[center][b]Kage Meeting - Prior to Opening Ceremony[/b][/center]

Ayameko waved her hand as a point to end the discussion, "There are many details to work out, but they can be done in time. I just wanted to ensure that we were in agreement this could be a worthwhile pursuit."

It was then there was a knock at the door.

"Enter," Kyoko replied.

Ayameko was surprised that there was an interruption. As the doors open, Ichigaya Norio was revealed. He strode confidently to an empty seat at the table, but opted to stand behind it, resting his arms on the back.

"Greetings great leaders," he bowed slightly to them, "I am Norio and I've come a long way to speak with you. I lead a group of island nations in the far south and I wished to speak with all three of you, as you have time privately, on two fronts. The first, to discuss opening trade relationships with each of your nations and the second to discuss petition admittance this very table. I do not hold myself in the same statuses as any of you, but I do lead my people and I feel that as we develop further trade relationships my involvement will make sense. I would abstain from any voting, but would merely like the capacity to have input."

Ayameko nodded politely. Norio's goals aligned in principles with her own - a deepening of their global relationships. While he was definitely young, she could respect his goals and the charisma with which he delivered them on.

"Norio," Ayameko spoke, "You have indeed come a long way. While I cannot speak for the rest of the leaders, I would be supportive of opening dialogue to examining those situations in private with the other leaders following this meeting. As for trade, I would be happy to sit with you upon conclusion of this meeting and begin that negotiation, should none of the other Kage need my time for more urgent pressing matters."

Norio nodded, "Thank you Lady Ayameko, the Shima Renmai is happy to work with you. You can find me alone at the inn closest to the exam facility."

"Alone?" Ayameko queried, "You came all this way on your own?"

"Well," Norio paused, "I have a few members from my nation on board the ship at the dock, but essentially yes."

While it was peacetime, Ayameko was not having that response, "Shoyū," she called, followed by, "Shiryō." Both shinobi had been stationed close by and were there within a moment, "I am assigning you as guards to this man."

Norio nodded, shaking her hand as customary with his culture, "Thank you Lady Ayameko. While I would like to kindly refuse your offer, I feel this would be a good way to end the nagging of my assistant who has spent the last few weeks scolding me for not bringing a sufficient guard contingent along. I know none you know much about my lands, but we lack much of the military prowess of your countries, so such resources are in short supply. However, I would like to note for any record that we can be quite fearsome on the sea."

He gave a large smile at conclusion of his remarks before turning to both of his new guards and beginning to introduce himself.

It was at that moment the first blast ripped through the wall near Ayameko, throwing the Kage to the side as the sphere of energy exploded outwards. As she was thrown she called to Kei to create a barrier, managing to right herself and pivot towards the attack point near the Tsuchikage. However, before Kei could manifest a barrier, the second blast had already entered the meeting room, engulfing the Tsuchikage and Ayameko in an inferno as the building began to come down on the Kage. Vision was quickly lost of the two kage.

The third blast on the meeting area was partially blocked by a barrier from Kei, but it was then they could see the source of the attack - from the area of the shrine was a hulking corporeal beast. While it was clearly still bound in some fashion to the shrine, it had begun to break free and was launching an attack on those that had imprisoned it so many years ago. With the damage from its attacks mitigated by Kei's barriers, it turned to more helpless targets, launching hundreds of explosive fireballs at the exam grounds and surrounding area, all in the span of seconds. Even with a surplus of skilled shinobi in a singular area, the surprise attack in such a quantity would devastate the area around the chuunin exams, especially with two Kage buried in rubble and others likely wounded.

"Ayameko!" Shien shouted, but there was no response. Realizing she was now the de facto leader, she summoned the shinobi she knew she had to begin a rescue effort. Io had already begun to mount a counter assault on the beast at his own discretion, marking the distance sky around it with weapon's seals, but it quickly vanished, seemingly yanked back into its prison before it could continue its carnage.

Shadan quickly appeared outside the ruined facilities that the Kage had been meeting in. Shiori, Io, Shien, and Kei had evacuated at the beginning of the assault. Shien informed the towering shinobi that Ayameko was likely trapped within the confines of the the rubble, along with the Tsuchikage. It only took the large man a second to live a large portion of the roof off of the area the Sankage had once been, revealing the severely wounded body of the Tsuchikage. The Sankage was nowhere to be found.

Norio was surprised to be alive. It was only by virtue of the guards Ayameko had assigned him just moments before the attack. Both had shoved him back, allowing all three to survive with only minor injuries. He was a bit shaken up, but had managed to keep most of his wits about him as a medical team arrived to begin treating the wounded. After he was treated, profusely thanking the medical staff being led by Shiō, he insisted on helping search for survivors as gratitude. 

What was clear from the situation was there would be dead and given what had happened, the future held more.