La Mazzolata's Return

[Punslinger]

The door to the palatial, rotund office in the east district never opened, but the figure crouched there all the same, grinning in the window like a naughty child despite the wild beard, wilder hair and scarred face. Only those most familiar with the man behind it would even recognize the once pristine features, even if the smile itself was something of a giveaway.

If he'd somehow used a grapnel or sealing technique to get in it didn't show, he was simply there one moment, the latched and locked pane swinging idly as though it'd been left that way. The smile dissipated, however, as he saw the shock of crimson hair sitting at the desk. Tall, but not too tall, young, clean shaven... No mutton chops? No armor... He cocked his head, looking for all the world like some perplexed ape going around in tattered clothes and a fur cloak. A monstrous animal's talon dangled from a cord at his neck, drawing attention to his bared chest and rows of fuuinjutsu ink all along one side of his chest.

"Ahm... Hey sorry to bug you there boss, have I got the wrong office? Did they finally move Gramps to the basement or something?" the basso timbre almost ill befitted the somewhat juvenile, informal manner of speaking. It lacked any hint of threat or commanding aura, rather juxtaposing itself against the almost comical quizzical expression on the shinobi's heavily weathered face.

"Are you the new secretary maybe? I told him he needed someone to get him out from under all that admin work..."

Suddenly, the massive, shaggy head jerked upwards with some unspoken realization, and a filthy paw reached up to scratch the back of his neck.

"Sorry, it's been a while since I've spoken to humans, am I being rude? This feels rude. I should go."

[Niro]

The day was more hectic than usual for Tatsuo. All around the Tsuchikage Tower, administrators ran around with stacks of paper to and from different departments in the building. Usually the tower was busy but the energy and tension was nearly palpable. With the successful invasion and assimilation of Wind Country's borderlands into their own territory, Tatsuo's paperwork had nearly tripled as supply and infrastructure requests, reports from the front line, and troop movements were quickly shuffled onto his desk. It wouldn't have mattered even if he used his melashiin or a shadow clone; the work was never ending even after returning from the frontlines.


Tatsuos head was buried in a scroll and the man was too preoccupied to notice the window being opened and a lone figure sneaking his way in. Only once the man did speak did Tatsuo snap to attention and spin in the swivel chair to face the crazed mountain man looking figure. His face scrunched up in confusion as his eyes roamed over the mans figure. Built and covered in fuuinjutsu. Definitely a shinobi but not hostile it seemed. The confusion only continued as the homeless man mentioned a Gramps and all Tatsuo could think of was Ishidai.

What the hell was going on here?

"You mean the Old Bastard? Ishidai?" Tatsuo spoke slowly as leaned back in the chair and his lips formed into a small smirk. Just how out of time was this fossil? "Ishidai hasn't been Tsuchikage for...at least 7 years now. We've moved him down to the basement with the other fossils. But actually, he's probably overlooking troop movements for the next leg of the campaign. He had to deal with going up against Hayate, the Raikage, this last time and the intel he came back with is sure to help us going forward.

"So, who are you?"

[Punslinger]

"That's him!" Oushi pointed enthusiastically, still dangling in the window with his free arm like a gibbon.

As the redhead continued however, it became quickly clear that whatever hamster wheel was turning behind his eyes was grinding to a halt. He visibly flinched at the mention of seven years, troop movements, campaigns and nearly reeled at the mention of the Raikage. Once again his voice didn't match the huge, haggard body it came from, but this time because the tone was very quiet, almost a murmur, the furthest possible cry from his bombastic entry.

"Fuck, I was only supposed to be gone for five..." the hamster wheel began spinning again as the big man stepped down into the room, sitting comfortably on the high sill as he looked down. Upwards of seven feet, with the shoulders to match. Gray eyes kept glancing back and forth from the redhead, to the desk, then back to the still-closed door. Seemingly finally his expression cleared, with resignation if not necessarily peace. All seven feet bent down at one knee, with lowered head in proper posture.

"Fourth Bannin of Iwagakure, Sekitan Oushi, pays his respects to the Tsuchikage." a long, heavy pause, "I have no idea what's going on but it sounds like people have died. I think... I might need to have some things explained. A lot of things."

[Niro]

Tatsuo watched as his words worked similarly to a bucket of ice and an urgent sense of realization washed over the giant of a man hanging from his window. Based on the man's hair and overall appearance, any sort of news would have been a shock but the fact they were in the middle of a war and Ishidai had been fighting on the frontlines only recently was quite the bomb. It didn't surprise him considering the shinobi world had been in a state of relative peace for several decades before the most recent onslaught of violence from all sides. Anyone who didn't keep up with the outside world had probably expected the status quo to stay but the dam had finally broken.

The Tsuchikage gave a short nod at the mention of the length of time the man was supposed to have been gone. Since he had gone off to wherever for whatever purpose, not one but two wars had broken out. The current conflict was, so far, smaller than the previous one but both had Rock Country and Iwagakure no Sato as the eye of the storms.

"Take a seat," Tatsuo offered and his hand swept over a trio of chairs opposite his paperwork-ridden desk. His other hand went to an intercom button tied to the administration desk below which buzzed to life with a gentle press. "Bring up some refreshments and send word for Ishidai to come to my office." His finger left the device as he sat down and back in his office chair.

"So, what do you last recall of the state of the world, Oushi? In the last few years, there was a Shinobi World War before the conflict we currently find ourselves in with Wind and its allies. Although, it seems their support has weaned after the most recent bout of fighting. With my killing of the Hokage, Konoha and Kumo are sure to be rethinking their stance in this war."

[Punslinger]

The vagabond gave a miserable nod and complied lamely, sitting in the lefthand chair with his elbows on his knees... about head height for a normal person. His eyes swiveled to the intercom, watching the device carefully and either in answer to the Kage's question or perhaps out of an overwhelming curiosity, asked:

"That formation, is it some new fuuinjutsu? Can you communicate over longer distances with it?" his inquiry seemed to move on at the pace of his brain however, as what little military discipline left within him latched onto the importance of the debriefing. He'd been absent, albeit with leave, for the bulk of not one but two military operations large enough to be called wars? As a pillar of the village this was a step beyond simple irresponsibility, this impinged upon treason.

"I'm afraid my lord will be disappointed. My family comes from Shirosato, and I wasn't exposed to the eastern regions until the academy. Still..." Oushi inhales deeply, clearly still forming thoughts even as he speaks and clearly to his distaste, "The five major countries have always been loosely paired off between Rock and Water, Fire and Wind. Lightning Country remains mostly isolationist, but with their supremacist stance there were rumors that their Daimyo had considered breaking the taboo, raising shinobi en masse. Water country is arguably our primary importer for things like textiles and produce, although we do have non-insignificant trade with smaller countries to the south. The Daimyo..."

There was a pause. This one lasted longer than the others. The sharp, piercing look in his eye stood in stark contrast to his former confusion as the pieces fell into place and he began to speak again. If nothing else, here was a man who'd done his homework about his own country at least, if not others.

"Lord Tsuchikage I will accept whatever punishment you see fit to bestow upon me for my insolence when I ask this, but I must know. What role did the nobility play in these conflicts?"

He'd raised up to his full height in the seat, his back ramrod straight as only a superhuman powerhouse could; clearly someone who understood the importance of his actions, and was prepared to take responsibility for them. After all, what he was implying was treason... seven years ago.

[Niro]

The redhead waited until the giant of a man across from him was finished rattling off what he knew of international politics before disappearing into the wilds and doing his best to revert back to a caveman. A small smile spread across his lips at the curiosity displayed by the bannin. It really was amazing what could be developed in just a few months time when the pressure was really on.

"Yes, we've seen new advancements across the entire spectrum with the recent wars. From communications to transportation to medicine, the list goes on.

The relationship between Rock and Water has stayed steady since and not much has changed, if anything the alliance has only grown deeper. Fire and Wind's relationship has grown strained recently while Lightning and Fire have grown worryingly close. The countries to the south? They don't exist anymore. They were swallowed up by Wind Country during the course of the first war and since then they've fallen under our banner. Further to the south, two new nations, one led by a former Konoha missing ninja, have also sprung up. Our mutual dislike of Konoha and Suna has so far kept them satiated but it wouldn't surprise me if it changed before long." Tatsuo filled in the gaps of what had happened since. The world from nearly a decade ago was unidentical to the one he had found himself coming back to. The era of cold peace between the nations was over and now it wasn't surprising for fights between squads of opposing nations to break out on missions.

A knock at the door broke Tatsuo's focus for a moment before it swung open and one of gray uniform wearing administrators came in with a tray filled with a variety of refreshments and snacks. The man looked over Tatsuo's covered desk and gave it pause before the man let out a short laugh and moved some papers for it to be sat down. Once satisfied, the man left and once more Tatsuo began to speak of events that had since passed.

"The initial intelligence reports coming back from Lightning Country at the time were wrong. The Daimyo's faction wished to keep chakra restricted but the opposing and winning side, led by the now-Raikage, overthrew the nobility after a country-wide civil war. The Raikage is now not only the Kage of a hidden village but the Emperor of the entire country of Lightning and its territories. It was he who wished to spread chakra to the masses and so they have. Academies have sprung up like wildfire in Lightning Country and the entire nation is now versed in our secrets.

The nobility, our... Daimyo. Less than one would expect. The first war eventually broke out after tensions and smaller scale engagements in proxy minor countries turned into open engagements by all five villages. With Suna, Konoha, and Kumo bearing down on us and aid from Kiri having quite the geographic block to overcome...Rock Country gave up valuable farmlands to the east even though we gained the entirety of the west." The pause Tatsuo left after mentioning the Daimyo was enough for most to infer he tolerated the man. The Daimyo liked Tatsuo more than Tatsuo like the Daimyo was the best way one could sum up their relationship after the Tsuchikage had united all of the western minor countries under Rock Country's banner.

"This new conflict is the result of those dominos falling years ago. Our people are hungry, the loss of those lands hurt us more we were able to salvage with what was gained. We, Rock Country, needed the farmland to the south Wind Country took control over during the war. So we took it. The response was more shocking than we'd hoped, unfortunately.

The majority of defense forces were from Konoha with their previous Hokage acting as commander and solo assistance from the Raikage while the Kazekage was nowhere to be seen. With such a poor showing from Sunagakure forces, I'm not sure this war will be much of one if that's all they could marshal."

[Punslinger]

As the kage finished speaking, there was a long silence. The big man seemed to prefer those over reaching for immediate reactions, politely reaching instead to take several small biscuits and placed them in his free palm like a dinner plate before methodically picking and choosing his way through them. He looked out the window at the gray dawn he'd come in from, then again at the intercom, shaking his hoary head and snorting at some errant thought.

"It galls me that the breaking of the taboo, no matter who by, did not unify us. That it seems not even the worst development in all of this." he said eventually. He spoke slowly, choosing his words and enunciating them carefully. This man clearly hadn't used any language at all for some time, and now the words he needed were heavy and important.

"The reason we maintained it was to prevent the suffering of the weak at the hands of the strong. And look." he punctuated his thought with the last bite, "Now I assume all countries have followed suite? Have we as well?"

He mused, the flash of a fuuin on his arm revealing its purpose as a storage space where he now held a leathern waterskin and a heavy, tediously carved pair of iron cups. Closer inspection would see they weren't carved at all, and the grain of the metal had been shaped like water flowing upward before the details were added. A milky substance poured into one cup before the bag was offered with a gesture at the second and a quizzical look.

"'Kumis', they call it in the north. Normally they use yak milk, I have found the taste of mastodon to offer more depth."

[Niro]

"Surprising, no one did. We may be the closest with having all Iwagakure no Sato citizens go through the shinobi academies before trade schools but the Rock Country villages and such have been left alone. The Daimyo has no desire for us to expand chakra knowledge within our borders last I knew. Rather what happened was creation of trains and rails. Mechanical contraptions that can cross the span of a country in a few hours. Kumogakure spread the knowledge to Lightning Country in general and then both Fire and Suna got their hands on it as well. We followed last in that endeavor, having to reverse engineer the technology from raided and destroyed ones during the Great War." Tatsuo filled in the rest of the details surrounding the countries and the release of fuuinjutsu piqued his interest.

The redhead watched with curiosity before a mug of the substance was offered to him as well. Tatsuo had been introduced to his fair share of stranger foods over the course of his career and gave a nod at the gesture.

"I'm surprised Ishidai isn't here yet but with him taking over the spot of Jounin Commander temporarily with Hibiki's death I guess I shouldn't be. He was used to doing nothing after stepping down and now he's stuck with a council position again. Surprised the old fart geared up to go fight but glad he did, I don't think we would've won the battlefield without him." Tatsuo mused once the mug had been poured and offered before taking a sip of the beverage.

It was definitely unique. There was a tartness to it complimented by sweetness as well. As he allowed the liquid to permeate his mouth before swallowing, Tatsuo could see why people liked the drink even if it wasn't something he'd seek out himself.

"Mastodons, hm? Guess you've been up north then. The wildlife up there and around the borders of Iron can be filled with quite the selection of beasts."

[Punslinger]

For the first time there was an actual sense of threat about the shinobi as he chuckled, grinning wolfishly at the mention of the north's megafauna.

"Mastodons and territorial kirin in the plains, wolves and mountain cats the size of mountains themselves further in. It's like the spirits have been pissing in the water up there." the untold story punctuated by a long, deep draught from his cup, only to refill it, his accent shifting roughly to something more common in the tundra, informal and coarse, "And either the old man went and got truly old in my absence or you don't know him as well as you thought. If he were to shirk something like this you should have him tried and tortured for a spy, he only likes to play at being stove up and invalid. Even now I don't like my odds against him in more than..."

He makes a discrete but clear count on the free fingers of his left hand, touching each to his thumb in turn.

"Three out of five matches." he finishes, grimacing. Clearly the number had been more favorable in his head before he'd started thinking seriously on the matter, before a thought occurred and rather than concealing his curiosity, he turned his gaze to the current kage, appraising the younger man up and down. There is clearly a moment when he contemplate something more direct and shakes it aside for the much more subdued, "Have you had any spars with him?"

[Niro]

A pensive look came over Tatsuos face as he recalled the last time the two shinobi had sparred. It had been years ago, after he had recovered from his wounds suffered during the Great War. Ishidai had been the person to help him get back into fighting shape and once he had gotten back in the swing of things? It had been over before the old man knew it. The sheer speed difference was enough for Ishidai to be on the back foot no matter the circumstance and although the man was strong, taking a hit from Tatsuo was something even the hardiest being wouldn't want to undergo constantly.

"It's been a while. He won't spar with me anymore." Tatsuo eventually let out, his lips morphing into a cheeky smirk as he did so before it dropped into a more serious grimace as memories of the Great War lingered on the edges of his mind. "The first war was hard on everybody and Ishidai did a lot then. The last decade hasn't been kind to the man."

"Not surprising. The Northern Wastes bordering the sea have some of the most mutated monsters I've ever seen. Beasts the size of small mountains." Tatsuo thought back to his own adventure up there where he had fought something similar. The experience was something he would never forget from the sheer amount of blood spilled by the creature he had slain alone. It had reminded him of a new ocean until finally it had seeped into the ground. "We have something similar underneath the village that's been fortunately contained and managed. Rats the size of carriages, spiders the size of houses. It wasn't surprising to hear stories of even jounin going down there and meeting their end if they weren't careful. Nowadays, the place has been basically quarantined except for S-rank shinobi or select squads. The spirits who reside down there do their best to keep the mutated wildlife in check but even they have limits. At least that stupid Leviathan is dead."

[Punslinger]

"Oh, you've been? Hah! You probably traipsed right past my ravine." he chuckles, listening with interest to the developments in the underground, "How odd though, they told us stories about naughty academy students disappearing, but to think it was actually true. I should take a look myself, maybe tame one of them."

It had been too long since poor Patsu had passed, the old goat sacrificing itself in his master's defense shortly after reaching the mountains, falling to a murderous kami's rampage. His skull and pelt still sat together, neatly folded and tanned within Oushi's storage seal, waiting a craftsman that could give them justice, "Do you think it might be a rogue spirit's competing dominion?"

His musing over the momentary distraction faltered, however, the look on his new superior's face telling him everything he needed to know. His challenges, his efforts these past seven years, more than simply a few of them were for the purpose of overtaking that man. The nineteenth Tsuchikage, a man who hadn't wanted his rank in the first place and chose to lead purely from his own sense of obligation and duty. A hero, now in decline. Oushi's face darkened dangerously.

"I have already made contact with my family, and told them of my intent to return to active duty. My mother's against it, what a shock." the joke was delivered flat, his mood still soured, "Tell me more about the situation in the south. How do we fare?"

[Niro]

"A cult was able to undo some ancient fuuinjutsu and release a titanic spirit worm far below even the deepest parts of the village. It dug out an entire cave system before finally it was stopped. Now it's just a matter of keeping a lid on the mutated pests it left behind." Tatsuo recalled the incident which had taken place during his jounin years. Team 18 and he had been the first responders to fight the worm when it had threatened the village proper. It was definitely one of his closer brushes with death over the years.

"Better than one would expect against a combined front of Fire and Wind Country. Although the Raikage appeared on the front lines, reports indicate it was him acting as a lone individual and they have no official response. Of the combined forces, Wind Country forces were the minority. Seems they left the heavy lifting for Fire and Konoha which didn't turn out well for them. Their alliance is apparently in tatters due to the fact the former Hokage died fighting for another village and some other major issue Konoha has been tight lipped about." Tatsuo explained as he thought back over the most recent fighting. Ishidai had thankfully been able to come home alive but Hibiki, the bannin who had had the most hands on investment in his own career, had perished. Slain by the Hokage's ANBU squad. The Tsuchikage felt satiated by killing their Hokage in response but thinking back to the white-haired man still brought him some sorrow.

"The Daimyo is emboldened by the victory and is continuing to direct forces towards Sunagakure and the Wind Country capital. The next step of this campaign is going to take place within the western desert of Wind Country; we'll be looking to secure supply lines and scout out Sunagakure's defenses as well.

If that goes well, there's a plan brewing. It's a long shot but someone had an idea that might be able to terraform the desert of Wind Country. Who knows, we might be able to even terraform our tundra into something lush if it works."

[Punslinger]

"So it was a rogue spirit..." the warrior looked disappointed at the news of the conquest, and seemingly to excuse himself for his selfishness, added, "They did well to stop it and save lives."

He brightened at the talk of agriculture, he refilled his cup and raised it in a half toast.

"I have often given thought to it myself. We have a number of spirits in the north that could facilitate such things, hiding away in their realms as though the world around them doesn't matter. But there are those among them willing to deal with mortals."

The assertion was delivered with a small smile, a memory.

"If we do not need to take the south to do it so much the better, wars should be inevitable, not investment ventures. The defense of the Plateau has always been a tax on our resources, drawing back to the mountains may have been to our good. I won't ask for clearance on this, but know that I'm interested if necessary."

His formal speech had begun to waver at the end, Tatsuo's focus as a leader apparently gaining his tacit approval... and also his choice in snacks.

[Niro]

"There's still a small colony of humanoid spirits down there who were sucked up along in the main culprits summoning and unable to return home. They're the ones who helped us after fighting the worm. Nice but definitely some of the strangest food I've ever eaten. With their help, pest control isn't something we have to worry about unless some anomaly occurs." Tatsuo mused as he thought back to the dirt soup he had consumed while recovering down there and a chill ran down his spine. Each of his subsequent visits had been brief in an attempt to avoid having to ever consume the 'meal' again.

"Good to hear. Forces are recouping for now and there's matters to discuss with Kiri involving the war they recently wrapped up against the new Grand Country, Heart. It'll be some time before the Daimyo moves us to take the next portion of Wind Country.

I bet there are plenty of other people, including Ishidai, around the village who you're looking forward to catching up with. Take the time to do so and get back in the swing of things. I'm sure we'll talk again before anything else kicks off."

As Tatsuo finished, a series of loud heavy knocks exploded across the thick oak door acting as the normal entrance to his office and drew his attention. A chuckle escaped his lips as he got up from his chair and opened the very same window Oushi had entered from.

"Speak of the devil. Have fun catching up." Just like Oushi had entered, Tatsuo left through the office window to let the old duo reminiscence.