A Whole New World Of Diplomacy

Mission:

Kita inhaled deeply as he looked to the clear blue sky above, soaking in the rays of the sun while he rested. Officially he was on a mission for the new Mizukage, though his presence was hardly needed. After all, when the Mizukage themself is on a mission, they typically don't need Genin like Kita to bodyguard them. If Kita had to make a theory, he assumed that his leader was just checking up on him after his time in Hoshigakure, though he had no way to prove that was the case.

Kita sat up straight, taking a view of the area surrounding himself. Kita had been assigned to guard a local Lord's wandering daughter who had wishes to travel around Island Country and observe the state of the land, which meant Kita got to do a lot of site-seeing. Especially outside of Kirigakure, where mist and fog clung to the street almost daily. They walked through thick forests to another small farming village, one that seemed to just be cresting over the horizon from Kita's position. He reckoned it likely wouldn't be too long before they arrived.

Kita laid back down. Normally resting while mid-mission while the lord is traveling would earn strict reprisal, but thankfully keeping pace with his employer and kage wouldn't be an issue. Currently he lay utop an enclosed and ornate palanquin, where his employer and kage sat inside discussing lord knows what details. Looking over the side, Kita found that the four men who carried the great enclosed box were shooting dirty looks at the boy lazing atop the cart, a response that elicited only a friendly wave from Kita before laying back down atop the cart. After all, he had to work on his tan after Hoshigakure.

Though as non-chalant as he tried to seem, there was one tiny though nagging in the back of his head. The Mizukage whom he sat above in the palanquin was not Aloide Terumi, the one whom had watched over the village for as long as Kita could remember. No, instead it was Murata that sat below. The change was rather... alarming to say the least for the young boy. Not because Murata was a bad person, or someone he disliked by any means at all, but because he felt as though he was moving so slow in comparison.

Kita scowled atop the palanquin. He had been left behind by so many of his companions in Kirigakure. The same people who were his peers so long ago had left him behind. Kita still remembered when he was on that little life raft in his first serious mission with the others. They were all just Genin in a raft at the time, trying desperately to beat off the cold storms and save survivors. Now look at him. Gonk was a Jounin, and Murata was the Mizukage, with an ancient and powerful Kirigakure artifact to boot. What did Kita have to show for that time? He was still the same miserable Genin then as he was now.

Kita closed his eyes once more. He could reminisce about the past later. For now, he did need to remain focused on the mission at hand. Unlikely as it was, there was still the possibility for bandits or shinobi to attack their cart, and Kita would most likely be the first line of defense.

Kita leaned over the side of the palanquin to speak to its carriers.

"How long until we reach the next town?"

Word Count - 583

It seems that the more things change in Kirigakure, the more Island Country stays the same. The pleasant tropics are no different from when Murata had arrived here. With a Daimyo no longer present in the country, governance has become much more local - so somewhat more complicated for the Mizukage, who must deal with an array of minor nobles who each have their own relationships with one another and with the village. Murata does not mind too much, despite dealing with such politics while still recovering from surgery. The noblewoman she accompanies is her age and quite pretty, and very pleasant to talk to even if her poetic training allows her to run rhetorical circles around the comparatively rural Mizukage.

As for Kita, his mind seems to be elsewhere. Murata listens to the turbulent noise of his chakra from above. A discordant song is produced by his uneasy mind and the foreign chakra residing in his neck.

"Soon," one of the carriers grunts to Kita, and that is that.

The group arrives in the village within the hour, traveling to a house atop a hill overlooking the rice fields. It's late in the afternoon, and their hosts greet them generously to the place they'll be staying the night. Murata inclines her head to the gentle-faced elder, who in turn greets their noble client with the proper respect. After a brief discussion, the entourage heads down to the village proper so their client can tour the fields and speak with the townsfolk, for the moment no longer needing Murata's specific attention. 

Her eyes ache, and she has a killer headache. Perhaps it was too soon to travel after undergoing surgery, but there is so much to do. That letter that Gonk had brought back from Hoshigakure haunts her. Akabayashi is a Hosh-nin - had he encountered this figure in Hoshigakure himself? Murata had been there for months, had she just been steps away from him at any given time? She blinks, realizing something, and turns to Kita.

"Odd question for you, Kita," she says, "Have you ever met a strange man with six-ringed eyes? The letter Gonk brought spoke of someone accompanied by six women with a dojutsu granted by his god, and it has been bothering me all week."

378

Seems as though the palanquin bearers didn't want to speak. So be it Kita supposed as he lay back down atop his resting place, deciding to take a light nap on the rest of the way over to their destination.

Before long the group had made their way over to the house at which they'd be staying. It was a rather cozy looking place with a good number of rooms inside. A bit cramped for what a noble would be used to Kita imagined, though enough room to where the Mizukage and the Lord's daughter he was body-guarding would have their own quarters. Unfortunately for the boy, it seemed that was all the space that they would have in that house they were sharing. He was about to open his mouth to ask where he would be staying when he saw the disgruntled palanquin bearers setting up small make-shift tents outside the building, with an extra tiny fifth bundle laying on the ground. Kita sighed heavily. It didn't take a genius to figure out that there wouldn't be a roof over his head tonight.

After some light conversation the lord's daughter and her entourage wandered off through the village, leaving Murata and a somewhat bored Kita alone together. The boy opened his mouth to speak to his superior, though slowly closed it after a moment. How would he address Murata now? They were friends at one point, at least in Kita's mind. Did he address her as Lady Mizukage now? Lady Murata? Would Murata be fine? What would he even say to her now? Kita pondered those things until the woman in question turned to him and asked him abruptly if he'd ever met a man with six ringed eyes. Kita blinked at that before wracking his brain to remember someone like that.

"A man with six ringed eyes?"

Kita shook his head.

"I can't say that I have. At least not that I know of. My knowledge on Dojutsu doesn't extend much further than the Byakugan."

Though as he said that, a small thought wormed its way into his mind. A memory more or less. If anything it was something to talk about.

"Though there were quite a few religious folk over in Hoshigakure who'd fit the bill in that other department. I remember sparring with a man who was convinced that he knew the gods. Something about how he'd found the gods in the mountains of the land of snow. Name of Taichi Uchiha if I remember correctly."

Kita shrugged. Taichi was a good fellow, if a bit odd. He'd shared knowledge of places Kita wanted to travel to, though unfortunately the end bit of his trip in Hoshigakure burned that desire out of him.

"I wish I could help. Why do you ask by the way?"

Word Count - 469

Total Word Count - 1052

Murata shrugs easily. Her demeanor isn't much different from how she's always been, though less well-rested. Kita can likely relate.

"The Second left me a trail of breadcrumbs," she says, absentmindedly scratching outside the corner of her eye. "I can't tell if he did it on purpose. The Byakugan is one of the three great Dojutsu. The other two are the Sharingan and Rinnegan."

Clouds roll across the sky, offering occasional shade from the warm sun. It's a pleasant day, but even so quite a bit warmer than Kirigakure is used to, and Murata finds herself already missing the shade of the palanquin. Oh well, she can't get too used to such comforts.

"The last is the least well-known, but it's the one I'd heard of before I ever even knew of Shinobi." A memory - a seated statue of the sage carved into the cliffside, Murata holding her only friend's hand as they're guided along the steps of the Wolf Temple. He looks out over the world with serious eyes, deep rings around his iris carved into the stone. "Apparently that Hoshigakure ANBU met a man with it, and his theory is that it's related to the Sharingan. I'm not sure I buy it, but I thought I may as well ask if you'd heard of anything. If he's right about the connection, I suppose it does make sense that it would be an Uchiha." 

Hoshigakure was filled to the brim with religious history and travelers, so that fact on its own does not form a strong connection, but it is nice to know.

"You sparred with him?" Murata says, grinning to her friend. Kita in a fight, and she hadn't been told? Tragedy. "Did you win?"

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Kita nodded slowly, pondering Murata's words. The three great dojutsu huh? Kita had heard of the Byakugan well enough from Kasumi and Kato, and Sharingan he had heard of in passing, though the Rinnegan was something he'd never heard of before. The idea of a third legendary dojutsu intrigued him, though not enough to actively begin looking for it. Seemed as though the idea of it had captured Murata's imagination though, meaning it must've been important. At the very least somewhat so.

"Rinnegan huh? Well if it's anything compared to the Byakugan, it's likely a useful tool."

Kita shrugged. Most transplants were useful tools, though he was hesitant to indulge in that power. The arm he possessed has the potential to unlock that stirring energy inside him once again, and it was a sweet power indeed. Though... it was a cheap power as well. One given by virtue of being born, and one of the many bloodlines whose possessors believed it rendered them superior to shinobi like Kita. Giving in and accepting such a thing would merely be proving those shinobi correct.

Still, if it was that rare and powerful that Murata seemed misty eyed over it, it was likely something to behold, and certainly something Kita wouldn't want to go up against. There was little cause for concern however, considering that the chance of ever encountering an opponent who actually possessed the accursed thing would likely never cross paths with the young boy.

Murata shook the boy out of his thoughts with a grin, and asked him about his spar. Kita gave a low chuckle at that before placing a sheepish hand atop the back of his neck.

"I wish... I lost hard. He had stuff I'd never seen before. A strange Genjutsu mist them he seemed to spit out from his... face? It was pretty far away, so I couldn't see. He had crazy wood techniques too, as well as this black orb ability that I just couldn't beat with my strongest jutsu. The icing on the cake though was that he had access to Sage Mode, the same thing that... Yumeko used..."

The boy fell quiet at that. If he had enough blood left in his face for it, he was sure that he'd be blushing as his head turned to the side, casting his gaze over the village below. He kept telling himself that it wasn't his fault, that he couldn't have known, that many shinobi fell victim to the trappings of transplants, but he couldn't rid himself of the deep shame he felt inside. He stayed quiet for a minute as he looked over the tiny specs scuttling about below, citizens of his country that he had sworn to protect. Kita wondered which one was the noble they were guarding, or if she would even be visible from their position at all. A soft breeze swept over the hill that he and his kage stood upon, ruffling the boy's hair as it passed on into the blue horizon beyond.

"I'm... sorry by the way. I let you down back in Hoshigakure. I let you all down. I did something stupid and you all paid for my mistakes."

A deep sadness was etched in Kita's face, though he shed no tears, and he still did not look to meet his kage's eye. How could he? He wasn't worthy of it. While he was grateful for the lessons he learned in Hoshigakure, he NEVER wanted to bring pain to his allies. Though... was it his fault? It was people like Ayato that were to blame truly. No... not people LIKE Ayato. Ayato himself. He was the dictator that used the law to get his way, and people like Kita just so happened to be trampled under his path.

"I promise it'll never happen again."

Kita turned to meet Murata's eye, giving a small sad smile.

"I never really congratulated you on becoming the Mizukage, did I? Congratulations Murata. I can't think of anyone more deserving. And I'm proud to call you my friend."

The boy closed his eyes and his soft smile grew brighter. In that moment, he really meant it.

"How's the job treating you?"

Word Count - 699

Total Word Count - 1751

A useful tool...

"I don't like the idea of it in any shinobi's hands," she says, just the barest trace of defensiveness in her tone. It makes sense that Kita would be unimpressed, the way she'd framed it. "I'd just like... to meet them." 

What would she say? What would she expect? Would there really be any meaning to the symbol of the Sage, or would it just be another tool judged only by ability to kill, stripped of all history and context? Disgust twists in Murata's guts with herself for accepting the gift of the eyes now planted in her skull, eyes that she knows nothing about. So much history pillaged for her own ends.

Well... not her own ends. Not really. One day she'll be able to give these gifts up, if she still feels like she does not deserve them.

"Senju techniques, and a Jugo's Sage Mode?" Murata sighs. What a patchwork of a person that one must be. Not that she is one to talk. "I think Hoshigakure's prohibition is more about maintaining control than any ethical objection."

Murata looks to Kita. Her disgust with herself returns.

"Kita, look at me." Her face is serious... and more than a little guilty. "I let you down. I am the one who should be making promises to you. You heard the Second, didn't you?"

Every step of the way, she could have done better. Kita didn't have to be the one to put Yumeko down, their spar only served to drive them apart, and she neglected to keep him safe. In the end, it was her own former charges who had wrenched him from the other village's grasp.

At his congratulations, Murata stumbles on a laugh and it comes out more like a sob. She wipes her eyes where they're watering, and her voice is sad, but she's composed herself.

"I really do feel horrible. I'm sorry." She takes a breath. "It's alright. Lots of meetings and letters. That reminds me... when we get home, I have a gift for you."

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As Kita looked back at Murata, she seemed sorrowful at the young boy's apology. She offered solace of responsibility, and insistence that it was her failure and not his that landed him in trouble. Though it wasn't Murata who had taken that back alley transplant, who had refused to serve the Hogokage and suffered imprisonment for it, who had gotten a cursed seal and died as a result. Died... that's right, Kita had died there. He had come back, but he had tasted the bitter blackness that awaited him after he was gone. Truth be told... it scared him.

The boy reached into his weapons pouch and pulled out a kunai, spinning it softly in one hand as Murata apologized and briefly told him how she was settling into the position of Mizukage. Paperwork then? Expected, though pretty boring in the boys mind. An errant though crossed the boys mind imagining poor old Murata sorting through various news magazine subscriptions that the Second had forgotten to throw out, though his rational brain told him it was likely more serious than that.

"It's okay Murata. You don't need to apologize. I don't blame you." Kita stopped spinning the kunai, gripping it in hand before bringing it slicing across his left palm. The boy kept his blades as sharp as possible, leaving little pain as he cut through his skin. What poured from his cut wasn't blood, but water. Boiling, steaming, hissing, clear water that dribbled from his hand to the ground below, so hot that it killed the grass below it on impact. A symbolic gesture in the boys mind. He wasn't the same person who went into that village, represented plainly and clearly by the fact that no blood remained in his poor little body. "There's nothing you could've done to stop this. I blame Hoshigakure for this, not you."

Kita spun the kunai in hand once more before returning it to his holster and exchanging it for a couple of bandages that he wrapped tightly around his hand. He was still smiling, though something in it changed. It was colder, harsher, sharper. Something was troubling him. There was anger and dissatisfaction there, though the boy didn't know what to do about it. Yet inklings were there, worming tendrils of thought beginning to form a darker scheme in his mind. For now though they were just that. Inklings. His smile grew warm once again.

"A gift huh? Well now I'm curious! Guess I'll just have to wait until we get back to see."

He kept his tongue in cheek about the fact that he'd forgotten to get her a present for becoming the Mizukage. Now he just felt bad... He'd have to nab something quick once he got to the village. Flowers? No, that would be too easy, plus it was too late for flowers. Fancy alcohol? Fat chance, Kita was underaged, and something told him stealing it wouldn't be a great idea. Furniture? No, also a bad move. He didn't know her style. Plus, furniture was heavy. Hopefully it'd come to him on the rest of the journey. Though that thought immediately brought another, more sinister one to mind. The boys face grew cheeky for a moment, before a devious look came over the boys eyes. He gestured the thumb on his bandaged hand over towards the village that hung below the hill that they stood upon, a foolish looking grin upon his face.

"So, what'd you think of that noble's daughter that we're carting around? You were talking with her for quite a while right? How was she?"

There was a certain prying tone in that final question. Over the good weeks in Hoshigakure Kita had grown to suspect that there was a bit more going on between Murata and Ban than just strong camaraderie. Kita was curious to see if that had fallen through or not. Besides, an invisible blush crept through the boys face as he lightly kicked some of the dirt and grass beneath his feet.

"She's kind of pretty, don't you think?"

Word Count - 678

Total Word Count - 2429

Murata watches the boiling water bubble from Kita's hand with wide eyes. 

"Is that... from the curse mark?" she can only ask in shock. She wasn't certain where else in Kita's story he could have lost all of his blood. What the fuck? She shifts, glaring daggers at that sigil on Kita's throat through his clothes. Though she can't see it with her eyes, it burns in her awareness of the chakra around her, that strange and unnerving cocktail lurking within the seal. 

It would likely be in Kirigakure's best interests to get them removed from both Kita and Gonk - who knows what other purposes it could have. She'll have to talk to Dreamer about it when they get back.

Then, what Murata had been hoping for from the beginning of this mission occurs - a bit of the old Kita comes back. Murata, a little startled after that physical display of the long-term damage done to the boy, stammers. 

"Sh-she's fine," Murata says, recovering. Kita had noticed? Murata wasn't even sure the princess had noticed that she was messing around being a flirt, beneath that professional demeanor. It would be nice, though, wouldn't it? A princess and her loyal guardian? Maybe someday, when she finds a decent replacement. "I'm sure she's way too busy to spend any time in Kirigakure, anyway. Don't say anything to anyone about this, but her dad's very sick."

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TWC 1241

Kita gave only a single nod to her question. In truth it wasn't so much the curse mark that did this to him. Partially true, but the curse mark only served as the catalyst for his loss. He had died in that shop, and been brought back to life shortly after. Though that was more semantics than anything. Not something Murata needed to worry herself over.

She seemed particularly rattled after seeing just how much the village had changed the young boy. It bothered Kita to see her like that, though he tried to brush it aside in hopes of bringing the conversation into a brighter place. Though the hopes were quickly squashed as Murata revealed that the lord whose daughter they were escorting was sick.

"Ahh, I see... that's a real shame. I hope he ends up feeling better."

The smile faded from the boy's face, leaving only a dejected look of disappointment in his place. Kita never had any ties to the man, though he could take a wild swing at what that sickness meant for the future of the lands he ruled over. With his daughter being sent to survey the land, meet the peoples, discuss with political leaders like the Mizukage... Kita imagined that the man didn't think he had long for this world. Best to prepare his daughter for the future than hedge his bets on his own survival. One of the smarter choices he could've made from what Kita could tell.

"I guess it's been rough on all of us, hasn't it?"

Kita's mind flashed to Bobo in the hospital, something that still brought the boy no end of sadness. Some renegade shinobi in the marketplace had shattered the poor monkey's legs, so much so that even the medics had a hard time putting them back together. Even if the poor guy was expected to make a full recovery, that was still a traumatic experience. For Kita as well... seems like lately he just couldn't catch a break.

The boy gave a low sigh and turned over to gaze over the small village below. The lord's daughter would likely still be roaming for quite a while longer, talking to who knows how many people. When he was younger, Kita thought that the nobles had it easy. That being that powerful and rich meant a life of decadence and luxury, free from the burden of hard work. Still true to some degree, though the amount of ceremony and paperwork involved sucked the fun and mysticism out of the position in Kita's mind. Thinking on that however, Kita realized it probably would be a good idea for one of the two shinobi to look after her considering her value as a politician's daughter. And with one of those two being the Mizukage, it would probably be best if Kita did the grunt work. Even if they weren't expecting trouble, it never hurt to be careful.

"Sorry to cut this short so suddenly Murata, but I think it might be a good idea if I go look for them. Lord's daughter and all that, don't want bandits getting any bright ideas or anything. I'll catch up with you later tonight though!"

Kita gave a single wave and a quick smile to Murata as he weaved a set of hand seals for Hiding With the Camoflage. It was a useful jutsu, one Murata herself had taught the young lad. Combining that with Silent Killing, Kita would be able to serve as their silent bodyguard again any would be ne'er do well types. Yet another thing that Murata had taught him. As Kita began making his way down the hill, he pondered just how much he actually owed her. How much she had taught him in his life, and just how much of an impact she'd made. She was there from the very beginning in that little lifeboat, and now she stood as the Mizukage. He really was proud that he could call her his friend.

Word Count - 667

Total Word Count - 3096

Exit Claims:

Kita's falling expression makes Murata immediately feel bad for her answer. It's the truth, though. She can't hide things from him to protect him, as much as she wants to protect him. The way he says it - 'feeling better', as though he's getting over a cold - makes her smile wryly. It betrays his age.

"I hope so too," she says. "Things are going to get better. That's my job," she says, a little sadly, but under-girded with steely confidence. The village has never been in a better spot, but still people around her are getting hurt, and now it's her job to protect them. In this moment, she feels she will do so.

Then, Kita is excusing himself. Perhaps due to the conversation turning awkward, but... Murata chooses to believe the best in him. She smiles. "I'll be joining you soon."

The rest of the mission goes well. It's an uneventful tour - Island Country does not often harbour such petty crime and banditry for them to be worried. Save for that one missing-nin scuffle a few weeks ago, the perpetrator of which is currently within Kirigakure. Murata looks thoughtfully over the fields, thinking forward to the summit in Tea. Sunagakure's open-door policy to missing-nin has been adopted by some of the other villages, to various degrees, once Sunagakure showed that it would not necessarily lead to immediate chaos. Murata is not sure how she feels about that, for Kirigakure's success and safety in a vacuum, but in this time of tension it is important to keep every competitive edge they can.

The next day, Murata sits next to the noble's daughter once more in the pagoda, travelling to one of their last stops.

"Hey," the princess says, elbowing Murata. "You've told me about your secret powers - "

"Only some of them!" Murata retorts.

"Some of them - what about the kid? Kita? What can he do? Is he a ghost?"

"...a ghost?"

"I mean, he's pale as a sheet. That could be a bloodline. A ghostly clan - you know, create ghost arms, and..." the princess makes vague motions with her well-cared-for hands, pale blue nails contrasted against her dark skin as she goes through stories of ninja from her childhood in her head.

"No, no bloodlines for either of us," Murata laughs, leaning back - and then catching herself slightly. She'd forgotten for a moment about the procedure she'd just been through. "Well... none for him, right now."

"Aw. Boring!"

"It is not boring. You don't need one," Murata snorts, still believing in the fact despite her own betrayal of the ideal. If, some day, she were to lose these eyes now in her skull, it would not be a great loss. It's merely a symbol of the legacy left to her by the Second.

"What kinda powers do you think I would have if I were a shinobi, huh? In your professional Mizukage opinion?" the princess asks, grinning playfully. She's been quite taken with the idea the entire trip.

"You don't even need to be a shinobi to use Chakra. I'd personally even say it's a bad idea," Murata laughs.

"Some Mizukage you are!"

---

About a week after the mission's completion - with Murata having already left the village - Kita will be summoned to the administrative district to an appointment with Chizu Hyuuga. The old woman appraises him with gentle white eyes and offers him tea, going through his file while he sits. He may have met her before - Chizu is the beloved administrator of the hospital, having worked there for decades, performing surgeries or simply cheering up hurt or sick children waiting in the lobby. In Murata's absence, she is taking on some of the Mizukage's tasks.

The office sits on the ground floor of a towering skyscraper. High above them sits the former abode of the First Mizukage, still looming over the village.

"Our Mizukage would have liked to do this herself, but it seems like fate had other plans," Chizu says, smiling ruefully from behind her glasses. Unlike a few of the other promotions, the mission was not a token meeting - Murata had to deliberate as to whether Kita was ready, and then ask for the advice of the other Jounin. Similar to Saya, the agreement is that the role may be good for his continued growth - in Saya's case to nurture responsibility, and in Kita's case to nurture his fragile sense of self. "There were just a few things to arrange first. In her place, it's my honor to offer you a promotion to a Chuunin of Kirigakure, Kita Hajime."

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TWC 2002

Claiming:
Memorizing the Chakra signature of Akabayashi Terumi (Sensory Bloodhound to sense his Chakra in Kita's Curse Mark)
Mission Completion - 6000 Ryo + 30 AP converted to 1500 ryo

Training Lion Hawk up to A-rank (1875 words), 2000/4000 wc to S rank with discount