Private/Closed Naruto AU: Roleplay

[Shen: King of Digimon]

“You mustn’t have met a mist ninja before if you are worried about us keeping our word. I’ll overlook that disrespect. If you have any greener concept of dignity, you’d know I wouldn’t soil mine own.”

Crossing his arms at the sheer thought of outsiders seeing mist ninja as untrustworthy. What an un-benign thought. Taking a deep breath, he elected to explore a bit of patience.

“Regardless of that, I think you have little choice as of the moment but to humor me.”

 

[kyuukestu]

Furījia

The heiress scoffed and rolled her eyes and the befuddled look Taiyo now wore on his face.

"What do you mean what could I know," she pouted, it was obvious what she was asking about, wasn't it? Another glance at the fiery ninja's face convinced her otherwise. Furījia sighed with mock exasperation.

"You asked me about my hobbies and stuff, right? Well, tell me yours—duh!"

 

[sSoul]

Taiyo
Though his confusion was genuine, once Furījia made it clear through playful ribbing, the fiery shinobi clued in. Taiyo couldn't help but chuckle sheepishly as he made an obvious realization, though the Hyūga's pouting and mock exasperation made chuckling easier. Now that the fiery shinobi knew how to answer her question, he was somewhat conflicted whether or not if he should follow through.

So lemme ask, why should we try and pull her leg a bit?

Well, by being secretive of your hobbies, you can create greater demand to find out about them. Then once you got her reeled in, you block her off by saying you'll show them to her in the event that you two hit the town for her birthday. Plus, you'll get her to make that cute pouty face again.

She is cute when she pouts...wait! That feels manipulative, I don't wanna be like that. Besides, I don't lose anything by telling her now. It's only fair, after all.

Suit yourself, bossman...

"Well for starters, I'm into painting," Taiyo began as he scratched the back of his neck. On account of few people asking, he wasn't very used to sharing his hobbies, "I usually just paint landscapes though, I'm awful at painting people. Also, if I can, I go to the plaza and listen to the music being played by the local musicians. It's open enough to dance there, but I'm just fine with listening." The last part wasn't the entire reason he didn't dance. The whole truth was that he was never the greatest dancer, so he got comfortable just listening to the music.

"Maybe if we go out for your birthday, I'll show you around." Taiyo offered as his signature warm grin grew on his face. To seal the deal, he also winked as he finished talking.
Seiun
The rogue shinobi nodded slowly at B.O.S.E.C's latest idea, probably his best in recent times. Though there were some hurdles to get through, the plan could really work. However, Seiun was keen on clearing up some misconceptions.

Well if we want to be technical here, it's my brother's place, not mine. I'd have to ask him to loan out a place just to get to the good part. But like you said, a little flattery and a few white lies will do me good. I think this can really work!

Though Seiun wondered where the person who was supposed to be testing him was, he was too grateful for all the ample time he was given to really care.

 

[kyuukestu]

Furījia

"I'm sorry," with a cramped expression, Furījia promptly apologized, "I was insensitive."

In hindsight it was only natural that Tiayo might've wanted to avoid the conversation of hobbies; but, now that he'd revealed his, the heiress felt guilty for pushing him. It only made sense, considering the loss of his arms in the last chūnin exams, that the boy would've had drastic lifestyle changes. Furījia realized after the fact, that if she'd stopped for a moment to think about it, she would've realized that most hobbies were hard to enjoy without arms. That Taiyo's hobby was painting only added insult to injury. Now how was he supposed to paint with those wooden blocks for arms? They certainly wouldn't have been as dexterous as his old arms and it pained her to envision Taiyo's lost enjoyment.

"But I heard..." the girl started, searching for a way to console her no-doubt deflated companion, "that you can learn to paint with your legs."

 

[sSoul]

Taiyo
"Oh no, it's fine," Taiyo replied calmly, "Sure I haven't been painting as many landscapes as I used to, but I've still been painting." Nowadays, he's swapped to a more abstract style, since the limited dexterity wasn't an issue with abstract creations.

"If anything, I feel you've been more sensitive than most. I don't usually get asked about my hobbies."

 

[kyuukestu]

Furījia

"Is that so..."

That was an awkward note to end on, but Furījia was at a loss. Now aware of the possible landmines that existed, she wasn't sure if she wanted to pursue the knowledge any more of Taiyo's personal details. She thought for a moment and then decided to change course.

While idly finagling with K'waule's feathers, she muttered just loud enough for Taiyo to hear, "Painting...doesn't fit you..."

 

[sSoul]

Taiyo
The fiery shinobi figured that his conversation with Furījia had met an end, however he was quickly proven wrong. Although Furījia seemed to be muttering to herself, Taiyo knew that real mumbling would be more incomprehensible, indicating that the Hyūga heiress wanted to make a discreet comment to herself.

"Well excuse me for not conforming to your assumptions," Taiyo replied in a tone of mock offense, barely stifling a chuckle before shifting to an inquisitive tone, "Though if you don't mind me asking, what hobby would fit me?"

 

[Godjacob]

Humor you huh? Yeah I suppose you are used to people doing that around you...

Takato sighed, really that had been about as solid assurance as he had any reason to expect. His mind worked on what to do if Kai proved to not be as "respectful" as he pretended to be. Hand having rested on his pouch during this conversation and having slipped something in his free hand as a precaution. With a shrug Takato began to speak on the fate of the current Uchiha giving Kai what he wanted to know.

"Well as far as your buddy is concerned, he isn't under Konoha care anymore. So you don't have to worry us probing him in the ass, or all the other horrible things we've clearly done to him." Takato answered, and while the second part of the comment had been filled with deadpan sass the first part had been genuine as it seemed the Leaf held not responsibility over Kiro's fate at the moment.

---------
Azumi soon arrived at the steps of the church where she had been summoned, as she glanced upon the scene seeing a pair of figures; one the priest who she had given a respectful bow to and another a figure she had been familiar with as she scanned curiously before she had addressed the pair.

"So, of which service do you require from me?" Azumi asked the pair.

 

[Shen: King of Digimon]

“He’s not...What?”

This answer to his question took him off guard. Kiro? Out of their hands? That’s absurd! Yet I detect no lies from him. I need to know more.

“How is that possible? You greeners adore hoarding what you appropriate, what happened to him?? Just who’s ‘Hands’ did he fall into??”

 

[Godjacob]

Says the literal hunter ninja...

Takato kept that remark to himself as really the can of worms on hypocrisy seemed lile a lost cause discussion point and merely passed a shrug to Kai as he seemed to speak with a truthful tone.

"If I knew the details of those operations well, I wouldn't be competing to move past Genin rank today. But it is the truth, Kiro isn't under our village's thumb anymore. It's up to you if you accept that and as for where he'd be now well...I can't speak with the mindset of a hunter to anticipate where another may go." Takato answered.

 

[Shen: King of Digimon]

Tch. Pestering Xeno...

The tone he received gave the message, in so many words to: ‘Screw off and find out for yourself’. He knew he’d get nowhere if he tried to torture Takato, as after all, he was just a genin. What information would a genin truly be privy to? Sighing, Kai began to recall the Icy threads of the frozen cocoon.

“Fine. Hand me the intel now and I can get on with my mission.”

If he truly has vanished off the lands of green and leaves...where would he have gone? Certainly not the mist. I hope that he is able to hold out for himself.....



.
..
...


“Yo Kiro.”

Zaku walked down an increasingly moist path, run off from the rain water ahead as the dark colored clouds lingered in the distance. It was close to their destination. With Zaku, There was a small cloaked figure that measured up to his hip, wearing a grey Kage hat with a ‘音’ symbol painted on.

Zaku sneered at Kiro, who was on the other side of the cloaked figure. The bushy haired shinobi shrugged his arms.

“You think they are gonna attack us on sight? Part of me would love to blow everyone away if that happened! Heh!”

@Retro Master

 

[Godjacob]

"You know we could have probably saved each valuable time if we had done this at the start rather than drag out the Kiro hot topic." Takato muttered, but as the cage faded he passed Kai the intel before he vanished before Kai had the chance to change his mind. Well this experience had been draining to say the least but hey he finally got that nutcase off of him.

That had been worth a sigh, whether of relief or annoyance...well he'd have to settle on that later.

 

[Shen: King of Digimon]

“Your opinion mean less to me than the dirt beneath us.” Kai spat. “The information you delivered however, is far from useless. May we never cross paths again.”

The drones followed their master as he took the intel solemnly into the woods. The ice cocoon had fallen completely now, allowing Takato to walk free. It seemed he was telling the truth about letting him leave.

 

[kyuukestu]

Furījia

Furījia looked Taiyo up and down, evidently assessing him before she responded to his question. After several seconds she gazed right at him and in the most dead-pan voice she could muster said, "Mud Wrestling."

 

[Shen: King of Digimon]

.
..
...


As the Exam winded down to the final minutes, the remaining ninja had escaped the forest, hunters and thieves alike. There seemed to be a primitive digital chart, showing who crossed the line. As the last one made it to the end, the sign read as follows:

```
Furijia
Kai
Taiyo
Yasu
Sakura
Madoka
Taji
Aisha
Kenji
Mori
Raiku
Shiho
Zino/Rika
Amari
Tsuki
Tomiko
```

“Hrrrrrrk...congratulations.”

a familiar looking character, Boxide, rose up from the slimy moisture of the ground. His hunched form wheezed as looked down towards the new arrivals.

“Next exam stage starts Next week...giving time for the rest of the onlookers to arrive... But expect the format to be direct engagements... Some of you are aware how that works. Meanwhile I’m not obligated to tell the rest...hehehe-ACK! ...See you soon...”

Boxide had then sunken into the floor, allowing the chunnin in training to leave and attend to their own devices.

.
..
...

A full day had passed since then, the body aches of yesterday’s labors still prevalent on many of the exam passers. But what was even more prevalent were the people flocking to the rain.

due to the placement and neutral stance of the rain, many minor nations were encouraged to come. Villages of the Grass, Hot Water, Dreams, and other such minor villages decided to show up. Perhaps out of curiosity as to how this would go down? With the Big 5 all coming in one spot and being able to get intelligence on their shaky situation would prove useful for any sensible vulture.

The heads of these villages would be going to the meeting chamber of the hidden rain, all villages present being able to discuss their issues openly for the first time in ninja history. Could it be a step toward peace? Or the last straw or war?


.........


“...This plagues me so.”

Kai, Book on hand, loomed down on the iron city below. Xenos of even more diverse backgrounds than the previous exam flooded the streets. It was an usual sight for such a drab place, even for Kai.

Do they not understand that they walk into a den of devils? Does it not cross their mind that their hosts are of questionable origin? All of these sheep...it would almost make one shed a tear until you realize they have no souls.

Kai was keeping lookout for the Mist representatives, making sure they didn’t contact any resistance upon their arrival. After all, Unfamiliar territory was a disadvantage, one that shouldn’t be taken lightly.

 

[kyuukestu]

Mei

From her second-story abode, a special carrier pigeon took off towards the Mist bearing a hand-written message with a few motes of advice for Ao and Chino. Mei released a tense breath; but, she trusted her aides would be able to handle whatever troubles might arise while she was away. Just as it was their task to hold the fort, she had her own tasks and would see them through successfully. The Summit would begin it a matter of minutes to an hour, and the Mizukage had her plans.

Since the Mist had been the instigators of this Summit, Mei had every intention to take the initiative. The first step to doing that was to depart early.

"Jin, Shō, Ruka...we leave in five minutes, prepare well."

 

[Shen: King of Digimon]

“I’ve been ready since dawn.”

Jin Yuki had everything prepared. He had made plans before hands for the honor guard to act independently of him, based on strict protocol of what to do in case of suspicious activity, making sure to keep a watchful eye on Mei’s closer followers in his absence.

Meanwhile, he set his sights on this meeting. It is true that Mei was still the Mizukage. But that did not imply that get had absolute authority over the village. He was here to make that opinion clear, and to prevent her from fully making a fool of their village.

 

[Retro Master]

‘Filthy.’

The towers underneath the gloomy skies of the Hidden Rain seemed to grow larger with every step he took. While Kiro didn’t show any outward emotion, he felt somewhat disgusted by the increasingly moist atmosphere as they got closer to their destination. Perhaps he was also a bit concerned about himself or his clothing being dirtied. Hopefully it wouldn’t be as wet once inside, but there was some doubt that would be the case. It couldn’t be called the Village Hidden in the Rain for nothing after all. Either way, Kiro didn’t plan to let even a single droplet touch his skin. Their little Kage wouldn’t have to worry about being soaked either. The Kage hat looked so big on his head that it might as well have been an umbrella. Since they were near the village, Kiro had already been thinking of what to expect and the exclamation by Zaku caused him to snicker a bit.

“Well it has been awhile since I’ve been out like this, so that would give me a good opportunity to stretch my arms a bit. It’s just a matter if those clowns are bold enough to actually make a move in what I presume to be neutral territory.”

It was a bit of a surprise to him that the five Kage chose to convene in Amegakure considering how much they had trampled over the minor village during the wars. From what he knew, the Hidden Rain was once a battleground for the great villages. Being in the middle of three of the five great nations was an unfortunate position to be in after all. The village would become ravaged by war. Not that it mattered since the land wasn’t their own. When the villages finally had their fun, they got to back home peacefully. On the other hand, most of the citizens of the Rain likely had no home to go back to. After what they must’ve had to endure, the great villages should feel honored that the Rain allowed them to step foot on their soil. In a way, it was ironic that once again, the villages had to gather in the Rain. This time to talk about their problems and the situation the ninja world now found itself in.

“You know, if I didn’t know better, I’d think we were heading straight to the circus. Should be fun to watch if anything.”

—————————​

“This brings back memories...”

It was here where Tsunade, along with her teammates, became known as the three Sannin. A title they had earned after surviving a deadly encounter with Hanzo of the Salamander. Side-by-side, they had countless battles in the Hidden Rain. Even now, as the Fifth Hokage traversed the streets of Amegakure alongside Shizune, she could not forget the sight of a village once plagued with warfare and destruction. Even so, Tsunade was surprised by how far the village had come. Now they even held the privilege of hosting the chūnin exams. They did seem to have recovered well enough, so that was a positive sign. Likewise, her own village had also recovered quite well from the recent assault. Especially due to the assistance provided from the clans. One of them being the Hyūga and their leader, who she chose to have accompany her as one of two aides to the Summit.

‘Now I wonder where Lady Hinagiku might be.’

—————————​

“To think the five Kage would assemble here of all places. This backwater village should be honored tha— AARGH!”

Before the Tsuchikage could complete the sentence, a loud cracking noise was heard as his back gave out once again. If it weren’t for the assistance of the big Akatsuchi, he might have just tumbled over. The large, imposing Iwa shinobi lifted Onoki and sat him on his shoulders like a child. Not without some complaints thrown his way of course.

“Oh be quiet Gramps. The least you can do is thank him for carrying you half way here. Besides, if the Rain weren’t holding this Summit, where else could we go? The Land of Iron?”

Kurotsuchi giggled at her own suggestion. In her mind, there really wasn’t anywhere else she could think of that could host a Summit. A neutral location at least. The Rain itself, while neutral, was still a land that had burdened by their wars. She didn’t miss the subtle glances their way as the passed some of the villagers. Unfortunately, it couldn’t be helped and frankly, she didn’t really care. The girl was only here because her grandfather thought this would be good experience. She understood that this was important, but didn’t really care much about politics. Hopefully the Summit could provide some entertainment for the young jonin.

 

[kyuukestu]

Mei

"Then let's make haste, marrying is the only thing I intend to do late."

Slipping the broad-rimmed Mizukage's hat over her head, Mei led her party to the site of the Summit. The Mist appeared to be the first to arrive, and that would reflect nicely on them. Without further ado, Mei took a seat around the table and awaited the arrival of the other participants.

Chino

With the Mizukage away, Chino had been tasked with overseeing the village's happenings. It had been more than a month since her lady had built the underground lakes around the Mist and they were coming to fruition. The Yuki had been awfully nosy with their demands for testing which, generously, her lady had allowed at first. However, the Mizukage's Office was not to be censored or audited by her Clans and the Yuki were less than subtle with their antagonism. Neither she nor her lady would put it past them to deliberately sabotage anything that didn't fall under their thumb, and thus, after a few checks, further interference from the Yuki was directly banned by order of the Kage.

Further administration of the lakes was done by Chino and Ao, along with a few sensible Ambu under Ao who took orders from the Kage herself and would not bow to pressure from the clans.

Hinagiku

"Ohime-sama," the respectful greeting announced Hinagiku's arrival, "are you ready?"

She wore a uniform reminiscent of her Anbu outfit, but far enough removed and decorated that it would be more appropriate to call it a custom uniform. It featured Konoha's emblem which hung at her right hip and her clan's emblem which hung at her left. In addition, a large polearm was also strapped to her back, with both of its ends covered in cloth wrappings.

Sagisō

The trifecta of amazons had, like the Mist, chosen to arrive early. However, unlike the hidden village, the women had chosen to stay outside the summit and watch the participants as they entered. The trio wasn't hidden in the slightest, save for Sagisō herself, who had lowered her skull-cap over her face to conceal it from view.

 

[Shen: King of Digimon]

“Heh! If they do they are in for a surprise! I never got to test out my extra wind power from the last mission we were sent out on, this time I’m aching for a field test!”

He held hind hand up to shoulder level, letting a stream of air escape them, the high pitched sound being heard exiting the passageway. As they arrived right near the hidden rain, Zaku looked over to Kiro, placing an elbow to rest on their pisqueak-and-chief

“Say, you think we should arrive last? Don’t think I want to go through that surprise several times. I only have enough dramatic lines for the one.”



.......


Jin carefully took a seat at the table, biting through the fact that he had to stomach sitting next to such a flexible politician. Remaining civil about this, he kept a strong posture, his gaze falling to the door. He wasn’t a fan of the eyes that would be here, but then again, this wasn’t about him. Perhaps it was right to speak of the demon? Would it be proper for them to prepare themselves based on it? Or rather what organization the demon had found itself in...


........

The Yuki Honor Guard, along with the cooperations of many of clans, oversaw the base construction of six additional towers, their foundations being laid in further border of the mist. Strategically placed for easy access as well as it’s ease to fortify quickly

Due to Jin’s standing orders, they would continue to do routine tests on the lake, simply because the ban of their tests seemed out of nowhere. Who in their right mind would refuse an inspection of safety about a tool that would help the mist? Truly one mustn’t care so deeply about a body of water unless there was something to hide?

It was unknown what was amiss, but whatever it was tied into the move to create these lakes somehow. Did Mei plan to outdo the towers with her lakes? If that were the case she was in for a rude awakening.

 

[kyuukestu]

Mist

Without exception, every attempt to check the lakes by the Clans was staunchly refused. While they may have tried to distort facts and claim they had a right to inspect the lakes, the truth was that they did not. The lakes were perfectly taken care of by the administration Mei had left behind. If they wanted to get to the lakes and exert the influence they believed they had, they would need to force their way in, flaunting the law in view of the entire village.

 

[Shen: King of Digimon]

This new standard of ‘My eyes only’ was met with staunch criticism. It made it even more apparent that it must be investigated. After all, if the mist couldn’t trust themselves to be held accountable, who could they trust? Regardless of these shady new rules made on the behalf of the Mizukage, the Yuki clan would share the burden of maintaining these lakes, even if they hadn’t fully come to consensus on what the meaning of these random pools of water were.

If it were a diversion, they of course made it sure not to put all their eggs in one basket. No, instead they had other clans helping in an effort to fortify their inner defenses. With a time with so much internal Renovation, it was much easier to make sure they were inspected, especially to make sure their integrity wouldn’t be disturbed by the new towers being constructed. After all, the safety of the people first. Would be a oversight to have a water source spill into homes in a flood due to a construction oversight. Surveys had to be done.

 

[kyuukestu]

Mist

While criticism abounded, the more astute of mind quickly noticed the flaw in those critics. 'My eyes only' existed under the delusion that the Yuki and associated Clans represented the preponderance of people in the Mist. While the Noble Clans certainly composed a sizeable portion of the population, there were yet other smaller Cans and normal shinobi who could not be dismissed. The Lakes were of course, under the administration of Mist shinobi from the citizenry with further verification of Anbu, and furthermore, even the Yuki themselves could find no flaws in the last month they'd been repeatedly testing.

It was quickly becoming apparent that the Clans' repeated insinuations of the Mizukage's 'suspiciousness' belied their personal interests that had nothing to do with the safety of the village. After all, their entire argument was predicated on the notion that, for some reason, despite the fact that they themselves had found nothing for the last month they'd tested and that the Mizukage had personally assigned competent mist shinobi to the overseeing of the lakes, that none of that was enough; and, furthermore, none one, with the exception of themselves, was qualified to judge the safety of the Mist.

For some reason, they seemed to be pushing the idea that their judgments were far superior to anyone else's and that no one else could possibly have even a modicum of competence in comparison to them. One might even go so far as to say they were trying to police the Mist and surely they had great gall to so openly police the Mizukage.

 

[Shen: King of Digimon]

......

With rising suspicions on both sides, it became apparent that neutrality was becoming a rarer resource who’s scarcity was detrimental to trust. So they two parties agreed on having an outside arbitrator focus on examining these lakes. The Hozuki clan. They would prove more effective in their ability to become one with the water. Who else would make a better surveyor than either side.

This seemed to ease tensions slightly, and with both figureheads of both factions missing, it was an uneasy peace for now. What was to come remained to be seen.

 

[Godjacob]

As other notable faces seemed to prepare to convene at Amegakure of all places, the power from the clouds was due to make their own arrival soon as Ay flanked by his own trusted guard. This was most unusual, as yes while usually these meetings had been held on neutral ground usually those grounds were the Land of Iron. So this sudden change in scenery had been a bit of a curious development, much had the reason for why they had been summoned.

"Huh, seems unlike the Terumi woman to request a meeting." Ay muttered, as he was flanked by his right hand men in Darui and Cee as Ay naturally seemed annoyed at this little get together which constituted to things being relative normal. Something which had amused the sensory ninja as they continued on their way.

"Who knows, I am sure she'll have a surprise for us. Besides, I am sure she is not the only voice who wishes to speak with this chance Lord Raikage." Cee replied as Ay had a light sigh but had given no other reply as Darui himself glanced around to the new locals as he himself wondered about this location for other reasons. It was not as if the Rain had much in the way of positive history with really any of the major nations so this seemed a curious destination to make for all.

Answers he supposed he'd learn at the meeting itself.

 

[Retro Master]

“I don’t mind either way. There should be a plethora of reactions no matter when we arrive. Might even be wise to arrive a bit early so they can’t just kick us out. I wouldn’t put it past the Kage to be petty.”

Kiro responded to Zaku as they came out the passage way. The Rain was directly ahead of them now and he wondered if there would be someone he knew at the Summit. All the Kage could bring up to two aides, so there was a chance of that being the case. A talk with them would certainly be something interesting. In any case, it was a matter of reaching on time first.

——————————​

“Greetings to you as well. Yes I’m ready. Now let’s be on our way.”

After meeting up with the Hyūga Head, the Hokage and her aides would make their way to the Summit. Tsunade would prefer not to be the last ones there.

——————————​

“Well, well, well, if it isn’t the Mistress of the Bloody Mist herself and her compatriots. Even bringing a child along I see. Didn’t know we were allowed to bring an extra aide.”

The Tsuchikage chuckled to himself after greeting the Mizukage. The group from Iwagakure were the second to arrive and the sight of Ruka didn’t go unnoticed. There must’ve been a reason why this child was brought along. At least there better be. He had noticed the infamous Yuki Head and Hozuki Head as well. Taking a seat, he figured the answers would be revealed soon enough.

“I suppose it’s not surprising that you have appeared first. After all, you did call for this Summit. So I do hope it was for a good reason.”

 

[Grand Master Koop]

As the head of each respective village gathered within the borders of the Rain, the Kazekage was no exception. While moving through the land perpetually under rainfall, Rasa observed the scenery under his Kage hat. "Amegakure, I wonder what kind of value this land holds." He said to himself, the humid air of the land of Rain is far from the dry desert he's used to in the land of Sand.

When the news that the Mizukage called for a Kage summit, Rasa set out as soon as he could. The Kazekage didn't understand why such a call was made but he assumed something significant must have happened. He turned around to look at his aids. "Pakura, Baki, let's go." He called as he proceeded towards the meeting.

 

[kyuukestu]

Mei

"Good day to you as well, Lord Tsuchikage" Mei smiled, hardly phased by the Tsuchikage's jabs "I trust you've been minding your health?"

"Now that you've all arrived, let's not waste time. I called this summit to show off a few...concerns. You'll have to forgive our forwardness."

"Ruka," with a wave from the Mizukage, Ruka nervously shuffled into the center of the room and began to fumble with a sealed container and a glass tank. The medical kunoichi was decked out in full-body protective gear and with carefully applied water release, she filled the tank. She let the water settle and then suspended the container of black water above the tank. She loosened the seal only enough to spill a few droplets of black water into the tank, and after, the demonstration spoke for itself. Within moments the water had been dyed an inky black.

"The Mist was attacked a few months ago by a group of people wearing black clouds and red clouds. They seemed to be hunting jinchuriki and they possessed quite the troublesome jutsu, an unusual kekkei genkai perhaps," She gestured to the tank.

"The black liquid converts and subsumes many forms of chakra on contact. It is also capable of converting liquids, including those found within the body, making physical contact nearly fatal."

"It's a strange ability surely, and I'm quite curious. What origins and backing could these people have had, why made them bold enough to attack the Mist village directly?

"I've given it some thought and I'm sure from what I've said, many of you can already guess my conclusion."

The Mizukage stopped, letting her words stir the thoughts of those present. Idly, she began to rap her fingers across the lacquered table.

"Perhaps you'd like to weigh in on the situation," Mei paused, her voice humming with newfound hostility as she stared across the table, "you are the most qualified among us, Lord Tsuchikage."

Sagisō

With the commencement of the Summit, the girls of Hasa had quietly slipped into the meeting room. All was silent as the Mizukage laid out her case, but as she directed the conversation towards the Tsuchikage, Sagisō found herself at a loss.

'What was her point...?'

Though the Skillful Star was smart, the Mizukage's insinuations eluded her. Beneath her skulled mask, she turned her gaze towards the leader of their delegation, the much more politically savvy Knowledge Star.

"Mmmmh, this summit will be more interesting than I thought," dampening her voice with a feathered fan, the Wisdom star explained in a low voice, "she's indirectly accusing the Tsuchikage of being responsible for the attack on the Mist. To be more precise, she's accusing the Stone of being the 'support' behind the attack.

"She mentioned the attackers had three features: an unusual kekkei Genkai, sufficient backing, and a focus on jinchuriki."

"The Stone and Cloud have both, in recent times and in the past, been aggressively expansionist and the jinchuriki have always been their secret weapons. They would definitely have an interest in jinchuriki; but, the same could be said for all the Great Five. However, that's where her other two points come in.

"The Cloud is aggressive, but they're very direct in how they handle things. They don't often hire proxies...but the Stone is known for hiring mercenaries from smaller villages. Specifically, Ishigakure. You should know about them, many of the shinobi we encountered during our Seven Revolutions were from there. It's a small village of terrorists, but they're pretty unique because they have a large number of strange kekkei genkai users.

"If the Mist's attackers were people from Ishigakure, supplied with backing from the stone, then it would fit all three criteria...it would make sense too and fits the Stone's Modus Operandi.

"She didn't make it obvious, but the other Kage and representatives can no-doubt connect the dots.

"Now...we just wait to see how the Stone reacts."

 

[Retro Master]

Black coats and red clouds did a ring a bell for the Tsuchikage. He did remember hiring a familiar group of mercenaries with that description. However, it appeared the Mizukage lacked much information on this group. Something that seemed clear due to her insinuating tone.

“Heh! Hunting jinchuriki you say? Can we assume there is no longer a jinchuriki in your possession then? While I certainly do appreciate the compliment, there is not much I can tell you here. However, if you still do not believe me, then you’re free to take action. That’s if you can!”

Onoki gave a mighty chuckle after he spoke. The Mist had basically revealed their own losses to the other powers of the shinobi world. If the Mist really had lost a jinchuriki, then they were surely weakened. The thought that this mysterious threat could be a formidable enemy to the Stone didn’t cross his mind once. In any case, he hoped this was not all the Mizukage had to say. For the sake of the Mist at least. However, it appeared the Slug Princess has something to say as she spoke up not long after him.

“There is no need for any of that Lord Tsuchikage. I am certain that there is more that can be told.”

Tsunade said aloud, seemingly coming to the defense of the old rival of her village before turning to face Mei. Those figures mentioned by the Mizukage matched the description of a certain group Tsunade knew of thanks to information given to her by Jiraiya. She also knew that they had been present on the islands where a majority of the hunt for the eight tails jinchuriki took place thanks to the information given to her by the Hyūga Head. The primary witnesses being the estranged niece of the Hyūga head, the prisoner that had been with them, another Hyūga, and finally Lady Hinagiku herself. Coincidently, those islands happened to be especially close to the Mist as well.

“Let’s get serious here Lady Mizukage. If you don’t mind telling us, when exactly did this attack occur?”

 

[Shen: King of Digimon]

Jin frowned, his eyes shifting to look at Mei. The fool. She was making a clown of the mist village in front of the rest of the nations. The disrespect she was showing them was even harder to stomach than her current reign. He couldn’t bear it any longer. Clearing his throat, he answered the question.

“3 Months time. The mist was subject to an attack by a devil three months ago.”

Jin had taken a stance as to answer the question, effectively snatching it from Mei’s grasp.

“This means that this demon and it’s similarly dressed culprit is elsewhere. Somewhere. Left unchecked.”

 

[kyuukestu]

Hina

The Hyūga Matriarch was the picture of expressionlessness as the Mist played the fool. The situation was odd to her and she was hesitant to make any assumptions in such a strange scenario. On top of seemingly revealing the loss of their jinchuriki they were also publically displaying their dis-unity. The unpleasant expressions that came over the faces of the Yuki head, and then, in turn, the Mizukage, lent credence to the Tsuchikage's assumption. But would they really call a summit just to reveal their weakness?

The situation stunk of suspicion.

Hina leaned closer to the heir of her presiding Kage, softly relaying to Tsunade the circumstances of the meeting she'd witnessed 3 months ago. She also relayed her suspicions on the matter. Could this perhaps be an elaborate rouse to lure in potential enemies? The Yuki Head had been on speaking terms with the so-called devil the last she'd seen him, and Hina wouldn't put it past the Mist to feign weakness in order to lure in overly ambitious foes.

 

[Retro Master]

Unsurprisingly, all heads turned to Jin when he spoke as it was basically an unspoken rule for someone besides the Kage to speak up. Tsunade expected Mei to put her aide in check, but besides looking displeased, the Mizukage remained speechless for the moment. If Mei was really content with letting the Yuki Head speak in her place, then perhaps he should’ve been the one wearing the Kage hat from the beginning. One could only wonder what was going on behind the scenes.

The timeline generously revealed by the Yuki Head did put the attack as having taken place at around the same time the forces of the great villages were on the islands fighting for the eight tails jinchuriki. While all eyes were on the island, it might’ve been an opportunity for that group to make their move on an unsuspecting village. This would be no easy task of course.

Even so, the fact that Henshina had fled from the Cloud had been well advertised. Could those people have been the ones behind it? Assuming this demon did truly assault the Mist to the point a Summit has to be called, there was no doubt in her mind the group hunting the tailed beasts could’ve taken the eight tails jinchuriki if they wanted. There had to be an explanation as to why the two figures only appeared on the islands when they did and not any sooner. At the very least, it could not have been them who orchestrated the entire thing since there would be no reason to pass up on the opportunity to collect three jinchuriki. Assuming they knew Orochimaru had sent two of his own, which was unlikely.

‘There has to be a reason as to why the Mist and it’s jinchuriki were the chosen targets.’

The Hokage felt she was close to figuring out the reason, but just couldn’t quite put her finger on it. Fortunately, an opportunity to gain more insight on this whatever this Mist ploy was arose. Before Tsunade could reply to the Yuki Head, Hinagiku had whispered some information into her ear. Tsunade appeared quite pleased after hearing what had been said. Apparently, the eyes of the Hyūga Head saw something they weren’t supposed to while on the islands. This was a piece of valuable information that could not go unmentioned here. Tsunade glanced at the Mizukage first before looking directly as Jin.

“So, Jin Yuki, you seem to know a bit about this so-called devil. Perhaps you would also like to share what your discussion with that demon three months ago was about? I presume Lady Mizukage here can explain it to us as well, assuming she already knows.”

While there wasn’t exactly any proof of this sudden accusation yet, murmurings would soon spread around the room. Tsunade did hear of the trouble caused by the Yuki clan before her recent return to the village. Apparently their clan thought they could just waltz right in and do whatever they please in foreign territory. Perhaps they thought the Leaf had been too weakened after the first invasion by the Sound. I
Whatever the case, it had been a shame she couldn’t be there. That’s why she also somewhat enjoyed being able to put their clan head on the spot like this now.

—————————​

Though Kiro did snicker at the expense of Jin, even he was surprised to hear of this supposed meeting. Slowly, he was starting to put the pieces of his own experience with the demon together. The foreboding clouds he had seen that day in the direction of the Mist must’ve been when his home village was supposedly attacked. That could only mean it was indeed the legendary Damos he had been in the presence of. Like most children in the Mist, he heard hearing the blood-curdling tales of the demon. Yet, it hadn’t been fear Kiro felt when he got see the devilish being in person. The feeling of that overwhelming sensation of power was difficult to put into words, but perhaps some of it was anticipation. If the Kage were smart, they’d start to question what exactly the Mist knew about this legend. Especially if Jin and Damos really did have some connection. Kiro wouldn’t mind listening to those details at all either.

 

[Shen: King of Digimon]

Jin’s stoic face revealed nothing. As eyes fell upon him to explain what Hina had suggested to the group. Jin, unwavering, looked toward them, showing that he wasn’t going to crumple like wet paper.

“I pursued the Devil outside of mist borders. Not long after did it and it’s partner notice my presence. Then I demanded the reason to why it came and if it would attack others. It then paused. For a brief moment I believed it would give me an answer. But in the end, it fled toward the sea. One man, no matter who they are cannot take it down alone. So I had to focus on the objective of the mission I was assigned that day: preventing the abomination of a tailed beast from attacking my village.”

Looking at Tsunade, knowing the nation they represented, Jin sighed, crossing his arms. It wasn’t a surprise that they had seemed more hostile toward him. After all, he did engage in a rather invasive action toward them.

“Hokage Tsunade, I realize that we may not have been introduced in the best of terms, but this is bigger than all of us.” He opened his eyes toward her. “If I truly cared only about my nation, then I would not have elected to join this meeting to warn you about this imminent threat on the horizons.”

He exhaled water vapor from his mouth, feeding it rigid in seconds. It formed into the facial outline of a woman, seemingly deranged and with a cooky smile about her.

“This girl was spotted with the devil. Unknown origins. She had never stepped inside our borders before, and seemed to have exerted little effort herself following along with her companion. She too bears the symbol of the red cloud. Is anyone aware of her identity?”

 

[Godjacob]

As the leaders were seated it seemed Mei opened up the discussion as she mentioned cloaked figures who attacked her village, one who seemed to have hunted the same Jinchuriki that had escaped Kumo's border. Ay seemed to frown as he soaked this information in, if this assailant and whatever group he was from had interest in more about them. While Ay wished they could have had this discussion without the extra eyes of those lesser villages especially the fools of the Sound this topic happened to tie with his own interest so he gave it his focus.

Darui himself had more first hand experience with the accounts presented, having also been on the island during least the Jinchuriki hunt incident so it wasn't as if Ay had not been informed though even as Onoki seemed to laugh it off when confronted about before Jin seemed to take center stage. A point which had not gone unnoticed as for an attendant he seemed to be quite chatter and have much info on his own, speaking to an almost greater degree than the Mizukage herself had.

"I cannot say I am familiar with the specific info of either figure. Though I wonder why this question is asked by an aid rather than the voice of Kirigakure...." Ay said, as he seemed to pick up on Jin's presence among the Mist-ninja before he'd direct his gaze to distant eyes within the room.

"...though perhaps we are asking the wrong faces. After all, when it comes to matters of Jinchuriki no one has been more active in that scramble in recent years than those of that snake's lands. Perhaps since it seems they were granted a spectator's view they may have something to add to the discussion on this matter..." Ay said, his glare directed at the child who seemed to represent the land of Oto. That coward had not even the guts to show himself before them, sending a brat to fill his seat that had been an insult. Though for now, Ay seemed interested in whether Oto had any info on this group who desired the Jinchuriki that could be of use.

-----​

As discussions began to pick up more voices, the one who offered their land for this meeting watched with a curious gaze. A man decked in what could be best described as a holy robe who had given no name beyond "the voice for which god speaks to" better known as the High Priest. Flanked by his side was the previous head of the second exam Satoshi, as the laid back Shinobi had a sly grin as he overheard the proceedings play out.

Oh this is getting spicy...

----------
Tomiko had walked down the streets of Amegakure with an energetic spring to her step, something that her friend Madoka had taken note of as she walked alongside her. While a majority of talk was among the high profile guests to the city in the form of the village leaders Tomiko seemed to still be on the high from moving onto the Chunin Exam finals.

Really her bubbliness had even the more stoic Suna nin amused as she chuckled. "Someone seems in a chipper mood~"

"Can you blame me? We made it to the finals! After being flamed out in the prelims last time I am more than eager to show everyone what I can do! Come on you can't tell me making it to the finals doesn't have you in a better mood~" Tomiko replied back as Madoka shook her head though an amused grin persisted.

"Suppose it is a chance to leave a better showing, wouldn't want to do my family a disservice for making the long trip." Madoka replied which caused Tomiko to stop in place as her smile seemed to fade as she thought over that bit. Family. How was she gonan get hers to make the long trip to Amegakure? Same with her crew?

----------

"Good evening miss, how may I help you?"

"Oh just a glass of lemonade if you have any."

"Of course ma'am."​

Sakura seemed to sit by a local food stand as she requested a modest drink as she used the freedom granted to them during the period of stall till the next exam to think things over. Between strategies to think over in her training time for the exam as well as the arrival of the Hokage among other high profile figures there was much on the kunoichi's mind.

Though Sakura would find she had not been as isolated in her thoughts as she expected, as a pair of wolves made their way over to her stand and with them a pair of figures one familiar to the kunoichi.

"Sky Luna, rude to sniff on others." Aisha said as the wolves kept close to her while Kenji smiled at his old acquaintance from the Leaf.

"So, how's the pink wonder been?" Kenji asked in a friendly though cheeky tone which had made Sakura rolled her eyes but honestly it was nice to see this guy again even if it had been a while. "Nothing much, I presume you'd been training on bad one-liners?"

 

[kyuukestu]

Mei

Mei was rather intrigued by the information that was slowly being revealed. She offered a serene smile to the Raikage but otherwise didn't respond. Instead, she folded her fingers and listened keenly.

The Mizukage remained mute. She was in no rush to speak, no rush to assert her dominance—as if she was somehow insecure in her position with Jin speaking. That had never been the case. The Yuki Head might've been brash, insubordinate, and, now, as it was revealed, rather duplicitous; but, matters of the Kage Mannor lay beyond him. And for as long as she was Mizukage, things would remain that way.

 

[sSoul]

Tsuki
Though Tsuki had time to absorb the information, the fact that she would be moving on to the final stages of the exams still felt surreal for her. It was just 6 months ago when she was a spectator at these exams and shortly after that, she began her training under Hama as a kunoichi for Kirigakure. Though the Yuki-nin was described by her teacher as a prodigy, there was a part of Tsuki that felt that her progress in these exams were more based in luck rather than her skill.

Have I...been passing off of flukes..?

Though she wanted to shake the thought off, the notion remained, so she reviewed her notes to distract herself. Best case scenario, she'd be able to apply what she recorded to these encounters.
Taiyo
Though the fiery shinobi was glad that he was able to get to the finals again, he was also becoming reminiscent. In a way, the previous exams were a beginning for him in a lot of ways, primarily, they began his time as a "cripple". Taiyo always hated being called a cripple too, since he had his puppet arms to supplement the loss of his real ones. Though he was grateful for what he had now, the FBS master mourned the loss of his real arms.

You only have yourself to blame y'know. No one forced you to use FBS before it was perfected. No one forced you to amputate your arms instead of waiting for the long time it'd take to recover from that injury. Only you had any agency in that situation.

...

He clenched his ligneous limbs tightly, almost as if he feared them falling off. Taiyo felt his breath becoming uneasy, so he breathed deeply and deliberately in an attempt to calm or at the very least suppress his feelings. Once his breath was steady, the FBS master decided to seek out the person who developed his arms originally, not only to thank them but also to request for possible improvements.
???
"So...you think the time has come?"

"Yeah, with the exams being broadcast, the neighbors will be too busy to notice, especially at night. Also, the Hokage made her little retreat to talk with her friends, and since the head of the Hyūga clan went with her, we can possibly kill two birds with one stone!"

"The second one is much more difficult. It's likely that our man is either dead or captured, at which point there would be no sense in trying to retrieve him."

"I'll go to the manor, since I can reliably pose as nothing more than a concerned old man. You youngin's go to the Akugami residence and carry out the main mission."

"Yes sir!"

"Sounds good pops."

 

[Shen: King of Digimon]

When Ay pointed fingers to the Sound delegation, many looked at each other, not aware they were even here. They soon parted when the found where Ay was staring daggers. Their tall forms made way, revealing a small character in Kage robes, two familiar aids next to him. Zaku and Kiro.

Jin’s gaze grew sharp, his breath visible from his mouth. He was here. The traitor has revealed himself to be even more of one. This would no doubt make Mei’s blood boil, Kiro being her personal pet project.

The small kage stand-in meanwhile cleared his throat, pushing up the sagging Kage hat to reveal the face of Kou, the homeless boy from the leaf!

“Um...I don’t know who that is but uh...” Kou cleared his throat. “I know that the sound doesn’t have any Jinchuriki anymore. They both were defeated, I think he covered that part.”

Kou gestured to Jin, referencing the elder Yuki’s speech about taking down a monstrous abomination. Kou was grateful to Kabuto for briefing him in so much in such little time. He was careful to mind his table manners, as he was told one ill placed mannerism could mean the difference between peace and war.

 

[kyuukestu]

Sagisō

'The Sound sure does love sending its people to die...'

The Skillful Star marveled at the inconceivable actions of the party from the sound. In truth, Sagisō hadn't expected to see the Sound here and she imagined that even if they'd somehow found the gall to show up, they would've done so in a less ostentatious manner. Their line-up, however, seemed to imply the opposite. With Kiro and the no-reins Zako in their ranks, the virago wasn't sure whether they were here to perform diplomacy of levy a declaration of war.

As the air around the room shifted, Sagisō only hoped the Sound had thought things through. She had a few friends among their ranks and it would be a pity to see them die before the day was over.

 

[Retro Master]

Tsunade heard the explanation given to her by Jin, but it all became mute when she saw who Ay directed his glare towards. When the crowd parted she could see a familiar little boy with a large Kage hat over his head. Perhaps no one thought it was wise to tell the child he should remove the hat while in the same room of the five Kage. Putting that aside, just the presence of a certain aide besides the boy was a mighty display of disrespect. The Sound had come and Orochimaru flaunted his prize without even being in their presence. When Tsunade stood up, after kicking the chair out from underneath her, it took every cell in her body to stop her from going up to the children and doing something she might regret.

“What is the meaning of this?! Why are the Sound here?”

Meanwhile, Onoki watched with great interest. While the sight of a boy being used by that snake was almost enough to induce his rage, the Tsuchikage remained calm. At the very least, this meant Orochimaru really was nothing more than a coward. He did recall both aides as having been participants in the previous exam. Both making it to the semifinals, which was certainly no easy feat. They had potential to be great weapons for the future of their villages. Yet, one of them had been with the Mist if he recalled. Now that boy stood on the side of the Sound. This led Onoki to turn his curious gaze to the Mizukage before a another chuckle escaped him. While it was not surprising to see yet another rogue Mist shinobi, this one was an Uchiha. Being able to posses the famed Dojutsu in a village besides the Leaf was a rare opportunity and the Mist lost that too. The fact that this boy had also so boldly stepped foot in the presence of the Mizukage was quite amusing.

 

[kyuukestu]

Mei

The Mizukage's brows jumped as she noted the Sound delegation, or rather, who was in the Sound delegation.

"Kiro?" She couldn't help but utter a murmur of surprise, but upon seeing him with the Sound, she was sorely disappointed, "I heard you'd defected and were detained in the Leaf, but I didn't think it was all true..."

The Mizukage sighed.

"It always hurts my heart to melt a good-looking guy…but, if you've forsaken your home then I can't ignore that."

"Since you were bold enough to show up then you've chosen to atone for your mistakes, right?" Mei turned an eye towards the child representing the Sound, "I thank you for taking care of my boy, but he's been away from home long enough. Turn Kiro over to us."