A Meeting With The Kazekage!? [Private]

The birds began chirping and tweeting loudly as the sun began to rise over the clefts of Sunagakure; the harsh light cutting through the darkness of night like a knife. The sound of people walking and talking soon followed, signifying that it was now time to get a head start on the day ahead.

This didn't bother young Kaito Inuzuka, though.

The boy had already snoozed his alarm clock three times that morning, not feeling in touch with the energy to remove himself from his bed or do anything for that matter. Honestly, he was still coming to terms with the events that had taken place during his last training session with Arantima at the village's training grounds...

The brutal way in which he killed that man...

Kaito had good reason for it though; it was self-defense after all, but the visions of him driving the kunai harshly into the man's spine and dragging it down the length of his back still gave the Genin chills throughout his body. He remembered as well the last words that Arantima had spoken to him that day too...

'You have done something today that will change you. And you need to decide if that will be for the better or if that change will break what you are now.'

Kaito wished with every ounce of his would that he could show the older boy he had come to accept the whole ordeal for the most part and that he was ready to continue on being a shinobi, but sad to say that would be impossible. For whatever reason Arantima disappeared from the village without a trace around the same time that Lady Second Kazekage had left the village. Were the incidents connected? Was Arantima kidnapped or even brainwashed into leaving? Kaito would have no way of knowing for sure what happened, but he hoped that the boy did not flee on his own initiative...

That would, for all intents and purpose, make his former friend, rival, and teacher, a missing-nin...

An enemy of the village...

An enemy of Kaito himself...

'You know, Kaito...' Called a voice from within the barely awake head of the boy, still in his bed and staring at the white ceiling above. "Should that boy have left the village on his own accord, that means you won't have to hold back the next time you two fight.'

'How many times have I told you to buzz off?' Kaito called back to the voice. 'Tima would never go rogue like that... Would he?'

The other voice in Kaito's head roared out in laughter, making the boy wince.

'See what I mean!? You don't even truly know your "best friend" all that well! How cou-' Quite suddenly there was a knock upon the door from the hallway.

'We will talk about this later, now shut up for a bit!'

Kaito slumped himself upright, rubbing his eyes as he did so.

"Come in."

The door opened slowly and light flooded into the dark room from the hallway. Now standing in the doorway was Kaito's mother, Akari. She was dressed in her typical crimson-red dress, black dress boots, and beige apron. Kaito knew that this meant the woman was now preparing to go open up the general store she operated within the village's market and that her still being here meant it was even earlier than he had expected.

"Ah, you're awake already. Good." Akari said in an unusual tone of voice. Addressing this, Kaito examined his mother further to see that she had a rather stern look on her face and that she held a letter in her hands. The boy gulped, knowing that whatever his mother was upset about was nothing good at all. The woman walked further into the room until she stood right above her son's bed, and while she only stood a measly 5' 4", the lighting of the room made her appear that much taller. "Do you mind telling me what the meaning of this is? A messenger shinobi just dropped it off a few minutes ago." She held the letter, which had been opened, out in front of Kaito. Confused, Kaito cocked his head to the side and clasped the letter in his hand so he too could look over it.

Kaito's eyes widened like a deer caught in a spotlight once he read who had addressed him the letter.

"Lo... Lord Third Kazekage!?" He asked nobody in particular, jumping straight up into the air and landing feet first on his mattress. His heart began to race. "What does Lord Third want with me, of all people!?" He asked Akari, almost begging for an answer. With her arms folded across her chest, his mother shook her head from side to side.

"I don't know, Son..." She replied. "But from how it reads it doesn't sound too good. I mean, you have pretty much been cooped up in the room for the past few weeks and you haven't bothered taking on any missions, so it may have something to do with that."

"You... Do you think so?" Kaito asked, gulping as he reflected on his somewhat depressed and lazy state over the course of the past couple of weeks. It was true that the boy had been rather lazy ever since the whole Bunta Jinpacho incident, but would the Kazekage really just want to see him because of that? Or maybe it was because he had killed Bunta at the training grounds. Word had to have spread somehow that he killed the man.

Maybe the Kazekage wanted to personally arrest the boy for killing a man within the confines of the village itself...

"All I know is, Kai, is that you better not keep Lord Kazekage waiting." Akari turned her back and started walking out of the bedroom. "I'm heading out to open the shop for the day, but you better let me know what this is about when I arrive home this evening, got it?"

"Yes, Ma'am." Akari shut the door behind her as she fully exited the room. Kaito wasted no time in gathering up his shinobi uniform so he could change into it as soon as he took a shower and brushed his teeth, but his nerves sure were on edge. Soon enough, however, he would find out what the meeting would be about and be left to his fate from there...

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Kaito arrived at the Spire only thirty minutes after his mother had handed him the letter addressed to him by the Third Kazekage. In that time the boy had taken a shower, made sure to brush his teeth and make himself look presentable, and he also made sure to put on his typical shinobi gear and forehead protector with the happuri attachment underneath. Once all of that was done, he proceeded to run at his full speed to the center of the village. He was sure that Lord Guren would be awaiting his arrival and he didn't want to keep the man waiting more than he already had.

'I really hope I'm not late!' He said as he blew past crowds of people in the busy streets. People and places zoomed in and out of the boy's vision as soon as they would come into view, but along the way there was one thing that intrigued him. Outside one of the many shops in the village, there was a wagon of supplies being unloaded and carried into the shop to be stocked. While this had nothing to do with Kaito personally, it did remind him of something that he would have to bring to the attention of the Kazekage during their meeting.

'I'm going to need to stay on Lord Third's good side to get that sort of permission...'

Kaito was referring to an errand that they needed him to run. It wasn't a normal errand though such as going down the street for some groceries; it was a full-blown excursion north to Hoshigakure no Sato. His parents, particularly his mother, operated a general store in the confines of Sunagakure. Some of their best-selling items were those they exported from other countries, and normally they would make the trips themselves. This time, however, they would be unable to make the journey themselves due to the timing and awkwardness of their current situations. One of the reasons was a financial one, and they did not have the funds to request a transportation firm to collect the goods nor did they have the funds to have a shinobi do it because of the mission request costs. Kaito's mother demanded that he ask for special permission for he himself to go collect the exported goods, so Kaito would have been finding himself at the Spire one way or another anyway.

'Mom can be such a drag sometimes!'

A few moments later, Kaito arrived at the Spire. Looking around, he saw that the Grove surrounding it was still in relatively good shape, and he liked to think that it was thanks to the time that he and Naki had spent hours cleaning it up on a joint mission they did together.

'I'll have to see how Naki is doing. Been a while since I've seen him around.'

Kaito entered through the bulky doors of the Spire and into the large entrance hall. In the center, he could see a circular receptionist desk and a lady working on some paperwork sitting behind it. He walked up to the desk, explained the letter that the Kazekage had sent him, and was directed to the tenth floor. Kaito went there as prompted and was soon face to face with a large and extravagant set of oak double doors. He couldn't help but gulp as the many possible causes of his summons and all of the possible outcomes began to flood his mind. He knocked meekly on the door, shaking a bit as the realization that he was about to come face-to-face with the Kazekage was starting to overcome him. Suddenly, a deep voice sounded from behind the door, telling him to enter.

'Here we go...'

Kaito opened the door and slowly stepped in before shutting the door again behind him.

"Lord Kazekage, Sir!" Kaito said, standing at attention with his arms folded behind his back. He took a very low bow before bringing himself back up to attention only a few seconds later. "You requested my presence, my Lord?"

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The Kazekage remained silent for a few moments as he looked the young Inuzuka up and down. Then, suddenly, the man's expression changed to a smile. Kaito took this and the fact that Lord Third offered him a cup of tea as a sign this meeting would be one of good favor and not be as bleak as he initially thought.

"Yes, please, Sir. I appreciate the offer." Kaito stood at attention while Guren turned around to prepare the tea, which with the boy's Inuzuka enhanced sense of smell and love of tea he could easily tell was a peachy oolong blend. "You'll find that I am quite fond of a more natural diet, with tea and water being all that I drink."

Kaito walked over to collect the cup that Guren had prepared him in quick stride once it was ready, feeling more relaxed thanks to the Kazekage's peaceful and kind demeanor, but he felt a bit awkward that the Kazekage was waiting on him.

"Thank you, My Lord." He said as he took the cup in hand. Kaito stepped back to be in front of the sturdy desk at which Guren sat, but sat down in a very comfortable and greeting armchair on the end opposite the Kazekage as directed. While things were more relaxed, he made sure not to slouch or appear too comfortable, making sure to show the Kazekage the respect he deserved by sitting straight up and keeping his head held high. He sipped at the tea, which he enjoyed a lot. It reminded him of the tea that Arantima had prepared for him when the two met at the latter's shop the day they met and trained together from the onset of dusk till the outbreak of dawn the next morning. Guren then addressed the boy, getting right down to business. He asked the Inuzuka who exactly he was and what his ambitions were.

"Hmm..." Kaito thought for a moment. He wanted to try to put things into words without going overboard and blabbing on and on. "I'd like to say, My Lord, that I am a ninja through and through." Kaito paused for a moment as he sat the cup of tea down gently upon a drink coaster on the table before him. "I don't tend to do much outside the realm of training, missions, or bettering myself as a person. Well, other than the past few weeks that is..." Kaito blinked suddenly, realizing that he was going on a tangent. "But, uh, beyond that, Sir. I dedicate my time to my work and honing my skills as a practitioner of both Taijutsu and Ninjutsu. As for my ambitions, I have a few." Kaito quickly and gracefully took another sip of tea before sitting the cup back down. "First and foremost, I want to prove the ones who ever called me weak wrong. I want to show them how far I have come in such a short amount of time. How I went from not being able to mold my chakra at all as an Academy student to someone who now has many high-ranking Ninjutsu up his sleeve. Secondly, I want to protect this village and its people. When I was ten years-old, I lost my ninken, Kawomaru, thus why he is not in attendance with me today. I was weak and I couldn't save him, so now I want to dedicate myself to helping others become strong and to helping those not strong enough to protect themselves." Kaito paused for another moment as his heart began to beat faster and faster. He was getting excited, and while he tried his best to hold the emotion within himself, he could feel a big smile overcome him as he gripped the arms of his chair tightly. "Lastly..." Kaito looked Guren in the eyes with a look of sincerity and undeniable determination. "I want to become the Kazekage myself someday, My Lord."

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Kaito was taken aback by the Third Kazekage's words. A promotion to the rank of Chunin. The young Genin couldn't believe his ears. His grip upon the arms of the chair he sat in tightened as the smile upon his face widened. Then, Guren had proceeded to ask the boy what he felt would be the best course of action to take.

"What my next steps are and what I need to improve on..." Kaito pondered for a moment, sitting back in the chair and laying his left leg atop his right to dangle over as he thought. He couldn't help but become more relaxed as the time passed. Despite Guren's position as the leader of the entire village, he still had very welcoming presence. But Kaito was deep in thought. "Honestly, My Lord, I believe that someone of Chunin rank should at least have a mission under their belt in which they traveled out of the confines of the village, or at least got acquainted in some capacity with life beyond the village walls. I mean, they are called "journeymen ninja" after-all." Kaito paused for a moment, making sure to pick his words carefully. "Me personally; I've never been beyond the confines of the Wind Country since my family immigrated here from Konohagakure when I was five or six years old, right after Kirigakure invaded. "

Kaito took a sip of the tea that Guren had prepared him.

"If you don't mind me over stretching my reach, My Lord, I believe I need to first get that taste of what life is like outside of the village before i could ever dream of taking on the rank of Chunin. Not that I plan on going rogue, mind you, but there is something that my parents need me to take care of outside of the village. You see, my parents own a general store in the village market, but hard times have befallen the store. To make a long story short they need me to make the journey to Hoshigakure to collect some supplies they purchased so they can sell them again and get the shop's finances in order." Kaito closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath, catching his breath. "I humbly request your permission, My Lord, to take the journey to Hoshigakure. I'll make sure to take the upmost precaution while there and on the journeys to and from should you approve this request, and during my short time there I might even be able to learn a few things as well."

Kaito again paused for a moment, straightening himself back to a more respectable position as he awaited Guren's response to his request. He knew that he had laid a lot out on the table. A ninja, no matter their rank or the amount of power their held, always took a risk by leaving the confines of their village. Kaito knew this, thus he would ensure to make himself appear as civilian as possible during his travels as to not draw too much attention to himself or Sunagakure. The last thing the village needed was a war of all things. But this journey was also of the upmost importance. Should the boy not go, his family's wellbeing would be in jeopardy.

The boy could only pray that he had argued his case well enough to be granted the approval necessary to go beyond the village walls.

After Guren's response, whether it be one of approval or denial. Kaito nodded his head.

"Thank you, Sir, for taking my request into consideration. I respect and honor your decision." Kaito then pondered again for a moment, trying to think of his response in regards to the Kazekage's second question; what the boy wanted to refine about himself. "In regards to what I would like to refine about myself and my skills, I would love nothing more than to master Water-Release and Sensory Jutsu. I already have Ninjutsu, Taijutsu, Earth-Release, and Wind-Release in my skillset, but what is an Inuzuka who can't use Sensory Jutsu and utilize their bloodline heritage to it's fullest extent?"

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The smile upon the young Inuzuka's face grew massive as Guren gave him the ultimatum to learn both Water-Release and Sensory Ninjutsu before he could travel to Hoshigakure. Not for the fact that he would be able to go once those goals were met, but by the fact that the Kazekage himself offered to teach him Water-Release personally.

"Training with the Kazekage..." He thought, almost fit to burst with excitement and eagerness to get started with the training as soon as possible.

Who wouldn't want the opportunity to be trained personally by the leader of their village, for crying out loud?

As Guren rose from his chair, Kaito followed suit. Before the former had the chance to look out at the village beyond the walls of the Spire, Kaito took a deep bow.

"Thank you, My Lord. It would be an honor to be your apprentice in regards to learning Water-Release jutsu, and I thank you humbly for the offer!"

Rising back up from his bow, Kaito made sure to stand at attention again, holding his hands one another behind his back and standing as straight and as tall as possible. Guren would go on to say that, while he trusted Kaito, he couldn't trust the world beyond the confines of Sunagakure. Kaito couldn't help but grimace slightly, understanding full well what the Kazekage meant. He looked down at the chain he wore around his upper right leg, which had the teeth of his former companion Kawomaru attached as a reminder of the friend he lost in the sandy dunes of the Wind Country all those years ago.

"Protecting my fellow Sunagakure shinobi and our villagers is my priority as well, My Lord." Kaito said, looking back up and smiling lightly as he addressed Guren. "I hope that someday I have the opportunity to truly show you that, and also to prove myself as a potential candidate for the role of Kazekage in the future." Kaito paused for a moment, biting his lip. He hoped that Guren would take no offense to his latest set of words. He meant no ill will or blasphemy in them, but he did have a tendency to over speak and land himself into trouble. "However, My Lord, if you don't mind me asking, when would you like to get started? With training I mean. I understand you're a busy man, so whatever time you would like works for me, Sir."

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[Word Count (Post) - 406]
[Word Count (Total) - 3,488]