His Compliments and Gratitude [private]

[Takahashi Aki]

Takahashi Sousuke the third of name did something very different on his first day in Tea. Wear something form. The Lord Steward wore a tuxedo tailcoat of sorts. The tail coat upon closer inspection one might notice the fabric, if one could call it that. The coat consisted of scales oddly with silver epaulets. The orange scales were pristinely polished and perfectly aligned. Hanging from the coat pocket was a golden closed pocket watch. Sousuke designs his own formal attire, it took him quite a while to put it together. Katuso had joked that this was perhaps a village first, that Sousuke was attending an event not in a suit of Takahashi war-plate. Well, he was correct to an extent. The epaulets with in fact Takahashi fire-forged steel. Beneath the tailcoat Sousuke wore more formal wear of matching dress pants and a white shirt. He wore a pair of mesh gloves, which were white in colour. Sousuke would like to think that Harupia would be proud of him in this. Not only Harupia, but Kimi would proud of him too. It was indeed perhaps a first that Sousuke was indeed dressing for the occasion.

In truth, Sousuke knew that they were in tea, but they were in Wind Country still. Sousuke awaited his fellow Sungakurians to join. He had called them to him, and with good reason. Sousuke would take several minutes to speak to those participating in this as a group, or on a one on one basis. He was going offer them words of encouragement. Sousuke was capable of doing that, and he owed it to his people. Well they were Katuso's people now, but he still had their best interest in his heart. Sousuke would stand straight, and with his hands at his back. To his side, was his trusty and faithful companion - the husky Kitchy. The Steward knew most of the people who were going to be fighting at this tournament on some form of first name basis. He knew Kyuji as his medic, he knew Oda as a fellow journeyman. He didn't know much about Azusa, but he did know that she more or less broke the door -- which was a very terrifying concept. Still though each person coming to this was accomplished to a high degree. Kitchy let out a whine, the canine would look up to him. "They'll be here girl."<i></i> He answered her.

 

[Mikaboshi]

In stark contrast to metal and scales of Sousuke's chosen attire, Katsuo's was an outfit chosen for it's comfort level. He hadn't come to Tea Country looking for a fight and clearly was not dressed for one even though he proudly wore his family's sword on a sling around his shoulder that allowed for it to hang casually at his side. He wore a pair of black pants and a white tank top beneath the same long white haori that was embroidered with his family's clan symbol that he was becoming well known for. The back of the haori had upon it the hourglass-like symbol of Sunagakure upon it. The council of Sunagakure had insisted that Katsuo not leave the city and attend the tournament in person due to the potential connections of Sound Village to the danger of the Wind Country daimyo but Katsuo had overruled them which meant that he'd gone anyway and just didn't bother telling them that he was going to. He'd taken the job in the first place to establish himself as a symbol that the people could see and believe in rather than living in fear of the daimyo's shadow and he couldn't be that by hiding in the Kazekage Tower while all the rest of the world met in Tea Country to match strength.

"If they don't show, I guess I'll have to fill in for them." Joked Katsuo with a wide grin on his face.

He wasn't fighting in the tournament for a handful of reasons, not the least of which being that the village brass had been adamant about him not going at all to the location of the tournament, but it drove him nuts that he had to stand behind while others got to have fun. Even after everything, Katsuo was still a martial artist at heart and he enjoyed the rush of a good contest as much as the next fighter. Still, this moment belonged to the representatives that the village had chosen to send here and Katsuo didn't actually intend to steal that from any of them. He didn't know any of the three fighters personally but he'd met one of them before in the past by proxy. He knew the name Kyuji from the memories he'd inherited from Mikaboshi as one of Miroku Akkuma's co-consipirators and the thought of that man caused the hair on Katsuo's neck to rise in irritation. Akkuma was the apotheosis of all of the things wrong with not just Wind Country but the world itself that Katsuo had found himself at war with in the last half-decade or so of his life and as such it was natural that he regarded the man as repugnant. The jury was still out on Kyuji given that he hadn't personally met the man but now was a good as a time as any, he supposed.

"So Sousuke, are any of our fighters cute?" He asked off-handedly, tossing Sousuke a smirk as he folded his hands into the sleeves of his haori as they waited. He knew the question would make Sousuke uncomfortable and it was part of the reason he'd asked. He was, of course, already engaged in a romantic relationship with Naganisa and had no intention of letting his desires or hands wander but Katsuo was still very much the same man he'd been years ago when he'd come to Sunagakure. Surely there was no harm in looking?

 

[Muramasa Maya]

Before Azusa could truly 'settle in' to the environment of the Tea Country, she had received a most interesting invitation.

The Aikayume were a vain and proud clan, and none among them inherited these qualities moreso than Azusa herself. So of course it went without saying that she would adorn herself with a brand new outfit she may-or may-not have set aside -solely- for such a specific occasion. Garbed in dress that's regal purple color was a vivid contrast to the white formal gloves extending to her elbows, and adorned with gems and accessories, the image that could be evoked from her was more of someone attending an elegant celebration rather than a fighter participating in a tournament of martial prowess. It was rare for Azusa to hide away the golden ears and tails she was so proud of, but she did exactly that with a minor transformation jutsu to hide away her kitsune features to better move about the crowded streets of Kurosawa.

And imagine her delight when she discovered not one Kazekage, but two present when she arrived. She had never had the chance to speak with either before, a fact that she was quite eager to have change. Knowing both past and current leaders of the Village were present at this event, she afforded herself a brief smile which was hidden behind a paper fan matching the same color as her dress.

Her approach halted when the vixen caught sight of husky nearby the Ninth's side. Try as she might, Azusa never could quite get over her unease around canines, and instead stood a few steps away from what one would consider normal. "My apologies for keeping you waiting, Lord Ninth...and Lord Tenth." Folding her fan within her grasp and offering a bow to the former and current kage. "Toraono-Aikayume Azusa. I do hope I am not interrupting anything of note." She announced herself, slowly rising from her bow.

 

[Kazu]

"Holy fuck, I look good." Three different pairs of eyes, all belonging to the same man, stared back at Yatamaru. They were his eyes, in fact, reflected off of three different mirrors angled to view all sides of himself, and those eyes liked very much what they saw. "Be honest with me, man: if you didn't work here, would you jump me right fucking now because of how goddamn fine I look?! Seriously, I'd do me if I could."

"Um, pardon me sir, but I don't understand your question." The attendant looked nervous, due in no small part to the rowdy and raucous patron who seemed to be doing a fine job of scaring away all the rest of their customers. "And might I just remind you that the reputation of this establishment is of the utmost-"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever man. Fuck, I don't even want the old clothes back — burn them, throw 'em out, do whatever you gotta do. These threads are tight, and they ain't coming off until I've properly strutted my stuff!" Without even skipping a beat, the Sunan foreigner spun around in place, delighting in the smooth feeling of new dress shoes, and walked straight past the checkout counter without even waiting to be rung up. As he did, he placed a stack of bills that more than made up for the price of the suit, plus a handsome tip to rival his new look. He waved back towards the attendant, who seemed very relieved to have this particular problem taken care of, and shouted back, "Thanks a million, pal! I'll tell all my friends about this place!" The door shut behind him before the attendant's fearful whimpering could reach his ear.

Yatamaru didn't often get to wear such nice suits, especially in his native land. Neither the climate of his home, nor his day job, allowed for much formal attire. It was why he hadn't brought a suit with him, and why he'd been so delighted to hear that he had an excuse to buy one; it seemed his former leader, friend, and colleague wanted to wish him and his fellow contestants luck before the match. Yatamaru didn't believe in luck, but he did believe in formalities. This one was just an excuse for them to all schmooze a little bit. Excuse or not, Yatamaru was game.

There was a bounce in his step as he strolled through the streets of Kurosawa looking for the meeting place that Sousuke had informed him of. A few hushed voices alerted Yatamaru that his new outfit had done little to conceal his identity. The tournament was the talk of the town, and everyone seemed to want to learn more about Suna's last minute substitution. A few people approached him for autographs, which he kindly obliged at first, but eventually had to refuse when he realized all this crowd-pleasing was going to make him late. Booking it, he didn't want to make his friend and peers wait too long.

"Sousuke, you brilliant bastard, how are y-" He froze. What the heck was Katsuo doing here? "Lord Kazekage!" His voice almost sounded like it went up an octave out of pure surprise. He'd started speaking before he'd fully rounded the corner, which meant he hadn't seen the full assemblage before speaking. Doing his best to recover gracefully, he removed his hat in a low, sweeping, fashion as his mouth morphed from an agape 'o' to a beaming smile. "I didn't expect to see you here as well. What a welcome surprise!"

Then his eyes landed on the Aikayume priestess. "And you must be the one I've heard so much about!" Word on the streets was she single-handedly pried open the monstrous mechanical marvel that had been the D.O.O.R. testing mechanism. Even he had barely made it past that ordeal alive. "I've been wanting to introduce myself for a time now. Oda Yatamaru, at your service." He extended a hand to shake hers, but wouldn't force the issue. "Best of luck to you in your fight to come. Though, from what I hear, you don't need luck — perhaps I ought to wish your opponent stronger, lest you get bored of them too easily!"

 

[Tomomi]

After being here for the better part of a month, the tournament to crown the best village and fighter within the brackets was soon to begin and I would be lying if I didn't honestly feel excited to showcase my skills. During my extended vacation in this wonderful country, I had done some sightseeing, some shopping, and obviously a lot of training to hone my skills with my blessed Blade of Celestial Judgement to ensure that I properly was prepared for my first match against someone from my former home of the Hidden Stone. My training however had been the primary focus since I had arrived here and I was giving the people of this wonderful City of Kurosawa a show as I would go out into some of their designated training areas for the participants and vigorously train while allowing them to watch with some of my personal Byakko guards obviously watching over me to ensure that nobody tried anything funny that put my livelihood and safety in danger. However, there were occasions that people would ask for a spar while I had been training and I would generously accept their challenges to help with publicity and also to keep their morale up while they waited since this city was going to erupt when the World Martial Arts Tournament officially began soon.

As for today however, my assistant and cousin of one of the fighters had informed me that we had a formal meeting with the ninth Kazekage of our village who also was known as Takahashi Sousuke, a good friend of mine. Allegedly, this meeting was open to all the participants that would be participating for our village meaning that my former apprentice and crush would also be there and she would have to see me in my current form. Aside from that, it would appear that the man that went by Roku would also be there and there was a possibility of the fill-in known as Oda Yatamaru, a drunk of our village, also being there. In other words, there would be a lot of well-known and highly respected individuals from our village in one place which either meant that this meeting would be smooth sailing and everyone would keep their attitudes in check or someone would allow their ego to inflate more than it already was. Regardless, I had to attend and would ask my good friend and cousin of one of the participants, Aikayume Hinoka, to accompany me in case her cousin reacted negatively to seeing me or a verbal confrontation occurred between us; I doubted it but one could never know when dealing with an Aikayume.

Our journey to the meeting place would be quite peaceful as we would stop occasionally to allow myself to sign an autograph or pose for a photo with one of the residents of this great city that just wanted to keep some form of a memory from this glorious time in their history and in each of our own as well. Of course, there were people who tried to demand things from me or were being quite excessive about having me stop for them, but my guards from the Byakko Clan would stop them before they got too close and tell these individuals that they needed to check themselves before they caused an international conflict with other villages or countries. Overall though, it was a nice stroll from our room where we were staying to the destination for our meeting.

When we made it to the room that we all were meeting in, I would have a huge smile on my face while Hinoka would give her own little gentle smile. This smile was supposed to be friendly and warming, but I also was putting up a facade as there were some people in this room who truly did not deserve my glorious smile and had some explaining to do about where they were in life. But, I would deal with the interrogations at a later date as this was supposed to be a warm, welcoming, and friendly meeting so we were all going to keep it that way or at least Hinoka and I were going to. Regardless, following proper protocol, I would give a slight bow to Sousuke and to my surprise, the tenth Kazekage, before simply giving a nod to Oda and Azusa who were in the room as well. After I did all the warm welcoming gestures, Miss Hinoka would speak for us: "Hello Lord Ninth and Lord Tenth. Hello Mr. Oda and Azusa. Aikayume Hinoka and Byakko Kyuji have arrived!"

---

OOC:

• Let the party begin finally! Sorry for making you all wait!

 

[Takahashi Aki]

Sousuke blinked and looked at Katuso. Was he actually expecting him to be here? No. It seemed that he overruled the council and stated he was coming anyways. Sousuke in his mental landscape pictured a boardroom of Sunan nobles looking at each other awkwardly considering Katuso was supposed to be present for a development project briefing. "You... who's leading the meeting about the new Shiro-line developments? I left you a folder with all the subjects to bring up, and my financial backing plan -- why are -- you know what? Forget it. Shizune is probably leading it. She knows what she's doing and she's used to my presentations."<i></i> Sousuke's mind was somewhat more at ease now. Sousuke trusted Shizune enough, and Katuso needed a person like her to keep him on his feet. Sousuke was very much a paperwork man, and a planner. He had worked very hard over the years to make sure Sungakure was not drowning in debts, or was suffering from lack of funding.

Katuso spoke of getting into the actual tournament. Again Sousuke blinked oddly, missing out that this was indeed a joke. "Oda Yatamaru is filling in for Roku already. He is a very capable man, even if his methods are questionable. He is not what he seems."<i></i> Indeed the man had a drinking problem, along with smoking but like Sousuke the Journeyman could push himself beyond his normal limits. Such was the case of being part machine. "He will not be exceptionally late."<i></i> He added. What did Katuso ask next? If any of their combatants ... were cute? Sousuke's mouth closed and his eyes narrowed. His eyes shifted from Katuso to skyward. He quietly considered it. "I ... guess? ... Maybe? Kyuji is a male spiritually, physically in the body of a female. I haven't quite figured out the logistics because that is in the realm of mysticism, and you very much know I despise mysticism."<i></i> Katuso probably gleaned from his experiences with Mikaboshi that sorcery or as Sousuke called it mysticism was a very frustrating subject that would cause Sousuke to go quiet and brood about his lack of understanding in it.

At this time Azusa would emerge. Sousuke knew of her, he had seen pictures and was given reports of the damage done to the D.O.O.R by her personage. Kitchy would take a few steps back from Sousuke. Animals in general had a habit of knowing some things before humans could, the husky senses an unease about her. There was something else too, but the canine too was uncertain what it was. She could not put her paw on it. The canine would back peddle and would turn her head. Sousuke's eyes shifted back to the canine for a moment. He wasn't perturbed by what his dog had done, merely noticed it. As she had bowed and made a gesture, Sousuke would return the same in formality. "Ah. Lady Azusa - you are not interrupting anything at all."<i></i> He spoke pleasantly. The neutral looking Steward almost seemed to be forming a smile on his face before Yamataru burst in. Sousuke looked to his fellow Journeyman with an almost slightly confused expression. "Ah. Er ... I assure you I was born within wedlock. My fellow Journeyman Yamataru. Good to see you. Your new look, something of your own invention?"<i></i> Sousuke indeed took the word bastard for its literal meaning. He looked over to Katuso, "Lord Katuso ... decided to tag along as it were."<i></i> Oh by the assets of the Ancients, Sousuke hoped Shizune was working along that meeting well enough. Faith was something Sousuke was having a profound amount in. Shizune was going to pull it off.

Last but not least Kyuji had arrived with Hinoka. Sousuke would greet and welcome their final combatant. Sousuke was still uncertain in his mind how to address Kyuji. Him? Her? Him/Her? Sirlady? This was going to prove a small challenge. "Noble Kyuji and Lady Hinoka."<i></i> Alright. There a title. A non-gender specific title. That would indeed work. Alright. The hard part. Slightly hard because Katuso was present. One of Sousuke's harder times as Kazekage was when he presented the Orders. He was dealing with a crowd of people then and there. He did not stutter, nor did he freeze up. For a moment it seemed like he was going to do the latter, but he didn't. He went forward. "Lady Azusa, Journeyman Yamataru, and Noble Kyuji."<i></i> He began, "You have each answered the call of our city-state Sungakure in two ways. You answered the challenge of the D.O.O.R and bested it in each of your very own specialties be it through a combination of strength, dexterity, or extreme cunning. I hope you have learned from that encounter, as did the Journeymen who worked on that project."<i></i> He spoke in a seemingly warm manner. He continued. "The second call you answered was to come to this event itself where we will be displayed to the world. I am certain we will conduct ourselves in the most superior way possible. For years I have pushing myself to be a superior version of myself, I am certain each of you will show us your utmost superior and ultimate versions of yourselves today. I must say each of you look excellent in the extreme and ... your combat prowess will match such excellence."<i></i> He paused for a moment. "Azusa your ... absolute destruction ... of the door was something we Journeymen are still working to recover from. I wish I could have seen it firsthand."<i></i> He then turned to Yamataru. "Yamataru, this moment, this segment in time is a cog that will form a grand design of a victory in the machine."<i></i> He spoke to his fellow man, referring to an item they spoke of long ago. He then turned to Kyuji, "Observe and reflect Kyuji. I am certain your studies will allow you see things most cannot. I like to think myself an excellent observer, but even you may surpass my own skillset."<i></i> He spoke lastly to Kyuji indirectly referring to his/her role as an Oracle. "You have ... my ...no ... our gratitude and have formed a pride in my heart for what I suspect will be a most excellent tournament. There are other ways to win more than simply beating an opponent in the area."<i></i> It was a curious thing. Sousuke was not known for his speeches, but he seemed to carry himself well enough with a mechanical elegance.

 

[Mikaboshi]

"I'm on top of it, don't worry Sousuke." Remarked Katsuo in response to Sousuke's inquiry about the new train line being negotiated.

He was, in fact, not on top of it at all. Or at least more to the point Shizune was indeed spear-heading the project and really only bothered to contact Katsuo when matters which required his permission were involved. Sousuke had been many things as a leader but most of all he had been extremely hands on with much of the paperwork and minutia of policy at every step. Katsuo preferred to trust in the expertise of those working underneath him and so far that had seen him well enough. Shizune had turned out to be both a shrewd and fierce negotiator which was unafraid to challenge thought processes which she thought were harmful to the village. Katsuo stepped in where he thought he was needed but on matters like trade negotiations someone like Shizune was a much more ideal pick than Katsuo.

Sousuke then tried his best to give his own answer to Katsuo's question before the first of their three fighters arrived and introduced herself as Aikayuma Azusa. She, like Sousuke, had opted for a considerably more formal attire which might have made Katsuo feel self-conscious about the relatively casual way he was dressed if he were any other man but the 10th Kazekage had long since put aside things like judging someone on the level of formality that they chose to present themselves at. The desert faring Masashi Clan from which Katsuo hailed was one that prided the substance of one's character and actions over their choice of dress and presentation and that considerably more simple outlook was molded into the very underpinings of who Katsuo was. As Azusa introduced herself and offered a bow of greeting to both the current and former Kazekages, Katsuo presented her with a warm smile and replied in kind with a bow of similar depth-- slightly less as he had been reminded by Shizune a million times --before leaning over to Sousuke.

"The answer to that question was yes, in case it escaped your notice." Regardless of Sousuke's response, Katsuo would turn his attention back to the kitsune-in-disguise standing before him. A former demon hunter by trade, and well familiar with the tricks of kitsune and their spiritual ilk, Katsuo could not help but feel the hair on his arms raise a little bit in her presence. There was something about her that was captivating that he couldn't describe and that always made Katsuo a little uneasy. Almost each and every occasion in the past where he'd felt something like that sensation had ended with him trying not to get the life force sucked out of him by some manner of essence devouring spiritual creature. Still, despite that Katsuo kept his heebie-jeebies to himself and responded to Azusa's question about interruption. "No apology necessary Lady Azusa. Sousuke and I were just discussing a few matters of policy. And just Katsuo is fine, no need for formalities."

There would never come a time that Katsuo would get used to being referred to as "Lord" anything. Especially not any variation of Kazekage. It was a very bizarre experience that people rarely ever used his name anymore. They commonly referred to him as Lord Kazekage or Lord Tenth. Or just Tenth. His identity as the Kazekage very much had subsumed his very name and that alone was a struggle to get past without folks treating him like they were beneath him though that was certainly his least favorite part of the position. He had to constantly remind the staff-- his staff, he silently corrected himself --to use his name rather than refer to him as Lord Tenth. Then as if on queue as Katsuo asked Azusa to refer to him using his name, the second of their fighters arrived on scene... and addressed him as Lord Kazekage.

It was going to be a long day.

"Please, just Katsuo. And it is good to see you as well, Yatamaru." Remarked Katsuo through a patient grin. Katsuo and Oda had met briefly before during an... incident on the street that they both had caught wind of but at the time the ANBU had been in full garb and persona as the ANBU "Fuu". Katsuo hadn't known his identity until later and they hadn't had much time for pleasantries given the situation but Katsuo had found him to be a competent and straight-forward individaul which was refreshing in the shinobi world of intrigue and agendas. Meeting a man who simply fought for the best for his nation was a welcome change of pace.

Finally the third individual they were waiting on arrived and it was perhaps the person that Katsuo was most eager to take the measure of. He remembered a man named Byakko Kyuji that had been involved with a plot being hatched by another demon-blooded individual named Miroku Akkuma to assassinate the daimyo of Wind and install a puppet leader as the base of power in the country. While he couldn't agree more that Ishii Shiro needed to be relieved of his position and authority over the region, he could would die before letting someone like Akkuma be allowed to take Shiro's place. Wind Country would only be trading one corrupt master for another, to say nothing of what would happen to the region if Sunagakure attempted to unilaterally seize power over all of Wind Country with someone who had no formal claim to any line of leadership. Kyuji brought with her what seemed to be a retainer of some kind that shared a name with Azusa leaving Katsuo to wonder what the relation between the two individuals were. Returning the bow that Kyuji and Hinoka offered to him and Sousuke, Katsuo blew a light-hearted sigh at the third time being referred to as Lord Kazekage or Lord Tenth. He was going to have to have Shizune commission him a name tag that said "Hi, I'm the 10th Kazekage but Just Katsuo is Fine, Thanks".

"Hello Lady Kyuji, Lady Hinoka. The pleasure is mine." He replied to the fox-eared retainer but as he did he took notice of the ears and the tail which brought his eyes back to Azusa and the feeling of unease he'd felt from her earlier. Did each of the Aikayume Clan share kitsune blood as Hinoka did? If that were true, it would explain the feeling that he was receiving from her. He made a mental note to inquire about it later but put it aside as Sousuke began to speak.

Sousuke made remarks to each of the three participating fighters and out of respect for his predecessor Katsuo stayed quiet while Sousuke finished. He had words of encouragement and praise for them and that was well and good. They deserved to be proud of their accomplishments. Out of all the candidates which tested themselves against the mechanical monstrosity that Raijuta and his insane protege Fuurika had created Aikayume Azusa, Oda Yatamaru and Byakko Kyuji stood apart as the cream of the crop aside from the sennin Roku who had withdrawn his eligibility for the tournament at the last second. Sousuke finished and Katsuo stepped forward. Like Sousuke, speeches were not Katsuo's preferred wheelhouse but he was finding himself getting a little better at them as time went on.

"You each have a reason to be very proud of where you are right now and it is important to remember what is at stake." He commented, nodding at Sousuke's commentary. "News of this tournament will eventually reach our home shores and I hope I don't need to remind you that we are currently engaged in a conflict for the very survival of our people. This is our opportunity to show not just the other villages but the rest of Wind Country that we are strong and a force to be reckoned with. Each of you carries a portion of our future with you and I hope you will remember that in the fights to come."

What Katsuo decline to say was the fact that the enigmatic village of Otogakure had also announced it would be participating in the tournament. Exactly how Otogakure as a whole was involved with the conflict raging in Wind Country at the present was still an unknown quantity for the intelligence community of Sunagakure but they knew that at least one extremely powerful Sound shinobi was aiding the Wind Daimyo in creating his Sovereign super soldiers. Whether he did so at the behest of the Otokage or simply was a rogue shinobi exercising what he'd learned from his homeland to do acts of evil wasn't something that they could properly account for just yet but this was a good opportunity to make clear to Sound as well as the rest of Wind Country that Sunagakure was not to be trifled with lightly.

 

[Muramasa Maya]

What a most fascinating arrangement this was shaping up to be. As the other two chosen to represent Suna arrived, Azusa of course glanced over the two, seeing they too were dressed for the occasion. Both passed her vanity check; "...As expected of Sunan shinobi. The other villages are sure to be watching; we must be sure to show Suna spares neither might nor elegance, despite its harsh environment." With the exception of Lord Kazekage...but his simplicity added to his charm. For various reasons.

As for Suna's other chosen...The first, or second after herself, a man with piercing green eyes contrasted by his pale appearance (and even paler hair) "Oda Yatamaru? I am delighted. I am certain that between the two of us, Suna will surely be the talk of the tournament." Azusa spoke, accepting his handshake; the combination of her lightest of touches in combination with the fabric of her gloves made Yatamaru's subtle differences go unnoticed to her touch. Azusa returned his introduction with her own, though it seemed he was already familiar with her. Naturally, this caused her no small amount of delight (though she was adept at not letting it show!)

The second....her eyes squinted. Byakko Kyuji. So she had not misread the names of the selected. The fact that her former sensei was accompanied by her rosy-haired cousin was proof enough that despite the dramatically different appearance, this was indeed the Byakko. "...." Azusa was not uncertain that he was using some type of transformation himself. And displeased that Hinoka wasn't hiding her Aikayume features outside the village. She cursed her luck to have run into them again -now- of all times, when she was finally given the chance to meet the Kage. If either of the two brought any drama with them..."That dress suits you...sensei." Why, the glare she shot them (existing for half a second!) was essentially her imagining them as a giant Door.

When she was certain that she was not going to have to defend herself against the Byakko, Azusa put on a smile and turned her attention to Sousuke. Addressing them both as a group and individually, Azusa couldn't help be affected by Sousuke's rallying words. This...
...This is what she had always been working toward in her life.
This was what she wanted.

Recognition.

"My, my, Lord Ninth...I am humbled by your words of appreciation...And I cannot help but to share those very same sentiments. Superiority...what a most tasteful way to put what it means to be a Sunan shinobi into a single word. I assure you, the privileged of being chosen for this event will not be wasted; if the test against The Door was a simulation, than I will demonstrate that the results were entirely accurate. This tournament will show that the shinobi of Sunagakure possess both strength and grace in abundance."

If she were to receive the praise and attention of the highest figures in Suna, her own clan would have no choice but to revoke their disownment. Yes, it was a petty desire purely in pursuit of her own pride, but the vixen was a priestess. Not a saint....And both current and past Kage were present! Knowing that two of Suna's most powerful men would be watching the tournament brought her a feeling that "Delight" could not even begin to describe. It was a unique opportunity the for could not -would not- allow to slip away.

"Katsuo..." Azusa began, hesitating. Addressing the Kazekage in such a plain, straightforward manner...it left a bad taste. "Lord Katsuo." she compromised. " If this tournament is to be our message to potential allies and would-be enemies, then know that I will ensure our statement is most clear. Why, you need only say the word, my Lord Katsuo, and I would cleanse any blemish that would dare stain our home." The vixen again bowed before the Kazekage, momentarily pausing at a more...charming...angle, before slowly raising herself up.
"...Or stress upon its proud leader."

[MFT]

 

[Tomomi]

Anger. Annoyance. Disappointment. Disgust. These were some of the feelings that I, the great descendant of Lord Byakko, felt as my former apprentice and fellow participant had glared at me before responding to our great past and current Kazekage and offering them a more revealing look as she bowed. Being the last participant to enter the room obviously had prevented me from hearing or seeing much that occurred prior to my arrival, but knowing this vixen for years now, I knew exactly what she was doing and it was sickening. Originally, her lust had been towards her sensei and the one person who had looked out for her and tried to make her an acceptable member of society in the Hidden Sand, but obviously came up short due to unforeseeable circumstances and her ego. She had then moved on to Miroku Riyota who was a great kid, but could easily be persuaded and manipulated, and likely still was because he was thinking with one of his organs instead of the proper one; it was truly a shame. But standing only a few feet in front of me and she was being lustful to our current Kazekage while our precious Lord Ninth stood there beside Katsuo; that was too far even for her.

Taking a few steps forward, my arms would be folded in front of me as I addressed my former apprentice and friend. "Aikayume Azusa, what are you doing? This is neither the time nor the place for you to try to seduce someone especially one of the leaders of our village. Have you no shame about your actions or are you still so self-centered and egoistical that you have not grown up in all these years? It's truly pathetic that the former priestess of the Aikayume Clan fell from grace and was living and working for Setsuna in the Red Light District as a prostitute and yet, she never thanked her sensei for getting her out of that place and giving her a place to stay and live while she recovered from her stardust addiction." ...And so it began, my words had slipped from my lips towards the "head" of the Toraono Clan and they were filled with disgust and anger. My, oh my, I was glad that I was the one giving it instead of receiving it as one never wanted to be on the receiving end of a blunt, emotionally-filled speech.

There was truly no feelings left at the door as I continued on and the poor vixen was hearing essentially her life story and how she had messed her life up ever so much. Every time though, I was there for her to try to guide her back onto the correct path in life and hopefully and praying that she would listen. But, these words I spoke were true and she had waited a long time to hear them all. "Instead of getting yourself clean, you decided to bring some of that illegal substance into my clan's prestigious home and only actually got yourself clean after it was forcefully taken from you. But instead of trying to work out your addiction civilly, you assaulted your cousin and then proceeded to get yourself infected by fighting zombies or the undead. Yes, I am well aware that it was you even if the newspapers wanted to try to keep the details to a minimum. Unlike you, I have methods to retrieve information."

As I took another step forward, Hinoka would walk about behind me putting a hand on my shoulder likely to try to calm me down and stop myself from continuing to bash her dearest cousin. Unfortunately for my assistant, I would simply glare at her and my look was more than enough for her to know not to get involved. Oh, I knew that she truly wanted to likely intervene before things were escalated and her clan's name was indirectly tainted in front of this group. Sadly, she probably also knew that this was coming for her cousin and I had left it build up inside of me and needed to let it out. "So you get infected with this disease and we actually managed to create a cure for it after strenuous time and effort in our infirmary. But instead of taking it, you decided to run away from my clan's home and back into the establishment that Setsuna worked at. Of course, I went to try to help you since you were out of control and needed serious medical help, but you brutally assaulted me in the process and according to some individuals, I was murdered by you. Of course, I have no idea for sure since you knocked me out but I am well aware that Miroku Riyota and Miroku Akkuma were there and neither of them gave you the cure."

"Even before that though, you were not in the right state of mind as I trained you to wield the Liberator of Darkness and you showed so much promise. But even then, you decided to allow the disease to take control of you and you brutally murdered me as I recall clear as day waking up from that murder and seeing my clan's training grounds stained in excessive amounts of blood. Why did you not come to your senses when I started to profusely bleed out, Azusa? You didn't even call for help or stop yourself, you just continually punctured, clawed, and bit my veins until a normal individual would have been removed from this world," I would continue as I continued to walk more and more towards this little girl who had made my life truly a living Hell, if one wanted a comparison to this mortal world. Maybe, this was all pointless and I was wasting my breath telling her all of this as she likely wouldn't care. But, there was a small sliver of hope inside of me that this would finally show her what I had been dealing with due to her for years.

After a few more steps, I would be standing right beside Azusa and glaring at her as I continued. This next part was truly what was causing me the most anger and frustration right now. The words that slipped from my tongue could be felt from the very soul of anyone who truly was paying attention to this outburst from me towards Aikayume Azusa. It was even possible that there was a sting to them especially near the end. "Fortunately for me, I am blessed by Lord Byakko who has managed to watch over me and protect me through all of this. It is through his guidance and powers that I am standing here today and not cremated or buried thanks to you. The fact that Toraono Kuro and the Toraono Clan thought that you were the ideal candidate to be the head of the entire clan is pathetic and when we get back to the Hidden Sand, I am going to have a long conversation with him and the Toraono Clan about you because you are not qualified and you are not ready to be the head of anything in this world especially one of the most prestigious clans of Wind Country. You are still immature, disrespectful, egoistical, and honestly, you should be locked up in the Obsidian Palace or the Asylum after your actions against me."

Shaking my head as I paused momentarily, I would take another step to force her to look right at me as our emerald-colored vixen eyes likely would likely lock on with one another unless Azusa truly was feeling assaulted or ashamed for her actions, but that likely was not happening since she was stuck-up too much and only cared about one person in this world, herself. In any case, I continued and it went from simply verbally assaulting her to giving her a simple and short lecture. "You still have a lot to learn about this world and to grow up before you are ready for any position of power. You aren't even a medic-nin yet, you are still a medic-in-training even after all this time. So many people have joined our branch and got promoted to being medics, but yet, here you are as a trainee who doesn't even show up to the Hospital anymore to help out.

"But by all means, good luck in the tournament and I hope to see you at the end so I can show you that it was a fluke that you beat me before" I would say as a smirk appeared on my face for the first time throughout all of this as I proceeded to walk back to where I left poor Hinoka throughout this whole "fray". When I returned to her, those golden orbs that often looked like the sun looked me right in the eye with a deep hint of sorrow as she seemed to be a little rattled up by it all. But, all I could say quietly to her was "I'm sorry, Hinoka. But, it had to be done."

It was only after I returned to where I originally was standing that I turned around looking directly at our two Kazekages who were likely standing there in disbelief at what just occured. Shrugging my shoulders momentarily, I would address them next and my tone had changed to a more uplifting and happy one. "I apologize Katsuo and Sousuke. Azusa and I have a long history together for various reasons which started with me teaching her in the academy to becoming her sensei to her murdering me twice. Quite honestly, I am disappointed in her as I expected someone who is going to represent our village to have grown a little bit instead of still being a little girl who is trying to seduce everything that moves that has power. If we are being honest here, she wouldn't be alive today if it wasn't for Lady Yanshi and I who gave her some of our celestial blood to her when she desperately needed it due to the actions of Miroku Akkuma. But, she can continue to be ungrateful and a stuck-up brat if she chooses to do so and never acknowledge that she is forever in my clan's debt for saving her sorry ass numerous times." Oh, I could play the good girl game too as much as anyone else in this room. If one of us was going to try to seduce, one of the others would just be kind and honest and polite and not trying to get into their pants.

Before I finished speaking, I would respond to both Kazekages on the basis of their words and offer them an invite to the meeting that had been planned months in advance between the Hidden Sand, Hidden Leaf, and Hidden Cloud medical branch representives. "Thank you for the encouraging words, Katsuo and Sousuke. I will take them to heart and remember this meeting as I first step into the arena to fight against my opponent. While I am here, I will also be meeting the Sennin of their respective Medical Branches from the other villages as Sousuke was already informed when we had our dinner a little while ago. If either of you would like to join in the meeting, please give me your points of contact or where you will be staying and I will send someone or myself to come get you on the day. But, any further talk of that will need to be done in private away from the other two since neither of them are qualified to attend it."

 

[Kazu]

His handshake was reciprocated, though with the faintest of touches only befitting one of royal blood; Yatamaru, like his Kage before him, was not oblivious to the kitsune's charm. With a silky sweet smile, he released her hand and continued with his pleasantries.

Turning to the man of solely literal understanding, he couldn't help but chuckle at the miscommunication. "Sousuke, one of these days I'll build some sort of device to translate metaphors for you," he quipped in response to the former-kage's wedlock comment. "And no, unfortunately I didn't have time to whip anything up. Last minute preparations for the tournament ate up all my time, you see, so I decided to pop into a local tailor's shop. I must say, the people here have exquisite taste!" As he joked with his friend and former boss, the third of their contestants arrived along with a guest. He'd caught two names, and through some quick observations of his peers' interactions with them was able to tell who was who — wasting little time after he was sure he was addressing the right person, he extended his hand to the third contestant, Kyuji, whom he'd never met before. "The pleasure is mine, Kyuji was it? I look forward to hearing of your triumph!" There were certain advantages to not having met this particular individual before: particularly that Yatamaru was oblivious to the confusing nature of their gender.

The time for pleasantries was fast over, it seemed. Sousuke began his address, leaving the rest of them to merely listen in humble silence.

Sousuke's words were well spoken, individually curtailed, and above all inspiring. Such was to be expected of their former leader. Yatamaru was especially touched by his fellow Journeyman's comments directed towards him, their previous encounter coming to light in the most subtle of ways. It was obvious that, despite his resignation from the head of office, his future was still bright as a statesman.

Shortly after, Katsuo jumped in as well. His words carried weight behind them, reminding the glory-drunk (or maybe just normally drunk) participants of the stakes at hand. This wasn't just about winning — making a statement to those who threatened to kick down their doors was equally important. Sunans were not an easy people to best, and it was their job to remind the world of that fact. Yatamaru could feel his resolve burning brighter. He could feel his deeply knit pride as a Sunan growing. They were in this together, whether they won or lost. If he could, he might have even shed a tear in joy.

"Hear, hear!" He spoke brashly. It seemed now was their chance to say their fill. "I'm not really one for words — I prefer to let my actions and results speak for themselves while others run their gums. But this," he swept his hands around at the entourage assembled here, "makes me wanna say how honored I am to represent our nation. I may not be elegant, orderly, or always dignified, but you can be sure I'll fight until my joints are ground into sawdust to secure our victory and bring honor to our people." The whole scene was quite touching. Like a passing of the torch, if you will, from one generation of warriors to the next. Where Sousuke and Katsuo would have been the ones competing in years past, now it was time for them to take up the mantle. Yatamaru only hoped that he would be able to fill such large shoes.

Then came the outburst.

While Yatamaru may not have known much about the other two contestants before, he certainly did now. Noble Kyuji, as Sousuke had called her, seemed to have reached a breaking point of some sort. What had caused it was anyone's guess. Yatamaru merely looked on with a mixture of disbelief that such a scene was unfolding right here and now, curiosity to find out more about the Aikayame's promiscuous past, and perverse pleasure in the anger and frustration that seemed to have over taken the third contestant, Kyuji. He pulled out a pack of cigarettes, lighting one for himself to deal with the stressful situation, then offered the rest of the pack to the angry woman.

"Here," he said, trying to diffuse the scene in whatever way possible, "you want some? They'll help calm your nerves, I promise. They're chakra infused, guaranteed to relax you." This definitely wasn't the time to be offering such a thing; but, with tension so thick in the air that you could cut it with a dull kunai, he figured that nothing would quite be 'right' to do in this situation. "If those aren't your fancy, I got some whiskey in a flask? Pretty good stuff, too, if you ask me."

 

[Mikaboshi]

Both Yatamaru and Azusa thanked Sousuke and Katsuo for their kind words and Katsuo found that he liked Yatamaru at first glance. The man seemed similarly possessed of good humors and had a sincere interest in representing their nation in a positive light. That was good, thought Katsuo. They needed that right now. The last thing that Sunagakure could use was more enemies in the form of other shinobi nations deciding to take a disliking to them. It was impossible to say if Ishii Shiro would be willing to field the forces of foreign shinobi nations against them but it was not something that was entirely out of the question. After all, the connection between Otogakure and the daimyo's cruel regime was still nothing short of a complete enigma. They knew that Shiro was getting aid from a man who was or at least had been at one time an Otogakurian shinobi and that the regime had ties with the Otokage given that the man was marrying Shiro's daughter Sango but they couldn't confirm to what extent Otogakure was aware of the crimes perpetrated by the daimyo and his government bodies.

For her part Azusa seemed uncomfortable with the casual way that Katsuo preferred for them to address him and added the title "Lord" to his name and to that he could only offer a surrendering smile. At least it was progress. One less person that was going to call him by his title rather than his name. Thinking on it, it finally dawned upon Katsuo why the name Aikayume Azusa had sounded so familiar to him-- she was the girl that Toraono Kuro had volunteered to replace him as sennin of the village. She bowed deeply while expressing her willingness to be his sword in the endeavor of cleaning up the ranks of their village... and then as she stood up, pausing for the briefest of moments, she added an offer to relieve his "stress" which caught him off-guard.

You have a girlfriend. He repeated over and over in his mind as he did his best to take his mind off of the attraction that he felt towards Azusa. There had been a time in his life where Katsuo had been something of a heartbreaker as he moved from place to place out on the frontier and he'd known many lovers over the years both men and women at different times but that person was behind him as much as being the Iron Wolf was behind him. Azusa certainly was a vision but Katsuo had no intention of betraying his fidelity to Naganisa.

From his semi-casual attire and his general good humors and jovial expressions, it might have been easy to get the wrong idea from Katsuo. He knew that others tended to view him as soft or weak for the fact that he held convictions which sponsored the ethics of mercy towards one's enemies and upheld belief in things like redemption and reconciliation. Katsuo often found himself pulled into debates rooted in philosophy where his policy regarding the former members of the Cabal were concerned. It had not been a popular decision to spare them from the sword but thankfully for the 10th Kazekage his gamble with them had bourne fruit outside of the obvious romantic connection he'd found with Naganisa. Without the information given by their leader Kaito the mission into the Diamond Maelstrom would never have even been considered much less attempted and to this day they would still be floundering underneath the rotting crust of the necropolis that their underground city had become.

Yes, with his apparent softness towards their enemies and the way he differed in demeanor from Sousuke it was easy to forget that Katsuo was the scion of two lineages that stretched back to the dawn of Sunagakure history. That he had been a folk hero long before he'd even come to Sunagakure. That he'd faced the source of the Diamond Maelstrom alongside Sousuke and their allies. That he had faced not one Ancient Lord but two and lived to tell the tale of both battles.

It was easy to forget.

And so it seemed Kyuji had indeed forgotten herself as she ruthlessly admonished Azusa's flirtatious behavior before Katsuo could respond to it himself. Kyuji got maybe a few sentences into his criticism before there was loud rapping noise of Katsuo driving the metal tip of his sword's scabbard into the ground, interrupting the angry flood of accusations and venting. The force of the strike wasn't enough to cause any damage or disrupt property but there was an accompanying pulse of magnetic chakra as he moved making the clack seem almost like a clap of thunder which was certainly loud enough to prevent the furthering of Kyuji's angry outburst. On his face Katsuo still wore an expression of warmth but there was a seed of seriousness that had not existed previously as he eyed Kyuji. It seemed as though there was a great deal of personal history between Kyujin and Azusa and on that Katsuo made a note to have a discussion about it with the Byakko woman at a later date but now was not the time for this. They needed to have their minds on the fights ahead of them, not on the animosity between each other. He himself had some misgivings about some of their fighters. Kyuji, naturally, had been involved with the plot that had surfaced out of Mikaboshi's memories and Azusa was another can of worms herself. Despite the magnetism he felt towards her, he knew that she'd been wanted for questioning in the matter of an assault and maiming of another Sunan shinobi as Roku had told him as much but he was also aware that she'd at one time harbored some form of connection to the supernatural affliction that plagued his little brother Reiko who Katsuo had thought dead for years before he'd reappeared one day on his doorstep covered in blood.

"You are each of you one of the strongest shinobi that our village can count in it's ranks. With that status comes responsibility as well. Whatever your differences with each other, I expect that you put them behind you until the end of the tournament. This is too important." He was addressing Kyuji directly but his words were really for each of them. He had no way of knowing who here was friends or rivals or even enemies but right now that didn't matter. It couldn't matter. There were too many eyes upon them and shows of disunity like these were only arrows in the quivers of those that would see them destroyed. "Now I don't know about you all but it has been a long trip and I suggest that you each settle in and get some rest before the first day of the tournament. It's gonna be a big day."

His eyes went back and forth between Azusa and Kyuji as he made his "suggestion" that carried with it the implicit weight of influence that came with the position he was in. That is to say when the leader of your village makes a suggestion, usually that suggestion is for the best. He resolved to eventually have a talk with both of them to get to the bottom of whatever was going on as well as explore some of the questions that he had floating around both of them.

 

[Takahashi Aki]

The Steward was uncertain of why Azusa was doing what she was doing. It was an odd stance. For a moment he considered that her body had seized up. Luckily she returned to her normal stature. Was Sousuke immune to the charms of women? No, the Steward was perhaps bothered by the notion of the female gender having qualities that were grossly disproportionate to the rest of the body. Kyuji would speak up and clarify exactly what was going on. It was apparently a seduction technique. Sousuke would blink twice. It was probably for the best that Naganisa wasn't present, if she were this might boil down into what some would call a 'cat fight', Sousuke wasn't sure why a fight between the two would be called a cat fight. Cats were of both genders. For the sake of most parties, Sousuke considered it for the best to not speak of this at all to the older woman. Naganisa was a very terrifying woman who despite her size had the ability to shake Sousuke like a child.

Kyuji would continue with what seemed to be like a rant. It was a history lesson being given about Azusa and how she was a fostered individual of Kyuji's family. Perhaps not to the surprise of Sousuke, as Kyuji continued on Akkuma and his clan were mentioned in this. Yatamaru had attempted to stabilize the situation and offer out his personable items. Sousuke chose not to comment on this, because honestly this situation needed to deescalate. Sousuke knew that his fellow Journeyman had a grasp on dealing with people, perhaps even better than he could. Sousuke's mind darted into a series varying situations where he could diffuse the situation. Sousuke went through about ten different situations in the span of seconds, and had arrived at the one he had thought best. He was about to speak but then Katuso had made a gesture ... no not a gesture a statement. He used his magnetic power to acquire everyone's attention. Katuso spoke his piece about how they needed to put their quarrels behind them and how with the higher status, they were even more responsible. He spoke of how tomorrow was going to be a big day and that the lot of them should get some rest. The statement proved true for most of those present save two. Both Sousuke and Yatamaru were capable of pushing themselves for longer and harder than most people did. Granted, in the case of Sousuke he usually slept when the medics told him to, or when he was in the hospital.

Sousuke did not know how much of his condition and Yatamaru's condition were known and so it was perhaps best to err on the side of caution. Sousuke said nothing but observed as Katsuo would proceed to eye both Kyuji and Azusa. "Aside from rest, you will all need nutrition for the battle for tomorrow. I will make the arrangements for a hearty and truly fulfilling meal to be delivered to each of your rooms."<i></i> He paused for a moment, "Suffering a cease function due to a lack of fuel would be quite embarrassing."<i></i> Sousuke would add for good measure. Sousuke would exchange glances between all three of the combatants. "Let's save the 'fireworks' some would call it for tomorrow. I don't know why people refer to a big flashy display as a firework because ... technically a firework is comprise of ... oh nevermind. Temper yourselves this evening and be adaptable to anything and everything that is to come."<i></i> Sousuke spoke cordially. Before any disruption would occur, Sousuke thought it best to conclude this meeting of Sungakurian leaders, and the combatants. "Until tomorrow, and may we all succeed in our tasks and undertakings."<i></i>

[More or less wrapping it up here, we'll consider this an conclusion post]

 

[Muramasa Maya]

While the brash vixen had an unquenchable thirst for attention, there was a certain type she wanted. And a certain type that was most certainly not what she wanted.00

Og all people, why did Kyuji have to be here? At first she merely shot Kyuji a smug glance from the corner of her gaze; as if he were mere whining from someone she had long surpassed, unworthy of her attention.
....This quickly became a scowl as he continued beyond the initial few words of his comment and it became clear that he had intended to unload everything here and now; in front of both Sousuke and Katsuo.

To a composed individual, the correct action in her predicament was to reverse the situation. To perhaps play the role of the coy lady who was unfairly insulted. Azusa knew this.
...And yet, ignoring insults against her was not something she was capable for doing; the foxfolk of the Aikayume were incredibly prideful afterall.

She flexed the muscles in her hand in a rhythmical motion as she clenched and loosened her fist, her sharp claws at the end of her fingers tearing through the thin fabric of her white gloves. And oh, how they ached and yearned to silence him on the spot. "...How dare you insult me...sensei." Her eyes glared at her former sensei. Oh, how close she was to to swiping her claws across the Byakko's stomach! Oh, how she loved the thought of seeing just how Kyuji would attempt to continue while eviscerated! She had been successful in maiming him not once, but twice before afterall; and his new figure hardly appeared as if it could prevent her from raising that win streak to three.

Her blood pulsed through her body with such intensity it felt as if her heart were practically about to burst through her chest. Kyuji had been an excellent instructor to her, absolutely; she would not be where she was were it not for his guidance.
...However everything had its use and purpose, And Kyuji had made it very clear in that his time had long since expired. She raised her hand, and the sharp razors at the end of her fingers--

[--A REALLY LOUD NOISE--]

Were it not for interruption of the Kage....the Byakko may have gotten his rematch far sooner than expected. But the word of the kage carried a heavy force; how could she not comply when such a demand was given? "I...I understand, Lord Katsuo." Azusa conceded.

This would be the one and only time she would allow such words to be spoken out against her.
And only because she was in the presence of the Kazekage.

When Yatamaru offered his cigarettes to Kyuji, Azusa was swift to to swipe them from him and remove one for herself. Sapphire blue foxfire flared around her hand and fingertips for a moment, an action which was -only slightly- overkill for lighting the cigarette. But it felt therapeutic. "My Lord Ninth....and Lord Katsou...I thank you for your support. Even should all else fail, be assured that I will bring nothing less than overwhelming victory for our home." Inhaling the foul substance was something -anything- that could serve as an outlet for her. "If I may speak freely...sending three sunan shinobi is an unnecessary waste of effort."

[MFT]

 

[Tomomi]

Tension. There was a lot of tension in this room as Aikayume Azusa and I had seemingly acted like two children in front of the 9th and 10th Kazekage as she tried to suppress her emotions, but failed to do so as she tore her elegant, white gloves in the process while my voices had been like venom coursing through her veins probably. These words likely were stinging at the very least to her as they were absolutely true and showcased how a sweet, innocent girl had turned into a murderous animal and tried to put on a facade now to try to get her way. It likely had worked on Brother Kuro since he was susceptible to womanly charms, but I had to deal with her for years and grew accustomed to how she acted and treated others even though I unfortunately was seduced by her at one point as well which is how I lost one of my lives to her. The other life that was lost from her is when I was trying to stop her in the Red Light District and had been murdered in cold blood by her apparently from the numerous sources that had told me what exactly happened which included her pet, Miroku Riyota, and my daughter, Byakko Kyushiko.

However before anything could be said in response from her, our current Kazekage would emit some magnetic power that caused a loud noise directing our attention to him. It was after our attention was directed at him that he spoke to us telling us to put our differences aside until the end of the tournament which I was going to do. Truthfully, I was not going to say a peep until seeing my former apprentice acting like the seductive vixen that she was and feeling like I needed to intervene before her charm had an effect on Katsuo; I knew it would not have any effect on Sousuke though since he was different. The 10th Kazekage would then state that this meeting was to come to an adjure, but before anyone headed off, our former leader and my friend wanted to speak. He would just give us a little bit more of a pep talk and tell us to wait for the "fireworks" until tomorrow while stating that meals would be delivered to our rooms courtesy of him which was unexpected, but appreciated!

After both of the Kazekages had said their parts, it would appear that it was time to head off and get mentally and physically prepared for tomorrow as I was going to prove to the world that Byakko Kyuji was back in the saddle and ready to go. This tournament would showcase our skills as combatants in our own ways and hopefully we would make the village proud of us all even if we never made it to the finals but did our best. However, only time would tell that! What time would not have to wait on though is Azusa thanking our leaders for their support before take a shot at Yatamaru and myself in regards to not needing three shinobi as it was a waste of effort. So, she still was going to be egotistical and self-centered, good to know that she learned nothing when I went on my rant.

But, I would let her have this dig for now as we need not air more dirty laundry than we already did. After all, Katsuo and Sousuke made the suggestion of settling in and that is what we definitely needed to do. Thus after giving Hinoka a nudge, we would bow to everyone in the room as I simply said: "Thank you for the support, Katsuo and Sousuke. I will make you both proud and prove to you that it wasn't a fluke that I was selected for this tournament. Now if you will excuse Hinoka and I, we are going to settle down and allow myself to get prepared for tomorrow. It was a pleasure to see you both. As for you, Yatamaru and Azusa, I wish you the best as well and hopefully we will meet one another in the later rounds to showcase why our village is the superior one."

When we returned from our bow, I would have a smile on my face as I proceeded to walk out of the room with Lady Hinoka to do exactly as I said to everyone in the room. Hopefully, I was actually prepared for this as I could feel the butterflies filling up in my chest and my nerves were absolutely shot likely due to the meeting with not one, but two of our leaders! Regardless, there was nothing more that I could do but go back to our room, mediate and pray.

---

OOC:

• Topic left unless stopped.
• I had fun! Thanks for an enjoyable thread, Everyone!
• Sorry for the lackluster conclusion post. I have issues with intro and conclusion ones haha.