Well well... (Private, TITAN)

[Kairyuu]

The sound of the crystal cap on his staff tapping against the floor would preceed the former Mizukage as he made his way through the halls of the building to the office he was told to go to. The note had been short, sweet, and burned easily to ash. The fact that he had been found so easily sat ill on his stomach, but he knew nothing could be pinned on him or his. Still, he was intrigued about this coming meeting. Who had been their benefactor for that little jaunt into the mountains of misty morn?

The black boots on his feet clicked in time with the tapping of his staff as he neared the office. One might even hear the rustling of his black robes, with their silver trim. The hood was up, shadowing his face so only his eyes were visible. As he came to the door, he opened it and stepped in, not even bothering to knock. He had been called, and here he was. ”Well?”

 

[Morishige]

Journalist Bunko Akiyama​

"...and that is basically what he told me. I can't really put it as eloquently as he did, but you get the point." said the young journalist.

She stood alone in the room, between the door and what looked like a stationary office chair. The woman was talking to whomever was sitting in it. But just what was this innocent female doing in a place like this. After all, she was no agent of Titan. No, she was just an ordinary person who enjoyed her job. The real question is, why was she in the belly of the beast?

"Ms. Akiyama, you don't simply have an interview with the most person in Kumogakure and no get noticed." said the man in the chair, smoke puff rising from a cigar in his hand. "As you mentioned, the Raikage believes this information to be dangerous if it were circulated publicly. And we also believe this." he added with a deep voice. It held a very serious tone.

"What would you have me do? Who are you guys anyway?" she asked, her natural curiosity getting the better of her.

"Who we are isn't important. But what you do with your information is. If you would please place the recording device in your pocket on the desk to the right of you, you may be on your way."

"How did you know--" she said, but stopped herself from speaking. Something wasn't right here, and for the first moment since being brought here, she felt afraid.

"Just do as I ask, and you have nothing to fear. The recording device please, and then you may leave." said the voice.

Bunko looked at the door behind her, and then to the desk. She didn't want to give up the hard evidence, but neither did she want to get mixed up in things that were way above her head. Stepping toward the desk, she put the recorder down and glowered at the chair. "Thank you. Now please vacate the premises." said the man. Bunko needed to more instruction and quickly exited through the door to be escorted out of the building...

As she left, the mysterious man who watched his array of informational monitors reached up to his ear to speak. "Contact Agent 47. We need her to come to Kumogakure." he relayed to one of his officers somewhere in the complex. In a slow motion, the man filled his mouth with smoke before blowing a singular smoke ring into the air. "Such a bright future...what a shame." he said to himself before sighing audibly.

---

Meanwhile, above ground...

Lucky for him, the door had been just unlocked because of Ms. Akiyama's impending exit. As the young journalist left the building, so did Isaki Hoshikata enter. He would have noticed her distress and the speed of her walking, but whether he paid it mind was up to him. On his left, a average looking woman sat behind a desk, looking at him with scrutiny. "Isaki-san right? Go down the hall to the supply closet. Follow the men, and they will lead you to the room in which your meeting has been scheduled." she said with an apathetic expression. Behind him, the door locked electronically with a loud clanking of metal.

Down the hallway before him, was a door with the sign 'Supplies'. Behind the door were two men in suits, waiting for his arrival. Once her had encountered them, they would not speak, only swipe a key card in a ready and wait for the entrance the the underground complex to open up. After the few seconds it would take for that to happen, one would begin the descent whilst gesturing for him to follow, the other would follow behind him and close the entrance once they were all through.

While there was much to see as they entered the main concourse, there was no time for a tour. The man in front of him had kept a quick pace as he found a door with another key card access point. With swift action, he opened the door to let the three of them inside and then walked another ten feet until they stopped in front of a door. "Your meeting is with the CEO of Titan Corporation. If you need something, just knock on the door. But otherwise, you can expect privacy." they said, opening the door for Hoshikata to enter.

Inside, he would find the same chair previously mentioned, it's back turned toward the door. Inside the chair was the CEO, and the only source of light in the room were from the dozens of monitors that sat arranged before the man in the chair. Hoshikata would see the nameless man set his cigar down in an ashtray as the last of the smoke dissipated into the air. "Welcome Isaki-san, it is a pleasure that you were successful in freeing our ally, and it is also a pleasure to be finally meeting you. How was your trip?" he said, making simple conversation. "I hope that the residents of Kumogakure have been kind to you since your arrival." he said, an audible chuckle bubbling through his throat. The incident at the gates was coming to mind and he just couldn't suppress it.

 

[Kairyuu]

He turned to the side as the woman sped by, moving his staff just before she slammed into it and letting her go past him. As he turned back to look at the room he would notice the woman speaking to him. And then with a click the door locked behind him. Well, now he was in a situation wasn't he. With a smile and thanks to the woman he would walk down the presented hallway as his thoughts began moving.

He was locked in which meant this would either end peacefully or several people would die. So far so fine by him. He had no clue where he was truly, as in what this building was for or why it existed. That was a problem. The people here knew about his jailbreaking, which meant that once more someone would die or he would leave peacefully and with an ally. And here was the supply closet.

He steps in, looking between the two men. Silent men. In nice suits. Someone was trying too hard. As one begins the descent the other lingers. Obviously this was a ruse to get him to follow like a good boy. Instead he would chuckle and weave the magic of the mind as he moved. By the time they reached the bottom of the stairway Hoshikata would be behind both of them following at a leisurely pace and looking around. A simple clone technique and an invisibility jutsu and he was well on his way to ditching them should he desire such.

He did not, however, desire such. Instead as they opened the door to let him in, the clone would dissipate into a mist and Hoshikata would let himself appear. ”Ah thank you.” A pat on the shoulder and he was through, shutting the door behind him. Let their boss worry about their lack of awareness, it wasn't his concern.

His golden eyes rake the room, which to him was as bright as anything else. He steps up to the desk as the man begins to speak, a smirk rising to his face. So this was it, a meeting in a locked room with a shadowy figure who couldn't show his face. The row of monitors was a nice touch, but the cigarette and turned chair was, once more, trying too hard. He felt like the man would spin the chair around and begin petting a cat while saying 'no, I expect you to die Mr Isaki'.

”Well enough. They seemed rather zealous to get to meet me. And I wouldn't quite say we've met yet. You obviously know who I am and I don't even know what you look like. Still, you have an impressive setup here.”

And with the niceties out of the way he would tap the butt of his staff down and chuckle. ”Now, what is it you want?”

 

[Morishige]

The tone of his voice was an obvious indicator that this Isaki Hoshikata was not one who would be entertained by a sense of mystery. Unfortunately, for him, a sense of professionalism was what kept the gears greased in an operation this size. But thankfully, this was a meeting between two individuals, not a seminar for an entire branch of Titan. So the mystery man would turn, and revealed his face as he had done only a few people. It wasn't really about keep his identity a secret however, but when turned around, he wouldn't be able to immediately catch anything on the monitors. Still, nothing horrible would go wrong in the time they would speak...he hoped.

"My name is Azuma Masahiro, and I have asked you here for a proposition. The word of the exodus in Kirigakure has far reaching ears, you see. It is why I requested you to handle the problem with Maeda-san. But that doesn't matter now. You have a powerful clan, and powerful allies. I would like to propose a partnership between the Isaki and the Titan Corporation. There are many ways we can benefit each other you see. We need more contacts outside of Kumogakure, since we are currently expanding into foreign fields, and you need... Well, you need us. He have everything to offer. Our military division can handle jobs you yourself can't risk exposing yourself with, our science division is constantly coming up with technology and jutsu that surpass any governmental work because of private funding. We already have an extensive intelligence network, and currently we are working on starting our newest division: politics. I'm sure there is something we can offer the Isaki clan for their partnership, yes?"

 

[Kairyuu]

He didn't give the smug smirk he wanted to at the man's words. Indeed, as he spun around Hoshikata was amazed there were no sharks with frikken laser beams on their frikken heads. Still the man seemed to think he had anything Hoshikata needed. That was a mistake on his part indeed. Hoshikata needed nothing he didn't have, and while he might want things he would certainly not set that level of want very high. Still, he would hear the man out.

”A pleasure then. And politics you say? Well, I would think someone who managed to climb the ladder of Mist from a mere Mednin to Mizukage, twice, would be of use there. And you've seen what I can have done in more delicate matters. But that is what I can offer you.” As of yet, they had not interested him very much. They say they can handle matters he wouldn't want done, but he had already proven his ability not to be seen anyways. And for politics, well he was born and raised in that area, likely he could tangle their entire organization up in such a tangled web of political intrigue it would never recover.

“Still, new jutsu and technology....perhaps we can work something out. What specifics were you thinking of?”

Those items could be of use the Isaki in their new home. And even if they weren't, a group this big could be if he managed a transplant of sorts. So for now he would hear the man out. If he didn't like this deal, he would say so.

And if it went sour, people would die. And Hoshikata doubted he would be among them.

 

[Morishige]

So it would seem that is was the science division that drew his attention. Like most veterans of a shinobi culture, it was power like this that attracted them when they might have had everything else. And form the way he held himself, and spoke, Masahiro assumed he did. However, the type of player that Hoshikata was dealing with was a slow one.

There were those in the world who played chess. Some played the fast game, looking to overwhelm their opponent with trained strategy. And then there were those who analyzed the board in a way that most would not. They would find every piece and theorize what it might do for the next seven turns. This was the type Masahiro was. And he was still acquiring the pieces that would end in check mate.

However, there were plans that he felt he could reveal as a display of his trust for the man with golden eyes. Reaching for a remote, the CEO clicked a single button, and for a moment the screens went dark. In that moment, Masahiro couldn't help but be theatrical. "This is Olympus." he said in a soft but piercing tone. And in the next second, blue prints for a massive, well, structure for lack of a better term appeared on the screens. Underground tunnels, what seemed to be a massive generator, and sentry towers with stationary turrets that even the gates of Kumogakure had. Bits and bobs adorned the screens, but the sheer scale of it seemed improbable. But worst of all? A large notation near the bottom of the screens: Elevation 10,828 feet.

"This is Titan's future. Our saving grace from the world below. It is on Olympus where we will become gods among men. And where we will rule man. All of our manpower and ingenuity is being put into this project. And all of our technology as well. Help us make this a reality. And you can have whatever you want. An armada? It's yours. A poison engineered to be lethal to one person, but harmless to any other? Done. We can make it all happen. We just need you to help us recover resources to make it happen. Our agents may be decent for non shinobi, but none can make it into a super max prison to get one man out, and be gone without a trace." Masahiro concluded, his eyes staring at the monitors before him.

Now was the moment of truth.

 

[Kairyuu]

Truly this man had no idea with whom he was playing the Game.​

Mention of power and the ants scurry about like the little things they are. It was the nature of the weak to treat power like something to be given. Power was not something to gift somene, it was a theft, something to be taken. Those golden eyes revealed nothing as he let the man prattle on about his little station in the sky. He gave nothing away even when the man mentioned becoming gods over their fellow man.

This man would never be a god. His people would never be gods. The gods of this world were something Hoshikata was familiar with, something only he could rise above mortality to grasp. The arrogance of this man to think a mere technological construct could grant him power was immense. Hoshikata had been eyeball to eyeball with the Deep One beneath the city of Kirigakure. He had slain that which was immortal. He had taken its place, taken its power. And now this man thought that simply building something would be equal to that.

”Well, it certainly looks impressive. I must wonder at how something so large could be built in secret, and where. But those are mere secondary curiosities and of no importance to myself. You say this is your future, what is your present? What does your company strive for? Surely not money, for there are far easier ways of attaining that. Power perhaps, through intimidation. But this seems wrong as well, for it would be easier to put your manpower into training shinobi to fight for you for that. Indeed, this fortress seems a great waste at the moment.”

”Ssussun illyiff. “

At his words, a small beam of light could break free from the globe atop his staff, which he promtpy directs to one of the monitors. Highlighting the elevation. ”A fortress in the sky so high that few could even match it. But to what purpose?” He gives a chuckle and a shake of his head. ”Do you want your own kingdom? No, this is overkill. And you require mobility, else it would not be flying so high. A mobile fortress in the clouds to rain death upon all. But world domination is so trite.”

“Is it simple chaos you seek? To remove the boundaries of order on this world? To undo the chains that bind us?” Indeed, Hoshikata made a living convincing others of his desire for order while ensuring chaos in the world. But if this man wanted to sow such, he would certainly give him a listen.

 

[Morishige]

While Masahiro would have loved to interject with more arrogant rambling as Hoshikata thougt allowed, he wasn't really given a chance to do so. But what was spectacular was the man's ability to logically reason his way to the only answer that was left. But even the mention of world domination brought a smile the Titan's current leader. He had considered the domination of the world before, but it was far much easier to just install a leader who could be controlled. Some might have wondered why Hayata Shin had been Raikage for so long, even those within the organization itself; it was a simple as the fact that the Raikage was ruled by the three sennin. Or rather, two sennin. And of those two, only one posed a real threat to Titan itself. The cousin of the one who stood before Masahiro, Isaki Kushin, was far to selfish to give any worry about the status of the village. He was too consumed with his experiments. But Takaki Masao, now there was the problem with world domination. Idealistic people like him were the reason good work went bad. But I digress...

Hoshikata just touched on the true purpose of Titan in his final question. "You are very astute; I have found it a rarity to have found anyone who speaks as eloquently as you do." complimented Masahiro. "You put it no better than myself. 'Removing boundaries of order on this world.' It was order that has lead to the demise of so many, and the reigns of humanity are ready to be given back to the earth itself."

"While some call it chaos, we simply look at it as another link in the chain of life, yes?" the CEO continued rhetorically while turning to face the man with the fancy staff. "So what do you think Isaki-san? Can we count on your future support, and of course, our support in whatever endeavors you might require us for?"

 

[Kairyuu]

He looks down at the man, those unnatural eyes burning into the face before him. Yes, this man had plans. More than plans he had intelligence, and resources. Resources that, for all of his hubris, were useful. Hoshikata smiles and nods slowly. ”Indeed you can. And I made my way in life by talking. I'm fairly certain I could talk circles around your entire political branch. Oh don't be offended, but I was born and raised for such work.”

He chuckles and turns, opening the door. ”Let me know when you need me. I'm sure your men will escort me out?” And with that he stepped out and, as soon as he was out of sight, vanished into thin air. Sometimes, those ghostly accoutrements came in handy.

(Topic left)

 

[Morishige]

[Topic End]