TangentOne: So did you enjoy the first chapter, Two?
TangentTwo: I read a distinct lack of blood and gore, and I'm confused.
TangentOne: Why are you confused?
TangentTwo: I like blood and gore. It's a good stress relief, why are you looking at me like that?
TangentOne: No reason, I just figured that maybe you should do more productive things.
TangentTwo: Killing people is productive!
My first day in the office. I muse, taking a look around.
The room is large, one-thousand square feet, shoved in either corner by the entrance sat two expensive couches facing each other. Both have a coffee table just barely tall enough to reach down too from the couches. An exquisite rug of blue and maroon patterns imported from Sunagakure lines the room from the door to the front of my desk. The pine wood desk is a u-shape, leaving me a meter on either side to enter. It is a thick desk, which atop sat a computer and a simple file system.
The top of the file holder rack was the most important, and moving downward they got less important. The top being labeled 'S', and going down to 'E'. My aide, the same aide Arata had hired in the last two years of his reign, stood in front of my desk, holding a document labeled 'S'.
"Reikikage-sama," Kyoko began, her long black hair ruffling as she spoke. "The Raikage has informed us that Mabui, his aide, is coming to visit us to extend warm wishes." She lays the folder on the desk.
"Is that so? He, himself, would not be visiting?" I ask, raising an eyebrow.
"No, Lord Fourth, he will not. He says his schedule is far too busy to visit us at the moment, though he promised to make time in the future." Kyoko continues, her brown eyes sparkling in the candlelight from the chandelier.
"Anything else of importance I should know?" I query.
"Yes, the Chikara and the Bunji clans, respectively, extend their own warm wishes. A large incident between the two has been brewing for just over a decade. When the war ended, the two clans both settled here in Shimo and bought plots next to each other. While they didn't know each other at the time, they have now begun to dispute over the land border, as it was never clearly stated in the sale documents for either purchase." Kyoko answers.
I sigh, both clans have significant sway with the people, as both have over two hundred members. They are intertwined in nearly every business in Shimo, and their dispute makes things difficult for those businesses. If one clan shuns another, they might refuse the clan they've shunned to purchase anything from their shop. Even if they don't, it's likely to evolve into a verbal argument regardless.
"How much land are they disputing?" I question, grabbing the folder regarding this dispute from the 'A' section.
"The Chikara believe their land is just past the river, effectively seven square miles. The Bunji claim their land to be up to the river, yet slightly more south than the Chikara claim, so five square miles." Kyoko explains.
"Tell them that the dispute ends today, both families will stop their claims and concede to having the border up to the river. However, the Chikara can take seven square miles from the west of their purchase, it's wooded and undeveloped, but so is the river. If either party disagrees, both will sustain a land tax of double every month until they do." I say, writing the exact orders in the document and signing it.
Kyoko bows deeply and grabs the file when she rises.
"Nothing else is nearly as important as those two issues, I will inform the Raikage to have Mabui expect a warm welcome, and the clans will be informed of your orders, Lord Fourth." Kyoko says, bowing again.
"Wonderful, you're dismissed." I tell her with a small shoo of the hand.
She walks to the door of the office and leaves, I let my shoulders relax and lean back in the extremely comfortable office chair. I notice a bell on the desk to my right, I pick it up and inspect it. It was a simple brass bell, a pine handle that was lacquered. I gave a test ring, and to my surprise, and ANBU-nin knelt five feet from my desk, saluting to his heart.
His mask was littered with swirling patterns, all of them black in color. He wore the standard shimo uniform, except nothing on his body was anything but black, even the fur at the top of the long coat. He raises his head to look at me expectantly.
"You summoned, Lord Fourth?" The ANBU says.
"I suppose I did, ANBU-san." I reply, setting the bell down.
"You needn't use honorifics with me, Lord Fourth." The ANBU voices.
"You're an ANBU, you gave your life to serve, and no one will know your name as you serve. The least I can do is use an honorific. Now tell me, how is the naming convention within ANBU? You can't honestly just call each other 'ANBU'." I ask.
"I am Seven Swirl," the ANBU says, pointing to the seven swirling patterns on his mask. "We are given a number of patterns, and those are our identifiers."
"I see, that's quite unique. Please stand, or sit, you don't need to kneel all the time." I reply, making a standing motion with my hand.
I wasn't around during Shimo's formation of ANBU, too busy finding myself out in the world. Seven Swirl stands, revealing a plethora of weapons under his coat as it catches in the wind of his sudden uptake. I chuckle as I see them, if nothing else, Shimo was known for its favoritism towards bukijutsu.
"Did you need anything else, Lord Fourth?" Seven Swirl asks politely.
"Actually, no. I didn't know what the bell was for, I apologize for taking up your time." I return with a smile.
"My time is your time, Reikikage-sama." Seven Swirl replies before he body flickers away in a swirl of snow.
The snow never settles, it just disappears as he does. I chuckle at the frivolous use of chakra for that trick, and return to my folder rack.
Six Days Later, Monday - 1200 hours.
I stand at the lobby of the academy, smiling at the students walking by with their mouths agape at the sight of me. Kyoko stands to my right as we waited for Mabui and her entourage to appear. We didn't have to wait much longer, as they entered the academy doors with an air of authority. I walk over followed closely by a smiling Kyoko, and extend a hand to Mabui, who took it and shook my hand firmly.
"Thank you for having us, Reikikage-sama." Mabui says with a respectful smile.
"Drop the 'sama', I'm not your Kage, and I don't want you feeling like you're disrespecting your own." I reply with my own smile.
The silver long haired kunoichi smiles at me, and greets my aide. I then nod to each of the guards escorting Mabui, noting their jonin attire. I make a motion behind me to the stairs.
"Shall we have a seat in my office?" I ask them kindly.
"Lead the way, Reikikage-san." Mabui returns with a smile.
I lead the group up to my office, and once inside I inform Mabui's guards to relax on the couch to the left of the door. They look to their charge who nods at them, and they take their seats. I sit on the couch to the right and pat the cushion next to me, which Mabui takes gratefully. I set my Kage hat on the table and face her with a smile.
"Thank you for coming all the way here, I doubt the Raikage gives you much time off." My eyes pierce her own, and a staring contest insues.
"Kunoichi never have a day off, the same goes for a Shinobi." Mabui returns, holding my staring contest.
"You make a fair point, I hope you didn't expect to relax while you were here. I have some issues I'd like to discuss about our defensive alliance." I inform her, blinking and letting her win.
"I didn't expect it, but I certainly hoped for it." Mabui replies with a sigh, leaning back into the couch. "What are the issues?"
"We're spending over three percent of our annual budget paying for your expeditions into our territory. I realize that these expeditions were established at the end of the third war to catch missing-nin. However, that need is no longer, we can handle our own traitors." I assert, waving Kyoko over to me when she grabs the folder regarding our conversation.
"We can take a look at that, absolutely. However, if you don't mind, we'd like some food. It's been a long journey." Mabui agrees, grabbing the folder from Kyoko.
"Of course." I reply with a smile, ringing the bell I hid in my sleeve.
Instantly an ANBU with seven swirling patterns on his mask kneels on the other side of the coffee table. Mabui's guards each stood quickly and reach for their weapons, but did not draw them. Mabui turned to them with a cold eye, and they stood down.
"A little warning would have been nice." Mabui says to me with a hint of affability.
"Where's the fun in that?" I reply with my own jovial tone.
"Yes, Reikikage-sama?" Seven Swirls asks me.
"Gather an attendant and bring them to me, any of them will do." I order, and watch as his swirl of snow appears and disappears pleasingly.
"That's quite an interesting body flicker." Mabui points out.
"Indeed, I find it fascinating to watch. I've attempted to replicate it, but it hasn't gone too well. I'll have to ask him next time I'm free." I return while smiling.
"You seem to be in a good mood, Reikikage-san." Mabui turns to me with a glint in her eye.
"It would seem that way, I suppose. I'm happy to finally get this mess sorted out, we're giving Kumogakure no sato far too much for far too little." I respond turning to her as well.
"We've been allies for so long, you would sour that relationship by belittling our help to you?" Mabui asks carefully.
"We've been allies for so long, I'd have hoped it wouldn't be as one-sided as it is. Kumo is near four times the size of Shimo, yet you expect us to bend over backwards in our budget to keep that alliance. If you claim to care about Shimo as much as you're offering with that statement, you'd have made the amends with Arata." I return slightly spiteful.
"Then while we're here, why don't we sort out all that troubles you? I have full authority over our alliance with you. That's part of the reason I'm here, to determine if we still are allies." The silver haired Kunoichi returns.
"We will see." I agree just as an attendant enters the office with a quizzical and dejected look.
"Yes, Reikikage-sama? An ANBU said you summoned me." The young woman questions.
"Ah, yes. Please, the delegation from Kumo would like to replenish their stomachs. Take their order and return with the food as soon as possible." I say to her with a smile, hoping to keep the civilian attendant calm.
"Oh! Absolutely!" The woman perks up, glad to have averted some other conversation.
She pulls out a notepad and pen, and walks to me first. I wave her away, and she takes orders from every delegate. Kyoko and I forego food as work was on the forefront of our minds. Once the attendant leaves, I turn back to Mabui.
"Let us get down to business, shall we?" I offer with a smile.
Two Days Later: Main Gate, Wednesday - 1400 hours.
"It was a productive two days, I thank you for trekking out to our little abode." I tell the Kumo delegation with a pleased demeanor.
"I agree entirely, we started off rough, but I'm glad we reached a suitable agreement." Mabui responds, holding out a hand.
I shake the hand firmly, and nod respectively to each of her guards. Mabui says goodbye to Kyoko as the snow falls gently around us, coating everything in a fluffy white. I watch as they depart, leaping as far as possible with each stride. I turn to Kyoko with a smile and we start walking back to the academy.
"What did you think of Mabui, Kyoko?" I ask my aide.
"She's a strong willed kunoichi, and very loyal to the Raikage." Kyoko answers, not missing a beat.
"Yes, but what of her. I know you're a sensor." I say with a smile toward the now blushing Kyoko.
"Her chakra is as normal as it gets, there's an exceptional amount of it, but not to the point of-"
"Ah, no. Her, as a person. You're giving me the standard response, I want to know if she'll keep her word." I ask more directly.
"Oh, yes. I highly doubt she would go against anything we have agreed upon, unless the Raikage has expressly ordered it." Kyoko regains her composure.
"Good, now that's settled, I would like you to set up a visit date for me to greet the next graduating class of academy students." I order with my patented smile.
"Of course, I'll clear a day sometime soon. The class graduates in two weeks." Kyoko informs, pulling out a calendar from seemingly nowhere.
"I see. Then I suppose it would be prudent." I reply with a calm mind.
Below my surface, every muscle in my body was tense. It had been years since I played the political game, and it was starting to get to me. The stress that is building up was laid on my shoulders near instantly from my return, and it had not relented since. I silently cursed Arata in my mind before recollecting my thoughts at the academy entrance.
"This Friday will work for your schedule. The only thing going on is the signing of the Chikara and Bunji clans agreement to your proposal." Kyoko informs me with an unreadable expression.
"Well, I don't see why I can't take that day off. Will you go in my place?" I ask with my gracious smile.
"I can, and I will." Kyoko agrees.
I could tell something was nagging at her about the situation, but I decided to let it pass. I had enough on my plate anyway. I enter the academy and greet the students in the lobby before taking the stairs to the administrative wing. Through a small number of intersections, I arrive at the office door. I take a step through and close the door behind me, sighing and sitting on the couch to the right.
I ring the bell in my sleeve, and out of nowhere an ANBU appears five feet in front of me, kneeling and holding his fist to his heart. Seven swirling patterns adorn his mask, and for once, I could see the hair on his head, as his hood was down. It is black, much to my amusement. With all his clothing as black, it only makes sense.
"Seven Swirls, tell me, do you mind sharing how you create your snow-like body flicker?" I ask him with a relatively normal tone, he is my ANBU, I can trust him at the very least.
"It's just a chakra trick, Reikikage-sama." Seven Swirls answers, standing and performing his body flicker two feet to the right.
"I understand that much, but when I try to replicate it, my body flicker ends up looking more like a hailstorm." I answer, much to my chagrin.
"That is odd, would you mind showing me, Lord Fourth?" He asks with a subservient tone.
"Seven Swirls, you can call me Daiki. I can tell we'll be spending a lot of time together, and I think we should be on a first name basis." I reply with a smile as I stand.
"You honor me, Daiki-sama." Seven Swirls replies.
"Just 'Daiki' will do." I answer him, then perform my own body flicker.
True to my word, my body flicker's flare was much more like a hailstorm without the snow, just pebble sized ice flying around in the air.
"It might be due to your Kekkei Genkai." The ANBU answers me.
"That would be a shame, I'll have to keep working at it I suppose." I respond with a sigh.
"You will get it one day, Daiki." He responds in a matter-of-fact tone.
"I hope so, it's useful beyond just looking interesting. I noticed how it captures the eye of the beholder." I answer, praising the ANBU's technique.
"You would be surprised how many fall for it." Seven Swirls agrees, and I could hear a hint of smugness in his voice.
"Tell me sometime, I'd love to hear of your adventures. For now, I have to get back to work." I tell him, dismissing him from the room.
"Thank you for giving me the opportunity." He says in the wind as he body flickers away.
"No, thank you for giving me a friend." I respond tiredly.
I move back to my desk and take one of the higher ranked folders, opening it to read its contents.
Another day of stress.