Bloodied Hands

Mon Dec 19, 2022 5:52 am

The climb up to the highest inner peak was long and arduous. Although both Saturn and the guest could teleport, they had both decided to take the more traditional route. This was beneficial to the nervous shinobi who had blood on his hands. The blood on his hands was neither red nor literal. Rather, in an unfortunate series of events he had attacked an esteemed guest of the sitting Raikage and his predecessor. He cursed and muttered under his rum stank breath as they made the long trek uphill, occasionally pausing to take a swig of dark rum from his cold stainless steel flask. In his defence, he had mistaken the visitor for a typical missing nin when he slipped past the guards at the gate. When he left to chase the infiltrator, he left his octopus Mimas behind to man his post. Mimas was excellent at mimicking the human form, and was a novice at reading and writing scripts. However, it could at most only manage to say its own name when trying to orally communicate. This had proved to be a disadvantage when it manned the gate until the next guard arrived. A long queue had formed in front of the stalling octopus, who while disguised perfectly as Saturn with his signature cyan gear could only manage to utter the word 'Mimas' while drawing squiggly lines on a little notepad to record the entering visitors. The guards had quickly taken note of the situation and prevented further chaos at the gate itself, and had Mimas returned in its original state - a disgusting, slimy dark purple blob - to Saturn at the hot springs.

They were at the hot springs when he had sent out a distress signal while standing off against the royal guest. There, he had later claimed that the signal was a false alarm, but the respondents - a group comprised of an elite unit from internal affairs - were suspicious of his tone and insisted on accompanying the duo of Saturn and Satoru to the Raikage Chambers. Saturn had strongly insisted that the towering man was without question a royal guest, forcing the group into submission but under the stipulation that Saturn was completely responsible for the guest, and was to expect more heat for leaving his post and getting pranked by the mischief maker with pink hair. It was a messy situation.

The two were accompanied by eight masked guards - four on Satoru's left and another four on Saturn's right. They made their way under cloudy skies, trampling their boots in heavy snow. Before long, they arrived at the foot of the blue building. The leader of the troupe instructed Saturn, Satoru and the others to wait outside, before walking into the building to alert the Twelfth, if he were present.

Saturn looked out from the edge of the inner peak that oversaw the village. As he took another swig from his trembling hand, he gazed towards a familiar bar in the village in the distance. He could hear in his head a hymn that he had heard which was conjured by a gagging bard at The Drunken Kage Bar following an incident between the Eleventh and a Jounin of royal blood. He knew it wasn't accurate, since he met the Jounin in question after hearing the bards, but he shivered anyway upon remembering its haunting words;

The Hymn of Yagi:

WC: 616

Mon Dec 19, 2022 2:00 pm

It wasn’t long into the journey to the Raikages Chambers that special operatives descended upon the Jugo and the Genin. They were quite skeptical of the situation and decided to take charge of our escort all on the word of a Genin, “Incredible.” Thought Satoru thinking back to his time as a member of the village. If a distress signal was activated during his time, then a sea of Shinobi would have swarmed the area, yet only about two handfuls responded to this specific situation.

He rolled his shoulders while the group guided them towards the chambers. Satoru had anticipated the visit and already sent one of his concierges to the chambers to relay his arrival message. Having already sent word to the Raikage when entering the village, he figured that the powers at would be ready for the visit.

Strolling through the snow with the armed group, Satoru periodically lagged as he observed the two groups’ movement on either side of him. Honestly, Satoru didn’t understand why he wasn’t bound at this stage in the transport. Naturally, if he was a royal guest then his identity would soon be confirmed and yet all these so-called special operatives took the word of a Genin and walked the Jugo right up to the entrance of the Raikages chambers.

Satoru raised a palm to his face; he shook his head in disbelief while taking half a swig out of his Sake bottle. At that moment, his eyes caught the trembling hands of the Genin to which he couldn’t help but chuckle. Before long, they had arrived at their destination where the duo were instructed to stand by – having already tested one element of the Kumogakure defence, Satoru figured that there would be no harm in taking the test a little further.

The drunken Jugo stumbled forward as he was instructed to stand by, gracefully passing by the troupe's leader with a remark of “Bit too cold out here for my liking – Besides, I'm running late.” before making his way into the establishment's doors. Eight versus one weren’t incredible odds but he couldn’t imagine these operatives having a Mexican standoff outside of the Raikages chambers as it would look extremely unprofessional and bring to shame the strong men and women of Kumogakure.

The group were now within the Raikages domain – Satoru felt an incredible presence nearby hence carefully entering the building, flashing a palm at the very familiar face of the receptionist. Her eyes briefly lit up as she beckoned him into the building. “Cold out there!” He cackled as his eyes wandered toward the entrance of the Raikages chambers – “Is he ready for us? – The gate guard will be joining me as well…” he knocked his fist against his shoulder gesturing over at the Genin.

Mon Dec 26, 2022 1:23 pm

It was quiet, too quiet to his liking. "The calm before the storm?" the Raikage thought to himself, referring to the period of silence and unusual tranquillity, hoping the village's current stability wouldn't come to presage difficult times. Alas, it appeared he spoke too soon. It was almost as if the legendary eye he possessed granted him the ability of foresight, able to predict future events as if they had already happened. However, even though the powers of his Rinnegan were almost endless, there were still things it couldn't do, Ichigo himself was the living proof of that. Not in a million years would he have guessed to be sitting in the Raikage's seat.

It was from that same spot that he picked up on the noise coming from outside, almost as if the village was in an uproar. "Does this have anything to do with Satoru's arrival?" the Kage asked the messenger sent by their esteemed guest. The man was without answer, explaining he was only tasked with informing Ichigo about the Jugo finding his way back to Kumogakure. "You can go now, you've done your part". He would let out a sigh as he watched the visitor leave his chambers, his mood growing darker with every passing second. "Perhaps this will be the day where you'll be tested for the first time" the Raikage spoke as his gaze landed on the Leviathan Axe he received after rising to the highest position in the village.

As he sat there, Ichigo could hear different footsteps approaching, just how he sensed multiple chakra signatures coming closer until two of them came to a halt almost directly in front of his door. "Come in" his voice boomed in the room, heavy as the current atmosphere. Should his visitors choose to enter, they would find him sitting at his desk, his Raikage hat to the left of him while appearing to be in deep thought himself.

(WC: 323)

+ 1 Nature Stack

Thu Dec 29, 2022 3:21 am

Saturn gulped when he heard the booming voice of the Twelfth. 'Get Stronger.' He remembered the words inscribed on a letter sent to him a long time ago, signed by the Raikage himself before his reign. He was sent twelve thousand ryo with that letter, and since those days he had worked hard to do exactly as instructed on the letter. He slaved for the village working odd hours some times, and long hours often. He was proud to call himself a Kumon shinobi, but when he saw the smug look on the royal guest's face it made him feel uneasy. "You enjoying yourself?" Even though he had gone out of his way to chase the man whom he had thought was a missing nin, a threat to the village, he was the one that felt like the criminal between the two. It was an odd feeling. He shook off the nervous feeling that he felt in his stomach, and opened the door to the Raikage's office.

He walked up to the desk, and got down on one knee, bowing before placing his cutlass on the ground to show his respects to the Raikage.

"Raikage-sama." He spoke, looking up at the man behind the desk with a solemn but humble expression on his face. Curvy women, alcohol, music, his guitar, working out. Words came rushing into Saturn's mind through his Kumogakure headband as he looked at the kage, but he did not speak them out loud. Violence, arrogant people, carefree people, disloyalty, non-alcoholic drinks.

"I've mistaken your esteemed guest for a missing-nin, and I've treated him very badly. I hope that you can forgive me."

WC: 272
TWC: 888

Thu Dec 29, 2022 4:09 am

Satorus eyes beamed as his smile stretched from ear to ear. The signal to come in came from a familiar but unexpected voice. The door opened and there sat the 12th Raikage for Kumogakure. For a moment, Satoru was overcome by emotion – the man who once welcomed him into the land, the one with whom he had experienced the hell fire of battle, the one with whom he had shared great many a drink was now the strongest of them all!

Tailing the Genin into the room, Satoru extended the traditional courtesy of a bow before descending onto one knee. Regardless of being friends, he felt a strong urge to extend the deserved respect reserved for the Raikage, especially in the presence of his followers and operatives. As he entered the room, the door quietly closed behind him and quite quickly the Genin began spilling all the tea.

With his head bowed, Satoru couldn’t help but smile at the young man’s statement but unfortunately, the boy was asking for forgiveness for nought. “If I may, Lord Raikage.” he’d look up at Ichigo, his smile fading from his face as he awaited permission to talk. Once given the nod, he would rise before coming to address the room.

“A pleasure to see you once again, Ich- Ahem - Lord Raikage. While I hate to be the bearer of troubling news, I feel it is my duty to report on the events that led up to this moment.” His eyes briefly darted in the direction of the genin as he continued his rhetoric. “When I arrived at the gates, the guard failed to access my threat level and antagonised me at the first instance. Immediately thereafter, he attacked me with an unfamiliar technique that I was forced to guard against. As to not cause a scene in front of merchants, visitors and the like, I decided to use a means of movement that allowed me to enter the village unhindered.”

Briefly pausing he would continue, “The alarm wasn’t sounded, the guard left his post and went on with his attempt to pursue me through the village. Upon eventually engaging in dialogue at the hot springs, he took my words at face value and escorted me directly to your chambers, unbound and as free as a whistle.” Dramatically bringing a palm over his face he would end on, “I would hate to think what might have happened had a visitor with malicious intent compromised the village in such fashion."

Satoru had nothing against the Genin but he did have an incredibly deep love for the village. He understood that this opportunity would be one that would allow the young man to grow into an incredible specimen for the village – assuming he channelled his energy and feedback correctly. Thinking back to his prior stint in the village, he couldn’t help but feel that he’d been escorted to these Chambers without arms and legs had he pulled the same shenanigans. Restraining a laugh, he descended back down to one knee.

Thu Dec 29, 2022 1:31 pm

When both visitors set foot inside the office, Ichigo would raise one hand, a sign for them not to speak just yet. Before he allowed any of the men to talk, the Raikage would finish going over the contents of a letter he received earlier. "The fat, I mean thick one, I'm surprised he found the time to write" he thought to himself as he read Gin Akimichi's message. It was a rather disturbing one, the description of an event where something he had hoped to never happen in Kumogakure, happened. The village he so loved stood for honor, strength, but what was mentioned inside the letter was far from a display of power, but more of abusing it.

He placed the letter on the desk, his eyes and attention now focused on Saturn and Satoru who had started to kneel in front of him. "I allowed you to enter, not to speak. You will wait your turn". If the Genin knew what was good for him, he would remain silent until being told otherwise. Ichigo then raised his hand a second time, directing his attention to the Jugo. "Stand up my friend, it has been far too long. You'll have to tell me all about your travels later, but I believe there are more pressing matters we have to deal with first". The Raikage would place his hands on top of each other, letting his fingers intertwine as he listened attentively to what Kumogakure's esteemed guest had to report.

As he paid close attention to the things being said, Ichigo remained emotionless the entire time, not a single expression to be read on his face. "Thank you Satoru, it saddens me that the good news of your return is accompanied by .. troubling news" the Kage spoke after carefully choosing his words. "Perhaps this is the balance people like to talk about". Life can’t ever be all bad or all good, eventually, things have to come back to the middle. Now that he heard the Jugo's side of the story, the Kage would direct himself towards Saturn. "Before I allow you to speak and explain yourself, something interesting got brought to my ears and perhaps you could help shed some light on it. Here, let me read it out loud". Ichigo then repeated every single word that was written inside the letter, but without revealing the messenger.

Once the Raikage had finished reading what he wished to convey he would place the letter on his desk before speaking up once more. "Asking for forgiveness when you are hiding the full truth, what do you have to say for yourself?". Not only did the Genin dare to bribe people for his personal gain, he didn't even have the guts to admit his own wrongdoings.

(WC: 464, TWC: 787)

+ 1 Nature Stack

2/6 Nature Stacks

Thu Dec 29, 2022 4:31 pm

Saturn kept his head down and waited for his turn to speak. He did not lift his head when the guest bespoke his recollection of the events that had led up to their predicament, but he disagreed with him. He was not done processing the accusations that were placed on his name when he received yet another damning false accusation.

Gin Akimichi wrote:

Lord Raikage,
Hope this letter finds you well. I am writing to inform you of a disturbing set of events that I observed while overseeing the Gate Guards this morning. A Genin by the moniker of Saturn was charging an entrance fee to a visitor.

I observed the subsequent monetary exchange first-hand. As it is my first time encountering this situation, I write to seek your wisdom in deciding how to proceed.

The operative has been relieved from gate duty with immediate effect.

I look forward to being blessed by your eternal wisdom.

He knew exactly who had wrote the letter. He recalled the yellow face of the Kumon shinobi who approached him at the gate while he was dealing with a visitor on the ninth of December. It was a complete misunderstanding. He resented that the higher ranking shinobi did not take the matter up with him personally, and instead chose to go behind his back to report to the Raikage. I look forward to being blessed by your eternal wisdom. What a corny guy.

"If I may, Lord Raikage, I assure you that those allegations are false." Saturn spoke with a calm expression on his face - his blood was boiling with irritation but he did not let it show. "The incident being referred to on that letter took place on the ninth of December, and the money in question had nothing to do with an entrance fee. The visitor's name was Katsuragi Baito, and he was interested in my ancestral clan. We made a friendly wager, and he lost, so he paid me. He would attest to this." He could now see the name of Gin Akimichi inscribed on the letter that was now placed on the Raikage's table. He had spoken truthfully, before pausing for a few seconds then going on to speak again.

"With all due respect, Lord Twelfth, Gin Akimichi is not the only one hiding the full truth from you." He said, "When your esteemed guest arrived at the gate, he wilfully displayed an enormous amount of power before he ever produced a name or stated a purpose of visit. I used a technique that was meant to restrict his movement because I was of the belief that he was a threat to the village." He looked over at Satoru briefly to see a mark on his cheek - it was missing when he confronted him at the hot springs. He turned again to face the Raikage, still bent on one knee with one hand on the handle of his cutlass, its pointy end touching the floor. "Regretfully, the guest used a seal mark to evade my technique before teleporting into the village without allowing me to record his entry. I left my post immediately and instinctively to pursue him because he had vanished into thin air. When I found him at the Hot Springs, I signalled a Chakra Flare."

He recalled mentally how his cutlass had failed him,

"I tried to erase my failure by erasing your esteemed guest whom I thought to be a missing-nin. That is when he confessed to me that he was in fact your guest, and also a friend of Lord Eleventh. By then, I was using Mind's Eye of The Kagura, and I learned without a shed of a doubt that he was telling the truth."

He paused, before lowering his head. Even though he had explained his side of the story, he was disappointed with his own performance.

"By allowing him to slip past me, I have failed the village, I have failed my colleagues, and I have failed your trust. Lord Twelfth, this is the truth in its entirety. I am ashamed and undeserving of the title of Genin."

WC: 685

Thu Dec 29, 2022 4:52 pm

Satoru listened closely to all the parties, the contents of the letter were quite damming and yet it felt as if the young Genin had managed to weasel his way out of this entire predicament. His explanations were clear, concise, and carried merit but as the young man summarised, he had failed the village with his actions and for that, there had to be repercussions.

Stood, he observed the signature at the base of the letter read by the Raikage. “Gin Akimichi? Isn’t he that fat Chunnin every was talking about?” he thought to himself as he caught the Genin sneaking a peak at the letter. He couldn’t help but grin at the idea of the Genin setting pace on that walking mountain of a human being. Throughout his travels, Satoru had seen some incredibly big people, but that fat bastard was by far the biggest. A walking, talking brick shit house – but the rumours had it that despite his overwhelming size, he was quite nimble.

Satoru wondered whether the young man would seek vengeance, he hoped that this situation riled him up to go above and beyond his existing capabilities. He hoped that this learning opportunity would translate to the development of a true warrior of Kumogakure. While the young man might have resented Satoru at this moment, he knew that in time he’d be able to reflect on this moment as a turning point in his career as a Shinobi.

Naturally, at this stage in the conversation Satoru had nothing to add and so he would remain silent. If he was asked to confirm the Genins recollection of events then he would add, “That sounds about right. Expect he neglected to mention that he openly challenged me at the gates which was when I had to humble the young man with a Display of Power. Needless to say, he still thought it wise to attempt to attack me despite being at a handicap.” his now emotionless eyes would glance over at the Genin as he shook his head sarcastically.

Fri Dec 30, 2022 4:23 pm

Perhaps his words were too harsh, but Ichigo knew he couldn't allow himself to be too lenient with his shinobi, not if he wanted them to turn into fine warriors capable to fend for themselves as well as defend their village. Nevertheless, it was now Saturn's turn to share his side of the story. The Raikage would sit comfortably in his chair, hands still placed above one another as he listened attentively to the Genin, paying close attention to what was being said. Maintaining the same emotionless expression on his face he would wait until the shinobi in front of him finished conveying everything he wanted to say before speaking up himself.

Letting out another sigh, grabbing the bottle of sake to pour himself a drink, Raijin knew he needed it, Ichigo would address Saturn a second time. "Your job as a gate guard is, or was, to thoroughly inspect those trying to enter the village, not challenge them. What would you have done if it wasn't Satoru but someone who actually wanted to bring harm to Kumogakure, still ask for forgiveness?". The Raikage didn't ignore anything the Genin said, but he had to realize how grave the situation could have been. One person's mistake could have ended up affecting everyone in the village.

If there was anything positive out of all this, it would be that Saturn was at least smart enough to realize his own errors, the next step would be to learn from them. "You are ashamed and disappointed, as am I. What I want to know is if you are ready to take responsibility?". After all, shinobi of Kumogakure should always be able to deal with the consequences of their own actions, no matter what they would have to face. And this would be no different for the young Genin sitting in front of him.

(WC: 309, TWC: 1096)

+ 1 Nature Stack

Nature Stacks: 3/6

Sat Dec 31, 2022 8:07 am

Saturn stayed on his knee, heeding the words of his Kage. He was right. Had it been an enemy of the state who had slipped past the Genin hours earlier, it would have been a dire situation. He was glad that he was even given the opportunity to speak. If anything were true about the fortuneteller, it was that he was willing to own up to his mistakes. Although he was ashamed of his failure, he was brazen and unashamed of his inherent flaws. Morally and physically, hs was admittedly a work in progress in every aspect. He took a moment to take in the words that were spoken to him, and considered all the possible outcomes for him. He remembered Yagi Raitenno, the chuunin who taught him how to wield the sensory specialty, and helped him hone his sense of sense. He remembered how they fought a two shark requiem together in Mikadzuki Beach, and how his mentor did not have one finger

"Lord Raikage," He turned his gaze upwards, his heart was pounding and his voice was a little shaky, but his face was calm and collected, "I am willing to accept the consequences of my actions. Please punish me, as you see fit."

Bloodied Hands

Bloodied Hands

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