A Rather Important Status Update

"As I thought, m'lord." The very short woman said before hopping off the desk and leaving the office, shedding out of the kage robes at the door on her way out. Tokiatsu watched her leave with a bemused expression on his face before turning back to face Kinzoku. He looked like he was about to ask the man seated across from him a question, but then changed his mind and waited for him to answer his question. His eyes returned to normal though, no longer purple in colour.

"Yes." Was the Kage’s response to his initial question. "The frequency at which they have been happening had increased for reasons I cannot explain. It was a necessary measure that needed to be taken." That answer still didn’t sit well with the Watchman, but there was really no point in questioning it further for now. It was time to move on to the primary reason for him being here.
In regards to his request, the man seated across from him had no issue with him wanting to prevent eavesdropping. "As you wish" was the man’s answer before saying "Whenever y'all are ready." He was keeping a close eye on Tokiatsu, making sure there were no tricks being played. Tokiatsu didn’t blame him, one can never be too cautious.

The retelling of his time outside of the village took significantly longer than he’d expected at first, but it made sense, considering it had been roughly two years that he needed to cover. Bossk had indeed been invaluable, as he did provide clarification at points when Tokiatsu’s memory was muddy. When he’d finished his story, he would keep the bubble active in case the Hokage wanted to comment on anything that had taken place, or provide any other information confidentially.

Were there nothing else in regards to his time away from the village, Tokiatsu would then take the opportunity to find out what had happened in the time he was gone. “Apart from the increased bandit attacks.” He would start off by saying, leaving no hint of his opinion on the topic. “What else has happened in the village during the two years I’ve been away?”

WC: 362
TWC: 2179

882 Base AP
+5 AP for Hidemori Physiology
-15 AP for Watchman's Shroud's Sound Dampeners Upkeep

872 AP Remaining

When Tokiatsu gave the telling signs that there was nothing to suspect from his jutsu and that he was prepared to tell his story, Kinzoku reached his right hand down to the handle of the drawer and opened it. Out from the drawer came a single file with a small stack of papers. Tokiatsu would likely noticed what was in the file as it contained all the letters he had sent during his mission. The papers were for taking notes of his telling, as he reached for a pen and got ready to jot down some notes.

As Tokiatsu and his snake companion began, Kinzoku listened attentively, from time to time glancing over the letters that the Watchman had sent to see if things were adding up. From time to time Kinzoku adjusted himself in the Hokage seat, as well as adjusting his hat to fit more comfortably. The process of the debriefing had taken quite some time but it was exactly what the Nazar had expected. He also had no trouble what so ever maintaining his focus throughout the process. This was like a walk in the park for a man who meditated daily. 

Placing the pen down once the debriefing had finished, Kinzoku pumped his notes against the desk to make sure they were all aligned and added them into the folder with Tokiatsu's previous notes. He slipped the file back into the drawer and closed it for the Hokage to go through on her own time. The impression Kinzoku had gotten was that this was in fact Tokiatsu and not some impostor. The telling of his mission added up with his notes. "This is good work" Kinzoku added in. "I believe we have enough information to make a move of them. It'll be put on hold for the moment as we are somewhat tight on shinobi right now. But when it comes time to, I'd like for you to spear head the mission." It only made sense, he knew the most about the group. He knew the terrain. He knew how to live out in the wild for extended periods of time.

After the debriefing was done the Nazar noticed that the Chuunin made no attempt to leave. There was more to this meeting as Kinzoku suspected. It was time for Tokiatsu to be debriefed it seemed as his next question clearly stated so.  What had happened here in Konoha during his two years away. Leaning back in the chair taking a more relaxed posture before he began, he let out a small and brief sigh.

"A lot" was what he began with. "I'm afraid I have not been completely honest with you, Tokiatsu." The Watchman would have to bare with Kinzoku as he started from the beginning. "The Hokage who assigned you the mission was Ashi Inuzuka..." he paused, remembering the very same Hokage who had allowed him to make Konoha his home after Suna was taken over. "After her tenure as Hokage, she was replaced by Ayumi. Her stint as Hokage was short lived. She is very much still around, somewhere. But she could not hold the position. Now, as i'm sure you've suspected, your Hokage exited the room a few hours ago. Forgive me, but i needed to make sure you are who you say you are."

"As for why I'm here in her stead, well she was away on important business, which comes to the next topic" he said before pausing for a moment. "Just under a year ago we were attacked by the full force of Kirigakure headed by the Mizukage himself. We failed in defending the village. We now belong to Kiri. They have allowed us to maintain our status as one of the four remaining major villages. But if Kiri makes an order, we follow." He stopped here to let the two before him digest the information as well as add or ask any questions that they may of had. If not the Nazar saw this meeting coming to and end soon as he felt its purpose had been served and he did not have much more to say.

As the pair went over their story, the Hokage pulled out a file folder from one of the desk drawers, reading off of them and taking notes, likely comparing what was written there to what had been relayed to the village when he’d had an opportunity to send off a report. Once they had finished their complete report, the man in front of them placed his pen down own the desk, placed his notes in the folder with the papers that were already there, and placed them back inside the desk drawer. "This is good work" The man said to the Watchman "I believe we have enough information to make a move of them. It'll be put on hold for the moment as we are somewhat tight on shinobi right now. But when it comes time to, I'd like for you to spear head the mission." Tokiatsu would nod in response to the man’s statement. “I understand. When it comes time, I will not let the village down.”

It would seem that instead of being rebuffed a second time, the Hokage would be more forthcoming that he had been earlier. "A lot" Which elicited a chuckle from Tokiatsu. ‘I can only imagine.’ He thought to himself. ‘2 years is quite a significant amount of time.' "I'm afraid I have not been completely honest with you, Tokiatsu." The Watchman would raise his eyebrow but remain silent. He had anticipated that the truth had been shaded, at least until his identity could be verified. This is likely what had happened with the man’s glancing at notes. "The Hokage who assigned you the mission was Ashi Inuzuka..." Tokiatsu would nod in agreement. "After her tenure as Hokage, she was replaced by Ayumi. Her stint as Hokage was short lived. She is very much still around, somewhere. But she could not hold the position. Now, as I’m sure you've suspected, your Hokage exited the room a few hours ago. Forgive me, but I needed to make sure you are who you say you are." Tokiatsu raised his eyebrow. “I had no reason to believe otherwise. It was strange though for someone to materialise in this office, unless it was their office.” He would say to the man in front of him. “That would then beg the question, who are you and what is your relation to the current Hokage?”

"As for why I'm here in her stead, well she was away on important business, which comes to the next topic" Tokiatsu and Bossk exchanged a glance. 'Important business eh?' Tokiatsu thought to himself. ‘I wonder what business that could be.’ He would remain silent while the man in front of him continued. "Just under a year ago we were attacked by the full force of Kirigakure headed by the Mizukage himself. We failed in defending the village. We now belong to Kiri. They have allowed us to maintain our status as one of the four remaining major villages. But if Kiri makes an order, we follow."

“I see.” Tokiatsu said quietly. There was nothing really more to say on the matter. At the end of the day, it didn’t matter. Tokiatsu would protect his village’s interests, even if that meant playing to the tune of another village for now. “Perhaps he is less of a tyrant than others have been in the past.” He would say out loud, not necessarily to the man in front of him. He had been to several ruined villages, remnants of other invasions, they were not as lucky as his village had been.

At this point Tokiatsu would deactivate the sound dampening bubble that was surrounding the two men. “Now that I have returned, what are my orders to be?” He would ask the man. It was the only question he had currently.

WC: 634
TWC: 2813

Kinzoku returned a smile to the Chuunin as he reassured he would not fail the village when the time came to take down the organization he had been tracking. In the end that was all he could ask and hope for. They conversation moved on, Kinzoku picking up on the slight changes in Tokiatsu's facial features as they spoke. As suspicious as he may or may not have been, it seemed he had no reason to believe that Risako was in fact the Hokage. He just found it strange for someone to materialize in the Hokage office unless they were the Hokage. This lead to Tokiatsu's next question. Who was Kinzoku Nazar? He smiled once more, continuing to lean back in the chair as he intertwined the fingers of his hands together resting them gently on his lap. The easiest way to start would be to give your name, right?

"My name is Kinzoku Nazar" he began, studying the two ahead of him as he spoke. "I am formerly a Jounin of Sunagakure. After its takeover at the hands of Kumogakure, I had two choices. Join Kumo or leave and do my own thing. I took refuge in Konoha since it was the only allied village to Suna. Ashi allowed me to maintain my status as a Jounin for Konoha." There was a slight pause before he continued, remembering the time he first arrived to Konoha. Remembering that the first person he met at the gates had been Salzem. How Salzem was the one they all had to participate in taking his life because the Mizukage said so. Before his thoughts wondered off to far he brought himself back to the room he was in and the man he was talking to. "As time went by and I proved myself to this village, I gained the trust of our Hokage Risako. She appointed me Deputy Kage of Konoha."

A foreigner being second in command to the village. How would people take to that? After all Suna had done the very same thing with Koroshi Uchiha who became the Kazekage, Kinzoku's kage. He eventually gained the peoples trust. Could the Nazar do the same? The last part would be the answer Tokiatsu was looking for as to why Kinzoku was currently here.

"Perhaps" Kinzoku would add to the Chuunins remarks about Xyxer. "I don't know the man very well nor do I know what his true intentions are..." "But I'm hoping to gain some insight now" he thought to himself. Perhaps being in a higher position now would grant him for time with the Mizukage and learn more about him. "Time will tell". 

Orders... what were his orders to be? Kinzoku had not even thought that far. He only just met the shinobi for the first time. He didn't even know the Chuunin would be back home today. "For now, you have no orders. You've been away for a long time my friend. Take a day or two to yourself. I think you've earned it. We'll reconvene then. Will that be all?" Kinzoku asked, allowing Tokiatsu to add anything more if need be.

"My name is Kinzoku Nazar" ‘Finally.’ Tokiatsu thought to himself as he nodded, committing the name to memory. ‘A name for the face.’ "I am formerly a Jounin of Sunagakure. After its takeover at the hands of Kumogakure, I had two choices. Join Kumo or leave and do my own thing. I took refuge in Konoha since it was the only allied village to Suna. Ashi allowed me to maintain my status as a Jounin for Konoha." “I’m assuming it must have been after I’d already left the village, as your name is not familiar to me.” Tokiatsu would say to Kinzoku before the Jounin would continue. "As time went by and I proved myself to this village, I gained the trust of our Hokage Risako. She appointed me Deputy Kage of Konoha."
 
It definitely wasn’t what Tokiatsu was expecting, but at least now he knew who it was that he was speaking to. After his offhand observation about Xyxer, Kinzoku made a comment of his own. "Perhaps. I don't know the man very well nor do I know what his true intentions are... Time will tell." The Watchman would nod in agreement. “Indeed.” He would say to Kinzoku. “As long as the village remains intact that is all I care about.”
 
In response to Tokiatsu’s question about orders, the Deputy Kage had nothing for him. "For now, you have no orders. You've been away for a long time my friend. Take a day or two to yourself. I think you've earned it. We'll reconvene then. Will that be all?" It would seem that Kinzoku had other things to attend to, which suited Tokiatsu fine. “I believe that answers all of my questions for now. If I have more I imagine it wouldn’t be difficult to have another meeting.” With that, Tokiatsu would stand up. Bossk would make his way to his original position, hanging around the Watchman’s neck as the Konoha Chuunin put his hooded robes back on. He would then bow respectfully to Kinzoku. “Until next time, Deputy Hokage.” With that, Tokiatsu would make his way out of the office, pulling his hood back up over his head, and made his way back to where his clan’s enclave was in the village. He hadn't seen his family in some time. It was good to be home again.
 
[EXIT]
 
WC: 389
TWC: 3202

Claiming:
3066 WC towards Storm Release: Jupiter's Favour (3750/3750, 25% max stat discount) Learning C-S Rank
136WC towards Sealing Release (136/1688, 25% max stat discount)

Proof of progress: here

Approved

Will just claim exit

twc: 3628

1043 words into Steel Release: Steel Coffin (6000/6000) Progress here
1500 words into Nanosteel (1500/1500) 25%
1085 words into Kyudo Kai Quickdraw (1085/1500)25%

Approved