Walls

[Morishige]

Tall walls lay before him. Nobuyuki took a moment to look at them allowing himself some kind of opinion on the matter. He assumed that if he had the capital and resources the Shima clan had, he would wish for some kind of security and privacy. There was a time in his life where he was on his own in a little apartment and reports of thefts and other types of news reached his ears. He himself had never been personally wronged; perhaps it was because word got around that he was a shinobi of some sort. Still, he didn't quite care either way. He stepped forward to knock on the gate of the estate with force.

Seconds later, a slat moved sideways and a pair of judgmental eyes seemed to look him over with a suspicious glare. "How may I be of service today?" spoke the person behind the iron grill. Nobuyuki bowed shortly with a smile. "I seek an audience with Shima Haruka, I do believe she still resides here at the estate?" he said. As far as he gathered, with the little investigation into her living situation, his best guess was that she still made her home upon Shima ground. "She does. You don't mind waiting outside do you, sir?"

"Not at all." Nobuyuki said with another bow. The person closed the slat, and Nobuyuki stood waiting. He thought on the words that he would be saying to her. "Straight to the point... or does one exchange in some form of small talk?" he asked himself. Never before had he even spoken with someone of prestige and nobility within the village. Superiors in the ANBU had been one thing, but now he both spoke to a practical princess among paupers, as well one in the highest positions in the Main Branch.

He wouldn't say that he was nervous, but Nobuyuki was apprehensive. He knew little about her, and that wasn't generally how he went about things. But she wasn't an enemy, so why was he so concerned...

 

[Sanageyama Masaoko]

Even in a moment’s peace, Haruka felt no relief. The first quiet day since the funeral, but Haruka only heard the wails of her people echo in the distance. She couldn’t forget their grieving faces, just as she couldn’t forget the looks of betrayal in her victims’ eyes. Nothing calmed her soul since the day they took Ai from her arms. She felt a danger to herself alone. The thoughts kept getting louder. She sat on her guilt for hours, thinking how she might remedy it. No solution produced a suitable outcome for the Jounin. So, she did what she must to keep the silence at bay and moved back into the Shima estate.

It was much harder, yet easier, than she expected. Harder because her pride, but easier because her father saw her now as a valuable asset to his clan. A proven warrior in her own right, she had prestiged in name and deed. Taking Hoshikata’s life had only further impressed her to be a warrior worthy of the Shima name. What a cunning shinobi my daughter is. She picked honor for her village over the love of a man and slaughtered him. His smirk smoldered with a punishing smugness only Haruka understood as she stood amongst the elder men of the inner cloisters in her family estate. Despite his attempts to wound her on that day, he bothered her no more than when she lived away. She was given a hall of her own, an honor only given to men held with high esteem. It seemed that ever since she reentered the estate they would be treating as such from now on.

She moved to be closer to others again, to not hear the silence. Anything to keep herself away from those lurking thoughts, but she had never felt more alone. She was a monster, and monsters didn’t deserve to be with people. She’d only end up hurting others. The closer they got the more they risked learning the truth and then the council would be forced to act. So many lives hung on a single thread wrapped around her finger. She grew distant from Masaru, the last person left in Kumogakure that she could protect from herself.

Shima Haruka had gone full circle.

“There, there.” She cooed, stroking the sleek feather of a crow resting on her forearm. He flapped his wings in mock take off but remained close to his lonely master. The crow cawed in warning as a servant swiftly approached Haruka. The maid crossed the lawn towards the crow cages with eerie floating steps. She bowed, keeping her head down as she addressed the Shima princess.

“My lady, there is a guest to see you at the gates.”

“I wasn’t expecting anyone today. His name?” The servant fretted in nervousness unable to answer her lady’s question. “No matter, Sayako-San. Just send him in.” She turned her attention back to the bird as it nibbled at the ends of her hair. The woman who rarely smiled, giggled at his selfish attempt. She reached into the pockets of her jacket and pulled out seeds she had stuffed inside earlier to feed the bird. When the door behind her opened once again, she glanced back to see her guest emerging from the dimly lighted halls.

“To what do I owe the pleasure, Captain?” She called without giving him a second look. The same man from the funeral. The only one looking at her. She didn’t miss a beat in pulling his file when she arrived home that day. Not that she found much under his real name. All his ANBU deeds were under lock and outside of her jurisdiction. But it didn't prevent her from learning his character. Although it was alarming that an ANBU captain showed up at her door when she so rarely had guests these days, the Shima was a master at keeping cool under pressure. Her face never betrayed her.

 

[Morishige]

The woman returned to the gate to open the small door insert within the large heavy gates. "Haruka-sama has agreed to see you. If you would follow me please." she spoke, leading the way without a moments hesitation after closing and locking the door behind him. The woman brought him to a hallway and simply bowed. "Milady is at the aviary." she concluded. As soon as Nobuyuki began to walk forward, she returned to her place at the gate. He moved forward slowly, admiring the ornate nature of the grounds and the attention to detail that was put into every asset in a simple hallway such as this. Her voice chimed in before he had a chance to greet her. It elicited a smile.

"Curious." he thought to himself. She also took the time to look him up in the records. "Curious indeed."

He cleared his throat before speaking.

"We shared but a look and you already know who I am. You are very thorough, Shima-san. Though, I suppose I expect no less from the Spymaster." he said with a smile, approaching the crows on her left cautiously. He didn't want to over step his bounds. He was here to pay her thanks and he had no intention of causing some fiasco because of a misunderstanding.

"That is beside the point though isn't it. I have come to thank you for what you have done." he began, pausing for but a moment. "After looking into whom this Hoshikata character was, it seems like you have done the shinobi world a favor. He posed a threat to our stability, and we have you and the others to thank for killing him."

He took a short breath, admiring one of the crows closely.

"He belongs in hell, far from the warm embrace of any god for what he has done." he said in a very even tone. Almost eerily monotone; suggesting that Nobuyuki harbored serious hate for the things that had happened that day.

 

[Sanageyama Masaoko]

She hid her small smile behind the flapping wings of a crow as he approached. Her dark figure still turned from him, she took the time to compose herself. He certainly was knowledgeable of who she was, but perhaps that kind of information was general now. It’d been years since she enjoyed obscurity. Haruka still wasn’t used to being a public figure, and it seemed she’d be more in the spotlight since the Raikage incident. She had strangers showing up on her doorstep to thank her for false deeds after all.

When the woman at last turned towards the ANBU captain, her silent eyes took in his steps carefully. He seemed interested in her birds for only a moment before cutting to the chase. It was a far stretch, but the Shima daughter smirked. She appreciated nothing more in a person than when they threw away frivolous conversation. Best not to waste her precious hours of loneliness. Besides, it was known fact that any man that took leisure time to chat away the day with Haruka often ended up dead.

She only wish he kept his thanks brief. The faint trace of her smile dissipated into a grim stare. ...because I love you. Haruka winced while her crow carried out a fit of cawing laughter, flapping its wings madly. She was lost to Nobuyuki’s words. To encased in her grief to even calm her pet as it shot off to perch atop its cage. She gripped the necklace hanging around her neck as it shimmered, scattering diamond dust light off of her.

“Your thanks is not necessary. I only did what was expected of me, and in the end it was not enough to save those that mattered.” She spoke ominously, gazing into the cages once more. Nothing in that situation could of prevented her people’s grief. In the end, she could not save Hoshikata from himself or her ‘righteous’ path. She lost her sun with nothing more than a callous stare and a backstab. What Nobuyuki didn’t understand was that he was her warm embrace, but she was just too cold.

“Is this all you had to say to me, Captain? Forgive me if I overstep, but men of your caliber do not approach a person of my caliber just to give them a pat on the back.”

 

[Morishige]

​

He too watched the crows flutter about, speaking to each other in short, rapid bursts. A loud cacophony of protest sounded when the particular specimen she was holding appeared agitated and took flight upwards.

She began to speak, and Nobuyuki listened very carefully to her words; a woman such as her did not speak haphazardly. Though it may seem as regular conversation, both of them thought through each and every word to make sure they didn't carry a hidden meaning. Still, it wasn't possible to hide all meaning from a sentence. Haruka's final words flagged something in the mind of the captain. "...those that mattered." he repeated to himself. "Interesting choice of words. Perhaps she favored Shin or Daisuke as something more than they already were."

He would file that note away for later when he started looking into things. Nobuyuki was not one to forget the little details.

As she began to speak once again, Nobuyuki's glance found her eyes, trying to get a read on just the type of person this spymaster was. Her words lead him to believe one thing, while his mind wanted to believe something else. She was being very short with him, though given the recent events, he was allowing her the benefit of the doubt. She did end up making him smile though.

"No I suppose they don't, do they." he commented quickly and placed his hands behind his back and cleared his throat. "The nominations for the next Raikage. A strange way to pick our next leader don't you think?" he began, turning his head upwards towards the sky. A lone crow flew higher above. "A popular choice among the people I would assume. However, should the people choose poorly, things could go terribly wrong." he paused, taking the time to change his view back to her.

"Do you have thoughts on whom the best options are for nomination? From what I can gather, those in the Shinobi corp will likely nominate the Sennin in their branch for a lack of a better choice. Cooperation between the branches is, well to put it plainly, abysmal aside from the Sentou Henkan. Shin wasn't the smartest when picking his sennin either, Raiden rest his soul. Word is Tanaka Hikari is no where to be found, this Shinrya Kitsune is only in her position because of Daisuke's death, and Saito-san was forced back into power because Kogami-san disappeared as well." he said, a bit of stress in his voice when speaking about the ANBU. Probably because he wasn't even vetted for the position of Sennin.

"You have been in two branches, which is more than most. What is your opinion on the matter?"

 

[Sanageyama Masaoko]

“You wish to hear a stranger’s opinion on the matter? Very well then.” The gleam in her eyes emphasized the sardonic smile blooming on her lips. “The election was the last dying wish of our Raikage, and I personally ensured that Hayata-Sama’s wish come true. Although I did not believe in his policies of passive aggression, I too share a love for our people. I only wish to protect them until my last breath and thus, I wish to see them thrive. Hayata-Sama’s vision elevated the people to a new level of democracy and freedom that I believe all peoples should have.” She squarely faced him with rigid poise, mirroring her brief ANBU days that most had forgotten about.

“While it is dangerous to let civilians have the overwhelming decision in deciding who our next Raikage will be, I’ve no doubt our council won’t just let them pick a man who will bring us absolute ruin. That isn’t to say there isn’t a wrong choice. Still, we are in a delicate time right now, Captain. Wouldn’t you agree? So many factions are seeking power in the country. There is no better way to silence this rising turmoil than to let the majority speak as opposed to the dictatorial law of a few elders.”

“I’ve no opinion on who should be the Raikage, but I know for certain why I would not want those who are more than likely to be nominated to succeed Hayata Shin. You are correct in your assumptions that most of the shinobi population will pick the Sennin of their branch. I’ve already heard of a few prospects. Namely, Akira Saito and Shinrya Kitsune. Tanaka Hikari is of no concern. My men all know that she has abandoned her duty long before the three branches began to decline. She has failed to pick her successor, holding stubbornly onto the title. I’ve tried my best to keep my division afloat and help where I can when it comes to recruiting, but without the title of Sennin it is hard to throw your weight.” She frowned, thinking of her numerous attempts to politely take the title from the drowning red head. How one woman could be so dense, she was not sure. She loved her sennin as a sister, but Hikari was far suited as an underling.

“The village would be foolish to crown Shinrya Kitsune as their Raikage. The woman knows nothing more than her medical branch. She is a brilliant doctor. After all, she was my sensei for a time and she continues to teach all incoming to the branch, but that’s why she should stick to her sennin position. The medical branch will fall without her guidance. As for her character, well, I do not think she is best suited in this time of harsh nature.” Although Haruka tried to dance about the matter of nominations lightly, she couldn’t help but feel passionate about the matter. It was not her intention to venomously name call, but sometimes bitter truth must be spoken.

“As for your commander,” Now was the time to pick her words carefully. Akira Saito was one man she had to be the most cautious of. It was his childhood friends she had slain. It would be his sword that would behead her first if the world knew what she had done. He rallied quite the crowd behind him over the years, almost ascending to a certain level of godhood in the city. If anyone were to win this, it would most likely be him. “Perhaps it is out of line for me to judge a man I hardly know, but I speculate that he might harm the village in the long run. After all, the former Mizukage killed his dear friends and with our current situation involving the refugee Kirigakurians, Saito-Sama might make unintentionally damaging decisions regarding that particular group. His loss might cause the greatest division of the two factions, when it is crucial that we all come together at this point in history. He is of a different caliber than shinobi forged today too. Our younger generation may clash with his way of thinking. Especially when he was born in a bloody era of our history. Many shinobi today were trained under the time of Hayata Shin. Its important to find the right balance between peacemaker and warmonger.” She sighed. Maybe this village was doomed all because she wanted to chase a democratic dream. At least she wouldn’t be blamed for it in the long run.

 

[Morishige]

​

To say she explained herself, would be an understatement. ​

Nobuyuki smiled. He was expecting her to decline, and he wasn't the type to be wrong. She began to explain the very reason that these this type of situation had risen. But what she said took him by surprise. In his dying moments, Hayata Shin decided to proclaim his successor be voted upon? "Odd thing to wish for as your life drains away, Raikage-sama." pondered the captain. As she continued she also declared her own love for the people, and despite their disagreements, she too believed in this concept of choice and opportunity for all the people of the village. A bit of concern could be found in his expression as she continued.

This put him at ease. After being involved in the debriefing with the village council, he would allow himself to assume they had discussed the next Raikage. Having knowledge of their plans wasn't something that he would put past her, especially with her resources as the spymaster.

Wouldn’t you agree? she asked.

While Nobuyuki was initially going to agree with her, the remainder of her thoughts on that particular matter halted that decision. "It would seem that this isn't a democracy at all then. Merely a feigned one in order to make the people feel important. If the council is going to be picking and choosing candidates, if they are fine with whoever the people end up voting on, then they have picked the next Raikage indirectly rather than just directly." he finished. She would eventually move on to the real meat of the discussion. The information he truly wanted to know.

He smiled inwardly as she began to rant about Hikari. It was nice to see some emotion out of the woman who had been rather stoic and cold thus far, even if it was just a frown.

She made fair points about Shinrya Kitsune. There hadn't been a notable medical shinobi since The Moving Hospital. Still, Haruka claimed to have been taught by her. And the Shima were renowned in the medical branch so her thoughts on the matter were of substantial weight.

"...might harm the village in the long run."

"Oh really?" he thought. "Let's see where this goes. He's obviously her competition."

His generation of shinobi was indeed from a different era. An time when the world of shinobi was engulfed war and chaos, and hell, even demons! Nobuyuki smirked. He originally had intentions to put his vote forward for Akira. But it was the notion that he might be emotionally compromised towards the refugees that caused doubt. It had been a long time since he had met with Akira, but he wouldn't say he was an overly emotional person. Though, he had been on missions with the man. His fighting was insane to witness; he was like a force of nature. Should he truly be compromised like that, the refugees wouldn't stand a chance. The wars of old were based around wiping the enemy out. Haruka was right. Shin had taught mercy and restraint, where as those of the old guard were taught the ways of destruction. There would be a rift between orders received and the capability of those willing to commit genocide.

Of course, it was all one big what if. And now that Nobuyuki had realized it wasn't a choice at all in the end, there was no real point in worrying about it. "Thank you Shima Haruka. I can see more clearly the true engine behind this machine." he told himself with a smile.

"Quite the insight you have." he began. "You make a good point in every case. I can see that you don't take the future of our village lightly."

He bowed politely. "I thank you for taking the time to see and speak with me. I'm sure we will be seeing each other again very soon. After all, the branches must come together in this 'time of harsh nature'." he concluded with a playful smile and began to walk away at a regular pace. He was taking final notes of their meeting and planning his next move...

[Topic Left]

 

[Sanageyama Masaoko]

The horizon of Kumogakure’s destiny gleamed, with a destructive fire or with promised hopes Haruka wasn’t sure. The upcoming days were pivotal to decide the fate of her homeland. She only worried that maybe her fanciful dreams of liberty were half brained thoughts. Perhaps she was to be the downfall of the place she tried so desperately to protect. It all depended on who would reign supreme in the election.

She stopped to think of herself as a candidate and felt all hope wither away. It felt wrong to accept such an honor if the people picked her. Haruka wanted to be a leader but could she be the leader of Cloud? It certainly was a step up. One she was capable of handling in a professional standpoint, but her guilt said otherwise. Heart and mind conflicted, and the decision wasn’t her’s to decide.

What of Matsuura Nobuyuki? What angle was he playing at her with? A man she’s never met before takes sudden interest. Defense was necessary against the Captain. Necessary against everyone in order to keep peace in the village. People raised suspicion against every carefully covered detail because they itched for blood. If this were any other time, they might have done as they always did. Stay silent, keep their head down, and moved on. Such a nuisance, but she’d do whatever it took to keep stability.

“Thank you for the visit, Captain.” She bowed before turning back towards the caged crows. She ignored the way her heart pounded and her blood rushed at this slight brush with danger. Don’t be daring. Conceal herself. She repeated the mantra slowly in her head as the crows squawked.

[Topic Left]