Maro didn't expect to find himself here, among the crowds that came to watch the debates between the candidates for the position of Tsuchikage.
He expected a farce. The last three elections were a farce - one kage, a clan puppet, was appointed, the other went down. Then through a coup-de-tat, that kage went down, and the clans that weren't pleased with the arrangements and distributions of important positions, started anew. The last 'civil war' was bit more bloodier than the previous ones. Maro sat out of it, just like he did with the previous conflicts, not believing that these were more than just squabbles between greedy clans. And yet, he decided to show up and hear what was all the fuss about. A couple of friends joined him. The seats weren't the best out there, but at least they could see and hear everything.
The candidates were late, as usual. A murmur of discontent was getting stronger as the time passed. Not showing up on time, if anything, was a sign of disrespect for many people gathered here. Hmpf, the leaders of the people, not showing up in time to see the people they're supposed to represent... - the archer had thought, crossing his arms. He thought about leaving, too - this seemed like a waste of time. But then, something happened.
A kid jumped out of the crowds, and unto the stage. He was ... no younger than 15, from the looks of it. He introduced himself as a jinchuriki, and spouted some nonsense about wanting to become the next Kage. Maro laughed at that. This guy can't be serious, can he? Of course, Maro couldn't take him seriously. He doubted anyone did. But then a rebuff hit his ears, from the other end of the podiums. When he heard it, his eyes narrowed, teeth gritting. The voice belonged to the Kamizuru queen. One of the famous clans of the village that he, Maro, hated so much. He hated all clans in general, but this one took the cake. It was their Kage, that reigned over 200 years before his assassination started the circle of revolutions, who divided the village into castes, with the clans being on top and the rest ground into dirt beneath them. Her words stank of privilege, arrogance and haughtiness. It was what brought the archer to side with the kid, in this debate. Breathing in, he yelled to outshout the murmurs of the crowd, in response to the Kamizuru:
"Reporting to the Tsuchikage? Which Kage out of three or four we had was that, huh? Being a clique head ain't gonna make ya a better leader! The last three or four kages were from clans, and yours was the worst!"
Surprisingly, his words were supported by howls from like-minded individuals, showing the division between the people of Iwagakure. Maro returned to watching the debate, as one of the candidates bothered to show up. A smirk appearing on his face as he heard the kid again. Akira, was it? He liked his words about titles and positions. The archer still didn't think he stood a chance. But he sure does a good job at pissing off the 'high society'.
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