THE KAZEKAGE ADMINISTRATION

[SALT.]

I stormed into the Mission Compound with a blatant air of superiority and purpose. Boots clacking against the hard floors with rapid repetition, arms swinging back and forth, and a proud smile graced my visage. Then, apparently clouded by my abnormal sense of pride, stumble and almost fall to the ground. Watson, whose appendages had been folded neatly so that he could fit securely strapped to my back, made a loud clacking noise as I stumbled and his right arm fell over my shoulder, making even more noise.

"Quiet, Watson!" I spat to the puppet in a hushed voice as I pushed my glasses back onto my face and continued walking, slower and more modest now. "We're here on an important summons by the Kazekage himself, so I understand if you're nervous, but you can't go making noises like that. Get a hold of yourself." The puppet, clearly inanimate thus unable to respond, merely stared silently like always. By then I'd arrived at the assistant's desk and I put my proud smile back on.

"Kazekage-sama has requested an audience with me." I said simply, trying to hide my excitement.

[風影]

Normally, someone seeking to meet the Kazekage would have to wait for his assistant, Naomi, to make contact with her boss before allowing anyone further into the building. However, seeing that I had been the one to schedule such an impromptu meeting, I was already downstairs by the time the young girl arrived at my assistants desk. That being said, I saw her trip and fall, as well as speak to her puppet - truthfully, it was quite amusing.

"Honoka... Etsuko." I cooed, speaking her name as if I was unsure that it belonged to her. "Follow me-- tell Watson he's welcome to come along too." I flashed her a slight smile, and extended my arm outwards to gesture her in the right direction. Assuming she did what I asked, I would turn and head towards the flight of stairs that led to my office.

"I'm surprised. Surely with the family you come from, I assumed you would be a Chunnin by now."

[SALT.]

I turned at the sound of my name to find myself faced with the towering man that was our commander and chief. My face immediately flushed crimson - not because of his looks or anything, it was just really cool that he knew my name. "Y-yes!" I stuttered to say with my eyelashes fluttering. "Absolutely, sir." I agreed, and I trailed behind him, taking two steps for every single step that he took. I'd never felt so tiny in my life.

The Kazekage made an oral observation about my family and my rank. "Oh.." I said under my breath. The Etsuko had always been known for producing only the most skilled and talented of shinobi, so I suppose that it was surprising that I hadn't achieved a higher rank by now. "W-well I've actually decided to enter in the upcoming Exams this year, s-sir." I explained, advancing my pace so that I could walk from behind him to beside him. "I've been training hard to better ready myself for the competition."

[Hronica]

Yulo tip-toed into the Kazekage Administration building. Casually, he dropped a slip containing the details of the mission he had just completed onto the appropriate desk. After receiving his rewards for completing the mission, he would disappear out the door and off into the village streets.

[/justify]

[風影]

"The Chunnin Exams, you say? That is good to hear, especially with your potential." She probably did not know, but I had been present and witnessed her abilities first hand. Though I was nowtechnically 'dead' to the world, before then I had been the sole leader of the Etsuko clan. It was my family, of course I would be privy to all the small details.

"I must say, your puppetry is a prized art within the village. Actually, it is the very reason I wanted to meet with you today." By then these words had left my lips we had already arrived at my office. With a simple push the door was swung open, and then - after gesturing her to go in first - I entered. I immediately went to my large chair behind my desk, but she was welcome to get conformable in any of the many seats before it.

"An old friend of mine tasked me with the job of ensuring his family remained protected. His name was Soratsu, Etsuko Soratsu - the former Nidaime Kazekage." I was sure she had heard my name before, afterall I was considered an elder amongst the clan. "As a favor to him, I promised to extend a helping hand whenever needed. Firstly, however, I need to know something. Is Watson your only puppet?"

---

Mission Approved Yox!

[SALT.]

My potential?!

I did something of a mental double-take as the word potential escaped the Kazekage's lips. He had been referring to me, had he not? Did I hear him incorrectly? I failed to control the stupid smile that quickly grew on my face accompanied by another crimson flush to my cheeks. "Th-Thank-you, Kazekage-sama." I said to him graciously after he regarded my Kugutsu talents, and I quote, "a prized art within the village"

Was this a dream?

By then we had reached his office and he politely opened the door for me. I smiled awkwardly as I walked by, lugging Watson in on my back, and my eyes lit up after I crossed the threshold into the office. I couldn't recall ever being in it before and it was more than I expected. I made my way toward his desk, as the Kazekage did, and I sat Watson down in a chair before I took the seat next to it. Soratsu, Etsuko Soratsu.

My gaze fell toward the ground and slightly to the left at the sound of his name. I had never been closest to my dear cousin Soratsu, however his mysterious and untimely death had affected me regardless. He was family, after all. It was Watson's name brought me back from what was sure to become a sulking session. "Y-yeah" I said, lashes fluttering as I tried to focus not on my deceased cousin but on here and now with the Kazekage. I turned to Watson, who I'd placed in the chair sitting upright with one leg crossed over the other and it's arms folded. How human.

"Watson is the first and only puppet that I ever made," I said before I turned back to the Kazekage. "I was nine when I finished him." I said with a smile.

[marvolous.]

"I'm impressed." I didn't fail to notice how human her puppet seemed to be, especially after hearing her talk to it like it actually was. I was aware of a forbidden technique that allowed her to make her puppets more... humane in a sense, but this wasn't the time or place to divulge such information - afterall, she was still quite young. "I'm sure the cost nowadays to make puppets is quite high, correct?"

I stood from my seat, a simple two step maneuever bringing me to my own personal vault. It didn't take much effort to open it, and when it was Ii removed a simple pouch from it's contents. The pouch, filled with ryo, was then tossed infront of her. Whether she chose to take it or not was up to her.

"Go out and buy yourself the best puppet available." There was no catch, the money was all hers if she wanted it. "I want to see nothing but the best for my shinobi. Don't let me down."

-- 50,000 to Salt from treasury.

[SALT.]

"Th-this is most gracious, Kazekage-sama!" I said with my eyes popping out of my head in shock. All of the possibilities flooded into my and I struggled to keep them at bay long enough to grab the pouch of ryo.

"I will not let you down, sir, thank you."

With a simple hand gesture unseen threads made Watson lift from his seat and land on my back as I stood up. I turned and scurried out of the office.

( exit )

[KID GAMBINO.]

ENTER.

+ A D M I N I S T R A T I O N

Hastily, I sprinted from the former battleground to the remnants of the Administration of the Wind Shadow, noting more signs of explosions that had wrecked the upper half of the building. The sight wasn't astonishing in the least, expecting the important locale to be a prime target for the intruders who were destroying chunks of the village left and right. The area was surprisingly deserted and ghastly in appearance... if the Kazekage was to be defending his village in any specific venue, I'd presume this to be the definitive answer, but alas, I was wrong. Cautious and stealthy, I entered the foundation of the building, reaching the accountant Naomi and several other random shinobi and citizens that had established the place as a safe haven. Without hesitation, the objective was impatient and I needed all the information and resources I could obtain. "Naomi, take this headband... this and the body at the hospital should be enough compensation for the mission reward." I demanded anxiously, hoping to return to the war as quickly once the trade was completed; there was no time to bullshit.

SPOILER: Click to show

Depositing Iwagakure headband from E3 with Naomi.
Completed mission should warrant 150 EXP and 5,000 Ryo.


Eviscerate the Enemy IV
Rank: A.
Shinobi Required: 1.
Mission Information: Mindless killing is dangerous, but the Kazekage knows that sometimes one must kill an opponent to get a point across. In that end, it has been decreed that if a Sunagakure shinobi brings back the village headband or head of an enemy, they will be rewarded for their efforts. All are reminded that they will also receive the bounty for any nuke ninja killed.
Special Information: Repeatable. Hard/Advanced difficulty setting required. A village shinobi, nuke-nin, or non-ninja with 3,000 to 3,999 experience points falls into this category. To claim rewards, this mission does not actually have to be taken, but one must bring the evidence of their kill (a link to the thread) to the Kazekage Residence. Likewise, any character may complete this mission, regardless of rank.
Reward: 150 EXP & 5,000 Ryo.

[marvolous.]

Approved.