It had been quite a while since Gin had last been in Kirigakure. It had been years, in fact. She didn’t know exactly why she, of all people, was the one that had been called to inaugurate the new Mizukage. But well, with Jurou gone and deemed a traitor and Sero dead, there weren’t any of the new Mizukage’s predecessors that could do the job. Which brought her to the second reason why she was there. This ceremony also served as a funeral service to Sero Osada. He had died fighting one of the Shichiouza, a woman named Utau. After the fight, there hadn’t been a body left to recover, which was why a large picture of him was set up behind the stage.

The young Kazekage supposed it somewhat fit for her to be there, even though it hardly felt that way. While he had been Mizukage, Jurou had given her Soul Cutter and had named her an honorary member of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist. She supposed she had ties to the village, in a way. It still seemed odd for her, as a foreigner, to be given such a responsibility. Albeit, it was hardly anything more than a formality, but it was still an honor that she wasn’t sure she deserved.

Nevertheless, the Kazekage had taken the opportunity gladly. It was a chance for her to establish a good relationship with the new leader. She stepped on the stage that had been set up or the inauguration. There was a sense of grandeur in everything that was part of the ceremony’s decoration. There were hundreds of people gathered there, waiting anxiously for their new leader to receive her title and mourning for the previous one that had been single-handedly responsible for rebuilding their entire village. This was some torch that he was passing down to the new Mizukage.

Gin was slightly uneasy. Morning sickness had hit her rather hard this particular day, though on the outside she seemed perfectly calm and capable of handling the situation. She smiled at the people below the high platform as she walked towards the center of the stage. Microphones had been set up around the edges so that she didn’t have to speak directly into one. The young woman was dressed in a regal kimono – different shades of blue, seeing as it fit with Kirigakure’s colors. It was a shade of dark colors, to signify mourning over the previous Mizukage’s death as well. She looked down at the people before she began to speak. Once she did, they fell completely silent.

The daimyo and other prominent figures of the Land of Water sat behind Gin, waiting for their decision to be proclaimed. “People of Kirigakure,” She began taking in a deep breath. “Today marks the end of an era of peace. Recent events have forced the world to unite against a common threat, one which has come to end the period of tranquility that has lasted well over 100 years. These are no doubt dire times, but your leaders leave you in good hands,” she motioned towards the other side of the stage, signaling for Ayakashi to come towards her. “Ayakashi Aisu will no doubt lead you out of these dark times. So as you mourn your previous leader, rejoice in the fact that you are well protected.”

By then, Ayakashi would surely have come onto the stage. She would pass by the new Kage briefly and she would whisper something in her ear before walking towards the seat that had been set up for her next to the daimyo. “Please understand that this is not a title of power that is being handed to you, but rather the heaviest of burdens. Also know that you have a friend in me, should you ever need help.”

Solstice could not have believed her ears when she heard that the Kage was back from the Summit, her and the jounin population of the City rushed to the gates of Kirigakure no Sato with hope rising in their hearts, there had been little word from the summit. It was a race, first to see Sero return wins, though, when they saw none other than the young Kazekage, their hearts sank. And many of them already knew what had happened. Later they recieved a full report about the situation, and hearts began to sink. Morals began to get crushed under the wheel as the news spread that the Mizukage which had done so well in bringing Kirigakure up to its former glory would not be returning to them, and even worse, there wasn't even a body to bury.

Several of them however, got fucking furious. Solstice was one of them, this was two Mizukage dead in little more than a couple of months from each other, probably making this one of the worst death streaks in Kirigakure history. But when solstice heard that it would be HER who took over the mantle, she thought she was being fooled. She thought that this was a practical joke, or a nightmare and that everything would go away soon, and she would wake up. Her friends would jump out from behind something and yell SURPRISE and she would proceed to beat the crap out of them all for scaring her so badly... But it never came.

Then it dawned on her that this was real, and she felt a sinking feeling in her stomache, she realised that if the question had been posed to the masses after learning about Sero's death and the existance of the Schichiouza, how many people would raise their hands to be Kage, knowing that there was a high possibility they would be dead in little more than a couple of months. Solstice ran. Ours later found cringing, her hands were shaking, her mother approached and handed Solstice her gloves once she was found quivvering in her bedroom not quite being able to handle everything that was coming toward her at once. "How do I do it? How do i do this Mother? I havn't been trained for this, how am I supposed to fight something like that? I can barely handle the position given to me to lead this family, yet alone EVERY family in kiri...

Her mother layed a hand on hers, and wrapped her other arm around her. "With help,
there will be people lining up to support you, you will become a pillar of strength people can stand behind, and you can do what needs to be done. They could not have chosen a stronger pillar, you will dwarf history beneath your greatness, and we will be here for you. always." She pressed solstice's gloves to her hands, and Solstice knew what she meant, her father and her mother's love incarnated in her armour. Solstice's shaking began to stop, and she moved to her closet and took the cloak of the kage she was given for the upcoming ceremony. 'And you will do what needs to be done...' the words echoed in her mind.

Looking down at the cloak, the white fabric, the blue lettering of mizukage down the back. She held it out to her mother, "I have something for the clan to do, and I think i need this in my colour..." Her mother smiled, taking the cloak form her. Pride showing in her eyes as Solstice sent out a message to the Ten strongest Ninjutsu practitioners of the Aisu clan. To unite at the prison and with a new order to set free those whos crimes would not have warrented the death penalty, and await her signal. Solstice recieved her coat from her mother, and used body flicker to appear back at the center of the announcement. Looking to the Kazekage and nodding.

The lining and the blues of the Cloak of the Mizukage were darkner now, highlightes with a light crystal blue, though the white across the cloak had been treated into black, the blues which made up the lettering were deep royal colours, her black mask hung at her hip with her fuuma shuriken folded up sheathed at her other hip like a blade. The golden steel of her gloves wrapped perfectly around her hands as she stood before people. She was ready to do what needed to be done, and what needed to be done was change. The Kazekage made her announcement, and with that announcement Solstice walked out onto the stage area, looking down at the people of kiri with steel in her eyes. Listening to the Kazekage's soft whisper her eyes turned to her, and a smile crossed her face. "I'll need all the help I can get, but after this, I want to know everything about the summit..."

After a time Solstice was able to speak to the people of kirigakure, as the procession reached its end. Looking over the people who had gathered, she steeled herself. Opening her mouth and letting her anger, saddness and conviction rise with her voice. "People of the bloody mist, I have three things I wish to say to you, only three, the first, is that we should not mourn the late Mizukage's passing... " People expected the same old speach, that they should revel in knowing him in life, and all the great things he did, but when solstice spoke again, some were caaught by surprise, and their attention gripped.

"We should be fucking furious!" She began "Twice now, we have been stomped on by rogue ninja, who think they can destroy our way of life, and twice now, we have not gotten even, Lady Kazekage is correct, it is an end to the era of piece, and the first thing i promise you, is that the hurting in your hearts will end with time. The second, is that those who have caused your pain will pay dearly for what they have done to us. Kirigakure has always been at its best when we have been fighting, and now the gloves are off. And the last thing i can assure you is..." Solstice Rose her hand to the sky, and pointed toward the prison which was once said to be impenitrable.

As ten S rank techniques crashed into it from all sides, and Solstice's cold eyes watched over the crowd, their reactions, some of shock, others of confusion, she could see the pain and anger in their eyes, they wanted those who killed their beloved mizukage to pay the price of blood, and the one who gave them their satisfaction would be held as a hero in their eyes. Thjey needed a Kage who was not afraid to act, who was not afraid to see a problem and fix it, rather than discuss, a kage of action, not reaction. As the Prison became little more than a ruin, and a crater, the monument in its center was erected of ice which would stand across the ages.

"There will be no more prisoners..." The mass execution of the criminals who were awaiting their death sentances and the release of the others who witnessed what could happen to them should they cross the line was evident. Solstice may be creating another Bloody mist, but in its heart, there was justice beating strongly. The people did not cheer, but their spirits were raised, they would have their justice, and hopefully they could see it in their Kage. Kirigakure, over the next few years will be changing, and I'm going to need everyone's help, there is a war coming, we can all feel it, and we need to be the first who are ready for it. Anyone here, who is state payed, the businesses, the people, the workers and builders and artisans, you've just recieved a raise, because you will be working the hardest... No more wasted life... No more suffering.

Solstice looked to the Kazekage, and hoped to see approval in her eyes, she saw soulcutter, and part of her wanted to pry it from her waist and reclaim what belonged to kirigakure. But, her first act of Kage would not be to overturn the actions of a past kage, if he had trusted her with such a precious blade, Solstice would have to as well. But for now, she had a grave to visit to uncover the rest, if war was indeed coming. They needed to reincarnate the seven swordsmen of Kiri to defend them against this threat. If it meant disrupting a grave which held little but ashes, then so be it. Sacralage or no...