An evening intended for celebration had quickly ended with anger and bitterness. Add the sadness of a private discussion with his daughter about her current role in the village and keeping in mind what exactly the ‘elders’ had implied would be done should she fail to master her Tailed Beast soon. Things for the Hokage used to be so much simpler than they were now; it wasn’t a known fact, but Kenji never really wanted to take the mantle on, things just happened to fall on his lap. It was a beautiful early morning in Konoha, about ten in the morning, and the village had found life it hadn’t had in several months. Standing atop the Hokage Mansion in his everyday apparel, though this time sporting the cloak that held the title of ‘Fourth’ on it, he was leaning against the railing towards the mountain that sported the faces of all previous Hokage before him. Right about now he’d need a little guidance himself; no one wrote a guide on how to raise a daughter who carried one of the most powerful creations in the world within her, nor how to carry this war out from here. The 1st Hokage would’ve wanted peace, but the 2nd Hokage might’ve wanted to establish superiority. Hell, what would that old bastard the 3rd have wanted?
“Lord Hokage!” A small group of ANBU had formed up behind him, kneeling down in respect.
“Report.” Kenji responded quietly, picking himself up from the railing and rubbing the back of his head with a small yawn to follow it. It wasn’t out of disrespect he did this; growing up unless he was active in training or mission work there was always that boredom and restlessness that settled in.
“Our borders are clear, there has been no sign of imperial activity within the Land of Fire.”
‘Surprisingly fast ...’ An entire night to pull back didn’t seem like much, but as fast as the enemy took off so close to Konoha it might not have taken long for others to catch word and follow swiftly. All the eggs were placed in Konoha’s basket, which meant whatever smaller outposts she had scattered throughout the Land of Fire were likely already hit or abandoned out of fear. Konoha was unchained and prepared to take the fight back to the Empire at any time. “That’s a relief, excellent work. You three should take a break, get back to your families for a while.”
The three appeared momentarily confused at this suggestion, looking to one another. Kenji was famed for his use of space-time ninjutsu and his natural talent with the Sharingan and the Mangekyou along with it, but he could become incredibly lax at various times. This was a trait people often believed he acquired from his wife Chizuma, but the truth of it was that Kenji’s attention could be difficult to maintain at certain periods of time. Launching an attack one day and wanting a nap the next, his mannerisms could often change depending on his mood. Nevertheless he was always thinking about everything, and everyone.
“Sir-“
“You three are part of a top-of-the-line unit and I can respect that, having been a part of you once. The least you could do is visit your family and friends, kiss your wife or your husband, and have a good meal before resuming duty.” Yawning, the Fourth Hokage would turn his back to them once more and lean against the railing, visibly looking out towards the faces of the previous Hokage. “Get going before I change my mind.”
“Yes sir!”
“Yes sir!”
“Yes sir!”
The three of them scattered, leaving Kenji to prepare for the upcoming mission briefing.
~
A harsh knock against Ryozan’s door would prompt even the heaviest of sleepers to awaken. Having been informed yesterday evening that he may be involved in an upcoming mission and to await further details, the most prepared of shinobi would have already gotten to work on setting up tools and having a good breakfast to prepare for the times ahead. The boy seemed eager enough to prove himself and in time would show himself a valuable asset to the Leaf once more …but first, answering the door was to be necessary. Today was a big day for not only those handpicked for the assignment, it was also going to be a big day for the Mist as well. The message of their ‘Mizukage-to-be’ was not well received and would have prompted a fearsome response from the Hokage if not guided down a more logical path. Understanding the Mists stance as well as remembering who he was and what he represented allowed Kenji a night’s sleep to rethink how he was about to handle things today. And there was also the matter of informing Yuna, and he didn’t find that job easy for any man or woman.
“Ryozan, if you’re in there, open up.” Takeo couldn’t wait forever, and the window for the assignment was going to shut soon. In twenty minutes the briefing was meant to start, with or without those being picked up.
~
Finishing the last of her breakfast and being fully dressed to start her day, Kaede had been the subject of much controversy for the Hyuga clan and Konoha itself in the past 24 hours. Thankfully the Hokage had attempted to make things right between the two parties, and it was with much surprise that her father was willing to allow her on the assignment the Hokage had spoken of very early this morning. The details were kept even from her, but from the sounds she was to serve as a strong speaker for the Hidden Leaf and rebels as a whole and the fighting was intended to be nonexistent. While her mother expected things to be better this time around, her father wasn’t entirely convinced and seemed keen on having the Hokage allow one of his clansmen to accompany her and assist in the mission.
“Mother, where has Dren gone?” she would ask quietly, knowing her father was out visiting members of the Konoha Council, specifically referred to as the ‘Elders’. Two prominent members within Konoha, Kaede hoped that whatever they may be discussing it didn’t involve hiding her away again. Without her friends, those might have been the most painful months in her life. She hoped that she could life her life normally again.
Her mother resembled Kaede strongly with long flowing hair and a healthy tone of skin; she was well-dressed in a formal black kimono, and had long since put her days as an official shinobi of the Hidden Leaf behind her to become a full-time wife and mother. Preparing Kaede for her future role as a wife and mother was her ‘official’ duty, but this woman of the Hyuga clan was no slacker when it came to the art of combat. Encouraging Kaede’s interest in medical skills was not uncommon, but she never allowed Kaede to forget how to defend herself.
“He’s secluded himself ever since his failure. He could be home at this very moment, or he may have wandered out again in self-pity.” Shrugging her shoulders, Kaede’s mother glanced towards the direction of the doorway. “Don’t let your father see you, his standing with our clan is declining, and quickly.”
“Thank you.” Kaede knew her mother didn’t particularly favor Dren for his failures as a shinobi, but was kind enough to know that her daughter cared too much about people that ‘didn’t deserve’ the attention. Bowing her head at her mother, she would quietly step outside of the Hyuga’s primary estate and make for Dren’s home. Strangely enough, she hadn’t seen Karela since that time either. After the battle the girl had vanished, though Kaede hoped dearly that she would be okay. Promptly arriving outside of Dren’s home, she would knock on the door three times hoping he would be there to answer her.
"Dren, it's me. Are you home?"
~
‘Keep her within sight, she’s regrettably one of our strongest military assets. Should she fall into enemy hands, the rebellion’s power will drop and with it I fear our Hokage may break.’
‘We cannot afford that’ Juri thought to herself, fully armed and prepared for today’s assignment. As ROOT’s leading operative, the ‘Elders’ had charged her on the joint operation. While the official goal was to help escort the primary party, the real objective was to ensure Natsumi had proven mentally capable after yesterday’s outburst of rage. The Hokage had put faith in her, but why wouldn’t he when she is his own flesh and blood? Her superiors felt this blinded him, but drawing out the Fox was likely to kill her, something that no one in the village would want to see. Natsumi was too adored by the village and as such an accident was not a valid option, but there was still hope for her. If she had the right motivation, she could become mighty …as soon as she woke up, that is.
Standing on the Uchiha Estate’s patio, Natsumi had been asleep. The briefing was only twenty minutes away and here she was, the Hokage’s pride, napping like a baby. For several long moments Juri had kept her golden eyes locked onto her, expecting a shift in her breathing patterns or some sort of sign showing she was aware. Juri did not feel that, even for a moment, she could handily counter any attack she would throw at her. Vulnerable. Childish. Weak.
‘Friend’…
Juri slowly reached behind her back and gripped the hilt of her short blade, wondering if this was not the best time to test her reaction time. Her grandfather was famed for his ability to react almost instantaneously to any situation, but Natsumi …what was she all about, really?
