The Voting Booth

[Santaru Arisu]

Itonami had sat near the voting booths watching as shinobi and citizens alike walked back and forth placing their votes for the next Raikage. Ataeru gave a sigh as he flipped through the newspaper, his pink tinted sun glasses low as to not obstruct his reading. Though to be fair he was mainly looking into the notes about those who would be running. Ataeru was not sure how he felt about Shin-sama. He was a great Raikage without a doubt but Ataeru often felt him be a little too gentle. To put it simply he was what they needed at the time and his work was well done. Ataeru would miss Shin, for intellectuals over raw meat heads were so very difficult to find.

Ataeru brushed a lock of his white multicolored hair out of his face. So Shin decided that an election should be done and not the council just picking. Ataeru chuckled to himself, of course he would. Shina always thought about the people first. He reached down to put his wooden sandals back on and walked over to the voting booths. He rolled up his newspaper and decided that he would play a guessing game. He had been gone for about five years and as such knew not how the world had changed everyone and what they were like. A newspaper would have things set up so no one really looked bad. Honestly, the data in newspapers are awful but any information is better than none.

He shifted slightly and placed his vote, put his hat back on in case it rained and walked out as if nothing had happened. Honestly he felt like he had no right to vote since he was gone so long but since everyone was hyping it to him as he walked through the streets, the feeling…the emotions just pulled him too. He was happy despite this being a sadder occasion. Hopefully whomever won would do a good job.

[MFT]
[Entered, Voted, Left]

 

[Daigo]

Though he was relatively new to the village, Daigo heard about the upcoming elections for the new kage and felt he had to participate. Not for the sake of helping to make history, as this was the first election of a kage to his knowledge, but to appease his fallen older cousin. If not for his relative and his friendship with the former kage, Daigo wouldn't bother with voting for a kage. In time long passed, Daisuke always spoke highly of the village he held so dear. It was only right to keep his spirit alive in memory by making his way over to the booth. The chooses were simple, but two of the candidates apparently knew his relative for quite some time. This was the only troubling matter he faced as he stepped in to the booth. It was a long process, but one he was glad to have completed. He stepped out and returned home to rest afterwards.

[topic entered / Voted / left]

 

[Yukari]

Hikari had been out of sorts for a while. Her personal life, had impeded her professionalism and she did not believe any longer that she deserved her position. She would step down officially soon, but first, in honor of her fallen Kage, she would vote for someone to fill his place. It was a simple matter for her to choose, and she did so quickly and inconspicuously. She would not linger. After dropping her ballot into the machine, Hikari departed.

[topic left]

 

[Tsuirakuya Shashu]

Elections huh? Hmmm...

Shashu had barely had the opportunity to really become acquainted with the now-deceased Raikage, and as such she didn't really feel anything at his passing. Her few interactions had largely been done in the company of others, or on missions too vital to spend a great deal of time talking. Her initial assessment had been that he was a trustworthy and kind sort of person, if a bit scatterbrained. As time went on she had gotten the impression that Shin didn't really understand the nature of his own village. He was a kind soul who desired peace and loathed violence in any form in a village full of shinobi who operated on an entirely different set of rules. Shashu herself wanted people to live happy lives as well, but she understood that in order for that to be possible some loss of life was inevitable. She wasn't sure Shin had ever really understood that.

And here she was at the culmination of his desires. A Raikage elected by the people to represent their will, a step away from the military hierarchy that had served Kumo for so long. Whether it was a good idea or not remained to be seen, but it was not her place to decide the direction the village would take. She knew little of the candidates, though she had particular experience with two of them. It was anyone's guess how they would turn out.

Her turn came up, and she made her marks and dropped her ballot like the rest. She could only hope they would choose correctly, if there even was a correct choice.

I suppose we'll find out, won't we Shin-sama?

[Vote cast, topic left unless stopped.]

 

[Tsuyoshi Takeo]

Voting, in and of itself, was a good thing. The peoples voices needed to be heard, and generally, the easiest way to do that is through a democratic vote. However comma (yes, I actually said the “,”), there is danger involved in letting people pick their leaders. Oppression through majority vote was always a threat, as is the issue of voter fraud and ignorant people voting for stupid reasons. As it stood, Narashi Jo was the later of all of these. He only really had time to browse over the newspaper clipping of the three candidates interviews before making his vote, and really only voted based on Branch loyalty. Little did he know that as he exited the booth and made his way to the Torre to report for duty that he passed within a hundred yards of Saeko, his ex-fiancé, and the woman he still loved with all his heart. He thought he saw something; a flash of dark hair, those piercing eyes. When he turned to look, she was gone. With a sigh of disappointment, he headed into the Torre.

{Voted!}

 

[Sanageyama Masaoko]

An age of Democracy, the dream shared by Hayata Shin and Shima Haruka. Finally it had come to fruition. At the helm of their candidates were three of Kumogakure's finest. She was one of them reluctantly. She felt like a child again. The same swallowing depth of an unsure future. The day she felt as if she could not do anything to help anyone was the eve when she had become something greater than originally purposed. She'd come a long way from a no named medical shinobi. It seemed impossible that they could be one in the same.

Now she stepped to the fore rallied by the spirit of those she loved who were gone and those that remained in the Main Branch. She had made her home in its ranks and done Takaki Masao proud- at least she hoped. She would never know for sure and not a single person would ever convince her. She wouldn't truly known until the day she'd meet Masao again in the afterlife. Before she left this world, however, Haruka had much to do. She wasn't sure just yet what was in store, but she'd be willing to sacrifice her being for this village. Be it as the Raikage or the Sennin.

She wasn't hopeful at this time. No, even with the support of many Haruka felt very alone. A loneliness she deserved to have until redemption came once more. Memories of the past often haunted her in times like these. She was just a shade of those who left the mortal world behind. A ghost fulfilling their purpose until she could rest again.

The Shima hadn't entered the public eye since the funeral and she tried to keep it that way on this day. She waited for the crowds of people to subside. Silently she slide into the back of a dwindling line as the sun began to draw to the horizon. When it was finally her turn to enter the booth, she found her heart beating in her head.

Three little names of a single sheet of paper. It seemed so insignificant but the fate of the village rested on the checked boxes. This was all happening so fast, a sentiment she shared with many of her comrades on this day. The future was uncertain. It teetered between the balance of chaos and peace. She checked the ballot and dropped it in, slipping out into the halls of the Torre to seek shelter in her office. One more day of normalty before the storm began.

[Voted. Topic Entered/Left]

 

[Kazu]

Ko sat on a bench outside Kumogakure's main legislative building, a copy of the Kumo News Network in his hands. They had run a special about the upcoming candidates for the position of Raikage, and since Ko didn't really know any of them he thought he might read a bit to find out who they were. As it was, the elections were open to every able man, woman, and child. Ko wasn't the only youngster to be voting in this election. This was a true democracy going on, which was a little inspiring to see. Apparently the government had always elected its officials up until now—Ko wouldn't have known, as that was all well before his time. The only Raikage that he'd known of was Hayata Shin, and even then he didn't know much about him. He didn't really feel remorse or grief towards a man he hardly knew, and the village would certainly go on without him. It didn't bother Ko too much. What mattered more was the future, and where they would go from here. It was the young boy's duty, therefore, to select a venerable replacement.

He read through the first interview, highlighting a woman known as Shinrya Kitsune who was, apparently, the Medical Sennin. Ko frowned. Everything about this woman seemed...off. Her picture was lewd, her answers were comical, and her attitude seemed flippant. Almost self-assured. Ko shook is head a little, as she didn't sound right to Ko at all. He continued, seeing another woman in the running known as Shima Haruka—she was the most senior member of the Main Branch, and held the position of "Spymaster". This one was colder, more calculating, and seemed to Ko to be a woman with a decisive nature. She went straight to the point with her answers. Ko liked that, respected her apparent attitude and her willingness to accomplish things swiftly. The last candidate was the only man, the ANBU Sennin, Saito Akira. His responses were humble and frank, leaving nothing to the imagination. He was direct, and seemed to be a "no-nonsense" sort of guy. He was the one that Hito had mentioned before, right? The one who'd taken the young boy under his wing? Yes, he seemed to be good.

Ko looked up from the paper. He'd made his decisions. It looked like he was one of the last ones to vote, but that didn't really matter much at all. His vote was just as good as anyone else's. He walked over to the booths that had been set-up for the public's use, and waited for his chance to cast his ballot. When it was his turn, the young boy stepped inside the booth and grabbed a slip of paper and a pencil. There were three options, and he was able to cast a vote for up to two people he thought would make good candidates. He check two names, deposited the slip of paper into the box that was left inside, and he rested the pencil back down where he'd found it. Stepping outside, Ko felt as if a huge weight had been lifted off of his shoulders, the burden of decision making over with. He allowed the next person to step inside the booth, and decided that now might be a good time for him to get some lunch. He headed home, where he was sure a nice home cooked meal would be waiting.

[topic entered, vote cast, and topic left]

 

[Junan]

Voting booth now closed.

A new topic announcing the winner will be created at some point by council.

Thank you everyone for taking part, this has been an interesting venture.