Meeting the Old Man

[Flankingfox]

Oh today was the day! Definitely a day for cracking the whip and getting yet another willing subordinate to watch over the other more supplementary flunkies. All of the previously promoted head honchos ended up being utterly and disgracefully useless. We are talking about seemingly diligent men who had been around the block with the mental aptitude to effectively manage a unit within the infamous division. So why had they all vanished from their postings becoming nothing more than just another statistic of constant shoddy lapses in judgment?! Shiv hadn't been known for being the best in picking people thus far, especially since he was far better situated at doing things himself for that is when he was at his most comfortable. However, the reality of the matter was that the position needed to be filled.

Time was just another resource that needed to be precisely managed, especially in a business like this where precision was of the utmost importance to the daily operations. Doing everything by yourself just wasn't a feasible option anymore, the village was a huge cesspool of potential threats that wouldn't exactly vanish away in a single night, no matter how much resources were thrown at the problem. No, the key to managing something like this was constant maintenance, meaning that somebody had to take up the position of Captain of Hunt and Disposal. Out of all these members who was capable enough to hold such a strenuous post? That had been the question of Shiv's mind for awhile now.

Well until today, when Shiv finally decided to act on yet another gut churning choice. Taking into account his history of selection this day could spell a difficult road ahead and or by some miracle, pave the way to better times. The old man had probably been looking at this all wrong, there wasn't a specific need to have some veteran with years of service under his belt for an officer of the unit. Those types were way better directly in the thick of things, crunching down on glass shards while spitting out a bloody mess of teeth bits. Effectively managing people when they could hardly manage their own twisted delusions of grandeur was just not working. What was this grand choice Shiv made then? What kind of person could manage a group of seemingly bloodthirsty individuals willingly to kill their own comrades at a moments notice?

The answer was simple! You just needed somebody grown from the same world but without the inherent experiences that made these men and women into more feral members of society. It was the youth to look to when picking an ample replacement. However, not just any youth as many had been diluted over the years into becoming squirmish piles of social ineptness due to the more peaceful times that have overtaken the world today. These people weren't the worthy to protect the flock, no these were people that would be devoured when things returned back to a primitive state. All in all, what Shiv meant to convey, is that he needed somebody that he could just indoctrinate into the culture instead of looking for the perfect weapon.

---

Outside the window of our potential Captain, Shiv merely gazed in with an overly monotone look plastered across his face, covered mostly by a distinctively conforming scarf made out of some of the finest textile in all of Kirigakure. Glancing upward from the corner of his eyes for a mere instant, Shiv partook in the glow of the moonlight that had surprisingly pierced through the blanket of mist covering the village. This wouldn't exactly last long as the swirling mists would undoubtedly block out the fleeting light and leave them once more in relative gloom. Fortunately, he was given enough wiggle room here in regard to light to get a decent look inside this apparently characterless apartment. What were his eyes met with? Also, how was he going to give the news exactly as this wasn't your typical way of promoting somebody. Then again, Aisu, Haruna wasn't exactly a typical candidate for the position either as was already mentioned in the overly wordy elaboration above.

[Willoria]

Haruna was still reeling. Just days ago she had stumbled upon The Reaper himself on her way back from a mission. She still couldn't help a blush however as she remembered she had met him badly wounded after trying to get away from said successful mission. If not for the man she might've bled out, though that wasn't what bothered her. She simply was worried she had left a bad impression. She had been so excited to meet her namesake that she had become flustered and even bragged of her nickname 'The Reaper's Omen'. 'God I'm such a child...' she thought to herself, all through her shower. The sixteen year old had finally grown out the section of hair that had been cut to shame her so long ago, it was long and flowing once again. It took her so long to wash the raven locks that she didn't bother fully drying off when she stepped out. She walked through the apartment, picking up pieces of clothing and tossing them into her room before finally wandering in to get dressed. But she was so distracted from her thoughts it took her a minute to realize her hair was so damp and she simply threw on a robe.

In her robe she wandered back out into the living room, grabbing a towel she had left on the back of the couch and trying to dry her hair out better. Though it might've frustrated her once, the girl was smirking now as she fought to dry it. She still felt new to having it back and was overjoyed. That smirk still in place as she started braiding it back, bringing it around in front of her as she took some fishing weights from the table to weave into it. Of course, being an assassin she herself had noticed something odd out of the living room window and as she sat down she called out. "You can come in!" She hadn't actually realized who it was as of yet and would soon realize he had likely let himself be noticed. If he'd wanted to truly hide from her, it wouldn't have been hard for him.

[Flankingfox]

Shiv quietly hovered there watching with a shrill stare that seemed almost uninterested in the frivolous behavior. That didn't stop his mind from caressing the form of the young woman subconsciously. There would always be that darker part of him that hungered for the flesh but kept wholly inside for the sake of both the village and himself. Excessive urges had become his bane on multiple occasions, but this was different. The young person standing there inside the apartment wasn't exactly his prey instead it was just another weapon to be used as a piece in the grander scheme of things. Ultimately, meaning that the initial yet usual attraction inside of the fabricated champion didn't pull so staunchly as when his mind was on a particular target of interest.

When Haruna finished wandering through the apartment, standing plainly with a clear motive did reasoning finally creep back to the forefront of thought of the older man. This was the person hand picked for the unfilled officer position within hunt and disposal. So why did he hesitate to approach and deal with the present occurrence? Was the man gripped with growing doubt that this wasn't the right choice. Without his face changing in the slightest to convey anything outwardly, that apparent realization came to bear as what was needed to enact his task of beginning the forging process. Creation of a weapon worth an initial investment of time and devotion to the cause. Firstly, he had to take that chance for there was always risk in attempting things out of what can only be called ordinary.

Then came the voice of the young woman that surely broke Shiv from invisible trance. In a swift yet absolutely soundless motion, the man pushed forward and hovered into the apartment almost like that of a ghostly entity. Stopping in the middle of the room, he calmly placed his feet firmly to the hard surface. Dress of the man in front of Haruna wasn't overbearing, nor was it too explicit to garner an immediate judgement. Instead one would have to wait for prolonged exposure to form a credible initial reaction to the overt simplicity. Wearing his own form of casual wear, he replied frigidly with the only greeting he could fathom to muster.

"Yo...", came the only response as Shiv focused now onto the couch. In that same icy tone that could pierce right through somebody he continued, "I have something I want to go over with you, my apologies due to the sudden interruption. However, as you are presently, you weren't exactly busy in any sense of the word making this quite the fortunate occurrence on my part, meaning that my apologies are all but meaningless as we can now continue with the business at hand. Speaking plainly, I want you underneath me as a member of visible leadership within the division specifically within the hunt and disposal unit. What say you to this request?"

There was the 'million dollar' question, but with that question would come many more. How would the young woman respond to this sort of informal opportunity? People weren't usually handed a position without first proving they were fully capable of performing to expectation and or exceeding these. While waiting for the response, Shiv seemed to make himself at home. Taking a seat upon the couch and looking around casually as if to inspect the dwelling of his potential subordinate. Exactly what the older man was looking for was clearly an unknown, probably even to himself.

[Willoria]

As Shiv finally stepped into the room, Haruna moved to the kitchen only a few steps away and started a teapot on the stove, pushing a fat and passed out small fruit bat out of a bowl and taking a mango from it. This she sliced into thin pieces, leaving one with the groggy little bat before putting some in a teacup in preparation for her own morning tea. She couldn't help a slight smirk as Shiv first began to speak. He was her superior, a professional in most ways, but he also had a reputation with woman. There was a brief moment of feeling flattered as he spoke of this being a 'fortunate occurance' for him even as he made his so-called apology. He had watched her dress, seen her walk around the house in the nude. For a woman still getting comfortable in her own skin after what had happened to her it was simultaneously unnerving and flattering to know he had taken a moment to watch before speaking up.

Or rather before she had spoken up for him.

Pouring her tea, she poured two glasses and walked over to where Shiv stood and offered him one. 'Does he even drink tea? I really don't know...' she thought to herself. She still wore just the robe that nearly matched her blue eyes, but seemed to freeze up as Shiv finished explaining his purpose for being there. The way Yuri had trained her in seduction, any other time she might have chuckled at least at his remarks of being 'underneath him'. She had no interest in the man in such a way, but the phrasing was rather chuckle worthy. But what he had requested of her was quite a shock in and of itself.

"I say yes." she said calmly, looking at him a moment, blinking, as she sipped on her tea. "Do you have further details for me at this time?" she asked, keeping her professionalism though somewhere in her mind a giddy child was jumping up and down in excitement. 'Hunt and disposal?! Does this mean he's making me Captain?!?!'

[Flankingfox]

From the corner of the eye, Shiv noted what the younger woman was doing as she made her way into the kitchen. Making tea, ehh? Shiv had never truly enjoyed drinking tea. Aside from the times he was obligated due to some form of social interaction, he rarely if ever partook in the drinking of this 'hot' beverage. Actually that descriptive portion right there was the kicker. Warm to hot beverages were not his type of drink even going back as far as when he initially met his first love. However, with that known tea wasn't necessarily out of the question as a cold tea was refreshing enough to be included in his repertoire of preferred drinks. Were these drink preferences really that important right now? Shiv hated getting lost in thought about silly things that didn't directly relate to the topic at hand. Raising his eyebrow slightly he noticed something curious.

Interestingly, there was a fruit bat in the kitchen area. Hadn't they been dealing with a serious matter the champion might have inquired further. For that was a peculiar sight to be seen in the inner portion of the village. Still there were far more outlandish things in the dwellings of the village that were private to the eyes of the owner only, thus anything was possible with these things only being revealed when a crime was committed or the like. Over the years of having to search through many places, the older man had seen quite the amount of bizarre oddities. So this wasn't exactly off the spectrum, just a curiosity as to the 'why' was left imprinted within his mind. Casually now, Haruna came forward with the tea in hand, offering Shiv one in the process.

Before taking a sip, Shiv made sure to finish what he had to say which had an immediate effect on the mood of the room turning from relatively warm to that of the frigid ocean. The innuendo he had made during speaking hadn't even made a dent to disarm the severity of his apparent question. How then, could one actually dampen news of this sort? Internally agreeing that this was the preferred method, Shiv glanced at Haruna to partake in the reaction plastered across her face and body. From the way she answered, Shiv had a hunch that she was merely holding in the excitement. Ninja in the village would relish such a coveted position of leadership, especially as head of the infamous hunt and disposal division.

Pulling down his scarf, Shiv took that sip from his tea as he quickly took in her immediate question. A smile crept along the face of the man, who honestly was usually quite the terrifying person to be around. A delightful difference in demeanor that the young woman might appreciate. In a relatively playful tone he sarcastically said, "Well you don't have to jump around and be excited yanno, you can just sit here as if I offered you to be part of some military take over... of something of the like."

"Oh, details. Hmph. Well, firstly, you will be given the rank of Captain overseeing all of our hunt and disposal activities. I'm not going to lie, this is quite the responsibility I'm handing over to you. Are you sure you want to take that load off my back so eagerly? The protection of the people of Kirigakure will be directly in your hands with every death committed by missing ninja being on your hands, technically, due to XYZ, yadda yadda." That smile hadn't faded in the slightest, even though Shiv's tone became more menacing then before. That initial weight of responsibility had lingered for awhile when he first accepted his initial promotion to Captain so many years back, but with time he learned to accept things at face value. Eventually rationalizing that everyone here served a purpose as a part of the village. A death here and there was just a byproduct of being such a powerful weapon nationally.

With that said, Shiv felt like this additional information went hand in hand as many didn't want that sort of weight on their shoulders, especially somebody so young and potentially full of innocence. The latter being completely barren to the current situation where the young woman before him was already a weapon of some worth. With time the weapon could be used, abused, and ultimately broken in service to the village. In a joking tone he continued hastily, "I mean, yanno, I take a portion of the blame too. So you won't be entirely alone with that extra weight on your conscience or whatever. We can hammer out the details later, but do you have any questions for me? You can be completely candid with me right now, I won't hold anything against you in the slightest..."

[Willoria]

Haruna kept her hands wrapped around her cup of tea, sipping carefully as she contemplated the situation at hand. As Shiv invited her to jump up and down however, her emotional mask seemed to slip a moment as she snorted a chuckle into her tea and had to take a moment to cough out the liquid that had tried to make its way up her nose. "I suppose I'm just trying to keep to the demeanor expected of me." she managed to choke out, a small smile slipping out and a chuckle as she looked up at the man before her. She was so used to clan expectations and the like, it hadn't occurred to her that Shiv might expect her to act more like 'herself' than whatever was normally expected of her.

But the smile slipped away and her seriousness returned as Shiv went on to give details. She soon found she was right, he was promoting her to Captain of Hunt and Disposal. It was a position she imagined a Chunin often held and suddenly felt a need to train and improve, to step into the role with a higher rank as soon as possible. 'I will have to control some of our more ruthless members... I need to be able to match their ruthlessness with one of my own.' she told herself, sighing quietly as her mind worked its way around to understand the position she was in.

Already her mind had a thought to who to recruit, and wondered how Kuro would fare if asked to serve under her despite her being lower in rank than he as well as his girlfriend. And the thought bled into the question Shiv asked her. "Just one question." she said, finally setting her cup of tea aside and folding her hands in front of her where she stood as she looked up at him. "Would you like me to run any recruitments past you at first? Or would you allow me complete autonomy in recruitments at the start?"

[Flankingfox]

For somebody of Shiv's reputation, seeing him be so informal was strange. People often cowered in fear when they got a glimpse of the man who was known to be almost insane at times, especially with his capricious antics. Fortunately, the majority of that stuff only happened relatively far away from the inner core. An expected occurrence known to many, as the fact remained that your general sense of safety degraded the further you moved outward. These actions were something that she would have to deal with daily as each night brought yet more murder within the walls of the village. Every murder having an ulterior motive that was usually left unsolved due to the sheer volume. The hunters were there to deal with these things to a point, nonetheless things were out of their hands most times and wouldn't be changing anytime soon. Shiv stretched his arm along the couch as he playfully moved each finger, taking turns touching the fabric.

In a casual tone the champion answered, "Ah, don't worry too much about your demeanor in front of me. Save that formality for when you deal with the public and or those going to be under your command. I guess I should also point out the obvious. Many of those in the hunt and disposal unit won't initially accept this decision. You are going to face a bit of adversity during these coming weeks due to your low ranking in the standard force and the fact you are a woman, a young one at that."

Making sure to push that last part into Haruna's mind as this wasn't going to be an easy task. Many of the members recruited were just as malicious as those that deserted. In reality the division needed these types of people for the simple fact that one was sometimes required to think like a criminal to catch one. In that line of thought many of the members would have probably left the village too if not for the division allowing them certain freedoms that the standard force just wasn't able to provide. These things were probably why the division had garnered a bad wrap over the years as they often got results using any method possible. The question of the girl was left to be answered now. Although, Shiv needed to first make his concern apparent in a way she would understand.

"None would dare defy my decision as they are not capable of challenging me directly, but they will undoubtedly attempt to make your life miserable. I have the utmost confidence that you are capable enough to handle this, however, as a precautionary measure use Tsukino, Jhin as much as possible. I've instructed him to assist you in anyway possible. That fox is unquestionably loyal and would die in service to me which extends toward you now." The champion said almost wearily as if to make a point to the young woman. Using Jhin was something of an added bonus, as the fox was an asset having been a squad leader many times since he was indoctrinated into the culture of the division. If not for his complete lack of taking the first step, he would have been picked for the position. A weakness of the man that was yet to be remedied through any means possessed by the champion. The reason as to why he hadn't yet was beyond most as the fox was allowed a bit more freedom than most in similar positions.

Calmly, Shiv now answered the question asked, "Oh for recruitment, I'll leave that up to you. If anything you can get advice from Jhin as he knows the majority of our members. I doubt you can make a mistake and if you do then, honestly we can just erase anyone that doesn't fit in. Do you have anymore of this tea, I'm not usually one for this stuff, but I must admit it was quite refreshing against the lingering sake taste left on my breath from earlier tonight."

[Willoria]

It really was strange seeing Shiv acting so informal... so normal. The first time she had ever met the man he had been cold, dismissive, and yet now he was practically a conversationalist. It was bizarre to say the least, at least for Haruna. But all at the same time it was almost a comfort. She was about to be Captain of a squad in the Head Hunter's, one of the most notorious ones at that. She would have to get comfortable around Shiv, at least a bit. As he went on to warn Haruna, she simply nodded at first, unable to hide a bit of a smile. "Well, I'm not exactly used to people welcoming me with open arms." she admitted with a bit of a chuckle. "My clan still hates me, I'm sure you've heard something about that at least." she mentioned, looking at Shiv a moment as she wondered if he even knew of the strain between herself and the clan. "Not to mention what happened to me on the mission that caused that strain."

She fell quiet once more as Shiv continued and mentioned a Tsukino who was apparently staunchly loyal to him. She hadn't heard the name much, but a familiarity of it nagged at her. "I'll appreciate his help." she admitted. "I may try to at least meet him soon, since I don't think I've spoken to him before." she added, noticing something in Shiv's phrasing. He had stated that Jhin's loyalty would extend to her now. 'That's more than just helping out a new Captain... is he considering making me his right hand in this org?' Again she felt a sudden push to train harder than ever. She suddenly felt as if she had so much more to live up to than what was right in front of her. And what was in front of her was already daunting.

As Shiv gave her permission to recruit whoever she wanted, the woman smiled again though she didn't have a chance to voice anything just yet. Shiv suddenly switched back to the tea and Haruna chuckled as she remembered a rumor she'd heard, and not just from Yuri. "From what rumors tell me, it might be more than sake on you lips." she teased, chuckling still as she got up and went to the kitchen. When she returned she had the full teapot with he, fruit already in it and infusing along with the tea from when she had first poured it. She carefully poured him a refill before setting the teapot on the table and sitting down once more. "I was thinking about recruiting my boyfriend honestly." she admitted, looking at Shiv. "And no, not because of my attachments." she added. "The Hunter's have always been a goal of his, being so different from the clan he was punished after his rank up and forced into the Seven as well. He's done well with them... but I think his skills would be better served with us." A smirk played around her lips a moment.

"If he thinks he can take orders from me anyway." she added with a chuckle once more, finally pouring herself another cup of tea. Of course, if she recruited Kuro, she was going to make sure to wear her mask. She wanted to see how he'd react to being recruited, without their own connection interfering with that.

[Flankingfox]

The smile upon Haruna's face revealed that she thought herself capable enough to handle anything thrown at her from the members of the division. Was that comforting or worrying? Then came a chuckle with an explanation as to the reasoning behind her confidence. There was certainly history of her not being liked, sure, however that animosity had come from family not hardened special forces members with a record of slaughtering people like animals. An internal voice came quietly rushing forward from the back of his mind reminding him that this whole thing was for his own benefit. Shiv was not of a mind to ponder on such trivial things at the moment as the two were having a relatively 'positive' experience which was a rarity indeed, especially from somebody who seemingly only cared for one thing. In an understanding tone Shiv replied, “I’ve heard a few things sure. Shouldn’t effect the division any, as your past is just that; the past. Given that particular history I assume that you will be all the better amidst the potential controversy...”

Good, Haruna would make use of Jhin as anticipated. That was the most convenient outcome, for the young Tsukino did have a great deal of experience under his belt and was proficient in being a lackey for the newly promoted Captain. Using the fox as a mere pawn had become second nature by now. Ironic really, as after the champion had freed him from a deplorable fate as a slave of a merchant did the fox simply pick Shiv for his new master. Jhin was a broken individual, nonetheless he was an asset to be used by the division. With these thoughts running through his mind, Shiv finished answering Haruna's question about recruiting adding in the additional instruction for more tea.

Moving on, came a comment that the champion hadn't expected of Haruna somebody that was supposed to be 'innocent'. Shouldn't have been surprising either, as the whole village knew of Shiv's ways by now. When you were a celebrity around the village your every action was watched with scrutiny meaning there were few things that he could actually hide. Becoming a Bannin of the village was like having your forehead painted with a bright red bullseye; a regrettable side effect of garnering that much reputation. The mention of rumors about him did nothing to aid the situation as it reverted him to his narcissistic way of thinking. What had she heard about him exactly? That small comment seemed to allow this one question to grow louder within the mind of the champion but before the man could ask anything she moved to grab the tea he had asked for just a moment before.

When Haruna returned she started on the recruitment of her boyfriend, Kuro. Another member of the Aisu clan who shared the cumbersome relationship of being distant with their family. A peculiar trait, since families were thought to be so important within the walls of this village. The fact that they weren't needed was an irregularity around the village but something of a fundamental truth, revealing the cultural assumption held by the majority wasn't necessarily right. As to the information, she made a point, the young man was quite talented. Recruiting somebody like that was a smart decision for the man would provide her with a powerful ally as well an exceptional weapon that could be tasked with a wide variety of assignments. People like that were always being scouted for with the standard forces. In an attempt to keep what was established, Shiv casually replied, “If you think he will be an asset then do what you feel is right, however if he does end up being not what you expected then I trust you will do what is needed to avoid any lingering embarrassment. Not that he would give you any without facing some sort of friction here at home. Honestly, the seven were once a formidable power; I also hear this recent iteration is too, having him underneath your command may prove useful to your needs...”

Not able to hold in the thoughts, Shiv hastily continued right after he had spoken on the subject. Slipping a bit from what had been established throughout this meeting, he replied in his usual frigid tone, “Not that it has anything to do with our business, merely out of curiosity, what rumors have you heard about me?”

[Willoria]

So far this promotion had gone way past 'too good to be true'. Haruna was still trying to process it all, she hadn't even noticed Shiv's momentary pause when she mentioned hearing rumors about him. When he went on to stat she could bring Kuro into the org a grin crossed her face. Not just because she could actually help him with one of his goals, the way he had helped her with so many of hers. She was reveling in the moment as she leaned back on the couch, thinking it over, when Shiv suddenly come up with a question that didn't relate to their work. She frowned and looked at him a moment as she thought it over and chuckled. "Just about you have a taste for alcohol... and women." she mentioned, shrugging as she sat up again.

"My last Sensei was the person who saved me from a mission gone wrong, and she used to try and teach me an entirely different sort of method of assassination." she explained, chuckling. "Hirehito Yuri. They call her the Shi no Tenshi. She tends to seduce her victims to get close, and that was the kind of stuff she used to try and teach me." she explained, shrugging as she tried not to blush as she remembered some of what she'd been taught. "As part of that she'd mention names of people she knew around the village either by name or reputation and give me a single method of seduction she either knew or thought would work on them." She shrugged again, shaking her head as she remembered it all. "Its not a method I took to very well, so Kuro started teaching me instead."

[Flankingfox]

The words spoken by the young woman were straight reality pulled out of the established setting and thrown naively in front of Shiv's face for him to take the brunt of. In another circumstance with a different person, something like that could have set him off into an irritation or something of the sort potentially souring the whole social endeavor. However, Haruna was young enough that the inherent belief that she was innocent allowed Shiv to keep those internal emotions from erupting forth into any sort of regrettable action. Grabbing at the cup of tea, Shiv maintained composure before picking it up and leisurely taking a sip. The taste was the same as the cup before, slithering down his throat as he stared at the young woman for a split second in contemplation as to what to say.

Before too long had passed Shiv spoke suddenly, "Understandable, over the years my vices have been thrown out into the limelight for all those to see. Many of the things I've done don't fall into a virtuous category befitting a champion of the village. So, there isn't any reason to hide these facts anymore either as they can be backed by fact alone. Then again, what person isn't without their depravity? I use the word person because it is inherently obvious that I have not fully become a weapon yet..."

These words spoken, were completely profound in the sense that they were a reality of the man that had barely been shared by any in the village. Shiv was something of a narcissist at times and wouldn't admit to weakness if he could help it. Unfortunately, with piles upon piles of evidence being stacked against the champion undoubtedly proving that he was indeed a 'person' and not the weapon he pretended to be, there was no hiding from this unbearable truth. Sure, the champion spoke about completely becoming a weapon, however, taking the final plunge was something he hadn't the courage or willpower to go through with. Completely ridding himself of humanity was the thing he couldn't let go of as his very nature was selfish. When Yuri was mentioned a faint memory flashed before his eyes of that particularly dreary night where he had been infatuated by his own power.

"I somewhat remember an encounter with that woman. I don't exactly like to speak about these things openly, but you are bright enough to understand the reality of it all. So as words of warning, not that I have to say this out loud, but I will in any case; don't ever try anything like that with me. I'm still a person at the end of the day, not an unshakable weapon." With a cold tone, Shiv finished speaking on the subject. The young woman here would now have been warned at least of the potential backlash following playing with the devil per say. This needed to be said aloud if he was to honestly work with a woman outside of them just being objects of desire and or lust. With that out of the way, Shiv lifted his cup for another sip of tea before looking at the wall of the small apartment for anything interesting. His own walls were bare as the place was much more a dwelling to be admired instead of one that was to be lived in.

In a bit more laid back tone, Shiv finished, "Alright, I take it you can hash out the details later at headquarters. If you don't have any further questions, I'll be taking my leave for the night as there are a great deal of things requiring attention... thanks for the tea Captain Haruna."

[Willoria]

Haruna listened to Shiv's words, and even warnings, in silence though she was certainly giving him an odd look all the while. He spoke of himself as a person and as though he should be a weapon, but Haruna herself disagreed quite a bit. She knew the village required its shinobi to be weapons and even the girl herself had tried to fulfill that herself to a degree. But she knew too that such a task was impossible, after all as people they still had things tying them to this world. Whether family or clan, there was always a name to uphold in this village, a name to bring recognition and honor and perhaps a bloodline one owed bonds too. These were things that certainly required them to remain people and not just weapons. After all, weapons are tools pointed by a hand, they do not procreate, they do not raise lives to fruition and they do not teach. All of these things were required of them at some point and so kept them from being purely weapons, did they not?

In the same respect as he spoke of his own vices and how they did not befit a champion, for similar reasons she did not think it was so bad. For the days he was just a weapon there was a cold and unfeeling requirement at the core of such a task and so his actions would be equally cold and even bloody. She had seen such things from Yuri herself, she had seen her be both woman and weapon in the same turn and while odd it all made some kind of sense to Haruna. As such she herself expected Shiv to be a weapon when the time called for it, to be a tool in the hands of the village, but also to be a Karagata, to be a man and to have such vices.

It wasn't until that flicker that crossed his face and his warning that she realized there might be something else at play here. She wondered if something had happened between Shiv and Yuri but she did not ask. His warning made her think that perhaps it was something she did not want to know, and silently she wondered if it had anything to do with Yuri's change in demeanor as of late. The normally out-going and flirtatious woman had turned practically into a hermit, locking herself away save for missions and even Haruna had heard the woman had turned down assassinations that required her usual touch.

Shiv's words seemed to return to 'normal' however and he spoke of hashing things out in the office, and Haruna nodded, standing in anticipation as she knew he would soon stand to go. "You're welcome, Shiv-Sama. Please, be our guest any time." she answered in a fairly traditional fashion, despite grinning like an excited school girl at the use of her new title. "You won't be disappointed, I'll live up to title and required strength. I will not fail you." she admonished, still grinning at the man.