The Meeting [C]

[chiatsuki]

Water vapor and humidity wrapped me in a cocoon here upon the Hokage Memorial. I had chosen to stand upon the head of Hyuuga Ichijin, the shodai hokage because it seemed his outstretched the others after him, and in a symbolic way I also thought of myself as him in many ways. He had very few friends in the village, and even fewer enemies. The thing most we’d had in common, however, is that we stood out over the rest. I was still unsure of whether this was good… or bad.

Today I’d chosen a more loose outfit to wear, black capri’s with a whitelong sleeve which I’d rolled up along my forearm. A black vest armored my torso, just along the bottom of it was a communication device I’d used especially for root. Zzt. “Akoro, can you get me Hyuuga Kohana? I need to ask her something..” I’d say before releasing the side grooves, hearing the ‘crrssshhh’. “Copy that. I’ll let her know you’ve requested her, but I’m not so sure she will come sir.”

“That’s fine. I’m sure she’s already aware of why I need to speak with her. We have some unfinished business to settle.”

[~Kohana <3]

"But ma'am, your presence was asked for."

Her eye twitched as she slammed the book she had been reading shut, the binding cracking and then the book itself falling apart. The Hyuuga eyed the ruined book and sighed, before looking back to the ANBU. "If it means you SHUTTING up for one second than fine, I'll go meet with the boy. Where is he? Perched on his 'throne'?"

The ANBU was taken aback a bit by her hostility but shook his head. "No ma'am, he is waiting at the stone Kage heads."

Kohana nodded and stood, throwing the remnants of her book at the ANBU. "Find a way to fix that." That said she started off for the stone Kage heads. It wasn't as though she had a grudge against the Uchiha boy who took her place, not at all. Just the situation that happened before it. These villagers were weak. It was disgusting.

It didn't take long to cover the ground necessary to reach the Kage heads. She ran up the walls of the Kage tower and then leaped onto the rocks, scaling them as well, until she found herself atop the head fashioned after the Sandaime, Jiyuu. Briefly, she hoped that the man was okay. Last she had seen him he was a broken man with not much life left in him. He was a dear friend too and that hurt even more.

Snapping herself back to reality, her eyes scanned across from where she was, over Ryu's head, another one who she held as a close friend (despite her outward demeanor the last time they met) and to the head of the Shodaime. Ichijin. How she hated that man. But upon his head there he stood. She stayed put however and smiled, attempting to be friendly.

"You wished to see me, Hokage-sama ?"

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[chiatsuki]

My eyes lingered on the kunoichi as she made her way to me. Her steps would lead her up the back route and eventually onto the stone cranium of The Leaf Village’s first hokage. She would come face to face with me, greeting herself immediately just as any other Jounin would.

“You wished to see me hokage-sama?”

I would bow before presenting myself.

“Yes Ms. Kohana, I invited you here today to catch up on some things. I haven’t seen you since we were attacked by the masked vigilante, that day was supposed to be your inauguration, wasn’t it?”

I’d pause just after contorting.. in hopes that she wasn’t upset that I had brought the subject up so soon. I couldn’t help it – my straightforward personality always got the better of me, especially now that things were swiftly changing within the leaf village.

“I don’t understand why it was you became absent, or why it was I was chosen after that..”

As I spoke I edged nearer in hopes to create a small gap between us (3m). Her eyes were white yet mine were onyx, two complete opposites, and although this was a minor, almost insignificant, detail I’d managed to pull out of our meeting.. it bugged me knowing that our clans were also lifelong rivals of one another.

“But there’s still the issue of the plague..”

[~Kohana <3]

"How the elders like to cover things up."

Kohana shook her head, and though she didn't move, she didn't particularly like the boy coming so close to her. They were allies, yes, they were comrades, yes, but they were not friends. Especially now, someone so naive, it was sickening, just as sickening as the villagers. Everyone pussy footed around on ideals of peace, tranquility, and good will. They were shinobi. None of those words were in their jobs definition.

"Yes, boy, that day was mine. It was indeed my inauguration. However, if you care to remember, the offer that I had given on ridding us of the plague entirely wasn't particularly cared for---even if it was the only sure fire way of beating it."

She flipped her hair before resting that same hand on her hip, the other still falling limp to her side. "They felt that I was too dangerous. After all, it isn't often that the Kage of a village says to blow it up. But here we are. I am no longer Hokage, and instead you are." The Hyuuga paused, then couldn't help but chuckle a little. This was all so ridiculous.

Even though the Kage was the highest a ninja could reach within their village, even they were kept in check by elders within the council. Those elders stayed stuck in the past, clinging to events that had happened and trying not to have them be repeated. Granted, it made sense, but that wasn't realistic, not all.

"The plague?" She said, after a few moments of silence, before scoffing afterwards. "Of course there is still an issue. It can't be treated properly. Even with what the masked man had. The more we try, the more die. If we would have evacuated the healthy and bombed the village it would have wiped it out. I told you I had craftsman working on a fortress for all of us."

Everyone here, ALL of them. They are simply too soft, not battle hardened. Where are the warriors that I knew and grew up with?

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[chiatsuki]

As she spoke I listened. In short intervals I would weave my hand through my hair as she spoke; the wind at this altitude was fairly constant.

"Of course there is still an issue. It can't be treated properly. Even with what the masked man had. The more we try, the more die. If we would have evacuated the healthy and bombed the village it would have wiped it out. I told you I had craftsman working on a fortress for all of us."

My eyes would cut towards the hyuuga as she reminisced, I had become interested in the moment she spoke of the masked man, a key player during the attack; I had almost forgotten his existence. The way things were running within the village now; the separation of council and ROOT, I was sure this was the perfect opportunity to have dawned some light at the end of her tunnel.

“What if I told you, there is still a way to accomplish all of this? To wipe out the disease, without the interruption of council, and without the destruction of this land we stand on..?”

The words retorted so smooth they melted from my tongue in the form of calm accent. Whether or not she would participate was beyond me at this point.. but being that she was at the brink of inauguration during the time the plague had reached its peak was the very reason I sought her assistance.

[~Kohana <3]

Then I would call you a fool."

Through all of this none of the medical ninja who tried to treat the disease could figure out its compound, structure, or molecular strand. Every time anyone could think of getting close, they would contract the disease and die shortly afterwards. Granted, those who were already sick could keep working but would it really be enough time to break it down as needed?

"What could you have possibly achieved in such a short time that myself, and no other medical ninja had in all the time that this plague has racked our village. Even half of Jiyuu's time as Hokage this plague was around." Her arms moved once more, this time folding across her chest, pushing her ample breasts up some in the process. Her face, however, held a scowl.

If the boy truly found a way to do something about the plague, she would be impressed, ticked off that she didn't found it, but still impressed. The only thing that she was worried about it execution. Her way provided a complete end to the disease, but would his? If it was simply a suppression of it, how long would the people be happy? Especially if people were to still die here and there.

"And without council? Please. Those old timers stick their noses into every shred of business that goes on in this town. If it wasn't for them I would still be Hokage. Even if you manage to do something behind their backs, boy, don't think they will let it go unpunished."

The councils were just as bad as the Hyuuga elders. Cowardly people hiding behind a larger body, never wanting to get their own hands dirty but still wanting to call the shots. It was absolutely deplorable.

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[chiatsuki]

“I would call you a fool.”

Her words would fall short. She was naïve, short tempered, and had underestimated her worth, I was sure of that. But as a man.. I knew not to allow my emotions to influence the way I thought of others, or the way I spoke to them. I’d simply keep a stern glare whilst pausing to her words, my hands motionless to my side whilst standing at a sideward angle with the use of a pivot. …

"What could you have possibly achieved in such a short time that myself, and no other medical ninja had in all the time that this plague has racked our village. Even half of Jiyuu's time as Hokage this plague was around."

I myself did not know the full truth, but as far as the advancement towards a vaccination was concerned, it was only a matter of time before Leaf’s medics found the antidote. However, it wasn’t as simple as it all sounded. I would cough lowly- relieving myself any drivel caught within my throat before responding to the Hyuuga.

“When the cure was found a test was run on its components and its reaction to the plague virus. The cure we found at the attack site did not work very long on the patients at first. It turns out.. its because they weren’t being exposed to enough sunlight, the humid nature gives the fungus more of a procreative environment because the environment is damp. Long story short.. the vaccine works best in our drier season..”

I would sigh, allowing myself to locate my thoughts, piece them together before getting too out of context.

“The summer season will be here in a few more days, this is the land of Fire's driest season. For the vaccine to work impeccably… we would have to inject the vaccine within the ground, possibly at a site where the fungus has spread mostly, and watch it wither away as the sun drains it of its life.”

My fists were coiled now – I’d only noticed after pausing once more that I had gotten a bit aroused to the thought of accomplishing such a feat. The only thing stopping me and the rest of my plans was the ever so watchful eye of the council.. but even they had no say so within the ranks of just a few dedicated shinobi.

“The organization that is going to get rid of this plague, and take seat over council, will be called ROOT. It’s a complete underground organization for now, but will serve to be much more after having proved a few doubtful voices wrong… they will have no choice but to give us jurisdiction of security of the land of fire, no longer will we be steered by the reigns of a few old men who have done nothing but sat on their asses this entire time. Would you be interested in a position in ROOT? You could really be an asset.”

[~Kohana <3]

It was an interesting theory, but that’s all it was. Granted the basic principles of a fungus are that it grows in damp places, or rather, it can grow anywhere, but usually flourishes in a damp environment. Though Hi no Kuni was known as the Fire Country, and could get quite hot to follow through with that name, they also had their fair share of rain and storms; like any typical spring really. So, again, it was indeed true that because of the humidity and the dampness of the weather it gave the fungus a chance to grow and spread easier. At the same time, however, hoping that the dry weather of summer to wipe it out was foolhardy.

Perhaps the dry weather would help a few people in whom the vaccine taken from the masked man would indeed provide a permanent cure, but even then that didn’t cure everyone, or the land in total. The idea of even injecting the vaccine within the ground was farfetched. That would require massive reproduction of its liquid form and allowing the ground to literally soak the vaccine up.

Kohana seriously doubted that they had the manpower or the sources and materials for such a feat. It was a nice dream, but unrealistic. It was obvious that this decision was rushed. Just like her decision to blow the village up. Only difference is, hers would have worked, this was a long shot.

“You realize, Hokage-sama,” The title itself was said almost mockingly. “That your ‘plan’ is completely unreliable. Who came up with this idea exactly? If you want to use the ground or land as the medium, use fertilizer and turn the vaccine into little bulbs or capsules. Not only will it disperse into the ground, but also grow into the food supply.” Flipping her hair, Kohana looked out to the village, a little bit of a smirk on her face.

“Not only will it be ingested, but also in the ground itself. And it’ll just keep recycling itself. It may not knock the disease out right away, but with a never ending system like that we’ll have it beat—especially if we start in the dry season so the fungus is weaker.”

As she listened to his spiel on this new underground organization she couldn’t help but mentally shake her head. He really was an idealistic child, wasn’t he? However, the thought of indeed overruling those damn council members and becoming something more than that was indeed enticing. After all, even when she was in line to be Hokage, if she had stayed in power, she would have done something like that as well.

Of course, to make something like that stick, you had to start small, not aim for something as greedy as all the Land of Fire. Though what had her briefly forgetting his speech was his last comment. He wanted her to be a part of this, which was nice, but COULD be an asset?

Kohana scoffed, waving her hand at the boy once. “I am an asset. I was killing shinobi and had blood on my hands before you started the Academy.” Shaking her head visibly this time, she inhaled once before staring straight into the coal eyes. “I’ll take you up on your offer however. Start small though. Comprise this ‘ROOT’ of just a handful and concentrate on getting an iron fist on Konohagakure and the immediate area around it. The council is one thing, but the Daimyo who rule Hi no Kuni won’t stand for a rule over the entire nation—at least not yet.”

That said, the Hyuuga female held her hand out, offering it to him to shake saying that she agreed. Internally however, a devious smirk smiled through her mind. This was just what she needed to weasel her way back into a position of power. Everything would fall into place soon enough, that was for sure. Once it did, she would find a way to make it all hers once more, if not, she would just wait and have to accomplish her other goals first.

Namely, humiliate all those within the Hyuuga Main House as a ‘nobody’ like her rose higher than any of them.

[/justify]

[chiatsuki]

“You realize, Hokage-sama,” The title itself was said almost mockingly. “That your ‘plan’ is completely unreliable. Who came up with this idea exactly? If you want to use the ground or land as the medium, use fertilizer and turn the vaccine into little bulbs or capsules. Not only will it disperse into the ground, but also grow into the food supply.”

Though unmoved by her verbal attacks when it came to matter of my own person, when she brought up the fact of the plan given to me being unreliable, I almost choked. If she knew better than I and I knew nothing at all, then how could she have possibly known anything outside of what she was told? There must have been something I was missing, or at least had overlooked when looking into her profile. She spoke with confidence – but I was the type of person who needed to see in order to believe. Her theories, their theories, even the head nurse’s theory meant shit to me – but if it worked, it made it all the better.

“ I suppose whoever took samples of the vaccine and tested it is the one who came up with the idea; the hospital’s head medic of course. I allowed her plan to be initiated the moment she brought the the idea up to me. At least someone is trying around here, wouldn’t you agree?”

I would give a moment in pause, allowing us both ample time in rationalizing our thoughts before responding to one another.

“I’ll take you up on your offer however. Start small though. Comprise this ‘ROOT’ of just a handful and concentrate on getting an iron fist on Konohagakure and the immediate area around it. The council is one thing, but the Daimyo who rule Hi no Kuni won’t stand for a rule over the entire nation—at least not yet.”

My hand would meet with hers and I would take the advantage of seizing her wrist a little tighter, pulling her closely as I adjusted my other hand to her hip, hoping she would allow me a moment to whisper.

“That’s exactly what I plan on doing. Welcome to root, Ms. Kohana. We will meet at the ceremony, there is where I will give you your classified items and communication device. Until then, stay safe, I’ll be watching you..”

With what was said I would vanish from clear view – a bellowing wind trumpeting every corner around her in my absence.

Welcome to ROOT.

[ exit.]

[~Kohana <3]

[/style]

Wretched child. He ignored half the things that I had said. That head nurse is batshit crazy anyways. She is old and thinks she knows everything when her life has only been behind the closed walls of the hospital. She lacks imagination and clarity of the world—

Kohana’s mind was running rampant with thought after thought of just how idiotic and simple this boy could be. He was still young and naïve, using his new found fame and glory for a reason to be coming up with ideas that make him sound smart, when in reality, they are unsound and will most likely fail. And, as per usual, of course he wouldn’t listen to someone older, wiser, and more experienced than him. It was frustrating. A child should not be in the reigns of leader, or, at least not one like him. After all, Ryuusuke was roughly this boy’s age during his reign.

But he was different. He had the talent, the compassion, and the brain. Power was never his motive, neither was the exploitation of fame and glory. It really was sickening to her to see such a title fall into such incapable hands.

As they began to shake hands, she found herself thankful that their brief meeting was coming to an end, but he would seize her wrist and pull her forward. The surprise of it caught her off guard enough to allow it to happen. Once his hand touched hr hip, however, chakra surged through her body and into one of her fists, intent on turning his face into a crater until he started to speak. Though, for a moment, the rage she had was beginning to subside, it was his final comment before he vanished from her sight that sent her anger through the roof.

I’LL BE WATCHING YOU?!

Her eye twitched as she spun on her heel to look behind her, but she already knew he was long gone. Even without her Byakugan she had good enough senses to know that. But the nerve of it all was grating.

Being part of ROOT? Great. Obtaining a position of power? Wonderful. A wish for safety? She could do without, but thoughtful. Being told she was to be watched? Unforgivable. That was the same attitude, though under a different pretense that the Main Branch of her family acted to those they marked with the Branch seal—as well as towards herself.

He would mean to cage her with such words, but Kohana wouldn’t allow that. She would never allow that. Behind bars was never a suitable place for her after all. With her rage still brimming, though, she flitted from the Hokage heads, ignoring the urge to punch a hole through Ichijin’s head…

//EXIT

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[KEITH]

+50 @ both

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