[center][h2]Yuzuki Rei and Yuuhi Jikangai - The Hidden Sand - Evening[/h2]
A Collab between Neyu and Snake-senpai[/center]

The sound of furious scratches upon a scroll could be heard even before entering the Kazekage's room - a sure indication of urgency or a severe lack of love for writing letters. Jikangai, Yūhi made a mental note of that as he stepped down the corridor towards the office, and as he did so the mysterious cube of metal floating above his left hand glowed in agreement, myriad impressions of sigils in a faint blue appearing and disappearing as he did so. Such motions were not uncommon for the artefact he kept with him. He continued to walk down the corridor, softly, as the sounds of quill meeting paper grew in intensity and eventually announced himself with a single, clear knock ringing out above and beyond the ambient sounds. Perhaps the Kazekage had been in a state of dreaming, so focused on the task at hand that reality seemed distant and far away. Perhaps she had not, and she would not be startled. Either way, Yūhi did not wait for her to respond before opening the door and walking in.

The office was... Interesting, he thought, not being used to the markedly less civilised conditions of the surface world from his time spent deep below the earth in Kinjiro's lab. The desert heat would have been stifling if not for the  cool winds that fluttered through the sandy village in rhythmic patterns - the work of fellow fūton users, no doubt, he would have to pay them a visit and correct their no doubt archaic technique - and the amount of natural sunlight was somewhat jarring to the extremely pale Jikangai that now stood in front of Rei, Yuzuki - the Kazekage.

[color=0054a6]"I assume you were informed of my impending arrival? Jikangai, Yūhi at your service."[/color] He said, diverting his focus to the cube as its patterns came to life before him, speaking in a language that only he could understand. He was listening intently for whatever Yuzuki had to say, of course, but his eyes remained totally focused on the cube. 

Perhaps it was her foul mood that caused Yuzuki to be heavy handed with her writing tool. Even to those with normal hearing capabilities, she was writing loudly, but she hardly cared. She was writing with passion and it was clearly shown in the thick brush strokes of the words she was enscribing onto the scroll. Of all the things, Pirates! And she should have known. Been more wary and concerned about the coastal villages. Until then, she was only aware that Kirigakure was known for producing Pirates in the past, but it was expected in the Land of Water. Yuzuki had dismissed the possibility that a nation half a world away would try and do such a thing, and thus the word 'Pirate' had been the most surprise of all to her. 

What she was so furiously writing, a message to the Hidden Mist Village regarding their knowledge of a group of unaligned Pirates roaming about the waters. If this had perhaps happened before, she could draw some information about them and see how great this threat was. 

It wasn't until a sharp knock jerked her head up and caused her to made an unintended mark on the paper, that she sighed and lowered her head into her free hand. She had to calm down, really. This ordeal was already becoming far too personal, and in that respect could possibly cloud her judgement on other things. When Yuzuki again raised her head, she was looking at a familiar face. One that, though didn't bring a smile to her face, was welcome.

[color=crimson]"Jikangai, Yūhi? Ah, yes, it's nice to see you."[/color] she said, though her tone and expression displayed an opposite feeling. Knowing this, she quickly added, [color=crimson]"Forgive me, I'm not in the best of moods. Please,"[/color] she extended her hand towards a chair that sat to the right of her desk. [color=crimson]"Have a seat."[/color] 

As she only paused for a moment to see if he would sit or not, Yuzuki rolled up the scroll she was writing on and set it aside. Now with her full attention on her aquaintence, she would speak.

[color=crimson]"I do hope you have some good news for me?"[/color]

Yūhi's eyes darted immediately towards the scroll that the Kazekage had been writing on and the cube glowed vigorously in response, little blue symbols darting across its six faces. Yūhi studied them intensely, as if reading a particularly complex book, and largely ignoring what it was that Yuzuki had to say. He was still listening on some level, but his conscious mind was very much focused on his Yata no Kesan.

[color=0054a6]"Pirates attacking the coast? No, they are not of the Mist - if the Mist had plans to attack, my colleagues would know. You have no doubt seen the Jikangai Missionaries from time to time? They operate as vassals to the most powerful members of the Jikangai. As an Immortal Scion, there are a number of them in my service."[/color] Yūhi commented wryly, before moving towards the seat that Yuzuki had offered. Turning to look at her directly.

[color=0054a6]"You seem more troubled about this than you perhaps should be. You have competent operatives taking care of the more delicate details, yes?"[/color] he asked, idly picking up a piece of paper from Yuzuki's desk and beginning to fold it with delicate strokes. It had been a long while since he had manually folded anything for his origami, as his talents with paper made it much easier to perform with chakra, but the act of folding was one of patience and skill - virtues he hoped to impart the impression of upon the Kazekage - and he very quickly presented her with an origami butterfly.

[color=0054a6]"Take the time to appreciate the little things. You never know when you will stop seeing them."[/color]

Yuzuki said nothing at first, reaching out to take the butterfly, she examined it with a blank expression, though color slowly rose in her cheeks. [color=crimson]"I can't remember the last time someone gave me a gift like this."[/color] she said, raising the paper to her hair and securing it in her hair with a little knot. When that was done, she smiled. [color=crimson]"I have full faith the operation at the costal village will be sucessful. As you said, my men are all competent."[/color] She paused and leaned back in her chair. [color=crimson]"I just... sometimes feel like a mother who sends her children out rather than doing her business herself. It is frustrating to say the least."[/color] 

Folding her arms across her chest, she would close her eyes a moment as she thought about what she'd even requested the Jikangai for. With everything going on, it seemed she had forgotten. Masking her embarassment like a pro, she said, [color=crimson]"Remind me the nature of this meeting again."[/color]

[color=0054a6]"You wished to discuss an idea for a project I had brought to your attention."[/color] Yūhi replied, a small smirk creeping across his mouth as he avoided the subject of the meeting. Toying with people was a favourite pasttime of many of the Jikangai, but he in particular had made the art one of his life's goals to master. He would relent fairly quickly, but there was fun to be had in the moment and he did not feel like he should deny it. Invoking a little of his chakra, Yūhi manifested a piece of paper and it begun to fold itself in exactly the same way he had done himself earlier, a little paper butterfly rapidly coming into existence. Unlike the previous one, this one fluttered of its own accord on invisible currents, floating around the room briefly before disappearing out of a nearby window.

[color=0054a6]"I will keep tabs on the coastline also. Pirates do not tend to look particularly hard for paper butterflies. Nor do many people, as it turns out."[/color] He laughed, relaxing a little in the chair. It was surprisingly comfortable, for a surface-dweller's furniture, and it was to his liking. The heat in Sunagakure was not stifling like he had expected, but it was worlds away from the cool underground of Kinjiro's laboratory - the transition had not been an easy one, and he still had not fully accustomed to life on the surface.

Yuzuki gave a half smile at his offering to keep guard on the coastline, but she felt that perhaps it would be too much to ask the Jikangai. [color=crimson]"That's very thoughtful of you. However, I believe the situation at the coast will be a once in a lifetime occurance. The man I put in charge to carry out the mission is very capable of handling situations like this. And after this ordeal, he will only get better at what he does."[/color] she said, in her tone one could see she thought very highly of her friend. Reaching up with a hand, she would scratch behind her head. [color=crimson]"Also, the Jikangai have been very proactive in stimulating the Village's trade systems. You've come here to offer assistance I simply can't turn down. Any more would be simply too much, considering the Jikangai only want very little in comparison. I hope it's clear that I am very grateful for all that's being done."[/color] she said. 

Yuzuki wanted to continue further, and seal a greater alliance with the Jikangai other than trade and such. She wanted to offer them a place in the village, permanently, as was her kind nature. However, the Jikangai had made it clear they were in no rush to ally with Sunagakure, and she would respect that decision. So, instead of trying her hand at persuasion, she decided it would be best to continue with their business. 

[color=crimson]"Now, let's not waste any more time. Though we've been very happy with what trade the Jikangai have been providing, I want to discuss the possibility of perhaps a trade of more than just goods. Which I believe is why you're here. The Hidden Sand wishes to obtain knowledge as well. Anything that can ensure we are well equipped with any kind of threat that arrives at our doorstep. It is to my understanding that the Jikangai can provide that and more. But of course, I want this to favor the both of us,"[/color] she finished, waiting for his reply. 

[color=0054a6]"You misunderstand, sweet Yuzuki."[/color] Yūhi laughed, idly changing the position of his cube with his mind as he ruminated on what possibilities she could have wanted to discuss, and her naivete regarding the Jikangai's assistance. His laugh caused Yuzuki to raise a single brow, wondering which part of what she had said was amusing to him.

[color=0054a6]"I am not sending my eyes and ears to the coast for your benefit - I would see what happens for myself. These once in a lifetime occurrences hold information that should be categorised and stored for future use, no? I assure you that even without your permission or consent I would find a way."[/color] he added. It was for the best that the Kazekage learned that the Immortal Scions did not wait on others for permission - Yūhi would do whatever it was that he found to be the most appropriate at any given time, and he neither took orders from nor gave orders to anybody in Sunagakure (with the exception of his missionaries, perhaps). Their arrangement was mutually beneficial, yes, but Sunagakure did not control or own Yūhi any more than he could control or own them.

[color=0054a6]"Yes, the project I have in mind will suit your... Requirements, I am sure. Tell me what you know of the origins of the Kuchiyose no Jutsu."[/color] Yūhi asked, turning his steely gaze towards Yuzuki.

Though there was hardly a hint of disrespect in the voice of the Jikangai, his words did not sit well with Yuzuki. Her expression quickly turned into one that was displeased, and she sat up straighter in her chair. She thought for a moment, correctly placing her words in her mind before she spoke. 

[color=crimson]"I am doing my best to understand and accept the Jikangai's position when it comes to things like this. However, while I try not to stick my nose in the affairs of others or give orders to those not under my command, I do need to make it clear just one thing."[/color] she started, her tone firm. [color=crimson]"It is my duty as Kazekage to be aware of everything that goes on in Sunagakure. The Land of Wind in its [i]entirety[/i] is under my command. That is how I see it. So for you to say that my decisions regarding the villages and the people of my nation do not apply to you... that is something that does not sit well with me."[/color] she paused and sighed, standing up, she walked over to the window behind her desk and gazed out of it. 

[color=crimson]"I've said it before I respect the Jikangai in their position to be neutral, and my opinion of that has not changed. However, I have no choice to assume that your people also have... 'agreements' with the other nations. Thus you can understand that collection of information regarding the situation going on in Sunagakure by a group of people who are not bound by any means to my authority, can be quite troublesome for me. Especially since many other nations would gladly pay for information about our standing."[/color] 

Turning away from the window, she looked at the man sitting across from her and continued. [color=crimson]"Now I have no problem sharing certain types of information with you. However, you must understand my concerns about things like this."[/color] With that she returned to her seat and leaned back comfortably, waiting for a response. If any.

[color=0054a6]"I will happily sign a contract guaranteeing that I will not divulge any of your information to non-Jikangai parties. As I'm sure you have no doubt realised, it is within the purview of the Jikangai to make such contracts binding in more ways than one."[/color] Yūhi offered, raising an eyebrow at the sudden decision of Yuzuki to become serious about the matter. It was not something he could comprehend - the fierce loyalty to a village, to a collective of people simultaneously more and less than one's own. He had been an Immortal Scion for too long - the Jikangai were all he knew - and he could not imagine Yuzuki's fierce loyalty to people not of her direct family, or not related to her interests directly.


[color=0054a6]"You do understand, however, that every nation has spies - some of which will be in your village - and that this trading of information transcends anything I could do? I am here to assist you in your endeavours and report back to Kinjiro on the state of the surface world. I will not be remiss in my duties because you feel uncomfortable that I have the capacity to know a great many things that you would rather keep hidden. I am not here under your employ, as we have established, and I do not submit to your authority, as we have established... But consider the logic behind this: What reason do I have to sell any of your secrets? What can they offer me that you cannot?"[/color] He asked, standing up to look directly at Yuzuki.

[color=0054a6]"Would they offer me gold for your secrets? I assure you that money is no object to the Immortal Scions. Would they offer me power for your secrets? What power do they have that I do not already possess? I have no possible reason to divulge anything that I learn to anybody but Kinjiro - and you knew this when you accepted my assistance, did you not?"[/color]

Yuzuki let him speak and listened respectfully to his words. While true to some extent, there was still a bit of unease with the whole thing. It was perhaps that unease that she needed to set aside. Looking at him, she studied his face for a long moment after he finished speaking. He seemed to be telling the truth. Nodding, she would say [color=crimson]"It is precisely the fact that I don't know the answers to your questions that makes me uneasy."[/color] Closing her eyes, she would cross her arms and sigh. [color=crimson]"There is no guarantee what the other nations may have to offer. And there is no guarentee that the village will always be able to provide what it is you seek."[/color] She paused and smiled then. [color=crimson]"Though if there is anything I have already gathered about you, it is that you seem to be honest. With a written contract I can allow you to do what you please in regards to gathering information."[/color]

For a moment in her head, she thought of what he said about spies being in every nation, and how true those words were. Truly spies were an annoying bunch. With a swipe to her forehead with the back of her hand, she would stand. 

[color=crimson]"Come, let us talk more on the roof. It's far too hot in here."[/color] she said, moving from around her desk to make her way to the door.

[color=0054a6]"What I am about to tell you next requires an element of privacy that will not be afforded to us in the open."[/color] Yūhi dryly noted, motioning for Yuzuki to sit, causing her to pout and walk back to her seat. He focused his will on the cube before him once more, but the glow from it was significantly more intense this time - even those who were not adept as sensing chakra would be able to plainly see the sigils darting in and out of existence across the faces of the cube, before myriad sigils covered the walls and door of the office. If Yuzuki looked carefully, she would notice words such as "Silent" and "Trespass", but the majority of the symbols would likely be unknown to her.

The seals offered a level of security, ensuring that no outside parties were listening in to the conversation that was about to take place and that any other seals in the room could be properly disabled for the duration of the conversation. Yūhi did not take chances with the power he was about to share with the Kazekage.

[color=0054a6]"I asked you about the origins of the Kuchiyose no Jutsu because it is something easily exploited. Contracts that are written to allow one individual to pull another through space are inherently powerful and dangerous, but they are even more dangerous when individuals such as myself are able to alter these contracts just enough to allow multiple people to be considered bound by covenant at once, and temporarily so. I could create for you a network of summoning contracts able to move any number of people from one pre-marked location to another, and ensure that only those with the correct key would be able to access it. No other village has - or is likely to receive - this technology, so possessing it would grant you a considerable tactical advantage, yes?"[/color]

As Yuzuki listened, she eyed curiously the various sigils she didn't recognize, a bit of a surprised expression on her face. She had been curious about the cube that floated near the man, and wondered what other kinds of hidden tricks the object possessed. 

As Yūhi explained some things about the Kuchiyose no Jutsu, she focused more of her attention on him, as what he was saying was of great interest to her. The idea that multiple persons could be summoned at once by a powerful jutsu like that was something she's never heard of before. It was quite exciting to say the least. 

[color=crimson]"I can already think of many ways that would be helpful, even in non combat applications. Though... I wonder how such a thing is even possible. Not saying that I don't believe you, but it seems a bit farfetched and highly complex."[/color]

[color=0054a6]"The ancient Jikangai discovered ways to build their seals into architecture, that buildings might serve as casing and form both for the effects they provided. It is possible, with plans I can provide, to create a series of buildings that are intrinsically linked to one another and will allow individuals with the correct primer seal - a key, if you will - to move between them at will. This is something a village recovering from the war could use, yes?"[/color]

Yuzuki nodded. [color=crimson]"That would give me the kind of connection I need between the different towns that are under Sunagakure's protection. But, tell me. These 'keys' require a specific type of building, or can they be applied to ones that are already built?"[/color] she asked him. Though it wasn't too much of an importance to her, it would be less of a hassle if she didn't have to set up another construction project.

[color=0054a6]"I am afraid that creating architecture to house the seals is necessary - the existing buildings simply do not have the level of structure that is necessary for the mathematics to adequately work out. That said, the cost you will pay up front will be overshadowed by the immense benefit, yes?"[/color]

Nodding, Yuzuki thought as much. [color=crimson]"I assume you'll be overlooking these projects then? Just let me know what kind of resources are needed and I'll have them arranged at whatever locations you feel are best."[/color] she told him.

[color=0054a6]"It shall be done, Kazekage. I will send the details to your office when I have worked them out. Is there anything else?"[/color]

[color=crimson]"I believe that is all Yūhi. Thank you for your time."[/color] she said, giving him a smile.