Tekishijin had just arrived to the place where he had been instructed to meet the Kage of the village at, the Umikage. It was a man he had seen very little of, but knew on an impersonal basis. There were always things being said about him in the halls of the academy when he attended, and even still in the circles of shinobi's that lingered in the market streets, near the training grounds, all over. There was a time when he had went up to Mt. Myria just to climb it, because he felt like climbing it for training. At the top he met a very resentful batch of Eagle Clan shinobi.

The presence of the Nibi no Kuni was intense in the area of the graveyard and his head felt as though it was splitting open again. At least the Nibi no Kuni wasn't jabbering off at the mouth along with applying so much intense pressure on his skull. He looked off in the direction of the sun which was on it's way towards the horizon while he awaited the arrival of the Kage. His thoughts tried to find anything and everything to ponder about - other than what this meeting was about and why he was summoned here.

It was about time, wasn't it. Saizo looked up from a grave of someone he held dear. The grave of his very own mother. Yes, illness toke her quite sometime ago. He had already moved on but it felt appropriate to visit her grave while he was near by. This was an easy place to hold a meeting such as this. It wasn't crowded after all and it was far less official than his office was. He would finally be able to meet the crab monster and the body of which it resided in. No, to think of it like that was rude. He was going to meet a young benin of his village who just so happened to be cursed, or perhaps blessed, with a power not naturally his own. Saizo was interested in the tailed beasts. They were obviously very interesting things. Giant creatures of immense chakra. If that wasn't interesting, then he didn't know what was. Oh how he wanted to meet the beast. Of course, the boy was bound to be interesting as well.

"Hello!" he yelled to the other man standing by himself in the graveyard. If he wasn't mistaken then that was probably the same one he had called over. No one else was around after all. What a young one. Well, younger than he was anyways. Saizo was pretty young for his position. Other seemed fine with it, though. "As you may have guessed, I am the one who called you here. So how are you this fine day, Mr. Koten?" he said as he got closer. "Are you alright with me calling you that, or would you prefer something else?", of course introductions came first, but oh all the questions he wanted to ask. How is it, having a monster inside him? No. Monster was the wrong word. Giant crab was more appropriate. To go ahead and call it a monster would be wrong. To judge it so quickly. It was even worse ask personal questions like that as soon as they met. No, he had to start far softer than that. He didn't want to scare him off too soon.

"Koten is fine. Do you mind if I address you by your first name?" He responded as he permeated his way ever so softly through the blades of grass that surrounded the bases of the tombstones and up to their ankles. He had not known what to expect from this meeting other than he was going to be asked a bunch of questions so he had prepared himself for that. Being called to meet the Umikage himself was no small matter, and Tekishijin had almost been certain if they were to be spotted or have met in a more public place he would be the envy of the town. It wouldn't have mattered either way, it wasn't like he had any friends to begin with. "Is it okay if I call you Saizo?" He waited for the response.

He had looked down at the tombstone that Saizo was standing in front of and had assumed that it was a reason as to why he had been called here specifically, other than the obvious reason of keeping the meeting a private one. The only people that Tekishijin had buried to visit were not here. They were buried in a private ground at the location of the center of the village before this place was a village. [What are you doing here with the Kage?] {If I knew don't you think you would already know? Flipping idiot} The ear splitting sound of nails scratching against a chalkboard was made and Tekishijin couldn't help but react - jerking his head down and towards the left, his right hand shooting up to his right ear as though it would make any difference. He and the Nibi no Kuni had made progress every since the night of climbing Mt. Myria but there was still much to be done for Tekishi to gain control over the bijuu and obtain his liking, then his trust.

"My apologies, but the demon and I still don't get along very well. It's hard living with him sealed inside me. The power of him, I can feel it locked, but the two conscious' in one body can be very demanding of one brain," he tried to chuckle off the pain that he was going through, trying to act tough in front of the Kage to show that he was the right jinchuuriki for the village and that he was prepared to elevate himself to the next level as quickly as possible. He had not know if it shown through right now during one of his weakest and most vulnerable times in life.

"Sure. You can call me whatever you're most comfortable with. I'm not picky." he said to the young man. It was a tad strange having such a happy conversation in the middle of a graveyard. Or maybe it was just him, and Mr. Koten wasn't enjoying this nearly as much as he was. Saizo would understand. He'd just been called up by the head of the village. He didn't want to look bad in front of him. No, he wouldn't have wanted to look bad in front of the previous kage. That was a tad different, though. The last kage was a lot stiffer than he was. Yes, he was the military type, far different than Saizo was. Well, he'd eventually relax around him. He was expecting to keep an eye on this guy. He was important to the future of the Hurricane village. He was a powerful asset. Can't have him leave the village. That would be a problem. But at the same time he wanted to give him some freedom. Perhaps every once in a while. Well, we'd have to wait and see now, won't we?

The way he was moving. It was weird. He knew why. He wasn't a normal person. Many people weren't normal in the ninja world. The weird ones are usually the ones to survive. It was a sort of advantage against all the rest. Something to give them the upper edge. Thats how he viewed it anyways. He wasn't going to judge the boy. He wasn't one to do so. He himself was looked upon with weird eyes when he was younger as well. "Demon sounds a bit harsh, doesn't it?" right after he just thought about not addressing it as such a beast. Looks like he probably wouldn't have struck a nerve if he had. At the same time, he respected the tailed beasts. He didn't know much about them, but their power was enough to earn his respect. He wasn't sure if he was able to beat any of them on head to head combat. It was easier to beat them quick. Prolonged combat with one was suicide.

I guess it was difficult to hold another thing within you. Perhaps a little revision of the seal was in order? Perhaps not. Having two minds. Hmm, seemed like it would be kind of interesting from his perspective. "Hmm, two minds? Are you sure its as big of a burden as you make it sound? There must be some sort of positives." he said to the man. Saizo viewed the glass as half full. It was a fault of his. Maybe he was a bit too positive. Not everything was sunshine and lollipops, though. He should start viewing things from Tekishi's perspective.

The caramel color of the sky was what Tekishi had set his eyes on now as he stumbled forward towards a tombstone, not the one that Saizo was standing in front of, and locked his eyes on it. He listened to the man whom had been appointed the leader of their village, his gentleness more than apparent in his speech. Tekishi had not known any other Kage, so he had always thought that all Kage’s were as gentle at heart as Saizo was -- at least as far as Tekishi had known him yet anyway.

“Advantages? Try having this thing in your head, constantly making noises to keep you from sleeping, constantly applying pressure to your brain to cause you headaches and pain. It is very difficult...” Tekishi had lingered off at the words feeling as though whatever he would say wouldn’t be able to transfer the feelings from him to Saizo to help him understand. He didn’t want for him to sympathize with him or anything either. “If I could make you feel the pain that I feel, I would let you see why I call him a demon. But like all demons, they can be overcome. They can be tempered and controlled.” Tekishi had tried to relax and take deep breaths to sooth his mind. He had become silent for quite some time, watching the sky swirl in upon itself as though the clouds were the coffee and the receding blue was the cream. It was pleasant.

“Do you read a lot?” He asked. “Surely you must do a lot of paperwork as the Kage, but I mean read like pleasure reading?” He waited for a response before going on to ask. “Have you ever of the saying, ‘those who enslave others, inevitably become slaves themselves’?” The quote had a somber tone to it, but was said and was very applicable to the life that Koten Tekishijin was currently living out and was destined to fulfill. This was his body, and he was just a vessel for a beast that cannot reach it’s full potential without a vessel. He knew that much at the very least.

So despite all of the bashing and nonsense that he was getting from the Nibi no Kuni on the regular, he remained positive with his outlook on the future, of him having control and getting along amicably with the demon inside of him. Such a union would indubitably ensure a more pleasant and fulfilling union between the two.

Hmm. Yes, Saizo didn't see it from his perspective. The difficulties of having someone inside him. It never truly happened to him. Maybe it was difficult. Maybe he would find out sometime. He couldn't really imagine how he would end up in a scenario where that could happen. Maybe another tailed beast is still prancing around out there, just waiting for someone like Saizo to force him inside someone or himself. The world was huge so who knows what could happen. Maybe one day he would be needed for his expertise in the art. He wanted to see how it was from Teki's perspective, though. How daily life was. Probably not the cute conversations and delightful conversations like he imagined it to be. He was far too naive.

"I really wish you could show me how it was." he said. It would have been quite an experience. If everyone could just share memories with each other. Well, then there would be no need for wars. A time where everyone could understand each other. It sounded a little scary. He liked getting to know others and gradually understanding them. It was fun for him. Yes, he liked creating bonds through work. It made them so much more meaningful. But how he wanted to try and feel this one. Perhaps he would also call the Nibi a demon. Maybe not. Guess they'd never really know. Still, he had yet to hear the Nibi directly kill anyone. Yes, it had caused peoples deaths due to its presence but it never seemed like it really wanted to hurt others. For that reason he believed that perhaps he was far friendlier than he looked, but maybe it wasn't so. Maybe he really was a demon crab. Too bad. It would've been nice to form a bond with a tailed beast. Imagine how a friendly tailed beast could help bolster their defences. It would definitely make others think twice about messing with them.

He did read a little. When the weather was poor and his time allowed, he sometimes picked something up, but to say he was an avid reader would be a stretch. It wasn't that he disliked reading, but rather that he preferred living through his own experiences rather than reading about others. He liked to create his own opinions, not borrow them from others. "Become slaves themselves, huh?" it was an interesting quote, but he understood the message. "So do you believe its time for the table to turn? Your time to take the reins?" he said. He wanted to see him dominate the beast. To see how strong the boys will really is. He was going to be an important part of this village after all. He could become an important figure for the village's future.

“Of course I’m ready!” The voice of Tekishijin was filled with excitement and hope for the future. It rang out through the graveyard for a moment before coming as silent as the headstones. There didn’t seem like much else to say about that part though. He knew that he could mention how ready he is time and time again, but until it was time to prove himself then nothing would be different. He couldn’t even tell himself all that often if anything had changed yet or not, even when it had. Progress had been slow but yet again he was just starting out. There was room for both optimism and pessimism; however he preferred to leave the latter to the Nibi no Kuni and the former for himself.

The statement about Saizo wishing that Tekishijin could show him how it was having a bijuu inside of him gave Tekishijin an idea. It was one that he couldn’t fulfill right away, or maybe not even in the near by future but one he would hold on to for when he could make it happen.

The sun was half way under the horizon now and as Tekishijin took a small spin around in a circle he spotted the Moon. It was bright and at it’s half stage. He stared up at it for a very long time, enough to get Saizo to notice without having to direct his vision by pointing or anything of that nature. “Do you have any big plans for me?”

He paused waiting for Saizo’s answer, hoping that the question received an answer that he wanted to hear. “I was thinking about becoming a part of the village ANBU or a Hunter-Nin; although, I do not know much about either position, what it requires, what comes along with the job duties. I wouldn’t want to disappoint my family or choose a path that they don’t see fit for me but then again, if they see me fit to be a Jinchuuriki, I don’t see how becoming an ANBU or a Hunter-Nin wouldn’t be befitting for me at that.”

He chuckled a bit thinking about it, then got the headache again as the Nibi no Kuni was making it’s presence known. [Your success or failure is based off my decisions, not yours.] Another empty threat. Koten Tekishijin was building a new mindset - a new perspective - a paradigm shift. It was becoming harder and harder for him to believe the words that the Nibi no Kuni said when it was - in some ways - essentially a parasite.

Saizo laughed a little. His eagerness for control was good. Saizo liked it. As soon as he is able to harness the power of his bijuu, the more useful he becomes to the village and to himself. Saizo wanted to help him reach his full power, but all he could really do is restrain him. Stop him from losing control, not help him gain it. "But if you ever need help, don't hesitate to call. I'd be more than happy to help." he said to the young benin. Saizo wanted him to feel comfortable in his situation. The life they Mr.Koten was forced to live through was not an easy one. To be urged not because of his own personality or his own actions, but those of the thing inside him. It couldn't be easy. He itself was once looked upon with disapproving eyes. See, the Hozuki clan didn't use to be such a noble clan in the Hurricane village. Before it was just a clan that produced more pirates then ninja. In was more of a hinderance then an asset to the village. Saizo knew this well. His own father had been a pirate. He couldn't even begin to imagine a life as a pirate. Maybe a sailor, but not a pirate.

"Of course I've got plans for you." He said with a smile as he looked at the moon. It was getting late, wasn't it. Hopefully Tekishi wasn't scared of being at a graveyard at night. They way he looked at the moon. Hmm. Maybe he should try grabbing a tailed beast for himself one of these days. He had the skill set for it. But as to what to do with the boy. Well, he was still a benin. There was still quite sometime before anything major. Anbu or Hunter ninja. Both positions requiring high skill level. Hunter ninja would require him to be out of the village a lot. It was also a very dangerous job. Taking down criminals and high value targets. Perhaps with the right team, he'd be great, but it was still unlikely. Village Anbu on the other hand, seemed appropriate. A position where he can stay anonymous during his missions. Not only that, but it didn't require as many of those long trips like hunter ninjas. Saizo didn't feel like chaining him up to the village so much. But at the same time, he didn't want to take any risks with his safety. "I'd love to assign you to my personal Anbu, but right now would be too soon. Keep training, and then we'll see what we can do from there."

The words had hit home, and his excitement had gone to another level. Saizo had stated that he would “love to assign,” Tekishijin “to (his) personal Anbu!” Tekishi had threw a punch up into the air and did a half spin like the technique from Ryu in street fighter.

They both knew that as of right now it would clearly be too soon. Tekishijin could hardly protect himself let alone the Umikage. His broad smiled crack and bore the light of the moon from his pearl colored teeth. “Thank you Umikage-san! I will do whatever it takes to make you proud!”

His chest was visibly buoyant with excitement for the future. Through it all Tekishi didn’t know if Hozuki Saizo had realized how he was helping this boy out; by giving him another goal and additional guidance in the form of an intended goal and direction - Tekishi could apply more focus to his training with a definite goal in mind. “What are all the requirements of becoming an Anbu?” He inquired just what exactly it would take for him to achieve that rank, and as the reality of the Umikage’s wishes sank in all of the possibilities began to run through his mind at a lightning pace.

If there would be any problems in the village or any deadly attacks coming towards the Umikage’s direction he would be right there to help protect him. If there would be any uproar or dissonance in the village between clans that inhabited the village then he would be there to separate the two sides, clarify the problem at hand and resolve it accordingly. He did still plan on traveling the world - as it was a large one and there were many places he wanted to see and go. The hurricane village would always be home, but by traveling he would be better able to get a view of the various shinobi villages as a whole and where the Hurricane Country stood in all of the minds of other Shinobi Villages. “Before I become an Anbu can I have your permission to leave the village and travel the world? I want to see it before I am locked away in the village. Not to say that it would be a bad thing but I think by exploring the world I would be better off protecting you in the long run as I have seen more that the world can throw at us.”

He stood erect and for the first time had realized how close in age he and Saizo were. They, if God was willing, would have a long fruitful relationship together. Despite Saizo was already the Umikage, Tekishijin was almost sure there could still be areas he could find more growth in as a shinobi. Tekishi just wanted to be there to see the growth happen.

“Would you be willing to help me train? I have a long way to go before I can obtain full mastery over the Nibi no Kuni and I will need all the help that I can get.” The sharp pain and applied pressure returned as the Nibi no Kuni made its presence known once more. [That’s damn right you brat. You will never control me. I much rather see you die first then control me so I can return into the depths of the Onozuka River after crushing this village under my mighty claws! There are too many boats sailing on my water and too many fishermen depleting the food supply and effecting the food chain in the river. I will never stand behind men who allow this to happen and ignore the detriment it’s causing to my natural habitat.]

The middle and pointer finger of Tekishi’s right hand rubbed the right temple for some time as he soaked all of this information in. It was the first time that the Nibi no Kuni had expressed a desire to Tekishijin other than his desire not to build a healthy relationship with Tekishi. That he had already known and conveniently reminded Tekishi every chance he got except for this time. Was it that the Umikage had shown a faith in Tekishijin that the Nibi no Kuni either a - lacked or b - simply didn’t want to bestow too early in Tekishi? It had appeared to be so to Tekishi but the bottom line was that something was different here. For once the Nibi no Kuni had vocalized one of his own concerns and Tekishijin didn’t want to miss the opportunity to show the demon that he was always listening to him, and would stand up for him just as he wanted the same in return. {I will speak with the Umikage about your concerns.}

Nice to see he was able to make at least one person happy during his time in office. He didn't really count all the people celebrating his promotion. He didn't feel like he was responsible for it, but rather that this was the last kage and the damiyo's decision and that it wasn't really him. It felt good to finally make someone happy because of his own powers. He needed to do something in running this village. Something different. What he really wanted to do is improve relations with the others. The village itself was really stable. It had many allies as well and had quite the reputation. Being the ones to take out the other great major village of Kazan, brought them a bit of respect from the other villages, he believed. Still, he felt that the villages didn't communicate well at all. Maybe it would be easier to conquest instead of trying to make friends. That wasn't his style, though. It seemed far more like Watanabe's style. His militaristic personality would've suited conquest so much better than Saizo's.

"Haha, Nice to see you happy about something." he said. It was the first time he'd seen the kid smile so far. Yes, smiling was important. He still hadn't been promoted yet, so perhaps this act of excitement was a tad too premature. Saizo would hate to think that the boy would fail to reach his goal, but the real world was harsh. There was no guarantee that he would even live long enough in order to control the monster inside him. It was a scary world. All he could do is believe in him and things might just work out.

"Requirements, eh? Well, I'm no expert, but you'll definitely have to be around a high Chunin or higher. Also, you should learn some kind of specialization, a skill you can excel at. A sort of individuality. Something that you shouldn't have too many problems with." Saizo was still new. He should've still known how to do this from his own years of climbing the ladder. Still, what he said was a pretty good overview for what he needed to shoot for. With enough training, Saizo could see Teki with the Anbu robes and animal mask, easily. He seemed trustworthy. Someone that he could trust with almost any assignment.

Now, his request was not a weird one, but it was unexpected. Saizo was unsure of what to do. To let him leave the village? It seemed risky. What if another village toke him. A shift in power balance. He didn't want to hold the kid back, though. He was ok with Teki leaving, but he didn't want the tailed beast to leave. What a predicament. Maybe he could find some sort of compromise. "I'm not against the idea, but perhaps you should be assigned an escort of sorts. Unless you are uncomfortable with the idea. If so, perhaps something else. Just something in order to make sure you're ok."

Something like some sort of messenger bird of sort would also work. Just something that made sure he wasn't in any danger. He felt bad because of the way he was treating the boy, though. He travelled just the same when he was around the same age. Teki was far more important than he was at the time. No, he could chain him down to the village, though. It would be so much easier if he could escort the boy, but that would be impossible. "Of course I can help you train. Whatever we need to get the Nibi to join our side."

“Yes!” Tekishijin did another flying uppercut into the sky to show his excitement from the comments that Saizo had made. “That’s awesome that you’ll train me,” he stated with the utmost enthusiasm. “A trainer at such an early stage of my development is going to be the most beneficial thing for me. That way, as we train a long I can see what your specialty thing is or whatever, and I can go and get in the habit of pursuing my own.”

Tekishijin hadn’t been aware that his proficiency with ijutsu was already a specialty that not many other shinobi had in their arsenal. He was a shinobi who had known a lot about the anatomy of human beings so that he could revitalize and heal any injuries that may arise in battle just as much as he may be able to cause severe pain and detriment to specific locations to the opponent if need be.

The escort idea was not one that he had thought of before, so he wanted to take a moment to take it into consideration. “An escort?” He repeated the subject which was currently under thorough scrutiny in the light of his mind’s eye. ”Please allow me a moment to contemplate this,” he begged of Saizo as he folded his arms across his chest and turned around, beginning to walk in a circle.

{What do you think about the idea of an escort?} The Nibi no Kani growled as though he had not wanted to be bothered, the rumbling could only be heard by Tekishijin. [Make sure you tell him what I said!] {I will tell him, sheesh! Just help me figure this out.} [What was your question?] {An escort… should I wish to leave the village with an escort?} [What do you think?] {I think that an escort would be eliminating my ability to make any surprise entrances or exits from any one location. Also if I have an escort, just being the young gennin that I am, it will draw more attention as though I am someone of high status or priority which I am not.} The Nibi responded with ‘uhm hmm’s’ and ‘yeah’s’ {What do you think?} [I think that as a jinchuuriki, no matter how weak you truly are you shouldn’t need an escort because of the power I could grant you.] “Could!” The thought was so powerful that Tekishijin had said it a loud and hadn’t even noticed it as he continued walking in a circle in conversation with the Nibi. “You say you can, or could, or would, but yet you don’t. I’m not worried about all the power that you can grant me, I’m concerned about not needing to rely on anything that concerns you. You are fortunate that I have even considered asking you for your opinion.”

Tekishijin had stomped back over to the vicinity of Saizo, his brow turned down and his nostrils flared as his mind was now agitated mostly with the comment that the Nibi made about him being weak more than anything else. “Is an escort like your personal escort, like with ANBU and the whole works?” He was really concerned about what type of escort that he would be offered, and felt compelled to voice these concerns with the Umikage, for if there was anyone, he would be best able to correct them.“I am wondering because if it is with ANBU, I would definitely like to go with them because they could teach me much about the path of an ANBU, and what they wear, how they conduct their business, etc. etc. If it is just a regular group of Chuunin or Jounin that escort me, that would be fine as well because I can still learn from their experience in the field over my own and see how they act and react to different situations. In both hands, I have protection, but in one hand I have a high priority escort, you know… with the ANBU, and in the other hand I still am being escorted which still draws attention to me either way. I wouldn’t be escorted if I weren’t of importance. Any low life criminal from another village or a shinobi looking for fame would recognize my allegiance to another village and that I’m being escorted so they may get tempted to try me.”

“What other options are available to us? I suppose I could always wait until I reach the rank of Chuunin before I leave the village, I am well aware that I will need more training before I even really feel comfortable leaving the village.” Tekishi had conceded this last part in all honesty, despite the fact that he hated it being pointed out by anyone other than himself, especially by the Nibi. “Oh, another thing that I do not want to forget is the River… there have been a lot more fishermen lately and the food chain in the river is becoming a little unbalanced. The Nibi wanted me to bring this to your attention so that something can be done about this.”

{Do you have any suggestions to how best resolve this issue?} [Maybe a season or two will be enough time for them to replenish fully if nobody is allowed to fish on the river…] {Well that is just unreasonable,} [Wait just a moment...let me finish! Possibly if he just regulates it to how many lbs of fish can be caught in a day or by how many boats can be on the river over the next season… I do not know exactly, I just know that there has been too much fishing going on.]

Shaking his head, Tekishijin had looked with a cocked-eye at Saizo, irritated from the pursuit of the conversation with the Nibi. “The Nibi suggests having nobody fish on the river for a season or two. We worked through that already stating that it is unreasonable, but if it can be done then that would fully replenish the food chain. The other suggestions are that if you put a limit on how much fish can be caught for the next season or two, or if you could limit the amount of fishing boats that go on the river per week or day over the next season or two.”

The Nibi no Kani had noted the season or two request that Tekishijin was adding on to the suggestions that were offered. He secretly appreciated the extended period of time asked for as he knew that would be more than enough time to correct the food chain supplies. Their awkward relationship had come from their lack of time together, no desire to bond, and very little respect for one another. It would take a myriad of small communication trial and error steps such as these to get on the same page and that was completely separate from how much they would have to do on the battlefield together to get completely in sync as well. Two methods of fighting the same battle would not work - it was imperative that they become one - sooner rather than later.

Word count - 1.188 // 3.464 Total // 5 posts

Again. More excitement. Again, he hoped the celebration wasn't too early. They both still had a long way to go till they actually achieved anything. This was a good start, though. Setting down the foundation in order to build a strong building on top of it. Still, there were bound to be some sort of bumps down the road. It was still too early to tell how things would work out. Who knows? Maybe they'll get lucky and the Nibi decides to cooperate nice and easy. Perhaps his trip is smooth too and he avoids trouble. Still, he didn't want to just go on a whim and send him out alone. You never know what might happen out there. Although he trusted in his ninja's strength, Teki was still just a genin. There was a reason that most genin were put on three man squads and usually had these jounin teachers. It helped protect them from their lack of experience and even then something can go wrong.  It can get pretty nasty when things go wrong. Just one dead genin is pretty unsightly. But of course, this wasn't always the case. In fact, it was pretty rare. But when it did happen. Well, it was heart-wrenching. But enough about the past. They were discussing the future of a promising young ninja, after all.

Saizo waited patiently while he thought it out. He wasn't surprised. Saizo wouldn't like someone following him around either. What he was more worried about was his conversation with himself, or rather the conversation with the two tails inside him. He wondered about the crab. Did he just come out whenever or was he just always there commenting through out the day. It was amazing that the kid was still sane. Perhaps he wasn't sane. Saizo didn't know him well enough yet to tell. Saizo wouldn't mind if he were just a little bit insane. The crazy ones are the fun ones, after all. Saizo really shouldn't be judging Teki. Saizo talked to himself all the time. In fact, Teki was talking to someone, so Saizo was probably worse off than him. Maybe he just needed someone to talk too like right now. It seemed to calm down the urges most of the time. Now Saizo attempted not to listen to the conversation but there wasn't much else to do, so he may have tuned in for a bit of the conversation. He wouldn't comment on any of it, though. Not out loud anyways. There was nothing wrong about relying on others, though. Thats actually probably why he was so intrigued with Jinchuriki. They had someone with them at all times, someone who can pick you up and help you at all times. It seemed like an amazing power. If the beasts didn't all have such bad attitudes maybe he would see it the same way.

"Yes, it would be an Anbu. Most likely not from my own personal Anbu, but an Anbu nonetheless. You won't actually have to see too much of him or her. Imagine him or her as your shadow, something most people won't notice. A shadow that will come to your aid if need be. Thats what I'd like to do, unless you have something else in mind?" he said. He was open to any suggestions. This was the first time he assigned bodyguard to people. Hopefully it wasn't the last. He thought his idea seemed fair. It allowed Teki freedom in his travel along on his own. Maybe it would've been better if he hadn't said anything. He didn't want the genin to feel like he was being babysat. Saizo was always so indecisive with these sort of decisions. There were pros and cons on both sides.

"Maybe we could do something a little more on the down low, though. Instead of sending you with a ninja escort, I could send you with a pigeon. Pick a night of the week and send back an update, something we can use to make sure you're ok. Is thats more your style?" it did allow chance for something to go wrong, but he wanted to trust his ninja and this could allow for more flexibility. They still had some time, though. He wasn't living right away, or maybe he was? No, no, he did just say he needed more training. But still, he hadn't heard any specific date. "The River, eh? Well, we are an island nation. Im sure there is far more than one fishing spot available for everyone. I'm sure we can work something out there."

He really didn't notice the excess amount of fishermen. Being a nation full of them, it wasn't very easy to spot, but he didn't want to displease the giant crab. Now, the river was very convenient. It was just so close to home, but that also seemed to be the problem. A season of immunity, that seemed allowable. Hard to do, but allowable. The problem was the fisherman. Now how to deal with them. Like he had said. They are an island. They were surrounded by sea and fish. Of course, there was a layer of hurricanes, but they had found openings in the wall of wind. The idea he liked was limited boats. He could maybe even get a quick profit from it. He trusted the fisherman not to overfish too bad. Maybe even a limit on the boats size. "Yea, I can do something about it. I will do something about it. Not something for just one season, though. That will only postpone the issue. I think we can do better than that."

Tekishijin still did a little bit of a twitch as he stood awaiting the response of Saizo. He had crossed his arms and looked up towards the stars as his ears stayed tuned into the frequency of the Kage’s. He searched for something in the sky as though he had known previously that there would be a sighting. As he looked and looked he processed the information about the single ANBU guard rather than a squad of them, which made the idea much more favorable. He processed the pause in between the next spoken thought of the pigeon trick which he had a peculiar disinclination towards. “There is no security in the pigeon, it would be the same type of deal with me going alone… well … you know what I mean. The pigeon can get shot down by any scout that is actually doing his or her job!” He noted that there wasn’t anything in the sky but the show of light and clouds. He dropped his head and looked back in the eyes of Saizo.

“Do you know the ANBU that you would assign for me if I were to today?” He allowed him time to respond.

“Or would it be the same person if I were to leave with them after training?" He wondered which the answer would be as training was quickly becoming his soul focus so that he would even feel safe leaving the village himself. At least a bit more secure in his own skin, which he was not.

[He is a very generous man is he or just easily persuaded?] {I’m not exactly sure, maybe a little bit of both. At least he is has responded so generously to your request. He doesn’t believe one season will be enough either.} [Make sure you thank him, and tell him that I give him my thanks. Like the walk of the crab, not all paths are direct, but it is a wise choice to follow the crab, for the crab is one with the natural cadence of the moon, the water, the land, and the perfect rhythm of nature.]

“We thank you Saizo… for being willing to go along with that. Both of us individually for our own reasons of course. The Nibi no Kuni says not all paths are direct, hence see the walk of the crab; however, it is wise to follow the crab because he is one with the natural cadence of the moon, the water, the land and the perfect rhythm of nature.” Tekishijini felt compelled to bow in front of Saizo when he said that, so he did.

"Well, the pigeons are trained to avoid those sort of things, and it really isn't for protection, but rather something that will tell us whether you're in need of help. I do see your point, though. It is just a bird and the time it would take to travel could be avoided if someone else was there." he also thought to himself that a pigeon that gets shot down, shouldn't even deserve to be used by ninja. He didn't want to sound mean, but if it can't get its job done then it just about useless. Perhaps the same went for all his ninja, but to them he'd rather appear like a caring father or grandfather. He had to keep up appearances too, you know. He didn't want to seem like a mean and evil tyrant. He preferred to be love then feared, but if the need be, he could switch masks for the better of the state.

"The Anbu I would assign? Hmm, I think I have one in mind. His code name is Amagi. I won't go into details about his(Or hers, if you would prefer) abilities, but he is one of the people better suited to this task. Unless he somehow got injured or worse, it would probably be him, regardless of when you leave." yes, he trusted the Anbu with the life of his wife and kids, well, if he had any. They were a very capable bunch. They had to compete with the Anbu of every other village, so of course they had to be touch and dependable. Otherwise they wouldn't be able to be called a major village. It would be far too shameful. Saizo would also look up at the sky. To think that not so far from this very spot, there were raging winds and water battering the shores of this beauty-filled island. He'd travel to many places, himself, many were nice like this one, but none of them were able to win his heart just as much as Shippuu. He was glad to call this place his home.

How to train this young man? Perhaps he had a hidden talent for Fuuinjutsu? It seemed unlikely. Saizo didn't think he even could teach someone else to use sealing techniques. They all came so naturally to him that he'd probably just confuse anyone trying to learn from him. Now, he did hold the Nibi inside him, so he had to at least have basic knowledge of Suiton, most likely even more. He could start there. It was hard to be a Hozuki and bad with Water Release. It would be like being a bird incapable of flight, penguins and ostriches aside.

"What a funny thing to say." he'd respond to what he could only imagine was the way the Nibi usually talked. He smiled a bit while hearing it. It was funny how such a beast could be so sophisticated. It was also quite respectable of him to still care for the ecosystem and the other species of his natural home. He was sure this wouldn't be the last time the two exchanged words.

“What’s so funny?” he asked Saizo as if he had missed a part of the conversation that he was supposed to be privvy to. [Maybe he talks to himself a lot as well or something of that nature,] noted the Nibi no Kani, also confused as to what he was commenting on was so funny. “I’m glad that you do have an ANBU already in mind about escorting me. That most certainly gives me some relief and less to worry about with the end of the training coming into view. The pigeons, if they are trained to avoid it, they will do their best, but if someone wants to capture that pigeon and they also are trained, that pigeon will most definitely get caught.”

He let his neck roll back again so that he can stare back up into the sky. He had wished that he could read someone else’s mind but that was not possible. Whenever he had added fuuinjutsu to his repetoire he would most certainly remember to create a supportive seal that would grant him and the person who has the seal placed on them that capability. It would offer them advantages during the battle if it was a two versus two or two versus more than two type of party. The sky had continued to make it’s coffee like swirl around and around with an high energy type of mix of colors, the burnt bright orange with the tint of a soft lavender softening up the borders of the bright orange.

“Do you know of an Uchiha Ren’ai?” He asked him spontaneously. {Of course he should know this Uchiha right?} [Maybe… maybe not directly but possibly from accepting her mission requests he may know of her or something like that.] “I only ask because we had a spar the other day and it was pretty intense. She utilized a lot of genjutsu. I was wondering if we could practice recognizing and dispelling the genjutsu. Maybe not here but in another meeting?”

Tekishijin was becoming quite tired of all the talk, and wanted to do something, anything that would advance him closer to the goals that he and Saizo had just hashed out. “Maybe you and I could train together with the ANBU that you are going to assign to me so that we can start building up that relationship both in social environments, and if need be, in battle so that we can know each other’s strengths and weaknesses better so we can both be prepared for the unexpected in battle.” Tekishijin had dropped his head and looked back over at Saizo, looking at him very intently and focusing primarily on his eyes. He was going to attempt to read his mind, and see if his intuition could pick up on any of the Umikage’s thoughts and feelings just from looking at him. It was their first meeting so maybe not yet, but eventually when they had gotten to the point where they both knew each other like the back of their hand that connection would be made. “I want to study fuuinjutsu, and I’m already pretty proficient …. or at least at a beginner’s proficiency in Ninjutsu and Medical Ijutsu. I think those are the specialty things that you were talking about earlier? My medical ijutsu and my proficiency with ninjutsu?”

[Fuuinjutsu eh?] {Yes… I’m going to seal you the fudge out of me, you bastard,} he chuckled to himself, noticing that this had added some hesitation to the Crab and the tone in which he had questioned the third and final specialty that Tekishijin was going to master was evident that nervousness had befallen him. [You wouldn’t dare, you little piece of shit.] The Nibi no Kani didn’t take to well to this, and in his defense, he had begin to cause another ear splitting headache for Tekishi. His hand raised up to hold the left side of his head, his left eye squeezed tightly shut as that aided in blocking out the pain somehow - he wasn’t exactly sure. “So what do you say? We can meet here again tomorrow or within the week with the ANBU… what did you say his name was...Amagoo or something like that.”

"Haha, don't mind me, it's nothing." he said to the young genin. He didn't mean to upset him or anything. He was just amused, that's all. Oh well, another person who was going to think he was weird. It didn't really bother him anymore. If they had a problem with him, they would've kicked him out of his office and stolen his hat by now, but they hadn't yet. Maybe they were planning to. Oh well. If they didn't appreciate his rule than so be it. He would just have to force them to like it and drown everyone who is unable too. Oh how he loved his people. Oh how he hoped the relationship wasn't one sided. No, but jokes aside. He'd gladly step down if it were due to popular demand. He didn't want to steer the ship in the wrong direction, after all. He really did care for the island nation. He wanted it to succeed, to stand up above the rest. Whether he would be able to achieve that in his life time or have to pass on his will to the next generation. This was the goal he wanted to set for Shippuu.

"I guess that's a valid point."he said, referring to his thoughts about pigeons. They could continue to argue about it, but Saizo could tell that he disliked that idea. He seemed comfortable with the Anbu, though, so there was no need to come up with any new ideas or other ways to ensure his well being. Training him would also be an effective way to get him ready to take on the outside world. As long as he wasn't leaving right now, he was sure he could get him ready. Heck, he already knew what he wanted to learn. That definitely made it easier on Saizo. He always had troubles starting things. "You mean Kai? Yea, we can do that. But as far as Ren'ai Uchiha, I can't say I know her. Not personally, anyways. She must have been kind to face off with you, though. Maybe I'll run into her outside the office one of these days." he said, glad that his ninja could get along well enough. When people can get together and help each other get stronger, that brought a smile onto his face. He'd been able to smile a lot lately. These were good times in the kingdom.

Maybe it would be a good idea for him to create a training schedule. He'd probably need it. Saizo was usually a very poor teacher, so some sort of rough draft would help him out with Teki. He was also surprised in his interest in Fuuinjutsu. He probably knew about Saizo's expertise in the area. He was a genin of his village after all and Saizo only toke the hat not too long ago. It probably wasn't something difficult to figure out. Now he was alright training alone with Teki, but doing it with the Anbu was, perhaps pushing it a little. He'd be able to do it, he was the kage after all. But to cut into the Anbu's schedule was not something he was all for. Still, he knew what Teki was hoping for, but at the same time, It wasn't the Anbu's job to form bonds with others. In fact, there ability to stay detached was one of their strong suits. He actually avoided the remark, unwilling to answer it at the moment.

"Although I can help you with Ninjutsu and Fuuinjutsu, you might need to find someone else to help you with medical jutsu. Thats one skill I know next to nothing about. Still, you have the proper foundation. Now we just have to start building up and see what we can reach." he was sure that he would be able to reach high. Hopefully the crab would also see how high the kid would be able to rise and lend his helping hand.. er, claw. It was kind of fun molding a persons future. Just how would it all turn out. The surprise seemed definitely worth the wait. Even without the Nibi's assistance, they could get a lot done. "I'll get a hold of Amagi and see what can be done. Although I prefer not to train in the middle of a graveyard. Seems a tad disrespectful, don't you think?"

“Ahh… blasted Amagi is his name! Okay, I will do my best to remember that, but do not count on that happening haha,” he chuckled. He had found humor in forgetting the guys name, or calling him Amagoo, either or, was funny to him. “Awh… we are surrounded by the dead. It isn’t like they are going to notice that their head stones are destroyed or anything,” he forced a laugh and a smile although it was a really bad joke and he had knew it. He turned to the head stone that Saizo was still standing in front of and wiped off the dirt and dust particles that were there but invisible to the naked eye. Tekishi know had felt even worse after remembering that Saizo was here himself visiting a lost loved one.

He pursed his lips together and pushed them to the left side of his face, Saizo’s right, and blew residual air from his lungs up to his cheek to make the bubble cheek face. When he could no longer hold the air in he pushed it out and gasped for air. “I apologize, it isn’t very respectful.” He looked down at the ground now and twitched a bit more as the pain from the Nibi no Kani was still being applied in his head.

“Yeah, I figured you would of came across the Uchiha when she was applying for a mission or some sort like that, maybe not. Maybe you just get too many requests to handle yourself you  do not really pay attention to the names and stuff on those requests. I am not exactly sure but I just figured from my own experiences requesting missions you may have at the very least came across the name before. But yes, Kai… I think that is the name of the technique to dispel a genjutsu when one is used against you? Is that correct?” He awaited the answer of Saizo and then carried on with his story about the Uchiha. “I fought her the other day and she was throwing genjutsu after genjutsu after me, at least… that is what it feels like anyway. But yeah we got into this fight and she used one of those illusion techniques on me and I had to cut myself to get out of it, rather than using the technique and skipping the physical injury. I feel like I would be quite emo like those Uchiha if I were to have cuts all over my hands and arms,” he chuckled, yet again, trying to make a joke that may not have been all that funny. Tekishi always liked to make light of a serious situation, to help him deal with it better, but most people didn’t do well with that strategy of coping. “Kind… I wouldn’t say all that kind. She was kind to have save me from the jump of death I was about to commit but other than that, she was pretty stern. I wouldn’t call her a Babe to her face or anything, but I can definitely tell that she has some Babe tendencies. All women do right?”

“That’s awesome that you know fuuinjutsu and ninjutsu though! We can most definitely start there! That will be freaking awesome for the both of us...well… me at least. I more than likely may not be able to give you any pointers in either one of those two categories; however, I could probably give you a few ninjutsu or fuuinjutsu ideas if they were to happen. I really wouldn’t be all that much of an asset to you any other way, though. At least not in a way that I can determine from this point. Anyway… I’m talking a whole lot here, and you just don’t seem to talk a whole lot so I am going to take the hint and shush…” Tekishi let the wind blow for a moment, noticeably allowing a pause to come between them and make itself visible. “Hmmmm…. the ways of a Kage. So when shall we meet next? Oh.. I almost forgot...and where?”

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He better remember the name, otherwise they might have a pretty rocky relationship. Perhaps Amagi wouldn't mind too much. It wasn't his real name after all, just the one he was given for missions and what not. It all fit in with the whole espionage and assassination thing. But his second joke was far less amusing. Saizo only gave him a cold stare. Sure, they were dead and probably wouldn't notice, but the headstones weren't for them. They were far more important to those coming to give their respects. Maybe Teki had no one he wanted to remember, but many others did. To destroy any of these tombstones would be not only disrespecting the deceased but all that deceased's friends and family. He was sure that everyone buried here had at least one person who cared about them.

At least he was able to recognize that he said something wrong. If not, Saizo may have just toke a whack at him with Hiramekarei. Those unable to respect others deserve no respect themselves. Something that most people were taught in school when they were young. The lesson still applied to the real world, not exactly in the same way, though. People in this day and age could be so devoid of manners at times, it could be quite shocking. You can't just change the way people act over night. Sometimes there was just no changing at all. Saizo knew this fact. There was no point in forcing people to change the way they thought. That itself was disrespectful, but maybe thats exactly what they needed to do with the Nibi. Hopefully it wouldn't come down to that, but the option was available. It wasn't pretty but many things weren't.

"I wish I could tell you I did remember all the names that pass by me, but if I said that, I would be lying. But what I can tell you is that you're correct about what Kai, is." he said, then allowing Teki to speak on. It was an alright story. Seemed to make sense. Those Uchiha and their genjutsu. Genjutsu could be so troublesome. Even more so when you have to go ahead cutting yourself to get out. He wanted to comment but he would hold off. At least he understood the joke. It was mildly funny to him, but he didn't like making fun of the Uchiha. They could be a bit thin skinned at times. Even he had to admit that they had created some pretty fine shinobi from time to time. Some pretty good looking ones too.

The young shinobi was progressing well, though. He could already see through a womens disguise. Sure, some of them were enjoyable beyond belief, but so many women were needy and, well, quite the Babe. "I hope you don't tell her any of this to her face. I know from experience that it only makes it worse, so much worse." almost sent shivers down his spine. He wished he didn't recall that memory. Oh it was so awful. He prayed that other men don't make the same mistake, but alas, we males could be pretty stupid at times. Or maybe women were just that hard to figure out. "I'm use to people who talk a lot. It's fine." he said in response to Teki shutting himself up. Saizo wouldn't call himself shy, but compared to a lot of other people he'd met, he did seem to say an awful little at times. Maybe he just disliked dictating the conversation. "Where we should meet. How about the forest, in about a weeks time." Now that he thought about it, it had been quite some time since he was in the forest. He wondered why. The flowers were so lush and vibrant inside.

“I won’t tell her this to her face, of course! Silly… that would be like total chick suicide…” he laughed as he began to walk back towards the gate of the Graveyard. There had been nothing else for him to see here or talk about with Saizo. Their training date and place was now all set. “A week from today, in the Silent Selena forest. I’ve never been there before so it will be nice to finally get a chance to see what the place is like. Plus, if my bijuu gets out of hand, it will be a good place to keep it in check and not have a bunch of damage done to the village!” He gave Saizo the two finger symbol which stood for peace and quietly made his exit. Before he had gotten too far off, he had stopped and turned back towards the Umikage to say: “Hey Saizo, I really appreciate all of your help man! You won’t regret the outcome of our training together, I will make sure of it!”

He walked away with his hands in his pockets and his mind in the clouds, as were his eyes. There wasn’t much else to consider about the proceedings of their conversation. Although it had seemed long and much more drawn out than it needed to be, it was all a major part of them getting to know each other and moving forward in their relationship. Koten Tekishijin wasn’t one to be hindered, by anyone, and he appreciated that Hozuki Saizo was not one to hold him down, despite the fact that this may have been his first instinct. It was much easier to recollect on the proceedings of their meetings and think deeper into how his requests may have made Saizo feel. On one hand he had his own personal opinions about the request and on the other he had the policies and procedures he were to follow per the guidelines of all the Kages before him, and most importantly how he wished to run his village as it were now.

It was finally sun down and the stars were just beginning to sprinkle across the sky. As more time would elapse more sprinkles would get tossed out across the sky, rather, more of the sprinkles would become visible to the naked eye. Tekishi always wanted a telescope, and figured this may be something of interest that he invest in. How this would help him with his shinobi trainings and techniques, he had no idea, but figured since he was always intuitively attracted to the astronomy and celestial sphere of the Hurrican Country, that maybe there was more to it that he was not yet seeing. Maybe there was a message in the stars just for him that only he could decipher and translate meaningfully. Maybe. Just maybe.

He continued to look onward and go over the things that he was solidified in the conversation. {I’m going to get my own personal ANBU Escort, code named Amagi, to roam through the other villages with me when I go. Hozuki Saizo and I are to meet next week and train together in the Silent Silena Forest.} He thought there was more but apparently there wasn’t. {In our trainings we will go over how to cancel out genjutsu that I may become effected by out in the field, with the technique called Kai. We also both specialize in ninjutsu so we are going to go over ninjutsu together, or at least to some extent we will go over ninjutsu together. I do not know a thing about fuuinjutsu and I don’t think it will benefit either one of us until I do...so that will have to be left for a later time. Hmmm… I didn’t mention this to him but hopefully he won’t mind me doing some more bond training with the Nibi no Kani. Just in case, if anything goes wrong, he will be there to tighten the seal before the Crab gets out.}

[I heard that!] Tekishi chuckled to himself knowing that the last words about training his bijuu would illicit a response from the beast within, no matter what response it was. Currently as he walked away it was still this all-encompassing peace that seemed to surround himself, and even if the bijuu was trying to antagonize him with the applied pressure to his brain, he had not felt it. Today was a good day.

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Total chick suicide. He couldn't have put it better himself. Well, with enough time, he probably could have, but the same could be said about nearly anything. Still, It was a funny phrase. Must be what the young kids are saying nowadays. Saizo wasn't all hip and with the current trends. Sure he was young, but work kept him too busy to learn all these new things they made up on the streets. This job was making him old. Heck, his hair already turned grey and his eyes were read from exhaustion. What? You thought this look was natural? Nope. This was the effect of stress and time on the human body. It was actually quite terrifying. He couldn't imagine someone with the ability to age others. They would have powers near those of a god. It would be quite frightening. No, but Saizo was still young. He just looked a bit different. Not really cause of stress. He liked to think that he was just a little bit special. Perhaps not better than the rest, but better than the average bear.

Funny how Teki was worried about the village getting attacked by the two tails. (*cough*), but yes. The forest was a perfect place. Sure, it looked like a bunker but it could probably work both ways. Not only keep things out but also keep them in. That would come in handy against any tailed beast. Saizo only had to hope he was strong enough to subdue it on his own. He didn't want to get anyone else involved if he could avoid that. It was no easy business taking care of those chakra powerhouses. He'd find out soon enough. Saizo was a slippery little fish, though. He wasn't going to fall prey to an overgrown crab. That would make him look bad in front of Teki and all the other little young ones. He had to give them someone to look up to, after all. What would a village be without a strong powerful leader. Hopefully they wouldn't have to find out.

Saizo waved to Teki as he left. He hadn't noticed that it had gotten so late. Perhaps talking just made the time fly by that much quicker. You know, he was actually pretty lonely most of the time. It was hard to find people to hang out with. It was harder to find the time to hang out with people, as well. Always business. Even when he says he is going for pleasure, it was usually some sort of business, he just kept it secret, to make it feel like a vacation. Even training Teki. Although it seemed like he was doing it out of pleasure. It was mainly business. It was for the better of the village if the threat of a gaint crustacean wasn't present. It would help ease his mind a little, at least. Springing into action to save the day was tiring to say the least. Battle itself was tiring. He didn't like to run and move around any more than he had to. There was no need to sit here and complain, though. He had to get moving soon. There was a lot more work left to do back at the office. Missions to approve, an assistant to hire and papers to sign. The glorious life of kage. No, seriously, why did so many people dream of this? It really wasn't all that great.

Before he could leave, he toke a look back at the tombstones. He looked at one in particular. No need to say which one. It wasn't hard to guess. He just needed to give one last good bye. He didn't come here often enough, anyways. At least make this time right here count. Maybe tell a quick story. He had tons of those to tell. Many new ones since the last one he shared with her. The flowers he placed when he arrived still looked fresh, as they should. He wasn't going to go out and say that they were her favorite, cause they weren't but to deny that they were beautiful would be enough to qualify for insane. Saizo got down close and started speaking to her. Tekishi was long gone. To far to hear his words anymore. Good, cause they had a lot of catching up to do. He had so much to tell her.

[End Topic]