It was about a week before he had left the village, and Syekren could remember it perfectly, his mind creating the illusion that he was still there, in the Kazekage's office talking to her. He had just met a man named Matsuro, and from what he had told Syekren, there was something that didn't sit right and he just had to talk to Suzume. He had only recently became an ANBU at that point, but he didn't want to have to kill his friend if it wasn't completely necessary. Syekren continued to think on and remember that day, while he sat in the village hidden in the mist.

Syekren was standing in front of the Kazekage's door, and he knocked quietly. After a moment he opened up the door to the office and stepped in, closing it behind him. He was wearing his ANBU armor, his mask clipped onto his belt. Syekren quietly put his right arm over his chest diagonally, slightly bowing to the girl behind the kazekage's desk, then standing straight once more to speak to her. "Lady Kazekage. I have something to discuss with you. I recently met a man by the name of Matsuro the other night, and something seemed strange about him. He told me of how he had to cleanse his clan and he'd been in the village before but he was just returning. I know I am just recently appointed as an ANBU and I am grateful, but is he a criminal? If so, can we possibly bring him here without harming him? He has shown to be a rather good fellow, and a good friend to me so far. I am only concerned mind you." He quietly looked to the floor, awaiting his kage's answer with quiet anticipation.

It had been several weeks that I had stayed cooped up in my office, and I felt quite drowsy.  There was so much desk work to be done it was nauseating. The many responsibilities of being Kazekage were quite wearisome.  After quite the long hiatus from the outside world, I had managed to catch up with everything, finishing all the paperwork that had been left to me by the interim council and now I could focus on reality. Just as I got up from my desk, my office door opened and out stepped a ninja clad in ANBU attire.

His dark clothes went smoothly in a nice looking clash to the shiny, silver armor that covered his torso, arms, and legs.   Their fresh gleam a sign that he was new.  He had his mask on his belt, and when I noticed just who he was my mouth parted slightly in surprise.  Uchiha, Syekren.  I hadn't seen him in a long while, but his name did sound familiar.  He bowed, placing one arm across his chest as he did so before he began to speak.

"Lady Kazekage. I have something to discuss with you. I recently met a man by the name of Matsuro the other night, and something seemed strange about him. He told me of how he had to cleanse his clan and he'd been in the village before but he was just returning. I know I am just recently appointed as an ANBU and I am grateful, but is he a criminal? If so, can we possibly bring him here without harming him? He has shown to be a rather good fellow, and a good friend to me so far. I am only concerned mind you."

So that explained it.  During my rush through the paperwork, I was able to recall approving his application to join the ANBU.  Seeing him before me was just a small shock as he had come in unannounced.  Quickly I went over what he was asking of me.  It was true that Matsuro, Daraku was a wanted criminal.  The man had been known to have defected from the village.  On most terms this would be punishable by death, although there were occasions when defected ninja were brought back to the village without harm.  Yet there had been no intel on what Daraku may have done since his defection from the village and that was my main concern.

I had made sure the man's name was put on the Bingo book, so Syekren's friendship with this man would be quite interesting to find out about how it came to be that an ANBU made friends with a criminal, unless they had known each other previously.  My mind raced with what this could mean, grinding my head into quite the headache.  The desk work had taken quite a lot from me and my brain just couldn't take so much stress.  I rubbed my head with my right hand, using my forefinger and index finger to massage my forehead while still keeping a calm look about me.  

"Uchiha, Syekren.  It's been too long." I said, thinking before I chose how to respond to his question.

"You said you saw Daraku just last night?  He is indeed a criminal of Sunagakure no Sato, charged with defecting from our village.  This means you missed your chance on quite the catch and quite possibly could have let him get away.  Try to be more aware of your targets, Syekren." My words may have come off a bit too harshly, but he was a new ANBU operative, and I can't let them get away with just letting criminals slip by them.  "Capturing and bringing him back alive would be favorable, although he would need to be detained.  He's been gone for far too long and we can't trust him as we might have in the past.  Just because your gut says he is a good fellow doesn't wipe his record.  If you think you can bring him back here alive, then do it, but be wary.  We have no knowledge of what he's done since he defected and knowing exactly what he's done is beneficial for the safety of this village.  I'm sure you understand."

I sighed, placing my hands down to the desk and sitting back down.  The headache was getting worse with all this talking.  Fresh air would help alleviate the pain, but this matter needed to be addressed first.  A simple headache wouldn't be too much to handle while discussing things with Syekren.  I kept good posture and sat up in my chair, politely motioning for Syekren to take his own seat at one of the two chairs on the opposite side of my desk.

Training Raiton B-->A 802/3000

Her words hit his ears a bit harshly, but it was nothing he wasn't expecting. He had let the man slip out of his grasp. True to what she said though, it had been too long. The lady looked a bit older, but not in a bad way. She was quite stunning. Syekren looked from her top down as far as he could go, surveying her. His cheeks came to a blush when he thought back to how they had actually fought so Syekren could take her on the date she didn't want to be on, and those things he'd said the museum..He sighed, but listened carefully to the woman explaining things. If He could be brought back alive. Syekren didn't like that but quietly nodded, allowing himself the time to think while his kazekage rubbed her temples on the sides of her forehead. She seemed to have a headache, and looking around the room, the ANBU could see why. She had cooped herself in her for days, if not weeks, and it barely showed. There were a few neat stacks of filed paperwork here and there, but the filing cabinets seemed filled to capacity. Though, that was only how he viewed it of course. She could have that waiting for someone to pick it up.

"Aye, my lady it has been long. My last memory of seeing you was our date to the glass museum. But look at you now! After the horrible things I said, you've become quite the Kazekage."

He took her offer to sit in the chair across from her, watching the poor woman rub her temples still. He stood up on more, moving to the windows behind her, to pull the curtains open and let in bright, sunny light. After this though, he'd open the windows and push them fully open to allow in the nice fresh desert air from outside. The day was a beautiful one, where the sun hung high and the humidity was down to a lower point than it normally was. There was a fountain out in front of the Kage's manse that had been erected during both of their time away, and it was spraying water into the air, giving it a cool feeling when the breeze went through it. That same breeze pushing in through the open window to waft into the Kage's office. It was truly a beautiful day to be outside, it was too bad the two were stuck there. But he came back around the desk to sit across from her again, sighing.

"You have been busy I see. I'm sorry for this unannounced  intrusion then. But I felt as though I had to see you before anything Happened. I was planning to train with him in two days time, learning my third element;Fuuton. I've been meaning to learn wind-style for quite some time but never got around to it and he offered to teach me. I also have a number of people following him and notifying me of what he does, when he leaves, and where he goes. He doesn't do anything without my knowing."

The man smiled, hoping this would please the woman to the point she may take back what she said earlier. True, he felt completely infatuated by his Kazekage once more, but he had to remember that he was an ANBU now and would have to keep this as professional as possible. He had made it into the ANBU at a young age, quite young but he had a lot of skill so that made up for his age deficiency. After all, the Kazekage had to of seen how great his skill was, she was the one to approve him becoming the ANBU. He smiled, thinking back to how he was trained and the thoughts of actually making a difference to save the village. His thoughts went to his date with suzume a few times, before he finally remembered one of the things he was going to tell her. As an ANBU they were allowed to choose their own masks, and their names. He pulled his mask from his belt to place it on her desk and show her, before speaking.

"I remembered that you need the mask's description and my assumed name for the non-existant 'records.' I am Hizenchō, the Fire Omen."

'Fitting, given my chakra alignment.'

My words hit Syekren with their vigor, I could tell by his face.  Although, as the conversation continued, she noticed him eyeing her.  The way he looked at me brought back memories of when we had last been together.  It had been a date, though not on the best of terms.  He had beaten me in battle, and quite swiftly too, which had got him to take me out as a date.  I was foolish for taking such a bet and the consequences showed.  That memory was a painful one.  His last words to me that day was that I'd be an awful Kazekage.  Maybe he had been right then, but a lot had changed since then.  I had grown up, learnt the hardship and toils of being a shinobi of the village and all that it meant to be one protecting and fighting for the village.  His words had stung, no matter if they had been true or not at the time, but reflecting now I could tell it had been enough to make me seriously look over and prepare myself for my dream.  His actions, however harsh they had been, were enough to spur me on and achieve my dream.

It was apparent that this was on his mind as well when he replied, "Aye, my lady it has been long. My last memory of seeing you was our date to the glass museum. But look at you now! After the horrible things I said, you've become quite the Kazekage."

At first I thought him uneasy as he sat and stood back up, then after he had opened the windows did I appreciate his care.  The window let in a slight breeze and smell of the spices and burned sand filled the room.  Closing my eyes to the rush of outside air, I took breathed in the fresh air, letting the light wind caress my face.  In just a few moments my headache weakened and I was able to think straight.  Opening my eyes again, Syekren was speaking again about Matsuro.  He talked about training with the man as if there was nothing wrong.  Had I stuttered?  Was the Bingo Book's description of Matsuro misprinted?  Daraku was a defector and thus a traitor to the village unless proven otherwise yet here was one of the village's ANBU seeking to train from that defector.  I had to hold back the anger that wanted to display itself upon my face.  Instead, I kindly smiled upon Syekren as he switched subjects, placing his mask on my desk and announcing his new name as an ANBU operative.

"Well then, Hizenchō," I said, managing my tone as I spoke.  "If you wish to be trained and improve yourself, I have no qualms with that.  However, if you also intend on letting Daraku to walk freely while still being suspect for treason against the village, know that you would be aiding and abetting a known criminal of Sunagakure no Sato.  I do not mean to threat, please understand me.  I just ask that if you are to train with this man, that when you are done, you bring him back so that he may be thoroughly questioned and possibly reinstated as a shinobi of the village.  I do trust you in that this man might indeed be a good natured, but the fact remains that he has defected.  All must be taken into account, Hizenchō."

Training Raiton B-->A 1377/3000

OOC: I'll try posting later tonight or tomorrow I got quite busy

The male sighed, looking to the ground while she spoke to him. It hurt a bit to think that he had actually failed his kage in any way. He nodded his head, listening to the words she said to him, thinking on how he was to respond to her. He looked back up, it was obvious to tell that each word was coated with not just anger, but a bit of resentment that he'd 'pal' around with a defector from their village, instead of bringing him to justice. She was trying to hide it well, but she lacked the finesse of emotion hiding that ANBU were trained for. When she finished speaking, he took a moment to let everything sink in before he started to choose his words. The last sentence hurt more than it should have, what she said wasn't what hurt, it was that she ended it with 'Hizencho' instead of his given name. She was obviously disappointed. The name he was given as an ANBU was usually reserved for missions or when he was hiding his identity, he sighed before he spoke, his voice unwavering.

"Lady Kazekage. Make no mistake I will bring him in to you, but it may not be easy. If he flees the country, I will follow. I may not have time to ask your permission, but I will bring Matsuro back. I promise you this. I don't want to feel like I've disappointed you. We both had our goals..And you're the only one who's met their's." He clenched his fists, staring at the ground."I still have a long way to go before I can proudly proclaim that I am as good as I've wanted to be. Failure can't be an option to me. I know I've disappointed you with this,but I will make this right. I swear on my life that I will bring him home, and take down our enemies. So the whole shinobi world will know Sunagakure no Sato's strength!" He looked back at her sighing a bit. "Maybe then I get someone's affections without having to beat them to a pulp."

He shook his head, sighing once more. His last remark wasn't just about her, but about everyone he'd encountered thus far. He'd had to fight many people, or show his own personal strength to make any friends, or even get a date because power was all he knew. He didn't know how to talk to people to get them to like him, he didn't know how to romance women. All he was taught was to strike first, strike hard, and strike until he or his enemy couldn't stand any more. It was second nature to him; fighting. Like breathing, or blinking, or even his heart beating. The blood pumping through his veins was that of a warrior, not a scholar, or diplomat. And that was his biggest shortcoming. That's why he couldn't arrest Matsuro. Because he wanted friendship no matter who it was from, regardless of his mission.

"I'm a horrible ANBU.."

He responded with force and tact.  I could tell his words rang true by the strength of his emotions flowing out from his body.  He was ashamed for his acts, although he may still be conflicted with what he had done as he clenched his fists in frustration.  I watched him carefully, using my kekkei genkai to read him.  He seemed to still be adjusting to his new position which was understandable.  All ANBU deal with trouble in knowing they have to sever ties to their past when they joined the force.  Maybe that was Syekren's trouble now.

Hearing the shift in tone as Syekren continued talking, I couldn't help but be calmed from my own anger.  He was taking it out on himself, possibly too much.  Yes, he had made a mistake in his actions with Daraku, but then again, could I blame him?  He seemed to have genuinely thought Daraku was just a normal shinobi and didn't know the man was a criminal.  I imagined what I would have done in his shoes, being brand new to the ANBU organization and meeting a new shinobi that could help train me.  Just because I had met someone knew wouldn't automatically trigger myself to check the Bingo Book on the guy.  Relaxing in my chair as I thought about it, I wondered if I was being too hard on Syekren.  In any case, he did have people following Matsuro.

"I'm a horrible ANBU.."  Syekren said while he shook his head at himself.

"No," I replied instantly.  "If I even thought for a moment that you didn't have what it took to be ANBU, I wouldn't have approved you for the position.  Now listen here, Syekren: you made one mistake and not many shinobi are alive today to say they've made a mistake.  In this world we live in, this is one mistake you should be happy for as it didn't cost you your life, but it improved it.  I want you to learn from this and get back out there.  If I'm not mistaken, you have a mission to do that has your name written all over it.  I'll see you again when you have Matsuro with you."

I stood up, grabbing Syekren's ANBU mask from my desk.  After a short look at it's design and paint, I handed it to him, my eyes locking with his.  Nothing but confidence showed through my eyes.  I kept my strong gaze for as long as possible, waiting for him to take his mask from my hand.  He had the look of strong potential just like he had back when I had first met him, which was surprising since he'd come so far already.  Syekren would indeed become a great ninja, all he had to do was realize it.

Training Raiton B-->A 1857/3000

The Uchiha listened to her words, letting a smile grace his lips. He stood when she finished, grabbing his mask from her hand, and nodding. "Just what I expected from our great Kazekage." As he spoke, he moved to the window behind the woman's desk, tying his bangs back to the back of his head with the string of his mask, tying the mask onto his face, his blue eyes staring through the small slits in the feline natured porcelain. "Good natured to a fault, but always strong when needed. You're beauty is only matched by your wisdom, and I am happy to be at your side. Call should the need for me arise, and next time we meet..How about we go out for coffee? You know how to contact me!" He pointed at the salamander on her desk that carried letters back and forth between the two, and without waiting for her words he was out of the window, flipping through mid-air and taking off down the street. He chuckled , making his way into the shadows, moving between them to find his way home.

OOC: SOrry for the short post, writer's block.

OOC: Going to post later tonight. Just been busy. (You can go ahead and say [exit thread] for yourself if you need too, just closing it off myself.

OOC: I'll let you end it haha cx

I watched Syekren take his mask and put it on.  As I stared into the dark slits of his mask, I couldn't help but smile.  He was back to himself, I could tell, by his renewed sense of flirting came back to him.  "Good natured to a fault, but always strong when needed. You're beauty is only matched by your wisdom, and I am happy to be at your side. Call should the need for me arise, and next time we meet..How about we go out for coffee? You know how to contact me!"

This was the Syekren I knew and remembered.  Seeing him leave on this note made me feel rejuvenated in my own spirits.  As I sat in my office, I stared at the salamander as he peeked into one of the drawers.  My mind traveled to the past when I had fought against Syekren.  "I have a proposal for you," he had said, quite some time ago.  "If that would be alright. I need to make myself stronger anyway, and I'm sure a beauty like you would love something to do.  Train with me for now? Well it's actually a spar. Say I win, you let me take you on a date. As friends if you wish. Or, if I lose, you can choose your own prize. I believe that people who become more than strangers through a fight will be better suited to hang around each other. And my name..Is Syekren Uchiha."  

It was from that moment that we began to have a spar. In the end he had won and I had to let him take me out on a date.  But the fight was the thing to remember.  It was brief, but it was nice.  I treat fighting as a dance, a type of style.  At the time I was young and still not as graceful as I once was, but thinking back to this moment had gotten me to remember my practicing that had happened earlier today.  Back when I had sparred with Syekren, so long ago, I had felt disconnected from my second chakra nature: Raiton.  Today, a shinobi known to teach and train students and genin about chakra natures and how to grow them was brought to me.  He helped me rekindle my affinity for raiton that I had grown disconnected to over time.

---------

"I know what happened to you," he began.  "I know that you believe you lost your connection to your second chakra nature since you haven't used it since that sparring match.  As if something about it had made you lose it.  I can see you believe it, too."

My face had taken on an expression of sorrow.  Not pity, thankfully.  I didn't want that from anyone--especially not from this teacher.  But he showed genuine regret as he spoke.  When I didn't reply he took a deep breath and continued.  "You're wrong, Lady Kazekage.  You can't just lose your affinity to use the raiton chakra nature.  None of us can.  Our chakra natures are just that; ours.  They are a part of our being.  I remember seeing you fight in the Chuunin Exams and how you fought many enemies of our village, climbing up to where you are now.  That showed what you were capable of.  It revealed your true potential."  He paused, his gaze intense now.  "You may believe you've squandered your affinity, or lost it.  But I know better.  I can sense the nature still inside you.  I can feel it.  It's still there."

I shook my head.  "The nature may be there, but my ability to control it is gone.  I'm not what I used to be."

"That's not possible," he said, his voice gentle. "Give me your hand."  I hesitated only an instant before reaching out.  He clasped my palm with both of his hands.  "Close your eyes," he ordered, even as he shut his own.  In the darkness I became acutely aware of how tightly he had clenched my hand: squeezing the flesh so hard I could feel the beating of the shinobi's heart through his palms.  It was quick and urgent, and my already racing heart accelerated in response.  I felt a tingling in my fingers, something beyond mere physical contact.  The shinobi was reaching out with his chakra.

Suddenly I felt as if I were falling.  No, not falling: diving.  Swooping down into a great abyss, the black emptiness inside my very being.  The chill darkness numbed my body; I lost all sensation in my extremities.  I could no longer feel the man's hands wrapped around my own. I didn't even know if he was still standing in front of me.  I was alone in the freezing void.

"Your chakra nature is still there, Lady Kazekage.  Seek it out.  Reclaim the lightning of your soul."  As if in response to the man's words, I could feel a warmth rush up to meet me.  Then I felt something else.  A spark; a cackle of light and heat in the cold darkness.  My mind lunged out and grasped at the source of light, and for one brief instant I felt the glorious power of raiton surging through me once more.  Then the man let go of my hand and I grew worried, but I could still feel the warmth and see the light coming from within my hands.  Suddenly the lightning burst through the cracks of my fingers and shot out brilliantly around me.

I opened my eyes with a jolt as if shocked by the lightning itself.  From the expression on the man's face, I knew he must have felt something, too.  I thanked the man several times and he even watched me perform a few raiton jutsus with my tonfas as I proved to myself that I indeed could still control raiton.  The shinobi smiled happily as he left me in my office, my renewed confidence in my abilities giving me a new surge to get back to work.

-----------------

I refocused my mind to the present and looked outside the window that Syekren had leapt through. I needed to get myself outside of the office more. A whole bunch of events were unfolding and I couldn't just let others do all the work for me. A Kage needed to be active for her village. I had done all the legal work but was I active? Did the people of my own village really know who I was, what kind of person I was?

I shook my head in answer to my own question. This would change immediately. Springing up from my chair, I pulled my blue coat over my shoulders and marched out of my office door. Unlike Syekren, I would actually use a door for what it was made to do. I nodded to the shinobi standing outside in the hallway and then marched outside. The warm sun and the fresh air was glorious to feel and breathe in. My senses had grown dull over time being cooped up in that stuffy old office. How I had kept myself inside there for so long, I had no idea. Contently, I began to stroll around the village and began having chats with the villagers. I felt like a new woman as I walked through the sandy streets of my wonderful village.


Training Raiton B-->A 3099/3000