Getting Ahead (Kit)

General Appearance:

Hana just about finished unpacking from her office transfer. Admittedly it was a pain to move. She didn't want to hire personnel for much a menial task so she held her tongue and bit the bullet in minor frustration. The office was large and had a gorgeous view of the city. Like all windows in the complex they were double-sided allowing her to have unobstructed view of the city while viewers from the outside were unable to look in. Anybody without the schematics of the Mizukage Complex would have no idea where the Mizukage Office was, and thus unable to spy or attempt any assassination attempts without toppling the entire building.

Hana enjoyed her new office being a lot more roomy than the previous. Over her stated gear she wore the blue trimmed white robes that the Mizukage was supposed to wear with the hat laid upon the executive mahogany desk as did her legs. She leaned back carelessly in her chair staring blankly at the ceiling waiting for her assistant to return to her with lunch.

Besides her was Hiramekarei which leaned against her desk serving as her primary weapon. She had recently acquired the blade, and although no swordsman herself it was still a powerful tool. Given her busy schedule she had forgotten some important appointments she set up. One was meeting Kitsuki, which was Katsumi's sister. Katsumi was Hana's student and showed great promise. Hana's first order from the Imperial House was to seek both Kitsuki and Katsumi to join. Kitsuki wanted to meet Hana in person for some reason, but Hana was more than willing to oblige.

Kitsuki took a deep breath before walking into the Mizukage Complex. She gazed at the large building while trying not to look like a total freshman. It was hard to play it cool when it was your first time in a one on one meeting with the military head of the world's largest sovereign state. Kitsuki had decided that even though she was nervous perhaps she could maintain a shred of credibility by dressing to impress. The WASP graduate was wearing a well tailored suit quite similar to the one that can be found in her siganture. It consisted of a white dress shirt, black jacket with matching paints, a pair of stylish boots, and a bowl tie with brooch. She proudly wore her graduating pin on her lapel. The symbol was that of a small WASP. Kitsuki's hair was styled in its usual manner, a series of bunches tied at the ends with red and golden elastic bands. They were all roughly equal in length with two poking out of the front to form bangs.

Confident that her immaculate attire would do most of the talking, Kitsuki stepped into the building. She had received instructions on where to find the Mizukage's Office and it only took a few minutes of searching to find it. She stopped just in front of the door, spoke to the Secretary, and received the go ahead to knock and knock she did. If permitted to enter, Kitsuki would walk in and shut the door behind her. She would bow politely and introduce herself.

"Congratulations on your ascension Mizukage-sama. I'm Kitsuki Kurahasa. Thank you for agreeing to meet with me....its an honor to meet you in person"

Is it though? Kitsuki couldn't help but wonder what type of shinobi Hana was. If she was the type to willingly commit attrocities abroad in the name of expansionism then Kit would hard pressed to be able to truthfully say it was an honor.

In her daze she heard a bit of muttering outside the door before a couple knocks befell on the front door. Hana pulled her legs off the table and fixed her posture before speaking. "Go ahead!" The door would open to reveal Kitsuki as a bit of relief hit her as well as disappointment. She was really hoping her lunch would arrive before she had to do anymore work. Kitsuki was the first to introduce herself in which Hana used all of her intelligence to fight back her cringe, but unfortunately given her low willpower the corner of her mouth twitched. Crap... She honestly hoped Kitsuki was not super aware of her surroundings or mistaken the slip-up as an involuntary random twitch. "There's no need for that. Just call me Hana. That aside, it's nice to hear you accepted the invitation to the Imperial House. Every Mizukage receives an invitation to the Imperial House as a Representative. They receive a simple task as part of their initiation. My task was to invite both you and your sister to our ranks. That goes to say the Emperor sees an incredible amount of potential in both of you, so he is willing to expend the Water Empire's wealth and resources to nurture you both into prime versions of yourselves."

Another set of knocks broke Hana's dialogue as the door opened. A staff member in the building entered the room with a bag of burgers from a popular fast food chain. The room quickly smelled of salty fries and cheap burgers as Hana relieved the greasy brown bag from the servant, setting it on the floor next to her. "Anyways, about that: the Emperor wants you and your sister to shine during these upcoming Chuunin Exams, which if you haven't heard they are to start January fourteenth. This means modifying your appearance. Have you considered a 'makeover?' I'm not too familiar with them, but you might be. How do you feel about a 'royal makeover'?"

Kitsuki was very surprised that the woman was rather flustered at her entrance. She assumed that if Hana Kaguya was good enough to train Katsumi and help take down Iron then the woman would be similar to Kyoji, but that couldn't be further from the truth. Rather than come off as stoic and unflinching, Hana seemed easily excitable and casual. She refused to be called Mizukage-sama. She told Kit to call her "Hana" and Kitsuki would nod in acknowledgement. Before Kitsuki could begin speaking about why she had requested a meeting with the woman, Hana continued on. She was pleased that Kit had agreed to join the Imperial House and she mentioned that she considered them both future investments in the growth of the Empire. Wealth, resources, and power were all at their fingertips just like that.

The Headmaster had often told them that they were destined for greatness, and while Kit thought highly of him, she assumed it was all just flattery and puffery. Clearly she was wrong. She opened her mouth to speak but someone knocked on the door and entered. It was a staff member holding a bag filled with fast food. Kit was shocked that the member of a notoriously elitist clan was comfortable munching on such common fare. The Kurahasa were wealthy and had been regarded as one of the best merchant families in the country. Kitsuki didn't have a personal vendetta against burgers but she'd be very self-conscious eating them in front of someone else. She had assumed that the Kaguya, whose name and power went further back than the Kurahasa, were equally as refined but apparently she guessed wrong. Kitsuki immediately understood why she and Katsumi had been paired together. They were more similar in attitude and approach than the siblings were. Katsumi was very much the type to eschew formality and convention in favor of what she wanted to do. She also never backed down from a challenge. Kit remained silent as Hana set the bag of fast food down next to the table and continued speaking.

The Emperor had high hopes for their performance in the Chuunin Exams. Great...more expectations....as if the WASP wasn't stressful enough... the Exams were just around the corner which meant that she had a ton of extra training to do. That's when Hana started to go on about modifying her appearance. Kitsuki furrowed her brow and tilted her head back as if she had seen something disturbing or had been touched by something gross. Makeover? Kitsuki felt a bit more comfortable now that she knew that this woman was similar to her own sister in terms of personality, but that didn't eradicate all degree of nervousness. She felt stiff and at a loss for words. "I-I, I beg your pardon Mizukage-sama?". She wasn't sure how to take the comment. A royal makeover sounded nice, but it implied that she wasn't already a paragon of fashion and beauty. Kitsuki wasn't a vain girl and she certainly didn't think herself prettier than others, but she did take great pride in her physical appearance. Her manner of dress was so perfect and appropriate that she had received offers to work at many high end fashion stores. She felt fairly confident that there wasn't a thing about clothes that she didn't already know. Then again, she was only sixteen and she had learned back at the WASP that no matter how talented you were, age and experience tended to trump inborn ability.  

"A royal makeover? I guess that's fine but...." she was fumbling for her words. She was the one who had requested the meeting, but now she was being told about a royal makeover. She didn't even get a chance to explain to Hana why she had come to her office. She had wanted to express her concerns about the sacking of Iron and the Empire's policy with respect to conquest but now she was being offered some kind of expensive makeover. She fell silent and looked down at the ground. A mixture of embarrassment and nerves taking a hold of her.

Hana found Kitsuki's reaction a bit too volatile. Hana used to be groomed into a pretty lady during festivals and events in her youth. In the rare opportunity she still attends clan events she still prefers to dress up. In all honestly she knew where Kitsuki's frustrations were coming from. Hana never liked the hyper-feminine appearance but it was tradition and she was motivated to abide by it. And sometimes upholding tradition was the best route to go about things. Regarding Kitsuki's makeover even Hana was curious what the Emperor had planned for the girl. Hana would reject any over-the-top measure like surgery, but some work on her hair and makeup would probably do. Although she was indifferent about other women's appearances she had to admit Kitsuki looked nothing like her sister, Katsumi. That curly hair was obscure being a one of a kind. Hana was not particularly fond of it, though that was coming from the Kaguya district where everybody had straight, silky white hair.

"Don't take it personally. You know how guys can be sometimes. They just like to decorate us. It's the Emperor's attempt in trying to please the masses." Hana would pause momentarily leaning forward and reaching into the brown bag where she would retrieve a single burger wrapped in paper. Setting the wrapped burger directly on the desk she began to unfold the wrapping exposing a fast-food quality cheeseburger, partially smashed with some packaged cheese product stuck to the inside of the wrapper. Carefully Hana scraped the back of her thumbnail along the wrapper to harvest the bits of cheese that got stuck before putting it in her mouth enjoying the "appetizer" to her burger. But she wouldn't quite dig in yet without hearing Kitsuki out.

"But that's enough of that. I know you had a particular reason to see me today, so let's hear it." With that she'd take her first bite being sure to mind her manner and try to make it the least messy as possible. Being a master of burger consumption it was a natural feat of hers.

Kitsuki was told not to take it personally and that the Emperor was just decorating her to please the masses. She didn't have much experience with guys having gone to an all girl's school while she was in puberty. She did know that some of them could be gross and sexist though. This Emperor sounded like one of those individuals. She wasn't exactly thrilled at the prospect of dolling herself up just to be trotted out for the admiration of others. She'd keep an open mind though and bracket that conversation for now. Hana began to unwrap her burger, but before she ate it she asked why Kitsuki had asked to see me. Kitsuki took a deep breath and retrieved a folded piece of paper from her inner jacket pocket. She didn't read directly from it but she used it to refresh her memory as to how to phrase her inquiry.

"Lady Mi-, er, Hana.....I wanted to speak to you about the Empire's policies with respect to the conquest of sovereign nations. Rokudaime Mizukage publicly identified you as being involved in the sacking of Iron and....I just want to know why we attacked them. I want to know why we have so many colonies, period. At the WASP School we were taught that imperialism is just another form of fanaticism and evil. Before I join the Imperial House I want to know why we do the things we do and if there's a better way to secure our national interests."

While she started out shaky, Kitsuki was rather surprised that her words were eloquent and understandable. She had launched a coherent inquiry with minimal stuttering or stumbling. Kit became rather thankful that she had worked with the Headmaster on subjects like articulation and diction. It made it a big difference even as she was quaking in her boots.

Hana knew she would have to suffer some drawbacks due to the former Mizukage's blunder, but she didn't expect it to be so immediate or from Kitsuki nonetheless. Genin generally paid little attention to the news or political matters. It goes to show Kitsuki was ahead of the curve as she voiced her concerns. Hana had little reason to lie to her.

"I asked the former Mizukage, Kyoji, who also helped in the raid the same thing. The answer is simple: greed. Kyoji's goal was the Samurai's sacred Kenjutsu. Among myself were thirty of Jounin, twenty-four which are no deceased. I can confirm the decision to raid the Land of Iron's main village was the decision of Kyoji Hoshigaki's and not that of the Imperial House. I served as a soldier during the raid much like the thirty other Jounin. Our intention was purely to neutralize Iron's military and there were no civilian causalities as far as I know." Taking a disposable white napkin from the fast food bag she'd wipe her hands clean.

She wasn't the kind to give excuses as they were a weak attempt to place the blame elsewhere. "I know my hands aren't the cleanest. Ninja generally don't have the luxury when it comes to missions to weigh morality. Our colonies come from a long line of conquest. All land that is ever owned by a nation is from conquest. Nations and borders didn't sprout from the soil. Though as time goes on the world is quickly modernizing. The previous barbaric means of acquiring land are more or less outdated. I intend to reverse most of the blight that has fallen on the Water Empire and take a more diplomatic approach to expansion. Now that I'm in a position of power to make such decisions it is as easy as guiding the nation into the right direction. And you can also have that influence assuming you accept the invitation to the Imperial House."

Kitsuki was stunned. She expected a non-answer. She expected to be lied to. She expected to be chastised about bringing up issues that were above her pay grade. She did not expect Hana to be as forthcoming and as honest as she was. The woman stated what was plain and obvious: that Kirigakure had ransacked the Land of Iron because they had something that the country wanted. Sacred Kenjutsu? She didn't know what that looked like but given Kyoji's penchant for keeping legendary swords around him, she guessed that the temptation proved too great. It would make sense that the Samurai possessed Kenjutsu techniques that were on a class of their own. Their entire way of life revolved around swords. They had something Kiri wanted and Kiri took it, plain and simple. Power Relations 101... Even someone with a limited understanding of politics could understand what was happening here and Kit was better educated than most. The WASP School had warned her about such individuals and it made her sick to her stomach to know that Kyoji had ordered such a mission. She had looked up to him. They had watched the Comet's passing together and he came across as someone who genuinely cared for the good of his people. It occurred to her that that didn't necessarily contradict with his actions as the people of Iron weren't "his", but it was still disturbing. Their soldiers had families too and to take techniques from them for no other reason than greed did not sit right with her. She'd need to confront him about that at some point.

Hana did not make excuses for her participation in the raid. Kitsuki wasn't sympathetic to the "just following orders" argument but that wasn't what Hana was about. She appeared to recognize the moral depravity of the situation and judging from her words she seemed to want to correct it. There were some troubling sentiments in her words but that only made Kitsuki realize she was being relatively honest and genuine. Hana acknowledged that conquest had been the way of the world for centuries and while Kit disagreed that more expansion was necessary, Hana at least wanted to do it in a more peaceful and diplomatic way. If the Imperial House wasn't to blame for the attack on Iron then maybe she could still join them without searing her conscience. She couldn't verify what Hana was saying with absolute certainty, but in her limited experience of dealing with people, she had learned to trust her intuition. Right now, her intuition was telling her that Hana was being a genuine person with good intentions. Maybe together they could change the Empire's trajectory and mend the harm that had been done.

Kitsuki nodded her head in understanding. She wanted to ask about Ken but that would have been too sensitive a subject to bring up at a time like this. People didn't even like to talk about that amongst their friends and families, there was no way she was going to bring it up with the Mizukage. She did have a few other reservations about some of the things the Mizukage had said but she decided not to push the envelope.

"Thank you for explaining the situation to me Hana. I would like to influence the Imperial House in a more altruistic direction. I was born on the Isles and this land will always be my home but I made a promise to myself that I wouldn't ever use that as an excuse to unjustly harm others. I....I accept your invitation to join the Imperial House, Mizukage-sama."

She had made her decision. The sacking of Iron was an evil thing. A stain on the country's legacy. Even the conquests of the pasts under Kyoji had made her ill at ease. Ken's war crimes were another blight to Kiri's honor. But ultimately, she knew all of these things and had no plans on resigning from the military. Instead, she'd take this new position of power and prestige and use it to steer the country in a better direction.

Hana was relieved to hear Kitsuki still accepted the invitation despite what she had heard. She felt maybe this girl could help her change the direction Kirigakure was heading. Perhaps before it was too late and Kirigakure suffered some sort of retaliation. Hana smiled before nodding at Kitsuki. "Very well. I will let my superiors know. The Emperor wishes to throw a banquet for you and your sister's initiation, as well as mine. He wanted to know what time is best. You can let me know anytime and I will tell him when to organize the get together. You are also expected to report in for your makeover this weekend, so I hope you have the time. If not it can always be rescheduled. But besides that, unless you have anything you want to add, you are dismissed." If Kitsuki left the office she'd resume her lunch in peace before going about her day as usual.

Putting 150 CP into Hiramekarei

[Exit]

Kitsuki nodded and smiled. She was beginning to trust Hana. The woman hadn't lied to her or dismissed her concerns. Instead, she made it clear she'd have a voice in the government. All she had to do was report for some makeover. She wasn't super enthusiastic about that bit but she'd keep an open mind. She'd set a date and commit to showing up for the makeover. The Kurahasa bowed and thanked the Mizukage for her time before leaving the building.


Exit