Event Prologue to ACT II - Requesting Entrance and the Kazekage - OPEN (Day 1)

[Takahashi Aki]

Oga’s words did not affect Sousuke in the way one might think. His words stung, but this was from an individual who was of a clan that exiled themselves from the elder days. This was from a man who had been silencing Sousuke from the rest of the Ryuzaki clan. All in all the words did not cause Sousuke to react emotionally. It made his disdain for the man greater. It made Sousuke wonder how Raizo descended from these people. Yes Raizo had his own fair share of issues, but it was not this level. Raizo was young and starry eyed, but one does not visit the place you’re trying to get into and openly insult them. “Wisdom and caution are not earned overnight Lord Oga. I have seen my fair of war. I wish a higher power had imparted with you such a character trait.” He spoke in an eerily mechanical way. Oga would go again to complain. Sousuke would continue to hold his hands behind his back. He would give Oga a rather bored look. Sousuke at this point was very thankful that he had served under two very different leaders. Raizo and Katuso were two very different people compared to Oga. It made Sousuke wonder if Raizo had actually in part left his family homestead because of his father’s attitude. “Caution and protocol during a time of war are not a waste of time.” The Steward spoke very bluntly. He was not going to bend on this. His eyes were unblinking and focused.“I will satisfy my own requirements to confirm identity as I have been assailed by face changers in the past.” He spoke even more bluntly and analytically this time. “That is why I had a private conversation with Yuu. Memory is the single most difficult thing to replicate for a Face Changer. Perhaps Lord Oga you have not combated the challenges I have.” This was the Lord Steward. He had battled Ancients, demons, and creatures that could cause madness. This was a man of a storied career in politics and war. It was stupefying that Oga would not follow protocol when at the doorstep of another man’s house.

Not only would Oga be answered by Sousuke, his own clan member would speak up too. Kazu spoke loudly and truly. It came as a surprise to the man, but Kazu stood his ground. Suzaku again spoke up. The Lord Steward still continued to hold his stance. The entirely situation was going to explode shortly. Sousuke had been somewhat satisfied with Yuu’s response. The second confirmation of identity would come as Lord Raizo appeared. His reaction and body language granted him the data needed. Raizo was just going to allow Oga to come in. Raizo gave him instructions to which he would acknowledge, “Understood.” Sosusuke would then begin to conjure a series of metallic constructs to begin the repair work. He turned his back for a moment, in which then Raizo would instruct someone to get Suzaku’s name ... which then led to Suzaku proclaiming his name loudly. The Steward would then turn around with his hand scratching the back of his head. The Steward would open his mouth and then close it. There was nothing to do at this point.

Sousuke would approach Yu. “Your Lord Oga ... I suspect he hasn’t run into ... a menagerie of foes has he to give him the much needed caution in all things?” He would inquire while at the same time avoiding the commotion Suzaku caused with the reveal of his family name.

 

[Raizo]

OOC: Yukina (NPC)

The attendant to the Kazekage would listen to the Steward continue to talk and then would hear Kazukura begin to show his own level of defiance. She would let it slide, as she was not there to instruct the young Ryuzaki at this time. She would, however, turn her attention to the other child, the one who seemed to continue to push and push. She would then glance back at the Steward, who seemed to either be overwhelmed or in support of this display. She did not fully agree with the Konungr, in fact, she shared many opposing positions to him. That said, this, in the public, was not the way it should be handled. This whole situation continued to make Oga look like the true figure of power while showing two of the shinobi of the village to be nothing more than hot-headed kids while the former overseer of the village meekly stood by. This wouldn't normally be a big deal, as reputation would save Sousuke, but in the current situation the village was taking on masses and masses of new refugees.

"Steward..."

They did not know who this person truly was, and many only knew of the Takahashi and their current heir Sousuke from the information that the previous Daimyo had been putting out. The same could be said for the shinobi of the village. Any new person standing gathered today who had bought into that misinformation from the Daimyo, would only have that false information further solidified to them; the village leadership was incompetent and the shinobi were anger-filled children snapping at whims. She understood how easy it was for the Daimyo to play the game he had, especially when these individuals continue to perpetuate it.

The green-haired boy would take a deep breath, it seemed he was going to yell one last time, she could feel her body tensing up. It wasn't until he started his yell that her mind went blank and her body moved on its own. It was all within a split second, one where she wasn't truly sure what it was he was going to say but it felt like the words coming out were going to contain the set of words that would only further damage this situation.

"The name's Sunah--" his words would continue but would be challenged by a sound of either equal or greater volume. Some would hear the words to the full extent, especially those closest to the boy, such as the Steward, Kazu and herself, but many others would be caught in the confusion as she interjected very quickly.

"ENOUGH!" the words would come out deafening and echo throughout the scene. Her eyes would be burning with a fire in their own right. "The name you are about to shout for all to hear... are you ready to open that light upon you?" her words were low but her gaze was intense as she stared into the eyes of the green-haired boy. "Regardless of why you were planning to yell such a name, that name carries a weight to it... are you sure you are ready to fully shoulder the burden?"

She wasn't sure if others knew of a potential Sunahoshi, but the ramifications would be far-reaching. Not just within this village, but within all of the country. "For whatever reason..." her gaze would shift to Sousuke, "we were not aware anyone else existed who would confidently shout that name... but if you think it is wise to ruin whatever reason for such a thing to have been hidden all this time and waste the work of whoever helped in that cause because you wanted to be the loudest kid in the schoolyard, well that is your prerogative. You've proven your point today, and sadly, you've proven his as well."

Her glare would turn to Kazukura. She understood the boy's reason for being defiant but did not agree with the setting he chose. "A guest..." She understood the back story of Kazu, him not being blood born to the clan, so she would not be surprised to see him blatantly break from the Konungr in such a display. A display, not even his elder cousin the one chosen to be the next leader of the clan would do in such an open manner. "Choose your battles wisely and purposefully, Kazukura... Raizo does."

Her fire infused glare would turn upon the Steward. "I thought better of your foresight and reasoning, but to play such a pedantic game in... you either run the risk of sullying your own name or Raizo's with such a display in front of village. I hope it was worth it." To her, again, she understood the point Sousuke was attempting to make, instead what he opened the door for was for the village to start to view the Ryuzaki, and in turn the current Kazekage, in the light of antagonistic tone. This wouldn't have been Sousuke's intention, but the impact was clearly present; she knew it, Oga knew it, but the Steward seemed to miss it.

She would then lean in closer to the man to whisper her next set of words through her teeth. "If you knew of this boy's existence and hid it from Raizo... you will have lost him."

How could the smartest man in the village be such a fool?

"EVERYONE DISPERSE! THIS IS OVER!" She would say as he scowl would scan the entirety of those present. Hopefully, her intensity would be the last impression many would remember from this whole ordeal. Sadly, some would take away various other impacts from this. Her only fear was one, the existence of a surviving Sunahoshi would make it out. Not because of Raizo or Oga, but because of those who had made their business in destroying the cursed bloodline.

She would sorrowfully glance back to Suzaku once more, "If your resolution is to make your legacy known, you should at least have some pride and tell the Kazekage in person, not in some spectacle."

She would then begin to walk away from the scene to go rejoin the Kazekage, choosing not to wait for the Steward. He could handle the young ones.

One thing was clear to her, at least; whatever Oga's true intentions were today... he was winning. She could only hope that the full extent of this whole situation wouldn't hit Raizo too hard and open the door for his father's hooks to be dug in once more.

Regardless, there was only one side Yukina was truly on and it wasn't the village's, the Ryuzaki's or Oga's. It was Raizo's.

[Yukina is leaving unless stopped]

 

[Kazu]

Right and wrong. This side and that side. Good and evil.

‘It’s not that simple,’ thought Kazu. ‘It’s not just one way or the other. Why does everyone keep reducing the issues like that?’

The young boy felt rather surprised by how quickly the tides seemed to shift after he took just a single step closer to “the other side” of this issue. Really, Kazu felt like a child stuck in-between two fighting parents. On the one hand, he understood the Konungr’s position of wanting to proceed quickly in order to fulfill an urgent need – Kazu hadn’t even minded his temper, so much, although that might just be because he was used to skirting around it. On the other hand, the Steward and Suzaku made good points that the village’s protocol and procedures were necessary, critical, and above all applicable to everyone. When the Konungr insulted the state of the village’s standards, he insulted the foundations of its authority and its very identity. No self-respecting shinobi could stand by for that.

So here he was. Caught between two warring sides, each convinced they were the side of righteousness and unwilling to acknowledge the other’s view. He felt like he was holding a match in a room full of gunpowder; suddenly, someone else lit the proverbial spark.

“The name’s Sunah-“ "ENOUGH!" “-oshi Suzaku!”

Kazu’s mind began to grow fuzzy. There were so many thoughts, jumbling together at once, that he had a hard time sorting one out from the other. Suddenly, every exchange up until now began to take on new meaning. This new piece of information rang like a deep peal throughout his head, forcing Kazu to reevaluate a great many things. Eventually, the boy found his grounding in Yukina’s scolding.

"A guest... choose your battles wisely and purposefully, Kazukura... Raizo does."

”Miss Yukina… surely you know that you choose to meet some battles, and some battles choose to meet you – yes?” Kazu wasn’t sure where he was finding the nerve to speak like this. He was among the youngest of the Ryuzaki Clan; she was the right hand of the Konungr’s heir. However, the events of today had kindled a fire within him. ‘I’ve spoken my mind before, and have not been smote where I stood,’ Kazu found himself thinking. ‘Surely, I may speak it again?’ Thus, it was so: that the orphan boy, adopted into the Ryuzaki Clan, spoke back to his elder. “Sometimes, choice is a luxury; sometimes, there's really only one choice you can make. Was it the Konungr’s wisdom and purpose that led us – all of us – to choose to sully the name of Sunagakure today?”

Kazu didn’t have an answer to his own question, nor did he really know what it was he implied. He didn’t know what to think. All he knew was something important had just happened, and that he wanted to know what it had been.

As Yukina cleared the crowds, Kazu cautiously eyed the faces and expressions of those who had assembled without his notice. He didn’t realize this had become such a scene. He’d had a whiff of what the Konungr had been doing, letting idle gossip of the actions witnessed today cement over time into firmly held truths by those who didn’t know any better, but he could not tell how effective that strategy would be. A sense of eerie dread crept into the boy’s heart as he imagined what the worst case scenario could be.

"How could I say no to that?" Suzaku’s words pulled Kazu back to the moment. "I'm... well. I guess you heard my name."

”That, I most certainly did.” Smiling, while stuffing down thoughts of the ramifications of today's events, Kazu gripped his peer’s hand just as tightly. His would not be the only pair of rough hands, as Kazu had been training his entire life under the brutal teachings of his father, Ryohei – the brother of Oga. ”Allow me to properly introduce myself. I’m Ryuzaki Kazukura, but most just call me Kazu.” As the two youths shook hands, Kazu couldn't help but feel that another something important had just happened. It was subtler than the first moment he'd sensed, but no less important. 'Sunahoshi, huh? He doesn't seem like a bad person...'

Everyone in the Ryuzaki Clan knew about the Sunahoshi, and despised them. Kazu knew he was supposed to, but based on what he'd seen he couldn't exactly justify it. What he knew, and what he saw, were at odds with each other. 'For now,' he thought, 'I guess I'll just roll with it.'

Taking back his hand, and looking out in the direction the Konungr, Kazekage, and the entourage of Ryuzaki guards had walked off towards, Kazu couldn't help but think out loud. "What do you suppose was so important for them to discuss? That's going to bug me all day."

 

[Mikaboshi]

PC: Sunahoshi Suzaku

For the first time since the encounter started, Suzaku was rendered speechless as he endured the dressing down from Yukina. The rhetorical questions that she demanded of him resonated as they were ones that lurked in the deepest parts of his heart. Was he ready to take on the legacy that his father had left for him? Would he ever be ready for something like that? For all the outward confidence that he projected, Suzaku often wondered whether or not his father would approve of the man he was growing into. Still though, even though Yukina's words echoed sentiments that often plagued Suzaku's quietest moments he refused to look away in shame or defeat. He remained fixated on the intensity behind her expression and did his best to match the conviction with which she challenged him even though he could find no words to say in response to her. Finally, Yukina turned her attention to commanding the attention of the crowd and then turned to leave and Suzaku managed at least to find at least one word in the wake of the intense scolding she'd given to him.

Wow.

Shaking off the lingering effects of Yukina's scolding, Suzaku managed to find his footing enough to introduce himself to Kazu and in return Kazu introduced himself as Ryuzaki Kazukura. Suzaku had long since put together that Kazu was a Ryuzaki from the way that Oga had interacted with him but there was something about making the formal introduction that felt right.

"What do you suppose was so important for them to discuss? That's going to bug me all day."

Together they watched the backs of the leaving Ryuzaki entourage and Suzaku pondered Kazu's question for a moment.

"One-Eye said that he had news about the war. Probably somethin' about the movements of the unbent." Reasoned Suzaku, moving his hands up behind his head with his fingers interlaced on the back of his scalp. "That pink-haired girl though. She's amazin'. What's her name again?"

 

[Kazu]

Kazu's question hung in the air as he stared after the exiting group.

"One-Eye said that he had news about the war," said Suzaku, staring in just the same way as Kazu was. "Probably somethin' about the movements of the unbent."

For some reason, Kazu found that his thoughts weren't registering properly within his brain. Call it being overcome with emotion, or maybe the thought became lost within a whirlwind of other questions that were filling the boy's mind. Whatever the reason, Kazu seemed to not be aware of the fact he'd missed an important detail in all of this: the Ryuzaki Clan had information regarding the Unbent.

'I should have just finished that last lap around the wall. Why didn't I just let the on-duty staff handle it?'

So much had happened today. He'd learned things — about himself, his Clan, and his peers — that changed everything for young Kazukura. It was no wonder his mind was a mess.

"That pink-haired girl though. She's amazin'. What's her name again?"

"Yukina," said Kazu, without even thinking. "Earlier she said her name was Yukina. She's the Kazekage's attendant." He knew: he'd seen her before. 'Maybe it was the Last Battle?' Kazu wasn't one-hundred percent sure of it, but he could swear she'd been around Cousin Raizo every time he'd made an appearance around the village. Always beside him, watching. 'I owe her my thanks, and an apology.'

Suddenly, something clicked within Kazu's brain. "Hold your Sandrunners..." Kazu would snap his eyes over to Suzaku and attempt to follow the trail of his sight. As best as he could tell, Suzaku was staring at the exiting group as well. Or, perhaps, a certain member of that group? "Do you...? No... No, no, that's not it. Never mind. Forget it." There was no way that was true. Suzaku couldn't possibly be interested in her!

Feeling a sudden pull from within, like he was somewhere he shouldn't be, Kazu suddenly came back to the present moment. He became painfully aware of the feeling of a folder full of files within his fingers, and knew that he was never going to get to finish that last lap. Sighing, Kazu extended one of his hands out to wave casually towards Suzaku.

"It was nice to meet you — why don't we chat sometime after things settle down? I still owe you that ramen!" Kazu gave a last smile at Suzaku. It was all he could do to pull himself away from this moment, to stop himself from asking the green-haired boy a million different questions. Unless he was stopped, Kazu would make his way back towards the Gate Guard's headquarters to find a seat where he could handle all of this paperwork. 'Maybe it'll take my mind off of everything. I just can't believe how crazy it's been around here.' As Kazu began to work, he looked forward to the time when life would be calm enough for him to make good on that promise to Suzaku.

Unbeknownst to either of the two young boys, it would be a long time before life was calm in Sunagakure again.


[OOC: Topic Left unless stopped. Great fun everyone! ]