Iron Willed (Oda/Kiyoko)

The Land of Iron had been in a constant state of turmoil recently, as though it had been reacting to the wars of the shinobi around them. Tsunami like waves crashed into the shores of the nation, tossing their beaches removing layers of rock and sand. Blizzards kicked up throughout the land, creating a dangerous situation for any travelling away from home, and the Shogun of the Land of Iron had told people to stay indoors in order to keep them safe. It was a situation that he was extremely unhappy about, one that was affecting him since he had awaken from his deep slumber over a long period of time. Other than the storms it had seemed that the village itself had been flourishing under the watchful eyes of both Kiyoko and Oda, the two whom Kensai had entrusted the village to in his stead. He was impressed with the work that they had done, and he looked forward to his chance to see them once again.

He sat at his desk looking at a mountain of paperwork, a sigh crossing his lips as he began to take care of the administration of the village, getting a hold of a messenger and sending them with summons for both Oda and Kiyoko. If he was going to deal with the current workload he was given, they’d at least suffer with him. He would get through several forms and inquiries that had made their way across his desk before standing up and walking across his office towards the ornate crystal bottle with an amber liquid inside of it. The liquid, of course, was a particularly peaty scotch that he had grown fond of. He would pour it into a reinforced cup, not one of the sad glass vessels that people would normally use that could easily break in seconds. He took a drink and felt it as it burnt its way down his esophagus into his stomach, a smile on his face as he did so. The sound of the storm outside battered the palace, and Kensai allowed his mind to wander towards other things.

He thought about the state of the world, and the sadness that he felt about what was going on between the shinobi nations. Shinobi killing shinobi wasn’t anything new, but the children that fought their wars for them bothered him to no end. They would be robbed of their chance to have a future, and that wasn’t something that Kensai could stand for. The Shogun of the Land of Iron had been thinking of what to do about this war, and to him it seemed that the best way to end it would be to play up to his nation’s strengths and invite the leaders of each village to discuss their differences and negotiate peace. He would consider what he would tell them, and the letters he would write to send to each nation. It would need to be done in a way that they would want to come themselves, and Tetsumura would have to be outfitted to accommodate the shinobi who would be coming...this was what he would ponder as he awaited his friends.

Oda had been in discussions with the elders of his clan. It had taken weeks to convince them it was necessary to move closer to the village. To create a clan compound that was essentially within the village. Despite the special benefits of trade it would offer their concern had been their clan being used as soldiers once more. Their ancient pride as such had been damaged by slavers and overtaken by fear. He had spent a great deal of time assuring them that the new shogun would not allow it to happen again. That he trusted the man and his diplomat Kiyoko who had already been to the small farming village. Given time their clan would grow once more to it's previous legendary status. Only volunteers would join the samurai army. No one would be forced to do anything though he would no longer be able to offer protection to those that remained behind. He was going to move to the village once they could afford the construction. The lady Kiyoko was already surveying land for them and finding allies. He trusted her and if they trusted him they would follow their leader fully. It had taken time but eventually they agreed begrudgingly. With those that had survived the slavery backing him, the ones who grew up on stories of it would follow as well.

Still as he had finished the meeting a messenger was waiting outside the cabin for him. The passed on the message that Kensai had summoned him and Kiyoko both to the shoguns palace. He had been there before so he knew the way. Though he would avoid another game of Go with the woman. Despite a mind for tactics and patience she typically dominated those games. Still the news that the shogun was well enough to see visitors brought warmth to his heart. He would thank the messenger and have someone prepare him a hot meal and mead before he returned to the village. Oda himself would go and dress in his best robes. White robes with gold colored trim that wrapped tightly around his young form. To show appreciation of the gifts Oda would put on all his ebony armor. The breast plate, the shins and the forearms all tightly covered in a pitch black metal in contrast to the robes. Black boots were polished and placed on his feet despite his ability to melt snow around him. No desire for wet socks all the same. His clan symbol on a white coat was last to be put on. Stretching down to his ankles.

Finally he would move to the stables where his horse was being prepped. His family Odachi brought out to him by his father. A quick pat on the shoulder was all that was offered from the usually reserved man before Oda strapped the long weapon to his back. Almost as tall as him but not so much it dragged on the ground. Oda would mount his horse and ride the two hours to the shoguns palace. He didn't mind the ride and enjoyed the birds that hovered near him. One even settling on his shoulders and playfully picking at his wild white hair and red sideburns. He chuckled and let it play with no concern for being pecked in the face. A couple of deer would trot with him for a time as well. The animals liked him because not only did he never hunt them but he provided warmth to all around him. In the cold reaches of the mountain and Tetsumaru itself such warmth was difficult to come by. But his aura put it off consistently.

Once they were within sight of the village though the animals would all scamper off. Despite their acceptance of Oda as an oddity they knew the cycle of life. Mankind was a predator to be feared. Still Oda would be welcomed at the gates as he gave the guards gifts of fresh baked, warm bread from his village. They thanked him as usual before he continued on to the palace. Once there he would hand off the reigns of his horse to the stable hand. patting him on the back and giving him a coin for his troubles before proceeding into the palace and directly to the Shoguns office. The man would likely feel Oda coming as the floor flooded with warmth from his presence before Oda ever reached the door. There would be a knock and if he was bidden to enter he would do so and step out of the way of the door before bowing his head as he folded his hands in front of him. Despite his appearance of a teenager Kensai would know better of the mans age. His voice though was as warm as his pearl white eyes.

"My lord shogun. It is good to see you well. I assume you have need of me? I of course live to serve." Which seemed relevantly true as Oda had never shown much ambition for more power beyond his own clan.

Kiyoko had been in the midst of preparing dinner for herself and Aihi when the summons from the Shogun arrived. It seemed that she was to be attending the Shogun’s Manor this evening. Taking a moment to gather some coins she sent the messenger out to gather Aihi’s nanny. The older woman didn’t live too far and it was within twenty minutes that a soft knock was heard once again on the front door of her apartment. With a smile Kiyoko would welcome Yuka into the warmth and out of the storm that raged outside. “Thank you for coming on such short notice Yuka-san.” The woman gave her a nod and a non-commital grunt before turning her attention to her charge. The tiny girl Aihi was currently deciding whether or not she liked rice today and her eyes lit up when she saw Yuka, rushing over and clinging to Yuka’s legs.

Kiyoko laughed and crouched down beside her, speaking warmly and giving her a kiss on the top of her head. “You be good for Yuka-san, my little flower. Mommy will be back soon.” Aihi smiled and clung to Kiyoko’s legs for a moment speaking only a single word before running off to undoubtedly get into trouble. “Mommy.” Kiyoko watched her run off, a wistful look on her face. She wished she could spend all of her time with her daughter, but duty called. Turning to Yuka as she gathered her things, a large and warm fur cloak and her two swords - Redemption and Kurosawa - she shook her head apologetically. “In truth Yuka-san I do not know how long I will be away. The Shogun has summoned me and dealings could go late into the night. You may have my bed should that happen.” With a nod of affirmation from Yuka, Kiyoko would sigh quietly and make her way out into the storm.

The wind was strong and bitter cold shards of ice whipped against her as she made her way to the Shogun’s manor. Even with her warm clothing these storms were taking away every bit of warmth she had, she couldn’t recall the weather being as bad as this. Perhaps when she was small, but her memory of that time was carefully tucked away amidst other things that brought her pain to think about. She wasn’t sad to be summoned by the Shogun, she was happy to be of service, but the time she spent with her daughter was becoming less as of late and it broke her heart that the only two friends Aihi had in reality were her and Yuka. The trip to the Heavenly Emporium had been a delight for the little girl, and she needed to remember to ask Kensai about bringing her daughter with her to the manor more regularly.

By the time she arrived at the manor one could have mistaken Kiyoko for some mythical Yeti, covered in snow as she was. She did her best to shake it off before entering, but as she stepped into the warmth of the manor she felt her hair grow wet as remnants of the storm’s fury melted. Assuming no one stopped her she would enter the Shogun’s office, pulling off her cloak as she went and announcing her arrival in her typical awkward fashion. “My lord Shogun, I have arrived as requested. What do you wish of me?” All of this was said in a voice that was just a touch too loud and while attempting to gather her cloak over one arm.

As Kensai would ponder the state of the world Oda would enter first. He wasn’t surprised in the least of course, nodding to the formal greeting. “My apprentice, it is good to see you after all this time. Please feel free to take a seat.” He would motion towards several places that he could sit, including chairs and couches, or cushions on the floor if he so chose. Kensai would look at the shelf where his alcohol stash was hidden and frown. He had quite the assortment of things to drink, different bottles he had acquired in his travels and his interactions with the wealthy merchants of the world. As he was about to reach for one he heard the second person entering his office, speaking loudly and dripping water all over the floor, which caused a groan from the back corner of the room and drew a smirk from Kensai. It seemed Tora had heard or smelled his friend...or the water dripping on the floor as the massive Siberian Tiger lumbered over towards the woman.

“Good of you to join us Kiyoko, I am glad to see you well.” His eyes would be drawn down to to the cloak. “Please, hang that up on the rack and take a seat.” He would show the same options he had shown to Oda before looking back to the rack, hearing Tora cleaning up the water on the floor. He would pull out two more iron mugs and fill the three with the scotch he had been drinking, handing a mug to both of his subordinates. “You both come into my office all business, as though I can’t simply call people here to have a nice conversation and a drink with friends.” He would smile and chuckle to himself softly, though of course there would be business to discuss.

“I have been ill, as you both know, and seem to have missed a large chunk of time. Oda, the unity of our lands is extremely important to me, as you know full well. I have been relying on you to bring the leaders of the clans together and have a united Land of Iron. I would like a report on how that goes so that I will know how best we should proceed, as well as on your training while I have been...indisposed. And Kiyoko, as my military commander it seems you have fit into the role of “Diplomat” fairly well. I have heard that you have met with several shinobi and murdered very few of them, which is good to hear. I’d like to know where we stand on the global stage, who you have met with, and what I should be expecting from the shinobi threat in general.” He would take a great drink from his mug, feeling the fire burn inside of him...or the alcohol, one of the two. He would sit at his desk and put several bottles on it for his friends to chose from. He didn’t want to talk business, he wanted to enjoy the company of friends after so long, and a drink was a good way to get there...

Oda would smile as Kiyoko entered and nod to her as one friend does to another while remaining in a place of reverence. Still she would feel his warmth pour through the room. Likely by the time the meeting was done that cloak of hers would likely be dry. Still he was offered a seat and he would take one near the desk but most certainly not behind it. Kensai would greet them both as his tiger set about cleaning up some of the water. Oda would cautiously reach out and pat the tiger on its side. Most wouldn't take the chance but if you can heal through a mauling than you should be fine right. Still he would take the mug and sniff it before chuckling. Perhaps Kensai did not truly understand Oda's abilities. Member of his clan that had unlocked as much of the bloodline as he did could no longer get drunk. Their healing factor would purify it before it got anywhere. Still he would lift the mug and sip the bitter sweet liquid out of a sense of politeness. Listening as Kensai spoke before considering his answer. He would smile all the same before speaking up first out of the two.

"The majority of the clans are behind you my lord. They seek a unified Iron and a powerful figure at the head. Convincing them of your prowess was an easy matter. However there are those who hold out. Mostly out of a quest for their own power. The blue turban rebellion has been put down on many occasions but their presence in the mountains can not be ignored. They care nothing for the people and raid farms and merchants on the road. I have dispatched the ones I found but their numbers seem to grow and their leader has not yet been revealed. As for my training however I am very proud of it. My swordsmanship improves daily but I encourage you to reach out and sense my chakra. If you would."

With that Oda would smile and release the restraints he had placed upon his chakra while purposefully avoiding harming anything in the room. If either of them could sense chakra Oda would be like a beacon. A pillar of katon energy that if unleashed would demolish the entire palace in flames at once. He had reached S tier chakra levels despite being about a jounin level for the shinobi it was clear that he had focused on stamina training. Now Oda stood among the highest chakra levels in the world. A fact he was rather proud of yet did not seem to lack control over. His fire based chakra seemed to obey him entirely. Still he would sip at the liquid given to him and avoid making faces at the taste of it. Not his cup of tea so to speak but as a guest in his masters house he would speak no word of complaint. Simply drinking with old friends for the time being.

It was mere moments between when Kiyoko entered the room and Tora walked over to her. Kiyoko adored the tiger, even though she was still pretty sure that given the right circumstances the tiger would eat her. But she would place a pat on the large animal’s head before hanging up her cloak and carefully making her way to a seat, greeting her friends as she did. “Drinking sounds good. It is good to see you Oda-sama, and thank you Kensai-sama.” She would take the offered mug of scotch and take a drink, enjoying the taste as the liquid burned its way down her throat. She could hear Tora lapping up the melted snow from her blustery entrance and she would chuckle quietly as she looked over and saw the gigantic beast made of teeth and claws acting like any normal house cat.

Kiyoko would continue sipping on her drink as Kensai and Oda spoke, sighing as Kensai referred to her as ‘Diplomat’ once more. It was the worst joke ever, she was the furthest thing from a diplomat one could have and yet somehow the name was sticking. She didn’t mind when Kensai said it, but she imagined that one day it would make some situation or other fairly awkward. As Oda gave his report on his activities she would find herself considering how best to deal with the blue turban rebellion, always strategizing and planning rather than just appreciating the moment. She would allow Kensai to reply to Oda before giving her own report. She could appreciate Oda’s training, but as she had no sensory herself, gauging his chakra control was not something she was even capable of.

“You will be pleased to know I have murdered almost none of the shinobi I have met since you fell ill. One, but he wandered into the wrong land with the wrong sense of what was acceptable in that land. I have met a good many, some intentionally and some not. Hana Kaguya and Chigetsu Hozuki from Kirigakure, they came unexpectedly to. . .” She would look to her side with an expression of surprise and mild horror as she suddenly realized that she had forgotten the main purpose of their ‘visit’; Kurosawa. Standing quickly she would untie Kurosawa from her waist and move over to the Shogun, presenting the sword to him by placing it across both her palms and bowing while she spoke. “Oyakata-sama, I present to you the weapon of our ancestors. The Kurosawa blade now finds its rightful resting place at your side. May it be the tool that keeps you safe and may the ancestors that have held it offer you their strength.” She would stay bowed until the sword was removed from her hands or she was told to rise. While she intended to give a full report, the passing of the legendary blade was of more importance in that moment than exactly how it had arrived in her possession.

Kensai could see a slight discomfort on the face of his apprentice when he took his drink, nothing escaping the eyes of the Shogun. He was certainly an interesting person, and Kensai appreciated having him around. He was hard working and kind, and people seemed to generally like him. He was also a native of the land who had spent his whole life here, and that made him extremely valuable to Kensai. He had chosen him to deal with the internal issues of the land because ultimately the name of one of the leaders of the great clans held more weight than the foreigner Shogun’s to a lot of these people. The holdouts weren’t exactly shocking, but he was happy to hear that most had pledged to their cause. Kensai didn’t need to reach out, he could feel the man’s Ki easily enough. His ability to sense the ki of others was fine tuned and this man’s was nearly overwhelming. He had been attempting to mute his sensory, but it had been difficult to do.

“An interesting place to focus your training, but one that is useful no doubt. It is good to hear that the lands are nearly united, and that you are working hard. Thank you for your hard work.” He would then listen to Kiyoko’s explanation of what had been happening with the shinobi. He wouldn’t laugh at her words, due to the fact that he was a consummate professional, but it was hard not too when someone was telling you that they had murdered “almost none of the shinobi.” She would mention the name Hana Kaguya, which of course would interest him as she was the one whom had razed the Iron Country to the ground before her demeanour changed completely. A look of confusion would cross his face as she would remove the sword from her waist, an object that Kensai had noticed upon her entering the room but had decided to say nothing about. This, of course, was the ancestral blade of the Shogun of the Land of Iron, Kurosawa. It had originally been stolen by Hana and Kyoji, and though they had been told it would be returned, Kensai had had his doubts. He would take the sword from her, a soft smile on his face.

“This is a truly special thing. I doubted I would ever see this blade in person, but here it is...a thing of beauty. Thank you for this.” He would bow to Kiyoko, placing the blade on a holder behind his desk to show it off before turning to the two again. “You have both done your jobs well, and I have been conversing with several people myself, trying to get to know whats going on, as well as keeping intel coming in. Reports have crossed my desk recently about a situation that has occurred in Kirigakure, as well as Sunagakure, Iwagakure, and the shinobi worlds in general...” He would pour himself another drink after finishing his first, a frown crossing his face. He didn’t want to do the actual “job” part of his job, but he knew he would have too eventually.

“First off, the war of the Shinobi rages on. Our lands have been effected badly by this, the storms tossing our shores and causing issues with the growth of fruit and the migration of fish nearby. We are having a difficult time in this way, and I believe it is all tied together. Many are being slaughtered over the pride of shinobi, and I believe it is almost our time to intervene. This war is destroying the entire land, and it needs to be stopped...Meanwhile in Kirigakure Hana Kaguya and Kyoji Hoshigaki have both perished, leaving the village without a Kage. I do not know what happened exactly, but the only thing I know to be true is our two most hated war criminals have both been extinguished...” He would stop here in order to allow the other two a word and a chance to take in what they had just heard. This was a lot of information to take in, and very heavy as well...

Oda would listen to both of them and smile as she produced the sword for their lord. It was a moment of reverence He had no intention of interrupting. The sword had found its rightful place in the hands of the shogun of Iron. Their samurai forces under a true leader were mightier than they had ever been before. However as the man continued after accepting the sword with honor he would mention reports that Oda himself had no access to. He was not much of one for spying outside of their country as his focus had been entirely to within. Though the pale orbs would shift to his friend Kiyoko. Her focus had been outside the village so likely she knew. However aside from the elements attacking their shores, likely backlash from heavy jutsu battles. One large jutsu used at an ocean shore could have a massive effect miles away. To the news of Hana and Kyoji dying though had him pause. His eyes looking to his drink as he wondered about the well being of Chigetsu. He had an attachment to the woman who seemed to have no time for him. Would that little one be alright? It was difficult to express such concerns to other samurai though.

Oda would listen attentively as he picked his drink back up in one hand and drank the lot of it. All in one go. The people who had caused atrocities to the Iron empire were dead finally. It was something to drink to. Still his eyes would shift to Kensai a moment before he rose to his feet and moved to set his cup down next to the liquid in which it had been poured from. His hand resting on it a moment in thought before he would turn and fold his hands behind him comfortably. Eyes with a spark of intelligence regarding their shogun. Speaking calmly as his thoughts were brought forward.

"An intervention? My lord I do not see you as a fool. You and the two of us all know our forces would not be enough to stop all the major nations from warring. Even with allies if we moved our forces the blue turban rebellion would thrash what was left behind in our absence. With that in mind you aren't suggesting military movement are you? With Hana gone whoever takes their seat will not hold animosity to us most likely. Nor do they hold our treasured sword anymore for leverage. No, you are suggesting something else entirely. A way for us to continue to hold our lands, end the war and gain trade agreements all at once to support our dwindling food supplies...you want to host a summit don't you lord Shogun? Show the world the samurai are more powerful than ever and negotiate a peace. Put our standing politically on par with any major village. Clever. You even have the means to reach out to all of them with your alliance to the floating city."

Kiyoko bowed in return as Kensai took Kurosawa from her and placed it on the stand behind his desk. With a half grin and a boldness that was partially fueled by the cup of alcohol she had already consumed she spoke up. “You very nearly didn’t get that back. Aihi, my daughter, was quite fond of the sword and it took some convincing to have her leave it alone.” The toddler had been quite enamoured with the legendary blade, most probably because it was the one thing she kept being told not to touch, and toddlers are notoriously contrary.

Returning to her seat, Kiyoko would refill her glass and continue drinking as she listened to Kensai’s reports of the global political happenings. Things she had heard whispers of, but she hardly paid attention to anything outside of the Land of Iron. If she could help it. Paying attention to the machinations of the shinobi populace meant paying attention to shinobi and that generally pissed her off. But when the Shogun spoke, she listened. So while he explained the state of the world and its leaders or lack thereof, she would keep her temper by continuing to drink.

Oda had some ideas about an intervention as well it seemed, or perhaps he had picked up on subtext within the Shogun’s words that she had missed. That seemed likely as subtext was something she often missed. Finishing her second glass and pouring a third she would address them both. “The storms have been quite bad. Just coming here I brought a fair amount of snow in. I have not personally checked on our resources lately but I shall add it to my tasks if you wish Kensai-sama. As for the blue turban rebels, I think it is high time we put an end to their disruptions. Diplomatically, of course.” Her last remark was said with a knowing grin aimed towards the Shogun.