Seeking New Heights

Seid had gotten up that morning with a new resolve. It had happened suddenly, but he had unlocked the true nature to his powers and now he was something to be feared. Rinnegan was now activated and he as unaware at first the true extent of what it meant. He would be hunted once word got out about him. Other members of the Otsusuki family that was not directly his own. But he was no ones prey. He would simply have to become stronger to fight would-be assassins or hunters.

That all started with his trip to the Raikage building. Easily the most noticeable building in all of Kumogakure. Seid had been garbed in his regular ninja wear, stood at the base of the building before he walked in the front door. There at the reception desk was the secretary. Upon getting closer, she asked him if there was anything he needed. "Genin Seid, here to see the Raikage for a meeting."

She nodded and checked her listing. "Alright, I see you here. Go ahead, I'll alert her that you're own your way. "

Seid went about took the long tract to the office. How does the Raikage do this everyday? He thought as went all the way up to the top. Finally making his way to the door he knocked on it and announced himself. "Seid Otsusuki here to see you Lord Raikage."

Throughout the trek through the building, Seid would see many guards stationed seemingly randomly throughout, with many of them on patrol. There was never a moment when he would be out of their sight, with at least one guard always having an eye on him until he reached his destination. Nariko had purposely spread out their patrols and stations so that they had eyes on the entire compound.

As he approached the door, there was a single guard currently sitting outside the office, who gave Seid a nod as he knocked. Nariko's voice called out to him.

"Come on in." she said in a more polite voice, the one she used for her meetings and formal tones. As Seid entered the office, he'd see it was quite plain, most of the room was empty, except for a few desks lining the walls and a mannequin which donned an armor newly tailored to her own form.

It was an immaculate piece of work, with the breastplate shaped into a Tiger's head. She had it there as the Administration building was the most fortified in the village, and it would be as safe as the village's scrolls were, as well as allowing her to don the armor in the case of a village emergency that called for its use. To be honest, she couldn't wait to have a chance to use it, but she hadn't yet.

Near the balcony, which had doors currently closed, Nariko's desk sat, with her seated behind it. For once, the desk was mostly clear of clutter and papers, as she'd been caught up ahead of time as per the Chuunin exams. She'd worked hard hours to get through it all, but she had wanted to pay as much attention to the exams as she could.

Nariko, for the most part, looked like any other shinobi in the village, as far as her choice of clothing indicated. She, as usual, wore her Jounin outfit, with her Kage hat and robes on another mannequin next to her Infinity Robes.

It only took a moment before Seid's ears quivered as he heard the Raikage answer him, "Come on in. " He opened the door and walked into the office. The office itself was empty for the most part. No intricate paintings or artifacts displayed like some leaders used to do, except for a set of brilliantly crafted armor on a mannequin. However she was the most interesting thing in the room. Dressed with her Jounin attire and her Kage cloak. It was her aura alone made him that much nervous. But he was able not show it, as this would be his first meeting with the Raikage. He thought that she might be aware of his particular existence. His family brought such attention to him.

Walking to her desk he bowed before clearing his throat and saying, "Greetings Lord Raikage. I've come to request something of you. I want the chance to prove my mettle and worth in order to learn the Lightning Release Chakra mode. My own training has pushed me to new levels. And I believe I am ready to extend my knowledge." He said to Nariko, still keeping his hands to his side respectively.

Nariko folded her hands in contemplation as Seid spoke. He asked something of her that she wasn't sure how he knew about, but that was another matter entirely. "The Lightning Chakra Mode is a powerful jutsu that is reserved for a precious few in Kumogakure. What makes you so sure that you're worthy to learn it? What do you intend to do to prove your mettle?" she asked, giving him a curious look.

Her curiosity was piqued. If he came here to prove himself, there had to be something he had in mind to do so. She could probably think of something herself, but if he wanted to show he was worthy of having a technique of that sort of power, he'd need to show he was not only strong enough to handle it, but also smart enough to wield it, to know when to use it, and when not to. Loyalty was an absolute must as well, considering the power of the technique. If someone were to betray the village and have the technique, they could use it to be a dangerous enemy. And they could pass on that sort of knowledge as well.

She knew that Seid had been about to leave the village, but had been stopped. He had since not, but the possibility alone was a difficult one for her to ignore. She gestured over to the mannequins side by side to each other. On one of them was the Armor, and the other was her Kage robes. "Both of those are tools of power, much the same as the technique you seek to learn. Not just anyone can use them, precious few will ever have the honor of being Kage, or of using that particular set of armor. And the same can be said about the Lightning technique you wish to learn."

The Raikage gave the Genin a curious look of interest at his request. She replied to him asking what exactly he meant to prove his mettle and his apparent worth. Her hands gestured towards the intimidating piece of armor on the mannequin. Seid had a set of impressive armor himself. But it paled in comparisons. The Kage explained that only a select few could ever hope to achieve such a position as leader of the village. And also the delicacies that came with it, such as the armor and the technique he had asked for.

Seid nodded the while. He had a something on his mind however if the Raikage decided to give her own twist on things than that would be her will. He had done quite the number of missions for Kumogakure however they weren't important missions so it was hard for him to prove his worth. The Genin looked at her before saying, "My worth I cannot determine because of my position as a Genin. But my training has been paying off, and I have reached new levels. My powers can be used to help Kumo fight its enemies."

Nariko offered him a bland smile in return. Unfortunately, he didn't seem to have any real answer for her, merely repeating his earlier statement. "You didn't exactly answer my question though. Allow me to rephrase. You come here and speak of your power and training and level. I know nothing about what it is you can do." she said, opening up a drawer and pulling out her cigarettes.

Opening the pack, she slid one out and placed the filtered end to her mouth, placing a finger at the other end and imbuing her finger with katon chakra. It lit the thin stick and she took a drag from it before exhaling it. "What I want from you, Seid, is to tell me how you intend to prove worthy of any of the village exclusives. What sets you apart from any of the others? I have genin, chuunin, jounin, ANBU, toku-jou, all under my service. Each and every one of them also here to, as you say, help Kumo defend itself against its enemies."

She took another puff of her cigarette and watched it burn a little, the ashes graying out after a couple of moments. She looked over to him, focusing on his face mainly. "Besides myself, 2 others know the full technique you're asking about. 1 other person besides them knows part of it, but not the entire thing. The other 2 who had known it before were the previous kage, at least I can assume Lady Calypso and Lord Seigi learned them. That totals 6 people knowing the full technique, and 1 knowing at least part of it, when we include myself. So, Seid, I ask you again. Why should you be the 8th?"

(Lost a portion of my last post was supposed to be this -_- )

Seid did not fully explain himself, must've been nervous. But he straightened up to explain how he could show his worth to the Raikage. She had enlightened him that only a handful of people were ever graced with knowledge. He had to make a convincing case seeing as this was his first encounter with the Kage. "My apologies Raikage-sama, allow me to conitnue. I've seen reports from a small town called Shungiko. They have requested our help in escorting a valuable gem. They also have been receiving threats from some group because of it. Though I am not a Chunin yet. I wish to take this mission and show the fruits of my labor are indeed worthy. I have completed a C-rank mission before with Lei-sama and Shinoskay so I have some experience with a more serious mission."


He had never been on a mission by himself, but he felt he was ready to tackle such problems now.  "If that is not enough. Of course anything that you deem is appropriate for me to prove myself Lord Raikage." Seid answered.

Nariko listened to his proposal, but still didn't quite receive the answer she wanted. Plenty of shinobi could do missions on their own, but she supposed he did have a bit of enthusiasm. "Very well. I shall permit you to take this mission alone, but this is only a single step towards what you are asking. You won't be earning the technique just for completing a C rank mission."

She took a drag and ashed the cigarette. "If you complete it fine, we'll talk some more. I might be making a small expedition up to the Land of Snow soon, so perhaps you'll find yourself in my entourage."

She figured she might as well give him a chance. Shimiko had proven capable over the years, and she'd given her a training version of the technique. Depending on how Seid's mission went, and the Exams themselves, maybe he would be the next to earn it. Maybe not, but it wouldn't hurt to see what all he could do. At least now she could keep an eye on his progress.

Nariko looked at him the whole time he was giving his proposal. Smoking her cigar, the smell was strangely good at first. Then as the smell became stronger, it began to make his nose burn. Definitely not gonna start those. An off thought passing through his head. The Raikage approved of his proposal to take on the mission though mentioned it wouldn't be just that to earn him the right. Which Seid anticipated. Merely getting the chance to work his worth was all that he could ask for. The rest he would have to provide.

But then she made a note on an expedition to the Land of Snow. Since he had moved to the Land of the Lightning he had not left. Not even to return to his own dimension. It would be sometime since he had left the country. But he nodded before answering her replies. "Of course Lord Raikage. I will protect the citizens as well if I have too. That expedition sounds interesting. I would be honored to be apart of your entourage."

"What sets me apart from others is unfortunately, my family. I have developed something that will make me a target. The Rin'negan has been unlocked within me. I wish to show you the true extent of its powers. My family has warned me about having such abilities. So no on knows yet. But I felt I can trust you with this knowledge."

He was nervous alright. He was hunted by another Otsusuki before and he was a madman. Now he had the tools to defend himself properly, however she still needed to know. Especially since he was living under her rule as well.

Nariko's eyes focused in on Seid as she stood from her chair, moving around her desk and towards him. "That's something you need to open with." she said in response to his admission of having Rinnegan. She didn't really know anything about them, other than they were apparently a Doujutsu of no small power. And incredibly rare as well, which was something else.

Studying his eyes, she frowned. "I'll admit, I don't know anything about your Doujutsu, but just possessing it is plenty. That makes you a very important asset to this nation, rather than just another shinobi in the military. Doujutsu, Kekkai Genkai, Hiden, those set powerful clans apart from the average Shinobi. I don't have any of those things, so given the same skill level as me, you have an edge on your Doujutsu alone."

She wasn't being entirely honest about that, as she was a Jinchuuriki, but that wasn't public knowledge, nor did she want it to be. Having a Bijuu put her on an entirely different level. But for the most part, she was telling the truth. There was a reason that Clans with Kekkai Genkai were often among the most important in a village.

"Don't worry, your secret will be safe with me. I don't want any Doujutsu hunters taking my shinobi's eyes." Besides, she wasn't really afraid of others surpassing her. She wasn't even the strongest in Kumogakure as it was. Akame was a Nature Clan member, a Jinchuuriki, and boasted incredible skills. Nariko was thrilled that Kumogakure had a Rinnegan user.

His revelation about his clan was new information for the Raikage. Something that indeed set him apart from others in this entire country. She like many others had no way to find out anything about the Rin'negan in detail. Save for the myths and stories. So Seid would have to provide a little insight as far as he knew. "Its a complicated and dangerous situation. But I am a piece to a greater power. There are more like me whom have different paths and powers. However all of our paths are intertwined together. As in we need to take the others power to complete it. I do not know who the others are, but there will be seven of us. With or without my consent, this will be my curse to complete."

The Raikage had stood up and came from behind her desk. Nariko explained to him that with his Doujutsu he had potential to even have an edge on her if they were on the same level. This was the highest praise he had ever received from his superiors. Maybe if he pushed himself and prove worthy. That he could complete the circle of destruction so none of his family would ever have to be hunted again. Ending anarchy, and uniting his family for a greater cause than pain.

She also said that there would be no one hunting him here in the large walls of Kumogakure. Which gave him a sense of security. But with his developing strength, he hoped he would not need them anymore. And he would be the one to be feared. "That's appreciated Lord Raikage. I've had my fair share of run-ins for now."

She gathered that he didn't know much about his own Doujutsu, but was surprised that it was incomplete. If it required others to complete it, then she'd keep an eye out for others, but she doubted that there would be much opportunity to receive other Rinnegan. That would simply be something Said would have to do in time on his own. His own journey and curse as he put it.

"Very well. If you need anything for it, and I can help without causing any undo political problems, let me know. For now, I think you have an assignment to get to, so if you have nothing further?"

"Thank you Lord Raikage. If I need any assistance on that matter I know I have help. Excuse me." Seid said showing a medium low bow to her. It was reassuring to hear that, especially in these trying times. Konoha invading Iwa, conquering the Land of the Earth. People were making bold moves, one of the boldest would be to come after him. But he would be ready this time. He turned around and walked out of the office. But not before giving one more admiring look at her armor before leaving the high rise office.

[Exit]