Starring:
Meruin, Kaze
Date: May 18, 2014
Summary:
Kaze enters Meruin's office to confess to being the person responsible for spreading unmelting snow sculptures around Kirigakure. A story is told.
"Tanzen's Blooming"
Mizukage's Office
As soon as the notices went up asking about the identity of the snow man maker, Kaze had reported to the administrative building and turned himself in, or at least let them know, while trying to not make a huge deal about it, that he was the one who was responsible. He didn't seem to think it was that big of an issue but more wanted to try to keep who was doing it a mystery to those not in charge of the village. Still, he's left waiting to speak to the Kage, since bluntly put the Kage is an important person and well… Kaze isn't. But he is waiting, basically out in the outer office, for his turn to see the Kage.
"Suru Kaze?"
The sound of the secretary's voice calling for the man would catch his ear after a small while, the woman's eyes soon finding the ice manipulator. She gestured down the hall past her desk where the guard was already opening the door. "Enter the Mizukage's office." And with that, her attentioned turned back to her own work. After he went down the hall and moved through the door opened for him, he'd be able to see Okumo Meruin at his desk, pen scratching away at a paper on his desk, unperturbed by the slight, cool breeze entering through the hole in the opposite wall.
Kaze enters, trying to look up beat, and as he enters he stapes before the Kage's desk and gives a formal bow, "Mizukage. I believe you were looking for the creator of the snowmen around Kirigakure. I did not want to delay in revealing that it was I who was making them. I am sorry if it has caused any problems. My goals were purely fun related, well… and to practice a new technique I had learned." He admits then stands there, at attention, awaiting for the Kage to respond.
Meruin looked up towards Kaze as he entered, gaze holding no comfort within it, as cool as the pale mists shifting within the black orbs. He inclined his head in response to the bow, speaking "Suru Kaze," in greeting, voice effortlessly resonating to the walls of the room. "It makes sense," he said after a moment, "That you were the one responsible for the snowmen." He gestured to the chair at the other end of his desk before he looked back down to the paper he was scribing, the sound of parchment being scratched once more finding the air.
"Have you heard of the story of Tanzen's Blooming?"
Kaze moves to take the seat, having not sat down before given permission. "No, I don't believe I have, Mizukage." He replies, not giving further commentary, but watching Meruin closely and obviously on his best behavior. He tilts his head forward slightly, as if trying to encourage the Kage to continue. He is rather stiff in his posture, not fidgeting at all, but as if he were still at attention in the seat.
Deliberate in the act, Meruin gives a nod, turning the paper about to begin writing on the back. "Tanzen was a town in what is now called The Land of Wind, before Sunagakure was ever established — before it was conceived," he began, not seeming to have an issue with writing and speaking at the same time. "It was a town with an issue. Times were made difficult by the fact that they were at war with a band of desert bandits that had made their way into the area, raiding and looting. It grew troublesome to gain supplies and nearly just as difficult to keep them. The people grew hungrier, more desperate, their spirits falling. And in the midst of this…
"A small garden was found, sprouted from the sands just overnight."
Kaze listens intently, he is careful not to interrupt but let Meruin weave the story as he watches the Kage. He does nod slightly, perhaps just a sign of the attention he is paying. Otherwise he's pretty still. Although if Meruin is watching him he might notice Kaze glancing towards the rather obvious hole in the wall at one point but quickly returning his attention to the Kage.
"It drew the attention of all in the town, of course, and it was examined. Questioned. How could there be a garden here where last night there had been none? Here in the desert? There was no explanation for such a thing. But the flowers were beautiful and fragrant, some of them of hues the people had never seen before. They lifted the spirits of those who came by them, some calling them miracles. Signs of good fortune."
Meruin scribed his signature on the page with a few swift strokes. "After this point, flowers began to be found throughout Tanzen. Sprouting from the desert sand." He began pouring hot wax on the paper. "Sprouting from the walls of buildings and the stone of the dry well. More and more flowers appeared, and as their numbers grew, so did the people's spirits and their fortune in their battle against the desert raiders. After a time, Tanzen was one of the most beautiful places you could find within the desert, its people smiling and happy, confident in their victory against the invaders." He left his seal on the transcript, impression made in hot wax.
"And then they all died."
The Mizukage set aside the paper, looking to Kaze. "During the night, the flowers released toxins into the air. Some grew sick and wretched until blood and chunks of organ spilled from their mouths. Others grew crazed and dangerous to others and themselves. And some simply fell asleep and paralyzed to be butchered by the crazed or the bandits that entered Tanzen unmolested the next morning.
"The flowers weren't a good omen or a miracle. They were just the ploy of a Tenjin, a manipulator of plant matter, that wanted to see Tanzen fall for their own gain. And if the people had simply tore the plants out, burned the unnatural and unexplained things, they may very well have survived that night and that war." Meruin's gaze is calm on Kaze. "The unmelting snow sculptures seemed harmless. But I needed to be sure. Now, I have an explanation for our desert gardens. I will know where to look in case anything does seem to go wrong with them." He gestures, "You may continue making them. Simply use your discretion in what is and what is not appropriate."
Kaze's eyes go a bit wide at the horror of the story. He nods slowly, "It was meant only as a jest, or a joke. Something to lift the spirits of the villagers and shinobi in the way of a harmless mystery. I can make them all fall apart right now if you wish. Or perhaps I will just make them of snow that melts? So they last only a while… that way there is no trouble in removing them and they would be only temporary?" He offers, "I can promise you I never had any ill intentions. When I heard you were trying to find the cause of them I immediately came to report in. I didn't want there to be any misunderstanding. Perhaps I should have sought out permission before placing them out to be found…" He trails off.
"But while I can move the snow around and even probably animate the snow men, so could probably others of the Shirayuki clan. So perhaps best to have them just melt. No more than one or two at a time around the village so there is no fear of anything going wrong?" He offers as a suggestion, his intent obviously benign from his words and there is no sign he had other intent from his body language and his words.
"I do not suspect you of being a conspirator or owning any ill will," spoke Meruin. "As said, I will leave how you act with this information up to your own discretion. I trust that you are not our Tenjin. I will send out a notice explaining that the creator of the snow sculptures has been identified and that they've been found to be… harmless. Now then. Are there any other matters you'd wished to speak on?"
Kaze shakes his head and stands, "No, I simply wanted to inform you of my role in this… issue and to see what you wanted me to do. I will be less… obvious and more careful with them but if it does not bother you I think I will keep them popping up around town here and there as time goes by. If nothing else, keeps some of the less observant on their toes perhaps?" He offers, "But thank you for your time and I am sorry if my actions detracted from more important matters that require your attention." He says with a rather deep bow offered to the Mizukage.
And to all of this, Meruin simply inclines his head to the other, acknowledgement the very least expressed by the gesture. A man is known by the silence he keeps. "Be well, Suru Kaze. You are dismissed." And with that, he takes the next piece of paperwork up and turns his gaze to it, reading the information held within it.
