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Speaking to such a family only brought myself back to the days wherein I had lived in such a setting in my own home. Just, where Rukei spoke of his father training me; Mine was usually too busy to do that, or he was usually training Ue instead. I was made to train with my grandmother, mother and various other relatives. Perhaps it had been all-too traditional, but I’d had a happy childhood running around the manor with my brother and cousin, sweetly oblivious to the severity of the shinobi life that we were due to adopt in the coming years. We hadn’t guessed what was happening. I’d heard my parents speaking about things as if they sounded like they were about war, but with such big words and me at such a young age, I usually wasn’t sure what they were on about and instead chose to run off to play another game of tag with my sibling. A soft sigh escaped my lips merely recalling such memories – Ue was dead, now, and there was nothing that could change that. Or – there was, but I couldn’t bear do that to someone that I loved. The ability that I’d strove to attain had turned out more of a curse than a blessing, destroying and warping what moral compass I’d had. But – it wasn’t a subject to think about at the moment. Turning my attention back to Rukei as I saw a glimpse of his figure leaving the room in search of his brother, I nodded a single time to note my understanding, before looking back towards the table.

And it had been a good meal. I’d become too used to ordering food in the office but true home cooking was something that I was working on, not for my sake, but that of Yuuchiro, and Kouketsu, too. He needed to grow up in a home that supplied its own meals, and I was more than willing to be the one creating them. My eyes travelled around the room as Kasai also made his leave, myself responding to his parting words with a ”..Thank you.”. I hadn’t noticed anything different about the boy, but then again I had been wrapped up in my own train of thought whilst everything had been happening. And – it was the judgement of his father, and he undoubtedly knew the boy better than I did. Heavy steps brought him out of the room and I could hear his footsteps elsewhere taking him up the stairs, but in the meantime, my eyes descended back on Kanari, who was still eating her food. However – it seemed as if she would soon notice that it was only her and I in the room, as she began to talk. ”..I was pleased to come here; your boy should become an excellent shinobi in time – just he may need to work on his attitude a little bit as he grows older.” I grinned as I leaned back in the chair, soft blonde curls falling down its back. Of course – I was simply referring to the way that he seemed to take everything in an over exaggerated way, his facial features mimicking this, too. But – he was a child, and I expected him to act as such. To have him any different would surely strip him of his identity. ”..But I’ll do my best – although I digress that if the two of them truly are looking forwards to taking something more fast paced, then they’re going to be disappointed.” I spoke with the same grin. Perhaps a little while after Yuuchiro’s birth I’d offer to take them on another mission; but for now, picking mushrooms was exhausting enough.

”I don’t drink, but; I’d be more than happy to meet up again to discuss the progress of your sons.”

It wasn’t as if I didn’t like the taste – but after spending months and months on the streets of Kami no shima, alcohol had become almost like a dependable friend for me, and I sought not to return back to those days. Unlike my thirst for chakra, it was easily silenced.

Pushing my chair away from the table, I then freed myself from its confines and steadily rose to my full standing height.

His comment in regards to my response to what he’d said before recognizing that I was undoubtedly the most powerful person in the village made the corners of my lips curl up in a kind of half-grin, half-smile. I didn’t care, frankly.

”I don’t doubt that many of you believe that you could replace me, but; here I am.”

I spoke with the same grin as my arms motioned to the space around me. In truth, despite all that had been done; all that had been said, I still remained the stoic leader of the village, and I’d had no true opposition. Whilst a lot of villagers may have contrasting thoughts in regards to myself and my family, it seemed as if for now they were content enough with me leading the village; which, in all fairness, made no sense at all. But, I was happy enough at my post, and it wasn’t as if I wanted to leave it. Despite the other commitments that I had now, I still saw the village and its citizens, in a way, as a collective group that I confirmed to protect almost as if they were a child of mine. The title of Kage wasn’t one to be held lightly, and despite the controversy surrounding me, nothing had changed in my attitude towards them. Perhaps I felt somewhat disheartened that so many would take offense but – it was only to be expected, and henceforth the entire effect of it all was dulled.

However, I was soon drawn away from my thoughts and back to what the boy was saying as he began to suggest ways that he could help me, and in response, I merely shook my head with the same grin on my face. I was usually alone when walking around the village, so that was nothing new, but merely the way that he was listing everything, as if he was thinking of every little bit of village life and my own life that he could attend do. ”Nothing needs to be done.” I spoke, the expression on my face turning my to one that seemed subtly entertained by what he was saying. ”Everything is fine – although your offers are appreciated.” I was more than capable of handling everything myself – even the hospital and the various injured people that moved in and out of there every day. Musing for a moment or so, I allowed both of my hands to drop to my side, my blue eyes targeting the boy before me. ”Just concentrate on your own things to do; I don’t doubt that, being a genin, you’ll be interested in joining the next chuunin exams, correct?” I assumed with a slight shrug of my shoulders. Being at the bottom of the food chain, per se, there was all too much for him to do in order to rank up – beyond chuunin even, onwards towards jounin. ”..Do some missions and get training. After all; we need some more chuunin about the place to lead the genin of our community.” In a way, by attending the exams and ranking up, he would be helping me, however – it was his choice, of course. I wasn’t going to force him to join the exams that he didn’t particularly feel as if he was ready for. But -- even just doing missions helped me in the long run.

It was the last day that my party and I would spend in Kumogakure.

And, even that was shortly growing short, nightfall beginning to reclaim the once brightly colored sky. It had been a good day, even for Kumogakure, but that was soon to end as the heavens above would be turned dark with a lack of light, the streetlamps of the village already put on for the sake of allowing its citizens to see through the darkness that would soon fall upon them. Having taken so long to come to the village in the first place, whilst I’d been tired upon arrival, as the hours had gone on meeting the Raikage, I’d come to notice just how tired I truly was. Henceforth, I’d requested to stay a few additional days to regain my strength before setting off elsewhere. I had a few places in mind – Kirigakure being the prime suspect for my curiosity to be satisfied. It wasn’t that I expected that they had the answers to what I expected, just with Iwagakure having been so conspicuous with its attack on Sunagakure and on my friend, I figured that Akira may perhaps have an idea as to who could have been behind the entire unfortunate event – if it wasn’t his own village that was to blame, of course. I was aware that it was a bold move, but my thirst for curiosity was as potent as the one that I had for chakra, and it had been that way for as long as I could remember. Gossip, secrets – I knew everything, and I wasn’t going to allow such an important event to go forgotten. But unlike the growing addiction to chakra that I’d succumbed to, the denial of information didn’t exactly harbour the same despair that the other did.

But – even with such notions tickling the back of my mind temptingly, I walked along the streets of Kumogakure, just another face in the crowd to the majority of people who didn’t recognize me as the Kusakage. Despite the close relationship our villages had, there were many that didn’t recognize me, which, in a way, was comforting. But at the same time; I was sure that if you were to place the Raikage in my own village, people wouldn’t instantly know him as the leader of our allied nation. Henceforth, I was allowed to weave between the crowds to the best of my ability, gazing around at the sights and sounds of Kumogakure before the night took its hold back on the village and I’d be returning back to the hotel that I’d booked myself and my entourage in to. It was the last night we’d spend here – and although I’d never thought of myself as a sentimental person, I was sure that, in a way, I’d miss it here – the air, the soft glow of the streetlights against the many cliffedges that helped to protect the village, the shadows that spread far and wide across the streets. There were many aspects of Kusagakure that I missed at the moment, but it was simply .. different, to be in a different village and see how different everything was there. And so, passing off in to a quiet side-street that led towards the hotel I was to stay a final night in, I was soon bathed in a strange combination of light and shadow, before the soft white, almost billowing fabric of my dress was submerged in what faint streetlight that guided me back to the home I’d adopted across the last few days. I'd have stayed out later, as I was sure that Esei was enjoying the nightlife of Kumogakure, but even with the much-needed rest I'd acquired over the last day or so, I yearned for sleep and the comfort of the bed that I'd paid for.

The conversation had soon changed to that of the chuunin exams, and given that Rukei was a genin and was due to join said exams once he was skilled enough, it was very much a conversation that he could relate to. I didn’t know of many genin who didn’t aspire to become chuunin perhaps all too quickly after they’d barely been promoted to genin, and so given the exuberance he’d already shown towards other topics, I expected him to follow suit where the matter went. His brother, on the other hand; given the impression that his parents had given of him, I wasn’t sure if he’d follow the same mindframe as I assumed Rukei bore. But – that wasn’t truly a problem. If he truly wasn’t as interested in the shinobi lifestyle as they made him out be, then there were many other routes that people could take within the village. Delicately picking up cubes of different vegetables with the chopsticks in my hand, I moved to eat each piece that I chose, the oriental flavour coming forth quite strongly in the dish. It wasn’t long until the genin’s voice came forth speaking of his interest in the exams, and given that he responded just how I’d assumed he would, a smirk would become apparent on my lips as I ate. ”You’ll be able to join once you’ve completed the required missions; although given how enthusiastic you’ve shown yourself to be in regards to them, it seems I won’t have to worry about that part of your application process.” I spoke after swallowing down some chicken, the same paper napkin pressing softly against my lips to remove any excess grease and sauce from gluing to my skin. ..However; you’ll need to improve your skills as a shinobi before going, to make sure that you’re fully prepared for whatever may come your way.” given that the chuunin exams were due to be coming up soon, there were a few names that I had listed for those who had shown interest in joining, one of them Sansei, Kasumi of whom had seemed quite hesitant to join. I wasn’t sure whether or not she would truly go forwards to put her name down, but there was almost a small chance. Perhaps, past the reservation that she showed, Kusagakure would gain a chuunin in her by the time the exams had finished. I wasn’t sure what to expect, really.

However – the boy had a while go to before he’d be ready for them, and I was hoping that he understood how to pace himself – the last thing I wanted was for him to throw himself in the deep end and potentially get killed by some of the more overqualified competitors. Turning my gaze towards his father as he spoke of his own experience in the exams, it only made me remember my own; I’d been quite old, too – It was only a few years ago now that I’d competed and won my title and even then things had become somewhat violent – although, given how I was back then, I could admit that perhaps I’d taken the whole thing somewhat too competitively. But – that was the life of a shinobi, and I was sure that given my own current condition perhaps I was acting too soft. It made me think, to say the least. Having since dug back in to the meal before me, upon being addressed again with a question, I again to turn back at the elder Uchiha, allowing a soft nod of my head. ”I’ll be accompanied – I’m not so foolish as to travel to a foreign country by myself.” or, I was contradicting myself, to some degree. Where in the past I’d have been happy enough to travel by myself, I was an exception. I knew how to protect myself, but given that there were other complications that threatened this ability of self-protection active at the moment, it seemed almost compulsory for me to choose to get someone to come along with me – no matter where I went outside of the village. But, it wouldn’t be long until I’d be allowed the freedom that I so wished. Not that I didn’t enjoy the company, but I worked much better alone. ”My title entails too many things for me to be able to put my feet up as much as I’d like; But at the same time, I’m not the type of person that can just.. stop.” It was true – even now my schedule was full of work to do, and I was quite happy to have it that way although by the end of each night I was exhausted from work, but at the same time, I don’t think that I’d rather it any other way. Lounging about was nice at times but I couldn’t stand it on most days.

”I’m sure that I could find some time.”

“But it’ll have to be something fairly easy, I’m afraid.

It was always my aim to inspire the younger inhabitants of the village.

Hopefully this would work – although as I said, I’d be sticking to easier D-Ranks that didn’t request any fighting or potential danger.

I wasn’t sure exactly how Rukei would take this as I knew he was surely looking for action and adventure, but given my own circumstance right now, those two words weren’t exactly what I was personally looking to partake in at the moment. That is, if I was to take part in a mission with the both of them soon - otherwise, they'd have to wait a while.

In inquiry about Rukei’s twin brother, it seemed that they didn’t hold him in the same level of esteem as they did Rukei himself. As far as their characters were concerned, it seemed as if they two of them were completely different from what he was explaining him to be now. Whilst I’d known the boy who was sat down with us today to be quite energetic, was his brother all that different to be considered as lazy? Although chances were he surely was quite lethargic in comparison to such an energy-filled boy as Rukei, I was sure that a time would come where he too would become livelier. I hadn’t met him, of course, but I was sure that I’d seen him in the shinobi academy at some earlier time alongside his brother. However, turning my attention back towards the boy as he spoke of the missions that he was taking part on, I’d nod my head a single time before parting my lips to speak. ”..Given that you’ve just finished academy, I don’t expect you to be going on the more difficult ones alone. Once you’re placed on a team I’m sure you’ll be able to take the ones that I’m sure you find more exciting along with your team leader.” with a chuunin leader (Or, Jounin, in some cases) it allowed genin to take B-Ranked missions and above, which was much different to the D and C-Ranked ones that they’d be usually used to by taking them from the atrium. I’d assumed that he’d been doing the easier tasks that were available at the moment, and I had no problem with that. I didn’t want mere children to throw themselves in to dangerous situations, but that was the reality of life. I simply felt comforted knowing that they were only allowed on missions B-Rank and over by direct supervision of village chuunin or jounin. Watching as the boy took the pot of noodles and dispersed some on his own plate, I waited until he was done, and pressed my hand against the back of the chair that I was sat upon, rising up to my feet and taking the cookery equipment in to my hands to place some of the stringlike noodles and their accompanying vegetables and chicken on to the plate. It smelled heavenly, so I could only assume that they would taste as nice, too.

Soon having amassed enough, I then pushed the bowl back in to the middle of the table, and sat back down carefully, moving my chair closer to the table as I did so. Holding the chopsticks in my hand, I was caught mid-action as the father had begun to speak once more about Rukei’s dedication to the shinobi arts at such a young age, and his willingness to take missions alone at the first sight of morning. However, I did feel some pity for the other child who wasn’t here today, who had been spoken somewhat down upon by his parents, and being a mother myself – almost, I coughed slightly, and began to voice my opinion. ”..Perhaps it’s not motivation that he requires – but inspiration.” I suggested with a shrug of my thin shoulders as I then dug the tips of the chopsticks I was holding in to the noodles, rising a large number of strands up so I could try some. After eating a single mouthful, my hand scrambled subtly to one of the few napkins on the table, gently pressing it against my lips once I was done, my eyes looking around at those who I shared the room with. I’d since disregarded Rukei’s messy eating; boys will be boys. ”..I’m sure that he’ll come around soon to it. Perhaps he needs a goal –a dream to aspire to. With no hopes or aspirations..” I paused, my eyes gazing at a piece of chicken on the plate before looking back towards Kasai. ”..It’s surprising just how lazy one can become.” I then offered him a smile before continuing to eat. I’d been in such a situation several times in the past, and I knew how draining it was.

Eating the cube of chicken that I’d previously eyed on the plate, it was as delectable as I’d assumed it would be, and to say the least, I enjoyed it. Repeating the same action as before, I pressed the napkin up to my lips and turned my gaze towards Kanari who had inquired about the child. ”..No; by all means you’re not intruding –“ I insisted, almost stuttering my words a little before continuing, almost as if unsure of what to say – whilst I didn’t doubt that it would have come up at some point, I hadn’t expected it to be so soon. ”..A little over eight months now.” I spoke as I fondly dropped my free hand to my full stomach, a delicate thumb caressing its covered surface. I’d since become used to people asking; the matter of the so-called devil child had since become popular conversation in Kusagakure, and I was sure that people spoke about him more often than they did myself. Whilst it was common that I had people come up to me about the subject, the majority of such conversation was usually positive; they merely inquiring about my health, but I assumed that those who were against me and the revelation that I’d thrown upon them usually tended to stay away, which, of course, I didn’t have any complaints about. "..Although it still is one of my intentions to visit the chuunin exams next week; I'm hoping Kusagakure gains some capable chuunin from its involvement." Having received only one from the last exams (out of the entire world -- Ujiyasu being the sole competitor, as it seemed) I wished for more so that they could lead teams alike the one that I was hoping to have set up for Rukei and other village genin, but -- we'll see how things go. Taking another mouthful of noodles, I continue to enjoy the meal that Kanari had prepared.

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