[Kazuhiro Hayato]

[attr="class","dilyrics2"]Shinobi May Keep Secrets ButLoyalty [attr="class","dilyric2"]Is It's Own Reward

[attr="class","dibody2"] Hayato grunted himself awake. His hand moving to slap the alarm five minutes before it would go off. Even so, as eyelids opened revealing a deep icy blue, he could imagine the stringent sound of the alarm, the sound forever scared into his mind when he moved into this house with his then fiancé. A sentiment that was in between grief and annoyance tinged his thoughts. The racing thoughts of where she was or if Miyaki would ever come back at all pushed out as he slid his legs off the bed, rubbing temples in circular motions before finally raising to his full height as he began to prepare himself for his day. Even after resting from the long, laborious schedule of his rank and position and having groomed himself for the day, he still look tired. He felt that tiredness that had begun to linger, the small tugs of strain in his body, the cold sensation on the wounded he had accumulated during his service to the village. Dressed in his normal garb, sans the featureless mask of his order, he marched through the village, noticing the cold wind of the mountains, as he made his way towards the administration office of the village. The ANBU supposed that this was normal, after all, meeting a new Raikage had become a normal occurrence. Sitting down in the waiting room he would look around, the same drab colors, the same dust filled scents of an office and hiss of paper and scroll moving and sliding. He had wondered how many times he had been in this precise room, doing the same thing that he was about to do, a talk with the current kage. A measure to air grievances, giving information of current status of ANBU and the possibility for requisitions. And hopefully he would need to do this for the last time. He had grown weary to find new recruits making bets to see how long the new leadership of the village would last. Only time would tell. [attr="class","ditags2"]word count ✖ hirana kizumi ✖ notes if you want

[attr="class","cred"]MADE BY VEL OF WW + GS

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[hirana kizumi]

A HEART'S A HEAVY BURDEN

Of the revolving door of meetings she’d had in the brief time since she’d assumed the Raikage mantle, this was maybe the one she was most nervous about. The council, the Daimyo, those had been nerve-wracking enough, but Kazuhiro Hatayo was a different beast altogether. She’d read his file—of course she’d read his file. A few years her junior, the ANBU Captain nevertheless had a long and decorated history of service, having become an ANBU operative when he was only thirteen years old. He’d been fighting in the Kumo-Shimo conflict while Kizumi was still struggling through D-rank missions as a genin. He’d been a jounin through the leadership of four of the Raikage that had come before her, and was a testament to Kumogakure’s strength and potential as a Hidden Village. Gods, she wanted a fucking drink. Instead, she prepared tea. Daisuke had blocked out her entire afternoon for this meeting: whatever the ANBU Captain had to say, Kizumi wanted plenty of time to be able to hear it. She only hoped that she’d be able to make a decent first impression. Kizumi took a deep breath to steady herself, and opened the door to the waiting area. "Kazuhiro-san,” she said warmly, "thank you for coming, come in.” Manners might have dictated that she hold the door for him, allow him to enter first, but instead she let herself into the office and held the door behind her—something gave her the feeling that he wouldn’t appreciate having a stranger at his back. Maybe it was the wrong call, but she wanted to at least try to err on the side of his comfort. "I’m Hirana Kizumi,” she said, padding over to the side table where she’d left the pot she’d prepared. "It’s a pleasure to meet you officially, though I wish we’d had cause to work together before now. Tea?” She poured a cup for herself regardless, allowing herself only a brief moment of longing for the whisky she’d cracked open with Daisuke that still sat in the liquor cabinet.

Kazuhiro Hayato -- 340

LAIKA OF THQ

[Kazuhiro Hayato]

[attr="class","dilyrics2"]Shinobi May Keep Secrets ButLoyalty [attr="class","dilyric2"]Is It's Own Reward

[attr="class","dibody2"] Monotony overwhelmed stagnation as he waited. The scent of paper and scrolls mingling with dust that had not been cleaned by the custodians of the building in this room at the very least. He counted the amount of times that pen stuck the inkwell and moved to scribble into the virgin scrolls, the sounds of the brush scribbling becoming a rhythm that he observed and catalogized out of sheer boredom, noting the cadences of each stroke, the time that the attendant by the desk took with writing but before anything could be gathered, the sound of a door creaking open caught his attention and therein the new Raikage emerged. Hayato moved mechanically, raising to his feet as the woman greeted him in a sign of respect. He took a stock of her, he had gone through what was available, reminding himself that she had done operations to aid the populace during the time of the plague and that according to the records of his predecessor, she had been considered for induction into the unit. But more than that, he noticed an uneasiness about her. "Ma'am." Hayato told her in a whisper, nodding towards her in respect as he moved inside the office. The office itself hadn't chance much save for the scant belongings of Kizumi that had been taken out from boxes and out in a place of observance. Boxes where scattered, containing more of her belongings and over her desk he would see an arranged number of files and scrolls that were either in the process of being reviewed or her eyes had perused over. He took a moment to look through the windows, the magnificent vista of the mountains that surrounded the village, and the clouds that surrounded them as if they were a lovers embrace. A blue glow came from the vista, and the man kept his hands inside his pockets as he admired, only interrupted as his Raikage offered tea. "No." He said flatly, moving towards Kizumi before passing her as he moved to a cabinet behind her. Opening it, he plucked a bottle and two small glasses almost without looking before serving two fingers of an amber liquid with ice unto each of them. Satisfied he corked back the bottle and returned to Kizumi. "You need this, milady." He said, holding the glass for her to take and once she did he raised his on a silent toast, taking a long sip that drank half of his glass, reflecting on much he had used to hate drinking before he had met Miya and how much he now used it as copying. "You're trying to hard to impress, you needn't do that." He told her, giving her a hint of smile on seemingly unchanging features. [attr="class","ditags2"]459 ✖ hirana kizumi ✖ notes if you want

[attr="class","cred"]MADE BY VEL OF WW + GS

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[hirana kizumi]

A HEART'S A HEAVY BURDEN

Ma’am. Kizumi did her utmost to suppress a cringe. Ma’am was nearly as bad as auntie, especially coming from someone she knew was close enough to her in age—made her feel so terribly, unnecessarily old. She wasn’t old, but damn if every young up-and-coming genin didn’t talk to her like she was geriatric. They used to, anyway. If they still did, they didn’t usually say things like that to her face. The ANBU captain flatly rejected her offer of tea, instead moving right past her towards—the liquor cabinet? Her eyebrows lifted as the man poured them both a healthy glass of whisky on the rocks. She took it almost mechanically, unable to issue even a polite protest in some semblance of professional behavior. She drank, knocking the full glass back in one go, the ice satisfyingly cold against her teeth. Well, she had thought real hard about wanting a drink. "Is it that obvious?” she asked, sighing. It was a good call, she thought—the warmth of the liquor bled through her tongue and down her throat, loosening some of the tension that was winding her shoulders tight. "Thank you.” The tea pot abandoned, Kizumi put the glass down on her desk, leaning back against the solid dark wood. "To be fair,” she said, a little grin tugging at the corner of her mouth, "if there’s anyone in the village I should be worried about impressing, it’s you, no? Helluva career, Kazuhiro-san. Makes me wonder why this isn’t your office.”

Kazuhiro Hayato -- 249

LAIKA OF THQ

[Kazuhiro Hayato]

[attr="class","dilyrics2"]Shinobi May Keep Secrets ButLoyalty [attr="class","dilyric2"]Is It's Own Reward

[attr="class","dibody2"] "Yes. Very much so." Hayato replied gently to her query of whether or not the tension about her was that noticeable. Training had imprinted many things into his mind. Mechanisms had been forcibly placed upon his psyche to recognize tension, read the subtle changes of attitude in people as the musculature beneath the skin contracted and expanded every so slightly. If there was tension to be noticeable, the ANBU Captain could see it as plainly in her, subtle as a sack of bricks slamming against himself. Quietly he found the way she acted curious, and even when she mumbled that it was he who she needed to impress, the only thing he could muster was a bitter smile. "Thank you, ma'am." He said as he looked down, the amber liquid moving in his glass as he swayed it. "But I'm a mere servant of the village. I only did my duty." He said, echoing the words he had heard during his indoctrination in his boyhood. That had seemed like a lifetime away. He remembered the training vividly, he remembered the pain, the strife, the discipline that washed like him and the rest of the children as fire and burned away everything that was unnecessary for their mission. He remembered his instructors face, growing redder with each word as saliva flecked away from his mouth and struck him. What he couldn't remember however was if he ever wanted to be in the shoes of his Raikage, in any of them. He blinked away, realizing that he had dozed off, looking at the amber liquid in the glass, meeting the gaze of Kizumi as he wondered if she considered if Hayato was damaged in any way? He was. He knew this about himself. The wounds had been purposely made but time and attrition had made newer incisions. "I never wished to be Raikage." He finally said, unsure if at some point of his past he had wanted that, unsure if he had told that to his mother and father when they had been alive. "My temperament is ill suited for it, I be worried if the village looked upon me as if I would possess a heroic bearing." He added, noting that it was a simple truth. . [attr="class","ditags2"]375 ✖ hirana kizumi ✖ notes if you want

[attr="class","cred"]MADE BY VEL OF WW + GS

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[hirana kizumi]

A HEART'S A HEAVY BURDEN

Not just obvious, but very obvious. Something of a wound to her pride, but she’d taken worse; it was valuable feedback, if nothing else. She couldn’t exactly walk into international meetings or step forward to address the village looking like a nervous wreck. And again with the ma’am. Her good eye twitched, but she kept her peace… for now. If he threw that one at her one more time within the same five minutes she’d have to say something, but he seemed lost in thought for a moment, like a vivid memory had just bubbled up to the surface. His expression was so neutral, it was hard to tell whether it was a good or bad one; but then, duty to the village always brought about a mix of both. Kizumi went to retrieve the bottle, and poured herself another drink. After a moment Hayato seemed to come back from wherever it was in the passages of history that he’d gone. Kizumi took a sip of her drink—slow, this time, it was a sipping whisky, and the way she’d treated it the first time around was abominable. "I don’t know you very well,” Kizumi said, "but you don’t seem like a raging tyrant, so I’d be inclined to disagree.” A heroic bearing, he said. Maybe she’d had a dream like that a long time ago, when she was young and stupid and desperate to help her family—that she could be something of a hero, fighting the good fight for her nation, providing for her siblings. She learned quickly. "Maybe you don’t feel like much of a hero,” she said thoughtfully, "but does that matter, really? You’ve served the village, and served it well. You’re a capable leader with as much experience under your belt as I have, and you’re a good few years younger than me.” The ice clinked faintly against the sides of her glass as she hopped up on the desk, sitting atop the scant bit of clear space that was available. "If that’s not a good temperament for it, then what is? If you’re not the shining star of accomplishment in this village, then who is?” Konoha’s Will of Fire —something Toshi believed in fervently—was something she’d always admired conceptually, but could never quite connect with in practice. She was too pragmatic at heart, ever the fishmonger’s daughter, more concerned with the material concerns of paying the bills and keeping food on the table than high-falutin ideals of nationalism. Maybe that was a bad thing. "Don’t get me wrong,” she said quickly, "I’m not tryin’ to hand over the hat, or anything. I’m here, happy to serve. Just makes me wonder.”

Kazuhiro Hayato -- 444

LAIKA OF THQ

[Kazuhiro Hayato]

[attr="class","dilyrics2"]Shinobi May Keep Secrets ButLoyalty [attr="class","dilyric2"]Is It's Own Reward

[attr="class","dibody2"] "I agree. I'm no tyrant." Hayato said, nodding as he looked towards his glass. "Tyrants make poor commanders, fear can inspire very little." And in truth, a tyrant required a stage, a grandiose spectacle to put themselves in center stage and claim to the very heavens that his rule was the will of an unseen deity. He knew this very well, he has slayed many would be kings and a handful of divine rulers and he yet awaited for the divine retribution they had promised as they expired. He suspected he would remain waiting for the remainder of his days. He was at peace with that. As she commented on his accolades he felt a pang of humility and some of regret. If the measure of a good commander was how many people they led over the years then in terms of number he had been a good one. But still the loss of everyone under his command pained him even if he didn't show it. He had tried to remember all their names but there was just so much a mind could keep before time and experience made way for new memories. Quietly he took another sip, noting how the melted ice had diluted the potency of the liquor before he turned to Kizumi. "You're kind to me, Lady Raikage." He said quietly, the contents of the glass swaying around at the beckoning of his hand. "But only a select few know what I've done, what we ANBU do. We're not honoured not should we." He countered her argument. They served dutifully, faithfully, asking little in return and giving themselves for the cause. From the highest scion of a noble clan to the lowest dregs from a gutter, they had not wanted any glory. "How could a village follow a man that is a mere mirage? Even one as like me? I'm not a special person, even my position was due me being the most experience member left after the blight had taken many of us, we were reduced to a handful." He told her. That was a difficult time to remember when he had many trainees to his charge and he still had to answer missions and see to their training. He had risen to the expectations and had managed to make a somewhat acceptable job at it. But his actions would be unremembered by the village at large. And he was fine with that. [attr="class","ditags2"]407 ✖ hirana kizumi ✖ notes if you want

[attr="class","cred"]MADE BY VEL OF WW + GS

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[hirana kizumi]

A HEART'S A HEAVY BURDEN

It was a fairly simple idea—catch more flies with honey, et cetera—but that didn’t mean it wasn’t hard. In the short term, yelling and threatening to get your way was almost universally successful, but to your detriment in the long term. Tyrants made poor commanders in times of peace—but arguably very effective ones in times of war. Something to chew on, she thought. Better to be loved than feared; but Kizumi doubted that any of the shinobi under her command had much of an opinion on her yet. She held her glass between her hands, her nails making a soft clinking noise as she tapped against the side of it. Hayato was right, ultimately, she thought. ANBU were meant to be nonexistent. The black ops arm of a nation’s standing special operations unit was the shade of a ghost; the faintest idea that a person had once existed beneath all the secrecy and security clearances. "Maybe you were the only viable option left,” Kizumi said after a moment, staring into her glass, "but you stepped up. You did what you had to, because it was asked of you, and you excelled. That’s not small. Anyone could have been in your position, but you were the person who made it work.” She took another sip. The melting ice watered down the liquor, but she found she didn’t mind; it was a mellower flavor, more palatable. "For better or worse, you had to wear that hat,” she said. "And for better or worse, you can’t wear this one. Even if the village won’t ever know what you’ve done, your experience and the life you’ve lived are valuable. Five Raikage, gods.” She laughed, short and humorless. "You’d be well within your rights to retire if you wanted. But—if you’re willing—” Clink. Clink. "I’d like to ask for your help,” she finished. "You’ve given enough to the village, and I’m sorry to ask for more, but I’m terribly selfish.”

Kazuhiro Hayato -- 325

LAIKA OF THQ

[Kazuhiro Hayato]

[attr="class","dilyrics2"]Shinobi May Keep Secrets ButLoyalty [attr="class","dilyric2"]Is It's Own Reward

[attr="class","dibody2"] A bitter smile appeared at the words of his Raikage. He supposed briefly that there was a point there. He could take the sort of silent quiet pride that as everything seemed to fall apart he had kept his outfit organized and effective even when the blight had taken many of his subordinates and superiors, irreplaceable veterans that were called to give their experience and now that chance had been lost. Hayato looked down at his drink, the ice melting from the heat of his hand. He took a smile sip of the drink, noticing the more subtle burn from the drink. Before the voice of Kizumi would get his attention, speaking again to him and mentioning a favor. Briefly he wondered what that could be. Many possibilities came and went, from simply continuing in his post or to offer companionship to his superior. He didn't much about her, but she seemed to be as dedicated to her position as he was, and given the little difference in their age, it was likely that her circle of friends was reduced. He doubted that was the case and more likely it was an order under the guise of a request. If that was the case, he could do little else to accept. The ANBU Captain looked down upon his drink as if the warped reflection on the amber liquid had the answers for that query and nodded as the melting ice clinked in his glass. "I'm yours to command." He replied, looking at the woman and locking his eyes with her gaze. "I'm your ANBU Captain for life and limb." Hayato added and allowed the silence to be the only witness to his oath, trying to read her expression, understand the thought of process by the mere glimpse of the subtle contractions of muscles beneath the skin of her face. "What would you have your ANBU Captain do?" [attr="class","ditags2"]318 ✖ hirana kizumi ✖ notes if you want

[attr="class","cred"]MADE BY VEL OF WW + GS

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[hirana kizumi]

A HEART'S A HEAVY BURDEN

For life and limb, the Captain said, and seemed to be looking at her as if he was trying to read her mind: her intent, her ambitions, her soul. She felt vulnerable, suddenly, certain that he could kill her if he wished, and that it would be justified. Instead, he offered his service, and for that she was immeasurably grateful. ”Advise me,” she said, all in a rush. "It’s—I knew this already, but with the evidence staring at me in the face now, it’s terrifying. Konoha and Kiri are at each other’s throats, the world is at the brink of a Fourth Shinobi War—and I don’t know if Kumo can survive it. We can’t abandon our allies, but don’t we have to think of ourselves? Kirigakure and Yukigakure are building trading posts off our shores with Nanadaime’s explicit permission—as if that’s not an invitation for the two strongest standing navies in the world to breach our borders. We still haven’t recovered from the plague, half the clans hate each other, we’re in severe debt to the Murahira, the Ryujin are still roaming wild under that dead cultist’s banner, and I have no earthly idea what the Daimyo was thinking putting the hat on me when it seems like the country is falling apart.” She knocked the rest of her drink back, all thoughts of savoring vanishing along with her verbal filter. "I don’t know where to start,” she said, looking miserably into her empty glass. "Reinforce our alliances? Sue for peace with our enemies? I’ve hardly received any guidance from the Daimyo; it seems like he wants to keep his own peace in Sancho. I want to bulk up our navy, deal with the pirates somehow, shore up what strength we have and make a show of it—but will we get the funding? Will it matter at all, if the Snow and the Mist sail to our shores?” She looked up, lifting her hands in the air. "What’s your intel, oh captain my captain?” Kizumi said, huffing a humorless laugh. "What on earth can I do?”

Kazuhiro Hayato -- 346

LAIKA OF THQ

[Kazuhiro Hayato]

[attr="class","dilyrics2"]Shinobi May Keep Secrets ButLoyalty [attr="class","dilyric2"]Is It's Own Reward

[attr="class","dibody2"] "I see." Hayato replied after she ended her rant. He kept his silence for a few seconds, his sight diverting to the glass of whiskey still in his hand that had turned from a bright amber to a translucent golden hue as the ice melted. With a move of his wrist he swayed the dying ice of his beverage, the clink against the glass sounding dull, like a portent of an end that was about to happen. No scryer was required to predict his next action, as he brought the glass to his lips and ended the last remnants of its contents in a single gulp. The burning sensation, now dulled by the cold water washed down his throat before he settled his sigh on Kizumi. "First of all." He began, placing the glass on the desk as he stood next to her. "Take a breath, had it being someone else, they would've asked you to begin telling your burdens again." He said giving her a nod and a brief smile before he placed a hand on her shoulder. The ANBU Captain allowed her time to decompress, to take the breath he had suggested, to feel more relaxed around him, if that was even possible. And to let her know that the outburst, minor as it was would be in the confidence shared between a Kage and one of their most esteemed subordinates. As he stepped back to give her back her own space, he would look again through the windows, cold blue eyes peering at the snow capped mountains, hands behind his back as he contemplated the multitude of problems that were heralds of doom for the village and their allies. He was not blind to the problems presented. He knew of them, he had lived through them in his time of service. "The reality of the situation is that there's not a simple solution. We're bound in obligation to Konoha. We've shed blood alongside them. But if go to war, then we will find in more than just two fronts." He added before he faced Kizumi. "Takigakure, Amegakure and Yukigakure might think themselves equals of Iwagakure, but in truth they're the vanguard that will be pay in blood for any Iwagakure victory." That was the truth of that alliance, and he suspected that in the deepest, more private thoughts of the Tsuchikage he the allies of the village as that, useful fools, expendable tokens. "You will have to forgive my bluntness. You know all of this." He said, carefully selecting his words to give her his opinion. "I recall little of my father. He is a ghost of a memory to me. But I recall a thing he told me when I was a boy. The grass is sweeter and more welcoming when a snake uses it as a nest." He said, smiling briefly despite himself as he realized how much he sounded like the old man. "Let them see us as rebuilding, as struggling. Make arrangements that we are neutral with them so we don't have a surprise visit of one of their fleets. Rebuild our numbers of shinobi, slowly may it be, but quality will always surpass quality. Make our fleet secret and covert. What they fear may not need to be the ships on the surface but those that dwell in the darkness of the depths. Seek another ally. Konoha is allied with Suna due proximity, I hear that the Kazekage is an approachable man, and shrewd as well. Suna has plenty of gold that can be traded with our own resources." Hayato replied. These were immediate course of actions, seeds that needed to be sown so in the future they could be reaped. "I can't say if this would work entirely, but we can that game and keep the honour of the village intact." [attr="class","ditags2"]640 ✖ hirana kizumi ✖ notes if you want

[attr="class","cred"]MADE BY VEL OF WW + GS

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[hirana kizumi]

A HEART'S A HEAVY BURDEN

I see, was all the ANBU Captain said, and a cold dread settled into the pit of Kizumi’s gut. This was it, she thought—she’d only just claimed the office, and she’d already blown it all. Great. But then— Take a breath. A brief smile, a hand on her shoulder. All that dread left her in a rush of air as she did as he advised, taking a deep breath, and then another. The tension bled out from her shoulders, and she did, in spite of it all, feel a little more at ease. Less like she was about to get kicked out of the office, at least. Still, she was grateful for the space he gave her, and used it to compose herself. Then: she listened. She asked for advice, and she would damn well take it. She grabbed her little notebook from her desk, jotting down notes as Hayato spoke. The grass is sweeter and more welcoming when a snake uses it as a nest. Kazekage—letter. Yukigakure—neutrality. Neutrality was underlined three times over. "We won’t know until we start,” Kizumi said, her brow pinching. "It’s something.” She sighed again, tapping her pen against the paper. "Thank you. Truly. It’s—I’ve been struggling to get my thoughts in order.” She huffed a faint laugh. ”Obviously.” She rolled her head back, looking up at the ceiling as if it would give her answers. "Iwagakure—I don’t know what the Tsuchikage’s goal is, honestly, but I can’t imagine it’s anything good. Kusagakure is vulnerable, even moreso than we are, and if Kirigakure makes an advance against Konoha then Kusa has lost one of its only defenders. Kusa can’t help Konoha if it’s defending against Iwa, and we can’t help either with Yuki and Kiri at our shores.” It was a tangled, fragile web, with only one solid strike needed to send the whole thing tumbling into chaos. It felt like a race against the clock. "I’ll reach out to the Kazekage right away, you’re absolutely right. And… the Lady of Yukigakure. She’s big on diplomacy; we should be able to negotiate and make something work.” An idea slid into the back of her mind, sudden and clear. It would be abrupt, all things considered, but… if ever there was a time for big moves, then this was it. "You’ve been ANBU for a long time, Captain,” Kizumi said, her gaze returning to the man. "Ever thought about switching things up?”

Kazuhiro Hayato -- 406

LAIKA OF THQ

[Kazuhiro Hayato]

[attr="class","dilyrics2"]Shinobi May Keep Secrets ButLoyalty [attr="class","dilyric2"]Is It's Own Reward

[attr="class","dibody2"] An eyebrow rose when he saw the Raikage taking notes from his ideas. It was quaint, odd and in a strange way wholesome. A part of him wanted to tell her not to, but another stayed his hand as he understood that she was a method to cope or to keep herself centered, before she would turn to him and thanked him for his opinion. "Kusa produces strong shinobi, Iwagakure would be mistaken than it is an easy conquest, they will sell their lives highly, I think and Iwa and their allies might pay with blood every inch they take." He told the Raikage bluntly. "Kirigakure might try to invade us and Konohagakure both, but I think they might spread themselves thinly, both of our costs are a large front, and the terrain would be in the defenders advantage." War, like almost everything else required preparation and an army could go no further than what its logistics didn't allow. Same happened with Iwa, they could release the hounds in the form of its satellite villages, but against an entrenched enemy, a siege would be difficult and that could leave them open for a counter attack from Konoha or even Suna. But he kept that for himself, even his opinion of a wildcard like Yukigakure. But he trusted that Kizumi would manage to negotiate neutrality. However it was her next question that caught him off-guard. His features showed some confusion at the query. He looked to the floor for a brief second before walking to the windows of the Raikage's office, hands behind his back, almost as if the cold peaks that surrounded the village held the answer. Hayato released a long sigh. "I have been doing this for most of my life..." Hayato said quietly. "By all rights, I should be dead." He turned his gaze to her. "Kizumi... May I call you that? I am not sure what use could you have for me, but if that is what you wish, I will meet my duty with the same sense of purpose I've always have." [attr="class","ditags2"]346 ✖ hirana kizumi  ✖ notes if you want

[attr="class","cred"]MADE BY VEL OF WW + GS

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[hirana kizumi]

A HEART'S A HEAVY BURDEN

Hayato’s assessment of Kusagakure’s strength was somewhat reassuring, though she wasn’t convinced wholesale. She suspected that there were some opinions he was keeping to himself, but she didn’t truly mind; honestly, if he gave her anything more, she was liable to suffer from information overload. It was a lot to adjust to in such a short time, and she could only manage what she could manage. (That Kizumi needed to increase that capacity was as obvious as it was difficult—but she was doing her best, and she just needed to believe that the rest would come with time. For now: she took notes. She didn’t trust herself to just retain all that information, not yet.) Her question caught him off balance. He strode over to the window, pensive; Kizumi remained where she was, twisting in place to watch him. "Kizumi is fine,” she reassured him. "I prefer it, honestly. Not really a fan of the titles.” She was quiet for a moment, considering how to phrase her question. Then: "You could join my council,” she said. Straightforward, no beating around the bush. "If you want, that is. If you prefer your current position I certainly won’t force you, but it’s clear—to me, anyway—that you have a good understanding of the current, uh, political trouble, and a hell of a mind for tactics. I think your perspective and guidance would be invaluable to me.” She flashed a grin. "No pressure, though."

Kazuhiro Hayato -- 240

LAIKA OF THQ

[Kazuhiro Hayato]

[attr="class","dilyrics2"]Shinobi May Keep Secrets ButLoyalty [attr="class","dilyric2"]Is It's Own Reward

[attr="class","dibody2"] "For someone not a fan of titles you seem to be likely to accrue them at a rapid pace." Hayato replied with a complicit smile that died as quickly as it came. As his eyes moved back into the mountains, hands behind his back, he remained silent for a moment. Perhaps it was time to move out of the way, to allow others to take up the mantle that he had been carrying since the damn sickness had blighted their nation. He had fought so much, much more still and whilst he felt, he knew that there were better parts of himself that would never return, perhaps this was a way to recover some of what had been lost and even gain companionship as he left the shroud of an assassin behind. He knew that was a lie. That part of him, that was embedded, but he could pretend. He could pretend to be a normal person for once. As he turned to meet her gaze, he would nod at her. "I accept, Kizumi." He said, feeling like if a weight had been lifted from his shoulders at the acceptance to his new position. Many ideas began to run through his mind, how to help the village from his new role and decided that for the moment it would be the best to leave that until it was formal. "If I can make a request." He told her, feeling perhaps a bit more relaxed than at the beginning of their meeting. "Please give me a good office in this building, with a fridge stocked with drinks. Perhaps we will need it." He said as a smile quickly came and went. No matter what happened, the man would imagine he would do his job whether he had a specious office or if he was given a broom closer to work from. [attr="class","ditags2"]310 ✖ hirana kizumi ✖ notes if you want

[attr="class","cred"]MADE BY VEL OF WW + GS

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