The bright sunshine of the Land of Wind was filtering through Kuno Uchiha’s bedroom window as he sat at his desk, working away at what he had found. There were bags showing under his eyes from lack of sleep, and he sported a few bruises that were a reward for the work he was doing. Ever since finding the symbol on the cloak of the bandit he had stopped a few days earlier, he had done his best to look into what it meant, if anything at all. His search had unfortunately not yielded much, but he was able to learn a few things that could be classified as leads. The cloak bearing the kanji for “Autumn” had led his search into the slums of the Village Hidden in the Sands where he began a more…in depth investigation. It had consisted of rummaging through old gang hideouts, paying off urchins in the streets, and mostly beating information out of other criminals that ran rampant through the underbelly of his village. The stronger ones had given him his new bruises. In the end, he had been able to learn two things. One was that the man wearing the cloak did in fact belong to a larger group that was operating in Sunagakure no Sato; they called themselves Autumn, which made sense considering the symbol on the cloak. The second thing that he learned was that they had arrived very recently, and nobody really knew why or how they had sprung up.

That investigation had brought Kuno back to his desk, where he had laid out the few notes he had taken, as well as the piece of the cloak that the young Uchiha had cut off of the man those few nights ago. It now sat in the center of his desk, as he himself sat in his chair in his black pants with the red stripe down the left leg that matched the natural highlights in his hair, and a white tank top. His arms were crossed and his brow furrowed as he stared intently at the symbol. He did not have much, but it was enough to show that there was indeed some sort of new threat to the village. The last thing that Suna needed was another criminal element to rear its ugly head and start causing more problems just as the new Kazekage had taken office. With that last thought, he nodded to himself; he needed to bring this to the Kazekage. She needed to know, no matter how small the issue might be. Besides, it would give him a chance to size her up on a more personal scale rather than from a distance at a public event.

Throwing on his black, linen jacket and snatching up the cloth piece from his desk, Kuno glanced down at his sword and then picked it up, trying to decide whether to bring it with him. He shook his head eventually, throwing back onto his bed as he realized that they would probably take it from him when he entered her office anyway. With that, he strode out of his home and toward the administration building of the Village Hidden in the Sands, contemplating exactly what to tell her to make the situation seem like it had enough merit to be brought to her. During her inauguration speech, the new Kazekage, Midori Ningyou, had expressed her love for the village and how she wanted to do everything in her power to make it a better place. It seemed that her resolve to hold to her promises would be tested soon enough when the young Uchiha presented his information to her.

As he walked though the city, basking in the morning sunlight, the nineteen year old finally arrived on the steps of the administration building. He had been here many times before to pick up missions and receive his payments, but he had never entered the building with the intent to meet his village’s leader before.  Despite his resolve, he could not help but falter for a moment, realizing the gravity of what he was going to do. There were many outcomes that this meeting could have, and only a few of them were good. The Kazekage may very well believe him and provide him with resources to personally look into the issue, or she might put some of the village’s top people on it; both would be fantastic result…if Kuno was right. Otherwise he would be wasting the village’s resources, Furthermore, he could just walk in there and be laughed out of her office, his discovery being deemed as unimportant and too small for the visit. The various possibilities flowing through Kuno’s mind were unnerving, but he eventually managed to grit his teeth and step inside the building, head straight upstairs to where he knew he could try to get an appointment with the Kazekage. With each step he reassured himself of his findings. He had done the investigating himself and he had come to the conclusion that there was a danger to the village that he needed to deal with. If he wanted to be able to join the ANBU some day, he had to be confident in his work. And so, with a stony expression on his face and a small flame of confidence burning inside of him, Kuno Uchiha walked up to the desk outside of the Kazekage’s office and leaned over it. “Good morning, my name is Kuno Uchiha. I am a Genin of this village and I would like to see the Kazekage if that is at all possible.” The shinobi behind the desk directed him to sit in one of the chairs across from him which Kuno did promptly. He then pulled out the scrap of cloth with the kanji on it and stared down at it, waiting to be granted his audience.

WC:988

Midori kept her brow furrowed as she stared through the seemingly endless pile of paperwork in front of her. Crime report, crime report, murder, crime report… The never ending amount of crime saddened her, and reminded her of the large amount of work ahead of her. Yet right now, she skimmed through the file that she had received recently. The one that most concerned her. The village was still in a weak state due to its until recently lawless nature, and because of that, bad things had happened. Lots of them. She wasn’t long in power, yet already she had so many things go poorly, and had a personal experience where someone had told her of things that were very disconcerting to know as something to have happened.

Her meeting with a person that was highly wounded, both physically and emotionally, while within the boundaries of the village, to the point that he referred to the village as a cage. A horrible place. He had scars to prove it too, blood and skin mangled from wounds that she didn’t ask the origin of. Yet what most concerned her about this encounter was who the boy was fleeing from. Gang members from an Iwagakure no Sato gang. If foreign criminals were within the borders, then that simply meant there was a large amount more work than she expected to be done. She set the papers she held in hand down, allowing them to be placed on the desk, before striding over to her desk of assorted things, picking up a clay jug, and a clay cup. Being sure to do it carefully, using her puppet limb to help with precision, Midori began to pour a drink out, the clear liquid splashing into the bottom of the cup.

Before she could take a sip though, the vessel half way to her lips, the door to her office had a knock on it. Midori looked from the door, to her drink, to the door, and then back to her drink, before shrugging and taking a swig of the water before speaking. “Come in.” she instructed, the door swiftly opening in the process. “Lady Kazekage. There is a boy in the waiting area that wishes to meet with you. I know you hadn’t received an appointment in advance, but, well, you said to let you know when people requested meetings on the spot. We checked the records, and his name matched up to his rank. An Uchiha named Kuno, genin ranked shinobi, and a member of Wildflower, the waiting list squad, whose sensei died before they even received the formal letter of squad acceptance.”

At this, Midori simply took another sip of her water, before setting the clay cup down, nodding slowly. “Well, I could always use a break from work. I’ll just pack up my papers, so as to not get it cluttered or stolen, please tell the boy I’ll be out in a moment.” She dismissed the receptionist, who went back to his desk job. Midori meanwhile, strode over to her desk, packing up her papers as quick as she could, making use of her extending arm to not need to move too far away while she gathered things up, before filing them away as best she could with the little attention she gave.

The paperwork was filed neatly, set in a rough definition of importance, and urgency of need to be addressed, which was done via a colour coding system based on the trim used to bind the assorted documents, with pink being the highest urgency, and blue being the least. Yet her way of organising would not matter to outsiders, for she was the one that it made sense to, and to this degree, she was the one utilising the system that she herself had created. And within these varying amounts of urgency levels, the files were further determined through alphabetical order, so that there was a classification and organisation system within the organised system.

Paperwork away properly, the puppet Kage first went over to the water she had yet to finish, picking up the cup and quickly downing the last of it before opening the door, and heading out. Her attire was basic, beige with a single golden star on the right pectoral, with the kanji for “wind” emblazoned down the spine of the outfit. The sleeves were non-existent, and on her flesh arm, there were varying bands likely used to prevent sweat in case of physical exertion. Her attire all in all, just looked mobile, and practical function over formality.

Stepping out to the main area, Midori looked around, walking over to the receptionist and leaning down to whisper some things. Sure enough, in a brief time, the receptionist pointed over to where the boy was seated, Midori simply nodding, and walking over to the Uchiha. “Kuno, right? My name is Midori. A pleasure to meet you.” She stated, giving a gentle smile before extending her prosthetic arm. “So, before I ask about why you have requested this meeting, I’ll first ask. Do you want to do this talk in my office, or, would you prefer to go for a walk? I could always use a walk and talk, the office can get rather cramped, you know?” she said, whether or not he shook her hand, shrugging slightly before adding almost as a last minute addition. “Oh, this isn’t to say there is anything wrong with formality. If there’s a secrecy needed, or, just a need for being in an office, with access to paperwork, then I can understand the need of the office.” She declared with a nod. The weird Kage, Midori, had arrived.

947

Kuno watched as the receptionist knocked on the door to the Kazekage’s office and heard her voice for the second time in his life through the door. She beckoned the receptionist through the door which was then opened as the two had a quiet conversation. It was brief, and before Kuno knew it the door was shut once again. The receptionist approached him, a smile on her face as she spoke. “Kuno, the Kazekage will be with you shortly.” The young Uchiha nodded politely and went back to sitting quietly, turning the cloth over in his hands while his thoughts ran wild. He knew the Kazekage was young, but not younger than himself, but that still concerned him. Her speech at the inauguration had been well put; inspiring even! But when push would come to shove, Kuno had his doubts that the young woman would be able to deliver. He hoped that she would at least be able to help the village in this regard. The crime rate was still growing, despite a new person being in the seat of power. Her presence, though it invited hope to some, was just another excuse to complain for others. Most people felt that she would probably abandon them like many of the others. Kuno had not made up his mind in that regard just yet.

The young Uchiha had his thoughts interrupted by the sound of the Kazekage’s office door opening and the Kazekage herself, Midori Ningyou, stepping out into the space. Her appearance still struck Kuno as a surpise. He had seen her once before, and he knew that she was young, but seeing her now, up close, he realized just how young she really was. She could not have been much older than Kuno, two or three years perhaps, and her appearance showed it. She was extremely pale, not unlike Kuno himself, and her long, jet black hair was a stark contrast to it. Her attire also threw Kuno off, as it was so simple for one in such a station; he assumed that they always wore their official robes when seeing members of the village that were not part of the village ANBU. She wore a beige sleeveless outfit with a golden star set onto the right side of her chest. She also wore a series of sweat bands on her left arm, prompting Kuno glance at her other arm as she extended it.

“Kuno, right? My name is Midori. A pleasure to meet you.” She stated, giving a gentle smile before extending her prosthetic arm. “So, before I ask about why you have requested this meeting, I’ll first ask. Do you want to do this talk in my office, or, would you prefer to go for a walk? I could always use a walk and talk, the office can get rather cramped, you know?” Kuno stood and extended his hand without hesitation to the young woman, nodding respectfully as well before replying. “Hello Lady Midori. Yes I am Kuno Uchiha and I assure you the pleasure is all mine. Thank you for seeing me on such short notice.” As he said this, he could not help but feel the lifeless arm that he was holding, immediately reminding him of what little he knew of the Ningyou clan. Their history was a messy one, from what Kuno could recall. It involved some sort of massacre involving a person that was transformed into a puppet. He could not remember the details due to the fact that he tried to avoid reading history as often as he could, but what he did know is that all members of the clan now sever one of their arms and attach a puppet arm when they become a shinobi. It was a bit extreme to Kuno, but who was he to judge another clan’s traditions?

Snapping back to the present, Kuno realized that he had left the Kazekage’s question hanging when she continued. “Oh, this isn’t to say there is anything wrong with formality. If there’s a secrecy needed, or, just a need for being in an office, with access to paperwork, then I can understand the need of the office.” Kuno smiled, put at ease by the relaxed way that the leader of his home was speaking to him. “Actually Lady Kazekage, I think that a walk around the village while we talk would be welcome for me as well.” With that, he stepped toward the door and stepped outside with Lady Midori Ningyou.

As they walked down the steps to the streets outside, Kuno turned to Midori once again, not wanting to waste much time, but still wanting to ask her something that had been weighing on his mind of late. “Lady Midori, before I get to the issue at hand, I have a personal question.” He continued walking through the street, and extended his hands to gesture to the village around the two of them. “I’ve only lived here for about nine years now, having left the Land of Fire behind when I was only ten years old. In that time, I’ve trained to be a ninja that can protect this village, because it is my home. Seeing you give your speech at your inauguration, I had a feeling that you feel the same way. That you would do anything for this place, because it is your home as well. But if I may, and I ask this with the utmost respect for you Kazekage, what makes your words different than the ones who came before you? The ones that abandoned us?”

He gritted his teeth, immediately regretting asking her such a heavy question right away. But that was Kuno’s way; get the personal matters out of the way so that there will be nothing holding back the business at hand. He hoped that she would not be angry, and that she would not go storming back into the office right away. But something about her told the young Uchiha that a response like that would not be the case.

WC:1019+988=2007

As the Uchiha stood up, Midori made sure to scan him over once or twice, eyes quickly taking in the details about him as he extended his hand, at which point she’d give him a hand shake before withdrawing the prosthetic. Kuno appeared to hold himself with a more formal posture, especially when compared to the relaxed nature of Midori’s stance. His hair was messy, and spiky, which was not akin to his stance, and like herself, he was surprisingly pale for the desert – although, according to his file, he was originally from the land of fire, so, perhaps that is why. What she picked up on however, was the scars lined across his face – every scar told a story, and she had grown used to people having scars for a variety of reasons, and this boy was no different. Given the location of the scars, however, she doubted it was self inflicted. His reply to what she said was formal, like his stance, which Midori personally didn’t know how to feel about – it came with the position she supposed.

After a pause in which he seemed to be zoned out, the Genin replied about how he would like to go for a walk, seeing it as mutually beneficial. She allowed him to lead the way, stepping across the sandstone floor of the administration building to the entrance, where the two of them left the building and into the streets, the harsh sunlight causing Midori to squint somewhat – a sudden change in brightness. Her steps were light, and as her eyes readjusted to the light, she found herself taking a brief glance around before nodding to herself. The shinobi she walked with was an Uchiha – one of the more infamous clans in the shinobi world. Historically, hundreds of years ago, the Uchiha caused a tremendous amount of grief, however, also were crucial to the formation of the shinobi villages as a unity. And in more recent years, while she didn’t know much about it, the Uchiha had also ravaged several shinobi villages. The hidden grass. The hidden iron. Even the hidden mist, however that had recovered well. Still, Midori held no preconceptions about the Uchiha. Only that they were shinobi which held a large amount of potential, and since their massacre in the past, had regrown to become as populated as any other shinobi clan, albeit far more spread out.

What surprised Midori was that, despite the apparent urgency of the meeting the Uchiha had requested, he wished to start with a personal question. The puppet Kage had to admit, she was curious, so, with a nod, she waited for his question. As they walked, and he spoke up, Midori listened intently, eyes glancing back to him every now and again but otherwise wandering, looking over the people that went about their day, the flickering shadows that disappeared from the rooftop – no doubt ANBU due to the close proximity to the administration building. She personally had instructed it, not wishing to increase crime in the area, and thus put her own staff at risk.

As he said his question, Midori couldn’t help but cock an eyebrow. He gave a bit of context, explaining that he was originally from the land of fire, Hi no Kuni, and stating that he’s trained with the desire to protect the village as best he could. A story she could understand, although she personally had lived in the desert village her entire life. He prefaced the question that he said it with respect, and then went on to ask what made her words different than all of her predecessors of the position. A heavy question, and one she could personally feel, that she had asked herself when in doubt. She rubbed her flesh arm down the back of her neck as she thought on the question, humming quietly in thought for a moment before speaking up. “Well…” she began, gathering her thoughts.

“Honestly, it’s a fair enough question. We’ve been in a rough place for a long time, and if I were in your position, I’d be asking the same questions. Realistically, I do not believe there is a dramatic difference between my words and the previous Kazekage. I am still young, I still have a lot to learn. And my words were just those. Words. I won’t have my words be my dreams until I act upon them, and I prove to the village that I meant every one of them. If I fail, then, I don’t want people to believe my words for what they were. If I don’t do well, I don’t want to be looked upon well. I have no doubt in my mind that all previous Kazekage have had their views of the best interests of the village as their priority for their actions. Some of them made mistakes. Huge mistakes. I am not sure exactly what circumstances caused the previous Kazekage to leave, and to do so much wrong, but I refuse to believe she didn’t have her reasons, and I am fully aware that one day, I could, like her, be branded a traitor.”

She sighed, looking to make sure he was still paying attention. “So, quite simply. I am not sure about the answer to your question. However, if I act wrong by the village, I will not flee, and abandon. No matter the hatred that gets cast my direction. I live here. I love it here. This is my home as much as anyone else, and I want to do whatever I can to do good by the village. So… Yeah.” She turned to face him then, stopping her aimless walk and crossing her arms, waiting for whatever response he would give to her speech. She didn’t expect a positive or negative one, or even a response at all. Midori wasn’t much of a good person when it came to knowing what to say, so perhaps her words came across wrong, and she sounded almost lazy.

Once he had said his piece, she would continue walking, heading through the main streets of Sunagakure no Sato, away from the administration building, yet directing the course in such a way that the location was not too busy, and that if needed, a quick diversion could be taken to lead to even quieter roads. Stretching her arms out, she shrugged. “By the way, until I’ve proven I’ve earned the title, please, just call me Midori. So, Kuno, you must have something important beyond personal belief as to why you organised the meeting so late. Is there something on your mind, or, a concern you have perhaps?” she asked, calm and collected. Given the questions he had just asked, she would not be surprised if one of the reasons he organised the meeting was doubt. She was still new in the position of office, and only time would tell how people felt about her, good or bad. So now, she simply waited, and listened, simply another member of the village, walking among the streets.

1174 + 947 = 2121

The Kazekage rubbed the back of her neck with her flesh arm, humming quietly while she seemed to think of a response. Kuno sighed to himself, slightly more relaxed since she did not immediately reprimand him and leave at such a heavy question. “Well…” she began, seemingly ready to answer him. “Honestly, it’s a fair enough question. We’ve been in a rough place for a long time, and if I were in your position, I’d be asking the same questions. Realistically, I do not believe there is a dramatic difference between my words and the previous Kazekage. I am still young, I still have a lot to learn. And my words were just those. Words. I won’t have my words be my dreams until I act upon them, and I prove to the village that I meant every one of them. If I fail, then, I don’t want people to believe my words for what they were. If I don’t do well, I don’t want to be looked upon well. I have no doubt in my mind that all previous Kazekage have had their views of the best interests of the village as their priority for their actions. Some of them made mistakes. Huge mistakes. I am not sure exactly what circumstances caused the previous Kazekage to leave, and to do so much wrong, but I refuse to believe she didn’t have her reasons, and I am fully aware that one day, I could, like her, be branded a traitor.”

For the second time today, Kuno was completely taken aback by the young Kazekage. He wasn’t sure what he expected, but in his mind, he figured it would be something along the lines of defending her position and telling him how different she was. But that’s not what she said at all. She admitted to her weaknesses, her youth, and the fact that all she had done so far was speak. But instead of making Kuno feel uncomfortable or worried for their future, her honesty brought him comfort. She looked at the young Uchiha, and their eyes fell into direct contact. He smiled approving as she continued. “So, quite simply. I am not sure about the answer to your question. However, if I act wrong by the village, I will not flee, and abandon. No matter the hatred that gets cast my direction. I live here. I love it here. This is my home as much as anyone else, and I want to do whatever I can to do good by the village. So… Yeah.” She stopped abruptly, halting their walk and crossing her arms. Kuno stopped as well, his smile still present as he nodded down to the shorter woman. “Well, Lady Midori, I must admit, that was not the response I excepted. But I’m glad it’s the one I got. Honesty is an important trait, but so is loyalty. You truly believe that our former Kazekage did what she did for the good of our people, and though I may not see it, I’m inclined to believe you. And to hear you speak of our home like that, to see you up close like this? Well, it’s inspiring, and it’s honest. I can tell.” He smirked. “Thank you.”

Having said his piece, he waited for a response, after which the young Kazekage began to walk once again. The direction she took was quiet, with most people avoiding the streets that they stepped though and walking other directions. She then stretched her arms out, shrugging. “By the way, until I’ve proven I’ve earned the title, please, just call me Midori. So, Kuno, you must have something important beyond personal belief as to why you organised the meeting so late. Is there something on your mind, or, a concern you have perhaps?” Kuno nodded, having almost forgotten about why he had come to see the woman in the first place. “Very well then Midori,” Pulling the piece of fabric from his pocket, he handed it over to the young woman. “Do you know what this symbol means? It’s obviously the kanji for “Autumn”, one of the many seasons we never see here. But I found it on the cloak of a man who was robbing a restaurant in the village frequently.” It was his turn to shrug as he began to present his loose case to Midori. “I decided to do a little bit of investigating, and I was able to find out that this kanji has been used to represent a group of outlaws that have recently shown up in the village slums. Unfortunately, since they are so new, nobody really knows what their deal is. So far they’ve just been stealing as far as people can tell.” He paused, trying to think of anything he may have forgotten. Shaking his head, he spoke up again. “I wasn’t sure if you knew anything about it at all, but if you had not, I wanted to make sure you did. The city can barely stand any more crime, and I know you want to make Sunagakure no Sato a better place.” Shrugging once again, he stopped now and turned to the Kazekage. “That’s basically it. I hope it wasn’t too much of a waste of time.” He now stood, awaiting her judgement on the matter, and hoping that she would see his work as valuable, and not just another case to add to the ever growing pile. Though after hearing her honesty earlier, he knew believed that she would not just dismiss him at the very least.

WC:949+2007=2956

Midori felt pleased with the reply the Uchiha gave, where he explained that the honesty was refreshing to hear. It was somewhat saddening that he couldn’t imagine the previous Kage doing what she did because she thought it was right, but, Midori could understand that. In her own mind, she too thought that the previous Kazekage, Kuroka, Gin, had abandoned them. Yet optimism never hurt, and she wanted so hard to believe there was more to the story. Although, no matter how much more to the story, she knew there was no point to naivety. No matter the intentions, the previous Kage was a criminal, who had betrayed her village and did terrible wrong. All Midori would reply to his enthusiasm with was a nod, before walking on and asking her piece.

Shortly after the walk, Midori watched as the genin retrieved a piece of torn cloth from his pocket, holding out to the puppet shinobi. She took the scrap in her prosthetic limb, holding it as she stared at it. As he described it, her eyes scanned over the cloth. At first, Midori couldn’t understand what he was leading to. Why would a single robbery mean a cloth holds significance? Yet the question she had in her mind was soon answered as the boy stated he had done further investigation. A gang. Another gang. She pinched the bridge of her nose with her non-wooden hand, still holding the cloth, as the realisation of how much more work she had on her plate came to mind. Still, there was something disconcerting about it. Normally crime did not occur at the same place repetitively, as that caused an increased risk of being caught. Not to mention, it was rare for gangs to wear coordinated attire. And then there was the use of the Kanji autumn… Her mind raced with the different possibilities it could mean, and for a moment, despite the boy Kuno having finished his speech, Midori simply stared at the torn cloth.

Finally, she snapped back to reality, passing the cloth back to the Uchiha boy before speaking, voice calm, yet with a sense of authority that upheld itself in a way that was far less gentle than before, far more serious. “I am afraid I do not know about this gang – this is the first I have heard. I am saddened, although not surprised, to hear that there are more crime and gang problems in the village. Yet, I will say, this is a serious matter and a cause for concern. Thank you for bringing it to my attention…” she trailed off, stroking her chin for a moment as she thought on what action to take.

“I’ll be brief with you, Kuno. From one sand shinobi to another, things are rough in the village right now. Our ANBU are at a low, and are spread thin. So, I have a request of you. I do not have the agents to spare, and I cannot make this an official mission at this current time. You are welcome to say no, but, I would like you to investigate further into this group.” The Kage stared at the boy now, looking to see his reply. Should he agree or not, Midori would hold no judgement. After all, he didn’t have any obligation to do it when it wasn’t an official mission – she would not be paying him for it, due to restricted funding, as well as the inability to spare time towards the payment paperwork when trying to stabilise the village.

Should he say yes, however, she would continue, giving an almost debrief into the mission. “Glad to hear it. I will try to provide aid where I can. There are some things about this that concern me, and so I recommend investigating those first. You stated that that particular scrap came from a thief who was caught repeatedly robbing a single restaurant, right? That detail concerns me… It is rare for a thief to dare return to the same location multiple times. If at all possible, I would like you to please try to discover why that particular location was robbed, or any information about it at all. Next, there is the detail of the other gang members. I can’t imagine that one location is the only one getting hit, and if this an organised set of robberies, I want to know why. Please find out which other locations have been getting hit multiple times, and chart them out on a map, along with the place you already know.”

Looking to make sure the genin was still following, Midori nodded, stopping to lean against a wall, before continuing. “Another thing is the cloth itself. If it is a part of a uniform, it means multiple people are going to the same source for their attire. If you can, find out who is manufacturing their attire, and report in who it is that the source is. You are to not engage unless absolutely necessary. Dependant on how well this goes, I might be able to scrounge up some money from my own pay, which I can put towards a reward for accomplishing this. However, remember, this is not a task that requires heroism. If you find yourself in danger doing this investigation, report it in. Either an ANBU, or myself, will aid you and ensure that you get out safely, understood?”

Whether or not he replied to that, Midori stretched out her puppet arm, extending it slightly, before retracting it to its normal size. Exhaling, she allowed her voice to soften once more as she spoke, deciding to give a summation in case he needed reminding. “So, in short, your mission is to discover the locations which are being targeted, and the location where they are getting their attire. Those are your primary objectives. Your secondary objectives are to discover their motives, discover what is being stolen, and discover the reason behind the attire. If you get discovered, or feel yourself at risk, you are to withdraw immediately, and report any and all findings to myself. I will inform the receptionist that, while this is an issue, you have permission to enter my office so long as there are no current meetings occurring. Now…” she turned to face him proper, before smiling. “Any questions?”

1053 + 2121 = 3174

Kuno waited silently as the young Kazekage carefully contemplated his words, staring down at the torn cloth that he had handed to her. Kuno was happy that she was at least thinking about what he had said and had not dismissed him outright, though he wondered at whether or not she was determining if what he had said was of any value. At the very least she was thinking about it, which is all that mattered to the young Uchiha. Finally, she seemed to snap back to her current situation and addressed him. “I am afraid I do not know about this gang – this is the first I have heard. I am saddened, although not surprised, to hear that there are more crime and gang problems in the village. Yet, I will say, this is a serious matter and a cause for concern. Thank you for bringing it to my attention…” Her tone was far more serious than it had been moments ago, and though it troubled Kuno to hear that Midori had not yet heard about the gang he had discovered, he was happy to see her taking it seriously. She spoke with the authority of one beyond her years, and right then and there, she sounded like a Kazekage.

Stroking her chin, she continued, “I’ll be brief with you, Kuno. From one sand shinobi to another, things are rough in the village right now. Our ANBU are at a low, and are spread thin. So, I have a request of you. I do not have the agents to spare, and I cannot make this an official mission at this current time. You are welcome to say no, but, I would like you to investigate further into this group.” The young Uchiha raised an eyebrow as the Kage started at him, seeming waiting for a response. An off the books mission for the head of his village? It sounded like something out of a work of fiction, but knowing how desperate to help the village this woman was, and also how desperate the situation her village was in, he could understand. He nodded, “Yes, that’s something I can definitely do. I probably would have looked into it regardless of your response, though I’m glad that you are taking this as seriously as I do.” She then turned and continued without hesitation. “Glad to hear it. I will try to provide aid where I can. There are some things about this that concern me, and so I recommend investigating those first. You stated that that particular scrap came from a thief who was caught repeatedly robbing a single restaurant, right? That detail concerns me… It is rare for a thief to dare return to the same location multiple times. If at all possible, I would like you to please try to discover why that particular location was robbed, or any information about it at all. Next, there is the detail of the other gang members. I can’t imagine that one location is the only one getting hit, and if this an organised set of robberies, I want to know why. Please find out which other locations have been getting hit multiple times, and chart them out on a map, along with the place you already know.”

Kuno had slowed a little bit, trying to take in all of the information that she had begun to throw in his direction. She turned to look back at him, nodded, and stopped to lean up against the wall, instructions flowing from her like a water through a recently broken dam. “Another thing is the cloth itself. If it is a part of a uniform, it means multiple people are going to the same source for their attire. If you can, find out who is manufacturing their attire, and report in who it is that the source is. You are to not engage unless absolutely necessary. Dependent on how well this goes, I might be able to scrounge up some money from my own pay, which I can put towards a reward for accomplishing this. However, remember, this is not a task that requires heroism. If you find yourself in danger doing this investigation, report it in. Either an ANBU, or myself, will aid you and ensure that you get out safely, understood?”

Kuno was taken aback by the sudden question. Her outburst of authority and her surprisingly commanding presence was almost emanating from her now, and Kuno could not help but smile as he nodded and said, “Understood.” She was every part of the title she now held in that moment. Kuno listened intently as her voice softened once again and she summarized every point she and already made, finally ending with giving him permission to enter and exit her office as long as there were no other meetings occurring. She finally concluded by smiling and asking if he had any questions. Kuno stood there for a moment, turning the thoughts and information over in his mind. He was being given special permissions that very few ninja ever received, let alone a Genin like himself. It was an honour, and he was genuinely grateful; not only for the treatment he was being given, but her interest in the situation that he, a low ranked ninja, had discovered on his own. Finally, he met her gaze, smiling as well. “I think you’ve covered just about everything Midori. Thank you, sincerely. Thank you for giving me this opportunity, and for trusting me like this. I really appreciate it.” He raised his hand, palm up, and gestured to the street that they had stopped on, beckoning her to continue on their walk.

As they rounded the corner and began to head back in the direction of the administration building, the young Uchiha turned back to his Kage. “I must ask Midori, why are you granting me so many privileges like this? I’m not complaining at all; the resources will be welcome for sure! But I just don’t understand why you would trust a Genin like me? Especially one that isn’t even native to your home?” He stopped at the steps up to the building and waited for her response, maintaining a gentle expression of pure curiosity and not animosity.

WC:1051+2956=4007

Midori was pleased that the genin understood her instructions, and the task ahead of him. She also found herself somewhat amused as he gestured for her to follow as the route began to turn back towards the direction of which they had originally come from – the admin building. Her steps continued to be as light as ever, barely making a sound as the sand beneath her feet shifted under the weight – most of which came from the prosthetic. She scanned the surroundings as they walked back, a habit of her time growing through the shinobi lifestyle, but also just out of wishing to avoid accidentally knocking into someone, or causing inconvenience.

It was further joyous to hear that the shinobi Uchiha was glad to have her help – not for vanity reasons, but for the sake that it showed his enthusiasm for helping to keep the village safe. To Midori, it was a good sign that the village could, and would, improve. The first step to safety was security, and the first step to that, was a want to improve. At least in her mind. Without any desire to better themselves, or their home, the village would simply be desolate, abandoned, and without any potential to recover. The questions that came next weren’t anything that didn’t surprise her. After all, it wasn’t normal for a Kage to simply give this much allowance for a single genin, especially given the dangerous state the village was in. So, she figured it’d be rude not to answer to her best ability, although that in turn would prove a lengthy one.

She looked upwards, eyes reflecting the vast, endless blue in the sky above, not a cloud in the sky to shade from the unrelenting embers that warmed the planet. The sounds of people around her reminded her of the sensory issues she had grown with, the tingles upon her skin of anxiety creeping in, its cruel hands wrapped around her throat like a single, soundless vice. She shuddered somewhat, before looking ahead once more, leaving that behind her and focusing on answering the Uchiha’s question. “Well, there are a few answers to that. And, I won’t give you the short one, which is just that I flipped a coin on it. Because, while amusing, that is not true. At least, not this time.” She said with a light giggle to herself and a shrug.

“So, first thing’s first. I want to let the village know that there will be no holding back. I’ve grown in a lawless village. I myself want to see it and the people within it shine, and if I made people stop doing missions because of protocol, that would be counter productive in my mind. The second thing is, you say you’re not officially from Sunagakure, but, that in my mind isn’t what makes someone a sand shinobi. I’ve been born here, and raised here, and lived here my entire life. That isn’t what makes me a member of the village though. The village of the leaves, your home, has the will of fire, yes? The burning desire and passion to protect that what is important, and to protect their home? Well, the way I see it, every great shinobi nation has its own will. Others can debate with me on it if they wish, but it is my personal belief that what guides those of the desert village is the will of the winds. The individuality and freedom, to do ones best through ones individuality. To be free, and to act for ones goals and desires. To me, you showed the desire of the will of the wind. You came to me with concern for the safety of your home, with concern about the goings on within the village. That, to me, is worth its weight in gold, silver, or any other precious metal.”

She sighed, before shrugging, the administration building now in sight. “Lastly, which will probably sound repetitive, but, I grew up in lawless Suna. You get used to a lack of structure. People took things in their own hands, but because of the lack of aid from anyone, it only caused more grief. Admit it; if I’d told you no, you’d have gone and investigated anyways, right? You’re a genin. You’ve still got room, potential, to grow. To achieve your brilliance. I don’t want to risk something that precious, and that important, getting snuffed out too soon. So, if I order it as an official mission, and give you access to aid you need from myself, and any available ANBU, it means I can preserve a genin’s life – your life.”

Now in front of the doors of the administration building, she turned to look to the Uchiha, before shrugging. “So, yeah, call me an irresponsible Kazekage if you want to. I’m not doing this job for good thoughts. If, by the time I either retire or die, I’m viewed as with disdain by the village, that is fine by me. But, I am giving you this permission while the mission is to be done. I trust you to not betray the trust. I don’t have much ANBU to spare, however, if you abuse this position, I can always spare some time to redirect the mission to someone else. Until then, I hope that has answered your question. So, if there is anything else, please let me know now. You are to take the rest of today on break, and prepare yourself. From tomorrow onwards, you are to begin your investigation, and to contact for aid if any risk arrives. I will not take you getting injured.” She said with a rather blank expression, and her stern voice returning, before softening once more.

“So, if there is nothing more, I will return to my office. The paperwork won’t solve itself, and the missions won’t assign themselves. Not to mention, I have a fun little letter to get working on. But, well, time to stretch the legs is always appreciated, so, thank you for coming to me with concern about this, and if you have more to say, I am willing to listen.” She announced, nodding. Now it was just to wait.

1034 + 3174 = 4208

Kuno listened intently to every word uttered to him by his Kagekage. She was confident in what she was doing, not because others would think it was right, but because she had decided that it was the best way to keep her village safe. And with that confidence, she was not afraid to boldly move forward. Though she may be unorthodox, and she may go against the normal way of doing things, she was happy to do so if it meant that her village would be strong. Furthermore, she cared about his life. She wanted to make sure that he, Kuno; this young Genin who had yet to prove himself, would be able to help the village while also staying alive. She wanted him to have the resources he needed to complete the task he had set in his mind, to survive it, but also do be able to excel. It was a great encouragement to hear that coming from the leader of his home, and along with his respect for the young woman before him, his smile grew as well.

But the practical reasons she presented and inspirational goals that she could see for Kuno were not what caught his attention most. No, it was one of the first things she said that set Midori Ningyou’s position as Kazekage firmly in the young Uchiha’s mind. "The village of the leaves, your home, has the will of fire, yes? The burning desire and passion to protect that what is important, and to protect their home? Well, the way I see it, every great shinobi nation has its own will. Others can debate with me on it if they wish, but it is my personal belief that what guides those of the desert village is the will of the winds. The individuality and freedom, to do ones best through ones individuality. To be free, and to act for ones goals and desires. To me, you showed the desire of the will of the wind. You came to me with concern for the safety of your home, with concern about the goings on within the village. That, to me, is worth its weight in gold, silver, or any other precious metal.” With those word, Kuno could almost feel this invisible “will of the winds” churn inside him into a tempest that could rival any will of firey spirit from the Village Hidden in the Leaves. In that moment, as he stood at the doors to the administration building and looked into his Kage’s eyes, he knew that she was worthy of the title. Not because of her strength, not because of her wisdom, but because of her love for her home; the Village Hidden in the Sands. He listened on in awe as she continued to just open up to him, though she definitely did not need to justify herself to him, a simple Genin. “So, yeah, call me an irresponsible Kazekage if you want to. I’m not doing this job for good thoughts. If, by the time I either retire or die, I’m viewed as with disdain by the village, that is fine by me. But, I am giving you this permission while the mission is to be done. I trust you to not betray the trust. I don’t have much ANBU to spare, however, if you abuse this position, I can always spare some time to redirect the mission to someone else. Until then, I hope that has answered your question. So, if there is anything else, please let me know now. You are to take the rest of today on break, and prepare yourself. From tomorrow onwards, you are to begin your investigation, and to contact for aid if any risk arrives. I will not take you getting injured.”

So has her speech concluded and her voice softened, Kuno listened to her kind dismissal. “So, if there is nothing more, I will return to my office. The paperwork won’t solve itself, and the missions won’t assign themselves. Not to mention, I have a fun little letter to get working on. But, well, time to stretch the legs is always appreciated, so, thank you for coming to me with concern about this, and if you have more to say, I am willing to listen.” Kuno shook his head, still beaming with pride at the prospect of working personally for the Kazekage that had inspired him so much. “No Midori, I think I understand everything. Though I do have one thing to say before I leave. Earlier, you mentioned the Land of Fire and referred to it as my home. I know you did not mean anything by it, but I want you to know this. The Land of Fire is no longer my home. Now, I belong to Sunagakure no Sato, and as such, I will protect is as my home, just as you have ordered.” He would then give a polite bow before turning to walk away from Midori, waving over his shoulder. “Thank you for this walk and talk. You’ve done more for me in this short time than you know. You've inspired me, and that is a trait tat I think makes a worthy Kage. So, I bid you farewell, Lady Midori.”

With that, the young man set himself on his way back to his home, ready to take the rest of the day off as Midori had ordered. Even so, he felt a renewed sense of purpose after his meeting with the young Kage. She not only had him feel like he was important to Sunagakure no Sato as a village, but also important to her as a person. She genuinly seemed to care about his well being, and to see that from her showed Kuno just how much she must love the village, to be worried about such a low ranked ninja with all of the problems that were now her responsibility. So with that in mind, he resolved himself to obey the Kage's orders, but with a slight alteration. He would not take this day for a break. No, instead he would go home and he would prepare for his investigation. Because this was his home too, and the nineteen year old was not going to let it suffer any longer than it had to. Kuno Uchiha had a mystery to solve.

[Exit Thread]

WC:1069+4007=5076

Training:
All Stats from D-1 to D-3 (4250/4250)

D-Rank Jutsu: Fire Release: Dragon's Teeth (750/750)

Unused WC:76

As the boy corrected her, Midori laughed somewhat out of embarrassment, nodding her head quickly and waving a hand in apology. “Ah, right, my mistake.” She said quickly, before continuing to listen. He declared her a worthy Kage, and that she inspired him, which brought a rather subtle smile to her lips. As the genin said he was about to leave, Midori bowed herself, before standing up right and turning, off to return to her work with renewed vigour. She made her way up the steps, into the building, pushing the doors open gently and slipping into the building before moving directly to the room which she had come to treat as truly her own. Without hesitation she opened the doors to her office, sighing softly to herself as she walked in, shutting the door behind her. It was invigorating, to hear and see those that you were working to protect and help. To hear someone say they were happy, well, it was an infectious feeling.

Now back in her office, Midori moved to her seat, sitting down before resting her elbows on the desk, staring ahead of her at nothing in particular, lost in thought. The news of more gangs was never something she wanted to hear, but, that wasn’t the thought currently pervading her mind, and taking up her focus. The group of which Kuno Uchiha had mentioned, it scratched at the surface of her thoughts. Why? Why were they called the autumn group? It felt… Menacing. She could imagine a multitude of reasons, most of which were non-serious, and likely non-factors. Yet the one potential that stuck in her mind, stuck hard. Autumn. Or, perhaps if she were to paraphrase it, fall.

It seemed ominous to her, and she hated it, so very much. In all likeliness, it was simple coincidence. Yet the thought stuck with her, causing her to scrunch her eyebrows and rub her fingertips against her forehead in frustration as she thought hard upon it. She stood up, stretching out, and walking over to her files, looking through the recorded list of crimes. There was the recent sighting of Infinity Gang members – people from Iwagakure, who the people of Suna had next to no information on due to being from a different country. The reason they were in Suna is a mystery, and thus, something to be discussed with someone more… Aware of Iwagakure’s current standings. Then, there was this rising gang war issue within the slums. Supposedly, a large majority of it occurred within an area known for having taverns, as well as drunken brawls, and death. A cesspool which she had not the time to deal with at this current period of time, yet intended on shutting down at some point in the future.

Yet the new gang confused her for one simple reason. There were no clear motives, yet, it had begun so small yet significant. Repetitive minor crime. Why? Why?!

She stuck the file back where it belonged, before walking back over to her seat. It was a long way to go, to get Sunagakure out from the lawless state it was. She slumped down, allowing all of the tension to leave her for the moment as she sank down into her seat, shutting her eyes. It wouldn’t hurt to just take a nap right? She felt the weight of the world take over… Before quickly springing up again, hand grasping the quill and retrieving it from the pot of ink before taking it to parchment, making notes of everything she knew about today. She pulled up a map, charting out whatever locations she knew of crime events. The murders of the infinity gang. The drink and slum gang. The minor crime on the outskirts.

And that wasn’t even mentioning the assassinations. They had occurred just before she had become Kazekage, yet the paperwork was still hers to deal with. A multitude of people were murdered, each in varying yet similar ways, often those of high stature in the business world. One woman reported waking up one morning to her husband, dead, an arrow embedded in his chest. The suspect of interest being a rogue ANBU, which fled the village and disappeared the same time, or rather, shortly after, the murders occurred. That was something Midori was concerned about, high profile assassinations by an ANBU member with no discernible motive. It all left Midori high strung and on edge, and was one of the reasons she didn’t pass on this mission to a member of ANBU: in a way, a genin was more trustworthy at this current period of time. She felt a shiver down her spine, memories of the corrupt nature of the village. She had a long way to go to make the village of the desert safe. But, it was her home. But it would be worth it.

811 + 4208 = 5019

[EXIT]

Training: