Rank Up - One Step Closer

[Kabu]

How long had it been since that day so long ago, when her world had been turned upside down with seemingly no hope of righting itself? She had felt so lost at the time and while even now she hadn't fully recovered she had no doubt that if not for those around her, she may still have been in that hollow state. It was really thanks to her friends that she had been able to regain herself and get to get to where she was and she was beyond grateful. Of course, she knew that part of it had been through her own hard work but if not for the encouragement she had received, she may not have even been able to put forth the effort that she had been.

Letting out a sigh Masami shook her head and smiled to herself as she walked through the village, looking around every so often at the passerby around her. What on earth was she thinking about? I suppose I'm just feeling reflective today. Or maybe I'm just getting nervous." she thought to herself as she looked up towards the cloudless sky, the sun shining brightly down towards her as if to tell her that it would be alright. As for the reason behind said nerves, she had been called to see Takeo in his office. She knew by now that an office meeting more often than not meant there was business to be had but she had no idea what it could be about. She was fairly certain that she hadn't slipped up anywhere at any recent point, though she definitely still had a lot of room to improve in all areas. Maybe it was for a mission? It was a possibility but somehow she doubted even that much. So if she wasn't in trouble and there wasn't a mission.. What else was there? She wasn't sure.. but still for some reason she was feeling incredibly nervous.

She let out another sigh as she entered the Kage building, waving to the staff and knocking on the door to Takeo's office, though after taking a couple deep breaths to try and calm her nerves.

Well, here we go."

[Izanagi]

The Hokage sat at his large oak desk, a pile of papers stacked to either side of him as he sorted through various requests that required his review and approval. He wore a tight navy blue shirt and black military style pants. Atop his head he wore the traditional red and white Hokage hat, it was a little inconvenient at times though his assistants often reminded him that it was an important image to maintain especially during meetings and formal office work. His Hokage cloak hung from a coat-rack in the corner of the room, nowadays he almost always wore it when out and about throughout the village. There were times where he missed the obscurity of being just another run-of the mill shinobi wearing a standard flak jacket but that quickly changed whenever he saw the way people lit up in his presence, filled with hope, wonder, respect and admiration. It was for the sake of the people of this village that all of his hard work and inconveniences were worth it.

His head didn’t raise as he heard the knock on the door. He had been forewarned on the fuuinjutsu powered intercom at his desk but even if he hadn’t been notified it would be difficult to catch him unaware. He could hear most shinobi approach as soon as they entered the stairwell though some with more experience in stealth gave him some trouble if he was caught up in his work and not paying close attention. His nose however was much harder to deceive, and scents were often picked up passively, especially those that were familiar yet not so constant as to tune them out. Masami was one such individual. There was a dog-like scent to her but different from the range of most Inuzuka, far more subtle and mixed heavily with an unmistakable female scent. She had been spending more time in the woods lately, surely working on developing her roots in tracking and survival. This brought a slight smile to his face, it was one thing to be a proud Jinchuriki but not at the cost of neglecting one’s heritage.

“Come in Masami” he instructed, his voice strong and commanding as usual, though as she entered Takeo lifted his head and smiled warmly, sitting back in his chair and setting aside his papers. He could smell her nerves and see it in her body language. “Take a seat. Don’t worry you’re not in any trouble, just checking up on you, how have you been?” he wondered, hoping to put her at ease. There was no reason for excessive formalities between them, he had come to think of her as a second sister and he would much rather assess her while she was relaxed than hear the types of answers one was expected to give in an interview.

[Kabu]

Masami almost instantly let out a relieved sigh as she entered the room and took a seat, still a bit nervous but much less so now that she knew that she wasn't in for anything bad. Granted, she had had some idea that that wasn't the case but it was still nice to hear firsthand from the man himself, not quite because he was hokage, which was part of it, but mostly because he was like family to her.

"I've been mostly well, though lately I've found myself thinking a lot about what happened to me again. I realized that to some degree I had been afraid of myself ever since then.. afraid of my own heritage." she began, taking a momentary pause to collect her thoughts. "As a result I've been spending a lot of time in the forest reconnecting with both myself and my roots. It's been a lot of fun and has helped me to gain some skill in tracking and the such." she continued, her lips turning up into a slight smile. "I think mom might be conflicted though. Ya should see the look on her face when she realizes that she has to clean up all of the mud and twigs that I end up bringing home." she added with a light laugh, her tension clearly gone for the time being as she dropped any formalities in her speech and was even visibly relaxing in her seat, looking up at the cieling for a second before looking back towards Takeo, a thoughtful expression seeming to cross her face.

"I tell ya though, it really does feel good to be improving myself. It feels like I've been stagnant for so long but between those outings, the fairly regular missions, and of course spending time with my friends I'm finally getting somewhere." she said after a moment of silence, no sense of formality in her tone.. rather there was a soft warmth that not many people got to witness. She wasn't saying this much because he was the hokage, no.. she was telling him this because he was one of those people who had helped her along.. even despite a rocky start.

[Izanagi]

Takeo was relieved to see Masami relax, he never liked seeing his close friends and family act formal around him. He wished he had some tea on hand or something to snack on to offer her as he normally would if she were visiting in his own home, alas the only drinks he tended to keep at his office were bottles of whiskey and occasionally wine for those late night where he needed something to take an edge off of the boredom and routine of the various forms of paperwork. There were times of course where he spent hours in research and planning, learning tactical plays and considering operations on a larger scale, the conflict in Whirlpool country was still ongoing after all.

He listened intently as the woman freely opened up. Ever since their encounter in the training ground, when they had finally taken the time to understand one another and put their past behind them, Takeo had felt a certain closeness with the woman. It was mutual trust. Her experience was quite foreign to him but he could sympathize with what she had been through even if he couldn’t fully relate to those feelings. A smile came to his lips as she spoke about the forest, he had determined as much. “That’s really good to hear Masami, next time I take the kids out hunting or camping I’ll have to invite you along” he offered, fully genuine. She was already a strong roll model for Hanako to look up to perhaps even Yozei and each of them would benefit from seeing her in action. The twins loved her too, barely over two years old they got quite the enjoyment chasing around a young woman with dog ears and tail. Both Takeshi and Kaori loved animals of all kinds and neither seemed to ever sit still but then when you combined Aina and Takeo’s genetics only a fool would have expected anything less than a pair of rambunctious trouble makers.

The bearded warrior laughed heartily at the thought of Masami’s mother cleaning up after her. “Consider yourself lucky! My mom would have beat me if I didn’t clean up after myself” he retorted, teasing slightly, Takami could certainly be an intimidating woman but she rarely resorted to violence other than a smack on the head every now and then. Certainly though there would have been quite the scolding. It was hard to believe his mother would be turning 60 in a few short months, both of his parents had slowed down considerably in their aging but both were so tenacious and strong willed that it was hard to imagine either of them dying. Still as the years went on it was inevitable to occur one of these days. He hoped at the least they would live to see the twins graduate the academy and be around when Takeo’s sister Ayame eventually married and had a child of her own. She had been dating again and seeming much happier in recent years.

Takeo nodded in understanding as Masami talked about her improvement. In this he could relate. “I know exactly what you mean, before I took on Yoru as a student I felt content to remain a Special Jounin, I didn’t have much drive to train excessively or seek promotion. But once that catalyst sounded and I saw how quickly he was progressing I knew I needed to step up or else I would soon have nothing left to teach him before he surpassed me. Becoming a team leader, that was one of the most defining moments of my life.” He stated assuredly. “It’s funny to think I only found myself in that position because I had nearly lost my life and had my girlfriend run off with my friend” he reminisced with a chuckle, those memories didn’t bother him any longer, he had long put them to rest and even reconciled with Kiyoshi and Haruka. “I’ve heard a lot of good things about your performance lately, you seem to getting quite a knack for your craft. How do you feel about what we’re doing in Whirlpool Country and what has your experience been like during your missions in the land?” he wondered, indirectly asking her how she felt about the raids she had taken part in and the ruthless efficiency in killing that had been indicated from reading the mission reports.

[Kabu]

"I'm definitely getting better at it but I've still got a long ways to go. There are things that I haven't even began to learn yet. Including some embarrassing things from what mom tells me..." Masami responded with a shrug, though a blush still made its way onto her cheeks even despite her attempts to be nonchalant. She still wasn't really used to receiving praise and it was a little embarrassing to be hearing that so frankly. "As for Whirlpool Country.. I think that we're doing a good thing, helping to reclaim the country from those unsavory folks." she said, moving her thoughts towards the missions that she had been sent on in the area. Honestly she had been a bit shocked by the prospect of practically invading another country but upon realization that they were merely helping out, she had been more than willing to do her part. "It was shocking and a bit sickening to see just how overrun and desolate that the land had become. It wasn't particularly hard at that point to realize that there was no room for mercy, that the many bandits, slave traders, and the like had to be put down." she paused a moment, considering if there was anything else to add.

"It was easy enough when I put my mind to it, almost became second nature at a point, but I'll admit that my confidence did waver a few times. Thankfully the various partners that I had were there to give me that extra push that I needed when I needed it. " It was almost like an afterthought considering the pause that she had taken, but in a way she really was grateful to those that she had worked with at the time.

"One of those missions.. was also the first time that I tapped into the extra depths of Aturasu's power of my own will. I honestly hated it but it felt necessary if I wanted for efficiency." she suddenly added after a moment's silence, some part of her wondering just how much those reports had said. She had no doubt there had been some mention of it but she still felt it important to mention.. especially seeing how he had directly witnessed her losing control some time ago.

[Izanagi]

Takeo listened with interest to Masami’s candid responses. He wasn’t quite sure which embarrassing things she alluded to, probably something to do with dating but that was a conversation for another time and in all honesty probably something she would end up talking to Aina about more often than he once she did eventually get a boyfriend. She certainly wouldn’t have any problem attracting a man, even with her unusual traits, hell some people might even see the tail and ears as a bonus. It was difficult for Takeo however to see her in that kind of light. As the topic shifted to Whirlpool Country he was glad to have her support in the endeavor. He knew that some people may have mixed feelings on whether or not it was Konoha’s place to be getting involved in other countries and some who might see it as a power play. None had been so frank to say such things to his face however, the shinobi of Konoha were quite loyal for the most part but every village had individuals who thought that they could do better.

The man didn’t quite smile at Masami’s calloused disregard for the lives of mercenaries, drug lords and illegal arms dealers but it was a sentiment he agreed with. It was always bitter-sweet to see a youth of Konoha change from energetic and optimistic to a calloused trained killer. At the end of the day though that was the job they had all signed up for and it had to happen eventually. “The way I look at it every slaver or drug runner killed, every criminal organization toppled leads directly to lives being saved, innocent people that don’t have to have their lives ruined by that corruption. Once Whirlpool has been cleared out it can be rebuild and can become a safe haven for immigrants and refugees from other nations, building up real villages and communities once more, all under our protection and guidance.” He explained, the shinobi nations contained so much power reserved for such a small amount of the population to truly benefit from. The greater the scale Konoha could help others, not just from their own country, the better off the world would be.

He nodded in contemplation as she admitted to wavering a few times. “What was it that had you doubting yourself? Doubt can be a very dangerous thing in our line of work. I’m glad you were able to trust your comrades and overcome that feeling in the future though try to channel feelings of concern into caution and planning over hesitation. The more prepared you are and the better you know your team the more those feelings of doubt will wash away” he advised. Masami was getting to a point in her career where she could no longer have strong uncertainties or even rely completely on others, she needed to pull her own weight. “Remember, your comrades are also putting their lives in your hands, they need you at your best just as much as you rely on them” he added. Takeo was familiar with the use of Aturasu’s power and the mission she spoke of, it was one of the primary reasons she was sitting here right now, that and the praise of both Yosuke and Mai. “You’re getting quite proficient with your use of Aturasu’s power, I hope to see you continue to make use of it in the future. Its power is a part of you know, it is yours to wield. Jinchuriku are not chosen simply to host the Genma but also to use their rare powers to the utmost of their ability. You have access to styles of ninjutsu no other shinobi in Konoha is capable of, I’d hate to see that go to waste” he mused.

There was also the fact that the more she learned about her abilities the more intel Konoha would gain on the fusion traits that other nations possessed and how best to combat them. “You mentioned your teammates on those missions. You worked with Mai consistently and surely learned to work well with her but your team leaders, Yosuke and Hayashi. Was there anything you learned from their approach to leading? Anything you think you might be able to replicate or improve on if you had to lead a team of your own?” he wondered. If she were to become a Jounin it was essential that she was able to lead others and that required not only confidence in herself but sound decision making abilities.

[Kabu]

Masami closed her eyes and took a deep breath, firmly looking towards Takeo as she opened them once more. She had expected these questions, she just had to lay it all bare right now, what she had been through and how she planned to change. "I had very brief moments where I wondered if I was good enough, if I could actually pull off my job or if those people really deserved to die, if there wasn't a different way. Even at the time I knew that I was doing the right thing and even now I wouldn't change a thing but there was a very small part of me that considered mercy as an option, to try and see if they couldn't change their ways." she said, referring to the people that she had seemingly had no problems killing during her missions. "I'm very aware that this is a time where I can no longer have any doubts or even let my fears get in the way and I really have been working on it. I'll definitely be more careful in the future." At this point she wasn't entirely sure if she was being lectured or being cautioned and advised but either way she was hanging onto every word, taking it all to heart for the future. She wanted to do better, she needed to do better, and taking this kind of advice was just one way to do that.

"Aturasu's power is my own huh? That sounds familiar to something that Aina once said. That Ao, my old partner, wasn't really gone, that my new traits are proof that he's a part of me now and that I should embrace them as my own." she said, pausing a moment to collect herself, and then smiling.
"I've been working pretty extensively on learning to make use of the other elements and I think that I might be getting somewhere with my recent acquisition of Hyouton and Garaton." Some part of her was honestly tempted to demonstrate but.. Takeo probably wouldn't appreciate his office being buried in snow so she would have to hold off, and luckily she had the perfect distraction.

"As for Yosuke and Hayashi.. they seemed to be very different in terms of personality and leadership style, Yosuke . I have to say that I did learn a lot from them. As different as they were, the one thing they seemed to share is that they treated those serving under them as equals, working directly alongside them, which I believe is very important. Equally important is the ability to fully trust in your comrades while at the same time making decisions quickly and being able to act on the fly. More than all that, I learned that even while employing similar methods, everyone has a different style and I'm going to need to figure out my own way of leading while taking all that I've learned from my predecessors and adapting it for myself." She admittedly wasn't sure if that's what Takeo had really been looking for but still it was how she really felt, that much she could surely say with confidence.

[Izanagi]

There was certainly a feeling of concern and worry as Takeo wondered what doubts the woman had about herself. He knew this was something she had been struggling with for some time and to some degree that was acceptable, everyone had their own personal issues, it was to what extent and how severely it might impact a mission that was scrutinized. There were many resources available to leaf shinobi to cope with any such feelings of course but such issues had to be properly recognized first. What Masami was describing however seemed normal, nothing for concern. Shinobi were still people after all, of course one shouldn’t simply kill blindly and completely without remorse nor should one be overconfident in one’s abilities. “There’s nothing wrong with that kind of doubt. As shinobi we kill often but I don’t want the shinobi of the leaf to become completely heartless. We’re most than just weapons. We’re also peacekeepers and figures meant to inspire rather than intimidate. As you gain more experience it will be easier to determine when to spare a life and when someone is beyond redemption. As you gain more responsibility it will often be in your hands to make those decisions, there aren’t always clear cut answers, another shinobi might handle a situation differently than you but as long as you prioritize the safety of your comrades, keep a focus on the mission objectives and remain calm and composed then I’m sure you’ll prevail.” He reassured with a slight smile, he was actually rather impressed with how far the woman had come. He could hardly believe that she was the same person that he had met nearly five years ago.

Takeo smiled as the woman accepted the idea of embracing the Genma’s power. He chuckled at the mention of Aina, “I’m not with her just for her good looks, she can be quite wise too!” his eyes seemed to warm up as he spoke of her, for all of their minor spats and frustrations with one another he loved the woman passionately and deeply. His head tilted slightly in interest as Masami mentioned her newest chakra releases. “Very interesting…” he contemplated, running his fingers through his beard. “We’ll have to spar sometime, you can test each of your fusion releases against me, I’ve only encountered Hyouton twice before and have never seen Garaton before.” The tone of his voice had picked up as he considered getting to spar against so many elemental types, it was a very exciting prospect. She even had access to Hiton and Youton as far as he was aware, though he was quite familiar with the former and had done a great deal of experimenting with the latter.

The topic shifted to the final question that he had for her, he was curious to what her answer would be. Not only for his assessment of her but of her opinion of the leadership of two of Konoha’s finest shinobi. He was actually surprised to hear equal praise for Yosuke and Hayashi. ‘Interesting’ perhaps the ANBU commander had been taking some of Takeo’s advice to heart or maybe despite his ruthless ways he treated his underlings better than Takeo had anticipated. Either way it was a note that would certainly be in the man’s favor. “I’m glad to hear that, both of those men are remarkable shinobi with excellent leadership skills, in fact Hayashi was actually my Sensei back when I was a Genin. He was and still is like a second father-figure to me. I look forward to seeing you progress among their ranks, making your own name for yourself as a respected Jounin and strong leader” Withdrawing a certificate from his desk Takeo would sign a line at the bottom and then stamp it with his official mark. Handing it over to her Masami would see her name emblazoned in gold writing, the title of Jounin displayed beneath followed by official writing stating the date of promotion and all the new responsibilities and expectations of her henceforth. “Congratulations Masami” he said with a warm and genuine smile.

[Kabu]

Masami tilted her head as their talk concluded and Takeo pulled out a piece of paper, signing and stamping it before handing it over to her, her eyes widening at what she saw. Jounin? Her? There was no way but she was seeing it right there in front of her and in hindsight there had been hints of it throughout this entire talk, most notably the tail end. Still though.. it was unbelievable. In a lot of ways the last few years had felt like a long dream and this was just the icing on the cake. It was reality though, she knew it was, she just didn't know what to make of it. "I..." she started to speak but almost immediately closed her mouth and went silent once more, trying to find the right way to put her scrambled thoughts into words.


"I don't know what to say." she quietly spoke, hugging the certificate to her chest. "I've been working towards this day for so very long and yet now that it's here, I'm stunned. I don't know how I'm supposed to react." she said, letting out a quiet sigh.

Yet even despite that, even despite any remaining uncertainties, she couldn't help but brightly smile, a rare smile, warm and genuine. "I'm happy though, happy to have all my hard work finally acknowledged. Thank you. I'll make sure to keep working hard and prove that the right decision was made here today."