Daylight Confluence

After a hard night of training, Mitsu had rushed back to Shin’s home and slept there. She had fallen asleep quickly, but it hadn’t been for long. She awoke with the dawn, excited to prepare for Shin’s return. She had already prepared some things, but there were a few finishing touches that she wanted to get to before he arrived home. Like a whirlwind, Mitsu spun around Shin’s house and cleaned and tidied. She picked up her clothes from the floor, made the bed and then had a shower. She took less time than usual, but that still meant quite a long time for her.

Once she was clean and dried, she put on a white dress that she had picked out just for the occasion, it had tiny pink and gold embellishments to match her eyes and although it was longer than most of her other dresses, it had two long slits along the front of both thighs so she could still move easily in it. She left her hair loose so that it could dry, the long white locks grazing the backs of her calves as she moved. Once she was dressed she moved into the kitchen to finish her preparations. The day before she had baked a cake and it was now cool enough to ice. With the practiced hand of an artist she decorated the cake with a beautiful scene of the Great Chang Mountains and carefully wrote on the top;


“Perfect!” She was pleased with the cake and set it aside carefully so she could prepare tea and breakfast. She wasn’t much of a cook, but she was passable and at least knew how to cook and bake without making anyone ill. For the breakfast portion she began cooking some meats she had picked up from the market as well as some vegetables and a small bowl of sliced fruits. Once the food was prepared she would sit and wait excitedly for Shin to arrive home.

The village had not changed whatsoever in the short time he had been away from Iwagakure no Sato; yet in actuality so much had changed during that time span. And by so much, Shin meant the surprising acquisitions bequeathed to Iwagakure no Sato from Nozomi. While Shin was hesitant to share this news with Mitsukira for what he thought were obvious reasons, she would be the best one to know how to tackle the situation of the village’s leadership. With Yui out of commission, Chen and Mitsukira had been running the village, essentially. He did not know too much and Chen, so Shin presumed he would be apathetic to the knowledge of the acquisition of Sunagakure no Sato.

That was an issue for Shin to visit later. For now, he would head home and sleep off the journey he had just finished.

His eyes scanned the yard and immediately noticed the difference that was his garden. Perhaps this was the gardeners tending to his house or even Mitsukira. He had given her a set of keys to look after the place; ensuring no one broke into his home. It was a highly unlikely probability, though one could never be too safe when it came to safeguarding one’s home. Shin was not overly concerned with his lawn, it was something that simply existed that he never put much thought into. Heaving out a sigh, Shin would approach and put the key into the lock and turn to unlock the door. ‘Interesting…’ The door was already unlocked, as Shin did not here the telltale noise of the lock unhinging itself. It was likely Mitsukira forgot to lock up after she left. Or someone decided today was the day to break into his home.

Mitsu had heard the tell tale sound of a key in the lock of the front door and she perked up immediately. She had been sitting on a chair in the kitchen as she waited, but even her ‘of limitless patience’ had started to tire of waiting. But now she didn’t have to wait anymore, since Shin was home. She was making the assumption that it was Shin, both because she was expecting him and also as far as she was aware only she and Shin had keys to this house. Like someone had fired a starting pistol at a race Mitsu bolted from her chair and into the main room.

She took one look at the taller dark haired man and without pausing to think about it - attempted to tackle him. She would leap towards him with the intent of hugging him, a giant grin on her face as she exclaimed excitedly. “Shin! I missed you so much!” This was clearly an attempt at closeness, rather than actual attack - so hopefully Shin wouldn’t react in a defensive way. Assuming he didn’t, she would cling to him as though he were a life preserver on the open ocean and speak quickly. “I have so much to tell you! But first, I made you a surprise!” She meant the meal she had prepared in the kitchen, since she had all but forgotten that she had fairly significantly left her mark on Shin’s home in other ways such as the giant painting in his bedroom.

A blur of white, essentially, tackled him. Shin’s eyes were quick enough to pick out who it was before the collision happened. It did not surprise him that much that Mitsukira was already at his home this early in the day. Shin did not move an inch as Mitsukira hugged him, he simply let it happen. It would cause far more issues if he just moved out of the way; not that he wanted to anyways. His head was still reeling with what occurred at the summit, and his wariness of Mitsukira was waning. Mitsukira was either a great spy or simply Mitsukira. There was no in-between.

“A surprise?” He wondered what it was, considering that he had not expected anything upon returning. The most he expected was a meeting and debrief about what exactly occurred in Tetsumura. Her having ‘so much to tell’ him, likely was minor compared to the news Shin would have to eventually share with her and Chen. It was best to rip off the band aid than slowly peeling it off. “Well, lead the way to said surprise… you probably know my house better than I do at this point.” He would wait for Mitsukira to lead the way to the surprise she had in store for him. “I doubt that the things you have to tell me will be as surprising as the news I have to share.”

Mitsu hugged Shin tightly, happy that he hadn’t dodged her friendly attack. She sighed contentedly and then released her embrace, a wide grin spreading over her face as he asked her to lead the way to the surprise. She would attempt to pull him by the hand towards the kitchen where she had breakfast waiting, bouncing along in a sort of hop and skip fashion that physically told of how excited she was. “This way, this way. I missed you so much, Shin. It felt like you were gone forever. Or I just really missed you, I’m not sure which.”

Upon reaching the kitchen she would throw one hand up in the air and exclaim in a sing-song voice, “Ta-da!” On the table in the kitchen was the breakfast she had prepared, as well as a beautifully decorated cake. There were two empty tea cups and a teapot on the table. She had boiled the tea kettle earlier, but had not added the water to the teapot, since she didn’t know how long it would take Shin to arrive home. She hadn’t wanted to over steep the tea. Now that Shin was actually here though, she would release him and rush to boil the kettle again, it wouldn’t take too long as the water was still warm. “I made you breakfast! And cake for after breakfast! And tea, except obviously that isn’t quite made yet, but soon! It’s okay if you don’t want to eat it, I just thought. . . I just thought that after a long trip you’d like a hot meal in your home.” Mitsu’s smile would waver momentarily as she considered that perhaps Shin wasn’t hungry, or wouldn’t like what she’d made. “And yes, I do know your house quite well now, I can even navigate it with my eyes closed now! Thank you so much, Shin. For letting me stay here. Now! What news do you have?” She looked eager to hear about Shin’s journeys as she sat in a chair at the table and cupped her chin with both hands with her elbows resting on the table, her eyes sparkling with enthusiasm.

When Mitsukira separated from him, though grasping his hand in an attempt to lead him towards the kitchen, Shin would follow along, being guided through his own home by Mitsukira. The excitement behind her movement radiated throughout the house; through the hallway they were currently walking through. “It felt like forever.” Shin would mutter in regards to the Summit itself. He had only been in the meeting for a couple of hours or so, yet it felt like an eternity for him; the news from it sure would make one presume the meetings lasted days.

The ‘ta-da’ that resounded through the kitchen had Shin blink his eyes a few times. There was a cake, decorated far more than he would even care to even think about. Two cups and a teapot sat upon the dining table; empty from what Mitsukira stated. Along with that sat breakfast. “I can eat.” Shin knew his stomach would gorge on the food set on the table; the cake would be something he would likely stray away from. He knew he had a bit of a sweet tooth, so he would at least eat the cake in moderation. “And how long did it take to get familiar with my house?” His question would come out lightly, he did not expect it to be answered, but a raised eyebrow certainly would present Shin’s curiosity to Mitsukira.

“Where to start…” Shin would ponder for a moment regarding the information regarding the summit. Figuirng it was best to start at the beginning, Shin would relay the events of the Summit; from the newest Hokage, to the current political climate, to SHIRA, to the Society and the Kazekage (who happened to be Nozomi), to the proposed exchange program, to the sages, and ultimately, Iwagakure’s newest acquisitions. “Simply put… the Kazekage has given control of Sunagakure no Sato and Tori no Kuni.”

Mitsu was so happy that Shin was back home that she couldn’t help but smile from ear to ear. She was pleased as punch when he said he could eat, she set to preparing him a plate straight away and even remembered to let the tea begin steeping as soon as it boiled. Unlike while Shin was gone when she frequently had to reboil the kettle. When he asked her how long it had taken for her to get familiar with his house, she would laugh; her nose crinkling as the melodic sound filled the kitchen. “Not too long honestly. I like it here, it’s peaceful and calm. I uh, tried to keep it clean and orderly like you had it. But I did make some, um, changes. I made a flower garden! Oh. . . but maybe you already saw that.”

She would pour tea for herself, take the cup and curl up on a chair as she listened to Shin explain what had happened at the Summit. She found it fascinating and she gave him her full attention. It was a lot to take in and she was glad that he had gone in place of her, she probably would have found everything very overwhelming. The news about the Kazekage brought a frown to her face and she would look at him with confusion. “But. . . she wrote to me. Was that not. . .” She didn’t finish her sentence, not truly wanting an answer to her question. It was disturbing though, to think that she might have been tricked, even if without malice. Quietly she would mutter to herself, “If only I was smarter, maybe I would have seen it. Not that it would have done much I suppose.”

She was pleased with how he had handled everything, she had always believed he had been the perfect choice, and now she had proof. The final point he brought up though, well, floored her. As in, she set her cup on the table and sank down onto her knees as she tried to stop reeling for the ramifications of what he had just said. “Suna, is. . . Then if it’s, does that mean? Can I see my family again?! Universe be praised!” She would look up at Shin with happy tears in her eyes and then rise to embrace him again. She was overjoyed at the thought of being able to see her family once more, it had felt like an eternity and she had endured. It seemed as though the prayer she had made was answered, and she finally understood what the waiting and turmoil were for. If Shin allowed her to hug him again she would hold tightly onto him as she laughed and cried with joy. “Thank you, Shin. Thank you. This means so much to me, I don’t know how to. . . O-oh there is so much to do. This is going to be a lot more time spent in the office.” Her last sentence was said with a touch of sadness, she enjoyed helping the Nation, hell she’d even been willing to die for it and very nearly had - but time spent indoors in the building was not something she looked forward to.

“Well, nothing was stopping you before from seeing them… just that Sunagakure no Sato was foreign territory, even though you are from the country itself. But yes… you are free to see them.” Shin was glad, at least one of the two of them would be able to see their family. Shin would remain seated as Mitsukira would approach him for an embrace. Shin didn’t move a muscle this time, remaining rooted in his spot, not wanting his mind to once more wander to the potential fates that his own family had faced; a fate he was still unsure of himself. As Mitsukira thanked him, he needed to make one thing clear; he had done nothing for any of this to happen. He wanted Iwagakure no Sato to be secluded and secured; that was his whole intent at the summit. “While you can thank me, it is Nozomi you should thank. She is the one that gifted those lands to Iwagakure no Sato.”

Slowly, he would extract himself from Mitsukira’s embrace to get up and pace the kitchen. His mind whirling with numerous possibilities, even the one of Mitsukira being a spy for the Society in Iwagakure no Sato. “While I’m assuming most of the bookkeeping will be left to you, we are the only two here that know the news. Chen would need to be informed as well. If the Tsuchikage was well and able, it would make this a lot easier. Regardless, I believe a trip to Sunagakure no Sato would be required by leadership. So, perhaps either you or Chen can go there and sort out that situation.” The resources for Kaze no Kuni and Tori no Kuni would need to be handled, probably by those who had been controlling Iwagakure no Sato for some time. Shin knew he could only  do so much on his own, the rest of this predicament was entirely out of his control.

Mitsu shook her head as she hugged Shin, her voice slightly muffled as she spoke into his shoulder. “Duty was keeping me from them. But now. . . duty might bring me to them.” Mitsukira knew full well that she was not a prisoner, but she was still on a mission. One that until Shin had told her his news had seemed a mission without an end. Now it looked like her mission was actually complete there could be no more successful alliance than when two Nations merged. His revelation about exactly how the Land of Wind came to be under the control of Iwagakure was interesting and she would shrug noncommittally as Shin extracted himself from her embrace.

“A strange choice, though what little I know of Nozomi Himitsu it sort of adds up. She seems to go around helping all sorts of people. I know people say she’s a criminal or something, but. . . I’m not so sure. It doesn’t make a lot of sense for a criminal to make sure an entire Nation is taken care of properly. By which I mean, I’m from there - I know it needs help.”

Mitsu would watch as Shin paced back and forth, deciding that she didn’t know why he was agitated so she busied herself with cutting the cake and placing a slice on a plate for him. Her subconscious knew by now that when people were agitated the best thing she could do was be quiet, helpful or both - in order to stay safe. She didn’t know what he needed help with but she’d never seen anyone turn down cake before. So that would probably help. Placing the plate on the table in front of where Shin had just been sitting she would listen as he ran through all the things that would need to be dealt with in the near future. And when he mentioned Chen’s name her blood ran cold. Her face, normally an unnatural shade of pale, became even paler as she remembered that she did need to talk to Chen. And she knew it was going to be terrible.

“The bookkeeping is usually left to me. . . I uh, I don’t mind though! I’m happy to help, it’s an honour even. It’s something I can do to help the Children of Earth.” In her mind she chastised herself ‘You mean, something you can’t mess up.’ It wasn’t objectively true - but someone could have screamed that at her repeatedly and she wouldn’t have heard it. She’d had years at this point of being told that she was worthless and basically a walking accident waiting to happen. True or not, she couldn’t get those voices out of her head, and they always piped up at the worst times - namely, just when she started to feel happy about something. Sitting back in her own chair she would pull her knees up to her chest and hug them tightly, her pink eyes now nervously watching Shin pace. “I can talk to Chen, we uh, we still need to finish a conversation that we started before you left anyway. And as for the Tsuchikage. . . I’m not so sure we have one anymore. Oh. . . I still have to order those repairs. So. On the bright side, Yui Kotoshura miraculously recovered from the plague. And um, well. . . on the bad side. . . she uh, she left. And took down nearly an entire wing of the hospital in the process. It can be fixed, but uh. . . I don’t think she’s coming back.” If Shin looked at Mitsukira he would see a woman who looked positively miserable in her fear. She was rocking on her chair very subtly and although there was plenty of food and drink nearby, she no longer had the desire to consume any of it. Her mouth was dry and she was hoping against all hope that Shin wasn’t angry with her. She had no reason to believe that he would be, but she feared it all the same.

“Like I’ve mentioned… the care of Sunagakure no Sato is for you and Chen to decide on. I’m here merely as the messenger to bring news of the Summit, as I was the representative of Iwagakure no Sato.” Shin wanted to add more, though he did not. The hanging ‘for some god forsaken reason’ was something his brain wanted to add on, yet his tongue held the words. In the end, it made no sense, though the politics of the village did not matter to him at the current time. All he knew of the political situation in Iwagakure no Sato was that Mitsukira had once attempted to claim the title of Tsuchikage when her husband felt ill. Chen had a disposition to oppose that and had harmed her in doing so. In the end, it was Yui Kotoshura who took the title and immediately fell ill.

His eyes would land on the cake, though he would not approach the delacy just yet. His pacing slowed down, his eyes roaming over the room taking it all back in. A slow exhale of his breath would be released as he would pinch the bridge of his nose. “So… what you’re telling me… Is that the person who claimed to want to lead the village… who almost immediately after fell ill… and once completely recovered abandoned the village?” If Shin were one to laugh at a ridiculous scenario, he would have. None of this was his concern as a mere chuunin of the village, yet he could not just sit back and be quiet. “This… this is just ridiculous.” A huff of air would escape him as Shin would return to his seat, taking the plate of cake that had been set before him. He would not touch the cake, though he would bring the plate closer towards himself. “And so… we’re… basically back to where we started.” The ‘we’ did not include Shin, but rather Iwa as collective whole. “Without a leader… though technically that’s been apparent before I even stepped foot into the village. So, where exactly do we go from here? Because not only do we have to worry about Iwagakure no Sato, now another nation’s welfare has been thrown on our shoulders..

Mitsu looked guilty as Shin commented on the ridiculousness of the situation of the government in Iwagakure. She wasn’t actually guilty of anything, but seeing as she’d been repeatedly told that things that had gone wrong were her fault, it was hard for her not to feel guilty about it. “I uh. . . yes. I guess that’s what I’m telling you. I’m so sorry, I should have done. . . something. Or, I don’t know. I know I should have been. . . better.” Mitsu would look down at her hands as fidgeted, the memory of all of her failures running through her head. When she had first arrived in the Land of Earth she had been so confident and carefree, not a real worry in her head. Now she was a pale shadow of her former self, just struggling to hold on to some semblance of normalcy.

Mitsu wasn’t sure if Shin’s question was directed at her, or if it was just asked in general. But she thought about ‘Where do we go from here?’ seriously anyway. It was a good question, since it was apparent that even if it was a fleeting thought - it still required answering. Maybe not over breakfast and cake, but it needed answering eventually. “Well, I uh, I’m not sure. For now I’ll take care of the paperwork as usual. I think that’s something we’ll need to discuss with Chen though.” She didn’t dare even think to make a decision regarding the future of Iwagakure without including Chen in it. His threat still rang through her head, and likely always would.

“Its… fine. I’m just ranting. After having been in Iwagakure for over a year, it still feels as if I’m totally useless when it comes to anything. To be fair, if Chen hadn’t stepped in, perhaps we wouldn’t be in this predicament that we are currently in.” Shin alluded to Mitsukira’s encounter with Chen, days before he had even stepped foot into the village, when Masaru had fallen ill and Mitsukira had decided to rule in his place. There were so many things that could have changed, yet in the end, all roads had led Iwagakure to its current situation; without a leader and now overseeing another major shinobi nation. He needed to calm his mind, his mouth having spoken as his mind processed everything. He was pretty sure he had spoken more words to Mitsukira today than he did over the past years. At least, it felt that way.

As Mitsukira raised the suggestion that this was a conversation to have with Chen, Shin would only nod. Mitsukira and Chen made up the council for Iwagakure no Sato, and it was their sole power to figure out where the village would go from here. While having two leaders was fine, it seemed Mitsukira and Chen did not work well together for one specific reason, Chen’s attitude. It was something he had no control nor influence over, so he would simply let the matter rest on their shoulders. It was their burden to bare. “Mhm… Hopefully you and Chen can… come to an agreeable solution that would help out Iwa.” The unspoken words hung, implying that Iwa could not continue on as it has been; it needed a clear leader that could direct them. Shin would eventually return to his seat to poke at the breakfast and cake that he had for himself, courtesy of Mitsukira. Whether they would sit in silence or continue speaking was up to Mitsukira.

[exit thread]

Mitsu shook her head in disagreement, she appreciated Shin believing in her but she also now knew her limitations. “Maybe, but honestly I don’t think I was ready. I nearly died in that fight, imagine what would have happened if I needed to defend Iwagakure from outsiders. I don’t imagine it would have gone well.” Mitsu knew in her heart that Chen had been right to stop her. Her heart was wrong and that belief was the result of years of abuse, but she didn’t realize that and believed it anyway.

Shin seemed to agree that talking things over with Chen was the correct course of action, which was a relief. She was constantly second guessing every choice she made, and to have Shin at least nod was good enough in terms of validation. “I hope we can.” She didn’t elaborate further, mainly because she wasn’t confident that they could agree on anything. The only thing they’d agreed on so far was that Shin was a good representative of Iwa and that Yui had been insane and a danger to the country. Everything else had been tense, at best. She was also not looking forward to their next conversation since she still had yet to give an answer regarding removing Shin from her squad. Which of course, she still had not done. ‘Oh Universe, please let me survive this.’

She would continue talking with Shin while they ate breakfast, telling him of her time while he had been gone and all the wonderful things she had done. To his house.

[Exit Thread]