No matter how long he stared at the bright red LED numbers on the clock beside his bed, they would not move any faster than they had been for the past two hours. As the numbers flashed showing the time to be two o’clock in the morning, Kuno laid in his bed, wide awake and unable to leave his eyes closed for more that a few minutes at a time. The nightmare came if he fell asleep, and those brought him back to consciousness fast enough that he had decided sleep was not worth engaging in. He would much rather be exhausted and awake constantly, than exhausted while also being forced to relive his mother’s death over and over again. Not every night was as bad as this one. It had been a little more than a week since the attack on his home, and since then he had been able to get three good nights of sleep, though those were most likely born from the fatigue that was clinging to his body due to the lack of sleep on the other nights. The memory of his mother finally passing away in a pool of her own blood while Kuno had knelt next to her was still fresh on his mind, and each night brought it back just in case he began to forget it an move on.

But he had moved on, in a sense. He had decided that he would not roll over and let this tragedy kill him. Instead, he had vowed to take his revenge on the people who had murdered her in her own home, and before she had died, Kuno promised her that he would rescue his older sister, who had also been taken in the incident. This vow had led him to push forward with his training, as well as with his investigation into the group that seemed to be involved in her murder; Autumn. Having tracked them down to a hideout in the slums of the city, he had enlisted the help of a senior ninja in his assault that he planned to launch on the newly established gang. The day for that mission was fast approaching, and the slight anxiety that Kuno was feeling about it had compounded on to his newly realized insomnia, leaving him particularly sleepless this night.

Finally giving up on sleep, Kuno sat up in bed, looking down at the scars on his bare, muscular chest. The signs of his training were beginning to really show, but those scars would always remain. He had received them when he was still an academy student, not that many years ago after his arrival in the village with his family, minus his father. He insisted on joining the advanced kenjutsu classes, which had paid of in the end, but they certainly did not come without their price. Glancing over at his newly purchased blade, Adolescent Ember, and smiled for the first time that night. The blood red blade of the miao dao was impressive to say the least; he knew he could wield it the way it deserved to be wielded.

Standing up, he stepped over to his closet and began to dress, having decided what to do with his night, since sleep was not an option for the young Uchiha. He had already told his story to his good friend, Lynn, and the authorities that had arrived on the scene obviously knew what had happened to him, and Syekren Uchiha, the special jonin he was going to be assaulting the hideout with also knew what had occurred in the young man’s life. But there was one person who he had not personally reported the incident to yet; the Kazekage of the village, Midori Ningyou. She had asked him for regular updates on his investigation, and yet he had not had the opportunity to go to her yet to explain why he had not been around to tell her about his progress. Stepping over to his desk, he pickup up a large plastic bag that held the blood stained cloak with the mark of Autumn on it that has been in hi smother’s hand when Kuno had found her. Then, throwing on his jacket, tying on his Sunkagakure forehead protector, and strapping his new, crimson blade onto his hip, Kuno stepped out into the night air of the Land of Wind.

The walk to the village administration building was a peaceful one. The moon, which was now waning in the night sky, hung like a perfect spotlight to lead the young Uchiha through the streets of his home without incident. Despite living in a desert, the nights of the Land of Wind were still cold to Kuno, so he quickened his face so as to not be forced to stay in the cold for too long. When he finally arrived at the administration building, Kuno stepped up without any hesitation and stepped inside, heading up the stairs of the warmly lit interior to the office of the Kagekage. At this hour, there was no receptionist to greet him, and truth be told he was not even sure if the puppeteer Kage was in at the time of the night. Regardless he would wait for her if need be. She needed to know about the events that had transpired. Stepping ugh to the door, the bag containing the black cloak stained with his mother’s blood in his left hand, he reached up with his right and knocked on the door to Midori Ningyou’s office.

WC:929

Midori resigned herself to continuing to work, preparing the documents for the arrival of the incoming Tsuchikage. Upon a discussion with the council that day, she had managed to convince them to sign for a potential agreement should it occur, which meant she had to prepare paperwork for each individual member of the Sunagakure council, as well as extras for however many members of the Iwagakure council there were – a large amount, so as to not have too few copies for the amount of people there would be. Each form was hand written, on a fine parchment made from the reeds that are farmed in the land of wind, down to the south by the coast. If the trade agreements went well enough, Midori had plans to create a small reed plantation down south to increase the open jobs, the sources of parchment for scroll and trade use, and provide more plants for the local fauna to eat and gather around by creating an artificial river – a canal, to channel the water in a way that it acts as a man made oasis.

Still, as she prepared for it, the council frustrated her somewhat. There was something they weren’t telling her. It occurred while flipping through the files when she was assigning squads. One of the new genin, a girl, had very little information on her, even compared to some of the mysterious characters. Upon delving deeper, this girl had ties to one of the older Kazekage, Kuroka Gin. Familial ties to be precise. The lack of information was disconcerting, and Midori felt a need to keep an eye on the council’s actions, as well as to look into the matter personally when she had the free moment. Still, this frustration wasn’t one that had only come about due to working with the council. Even prior to her position as Kazekage, Midori felt frustration with the council, as a majority, due to the lack of support the village received. The lack of care, as if the village was little of a problem. As if the lives of the villagers were a little of a problem. Her mind thought through the ways to confront them, but she needed time and evidence. To find exactly which ones were involved, and to find out what exactly was going on. Perhaps there would be information within the ANBU documents, the ones hidden away more skilfully than those she was given instant access to.

Sat at her desk, Midori flipped through some of the documents she had prepared in readiness for the arrival of the Tsuchikage. Trade agreements mostly, ones which were designed so that both sides had room for negotiation as required. The wish from Iwagakure was stone as a priority, as well as metals that cannot be found easily within the land of wind. In return, Midori felt it appropriate to have her primary offer be salt, glass, and medicine. If the agreement proved a success, her sights would turn to the other villages, each one offering a different resource which the village could make use of. However, it all depended upon the Tsuchikage. The meeting could either result in aid for helping the sand prosper, or a war where the sand would have to play defensively, and go into lock down. She hoped for the former.

As the night loomed in, the weight of the day began to grow on her shoulders. Fatigue began to kick in, and with a yawn, Midori felt herself growing to the end of her day. But, not the end of her work day. Still yawning, Midori plucking a hair from her head with her puppet hand, before – in a poof – a second Midori appeared, standing beside the real Midori, who slowly rested herself on the desk, the clone looming over her as she began to drift off to take a quick recovery nap. Face hitting the desk, Midori quickly dosed off, her eyes fluttering to sleep as she entered the world of dreams, embracing the sleep from the dark of night as her clone set about continuing her work for her. Simple organising, and shifting through papers, both related to her personal investigation into the council, as well as the plan for helping reduce crime in Sunagakure no Sato.

Yet, shortly, or perhaps after a while, for time was hard to judge while in her sleep, a knock came from the door. Midori herself couldn’t hear, but, the clone was more awake, and made a judgement as the individual approached. Hearing the footsteps lightly clatter against the cool sandstone flooring, the clone of Midori smacking the real one around the back of the head, before dispersing itself. Somewhat dazed, but woken up now, Midori heard the knock. Shooting upright, so that she was no longer slouched over her desk, Midori reaffirmed her posture, before speaking up. Voice stern, and acting as professional as she could muster at the early hours of the night such as this, she began. “I’m here, so, please come in.”

As the door opened, and the boy within entered, Midori smiled softly, gesturing to the chair opposite her desk. Whether the boy would take the seat or not, she gathered her thoughts and spoke. “Ah, Kuno, it’s good to see you. Although, judging from the time you’ve come, I imagine something has happened in regards to your mission. Please, have a seat, and get yourself comfortable. I can fetch you a drink if you wish. I am willing to talk as long as you wish.” She said, before allowing her posture to relax and setting her arms back to her side in a sign of being non-threatening, and calm, hoping to seem as hospitable as possible to the young genin.

958

Chakra: 260/270 (-10 for C rank medical jutsu (chakra cost reduced by 5 due to using it through a puppet limb)

Jutsu used:

OOC: Sorry for the delay! Got exams going on, so, been a bit hectic @.@ Hope this was alright!

Kuno waited for a moment, hearing sounds coming from the other side of the office door but unable to discern their source. Wondering if there was even anybody around to answer his knock, Kuno began to step back from the door when he heard a voice from the office. It was the voice of his Kazekage. “I’m here, so, please come in.” She sounded a little bit dazed, but Kuno reasoned that was probably because of the hour of night that it was. Not wanting to keep the village leader waiting, he grabbed the handle and opened the door, stepping into the office of Midori Ningyou. Kuno only nodded in retuen to her soft smile, face still stony in its expression and eyes still tired. She gestured to the choir in front of her desk before greeting him. “Ah, Kuno, it’s good to see you. Although, judging from the time you’ve come, I imagine something has happened in regards to your mission. Please, have a seat, and get yourself comfortable. I can fetch you a drink if you wish. I am willing to talk as long as you wish.”

Kuno glanced over at the chair, debating whether or not he should sit for an uncomfortable about of time. He remained silent, but eventually walked over to the chair and sat down, setting the bundle that was the cloak on the floor beside him and unbuckling the sword in its sheathe, leaning it up against his side of the desk. “Hello Midori, thank you for seeing me so late. I do apologize for it. I had planned to contact you tomorrow morning but I…I could not let this wait any longer than it already has.” He paused for a moment, trying to collect his thoughts without becoming emotional. He had to push those feelings aside until the problem was dealt with; until the entirety of the Autumn gang had been eliminated. “I’m sorry I haven’t repoirted sooner, but there have been some developments in my mission that you may not be aware of.”

Leaning down, he picked up the bundle on the floor and held it on his lap until the time was right. “I did as you said, Lady Kazekage. I looked into the manufacturer of their attire, I investigated the restaurant that was being robbed, I followed up on every lead I found and I pursued any person that seemed to have any information on this gang, Autumn, getting all the valuable intelligence that I could. But during this, I apparently let my own defences down.” He stopped again, gritting his teeth and lifting the black cloak stained with his mother’s blood onto the desk of the Kazekage. “I never engaged directly, I always took note and readied anything I had in my report. But then this happened. You’ll notice, Lady Midori, that the cloak before you bares the kanji of Autumn, just like the others. But it is also saturated with blood.” He exhaled sharply, maintaining his composure externally, but still feeling the sorrow resurfacing inside himself. “That blood belongs to my mother. You see, they broke into my home and murdered her there. I came home to find her bleeding out on the floor of our kitchen. Unfortunately, she was too far gone at that point for me to help her. They also kidnapped my sister, and she remains missing at this time.”

He then slouched back in the chair, forgetting formality for a moment. “They claimed the first lives that we know about. And so, their threat on our home has now escalated. Midori, they need to be stopped, before more of the village ends up like me.” He then stopped, unable to continue for a moment, the memories of his mother leaping unbidden into his mind’s eye. His exhaustion combined with the emotional turmoil he was feeling was threatening to shatter the composure that he had held for so long. But he would not crack, not now. He would not let his Kazekage see him break. She deserved better shinobi than that. He made eye contact with her, trying to read her in the moment. Did she even have the time to feel for the young Uchiha? After all, there was an entire village resting on her shoulders, and this Kuno was just one of many hurting people in the city. Not just that, but the village had more than one gang to deal with. Why was this one any more important? Why should she care any more about this problem than the others?

But perhaps she didn’t. Perhaps she cared about them all equally. And if she was the woman that she had showed herself to be to Kuno those few weeks ago, then Kuno believed that would be enough.  

WC:806+929=1735

Watching as the young man took up her offer of a seat, Midori waited patiently, keeping a neutral expression upon her face as she waited and listened to Kuno speak, eyes quickly shifting to the bundle placed on the floor, and the sword leant against her desk. His voice seemed strained, somewhat, as he began the formalities of thanking her for permitting the visit. His breath seemed short, and the bags under his eyes only helped to further tell of his fatigue. He seemed fully aware of the lateness of the night, and that simply meant that, despite that, he felt there was something important enough to arrive regardless. As he stated there was new developments however, a slight shift in Midori’s expression would be her only reply, as a single eyebrow raised in the pique of her curiosity.

After this, the young man leant down to pick up what he had not long put down, and held it close to him, before continuing to speak. It seemed he’d been taking the task seriously, which to Midori, was a good sign, as it meant that he had hope for the safety of the village. The detail that he had lowered his own defences however, concerned her. The more he spoke, the more the Kazekage listened, waking up more as time went on and her body got reused to the stimulation of being conscious. His voice broke at several points as he held up the torn piece of cloak, the kanji stained a deep crimson with blood. It seemed he was straining himself to cope, exhaling and forcing himself to continue on. Something happened, but before Midori could ask the details of what, he continued, explaining the details of why the blood stained the cloak. His mother had died. A frown arose on the puppet woman’s face as she continued to listen to the sorrowful story, of how his home was broken into, and his mother slain brutally. Furthermore, his sibling had also disappeared from the attack.

“They claimed the first lives that we know about. And so, their threat on our home has now escalated. Midori, they need to be stopped, before more of the village ends up like me.” The words seemed hard pressed, and from the collapsed posture he held, it seemed the fatigue and reality of the situation had begun to sink in. In stark contrast to this, Midori began to stand silently, her breath in even paces, and her posture calm. With silent steps she strode over to the corner of the room, where a small desk was seated with a jar of water, and several small glasses. Seemingly paying no heed to the Uchiha, she poured out a glass, before carrying it back to the desk, and setting it down in front of him.

“I imagine you won’t feel in the mood for a drink, but you should keep your strength up. I am terribly sorry for what has happened…” she stated, not walking back to her side of the desk and instead standing at his side. Despite the monotonous, calm within her voice, Midori felt a pang of guilt well up inside of her. She was the one who had handed this mission to a genin, one with minimal skills to deal with the lethal situation that was investigating gangs. Her lack of foresight made her curse herself in her mind, the thought that perhaps the gang would turn violent. Placing her right, prosthetic arm gently on his left shoulder, she gave him a slight squeeze, as if to reassure and remind that he was not the only person within the room.

“If you could hand in a file, whenever you are feeling able, with the findings you have made, and the details of your sister, I will have the ANBU begin investigation. The last thing Sunagakure needs is a hostage situation, or another rampant gang that commits murder whimsically. If you will permit it, I would like to personally investigate the…” she paused, trying to think of a delicate way of phrasing it without seeming cruel and heartless, or probing into something he was still coming to terms with. “The incident. Perhaps there are more clues that can be discovered, ones that are more hard to reach or find. For example, I would like to know what the murder weapon is. If it was something at the crime scene, or if it’s something that would require an autopsy to discover…”

At this, however, Midori cut herself off. This wasn’t the sort of thing to say in front of him. She stepped away, walking back to the jug of water and pouring herself a glass now. “I really, really am sorry. I agree with you whole heartedly. To hear that someone’s life was taken so forcefully… While it is a part of the world we live in, it is still something that will never be welcome to hear. I am so sorry. I imagine you will not be finding it comfortable to return to your home just yet. So, while you recover, please feel free to rest in the on call room at the hospital. It is for staff, but, I will send a message giving them the details and information regarding the situation. In the meantime, I won’t expect an answer right away, but, how would you like to proceed? I will not fault you if you wish to step away. It’s a lot to take, a lot to deal with. You’re still young within the shinobi world, and so, I’ll let you decide how you wish to step forward. Just, at your own pace. There will be no judgements from me. I promise, with my word as not Kazekage, but as Midori.” She stopped, then, taking a sip of her glass of water as she returned to his side, looking down at him with concern in her gaze as she waited patiently, her mind racing over the thoughts regarding what had happened.

1000 + 958 = 1958

Kuno watched silently as his Kagekage slowly rose from her desk. She seemed extremely calm, which was to be expected by someone of her station. Kuno was not surprised to see her movements were unhindered by any emotions that the young Uchiha had presented. She was doing well in her position, as far as Kuno could tell. It was good that she could take news like this in stride; otherwise she would go insane, especially with all of the death that occurred throughout Sunagakure no Sato. Her steps were silent as she glided over a corner of the office that contained a small desk, on which was a jar of water and an assortment of small glasses. Stoically, she poured out the water into one of the small glasses, and then carried it back over to the desk. Reaching out, she set it in front of the young Uchiha.

“I imagine you won’t feel in the mood for a drink, but you should keep your strength up. I am terribly sorry for what has happened…” Kuno nodded slowly, staring at the glass for some time. He realized that Midori had not returned to her chair, instead choosing to stand beside Kuno. He was not sure whether it was a show of support, or possibly authority, but regardless of her intent, he was slightly comforted by it. She seemed like she cared, even though she did not show it through her tone of voice. Kuno let out a quiet sigh before reaching for the glass of water and sipping it slowly. It felt refreshing on his lips. He had not realized just how thirsty he was until that moment. Still, he confined himself to sipping the drink and now downing it all at once. Suddenly, there was a touch on his shoulder, and Kuno almost jumped out of surprise before he realized who it was. The Kazekage, had set her puppet hand on his shoulder and had given him a gentle squeeze. Reassurance perhaps? Sympathy maybe? Kuno was not sure whether she was just trying to show that she supported him as a Kage or as a fellow ninja, but once again, he was comforted slightly regardless of intent.

And as soon as the informality started, it seemed to end as well. Though she remained beside him with a hand on his shoulder, her words were all business. “If you could hand in a file, whenever you are feeling able, with the findings you have made, and the details of your sister, I will have the ANBU begin investigation. The last thing Sunagakure needs is a hostage situation, or another rampant gang that commits murder whimsically. If you will permit it, I would like to personally investigate the…” she paused, and Kuno knew already what she was trying to do. She didn’t want to tear open a fresh wound, and he appreciated her effort. But unbeknownst to her, the would was still open, and it would be for some time. She continued with a suitable descriptor for his mother’s murder. “The incident. Perhaps there are more clues that can be discovered, ones that are more hard to reach or find. For example, I would like to know what the murder weapon is. If it was something at the crime scene, or if it’s something that would require an autopsy to discover…”

Once again the senior ninja’s voice trailed off. Perhaps it was because of the expression that Kuno’s face held; not one of pain or sorrow, but of apathy. If he was honest with himself, he was probably still in shock. He needed time to recover, though it was the last thing he had wanted to do. Once again Midori stepped back over to the jug of water where she began to fill a glass for herself. Kuno sipped his as she did so, listening to what she had to say. “I really, really am sorry. I agree with you whole heartedly. To hear that someone’s life was taken so forcefully… While it is a part of the world we live in, it is still something that will never be welcome to hear. I am so sorry. I imagine you will not be finding it comfortable to return to your home just yet. So, while you recover, please feel free to rest in the on call room at the hospital. It is for staff, but, I will send a message giving them the details and information regarding the situation. In the meantime, I won’t expect an answer right away, but, how would you like to proceed? I will not fault you if you wish to step away. It’s a lot to take, a lot to deal with. You’re still young within the shinobi world, and so, I’ll let you decide how you wish to step forward. Just, at your own pace. There will be no judgements from me. I promise, with my word as not Kazekage, but as Midori.”

Kuno watched her as she stepped back to his side, sipping her glass of water and watching him for any sign of an answer. Finishing his glass, Kuno stood and walked it over to the table with the jug of water, setting it aside from the rest of the glasses lest it be mistaken for an unused one. Turning back around to face the Ningyou, he gave her his answer. “I appreciate the concern Midori, I really do. I know you don’t have to care as much as you do, but the fact that you are so sympathetic brings me even more hope for our village. As far as an answer goes…” his voice trailed off, running through everything he had to address. “I do not wish to slow down or stop at all. I’m ready to push forward, as it is what my mother would have wanted.” He stepped forward, closing the gap between the duo. “I have the murder weapon back at my house, one of our own kitchen knives, and I can have my report to you by the morning. But Lady Kazekage, I need to do more.”

His eyes drifted to the floor for a moment, concerned about what he was to say next. He knew that he had stepped a little bit too far, but he needed to let her know anyway. “In truth, Midori, I continued my investigation for a short while before reporting this. I managed to locate a hideout for some of these Autumn gang members. I scouted the place out and was able to determine numbers. There are far to many for me to take on alone, so I…well I contacted a recently promoted jounin by the name of Syekren Uchiha.” He paused for a moment, hoping that he would not be reprimanded for overstepping his rank. “He has agreed to assist me with raiding the hideout and gathering information, but I can’t proceed on a mission like this without your approval Midori. I’m just a genin."

He shook his head slowly, realizing now how reckless he had been, scouting alone like he had. But he was enraged, and all he could see was the destruction of Autumn. Now, he was at the mercy of his kage, but if what she had said earlier was true, perhaps she would see things his way. “Midori, I need to be a  part of this. I know I may have gone too far in my investigations, and I will take punishment if that is what you want. But I'm here now asking for your permission. They murdered my mother. I know going in there with an emotional investment is dangerous, but that’s why I went to the best of the best. Syekren will be there to help…So please, Lady Kazekage. Please allow me to do this.”

WC:1319+1735=3054

Without much of a word, the boy drank the water provided by Midori. By the time she had finished her speech, he’d finished his drink, and rose. The Kazekage made no move to stop him as he stepped towards the table holding the glasses and jug, where he put back the now empty container. From this position he continued to talk, replying to what she had just stated and asked. It was obvious how strained he was. How much he was forcing himself to continue as he spoke, giving the usual pleasantries of her opinion as one would do to not seem rude. Still, after complimenting her seemingly out of nowhere, he then proceeded to answer her on how he wanted to proceed. While not surprising given his previous resolve, Midori couldn’t help but feel almost indifferent to his choice. To persevere, for not only his own sake, but for that of his mother.

As an aside, she found it an interesting deal that the murder weapon was also an item found on the scene of the crime. To Midori, this suggested that there was a lack of weaponry owned by the gang as of yet, or at the very least owned by the assailants of this specific incident. While likely an insignificant detail, the thought provoked part of Midori’s mind began running through the varying possibilities, ignoring the logic in her that told her the weapon had little to do with it, and that it was merely a basic hit and run murder. She knew that until she got the report, there was little more than speculation she could do, but speculate she did regardless. After all, a life had been taken, and Midori had to find out the who, and the why.

As he continued, though, Midori set these thoughts aside for the time being. It seemed he had done more than she had asked, which she wasn’t sure how to feel on, as it was both positive and negative due to the nature of the risk taken. Only time would tell, and as a shinobi, she had to trust he made a sound judgement. The information he declared he had found was rather simple yet important, specifically being the base of operations. He seemed sensible at least in approach, scouting out the numbers and not yet making a move on the base directly. The next bit though, got a visible reaction from Midori as she raised an eyebrow at the name. He contacted… That Uchiha of all people? She thought how best to… Delicately address the concern. But, opted to wait for now.

She stood and listened as the genin before her made his claim, and made his plea. He asked for permission. He asked for help, and declared he would accept punishment if that is the route she so chose to follow. As he finished, seeming to have emotionally been wracking himself, Midori simply gave a soft smile. “I am afraid, Kuno, that I cannot possibly give this mission to a genin. A solo intelligence operation regarding a full on gang and risk of death, as well as uncovering a murder is a task I cannot afford to risk the life of a genin on…” she paused, walking over to her shelf and flicking through files. “But, I know that were I to tell you no, you would do it regardless. You have that sound in your voice. The need to do the task you have assigned yourself. I warn you to not stray into a dark path with that, but, that matters little at this moment. So, I shall reach a compromise. One that will not be at your benefit, and perhaps, could be seen as a punishment for disobeying orders…” finally finding the file she was looking for, Midori picked it up and walked over to her desk, sitting back down and opening the file before flicking through to a page which held the picture of the Uchiha on the top right of its page, along with various details such as his date of birth.

“Kuno Uchiha, once of the leaf village but now of the sand. This is a high ranking mission, to be completed without failure. As a genin, I cannot assign this to you, so, from this point forwards, you may act onwards with full knowledge that you are not a genin. That title is no longer one you can hold to yourself. Within 2 days, you will have the official permissions for your new rank, but for now know that the genin Kuno Uchiha has passed. Congratulations on your new promotion. From henceforth, you shall act as a chuunin – beyond simply this mission, but to aid in guiding the village to better days. Treat this responsibility as it is, a responsibility, and remember to look out for your peers as you would your friends. As a chuunin, you are to be prepared to be called upon to guide the genin, to act as teachers, and to work under jounin as a right hand should the need arise. Furthermore, as your sensei is on sick leave, I shall take you under my personal guide, to ensure you do not fall down a narrow path from which you cannot return. Use this power wisely, and know that while I may sleep, and rest, I will be aware should things go awry…”

Exhaling softly, Midori dropped the façade of emotionless to offer a smile of reassurance. “As this isn’t a light promotion, I wanted to get the seriousness out of the way. I know the situation’s rough, so, I hope that working on this case can if nothing, help put your mind at ease. Your mother will be avenged, Kuno, and will be smiling on you from the pure land. You’re a hard worker.” She gave a nod, before shrugging. “As an aside though… Be careful of that jounin. He’s reckless and wild, and I have my doubts about his capability as a shinobi, let alone as a leader. While I have no doubt he could perhaps be useful in your investigation, tread with caution. Do not divulge or rely too much, and if you trust him, be sure it’s in a way that you can be sure you have alternative back ups for. The man’s unpredictable, and seems estranged to the shinobi style of life. So, be careful, okay?” she finished, looking at Kuno to gauge a reaction to her not at all short speech.

1083 + 1958 = 3041

Kuno was surprised when he saw that the woman before him, the Kazekage, did naught for a moment but show a soft smile in response to his plea. He was unsure of what to expect, and he had no idea what she could possibly be thinking. He was only more confused when she responded to him. How could she smile like she was while denying him his request? Was she happy to have this gang running wild throughout her village? Was she possibly involved with Autumn? It would certainly explain why she would put a genin in charge of the task in the first place; she probably expected that he would not be able to accomplish much on his own. Additionally, this explanation gave a little more weight to the fact that Kuno’s home had been the one that was attacked. Perhaps she was trying to weaken his spirits?

The thoughts and theories raced though Kuno’s mind so quickly that he hardly even noticed Midori walk over to a nearby shelf and begin flipping through a number of files. He was snapped out of his self induced trace by her voice once again. Kuno nodded along slowly. She was right, even if the Kazekage herself was involved in this plot he would stop at nothing to get the justice that his mother deserved, and to rescue his sister. But then came the warning. It was a warning against committing to such a path of vengeance. And as those words left her mouth, Kuno felt a pang of shame echo inside of his chest. How could he turn on Midori so quickly? She had shown nothing but love for the Village Hidden in the Sands, and she had done nothing but help Kuno with his suspicions and the search for Autumn. And yet despite that, he had already begun to allow his need for justice- no, vengeance cloud his judgment and taint his perception of her. He shook his head absentmindedly, cursing himself for being such a fool already. If he could not trust Midori Ningyou, his Kazekage, who could he trust?

Due to that moment of self reflection, however, Kuno was only able to catch the tail end of her last statement. Something about a compromise and a punishment, which Kuno knew he deserved. The Kage had walked across the room over to her desk and flicked open the file. Staring down at it, the young Uchiha tried to make out what exactly she was looking at. She was moving through it rather quickly so it was hard to discern, that is until she stopped on a page with a picture of Kuno Uchiha on it. She then looked up at him seriously, and addressed him in the most formal manner he had ever been addressed in. “Kuno Uchiha, once of the leaf village but now of the sand. This is a high ranking mission, to be completed without failure. As a genin, I cannot assign this to you, so, from this point forwards, you may act onwards with full knowledge that you are not a genin. That title is no longer one you can hold to yourself. Within 2 days, you will have the official permissions for your new rank, but for now know that the genin Kuno Uchiha has passed. Congratulations on your new promotion. From henceforth, you shall act as a chuunin – beyond simply this mission, but to aid in guiding the village to better days. Treat this responsibility as it is, a responsibility, and remember to look out for your peers as you would your friends. As a chuunin, you are to be prepared to be called upon to guide the genin, to act as teachers, and to work under jounin as a right hand should the need arise. Furthermore, as your sensei is on sick leave, I shall take you under my personal guide, to ensure you do not fall down a narrow path from which you cannot return. Use this power wisely, and know that while I may sleep, and rest, I will be aware should things go awry…”

Kuno could not stop his jaw from dropping. His chin did not hit the floor by any means, but his mouth was open ever so slightly out of the pure shock he felt in that moment. He was about to speak when he saw the kage’s apathetic visage shift to that of another smile. She continued, but not as formally. She now spoke with a caring tone of reassurance that was accompanied by words of a similar nature. Kuno eventually managed to close his mouth when Midori paused, nodded, and shrugged before concluding. “As an aside though… Be careful of that jounin. He’s reckless and wild, and I have my doubts about his capability as a shinobi, let alone as a leader. While I have no doubt he could perhaps be useful in your investigation, tread with caution. Do not divulge or rely too much, and if you trust him, be sure it’s in a way that you can be sure you have alternative back ups for. The man’s unpredictable, and seems estranged to the shinobi style of life. So, be careful, okay?”

For he third time that night, Kuno stood speechless for a moment. But this time, before it could become too uncomfortable, he offered his response. “Lady Midori, I can honestly say that I am honoured. I did not…I could not have…” He stopped for a beat to collect his thoughts. “I am extremely grateful for this promotion, and I promise that I will make you proud in this new station.” He stepped around the chair in front of the desk and sat back down, his perfect posture having returned to him. “As far as being under your wing personally, well that is something I will have to prove to you that you will not regret. I must admit, this is not how I expected this meeting to go. In truth I had no idea what would happen. But I’m...I’m just so grateful. Thank you for this opportunity to serve my home.”

He then took a moment to ponder what she had said about his soon to be partner, Syekren Uchiha. The newly promoted chuunin was not sure what Midori’s vague words meant, but he was smart enough to take them to heart. He had doubted her once this evening, and he would not make the same mistake twice. “In response to the comment about Syekren, I will keep that in mind. Thank you again for the advice Midori. Hopefully my new squad will be able to back me up going forward, if you would prefer that.” He smiled, and It was the first smile that he had been able to show that entire night. “You continue to amaze me Midori. I truly believe that this village is in the best possible hands with you, and that’s not just because you promoted me.” Unsure of where to go from there, Kuno looked around awkwardly for a moment. “So uh, does this mean that my mission has changed? Or just the parameters of it?”

WC:1202+3054=4256

Midori simply watched as the shinobi stood there, seemingly coming to terms with everything. When he spoke again, he said that it meant a lot to him, which Midori was certainly glad to hear. It was a dodgy thing for her to be doing, after all – to promote someone without any agreements from the council, or without any fore planning. Should the situation turn sour, or it turn out to be mistake, the fault would lie with herself. Yet, she knew that risk upon allowing the promotion, and Midori tended to avoid regret with actions when they are taken in a positive intention. As he continued to talk about her placing him on her squad, she simply nodded to herself. No harm in figuring out how it would go.

“In response to the comment about Syekren, I will keep that in mind. Thank you again for the advice Midori. Hopefully my new squad will be able to back me up going forward, if you would prefer that. You continue to amaze me Midori. I truly believe that this village is in the best possible hands with you, and that’s not just because you promoted me. So uh, does this mean my mission has changed? Or just the parameters of it?”

As the boy spoke, with several pauses to collect his thoughts, and gave a smile that reassured Midori, the puppet kage thought for a moment. Finally, she shrugged. “Your mission has remained the same, however the parameters have shifted…” her face darkened as the part of Midori that prioritised on missions surfaced, a serious atmosphere surrounding her voice as she spoke. “Your mission is to uncover the identity of this Autumn gang, and do what you must to see an end to it. If the option presents itself, take in those within the gang to custody for interrogation, so that the ANBU can probe information from them. This mission has several primary objectives for you to follow, at various intervals, at whatever order you so choose to opt for. One that I imagine will be of importance to you, is to discover the location of your missing sister. While I will be having the ANBU work on this as well, for now I do not have the shinobi to spare. To this degree, you are to find out whatever information you can. The culprit, the locations that are most likely. Any details that could lead to clues of where your sister is hidden. However, remember – stealth and safety is key. This mission holds more than your own life at hand…”

The look on her face surprisingly emotionless, Midori paused for a moment, before continuing. “The Autumn gang have now been confirmed to be willing to commit murder. If they are too aware of your presence, I have no doubt they will not hesitate to eliminate further ties. To this degree, you are to not rescue your sister upon discovering the location. You are to first inform me of the location, so that I can give you the floor plans for the location from the construction archives, and then aid you in formulating a strategy of rescue. Act reckless, and it is likely people will die.”

“Another thing is to continue your general reconnaissance. Without confronting them directly, see if you can figure out who has affiliations to the Autumn gang. I repeat myself when I declare that there is to be no interaction until we can guarantee there is no risk. Risk of the individual being stronger than anticipated, risk that the call was incorrect – doing so would cause panic. Risk of members of the Autumn listening in. As much as it is… Unpleasant, this operation has gone from an investigation, to a stealth operation. While finding out who is a member, you are to also continue to look for the base of operations for the Autumn gang. If we can discover where their location is, we can keep ANBU patrols to avoid that area. While that may sound… Like the opposite of what is needed, by doing this, it will promote the activity of the gang in that area. We allow them to grow comfortable in the new found freedom, and it at that moment that we strike, and in doing so get as much of the gang at once. It’s a risky strategy, so if I deem it too risky because of the location, I will forgo that plan. That is my concern however, and not yours…”

Finally allowing the tension to drop from her face, Midori smiled once more and leant back in her chair, nearly resulting in her falling backwards before readjusting herself and sitting upright once more. “Also, I thank you for what you said about me as the Kazekage. However, I have yet to do anything. When I have made the village safer, then I will accept a compliment. Until then, however, I am simply another jounin.” She declared with pride, giving a thumbs up with her puppet arm as if to hopefully reaffirm herself as down to earth and relatable. Still, there were thoughts nagging at her mind, ones that she couldn’t get out. That jounin… She knew the trouble he could potentially cause, and so the thought stuck in her mind. He was very unprofessional and naïve. If anything, Midori felt that the man would be the only one that could be deemed a hindrance to the Uchiha’s mission. But, regardless, she shook that thought out of her head, recalling that the Uchiha in question was in front of her.

Flipping through a few documents, Midori hummed to herself in thought for a moment. Finally, she decided on what to do. Stopping on a blank page, Midori pulled the page out from the document and set it in front of her, taking the quill from her ink vat and beginning to scribe down her thoughts, and specifically, the notes of what had been said by Kuno to her. A death, and a kidnapping. Results and reports to be expected shortly. The murder weapon found at the crime scene. All of it were things she wanted to be sure would not be forgotten. Then, writing down, she was sure it was fine, and put the quill back to its pot, before facing Kuno with her full attention once more.

“So, I will contact you when everything is prepared, both in terms of your squad placement, as well as in relation to your promotion to chuunin. However, know that the rank of chuunin comes with responsibilities as well as privileges. Once this task is over and done with, I would ask you aid in the growth of the genin of the village, as it is the duty of chuunin to do. Keep an eye on what you say to those around in relation to this mission, and do not rely too much on that jounin. From what I know of him he is… Careless, to say the least. Foolish, perhaps, were one to use a cruel term. Be careful he does not jeopardise the operation, or more importantly your life. In a moment now, I will dismiss you, so that you can rest, before returning to duty. Yet, it would be rude of me to simply cast you out abruptly. So, before our meeting here concludes, is there anything which you would like to mention? Any concerns, or queries, regarding… Well, anything of which we have talked about. Best to save time for our future selves, and perform such inquisitive habits now, no?” she gave a cocky smirk, as if to emphasise the long words chosen, before waiting quietly for a reply.

1278 + 3041 = 4319

Still sitting up straight in his chair, Kuno nodded along to the Kazekage’s words. Her demeanor shifted from that of a genuinely concerned comrade to that of the position that she held. The serious, darkened face of Kazekage Midori Ningyou had now resurfaced, and so it would remain as she discussed his new mission parameters. In reality, the mission itself was not all that different; the only change was that Kuno was now being officially allowed to pursue any leads he followed to their fullest. He was to uncover the identity of the gang and further understand their motivations, while also doing everything in his power to end them and whatever plans they held for the Village Hidden in the Sands.

She then continued with more primary objectives that Kuno was sure to note, surprised by his own attentiveness despite the early hour of the morning. Capture of Autumn gang members for ANBU interrogation, information gathering of and kind, and the most important goal of all, the location of his sister. Kuno found himself nodding sternly and subconsciously at her explanation of her expectations regarding the location and retrieval of his sister; he had to stop his mind from wandering to whatever the criminals could possibly be doing with her. Closing his eyes for a moment, he forced the thoughts from his head and focused back on what his kage was saying. Her face was stoney, and her expression had not faltered in the slightest. “The Autumn gang have now been confirmed to be willing to commit murder. If they are too aware of your presence, I have no doubt they will not hesitate to eliminate further ties. To this degree, you are to not rescue your sister upon discovering the location. You are to first inform me of the location, so that I can give you the floor plans for the location from the construction archives, and then aid you in formulating a strategy of rescue. Act reckless, and it is likely people will die.”

She was right, and he knew it, but already he had over stepped his boundaries. He had to make sure to keep himself in check, along with his temper that he knew was far too short at times. Now that he had been made a chuunin, he had to prove to Midori that her confidence had not been misplaced, and if that meant sacrificing some time to report in to the Kage, or even if it meant that he might be denied a mission, he would do differ to her judgement. After all, how could he prove his loyalty to his village if he would not obey the Kazekage?

Then, almost as soon as her face had shifted to that of the ever pragmatic Kazekage, it shifted back to that of a comrade, and perhaps even someone that Kuno wold call a friend…someday. He was no so presumptuous that he would take Midori as such yet. She leaned back in her chair once again, the tension gone from her face and a soft smile now present. “Also, I thank you for what you said about me as the Kazekage. However, I have yet to do anything. When I have made the village safer, then I will accept a compliment. Until then, however, I am simply another jounin.” She followed up her declaration with a thumbs up using her prosthetic arm, a gesture that almost caused Kuno to chuckle…almost. Instead he let a smile grow onto his face. “Now you say that Midori, but not just any jounin can pull a file from a shelf and promote me in less than five minutes.”

She continued to flip through some documents on her desk before finally stopping on one page that was blank, where she began to write. Kuno glanced down at the paper, and despite it being upside down was able to read what she was taking note of. It was all that he had related to her regarding this gang. Whether it was for an official report of some sort, or her own personal files, Kuno could not tell. Regardless, he waited patiently for her to finish before she eventuly set down the quill and looked upto Kuno. “So, I will contact you when everything is prepared, both in terms of your squad placement, as well as in relation to your promotion to chuunin. However, know that the rank of chuunin comes with responsibilities as well as privileges. Once this task is over and done with, I would ask you aid in the growth of the genin of the village, as it is the duty of chuunin to do. Keep an eye on what you say to those around in relation to this mission, and do not rely too much on that jounin. From what I know of him he is… Careless, to say the least. Foolish, perhaps, were one to use a cruel term. Be careful he does not jeopardise the operation, or more importantly your life. In a moment now, I will dismiss you, so that you can rest, before returning to duty. Yet, it would be rude of me to simply cast you out abruptly. So, before our meeting here concludes, is there anything which you would like to mention? Any concerns, or queries, regarding… Well, anything of which we have talked about. Best to save time for our future selves, and perform such inquisitive habits now, no?”

The young Uchiha found himself returning her self-assured smirk as he stood from his chair, shaking his head at the way she seemed to be so comfortably informal with him at times, and then so formal with him the next. Extending his hand across the desk toward the young woman, his smile remained as he nodded to her. “I understand Lade Kazekage, and thank you for everything you’ve done tonight. I think you’ve covered everything I could ask reasonably, so I will take my leave and let you get back to work. I know you must have been busy before I showed up, considering that you were here at this hour, so I won’t prevent you from continuing that work for any longer.” Whether or not she shook his hand, he would step back and give her a bow before bidding her another farewell and stepping out of the office to head back home.

The newly promoted chuunin nearly sprinted the entire way home, filled with a new sense of purpose thanks to his meeting with Midori. Stepping through his front door, despite the offer of a room at the hospital, Kuno made his way back up to his room, unstrapping his sword and crashing into his bed before too long. It was the first night in a while that the young Uchiha was able to sleep soundly.

[Exit Thread]

WC:1142+4256=5398

Training

All stats except for Perception from C-1 to C-3 (5200/5200)

Unused WC: 198

As she finished speaking, Midori waited for what the now chuunin would say. Before he spoke, however, a hand extended forward, in what Midori assumed was done as a gesture of friendliness. Before she could return the handshake however, the words began to leave his lips. “I understand Lady Kazekage, and thank you for everything you’ve done tonight. I think you’ve covered everything I could ask reasonably, so I will take my leave and let you get back to work. I know you must have been busy before I showed up, considering that you were here at this hour, so I won’t prevent you from continuing that work for any longer.”

Allowing him to finish speaking first, Midori held out her prosthetic limb and gently shook his hand before letting him be off, nodding and giving a slight wave. “Rest well, and have a safe journey home. I will be awaiting your reports, and will keep you informed upon when the next and first squad assignment will be done…” she called after him, not sure if he’d heard before the chuunin had up and left the room. After a moment of silence, however, she gave up, shrugging to herself and slumping back in her chair. She was glad to be trusted to the position of the Kazekage, to be able to do work for the village. Yet the problems kept occurring, one after another. The moment she sorted one problem, a second would take its place. It felt unrewarding. Like a gruelling slog of torment that just drove the inspiration, the motivation, and the life out of her.

Yet, that didn’t stop her, and she shrugged the thoughts away. No matter her own personal motivations, she did this for the sake of the village, and that was all she would ever do until she died. That was the curse the puppet shinobi had placed upon herself. To be a shield and safety net for the village. The face that would take any blame for failings, so that the village would suffer less from such problems. A small little smile arose on her lips as she allowed her eyelids to flutter shut, heavier than lead as the fatigue began to hit. She was truly glad, and ready to work… But a little nap first could not hurt. And so, with that thought at heart, and her mind at relative ease, the Kazekage drifted off to sleep in her chair.

405 + 4319 = 4824

[EXIT]

Training: