Promotion (P, NK)

Denkiteki was looking over various papers as he awaited the entrance of a particular shinobi. Den had heard of the incident at the Royal Palace, at least bits of it, but wanted to hear of what happened from a first hand account. His room was relatively small and windowless, though it was brightly lit by a few electrical lights. 

It seems some of the nobles really don't like us as well. First the citizens hadn't taken much of a liking to the new shinobi forces, Den specifically, but how many nobles didn't support them either? Den knew it was mostly because of the Queen that the force had even been created, but had expected that most of the nobles would enjoy having superhuman protectors. 

Well you don't help public opinion, you're the commander of the shinobi here and yet all you do is sign papers and hunt. There's more to being a leader than that, you should be working to show the people that shinobi aren't as cruel as these people say. Kokou's familiar voice touched Den's mind as he sat in his chair, looking at all the papers on his desk. The beast was right, Den really wasn't a good leader, but he hadn't been given a choice in becoming one. 

Is that how you rationalize it, you didn't choice to be the commander, so it's fine that you're a terrible one, that these people hate you, that they hate all of the shinobi that have sworn themselves to Hoshigakure? 

Den was bit caught off guard by the remark, it had been some time since the beast had openly insulted him, I thought you just wanted to be alone Kokou, why do you care what I do with these people?

Why don't you care?

Should I? They aren't why I'm here. I only allied with them because we share a common goal, I don't wish the people of Hoshigakure ill but I could care less what they think of me or this shinobi force. If the situation gets worse we can just leave.

And what about the students at the academy, will you take them with you, the trained shinobi as well? When the people of Hoshigakure want to throw them all out because they listened to you and learned how to use chakra, you won't feel any responsibility for that?

Den and Kokou would continue to have the argument as he continued to wait, his chakra senses as always on the search for any sort of chakra signature.

Arashi would have been delivered a message that said that Den wished to see him at the university to discuss the incident that had occurred at the palace.

The young man arrived at the facility, one that he had really never been to.  Why should he?  This place was strictly off-limits for all who were not invited, and he was not one to try and challenge the rules.  So to get a notice from Den to see him there?  It was surprising to say the least, but considering his last mission, it made sense. 

If there was a Kage for Hoshi, it was Den... a position he seemed to have reluctantly taken and then quickly hid behind.  Akihana took care of the relations between the nobles and the royalty and the ninja, and Den had someone else working with the Academy.  He stayed mostly in the back, taking care of things either here or in his aptly named Sanctuary. 

After everything that occurred; the death of the Princess, the betrayal of the Lord, and the attempted murder of both himself and Akihana, for the most part everything was kept out of the public eye.  There was no mention of the Princess, and no one thankfully saw Arashi brining her in.  It was told that Lord Nedran acted against the crown and lost in a duel with Prince Pendragon, but that was it.  No mention of the ninja involvement.  Arashi himself had been told to standby and relax for the next period, and until this notice had remained mostly within the castle grounds.  He had recently decided to learn seals during the time.

Walking in with the presented notice, he was able to get through the guards to the Chamber itself, and took a breath before the young ninja pushed the doors open and walked in.

"Hayato-sensei, you asked for my presence?"

Sensing Arashi's approach Den and Kokou stopped their squabbling so that Den could focus on what he was doing. Denkiteki would speak after Arashi entered and asked if Den had sent for him.

"Yes, it's about the mission you were sent on recently. I want to hear what happened from you… as well as what occurred during the incident in the palace after you returned.” Den wanted a firsthand account of the mission, he could read reports but hearing what happened directly from Arashi’s mouth was the best option, well besides reading Arashi’s mind but Den didn’t want to do something as invasive as that. As for the incidient at the palace Den did intend to ask Akihana about that as well, but seeing as he wanted to debrief Arashi anyway he thought he’d ask him about the incident as well.

(Sorry for short post/long wait v.v)

So.. it was about the mission.  Arashi couldn't help but sigh, however he quickly stopped it and hoped that Den didn't notice it.  Afterall, it wasn't that he was tired of talking about it.. but he felt guilty about it... he was directly the cause of the death of a Lord, and the guaranteed death of the Hoshi royal family.

"Akihana sent me on a simple mission, barely D ranked, to meet up with the Princess of the Bird Nation.. you were probably aware that she was the last surviving heir to Haven.  It was just a recon mission, possibly paired with escort, because we hadn't heard from the Princess since she crossed the border.  That's where it went wrong... I'm sure if you knew what might have occurred, I wouldn't have been the one sent..." he said, before stopping.  There he went again, holding himself as a worse ninja than he was.  Guilt was a terrible thing.

"Sorry, I made it to her last reported position, and started to follow the tracks of the caravan, that's when it started to go wrong.  I started to find... evidence... of shinobi traps.  A kunai with chakra wire that was used to slice pieces of the wagon's wheels, effectively compromising its structural integrity.  I found that the same kind of wire was used to bring down a three onto the road, diverting the wagon down a more secluded path, and then I found a messenger bird in the woods that was struck down with a shuriken.  The bird carried a message describing a meeting with the former Lord, or at least one of his aids.  It... clearly showed that the Princess gave a report to him, but didn't feel right not sending a message to the Queen and tried to send one."

Arashi fidgeted for a moment, the memories filling his head.  "That night, it was too late to head back, and I didn't want to lose the trail, plus I had already stumbled once and felt I was too tired.  While I was building camp I overheard a meeting between the Lord and the head of the shinobi discussing among other things, my presence.  The next morning I left early, trying to catch up to the group, but by the time I got there... almost everyone was dead."

He took a deep breath, he had been doing good not to cry when thinking about the Princess, and luckily didn't.  "I found the Princess and the ninja who was leading the group.  I tried to save her, but I couldn't move fast enough, and he... killed her.  In front of me.  Next I had to face off against him, and one of his underlings, and to be honest, I don't know how I survived it.  He had similar powers to me, and I was only able to use that against him.  He incased me in water, and I turned it into ice to keep from drowning, and by the time I was able to break out of it, he was dead on the ground.. torched by lightning."

He stood straighter, trying to keep up appearances against the leader of the ninja in this village, as well as the man responsible for making his rescue by Akihana possible.

"The princess was still breathing, I think.. or at least I know she wasn't dead.  At least not yet.  I grabbed her and ran as fast as I could back to the village, straight to Akihana.  She did her best, but... I failed.  She died under my watch, and because of me, the royalty of Haven ends with the dying Queen.  I'm sorry I was not fast enough." he said, prepared for the lecture or rage, or whatever the pseudo-Kage deemed necessary.

Denkiteki could tell it was hard for Arashi to talk about the mission. He hadn’t been able to save the Princess he had been tasked with meeting and felt personally responsible for her fate. The leader of Hoshi could definitely empathize with such feelings, he had felt the same way about Minorin for quite some time after her death, feeling it was his fault that it happened.

After the genin finished his story Den spoke, his voice calm, “You can’t blame yourself for what happened Arashi. I know you feel responsible for but here’s the truth; no expected something like that to happen, and if we had sent any other genin on that mission things would have likely ended far worst.”

As he finished the sentence Den picked up a pen and signed a piece of paper that was a bit off to the side of his desk, the document itself however would be hidden from Arashi’s view by a stack of paper in front of the document.

“Arashi during that mission you displayed ability and courage far above what’s expected of a genin, and for that I am promoting you to the rank of Chunin. There come more responsibilities with this promotion, there will be more missions where the lives of others will be on the line, but I know you’ll do everything you can to keep those under your care safe and that’s why I’m entrusting you with this.” Den didn’t smile as he gave Arashi the promotion, but he did hope that the news would cheer Arashi up.

After he finished speaking Den would get out of his chair and move around his desk to shake Arashi’s hand before leading him to the door if the newly appointed Chunin allowed it.

“I know that mission was difficult for you, and if you want to spend some time off duty before you begin working in your new position I understand, but you are ready to be a chunin, I hope you know that.” With that Den would dismiss Arashi, he had to return to his paperwork.

Den was only the latest in a line of people telling him it wasn't his fault, and Arashi had heard it all before, but Den was the first to suggest that if it had been anyone else, it would have been a lot worse.

The young man nodded, watching the Kage-ranked ninja continuing his work while he was addressing the genin.  Arashi half expected some sort of comforting lecture, but what he heard was far more surprising, and for a bit the boy stood there jaw open in a state of shock.

Chuunin.

He was to be a Chuunin ranked ninja.

The first Chuunin ranked ninja of Haven. 

He took Den's hand and shook it, and was in enough of a state of shock that he was easily guided to the door.  The work of a Kage was never done, of course.

The young man nodded at his last words, and took a couple of steps out of the door before he heard it close.  He was still silent, but then turned to door.  The Royal guards did and said nothing, and as Arashi started walking out, he started to note others around.  He started off a genin, and was now walking out a chuunin.  As he exited the building, his face finally twisted into a smile, and he ran off towards the castle to tell Akihana.  He would have to come back later for his official chuunin uniform, but for now, it was celebration.

And a period of solitude as he contemplated his new position, but that would be later.

He was Chuunin.

[Exit]