The Throne Sits Empty (Open)

[Senju Kazuki]

Table Title

Sousuke's eyes would begin to glow as he began speaking. An interesting skill the Steward had acquired during Kazuki's slumber. "Trusting a single individual in the past proved to be far too weighty, unwieldy for a singular individual. Kuro could adopt an advisory role and could offer his years of experience and advice to what I had proposed earlier ... being a triumvirate. We are in the presence of an individual who is already of the lineage. We have someone who has trained under him. One of each. There is strength in numbers, is there not?"<i></i> The Takahashi's Highlord suggestion was a triumvirate and he had also suggested the three individuals. Michino, Naoki and Suzume. The White Wolf didn't knew them at all, two them had just been introduced to him. "I-if I may, your Lordship, it's a uh... an inside joke. Suzu--err, Lady Suzume and I are acquainted, and she must've just been rememberin' that, right? My name is Samejima Naoki sir, a newly-instated chuunin of Sunagakure! I'm... not really sure why I was summoned, but if Sousuke-sama thinks I can help with the selection process, I will do my best to help." Naoki would try to salvage the situation caused by Suzume, but it wasn't a situation that needed saving. "Sousuke is nominating you as well young one."<i></i> the Senju Overlord would clarify, using a lower tone so not everyone would hear it, only those closer to him.[lb2][/lb2]While Reaper agreed with Pestilence's proposal, it would seem the consensus was not general. Nabushin, the current Storm Lord had a different idea. At least, to what concerned the nominees. "That is an interesting proposition Lord Steward. However I feel your choices are somewhat lacking. Putting the weight of the position to rest on three legs is sensible. To choose a pair of cripples to bear this weight is foolish. I mean no offense, of course. Your accomplishments as shinobi are admirable, given your disabilities. However this is not a trifling matter and it must be made with the stern attention it requires." "Then why will you not propose someone else? If you believe Sousuke's choices to be foolhardy, make a proposition that better suits your tastes then."<i></i> the Deep Court Hybrid would urge the other man to speak his choices. It was quite fine to disagree, but at least present an alternative, instead of just shooting it down. "I support Sousuke's suggestion."<i></i> he would reveal, making sure everyone knew where he stood.​

Black Omen [lb][/lb] Senju Kazuki – Occult Sennin[lb][/lb]

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[Takahashi Aki]

Sousuke wouldn't respond to Naoki immediately. He didn't think it was best to answer her and point something out, it might dawn upon her in a moment, but more importantly Sousuke did not think to embarrass Naoki. Kazuki would say something, but he didn't quite catch it either. He would await and remain seated at the table. He would listen to the chatter going back and forth for a moment, that was until Lord Nabushin spoke. The present Storm Lord was a difficult man, it was sometimes a wonder that Suzume was a descendant of his. He would, of course, have his piece about the choices presented. "Let's not mince words Lord Nabushin, but there are other ways to see. Haven't met many descendants of the Hashigaki clan or people with their features have you?"<i></i> The Lord Steward would answer bluntly. He was referring to Naoki, but did not refer to her name. Following Sousuke's defense Michino would follow quickly enough. He too strongly believed in Naoki it would seem. Indeed the two of them survived Inferno, which in itself was a testament to one's survival skillset.

Michino would defend himself, but Sousuke would go the length and do so at any rate. "I too was a cripple for a time, my legs were broken during the Magnetica invasion. Can't say I remember you calling my decisions into question at the time when I was in the hospital. If anything it is your imagination that is crippled."<i></i> The Lord Steward would retort. "It's not hard to move things through psionics, or kinetically. Certainly one has to learn, but anyone at this table is a quick study. That I can assure you of."<i></i> Again Kazuki would speak up. It would seem that Kazuki was very much in agreement with him. He would look over to Nabushin expectantly. He would permit the man to have his nominees. It would be slightly concerning if the man would nominate himself of course. So far Sousuke's choices had support from himself, and Kazuki.

Speaking of psionic abilities, Sousuke was given a letter which provided the condition of Kuro. The report was in Dr. Daibatsu's handwriting. Sousuke knew that he could trust the good word of the doctor. He continued to read the contents of the letter and its revelation. The more he read through it, the more he had come to understand Kuro's current situation.

 

[Samejima]

"Wh--!" Naoki was being twirled up in the air like a small child! It surprised her, but the energy did not seem malicious. It was rather fun... but she wouldn't admit that to anyone outside of the slight expression of glee. She sipped at the tea Kuro passed her, and smiled at him. "Yessir, I... I've practiced funneling chakra to them from time to time. It's a little too tiring to keep up 24/7, but I am able to read things if need be, as you taught me."

At Kazuki's clarification, the woman balked a little. Her expression changed to one of bewilderment, and she had no idea how exactly to respond to it. What's he mean by that? I mean, I've been working for a while now and I do some pretty good work if I do say so myself, but I wouldn't call me a... I mean... What exactly are we talking about again? She was not very quick on her feet in terms of things like village-wide protection. But she was nothing if not resilient!

Naoki had always been rather hot-headed in her eagerness to retort, but in this case it was a little difficult for her to come up with much. She did want to point out again that there was nothing she couldn't do on her own if need be, but it didn't seem right to do so in this climate. Yet Michino did, and she found herself gritting her teeth in frustration. I'm pathetic... Can't even defend myself, even though I know I'm good enough for any job this old coot could toss at me... Hearing the confidence in Michino's resolve, she thought it might be alright to speak once there was a lull in the conversation. "If I may your lordships, I'm perfectly capable of anything any other Sunan shinobi is tasked to do, and I want to serve my--uh, our village in any capacity possible." She sat up a little straighter in her seat. "If I can do anything more, please grant me the authority, and I'll see it done."

She scratched her head in embarrassment as the flaw in her last sentence struck her. "E-even without actually, y'know... seeing. It'll get done!"

 

[Kazumi]

Barely picking at her food, Suzume continued to sit and stare down at the offerings. If it was her father or nearly any other individual who was speaking of Naoki this way, she would have been the first to stand up and chastise the man, consequences be damned. For Lord Nabushin, however, she could not even muster the nerve to so much as raise her head in disagreement with him. She had no desire to become more entangled in village politics, her plate was already overflowing and with her physical state as it had been, she did not see any improvement on the horizon. So she sat, obedient and silent. Only managing to raise her head for a momentary nod at Kuro for the undeserved vote of confidence.

------

Michino stood, a swell of fury encompassing the man as Lord Nabushin continued to eat. Even as the furious cripple stood and blustered, the Storm Lord continued to leisurely eat at his meal, not deigning to even look over towards him as he spoke. Though he showed no outward interest, he still listened to the man of course and he did have a few points to make. He was, perhaps, too quick to dismiss potential avenues of securing strength for his clan and the village; not that he would outwardly admit such to anyone, much less someone below his station.

When another of the Lords spoke, Nabushin did incline his head to listen, as was respectful. He gave Lord Kazuki a nod of acknowledgement, pausing to speak a few moments later. "Such decisions take time and deliberation. I do not dismiss the Stewards recommendations outright, simply that we must give the decision the time that it requires." It was the perfect opportunity to place favorable individuals within a place of power, but it would take many hours of deliberation to do so. He would need to recommend individuals that the others would not dismiss out of hand. They would need to be capable enough to fulfill the role. More importantly, they would need to be allied with the Storm Lord and the Oushi-Ouja to some degree. The cards were already stacked against the clan's waning strength and resources, they needed every advantage if they did not wished to be pushed out by other clans, such as the Miroku.

When the Steward spoke, he too received Lord Nabushin's attention, albeit with silent resentment. He did not hate the man, Lord Nabushin hated no one who pledged themselves to the betterment of the village, but that did not mean he wished that another more responsible individual would take his place. If it were up to the once-ursuper, the village would abandon all of its hard earned traditions with Lord Sousuke standing at its peak as Kage of some mechanical abomination. The thought gave the man a shiver of disgust. He took a moment to quell his feelings and spoke to the man in the same calm and firm tone that he projected with the perfection of experience. "And you have overcome your own disabilities admirably, Lord Steward. Perhaps you misunderstand me. A man who lost his hand, who now bares a bladed prosthetic is still a capable fighter, and with effort and determination he can be a match for what he once was. However that same man with two full hands and the same determination is still greater for it." He paused another moment, to take a drink from his glass. "If your suggestions are the best the village has to offer, despite their shortcomings, I would gladly provide them my own endorsement."

As Naoki spoke, Lord Nabushin stood, seeming to not notice her speak. "This has left me with much to discuss with my clan. I recommend that we reconvene in a week to discuss the plan to proceed." He looked to Lord Kuro and started speaking quickly to curtail an initial response, "I understand that position you are in, and we must make all due haste, but the future of our village is of dire importance, as I am sure you are all in agreement." He reached down and finished off the glass before gently setting it back down. "The feast was exceptional, as ever Lord Kuro. If any of you wish to discuss matters with me, you know where to find me." He turned his jade eyes upon Suzume and nodded his head. The girl quickly set down her utensils and stood, giving the table a half bow of respect. "Lords." He gave them all a nod of his head, paying particular attention to Kuro, Sousuke and Kazuki before he turned and made his way to the exit, his steps quiet despite his mass.

Suzume took another moment to look around as Lord Nabushin made his departure. Her eyes lingered for a few moments on Naoki, looking to her as if to offer her a silent apology before she turned and hurried after the Storm Lord, looking as if the momentary rush seemed to be faintly difficult for her. If no one spoke up in protest or explictly called for the man to stay, Nabushin would wait for Suzume at the door, usher her outside and close the massive door behind him with a thud.

[Exiting unless stopped]

 

[Toraono Kuro]

OOC: was a little worried there Suzume but I do understand how hard life hits when least expected.

Kuro would stand and bow as Lord Nabushin and Suzume made their parting words although Suzume did not speak nor did she show any of her former cheerfulness. Kuro took it to be his fault since he had been absent and his successor had messed up everything so utterly. Dark chakra wisps slipped from Kuro's body and gently secure the door as they left. "I thank you both for your time and patience and should you get a free moment later Lady Suzume I have some items left in the family vault to pass on to you in person."<i></i>

Kuro would look over at Kazuki and send a mental message... ((Something is wrong with Suzume, I will question the Oushi-ouja about her later.))

Without missing a beat Kuro decided to explain another premise to Michino, "Nephew, despite your wounds, you have grown by leaps and bounds and I am truly proud of you and your determination. Once upon a time long before you were even a thought my eldest brother lost an arm in battle with a carnasaur. As long as he could recover the limb we can reattach it or if necessary grow him a new limb but then the act of strengthening it and reattaining natural familiarity leads to a whole slew of problems. My brother in his delightful battle madness created a lightning clone and merged with it for the remainder of the battle granting him a temporary replacement arm that functioned better than his original arm because it was a mental projection of lightning. I myself use mirror clones when in doubt let the enemy face themselves. As such I would be remiss if I did not offer the same lesson to you. As for you Naoki as long as you have the strength to use your sight long enough to read a written message outside of braille then I have nothing further to offer lest you risk learning the Byakko style of combat, it is very decisive and although sight based intermixed with your personal capacity I have no doubts you would be the strongest taijutsu master outside of myself and Lord Sousuke. So before we talk more, would anyone like any beverages or desserts?"<i></i>

Kuro did not have to alert Sousuke to something being wrong with Suzume, even before his change in spirit and physical capacity he was very astute in observation and would often point out flaws before Kuro could even notice them.
"What say you Brother Sousuke, Brother Kazuki, perhaps some drinks? I do have liquor preferred by Ancients as well..."<i></i>

 

[Toraono Michino]

Michino settled himself back down, glowering at the large horned individual, but made no reactions to being ignored. Having those pay him little attention was something the teenager had grown used to, and it took no skin off his back to have the Storm Lord do so much as even offer a rebuttal. In fact, far as he was concerned, the young Toraono had gotten his message across. Yet he still couldn’t help but feel a little fidgety as his fork pushed around what little food remained on his plate.
Eventually the man said his next bit and then rose to leave. Suzume, the female he had brought with him, offered a silent apology to Uncle Kuro and the young male across from her could feel his heart go out. Suzume’s silent exit was enough to let Michino know how the Storm Lord controlled those he felt beneath him.

Once the large man had finally made his exit the youth finally let go a breath he had been holding. It had been his first meeting with those of that part of the clan, and they had not made a good impression on him to say the least. Even without the presence of Nabushin, he could still feel the familiar tightness of anxiety in his chest mixed with a silent rage. It was Kuro who, once again, broke Michino away from his brooding thoughts to then let him know how he could strengthen himself and fight beyond his disability.
It was an idea he had never considered. Like a light bulb screwing in all the way, the young Toraono’s eyes lit up. Owari’s physical manifestation probably had a leg where he didn’t. If he could find a way to balance the wavelengths of their souls and combine their powers…
“T-that…that’s genius! Of course, why haven’t I ever thought of that?! Man, months wallowing in a sea of depression and you have a solution that both fits my problem and my pride. Whatever would become of this village without you Uncle?”

True to the Ryuu half of his bloodline, Michino had grabbed a napkin and removed a simple felt pen from his pocket to begin working out the basic principles of the idea that Kuro had presented to him. It was mostly done with strange graphs and drawings more aligned to an engineer, but lacked in definite math or anything arcane. The technique he may learn here if his uncle had the time after this meeting, but mastering it ‘down to a science’, as his brother would put it, fell into his hands; and perhaps a little of Tama’s if he could find his wayward elder sibling.

Michino had come here in support to his family, but was leaving with a vast amount of information that would no doubt support himself more than he could do himself. It reminded him once more of the support base he had now, and how much he had taken it for granted.

Never again, he promised himself, never again.

 

[Senju Kazuki]

Table Title

"Such decisions take time and deliberation. I do not dismiss the Stewards recommendations outright, simply that we must give the decision the time that it requires." would be Lord Nabushin's answer to Kazuki's words. A response that seemed quite lacking to the Overlord's tastes. ""Time is a luxury not everyone possesses. Try not waste this scarce resource of ours with too much deliberation. Rushing to a decision is as harmful as taking too long. Remember that. he would advise. The Deep Court Hybrid was a man of brain, so he outright understood the need to think and ponder about the best course of action. But he also understood that needless politics did more harm than good. The key to victory was a delicate balance, because all sides were needed, both in peaceful times and in warring times.[lb2][/lb2] "What say you Brother Sousuke, Brother Kazuki, perhaps some drinks? I do have liquor preferred by Ancients as well..."</GLOW><i></i> Kuro would offer them. <GLOW glow="darkred">"You know I do not drink, but I will stay. I need to speak with you."​

Black Omen [lb][/lb] Senju Kazuki – Occult Sennin[lb][/lb]

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[Takahashi Aki]

The Lord Steward stood up to watch Nabushin leave. He would call out to the man, giving him a very short but very important reminder. "I respect that you need time to gather your thoughts but remember this one particular thing Lord Nabushin: Time is the enemy."<i></i> He would remind the man of that very simple fact. Time was a funny thing. It was a resource that was not easy to gain. People spoke of buying time to stall things, but even then time was passing. Time did not freeze. Time sometimes passed slower for some, but it was still a moving thing.

What Nabushin had feared had come to pass, in the context that Sousuke had become the mechanical abomination that old Ox feared he would be. In truth though it was a matter of perspective. There were boons to being fully cast in metal, but like with all things there were disadvantages to the matter as well. Sousuke would do as he always did. Endure. This was a man who had experienced much hardship in his political reign from all sides. The Lord Steward became the Kazekage not out of a personal desire but out of a necessity. During that time the Sunahoshi heir would not recognize his place as the true ruler, and for a time it was thought that he was dead at the hands of Mikaboshi. Suffice to say things had a curious way of working out. A miracle did in fact happen which allowed Katuso to return and in time he very much became the Kazekage.

Sousuke did bid the Ox Lord a farewell, and gave Suzume one as well. There was a difference in the two. The one he gave Nabushin was colder, while Suzume was given a more heartfelt one. Even the Lord Steward had his favourites. The mechanical man would again find his seat. He would listen to Kuro address both Suzume and Michino. "I've always been a capable swordsman. Trained by Kuro's mother no less. Replicating one's technique is one thing, but making it your own is something entirely different."<i></i> He spoke broadly. He would place a singular firearm upon the table. The weapon looked elegant. The muzzle of the weapon resembled a bird's break and was cast in gold. In the maw of the bird was three barrels which would rotate when fired. The weapon had a very avian appearance to it. "More recently I've become ... quite a shot. It's taken me some time to understand firearms, but I've mastered it."<i></i> He would admit. He would slide the weapon down to Michino to have a look at.

While Kuro was perhaps mentally panicking regarding Suzume, the Lord Steward was in fact not. He had known about Suzume's new abilities for quite some time. He had been quiet about it and not discussed it at length with anyone outside of Suzume herself. Kuro would offer him a drink to which Sousuke would raise a hand. "Ah no."<i></i> He would look from Kazuki then to Kuro. "Should I perhaps make myself scarce for this discussion between the two of you?"<i></i> Sousuke would raise and walk over to Naoki and Michino in particular. "Would the two of you like to see some of my new weaponry in action? I assure you they are very different from what you have seen in past times."<i></i>

 

[Toraono Kuro]

OOC: 30 days have passed and Naoki is still busy... skipping their post to wrap up things and enter an event related mission.

Kuro nodded to the new more confident and humane Sousuke.
"While Michino and Naoki talk things over I would be honored to.
i would be honored to hear both of you out and witness your new menagerie of skills Brother Sousuke.
Let us step into one of the training halls and speak of other matters."<i></i>

Kuro would nod to Michino while his clone would continue to bring more food for his beloved nephew while Sousuke, Kuro, and Kazuki stepped into one of the empty training rooms to catch up and witness Sousuke's new skillsets.

 

[Toraono Michino]

Michino could tell things were finally winding down. His plate had been cleared, and though offered more, he declined. Kuro then would speak to the other elders about retreating to a place to drink high spirits in order to mellow the serious discussion that was to follow. Part of him really wanted to join them, if just to talk to Kuro again for the first time in years, but the youth knew, currently, it wasn’t his opinion that was to be called upon.
The youth who slowly rose himself back to standing on his one leg did so a different person than the one who had sat. The Thunder Lord called out things that had stung his pride. It brought forth a spurn in his side that would carry him out to relearning how to fight all over again; and then teach others.

“Owari,” he spoke softly to the air as he hobbled back out towards Chiyo’s apartment, “I’m ready to learn, if you’re willing to teach…”

Michino could feel grinning in the back of his mind.

[Exit, Stage Left]

 

[Samejima]

[Apologies for necro, just wanted to post an exit before OCR]

There wasn't much that she could do, hearing the harshness of Lord Nabushin's reality. The following attempts to interest her in much other than re-evaluating her usefulness to anyone were left unanswered, even those involving the sweeter joys of life, and a troubled Naoki stood somewhat slowly to leave the room, bowing deeply as she did so.

On her journey back to her aunt's cafe, she wondered if it was the right idea to leave her parents after all. Perhaps it was time to return. She always had a place there, and right now there was nothing she'd like more than a warm bowl of fish head soup that her mother would always insist she try before the girl pushed it away.

[Topic left, sorry for taking so long friends]