A Meeting with the Captain

[King of Cats]

The Council of Battosai was an esteemed group of individuals. Members of all aspects of society took part in the command of Heart's anti shinobi force, and on this day, there was an announcement to be made. The announcement wasn't one of a strange nature. The council had already declared that someone would be joining the Shiro Cell of Battosai,amd they had instructed the Captain of the division with clear orders. Nibui was to detail the entry of their new member to the cell leader whom he had been assigned to. It was an easy mission, on paper. Just tell Byakko, the cell leader, who was joining their team.

Nibui sighed at his desk. His arms were folded together and he was watching his door. Kaiyo would be entering any moment. The captain of Battosai hated these kind of debriefings. He was aware that Kaiyo held no respect for mercenaries, and Hoka, the new recruit, was a mercenary from Dragon Country. He had been specially chosen for his expertise in projectile weapons. Hoka was to fit the Battosai airships with updated arms. It was a moumental task, and in return for his work, Battosai would train Hoka to become a samurai.

The captain just had to get Kaiyo to accept these conditions. She was a noble from Waterfall, much different than Hoka. Nibui wondered if they would clash too much. Nevertheless, the council determined that they had a compatibility on the battlefield that was undeniable, and no one knew better than the council. Nibui sighed again thinking about it, and then, his door opened.

[Kaida]

Kayio had made her way to Battosai’s main office with Hayami by her side. She never went anywhere without her raven-haired bodyguard, not since she was 16 and Hayami first came into her life. There was almost a foot difference between the two women, not to mention that one of them looked like they had crawled straight out of Jigoku and the other had fallen from Ame.

Hayami stood tall and proud at 5’11”, with her black hair tied up into a high ponytail and her piercing onyx eyes evaluating everything that crossed her path. She wore black samurai pants, with a light grey kimono and a black haori coat embroidered with silver and tied together with a silver obi. With her katana strapped to her left hip, she looked menacing as she dwarfed the young girl at her side.

Kaiyo however, stood at 5’2”, not that that had made any difference in how she handled herself. Her snow white hair was pinned up in a tight bun with a light blue dangling floral kanzashi holding it in place. The deep ocean reflected in her eyes, only highlighted by her hair and her samurai clothes. She too wore black samurai pants, but with a white kimono belted with a black obi, her black haori left open as she walked.

The purpose of her meeting today was unclear, all she was told is that it was regarding Shiro Cell and that she was needed immediately. As she entered through Nibui’s office, she noticed the man looked tired. His arms crossed his body defensively and his eyes weary as if he had been rubbing them. She inclined her head towards the man as Hayami shut the door behind them. “Ohayo Taisho-sama.” She pulled out a chair opposite his desk and delicately sat down, her legs crossing at her ankles as she stared at him. Her mind whirring with possibilities and falling on the only one that made sense given his stature; he was about to tell her something that she obviously wouldn’t like.

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341 words

[King of Cats]

The tension between Nibui and whatever he had to say to Kaiyo was palpable. The Colorless Captain had a lot on his mind. Besides adding members to cell's, recently there had been a call to capture several spirits for Battosai. This meant there was a lot of paperwork for Nibui to decipher through that pertained to where the spirits were, what they were capable of, and other such things. On top of that, Nibui was also tasked with putting together a new cell, one directly under his control. He had no idea who he was going to be assigned, it was out of Nibui's hand. What he was worried about was the fact that this Gold Cell would be assigned the most high profile missions. Nibui had always been a low key kind of guy, so it was disrupting for him to be centered around a potentially popular (among the people of Heart) Cell. If he hd it his way, the Gold Cell would be all quiet. But it seemed they would be primarily dealing with international orders, a high publicity affair.

That was a problem for another time. Nibui had Kaiyo to greet first. He motioned for her to join him and then grabbed for his corn cob pipe on the table. Nibui patted the remnant ashes out and then set it down on the table. "Yes. Ohayo." Nibui's eyes wandered around Kaiyo's presence. She was a beautiful girl, and it had been a pleasure to work with her so far. She was incredibly talented and quick to learn. Nibui wondered if he could persuade her to introduce him to her friends. Sighing, he shook the thought from his mind and pickedhis tobacco pipe back up.

"Alright, Kaiyo I have called you here to talk with you about something very important. Before we get into that however, I have a weekly checklist for you to answer. Simply respond to my questions in order, it's not a big deal. I expect this to all be information that you are aware of as the cell leader." Nibui opened up a tin can that was sitting on his desk. Pulling a pinch of tobacco from the can,, Nibui filled his pipe, continuing to talk as he did so. He didn't make eye contact with her once, it was clear he was under a lot of stress. Nibui had dark circles under his eyes, and the bandana he kept wrapped around his head was a bit disturbed.

"Are all of your cell members fit for battle, health wise?" Nibui began. "Have you conducted a weekly combat trial?" Members of Battosai were expected to face off against an approved challenge every week they weren't deployed. Typically it was imported dinosaurs or captured ninja. The beasts would fight for freedom, but Battosai had never fallen to the threats. "Finally, do you have an updated dossier of all your members?"

The last question was a formality incurred by the council of Battosai. They expected weekly updates to the samurai's dossier. History check ins. Personality changes. Things like that. If they developed new skills, it was important that the council would know about it when they assigned cells to missions. Nibui knew this woudl be a curious question for Kaiyo. She didn't have a full cell, but things were soon to change.

After the questions were answered, Nibui pulled a flint lighter out of his pocket and began torching the tobacco. It smelled like cherries. A powerful tobacco odor mixed with something natural and earthy, Nibui got up to open his window. While turned to the window, Nibui continued. "You will be expected to update a new dossier from now on. His name is Hoka. He's a mercenary from Dragon. The council has assigned him to Shiro based on his expertise with projectile weapons. As well, he has lived a rather eventful life, plagued by war. The council believes that Hoka wil make a good fit as a freedom fighter. After all, Fuhen was much of the same in his early days with the states of Heart." Nibui had turned around and was standing next to his desk now. With his pipe smoking vibrantly, Nibui continued. "From what I understand, there might be some sort of problem with this placement. I'd like to hear it in your own words, Byakko." Nibui used her code name to demand a sort of respect out of her, and passed her his smoking pipe. "I insist."

The tobacco was laced with a mild hallucinogen. If Kaiyo partaked, like her commanding offier expected her to, she would feel a light euphoria glowing under her skin. The feeling of satisfaction would fill her heart and encourage her to speak freely from the mind. It wasn't unassuming of Nibui to offer drugs. He frequently could be heard coughing in his office. Nibui was hedonistic by nature, but more than that, Battosai was well known for employing drugs on their missions. For example, Aka cell frequently poisoned the wells off mafia safehouses. By killing off addicts, they would dry up the mafia and weaken them before busting them down. It was a long drawn out process, but it was the cheapest. Nibui expected Kaiyo to pick up on his desire to explore her mind. If she refused, Nibui would assume that she is hidin something that the inebriated mind might tell. The captain was pushing Kaiyo to the limit with this demand.

After all, there was more to this meeting than just Hko. While it was important to hear her concerns about her team, Nibui had something more to hear from Kaiyo. As a cell leader of Shiro, there had been a torch passed down to Kaiyo. Kaiyo would soon be expected to embark on the most dangerous mission of her life.

Nestled somewhere still known only to a few people in Heart Empire, Byakko the Tiger of the West was waiting for it's challenger to stand up against him. The tiger spirit was one of the Cardinal Saint Beasts, a quad of spirits that symbolized the cardinal directions nd humanitys fortune. Each of these spirits were heralded as bearers of human knowledge. Seiryu, the azure dragon taught reading to humankind back when the genma still ruled. Suaku, the vermillion phoenix, brought medicine to humanity long ago, even. They were ancient beasts that held a grand power in the world, and Battosai had taken aim on these spirits.

Eah of the captains were expected to become jinchuriki for these spirits, after capturing them. The journey to finding Byakko would be challenging, but Nibui believed that Kaiyo was up for it. She was a powerful woman, and had a strong harm at her side with her companion. The Tokudai family had long sincce served Battosi, and Nibui had no reason to believe that it would change now.

When Nibui presented this opportunity to Kaiyo, he wanted her to be in a relaxed state of mind. An open, accepting, clear space of metal imagery wass ideal. This would mark the beginning of her asent to a echelon of warriors that only the greatest of all time sw. Nibui felt a bit of pressure holding the pipe before the young woman. He tried to break a smile but his no nonsense attitude just made him look kind of awkward. Nibui shuddered inside as he stood there. He was such a cringe captain, but he was one of the best that Battosai had ever seen. He would last a long time working as hard as he did, and smoking as much as he did.

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[Kaida]

Kaiyo observed the man across from her closely, it would seem the longer she was in his presence the more he came a part at the seams. She had always found it to be an interesting choice that the council had made in appointing him their overseer, but it was not her place to voice such an opinion. After closing the door, Hayami came up behind her mistress, one hand on her katana and the other on the back of Lady Tokudai’s chair. A protective and menacing stance, Hayami only joined Battosai at the urging of her Lady. A way to still keep her safe and serve the Empire in one foul swoop. On paper it made sense to have a strike team against the current global onset, but in action...well she had yet to be impressed. The airship division had enough resources, but the way the operations ran behind the scenes were disorganized. That would only lead to unnecessary risk in her opinion. And after having read the only dossier available, it was a risk she would have to field on her own to protect Lord Nobuhide’s youngest daughter.

The young Tokudai nodded her head in acquiescence, showing that she understood she was to answer Nibui’s questions in sequence. Hayami’s eyes narrowed as the questions seemed to be of an irrelevant nature and therefore didn’t require the personal attendance of the newly engaged Lady that she served. Feeling the tension roll off Kaiyo’s bodyguard and longtime friend, she waved her hand to stay any preemptive action. The raven haired woman had been known to fly off the handle on Kaiyo’s behalf, taking any insult or disrespect as a personal affront to her own person. The Mizutane had served the Tokudai well, even if she was still learning to temper her reactions after 5 years of service.

“According to their dossier’s, my team is in good health. As Shiro Cell is newly assembled, our meeting has yet to take place. I have sent missives asking them to meet me tomorrow for an assembly assessment.” Kaiyo found this to be an odd question, she had been told about the paperwork that she would have to fill out regularly, but seeeing as how her team hadn’t met yet the situation didn’t sit right with her. “As for their combat capability, they will be tested by the end of the week. I have made arrangements for a small grouping of dinosaurs to be dropped for a hunt.” The line of questioning was beginning to make Kaiyo agitated; he should know from the lack of paperwork and her own dossier that had there been anything to report, he would have received it. Making her think this meeting was about more than a check in. Though she wanted to snap at him to get to the point, she knew that would benefit no one, she closed her eyes and listened to the breathing of her companion. Letting Hayami’s stern presence soothe her waning patience.

The smell of cherry tobacco assaulted her delicate senses, her eyes narrowing as she observed her captain. Most men in her presence, regardless of rank, knew better than to be so casual with her. And then he mentioned a mercenary. “Forgive me taisho-sama. But you want a mercenary to join a samurai strike team? That seems highly counter intuitive. Samurai have a strict code of conduct, a sense of morals and honor. We are not bound by money, but duty. How I am to have a man on my team that I inherently cannot trust? If you want to bring a gunner on as a consultant to improve the airships, I would find that to be a sound and rational choice. But that is not what you are suggesting, and I find it difficult to understand your reasoning on the matter.” She chose to ignore the offered pipe, instead focusing on her rebuttal. It was absurd! The very idea of a hired gun working with elite warriors of the Heart Empire, when he himself had no affiliation to the province was ludicrous at best.

Her captain did not relent in his insistence to her partaking in whatever he held within his pipe. Her eyes narrowed further and her lips thinned, the man clearly had no respect for her or her station. Both as a Lady of House Tokudai and as Byakko. “I will have to respectfully refuse your...generous insistence. If you want the truth from me, you shall have it freely. But I will not indulge in whatever is causing that putrid smell.” She kept her manners about her as she rebuked the offering, though she turned her face somewhat away from him to avoid the smog coming her way. The very idea that he would ask her to partake was just another notch against the man. He clearly knew nothing about her or her family, which was an affront not only to her personal pride, but the honor bestowed upon her father Nobuhide.

Hayami scoffed behind her, her grip on the chair tightening, the wood protesting under her strong hands. “While Lady Kaiyo-sama might not know the extent of the herb in your pipe, as an experienced warrior and traveler of the Empire, I do. And it is completely inappropriate for you to offer a newly engaged young woman something as controversial as a hallucinogenic.” The taller woman’s rebuke was not as kind as Kaiyo’s had been, the words coming across not disrespectfully, but sternly admonishing the behaviour in the presence of a noble woman. She was sworn to protect the young lady from anything that would put her in any morally ambiguous position. Had Nibui read the dossier's on both women, he would have known that Kaiyo didn't even drink, let alone smoke. Regardless of the contents in the pipe. And he would have known, what is now being reinforced in person, that Hayami was incredibly protective of the young woman she served.

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991 words

[King of Cats]

As he spoke with Kaiyo, Nibui was quite shocked by her facade. She appeared to be mildly irritated, which was amazing to Nibui. Here he was, organizing an entire division of samurai and Kaiyo acted affronted by simple questions. Questions that would be asked of her weekly, regardless of the status of her team. It was her duty to watch after these samurai. Knowing their health the day before your first meeting was essential. To go off just the dossier was reckless. Nibui began wondering what the council knew about Kaiyo.

What truly disturbed him, however, was the fact that Kaiyo's co-leader felt some desire to rest her hand on her sword. Nibui was completely offended and had half the mind to dismiss both of them instantly. They had no respect for the flow of order. To go through normal preceedings, that was arguably the most important part of being a cell leader of Battosai. To understand that chaos, that which samurai thrive under, stems from order. That was an essential lesson of Bushido. It would seem to Nibui that Kaiyo and her guard, despite being born from nobility, focused their minds on the chaos. A common trapping of warriors. "It would seem she has a lot to learn." Nibui thought to himself as she continued to show irritation while she spoke.

As Nibui inhaled his first drag, Kaiyo retorted with a haughty response. He could feel the soothing smoke fill his arms and legs, and Nibui almost felt as if he were floating out of his body. In an instant, while he listened to Kaiyo drone on about things she didn't understand, Nibui came face to face with what could only be described as a cloud of happiness. He easily allowed Kaiyo's words to roll off his shoulders. While he still felt inclined to respond to her, he soaked in the feelings of euphoria with his eyes shut for a split second.

Then he replied. Speaking in a cool tone, Nibui steadied his eyes onto Kaiyo, ignoring her guard completely. "I may forgive you for your tone and your body language, but I cannot forgive your ignorance. You should know that it is not "I" who wants a mercenary on your team. It is the council. Powers that know far better than you or I. People who control this nation, and use Battosai as but a dulling blade. You should know that, so I will not forgive you for bringing this to me as a problem, and for being so obviously offended at procedure at that." Nibuipaused for a moment to gather his thoughts. He was beginning to get irritated with the way he had to speak to his lesser.

" Furthermore, we're not paying Hoka. He is not bound by money. I didn't mention that, but I think it was obvious when I said he would be a 'freedom fighter.' He will be studying under Battosai, not solely you specifically, to become a samurai. That is his reward for fighting with Heart. Do you find something wrong with that? Is the Code of Bushido not worth ten patriot's lives? Should a foreigner be lesser, by becoming a samurai he will surely be worth one hundred patriots?" Nibui inhaled on his pipe again. The rush wasn't as intense this time, but he found the power to soothe his hardening voice.

"I shouldn't have to say this again, but it is not my reasoning to train a gunner for our airships. It is the council's. If that isn't good enough for you. I have nothing further to discuss with you."Nibui had a steely look in his eyes. The more he was replying to Kaiyo, the more he found himself getting frustrated by her countenance. She had no respect for her superior.

Then she refused the smoke. Nibui wasn't offended. It wasn't common for women to smoke. Nibui was, however, getting ready to talk with her about a spirit and he wanted her to feel enlightened on the subject.He found that smoking helped lightenthe soul, but it wasn't for everyone. He retracted his pipe, frowning slightly.

Then Hayami, Kaiyo's guard, spoke up with what would be the final straw of the conversation. Nibui cut her off when she declared herself a worldly traveler of Heart Empire. "I didn't ask for your opinion. This isn't a social meeting. Speak when spoken to, or leave. You're the interim leader of Shiro, not the candidate whom I am speaking to."

Nibui inhaled from his pipe one last time and then set it down on the table. He was still standing, but he was looking at the door now. Nibui was thinking about dismissing Kaiyo.

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[Kaida]

The reprimand delivered by her captain seemed unfounded and unprofessional at best to Kaiyo. Though he may have been of a higher military rank, the man seemed to have forgotten who exactly he was speaking to. Even in times such as these, it was unheard of for someone to speak so disrespectfully to someone of Kaiyo’s social rank, let alone someone from House Tokudai which held immense political power in Waterfall Country. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath and centered herself, choosing to believe his lack of manners was due to whatever herb lay within his pipe.

A small but tight smile graced her delicate features as her eyes opened once more. “It is bold of you, taichou-sama, to believe that I need forgiveness for having a conversation that you not only started but that the council asked for. While I respect your military station is above my own, your delivery lacks the appropriate manner in which to convey it. However, I will concede to the untraditional order from the council. As for my team, they are in good hands with myself leading them. Though you give the orders on the council’s behalf, as you pointed out, this team is mine. And they will be ready per my family’s standards, including your mercenary. In future, if the captain does not wish to hear an honest opinion, perhaps he should not ask for it.” Her eyes gave away nothing to the inferno raging within, the smile still present on her face and passing for friendly enough as she inclined her head slightly towards the man across from her. She had never been subjected to such a lowly encounter in her life, this out of everything was going to be a problem. One she was sure her father and fiancé would agree on.

She continued to listen as the man droned on about things that had no relevant bearing on her. Lecturing her on the worth of a samurai, as if she hadn’t been taught by one of the country’s most dedicated and decorated warriors. As if her family was not the breeding and training ground for such greatness to be achieved. But she remained calm, her outward expression not changing once as he vented whatever vexed him. To anyone who didn’t know her, which this man clearly didn’t, she was the perfect picture of poise and elegance. Only Hayami would be able to tell what that meant.

Kaiyo’s eyes widened as Hayami spoke up, her head turning slightly to gaze at the woman beside her. Though they had recently broken up, Hayami had sworn to fulfill the oath she took all those years ago, choosing to stay by Kaiyo’s side to protect her and remain her closest confidante. On the outside, Kaiyo would look displeased, whether it was more from her guard's outburst or the fact that her “captain” had offered her drugs would be unclear to those in the office. “Mizutane-san, though I appreciate your willingness to defend my honor, there are more...effective ways to get such a message across in situations such as these. This will be discussed further later on.” Her tone was even keeled, if slightly clipped. Hayami had always been outspoken, pushing the boundaries on what was acceptable whilst fulfilling her duty, sometimes taking it too far. But aside from her father, the Mizutane was the best person to keep her safe.

Hayami had the decency to look chastised, she lowered her head and gave an incline towards Nibui in apology. Choosing to remain silent instead of making things worse for her charge. As Kaiyo looked back towards the now noticeably high man before her, she had to pause to control her thoughts. Her face remaining neutral as she sorted through the various emotions passing in her mind. Even if Hayami was just her body guard, she was still of noble birth, and that demanded respect. Much like this captain was trying to enforce, though Kaiyo found nothing worthy of such consideration pertaining to him. “Taicho-sama, in future, I would respectfully ask that you allow me to handle my staff and my team. Your delivery leaves much to be desired and is frowned upon in the polite society that myself and Mizutane-san were born into. While I understand your...displeasure, it is often better to lead by example than to continue to sink the boat. Wouldn’t you agree?” Kaiyo’s head was cocked at an angle, another slight smile present on her face as she remained neutral and respectful. Her personal feelings on the man currently irrelevant as she bit her tongue and deferred to his volatile temperament and feigned authority. It was the council she answered to, he was nothing more than a messenger with a shiny badge in her mind. If that meant playing nice and placating him until he served his purpose, so be it.

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[King of Cats]

Listening to what Kaiyo had to say was a chore for Nibui. He had heard all types of retorts in his years managing the cell leaders of Bttosai. There had been even more disrespectful leader's before Kaiyo, and more were sure to come after her. He listened to her, but didn't waste his time forming an opinion on what she said. The words simply floated in his brain, waiting for remembrance at a later date. Nibui just sighed softly and turned his chair back to face him. When Kaiyo was done speaaking, Nibui replied.

"Yes, well, I never asked for your honest. Not once in this conversation did I request you to be honest with me. That is an expectation of you in this division." Nibui sat down in his chair and and pulled out a piece of gum from his shirt pocket. "In the future, you will report appropriately, conduct your business with your team, and serve Heart Empire on the field. If I have to step between any of these things, my delivery will be the last of your concerns. Great chaos stands between you and your duties. Know that." Nibui put the gum in his mouth and started chewing with his mouth closed. It was spearmint flavored gum.

Speaking in a cool tone, Nibui said,"To be frank with you Kaiyo. I shouldn't have had to make this conversation with you. It isn't the captain's right to brief his leader's on the circumstance of their members. That is personal. However, knowing your file, and after talking with Hoka, it was deemed necessary by both me and the council. They wanted you to be going into this venture fully armed." Nibui wasn't sure if that was so wise now. "I hope you understand that your status in Heart means little to members of Battosai. You are truly just another soldier to most of these people. Don't expect so much from your superiors perhaps." Nibui leaned back in his chair a bit and considered putting his hand on his blade. He was curious how the two women would react. Based on their words, they were on such edge it would be interesting to see how they took to having someone hold their weapon in friendly company.

It was in that moment that Nibui decided not to tell Kaiyo about the spirit Byakko the Righteous. She would learn on her own in due time. Nibui suddenly didn't have the effort to continue the conversation any longer. "Stay tuned to your radio. There will be a call for cell leaders soon. There is a great hunt coming. But I won't tell you any more for now." It wasn't that he couldn't, he wouldn't. It wasn't absolutely necessary anyways. The spirit had yet to be properly mapped out. [olor=yan]"Consider Hoka an Akibushi from here on out. He is a samurai. And that is all. You are dismissed Byakko."[//color] Nibui didn't wait for Kaiyo to respond and turned his chair toward the window.

The onversation was over, and as quick ass it had happened, Nibui moved on from the frustration.

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