The Yasuda estate was as expansive as Tamago had made it seem. The mansion itself looked to have several wings, four floors and a yard that extended several hundred meters from the house to the edge of the forest. Beautiful fountains lined the way, multiple bushels of colorful and exotic flowers in between each one. The entire house seemed more like a palace than anything else - a testament to the Yasuda wealth. Still, whoever had designed it was careful that it wouldn't appear gaudy, overly opulent or in bad taste. Simply put, it was the regal symbol of the powerful family here in Konoha.

The young heiress would guide the way, walking on the cobblestone path that led to the mansion's back entrance. Her steps were graceful and poised, naturally so after so many years of finishing school in the capital. Fortunately, though, that was over as soon as her career as a kunoichi began. Her butler awaited them both on the steps, as Tamago expected. She didn't need to instruct him on what to do - he always knew without being told. She smiled at the sight of the old man who had taken care of her since she was a child. She would climb the steps, expecting her new companion to follow.

Once they reached the top, she would sign to Retsu. "He will guide you through the house and give you a tour while I get ready for lunch. He will answer any questions you may have as well," she instructed. With a curt nod, she headed inside the house, leaving the two men alone. She headed to her room, feeling grimy after spending time in the forest for so long. If this boy had actually lived in the woods for years, she couldn't imagine how he managed not to go insane. Hopefully, he maintained at least some sense of hygiene. She hadn't stood close enough to him to notice.

Silence would linger between the two of them for the moment. The old man stood in straight, his grey hair contrasting with the black suit he wore, perfectly kept and ironed. Wrinkles were scattered around his face, a clear symbol of his advanced age. His brown eyes narrowed and examined the Aburame before him, eyes lingering over every detail and committing them to memory. "You must be the young man that Lady Tamago spoke of," he bowed. "You may simply call me Shiro. I have served the Yasuda household for 30 years now. Whatever you wish to know, I can inform you. Now, if you would please follow me, I will show you around the house," he began, stepping through the large glass doors that led inside. Light filled the halls, reflecting on the wooden floors. The decor was simple and spacious. The scarce pieces of furniture in this part of the house were antiques, the kind that was likely crafted centuries ago. Much like the outside of the house, it was simple yet elegant.

"If you wish to change or bathe before lunch, I will show you where you can do so. In the meantime, I will answer your questions as the young madam has instructed. As you may have already noticed, Lady Tamago is unable to speak. Nevertheless, she does not let that stop her from achieving her goals. It begs the question as to why she has taken an interest in you," he stated while walking down the halls. Noticeably, he didn't speak of the house itself, only the young woman he served. It was clear that this conversation would be about her and his intentions, by no means a tour of the house.

[615]

The walk to the girl's mansion was a quite one, but that could be expected considering the girl did not speak and the boy chose not to speak. The young girl's estate could be easily seen though the trees of the forest, though it did blend well with the surrounding forest the boy could see the elegance and reminded the boy of the Hyuga estate. Though the boy would find the need for such a large need for something just to live in slightly unnecessary, it would not speak out about it because well to each their own. Most of the Aburame Clan Compound on the eastern side of the village remained simple, trees fill the compound and has very little stone and even that was too much for the boy which was why he had been in the forest he preferred the simpler things. Despite the boy's distaste for one person to have to show off their wealth, the young Aburame did have to admit to himself that the girl did have good taste the landscape was quite beautiful.

As the pair entered the girls 'backyard' as it were, the girl took the lead walking along the cobblestone path towards the giant house that stood before them. The masked boy marvelled at the decor of the yard as he followed the girl up the path, fountains and beautiful flowers lined the pathway adding to the overstatement of the girl's families wealth. As they drew closer to the mansion the boy's attention was drawn to the man that stood at the top of the stairs waiting for them, the man's age was showing from his hair, at first the young Aburame thought this man might be the girl's father however once he was closer he realized that the man must be one of the girl's servants. His assumption was confirmed when the pair reached the top of the stairs and the girl explained that the man would give him a tour and answer any questions, before the girl moved on in through the massive glass doorway. After a short delay the man spoke, Retsu figured the man was giving his young mistress a chance to reach her room before leading the boy into the mansion. The man had served this girls family twice as long as the boy had been alive, which probably meant the the man could probably tell the boy anything he wanted to know. Of course what he wanted to know was the kind of person the girl was, something that he needed to be around the girl to find out. Though the idea of asking the man questions about the girl did cross the boy's mind, it would give the boy no actual insight to the girl herself as the man was an employee of the girl's father and his opinion of the girl would be nothing but basis.

Despite the girl stating that this man would give the boy a tour of the massive mansion, Shiro seemed to be less interested in giving a tour and more interested in talking about the girl. The idea of taking a shower inside an actual bathroom, rather than the waterfall he had been using off the Naka river, interested the boy more than the thought of a tour to show off the girl's families wealth however he did not trust these people enough to let his guard down like that. Besides it was just yesterday when he had showered under the waterfall and cleaned his clothes, and he could do so again when he left this place. When the man asked why his young mistress had taken an interest in the boy, the young Aburame smiled under his mask before signing "Yes, I suppose it does beg the question doesn't it." Retsu would of course assume that the man understood sign language considering who his employer was, at the same time he was sure that by showing the man the fact that he could sign would be enough to answer the man's question. After a moment pause the boy would resume signing, "I honestly do not care for a tour, if you could just show me where I can wait for Yasuda-sama. I will gladly wait patiently for her there." This might be viewed as rude to the man or possibly even the girl but the boy was not trying to be, he was simply not one for admiring the riches of others. He was here to get to know the girl not her servant or her house.

---

~774

Curious that this boy refused to speak and signed instead. Few had that preference. The young mistress herself would have rather spoken out loud if she had been born with the ability to do so. Maybe this boy also lacked the ability to speak. Doubtful, but it would explain why Tamago had taken such a liking to him so quickly. Maybe he was just strange, or rather, uncommon. The older man watched him sign. He appreciated it when someone was straight to the point. "Pardon my ill manners. This isn't a mere tour of the house or a showing of wealth. If you are to work here, you are expected to know where the kitchen is, at the very least. If you are working security, you should know the layout of the entire premises by heart. But no matter. I suppose that barely has any meaning if you aren't sure about this. When you accept, you will be given access to the estate's blueprints. Maybe that is more to your liking," he stated. The words were polite, as would be expected of someone in his position. However, there was some bite to them that made it clear that the old man was going through these motions for Tamago's sake and no one else's.

"I do wish to make one thing clear, however. Everyone in this house would die for that girl without being asked to. We have seen her grow and thrive despite the odds against her and would do nearly anything to see her happy," he began once again, his hands clasped firmly behind his back, his posture straight and regal. "In other words, if any of us find that you are working against her, there will be consequences," his tone shifted, his voice quiet and dangerous for a moment. His darkened and narrowed eyes made one thing clear: this man was not exactly what he seemed. After a brief moment, however, the air was gone. He let out a jovial laugh and continued walking, guiding the boy to the dining room. "But I am certain that we will get along wonderfully!" He said and clapped the boy on the shoulder.

The dining room mimicked the rest of the house. The ceiling was decorated with wooden arches that came together at the center. A crystal chandelier hung from that point, hovering above a large table that could sit over a dozen people. Only two places were set, however - the one at the head and the one to its right. "You may sit and wait if you so wish," Shiro said an exited the room with a curt bow.

Retsu would only have to wait a minute or so before Tamago came through the door, slip open for her by one of the staff. She bowed in thanks before taking her place at the table. She was dressed far more casually than before. The young girl seemed like a regular civilian, rather than a trained kunoichi. Her long white skirt went past her knees, and her checkered blue shirt puffed up at its short sleeves. Instead of combat boots, her shoes were now wedged espadrilles. "I hope I did not keep you waiting for longer than necessary. Did you find the house to your liking? And please, give your honest opinion. Though you seem like the person who would not bother with false compliments, regardless of what I said," she signed. "I am sure Shiro served as a good guide. The house is large - too much for my liking - but he knows it well," she added. "Now tell me, what do you wish to know of me? I will answer as best I can."

[1234]

As the man lead the young Aburame down the hallway of the house he addressed the fact that if the boy was going to be working there he needed to know the layout, his words remained polite however the young Aburame could not help but feel as if there was at least some resentment behind his words as he was doing what was asked of him by Tamago and nothing else. The boy would say nothing about it, though a full tour would not be necessary as from the moment the boy had entered into the estate his Kikaichu had began their own exploration of the house. The tiny beetles would go unnoticed by most especially since they were not grouped together but rather a single beetle in each room moving silently throughout the house and finding shadowy corners to hide or among the houses decoration where they would not be seen, with the exception of the room that the girl had entered the boy was a lot of things but a pervert was not among them and he would respect the girl's privacy. Still his web of Kikaichu would see the entire house, every window and every door as well as every person allowing the beetles to listen in on any conversation taking place inside the massive mansion. It was things similar to this that had gained the Aburame's reputation among the most revered espionage and intelligence gathering shinobi's of Konohagakure.

The old man would stop walking placing his hands behind his back as he spoke, his tone and facial expression much different than before. Despite speaking in a whisper the man made his point that if Retsu would mean the girl harm there was nothing that this man would not do to stop him in order to protect his charge. This was quickly changed by the man letting out a friendly laugh before continuing to walk and saying that he thought they would get along wonderfully, the young Aburame did not care much for the man's attempt to scare him not did the man succeed the boy was not one to be frightened easily. Besides if he had meant the young girl any harm he would have dealt with her while they were still out in the woods away from the prying eyes of the girls servants, when the girl first tried to claim his land as her own. The boy dismissed those thoughts and continue to follow the man down the hall into the dining room, like the rest of the house the dining room was more than the boy would considered necessary holding a giant crystal chandelier in the center of the room over a very large table that Retsu assumed could probably seat the entirety of the Aburame Clan. Despite the large table only two places were set, the boy would turn to Shiro signing a quick "Thank You" to him before turning back towards the room and taking a seat at the right of the head of the table and awaited for the girl to join him.

The wait was not a long one thanks to the somewhat tour he was given around the mansion by Shiro, the young heiress he was waiting for soon walked into the room, the door opened by one of the girls many servants as if she were royalty. Freshly clean from her shower the girl seemingly bounced into the room wearing civilian clothes, almost an exact opposite of what she was wearing when the two meet a few hours ago. The girl wasted little time once she was in the room, first asking what the boy thought about the house wishing for an honest opinion before speaking of her servant Shiro that had given him the tour and her own slight dislike of the size of the house. Then the girl asked what he wished to know about her, it was the whole reason he came to this place was to get to know her better but it was something that one could not just go in head first with a bunch of questions. Instead the young Aburame started by answering the girls own question, "well if you want my honest opinion on the house I will give it, but you may not like what I have to say about it. I think it is too much and I see no point in a house of this magnitude other than to show off your wealth to others and let them know that because you have money you feel you are more important than they are and they need to look upon your wealth so it must be seen from a distance." The boys signs were quick but he knew the girl would be able to keep up, he held back nothing from his true feelings of the house from the girl and could only hope that it would not cause her to throw him out. "I mean take this room for instance, what is the point? I have no doubt that you eat alone more often than not with the exception of your servants and of course they do not eat with you and yet you have a room that could more than likely hold my entire clan and still not be full. I am not one for this kind of life, if I had the money you obviously have I would most likely use it to further the village as a whole rather than build a monstrosity of a house filled with empty halls and rooms and servants. Do you realize how much you could improve not only the village hidden in the leaf but the entire land of fire if you did not waste your money on things like this house." The boy would stop there he knew that what he had signed would be considered harsh by many others, and it was not as if it was the girls fault She was a child just as he was if anything this was more than likely the work of the girl's father. The boy recollected his thoughts briefly before returning to signing to the girl, "you must forgive me, it is just when I see something like this that is not needed when the money spent on it could have gone towards something that could help the community I sometimes lose my head."

After a few moments passed and the boy was sure that what he had signed to the girl did not offend her or make it so that she had him thrown from the oversized mansion the young Aburame would address the girl's question of what he wanted to know of her. "My questions for you are this, when we met you said you came from the capital, why did you come here? What is it that you are hoping to achieve? Do you plan to stay here or return to the capital when your business here is finished? Why if you truly have a dislike for the size of this house do you live here or better yet why was it built?" The boy was straight to the point with his questions and would pause after each one so that the girl could answer it individually rather than all at once.

~1224

Tamago listened quietly to what the boy had to say. It seemed Retsu had a lot of thoughts on how she ran this house and a lot of assumptions along with them. She nodded in turn with each statement, to show she was paying attention. But for lack of a better word, she looked bored. Her fingers drummed lazily over the table, waiting for her turn to clarify and point out the flaws in his line of thinking. "I eat every meal with my staff," she said, rolling her eyes. People tended to so easily assume how she spent her money and why. It was always read as frivolous spending, a show of wealth and status. True, it was that, but only in part. She had to do what was expected of someone in her position. Nevertheless, she always made sure it had functional purpose. "Business meetings are the only exception. Of course, anyone who wants to eat at another time is free to do so," she explained, referencing to their current conversation. "You may have your preconceived notions of what wealthy people do and how they act and I am sure they are merited in a good number of cases. I deal with the banality of such people on a near daily basis.  However, I would ask that you not make such assumptions of me. By no means to I take what I have for granted. I have worked to earn my place and my right to spend this money since I was but a child," she remembered asking her father to teach her what he did as soon as she could read. She shadowed him, worked with him, spent sleepless nights ironing out proposals and making sure that negotiations went smoothly. Never had she spent money that she didn't feel she had earned, to the point where she willfully didn't have access to her family funds - only her own earnings and investments.

"Of course, I am sure you would not consider what I do a struggle. Surely, I have never wanted for anything in my life. I am a stranger to scarcity and hunger. Still, I work for what I have. I work so that my company may prosper  and with it, the people who work for me. My company is a means to an end. With it, I will drive this country into a golden age of economic prosperity," she said. It was clear that she was used to being judged for being born with a silver spoon in her mouth, so to speak. But not once had she taken advantage of her position solely for her own gain. Always, it had been for her ultimate goal of breathing life into the Land of Fire.

From the sliding door emerged a young woman, pushing a cart with a set of trays. She placed one over each mat and revealed the meal inside. Beautifully made and presented was a plate of grilled salmon. The woman poured each glass full of water. Tamago bowed her head in thanks and signed to the woman. "Thank you, Momo-san," she said. The servant bowed in turn before leaving.

She took a moment to resume the conversation. "Simply put, I have plans for this house. You may have heard of the Osada Mannor in Kirigakure - a dreadful place infested with spiders, seemingly on purpose," she began and waited for a moment to see if Retsu knew what she was talking about. "Awful as it is, it has served as a useful gathering place and training grounds for Genin and Chuunin of all walks of life. Those who live and train there rise to prominence. I want to take that concept and make it better." she explained. At this point, it was easy to see how lofty the girl's ambitions were and how much faith she had in them. She exuded confidence to the point where it became difficult to doubt that anything she said wouldn't come to pass. There was a glint in her eye mirroring the spark in her soul.

"I have the resources at my disposal to develop a state of the art training system. But what I want to come of this the most is an alliance. I want the people who train here to be loyal to each other and aid each other in developing their full potential. That is how I will bring Konoha to it's former glory. For too long we have been in Kirigakure's shadow. I will spend my time and resources until the opposite happens," she stated. A confident smile graced her young features. "So no, I do not plan on leaving. I will become Hokage and lead this village far into the revolution that Rippa-sama plans to start. Now my question is, will you help me by joining my household and bringing this plan into fruition?"

[2074]

The boy was surprised by the girls ambition to become Hokage, though it was no surprise of her own confidence in achieving it. It was a common thought process that if you truly desired something then you needed to see yourself one day achieving those goal, if you don't have confidence in your own ability them how could you expect to accomplish anything. The girls determination seemed to ooze out of her, she not only believed she would be Hokage but she actually spoke as if it was a guaranteed thing that was going to happen and no one could stop it. The young Aburame did not know why but he like that about this girl even though he did not agree with the girl's life style, someone so confident in their ability that they spoke as if it had already come to pass was something in itself to admire.

Retsu would not answer the girl's question right away, rather he seemed to be pondering the question in his mind as he looked down at the grilled salmon on the plate in front of him. Normally the boy would not eat in front of others as it required him to remove his mask, but the smell of the Salmon was overwhelming. Slowly the boy would pull the mask down away from his face revealing the boy's nose and mouth, leaving the mask hanging around his neck. He would grab the utensils next to the plate and begin to eat, even though the room had been silent since Shiro had lead the young boy into the room with the exception of ths foot steps of the staff walking about the silence in the room seemed to thicken as he ate still yet to answer the girl's question. Retsu's mind would bounce back in forth between the girl's question and the thought of how delicious the Salmon was, much more so than anything he had cooked for himself over the past five years. If the boy's actions had been controlled by his stomach the boy would have to say yes to the girl's question, but that was not the case. The boy was one for logic and facts, and did not take chances just because the food tasted good. After a couple of bites the boy would stop and take a drink of the water the servant had pour for him, as he sat the glass down he looked to the girl that sat next to him still pondering the girl's question in his mind. The young Aburame would clear his throat and do something he did not often do and that was speak to the girl with his own voice, something that he did not like doing but nevertheless it needed to be heard rather than read through signing. "Before I answer your question of joining you I must ask you to tell me something very important Yasada-sama, you say your goal is to be the Hokage and lead the village to greatness, you speak of making this mansion into that of a training grounds for the Shinobi of the Hidden Leaf Village. How do you plan on accomplishing these goals? I mean it is obvious that you have the wealth to back up your desires, but what makes you think you are what is best for this village? What does being Hokage or better yet a Shinobi mean to you?" The boy's voice was soft yet stern, giving the sense that it was not a challenge in the girl's ability as a shinobi but more of a question of her character and her ability to follow through with what she planned.

---

~624