[hirana kizumi]

A HEART'S A HEAVY BURDEN

The scroll itself is of high-quality make, though there is nothing especially remarkable about the delivery. A wax seal stamped with the symbol of Kumogakure no Sato keeps the scroll secure; the overall impression is one of pragmatism rather than pomp. The handwriting within is flat and clean, the neat strokes of someone putting active effort into making their characters legible. To the Lord Ninth of Kusagakure no Sato, I hope this letter finds you well. I wished to offer my sincere congratulations on your new position, and an invitation for you to visit with me in Kumogakure no Sato at your earliest desire and convenience. I cherish the relationship our villages and nations have built, and I would like to meet with you in person in order to discuss our path forward together. Having recently been handed the hat myself, I never had the pleasure of meeting your predecessor, but I deeply respect him by reputation and have ever enjoyed the business and travel that gave me an excuse to visit your nation. I hope you will do me the honor of visiting mine in turn. Kaminari no Kuni has a wealth of famed liquor brewers, and I keep a well-stocked cabinet. Warmly, Hirana Kizumi Hachidaime Raikage The journey up the mountains, through frequent storms and jagged rock, was an intimidating prospect for those who were not used to the journey; and it was likely that foreigners traveling to Kaminari no Kuni would have a rough time making the ascent to the Village Hidden in the Clouds. The road was long, steep, and best made with an escort. It was for this purpose that Kizumi set out herself to meet the Ninth Lord of Kusagakure at the foothills of the mountain range that cradled Kumogakure in its peaks. She didn’t wear the hat—she hated the thing—and the formal robes just looked silly without the hat, so she forewent those as well. She wore her shinobi gear, and she sat patient and cross-legged atop a large boulder. She didn’t know much of anything about Kouga Kanoh, but Kouga Kanoh had accepted her invitation, and that had to count for something. Formality didn’t suit Kizumi well, and it seemed unnecessary to present airs that didn’t come naturally to her when meeting for the first time with, presumably, an ally. Maybe her trust was too easily extended, but times were tough, and friends in short supply. If Kumogakure could hold fast to the friends she had, then maybe she stood a chance. Her breaths came slow and deep as she waited, willing her frayed nerves to calm down as she watched the horizon for the approach of the Lord Ninth.

Kouga Kanoh -- 448

LAIKA OF THQ

[Kouga Kanoh]

And her call would not go unanswered as across some distance, shadows broke the horizon. Kouga had no great entourage, preferring to keep her company extremely light when traveling for anything that wasn’t a strictly formal affair. One might say, what could be more formal than two village rulers meeting for a mock summit to discuss the fate of the lives of hundreds of thousands. And, to that, Kouga would shrug and press on. After all, the lady had offered drinks.

She was attended by two soldiers of Nohara no Kuni, who were also accomplished shinobi of course, and a civilian who carried a large sack on his back that they’d picked up along the way. It was a bit of a ragtag group for someone of Kouga’s stature, but, then again, she was never one for anything grand.

When she finally reached the base of the foothills where she was expecting an escort, she was surprised to see a shinobi perched atop a rock and staring back down at her. The woman bore the insignia of Kumogakure on her person and that led Kouga to assume this was a representative of the Kage, or perhaps the woman herself. She raised a hand in greeting. "Good afternoon.”

[hirana kizumi]

A HEART'S A HEAVY BURDEN

A small cluster of figures approached: a tall woman with silvery hair in loose, comfortable-looking, practical garb, flanked by two escorts, and followed up by… was that Hitoshi? One of the civilians who lived in the hidden village, a brusque older man who came and went from the mountain at least once a week. Kizumi tilted her head, looking at the man quizzically, but her attention was quickly drawn back to the woman greeting her, whom she felt reasonably sure was the Kusa Lord herself: Kouga Kanoh. "Hey there,” Kizumi said, hopping down from her perch. Once she was on even footing with Kanoh, she realized with some dismay that the other woman was taller than she’d looked from a distance; Kanoh had at least twenty centimeters on her. Kizumi swallowed her pride, and offered a wave back in greeting. "Kouga Kanoh, right? Hirana Kizumi. Thanks for coming. And, uh—” Kizumi leaned her head to the side to stare down Hitoshi. "Thanks for picking him up. Give me your bag, Uncle. What happened to your granddaughter? Didn’t Koneko go with you this time?” The man grumbled some protest, muttering about managing just fine on his own, as Kizumi carefully lifted the sack from his back and hoisted it over her shoulder. The weight of it was negligible, but she didn’t want to risk damaging whatever was inside. "I hear you, but c’mon, let me help,” she said to the man. "You’d be doing me a favor. I’m tryin’ to impress a lady, here.” Her lone eye, sparkling with merriment, slid over to Kanoh, and she winked. Blinked? Hard to tell. "It’s a bit steep,” she warned the Kusa shinobi, "so follow me and watch your step, yeah? We’ll take the civilian path up.” She had intended to lead them up the quicker way—more dangerous, but manageable for any shinobi of the Cloud—but with Hitoshi along for the ride, they’d be taking the scenic route. Kizumi made light conversation as she lead the way, pointing out some of the local sights that Kanoh and her escorts might not have had the opportunity to see close-up before; pink-headed vultures perched on craggy outcroppings, goats impossibly balanced on sheer, near-vertical cliffsides, the dark crackling of a burgeoning lightning storm barely more than a kilometer away. As they reached higher elevation, Kizumi checked her flasks, and passed her water to Hitoshi. "Deep breaths,” she warned the Kusa shinobi. "It gets harder to breathe the higher up you go. And drink extra water.” They passed through the clouds, a dense white watery mist closing in around them. Visibility dropped and the temperature plummeted, droplets of water clinging to the bare skin of Kizumi’s thighs and arms. She carefully navigated the group through, and before long, rays of sunlight pierced through the clouds: and just like that, they arrived at the proud gates of Kumogakure. The gate guard saluted as she approached, and she waved back, and cast a meaningful glance in Kanoh’s direction. The guard startled, as if suddenly remembering something, and offered another salute with twice the formality and gravitas towards the Kusa Lord. The Raikage Tower, glittering blue in the sunlight of the mountain’s peaks, was within sight, but once again Kizumi led the group along a more scenic route. They crossed over several bridges and through a tunnel or two before arriving at a small, sturdy antiques shop, and she carefully handed the sack she’d thieved back to Hitoshi. He grumbled at her; but he also gave her a rough pat on the elbow, so she figured she’d done well enough. "Well,” she said, clapping her hands together. "To my office, then?” She looked from Kanoh, to her two escorts, and very nearly offered them free roam of the village; then remembered abruptly that the Kusa Lord would probably want to have her bodyguards close at hand. "I did promise you a drink.”

Kouga Kanoh -- 651

LAIKA OF THQ