Politics as Usual

Guren had been in his apartment for the entirety of the weekend. He had no missions assigned to him and his workload seemed relatively light. It wasn't yet time for him to call upon Raleth and Zaine so the trio could continue their training together. And Guren hadn't been requested for another impromptu mission with Mizuki and Sebastian. Thus he had a relatively quiet weekend, which he spent holed up in his studies. Only this time in particular, he had been investing more time into anatomy, kekkai genkai, and clans. As he had recently come into possession of two specimen suitable for studying, Guren was eager to begin developing his newly awakened medical aptitude. As a blood user and an enthusiast of the Kazekage's medical prominence, Guren had become inspired to unlock his natural potential for iryojutsu. 

Hours passed, pots of coffee were brewed and consumed, and the sun rose and fall. It seemed as if Guren had gone the entire weekend with his nose in books he had rented from the Sunagakure library. There was so much he had been learning, from identifying strands of DNA to familiarizing himself with the adverse effects of status ailments. However everything he had been learning up to this point was just theory, save for the jutsu he had been able to teach himself. Thus he had craved some hands on experience. And that's when he thought of Kenshin, he was the most logical candidate to give Guren some pointers on medical jutsu. But the only concern here was if he have the time. No matter though, as Guren had already made his mind up that he would go to see him. Making sure all of his equipment and scrolls were packed up, Guren started to exit his apartment and when he reached its door he took notice of a letter that had been tucked between the door sill and floor. Bending over and reaching to grab the letter, Guren would grip its envelope with both hands and lightly open it. 

Its contents were simple and straight forward. "Come to the Spire....- Kazekage" . How convenient this summoning was, as Guren had just set his mind to pay Kenshin a visit. Perhaps this would be an advantageous opportunity for him to pick the brain of the renowned surgeon and learn some tricks of the trade. But what was the purpose of Guren getting called to the Spire today? There didn't seem like much going on within the village. In any case, Guren raised up to his normal posture and left out of his apartment, closing the door shut upon exiting. 

It would only take some moments before Guren would reach the base entrance of the Spire, as the apartments were located within a close proximity to it. The Spire teemed above everything, succeeding in asserting itself as the pinnacle of Sunagakure architecture. As Guren approached he would firmly open one of the elaborate front doors and walk inside. It was his first time being inside since construction had recently finished. And its interior captivated the totality of Guren's attention. Its design was ornate and commendable, fitting of the figure who worked inside of it. As his eyes deviated from distraction, they fixed themselves upon the receptionist desk. A part of him had been expecting Mia to sit behind its tabletop, yet he knew her role was at the hospital. This time the woman sitting at the desk was a red haired women he had never seen before. Nevertheless he still knew of her identity, as she was quite the notable and famous person within Sunagakure. 

"Hello Lilith, I am not sure if we have officially met but I am Guren...Chunin of Sunagakure. It is a pleasure to meet you." Guren would introduce himself while walking closer to the desk and gesturing a subtle bow of his head in respect. He paused for her to respond before continuing with the purpose of his arrival. "So I actually was summoned here by the Kazekage himself. Admittedly I am not sure where to find him here though. Could you maybe confirm my appointment and inform me of where I might find Lord Kazekage?" 

Again, Guren would wait for Lilith's reply before acting. If she confirmed that Kenshin was expecting Guren then the Chunin would offer a slight smile in gratitude. Hopefully she would also let him know in what direction he should walk towards to meet up with Kenshin. If she would, Guren would follow her instructions to the tee. But before even doing that, he was sure to verbally thank the helpful woman. "Thank you Lilith. Enjoy the rest of your day," he concluded before setting off in whatever direction he was told to.

(WC = 789 x 2 Event Bonus = 1578)

As the time of day slowly began to tick by like the sand on the ground, Ibari had been enjoying some time alone on his rooftop. It had been a minute since his last mission and with everything going in the village he was out of things to do. Rubbing right eye with his wrist he began to let out a rather loud yawn that indicated his boredom for the day. Even though he had realistically been up for a few hours at best, something was missing from his day. The young ANBU operative spent most of his days now watching over the village if he had not been on missions, but with the slow progress of peace for the missing ninja village, he wondered when Kenshin would send him off to do something. Slowly he would lay down on the roof, his red eyes staring into the endless sky above him, a single hand moving to block some of the light from the sun from getting into his eyes. He had become acclimated to the new transplant that he had obtained beforehand, and his prowess with the bloodline of the Jugo made him feel stronger...better even. It had honestly been a minute since he had used his natural bloodline, but had there been a reason for it? So many things had been going on within his mind and as he closed his eyes to truly meditate, the clacking of feet could be heard on the tiles of the roof.

Turning his head slowly he would look over to the feet only before making a retort," Ever try knocking? It would get you so much further than me staring at your feet and everything," the statement caused a huff from the messenger who then sat the scroll down for the operative and then poofed. Looking at the scroll he was curious as to whom had wanted to speak with him. Taking the scroll into his hands, Ibari rolled over and began to read its contents slowly. With a quick jump up he would begin to grab his shirt and dart toward The Spire. Unknown to him that he was being called for something out of norm, he went from right to left until he had made it to the front of the building and pushed the door open to himself looking at a very familiar face. Looking up to the other individual whom he had met on a mission,"Guren! How ya been buddo?,"He would then look to Lilith where he would give her a deep bow before speaking more," Kenshin called me in. He here?"

The downpour was all that could be heard or felt on the premises of The Harvester’s home. Finally construction had ceased - a fortress of white cement with a limited view of the inside, all windows were one way mirrored save for the one large floor to ceiling one she had placed at the back of her home attached to her bedroom; this is where she sat now. She had decided to create the rain whenever she was in need of escape, where the rain came hard and fast to the detriment of the surrounding terrain - blinding the vision and blurring it all into a dark storm that felt only of her chakra…. Freshly renewed with another feeding behind her. The violet eyes were full of sadness, only a finite ring of ruby around the inner iris was left to expose her actual nature. It seemed no matter what she did or how hard she resisted she was chained into the cycle of feeding on others… and the looks on their faces when they saw her for what she was. Shutting her eyes she would cut the thought off short and focus on the sound of the rain - days like today were days she missed Hoshi the most, at least then it would rain without her needed to make it herself.

As much as she wanted to continue sitting on this window ledge, staring into the blurr of rain until her chakra gave out, she had to be somewhere. The summons had come early yesterday as it was to fall on a day she wasn’t already planning on being in the Spire - so he had to ensure her presence. Placing her head back against the sill she would release the jutsu and the rain would suddenly cease around her, the clouds would part and dissipate, and her room would be flooded in brilliant light. Finally opening her eyes again she would push off the ledge and head in the direction of the Spire - making it there easily as she hopped gracefully from rooftop to rooftop until landing on the ground in front of the iconic building and entering. Of course there was Lillith, constantly at Kenshins beck and call, without a word she would continue past her and place her hand on the seal that would take her to the Kazekage’s office. She was the most late of those in attendance as she was the last one to arrive- perhaps if she was in a better mood she would have been the first? 

Guren, Ibari and Kenshin - arguably the powerhouses of the Sunagakure force - were standing in the office as she entered and her eyebrows knit together in confusion. What was she doing here then?

Guren flashed a smile of appreciation towards Lilith and her helpful guidance. Guren nodded at her and right as she finished her dialogue, Ibari would walk into the room. Ibari immediately greeted Guren with kindness, to which Guren would reciprocate that same energy. “Hey Ibari! Good to see you. I trust that you’ve been well.” Guren would then leave time for Lilith to respond to Ibari’s question, which ultimately provided the same instructions Guren had just received. Thus the pair would proceed towards the grand doorway which undoubtedly led to the Kazekage’s Chambers.
 
*Knock, Knock* the hall would echo as Guren tapped his fists upon the room’s ornate door. Although the door was wide open, Guren did not want to just barge. Right as the Chunin and Jounin would enter the room and pass through its doorway, Kenshin would address them with a warm welcome. As instructed, Guren would subsequently take one of the three seats that sat across from Kenshin’s desk. Obviously one was for ibari, and as indicated by Kenshin the third would be for Mizuki who had yet to arrive. Guren bore a satisfactory yet subtle grin upon his face as he sat amongst the two men and waited for the fourth member. He knew that the room would be filled with talented shinobi, all of which seemed to be important members of Sunagakure. It felt good to be included in that group.
 
Nevertheless Guren did not speak further, as he awaited further direction from his Kazekage. This had been his first official meeting with this group of individuals and he was well aware that he needed to demonstrate that he belonged. Thus, Guren maintained an upright posture, indicative of his high level of interest in today’s meeting. Upon his face was an expression of gratitude and excitement for what the quartet of ninja might discuss.
 
Shortly after both men were seated, Mizuki would walk into the room. Finally all of Sunagakure’s major players were in one location. Guren took particular note of the face that Kenshin maintained when welcoming Mizuki. It seemed as if he had been quite fond of her, likely due to her reputable work ethic and history within the village which predated Guren’s own. Guren would throw up a silent “peace” sign towards Mizuki when she would walk in as a sign of acknowledgement. It was always nice to see his friend and fellow shinobi.
 
Once she was seated, Kenshin would dive into the topic at hand. Initially the conversation was focused on the scroll which he unraveled and placed upon the desk in front of him. Guren would lean forward and upward in his chair to get a better view of the scroll as he listened to the words of Kenshin. His eyes rapidly flicked over each line of the scroll’s contents, as he digested its potential. Ten handseals, four of which were unique. From its written description, it seemed simple enough to learn and perform, however so everything when written on paper. Kenshin’s words really stressed the importance, practicality, and versatility of having such a jutsu in one’s own arsenal. The excitement Guren felt within took over his stomach in the form of what felt like butterflies. He was always interested in learning new things, and this Assimilating Aura seemed extremely promising. He made sure to read over the scroll’s contents from his chair numerous times while simultaneously listening to Kenshin’s explanation.
 
“Hmmm. This technique sounds extremely powerful since it can nullify and repurpose an enemy’s attack, but I can’t help but wonder why Kenshin is teaching us this…” he thought to himself as he sat in anticipation of what Kenshin’s next statements might be. Nevertheless, Guren made sure to take mental photographs of the scroll’s contents so that he could make an attempt at utilizing the technique in a separate and appropriate training environment. In response to Kenshin’s opening comments, Guren firmly nodded and redirected his attention back towards the Kazekage himself.
 
His following comments were quite complementary, commending the abilities and accolades of all three. He recognized that Guren, Ibari, and Mizuki (and himself included) made up the heart of the village, and admitted that he saw immense potential in all three. That seemed to be the reason that he offered knowledge of Assimilating Aura to the trio. They were now officially a part of the defined elitists of the village. Guren couldn’t help but smile, yet attempting to maintain his cool. Personally it felt as if the tough and troubling decisions he had made up until this point were truly beginning to pay off. This just seemed to further ascertain the confidence he had in his decision to enlist his services to Suna.
 
At this point, the conversation digressed to be more fixated upon Guren and Mizuki. Again, Kenshin’s observations showcased how thoughtful and attentive he had been to his shinobi. Guren never realized he was truly on the Kazekage’s radar until this point, where he had officially promoted both Guren and Mizuki to the rank of Jounin. It was a significant accomplishment, and Guren was ecstatic that both his and Mizuki’s hard work had been recognized. Nevertheless he maintained and cool and calm demeanor, with a hint of merriment evident by his facial expression.
 
“Thank you Lord Kazekage,” Guren admitted while bowing his head in humbleness. He was truly at a loss for words, but knew that he had to at least confirm Kenshin’s selection. “I will continue to serve Sunagakure, and proudly uphold the title of Jounin. Thank you for including me in this select group of highly esteemed individuals.”
 
Upon completion of this round of comments from Guren, Ibari, and Mizuki, Kenshin would continue with a last set of closing remarks. Now he had been displaying a second scroll, whose contents contained the secrets of an advanced element Guren had been unschooled on: Mercury Release. It comprised of earth and water release, two elements Guren had been proficient and well versed in. Thus this was really right up his alley. Guren nodded again and let out, "Mercury release? Personally I have access to both water and earth release, so I would be more than willing to be a disciple of this advanced element. I welcome any teaching you might have on both this, and Assimilating aura.”
 
Guren’s voice was sincere and fascinated, while his body language clearly indicated how captivated Guren’s interest was. It was no surprise to anyone in that room that Guren would be excited about the entirety of today’s subject matter. For all in the room were likely well aware of Guren’s curiosity, ambition for self-development, and passion for service. As he sat in his chair, now he had been completely leaning forward with one arm resting on his left knee and the other gripping his chin. Truly he couldn’t ask for more than what Kenshin was providing them, as he was clearly supplying them with a path towards power. Guren’s mind instantly began to divert towards the potential that the four in the room had together. With these tools laid out and provided towards each member, there was no telling what their ceiling could be. However one thing was clear to Guren. This combination of people were further solidifying the fact that they were a force to be reckoned with.
 
Now Guren awaited further comments and confirmation from his comrades that they too were interested in Mercury Release and Assimilating Aura. Once all three were in agreement, the ball would be in Kenshin’s court for how to proceed next.

(WC = 1258. Total: 2836)

Ibari only smiled to Guren as they exchanged pleasantries and responded in kind, " Been rather well lately. Just moseying on from day to day as best I can. Let's not keep the boss man waiting though," and as if on cue he began his ascension toward the Kazekage's office with his fellow shinobi. Since Guren had done the knocking, Ibari slid his hands into the hoodie/haori hybrid he had been wearing and gave a small bow to Kenshin as he let them in.

It had been quite some time since he had seen the male, it had been since his latest transplant honestly. Ibari sat in the seat closest to the right of desk which would have left the remaining seat to his fellow ANBU operative, Mizuki. As the duo waited for the female to come in, Ibari looked around the desk for a moment until he heard the door open in which he responded, " And ther is our lovely third. How are you faring today Mizuki?," it would be rude if he hadn't said anything to her since he greeted Guren as well. Now that the three of them had been present the true reason for this meeting would be underway.

As the scroll came out onto the desk, Ibari switched his gaze from Kenshin to it out of curiosity until it had been opened. As he listened his eyes began to take the form of his three tomoe Sharingan slowly giving him better clarity about the jutsu. He had been simply studying the words upon the scroll, making the hand seals within his mind as he smiled at the fact that this was happening.

The technique itself was arguably one of the best he had seen and its applications made his brain jump with joy. It was definitely an honor that he didn't deserve yet was given. As the male finished his explanation of it he only looked up and gave his appreciation for it," Thanks for trusting us with this..I wasn't expecting something like this but one must be thankful for all their blessings," and he wasn't wrong about that.

When the talks of promotions came up, his eyes went to the other two in the room. As he listened to Kenshin give them praise, Ibari clapped for them as his eyes slowly spiraled back into their normal crimson color,: Congratulations to the both of you. If any I've worked with deserves this its you two," of course this meant that him and Mizuki shared the same ranks all across the board now.

Mercury? The thought came to his mind, but unfortunately his elements didn't completely match up to the task. A small sigh escaped his lips, but he wasn't sad about it," This might benefit the both of you more than myself. Water isn't exactly an element I have an abundance offl, but where one lacks another can pick up," he felt as if there was more to come up but he simply sat in his chair and waited. Excitement was maybe one of his vices but he knew to contain it just in case something happened.

It was obvious the seat left was for her and without needing prompting - though she was anyways - thus she would fall into the seat and raise her left leg up on the seat of the chair, hooking her left arm around the knee and linking her fingers together to anchor her balance. The Kazekage, Kenshin, had summoned all of them in here to learn - this wasn’t a standard jutsu of course as he was explaining, they were the highest and most capable shinobi in the village and thus were hand chosen to learn this advanced and coveted art - Assimilating Aura. 

From her seat she could just see the hand seals necessary to complete the tech and he explained the concept behind the tech as a whole - she could see how this would benefit her… but she wouldn’t be teaching it to anyone even with the permission she wouldn’t even tell anyone she knew it. Her eyes remained roving on the scroll as Kenshin continued on - she had taken little notice of Guren or Ibari after she had sat down and only was brought back to that realization when Kenshin mentioned Gurens name. Only then did her eyes, pure pools of Violet come up to meet the Kazekage’s praise - her fingers clenching at the mention of the incident in the grove - and finally a single raised eyebrow at the ‘promotion’. She knew he knew she was already above the title of Jounin but for publicities sake she had to be honored by this news as Guren was so readily displaying. 

Perhaps she wasn’t in the mood for this, perhaps she was too in her head for news such as the news she was being granted but she nodded in what would seem as humble acknowledgement and thank the man for the praise and rank upgrade. Guren was being a model shinobi- respectful and attentive, Ibari was also displaying respect and pride at their promotions to his level… but Mizuki would seem like a void of earnest reaction. Finally she dropped her eyes back to the desk and pressed her lips together in thought before nodding thoughtfully again - “Yeah Mercury release would be more than beneficial to me.. Thank you for the opportunity.”

WC 371

(Short post alert, my bad homies. Hope y'all still got love for me.)

Among his celebratory feelings Guren was acknowledged by Ibari, and he appreciated it. The words from his superior were warm and well received. Guren smiled in a friendly fashion and nodded at his comrade. Ibari was someone he was particularly interested in, as he was someone Guren didn't see much of. There had only been one time when the two were really in the presence of one another and that was during their mission to the mine. Both men had demonstrated themselves in cordial and professional manners, while making sure the mission was completed to perfection. Yet there hadn't been much that Guren gathered from Ibari beyond an inference that Ibari too might have also been one of Kenshin's experiment. But it was only a speculation. And now there seemed to be even more mystery attached to the Jounin, as he had been asked to stay behind for an additional briefing. Guren's ears perked up at the sound of this and his interest began to be split between the knowledge and information that Guren had been offered from Kenshin and the secret mission his fellow shinobi would be on. 

Although Guren had truly desired to stay behind and be brought up to speed on what his teammate might be doing, Guren decided it was best if he took his leave. He was confident that through one way or another he would learn of Ibari's mission and would be updated as needed. However Guren had his own mission that he had to tend to: learning mercury release and assimilating aura. The Kazekage had bestowed its knowledge upon Guren and Mizuki, and Guren fully intended to investigate it. 

Guren would stay later, scouting over the contents of the new scroll (mercury release) up until he was complete. His photographic memory had taken numerous snapshots of what was required for both Assimilating Aura and Mercury Release. Now it was time for him to reflect on these brief studies, then take them to the field for actual practice. Thus, his next destination would be the training grounds. However before he would depart, he would formally dismiss himself. 

"Thank you again Lord Kazekage. I will spend time reflecting on the information you shared with me today before I try to attempt it myself. If I have any questions along the way for more guidance, I won't hesitate to contact you. And if you need additional support for Ibari's mission, let me know however I might be able to help..." Guren said while pausing to see if anyone in the room would have any final remarks. If no one had any reason to hold Guren back, he would stand from his chair and let out a, "Then without further ado, I'll take my leave."

And with that, he would exit from the room and head off to his apartment. He had some meditation to do. 

~Exit~

(WC = 479. Total: 3315.)

2000 words towards Assimilating Aura
1315 words towards Mercury Release
Claiming Jounin rank and Jounin Flak Jacket

Approved @ Guren