For the Clan, and In His Stead (P)

Makashi walked through the streets, head hanging low with his longer shaggy black hair dangling in his face, using the back of his head to prevent the water pouring forth from the sky from dabbing the end of his lit cigarette.  The cigarette was half smoked and he puffed on it casually, both hands in the pocket of his pants.  The water droplets that slowly slid down his face and cheeks would hide the casual tears that slid down his nose.  Given the events that had occurred recently would honestly justify any form of tear that the sad Sarutobi- Nara would be showing, but in this particular case Makashi had already cried all the tears of sadness he needed, these were tears of dismay.  His cousin finished at the top of the Jounin contenders, a feat that Makashi would never have imagined the man was capable of, so when he learned that Makashi became resolute to pause his current training and undergo the exams in his cousin's place, to make his Aunt and Uncle and the entire Sarutobi clan proud.  This was a weight he now carried upon his shoulders.  The weight of an entire village's respect for his family's clan and friends.  So despite the horrid rain that had been falling in the village today he needed to speak with the Lord Hokage.
 
Makashi wandered around the final street corner slowly and made his way up to the expansive entry way of the Hokage chambers.  Makashi checked his blade out of habit, always feeling there were prying eyes within every part of the village, and just before he stepped through the entrance he would toss the butt of his smoke into a nearby mulch pile and walked in, preparing to make a heartfelt request from the little known leader of Konoha, who was not a native to his home.  The boy would shake out his hair at the doorway and run his fingers through it removing it from his eyes, a stern and expressionless look on his face. Swiftly the boy would slip a thin white stick out of his ninja tool pouch on his right side and slip it into his mouth, clicking a lighter behind it and placing the end of the cigarette into the orange flame, and taking a breath.  Makashi knew where the Hokage's office was located so it didn't take long for him to track it down.  Taking a military stance by placing his hands behind his back and forming his back upright, Makashi would take three steps into the office and would bow down to a knee, formally lowering his eyes then looking back up at the Hokage, placing his right hand across his chest as a sign of loyalty and placing the left behind his back, showing the man all of the honor he deserved.
 
"Greetings, Lord Hokage."  Makashi would state upon entry.

Some time had passed since the end of the written exams had finished, marked with the tragedy of Mako Sarutobi's death following the promising ninja getting the highest score. Kurisu had just been in his office lost in his own thoughts, the time of sorrow had brought back old memories he'd gone through and reminded him of past deaths. People die and there was no real stopping it was there? No attack, no malicious nature, just peacefully passing in sleep. He had tried so hard to make sure that Konoha wouldn't have to deal with people dying young unless they were on a dangerous mission, but this was something no one had any control over and that was new. 

With Ari and Kasuga out of the village and the other kids being too young to truly grasp much of this he was left with no one to try and talk to about all of this, thoughts of the good times in Kumogakure no Sato only fueled the mixture of anger and confusion and sorrow that he was feeling. Thankfully there'd be a distraction, the arrival of someone in his office to let him get his minds off things. Upon his desk were a few bottles of Jack Daniels along with two comfortable chairs in front of the desk. 

The guest was very respectful which was a clear sign of being a good Konoha ninja; however, this wasn't a time when formalities were going to be demanded of his ninja. "Greetings, at ease young one. Go ahead and have a seat. You're Makashi right?" he'd already gone over most of the files related to Mako, having done so in order to go inform his family that their son was awarded with the rank of Jounin. In the process he took the time to try and learn at least the names of mostly all the ninja in Konoha which was quite the arduous task but something he felt was needed. Assuming that Makashi would take a seat then Kurisu would continue. "Feel free to have some Jack, speak your mind." hopefully this would help distract him and push the other thoughts back.

Makashi stood, standing at ease, relaxing his back but remaining posed. He would respond "Correct, Makashi Nara,"   His left hand entering his left pocket producing a small white package with a torn left end containing many white tipped sticks and also pull out a golden lighter, on one side bearing the symbol of the Sarutobi, the latter he would casually slip into his right hand.  He would hold the smokes up and look at Kurisu as if questioning as to whether this room was a smoke free zone.  If the Hokage would allow he would use his thumb to shift one of them out of the package slightly and offer it to the man with a gesture, and proceed to place one within his mouth and flip the lighter open lighting the end and inhaling blowing the smoke upward into the air making sure as to avoid blowing the smoke into the Hokage's face.
 
The room was nice and aside from coming here several times on missions this is the first time he had entered to discuss anything with Kurisu.  Makashi would step forward and take a seat accepting the man's offer of whiskey.  He would remove the cigarette and turn the glass up and would feel the burning liquid hit the back of his throat which would cause his face to squint slightly as he finished the glass.  He had drank sake before but had never had the pleasure of drinking corn based liquor.  It was actually not bad.  "It is better than I expected," Makashi would say his eyes watering a bit from the drink.  He would then take a large drag off the smoke and it would make for a perfect balance.  He would for the first time smile and ask "Another?" as he began to pour himself a second drink sipping on this one instead of mainlining it.
 
"I have come to ask permission to travel with the other chuunin, postponing my private training, to represent both the Sarutobi and the Nara in my cousin's place. As well, your capability with lightning based ninjutsu is legendary and came to ask for some pointers, as I also favor lightning techniques."   Makashi spoke formally though it was obvious to Kurisu that this would not be his normal way of speaking still nervous around the Hokage.  However, he would soon  go back to his typical syntax if the Jack kept coming.  He wanted to be polite when asking for a favor from someone above his station.

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Kurisu noticed the smokes that Makashi pulled out, giving a nod of his head to grant permission to smoke within the office. Upon being offered, Kurisu would go ahead and take one and use a old lighter, he'd had since his Kumo days which bore the symbol of the Raikage, to light the end just as Makashi had done. "Haven't had one of these in quite a long time, always went good with a drink." with that he'd lift his bottle up and nearly down the rest of the contents while pulling out another one from under the desk.

During this time Makashi seemed to explain why he'd come to visit Kurisu, mentioning wanting to join the Jounin Exams along with asking for some lightning training. It was probably influenced by the drinking but Kurisu agreed with the idea, also the fact that he wanted to stay sharp and not get used to just being in the office doing no training of any type. "Alright I'll see if you're ready to be in the Jounin Exams, we'll do some training and depending on how easily you learn and how much skill you show that will determine if you'll be allowed in the exams." that was that, he'd wait for Makashi's response and if provided with some type of yes then Kurisu would point to the ceiling. "We'll head to the roof." and with that he'd jump from his chair and through the ceiling while holding his bottle of Jack before landing on the roof about five meters from the hole he'd just created.

Makashi would smile, looking much like a small crease on his face where his mouth would be with the white cigarette dangling out from it. What a damn badass, Makashi thought to himself.  It was a shame Mako had never had the opportunity to meet the Hokage, the two of them would easily unanimously agree on Kurisu as an impressive Hokage.  The Sarutobi-Nara did not judge their superiors on administrative skills.  Mako watched the lighter quite impressed, as he was flooded with questions concerning this man's past.  The Raikage?  There had to be a story there, Makashi assumed it would be far too long to bother listening to.  So after the man retrieved the smoke and proceeded to inform him of the stipulations of his joining the exams, the man would leap through the ceiling destroying the roof and ceiling with ease.  This action both would surprise and impress the Nara greatly, though the leap seemed extremely impractical. 
 
Makashi would have to dodge the falling debree, which he would do so deftly and nimbly watching as the chunks crumpled as he stepped side to side without trouble.  Then as soon as the area would clear Makashi would proceed to leap, though he knew he lacked the physical strength to complete it with one straight upward burst the way the Hokage could, so he would improvise with his speed and intelligence.  Activating the surface walking jutsu he would jump toward the wall nearest the hole, twisting his body midair so that he would connect with the wall with his back parallel to it letting his feet connect to the wall and bending his knees immediately the moment his feet met the wall.  Makashi would then use the momentum of his last jump, to leap again through the hole, coming through it at a diagonal angle, just barely clearing the edge of the hole, and tumbling the moment he hit the ground and spinning to face the Hokage crouched with one hand on the ground and reaching up with the other to pull the still lit cigarette from his mouth and blowing out smoke deactivating the surface walking jutsu.  He was now crouuched before the man once again, except with a completely different motive.
 
The smile would be much larger now, a smile on his face, excitement in his eyes and a thirst for knowledge that could not be sated.  "Show me,"  Makashi's eyes would be fixed upon the hands of the man standing before him, he refused to be the amateur who struggled learning the techniques, he would not only learn them but he would display his capabilities, and show his worth.  No way he doesn't impress, and become a nameless face among the crowds of ambitious shinobi who were his allies.  Just as Mako had people who supported him, Makashi would as well leave a lasting impression upon the Hokage and his peers.

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Before any progress could be made, an ANBU arrived on the roof in front of Kurisu. "Lord Hokage there is a serious matter that you need to deal with." The ANBU was speaking of Kurisu's eldest daughter being found in the forest, though it was not something Kurisu knew at the moment. Glances were exchanged before Kurisu realized that whatever it was that the ANBU discovered, it was bad. 

Turning to Makashi, "I apologize, you can still go in the exams if you wish. If you do, then after the exams I'll give you a session of training. If you don't, then after I deal with this matter I'll do it." with that he'd head back down into the office.

[Sorry man, I'm just too out of it. ._.]