Hawk Carrying Fish [Letter]

Sat Oct 02, 2021 3:40 am

A pale-feathered hawk of the eastern ocean alights on Kumogakure's gates, looking up with amber eyes to the massive bird statues that tower over it. After a moment's rest in the shadows of its big siblings, it forges on towards Kumogakure's communications center.

A few hours and standard security checks later, the hawk's delivery is brought to the Raikage's office. It is composed of a small box wrapped in blue silk attached to a scroll, elegant indigo seal carrying the four waves of Kirigakure.

Upon breaking the seal and opening the scroll, it will read...

To the Raikage of the Kumogakure,

I trust the beginning days of Autumn are treating you well. I have not yet had the opportunity to visit Lightning Country, but the mountains of my own homeland in Wolf are quite beautiful during this time of year.

I have recently taken over the responsibility of Mizukage from my predecessor Aloide Terumi. In the past months, I have had the pleasure of visiting Hoshigakure and seeing for myself the potential of cooperation with some of our fellow villages - particularly ones we share as much in common with as our neighbours in Lightning. Please extend the young Akimichi my personal congratulations for his performance.

It is my interest to arrange a meeting between ourselves to discuss the relationship between our villages and how we may move forward. I understand that you had been part of the Hoshigakure delegation as well, and may want to spend time in your village. It would be possible for us to arrange a meeting I may attend remotely, though as this would involve one of my personal techniques I would of course acquiesce to any security demands you make of such an arrangement.

Attached to this letter is a special treasure from Island Country. These preserved gills are taken from a special species of fish native to our land, and when applied to equipment by a skilled hand can be used for exceptionally high-quality air filters. As a nation with as proud a weapons tradition as ours, I trust you will make good use of them.

With care,
- Sugi Murata, Third Mizukage of Kirigakure

Within the box are, as promised, three sets of delicately-wrapped Pufferfish Gills, as well as a small bottle of an expensive Island Country vintage. Back at the communications center, the Kirigakure hawk preens idly, enjoying the mountain air as it waits for either a response or to be shooed off.

410
[Gifting 3x Pufferfish Gills from inventory.]

Sun Oct 10, 2021 4:13 pm

Once the bird of prey had been spotted resting atop the gate statues, white eyes immediately kept track of it, their vision focused for hundreds of meters to examine the package as trained snipers followed the instruction of their spotters in case suspiciousness was aroused. Yet, it had been allowed to travel to the Communications Center Roost, where a team prepared to examine the package more carefully. No test ascertained threat; the package was delivered to the Raikage, who took in the sight of four waves rising from indigo wax. The option to think back to the Summit and words spoken was strong, but there was no point until he knew what this was about; breaking the seal between calloused fingers, the Raikage took the letter, reading the contents, before moving on to the box.

A draft was created, and after much struggle with poor penmanship and blots of ink, a proper final draft was carefully put into an official Kumogakure scroll, left to dry while the Raikage called in a proper Kumogakure sake while the wine was taken for safety analysis. With a snap of his fingers, he took out a scale from his Storage Displacement, putting it next to the gills. One scale dwarfed a gill, and it nearly compensated for the three. The Raikage had no intention of accepting gifts without returning the favor, but he didn’t want to lose out either. Equal exchange as courtesy would have to do.

Fed with choice cuts of meats and treated to pure water, the hawk was allowed to rest a couple days as preparations took place before being handed a new scroll, one with a dark golden wax seal with the extruding cloud formation, ensuring the letter would only be read by the highest authority of the Kirigakure. A box was also attached, wrapped in a similarly dark golden silk fabric. Unoriginal, perhaps, but equal.

Once the Hawk returned to its misty nest, the Mizukage would be able to read the letter as written by Kaito himself, with an additional note rolled inside it:

To the Lady Sugi Murata, Third Mizukage of the Kumogakure,

Thank you for the kind gifts of wine and the gills, one delicious and the other remarkably useful. I hope the gifts I attached to this message bring you as much joy as yours brought to me. Scales of an indegenous species of the Kumogakure, whose composition allows for near crystal clear camouflage. The sake, strong, yet sweet, used to celebrate adulthood as the first alcohol one drinks before it becomes an acquired taste.

Allow me also to congratulate you in succeeding to the rank of Mizukage, and wish you good fortune in your new journey. We have extended your personal thanks to our newest Chunnin, who thanks you for the kindness and recognition.

It is most kind of you to offer a remote meeting in lieu of my recent excursion, and it is most appreciated. Rolled inside this scroll you will find instruction regarding our meeting, including precautions to take and precautions I will take, so as to ensure we can have this remote meeting in peace. I will await your contact until then.

With best regards,
-- Noboru Kaito, Eleventh Raikage of the Kumogakure

[Gifting Chameleon Scales x1 from personal inventory]

Tue Oct 12, 2021 12:18 am

In response, Murata pens two letters. The first agrees to Kaito's terms and elaborates on the functioning of her technique so they may reach a suitable agreement. It also instructs on the handling of the second letter, which is marked with one of Murata's Mark Seals, and should such be kept in whatever location Kaito deems adequate before being brought to their arranged meeting point. With hope, they will soon be speaking 'face to face' before the gates of Kumogakure. With this done, Murata looks out over the village with a sigh of relief.

Exit

Mark Seal -5AP, sent on a scroll to Kumogakure.

TWC 504
Unlearning 2 Strength, training 2 Speed
500 words to learning Drifter Technique
Claiming 1x Chameleon Scales