Prisoners of the Green Tower

Starring:

Date: September ?, 2013 through March 19, 2014

Summary:

Kuoroke and Kazuo go to the Southern Lands on a diplomatic mission, but find themselves caught up in the internal strife of the region.

Poster's note: foul language filtered in obvious places.

"Prisoners of the Green Tower"

The Southern Lands

Kazuo has been comissioned to to travel to the Southern Lands, to resolve a conflict between two warring factions. She decided to use this time to tighten relations with Sunagakure, and its representative Kuoroke, as well. And so, she visits him in his temporary residence in Konoha, presenting him with an opportunity, and a flier.

Kuoroke looks at the flier, then at Kazuo, and some part of him begins cleaning his mind of anything that isn't relevant to the immediate situation: just the numbers, the balance, the profits. The situation seems balanced, overall. They will both get to observe each other at work, both get paid an equal amount, both have to spend the same amount of effort, presumably. The smile runs off his face as he continues thinking. The situation seems balanced, except for one aspect - Konoha has been hired. He'd be working to improve their standing. If not for that… Well, it might be a chance to get a foot in the door, but then he'd have to promote his being Sunagakuran. "Are you sure that, if they hired you, they wouldn't mind a team half composed of a one of Sunagakure's shinobi?"

Kazuo knew that would be an issue. "Yes. However, we will inform them that we'll send a collaborate Konoha and Suna mission." She smiles. "One term, we both don't mention from what village we are. To keep this from turning into a marketing festival." She nods. "That way, both our villages get equal credit.." She looks at kuoroke and grins. "How about it then?"

Kuoroke frowns. "Hm. You're the ones they called on, so the credit will go to you by default…" he says, bowing his head in thought. After a few seconds, he finally reaches a decision and answers, without raising his head, "Very well, we don't identify which one we are, but I'd like it to be stressed that one of us is a Sunagakuran working on equal footing with the Konohaite they called for." He raises his eyes, without looking at Kazuo, instead casting a glance at the sea around them. "Which way do we go?"

'Obviously. I wouldn't ask you on this trip if it wasn't in good faith." Kazuo smiles. "Think about it. I would benefit more from doing it myself than from asking you this and potentially jeapordising the mission only to have a slightly easier time. The true value in cooperation lies in us getting to know eachother better." She points left… "Steer the ship that way." She says. "When do you think you can leave?"

Kuoroke doesn't see the smile, as he's not looking at her. Instead, he considers this. The concept that something could be done in actual good faith is foreign to him. "I suppose you're right." He eventually says, finding no flaws in what must be an elaborate ruse. "But you know I have no interest in jeopardizing the mission." He briefly glances back to see where Kazuo is pointing, and steers the ship that way, correcting the course a few times when he realises he hasn't quite hit the mark. "I don't have anything planned in the immediate future, so I'd be glad to accompany you as soon as you're able."

"You don't need to run it by your Kage?" Kazuo asks curiously, smiling and leaning back against a railing. "And no, you don't have any interest in jeapordising the mission. If you did, I would never have offered for you to tag along. See how this works?" She smiles. "We both make money for our villages. Our cooperation improves. We see we can trust eachother, and hopefully repeat that sometimes." She chuckles. "Who knows, maybe you'll eventually forge an alliance with us instead of a village more prone to drag Suna into a war I - know - they have no interest in fighting!

Kuoroke smiles a bit. "Oh, no, I don't expect that will be a problem." He promises. "Though now that I think about, I -should- see if there's nothing requiring my attention back in Konohagakure before I give you a definite answer. And leave word for anyone who'd be looking for me - so I'll need a day or so." Her last words cause him to pause. "And you believe an alliance with Konohagakure is incompatible with… our other current political obligations?"

"I think your current political obligations would complicate things. Konoha has no issue with you splitting your alliances."

Kazuo's climbing the mast with a kunai in her mouth. "Ysh ee…. Y-don… nd … two peple to cwntwl ths shwip… Jus' one wh- nowj whath shs dng…" She grumbles with that thing in her mouth, working on a rope to tug it loose, pointing at the rudder for Kuo to grab it as it suddenly starts turning faster. Causing the ship to turn sharply. She did teach Kuoroke the simple stuff. The most important thing was: HOLDING THE METEORING RUDDER when she pointed at it. She's wearing an iconic pirate hat she bought abroad and really did look the part, though with a tight overall on with the Sarutobi symbol on her back. Waterproof, made for just this! "We're about three hours out from the southern lands. We might pass one of their naval blockades. The constant wars tend to do that, if we do, let me handle the talking."

Kuoroke dashes for the rudder and grabs it. "You know I'm happy to help you…" He steadies the ship, "Where and how I can, that is." He continue holding the rudder in place. Kuoroke, of course, is in his usual clothes. The lack of flexibility in his wardrobe is rather stunning, in fact. From the back of the ship, he briefly raises his head to look at her, for a few seconds remains frozen like that, then lower his head again and looks around. "Blockades? Hm. Well, I hope they won't give us too much trouble. But I trust you."

"I once had to catch a cannonball! I just repainted my ship.." She shows her hands to show what she caught the thing with! She grins at Kuo while jumping down, causing the sail to tighten as she holds a rope while she does. Her lean muscles straining beautifully, her tanned skin receiving the sun it craves. She was abit more tanned than the avarage girl from Konoha and in her clan. It was due to all the sailing! And yep, soon they run into a big line of large ships with Chinese characters on them. "Okaaaay… Yep, that's trouble." She begins rolling in the sail and raises the Konoha flag. "Lets hope they're friendlier than normal." She looks at Kuo. "That's the country of Wu-xiang. They got the strongest navy in the southern lands. More importantly, their warlord.. Eehm.." She pauses. "Well lets say he - really - likes me… In a bad way."

"Hah! Should've kept it as a trophy!" Kuoroke answers, with atypical humour in his voice. He watches her descent, then again snaps his eyes to the horizon. As the ships climb over it and come into view, he adjusts his glasses and squints slightly. Her description gets him to frown. How best to use it? The warlord's -the thought 'understandable' flashes through his head- attraction to her might be exploited… or turn sour. Kuoroke knows that such matters are unreliable, and maybe just a tiny part of him doesn't really want to throw her to the wolves. "Want to stay out of view and let me to do the talking, then?" He offers.

"It's in the cabin…" She says with a sly grin, shaking her head. "That's not the issue. Their warlord is in his castle. The chances he's actually on his ship ar-…" She was looking at Kuoroke as she walks and stops when she turns her head, peering straight at that warlord. A man in his fiftees, wearing black armor, a red helmet mark made of red steel decorates his otherwise black and rugged looking armor piece. "Wu-xialo, sooolo-da-xi-yoh.." The man says with his arms wide open, flashing a toothy grin at Kazuo, who chuckles awkwardly, taking slow steps back.

"Okay I might have been wrong on that note.." She says while looking back at the warlord. Who has a thin braided beard. His hair being in the same style, a single tight braid with all his hairs in it falling back along his back. He seems to carry two nightsticks as his weapons of choice. And it looked like he used a technique similar to body flicker to get on their ship. "Ehm, he says they have about a hundred cannons aimed at our boat.." She peers at Kuo. "Ni-xo-chi-do?" The man asks before laughing. "And he asks if I can catch those too.."

She sighs, looking back at the warlord, swallowing. "Look ehm.." She says, trying to think about a way out of this one. "We're here to see your masters, the land of Wu." She looks at Kuo. It's technically true. The warlord looks past Kazuo and seems to be curious. "Who is he?" He asks, this time in the language Kazuo and Kuo both speak!

Kuoroke bows his head respectfully, hiding a bit of a grin. When attention is brought to him, however, he raises his head with a serious expression, evaluates the man, and gives a respectful nod. His eyes flash towards Kazuo, evaluating if he should stay silent or introduce himself. He weighs his options and decides that being entirely quiet may harm his standing as Kazuo's equal. "Sir, I am… here to stand beside Sarutobi Kazuo, and an envoy from the Land of Wind. Like she, I am here at the behest of your superiors. I am no master of your language, but I would be remiss to force you to speak in mine. I shall defer to my companion's wisdom - she speaks for us both." He lowers his head again and steps back a bit, giving them room.

He whispers something in Southernish and she replies in whispers. She gulps and shakes her head, trying to politely smile. "Oh no no, we can't.." She affirms in the common tongue. She looks at Kuoroke. "He invites us to dinner on his boat. But we need to get going right?" She says. Suddenly, a cannon goes off. A chinese guy with twitchy fingers no doubt. It misses her boat by an inch, even the warlord is surprised. Shouting in chinese. Kazuo flails. "CAREFUL WITH MY SETZER SHIP!" She peers at the man, who bows and apologizes.

A man gets dragged on board and held by two people, twitching and squirming. At about a hundred meters distance. The warlord pulls out an odd thing out of a holster. "What's that?" She asks curiously, a hammer slips and slams against the back of the thing, causing it to produce a flash. There's smoke coming out of the nose of the device, and blood sprays all out behind the head of the Chinese guy held on the side of the ship, who's now thrown off. Half his skull blown out! Kazuo is supposed to be terrified, instead she's glowing. "OH MY KUPO I WANT ONE!"

Kuoroke's muscles tense and he twitches at the canon's going off, but in the end he just watches the metal sphere sail by. Interesting, so that's what a cannon does. He considers the invitation briefly, and then repeats, neutrally, "While I would not dismiss the offer out of hand, my companion speaks for me in this matter." His reaction to the use of an odd device that spits fire is similarly collected and unmoved: he watches its application and watches how the bullet tears off part of the mans head, but apart from a respectful raising of his eyebrows, he doesn't react. He's tempted to mention how ineffective a means of attack that is, but the Kuroki bites his tongue - no reason to offend their hosts. "Perhaps the captain will be willing to part with one after dinner?" he suggests, a sly smile momentarily touching a corner of his mouth.

Kazuo's head slowly turns. Throwing Kuoroke a 'I will kill you' glance that's just short from possesion itself. But then she turns her head back to the warlord and smiles politely. "Yes, that's a great idea!" She then takes a few steps back. "But really, we do need to go. We are expected on the shore soon. And it would be a shame if you'd need to tell your diplomatic overlords you kept their envoys waiting wouldn't it?" A little authority play here. "Tell you what, when we're done, we'll be by for dinner. At your palace, since it's such a beautiful palace, I'd love another tour!" She smiles. "Especially that - big - bedroom of yours…" She throws the man a wink. "And then, if you can find it in your heart… Maybe you can grant me one of those… Things.."

Kuoroke suppresses another smile at the glance he's thrown. He'd hoped it would be easier to bribe her that way: the warlord gets dinner, she gets one of those things, everyone goes home happy. But he can see the potential benefit of the situation: at the very least it may serve as a reminder not to flaunt her appearance that much. It's becoming distracting, and distractions -even the pleasant ones- should be eliminated. He bows his head, once again, this time silently, expressing his willingness to follow her lead.

The man seems to ponder for a moment before nodding. "Alright.." He says, grinning at Kuoroke before disappearing himself. "Magitek pirate.." She grumbles once he's gone, setting up the sail. "Don't pull that one again. Or I'll castrate you personally." She seems moogled! Soon, their boat makes it to the shore, she ties it up tightly before getting off of it. "There.." She throws the shore master a coin and heads up along the road. "The countries of Wu and sho are divided by a single border. The other terrain is intraversable, making that border an ancient battleground where all battles are pretty much fought!"

Kuoroke is unworried by the threat, apparently. "It's just dinner." He answers. "There wouldn't be any harm in eating with the man." There's a slight pause after which he adds, in the interest of civility, "Well, or so I thought. I apologise, I promise I had our best interests at heart." After they come ashore, Kuoroke follows Kazuo, his face dispassionate, his hands folded behind his back effectively the entire time and his eyes flashing across the landscape and avoiding her.

Kazuo sighs and looks at Kuoroke. "Dinner with him involves complicated rituals perfectly, your food will contain a deadly poison." She pauses. "IF you don't eat, you will be executed. It's the way his family runs things." She sighs. "He's a stickler for tradition you see." She rubs her temples for a moment. "Come on, we don't want to be late." She sticks close to Kuo and eventually arrives at a small convoy of carts. "All for us?" She asks. The small man nods silently and begins mounting up on the convoy. She shrugs and sits down on top of the middle cart, urging Kuo to come and sit down next to her. "Come, you'll love the landscape!"

Kuoroke raises his eyebrows. "Well… I was not aware of this!" he answers. "A deadly poison?" A family he may want to look into more deeply, then. "Interesting, but indeed, something we should've avoided. Such things I've not been informed of are why I left the last word to you throughout that exchange." The caravan sent for them impresses him. It's wasteful, of course, but if such are the customs, then by all means he understands their being followed. He climbs aboard the same cart, sits down next to Kazuo, and watches the landscape go by. "Well, I'll certainly have seen some new sights…" he says.

"What's that supposed to mean?" She asks Kuoroke with a perched eyebrow. She couldn't stay angry at him very long. He reminded her of the guy who put her tat on. Considering the 'great' Sarutobi Sasuke wasn't exactly father of year, she truely needed it. Someone to look out for her and show her the ropes and all. Instead of being a pretty flower slash diplomat until he gets a son. She still loves how her father's wish in that department wasn't granted either. Bah, hero in Konoha? More like a slob in her eyes. "It's alright. You couldn't have known.." She eventually sighs.

"That I haven't been here yet." Kuoroke answers. "Or out in those waters. Or near one of their… weapons…" His tone is somewhat uncertain whether the term applies to those devices. Probably. "All things I haven't seen before, and that this trip has given me the chance to see. I… suppose I was expressing my gratitude for getting me acquainted with all of these things." He glances at her, at her last words. "I wouldn't if I did." he assures her.

Once they reach the shore, the pair is taken, with all deference, to a hotel in the city, a room high up in a beautiful building. Kuoroke uses this time to go through the city, do some examination, under the guise of having to obtain a fashionable, fitting outfit. He doesn't actually need to because he brought one, stored in a scroll.

Kazuo takes the opportunity to be away of Kuoroke as well. She sets up her portable writing table and knew his excuse of going shopping was but an excuse. Though she didn't mind if he spied a bit on this city. It was great intelligence for her. She begins writing in invisible ink: 'Dear Hokage-sama'

My findings are nothing but interesting. Kuoroke agreed to come along on my mission in the southern lands, as I predicted. And in this process, I have found out more about our trade partner Suna, and her representatives. At first glance, Kuoroke seems respectful and well mannered. Though soon it becomes apperent that within that cloak hides an efficient fox, that doesn't waste energy on trivialities and likes to plan everything ahead. He strikes me as a character who would have trouble working with an unforseen situation. He seems to like to be informed before making any rash decisions. That is all I can report for now, fare well, hopefully my next correspondence will carry more information. Right now, I conclude that I'm not informed enough to consider Sunagakure as a potential ally.

Yours: Sarutobi Kazuo…

Well, that's her official role for today, she quickly writes down an adress and hands it off to the innkeeper, knowing that he will get it to one of their regular birds, so it's inconspicuous, additionally, even if he would try to read it, it would carry no significance. Since there's nothing on the paper. She then proceeds to head back into the room, showering and getting ready to look stunning, even while wearing such a neutral colour. Making sure she showered and is completely ready by the time Kuoroke returns.

Kuoroke spends the majority of the next two hours half walking, half jogging through the city. He makes sure to get a good idea of the main shopping district, in case he needs to tell tales of his exploits, and of finances here. He even makes sure to buy a snack to see how well the locals respond to foreign money. Then, he makes a few circles around the great green tower, both to find out what it looks like from the ouside should he need to go in or out, and to find out where to move should he find himself there. Furthermore, he takes note of a few inns where he could go to ground for a few days if push came to shove. With the necessities out of the way, he spends what time he has left following a random path through the city's white roads, trying to memorise as many landmarks and points of interest as he can, and a quick survey of part of the outer wall. In a quiet alley, he pulls out the scroll and produces a traditional grey kimono.
He circles around the hotel a few times before returning. As promised, he is at the door half an hour before their appointment, entering with his 'trophy'. "Greetings. I, again, apologize for having to leave you. I should've been better-prepared. Do you think I have time for a quick shower" he indicates the bathroom "before we leave?"

"Yes, you do, if you're quick about it…" She says. Kuoroke would have noticed the upper floors of the tower functions as a prison. The only way into the cells is from the outside, the windows are big enough to crawl through, to your death usually, unless the platform that brings more prisoners than it gets out is rissen to your level!

Kuoroke immediately slips into the bathroom -door locked- with his new outfit and proceeds to take a five-minute shower. He emerges in the new, grey kimono, albeit with the same glasses, and with his forehead protector on: he mustn't forget his face-mounted village billboard. Even his wig has been freshly washed and dried, still looking slightly moist. "I'm ready to go. I think this'll do." he spreads his hands "Although it's a far cry from how radiant you look. Now, I'd guess we need to be at the great green tower, but I have to admit I am poorly informed, so lead the way, please?"

Kazuo is waiting outside, sporting a beautiful grey evening dress, with the Sarutobi symbol in red on her back. The open shoulder (and back) leave her tattoo exposed, decorating her nicely in fact, fitting the look with the grey evening dress, and her hair, put up in a beautiful knot, with three sticks (one of which, is a blade, Kuoroke might notice) holding it in place, everything seeming to fall together in one completely dress! She didn't bother putting on a headband. She thought the thing looked ugly. Instead, she wore a bracelet with a small metal plate on it, and the Konoha symbol etched in. That was enough for her anyways. "The tower is a prison. And the government debates at the base. Right now, they changed the debating room into a dining room for us and the secratery, the King of Wu, and the diplomatic envoy of Sho."

Kuoroke notices the blade, but doesn't comment. She might expect trouble, but it's more likely she's just taking a precaution. He would, too, if his focus wouldn't be unarmed combat. He also notices the rest of her outfit, but has no additional comments to make, lest his flattery appear too forced. "Well, then, let's go." The Sunagakuran opens the door for his companion, follows, and on the way towards the meeting place allows her to take the lead anyway, carefully examining the road along which they walk, whether he has been here or not, as if it's the first time he is passing there.

Kazuo calmly walks the streets. She seems to be familiar, since she navigates them with ease and confidence. She could creally carry herself as nobility and as a diplomat. And no doubt as a warrior. Two minutes before the agreed upon time they reach the entrance of the tower. Where two suited servants guide the pair in, showing the large circular room, which is now decorated beautifully, with full tables and plentyfull food. It's really all quite luxurious! "To the left, that's the Sho envoy. Very strict compared to Wu, who are more about… Enjoying life." She pauses, the sober clothing and colours of Sho's envoy soon depicts exactly that. A soberness that the otherwise brightly white clothed Wu doesn't share!

Kuoroke nods, and his eyes move between the two groups - the juxtaposition resounds familiarly in his heart and mind: the Wu remind him of his family. Joyous, full of life, and balking at the idea of being restricted from such luxuries. The Sho, similarly, remind him of himself with their sober approach to matters. This is good: he's found himself on familiar ground, and in a position where he can emphatize with both parties, allowing him to manipulate the outcome as serves him best. Now only to determine what would serve him best.
While considering all of this, he bows to both parties, and wait to be shown a seat or otherwise guided to where he will be, while keeping an eye on Kazuo. he waits for a moment when he's sure nobody will notice and asks, quietly without whispering to avoid looking conspiratory, "And your personal opinion of both?"

Kazuo smiles, turns to face Kuoroke and shakes her head. "My opinion is that there's a conflict that needs solving. Old men deciding the young men need to die on the battlefield on a regular basis isn't ethical nor good for either country. Lets focus on giving their children a chance, and end this feud. It's mainly based around control of the southern lands. An attempt to divide it would be a sure fail. So I think our chances would be best in finding a non-violent solution and demilitarization of the border provinces to avoid accidental conflicts we both know are invitable!"

A slight frown comes over Kuoroke's face - this isn't what he was looking for. "Yes, you're right. We'll have to find some sort of compromise. A middle ground. We'll see how it goes, I suppose." The Kuroki turns his attention back to his local colleagues, and spends some time trying to deduce whatever he can from mannerisms and behaviors of the individual members. Perhaps that'll help. Apart from this, he just follows along with where he's expected to be.

As she sits down in their designated position, she looks at Kuoroke. "I'm asking you the same question now." She grins, curious about the same thing, expecting an equally political answer.

Kuoroke glances at Kazuo, and then leans to her just slightly to respond. "I'd have to interact with them, hear their demands and desires, and the way they voice them, before making a decision. What I know for now is entirely insufficient to form an opinion without being unfair to them."

Kazuo nods calmly… "Good answer.." She gets up as the buffet is opened and grabs her plate, heading for the food. After she's barely done Kuoroke gets tapped on the shoulder. His hand gets heavy as a very large bag of money is pressed into his hand. "Leave us with more territory, including the ones on the list we included with the pay, and you will receive double…" The man says, a quick glance show's he's wearing black, but then he disappears into the crowds getting food before Kuoroke can recognice his face or register anything other than a big bag of money in his hand. All together, double this amount would easily be much, much more than the pay Kazuo splits with Kuoroke. Probably about 150 percent, maybe slightly more. But that's just judging by its weight.

Kuoroke weighs the bag in his hands and considers. For now, he drops the bag of money under the table, after procuring the list of demanded areas. Eventually, he resolves to determine what these demands are worth, and what positions he'd be defending, before making a decision, and, leaving the money behind -worst-case scenario, he can claim someone left it there without his knowledge- he also heads to the buffet to gather some food. He picks small soft, , easy-to-swallow pieces, so that he may spend as much time as possible eyeballing the other guests and watching them. As he returns, he allows himself a brief, barely visible smile at no-one in particular, glancing over the black-clothed delegation to determine which one of them delivered the actual money.

Down by the food Kazuo seems to find herself in a rather similar situation. A white clothed man tries to convince her to side with them. "Sho can't be trusted. Give us what we wan't, and we'll be in debt with you." It was all rather simple. Kazuo made a rather public spectacle of denying it though. "We are neutral, and we will remain so…" She then returns to her seat. "I hope they haven't bothered you either?" She says with a sigh, beginning hear eating, not looking at anyone as she takes her food.

Kuoroke frowns at the display. "They're willing to risk their negotiation position to sway us?" He remarks. "The stakes must be really high - and their trust in our honesty really low. Which means we can't trust what they're saying. As for whether they've bothered me," Kuoroke makes a choice to trust the only person who might have his back here, "I happen to be given a hefty sum of money by the Sho, so he wasn't lying. They can't be trusted. I am going to keep it until I know whether the Sho need a public shaming, or if I'd rather refuse discreetly, further down the line."

"Thank you for your honesty…" She says calmly. Focussing on the foot, occasionally looking around when she has a chance. "Welcome to our feast, honerable guests…" The secratery says with a smirk. Lifting up his glass. "A toast… To our soon to be peace agreement, that will brighten the sun in all of the southern lands…" He lifts up his glass and drinks, as do the rest… Kazuo however holds her drink against her lips and stops, holding Kuoroke's arm back should he start to drink. "Look at his eyes, he's looking at Sho. It could be a coindicence, but at school we learned that's a sign of a poi-…"

She can't finish her sentence before the first black gown drops… There's screaming, there tumbles the next … Everyone is laughing, except for the Sho delegation, who draw daggers and sword from hidden places in their clothing. But it's too late. "You will pay for this!" The royal family member of Sho says, before succumbing to the strong poison.

"I see you haven't toasted with me…" The secratery tells Kazuo. "Since you were unwise enough to decline my offer, I had to resort to more crude efforts. Now, do the polite thing and toast with me, or be thrown into the emerald tower with your partner!" The secratery stares at Kazuo, guards approaching from all side, a good twenty of them, all sporting spears or halberdiers. And well armored too!

Kuoroke notices it, too, and he keeps his glass on the table. As the poison is drank down, the corners of Kuoroke's mouth twitch. "Told you not to trust anyone here." He says, at the full strength of his voice. He looks at their host. "An elegant coup." In the meantime, his feet are playing a little game of football: the gold poucn his slid towards his feet, picked up, and tossed into his lap. He leans on the table with one arm, and half rises from his seat, raising his glass for a toast. The hand's fingers find the edges of the bag and slide it into his cloak. "To our host." His arm twitches, casting the liquid out over the entire table, covering food and getting into drinks. "Enjoy your meal." He mentions, vindictively, getting up. "Let's see about my cell, shall we?"

As he gets up, he turns his back to the Wu sitting nearby and whispers to Kazuo, "I'll be fine."

"Oh no you don't…" Kazuo says, grabbing Kuoroke's jacket. "Where you're going, I'm going." She whispers. "Besides, even if we head for Sho…. You wouldn't be able to communicate…" She turns to the secratery and nods. "Well go on then, put us in the tower.." She pretends to be extremely insulted. In truth, she's just as good at scaling walls as Kuo is. Tree walking yea! She looks at the man again and tries to calm down. "Even if you got a plan, you're too late. Our armies are mustering and Sho isn't expecting it now. You're providing us the perfect chance to strike…" The secratery smiles and lifts up his arms. Soon the entire southern lands will be mine!" … Kazup blinks… His? "Kuo, I don't think he's acting with the orders of the king of Wu.." She pauses. "He's just the sectatery of state. Why would the counry be his? It would be his overlords…. Unless!?" She blinks. "He's not only staging a coup against Sho! He's doing it against his own overlords as well!" She looks at Kuoroke. "We need to get to Odo-xiang-Wu a.s.a.p!" She whispers before they both get cuffed, if they both would allow it. She does anyways. (Odo is the king of Wu, quite an einzelganger!)

Kuoroke nods. As they're lead away, he frowns a bit. He could've used a trusted person on the inside. Ah, well. He turns around and grins at the new self-appointed monarch of the area. He adds a show of helplessness to the show of petulance: nothing like an enemy that underestimates you. "This isn't over, you know. My government will send people to look for me. Humble origins or not, they value my life and they will know I'm missing." He turns around and follows the guards to the his cell in silence, brooding.

Kazuo doesn't say much else. They're placed on a platform and put in the highest cell on top of the Emerald tower. There however, circumstances were not as they had forseen them initially. Yes, like every other prisoner, they were not tied to a wall. They sort of wanted prisoners to jump out of desperation…. However, a guard shows up with two heavy metal balls, attaching one to each of the two's anckles, should they allow it (there's two guards total, and hands are still cuffed….) Kazuo looks at Kuoroke. With those weights on, walking down is out of the question, especially from this high. She looks at him, letting him dicate if they resist. Or maybe he has another plan. Then, she remembers something "Let them…" She calmly says, letting them attach a ball to her anckle, sitting down compliantly. "It's better if they think we're still up here for as long as possible! Gives us a headstart!"

Kuoroke kneels down, and checks the manacles. At first, he considers he could probably tear them off, but then he decides it's best not to tip his hand to Kazuo. She'd see plenty of what he can do later, probably. He turns to her when they're gone. "And what now? Do you have a plan to get out of here?"

Kazuo calmly weaves a set of seals with her cuffed hands, before moving them towards her lips. Gently blowing just a bit of ash into the keyhole. She smirks, before clasping her teeth together, producing a spark that makes for a miniature explosion, freeing her from her cuffs. She does the same by her anckles. Showing off her flexibility as she almost folds over to blow ash into the keyhole by her feet, to blow that open too. When she's free however she sits down, leaning against a wall while staring at Kuo… "I got out, now it's your turn stud.." She chuckles. "I know you can do it. You're smart enough to have to rely on me. I showed you mine, now you show me yours!"

Kuoroke smiles a bit. Fine, fair is fair: he lowers his hands, his sleeves falling over them, and a faint light comes from his sleeves and collar, as well as the bottom of the kimono. His muscles tense as he pulls his hands apart… and slowly but surely, the weakest link tears open and gives way. Then he kneels down, takes the manacle on his feet in his hand, and similarly pulls it apart, the metal whining as it's torn by a greater force. The Kuroki daps a few drops of sweat off his forehead and adjusts his glasses. "Wish I'd brought my goggles for this." He comments. "Let's go." He calls up the image of the tower in his mind again - every passage, every window, every walkway. Then he approaches the window and squeezes out. "Will you be okay getting down, or would you like a ladder?"

"Yea that would be great, they forgot to teach me tree walking in the academy!" Kazuo says while shaking her head. Slapping Kuoroke on the bum as he squirms out, just because it - was - the perfect opperunity. "Come on fat-ass, we don't got all day. Should have eased up on all those snacks you ate!" She chuckles, having a relative easy time squirming through herself, quickly finding her footing on the side of the tower. There's archers everywhere, so they need to be very inconspicuous while … Walking down the side of their jail cell…. Riiiiighhttttt

"Thought you'd appreciate a bit of comfort." Kuoroke answers, crouching on the wall. He holds his hand out to Kazuo. "If I could have that knife you've got in your hair, I think I might make this easier. Unless you're going to use it." He glances around the tower at the other guard that could see them. This was going to be difficult.

Kazuo slips out the blade and hands it to Kuo… The other two sticks slip out as well. But she catches them and slips them into her jacket. She looks at Kuoroke and perches an eyebrow…. "What… Are you doing?" She asks. Curious to see more of his tricks!

Kuoroke rolls up his sleeve, a tattoo unfurling into the shape of a faintly glowing crossbow. A small pair of tendrils reach out, and he puts the kunai into them. "Halving the amount of people who might see us." He answers, raising his arm towards the nearest guard. He waits for a few seconds, aligning his shot, and then, if not stopped, releases the kunai, heading for the nearest guard's skull.

He was close enough to make that a guarenteed hit. Kazuo winces. "Ouch…" She makes a mental note of his technique but focusses on getting down instead. "Come on, before someone in the city spots us!"

Kuoroke sticks close to the surface, upside-down, hands and feet both used for tree walking, like a gecko. "Keep an eye on that one." He points to the one to their right. "I'll keep an eye on the other. We'll stay out of view. Let's go." He scrambles down, as quickly as he can.

Kazuo nods at Kuoroke. She trusts him, partially because she has to. With her eyes trained on her target she begins running down the wall. Their luck doesn't run very far though, soon a whistle is blown! A guard on the ground, one they didn't account for noticed the two running down the tower, and soon all the guards their eyes focus on Kuoroke and Kazuo, the alarm bells are ringing, and the heavy sound of gates closing on the walls is heard. "Strago…" Kazuo grumbles, it isn't long before the first arrow soars by Kuoroke's face, another flies in, this time, nailing Kazuo in the arm. "Ack-Relm.." She says, bleeding and with the arrow quite quickly sticking out of her left arm. Her right arm on the wound to slow the bleeding as they're about to hit the ground. With ten guards blocking access to each respective street to possibly flee through. "Any ideas?" She asks Kuoroke.

Kuoroke glances at her, expression tense. "Your turn, you're a-." He answers, but then he looks down again. "Actually, I can field this one. Up the building in front of us." He orders, clearly enough for those below to see he's saying something but quietly enough for them to be unable to hear, while pointing to his right, down one of the streets. "You first. Find a window, get inside. I'll distract." As soon as he determines it's safe to, he jumps off the wall, finds himself in freefall, lands on the ground, rolls, spends just long enough looking disoriented to look like an easy target, giving Kazuo an opening to get out in front, jerks in the direction which he indicated and then rushes towards the building in front of them.

Kazuo nods, to helps, as soon as she gets down, like, right that instant, she shows off just how well her chakra control is. She hits the ground and instantaniously a large cloud of ash explodes all around her, obscuring her and possibly Kuo unless he fell down somewhere else. She uses the distraction to rush for a building, running up and sliding into an open window. Already running through the building to find the front door on the other side, holding it open and waiting on Kuoroke. Her arm still stopping the bleeding on her bleeding arm.

Kuoroke speeds after Kazuo, jumps up the building as far as he can and in a few quick paces gets to the window, diving through. He reaches the door, and as soon as he's near her instructs her, quietly, "We need to lose them." Before looking out to check if the coast is clear and, if it is, dashing into the nearest quiet alley he can see, away from the green tower they just broke out of.

Kazuo nods, following Kuoroke, though when halfway through the alley she pulls him in another direction. "Come on, let me get my gear…" She was smart enough to have it stashed in a nearby stall, instead of in her hotel. And luckily, it was relatively close. She rushes into a shed and comes back out, holding a back over her shoulder with her ninja gear, and with her trusty blade strapped to her hip. Though that arrow is still painful in her arm. She looks at it and pretends it doesn't hurt. "Come on, lets find a way out…" She says between gritting teeth!

Kuoroke follows her a she gathers her gear, towards the shed. He offers help getting into it, since she's wounded, while already startinf to make a mental inventory of her possessions. As his sudden partner prepares to move on, he stops. "A way out of where? What do you intend to do now?" He pauses, and, since this is the first time they've had a chance to talk since their escape, he asks another question that's been bothering him: "Why did you come with me?"

Kazuo smirks and looks towards the walls, taking the oppertunity to take a knee and discuss strategy. But then he asks a silly question. "Because we're in this together?" She says. "Hey, I invited you into this mess, I'd be ultima'd if I left you in worse shape than I found you…" She smirks and winks at Kuoroke. "You know, responsibility and Cyan…" She then gazes at the walls. "If I can damage the wall's integrity, do you think you can breach it? The king is sure to have a medic with him who can extract the arrow safely…" She looks at Kuoroke. "Unless you would know how to remove a hooked arrow?"

Kuoroke frowns: he doesn't like the answer. Although he could say half a dozen unhelpful, harsh things, he bites his tongue, and only says, "You shouldn't have." in a tone devoid of emotion. He looks at the walls. "I'm not sure I can. It'd call a lot of attention to us, too. I'd prefer a quiet way out so we don't rush into wherever they keep the king -where is that, anyway?- with a pursuit hot on our heels."

"His palace is up the mountain side. I recon a thirty minute walk, so a five minute spring. But we need to be fast. I don't know how long the royal guard would be able to hold off this coup. He seems to got the regular guards in his pockets…" She looks at the walls. "We can't go over, archers on every perch. The gates won't open and they're organising search parties as we speak. If we can blow up a section of the wall, we can escape in the chaos…" She smirks. "I didn't plan on escaping through the hole… By the way."

Kuoroke frowns, thinking. "As I said, I don't think I can breach the wall." He finally says. "We'll have to find another way. If they believe we left the city, they'll send everyone now tied up in search parties to catch us there, which makes the situation entirely untenable." He glances at Kazuo. "If we were to break the wall, -how- would you escape? We'd still need to either go over or through the wall."

She smirks. "If we break the wall, but aren't actually seen leaving they will need to split their forces. While all eyes are on the wall, we take down two archers and escape through another section over the wall, while everyone looks for us in the debris." She pauses. "If you got a better idea, I'd love to hear it…"

"I'm sure we can cause a much less… taxing diversion." Kuoroke answers. "My gear is still in our suite. You wouldn't happen to have a few explosive tags in that bag, would you? We blow something up, something near a wall but inside the city, so they see us not reaching the wall, and while they're distracted do your plan. How does that sound?"

She hmms and nods. "They will surely have posted up guards at our place. How good are you with disguises?" She asks, already agreeing with the rest of his plan.

Kuoroke shakes his head. "Not particularly." He admits. "Not my cup of tea." He considers. "I could -make- one if we could obtain the tools…" For a few beats, he is silent. He didn't like sharing this much about his abilities. The upsides of letting the king die seem greater with every passing second. "How about you? Are you any good?"

"I can henge, but not with this arrow in my arm…" She grumbles. "Come on, lets find a guard and steal his gear. I'll teach you how to bypass the other guards." Social stealth was something she was decent at. She begins skulking through the shadows, trying to find a lone guard looking. Lucky for them, tons of those around!

"Well, I can Henge too. Do you think that'd be enough?" The Kuroki answers, unconvinced. As she proposes to catch one of the guards, Kuoroke follows along, all too happy to be 'taught' this skill: were he on his own, he would've done this, too, but alas, he isn't. "Of course if we can pass as guards, we may be able to pass as archers. We dress up as those, walk up on the wall and from there on make a run for it?"

"Where do you plan on getting the archer's clothing? They're posted on the walls remember?" Kazuo grits her teeth. Luckily, the arrow stopped most of the bleeding as well. Luckily…. "Best if you go. I got this to deal with…" She looks at her arm. The sooner that's out the better! She breaks off the stem of the arrow so only the tip remains in her arm. Magicite that hurts! "There…" She says, a guard just entered a small bakery. "Best shot you'll get, knock him out, drag him here, change and bolt before the bakery people get ballsy and call the guards! Just keep them down with lots of screaming like it's a robbery…"

Kuoroke winces empathically as the arrow is broken off. "Could've asked me to do that…" He looks at the bakery. "I'll wait for him to leave. No real robber looks like this or abducts a guard." He does as he promises: the Kuroki approaches the building, and, keeping an eye on the rest of the road for other guards, leans beside the door, out of view from inside, waiting for the guard to emerge. In the meantime, he flexes his hands, and as he visualises the necessarily brief and violent act he is about to commit, his face gets more and more distorted with anger.

Kazuo followed close should he need support. But remained hidden, licking her wounds basically. She peers at Kuoroke as he winds up before his action, then, the guard pops out of the bakery, sighing deeply and pocketing his free hand while resting his spear against his shoulder, seeming to relax with the idea that they aren't here. And he can go home safely to his wife and children!

With a quiet, guttural growl, Kuoroke turns around, grabbing the man by the back of the neck to plant his fist into the man's larynx, cutting off his breath so he can't scream for help. He roughly hoists the still-spluttering guard on his shoulder and slips off where Kazuo is waiting. As he drops the man down, he suffocates, but Kuoroke doesn't pay much attention: he begins relieving his of his uniform.

"Could have gone less lethal you know…" Kazuo tells Kuoroke. Feeling a bit sorry for the guard. "The poor guy is just doing his job…" She puts a hand on the man's forhead, and when his sputtering stops, she closes his eyelids emphatically.

"So am I." Kuoroke still growls, the anger of the brief battle not entirely gone. He makes an effort to control himself, to calm down. "Sorry. What I meant was, that arrow lodged in your arm is an estimate of how lethal they're willing to make this conflict. I regret this, too." He doesn't, really: this man's life has little value in his eyes, for he is classified under 'enemy'. "I would've let him live if we had the luxury of being able to risk him calling out, but we don't. I didn't have much of a choice - not to mention that if I let him live, I don't have anything to restrain him with, and as far as I know neither do you." In the meantime, the Kuroki takes off his kimono and begins putting on the man's armour.

Kazuo shows little symphaty for Kuoroke's words. "You could have gone non-lethal. This man did nothing but his job…" She sighs and says a one sentence prayed for the man, before leaving him. "Okay, you got your gear. Just go inthere, remember… Fight authority with more authority. If they ask you anything, just say General Pang-xi ordered you to investigate…" She smiles. "Nobody wants to Sabin off the general, so they will shut up…"

"I couldn't." Kuoroke answers. "I'm not happy about it, but I could not guarantee his silence and keep him alive. Though this bring to light a problem: you don't know what I am capable of, I don't know what you're capable of, and that's not likely to be entirely cleared up anytime soon. We're also not used to each others' manner of doing business. I don't want to jeaopardise our lives for the safety of a man who'd put an arrow through our throats, given the chance. So, we'll need to establish some basic rules of engagement." He glances at her, frowning. "Here's a clear example of that problem: I don't know how to refer to a general in their language."

Kazuo had completely forgotten he doesn't speak Southernish in her annoyance he felt the need to kill that poor guard. "That guard doesn't want to kill us. He's just following orders. We're going non-lethal.." Kazuo sighs. Grabbing a piece of paper from her pack and a quill, quickly dipping it into some ink. Writing down some foreign looking letters, along with a signature she takes almost a minute to forge. She looks at it, seems to furrow for a moment. "I'm not that good at faking signatures. So better make sure you don't show them this for too long. Just don't say anything…"

"I didn't -want- to kill him, either. But he is under orders to kill us: if he's not, why are we hiding and dressing up, why do you have an arrow lodged in you arm?" He sighs, and waits for her to work. "I'm not too happy about our current predicament, either. But I'll leave those attacking us alive even at the risk for my -or your- safety, if your insist." When she finishes, he picks up the paper and looks at it. "Don't worry." He considers for a few seconds, and adds, "Be ready to get over a wall. If they catch on, I probably won't be able to keep that promise and lose them, so I'll be the distraction you need to get over the wall, agreed?"

"Don't get caught…" Kazuo says, but she nods to say she understands. "I'm not saying non lethal in all situations. But this one was possible. I don't want to cause unnecasery deaths. Period…"

"We can keep arguing this, but I know what I can do in that situation." Kuoroke answers. "If you prefer to believe I kill people because I enjoy it, like y-" he cuts himself off and continues, "that's your prerogative. I don't like it but I apparently can't change your mind." He moves towards the inn. "Wait for me near the wall, there." He indicates a spot on the wall. "If I make it through, I'll find you there. If not, you'll see."
He enters their hotel with the air of someone who know exactly what he's doing. If there's one art he has perfected over the years it is glaring around with an air of unstoppable, unquestionable authority. He moves past the guards as if they're not even there, his eyes filled with purpose - something that's actually true.

Kazuo sighs and heads for the wall. "Stupid big-headed esperhead…" She for the millionth time in her life swears off dating and crosses her arms, leaning back and waiting for whatever decides to return to her. What undignified piece of Umaro would kill when he doesn't have to. Deprive another the right of getting to see his wife and kids again over doing his job. No, she would rather have the extra risk, then causing meaningless suffering like that. She makes a mental note to find out who that man's family is, and to give them her grievances.. Some way…

Kuoroke continues pressing through the guards, occasionally flashing the paper quickly enough for them to see it's paper with a signature, maybe make out a few words, but he proceeds until he's in their room. With the same purpose, he walks into the bathroom to grab his cloak, before, with the expression of someone who knows exactly what he's doing, starting to rifle through his own belongings -nothing of value there, he knows, he packed it, but one needs to keep up appearances- and Kazuo's, for he can't let a chance to find out more about her pass him by, and he can always blame the guards.

Kazuo yawsn, Kuoroke quickly finds out she, much like him, packed only the essentials, and apperently brought them. Since besides extra clothing, he can't find anything of any significance. Nothing that would overtly teach him about her. Kazuo meanwhile taps her arm impatiently

Kuoroke grins. She's competent. Soft-hearted enough to be a liability, but competent otherwise. If need be, that's the button he'd need to press: her desire to keep even the enemy alive. He grabs his own cloak, and then after some consideration desides to grab something for Kazuo to run around in more easily, and one of his own vests. He rolls this all up into a bundle that looks like he's carrying out a package for some reason, and then walks back out, with the same expression of purpose and indifference to everyone around him. On the way, he reaches into the cloak's inner pockets and spreads out a few tags -some creating smoke, some explosive- around the building, preferably in hard-to-reach places.
As soon as he's outside, Kuoroke slips into the shadows and sneaks towards Kazuo. Once there, he unrolls his package and offers her her clothes: something practical, not too suggestive, that was on top in her bag. "Saw this lying around, figured you'd want to change, too. Try to hurry, I don't know when they'll find my surprise but when they do, they'll think we're trying to get into our suite, which is when we'll get across." He takes off the armour right there, throws on his cloak, and tears a few strips off his vest. "And this will make a bandage for your arm, for now."

Kazuo nods finds a dark corner to quickly change. She doesn't seem to mind flashing her undies should Kuoroke watch, but her gaze does imply she expect a degree of decency. Last she carefully applies the makeshift bandage on her bleeding arm. "Should prevent Shadow from slipping in at least…" She grumbles as she tests her arm a bit, nodding. "Won't be able to swing a sword with left, but lets hope my right arm stays attached.." She chuckles and looks at the walls. "You mentioned a distraction? No innocent casualties… I told you this before, what's your plan?"

Kuoroke counted on this - while she's in a dark corner, he goes to keep watch, and at the same time, using the fact that she's distracted and the line of sight obstructed, forms a few hand seals. A few faint 'bang's come from the base of the tower, and then the various floors' windows begin spewing forth great quantities of smoke. A respectable column is billowing around it by the time Kazuo is done changing and bandaging herself. "That'll be it." He answers. "Let's move, it'll be a while 'til they figure out what I set on fire." He reminder elicits no response but Kuoroke looking away to conceal his annoyed glare. He moves towards the wall.

"You know, unlike you I'm interested in working here in the future. That won't work as well when we destroy and kill everything in our path.." She snarls at him while walking past his body, shoulder bumping into his. He seriously ticked her off with blowing up a building with people possibly being in it! And a fire!? "Come on, I assume you're planning on scaling this wall?" She looks around. He did pick a good angle.

Kuoroke isn't too happy, either. "That's unfair." he answers, keeping the anger that's visible on his face in check. As a result, his tone is hollow, emotionless. "You were the one who proposed blowing out part of their city wall. You wanted to destroy the defensive structure of a city at war. If anything's going to cost human lives, it's that. Not one soldier's life, but dozens or even hundreds of civilian lives who had no business being involved in the conflict. We were -just- shown this conflict has escalated far enough to warrant large-scale, indiscriminate murder. But you have the self-righteousness to snap at me over a minor act of vandalism? As I said, they won't figure out what I set on fire too soon. Contrary to what you apparently believe, I'm not an idiot. They'd check anything vitally or structurally important right away." Without waiting for an answer, Kuoroke pounces the wall and runs up it, on the way taking off his glasses and swapping them for a pair of goggles.

Kazuo sighs and follows him. "You havne't been listening. I told you, these two countries meet to battle between two mountains. IT's the - only - crossing between the countries. The actual cities have never been besieged." She sighs and looks at the developping smoke. "Lets argue later, we got more important things to do. She rushes into the guards cabin with the nearest archer in it, Kuoroke can hear a sword being drawn, followed by a starting moan, which gets silenced quickly. A man, knocked out and with a bleeding hamstring can be seen on the floor should he check. Surely, his jaw is broken, that pommel strike was mean! But Kazuo checked his pulse and nods. "Lets go.."

Kuoroke's not done with her yet. "You haven't been -looking-" he answers, climbing off the other side of the wall. "Open your eyes and look around. A dozen Sho were just murdered in this very city. The guards are on full alert and running around, weapons drawn. You just -crippled a man for life-. We're chasing a unit of soldiers sent to kill a king. Either we've been transported between those mountains when we weren't looking or war has come here." Halways down, he looks back to the guard. "Hang on, he can bleed out from that, and he can't call for help. If you want him to be found before that, give him some means to call attention to himself."

Kazuo was one step ahead of Kuoroke. "At least he's alive, he'll enjoy a pension and the hugs of his grandchildren…" She slaps a red signal smoke paperseal on a wall and sets a fuse alight. "We got five minutes." She calmly says. She did see merit in his words and decided to drop it for now. "Come on, lets head for the king" She looks for an angle to get down without the second archer seeing them.

Kuoroke thinks better of continuing the argument. Instead, he dashes forward, keeping an eye on Kazuo to make sure she doesn't fall behind, but also to gauge how much he can run below his ability without slowing her too much: best to keep a small buffer in case he ever needs to compete with her on an even less friendly footing.

Kazuo seems to use the same strategy. She also might be slower due to the wound, but seems decent at keeping up for now. "It's what way." She points at a nearby mountain with thin trail leading up into a small cottage… At least, it looks like that from here. Up close, it's more like a mansion. Also, completely white. "Come on, they must be banging at the doors by now.." Kuo can see some dead royal guard by the foot of the trail once they reach it.

Kuoroke ignores the dead guards, for now, oly filing them away in his mind as yet another topic to touch on in the inevitable discussion they'll have later. He rushes up the trail at the same, restricted, speed, hoping to make it before the king meets the same grizly fate.

As they make their way up, signs of battle… More bodies, and sounds of battle up ahead can be heard. "Come on, sounds like we're not too late.." Kazuo picks up her speed, and transcends Kuoroke's restricted speed, not caring about leaving him behind. Her hand on the hilt of her sword. "Non lethal, if you can…" She repeats.

"Doubt it." Kuoroke answers, losing ground to her. He attempts to make up for this by taking the direct route, leaping through windows, wood panelling, and anything else he wouldn

"Doubt it." Kuoroke answers, losing ground to her. He attempts to make up for this by taking the direct route, leaping through windows, wood panelling, and anything else he wouldn't need to push himself excessively to get through, in a straight line to the fighting. Before he loses track of Kazuo, he suggests, through unnecessarily laboured breathing, "Call… draw their… attention!"

"With pleasure…" Kazuo smirks, and as she barges into the group of soldiers, she draws her sword. Each of her strikes are followed by a trail of ash, which explodes after the strike is completed. Lots of noise, lots of smoke, lots of explosions knocking people off their feet. She grins. Hoping that's enough for Kuoroke to complete his trip to the king. While she singlehandedly made the group of 12 (the first of many to come up the trail) back up a little. Giving the three Royal guard soldiers outside respite.

Should Kuo make it inside however, he finds twenty more guards all eager to cut his head off. "Halt.." One shouts, while metal clinks and all of them seem to get into battle ready position. They're expecting enemy soldiers ofcourse!

Kuoroke slowly takes off his cloak, showing that he's carrying no weapons: he's hoping that although he doesn't speak the language, the motion will translate well enough into their language. And if not, he's got that out of the way and has access to his tattoos. It doesn't hurt to try to communicate, though. "I am here to help you." He informs them, as calmly as he can.

The king answers slowly, in Kuoroke's own language. "That makes you the foreigners asked to mediate our peace…" The king, who turns out to merely by a boy… 19 years old at most, leans on his fist. "You can start by telling me what the Celes is going on. From what I hear, half my guard is slaughtered and my own men are the culprits!" He sighs. "Who did Sho bribe this time?"

"The Sho delegation is dead, your majesty." Kuoroke answers. No need to mention that technically, that'd be him. He gets dressed again. "You are currently at war with your traitorous minister of state, who had them poisoned, and attempted the same to my partner and me. It seems most prudent to me that your retreat before your enemy brings reinforcements, but if not I am ready to follow your command. Although, I would like to return to my partner and see to it that she's okay - she is currently fighting for her life, yours, and those of your men."

"A king doesn't retreat!" The man.. Ahem, boy says firmly. Throwing Kuoroke a firm gaze "Find a way to quelsh this rebellion, and I'll have my scribe send word to Sho to apologise for the events. And to schedual an emergency council. I think we're both sick and tired of the constant fighting, so I guess I'll make an extra concession.." He looks at Kuoroke. "If I'm alive to do so.." He then shoo's Kuoroke away with one hand, the front gates opening, two more guards running out, Kazuo was locked in a swordfight with one particularly skilled assailant. But soon his sword just melts and Kazuo manages to knock him out with a kick to the face. "Good, managed to explain what's going on? When are we leaving? Does he know a safe place?" She locks into battle with yet another man of the force that's slowly flowing into the courtyard.

"Yes, you majesty." Kuoroke turns around and joins Kazuo. "He's decided he'll stay here. Either we fight them off, or we kidnap the king." He informs her, flexing his shoulders and limbering up his neck a bit. "I'm up for either but neither will be extremely pleasant. And in both cases, people might get hurt. Did you know your king is a teenager with absolutely no head for the realities of war?"

"The old guy died?" She seems to consider that for a moment. "About time, that man was too old to rule. But his only son… Far too young, what he's 19?" She shudders at the thought. "Lets wait for the royal guard to dwindle. We can't fight the majority of the Wu army and by the looks of it, that's exactly what's coming our way…" She pauses. "I fear we need to get the king out and to safety." She looks at Kuoroke. "Say, you happend to be good with assasination? These coups can usually be ended early if their biggest sponsor gets taken out…"

"This is why I didn't want them knowing where they went." He looks at Kazuo like she's mad. "You realise that 'dwindling' means 'painfully dying, one by one' in this situation, right?" He mulls over the options. "If we go to assassinate him now, the army won't stop marching until they've found out, by which time we'd be regretting the 'only' bit. And I'm not -good- at assassinations but I can try my hand at it. Unless you trust your own skills more." He glances over his shoulder. "You get the king to a temporary hiding spot, I'll set up a delay strategy here. Once he's hidden, we find him some more permanent quarters and go after the key to this whole thing."

"I also said I wished to avoid unnecessary deaths. The royal guard is willing to die for their king and, now is the time to pay up." She pauses. "IF we snatch him from under their noses they will turn to fight us. So I want them to dwindle to give us a chance.." She then turns, one of the bigger guards takes off his helmet amidst the fighting, head of the guard. "No need, bring him to safety. Once you're out, I'll try to save as many men as I can. Use the tunnels, the king knows the way.. If you can convince him to leave." The man snorts. "Doubt it actually.." Then he puts his helmet back on, turning to fight the oncoming crowd! And wow, this guy can fight!

"We'll talk about this later." Kuoroke promises, before turning to the crowd. "Get the king out of here whether he likes it or not, I'll help out here then catch up. Move." The Kuroki throws his cloak back towards the throne room, then hurls himself into the fighting. He makes sure to be deep enough for his line of sight to Kazuo to be obstructed: no need to let her see how well he does. Once there, he finds himself in his element: his face turned into an angry grimace, he swings around, covering his body with a pair of luminous, semi-transparent shields. He keeps his word: instead of going for the vitals, he aims to incapacitate, crushing hands, kneecaps, and vertebrae of the lower back.

Kazuo might have protested but since time is of the essence, she rolled with it and rushes into the building. "No time to argue, I knew your father. You and me are headed for the tunnels. Or by the power invested in me by the countries of Wu and Sho, including your father, may his soul rest in peace, I will grab you and drag you there myself…" The boy king shows his child part and looks at Kazuo with his jaw wide open. "Guards, arrest that woman!" He says. The royal guard looks at Kazuo and then the king. "The head of the guard is outside fighting a battle he can't win. These men won't waste their efforts trying to stop me. Now come on, you're getting to safety, we're killing the minister, and you're going to negotiate a piece with Sho…" She literally grabs the king by his ear before she simply begins heading for the back of the palace, the most logical place for the tunnels to start. "Or I'll do it for you over your knocked out body…" If Kuoroke had his ears pried, over the sound of fighting, he might have heard glimpses of Kazuo's angry, raised voice. "Now MOVE you spoiled Gau!"

Kuoroke grins, and the grin sends a shot of pain through his cheek. "Listen." He tells the guard beside him. "I'll need you and your men to buy me half a minute, with not a single one of these guys falling back here. Then you can-" he blocks a spear, pulls on it to disbalance a guard, and kicks him in the ribs hard enough to collapse one of his lungs. Just one. "-fall back into the throne room and wait for me. It'll make your fighting that much easier. Understood?"

The guards nod and form a solid line near the entrance, seems like they know a few tricks. Soon they form a spear wall. They can't keep that up for very long, but they're buying Kuoroke the minute he asked for! Especially since the guards from the throne room come out to bolster the ranks! Meanwhile, the king reluctantly begins pointing the way to the secret tunnels, starting his escape with Kazuo right behind him, kicking his Edgar when he fails to move on up promptly enough!

<Weather> Not a single cloud can be seen in the sky, where the sun shines brightly. The air is cool for the time of year, but warm enough for cloaks to be disgarded.

The spear wall begins slowly backing up, until indeed, they all make it inside the door. The spears keeping everyone away from the entrance, trying to avoid dropping bodies there. "Ready!" The leader of the guard shouts, looking around for what Kuoroke's planning.

Kuoroke rolls over the wall again, puts his hands together, inhaling deeply, and as he exhales, a hurricane blows forth from his lips, pushing the men away. He drops yet another scroll on the ground. A few hand seals and a faint wall of energy erupts in the space between them, a wall that may not last very long but that resists attacks, brightening where its resistance is tested. "Move." Kuoroke orders. "RUN!" He returns to the door, and puts his hands together a final time, while the soldiers tear through the corridor, the barrier vanished. A new barrier has come into existence in the doorway Kuoroke has prepared, one intangible but more valuable: it makes the doorway look, from the outside, as though the enemy is victorious and the room is in disarray, corpses littered everywhere. Kuoroke breathes heavily and for a moment finds something to rest on: he's been using a lot of chakra and strength in these last few, tense minutes. "They can't see you or hear you." He brings out. "They'll rush in here. Use that, and don't waste it."

Kuoroke falls back in the most dramatic fashion: he kicks a soldier in the ribs, dodges two halberds, and then jumps over the spear wall by taking two steps on the wall next to them. Once inside the throne room -and quite certain it's devoid of Kazuo- he whips out a pack of rolled-up papers and seal-making utensils, beginning to decorate the entrance to the room with seals, which takes most of the asked minute. Things, superficially, look the same, but the Kuroki considers his work done. He charges back to the line. "Back to the throneroom." He orders. Throwing punches, he navigates the be close to the captain again. This costs him a few more cuts and scrapes. "Set your men up two paces behind the door. Keep the doorway free of corpses, and don't let -anyone- get out once they're inside. You'll see." He tells him, as quietly as he can. "Go."
The spear wall begins slowly backing up, until indeed, they all make it inside the door. The spears keeping everyone away from the entrance, trying to avoid dropping bodies there. "Ready!" The leader of the guard shouts, looking around for what Kuoroke's planning.
Kuoroke rolls over the wall again, puts his hands together, inhaling deeply, and as he exhales, a hurricane blows forth from his lips, pushing the men away. He drops yet another scroll on the ground. A few hand seals and a faint wall of energy erupts in the space between them, a wall that may not last very long but that resists attacks, brightening where its resistance is tested. "Move." Kuoroke orders. "RUN!" He returns to the door, and puts his hands together a final time, while the soldiers tear through the corridor, the barrier vanished. A new barrier has come into existence in the doorway Kuoroke has prepared, one intangible but more valuable: it makes the doorway look, from the outside, as though the enemy is victorious and the room is in disarray, corpses littered everywhere. Kuoroke breathes heavily and for a moment finds something to rest on: he's been using a lot of chakra and strength in these last few, tense minutes. "They can't see you or hear you." He brings out. "They'll rush in here. Use that, and don't waste it."

The commander nods. He's certainly capeable and quickly set his men up for an ambush! He urges Kuoroke to move and follow Kazuo. And that once the coast is clear that they won't be too far behind! Truth is, that passage is the only way out of there, and he wasn't willing to risk them finding it before the king was out! So nobody was going to flee of the royal guard today. Not in his mind anyways. "Go!" He urges again, drawing his own weapon and getting ready for the following onslaught!

Meanwhile Kazuo makes it out of the tunnles at the foot of the mountainside. "Where do you normally go in this circumstances?" She says, the boy is about to answer, then she shakes her head. "It's where we're not going. I'll leave a note for my partner. You are sticking to me like glue, got it?" She grabs the king's arm and places down a set of paper seals (hastily drawn, useless other than being seals) .. A set of three in a certain direction. That should be enough of a hint what way Kuoroke should go! She finds a well concealed location and waits.

"After you've wounded one of these guys, leave a fake blood trail. Let 'em look. Of and don't leave the corpse near where you put the track." Kuoroke instructs them, before leaving. He makes sure not to track any blood from his numerous cuts as he makes his way to the secret passage. He follows Kazuo down the corridor, then finds himself outside, and for a moment at a loss for a next step to take, before he notices Kazuo's note. He grabs the seals, spits a small sphere of air in a different direction, hoping the upset landscape will distract any pursuit, and follows Kazuo. As he runs, he makes an effort to hurry, and simultaneosuly to stay visible: Kazuo is likely looking for him and she's more likely to see him than he her.

Suddenly, a hand shoots out from behind a tree. "Over here.." A familar voice says (if he ran by it would have grabbed him by the chest) … It's Kazuo, with the king by her arm. "Come on, we need to find a way to end this coup while mister King here gets to work on his peace agreement and letter." She nods at the man. "Right?" He nods a few times, that cactrot Kuoroke met was long gone, right now he's a whimpering mess, listening to Kazuo's instructions. "So, any plans mister Tattoo man?"

Kuoroke quickly slips behind the tree and sits down: the fight took a lot of him, rapidly. He wipes some blood off the side of his neck. "At this point, we could've used somebody on the inside." He says. "As a matter of fact, I'm low on plans. Think with me here. I've bought them a few minutes, and they're probably holding off most of the enemy's forces at that bottleneck. We could make a run for it." He remains quiet for a while. "Or we buy more time by sowing confusion. Leading the armed forces to believe their leader's dead, at least for a while."

"The city guard is low in strength, and doesn't expect us. We get back inside and go after the former minister of state. If need be, we lay low for a few days. I still have money and I'm sure we can find a place where they won't ask too many questions. Odds are, he'll be someplace visible in the next few days to announce his rule. Even with the king in hiding, he'll want to affirm his authority. Then, we go after him… non-lethally if you prefer."

Kazuo nods. "No the Kefka is going down!" She grins. "I said, only when it wasn't neccasery. He had bad intentions." She smiles warmly. "Come on, lets go find a place to hide."

Kuoroke doesn't share her grin. "We best get into the city first. That way we can stay on top of things. Although hauling his Majesty in there would be dangerous." He looks up at her from where he's sitting. "We'll also need to find you a medic. Can't live that thing in your arm. And me, maybe, though I'll probably be fine. What are your thoughts? In the city or outside?"

Kuoroke and Kazuo decide to sneak into the city and hide the king away. Then Kazuo, who is fluent in the local tongue, pretends to be a guard arresting Kuoroke, henge'd to look like the young king. ((This part of the log was lost to technical difficulties.))

Kazuo parked the king in an abandoned house in an alley. And immidiately followed Kuoroke's escort. She didn't know if they were going to torture him or hurt him or anything. And she felt more than responsible. Considering they both decided he would be in this predicament. And she was going to make Terra sure she does what she trusted him to do in her shoes. Maybe slightly naive, but hey… Got to look at the good in people!

So Kuoroke might heart the muted swing of a blade in the background, silent kills passing through the streets, occasional thumps. It melded with background noises, but it was clear that Kazuo was non-lethally getting closer already. It was most likely the sight of chakra supression seals on the cell, and a torture chair with ropes on it that would make him flinch… Or not…!

Kuoroke himself had something of an understanding of torture. He knew that if they did intend to torture him, he'd be alive for a long while. He also understood another thing, though: the chakra-suppressing seals were an unfortunate inconvenience, but nothing more. And so, the Councillor clenched his fists, and the muscles on his shoulders budged as he pulled on the ropes suddenly, harshly, trying to break if not the ropes then at least the chair to which he's tied, so that he may get some freedom of movement to work towards his own escape.

'Hey!' Yells one of the guards, trying to grab and hold Kuoroke back. But expecting the power of the powerless king they get a nasty surprise, easily flung back by Kuoroke's superior strength!

Meanwhile, he can hear Kazuo rushing up the stairs, occasional grunts quickly silenced of guards along the prisoner tower….

Once the chair is out of the way, Kuoroke goes for one of the more dangerous-looking puncturing tools on the table next to himself, grabbing one of the still-surprised guards and putting the weapons to his neck. "And now I'm going to walk out. Then you'll give me the keys and I'll lock you in here. Or this man dies a very unenviable death, and I find myself someone whose life all of you value more." He informs the others as coldly and matter-of-factly as he can, pressing slightly.

Kazuo just burst the door open, watching Kuoroke took the matters into his own hands.. "What part of 'let me handle it..' didn't you get?!" She says while watching him threaten everyone and their mother… "You're not exactly making friends. These guys have families you know!" She gives Kuoroke a sharp look before snatching the keys off the man's belt, the keys he was slowly reaching towards. "Go and lock him in that cage instead of killing them…" Poor Kuoroke. If only she knew it was his intention all along. Someone left a bad impression!

"If I wanted to kill this guy, he'd be dead, as would everyone in this room." Kuoroke answered, scowling and motioning to weapon he had at the man's throat. "You've got an arrowhead embedded in your body, I just needed some rest, so I got that and decided to take some work off your shoulders." He adjusts his glasses slightly. He shoves the man into the cage, then locks it. "Also, if you would look at that table and remember who I'm impersonating, keep in mind that these are the men who intended to torture a child. Unprofessionally, by the way, and I think we all know he didn't have anything useful to tell him, which leaves us with the question of -why- they'd do that." After locking it, Kuoroke snaps off the key at the very base of the door, so that anyone trying to get in would have a hard time indeed. "Let's get going."

Kazuo looks at Kuoroke, listening and eventually grinning, bumping him with her elbow… "Aaah, I'm rubbing off on you!" Then she winces and immidiately regrets that.. "Ack… wrong arm…" She nods downwards… "So, from here it's a total cakewalk.." Kazuo lies. "They're organising the execution in the square. And the man who got us imprissoned and seized power will be escorted onto the square in five minutes under heavy guard. It's not ideal, but it's better than going at him stowed away in his castle… The moment he falls we'll use the king's presence to subdue the guards. And pray it works…" She looks at Kuoroke. "Or you got any better idea's?"

"Well. Ideally, we'd know more than just where he will be. If we could get access to his speech notes, we could just put some explosive tags in there. That would be more efficient." He examines her. "I take it you'd prefer his death to be public?"

"I think a show of force is neccasery to get the population behind the king. Which is the only thing that will secure the peace. Believe me, if this man would allow peace I would go with him and give the kid some political refuge far away." She nods however. "That's an interesting plan… His scribe could be much easier to infiltrate. Though, who writes the speech?"

<Weather> The wind sends fluffy white clouds tumbling across the sky as warm breezes sigh gently through new buds that paint the trees with a green tint.

"That depends. He might do it, himself. First of all, let's get to the route from his office to wherever he'll be holding his speech. If he doesn't have it already, he'll get it en-route, and if he does have it already, well… we might be able to improvise something when we get there." He follows Kazuo, carefully looking to the sides.

"Himself? Didn't seem the type…" But.. Truth is, what choice did they have… So she follows along. She's a bit pale too. Any med-nin would advice her to take it slow. She's cold and shivering. Wounded… loosing blood, albeit slowly with her bandages… "Mind… picking me up if I drop?" Kazuo says, having a bit of trouble admitting she is getting dizier by the minute.

"If you'd like to wait this out somewhere, I'm okay with that." Kuoroke says. "I'm sure I can manage on my own." In case she doesn't want to back out, as he suspects, the Kuroki does offer his ally an arm to lean on. "But, no, I don't. Not sure I can get a proficient medic to you after that, though."

"Don't worry… I'm a strong girl. I'll be fine, when the king is in charge I'm sure he can deploy one of his medics." She looks at Kuoroke, handing him a piece of paper… "Where I stowed him away.." It was a simple drawing of town, but clear enough. "And no… But I'll give you this. You're surprisingly sweet… for such a stoic man." She giggles and points at the door. "Now, lets do this shall we?"

Kuoroke accepts the compliment and the giggle with a stoic nod, and nothing else. A few steps away from the door, he holds his hands up to stop here, then calmly and politely grabs the handle and twists it, slowly inching the door open until he can look at what's going on on the other side.

The streets are busy, crowded in fact. Kazuo took great care to take out the sentries and hide their bodies. So it was the perfect oppertunity to meld with the people of town. There was talks of the armies assembling at the mountain pass… About to go at it again. Everyone was headed for the square.. for the inauguration… Some under escort of soldiers… - Everyone - HAD to attend.

"Alright, let's go." Kuoroke offers an arm to support Kazuo again, then quickly slips in the same direction as everyone else was going. "If he's on the balcony when we arrive, we'll find some clerk and convince him to deliver an 'urgent message' about the prisoners to him. The message will be both true, and deadly."

Kazuo grabs onto Kuoroke's arm. And she may or may not have snuck in a squeeze on his bicep… "Such a gent.." She whispers, trying to look casual and not like she's on the verge of passing out. "There.." She says, pointing weakly at where all the people are going.

Kuoroke leaders Kazuo along with the mass, and then close to the actual building splits off and looks for a back entrance, through which they may sneak in undetected to intercept him. In the meantime, he reaches to his belt and prepares a few explosive tags, stacking them together neatly, so that neither the bottom nor the top side reveals any writing. Then he rolls them up, empties a scroll case, and shoves them inside. With these assasination tools in hand, he heads further inside.

Kazuo decides not to grow a concience and throws off the ideas that explosives might be too messy. "Make it controlled. I don't want civilians to die.." She says… Pointing at the balcony the king will be on. He has a stand in front of him, and someone's just squaring the papers… "It's starts in thirty minutes… Any ideas?"

Kuoroke quickly opens the case again, unrolling the papers. "Wait here." he says, literally moving Kazuo up against a wall. He quietly waits for the man who's squaring the papers to be finished, before approaching the podium with the expression of someone who's doing exactly what they are, adjusts his glasses with the motion of a true bureaucrat, and shuffles some explosives into the papers. After a moment of thought, he shuffles in one more tag, before walking away quietly.

Kuoroke passes by the Konohaite on the way back. "Hang in there." he says. "Try to stay out of the field of view. I'll go collect the king and make sure he's here when he needs to be." As always when he's in a hurry, the skating tattoos on his feet fold over the bottom and he pushes off, slipping through the corridor and into the city. He takes to the roofs almost immediately, partly because it'll allow him to move unnoticed, partly because it allows him to keep a line of sight with the place where the speech will be held.
As soon as he's near the king's building, he slips in through the window, informs the boy that, "Time for you to get back into the seat", and picks him up like a bag, moving back up to the roofs.

Kazuo rolls her eyes.. "I'm wounded, not retarded.." She says, feeling sorry she's making him do all the work. At least, it feels that way. The king doesn't complaint. Though it's clear he's not used to being hoisted like that!

With the king in tow, Kuoroke slides back over the rooftops, kneeling down on one of them and instructing the king to stay back, where he won't be seen, and wait for the minister to appear on the podium. His hands are already folded in a hand seal, because he knows that he'll have to be quick to pull this off.

Kazuo sighs, barely keeping her eyes open.. "Come on.." She grumbles, eyes going wide as the king hits the stage… "Come on, do it.." Though right as it happends, a bunch of children playing run around in front of the stage. Kazuo's eyes go wide…

Kazuo sighs, barely keeping her eyes open.. "Come on.." She grumbles, eyes going wide as the contestant hits the stage… "Come on, do it.." Though right as it happends, a bunch of children playing run around in front of the stage. Kazuo's hand shoots to her mouth…

From his vantage point, Kuoroke grins a bit. Good thing he anticipated this. His fingers begin moving quickly. Firstly, that scroll he activated first. A small sphere of force appears around the traitorous minister. Then another set of hand seals, and briefly the sphere flashes, covered in cracks but barely holding, as the inside is filled with an explosion that tears the man inside it apart. As it subsides, the fragmented remains of the would-be king hit the ground. A hard lesson for the children, but perhaps unavoidable in these times.

Kazuo gasps loudly as the explosion comes, then the crowd panicks, people reach for their weapons… What just happened!? … Kazuo smiles.. "I was wrong about you.." She whispers, shaking her head and finally closing her eyes, slumping down in that dar corner. Down and out.

Kuoroke steps steps to the edge of the roof. This day has been trying on him. But he has to do one last thing. One more time, he brings his hands together, calling forth a blast of air from his mouth, clear enough to draw everyone's attention. He beckons the real king closer, as he roars from the roofs, "Ladies and gentlemen! A tyrant, a traitor, a lunatic had appropriated the throne to your land, through violence and poison." Many might not understand his words, but it's the presentation that counts… and the hearts of those who can understand, for, after all, once you get part of the crowd the rest will gollow. "His torturers had aimed to kill your legitimate king. Torture a boy. He has paid for his crimes… and your true king has returned, unscathed but wizened. Welcome him!" he steps back, motioning to the child.

The crowd speak to eachother in confused Jibberish, but the sight of their king gets a response. It takes a few seconds, but eventually everyone bows for both Kuoroke and the king. The guard quickly submitting their weapons…. "So, I guess I have to sign that peace now." The king says. Looking at Kuoroke with a smug grin. Seems the Gogo learned English without him or Kazuo knowing! And he withheld it the whole time….

"I suppose so, your majesty." Kuoroke answers, folding his hands behind his back. "One more thing… Kazuo, the woman who was with me, is injured, and needs medical attention. I would appreciate if someone were to see to her medical needs… and matters -may- be urgent." He is very careful not to give the king any direct orders or even make any direct requests. It's time to show the boy that he is not a threat, politically, and therefore can be trusted. Which of course he can't.

The boy nods and motions for his personal levy. Shouting something in his own language… And indeed, soon a doctor arrives… "Where is Kazuo, is she okay? And my guard? Are they okay?"

"She is injured, and will need the help of a doctor, as well as plenty of rest. She's lost a considerable amount of blood. Your guard held back the insurrectionists, then dispersed after we extracted you from your mansion, your majesty." Kuoroke answers. "Most likely, most of them are in good health, but it may be prudent to send someone to help them, with sufficient medical staff in case my hopes prove false."

The boy nods, instructing his men yet again. "Now, as for your payment. You have helped me will and beyond the scope of your mission. So I wish to thank you both." The boy nods… "Now, what would be a fitting geasture of my gratitude.." With that, he ponders and walks off, leaving Kuoroke to check on Kazuo, who's just been picked up and laid on a portable slab, to be helped on the spot. It seems they have their own way of healing magic here. But it looks similar to healing jutsu.

"Your majesty needn't worry about that too urgently." the Kuroki answers. "You will have many affairs of state that need taking care of, after all, and your people are a higher priority than I am. If your majesty needs any help, let me know." After a bow and a polite smile, Kuoroke moves back to where Kazuo was without tarrying, but without needless hurry, either. He sits down beside the slab, and, watching her carefully to ensure she's taken care of, allows his muscles to rest.

The operation takes about three hours. And then Kazuo is transported (with Kuoroke) to quite a lavish room where her care continued by a single nurse occasionally checking up on her. It wasn't long before the clan head wakes up though… "Head… hurts…" She grumbles, blinking and being pushed down by the nurse who says something in the southern land's native tongue.. "The peace treaty?" Kazuo asks, apperently counting on Kuoroke somehow being able to hear.

The Councillor doesn't object to being moved, he quietly follows along, and even allows the medical staff to take a look at his own bruises and cuts. When Kazuo awakens, he is lying nearby on a small couch. "He said he'd sign it." Kuoroke answers. "I think she means, don't get up. I'm sure that if we're needed anywhere, we'll be told."

Kazuo reaches up and rubs the top of her nose. "You think?" What drug did they give her, it felt like she got hit by a hammer. It's quite obviously the dehydration, she lost a lot of blood! "Well good to know he's going to sign it. Did he say anything else?"

"He said he'd think about a fitting reward." Kuoroke relays. "I told him not to hurry too much with it. After all, you need to recover, anyway." He sits up, and for a brief moment, his face tenses as he is reminded just how sore his muscles are. Still, the Kuroki swings his feet off the sofa and gets up. "Do you need anything?"

"I'm fine thanks, actually some water would be good…" Who's this polite caring man and what did he do to Kuoroke!? "You sure you're okay. No guards bumped you up the skull or anything?"

Kazuo chuckles and sits up just a little bit, so she can look at Kuoroke. Thanking him with a nod for the glass. Her arm was entirely wrapped in bandages. "Funny how an arrow is enough to slowly bring us down, if left to fester and drain." Kazuo looks to the door and smiles. "Do come in." She says. The boy-king shaking his head. He too looks a lot better.

"HOW DO YOU KNOW!?" Kuoroke surely would have noticed his attempts to eavesdrop over the course of the past hour. They were sloppy at best. "She knew ever since I was a kid whenever I tried to listen in on my father and her talking about whatever." The boy in a slightly broken accent.

Kuoroke smiles to Kazuo, then turns around to the boy-king without a trace of that smile. Just a bow and an expression of polite detachedness. "I would guess hear hearing is more acute than yours, your majesty. Acute enough to hear you behind the door." That's not quite the only sign, but Kuoroke leaves it at that. "Of course, now you have the luxury of having people to take care of eavesdropping -for- you… Although," Kuoroke comfortably slips into the role of an advisor, "it is a good idea to maintain the habit of keeping one's ears open, as a leader."

The man nods thoughtfully… "Kazuo, I like this man." He smiles. "As my father's advisor, and therefore mine.." Right.. smug… "Would you be against me hiring this man alongside you for some external advice on matters? So I can run them by you both?" Kazuo sits up a bit… Hm, unexpected twist. She looks at Kuoroke and smiles then. "I think Kuoroke would make a great advisor sire."

Now, Kuoroke does smile. The smile is honest, for once: he was planning for something like this. "Thank you, your majesty. I must admit, however, that I have duties in my own village, and so I would not be able to focus on advising you nearly as much as I should." He says, apologetically. "I am sure, however, that I could find a trusted person who could serve you, in my stead, for day-to-day matters. Of course, on anything important, they'd have to either consult with me or inform me to come here."

Kazuo slowly nods. The way Kuoroke handles this is up to him. "Splendid, you'll split your salary with him Kazuo. That or decline and all of it will go to him." The king turns around on his heel. "You're both expected for breakfast tomorrow morning with me and my court. Then I'll have your boat prepared for your return trip home. My navy will escort you…" Kazuo sighs, great, now she has to put up with that darn admiral again. "That's fine sire, I don't mind sharing if it's with good people. I didn't ask for Kuoroke's assistance if it were not neccasery. And I believe that this result is a deserved payout. On top of the agreed amount between ourselves." She smiles, though internally curses. Locke, HALF THE VANISHING SALARY! WHY YOU LITTLE…..!

"Sire… I do believe I owe Kazuo a debt for introducing her to me. I couldn't possibly accept more than fifteen percent of what she's getting." the Kuroki answers, bowing politely. "Not to mention, seniority counts for quite a bit…" Of course, internally, Kuoroke's got ulterior motives. He's got a man in mind who could fit his place here. Capable and interested in Suna's prosperity in his own right, the Iga he's thinking of has made it a personal hobby to oppose Kuoroke's viewpoints and suggestions. But no Kuoroke will return with a good position, and the man still owes him for retrieving a certain eye… Not only getting him out of his hair, but getting him way out of the country, with limited pay and the inability to do anything big without Kuoroke's say-so is just a pleasant bonus, not to mention a warning to other political opponents.

Kazuo blushes. He didn't only get credits with the king with his modesty. "Thank you, esteemed colleague." Kazuo says with a polite smile. The king nodding and walking off. "Very well, it shall be so." With that, the large door get's closed behind his back….

"How about you come over here and give me a hug… colleague!" Kazuo tells Kuoroke with a friendly, room brightning smirk. It's pretty clear she's one of those feel-good types. Or maybe she tries very hard to be. Whichever it is, it does sort of have that 'nothing's ever going to bring me down' feel… "And bring a cig over too, if you will, it's in my pant's over there…" And yes, don't worry, she's covered in blankets.

The Kuroki adapts to the person and the situation, as always. Happy and feel-good? He needn't ruffle any feathers here. Kuoroke moves over to the woman's belongings and retrieves her cigarettes with the confidence of someone who's used to going through people's pockets and the efficiency of someone who already knows where Kazuo keeps her various belongings. He offers her the cigarette first, then embraces her… he finds himself holding her a bit more tightly than he'd planned to, though.

Kazuo does return the hug, genuine and sweet. "You're so sweet when you shed some of those shells." She says. Finally resting back, opening her mouth for him to stick the cig in. "Grab one for yourself if you want." Kazuo says invitingly. Patting the side of her bed to give him a spot to sit down/invite him/make sure he knows sitting down is a-ok.

Kuoroke shakes his head. "Thank you, but I don't smoke." As she pats the bed, he sits down, reflexively, without a thought. The compliment takes a second to process. "Thank you. I rarely get the chance to. Sometimes I forget what's under them, myself…" He eventually says.

"Well, not saying shells are a bad thing. But I'm glad to see that you came round. I … I'm sorry I thought the worst when I busted into the tower.." Kazuo says, looking down for a moment as the cig just lights up between her lips. Showing off that formidable chakra control. Able to light it by just breathing. No seals involved.

The cigarette doesn't escape Kuoroke. He is sharply reminded that Kazuo, too, is a shinob, one of a different village. He has to make an effort not to snap back to his regular, distant self again. He almost succeeds, too… still, Kazuo brings out an atypical burst of honesty in him."I don't blame you. If it had been necessary to cover my tracks, I would have. If I needed to know something from them… well, never mind about that. You didn't assume the worst. And if you had… That -is- what we do."

"Though, it isn't what we have to always do." Kazuo corrects him. "And you do seem like the type who more casually reaches for these tools… Tools I consider, while essential in some cases, non-grata if you get what I mean? Sort of like a forbidden jutsu. We use them, if we have to, but we all know we shouldn't and we should try to avoid it."

Kuoroke frowns, looking away from her. He's quiet for a long while, thinking of things that he might respond.

Kuoroke frowns, looking away from her. He's quiet for a long while, thinking of things that he might respond. There are many of them… but none that wouldn't antagonize the woman beside him. Eventually, he sighs a bit. "I do what I have to, Kazuo. Nothing more, and nothing less. I can't apologise for that. Someone has to." He leans forward, away from Kazuo, on the edge of the bed.

"We all do." Kazuo says while inhaling the smoke from her cig. She looks away again. "It's not like my rep is clean. But I try to keep it as clean as possible. And so do you. You might deny it now. But that bomb? There was no reason to waste chakra on the ward. It would have gotten him without… But you took others into account. And that's the mark of a hero.." She reaches over and squeezes Kuoroke's shoulder, winking should he look over!

Every bit of Kuoroke cries out to lie. To not disillusion her. There's nothing to be gained from that. But there's this little voice inside of him, and he has the utmost trouble quelling it. The Kuroki gets up heavily at her touch, staying quiet for the longest time. Then, a smile finds it way to his face. "No… No, I suppose I didn't." He answers, smiling slightly. Inside, the voice protests once more.

"Heck, mister unmoral knight doesn't even smoke. And I do - oh the irony! - " Kazuo says, looking at Kuoroke and chuckling. "What's wrong this time? Afraid of a woman's touch? Let me guess, fourty year old virgin?"

"Well, -that- is purely pragmatic." Kuoroke answers. "Smoking's bad for you. Except for the brain, aparently it's a stimulant." The Kuroki answers. He smirks at her last words. "Please, I'm not -nearly- forty yet. But no, jokes aside, it's not that. I just… I'm neither used to people commenting on me being… well… careful… nor to them seeing it as an advantage. That's all."

"Suuuuuure~" Kazuo teases, grinning and leaning back. With him responding, she had already won. And it shifted the conversation from hardline philosophy to more lighthearted subjects!

Kuoroke smiles to Kazuo, but sits down on the couch again. He's quiet for a few secons, then exhales and leans back. "We did good, though, you and me. And I think the king's going to do just fine." He raises his voice a bit at the last one, looking at the door pointedly. He knows his majesty isn't there, but it's a nice poking fun at a monarch when they're not there.

"We did. Thanks again, for all the help." She winks at Kuoroke and then lays back. Closing her eyes and waiting on tomorrow. Trusting the other Shinobi enough by now it seems. Since she falls asleep like a baby with him in the room.

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