Sharingdork
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'All was well in the world. Relatively well. It was true that bonds holding villages together - or rather, the walls keeping war apart - were rather thin and wearing as time pressed on. There had already been a number of major wars in the lifetime of the shinobi currently alive, but they didn't seem to learn. Every last one of them seeking to fight - to prove that they are strong. War was a pass-time to these people.
Men who spew flames as their breath, and transform their skin to stone. Summoning animals to their side to fight as equals, manipulating the elements of nature as one would a trained beast... The power of the shinobi of this land knows no limit. Their imagination governs their power, which is the source of their love of battle: with the ability to "wish" and have their wish granted, who wouldn't want to use it?
This limitless power...'
"Bring Jian in here..."
Sitting on his throne, the king read from a scroll given him by the messenger Jian. The scroll was, supposedly, a report compiled by a squadron of men who had recently gone missing, and returned only recently, albeit with only 10% of their original numbers. The men, each one shaken and unable to talk or otherwise express themselves from what they had seen and experienced, took a full month to compile the report of their mysterious journey. Rolling up the scroll, the king looked up towards the entryway to his throne room, where a single man stood. His guards, halberds in hand, stood on the other side of the double-doors, waiting for the outcome of the king's meeting.
"You are Jian?"
"Yes, my lord."
"You brought me this scroll?"
"Yes, it was I, my king."
The king tapped the scroll against the arm of throne before responding.
"Did you read the scroll before giving it to me, mister Jian?"
"No, lord. Was it not sealed?
"It was... I simply wanted to know if you were aware of what you had given me."
Throwing the scroll at the messenger, the king sat higher up in his throne, looking down upon the man he had called to see. It was not difficult to tell that the king was not impressed with the content of the scroll simply by the expression he wore.
"Go on, read it."
"Y-yes, sir."
Jian the messenger opened the scroll and began to look through the words written on the parchment. After a moment or two, the king held up his right index finger, pointing to the ceiling.
"What do you make of it, good messenger?"
"I... Jian swallowed a mouthful of air in nervousness. "I haven't finished reading it, my lord."
"I never finished it either; what do you make of what you've read?"
"It's... intriguing-"
"Intriguing!?" The king stood up, his robes flowing around him from the sudden movement. His raised voice brought the guards to the inside of the double-doors, though they still stood motionless after adjusting their positions, watching the scene.
"It's utter gibberish, you lowly messenger! What under heaven's name makes you think what is written in that scroll could possibly be true!?
"Shen Long!" There was a sharp sound, which echoed throughout the throne room. Two soft, barely audible thuds followed, before the sound repeated. Turning his head, the king Shen Long looked to the doors leading out behind the throne room, where and elderly man with a cane was walking towards him.
"Yeye-" Shen began, before the old man cut him off.
"Do not play innocent, nor should you try to gain my favor by calling me "grandfather". I heard your conversation..." As the old man stopped between the throne and the messenger, he clicked his cane against the polished floors one final time, creating a resounding echo throughout the room before continuing, only this time, addressed to Jian.
"Young man, may I see the scroll?"
Without hesitating, the messenger got on one knee and held the scroll over his bowed head.
"Take it, lord Long Tie. Take all that you ask of me."
Reaching out and gently plucking the scroll from the man's hands, Long Tie turned to the king on his throne.
"That is how you rule a kingdom. You create an image in which you are beloved and the citizens would do all including death for you, rather than create an image in which you are feared and the citizens would do all for fear of death by you."
"They bring about the same result, do they not, grandfather?"
But Long Tie wasn't listening to his grandson anymore. He had the scroll open and was reading through the ink scribbled along the parchment. At first, the old man's eyebrows were scrunched together in a confused frown, but as he read on his expression softened into a wide smile. Then he lowered the scroll from his face and glanced up at Shen Long, without tilting his head up so his eyes glared up from under his boney, bushy grey eyebrows.
"Boy, if you believe what you just said, perhaps you are not ready to sit upon your throne. But this is neither the place nor time for such discussions. Messenger, on your feet! You are to fetch me the captain of this squadron and bring him to me at once."
"Y-yes sir!" Getting up from his knee, Jian ran towards the double-doors leading out of the throne room. As the guards moved to stop the man as he was running, as they considered it disrespectful to where he was, Long Tie pointed his cane at them.
"He's under orders! You leave him be." The old man then turned around, still pointing his cane, only now it was at his grandson. "You are going to take this scroll, keep it with you, and speak with your father."
"My father?"
A silence filled the room as Long Tie lowered his cane to the floor silently. Licking his lips, the old man finally responded.
"There's more than one reason for this. You need to prove to him that you're capable with what you've been given. You also need to accept your Inheritance-"
"I am king, yeye, what more could my Inheritance be?"
"From how you reacted to that scroll, more than you can imagine... And finally, he needs to see you. He needs to know that you're there for him."
Shen Long had sat down by this point. He had sat down since Long Tie began reading the scroll. Clenching the arm rests of his throne to the point where this fingers turned white and pain began to shoot through them, he pushed himself up and began to storm away from the throne, back to one of the chambers at the back of the room.
"Why must you be constantly bringing up that time!?"
With the slamming of one of the doors at the back of the room, Shen Long had disappeared from view and reason.
"To demonstrate the importance of timing, and how you have no control over the universe..."
Sighing, the old man pivoted ninety degrees so he could look at the guards. Waving his hand, he dismissed the guards to close the double-doors and ensure no one entered the throne room. Then the elderly grandfather of the young king began to shuffle back to his chambers, one clack of a cane and two thuds of his feet at a time.
It was the land of Shinobi. To be more specific, a country known as the Land of Iron. There was snow, the entire country being a land of ice, and the air reflected the landscape. Yet this was the chosen place; the land neutral, and selected for meetings of the Rokukage. Sitting behind their symbolic "Kage Hats", each of the six Kages of their respective villages waited patiently for the meeting to begin. At the head of the meeting was the Samurai Shogun, native to the Land of Iron, with his single chosen bodyguard standing behind him. The man, Genji Ryu, stood, rather than sat, with his large, bandaged sword on his back and several katanas at his hip. With his mask covering the bottom half of his face for even this official gathering, Genji began to address the Kage.
"Welcome, Shinobi of the five great nations-"
"Excuse me?"
The Amekage, Yahiko Myojin, sat up a little straighter in his chair at the mention of five nations. Though he appeared young, the member of the Valentine Family was what granted him his youthful appearance. His true age, unknown to everyone in the room, including his own delegate from Amegakure, was clearly greater than the fifteen he appeared to be.
"Five great nations?"
"Quiet, kid." The Raikage, leader of the Village Hidden in Cloud, Gin Ichimaru piped up. "An' comb yer hair; 't's hard ta look at'cha."
As the Raikage's words dissolved into a quite chuckle, Genji cleared his throat in attempts to gain everyone's attention once more.
My apologies, Amekage Yahiko, but the Land of Rain is a small, still-developing land... It's difficult for one to call it 'great' at this point in its development."
The Amekage's eyes began to take on an even deeper red hue than normal, seeming to almost glow as he stood from his seat. The aura of anger around the kid-like man seemed to fill the room like a surge of water from a flood as he clenched his teeth.
"I am one of the Rokukage, invited to the Land of Iron for this meeting of leaders of the GREAT Shinobi villages! I am a proud member of the Valentine Family, and not to mention vessel of-"
"If we are not to mention it... Perhaps do not mention it." This time was the Tsuchikage's turn to speak. Hazama Kiyoshi, dressed as formally as always, sat with his feet up on the table, his chair leaned back, and his fedora pulled over his face, tilted upwards just enough that he could look at the deep blue hat with white kanji spelling "Ame" across the table from him. If the Amekage were sitting, Hazama would have been able to see his face, as well.
"Now be a good boy, little Yahiko, and sit down - mommy's going to be upset if she hears you were yelling."
"Hazama, that's enough."
"I'm just saying he shouldn't be-"
Reaching out a hand, Hazama's representative touched the Tsuchikage's shoulder, signifying for the man to stop talking. Rolling his eyes, Hazama slowly closed them, waiting for the meeting to go on.
"Now, to the nature of the meeting-"
"I thank you, Genji Ryu, for hosting this event, but I'm afraid this doesn't concern you. So, if I may..." This was the Hokage, Galen Marek. The man, wearing his perpetual stern expression, appeared to glare out over everyone. He was not mad, nor was he trying to belittle anyone at the meeting; he was simply always looking as if he was always displeased. Despite no one knowing Yahiko's true age, the one thing every one of the Rokukages knew for sure was that Galen was older, and by a lot as well. The mid-twenties-appearing man often h ad first-hand accounts of major historical events, and at the same time could recount events happening in real time all the way in the far corners of the Land of Earth from Konohagakure as if he were there watching. Standing, he glanced over towards the Amekage.
"Are you not going to sit, Myojin?"
With his fists clenched in anger, the Amekage sat in his seat, the mysterious man acting as his representative standing quite a ways behind him, in the shadows by a wall.
My fellow Kages..." Galen began to speak, looking around the table as he did so. As he looked at each of the Kages, their selected village member standing behind, he came to the Tsuchikage, seated to the left of Genji. Making a motion with his hand as if he were brushing crumbs off the table top, Galen watched as Hazama fell backwards in his chair. "Hazama, you are not only the Tsuchikage, but also a representative of the grand Kiyoshi clan.... It is quite demeaning to the one you call "head", my personal friend, for you to fall asleep at an important meeting such as this one."
"What do you mean, 'fall asleep'?!" Hazama pushed himself up, leaving his chair and standing, braced against the table, as he glared back at Galen. "Don't act like you didn't push me, you telekinetic freak!"
"I've explained to you, before, that I am not telekinetic."
His right eye twitching in the shadow of his fedora's brim, Hazama pulled a pocket knife from his suit jacket, holding it as if he were about to stab an imaginary person not even a foot from himself. "DO YOU THINK I CARE HOW YOU DO IT!?"
"Hazama!"
"It was agreed that jutsu would not be used during this meeting-!"
"It was also agreed that there would be no weapons, either."
"Shut it, Habaki! You know I can't just leave this knife at home."
"Mister Sakagami... I believe you were chosen because of your ability to subdue your Tsuchikage when he gets into a tantrum like this, no? Perhaps now would be a good time to do your job?"
"Aren't you a pretentious geezer..." Reaching out, Hazama's representative Habaki Sakagami grabbed the Tsuchikage's wrist, prepared to move if the man attempted to fight back.
"Let go, Habaki, or I'll cut you to pieces when we get back."
"Sit down, Tsuchikage-sama."
"Clearly - Galen... Genji... Whoever is actually conducting this meeting - we cannot get along. Sitting behind the lighter blue Kage's hate, reading "Mizu" in white kanji, was Fu Kishi, the Mizukage. He had recently risen to his position, though he was quite comfortable on top. With his face also mostly covered, he looked in the general direction of both the standing leaders. "The purpose of this gathering was to create peace - stability for all nations - but that goal simply seems... Unachievable. Perhaps we should cut our losses, say our farewells while fights have yet to start, and have a mutual agreement to keep to ourselves."
"As if we'd listen to the man from Kirigakure! Your village is founded on betrayal, backstabbing, and doing whatever it takes to get your way."
"I am imposing a reform." Fu's tone was solid and stressed, clearly irritated by the lack of trust held by the nation leaders.
"By performing a c'oup?" The Kazekage Elize Lutus, last to speak, was only a young girl, by far the youngest gathered in the room. She was even younger than Yahiko appeared to be. With her golden hair surrounding her face with pigtails, she smirked evilly at the Mizukage next to her. "Yeah, that'll certainly make everyone believe that Kirigakure is no longer about assassinations and betrayal."
Fu stood from his seat, threads flowing out of his robe as he glared down at the girl from his over-six-foot vantage point. "Would you like to die!?"
"ENOUGH!" There was a burst of energy, and everyone in the room found themselves pushed backwards by an unseen force, eventually pinning them all to the wall for a brief second. As the pressure was released, Galen took a deep breath, being the only person in the room to still be near the table.
"Aww, an' it was jus' gettin' int'restin', too."
"It is true, Mizukage-san, that we apparently cannot get along. It is the source of our meaningless war, and the reason I called everyone here. I wished to mend relationships. Could we not take but a moment in order to-"
"La-la-la-la-la - I can't hear you! - la-la-la-la."
"Raikage Ichimaru? Is there a problem?"
As Gin continued to make noise with his fingers in his ears, his representative from Kumogakure pulled the Raikage's hands from his ears to inform him of Galen's question.
"Huh? Oh, ya. You keep talkin' 'bout peace an' gettin' along, but this entire time yer th'only one who us'd any jutsu. I'm not sure I wanna follow the ideals of a hypocrite like you - breakin' yer own rules for the meetin'. Who's ta say yer not using one'a yer other tricks ta play with our minds?"
"First, if I were using my Will Bend, do you really think that plugging your ears would stop me? And second-"
Gin slammed his fist against the wall behind him.
"I dun wanna hear no second! Broly, let's go."
Gesturing to the large man who acted as Kumogakure's representiative - Broly Senju - Gin began to walk to the exit of the room.
"I am sorry you feel that way, Ichimaru. However, as for the rest of us, I truly wish that we would be able to make peace, and-"
"Save your breath, Marek." Brushing the shoulders of his cloak, Mizukage Fu, with his threads retracted, looked about the room. "Kirigakure is just fine on its own, as it always has been. I can't speak for the rest of the villages, but I'm sure no one is willing to set aside their own egos and bow down to a peace treaty of your design. Farewell." Fu then followed Gin, Kirigakure's representative following close behind. The room was then silent for a bit.
"Is anyone willing to work towards peace?"
"Work? With you, of all people? I'm out."
"As am I, Hokage-san. Though Amegakure may be small... Yahiko glared at Genji as he spoke, ...we can take care of ourselves. We are a strong people, protecting our peace with our fists, and not your parchment. Good day."
The Amekage and Tsuchikages, along with their representatives, filed out after the Mizukage. Remaining in the room was only Genji Ryu and his bodyguard, Galen Marek and his representative, and Elize Lutus and the armored representative of Sunagakure. The room was eerily quite before Galen turned to the Kazekage.
"What of you, Kazekage Lutus. What do you say to a pact of peace between Konohagakure and Sunagakure?"
"Sorry, old man, but Sunagakure doesn't need your help."
"Hokage-sama was speaking to the Kazekage, you disrespectful piece of-!"
"I know who he was talking to!"
"The current Kazekage, junk pile."
"What did you call me!?"
"Dante, that's enough. Do not provoke him."
The white-haired representative of Konohagakure glared at the armored Sunagakurian as Galen awaited Elize's answer.
"Um... Perhaps Sunagakure could do with the alliance..."
"Fine." Walking across the room, the armored representative from Sunagakure broke the windows of the meeting place. "If you think that the village is better off working with him, then you won't need me." Jumping out of the window, a burst of flame erupted from the shinobi's back and began to carry him though the air across the frozen landscape.
Galen pursed his lips. This meeting hadn't gone as he expected... Only one village was willing to work towards peace. But at least it was a start.
"Kazekage Lutus, please return to your village and inform your villagers of the alliance. Shogun Ryu, I appreciate your hosting this meeting."
"I'm glad you appreciate it. Now get out - there's been too much anger and violence here this day."
With his natural displeased expression, Galen looked, seeming to glare, at the Shogun of the Land of Iron, before making his way out of the building. He had only received a single village's cooperation, but he knew that in the days to come, the villages would think again about banding together. There was coming a group of such intensity, that the six great villages, as well as the samurai, would have to work together. What was to come would come to be known as legend, though a legend for which side the leader of Konohagakure still did not know.
Men who spew flames as their breath, and transform their skin to stone. Summoning animals to their side to fight as equals, manipulating the elements of nature as one would a trained beast... The power of the shinobi of this land knows no limit. Their imagination governs their power, which is the source of their love of battle: with the ability to "wish" and have their wish granted, who wouldn't want to use it?
This limitless power...'
"Bring Jian in here..."
Sitting on his throne, the king read from a scroll given him by the messenger Jian. The scroll was, supposedly, a report compiled by a squadron of men who had recently gone missing, and returned only recently, albeit with only 10% of their original numbers. The men, each one shaken and unable to talk or otherwise express themselves from what they had seen and experienced, took a full month to compile the report of their mysterious journey. Rolling up the scroll, the king looked up towards the entryway to his throne room, where a single man stood. His guards, halberds in hand, stood on the other side of the double-doors, waiting for the outcome of the king's meeting.
"You are Jian?"
"Yes, my lord."
"You brought me this scroll?"
"Yes, it was I, my king."
The king tapped the scroll against the arm of throne before responding.
"Did you read the scroll before giving it to me, mister Jian?"
"No, lord. Was it not sealed?
"It was... I simply wanted to know if you were aware of what you had given me."
Throwing the scroll at the messenger, the king sat higher up in his throne, looking down upon the man he had called to see. It was not difficult to tell that the king was not impressed with the content of the scroll simply by the expression he wore.
"Go on, read it."
"Y-yes, sir."
Jian the messenger opened the scroll and began to look through the words written on the parchment. After a moment or two, the king held up his right index finger, pointing to the ceiling.
"What do you make of it, good messenger?"
"I... Jian swallowed a mouthful of air in nervousness. "I haven't finished reading it, my lord."
"I never finished it either; what do you make of what you've read?"
"It's... intriguing-"
"Intriguing!?" The king stood up, his robes flowing around him from the sudden movement. His raised voice brought the guards to the inside of the double-doors, though they still stood motionless after adjusting their positions, watching the scene.
"It's utter gibberish, you lowly messenger! What under heaven's name makes you think what is written in that scroll could possibly be true!?
"Shen Long!" There was a sharp sound, which echoed throughout the throne room. Two soft, barely audible thuds followed, before the sound repeated. Turning his head, the king Shen Long looked to the doors leading out behind the throne room, where and elderly man with a cane was walking towards him.
"Yeye-" Shen began, before the old man cut him off.
"Do not play innocent, nor should you try to gain my favor by calling me "grandfather". I heard your conversation..." As the old man stopped between the throne and the messenger, he clicked his cane against the polished floors one final time, creating a resounding echo throughout the room before continuing, only this time, addressed to Jian.
"Young man, may I see the scroll?"
Without hesitating, the messenger got on one knee and held the scroll over his bowed head.
"Take it, lord Long Tie. Take all that you ask of me."
Reaching out and gently plucking the scroll from the man's hands, Long Tie turned to the king on his throne.
"That is how you rule a kingdom. You create an image in which you are beloved and the citizens would do all including death for you, rather than create an image in which you are feared and the citizens would do all for fear of death by you."
"They bring about the same result, do they not, grandfather?"
But Long Tie wasn't listening to his grandson anymore. He had the scroll open and was reading through the ink scribbled along the parchment. At first, the old man's eyebrows were scrunched together in a confused frown, but as he read on his expression softened into a wide smile. Then he lowered the scroll from his face and glanced up at Shen Long, without tilting his head up so his eyes glared up from under his boney, bushy grey eyebrows.
"Boy, if you believe what you just said, perhaps you are not ready to sit upon your throne. But this is neither the place nor time for such discussions. Messenger, on your feet! You are to fetch me the captain of this squadron and bring him to me at once."
"Y-yes sir!" Getting up from his knee, Jian ran towards the double-doors leading out of the throne room. As the guards moved to stop the man as he was running, as they considered it disrespectful to where he was, Long Tie pointed his cane at them.
"He's under orders! You leave him be." The old man then turned around, still pointing his cane, only now it was at his grandson. "You are going to take this scroll, keep it with you, and speak with your father."
"My father?"
A silence filled the room as Long Tie lowered his cane to the floor silently. Licking his lips, the old man finally responded.
"There's more than one reason for this. You need to prove to him that you're capable with what you've been given. You also need to accept your Inheritance-"
"I am king, yeye, what more could my Inheritance be?"
"From how you reacted to that scroll, more than you can imagine... And finally, he needs to see you. He needs to know that you're there for him."
Shen Long had sat down by this point. He had sat down since Long Tie began reading the scroll. Clenching the arm rests of his throne to the point where this fingers turned white and pain began to shoot through them, he pushed himself up and began to storm away from the throne, back to one of the chambers at the back of the room.
"Why must you be constantly bringing up that time!?"
With the slamming of one of the doors at the back of the room, Shen Long had disappeared from view and reason.
"To demonstrate the importance of timing, and how you have no control over the universe..."
Sighing, the old man pivoted ninety degrees so he could look at the guards. Waving his hand, he dismissed the guards to close the double-doors and ensure no one entered the throne room. Then the elderly grandfather of the young king began to shuffle back to his chambers, one clack of a cane and two thuds of his feet at a time.
It was the land of Shinobi. To be more specific, a country known as the Land of Iron. There was snow, the entire country being a land of ice, and the air reflected the landscape. Yet this was the chosen place; the land neutral, and selected for meetings of the Rokukage. Sitting behind their symbolic "Kage Hats", each of the six Kages of their respective villages waited patiently for the meeting to begin. At the head of the meeting was the Samurai Shogun, native to the Land of Iron, with his single chosen bodyguard standing behind him. The man, Genji Ryu, stood, rather than sat, with his large, bandaged sword on his back and several katanas at his hip. With his mask covering the bottom half of his face for even this official gathering, Genji began to address the Kage.
"Welcome, Shinobi of the five great nations-"
"Excuse me?"
The Amekage, Yahiko Myojin, sat up a little straighter in his chair at the mention of five nations. Though he appeared young, the member of the Valentine Family was what granted him his youthful appearance. His true age, unknown to everyone in the room, including his own delegate from Amegakure, was clearly greater than the fifteen he appeared to be.
"Five great nations?"
"Quiet, kid." The Raikage, leader of the Village Hidden in Cloud, Gin Ichimaru piped up. "An' comb yer hair; 't's hard ta look at'cha."
As the Raikage's words dissolved into a quite chuckle, Genji cleared his throat in attempts to gain everyone's attention once more.
My apologies, Amekage Yahiko, but the Land of Rain is a small, still-developing land... It's difficult for one to call it 'great' at this point in its development."
The Amekage's eyes began to take on an even deeper red hue than normal, seeming to almost glow as he stood from his seat. The aura of anger around the kid-like man seemed to fill the room like a surge of water from a flood as he clenched his teeth.
"I am one of the Rokukage, invited to the Land of Iron for this meeting of leaders of the GREAT Shinobi villages! I am a proud member of the Valentine Family, and not to mention vessel of-"
"If we are not to mention it... Perhaps do not mention it." This time was the Tsuchikage's turn to speak. Hazama Kiyoshi, dressed as formally as always, sat with his feet up on the table, his chair leaned back, and his fedora pulled over his face, tilted upwards just enough that he could look at the deep blue hat with white kanji spelling "Ame" across the table from him. If the Amekage were sitting, Hazama would have been able to see his face, as well.
"Now be a good boy, little Yahiko, and sit down - mommy's going to be upset if she hears you were yelling."
"Hazama, that's enough."
"I'm just saying he shouldn't be-"
Reaching out a hand, Hazama's representative touched the Tsuchikage's shoulder, signifying for the man to stop talking. Rolling his eyes, Hazama slowly closed them, waiting for the meeting to go on.
"Now, to the nature of the meeting-"
"I thank you, Genji Ryu, for hosting this event, but I'm afraid this doesn't concern you. So, if I may..." This was the Hokage, Galen Marek. The man, wearing his perpetual stern expression, appeared to glare out over everyone. He was not mad, nor was he trying to belittle anyone at the meeting; he was simply always looking as if he was always displeased. Despite no one knowing Yahiko's true age, the one thing every one of the Rokukages knew for sure was that Galen was older, and by a lot as well. The mid-twenties-appearing man often h ad first-hand accounts of major historical events, and at the same time could recount events happening in real time all the way in the far corners of the Land of Earth from Konohagakure as if he were there watching. Standing, he glanced over towards the Amekage.
"Are you not going to sit, Myojin?"
With his fists clenched in anger, the Amekage sat in his seat, the mysterious man acting as his representative standing quite a ways behind him, in the shadows by a wall.
My fellow Kages..." Galen began to speak, looking around the table as he did so. As he looked at each of the Kages, their selected village member standing behind, he came to the Tsuchikage, seated to the left of Genji. Making a motion with his hand as if he were brushing crumbs off the table top, Galen watched as Hazama fell backwards in his chair. "Hazama, you are not only the Tsuchikage, but also a representative of the grand Kiyoshi clan.... It is quite demeaning to the one you call "head", my personal friend, for you to fall asleep at an important meeting such as this one."
"What do you mean, 'fall asleep'?!" Hazama pushed himself up, leaving his chair and standing, braced against the table, as he glared back at Galen. "Don't act like you didn't push me, you telekinetic freak!"
"I've explained to you, before, that I am not telekinetic."
His right eye twitching in the shadow of his fedora's brim, Hazama pulled a pocket knife from his suit jacket, holding it as if he were about to stab an imaginary person not even a foot from himself. "DO YOU THINK I CARE HOW YOU DO IT!?"
"Hazama!"
"It was agreed that jutsu would not be used during this meeting-!"
"It was also agreed that there would be no weapons, either."
"Shut it, Habaki! You know I can't just leave this knife at home."
"Mister Sakagami... I believe you were chosen because of your ability to subdue your Tsuchikage when he gets into a tantrum like this, no? Perhaps now would be a good time to do your job?"
"Aren't you a pretentious geezer..." Reaching out, Hazama's representative Habaki Sakagami grabbed the Tsuchikage's wrist, prepared to move if the man attempted to fight back.
"Let go, Habaki, or I'll cut you to pieces when we get back."
"Sit down, Tsuchikage-sama."
"Clearly - Galen... Genji... Whoever is actually conducting this meeting - we cannot get along. Sitting behind the lighter blue Kage's hate, reading "Mizu" in white kanji, was Fu Kishi, the Mizukage. He had recently risen to his position, though he was quite comfortable on top. With his face also mostly covered, he looked in the general direction of both the standing leaders. "The purpose of this gathering was to create peace - stability for all nations - but that goal simply seems... Unachievable. Perhaps we should cut our losses, say our farewells while fights have yet to start, and have a mutual agreement to keep to ourselves."
"As if we'd listen to the man from Kirigakure! Your village is founded on betrayal, backstabbing, and doing whatever it takes to get your way."
"I am imposing a reform." Fu's tone was solid and stressed, clearly irritated by the lack of trust held by the nation leaders.
"By performing a c'oup?" The Kazekage Elize Lutus, last to speak, was only a young girl, by far the youngest gathered in the room. She was even younger than Yahiko appeared to be. With her golden hair surrounding her face with pigtails, she smirked evilly at the Mizukage next to her. "Yeah, that'll certainly make everyone believe that Kirigakure is no longer about assassinations and betrayal."
Fu stood from his seat, threads flowing out of his robe as he glared down at the girl from his over-six-foot vantage point. "Would you like to die!?"
"ENOUGH!" There was a burst of energy, and everyone in the room found themselves pushed backwards by an unseen force, eventually pinning them all to the wall for a brief second. As the pressure was released, Galen took a deep breath, being the only person in the room to still be near the table.
"Aww, an' it was jus' gettin' int'restin', too."
"It is true, Mizukage-san, that we apparently cannot get along. It is the source of our meaningless war, and the reason I called everyone here. I wished to mend relationships. Could we not take but a moment in order to-"
"La-la-la-la-la - I can't hear you! - la-la-la-la."
"Raikage Ichimaru? Is there a problem?"
As Gin continued to make noise with his fingers in his ears, his representative from Kumogakure pulled the Raikage's hands from his ears to inform him of Galen's question.
"Huh? Oh, ya. You keep talkin' 'bout peace an' gettin' along, but this entire time yer th'only one who us'd any jutsu. I'm not sure I wanna follow the ideals of a hypocrite like you - breakin' yer own rules for the meetin'. Who's ta say yer not using one'a yer other tricks ta play with our minds?"
"First, if I were using my Will Bend, do you really think that plugging your ears would stop me? And second-"
Gin slammed his fist against the wall behind him.
"I dun wanna hear no second! Broly, let's go."
Gesturing to the large man who acted as Kumogakure's representiative - Broly Senju - Gin began to walk to the exit of the room.
"I am sorry you feel that way, Ichimaru. However, as for the rest of us, I truly wish that we would be able to make peace, and-"
"Save your breath, Marek." Brushing the shoulders of his cloak, Mizukage Fu, with his threads retracted, looked about the room. "Kirigakure is just fine on its own, as it always has been. I can't speak for the rest of the villages, but I'm sure no one is willing to set aside their own egos and bow down to a peace treaty of your design. Farewell." Fu then followed Gin, Kirigakure's representative following close behind. The room was then silent for a bit.
"Is anyone willing to work towards peace?"
"Work? With you, of all people? I'm out."
"As am I, Hokage-san. Though Amegakure may be small... Yahiko glared at Genji as he spoke, ...we can take care of ourselves. We are a strong people, protecting our peace with our fists, and not your parchment. Good day."
The Amekage and Tsuchikages, along with their representatives, filed out after the Mizukage. Remaining in the room was only Genji Ryu and his bodyguard, Galen Marek and his representative, and Elize Lutus and the armored representative of Sunagakure. The room was eerily quite before Galen turned to the Kazekage.
"What of you, Kazekage Lutus. What do you say to a pact of peace between Konohagakure and Sunagakure?"
"Sorry, old man, but Sunagakure doesn't need your help."
"Hokage-sama was speaking to the Kazekage, you disrespectful piece of-!"
"I know who he was talking to!"
"The current Kazekage, junk pile."
"What did you call me!?"
"Dante, that's enough. Do not provoke him."
The white-haired representative of Konohagakure glared at the armored Sunagakurian as Galen awaited Elize's answer.
"Um... Perhaps Sunagakure could do with the alliance..."
"Fine." Walking across the room, the armored representative from Sunagakure broke the windows of the meeting place. "If you think that the village is better off working with him, then you won't need me." Jumping out of the window, a burst of flame erupted from the shinobi's back and began to carry him though the air across the frozen landscape.
Galen pursed his lips. This meeting hadn't gone as he expected... Only one village was willing to work towards peace. But at least it was a start.
"Kazekage Lutus, please return to your village and inform your villagers of the alliance. Shogun Ryu, I appreciate your hosting this meeting."
"I'm glad you appreciate it. Now get out - there's been too much anger and violence here this day."
With his natural displeased expression, Galen looked, seeming to glare, at the Shogun of the Land of Iron, before making his way out of the building. He had only received a single village's cooperation, but he knew that in the days to come, the villages would think again about banding together. There was coming a group of such intensity, that the six great villages, as well as the samurai, would have to work together. What was to come would come to be known as legend, though a legend for which side the leader of Konohagakure still did not know.
