07-14-2018, 12:15 AM
Tsunade sat at her desk in Mokugakure, waiting for the sake to kick in. She grimaced, staring at her distorted reflection in the star piece, the yellow crystal shard sat on her desk in a small glass case. Guu had done as she had promised, getting the star piece for Mokugakure though not without cost, both of life lost and of enemies made. It seemed that in the process the Ambrosian princess had managed to draw the ire of Dalaran’s mages. There were reports that she had been detained by Kingdom troops, though Tsunade couldn’t help but question how. Guu didn’t exactly ‘contain’ easily. That left the star piece here in Mokugakure. In her charge. Tsunade took another drink, but found that the bottle was empty.
“Tch… Uchitari! Get in here this instant!” She shouted, one fist banging on the table. There was a frantic cry from the hallway, and her personal assistant scrambled into the room, face a distinct shade of crimson. Tsunade squinted at the young shinobi, which only deepened the red coloring.
“Um… Y-Yes Lady Tsunade? Did you need something?” Tochi Uchitari asked, eyes drifting to the sake bottle that Tsunade held in one hand.
“Nevermind that now. What are you hiding?” Tsunade practically shouted, one finger pointed accusingly, “Is that Hosigaki boy here again?” Uchitari mouth dropped open as she stammered out some attempted deflection. Tsunade stood up, crossing towards the door, Uchitari moving to intercept her path.
“No! you don’t need to… ah, that is… did you need another…” the shinobi stammered, but Tsunade ignored her, slamming the door wide open with a snap. Tochi watched with horror as the Morikage’s gaze locked onto Hayate Hosigaki, doing his best to hide in the room’s curtains
“Hayate!” Tsunade shouted, forehead veins throbbing. The youngster poked his head out of the drapes with a guilty grin.
“Yes, Lady Morikage?” he asked, scratching the back of his head. An empty sake bottle smacked into his forehead with blinding speed, Tochi gasped in dismay as the stunned Shinobi sank to the ground.
“Stop harassing my assistants when they’re on duty!” Tsunade shouted, brow furrowed and eyes raging, “That’s the last time I’m warning you!”
“Right! Of course, Lady Tsunade!” Hayate spoke hurriedly. The shinobi scrambled back to his feet, bowed quickly, then turned tail and fled. Tsunade whirled back to face Tochi, who jumped.
“I need you to tell me why this plan is stupid.” Tsunade said, voice still a little irritated. Tochi composed herself as Tsunade strode back to her desk. The Morikage sat with her arms propped on the desk, brooding as she stared at the artefact.
“Your plan, ma’am?” the shinobi asked, head tilted slightly to one side. Tochi had a sinking feeling this was going to be one of those conversations where Tsunade wasn’t actually going to ask for her advice.
“People will know that we have this star piece sooner or later.” Tsunade spoke, the full moon spilling into the window behind her, “We have too many curious eyes here to keep it a secret. Eventually the Kingdom and the Empire will send representatives to ‘request’ it, and even if we stall them this hunk of rock makes us a target for rogue primes.” Tochi nodded.
“We’ve actually had reports that someone broke into Dalaran not too long ago, and may have stolen theirs.” The assistant spoke, flipping through papers on her clipboard. Tsunade frowned. The star piece was an artefact of power, a piece in a much larger game than any of them knew, save perhaps select members of the Kingdom and the Empire. So long as it remained in her possession, Mokugakure was a part of that game. Whether it wanted to be or not. Tsunade stared at the innocuous piece of crystal, its facets catching and reflecting the moons rays in a mesmerizing pattern.
In the end it was going to be trouble.
“Tch… Uchitari! Get in here this instant!” She shouted, one fist banging on the table. There was a frantic cry from the hallway, and her personal assistant scrambled into the room, face a distinct shade of crimson. Tsunade squinted at the young shinobi, which only deepened the red coloring.
“Um… Y-Yes Lady Tsunade? Did you need something?” Tochi Uchitari asked, eyes drifting to the sake bottle that Tsunade held in one hand.
“Nevermind that now. What are you hiding?” Tsunade practically shouted, one finger pointed accusingly, “Is that Hosigaki boy here again?” Uchitari mouth dropped open as she stammered out some attempted deflection. Tsunade stood up, crossing towards the door, Uchitari moving to intercept her path.
“No! you don’t need to… ah, that is… did you need another…” the shinobi stammered, but Tsunade ignored her, slamming the door wide open with a snap. Tochi watched with horror as the Morikage’s gaze locked onto Hayate Hosigaki, doing his best to hide in the room’s curtains
“Hayate!” Tsunade shouted, forehead veins throbbing. The youngster poked his head out of the drapes with a guilty grin.
“Yes, Lady Morikage?” he asked, scratching the back of his head. An empty sake bottle smacked into his forehead with blinding speed, Tochi gasped in dismay as the stunned Shinobi sank to the ground.
“Stop harassing my assistants when they’re on duty!” Tsunade shouted, brow furrowed and eyes raging, “That’s the last time I’m warning you!”
“Right! Of course, Lady Tsunade!” Hayate spoke hurriedly. The shinobi scrambled back to his feet, bowed quickly, then turned tail and fled. Tsunade whirled back to face Tochi, who jumped.
“I need you to tell me why this plan is stupid.” Tsunade said, voice still a little irritated. Tochi composed herself as Tsunade strode back to her desk. The Morikage sat with her arms propped on the desk, brooding as she stared at the artefact.
“Your plan, ma’am?” the shinobi asked, head tilted slightly to one side. Tochi had a sinking feeling this was going to be one of those conversations where Tsunade wasn’t actually going to ask for her advice.
“People will know that we have this star piece sooner or later.” Tsunade spoke, the full moon spilling into the window behind her, “We have too many curious eyes here to keep it a secret. Eventually the Kingdom and the Empire will send representatives to ‘request’ it, and even if we stall them this hunk of rock makes us a target for rogue primes.” Tochi nodded.
“We’ve actually had reports that someone broke into Dalaran not too long ago, and may have stolen theirs.” The assistant spoke, flipping through papers on her clipboard. Tsunade frowned. The star piece was an artefact of power, a piece in a much larger game than any of them knew, save perhaps select members of the Kingdom and the Empire. So long as it remained in her possession, Mokugakure was a part of that game. Whether it wanted to be or not. Tsunade stared at the innocuous piece of crystal, its facets catching and reflecting the moons rays in a mesmerizing pattern.
In the end it was going to be trouble.