Reconciliation and Advancement [Requesting Sennin ~ Private]

[Shu]

The hall was silent except for busy vociferous thoughts that gripped the minds of the shinobi sitting in the conference room. Everyone was still in shock at the recent events that had transpired. Masao was presumed dead and Enishi was still at large. The only positive that could come out of this was the fortuitous grace that the ANBU Sennin, Kitsune, and the Raikage were still alive. It still amazed Shin that after being comatose for so long that the medical nin was still stable but more importantly that the village did not loose another shinobi.

Currently, Shin was sitting at the far end of the mahogany table staring at a torn gray box that was propped open in front of him. It was delivered to him a couple of hours after he arrived at the village. The contents was a brush with a intricate ivory handle. Shin could identify the main branch emblem etched on the handle. Apparently, it was a recurring epigram or jocular joke that appeared in the conversation of the division that had something to do with Hikari and a brush, with the creation all from Takaki Masao. Now the man was assumed dead. It could very well be a ploy from the kingslayers or something to mock Shin either way Shin was not amused. He knew that he should have stopped then but focus most of his attention of reviving Kitsune that he did not realized that Masao had escaped his sight. Shin knew that the man was deteriorating after the disappearance of his beloved wife, Rin. Clearly the man was not in the right state of mind to be participate in the kingslayer debacle. However, Masao's abilities was a valued resources that Shin and the rest of the village could not detach. Unfortunately, they were all paying the price. Shin did not believe that neither Rin or Masao were truly deceased, but the fact remained that all of Shin's comrades and companies from old have now gone and passed. Should it be a proper statement to say that it was near time for Shin to depart his life of a shinobi?

Shin lifted up a piece of rolled parchment that was carefully laid underneath the brush. He read the contents not at all surprise at the words and handed it to Do Natsu who sat next to him. "You are elected as the successor of Takaki Masao as Main Branch Sennin. Do you accept? There is no other qualified." Shin said as his hard gray eyes rested against the young man.

"For the rest of you it is clear that Enishi's forces had diminished to nil but yet he is proven himself to be dangerous and a continuous liability. The aftermath is still effecting us hard preventing the higher class of this country to distrust us. Our financial stability will be a challenge an inevitable state with our current situation. However, I will no longer tolerate the actions of one man determine this village's destiny. It is obvious in my decision to take this matter in our own hands playing politics is not wasting time and resources. With all this in mind, I would like to suggest a covert team in tracking and eliminating him. I am currently open to suggestions."



[Invitation to everyone who participated in the recent mission climax. You do no have to join if you do not wish to]

 

[Junan]

Re: Reconciliation and Advancement [Requesting Sennin ~ Priv

It was a long silent walk to the tower, unless Shin was enjoying the conversation of the Youkai, in which case it would have been a walk filled with potential detriment as every now and then Kushin would react. Yet his reaction would be miniscule and only a keen eye would see it, but a keen eye would also see the desire to once more clean the earth from this Youkai's presence.

Kushin was about five steps ahead of Shin, never letting the kage catch up, never letting him start a conversation with him. He wasn't interested in conversation, rather he was wanting to just get this ordeal over and done with. Thought that was how he always was.

The Tower closed in on them and they entered the normal way. Except unlike others entering the massive spire Kushin simply walked past reception, who didn't mind, especially seeing as the Raikage was clearly with him. The receptionist was clearly happy to see Shin as well, it had been weeks of putting up with Kushin's "do this" or "do that" and needing to do actual work constantly. Most of the administration would breath a sigh of relief knowing that the days of an increased workload were over. Normality would resume.

Kushin would go to Shin's directly, whether Shin stopped to talk or not and would enter it. He'd pretty much been using it as his own for the last while anyway.

A question he always had about these things was "why would the medical sennin not be invited to go on the S-Rank mission?" Surely the running of the village in the Raikage's absence would fall to the main branch sennin, surely if combat was needed they needed the healing capabilities of the medical sennin?

With the door closed, and Kushin alone save for the ANBU hidden in different spaces in the room he activated his abilities, pure, visible chakra erupting from his form as he let out a roar. He was frustrated. Masao would have made a good replacement for Hayata Shin in the worst of circumstances. Now Kushin needed to find another. Why had that old man gone to battle when it should have been Kushin?

The Tower trembled under Kushin's momentary rage. What the fuck did they think was going to happen should something go wrong? Of course someone was going to die. If they needed that kind of power then why was Kushin not there? It was stupid. They were stupid. He must have overestimated their capabilities. Daiki had been an easy kill, his ally had fled from Kushin, and Kushin hadn't reached the level of power at which he currently sat.

Before Shin entered he would have calmed down once more. He would be standing with his usual look on his face as though nothing had happened. The only thing linking him to the shaking tower was likely Deta's awareness of his chakra, and the ANBU witnesses. Kushin didn't care about either. He had been let down by the other three, and Masao had died because they had made such a mistake.

Pathetic.

Once more composed he headed out to the hall where Shin had decided to have this meeting. The annoying man with the upstart attitude was next to him and then Shin spoke announcing him the successor to Masao. None other qualified? Kushin held back what would otherwise have passed for a laugh. The Raikage, Hayata Shin, keeper of the peace, just insulted the next Sennin. Even Kushin had to find that funny. "Here you are Do Natsu, it's over to you if you want this role, but you're our choice because you're the only one qualified to take it. If there was someone else around then maybe they would be here instead, but we're forced to pick you." It was enough to take away the edge off the annoying prick being ranked up equal to himself. It was enough because Kushin thought that the quote in this paragraph was exactly what was meant by Shin.

When Shin then turned the topic towards hunting and killing Enishi, Kushin stood silent. Not stunned silence, but instead it was more a stubborn "you didn't ask for help in this last mission, why on earth would I offer to help this time around" silence. They would need to ask him to help if they wanted it. And they would have to ask very very nicely. Of course if they didn't want his help and others end up dying as well that was fine too. His honor had been dirtied, and although he might have acted someone who didn't have any, he most certainly did.

 

[Tsuyoshi Takeo]

Re: Reconciliation and Advancement [Requesting Sennin ~ Priv

Sharply outfitted in his dress uniform, Jo sat stock-still in his seat at the conference table in the Torre. While his freshly pressed olive drab green suit, adorned with the proper markings of rank (though missing any identifying division patches out of a need for secrecy in public), showed a measure of calm, cool professionalism, his visage suggested otherwise. The cut above his left ear was still bandaged, a small patch of red starting to leak through the dressing; and the dark circles under his bloodshot eyes were a testimony to a couple of sleepless nights. Nothing quite compared to his stony countenance, though. His face was harder that the mountains upon which the village was built, his eyes unblinking in their thousand-yard stare. He had just left the Takaki residence, and a very distraught Saeko and Enjeru. Masao’s children had taken the news of their fathers demise as well as could be expected; a few half-hearted jokes about their old man being too mean for anyone else to do him in but himself, before breaking down in tears. Saeko was more forthcoming with her grief, but Enjeru had stormed off to his room before succumbing to his tears. He had pried himself away from the woman he loved to come to this meeting with promises to return.

Now here he was, sitting at this conference table, listening to his Raikage giving the order for an all-out manhunt for Enishi. Had Jo missed something back in Tenouza? The man was dead; Masao had sacrificed himself to make it so. Unless the Raikage believed that, wounded as they both were, either one of them, or both, could have survived. Besides; ”It probably would’ve been a good idea to have tried tracking him down before he attacked the Peace Summit.” Jo said sardonically through gritted teeth. It normally wasn’t his style to be insubordinate to his commanding officers (especially the Raikage). Maybe it was the exhaustion, maybe it was the emotional trauma; but, most likely, it was By-Tor pushing his buttons and morphing his boiling-below-the-surface anger into full blown pissed off.’Sure, lets wait until after a bunch of people are dead before trying to hunt down the psycho terrorist. THAT sounds like a good idea.’

Jo sighed. ”Hindsight is twenty-twenty, I guess.” he conceded. ”However, if we’re operating under the impression that Enishi survived not only the battle at the basilica, the battle at the bridge, and tumbling down that massive waterfall, would it also be safe to presume that Takaki Masao also survived? If so; I would suggest labeling this a search-and-rescue mission as well as a search-and-destroy” Jo paused before continuing. ”I would also like to volunteer for this mission; all I need is one good nights sleep and a couple of stitches, and I’m good to go.”

 

[Kogami Ayumu]

Re: Reconciliation and Advancement [Requesting Sennin ~ Priv

Ayumu had arrived at the village a short while before some of the others, including the Raikage. Normally, he would have stayed by the leader's side, but the man had wanted some time to himself to think. Ayumu knew that he was probably grieving over Masao as well, but he also had some decisions to make and other things to think about. As leader of the village he was now down one of his most veteran leaders, the leader of the largest branch. He was replaced by a new upstart much as Rin had been when they lost her. Do Natsu was not so different than Ayumu had been when the position had been thrust upon him at the subsequent deaths of two of his predecessors. In a way, at least, he was better off than Ayumu had been. Masao had been grooming him for leadership whereas Ayumu was fresh out of the trainee program when he was made Vice Commander, and then a short while later Grand Commander. The similarity was there, nonetheless, and perhaps that was why Ayumu was not so quick to discount Natsu's ability to adapt to his role.

The call came, as suspected, not long after the Raikage was reported entering the village. He wanted a meeting, one to include the Sennin and quite possibly others. As Ayumu entered the Raikage's office, not a long walk from his own office in the Torre Celeste, he found some present already. Still others came in after him. The first order of business was Do Natsu's promotion to Sennin. They all already knew that Masao had wished him promoted, but in the end the Raikage could probably veto the decision if he chose. Of course, there was really no other choice but Do Natsu, or at least none as good as him. But wasn't that how it always was? The best candidate got chosen. Shin asked Natsu if he would accept his position before proceeding with what he really called the meeting for. He wished to assemble a team to hunt Enishi, presuming that he was still alive. Ayumu, personally, was of the mind that the man was dead at last. The new hand of the Sennin, Jo, was quick to make a snide remark that a search should have been done before the attack. Regardless, he wanted to be on the team and hoped that it would also be a search and rescue team for Masao.

"If you think we hadn't already been trying to track down Enishi for years, you're mistaken. There's a reason the only time we ever found him was when he found us or he wanted us to find him. He was damn good at covering his tracks and laying low. If he is alive, we can send a team out, but I don't see how it would go any differently. In all likelihood, he and, as much as I wish it weren't true, Masao, are probably dead, washed away to never be found. I'm not against a team trying to rule out the possibility that either or both of them survived... but I'm not optimistic," Ayumu spoke up, voicing his opinion on the matter. "The truth is, I had tracked Masao to that monument using his chakra signature... and then I lost it. Unless Masao wished to, and somehow had the ability to hide his signature..." he said, his voice trailing off. Perhaps it was possible, but why would Masao hide? If he did, and he had such an ability, finding him would probably be impossible anyway. The more likely scenario was that he had died and if he did, there was no reason Enishi should have.

 

[Shu]

Re: Reconciliation and Advancement [Requesting Sennin ~ Priv

Shin could slightly hear Jo's contempt as he mock at the futility of the entire summit. He was right about one thing they could have tracked Enishi down before the inception of the summit; however, if the village attempted to track him and manage to loose him it would be very difficult to find him again. Logically, the summit was the only way to draw him in and not just his subordinates.

"Agreed, Jo. However, no shinobi should ever assume that a person is dead until a body is present. The last thing we need to draw conclusions on is assumptions. This mission is not close until we can verify a body. Both Masao and Enishi are skilled shinobi thus there is always a possibility of survival. I do not even assume that Santaru Rin is considered deceased. More importantly, without evidence of a body the public will have a hard time accepting our services especially when we made it our goal to end this conflict." Shin responded.

"Moving forward, some of you may have heard rumors of Kirgakure no Sato being covered by a iced over by a blizzard storm. These facts are true as evidence of the many nin who fled that country. Many have fled through various other countries including our own. I have no doubt that some are residing in our country as we speak and even though they may not appear to be a threat their action in his country could cost us dearly. Our reputation has already suffered as it is. We need to need to know more about our neighboring shinobi villages to prepare ourselves. I will be formulating various diplomatic missions." Shin said

"Ayumu, Do Natsu, and Kushin." Shin continued as he addressed to them specifically. "I will require you to bring out your best shinobi and kunochi who are best suited to join these missions."

 

[Junan]

Re: Reconciliation and Advancement [Requesting Sennin ~ Priv

Kushin gave Shin a very sharp glance as the man directed an order towards him. Now was not a good time to be telling Kushin what to do, he was far too angry, and not in the small annoyance way, he could feel the urge to simply erupt. Restraint wasn't something he was well known for, but what people didn't know was just how skilled he was in the art. The issue was that most measured ones restrained on how much they managed to not say. Where Kushin's was more to do with how much he didn't do.

Let me get this straight. You want to send out several squads of shinobi to hunt down a body which couldn't be found minutes after it fell over a waterfall days later when the river it's in joins a major waterway which eventually goes out to sea? Not only which but we don't know if the target is or is not dead, and that we could be sending tracking squads out to try and find a body when they could find an ambush. Despite showing how few of these shinobi it took to take on many Cloud shinobi, including two Sennin and the Raikage, you want to send in our subordinates to try and finish the job?

You talk about wanting to make Cloud appear stronger by finishing this mission when you've lost the point of that statement. Cloud will appear weak if we send out half our main force seeking a body. Cloud will be shown to be weak if those forces suffer significant casualties. In this situation Cloud will only appear strong if Cloud lies. Sure we're aware that the bodies haven't been found, but stop that rumor from spreading and then who knows that? Bury a body in Masao's place. Burn a body in Enishi's. Claim they are the bodies and Cloud's reputation is restored in the minds of our employers. No-one is going to doubt that a veritable army of Cloud shinobi took down Enishi, they may question how Masao was lost in the conflict, but at least we don't look like a cat chasing its tail.

If you want the bodies found then only have those who already know that they've not been located search for them, and only do so when under the guise of another mission. Send someone out to escort some lord from one location to another. On the way there and back they can search specified locations. If they die, they died on the mission. We'll know where the death occurred because they searched specific areas, then we can track their killer and finish it. But do not smear Cloud's name in the muck while clinging to the life of a friend.

Kushin looked to those around him. His face told the tale of a man who was utterly disgusted with whatever was going on. Then he looked back at Shin.

If you choose to go ahead with your plan you're doing so without the aid of the Medical Branch. If you want to discuss other options you can do so in private with me and the other Sennin, but this is not the place.

With those statements said he turned and left. If spoken at in the attempt to stop him leaving he would ignore such and still leave. If attempted to be stopped with a hand on the shoulder or similar gesture he would snarl a Get your hands off of me. Only combat would stop him from leaving this conversation. In Kushin's mood, he almost hoped someone would try.

[Topic Left - unless bmod called]

 

[Hameru Ren]

Re: Reconciliation and Advancement [Requesting Sennin ~ Priv

"I agree with Kushin." Natsu intoned, breaking the silence he'd kept up for the duration of the meeting so far. After the Medical Sennin's outburst, Natsu had decided it was high time to chip in. "Cloud has been placed in a very weak state, one that has only been pointed out by the recent events. We may not have to fear the Star or Bear Country for the moment, weakened as they have been by much the same events. However if any of the other big Ninja Villages has been paying attention, now would be their time to strike. Actually, that is not even the worst of our worries."

A sigh escaped from his lips before he continued. "The Kingslayers came from our own regions. Even if their impact may have seemed small, no doubt the consequences will roll on far further than we'd like to admit. And I'm not just talking about the recent deaths of high-ranking nobles. The regular population has become uneasy recently, becoming more and more resistant to our aid. The Kingslayers and the virus outbreak Lightning Country suffered not too long ago proved as much. How much longer before someone capitalizes on that? I will say it again. Kushin is right. Cloud is in far too delicate a position to expose even more of our weaknesses. As much as I'd like to see Masao alive and well, and Enishi's rotting corpse at my feet, now is not the time."

Considering he was on a roll, Natsu figured he might as well keep going. If anyone were to interrupt him or ask anything, he'd pause, but the Sennin wanted to adress as much as he could. "The diplomatic missions I agree with. I'll consult Hikari and Tama about it. Hikari would be a perfect fit, considering her experience as Head Ambassador and the chance to set up more networks." A chance Natsu would've killed for once. Yet now he was Sennin and couldn't abandon the office for such an extensive period of time. "Mist could have had potential, but no need to dwell on lost chances. As long as we ensure we do not end up like them."

"The recent Kingslayer attacks likely will supply us with several more missions. Enough to keep ourselves financially sustained for a while longer. I'd suggest to complete more bounty missions. That would both give us some extra income and should assure people we are still very much a force to be reckoned with. Hell, the recent unrest should only increase the amount of bounties presented. Once we have established our name locally we can consult what should be our new foreign allies." That was about as far as Natsu would push for now. There were several other ideas he had lying about with which Kumo could cut some costs, but considering his Raikage had only approved the promotion to Sennin minutes ago, they might be viewed as a bit rash. Perhaps he'd bring it up at the next meeting, where Kushin hopefully would remain present for more than a minute

[Word Count = 494]
[Marked for Training]

 

[Kogami Ayumu]

Re: Reconciliation and Advancement [Requesting Sennin ~ Priv

Ayumu could not deny that Shin was right to some extent. Without bodies as confirmation, there was a chance that one or both of the men had survived. You simply could not rule out the possibility with shinobi being as resourceful as they were. If Enishi had any allies remaining, they could potentially have rescued him from midair for all they knew. There were no guarantees, but that was something they needed to accept, in Ayumu's opinion. The most likely scenario remained that both had died. To commit resources to looking for them, especially when they had never been successful in finding Enishi in the past, did not seem to Ayumu a good use of resources. If Enishi was alive, he'd be laying low, licking his wounds and even more difficult to find. Shin continued, addressing the Kirigakure incident which all of them had heard about by now. It was now a frozen wasteland colder by magnitudes than Kumogakure. While Kumo was obviously able to sustain and even thrive in their at times arctic environment, Water Country could no longer support life. Ayumu had seen refugees since reentering the village, he knew to some extent how bad things were. Some missions to check in on other shinobi villages and neighboring countries seemed like a decent idea. Shin asked the Sennin to commit some shinobi to that end.

Before Ayumu could say a word, Kushin had boiled over. Much of what the man had been holding inside since the group he was not a part of had returned to the village erupted from the Medical Sennin with words dripping with spite. He, too, seemed to find the mission to search for bodies a futile task, but Ayumu found himself annoyed with the way he spoke of the events of the mission as if he was there to know exactly what had transpired. Ayumu himself had begun the fight with several bolts sticking out of his torso from protecting the delegates it was his charge to protect. He felt excused for not being able to instantly defeat the team of S-ranked enemy shinobi who were all in perfect health while Shin and himself were injured from the start. That was not to mention the fact that they had won and no Cloud shinobi would have been lost if Masao had not decided on his own to face Enishi alone.

Regardless of his annoyance with Kushin's tone, he couldn't discount what the man was saying. As he had said from the start, Ayumu didn't feel the search would be fruitful. He offered logical, if underhanded, ways to which they could control the information and keep their image in tact, if that was a concern to Shin. For now, the only ones that knew exactly what had happened were those that were present in Tenouza. The details could easily be contained. As much as Ayumu might have agreed, his closing statement was simply an unnecessarily spiteful comment, and his final words would be deliberate insubordination if it was more than something he said in the heat of the moment. With his piece said, he stormed out of the room. "Kushin," Ayumu said, briefly putting a hand on the man's shoulder to try to get him to stop, to talk this through with the rest of them, but it was not to be. His hand was quickly shaken off as Kushin snarled for him not to touch him. Ayumu raised his hands in the air slightly with a shrug as if to say, "Have it your way," as Kushin left the room.

"We each deal with grief in our own way, I suppose,' Ayumu thought. He had never seen Kushin lose his cool to that extent. He hoped that Shin wouldn't be angry with Kushin's words, and would perhaps understand. Normally the man was calm and collected, but he had seemed slightly different just before the conclusion in Tenouza when the group had nearly lost to Enishi. Ayumu suspected none of those in attendance had come away from Tenouza exactly the same person as they had been going in. Natsu's words caused Ayumu to turn back to the group as the new Sennin addressed them. He, too, agreed with Kushin though not addressing the outburst itself. He spoke of Cloud's current position and the threats both external and internal. "I have to agree, too. There are other things we need to devote our attention and resources to. Though the Kingslayers were villains to us, there are those in this country that no doubt sympathized with their cause. I wouldn't rule it out that some wish to carry on in their place," Ayumu chimed in before allowing Natsu to continue. The man continued on to speak of the possible diplomatic missions, a subject Ayumu knew he was quite familiar with. He had no doubt that he could help in arranging such missions, especially with Hikari as his representative. Ayumu wouldn't say anything more for now, the Raikage was the one whom needed to speak.

 

[Tsuyoshi Takeo]

Re: Reconciliation and Advancement [Requesting Sennin ~ Priv

Jo sat back and watched as his superiors discussed the future of their country... Well, except for the one who threw a hissy-fit and stormed off like a teenage girl on her menstrual cycle. ’Son-of-a-bitch! This is the guy I’ve got to register my Kinjutsu with? What an asshole! I think I’ll accidentally forget to do the paperwork… oops.’ If there was one good thing that came from Kushin’s preteen temper-tantrum, it was the truth. It was true that Kumo was in a vulnerable position. It was true that allocating military resources to hunting down two dead men was a waste and a liability. It was true that the people needed reassuring, and that completing more contracts was key. However, he did disagree with one thing…

”Lying to the public by burning two cadavers is wrong. They don’t need to see that. We can just say they’re both dead and they’ll believe us. We’re Kumogakure for Saito’s sake. However, I do believe the faith of the people may be shaken; and we can definitely strengthen their trust by completing more bounties. As Hand of the Merces Letifer… I am the Hand, yes?” Jo looked to Natsu -no, he had to start thinking of him as his Sennin- for approval of the promotion before continuing. ”Right. Well, I feel it’s my responsibility to bring the Assassination department of the Main Branch back to the fore in this effort. We’ve been so busy with the Marsh War and Enishi that we haven’t been completing as many bounties as we ought to be. With your permission, I’d like to do some recruiting for the Division; along with getting my hands dirty in the field. As for the Medical Sennin…” Jo glanced at the door for a moment to make sure Kushin was gone. ”Shit happens. You can either wallow in its stench, or flush the pot and move on with your life.”

Jo realized he was the lowest ranked person in the room; he knew he wasn’t nearly in the position to make such brash statements and get away with it. However, he was also the only non-sennin out of the group of people who went to Tenouza who had attended the meeting. That ought to count for something.

 

[Shu]

Re: Reconciliation and Advancement [Requesting Sennin ~ Priv

"Interesting..." Shin thought to himself as the whole room went to an uproar with first Kushin berating Shin's futile request as he stormed out of the room. Ayumu tried to calm him down but the anger in the man's face prevented anyone even Shin to go near him. It was clear that the man was angry but it was anyone guess who he was to blame for his irate behavior. If Kushin would have joined the mission with the others there was nothing to say that Masao's presumed death could have been prevented. Regardless, Kushin missed the point in Shin's request. Of course, the raikage was not insisting the entire village or the majority of the village on a man hunt without any real provocation. Yes, Enishi could be still be alive but his forces have diminished, but this also meant that Kumogakure could not afford to have another incident again. There was a saying that if you cut of a snake head it could still grow back. The same could be applied here.

The other Sennin seemed to agree with Kushin, although with an euphemistic tone. Shin could slightly hear Jo's contempt as he mock at the futility of the entire summit. He was right about one thing they could have tracked Enishi down before the inception of the summit; however, if the village attempted to track him and manage to loose him it would be very difficult to find him again. Logically, the summit was the only way to draw him in and not just his subordinates.

Shin sighed as he removed his tinted glasses revealing his dark gray eyes. His hands shifted toward his cloak as he pulled out a soft black cloth rubbing his lenses clearing out the foggy perspiration masking his glasses.

"Gentlemen, you must understand that I was not insisting on the entire village to search for Enishi. I am only suggestion avoiding any possible provocation. However, you make valid points." Shin responded as he put on his glasses. "Jo, I appreciate your incentive although lying may not be our best solutions considering the ramifications of the Tenozan incident becomes public. The only thing was can do is to be silent and observer the events that will transpire."

"I agree that we do need to complete more bounty missions but more importantly, I believe we need to wore more in the shadows and allow our actions to speak more. It was a mistake to be so open with our presence as shinobi." Shin said. "If there are no more questions or suggestions that follows we can end this meeting."

 

[Tsuyoshi Takeo]

Re: Reconciliation and Advancement [Requesting Sennin ~ Priv

So, that was it… They were just going to fall back to the shadows, let mystery shroud their actions and carry on as it was before. Hiding in plain sight, protecting themselves from the onslaught of bad press that was bound to occur once the news media got a hold of the story. “Just keep killing bad guys, and they’ll learn to love us;” but who were the bad guys? Aside from the black and white cases of murderers, rapists, and crime lords, that answer was never simple. If you looked at it in the right light, even Enishi and the Kingslayers weren’t bad guys; just people willing to stand up and fight for what they believed in. That was the risk involved in running a feudal government based on Confucian ideals: the concept of reciprocity, wherein the leaders may be militarily deposed should their actions be against the moral code of the people, often resulted in a governments downfall.

There was something to be said about receding into the shadows as well. Konoha had attempted as much during their rebuilding; hiding behind the façade of Konoha Corp., and look where that got them. Jo was more worried about the seeming inaction of the leaders of his village than their actions. They had spent all this time in a meeting, and for what? Not a single actual decision was made in regards to what to do about Masao and Enishi. In the end, either the Raikage was going to send someone out to find their bodies, or he wasn’t. Either way, Jo’s part here was finished. He stood, pushed in his chair, and bowed to everyone present before turning and exiting the conference room without another word. The Takaki household was probably in need of assistance in wrapping up their fathers affairs. Jo had scheduled a meeting with an estate attorney who specialized in cases where shinobi were killed in action and their bodies were never recovered. Besides, Saeko would need him now more than ever.

Tomorrow, though; tomorrow he would begin rebuilding the Merces Letifer from the ground, up.

{Topic Left Unless Stopped}
{MFT: 355wc}

 

[Hameru Ren]

Re: Reconciliation and Advancement [Requesting Sennin ~ Priv

Nodding at Jo's words, Natsu confirmed his question. "You are the Hand indeed. You lead your division, and capable at that if your current actions are any indication. If you would come by the Office tomorrow though, I'd like to discuss some other matters." The boy.. No, Jo was no longer a child. The man had proven himself not confident enough to speak his mind, even if it had been a bit blunt. He'd make a fine Hand, Natsu had no doubt. But the Chunin was still young, there was no denying that. A bit of guidance would not harm his growth. And it'd give Natsu a chance to discuss his own plans with someone he could trust. At least to a certain degree.

As Jo would exit the office, Natsu turned back to Ayumu and Shin. "Apologies for being blunt here, my Lord, but everyone in the Lightning Country and well beyond know of this Village and it's military power. Including what kind of power that is. It is hard to remain in the shadows if we have a spotlight aimed at us. Like it or not, we are a forced to be recognized. And feared. Anyone with a decent source of information and some analytical capabilities will be able to link a Shinobi to any major event. Rather than try and hide, we should educate people on our purpose. Not obfuscate them."

Rising to his feet and leaning on the table, he continued. "The Peace Summit will be a fine way of showing that our nature is not to harm but to protect. That is the way you want Kumogakure to continue, no? Should Enishi appear, we will be well prepared to stop him. Only the highest ranking Shinobi should attend, after all. If he would be foolish enough to try anything, he will be seized. For now, please focus on achieving the peace you have worked for so hard. Start here in Kumogakure, as many hearts have become troubled by the past events. The death of Masao for example still weighs heavy. But do so swiftly, as the Lightning Country will need similar, and the Peace Summit is but months away."

"If there are no other pressing matters, I would like your permission to leave. I am hoping to have a meeting with Kushin sooner rather than later and must tend to my own branch as well." Natsu concluded, looking at Shin. Technically there should be no reason he wouldn't be allowed to depart, but it was better to make certain. If he'd receive the go ahead, the Sennin would bow at his two companions and take his leave towards the Hospital. Perhaps he'd soon have to schedule a meeting with Ayumu as well.. But first things first. Kushin, and the day after Jo. Life of a Sennin sure was busy.

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[Kogami Ayumu]

Re: Reconciliation and Advancement [Requesting Sennin ~ Priv

Ayumu stood stoicly by as the new hand of the Main Branch Sennin spoke his piece, not bothering to mince words as he did so. He was apparently eager to begin his duties as Natsu's aide and wanted to start a resurgence with Merces Letifer, a group that often cooperated with ANBU while Ayumu was a trainee taking on many missions. He was correct that the political strife between the surrounding countries and Lightning Country had distracted Kumogakure from growing and strengthening itself. It was good that such things were now out of the way, and in a way the new bonds with those countries actually did make Kumogakure stronger. Now that the turmoil was out of the way, Kumogakure stood at the precipice of a new age with nothing standing in its way for now. At least that was how Ayumu saw it. Shin assured those present that he had no intent to commit vast resources to the search, which was Ayumu's primary concern as he felt they would be much more needed elsewhere. He also voiced that he wished to stop Kumogakure from being brought to the spotlight. 'Just be aware that I don't think Kushin was joking about not providing support from his branch...' Ayumu thought, recalling the man's anger.

Jo exited as Shin finished speaking, leaving just the two Sennin and the Raikage. Natsu was quick to speak his mind as usual, making good points in response to what Shin had said. This inspired Ayumu to say his piece as well, especially now that it was just the Sennin and the Raikage. "I have to agree. In times past, the role of the shinobi might have been in the shadows. In action, our missions have us work secretly, that is the nature of how shinobi work. But the village? We've grown so large, and we support our lifestyle here based on the contracts we receive. The only way we receive them is by being well-known for doing what we do and doing it well. I have no desire to ever again get as deeply involved in politics as we just have, however it was necessary at the time and likely will continue to be. This summit will only root us into even further spanning international matters, but as you said: we need to learn more about the world around us. We can't have it both ways," he said before allowing Do Natsu to continue as the man stood leaning on the table. He spoke of the kage summit, casting it as an opportunity to show the world what Kumogakure stood for. Ayumu nodded as he spoke.

"Well said... if Enishi lives and if he were to appear again, we'll be ready. We have all learned from this experience and won't allow such a disaster to reoccur. Despite the tragedy in Tenouza, I think we are in a better place than we have been in some time. Many of the things that have been holding us back are now taken care of. We have new allies. The kage summit you've been planning can now be sought out without distractions. We just need to capitalize on the opportunity," Ayumu said to wrap up his opinion on the matters being discussed. With that, Do Natsu seemed ready to depart. Apparently he sought to speak to Kushin. Ayumu hoped he would grant the Medical Sennin time to calm down a bit before approaching him. Ayumu nodded at Natsu as the man exited, leaving him and Shin. "Well, I'll be going as well, then. Need to catch up on what's been going on in the village since I left. Good day, Raikage-sama," Ayumu said, nodding to the man before following after Natsu and leaving Shin to his thoughts. He could only imagine the weight of the village's future was heaviest upon Shin. He surely had much to think about with the previous events and the prospect of the kage summit that he hoped to bring together.

[MFT: 665]
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