Reclaiming the Throne

For a moment there was nothing but silence as each person in the room waited patiently to hear the Hokage’s ruling. Ita’s keen eyes watched closely as the Nazar produced a singular kunai from his jacket pocket. For a moment Ita assumed that the Hokage was truly going to request that Jason remove his hand to prove loyalty to the village he watched be conquered from the shadows, but alas, he did not- Kinzoku resting the kunai on the table. Ita would continue to be the only person in the room without both of his hands…
 
The repercussions of Jason’s actions would not be a hand, or imprisonment- it would be to live with Ita- which was close enough to imprisonment due to his shitty apartment. The Senju was also demoted to Genin, which was quiet the demotion. If it was Ita in his position, he would have much rather gave his hand. Hopefully Kinzoku would reward Ita with a new hand like his…that would be cool.
 
Ita had received his orders and Jason had accepted the Hokage’s terms- nether ideal, however Ita figured he could use the company. In fact, he could probably learn a lot from a former Hokage so maybe things weren’t so bad after all. Ita just hoped that the Senju knew how to cook better than him. Jason would exit his previous office and Ita would follow, but before leaving Kinzoku and Risako alone to catch up, the Uchiha would say,
 
“Hokage, Lady Hokage.”
 
Twc: 1,510
Claim:
Risako, Jason, Kisuke, Tadashi Chakra Sigs
1,519 towards
14 bonus ap
[exit]

Risako eyed the man rather cautiously once Kinzoku retrieved his kunai. Possibly, he would ask Jason to remove a finger or hand. After all, Kinzoku and Ita were both missing hands, and she couldn't help but feel that her digits were in danger due to rather high ratio of those with a missing limb. Her fear was exacerbated once the Hokage declared that crimes were crime.

Well, no shit Sherlock. Fortunately (?) Kinzoku believed in second chances. At least that's what he went on to say. Any moment now Risako was reluctantly ready for the punishment to be delivered. Despite her ill-tempered feelings towards the subject of the punishment, even she wasn't sure dismemberment would be necessary.

Fortunately, Kinzoku was a kinder man than their overlord, Xyxer. Jason's punishment came in the form of a demotion, surveillance, and the condition that he'd be marked with seals. Risako would comply by joining Kinzoku in marking Jason with one of her Flying Thunder God seals, placed on his neck in the same place as Kinzoku's. With the fear of losing her own digits gone, she would give Ita and Jason a nod on their way out of the door. In some way her anger was already slipping, or at the very least she was beginning to redirect her feelings toward her next goal.

If what Jason spoke to be true was reality, there wasn't much in the way of alternatives. Her mind was already set, and regardless of whether she had permission, regardless of the legality of her potential actions, regardless if this would cost her life, she would begin pursuing this goal with reckless abandon if that's what it came to. The ANBU could not be trusted based off of the report, even if Jason claimed to have dealt with the traitors already.

Once Jason and Ita had completely left the scene, Risako would address Kinzoki with the all important question. "Is there anything you require of me?" If not, she'd lead into her own requests soon after.

[2249 TWC]

[oh yea memorizing kinz chakra sig too]

(Jason/ita exits approved)

His orders were met with a sigh from the former kage. He wasn't expecting a thank you, however he was expecting a slightly better reception from the Senju. In Kinzoku's view he was somewhat lenient on the punishments. What was Jason expecting, to get off scot-free? No, that's not how things worked here. Perhaps when Jason was Hokage he would forgive someone entirely based off of loyalty. If that were the case then it would do him well to know that's not how things were going to work around here anymore. If there was one thing Kinzoku would never forget for being ruled by Kiri, it's that all actions had consequences. 

He accepted his meeting with the Aburame upon his return with no quarrel, seeming somewhat happy for the chance to see what may have been an old friend. The Nazar would watch the Senju take his leave, nodding to the Uchiha has he gave his farewells. The moment the two left the room the only thing on Kinzoku mind was the Mizukage and how he would react to the news of a former Hokage returning once it eventually reached Kiri. After all it was going to have to be Kinzoku to inform him of Jason's return, among other news. His thoughts scattered at the words of Risako as he was quickly brought back to reality. He placed his cigar back into the ash trey once more before retrieving the kunai and placing it back into his jacket. 

"There is. Please, have a seat if you would" Kinzoku replied before a smile found its way across his lips. "Or would you rather have this seat?" he asked gesturing to the chair he was currently sitting on. "After all, it belongs to you" he added before waiting for his reply. Although his words may have been given in a joking manner, the Nazar was nothing but serious. This was rightfully hers. Kinzoku only found himself here due to the most unlikely circumstances. But now circumstances could return to normal and the pieces could fall back into their rightful place.

"Before we get to that, how are you feeling?" Kinzoku inquired before they got to the nitty gritty. It had not been so many days that they were gone which meant Risako was not awake for more than a week. After being stuck in a hospital for so long, should she really be out and about? What she ready both physically and mentally to be back out in the shinobi world?

Kinzoku had confirmed there was indeed something she was needed for. On one hand it was great, maybe it would help her get back into the swing of things. On the other, she felt some time was needed to get a grip. Luckily Risako already had a hand on a chair, so his request to take a seat would be met rather swiftly.

Rather it would have, had he not offered her the Hokage seat. The current Hokage went on to imply that she it was hers anyway. This caught her off guard slightly, albeit it was somewhat expected. The two seconds it took to think of a reply seemed to drag on for minutes, but eventually after the short wait she would reply by saying "I don't think I can. I shouldn't have had the seat in the first place."

How was she feeling? That was up for debate but all things considered, not bad. "A little groggy. I don't feel like I've got the same strength I did." She sat in the seat as she thought that the last thing she wanted to talk about was herself, at least right now. Being in a coma isn't exactly interesting, so it didn't leave much to be discussed unless he wanted to talk about something from the past.

"What all has happened since I've been out?" she asked, hoping to speed the conversation along a little bit. Something about an invasion had been mentioned, and one of Suna as well. The news couldn't be well, and she had already assumed the worst.

[2,511 TWC]

Kinzoku was surprised to see that his words had caught Risako off guard a little, causing her to pause for a moment before taking her seat. Had she not been expecting such a topic to come up? It then dawned onto the Nazar that they were both similar in that they did not have much of a choice in the matter when it came to being the Hokage. Risako was given the titled because she was one of the few highest ranking shinobi who could fill the role. Kinzoku was hand picked by the Mizukage himself. Truth be told he had very little say in the matter. So here they found themselves, two Jounin who had been thrust into the position of Hokage, neither one really wanting it. But someone needed to fill the position. If it were not Kinzoku or Risako, then who? Would the choice be to the liking of Xyxer? "That makes two of us" he replied with a quip, but would not delve any further into the discussion. Perhaps Kinzoku was looking too deep into the matter, but he believed if Risako did not reclaim the seat it was because she saw the Nazar as capable. Coupled with the fact she had placed him in charge during the Summit. Assuming he was right, Kinzoku was glad to know Risako had faith in him.

"Understandable" Kinzoku replied. She had been in a coma and bed ridden for quite some time. It only made sense that she no longer possessed the strength she once had. Nothing that could be regained though. The appropriate time would be given to her in order to allow her to regain her full strength. Before they could get to that however, she posed a question of her own.

It caused him to pause for a brief moment, his eyes drifting upwards as if peering into his mind and memories. What had happened since her arrival from the Summit. "Of importance" he began, stating he would leave out anything he thought unnecessary, "The Raikage reached out to us in an attempt to bring peace and an alliance between the two villages. Yensung took care of communications with Kumo. The Raikage informed us of a missing shinobi from Hoshi known as Kenshin Uzumaki. His last known location according to the Raikage was somewhere in the Earth Country. According to the Kage, this man is a worrisome fellow. After word was sent to the Mizukage, he called the banners and had both Kirigakure and Konohagakure march on Suna to continue his conquest. It was... uneventful to say the least. The village was a ghost town. We returned home shortly after our Arrival. There was however one enemy worth noting that we need to keep an eye out for. Whether it was the Uzumaki or not, I cannot say. Yensung stayed back , likely to guard our retreat. I'm still waiting for his return."

Believing to have covered everything worth noting, Kinzoku decided it was time to propose a couple of ideas to the former Lady Hokage. Something that may suit her well considering she was not fit for anything too physically strenuous. It would also allow her to get back into the motion of things and the shinobi world. "I won't keep you for much longer" he stated, bringing both his hands together to rest atop his lap. "Before you go, I'd like to ask if you'd consider being an adviser to the Hokage." He did not ask Risako to be an adviser to him, but rather the position itself to advise any Hokage who may follow him. "You have experience in this position and dealing with people. I value your opinion and well... I can use the help" Kinzoku admitted. He would await her reply before moving on, willing to accept whatever response he received.

"Yensung currently heads our shinobi forces" Kinzoku continued with his second proposal. "That being said, there's a vacancy at the head of our ANBU department and if I learned anything about Jason's story, the ANBU Black Ops needs an overhaul. I want you to be that person. Jason may believe he eliminated the ANBU traitors, but I need to be sure. If you accept, you will spear head the investigation as well as all responsibilities that come with being the head ANBU Captain. All resources and information that you need will be at your disposal. What do you say, partner?" he asked with a smile on his face. It was a lot to ask of someone who had just woken from a coma, but he knew Risako was capable and ready for the responsibility. For the time being, it would mostly be political affairs and dealing with files and paperwork. It would allow her back into the game and give her time to regain her strength.

She met Kinzoku's quip with a smile. Unfortunately her own induction to the rank of Hokage was similar to his, with the position ultimately being forced upon her. Her memories of the time were not painted with nostalgia, rather they were stained with hardship. Even still she found herself having difficulty in processing some of her emotion regarding the invasion. At least the Hokage would respect her decision to turn down his offer. Risako's attention was given solely to Kinz as he explained the current affairs of the village.

The communications with Kumo made her cringe. She saw the reports of what Youka Tau had done to Kurisu's daughter who became nothing more than a living husk whose flesh had mostly withered away and rotted off her bones. An end more grisly couldn't come to mind, hell even the images were bad enough to scar one's mind. Maybe Ris had too much empathy for this job.

Kenshin's name was unfamiliar to her, but it would probably serve her best to remember it from henceforth. Powerful rogues were often a threat best kept at arm's length, after all. Unsurprisingly her Hokage had hinted at some connection between that man and the joint raid on Sunagakure. Whether it was fortunate or not hear the name Yensung was yet to be determined. Even Risako wasn't sure how long she could hold a grudge, but her anger was better put to use in purging the ANBU. She sat quietly as he spoke, occasionally nodding to show that she was still listening.

After his summary of the past year's worth of events, her partner went on to offer her a job as the advisor. This was a role she'd feel more comfortable in, rather than leading the village. For now, anyways.

"I accept, I'll begin reviewing things in more detail before i hit you with my advice." Her gut told her to ask him about the ANBU, but her leader was more alert to the situation than she thought. This solidified her belief in his leadership further.

His next proposal was music to her ears. As he spoke of ensuring the purity of the ANBU, Risako scooted to the edge of her seat in anticipation. Once he had basically tasked her with an offer to do what she had intended with full legal justification her only reply was one of excitement. "Give me the Fox Mask and you've got a deal, Hokage." I only need six more words to make this topic have three thousand.

If he had no significant response she would wrap things up by saying "ANBU Captain Akara has a nice ring to it, I might just take you up on the offer even without the mask." If no further topics of discussion were necessary, Risako found herself an urge to begin her business. "If you'll excuse me, m'lord, I'll get started on the investigation straight away."

If that was all, she'd take her leave and head home
[3,107 TWC
Claiming 15 stats
Claiming 3,107 WC towards Mako Ball
Claiming ANBU Captain (Master) Rank, and the rewards that come with it.]

Approved @ ris

Will claim exit
twc: 4679

502 into Mark Tracking (750/750)
1500 into Genetic Progenitor: Clan Pureblood (1500/1500)
750 into Summoning Technique (750/750)
1972 into mastering Steel Release: Guardian Angel (1972/3750)

Memorize Risako and Jason chakra sigs
+1 kunai