Pardon Me? [Zilva] | Part 2.

Age : 31 Posts : 1118

The conceptualization of what many people call serenity was becoming easier to grasp after the few passing months since the rebuilding process of the village. The hearts and minds of the villagers were expanding like a blooming flower after seeing their famed architecture and homes being restored even more beautiful then their previous state. This transformation however wasn’t limited to the very rubble that the community cleaned on a daily basis, oh no, but to the very people who cleaned it as well. People like Lady Etsu, who spent night and day both in her office and on the streets aiding her village in both political and environmental matters felt a light slowly growing inside of her. It was warm, soothing, and angelic, and it gave her a new sense of divinity and power which she never encountered before. Many months ago after the war, the Shodaime had called Etsu into his chamber and spoke to her in bloody whispers that struggled to pass through his lips. It was during that conversation that he granted Etsu, the young devilish and ill-tempered woman to become the leader of an entire village and to be a role model for the next generations. What? For many days Etsu thought he handed her the title because of her unstoppable power that ended the war, but it wasn't until she spoke to an elderly council member that she discovered that the Shodaime granted her Kage because he saw great potential in her, and knew that she had the qualities to make her a great leader. Since then Etsu has lived up to the expectations of the Shodaime and her personality has changed greatly over the course. If she learned anything from the Shodaime, besides to use wrinkle cream as soon as possible, was to see the light in someone despite how dark they appeared on the outside and to always have hope. Today was the day she would use that gift, and change the life of a young nukenin forever.

A strong breeze smashed itself onto the office window which caused a powerful swooshing sound to cycle through the room. Etsu ignored nature's rather rude occurrence but in the back of her mind she took it as a sign to end the meeting she was currently having with another Council member. Etsu and the other older woman spoke casually towards each other but in occasional passive aggressive tones that could make a grown man quiver. Their verbal battle of young and old school feminism was continuing for far too long and Etsu was starting to get a headache from the woman. She leaned back in her chair and folded her hands pleasantly and forged a fake glamorous smile on her face. "Well Lady Ino, I'm sorry that we come to a very strong disagreement on my decision to move the weapons shop to another quarter but frankly that action is in my jurisdiction alone." She said professionally. The older woman got up and snatched her purse off the desk and shuffled around her chair. Etsu tilted her head in preparation for another onslaught of insults but before words parted from her mouth she was interrupted by the cracking of the door.

A Chunin guard peeked suspiciously through the door crease with only his head and neck being revealed. His short brown hair dwindled over his headband and his eyes nosily locked onto both woman like a deer in headlights. Both of them looked at him with the classical "what the hell do you want?" face for a long second before he reacted. As if struck with a sudden realization he withdrew his head from the door and waltzed in the room a few feet from the door. "Lady Etsssssuuuu!," he shouted while performing a hand motion as if he were part of a bizarre animation. "Oh lord." Etsu thought with scrunching her face. His name was Gigora, and he had a knack for annoying anyone around him with absolutely no effort at all. He was so skilled that one time he was captured within Bear Country and the kidnappers actually got sick of him and let him go. Lady Ino knew of his deadly power and shuffled towards the door with only a few inch intervals between her steps. She waved a happiest goodbye as if leaving hell itself and slammed the door closed behind her.

"Lady Etsu, guess what! You know Zilva, from the bingity bookity thing right? Well she just turned herself in a few minutes ago at the village gates out of nowhere! The guards handled it but I felt suspicious, SUSPICIOUS. So I ran towards the gates, swoosshh, to see whats goingz on. So I was talking to the other peeps right, and they told me that they were taking her to the prison because you were busy n' stuff doing yo thang." He said while putting his hands into pockets. "So they wanted me to ask...if you wanted to see her???" He asked in a quickened pace, which sounded exactly like "ifyouwantedtoseeher" with no space in between. This news was very interesting indeed and a rather rare occurance to say the least. Usually her military came to the nukenin, not the other way around. Being an retired ANBU, Etsu had encyclopedic knowledge of the bingo book and every criminal in it. Zilva's portfolio was nearly as eye-shocking as many other nukenin, and her reason for exile was too harsh. Regardless she could still be quite dangerous, who knows what sort of knowledge or intentions she picked up during her time wandering. Despite the matter she didn't want to throw away this opportunity, the little light within her told her to pursue a convention with this young woman. "Has she been restrained?" Etsu asked the Chunin. "Yup, both her arms are broken and she's been stripped of her pretty little toys and armor." He verified. Etsu looked down at her desk and nodded. "Very well, have a medic heal her arms and get her an escort down here, I would like to speak with her." She commanded while looking back up. Her Chunin exhaled a over exaggerated sigh and vanished. Etsu wheeled around in her chair and faced the large window behind her, and began to gaze at the clouds.

[30 Minutes Later]

Zilva and two ANBU escorts had entered her office and she was seated in the chair across form her desk. Her presence seemed overpowered but a rather timid type of energy, which would be considered normal since she sat only a few feet from the most powerful member of a village who saw her as an enemy. The two ANBU who stationed themselves behind Zilva nodded their heads and walked out the door, leaving only the two ladies alone. Etsu spun around in her chair and faced Zilva, her auburn hair splashing radiance upon her face. She gazed upon her with a pleasant stare with no underlying judgmental qualities. Although her gaze was steady she was skilled enough to analyze Zilva's very being without the slightest bit of notice which she exploited. Her silver hair and olive eyes were unmatched by Etsu's more mature womanly beauty, but she still considered her rather pretty. She lifted her falling smile back on her face and greeted Zilva in a stern matriarch voice. The two engaged in some small talk that hopefully loosened up the atmosphere. Once the setting was more genuine, Etsu got to the real business. "So Zilva, what exactly happened back in your home village which led to your exile?" She asked.

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When Zilva first came into the village to seek an audience with the Hokage, she was scared. Scared that she would die right at the the gate, scared that she would be locked up forever and never get to accomplish her goal, and most of all, scared that she had made the wrong choice. She was skilled enough that if she continued to live the life of a rouge ninja she could of had it good. If she hadn't turned herself in, then she may have been able to improve her life by becoming a criminal and a murderer. But, that was the problem. Zilva wasn't a criminal or a murderer. No matter how much she tried to get herself to believe that act that she was playing was reality, the mask wouldn't stay on. For under the mask, lied a child that just wanted to see her family again. These fears stuck to her like glue for much too long for comfort and they weren't aided by the abusive treatment she received at the gate. Her arms had been broken as an 'extra precaution' since she hadn't been interrogated. When it happened she didn't know what to think. It was almost too sudden to react and instead she just let out an ear deafening scream that could be heard all around Konoha. This was followed by a river of tears flooding down her face which she attempted to cover with her face and her shame at how weak she must look. Strangely enough, she didn't utter any words of protest about anything at the time. Zilva couldn't tell if she was in too much shock to say anything or that she knew it wouldn't help anything. Regardless, she was carried off to the prison to await a possible audience with the Hokage.

Sitting in the jail cell with her arms broken wasn't doing anything to help Zilva think. In fact, it was planting the seeds of doubt in her head. Even though the guards did say that they would request an audience for her that didn't mean that the Hokage would even want to consider talking to her. Zilva didn't know the Hokage, for all she knew she was put in a jail cell to await her death sentence. With these thoughts in mind Zilva couldn't help but curl up in a ball in the corner of her cell in fear of the worst case scenario. "What if I were to die here? My family would be be so sad... or maybe glad since I'm a criminal to them... I just want to be able to explain this to them before I do die. Maybe I could get a letter sent to them before they execute me..." Zilva muttered as she receded further and further into the corner of the cell. She couldn't think of any other way thinks could play out at the time and she truly believed that jail keepers would come and carry her off to her death. When someone came up to the cell she couldn't help but try to roll away from them and make getting her out of the cell as difficult as possible. However, when they did get a hold of her she gave up fighting and just let them lead her to wherever they were going. Much to her surprise at the time, medics began healing her hands until they were as good as new and she was brought towards the administration building with an escort of ANBU.

Zilva was brought into the building and the escort went straight to the Hokage's office. Her heart was beating a million miles per hour with each step towards the office and the signs of panic were evident in her facial expression and constant twitching. However, when Zilva entered the office and was seated, she composed herself as quickly as possible and sat with her normal blank and watchful expression with her olive green eyes focused on the backwards chair in front of her. For a moment, she felt calm and didn't worry about how she would be received by the Hokage. But, like all good things, this moment flew by like lightning on it's way to earth and the tension began to build when the two ANBU left the room. When the Hokage turned around, Zilva's heart rate rose up again, but this time she hid it much better and her expression didn't change in the slightest. Zilva quickly examined the Hokage's appearance was very gentle in essence which led to the belief that if she wasn't the Hokage she wouldn't be very threatening at all without some combat capabilities to back herself up. Zilva had to admit though, she was very beautiful; enough to make Zilva jealous of her. 'Maybe I can talk to her about that stuff later. Assuming there is a later.' She thought as she sat face to face with the Hokage. The small talk that followed helped Zilva settle down a bit and she found it really enjoyable. Much to her surprise, the Hokage turned out to be the kind of person that she would love to have as a friend. When they came to the real reason for the meeting, Zilva was more calm and collected than she had been ever since she first went to the gates of Konoha. She felt that the Hokage would understand her pleas and may be able to do something to help her. "Let me begin from the start of my mission from Kumo to here..." Zilva began.

"As you already know, by my headband or by the bingo book, I was a former ninja from The Village Hidden in the Clouds. I was a very effective ninja and I even did acting on the side, I don't really know which I was better at, haha! I was only a genin and I was chosen to go on a diplomatic meeting to The Village Hidden in the Leaves, here. I was chosen because my clan has a history of servitude to the Raikage. I would tell you about my clan, but I can't... So me and a team that went to escort me went to Konoha. When we got there I was invited to have tea in the morning with one of my comrades at Muyarama's Tea Hut. When I got there in the morning everyone was dead. All of the customers and owners in the restaurant were in pieces on the ground. There was blood everywhere... I didn't know what to do so I looked for my team mate to see if he was okay. He was there, with the guards that came to arrest me for killing all of those people. I was the only one there, I had been trapped. So I ran, I ran as fast as I could and as far away as I could. I got away, but then I found out that I'd been labeled a Missing Ninja for a crime that I didn't commit. I didn't kill all those people... I just hope you believe me. I came to Konoha because this is the country where it happened and I felt that you would be the best person to talk to about it. I don't want to be labeled a criminal... I just want to be able to be a care free kunouchi again. Going on missions, having a team, and most of all seeing my family. I bet they wish I was dead though, since they probably think I killed all of those people..." Zilva said in the strongest voice that she could muster at the time. She just hoped that the Hokage would show some sympathy, or at least give her the benefit of the doubt.

Age : 31 Posts : 1118

Listening to Zilva was more amusing than what Etsu originally thought it would be. She had an affinity for story telling and engaging her listeners into her words, a simply attractive quality. However the heart and mind of the Hokage was stronger than that of an average person, and Etsu surely showed no physical signs of recognition or sympathy towards Zilva. Frankly she both monitored and listened to Zilva in great detail, picking up her natural vocal rhythm which would allow her to recognize flaws in her speech that would indicate a lie or discomfort. She had another neat mechanism that would allow her to do so which she would save for later, but for now she would trust Zilva and more importantly her instincts. During her explanation Etsu had casually poured her two cups of tea from a tea set on her desk that was themed with red rose petals, one of her favorites. She withdrew one of the cups and took a few short sips before placing it back on the table. Zilva had indicated that she was an actor whose talent was just as skillful as her Ninjutsu. Although she probably didn't mean anything by it, it still made Etsu double think her truthfulness of her words. She shrugged off the thought and proceeded to listen, taking another sip of her tea and maintaining eye contact.

Zilva then got around to the massacre that happened in Muyarama's Tea Hut that happened not too long ago when the First Hokage was alive and in power. Etsu was notified of the tragety as soon as she got back to the village from on a reconnaissance mission as an ANBU Captain, the memory was still sharp in her mind. Immediately she and a few other officers were tasked with the duty of investigating the scene although by that time the Hunting Unit was already on the move to catch the now identified Zilva. There were many inquiries and theories that led to the murders, however all the fingers mysteriously pointed to her. Etsu along with many Ninja in the higher tiers of the political spectrum of Konoha disregarded Zilva of such as crime although she was still wanted even if it was for interrogation. She didn't abide to that though, possibly due to the belief that she would be executed if she turned her self in, which quite frankly wouldn't be a totally askew thought in a realistic approach. Etsu now understood where Zilva was coming from, and a seed of respect for her was beginning to grow.

Zilva was finished speaking and Etsu could hear the tiredness in her voice. The melody in her voice sounded like the life was being drained from it by her stress, and luckily Etsu could cypher it through her words. She thought herself rude for not addressing the obvious when Zilva first came in, her hospital seemed to be absent lately. After undergoing all the stress she's being through during the day she would need some cool refreshments or a meal to keep her mentally intact. Hell, she was living in exile under false accustations for years, wandering around the world with no home, she was going to need more than refreshments to get back on her feet. Maybe Etsu would help her with that, or maybe not, she didn't come to a decision just yet. Although she had upmost sympathy for the girl she wasn't the type to express it through fuzzy feelings, she herself had undergone both mental and physical torture as a child that still follow her til this day, it was honestly hard for her to sorry for anyone but herself.

"I don't believe you killed them either dear." Etsu said while crossing her arms. The linen of her sleeves rubbed against each other which created a low static sound, the only sound that was seemingly present in a room of dead silence. She inhaled for before speeking. "You were wrongly accused, and I understand. It's a shame you had to go through that and frankly you're lucky to be alive, because had I been assigned to your assignation, you would surely be dead." She continued coldly. With two fingers she pushed the tray of tea towards Zilva which was her own way of giving her permission to have a cup. It was very good tea of course, and Zilva would be a fool to pass up on such a expensive taste. Etsu continued; "You are welcome to become a citizen of my village, but first you must take a few mental and physical examinations to test your skill to see which ranking you're most suitable in. But before any of that, I have a request for you that you may find interesting." Etsu said while forming a seal. A puff of smoke was summoned infront of her which later revealed brown folder after it dispersed. Etsu placed her palm onto the folder and looked at Zilva.

"An investigation was conducted after the slaughter in Muyarama's Tea Hut, investigators not only identified you as one of the suspects, but another woman as well. Her name was Tishina Izuko, a former Konoha Operative who turned rogue a few months ago after a many serial killings. There is without a doubt that if you weren't the murderor, than she definatley was." She paused. "Here is your chance to redeem yourself and clear your name of the charges. I'm sending you on a mission to Hot Spring Country, where Tishina Izuko was last scene. Your job is to find her, kill her, and bring her head back to me. If you can do this, then I will welcome you into my village as Hokage." She said while handing Zilva the mission folder.

Spoiler:

Posts : 140

Zilva felt utterly exhausted after speaking. She put so much energy into talking and trying to be as convincing as possible that she had little left to do much else. All of the adrenaline of the event had left her after she summoned up the courage to face the Hokage in a very refined manner. Now she felt weak. Instead of sitting up straight she slouched more and more until it seemed as if she was laying rather than sitting. The sheen from her eyes faded and for a few seconds she felt like she was asleep. 'I guess if the Hokage wants me dead it would be better for me to be in a state such as this, it would make it easier.' Zilva thought as she kept her tired eyes on the Hokage. She felt as if her words had fallen upon deaf ears since the Hokage didn't really seem moved by anything she said. Instead of giving some sort of recognition of understanding, the Hokage sat seemingly un phased and drank her tea. Zilva hoped that it was just a sort of poker faced deployed to keep her on the edge of her seat and bring out the truth. Hope was all she had recently and Zilva crossed her fingers and wished that she wouldn't run out of it until she got her life back into order.

When Zilva was about to fall asleep from fatigue coupled with mental and physical exhaustion, she heard the Hokage begin to speak. The Hokage's voice was like a trigger that sparked Zilva's body back into action and made her assume a more respectable position. Her eyes still looked devoid of life, but her body looked primed and ready for action. After the first sentence the Hokage said, Zilva wanted to scream out in joy. After all this time she just wanted to hear those words. Words of encouragement with her struggle, Words that showed her that someone was on her side in her endeavor. Zilva ignored the cold comment that came after it and instead continued to linger on the fact that she was received well by the Hokage. After the first bit of talking, the Hokage pushed the tray of tea over to Zilva so that she could take a cup. Even though she felt sick to the stomach and really wasn't in the mood for tea Zilva took the cup and began drinking it. Zilva didn't really care for tea. She didn't really enjoy any beverage that didn't have loads of sugar in it. Regardless, the tea that the Hokage had given her was very refreshing and gave Zilva a revitalizing boost that she so desperately needed. The next thing that the Hokage said was rather surprising to Zilva. She said that Zilva was welcome to become a citizen after she took a number of exams to test what rank was the most appropriate for her. 'So she wants me to become a Konoha ninja? I'm not really opposed to it but I wonder what the Raikage would think of that. Even if the Raikage believed that I was innocent it would still look as if Konoha stole a perfectly good ninja, especially one from a clan that is loyal to the Raikage. Oh well, it's best not to worry about that right now.' Zilva thought as she continued to listen.

After welcoming Zilva to the village, the Hokage said that she had one more request that Zilva may find interesting. This piqued Zilva's interest because she wasn't exactly sure what more could be added to the event. She had already been accepted by the Hokage and it seemed like she had nothing left to prove as far as her innocence. The Hokage continued on by first recalling the incident at Muyarama's Tea Hut. Just the thought of that place made Zilva shiver and her resentment of it was obvious to whoever mentioned it around it. She spoke of the investigation that was conducted on the incident and stated that there was another suspect apart from Zilva. Tishina Izuko, a former Konoha operative that left the village after numerous murders, was suspect number two. Zilva took the mission folder and glared at it in silence. 'All this time I've been suffering because of this woman. She'll pay for what she has done, dearly. I'll make sure she dies the most miserable and painful death for making me go through this.' She thought as she glared at it. "I'll do it. I'll make her pay dearly for this..." Zilva muttered in a low and grizzled tone as she looked up. "But before I go, can I make a request? Can you make sure that my parents know of my innocence regardless of if I come back alive from this mission? I know there's a chance I'll die, there has always been with day I've lived after the incident. I just want to make sure that they know the truth. Just show them this when you tell them." Zilva continued in a more stoic tone than she had spoken in previously. While she spoke, she pulled out a piece of paper and wrote some of her glyphs on it. Although her parents wouldn't be able to decipher them, they would still be able to recognize them as Daosumi glyphs. After preparing the paper, she put it on the Hokage's desk and stood up.

"I'd better get started on that mission. I can't stop now! I've come so far to clear my name and this is the only thing left to do! I have to kill her right now! I won't rest until she is dead! I can't rest until..." Zilva declared flamboyantly as she began to walk towards the door. Sadly, before she could reach the door she felt a chill down her spine. Not the chill of a cold winter night or a breezy afternoon, it was the chill of her body simply giving up and shutting down. Halfway through a step Zilva's body just didn't have enough energy and stopped. She stumbled and fell onto the ground with a thud and a grunt. "I guess I should just lay her for a couple minutes... before I get started..." She muttered as she began to fade in and out of consciousness.

Age : 31 Posts : 1118

Zilva withdrew a parchment from her pockets as well as a pen while making a humble request. She had asked of Lady Etsu would be so kind to inform her parents of her innocence before undergoing her little conquest to Bear Country. As a grown kunoichi, Etsu saw it as quite juvenile. Branching from your parents was part of the life of a shinobi, sometimes you branch on good terms, sometimes not. In whatever case their love and acceptance would not protect her from the acrid forces of the world, that is something she alone would have to face. This kind of scenario reminded Etsu of her own parents whom are chronically sick with the tribulations that come with long age. When she was younger her parents desensitized themselves for her, believing that not having a strong love for her would help them in the long run for not feeling any pain if she'd been killed in the field. This kind of mentality wasn't uncommon to the parents of Ninja, it was sad, but somewhat understandable. Hopefully Zilva's parents would accept her back with open arms, but as a young woman and an ex-nukenin, Zilva must learn that her own acceptance is enough to survive on.

"Yes I will." Etsu responded after Zilva put the note on the table. She looked at the paper for a short moment and pulled it towards her with her fingers. The process of mailing this to the Raikage was going to be a tedious matter. She didn't really get along with the Raikage honestly, although their relationship was cordial, there was a passive battle between strong personalities and ruling between them that made their personalities conflict. But whatever, Etsu took great humor in imaging the Raikage's face when one of his militants joined forces with Konoha. Etsu folded the paper on the table and folded her hands over top of it. She then watched as Zilva made her way to the door. Etsu now compared her to the time when she entered, how bang up and nervous she was. Now, there was a glow within her skin, and a small pep in her step as she walked, she was confident. However, something changed. As she reached the door she collapsed in what appeared to be exhaustion. She fell to the floor in a dramatic fall as if all energy was sapped from her. "I guess I should just lay her for a couple minutes... before I get started...", she muttered. Etsu sat motionless with her hands folded on her desk, with only a raised eyebrow as a physical response.

"Ugh, typical." She said while forming a seal. She looked upon the motionless body of Zilva and sighed a dry exhalation. "Medic!" She yelled into the air. Within moments a medical unit of three medics appeared within the room greeted their Hokage. They were facing her direction when they entered, so Etsu had to gesture them towards Zilva for them to notice her. The three white caped operatives were quick on the job, they moved towards Zilva and checked her pulse or any sign of stimulus. She was fine, just unconscious as Etsu thought. One of them lifted her up into her arms and turned towards Etsu. "Just unconscious, we're taking her back to the Hospital for further analysis, she should be fine." He said. Etsu smiled and fanned them off, they vanished with Zilva from her room. Afterwards she looked down at her desk and the first image she saw was the note. She grimaced at it and opened her desk draw, retrieving her nail polish. Nonchalantly she painted her nails and continued with her day.

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