Gaining Permission

The sun hung high in the sky as Kether wandered through the village streets. Having lived most of his life in black market hubs, he wasn’t exactly unused to crowds but this was something altogether different. Where everyone at a black market hub was on edge and often wandered around in an attempt to find the item or service they were looking for, many of these people were civilians just walking around on their lunch break. There just wasn’t the same tension in the air, which ironically made Kether even more antsy. He simply didn’t know what to make of this place yet.
 
It didn’t take long for him to find what he assumed to be the Mizukage’s office. It was a rather grandiose building in comparison to many of the other buildings in the village. If the Mizukage was the leader of the village as he assumed, it certainly made sense for this to be the seat of their power. Kether’s hand unconsciously reached for the katana that he no longer had with him. I wish I had been able to hold on to my sword, he thought to himself with a hint of disappointment. Then again, he conceded, perhaps it’s best that I meet with the village leader unarmed. I wouldn’t want any unnecessary complications on that front.”
 
As he entered the building, he looked around to see if there was any sort of greeter or receptionist that he could ask for directions or to make an appointment of some sort. Upon finding what appeared to be a reception desk, he walked up to the person manning the counter. ”Good afternoon,” he began. ”I was informed by the guard at the gate that I was required to present myself as a newcomer to the Mizukage. Is there a specific process of doing so that I should be aware of?”
 
Truth be told, Kether really hoped that there wouldn’t be some long, drawn-out process to accomplish this. He certainly wasn’t trying to register for citizenship or anything like that, he just wanted to stay in the village for a length of time and earn a bit of money while improving his skills. Specialized training would also be ideal, but he could understand if the village wasn’t keen on providing advanced training to non-citizens. Hopefully he would at least be allowed to pay for use of the training facilities around the village, or maybe meet with that girl’s sister. Sayatria? The guard girl seemed to think she would be able and willing to help him out once he got the seal of approval from the Mizukage.

[WC: 436]

The receptionist was sitting down at their desk, hard at work with some of the leftover documents the Mizukage didn't need to personally approve. Receiving and shipping packages, checking them to make sure they weren't dangerous or anything and the like. They were also responsible for greeting guests and helping them as best as they could before having to resort to fetching the Mizukage. As they were at the desk scribbling away, a stranger had approached them with a greeting of 'Good Afternoon', causing them to look up from what they were doing with a faint smile. The stranger had been recommended to come here to introduce themselves to the village since they planned on staying here for a short time which was perfectly fine as long as they didn't bring any harm to the village or its citizens. Putting down their pen, the receptionist decided to greet the stranger. "Good Afternoon and welcome to Island Country. Glad you made your presence known just as the gatekeeper instructed. To answer your question, yes there is a process you have to go through, depending on the time of day you arrived. Luckily you've come at a good time and the Mizukage should be in," they had replied.


Turning over towards their desk, the receptionist had reached for the phone in order to inform the Mizukage they had a newcomer to the village that seems to be a wandering shinobi of no allegiance. After phoning the Mizukage, the receptionist nodded and put the phone down back on its hook before turning back to the stranger. "The Mizukage will be requesting your presence shortly so you'll have to wait a little while until he's done with his current obligations. In the meantime, may I ask you your name and your business for coming to Kirigakure," the receptionist had asked out of their duty.


W.C: 310

The receptionist seemed helpful enough, much more so than most of the assistants to the people who usually hired him. Maybe this place wouldn’t be too bad after all. Thankfully, it seemed that he had gotten lucky and come at a time when the Mizukage was actually here in the building. It seemed strange that the leader of the village themselves would be the one to check in any new arrivals rather than have someone else do that for them. He wasn’t sure if that was a sign of good faith, or a sign of paranoia.
 
Either way, it looked as though he would be waiting here for at least a few minutes until the Mizukage was ready to see him. ”Kether,” he replied to the receptionist’s inquiry, ”Kether Ryusei. I’m here to request access to the training facilities in this village and to offer my services for any jobs that might need doing in return.” To be honest, the more time he spent in this village, the more he realized there probably wasn’t a shortage of manpower for whatever missions were available, but he had to get his name out there somehow. He needed some way to get money, though. His wallet was almost empty; there wasn’t even enough to book passage on a ship back to the mainland if he was denied permission to stay and work in the village. That just meant he would need to be on his best behavior when he did meet with the Mizukage. ”If you don’t mind me asking, are there any training facilities that might be able to teach me on a more basic level? I must admit I’m new to the whole village system and I don’t have much training when it comes to jutsu. My previous master, while very thorough in physical and mental training, was unfortunately lacking in that aspect. Assuming, of course, that I am even granted permission to remain here.”

[WC: 324]
[TWC: 760]

Sitting there listening to the man's answer, the receptionist had found out this stranger's name was Kether Ryusei. The reason for his visit was to assist Kirigakure in minor endeavors and missions just like the ones before him. It seems they've been getting a trickle of newcomers looking to fill up their stomachs or wallets which was perfectly fine with the Mizukage as long as they work. The receptionist simply nodded and began to write this information down on a note. When they were done writing it down, the receptionist had looked back up to Kether in order to answer questions he may or may not have about the process. They couldn't answer all of his questions as what the Mizukage decided for each and every single individual was his own but maybe they could answer some general questions. 

"Yes, there are quite a few training facilities and levels of training you could access here in Kirigakure, provided the Mizukage actually takes a liking to you. We have the military training facility where people are allowed to train their bodies to their peak performance and a virtual training chamber in order to practice jutsu and techniques without fear or harm of other shinobi or property. Next, we have an advanced training facility in the same location as the military training facility in order to personally train each and every gifted individual that wants to specialize more in a specialty of their choice, with or without a partner. We also have the library to which you can read up and learn all of the basics. I would recommend you start your training there if you want to start from the beginning. Not only do we work on our bodies, we work on our minds as well. Now then just have a seat and-," the receptionist had been interrupted by the sound of the phone ringing.

Stopping their explanation mid sentence, they reached for the ringing phone as they picked up in order to listen to the words of their Mizukage. Nodding a few times and responding with "Mhm," they had hung up the phone after a few seconds before turning their attention back towards Kether. "You're in luck, the Mizukage will see you right now. Take the corridor behind me until you make it to a flight of stairs. His office is on the third floor and mind your manners. Oh, and do refrain from making hand signs in the presence of the Mizukage please," they said thinking back on what happened with the last wanderer that came in. 

W.C: 428

As the receptionist gave a description of the various training facilities in the village, Kether’s mind began racing. All of those training facilities were leagues beyond the small training room that he had been trained in by his master. Surely his proficiency would grow by leaps and bounds with the opportunities afforded by access to that kind of training. The recommendation to start at the library was one that Kether took seriously, especially since he had come to the same conclusion himself upon hearing that it was a good place to learn the basics. Besides, getting familiar with the library would help if he needed to do more advanced research in the future. His musing was interrupted by the phone ringing and cutting off the receptionist’s speech.
 
After the receptionist hung up the phone, Kether was informed that the Mizukage would see him now and was given directions to the office as well as not to make hand signs in his presence. That seemed simple enough, and Kether nodded his understanding. ”Thank you for your help,” he added as he began walking down the hall. As he reached the third floor, he took a deep breath and stepped into the Mizukage’s office.
 
At first glance, the office looked elaborate but pretty much like he would have expected a village leader’s office to be. Upon further inspection, however, he could see mission reports and various objects that look like they could be either shinobi tools or trophies from past experiences. This office had seen much conflict in the past, and it almost humbled Kether to realize it. A few moments later, Kether realized he had entered the office without saying anything. ”Good afternoon, sir,” he said as he gave a slight bow to the Mizukage. The man looked younger than he expected for the leader of a village, but despite that he could tell that this was an extremely powerful man who was not to be trifled with. He would wait for the Mizukage to speak or ask him questions before saying anything else, although he had to consciously make an effort not to try and analyze the Mizukage because it would almost certainly be taken as an insult. Instead, he kept his eyes focused on the man’s robe.

[WC: 378]
[TWC: 1,138]

The receptionist nodded at Kether when they were thanked before resuming their last task after the wanderer had left the lobby and entered the corridor behind them. The mizukage was sitting at his desk, wearing his Mizukage hat and robes with his dark, red steam armor underneath. Current;y, he too, was hard at work just scribbling his signature away at the forms and requests of his many citizens and passing or vetoing certain laws. He figured any brain dead monkey could perform this task and he didn't even really need to be here to do this but for some reason the previous Mizukage had thought removing the elder council and daimyo was a good idea. Well, at least he didn't have to answer to anybody now, having complete control of how Kirigakure was run. Shortly after, he was interrupted by the sound of a visitor entering his office. Putting his pen down, he looked up to stare at the person who had entered and was seemingly star struck by what was currently in the office. Blinking a few times, he'd simply wait for the person who he's never seen before to state their business when they were done looking around the place.

After they were done being in awe of the office, it seems they had come back to reality, noticing the Mizukage's presence in front of him. He'd greet the Mizukage with a bow, telling him 'Good Morning' before pausing for a bit. The Mizukage had assumed he was to speak first even though the stranger had come to his office to inquire or request something. "Good afternoon, and you are, Kether, yes?" the Mizukage had asked, making sure he had the right person in front of him. After he had confirmed his identity, the Mizukage would then ask, "What brings you to my village?" 

W.C: 307

At the sound of the Mizukage’s voice, Kether gave a quick nod. ”Yes, my name is Kether Ryusei. I come seeking permission to remain in this village for work and training purposes. I ask for permission to utilize your training facilities in return for providing my services in whatever ways you might see fit.”  Although his skills were more than likely very lacking in power compared to many of the other shinobi in this village, he had learned to survive and work without using powerful jutsu. This made him craftier than many who would simply keep trying to find a bigger stick to hit their problems with. Whether or not the Mizukage would see it that way, however, was up in the air.
 
”I must admit,” he continued, ”I am new to the village system in general, but I have handled many odd jobs in the past. If nothing else, I would be a resource that you could use to avoid wasting the time of your more trusted and experienced shinobi on trivial jobs. I’m a freelancer who’s down on his luck, so I’m not picky about doing trivial jobs. Perhaps someday I’ll even prove to be useful to you for more sensitive missions. In order to get to that point, though, I will need resources to improve myself, hence the request for access to your training facilities.”
 
Once he had made his case, he looked at the Mizukage for any sign of what might be going through his brain. He truly was willing to do just about anything in order to secure an opportunity for real training, but he wasn’t willing to offer his fealty. His freedom was just too important to him. Hopefully that wouldn’t be the requirement for his continued stay, otherwise he might find himself trying to scrounge up enough money to take another ship back to the mainland in search of another place to grow stronger. This was the ideal starting location for him, however, and it would be incredibly disappointing for his already long journey to end in failure so soon.

[WC: 347]
[TWC: 1,485]

Ah yes, another wanderer looking for work and a place to improve their skills. The Mizukage had always found it odd that there were so many wanders showing up to various major villages in order to do so without just joining up with them. They would certainly lead a better life than to just wander from place to place. Well, he assumed some people like their freedom, even at the cost of stability. The Mizukage saw no reason to deny this person entry into the village as he's accepted others before which turned out to be contributing members of Kiri. He was unsure if they were still around or not and honestly, he didn't care. If he really wanted to know, he'd check his information network. Back to the matter at hand, the Mizukage decided to give his response. "Ah, another person looking to take refuge for a little while before going back to braving the world. Well, you're welcome to use the facilities to hone your edge as much as you like. In exchange for the use of Kirigakure facilities, I will be expecting your services from time to time in order to aid the village's progression. I won't lie to you, the tasks I ask of you will not be easy."

Pressing his hands together in deep contemplation, he wondered how useful this particular visitor would be. Not only did he admit he was unfamiliar with how village systems function, he also doesn't seem to have much experience in real combat either. Maybe he had some kind of training elsewhere but it wasn't sufficient enough. He could see why he would choose here of all places to start his training. Maybe one of the village shinobi could aid him and teach him more of the basics and some advanced techniques but nothing more. He didn't want his village to be responsible for training up somebody that may come back to cause harm to them later. For now, he'd accept this person's presence and services but that's only if he agreed to the conditions set out in front of him. 

W.C: 351

Permission. From the Mizukage’s words, it appeared that he had indeed secured permission to stay in the village and utilize its facilities. Of course, it would mean he would be beholden to the Mizukage and bound to accomplish any tasks that he asked. That was a fair enough trade, if the facilities here were anything close to what he had heard. He was fairly certain that the man wouldn’t force him to do any particularly dangerous tasks until he had gotten a chance to train, but it was better to be prepared. He would ramp up his training regimen so that he would be ready as soon as possible.
 
”Thank you,” Kether replied with a slight bow. ”That offer is more than fair. I am, of course, more than happy to offer my services to any tasks that you might set for me. I may not be up to the same standards as the shinobi who have been trained here in this village, but many have underestimated me at their own peril. You will not be given cause to regret this arrangement, I give you my word.”
 
Already, Kether’s mind was racing as he went through the possibilities. Perhaps he could find a teacher here who could greatly speed up his training. Even if he couldn’t, the benefits of training in a real facility rather than a simple training room that his former master had set up were innumerous. He would certainly have a lot of work ahead of him. ”Is there anything else that you require at this time?” he asked after a few seconds. ”I must admit I am anxious to get to work.”
 
He took the risk of examining the Mizukage a little more closely as he spoke. He could barely make out what looked like armor underneath the man’s robes. Obviously a man who was always prepared for a fight. He couldn’t get much of a read, probably owing to the fact that he was a very well-trained shinobi, but just being in his presence he got a sense that he would simply be crushed if he ever even thought about going up against him. I suppose the leader of a Hidden Village would have to be very strong, he thought to himself. I’ll have to find another more average shinobi to see how I actually measure up. He couldn’t stay behind the curve forever.

[WC: 399]
[TWC: 1,884]

It seems as if this person had taken a liking to his offer even though it was harsher than he might think it is. Well, this works out for him as he just wanted another disposable pair of hands to help with the minor, miscellaneous tasks around the village of Kirigakure. The traveler had thanked him for his 'generous' offer and asked if there was anything he could do for him right now. Blinking for a second, he pondered on what he could in the meantime but alas, he didn't have anything for the wandering traveler to do at this very moment. For now he'd just give him some simple instructions and call in a Chuunin in order to get this man situated somewhere. Temporary lodging to be exact. "Good, glad to hear. At the moment, no I don't have anything for you to do at the moment so I suggest after taking a small tour of where you'll be currently staying for the time being, you ask one of the local shinobi to take you around the town in hopes of finding you something to do. At this very moment, you must be tired from all that traveling you've been doing so I'll have somebody show you to your room," said the Mizukage. 

With that, he'd reach for the phone on his desk pushing a few buttons on it and briefly talking to somebody. After a small exchange of words, he'd hang up the phone and not long after, a chuunin had shown up bowing his head in the direction of the Mizukage. The Mizukage had then instructed him to take Kether to his lodgings in a few minutes. Before he dismisses them the Mizukage decided to close out this discussion. "Now that we've come to terms, is there anything else you'd like to know about before I send you off to your lodgings," the Mizukage had asked. 

W.C: 319