Intel Gathering (Private, Snow0

Mission Details:

The elevator slowly crawled its way down the building’s spine, bearing inside the former cook with finely combed red hair, a kumogakure headhand hiding the receding hairline that dug deeper and deeper into the dome of his head. The single strap of the characteristically kumogakurian jounin vest was slung over his left shoulder, leaving the leather jacket of the jounin partially visible, the maned serpent’s skull showing through. His legs were powerfully planted on the floor without locking his knees, always in a state of relaxed violence that would allow him to spring into action as soon as necessary. His left hand held on to the right wrist behind his back. His sight faced forward, looking at nothing in particular as the metallic box scaled down the building into the holding cells, away from the Kage’s office.

A Kage’s life was one of looking over their shoulders. Many would try to usurp their power for themselves, looking for any opportunity to bring them down and take the hat for themselves, using it as a tool to impose their will on others. It had been so ingrained into the village system, people couldn’t help but respect the hat. And yet, something told Kaito that this wouldn’t be so for long. Unless the hat bearers started doing something, massive rebellions and death would ensue, and only massive death and oppression would keep the kages in their seats.

Kaito himself would wonder, from time to time, what was it that kept him here? He had no more ties to this village, except the lifetime of memories that haunted him and reminded him of how much every decision he had made had somehow turned any victory into a bitter defeat, something always around the corner ready to destroy and corrode the will of the ninja. And yet, he stayed. The only thing keeping him around at this point was none other than the current Kage. Kaito felt an affinity towards him, the warrior archetype, strong and independent, bowing to no will but his own. Kaito coveted such power, and was willing to follow the newest boy kage in that pursuit. But something was missing for Kaito to feel attached. A drive. A raison d’etre.

Power for power’s sake seemed to be an ignorant’s errand, as much as a religious leader who believed not in the deity, and instead sought the people’s power and wealth for himself.

A corruption of the purpose of power.

“Ding”, the elevator announced to Kaito that he had reached his destination, and the metallic frame of the elevator slide away into the side to allow Kaito to step into the holding cells. He approached the ninja at the frontdesk. “Where are they?”

The ninja with the brown hair looked up. “I guess you mean Uki and Katai? They’re in the high security cell. We’ve put them together.”

Kaito rose an eyebrow. “Together?”

“Yeah. They’re bound in chakra-feeding chains. Any attempt to use chakra, even to escape, would have the chains absorb that chakra. We have nice sealing experts in the village.”

Kaito was waiting on one right now. “Yeah, I suppose we do.”

***
WC: 523