Starring:
Date: October 7, 2015
Summary:
Fujiko meets with Itami regarding her concerns with being the next vessel to a powerful beast, a few days after the last Jinchuriki of Shukaku attacked Sunagakure.
"The Curtain Rises: The Arrival of the New Host"
Kazekage's Office
It wasn't long ago that the Motai Theatre was burned to the ground, and for a while, the dreams of a young student who aspired above all else to perform in her mother's style of stage burned too. Yet, everything changed for the student when her dreams of stagecraft was stunted by a lack of stage. Spiraling into a depression, the young student fell through the cracks of her mind… Thus ending the story of Jurojin Fujiko. Her entire life, spent struggling between her father's desire and her love of her mother's stagecraft, was finally over… Pray, let us review the story of a little girl whom was born in the far north of the Land of Wind.
… It was her father, Jurojin Katsu, whom traveled north at the dawn of the formation of the villages to claim glory in the name of Sunagakure against the rising tensions between two newly formed villages in a young blossoming world if shinobi. Yet, victory doesn't come to everyone. In fact, no conflict had ever brewed between the two young shinobi nations. Katsu's life of seeking glory was ended bluntly. Enter Nogakujin Hiroko, beautiful traveling performer whom swept the depressed man off his feet in a single performance. It was storybook love, producing a storybook child in the land of wind.
Even at a young age, Fujiko was always following in her mother's footsteps, bringing smiles to the chunin and jounin stuck in the loneliest place in the shinobi world. No other children to play with her, only the guidance of strong and mature individuals… Then, her father's tenure in the north ended. She and her mother returned to Sunagakure with her father, whom soon after arrival began to train Fujiko in the ninja arts. Yet, this wasn't at all what Fujiko wanted. Fujiko wanted to dance, act, write, and play music like her lovely mother. It would not be. Her father pushed her hobbies and dreams aside for his own, sending her into the academy. Unprepared for the shinobi world, she struggled. Yet she had a mind, and plenty of endurance thanks to her upbringing. She was able to skate by rather easily without putting much effort into the academy. At night, she would watch the plays at the Motai theatre. Happily taking notes of the many amazing acts that were performed… Her passions re-ignited. At her graduation, passing at the bottom of her class, she now had the means to acheive her dreams. Time. She could finally take part in the plays! Though her passions were re-ignited, something else soon after was set ablaze.
Her ambitions for her art shot when the very theatre she loved was vandalized, destroyed, ravaged!
She lost her ambition. It was shocked away from her. She was even a part of the restoration, but her ambitions would never be the same. Close the curtain. End Act 1…..
Begin Act 2. Curtains open. It was recently after a large commotion in Sunagakure, one that lead to the destruction of the previous Jinchuriki. With the Bijuu set free, it was decided that a new vessel was needed to ensure that the power of the tailed-beast would stay within the village. Enter Fujiko, once more, willing to do anything to fill the hole in her heart. Somehow selected as a suitable candidate likely because of expendability or perhaps of her mature and stalwart personality displayed during the academy, she would be pressed with an honor… a reason to continue on. It was her decision, and had circumstance been normal she would have refused (As if she had a choice), but at the right time and at the right place… the destiny of an average shinobi can be changed.
Success! Another reason to escape from the hospital! Itami was needed and no one can replace the kage! Well, they /can/, but they aren't needed right now! She still had her attendants and thankfully, this effort was taking place later in the day so that it wouldn't be too much strain on her body, but still. They feel she needs to stay off her feet, not be on them. The fact that she participated in a mission recently had them sweating bullets, but she came back successfully and without much damage to boot.
This would be the first time she's re-entering her office since the Administration Dome was sunk and she has to say, it's a mess. Potted plants were toppled, papers were strewn all over, chairs had fallen on their sides and dust covered the place. "Let's…try to get this cleaned up before our arrival gets here, hm?" She inquired of the assistants.
Fujiko has entered the stage, the Kazekage's administration center. Wearing a white haori, as is traditional to those who will have something of great importance sealed within them, she proceeds within to find the Kazekage… To be judged before the date she is fated to bear the curse of Sunagakure. The young genin's forehead protector is right where it ought to be, her forehead, proudly displaying the fact that she is a genin. An accomplishment some people don't even get. Today, she was prepared to accept a new role in life, a new purpose… In a way, to further her ambitions with an opportunity that only comes once in a lifetime. Would the benefits outweigh the pain? Perhaps. Perhaps she will go insane like the others. Perhaps Shukaku will someday break her mind. Yet, for the time that she exists, she will be serving the village. Or would it just be the village?
They say, an actor whom has fallen out of favor will do anything for a second shot. Anything. Fujiko was willing to put her life on the line for a new beginning…
Fujiko, despite the look of confidence clearly shown on her face, had a slight air of doubt behind that expression she has so perfectly mastered. Annoncing her arrival to one of Itami's assistants, she would wait patiently, with her eyes closed. Her eyes. Certainly, they are still normal. The clear signs of being the host of the Shukaku haven't emboldened her eyes yet. They would soon, but not yet. She clears her throat as she bows deeply at the assistant. "My name is Jurojin Fujiko. My presence here was requested. I humbly request that you tell lord Kazekage that I am here to meet with her to discuss the future of our village." Diplomatically done, like so many times before. She would straighten up as she slips her hand into the sleeves of her Haori, joining the two sleeves together and holding them in front of her chest as she closes her eyes and waits for the assistant to relay her arrival, or bring her back to her leader's office.
This assistant wasn't used to such formality and they were only slightly taken aback by it, but they decided to relay the message ahead to the Kazekage. It was just something unexpected given the look of the admin building and by extension, their own appearance. When the message reached Itami, she hobbled to the door, using a staff to walk with in order to greet the arrival. Once opened, the door stood for a few moments before collapsing on its hinge and falling to the ground with a resounding thud.
Itami backed away from the door, but at the very least, pulled it away from the visitor so she wouldn't be in its area of damage. "Guess I'll just add that to the list of items that need fixing," she chuckled. "Greetings," she offered to Fujiko, cutting away from the door. "Please, feel free to come inside. We were just trying to straighten up in here. It's not successful, but it's functional for now," she explained. "If you'd like, you may have a seat. I would provide water for this meeting, but the connection of the dome to the waterways has been severed until they're rebuilt."
This is likely the first time she has ever been inside the Kazekage's office. To be honest, she couldn't help herself. As she entered, she whistled a little… surprised that even Itami's office was hit. She knows that she had witnessed it all from a safe place. Just another sign of how terrible things had become in the village lately. "Lord Second…" she would nod her head as she strode within the room, and sat down as the Kazekage had offered, only… She saw the chair was in a bit of a mess. There… likely wasn't going to be any sitting upon it. "It's alright, Kazekage-sama. My throat has been properly wetted. Any dryness of my mouth is likely due to nerves…" She reaches into her haori, slowly placing her finger along the lines of scrolls underneath. Each one has a different feeling material, allowing her to guess which scroll was the right one. "Ah! here… Excellent!" She would quickly pull out the scroll of her choice and unfurl it. The scroll unrolled, touching the ground and rolling forward along the floor before Fujiko made a handseal. "Kai!". The stage was set a moment later, as a puff of smoke from the scroll revealed… A chair! …. A prop stored within her scrolls! An actor is never far from her props! This was no exception!
RPCOMBAT: Fujiko defends against with a SCROLLED-TERRAIN…27
Itami's brows raised at being adressed in such a way. Not that it shouldn't be expected, but there are some titles she hears more than others. This is one of those rare times where she's addressed in some other form. "Not a problem," she replied in regard to the water situation. She moved around her desk, perhaps the only thing really left standing, and took a seat in her chair. Sure, it was scuffed up and a bit dusty, but it was still working.
"You make use of scrolls. I don't find that art utilized around here often," she admits. "A clean chair to sit in. I don't blame you," she smiled. "So, you wished to discuss some issues regarding your service as a shinobi, yes?"
Well, she supposes she should talk to her Kage. "I am being polite, Lord Second. I know that's… not your style… This… matter is serious though." She says as she places a hand on the head of the chair and leans on it as she looks at the white-haired kage with a serious face. Oh, there is no doubt that Fujiko likes to have her fun. She has a firm love of doing activities children wouldn't touch. It's just how she is…
Feeling Itami's hesitance over how she was addressing her, Fujiko would quickly change the act. Grabbing the head of the chair, she turns it around and sits in it backwards as she crosses her arms over the head of the chair and rests her hands on the arms. "Yes! I actually love scrolls! Let me tell you, that any jutsu that requires me to prepare before-hand and requires a brush is something of a boon for me. Calligraphy is my second favorite art, so scroll sealing is something that naturally interested me in the academy." Itami is right. It is rather rare. "… So! Watanabe-sama? Itami-dono? What can I call you? What is your desire?" She asks. "This is the first time we talked alone, that wasn't a graduation ceremony… I feel I should know the leader of my village more. Especially one that has entrusted me with a great task…"
"It's not quite my style, but I understand. I'm not insulted," Itami grinned. "Serious matters call for serious engagement and discussion, after all…" Her voice trailed momentarily as she watched Fujiko adjust herself to be more comfortable? "So you do!" She followed up with the girl on a cheerful note. Best not to draw too much attention. "I may not be one that's very well versed in sealing arts, but I've found them to be fascinating. That just the application of ink and chakra could manage to open the door to many other methods of both fighting and general use. I practiced calligraphy in my youth. It was a requirement for getting further in the academy I trained at, but I didn't like it for the writing more so than the form and technique. It complemented my skill of drawing and painting."
She clapped her hands lightly, "But that aside, I am typically addressed as Kazekage-sama, Kazekage, sometimes Itami-dono, but Itami will suffice. I have nothing against titles, but I don't want to make it appear as if I'm unable to be approached. You may call me what you feel is mindful. Anything else may cause issues," she laughed.
"But it has been just a little while since we've talked, yes. I am not certain of what to share. Hmm…" She drew her hands up to ther chin to think. "I once sat on the council prior to becoming the Second Kazekage. I served under Sousa," she began. "Before my time here, I came from another land, if it could be said it is another land. It's likely more like a territory now under the Land of Wind," she shrugged. "I was an artist by trade. I made glass works and sculptures and every so often I drew and painted. I sold my works to help the village here."
"Well, look at it from my point of view, Itami-Kazekage-Sama-Dono." She says with a sly smirk, "We've just come out of a crisis. I'm simply reflecting the general feeling of the community… Though, it's very refreshing to talk to someone who doesn't sound depressed. I'm glad you've not been brought down by half the village being damaged. People will need that enthusiasm and positivity from their leader." She says while smiling herself. Yet, was she really smiling? Deep inside, she likely wasn't. Inside, she was repressing that inner feeling of helplessness. Yet, an actor acts. It would be hard to tell the difference between truth and lie with Fujiko.
It's great to know that the Kazekage came not from within the village, but from outside. After all. "Ah, I was born in the Land of Stones back when it was the northern border of the Land of Wind. I understand what that feels like. Things change, but that doesn't mean that where we are is any less of a home because of it." Learning that Itami got by on selling her art made the young girl wonder. "Everyone in the village knows you sculpted glass. It's your claim to fame! Is it true that you… fight using glass too?" she asks. She'd love to hear more, honestly. Itami can see it in her eyes… or was that a lie? "… Really though, this is all just a really… terrible distraction from the real reason I was called here…" She states. "… How long do I have until they are ready for me?" A happy personality simply shifted into somber rather quickly, as her attitude changed at the drop of a hat. Her true emotion, fear and hesitance, showed it's face rather quickly. Even her smile dropped into what had to be an authentic frown…
"No need to be brought down with depression when my body was brought down on two different occasions," Itami laughed. She liked Fujiko's humor. "I think I had enough of being brought down by that point. It was time to recover," she adjusted herself in her seat to be more comfortable. "I appreciate your kind words, however. I've been trying to be active despite my current condition. I'm learning how to walk again and I can't press myself with strenuous activities or else, I'll risk placing my body and health in danger. I've already given my assistants heart attacks, so I'll try not to cause them too much trouble from now on." She rested her hands on the arm rests of her seat.
"I must agree with you on the subject of home. Certainly, I love my initial home, but Sunagakure has a place reserved in my hear as well. I'm glad to be here and in its service as well as consider it a home. As for fighting with glass, it's still something under experimentation. I have used it once before, but I not extensively. Still trying to get it all worked out. New jutsu forms can be tricky." She turned her seat to the side to look out the window behind her. "I had it in mind that it was," Itami answered honestly. "So, I only intended to talk when you were ready. With the state of the village as it is now, there will be a wait period, but you've nothing to fear. You've been chosen for a reason." She faced Fujiko and scrutinized her momentarily while gesturing for the assistants to leave them be temporarily.
Fujiko does not look behind her when the Kazekage moves over to her window, to view the damages from the comfort of the office. "The longer the wait, the more doubt piles upon my already weary heart. So dry and hot during the day, and cold when the moon rises… My heart is like the desert." Her feelings poetically put… When the assistants leave she closes her eyes, because she knows that this moment of privacy may not be for her comfort…. "I am ready, though my resolve wavers. The last Jinchuuriki… Who was he? Why did he turn on the village? Was he driven mad by the beast? Will this happen to me eventually?"
"I don't know what you must be feeling because I've never had the burden of managing a tailed beast. I do not have to communicate with it or host it," Itami sighed through her nose. "You have every reason to hold to your reservations. The last Jinchuuriki…they had issues of their own." She wover her fingers together and placed them just under her nose in a thoughtful gesture. "It was less the jinchuuriki and more the individual themselves. They were unstable and something happened that caused both them and the jinchuuriki to have problems. A mixture of things contributed to the fall of that jinchuuriki, but they're not things you must concern yourself with. You are not the same as this person, thus your experiences will differ. Some things may be the same as the other as the One Tail has the tendency to cause insomnia, but…those are one of the more noticable things. So, to make a long story short, I doubt these same things will happen to you."
Assuring words. Fujiko would chuckle. Chuckle very, very dryly. "Well, Kazekage-sama, if you suspect I'm about to go on a rampage… Please make my death quick and as painless as possible, and try to make it glorious too." She would say with a smile as she unwrapped her arms from the chair, standing up. She'd sit in the chair normally, now facing Itami. "Make sure it is your greatest 'glass' attack. So powerful that I am encased in it." She raises her arms and forms an imaginary sphere of glass around a hypothetical 'her' in the air. "The Nogakujin have an old adage. Die young and leave a beautiful corpse." She smiles softly and looks at her Kazekage. "If those terms are acceptable, as they are my only condition to becoming the one-tailed Jinchuriki, I can leave the heaviness of my heart behind me today." Again, it was all a convincing act. Her heavy heart would not desist. Not until the deed is done.
Itami hummed to herself at Fujiko's proposition. She wasn't upset with it, no. It was sound and reasonable in design. She uncrossed her hands as she drew herself closer in to her desk, smiling as she did so. "I know that you say this, but there are ways with dealing with these situations. Bijuu are difficult to work with, but are not impossible. I won't be encasing you in any glass to be trapped forever and destroyed simply because a beast managed to get the upper hand. Your life has value and even the beast, despite its tendencies. I am not here to destroy either one. That is why we help you to build your strength against it. Areas where you can train, people who can assist you in your growth to maintain control. To do anything less than that would be abandonment."
Diplomatic, heart felt words from her Kage. Her preferred form of death was humor, in part… At the same time, she was serious. What if she flew off the handle? What if her ambition grew too much for her to control? The girl, with humor far beyond her time, would raise a hand to her chin, curling her finger around it in thought. "Almost like an arranged marriage with a very, very abusive husband." … She notes. Her eyes glance at Itami's a moment, and away, before her eyes lock on once more. "That was a joke… Sorry, I'm a bit too young for jokes like that, aren't I?" She asks with a grin. Already, she is informed that she won't be getting her beauty sleep anymore. The lines around her eyes are going to get -very- thick because of it, she's almost positive of this. "Thank you Kaze-kage. You… have a way of easing people's fears." Not saying that it didn't sound like something she had read in a manuscript somewhere. Working together. Building one's strength to overcome adversity. She'd place her hands behind her head for a few moments, closing her eyes and grunting, before she would give Itami a formal bow. "Please… see me again before it is time. I will need your reassurances repeated verbatum to keep me steady… Until next time?" She asks weakly.
