A Request To Meet (Nozomi)

Valen sat within his office, idly doing paperwork as he waited for his possible guest. He had invited Nozomi Himitsu to come to his office. Requested it of her actually, with the intention to meet the woman that had for all intents and purposes saved their world. She was the only individual in the world that he knew had the title of ‘World Champion’ due to a tournament some years back where she won and took first place, and the title. She had been an open member of ‘The Society’ and pushed forward it’s intents and ideals in all manner of known places and he was certain unknown places. Then in the end, she had fought against the true enemy they as a whole would have had to face herself and come out victorious.

For those actions she had been given a pardon from Kirigakure, and was currently still visiting the village. Valen, an individual who loved to fight, who thoroughly enjoyed the thrill of combat as well as personally endorsing the rule of law, would obviously want to meet her. So he had sent a messenger ‘requesting’ her to visit him in his office for lunch. He made no attempt to hide why either, that he simply wanted to meet the woman that had probably saved them all. Give her his own personal thanks for that mattered, and in his capacity as Jounin Commander, go on a fishing expedition regarding a lasting agreement between Kirigakure and her own Society. If she chose to accept the invitation then he had requested that she inform the secretary her preferred lunch on her way in. Valen himself had a variety of drinks available in the office. Refreshment for late nights. From simple, cold water, to what he was told was some fairly good wine. Although he himself did not partake in such things.

While he waited he was simply going through various reports, idly signing a signature or two and all in all, assuring that Kirigakure kept running at a smooth and definite pace. It was job he had found himself surprisingly suited for thus far. Although hopefully he would prove suitable for the task in Lady Arisu’s eyes.

[1]

Nozomi had been staying in Kirigakure for a while, aimlessly existing since her defeat of Joki. She'd more or less lost her reason for existing and fallen into an emotional void. Simply put, there was nothing for her to do or strive for. Besides the occasional message to the Blood Prison to keep them informed of her well being and location, Nozomi had limited communication with anyone currently.

Valen's request came as a bit of a surprise, so she got herself prepared to go and see the Jounin Commander. It was interesting, the position had been offered to her previously, but she had turned it down. She really just wondered what it was that the guy they'd gotten for the job was like.

Slipping on her battle kimono, Nozomi left it untied, her bodysuit underneath exposed, she left the rest of her gear at her home. She'd bought a cheap little place that was half falling apart, but was out of the way of most people, so she didn't have to interact with anyone. Rather than using her chakra sensory to keep an eye on her surroundings, Nozomi had taken to using chakra suppression to hide her own signature.

However, she didn't ever ask permission for where she was meant to go. There had been a request for her to inform the secretary of her preferred lunch, but Nozomi ignored it, as she ignored most people, and moved past the front desk and towards the Jounin Commander's office undisturbed. Even if someone were to try and halt her, she likely wouldn't stop, so they'd need to physically try and halt her, which would likely result in them being flipped over on their back.

Pushing open the door to Valen's office without so much as an announcement, Nozomi entered the office and took a seat silently, watching Valen with some curiosity.

-
Chakra suppression

Valen would be turning the page on the next part of the notes as the door opened and a disheveled woman walked in. His red eyes looked up to see her, and narrowed in curiosity as she confidently strode in and sat at the chair on the other side of his desk. Then stared at him with curiosity in her eyes too. Given he had not heard any exchange of words he figured Nozomi had not given his secretary a lunch order. Glancing up momentarily to meet the secretary's eyes as she reached in and closed the door he would hold up two fingers. Prompting the woman to nod in understanding. He had been tempted initially, to simply forgo lunch for now in deference to Nozomi’s indication that she was not hungry.

However seeing her, really looking at her made him more than a tad bit concerned at what he saw. She was obviously disheveled, hair uncombed, kimono untied, she was skinny from apparent lack of food from what he could see. Her eyes spoke of a form of listlessness. As if she had nothing to focus her attention on. Nothing to reach for anymore. Valen had seen the look before, had seen the lack of care in one’s body, the lack of will to eat.

He had seen it in himself. Although for very different reasons.

When he had been freed of slavery, he had spent a great deal of time like Nozomi was now. He had spent the first sixteen years of his life doing whatever anyone said. Mostly pulling an oar and scrubbing a ship’s deck. When he had been freed he hadn’t known what to do. Had nothing to focus his attention on. It had almost killed him back then and he was smart enough now to recognize that.

Valen did not know what it was that Nozomi craved before. However she had clearly reached the peak of what she could expect from her goal and found the summit lonely, with little to recommend itself. He considered her for a moment, thinking of what it could be. Her title of World Champion might be a clue, but she had that for years. This couldn’t have been happening that long.

He chose a more reasonable timeline, since she came to Kirigakure. That would coincide with the events of her effectively saving the world. Was that it? Possibly, could figuring out she could best anyone, and had bested the worlds most powerful, have caused her to become so hollow within? Was it the lack of challenge now? Could he help somehow? He wasn’t sure, but he wanted to. She deserved far more if he could arrange it.

Unfortunately when in the state himself he had not wanted to accept help. Hell he hadn’t even wanted to acknowledge there was a problem openly. Instead choosing to ignore it for as long as possible until someone had dragged his admission of there being a problem into the light for all to see. As he considered this he lifted up a pitcher of water and filled two glasses in the middle of the table. “Take whichever one you would like Nozomi.” He would invite, allowing her to choose her glass was a simple and effective way to assure someone it was not poisoned. Putting the pitcher down he would wait for her to pick one before taking the other one himself and taking a sip before speaking again.

First step, drag it out then.

“I requested you to stop by, and I thank you for doing so, because I wanted to meet the woman that saved our lives. The woman who took the title of World Champion. The woman who has made waves in the world through action. I wanted to meet her, and see her with my own eyes.” He would say, his red eyes meeting hers as he took another sip.

“I’m disappointed.”

He would say simply, beginning with a simple ‘test of the waters’ as it were. He had nothing to compare her achievements to of course. He had no right to be disappointed, and he knew that. But the first step was the most important, and getting her out of the depressing spiral she was apparently in. Was something he wanted very much to do.

“Now that you’ve saved us all, now that you’ve won. Do you have regrets? Any at all? Even from before then even?” He would ask, drawing attention to the line of thought he had been considering. Before she had done so, she’d had another hurdle to cross. Now? Now she did not, and that meant she was alone where she was. It honestly inspired the fire user. He felt his hunger for personal strength to stir, not power, but strength. He wanted to reach that summit too.

[2]