It hadn't been that long a while ago ever since Nai had become a genin of Konoha, graduating with little to no excellence to her name, unlike others who quickly proved themselves to their superiors. She wouldn't count the days since her graduation with her fingers and toes, of course, but the pinkette was sure that experience, outside of the academy, wasn't her strong point. In fact, she knew she had none of it at all! The young Itoshii considered her graduation as a brand new phase in her life and even with the training that the academy had given her, was certain she still needed so much more before being pushed into any kind of mission.

With that mindset tucked into one part of her brain, somehow though, Nai had been assigned to one that had some sort of importance tagged to it (her sister had laughed when she unknowingly spilled the summary of said mission, telling her that talking and debating were far less important than outright assassination, to which Nai's response was throwing a cup water to her sibling's face, afterwards laughing jovially at the reaction she derived from it), and without even having the chance to swallow the fact just yet, the pinkette was sent off with her partner, a genin that went by the name of Kyousuu Tanaka, towards the small yet economically powerful country of Cha no Kuni. At first, the young girl was quite unsure; of the many genins that resided in Konoha, how did she even land in this assignment in the first place? She wasn't an exceptional girl to begin with, and her skill set was nothing to boast about. But nevertheless, a direct order was what is was, an order, and as a kunoichi in the service of Konoha, Nai had no choice but to follow it, taking the task without so much as a complaint. And besides, she thought to herself, the objective itself had no such inkling of any kind of combat (other than a verbal one, which she didn't mind at all), one that she was eternally grateful for.

Regardless, this was the first time that Nai had ever experienced leaving the village (and the country as well, even with a country just below Hi no Kuni in terms of geographical location), provoking the young girl's excitement to manifest with goosebumps, hair rising at the mere thought of travelling to another land. She was particularly ecstatic at the prospect of traversing an unknown region of the world, eyes shining radiantly as she glanced at every possible direction as they travelled, taking in the sights that greeted them towards their objective's location.

Still, this was a mission, and after telling herself that truth for the millionth time, found it in her to glance at her partner to occupy the dwindling time they had before reaching their destination. Even after having been enlightened of their task, and after finding out that they were to do this together, the two would only formally meet on the day of their departure. He seemed polite enough, but that was probably due to the fact that this was their first meeting and it was happening only because of a mission. Nai didn't mind though, accepting it all in stride. And unbeknownst to her, while the other genin had an internal turmoil over her name, Nai had no difficulties in calling the boy Kyou-kun, having taken a page out of his own intention to call her with the 'chan' suffix. Indeed, she settled in that comfortable zone, perking up with a few loose words every now and then, taking note of his silence as a positive answer to all of her forgotten queries. She didn't really mind that he hadn't commented on any of those, thinking it in a sign of his intense concentration for their task. Of course, of course, that had to be it! He was focused with the mission, and as the other representative of Konoha, she really should show more professionalism about that!


She was roused at the sound of her name, clearing her thoughts as she turned her head delicately towards her companion.


The words passed through her with the simple understanding that he wanted what was best for their village. This was a mission that Konoha had given the two, and in that event, they had to do whatever it took to accomplish it in a way that favoured Konoha. Nai's optimism shone bright, thinking that the boy held the same thought process as her, causing the genin to let out a huge smile in response. "No worries, Kyou-kun." she finally said, nodding in a way that she hoped conveyed that sense of camaraderie between the two. In the end, this was still an undertaking that they were tasked to complete. With that out of the way, he headed towards the guard, and she waited behind for the most part, watching him procure the mission scroll given to them before their departure and showing it to the man, moving to follow only when they were allowed, at which she entered alongside her fellow genin, steps light and quiet as they entered the structure that would house them.

The walk towards the main room where it would be held didn't take too long a time, the halls their quiet audience as they traversed the path they were told to take. After a few minutes of walking and passing through more than enough statues of their host (probably, Nai wasn't entirely sure to be totally honest), the two had finally reached the room they were told to seek; grand mahogany doors greeting both of them, with two guards posted at both sides of that particular entrance. The men, standing with the utmost silence and stillness, knew full well why Nai and Kyousuu were there, without asking the genins themselves, seeing the symbol carved upon their hitai-ate. With a nod towards each other, they opened the doors, pushing it to reveal to their visitors where they were to settle themselves in.

Even if Nai wanted to say anything (and truthfully, she should, instead of having the audacity to gawk at her surroundings), the girl couldn’t, remaining hushed all the way towards their assigned seats. The genin honestly did not know that the room would look like what it looked like, filled to the brim with items of expense that a girl of her class wouldn’t dream of owning even if she tried her hardest to earn them. Four small, separate tea tables made from the finest mahogany, all polished and gleaming, their dark chocolate colour shinning had welcomed them as they entered, with the one directly north of the room elevated a few inches above the flooring covered in tatami mats, most likely where the Lord would sit to observe the debate. The remaining three were equal in their position, only differing with the spot they were set at. It seemed that each village had their own location, with the east, south and west for Kiri, Konoha and Kumo respectively. Banners of their villages had been prepared as well, pinned upon the walls precisely behind where the representatives would sit upon. For that other detail, a different kind of mat (varying only in colour, if anything) had been provided for each tea table, and then and there, Nai saw a little bit of problem for the one set up at their own. The mission description had specified that one representative would come on behalf of their village, and in effect, the set-up had been exactly that, for one specific person alone. This wouldn't do, of course. Either one of them would have to stand during the whole duration of the debate, or one would have to leave.

The pinkette had a different idea in mind, and instead of taking the first two options that presented itself in her head, took a third. Making sure that Kyousuu had already seated himself, she approached the nearest attendant to their table, bowing a bit to the female that was unlucky enough to be in her initial vicinity. "Excuse me... I was wondering if I could get another mat? You see, I don't think we'd both fit with the one we were given," she motioned to her companion, making sure not to point and instead making it look like it was more of a off-handed gesture than anything. "If it would be possible, of course." Nai was rewarded with a raised eyebrow, though whether from her request or just because she had the gall to ask, the genin didn’t know, as the attendant hurried herself away, leaving the girl baffled for a moment, before returning with what Nai had asked, placing it neatly beside where Kyousuu sat. The table itself was, thankfully, big enough that it didn’t matter if there were two of them instead of one.

She took a seat then, and wondered, ultimately, what the Lord would think upon seeing the two of them instead of what he had asked. Though the one good thing about this was the fact that their host hadn't shown up yet. At least neither here nor her companion had to make a fool of themselves in front of him, that was for sure.

Having positioned herself neatly beside Kyousuu, a second, more extensive (like the first wasn't) look at the room would enlighten Nai of another presence beside their own, and upon closer inspection, the boy that passed her earlier scrutiny seemed to have come from Kiri, considering that he silently sat some ways to their right. She registered the fact that the male was far earlier than they, inciting her to let out a sigh, even as she knew for a fact that it had no actual bearing on today's event given that they were all present before their host had arrived. Still, as per her bubbly personality, the pinkette flashed the brunette a small smile, discarding the fact that he would be vying for the attention of the lord as the two Konoha genin, all in the name of their respective countries.

But regardless of that underlying detail, it was still a thrilling thought for Nai to find herself sitting in a room that completely defined what nobility was and seeing how having monetary power would feel like; the sensation of softness the mat provided her as she sat, granting her legs with the wanted feeling of relaxation. With the tea that the attendants served them, an aroma of pleasurable content wafting amongst the air, she had a very much satisfied expression rest upon her features, letting the porcelain touch her lips and taking a sip of tea, allowing the liquid to take a journey down her throat as she savoured a delicate sweetness that she won't soon forget.

Of course the little daydream she had immersed herself in had to end in some way and, unfortunately for Nai, it was through their host's presence, entering the room with his own set of attendants. This was an indication for them to stand, and she did so only a second later than her companion, listening to one of the attendants announced their host to them. This bearded man was the lord they were to please then, and other than the fact that she seemed to derive a jovial personality from this man, hidden beneath a stern countenance and white beard, Nai didn't think it too hard a task to accomplish. Then again, she didn't know him other than what she could see now, so there really were no guarantees. When that was said and done, it was their turn to introduce themselves, and Kyousuu came up first. As he had finished, the young girl was about to speak, but seeing as their host had taken to staring at her, he pushed on.


"... in order to lend a supporting role in today's activity." she supplied, having taken a hint from both Kyou's trailing statement and the man's inquisitive gaze at her company. And really, she couldn't blame him, knowing that he had specified only one representative to embody each of the villages he had invited. Nevertheless, she should probably explain herself. "These are dangerous times and Konoha would not wish to lose any of their shinobi..." she had nodded slightly towards the direction of the still missing representative, implication heavy in the air. In Nai's mind, she was silently thanking whoever it was as she was able to use his or her absence as an excuse, though to say that their host would fully accepted that justification was a different matter entirely. Still, the young girl hoped that it was enough of an explanation for her presence, even if she was partly afraid that her words would cause the man to view Konoha in a negative light, all because of her words. In her mind, there was nothing wrong with what she had said, but the lord of Cha no Kuni was someone who may have a different way of thinking.

Still, even without knowing that she was holding her breath, he dismissed her explanation. That is to say, he turned his head to his next target, letting the young girl breathe a little sigh of relief, making sure it was minimally seen by everyone else. With that roadblock passed quiet soundly, and after their host seemed to take note, rather, have his attendant make a note of the three shinobi, he sat down, effectively making them follow suit. And after a few more words, in which he solidified the status of the Kumogakure representative, he said the three words that would start the discussion.


An immobile silence permeated the room then, and the pinkette took a quick look at Kyousuu who had also done so towards her. A jumbled mess of words had firmly occupied Nai's head then, composing themselves together without making any kind of sense. Before anything else, she needed to organize her thoughts. Alright then... the mission specified that they needed to gain the approval of the man, and his words deemed it an importance. They needed to establish why Konoha was a more viable choice than Kiri, and to do so, they had to paint a positive portrait of their own village. The genin stole a quick glance at the Kiri representative, who may have his own ideas forming, and swallowed the bile forming creeping up her throat, preparing herself to speak.

Nai didn't stand, though she did bow before speaking, signalling that she had an opinion she wished to share. And in debates like this, that was all they had. Therefore, "If I may, Lord Koicha," she then started, glancing once more to her side, before turning her head towards their host, making sure to appear confident and convinced of her own words, so as to do the same to the man. "Konoha wishes to acquire the support of your country of Cha and in return, we can provide our shinobi military for your employ in any of your more dangerous tasks. Given that our countries share a border, this can easily be easily arranged in a way that won't waste any time on both our parts." Nai paused for a moment, continuing as she gulped any doubts down, "At the same time, our shinobi are versatile enough to accomplish any mission in any topography," another short pause, "But they will undoubtedly excel most in places quite similar to Hi no Kuni, and one such is your Cha no Kuni." Nai ended it at that for the meanwhile, carefully awaiting a response from their opponent.

After speaking her thoughts, and in turn, starting (or at least having followed the order to start) the event for which they were gathered together, it was in Nai's best interest to halt into a silence that she was very much willing to indulge, complying herself to now listen closely (intently) at the words of the next speaker, ears perking up as pink irises rested themselves upon the Kiri representative. Drawing upon her features what she hoped was a neutral expres​sion(though a close examination would show taut lips slowly but surely casted slightly down and quivering, almost grimacing), Nai continued her own form of scrutiny towards the brown-haired boy, though her purpose was more than just judging his words in light of her given points. The girl knew what a debate had in store for its participants, and while the reward for this particular one was the cooperation of a powerful country, she couldn't help but realize just now with a startling halt (like an electric jolt on bare skin), as he highlighted of each of her unclear points (words sizzling on contact), using them almost like footholds and adding to them layers of lucidity that he could muster, expanding fact with more than enough statements that she may have as well thrown herself out of the room for not even having attempted to be a little more obvious with her own.

Nevertheless, Nai had sat still, silently, eyes now shut tight as she took little sips of tea from her cup while listening to the response the Kiri representative had for them, taking each in without much fuss. Uneasiness bit her for a short while, but that was to be expected at gatherings like this, where one had to pit their own mind against another and currently, it was his turn to showcase his argument for the lord. When his long speech had finally ended, Nai would open her eyes to see their host move and after a few moments, speak at last, commenting on their opening statements with a bluntness that was common with people in power like his. While he had quite the view with Kiri (she chose not to think about it now, though kept what the man said in her mind, not that she could even use those words as a retaliatory strike for something), he had nothing positive to remark about her own village, and for the genin, that was all thanks to her lacklustre statements.

The only thing that was even remotely acceptable about their current standing, in her opinion, was the fact that what they had said had little effect on their host, who wanted an absolute, concrete declaration of their intention from his guests. Of course he would ask them of that, it was his country, his support that they were all vying for, and as a leader, he was obliged to agree to nothing else but the best for his own village. All the same, Nai didn't think it that easy to gain his approval, taking into heart the commentary he threw outlandishly, spending that time explaining his wish for his country, along with a question that hung thick around them, a curious proclamation that demonstrated his fervent display to pick only the best option he could. It was Kyousuu who answered that particular query, on behalf of their village, stating 'the Will of Fire' and his own observations of their village. As a Konoha shinobi, she wholeheartedly agreed with his accounts, though the only outward air of her understanding was a momentary look towards his direction, a fluttering feeling of pride burrowing itself deep in her stomach, before turning back to their host with a silence that, while would seem questionable, only showcased the impact that the male's words had.

Okay, breathe in Nai, just, breathe in.

And breathe in deeply she did, sucking in the air and the overwhelming aroma of both tea and tension that draped over their heads, hung around and about her person. In retrospect, having said absolutely nothing when she was prompted to do so was, as Nai began to realize with a dejected sigh, the worst, most despair-inducing thing she could have inflicted upon herself (and, in a much broader sense, Konoha). The pinkette could always attribute it to a failure of being able to articulate what could have been said but then, vocalizing those thoughts would be akin to making excuses and making excuses was the least helpful thing to do in this kind of situation. There was no reason, no pretext she could say to her companion for her lack of words during the few moments she kept mum, head inclined to stare instead at their host. Well, the young girl wouldn't lie, but she had nothing to say back then, letting that silence pass over her as the Kiri representative took that as his cue to further his own goal. Shameful as it were, the young girl could not let that emotion bury her beneath the ground, and she truly wouldn't allow the Kiri shinobi to be the one to give her the shovel to do so.

Still, she had to keep to herself for the moment, as it wasn't her turn to speak. Rather, their host hadn't glanced towards her again, having ingested the opposition and his words for him. So much for being helpful, the pinkette could only suppose as she observed the other boy speak, ending with a smile that the lord actually returned. But it was expected of him to do so, after hearing what Ryuuji had offered, almost as if the boy handed him a golden platter that he knew he deserved to have. And in the other side of the spectrum, here they were scraping up the vaguest of hints for their host, to which he responded with an unimpressed air that couldn't rival anyone Nai knew.

Well then.

Even as she berated herself in her head over and over, the young girl knew that it was far from over. It had seemed to her that the lord was giving them a (fighting? she wasn't sure to be honest) chance at redemption, to say the least, dangling above their heads a prompt to answer an inquiry of his. Her partner had easily taken the bait (as she would, when her time will be given to her), speaking more about the Will of Fire and elaborating even further to the point of him earning her (though minute and short-lived) fitful gaze, celebrating and yet questioning his decision to divulge a, rather, sensitive topic.  

He ended soon enough, and it was finally her turn. This time though, there was no silence that smothered her person, no act of skipping or intimidation to rise from her thoughts. Nai swallowed the building bile amassed amongst the words she had concocted, made sure to appear fully (even more so than earlier) confident towards both their host and their opponent, beginning once more. "My Lord, what our opposition had said and in regards to the question you posed about the future is indeed, what we are striving to accomplish today. The future of your country, whether in the hands of our own Konoha and their own Kiri. Let us remember though, that the past, while almost likely to be forgotten by most, is also the stronghold of our present and imminent future. To talk of the future, we must first understand one's past and survey their present, and from there on, be able to derive a future that will not only be a working theory but an undoubtable truth." She paused for the shortest of moments, recalling that clarity was what was needed the most and continued on, "Konoha is that kind of stronghold; for both our past, and our present are more than just pages in history books. As you may already know, we are one of the first to be established as a great hidden village, and from our humble start, grew to its respectable size, housing more unique and renowned shinobi that have worked for the betterment of our village. Our government and the laws that we abide to were also developed as we grew, as well as the shinobi military, our education system and so on and so forth. The past as it is, Konoha from the get-go is a village of insurmountable strength, this feat accomplished only and because of the shinobi that reside in it; they had done all they can, even as the odds are stacked against them, thus building the immense reputation of a village that is currently seen in our present time."

For a small while, Nai wondered if she was rambling too much. Probably, but that didn't make the kunoichi deter from her thought process. Another pause and more slews of words came forth from her. "What Kyou-kun said about the Will of Fire is also true." she prompted again, though with a lessened fervour due to her actual opposing view of his words. Yes, she was an optimist that had that firm belief in that, almost sentimental, highly philosophical phrase; and hearing those words come from Kyoussu caused her to stop for a moment. And yet, she chose to use his words as a springboard for her own, digesting his own interpretation as she masked away that small pang of intrigue that felt its way to her features. "It is a belief that stemmed from the very start of Konoha's rise that we have embodied in our daily lives, but it is the people that caused it to, from his words, re-ignite once more; causing us to work further and harder in order to retain the stability that has been with us and continues to accompany the name of our great village. While we've been hit with the passing of our Hokage, as he had said, we would not allow ourselves to fall into turmoil. With our new leader, our present is still intact. Not in shambles, and not in the direction that our previous leader had in mind, but still, it's in tact."

And again, another pause overcame the genin, before speaking again, "In this regard, keeping in mind our past as a village of power and its present, still as a village of power, if not more so," Than Kiri, she would have added, but it was far and beyond her to even start an act of subtle hostility. Instead, the pinkette rummaged through her thoughts for a second, continuing only when she had a suitable thing to say. "There is still the future which, of course, hasn't been written yet." Once more, she paused, wishing that this be the last for a while. "Unlike our competitor though, I can't enumerate new laws or any new advancements that Konoha has done to make it a village worth more than its past, because it already is a village worth more than both its past and present combined. This is the effect of a consistency that Konoha is used to and more so known to be comprised of, and this is dependability for any and all future endeavours for, what I hope will be your country and ours is certainly what we can offer to you, more than anything in our arsenal. While we are not a perfect village, to be sure, even with the current state of things, we work in tandem with each other, our drive to lift our village up higher than before."

She ended there, expecting to heaven and back that what she had said made any semblance of sense. Hopefully.

Waiting for the lord's next words after the Kiri shinobi had spoken were, quite frankly, an excruciating span of time for the young genin. There seemed to be a finality with the way his eyes darted from each of them, nodding in silence to himself with each tilt of his head. Whatever he was thinking escaped the pinkette, though she was hoping for the best for her and her companion; her optimistic mind was inclined to the side of success though and as their host stood up, getting their attention in the process, Nai tensed up, ears perking as he started to speak. What she was waiting for didn't come however and instead, they were praised for their efforts and informed that he would send to their leaders his decision, maybe hoping to rid them of the tension that his verdict might have given them otherwise.

The moment the his robes vanished from sight, along with his attendants and most everyone in the room, leaving behind the three shinobi plus the guards that stood by the doors, was the only moment that Nai even felt like moving, exhaling the air hoarded by her lungs and allowing her to breathe properly once more. A burden was finally lifted from her chest, but it was shortly replaced by a worry that was heavier to carry. Only when Kyousuu stirred did Nai even think to move, shifting her weight as she readied herself to stand. "You don't want to do some sightseeing here?" she had said then, after the brunette's declaration of wanting to return to their village, even as she knew he was going to turn down the suggestion. Well, she had to say something other than 'okay', and as Nai twisted her neck and allowed a satisfying cra~ack ring in her ears, maybe letting the invitation slip would washed that lingering apprehension away. The worry could wait she decided; the result of their mission would be sent to Konoha, so she supposed the uncertainty could wait until they got back. It wasn't the best way to deal with it; if it was a failure then it would be sent directly to their superiors... and well, that was depressing to think about. But if it was a success, then it was a success. And ever the optimist, even though she may have a hand to their failure, if it was one, Nai settled with the thought of a fifty percent chance of success, disregarding the remaining fifty of failure.

With that, the genin finally stood, letting her gaze fall first on the Kirigakure shinobi. Kyousuu had spoken again then, and in reply, Nai muttered a simple 'alright', before watching him leave the grand room. With an air of the elegant, the pinkette strode towards the remaining shinobi, flashing the Kiri boy a smile while holding out a hand, initiating a handshake. Nai felt she needed to do so, even though they had been vying for the attention of the daimyo earlier. But that was over and done with, and once the handshake stopped, she headed to the doors as well; the feeling of oppression the room had vanishing the second she stepped out of them.

Time to go home then. Now where did Kyou say he was waiting at?

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