Private Friends, Enemies, & Frenemies: What Are We?

[Kanmuri]

The inner contents of Kanmuri’s stomach began to churn and crash. As his stomach and intestinal tract shook with the force of opposing tectonic plates, Kanmuri’s body would respond, equally, in turn. His temperature would begin to escalate and his body start to quiver as a dim ringing in his ears would begin to slowly overtake his sense of sound.

Bits and pieces of Lord 11th’s responses would actually register in his mind. As his vision went in and out of focus, all Kanmuri could wonder was: “Why?” Why did his body naturally act on its own? Why did this pink-haired woman know his name? And why, just why, was his head POUNDING like a bass drum? And not only his head…why was the pounding reverberating in the scar on his face.

With each beat of cerebral pain, Kanmuri found himself coming closer and closer to cracking and shattering. Each passing second tortured his body and senses. It wouldn’t be before long until yesterday’s lunch made its way onto the floor.

Through it all, somehow, Kanmuri was able to keep the facade of strength through it all. Despite his gradual loss of hearing, he was able to nod and communicate through his body language just enough for the 11th’s Kazekage’s liking.

Either that or the Kazekage had enough because he now longer stood in front of him. All that remained was the pink haired woman as she stood there with a disenchanted death stare.

Disappointed. Discontented. Displeased.

All those words and more were most likely not enough to even begin to describe her feelings towards the so-called “ANBU” but, right now, that didn’t matter. What mattered was Kanmuri. And he needed help.

Badly.

He’d wait for the door to close behind the Kazekage before slowly wobbling up. He’d lean against the wall and finally show his head. To say it was drenched would be an understatement.

He tried focusing his eyes on her but it was to no avail. Her existence, seemingly, appeared to be as cerebral as the pain in his head. Real or not, it was now or never. With labored breaths, he’d refer to the pink-haired assistant as the name he managed to hear the Kazekage call her.

“Yukina…I need…your help…”

With the words slowly being pulled out, Kanmuri would hope for her to take the hint and lead her out of the tower and into the field.

(hopefully) [Topic Left w/ Yukina unless otherwise stated by Yukina]

 

[Raizo]

He would put the interaction behind him, hoping that the young shinobi would take to heart his request and if nothing else Yukina would provide her assistance, which she was attempting to shoehorn in anyways. With her wishing to be involved in the matter, he could allow himself to completely push the issue to the back of his mind. That said, it would leave one lingering thought that would dwell within his mind.

Could the Hybrids in Suna be plotting something...

He would dismiss the notion. Sousuke had encouraged him to be open to those who were linked by blood to the Ancients of old. Still, his own blood wouldn't let the matter rest that easily.

Opening the door to his office, he would find the two, once more, masked individuals.

"Ah, perfect! You didn't choose to flee out of the window" he would joke before returning to his seat, "on a more serious note, apologies for the interruption. The matter is being handled by my attendant Yukina, I hope we didn't cause you too much anxiety with the commotion."

Raising his right hand, he would cup his chin as his outreached finger would begin to tap at his cheek.

"So let's cross the next big bridge, and then barring any additional questions either of you might have I will stop occupying your time and allow you a moment to rest, eat, or do anything else you need while you remain in our walls."

This next conversation topic was going to be the messy one, and one he didn't feel fully comfortable having with foreigners who might not truly understand the context of it all.

"I apologize for the length of this, but I have to provide context to fully understand it all. Going back to my previous conversation about the Sunahoshi, the bloodline of the previous chosen Kages of this village, and my own clan the Ryuzaki, and our connection to ancestors known as 'The First Men'. As I said, the First Men liberated Wind Country, but who did they liberate it from? Why do we hold them in reverence, not just within the walls of Suna but throughout the country? And why did I laugh when you mentioned 'Ancients of Suna'? These all are connected things."

Pausing for a moment he would lower his hand, removing it from his chin, and would raise his right leg up and rest it upon his left knee, just at the ankle. His posture would remain upright but would be a little more forgiving as his back would sink into his chair. He was getting comfortable.

"First, the 'Ancients of Suna' isn't a thing. It is the bastardization of someone who read the history of this country and attempted to use it. It sounds like something to foreigners, but for most in this country who understand the history of it... that is merely a non-sensical phrase. Ancients are a race... maybe better to say a species... of lifeforms that existed in this country hundreds of years ago. Maybe even longer... but humanity's history doesn't come into existence until roughly 400 years ago when, while held as captives by the Ancients, they began to rebel. Humanity was enslaved in Wind Country until the rise of the First Men, and more notably the rise of a figure known as Primus. While people in this country hold reverence for the First Men, this country reveres Primus as a god-like figure. The story, as truncated as I can possibly make it, is that Primus slayed two of the mightiest Ancients, and with that humanity took reign of this country. Ancients were hunted to extinction."

He would stop for a moment to allow that dump of lore to set in before continuing.

"Because Ancients and humans were intertwined, through blood, there are occasions where people have reported a phenomenon of them becoming more connected to any Ancient heritage that might lay dormant within their blood. Essentially, some people report that they are kindred or connect to those Ancients of history, typically exhibiting strange powers or memories that aren't their own. How much is true, how much is delusion, and how much is someone chasing a cool-sounding story... who truly knows? This village, many decades ago, would create a term for this phenomenon and these individuals; Hybrids. These Hybrids are the closest thing, if you choose to believe in it, that we have to "Ancients" still existing. Honestly, many question if the Ancients ever existed, or if over the centuries the stories of what actually happened were warped into fantastical stories that were more compelling but also more dramatized."

Once more he would pause to allow the information to sink in and settle for his two guests.

"So the reason I laugh at the phrase 'Ancients of Suna' is that Ancients if they existed, would not claim a location that didn't exist during their reign. Suna was the inception of Primus following the liberation of humanity. The Ancients controlled Wind Country, they would be the 'Ancients of Wind Country', if whoever uttered that phrase to you happened to have any true understanding of our history while trying to frame this land as your village's aggressor. For those that believe Ancients still live, or ever lived, to this day, there have been no confirmed sightings. If they do still exist, however few that may be, they are in hiding and have as much influence in this country as any other nearly extinct creature might. Again, someone has taken, what many believe to be folktales and bedtime stories, and passed it along ignorantly to you all as some grand fact."

Removing his right leg from its resting position upon his left leg, he would lean forward a bit in his chair with an excited smile on his face.

"I, however, am one that does believe Ancients existed. Granted, it is because my clan's ancestor, a man named Legatus, was nicknamed 'the god eater'. His story goes, as one of the First Men who fought alongside Primus, he was known for consuming the flesh of the Ancients he bested in combat. I know it sounds silly, but that little tale has become a rooted foundation in my clan for many of our customs, beliefs, and foundations. Still, even I can see how bizarre many of the stories of old can sound when you start to talk about them out loud and as one hundred percent fact. I am sure Kumogakure no Sato has myths, folktales, and deities that would sound bizarre to me, an outsider, but make sense to you as someone who has been ingrained with that history and context. Still, a magical past where our forefathers and mothers fought and toppled some special creatures of great power... who wouldn't want to hold such a history?"

Slapping his hands down upon his knees, while still leaning forward with an excited look on his face, he would begin the process of winding down this whole conference.

"So, any more questions I can help answer, or has my storytelling brought the both of you to the brink of needing a nap?"

---

Yukina would watch as Raizo would return back to his office before turning her gaze to Kanmuri. Something seemed very off, much more so than when he had originally entered the floor. Whatever was happening to him, or had happened to him, seemed to be getting worse.

"Of course, take my arm and follow me. If you feel like you need to stop, rest, or sit down just say so. Otherwise, I think you might need to exit the tower and get some fresh air."

If he did not put up a struggle, she would lead him back to the elevator, where she would glance at him on occasion to see if he showed any signs of worsening. Upon hitting the ground floor, she would escort him out of the tower and into the pathway that intersected in front of the building. She would then turn to him...

[Yukina has left the topic with Kanmuri... I will start up another topic if you wish, just message me on discord!]

 

[Chigokai Yuna]

Yuna had not relaxed even when the disturbance in the environment from Psychosis' and Yukina's chakra had left the area. People wanting to eavesdrop on their conversation with the Kazekage. Psychosis had mentioned two people. At the very least two of these Ancients could be working against them right now.

As the Kazekage came back and left off a joke before getting back to the matter at hand, Yuna listened as she scanned the area, barely even moving her head, but only her eyes. Throughout the time that the Kazekage spoke of the Ancients, something stuck out to her. Actually a lot of things. Psychosis had mentioned 'Ancients of Suna', but Raizo had said just now that if the Ancients claimed a title, it would be that of the Wind Country. The second part would check out, since they had a rogue ninja give them the information, albeit, that same ninja killed a lot of the anbu. But now connecting the dots, why would this other group that claim to be Ancients, worried about their species, call themselves 'of Suna'?

And to get to the meat of this whole conspiracy theory. How would these Ancients connect to Akkuma? Raizo has said that it could be all fake, but now with what little Yuna had overheard from Psychosis, she can't leave things just as written off to try and throw them off the trail. Mankind of Suna had revolted against these Ancients and hunted them to near extinction. He did say 'nearly extinct'.

Yuna would write on the note, making sure that Miro has view of what she was writing before giving it to Raizo to read.

Spoiler

Let's say, theoretically speaking, these Ancients are still around to this day. Because of the history that had led to their downfall, could it be assumed that they would jump at any opportunity to topple Sunagakure? Even going as far as working with Akkuma? Granted, we may have been told Ancients of Suna, by someone not educated, it could still very well be a possibility, I believe, that there still is some sort of connection there.

On a similar note, how would one be able to find an Ancient? Could it be possible that through a long line of heritage that they may seem almost indistinguishable from a normal human? Where would the differences show up and similarities stop?

 

[Kagami Miro]

Soft ears twitched once more as the click and tumble of the door handle that announced the return of the Kazekage. With great humor came great manners as his apologies for the interruption came swiftly and sweetly. Small mannerisms always stuck out the the Uchiha who came from nothing. What fascinated her, and what was drilled in her head by the Raikage, were manners and the way of diplomacy. Both of these traits coexisted perfectly to display a degree of education that she herself held close to her heart. The Kazekage, Raizo, had shown her enough hospitality and friendliness to bestow trust in him. This allowed his words to resonate deep within.

In many breaths a tale had been spun again about the Ancients true background. The Ancients of the land were not fond of Sunagakure, hell Sunagakure had been founded after their hunt to near extinction. Those red hues cut over to her operative. The tall tales given by the puppet Kiko had been exactly that. Tall tales spun with a web of lies. However, Mirō hadn’t dismissed her words entirely. A pawn will move only if the hand says so, and in this case, they will give their knowledge on what they had been spoon fed. If Kiko proclaimed that their wrong-doing was an act ordered by the ‘Ancients of Sand’ then it solidified the Sennin’s preconceived notions. A pawn is a pawn, but however expendable they were was up to the Boss.

This brought her train of thought back to Akkuma. That bastard man also spewed nonsense about these ‘Ancients of Sand’. ‘Does that mean… he’s also a pawn?’ Mirō thought to Naibu. ‘If not a pawn then they were misled. Yet his anger and mannerisms proved to us that he is commanding a few pawns.’ Mirō’s brain worked into overdrive now that even more pieces of the puzzle had been thrown onto the table. 'These Ancients of Wind Country… Are too weak to topple a powerhouse government like Suna. An outside source reshuffles the deck into a favorable hand, if not slightly better. To partner up with another source that is out to get Sand is a risky yet rewarding move. If only we had another name…’ Her gaze turned to the floor for a mere moment to compile her thoughts. That’s when her subordinate moved the paper into her line of sight.

Without a word the Sennin nodded her head in approval. Any distinguishing traits or characteristics the ancients had would help clearly define who too look out for. This would not only benefit the Duo and Suna, but the information would be used to keep a watchful eye on the citizens that walked through their gates. Their broken, constantly damaged, and under-construction gates… Mirō bit the inside of her cheek. So much has happened within the past few weeks that the report to her Raikage was going to be ten times longer than usual.

[I apologize for the delay.]
[Grammer edits]​

 

[Raizo]

By this point, even after a brief reprieve, he was still privy to the game between to the two diplomats. Secrecy, writing, nodding, these were how they communicated, and while it wasn't some complex code or covert language, he still wished they could have gone back to their vocal conversation, at least between himself and Speaker. That said, because of the interruption he knew that he could no longer suggest such a thing. Even if the interruption was something entirely mundane, they still would have been on a high alert to so easily slip back into any state of comfort. So he would embrace what he had; a note with at least one more opportunity to indulge his guests.

The note would slide over to him after receiving approval from Speaker, and he would take his time reading it. Both parts, or lines, of questioning, were fair to be asked. Taking a piece of paper of his own he would begin to scribble down something, while once more answering some of the questions out loud.

"No one who knows of Akkuma trusts Akkuma, and Akkuma trusts no one but looks to take from everyone he encounters. You can't form a partnership with that thing, because he only sees himself. That said, could there be people dumb enough to join his cause? Yes, unfortunately, this village seems to have a history associated with this certain brand of fools. Now, would Ancients partner with Akkuma? Ancients despised humans, and saw them as best as cattle and as worst as replaceable toys. Ancients, if they still existed, as in a full-blooded and pure Ancient, would have to have swallowed a lot of pride to willingly join forces with a human."

He would stop scribbling, and fold his paper, but wouldn't yet put it on the table. Once more his expression would turn serious.

"That said, Akkuma isn't a human. He is a demon. A literal demon. For as much as Ancients were known to loathe humans... they would have made no quarters with something lesser than humanity. Working in cooperation with a creature as lowly as the head of the Miroku, no matter, his influence, would be hard for me to come to terms with. That said, let me ask you something, and it goes along the same lines as your second question; could the intentions of the wicked beast and his cronies, by mentioning the word 'Ancients' be an effort to kickstart a witch hunt for those with any relation to the fabled race that once ruled these lands? It is a question of 'if' when it comes to Ancients, full-blooded ones, still existing, but as I stated earlier it is lesser of an 'if' when it comes to those who believe themselves to be offspring of that race; Hybrids. We do not track hybrids, as many never come out due to fear of persecution. We have no records of Ancients being confirmed as still being around, so where to even begin looking for them would be like trying to find a specific grain of sand in the desert. A resource you might stop by and attempt to make use of before you leave; we have a library overseen by an order called "The Order of Oracles". These Oracles have taken a pledge to record all of history in this village and this country, they may be able to provide you, if you have the time, a better starting point, if they happen to have the information stored somewhere."

He would then slide the paper over but his hand would remain pressed on top of it.

"I do implore you to use caution, however, when talking about Ancients. Some people idolize them as gods, fear them as monsters, and then some still believe they live among us. You could easily cause a panic, which if nothing else seems to be Akkuma's target goal with Suna in his little scheme; point the countries at our gates while agitating those with connections, or who believe they have connections with the Ancient race. Using the word Ancient wasn't for you or Leaf, it was for this country. It was for this village. It was how he would attack us without stepping to our gates. You and Leaf felt a very personal and forward attack, but it seems ours will be much more passive and disruptive than that. We cannot let this fall into a witch hunt that would impact those we would label Hybrids, because that would just be giving more soldiers to that filthy mutt, Akkuma."

Releasing his hand from the note, he would allow the two of them to read it as his expression would return to his more normal smirking self.

"I have kept you both much longer than I had planned, so please feel free to take your leave. If you need lodging or any dinner suggestions..." he would pause for a moment as his eyes would glance towards Speaker before closing and smirking just a bit wider, "then please do not hesitate to ask. Sunagakure no Sato is happy to host you both for as long, or as little, as you need. I do humbly ask two small things before you eventually leave; First, please make sure to call for me whenever you head to our gates to fully depart the village. Secondly, should Kumo give the approval to hunt down Akkuma to either of you, both of you, or some other party; please make sure they are instructed to get me at once when they enter the country. Consider it my obligation of being a good host to a village that I have found myself really warming up to in part to you both being such wonderful guests."

And Leaf sending threats as their first communication with me...

Spoiler: Raizo's Note

Akkuma is a tumor, a malignant one, which spreads and corrupts wherever it lands. He has embedded himself deeply in not only this country but this village. Because he had taken root in this village well before I ever came here myself, I do find myself wondering who all might be caught up in his clutches. Again, as I am going to say out loud, I don't think he makes partnerships... but he does take in pawns. His history, as given to me by the 9th Kazekage, is that he takes in strays. It seems altruistic, but it just means that he understands the right audience to manipulate; young kids who have nothing and no one. If a mercenary is who claimed to have attacked your village, it also means he isn't above paying for soldiers. Either way, he is always angling for something, so his holding blackmail, incriminating intelligence, or simply tricking gullible people to do his bidding is probably the reality of the situation. But this is a military village, this country has been in conflict between the village and the former Daimyo, so the amount of people who have lost, and the number of orphans, is incredibly high. I say that to say this; I do find myself wondering who, when the final shoe drops, might end up being an agent of Akkuma in hiding. I cannot, sadly, dismiss that some might still remain in this village. I am currently starting a process to change leadership at different levels within the village to help place people I feel comfortable with in places of power while testing those who I am unsure of to see if they come up with the stink of that demon on them.

Akkuma has a large "family", so once you step out of this tower continue to be vigilant with what you say and who you say it to--it may simply be us being overly cautious, as Akkuma always seemed to brag about this massive underground network he controlled, but if there was any truth to that boast then it would be wise to keep on your toes. Until we rip his head from his neck, of course!

Lastly, there is one more piece of information I can provide but I would rather communicate it in person, vocally, but not in this tower--because of the sensitivity of this information, it would require a shared level of trust. I would need to know, whoever it was I divulging it to, their actual name and their actual face. I know it is an odd request, but it is the request I am making. Whether it is one of you two or it is someone else, once they are ready to have this conversation with me, they will simply need to ask someone to call for the Kazekage to "negotiate the funding for a shared sublevel basement library". A weird code phrase, but one I will remember. Have any member of our shinobi court put that phrase in their call and I will come to whomever awaits me.

I really do hope you two have enjoyed this chat, I hope you both come back in the future for a more leisurely trip to our humble village.

MFT - 1500 words

 

[Chigokai Yuna]

Again, the slew of information flooded over Yuna, but with each word spoken to her and each letter read, she was slowly starting to understand the situation... Or not. There was so much to think of, the history of Sand runs deep, with Akkuma wanting to disrupt the peace of things. True the attack on Cloud and Leaf were orchestrated by Akkuma, but then goes the hidden meaning of putting the blame on the Ancients. Or rather multiple meanings... To hear such a word escape from a foreigner's mouth could mean that panic will arise from the citizens of Sand. But she was running out of ideas here. Unless... She had a crazy idea. One that would put her up in the spotlight of things, where every step she makes could be her last. She was her father's daughter alright.

She wrote down on a letter and passed it to Miro, for her eyes to read.

Spoiler

Hey. I have a crazy idea. It is full of risks, but big risks usually calls for big rewards, right? I stay here, learn as much as I can about not just the Ancient and Akkuma. Only thing is to get to know him better is to... Though only way for that to really work is for us to have a visual argument with each other in a public place, other than that, I'd like to check out the library and talk with the Kazekage some more. Finally, the Sennin Games. If what he said is true, then it might also be worth looking into, sniff out any of the participants if they are working with Akkuma.

She hopes that Miro can understand what she meant, by getting to know Akkuma. It would mean to show that Yuna would have to get into Akkuma's inner circle of trust, if he does have one. Along with that, she would have to participate in the Sennin Games in order to get a feel for who might be working with Akkuma. Akkuma already has a bead on her chakra signature along with what she looks and sounds like without her anbu garb. It would either be her or her Sennin, and Cloud can't afford to lose one of its Sennin if Akkuma does decide to fight either of them, if either is part of this.

 

[Kagami Miro]

The Kazekages expression continued to change based on the tone of the situation. His knowledge of Akkuma ran deep as if Akkuma had been around longer than he and Kage before him. As she would’ve guessed, the mere mention of Akkuma and Ancients or hybrids would send passersby into a tizzy or worse. It was akin to the mention of Tenouzans within the gates of Kumogakure. People would become chaotic or sent into a panic. A notion of caution was mentioned to the duo, one that she herself told her operatives about the situation back home. Raizo continued to stress the importance of keeping the intel to themselves while a hand was pressed firmly onto a piece of parchment. Red hues noticed the note but reverted back to the Kazekage’s serious gaze. As the name suggests Akkuma was a demon from the depths of unholy imagination. One that dangled low hanging fruit in the eyes of the helpless and needy to coerce them into action. The tale of pawns and bosses she had spun was a bullseye. Her gut instinct spoke of that fact during their first encounter with the demon.

After his tale had been spun the invitation to dinner had been proposed to her. A foreign act of kindness to the woman as she had never been in this situation before. Ya know, being a lethal ninja within the ANBU ops prevented any room for a romantic life let alone a half decent social one. A hand reached out to place her digits onto the parchment. As she held the scripture her voice echoed out behind the mask. “We thank you profusely for allowing us to meet with you directly and so suddenly. Pray you forgive me for thinking negatively about those within Sunagakure. Your hospitality to strangers is moons above what Leaf could give and I’d like to formally apologize.” Her right arm moved horizontally from her side then curled inward to respectfully bow to the Kazekage without bending. “A vacation to the desert is unheard of to most citizens within Kumogakure however, I’ll have to change some minds when I return.”

Her red hues caught the attention of a note that her operative moved into her vision. At first she had opposed the idea of such nefarious dealings but with more thought it began to dawn on her. “I allow it, Silent. I don’t know much about the Sennin Games. You have my approval for your plan but do not overstep your boundaries. These are not our lands. The Kazekage may have to sign off on your alignment with foreign ninja. Regardless…” She paused momentarily, “Before you get into too much shenanigans you will find out more about the threat with the mentioned Oracles at the Suna library and get a report to me and the Kazekage’s assistant Yukina. I don’t want Kumogakure to step on any toes and bother the handsome Kazekage.” With the note in hand she gently fanned away any rebuttal that may have come up from the subordinate.

A smile appeared on soft lips behind her golden mask. The thrill of the hunt sparked the furnace inside her heart. “I can assure you, Kumogakure shinobi won’t hunt that bastard Akkuma without the Kazekage. The final blow will be yours.” Finally eyes had a chance to peer at the note given to her. Quickly she read the fine details. Who better to led investigations than herself personally. Without showing Yuna the note had been stored in an inner breast pocket on her makeshift cloak. “If you’ll excuse me Kazekage, I’ll be taking my leave. Silent, I trust you to act responsibly. We’ll be in contact, guarantee it.” Her red hues cut to her subordinate to drill in their seriousness. There wasn't a need to publically break an alliance, even if it was a facade, in Suna. Hell, people would get an even worse idea in their head, being foreigners an all. One last time her gaze returned to the Kazekage, “I’ll be sure to mention you at the gates, we only made it this far because of your generosity, Kazekage.” Lastly, another bow had been given. Turning around she made her way toward the doorway and eventually down toward the elevator.

Inside the elevator her wide pearly white smile was thankfully hidden behind the golden mask. ‘What’s got you so cheery?’ A silvery voice chimed into her head. ‘The suspicion of Leaf has been engraved into the tablet of chaos. Only time can tell when Konoha is backed against a wall by two military superpowers.’ Naibu paused for a moment. ‘I rubbed off on you huh. War is all you can think about now?’ Gently Mirō chastised her contract. ‘No, not war. The survival and reign of Kumogakure will continue for centuries, that’s all I want and I’ve got a plan to ensure it.’ That psychotic smile remained plastered on her face as the double doors to the elevator shut in front of her.​

[WC:829]
[Topic left]
[Epic thread! Can't wait to see how everything unfolds form here on out!]

 

[Raizo]

His face would remain stoic, albeit with his normal big smile anchored firmly to his face. As Speaker would begin to make her exit, he would stand up, merely showing respect to an exiting guest, but in all honesty his mind was elsewhere. He was still listening, taking in the information, but at a certain point, he would get caught up on one key point.

She thinks I am handsome? Beautiful, strong, and manipulative...she would be an excellent partner! Alright, Operation: Find Strong Companion is still operational. Yes!

This man was the leader of this village, a powerful piece within the nation of Wind, but at his core, he was still a young man. He would eventually reflect on this drive, this need to find someone to create a family with, to see if it was his actual drive or programming engrained by his father to continue the Ryuzaki blood, and if it was, was his father wrong or did he truly want to see his blood persevere?

These were questions for another time. It seemed the one who refrained from vocally communicating the entire time would be the one staying in their company while the Speaker would be the one exiting. Still, it brought him a beaming sense of pride to hear his village spoken of so positively. He understood that Suna, and Wind Country in general, kept itself siloed within its own borders. He felt this probably painted a certain picture of them to the foreign nations and then receiving the note from Leaf only confirmed those suspicions. Now, however, it seemed that things might change in the court of public opinion. At least with one village.

"I anxiously await your return trip to our humble village, and maybe next time you'll stick around long enough for dinner?"

His big grin would shrink to a smaller smirk, one of admiration or maybe affection, as his eyes would watch the female leave. After a bit, he would turn his attention to the one he had come to know as Silent.

"Well, Silent, my deal will remain. If you happen to be the one that wishes to hear about any details of future 'construction' you will need to ask with your inside voice" his smirk would now shift to more playful.

"That said, let's not rush into that. First, we need to determine how you will exist in this village for the time being, and by that I mean the following; will you be remaining as you are now with this mask and setup, an image that can clearly be linked back to the "two outsiders entering the village" or would you rather take on a different appearance, maybe a change of hair color, and become a "cousin" of mine from the Ryuzaki clan visiting for the upcoming festivities? It's still a mask, but a less obvious one. Would also give you some leeway in moving not only in and out of this tower but also around the village itself, at least with less scrutiny. Whatta ya say? Which route would you rather travel?"

OOC: Safe travels Miro! Now lets get you in the thick of things, Yuna
MFT - 519

 

[Chigokai Yuna]

Yuna was glad that Miro gave her the go ahead to do the mission, but now, she'll have to watch her every own step carefully. She will definitely be able to get to the bottom of things. Even if it means that she'll be the girl on the inside to try and gain Akkuma's trust to get all the information out of him. As her Sennin would take her leave, her focus would turn its attention to the Kazekage. After joking he went into moving forward. Her being an anbu, coming along with it, a mask really made her stick out like a sore thumb. He had mentioned fabricating a story to make her take on a different appearance. It sounded nice... Except for one thing. It goes back to Akkuma. He had scanned and gotten a good look at her and miro's chakra signature and she wouldn't put it past him to inform those that work with him. That and she had met the man once before.

A hand reached out to grab the pen and paper, before a small sigh escaped her lips from behind her mask and her hand retreated from the paper. "No. This won't do. Kazekage. I think I'll keep the mask. If anything comes up, I'll merely acquire a new one. As stated before, close to the start of our meeting, we were met with our 'mutual friend'. Along with boasting about his information network, he had also scanned our chakra signatures. I feel as if I took on an unmasked form and he were to catch on, he could feed people with how foreigners can't be trusted in making stuff up. So I think it would be better to say that I am one of the two foreigners left behind to merely try and strengthen the bond between our two Villages. I'll keep the namesake of Silent when talking, or rather giving notes to, and interacting with the fine people of Suna here. As Speaker had mentioned, I will take part in the Sennin Games, to get eyes and ears on the ground."

She would then stop talking and grab her pen and paper and start writing. Once she was done, she gave the note to Raizo.

Spoiler

The more to be discussed at your library, of what you know and my plan that I have in mind.

 

[Raizo]

"Very well!"

She has a sharp awareness of the situation. Kumogakure no Sato crafts some fine shinobi it seems, but I can't fall in too love with their skill lest I be conquered by them if they happen to get the same stick up their ass that Konoha's Hokage did.

He would take the note and would begin to write one himself.

"At some point, before you ultimately leave this village, I would love to just sit down and talk about your home country. Not in the diabolical military spy game sense--your village has its secrets and protected information and so does mine-- more so, I would love to just know about where you come from. I have never been out of the borders of Wind Country, the rest of the world, even if I read about it, is still a foreign land to me. I'd love to learn more about the Land of Lightning and whatever splendors of Kumo that you can share."

He would pass back a note of his own.

"Would you prefer me to set up a room here in the tower or reserve you a hotel room in our Commercial District?"

Spoiler: Note

I won't be able to accompany you to the library directly, but when you get there ask for Oiwa on my behalf. I will be there as soon as I can.

 

[Chigokai Yuna]

Yuna listened as Raizo spoke, him wanting to know more about where she came from is a bit of a long story. Yeah, she did come from Kumogakure, but before that, she was just a baby when her family relocated from Konohagakure. Nevertheless, she was presented another choice. Her place of temporary living needs to be arranged. Either residence in the Kazekage tower itself, or down in a hotel in the commercial district. Weighing the options, she thought through it carefully. Down in the commercial district, she can easily be down on the ground to gain info. But that would also mean that she won't be able to rest easy, and she could basically forget about taking off her mask helmet. Even so, someone could easily walk into her room at night and unmask her. The very thought had set her uneasy. Thinking about staying in the Kazekage tower, there would be less chance to be jumped in the middle of the night, but by then, she would have a better understanding of who works for Akkuma, it'd have to be someone that also works closely with the Kazakage. But she would have also less ears on the ground, so to say. The do or die to really make her decision is that she wants to be able to sleep, without having as much worry of being discovered of who she is.

"If it isn't too much trouble, I'd like residence here in the tower." She replied, looking down at the note that was given to her. So. Oiwa. If the Kazekage trusts this Oiwa enough for Yuna to go talk with, they must be pretty reliable. She got up and bowed respectfully, "I thank you for the time you had made for us. Until we meet again."

Once she left, she put on the persona of Silent, moving quietly and if approached, will only hand out notes to interact with people.

(topic left unless stopped)