Lunch and Lunacy - Main Thread

Age : 37 Posts : 1136

This thread continues from the following Starter Thread

As she finished organising the last of the field reports in preparation for the after lunch review Mrs Mitashi looked up from over her scholarly spectacles to survey the office as a whole. Cassandra was busy transcribing her notes from the latest meeting of the Security Council. Tayuya was going through the latest stock review with a liaison from the arms and armaments watchdog while Shikamaru was preparing fresh dispatches to be sent for encryption. All appeared to be well in her little island of efficiency with the lone of exception of Suki, who was doing what she did best, not a lot. A clever girl that one but too interest by half in other sex to her mind. Perhaps something to focus the girl on that matter’s at hand would be needed

“Suki dear the economic committee of the ministry of tourism are meeting with His Grace to day with regard to the strip expansion proposal. As you know they have forward the documentation. Your couldn’t be a dear and make some copies could you”

As expected the request broke the girl from her daydreaming with a satisfactory jolt and a quick “Yes Mrs Mitashi”. With that done and the reports complete she turned her complete attention to the Lord Ichushiro’s guests. Not her guests mind, she never made the mistake of confusing the two as some PAs did. Her professional pride that had honed her into effective taskmistress she was today wouldn’t allow her to abuse her position as some did. She had of course smiled at them, given them the occasional friendly nod and polite greeting but her work had allowed for little more. They were a curious bunch indeed, 2 attractive yet distinctive Kunochi, a large ... man she decided after a moment’s though, clad in a rather unusual shirt and one who had taken the Kazekage’s formal invite rather too literally. They were all Shinobi of course, 3 decades of living with them and 2 of being married to one gives you an eye for it. From their graceful movements to measured glances for threats and potential exists everything screamed natural born killers, good ones if she had to hazard a guess. Not that she pondered this thought overly much, she was a practical women, not prone to whimsical fancies as often bedevilled Suki and her employer to name a few and carefully stood up and walked over to seating area with a certain odd grace. She was a slightly plump woman by all accounts who despite aging well was inexorably moving towards retirement with her carefully combed brown hair held in a bun and a warm if reserved smile.

“Welcome honoured Jounin. I appreciate you arriving in such a timely manner. I apologise for not greeting more properly earlier but my work encompasses many different aspects and unfortunately Kami has yet to add the extra 3 hours a day everything seems to need. My sincerest apologies, if you would follow me please”

He tone was odd mix of formality mixed with light humour with no trace of irritation or condescension, Mrs Mitashi may work hard but she enjoyed her job and was not one to complain or disparage others.

She led the Jounin towards the double doors that led to the Kazekage’s office, almost reaching them before turning to her right and approaching a door that at first seem not to be there. There was no genjutsu involved, simply the work of a good craftsman who had an eye for subtle moulding. Walking up she appeared to touch the door for a few second or two as if waiting for some response only to be answered by the brief glow of a seal and the faint click as the door opening soundlessly on oiled joints. Beyond was a white corridor with white floors, white walls, white ceiling devoid of any fixtures and fittings with the exception of a set of double doors at one end. An odd room to be sure and one clearly with a function that belied its apparent emptiness With practised confidence Mrs Mitashi stepped through leading the others till they half way across before coming to a gentle stop at which point the door the entered seemed to close of its own accord

“Would you mind standing still amount, it shouldn’t take long”

Anyone but a Nin wouldn’t have notice anything out of the ordinary but a moment after she had spoken a barely noticeable trace of chakra indicated a scan in progress. Those who could see or sense chakra especially well would notice the large one way window behind which a couple of TSOKR operatives, one a sensor Nin scanned for danger. Moments later and the traces of chakra were gone. Mrs Mitashi who clearly used to this thing spoke up turned to face them adopting a polite even slightly apologetic tone

“An unfortunate necessity I am afraid. There are many who find Lord Ichushiro somewhat disagreeable. The TSOKR consider it prudent to keep close surveillance on all guests. I would like to thank you for co-operation and ask you do not personally. Everyone including the Kage are subject to it I am afraid”

“Before we go on I must brief on your protocol and if I could be so bold give some idea of what to expect. Please forgive me if I am preaching to the converted but I find accidents tend to happen if not mentioned. Regarding protocol there are only 3 rules you need know. Firstly you are to always address the Kazekage as either Kazekage Sama, Ichushiro Dono or Your Grace. Secondly the Kazekage has a number of … eccentricities which are considered impolite to point out. Thirdly and perhaps most importantly of all the His Grace as you might be aware has a cat called Mr Bigglesworth. While it is fine pet him on no accounts are you to feed him, he’s supposed to be on a diet and the Kazekage will be most agitated should you try. As for what to expect I feel it’s only polite to warn you that the Kazekage is not like most men, indeed much like anyone and his living quarters mirror’s this. You will see many things, not all of which will make a great deal of sense. It’s perhaps best if you have an open mind and don’t think too much, I find you just end up getting a headache. If you do have any though I would ask you direct them to His Grace, for though explanations tend to be as bewildering as the items themselves, he at least might be able to shed light on them. Thanks for your patience and if you can be so kind would follow me again”

And with that she walked the short distance to double doors and pulled them open to reveal the hall beyond.

To say that the Kazekage’s home was normal was to say that the man himself was not terrified in pocket lint and as the group passed down one of the hallway’s doubtless many of the group would have been bewildered be what the saw. Everything was for lack of a better word was not quite right, from the tiny thunderstorm to the left hand side that was raining profusely into one solitary bucket to a giant cuckoo clock whose hands seemed to run backward and whose numerals where replaced with strange faces with various expressions on them. A portrait of 2 Nin who appeared to be quite literally re-enacting a battle stopped to wave at them as they passed while a miniature cherry tree on a plinth perpetually rained pink petals into a basin which in turn turned to water feeding the trees unnatural productivity. Perhaps even odder still was the cabinet containing grim tomes that kept pleading with the passers by to open it or the bright multi-coloured ball that bounced down the hall of its own accord nearly knocking over a porcelain elephant that was blowing bubbles high into the air. As if this wasn’t enough the corridor itself was odd, for while its baroque styling was not especially out of the ordinary if you discounted the garden gnome wallpaper that decorated a section, the corridor seemed not to flow as one might expect. It should be straight but times it appear to lean at first to the right, then the left. Perhaps more confound was the tendency for ceiling to go incredibly short and walls very tight only for them to appear impossibly wide and the ceiling almost to high to see when you looked back. The place would be creepy if it wasn’t for the air of palatable excitement, the odd glimpse through doors into even more wondrous and illogical rooms. From a mirrored music room to a sunken library spiralling into Kami knows where. All the Jounin could feel the chakra that permeate air, resonating through the halls and those with especial senses could only marvel at the tidal wave of seals that seemed to bedeck the place. To both Sensor Nin and regular Nin alike it was clear that normal was a highly subjective term in this place. Only the most observant would have noticed this Mrs Mitashi carefully looking straight ahead, trying not to be distracted as she honed on her target and the broad smile that momentarily lit her kind if at times severe face in anticipation of what was too come. Less then 5 minutes later and they arrived outside another set of double doors, though it seemed a lot longer. Time and space were often said to be subjective and no were more so then in the playground of impossibility that was Howl’s sanctum. Mrs Mitashi stopped once more before the doors to open a small cabinet, which was filled with all manner of sunglasses of all size, colour and shape.

“Please help yourself. You will find it rather bright I dare say”

Giving time for those who wished to don there selected shades she smiled with the knowingly smile of one who knows what to expect and can wait to show others and opened the doors letting the light of 2 suns out.

Those without shades would be momentarily blinded, though they would soon enough join the others in amazement at what’s was before them. Self bouncing balances and localised indoor thunderstorms were all oddities to be sure but nothing could possibly prepare the Jounin for what stood before them. Where there should have been a dining room there was paradise. A flowering tropical clearing leading to pristine white beach against which a crystal blue sea of unspoilt clarity slowly splashed against. Where there should have been a ceiling was a sky purple sky lit up by 2 suns, one pink, and one blue beaming down with unnatural beauty. The whole place was teaming with life, from luminescent shoals of fish in the sea, to radiant birds of all colours erupting from a tropical canopy heavy with wild orchids and blossoms. Most spectacularly of all was what appeared to a whale leisurely swimming through the air as if it had got bored of the sea one day and decided to take to the sky.

“Amazing is not, once room was nothing more then a rather tired looking conservatory without any plants. I remember telling His Grace a few plants would liven the place up and he got rather excited from what I recall. When I came back on Monday this was here”

Said Mrs Mitashi though even she said so slowly basking in the moment. No matter how many times she came here the feeling at utter contentment was always the same. Caught in the moment she accidently vocalised what doubtless a private thought

How could anyone capable of creating soo much beauty be considered a tyrant?

Not noticing her unwitting statement she led them on through the vibrant landscape that seemed defy all logic. Attempts to Kai the paradise away failed and attempts to see through it by means of kkg or other techniques had no effect. The beach and all about it were as real as the palace and yet could not possible. Not only was it unlike anywhere in the world but it was as bigger then the peoples palace at least on the inside if not from the out. Those capable of seeing chakra could with careful inspection see giant seals of unbelievable intricacy at certain points though what their function was is anyone’s guess. As if to answer their unspoken queries Mrs Mitashi said

“I don’t know how it is possible but it is supposedly real. The Kage is not clear on subject. I recall him something about a world within a world and that time and space are not as rigid as people assume. Much like the other things I find it’s often easier not to look too deeply and simply enjoy it for it is. I must apologise but I must hurry us up. I believe we keeping the Kage waiting, it would be best if you were go introduce yourselves. My presence is no longer required and so I will enjoy a moment longer before returning to my work. I shall be here when you are finished. Enjoy yourselves and remember what I said”

And with that Mrs Mitashi took one last look and turned to leave. In the middle distance, halfway up the glistening beach was a rectangular table surrounded by wicker chairs and groaning with all manner of foods. At the end closest to them facing away toward the fair distance was one large high backed arm chair surrounding by a small mountain of paperwork. As if this wasn’t sign enough, the waft of tea and the unrestrained chakra signature emanating from it made it abundantly clear where their host was. All there was to do now was enjoy the sun and walk the leisurely 200yards to greet him.

______________________________________________________________________

OOC

I could have continued but I believe this will serve as a good break from the narrative for you to rp your reactions and get to know one another by way of the shared experience. Feel free to talk with each other and act as you will within the bounds of the above thread. I tried not to lead your characters overly, and certainly feel free to elaborate to elaborate on what you have seen. I would rather you avoided asking Mrs Mitashi anything but feel free to talk among yourselves and get acquainted. I will post again as you approach the table.

Age : 35 Posts : 1113

After a short while of waiting in the anteroom - more or less in somewhat awkward silence - a kindly-faced, middle-aged woman approached the small group of shinobi. Kasumi wasn't sure whether it was the woman's gait, her neatly wound hair or her small and portly stature, but she came across as a motherly figure, one that might take a degree of personal care of the Kazekage. Certainly, her job was clearly directly linked to Ichushiro, apparently in a secretarial capacity. The woman stopped before the gathered shinobi and gave a small smile of welcome. "“Welcome honoured Jounin. I appreciate you arriving in such a timely manner. I apologise for not greeting more properly earlier but my work encompasses many different aspects and unfortunately Kami has yet to add the extra 3 hours a day everything seems to need. My sincerest apologies, if you would follow me please.” At this, Kasumi gave a little satisfied smile. She had been right - the woman had the air of a hardworking housewife about her. The kunoichi held a great deal of respect for the sheer tenacity of such women, for if she herself had been asked to juggle that many tasks at once, she would surely fail. Perhaps there's a knack to it. She thought silently to herself as the group fell in behind the woman as she led them to a small, barely noticeable door to the right of the main office doors. A moment passed and a seal activated seconds later, unlocking the door and allowing them access.

An empty, pearlescent white corridor greeted them on the other side. The large double doors at the far end of the walkway were the only things to note in this 'room', and the woman led them smartly to these. Kasumi briefly wondered why it was they needed a guide for a task as simple as crossing a corridor, but she knew better than to voice such musings. However, the kunoichi didn't have to wait long before the answer to her unspoken question arrived. The woman asked them to stop for a moment, and soon after Kasumi became acutely aware that she was under inspection from an unknown source. The chakra signal faded almost as soon as it had arisen, indicating nothing untoward had been found. The kunoichi glanced to her side and saw the others looking a little quizzical too. “An unfortunate necessity I am afraid. There are many who find Lord Ichushiro somewhat disagreeable. The TSOKR consider it prudent to keep close surveillance on all guests. I would like to thank you for co-operation and ask you do not personally. Everyone including the Kage are subject to it I am afraid." Their female guide explained. As the group made their way to the end of the corridor, the woman continued, briefing them on what to expect once the entered into the Kazekage's presence.

“Before we go on I must brief on your protocol and if I could be so bold give some idea of what to expect. Please forgive me if I am preaching to the converted but I find accidents tend to happen if not mentioned. Regarding protocol there are only 3 rules you need know. Firstly you are to always address the Kazekage as either Kazekage Sama, Ichushiro Dono or Your Grace. Secondly the Kazekage has a number of… eccentricities which are considered impolite to point out. Thirdly and perhaps most importantly of all the His Grace as you might be aware has a cat called Mr Bigglesworth. While it is fine pet him on no accounts are you to feed him, he’s supposed to be on a diet and the Kazekage will be most agitated should you try." She paused for breath and for her words to sink in. When the assembled guests looked as if they had understood, she continued. "As for what to expect I feel it’s only polite to warn you that the Kazekage is not like most men, indeed much like anyone and his living quarters mirror’s this. You will see many things, not all of which will make a great deal of sense. It’s perhaps best if you have an open mind and don’t think too much, I find you just end up getting a headache. If you do have any though I would ask you direct them to His Grace, for though explanations tend to be as bewildering as the items themselves, he at least might be able to shed light on them. Thanks for your patience and if you can be so kind would follow me again." She finished. It was a warning as much as anything, the rules and regulations surrounding any sort of engagement with Ichushiro clearly not something it would be advisable to break. And at that, the woman led them through the double doors - and not one of the shinobi in the group could have predicted what awaited them.

They arrived in another hallway, with numerous rooms branching off. As they walked past, their guide leading them so they had no time to linger and fully observe, Kasumi caught glimpes of fantastic, impossible objects and decor. From seemingly living paintings to books that called out, the entire house seemed to be an eclectic cross between playpen, collector's den and research laboratory. Even the corridor along which they now walked was not 'normal' - if such a word was even appropriate anymore - twisting, leaning and changing size more times than Kasumi cared to remember. Before long however, the group reached another set of double doors. The look on their guide's face told them that this was where she left them - they were about to join the Kazekage. She stopped to open a small cabinet which held a plethora os sunglasses of different shapes and sizes. Normally, this would be an unusual finding, but in this house, Kasumi actually felt comforted by the... regularity of it. Taking a slender, half-frame pair, she merely held them up before her eyes instead of actually wearing them. The doors opened and the bright light caught the kunoichi unawares despite the warning and her sunglasses. It took a moment for her to realise, but there were in fact two suns beaming down upon her, which accounted for the brightness at very least. However, the rest of the... room was something else entirely. A genuine tropical beach spread out before her, complete with distant rolling ocean, colourful canopies and chattering wildlife. Kasumi was rendered speechless, and happily stood and gawped as a whale made its leisurely way through the sky above them.

Even the female guide seemed dumbfounded, although noticeably less so than the shocked Jounin. She had clearly been here before, but it still left her in awe, it seemed. Eventually, the initial surprise receded and the shinobi remembered their purpose - to meet with their host. The woman, too, was ready to address other matters. Of course, she knew they had questions, despite her earlier suggestion to pose their to the Kazekage himself. “I don’t know how it is possible but it is supposedly real. The Kage is not clear on subject. I recall him something about a world within a world and that time and space are not as rigid as people assume. Much like the other things I find it’s often easier not to look too deeply and simply enjoy it for it is." She took a long, sweeping look at the environment as she spoke, her gaze eventually coming to rest on the gathered shinobi once more. "I must apologise but I must hurry us up. I believe we are keeping the Kage waiting, it would be best if you were to introduce yourselves. My presence is no longer required and so I will enjoy a moment longer before returning to my work. I shall be here when you are finished. Enjoy yourselves and remember what I said." She finished, turning to leave. With so many distractions and object sof attention surrounding them, it took a moment for Kasumi to realise, with a degree of genuine surprise, that she hadn't thanked the woman. "Many thanks - from all of us." She called after the woman - rather hurriedly, as there had been a distinct pause since the woman had finished speaking and the thanks that the kunoichi had just given.

Kasumi turned back to her companions with whom she was sharing this mad but wonderful experience. "Shall we?" She said, as calmly as she could, gesturing at the long dining table awaiting them on the beach. The shinobi together made their way over to the Kazekage's table - for it was certainly his - and stood at the opposite end to that of their host. Ichushiro, for his part, was buried beneath a mass of paperwork at the head of the table. The chakra signature that they had all felt as they entered was stronger now than ever before, and they all knew who was hidden behind the piles of parchment. Kasumi decided to take the initiative, though she was sure the others would have done so if she hadn't. "Kazekage-sama." She said, annoucing the group's arrival though of course, he would have known about their presence for some time now. All they could do at this point was wait, and so they did.

Age : 37 Posts : 1136

OCC: Given Allie's relative inactivity, post order is changed to Fox, Z, Sean and me. Allie may post when she is available once more. Till then it will be assumed she is inactive and her character still there but taking a background role. I believe Z is next under this new order

Age : 37 Posts : 1136

Z has told me he is having probelms being creative. While unfortunate I am not the sort of person to push people into posting where they do not want to. Till further notice new order is m Fox, Sean and myself. Sean is due to post next but if needed I could always go

Age : 31 Posts : 208

Shadow still kept his back on the wall for a good minute before being greeted for about a minute or two, at least that was what it felt like when Shadow was zoned out the way he was at the moment. During that/those minute/minutes, Shadow was contemplating on what this meeting could be about, while trying to ignore the uncomfortableness of this suit was considering the fact that Shadow had no time to take off his original clothes so he was basically wearing too outfits in one while in this, certainly not a good idea in the first place but a time like that left no time for rational thoughts to take play into this game of beat the clock, winning the match but at the cost of his immediate comfort, which was starting to become an unworthy sacrifice the more Shadow thought about as well as felt it, it was actually quite surprising on how the suit turned out to look.

Shadow’s face was directed towards the ground as this though and feeling went through him. The theories and ideas on why this meeting was called was still creeping on an about. Why was Shadow, and the other common Jounin of the Sand Village, being called into lunch like this? Shadow didn’t believe it was to get to know the Kazekage because pretty much everyone should just know their village’s kage right off the bat as if it was common sense. Plus, there was the fact that the Kazekage wasn’t ruled to be the most sane person in the planet considering the fact that it was been noted that he hasn’t really left his office in the past few weeks or so now.

Shadow’s attention was slightly drained from him as he felt a pair of eyes staring at him. It was just a little habit Shadow had of being watched, though it was not always in a threatening manner, in actuality, it was almost never in a threatening manner within the village but it still always made him uncomfortable on top of the second pair of clothing. Shadow brought his head up and opened his formerly closed eyes ever so slightly to see a woman who seemed to be somewhere in her 40s looking at the entire group of shinobi as a whole.

Shadow’s own examination of the woman was rather quickly detailed and to the point. She gave off the vibe that she has the level of intelligence to make quick decisions as well as handle accomplishing great organization, perhaps even thrive off of it. She also gave off the signal off a long standing marriage as well as a stabled household. Whether she had kids or not was a probability, but almost certainty of having experience with children or at least leading a group of people, something she displays to this very moment, something Shadow doesn’t have too much experience in due to his own mother not being the regular “motherly” but more like the tomboyish kind, making someone wonder if she was either his mother or his father. A trait that she did share with his mother was being an observative type, which she displayed here with quick glances to each of them but he knew she was probably analyzing their actions as he thinks.

The woman would then give them a proper greeting and her sincerest apologizes for the lateness of the greeting then ask them to follow her. Shadow also noticed the passionate voice she held, that matched her appearance of a kind nature, which would only help prove Shadow’s theory of her characteristics that weren’t exactly shown to his face, but were made obvious to him the minute he laid eyes on her. The theory that was proven the most was her strive for organization and perhaps excellency because she didn’t seem the least bit frustrated, and even holding a seemingly positive attitude, at the work that was ensued on her, giving him the impression that she was definitely the right person chosen for the job.

The shinobi were all led through double doors that probably marked the beginning of their meeting and lunch with the Kazekage, his thoughts on what the meeting was about making random comebacks as they continued on. Shadow took a quick double take as the woman went over to the door on the right that he hadn’t noticed before, something that didn’t usually happen to him, no matter how zoned out he was. ‘Was that rally there before?’ Was the only thought that crossed his mind before he simply shrugged it off and placed it in his long term memory before moving on with his thoughts.

The woman continued on as she unlocked a seal placed on the door of what Shadow was thinking to be the Kazekage’s office. They continued on into the room, which Shadow’s thoughts were now being doubted as the room was completely white and empty, probably not the best theme to pick for your office where you have regular professional business meetings. The woman then asked the group of Jounin to stand in place for a moment. At first, Shadow wondered why she was asking them of this but then he felt that bad feeling again that made him uncomfortable. On complete instinct, Shadow’s Sharingan reacted and activated for just a split second before the Tomoe were lost from his eyes nearly immediately, giving him a close up on what was going on in the room and saw a few sources of Chakra, especially beyond the window scanning them all.

After the sources of chakra left the room, the woman went on to explain the reasons for this as well as let them know a few seemingly important rules regarding meeting with the Kazekage. Of them all, there was mainly two things that caught his attention. The first one, he knew of already but still couldn’t get over in his entire short life of having knowledge of this. ‘Mr.… Bigglesworth?’ That was something that was going to haunt the young Jounin every time someone mentioned that, though he didn’t really have any intention of touching it, much less feeding it. The second was rather something that could play to his advantage of living with a partially insane brother as well as be a disadvantage for just being the person that he is and that was the thoughtfulness that he had which gave him so many headaches with his older brother before, at least he was used to them however so adapting shouldn’t be too hard for him in this set condition of approach.

Once she was finished explaining these “rules & regulations”, she directed them over to yet another pair of double doors, bringing up a question in Shadow’s head as to how long it would take to even make it over to their intended destination. The sight of the room before them was nevertheless to say, interesting. It was quite unique one would have to say with a bit of class touched into it as well as a smidge of… oddness imbedded into it. A different combination than most people would use, but then again, a lot of people call the Kazekage different so why wouldn’t his surroundings be? That was probably a question that a good many people was asking themselves not only within this meeting but to anyone with what you would call a “normal” mind as well.

Suddenly, Shadow had to place a couple of fingers on the side of his head as he got a bit of a headache. ‘That was fast.’ He shook his head a little as he tried to get over the feeling once again. Even though Shadow himself wasn’t a sensor ninja, he just paid close attention to his surroundings and the amount of seals placed within the hallway alone was overwhelming for the human brain by itself unless it was used to it. This same reason made it difficult to imagine what it would be like should an actual sensor ninja walk around here, unfamiliar with the parts. Sure, it would be easy to find the seals but at what cost?

They continued to walk for even longer within the hallways of the mansion and Shadow’s thoughts on exactly how someone was going to walk through this mansion without a map and not get lost being beyond him was flooding his mind. She then went into yet another room and opened a cabinet with sunglasses in it, recommending that they each take a pair. Shadow’s choice of glasses was a rather short pair, which mainly covered about 3/4 of his eyes, but he usually never opened them anyways so it was no big deal, placing them right on top of his ears as it was time to continue on though yet another door.

Praying in his mind that this would be the last and final door, Shadow placed his hands in either side of his pockets as the woman opened the door, making Shadow blink a couple of times before setting to the brightness, even with the sunglasses on. Once he was set on with the brightness, Shadow’s left eyebrow raised itself as the right one was lowered. This was as close to surprising the guy as anyone would probably ever get. If Shadow hadn’t thought this place was strange and financially unbelievable unless you owned the world itself, well, he was thinking it now. He’s heard of indoor pools but this was over the top.

Not only did the place actually have two suns, yes, two big, different colored suns that were floating up in the sky, but there was also a tropical beach inside of it. Shadow started to work on registering this in his brain. Exactly how big is this place anyways? Shadow had a good look at the building before walking in and it didn’t look nearly as huge as they were being shown at the moment. Was that a Genjutsu in itself? Shadow didn’t notice any Genjutsu here before and he was an expert Genjutsu user, if not a master in his own right. The whole thing was just too unreal to make any sense. And the headache was coming back.

Shadow simply placed his still gloved palm in the middle of his face as he took a deep breath, which was in actuality, more of an extremely deep sigh on Shadow’s part. At first, Shadow started to question everything he knew in his mind from day one up until now but he soon just closed his eyes and cleared his mind before he would go insane from the mere thought of it. Forgetting all of his questions prior to meeting in this place, Shadow slowly lowered his hand back to his pocket and opened his eyes to catch a full view of the place. Not bothering to think about it anymore for fear of yet another headache.

Seems even the woman that seemed so familiar with the entire mansion was at awe herself, and probably every single time she would see that place from the first time to then on out. Shadow just looked on with his completely emotionless face once again and paid little attention to the shock of it all and simply thought of it as a beach of some sort. A beach that was getting unnaturally hot all of a sudden. ‘Bad…idea…’ He thought to himself as he tugged a bit on the front end of his shirt in what seemed to be a slight act out of desperation. Shadow nodded his head towards the woman that seemed to be finished with guiding them to the Kazekage and was now leaving as one of the female Jounin thanked her in what was a message from all of them.

Shadow also gave another nod as the woman basically asked if they were ready. As they were walking over to the Kazekage, Shadow absentmindedly unbuttoned the entire upper area of the suit as an instinctive act, somewhat revealing his original crossed shirt before putting his hands right back into his pocket. Once they finally did make it to what appeared to be him behind a massive pile of paperwork, Shadow wondered exactly who was going to take the initiative and speak up to him and it was the same woman that had spoken before, giving Shadow the obvious impression that she was quite the outgoing kind, added with a bit of the straightforward kind as well as the strong type, but Shadow was getting too into it at the moment over three sentences that she had spoken. He simply just waited for the Kazekage to acknowledge their appearances before probably having to formally introduce themselves.

Age : 37 Posts : 1136

The Shinobi came to a natural halt in front of the ornate table groaning with all manner of tasty morsels and edible delights not to mention the occasional mound of 4ft high files. The sound of pencil, or something rather like it, that had floated in the summer breeze stopped and a moment of absolute stillness briefly existed, punctuated only by the sounds of dolphin splashing and bird’s squawking. This was soon all destroyed with the whoosh of paperwork falling to one side and a barely distinguishable pinkish blur appearing from its clerical cage with the sort of speed and keenness of a chakra enhanced excitable Labrador. Coming to halt a few meters in front of them the pinkish blur resolved into the Kage of Sungakure, at least it had to be him. If it had not been for the immense sense of chakra flowing off him the, profusion of seals that bedecked his skin and the dishevelled robes of state lying to one side they might be quite forgiven for thinking they had been jumped by a mad hermit who wits had gone with the sun. Though it was likely those in attendance had expected many things of Suna’s most feared and respected leader in generations to find him wearing a pair of shorts two sizes too large for him, a eye hurting shirt with a florescent green elephant print, a full length coat the style in a similarly jarring and entirely conflicting pink design, a set of shades that were fashionable several generations ago and a large straw hat were among many things one couldn’t really account for. In spite of this a few things were clear, one he was unnaturally handsome if in a rather boyish way and his smile was incredibly disarming, unbelievably cheerful and carefree.

He darted forward formality it appeared completely lost on a man whose on secretary had just informed them about its need till he reached Kasumi and before she could react gave her a big hug and kiss on either cheek in a greeting one might more commonly expect on aged aunt rather then a revered and terrible kage.

You haff come, you und others haff come. Vonderful and hear I feared I voult be eating alone. Und to be joined by such a beautiful und elegant creature no less. You must be Kasumi. It is an honour to finally speak to you in more relaxet setting. But let me not forget ze others

He only allowed her enough time for a brief response before he turned with the jarring speed of someone who had drunk a dozen too many cups of coffee and almost sprang on Shadow giving their newly appointed Jounin a hug and saying:

I was hoping da new Uchiha would come visit too. Poor Uchiha it must be so hart to been born to a family doomed to tear itself apart. Be assured I shall vill be here to provide support shoult you need it.

Like with Kasumi he waited for the Uchiha’s own reactions before lastly turning to look for Kakougan which in spite of his considerable size he appeared to have difficulty finding. He did eventually find some feet though, and the legs they were attached to, then the body and finally the head some distance above him

Your a Big Un

It wasn’t long before his eyes came to rest on the ridiculous top the Jounin had chosen to wear for the event and his mouth appeared to form an O in shock and his tone became very firm

Vhat is dat?

For moment it seemed as though the unstable kage had taken considerable offence at the garish item with its floral design before he hopped closer to tug at the fabric and scrutinize the hem.

It is …… amazing, by Kami ze design is magnificent, the colour vonderful. Vhere did you fint dis? I must know. Da reports clearly statet you vere a sloppy dresser novhere did it suggest your taste wass so exquisite

And just like that the Kage’s coat change to mirror the same floral design and looking at his sleeves he smiled and stated, it appeared to himself all the while nodding:

Ya dis is da good stuff.

After greeting Allie in a similarly unexpected manner the excitable Kage finally appeared to settle down a bit and greeted them more generally. Bowing dramatically low with a florish of the hand their enigmatic host beamed

Velcome mien friends. Vhat a joy it is dat Suna’s finest can join me for un spot to eat. I have been looking forwart to seeing you all day. You must be tiret und I imagine a trifle hot, well zeir will plenty of opportunity to cool down und unwint but I believe an introduction is due. I know you but I am uncertain if you know me in more zen passing. You may call me Howl if you are feeling brave, Lord Ichushiro or Kazekage Sama if you want to play it safe. Ve have only met one another in passing to date a fact I vish now to correct.

The welcome was perhaps most surprisingly of all warm and honest. It was clear the odd Kage meant every word which only made the following sentence all the more contentious:

It is possible you may haff heartt some things about me. I would hate uncertainty to cause you to vorry unnecessarily so let me confirm de are all true, every single little one. Now come let us sit down

It was said some people are naturally good at keeping a straight face, at keeping others guessing to the truth behind their words and the Kage was in this respect very overly endowed indeed. Had they been able to see his eyes they would have given no further indication to the truth or falsehood of the statement or its purpose beyond that the Kage liked to keep people unsure about him.

Leading them to the groaning table he bade them sit down and directed to a nearby chair. Kasumi’s was a padded stool that had till moments ago been occupied by paperwork the Kage had since pushed aside, Allies was pink and lined with thick pinkish wool, Shadow’s appeared to be rocking chair and Kakougan’s was … well to be fair it wasn’t a chair at all but a very large turtle that seemed to slowly heading out to sea but it was fairly clear that the Kage might take offence if they did not enjoy his hospitality.

Close now they could see that the table was littered with all manner of oddities as well as pitchers of cooling drinks and piles of food to suit every palatte, among them was a sundial with animal pitchers instead of numbers, a stuffed bear missing an eye and two shrews locked in a sword fight not to mention a lot of paperwork and nearly a dozen tea pots and 6 dozens saucers. Strangely enough it was the paperwork that caught the eye most of all, shrews deuling with rapiers amongst teas pots might be interesting but these seemed practically mundane behind the kages preferred style of annotation. The pencil like sound they heard earlier turned out to be the sound of crayons, from a my first crayon set, that had become scattered in the blur of activity. Looking over the ocean of paperwork that was piled haphazardly all of the place one could only wander at the man who could achieve so much, with so much detail and yet decided to at the same time use crayon as he preferred medium and it appeared like to put smiley faces on the better reports and stormy clouds on those he did not like.

The kage was clearly a genius of sorts though none of this craziness served explain how such individual had accrued so much power, how anyone would have let such a man acquire it. However they didn’t need to wait long for their first indication of why for as they settled the Kage absentminded muttered something about Mr bigglesworth to himself and taking his sunglasses cleaned the right lens with a large purple hanky he miraculously produced form a sleeve. In that moment his eyes were visible. His clothes might be odd, his personality odder still if in a highly affectionate way but his eyes seemed not to belong at all on someone who should barely be in their thirties and certainly no one you would want walking free. They had the odd mix of someone’s aged and beloved grandfather full of wisdom that came with great age over layered by something far worse, they were soulless. Not literally of course for eyes do not have souls but the spark of human decency, that sense of mutual understanding that exists when creating eye contact with an individual, that feeling of a shared common bond was completely absent. In short not they were eyes that could be reasoned with or pleaded with, compassionless and without remorse. It was in this brief moment that those looking were reminded that perhaps Miss Mitashi’s advice had been clear and precise for a reason, that they weren’t simply in the presence of Suna’s leader but a man who should believe it necessary would do anything. That perhaps the reason nothing seemed to conform was that its creator did not either and what can created at whim and might so readily be destroyed.

As he finally eased himself in his large high backed green leather arm chair at one end of the table and brought his knees under his chin and hugged his legs rocking ever so slightly he ventured:

Before ve start in earnest some introductions might be in order. We might haff met one another but I get the feeling from your expressions dat you do not know each other. Perhaps you could start by telling everyone a little about yourselves. Kasumi my dear, vould you like to start, ladies first after all. Or is it elephants first I forget ….

Age : 35 Posts : 1113

[OOC: Oh gawd, Hugh - I'm gonna have to pick that apart to reply. *hate glare* TEEHEE

]

Despite the ornate table laden with food, drink, crockery and a myriad of trinkets; despite the lush, tropical setting and thoroughly warming sunshine; despite standing amongst all this with a collection of potentially fascinating peers; the focus of Kasumi Satake's interest was not any of these things. Her head slightly cocked to one side and her brow furrowed just a little in curiousity, she gazed down at the strangely-garbed man seated at the far end of the table. He cut a distinctive figure, having abandoned the formal robes of state for clothing that (presumably) he felt suited him better under these circumstances. Bright and intrusive colours seemed to be amongst his favoured wardrobe choices and were these not clashing horrendously with each other, the man would not have been dressed all that unusually for the beach that the group now found themselves upon. So this... must be the Kazekage. The kunoichi thought to herself as she traced the obvious chakra emanting from their host. And to think, I went in for the formal wear. She smiled unashamedly, almost letting slip a small giggle at herself. Such behaviour would not be appropriate however, and she stifled it immediately.

It was a good thing too, as mere seconds later, Ichushiro shot from his seat and grabbed Kasumi in what she soon realised was a welcoming hug. Pulling back a little, he then placed a kiss on both of her cheeks and beamed like a child whose birthday had come early. "You haff come, you und others haff come. Vonderful and hear I feared I voult be eating alone. Und to be joined by such a beautiful und elegant creature no less. You must be Kasumi. It is an honour to finally speak to you in more relaxet setting. But let me not forget ze others!" He spoke with a heavy accent, though Kasumi had no trouble understanding. As he spoke however, the woman had a hard time ignoring the multiple colours flowing from the source of his speech - his mouth. Her strong audio-visual synaesthesia forced her to see colours when she heard sound, and their host's 'colour' was unlike any other she had encountered before - it was fluid, changing. Albeit between a small sample of colours, but nonetheless Kasumi rarely found someone whose speech presented her with more than say, two colours. It was certainly a surprise. The kunoichi gave a smart response, smiling disarmingly at her friendly Kage. "Thank you, Kazekage-sama." She offered, though Ichushiro may well have not heard her, as he promptly moved on to greeting the rest of the assembled guests, even stopping to admire the pink and floral shirt currently stretched around the large frame of one particular Jounin. With the 'formalities' out of the way, Ichushiro took a few steps back in order to address the entire group together. "Velcome mien friends. Vhat a joy it is dat Suna’s finest can join me for un spot to eat. I have been looking forwart to seeing you all day. You must be tiret und I imagine a trifle hot, well zeir will plenty of opportunity to cool down und unwint but I believe an introduction is due. I know you but I am uncertain if you know me in more zen passing. You may call me Howl if you are feeling brave, Lord Ichushiro or Kazekage Sama if you want to play it safe. Ve have only met one another in passing to date a fact I vish now to correct." He exclaimed, and through his unusual voice and alarming mannerisms, Kasumi felt he indeed meant those last words.

As each Jounin slowly made their way to the place that was clearly meant for them - all seats had been arranged for each individual guest - Ichushiro continued speaking, if only briefly. "It is possible you may haff heartt some things about me. I would hate uncertainty to cause you to vorry unnecessarily so let me confirm de are all true, every single little one. Now come let us sit down." With this, he gestured at the table as and the food. Such a bold and sweeping statement ushered with such... nonchalance. Kasumi was finding it increasingly difficult to read Ichushiro, much to her bemusement. Surely not everything? She wondered silently as she found her seat - a stool with soft padding. Trying hard not to pay too much attention to the other items spread across the table (animals seemed to be a recurring theme), Kasumi's gaze took in the sumptuous feast laid on for the Kage's guests before she turned her attention to their host himself, currently framed by teetering mountains of paperwork. In turn, Ichushiro chose this moment to remove and clean his sunglasses, giving the assembled Jounin a brief look at the Kazekage's eyes. Superstition would have many believing them to a be 'windows to the soul' and whilst Kasumi took such claims with a pinch of salt, she was still taken aback by what she learned of her Kage as she stole a momentary glance. They were stone cold, not harsh, but unforgiving. Ichushiro quickly replaced his sunglasses and the kunoichi had to shake the odd feeling. Fortunately, the Kazekage broke the silence before it could take a hold. "Before ve start in earnest some introductions might be in order. We might haff met one another but I get the feeling from your expressions dat you do not know each other. Perhaps you could start by telling everyone a little about yourselves. Kasumi my dear, vould you like to start, ladies first after all. Or is it elephants first I forget …" And so, it was her turn to speak.

Inclining her head slightly in acceptance, Kasumi's gaze darted quickly around the table, noting that everyone gathered here was now observing and listening to her. She had never craved attention and now more than ever, she really felt under scrutiny. Short and sweet Kasumi. She mentally noted before sitting further upright. Quietly and delicately clearing her throat, she smiled and began to speak in her soft, unassuming voice. "Well, hm." She paused, thinking about how to start. "Kasumi Satake, twenty-two years young..." At this she glanced down, allowing herself a small chuckle at the turn of phrase her father had always used when she'd turned another year older. Catching herself drifting away from the topic at hand, she quickly continued. "I'd like to think that I am loyal, kind and pretty stubborn, I guess. Though for all of these - and more, you'll probably find a handful of people who think otherwise. I doubt it's all that relevant, but as a kunoichi of Sunagakure, my strengths lie in Genjutsu and Taijutsu. Some of you might know a little of my unusual bloodline limit too, but that's something for another time." At this, she flashed a brief half-smile at Ichushiro before turning her vision to the next in line to speak, the towering form of the somewhat reptilian Jounin sat beside her. Kasumi was certainly intrigued by this man, if it was right to call him such. He seemed particularly quiet, which was not typical (in Kasumi's experience) of someone with such brawn.