By the orange light of early evening, Yuii had answered the summons of the Kagetsu Clan head. The meeting with Kogami, Ayumu along with the newly appointed Medical and ANBU sennin had happened earlier that morning and Yuii still felt emotionally drained by it. Perhaps it had been the way Ayumu callously toyed with them, or the way Junko had taken her by surprise but Yuii had found her good humour stretched thin. Then there had been her follow-up meeting with Ayumu and Sunuke, hours of tutelage from her small army of staff and the quiet despair it all caused. She arrived feeling less capable of filling the shoes of sennin then ever before.
In poor humour, Yuii was forced to sit in front of the small council of Kagetsu elders while they explained their reasoning for her succession to Main branch Sennin. It was as she had guessed; the clan had been tailing her since her return and had found out about her little nephew Haru's arrival. He was a weakness Yuii had known the clan would use but not in such a callous way. They would destroy his career in the shinobi village before it even began no punish Yuii if she did anything outside the carefully outlined expectations and rules they presented her. The clan had learned from their mistakes with the last Kagetsu they'd left unchained in a leadership position in Cloud, and they would not repeat them.
Appearance and demeanor were heavily stressed in her new rules. Yuii was encouraged to make friends with the people they told her to, and undermine the rest. She was to not be overtly biased, but should a good mission come between Kagetsu and another shinobi she was to always favour her clan. She had to always look the part of her new rank, never offend anyone, and most of all make her family look good. The village and Raikage came first, to say otherwise would be treason, but her clan was an unquestioned third.
Under that duress, she was forced to recount the events of her first Sennin meeting. What had been a silly prank twisted into a terrible joke that put Yuii as the punchline when told to Kagetsu. Marry her? To the Santaru clan head? Ha. Yuii knew her raikage had meant it as a lighthearted prank, but right then she had cursed his name.
When they finished, the blue haired lady had been ready to escape to her tiny, homely apartment to lick her emotional wounds, but the clan head had other plans for her.
So now, exhausted, downtrodden, and defeated she sat before the only person who terrified her. Kagetsu Ishiyo, illustrious head of the Kagetsu clan sat reclined in lush embroidered cushions, her resplendent traditional robes enshrouding her gaunt, elderly frame. Ishiyo had never had the blessing of great beauty like her elder sister Kiyo and at nearly seventy, her face as a map of lines that told a tale of her difficult life. Her long, grey hair had retained none the charcoal colour it had been in her youth and her green eyes while still a brilliant hue was dulled by her age-creased eyelids. A great effort had been made at covering her various age spots and moles with cosmetics and eye-catching clothing which was a testament to Ishiyo's own vanity. Yuii had witnessed the arrogant matriarch change her entire image to that of a humble, modest grandmother when the situation called for it but this was her natural form.
Time nor age had done nothing to dull Ishiyo's mind, nor had it curbed her predisposition for manipulation and intrigue. Unlike her privileged sister, the younger sister of Kagetsu Kiyo had fought and schemed her way to becoming the head of their clan; using her sheer force of personality in tandem with carefully orchestrated blackmail to get her way. Her life was a string of untraceable disappearances, coercion, and bribery that kept her once all-powerful clan firmly embedded as a pillar of power within the village. She demanded nothing less than perfection from her family and dealt heavy punishment for any who could not meet her high expectations.
Yuii should know.
A breeze touched the red leafed ancient maples that had been retrieved from the mountains of Marsh decades before to be grown and guided to create a protective awning in the clan head's garden. It seemed to Yuii as if the quiet rustling of the leaves was a roar in the silence of the moment. A beautifully crafted GO board sat between them, the first dozen pieces laid in their match. Ishiyo enjoyed playing games during their meetings; it had once been a way to confound and distract Yuii's younger self but now it had become a ritual that Yuii was obligated to lose.
The younger Kagetsu's knees already ached from kneeling on the one thin mat given to her in opposition to Ishiyo's comfortable arrangement. Antsy to leave, she was beginning to wonder about the point of their meeting was beside the pointless board game, when the elder finally spoke. "I want you to get to know them." she purred, her voice smooth like silk despite her age, "The Santaru one in particular. If he would marry 'you', then the clan must be desperate. It is an opportunity." The Kagestu senior sneered with contempt as she spoke their rival clan's name laid her black coloured piece.
The white coloured stone in Yuii's hand fell and rolled to the edge of the board with a pleasant clink as her mind stumbled and she lost her grip. She scrambled to retrieve and set it, unconcerned with her placement. Ishiyo would win, she always won, so there was no point in trying. "Santaru, Yoshi? I already refused, Obasan." She answered, her ears burning with shame as she pretended to scan the lined board. The earlier exchange was still freshly burned into her memory, but worse had been her earlier report on the meeting. The scornful smile on her Aunt's face would give her nightmares for weeks.
The clan head gave a derisive laugh and played her move, setting off the fourth line in an aggressive move that would play out in her favour. "You? Ancestors no. I wouldn't marry you to a flea-ridden Inuzuka, little Kusogaki. No one should be so insulted. One of the others; Ami or Ina perhaps? Maybe Mai, if he likes your sort. I'm sure to have the right girl." Ishiyo chuckles to herself, pleased with her joke at her niece's expense, "The other one too, Tsuyoshi yes? New clan but they may be worth my time. Even Kogami is unma-"
The reaction Ayumu's name caused was abrupt. Yuii surged to her feet, brandishing her Go stone like a weapon in the face of the fearsome woman "Not Ay- Kogami, I won't!" As far as Yuii could tell, Ayumu was as ignorant to clan politics as a shelter puppy. She would not let their leader get sucked into Ishiyo's meddling or a loveless union if the Kagetsu matriarch got her way.
"Sit down!" The last of the evening light faded behind the false horizon and the garden lanterns sputtered to life. The orange light cast and ugly glow across her great aunt's face that made her reminiscent of an ogre kabuki mask. Yuii hesitated, familiar fear crawling up her spine and gripping her chest. One word from Ishiyo was all it took. "I was unaware you had a choice." Ishiyo hissed, her voice carrying the cadence one used to warn a small child.
No, she had no choice, but she stood her ground anyways. Her outburst seemed to have surprised her great aunt, so it bought her a moment to collect her thoughts and create an argument. Yuii knew Ayumu, knew he really loved his son and woman who had carried him. The idea of trying to strong arm Ayumu into a loveless union was beyond sickening. She could not fathom how she was going to do the same to the two bachelors Sennin, let alone him. "They have a child together. She isn't dead. I will not upset him." Yuii insisted, making no move to sit, "I. will. not."
"With your tactlessness, you would achieve just that." The grey haired materfamilias conceded, her mouth forming a thin line as she repressed her anger. Ishiyo had ordered her beaten for less as a child, but steadfastly Yuii reminded herself that she was a Jounin, no, Sennin now and an attack on her person without provocation would not go unnoticed. "Sit, Make your move." she was ordered, and primly Yuii obeyed though she hated herself for it.
Silence descended on both of them as both took a moment to control their emotions. Yuii knew Ishiyo and her temper; someone would take the fall for her insolence today. It irked her that she could not protect whatever innocent had become her elder's new punching bag. That had been Yuii once; small, clumsy and easy to blame. Did the new whipping boy get switched for pouring tea wrong or breathing too loudly too, she wondered, or had that just been her.
"I'm not a matchmaker, Obasan. Isn't there someone else with the proper tact to do this for you?" Yuii muttered, breaking the silence. She knew the answer, but for her own conscience, she needed to argue. She had to know she'd done everything she could before their trump card was pulled and the choice was removed.
She set her next stone but knew it gave her no advantage
"You are in the best position to glean the information I require." Ishiyo snapped, setting her next piece with a definitely snap. The old woman was clearly displeased with Yuii's attitude and lack of deference.
Oh, and Yuii hadn't noticed before but that piece, it left two of her groups of stones as dead. She had to choose which to save within two moves. Ishiyo betrayed nothing by her placid stare, but she must know she had the advantage. Oh, but maybe if she distracted her with a different move?
"And how am I supposed to be taken seriously as Sennin if I'm spending time asking questions like 'What is your ideal wife?'" The question, she hoped, was an important one. She could not jeopardize her working relationship with her fellow Sennin this early on, or ever as far as she wanted, and that feeling was aligned with the requirements of the clan.
She asked while placing in an entirely different area of the board. Much to her frustration, Ishiyo did not take the bait and positioned herself for the kill. Yuii bit her lip in frustration and fixed her aunt with her best 'non-insolent' stare.
Ishiyo snorted, still not amused or placated "Nothing so crass or obvious, stupid girl. If that is the best you can manage Raiden help us all this village is doomed." Yuii's next move, like her question, did nothing to distract the clan head, and the next stone sealed the fate of her first
"I don't like it." she breathed, moving in an attempt to save her second group but floundering for a solution.
"I don't care what you like. This is not a debate, or have you forgotten. How difficult is it to get to know two men? Iwoto led me to believe you had a shred of capability, should we have chosen someone else?" Yuii bit back her immediate answer, which was 'yes'. Yes they should have picked someone else, yes she was awful at manipulation and coercion, yes she hadn't forgotten. She had taken missions that let her face people and speak to them as honestly as she was allowed because she hated the alternatives. She could manage with civilians if she had to though, but with someone as highly trained as Yoshi she was doomed.
But Ishiyo wasn't going to take the relative skill of the other Sennin into account. Yuii's silence pleased her and she continued speaking with a satisfied grimace. "The Santaru one will see our meddling as a gift; unlikely his own family has thought to ask him what he likes. I was not asked, you will never be. That's the way of things." The clan head-set her next piece, taking a large portion of Yuii's stones. The elder scowled over Yuii's next move, one that threw the game.
Yuii ducked her head and turned a shame induced crimson. It wasn't that she felt a desire to be married off, but having the option taken from her stung along with all the others removed from her. As someone who strived to be free, her life was becoming the opposite. "I don't want to be, anyways," Yuii muttered under her breath, which received an amused scoff.
"Nor will you be. The Santaru, however; must be as he is clan head. It is surprising they would nominate their leader for Sennin and not someone more expendable as we did. They are going about things in the wrong order." Ishiyo shook her head and set her last piece. The disappoint on her face was easy for anyone to read and Yuii was quietly pleased to have robbed her aunt of an earned victory. No one liked having a game thrown in their favour. "That is the match, you have lost. Do better next time, if you're even capable of it."
"A stunning victory as always, Obasan." Yuii returned, bowing deeply to her aunt. She waited, forehead pressed into the mat, and realized her arguments had been subverted. Too late now; the end of the game always marked the end of their meetings.
"Kusogaki. I want a progress report before next month. Get what I want; I don't care how you do it. Better they don't know." Yuii raised her head enough to nod, replying with a muffled 'yes Ma'am'. She could only imagine the disgust on her aunt's face now, but she had no doubt it was there. "Leave, you exhaust me." she snapped, and Yuii raced to obey.
What a day.
------------
In poor humour, Yuii was forced to sit in front of the small council of Kagetsu elders while they explained their reasoning for her succession to Main branch Sennin. It was as she had guessed; the clan had been tailing her since her return and had found out about her little nephew Haru's arrival. He was a weakness Yuii had known the clan would use but not in such a callous way. They would destroy his career in the shinobi village before it even began no punish Yuii if she did anything outside the carefully outlined expectations and rules they presented her. The clan had learned from their mistakes with the last Kagetsu they'd left unchained in a leadership position in Cloud, and they would not repeat them.
Appearance and demeanor were heavily stressed in her new rules. Yuii was encouraged to make friends with the people they told her to, and undermine the rest. She was to not be overtly biased, but should a good mission come between Kagetsu and another shinobi she was to always favour her clan. She had to always look the part of her new rank, never offend anyone, and most of all make her family look good. The village and Raikage came first, to say otherwise would be treason, but her clan was an unquestioned third.
Under that duress, she was forced to recount the events of her first Sennin meeting. What had been a silly prank twisted into a terrible joke that put Yuii as the punchline when told to Kagetsu. Marry her? To the Santaru clan head? Ha. Yuii knew her raikage had meant it as a lighthearted prank, but right then she had cursed his name.
When they finished, the blue haired lady had been ready to escape to her tiny, homely apartment to lick her emotional wounds, but the clan head had other plans for her.
So now, exhausted, downtrodden, and defeated she sat before the only person who terrified her. Kagetsu Ishiyo, illustrious head of the Kagetsu clan sat reclined in lush embroidered cushions, her resplendent traditional robes enshrouding her gaunt, elderly frame. Ishiyo had never had the blessing of great beauty like her elder sister Kiyo and at nearly seventy, her face as a map of lines that told a tale of her difficult life. Her long, grey hair had retained none the charcoal colour it had been in her youth and her green eyes while still a brilliant hue was dulled by her age-creased eyelids. A great effort had been made at covering her various age spots and moles with cosmetics and eye-catching clothing which was a testament to Ishiyo's own vanity. Yuii had witnessed the arrogant matriarch change her entire image to that of a humble, modest grandmother when the situation called for it but this was her natural form.
Time nor age had done nothing to dull Ishiyo's mind, nor had it curbed her predisposition for manipulation and intrigue. Unlike her privileged sister, the younger sister of Kagetsu Kiyo had fought and schemed her way to becoming the head of their clan; using her sheer force of personality in tandem with carefully orchestrated blackmail to get her way. Her life was a string of untraceable disappearances, coercion, and bribery that kept her once all-powerful clan firmly embedded as a pillar of power within the village. She demanded nothing less than perfection from her family and dealt heavy punishment for any who could not meet her high expectations.
Yuii should know.
A breeze touched the red leafed ancient maples that had been retrieved from the mountains of Marsh decades before to be grown and guided to create a protective awning in the clan head's garden. It seemed to Yuii as if the quiet rustling of the leaves was a roar in the silence of the moment. A beautifully crafted GO board sat between them, the first dozen pieces laid in their match. Ishiyo enjoyed playing games during their meetings; it had once been a way to confound and distract Yuii's younger self but now it had become a ritual that Yuii was obligated to lose.
The younger Kagetsu's knees already ached from kneeling on the one thin mat given to her in opposition to Ishiyo's comfortable arrangement. Antsy to leave, she was beginning to wonder about the point of their meeting was beside the pointless board game, when the elder finally spoke. "I want you to get to know them." she purred, her voice smooth like silk despite her age, "The Santaru one in particular. If he would marry 'you', then the clan must be desperate. It is an opportunity." The Kagestu senior sneered with contempt as she spoke their rival clan's name laid her black coloured piece.
The white coloured stone in Yuii's hand fell and rolled to the edge of the board with a pleasant clink as her mind stumbled and she lost her grip. She scrambled to retrieve and set it, unconcerned with her placement. Ishiyo would win, she always won, so there was no point in trying. "Santaru, Yoshi? I already refused, Obasan." She answered, her ears burning with shame as she pretended to scan the lined board. The earlier exchange was still freshly burned into her memory, but worse had been her earlier report on the meeting. The scornful smile on her Aunt's face would give her nightmares for weeks.
The clan head gave a derisive laugh and played her move, setting off the fourth line in an aggressive move that would play out in her favour. "You? Ancestors no. I wouldn't marry you to a flea-ridden Inuzuka, little Kusogaki. No one should be so insulted. One of the others; Ami or Ina perhaps? Maybe Mai, if he likes your sort. I'm sure to have the right girl." Ishiyo chuckles to herself, pleased with her joke at her niece's expense, "The other one too, Tsuyoshi yes? New clan but they may be worth my time. Even Kogami is unma-"
The reaction Ayumu's name caused was abrupt. Yuii surged to her feet, brandishing her Go stone like a weapon in the face of the fearsome woman "Not Ay- Kogami, I won't!" As far as Yuii could tell, Ayumu was as ignorant to clan politics as a shelter puppy. She would not let their leader get sucked into Ishiyo's meddling or a loveless union if the Kagetsu matriarch got her way.
"Sit down!" The last of the evening light faded behind the false horizon and the garden lanterns sputtered to life. The orange light cast and ugly glow across her great aunt's face that made her reminiscent of an ogre kabuki mask. Yuii hesitated, familiar fear crawling up her spine and gripping her chest. One word from Ishiyo was all it took. "I was unaware you had a choice." Ishiyo hissed, her voice carrying the cadence one used to warn a small child.
No, she had no choice, but she stood her ground anyways. Her outburst seemed to have surprised her great aunt, so it bought her a moment to collect her thoughts and create an argument. Yuii knew Ayumu, knew he really loved his son and woman who had carried him. The idea of trying to strong arm Ayumu into a loveless union was beyond sickening. She could not fathom how she was going to do the same to the two bachelors Sennin, let alone him. "They have a child together. She isn't dead. I will not upset him." Yuii insisted, making no move to sit, "I. will. not."
"With your tactlessness, you would achieve just that." The grey haired materfamilias conceded, her mouth forming a thin line as she repressed her anger. Ishiyo had ordered her beaten for less as a child, but steadfastly Yuii reminded herself that she was a Jounin, no, Sennin now and an attack on her person without provocation would not go unnoticed. "Sit, Make your move." she was ordered, and primly Yuii obeyed though she hated herself for it.
Silence descended on both of them as both took a moment to control their emotions. Yuii knew Ishiyo and her temper; someone would take the fall for her insolence today. It irked her that she could not protect whatever innocent had become her elder's new punching bag. That had been Yuii once; small, clumsy and easy to blame. Did the new whipping boy get switched for pouring tea wrong or breathing too loudly too, she wondered, or had that just been her.
"I'm not a matchmaker, Obasan. Isn't there someone else with the proper tact to do this for you?" Yuii muttered, breaking the silence. She knew the answer, but for her own conscience, she needed to argue. She had to know she'd done everything she could before their trump card was pulled and the choice was removed.
She set her next stone but knew it gave her no advantage
"You are in the best position to glean the information I require." Ishiyo snapped, setting her next piece with a definitely snap. The old woman was clearly displeased with Yuii's attitude and lack of deference.
Oh, and Yuii hadn't noticed before but that piece, it left two of her groups of stones as dead. She had to choose which to save within two moves. Ishiyo betrayed nothing by her placid stare, but she must know she had the advantage. Oh, but maybe if she distracted her with a different move?
"And how am I supposed to be taken seriously as Sennin if I'm spending time asking questions like 'What is your ideal wife?'" The question, she hoped, was an important one. She could not jeopardize her working relationship with her fellow Sennin this early on, or ever as far as she wanted, and that feeling was aligned with the requirements of the clan.
She asked while placing in an entirely different area of the board. Much to her frustration, Ishiyo did not take the bait and positioned herself for the kill. Yuii bit her lip in frustration and fixed her aunt with her best 'non-insolent' stare.
Ishiyo snorted, still not amused or placated "Nothing so crass or obvious, stupid girl. If that is the best you can manage Raiden help us all this village is doomed." Yuii's next move, like her question, did nothing to distract the clan head, and the next stone sealed the fate of her first
"I don't like it." she breathed, moving in an attempt to save her second group but floundering for a solution.
"I don't care what you like. This is not a debate, or have you forgotten. How difficult is it to get to know two men? Iwoto led me to believe you had a shred of capability, should we have chosen someone else?" Yuii bit back her immediate answer, which was 'yes'. Yes they should have picked someone else, yes she was awful at manipulation and coercion, yes she hadn't forgotten. She had taken missions that let her face people and speak to them as honestly as she was allowed because she hated the alternatives. She could manage with civilians if she had to though, but with someone as highly trained as Yoshi she was doomed.
But Ishiyo wasn't going to take the relative skill of the other Sennin into account. Yuii's silence pleased her and she continued speaking with a satisfied grimace. "The Santaru one will see our meddling as a gift; unlikely his own family has thought to ask him what he likes. I was not asked, you will never be. That's the way of things." The clan head-set her next piece, taking a large portion of Yuii's stones. The elder scowled over Yuii's next move, one that threw the game.
Yuii ducked her head and turned a shame induced crimson. It wasn't that she felt a desire to be married off, but having the option taken from her stung along with all the others removed from her. As someone who strived to be free, her life was becoming the opposite. "I don't want to be, anyways," Yuii muttered under her breath, which received an amused scoff.
"Nor will you be. The Santaru, however; must be as he is clan head. It is surprising they would nominate their leader for Sennin and not someone more expendable as we did. They are going about things in the wrong order." Ishiyo shook her head and set her last piece. The disappoint on her face was easy for anyone to read and Yuii was quietly pleased to have robbed her aunt of an earned victory. No one liked having a game thrown in their favour. "That is the match, you have lost. Do better next time, if you're even capable of it."
"A stunning victory as always, Obasan." Yuii returned, bowing deeply to her aunt. She waited, forehead pressed into the mat, and realized her arguments had been subverted. Too late now; the end of the game always marked the end of their meetings.
"Kusogaki. I want a progress report before next month. Get what I want; I don't care how you do it. Better they don't know." Yuii raised her head enough to nod, replying with a muffled 'yes Ma'am'. She could only imagine the disgust on her aunt's face now, but she had no doubt it was there. "Leave, you exhaust me." she snapped, and Yuii raced to obey.
What a day.
------------
Over the weeks, Ishiyo's 'request' remained in the back of her mind, but the opportunity to gather what her clan head wished never arose. They were all far too busy learning their new titles to spend time together, even for a drink. Two months in and Yuii had practically forgotten all about it except for the infrequent waspish reminders. She decided she was quite content to avoid them altogether if she could. It wasn't hard really, there actually was very little the branches needed to interact for that couldn't be done by a lackey.
The energetic woman threw herself into learning her work. It was complicated and not at all what she'd ever expected to be doing.. As a sennin, Yuii needed to know the codes for everything, read back on decades worth of political information, become aware of the current situation in parts of the country she hadn't even heard of; all just to be able to read even the most simple mission requests. She could not mark a mission as D-rank that requested help with crop removal when the area that sent the request was known for civil discord and general dislike for shinobi for instance. It would be on her head if one of their shinobi were lost needlessly to someone else's cause.
Luckily as Ayumu had predicted she was managing if only because of a veritable army of help from her Branch. The disappointed frowns were becoming rarer each day as she learned. By her clan's dictation, she tried hard to look the part of her rank. She didn't like it but her branch seemed much more comfortable when she appeared and acted as expected. It made her happy that people were happy with her, so she continued to try.
Which brought her to today. It had taken some time but the young woman had managed to make her office what she would consider a livable space but by none of her own skill. She had absorbed none of her Aunt Kiyo's taste for art, nor her caretaker's love of plants and books but she was practical. A week later everything was streamlined and colour coordinated with a nod to the old gothic architecture that dominated Kumogakure but was lacking in the new legation.
Yuii's only imprint of character was a corner nest of rainbow pillows and a fold out lap table which she lounged amongst now while doing her daily allotment of reports. Her tiger companion curled around her back, happily lending her warmth to the always chilled Sennin.
As Junko had predicted, her arm hurt from all the paperwork, but she tried not to let it get to her.
If she thought of them like stories the work went faster, and so Yuii found herself drawn into the haze Read, stamp, sign. Oh, the genin in this mission had managed to take down three criminals? Read, stamp, sign. She wanted to be reimbursed for what? No, no way did anyone need to be backwashing expensive wine. Read, stamp, sign. A strange confrontation in a factory that had been sabotaged? How exciting. Read, stamp, sign. Six passport requests for a mission in the north? Easily done. Read, stamp, sign. A small town requesting aide after being attacked by a number of unaffiliated shinobi in the last few month-
Wait.
This was Sunuke's village Kamirai no mura and one of Yuii's past jurisdictions.
"Megumi, when was this sent in!?" Yuii yelled, forgetting the inconvenient intercom all the way on her desk. She paused, listened, then crawled across her office to smash the button and repeat herself. Megumi raced in a second later, scarlet-faced and worried.
"I'm so sorry about that!" Megumi gushed, hiding behind her ever-present clipboard, "How can I help?"
Yuii crawled up into her desk chair and held the mission request form out for her secretary. "When was this sent in?" she asked, face etched with concern. Yuii wasn't smiling; Yuii never stopped smiling.
"T-top of the paper, Sennin-sama, there's a date," Megumi answered, crossing the room to point out the date to Yuii. The blue eyed woman winced, feeling like an idiot now, but recovered. "That arrived today and thought you would want to see that before it was sent to ANBU. Missing-nins are their jurisdiction." The green haired woman explained, peering over her glasses anxiously.
"You were right. Thank-you," she answered, tapping her fingers against the wood of her desk while her mind raced. This wasn't the first attack on the tiny, remote village by missing-nin. Sunuke had told her a story of a man riding a toad who had also tried to invade. There could be other instances too that she didn't know about; but it begged the question: what was so important in Kamirai no Mura that it was being attacked so often. By her recollection, the little town had no tactical advantage, nor did it have any great resources. Just a tiny ancient shrine and perhaps one hundred and fifty people in residence who happily ignored the passing of the world.
"Arrange train passage to the north-east and a caravan of supplies to follow in a week's time as a relief effort. We can bill their Daimyo for most of the costs; he is a good-hearted sort. I'll contact you with the mission rank for an escort of the items." Yuii ordered, internally surprised by how quickly she gave orders now.
"Wait, what? But shouldn't ANBU do this?" Megumi squeaked, making note of Yuii's requests dutifully despite her misgivings.
The blue haired sennin shook her head no and dug out a set of forms from her desk. One to transfer her branch into Ayumu's immediate care for a couple days, one to outline the reason for her absence and a third to request the things she needed. In neat lettering, she wrote only the minimum on each and signed them before passing them off to her bespeckled companion. "They won't trust an ANBU but they know me," she explained.
"B-but- it's just a small town. Surely and ANBU could go?" the little secretary protested weakly, already aware after weeks of working together that Yuii could be headstrong but she could be bent by reason.
With a reassuring smile, she gathered a few items from her desk and filed them away in a shoulder bag. The delicious knowledge that she would be on the road soon did not cloud her reasoning but the anticipation was sweet. "Trust me; can you alert them I need supplies for, hm, two. Have it sent ahead to the train. We'll discuss naming a second in command when I return so we are not in this situation again." Yuii answered, already halfway out the door. She looked happy, almost too happy.
As she raced to pack her own things, Yuii considered her next move. ANBU wouldn't know how serious an attack on such a little village was. They wouldn't know this was at least the second such attack in the last year. They would not know that her friend revoking residency in the small town had apparently gone noticed by the wrong circles. She had to interject so the would not send the wrong unit.
Because Kamirai no Mura was different. She had always known it was special. There was something there needing protecting.
Amidst a mess of her possessions, Yuii sighed to herself and fumbled with her headset. Her fingers ran over the smooth metal, traced the contours of the ear piece and settled awkwardly on the call button. The sennin sat on the precipice of a decision, one that she bitterly regretted needing to make, and the leap made her stomach twist. She DID need an ANBU for this. Missing-nin attacking any place was their immediate jurisdiction but Yuii could and would not be left out. So the Main Branch Sennin needed someone she could trust, or at least coerce into agreeing with her. The trouble with ANBU was they kept themselves all wrapped up in their masks and cloaks. The only person she could name was the ANBU Sennin in training himself.
"Raiden, help us all," the grinning woman muttered, hitting the button. Was she really going to do this? "Kagetsu Yuii here, I need Santaru Yoshi for an immediate mission. It isn't an emergency, but I need his help with a delicate matter. Tell him to meet me at the train two hours from now and to be prepared for a three-day mission in the north-east mountains and to expect combat." There was no way he'd come along was there? Maybe? He was probably too busy, but that would get across the severity of the mission. She could try though and at worst they would send an ANBU without the skills she needed.
She would have to deal with Ishiyo's request now. What a nuisance.
Having packed and prepared quickly to avoid any obstructions to her leaving, Yuii arrived at the train station well before expected. So after arranging for seats she bought herself some doughnuts, a cup of tea and found herself a small stone bench island for herself amidst the ocean-like bustling crowd. Pack at her side and mission dossier in her lap she enjoyed passing time eating her sweets and people watching. She found comfort that very few people paid her any attention back.
It was beginning to get cold in the northern country of Lightning. Yuii could feel the chill of the day through her wool leggings and nose. She had dressed practically for the travel with her fur-lined jacket, boots, scarf, and hat but the well-travelled woman always seemed to be cold regardless of preparation. Lucky for her the first half of the trip could be done by train, which rolled in with a hiss of steam and clamor of steel.
As she watched the chaos of unloading freight and passengers it suddenly occurred to Yuii that no one may show up. It could have an insult to demand any ANBU's time so suddenly and without explanation.
"Oh no," She muttered as the train cleared and people waiting to board began to push forward. Should she double check? Should she go ahead? The mission had to go on, didn't it?
(TL;DR we goin' on a mission, woo woo. Don't be bothered with the spoiler stuff if you don't have time. It's all garbage fluffy I needed to put somewhere. Suppose this is starting as more of a Free-RP to start, but I'll get to the actual modding when we get there.)
