A New Beginning (Max)

47 Spring, 419AV

It was just past noon when Ares had woken up. The young Pendragon had still trouble sleeping in a village that he could hardly call his own. Not getting used to his Kumogakure bed it was safe to say that the boy had yet to become fully acclimated to his new environment. Waking up a couple of times at night thinking about the events that had taken place in his home village Sunagakure left him unable to take peace with the harsh reality he had found himself in. At heart he was still a shinobi of Suna, but in mind he needed to become one of Kumo. Those were all part of the different thoughts that had been causing him to suffer from insomnia.

While he was getting ready to get out of bed Ares started to reminisce about how proud he was the day he received his Jounin flack jacket after being promoted. It was almost as if it had happened just yesterday. It was a moment that would stay with him for the rest of his life. For a boy of his age it meant quite a lot to be seen as someone worthy of that high of a rank. But then the present times came to him which struck him with the painful reality of what took place the day he returned from a mission. During his sixteen years of age he had already experienced two invasions of his village. The first lead to his promotion, the second to his retreat to Kumogakure. While the first had somewhat of a positive outcome, the other had left him unknowing of what had happened to his friends and family when the missing nin attacked.

Now that he was no longer a shinobi of Sunagakure but one of Kumogakure he had to adapt to this new way of life. To help in this undertaking he needed a place where he would be able to stay for a while. He had found himself a nice little place in the centre of the village, not too far from the village gates but also not close enough to hear everything what was going on. He wanted to make sure he had his peace while trying to get adjusted to his new home, if he would ever be able to call it that.

Something else that needed to be done and that he was on his way to do, was to formally introduce himself to the man of the village, or should he say boy? Word had gotten to him that there had been a change of leadership and that the victor was someone of a very young age. Not that it really mattered to Ares since he himself was only sixteen as well and already made it to Jounin. But courtesy demanded that he would make the others aware of his presence now that he had joined their village, and what better place to start than the Raikage?

The young Jounin was having a peculiar feeling when he was setting foot on the streets of Kumogakure on his way to the Raikage. Were the streets any different from the ones at his home? Probably not, but it still gave him an uneasy feeling. Since he was out on official business and was planning on meeting the most important man of the village he decided to put on his Jounin flack jacket to emphasize his rank. On his right side he was carrying his Dragon Slayer, a sword passed down to him as a member of the Pendragon clan.

The young Jounin had entered the Raikage Chambers as he was getting close to the office of the leader of Kumogakure no Sato. He expected the man to be fairly busy since he figured that everyone would want to see and speak their new leader. Outside the office there was someone standing who appeared to be his assistant or maybe even his guard, so Ares decided to address the man. “My name is Ares Pendragon, Jounin of Kumogakure, former Sunagakure. I’m here to see Lord Raikage.”

(WC: 681)

Crawford would be standing next to his chair in front of the Raikage’s office, gazing upon the young man that approached. He leaned casually against the wall beside the doors leading to the office. The guard would be fully geared up with arms and armor, as he took his job of protecting the little lord very seriously, even if it was incredibly dull. Seeing the Jounin Jacket and the Kumo headband, Crawford would loosen up just a bit. “You here to see the little lord, too? You know he’s a popular fellow. I’ve not seen things this stirred up in a long time.” The man would look at the Jounin, hearing his name. “Pendragon? Why does that name sound so familiar?” Crawford would ponder for a moment before Max would call through the door.
 
“Crawford, stop hassling people that come to see me.” Max would say as Crawford shook his head and opened the door. “You know, protecting this door is an incredibly boring job. Why don’t you call that former student of yours, Hato?” Crawford would raise his eyebrows with a sly grin on his face. “That will be all Crawford.” Max would say as the man let Ares in and closed the door behind him.
 
The boy would be just finishing up a small stack of paperwork when he would stand and file the papers away in a cabinet. “Please, have a seat. You are from Suna, right? I had heard about your arrival here in Kumo. How has your stay been so far? I do hope that you are being properly accommodated.” Max would actively try not to immediately bring up what happened at Suna, for it was likely a sore subject. Max would then allow Ares to sit before he too would do so. The young lord was dressed in his formal white kage robes, but the Raikage hat was sitting on the desk beside him. His grey blue eyes would gaze calmly into the eyes of the Jounin sitting before him. There was a softness to the boy, something that was almost disarming. His words could be felt as genuine and kind. “You actually caught me at a pretty good time. Most of my paperwork for the day is nearly complete, so I have plenty of time.”
 
The boy would smile at the young man, “So, was there anything you would like to discuss? What brought you to my office today?”

Shortly after Ares had introduced himself to the person standing guard at the Raikage's office that same man informed the young Pendragon that he indeed wasn't the only one coming to visit the new Raikage. "As expected of a new change in leadership" he would say to the talkative guard. The same moment he started guessing where he had heard the name Pendragon before, a young voice came from the office calling out the guard's name. Addressing the man as Crawford he ordered him to let Ares in. After a bit of teasing back and forth the guard would finally let Ares pass. "It was nice meeting you Crawford."

Once in the office he would notice a young boy putting away a large pile of papers. He had heard the rumours concerning the new Raikage's age but he didn't expect the boy to be that young. Despite looking a couple of years younger than Ares himself there was no mistake that the boy was indeed the Raikage as he was dressed in the white kage robe. "Lord Raikage" the young Pendragon would address the leader of the village as he bowed before him while kneeling. Regardless his age the boy still needed to receive the respect befitting of his title. The young Jounin was then offered a seat he would gladly accept. Waiting for the Raikage himself to take place first as it was the courteous way to act he would then finally be seated in front of the young Raikage. 

Now that he had the Kage so close in front of him it was even more clear how young he was. What kind of state was Kumogakure in if they had to depend on someone so young? Was there really no one else capable of leading them or was this boy the only person willing to do what it takes? All different questions spooking in the young Pendragon's head but that's not why he came to see him. Distracted by these thoughts he was finally pulled back by the Raikage who had started speaking. He informed him about how he had heard about Ares' arrival in Kumo and how things were going for him. As the boy inquired about all of this the former Sunagakure Jounin started to think that things would have ended differently for Suna if the person in front of him had been the Kage at the time. But all of that was in the past now, nothing would change those events even if he tried. There was no point living in the past when there was so much to do in the present. "It's going. I'm still trying to find my way around here I guess. Baby steps."

A question regarding his visit had come up. Why exactly did he came to see the Raikage? He didn't really know the reason himself. Part of it was just Ares trying to do the right thing. Kumogakure didn't really have the best track record concerning leadership so the Pendragon wondered why it would be different this time. "Why are you so sure that you're the right man for the job? In what do you differ from your predecessors who were blinded by power?"

Ares would then take a small break giving the boy in front of him time to think. He meant no disrespect, all he wanted to know was where this boy would be leading them. "Tell me this Raikage, and I will decide if you're a man I'm willing to get behind."

(WC: 587, TWC: 1268)

The man before him was rather proper, kneeling and bowing to the young lord. While it was nice to be treated with such respect, Max didn’t truly feel it was necessary. He was Raikage, but just as stated before by Kyson, it was only a title. Titles alone held no real meaning without actions, and Max had really just begun getting used to all of the extra responsibilities this title brought with it. “Please, stand Sir Pendragon. I appreciate the respect you give me, but I have yet to do much to truly earn it.”
 
Upon sitting down and hearing what the young man had said in response Max would nod. “It is good that you are getting accustomed to the village, even if it is slow going. I really am sorry about what happened to your homeland. Perhaps if we had more of our forces guarding it…” Max shook his head, understanding just what he was saying and how seemingly futile such a thing likely would have been. “The criminal that attacked Suna was a capable adversary. I am truly grateful that even some of you managed to get out of there alive, as it means that much less blood pointlessly spilled.” Max would place his little sickly looking arm on the table, pondering just how powerful this Kenshin Uzumaki really was. That beast of a man was able to crush Max without much effort before… would the boy be able to stave off the upcoming attacks? Was he in the same league as that creature?
 
The young Pendragon had valid concerns, and Max was more than happy to try and help ease them as best he could. “I am certain that I will do everything in my power to get this village back on track. I seek only for Kumogakure to be great again, to remove all traces of the filth and rot left behind by the Rot Lord. How can I be blinded by power, when I truly wield very little?” Max would ask, gazing upon the Pendragon to gauge his reaction to such a statement. It was likely an odd thing to hear, as Max was tasked with protecting the village to the best of his abilities. Most people in his position think of themselves as greater than those around them. This wasn’t really the case for young Max. Without the support of his people, he was the leader of nothing.
 
“I do not think myself some sort of mighty king, towering over all before me in my greatness. I know that I am but a simple shinobi like you. I don’t seek to find you or any of the other shinobi serving under me, Sir Pendragon. I seek for us all to work side by side in an attempt to bring greatness back to my beloved homeland.” A smile would grace his face, his eyes bright at the thought. “Those before me had the power to make a change for the better, but they chose not to. I simply have the drive to do what they would not.” The boy would gaze out through his window, looking down at those that placed their trust in him. It was a heavy burden, but the boy understood that many hands make light work.
 
“But let us shift topics to the looming threat, if you do not mind my doing so.” Max would turn back around and gaze at the man sitting across from him. “It may be a painful subject, but do you have any information on what had happened in Suna? Any information that you are certain of would be of great help. I can look over the reports if that is easier for you, but hearing it from you firsthand may reveal small details and such missed in the reports.”

Ares would listen to the Raikage's apologies about what happened to the young Pendragon's home village. If only they had more forces that time .. But would that really have made any difference? The outcome would still be the same. Some terrors you just can't escape. "Thank you my lord, I appreciate your condolences. But I'm afraid more forces would have only led to more bloodshed."

It was truly terrible, the events that took place in Sunagakure. He wouldn't even wish it on his worst enemy, that's how horrible it was. No matter what kind of person you were, no one deserves to experience such gruesome incidents. It seemed almost as if Suna's luck had finally ran out. First they were defeated and forced to live under Kumo's rule and now they were not far from being completely annihilated. And what for? Whereas the war with Kumogakure could be seen as part of a political game, the missing nin invasion could not. That was just mindless slaughter by people who held no value for other people's lives. It was something Ares couldn't understand, even on the battlefield there was place for respect and mercy for your enemies regardless who they were and where they came from. But that would change, from now one the young Pendragon would show no compassion to those who would come and harm the ones he cares about. Monsters don't deserve pity, nor did they deserve to breath where he was standing. They would need to remove the weeds from this world and they would start with that group of misfits.

To do everything in his power. Where had he heard that before? Right, it was pretty much the first thing anyone would promise to do when they came into power so Ares didn't held much value to such hollow statement. It would take a lot more to convince the young Pendragon of his noble cause. "You claim to wield very little power, but yet here you are. Sitting at your throne as leader of the village. But who says you won't fall victim to the blindness once you attain the power you are currently lacking?" 

The young Raikage would clear Kumogakure from all the filth and rot left behind by his predecessors. "But what if their roots lay deeper than you thought? Are you willing to cut away all of them no matter the consequences?" He respected the young boy's ideals of removing what was left of the rotten lords but it was an easy thing to say, harder to do. It would truly be a beautiful world if all could be solved by working side by side to bring back peace, but Ares would know better. There are just too many things you can't fix without a certain amount of force. You can't make an omelet without breaking eggs. "What about those who would oppose you? Are you willing to take responsibility and cut them down as you would with the rotten roots?"

The little Lord would then change subjects to find out more about the coming threat. After all, they had more urgent matters to attend. Maximillian would ask the young Pendragon if he had any information regarding the events in Sunagakure. Unfortunately he was out on a mission when everything took place and he would only arrive in time to witness the lifeless bodies of his fallen comrades. "I'm afraid I hold little information as I wasn't present at the time the attack happened. With his last dying breath a fellow shinobi informed me of the horrors that had taken place. It seemed to be the work of one man with his little minions hiding behind him. Not very organised but deadly nonetheless. That's all I know for now."

(WC: 626, TWC: 1894)

Ares would speak and young Max would listen, hearing his words and taking them all in. He could understand the man’s feelings towards this villages leaders. Kumo had a knack for having Raikage’s that would wield their power abusing it how they saw fit and caring little about who their actions would harm in the process. It truly was disgraceful, but Max had no intention of continuing this legacy.
 
“I fear you misunderstand my meaning, Ares. It is not that I feel myself less powerful than those who came before me.” This wasn’t a completely true statement, as the boy still remembers the terror that Mortarion was, and how he almost seemed some sort of fiend given human form. The boy honestly wasn’t sure that he could best the beast that conquered his homeland, but if the man were to somehow rise from the dead and challenge his rule the boy would fight to his last breath in order to put that creature back down.
 
“You see, my meaning is that where those that came before me acted as gods among men, claiming the power of all under them as their own. Of course, they were mistaken. I do not doubt the power that they themselves brought to the table was indeed noteworthy, but it was only a small fraction of the power Kumo itself has. You,” Max would say, pointing to Ares for the sake of visual aide and then shifting the hand towards the window, “And each Kumo resident out there hold the real power.” His words held a sort of passion, just beneath the surface, “And should you wish me gone would it truly be difficult to overthrow me? There is one of me, and many of you. I consider myself a capable shinobi, but I do not pretend like those around me are not also capable. I am no god among men, for I bleed just the same as any of you do.”  His words rang true, despite what any might think. It they truly wanted him gone, it wouldn’t take much to kill off the boy if they wanted. 
 
“The roots of the rot may go deep, but yes they will need removed. You don’t kill the weeds ruining your garden by plucking at the stems of the plants, for they will simply grow back. The roots can’t be allowed to damage the foundation of the Kumo I hope to lead us to.” His face would grow solemn, “And why would anyone opposed me on this? Why wouldn’t someone wish to see Kumo returned to its former glory? Did anyone truly support what Mortarion’s actions and what he did to this village?” The boy couldn’t imagine it, for The Rot Lord did little to gain loyalty from his subjects. Just thinking about Mortarion was starting to boil the blood of the “Little Conqueror”. If anyone truly did support Mortarion, he would have to do something about them. Those that could support The Rot Lord were likely beyond help, and Max would probably have to remove all trace of them.
 
“Of course, if you meant oppose my ruling as Raikage… well, I value human life. This was a lesson from my late mother. If my people wish me gone, I will not kill them to prove my right to rule. If anything that would only prove their point. I do not intend to rule my people with fear, for that would make me no better than my predecessor.” Max of course was referring to Mortarion, as Maku –despite his terrible strength- was merciful towards others, Suna being a prime example. The takeover was a bloodless one.
 
After the topic shifted, Max would hear out the man’s reports. That one man was likely… “Kenshin Uzumaki” he would mutter, but the more concerning thing was that he seemed to now have underlings. It was bad enough that such a terrible monster of a man had Kumo in his sights, but now there were even more people to deal with. At least by Ares’ description it would seem as though they weren’t of the same capability as the man ravaging Kumo’s outposts. “It isn’t good to hear that he has people serving him. Things are a going from bad to worse it would seem.” Max would say, resting his chin on his propped hand.
 
He was likely going to have to be quick about sending someone to scout Suna. Kumo needed more information on just what was going on if it was to prepare a proper defense.

Ares would listen to the little lord explaining his view on the not so successful reign of his violent predecessors. Seeing how those before him failed in their rule of Kumogakure the young Raikage intented to do things differently. It was very admirable of him but changing the ways the village had known for so long and to start over fresh would take time, a lot of time. And time was something they didn't really have with the missing nin threat growing bigger and bigger. They had to find a way to rebuild Kumogakure to its former glory while also trying to defend it from the incoming threat if they wanted to avoid a disaster, because what would be the point of all of it if the village would be destroyed anyway? Decisions were going to be needed to be made and the young Pendragon didn't want to be in Max his shoes. He was glad someone else had to make such difficult decisions, with great power comes great responsibility as a wise man once said. And the boy was hoping the little Raikage was able to carry such heavy responsibilities.

Maximillian The Young would then refer to the people of Kumogakure of those who truly wield the power. He was only one, they were many. While his worlds were true the young Pendragon couldn't help but respond. "You are right about the fact that it might be easy to overthrow you as there are surely people able to challenge you, but wasn't that also the case for the leaders who came before you? They too were only one, with the others as many but yet no one was able to do something about it, so why would they now? Isn't it because humans were made to follow that they were okay with how things were going? Is it not because we lead and follow by example we were able to survive this long?" The young Jounin knew there were powerful people among the Kumogakure shinobi and he'd like to think himself to be one of them. So what was it that stopped them from acting? Was it a lack of resolve, of determination? Were they happy with their current situation? Or were they just afraid of what would happen? "There is a difference between respect and fear. The one is often mistaken by the other. Many times people only follow out of fear and that isn't true loyalty. It all depends on what you are going to do with your power and how you convince others of your cause."

Shifting the topic back to the one about the incoming missing nin the Raikage mentioned the name of the man responsible for all of this. It seemed he went by the name of Kenshin Uzumaki, it was the first time Ares would hear his name. It was indeed bothersome that the man wasn't on his own but in the companion of others. It would mean they weren't going to be able to focus solely on this Uzumaki guy but had others to take into account as well. How would they defeat, let alone survive, someone capable of destroying a village all by himself? They would have to come up with something if they wanted Kumogakure no Sato to return to its former glory.
"Do you have any ideas or preparations regarding the defenses for what's coming?" 

(WC: 566, TWC: 2460)

"Well, I hope that I can gain the respect of those in Kumo and maybe even the world at large," Max would say, thinking about his letters to the various Hidden Villages. Only Konoha had gotten back to him, but would that mean that the others were simply busy or did they not believe him the rightful ruler? Well, the thoughts of those outside the village matter far less than the thoughts on those inside it. 

Ideas for preparations? Max had a few, but he wanted to get the input of those that would be fighting on the front lines. "I've had a few ideas, but I seek to hear if my people have their own thoughts on the matter. It is hard to properly prepare without information on what exactly we are up against, but I intend to start active combat drills with the Genin in order to hone their combat skills." Max would look to Ares with a puzzled look, wondering how the man would react to the next question. 


"Would you be willing to train those in positions under you? I know that you are getting used to the change in scenery, but getting to know the people would go a great way in acclimating you to the village. What do you say?" Max would ask, expecting nothing but hoping that the Jounin would be willing to participate in the preparations.

The young Raikage was hoping to gain the respect of everyone in Kumogakure and those beyond as well. For some people it was only natural to respect those who were holding the power, others needed someting more before they would deem someone worthy of their respect. A title meant nothing if you weren’t capable of showing why you’re deserving of such a name. If you want people to believe in you and support you they will need to be convinced of what exactly makes you special and capable. And Ares himself was curious on how young Max would plan for all of this to happen.
 
The young Pendragon would listen to Max as he explained what kind of ideas he had forming inside his head. Without any information it was difficult to fully prepare for what’s coming when they didn’t even had a clue of what it actually was that was coming for them. The little lord would also ask others for their ideas on the matter and it was no different for Ares. So far the Raikage had planned for the Genin to undergo active combat training trying to hone their combat skills. They would need it since it would probably be their first time in an actual battle. But would it be enough for them to survive? “It is certainly essential for everyone to gain experience if we want to be ready for the storm that’s coming. And it also wouldn’t hurt if we could find a way to strengthen the city’s defenses.” Those were his first thoughts he would share with Max.
 
It didn’t take long for the next question to arise. One that would decide just how willing the young Jounin was to help out in the battles to come. The young Raikage would ask if Ares would be willing to train those with a rank lower than him, adding that it would benefit him as well since it could help him with acclimating to the village. It was true that it could help him getting used to his new home while he would help the others grow in power and abilities. As a Jounin people would look at him in times of need and they would have to be able to count on him when the time would call for.
 
“If that is what you ask of me, consider it done my Lord.” Even though he lacked battle experience as well he wasn’t opposed of such an idea where he would help improve others while gaining experience himself. “Is there anyone in particular you would like me to train?” The young Jounin hadn’t find the time yet to come into contact with anyone besides the Raikage so it was hard to get a view on how many Genin and Chuunin there were. “I could always form some type of team with available shinobi where we could train together and partake in any sort of mission you assign us to.” He hadn’t been a sensei before but now might be the time to start.
 
(WC: 508, TWC: 2968)

Increasing defenses would likely help a great deal, but would they have the time to build defenses before the attack? It was a gamble, especially considering that the "defenses" of Mortarion would likely need to be removed first. There is no point in in building on top of a shattered foundation. 

"It would help a great deal if you did so," Max would say in regard to whether or not it was an order. He didn't wish to come off as commanding, but at the same time some of it would be needed since he was now the Raikage. "There is a Chuunin, Guren Hyakuya. I believe there is much in common between you two, and I need even the Chuunin forces to be as prepared as possible. He could probably learn a great deal from a Jounin such as yourself."

The little lord would bring out the file and pass it along to the Jounin. He wanted the man to make an informed choice on the matter. In the file would be a quick rundown of his basic information, mission success and failures, and a brief analysis of the man. This wasn't the complete files, but it was enough for Ares to go on.