Thanks For Agreeing to Meet...

Kitsuki had requested that a study be incoporated into the Mizukage Complex. The room was designed to meet her aesthetic tastes as she had found the previous Kage's sense of style (or lack thereof) to be one of the many things she'd leave in Kiri's past. Additionally, the fact that her predecessors appeared to have little to no intellectual curiosity was why she considered them to be such failures. Every leader should have a room filled with books in any place that they call home or work. The room had two main arm chairs set behind an impressive row of academic texts. Kit would be sitting one chair wearing her typical apparel. The other armchair would be left empty for her guest. In the woman's lap was a book on economics. Next to her chair rested her trusty cane and in her hair lay one microscopic Angel.

She had requested an audience with the up and coming leader of the Uzumaki Clan. Kiri was suing for peace but that didn't mean they'd be totally de-militarized. The Uzumaki Clan was rather powerful and if Kiri was to maintain a robust civil defense infrastructure then she wanted them to be apart of. There was also the bit about the other clans being mighty upset with her for annihilating or imprisoning their most prominent members. She needed to seek clans outside the traditional national framework if she was going to consolidate power. The Kaguya, Hozuki, Hoshigaki, and even Yuki might not take kindly to her rule.

When Esen had received the missive, he had been both cautious and optimistic at the same time. It certainly was not everyday one was summoned to the Mizukage Complex by one of the Princess Triumvirate. Of the three, Esen knew little of each of them aside from the general description of each of the three that ran the village. He had no expectations as to what was the reasoning behind his summon, he had been given nothing regarding the logistics behind his invitation, but who was he to deny the request of one the Princess’ that took over since the previous Mizukage. That aside, should the meeting at least go amicably, Esen could see himself benefitting from it as well; there was his bid for becoming the clan head of the Uzumaki Clan and potentially more for the future. Esen was not one to plan too far ahead, but he had his goals, and the current one set in his eyes was to lead his clan and have the clan’s reputation be one equivalent to or greater than that of the foundational clans to Kirigakure no Sato’s infrastructure. Aside from the clan, there were his own personal desires, yet those did not matter for him currently. He had a long way to go before he could even simply achieve one.

Upon being given permission to enter the Mizukage Complex, Esen Uzumaki would make his way to the study where he was informed one Kitsuki Kurahasa would be awaiting him. Of the three, Esen felt this was his best shot of getting the Uzumaki Clan on a more equivalent playing field to the opposing clans in Kiri. “Hime-sama,” Esen would bow courteously. He would take the initial greetings cautiously to ascertain if he should act his usual self or stick to more formalities. It was simply best for him to play cautious for now, rather than make the assumption he could act friendly without formalities. “I’m Esen Uzumaki, as you’ve requested my presence. How may I be of assistance today?” His greeting still remained on the formal side, though his tone was more welcoming of an old friend than a complete stranger.

When Kitsuki sensed Esen's arrival, she set down the book on a nearby coffee table. She looked at him and saw a young gentleman with impeccable manners. She smiled at him and gestured towards the empty armchair next to her. "Its a pleasure to meet you Esen, please take a seat" the Princess offered. Given her background, she appreciated his sense of formality. So many in the village were uncouth even high ranking shinobi. It was refreshing to come across a gentleman who actually knew how to greet his superiors.

"Would you like something to drink?"

Anything Esen wanted she could get him. She hoped he wouldn't order anything alcoholic but even that wasn't off-limits. In fact, given the nature of their discussions he might need it. Regardless of his answer, Kitsuki would promptly follow up with the reason she had called him here.

"I wanted to talk to you about your clan...the Uzumaki. More specifically, about its future in Kirigakure"

She wanted to set the tone. This would be a serious conversation with potentially historic consequences.

At the welcoming gesture he received and the indication for him to be seated, Esen’s response was a simple reply of, “It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance as well, Kurahasa hime-sama.” His words came out as flowingly as they previously had, more friendly than purely formal. There was always that sense in him, to be friendly towards those around him, whether he wanted to or not. Esen was still curious as to why his, specific, presence had been requested and figured that he would eventually know the answer to that question after he responded to another question, asking him what he would like to drink.

Given his assessment of the scenario, while not being a formal meeting, there had to be some underlying reasoning as to why he was summoned. Juice was out of the question… too childish. Milk? That was simply ridiculous. There were two viable options, he found. Water or alcohol. Water was the simple solution, easy to get, easy to provide. Alcohol, he figured, depended on the situation… and even having a slightly addled mind was probably not suited for the scenario, at least not right away.

“Water will do.”

His response had been met with more words from Kitsuki, the reasoning behind why he had been summoned to the Mizukage Complex by one Kitsuki Kurahasa. The inflection in her voice gave him reasoning to believe that this conversation was more than simply about the Uzumaki Clan alone… perhaps more than just his stature in the clan itself. Esen knew he would need to tread careful waters until he fully could grasp what Kitsuki was attempting to discuss with him. Once he could figure all that out, perhaps there was a way he could work the discussion to his advantage. Knowing someone of the stature Kitsuki held in the village, and having that presence on his side, was something anyone would wish to have. If Esen could just have a bit of that working for him, he would grasp it by the throat and never relinquish his grasp.

His demeanour shifted slightly, a bit willingly, but also an instinctual need to play the field as well. He was more neutral than friendly, though there was nothing that would change that instinctual need of his to be open enough that he seemed trusting to the public eye. “Of course. If there is anything you require from me regarding the Uzumaki Clan, I am willing to offer my services to Kirigakure no Sato, Kurahasa-sama.” He wished his tone sent the message clearly, that he was willing to bend over backwards for the village. His tone and thoughts, however, would only somewhat conflict. He was only willing to adjust his influence so long as it benefitted him.

Kit's impression of Esen as a gentleman was soldified after hearing his beverage selection. Water was refreshing, tasteful, and did not cloud the mind. Esen's sensibilities were admirable and she found her grin widening a hair. He also had a terrific command of the appropriate honorifics, not that Kit thought herself vulnerable to the flattery of mere boys. Once he was seated, Kit would reply to his rather open invitation to work for the village's interests.

"I'm glad to hear it....the first thing I wanted to talk about was whether your kin have felt welcomed by the village. Kiri can be a rather.....cliquey-village especially when to foreign clans as powerful as your own. Does your clan feel as though they've been properly welcomed? Given enough influence? Is there anything I can do to faciliate their transition to Kirigakure. Its my job as Princess to represent all the people in this village and not just those from the founding clans"

Kit's goal was to create a sense of common ground. She wasn't an Hozuki, Kaguya, or Yuki and for that reason some might look down on her. If Esen felt the same way, she could use that to demonstrate that they were on the same side.

Taking the appropriate seat that was to be his, Esen would listen to the Kurahasa Princess as she would go on to address what Esen presumed to be the subject matter that his presence was required for. As he would take his seat, Esen would have both feet planted firmly on the ground. His posture would be upright, though with a slight slouch to indicate more openness on his behalf, than pure formalities. His hands would be clasped, hovering a half-foot away from his stomach, as his elbows would rest upon the armrests of the seat.

The topic of whether they felt welcome to the village was certainly one he would tread carefully. For while the Land of Whirlpools and the Uzumaki clan were tied to Kirigakure no Sato, they certainly did not share the same history and benefits of the clans native to the land. While it was critical he got the point across that he, and the clan, still felt like outcasts, he would need to make it so that they did not appear to be irritable towards the village. That would do them no good.

“I appreciate your concern Kurahasa-sama. I will admit that the Uzumaki clan has concerns when it comes to Kirigakure and the services we can provide. It’s a bit troublesome for me to gather clan members to properly discuss the subject of our stature in the village, though we certainly do appreciate everything Kirigakure no Sato has done for us thus far. We may not be native to Mizu no Kuni, nor be one of the founding clans of Kirigakure no Sato, but the village is now our home. Kirigakure no Sato provides us with most of the resources we require, and we are grateful.”

His words flowed out seamlessly, knowing the point he needed to address. There was always the issue that they had no clan district compared to that of the Yuki, Hozuki, and Kaguya clans. Yet the key difference remained that the Uzumaki were not native to these lands.

Kitsuki was hearing mostly gratitude from the Uzmaki which was good, but she also detected a mild dissatisfaction. She was well-schooled in the art of politics and had learned the art of listening to what was unsaid. She nodded and then replied:

"I'm delighted to hear that you consider Kiri your home and let me emphasize that the feeling is mutual. While you are right that your clan is not a founding member of Kirigakure, I want to make it clear that this Administration respects the Uzumaki's status as a noble clan with a unique history. We are honored to have you as our comrades-in-arms....and as comrades its incumbent on me to ask....what are the the concerns that your people?"

Kitsuki had an idea of what Essen wanted but she knew that having him ask out loud put her in the position of benefactor rather than beneficiary. It was important to set the tone of what their relationship would be going forward.

From the words Kitsuki had provided him, Esen was able to reason that the Uzumaki were definitely wanted for the future of Kirigakure no Sato. He did not know the role the clan would play, but perhaps it would not be a stretch for him to raise a concern or two deliberately. To point it out and hopefully, that would get him something he wanted. Knowing that the future of the Uzumaki in the village was not up to him, Esen would be willing to do what it took to have them established. The question on the table let Esen know that now was the time to bring up a clan concern, it was worth a shot regardless of failure or not.

“I appreciate your forthright disclosure of our standing in the village.” While it was not all direct, Esen could at least show his gratitude; as that usually helped people be keener to side with him. “As for the clan’s concerns, it is something I alluded to previously. A clan district would be something that would help establish the Uzumaki as an integral part of Kirigakure no Sato. It would also help ease the clan’s feelings of being ‘outsiders’, having a place in the village to call our own.” Esen knew that it might now be a guarantee, so presenting an alternate, that was unlikely to occur, would show some good faith as well. “Of course, I know that such a request may not be entirely possible, so I can attempt to soothe those worries of my clansmen, though I do not know how effective they would be. There’s only so much I can do to address their concerns before tensions rise.” Perhaps a slight exaggeration, he doubted the clan would get to the point of being openly against the village, as they could not pose much of a threat when it came to the vast majority of the remainder of the village.

Kitsuki was relieved that Esen's request was something within her power to grant. If he had asked for something more controversial, then not only would she need the assent of her fellow Princesses, she'd need to take the temperature of the other powerbrokers in the village. A clan district was a fairly modest request and though it would still need the proper permissions, it was something that could be accomplished within a month's time. Esen had tried to placate his people but they understandably would not wait forever. Kitsuki considered the request and then responded:

"A clan district is reasonable. The Uzumaki are of noble blood and if Kiri is to claim that this is your home, it is only right that we should put our money where our mouth is. I shall allocate money for a clan district....although a stipend will have to wait"

Kit would watch Esen's reaction carefully. She wanted to tell how he internalized this news. Did he think her weak? Was he grateful? Did he feel indebted? Depending on how Esen took the news, she'd need to tailor her approach carefully. Such was the task of politics. Kitsuki was also always looking for shinobi she could trust and if she got the right vibes from him, then perhaps she could bring him in on something that she needed help with.

So far, Esen had felt like getting this little thing had been far too easy; perhaps it was something that was always on the table for his clan should the topic be broached, or perhaps there was something more that would be required of him or the clan in the future for the Princess. Whatever it was, Esen would not look a gift horse in the mouth. He expected there’d be more work required for the Uzumaki Clan to eventually get a clan district, but there was no use in trying to delve on that train of thought. The issue of the stipend was not an immediate concern of his; the clan would be fine with getting a clan district and waiting for a clan district to be developed. The district itself would be a boon for them.

“Thank you Hime-sama.” Esen would courteously state, his words laced with gratuitousness. His gratuitousness came from both appreciation from the gesture of the Princess, along with the act he had been playing from the start. A clan district was a good start, yet it wasn’t what Esen himself wanted - that would be something that would come in the future. It was a long game he had to play. “Both the clan and I would be overjoyed at having a clan district be established. The lack of an immediate stipend, I feel, won’t be a concern of my clansmen.” That much was certainly true, the issue of a clan district had been a question within the clan, yet never something that was an immediate concern until Esen came to the center of clan politics. To amplify his immediate reaction of gratitude, Esen would add on a few words after a respectful second of silence had passed. “If there is anything I could do to repay your kind generosity, Hime-sama, I am at your call.” He had mentioned something to a similar degree earlier, prior to the mention of clan districts. Now his words held more weight he felt, offering his services not only for the village, but the one individual who allowed him to benefit from this situation.

Kitsuki was glad that Esen expressed gratitude. The response was also measured which was a good sign in of itself. If he fell on the floor thanking her profusely, she'd know that he was full of manure. He was likely going to get a Clan District at some point in the future anyways, what she had done is merely expedite the process. When he voiced his availability in exchange for her generosity, that drew a smile to her lips. That's exactly what she wanted to hear. Good politics was based off of quid pro quo. I scratch your back and you scratch mine. Kitsuki didn't have a lot of tasks that he could attend to but there was one major operation she had been meaning to look into. She needed a genin by her side to help her sift through the wheat and the chafe. The only reason she hadn't made more progress was because she was now dealing with the fallout of killing two Mizukage, but with her rule stabilizing it was now time to turn her attention to the matter of a certain cult.

"You're very welcome Esen. As for repaying me, don't lose any sleep over it. If I need your help I won't hesitate to ask but anything I'd have you do would be for the benefit of both this village and your clan"

Kitsuki was subtly letting Esen know that she would indeed call in her favor at some point, but that he need not worry about it being anything too controversial. He wouldn't be sacrificing his clan's good name or well-being working with her. The New Kirigakure wasn't about cloak and dagger operations performed with the objective of accumulating power. It was about shining the light of truth on evil and vanquishing it with pure justice. Kitsuki clapped her hands signaling that the meeting was at its end.

"Well I think this has been a rather fruitful meeting and I do look forward to working with you in the near future Esen. Now if you'll excuse me, I do have some studying to do" she flashed him a genuine smile before taking up her book and picking up where she left off. This was Esen's cue to exit stage left. The Princess was a busy woman and while he seemed fine company, work always came before sociality. Once she was done reading, she'd then head home for the night.

[End Thread]

Esen had enough knowledge about politics to know that any word he had said would eventually come back around to him. A promise made to a political figure was one that would always be banked and eventually cashed in on. So Esen’s offer of repayment for the clan district was something he knew that Kitsuki would call him upon; it was not something he immediately needed to worry about, such as tonight. Whether that offer would come back to bite Esen in the ass remained to be seen, but Esen would make do with the situation he had placed himself in. He keyed on the words that it would be for the benefit of his village and clan, though for himself remained a mystery. For all he knew, Kitsuki could ask the impossible from him and if he was a man that was resolute on honouring his promises, he’d need to keep that promise. Alas, he was not.

When Kitsuki excused him, Esen would stand from his seat and bow respectively to the Princess that had summoned him. “Thank you again, Hime-sama. If you ever require my presence in the future, you know how to contact me.” A simple farewell, with the offer that his services were always available for the Princess. It was a long game to play, a lot of trust that was required, and Esen had only scratched the surface of it all. He would make eye contact with the Princess once more, if the opportunity was present, before he would make his way out of the room and ultimately begin the trek back home.

[exit thread]