Kage Konundrum

The situation in Iwa was worse then he thought.

As the Amandi Clan head sat down in a small cafe, rereading the laws of the land, he sighed. It seemed that his job of keeping an eye on the payment of the Farfour Accords was going great. So great in fact that not only was the current Kage out of commission because of the plague, but the stand-in Kage was currently back in Konoha doing his job. To say his job was basically a non-factor now was pretty accurate, but still, he had stayed out of principle.

He'd take a sip of his tea, taking in the strange sights since his last visit to his old home. Things were very different now, technology had advance, many of those who he cared about (which admittedly wasn't a lot, but even he knew that a businessman had to have friends that were stronger then acquaintances.) were dead from old age or war. While those who knew of who he was gave looks at him due to the history of Iwa and the Amandi (it was probably just his outfit, but the history was well known to be rocky.)

With his options limited he had to rent out a small room for the time being, he place dingier then what he was used to, but not entirely horrible as he had traveled place to place for a good chunk of his life. Another tea sip. With those in charge being out of commission, his next plan was to go and meet up with the current major clan heads, but after a quick visit to the Korikane clan district and finding out that their current head was busy for the next few weeks (and the Kotoshura being the kage didn't make it easier) brought him to where he was now, sipping tea as he tried to think of a new plan of action.

Tadara was walking through the center of the crowds on the street without once looking up. His nose was buried inside of a medical book as usual as almost blank black eyes read the page. His white hair sitting as a mess on his head with a single thin tail to the side. His outfit had his usual slacks and polished dress shoes with an undone button up white shirt and a black sports coat over it. A sort of casual professional look set off by the silver necklace around his neck. The symbol of the head of a clan on it and over his right breast was the Kamizuru clan symbol. However despite his direct path no one was bumping into the young man. In fact anyone who grew close to him made haste on gaining distance. After all there were three bees just flying in circles around him. As if intentionally keeping people out of his path. Darting at anyone who didn't notice and buzzing in their face. Still no one actually got stung. Over his left shoulder was a small bag with a padded section around it. Like something someone would carry their lunch in. Or something fragile.

Idly Tadara would push open the door to the cafe nearest his apartment. The first delivery of the day to pay the electric bill. He found reading at night more difficult without...well...light. Still he would casually approach the counter without looking up until one of his bees flew next to him and buzzed in his right ear. Tadara would look up and around himself a moment as if getting his bearings. He had very much so zoned so far into the book he didn't know where he was since he left his front door. "Ahh we've arrived" He would state calmly before snapping his book closed. The three bees would idly crawl back into his coat now that he seemed to be aware of his surroundings again. He would tuck the book into his coat pocket before pulling the container from his side to the counter. Unzipping it before pulling out a rather large amount of glowing honey. Not just any honey but Kamizuru honey. It seemed this young man was also talented within the bloodline. And this Cafe had a leg up on others.

"One liter of Kamizuru honey and you pay my electric bill this month yes?" he said to the nodding girl who quickly took the honey to the back.

As the Businessman Supreme contemplated his dilemma and how he was going to approach it, he'd watch as someone new to him entered the café. At first glance they didn't seem all to impressive. A bookish type, hair almost as white as his own, and an outfit that didn't give him any sort of indication as to who he might be. However, what did give it away was the bees. It was a simpler time back then, but the sight of bees was usually a big indicator that a person was of the Kamizuru clan, a clan that, while relations were strained, often supplied the Amandi with honey for those who couldn't make use of Kyanton release to it's full extent. That and the whole 'trying to be on people's good side', but that didn't work out as the clan had planned so it was a moot point. And while he couldn't meet with the Kage or their financial manager at the current time, well business deals were always springing up, and this child would hopefully lead him to being able to make one.

Bernie would stay quiet as he let the boy finish his transaction with the café. While he could have easily swooped in, he had a few rule, and one of them was patience. Jumping into the middle of a transaction like this was only going to hurt his case in the short term, and with the history of his clan he had to consider both the short and the long instead of just the latter.  Oh how it pissed him off, that he had to consider short-term, so many youngsters did these days. And yet he couldn't find fault in it either with Kage's tossing younger and younger people into war, the thought of any of them reaching his age was almost laughable, so to them their long term goals were closer to his short ones, and he shuddered to think how long their short term goals ever were.

As soon as the transaction was finished, he'd finish his tea and stand up, using the chair as leverage before walking over to the boy, changing his posture by leaning lean on his cane slightly to make it seem like he was a little senile. "Hey Kid, you just mentioned Kamizuru Honey, yes? You wouldn't happen to be from the clan yourself, would you?"

Tadara finished getting paid for his honest but didn't really bother to confirm his power bill was paid. He just assumed they would follow through on their part of the deal to keep their revenue source. After all there wasn't a whole lot of his kind left in the village. Him getting named head of the clan was a surprise to most including him but he got their paperwork in order day one and for such a small clan there wasn't much beyond that to do. He had developed a rather simple system for dealing with clan politics that didn't take much of his time. He had a great deal of research to do after all and his mind was always contemplating. Constantly working to the point that he was rather ignorant of actual life skills like...associating with people or holding a conversation. They were all mostly data statistics to him anyway. This one was more likely to deal with liver failure at an older age because of small indications of liver spots on his right arm. This one was eventually going to need to go in for a tendon surgery due to the slight limp they had favoring the back of their right foot. That one was cheating on his wife because....no that didn't matter. It wasn't medical to be unfaithful.

He had turned around with his nose already buried into his medical journal when one of his bee's buzzed as it landed on his nose. He created the bees but some part of his mind had committed them to act as a social support pet in a way. This one was drawing his attention the the fact that someone was addressing him. His black eyes looked up to see an older man leaning on a cane. But he was leaning on it wrong. The angle suggested he could stand on his own just fine. No crinkling of pain around the eyes. If anything he seemed entirely pleasant. So what was the purpose of giving off the feeble vibe? Black eyes stared at him as he checked his memory. He hadn't been paying attention when the man spoke but he had heard it. So he had to just check his memory. Ahh yes there it was. The man was inquiring about his clan. Well with the honey he supposed this would happen. Perhaps another business venture? Tadara would snap his book closed and lower it to his side as his bee shifted into his shirt collar before Tadara spoke blunt and plain.

"You're assessment is correct Sir. I am a Kamizuru. I answered your question so now I will ask mine. Why attempt to appear as less than you are? Are you attempting to lure me into a sense of false security by attempting to appear frail? If so to what end? Naturally to make yourself appear as least threatening as possible must be because you seek to gain something from someone. Usually people placed in a position of dominance during a conversation overlook and underestimate. Is that the goal?"

Bernie would slowly raise his left eyebrow, a little impressed that his little ruse had failed so quickly as well as the child's business aligned reasoning. It was...well his opinion of the child was better as he actually showed some wit, but said wit was also a pain in the ass. If the kid could spot his lie, he was either one of three things: Smart, perceptive, or a medical nin given it would be odd for a Kamizuru with bees out in the open to not be a ninja. It was better to err on the side of caution and go with him being smarter.

"I see you're more perceptive then most young Kamizuru. You see, I am still reacclimating myself to Iwa after being gone for so long, and when one is as old as myself one can never be too careful around shinobi, though even I forget on occasion my mere presence is enough to put people on edge at times.

He'd remove the weight of his body off of his cane and straighten his back, his intense presence properly felt now as he held out his hand with a smile. It was a well-practiced smile, one that had a decent amount of actual happiness in it as people liked that sort of thing when he did business, and it had fooled everyone so far. Normally it would be less authentic happiness, but he was in his home state, and the environment wouldn't let him not be too fake.

"You see, my name's Higashikuni Danzo Soma Amandi Nobunaga Daisuke Eiichi Ryuzaburo Shizuaki III. While I'm here in Iwa on official business regarding monetary compensation for tragic events, until I can secure a proper meeting I figured I would enjoy myself. As such I am quite interested to not only buy some honey, but also to hear what has happened to the Kamizuru clan over these past few decades."

Tadara would listen with a blank stare a moment as the man complimented him and explained a little. His attention focused on an unusual amount of eye contact. Most people avoided direct eye contact for extended periods of time. It was considered an act of intimacy by most but for Tadara it was just an intense focus. Most wouldn't consider him perceptive or strong in any form of the word. However looking into those blank black eyes one could see an immense intelligence. Gears turning and thoughts processing a hundred at a time. Even as the man stood tall and created an atmosphere of impressive power Tadara didn't flinch. There was no hint of hostile intent. If there had been there wasn't much Tadara was capable of doing about it anyway. At this range he was at an immense disadvantage. The height difference between them meant the man had more reach and Tadara lacked most taijutsu skill sets. Even if he could get within that reach the mans muscles were more well defined than Tadaras. Perhaps average in nature to most but for someone as frail as Tadara it would do him little good. His instinct was to take a leap back but he held that off for now.

The man would hold out his hand and introduce himself. The name registered immediately for Tadara. Such a lengthy name would be difficult to forget. Dark eyes regarded him and that smile for a moment as well as the question. This was the clan head of another one of the clans. One who was attempting to stimulate an economic rise with his clans resources but so far to no avail. There was a moment of silence before a bee emerged from his sleeve and buzzed under his hand. Tadara would blink before remembering it was common courtesy to shake an outstretched hand. He would do so even though his hand was rather weak in comparison. As if Bernie could break his fingers if he tried. Still he would shake his hand and quickly return his own hand to his side. As if he were uncomfortable with physical contact from other individuals. Which may be surprising considering his monotone words that came next.

"Doctor Kamizuru Tadara. Current clan head of the Kamizuru. Though in answer to your inquiry, I would hardly consider us a clan anymore. Due to past mistakes and pride our clan numbers have dwindled substantially. Much like most of Iwa due to the current war our clan is but a shadow of what it once was. I have redirected most of our clan efforts to agriculture and repopulation. Though I myself was conscripted into the reduced shinobi forces due to a need for manpower. My medical expertise as a researcher has been put to better use in the field much to my chagrin. Does that answer satisfy you Master of the Amandi clan? If I am to elaborate further on my distressful situation I would prefer not to do so publicly."

It was tempting to give the boy a proper manly shake with a proper manly grip, really tempting but he'd refrain from doing so. The kid looked like he wasn't in the best of health so he gave his alternative 'respectful' shake that wouldn't leave the kid in a death grip. Accidentally killing a future supplier wouldn't look good on him or the clan in the slightest. In fact it would probably result in him being cut off from the clan and Konoha, something that he could not afford to lose.

Listening to the Kamizuru, of which hearing he was in fact talking to the clan's head peaking his interest, he'd make sure to give the man his full attention as the situation was worse then he would have guessed. While he was no Amandi, Tadara had the soul of an Amandi, putting those under his care first. It was quite a shame he wasn't one, perhaps he could fix that by finding one of his Nieces or Nephews to marry him, as while he would not be of blood or or name, having an Amandi spouse made one related. But that was something he would need time to plan out, as first he'd have to find a suitable spouse once he returned home in the first place.

When the boy had finished speaking, Bernie would close his eyes slightly and nod, trying to give off an impression that he understood. "No need to explain further, I understand given my own clan's history. While we are not in as dire a circumstance as yours, I understand the need to focus on rebuilding over one's clan over their own pride. In fact it reminds me of when I was a budding entrepreneur going from land to land, the trials and tribulations I had to endure and sacrificing face whenever I was able to just to make sure those under my umbrella were to be cared for."

He'd sigh. He was getting sentimental, and with a non-Amandi no less! But like he had told the boy, sacrifices had to be made, and he was going to have Tadara marry one of the Amandi anyways so in a was he was Amandi. "But those stories are for another day. If you do not mind I would like to join you today so that I may learn more about the changes you spoke of, as well as what I have missed during my travels."

Tadara would listen without his expression ever changing. It wasn't that he intended to be rude. However the subjects hardly interested him. He had no interest in traveling anywhere ever. All his work could be done within the walls of Iwagakure where safety was more assured. The only time he left the safety of the village was when he was assigned on a mission to do so. Because refusing missions never really went over well. Besides that those missions funded his apartment and his research. His own private lab for reverse engineering chemicals and building on them. Even the creation of drugs and poisons. Though the difference there was mostly just purity and dosage. If this man was after the purchase of his honey though...well perhaps he could make enough for a third vendor to sell. Another bill paid perhaps. They covered his electricity and the second covered his water and sewage. Though that left just his rent. He doubted his honey was enough to cover that....perhaps a portion of it? Regardless it would be considered rude to turn away this man. He understood that much. Still it was uncomfortable to spend time with others if he didn't have to.

"If you wish to accompany me feel free to do so. I am not on a particular schedule so we won't be rushing. However you will have to walk with me as there are other objectives for today."

That was polite enough right? He was never sure about these standards other people set. No defining level as far as he could tell. Perhaps he should have used an honorific? Regardless he would nod to himself before turning on his heel and virtually marching out of the establishment. He truly wasn't keeping any kind of pace. Just walking along as per usual. He would stop briefly outside of a bakery before dropping off his other jar and his water bill. This time they merely thanked him and went back inside without him uttering a word. They had grown to understand that small talk with Tadara was a pointless endeavor but his honey sold so they worked with him. With his satchel empty he would turn on his heel once more. Heading deeper into the slums. However it was here that people actually waved to him and said hello despite him utterly ignoring them. They actually seemed to like him here. To which he would explain as he assumed this would come across as odd to his traveling companion.

"The economy suffered greatly during the war. As such those who lack funds can not afford medical attention. Sickness and disease spreads and worsens general opinion of the village and raises stress levels. Eventually the people see the governing faction as the enemy. Tearing apart itself in the process with open rebellion. History has taught us this much. To prevail against this there is a free clinic I am heading to now. I provide medical attention with their limited provisions there and the people view it as a member of the governing faction assisting them. Thus lowering the chances of open rebellion."


However soon he would arrive at his own abode. Empty aside from a bed and books. There he would part ways. Ignorant of proper procedures for goodbyes.

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