Outskirts of Village Hidden in the Mist - Shouta’s house - Early evening

It was peaceful, for the time being. Something that was to be cherished in times like these, in a place like this. Deceit, treachery, crimes were being committed all the Hidden Mist. With the Mizukage dead, no real government had stepped forward in their time of strife. And with battling factions it had only gotten worse. Shouta overheard of the Land of Fire coming to their aid, but it seemed more like a grab for power. Even if it was charitable, the people here needed to fix the issues, and a new Mizukage needed to be brought to power. But everybody was too power hungry or delusional to care anyhow. And Shouta was just trying to make a living.

Odd jobs, small missions, it was enough to get by. Shouta was one of the more powerful shinobi still left in the village, although he chose to stay out of the warring factions. Since the Anbu had disbanded, he had gone his own way and tried to avoid more conflict than he had already needed to deal with. The Shinobi War, now this? It seemed like fighting got them nowhere. But the fight needed to be one and something needed to get done to stop all this chaos. Maybe it was time for Shouta to get off his ass and help a new Mizukage rise to power. Or he could continue to sit on his ass…

The sun was beginning to set as Shouta had just arrived home, sitting atop the grass rooftop of his stone home and watching the sunset through the gentle mist. He donned his Anbu mask on his face, blood red with black markings similar to his Sharingan. The normal Anbu attire was what Shouta dawned, continuing to match the red and black color scheme, even his hair fit in. As he looked at the sky, he realized that even if destruction, there was beauty to be had. No matter how small. 

Behind a Shouta a figure landed on the roof, gliding from rooftop to rooftop. Arriving on the rooftop he had no doubt Shouta had detected him, but he simply folded his arms, and stood, taking in the scenery of the peaceful evening, and of the man in front of him. He continued to take in the scenery with a deep breathe, before finally addressing Shouta.

[color=springgreen]“Hmm, and I thought the Red Lightning was just a moniker. You certainly live up to it, even the sun compliments it, I wish I lived up to my moniker half as well. Beautiful scene, serene and peaceful. Deceitful, isn’t it?”[/color]

[color=red]“The outfit isn’t the only reason I have my moniker.”[/color]

Shouta, in a blur, went from his seated position to standing up with his arms crossed, facing the gentleman that had proceeded to land upon his roof. He had sensed him come upon his roof, but the shinobi had gotten closer than expected to Shouta before he could actually sense him. Which was unusual, as nothing usually got by him. Although he hadn’t been paying much attention as is, he knew that whoever had decided to join him was somebody of some importance. And Shouta glanced at the man, he got the answer he was looking for.

[color=red]“Deceitful, maybe. But one could argue [I]“Strategist of Heaven”[/I] might be a little deceitful of a name for yourself. But I could be wrong. Although I’m usually not. I am wondering, however, as to why you have graced me with your presence?”[/color]

The man, Shingen, laughed. 

[color=springgreen]“Perhaps, perhaps. I am a man after all, but I can hardly work wonders if no one believes in me. I suppose though if I’m not that to you, I’m hardly gracing you with my presence. I suppose if I’m taking up your time, you’d prefer me to skip the usual spiel about ideology I have about making the Mist a better place, and to get straight to the point?”[/color]

Shingen’s gaze lingered on the sunset for a moment.

[color=springgreen]“I hear of a certain ex-ANBU of wonderful report, who picks up odd jobs. While I hear he dislikes the civil war, I would like to hire him. I’m rather sick of it myself, and I hope he can relate.” [/color]

Shingen turned to face Shouta directly once again.

[color=springgreen]“Well, can you?”[/color]

Shouta nodded, mulling over the idea for the moment. It was true, the chaos and war was no more good for him than it was for the whole village. It was a mess. Shouta used to be an elite soldier, but now his nation was falling apart within itself. The enemy was themselves. 

[color=red]“I can, that is true. But I know of your ideals, your control over Kiri, your fight against the peace keepers. There’s a reason I have been out of this war for quite some time, and it’ll take more than coin to persuade me. I don’t like being on losing teams, and my first priority is the village and then myself. How do I know that your ideals are any better than those peacekeepers?”[/color]

[color=springgreen]“That’s good. I would be worried if you were so easy as to persuade with just coin. I prefer to hire with ideals in any case, it's a much better currency in my humble opinion. I think I can answer your two questions.

The village is first, I agree. Can you image this scene not being deceitful, with the Hidden Mist being its own stable proud village?

While I don’t like to trash talk, my spies inform me Kyoko met with Kyokujitsugakure earlier today. That empires swallows lands whole, even the Konahogakure no longer resembles itself. What would we be other than another vassal to such an empire? Our men enlisted in their fights, and our nation pride would be gone.I think we both agree that the Kirigakure deserves to be it’s own nation, to choose it’s own fights, and government. Failing that, I don’t think the people would take kindly to being told they are now part of a different country. I don’t think we’ve seen a real civil war yet. My father was a proud member of this village. I have faith that this people can solve it’s own fights, it just takes a bit of time. Kyoko apparently disagrees

As far as winnings, well, I prefer not to brag, but…I think I might be earning a little bit of my moniker soon enough. I’m confident enough to chat here in the open, aren’t I?”[/color]

Shouta bit his lip. What the leader of the People’s Brotherhood said was appealing to the Jounin, no doubt. The Kiri needed to be it’s own nation, needed to be strong again. How, was the problem. But it certainly wouldn’t be by the empire that was trying to take control of the Kiri now. But still, they could just be offering help… Whatever kind of help that would amount to, Shouta was unsure. 

[color=red]“You are, I see that. Although this isn’t quite the heart of the village.”[/color] He gestured around, showing that he did indeed live on the outskirts.

[color=red]“Your cause seems worthy enough, nothing you have said so far displeases me. But what I need to know before I offer up my services is what I will be doing. You can have great goals in mind, but without a plan to accomplish these goals, they could all be in vain. There will be bloodshed, I know that, but the as little as possible part would be key. If I consider you my ally, and I offer my services to your cause, how are we going to win this war?”[/color]

Shingen looked thoughtfully way, though he had a smile as turned away. That was the question he was waiting for. Shouta was smart, what he needed, and wasn’t opposed to anything he had said.

[color=springgreen]“Well, you see, I have a bit of a problem. It’s no small thing being the leader of a group in war of ideals in your own village. I hate bloodshed, and an open fight would give no victor, no matter who survived. She has many capable officers, and a large amount of troops, and the backing of Kyokujitsugakure. I can’t simply have her killed, the people will be will be in an uproar, and she’ll be stronger dead than alive. How would you defeat an army you can’t possibly fight, [i]assassin[/i]?”[/color]

[color=red]“You don’t fight the army. You fight the people who lead the army, the foundation. Maybe you can’t have her killed. But who’s to say you killed her, if it’s not your army?”[/color]

Shingen’s smile grew, and he turned back to Shouta, walking towards him.

[color=springgreen]“Well, it looks like we have our answer.”[/color]

Shingen as said that, he picked his sheathed sword up from it’s place on his his sash to point to it. It was chained to it’s sheathe so firmly it would never leave it. It was Shingen’s answer in and of itself.

[color=springgreen]“Would you like me to explain how to stave off Kyokujitsugakure, how to safely gain the support of the rest of Kirigakure, what the other nations will do, or what to make of the pirate problem? The sunset’s about over, and I would hate for both of us to miss it listening to my boring talking.”[/color]