The Fine Print - [Invite Only, P]

Papers shuffling, closing and opening of wooden drawers, the ruffling and soft hooting of a sleeping owl - these sounds were the symphony of Mizu’s daily life now. The receptionist had been moved forward a bit to keep out of range of her hearing, the constant uptick in the woman’s heartbeat whenever the man from one of the lower floors would visit had finally gotten on her nerves enough to have the lobby rearranged. Pakuun was oddly immune to her hearing ability - the oddity coming to her attention one evening when the two of them were sat in the office long enough to hear silence; who knew she had missed something as simple as silence. The office had been redecorated in the first few days of her taking office, even before the official ceremony had been fully arranged. Now the office was bathed in rich blues and dark mahogany accents, the two plush chairs in front of the Kage desk commanding attention when someone walked in, one side of the room still housed a kitchenette of sorts that was stocked with an assortment of teas and light fare while the other half seemed to be taken over by owl accoutrements, and sat behind the desk to the right was the large window that nearly always remained open for Pakuun to come as go as he pleased. 

On normal days like this Mizu wore her simple skin tight black jumpsuit under the royal blue cloak that her mother used to wear - somehow wearing it during these stressful times gave her something to anchor herself with; god the stress. She still had an hour before Zaine was supposed to pick her up so something to take the edge off her nerves wouldn’t hurt - leaning over in her seat she would reach down to the bottom drawer and pull out her flask, unscrewing the top and taking a deep gulp with her eyes closed. The weeks following the Summit had been calm enough but all storms started low and slow; regardless of how well intended it was, there would be consequences to some degree. 

Heaving a sigh she would return her attention to stack of papers in front of her: ‘Chunin Exam Registry’ ‘Travel Logistics’ ‘Guard and assigned rotation’ ‘Contingency of Abroad Kage’ - she would close her nearly perfect violet eyes, rubbing a slender finger against her brow as she took another drink. Why had it been so long since she drank? Ah… that's right, reputation now held her firmly in the public eye and with that came a bit of ‘reputation management’. Rolling her still closed eyes she would sit motionless as the Awamori settled her nerves - and just in time it seemed as a familiar heartbeat entered her range 45 minutes early; and it wasn’t alone. Sitting up straight she would call out in a clear commanding voice, “Come on in you two.” The slight delay that always accompanied the early admission still made her smile - everyone was so used to having to knock first before someone knew they were there, she couldn’t help but showing off a little. 

This outta be good.

WC 521

More relaxed than usual as he approached the base of the Spire, the young Uchiha was thankful to finally have a bit of down time amongst all of the commotion that had been going on lately- he had finally managed to nail down a time that he and Mizuki could have dinner and go over the events from the past few weeks. She was expecting him to show up in about 45 minutes but he arrived early so that a bit of business could be taken care of first- looking to his left as he continued in stride towards the entrance of the Spire he would smile at his long time friend and former sense Raleth. "Now this shouldnt take too long. Im starving so lets try to be quick about the whole thing. Plus i'm sure Mizu has had a pretty long day herself with everything thats been going on." He could tell by the expression on his friend's face that there was a bit of nerves accompanying him to the Spire today but this was to be expected- the last time that they had come here together it was to apologize and have him stripped of rank. Hopefully, today this would change. "Remember, I'll handle the majority of the talking from this point on. i know its going to be weird getting used to it.. hell I still am but as her advisor I have the liberty of speaking to her on terms that are perfect for situations like this." Slapping his right hand on the left shoulder of his long time friend he would give a reassuring smile before they entered the building.

Having been to the Spire more in the past few weeks than he ever had in his life, the building itself had become quite familiar and he made this evident with his pace towards the office of the Kazekage- the two shinobi woud be outside of her door in three minutes time and once outside the door the voice of the Second Kazekage would meet their ears, inviting them in. Zaine would open the door and allow Raleth to enter in first, giving whatever pleasantries he might before he closed the door and followed in behind him- his smile in her direction would quickly turn to an expression of slight irritation as his scarlet irises locked onto the flask she held in her hand. "Maybe we could have waited until dinner for that. Come on Mizu I know its bee a long few weeks but you're the Kazekage now. Anyone could walk in and see you drinking. Though I suppose youd be able to tell by their heartbeat and chakra signature exactly who they were and act accordingly." A sigh followed by the placement of his left palm on his forehead would take place before he continued "Well, anyway. I'm sure you noticed im here a bit early and I brought Ral with me and don't worry hes not coming to dinner with us, although he did ask." He said with a side eye to the ashen haired shinobi, "I came across a pretty interesting sight the other day in his tea shop and it got me thinking. Raleth, unbeknownst to most, has taken on three disciples as of recently and hes helping these genin level shinobi cultivate their skills so that they might take place in the Chuunin exams and represent our village. That being said, my proposal is simple. I believe he should be allowed the rank of Jounin once more on the condition that he oversee the progression and growth of these shinobi through to their ascension to Chuunin." 

The proposition being made was one that everyone in the room stood to gain from- Raleth was stripped of his rank for acting out rashly and not keeping his power in check, however he was now assisting with the growth of shinobi and teaching them the lessons that he had to learn the hard way. This was the perfect way for him to contribute to the village and what better way to truly learn how to work as a team than by having to work with those who have little knowledge on the subject. "Obviously hes all for it. He was planning to train these genin regardless but this way the village will grow stronger and one of our stronger shinobi can continue to progress. I think youll agree that with our current situation its a good time to ensure all of our shinobi have a clear path. So what do you say?" He hoped that Mizuki would be on the same page as him as per usual but still only time would tell her feelings on the subject- he was well aware that one of the mistakes made by Raleth in the past nearly costed her and another Suna shinobi their lives so he was ready for this to go either way. 

[WC=821]

Worry would hang around Raleth's shoulders as he followed Zaine to the spire, his friend, and the Kazekage's 2nd, had come to his home,  and explained that the Sarutobi should accompany him to the Kage's Tower. Confised and rushed, the ashen-haired shinobi did not have enough time to properly dress. As such, he only wore a black-quarter sleeve under his shinobi vest, black cargo pants and black boots. And, being in a rush, he forgot his hat and kimono. And an object which is normally hidden would be revealed: a large scroll would, stamped with the symbol of the sarutobi, would he tied to his back. His hair would be pulled back, his headband would he wrapped around is neck, his nerves would have sweat bead on his brows. 

What would be so important that it needed to be addressed now?

As he walks, to calm his nerves, Raleth strikes up conversation with his friend. As he mentions his dinner plans, the Sarutobi, being clueless, asks if he could join: and is dejected when Zaine refuses. His head hangs low as he walks into the entrance of the spire. He gives a mellow wave to the Uzumaki attendent, Lilith. He grabs onto Zaine shoulder as the Uchiha places his hand on the fuin seal. Chakra whirls around them, both shinobi are shunted towards the top of the building.

The door bearing the symbol of Sungakure tilts and shifts, Raleth shakes away the feeling of teleportation. At Zaine's gesture, the immense Sarutobi pushes open the door to office of Mizuki Ohta, the Kazekage.

A sudden sight makes him pause, a flask in his Kage's hand. Zaine comments on it first, remarking on her appearance but giving her sensory abilities credit. Before Raleth could speak, the Uchiha takes command of the situation and explains his reason for bringing Raleth to Mizuki; namely, the Sarutobi's recent actions of training Katsuragi, Shin Kenshin, and Page. Raleth eyes his friend, he wasn't surprised the swordsman caught wind of the situation with the Monkey's Uncle, but he hadn't known the Uchiha to know about the other two. Raleth's mouth drops when his friend recommends the immense chuunin for a promotion. Though Raleth's motivation for training his three was purely to hone their own personal skills, he's ecstatic for the opportunity properly guide them. He looks to the pale lady of Wind, and awaits her response.

She speaks in a well-mannered and controlled tone, asking if the three genin under his tutelage were officially recognized. Be hesitates in his response, as he can't remember if Katsuragi had gone through the proper channels and attained his suna-headband. As he does, a sly smile breaks the porcelain facade, and a boisterous Mizuki slams her hand on the table, agreeing to the proposal offered to her by her advisor, Zaine. She explains how pleased she is with the Sarutobi's growth, and his initiative at taking up three genin. As she brings out his official record, be places his fist to his chest and bows his head.

"The three under me will flourish," thrums the basso voice of Raleth, "they will grow into fine warriors for Sunagakure, Lord Kazekage."

As he's given orders to update Mizuki on his genin'a progress, he stands at attention and gives his report and reveals the genin under his care.

"Shin Kenshin has shown he has a mind for combat. On the day of the summit, I sparred with him for some time. I'm pleased to say he's on his way of focusing his immense strength. Page, a missing-nin you met with a few days ago, is natural tactician as well as a strong brawler, ive seen his skill up close. He knows how to handle those stronger than him. Kagsuragi is a natural boxer, though his attitude needs work, he is steadfast in the battlefield, something I experienced for myself. All three have agreed to have me as their sensei." Raleth beams.

"I'm glad i get to return to them as their jounin as well."

The weight of the scroll on his back would serve as a reminder, Raleth would take a small hand-scralled scroll from his jacket. He would place the scroll on his kage's desk.

"A copy of the owners of the guardian Monkeys of the Sarutobi, dating back to Hiruzen Sarutobi." Raleth would wait to see if he was needed. If not, he would take his leave, allowing the Kazekage and her advisor their privacy, saying "Stop by the south eastern district of suna sometime. I've renovated the old tea shop, the Monkey's Uncle would be honored to serve the Kazekage."

[[700]]

Exit
Using 700 WC to get 14 AP

There was an inexplicable warmth that hovered around him whenever he was in the company of his closest comrades and in the entirety of the village, no two individuals were as close to him as Mizuki and Raleth- he took some time to relish in this moment as the two conversed and cemented the promotion of his long time friend back to Jounin . This moment of bliss was only enhanced by the praise he received from Mizuki about suggesting an idea that he felt came as more of an observation by him and was the natural flow of the world attempting to strengthen their village from a multidimensional approach. Still, he nodded in acceptance of her praise before slapping his hand onto the shoulder of his robust companion "See! I told ya. Quick and painless." Smiling at him he would remove his hand and continue to listen to Raleth has he gave somewhat of a progress report on his students- he wasnt proud to admit it, but this was serving as a gauge for what he could expect his genin to have to contend with in the coming exams. "So.. it seems hes been preparing them even better than I thought. I wonder how they would fair against my genin." He couldnt help but ponder the outcome of a brawl between their respective teams- though, he quickly erased the thought to focus on the main reason he had come to the spire and she seemed to finally be ready for him.


Raleth would take his leave after sharing a few more words with the Kazekage but not before Zaine was able to speak to him once more "You had better not have gotten soft in your older age. I expect those genin of yours to perform on a level comparable to mine when I was a genin- no, actually, they should be even better since their training with an even stronger Raleth than I had." Smirking, he would turn his attention back to Mizuki and for the first time in a long time he was at a loss for words- she had clearly been dealing with her fair share of challenges today but even so, their was a beauty to her that calmed him and made the myriad of issues they faced as a village fade away if only for a moment. "I think you've done enough work for a week at this point Mizu. Maybe its time for us to head out and grab a bite? We have a lot to talk about but I think we should both take sometime to just enjoy whats left of the day." The blackened tomoe that sat in his irises began to spin softly as the scarlet pools surrounding them lightened to a golden yellow- he chose to deactivate his sharingan for the first time in weeks as he approached Mizuki who remained seated at her desk. This action was smaller on the physical scale but carried deep meaning as a gesture towards her- for reasons unbeknownst to him, he had always noticed a tensing of her muscles around her shoulders, back, neck and legs whenever they made eye contact while his sharingan was active and more than anything he wished for her to be in a state of relaxation.


Before she got the idea to get up and exit he would place both of his hands on her shoulders and lean her back softly against the body of her seat, he would gently massage her shoulders to ease out the muscles for a few minutes before speaking to her again, "I can't begin to understand the amount of pressure you're under currently with everything going on and the fact that you were thrusted into this position recently but you have the backing of the entire village and everyone is going to do their part to make ends meet. Theres no need to worry, though Im sure you would claim to not be worried as is." His hands would halt in their movement as he released his gentle hold on her shoulders- his hand would take hold of her left hand as he motioned for them to leave her office together and head towards a local hibachi restaurant a quarter mile from the spire. "Lets head to a place nearby and scrap the cooking idea for today. Youve done enough and ive had a pretty long week as it is too. Itll be on me!" If there were no objections, he would lead the way to the restaurant with her hand still in his- ready to facilitate any conversation she might want to have on the way there. 


[Total WC= 1,597]


EXIT


Utilizing Double AP max stat bonus


Claims

• Claiming 32 AP for full topic WC amount
  

[WC=776]

Raleth, approved.

Approved Zaine

With the business out of the way she would excuse Raleth and tell Zaine she would meet him outside the room once she cleaned up her desk and released Pakuun for the evening.

EXIT