30 for 30 [Enishi, Ayato]

Since arriving in Hoshigakure, Guren had been shown quality hospitality from a village that had no business doing so. Particularly from Enishi. Though it was likely protocol to show visitors around, there was an unspoken understanding that anyone from Sunagakure would likely be the exception. Hell, if he wasn't the Third Kazekage he was relatively certain that most would have attacked him at the gates. Though this Enishi showed discipline and restraint. Clearly he wasn't like most, and this intrigued Guren. Throughout the tour there had been multiple opportunities to get to know the Nova Corps member better. But instead he just found himself remaining on subject, asking relatively basic information about the structure of the village. 

Eventually the pair would reach the hotel that Enishi had informed him of. Though this was likely the time where he should check in and rest prior to business, Guren would politely refuse. 

"Enishi, it would be my preference to catalyze the process of meeting with the Hogokage. Would it be possible if you escorted me directly to his office?" Guren's tone of voice had been respectful but stern. He understood the workload that the Hogokage may have had, however the presence of a foreign kage in another village always took precedence. Well, to Guren at least. If the Hogokage had arrived in Sunagakure, Guren would have made it a point to clear his schedule and assign priority to the kage. But of course that was just Guren's style, everyone was different.

Though he was a kage, in a foreign village that meant next to nothing. Guren was a visitor after all, and his request was just that. Enishi would be calling the shots here. Regardless of what the decision was though, Guren would follow Enishi's lead. And along the way he'd take the time to get to know him a tad better.

"Tell me Enishi, what's your story?" he began, while quickly hurling a heavier question at him to follow. "And what do you think of the relationships between our village, and my presence here?" Admittedly he was trying to gauge Enishi's composure. Perhaps the hospitality was all an act and he was displaying tremendous restraint in not attacking Guren. This was the hunch that the Third had, but of course his presumption could be all wrong. However there was no way in knowing unless he asked.

WC = 395

Cordially escorting the Third Kazekage — Guren Chinoike — to his auberge, the Wraith attempted to mask any form of displeasure, uncertainty, and ire he held towards Sunagakure's military. He had to admit, it was getting difficult each second he guided Guren to his hotel to prevent himself from asking why he allowed, or rather, his opinion on the invaders that assaulted Hoshigakure. However, he knew that his "questions" would most likely turn into thinly veiled accusatory jabs at the Kazekage, so he forced himself to relent, for now at least. The pair soon reached the hotel with little to no time wasted, and it seemed that Guren wasn't fond of wasting time either, promptly asking him whether they could accelerate the process and meet Ayato at this moment. To this, Enishi nodded and offered a slight bow of courtesy, "I'll gladly accompany you if that is your wish. Decisiveness is a virtue after all." With a click and heel-turn of his combat boots, Enishi led the way to the Hogokage Office. Now that he realized it, the only other time he actually went to the office was many years ago to reclaim his rank as a Genin. After being captured by bandits after his graduation, the Understudy was marked as MIA so once he arrived, he needed to be checked in for the village to reinstate his ranking. At that time the late Yasaki Uchiha still reigned as Hogokage. He could remember the man's face...his words. Warm. Admirable. Hopeful. Alas, before Enishi could thank the man for restoring his courage in the crapsack reality called life, he was assassinated. 

He wondered what his face looked like when he took his last breath; was it one of happiness or sorrow?

Breaking Enishi out of his momentary stupor, Guren asked him a question that took him a second to process. It was such a simple question, yet no one even bothered to ask him this before. What was his story? What was his tale? What was behind the mask of the Nova Corps' Wraith? What did he truly, honestly think about the current state of affairs between Sunagakure and Hoshigakure?

He paused, then spoke without relent.

"I'm not from this village originally. I was born and raised in the mountains of the Haven Country Borders. For most of my life, I lived in an orphanage with a whole town of people that weren't too fond of me. I didn't know my parents very well, but the only thing that they left me was a bloodline that made others fear me. Up in the mountains, there were little to no shinobi and thus very little knowledge of chakra and how to manipulate it; everyone knew each other so they were pretty much a tight-knit community. They disliked me because I was different and thereby disrupted the balance and peace they enjoyed for decades. Eventually, bandits came. They pillaged and killed everyone. That's just how life is around the borders. While most of the attacks were happening, I was out picking groceries, so when I arrived to see everyone die...I was ready to accept my death. Except, those bandits didn't kill me. I asked them why. Apparently, I wasn't worth killing." Detached, he explained his early years without much emotion. It was almost as if he was reading from a book or script that didn't affect him at all. "So, I was left in pretty much the middle of nowhere with everyone I knew dead. Weirdly enough, I don't think I cried. It wasn't because I didn't want to, but rather, I couldn't. I wanted to love those people, but to be honest, I felt empty when I saw them die. What disturbed me the most was that the first thing I thought after my town got pillaged was if I could find a place to sleep the next day. So then I came to the conclusion: I was a monster just like the people in the village said I was. For a little while, I just lost all will to live. Everyone I knew was dead, and I realized that in the end, I never really cared about them in the first place. I was too forcibly end it myself, so I just wanted to walk around the world. Eventually, I collapsed in front of a nearby town I assumed," his eyes brightened as finally, a turnaround in his tale.

"When I woke up, I was in a hospital. I never saw one so advanced and...clean before. The people there said they saw me collapse in front of their gates. It was this very village that rescued me from the brink of death.  Everyone in Hoshigakure was extremely kind, many citizens were following a type of religion that required one to be pious in their beliefs. It was a stark contrast to the Dog-eat-Dog outskirts I was accustomed to. This village cared about others regardless of their origin or upbringing which was something I'd never seen before. How could a village be so...bright? The answer to that is simple: Hoshigakure represents hope. Everyone within this village is a symbol of hope. I will become a stepladder to serve this village, as it was the very thing that saved me from living and dying with no purpose." How he spoke about Hoshigakure was almost as if it was his living family, which was true to an extent.


"But now, Lord Kazekage, you must understand how high I hold this village up to in terms of regards. Currently, I am unsure whether the relations between Sunagakure and Hoshigakure can even be properly mended without some sort of monetary or obscene compensation. Not too long ago, this village was assaulted by terrorists, some of whom appeared to be aligned with Sunagakure. As of right now, I generally am indifferent to Sunagakure as a whole...but those aliens who dared assault Hoshigakure deserved nothing less than death. As Kazekage, I used to hold ill will towards you, but seeing how you conduct yourself makes me believe that those attacks weren't your actual intentions." His chakra flared for an instant, before composing itself. A sickly sweet smile etched itself on his visage like a demented carving knife. "However, if this was done under your judgment...understand that Hoshigakure has a history of never allying itself with a sworn enemy. Your presence here is not a sin, however, it is up to Lord Hogokage to decide how he conducts this meeting and represents our village. His loyalty towards our village runs even deeper than mine. His ire towards those invaders could decimate any sort of possibility for a positive or even neutral relationship. I cannot speak on his behalf, however. I am but a sword for Hoshigakure's sake. A sword's sentiments have no bearing on what he cuts down, even if his enemy is someone he would despair over extinguishing." His hopeful speech soon turned to a grounded — if slightly cynical — outlook on what could happen, eventually sighing over the reality of the situation.

"We're here." The Sage of Pleiades announced as he opened the door to the office and led Guren upstairs, standing right behind the door of the Hogokage's Office. "Lord Hogokage should be available at this moment as I have announced to him about your request for a meeting." He tersely explained before knocking on the door,

"Nova-ranked Enishi Kurosawa reporting; successfully escorted Lord Kazekage to the Kage Chambers. Permission to enter?"

WC: 1244

Having discerned the possibility of Enishi holding some animosity towards Guren, the Third's line of questioning was an attempt to explore these underlying feelings. There seemed to be no better time than now to do so, considering the two would have a distance to walk together from the Inn to the Hogokage Chambers. Though he asked Enishi of his background and mentality, Guren did not expect the Nova member to reveal much. He didn't need to, especially not just because Guren asked. However if he chose to, then Guren would be especially attentive during the entirety of Enishi's spiel. His body language was observant, with his head angled slightly towards Enishi to signal he had Guren's full attention. His facial expression was inscrutable, refraining from showing any misperceived signs of judgement during the Nova's monologue. And of course, the Third processed all of the information Enishi gave him so that he could best understand the shinobi before him.

From Enishi's opening dialogue, Guren detected that there was initially a separation between Enishi and his hometown. He was rejected, ridiculed, and outcast. This admission was akin to Guren's own past during his time in Kumogakure. His own father had repudiated him, seeing him as no more than a monster. Ironically enough, it was the same emotion that his ancestral clan members had displayed towards other clan members who were gifted the Ketsuryugan. Because of these similarities that Guren could draw from Enishi's situation to his own, the Third already got a clear sense of Enishi's roots. There were based around despondency, isolated, and dissociated themes. Though Enishi described his history in an apathetic manner, Guren could tell it was a particularly dark time in the young shinobi's life; as he seemed to almost wish for his own death and even began to see himself as a monster. It had been an unfortunate reality that was all too common in the world of shinobi. Though Guren was pleased to hear of Hoshigakure's acceptance of Enishi. They gave him a home, a family, and a reason to persevere. Upon hearing this, Guren's eyes focused on the road in front of him as he let out a quiet but audible, "hm" in reflection of Enishi's resolve. He could already anticipate where Enishi's passion would lead him in the conversation: an assertation of how the Nova member saw Sunagakure, his own personal accord of the attack on Hoshigakure, and lastly his assessment of Guren himself. 

At this point, Guren would smile to himself while lifting his head towards the sun's beaming rays. He had a glimmer in his eye, which was paradigmatic of the conversation's motif. As Enishi's story came to a conclusion, the two were arriving just outside of the Hogokage's office. The Third would take this moment to address Enishi and the frame of mind that he presented. With an earnest tone and his matured voice, Guren would begin his response.

"Enishi, thank you sharing. In this world it is so easy to get caught up in our own stories that we become ignorant to the trials and tribulations of those from different backgrounds, bloodlines, and villages. Though you and I come from different walks of life, our stories are much more similar than you might think. And to me, that observation is a reminder that we should see ourselves as less of shinobi that adore their village, but more of humans that can appreciate other people. Perhaps if either of us were shown that type of compassion earlier, our lives would have been different. But that revelation is exactly why I stand in your homeland. I did not sanction any attack on Hoshigakure, nor did anyone within the walls of Sunagakure. Shortly after the attack, I confirmed that it was motivated by the independent resolve of the fallen assailants. Knowing that, I could have chosen to publicly dissociate with the attack and its participants but instead I chose to come here as a sign of good faith and intentions. Whether you and your brothers here accept that or not is your own collective decision. But it is my duty as a human, not as a shinobi nor as a kage, to mend the wrongs that were imposed on your people. This is my attempt at doing so."

Guren's thoughtful response came alongside direct eye contact with Enishi and an expression of sincerity. He was not attempting to win over the Nova member, but was explaining his own standpoint on the subject matter. Whether Enishi chose to respond or not was up to him. But ultimately Enishi would announce that the pair arrived at the Hogokage's office. The door had been closed shut, allowing the Third to take in its ornate and sturdy design. Enishi's voice would subsequently reveal to the Hogokage inside of his own presence, along with Guren's own. 

Quiet and with his hands in the pockets of his yukata, Guren would await a response from the esteemed kage. Silently, he hoped for the best of this encounter, but realistically he prepared for whatever scrutiny he might be met with.

WC = 849. TWC = 1244

Unfortunately the knocks upon the esteemed Hogokage's office door went unanswered. And Guren could understand that. His visit was both unplanned and unannounced. Realistically, and in hindsight, the Third probably should have written a letter to the Hogokage informing him of his travel to Hoshigakure along with his estimated arrival. If that had been the case, this ordeal would have been more cordial and scheduled. Nevertheless, Guren couldn't blame the Hogokage if he wanted to. The Chinoike had lived the life as a kage and knew firsthand how its duties and responsibilities occupied such an immense amount of time. Most times this left one with no time. 

In any case, the Nova member standing before Guren would be the perfect candidate to relay Guren's message to the Hogokage. Turning to the young man with a friendly smile, Guren would initiate his farewell. 

"Enishi, I thank you for your hospitality and assisting me in making it to this point. It seems as if the Hogokage is away or immensely busy, either way I understand. Do me a favor though." Guren would pause to reach into a pocket inside of his yukata. Grabbing ahold of an envelope inside of it, he'd retrieve it and present it to Enishi. "Within this envelope is a form of my attempt at mending the wrongs against your people. At your and his earliest convenience, please give this envelope to your Hogokage. Let him know that I said the funds within it are from primarily my own earnings, along with a small fraction of Sunagakure's. But regardless of the source, consider the funds as an expression of peace and reparations. As for me, I should take my leave. My visit here has already taken much more time than I had anticipated. I'm unsure if you need to escort me back to the gates, but if not then I'll see myself out."

With that, Guren would wait for Enishi to indicate if he would be accompanying him or not. If he would, then the two would likely exchange in casual conversation on their way to the village gates. If not, then Guren would set off from the same direction that he and Enishi had came from; individually setting his sights towards the village exit. Although the trip hadn't gone as he intended, he was just glad that he was able to partially achieve his goal. 

-Exit-

WC = 397. TWC = 1641
Claims:
- Transferring 300,000 Ryo from Guren to Enishi via a sealed envelope. Intent is for Enishi to distribute the envelope to Ayato
- Remaining Ryo = 5500
- 1641 WC to Master Lightning Release: Pillar Bind (1641/2062.5)

Guren Chinoike wrote:

WC = 397. TWC = 1641
Claims:
- Transferring 300,000 Ryo from Guren to Enishi via a sealed envelope. Intent is for Enishi to distribute the envelope to Ayato
- Remaining Ryo = 5500
- 1641 WC to Master Lightning Release: Pillar Bind (1641/2062.5)

Big money moves!

Approved.

As the emissary from Suna entered the Unseen University, they were surprised to see a Nova in place of the Hogokage. Dusk Tachibana, the Nova member, stood up from their desk and greeted them. "Welcome to Hoshi," Dusk said in a calm voice. "I'm Dusk Tachibana, a member of Nova. I apologize for Kage's absence, but I'll gladly assist you however possible."

The emissary looked uneasy but quickly composed themselves and told Enishi that they were there on behalf of Suna to make amends for the actions of a few rogue forces last year. They understand the gravity of the situation and wish to do everything possible to restore the peace between their villages. Dusk listened attentively and nodded in understanding. "I see. Rest assured that Hoshi values peace, and we will work with Suna to maintain it if you could give me a moment to review your proposal. "I'll ensure the Hogokage is briefed upon their return."

The emissary nodded in agreement and handed over the proposal. Nothing spelled peace as thousands of ryo did.  Dusk reviewed it quickly and noted to discuss it with the Seventh. "Thank you for bringing this to our attention, emissary. We'll be in touch soon."

With that, the emissary from Suna left the office, and Dusk turned their attention back to their work, ensuring the Hokage was informed about the latest developments.

Dusk turned to Enishi and said, "The Hokage instructed me to give you a present for escorting the emissary today. It's 50 legacy kunai that can be exchanged for better rewards at a shop. They're quite valuable and should be of great use to you."

If Enishi's eyes widened in surprise and gratitude like they usually happened during such rewards, Dusk would smile and reply, "It's no problem. The Seventh values your hard work and dedication to Nova. Keep up the good work." Dusk returned to their work, knowing that Nova members like Enishi were essential to maintaining the peace and security of the village.

[EXIT]

TWC: 335
WC Claims: With 25% maxed stats discount 335 to Front Lotus [335/1312] [B-rank]

Topic Claims:
Accepting 300,000 ryo and adding to Hoshi's vault
-50 Legacy Kunai from Ayato's inventory and giving them to Enishi to spend at his leisure

Approved

Enishi didn't expect Guren to listen, much less understand his ramblings quite frankly. But at this moment, the former Kazekage of Sunagakure revealed his aptitude for reaching through others, calmly accepting Enishi's past and relating it to his own in a way. They were both people who were dealt rather wrong hands in life, and simply being from different villages shouldn't mean that they needed to conflict with each other all the time. To an extent, the Wraith felt some unspoken comradery with the guest, if only for a little moment. Guren's thoughtful response came alongside direct eye contact with the boy and an expression of sincerity. He was not attempting to win over him but was explaining his standpoint on the subject matter. Sensing the intention of his words, a neutral expression would spread on the Understudy's visage, "I see..." That was all that needed to be said. If Guren understood just as he deciphered the intricacies of Enishi's past, then he would see that "I see" in this context had many more meanings than simply the literal interpretation. Unfortunately, once they reached the Hogokage chambers, it appeared as though the Hogokage was extremely busy since in his stead, Nova Corps member Dusk Tachibana was manning the office. Enishi was surprised to see that his peer in the Nova Corps would be here early this morning, but he wouldn't think much of it as he simply gave a nod of acknowledgment towards the ardent Senju.

Enishi sensed that Guren felt rather uneasy about the whole ordeal, and to be honest, he couldn't blame the man. Imagine traveling hundreds of miles for diplomatic purposes to meet the leader of a village, but as soon as you arrived, the leader was busy with some affair. It had to feel awful! Scratching his head in sympathy, the former Kazekage impressively composed themselves as they began to discuss possible avenues of peacemaking. It seemed that Hoshigakure would take a level-headed stance in the matter, allowing themselves to possibly bury the hatchet with Sunagakure if money was on the line, 300,000 Ryo to be exact. Hearing that much money being talked about like a simple business deal made Enishi's eyes reflexively widen, but he tried his best to simply be an observer in this situation instead of playing a part. Eventually, the emissary of Sunagakure and Dusk would reach an agreement, the ardent Senju filing a report for the Hogokage to hear about once he returned from his affairs. Just before Guren and Enishi would leave, his Nova peer handed over 50 Legacy Kunai to the youth - extremely valuable ancient weapons that could be exchanged at a high price at the nearby markets. Perhaps then...300,000 Ryo wouldn't be an absurd amount of money for Enishi to think of. Nevertheless, it was a reward for working hard as a member of the Nova Corps, so the Wraith would not let such an opportunity go to waste. A smile of surprised happiness glowed through his expression,  "Thank you. I'll put these to good use." Nodding goodbye to his peer, Enishi would escort Guren to the gates, conversing about the most mundane of things until they reached the end.

And then, the emissary vanished along with the sand.

The Sage of Pleiades, even though he didn't talk with the man for long, would undoubtedly miss him.

[EXIT]

WC: 562
TWC: 1808

Claims:
+50 Legacy Kunai
1313 WC to learn Coiling Dragon B-rank [1313/1313] 25% max stats discount PERIODT PURRR
Throwing the rest of my wc into the voooiiiddd because im too bum ahh lazy to find other stuff to allocate

Approved