Comfy Time

A few days had passed since Natsuru returned to Kumogakure. It was Spring Time, which meant it was still rather cold up in the mountains. Even Kirigkure was warmer at this time of year compared to any place in the Land of Lightning. Fortunately she was, and has always been, well-off. In the penthouse the gas fireplace was light and set to a roaring high as Natsuru was practically being roasted as she laid on the couch. She had three different blankets piled over her while she was dressed in casual attire. She wore striped socks, black leggings, and a two-toned white and purple long sleeve shirt. On the coffee table besides her she had two bags of chips, one opened, a plastic cup filled with a red-colored fruit flavored iced tea with a green straw running through the lid, and her tanto resting on its side.

In her hand she held a portable gaming system playing a strategy game. She enjoyed strategy games compared to other genres as they helped keep her mind sharp. A lot of her work inside the village and outside consisted of repetition. She would enjoy herself playing the game while in her own thoughts. She had the TV running playing a semi-interesting cartoon for atmosphere. It helped the penthouse seem more lively than it actually was something.

It wasn't often that Nariko got called away from to discuss business with someone, and it was even less often that that someone was one of her former students. But Natsuru had asked Nariko to come to her penthouse to "discuss some business", so she was on her way to see her. The Raikage hadn't really visited the penthouse, since she was usually too busy to go out on social calls, so this was actually fairly exciting for her. Nariko had only seen where Natsuru had lived a couple of years ago, so this was all new to her.

Usually, Nariko wore a Jounin outfit and the Raikage's hat when out and about, but she was visiting her student's home, so she didn't think it was entirely necessary. Instead, she wore a more casual outfit, which consisted of a black t-shirt with a graphic on it of 3 cats playing together (which reminded her of the Thundercats), a hoodie-jacket over that that zipped up, with a small logo on the front advertising "Aishi Foods" and a graphic of a Carrot Cake on the back (one of the desserts Aishi Foods serves), and some grey sweat pants. She had on some normal white sneaker type shoes and little white ankle socks. Her ninja gear had all been left in her office, which was under heavy guard as usual.

Nariko wasn't quite sure what sort of policy that Natsuru had when it came to entering the penthouse, so she simply knocked on the door. "Nat? It's Nariko." she called through the door. It was likely that Natsuru had probably heard her approaching anyhow. She was, after all, a Jounin who's primary talent was in sensory and perception. Nariko would be shocked if Natsuru had no clue that Nariko was standing outside the door.

This was actually the first time in what felt like years that Nariko actually was out and about in clothes that weren't just shinobi attire. She felt a lot more relaxed now that she didn't have to work on matters of national security or fill out paperwork. Everything was much better right now, and truth be told, she was glad to have Natsuru back in the village, as she'd been worried about the girl, even knowing that she was just on vacation.

The penthouse suite level of the tower was one of a kind. She seldom had visitors on that level. Not even her own staff. House keeping showed up when she was gone and room service was something she had to order specifically. Odds are that presence was Nariko. Natsuru had put in the request to talk to her shortly after getting back from Kirigakure. She had put in the request for her to arrive a couple days after for her to "recover" from her trip. She had a lot on her mind to discuss, both good and bad. She wanted to get the bad news out of the way first, which was generally the procedure. The knock echoed the room drawing her attention from her numerous distractions to the Raikage. Natsuru tossed her blankets off as they laid over the back of the couch. Closing her game system she'd throw her legs over the side of the couch and grunt quietly as she stood on both feet. Natsuru wouldn't reply to Nariko calling out but also made no effort to conceal her approach so even Nariko could hear her approach. Turning the security lock to open and the standard door lock she'd twist the knob and open the door fully.

Nariko stood at the other side of the doorway dressed in a similar fashion: casual. They both shared a laid back nature, but hardworking. It was perhaps the only trait they shared which made Natsuru see her as more of an older friend. It was strange that she had more in common with Nariko than Shimiko or Ryuko despite Natsuru viewing the latter as her "close friends", though that term was subject to interpretation nowadays. Ryuko was comatose, and before that they were left on a bit awkward terms given her confession of love. Shimiko and Natsuru never really got along, though after her party they managed to tolerate each other. That was, of course, before Shimiko blindly delve into her religion. It was a subject she wanted to bring to Nariko's attention. But that conversation was soon to come. For now, Natsuru was pleased to see a familiar face she hadn't seen in years.

"Hi, Nariko. Please come in."

Natsuru was a lot more radiant since Nariko last saw her. Her skin seemed clearer, hair a tone or two lighter. Ever since her first "business meeting" in Kirigakure she started taking better care of her self, such as bathing daily and using hygiene products to fortify her already natural beauty. Natsuru stepped aside holding the door open for Nariko to enter. Once she had Natsuru would close it behind her resetting all the locks in place.

The Lion's Den was an inviting penthouse that would make any teenage girl squeal in glee. It was neat and posh with countless utilities that the Thundercats could use for their day-to-day business. Natsuru's most important resources was of course the kitchen, which had recently been stocked with countless goods from Ayano's, and the living room where she formally resided before Nariko's arrival. "Sit anywhere you please. Would you like some food or drink?" Natsuru passed the den area of the penthouse to the kitchen which was an open concept design allowing her to remain in sight and keep conversation. Natsuru opened the fridge as the view of junk food and snacks almost caused her eyes to dilate. She settled with grabbing a bento from the fridge for herself, setting it on the counter next to the fridge while she waited for Nariko's request. She'd retrieve what Nariko wanted, if anything, before throwing a full kettle on the stove and turning the heat to high. Natsuru enjoyed junk food, but sometimes she had to be a little health conscious here and there.

With the television still playing in the background and fireplace roaring she'd approach the bar and lean over it allowing her bosom to rest on her folded arms. She'd grin at Nariko as she attempted to come off as charismatic and give off positive vibes. Natsuru was a bit nervous to talk about what she wanted to talk about. She was the type of girl to avoid drama, but when a situation got out of hand she felt she was the one to address it. After all if nobody makes an effort to confront problems in society and lets evil continue to exist she can't exactly be mad at the results. She needed to at least try.

"So...I couldn't help but notice the Society's presence in our village. It was hard not to notice, as a dragon passed through our gates without any resistance. That blonde one in particular, Nozomi, was keen on maiming me. And right now, seeing as she won the tournament as the grand champion, is very capable of doing so." Her heart began to pound as her anxiety began to act up. She kept her head on her shoulders well for the anger she had. Natsuru strove to keep her bitter impulses behind her now that she was making changes for the better. But it was hard to be passionate towards someone who indirectly put her in harm's way. She rose up from her hunched over posture where she was supporting herself again with her own back. Her visage soured into frustration as her voice rose. "Just what were you thinking? What could possibly excuse letting a band of terrorist past our defenses? Especially during the tournaments with literally every village in our company? How does that make Kumogakure look?" She withheld herself from yelling, though she spoke in a direct tone towards Nariko to help express her dissatisfaction with her actions. After all they were on better terms in the village. If it had been Shimiko or anyone she disliked, Natsuru would have been a whole lot meaner.

If there was one thing she was good at, Nariko's natural perceptive abilities were top notch. She heard as a person, who she correctly assumed was Natsuru, started to move on the other side of the door, towards her. It didn't sound cautious or like there was any sort of anger or hostility behind her steps, so Nariko was fully relaxed herself when Natsuru opened the door.

The bluenette seemed to be in a bit of a chipper mood, which was nice to see. Nariko had a bit of a soft spot for her students in particular, and wanted them to ultimately be happy. That had actually been a driving factor for her to legalize Shimiko's sect of Jashinism in the first place. She wished that she could have done something that Ryuko wanted, other than making her her assistant as she had asked, because that didn't seem like something that really compared in scope to what she'd have liked to do.

Entering the penthouse, Nariko looked around, giving a slight whistle of appreciation. Sometimes she forgot just how rich Natsuru really was. She lived quite the life, which was certainly nice enough for anyone. She was probably one of the richest people in the world, and that was due in no small part to the company she owned. As Natsuru asked her to take a seat anywhere, Nariko obliged her, taking a seat on the couch and looking around at what Natsuru was doing. She liked the interior design of the penthouse well enough, and had to admit she was a little jealous.

"I'm good, thanks." Nariko said, declining the offer for food or drink. She wasn't really one to accept those offers in the first place, but she was currently not particularly hungry or thirsty, and didn't want to tempt herself with alcohol at the moment. As time passed, Nariko began to understand that Natsuru was mainly trying to be a good host for appearances sake, but that there was something more to it than just a friendly visit.

The issue came up shortly after she realized that. "Ahh.... I see." Nariko smiled apologetically. It should have been rather obvious to her, now that she thought of it. Natsuru hadn't timed her vacation when she did for no reason, she was dodging the village on purpose. "I'm sorry that I wasn't able to discuss the plans with you before this, I really am." Standing up from the couch, Nariko bowed her head, reverting to a more formal and sincere apology style, hands clasped in front of her in a traditional manner of respect and apology.

"There were a few factors at play that had to be considered, unfortunately. Things didn't quite go as planned, and that's going to happen sometimes, I'm not always right on my calls, but I'm the only one who stepped up to make them, so I had to go with my gut during the moment. When they arrived in the village on the back of a dragon, I had no clue what level of power they were trained to. For all I knew, the Jinchuuriki was beyond anything we could handle, and we already knew that Honiko herself was bare minimum Kage level 2 years ago. They also had Bayushi, a member of the Nature clan with the same Kekkai Genkai as Akame, and I had no clue how much he had trained it. There was an additional member aboard the dragon that appears to be a Kaguya, and I had absolutely no information on her. They came prepared to offer a truce just to showcase their abilities, although they wouldn't have thought twice about starting a fight right in the middle of the village."

Nariko had thought a lot about the events, and how she could have acted differently, but nothing to this point suggested that she should have had made any other choice. Things had gone mostly smoothly, and the Society hadn't caused any problems in the village during their stay. On the contrary, they kept mostly to themselves except for the matches. "Here came the enemy, offering us a chance to gain more information on them that we didn't collect 2 years ago, in a controlled manner to boot. I gambled a little bit, and my gamble paid off. Shimiko lost her match in one on one combat against Nozomi, and I'm sorry to say, but Shimiko is a stronger fighter than I am. But she wasn't around to respond to Honiko's appearance. You weren't around to respond to Honiko's appearance. Morikawa wasn't around. None of the Jounin prepared for that level of threat were around. Myself, Iro, and Akame were the ones who showed up."

Nariko had been worried about her choice when she made it, but it was the safest bet she had. "My hope had been, we watch them fight, keep an eye on them, and learn some more about them. Akame and I had already planned on having her infiltrate the Society as is, to get this information, learn all she could about them and hopefully take them apart. Unfortunately, she ended up comatose soon after, so I couldn't pursue that option. I'd wanted you around because of your unparalleled scouting abilities, but I understand why you didn't want to stick around with them here. I was going to have you track them when they left the village, so that we might be able to figure out where their base was, or at least fight them outside the village, when I know that they could do an immense amount of wide spread collateral."

She hoped that she answered Natsuru satisfactorily enough, but she really doubted that any reason would be readily accepted. But Nariko was the Raikage, and she had made her decision to do what she thought was best for the village. It wasn't an easy one for her to make, but she didn't have the luxury of relying on other people's advice at the time. She couldn't appear weak in front of Honiko, and had to maintain her authority or Honiko wouldn't have respected her rules at all.

"And frankly, I don't care how Kumogakure looked to the other villages. I treated them honorably, and this is my nation. I invited them here for peace. Some didn't show, and some did. I wanted Kumo to be safe more than I cared about public image. But Ryuko and Shimiko bested the other nation's champions. Even if we ultimately lost to a Jinchuuriki, they can't say that we're weak, since they didn't even get close to beating one of the Society's most valued weapons. That Rin Uchiha boy didn't stand a chance as soon as she switched to ninjutsu, and he was a very talented Swordsman. Masuyo fought and lost to Ryuko, and I'm almost certain that Shimiko could have mopped the floor with Ryuko if they would have fought. Kiri's showing was by far the weakest of any of the major villages. They have no reason to think we are weak without making themselves appear even more so."

"But yes, despite it turning out well, I am very, incredibly, sorry that I put you in an uncomfortable position Natsuru. I don't like doing that. I hope you can forgive me, but I understand if you can't."

Natsuru was not prepared for a formal apology. Generally her arguments with Shimiko led to bickering and, if unattended to, a skirmish. Nariko was different in her level of maturity as she apologized, explained her reasoning for her motives and gave her logical analysis on the situation. She couldn't stay mad at her, but at the same time she was unsure if she could forgive her. Natsuru vaguely remembered Nozomi and Bayushi from two years ago, but she was certain she got as much information they needed. Fortunately they did not wreak havoc on the village, as Nariko said. Natsuru stood in silence looking down at the counter top as a loss of words. But she'd snap out of her temporary trance. "I'm nowhere near capable of handling a Jounin-level threat, let along what Honiko would be considered. But regardless, they are evil people. There's no explaining it. They say they offer peace and wanted to 'test' their members but what was really their reason for being here? I have a feeling they were trying to make contacts from within and try to poach some of our Shinobi into their little organization. You know that one guy, Lei? That man-child with white hair and apart of the Inazuma clan? He's dead."

The kettle began to whistle as she tended her tea prep for a moment. Dropping a couple teabags in a teapot she'd fill it with the boiling water and close the lid on it, returning the kettle back to the stove. "He attacked Kirigakure at its front gates. It was a big mess from what I've heard. I would know seeing the city went on lock down because of it. That's why I was so late to return to Kumogakure. I didn't want to say anything unless I was asked about my tardiness, but now seemed like an appropriate time. I knew Lei. Well, as much as one person can 'know' him. He helped me during my first and last encounter with 'the Society' and tended to my injuries. He seemed kind, though a bit of an oddball. For him to locate Kirigakure and attack it out of nowhere just doesn't seem right. Did he interact with anyone from the Society? My first thought was that they were making an attack on Kirigakure, but when I heard it was Lei who orchestrated the attack I was confused. After a little thinking I came up with the theory that he was working with them."

Natsuru put her teapot, two cups of tea, and her bento box on a silver platter before taking it to the couch where Nariko sat on. She'd set the platter on the table while taking a seat next to her. Natsuru poured two cups of tea before setting the pot down. She knew Nariko didn't want anything, but she had it there just in case she changed her mind. If she didn't she wouldn't feel bad. Food was priceless to the amount of wealth she had. She could hire Ayano herself to cook for her if she really wanted to. "I guess what I'm trying to say is: there's more that meets the eye. The Society upheld their agreement, but that's like making a deal with the devil. Who knows who they influenced and what they're doing behind the scenes. Though, talking about the devil..." Natsuru said with her eyes shifting over to down the hall and into Shimiko's bedroom. The door was left partially opened. It was untouched and she was not present inside. Her eyes returned to her tea. Raising the cup to her lips she took a steady sip before gasping in delight.

"We need to talk about Shimiko."

Nariko wasn't particularly surprised by the news that Lei was dead, and didn't attempt to hide it either by faking surprise. She wasn't going to put on a show for Natsuru, as she tended to be more honest with Natsuru, Shimiko, and Ryuko, than she was with other people. The entire reason she'd sent Shimiko to Kiri was to ascertain why it was taking him so long to deliver a letter, and to try and get peace established in case things didn't work out so well.

She was, however, surprised when Natsuru revealed that he had been the aggressor upon reaching Kiri. She shifted slightly, a look of concern on her face at this revelation. "I don't think he interacted with them, but Lei also was one of our medical ninja, and spent time in the Hospital, so it's possible he did on his own. I find it unlikely that they were the culprits behind such an attack order, it doesn't feel right to me. It's not how the Society has operated up to this point." She paused as she thought about it, coming to a different conclusion than Natsuru had, but still a conclusion that made sense to her.

"His mission had been to deliver a message to you, to help facilitate the capture of The Walking Death with as little issues as possible, that's it. The news that Lei deviated is troubling, but I have a different culprit in mind. Shortly before he left, I asked him to spy on the Orthodox Church for me, and the mission to deliver the letter was through Shimiko and the Church, not through me. I think Lady Mora is trying to vie for more power, for land, to expand her forces. So, if my suspicions are correct, the Church is making a play for power, and attacking Kirigakure might have been one of those things. Using Lei, a Kumo shinobi to weaken us if he failed, as well as increase tensions. I might have been outplayed on this matter...."

Her musings were to herself as much as they were to Natsuru. Nariko wasn't one to refuse to admit that she might have made a mistake. It was always dumb of people to put on blinders to that sort of thing. "So what about Shimiko? Is this about her being a Jashinist?"

Nariko leaned forward, putting her chin on her hands, elbows rested on her thighs as she contemplated her next moves. She was down a spy again, and like before, she couldn't trust Shimiko to spy on the church given her affiliation with Mora, and how close the two of them were. Nariko knew asking Shimiko to do so would damage their relationship, and may not even result in her having accurate information given to her anyhow.

Nariko spoke of how it was a far cry for Lei to be working with the Society because they have been "honorable" up until this point. Natsuru was a bit frustrated with her. Maybe it was her lack of field experience regarding the Society. After all, Natsuru did not remember Nariko lifting a finger when Honiko razed an entire town just a few kilometers from Kumogakure. Had she forgotten about the innocents that were burned alive? Although Natsuru did not have a particular soft spot for children she felt they should be granted a fair chance at life. To lose that to Honiko, and then for Honiko to be greeted into Kumogakure's gates and given a base was almost a spit in the face. But if there was something Natsuru was a true professional at it was passive-aggression. She appeared calm and reserved for the time being, enjoying her tea in silence. Nariko was her guest and they had other things to discuss. Fortunately, Nariko alluded to the next issue she wanted to bring up. Instead of placing the blame on the Society, Nariko pointed her finger at the Church of Jashin.

"it has gotten much worse. I've known Shimiko for a few years now and as far as I can tell she was a devote Jashinist ever since. Given Sakata's disappearance I feel she may have gone off the rails. This religion is becoming a coping mechanism to her now. Normally I don't mind people believing whatever ludicrous they want, but this Church of hers is getting out of hand. You even said yourself the Church has organized this mission for Lei. Why is the Church organizing missions in the first place? When you offered to legalize her stupid religion she probably saw it as 'a good omen' and gone full retard. Now she thinks she runs the show and cloaks her motives behind religious spiritualism." Natsuru rolled her eyes setting her tea cup down. The atmosphere changed from something business related to a teenage girl gossiping to a friend. Sometimes it feels like Shimiko is a rabid dog I have to put down... Natsuru grabbed one of the blankets she was swaddled in earlier and wrapped herself in it to have the embrace of the fabric around her.

"Now we're left with a crazed, lonely tot flapping her gums about a bunch of religious garbage under the name of Kumogakure. People are going to start believing we condone her behavior and see Kumogakure as a theocracy. Places like the Land of Water and Land of Fire outright have that practice banned. Where is Shimiko now? She hasn't responded to my mail ever since I returned. Please don't tell me you sent her to Kirigakure after this whole Lei mess... Natsuru was prepared to hear some more disappointing news. She was perhaps the worst person to use for diplomatic relationships. She was as hard-headed as she was crazy and annoying. She closed her eyes and shook her head tightening the blanket around her body. Maybe I didn't hit her hard enough in our Genin years...