It had been a most uncomfortable period. First, there was Sanosuke who had, so Mizuki heard, earned the reputation of being a warmonger. Kumogakure had been thrown into a war and the consequences of that had been most dire for the Kumo-nin. Their repuation was made, and while hostilities had remained to a minimum, one couldn't exactly say Kumogakure had been liked. Mizuki didn't quite knew the details about it as she had been too young to care with the politics of the shinobi, but she had always been taught by Lin that an era of peace and diplomacy was needed for this broken Village. A time of peace, where Kumogakure was allowed to be rebuild while smoothing out the creases Sanosuke had left behind.

But Lin had disappeared a little ago. Mizuki's calls remained unanswered, her letters unreplied. Her visits only ended up at a the closed door of the Raikage's building, and though she worriedly snuck inside a few times, she could find neither Lin or Gora, her pet. Furthermore, there was a strange nip in the air that didn't promise much good. The gossips about a 'storm god' had been whispered almost at the same time as her mentor's disappearance, making her involuntarily think about a recent jutsu she had taught herself, but also wonder if this... 'storm god'... was the cause behind her disappearance. It was hard to say.

This 'storm god' had then appeared in Kumogakure, his presence rousing a real storm of talk in town. While no word was spoken about a possible link between him and the disappearance of Lin, he had claimed the Raikage's hat in the traditional ways and as such was to be considered the new leader of Kumogakure even if Mizuki wasn't feeling quite comfortable with that thought. She had already too much on her plate what with her sister being gone, her mother suffering for an incurable disease and her father wishing her to take over the dojo. And that was without counting her own dreams and ambitions, which had yet to start considering she had not been able to travel due to being promoted just recently. She wondered to what extend this man, this new kage, would be inclined to approve of a diplomat among the ranks when all she had heard about him was nothing better than a brewing storm. A second Sanosuke, perhaps, rumoured to be the incarnation of a god.

While certainly Mizuki didn't believe in 'reincarnations of gods', she couldn't deny that walking up towards the kage's building in hopes to discover what happened with Lin and see if this man had any connection with it, made her muscles feel weak. She scoffed at the thought of being intimidated by mere gossips, but there was something in the air... something she disliked yet couldn't put her finger on it.

Opening the front door who, for a first since a while, wasn't locked, Mizuki walked inside. The entrance looked much like Lin had left it. Rows of chairs for people to sit in while they waited, and a single person behind the counter doing her administration.

"Good morning. Raiu Mizuki, here to see the Raikage.", she stated, bowing briefly before the receptionist like she always did. They had met before, from when Lin was still kage. She remembered that day, when Gora ran out with the kage's hat, both... ready... to lead a new squad of genin. Unfortunately, Mizuki had once more remained as the only student. Even worse, she had now remained as the only one.

"Please, take a seat. I'll inform him of your arrival."

Mizuki nodded and took place in one of the chairs, crossing one leg over another, brushing away a bit of perceived dust on her long skirt before absent-mindedly nibbling her nails as her eyes locked onto the wall in front of her. Gaze set to infinity, she wondered what was to come and what all of this would mean for Kumogakure, for her family. For her.

---

686
Total: 686

Almost faster than it could have occured, the secretary returned, pallid and trembling like a reed despite trying her best to keep up the professional appearance that came with her duty. Whatever happened, Mizuki couldn't say, but it certainly was no secret the Raikage was present. Unfortunately, he didn't seem to have the time, and as her words had yet to cool down, a group of other servants left little to the chance and almost-but-not-quite shoved her out of the building.

Finding herself outside, she blinked at the rudeness of it all. To come back was one request, but to not leave a person the time to actually leave... Mizuki took a deep breath. This 'storm god' certainly never learned how to deal with people, considering the state of the secretary and the way she had been removed. Well... the only option was to return tomorrow, as requested. She knew how busy a kage could be, finding Lin equally hard to reach for even a brief pause unless she ditched the paperwork and invited or visited her. She wasn't exactly surprised at being asked to return, as the whole idea was mostly to make him aware of her presence, but she didn't quite expect such a well, stormy approach to things. Perhaps the kage really hadn't stolen his name.

Things changed as quickly as the wind when the air suddenly felt laden. It was an odd yet familiar sensation to Mizuki, who loved the electrified feeling of the Thunder Temple's area, and unlike many people who preferred to stay away, she often visited it as it had a calming feeling. This wasn't different. In fact, it was so similar that, if she didn't knew any better, she would have sworn someone just had placed the Thunder Temple's influence there where she stood. Instead, an unfamiliar voice resounded from above, speaking in such a way Mizuki couldn't help but lift an eyebrow at the haughtiness of it all. What oaf spoke like he had digested one fairytale too much? She certainly knew of no king in Kumogakure.

Looking up, an equally unfamiliar man stood atop a tree, arms crossed and looking straight at her. Had he spoken to her? She assumed so. The glint of sunlight in his ruby eyes and white hair gave him equal parts of a royal and menacing look, but that wasn't quite what impressed the kunoichi. Looks were just that, looks. Even if she couldn't perceive his chakra evaporating, the electrifying sensation that filled the air was unmistakably his. So this  man had to be the Raikage, too busy to meet her on one second, then making such a strange entrance on the other. She wasn't sure what she had to think of it, but dramatic, indecisive dreamer or not, he certainly held the power to do as he pleased.

"Raikage.", she bowed in greeting, like she usually did. "I am Raiu Mizuki, a Kumo-nin and the apprentice of the former kage. It is my duty to make my presence known to the new Raikage. That said, my actual reasons are such that I was hoping you could tell me what happened to Lin-sama as I have been unable to find her so far."

It could all have been a coincidence that his appearance caused the disappearance of Lin. Whether or not this was the case, she hoped she'd know what happened soon, but even if he hadn't removed Lin from her status, as the new owner of the kage's building he had access to areas and knowledge she, a new chuunin, couldn't reach as easily. Besides, wasn't it the task of the Raikage to watch over Kumogakure and every of its affiliated shinobi?

---

641
Total: 1327

For a reason or another, Hastur seemed angry. His eyes shot her daggers and the air palpably became more threatening to such a point Mizuki forgot how to breathe for a moment, shocked about how trigger-happy he seemed to be. Was he this sensitive about proper etiquette? Perhaps. But if he was, then why was he so blatantly obvious about his intentions rather than restricting them in an appropriate way? Mizuki couldn't tell, and before the ordeal ended up confusing her, she ignored the antics of the whimsical storm god as he turned his words into a rhetoric question. Yes, what if he had...?

She had to admit to herself that she couldn't execute any sort of vengeance considering his power, which would leave her bitter about him to no end, but on equal measures she wondered why, with all his power, he wasn't simply answering her? A powerful man acting so coy about things only pressed harder on him being a power horse with the mind of a child. What would this even mean for the future of Kumogakure? Would they truly be the better for it, like he stated? Not to her opinion, so far. Lin might not have held the strength this man wordlessly boasted, but her mind and soul were with the people and shinobi of Kumogakure - as a person, as a healer and as a Raikage.

Mizuki released her breathe, refocusing her mind. There was no point in judging this man right from the start. He was here and had earned the Raikage title for a reason. She could only hope that it wasn't granted only by cheer brawn and little brain. And hear, as if he had heard her thoughts, he asked a question of interest rather than berating someone he didn't even know yet.

"Though Lin and I may get along well, as a Raikage, she had her own secrets just as much. She never told me the reason why she picked me above others. Perhaps it was my loyalty to the greater good of Kumogakure, maybe it were my dreams to represent Kumogakure as a diplomat. All I can say is that when the Raikage offers the opportunity to teach someone personally, one should not ask why but be humbled by its offer."

By now, the Raikage seemed to have come down to lean against the tree. Even if the air hadn't changed one bit in its pressure, at least the feeling of being contemplated by a ravenous hawk had somewhat left. She would almost have thought that the Raikage could actually read her mind, but she knew well enough that was just an absurd coincidence. Were her words appealing to him enough to make him understand there was no need for such a display of power, when already everyone knew he would be the Raikage? Possibly. Perhaps he was just toying with her. Only the Raikage could tell.

---

494
Total: 1821

Mizuki's eyes followed the Raikage's every movement with caution. She was still unsure what to think about him, and fickle as he seemed to be, she would hate to be caught off-guard even if she knew she was no match for a Village's kage. He moved closer, almost casual, and the air lowered in tension with it. If she hadn't felt the tension it had expressed before, she would have sworn he came over as a peer of her level. An equal. One powerful, quite intimidating equal, that is.

He spoke, explaining how he seemed to value certain aspects of her personality, yet he couldn't leave the condescending tone behind when it came to Lin. Why was it he saw her as weak when she had earned the Raikage title just like he had done? If anything, the two of them were equal in many ways, even if their points of views and approach certainly was different. Stranger even was when he put her almost on a pedestal, considering her 'a rare jewel shining brightly amongst the rough of mankind', while he had done almost everything to make her feel like prey rather than an equal worth talking to. This man... she simply couldn't understand him.

When he folded his arms after a moment of silence, his smiled faded, becoming almost sinister. He would nod down in such a way, Mizuki could only imagine it to be the command of a king expecting something. A show of respect. Fealty maybe, as if to prove that the loyalty she spoke of weren't just words, but deeds. Knowing better than to go against a man of his power, Mizuki knelled like her father had taught her - one hand on her blade, ready just in case, her other closed and placed on the ground next to her as she lowered to kneel on a single knee. She averted her gaze, avoiding the sensation of opposing a superior, but she didn't look entirely down as a warrior had to remain aware of its surroundings.

What surprised her there then, was the task he offered her. A task befitting her dreams as a diplomat. She was about to travel the world for him. Mizuki couldn't help but blink, disbelieve and caution reflected in her eyes as she wondered if he meant what he was saying or if he was still playing some unknown game.

His next actions, however, declared this not as being a game. No game at all.

He unsealed a scroll, revealing a black rod of sorts upon which black lightning coiled. The electrifying sensation that it released was... familiar in a way, familiar enough to recognise it as raiton, but all together alien. It held such darkness, such power, she wasn't sure if this sort of raiton was supposed to exist. Unfortunately, it did. Black Raiton. She remembered having heard stories about it, but she had never seen or experienced it from this close. It was downright terrifying. Likeably terrifying, even, considering how intimately familiar Mizuki was with raiton chakra, and that thought equally scared and appealed to her.

Hastur then slammed the rod into the ground, invoking storm clouds of a such darkness, Mizuki's hairs raised up as if to reach out to the quickly dropping pressure that heralded incoming storms. She knew raiton's storms. She even know ranton's storms, being a Raiu. But these storms... they invoked the strange sense of waking up from a dream. And the sense of impending doom. A black lighting arced through the sky, hitting the rod nearby, briefly creating a black out long enough for Mizuki to open her eyes again in front of a Raikage holding out the scroll that had sheltered the rod.

Standing up slowly, her eyes shot from the rod to the scroll and to the raikage, a few seconds of silence as if her mind still had to register what had just unfurled before her eyes. Eventually, she took the scroll from his hands and walked over to the black rod sticking out from the ground. She rolled the scroll open, focused her chakra and sealed it. She tucked the scroll away, and bowed before Hastur.

"Thank you for this opportunity, Raikage. I will return once my missions has been completed."

And without another word or further delay, Mizuki vanished from sight.

---

[EXIT]


737
Total: 2558

Chakra 165/190:

Training: