said evenly, trying not to place any emphasis on the woman still near the center of his attention. Kaji then sank into the background as the two Kage engaged in their discussions. He changed his pursuit to the coffee pot and accouterments and began fixing a much-needed mug of stimulating brew for himself.​

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[Kagetsu Yuii]

Ayumu wasn't late, Yuii was just early like usual, but there was no way the cerulean haired shinobi was going in that conference room alone. Facing down the Hokage and his guard, the latter of whom had a finesse for turning her into a stuttering school girl, with her paltry banter and non-apologies over the lateness of her leader was not the Kunoichi's idea of a good time. Given the throbbing in her head, it wouldn't take much to a critical verbal error that turned the meeting hellward fast. So Yuii was very quietly and pondered the cold shoulder Sunuke had met her with that morning and tried not to dwell on anything prior lest she let her idiocy show.

Right on time, Ayumu arrived and Yuii accessed him quickly, unhappy to see he looked really tired. One of them ought to have been well rested for this, but life just hadn't gotten the memo. "Gee thanks, Kogami," she returned dryly, rubbing absently at one sleep shadowed eye and biting back to offer to give him a second wake up slap. That was exactly what a girl wanted to hear so early in the morning; that she looked like a grizzled, under rested man. it was such lovely exchanges that explained why his partner refused to live with him. "I apologise if you tried to contact me last night," she acknowledged having heard of the prior night's chaos at the academy and offered no excuse for being unreachable.

As they entered the room, Yuii took in the sight of both men. Umashi was comfortably reading and Kaji was tending to coffee like it was the elixir of life. Seeing Umashi dressed nearly Kage proper, Yuii was admittedly a bit disappointed Ayumu hadn't dusted off the silly robes and ridiculous hat for this meeting. In her two sizes too big grey turtleneck and standard black leggings, Yuii was not the artist's depiction of a Sennin either though, so she had not right to judge. Anyone offended by her desire to be comfortable could suck the golden god's balls. She made note of any weapons, as was her job, and returned Kaji's far too chipper good morning with a nod. In true Kogami fashion, he simply brushed aside his own fashion choices and bumbled along conversationally like this was Kage themed speed dating session.

Yuii hovered behind Ayumu's chair, torn between finding a chair to pass out in and the heavenly aroma of coffee. But who was she kidding, the minute Ayumu realised there was caffeine on hand Yuii would be obligated to get him a cup so she may as well beat him to it and win a few brownie points and get her fix at the same time. She left the two to their chit chat and made a line for the drink. "That's for share, right coffee angel?" she teased Kaji quietly as not to disturb the two leaders and joining him in the far more important protection of the brew, "I think me and mine could use it."

 

[Seijin]

Umashi gave a hearty laugh. "Oh believe me, this is the only time I've actually ever worn them. I find them to be far too . . . conspicuous for my taste, and that's saying something coming from my days as a pirate. There's definitely some shared great-great-great-great-grandfather or mother who swore that their fashion sense was going to change the world. Little did they know . . ." Having half a mind to take the darn things off, Umashi thought better of it and shook his head as he got down to talking. He'd accept a water since he didn't really care for coffee all that much. The fact that Ayumu might not have met another Kage before struck Umashi as odd at first, but then he realized that Ayumu probably hadn't been Raikage too much longer than he'd been Hokage.

Which also in turn begged the question of where was Shin. Quickly running through all the scenarios in his mind, Umashi decided to table the question until after things were being discussed. If he knew anything about the shinobi world, it was that Kage rarely if ever retired because they wanted to. Getting to Ayumu's question, Umashi swam out of his own thoughts as everyone began to find some sort of order to the room and spread his hands in a shrugging manner. "What's there to say about me? I'm a caffeine addict, I don't like being too far away from the ocean and I uhhh, I like turtles." Folding his hands, Umashi sat back in his chair. He was certainly glad that the spotlight was off of him as he motioned with an open hand towards Ayumu. "How about yourself?" Pretty harmless question all things considered and it would allow for an easier transition to the topics that needed discussing.

 

[Kogami Ayumu]

Ayumu found it a relief to hear that he wasn't the only one who wasn't thrilled with the usual kage attire. He felt a bit better about lacking the robes himself presently, though on the other hand it said something that Umashi had put them on despite his distaste for them and Ayumu hadn't. Ayumu watched as Yuii made her way to the coffee and silently hoped that she would bring him some. He hadn't noticed it before he had taken a seat and felt weird at the thought of getting up for some now. Hopefully she wasn't too mad about his unintentionally rude comment earlier. He'd just been trying to commiserate about being tired. Interestingly, she seemed friendly with the Leaf shinobi that Umashi had brought. The cute nickname reminded him somewhat of her interaction with Yoshi when they had first met.

Those thoughts aside, it seemed Umashi had decided to play along with Ayumu's humor as he began actually listing his likes and dislikes before turning the question back on Ayumu. Chuckling Ayumu hadn't been prepared to actually answer this question. What did he like? "Well, by obligation I have to say I like my family. My son and his mother. I mean, I would say that anyway, of course," Ayumu said as he leaned back in his chair. That was the easy answer. "What else? I'm a bit of a fanatic for swords," he added, gesturing his thumb to point backwards to the swords leaning against the back of his chair. "Never leave home without 'em. I sometimes think of them as my friends," Ayumu said, leaving it up to the room to decide whether he was joking or not on that last point.

"Hmm, oh, and on that note whiskey and I go way back, too," he added with a laugh. One of the greatest perks of being the Raikage were the random gifts of alcohol that had wound up starting his collection in his apartment upstairs. There was a veritable wall of liquor... it was a wonder that he didn't drink every night. His body would thank him for his self control later in life. Ayumu had been worried that this meeting would be all stiff and boring, but he was enjoying it well enough thus far. Of course, if somebody didn't steer them to the important topics of discussion he'd continue with just shooting the shit all day.

 

[Okada Kaji]

So the story goes that a meeting of the minds was off to a good start, with some light banter shared between the Hokage and Raikage. Reasonably so, their conversation first addressed a topic only the two of them would understand— kage fashion, which seemed trivial to the likes of Kaji, who never knew that the Kage faced so much pressure to wear ceremonial hats and robes.

By the time Yuii circled around the room to the small coffee cabinet where Kaji was posted, Kaji had his own mug in hand and taking a sip. The steam rolling off the top was warmly inviting, and the flavor of the good blend of coffee with a hint of sugar and cream restored the harmony on his palette. Kaji still had the mug to his lips but forced a slight nod the moment he took the mug away, welcoming her to the pot of hot java. “Well, of course, help yourselves,” he said in a muted tone, attempting not to interrupt the Kages’ conversation. “I aim to serve… A little pick-me-up is surely in store for us both, and your boss does seem a little on the rough side as well.” He then winked slyly, trying to take some measure of satisfaction from an otherwise groggy result he was feeling. Their decisions to spend last night partying at the posh hotel where they stayed was not their best choices. However, Kaji had fun and gained a new friend in Yuii; his present, drained state was a worthwhile price to pay for it all. He would have done it again, and surely aimed to do so. A soft smirk forming from cheek to cheek indicated as much.

And when she began preparing not one but two mugs of coffee, Kaji glanced at the Hokage and squinted when he realized his own error in not thinking so tentatively. It was then that Umashi shared the truth that he craved coffee as much as the rest of them, so Kaji took the hint and began preparing a mug for the busy Hokage as well. Attempting to be decisive, Kaji resolved to duplicate his own preferred cup of brew, with a splash of cream, and two cubes of sugar, to not ruin the flavor of the coffee itself. He arrived from around the Hokage’s side and held out the mug if he would have it. “Your coffee, Lord Hokage,” he said, just raising above a whisper.​

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[Kagetsu Yuii]

Jesus Saito, it really was turning into a date. Yuii side eyed the pair of Kage then rolled her eyes while setting up cups for herself and Ayumu. They were well matched, but she would do the world a service and leave this conversation out if interviewed. 'The Hokage likes turtles and the Raikage drinks too much' would be an embarrassing headline for them all. As for Yuii, she could think of a million other things she wanted to be doing, one of which kept smirking at her. It took all her resolve not to grin back like an idiot, infectious as it was.

Speaking of turtles, Yuii felt like one. She was moving at an embarrassingly slow pace to make up for her blurry vision and less than settled stomach. It wasn't until Ayumu's cringe-worthy line about his swords that she managed to pour both cups without spilling. It was a wonder of shinobi talent that she got the mug to her commander and chief without incident. "Just coffee, they forgot your whisky, Raikage-sama," Yuii interjected dryly, setting Ayumu's cup on the table in front of him then returning for her own. The Raikage had ample chance to ask for cream and sugar so if that wasn't his preference then he would have to suffer through black. In her own Yuii loaded enough sugar to invoke the old joke 'coffee with your sugar?' but skipped the cream. Coffee connoisseurs had nightmares of her drink.

The bright sun wasn't pleasant on her eyes and strengthened the dull throb in her head but in a bid to convince her body it was morning no matter how much she longed for bed Yuii settled not on a chair but at the window to soak in some heat. If they were going to talk about trivial things, she was going to find the least objectional way to get through it, she decided while leaning against the glass and sipping at her sugar drink. From their many breakfast meetings, Yuii knew Ayumu could banter for hours and if Umashi was the same they might not get to the meat of the meeting until lunch. "I could have stayed in bed," she sighed under her breath longingly

 

[Seijin]

"Did you say whiiiiiiiskey?" Umashi let the word roll off of his tongue with a devilish grin and a chuckle. Oh, how he loved whiskey. However, there was important business to get to so he thanked Kaji for the coffee although he wondered if the guy was being funny. Umashi liked his caffeine in energy drinks and tea, not coffee. For the first time in a few years, Umashi slowly sipped on the coffee. Perhaps it was time that he opened up to people more if such mistakes as this were commonplace. Brushing the unintended slight aside, Umashi got down to business. "On to business eh?"

At this he'd pull out a folder full of information about the agenda and the first paper out of the folder was one with Iwagakure and Kumogakure insignias at the top of it. "Iwa and Kumo were in talks, or rather, Junko and I were in talks when I was in Kumo to perhaps have regular trips between the two's medical shinobi programs. The idea was that it would help with a more shared knowledge of specialties but also as a sign of good faith, a "medics without borders" sort of thing. Although Iwagakure was intended to honor the deal, now that Konoha back in shinobi hands, I'd hope that none would be opposed to Konoha honoring the deal in Iwa's place. My shinobi training is in the medical arts and it's no secret back home that I favor medics in terms of the company that I keep."

Then again . . . if Kaji had given him coffee then perhaps people didn't know that he preferred medics as friends either. Once again Umashi dismissed the thought. There was little need to embarrass the man in front of his new lady friend or worse, his new lady friend and her boss. Blocking was only for the weak-minded and childish. Umashi could silently suffer through anything, but Kaji would be personally paying for drinks later on to fix this. "Naturally any decision that I and Junko made as medical professionals still needs to involve you but we're more than able to accommodate Kumo medics who're willing to teach and be taught, in Konoha." Giving Ayumu the chance to speak on his take, Umashi sipped at more coffee. One thing was for certain, Kaji would definitely need to learn more about him if he was to be the Kage Guard Sennin.

 

[Kogami Ayumu]

Coffee was placed in front of Ayumu, no whiskey to be found unfortunately. "Thank you, Yuii. I suppose it would have been too early, eh?" he commented, staring down at the coffee which had a nice aroma to it all the same. He felt a bit bad about Yuii bringing him coffee. She wasn't his secretary or even his guard, after all. Then again, he would have no qualms in doing so for a friend had their roles been switched. The arrival of coffee seemed to be the indicator that it was time to get to work. Umashi proceed a folder from which he retrieved a piece of paper. If Ayumu recalled, the first item on the agenda was to talk about cooperation between the medical branches of Kumogakure and Konohagakure. As expected, this was the first thing Umashi moved to discuss. He addressed the agreement that Iwa and Kumo had come to about their own medical branches, suggesting that Konoha might also take part in the joint effort. Ah, this was the point where it would have been helpful to have Junko around. Alas, it seemed he was attending to other matters for Ayumu was fending for himself.

Taking a sip of his coffee, Ayumu had to resist the urge to spit it back out. 'Is this... black? Yuii, queen of sugar, didn't add a single granule?' Ayumu thought. He looked briefly in her direction to see that she was still grinning and ogling Kaji whilst making her sugar with a little coffee splashed in. She hadn't been replaced with an evil twin it seemed. So was this her way of punishment for making her bring him coffee? He'd have to apologize later, if she was truly upset. For now, he was left to wonder how was he going to get through the entire cup when a sip made him want to pour the entire cup out. He shook his head, forcing himself to forget the coffee and focus on Umashi.

"Ah... yes, Junko and I have talked about the arrangement with Iwagakure. To my understanding, the deal is still on. From the start, it's sounded like a good idea to me. As the largest, or perhaps only, shinobi villages of our respective countries, I don't see us as being in direct competition with one another in most cases. I'm more than happy to extend a hand of friendship to any village willing to do the same, whether that's Iwa or Konoha. Our medical branches seem the perfect start to build that bridge. I'm afraid Junko couldn't be here today, but I am certain he will be thrilled to discuss the technical details with you, as much as he was to work with Iwagakure," Ayumu replied, feeling confident that the meeting was going well so far. It was a relief that the new leader of Leaf was interested in making peace. It could easily have been the opposite. If Konoha and Kumo could form an alliance, that would be one less threat to worry about in a world which tended towards hating or fearing shinobi.

The nature of his coffee had slipped Ayumu's mind as he absentmindedly took another sip which he came to immediately regret. He cleared his throat for a moment before continuing. "I'm sure our medics would learn a lot from one another," he added, trying to disguise his displeasure with the drink.

 

[Okada Kaji]

Kaji’s left eyelid was twitching in a nervous tick as he stood there, in what was quickly becoming a personal hell for the man. Not a single one of the three people with him in this room understood what it meant to consume quality coffee, and now they lounged about, sneering whenever they sipped from their porcelain mugs. Umashi was visibly cringing when he drank as if it was actual hard liquor, and Kogami spewed the drink as if someone insisted the mug was poisoned. Even Yuii, a lovely woman Kaji cherished, seemed like god’s perfect creation for the last twenty-four hours, only to fall from grace as she destroyed her coffee with a pile of sugar. Disappointed in her most of all, Kaji’s heart sank, and his corner of the room darkened in his profound sadness. No seriously, it literally darkened as his innate grasp of the power of shadows accentuated his emotion, and dimmed the presence of light around him. He hopelessly sipped at his own mug, no longer able to truly enjoy the drink with the others treating their helpings so savagely. He thought to correct them for their actions but wisely bit his tongue, as this was no time or place to talk about sourcing coffee beans.

Meanwhile, the meeting itself had moved on to more meaningful subjects such as the legacy of democracy between the Hidden Stone and Cloud, and the potential of simply renewing it with the Hidden Leaf instead. Kaji lifted his head from sulking long enough to recognize the deal in progress, and the implications it meant for medical shinobi such Sara, who was a former student to him. Exchanges in wisdom meant saving more lives, and greater quality of life for their people. The idea of a brighter future rekindled his Will of Fire, and Kaji quickly overcame the triviality of their poor taste in beverages. The shadowy veil faded. The two kages were a lost cause when it came to coffee, but he wouldn’t give up on his ladylove so easily. Kaji revealed a softened smile and dreaming eyes, as he could only have for Yuii as he looked across the room at her, set on saving her from the ignorance.

 

[Kagetsu Yuii]

They were all suffering in their own way, though some more than others. Party all night he said, our Kage will never be the wiser he said. Damn Kaji's charming smile and her own bad choices. Their time spent together was not regrettable, far from it, but there had been a point of no return when they were passing that bottle back and forth that Yuii should have said no. She could have saved herself a lot of grief by showing some restraint, a quality that didn't come easily to her. As she listened to the two kage speaking of the medical branch and matters that had no effect on her branch, Yuii held back a long sigh of discomfort. Her head was beginning to hurt more and more as time passed, and soon enough she wouldn't be able to stand the sunlight that was keeping her at a pleasant temperature. Hangovers came slowly and with a vengeance when your night of drinking and bedroom merriment had only ended a few hours before. Sadly, the trio of men would no doubt not find it all that cute if she passed out in a dark corner even with such a casual atmosphere. Yuii wasn't in a hurry to embarrass herself as a hardened shinobi either.

There was a light crunch noise as she chewed on the undissolved sugar from her not-coffee.

Cracking one eye open, Yuii searched out Kaji to take some small measure of comfort in the fact that he was suffering as much as she was. It was a bit cruel, but they had decided such a fate together so had better be paying the same price. The gloomy sight she was met with, however, was unexpected and Yuii's brown creased with worry. Was he angry about something to do with the medics, she wondered, or had the cat man's name evoked some old ire? If he had to spew she hoped for all their sakes he could find a bucket. Vomiting at a Kage meeting was not something meant for the history books.

Their eyes met, and whatever had caused the darkness looked to be forgotten by the raven haired Kage guard's to be replaced by a gentle smile that Yuii returned. It was hard to be grumpy about a little pain when it was for such a good cause.

Sip. Crunch.

 

[Seijin]

Whew, Umashi was glad to hear that things were all good on that front. "Great! I'll begin the paperwork for Junko's clearance to the village and those that travel with him before we leave here." Smiling, Umashi placed that one particular file to the side as he brought up another one only this would prove to be something new entirely with no previous buildup. "Concerning the second item on the agenda, the Transcontinental Railroad, were there any questions that you had with the basic concept? I know that it was a lengthy set of schematics and figures but I believe that with such an undertaking, the payoff outweighs the cost and labor. If I might add though, I'm still going to need your experts on the best route between our countries since we do not share a border." Another sip of the coffee, although the taste wasn't there, at least the caffeine content was so the kick was getting to be in full effect.

With the transcontinental railroad what Umashi was seeking to do was usher in a new age of commerce for the continent with the leaders of the movement being the "Great Shinobi Villages". With that he'd need at least the Raikage's help to get things started since they were the Eastern most hubs on the map. With what Umashi was proposing, Kumo would help supply the route permits along with half the neccesary raw materials needed to finish the train and tracks themselves. Konoha would supply the rest and for their involvement, Kumo would receive a 55/45 split, taking the greater portion. Umashi only took the lower portion because he believed that ultimately, the key to being a good business man was to make a strong argument even stronger by making a deal too good to resist. Now all he needed to see was if the Raikage was still considering the idea after he'd read the documents sent to him before and had had time to think on them.

OOC: Sorry for the exposition via RP. Since certain things were discussed in mod-land ultimately we know where this idea ends up but it doesn't hurt to keep things IC. Any questions made IC will be explained away as Umashi's bad handwriting/a lengthy document leading to possible confusion.

 

[Kogami Ayumu]

It was nearly impossible not to notice the gloom being exuded from Kaji's corner of the room, even as Umashi and Ayumu were coming to an understanding over the cooperation between their medical branches. Fortunately, it seemed to clear up as the conversation progressed. In fact, he seemed almost gleeful as he looked across the room- at what? Ayumu quietly traced his line of sight to see Yuii, whom was also looking back at him, the both of them smiling. Was it politeness, or was there something more to it? Ayumu hadn't the time to consider it as Umashi moved on to the next subject- the railroad. This item hadn't been something Ayumu was expecting to see on the agenda when he had received it in advance. It was fortunate that he had been given time to look it over first. He was certainly no expect on the financial aspects of building such a railroad, but he had taken it to a couple members of the council in order to verify that it was doable. The answer: with Konoha's cooperation? Yes.

"Well... I've personally avoided trains since I... had a bad experience," Ayumu began, opting not to tell the story of the time he glided onto the roof of a train and fought his way inside before the train ultimately derailed. "But I was able to speak to some of those experts... they believe it's entirely plausible with some work. It'll be complicated, for sure. A number of people will need to be convinced our end, but given how the railroad will undoubtedly benefit those whose territory it runs through... it seems likely we should be able to work it out," Ayumu continued. As Raikage, he was not the be-all-end-all leader of the country. That was the Shogun. However, being in charge of the most powerful military in the country, even if not the largest, gave him some added, perhaps unofficial, influence that the daimyo of the various provinces didn't have.

Ayumu took another sip of his coffee unintentionally and fought off the cringe. "The country has some infrastructure in place already with the railroads we have present. We'll likely be able to make some connections with what already exists. I do think that in the end, everyone involved with benefit. Maybe I'll even get on a train again," Ayumu joked with a laugh. It was about time he got over the whole incident- after all, it wasn't the train's fault that it was derailed.

 

[Okada Kaji]

By the time Kaji saw the bottom of his emptied mug of coffee, Umashi was transitioning the conversation to the second topic of discussion. The idea of sliding from one end of the land to another within a massive steel behemoth sounded incredible to Kaji. By all means, Kaji was no simpleton but train systems never made it beyond conceptual stages in his homeland; the Land of Earth, or even in the Land of Fire. The technology wasn’t exactly new, but strict trade laws in the Land of Earth made acquiring the assets and funding for a railroad impossibly difficult, and a state of civil war hindered a lot of technological advances in the Land of Fire over the last decade. Suddenly, the idea of traversing the land from Konoha to Kumo in a day’s time was becoming a reality. The possibilities for his future were opened wide, and Kaji almost faded away into a daydream considering them all. Last night was amazing, but Kaji couldn’t help but recognize the infeasibility of a meaningful relationship with Yuii over two borders, and a land of bears wedged between them. This concept was like a dream come true as the promise of sharing a few nights might have just expanded much, much more. It seemed as if the sky was the only limit from here.

Given The Cloud’s long-standing implementation of the railroad system, Ayumu shared what sounded like a foreboding experience with trains, though it did not deter Kaji’s interest in the slightest; luckily that wasn’t the Raikage’s intention. Just like the subject of their medicine, Ayumu was proving to be a stand-up guy and insisted that he would pull the strings needed to make the Transcontinental Railroad a possibility. Kaji was fully invested in the idea, so much that it added new vigor to him, even overpowering his hangover: though, it might have been that coffee kicking in. Any less restraint and Kaji would have made an outburst then, volunteering to help survey the paths and clearing out the dangers that would lay in the way of new railways. The idea would have to wait, but Kaji would do anything and everything needed to make his dream a reality.

 

[Kagetsu Yuii]

Ayumu had a difficult task in front of him, and Yuii wondered if Umashi knew exactly how much he was asking of her Raikage. A connecting railroad would need to span Bear country, permission for which would need to come from the pregnancy encombered Bear queen Ekaterina who by all reports wasn't communicating with Lightning Country again despite her engagement to the Shogun. Then there would be speaking to the chancellor and the council of the Eleven moons on which the main Daimyo sat. They would need a majority vote, promised of material donation and ample cooperation for their generally greedy country lords. Following that was petitioning the Shogun himself, who was a former shinobi and indebted to Kumogakure for once saving him, but unlikely to be quick to link his country with their close contender and rumoured backer of Marsh during prior wars. The sheer amount of paperwork would be daunting, the hours of formal meetings nauseating and poor Ayumu would have a hard time avoiding a few train rides. Hopefully, the positives to trade and travel would be worth the labour because Yuii had a feeling there would be some delegation happening that she wouldn't entirely agree with.

The sun was painful now, so Yuii moved to seat herself next to Ayumu at the table. The temptation to lay her head down and rest were strong. She was wrestling with that when Ayumu took a sip of his bitter drink and looked none too pleased. With an amused snort, she jabbed him in the knee then made the quick trip to get the small containers of milk and sugar. Ayumu could fix his own drink, she decided, he was a big shinobi who needed no woman to sugar up his coffee. That done she tried to half nap and half eye up Kaji in a not entirely appropriate manner but could be passed as watching for an attack. She was playing bodyguard after all.

 

[Seijin]

Nodding, Umashi could agree that it would take much work to pull the transcontinental project together but he was sure that in the end, it would benefit all. A tad bit startled to hear that Ayumu had had a bad incident with trains, Umashi whistled. "I'll have to tell you about the first time I rode a camel through the deserts of the Wind Country. I'll never trust another one again I tell you!" Moving aside the documentation about the train system though, Umashi would slowly transition to the final topic on the agenda. Of course there was other small talk about bad travel experiences, like the one time Umashi saw a medic thrown off a United Sealines ship or the time that the tortoise beat the hare. When getting to the final agenda note though, Umashi visibly paused as he took a sip of his coffee and cleared his throat before continuing on. This was the part in the trip where there was most likely to be push back.

"About Fire-Star Island . . ." Letting the unofficially-official name of the disputed island hang in the air, Umashi fully expected a thousand ANBU to flood the room and utterly try to end him at the mere mention of it. A small somewhat backwater island, the disputed land rested just off the coast of the Bear Country. Far enough North to be considered clearly theirs by default, but just South enough for the Fire Country to have an established presence on the island, there had been a virtual "Cold War" concerning it for the better part of two decades. The Bear Country claimed that it was theirs due to proximity, which was true, but while they'd noted it on their maps since time unannounced, it was the Fire Country that eventually settled people on the island first and planted a flag on it.

Some said that it was due to the hidden treasure of a Fire Country Daimyo from long ago that kept the Fire Country from letting go of the territorial claim. Others claimed that it was due to tactical positioning that the Bear Country refused to let it go. What all could agree on was the fact that the Fire Country was the big bully just waiting for the opportunity for the regional big brother Lightning Country to turn a blind eye before they annexed it. It was a subject that most didn't talk about unless they were in that particular region of the Bear-Fire border but eventually the situation was going to come to head. Recently the Fire Country had lost contact with their settlement on the island and suddenly the threat of the Cold War going hot was all too real.

Whereas before the subject might have been deemed political suicide, Umashi opted to face the situation head on since Konoha was now the de facto leader of the whole of the Fire Country. If the situation resulted in boots on the ground so to speak, then Umashi and Ayumu might be meeting on a battlefield that neither of them actually wanted to be on. That and Kaji and his seemingly new love interest might end up living out the saddest love story ever told. Continuing on after the dramatic pause, Umashi didn't make any sudden movements but he did slowly pull out his most recent notes about the situation. Using a series of spy networks, Umashi had managed to devise that the Fire Country civilians on the island were doing just fine in fact, but that there was a barricade of ships keeping most anyone from getting in and getting out. Apparently there were those that weren't even sure if the barricade was actually of the Bear Country as they flew no discernible flags.

"I'd like to get ahead of the situation before things turn sour. Normally this sort of thing wouldn't involve Konoha per-say but since our Daimyo recently passed on, I'm the highest ranking official in the country until a new one is appointed. Trust me, I want this thing ended quickly but . . . is there any way that you or your Shogun could mediate an audience between Konoha and whoever is willing to talk in the Bear Country? I'm afraid that if some consensus isn't reached between the Fire Country and the Bear Country then one of the coastal powers of the Fire Country might light the powder keg of war." In fact, there were rumors about such a thing being talked about. Some within his country felt as though it was their highborn right to the island and they certainly weren't afraid to disregard a request by Konoha to stay put until things were smoothed over. Perhaps Ayumu's findings had proved fruitful concerning possible talks.

OOC: We haven't exactly super fleshed out the idea but I trust that we can craft the backstory of things as we go from our differing positions on the whole ordeal. Also, Fire-Star Island was the best thing that I could come up with on such short notice and it kinda fits as a disputed islands unofficial yet still somewhat official name. @_@

 

[Kogami Ayumu]

Ayumu took notice as Yuii sat down and winced subtly at the jabbed his knee and got up again. Meanwhile, Umashi recounted a poor encounter he had with a camel in Wind Country. Ayumu chuckled. "You understand then. I feel I can really only fully trust my own legs to get me around. That said, it was pretty thrilling walking around on top of a moving train!" Ayumu admitted. He had been a big thrill seeker when he was younger, though he had calmed down immensely with age. A moment later, Yuii returned with the milk and sugar, a small miracle.

"You're a savior," Ayumu whispered to her briefly before going to work improving his coffee immensely. She would have been fully justified to watch him suffer through the coffee for making her bring it to him in the first place, but the benevolent Yuii had saw fit to watch Ayumu suffer no longer. He definitely owed her some cake. Adding a couple spoons of sugar and topping off the cup with milk, Ayumu began quietly mixing the drink as Umashi continued. The next item on the agenda with the island which both Fire Country and Bear Country claimed was rightfully theirs. If Umashi expected to be swarmed by shinobi for simply bringing up the island, he might find the lack of response anticlimactic. Ayumu simply raised his redeemed cup of coffee and took a short sip, the most satisfying one yet.

The unspoken tension between Fire and Bear over the island had been ongoing for a long time. Lightning Country and Kumogakure had little skin in the game concerning which country claimed the island. Regardless, Lightning had no claim and no reason to care. However, a war occurring between Fire and Bear with the two shinobi villages involved would be a disaster which Kumogakure would have a high chance of being drawn into. Ayumu was aware of the cold war, but it had been an established grudge for so long it was easy to forget it was still going on. However, it seemed there were new developments recently. A blockade of ships had shown up in the waters preventing most communication and travel. This action, whoever was behind it, had a high possibility of provoking Fire Country and resulting in war they all would prefer to avoid. Ayumu sighed, setting down his coffee. The talks thus far had been a cakewalk compared to this.

"I am familiar with the current situation on the island. Though we are a neutral party in this conflict, there's no guarantee we wouldn't be drawn into it if it got out of control. A war involving three, or even just two shinobi village is something we should work to avoid at all costs. Not only for our own people, but even more so for the innocent people that would be caught in the middle of it. Ugly does not begin to describe how bad that would be," Ayumu spoke, expressing his understanding of the gravity of the situation. There was really no choice here. Umashi was right. If there was no diplomacy, war a very likely result. As a neutral party, Lightning Country, or specifically Kumogakure, was a good candidate to bring both Fire and Bear to the table to resolve the issue peacefully.

"I will speak with our Shogun immediately and ask that we extend an invitation to both of your countries to talk this over in a civilized manner. I'm sure there is some agreement that you can come to... war would benefit no one," Ayumu continued, making a mental note to have his secretary set up a meeting with the Shogun. This would be a top priority... he was sure the Shogun was already aware of the situation and worried himself. In Ayumu's meeting and interactions with him, the once shinobi of Cloud had seemed like a decent enough man. Ayumu looked around the room at the shinobi present as a slightly uneasy vibe had washed over the room. "I have little doubt he will agree to help," Ayumu assured them.

 

[Kagetsu Yuii]

Yuii, saviour of coffee and guardian of the Raikage awoke a moment before her head lulled onto the table, alerted by a quiet tap on the meeting room door.

Finally! Something more exciting than the agreeable twins, Yuii thought as she bounced to her feet to see what the interruption was for. Truly, the details of this meeting would be putting school children to sleep for decades. 'And then the Hokage proposed we be friends, and our Raikage agreed. And then the Hokage asked for our medics to share research, and again our Raikage said yes. Then they talked about trains, and they bonded mutually over transportation problems and you guessed it, they agreed to make the railroad. Now can anyone tell me what the Raikage said to recommendations that Lightning oversees the Firestar's conflict? And the answer is, of course, yes.' She could see it now, those poor, poor future children.

Cookies or a magical hangover cure were top of the list of what Yuii wanted the interruption to be about. The small sheet of paper the faceless NPC handed to Yuii was not. Her face fell as she read over the contents and very slowly absorbed what they meant in her sleepless state. "Well, shit," she muttered under her breath, forgetting setting and present company.

Rounding back to the three men, she waved the paper like a peace flag. Good relations very well could be on the line for this one. "Distress signal was set off by the genin paired with that mouth- the boy travelling with you. They haven't made contact since." She bowed apologetically to the two leaf nins. This was all Yuii's fault. She had thought by sending Kikei out on a mission, the hand seal inept girl might actually learn a thing or two from her leaf counterpart. Instead, sending such an inexperienced girl, and making her leader, seemed to have gone terribly wrong. "There isn't anyone nearby I can send. I know it breaks the custom, but I should look after this myself and see to his safe return. With your permission Raikage-dono?"

Yuii spared a sympathetic look for Kaji, not wanting to leave him trapped here to worry about his troublesome student, "Spare me your guard, Lord Hokage. Then you can be certain everything within our power has been done to find them."

[Topic left if Ayumu gives permission- +3+]

 

[Okada Kaji]

This wasn’t Kaji’s idea of a good time, or an adventure worthy of his courage and aptitude. He remained on standby, feeling a bit sluggish and lazy as if doing nothing for so long was slowly killing him. While the topics in discussion between the Hokage and Raikage were interesting enough, there wasn’t much Kaji could do as a mere guard among his regal company. Even Yuii, who was a sennin— much closer to the Kages’ level of esteem, was resolved to keep silent and let the bosses talk shop. When Kaji wasn’t indulging in his constant curiosity, trading googly eyes and winks with Yuii, his tired eyes were glancing out the windows, which were as wide as the wall itself. He yearned to be in a freer place, out beyond the confines of Kumogakure in favor of the perilous wilds surrounding it. He craved the warmth of a campfire, and brisk breezes of wintry winds stinging his cheeks. This meeting was nearly draining his vitality, as a night of smashing good times had already robbed Kaji’s reserve of patience and stamina.

By the time Ayumu agreed to the proposition of diplomacy talks between Fire and Bear, Mediated by Lightning, the conversation was certainly interesting enough, but Kaji let out an indelible yawn, which rebounded through the chamber uncontrollably. He was on the verge of fading into slumber, and his eyelids became heavier and heavier.

But then a rabble at the chamber doors snapped the guard back to attention and even drew him out from the comfort of the wall he leaned against. Kaji took a few quiet paces behind Yuii as she went to answer the door, revealing a very cautious energy. His right hand crossed over the hilt of Eelspine as he prepared to draw if some kind of trap laid on the other side of those double doors. But no, it was, in fact, an urgent letter relayed through The Cloud’s chain of command, coming all the way to the Sennin herself. It seemed as if Yuii found her way out then, as she foretold Kaji and the Kages of a mission that went awry this very morning. It was an urgent call involving both Yuii and Kaji’s apprentices, Kikei and Tatsuo, respectively. Wisely, Yuii requested that Kaji go with her on the recovery operation, if only to help avoid a conundrum of both Cloud and Leaf shinobi facing peril.

“Welp, you heard her Lord Hokage” Kaji added promptly as he slid next to Yuii in the doorway. There was nothing fishy going on here, just an abrupt exit. “I’m sure you can fend for yourself here... I’d better join Yuii for the search, especially if we’re on the trail of my shadow, Tatsuo; I’d like to handle this personally. I’m sure we’ll find the kids before anything too bad happens— if we work together.” Kaji then slipped around Yuii, through the doorway. His movements were as fluid as water through a drain pipe as he escaped without bothering for a confirmation; the peril of his apprentice was good enough. But Kaji didn’t proceed ahead of Yuii, who at least waited for a confirmation from Ayumu. No, Kaji appeared through the doorway a second time, and snatched Yuii by her hand, pulling her out the room with him. “There’s no time to waste, we will depart at once!”

Once Kaji had stolen away with Yuii from the conference room and bent a few corners, Kaji finally released his handhold on Yuii and looked to her with a mischevious grin. "Ah ha ha... you're so naughty. Who'd you pay off to set that up? This is a genius, Blue..." It appeared as if Kaji thought it to be a ruse. "You want to go get some breakfast, or should we just head back to my suite again?" He was sure it was a ruse, but a sure-fire, corrective glare from Yuii would probably set the record straight for Kaji at once; "...Dammit, what did Bakatsuo do now?" Surely, he'd be filled in on the details along the way back to Port Cirrus.

// Topic Left Unless Stopped //