Sat at her desk, Midori scanned through paperwork of the ever changing and flowing nature of the current squad system. Names of those that ran squads, and those that were within them. She shook her head, striking off the names of those that had died, or gone rogue. More than she was particularly happy with, but, less than it could have been. It was something she was indifferent to at this point, having grown used to such situations and learning to simply act on what happened, not her emotional view of the situation. Still, that was an aside. Her main concern was the state of the slums, a situation that had been a problem for a long time. People feared it and found discomfort with it and its populace – and rightly too. Furthermore, morale was still low. People still left the village, people still didn’t trust those within the administration. So, today Midori wanted to begin the step of her new plan: The Full Bloom plan.

A rather long term plan, Midori simply wanted to start in a simple place. Working with those that still could use influence, and helping restore faith in the village. Whether people were still hopeful or not as an individual, she couldn’t personally gauge, however, it was important to do her best. And in this instance, it began with a priority student – one of the few who had not been able to be assigned a tutor proper due to the village circumstances. In particular, this was a boy who had… Mysterious circumstances, both in terms of skill, and village position. In truth, the papers on the boy had very little, and nobody knew where it was he came from. For this, the goal was multipurpose – both to find out more about the boy, and to help him grow in whatever way seemed like the most appropriate.

For that reason, she had sent a message prior to the boy as such, which was swiftly delivered through the aid of another shinobi – as was customary as it also provided work.

Dear Kisei, rank Genin

I hope you do not mind this letter being so formal, or without warning, however I wish to learn more about the people I’ll be working with as Kazekage. For that purpose, please meet me outside of the administration office building at 1330. I will be waiting, and from there, if you will allow, I would like to have a walk and talk, get to know you, and you know me in turn. If this is inconvenient, please tell so that I may reorganise, and reschedule. Safe times until then.

Ningyou, Midori, Sunagakure Administration

The message sent, she now stood outside of the building, wearing both the robes and the hat that signified her position as Kazekage. How Kisei would arrive, what would happen. It was all something very interesting to her, and some things of which she felt were important to learn. How would the young boy take the request for a meeting?

501

In a lofty little corner on the wall opposite of the Sunagakure’s entrance lay a small little home. Well the basement was rather extensive actually, and it had two floors, so… moderate perhaps? Kisei was in one of the more simply furnished bottom floor rooms when he heard a knock at the door.

When he opened it he was greeted with a smiling ninja dressed in traditional uniform, and in his hands, a note. Kisei reached out and took it, the messenger leaving with a curt nod before taking off. Kisei walked to the couch and plopped down next to his umbrella.

Dear Kisei, rank Genin

I hope you do not mind this letter being so formal, or without warning, however I wish to learn more about the people I’ll be working with as Kazekage. For that purpose, please meet me outside of the administration office building at 1330. I will be waiting, and from there, if you will allow, I would like to have a walk and talk, get to know you, and you know me in turn. If this is inconvenient, please tell so that I may reorganise, and reschedule. Safe times until then.

Ningyou, Midori, Sunagakure Administration

He swallowed thickly, his throat suddenly very dry. His good eye tilted to the nearest clock down, and he let out a sigh. There was still a good deal of time left. Turning a worrying look to the note he read over it a couple more times to make sure he was not mistaken. Each time he read it words such as ‘Kazekage’ and ‘Administration’ popped out from the rest. His eye kept reading over the name ‘Ningyou Midori’. It was strange. When they moved here he was aware there were some underlying issues in the leadership, and that they had recently gotten a new person to take over as Kazekage. Hearing and seeing was quite the difference.

Fear immediately took hold. “Why would the kazekage want to talk to me?” Kisei knew what the note said, but notes can lie. Oh dear… Did he do something wrong? His mind quickly played over anything he might have done to get himself in trouble, relaxing after a few moments of worry. “Of course not, if I were in trouble they’d just send ‘Alfa’ to sort me out.” He shuddered at the kinds of discipline his brother could dish out. Realistically, he knew it probably wouldn’t be that bad. But when has a healthy fear of your older sibling been a bad thing? The ushinatta’s eyes shot back to the clock. Thirty more minutes. Good. That left him a good time to get ready and freshen up. If he truly was meeting the Kazekage, best not to leave a bad impression. No matter how good of a ninja he may be, even if he was leagues ahead of his generation, it was all for naught if this, ‘Midori’, didn’t approve of him.

Rushing to his room he pulled out the cleanest pair of clothes he could find. He looked between two different jackets. Settling on the his favorite black one after a few moments. Kisei decided to leave his long boots here and settle on a more manageable pair. One that only reached to his ankles. Thank goodness they found on in his size. With that set he rushed out the door umbrella in hand and ready to meet the new Kazekage.

The walk was brief and mechanical. Kisei has passed these streets many times, one occasion leading to his sparring session with that, Uchiha fellow, Kuno. Umbrella overhead he basked in the shade it brought. “So turn left and-” There, in white and green attire, the Kazekage stood. His heart suddenly skipped a beat and he had the unsettling feeling that it had stopped. He placed a hand over it to assure him he was still alive. Well, ready or not, here I come.

Umbrella still shading him, he confidently tread over to the figure. Trying his most relaxed voice he spoke. “I was requested by the Kazekage to meet here, Kisei of the Ushinatta, are you the author of this request?” Reaching into his back pocket, the teen presented the letter that the shinobi from earlier had delivered.


714

Midori watched as a young boy with what looked like an umbrella walked towards her. The umbrella was an interesting thing that she took note of, as it was completely contradictory to the weather found in Sunagakure. It wasn’t exactly a rainy country in Kaze no Kuni, and due to the sometimes harsh winds, it often would be an inconvenience. So, the sight of the umbrella caught her attention first and foremost. As he approached and spoke up, Midori nodded along, listening. His face matched the registered photograph, and so, she could tell it was him anyways. Still, it never hurt for further clarification. As he asked if she was the one that sent the message in a way that felt forced, unnatural, Midori nodded her head as a sign of affirmation.

“Correct. I am Midori, of the Ningyou. Your Kazekage. A pleasure to meet you.” She smiled, bowing in greeting and voice soft, just barely above a whisper in tone. Gesturing her puppet prosthetic forward, she began to step away from the wall. “I hope you are okay with going for a walk. I wish to talk with you, get to know you a bit better. We can do this within the office if you so wish, but, I find that sometimes going for a walk is just good, you know? Really stretches the legs and gives some fresh air.”

Should Kisei accept her offer for a walk, Midori would begin a light pace inwards of the village, heading further away from the administration office and among the bazaar of populace in relative silence, footsteps light among the sandstone paths. Ignoring the few glances and watches as she walked among the village in the attire she wore for her inauguration: it was clear the clothes were not intended for her, the robes far too large, and the hat with a wide enough brim that Midori’s face seemed to disappear under it. Still, she walked with a surprising amount of poise and posture in her step, not once fumbling despite wearing incorrect clothes – taking the misjudged clothes in stride.

After a brief few minutes of walking, during which Midori stayed silent, the duo arrived at the border to what is often referred to as the slums. The conditions of the buildings quickly degraded as they drew closer, graffiti becoming a more common sign. The buildings became more compact, closer together, and as if they themselves were designed with the intention of being quick and concise. There, in front of the looming darkness in the bright light, Midori stopped, looking onwards and shaking her head. “I’m afraid I don’t know as much about you as perhaps others of the village. I’d like to ask you personal questions, but… Well, first, I would like to be rather selfish, and ask for assistance. I’m sure you already know, but, before you lies the slums. This is often referred to as the worst of the worst Sunagakure has to offer. A place where all the bad we have, all the bad we are, consolidates itself and festers. One day, I hope to change that, and make it so the inherent dangers of visiting this area are a thing of the past. Tell me. When you look upon this part of the village, what do you think? What do you see?”

As she posed the question, Midori glanced sideways at the young boy, before once more gazing out into the alleyways that comprised the slums. Figures, shadows, flitted out and in of vision, individuals glancing to see what was going on. Shutters closed in a hurry, and whispers resounded throughout the roads. The village’s pit. A despair inducing home, where the poor rot, and the rich die. A long term goal, in Midori’s mind.

629 + 501 = 1130

OOC: You can always just say you don't want to go for a walk by the way, in which case the next post will show that instead~

Kisei gave a small nod to signal that he understood. It seems silly in hindsight to ask, she was literally wearing the robes to tell people who she was. In any case her suggestion to walk seemed like a good one, so he agreed. “I would gladly join you for a walk, I haven’t seen too much of the village, it will be good to go outside, I hope.” Not like he wanted to spend hours inside, where there was air conditioning… His thoughts didn’t linger on the subject more too long though as they started moving. While they walked he noticed that her clothing was a bit longer than her figure would dictate but he reasoned that they just haven’t gotten it modified yet. He hadn’t seen much of her figure as most of it was covered. Even her face was hard to spot if you weren’t looking dead at her. Not going into detail how he had to work twice as much with his one eye.

Through their small walk he remained silent. Not wanting to be the first to speak. He wouldn’t have minded the silence but it was starting to get a bit weird when he caught the eyes glancing toward their way. He could only guess how strange a sight a genin with a mechanical umbrella and the Kazekage in full dress might have seemed to others. But the ushinatta wasn’t used to this much attention and it was starting to stress him out. Oh, why did Midori have to dress so formally? He bit his lip the further they got. Noticing how the streets got less familiar the Kazekage lead them on.

Then they stopped. The Kazekage spoke of her wishes, admitting her lack of familiarity with the young genin, the same could be the said for the Kazekage. Politely of course. She directed his attention to the scene in front of them. Introducing the eerily familiar scene as the ‘slums’. The shade cast over the streets in front of them screamed bad omens. Though he could feel nothing be sad longing here.

He had to suppress a sarcastic laugh at her last question and to see it as an honest inquiry. Questioningly he turned to Midori, then to the space spread out from them. Pausing in deep thought. His umbrella was still above him, the occasional pulse and warm hum marking the moments. Finally he moved back to his superior, pulling out his best impression of how his brother might speak, but retaining his own words. “I once learned from a close friend of mine that one must be honest when speaking of their feelings and opinions. Please forgive me if I am too blunt. But people, are all I see here. Not this bad-ness you mention” His violet eyes glanced back to the dark streets. “People, desperate, sad, alone. Among many things, but still people. Going about their lives as we ourselves do. I presume much, as I don’t know a lot.” Quickly adding on, “Especially about what happened during the reign of the last Kazekage.” Kisei shrugged, “But as I see it, and as you ask, I see this place in the shade of history, knowing that things have changed yet ‘they’ remain the same."

The ushinatta takes a deep breath and relaxes, that was a lot of words. He was the better speaker of his family but only when stressed. Which is what he was doing now. Stress-talking. "You said you wanted to change this place? Well, I think you’re doing an okay job right now, taking me out here, and all that. Though, I think you want to help the people over there-” Kisei gestures to the partially empty streets in front of them. “-And not to change this tiny genin here.” He jokes, pointing to himself. Relaxing his posture once more he wraps up with the last of his monologue. "I see people here, people who need someone to understand them."

For a moment he just watches and waits for his own words to sink in. He hadn't planned to say so much but once he spoke he couldn't find anywhere to stop. It was like they were there the whole time, these words and feelings inside him just wanted an out. Then like a broken dam, flooded. Kisei blushes a light red, "Sorry if I spoke to much madam, I got really carried away."

714 + 750 = 1464

Midori listened as the boy agreed to her suggestion, before leading on to do the events previously mentioned, walking with the boy towards the slums. From there, she asked her question, and then, listened patiently to his answer. After considering the question from beneath his umbrella, which Midori took a personal note of its… Uniqueness and oddity in relation to normal umbrellas, the boy gave his answer, prefacing it by declaring that a sibling had informed him of the importance of honesty, and thus that his answer would be what many would refer to as blunt. To Midori, this was good, as it suggested a willingness for openness and honesty was a nice quality.

The words he spoke next definitely held the bluntness he forewarned, declaring that he didn’t see the bad, but instead saw people. Perhaps due to his relatively new entrance into Suna, his words were of those of an outsider. In Midori’s mind, this was good however. He declared that she was okay at the change, albeit talking to the wrong person, and seeming to assume that he was the one Midori was intending to change. As he gestured to the alleyway, Midori stared at it, watching the slight movements and listening to the silence as if almost in a daze, a dream. The surreal nature of such a desolate place of her home.

Not long after this, the boy had finished, apologising for his answer. At this, Midori returned to the present, turning to face him with a smile and a head shake. “You have no need to apologise. I asked you to speak, and I asked you to be honest. I thank you for your answer. I agree with you. Everyone within this village is family to me, those within this region of the village included. And it is… Unpleasant to me, that I have to see them all suffer so. Although, you appear to have a singular misconception which I hope you won’t mind me correcting you on.”

She paused, gesturing to the boy for a moment with her right arm. “I did not take you here with intentions to change you. On the contrary, I requested you come so that you could help me. Others are welcome to disagree with me, but, the genin of this village are its future. To try to change the future would be to disregard it. I want to change myself. I’m still new to the world of the Kazekage. There are so many aspects I could not possibly have imagined, hurdles of their own right. Yet when I look at this area, I feel shame. Shame that I do not know how to begin. If I start on one area, I pose the risk of further anger from the areas not yet aided, resentment that they are seemingly being ignored. I have my own plans. To increase the income of Sunagakure, and devote that funding to restoring this area and providing jobs. But, tell me, what do you think would be a course of action? What do you think would reduce the damage people have emotionally?”

As if recalling something, the Ningyou cut herself off, shaking her head. “Actually, never mind. That’s a question that’s far too weighted. I apologise. I didn’t mean to give such a… Heavy conversation or question. Let’s go somewhere more open. There’s a pleasant rock garden further south.” She gestured, before turning and walking, continuing to speak as she did. “So, ignoring that previous question, but, along similar lines. You’ve done a fair bit for the village, despite being relatively new to the sand as I understand. So, I wish to ask. In general, we as a village are doing well enough for ourselves given the circumstances. Yet always, room for improvement lives. You said when you looked upon those alleyways, that you saw people that need them to have someone understand them. So, tell me, as one of ignorance to the world, what do you believe I should do? What action, or goal, do you believe the sand village should work for? Of course, don’t misunderstand and think I will simply listen to any suggestion. I’ll be taking everything with a grain of salt and sand, however I believe it is important to know what others wish, before you enact a plan. Consider it like a survey if you wish.”

729 + 1130 = 1859

The Ushinatta was worried for a moment that he had overstepped his bounds. He, a genin, to be lecturing that Kazekage on how she should be running the village?! Kisei sent a worrying glance to her, but was greeted with a slight smile from the village leader before she continued to speak. As she shared her own thoughts his mind began to relax slowly. Well, at least she didn’t seem to mind. Though the panic started to rise back up again when she started monologing her worries on the village. He understood the concept of family, but this seemed somewhat excessive! To have to manage such a massive place. She spoke for a long while, but at a pace that he could clearly understand her message. The tension of her speech was building, and reached it’s height when she asked him for advice about the people’s feelings. His face immediately blew up into a quizzical look at the request.

Thankfully the Kazekage seemed to realize exactly what she was asking, retracted somewhat. Suggesting they change scenery to something different.

As she lead them to the southern part of the village Midori choose to pick the conversation back up. It seemed that this was a rather passionate topic of the Kage, though to be asking him? She even acknowledged his lack of time in the sunagakure… Wait, what did that mean for him? Just how much does she know? He thought nervously. Although knowledge on him and his brother wasn’t publicly displayed he was certain that Alpha gave extensive details on who they were to the black cloaked men that occasionally dropped by before. Wouldn't that mean the Kazekage would know as well, their situation. Hopefully she would allow him to stay still...

The Ushinatta nodded as Midori finished, this time waiting for Kisei to respond, it was this question she wanted answered. Her silence was enough of a response to tell him so, and so he would try and think honestly. What would he do? Kisei only had to worry about his own brother and his brother, in the same turn, only worried about him. For the kazekage, who was needed by the whole village, it seemed rather hard to proclaim to not play favorites if they only concentrated their efforts on one part. His other life was far from safe but he had never minded. He imagined that it was the same for some of those living in such areas as the slums. But not for those who wanted more out of life, knowing that there was a possibility of a better future but unable to reach. That was where he differed from them in regards to their shared time of strife. In that desolate world there was no hope left to be found, no possibility for a better life. Their entire world had been reduced to rubble under the constant fighting, senseless, meaningless combat for the sake of violence. Existing merely to exist. That was what they didn’t want.

“I’m not sure if I’m the best to ask such an important question…” He bit his lip tensely, quickly adding. “But I will try my best.”

With a deep breathe in he followed with his idea. “When you reach the absolute lowest of your being, what hope is there left? None. These people feel trapped in the confines of the world they live in. Should they? No. Should we? Not quite. Right now you’re asking my advice on how to heal a fragmented nation, well-” He thought for a moment on how to continue. This train of thought was one that he had often chased himself in spare moments, but never sought to completion. Then when he did have the answer it would fade in his grasp. Though maybe he could remember…

“Unify them. Make them feel as they are, an important and invaluable part of the Sunagakure. Think of ways to get people involved and happy, to work towards a better future for themselves. Though I admit. It’s rather cliche, but then again, what have we got to lose? So for now, don’t focus too much on the outside world, trust us ninja to that. To work and protect the village. Look inwards to the people that need you to rebuild their lives, and them bring purpose and dignity, to how it was before.”

The teen paused for a long while. Unsure if he had done what Midori had asked him. She wanted him to share his thoughts on what she should do, and what would be best for the village, right? He thought to his brother, who had always protected him, and guided him when he was lost. If Midori could be that kind of person for this village, their guide and guardian, then without a doubt her goal will blossom into success. Kisei didn’t believe too much in the world, but he believed that Midori could do this. Be the lighthouse for her people.


840/2304