Knock Knock

Coco slugged over to the Raikage's office. In the land of rain her four layered outfit had never been much of a problem because there was always a good torrent of rain to cool her down. However as she walked up the building's steps, she was quickly realizing that this wasn't the case over here.

As she reached the door she adjusted her disheveled outfit. He pulled her scarf away from her face. She felt the steamy heat radiate out from inner domains of her outfit. Yeah at least one of her jackets had to go.

She held her breath and knocked on the Raikage's office door. If there was anyone who could help save her village it was him. She knew it was a long shot, almost impossible. But this was her only option and she had to take it. Staying home, and depending on her own powers would have gotten everyone killed. She may have gotten them all killed anyway by going this way, but she desperately hoped that wasn't true.

"Knock Knock." She announced in the most professional voice she could. Hoping rather strongly no one her the falter in her voice.

Documentation, though tedious to some, was Akihana's forte. Not that the blonde would say anything about how the previous secretaries managed their paperwork before her arrival but within the few short weeks she had been working for Yaju, the kunoichi had been on an organizing frenzy, filing everything with a deadly precision of a secretary trained in the ninja art of paper pushing. Sometimes the thought did occur to her that her father might have been proud of her. Being clan secretary himself, he had no doubt unconsciously passed down the knack of both reviewing tedious legal articles as well as finding their flaws and loopholes which would benefit him in turn. The thought never got very far though when an image of her father as she had last seen him flashed through her mind. Every time that happened, the young woman was overcome with an overpowering instinct to check on Arata. To make sure he was safe.

The current reports from Ame were not good, and they needed the Raikage's attention. Akihana frowned, almost putting aside another letter signed by some sort of hellish angel that Yaju had finished going through and returned to her to file. Akihana couldn't help but feel bad for the people of Ame, having grown up herself with stories originating from Rain as well as telling them to Arata when he was younger. Not supeisingly, her son had not been as enchanted with an origami angel bringing luck as he had been by valiant shinobi sacrificing their lives for their lands but that, the medic supposed, was a boy thing. It didn't stop the young mother from folding a paper angel into his pencil case anyway. If there was such a thing as good luck, she was going to make sure her son had it.

The morning had started off as usual with her delivering the usual cup of coffee, a stack of papers and as an added treat, a muffin from the batch she had baked yesterday. She knew the Raikage took some time to walk before work every day, possibly train. But if she had to guess whether the teen stopped for breakfast, her answer would have been "highly unlikely" hence the muffin. After that it was back to managing the appointment diary with too few pages and only eight to ten hours a day to work with. Prioritizing appointments took the better part of an hour and just as she was done and had moved on to the reports on Rain when a knock resounded through the chambers.

Straightening her thin rectangular reading glasses on the bridge of her nose, Akihana threw a cursory glance at a mirror nearby to ensure she was presentable, hair firmly knotted at the base of her neck in a bun with only a wisp or two having escaped the knot to trickle down her shoulder. Oh well, it would have to do. Getting to her feet, the kunoichi straightened her navy skirt before walking across the room to open the door.

"Hello, how can I help you?"

Coco opened her mouth, then shut it. She knew that the current Raikage was a man. What was a women doing here? Coco grew up in a village where there wasn't even a leader, let alone an assistant to the leader. "I'm sorry I think than I'm in the wrong room. I'm looking for the Hokage's office." Coco took a moment to look around the room. Everything was neatly set in it's only little place, how creepy. Coco seemed to remember the Kage's office at her village being ransacked several times.

"I'm Coco Wei, Chuunin of Amegakure. I'm here to appeal before the Raikage for aid to my village." She lifted up her scarf, and revealed her village's headband. "Your village honors me with your hospitality." A large blush ran over her face. "Now would you mind pointing me to his office?"

"I'm sorry I think than I'm in the wrong room. I'm looking for the Hokage's office."

"Oh no, you're in the right place, dear," Akihana replied, stepping aside to let the little ninja in. Perhaps it was because few the layers of clothes she wore but the visitor seemed even younger to the blonde than she probably was. A soft smile graced the Kunoichi's lips as she ushered in the chunin who introduced herself as Coco Wei.

"Please, do come in and have a seat. I'm Akihana, the Raikage's personal secretary. Yaju-sama cannot be everywhere all the time, as I'm sure you can imagine," she added, moving behind her desk once more to appraise the Rain nin in front of her. "Would you like something to drink?" she added, eyeing the girl who looked like she could use a few more meals inside her. Delicately, Akihana reached for the basket of banana nut muffins she had placed on the shelf earlier. With a polite smile, she pushed the basket towards Coco.

"Please, try one. I just did my baking yesterday so they're still fresh."

The golden eyed kunoichi quietly activated her Norito crest to check on Yaju while she waited with Coco, it was plain to see there was too much work on his plate and never enough time to do it and the blonde usually never disturbed him with things she could handle herself. But enlisting Kumo's aid was not something she had the authority to sanction no matter how much her heart went out to the kids suffering in Rain. Kind by nature, it was always difficult for the medic to see people deprived of basic needs but she also knew it was not the right frame of mind in which to make big decisions. Which was why Yaju needed to see this girl himself.

"Did you travel alone or were you accompanied by someone?" Like a parent perhaps, the chunin finished silently in her head, hoping that the young girl had someone looking out for her at least.

It was all Coco could do to keep a big glob of drool from falling down her mouth. "You have my thanks Akihana." Coco declared reaching for a muffin. She lightly squeezed the squishy pastry in her hand. She peeled the top of the muffin off and tenderly bit into it. Her eyes rolled back, and she suppressed a moan. "Yummy." She said quietly.

She listened to the Woman's question. As she quietly chewed away. "I came alone. The village couldn't afford to spare anyone else. I'm pretty handy though!" She said quickly. "I assure you that I can make myself useful to the Lord Raikage." Coco was a stranger in a strange land, she didn't want to appear weak. Well she never wanted that at any time, but especially now. "I mean..." She shoved the rest of the muffin into her mouth, otherwise she'd just keep talking a mile a minute.

She chewed slowly, and a heady silence filled the room.

She did her best to change the conversation. "The sky here is so colorful." She did her best not to sound like she was amazed, she failed. "It's orange and yellow, and purple." She announced airily, referring to the sunrise. "Is it always like this? Or is this a sign of good luck for my adventure. Where I come from the sky is always grey, and crying."

As Coco bit into the muffin, the blonde got the impression her visitor hadn't had a pastry in a long time. Deciding to leave the basket by the other chunin to indicate she was most certainly welcome to take more than one, Akihana instead listened to the words she managed between bites. When Coco said she could be of use to the Raikage, the Akari had to resist the urge to get up and hug her. The child didn't seem to understand that her Kage was supposed to look after her, not the other way around. Akihana had only the briefest knowledge of the going ons in Rain, and all through dry, academic resources. Seeing someone from there made the whole situation a lot more... real, and in urgent need of attention.

As Coco asked about the sky, Akihana felt a profound sadness inside her. The sky in Ame was crying, or so she said. The blonde didn't know how to explain that rain was not something to be sad over, but to someone who had seen nothing but rain and lived a hard life to boot... So instead she simply said "I have a feeling there won't be anymore crying skies in your future." It may have been a promise made in vain but the medic had faith that if they couldn't do anything for Ame in general, they would at least do something for this little ninja.

"Feel free to try another muffin while I go and see if the Raikage is available," the young woman encouraged getting to her feet, her small practical heels clicking softly on the floor as she made her way to the internal office where Yaju sat. Knocking on the door, Akihana peeked in quietly to make sure she wasn't disturbing him before speaking. "Yaju, there's a chunin from Rain outside. She'd like to see you about enlisting help for Ame, should I send her in." Her tone was professional but her golden eyes told another story entirely. Please try to help her, they spoke silently. She looks like she needs it.

[Akihana exit - 1186 words with Norito crest}

Coco helped herself to a second muffin. Akihana reminded her quiet a bit of her father, very generous and caring. She dug into the second muffin as Akihana ventured further into the office. Whilst she was waiting for the Raikage's response, Coco unzipped her puffiest jacket. A strong almost visible wave of heat and moister radiated out from the confines of her jacket. Yup she was definitely going to have rethink her outfits for as long as she was in the city.

She draped her jacket over her seat, and once she was finished with the muffin she slid her hands between her knees. Goodness, she really hoped the Raikage was able to see her today. Otherwise this entire situation would be entirely awkward for her. As well as dangerous for her city. She couldn't be held in limbo for too long. Every moment there was evil out in the world growing stronger. She felt a knot grow in her stomach. They'd be in her city soon, and they'd kill everyone. Mom, dad, even Li Dian.  She pressed her knee's tightly together.

"Is now a bad time?" She asked finally looking over at the half open door.

" I don't CARE how you make it happen, just make sure everything is taken care of....and increase the scans for her chakra signature its been too long since her disappearance," he had been talking to someone, whom no one could figure out, but his tone sounded impatient and angry to say the least almost as if the red hair that adorned his head had been alit with fire. Calming down he would swivel in his chair and return to his original form (the one for his avatar) and look to Akihana with a sigh," Ame you say? I wasn't aware their were any ninja still there except for one...if this is the case send her in," if there was actual activity in Ame then he would need to do something about this issue, but if they were acquiring help...then this was a totally different situation altogether.

Waiting for the young girl to come in he would point to the seat across from his desk and spoke," Take a seat and please...for your safety don't bow to me, but on to more pressing matters. What is the situation and how many are their of you in Ame as of this moment?," his eyes showed a serious tone as he observed the young girl, his eyes glowing for a moment as he observed her and tilted his head. As he waited for an answer he would idly tap his fingers across the desk, listening carefully as each word left her lips.

Right to business, Coco liked that. She thanked Akihana for her hospitality. She took a seat before the Raikage, and did her best to keep her cool. She'd never before been in front of someone so obviously powerful. "Coco Wei My lord. At present I am the highest ranking ninja of my village. There are three others, a genin and two students. I myself am but a novice Chuunin." She almost sighed upon relying the information. This building had more ninja in it than her entire country did.

"As of late we have done all we can to rebuild our city, make it proud once more. However the attacks upon our fellow villages threatened to undo all our work. Should a threat come Ame will be unable to defend itself. While I would gladly sell my life to protect my village, I know that I would be helpless to save anyone." She took a pause, gauging the man's response. Coco had never really dealt with people outside of her own family much. Such was the life of one who lived in an abandoned village.

"To you and your village I would gladly sell my life and soul to, if only you would help defend the village you claim as your own." Coco's heart was beating as fast as it ever had. Rejection seemed all too likely,  and this was her only hope.

As his ears slowly twitched, Yaju stood up and reached into his pockets while walking around his desk and moving towards a box. Inside said box he would look inside before sighing and looking over his shoulder towards Coco," Last time i checked there were no people in Amegakure....well one but that child is probably long since dead. As i digress however, if you are attempting to revive the village i would commend you on your efforts," stopping for a moment he would walk over towards the desk and lean on it, his left hand moving from the confines of his pockets and straigtening his tie.

However at the sound of a threat he would pause and consider his options, weighing them carefull before speaking," If you're so content on helping your village at the expense of your life...then i shall give you aid, but i want you to join Kumo as one of my ninja. Of course your family can live here as they see fit and your friends as well. These things are a given since you are still under my wing, but in the event that you do not...then eh," shrugging for a moment he would allow her to take this all in then reply.