Seiroyuki Makuro was the only one waiting for Yoake in the dark Yorugakurene clearing, and did not in the least seem startled when the young woman dropped out of nowhere, and landed lightly not three feet behind him.
"Greetings, Yorukage.." The lean genin said, turning on his heel, and dipping his head respectfully. Not only was this woman his sensai, but she was his village leader, not to mention the lady of the land of night, and he would show her the respect she deserved. Yoake looked weary, which was something new on Makuro. He also found it interesting that she was in no way trying to hide said weariness. In fact, his normally so strong and dynamic sensai opened her mouth……and gave a great yawn.
"I've exhausted enough charka to…I dunno what .." Yoake huffed in way of telling Makuro not to worry about her. She looked around the clearing, and raised an eyebrow.
Makuro open his mouth to give an answer to the inquiry that he knew was coming, but Yoake raised a slender hand, and cut him off swiftly.
"No need to tell me where the other two are, since I think I can safely conclude what happened. Sato and Shinri couldn't stand each other, and went off on their own for a while."
Makuro smiled slightly behind his linens, "Yes, that's exactly it. How did your mission go, sensai?"
"As well as could be expected."
Yoake shrugged off her voluminous Yorukage's robe. She wore it as little as possible, for being first and foremost a seasoned ninja she knew that such garb was probably the most motion hindering piece of clothing she could ever have been wearing. The most she could do was wear it only when necessity called, and even then with great reluctance.
Yoake gave a little sigh of relief to be free of the enveloping folds of fabric. She flipped off her wide hat, and shook her long blonde hair down.
"Never become Yorukage, Makuro!" She said distantly, abandoning both robe and hat on a low bough of a tree, "Unless you intend to drown in a never ending sea of cotton."
"I'm not planning on it, sensai." Another smile tugged on the corners of Makuro's mouth. He wasn't normally so amused, but there was an easy, casual air around his sensai all the time that was infectious, even when she was weary.
Unless she was angry, like the last time Makuro saw her. On the whole, though, Lady/Yorukage/Sensai Yoake was an easygoing ninja.
In a village so small, everyone wore several hats, so to speak. Even the Yorukage.
Yoake pulled a hair tie from her wrist, and in a few deft motions, had her mane of hair tied back in a more practical manner. Were it not for her position as Lady of the Land of Night, it would have been cut back to a more reasonable length. You see, it was 'in fashion' for the feudal ladies to have lengthy hair. Not like Yoake really cared what was in fashion, but she knew she had to keep a face up to get everyone's respect. Being the youngest Kage ever in the history of that world, she also knew that there were a lot older and a lot wiser people in her village that wouldn't object at all if Konoha made another raid, and declared another Yorukage.
It happened once, its not going to happen again. She thought waspishly, Good luck getting rid of me, Yorugakure. Jeez, what would I do without the love and support of my people…..
She looked up, and transfixed Makuro with a slight grin, "Rubbish, all of it…"
Makuro smiled yet again, and did not press into the matters of Yoake's conference with Konoha's Hokage. She would tell him when she was ready.
Sure enough, Yoake nodded, and gave the genin a small, wicked grin, "Everything is set. Konoha has accepted our aide."
Makuro nodded in return, "Did the two of you make any plans?"
Yoake's mouth spread wide and a mad look kept into her ice green eyes, "You feel up to a journey to Sunagakure?"
"ROADTRIP!!" An echoing voice hollered from above their heads.
All at once, Satora Tasogare was among them, dropping down out of nowhere, yet presumably from a tree. Her presence enough to make Makuro and Yoake feel as though they were in the midst of a crowd, for her energy was so great.. Sato looked vibrant as always, but was it possible for a human to glow, she would be glowing.
"Do you think I didn't know you were hiding up there?" Yoake said dismissivly, pointing vaguely in an upwards direction, "I could hear you breathing like you were in a 20 mile race. Without your 'Shadow Art of Hiding' you're about as stealthy as a herd of elephants."
Sato was in no way offended. Rather, she actually started bouncing on her heels.
"So….Yorukage, how did it go?"
"I don't think I need to tell you anything, since you already heard it up in that tree." Yoake said, flipping the young Tasogare a characteristic grin.
Sato shrugged, still bouncing, "Whatever…yeah, you're right. But I was actually trying to sneak up on Kuro here…"
"I couldn't hear you…" The genin admitted, shifting his weight, "But I could sense all that charka coursing around in you like mad."
The Tasogare stuck out her lower lip in a pout, "I hate you're Kekkei Genkai, Kuro!! It makes everything so…." She stuck out her tongue, and giggled.
Yoake surveyed the pair of them. They got along famously, pensive Makuro, and blustery Sato. Satora had so much power in her…it all had to do with the fact that she was a Tasogare. There was no challenge that Yoake could devise that Sato wouldn't be able to scale, and then demolish. The unfortunate thing was that Sato knew this fact as well. She couldn't be bothered looking into the powers and habits of the ninja of Sand and Sound for the duration of the plan, since she was absolutely convinced that because she was a Tasogare, (the most lethal and deadly ninja ever to walk the earth), she wouldn't even have to spend five minutes in the ring with them before they were dead. Gone. Poof.
Once again…..unfortunatly, she was right.
And then there was Makuro.
As ninja go, this Seiroyuki ninja was incredibly passive. He couldn't be brought to killing unless it was absolutely necessary. He preferred to use his strange Kekkei Genkai powers to hinder and maim, but not kill. Makuro was constantly and effectively breaking up spats between Sato and that Shinri, using his calm, eloquent words more than his powers. There was much skill and talent in the linen clad genin than what even he himself would have liked to admit.
Sato wiped the childish look off of her face, and traded it with one of wicked anticipation, "OK, Yorukage. Seriously-are we going to Sunagakure?"
Yoake thought swiftly to herself for about ten seconds, the said curtly-
"I need several things to happen at once. I need you two to go to Sunagakure…and polish off genin cells two and three. I only want cell one to make it to the finals, and you know which one. We won't have to worry about the sound village genin for now….like us, they have only one cell in this exam, but unlike us, they are expendable to Orochimaru."
Makuro was in no way swayed at this grim proclimation, but he seemed a little confused, "Pardon, sensai, but the other two sand cells aren't really all that much of a threat to us. Why not get rid of Baki's cell while we're ahead, and then let Suna squirm in the mud with the remaining two cells, and try to scrape their plan together?"
"Come on, Kuro! Use your linen wrapped head!" Sato laughed, giving her friend a shove on the arm, "Everyone knows that Suna only cares about the cell with that Gaara freak in it! He's the star to all their evil wicked plotting! My guess is that they'll let anything go that we do-as long as that precious sand rat ain't hurt."
"Satora is right, in a sense." Yoake admitted rather reluctantly, "I don't want any loose ends, and that's what those other genin cells are. Suna will of course suspect foul play, and the chief part of this mission is that you kill the genin in such a way that it points to Konoha."
"Got it!" Makuro said, nodding.
Pause……
"Wait…what?" Makuro cocked his head, "We are allied with Konoha! Why would we want to pin the blame on them? Wouldn't that shatter the plan into a million separate pieces? I'm sorry, sensai, but I see to many logical flaws in this plan!"
Yoake smiled again. Makuro was a sharp one, but he needed to get things implanted firmly into his mind. Once that was done, it would stay there, no problem.
"Do we have to spell it out for you?" Sato exclaimed good naturedly, flashing her teeth.
Makuro ignored the jibein the girls voice, and set his teeth.
"Would you, please?"
"Sunagakure and Otogakure know we're back on the map." Sato stated matter of factly, as though explaining something to a two year old, "They will, of course, expect that we will join them in attacking the leaf village when the time comes. Since we are in fact now allied with Konoha…ok, listen carefully here, Kuro. We must put up every appearance to want to join their charade, thus getting on the inside of the operation. That puts us at an even better position to give Konoha all the information that they need! That's why we have to pin the blame on Konoha, so we're in the clear to get in the midst of their little operation! In doing that, we are helping Konoha! By pointing the blame on the leaf village, it will intensify sand and sounds need to wipe them out! Intensifying the fire is good for us and Konoha, but BAD for Oto and Suna, once all is said and done!!! GOT IT? ???????"
Makuro rubbed his temples. Sato and Yoake waited for a moment, knowing what was going to come.
The genins head popped up, and he seemed to radiate knowledge, "GOT IT. Its all a chess game…who can outmaneuver who… Sand and Sound don't know it, but already we and Konoha have them in a checkmate."
He glanced at Sato, and finished grandly, "Since our queen checks their king."
Sato grinned, "I knew you'd get there, bro!"
"Just on thing…."
The Tasogare heaved a great sigh..
Makuro gave his sensai a level look, "Does the Hokage of Konoha know about this? That you are going to pin the blame on his village in order to make sure things work out alright? If you don't tell him, you know then that he is going to suspect that our alliance isn't true!"
"We don't want that, now do we?" Yoake cracked yet another sneaky grin, "I am going to have a chat with an old Konoha friend of mine, who will pass on the message."
"Why not go right back to the Hokage?" Sato asked curiously.
Yoake shot an evil glance at her robe and hat, still resting insidiously on that low branch, "I am not getting back into that get-up! You know what to do, you guys. This is an A triple plus ranked mission. Failure is not an option."
"What about Shinri?" Makuro questioned.
Yoake paused, and then said softly, "He's to loose of cannon right now, torn between his loyalties. You may have noticed it, but seeing Kin, a genin from his former village really shook him up. When Shinri gets shook up, he takes it out on….stuff. I don't think right now is the best time to give him specific orders, and expect him to obey them. Jeez…I don't even know where he is, and I don't want to find out."
Sato and Makuro exchanged dark glances. They knew as well as anyone the foggy past of the clan of Hebigiru.
"Well…I guess you two should be getting on, then!" Yoake said cheerfully, "Remember, kids. An 'A' triple plus ranked mission. You know what to do. Good luck."
"Thank you, Sensai." Makuro dipped his head again.
"Pssh…" Satora laughed long and hard, tossing her head, "Like we'll need it!"