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Post by Sabaku on Apr 12, 2010 2:50:06 GMT -5
Chidoku Sakuya let out a long breath, resting against one of Konoha's recently rebuilt structures. That had been tense enough. He hated it when he was required an audience with Takako. The woman didn't like him at all, it was obvious, and why? Because he was a man? It wasn't as though he'd asked for their kekkei genkai to show itself in him. His hand rubbed at his hair absently, and he pushed himself away from the building, frowning slightly. It would be best to put as much distance between himself and the Chidoku compound as possible.
And that was what he did, finding himself before long in the midst of the midday crowd that filled the town's busy store- and restaurant-lined main street. It was good to see it standing, he couldn't help but think as he looked around at the buildings, remembering that it hadn't been that long ago when nothing filled the area but bare earth.
Konohagakure hadn't fully recovered from Pain's attack yet, and neither had its residents. So much devastation so quickly...none of them had seen anything like it, and it left everyone a little shaken. Sakuya himself, a jounin who had seen more battles than he could count, still couldn't shake off the memory of watching another jounin, a man he'd gone on many missions with, dying not three feet from him. The lost lives had returned, true, but the scars left wouldn't heal so quickly.
Shaking off his dark thoughts, he slipped through the doorway of a small restaurant, smiling at the man working behind the counter before taking his usual seat at the bar that sat directly in front of the kitchen area.
"Yakiniku today."
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Post by Hiko on Apr 12, 2010 3:25:06 GMT -5
Akemi ached. She'd had to stand at such rigidness while attending to Ayana's climbing lessons, her shoulders, neck, and, hell, the entire general area of her back felt knotted. Thank God for small miracles, for Takako had warded them off from the compound after only a few hours of the day. She supposed the woman had tired of watching Ayana's ever-slow progress, but thought more that it was Akemi's own presence that bothered the clan leader.
“S'not like I wanted to annoy her,” she muttered with a scoff, walking through the streets of the still-damaged Konoha.
Three wars and just as many rebuilds of the city, and Akemi still couldn't wrap her head around the eagerness of shinobi to fight, to kill eachother, and usually, to die in agony. There were small blessings in tedious missions, she thought, stretching as she walked. That last one, with all that luggage – Akemi had thought they'd never make it to the daimyo, with so much carry-on. The local villages were celebrating their daimyo's birthday, and though she herself saw little need to celebrate the life of the man, the towns were eager to shove more tidings of goodwill on her team than she'd thought they could carry.
Well, despite the trouble, it had saved her genin the horrors of war for now. She supposed she should be grateful, but found herself mostly irritated. How dare the Shinobu reclaim her student! And Yumi had just started adjusting to the team's dynamic...
Couldn't be changed now, she supposed. At least they'd earned themselves an Inuzuka. Akemi made a groaning noise, rubbing her neck as she found herself entering a rather small eatery. With a sudden rumble of her stomach, she decided her need to be out and away from the compound coincided greatly with her need to eat, drink, and be potentially merry. She flopped into a booth and draped her arms over the back.
“Sukiyaki, if you've got it.”
She glanced to the bar as the too-thin waitress left her. That hair – it reminded her too much of Ayana's. The build, too, was that of her clan. Ahah. So Takako's nuisance as well as her dog were under the same roof? She called out, amusement coloring her tone.
“Oy, Sakuya! Leave the bar and join your blood!”
Might as well have company while she waited.
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Post by Sabaku on Apr 12, 2010 4:39:18 GMT -5
That voice - Akemi had returned from her mission? Sakuya turned, and the moment his eyes met that vibrant purple hair, he knew she had. So much for getting away from his clan! He had nothing against the woman's company, but he'd gotten out with the intention of escaping that "blood", not being reminded of it.
Ah, well. No harm in it. Akemi was a far cry from Takako, and for all of those in his clan whose company he made a point of avoiding, she wasn't one of them. He rose from his stool and made his way over to her, then dropped into the seat across from hers with a smile. "When did you get back?"
She'd been incredibly lucky with the timing of her team's mission, to have missed the battle entirely. More than for her, he was glad at least some of Konoha's genin hadn't been forced to watch the scene. Shinobi or no, they were children, and children didn't belong around so much bloodshed. Perhaps it went against the traditional Konoha thinking, with its youth entering the academy at such a young age, but...
Sakuya had seen too many battles, too much death, to think otherwise.
A plate was placed on the table in front of him, and suddenly realizing he'd probably appeared distant, he thanked the waitress and attempted to cover it by busying himself with his food.
"Where did you go, anyway?"
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Post by Hiko on Apr 12, 2010 4:57:39 GMT -5
Her own meal was slow coming, and Akemi watched Sakuya eat with hungry eyes. Damned but if that grilled meal didn't look enticing! She met her kin's eyes briefly and shifted, leaning against the corner between the booth and the window.
“Hmph. Returned last night. All I could get from Takako this morning was a kick in the ass for staying gone so long and another for not staying away longer. The hell happened around here, anyway? I get that we had an attack, but from what?” She paused, frowning, “Couldn't've been the Kyuubi – he's got more than enough eyes watching him. Was it another Jinchuuriki?”
Aha! Her meal had come! The waitress set the small cooking pot down gently, eager to leave the contents undisturbed. Akemi took a long breath in, enjoying the sweet scent of still-cooking shimofuri. What to attack first, she wondered, still waiting for Sakuya's response. Ah, the noodles. The one reason she loved little hole-in-the-wall restaurants were for the good eats – this one in particular preferred using yam-based noodles over the cellophane variety. Digging into the fat, slick mess, she felt no small amount of bliss. Ah, but what she wouldn't give for a grill in her room back home! But, yen always went toward other necessities. New weapons, hospital bills, the little things.
“Mmf,” she started, mouth half-full before swallowing, “Everyone I've seen looks like they just rose from the grave.”
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Post by Sabaku on Apr 12, 2010 5:41:46 GMT -5
Finishing his bite, Sakuya had to suppress a sigh. So she did bring it up. He couldn't have expected her not to, but it was a subject he would've much preferred to have left untouched. He took another bite rather than responding right away, wanting to delay the discussion at least that much, and as a result nearly choked upon her next words.
A humorless smirk appeared on his face, and he didn't look at her, fixing his eyes instead on the plate in front of him and not seeing it at all. That part of the story would have to wait until later. "No," he responded in an uncharacteristically quiet tone, "it was Akatsuki." Eyes shifted from down to up, this time taking in the sight of the ceiling. "Called himself Pain. I'm not quite sure how, but he had six bodies...sent all of them through the village demanding to know where Uzumaki Naruto was. It was just one of them that did that, though." As he said it, he waved a hand toward the window, indicating the destruction that was still visible in places where the reconstruction hadn't been completed. "It was much worse than this. Most of the village, gone in an instant. And you can thank the Kyuubi that anyone's here to come back to. I would've been dead myself if the one that attacked us hadn't left when he did."
There was no denying that fact. The abilities of jounin, even ANBU, paled in comparison to what any one of those bodies could do. And that was what they were at war with now. The reality of it hit hard, making Sakuya more glad than ever of the alliance that had formed to combat it.
His eyes dropped, leveling as they met Akemi's. "And they look like that because they did." To one who didn't know the situation, his words may have seemed like tasteless jest, but the seriousness of his expression and tone clearly stated that wasn't the case. "I'm not sure what happened, but everyone who died in the attack came back a little while after Pain left. Hatake Kakashi was among them," he added, watching for her reaction. Her attraction to the man was no secret, regardless of whether or not she spoke of it.
"Be glad you didn't have to see it," he finished, turning his attention back to his plate. His appetite had paled considerably, but it would've been a waste to leave the food barely touched.
For once, he didn't blame Takako for her lack of explanation.
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Post by Hiko on Apr 12, 2010 5:59:49 GMT -5
Akemi held a single, thin slice of beef between two chopsticks as Sakuya explained the recent situation. Eyes narrowed, she stared at the man. Akatsuki? She'd heard through the grapevine that her old ANBU squad was investigating the involved party. She'd never heard of “Pain,” though, and she wasn't certain what worried her more: The fact that such a man existed, or the fact that no one had known about him until the attack.
“U-Uzumaki saved the village?” she stuttered, uncomprehending. She'd known the boy had returned, understood that all his training under the sannin had likely increased latent potential, but for one boy – one genin – to compete against the Akatsuki in a fight to the death (for what else did one fight to against people like that) and come out the winner? The impact of such an idea gave her cushioning against her kin's next spouting of information.
First, Uzumaki, reckless and headstrong, protected Konoha from likely decimation. Then, half the people had died fighting. But they'd come back? And sempai – Akemi's face went blank. She wasn't about to add fuel to the fire, and she already knew what most of her clan thought of her sympathies toward the son of the White Fang. Unfortunately, it seemed no matter the upbringing, clans preferred to stick to eachother.
“But, everyone's better now? No... No major injuries sustained? What of the hokage? I didn't get a chance for a briefing when we returned – is Tsunade-sama well?” Yes, best to focus on the hokage. Nevermind her burning desire to search out her former teammates, see who was left of the ANBU force (she didn't doubt some would retire for teaching or extracurricular positions outside the village after this).
Right. Focus.
How the hell had anyone managed to kill sempai?
Ah, dammit, Sakuya.
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Post by Sabaku on Apr 13, 2010 3:50:25 GMT -5
"Yeah." He couldn't help smiling a little at her disbelief. "He's gotten strong, more than most of us gave him credit for." Grateful for the lightening of the mood, he returned to his food in her silence. As she spoke again, he looked back up, laughing at the barrage of questions.
"Slow down, I can only answer so much at once. Yes, everyone's fine. I can't say there were no major injuries, but they're all alive, which is more than we could've dared to hope for. As for Tsunade-sama, yes, she's well." A brief pause followed; not long ago, he wouldn't have been able to give her such a favorable answer. It seemed luck had favored Konoha in the wake of the attack, but the war had only begun. They couldn't get too comfortable with a little bit of good news.
Sakuya shook his head, berating himself. It wasn't like him to take such a cynical view - had he really changed so much so quickly? No, it was fine to focus on the good for now. "She healed everyone during the attack and went into a coma for a while, but from what I've heard, she's back to normal. Haven't seen her myself, but I can't say I blame her for being busy, as much as she's got to deal with right now." He sighed, regarding the woman with an expression somewhere between amusement and pity.
"You picked a hell of a time to be away, you know that?"
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Post by Hiko on Apr 13, 2010 23:11:24 GMT -5
Akemi scowled, though the expression was mostly in jest. Her concerns had lightened at the knowledge that, though the Hokage had taken damage in her own way, the woman was more or less fine now. However, a question lingered in her mind – who had taken over in Tsunade-sama's absence? Not as if it mattered now, but all the same...
“Pah! Leave it to the village to go to ruins in my absence. And I didn't pick my time to leave any more than I picked it to return. You wouldn't believe the miles my feet put in lately. I suppose I should be glad. I...” Akemi trailed then, her expression growing sincere, “I can't imagine what would have happened if Ayana-sama had been here during the attack, rather than with me.” She focused on her food, then, eager to get her mind off the mental imagery.
After some time (and the cooking pot had long been emptied), Akemi gave her kin a once-over. “I would like to know one thing, however. What's this talk of a shinobi alliance? Takako didn't seem terribly unhappy about it, but she was glib with that information, too.” Akemi supposed she should be used to the older woman's behavior by now, but one would think the clan's head would have thought information of this sort of importance would have been integral to someone whose purpose was seeing to the well-being of the heir to the bloodline.
Akemi sighed. Just one more addendum to the long list of events that made little sense.
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Post by Sabaku on Apr 15, 2010 22:33:00 GMT -5
"Well..." Sakuya considered how to reply, not having all of the details himself. "It's what it sounds like. Konoha, Suna, Kumo, Iwa, and Kiri have allied against Akatsuki. Can't imagine how the kage managed to come to an agreement, but...I guess it shows how serious they're taking this threat."
He turned his eyes toward the window, though his mind wandered far from it. "This is the five kage, though. If they're concerned enough to ally for the first time, it really must be war." He leaned back in his chair, resting his hands behind his head, before realizing that Akemi wouldn't have been aware of that piece of information, either.
"I've heard that Akatsuki's leader is Uchiha Madara, and at the kage's summit, he declared war on them." Word traveled fast from the Hokage and those who attended the meetings, so most of the village had heard the details of the recent events. "That's the reason for the alliance." Sighing, he lowered his arms and shrugged in a gesture of helplessness. "Feels like we're in over our heads, doesn't it? At war with someone who's supposed to be dead, leader of a group with a member that could level a village in the blink of an eye, that pushes the kage that have been practically at each other's throats for years to work together? Where's that leave jounin like us, I wonder...?"
His idle question brought to mind another piece of news he'd heard, and thinking of it, his demeanor changed; he leaned forward, grinning. "That reminds me. Looks like they're going to hold another chuunin exam because of all this. Going to nominate your team?"
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Post by Hiko on Apr 16, 2010 0:11:01 GMT -5
Akemi snorted. Where did that leave jounin like them? She knew exactly where. “It leaves those like us to do one of three things: One, find faith and start praying; two, tuck our tails between our legs and head for the clan compounds; or three, find someone willing to dig our graves by the time the dust settles.”
To say that the information she'd garnered from Sakuya had been unsettling was an understatement of the ages. But, they'd survived much of the same before, from the Second Great War during their youth, to the attack on the village by the Kyuubi over a decade ago, to Orochimaru's upstaging only years back. Each time, the village had returned stronger for the pain and heartache of war. Each time...
Still, it seemed as if they'd never dealt with so much at once. And now, of all times, a chuunin examination? What were they thinking? Well, she countered with herself, she supposed it made sense. What better time to weed out the children from the adults than this?
“My team? Are you kidding, cousin? Ayana might do well enough on the written, but the field test? And Koji... I've no doubt he'd make it to the third exam, but I somehow doubt he'd care if his teammates died in the process. And the Inuzuka – I haven't even met him yet, but I hear he's just as much of a handful. Honestly, I've no reason in the world to nominate those three. And I won't – not until I know they can handle a simple mission as a team.”
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Post by Sabaku on Apr 16, 2010 3:58:37 GMT -5
Pessimistic as Akemi's answer sounded, she was right - but Sakuya didn't plan to run or to throw his life away. Foolish hope? Perhaps, but it was better than no hope. Damaged or not, it wasn't as though Konoha was weak, and neither were the other villages. Undoubtedly, he would eventually stand in battle, and it was likely Akemi would as well, but he liked to think they would come back alive.
"That bad, huh?" He laughed, glad to turn his attentions to brighter subjects. "I'm sure they'll learn to work together, though. They're not the first team that's had trouble in that area. I don't envy you, though, that's just the reason I didn't take on a team myself." That, and the fact that he needed his work to be more direct. It was important to teach the genin of the village, of course; they would eventually rise into the higher positions themselves, but it wasn't something that suited him at all.
"Good luck, though. From the sounds of it, you'll need it."
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