A Day to Remember

Fri Jan 08, 2021 1:08 am

From his former office atop The Spire, the single tallest building in Sunagakure at just under 300m tall, The Reaper was simply standing on the balcony and watching the scene below him unfold. From this height the people below looked like little more than ants, and he would watch them scurry around and get the preparations ready. He, of course, has also taken note of the mass of figures that crowded around, no doubt trying to figure out what was going on around The Spire. From his current position he really wasn’t able to see much… but as he was the one who organised all of this he knew exactly what was being prepared… food stalls, gaming booths, performers setting up to entertain the crowd… it was a miniature festival, and it had all been organised by him to ensure that today went off without a hitch… because today was quite important for both himself and Sunagakure as a whole. He was honestly impressed with himself… it had been remarkably easy to keep his guest of honour in the dark about what he was preparing. With a small smirk he would glance over his shoulder, his crimson eyes softening as they focussed on the figure sitting at the Kage’s Desk and filling out some paperwork. God… he had become so soft as of late, and truthfully he couldn’t find it within himself to care. He had been enjoying life a lot more as of late.

With one final glance down Kenshin would give a smirk… it was time. The Ragdoll would release a small breath, and turn towards the office, making his way inside. With a small smirk he would make his way towards the desk, and gently lay his hand upon the shoulder of the guest of honour.

“Hey… I have a bit of a surprise for you, one that I think you will enjoy. Follow me.” He would say, his smirk having shifted into a small smile as he removed his hand and began to walk towards the door to the office, opening it wide and not closing it behind him. As he moved past the receptionists desk he would meet Liliths amused gaze with one of his own, her help instrumental with setting all of this up without Mizuki herself finding out what was going on. The Ragdoll would glance behind him, making sure that she was indeed following, and if she was he would place his hand upon the seal that would take him to the 10th floor, and channeled some chakra into the seal, transporting him down to the prepared floor. The only piece of furniture within the room itself was a single table… atop which sat a rather distinctive looking hat… this hat being diamond in shape with a raised centre, cyan in colour and adorned with the kanji for Wind [風]. The Ragdoll would take a few steps towards the table, and then turn towards the area where Mizuki would appear.

When she appeared, and took notice of the hat, The Reaper would gently reach down and grab it, staring at it for a few moments before placing it upon his head, showing that the hat itself also possessed fabric that covered all save the face of the one wearing it.

“You know… I never really saw the point of stuff like this, the traditional hat and robes of the Kage… seemed like pointless posturing to me. But… now that I am no longer the Kazekage, I must admit I have grown to see the appeal… of the hat anyway, I could never be caught dead wearing that ghastly all white robe.” The Ragdoll would say with a chuckle, lowering the front of the hat just a little to better hide the upper portion of his face.

“This hat will serve as the symbol of Sunagakure’s leadership…” The Ragdoll would say with a small, amused smirk… before turning around and making his way towards one of the walls of the office. With a simple touch of the wall, and a small burst of chakra the marble that made up the walls would begin to shift, opening until it was a doorway that even his old form could have fit through with ease. The moment that the wall opened sunlight would bathe the two and the small balcony outside would be revealed, something that had not existed before today. The Reaper would smirk widely as he glanced at Mizuki over his shoulder, his crimson eyes locking with hers, before he stepped out onto the balcony.

Outside, 30m below the balcony itself, stood a rather large and confused crowd, facing the direction of the doorway that had formed on the walls of The Spire. The confusion was overcome temporarily as The First Kazekage stepped through, and it was then that cheers would begin to sound from within the crowd. It was obvious to most now that the infamous man had organised this festival, but now the question remained… why. Most of his face was hidden by the striking hat that sat upon his head, all shinobi in the crowd recognising the hat and what it signified, and himself clad in a simple black robe. The cheering would begin to die down as Lord First raised both of his hands in a gesture for them to quieten down, no doubt so that he could talk.

“Thank you all for heeding my summons today, and before we go any further I would like to say that I hope you enjoy the festival that will be held today, and on this same day for every year to come!” The Ragdoll would announce, his deep voice almost seeming to boom, thanks in large part to the sound amplification seals that he had Lilith place upon the balcony itself.

“Now, I am sure you are all wondering why I have decided that today is a day worth celebrating, so allow me to explain. I am truly proud to see what Sunagakure has become after all of the hardships that we have faced, to see the village that was once despoiled and abandoned by Kumogakure and its former defenders reach this level of prosperity again is a marval. This was not an easy road either, as right when it seemed that prosperity was within our grasp we were attacked by the forces of Kirigakure and Konohagakure… and yet, despite everything, Sunagakure endured!!.” The Ragdoll would explain, his words almost foreign to him… but all of them conveying his pride in what he had seen Suna become, into what he had helped build. It was truly something that brought pride to him… he had grown a lot from the moment he set foot within these walls, arriving a lost and angry child, but growing into a man. His words also evoked a feeling of deep pride within the crowd themselves, who began to cheer and celebrate at the pride being expressed by the notoriously unfeeling kage.

“Sunagakure has grown so far from the abandoned shell that it was when I arrived, and I have each and every one of you to thank for this accomplishment. Without all of you Suna would never have regained its title as one of the Major Villages, and without your loyalty and dedication we would never have reached this level of prosperity. From the bottom of my heart, thank you all!” The Reaper would then call, his voice booming through the crowd and raising their spirits even higher, resulting in louder cheers.

“I am proud to have called myself the Kazekage… I am proud to have been your leader through all of this, and I am proud of what Sunagakure has become. But… in order for Sunagakure to grow more, in order for the village to continue to prosper… you need a leader that is more suited for that. You need a leader that isn’t so feared and hated as I, you need a leader that is more caring and nurturing than I am… you need a Kazekage that will bring the village to heights that I could never even dream of reaching.” The Ragdoll would then say, the silence of the crowd almost deafening as he reached up and began to remove the hat that rested upon his head.

“People of Sunagakure… I am proud to have been your leader, but my time is done. Now, is the time for the Second Kazekage!!” The Reaper would then call loudly, gesturing towards the doorway and the figure that emerged from it… a figure that everyone would recognise. With a soft smile on his face, The First would make his way towards The Second… and without a word place the hat upon her head, resulting in the loudest cheers yet from the crowd.

“I believe in you Mizuki… knock them dead” He would whisper, before taking a few steps back from the balcony, and watching the back of The Second Kazekage as she began to address the crowd.

WC: 1500

Fri Jan 29, 2021 1:15 am

It had only been a day or so since the Summit commenced and the stress of the event had left Mizu in a state of tense productivity; unhealthy in nature but so effective in execution. At this very moment she was in the middle of drafting paper work outlining the upcoming events, as she drafted she would write any loopholes she would come across on a side notepad. The mahogany desk was littered with scrolls, pens, texts from the archives and a number of other reference information as she worked to pull it all together in some cohesive way. So engrossed in the work it would take the hand on her shoulder to rouse her attention enough to make her look up at him, eyebrows furrowing in irritation as he insisted on her accompanying him for a surprise.

Rising she would follow him grudgingly, looking back at her desk loaded with pressing work - “Kenshin I have so much to do right now I don’t really have the time for surprises.” Her tone would be exhausted and a bit exasperated, her words would go unheeded though and she followed him down to another floor via the seal - and was finally led to a room with a singular table in it with the Kage hat that hadn’t existed before now to her knowledge. Looking around the otherwise empty space she would come up a few feet short of the table, staring at Kenshin with confusion and skepticism. She watched as he placed it on his head and spoke about how only now understanding he desire for it - of which she still lacked, tradition was unbecoming of her and this was the most traditional garment of them all - but she kept her opinion to herself.

Tilting her head to the side she watched him move over to a side wall and press his hand to it - only then would the marble wall shift to the side and the overwhelming sound of hundreds of congregated people hit her ears. The scowl on her face couldn’t have been more intense as the two locked eyes for a brief moment before he went out and addressed the crowd. As he spoke she would close her eyes and rub her temples with both fingertips, the speech itself started off with a proclamation of a recurring holiday which only made her eyebrows come together tighter. The remaining speech was the most ‘Kage’ thing she had ever heard Kenshin utter, as one of the few members that were present that day when Suna became ‘Sunagakure’ again it was a bit too ironic for her.

Now she paced back and forth as the moment she could feel was creeping up on her - did she assume she would take the role as Kage quietly and move on - No; but fuck had she hoped for it and this was just too much for her. She wasn’t a public speaker, she hated large crowds and above all this was the worst time for an event like this to take place… but what choice did she have anymore? Get it over with - taking one last deep breath as she heard the dreaded words calling for her to join him. With a mask of resolved indifference she would walk up to Kenshin, feel the hat placed on her head - but her eyes were stone cold staring into his. “An ambush from a friend is still an ambush Kenshin.” These were the words she whispered back before stepping forward onto the balcony and being nearly deafened by the number of heartbeats and general noise that rose from the crowd.

Fuck me. Taking a deep breath her expression would shift effortlessly into one of acceptance and gratitude, while her voice projected out a tone of grave importance as she spoke. “Thank you all for coming out on this day, of which was as unexpected for me as it was for all of you I’m sure. I humbly accept the responsibility that this title bestows upon me, I want to assure all of you that all of my decisions are made with the people of Sunagakure at the forefront.” Looking out onto the crowd, the smiling faces of citizens mixed with the faces of her shinobi force, she would bite her tongue before deciding to say it anyways - leaning forward she would grab the railing of the balcony and address the crowd with a commanding assertive tone. “Days like today should be cherished, days like today should be enjoyed to their absolute fullest because they are going to dwindle in the coming months. I have had the privilege of aiding in the rebirth and growth of our great country and I have been privy to many a woe-filled tale. Neighbors, friends and strangers, those standing around you at this very moment are just some of the lucky few that made it to freedom. Freedom from where? The stranglehold that Kirigakure has held Konohagakure in for longer than some of you have been alive.”

She would pause for a moment, her ears bombarded with the rising whispers of unrest that swept through the crowd like flames, but she had set her path and she was to walk it. “There was a summit of Kage only a few days ago in hopes to come to a resolution without the need of steel and it was unsuccessful to say the least and disastrous to the point of ludicracy to say the most. As of this moment the road ahead is uncharted, but the people of Suna” narrowing her eyes she adjusted her words, “We have never been ones to cower in the face of the unknown, and I don’t plan on starting now. So enjoy this day, not in celebration of me or even in celebration of the path we have already walked - but in celebration of the path we have yet to forge.” Giving a slight bow of her head she would release her hands from the railing, her knuckles bared white with her grip. Sweeping back into the empty room she would pause only before placing her hand on the seal - her eyes connecting with Kenshin’s - “I’d say they’re dead.”

As she touched her hand to the seal she would bring herself to the first floor to go mingle with the crowd for a bit - the questions coming would at least be expected and on her terms.\]

EXIT

Tue Feb 09, 2021 7:52 pm

[Exit]

TWC: 1500

807 words towards Corrosive Mist, claiming (25% max stat discount). Other 943 words trained here

Tue Feb 09, 2021 7:56 pm

Approved @ Kenshin

Tue Feb 09, 2021 11:02 pm

Claims - TWC 1082
1075 towards Mystical Palm 1875/1875

Wed Feb 10, 2021 1:22 pm

Approved

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