Starring:
Date: February 20, 2012
Summary:
After the event of Sabaku's kidnapping, Itami called Shintaro in with instructions given to her to hand Shintaro a scroll. He's called in privately in a meeting where the severity of the subject is discussed between the two of them as well as steps taken to ensure Sabaku, now known as Hiroko is returned safely before the situation explodes.
Poster's note: Profanity filtered in obvious places.
"Get That Girl! - Shintaro Receives His Scroll"
Kazekage Administration Dome [Sunagakure]
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The opening of the Kazekage Administration Dome leads up a flight of stairs, into the lobby of the expansive building. Looking upwards, the entire building is open to the sky. Each floor is a ring, built with a hole in the center to allow a view both upwards and downwards. It is a very impressive sight, with many people visible moving around the upper levels, and stopping to chat around the railings.
The lobby has a tiled floor, with a intricate concentric circular pattern, and the walls themselves have been actually painted, and have designs etched into the hardened sand. The only piece of furniture on the first floor is a desk, and directly behind that, a stair case moving up to the next level. On either side of the desk are Male guards, their faces covered, and a make secretary is seated behind the desk, ready to take any questions or arrange appointments.
No one proceeds to the upper levels without the secretary approving them, and in most cases the armed guards also check them out to make sure they are carrying no weapons. However, there are a few people who can walk back and forth easily without the guards checking them, although all of them must first speak with the secretary.
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Itami hasn't been in the public eye much lately, except when absolutely necessary. Due to the attack lead by some Konoha ninja, she's had investigations launched into it in order to keep the public in order, but in actuality she has her reservations about what has happened. For them to just randomly and outright attack someone without much of a reason is too odd to ignore.
After reading her scroll and reports given to her, her thoughts were solidified on the matter. Sabaku went missing right around the time the Konoha ninja were reported. Hmm. Despite all this, something much more important has surfaced and she needed to get this information to Shintaro right away, so she called him to the admin dome to present him with the news.
Though he did meet Sabaku during the Exams, she didn't really tell him much. He heard about some commotion, but not that anyone was missing. Though a bit surprised to be called, Shintaro arrives promptly for his meeting with Itami.
After checking in with the secretary, the Nara Chuunin, perhaps soon-to-be-Jounin, knocks lightly on the door then opens it. "Itami-sama, this is quite unexpected," he says, voice holding its usual rather diplomatic tone as he offers a light bow. "I trust this day finds you well?"
Itami greeted Shintaro with a smile while she gestured him inside. "This day finds me well enough," she remarked. Not well, just enough to get by. "I have something for you," she went to her desk to retrieve something from her drawer. What she pulled out was a scroll, lifting it up to show to Shintaro. "This was delivered to me and is supposed to go to you. Whatever is inside isn't for me to read." She approached and offered it to him to open and read. If it's anything like what she received, the notice didn't have anything good to say.
At the response, Shintaro blinks and looks up to Itami once again. He watches curiously as she retrieves the scroll and reaches forward to take and open it. Scanning his eyes over the document, he starts to read. At first, he seems to be reading calmly, but, as he goes on, his expression becomes more and more stern. "… That was her," he says under his breath, peering up at Itami before going back to reading. He appears to find what he is reading hard to believe. His expression becomes darker, yet he does appear to be fighting a tear back.
"…Please, I understand how angered and distressed you might be, but it'd do her an injustice if you react in a negative way that may place you and her at risk. We have to approach this with caution and secrecy. If she is discovered, it could mean problems on a scale larger than we can imagine. Work with me in getting her back…" She offers to him as she leans in closely. "We can do this. I can have people gathered in no time to rescue her and have her returned to the Land of Fire safely. That should be our task…and you knowing her best will help with this…"
Shintaro reads over the scroll a few more times as Itami speaks, seeming to get angrier each time. "… Injustice my envelope," he growls out, closing his eyes for a moment. "Fine…" Finally opening his eyes, he lets out a sigh and asks, "Where do we start?"
"Alright, before we start, I want to tell you about my connection to Sabaku…" Itami remarks. "She came to me seeking asylum, but I didn't know why and the importance wasn't revealed until just recently to me. All I knew is that people were looking for her and she needed protection. So, I agreed to protect her. She did speak of having great connections which would be beneficial to us, but this wasn't the sole reason for me making this agreement," she explains. "I tried to make sure she was well accomodated and as we talked it became increasingly more clear that she had a greater importance than I first imagined. Sadly, the accomodations that I had set up didn't quite succeed in their task. She was pretty clever, though and that's how I received a letter and you as well…" She inhaled deeply and sighed the breath back out.
"There's something more I have to reveal to you. Sabaku…" She paused and closed her eyes, "Is Hiroko or how others may know her, the Fire Daimyo's niece." She lifted a hand for more time so that she might continue speaking, "So, you see the severity of this situation. BUT, we cannot be hasty…and here is where I need your help at. For you…I want you to do nothing. I only want you to know this information and keep it to yourself. It is of the utmost importance that you do. I cannot stress this enough." She speaks with some authority, so this must be serious.
"I want you to continue with your stay here regarding the exams. I will be doing what it necessary to make absolutely sure that she's returned safely. I…" She frowns and tries to think. "I don't want to keep you from her when I say this, but I just want your safety and the Land of Fire as well as Konoha to be safe as well…"
Shintaro's eyes lock on Itami as she speaks, eyes narrowing as his expression remains rather stern. Frankly, he seems rather posted off, and not just at Kirigakure. "So, you want my help at keeping my mouth shut and doing nothing? Perfect," he says, rolling his eyes, his diplomatic attitude apparently gone now. "I had finally let go of that grudge and started to move on after at last being able to accept that she was dead. Now, after all those months of misery without a single message…" He turns around again, clenching his fist tighter. It would likely be through a wall already were he in his home village. "What a bloody mess…. Was there anything else you needed me to do?"
"Because you have the greatest connection with her and you express a great deal of emotion in regards to her. I don't want that to be used against you. If anything, I want you to have time to come to terms with what you've heard. As you are now, I fear for the worst," Itami explains. "What I don't understand is why you're not happy for knowing she's alive? Is that an emotion that is entirely absent in you? I understand that she's missing at this point, but she /is/ alive." She shifts her jaw thoughtfully. "This isn't a mess just yet. Just a snag…" She states. "If there's anything I'll need you for, I'll be sure to let you know. As of now, I think you just need some time to rest and think on some things. This isn't a time to be angry. I'll be having a team assembled to go after her. If anything, when you return to Konoha, you can meet with the Hokage and tell her, secretly, of what I've told you. That way, we'll have a better chance of helping her."
"… I suppose it's not something anyone will understand," Shintaro says, shaking his head and letting out a sigh. "… Thanks for the information. Let me know if you need anything." That said, he steps out the door and closes it, walking away hurriedly and headed back to his apartment.
