[Mikazuki Aikawa]

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Dear White-Haired Swordsman at the Shodaime Conflict,
I'm sure that you weren't expecting to receive a letter from me! I do hope that it finds you in good health, and I'm certain that you're wondering why you're being contacted--by me, of all people! And after everything that has happened!

I'll be frank and say that I don't have any ill intention (though you have no reason to believe me), and I find it unfortunate that we had to meet under such circumstances. I actually quite admire you, you know! Truly, while I had no real say in the matter, all the fighting isn't what I wanted. And while I know that my "feelings" don't matter, I'm uncomfortable with how things were left off, and I'm taking it upon myself to take initiative. I don't much like relying on others when there's something bothering me, so I'm acting solely to my own interests right now.

I would like to speak with you--ideally in person. While I'm uncertain if a proper resolution is even possible, and it's true that I'm not any kind of "official" within my country, I'm not longer someone who fully lurks within the shadows. I know you are not your "kage", and while I don't think it's appropriate to request an audience with him, I think that if you and I were to communicate, we might be able to take a step forward in a direction that is more ideal for both of us and our people. And, perhaps, down the line something else could be arranged.

What do you think?

Sincerely,
The "Masked Monster of Amegakure"

[Hatake Toshizō]

[googlefont=Edu VIC WA NT Beginner]

To the "Masked Monster of the Rain Village"

Indeed, this letter came to me as a surprise. You are right in the fact that I do not believe you. Not long ago you stood before me as an obstacle to my village's interests, and if what you say is true, that you had no saying on the matter, then I will assume this correspondence was also not authorized by your leader, which peaked my interest enough to warrant a response.

I'm not opposed to speaking to you. As you rightfully pointed out, I'm not the Hokage and a bear no authority regarding the decisions of the Hidden Leaf Village, but if your intentions are sincere and you believe this meeting can create a bridge of communication between our villages, and prevent further conflict and bloodshed, I shall indulge in your request.

However, I will not go to the Land of Storms. If you want to meet with me, come to the Land of Rivers, near the borders between my country and yours. As their Jinchuuriki, I'm certain you will have members of the JITE with you, and I will have members of the ANBU with me, but it is my hope their involvement will not be necessary.

While I assume this correspondence will be tracked by your superiors, I hope they know that attempting to ambush me will be futile, and will only work in detriment to the possibility of this bridge of ours being ever created.

If the terms are acceptable, confirm it and we will meet within a fortnight.

Sincerely,
The "Demon of the Fleeting Blossoms"

[TAKEDA SANOSUKE™]

The day was busy as usual as he went through a number of papers that needed to be approved with his assistant. The day to day job of being a Leader was definitely not the best as he wished most of what he did could be hands on. Instead he was having to attend to matters regarding the people, setting jobs up for his Shinobi, and anything else that kept the village going successfully.

After sometime passed a knock from his door in the Red Tower could be heard. "Come in?" Sanosuke responded confused as his assistant quickly looked over to see if there was an appointment of some kind that was missed. It was one of his JITE operatives that was responsible for keeping tabs on his good friend Mikazuki. "Hmm, odd seeing you here. Does Mika need something from me?" Sanosuke questioned casually before a letter was dropped on his desk.

"What's this? She trying to quit or something?"

Sanosuke again added casually before seeing what was in the letter and whom it was sent from. A deep breath was taking before he sighed in frustration. "You've got to be kidding me.." His head immediately slammed against the surface before placing his hands over the back of his head. "I guess this is supposed to be my first lesson.." The Ame lord was clearly disappointed to find out that his most trusted comrade was sending political messages behind his and Amegakure's back.

She might have meant well, but there was no way this could go without consequences as such a request could put his treaty with other nations into question. "Bring her in to me.. This matter will have to be dealt with swiftly."

*Letter is intercepted from JITE*

[Mikazuki Aikawa]

you're gone, gone, gone away
I watched you disappear
all that's left is a ghost of you
※
TAKEDA SANOSUKE™

While she wasn't trying to upset her Lord, Mikazuki was under no surprise when she was summoned to the village leader's office. While it could have been for anything, the jinchūriki had a good idea what this was about.
    Well, it saved her the trouble of requesting a meeting to have a formal conversation about it later on, anyway.
    Approaching the office door, Mikazuki would lightly knock before entering the room, her light blue eyes landing on Sanosuke who was seated at his desk. "Lord Sanosuke," she greeted. "Salutations. How goes things?"
    He didn't look pleased with her, but that was no real surprise. Still, she didn't think she'd done anything to make him mad. While she had a track record of pissing off the village Leaders, it wasn't like she was trying to do anything to get under Sanosuke's skin.
    The young woman would close the door behind her and approach the desk, looking Sanosuke over. She'd notice the letter he'd been inspecting, and she raised an eyebrow. So, I did get a response from the Konoha shinobi. Lovely.
    "Lovely"?
    For me, of course! This is what I wanted, though it's not how I planned for this conversation to start. I'll have to see what was written back, and hopefully Sanosuke will allow me to go.
    I doubt it. When have you ever been allowed to leave the village after becoming my host? You're supposed to stay here. They don't want their little pet wandering too far, now do they~ You might start wanting freedom, or something ridiculous like that.
    When I visited Iwagakure, remember? I got Lord Fifth's permission for that. And, besides, I'm not the running type.
    And Tatsuo was livid. I wouldn't get your hopes too high. I know you think Sanosuke is your friend, but I'm the only one you can rely on. He's still just a village Leader, and they're not on your side, you know.
    And? Sanosuke isn't the previous Lords. Besides, I haven't committed a crime, and this isn't like that time. The circumstances are entirely different. I appreciate your concern, Gyūki.
    Ha!

---

353 words

MADE BY ★MEULK

[TAKEDA SANOSUKE™]

Sanosuke took in a deep breath once a knock was heard on the door. He didn't know if it was going to be someone updating him on Mika's whereabouts or if it was just her. Sanosuke release the air from within his chest calmly as she walked in being her usual self. This was the last conversation he wished to have with her, but it was a conversation that needed to be had anyways. Boundaries.

That was something that needed to be addressed between them both so that situations like this one didn't occur. Before saying anything he'd casually lift the letter from the desk before calmly placing it back down. He noticed that she took wind of the letter, but he wanted to make sure that there wasn't any other thoughts on what this emergency meeting was about. "Okay.. I guess there are some things we left out upon my succession to Amelord."

Sanosuke's eyes squinted while his left hand rested gently across his forehead as though he was thinking of how to say what he wanted without coming off as disrespectful to someone he respected. "This.." Sanosuke spoke calmly while lifting up the letter again. "This cannot happen. You do not have authorization to reach out to Konoha on behalf of anything that has gone down between us. Especially an extraction you were apart of."

"You also do not have authorization to reach out to anyone on behalf of the village without you coming to me first.." Honestly there was no way to say what he wanted nicely, but Mika was a strong person so he figured he wouldn't have to worry about that anyways. She is the current Jinchuuriki after all. "Amegakure does not wish to build anything with Konoha at all and its not up to you to decide otherwise. Especially as a valuable asset to your village."

"You're one of the brightest people I know so I'm sure I wont have to give you a lecture of how our militaries chain of command works.. You are a Chuunin, and the villages weapon. To me you are more than just that, but as leader of the village I cannot hold you above the standards.. It is my responsibility to look out for the entire welfare of the village, and you taking it upon yourself to seek out a legendary shinobi such as Toshizo is well above your pay grade."

"You have absolutely no reason to trust them, and there is no telling what might have happened to you if we weren't keeping watch and you left on your own to see this man... So tell me.. What exactly was it that you were thinking might happen between the two of you?"

[Mikazuki Aikawa]

you're gone, gone, gone away
I watched you disappear
all that's left is a ghost of you
※
TAKEDA SANOSUKE™

Mikazuki watched as her distressed lord held up the letter, quick to express his grievances with her and what this whole meeting was about. Obviously, he wasn't happy about the situation and this wasn't a moment of giving her his consent to venture off into the unknown to meet with an enemy shinobi. He wanted to discuss the situation--something she didn't fault him for in the slightest. She'd do the same if she were Lord. And, really, she was more surprised that he seemed... disappointed.
    Rather than enraged.
    Disappointment, she could handle.
    Carefully, Mikazuki would take a seat in the chair fixed in front of his desk. She'd keep a watchful gaze on her Lord, but he didn't snap at her or speak with aggression--though he would have been justified to--so, despite how she was certain she was in for a scolding and reprimand, she wasn't tense or on edge. There would be no hostility detected from her body language, and as she listened more to his words as he unraveled his concerns--she didn't even feel defensive. He wasn't accusing her of treason, thankfully, and even despite it all--he was still treating her with respect.
    Perhaps too accustomed to different leaders, she was equally as surprised when he actually asked that she explain what she hoped to achieve.
    The woman took in a deep breath as she considered everything he'd said.
    "Yes... Well. I want to say, I'm grateful that at the very least, you recognize that I'm not an idiot. I know that as Lord, you are second to none and that I'm to follow your orders. And so long as those commands are to the benefit of our village, I will even do so with enthusiasm. I hope that you understand my sending that letter to--Toshizou, you said his name was?--was not any slight against you, nor was it intended as an act of rebellion or defiance."
    She was grateful that he was asking why she'd done such a bizarre thing, instead of hastily throwing accusations and offense into her face.
    "Nothing I do goes without notice of the JITE, and they report directly to you. Privacy isn't exactly a luxury I have. Honestly, while I figured you wouldn't be in enthusiastic support of my desires or ideas, I figured that if it was absolutely prohibited--JITE operatives would have intercepted the letter before it could even leave the gates of Amegakure. I had no intentions to hide this from you--I made no effort to hide who the letter was to and from, after all." She sighed, then cupped one of her cheeks in one hand. "And I hope to not have put you under the wrong impression of what this is about, or what my intentions are, either. So, I'm happy to explain myself since you're asking. As we're both aware--as much as I would like to hold a political position in Amegakure, and have a more significant role in this village than I do--at the moment, I don't. While I wish to act diplomatically, I do not intend to pretend or act as though I am a diplomat, nor that my words or thoughts have the same weight as one. I'm aware they don't."
    She leaned back in her seat, crossing her arms comfortably in front of herself as she closed her eyes for a moment. She wasn't certain how to word what it was. She knew what she wanted, she knew what her goals were--but what she actually hoped to achieve in this meeting...? What she thought was actually possible? She wasn't as certain. "My letter wasn't addressed to Konoha. I am not a representative of Amegakure's will, reaching out to the nation of the Leaf. I am reaching out to--Toshizou, as you said his name was--specifically, solely as one individual. I have no particular interest in anybody else who was there, and it's not my place to be speaking among Lords and Kages." Aside from her own, of course. She would hope that the village's jinchūriki would have a closer relationship with their leader. "He is neither of those things, though. And neither am I. He does not have my trust, but as a legendary shinobi I would be lying if I said he doesn't have my interest. I'm not so foolish that I would put myself in a dangerous--easily deadly--situation so carelessly. I've seen the might of shinobi in his caliber, so I know what they're capable of. And when I last faced this man, it was as his enemy. I have no reason to believe he wouldn't take this as an opportunity to 'eliminate' such a great threat as I am."
    She furrowed her brow, slightly.
    "That being said... I, also, wish to eliminate threats. I only witnessed Toshizou in action briefly, but I've great analytical capabilities and he displayed a great deal of information to me. I chose him, specifically, to reach out to because I have reason to believe that I know how to speak his language, and that we would be able to communicate. While I wish every village could let go of the past and get along nicely, I recognize that it's not such an easy thing to attain. While I am willing to slay those who would threaten my village, I would prefer if there was no desire to threaten it to begin with. I know such a thing is incredibly unlikely--and it would take efforts from many people who are far beyond my rank, and there would be a great deal to discuss. Many people would have to get involved, and I have no ability or interest in forcing anybody's hand.
    "Likely, I confess, it will likely never happen." She lightly tapped her cheek, then glanced up to look at Sanosuke. "But the same could be said about Amegakure becoming a major nation. Our past Lords have never put any effort into change. They were always content to be land-locked with enemies far greater than us in size hugging our borders. While I know Amegakure is an enemy of Konoha, and there is no reason for us to try getting along or being friendly, I know that change is possible. I know that there is very little that I can do. I am only one person. But our world is shifting, and I would like to see it change for the better. I will always prioritize our nation above all else, but I don't have so much hate in me that I wish to see innocent people suffer over trifles that could have been resolved peacefully. I wish for the world to see Amegakure's examples of greatness, and to follow our lead.
    "I want to speak to Toshizou--mostly just because he interests me. If I'm capable of getting on the good side of someone with as much skill and talent as him--even if in name we are enemies, then I wish to. I have gained a great deal from interacting with shinobi of his caliber, before, even if we were not 'friendly', and I find them fascinating to observe. I like picking their minds and learning about them--even inadvertedly. But I also wish to start conversations. There is no promise for anything. No hope for anything, either. And it is very likely that nothing will come out of this at all. But just like as you've done--I wish to try. I want to not just have a silly dream, but to make action. While things may never change, I have seen that they can. I have seen people change. I have seen nations change. If all I have the power to do is to start conversations and get my enemies to start thinking--turning the gears in their head so that maybe the attitudes of nations around the world can shift and change for the better, then I think that's an effort worth making, is it not? Again, I don't wish to imply that I'm a councilman having a conversation with a village leader, discussing what direction our villages should take. I'm merely a shinobi wishing to pick the mind of another shinobi, and to see what is possible in our present circumstances. If anything is at all."

---

1372 words

MADE BY ★MEULK

[TAKEDA SANOSUKE™]

If there was one thing he always remembered about his old teammate it was that they could talk in details about anything if the situation ever called for it, and this happened to be one them. Sanosuke remained focus on every word and every point she made to the best of his abilities while also assessing which of her words were actually relevant to the issue he had with her reaching out to Toshizou in the first place.

Mika was well aware of the eyes JITE have on her and that her intent wasn't to go behind his back or anything of that sort. He actually believed that which is why they were even here having a conversation. If he ever felt she was so bold to act in such a manner then he would have simply done what the leaders before him had done many times before. The reason the letter even got off in the first place was because through his own trust it was allowed.

Of course for security measure responses would always be taken into account before it got back to her. Nevertheless, his issue was with her lack of regards to how such a meeting "could have" affected the village. Bad things happen with good intentions all the time and this situation could have been no different. She spoke of not trusting him, but the willingness to reach out and go anyways in sense would contradict that.

Especially if they chose a neutral territory with no regards to what connections they might have made out there for a potential setup. Of course she could have always disagreed with him in her own response which he obviously took away from her, but as a leader it was his job to always account for the risk first before thinking of the best case scenario. It was in his opinion that it was ignorant of her to assume she and this man could speak the same language.

Sanosuke thought highly of Mikazuki, but even he would be a fool to think either of them had lived long enough or even attained enough experience as Shinobi be as like minded as himself. Getting the best of them might have put the world on notice, but Toshizou was in a class that only a few could ever hope to measure through, and they only got to see him from a battle standpoint. Politically he had to be just as powerful if not more.

What followed next was even more interesting as she spoke of how Amegakure handled being landlocked with enemy nations far greater than us in size. Sanosuke head briefly titled as he made a mental note of how he'd respond to that part when she finished. Afterward she seconded his notion of not trying to be friendly with them, but in the same breath spoke of the change she wish would take place in the world as well as the involvement of innocent people.

In those regards Sanosuke agreed with Mika, but that was just fairytale talk, and many of the people in charge refused to let incidents of the past begone. Things like war and conflict would always exist in a world where Shinobi felt like they couldn't rely or trust people who didn't live in the same place and conditions that they did. Eventually she got to the personal matter of why she wanted to speak to him, and again her answer wasn't what he hoped.

"I see... Hmm, from what I know the reason JITE allowed you to send off the letter in the first place was because the trust and order I bestowed upon them based on our personal relationship, but you know the nature of Amegakure's culture; we're never too trusting of things so I can only do so much, and thankfully that brought us here. You might not have communicated in a way that had you acting as a diplomatic figure, but the results of said interaction wouldn't reflect that any differently."

"You wished to have a political hold in the village here and I intended to oblige, but this isn't the way to go about things. You can't go off being rogue and talking to people who don't align with our nation. You don't get to separate yourself from the village because you want to. When you agreed to become a Shinobi that much should have been acknowledged. We are all one in the same unit and we all uphold the same regulations. That is why it exist in the first place."

"You're permitted to go to allied nations with the trust of my personnel just like others in your rank, below, and above have their own restrictions. Matters related to other nations, ESPECIALLY with those we do not align with does not happen without the consent of myself. There is no other excuses to get around that, nor will there ever be any acceptable excuses. I myself decided to act in such a manner in the past and the same words I have bestowed to you were bestowed upon me."

"Who your letter was addressed to matters very little because as a Councilmen he could have easily turned it into just that amongst the higher ups in that village. Because you weren't allowed to respond I wont go into any make believe details in what you would have done, but any suggestions from himself without a doubt could not be trusted, and any move you made without the backing of the village could be viewed just the same."

"In regards to Amegakure's own actions in the past, especially with regards to being landlocked with enemy nations; we've handled that by fortifying relationships with those we aligned ourselves with in previous wars which would prevent nations like Sunagakure, Konohagakure, and others on their side from messing with us. Suna tried that once and it didn't end so well for them and now I hear rumors of their stagnation in recent years."

"The connections we have made that have established us a trade and economic superpower is ultimately what will aid us into becoming a major nation. Something I intend to have you be at the forefront of, but if you're going to keep acting in this manner then I simply cannot trust and bring you along. It has not been asked of you to try to get on anyone's good side, especially Toshizou. If you wish to gain knowledge then that is fine, but you can get that here, or even from other nations with have aligned with politically."

"As a friend.. If this means that much to you then be better about how you do this. How about approaching him in the next exams? A place where if he's idiotic enough to try his hand would ultimately cripple Konoha overnight. Especially in an allied nation. They've already gotten multiple strikes from what I know and a third could be detrimental. Otherwise, leave him and the rest of those who took place in trying to recapture or kill Shodaime alone, or anywhere not our allies for that matter."

"Also.. In the future, just come to me... Please. I want you by my side more than anyone, but boundaries and trust are PERMAMOUNT. Without it I can't give you more of what you want."