Home Calling

[Ace Trainer]

The four samurai walked with a different type of presence among them than normal. Typical the Taisho's guard - as unnecessary as it was - was rather stoic and tight lipped. Their steps commanded attention and respect and it made it clear they were meant for something important. On today, however, as the light rain pattered down on them, the samurai looked quite blissful. Their heads turning and waving quite kindly to people they saw. Among them, excited words were shared and occasionally one would step off to look at something closer before rushing back to the group. Trailing a few meters behind them was the Taishou himself, the young Mistaki, Shio, adorned in formal wear and absent on any emotion on his face.

A sharp cough would escape his throat and the four samurai would immediately turn on their heels and face him, suddenly silent. "You were invited because you each handled much of the training involved with the Pebble Samurai Forces. I'll handle myself, take the day to enjoy the festivities and reconnected with old friends.", he encouraged. The samurai gave a sharp hai, and then turned to walk off. They were young; older than Shio but still young. Likely in their early-to-mid 20s, these samurai had spent their entire lives training to be elite, and opportunities to cut loose had been few and far between. It seemed they were excited for the opportunity.

Shio, however, was not here to enjoy the festival. He had a bit of official business to attend to. Word was that a young woman, or two young women, had passed through Iron, or were going to pass through Iron. One, a Suzume, had some historical connection to the country but had all but disappeared from their records. Kesu had picked up on a story here or there about her. Connections to certain people, certain events. She was hard to keep track of, even hard to keep tabs on. Based on what he knew, which albeit wasn't much, something like Heiji day would draw her attention. So he'd sent out word in advanced that the Taishou was seeking to meet with her there on this day, and made himself present. The hope was that word would reach her, and she would arrive.

His interest in her was passing. Mostly he just wanted to understand who she was. When Shio had become the Taishou, he'd ordered all citizens of Iron to return to Sanrou for a proper census. Those that didn't were assumed dead or no longer connected to the country. He wondered if Suzume would have ever even received that order, and if she had, why she didn't return. Maybe it was nothing, but she'd made enough of a name for herself that he was curious.

The short boy's hand would fall into his pockets as he approached the small building he'd said for her to meet him at. A tea shop, unsuspecting, but a break from the light paddle of rain. He'd take a seat and wait, wondering if she would come.

[Willoria]

As always she hid it well, but Rina was less than comfortable with what was going on. Word had reached the pair rather quickly that someone was searching for Suzume, after all they still had a little bit of Kenji's old informant network out there that was loyal to him and therefore loyal to Suzume as well. But in Rina's mind, someone searching for Suzume was hardly a good thing. For so long she had gone by her own father's name and even in his form, many thought she had disappeared or even died. It left Rina all the more suspicious. Yet of course Suzume had spent much of the trip trying to lay her paranoia to rest. But still Rina felt on edge, no matter how well she hid it.

"I should really be meeting with him alone, Rina." Suzume chided her as they walked along.

Yet the blonde-haired samurai only rolled her eyes. "Fine." The woman replied stubbornly. A moment later and something shifted around the woman as her very form changed. She had changed into the Nameless Creature that had first captured Suzume's attention so long ago and now strode along beside Suzume in silence.

Suzume of course chuckled at this and shook her head. "Who knew my Faith could be so very stubborn." she muttered as she finally came to the tea shop. She sighed quietly and looked up at the sign before looking at the creature beside her. "You better hope they allow pets, Rina." she told her, shaking her head again as the little bells on her takegasa rang quietly and she pushed the door open to step inside. She loved the smell of the place, and apparently so did Rina as the creature lifted its head to sniff and the feathers around her head flitted about in curiosity.

[Ace Trainer]

The Taishou sat quietly, not having yet ordered but instead simply waiting. It wouldn't be long until the door would open and a young woman would walk in with some sort of creature flanking her. His eyes thinned, thoughtful for a moment before relaxing. He would stand, gesturing for her to come over, and would waste little time once she was closer. "Suzume, I'm guessing.", he gave a casual bow, more tipping his head than anything. While he was intent on being polite he was still the Taishou and wouldn't disrespect his station.

"I don't know how much of my request actually reached you, so...", he'd pause to sit, gesturing for her to do the same. It was interesting how a boy so young and soft faced could manage to maintain such a regal presence, "I am Mistaki, Shio, the sitting Taishou of Iron Country.". He allowed for a pause here, not intending to let her speak but instead ensure she understood who exactly she was talking to. Part of him wanted to assess how she would interpret this, maybe she had done her own recon and was already aware, maybe she'd be scared and try to run, or maybe even excitement? He wasn't sure. Two more beats, then he'd resume.

"During the Grand War, I lead a small force onto Iron Country and overthrew the previous Taishou. I took the seat, and recalling the entirety of Iron's citizenry to Sanrou for a census. Many didn't come, life and death alike move on. You were among those who didn't come back for the census. Every name was crosslisted.", he paused, thoughtful for a moment, "Significant because its not often children are born to Sanrou without a last name, and just as much their names don't often pop up in the ears of spies and speakers throughout the continent.". Shio gestured towards the owner of the shop who would quickly escape back to the kitchen to get them tea.

"So, when I heard you might be here, I thought it might be a good chance to check in with one of my more interesting citizens...if I can even call you that anymore.", he smiled softly. Suzume was 17, older than Shio considered eligible for rehabilitation, but still young enough that had an interest and concern for her wellbeing. While his words might have come off as mildly threatening, the 14 year old was doing his best to come off as a friendly face for her.

[Willoria]

Suzume was struck with her own curiosity as she looked at Shio and he accurately assumed her name. Only a name and a rank had really reached her, as well as a desire to meet with her. His age threw her entirely though she did her best to hide it. She nodded when he spoke her name, and did bow out of respect for the title at the very least. Her takegasa ring musically at the movement. "Bits and pieces." she answered in his pause. "The greater the distance, the more skewed the message or the less of it reaches its intended, I'm sure you're aware." she remarked. As he offered her a place to sit, she would take it, carefully removing her takegasa amid a light swirling of black chakra as she did so. She purposely moved the hat in such a way to hide the shift, just as the shadows of the hat had hidden her face just enough in its shadows, that he might not have noticed the disfigurement of the EGF. By time the hat was hanging on the back of her chair, she looked completely normal as she once did before the 'gift' had been bestowed on her so long ago. It was a habit she had for any meeting with someone new, in an effort to keep from frightening strangers.

The creature at her side sat carefully, feathers and tail twitching about as her eyes remained on Shio as if stuck there, though Rina said nothing for the time being.

Suzume tried not to smirk as she noticed her friend's near frozen nature. She listened quietly as Shio explained things to her, sighing quietly and shrugging as he mentioned her as a possible citizen. "I'm not sure whose citizen I am, or if I ever was." she admitted. "I was raised in Iron, yes, until I was thirteen. Raised as an orphan with no last name. But then I encountered my father, I learned my name, I learned who my mother was, that both came from the shinobi village of Iwagakure, and I began to travel with my father. I haven't been back to Iron since." She of course was avoiding many parts of her own story, and the story of Kotone whose daughter sat in the form of a strange creature beside her. She even turned to Rina with a smile. "Rina, your Taishou stands before you, are you really going to keep hiding?" She glanced at Shio quickly. "I'm sorry, my companion is quite protective of me."

Glaring at Suzume the creature seemed to shift strangely, and a moment later Airi Rina stood in her normal form. Her arms were crossed and that glare was still fixed on her face as she looked at Suzume and only vanished as it seemed to dawn on her what Suzume had even said. Blushing she bowed formally to Shio. "My apologies..."

Suzume simply chuckled.

[Ace Trainer]

Shio listened carefully, his fingers tapping along the edge of the table indicating his brain churning through the information he was being presented with. Interesting enough at least. While she was registered under Iron, it was immediately evident that she didn't feel strongly tied to the country. Which might explain why she hadn't been back...or if there were perhaps painful memories there that were deterring her. In earnest, Shio was really concerned about how whatever this girl was doing would reflect on the country. If she became a problem, it took only his first glance at her to recognize he'd have been able to address issues had that arisen, and given her long absence from the country he could just as easily cut ties with her.

"You left before the war then...", it wasn't really a question, more a musing out loud. However, his train of thought was broken when she offered forward information about the beast that accompanied her. Or better put, the person that accompanied her. As Rina came to fruition, he cocked his head to the side, curious. The curiousity would give way to minor annoyance, Rina was older, immediately less deserving of forgiveness in Shio's mind. "You can sit.", was all he offered in response to her apologies. "We heard you were occasionally accompanied, I suppose I shouldn't be surprised it is someone else missing from the census...", he thought out loud.

"My first time coming to Iron was the day I took the throne, its quite a beautiful country. I'm surprised you'd decide not to come back, though perhaps it just never made it on your agenda?", sort of a question. "It sounds like you were out seeking a number of answers, a mission I can relate to. So maybe you have some. How does a child of two Iwagakure shinobi end up an orphan in Iron Country?", he asked, a look of amusement on his face this time.

[Willoria]

Suzume nodded as Shio mentioned her leaving before the war, even if he wasn't actually asking. Though as she noticed what she thought was annoyance on the boy's face as Rina's appearance she couldn't help a chuckle. She only chuckled again as she watched Rina awkwardly take a seat beside Suzume almost like a scolded child. Rina might have been older than Suzume, but she certainly didn't act like it. He seemed to ask about her never returning and again Suzume shrugged. "My father is often hunted and on the run, coming back never seemed smart I suppose. Hunting me to hunt him was always the easiest plan..."

Though his other question brought a grin to her face. She reached to a bag she carried with her and pulled out a journal for a moment, quietly flipping through the pages with a sigh, those pages holding the translation of her mother's brand band as well as her journal. "My mother was a village ninja and a hunter... she was tasked with hunting my father. Apparently when she was young that became complicated when she met him by chance and fell in love with him... and I was the result." she chuckled and shook her head, looking at Shio a moment. "She had me in secret before going back to her village, left me behind at the orphanage to be raised. She left her village later to find him and finally be with him but never came back for him."

Rina was staring at Suzume strangely as she spoke, she had clearly never heard this part of Suzume's story. "Why would a mother never go back for her child?" she asked quietly, a question that hit her harder than Suzume more than likely.

Suzume looked at Shio rather than Rina when she answered. "My father was a criminal missing from his village because he murdered his own parents... she always assumed he would just kill me too. He admitted as much to me the first time he met me. He never wanted competition for his talents."

[Ace Trainer]

Slowly the pieces of what Suzume was telling Shio began to come together. Her father on the run? Some missing ninja then, there were plenty about, especially in this dramatically shifting landscape they were in. But as she continued, he realized her father seemed to be a bigger name than just a random missing ninja. Sending a woman who would fall in love with him didn't seem like very high regard for him, but the implication of Suzume saying they'd use her to hunt him suggested her might have been more. Then it clicked, the name she had been using - even if wasn't on their census - was Hiraku.

"Your father was the Thing That Should Not Be?", rhetorical again, the answer was obvious from the story he'd just been told. The name he'd chosen was perhaps more for effect, or maybe respect, than anything. Shio knew the name and title from the bingo book where he was listed...or at least had been. Kenji had since been dropped from the Bingo book when most agreed he was no longer alive. He'd vanished after all, and there was no trace of him, not even something faint enough to suppose he was simply in hiding. Shio seemed to acknowledge that in his choice of past tense here.

"And you.", he turned his attention to Rina, seemingly shifting off the topic without concern for how Suzume might be feeling, "I guess I should ask the same question of you. How did you end up in Iron as an orphan? Just where did you come from...", he didn't give a beat for her to answer, diverting his attention back to Suzume. "Its interesting how thorough the records in our country are.", our country was an interesting word choice, "And yet the details I'm most interested in are the ones oft left out.". The shop keep would arrive with 3 small cups of tea, placing one in front of each, and then a kettle between the three of them.

Shio would take a cup in his hand, bringing it to his lip and gesturing towards Rina, indicating he was open to her speaking now.

[Willoria]

Suzume bristled visibly when Shio referred to her father in the past tense. She had worked hard to keep his name alive when she had believed him to be dead, when she thought she had witnessed his death. She had even taken on the man's form after she had accidentally attained the Earth Grudge Fear herself. "Yes, he is." she replied, seeming to emphasize the tense of her own sentence rather than outright correcting him. Perhaps it was simply because of his title, but it was more respect than she usually gave towards people she felt were being wrong, and some part of her wondered if it was intentional on his part somehow. "I took his name during our travels, much to his upset."

Rina seemed to perk up and pay more attention as Shio turned his attention to her, her own thoughts interrupted. She noticed out of the corner of her eye as the tea arrived and Suzume would of course pick up a cup to sip, though she hardly needed the sustenance and likely couldn't even taste. Rina still wondered how much of the heat of it she really felt. Rina picked up her own cup and was more cautious, keeping it warm between her hands briefly before setting it down again to let it cool a few moments before finally answering Shio's remarks. "My story isn't nearly as interesting, I'm afraid." she admitted, smiling almost sadly. She spared a glance at Shio but unlike Suzume her gaze remained almost firmly in her cup of tea.

While Suzume had come to terms with her story a long time ago, Rina was still searching for answers and had not come to terms quite so easily with much of it. "My mother was a woman named Kotone, no family name to speak of. My understanding is she traveled many countries, founding self sustaining communes and such. She eventually came to Iron Country and was supposed to start one here but left shortly after, something about she was hunted by someone or something. She left me with a close friend to be raised to keep me safe. I know nothing of my father."

For the first time Suzume's eyes dropped to the cup of tea in her hands briefly, knowing full well that Kotone had later returned to Iron to start that commune, the very one Suzume was raised in.

"I've searched for answers but... I have no idea where she went after she left me in Iron. I do consider this my home but, after Suzume saved my life I swore a debt and so I travel with her."

[Ace Trainer]

Rina had not been the subject of today's meeting, but her accompanying Suzume filled in a blank on her, even if he hadn't been looking for it. In recognizing that, he was giving her a little more attention, now acutely aware she had a role in all this. He really just wanted to know if Suzume was a problem that needed to be dealt with, and by now he'd figured the answer was no. But Shio was a curious boy, and more questions had been made than answers so he wasn't going to cut the meeting yet. His attention would snap back to Suzume when she rejected his assessment of her father's demise. "Is...", he corrected, a small nod and a thoughtful look crossing his face. If anyone were to know that the man was still alive, it was her. But if anyone was to hold onto hope for something that wasnt there, it was also her.

For a moment he wonder if it was worth his time, thinking about Kenji. He'd certainly be a worthwhile addition to Kishakisei. He rid the thought rather quickly though, it wasn't useful at this current turn, something to squirrel away for the future. Dismissing it, he allowed Rina's story to settle into his mind as well.

"Interesting. Yes, there are several such communes in Sanrou. They tend to care for orphans and manage the day-to-day functions of Sanrou that smaller family units can't while also upholding their military duties.", more thinking out loud, giving affirmation to Rina's story, "Actually, if I'm not mistaken, Suzume you were raised in one such commune, no?", Shio asked, looking at her curiously. "And fate would have it the two of you would come together yet.", he took another sip.

For a boy who was raised shrouded in religion, he was not a big believer in fate, making his choice of words ironic. Though, perhaps revealing that he intuitively sensed there was something more to it than this. He moved on though, not dwelling on the comment or immediately perceiving the weight what he just said might have had.

"Well. Hiraku-chan, I relate in many ways to your story. If anything because I'm a shinobi too.", he sipped, "Born of Kirigakure. And now I'm among their most wanted, and a 'leader of a sovereign country'. How these things play out...", he looked directly at Suzume, "I know how these villages treat outsiders and those that they're after. I've been looking for you to ensure, as a citizen, the fact that I'm hearing your name does not bode poorly for you. But it seems that is not the case....", he trailed off, giving her an opportunity to interject if it wasn't, or simply add her own thoughts.

[Willoria]

As Shio mentioned Suzume being raised in a commune, something seemed to click in Rina's head. She turned to look at the other woman curiously as the questions spread across her expression. The two had talked about much since they had met, but it suddenly hit Rina that they had never really talked about the way Suzume grew up or was raised. The only thing they ever spoke of, when it came to the woman's raising, was her time with Kenji as a child. Her brow furrowed further as she realized Suzume simply sipped her tea further and didn't look at her. That the woman wouldn't look at her.

Suzume meanwhile had her strange eyes fixed on Shio as she tilted her head slightly at his fate comments. '...does he know?' She set her teacup down as he spoke again, her own curiosity piqued for a million reasons. Of course, her eyes dropped quickly as he mentioned the way villages treat those that they're after and she stayed quiet.

Rina's expression only hardened. She despised the arrangement Suzume seemed to have with a specific Iwa Bannin. "Village shinobi simply can't be trusted." she stated simply before looking towards Shio. "Good that you came to your senses and left your village it seems then." It was the first harsh statement she'd really made, but the woman was starting to feel a bit sour.

[Ace Trainer]

The air between them all seemed to be getting a little tense. Shio was an observant one, and he was sure something he had said had jolted something between them because it was suddenly quite different. Interesting. He'd come to his conclusion on the two. He'd come to find out about one, but knowing both of them together was information enough. Unless Suzume revealed some great secret or something right now, he had little concern about the pair. Rina made a comment however, which was met with a tight smile from Shio, "Well. I got lost actually."

He took another sip, looking squarely at Suzume. "My first time outside of the village. I was sent to take care of a mission, and got separated from my entourage. Freedom was exactly that, freeing. So I stuck with it for a while and go caught up in a bit of business.", he pushed his glasses up, "I have a fair amount of respect for the villages. My departure was unintentional, and if I could have avoided it I likely would have. But here we are.", he turned back to Rina for a second, "To a degree, I think not respecting them would be a poor choice.".

Shio took another sip, "Well, I'm happy to find you're both in good health. Suzume, if you'll have it, I'll update the census to include your proper name now. And unless you're opposed, I'll ensure your citizenry is retained.", he paused, "Both of yours.". This was more a formality than anything. Neither were obligated to the country in any way to keep it, but having it formalized might benefit them, or Shio, in the future.

[Willoria]

Suzume couldn't help a snort as Shio revealed how he left his village behind. Clearly in her mind Rina had stepped in something with her statements and she found it rather amusing. She stifled her laugh quickly however as she listened to him explain and nodded slowly. "A few years ago I managed to stumble upon Konohagakure purely by accident." she admitted, shaking her head as she chuckled to herself. "Honestly if I had actually been looking for it, I would have gotten lost or literally died trying... instead I was found by shinobi and dragged inside to explain myself. Fairly certain I gave the Hokage a good laugh. Instead I wound up shown around allowed to stay for a couple of days... not many who have lived outside the villages all their lives can count themselves so lucky."

Rina rolled her eyes however. "Shinobi villages are a blight on the rest of us... their wars, their warmongering, it destroys the rest of us-" her words were suddenly cut off as a tendril shot out from within her own clothing and wrapped around the woman's head, specifically covering her mouth. "Mmph!" Rina's head turned with her eyes wide in shock as she looked at Suzume.

Suzume's right hand was twitching by her cup of tea on the table as her head turned slowly and she fixed her eyes on Rina a moment. "Manners, my dear. Manners." she told her. Her temper was beginning to show, a side effect of the EGF that she still coped with. She turned her attention back to Shio as he spoke of her citizenship. "That would wonderful, my Lord Taisho." she remarked, her smile almost too polite.

Rina glared at her, the tendril still firmly in place. Though she was certainly strong enough to forcibly remove it if she wanted to, she had other concerns as to why she didn't in the moment.

[Ace Trainer]

Suzume spoke about Konoha and Shio nodded in understanding. Yeah, he'd gotten a little of that too. He was sure if he spoke with Suzume more, he'd hear stories of her various wandering that would help him piece together what he had already known through his own people. But, he didn't care for that right now. He had more business to attend to and this pair, while interesting, weren't going to be problems for him and that was good enough. Inside, he relented at the fact that he hadn't gotten to Suzume just a few years earlier. As the little tendril swung out from her around her companion, the regret only deepened. She was too old now, and clearly her father had gotten to her so it just wasn't a worthwhile endeavor anymore. He paused to consider if he should ask about it, but elected to save it for the future.

Shio would take the cup of tea and have another sip, nodding at them both, "The village are more necessary than you might realize.", he said to Rina. "The world sits in balance...at least on occasion."

He'd come to stand, bowing his head lightly towards Rina once more, "It has been a pleasure to speak with you, Suzume. Stay safe on your travels and know that Iron Country is as safe as anywhere else you should choose to call home. As I'm sure you're aware, the samurai are fairly talented at keeping shinobi at bay, hunters or otherwise.

With that, he would slide his cap back onto his head, set his eyes on her once more, and step out of the building. It was time to find his entourage again.