I walked down the cold cobblestone streets of the Hidden Mist village.  Passerby's glance my way, their dull gazes fitting the bland, misty day as I approached a street side diner.  The diner stuck out a foot into the street, slanted ground all around and behind it signifying a recent mudslide had moved the building out a few feet from its original place.  Mud and mold painted the sides.  The diner may have once seen better days, but those better days were several months ago and now long past.

One would think the diner to be abandoned, the inside torn up by the recent mudslide except for the fact that the neon sign still hummed with life, illuminating the water particles that hung in the air.  A bright green glow of the words 'open' guided me to the front entrance.  The door chimed and groaned as I crossed the threshold.  Only three other customers sat inside, each wrapped well to fight the cold, misty day.  Two sat in a far off corner booth whispering quietly to one another, the third sitting in the middle of the bar sipping on steaming coffee.  One lone woman stood behind the bar, with a face worn by time.  She wiped her hands against her grease-stained apron before resuming her count of the cash register's contents.  

My entrance made everyone turn, the chiming of the door signaling a newcomer, an intruder.  The whispering hushed to a rustling of coats as the two in the booth turned, the sipping stopped for a moment and let the hard ceramic cup rest on the wooden counter, the counting paused as one last flick of paper money rubbed against the greasy fingers of the middle-aged waitress.  I stood for a moment, glancing between all four of my new spectators.  The door screamed shut behind me with a loud rattle.  A brief rush of the warmer air inside the diner hugged my face, rubbing the burnt grease smell around my nose.  After a brief study by everyone, they each in turn resumed their previous tasks, finding me of less intrigue.

Three seats down from the coffee sipper I took up residence, folding my hands over the other and resting against the wood counter.  Without looking up or stopping her counting, the waitress asked what I wanted.  Her request sounded more demanding then coaxing, but no one was in the best of moods.  I merely replied indignantly for my own cup of coffee.  The waitress nodded and continued counting the money.

Finding time to take a rest, I laid my head down upon my folded arms and closed my eyes.  It had been nearly thirty six hours since I had slept.  Having kept watch over Misoka's and Kazuhiko's recuperating bodies in the hospital ever since I had carried them into the emergency wing.  My whole body ached and now seemed to thank me in a resounding chorus for being given a moment to rest.  Letting my eyes rest beneath my eyelids, I prayed for the coffee to come quick, lest I fall asleep.  There was no telling when I would wake up again.

Staying at rest, the white noise of the diner became acute to my ears.  The simmering of a coffee pot from somewhere before me, on the other side of the counter, bubbled and dripped its way to my eardrums.  More sipping from the patron a few seats to my left and further down the unintelligible whispers of the two coated men had sparked to life again.  I could feel myself slowly slipping closer and closer to sleep.  The next sound that I became aware of as I rested against the counter was the flicking of paper money and the metal ding of the cash register pushing closed.  A soft tapping of the waitress's boot against the dirty tile floor and my slow, drowsy breaths filled the room and encased me in its own, strange lullaby as I drifted ever closer to slumber.

It had been a somewhat peaceful day for Ayakashi in the land of Mizu no Kuni, everything seemed to be going well, the War against Seven bells had come to an end, her village was in the midst of being rebuilt, and unlike most Kage, Ayakashi was not one to allow her people to shoulder the heafty burden alone. There were people who were able to do the paperwork while she, widely considered the strongest person in the village moved to help with the manual labour, moving extensive beams of wood and aiding others shift stone in long sweeps, doing the work of more than a dozen men on her own, untiringly and consistently, something which was a little more valuable than paperwork in the light of this. Though, at the end of the day, the sapphire haired beauty slumped into her chair at the top of the administration building, her stamina failing her as her eyes drooped, blinking slowly, the blackness which so comforted her spent longer and longer until she finally slipped away into a tired sleep. The world outside of this world became as nothing, her worries, her village, everything faded away.

But in the midst of her peace she was, in her heart, at unrest. Her dreams came to her quickly, and with them, came fire, blazing infernos bathing the landscape in fiery oblivion. Screams rose up in the smoke and Aya could see her city around her burning. Faces coiled in the raising smog, wracked with pain and infinite anguish. Aya moved to help someone, but found herself recoiling as the fire exploded from the directions she tried to run. Aya's breathing became more and more shallow, panicked, forced. Her eyes darted around as the stress of the scenario called her to focus on her chakra, the cold singularity of incredible force that she was in. She would have to save her village, she needed to be strong enough. Pooling her force, her chakra swelled like a frozen ocean of hyper-cooled ethereal matter. Her body beginning to turn black as the form of her Ultimate Ice corruption technique erupted from her skin, the icy scales, the fangs, the tail. Her body was swallowed by powerful permafrost harder than any basic steel.

Lady Mizukage... ...

A voice called from the distance, and there she saw someone walking toward her, a source of violent flame and wind as Aya had become nothing more than a beast... No, she was more than that now, she was the beast with no tail. The Tailless tailed beast, and before her was a victim, and the source of the fire. She had spread havoc and devastation upon her city and Aya would crush this threat like a bug, Like Seven Bells, Like the Graveyard Killer, Like all others she had faced before... But still the voice called.'

Lady Mizukage... Ayakashi... Aya... Aya wake up... Aya!

AYA!

Ayakashi woke with a start, looking around and feeling the cool force of chakra enhanced ice on the chair she was sitting on, looking up to see one of the Twins looking worried before her. One of the two clerks Aya often used to perform paperwork and scout for the city, while she was either absent, or in a position where she would be unable to perform her duties. The twins were able to bridge the gaps of her absence and perform all duties the Kage and Sannin are able to, other than use the Kage's personal seal to sanction missions or other edicts. Aya's head was spinning with the nightmare, but, as she looked up to see the worried look on the Twin's face, she noticed that the younger special jounin was holding something in her hands. A coiled scroll she had been gripping with some strength it seemed, her fingers were pressed into the paper hard enough to crease it with her finger prints. Holding out her hand, Aya assured the girl that she was fine, and that all she needed was to wake up. A faint smile crossing the girls' lips as Aya opened the note to read the words which were written across the page.

An Unannounced Visit by the Kazekage has caused a bit of a stir.

The Kage of the Village hidden in the sands followed subsequently by a high profile mission has left a gang of criminals dead under her hands, though, the echoes of the killings have not gone unnoticed. ANBU have reason to believe a game is underfoot to end the life of the unsuspecting Kazekage, and have taken steps to isolate any impending threat to the life of the Kage, however, the ring of the criminals was vaster than we had anticipated, and though we apprehended many of them in the wake of the mission, we fear there may be rogue elements which may by now be moving out of desperation.

Requesting Aid.

Aya slammed the note to the desk before moving like a whirlwind, her tiredness faded instantly as she equipped herself with her three swords, changeling, her gloves, cloak and arrows, but not having enough time to shoulder her armour as she sped out the window of the seven story building, grabbing her mask as the last item within reach as she leaped out of the window, allowing gravity to to the next part of the work for her. Falling back first, Aya rotated slowly, spinning herself to land feet first, her body coiling and reinforcing itself as she made contact with the ground beneath her. Bending at the knees she crouched, placing a hand on the ground and thrusting forward with enough speed to throw the dirt at her feet up behind her in a cloud. Becoming little more than blurred lines speeding through the city before them, darting between houses until a cart approached from the distance. Heading straight toward it, Aya sprung lightly, soaring through the air as one foot planted on the cart as soft as a feather, routing her force diagonally upward her next step landed on the roof of a nearby building. Darting toward her destination at full tilt.

Meanwhile, in the bar, not far from the Kazekage, a man slipped a curved knife from his sleeve, long hidden, he approached the bar with his empty glass, as close to the Kazekage as he could manage to get a good look... an ever so thin layer of a gel coating his knife as he asked the barkeep for another. The Kazekage to him looked tired, and worn out, there was no way in his mind that she would be able to fend off a surprise attack while she was in this kind of state. Swallowing nervously, the man span with the knife and moved to throw it in a single swift motion for the woman's chest, as he held it high to bring it down, glass broke to the side of them, nothing more than a crack in the window with a small hole. And the assailant with the knife fell to the floor, a long, straight, black arrow penetrating the man's neck, causing the man to choke, and fall, flailing breathlessly before life faded from his eyes.

Aya walked through the front door moments later, bow in her hand, mask hanging at her side like an identity badge, hood over her head. Her long black and blue trimmed cloak with "MIZUKAGE" written in kanji down her back identified her boldly. Looking to Suzume, even Aya's breath was a little lost, having sprinted at top speed to this location in an attempt to end this attempt on her life, no matter how successful it would have been. Suzume could have easily ripped the mans heart from his mouth without batting an eye, but, diplomatic relations were something Aya prized herself in. No country held Kirigakure no Sato in ire, Aya wanted to keep it this way...

The patrons of the bar looked shocked, but soon saw what had happened, and managed to piece the scene together. Aya moved forward to Suzume, a light smile crossing her lips as she placed her hands to her knees, taking a couple of long breaths, in an attempt to pull herself together.

"This... is why.. you tell me you're coming... Lady Kazekage... " She said between puffing. Looking up and holding out one of her golden, armour plated hands to shake and greet the high ranking visitor for the first time..

"Solstice Ayakashi Aisu, Leader of the Aisu Clan, and Mizukage of the Village hidden in the mist. It's a pleasure to meet you." The smile she wore was genuine, though the cheeks on her pale alabaster skin were flushed pink from exertion, she seemed genuinely happy to make Suzume's acquaintance.

"High," Daisuke Kōga called out, slashing at my head.  The stick tonfas clacked as I parried.

"Left," he shouted, and his left tonfa came whistling.  Hers darted to meet it.  The clack made him click his teeth together.

"Right," he said, and "Low," and "Left," and "Left" again, faster and faster, moving forward.  I retreated before him, checking each blow.

"Lunge," he warned, and when he thrust I side stepped his tonfa away, and slashed at his shoulder.  I had almost touched him, almost, so close it made me grin.  A strand of hair dangled in my eyes, limp with sweat.  I pushed it away with the back of my hand.

"Left," Daisuke sang out.  "Low."  His tonfas were a blur, and the small training room echoed to the clack clack clack.  "Left. Left. High. Left. Right. Left. Low. Left!"

The wooden tonfa caught me high in the breast, a sudden stinging blow that hurt all the more because it came from the wrong side.  "Ow," I cried out.  I would have a fresh bruise there by the time I went to sleep, somewhere out at sea.  A bruise is a lesson, I told myself, and each lesson makes us better.

Daisuke stepped back.  "You are dead now."

I made a face.  "You cheated," I said hotly, "You said left and you went right."

"Very true.  And yet now you are dead."

"But you lied!"

"My words lied.  My eyes and my arm shouted out the truth, but you were not seeing.  I would have expected better coming from the clan heiress.   Have you forgotten your kekkei genkai?

"No!  I was so watching," I said, "I watched you every second!"

"Watching is not seeing, lady Suzume.  Even the servant boy sees.  Come, put up your tonfas, it is time for you to listen now."  He said, waving his hand for me to come forward.  Daisuke, my sensei, would always call me 'lady Suzume,' all because I was the head clan's daughter and heiress.  He was just from a humble branch family.  Being less formal with me, even if it was my sensei, would deserve punishment.

I followed Daisuke over to the wall, where he settled onto a bench. "Daisuke Kōga is considered the best bōjutsu user in the clan, and do you know how I achieved this?  Other men were stronger, faster, younger, why was I considered the best in the clan?  I will tell you now."  He touched the tip of his little finger lightly to his eyelid.  "The seeing, the true seeing, the Eye of the Heart.  That is the heart of it.  I was better at using our clan's kekkei genkai than anyone else."

Suddenly, footsteps could be heard coming from behind me.  I turned around on the bench that I sat upon but only saw the wall of the training dojo.  Turning back to Daisuke, I saw that he was gone and so was the training room.  Instead, I sat on a stool in a dark room.  The footsteps were slow, but getting closer.

All of a sudden there was the sound of glass being broken, and the darkness shattered all around me.  White light surrounded me.

I slowly lifted my head from the bar's counter.  Had I fallen asleep?  As I blinked my eyes open, my head only slightly above my folded arms where I had been resting, I could hear the sound of someone choking, gurgling on something liquid.

I sat back and turned to find the noise.  Just behind me to my left was a man with an arrow pointing out of the front of his throat.  Blood running everywhere and spurting out of his mouth as he clammered to catch his breath.  My eyes still drooped from slumber, blinking slowly and frequently as I stared down at the man.  Why was he choking?  The connection to the arrow in his throat had yet to be made inside my brain when I heard a panting voice call out to me from behind.

I shifted in the stool to look more around my left shoulder and peered up at a crystal blue-haired woman.  Her panting slowing as oxygen returned to her lungs in heaps.  She wore a big, black leather coat that hung low, covering most of a black body suit it seemed.  I blinked a few more times as I looked her up and down, then glancing back to the now dead man lying on the linoleum floor.  His blood was making quite the puddle now.

"Great, another dead guy," I said, deadpan.  It was more being tired than hiding my emotions and expressions.  Still, I gave no sign of exasperation or gratitude to the blue haired woman holding the bow that had killed the man behind me.  I had noticed the knife by his hand on the floor, but either I did not care or I was too sleepy to fully grasp the situation.  I had not yet come to a decision as to which one it was.

Facing back at the bar again, I had accidentally ignored the woman's offered handshake and greeting, having not noticed her attempt for handshake at all.  Instead, my attention turned to the coffee that sat just in front of me, next to my right arm that was folded on the wooden counter.  Gripping it well, I pulled it to my lips, blew the surface of the drink to cool it off a bit, and took a sip of its dark brown goodness.

"Ahhh," I exclaimed.  "Now this is some good coffee."  When the stare that the waitress was giving me stirred enough curiosity in me, I decided I must have done something wrong and turned back around.  The blue haired woman still stood, though no hand offered this time, although I figured this was the same state that I had last seen her in, still not knowing she had offered her hand in the first place.

"I'm sorry... do we know each other?"

Aya locked eyes with the woman, the Mizukage was somewhat known for her anger around here, and the thought of someone not paying the proper respect, yet alone a Kage not paying the proper respect was something which she could not register in her mind. She was the leader of her own country, IN another country, the least she could do would be to send word of her being here, ask for a meeting, or something of the sort, but, rather, the Kazekage was lying sleep-drunk in a tavern, unsure if she knew the face of the most distinguished woman in the entire country... It was enough to get the heart racing of any leader, but Aya bit her tongue for now, she was obviously tired and it seemed to be playing a little on her mind.. At least that's what Aya had hoped. So, Aya sat down before the Kazekage, looking toward her and twisting slightly so the woman would be able to see the M I Z U K A G E written on her back as Aya then moved to rest her chin on the tops of her hands, lying down on the table looking up at Suzume, slightly waiting for her reaction, but moving onward with her discussion and self identification anyways.

"I'm not sure what surprises me the most, the fact you enter a country not knowing who your counterpart in leadership is here, or the fact that you enter someone else's country unannounced and don't even say thank you when someone just stopped an assassination attempt for you, regardless as to whether or not that you could have dismissed them yourself or not... It's rather rude on both fronts really...

Anywho, my Name is Solstice Aisu, though the people who know me call me Aya, It's nice to meet you Suzume, Kazekage of Sunagakare no Sato. I've heard a lot about you in the small amount of time you've been in office, word often travels quickly, though it looks to me like you've been having a hard time so far in Kiri... Tiring..? If you'd announced yourself I would have made arrangements for your stay you know."

Aya spoke lightly, and with a somewhat... gleeful smirk on her face, there was an amount of joy in her words that Suzume was in a state that was not comfortable, and full knowing that Aya could have been the linch-pin in her feeling much more relaxed. There was an irony to this, and it was fantastic, enough so to push Aya into forgetting the anger which had been welling up inside her moments before, calming her back into a state of near malicious cunning. Aya's Single sapphire eye beaded down on the woman before her, observing her weapons and what ever else was foresee-ably on her person, trying to ascertain almost instinctively that if she could be a threat to Aya should there be some form of attack right now. Aya's over calculating mind was already beginning to run through scenarios and contingency plans in case of them. Aya pictured a front on attack from Suzume, backed up by ninja planted here from her village. In other scenarios Aya redied herself fro explosives and many other insurmountable odds, yet none of this crossed her face, Aya simply, casually observed her surroundings as if a curious girl.

The blue haired woman took a seat next to me, turning her body just so as to highlight the lettering on the back of her jacket.  Taking a quick glance at what it said as she settled down, I read the japanese characters meaning “Mizukage” and then returned back to my coffee.  A few more sips from it as she began to talk and my brain started to turn its gears again.

My mind rewound to the sound of the window, the sight of the man gurgling on his own blood as an arrow protruded from his throat.  Then the blue haired woman that had greeted me, with an open hand.  An open hand!  I turned to face her, my coffee stuck in the middle of reaching my lips.  This was the Mizukage sitting right next to me and I had completely blown her off!  My eyes widened a bit with the realization.  How could I have been so blind?  Was I so tired to not put these things together?

I looked back down at the floor behind me, seeing the dead man laying in his pool of blood.  The knife had an all new gleam to it that I had not noticed before.  Everything was starting to click.  The bow that had been in her hand, the arrow in the throat, the knife in the man’s hand.  Was there another group of men that Misoka and I had yet to rid?  I had never thought of that.  Once the battle had cleared and I had returned to her side, my mind was only on getting her and Kazuhiko to the hospital to treat their wounds.  Never once had I considered that there might be more men belonging to that group we had encountered.

Still, there was nothing I could do with Misoka and Kazuhiko in the hospital. If there was more to do, it would need to be left to someone else at a later time.  My main priority now was to keep my shinobi safe and return home.  The main mission that had sent us here was complete.  But then, none of this was supposed to be known to the Mizukage and now here she sat right next to me.

”Please forgive me, Lady Mizukage.” I bowed my head slightly, realizing how incredibly rude I had involuntarily been.  It was a complete misunderstanding, but now I had to clean up the mess I had made for myself.  ”I honestly did not think I would be here so long.  I did not think to bother you with something that would have only taken an afternoon to finish.  Still, I apologize for the inconvenience my extended stay must have caused you.”

As she seemed to click, Aya began to relax, there was only so much of someone's ignorance she could ignore, though it seemed that what had bought it on in the case of Suzume was not that she was willfully ignorant of Aya's station, it was just that she was earnestly tired, which was something Aya could sympathize with, the undertakings that the leaders of countries had to go through could be tiresome at the best of times. But, there was no avoiding such things... Aya's body and her tension fled her skin as her coiled and tightened fist unfolded into a loosely hanging palm, her shoulders fell as the Mizukage closed her eyes for a moment, taking in a relaxing breath before exhaling with a long, audible sigh at her apology. Waving a hand in the air as though to dismiss the apologetic nature of her statement, as if it were a palpable substance.

"Don't worry about it..." Aya began to speak, opening her eye again taking in the world as the dim light from the bar failed to ignite her crystal blue features. "People like us have enough on our plates without people loosing their heads about formalities, though, this country is a well connected community, likely unlike your country of sand nomads, you cannot simply kill someone here and not expect them to have family, brothers, sisters, fathers, friends, or even associates which may want vengeance on you. It's why I've had to tighten up the laws on murder following a couple of earlier statements on the likes of prisoners in this country... Just, next time you're in town, feel free to throw me a letter saying you're here or that you're coming, that way I can prepare for things like this before they happen, Kiri runs differently to the rest of the world now, especially after the war, and I think the culture shock hits some people pretty hard. "

Aya spoke softly and casually, rather than in some form of official manner, her eyes looking around the area for anyone else brandishing a weapon. ANBU black ops entered the place, placing a hand on the body and moving the corpse away, throwing Aya back the arrow which was caught with a flick of her wrist before laying it back in her quiver. The ANBU then collected the body and evidence before leaving without a word, and people went about their day. The noise in the bar began to pick up again, and the presence of the Mizukage began to attract more attention as people started to gossip about the happenings of the evening. The bartender, whose business seemed to be profiting from the ordeal looked pleased now more than upset that a person had died in the middle of his store.

"Though, at the very least I'm glad one man didn't start an international incident, the last thing we needed was for Sunagakure no Sato's Kazekage to be wounded in my country and start another war. I always liked to think that the two of us were on friendly terms with one another. Even in the wake of the late Kazekage Gin, who inducted me into my position as Kage, since then we've always had good relationships with the land of the desert." Aya smiled earnestly as she spoke, her alabaster skin reflecting the dim light like a marble statue crafted with untold excellence.

Though, she happened to leave out that the missing ninja Gin was a ninja under her direct employ as one of her seven swords... however, it was as if the conscious thought had never passed the Kage's mind, giving no tells or sign of telling what-so-ever. She had no knowledge of how the current Kazekage emotionally responded to the thought of Gin, though the woman abandoned the country, she did so under no hostile pretenses which was something that Aya was usually fine with. Freedom was the right of those who wanted it, but, in remembrance of one of her own Sannin leaving; Strafe. People of these status' had a lot of information about the country, enough that, in the wrong hands could cause the fall of an entire country. So, after dropping Gin's name Aya watched the reaction of the Kazekage, trying to see if her reaction would be positive or negative in response to Gin's name. Such things gave insight into the way people's countries worked.

But, as time moved on, it seemed there was nothing to be garnered here, looking to each of them in turn, as well as the ninja within the trees she had rendered obsolete for the time, the Mizukage decided to turn on her heel and look to the savvy group of individuals, there were still bandits around these areas, and so many of them being in the same place would not bode well, and more than likely leave holes in the villages defense. After leaving, there was a night of hunting that followed, more than half a dozen bandits were rounded up, and swore oaths of fidelity to Aya and the land of water.

Good work was done that night.
WC 2877/ 2850 Perception D2 - C3

The coffee had really done the trick for me.  I could feel myself waking up, the gears in my brain again running as the Mizukage spoke.  My eyes started to go back to their normal work, reading body language and expressions.  She still seemed upset, or more disappointed for the lack of foreknowledge on my arrival to her village.  Considering this from her point of view, I could understand where she was coming from.  An unexpected from a Kage and two of her shinobi that ended up killing several people within the village.  Their criminal activities not withstanding, the ramifications of such an unannounced visit had the potential of a huge political mess.

She was speaking softly though, which made the sudden lesson a lot easier to take.  Suzume was a much younger Kage than the Mizukage.  Her years of experience in being the leader of her village definitely could teach me some things on how to best run my own village.

I slightly chuckled as she brought up the former Kazekage Gin.  ”Gin is an entirely different matter.  Something the Hidden Sand rather stayed in the past.  Though, with her disappearance, I believe the Hidden Sand has felt more secluded.”

It was true, nothing had really been happening between Suna and all of the other hidden shinobi villages.  There was only one exception being the Seven Bells Siege of Kiri.  Having seen the state of the Hidden Mist now, I could see it had picked itself back up and was back to normal.  A good sign, showing the strength, endurance, and perseverance of the people of the village.

”At least Seven Bells did something good by bringing us together.  Shows that there still is a strong friendship between all our villages..”  I took another sip from my coffee.

The waitress behind the counter seemed to be listening in on the conversation.  She had been stirring the soup in front of her for the past five minutes without stopping or moving. A conversation between two Kages was a very rare occurrence to witness in public, so I couldn’t blame her for the ease dropping.  Instead, I ignored it and faced the Mizukage.  Out of the corner of my eye, I saw that the mess of the dead body had been cleaned up and the restaurant having returned to normal.

”I can have some money sent over to cover the cost of that broken window.  Also, my shinobi and I will be out of your hair by tomorrow so as to not create any more difficulties for either of us.  Still, it’s good to finally meet the Mizukage.”  I raised my coffee mug up to her in a slight toast.  ”I hear you’ve been nicknamed the ‘Ice Witch’?”


2590 WC