The Doctor is in (open)

With some extra training out of the way, it was time to make his way back home, change into some fresher, slightly fancier clothing, eat a quick lunch, and head over to the Unseen University. It was time to report back in and probably get a dressing down for getting promoted and doing literally nothing for half a year.

While it had been a significant period of time, Hoshigakure was his home, and the path to the Unseen University was exactly the same as it was when he walked here 6 months ago to speak with Yasaki, the previous Hogokage. He always enjoyed walking the streets of his village, despite the hostile attitude of some of the villagers. It was his duty to look out for them, to protect them from harm, and while they did not all appreciate this, he knew that their ability to live their way was in some small part thanks to him and others like him.

He’d arrived at the Unseen University fairly quickly; there had been no delays during his trip from his home. The Uzumaki Jounin walked through the front doors and made his way up to the Hogokage’s chambers. He didn’t say anything to anyone on his way up there, but he would nod to anyone he’d recognised. Upon arriving at the door to the Hogokage’s offices, he would advise Ayato’s secretary that he was here to speak with the Hogokage should he have a free moment to speak. With that he would wait patiently to be advised one way or the other.

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“Tell Masashi to enter. I am ready to see him.” The Gentle Fist expert said to the young acolyte, who in turn nodded in agreement and took her exit with a soft bow.

Ayato Hyuuga drummed his fingers impatiently on the wooden desk in front of him. 
Above his usual black kimono, the white cloak of the Nova Corps that he wore so proudly since the day it was given to him by Yasaki. He wondered if he was supposed to wear it still, considering he was no longer the commander of Hoshi’s band of heroes. 

Hibari Hyuuga used to say that a leader needed to spend time with his shinobi if he hoped to keep them. “Know the men and women who follow you.” Ayato had heard him say to Kaede, his older brother, once, “And let them know you back. Nobody wants to die for a stranger.”

His father always had an extra seat at his table, and every day a different shinobi would be asked to join him. One time, it would be a blacksmith, and his father would listen to him go on about armor and nails and the proper way to temper the metal. Others, A Hyuuga uncle, or a cousin, or old Daisuke Inuzuka with an endless dog talk. Sometimes even the nanny of the two boys with her bedtime stories about men in the moon.

Little Aya had loved nothing better than to sit at the table and listen to them talk. He enjoyed listening to the shinobi on the benches too, Chuunin tough as iron, arrogant Jonin, and bold young Genin, sometimes even grizzled sellswords.

Only that was a thousand years ago, and Ayato served a different village, as its Kage.

Masashi would be entering any moment now and pledge allegiance to Ayato and Hoshigakure. The duo had been familiar with each other since their Chuunin days, and both were well aware this day was bound to come. The real question was who would be sitting on the chair, but now they both knew the answer.

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The door opened and an assistant walked out, heading over to Masashi. “He’s ready to see you now.” She said to him with a polite bow which the Uzumaki Jounin returned. “Thank you,” Masashi would say to her and make his way inside.

It had been a while since he’d seen Ayato Hyuuga; that was mainly of his own doing, what with him sheltering himself away for months at a time. Ayato had changed a bit from when they shared the same rank of Chuunin. ‘He’s gone quite a bit further since then,’ Masashi thought to himself chuckling on the inside. Masashi had thought about what it may be like to be Hogokage at some point. There was a lot of responsibility involved in that position. Countless lives that were in the Hogokage’s hands, as he oversaw the protection of not only Hoshigakure but Haven Country in its entirety, no small feat for any one person. Masashi loved his home, despite the friction with some of the local factions, and he would do everything in his power to help keep it safe. That was part of the reason why he became a doctor in the first place.

Ayato was sitting behind his desk, fingers drumming on top. ‘Was that anticipation perhaps?’ Masashi thought to himself as he made his way over to where the Hogokage was sitting. When he got to about three meters from Masashi himself, Masashi would stop and bow respectfully. “Lord Hogokage.” He would say to the man sitting in front of him, dressed in a black kimono and Nova Corps jacket, voice as respectful as possible. As soon as the Uzumaki Jounin straightened from the bow, his posture would remain the same, but the expression on his face slightly, a wry smile formed as he would say “so they did make you Hogokage after all.”

WC: 309
TWC: 570

The Hogokage’s office in the Unseen University was not as big as the private audience chamber of the Royal court. Still, it had Iwagakure rugs on its oaken floor, elaborate wall hangings, and golden-tinted windows that gave it a sense of intimacy. Or so Shina had convinced him when he first ascended for the title. 

Grey white-eyes watched as a gaunt figure entered the room. Masashi Uzumaki-Akari was noble from both sides of his family. However, for the majority of the time, he dressed like a commoner at arms. When he reached a few feet away from the Kage, the fresh Jounin took a courteous bow. Of course, as was always the case with Masashi, the formalities were short-lived.

“Someone had to do it. I see you also had your advancement in the shinobi ranks.” Yasaki promoted all of his Chuunin enforcers before passing on the mantle of Kage to Ayato. Akaboshi Uzumaki, Tsubaki Senju, and the man in front of him. They were the cream of the crop of their generation, and now they had a new flak jacket to show for it. Perhaps someday, Masashi would even find it within himself to reach for the white cloak of the Nova, currently worn by Hoshi heroes like Dusk Tachibana, Yasha Silverwolf, and Jak of the Dosser Tribe. 

 “Pour yourself a cup and take a seat, old friend. We have matters of state to discuss.” The Hogokage waved a hand at the table to the right wall of the room. There was a bottle and a pair of glasses. There was clear cold water inside the bottle, but knowing Masashi, he probably would have wished it was wine instead.

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TWC: 618

Right down to business it seemed. ‘I guess he doesn’t want to discuss the good ‘ole days.’ Masashi thought while he chuckled at Ayato’s response to his own promotion. “I did, though to be honest, I don’t know if I still deserve it. I haven’t been what you would call an upstanding Jounin these past months, and I apologise for that.” It was true though, spending all of his time alone in his manor, doing absolutely nothing was not what one of the elites of the village should be doing. He’d done the village a disservice behaving the way he had been for the past six months. He’d hoped that the other two, Akaboshi Uzumaki and Tsubaki Senju, had picked up the slack in his absence, as unfair as it was to them.

His train of thought was broken though with Ayato moving on to actual business. Apparently the Hogokage had things they needed to go over, which suited him fine. He wanted to get involved again, and what better way than to get it sorted out with the leader of his village. The Uzumaki Jounin would make his way over to the table and pour himself a glass of water, before bringing it and himself back to Ayato’s desk. He would place the glass on the desk in front of him as he sat down. He’d gotten himself refreshments at home before making his way here, but it was important to stay hydrated, especially in Hoshigakure’s climate. The sun was an unforgiving mistress. Once he was settled in, he would take a sip of water. Masashi took few things in his life entirely seriously, but as the son of a noble, he did know that there was a time for that, and a time to buckle down and follow protocol. It would be up to Ayato to dictate whether or not this would be the case with this meeting. “What matters would you like to discuss with me, Lord Hogokage?” 

WC: 331
TWC: 902

Ayato’s eyes followed Masashi as he took a seat and poured a fresh cup of water. Also admitting he wasn’t the most attentive Jounin lately. Masashi, despite his high intelligence and noble birth, was known for cutting corners.

He stayed in his Akari Palace at the edge of the City o Haven instead of being on active duty. Not that Ayato was entirely surprised by that. The castle on top of the North Hill was its ecosystem with training yards, barracks, and storage hold. Cooks, and butlers, and stewards to attend to the household’s every need. 

“A city within a city or a castle within a castle should Hoshi ever find itself under siege.” The Kage thought to himself before deciding to respond to Masashi.

“Perhaps you ought to take a man hiding in a basement for your sigil.” Ayato, aid with a grin. Making a small jape out of the situation was bound to clear any unnecessary tension. “Not sure how well it would mix with your father’s red Uzumaki whirlpool or your mother’s golden Akari tree.” 

The Kage placed his hands on the desk in front of him with a momentary pause, and his finger mixed into one more enormous fist.

“Speaking of your mother, how is she? She had always been a true friend to the Shinobi. I heard she was recently given a seat in the civilian council. The Red Council, I believe they call it now.”

Ayato was reserved but primarily out of courtesy. But he knew it was appropriate to address this from the very beginning. The Red council dealt with and managed civilian matters within the City blessed by the stars after abolishing royalty and the throne. A parallel to the Daimyo society from the ninja villages of old.

“Ever since Tenhiyat left to marry the Daimyo of Bird Country, they have had the highest political power in the Land of Haven.”

Masashi chuckled at Ayato’s comment. It appeared the Hogokage still had a sense of humour. That was something at least, perhaps this wouldn’t be so bad after all. “How did you know about my basement lab?! That was supposed to be a secret!” Masashi would jokingly reference his actual secret lab, that no one was supposed to know about. “That being said…A golden Tree with hanging fruit styled after the Uzumaki crest sounds like it would be quite spectacular to behold. We used Mother’s crest primarily due to her status as Countess, despite Father being also from a powerful and respected family. I don’t think they’d appreciate sticking my mug in the mix somewhere.” He’d grin at his friend turned village leader.

The topic shifted over to his family, asking about how she was, and her current role on the Red Council, the council of members that were in charge of maintaining non-shinobi interests. “That’s correct,” Masashi said to Ayato, “though why is still somewhat of a mystery to me. She’s not exactly a civilian. My best guess would be because she has a title of nobility from before the restructuring and that still has some clout among the populace.” He shrugged, “sadly I don’t have a great deal of information about that at the moment. That being said, I have sent correspondence to Mother recently so she may enlighten me in the coming days. Any information she sends to me I will make sure is passed on to you as well, assuming they don’t already have you in the loop.” He would be surprised if the Red Council left the leader of Hoshigakure out of any of their discussions, since the civilian and shinobi populations were intertwined for better or for worse.

“While I’m here Lord Hogokage,” Masashi would start saying, being as this was more than just a discussion between old friends, “I did want to bring something up with you.” His face did go slightly more serious. “I had a research lab built under my family’s home in Hoshigakure, for conducting genetic research and experimentation, naturally for the betterment of the village.” He paused, gauging Ayato’s expression before continuing. “I’d wanted to ask if it would be possible to acquire samples from shinobi of different clans in order to learn more about what causes their abilities to manifest.” This was a bit of a gamble for the Uzumaki Jounin; he wasn’t entirely sure where Ayato fell in terms of this kind of work. Sure it could be considered distasteful, but the potential benefits it could have for the village were numerous. With successful research, Masashi could find potentially useful combinations that could improve the overall abilities of their shinobi, he could possibly come up with cures for ailments that they currently did not already have a remedy (or the remedy was harder to acquire). On a darker note, he had a theory that he was hesitant to share; to find a way to shut down a shinobi’s ability to use techniques that relied on their bloodline connection. It would be immensely useful in an offensive capability, as well as in information acquisition. “Naturally you would be given access to my home and to the lab, as well as access to any secure storage devices that I use to record my research and breakthroughs that I make throughout my work.” He didn’t mention anything about his ideas for how that information would be secured; he had some ideas, but would need to work out the kinks first, and he would likely have something to show him if the Hogokage decided to stop by.

He’d let Ayato ponder his request and provide his response before moving onwards. It was a big ask, especially for someone who’d literally just admitted to doing nothing for the village recently. He was hoping though that he would understand the potential benefits to the village and how much good this work could do as a result.

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TWC: 1564

“Good to see you’ve reinvented yourself as a mysterious mad scientist. So long as you don’t refuse to talk to people and respond with grunts.” Ayato grinned and, with a rough, callused hand, drummed against the mahogany wood of his desk. Now that was the time of the biggest reveal of Hoshi. Masashi’s secret lab. For him, it was better than finding a pile of diamonds.

“You can't truly be surprised. Do you perchance forget who Shina is? I think even I have begun to believe the rumors that she can see better than I do with the Byakugan.” The Hyuuga clan lord let out, leaning back into his chair.

“You know how in the past kings and queens, or a regent can appoint councilors. Well, now the councilors are the regents.” Seven members in total, and their meetings occur in the Tower of Red inside the royal residence. Hence their name.

“The council selected your mother to replace Lyonel Whitehill after his passing, who was barely six and twenty. Most unfortunate, he was a good man and true, on the Hoshigakure side since its founding.” The blond bearded knight had complained about a stitch in his side during his latest hunt in the Preserve. The pain worsened after he returned to the city, and he eventually became bedridden in the Castle. After a week of illness and pain, Lyonel died of a burst belly. 

"Lyonel's funeral pyre was personally lit by the High Priest of the Church, his uncle. And that priest is nowhere near as friendly." Ayato's voice was choked with anger momentarily. “The rest of them tell me enough, claiming to be my loyal subjects. When I captured one man participating in that trade outside the confines of the law, Lord Clayton from the council called my actions admirable.” The Kage shrugged. “Had he seen me piss in a cup, he would call it admirable as well. Without a shred of doubt, your mother is the only one I will be able to trust from that nest of adders.” Masashi understood that Ayato was known for his prowess as a battle commander from their shared history of shinobi service, and he utterly without mercy. There is no creature on earth half so terrifying as a truly just man.

“I never asked for this title. The Kage hat is cold and heavy on the head, but I have a duty as long as I am to wear it. Every man shall reap what he has sown Masashi, from the highest lord to the lowest gutter rat. And some will lose more than a finger, I promise you. Unsolicited transplants have made our village bleed, and I do not forget that.”

Ayato scribbled his signature into a piece of paper before pressing the intercom. “Have you tried the banoffee here? It’s not so terrible.” It was about time for Ayato's smiling personality to take over again. He despised being angry. A girl responded, and the Kage decided to offer Masashi an extra treat of the day.

The Kage made out his hand in a halting motion and “wait.” “Oh, I forgot the ice cream for one minute.” The girl appeared and served them both; Ayato thanked her warmly and complimented her in her outfit.

“And now we treat ourselves like the two gentlemen we are, old boy. ” He said and reached for his spoon, with surgical precision cutting down the chocolate banoffee, the thick cream overflowing the plate.

“You were explaining the inner workings of your laboratory. And pray to tell me how you plan to make it viable with the abolishment of transplants?”

WC: 608

Masashi chuckled at the label. Mysterious mad scientist? Absurd, he could see the parallels though; secret basement lab, working on theories related to subject matter whose practical applications weren’t always exactly legal. But he himself was anything but mad. There was a joke at the end of that statement, which was why Ayato was grinning at him. It’s why the Uzumaki Jounin reciprocated with a grin of his own. “Always the jokester.” Masashi said, still grinning. He did let on though that they were aware of his underground structure, which wasn’t entirely surprising. “Sometimes I wonder if she’s actually an Uzumaki at all.” He smirked as he thought of his cousin; it was a rare gift for someone who wasn’t a Hyuuga to possess Byakugan. He liked his eyes, but truth be told he wouldn’t mind having a doujutsu of his own. ‘perhaps in time,’ He thought to himself. “Not in the slightest,” was the answer he’d given to his Kage. “Though what I am surprised about is I didn’t think to better ward it. Not to prevent you from being aware of it, Lord Hogokage, but to prevent others from being able to see what I’m up to. A secret lab is only secret if no one knows it’s there.” Perhaps he would need to come up with a network to shield the compound from sensory techniques and other similar effects, it was something to consider at least.

Ayato then moved on to elaborating on his mother joining the Red Council and the history behind them. They were relatively new, and he wasn’t really paying attention when they were formed, so this would be a useful lesson for him. The death of Whitehill was somewhat of a surprise, very few people died of anything but old age here, unless of course they refused treatment from medical techniques. As skilled a physician as he was, he doubted he would have been able to do much without medical techs for a malady of that nature. “I’m glad to see that my family’s integrity and honour is still worth something, and hopefully she can bring the rest around, eventually.” He couldn’t help but smirk at that. His mother was not always a patient woman, except where politics was concerned. She was a master at manipulating those to earn favourable outcomes, always in the best interests of the village.

Ayato then touched on a point that Masashi had been loath to bring up; the actual act of transplanting organs. This was a standard medical procedure, but it wasn’t that which Ayato was referring to. He was talking about people gaining abilities from other clans by acquiring organs of that clan and having them implanted within themselves. Masashi himself had only earlier today acquired a couple such transplants, in secret for obvious reasons. It was illegal, though Masashi never really understood the reasoning for it. So long as there was an organised process that could be implemented, there’s no reason why the village shouldn’t be able to benefit. The powers that could be acquired from various clans would make the village stronger, better equipped to protect itself and her interests. “And you’ve done an excellent job so far if I may say, Lord Hogokage.” That being said, he couldn’t help making a wisecrack at Ayato’s statement. “I imagine that no one appreciates someone randomly walking up and swapping out an organ for one they didn’t want.” The teasing smirk on his face would be enough for the Hogokage to understand that Masashi was ribbing him. The Uzumaki Jounin fully understood what he was referring to; a shinobi acquiring and implanting an organ that isn’t theirs into their body, that isn’t for medically urgent purposes. Again, he found the prospect distasteful, it was wasted potential in his eyes. “Though I will say this,” he squared his shoulders, as he knew Ayato and himself would be diametrically opposed in this regard, “I understand your reasoning for keeping this law in force, but I disagree with it as I personally feel that it’s wasted opportunities, and to be honest, I hope my research can eventually show that.”

Before they got into that aspect, Ayato offered him a snack in the form of a banoffee. Something he’d had once or twice, but not recently. “I can’t say I have,” he said to Ayato as the Hogokage had an assistant bring them in each a piece, followed by some ice cream. Masashi couldn’t help but chuckle, it was a bit over the top in his opinion, but who was he to judge the leader of his village for having a moment of frivolity with an old friend. He did have to agree with Ayato though as he sampled the dessert, it wasn’t so terrible. “And now I can,” Masashi said with a smirk as he went in for a second bite.

The conversation steered back to his lab and research. “To be clear,” Masashi started with, as he wanted to make quite plain that this lab was not for any illicit purposes, “the research I plan on doing will not involve transplanting organs into shinobi from our village illegally. The main goal of my research is to see how DNA from different clans contribute to how they produce their intrinsic techniques, and how that DNA would interact with DNA from other clans. I can do that with DNA samples, I don’t need a host to implant the genetic material into. Though I will say that implanting the DNA in a host would better show off how effective different bloodlines working in concert could benefit the village.” This was going to be a lot of information to soak in, and he wanted to make sure that Ayato walked away from the conversation at least considering the possibilities. “The main purpose is to determine how the different bloodlines work so that I can develop ways to block someone from using the abilities of a specific clan, even temporarily. It could provide significant advantages to us should we end up being in a combat situation. That being said, I still think that we should also consider how beneficial adding DNA of other clans can strengthen ourselves as well. That’s the other main aspect that I hope to be able to research.” There was still plenty more details that would likely need to be talked about, but Masashi would take a break from speaking and enjoy the banoffee in front of him to allow Ayato to present his thoughts.

WC: 1086
TWC: 2650

“You are free to cut open the dead in that facility of yours. So long as you don’t end up breeding cannibals and creating abominations in the name of power." He reached for his quill and scribbled his signature on a piece of paper. 

"Morality is a moving target these days, it seems," Ayato observed to his Jounin. "Transplants can be a noble cause, and their study helps us understand the nature of the bloodlines even better. Moreover, the organs themselves can save the life of someone in need of a transplant. And yet, it was used by everyone and their brother as a fast-track ticket to A-rank jutsu." Ayato recognized power up through them is a real thing. He watched Yasaki Uchiha and Akabayashi Terumi and all the fucked up shit they can do. 

"Call me old-fashioned, but I've always believed true power came through perseverance. I lived that life." He admitted. Ayato claimed the Pureblood ability as a boy, permanently locking him away from transplants. At the same time, everyone else of the false generation of Hoshi heroes submerged themselves in those waters. Small good it did to all of them and the village.

Ayato’s gaze turned towards a wall painting. It portrayed in vibrant colors a waterfall and a school of koi fish ascending it. “Koi is a legendary fish, Masashi. Graceful, vibrant, and one of the most recognizable fish in the world,” Koi was well-loved and respected, but Ayato did not mention them for their real-life qualities. That painting symbolized something more.

“I imagine you are familiar with the legend of the koi fish’s claim to fame." An ancient tale tells of a massive school of golden koi swimming upstream the river. Gaining strength by fighting against the current, the school glimmered as they swam together through the river. However, when they reached a waterfall at the end of the river, many of the koi turned back, letting the river’s flow carry them away.”

Ayato leaned back into his chair, his gaze narrowing down to what appeared to be a frown. The myth drew parallel to many of his struggles after being raised in the shinobi system. As a boy, it was hard to think about it without getting emotional. However, he was the brave Ayato Hyuuga, a boy no more but the Kage of the Hidden stars. And thus, he continued.

“The remaining koi refused to give up. Leaping from the river’s depths, they attempted to reach the top of the waterfall to no avail. Their efforts caught the attention of local demons, who mocked their efforts and heightened the waterfall out of malice. After a hundred years of jumping, one koi finally reached the top of the waterfall. The gods recognized the koi for its perseverance and determination and turned it into a golden dragon.”

The Kage grew quiet then, and his grey-white eyes turned to meet Masashi's.
“You know what this story means to me. Now answer me this, what does this story mean to you?"

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