The Charge [Kage]

Juzo · Nov 12, 2012

The morning started as any other. The dank humidity of living underground being the first and most powerful trait the old Shinobi noticed as soon as his senses acclimated to his surroundings. In his own humble abode he could feel the cool stone below his bare feet when he shifted from bed. The smell of spices drifted through his place and helped stave off any of the usual odors associated with a man living alone. One large hand reached up to rub his chin and it was met with rough stubble. "Again?"

Raijin's voice was rough and cracked upon the words he had intended for himself. Water was now needed. And it didn't take long for him to capture a glass of water.

Then he found himself moving through his morning routines. Stretching, a light workout, his morning cleaning rituals and then his meal. All in all, it only took about forty-five minutes and he was moving fairly quick. Today was the beginning of a new assignment. The aged veteran had been assigned to guard the Kazekage-Steward himself. For days Raijin had been updating himself on everything he thought would be necessary for guarding their leader. Which, when he was honest, was only a few things. Mostly because he didn't know what to expect out of the Kage or any would-be assassins.

So he went with the basics. The majority of that being him making sure his fighting style, which revolves around the defense of another person as opposed to self-defense, was up to par. Which it was.

When he exited his own place Raijin was thrust into the Sunan underground. An artificially lit cavern that seemed to always be an affront on his eyes. Perhaps he was just getting old?

"No time for such doubts," he mumbled to himself as he headed for the Kazekage Tower. He wanted to be on time. So it didn't take long for the older gentleman to make his way to the tower. Even though he was larger than average it seemed he was adequately fleet of foot as well. It had served him well over his many years spent defending others. Upon arrival he was sent straight up to where he was supposed to be. "Sort of nice." He said as he wandered up a plainly decorated hallway. "Usually takes forever to get in here."

A few more turns and twist and he found himself where he belonged. The large doorway standing between himself and his next stage in life was slightly unsettling. The threshold to greater pain, or so his mind involuntarily put forth, was standing there and ready. It was time to cross it and find his fate. With a short breath, he pushed forward and into the room. What he would find, he could only guess....

Takahashi Aki · Nov 23, 2012

As Raijin were to enter he would heard the growling of a dog. "Stop complaining. This is minor work so you don't rust." More growls. "You know girl I don't speak canine but I bet you're thinking, why don't I do this to Number Seven?" What followed next was a very loud clank. "Oh bother. The heat ring is dying. I'm going to need to replace that. I'm also going to need to replace the coils as well. Won't that be nice girl? New power sources... so that you can howl with Number Seven all night. Not that ... I think he howls, but maybe. I don't know." The sound of a hammer came next. "What's that sound that common people make when surprised. Ha? Is it ha?" The Steward continued talking to what would have seemed a dog.

The moment Raijin were to step into the room he would find the Steward on a small ladder with hammer in hand working on his household pet Kitchenzilla. The Steward was working on the jaw of the creature which looked quite powerful. His head was slightly resting upon the might crushing jaws of the beast as he worked along. "I'm surprised the jaw line is still intact. Good girl, you haven't tried to chew up stone pillars like you used to. Good girl indeed." Sousuke praised his pet in a monotone voice. Throughout this entire time his voice was monotone. The Steward turned to see Raijin in the door way. "Ah. Company. Yes... there's a large chair over there for you to sit in. The green one. I had to have some custom furniture built for someone of your proportions. Actually I made it myself ... since the original designer could not accommodate to someone of Kuro's sizes. What silly industry we have." The Steward turned back to his pet and finished some minor work. "I would also ask that you ... cease from drawing any weapons. Large weapons frighten her... especially weapons that contain a heat-rod upgrade."

Juzo · Nov 23, 2012

At first he had done his best to not eavesdrop on what was being said. It was considered a good skill for someone like himself. But as he drew nearer and nearer he figured it would probably be best to be on guard from this point forward. History lessons jammed down his throat had taught him that Kage's, and even their Stewards, were prone to unexpected and surprising ends. Raijin was the last line of defense before this leader of Suna would be forced to defend himself, and it would do him well to keep a sharp eye on everything.

Upon entering he was, despite his vast experience, quite surprised by what he saw. After giving himself enough time to get over his initial reaction, which he hid behind a stoic expression, he looked towards the chair. It was his size just as this Sousuke had said. While he wouldn't sit at this exact moment, he would give himself a moment to examine the fine furnishings. He found himself mentally making a checklist.

Windows? Check.

Doors? Check.

How sturdy are the floor and roof? Questionable.

All of this was absorbed in the first few moments after moving away from the large automaton. Finally, after positioning himself in the room so his back was not against any visible doors or windows, he looked back up to the man he had been sent to protect. "Thank you for the offer but I would not feel like I was completing my job to the best of my ability if I were to sit."

Instead he stood rather rigidly with both hands in plain view before his body, right hand gripping his left wrist. "And I do not carry any weaponry, sir."

It was usually a good idea to stay open with the charge. "I am Raijin, by the way." Was this man aware of why Raijin was here? He had assumed he would be informed but he seemed to think he was normal 'company'. And what was this giant beast before himself? He had never seen it before during all his years in Suna.

Takahashi Aki · Nov 26, 2012

The Steward continued to work along on Kitchenzilla. "Yes. Raijin-san." He called upon the man's records or what little he knew of him. "You assisted my council in protecting a councilor not too long ago. Excellent work. Your resistance to physical damage must be in the ninety-third percentile. I wish I could say that about my mark one armour." The Steward turned his head and wondered why Raijin wasn't sitting just yet, but soon enough he explained. "Your job?" He inquired.The Steward stepped down from the ladder. He signaled Kitchenzilla to open her jaw, which she did. The creature's jaw lowered and then closed again. "Nicely done. Good girl."

The creature made her way over to Raijin and she too had to look up at him. Her giant tail began to swing back and forth. She lowered her form and stuck out her mechanical tongue which for the most part was loose wire ending in a plate. "Woof. Bark! Woof! Woof!" The creature called out. Strangely enough the barks and woofs delivered came out more lively and less monotone than the creature's supposed owner. The creature lowered her head.

The Steward watched the interaction and nodded his head. "It's very rare for us to find someone so large. Hrm... she wants to be petted. She usually has to get down on all fours in order for me to pet her." The Steward paced about for a moment. "You must have giants blood in you. Maybe you're a descendant of the first Akamichi clan? I wonder... it is genetically possible if not in the realm of infinite logistics."

Juzo · Nov 29, 2012

The subtle inflection in the mans voice was enough for Raijin to now be sure that he was not aware of the assignment. Curious, perhaps the council operated like that in order to preserve the life of their Kage's? Raijin's own thoughts were swiftly silenced. He did not like to speculate further than was necessary. All he had to do now was fulfill his duty. Protect the charge. To eliminate any future confusion he decided to speak while he reached out to pet the... pet. "I've been assigned to you for your protection."

His massive hand patted the beast head awkwardly. Inwardly he tried to figure out what he should say next. "Should I ask what this thing is yet? No, that might be rude...."

And like some of the science-types he had met in his day, he was curious of his massive girth. With a slightly unsettling grin he answered. "I just ate all my food and stayed active. My family has always been trained as bodyguards because of our size and abilities."

He left a moments time open before speaking again. "What is this thing?" The bodyguards hand stopped moving, resting on the head momentarily, before he withdrew it. Whatever it was, it seemed .....unsafe.

Takahashi Aki · Dec 3, 2012

"Assigned to me for my own protection?" The Steward raised an eyebrow at Raijin's words. He believed him. "I guess it was only a matter of time. The Sunahoshi always had had some sort of guard assigned to them. My uncle was assigned to the previous Kazekage and was released from service when that Kazekage died from sickness." The Steward's face twitched. "My uncle never really got over that, neither has my own father." The Steward turned to his pet for a moment. He continued to work on his pet for a moment. "I suppose you could say we Steward have always been body-guards too in a way, I just never thought of it really until now. We're merely keeping the Diamond Throne safe until the Sunahoshi return. "

When Raijin had answered him on the matter of his massive size. The Steward blinked. All he did was eat his vegetables and meat to attain such a size? In a way the Steward was jealous, since he felt somewhat child-like compared to the massive man. Sousuke rubbed his chin with his index and middle finges. "I eat everything on my plate and I'm tiny compared to you. It must be more than that..." The Steward crossed his arms. "Well I suppose it's to be expected that I'm not all that tall since my father is ... fairly short."

Following that came the question Sousuke had expected would come soon enough. "Ah. This is my pet. My parents once suggested I have a pet, like the way an Inuzuka has a familiar... but at the time I couldn't afford one so I built mine. She's see a darling, isn't she?" Seitoshi's words of praise should have come out in a lighter more amused tone, but it didn't. Instead he spoke coldly and neutrally. He did show some form of affection for his pet as he petted her and rubbed her jaw. "I built her out of my mother's oven ... which she never got over. Due to being built from kitchen material I had named her Kitchenzilla." The giant mechanical menace wagged her tail back and forth and let out a bark. "Do you not like pets Raijin-san?"

Juzo · Dec 3, 2012

What the Kazekage said put an interesting twist on their new relationship. To bodyguard a bodyguard, surely such a task had never been done before. Raijin felt something profound in that fact but the exact nature of it escaped him. Perhaps it would come to him in time. Perhaps not, but that was how patience worked. For now he sustained himself with a simple answer. "It must be a strange feeling then, to have me assigned to you."

Though he would not answer more about his own size. The exact secret behind that was long since forgotten. Perhaps some dark ritual or technique from a darker time in shinobi history or maybe just a unique lineage. Either way, Raijin didn't really know either but he didn't usually let that fact out. It seemed most beneficial to act like he he knew about his size but was unwilling to speak about it. Something about preserving the mystery and keeping his opponents fearful. The price was that he had to maintain that deception with everyone.

"Hm." He started with, neutral as could be, but soon enough it gave away to some light chuckles. "I bet your mother loved that." The he moved to the nearest window and looked outward. "There is a great number of things I do not like." His voice was gruff but it was sincere. "And most of them are a safeguard in order to keep you safe."

From there Raijin decided he should ask some of the important questions. "But I have to get to business. It should only take a moment anyway and I will be out of your way from there on out. I just need to know a few details."

"How often am I to accompany you? They did not tell me how often I would need to protect you. Was it against domestic threats, only on foreign missions...." His voice trailed off as if to allude to other options he didn't mention directly. He usually was required 24/7 but he had to know for sure. Raijin was a man of details.

Takahashi Aki · Dec 6, 2012

The Steward had to think for a moment. He was still incapable of trying to wrap the concept around his head of someone else keeping an eye on him. "I don't know how to answer you right away on your active duty schedule." The Steward exhaled. "I guess when we have foreigners present in my presence? That's rare of course." He then shrugged. "I suppose other than that I should be fine, but I would ... let you do as you see fit. Bear in mind ... I do have a ward who is under my protection. She has a large canine companion who scares people from time to time. I don't know if you were informed about him, but don't worry." The Steward wondered what else he should tell Raijin about in particular.

The Steward wondered more about his guard though. "A query for you." A slight pause given for a moment. "Do you want to be here? I'm not asking this as a sort of ... mmm ... trick question or question to endanger your employment. I mean certainly council must have thought of other purposes for your particular skill set. Personally I would rather spend time in Keystone Prime and the Grid." The Steward explained. "I'm bound by paperwork from time to time to be here ... which is well I can't say it is boring, but I can't say it is thrilling either... except it comes to doing the finances. I've always been good with the numbers and the balancing."

Juzo · Dec 9, 2012

Raijin remained still while the steward spoke. While he was unaware of the Ward under the Kazekage, it was fairly unimportant in his own duties. He had been pledged to protect the Kazekage and, in his opinion, that was the only life he was committed to protecting. Years of harsh conditioning and the strictest training preparing him for nearly every known scenario. Every torture and pain, meticulously planned to keep him from cracking. And this was no different. A test.

When the man finished speaking, Raijin mulled it over for a good solid twenty seconds before providing a reply. His voice was slow at first, "Places carry no value for me. They are only as valuable as the people and entertainments within them. Here." He gestured at the room they were in. "Here I have a purpose. But that all changes if you alter the room and remove yourself."

Then the bodyguard paused. "I seek purpose. And that can only be realized while you are alive. And I am afraid to say, but, I can only guarantee your safety while I am present. Generally I am employed on a twenty-four hour, seven days a week basis."

Takahashi Aki · Dec 16, 2012

The Steward thought about Raijin's answer. "You're right. Places do require people to make them worthwhile... most of the time. " The Steward was somewhat taken back by what the man said next. That he was only safe when he was present? That was presumptuous, perhaps even presumptuous in the extreme, but then again this was Raijin's purpose. To the Steward it seemed somewhat limiting that this was his one purpose. "Right so you're available virtually all the time." The Steward finalized. The Steward wondered exactly how Rajin prepared himself for such long missions or time to be available.

While Sousuke had been having a chat with Raijin, Kitchenzilla had left the room and returned with a red ball. The mechanical creature held the red ball and handed it to Sousuke. The creature wagged her tail and expected Sousuke to pick up the ball and throw it. The Steward did no less, and watched as his pet ran down the hallway after the ball. "I suppose I should warn you that on rare occasion I have had an experiment backfire on me." The Steward paused. "No. That's not quite accurate. My ward had damaged the kitchen with an explosion which I was underneath." The Steward's eyes narrowed. "I assure you. That will not happen again. She knows better not to do so in the future." Just as he finished his sentence, Kitchenzilla returned with the ball once more. Sousuke tossed Raijin the ball. His pet turned to gaze upon Raijin waiting patiently for him to throw the ball. "Give it a try."

Juzo · Dec 22, 2012

Raijin laughed and accepted the ball. But it was not the general jovial laugh used in awkward social situations. This was a hardy laugh that could have shaken bones. "I am only concerned with threats to your life. I assume you can handle any backfire from experiments." With that he whipped his wrist and sent the red ball flying down the hallway Kitchenzilla had originally come from.

"But in the end it is up to you, how much I am utilized. Only you can know when and/or if I am required." Raijin said before running his hand through his hair. In his youth it had been bright yellow and thick. Now with age it had become slightly dulled. Luckily he had yet to begin balding like some men did. That was a blessing in and of itself. But, for the time being, he decided to move away from the window and back towards the center of the room. There he dropped to one knee. "Kazekage-sama, I have worked my whole life for an honor as esteemed as this."

Then he paused for half a moment. "And Suna isn't as safe as it once was. There may already be credible threats against your life within the village." Rumors had been spreading and Raijin feared the worse.

[OOC: Sorry for the long wait. December is a hectic month. lol]

Takahashi Aki · Jan 8, 2013

Raijin's laughed almost caused the Steward to stumble. For a moment he lost his balance, but he was quick about getting himself grounded once again. The Steward never knew that a person could have such a powerful laugh. In times past he received a pat on the back from Kuro, and for the first few of them the Steward was often sent flying across the room. The Steward had gotten himself used to the force that Kuro expressed but to know that such force could come from laughter was slightly surprising if not disturbing. The Steward truly hoped he never learned what sort of force Rajin could produce if he was reduced to tears. Torrential downpour? Flooding? The Steward did not wish to know.

The Steward was assured of his privacy when Raijin said that he assumed Sousuke could handle backfires in his lab. The Steward nodded his head, he was indeed most content since some people seemed to doubt his scientific prowess. In particular Tia came to mind. "Thank-you for that." The Steward finally spoke. "Well. I'll figure out something ... with regard to how often I call upon you. Certainly given the activity in the Grand Palais ... it is expected of me to make appearances there from time to time. Can't say I'm too thrilled with dealing with some of the ... shadier merchants there. I would like to shut them down myself, but they're probably aware of that already." The Steward's facial features stiffened for a moment. It seemed like he was discontent with something, but he couldn't quite express what he wanted to being anger or disappointment. The Steward eventually gave up on trying to express himself. "You don't have business there I hope? By business, I mean ... the sort that is the legally impaired or morally insane."

Juzo · Jan 10, 2013

There was a brief moment of silence. Raijin attributed it to the man following along some important thought process so he gave him the benefit of the doubt until he spoke again. At which time the Steward seemed to express gratitude. Must have been the right thing to say, though Raijin could not for the life of himself think of anything else that would have been appropriate. From there he went on to talk about the Grand Palais and what he mentioned, when he got into more detail, nearly made his new bodyguards jaw drop. He intended on going there himself?!

"I would hope you intend on bringing me along when you purposefully put yourself into harms way." Raijin said to begin. "But otherwise I do not travel there on my own. There is nothing of interest in such a place for me."

It had been a long time since he felt the shallow need for entertainment or the burdening pangs of hunger. Which had always caused him to avoid such a place with its stench and filthy people. But he would accompany this man if it was necessary. For the time being he got back up from one knee. It seemed his point had been taken. "So then, its settled. I will follow you everywhere you go from this point forward." Although it had only been discussed for a moment and nothing definitive had been agreed on, Raijin seemed intent on pushing this schedule. It had been his order and it felt strange not completing it, even if it seemed like this man enjoyed being on his own. Or at least that was his guess from how the Kazekage acted.

"I'll do my best to stay out of sight when I am not entirely necessary." The blond giant said. Then he thought about it a little more. "And if I am not out of sight, you can always request me to do so. I know I've had Charges in the past that felt strangely about ordering me to leave the company of everyone else, so there is no need to carry such minor burdens. I am not so disillusioned as to think I need to always be a part of the " A slight pause found itself into his speech, for Raijin was unsure of exactly what would best communicate, "whoever the hell is around at that exact moment." "....group, you could say."

Takahashi Aki · Jan 12, 2013

The Steward didn't quite answer right away on the part where Raijin mentioned bringing him there when he was purposefully going there. "Excellent." The Steward simply said. The Steward crossed his arms. "I suppose I could bring you along though. People aren't ... intimidated by my personage unless I'm wearing my full armour." The Steward merely shrugged his shoulders. "It is inevitable that negotiations can turn pretty bad quickly." The Steward assumed as much. Trying to negotiate the shutdown of an organized crime syndicate could be ... at best impossible without the use of force, or deadly force for that matter. The Steward had the thought in his head of Raijin in steel plate punching some gangsters in the face for failing to disband upon his own personal orders.

One of the more difficult parts of being under surveillance came to light as Raijin next brought up that he would feel no ill will if he was order to be out of sight. The Steward merely nodded his head. "Yes... I wondered how best to go about that topic. I don't think there will be much of that though. I would perhaps only do so to save you from boredom. I tend to go on at length at times, I lecture from time to time, so I believe I derived that characteristic from that." Still though it was a socially awkward thing to do it seemed. By this time Kitchenzilla returned with the ball. The creature dropped the ball from her jaw into one of her smaller arms. "Ah. Good girl. Good girl. I see that the jaw is working perfectly." The creature let out a woof and wagged her tail. "Let's go for a walk. You probably want to get to know the area some more wouldn't you? Best be aware of your surroundings. That is what my father always says."

(Topic concluded)

The Charge [Kage]

Juzo

Member

Takahashi Aki

Well-Known Member

Juzo

Member

Takahashi Aki

Well-Known Member

Juzo

Member

Takahashi Aki

Well-Known Member

Juzo

Member

Takahashi Aki

Well-Known Member

Juzo

Member

Takahashi Aki

Well-Known Member

Juzo

Member

Takahashi Aki

Well-Known Member

Juzo

Member

Takahashi Aki

Well-Known Member