The Storm Lords

No piercing shaft of light awoke the Eleventh Raikage of the Kumogakure, but the light occupied the entirety of the room, casting only a minute shadow from the entry point at the window. A cloudy day, then. The cloudy days always felt as if one was in a different dimension to the redheaded lord of the Kumogakure, the way the light seemed to operate differently when distributed through blankets of condensed water giving the world a surreal feeling. Not as surreal as thinking of himself as the highest authority of the Kumogakure, for sure: sometimes he still felt as though he were just a jonin, just a genin, just a cook, just an apprentice. Such thoughts were pushed to the side the instant they arose: his position had no tolerance for such mentality. In the Kumogakure, even Genin were tempted to poke their superiors for a whiff of weakness in hopes of a quick climb in the ladder of power. To allow himself to pay attention to such thoughts was tantamount to career assassination. He had lost once to Zento, and he planned for that to be his last defeat.

Still living in the same rundown apartment in the same impoverished neighbourhood, the redhead went about his morning routine; coffee, a squat on the porcelain throne, a shower, wearing his under armour garments, a whimsical deviation in his breakfast with a choice of eggs, bacon, beans, blood sausage, cherry tomatoes and mushrooms, a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice, before finally donning his armor. The veins on the right side of his face popped in and out, constant flashes to assure the surroundings were never out of order, that nobody tried to sneak up on him as he once tried to sneak up on Zento. Much as one doesn’t bullshit a bullshitter, one is hard pressed to assassinate an assassin.

With his full suit of armor finally equipped, he left his head free of the balaclava, hood and mask, albeit they were all pushed back and ready to gear up should the need arise. The final touches: catch his hair in the high ponytail, and fix the half-mask eyepatch that covered the eye and veins which would normally show when the white eye was enabled. His headband was the last thing, before wearing the white robe of the Raikage and the golden pyramidical hat. He stepped out of the house and into the outer corridor of the building he lived in; outside, thugs of all sorts looked on. They nodded at Kaito, some with suspicion, but none dared to bare signs of disrespect. He had been one of them before and knew how to deal with the dominance games played, and now that he was not only a known brute but the highest in office, they played little games with him anymore. High is the price of power.

The walk to his office was a calm one, in spite of everything. Few would approach him out of the crowds which nodded and waved, and those who did were brief in their greetings. His byakugan pulsated with chakra as if a beating heart: now enabled, filled with chakra, its sight occupying everything within one hundred meters, then disabled, empty, as the chakra went to flow to the rest of the body, inert. The tower itself was beautiful as always: once a sign of oppression in his eyes, now a sign of his oppression, a reminder that power rested within, and aspirations without. The blue walls intercut with windows in sections all around the elliptical building, with its observation tower and lightning rod at the very top, from whence one could see the entirety of the building. Once inside, more greetings to be had, few people brought them papers which they thought he would like to see urgently. He dismissed most, asking them to simply follow standard procedure. One or two he advised to make an appointment so as to follow closer at a later date. When he finally made it to the wide opening that led to his office, Rei, the pink haired beauty that assisted him, glared at him. “You’re late.” “As I always am.” “Today’s different though.” “I know”, he said. “Is he here yet?” “No, his appointment is not for another hour.” “Good”, said the redhead. “You know where to find me when he arrives.” “Yessir”, she said half dismissively.

Going through the double doors to his office, he was greeted with the new scenery that he had set up not so long ago after officially commandeering the space. The previous office space was neatly decorated, vibrant with luxury and aesthetically powerful. Perhaps Maku or Youka had decorated it, he doubted Maximillian or Kutari themselves had gone to such extents to make the space one of luxury. But in Kaito’s mind, it did not sit well that he would sit in a room where a rich entrepreneur would sit, an accountant or a lawyer. He was neither of those things, nor was he so highborn that he felt comfortable in such an environment. Instead, the walls of the ten meter long office had one side with racks installed on the wall for chin ups, as well as bearing the weights, barbells and disks alike. The other wall was mirrors, one way see through, the other side from which his ANBU could navigate and keep an eye on events and happenings. Squatting racks and benches were available parallel to the wall, and the middle passage was the only place that did not have rubber floors. Closer to the mirrors were the running and cycling machines, the rowing machines, a few lifting benches and chairs. Medicine balls were closer to the other end of the office, the last three meters of which were his personal space, where the same desk the previous kages had still stayed, to the right of which was a bar with fruits and drinks, and to the left of which sat a couch. Not having his usual time to go down to the gym, he had decided to bring the gym to him, and at the same time, whoever visited would be able to engage with the Raikage while practicing and bonding. It was a winner all around.

An hour would pass as the Raikage looked at documents, signing them as needed, making calls when required, before his phone rang. “Lord Raikage, he’s here.” “Very well, send him in.” Kaito lifted his hand and spun it around with his index finger sticking out; his ANBU knew to vacate the premises and leave the Raikage alone. As the double doors opened, his Byakugan already enabled, he welcomed the familiar face with a smirk he couldn’t hide.