It had been barely a few days since Verdandi had met aunt Ayakashi in battle at the Kirigakure training grounds. Both of them seemed all healed up and relaxed again. It was good to see Aya in high spirits again, now that her new arm was functioning properly. Verdandi was all dressed up in princessy garments. The white silky dress completed by the beautiful braided hairdo. The Yuki Clan symbol imprinted on the front of her dress. If she was going to an official meeting that could leave her to encounter the various officials of the other nations, she wanted to be sure that she was well presentable at least. The princess idly followed close behind Aya. Some of Ayakashi's personal guards were not far behind either, as well as Verdandi's own Omega Squad to the very rear end. The ANBU were on high alert as usual when their kage was moving through foreign territory. But Konoha was their ally and hence neither of them really expected much bad things to happen. The travels would be mostly filled with idle chatter, mostly coming from Verdandi, poking her auntie with questions how it was going to be and what she was supposed to do and so on. Dandi was obviously nervous considering that it was her very first time to even visit Konoha. As they passed through the various shiny woods and that basically bathed in brim sunlight, Verd couldn’t help but starting to feel a bit hot given that she preferred colder and misty environments.

Eventually she’d have to mold some chakra here and there to regulate her own body temperature to more comfortable levels. It was yet by far not as scolding as the heat of Suna, considering the months she had spent under the rather unforgiving sun of the desert, she was feeling quite comfortable with only slight heat control enabled. Their journey past the oceans had brought them past various islands that Verd was familiar with as she used to pass them as well on her way to the land of snow. While she usually used the passage in the frost country. She had often seen the fire nations shore from afar. It was beautiful. Gorgeous even. Verd pointed her own finger to her lips and wondered if she’d end up seeing some of her leaf friends she met in Kiri or Suna. Pretty sure that Nayoko was coming at some point as well. But as the rather unimportant thoughts passed through her mind, they eventually arrived at what seemed to be the very heart of the land of fire. The gates of Konoha were wide open. A lot of guards were to be seen. The commotion and intense amount of foreign forces to be at their very doorstep was certainly reason enough for them to pull out all possible security measures that were anyhow available to them. Verd had served alongside many leaf ninja and soldier during the suna confrontation. She tended to feel quite comfy around her allies.

At the gates. Soldiers and ANBU alike would bow softly and respectfully before the appearance of the Mizukage. The would suspiciously eye the princess that seemed to follow the well-known legend of the demon ice queen. Verd blushed a bit. She was quite used to be a person of interest amongst the Mist, a celebrity in the snow, but here. Neither of these guards had any clue whom the seemingly overdressed princess was and probably instantly deemed her as some sort of daimyo related little brat. None of Verdandi’s appearance was giving away any of her ninja traits at first glance. Until eventually, one of them might feel the need to scan them with sensory, then they would certainly be positively surprised. However, since Kiri was in allied forces with the leaf, no deeper security measures were taken. Civilian officials quickly raced to the gates, all geared up in their shiny and colorful kimono’s and yukata’s. Verdandi could feel herself shrink within the presence of her famous auntie and yet didn’t mind that the seemingly annoying hand-shaking parts would be left up to her responsibility. A few of the officials would press for them to join them at the Hokage mansion, to be offered their appropriate luxurious lodging and eventually meet the other officials that were already there. But Verd was pretty sure that Aya was not really hyped for all that political talk with boring old men. So Dandi quickly moved in. The civilian officials staring at her with confusion.

The girl with no name to herself. Pulling on Ayakashi’s arm like a kid. “Let’s go see the matches! I hear they already started. Come on! We’re going to be late!” Verdandi used her position of being an absolute faceless being in these lands to leave the politicians baffled. One of the Konoha ANBU quietly and kindly obliged, forming a little escort that would lead the Mizukage and the Princess to the nearest stadium. Leaving the officials behind with little to go on about. Verdandi would have stuck her tongue out to them if she were not trying to behave here. So instead she just gave them a smile and a wink as the kage and the princess slowly moved off and away.

Meanwhile. Omega Squad was chit chatting their greetings with their fellow leaf ANBU. Exchanging polite greetings and niceties over how pretty the hidden leaf had been dressed up as a village. But as soon as they saw their people of interests moving. They shortly went through a minor gear check and moved on after Aya and Verd. The ANBU convoy would stay in distance. Now accompanied by some of their leaf brethren. Even once they reached the stadium, neither of them was really going to just sit down and watch the match. They would exchange themselves with the Konoha forces and form their own guarding cycle as to how they would keep track of the area around them. Always on high alert for trouble.

Ayakashi and Verd would be offered their appropriate seats in the high lounge of the stadium. Multiple other high ranked officials were already sitting there. So Verd was trying her best not to make too much noise or bump into too many of the well-dressed ladies as they moved on to their own front seats. Verd would glare down at the plaquette displayer the ‘Orochiyaru vs. Sakamoto’ match and would realize that it was already in full motion. Quickly sitting down and looking back for Ayakashi to come and join the seat next to her. May the festivities begin!


1100

Verdandi had little knowledge about the actual political hardships that Aya had been dealing with for many years now. She had been longer a kage then pretty much everyone else that seemed to have any grasping power over their nations at the moment. Verd would make sure to sneak in a meeting or two if she was to be allowed to see any of the daimyo that held any name to themselves, preferably she would have wanted to meet any of the acting kage but the chances to meet them seemed rather low. The Tsuchikage was missing, the Raikage was supposedly a fanatic self-proclaimed god, the Hokage had not surfaced in ages now and was seemingly hiding from the public, the Kazekage had long since vanished from the face of the earth together with Sunagakure as a whole. Verd had heard rumors that none else but the famed victor of the last exams, which were before Verdandi’s time as an active shinobi, had now proclaimed herself as the new leader of those who called themselves the new sunaan. A rebirth of the sand, after what she had seen was going on in the fallen land to the west, was an exciting idea. However, tensions would be there considering that the very person whom supposedly seemed to be reviving the dying sand was a marked name as disserted Kiri-nin. Verd wondered how Aya would feel about such a thing. If she could accept that this woman had simply returned to her original home that she primarily had come from. Or if there would be hard feelings.

But Verd didn’t want to disturb the moments of peace that brought pretty smiles to her aunt’s face by bothering her with questions that would only cause emotional turmoil or worries in the Mizukage. They were here to have fun and exchange with other nations in a friendly and respectful manner. If there was ever an event that would mimic Verdandi’s personal wish over the eternal peace between all nations as it has happened before in history… it was this very moment, where the exams were sacred enough to be respected by all countries. However, the ever-looming threat of outsiders wishing to abuse this moment to force terror and turmoil into the hearts of all nations was already ever so present. There was a specific reason why there was an insanely large ANBU force guarding almost every spot of the leaf. Kumo guests, contestants and tourists were obviously under basic surveillance as well. But being the leaf’s ally, Verd could feel that the land of fire was rather welcoming to Kiri-nin in contrast. While Verdandi’s thirst for knowledge and world politics was large, she would contain herself to push up topics that would eventually ruin this moment of joy and just keep her mouth shut as for now. Sitting on her pretty butt she leaned forward in their rather luxurious lounge and peeked with interest into the grassy arena that was straight in front of them.

Visual aids had been handed out to various of the higher standing viewers to allow them to keep a better glance at what was going on. Verd however put hers aside and sneaked her Sharingan active instead. Trying to see anything of use from this distance and hope she could spot the chakra flames of the contestants and their summons as they rushed in against each other. The battle of beasts, between the duplicats and the mud wolves was interesting to watch indeed. The unusual cat ninja cunningly taking advantage of the arena’s unique environment to his advantage while the snake lady seemed to give off a more straight forward approach that would more or less put her rather quickly in disadvantage. The difference between a strategist and tactician over a raw-power driven shinobi would be a wonderful act to watch and while some of the guests wouldn’t see a full glimpse of all interactions happening, Verd was able to watch the chakra flames through the Sharingan moving back and forth quickly within the tall grass. Completely caught up by the spectacle as she couldn’t help herself but feverishly feel with the mistakes of the girl named Orochiyaru, while Aya seemed to have quickly taken a liking to the rather unusual cat ninja. It was a fun thing to do and Verd would occasionally glance at her aunt and smile knowing that Aya was enjoying herself. All in all, it was a good day and certainly reason for celebrations.


750 / 1850

The exams were beginning! Nayoko had spent the first couple of days proctoring exhibition matches between genin that were ready to show off their skills even before the official exams began. It was exciting to see so much talent from the next generation of shinobi. Not only that, but many of them were proud of their skill. They had been practicing hard, and rather than appearing nervous, many of them looked like they were ready to take on the world. Confidence; it was a good quality to have while young. Though they would have to be careful that it did not develop into arrogance too quickly. The only more exciting that hosting those exhibition matches would have been watching the actual exams themselves, but alas he had been given another duty. Some of the matches were about to start in only a few hours, but the arrival of the Mizukage had taken the ANBU commander’s attention away from that. He stood on a rooftop, his hood pulled over his head, overlooking the gate and the host of ANBU and other shinobi that had gathered to welcome Ayakashi. Many of the members of the Leaf and Mist forces had arrived to see her enter the gates, and Nayoko was required to be one of them. He needed to ensure that everything went smoothly.

But if the jounin was honest with himself, he would be happy to see the Mizukage enter his home. He had spent so much time in her village, and much of that time was spent with her personally. It would be snice for her to be in his home for once. It had been so many years since he had seen her up close that he was certain there would be some features that he would not recognize. The last time he had spoken to her personally had been shortly after she had finished her mentorship of him. It had all started with a mission gone wrong. It was supposed to be a simple delivery that was expected to be blocked by bandits. But in reality, it was enemy shinobi that had got in the way of the young man. He had been leading a squad of genin at the time, and though they all made it out unscathed, Nayoko was almost killed. He would have been, had Ayakashi not intervened and assisted. They fought alongside one another for those brief moments, and shortly thereafter, Nayoko had gone to her for teaching. He had sparred wit the woman many times; they had done everything from basic taijutsu to actual spars. It was some of the best teaching he had received. But nothing surpassed the gift she had granted him. She was the one that had showed him how to access the natural energy all around them. She was the one who had taught him how to be a Sage.

Those first few moments when he became aware of the vibrancy of life that flowed through everyone and every living thing had been awe inspiring. He had felt very few things that powerful and wonderful since those days, and that was years ago. He could still remember the feeling of life flooding over him; it was a feeling he was not able to live with every day. But what he did not have any more was the hate that had followed shorty after. The Butterfly Sage school was a dark one that required a great deal of focus to even manage in his every day life. It had been something that Nayoko could not embrace. The cruelty that he had faced inside himself every night for year son end finally pushed him to the edge. He could vividly remember the day when instead of harnessing it, Nayoko had broken that inner demon. He had become something else. The butterfly sage school was gone, and the Hattori was fueled by something different now; something far more natural rather than primal. But even though he had stopped pursuing perfection of the Butterfly, Nayoko had nothing but respect for the woman that had revealed the world of Senjutsu to him.

The ANBU commander was pulled from his thoughts as he saw the procession he had been waiting for step through the gates of Konohagakure no Sato. The Hattori nodded to himself as the soldiers and ANBU bowed softly before the appearance of the Demon Ice Witch. She was as regal as ever; dressed as a woman in her station should be at such a formal event. But Nayoko knew she would not hesitate to slaughter anyone present in an instant if she had to; dress or not. Her smiles and waves to the crowds that had gathered made Nayoko chuckle slightly to himself. It seemed so unlike the woman that he had known, though there is little that the passage of time could not change. Even so, the Hattori guessed that she was probably just returning the affection to those that had come to see it. It warmed the jounin’s heart to know that a Queen of Ice could still be so warm.

What Nayoko had not expected, however, was the presence of yet another friend of his at the side of the Mizukage. Verdandi walked alongside her aunt with a smile on her face and an excitement in her step that Nayoko recognized even from this distance. He could not help but smile in response as the young woman walked in step with the Kage. She had grown so much in the short time that he had known her. When they had first met, she was a special jounin eager to prove herself on the fields of battle. But now she commanded the ANBU forces of Kiri just as he did for his own nation. Their conversations in the Land of Water had showed the jounin just how mature the princess was. With her there, Nayoko had no doubt in his mind that he was not needed to watch over the situation. Jumping down from the roof, Nayoko walked just behind the group of Kiri nin so as to keep his presence unnoticed, even by the Sage perception hat the Hattori new the Mizukage possessed.

The Hattori wordlessly followed his old teacher and his new friend through the streets of the Village Hidden in the Leaves as they moved toward the stadium. Once they arrived, the both the Kiri and Konoha ANBU that had been mingling with one another dispersed and formed a sort of security perimeter around every step that the Kage took. The idea of guards for the Kage seemed redundant to the ANBU commander, but he knew the protocol was necessary. As they entered the stadium proper, Nayoko slipped through a back way before making his way up to the floor where he knew their lounge would be. He had selected the location him, after all. Each and every person in that lounge had been allowed by him and him alone. He knew what seat they were to sit in and knew exactly what seat was going to be left empty for himself. As he moved up to the entrance of the lounge where the Mizukage and her niece were taking their seats, Nayoko stepped into an area where the pair would certainly be able to sense him with their senjutsu sensory abilities. He moved quietly, passing the ANBU at the door without hesitation. He walked passed the other, well dressed people in the lounge and moved to stand in the space next to Verdandi’s seat.

Nayoko gently placed his hand on the shoulder if the Yuki princess and glanced down at her, a smile on his face. “Hello princess. It’s good to see you. I didn’t expect you to arrive with the Mizukage, but I’m glad you did.” He then took his hand off of the shoulder of his friend and bowed slightly and respectfully to Ayakashi. “Lady Mizukage, it had been some time since we last spoke face to face. In fact, I wonder if you even remember me.” The would reach of and take off his hood as he continued to address the Kage. “I’m Nayoko Hattori, the young man that you taught how to be a Sage, and so much more. It is good to see you again, Ayakashi.” He continued to smile as he waited for her response, hoping that if she remembered him at all, she at least remembered him favorably.


WC:1416

Verdandi glared down at the match and was swinging her arms at how the Cat was cornering the Snake with the oversized bust. Cussing at how her favorite in this match was slowly losing leeway to get a controlling hand over the course of the battle. When she eventually used a flashy move to destroy all the incoming spawns under the result of self-harm Verd fell back in her seat. It would probably have been a better move if the cat was harmed along, but that sneaky beast seemed to have all fortune laid out for himself through the whole match. Verd pouted with her cheeks blown up like a puffer fish and yet her brooding was potentially distracted once a certain warm and pulling feeling of a certain maelstrom sage entered her emotional range of natural sensory. Verd’s rise to the Dragon Sage was something Ayakashi had yet to face. Her niece was slowly building up her repertoire of Dragon Summons and learning techniques to compliment and complete her rather newly obtained skills for her clean and unusual Sage contract. It was going to be a surprise during one of those future sparing matches with Aya. First the Rasengan, then the Kurosawa blade. Verd was snickering to herself as she could see herself closing in a bit on the vast gap of powers that once separated the niece from her teacher. One day, she would manage to give her a fight where the kage had to go all out or lose it. One day.

The cheeky thought would linger in the back of her head but the warm feeling of Nayoko’s palm met with the snow princess’s shoulder. Verd quickly moved up to give Nayo a big hug and eventually realized that given the lounge they were in and the formal dress she was wearing it was probably not the most appropriate way to greet someone of rank and renown reputation. Verd quickly stepped aside again after exchanging a few pleasantries with Nayo. He was however, to no surprise more focused on seeing Aya. Considering the amount of time, the ANBU commanders have spent around each other lately, Verd had many chances to enjoy his company while Aya had not seen him in a long time. Ayakashi was lovely and happy to see Nayo. Their history over the butterfly school escaped Verdandi’s knowledge about their past. She had seen Nayoko use his old sage mode in Suna, but Aya had mastered many sage modes on a more conceptual level of how to activate one’s nature chakra. The butterfly one maybe being her favorite but not the only one. The idea of having more than one school to follow after was irritating to the teenage princess whom barely managed it so far to get the dragon path unlocked for her. That alone already almost killed her a few times during training. To have multiple ones unlocked seemed for her more like a show off from people that were already too strong anyway!

Auntie couldn’t help but eventually tease Verdandi and Nayo about their close relationship and make it awkward. Being around the handsome leaf-nin was already putting the young princess in an embarrassed and bashful mood. Aya making a joking tease of it would leave Verd’s head boiling red and she’d kick her own kage’s leg slightly as if to tell her to shut the hell up about it! Eventually exhaling her frustration of being the yokel of this meeting but swallowing down her pride for a moment to just smile and welcome the maelstrom sage between them, offering him the chair between Aya and Verd so he could sit close to auntie.

“Always good to see you dear friend. Please, sit down next to Aya. We need a strong man close to her in case the old woman faints from over-exhaustion.”




650 / 2500

As he addressed the Mizukage, Nayoko could not help but notice that his friend Verdandi seemed little bit embarrassed by how she had greeted him. The big hug that she had quickly stepped into was certainly not a normal greeting for two ninja in such a position, especially among the more formal members of their…society. But even so, Nayoko could not have cared any less. He was very happy to see her, even though he had only seen her weeks prior. The pair had grown quite close over the months since the battles in the Land of Wind. They had shared secrets and worked closely to disrupt anything and everything that was a threat against their two allied nations. It was a relationship eh enjoyed, and seeing her grow so quickly was one of the best parts about it all. But here, next to her aunt, she was dwarfed as many were. The Kage’s presence radiated throughout the lounge, making the senjutsu chakra that flowed around them all palpable in the air. The small gathering of sages had certainly pulled an influence of the world around them into the arena of the Chunin exams. It was a sensation hat Nayoko was unfamiliar with, but he enjoyed it nevertheless.

"Yes, of course i remember!" Ayakashi spoke with an enthusiasm that the Hattori did not recognize. It was so strange to see her in a setting that was not constantly deathly serious, and so the enthusiasm and youthful exuberance of it all was confusing. Even so, Nayoko was very happy that she remembered him. HE though back to the confused young man he had been when they had first met, and could not help but shake his head. He had come along way since then, though not nearly as far as he had hoped. In those days he had aspired to be the Hokage, but now he was simply happy serving the Kage as a shadow to be used as a weapon. He knew he was not anywhere near ready to be a Kage. Snapping back to the present, Nayoko listened attentively to the Mizukage as she addressed him personally. "It's fantastic to see you, how have you been? I was worried when I had heard that you had not been attending the Butterfly school for some time from my teacher, though seeing you now, it seems that it all worked out for the best. We all have our ways of conquering our inner demons I guess. I'm just glad to see that you managed to defeat yours. Most people who got as far as you do and leave are simply consumed by them and walk around as little more than monsters until fate ends their reign... " The subject matter was not nearly as cheerful as the Kage was making it sound, but Nayoko knew that was simply because of how true it was. It was a reality that the jounin knew Ayakashi had experienced with past students, and she seemed genuinely happy to see that despite him turning away from the school, he had found his own path. Nayoko was even more pleased that his old mentor did not seem to harbor any ill will about him leaving the school.

“It’s great to see you too! I’m glad I wasn’t forgotten as one of the many students that you’ve taught over the years.” He smiled softly as he pondered a correct response to her comments about the Butterfly School. He could vividly remember the day that he had walked away from the school, deciding that harnessing a demon within was far less efficient than destroying it and rendering it powerless. When he had made that change, the storm within him had risen and overtaken the Dream that he experienced. From then on, his Senjutsu had manifested in a different way and he had to forge his own path forward. But he would always e grateful to the woman before him for hopening his eyes to the power of senjutsu. “Yes, the Butterfly school and I…were not as compatible as I had hoped. The nature of what I needed to…control was not something that I was comfortable using. And so instead I made my own way forward. It was not the path you had imagined for me, but even so I was able to thrive thanks to your instruction. And for that, I’ll always be grateful to you. Rest assured that it is because of the time you spent with me that I didn’t become one of those monsters you speak of.”

The jounin then turned his attention toward the match that was underway just as the Mizukage did. It seemed like the cat shinobi had taken a little but more control of the battle, and Ayakashi was quick to slip back into the guise of a teacher, as well as an aunt. "What in intriguing match, you'd both do well to learn from it. Though the cat is crude in his dealings he has the right idea... It's good to see that konoha is flourishing in these difficult times. Who knows Nayoko, perhaps I might see you wearing the hat of Hokage in the coming years. You could marry my niece." Nayoko smirked at the comment, knowing full well that the woman was probably trying to get a rise out of Dandi. Still, the Hattori could not help but glance over to his friend and stifle a chuckle. Her small glow has turned into a beat red flush that revealed her embarrassment. The kick to the Mizukage did not go unnoticed either. She was quick to offer the jounin a seat after that, which he happily took between the two women. As he leaned back in the seat and began watching the match more closely, he returned the comment to his old teacher. “Well, I’m not sure the Hat is something I am quite ready for myself. I’ve been training hard and have grown a great deal, but that Hat means a lot more than being a strong ninja; you know that much. I’m not so foolish as to think that a powerful leader is a good leader. Though if the day comes, I would happily accept it for my home.” He would pause for a moment and grin before continuing. “And as far as marrying your niece goes…I don’t think I could do her the disservice. She would not want to be tied down to a jounin almost a decade her senior! She would have to worry about me dying out on a mission and of old age!” He would shamelessly laugh at his own joke there. It was a quiet, laugh, but a genuine one nonetheless. “Besides, I’m sure Dandi has a whole host of suitors that would be a far better choice.”

As he looked back to the match, the Hattori shook he head at the cat below. He had almost forgotten that the feline genin existed, and better yet, was part of his village. Regardless of the absurdity of it all, he was glad to see the two Konoha genin performing so well. The young Ouroboros woman had been matched up in a difficult situation against such a small opponent with such a low visibility environment. But she was still holding her own. The most unfortunate part about the fight was that one of the Konoha ninja would not advance, and any slimmer chance of a genin of the Leaf winning the tournament was downside to Nayoko.

WC:1270+1416=2686

Verdandi snickered to herself. The little passes back and forth, the playful side of her aunt at display, Nayoko’s comfort and visual joy over him being in presence with his former teacher. It was a good day. Verd was supposed to sit back down now that Nayoko had taken the offered seat. But the princess was lost in thoughts quickly. She could feel a disturbance within her. But she couldn’t really put her finger on it. Instead she would let her friend and aunt talk away over their latest experiences and chatter about their butterfly school. Dandi’s eye was fixed on the battle below. The snake lady was continuously pushed away until at last she seemed defeated and outwitted before long. The emotions within the young child that held onto the historical name of the Orochi, the snow princess could feel them within herself as if they were born in her very core. Loss, a terribly uncomfortable feeling. Why did it matter so much though? Dandi had lost to every teacher she ever practiced with. Each of her defeats were but yet another lesson to add to her existence. As a former blade dancer and Kenjutsu enthusiast, Verd had fought many duels long before her path as kunoichi had been revealed to her. Memories of her early youth filled with many defeats, against her sisters, masters and friends. But here she would stand, dressed in the black and snow-white silks of the snow countries traditional appeal. Feeling once again as the spoiled little princess back from her days within the castle of the snow. But now no longer as a simple figure or attraction at best, in memory to a fallen nation. But one that had sworn to obtain powers far beyond anyone’s expectation, so she may give rise to a new dawn for her fallen homeland.

Here she was, her Yuki aunt the Mizukage, her Hattori friend at the top of the leaf’s ANBU, dozens of her friends and companions she had grown fond of were all collected here at this festival, a beacon of peace, love and understanding. A truce that would ignore the conflict of interests. Petty squabbles were common place in the world of politics. Dandi had by now experienced its annoying flaws ever since her latest promotion. Her path now closer to her aunt than ever. But whilst her friends were talking about the burden of the kage, Verd couldn’t even see herself living up to compliment the responsibilities given to her within the ANBU. During their sparing sessions Aya would still send the princess back down into the dirt with ease. How large was the gap between the snow lady and these seemingly godlike entities of legendary status? Why did they have to dwarf her existence so much akin to how Nayoko felt about it. She was not complete yet, of that the young dragon was sure. But as worries and sorrows tried to claim her, the battle beneath them finally ended and Aya would note about the beauty and rarity of the earth element in the eyes of a mist shinobi. But her contemplation was cut short. A new arrival would disturb their discussion. Whilst the contestants would cease their combat in order to accept the chosen result, all concentration in the lounge was but pressured on the shiny looking men appearing on scene. Verdandi had to admit that the effort invested in their appearance was in no way short to the luxuries she had seen in her own castle. A royal blooded one perhaps? Verd was already standing but after the crier announced the Shogun she could see Aya urging with her bare gaze to Verdandi as to show her respect.

The princess felt slightly irritated. The Mizukage had simply entered this lounge under the basic desire to sit down and have a chat. Neither kage nor princess felt need to be announced on their entrance. Yet this shiny looking person seemed to at least be accompanied by people that had to underline his importance. Verd chuckled. The irritation would slowly subside as she kept her smile, bowing as requested to bring no shame to her kage, but ultimately amused by the dramatic scene that had suddenly opened up before her eyes. Dandi exchanged glares with Nayo whom seemingly must have been feeling similar in his own slight confusion and Ayakashi had visibly tensed up from her previous relaxed and joyful mood. While she did not seem as disturbed as her two friends, the politician within her had clearly taken over. A learned part within her aunt’s persona, something that Verd did not envy as of yet. Being forced to continuously deal with important people in fancy uniforms. But she was no one to judge him, after all she too was wearing the peacock-dress of her people. To belittle a stranger for his joy in beautiful regalia and imposing entrances would be rather narrow minded of the young child. Seeing as Nayo would have given need to raise once again, Verd would urge him to join her side closer to the balcony, giving Aya and her political guest some space. Especially as the conversation quickly lured the mood down into the basement of good feels. Inabayma. A word not well met neither by the Mizukage nor the princess.

Verdandi had crossed with fate on that day, as weak little pupils between mere Chūnin or Tokujō ranks she dwelled on that battlefield. Just as she was about to bring support to her aunt she was nearly crushed like a mere bug by the black robed intruder, a mother of snake techniques herself. Her name unknown and forever lost to the princess. If it had not been for her friend and teacher Takao, Dandi would not be here today. Chigetsu had lost a part of his soul that day. Many of Verdandi’s friends had died. Like a parasite she had clung to Bái Hǔ once he appeared, to hide her weakness in the shadow of a legendary Byakko that was far stronger then herself. Verdandi had helped Ayakashi during her recovery from that cursed battle. Whilst the princess was certain that auntie was even stronger now, the pain of that day would not be forgotten anytime soon. She knew Nayo had been there himself as well. Potentially it’d rise bad memories to him alike it did to his friends here. The politician did not care to address the princess and her handsome companion as of yet. Which was terribly fine as Verdandi had a personal deep disinterest towards anything of seemingly political nature ever since Aya had started to expect official matters of importance from her. She’d stay close to Nayo, knowing that he would most likely have more experience on the matter. While yet there was a certain uneasy feeling within her core. Something in her empathy didn’t want to simply sort this man into the same pot as the many other ranking officials they had met earlier. Something was off. Maybe it was just one of those moments Verdandi’s companion spirit, Mifune would be whispering his riddles of long-lost samurai tales into her ear. But putting Inabayama aside, politics and even attitude. Verdandi started to feel growingly uncomfortable. Who was this man?


1200 / 3700

It was not every day that Nayoko got to relax like this. He had been so busy lately with his position in the village and because of that, he had almost forgotten what it was like to just sit around with friends and talk. To see Verdandi standing and watching the match below intently while his old mentor talked to him about politics, being a Kage, and other nuggets of wisdom, Nayoko could not help but slouch a little bit in his chair. He was beginning to unwind just a little bit. Even so, the comment directed at his home village was not missed by the Hattori. But Nayoko did not protest what the Mizukage had said. He did not disagree that the Leaf had made missteps in recent history, though to what exactly the Ice Witch was referring to, Nayoko could not be sure. She could be referring to Mitsuo, who had once been a Hokage and was now one of the most wanted men in the whole ninja world for his participation in the destruction of Sunagakure no Sato. Or perhaps Ayakashi was talking about Lamya, one of the most powerful nukenin to ever step into he world. She too had been a product of the Village Hidden in the Leaves. Thankfully she was now a corpse, though Nayoko was never to sure when it came to Ouroboros. And besides those two, Nayoko was sure that there was some reference he did not understand in her words. But he decided not to press the topic any further.

Instead, Nayoko chose to focus on the flattering words of his former teacher. The woman seemed intent on either setting up Verdandi and Nayoko, or at least teasing them about it like the aunt she was. It was a side of the Mizukage that the jounin enjoyed seeing; a playful and kind-hearted center that was usually covered by the frozen exterior of the Demon Ice Witch. Her comments on the match were also intriguing, especially since Nayoko himself could use Doton to some extent. Though his skill with the element was not much greater that that of the genin in the arena below. He had started training with it back in the Land of Water from Teru, but when he was forced to leave the village, he never got the chance to pursue it further. Even so, Nayoko knew it was a useful tool. The jounin was about to respond to the Mizukage when he felt the presence of people entering the lounge and the Mizukage was cut short. Nayoko furrowed his brow and stood with the Kage, looking back at the new arrivals with a hint of confusion running through his mind. It seemed that the Shogun of the Iron country had arrived late to the festivities.

The first thing that Nayoko noiticed was not the Shogun himself, but his entourage. The six samurais were certainly a sight to behold, especially or Nayoko who had never met anyone form the Land of Iron before. Each of the guards was dressed in ornate, crimson armor that was adorned with golden symbols along with great horned helmets that branched up to the heavens. They were intimidating but also intriguing; the perfect combination for a great leader’s closest protectors. The man in the center of the group was not to be ignored either. His robes of red and blue were also decorated wit the golden markings that made very clear how high his position as. The Shogun was impressive, to say the least. Nayoko had personally arranged for him to be in this lounge as well, though the jounin had expected him to be on time originally. Regardless, the lateness of the man was not an issue, given his position. Nayoko bowed slightly as the Shogun approached before allowing himself to be pulled back ever so slightly by Verdandi, giving the two political leaders a chance to talk. Nayoko merely nodded and smiled in response to the Shogun’s comment about enjoying himself in the Land of Fire, but did nothing more and allowed the conversation to go wherever it was meant to. Unfortunately, the topic of Inabayama did not take long to come up between the two leaders. Nayoko could understand why, given the political repercussions of the fight. But even so, Nayoko wished that it would not be a topic of conversation as often as it was.

Nayoko had also been there, at the battle in the Land of Wind. He had been moving with his friend and ally Maigo across the desert in order to deliver messages to allied camps int eh area about sending reinforcements. It was during that travel that the two of them were set upon by puppets that seemingly had no user. The fight had been tough, but the real problem emerged when the legendary nukenin Sasori, a supposedly long dead member of the once-powerful Akatsuki, decided to show his face on the battle field. The two jounin had kept the fight as short as possible after that point, especially with Maigo getting injured. It had been a terrifying moment, and the Hattori made a mental note to discuss it with Verdandi and Ayakashi once the time seemed right. Now did not seem like the best opportunity. What Nayoko did notice though, was that Verdandi seemed uncomfortable. The Hattori was not sure if the Ice Princess had been there as well, but judging by her reaction, the jounin suspected that she may have been. Her growing discomfort caused Nayoko to frown a little before stepping closer to her and taking her hand in his discretely so that the surrounding officials would not see. The jounin gave his friend a brief squeeze on her hand and continued holding it as he tried to enter the conversation himself.  

“Yes, the battle of Inabayama is not one that I hope to repeat. I was there as well, off of the sidelines of the main clash, but still there. The foes all around us were just as powerful as us. It’s a miracle that we were able to hold them off under such a surprise. I, myself fought enemies that I had only heard of, but did not believe even existed.” The jounin paused for a moment to shake his head in bemusement. “It was a narrowly avoided defeat, and the cost was greater than any I am willing to give up again. Next time there is an attack like that one, we will be ready.”

There was another pause in the conversation as Nayoko let his words hand for a moment before he glanced back down at the arena below. A crew of chuunin were clearing out the mess that had been left behind form the previous fight, but Nayoko knew more was coming. He figured he should at least mention it to the foreign dignitaries. “There is an exhibition match beginning shortly between some special jounin of multiple village. Shogun, you missed the first bout but I know many people will be staying in the lounge for these fights between the official ones. While some of these stronger ninjas can try a little too hard to be impressive, the spectacle of it all if usually worth the bravado." At this point, Nayoko would let go of Verdandi’s hand and move past her so that his seat was accessible to the Shogun. “Please, take this seat. I’m more than happy to stand, especially since I won’t be able to stay for many more matches.”


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Verdandi squeezed Nayoko’s palm tightly as he offered it to her. Her empathy had always been but a rather unique trait to her persona, being emotional often exhaled her feeling in ways that other ninja would potentially prefer to hide. But being raised or maybe even spoiled in circumstances that were certainly unusually happy and comfortable, she had not quite the same grim past as most of her experienced comrades. Apart from the gruesome visions given away by Inabayama and the larger battlefields she had contested with Maigo and her Squad. Verdandi had never been put before in a situation that truly tested her mental limits. Most of her friends had endured hardships, bloodshed and tragedy well earlier into their youth while the princess had been well protected and cared for in the safety of her golden cage. In comparison to experienced warriors like Ayakashi and Nayoko, she was indeed still but a child that had yet to face the hardships of this world. Rank and talent would not shield far more experienced people from the visible ends of her short comings. But then again, Verdandi never felt the need to hide her feelings in situations like this. The accusations of the crier were rather unusual. Never before had she been insulted for a facial expression, set aside being met with the arrogance that someone would dare to tell her how to feel in their Lord’s presence.

Verdandi was but a gentle creature, potentially weak in social situations, especially on terms of open confrontation. She had little experience how to deal with insults or the offensive way she had been met here in general. Glad she was when the world around her would however confirm once again that the young child was as always, well protected by those benevolent to her innocence. Nayoko’s firm palm would send trusted warmth through her core, Ayakashi would instantly step in to show her very politically skilled way of calling out their offensive transgression and in turn the very unheard voice that had primarily whispered his warning into her ear was there as well. Exhaling his own sunlight from the great beyond, through his blade into Verdandi’s soul.

Tensions would ultimately peak in the room as Verdandi could feel that the very protective instincts of her close ones that tended to keep her guarded could potentially leash out in ways that were unfavorable for all of them. Conflict and toxic environments were but Verdandi’s greatest enemy. Origins of such negativity had to be cleansed from their darkness and returned to the world as but a reminder that these ways were never the right path, that in the end only harmony could bring saturation towards all kin, be it civilians, samurai or shinobi.

While Ayakashi’s words had already been spoken and could not be taken back, Verdandi could at least try and prevent her friend from relenting to his anger. A soft exhale of her lips and the Hyouton chakra that surged through every pore of her skin would send a gentle, cool breeze towards Nayoko. Her palm softly and gently surging her aura to his palm and covering the very air he would breath in. She turned her head as he could feel her intentions and would smile at him with a gentleness that he knew very well from the young princess. Making sure that he would find no need to become elevated as well and that his anger could be dispersed before it even surfaced. Their palms would part and Verdandi would step forward very slowly and with an expression that exhaled a thousand suns from her smile. Making sure that neither of those glaring upon her would mistake her intentions even the slightest. Bowing once again in utter humility towards both her aunt and the lord with questionable intents.

“Please, we came here for the joy of this event. Where all nations come together uncaring of their petty squabbles. Ninja and other warrior kin alike have always used these days to find common interests and ways to overcome the very nature that our world seems to persist within. Let’s not taint the memory and ideal of this great festival with differences and grief.”

700 / 4400

It took a good measure of Nyoko’s willpower not to have the herald of the Shogun thrown out of the Lounge the moment she spoke against Verdandi. One of the many reasons that Nayoko knew he would not make a suitable Kage was that he was…less than diplomatic when it came to his friends. To hear the herald of the land of Iron threaten her so easily made the jounin seethe instantly. He felt like throwing her over the railing, if he was honest. But something inside of him reminded the Hattori that causing a political mess would not be conducive to the peace that he desired so much.  Instead, he listened to the Shogun sarcastically belittle his friends as well as his own culture. Nayoko’s face remained  stoic and calm during the exchange, but he would not let it pass without notice. Nayoko was about to open his mouth to rebuke the pair of guests, but the Mizukage seemed to have a similar idea. As soon as the herald was dismissed, the woman spoke up firmly. "Xia-bēi" Ayakashi would begin, immediately establishing superiority, waiting to see if the dignitary or his outspoken herald would challenge it. "As I'm a guest of an ally here, I'll not seek to start strife in the house of an esteemed friend. But, even my friend would not expect me to stand by and allow someone, especially of the Samurai houses to blatantly insult the honor or character of my family and my people. Yet alone to someone who shares their rank and station while in the presence of a superior. The girl you just inferred as paranoid, and by proxy us all, was bestowed great honors by your Taisho and was granted the Legendary Kurosawa by your people. You'd do well to show respect, and apologize, or this meeting is over, and you may leave. Before we may have a further quarrel, and I take such insult up with my friend the Taisho; lord of Iron."

The calm on his former teacher’s face was admirable when coupled with the words that she spoke. She was not going to take any insults from the man, and Nayoko was in full support of that. He watched as Ayakashi’s eyes moved toward his own, and he knew that she was looking for the support of his village through his own words. Nayoko new that he was a high ranking ninja, but he did not have the authority to start political bouts. Even so, with the allied Kage by his side, Nayoko had a confidence in him that he did not usually have when paired with bureaucracy. Where the Mizukage may have only been looking for a nod of approval, Nayoko spoke up before the Shogun and his herald would have a chance to respond. “The Mizukage speaks true. I will not sit idly by as my friends are insulted when they are guests in my home. Before your herald speaks of decorum, she would do well to learn some herself.” His voice would grown slightly more stern then, emphasizing the words that he spoke to the foreigners. “But more importantly, I will not stand for them being threatened in my home where you are both guests. You will restrain your rabid dog, Shogun. Lest she have to be put down by the lords of the land on which she stands.”

With his piece spoken, Nayoko also waited for a reply, and assuming the man apologized for his actions, Nayoko would fall silent once again, standing by Verdandi as she attempted to relieve the tension that had sunk into the meeting so quickly. Nayoko was eager for it to be over. The words that the Shogun began to utter were quieted, but not to the point where Nayoko could not hear. He listened carefully to the man’s words, attempting to be nonchalant about it, but not overly concerned if the Shogun knew he was listening or not. He was choosing to have such a discussion in the Hattori’s home, and in his private lounge no less. If words were being exchanged here, then they would reach the jounin’s ears one way or another. Ayakashi on the other hand was not so subtle with her words. Nayoko was able to listen to the entirely of her side of the conversation without issue. The accusations that the Shogun was making were indeed very serious ones, but Nayoko was not surprised. He had already received work of fanatics claiming to worship the new Raikage. When a man begins to feel like a god, a grab for power would be inevitable. Even so, Nayoko was confident that the alliance between the Lands of Fire and Water would be more than enough to repel an attempted invasion of the Kumo ninja.

Part of Nayoko wanted to contribute to the conversation, but he knew that his words would be lost on the Shogun anyway. Instead, he was content to simply listen to the two leaders, Verdandi close by his side. Eventually the jounin would give one last squeeze to his friend’s hand and let go of it, hoping that she had regained some measure of comfort in the situation. His attention was then on the words about the Sixteenth Hokage. Nayoko knew little about this man, but judging by what was being said, it was possible that the Hattori knew more about him than he thought. Nayoko had clashed with a great sealer in the endless wastes of the Land of Wind. That same man had been the one to confront Ayakashi at Inabayama. Nayoko’s brow furrowed slightly as he thought back to his own clash with the man. The jounin had pushed himself a great deal that day, and he had survived, but only barely. If he had so chosen, the man probably could have killed him. Nayoko had been ready to die that day, as he was any day he was on a mission for his country. But to live through it and then understand who exactly he had been fighting was surreal.

The words he had spoken that day made even more sense with that context now given. That man had questioned the alliance between the Leaf and the Mist, urging Nayoko to forge his own path rather than follow in the steps of the Mizukage. The Hattori would be lying to himself if he thought that those words had not pushed him to step away from the Butterfly Sage school. But even so, Nayoko had too many friends in the Mist to walk away, and their alliance was an unrivaled one. Shaking his head at the turmoil within, the jounin looked down at the match below. It seemed as the though ninja from Iwagakure had been eliminated already. There were three remaining, and the battle was in full swing.

But something told Nayoko that there was more action happening at the table behind him than down in the arena…

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