Naruto SoundITP IC 1: A Melancholy Song of Hope To Come

[Lord Raziere]

Paths: Cross
Both Jirou and Kikenna body flicker onto the scene, to see a scene of dumbfounded and bewildered people: Yuyuyu had turned around just after evacuating everyone, Kimiko had just came back in sword drawn, frozen in surprise and fear, the bells probably half scattered on the ground, then looks at Senko scared and distraught. Kimiko looks at Jirou blinking not sure what to think, and he sighs. Thank the Sage and whatever Kamis, she must've used up her senjutsu. He could observe that much. But maybe he should get things from one who was there. He turns to the girl with the umbrella.
"Yuyuyu. Report."
She snaps out of it and salutes while reporting
"Jirou! We successfully caught the thief trying to get some kitsune ramen, turned out they were a giant snake. Skilled in genjutsu. Don't let your guard down about that. Then for some reason Senko suddenly turned berserk and started talking about killing people and we called a Code Oni tried to keep her distracted and tried to save her life at Kimiko's command as well as evacuate the area. I apologize if our efforts do not follow the protocols of Code Oni."
she will point to Menko as she explains this....if the snake is still there and hasn't ran off. Jirou nods slightly
"Very well. Worry not. You did well if you managed to use up all her chakra without needing Code Oni."
He calls on the radio to call off Code Oni as the handler and say the situation is handled, then he will walk over to Senko, bend down and hug her, saying
"Don't worry, its going to be fine. I am just happy that your okay and that....more extremes measure were not necessary. No one is dead. They made sure of it. I'll make sure nothing bad happens to you."
He will slowly break the hug and turn to Kimiko, who felt a little pang of jealousy that Senko got hugged but she didn't, but suppressed it.
"Well? do you understand what I said earlier?"
Kimiko says sadly
"...Yes."
"Good. Anyways, worry not. Usagi judging from your bells you were just about to try to put her to sleep, that would've also worked. Kimiko, one of the parts of Code Oni just so you know for future reference is to place a basic sealing tag on Senko to paralyze her, which I know is a seal you can make."
"what really!? I could've used a basic sealing tag all this time!?"
"Yes."
"Then why didn't....y'know..."
"There was no time to explain. also it requires getting within melee range."
"and to think I was placing storage tags filled with tons of rolls of paper to control so I could lure her into it, release and use them to grab and restrain her...."
"Yes. you should take those down, waste not want not."
Kimiko points at Kikenna, who was just standing over there, watching all this with a grin on her face.
"and why is she here!?"
Jirou delivers the next words so dryly and similar to the way he normally speaks one would've have to use a microscope on the metaphorical desert that formed around them to spot the grains of sarcasm.
"Isn't it obvious? I'm sleeping with her. Loudly. Repeatedly. Every night."
"Anikiiiii...."
Kimiko whines back, exasperated at her brother messing with her, with face forming a scrunched up: >_<
Kikenna only laughs at this, neither confirming nor denying anything.
"Anyways, it all seems to have gone relatively well. Senko, don't forget about taking care of that next time. Everyone else perhaps use certain methods faster."
He turns to the matter of Men-ko
"Now about this snake..."
A snake from Ryuichi cave was a matter of at least some attention. Some summoned animals lived right here on Earth after all, and the snakes were often connected with Konoha given their proximity, even if they weren't Konoha themselves. Its possible for contracts with certain animals to form outside of the nations they normally did so with, its just not something that normally does.

[Rater202]

"Something bad should happen to me!" Senko shouts.

"...I... It's... It is my own fault, Ishikawa-sensei. I, I forgot to vent my Senjutsu chakra and didn't realize until it was too late..."

Senko stands up and... She's at least a foot shorter than she was before. her face is the same and...

Senko is ten. At the oldest. Which means, since she's been on her own for four years, that she's been alone since she was six.

"If people fear me or... I'm... I am dangerous. If I forget, or if I lose my temper," Senko's hands twitch. "and there's... there is already so much blood on my hands. People are right to fear me. Right to want nothing to do with me."

"Yuyuyu-san, that was... The reason I went berserk is becuase of my kekkei genkai. Senninka, sage transformation, a body built up from the chemical level to use Senjutsu and natural energy, drawing it in for me is a matter of biology, not meditation. It happens constantly and I can no more control it than I can force my heart to stop beating. My family are able to achieve Sage Mode passively, wth no training whatsoever, but..."

"Well, you saw what happens. If we enter that state, we go violently insane and try to murder anything in sight. If we lose control of our emotions or build up too much natural energy, we will automatically enter our Sage Mode. Until I master Sage Mode, I am at a near-constant risk of going on a rampage and killing all my neighbors again."

...Didn't she say that her home town wasn't there anymore?

"If I slip up, even once, then... Ahh!"

You see, at this point, out of nowhere, a certain white and lavender cobra slithered up, which is a perfectly normal occasion, and in a way that is of no concern to anyone, really, bit Senko on her left arm.

Perfectly normal, nothing that anyone should in any way be concerned about.

I mean, would the Snake be using a Genjutsu to make people think this was normal? Seriously, stop being so paranoid.

[Lord Raziere]

Outside The Cafe:
Jiour with his back turned is unaware, point at where Yuyuyu was.
"What snake?"
Yuyuyu and kimiko look to where Menko was last seen in surprise.
"Eeeh!!? where did that snake go?"
"Darn it, we have to recatch that snake all over again!"
He doesn't turn around immediately figuring that Senko just needed to get it out of her system, perhaps let her vent before calming down and speaking about how they'd go about doing that.

Kikenna of course being the greater genjutsu user sees the snake bite the child and tenses, knowing how deadly snake poison can be. She reaches for a weapon until she spies with her trained infiltrator eyes, a forming contract seal on Senko's arm. An infiltrator after all was also supposed to be investigator of small details and thus piece together conclusions by extrapolation to spy on the enemy. This snake would know about how to control senjutsu, so if it had formed a contract, it meant that it wasn't poisoning Senko but perhaps offering her an avenue of help. She doesn't do anything about it.

Of course soon Jirou will turn around saying.
"If you insist upon punishment. Well you are right, this is a military. We do have to do that, and you did cause trouble for your squad today. Perhaps an extra D-rank mission without pay picking up the trash somewhere for today along with Usagi for breaking into the radio tower yesterday would be appropriate-"
He will see the snake, he is a skilled enough ninja to see past the illusion and begin to move forward while his hand goes to his sword ready to strike at the snake that dared to attack the child he considered a second little sister- Then stops as Kikenna moves to grab his shoulder.
"Hold a moment. Look closer."
Kikenna will gently nudge the snake off of Senko's arm to reveal the contract seal. Jirou's eyes will narrow. Not as bad as he was expecting. But questions still need to be answered.
"Snake. Explain yourself. You just formed a contract with a ward of mine, I would like to know why and how given that she has not agreed to it. You have until the count of ten....nine..."

[Rater202]

"Because I'm an opportunistic bitch?"

"I don't want to go home. It's boring there and there are no noodles and just becuase I'm a white snake everyone's expecting me to study sage techniques and be all dignified and crap."

"...But I don't have to go home... If I form a familiar contract. I'm expected to be available to my master and able to tend to their needs at all times, yeah. I can stay away as long as I want and nobody else back at the cave can do crap about it."

"And it seems that her needs are someone who can tell when she's got too much natural energy and needs to vent it before she goes cuckoo bananas and ventilates someone."

"...so. I can order you around now?"

"Within reason. The Contract seal binds my chakra to yours but I'm not under any compulsion to obey commands. The only penalty, if I refuse, is that the other snakes will know me as an oath breaker. Also, you can't order me to kill myself, do something I genuinely believe will get me killed, do something I genuinely believe I physically can't do, or mate with someone... Well, I mean, you can but I'm within my rights to refuse, and trying to force compliance with those specific things is one of the few things that breaks the contract."

"Okay. If you are going to be my familiar then I order you to pay for the meals you stole from Ichichiraku's and Osoba-san's. If you are my subordinate then your conduct reflects on me and I do not need two reasons for people to hate me."

"With what money? I'm a snake. Do you think I'd bother with the Genjutsu if I could just pay for the food?"

"Fine. Then I will cover the debt and you will work off the difference by assisting in my research. I've been wanting to study the physiology of a summoned animal."

"Uhh..."

"Do not worry," Senko said with a dry grin. "You will live."

Jirou should be able to tell that Senko is calm down, that's some of her textbook "bone dry black humor." The snake, meanwhile, has what is easily recognizable as the snake equivalent of the "I've made a horrible mistake" face.

By now, the contract seal has finished forming. It resembles a stylized snake coiling around Senko's forearm, with the kanji 麺子(Men-ko, "Noodle child")in its mouth

[igordragonian]

Odayama's fake jinchuriki mode had many deffections.
The main one, that it made him fall asleep, and it require planning to make it really pratical, also Odayama for years have trained insticual reactions that would work even when he asleep.
(And junin level violent wife was quite the asset in this)
Odayama preffered to calmly prepare a strategy, but in this situation it waz his to go to.
Odayma wasn't much stronger in raw powers then the top Genins of the hope generation.
It took him a minute but he woke up.


Usagi looked strangely at Jirou and Kimiko. She had an actual sibling who loved her. But soon turned to Senko.
Usagi shrug at Senko's worries. "Be dangeroususe and feared is good! Who will dare to look down on you, or question your power."

She blink at Jirou. "Punishment?! I just did my job!" She yelled.

Odayama smile at Senko, and kneel down.
"All ninjas are feared. But that ok." He messed her hair.
"This part of the reason we have units. We can understand and support each other. Beside.. it was my fault, for not making a bento for my wife."

[Rater202]

At this point, Senko is completely convinced that Odayama-sensei is insane. His wife's inability to pack her own lunch is in no way related to Senko's rampage.

To Usagi, Senko simply has to say "When you have killed all your friends and neighbors and can still taste the blood as it splashes into your mouth four years later, when you have lived in the wilderness for a year or more with nothing but your own thoughts to keep you company, then you can tell me how to feel about my Non-Self."

"Though you have a point. Ishikawa-sensei, a slap on the wrist would be wore than no punishment at all and I do believe that punishing a moment of thoughtlessness that could have potentially led to the deaths of civilians by putting me in a position where I will be around civilians for several hours is somewhat missing the point... Perhaps we should relocate this conversation elsewhere. We are very well exposed if there happens to be a spy in out midst and the thought occurs to me that I left my storage scroll in the cafe with my robe and I do not remember if I had any emergency snacks sealed away. If someone tampers with it and there is an emergency snack so sealed... It would be bad."

This is more of Senko's dark humor. "Emergency snack" is code for "spare medical cadavers, particularly ones that have already be dissected and thus are no longer of use." She calls them that becuase, well, cellular regeneration absorption is kind of like eating and used up donated cadavers are the most ethical source of human mass she can have if she finds herself needing to replace biomass or augment herself.

[Lord Raziere]

Jirou: Stern Fatherly Dismissal
He is silent, narrowing his eyes at Senko's talkback in stern fatherly disapproval. She was acting way too casual about this now.
"While you have a point this is not a discussion, young lady, nor do we have time to indulge in pointless paranoia. Grab your things and go to your containment room in the lab and practice your techniques to vent your chakra or otherwise control your senjutsu for the rest of the day until you fall asleep, at the very least. You are not to research or experiment upon anything during this time. Do it until you know the techniques by heart. Complain again and it will be doing that for a week straight, and I'll put a paralyze tag on you and take you there myself for insubordinate behavior. Menko you go with her and begin working to keep her controlled under the lab's watchful eye since you volunteered. I expect you to be properly apologetic to your team tomorrow. You are dismissed, Kikenna will escort you there."
He will never have time for that long discussion nonsense, especially from a child. Even if that child is very intelligent for her age. He turns to Usagi.
"Yes you did you do your job, Usagi- incorrectly, and thus caused havoc with the guards, creating a false alarm when there could've been a real attack. A ninja could've used you as distraction to do something more sinister, and you should've just handed it off the chuunin at the front. I stopped by the Otokage's offices before I went to Kikenna today. You were manipulated by a Chuunin as a prank. That is no excuse, as ninja are supposed to see underneath the underneath. If you cannot even see through something as simple as that, what hope do you have of penetrating the enemies deceptions as a ninja? I revise the punishment for you as well."
He takes out a scroll and releases a book from it and gives it to Usagi. Its entitled "How to See Underneath the Underneath For Genin"
"You are to study this book repeatedly until you know its contents by heart. You are dismissed."
He turns to Odayama, his voice, frost.
"I cannot do anything about you, but your wife's lunch has nothing to do with this and is a flimsy excuse. Your laxity is concerning, and I hope you do not retain it during higher ranked missions. Good day Odayama. I have important business to take care of with my clan."
He will turn to Kimiko and say
"Kimiko, we are heading home. Yuyuyu-san? You did well, as always."
Yuyuyu salutes
"Just doing my job, Jirou-san."
Jirou will dispense the pay then leave with Kimiko now, leaving the Genin to go home to their remedial courses/punishment, brooking no argument. He has no time for their protests and has to take care of his own business with his mother. Like his day is already pretty bad, and its just going to get worse for him, he is not adding pointless debates with genin to the list. We're done here, move on.

((OOC: don't timeskip to next day, find something to do, this fight with Mitsuko is pretty important. whether you obey his punishments or not is your choice, but know that being too blatant and unstealthy about disobeying will get you stopped. As long as you don't get caught by the people who matter, you can do what you want.))

[Rater202]

Senko is now wondering if Jirou-sensei actually reads the reports on her research and her condition.

There are no techniques to vent her Senjutsu chakra. She vents it by using senjutsu. Or, at least, her sage transformation. The whole point of her research is to understand her condition and either develop a means to control it until she has the means to master Sage Mode or else alter herself to be able to control it or cheat her way into master Sage Mode.

Banning her from researching for a day was actively preventing her from "knowing such techniques by heart" since she needed to create those techniques first.

The closest to his instructions she can do is repeatedly transform her body in ways that consume a lot of chakra until she's too exhausted to function... Which would take a long, long time, becuase her body is constantly taking in natural energy and the act of taking in natural energy replenishes one's stamina and thus, one's chakra. The act of it may well make things worse. Such a thing would count as both spiritual training and exercise. Increase her power, make her more dangerous if she loses control again.

After retrieving her things and getting back to her laboratory, she begins writing a ten-page document detailing all of the genetic and physiological factors that she knows of that result in such things, how constructively venting her emotions prevents her anger or frustration from pushing her into a berserk state and reiterating the purposes of her research, using all of the correct and proper terminologies and giving multiple citations cross-referencing other reports she's submitted to him before ending on the inarguable conclusion that his assigned punishment was nonsensical and counterproductive, albeit phrased in a non-confrontational manner while also clarifying that, due to the aforementioned fact that constructive venting and management of her emotions, such as by say, writing a document such as this one, prevents her emotions from causing issues, that the act of writing this document counts as following his instructions.

She isn't, strictly speaking, disobeying his orders. She's not conducting research, as all the research she is citing has already been done, which is spelled out in the document. She is merely pointing out that the orders she's been given are impossible to follow and somewhat misguided. Only a tyrant would hold such things against her.

Either he doesn't read the document and nothing will come from it. He'll glance at it, probably confront her about disobeying an order. Either would prove that he isn't reading her reports. If he actually reads it all the way through, he'll understand that she has a valid grievance.

At the very bottom of the final page, after the conclusion, she attaches a request to speak on his sources on Senjutsu. If he's actually reading her reports, then the only other explanation for his misunderstanding is that he's operating on false information of how Senjutsu works or is being fed information that contradicts her own research. Either points to the possibility that his own research into Senjutsu is compromised by misinformation that may or may not have been spread maliciously.

She gives the document to Men-Ko with strict instructions on how to submit it so that it comes to Jirou's desk and sends her to do so: Men-Ko is, technically, outside of the Sound village and, as Jirou pointed out himself, is essentially a volunteer. Senko, meanwhile, has not left her laboratory.

Then, Senko takes a nap. Her instructions were to remain here until she fell asleep, after all.

Of course, with how busy he is, it may be a while before Jirou actually reads the passive-aggressive and technically-not-order-breaking treatise.

[Lord Raziere]

Fate of the Meaningless Dissertation:
Jirou just didn't say it correctly because he was a little tired and focused on the thing that is about to happen. Whenever he gets around to writing a reply it will consist of only a few words on a note handed back to her:
"I was tired and worried. You know what I meant. Just do better. Love you."
He will then frame the dissertation complete with an embarrassing title and put on a wall next to pictures of Kimiko when she was younger.

Jirou: Challenge
Kimiko will ask on the way back.
"Anikii, what did you mean that you business with our clan?"
"You will soon see."
"But I wanna know!"
"You will soon know, be seeing it."
"Moooouuu......"
They will soon arrive at the Ishikawa household. They go inside to see Mitsuko waiting for them, sitting on a cushion as a proper shinobi and woman of her station should, as she always had. She regards them, with narrowed eyes and disdain. The rest of the clan is there, watching as if ready.
"Ah....your back. How was Kimiko's mission? I heard this Code Oni being broadcast on the radio. Anything I should know?"
Kimiko opens her mouth only for Jirou to put his hand in front of her and speak instead.
"That is not your concern, Oka-san."
"Hoh? Why then, are you here?" Mitsuko says back, already knowing but allowing the drama to play out.
“Oka-san....I challenge you, by ancient tradition of the Ishikawa Clan, to a duel to contest your leadership with my own.” Jirou states.
"What!!?" Kimiko exclaims wide eyed and confused.
“....Really?” Mitsuko laughs disjointedly “The black sheep decides to challenge the alpha wolf, does he? Very well then. I accept. I'll finally put you into the place where you belong: at the bottom.”
“Your saying that to your son?”
“I'm saying it to the clan's failure.”
“failure am I? The Otokage disagrees, seeing as how he has named me successor, and encouraged me to become leader of the clan.”
The entire clan gasps at this, shocked.
“Ah yes....the Otokage came by to try and persuade me to support you in this. I declined.”
Mitsuko explains, twitching at this. Jirou doesn't answer, only staring back, calm.
“OHOHOHOHOHOHOHO! Well then! I'll show him how foolish his choice was! To the yard, we'll settle this there.”
As they turn to leave for it Kimiko grabs at Jirou's arm
"Anikii! Why are you doing this!? Whats going on!? Are...aren't I supposed to....?"
He tears his arm away.
"You will understand someday. This is for your own good."
This only leaves Kimiko even more confused and distraught as her brother and mother goes into the courtyard to begin their duel, feeling as if her world was being shattered before her eyes.

[Rater202]

Senko: Bond with your Familiar.

Senko wakes up from her nap to find that not enough time has passed for her to say she followed Jirou's instructions and have people believe her.

She gets up from the floor and cracks her back. She mumbles, her futon back at the apartment has gotten her spoiled. She's not used to sleeping on the hard ground anymore.

...Now what? She didn't object to being locked up. she'd insisted on it at first, but if she was forbidden to work then she had nothing by which to occupy her time.

She channeled her senjutsu chakra across her body, enhancing her physical attributes while a black diamond pattern spread across her body. After rampaging, she should be fine for the rest of the day but after slipping up once she'd rather be safe than sorry.

"So I don't know that much about humans but if humans, in general, are obsessed with keeping their lineage pure as those white-eyed people in the village to the south of here then that whole 'give blood powers to rats thing' is going to piss off a lot of people."

Senko turns and sees Men-ko, in human form, sitting on her writing desk, reading from one of Senko's research logs.

"One: The desk is writing, not sitting. Use the chair. Two, I did not give your permission to read my logs."

"This isn't a log, it's a book. Logs are chunks of a dead tree that inexplicably appear out of nowhere when Ninjas teleport out of the way of an attack."

"...Are you being stupid on purpose?"

*laughing snake noises*

"well, that is why I do not tell people about it... Besides, it is mostly for my own benefit: If I perfect the process then I might be able to use someone else's cells to balance my unstable chakra and develop the control I need to master senjutsu. It might be useful for, say, modernizing the village and moving beyond the current outdated, outmoded, backward, and unsustainable clan system... Do you have any idea how inbred most clans are? Even mine and we are scattered across the continent. My parents were cousins. I do not know how close, because their parents were second cousins. All four of them. Now that I think about it, that might be part of the reason for the family history of murderous insanity, and I can not imagine how bad it is for the more dedicated ninja clans."

"I don't know my parents. All I know is that my mother probably mated with a dozen males that night, that she laid her eggs in a random hole in the wall, and then when I came out white on hatching I was dragged away from the clutch to be trained as a sage and what I want be damned. Maybe I don't want to be a sage. Maybe I want to eat noodles, move to the land of beaches, and walk around naked. That's my business!"

"...You are a snake. You do not normally wear clothes to begin with... Even now, since you did not leave that kimono behind when you assumed your true form earlier I have to assume that it is either an illusion cast over your transformed body or a construct molded from your chakra."

"Stop picking apart my nonsense."

"...So, this log-book says you want to learn every kind of senjutsu... Technically, if you want to come to Ryuchi cave and learn from the great venerable bat, as your familiar I'd be obligated to help prepare you for the trials and even lead you past them if you ordered me to. I can't do anything about the part where she forcibly injects you with natural energy and expects yu to mold it on your own with no training and she'll eat you if you permanently mutate from it, but..."

"As long as she does not mind getting smacked around by a murderous pseudo-oni, that should not be a problem at all... And you would not get in trouble for that?"

"I'm basically one step above being your willing slave. By forging that bond, my obligation to you supersedes and negates any other responsibility I have... Okay, technically I should be trying to convince you to sign the full Snake Summoning contract, but that's more tradition than anything else."

"...Why would you do that for someone you have only just met and whose job was to apprehend you and put a stop to your criminal behavior? Do you hate your home that much?"

"That's my business... Oh, by the way, if the Great Venerable Bat bites you you'll get our power of Reincarnation. I see that your test subjects have a low survival rate, that might let you survive if you apply that technique for your own problems and..." gurgle. "...I never actually ate today."

[Lord Raziere]

Jirou Vs. Mitsuko Part 1
They come out into the courtyard, and face each other. Analyzing and sizing each other up. Jirou knew he had the advantage in this fight. His katana, the Five Elements Tachi, was capable of accessing all five basic elements through his own ingenuity. He knew that Paper Release is both weak to Fire and Water. Paper after all, was a fragile material and easily destroyed. His own Water Affinity should be able to easily break through any paper attacks she had, which he knew his mother specialized in- was the only jutsu she focused on. She had to, to preserve as much as of the clan's heritage as possible given her lack of talent for fuinjutsu, the half of the heritage she could never get the hang of. Basically this should be an easy fight for him, in theory.
A sakura petal falls from a tree and suddenly they act, Mitsuko drawing her paper whip, and Jirou drawing his blade and activating his water seal, forming the water from the sword to be a whip as well to meet it. They clash- and the paper successfully parries his strike, and they both retract their attacks.
"...How?"
"Hah! foolish boy, do you really think that our family could live for generations in the Land of Water without developing a kind of paper that is immune to water? We'd be dead from inter-clan strife long ago if we hadn't. Its a bit hard to make and is kept secret, but it does its job."
"you have yet to share this with Kimiko."
"She'd be given the secret sooner or later. Besides she has the sword, unlike me she can always just make more paper with it."
She forms hand seals and says
"Paper Release: Paper Tentacles Jutsu"
Suddenly grass around Jirou reveals itself to be colored paper rising up to grab and bind him and he switches the element of the Five Elements Tachi to Fire, the blade wreathed in orange-red flames and cuts through the paper tentacles surrounding in a flurry of strikes. That still worked, but he didn't know Fire Release. The blade was as far as it could go. It was a good tool, but it couldn't do everything. This was going to be a harder fight than expected. But he knew that his abilities if used smarter, could overcome her specialization.
They both flash hand signs and say
"Paper Clone Jutsu!"
"Water Clone Jutsu."
A clone of each ninja poof into existence or form from the nearby pond and charge forward to fight in melee, testing their taijutsu skills like a scout, both with their respective swords, Jirou's metal and Mitsuko's a paper one. Clone jutsu is a force multiplier in such battles and was typically countered with another clone to keep the field even. The two originals engage in psychological warfare while they analyze each clones movements in close combat.
"What do you hope to do with this, boy? Change things? Spite me? Prove you are better? Do tell why you choose to finally grow a spine after all this time."
"To make sure...Kimiko will be free of you. Free of being a weapon. Free of being married off."
"Free? None of us are free, brat. She already is a weapon, she has already killed- as have you. I remember the day we escaped from Kirigakure- you killed Genin with nothing but a kunai, when you were six. You cried about it while I held you in my arms comforting you- then you never showed emotion ever again and locked yourself in chains of sacrifice and duty. You have no leg to stand on."
"Only because you put that kunai into my hands and told me to kill whoever was in my way."
"and in doing so, I saved your life. We are all weapons for the village and the nation that village serves. Its either that we're or lone criminals with no allies, no support, no money, no civilization. I ensured you could be useful, thus ensure your survival and thus the survival of the clan for all must pull their weight."
"Then why put so much pressure on Kimiko?"
"She is the greatest of us all and thus expected to pull the most weight. Much like a Kage is the greatest of all ninja in a village and thus expected to pull the most weight with their greater power. Great power must be weighed by great responsibility to control it after all. Duty focuses a shinobi and keep them from being distracted by foolish emotions and desires."
"and makes a convenient way to keep her doing what you want."
He accuses, an edge in his voice.
"Yes, thats the problem with all ideals is it not? They make great things to strive for- and thus great tools to manipulate people with!"
Mitsuko says, making a shark grin.
"Especially on oneself, to convince yourself that your selfless."
"Projecting again are we?"
"Believe what you want boy, everyone manipulates others to try and follow their way in life, and your no different! You just want Kimiko following your ideals rather than mine."
"I pity wretches who believe everyone is as bad as themselves."
Mitsuko growls as the two clones poof one another at the same time and the two begin moving. The duel is heating up.

[Rater202]

"...and that's why they named me Men-ko," the snake finished.

"Facinating."

"So, what's your name story?"

"...It is the character for 'Hermit' attached to the character for child, forming a homophone and, in kana or romaji, a homonym for the more common name 'Senko.' I suspect that my parents chose it as an allusion to our inherent genetic affinity to senjutsu."

"That's boring."

"I am sorry that my life does not fascinate you."

"...So, you ever get the murderous rage thing under control, then what?"

"I will pursue the study of Senjutsu, studying as many kinds as I can, until such a time as I have achieved a perfect Senjtus and become one with nature and thus, free to learn or do anything I wish. I will then use my accumulated knowledge to drag this world kicking and screaming beyond its outdated notions and force people to cooperate, work together, and finally make some god-damned progress."

"Lame. That's a job, what do you plan to do for fun?"

"...I may or may not have fantasized about having a harem of strapping lads and comely lasses who worship my perfect, godlike body when I am old enough to be able to properly enjoy such a thing."

"...I like the way you think, Senko-sama."

[Lord Raziere]

Kikenna: Reveal yourself to Senko
"I think both of those goals are wonderful ideas!"
A voice came from behind you. It was Kikenna. Lounging around.
"and before you ask: Yes I was here the whole time, you didn't notice because I can do that "no one notices me" trick to, and I am trained infiltrator you think I couldn't get into a place within my own village? Don't worry, I don't particularly like following rules. I'm just here to say to little snake girl here that if your going to break them- don't get caught.

As for me, hello. I'm Kikenna Masuku. I was just observing you, see why Jirou would care about you, that sort of thing. and to say that I think we'll get along just fine."
A smirk plays on her face, not really doing anything but observing how Senko reacts, ready to dodge anything Senko throws at her but seemingly nothing but relaxed.

Jirou Vs. Mitsuko Part 2
"Shot through the heart!
and your to blame!
you give love, a bad name."
-Sai and Sauce Kays

They both form their hand seals and say
Paper Release: Confetti Flurry Jutsu!"
"Water Release: Water Wall Jutsu."
A Bunch of small confetti tear Mitsuko's paper to fire at bullet speeds towards Jirou, the water from his clone forming a wall block and make the confetti go wide and into different directions by passing through just in time while he ducks behind a big rock. The two begin edging around the rock, Jirou keeping himself the side opposite of his mother.
"That jutsu was deadly, your trying to kill me now?"
"Ah quit your belly-achin'. Your a Chuunin boy! You either handle it or die. I don't like it, but I'd have to do that sort of thing for Kimiko when she gets to your age to, to keep her sharp."
She thrusts her paper sword, using her paper jutsu to bend it around the corner to attack Jirou only barely evades it, geting a cut on his shoulder, as he dodges away he shouts with sudden anger.
“You never gave me the attention you gave Kimiko! From the moment you learned I had no kekkei genkai, you looked down on me! You stopped loving me!”
He says as he parries the other thrusts with his flaming blade.
“ARROGANT CHILD! You know not of what you speak! I raised you despite your worthlessness! You owe your existence to me! Who protected you during the Third Shinobi war!? Who taught you how to swing a sword!? ME!!”
“Then you threw me aside the moment Kimiko came into the picture! You left me to learn everything myself! Not caring if I lived or died, not even praising me for becoming Chuunin!”
“And clearly I was right to do so, given that you seem to be doing so well for yourself. A rebellious child needs to be given space so that they may discover their folly the hard way.”
Mitsuko then makes two big paper shurikens, throwing them both, one comes from the front while the second ricohets off two rocks to come at him from behind. His blade could only burn one of the shuriken, so he used replacement jutsu, replaced with a log that they both embed in while he appears a distance behind Mitsuko, throws down a storage scroll filled with water and in a flash of hand seals saying
"Water Release: Electrifying Water Tentacles Jutsu"
The water tentacles whip and grab Mitsuko and he sticks his electrified Five Elements Tachi to conduct the lighting through them to shock Mitsuko who screams for a moment- then poofs into a cloud of confetti. A second paper clone.
Jirou moves quickly as the confetti is fired rapidly back at him like a gatling gun, his speed keeping him ahead of their deadly force making a row of holes behind him, even one could kill or injure him. As they run out he looks around, Mitsuko calls out from the shadows
“What do you even fight for fool!?”
“I sacrifice for Kimiko's future. I sacrifice for the Clans and even the Sound's future. As if you'd know the meaning of that.”
“EXCUSE ME, YOUNG MAN!? Do not speak to me of sacrifice! I've bled for and led this clan! I've worked all I could to make sure it had a new life here, a life where it can restart! Become great again! More than you know!”
“And look at what you have to show for it!”
“Yes, a life of not being missing nin or dead by a tyrants blade! Good education, a roof over our heads, protection within a village! A promising new prodigy to lead the charge into a new generation! All the opportunities you have!”
Jirou had no response to that. But neither did he have any sympathy. He throws a kunai at where Mitsuko was, tearing at the painted paper she was hiding under as camouflage causing her to jump out of it and he pursues after her.

[Rater202]

Kikenna: Reveal yourself to Senko
"I think both of those goals are wonderful ideas!"
A voice came from behind you. It was Kikenna. Lounging around.
"and before you ask: Yes I was here the whole time, you didn't notice because I can do that "no one notices me" trick to, and I am trained infiltrator you think I couldn't get into a place within my own village? Don't worry, I don't particularly like following rules. I'm just here to say to little snake girl here that if your going to break them- don't get caught.

As for me, hello. I'm Kikenna Masuku. I was just observing you, see why Jirou would care about you, that sort of thing. and to say that I think we'll get along just fine."

"I honestly have no idea. Well, there's one thing but I am not at liberty to discuss that. If you have high enough clearance, ask Ishikawa-sensei about what he works on here."

"Beyond that, I suspect that the higher-up's in the village who know of my existence and the exact circumstances by which I became a Ninja of the Sound view me in a manner not unlike a Jinchuriki: A big stick to drop off in the middle of something they want to be broken and made to go on a rampage."

"It is not an inaccurate idea, either: Members of my clan, due to our constant intake of natural energy and passive molding of Senjutsu Chakra naturally cultivate large reserves of chakra and, similar to the Uzumaki clan but fr different reasons, tend to have maximums that are well above average: I have no formal shinobi training but my reserves of chakra are between five and eight times that of an average genie. Even without training, by the time I am eighteen based on averages from known members of my family my power will be comparable to an above-average Jonin."

"If I did train? I could easily rival a kage in terms of raw power by that time."

"The physical act of drawing in natural energy has a revitalizing effect, restoring physical and mental stamina and thus, depleted chakra, and the act of molding senjutsu chakra bestows an entire dimension of power: Sage Mode, which my berserk state is a form of, magnifies one's physical attributes and all raw power at least ten times over and as many as several scores over."

"And my unique physiology means that I am constantly drawing in natural energy and molding senjutsu chakra: Once my reserves of chakra are large enough, I can theoretically remain transformed indefinitely."

"So, its one or the other: Research or becuase I could theoretically become a tireless berserker with the raw power of dozens of age and thus fulfill the role of a Jinchuriki in terms of the balance of power among villages."

[Lord Raziere]

Kikenna:
She stretches as she responds.
"Hmmm.....thats screwed up kid. Your quite aware of how things are. I myself don't really agree with the world's situation at all to put it lightly. My belief is that no one should be a weapon....no one should be a tool. Treat people as objects, as lesser and it never turns out well. Thing its not just this using people as weapons thing....its the whole culture surrounding it. Every shinobi nation has some variation on a collectivist philosophy: the group matters, not the individual and thus while everyone works for the good for the whole, the whole doesn't necessarily work for the good of every individual within the whole as individuals don't always work with it, but neither do they intend to harm it.

But the collective must still stand, so the collective dismisses any individual concerns as a problem with oneself and not a problem with society. Shinobi, laborers, ashigaru, samurai....they are all raised to place the good of the collective over themselves. That their individual problems are something they don't speak up about because of a single evil phrase "It can't be helped". Thus people are taught to shame themselves into not speaking up. To just accept their suffering and endure it rather than change it. Thus every persons suffering becomes a secret to hide. Thus everyone assumes their suffering is their fault and not of the worlds. Such acceptance and enduring of hardship is glamorized and romanticized through various Wills of their nations as propaganda. To the point of martyrdom for them.

But your unique or at least unusual. Not just because of some bloodline....but because you think for yourself. You see a problem, you point it out. You don't accept suffering, but work to over come it. You have a problem with a system you think it justified to voice it. The shinobi nations could use more people like you. Its too bad- I can't really do much to train you. The only thing I know relating to your area of expertise is drugs and poisons."

Jirou Vs. Mitsuko, Finale
As Mitsuko runs to keep out his swords range, Jirou taunts her
“You are nothing but someone trying to live through their child, your own potential squandered or unrealized, obsessed with experiencing what she is and envious of her genius.”
“And your a brother obsessed with trying to be a father she will never have to her! Trying so hard to make her happy, to protect her from me! You should be trying to protect her from the world, as I do.”
“By abusing her? By pushing her to the limit at all times? By trying to force what you want on her!?”
“You are too soft, boy. If you consider my measures extreme, you should be thankful your not born Hyuuga. If half the things I've heard about them are true, I would stay away from such monsters....”
"As if your one to talk."
She forms a hand seal saying
"Earth Release: Boulder Blast Jutsu."
A boulder seemingly comes out of the ground and is hurtled towards Jirou, only for him to cut through it with his burning blade and for the remains to burn to ashes- he knew for a fact that his mother didn't know any other release other than paper. This boulder was nothing but a big painted crumbled up ball prepared head of time to fool people. Still just as dangerous to be fair, but not threatening his counter.
Mitsuko realizes that she needed to get that blade away from him. His Five Elements Tachi seemed to his greatest weapon. But taijutsu was out with its greater reach and fire, and her paper jutsu was too easily destroyed by it. Which left one option. She didn't want to use it though, even if she hated Jirou. She lets him get closer then forms hand seals whispering. This jutsu had a shorter range than most.
"Kinjutsu: Human Skin Papyrus"
Suddenly a strip of skin of Jirou's wrist just rips itself off and he cries out in pain while the strip of skin grabs the blades while has let go and throws it away, embedding it in the wall. Then she forms a paper whip and Jirou began dodging, running and hiding while Mitsuko lashes on the sudden offensive, now having the advantage. Jirou will hide behind another rock, clutching at his wrist, still in pain and says
“You are without love.”
“I do everything I do out of love, you fool!” Mitsuko says back. “What you are is a spineless idealist, caught up in your new home village's ideology of peaceful existence as if its some new revolutionary idea, when the Sage of the Six Paths has preached that for a thousand years! Since before shinobi existed! Acting as if your the obedient son when really you are out to spite me and this family for doing what needs to be done, trying to mess with our best and brightest out of a misguided belief your helping her. All because you cannot accept that you are in no position to help her, that your lack of kekkei genkai limits your strength, and that she is quite simply inherently more important than you because of her potential. It is only fair that my love be spent wisely on the one that needs it the most, on Kimiko who deserves her potential fully realized!”
“Her potential...is beyond you.”
He says while pulling out a storage scroll
“AS IF I DON'T ALREADY KNOW THAT! As if my failure to be the Ishikawa Jonin she deserves to learn under wasn't crystal clear from the day she invented her own jutsu! She deserves someone stronger than me! More experienced! Someone who actually knows how to get her to the heights we lost! I can only have faith she'll rediscover it all herself.”
“That was not the potential I was talking about.”
He releases from the scroll, some really hard whiskey in a metal rectangular bottle and a lighter.
“What are you going to make some tiresome speech about much of a good person she can be? How you wish to steer her towards a right path and how I'm some villain you need to defeat? What nonsense. The world is not like that, boy. There are no heroes or villains in the world of shinobi! Only broken adults and children that have yet to break! War makes monsters of us all. At least I'll make sure she is prepared to be a strong one, make sure that whatever she ends up doing, it'll be done competently, probably to preserve this peace you blindly hope will last forever. At least I'll make her and this clan will grow and survive whatever comes for us!”
"You want to do nothing...but sacrifice her to the system and thus perpetuate it for your own pleasure. Disguising it under regaining the clans glory, when really....you only want your own. Or perhaps even, you have convinced yourself they are one and the same."
Her eye widen then Mitsuko glares and shouts, while Jirou takes a quick swig of the very pure alcohol within the bottle.
"SHUT UP! SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UUUUUUUP!!"
Her hand flashes through various seals and she slams down the ground to take control of dozens of paper long paper strips scattered throughout the courtyard, prepared in case of any invader coming to attack now all converging on Jirou who leaps up with the lighter in hand, flicker it open with a flame ready in a single motion- then spitting out all the alcohol while the lighter is front of it at the paper whips below, causing the spray of alcohol to catch aflame and act as a chakraless blast of fire, with a half-hand seal to direct the alcohol using his own saliva mixed into it to better burn the paper, allowing it to spread to all the paper whips throughout and burning them away. Mitsuko in her fury had over-extended herself, and was not prepared when Jirou suddenly body flickers in front to punch her in the face with one hand, sending her to the ground and pulling out a kunai to hold to her neck with the other, sitting on top of her.
"You thought the sword was my only tool. Who did you think taught Kimiko everything she knows about preparedness?"
He asks dryly.
Mitsuko looked to the side. the rest of the clan had been watching of course. She could not deny it. If this was a real fight, she'd have been dead. She turns her head back and says
"Tch. Fine. You win."
He gets off and she gets back up, announcing.
"By the traditions of Clan Ishikawa, he was won. Behold the new Patriarch of the Clan, Jirou Ishikawa. May he lead us on to victory."
"I accept this with gratitude. May the Clan prosper."
There is no cheering. Simply the small clan respectfully bowing in acknowledgement and muttering "Jirou-sama". Then dispersing back to their usual duties and lives. It was only about thirty people after all, it didn't make that much difference, practically speaking. Kimiko stands there, staring up at them distraught at basically witnessing a violent family spat combined with a duel play out before her, asking
"Anikii.....Why?"
He has no answer. Kimiko walks sadly away. He will retrieve the Five Elements Tachi then Mitsuko will turn to him and say bitterly.
"Now that you've won...There is something I need to show you. Something that the new Patriarch of the Clan must know, a secret we keep.”
He nods. Of course. They begin walking to the Ishikawa Family Shrine.

[Rater202]

"But that is also what makes me dangerous. I imagine that if the exact details of my experimentations... Which I think I need to get you to sign an NDA since you would have overheard them while spying... were made public that ninja's from every village that value the clan system and prize bloodlines would be sending assassins after my head. As it is, I imagine that I could already use Kimiko-san's cells to grant the Paper Release Bloodline to Ishikawa-sensei, assuming that they're full blood siblings and that they have compatible blood types. If I perfect the process then the entire foundation of the power of the old clans comes down as my technique could be used to give any human any kekkei genkai, unique genetic trait, or the biological facets that certain hidden techniques are based in... Even bestow multiple bloodlines into a specific individual."

"I am quite certain you can imagine the sheer horror that some members of various clans would have at that. So, if I am to achieve my own goals I need to make myself valuable enough to the sound village that the clans of sound don't mind my stepping on their toes and that the village won't give me up if, hypothetically, I killed an Uchiha who was hired to assassinate someone my team was hired to defend, sealed his corpse in my cache of emergency snacks, brought it back to my lab, dissected it, and ultimately integrated his genetic profile and unique chakra natures into my own giving myself and any hypothetical Descendents the Sharingan and the Leaf Village found out and demanded my head. Hypothetically."

"Eventually, my scientific utility and usefulness as a weapon could run out... So, while I hate the collectivist nature of this society and wish we could grow beyond the outdated system of clans and villages and progress properly... If the legends were true, then Indra was retarded. 'By connecting our life force with our spiritual energy we can manipulate the elements, the forces of existence, observe the spiritual aspects of reality, and connect to each other deeply and instantly share information and gain perfect understanding with each other... I will use this power to develop a means by which humans can kill each other and make people forget about how to use it to understand each other becuase I am a god-damned tool who can not deal with the fact that father likes my brother better than me even though it is my own god damned fault for being a freaking sociopath.'

I digress. If I wish to achieve my dream of becoming one who can do and learn everything and bring the world into the state where people talk and progress as a civilization and as a species instead of the dead-end of constant warfare we currently are in, I need to play along and keep the goals of my research, at least insofar as they apply to people other than myself, close to my chest... at least until I'm personally powerful enough that I can do whatever I want in reason and get away with it because its in the village's best interest for me to be happy than unhappy..."

Senko sits up from where she's reclining. "Which means... I need to infiltrate the Village Hidden in the Clouds and steal the bodies of the Gold and Silver Brothers so that I might assimilate their remains into myself and gain the chakra of the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox in quantities great enough to pass for a Jinchuriki to the untrained eye. Such raw power combined with natural energy would give me a Sage Mode able to match entire armies in raw power and then I could just tell people to kiss my ass if they are unhappy about me taking cells to study bloodlines... Of course, that would also make it difficult to know if the strapping lads and comely lasses in my harem are praising and worshiping my perfect body becuase they want to or becuase they are scared. Never mind. I talked myself out of it."

Senko was joking that entire time. Her normal monotone coupled with the dry manner in which she delivers jokes might make that hard to understand, but a well trained shinobi should recognize the subtle hints in her body language.

[Lord Raziere]

Kikenna:
She arches an eyebrow.
"I see. You are quite the little ball of trouble as far as any authority figures are concerned aren't you? Well its not my problem. If you truly can pull what you say off, burn this whole system to the ground for all I care as long as you leave enough for something better to be made from the ashes.
Anyways, you'll be having your reply to your protest soon. I like the way you think-I personally do not know what I'd want from your genetic tinkering, but I'm sure you'll figure something out, though personally I don't want anything that will mar my beauty, I'm quite proud of it and its vital for a job like mine. You seem well and able to think for yourself so I think my teachings would be better spent elsewhere, but don't hesitate to call on me if you need something in the future-as an infiltrator I have connections and perspectives few others have. And I'll soon be a friend in a higher place as well."
She will sign whatever NDA that Senko insists on doing then be on her way.

After the Duel:
In the Ishikawa Shrine, surrounded by idols of kamis and ancestors, Jirou watching her intently. Mitsuko removes a secret panel of the floor, to reveal a box, opening it she reveals a tube, sealed to protect the scroll inside.
“...What is this?”
“A copy of the Iron Armor Seal.”
At this Jirou's blood turns to ice and eye shoot wide open, gripped with a sudden fear.
“....You mean... a seal that can....can....contain one of the bijuu? HOW? WHY DO WE HAVE THIS!?”
“This is the scroll the Ishikawas have passed down for three or four generations now to use to seal the tailed beasts of Kirigakure. The most important fuinjutsu we could ever possess.”
“We-we....sealed tailed beasts!?”
“Of course we did. We're a fuinjutsu based clan, Jirou. Honestly, how are you surprised? We're valued precisely because only we have the expertise to do it. Its how we contribute to shinobi society.”
“BUT WHY, IS IT HERE!?”
“Because your father, Ryota saved it. Said that it was best to get as far away from Kirigakure as possible to keep it out of Yagura's hands. If he got a hold of it, he'd either destroy or take it for himself. Good thing to, its given us a position of power in our negotiations with the Kiri Rebels.”
“You WHAT!?”
“Quit shouting young man, this is quite secret knowledge you know.”
“Does the Otokage know of this?”
“Of course not.”
“....Again: Why???”
“Plausible deniability, Jirou. If he finds out and doesn't approve we and the Kaguya's can escape from the village and join the Rebels to coordinate how we're going to retake our homeland. If we finds out and does approve, we grant our current village power over the future Kirigakure by keeping the seals in our hands so that the new Kirigakure will have to rely on us to keep their Jinchuuriki in check. If we told him early and Yagura found out the Otokage was assisting in our plans the whole village would go into war over it! Its just sensible information control.”
“By the Sage, you've been planning this behind the Sound's back since you before you ever met them, this is what father was arguing with Kenzo all those years ago wasn't it?”
“Probably, neither of us were privy to that one.”
“Why did you never tell me? Why is it only now I know?”
“Because you were six at the time, boy. One does not tell the highest of clan secrets to children.”
“And the Kaguyas are in on this to?”
“Well of course, they want revenge on Yagura more than anyone. We even worked out a deal with them that Kimiko would be the one to seal the tailed beast once Yagura is dead, and that Miho would be the container if we can get the Rebel Forces to accept giving over one Kiri's tailed beasts to Sound.”
“This whole time...you've been training them to be pawns in your power games?”
“Oh don't be so clinical about it. We're preparing them for greatness, Jirou. To give them an opportunity to be great shinobi, known for their deeds throughout the shinobi nations! We spent our lives to give them this moment they deserve! What greater act of love could we do, short of dying for them?”
“I know, maybe hugging them once in a while?”
“New position of power making you a smartass now? Hmph, how unbecoming of a patriarch.”
“You don't order me anymore.”
“I am a mother, my kami-given right on this world is the ability is to nag regardless.”
“Then let me make this clear:”
He projects massive amounts of Killing Intent at Mitsuko suddenly make her stumble and shiver.
“You have no power over me anymore. Your only use now, is to teach Kimiko how to use her paper release to its fullest extent. You will not treat her harshly while you do this, but as like a real mother to a daughter. And if I find out you fail in this, you will pay, mark my words- and won't be allowed to die, until you have my permission to stop experiencing the pain.”
“....Y...your bluffing right?”
He takes out a kunai.
“Try me. I have long dreamed of seeing you in agony.”
Through the offhand, dry tone of the sentence, Mitsuko realizes that he is being completely serious, and grows very afraid.
“...I'm going to not do that then. And just put this away...”
“Hold on. Yagura! Do you realize how dangerous having a demon-sealing scroll is!? We're a threat to Yagura, he will stop at nothing to kill us all if he finds out, and who knows what other villages will do if they know of this! This is out of our depth!”
“We all know the risks!” she says back quickly fear and nervousness in her breath as she hurriedly puts the scrolls back under the secret compartment. “and we all know how dangerous the three tails will be if it gets out and no one is around to seal it. Yagura won't live forever! You know we have to keep it, its too valuable! How can you achieve your ideals with a tyrant like Yagura around anyways? These plans were in place long before you! You can't stop them now! I'm done with this conversation!”
She stumbles away, drained from the fighting and the conversation while Jirou watches her go. Pondering what to do now.

(OOC: yeah this is all I wanted to get to, we can do whatever now)

[Rater202]

Continue Conversation

"...So I can't help but notice that you jumped to ''Jinchuriki" pretty quickly for the whole 'powerful enough to be too valuable'...?

"While the exact details of the tails beasts and their powers are kept guarded, certain details are relatively common knowledge: Namely that the chakra of the tailed beasts takes readily to shape manipulation and certain forms of nature transformation and that it combines readily with the chakra of a human host: It is known that, depending on age, a Jinchuriki's inherent affinity to nature transformation is either replaced by or augmented with that of the Beast's."

"My own chakra is severely unbalanced due to a combination of my specific affinity for Yang Release combined with my bloodline. I am researching what I am in part as an attempt to find a way to correct the flaws that make my chakra control so very poor. If it becomes available to me, permanently amalgamating the chakra of one or more Tailed beasts with my own by whatever means is a viable option for solving the problem of my unbalanced chakra. I was mostly joking, but don't get me wrong: If I could get away with taking the bodies of the Gold and Silver Brothers and replicate whatever traits allowed them to absorb the power of the Nine-Tails without it being sealed within them within myself and take whatever remnants of the Nine-Tail's chakra remains within their corpses for myself I would do it in a heartbeat on the off chance that it would allow me to control my chakra enough to learn sage mode and stop being a danger to everyone around me. It is not like people could possibly hate or fear me more, after that rampage."

"...You are a sad and lonely little girl, aren't you?"

"It is better for me to be alone than for innocent people to die at my hands."

"You know, Senko-sama... there isn't a proper, dedicated snake summoner right now. No... 'Snake Sage,' if you will. Most humans who come to Ryuchi Cave are mad dogs who only care about acquiring power quickly and so, usually, fail the tests and get eaten... If you become a dedicated Snake Summoner, a middle man that others have to go through to sign the Snake Contract, that would give you clout with this village, wouldn't it?"

"I do suppose it would... What's in it for you?"

"If you become the Snake Sage, then I, as your personal familiar, would outrank most of the jerks who tell me what to do... Of course, if you fail the tests then I'd get eaten too, so..."

"You're showing an awful lot of trust and faith for someone you just met. Why?"

"I have my own reasons... Worst case scenario you could probably fight off the test proctors and we could screw off to the Land of Beaches."

"You cannot just keep saying you have your own reason for doing things that only seem to put you at risk. Eventually, someone is going to ask what those reasons are."

"i felt bad for you..."

"What was that?"

"I FELT BAD FOR YOU! I saw you after you changed back and you were just so small and scared and alone and... Have you ever felt lonely, even when you're around other people? They hate me back home, and if I don't do something I'm probably gonna get eaten by the big fat crone becuase I don't have the patience to learn Senjutsu, so I know what it's like to be lonely and scared even when you're not actually alone... what's it's like to be sad and to understand and..."

The snake in human form looks away suddenly. "Besides, Senko-sama is pretty cute and a cute summoner is a status symbol."

[igordragonian]

Odayma frowned.
cocky self righteous kid.
Kids like him, were feeding the anti hope ninjas like ramen to starving workers.
He told Usagi
'Read,the book only if you wish to. It is an useful book, but random chunins, don't hold authority over you.' He say.

Usagi tilted her head, Odayama seemed to really dislike Jirou and his mom
'Hm. I guess it will give me something to do, before I sleep.'

Odayama pause. 'Did you really bargained into the radio station?" he laughed.
'Of course!' she said with pride.
'Hm. Well don't do it again, and be thankfullour Ottokage has a sense of humor. You should read the book, but dont feel too pressured about it' Odayama say.

Usagi finally ask. 'You really don't like Jirou-san, do you?"
Odayma waved his hand. 'Few reality punches, and he will be bareable. Anyway,I should collect Miko and Kimiko. Take care.'


-----

Usagi didn't had actuallt something special to do.she went and trained.


-------

Odayama have overheard the duel through the chip he sticked to Kimiko.
'...ksu.'
but the afternoon,was nice,as much it can be when you try to please three cat monsters, finally the two smaller ones fell asleep.

'I don't like this boy. And him being a head clan... it's a joke.' Ameoku say.

'Don't worry, you still will be the Ottokage.' Odayama said with a soothing tone
'I don't know. This boy seems very confident. Too confident. The Ottokage might be actually backing him up.'
Odayama shook his head. 'He might see a POTENTIAL in him, as he does. But he wouldn't have sent him tooverthrow his mother, and break a marriage treaty. The Ottokage understand how things work. Only the other Thunders can challenge you, my love. But they won't. they don't care.'

Ameoku looking into the shadows. 'I think I will send a cousin of mine to spy on him. Just in case'

[Lord Raziere]

Kimiko: seek Answers
Mitsuko walks in, haggard and comes across Kimiko looking scared.
“Oka-san....what....what happened? Why were you and Jirou fighting?”
The question combined with her wide eyes made Mitsuko wince at the similarity to a child asking the same of their parents. She...she couldn't handle this right now. Curse her weakness.
“...Go ask your brother.”
She walks away, hurriedly, not sure what to do.

Kimiko watches her mother stumble away and walks until she finds Jirou regarding her silently, and it all just comes spilling out.
"Anikii....Why? WHY!? Why did you fight mother over this!? I don't understand! You came in you said you were becoming Otokage and now you've become the clan head? Why would you do that? Wasn't I supposed to achieve these things? Weren't you supposed support me doing that? Since your....y'know....without a kekkei genkai? I'm confused this is all wrong and upside down and weird! Why is this happening!?"
"...You will understand someday."
"I want to understand now! What is going on, please, tell me! I feel like my world has been shattered! that everything is upturned! Why, brother, why did you do this?"
"....It was needed. It was all for your sake. I thought'd be happy."
He looks sad as he says this. This was never going to be painless, no matter what route took.
"But wasn't it supposed to be my DUTY, my purpose to achieve such things? Why...why are achieving them instead!?"
"It is no longer your duty to do so. It never was. You can spend time on what you want to do now."
"....I....but....you defeated mother without paper release! You did it with just the skills you have....I thought I'd cure you being kekkei-genkailess someday...."
He pats her on the head.
"I...never needed such a thing, Kimi-chan. It was never a disease, nor -despite how some ninja treat it-is "lack of kekkei genkai" a disability. In fact I'm thankful for growing up without it in a way, as the lack has given me perspective I otherwise never would've gotten. I don't think I'll be needing it, as soon I'll have achieved all I've set out to do."
"Wait, what do you mean?"
He withdraws his hand and looks out the window.
"Simple, tomorrow I will make sure the arranged marriage between you and some Masuku Clan member is broken off, all this will be finally done, and I can focus on being the Otokage this village needs."
What, who arranged it?"
"Your mother, whose abuses have gone too far in my opinion and needed to be stopped."
"Abuses? She was just....just preparing me to be a better ninja, thats all! Y'know, training me hard, making sure I withstand the dangers of this world."
He kneels down and rests his hands on her shoulders
"You believe that, because that is what she has been telling you since you were born, and what she was told since she was born as well. Believe it or not, not every ninja clan is like this. There are other ways, better ways, that don't involve such suffering. You are free now. You can have hope in tha- Hold still."
"wha-Ow!"
She says as Jirou suddenly and quickly rips off the tracking chip, glaring at it while holding it up to the light.
"What-what is that!? Whats going on now?"
"You were bugged. with a chip. Someone was spying on us through you."
"WHAT! that could be anyone from the nations!"
"Actually no. Only this village develops such technology as far as I know. Everyone else uses Cursed Tracking Seals. I know exactly who put this on you: Ameoku."
Kimiko freezes still as he growls out the name.
"One of the Thunders....is spying on us? But aren't we loyal ninja?"
Jirou takes out a little plastic bag normally used for science stuff and puts the the chip in, as evidence.
"We are. I'm sensing a lack of trust here. I don't want to involve you in this any more than I already have. Just know that she targeted me, attacking me around the same time.....Code Oni happened. Right before it in fact. About testing me to be Otokage. Just so you know that none of this is some foreign attack. We're safe, for the lack of a better term. But be wary, especially around Ameoku. Your now unfortunately, involved in far more than you should."
What little world that had started to get rebuilt was shattered again at the revelation that her own village just used her to spy on her brother. Who just had a family spat/duel with her brother. After saving her new friend Senko from being on a berserk rampage. Yeah, she Kimiko thinks that is enough wake for now.
"....I'm going to sleep."
He says sadly back
"...That is wise. Good night Kimiko. Get the rest you deserve."
Her sleep is filled with nightmares of being surrounded by enemies from all sides with danger behind every face.

The Next Day:
Jirou: Make Announcement
"Good morning, Clan Ishikawa."
He says
"Starting today, there will be a few changes around here. We are to no longer be so formal with one another. We are family and should act like it. Next, I cordially open up the clan compound to allow others to visit so that you may invite others over for dinner or the like. Senko, Usagi and Yuyuyu are all welcome to have dinner with us if you want, Kimiko. Furthermore I am not enforcing arranged marriages. While keeping the clan's bloodline intact is a concern to be worried about, it is any clan members choice of whether to marry for duty or not. Decide one way or another, I do not care."
There is some surprised mutterings among the Clan over this. He had no doubt that his changes will have less than effect than one thinks: most will probably marry for duty to keep the bloodline going anyways, but the difference is they will do it on their own terms and preference but if there is even a minority of them who marry for love, it was a step up.
"Oka-san?"
He turns to Mitsuko looking looking a little, confused, grumpy
"Yeah....Jirou...sama?"
"Get a job."
She growls-sighs as she obeys.

Mitsuko: Get a Job
She will walk to the Otokage office, a little crabby to report back to active duty as a Chuunin and be issued a Sound headband and vest, glowering at anyone who gets near her.

Kimiko: Go through the motions
The mission today is nothing but painting a fence white. Nothing exciting, all the Genin of Team 3 are there, Senko you've already gotten the note Jirou handed to you at the lab in response to the essay he didn't even respond vocally to. And Kimiko is basically just painting the fence in numb silence. With a wide, thousand yard stare, still feeling pretty broken up about yesterday. It was pretty crazy, to be fair. Like everyone can notice something is up with her, she hasn't boasted about herself or said anything nerdy even once, this just isn't like her at all. Yuyuyu has concern on her face over this.

[Rater202]

"Kimiko-san, are you alright? You look like someone has killed your kitten."

Senko does not look away from the fence or stop painting while asking.

[igordragonian]

Odayama expressed support for his wife's desires, but didn't thought she could be a good Ottokage.
But there are so many great shinobis in the village? Has the Ottokage lost his mind?
This was a safe job today, so he figured he will bring his daughters Miko and Kimiko there, to light heart the scene.
Miko Nekozaki- (8 years) academy student.
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/04/91...ce90b00615.jpg
"Daddddy!" She whined. "Am I missing classes for THIS?"
Odayama chuckle. "Consider it as training."
"But daddy! This is lame! Your team defeated a missing nin! Why do you have to do this nonesense?!"
Odayama smiled. "We serve the village. Sometimes, it means taking out missing nins, sometimes it just means making the village look better. Just like my father did.'

Kimiko- (6 years old) learn at the ninja kinder garden. Beside Senko, the team should know her well from their mission there.
https://cybre.ams3.digitaloceanspace...587bdb1d12.png
"Daddy, I think bigger me is ill."
Odayama who was happily focused in simple task as painting blinked.
"Oh. Right.'

"Let's take a break. I'l make us tea." He say pulling a termus.

Usagi sigh with a relief. She was also bad at painting, and half painted herself.
'Kimiko? You can be calm, I admit defeat-you are a better painter then me.'

- - - Updated - - -

Ottokage

The Ottokage usually wasnt there at the mornings but out of respect he was there this time.
Tea, from the kind Mitusko favor wait her, alongside with few onigiris.
"Yoi yoi..." Nezoji sigh.
"....This is akward. If it means anything, I didn't plan of Jirou winning. I would have preffered an educational respectful loss for him. But well. Such is karma. But you should feel pride, Mitsuko-san.' He smile.

[Lord Raziere]

Meanwhile: Jirou
He walks up to the Masuku family household. It is larger and more extensive than his own. There is also a foreboding feeling about it. No one likes to go to the Clan of the Silence. Its appearance is very....stark. spartan. He walks up to it and knocks. It slides open to reveal a clan member wearing an anbu mask, standing straight. Jirou blinks, wasn't home the one place where you shouldn't have to wear such a thing?
"Why have you come?"
They ask, tonelessly and emotionally.
"I am Jirou Ishikawa, New Head of Clan Ishikawa. I have come to discuss the arranged marriage my clan has with yours."
The Masuku clan member nods robotically.
"Very well."
and ushers him inside.

Mitsuko:
She glares at him.
"Shaddap, Nozojo-teme. I may hate him, but I'm not going to deny he earned his victory-Karma has nothing to do with it. Battles are not won or lost depending on what life lesson you need to learn, he exploited my weaknesses and outwitted me as he should. By tradition he is clan head and I will obey Jirou-sama as I should. If someone needs to learn something, they should learn it before they go into battle and die from not knowing it."
She crosses her arms
"Besides we both knew I'd never give up the clan leadership to anyone without a fight. I did what I needed to do, he did what he needed to do, and he came out on top. Thats all there was to it. As for a "respectful educational loss"-how reassuring that our noble leader expects his successor to lose a political duel for the sake of some meaningless abstract lesson rather than actually sending out someone with confidence that they can actually accomplish what they set out to do. Will you teach humility to a fish by throwing it into the air so that it learns the folly of being unable to fly next?"

Kimiko:
She blinks as she gathers her thoughts, not sure if she should tell anyone some of this. Maybe resorting to the old mask would work?
"Uh....well...Everything is fine. And even if it wasn't fine, it couldn't be helped."
"Doesn't sound fine. and We'll never know if it can't until we know what the problem is."
Yuyuyu points out reasonably.
"Well uh....its all so much.....I'm not sure how much I should say...."
"Then start from the beginning."
Yuyuyu says, gently guiding her.
"Well its about yesterday and it begins with the fact that you, Senko....went berserk. and I...I was just afraid that I found someone who finally understood me, was going to be lost just as easily, whether to some monster transformation or some hunter nin. And now I'm afraid for you for when it will happen again, afraid that I might not be good enough to save you like I wasn't good enough to save the Bye Bye Kitties. Or good enough to beat Kazuo.

After that....well, Jirou then dueled my mother to be clan head, while having a...quite a heated argument with each other. Partly over me. Jirou won the duel. Then he said mother was being abusive to me and that I'd understand why he did it someday. Whatever that means. but mother said he was being arrogant and just trying influence me with his philosophy or something? They were being very savage with their psychological warfare, and I think Jirou won that one because mother started yelling shut up a lot. And it just made me feel as if my world shattered or upside down because....wasn't I supposed to defeat her to be clan head? Wasn't I supposed to help him someday? Whys it happening the other way around? and he did it without even a bloodline. Also he said he was going to break off some arranged marriage I had apparently?

Then he pulled off this chip on me and said that...someone in the village didn't trust us and was spying on us and that they were targeting him for like a test or something because he is like, supposed to become Otokage? And now I don't know if I can trust anyone aside from you guys. so yeah. Lots of things. Kind of trying to.....recover I guess. Sorry I'm being bad ninja right now."
She says, a little wary that Ameoku's family is right there.

[igordragonian]

Usagi blinked.
'Oh. Ksu.' She said the wisest words,she managed to say with her empathy, looking quite silly, but at least honestly feeling for Kimiko.

Miko chuckled. "Nya! Oh! Teen Genin drama! Now that something I can binge!'
Odayama looked at his oldest daughter with a scold.
'Feelings aren't a show, nora toy, Miko-chan. If you don't have something nice to say, then just be silent and listen,'
Miko blinked, surprised. Odayama rarely were this harsh toward her.

lil' Kimiko walked to her, and raised her eyes at bigger Kimiko. 'Crazy moms suck. I don't like when mommy yell too much.'

Usagi felt uncomftrable a bit. How can she relate to mommy or brother problems?
She just looked at Kimiko, scratching at the forehead protector, she moved to her neck, since the duel with Kimiko


Odayama, kneel next to Kimiko. "Well. I have a small confession to make. Girls... check behind your ears.'

"nyani?" Miko and Kimko obeyed imeaditly, pulling chips, with shocked expriessions,
Usagi did as well
"What the meaning of this!?" she said angerly, pointing bow and arrow at Odayama with angered expression.
(unless Senko has very very very high skill in that, Odayama probably has put chip on her as well)
Odayama sigh.
He pull his own device behind the ear- it's looks like a maddona thing,with a single button.
'The world is dangerous girls. I want to make sure you are all safe.'
Usagi frown. 'This is creepy!'

'I bugged my own daughters, my wife as well. This is why, I have ran in the middle of the crisis- my wife was about to hurt Jirou... due to her not eating for too long. I am not proud of it, and to be honest, if not for Kimiko-san crisis here, I would have kept hiding it. I won't forgive myself, if something would happen to any of you, just because I wasn't there.'

------------

Nozojo laugh.
'Yoi yoi, such a firey woman. I always liked you."
He pause thinking. 'Jirou is young, and still has to learn the nuances and complexities of the ninja world and the whole word in large. I don't want Ameoku to be the next Ottokage,and Jirou-kun remind me a lot of myself when I was young.'

Well.. maybe?
Nozojo was sort of a dork, a tech expert, who mostly gave motivation to live and dream on.
The first Ottokage, has chosen him,over his students, the Thunders.
'You see, as a leader, you need to understand you can't always win. Sometimes,you even should choose where and when to lose.' he explain.
'We are a young and fragile village, we won't survive exremism in leadership. But maybe managing a clan will help calm him a bit down.'

he sip from his oily coffee. 'Anyway. I respect you. The job I want to offer you, is as Anbu.'

[Rater202]

"First, to reassure you, Kimiko-san: I was in no danger from the hunter-ninja. I designed the protocols or Code Oni myself, the Hunter-ninja's skill is simply needed to administer a sort of tranquilizer that inhibits the functionality of my bloodline. So far, I have only be able to create a variation that works only if it is injected directly into a gland I have... Well, it is where my spleen would be if my organs were in the places they are on normal people. And I am not yet at a level of power where I can maintain that state indefinitely. If it happens again, do not worry about not being able to save me. Worry about not dying."

"As for your mother? Having never met her, I cannot say whether or not she was abusive, but I know your brother and he does not seem to be the manipulative type. Nor does he seem to be the power-hungry type: I assume based on your reference to Ishikawa-sensei defeating your mother 'without a bloodline' that your idea of helping him would be to rectify his inability to use your clan's 'paper release?' I dare say that, if he had wanted that, he would have arranged for you and I to have met before know: While my research is far from perfect, It would not be unreasonable for me to be able to bestow paper release upon him after studying your physiology. I imagine that whatever his reasons were for usurping your mother's position, they were noble."

"...though, and I am hesitant to say this, while my knowledge of psychology is mostly focused in monitoring and regulating my own emotional state, I do know that it is not uncommon for an abuser to try and convince their victim that what they are doing is normal, or for the victims own good. And they make decisions about the victim's life and try to force the victim to comply with no care of the victim's own desires or even well being."

"From a certain point of view, forming for you an arranged marriage while you are still a child, without your knowledge, consent, or input? Some might argue that your mother was conspiring to have you raped."

A cobra head pops out from within Senko's robe, appearing in front of Senko's own throat.

"That's a bit extreme, but I'd argue that's abuse even if that wasn't the intent. Just becuase she laid your egg, that doesn't give her the right to dictate how your life goes. If you want to tell her to **** off, then retire from being a ninja, and then move to the Land of Beaches to conduct muahahaha levels of made science research, that's your business and she just has to shut up and take it. She can't force you to do anything you don't want to and has no right to try."

"I am beginning to notice that the Land of Beaches figures prominently in a lot of your anti-authoritarian fantasies."

"It's warm, has nice scenery, has little political strife, and is pretty lax on social control. It also usually gets left out of major wars."

"The point is, you need to look at your mother's intent. Even if they were abusive, they may not have been malicious. If she was genuinely acting in what she perceived to be your best interest and can be convinced of being misguided? That is one thing. If she was being deliberately malicious? Or refuses to acknowledge any harm her actions caused? That is something else entirely."

"And my offer to hide in my apartment if you ever feel unsafe in your own home stands, as long as you are willing to platonically share a king-sized futon... I wonder if could rig a partition wall out of spare blankets... Men-Ko, I may have to inject you with a paralytic and use you to form a foundation."

---

Odayama-sensei, if you have planted a chip on me it needs to be removed and destroyed and you need to sign a non-disclosure agreement.

[Lord Raziere]

Mitsuko:
She blinks then laughs then starts cackling, a bitter discordant laugh, different from her "ohohohos", dragging her hand across her face.
"What a strange joke you play! Me? ANBU? HAH! Look at me! A failure like me with my emotional temperament has no place in such disciplined ranks. Even if I was to consider this proposal better fit for Jirou himself -whose only flaw for Anbu service is his compassion, unlike his father who was the perfect shinobi. I am vital to teaching Kimiko her paper release jutsu, how do I know I'll have time to pass down my techniques to her? Regardless of what she does with them, I still need to pass on my knowledge. I still need to be of use the clan...and to her.

As for Jirou-sama himself, I find your view of my new clan head confusing. Is participating in a legal duel we both agreed upon extremism now? One back by centuries of tradition? And calm him down? That hollow shell of a man hasn't experienced a real emotion since the war, you want to calm down one who is already a stone. and choosing when to lose, is a losers mindset. Think like that and you'll never get victories. The time to lose is never, and survival is not a defeat. If you think any shinobi in this world got anywhere on a philosophy of losing then you don't know the first thing about shinobi. Did the Village of Suna and Ame choose to lose when the settled in places like the Land of Rain and the desert? No! Did Hashirama and Tobirama choose to lose against the tailed beasts? No! When we faced Konohagakure, a fight we had no chance of winning, did we give up? No! The greatest achievements of the shinobi are built upon not giving up and defeating seemingly impossible foes! Its why the first part of the Chuunin Exams is always about testing to make sure they don't give up.

Besides your judging him at his most biased and sentimental, which is when Kimiko is involved. You want him to consider things more logically than he already does, just remove her from the situation."
Keep in mind you've barely seen him be emotional during all the times you've known him. Most things barely register a reaction from him.

Jirou:
He walks through the Masuku household, led by the clan member. Its....silent. The whole place seems more like a fortress or a hideout than a home. He walks by some Masuku members who just stand still. Watching. Waiting. Ever vigilant, also masked. The whole place is darker than most homes, and the path they take through it not the straight or most direct way of going through it, as if they were avoiding things set in place.

It all fit he supposed. The Masuku were a big part of this villages Anbu. Anbu did dirty things that even most ninja didn't. There was a reason they were their own section separate from the rest of the shinobi. They operate differently, and one must have a particularly disciplined and hard willed mind to endure its challenges. They weren't for the faint of heart or the easily emotionally swayed. Anbu were weapons and tools of the village in the truest most strict senses of the world short of brainwashing. That and brainwashing is Torture and Interrogation's department, different job. He wouldn't be surprised if other places where Anbu operated at were like this, or even worse.

Soon they reach the clan leader of the Masuku clan....who shall remain mysterious for now.

Kimiko:
Her eyes widen in betrayal, looking at Odayama.
"THAT WAS YOU!? Jirou-anikii thought it was Ameoku who planted it there! You don't trust me!?"
Yuyuyu looks up at Odayama a little cross
"....Can't say I'm too fond of that little revelation either."
Turning to Senko
"....Oh I see."
She says, relaxing a little at the explanation of the Code Oni plan.
"Hm....I guess your probably right Senko? I just...its complicated. I hope she meant well. She was acting strange this morning, like she was angry but she would suddenly be all awkward and not say anything bad when I talked to her. I'm still going to have to meet her everyday because she is actually being pushed to be more active with my paper jutsu teaching and to get a job. While Jirou...he will be busy with clan matters and such he will unfortunately won't be able to spend as much time with me. I know it sounds like a bad idea but...I think I need to ask my mother about this herself. Also I've never felt like I could approach her and just ask stuff about her or my father and I want to know more about him and the war.

Like....Jirou has said that your like all allowed to come over to the clan house for like dinner or other things now since he threw out a few rules. So I guess I'm glad that he won for that? I just...if what you say is true about mother then its like...how much I can trust about what I've been taught from her? What else can I not trust? She said she did it out of love, that her efforts gave me the life I had now but....y'know....is she saying that to be manipulative or because she believes it? That and having lived my entire life with expectations of what I'm supposed to achieve...its kind of weird to think they are no longer there at least from one area of my life. I based my identity on those expectations. This calls a lot of who I am into question.

Thanks for the offer of hiding there Senko, maybe I'm foolish, but I can't just say one is good they other is bad and call it a day like you can Senko. I need to understand. She has to love and care for me on some level, right? ....right?"
She asks half-hopefully.

[Rater202]

"I can not answer that for you, as I have not met your mother and, even if had, I doubt she would confide any secret ill intentions she had to me and it is not like I can sense negative emotions or malicious will... Yet."

"That is something you will have to figure out for your own. But... Think of it as a mission. And, as your squadmate, I am here to support you if you need it."

"And segueing from that, Yuyuyu-san, would you be willing to help me train to recognize more... overt Genjutsu?"

[igordragonian]

Nozojo smile wearily.
"I admire how energetic you are. We more or less in the same age, yet I feel so old."
He pause. "Maybe I am in this office for too long, it does affect your mind for better or ill. But maybe I am looking too much into the big picture? Me and Jirou-kun had long discussions about the duties of an Ottokage. He is against parental right deciding over the marriage of their children, for an example. Despite my reformist ideals, and my vision for the Hope Generation, I recongnize the limits of my power, and that Ottokage can't be a dictator. I have respect for the clan leaders,which lead us for your first question.'

He smile. "Your tea is getting cold." Before continue.
"You see, in every village the relationship between the Village and the clans is delicate and gentle... more fragile then you can imagine. And this isn't only about you. Ok. So you have taught and educated your son so well,that he has defeated you. What am I supposed to do with one of Ottokagure pillars? To humilate you witn some regular guarding job? Make you my secretary? What message does it send? "Work your ass off for the Village, and one little loss which wasn't due to corruption or sloth, nor traitory will make you lose your dignity? Not on my watch."
Nozojo pause
"We always lose something. Sometimes,it better manage your losses. Imagine if you would have CHOSEN to lose? You could have came up her with your famouse raised nose. On the other hand, you are wiser. Your service for the village doesn't end because of one defeat. That would be silly and disrespectful in way only clumsy fat villages like Konoha would allow. Wether Anbu or something else, you will given a respectful role." Another pause, but this one with more authorative aura. Such things were important to him.
Opposition called him people pleaser, but this was his leadership way. Empowering, viewing people as puzzle pieces, which each must have it's place where they can flourish.
And in Village built and filled by broken people it might be a healthy policy.

"About the Anbu. Let me tell you a known secret- we are understaffed. And more importantly. I need you near Ameoku.' Another pause.
"...She is bitter. Ameoku believe she desserve this office. Only out of respect for her Sensei, she didn't tried to take over. She believer of might make right. I don't think she will rip the village, but she has personal power, and Anbu agents personally loyal to her. Power is tempting. With you by her side, maybe you could prevent her from attacking Jirou. I want you either to work as Ameoku's assistant, either as Jirou's guard. How does it sound?"

-----

Lil' Kimiko fold her ears, ashamed. Big Kimiko probably hate her father and her.
Miko hiss. "Daddy! This is super lame!'

Usagi is silent and akward.
"Girls. Please. Sit. Have a cup of tea, and let's talk." Odayama ask if his daughters and students.

"I am sorry. But please.. take in mind, I could have easily,just sneak a chip again,without anyone knowing. I have decided to conffess. I want to come out clear.'
He look at Senko. "In your case, no. The chip has to stay, as mean of making sure I am not losing you. No mean to disrespect. You may put it off, at times I am not responsible for you."
Odayama sip from the tea.
Pulling the madona like gadget, showing it to his team.

"You may ask anything about it. I was wrong to place it without your knowledge. I want our team to be based on trust and care. I wasn't acting in malice... so let's clear up the air."

[Lord Raziere]

Mitsuko:
To be honest, she barely trained Jirou at all. Thats what the academy and teams are for. She never got why some people in this village think that all training was done personally, haven't they ever heard of military coordination, teamwork drills and so on? They're an army not a bunch of barbarians. But she doesn't say that out loud.
"Oh really? I didn't know I garnered such respect! As for your thought that the villages would allow someone like me to not work as if they're fat nobles is laughable. I am FROM one of those major villages if you don't recall correctly. I know they're like, and my mindset comes from them! Your village's work ethic comes FROM major nations like my former. Your Kage title? Isn't even real in other nations eyes. Your just aping the superpowers of this world because you don't have a history of your own to draw upon. Nothing you do here is culturally unique. Ever since Konoha arose, all these philosophies you hear the villages talk about? Nothing but variations on the Will of Fire. Yours is no different, because these ideals are tradition and tradition is what works. Don't posture to me about major nations being weak compared to you, thats bull, because I know that is anything but true. All those shinobi didn't become powerful out of luck alone, they work hard for their strength, they never give up, and they hold no mercy for anything that stands in their way.

As for reformist? What reforms indeed, fool? Our organizations and military structure are a copy of greater villages. We have made some technological innovations yes, but those are hardly reforms. You have an ideal of hope and peace, but its not a tradition yet. Its not something that will be guaranteed to be passed down with a clear vision of what that entails. As we are, we're no different from any other village in my eyes, aside from having a nicer, softer attitude. And not killing having genin kill their partner when they graduate but thats every place that isn't Kiri, so its all the same to me. But I don't particularly care. To me this just just how things are, and how the game is played-how the game has always been played, others can change things all they want, to me its all just a cycle."
She will sit down when he gets to explaining why he wants her in Anbu
"Ah I see, finally the real issue. You don't entirely trust Ameoku. Well I don't particularly care of either of your philosophies, but I am loyal to my village as well as my clan head, and if you think I can pull off being an emotionless weapon of certain death- sure I'll do my best. Though I've never heard of Anbu as particularly prestigious- its the Special Assassination and Tactical Squad after all. Hehehaheha! Hardly worth celebrating, as its supposed to be the dark side of every village. But who am I to question the new culture that I serve? If you truly think that making me a faceless terrifying masked assassin to carry out the dirtiest most sordid and dangerous operations is a position of prestige that will mollify the other clan heads, who am I to argue? I accept."
Mitsuko truly wonders how legitimate this Anbu really is if they were going to accept someone with her 'energetic' as Nozojo puts it, personality into them. There were a lot of particulars that went into making an Anbu nin, one of them being personality where if it doesn't match the organization's cool and calm stoic demeanor, they're rejected. They're often specially handpicked and scouted out as early as the academy for potential. Once they are in, they are given special training to match. Heck, how Ameoku acts herself kind of doesn't fit how Anbu operate. Was she chosen for Anbu Commander position because of her charisma to keep her from the front lines? Probably. No matter how bad Ameoku is at interacting with people, anything is better than talking to a stone. At the same time she is amused these backwater new shinobi think the Anbu is a position of prestige of all things! When more accurately it was the position of greatest sacrifice second to being Kage itself: No one is even supposed to know your in the organization to begin with after all.
"So when do I get my uniform, whats my code name, and when do I start?"
The code names are always an animal of some kind to match the mask they wear.

Kimiko:
"Sure! Why not? Would be good training for me to, I've also been working on a jutsu to make myself invisible."
Yuyuyu replies, while Kimiko nods at Senko.
"I guess we'll have to meet with Oka-san then to get anywhere there."
She narrows her eyes as she turns to Odayama, as she continues painting.
"....I see. What are the specific capabilities of the technology? Is there any specific punishment for removing a chip myself?"
If the chip listens to sounds she would have to be careful about she says, between her dream and her newfound distrust of things around her. Her own captain has a constant monitor on her behavior and she'd be fool to not see that it could also be used as a means of making sure she doesn't try anything against the Sound Village. This is something she will have to keep in mind the future and any information she can get could prove useful.

[Rater202]

Senko starts searching herself for a chip, starting with her ears, then her hair, and so on, removing the chip when she finds it.

"I do not think you understand, Odayama-san," no sensei this time, "I was not asking permission. I was making a statement of fact. The chip will be removed. It will be destroyed. And you will sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement for anything that you may or may not have overheard during the period of time where you were monitoring me without my knowledge or consent."

Fiery red energy flows down Senko's arm, clearing revealing a solid black arm as strong and a tough as steel. She crushes the chip in her hand.

"The nature of my research could prove... controversial. I understand that your wife has quite a temper, Odayama-san, and Ishikawa-san apparently thinks of her as an enemy, considering Kimiko-san's statement towards his thought about the chip he found on her. Not to mention the way you ran off yesterday and blamed my rampage on her inability to feed herself... You are used to bad things happening when she's angry, yes?

"I mentioned things yesterday afternoon, Odayama-san, that would ideally be classified. Things that not everyone in this village would be happy to know about. If Ameoku-san learned of it and decided I was threat, which is not unlikely considering the nature of my research, then based on her reputation I would not put it past her to try to... Eliminate me. And based on Ishikawa-sensei's suspicions, she is more than capable of accessing this technology herself and using it to spy. Or a third party, a traitor in our midst who we do not yet know of, could intercept the single and leak what I have spoken of to outsiders and the next thing you know Hyuga Assassins are coming out of the woodwork hoping to claim my head on the off chance that my research can destroy their monopoly on magic white eyes."

"By placing this chip on my person, you have directly placed my life in danger. You will sign the non-disclosure agreement and I will interpret any attempts to replace the chip as an assault on my person and react accordingly."