Humble Request For A Brief Sidebar

Shimiko had returned to Kumogakure with a new recruit. One Miyu Ryuutei. The Mizukage was not in the mood to meet with her, but by giving up the Inazuma and Yanagi he was content to allow her to permanently leave with one of his Nin. Of course, relations may not be entirely back to normal but the imminent threat of war was abated for now at least. Additionally, since Ken was no longer under Kumogakure control, the Mizukage could save face. Ken had successfully escaped which meant that if the man wanted to return back to Kiri he in theory could. Although given the arrangement she had struck with him, she doubted he'd do such a thing knowing that his daughter was her hostage.

Shimiko had a lot to tell Nariko. She knew she'd probably catch a scolding for souring relations with her religious tirade, but now that the situation was at least partially back to normal perhaps Nariko would be more forgiving. Today, Shimiko was dressed relatively modestly. She wore a long sleeved sweater, suspenders, and a checkered skirt with black leggings and boots. Her pigtails were done up as usual and held in place with a pair of small skull pins. Shimiko knocked on her sensei's door and patiently waited to be granted entrance.

Nariko had only recently returned from her excursion to the Land of Frost, and was still wearing her armor, the Raikage cloak wrapped around her waist, as she didn't want to wear it normally anymore. There wasn't a need to hide the armor on her return. Her Kage hat hung off her neck, laying on her back. There was very little to suggest that Nariko cared about her appearance.

In her hands, she carried a bunch of paperwork that she'd fetched on her way back up to her office, seeing as she knew she'd have to fill out her reports and then fill out budget stuff as well to account for the purchases she was going to be making soon. She didn't want to risk there being out of date paperwork, in case something were to happen to her. Not that it was likely, but she was pretty wary of Mora and her goals.

On her way back up, she saw Shimiko as she knocked on the door to her office. Nariko called out from down the hallway. "Oh, Shimiko! Hold on a second." Moving at a slightly increased pace so she didn't keep her former student waiting, she got to her door and nudged it open with her hip, and backed in. "Come on in. I hope you don't mind me filling out some paperwork while we talk? Par for the course, I'm always doing that, it seems."

Moving to her desk, which was surprisingly barren, suggesting that she hadn't actually been in the office for quite some time, and someone else had been dealing with her paperwork (some clerks, perhaps, who were able to deal with most things that didn't require Nariko's personal supervision), Nariko saw a couple of files that had been placed on her desk. Those were the more sensitive documents that only Nariko was allowed to file, something that required executive decision or something like that.

Ignoring the importance of those for now, Nariko dumped her papers onto the desk, and took a seat, pulling out one of the documents. Finances first, then mission docket later.

Shimiko spun around once she heard her name. She saw Nariko clad in armour and carrying an armload of paperwork. Ah! She's just returned from the Land of Frost! The ANBU ran over to her Kage and insisted that she be allowed to help. "Raikage-sensei, please let me help you with that!" she called out. Assuming Nariko allowed her to take some of the burden, she'd walk back over to the door with her and enter.

As always, the Raikage was absolutely flooded with paperwork. Even more than usual considering she had been out on an excursion to take control of the Frost Country. Shimiko had never seen Nariko fight seriously although as ANBU she had access to previous mission reports from when Nariko was an active Jounin. From what she surmised, the woman was extremely strong and had been regaled as one of the best amongst her peers. Shimiko wanted to one day fight alongside Nariko although she imagined that such an occasion would be quite serious. Kage rarely did battle except in the most dire circumstances such as an assault on their person or their village. This made her curious as to whether Nariko saw any action while in Frost. If given any of the burden, she'd place the folders and papers on the Kage's desk and take a step back so as to give Nariko room to get herself situated.

Nariko mentioned she'd be doing paperwork as they spoke. This didn't bother Shimiko as she trusted the Raikage's ability to multi-task.

"No problem at all!" she said with a warm smile. "I wanted to report on a few things now that you're back from the Land of Frost...as I'm sure you heard, my first visit to Kirigakure didn't go as well as planned....." she bowed her head in shame. "I wanted to apologize for that Raikage-sensei. I let my temper get the better of me and I almost sparked a war. I'm trying to contain my emotions but it doesn't come as easily to me as it does to Akame-sama. I wanted you to know that I'm truly sorry and I take full responsibility for that diplomatic failure."

She waited for Nariko to scold her and either reject or accept the apology. If permitted to continue, she'd move on:

"I do have a bit of good news. I was able to establish positive relations with the Kaguya and Ryuutei Clans of Kirigakure. I also received a letter from one of the Ryuutei Clan's brightest shinobi. Miyu Ryuutei. She has been suffering from depression and neglect....when I first met her in Kiri we shared a very close connection and by the glory and grace of Jashin I converted her to the Faith. She felt that she was alienated in Kiri so I was able to strike a deal with Kiri. I left them Lei Inazuma's body along with Yanagi's. In exchange, I was permitted to take Miyu Ryuutei back to Kumogakure where, with your blessing, she will be able to remain as a permanent Kumo ninja. As a result of this exchange, I was assured that relations between the villages have been normalized. While it may seem like a good deal for Kiri ultimately the loss of Lei's bloodline is largely inconsequential at this point. The moment Lei was captured his bloodline was compromised and I'd rather have a loyal and living shinobi than the organs of a dead one. Especially one that suffered from some kind of serious mental disease...."

Shimiko's face turned into a frown at that last sentence. The Cloudian Wonder had truly screwed her over in that regard.

Shimiko was immediately helpful, although Nariko honestly would have been fine without her help. Still, it was appreciated as it always was. Just because Nariko could do things by herself didn't mean it wasn't nice to not have to. As they got started on the debrief that Shimiko was there to give to her, Nariko realized her armor was incredibly uncomfortable when sitting in a chair.

Listening to her former student, Nariko got up and began to doff her armor. As she pulled off her armor, her shirt lifted, caught on the armor slightly and briefly exposed her belly and chest to Shimiko. Nariko didn't care so much, as there were few people she trusted herself with more than Shimiko. Normally, she would have just waited to get comfortable until she was alone, but Nariko wasn't particularly willing to sacrifice comfort around Shimiko. If she couldn't relax around her, who could she?

She sat back down, pulling her shirt back down, and started to fill out her papers once again, much more comfortable this time around. Shimiko noted that her first trip to Kirigakure didn't go exactly as planned, and that she'd messed up with her emotions. Nariko raised her gaze from her papers to stare at Shimiko for a moment before shrugging. "To be frank, I didn't expect much less than a war with Kirigakure to begin with. Relations were already strained, I sent you there to try and fix them, but also so that you could get a strategic overview of the village, as I'm sure you did, or had your travelling genin do. The fact that we are, not only not at war, but also have a new member of the village is nothing short of astounding work."

Nariko almost never reprimanded Shimiko. She'd been angry before, that time in front of Mora where she had Shimiko go and fix the mess in the first place, but even then, it wasn't like she was fond of dishing out angry comments. Shimiko was pretty effective, even if she was a bit emotional. Her talents in combat were (almost) unrivaled, and her reputation certainly proceeded her. A powerful clan, the sister of the previous Raikage, ANBU Captain, and champion of her..... church.... Shimiko was worth risking war with Kiri for. They were a little worrisome as it was. And stubborn as well, refusing to deal with their monster of a criminal, Ken Tetsudashi.

Losing Lei was unfortunate, but they gained a new shinobi in the process, Miyu, who was sure to know a lot about Kirigakure as it was, and she'd gotten positive relations with the Kaguya and Ryuutei to boot, so how could Nariko even remotely be mad? Ah, her face twisted slightly into a bit of a grimace as Shimiko mentioned that she had converted Miyu to her faith, but ultimately was still positive in countenance. She was happy with Shimiko's doings.

"You did really well Shimiko, worthy of praise. Initial diplomatic failure means nothing, if in the end we still came out of it with a net benefit. That was your task, whether it took several tries or not. Trust me when I say I'm not mad at you in the slightest."

Shimiko wasn't in the least bothered or shy about Nariko getting naked in front of her. As a cultist she had seen quite a few naked bodies. She was more concerned about how Nariko would react to her admission of failure. Much to her surprise, the Raikage didn't chastise her. She remarked favorably on Shimiko's ability to get the job done. While it was a rocky start, she applauded Shimiko for restoring relations and getting Kumo the better end of the deal. Shimiko sighed a breath of relief and smiled. She then bowed politely.

"Thank you Raikage-sama"

It felt good to be acknowledged by her sensei in a positive manner. Nariko was never overtly critical of her but Shimiko had learned to be hard on herself. The woman had invested a lot of care, money, and time into her. She had always wanted her parents to be as supportive as Nariko was to her, and she felt that if that's what she wanted then she'd need to do her best to live up to that sort of encouragement. She had noticed that Nariko was less than thrilled about Miyu's conversion. The realization made her sad. She had hoped that Nariko would come around to the Church's presence but after its legalization she could sense the tension between her and Mora increase. Even when the two weren't in the same room, she could feel their animosity growing like a tumor. She dismissed the thought and continued her report:

"I am also pleased to report that the operation to have Ken Tetsudashi infiltrate the Society has been successful so far. We staged his release and I can confirm that we are in possession of his daughter Kaida, whom we can use as leverage against him. I'm currently hosting Kaida Tetsudashi at my place. She's our insurance that he doesn't go rogue and actually join them...."

"Good to hear." Nariko said, glad to know that Ken was well on his way to infiltrating the Society. "Oh, and before I forget, his daughter. I probably don't need to say this, but I should cover my bases. She may be insurance, but don't actually harm her if Ken betrays us. I know we had to be rough in our negotiation, but he has no way of monitoring her health, so just treat her well. I don't want an innocent harmed."

Nariko finished filing one of the papers and flipped it over, getting another paper. She was pretty fast when it came to filing paperwork considering how much she'd had to do for all the years that she had been doing this already.

"Was there anything else, then? What's new in your life? I feel like we don't get too much of an opportunity to just chat anymore. It's always 'business this' or 'report that'." Nariko felt like she and Shimiko should have an opportunity to at least stay friendly outside of just being the Kage and ANBU captain. They were former sensei and student after all, and Nariko didn't have Natsuru and Ryuko around anymore. At this point, Shimiko was sort of her last tie of friendship beyond her loyalty to the village.

She really tried with Akame, but Akame only ever saw her as the Raikage, and getting her to be friendly was always so difficult.

Shimiko turned her head a degree and raised an eyebrow indicating her surprise. Nariko did not want Kaida harmed even if Ken betrayed Kumogakure. Shimiko had killed her fair share of orphans as a Jashinist, but after adopting the Twins she was loathe to kill children. That is not to say she wouldn't do it under the right circumstances though. If Ken betrayed the village and put her nation and Church at risk, she was fully prepared to torture Kaida so as to bring him back in line. And if that failed, she'd murder the girl as a permanent reminder to others that crossing Kumo was not an option if you cared about your loved ones. It was a dark line to cross and she would not do such a thing lightly, but the truth was just what she had told Ken. Shimiko valued her friends, family, Church, and country above everything else. Morals, Rules, whatever. It was all meaningless to her. She had lost some of her closest friends and family to forces beyond her control and she was never going to allow the same to happen to the loved ones that were still with her. The Society was an existential threat to her world and there was nothing she wouldn't do to destroy them.

The expression of surprise faded and Shimiko bowed her head in understanding. She thought Nariko held the same "By any means necessary" disposition when it came to dealing with foreign enemies. But then she remembered that to her knowledge, Nariko had never served in ANBU Black Ops. She may not realize that such decisions or their moral equivalents were occasionally made by the organization. Nariko believed the girl to be truly innocent and that while she was willing to use her as a threat, there was no chance she'd follow through.

"I fully understand Nariko-sensei, however, if worst comes to worst I ask that you at least allow us to manufacture evidence of torture. If Ken turns on us we won't harm Kaida, but ANBU has methods of creating very convincing fakes. Ken needs to know and believe that we are not a village to be crossed."

It was an extremely heavy and dark topic, but as close as they were they had their jobs to do. Shimiko was Captain of the ANBU Division and that meant doing the things that others would rather not. Nariko had tied her hands in stating that hurting Kaida was off the table, but nevertheless as ANBU Captain she had a duty to inform the Raikage that there were other methods at their disposal. Methods that might involve faking videos and photographs. The creation of bio-artificial prosthetic severed hands, eyes, and limbs. It was nasty business but the woman needed to know what tools were at the country's disposal so that they could manage one of their most crucial intelligence assets.

Once Nariko gave her assent or disapproval, Shimiko would nod. Message received. The next topic would be lighter. Nariko wanted to know what was going on in her student's life. Nariko was right. They hardly spoke as friends and often as superior to subordinate. Shimiko wasn't a kid anymore, she was now a grown woman with responsibilities. She breathed out a sigh as though she could exhale all of the stiffness and professionalism from her voice and body.

"That's all on the business side of things....but yeah, we hardly talk any more its just...."

Shimiko would point at the lone seat in front of her Raikage's desk. Out of respect, she always stood when giving the Raikage her reports. Now that this was becoming more of a casual chat she asked for permission to sit. If granted, Shimiko would plop down in the chair and take on a more relaxed posture.

"Everything has been so busy. Crazy even." She sat up and gave Nariko a smile. The heavy stuff was weighing on her soul, but there was some good news that she wanted to share. "There was one thing I wanted to tell you. I'm having a barbecue at my place. I'm sure you've heard that Hagoromo's Comet is passing by Earth. I planned a small get together at my place. We can eat barbecue, hang out by the pool, and watch the comet go by. It will be a small thing just friends and family. You, me, the Twins, Miyu, and Seid."

She expected Nariko to accept, especially since she had gone out of her way to not have any high ranking Orthodoxy people there like Lady Superior Mora. But she was also aware that Nariko might have her own plans for that special night.

Nariko grunted in reply as Shimiko seemed to be a little surprised by Nariko's refusal to let an innocent be harmed. Nariko was reminded of her worry about Jashinism, but that wasn't the topic of discussion right now. "If it becomes necessary to fabricate evidence, then do so. No harm to anyone though unless they freely offer up for the ruse. I've done some missions where I had to be a convincing civilian hostage so we broke my arm. I get that, but I'm a trained warrior who is willing to sacrifice for a mission." Nariko wasn't comfortable with the idea of an innocent getting harmed at all.

"Go ahead, sit down. No need to stand all formal like." Nariko motioned to the chair that Shimiko had pointed to. Nariko hated the formality that people treated her with if they were close to her. Sure maybe official business required it sometimes, but she didn't like it in a casual setting. Nariko might be the Raikage, but she was nothing special really, and certainly didn't consider herself to be a social superior to anyone. That sort of stuff bred snobby elitists, or racists, or people like them.

She considered the invitation for a moment, before nodding. "Yeah, I should probably go. I miss you. Akame invited me to a small watch as well, so I was thinking of attending hers, but I think I can manage both if I use clones."

It wasn't necessary to tell Shimiko, but Nariko would have felt bad if she didn't say something about it and then attended both. It would have felt like some sort of secret she was keeping, and Nariko wasn't about that. There were precious few secrets she kept from Shimiko, and those were very personal things that very few people knew about in the first place.

Shimiko gave a genuine smile when Nariko agreed to go although there was something the Raikage said that had put a damper on the mood. She mentioned that she would be attending a watch with Akame simultaneously. Shimiko didn't appear to be outwardly bothered by this but internally she was a bit jealous. She knew Nariko was probably being nice to Akame. The woman had spent almost a year in a coma after all. Nevertheless, there was something about the whole thing that upset her. Akame wasn't Nariko's pupil and while Shimiko had always looked up to the former ANBU Captain, she had never thought of Akame as her sensei. Nariko fit that role. She more than fit that role. She was like a surrogate parent to her and for Nariko to split her time between her and someone else, it hurt a bit. She wondered whether she'd get the real Nariko or just the clone. She knew better than to ask though and so she just told herself that the real Nariko would arrive at the barbecue.

Bah! Who cares? So long as we're together it doesn't matter!

Shimiko refused to give the matter any further thought and instead voiced her excitement without missing a beat. "Wonderful, I'm so excited!" she shimied her shoulders displaying her joy. "Its my first time hosting an event like this....Natsuru used to do most of the planning but she..." Shimiko's voice trailed off as she remembered. Natusuru had left the continent. The fact brought up some ugly emotions but she stifled them and continued. "She's gone....so I guess I have to do the planning. Everything will be perfect though. I live at the Tower she built for us as a squad. She left it to me and its just...amazing. The view is out of this world, you have to see it Nariko-sensei. Oh! Before I forget there is another thing I wanted to tell you..."

Shimiko crossed her legs and leaned forward. It was now time for the juicy gossip.  

"So you know Vik Chinoike right? Leader of the Chinoike Clan?" It was a rheotrical question. Of course the Raikage of Kumogakure knew the leader of one of the most influential clans in the Lighting Country. Although she might also know him for other reasons. You see Vik was quite infamous amongst the upper-crust of Lighting Country society. He was a notorious flirt and he was known for showering women with gifts, compliments, and outrageous bouquets. Vik had told her that he had sent Nariko two dozen roses, each rose symbolizing the number of men he had killed in her "elegant and ever-inspiring" name. He was over the top and surprisingly old for his age, but some of the young girls ate it up. Usually the daughters of feudal lords who had no desire to become a shinobi, but who had been raised on tales of dashing and chivalrous ninja. Many clan leaders had their concubines and mistresses, but Vik had taken the enterprise to another level. Shimiko smiled and shook her head as she prepared for Nariko's reaction to what she was about to tell her.

"He asked me to marry him!"

Shimiko mentioned the tower, and Nariko nodded. She'd been there before a few times, so she knew how amazing the entire place was, as well as the view. Natsuru really had an eye for detail, there was no denying that, but an overwhelming sense of sadness filled her as she thought of her former student. More and more people kept leaving her life.

Still, something else would drag Nariko out of her headspace, as Shimiko had some news for her. Nariko looked up from her paperwork, waiting as Shimiko brought up Vik Chinoike. Nariko's eyes rolled slightly, as she nodded. There had been no shortage of flowers sent to her by him. That type of affection wasn't something Nariko was a stranger to often receiving such gifts from multiple people, but never really accepting any of them.

The surprise on her face was evident when Shimiko revealed his proposal. "Oh! Is... that a good thing? Did you accept it?" Nariko wasn't sure whether to be happy for Shimiko or not. It depended on whether she was actually happy with the proposal or not. "I mean, if you're happy, then I'm very glad for you! I can hook you up with the best wedding planners money can buy, if you'd like."

Shimiko, married. Nariko felt a surge of pride, but couldn't help but feel like she disapproved slightly. "You never really talked about him though. Are you sure about this? I don't want you to regret anything, and I want you to be happy." Nariko didn't want anything but the best for the blonde opposite her, and she took a more nurturing and mothering role with her often enough.

Nariko asked if it was a good thing and Shimiko sighed in response. There was a component to her decision calculus that made the offer a "good thing" but it wasn't a component she was at liberty to share. Vik Chinoike had pledged the Clan and its resources to her Church and while she would have loved to share that news with Nariko, she knew that the woman was at odds with the Orthodoxy's goals. Speaking about the threat a Chinoike-backed Church would pose was a great way to ruin the mood. Shimiko replied:

"Its sort of a good thing. There's a lot of politics involved. The Elders want me to marry within the Clan, they think I'm too valuable to let go....normally I'd tell them to go to hell, but maybe their right. Maybe I can't be trusted to pick my own boyfriends....Sakata was a piece of shit" she lamented. The anger and hurt in her voice was noticeable. It wasn't something she liked to talk about these days but anytime romance came up it was hard not to think about the hard lesson she had been taught by her ex.

"I'm thinking of accepting honestly. Vik is a player and I'm definitely not in love with him, but he is a good man and I know I can trust him. I just need stability in my life and he brings that. The Twins need a father-figure in their lives as well and he's been so helpful getting them inducted into the Clan. Love is secondary, I care more about having a stable live with someone who I know has me and the twins' back when the chips are down. We can make it work."

Shimiko was mainly reassuring herself at this point. She had already decided to accept, but she needed to talk her way into it. She felt like a whore. She had sold her hand in marriage for armed men and the backing of a powerful Clan. It hurt her and it made her wonder if she'd ever regret the decision. But for all the musing she did on the subject, the longer she thought about it was the more her resolved hardened. This was the path that she had chosen. She needed to ensure the Church was well-defended and for that she'd need support.

"I think I'll take that wedding planner" she said with a smile. The blonde appeared cheery but her eyes and spirit were mournful. This was not the way she thought her life would go.

Nariko folded her arms, tapping her pen on the desk as she leaned on it slightly. "Shimiko, you dated like one guy. You don't have poor taste in men, you've just got no real experience. It was a teen relationship anyhow, those don't tend to last. Sakata left, but that doesn't mean you have to marry the first guy to propose to you either. Especially not someone you don't really seem to want to marry."

"If you're set on this, I'll support you, but you don't have to. I can take care of you, you know that. I sign your paycheck sure, but I'm also your former teacher. And I'd like to think we're family. If you need money or something like that to help take care of your family, then it's no problem for me to help."

But she said she would take the wedding planner, so Nariko nodded. She'd get someone in contact with Shimiko on that. "As long as you know what you're doing. I'm not you, I can't control your decisions. I'll just do my best to support you."

Nariko insisted that Shimiko not be so hard on herself. Sakata was only her first boyfriend and Shimiko was smart enough to know that teen loves don't last. That didn't make the pain hurt any less though and again, she had her own reasons for accepting such an out there proposal. Nariko, ever the most doting sensei, offered to support her no matter what. She even acknowledged that with her growing family she'd need funds. She offered it without Shimiko even asking and the act almost made the ANBU Captain well up in tears. She held them back of course, but the moment was very touching and personal to her. She couldn't ever ask her own parents for money, but this woman with whom she shared no blood had consistently gone out of her way to be there for her.

"Nariko-sensei....I don't know what to say..."

She considered her words carefully and then smiled at the Raikage. "You don't have to wonder. You're as close a family to me as the Twins are, just like Natsuru and Ryuko are, just the way Seigi was. You've always looked out for me and I appreciate that. I have to move forward with this marriage though, its what's best for me and the Clan....I can accept that and embrace it. I don't know if I'll ever love him, but that doesn't really matter because as long as I have you, Miyu, and the Twins beside me I know I'll be happy."

Shimiko had never spoken to Nariko about her parents before. Aside from a passing mention here and there, one would almost think that the Chinoike had none to speak of. Nariko had served as her adopted mother in many ways and for this Shimiko was grateful. It was good to have someone to look up to. She had spent so much time caring for others, that she forgot that she was still so young. She needed caring after herself.

"You know I hate asking you for money Nariko-sensei" Shimiko looked down at her feet. She kept accumulating expenses and had little means of dealing with them. She was an active ANBU and had a successful small business owner but she was nowhere near being a titan of industry like Natsuru was. She didn't come from a politically connected background like Ryuko did either. She was doing the best she could with what she had.

"But the Twins just had their Chinoike induction ceremony and I need to give them the traditional gifts. The wedding is also going to be expensive, I need a nice dress...nothing too fancy but it does need to be good....I'm sorry its, just..."

She trailed off as her face turned red with shame.

"Sure, you hate asking for money, but I don't like to have it around. If it were up to me, I'd just gamble it away or blow it all on booze, so I'd rather give you the money. At least you'll make good usage of it." Nariko said, and opened a drawer that she kept her checks in, pulling out a blank check and signing her name and writing 900,000 Ryo on it. Signing the check, Nariko handed it over to Shimiko and smiled. "Consider it a wedding gift. For you of course. Not Vik."

She wanted to make sure that Shimiko was set up and comfortable, and one of the best and easiest ways to do so was to provide for her financially. Nariko wasn't quite sure how Shimiko was spending her paychecks, considering she knew that Shimiko was paid quite a bit more than most were, and she also paid Yui and Yua's salary as well. All shinobi and kunoichi also had free housing provided by the village, so just what Shimiko was spending her money on was lost on Nariko. That didn't change the fact that she was a pushover when it came to her last student. Nariko wasn't going to ask.

Besides, Nariko often found herself being more or less a casual millionare, but never spent her money anyhow. Beyond just putting it back into the village, or paying for Shimiko's personal stuff, Nariko hadn't actually bought anything for herself since the armor she'd bid on a while ago. That was the main and really only purchase she'd made over the past few years for herself.

Shimiko's eyes welled with tears when Nariko offered her hundreds of thousands of ryo with the stroke of a pen. No hesitation. No questions. Nothing. Just pure unbridled generosity and love. Nariko never tried to pull her from the faith or make her decisions for her. She was always there as a source of love and support. There was no judgment in her voice and when she handed Shimiko the check, the blonde stared at it almost unable to accept it. Shimiko was supposed to be a superb shinobi. An ANBU super soldier. Everyone knew ANBU didn't cry. ANBU didn't even show emotion. And yet, here she was blinking back tears as her longtime sensei handed her a small fortune without a second thought. Shimiko burst into tears of joy and gratitude as she accepted the money graciously. The moment truly meant a lot to her. Shimiko had went years (at least a decade) being on bad terms with her parents. They didn't understand her or her choices. They had despised her decision to become a shinobi and had shunned her ever since she had come out as an open Jashinist. She had told herself that she hated them and that one day she'd find the strength to end their miserable and meddlesome existence. Yet, she could not. Ultimately, Shimiko knew that no one would love her more than her own parents or Seigi. And with Seigi gone she had resigned herself to the possibility that the only living people that cared for her as a parental figure was her own mother and father. Until now. Nariko had shown her that true love was about trust and deference. She was certain Nariko didn't approve of the Orthodoxy, but that didn't stop Nariko from helping her out.

Nariko had been more of a mother to her than that welch Celestia. For years she had gone without motherly love and affection. It felt good to have someone finally fill that role. Shimiko pocketed the check, rose from her seat, and walked around the desk. She flung her arms around Nariko and hugged her tightly. The action was so sudden and forceful it might threaten to tilt Nariko out of her chair and on the floor.

Between sobs, Shimiko spoke: "Nariko-sensei why are you so kind to me? I've only caused you trouble and headaches" Shimiko thought back to the time she ordered a botched mission to capture the Walking Death, the time she nearly sparked a war that Kumo was not ready for, spending weeks in the hospital as a vegetable doing nothing but draining the village's finances. And yet time after time, Nariko had stood by her side without judgment or reproach. Part of the tears was because she felt that she was totally unworthy and undeserving of the gifts. The other part was because she knew that she was at least partially being misleading when she spoke about her need for money. Indeed, she'd need money to take care of the twins, miyu, and herself but as Nariko accurately surmised her salary and living expenses were more or less covered by the job. The funds that she had been given to Nariko would thus need to go to a higher purpose. A purpose that the Raikage could not possibly approve of. She was essentially lying to the woman she was slowly viewing as the mother and friend she had always wanted. That hurt. The realization only caused the tears to flow harder.

It would have been easier if Nariko had just said no. If she had just refused Shimiko either rudely or softly. But no, Nariko simply couldn't say no to her student and the thought of what that might mean broke poor Shimiko's heart.

"You know.... I never really had much in the way of family. You may not know it, but life is.... crushingly depressing for me. I never really had a sense of fulfillment. When I was growing up, I had a squad of my own. A mission went bad, and we lost one of my teammates, and my sensei was crippled badly, forced into early retirement. My other teammate couldn't even look at me anymore without being reminded of our failure, so I lost the entire squad." Nariko spoke, talking about her personal life for once. It was a rarity, because a lot of information on her was often in her files, and the ANBU could access most of them, but Nariko didn't particularly like discussing herself with anyone. She was very closed off to a lot of people emotionally.

"I left home early, and took missions that kept me away from the village on assignment for extended periods of time. I was a genin until I was 15, but the second I became a Chuunin, I left as often as possible. 7 years of my life was spent away on assignments. Gambling, blowing my money on drugs, booze, partying, anything to fill that void in me."

Nariko was staring off, remembering her past a bit. "You never met them, but my parents were shinobi. My dad was a Chuunin, and my mom was a Special Jounin. I grew apart from them, because I was always so... depressed. I'd always been pretty bad, but losing my squad made me lose my second family, and I already wasn't close to my parents. "

She opened a drawer on her desk, pulling out a pack of cigarettes and pulled out one of the sticks, offering one to Shimiko. It was a habitual thing, she always offered people a smoke, but most people tended to turn her down. Channeling Katon chakra to her index finger, Nariko lit the cigaette and took a drag on it, blowing out a puff of smoke before continuing. "So I turned to my vices. Missions, gambling, drugs, alcohol, smoking, sex, anything that helped me feel something. Years of my life running from my failures. I came back a few years ago, to visit my parents for the first time in years, and... well, they died in the onset of the plague."

Nariko was silent for a few moments, taking another drag on her cigarette. She avoided eye contact with Shimiko, her eyebrows furrowed as she internalize her emotions a bit. It was clear she didn't talk about this often. "Everyone I cared about, died. My parents, my family, my former squad, my sensei, all gone. I focused on rebuilding Kumo, because nobody else could. I quit a lot of my vices. I cleaned up. The village needed it. We were on the verge of total collapse."

"Then I focused on a squad. You, and Ryuko, and Natsuru. And I felt that connection again. A family bond. Akame grew close to me as well. So here I was, a new family, new friends, and a village that depended on me. I'd do anything to protect what I cared about. But... well. Akame fell ill, Ryuko fell ill, Natsuru left the village...." Nariko sucked down the cigarette, and ashed it on her desk, pulling out another smoke, and lit it as well.

"Do you know how useless I feel? Everyone I care about dies or leaves me. And I've made so many bad decisions in my life. You're all I have left Shimiko. Of course I'll be nice to you. I'll give you all the money and care I can, because that's about all I can do. I worry about you constantly, but you're your own person, so I do what I can to help. I don't agree with a lot of your decisions, but the alternative is I lose you. I... can't."

Nariko stared at her cigarette, watching the ember burn down on the paper and tobacco slowly. She looked up at Shimiko, a pained expression on her face. It was a moment of weakness that Nariko didn't often show. She tended to keep up a cheerful personality, but this was a rare look into Nariko's true feelings. She was desperate not to lose anything else. And she felt like she couldn't do anything right.

Shimiko listened as Nariko opened up to her in a way that she had never heard before. The blonde normally wouldn't ever smoke but it felt wrong to decline the cigarette that was offered. It was as if the cig represented more than just an object. It was a metaphor for Nariko's inner self. Her insecurities, fears, and past regrets. By turning it down Shimiko was saying she wanted no part of the pain and toxicity that Nariko carried in her soul. That would be wrong. Nariko was like a mother to her and that meant she was family. Family didn't discard the pains and burdens of their loved ones, they helped shoulder them. Shimiko took the cigarette and smoked quietly with her sensei. The woman explained in clear detail why she was so kind to Shimiko. The losses she had experienced in her life. The addiction, the lows, and the eventual rebirth in to the greatest Kage in not only Kumo's history but the world's.

Nariko told the story of a mission gone horribly wrong. Of dead comrades and alienated friends. She talked about how the plague had taken away her last remaining bonds much as it did Shimiko. She reflected on how she forged new ones after rediscovering her sense of purpose, only to have those new bonds ripped away. Now there was only one left: Shimiko. And as close as they were, the difference of spirituality and visions of governance were fraying it at the edges. Shimiko watched Nariko as the woman spoke. She could tell this was difficult to talk about. The Raikage wasn't the type to discuss heavy subjects like this. She knew bits and pieces of Nariko's story from declassified ANBU files but it was an entirely different thing to be told it in person. Nariko explained that although they didn't always see eye to eye, ultimately she would always be there for Shimiko because she had no one else and she wasn't willing to lose her only family.

Shimiko finished the cigarette and put it aside. She looked Nariko square in the eye and saw the hurt that had nested there for years. It brought tears to her eyes. Shimiko was an emotional girl, but she did her best to stifle them. She wanted to be strong for her sensei.

"Nariko..." Shimiko began using her sensei's name without any of the honorifics that she normally did. "You'll never lose me. I swear to Jashin, that the sun will never set on our bond. I'm so sorry you had to go through all of that.....the loss, the pain, the addiction. All of it. I-, I-I haven't been a good student. All I've ever done is take from you. I ask, ask, and ask more and I feel so selfish for it. But I want you to know that you don't ever have to buy my love Nariko. I'm not going anywhere and no matter what happens....I know in my heart Jashin wants us to be close and anything he does in this world will never break our relationship, it will only make it stronger"

Shimiko embraced Nariko. The hug made the world seem so much smaller. As if the problems of the city were off on some distant planet as opposed to the very ground upon which they walked. The situation in Kumo was getting dangerous. She heard whispers from within the Church that this Raikage was not as amenable to the Jashinist Agenda as Shimiko had told them she would be. Shimiko dismissed their concerns and conspiracies as impotent. The Church would grow strong, it would continue to serve the people of Kumo, and someday, Nariko would come around and see the light. That vision was growing dimmer and dimmer each passing week. But after what Nariko had just told her, Shimiko had resolved to fight for that dream. She'd destroy anything and anyone that tried to drive her worlds apart. She loved Mora and the Church. She loved Nariko and Kumogakure. As impossible as it seemed, she'd reconcile the two and kill the curse that seemed to hang over both of their heads.

Nariko felt the hug, before she registered that Shimiko had even moved over next to her in the first place. Nariko was pretty vulnerable at the moment, talking about stuff she didn't ever talk about, and her emotional walls had been dropped. The hug pushed her a little over. It had been so long since she'd felt a genuine hug from anyone while she was emotionally bare. Nariko couldn't speak for a moment, tears welling up in her own eyes as well, and she just stayed there, letting the hug go on. She hadn't realized she'd needed it.

"Thank you. You've been everything you need to be Shimiko. You're not a bad student, you've been wonderful. We all make mistakes, but you haven't made some. Sure, you're a pain at times, but that's family right?" Nariko said, joking a little at the end. She bumped Shimiko's shoulder playfully. She chose not to say anything about Shimiko's mention of Jashinism. They both knew Nariko didn't approve, but she'd never actually said anything about it.

"As long as we're close, I don't really care what you do. I probably never will. I'm hardly one to judge someone's life decisions, Lord knows I've made my own fair share of mistakes, bad decisions, and what have you. I'll always protect you. I wont always be the Raikage, but I will always consider you family. Kumo's my family too, and its got my priority a lot because of that, because I owe it a responsibility. I'm just sorry I can't do more for you. Money's about it most of the time."

Nariko sighed. Speaking of which, she needed to finish these reports for the takeover of Frost. They needed to work on finances and all that. If Shimiko stayed, they'd continue talking, but Nariko's attention shifted back towards her papers at that point, closing off her emotional barriers once again as she got serious.

-Fade to black exit-

Shimiko wasn't a sensor but she could tell that Nariko's entire energy shifted when she hugged her. It was as if a weight had been lifted off of the Raikage's shoulders. Shimiko gave and received hugs all the time. From her brothers and sisters in Faith, from Miyu and the twins, even from her husband. She could tell that Nariko didn't receive much in the way of physical affection and the thought saddened her. It made her resolve to include Nariko in as many family events as possible. Shimiko smiled at Nariko's joke that she could be a pain. It was definitely true. Family fought all the time. That was the kind of the point. Yet through it all they'd have each other's backs. The two would continue to chat until eventually the spectre of work overcame them. They each had their responsibilities to attend to and they could put them off for only so long. Eventually, Shimiko would leave to attend to her own duties but not before a heartfelt goodbye and a promise that they'd have more familial chats like this again. After all, if it was always work and war then what kind of life were they truly living?

-Fade to black exit-