New World Kage Summit (Observation Topic)

The Summit didn’t appear to want to remain on course, and the moderator did very little to moderate. As with all meetings of ninja in high positions of power, discourse quickly broke through the dam of politeness and into the territory of aggressive posturing, a match fought with words for control of intellectual territory, for no one wanted the opposition to think they would be able to live in their heads rent-free.

The Kazekage wasn’t having none of that though; small visual cues could be collected by the observant to notice she seemed to be impatient, perhaps bothered by the way the Mizukage had addressed the room. An understandable feeling, however not one you want to allow to slip past the armor of placid composure, especially in a room full of people with eyes capable of picking all sorts of details. Yet, somehow she managed to smile, a smile void of joy or happiness; one soaked in malice. These high lords and ladies truly thought little of others. How bold of them to brazenly sit in an air conditioned room debating the fate of nations with quips and taunts, jests and threats. But then, what did Kaito know of politics; he had been nothing but a cook in the past, a soldier in the present, and a murderer at heart. Cloaks and daggers were not his style, not in the past when he had to deal with the loan sharks that kept his restaurant afloat during the trialing times of Lord Youka, although in his present profession, he may yet have to learn these styles. Did he not, after all, use the cloak of the earth and night when he tried to assassinate his students, using assassination and ambush as his daggers? “A man of few words, but determinate actions”, he thought to himself. Perhaps it was best he was not the one sitting where Lord Kiseragi sat. He may not have the stomach to humor these people.

The Lady Kazekage proved Kaito right when she spoke; she taunted the Mizukage and provoked him with her jabs, rather than try to amend her lapse to propose a negotiation -- or put such a prospect on the table to begin with. Kaito himself wasn’t that good of a listener either, and he once again thanked the storm lords that he stood at attention rather than sit at the table, for he felt the need to heave a heavy sigh. The way the Lady Kazekage spoke made Kaito feel bad for her citizens. Referring to villagers as “fodder”, as if the citizens of the Kirigakure would not be willing to engage in such a conflict willingly, or if the Mizukage had implied he would just throw hordes of genin at anyone who dared oppose him. Such a comment was an insult, as far as Kaito was concerned; back where he was from, being insulted in this manner gave legal reason to murder the one insulting.

The proposal was almost as bad; she offered the life of another in singular combat, rather than offering herself as a champion for this cause. Offering the life of another wasn’t something that sat well with Kaito; not that he would make this sentiment known in any way. Much like his Raikage had joked before, he did indeed resemble more a darkened statue than an actual human, the only thing moving being his eyes under the lenses of the mask, white on white as if there were no irises or pupils to gaze at the world, perfect cover to be able to allow his eyes to roll without risking raising suspicion about where his gaze fell, or what lay hidden behind it.

The interaction went on with each Kage trying to prove they had the most pump in their hydraulic expelling system to piss the furthest, the Hokage consenting to a deathmatch as it was the Will of Fire way. He could've sworn this Hokage was a common criminal turned Kage, but perhaps he was also a Fire Country Native? Perhaps even a returning exiled ninja. That might explain it.

The Raikage went on to assert that the Mizukage was a fool, for he made demands with certainty he could not have. In this, Kaito identified more with the Mizukage once again. Both were men who walked into meetings clad in armor, both preferred to hide their features, and apparently, both missed the part where this was an open negotiation and not something that started off as a demand, and perhaps more insultingly, an ambush. But on the Raikage went, particularly driving home the point about flashing a sharingan in his presence.

The Mizukage took all this in stride, but the stride became vaulting soon enough. To be sure, Kaito could not fathom how anyone at this table might've thought of this as a good idea. Unless, of course, they were planning on assassinating the Mizukage, which might have worked if all Kages united against the man, but given the lack of information about anything of the sort, Kaito doubted the four would unite against the one. At the end of the day, most kages at this table operated independently from each other.

The Mizukage finalized his proposal by suggesting the Lady Kazekage fight him to the death if she was to have anything to say on this meeting that would make any sense, and this felt empty; even if the Lady Kazekage were to die in singular combat, it would be unlikely Sunagakure would yield to Kirigakure. Only the brutal experience of war could sprout such sentiment within the hearts of the hardened and windswept people of the Wind Country. Vague threats and empty conversation, so hollow the echos reverberated throughout as if the mocking song of chaos.

The Hogokage went on to talk more, and add more insult to the present injury. These people talked about peace and love as if they were comunal hippies but refused to put their pride down and try to deal with the Mizukage, especially considering all them were at best mediators, which no horse in this particular race. Pathetic. Kaito was a more… single minded individual. You ask for a talk. You talk. Civilized. If that fails, you agree to disagree, diplomatically, with a smile on your face. Then you mount an attack in ill faith, under the cover of the night, quiet as a mouse. These people gave the word "ninja" a bad rep. But, perhaps Kaito just thought too little of himself, as a platinum head once accused him. Yet, how did he see himself at once the wisest and most foolish one in the room? Life truly was a mysterious ride, and the way of the ninja convoluted. He was happy he was at best a decent assassin and at worse a subpar businessman, with a resume of cook in the middle, a bizarre combination.

The ninja said their goodbyes to the Mizukage, who was to be escorted out by the former First Kazekage, Kenshin Uzumaki. Then he had been the one to reestablish the Sunagakure reign, especially after the Kirigakure and Konohagakure joint attack, which he himself had repelled. The Hogokage spilled out the secrets that no one had been able to establish as more than a fable, and the picture inside Kaito’s head was clearer and clearer. In all likelihood, Kenshin had tracked the trail of Kumogakure forward outposts all the way to Sunagakure and freed the shell of the village from the weakened grip of the Lightning Country soldiers. And now, he warned the Mizukage about something or another. Kaito could scarcely pay attention to what was being said. Only one thing rang true to him: this was the monster that admonished and punished Kumogakure when it flew too close to the sun, and he now walked, freely, a kid with the wisdom of the elders borne out of the depravity he unleashed on the world. What was the plan now that he knew this? Vengeance? A ridiculous proposition.

Still, the Raikage said his peace and made to leave. Still as a statue made of relaxed violence, Kaito followed the steps of the Kage as if he was a Nara projection, breaking this entrancing vista only when his Kage commanded him to pick up the portrait containing the seal embroidered so skillfully by the guard of the Mizukage. Kaito observed it momentarily, and for the first time the Lady Kazekage might notice a difference in Kaito’s heartbeat as the seal allowed his mind to find inner peace for a moment. Before allowing himself to get enraptured by what could very well be a genjutsu or something of the sort, Kaito pulled the frame down and away from his sight, before following his Raikage out to where his objective was.

Outside these walls was now the monster that haunted his dreamless sleeps, with an aura to himself and a chakra within that mimicked the sentiment and lore that Kaito had read about the man. He followed his kage outside the Spire in hopes of finding him.