Consequences [BLKND]

He would be greeted by none, and expected by many. It was a situation of pure discomfort, he was sure of it. With the images of flailing genin circulating the office, papers tucked into their arms, and worried expressions of their faces, it was clear that there was a lot of pressure to be had working for a man like Heihachi. Confidence did not seem to live in this place. With these adolescents doing their best to make their leader proud, it was a consideration that few had put in to action these days. However, as they all hurried to complete their busy work, they seemed to pay him no mind. He sat there, behind a gargantuan wooden desk that was clearly outdated, and pulled from some sort of storage closet. It was nice, but far from modern. The wood had been chipped in various places by sloppy moving crews, and the papers that had begun to pile up on his desk was an obvious indication as to the state that the village was attempting to grow from. Village assignments, requests, approvals, renovations, constructions- the list went on, and was racking the brain of the twisted haired blonde. His hand pressed against his temple as he would massage himself into comfort. He had grown tired of this position, the stress had grown so unbearable. Here he was, however, working almost nonstop since his appointment. His assistant, a large, blue haired woman would stand over him, assisting him in the signing of a document that she had recently placed in front of him. He sat there in a casual mesh t-shirt. It was typical ninja attire, but far from what was considered appropriate for someone of his position. Perhaps in battle, but not a day at the office. He could care less. His job had pulled him through so many loops at is, protocol was simply a formality.

It would be his assistant, Atsuko, who would notice Tenshi first. His battered and bruised frame being a distracting feature in this high paced place of business. He was a slow mover, and seemed to beckon for people to notice it. The few chuunin in the office would scoff at him, as if they somehow knew why it was that he would be coming here, to the Raikage's office in such a disheveled manner. It would take only a moment for the Raikage himself to look up from the document and lay his eyes on the crutched human being. A blank look would meet Tenshi. It wasn't surprise, or astonishment, just a stare. Atsuko would say something inaudible before walking off, yelling the name of one of the genin who was placing a file into one of the many shelves placed around the room. Heihachi would stand, not too much taller than his genin subordinate, but clearly older. Leisurely making his way from around the massive wooden desk, he would leave his rickety wooden chair and close the distance between the two.

"You look like shit, kid." He would say loudly enough for Tenshi to hear him over the sounds of the office.

He had heard what happened, the bare details at least. The medics who had taken Tenshi to the hospital having explained what they could get out of him. He had also been informed by the mission approval staff. The only person who he hadn't spoken to, in fact, was the man in which he now was facing. It was clear that he couldn't traverse a very long distance, but Heihachi didn't want to have this conversation in front of Tenshi's fellow genin.

"Let's step in to my chambers." Heihachi would say mildly, motioning towards a massive library on the other side of the office.

His hands slid into his pockets, a recent habit, and he would begin to walk towards the chambers, not bothering to slow his pace for the injured genin.

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By the time that Tenshi had arrived into the library, Heihachi had already begun to do a little bit of side work. Organizing some papers, and placing a few awry scrolls back into their places- he would wait for him to take a seat to actually signify that he was paying attention to him. His back was lean, and visible through the mesh knitting of his top. He was thin. The body of a man that looked as though he would be easily overwhelmed by any sort of hand to hand combatant- and yet here he stood, in a position in which he commanded an entire village. Finally turning to face his guest, he would leave one scroll undone, holding it within his grasp. It was a rather small scroll, the size of a bottle of water, which he would toss at the bandaged ninja leisurely before making his way towards the ottoman adjacent to the young man.

"I know that the ninja who allowed you to partake in this mission has been reprimanded. I would do the same to you, but I take it that you understand the magnitude of your decision," He would say, pulling the ottoman even closer towards Tenshi. "Genin don't go on missions of that rank, especially alone, because they are weak alone..."

He would spit the words out as bluntly as what seemed humanly possible. The light which shone from his window was weak- but still present. It did little to illuminate the room, and yet somehow made his eyes glow. His stare was unnerving, and his grip against the cushion beneath him was indicative of his frustration. His eyes were weak, that was certain, and yet his stare was vibrant. He drew something from these interactions, something that he never really got a change to experience before becoming Raikage. Few people were aware of his existence before a week ago. In fact, many still didn't even know what he looked like. The idea of a thin, blonde kage seemed redundant given who it was that Heihachi was replacing. Yet, it wasn't his hair, or his frame which made him Raikage. It was interactions such as these.

His eyes would draw themselves away from Tenshi, and to his right, above one of the many bookshelves which surrounded them. If Tenshi would follow, he would see a small image, surrounded by a small red frame. Within it would be an image of the kage, his arm over the shoulder of the kage before him. They appeared to be laughing together. The image was something that not many got a chance to see before a week. The Sandaime had many friends, true, but none of them knew him like Heihachi did.

".. then again- so are Chuunin, so are Jounin, and so is a Kage," He would say, his voice trailing off upon viewing the image; it would only be after looking back at his subordinate did his voice sound as harsh as it had been before. "Which is why I need you alive. Because I don't want to be weak, and I don't want anyone in my village weak."

He would finish abruptly before standing up, pushing the ottoman away from him with the back of his knees. Within an instant he would be on the other side of the room, not forgetting the work that had to be done during this brief meeting.

"So tell me why you did it, Tenshi?" He would say casually, perhaps surprising the genin that he actually knew his name.

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A sigh indicative of his position would escape his lips almost instantly after Tenshi's revelation of his motivations. He had heard this speech countless times before- particularly during his schooling. First it was the academy. Countless children and teens roughing him up, thrusting him against the wall, or suffering by the wake of his strength- they all wanted to prove that they were better than him. They all wanted to prove that they could have been the son of Ishitsuru Koi. They were wrong. The second was the ANBU academy. Secrets devoured their training. The shadows became their homes, and yet their heads grew big with zealous. They strained to prove themselves to not only their superiors, the captain, but also to their team mates. Heihachi had fallen victim to it as well. He prevailed- all with the ambition that he himself was better than his father, and thus better than his colleagues. However, missions were accepted, lives were lost, and the thought of being the 'best' grew secondary. Ideas of success grew synonymous with the preservation of life. Tenshi- a kid, wouldn't yet understand that.

As Heihachi would continue to scribble onto the scroll in front of him, wrapping it in colorful twine, and placing it onto the shelf, the clutter of his personal space had steadily begun to dissipate. He wouldn't bother to look at Tenshi, who had grown weary with combat, his body proving evidence of that. However, it wasn't until he mentioned the phrase 'life on the line,' did Heihachi finally stop to take notice to the young man. His head would reach around his shoulder, his body slowly following as he would lean against one of his many bookshelves, his toned arms crossing in front of his chest as he would bite his lip, tacking his piercing in the process.

"You don't know what life is yet, kid," He would begin, his voice calm and settling- a drastic change from his stressful office experience. "Although, I must say that I'm curious as to what you are referring to. What purpose did you find in the slums of this village?"

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An almost uncomfortable smile would instantly envelope Heihachi's face. It wasn't pleasant, and it wasn't happy. In fact, as he stood there, his arms perched in front of his chest in order to protect himself, and his interests from being developed by the words coming from this young man, it was almost evident that he didn't really know what to say in response. This young man, whoever he might be, or whatever hardships he might have endured, he was not in the same position that Heihachi was. His uncomfortable face would almost immediately return to how nonchalant as it was before. His right hand would raise to his temple before beginning to caress it, his eyes squeezing themselves closed in order to get the sleepiness from them. The light which leaked through the window was beginning to grow. He was starting to get a headache. Whether it was from fatigue, or from this preachy genin, he couldn't tell. However, he knew that this young man had to be put in to his place.

"Tenshi, I don't have time to explain to you how wrong you are. Perhaps it is your youth that makes you feel the way you do." He would start slowly, before raising his head to look at the ottoman in which he had been sitting just a moment before. "Risking your life is not a way to live- it's a way to die. The sooner that you leap into the jaws of the beast, the sooner it will devour you. Your life? Far from a disaster.

"Just a few weeks ago the entire village of Sunagakure was destroyed by Iwagakure. Kumogakure stands. Before both you were born, this entire village had been reduced to rubble. Kusagakure and Amegakure have just recently been refurbished to a fraction of their previous glory."

Heihachi would push himself away from his shelf before making his way towards the window, looking out of it in order to get another view of the city. The view was incredible, and the window that showed it to the Raikage was just as so. His hands would fall to his back, his back slightly turned to Tenshi as he continued to deliver his long-winded speech. He didn't typically talk down to his subordinates, though considering that he hadn't kicked him out and reduced him to D rank missions for the next two years yet was proof of understanding.

"Below these mountains, in a number of our slum neighborhoods, people are starving. Every day people are assigned to fix their homes, and provide food for them, because they are our fellow villagers. That's where I find purpose anyway... helping people that can't help themselves." His head would tick, pivoting to the right as he would transition to another point. "Sure, preserving our secrets is lucrative for our business, but that's a job for Chuunin and Jounin. If you disagree, you can disobey, and treated to a punishment much worse than a few years worth of D rank missions."

Turning away from the window, he would look Tenshi into the eyes, his face just as solid as it had been during the beginning of this meeting. There was no anger, or display of sarcasm, and his voice was just as cold. Leaning against the window, much as he had when leaning against the bookshelf, his arms would once more fold in front of his chest as is long, blonde hair would hit the window, spreading over it like the webs of a spider, his flamboyant golden earring reflecting the light of the sun.

"As far as that body, I will be assigning a troop of Oinin to take care of it, as well as investigate if the Nuke-nin was working alone, or if he had any accomplices. You will brief them on what you know, and you will not be attending this mission." He would say curtly, before beginning to make his way to the threshold back into his office, where Atsuko had been waiting for him; Heihachi turned to Tenshi one last time before heading out of sight. "The scroll in your lap is a special admission into the Oinin archive of the main library in this building. See the girl with the big hat, and do some research. If you do well in the Exams, I will sign off on your admittance into the Oinin academy myself. In the meantime- think about what I've told you. Your job as a ninja is not to be a killer... it is to be a guardian for your fellow villagers."

Then he was off into the next room, Atsuko starting to fill him in on what he had missed within the past few minutes. He wasn't sure what to think of this genin... he probably wasn't going to listen to what he was saying, but then again- everyone grew differently.

/exit

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