Earth and sand.

It had been a roller coaster of events that got Mikazuki to the Village hidden in the Sands but finally she was here. Whatever it was she had been expecting it was not this. The amputee’s expectations were that it would be a hive of scum and villainy but a few hours wandering the streets and talking to the locals revealed that was not the case. A new Kazekage, reorganised police force, a new prison and a variety of other methods designed to crack down on crime had cleaned up the streets for lack of a better word.

With that set of events presented to her, it was the obvious cause of action to demand entry to the local prison and as expected she had been denied that. She had considered fighting her way in and systematically going cell by cell looking for any of the faces she recognised but common sense defeated Mikazuki’s impatience and so she resorted to the surprising option Okane had opened for her: Meeting with the Kazekage.

That was the series of events that had brought Mikazuki to the Kage’s office and while she was late, by almost an hour at that, she was at least here. The amputee sat down upon a chair outside the Kazekage’s office, impatient and frustrated. Every moment she waited was another moment that the objects of her desires could be getting away from her. The annoyance was obvious on her face. Scowling eyes, the dry neutrality of her pursed lips and the irritable tapping of her feet.

It did not occur to her that technically she was the one who was late but Mikazuki cared not. She had only agreed to the offer of a meeting and not the meeting itself as far as she was concerned but regardless, here she was.

Ei stared down at the report on her desk. A gift from Okane. Or perhaps it was a warning. It was nothing more than a small document on a certain Mikazuki Hajime, and the experience that Okane had with her. She had already received reports of this Mikazuki Hajime having entered Sunagakure, traveling in through the front gates in a relatively uneventful passage. Through Okane’s word she had been able to gain a meeting with the new Kazekage, although a meeting that the woman in question wouldn’t show up to. The audacity of it was enough to make Ei almost confused. To request a meeting and then not show up for it, did she have ulterior motives? It wasn’t as if Ei was going anywhere, occupied by a stack of paperwork on her desk, so when Miakzuki did eventually show up Ei would still be there, fortunately for both of them.

The three Jounin guards for the Kazekage’s office allowed Mikazuki in without any trouble, even with her being an hour late. After a few more moments of waiting, something sure to trigger Mikazuki’ impatience, one of the guards would approach her.

“The Kazekage is ready for your meeting now. Please follow me and I will bring you to her.”

Dressed in a traditional Sunagakure flak jacket and with a turban, he was nothing short of a traditional Jounin, nothing special about him. It was only a short trip through the Wind Dome before Mikazuki would be brought to Ei’s office inside the Wind Dome’s main administrative building. Her ornate silk kimono, painted over by hand with blacks and reds and whites, was what Ei dressed herself in for the meeting. One of her favorites, and something that she would be easily recognizable in. The variety of pinned flowers and other hair ornaments she typically wore would be carefully arranged through her silky locks of black. It was her normal routine for when she had the time to prepare. Truthfully, she hadn’t prepared anything special for this meeting, but rather almost always dolled herself up in this manner. Sitting behind her desk, which was strewn over with a variety of documents, Ei would stare down the guest with sharp purple eyes. Half narrowed, she looked the woman that the guard had brought her up and down, analyzing each inch of her body as if Ei was taking the role of an art critic. She was roughly the same height as Ei and with a similar build, although the similarities ended there.

“Mikazuki Hajime.” Ei would be quick to begin, with the Jounin guard closing the door and leaving once he had done his part. “My associate gave word that you intended to meet with me. I take it there was something you wished to discuss?”

Her temper was frayed. The amputee tapped her right foot with irritation, her only hand clenching into a fist as her muscles tensed. Her attire, consisting of a black skirt, half-jacket, shirt and girdle, hid her deceptive musculature from view. It was hidden further by the sand coloured cloak she wore, a hooded thing hiding her hair and face from view. She may have sported an average amount of muscle mass but she had plenty of experience in just.where.to.punch for it to really hurt. She stared at the ground before her, hunched over and shoulders rolled forwards until one of the guards spoke up.

Mikazuki’s gaze snapped up from the ground, the raw fury of her impatience locked firmly upon the Jounin. Ordinary. Uninteresting. Boring. Dull. There was little of any interest to be found in his appearance but his words? Now those were far more worthy of attention. The amputee released her grip, fist unfurling and muscles loosening. Mikazuki rose from her seat, rolling her neck to ease up the tension it had accumulated. She simply nodded and followed her guide through the Wind Dome, taking in what details she could about its layout just in case she needed to make a quick exit.

Finally, she came face to face with the Kazekage. An attractive and small woman, comparable to Mizu’s own height, was positioned behind a desk scattered with numerous sheets of paper and official documents. She had a certain beauty to her but in all honesty? Mizu found it was hindered by her outfit and the obvious attempt at augmenting her beauty. The elegant and impractical Kimono, the numerous ornaments decorating her hair and those flowers. It was all so….ugh! Mizu simply hated how wasteful it all seemed. Who really cared for such things as beauty?

“I find myself at a disadvantage Sunakage?..” Her voice trailed off in a query of Ei’s name, as she took a seat in front of her. Mizu’s legs came to rest in a perfect posture, positioned in front of her with a reserved stiffness and natural distrust. Ei was, as far as Mizu cared, an unknown variable and she hated that. Unknown variables were dangerous and not to be trusted, risks that simply could not be allowed.

“That imbecile has sent you poor information. I expressed no desire or opposition to this meeting. I am only here because it has proven, after my own efforts to investigate, to be in my best interests. In the last week a group of bandits raided my merchant caravan, slaughtering everyone and stealing what was not nailed down.” Her eyes were cold and devoid of the slightest bit of pain, sadness or sympathy. She cared not for what had happened to her ‘family.’

“One of these items they stole were a series of scrolls. Puppet blueprints like this.” She reached into her cloak and withdrew a single scroll, letting it unroll on the desk and revealing...a puppet blueprint and a highly elaborate one at that. It was definitely the work of one whose understanding of puppetry far exceeded the basics. It was at this moment the amputee’s voice took on an angry growl, barely restrained fury tainting its voice.

“I sought access to the prison to question each and every criminal locked up, hoping to find those responsible for this theft but your guards turned me away. That is the only reason I have attended this meeting. I desire access to your prison so I may question any of your prisoners who are responsible.” With the record set straight and her intentions made clear, Mizu returned to silent compensation. Her exploratory gaze over Ei was unlike that of the Kazekage. Ei may have viewed Mizu as a piece of art but Mizu was scanning Ei’s body for weakness, poorly healed injuries and any vulnerability she could exploit if need be. Her gaze was that of a ruthless predator and a mad beast.

“Kazekage. Ei Kanagawa.” She would be quick to correct Mikazuki after the word ‘Sunakage’ was uttered, filling in the blank that Mikazuki left for her to give her name. Despite Mikazuki being late Ei had come into this with a neutral disposition, although the woman’s frayed temper was making her quickly readdress that. She raised an eyebrow at the mention of Okane being an imbecile. It was certainly an aggressive claim to make, especially when in a situation like this you should be attempting to make a good first impression. Clearly Mikazuki was different, or perhaps simply so agitated she didn’t care about social norms at the moment. Perhaps Ei would have to let her calm down in order to see how she truly behaved, or perhaps this was just normal for the girl. She would have to find out.

Unlike Mizu, Ei’s body was soft. She radiated being delicate and weak. Her skin was soft to the point where it appeared she never worked a day in her life, and just from analyzing her it was clear that she was the type who would be easily broken by direct physical damage. The dainty type who would have bones broken by a punch from an average man. Of course, not exactly a positive trait for a shinobi, nor a leader of a village.

“Very well. If you wish to question those held within Sungakure’s prison, feel free. The guard will be given word to let you in and ask questions to the prisoners should you wish. However, nothing more than that. Deeper interrogation and torture are exclusively left up to those running the prison. If any of the prisoners had possessed a scroll along those lines it would have been confiscated already and contained at the prison as well. If the ones you’re looking for are there they’ll be surrendered to your possession.”


All together Ei was being reasonable, perhaps more so than Mikazuki’s behavior was warranting. The ball was returned to Mikazuki’s court though, still under Ei’s sharp, narrowed gaze.

Mizu felt little reason to reply on the front of Ei’s name. She knew what it was now and that was what mattered. The amputee was by no means a child that needed to state whether she understood what her ears told her and she felt the Kazekage felt the same. One did not end up in charge by needing things confirmed for them. However, that was one thing that Mizu wished to offer a form of apology for: her confusion over Ei’s title. She had never really cared who ran her nation’s hidden village as it was only in the past few days it became relevant in her life.

“Ah...my apologies Kazekage Kanagawa. I have spent my entire life roaming the sands and have never had a need to be concerned with the leadership of Sunagakure.” It was a reasonable apology, well established and explained in its reasoning but Mizu’s tone was perhaps not doing her any favours. Her vocal tone may not have been dismissive or indicated that she was not genuine in her apology, but neither was it a highly passionate thing that implied she cared from the depths of her heart. It was a neutral and guarded thing, as had been par for the course.

“....And this benefits you….how? Okane did mention I was a ‘potential Shinobi’ however…” A lump formed in her throat, an irritated discomfort gnawing away at her from the inside out but she soon leaned back in the chair, her head thrown backwards to look up at the ceiling. Her expression grew into a malicious grin as she brought her head forward to look upon Ei. Her irritability passed, the pressing need to find her stolen property crumbling away as she realised the nature of the opportunity before her.

“Hahahaha….yes let the stranger from the desert into your prison based on the words of a prince who has fed you inaccurate information. That is such a genius idea and it could never go wrong. For all you know I could be an ally of these criminals seeking to break them out. Trust is not a thing I am used to and so I will tell you what I did not tell that presumptuous fool you associate with.” Bloodlust had seeped into her voice, her pupils constricting as she let a little bit of her real personality out.

“I am going to kill them. The ones who stole my life’s work. They will die at my hand. Bones snapped, organs torn, muscles ripped and necks snapped and after that...ahahahahahaha.” She did not flinch or even stutter at her declaration of intent. In fact, there was a level of excitement to Mizu’s body. The flush in her cheeks, the heightened breath rate and the barely restrained fidgeting of her arm. Ahhh...it was such a delightful sensation to imagine…!

“Answer me this thin armed Kage. Is Sunagakure truly a good place for a puppeteer? I have no desire in my life except to create puppets, alone and by myself.” Mizu’s gaze returned to analysing Ei. Her body was dainty and vulnerable...it excited Mizu...so much….. Such small things were always going to attract the amputee’s interest. A small and weak seeming body stimulated her. She wanted it. She wanted it, she wanted it, she wanted it….!

It was strange how things happened, sometimes. What seemed like normal, or even pleasant conversations could shift dramatically. As Mikazuki continued to speak Ei found herself wishing more and more that she had refused this meeting. There was too much work for her to be doing, too much paperwork to sign, too many edicts to draft and shinobi to see trained… She had been willing to allow Mikazuki into the Sunagakure prisons, supervised, as a show of good faith. Ei sympathized with Mikazuki’s story of having been raided by bandits and having people she knew killed and personal possessions stolen from her. The more that this woman spoke though the less that that Ei would be able to empathize. Ei was a woman with a fierce glare, to the point where even her neutral expression almost appeared as if she were scowling at you with the sharpness of her eyes and the intensity of her features, but as Mika continued to speak those eyes would narrow into thin slits. The sarcastic insult about letting her into the prison had already annoyed Ei, even without the bloodlust behind it. Clearly this girl needed to be taught not to bite the hand that feeds. A lesson in respect was in order.

Then came the true bloodlust. Bones snapped, organs torn, muscles ripped … Okane hadn’t mentioned anything about this in his report. Perhaps Mikazuki was right about not necessarily taking that report at face value. Having a meeting like this with someone who reeked of a serial killer hadn’t been something Ei would have done if she had been alerted in advance, and by the way that this woman was so easily exposing that part of her without really being prompted or pushed led Ei to believe that either Okane had willingly overlooked it or that somehow it had been suppressed during their meeting.

Although with still narrowed eyes, Ei’s expression had not changed much from the icy neutral it had begun in. She thought for a moment, about how easy it would be to simply remove this problem and not have to deal with it. A quick burst of her Shakuton chakra would remove this problem, and for sure she could use her puppetry strings to bind Mikazuki and control her if she wished, but… For now, this girl would be entertained. Truthfully, Ei couldn’t pass up what could potentially be talent, even if the girl was clearly crazy.

“Sunagakure is the home of puppeteers. If all you wish to do is create puppets, then the military of Sunagakure would be a perfect fit for you. We’re recruiting, luckily for you.”

Her eyes focused on that fidgeting of the woman’s arm. Those subtle tells weren’t something she missed. The flush in Mika’s cheeks, the heightened breath rate. It was an odd combination. Mikazuki was clearly aesthetically pleasing. Ei could respect it, even with her missing arm, but the strange sadism that came from her mouth took away points for sure. However imperfect she may be now, Ei could perhaps mold her into something truly beautiful. She would just need to get her hands deep into this woman…

“If you’d be allowed into Sunagakure’s prison, it’d be supervised. Now that I’ve met with you, I suppose I’d have to supervise you personally.” She didn’t want to potentially risk any of her few shinobi to this madwoman, lest they end up dead. “Killing would be off the table. So would any torture. That’s a professional matter, one that’s left to be handled by professionals. That being the prison guards, and Sunagakure shinobi. However, if you were to join our military…”

The implication was clear. Ei would stand up slowly, moving her kimono out of the way, and then she would come around from the other side of her desk, coming closer to the strange woman.

“Stand up. Before I can allow you into our prison or military, I’ll need to do a physical inspection along with a background check. Tell me what your skills are, if any, along with any other relevant information.”

“Yes. That is of a secondary interest to me.” The sadist switch flipped back, turning off as almost immediately the Kazekage threw a roadblock in Mizu’s plans but surprisingly that did not bother her. She did desire to torture, hurt and murder those who had betrayed her trust and so while at first Ei’s refusal to let her in unsupervised had irked her to the extent were her murderous bloodthirst was thrown entirely at the Kazekage, it soon abated as the logical side of the amputee’s brain reasserted itself. The amputee’s bloodlust retreated into her, locked under the chains of self-control.

“ You do not need to lead me along like a child.” Mizu’s expression softened, her pupil dilation passed as she returned to normal, her breath rate slowed and the flush in her cheeks passed. She readopted what could be called ‘normal’ for her, calming down as she found herself growing more and more attracted by this offer.

“You have given me good reason to accept your offer and so, I do believe I will.” Despite being a murderously mad dog capable of a level of violence far beyond what a “normal” person would call reasonable, Mizu was not so crazy as to not know a good opportunity when it was presented to her.

“A physical inspection?” The amputee watched Ei rise from her seat behind the desk, tilting her head sideways in confusion before realising just exactly what her new found employer desired. She rose from her chair to match, discarded the hooded cloak she had been wearing and then...started to remove her clothes, totally unprompted. Unless stopped she would remove everything down to the simple cloth garments she wore as underwear.

“Puppetry, weapon crafting, sealing jutsu, earth release, ninjutsu in general and I am of a level of physical fitness beyond the average man. Make this quick.” Without missing a single beat, barely bothered by her current attire, she would list her skills even though she was sure Okane had included that in his report. Mizu grew silent, saying nothing further. She was totally and utterly neutral to the situation, neither bothered nor interested by it.

She stared. While she had mentioned a physical inspection, this wasn't exactly what she meant. Ei had just intended to frisk Mikazuki down. Gain information on any weapons she carried, perhaps if it was necessary take a look at that stump of an arm she had and get ideas already in her mind about what sort of prosthetics she could make to compensate for it… But seeing that the woman had already undressed Ei felt like if she didn’t give a full medical examination that Mikazuki would end up disappointed. What kind of strange woman was this…? Ei could only imagine she’d end up troublesome beyond all belief.

Ei had hesitated for a moment as she approached, but that hesitation would only last for a moment. She continued on with her stride as if this was completely normal and exactly what she had intended. Her hands would be pressed to Mikazuki’s body, and she would physically examine the woman, feeling her general musculature out and limbs in a manner not too dissimilar to a doctor. The stump of her amputated arm would be given a certain amount of attention, as would the woman’s eyes and ears. She peered into them both, gaining a certain understanding of Mikazuki’s physical statistics. Despite all her talk of Ei having thin arms the girl wasn’t too much stronger.

“Very well.” Ei would state, and then she would be done. Back to her desk, she would return and pull out a small package. One that had been addressed to her from Okane with the report, containing apparently some weapon that Mikazuki had been promised. The still undressed women would be handed the package.

“This was from Okane, apparently for you from some agreement I’m unaware of. It’s unopened, and I haven’t invaded your privacy by checking the contents. Feel free to redress if you wish and… Or, don’t if you don’t prefer to. I suppose it doesn’t matter either way.”

With the intensity of Ei’s gaze she didn’t make any attempt to shy away or hide her eyes. She glazed over Mikazuki’s body occasionally in her undressed state, eyes swapping between eye contact when she spoke and gazing over her flesh when she wasn’t.

“We can begin the process to make you an official shinobi of Sunagakure no Sato, and perhaps after when you wish I can supervise your trip to the prisons.”

Mizu’s body tensed up when Ei began to run her hands over it. Her limbs would grow taut, muscle fibres tightening as she was felt up like a prize turkey at the market. The short lived hesitation in the Kazekage did not go unnoticed nor did the attention she gave to the stump where Mizu’s missing arm used to be. It was an area the amputee very much wished would be ignored, as evidence by her eyes twisting into a scowl. Hopefully it would convince her to drop it.

“Under normal circumstances I would rip apart anybody who dared focus on my amputated limb but in your case I will offer you this one mercy.” Hopefully that would be enough to dissuade Ei from paying any attention to the amputee’s missing limb in the future. It was a constant source of anger and envy for Mizu. To constantly get weird looks from people, either born of malice or simple curiosity, had often resulted in her more violent impulses boiling up.

Once the inspection was all done and dusted Mizu would dress herself, noticing that Ei was still checking her out. It was annoying. She hated it. The amputee refused to tolerate being viewed as an attractive piece of meat and nothing else. Once she was finished redressing Mizu ripped open the package, revealing the huge pair of mandibles inside. They had been stacked over the other to reduce the amount of space they took up but that did little to hide just how big they were.

“If you wish however...hmm….first I would appreciate access to your puppet crafting facilities. All of my tools were lost in the desert.” She sat down opposite the Kazekage, unblinking eyes locked firmly upon her new employer’s face. With the item from Sero now in her delivery, which honestly Mizu was surprised he had gone through with, the amputee had everything she required to craft the only puppet whose blueprints she had managed to save.

“I suppose this makes you my employer now.”

Ei listened to the woman’s threads, cocking an eyebrow idly. Mikazuki sure was brave. Or perhaps unrefined was the better word. Like a wild animal, she simply didn’t know any better than to snap at others whenever she felt threatened, vulnerable, or annoyed. The talk of tearing and ripping people apart… Ei would continue to stare at the woman, her gaze glassy and unafraid. Her expression hadn’t changed much throughout this. Insanity had its uses. Mikazuki could be sharpened, refined… She clearly had potential. If nothing else, the potential to be the sort of violent dog that was sometimes required in Shinobi villages. As long as she was kept leashed, and under control, she could be a valuable asset.

“Puppet crafting is generally done at the Sand Forge. There’s free access to all of Sunagakure’s shinobi, and special tools there designed to make the crafting process more streamlined, and compensate for whatever tools you might have lost. I assume whatever you received from Okane has something to do with whatever you plan on creating…”

She would reach into her desk, and after a moment a Sunagakure headband would be placed down in front of Mikazuki.

“Here. Consider yourself a Chunin of Sunagakure no Sato from now on. I’ll work on the paperwork side of things to ensure you’ll be officially recognized as a member of the village’s military from now on. Feel free to make puppets to your heart’s content. But be aware, senseless killing and torture is unacceptable. As a shinobi you’ll be representing the entire village, and killing when not given express permission or when your life is in danger will be frowned upon. I’ll be keeping a close eye on you.”

“Understood.” Without a further word she would turn away from the Kazekage, walking towards the door. Purpose guided her steps and while one may have been expecting her to go straight to the Sand Forge and get to work on her puppet, she had a far more vital and personal objective: revenge. However, she stopped, hearing Ei’s voice and turning back to face the diminutive artist. The amputee’s eyes rested upon the head band before her and the hourglass symbol upon it.

“Hm….” Silently and coldly she stared at the headband, a static golem who had never developed anything that could even be called humanity to begin with. Suddenly, chakra threads extended from her only hand, without any associated hand signs, latching onto the headband and bringing it over towards the amputee. She grasped it in her free hand, looking down upon it with an expression that could only really be described as confused.

“Hm…..am I supposed to wear this?” She was not sure what to do with it. This piece of cloth and metal struck her as rather worthless. Could its materials not have been put to better use in something else? Like a puppet? Or weapons? As annoying as the rules associated with being a Sunagakure Shinobi were, Mikazuki knew that was simply the price to pay for access to the village’s resources.

“Mutual exchange...hmmm…Give to receive…is that how this works?..…..then….should you not be allowing me to view your body?” Mikazuki honestly did not care but the VERY idea of there not being some sort of equality between the two made her blood boil now that she had realised it.