Asgard "King's Court"
Sept 14, 2015 4:12:41 GMT -8
Post by Zoō on Sept 14, 2015 4:12:41 GMT -8
Commander...?
Nai's movements became listless and robotic at once. He raised a glass placed in his hand by some wandering servant almost as if by reflex but did not speak until the raucous compliance of the others had died down. The Land of Grass, how fitting, to be assigned one of the many nations he hadn't been to, despite his knowledge of the others. But he could see the value in the placement; Grass was directly between Leaf and Stone, would serve as merely another wall of defense. Next to it were the Lands of Waterfall and Rain, areas which fed the unusual grassland of Kusa no Kuni.
For quite some time, rumors of the fabled Hidden Grass Village were buried beneath more impressive tales of the uncontrollable forest nearby swallowing its ancient borders, an inhospitable maze. Grass was a nation the world no longer dared to travel through, and as for its 'natural' inhabitants...mostly beats. Living carnivorous plants. Trees with claws. His twin woke briefly from the sheer excitement coursing through Nai's body, an adrenal outburst. Shhhh.
Perhaps for the first time in full, he listened to Kousuke, another of the Jonin 'commanders' assembled, and churned the man's words into contemplation. He had a point; dangerous and bloody was only the half of their joint undertaking, and such aggressive movements against whoever already occupied the minor nations might open Iwa up to attack. They had to be careful not to spread their forces too thin in the name of conquest.
"I say, we should be mindful of Kousuke's concerns. 'When you are done' could be quite some time from now, and you are not the first Earth Shadow to make promises."
Nai spoke to the Tsuchikage directly, his gruffness momentarily silencing the chattering servants, the applause, the nuance of their toasting.
"Sending us out further divides Iwa's forces, and it is possible we will not all return. How will you protect the village in our absence, in the event of our deaths? Are we not the strongest you have? Speak plainly now, none of your slogans or posturing."
He said, nearly angry, but only from a care necessitated by a lifetime of service to the Stone.
"I will travel to Grass, but what will You do?"
He added, a third hand pushing itself through his cheek and plucking the mint-leaf garnish from the silver goblet held in Nai's outstretched palms.