Rusty Tavern

Shimiko walked into an old tavern in the Kabukicho District. She was looking for a Mr. Akihiro Uchiha. She wanted to have words with the exam administrator. For a variety of reasons she wasn't in an especially good mood but she managed to plaster her cheerful smile on her face. When she walked into the establishment people looked at her then looked away. She was wearing a white button up dress shirt, red skirt, combat shoes, and a red tie with the Jashinist symbol in the center. The people around these parts knew not to mess with the Jashinist Church. The Church had been given a mandate to clean up the city and execute criminals who ran afoul of the law. Thus, when  one of its followers or Sacristans entered the area they were shown due respect. It could mean the difference between life or death. Shimiko walked over to the bar counter and sat down scanning the bar for Akihiro. A glass of water was set in front of her (many Jashinists abstained from alcohol) which she gratefully accepted with a smile and sipped.

Where is he....

Ah, old taverns. They were the most famous cliches in spy books. A place of gathering- not just of people, but information. For wherever people flocked, information tagged along. Perhaps t was the grumpy guard displeased with a rough shift, perhaps it was a key employee who drank too much after a hard day's work...or an unwise merchant spouting about famous trade routes. It didn't matter, in this place information flew, and Akihiro could only admire how easily it happened. But above that, it was the game of eavesdropping, filtering and collecting information from the huge source of voices and whispers which composed raw data being thrown around him. Alas, it was a pleasant evening today. The shinobi tournament and the chuunin exams had brought a lot of foreigners into Kumogakure no Sato so really, for Akihiro, this was a feast.


He, of course, was merely sipping apple juice- the boy was only fourteen years old after all, and it wasn't fitting or even healthy for a child to be drinking alcohol at such a young age. Covering most of his body was a black cloak, padded with leather underneath initial layers and covering a light armor Akihiro himself was wearing, made of jade. He wasn't truly expecting combat to arise, but the armor was new and he was still getting used to its weight. The cloak came in handy to hide the armor as well as give Akihiro an inconspicuous look.

His scanning of conversations ceased when a woman walked into the room. Akihiro resisted the temptation of thinking of her as a "girl". She was young, could not be too older than him. Perhaps one, or two years? But she had the body of a grown woman and walked with the confidence of one. Her body had clearly been trained for combat. Was it Taijutsu? Red eyes glared from beneath the hood, as discreet as ever. No, her hands seemed more delicate than that of a Taijutsu user. Only a gentle-fist user would have such hands while practicing the Taijutsu arts. "Then...Bukijutsu?" Was an option. Was the most probable option. At first glance, Shimiko impressed and sparked interest in the Sparrow. But perhaps the greatest trigger for Akihiro's flagging was not quite the woman herself but rather everyone around her. A sudden "silence" fell on the tavern as she entered. It was subtle, and hard to notice. After all there were still people talking and drinking, and enjoying conversations. But it was somehow different. The whispers Akihiro had been previously paying attention to had all but dissipated into thin air. Suddenly people were far more careful with the words they spoke even to their closest of friends. And much to her apparent obliviousness, there was thin line of tension in the air.

Akihiro smirked under his cloak's hood. He'd spend most of his life trying to have the exact opposite effect upon entering pretty much anywhere. And it was fairly easy. This woman's feat seemed -not impossible, but far more troublesome to achieve. And now people would wonder why she would sit at a table with a guy who seemed to belong to the tavern for as long as their old and rusty furniture. Perhaps this was not the best place for their meeting after all- Akihiro failed to take into account this effect. But alas, it mattered little now and something told him no one would dare to even attempt to eavesdrop on them. If they did, Akihiro would know.

He would lower his hood and wait for her eyes to find him, his own gaze now wielding a mere fully black iris of a regular person's eyes. A small smile and a wave of hand signalled her, and invited her to seat at his discreet table.

Shimiko looked towards the door as a newcomer entered the establishment. He was young, far too young to be in a tavern. She was about to turn away from him to continue her scan of the bar when he signaled her. He gave a small smile which she returned. It was a curiosity but she figured that prodigies were common in the Uchiha Clan and she had been told that Akihiro was quite young. Being a member of ANBU Black Ops she had learned the basics of reading people and situations. The vibe Akihiro was giving off was of someone who was in control of the situation and had not let a single thing escape his attention. There was a lot going on in the tavern and much to take in but he was far too confident and comfortable to be a mere boy. Shimiko stood from her stool, finished her drink of water, and walked over to the more discreet area.

"Akihiro Uchiha?"

The way he'd react to the name would tell her much about what she needed to know. If the young man responded in the affirmative and gave off the necessary verbal and non-verbal cues that indicated truthfulness then she'd take a seat opposite him. The Chinoike's normally cheerful expression evaporated and she found herself staring at him with barely concealed annoyance.

"I heard you failed my twins....Yui and Yua"

It was clear that her purpose for being here was to interrogate him on his administrative decision. The word of the Chuunin Exams head administrator was not binding on Kumogakure. They could very well ignore his glorified recommendation and promote the twins anyways. But such a thing was frowned upon and was considered a malicious act by a village. She wouldn't put Nariko in that position nor would she shame her twins by implying they were a pair of sour grapes. However, if Akihiro reversed his own decision then that would spare the village any embarrassment.

"In flesh and blood. But you know this, it's not the first time you see me, is it? It was quite a spectacle you put up for them in your first match." Akihiro had been not only performing proctor duties for the Chuunin Exams but also for the Shinobi Tournament- which, in retrospective had been poorly named since mostly Kunoichi kicked ass in that particular competition. He'd have to re-think the name of the tournament, really. But that was a thought for another occasion. "And you are Shimiko Chinoike. In flesh and, well, a lot of blood I imagine." It was a slight jest, referring to Shimiko's fighting style. But he had a feeling she wouldn't find it to be funny, for there seemed to be a negative emotion underneath her expression mask. Alas, a small joke was a good way to take reaction measures and it was a card Akihiro rarely ever minded playing.

They would take seats on opposite sides of a small wooden table. Shimiko's mask dropped immediately as she spoke the name of her twins. Akihiro didn't have to make much of an effort to remember them- their exam had been one of the most interesting models he ever designed. "Ah, yes. The adorable Jashinist twins. I did fail them, no need to thank me." Akihiro wasn't dumb, he could tell she was clearly upset. But he spoke truthfully and spoke once again before she the opportunity to interrupt him. "They weren't ready.  It's not power, or strength I believe they lack. Not even soul, they're good kids. And while we didn't get to actually test their ninja abilities to confirm my beliefs, they lacked somewhere far more important. Here. And here." First he pointed towards Shimiko's forehead, and then to her chest.

"We are ninja. We hold power over our chakra. As Genin, Chuunin and Jonin. But what separates us, the latter two, from the Genin is that we hold power over not only chakra, but over the lives of others." Akihiro met her stare head-on. He dared her to challenge his position. "I believe you know the importance of this matter, yes?" Akihiro was well aware Shimiko played a vital role in the twin's education. After all, they spoke highly of her. "Then you'll be aware that a ninja who cannot understand his or her purpose, regardless of what it is, cannot hold the lives of subordinates. And as such, are not fit to be Chuunin or Jonin. A ninja with no Nindo is a dangerous thing."

He made a small pause and sipped a bit of apple juice. "The exams were based on each individual's perspective of the Nindo, their ninja path. Some believed the wolf should sacrifice itself for the pack, others believed they have a moral obligation to save everything and everyone if they can. Some stared Death in the eyes, others stubbornly tried to defy fate. All of it with one, single, purpose: To find and understand their Nindo. " The Sparrow raised a single index finger. "My method looked deep within them and found a suitable illusion. Your twins believed they were speaking with Jashin himself.

Make no mistake, however. I did not fail them because of the illusion they were shown. I am not arrogant enough to claim to know which Nindo is better than the next one. Frankly speaking, I do not care. It is not important. All that matters is whether or not they found their Nindo and fully understood its consequences. If Yui and Yua's Nindo is the Way of the Jashinist, so be it.

The problem was, that there was doubt in their mind and confusion in their hearts. They didn't doubt the existence of Jashin at all, but they didn't grasp the full consequences of being a Jashinist nor the nature of their God. It is...ah...rather hard to explain." Akihiro made another pause. He was speaking quite a lot today, which was unusual. But a teacher sought explanations for the failure of her students, and he couldn't help but oblige even if he was now having trouble finding words.

"But I can show you." His eyes would never leave her stare, but this time there was moe depth to Akihiro's gaze. He was sure she knew what he meant. Should she consent, his eyes would turn red and she would be shown the full extent of her student's exam. Shimiko would be taken to see an exam that took roughly half an hour, alongside Akihiro. But by the time they returned to the tavern and the illusion was gone, not two seconds had passed.


OOC:
Possibly trained Genjutsu Sharingan? Lel

Shimiko could see why Akihiro was chosen to be the Head Administrator for the Chuunin Exams. He was a good judge of character and could read people exceptionally well. She had read that the Uchiha had lacked empathy and only knew hatred but she was now certain that this was racist propaganda. Only those who could truly feel the emotions of others could be so competent in analyzing what a person was about after a few seconds of interaction. Akihiro had pushed the right buttons when addressing her. He played to her sense of pride by remarking on how well she had performed. He played to her sense of devotion to her twins by implying that she had inspired them by putting on a good "show". He even managed to acknowledge her rare and lethal fighting style without sounding like a sycophant. If she hadn't been trained by ANBU, Shimiko almost certainly would have blushed and smiled at his words. Unfortunately for him, Shimiko had learned to notice when people were being manipulative or were trying to diffuse a tense situation. She had no intention of letting his sweet words weaken her resolve or lighten the mood. Her expression remained the same and she only offered a "That's right" in response to him calling her by name.

He cracked another joke about how him failing her twins was somehow something to thank him for. She turned her head a bit and gave him an unyielding stare. Shimiko did not particularly enjoy playing the bad cop but she had learned to adopt the role. She wasn't going to let Akihiro off the hook without a good explanation. Akihiro continued his spiel and she'd only occasionally nod in response to his rhetorical question and offer to show her the events of the trial. He had much to say on the subject and she found herself growing mildly furious at the mind games he was playing. She analyzed the problem, what was asked of them, and how the twins had performed. Ordinarily she wouldn't let herself be subsumed under another's illusion so easily but given that she was in her own village and confident in her abilities as a ninja to overcome any foul play she had relented. When they were brought back to reality she glanced away for a few moments and blinked. So this is the power of the Sharingan?. The Doujutsu's capacity for casting illusions rivaled that of the Ketsryugan and the ease with which he reproduced the memory suggested a skill with Genjutsu that far exceeded her own. This Akihiro had to be a big player in Konoha's intelligence community and the fact that she had never heard of him to the same degree as she had Masuyo only confirmed her suspicions. The best intelligence operatives worked in the shadows. She had avoided the spotlight for as long as she reasonably could but with the Church's growing influence and her performance in the Tournament it was only a matter of time before she too became a household name. She turned back towards the Uchiha, her expression still less than pleasant but it was clear that she was thinking.

She considered his words before speaking:

"Your Exam was blasphemous and a severe violation of Jashinism's most sacred tenets. To impersonate Jashin even for educational purposes such as this is not something we allow".

She crossed her arms in frustration. Shimiko was pursuing this track because she knew that he was right. Their hearts were in the right place but their answers were scattered and inconsistent. They were still young in the faith and there was much to learn. The Orthodoxy was complex and its approach to theology could only be fully understood after years of dedicated study. Even Shimiko the Defender of the Faith had much to learn when it came to the higher mysterious of the Faith. The twins were simply not equipped to handle his questions and if Jashinism was to be their Ninja Way they had not done an adequate job as demonstrating how it could guide them as Chuunin. She could understand why he had failed them but that didn't make her any less agitated. The majority of Shimiko's anger was directed towards Akihiro for using their God for such a (relative to his divinity) trivial matter. A small part of her was angry at herself for not having the time to sit down with the twins and explain to them the foundations of their Faith. She had left it to the Church and while they were excellent teachers, nothing could replace her status as their primary mentor and parental figure. She had been so busy with her career, relationship, and business that she had neglected their spiritual growth. The fact made her guilty and eager to lash out.

"You do realize the Orthodoxy has a strong presence in Kumogakure? Why would you decide to create an impious representation of our Lord without first consulting the Church?"

Her aim was to put him on the defensive and force him to explain himself to her. From there she could try to negotiate a new test for her twins. One that did not offend her religious sensibilities. If given enough notice in advance, she could dedicate more time to training them. They'd be ready to go and would hopefully exceed his expectations.

The expression in Shimiko's eyes before and after being put under the illusion of the Sharingan had changed. It was very subtle, but it was there. Little by little, it seemed Akihiro was able to convince Shimiko he had a point. Confirmation came when she spoke for the first time, accusing Akihiro of blasphemy and violation of Jashin's sacred tenets. The Sparrow let her speak but raised an eyebrow at her accusations. They seemed...farfetch'd, to say the least. Could this be a last resource move to antagonize the Sparrow now that she knew he was right in failing the twins? That was most likely the case but despite being accused of heresy Akihiro found Shimiko's arguments quite interesting. So this was the sort of power the Jashinists held over Kumogakure no Sato? That certainly explained the reactions of people when Shimiko entered the tavern. Now it was clear they felt something beyond respect for the Jashinist. They were afraid. That was...quite interesting, to say the least. Alas, holding the Jashinists so much power over Kumogakure no Sato and its law, the Sparrow couldn't let himself be caught off guard and give her a chance to formally accuse him. Truth to be told he was innocent, but he wasn't naive enough to believe innocence or guilt mattered the most in a trial.

"You seem to be under the impression that I chose to represent your God and impersonate him. This is not the case." He took another sip of his apple juice. "I merely glanced at your student's mind and found the elements which caused uncertainty and doubt. And then I allowed them to lead the illusion as they saw fit. A master of Genjutsu doesn't force a victim to experience what he wants them to. The finest of Genjutsu arts make its victims experience exactly what they wish to experience deep within their hearts and minds. It helps them believe.

I did not choose to impersonate Jashin. But that's what was important for your students. I didn't choose to represent your God as a skeleton on top of a clock. But that's how your students saw him in their minds. Jashin's voice, the questions he asked, how he spoke... I didn't come up with any of it. My Genjutsu merely asked the twins: 'What is your heart's deepest desires, and its deepest doubts?'.

And then it discreetly helped them build the world and characters they needed to help them find the answers on their own." The Sparrow took another sip from his cup. The sweet taste of apple juice was refreshing and one of his guilty pleasures.

"I sincerely hope this will help you better understand your students." he smiled. It was an honest smile. Akihiro and Shimiko belonged to rival countries and rival villages but the bond between student and master was universal and a common ground they could certainly find. Perhaps he didn't understand all of Kumogakure's traditions, or Shimiko Konoha's. But they could both understand the importance of this bound.

"What they went through... It is not a privilege many have, you know. Most of us deny our hearts the opportunity to answer these questions, and we suffer. We deny it because facing these questions can be difficult, painful even. To have the opportunity to gently ask a heart what it needs, and the opportunity to seek answers at such a young age... it's wonderful."

Akihiro's expression suddenly turned curious. The natural curiosity of a genius child came up onto the surface of his cheeks. "I can't help but wonder... what would you see? What is your heart's deepest desire? Money and wealth? Honor and pride? Authority and power? Revenge? Or something that transcends all of these?" It was an honest question accompanied by an honest smile. Akihiro found people fascinating. Some were more interesting than others, but they were all fascinating to a degree. Shimiko Chinoike was no exception.

What could be the heart's desire of a woman who already seemed to have the respect of an entire village and command of an entire Church? Ah, what an interesting question...

Akihiro seemed a bit surprised that she had changed tactics. He didn't freak out but instead handled the informal accusations of blasphemy and impiety quite gingerly. He denied actually creating the illusion from scratch, he stated that he had merely posed a philosophical question and that the ruminations of the twins's mind had conceived of the experience. He claimed that he was not responsible for any particular depiction of Lord Jashin as it had all come from Yui and Yua. Shimiko's agitation was palpable but she couldn't quite call him on lying without revealing her own relative ignorance in the field of Genjutsu. She knew the art well enough to perform it but it was a very recent addition to her arsenal. She didn't think it was even possible for an individual to create such an elaborate illusion based off of vague problems or ideas. To essentially trick an opponent's mind into filling in the details for you would require a level of mastery and intelligence that she had not yet reached. If she implied that he was lying merely because he was capable of performing illusive feats that she was not then Akihiro would feel even more secure in both his decision and his ability to escape judgment should she choose to escalate her complaint.

So these are the type of people that fill the ranks of the Uchiha Clan?

The thought was not entirely derisive. There was a modicum of respect in her eyes and body language as he elaborated on why he had posed the question. He artfully turned the subject to her and inquired what her deepest desires were. He was a precocious lad and probably leagues ahead of her in the field of psychological warfare. Despite the difference in age, she could tell that she was only beginning to tread water in a field that this young man had clearly mastered. This acknowledgement didn't mean she was going to play his game though.

"I know what you're trying to do Akihiro" she said plainly. "I'm not interested in being a data point in whatever convoluted intelligence matrix that your village has drawn up. Even if you were right in failing my twins, given what you've just told me about your methods, I'm kinda concerned about where our villages go from here. If you used the Exams as a cover to gather information from our shinobi's minds through invasive Genjutsu that'd be a problem. A problem that could conceivably damage relations between our villages unless....we use this as an opportunity to cooperate. To form ties that could be mutually beneficial to both our interests."

Akihiro wasn't someone she wanted to offend or alienate. He had demonstrated that he was in a class of his own and someone like that could be quite handy. He could lead her to Mockingbird although at this point given his competency in the field, she assumed he was either a member, leader or some other major player involved with the organization. That being said, she wasn't about to let him walk away thinking he had blown her mind. She was still here to talk about her twins and advocate for them. Someone like Akihiro was bound to be prideful and they would never admit to making an mistake or error (especially when they didn't actually make one). So having him recant or revise his decision to fail the twins was absolutely out of the question. However, there were other things he could do.

Very much like Akihiro, Shimiko Chinoike was a lot more intelligent than her age would let her know. She kept playing on the defensive while trying to corner Akihiro into a weakened position for negotiations. But very much like she saw through his moves, he saw through hers. In a way, it was a shame. Akihiro really wished the two of them could enjoy a conversation without these mind games. They were fun to play with others sometimes but Akihiro could rarely ever find someone who could come close to match his intellect. And Shimiko seemed to be one of these people. Surely a regular conversation between the two would have been far more interesting than mind games they both knew how to play. Alas, this was not the world they lived in and as Shimiko made a move Akihiro was forced to reply.

"You don't want to be a data point? Well, I'm sorry. I can't help it." he chuckled. "You see, I can't forget anything. It's not really a choice of mine, it just doesn't happen. Everyone I meet becomes a data point in my mind. Of course I gathered information through the exams, I can't help it." It may have seemed like he was conceding a point, and yet Akihiro wasn't all that interested in being accused of espionage. "But this isn't unknown to your village. The Raikage has full access to the file with every single participant's exam, very much like I had. It was part of the agreement between our two nations. I don't see how this will damage relations between our villages. You don't think I'm naive enough to perform a test the Raikage wouldn't know about, do you?" Akihiro was as interested in negotiating with Shimiko as she was, but this would make sure they were in similar positions before negotiations actually started. She held nothing over him, despite having tried twice. But what could she possibly want to ask him, considering she had been so aggressively attempting to gain an edge? This made Akihiro curious.

"You wish to form ties, but you refuse to allow us to know each other, or answer my question. Seems rather...counter-intuitive does it not?" He raised an eyebrow. "But I'll admit I'm curious, so I'll bite. Do tell me, what sort of, erm, ties are you looking to establish?"

Akihiro brushed off her concerns. He maintained that it was in his nature to be an information gatherer and that his methods had been approved as part of the agreement between their villages. Shimiko didn't doubt that the concept as a whole had been approved but she was curious as to whether there wasn't some hidden card at play. Certainly someone this skilled in Genjutsu had a means of planting false memories or mental triggers within a person's brain under the guise of an exam. Shimiko gave him a look as if to say: I'm not dumb.

"Something tells me you're smart enough to perform the test just as you described to the Raikage but you're also smart enough to get away with hiding other nefarious purposes if you were so inclined"

She crossed her legs and sat back a bit before responding to his skepticism.

"Likewise, I'm smart enough to realize that ties between intelligence networks are not always founded on friendship or even trust but just plain old fashioned quid pro quo. Its the exact sort of relationship that I want to establish. We will share with you any pertinent information that comes our way with the expectation that you'll do the same. The only question I have right now is who exactly controls the flow of information in Konoha? Is it your iteration of ANBU? Is it this Mockingbird organization I've heard rumors about? Some combination of the two?"

The initial track of conversation had been changed and now they were discussing something far more sensitive than just the failure of some genin. Shimiko guessed that Akihiro could sense the transition and had mentally prepared for it. That didn't mean he was entirely off the hook with respect to her twins. If he made a misstep she'd use it against him. She cared deeply for Yui and Yua and was willing to use anything she could find as leverage to give them a second chance at promotion.

"Oh I wouldn't dare underestimate the Raikage's cognitive abilities." Akihiro quickly replied. He really hadn't performed any sort of dubious technique in order to gain information. Whatever he knew about these exams, the Raikage knew. But, as always, truth didn't matter as much as what people perceived to be the truth. And if Shimiko was indeed convinced that he had done something and word spread, Akihiro could very well be in trouble. That was, if she could prove it. And knowing this Akihiro couldn't resist adding yet another phrase. "But if I was smart enough to get away with that, I surely wouldn't be caught off guard in a tavern conversation. I hope." He smiled. All of Akihiro's smiles were honest. He was really enjoying the conversation despite Shimiko's refusal to allow him to approach and know her better. Truth to be told he had analyzed every single move she'd made in the tournament and very much like his entire life up until this point, he could recall every single detail of it. He knew to a degree how capable she was as a kunoichi, but what he didn't know, was who this woman was as a person. And Akihiro was always drawn to find what he didn't know.

The tone of conversation had changed. Akihiro was indeed prepared for that, but he spoke just like before. Despite how delicate this issue was he refused to let that affect his tone. "Ah yes, the famous quid pro quo. A favor for a favor. Give and take, you scratch my back, and I'll scratch yours, and one hand washes the other." These were all equivalent expressions shamelessly stolen from Wikipedia because the author of this post is too unschooled to properly find a way to describe the expression in English. Alas, Akihiro continued.

"You see, the problem I have with quid pro quo relations is that...they're unstable." He took another sip of apple juice. "The rumours you heard about Mockingbird were true. But I wouldn't say we control the flow of information. That's impossible. We merely...monitor it. Block a few messages here, allow some there. Perhaps alter others, if it suits our friend's purposes. Information is like a river, you see. One can divert it, with some effort. Maybe delay it, cause it to overflow. But one cannot stop the water from running, that would be madness." His gaze would focus on hers.

"And the reason Mockingbird works is because we don't rely on simple quid pro quo. For example- let's say we establish a quid pro quo tie right here. Maybe tomorrow you'll find someone better. And you'll start feeding us false information because, well, you don't really give a fuck about us and you found a better agent (although I doubt you'll find better than us)." This was very much true and the core problem of information exchange. Akihiro gave this example because he wasn't interested in offending Shimiko, but this was also true the other way around. If a simple quid pro quo relationship was established, then Mockingbird wouldn't hesitate in ditching Shimiko should someone else pay better. But that just wasn't how Mockingbird worked, they had never ditched anyone and there was a reason for that.

"I assume you wish to establish ties with Mockingbird. Well, Shimiko Chinoike, the only tie I can offer you is... friendship." He would make a pause to let that sink in. It was a rather odd proposal coming from Mockingbird's director, but it was a far better one than a business relationship.

"For you see, if we're business partners, we'll naturally go wherever business is best. And we won't hesitate to ditch each other for better business partners. But.

If we're friends, then your goals will be my goals. And my goals will be your goals. We'll have each other's back and we'll be able to rely on each other regardless of whatever the world throws at us. If you need information and it is within my power to give it to you, it's yours. If I need information, you do the same. There are no prices. No favors. And our relationship will be stable. That's what friendship is." He chuckled again. Most people refused his offer. And most people never worked with Mockingbird to its fullest extent.

"But friendship is based on trust. And right now you can't trust me, can you?" he smiled again. It was hard to establish friendships between two rival villages, but if possible... if possible. It was a feat rarely every accomplished, but a feat for which Akihiro was willing to take a risk for.

"Perhaps it was unfair to ask you to reveal your heart's deepest desire like that. Certainly, there must be something you wish to know about me, about my organization. So ask away, I'll answer truthfully. I promise, as a first token of trust." This was proving to be quite an interesting meeting. Akihiro couldn't help but wonder if Shimiko would lower her guard. Truthfully there was no reason for her to keep it up, but it was understandable if she chose to do so. After all they were from rival villages. But Akihiro needed to know if they could get past that. Mockingbird was more than a spy network.

Shimiko wanted to laugh in Akihiro's face. Here they were, two intelligence officers of admirable skill and determination, talking about friendship. She didn't know Akihiro personally but she assumed he had to be smart enough to gather that she wasn't thrilled with the prospect of impromptu friendship. He was right that a business relationship in the shinobi world was a tenous thing. But friendship wasn't something that just happened, it was something cultivated over the course of months or years. A common religion, interest, taste could spark a friendship but only time could truly grow it. The Jashinist kept her arms and legs crossed as she stared at the Uchiha. He was willing to reveal information about himself as a sign of trust. It could be a trick or a trap but somehow she felt as though he was being sincere. Perhaps he truly valued such "friendships" enough to divulge sensitive personal information.

"My friendship isn't something to be bartered or bought like candy. I consider my true friends family and my true family are my friends. Anything you tell me at this meeting isn't enough to earn my trust"

It was a truthful statement. There wasn't anything in particular she was absolutely dying to know about Akihiro. Of course she had her curiosities and questions but she wasn't going to inflate his ego. Her friendship wouldn't be easily won over by playing 20 Questions. The original purpose of this meeting was to intimidate him into rescinding his decision to fail her twins. But since she was unable to achieve her objective, she decided to settle for making a business contact. Unfortunately that wasn't good enough for Akihiro so now she was faced with the task of navigating around his request for friendship.

"If you want my friendship, the first step is to not take it so lightly"

*glurp*glurp*glurp*
"Oh, it's over..." Akihiro muttered as he stared at the straw inside his apple juice. Then he would raise his gaze to Shimiko and put down the glass. The woman was proving to be far more difficult to befriend that he'd first anticipated but looking back Akihiro figured he should have expected this. Shimiko was an intelligence officer and most intelligence officers had trust issues- and for good reason too. This wasn't going to be easy. For a moment Akihiro thought about comparing her early reactions to his words, analyzing the speech pattern which had pleased her the most and carefully crafting a phrase which would put them on relatively good terms- or at least better terms. But then he resisted such temptation, for such temptation was nothing else but a lie. A well-crafted lie, but a lie nonetheless. And if Akihiro was to befriend Shimiko, he couldn't afford to lie to her.

"Oh, don't think for a second I take anyone's friendship lightly. I am not bartering or attempting to negotiate your friendship in any way, I assure you. Quite the opposite in fact." Akihiro raised his right hand and signaled the bartender for another drink. The young Sparrow drank apple juice like it was...well, apple juice. "From the moment we've met you have been asking things of me. You asked me who I was, why I failed the twins, whether or not I had said any blasphemies during the Chuunin Exams... And you asked me to establish a contract relative to the sharing of information.

I have done all I could to answer you truthfully, to the point where I told you I do not establish such contracts without a friendship base. I could have lied to you. Said yes, and then deceived you. But I did not, and I will not." He made a small pause, to make that clear.  "And yet..." The Sparrow tilted his head a little to his left side and the expression on his face changed. It became a mixture of disappointment and sadness.

"...and yet you haven't given me anything, at all. I started by offering you a smile, but you replied with a frown and anger. I helped you understand your students, and you threatened me with blasphemy. I asked you for a dream, and you reduced me to a machine who does nothing more than collect data. I told you a secret of mine: That I do not forget anything, and you accused me of conspiring against your village. You asked me to form a tie to Mockingbird, and I gave you the secret for a successful and lasting tie between organizations. I offered you information about myself, and you didn't even deem me worthy of a question.

Finally, despite all of this, I offered you my friendship. Precisely because friendship isn't a bargaining chip. " The waiter came and placed another glass of apple juice with a straw on the table while taking the empty one. Akihiro held it and sipped a little bit more of apple juice. Then he placed it back on the table. "If nothing I say will make you trust me, then what are we doing here?" Akihiro asked, his expression becoming slightly happier from the moment he took another sip of his favorite juice. "A black ops officer isn't good when he or she knows not to trust anybody. I mean, your average bird does that- Distrust everybody, run from everyone, keep everyone at bay. And if anyone tries to approach, they run or divert their trajectory. That's easy.

But the finest intelligence officers... the ones who excel at their jobs. They do so not because they don't trust anyone...but because they know exactly who they can trust." He dared winking at Shimiko and smiling once again. She was proving to be a tough cookie to crack, but the Sparrow really hoped he would be able to establish a solid relation here.

"I'm not asking you to trust me right now and immediately. I'm asking you to lower your guard a little. You've been arm and leg crossed for a while now... relax. We're just two people talking, aren't we? That's how friendships begin, I believe."

Akihiro was pushing this friendship thing hard but he was going about it the wrong way. She hadn't come here to make friends, she had come for answers. He had obliged in that regard but his interest in her was not appreciated at the present moment. By telling her to relax, he was only serving to make her angry and more uncomfortable. Perhaps it would have been better to play on her attachment to her twins by offering to train them. She would have guessed his intentions but so long as he acknowledged what he was doing as opposed to insinuating manipulation, it would have made her a bit more likely to trust him. The game of 21 questions with a foreign intelligence officer was not her ideal means of forming friendship. The whole interaction had been tainted and she wasn't going to give in to his offer just because he had answered her questions. He was a foreign shinobi in her village and she had a right to cross-examine him. The fact that he had answered wasn't a demonstration of trust, it was an obligation that came with him being permitted in the village. Shimiko didn't budge and only after he had finished speaking did she say:

"I think we're done here"

The truth of the matter was that she was still salty about his decision to fail her twins and him prodding her for friendship in lieu of a business relationship was annoying her. His concept of friendship didn't cohere with her experience and now she couldn't help but wonder why he was pushing this angle so strongly when he knew she was resistant to it. Shimiko stood but before walking away she added:

"If we need to talk again, I'll ask for you by name. Hopefully the next time we meet it'll be a bit more productive"

Shimiko wasn't a stand-offish person. To the contrary, she had spent many years of her life actively seeking out the friendship of others. However, since then she had grown older and wiser. She was fiercely defensive of her twins and had grown in her relationship with Sakata, the Church, and many other important individuals in her life. She didn't want the friendship of the whole wide world. She didn't need the friendship of the whole wide world. So when faced with a Konoha spy of comparable caliber that had just deemed her twins unworthy of promotion, she felt no obligation to cater to his game of false friendship. She walked out of the tavern having satisfied her curiosity as to why Yui and Yua weren't Chuunin but she had at least for now shut the door on friendship with Akihiro Uchiha.

Exit.

It wasn't often that Nariko left the Administration Building for anything that could be perceived as pleasure, and today was no exception. Despite the fact that she was on her way to a tavern, she wasn't there to partake in anything fun, merely a small rendevouz with Akihiro, who had been one of the proctors to the Chuunin Exams and helped plan them in a large part. Unfortunately, they hadn't completed the exams, which were more or less cancelled due to some emergency situation in Konoha, but before he departed, Akihiro had requested a meeting with her, although not in the office for whatever reason.

Nariko normally would have turned down such an invitation, but she'd been cooped up in that building so often that she took this opportunity to get out and about. As she had a large presence of guards patrolling the city, she didn't see any reason to bring along any of her ANBU, leaving them to maintain security at the Administration Building, choosing to go out on her own.

While it could often be said that Nariko was a known element, there was little to distinguish her from a regular Jounin to most of the outsiders in the village, as she opted to not wear her ceremonial robes more often than not, and it was a hit or miss chance that she'd even wear the hat to signify her office. Anyone who needed to know her knew who she was, and that was the way Nariko preferred to keep it. Having met Akihiro before, the two were somewhat familiar with each other by appearance alone.

Entering the tavern, Nariko's eyes scanned the crowd for the genius child, finding him rather quickly and making her way towards the prodigal Uchiha. She sniffed the air around him as she stifled a laugh, realizing what he was drinking. "Apple Juice in a tavern? You're something else. Shinobi are permitted to drink alcohol in my village, regardless of age. I'd never ask someone to lay down their life as a member of the military and deny them other basic pleasures that they may otherwise never get the opportunity to try if they end up dying."

She took a seat, pulling out a cigarette and lighting it up in front of Akihiro, blowing a plume of smoke towards the ceiling. She received a look from the owner, who rushed over and placed down an ash tray for her so she didn't ash on the ground, and Nariko gave a brief thanks.

Akihiro couldn't say he had been surprised by Shimiko's attitude. During their entire conversation, she had been dead set on making a foe out of him, perhaps due to the fact that the young Sparrow had failed her twins. From the moment Akihiro noticed her entire behavior had been based on a grudge, he knew he couldn't just flat out trust her for a business relationship. Not yet. So the only possible approach was a friendship, to get to know the woman better. It was a slim chance, but Akihiro decided to take it. In the end, it didn't pay off. Shimiko was simply too salty for any approach right now.

Regardless, Akihiro kept his smile one from the moment she told him they were done there to the moment she walked out the door. He didn't say a word, but in that moment the expression on his face changed. It as no longer that of an innocent child but rather that of a concerned adult. He leaned back on his chair and allowed himself to be lost deep in thought. He was so deep in the world inside his own head that he didn't even notice Nariko's approach. Only when she laughed did Akihiro suddenly awaken from his daydreaming to hear the Raikage speak. He was glad she had decided to come- he'd invited and she hadn't said no, but she hadn't said yes either.

"Oh you mean this?" Akihiro asked as the Raikage sat down in front of him.
"Believe me, it's not here by choice. I had a part to play. " He would pick up the cup with a slight chuckle and pour the rest of its contents onto a small vase with a plant that was on the window next to the table. "Your ANBU Shimiko was here just a few minutes ago, attempting to persuade me to change my decision regarding her twin students' exam results." Akihiro would then signal the bartender to come over, raising the menu and pointing at a specific option on it. The bartender hurried to bring a golden whisky.

"I hate apple juice, waste of perfectly good apples. But I figured she'd be less inclined to turn violent and crucify me if I looked and acted like a child." Akihiro shrugged, now sipping alcohol while Nariko smoked her cigar. "She's good too, from threats of extortion to blackmailing, going through accusations of blasphemy and conspiration against Kumogakure, she has a wider persuasion arsenal than I expected. My decision remains the same tho." The boy chuckled and shrugged again. He enjoyed meeting Nariko, despite the two being from rival villages. There was a certain sense of authenticity which Akihiro craved for. He felt there were no pointless mind games- when they organized the Chuunin exams there had been no tricks, no deceptions, just...business and, to be completely honest, quite a bit of fun. Nariko's blunt honesty was part of the reason Akihiro would rather leave the scrolls with her than anyone else. If Nozomi wrote "It's War", Akihiro knew he could count on a bloody war. If she intended to declare an alliance, Akihiro knew he could count on that as well. If the scrolls said they'd be neutral, Akihiro knew they'd be basically Switzerland.

"So did you bring what I asked?" Akihiro spoke.

Nariko wasnt surprised that Shimiko had attempted to get her students to pass despite their failing scores. She was very much a strong personality and wanted to impose her will on others, as she wanted those she cared for to have the best. However, the twins simply werent ready. Combat scores had also proven that. She wouldnt want to promote them to chuunin only for them to get killed on a mission they couldnt handle.

"Im assuming you didnt change your mind. At least I hope you didnt. They arent ready for the rigors of a Chuunin lifestyle just yet." Nariko said plainly.

She smiled at the boy as he professed his admiration over Shimiko's arsenal of persuasive techniques. Shimiko was a little brash, but ultimately one of Nariko's most capable ninja, and a worthy ANBU to boot. Frankly, the girl was almost ready to become the next Raikage, assuming she had a little more experience gained when it came to tact and politics. Nariko had really wanted her to take over one day, seeing as she hadnt planned on being the Raikage for so long, although she wasnt sure her student wanted the position to begin with.

"I would expect nothing less than for a sensei like Shimiko to try and give her students another shot at passing, whatever method she needs to us. But I wasnt asked here to talk about my former student."

Pulling out two blank scrolls, Nariko placed them on the table in front of them.

"Of course I didn't change my mind." Akihiro stated bluntly, although not in a rude manner. "If they're not ready, they're not ready. As tactically profitable as passing Kumogakure's Genin to Chuunin before they're ready and have them die on the field might sound, I'm not that kind of monster. Although not everyone seems to believe it." He shrugged. To a simpler mind perhaps taking advantage of this situation could seem to be a good plan to make opportunities emerge for Konoha, but Akihiro looked far beyond that.

Doing a good job here would likely help forging a bond between the Hidden Leaf and the Hidden Cloud. And while that bond wasn't as strong as the alliance between Kirigakure and Konohagakure, it could certainly help both sides deciding to talk terms before waging war on each other should any "incident" happen. This was a major advantage to Akihiro, and one he would be quick to seize. Thus why he had Nariko bring up the two scrolls and place them on the table.

"I expect a sensei to be responsible and not give their studends a greater task than they can handle. Had I changed my mind, you'd be the only obstacle preventing those kids from potentially dying out in the field." he sighed. "But I'm not here to discuss that. Yes, these scrolls will suffice." He touched both scrolls, one with his each hand and focused. Placing enchantments was always a curious thing. He wasn't exactly using his chakra, rather using fuuinjutsu to embue the objects with the power to draw energy from their surroundings and work properly.

It took two minutes before he was done. Then he took one of the scrolls and placed it inside one of his cloak's pockets. "It is done. Whatever we write in one scroll will be immediately transcribed into the other. This will act as a means of communication between your village and my organization and even potentially Konohagakure no Sato. There is no alert system, so make sure to consult it often."