Misty Mountains

The day had started shrouded in a blanket of uniform light, just enough to let everyone see, but not enough to cast shadow in any direction. The winter months approached, and soon the blanket of light would merge with the blanket of snow along the cobblestones, and make the treacherous paths around the mountain that much more dangerous. Until then, the Kumogakure readied itself for the difficult months by clearing paths, ensuring trade routes were secure, and stockpiling on nonperishables.

Today though, everything had been put on hold ever since the light first broke. The Heavenly Bridge had its traffic halted for the day until further notice, and no one was to enter or leave the Kumogakure by official decree of the Raikage. The empty bridge was connected to the village by a fifty meter diameter platform bisected by the Heavenly Gates, eight meter thick monstrosities with a berth of but four meters, perfectly perpendicular to the bridge. In the event they needed to be closed, rather than swinging inward or outward as other gates might, mechanisms would allow for the four meter gap to sink, and with it, the gates would slide from the mountain to meet in the middle in a singular thunderous clap. He was quite proud of the engineering that came out of the Thunderpeak Campus.

The plaza, as it were, allowed for people to organize their affairs before entering the village and take a small rest, or simply to enjoy the view. Beyond the gates, two gatehouses would welcome visitors which were forced to pick either side of a small garden that welcomed them to the Kumogakure. The Mizukage might not be able to see that side, unfortunately.

Twenty meters away from the gate the Mark Seal was placed on the floor, affixed by heavy rocks to ensure it would not fly off. While the conditions to the meeting included not memorizing Chakra Signatures or locale, it did not sit well with the Raikage’s advisory that the Mizukage be allowed to remote access the inside of the village. Noboru himself -- the 11th Raikage -- was a simple man, whose claim to power laid thick and slick on his red knuckles, more a figurehead than a someone who deserved the position in his own mind, and who against all odds seemed to be able to inspire followers, but, in these matters, he would defer to his betters, those studied in Sensory and Space-Time, or Fuinjutsu and Medical arts.

Standing five meters away from the seal, clad in his darkened skies armor, shielded from the elements by the white robe and pyramidical hat of the Raikage, his dark eye glanced upwards to the skies while the white eye rolled underneath the leather patch that covered the right side of his face. As if on cue, the clouds seemed to give some leeway, and shafts of golden light illuminated the kage and the seal, as well as the gates and the massive Thunderbirds that oversaw the structure. Five meters behind the Kage, two masked and robed individuals stood vigil. Given the angle of the sun, the Raikage assumed the meeting would start any moment. When the Mizukage’s figure showed up, he would take a curt nod of his upper body, while the two ANBU would take a lower bow, while keeping their eyes trained on the Kirigakure leader.

“Lady Murata. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance.”

With a swirl of vapor the Raikage and his retinue’s attentions are drawn to the seal on the ground, and as it spirals upward, a compact fog forms the shape of the woman who Noboru had felt a sense of faint familiarity with at the Gates of Hoshigakure many months ago. Almost immediately he could begin to empathize more with the lass before him; though he didn’t know it, she too had been born commoner, without a claim to glory from deep rooted ninja tradition, and if simplistic assertions could be made, she had been just another cog in the machine, now occupying the highest office by the valor of her actions and words. She returned the bow from the Lightning Country soldiers, before taking in the views before her. When she spoke, there too was the same sense of wonder that Noboru had felt when he returned from his long trips abroad, yet for her it was the first time discovering it, and for a moment the Raikage envied her for being able to consciously appreciate the sights for the first time in all their glory.

“I apologize, Lady Mizukage. We Lightning Folk have a flair for the dramatic.” A lie, but a white lie, covered in a solid truth. While it was true that he had engaged in heavy beautification programs for the Kumogakure to lift up spirits and morale in the wake of the destruction set upon these lands by Youka, one of the previous Raikages, this place had been chosen so as to avoid direct access inside the village, as well as the bridge being a strong choke point in the access to the mountainous chain. The Mizukage sipped some tea, the great slab of what he could only assume was iron shifting at her back, pushed by the powerful musculature of the Mizukage. A Weaponry master, obviously, but perhaps a Taijutsu practitioner as well. She grew in the Raikage’s estimation. Lady Murata thanked her for the gifts, and he nodded in return. “May they taste better sakes for many more days then”, he replied, adding “maybe one day our relations will improve to the point we can send you more sake, and you can send more of that opulent vintage of yours.”


She steered the conversation to the topics she wished to talk about, and Noboru listened with a stoic expression to the points made. A proposition for an exchange program was given, and though his expression didn’t betray his feelings, his paranoia immediately took over, thinking of which angle might be at work in these words, however a subtle curiosity was able to chime in with wonder at how such a thing might not only play out, but strengthen the Kumogakure forces. Yet, he couldn’t bring himself to be at odds with the possibility of enriching and strengthening Kirigakure forces at the same time, and the notion was not one he was particularly excited about. Moreover, the Kirigakure was not particularly in the best of positions on the world, even if they towered over the Kumogakure in apparent power and riches. Noboru’s lips curled downward for a microsecond as his eyebrows jumped, as if to expressed sincere curiosity at the proposition. He couldn’t deny, after all, that the physical arts were exalted in both countries, one among the sea, and one so far above sea level.

The second point made by the Mizukage was one he would know all too well; how could he not, when he had been in the room, experiencing it first hand from the silence of Kiseragi’s shadow. What surprised him was the confirmation that there had indeed been an attempt on the Second Mizukage’s life, which would likely in turn confirm the notion that the razing of the Volcano based village was a Kirigakure action. And now, the three villages involved closest in the international drama were convening in the Land of Tea to hash things out, and the Kumogakure was asked to send a mediator. Lady Murata took a sip, while Noboru wondered if he should point out the obvious, but he didn’t need to; she brought it up herself. Everyone had in turn forgotten that they were all ninja, and allowed each other to learn their chakra signatures. From there, a Sensory Specialist would be able to track those half way across the world. She seemed adamant not to repeat such mistakes.

Noboru brought a hand to his chin, looking down and to the left as he pondered. “Hm”, he’d let out the soft rumble. “I will think on that first point”, he said, looking at Lady Murata before lowering his hand to sink the thumb under the belt and let his hand hang on it. “On your second point, I may have one ninja that I can send to mediate this meeting. He’s calm and collected, and mayhaps he can help keep things in that matter. However, per Kumogakure protocol, he won’t be allowed to travel the world alone without an escort; a Shadow, so to speak. This Shadow is there to be seen, not heard, and likewise, it sees, but hears nothing. I hope this won’t be a problem.”

He sucked at his teeth, looking momentarily to the wide emptiness between the bridge and the mountain, before looking at the Third Mizukage.

“I won’t lie, Lady Murata. Things between our villages are… tenuous, at best. Neither is hostile towards the other but I can’t tell that there was a budding friendship either. We’ve had our share of experiences with the First Mizukage when he sent their lapdog Nobunaga Hiyu to conquer our village, and with the Second Mizukage when he demanded something from all villages when he was asked for forfeit his hold of Konohagakure at the Summit. But hey,” he shrugged and gave a coy smile, “maybe Third time's the charm.” He kept the smile, but relaxed his stance once more. “I’ll send you your mediator, and I promise to give your proposition a fair consideration. No reason why we can’t let bygones be bygones, right?” Could bygones be bygones? Kenshin’s punishment of the Kumogakure forces was an obvious choice to be made, the Kumogakure grew complacent and arrogant. Did Xyxer’s campaign reflect on the Kumogakure’s weakness, or was it also just the arrogance of the dictator? Who knew? Not him. He was a warrior, not a philosopher.

“I wish you good luck in your meeting, Lady Murata. May you fare better than your predecessors.”

Exit