It had been a month since the Fantomusodo coup attempt. A month since he had plunged a chakra spike into his father's heart and hoisted him up into the sky like the star on a morbid christmas tree. So far Fukai had been correct, things would never be the same. Whether it had been the world that had changed, or just how it was perceived by his purple eyes. Fukai discovered afterwards all the subsurface tides that had been working away at the fabric of his environment.

There had been a particular breed of alienation growing within the Fantomusodo compound. Fukai had found out that there had been a general consensus amongst the older generation of clansmen that they wanted to go back to the time before the clan had sworn it's loyalty to the rock village. Underneath the elders of the recent past, the misfortunes of the people were attributed to their link with the village as a whole. The clan had started becoming estranged with the rest of Iwagakure's population. These feelings had built up over time until they were released in the coup attempt. It was a hard situation for all involved. Since Fukai, Karumo and Shindou had been thrown into the equation, the three of them had managed to stop the revolution in it's path. They may have also avoided the civil war that would have most likely broken out with the clan renouncing it's loyalties. There was no doubt that the Fantomusodo was now one of the major clans of Iwagakure but even they surely wouldn't have been able to stave off the onslaught brought by the rock shinobi, even if the tsuchikage was out of town.

But hopefully the way for change had now been made. With Karumo stepping down, Fukasai and Akasutchi dead, and Ezra taking the reins, there was hope that things could be turned around. There was room for a new culture within the clan to develop, one that supported the rest of the village. Who knew how things would turn out, Fukai hoped that there would be new found stability after the recent events. He knew that he had a duty to help with this as one of the high ranked members of the clan but he was not going to any time soon. He didn't want to go anywhere near that particular mountain at the moment, the thought of returning to that place made his stomach knot in anxiety.

After the coup, he had distanced himself from the clan, if anything. He was never that close with it in the first place, but the events of that day had left him with a bad taste in his mouth. He felt sick just thinking of the mountains at the moment, he preferred to turn his attention to his other project. The organisation of Subterra, the underground society for lost souls. He was making progress with his students and work was going ahead with a few bumps in the road. Rat still took most of the responsibility for day to day runnings and that was fine with Fukai. The purple eyed young man still kept up with his work load for the village, taking on larger and more dangerous tasks. His name for proficiency and excellence in the field continued to grow as his name spread.

Killing his father in that state of mind had changed him slightly, he had become colder when interacting with people. The children of Subterra had picked up on this more than most, as naturally perceptive as kids were. Thankfully Rat had been there to support him when he needed it and had been able to balance out his disposition. He had distanced himself from the everyday goings on of the people, retreating to his apartment home and hole himself up when he didn't have work.

Today he was handing in the paperwork for the mission that he had finished last night. He was up at the offices, trying to make his way to the post boxes without having to talk to anyone. To his displeasure, a little lady ganked him from the side and spoke up loudly, making it near impossible to ignore her. "Fukai Fantomusodo, Karumo would like to see you right now". The tall man raised an eyebrow. He hadn't spoke to or heard from his friend for a whole month. The last time had been the coup. In fact he had purposefully trying to avoid him and had no idea about the current situation. Fukai resigned himself, it looked like he couldn't avoid meeting any longer.
"Alright, did he mention where?"
"His office at Diamond Heights."
The university. He had heard of Karumo teaching there, or something like that. He had never been there himself, he had no want for learning of the sort that the university offered.

Fifteen minutes later, he had found himself at the door to his friend's office. He was slightly bewildered at this modern establishment, it's halls kept him running through a maze. Fukai would adjust the scarf that hung around his neck then knock and enter, not waiting to be called in.

[868]

Karumo stood at a chalkboard, rolling a piece of chalk in his fingers, contemplating on an equation before him. Although he was the headmaster, he was no stranger to learning himself, and loved to delve into the mysteries of science and the technicalities behind it. Today's bit was a little mathematics refresher, focusing in on three dimensional vector fields and other esoteric bits of information, practicing... well it doesn't really matter. The point was is that he was now stumped, what had been a matter of repetition for him, merely gathering the data and plugging it in for practice was now becoming quite the headache. The chalk rotated in his hand as he rolled it about, leaving the white residue on his hands, he grabbed at the eraser and began to modify and erase the drawing of the graph.

Karumo stepped back from it, what was a three dimensional space was now smeared chalk and broken numbers and equations scattered on the board. He sighed, pushing it on its wheels to the side and walking to the desk to grab his coffee and take a sip of it. Black, as always, not that he had any preference towards any flavor and the heat of it didn't bother him in the slightest either. Probably because he wouldn't feel the heat of it, and the flavor was... bitter but it gave him something to feel and think about with each sip. Then a knock came at the door, loud and heavy, he called out, "Come on in." while picking up a rag near the board and wiping the chalk from his hands quickly. He flipped the piece of chalk to the edge of the board, letting it fall into place on the small rack underneath it. A man entered, old with white hair, the professor emeritus of chakra control research, he fumbled in with a stack of papers. No doubt something else Karumo would have to deal with.

He sat down at his desk and offered the man the seat counter to it, he began rambling about some new equipment or facility he wanted to propose. Karumo instead, grabbed his papers and began flipping through the manila folder while he talked on and ranted with his reasons for why it would be useful. What was inside were some budgetary presentations, charts and graphs and how it could be applied over time and the cost would be minimal. The business side of this was as dull as anything, he'd much rather spend his time in the labs and studying at random or dropping into lectures or even guest speaking at some. But, that wasn't the responsibility of the headmaster, that was for students, and he didn't have time to be one of those. What with taking a squad of genin, working his way up to become Captain of the Oracles and trying to run the university. All he could think about was thank God for the ability to delegate, otherwise he would get crushed by all of this nonsense.

As he rambled on, obviously nearing the end of his rant, another knock came at the door. Then the door opening and a familiar face entering in, his eyes wandered up to him, "Oh, Fukai." he spoke as he closed the folder in front of him. Then standing up at his desk he spoke to the professor, "Alright, I'll take it into consideration and then present the idea to our board later on. If you have anything else, it'll have to wait til later." he said smiling and holding out his hand for him to take. The professor stood up and took his hand, thanking him and the scurrying out of the room. Karumo hadn't paid much attention to what Fukai was doing during his end exchange, but he was glad to see him.

The last time they'd even been in the same area was when things with the clan fell apart, since then he'd gone on his own and he hadn't spoken a word to him. But with the Tsuchikage gone, and the clan starting to return to a stable state; a conversation about everything was probably long over due. Karumo would walk from behind his desk and speak up, "Fukai, I'm glad you could make it. A lot has happened since we last saw each other." he cracked his neck with hand and turned his head out the window towards the village for a brief moment. "How have you been holding up as of late? I'm not exactly sure what to say about everything that happened, or that my words could offer any real solace..." he turned his attention back towards Fukai.

Maybe a quick catch up wouldn't be the worst way to start this, but there was certainly a lot to talk about and surely, far more pressing issues at hand.

[826 words]

What a strange place he had found himself. Fukai had never been to the Diamond Heights University, as he had never had any business here, nor any compulsion to visit. 'The highest peak of academia throughout the known world'. This was how he had overheard people describe this place. In Fukai's mind, however, it was just the latest project of the current kage. A flashy gesture with little substance. Beautiful icing atop a rancid cake. It was none of his business what the top of the chain decided to do with the wealth of the village, no doubt this place would start to deteriorate and soon be forgotten once the leadership cycled once more. At that time, another man would sit atop the heap, with different ideals and different priorities.

Still, it was a nice distraction for those that could enjoy it. Fukai had noticed a few exotic accents among the fresh faced students, these would be the talented minds from different lands. Oh how carefree would you have to be to move to this place without worry for your own safety. All to pursue your passion. Fukai may have felt envious if he was able to understand it. So this is where his friend had come to spend his time since coming back from his sandy ventures. At the moment, he was standing two feet inside Karumo's office, waiting a moment for him to finish addressing someone. After the conversation was finished, the small man scurried past Fukai, averting eye contact after meeting Fukai's naturally wide eyed glare.

"Fukai, I'm glad you could make it. A lot has happened since we last saw each other."
You could say that again. It seemed like life had taken the purple eyed pair down vastly different roads yet again. While Karumo had found a place up in this cozy little establishment, he had been acquainting himself with the damp limestone beneath the earth. But however great the distance and differences grew between the pair, it seemed like their bond would forever drag them back together. Apparently Karumo had something to discuss in person. It had to be something confidential that only he was to hear, as given the circumstances, he would guess that Karumo would have employed a messenger to notify him of something. To drag him out this way, he was expecting something important.

"How have you been holding up as of late? I'm not exactly sure what to say about everything that happened, or that my words could offer any real solace..."
This line of conversation had only just begun and it had already started to irritate him. Fukai's jaw clenched as he persevered through his friend's sentence. It was true, he did not want to discuss matters of a personal nature, but also he had been expecting some information that held at the very least, an ounce of gravitas. 'Solace' was useless. He only pushed forwards. Emotions yielded no gain. Picking yourself up was the only way. Reflection and comfort? There was no need. What had been done had been done. There was only tomorrow. Fukai's stare held no focus and his body structure lay still and rigid.

"You haven't dragged me out here for a chat I hope. What do you want?"

[553] /1421

Karumo stood there for a moment, listening in as he turned his attention back to his friend. His voice was direct, "You haven't dragged me out here for a chat I hope. What do you want?" he stood rigid and didn't seem to be carrying much emotion with him. Whether that was because of how he was feeling or just not wanting to talk about everything that happened, either way it made sense. A bit dismayed though, he sighed and scratched the back of his head briefly, letting his eyes glance down as he gathered his thoughts.

Then he stepped towards his desk and sat down in the chair, waving to Fukai, “Take a seat, we can get straight to business.” He spoke as he looked towards him, waiting to see if he would accept his offer or not, regardless after a moment, Karumo would take a sip of his coffee in front of him and gather his thoughts. No doubt in his mind that his delay to speak would be a bit annoying, but he wasn’t truly sure where to begin. “Well… You probably aren’t aware of this, it was on a need to know basis even if I disagreed with it.” He paused again to set his cup back down.

“Well, Lord Akira has departed for Kirigakure no Sato. He took along a squad with him, of those you might know Yuurei Jet and Suutei Kimura.” He would pause to let that sink in as well before he continued on again, not giving him enough time to respond. “In the meantime, I’ve been working in interim for him during that time. Luckily nothing major, just signing missions off and taking in reports and such.” He let his demeanor and hands follow along as he spoke, leaning back in his seat as he gathered his train of thought.

“That’s also why I’ve called you here. I need your help with something, and it’s not really a small task I can ask of just anyone…” he sat back up in his chair and set his arms on his desk. Crossing them and grasping his hands together, “I’m having a bit of a problem with some of the ANBU becoming distant and not giving me the full story. It’s got me worried that there might be some secondary objectives on their missions or that they’re distancing themselves from the village in general…” he looked up towards him to check his reaction. “So, what would you think about joining the ANBU?” he would leave off and wait for his reaction.

[439 words, 1265 words total]

Fukai soon regretted cutting to the point so abruptly. He saw Karumo shuffle about, a bit uncomfortable with the current rapport between the two of them. He too didn’t like how things were between them, but there was nothing he could think to do about it. It was no longer as simple as being friends. Both of them were in a different position to where they were before. Fukai had his own agenda, and he would put that before any sort of relationship with Karumo or anybody else. This was only the second time that they had seen each other since Fukai had been off at the chuunin exams and Karumo had left for Suna. This meeting was oddly personal, and yet, not at all. It took a while for the ex clan head to organise himself, but once he did, he looked like he was going to reveal the main reason as to why he had been called.  Fukai almost sat down, instead leaning against a desk.

He started to talk about the Tsuchikage, and how he had left for the village hidden in the mist. He started off by saying that Fukai would probably not know, but this was not so. In fact, he had heard about the kage’s trip not very long after. Rat had thought to notify him on such a happening, and had trailed off about some disturbance between the cloud and mist villages. Fukai was not interested in the slightest, instead caring much more about more domestic issues. The fact that the kage had run off to some distant land so quickly annoyed him, but then again, he didn’t have any expectations for the man he had not met. Karumo mentioned two other very familiar names, Jet and Suutei, two of Iwagakure’s finest had been taken with him on his journey. The rising stars within the village’s shinobi force were from the same generation as himself and Karumo. He had met them both and he understood why they had been chosen. They were much like himself in the way that they had begun to gain notoriety within the system, they were some of his biggest rivals. Regardlessly, he showed no sign of acknowledgement, staying still.

So Karumo was filling in for Akira? He said the was just doing some of his duties while he was away, but the implications of that were huge. What it meant was that the kage trusted him so much that he was the number one person that he would give his position to while he was not present. Fukai knew that Karumo had a link with the kage, but this was another level. What it sounded like, was that Karumo was more or less the substitute kage, and handling all of the responsibility that came with it. Fukai was shocked at this news, his eyebrows raising above his eyes as he considered what this meant. It seemed his friend was also managing to make his way… For some reason, he felt annoyed at this news.

Karumo continued on, reaching the point of their meeting. He had a task for Fukai and he said it wasn’t something he could ask of anyone but Fukai, for some reason. Curious, there were other shinobi of his calibre that as the interim kage, Karumo could call to action. He went on to explain that some of the members of the anbu were ‘distancing themselves’ and ‘not giving him the full story’, whatever that meant. It seemed that Karumo was having some sort of trouble with the anbu, could it be some form of insubordination?

“So, what would you think about joining the ANBU?”
He was asking Fukai to join the anbu… It wasn’t a task in itself per say, so he assumed there was more to it than that, and with what context was given, it had something to do with Karumo’s problems with the anbu. Fukai had previously considered joining the anbu, but when he had weighed up the pros and cons, he realised that what would be required of him would be too much. He would have to give up the freedom that came with the average operative, and become one of the kage’s personal dogs. Someone who would expect to come at his beck and call and someone that would have little choice as to what missions he took and how he would carry them out. This was a big downside to the idea of joining the anbu, and one that had swayed his decision making. However, the information about Karumo’s new position and his current problems was interesting, it would be good to hear what was going on even if he didn’t have any intention of helping. “Joining the anbu? You want me in special ops… what for exactly? What’s going on?” His tone had softened and become more engaged with this new iceberg tip popping up. His arms folded as he leaned back further on the desk, waiting for Karumo’s reply.

[846] /2267

Fukai leaned up against the desk as he spoke, Karumo leaned back and looked around the room as he spoke, neglecting to really look him head on. He wasn't exactly sure how Fukai would feel about his request to join ANBU, and he was even further from how he would make his explanation to such a request even but a little reasonable. “Joining the anbu? You want me in special ops… what for exactly? What’s going on?” he thought about the words as Fukai leaned a bit further against the desk.

He a quick sigh, he rubbed his chin, feeling the scruff of hairs beginning to grow in, the soon approaching five o clock shadow. His mind was wandering now, he did his best to reel it in. "Well, I don't know what's truly going on myself. That's why I would like a bit of help, a new face without ties to them, at least directly as far as I know. The eyes might be a bit concerning though... being related and all, but it's not an impossible obstacle to pass. You should be able to figure that out..." he smiled a bit during a pause, thinking again to recollect his thoughts.

Then setting his arms back on the desk, his elbows leaning against them as he tapped his fingers lightly, the small pattering thud against his desk began to fill his mind. "It's a gut feeling really. After the clan stuff, I don't want to waste away my time in charge and I feel the same bits of animosity coming from the ANBU just like I did from certain clan members. The lower ranking members who would take orders and listen to the advice of those who are... troubled with current administration and things of that nature. Whatever it might be." another quick pause to let Fukai gather up his words, Karumo's tone would get a bit lost in his train of thought, his eyes staring blankly ahead.

"Who knows why, maybe certain members up the ANBU chain feel that us getting involved in other villages affairs is unprecedented and uncalled for. The irony of it would be a bit funny. But the way I look at it, the village's actions can be seen in one of two ways. There are those actions that we accept and profile, things we can do publicly and help the village. Those are the action that administration and elder leadership flaunt around with pride, making us look like heroes to everyone."

"The other half are those actions which we entrust to special agents, those within the ANBU. Where the real atrocities and horrors of being a ninja are hidden away at. It's within those missions that we don't ask for many details unless necessary, the details of an assassination aren't important as long as it gets done and nothing jeopardizes our security. It's in those missions that a lot can get skewed, other horrible acts skewed under the rug or side motivations realized and lived out. It's there in those shadows that things can be lost and original motivations skewed. The ideological bits of it are in no doubt, an incredibly complex issue and there's no short answer to it. But I'm in charge for now, and the village seems to be losing it's reign on its own troops. Just like I did not so long ago, it's a mistake we can't afford to make again, especially not at this grand a scale." another pause as he went back to leaning in his chair, his eyes rolling towards Fukai.

"So, that's why I want to know if you're interested in joining the ANBU. I know there's a lot of distance between us now, but I know that I, and the village, can trust you. It would be nice for me, and for Lord Akira, to have someone in the ANBU totally dedicated to the village and to the service of it. Someone who can sit in the shadows and make sure that the village's best interests will be kept and to potentially find any... discontinuity between them and the village. So, what do you say?" he asked a bit non-chalauntly to lighten the mood. The decision was certainly no light one, but it was a job, and inherent mission, that Karumo was confident he could fulfill.

[748 words, 2013 words total]

"Well, I don't know what's truly going on myself...”
This was interesting… Karumo was in the dark about whatever was happening with the anbu. Of course, Fukai had no clue what the problem could be either. There could be any number of things that were going on that could explain what Karumo was experiencing. Also, there could be no reason at all. At this stage, Fukai had to guess that his friend was talking about Fukai joining to either investigate what was going on, or to back him up on any more definite problems that may arise. He was unsure about what to do, not willing to commit himself to the special task force without further consideration or at least, hearing the rest of what Karumo had to say.

“...I feel the same bits of animosity coming from the ANBU just like I did from certain clan members...”
Fukai cast his eyes downward as he considered the ex clan head’s words, nodding along to what he was saying. It was not surprising at all to see that Karumo was having problems. Once again it seemed the kage had thrusted Karumo into a position of leadership. He had no idea what their personal relationship was like. Especially the way that Akira had hastily left, an all encompassing and powerful job such as the leadership of the village had to leave Karumo at least a little underprepared. Not that the man was not capable of such a job, but he was afraid of the recklessness of the kage’s decision to leave him on his own.

He mentioned animosity that reminded him of the Fantomusodo clan, where a group had risen up against him to the extent of committing treason. Fukai looked up to catch the expression on Karumo’s face, to try to gauge how he was feeling about this all. He had to be stressed out or worried about this, feeling that the people who he had been charged to lead were straying from him, not acting in such a way that would reassure his black haired friend of their loyalty.

Karumo went on to speculate on why this could be happening, and then went on to explain the light and the dark side of a village’s operations. Fukai understood this well. There was a clean exterior that the villages showed to the world, often feigning good relations while their secret agents performed their tasks behind closed doors. It was a practice that was widely known about to those of high ranks, that even amidst a time of peace with an allied country, you would be investigating them and keeping tabs on each other. It was like a mutual lack of trust, something that was only natural after the centuries of bloody war that had filled the history books. As a member of the anbu, he would be one of the people tasked with these secretive missions.

He continued on with the line of speech, getting to what seemed like his main point. Karumo explained that there was a lot to do with these lines of work that were left unrecorded and unreported. Apparently, even those that outranked the operatives would not be privy to the goings on in the missions or maybe, they intentionally averted their gaze, not wanting to get caught up in the unsightful mess of such work. Karumo talked of how he was losing control of these shinobi. He could see how, if what his friend had said was true. It wouldn’t take much for the already undersupervised men and women to walk away from a leader with a loose grip. After starting to hear the whole story, Fukai had to agree with Karumo. Things could start to go south very fast if this elite task force suddenly found themselves without bounds. It was a wise decision on Karumo’s part to start making moves on this as soon as possible.

Karumo summed it up, bringing to attention the rift between the two young men, but asking Fukai for his help regardless, instead calling upon their shared motives to convince him to join. This was definitely the best way to go about asking Fukai for his help, and he was again reminded of his friend’s skill in diplomacy. Finally Karumo had finished, unsuccessfully attempting to alleviate the tension brought about by the topic of conversation with a light tone.

Fukai had decided by this point to get involved to some degree, but to do what, he was unsure. He shuffled on the spot, his eyes darting to the ceiling as he considered his position. His main concern was still there, and that was that he would be heavily constricted by the commitment to the anbu. He would be investigating this further, although there was no doubt that he would have much farther reach by having access to the special ops channel directly by being part of it himself. He considered the pros and the cons briefly before coming to a decision. He would want to join the anbu, but only if he could have his conditions fulfilled. It made sense to him that he could ask for something out of the ordinary since this was not an ordinary job that he was being asked for.

Fukai brought his eyes level with Karumo’s. Setting his tone sharp and to the point, without making it confrontational. “I will help you on this. But let me be clear, I will not be some dog that will come at your every call.” Fukai wanted special treatment. He had always considered Karumo his equal, despite the gap in position, and expected to be treated as such. “We will work together.” Karumo had already set precedence for this in the way that he had talked about the job, but he wanted to be crystal clear on his expectations. “So the idea is for me to join the anbu and to investigate it from the inside. As you said before, it will be difficult hiding my involvement in the anbu. Instead of trying to hide who I am, I will join openly. There will be no chance of me being able to make moves without having some reason for me being found in the places that I will need to be. It will be risky enough trying to disguise my agenda as is.” Fukai nodded once to agree with himself.

“I’ll need some details to start me off. Names and places, as well as an entry cover story with a mission. What do you have in terms of these things?”

[1105] /3372

Fukai brought his eyes to meet Karumo's a shift in his tone, he meant business. “I will help you on this. But let me be clear, I will not be some dog that will come at your every call.” Karumo chuckled a bit, cracking a smile at the thought. “We will work together.” he nodded his head to Fukai. He wondered if he had really given off that vibe that he was that much greater than Fukai, if so it would be a mistake he would need to rectify. In many ways, he considered Fukai better than him, in the use of his weapons and combat as a whole, Karumo knew that he needed to catch up to Fukai. He had also made many more mistakes in his time in leadership, his failures up to now looming over his head and such, he would have no right to see himself above anyone. "I wouldn't want it any other way..." he would add to it, giving confirmation to it all. In truth, he would leave most of the operation up to Fukai, letting him work the angles he could find however he saw. Karumo would be more of an ally to him if he accepted the task rather than a commander in chief.

“So the idea is for me to join the anbu and to investigate it from the inside. As you said before, it will be difficult hiding my involvement in the anbu. Instead of trying to hide who I am, I will join openly. There will be no chance of me being able to make moves without having some reason for me being found in the places that I will need to be. It will be risky enough trying to disguise my agenda as is.” Fukai would muse to himself. Karumo nodded along with him, That's pretty much it, at least that I'm aware of. he would muse to himself briefly while sliding his chair a bit closer to the desk and resting his hands on it with a bit of a sigh. “I’ll need some details to start me off. Names and places, as well as an entry cover story with a mission. What do you have in terms of these things?”

That was true, a starting point would be crucial in all of this, but honestly, there might not truly be much that Karumo could offer him. Running through his thoughts as he would speak, trying to give him some semblance of information, "Well, it'll be tough to explain what I don't know." he chuckled to himself. "You'll apply to the ANBU as anyone would, fill out the paperwork and such and get submitted to a squad and such, if it ends up on my desk I'll try to place you somewhere close to those squads that are distant. Outside of that, most of it is going to be on your own, finding what you can and learning what you will from them and while out on these missions." from there he would add on a few instances where the agents seemed distant. Recalling a certain event or two that caused him some worry and mission reports that seemed incomplete.

However, he would never give him the actual reports or anything, instead reciting from memory what he could remember, truthfully, he could remember every last detail of the report all the way down to erratic pen strokes. If anything, that was his crowning ability, an uncanny memory for almost everything that would happen around him. Beyond that though, names and such, he also couldn't give, instead he would provide ANBU names of key players he knew and a last bit of advice, "Fukai.." a short pause came to get his attention. "I have no idea what sort of trouble lays in wait for you there, so tread carefully..." his eyes would be trained towards him. Even in the end, should worst case scenarios be realized and the ANBU be planning a coup against the village, and to go even further, Fukai siding with them. A horrible tragedy, he needed to avoid it, had to. There was no way he could bring out more internal fighting unless absolutely necessary, and not without cause. But he had trust in Fukai, whatever he would find he knew that it could be taken care of and hopefully fixed without issue.

Hopefully it would be nothing at all, but the worst case scenarios that could pit the country against itself would always be present. "So, any other questions or concerns?" he would pit at the end, when all was said and done and laid out in front of them.

[787 words, 2800 words]

"I wouldn't want it any other way..."
Fukai had been concerned that their relationship had changed with the recent shift. He had thought that maybe something had changed between them, that Karumo would treat him differently after his newly gained position or maybe after what had happened with the coup. After seeing how his friend had reacted to his conditions, both through his verbal assurance and his body language, his concerns waned away. It looked like things were the same as usual despite all that had happened. Fukai felt a little insecure, and maybe a little bit threatened at his friend’s success, feeling like he was always trailing behind.


Karumo listened to his requirements before answering with what he could, his starting comment making it clear that he didn’t really have that much information to begin with. He told Fukai to apply for anbu normally, and that he would try to get him into a team which were of the most suspicion. This sounded like the best they could do for the moment, Fukai would just have to learn how to be resourceful on the job. This task that he had been given was no easy thing, the fact that it was under resourced and had no real bounds to it didn’t help. Trying to poke your nose into the business of expert spies was something that was no doubt extremely difficult. Their job was secrecy itself, and they would have a keen awareness about people encroaching on them. "Fukai… I have no idea what sort of trouble lays in wait for you there, so tread carefully..." This was the bare reality of it all. The pair of them had no idea what they were up against. No idea what the situation was or what it would take to solve it. Fukai hoped for both of their sakes that it was something not too serious.


"So, any other questions or concerns?"
Fukai breathed heavily as he rose to his feet. It looked like he had his task layed out in front of him. He took a few steps, walking around the side of the desk, beginning to head for the door. He stopped, and without turning, spoke. “You know, as a kid, I had always thought that this country never changed. Whether the village was occupied by the Aoi Bara or held up a Kage or even remained a lawless province, things were always the same to me somehow. Now I realise that it was I that had remained stationary.. But I am different now.” He turned back half way to acknowledge Karumo without looking at him. “I have faith in the future because I have faith in us.”

[453] /3825

Fukai stood up at the end of his bit, Karumo's eyes rolled along with his motion, a quiet exhale as he waited in for an answer. Fukai began to head for the door, stopping just before he exited, “You know, as a kid, I had always thought that this country never changed. Whether the village was occupied by the Aoi Bara or held up a Kage or even remained a lawless province, things were always the same to me somehow. Now I realise that it was I that had remained stationary.. But I am different now.” Karumo kept his gaze on him, waiting for whatever end he would reach. “I have faith in the future because I have faith in us.” he said turning back towards Karumo.

What a sentimental statement, Karumo couldn't help but crack a smile and a slight chuckle, his eyes rolling down briefly. He supposed this meant that Fukai understood his task and knew what had to be done. "That's a nice way of putting it." he smiled and cracked his knuckles. Then folding his hands together and holding up his chin over his desk, "I have faith in us as well, more than faith, certainty that whatever may happen will be controlled and contained. In all honesty, I am a bit worried about all of this but I'm also sure... given our experience in such matters... that it won't be anything we can't handle." he would pause for a short moment.

His pause would be nothing more than a little dramatic theater at this point, thinking of what else he could add on before Fukai would go through the door and off to wherever. As soon as he left, things would be different and plans would start rolling into motion. "Hopefully, it ends up being nothing of concern..." he would add in. Truthfully, he hoped that it would end up truly being nothing in the end. Perhaps a paranoia of past events resurfacing in his mind, but that would be a discussion for another day, looking into the insights of past failure and how to handle the future. One thing he knew for certain was that he couldn't let it happen again as long as he still had a chance to stop it.

[385 words, 3185 words total]

He hadn’t really meant his words to come out in such a soppy way, and seeing Karumo smile made him blush a little. It had meant to be reassurance about the road ahead or to show his resolve for this task, or some combination of the two. His eyebrows knitted above his eyes, a little annoyed at the outcome of opening opening his mouth. He was reminded again that he wasn’t very good with words, but at least he had said something. "I have faith in us as well, more than faith, certainty that whatever may happen will be controlled and contained. In all honesty, I am a bit worried about all of this but I'm also sure... given our experience in such matters... that it won't be anything we can't handle." Karumo had confidence, that was for sure. He talked like they would be able to get through this, just like they had done before.


But there was one key difference that this problem had that all their previous predicaments had in common. All of their adventures had been something that had happened to them. They had been more or less thrusted into the midst of action and had to fight for their lives to get out of. They were merely reactive actions, with the danger right in front of their face. This time, they would be taking the proactive approach, making the first move on a potential threat that was on the horizon. They couldn’t afford to wait for things to spiral out of control, especially with how Karumo’s grasp of the village’s reins was a tentative one at best. The temporary kage would have to solidify his position if he wished to stay.


Fukai’s imagination was starting to run away with the possibilities. He knew he should be focusing on his first step than trying to guess at what could be. They were in the dark at the moment, information on what was going on would have to be obtained before further action could be taken.  "Hopefully, it ends up being nothing of concern..." Yes, it would be all for the best if there was nothing afoot. Even so, it was best to keep an eye on things.

Fukai turned back towards the door. Then I will get to work. Expect updates on my findings. There was nothing more that really needed to be said. He was going to join the anbu and investigate it from the inside. He was sure that Karumo would help him when he could, but how much assistance he could provide wasn’t comforting in his position. He was more or less going in on his own. He left the office, already setting out a mental to do list.


[466] /4291
~exit~

Karumo watched Fukai turn his back to the door, a short moment of silence before he spoke up, "Then I will get to work. Expect updates on my findings." Karumo would clasp his hands together over his desk and sigh with a nod. He knew that Fukai couldn't see it or potentially even hear it, but they would be descending into the lion's den here. No turning back for whatever it may lead to or bring up from within the darkness.

Fukai departed from the office heading off to begin his task and do whatever he could, Karumo would lean back in his chair and scratch his head a bit. There was really nothing much that he could do or say but he always found the edgy demeanor and temperament of Fukai a bit funny. Fukai was every bit melodramatic for every part theatrical that Karumo was, at least from how he saw things.

Pouring himself a drink of whiskey, he mused over it, the seriousness of it all and his comment about faith. But it wasn't so much faith, it was more trust than anything, that when things would go poorly he could handle it and that his oversight would go well. Otherwise, Karumo had his own affairs to tend to, running the University and his own training. Time to return to work and wait for the first bit of news, whenever that should arrive.

[239 words, 3424 words total]
[Exit Thread]

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