A Plea For Peace: The Five Kage Summit

His calm demeanour that displayed nothing in regards to any strong emotions continued as Shin would let the others speak more. The proposed idea of SHIRA was ideal in purpose, yet who knew the effectiveness of such an organization in the long run. Konoha and some of it’s ninjas likely already had access to Iwagakure no Sato’s techniques, and that was not something he would idly stand by for. Shin already knew what he’d do in the future should such information be brought to light to him in the future; of someone from another village knowing a technique that was exclusive to Iwagakure no Sato. He knew what he would do in that scenario, yet when that time would come (if it came) remained to be seen.

Resting his chin between his index finger and thumb, Shin would turn his eyes between the other occupants of the room, including the several guards placed by the Shogun himself as he remained quiet. He was listening, always, to the other representatives in the room, even if his eyes had time to wander as others spoke. SHIRA would work and while Shin himself had no incentive to be part of that force, he did like the idea behind. “Iwagakure no Sato would abide with the idea of SHIRA. It would need to be monitored regularly, but the premise behind it is most acceptable. There are definite issues with individuals and groups holding and having knowledge of techniques from other villages and that should be put to an end.” How those ends met, remained to be seen. Shin doubted things would end up how he would prefer the end result be. It was simple, there was one way of effectively removing that knowledge from an individual.

In Shimiko's book, the Summit was going swimmingly. The Four Nations present had made significant progress towards peace and with Tengoku's acceptance of her terms, Kumo and Konoha were no longer enemies. Any information pertaining to Yugakure's location would be destroyed and the newly created SHIRA would be tasked with ensuring Konoha's compliance. The first condition Tengoku attached to his assent was more than fair. In fact, Shimiko never intended SHIRA to be staffed with shinobi that only Kumo or another village vetted. All ninja acting in the organization's name would go through a thorough screening process. The second condition caused her to lock eyes with Tengoku. For the first time since they had sat down, he would see something akin to gratitude. He had angered her with his initial refusal of her terms for peace and his proposed ban on child soldiers reeked of the very meddling they sought to put an end to. But when Tengoku identified their common enemy, it was all she could do to keep from high-fiving him.

Sayuri wasn't as amenable to the concept of SHIRA, but that was par for the course. SHIRA's stated purpose was to cull conflicts by mediating the flow of power between villages. They could always expand its jurisdiction at a later date but at a bare minimum it existed to stop wars from happening. If Shimiko's read on Sayuri was correct, then the Ice Princess would find that irritating. This one loves war...despite whatever role she may have played in taking down Hana...the only reason she's at this Summit is because her sister Princesses probably forced her... As erratic as her personality appeared to be, she wasn't entirely without reason. She fell in line with the rest of the villages but with the explicit reservation that a betrayal of the institution's principles would be dealt with harshly. Shimiko's gaze was drawn from Tengoku to Sayuri. Shimiko saw no harm in underlining and bolding what Sayuri had said. "Anyone in SHIRA foolish enough to cross any of us and betray its charter will meet the same fate as the Moonspire Three. Possibly worse. Tengoku raises a fantastic point though. The Hokage has sagely pointed out that our unified front already has a natural enemy. One that violates the norms of the ninja world, steals our exclusives with impunity, and sponsors deadly terrorist attacks like the assault on the Blood Prison and the razing of an entire town." The woman's killing intent was palpable and her pupils twitched for a moment as she suppressed the involuntary activation of her Doujutsu.

Sayuri was correct. The mere mention of Nozomi's name made her blood boil and the Hokage was indeed wise not to call her by name. But even if he had, he might not have triggered the reaction that some might assume. Shimiko appeared to be quite pleased with herself. She had made her mark as a diplomat, something that was unthinkable mere months ago and now Tengoku was making it clear that Konoha intended to take a firm stance against Nozomi's Society. The subject of the Himitsu was a delicate one and it touched on many political sensitivities. For Kumo, Konoha, Kiri, Iwa, and even Suna. To some shinobi, such as Shimiko, it was personal. The Chinoike was torn between hunting down Nozomi herself and not letting a single blonde terrorist consume all of her attention and energy. During Queen Ryuko's reign, she had shown deference to the Office of the Raikage on how Nozomi should be dealt with. Her friend had incredibly lofty aspirations on how to deal with the Nuke-Nin. When the idea was pitched to her, Shimiko was livid but rather than lash out violently, she decided to trust the Vestal turned Queen. With Ryuko gone, the question of how to deal with Nozomi raised its ugly head once more. She had promised Ryuko that she'd be amenable to some kind of pardon assuming Nozomi renounced the Society and turned on her former comrades. But with Ryuko unavailable to broker a peace, the likelihood of that scenario was nil. The only option that Shimiko could see was all-out war and that was quite tempting. It would certainly sate her bloodlust. It'd give her the much needed closure she sought before leaving the profession behind. A chance to repay that insult from the World Tournament..... Shimiko exhaled and cleared her mind. Its not about that heretic...it never was.... "As you all know, my enmity with Nozomi Himitsu is rather personal.....but a dear friend of mine once said that every person should be given the chance to make amends. I've decided to honor her philosophy. I want to give Nozomi the chance to do the right thing."

For the Honey Badger to express anything akin to mercy was shocking. Shimiko expected to even hear a gasp or two. The kunoichi were sworn enemies, that much was public knowledge. Shimiko's bloodthirst was so legendar that it was assumed that at one point or another, one of the two would die. But what if it didn't have to be that way? What if Shimiko could show the world she was more than a murderer? To forgive an oath of bloody vengeance was sinful in Shimiko's religion but somehow she guessed her Twins would absolve her for it. However, that wasn't the most important part. She wasn't doing this for Jashin, she was doing this for Ryuko. She doubted her plan would succeed, but she intended on trying. Honestly trying. Not sabotaging herself or Nozomi so that the two would come to blows. Shimko was going to get Nozomi to defect from the organization and become the kunoichi that Ryuko believed she could be. If she could not succeed, only then, would she indulge in her baser instincts but only after all other options had been exhausted.

"Queen Ryuko Shizu von Rose believed that Nozomi is not the true enemy behind the Society. She seemed to think that there was still some good in her....and as much hate as I harbor for that woman...I....we all....would be hypocrites if we didn't afford her the fresh start that we've given our countries. I propose that all nations present at this Summit, declare the Society our eternal enemy and offer all shinobi who operate in its name a one-time amnesty offer to expire in one month's time from our declaration. I don't know where Nozomi is but I do know who might know. I suggest we form a squad to track her down and make our case to her directly. If she refuses us then we'll have no choice but to destroy her and her ilk. If she joins us, then we'll be all the more secure against future threats. If Ryuko was right then we'll need all the allies we can get against the real Mastermind behind the Society." She wasn't sure if the the Vestal's hunch was correct but if it was, Honiko and Menza might be the least of their troubles.

Once she was done with her speech, Shimiko sat back and let the offer marinate. This was truly her "Only Nixon Could Go To China" moment. If Shimiko of all people was willing to bury the hatchet against her greatest foe for the sake of world peace, then maybe what was happening at this Summit was different. Maybe this really was the dawn of a new era for the shinobi way of life.

Tengokus finger would tap on the table as his ears twitched. His attention was less on Shin and more on Sayuri primarily and then Shimiko. At the moment even if the man was cold Iwa was pretty much just attending to insure its own interests. Not that they didn't have a place at the table....but he was very amiable to the others. Iwa had more reason to hate Konoha than the others in his opinion so he wouldn't stir that particular pot if he didn't have to. His eyes however would shift as Sayuris cup froze over. Frost building on the sides and the liquid frozen solid. A tea popsicle. Honestly the idea of it made him feel an unpleasant sensation in his stomach. Tea was drank hot as a comfort beverage. Still if her cold touch had done anything it showed that the sensitive subject had hit a nerve. After all the public face of the enemy had been a Kiri nin. A part of him liked seeing her react in such a way. Launching across the table at him hadn't been forgotten so much as forgiven. Regardless she kept her composure with her words as she accepted the proposal as well. Mocking that they needed it even though they had been the ones virtually demanding it by questioning his honor.

Tengoku would feel his finger tap quietly a little faster with impatience at the charade. She had issue with him and he didn't like it. Nor could he or would he endanger the state of his country as she had by lashing out at her. Hypocrisy. What an unfortunate trait in a leader. Still Shin would quickly agree as well. Amber eyes shifting to him. It was a good call and no questioning or sarcasm about it. Cold and professional. Like a stone serving its purpose. He was a good diplomat for now. Of course this organization suited Iwa just fine. Likely they had no one else's exclusives. Konoha would have known by now surely. This just meant forcing everyone to be on their level. Which was a good place to be. Honest and honorable was what Konoha wanted to see in the world now. It was what they wanted to put out into the world. Or at least that was the goal that Tengoku had for them. To be a shining beacon to the world of righteousness.

Still his quiet finger tapping would stop the moment that Shimiko would suggest pardoning them. Terrorists being pardoned....Tengoku would take a sharp intake of breath as amber eyes shifted to the woman. A frown on his face as he watched her quietly. His body stiff as he considered her words. He was in a bind now because he had true hate for the society. When he and his sister and the stand in Hokage had been all that was left in konoha....When the mad cat had evacuated to relocate. Only the three of them had remained. Only the three of them to defend it. And she had publicly revealed the location. Forcing the twins to fight looters in the streets and sometimes for their lives. She was the face of these terrorists even if the claim was she wasn't the true leader. He had hate in his heart for her but...there were others there that may think differently. Sayuri didn't seem like one to offer second chances but he would be malleable in this matter. Tengoku would take a steadying breath before replying to her request.

"Normally...I would never pardon terrorists. However if this assembly agrees to this...i will sign as well. However this will be a one time offer. To those who turn it down and continue to operate as terrorists I will have no pity or mercy. To all those who do not take this olive branch of yours....To those who are the demons we must face. I will see them torn apart one by one until the last member cowers in a cave somewhere living in fear of my retribution. Go offer your hand of forgiveness if you wish but beyond those terms I will see justice done. And justice for them ends in one way. It ends in blood."

It seemed that everyone agreed that SHIRA was a good idea. The reasons behind each individual’s agreements was something Sayuri was not privy to, but seeing as her own reasons were not the standard she took it upon herself to assume that no one else’s were either. She preferred to believe that everyone she met was, at their core, just as depraved and chaotic as she was. It was why she tolerated things such as rules and laws and the people that adhered to them. Like Kitsuki. She knew that deep down, Kitsuki would toss aside her precious rules if she was pushed just enough.

‘She seems to be occupying your thoughts as of late, my Queen.’

‘You would know. But yes, the angelic one has been getting on my nerves. And being here at the Summit has reminded me of her.’

‘Would you prefer a distraction?’

‘Oh yes. I would very much prefer a distraction.’

The blush on Sayuri’s cheeks would deepen as Jareth filled her mind with visions of terrifyingly beautiful things. Which brought a small smile to her face as she filled with equal parts fear and joy.

Shin and Shimiko both made it clear that anyone that decided to go against the spirit of SHIRA would be dealt with. Sayuri was not surprised to hear that from either one. She’d heard tales of the ruthlessness of the Honey Badger and although she had not heard tales of Shin, she did imagine that it took someone fairly ruthless to live in a land full of rocks. On purpose. And she had little to offer either delegates sentiment than a nod of agreement in their direction. She expected nothing less; one either took power or they gave it away. What followed next though was two actual surprises.

As Shimiko offered mercy to Nozomi Himitsu, Sayuri would gasp quietly. She would crane her neck to get a better look at the blonde woman’s face, searching it for signs of dark humour or some other explanation. Finding none, Sayuri's eyebrows would furrow in mild confusion as she tried to puzzle out what she was hearing. The distraction that Jareth was providing was pushed to the back of her mind as her eyes widened slightly at the mention of not just mercy for Nozomi, but for anyone involved in the Society. She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. And so she didn’t. ‘It’s an elaborate trick. It has to be. A ruse to lure people into an elaborate trap.’ Sayuri had no reason to disbelieve Shimiko, other than her own bloodlust and need to continue believing in a core of wickedness within everyone. What she did choose to hear was that the Society was more insidious than previously imagined, and that by luring out the known members, it may lead to the unknown. That she could get behind. She was still formulating her thoughts when surprise number two reared its wolf eared head.

Until Tengoku opened his mouth to reply to Shimiko, Sayuri had wanted nothing more than to intimately discover the internal similarities between the Hokage and a wolf of the four legged variety. The latter she already had a good deal of experience with after having to deal with many of them during the construction of her ice castle. But as he spoke of blood and retribution. . . she smiled. Slowly at first, but clearly directed towards Tengoku. ‘There it is, the darkness I know. And he calls it Justice.’ The revelation she thought she saw gave her new found respect for the man, and a new way she thought she could deal with him. Clearing her throat and returning her right hand to the open wound on her arm and away from her frozen teacup, Sayuri did her best to encourage this new sliver of darkness she saw. “The last group of terrorists were not given the same. . . consideration. However an olive branch can just as easily be used as a switch. There may be much to gain from having Nozomi return to ‘the fold’ as it were. If there is someone else, a real Mastermind, then it would be smart to limit this ‘mastermind’s’ avenues into our world and its power and secrets. Though I must agree with Tengoku; a limited time offer. I do not like the offer at all, though I suspect it will be more useful to make the offer than not.” She was implying that the offer was actually a trap as she had thought earlier. Holding her right hand up, her fingers stained with her own blood, she stared at her fingertips thoughtfully. “Blood is Justice.”

Shimiko had braced herself for the reactions she'd provoke with her proposal. The substance of the idea, however, was not as surprising as the identity of the woman who had uttered it. Tengoku, who had been playing nice for most of the Summit, appeared deeply disturbed and even the ice cold Sayuri gasped. The only one who was as still as stone was Shin. Apropos. The national representatives were flummoxed as to why someone so renown for their bloodthirst was choosing to turn the other cheek to an infamous terrorist. A terrorist that had humiliated her at the First Shinobi World Tournament no less. Shimiko dared them to challenge her reasoning or her drive. There was a time where she would have opened their throats for even suggesting that she was soft, but now she only felt an inner peace. A resolve that could not be wiped away with words and petty glares. She was committed to this idea and the others must have seen it in her eyes because what she heard was agreement rather than dismissal.

Tengoku added an important qualifier though. If the Society did not accept their offer of amnesty, then they'd face the only justice that they deserved: Blood. Shimiko smirked in response to Tengoku's beautiful soliloquy. It was a reassuring thing to hear. As someone who would soon be retiring from the shinobi world, she couldn't afford to leave it in the care of the weak. The Wolf put on an amicable front, but if he was as ruthless to evil as he was righteous to the good then Shimiko felt safe leaving the world in his hands. Hopefully this Hokage would be blessed with the wisdom to know when to spare blood and when to spill it. It was a question she had struggled with all her career and it was one she was now passing down to the next generation. Shimiko glanced to the cold Princess sitting next to her. This one could be problematic....Lord Jashin has blessed her with a devotion to the darkness but will she wield it or let it consume her? When Sayuri turned to look at her, Shimiko would look her in the eye and show her the truth. This was no trick. She was genuinely offering Nozomi Himitsu a chance at redemption. She figured that this would cause Sayuri to lose respect for her. The two were kindred spirits, that much was obvious, but Shimiko had been around the curve that Sayuri was now beginning to turn. She had her reasons for restraint and if Sayuri was fortunate, she'd one day be in a position to do the same.

Sayuri made a solid point that the Moonspire Three had not been shown mercy. Some might even say that the leaders sitting at the table now were hypocrites for even offering it to someone who was a rogue actor for far longer. Shimiko wasn't inclined to dispute such a charge. Part of the reason she was doing this was as a favor to one of her best friends. Nozomi and Shimiko shared a connection and without that connection, it was possible that nothing would ever stop the Chinoike from chasing down her foe. Ultimately though, whatever their reasons, they all fell in line. Sayuri seized onto the possibility that the Society was being run by another more sinister force. It was a force that she appeared all too thrilled to contend with. This brought a smile to Shimiko's face. A properly directed serial killer could do more good than a thousand warrior-monks.

Yes...this generation will do quite well indeed.....

Between Seid, Sayuri, and Tengoku, Shimiko felt a burden ease from off her shoulders. She couldn't force Nozomi to walk away from this path and with Akihiro gone there were few that could match her prowess. But that state of affairs was not bound to continue indefinitely. The ninja at this table were all different but they each had a burning desire to protect their interests and insofar as Nozomi continued to pose a threat to those interests, they would train until they matched or exceeded her strength. She could hear it in their voices, see it in their eyes, feel it in their souls. When Sayuri held up her bloodied hand and declared that blood was justice, the honey haired ANBU nodded in appreciation.

"Always."

They understood what needed to be done. She'd leave it to them. Before she closed her proposal though, there was one additional point she wanted to make. "Nozomi is a hard woman to find but I've recently come across some rather credible intelligence that she may be hiding out in Sunagakure or at least have contacts there. I will send over a dossier to each of the villages explaining what we know of Nozomi's ties to Suna but the fact that Kazekage Ei is not here only deepens my suspicion. I imagine if Suna is unwilling to cooperate with what we've agreed to here, or worse yet, if they openly side with the Society then measures will need to be taken. Except this time I think the odds favor a decisive victory for the good guys"

Shimiko grinned and winked at Sayuri. "Good guys" was a rather ironic term given the two girls sitting at this table. Shimiko reached underneath the table and put a hand on Sayuri's knee. It was a friendly gesture, but it had a psychological component to it. Shimiko noticed how responsive the Ice Princess was to touch and how submissive she was in the face of unrelenting power. She noticed that the woman was restless and had frozen her tea solid out of sheer angst. Shimiko knew that Kiri and Suna were allies which meant that if a coalition against the Sand State was necessary, then they'd need the Mist's backing. She'd secure that here and now and she'd do it in the most effective way possible.

"Sayuri-hime, I know Kiri and Suna are allies, but once I send you the relevant documents you may want to re-think your relationship with them. Perhaps I'm wrong and they've chased the Society out of Suna but if they refuse to stand with the rest of the civilized world on this question I'm sure you can understand that this is something that will have to be dealt with"

Shimiko hoped that it could be done peacefully as she didn't want to lay the framework for another war, but she could not ignore Ei's absence nor the disturbing truths that Kara had told her. If there was a connection between Ei and Nozomi then it was better to get it all out in the open.

Tengoku would sit back and listen. Sayuris insistence that justice was blood made him question his own sense of justice. Was blood truly the only justice one could seek? He had gained power to protect but recently...recently he took a mans life just for attempting to harm one of his students. It cause the paladin a moment to reflect. Was violence truly the only true answer? He felt himself wanting to fidget with the note in his pocket. The concerns of the previous Hokage. How lucky he was not to be placed in this room. A target on their nation due to the nations actions...ordered by him. There was some spite there but Tengoku wouldn't hold onto it. Peace talks were going well enough. However there was another talk rising. That the society had strong ties in Suna of all places. His amber eyes would settle on Shimiko quietly. She claimed to have reliable intel but there was no way to confirm this without spying himself. Or rather sending some scouts. Even then it could just be a ruse to prove Konoha wouldn't stop prying in the affairs of other nations. She seemed clever enough but Tengoku would not be swayed.

Still the talk of going against Suna brought up one of the points Nyguyen had given him. He would take a breath before sitting straight and taking the final sip of his tea. Setting down the empty cup and refraining from refilling it. Instead his eyes would shift to Kensai and then back to Shimiko. Shin was being rather quiet. Mostly just attending by the looks of it to make sure Iwa got to do as it liked. It was a fair enough tactic. Still Tengoku would clear his throat before folding his hands on the table and speaking. Addressing Shimiko mostly. "Allow me to be clear on one point. If war is to be waged again, Konoha will not take part without sufficient proof. I swore to pull our troops back and keep our nose out of others business in hopes for a lasting peace. We will not willingly move a single squad without definitive proof." He would Sit back in his chair and fold his hands in his lap before he lowered his tone. Staring at his empty cup a moment before lifting his eyes to meet the gazes of anyone who would meet his own. Not challenging but imploring.

"That said if there is to be further war there must be rules of engagement. So far a lot of it has just been unspoken but I would give this summit something to reflect on...During times of war certain things must be taken into consideration. For instance, the civilian population should not be targeted under any circumstances. There should be no room in our hearts to see civilians as hostages. People are to be protected...preserved. I did not have one outside of my sister growing up but...family is important. Even if we ourselves never had one....I can not bare to separate a child from there parents or worse...a parent from their child. I know already that your traditions....our own traditions involve children in war but as I said before Konoha will change that. The Iron Samurai have their code of conduct and it would do us a service to use it as a guide and establish laws against such terrorism. Along with the subject of war.....I want us to consider establishing a memorial. Either as a whole or individually. Our fallen should be remembered, never swept under the rug and forgotten."

Sayuri was both surprised and a little sad to see no trick in Shimiko’s eyes as she looked for the truth there. She had been desperately hoping that mercy was not amongst the behaviours that she would associate with the legendary ANBU, but alas she saw it there all the same. The disappointment would be clearly visible on her face, even as her nose wrinkled while she tried to rationalize the meaning behind this new turn of events. Jareth noticed, as he noticed everything she felt, and intervened as he sensed her rising emotions.

‘Don’t be upset, my Queen.’

‘‘I’m not.’

‘You are, and as always I am here to comfort you. Mercy is not all bad. Remember what I taught you; mercy is the first, and most important, step to torture.’

‘‘Brilliant as always Jareth. I feel I say this often but; what would I do without you, my King?’

‘Be angry and bored I suspect.’

Sayuri’s momentary disappointment faded and a rueful smile would appear on her face. Jareth had opted not to rely solely on his words to ease Sayuri’s troubled mind and instead gave her a vision of the future that was being offered. A vision that suited his own designs. All the while Sayuri had part of her attention on those that spoke, she was absorbing their words while gazing beyond any of them, into the depths of her shared mind. She would even smile as Shimiko replied ‘Always’ to her musings about blood and justice.

Sayuri’s Vision - Read With Caution:

And then a hand was on her knee. It took Sayuri a moment to disconnect the vision of Jareth and his touch from the very corporeal Shimiko and her touch. She made a sound, not unlike a soft purr, and focused her heavy lidded gaze on the blonde woman to her left. In that moment Sayuri would have done anything Shimiko asked of her. The power that Shimiko exuded was intoxicating, and while Sayuri was not normally attracted to females, she found herself deeply attracted to the Kumogakure representative. The wink that Shimiko had given was enough to make her draw in a breath, and she would lean in slightly towards the blonde woman, an unconscious and submissive reaction to the unrelenting power that sought to subtly direct her. She nodded in understanding as Shimiko spoke, her black coloured eyes affixed on the Honey Badger. “Yes, Shimiko-sama I understand perfectly. I eagerly await further correspondence from you. It was before my time as a Princess of Kirigakure, though I do recall reading about two Shinobi from Suna who had travelled to Kiri and formed an alliance with the previous Mizukage. The absence of any representative from the Land of Sand is . . . troubling.” Sayuri was not troubled by it at all. In fact she was glad to have fewer representatives. Fewer people meant less talking, in theory, and that was perfect for her. Her only reason for bringing it up at all was to add more weight to the concern that Suna was at least complacent in this terrorist organization's existence. And there was nothing that Sayuri adored more than sowing chaos and disorder.

As Tengoku spoke, Sayuri would reluctantly tear her gaze from Shimiko to glance at the Wolf Kage. She could understand his reasons for not wanting to participate in a war without proof. He had a remarkable legacy to live down, as the Hokage. The previous one had done the current one no favours, and it was all she could do to still herself from making another pointed jab at the white haired man. She found his concern for civilians and children amusing. She had no such concerns and thought that carefully avoiding such large groups of legitimate targets was more trouble than it was worth. Just like mercy, she knew that love and hope and innocence were delicious precursors to torment and misery. And what better to destroy than those concepts? Especially when securing a victory was almost guaranteed with those tactics. Again though, she held her tongue. She could hear Jareth in her mind warning her of pushing too hard. The only part of what he spoke of that she could comment on without being snide was the memorial. She could appreciate paying respects to the dead. She had done that very thing with Hana and then Kyoji’s bodies. Even after her first kill - a monstrous beast in Kirigakure - she had paid her respects. And that thing had tried to kill her. “I agree. The dead are precious, and should never be forgotten. No matter how they died or why, whether they deserved it according to some, or not. It is our duty as those that remain to remember the deceased. They exist only through our memories and it is our privilege to give them life through ceremony. Kirigakure would support a unified memorial, a place where the dead may be honoured and remembered.” Her statement was entirely genuine, and she would meet the eye of all present to ensure that they understood how seriously she took the subject of death. As much as she enjoyed killing, she knew how much power there was in it, how monumental it was to take a life. And there was reverence in the act for her. Not, most likely, in the way that most people revered the dead. There was no sadness or grief for her. It was a pleasurable activity remembering the details of a death, and she practiced it often. At best, in a way that someone without her twisted perspective may be able to understand, she was grateful to the dead. She needed the dead in order to feel whole, to feel alive.

Shin opted for silence instead of voicing needless words that would not contribute whatsoever to the talks happening within the room. When the subject once more shifted towards Nozomi, the Kazekage and Sunagakure no Sato, Shin would listen intently, but still opted not to voice anything on a subject he was not too familiar with. While he knew of Nozomi and the current Kazekage, Shin was not too familiar with the subjects of the Society and the scope of their influence. This was a matter that was better appropriate for someone who was more familiar than himself about these things; perhaps Mitsukira or Chen would have been of better use for this matter. Regardless, Shin would do anything to not have another war at his doorstep, not when he was finally in a position to do something about it.

Shin chose to ignore the discussion for the short bit when Tengoku shifted to the mentioning of ‘family’. That… was still something he wrestled with everyday, trying to solve a puzzle that he had no pieces for. A memorial for the forgotten would be a good sentiment, even though Shin only had minor inclinations to have one in a general sense. Once someone was gone… they are gone. The concept of a memorial, to Shin, was for the living. It was never a thought Shin voiced out loud, but it was something he could go without.

“Should the need arise, Iwagakure would assist in a conflict. Our participation may be limited, but not due hesitance, but rather due to keeping more troops within our borders.” Shin’s right index finger would slowly tap his right cheek as his chin rested in his palm. “A memorial is something the people of all our nations could use. While individual memorials would be simpler to organize, a unified memorial would help build the steps towards peace between our nations. Though… the organization of that would be far more tedious as far as logistics go.”

"My, my. Apologies for the delay, Konoha had sent a single man to help me take over several minor nations in return for avoiding a war over the Land of Rivers, so I let him do most of the work out of spite. I didn't realize it would make me this late."

Ei was fake flustered of course, but she joined in part way through Tengoku's speech, but she'd been listening for quite some time. Being perceptive, as well as a sensor, Nozomi had been sensing and overhearing for a while before she reached the doors. Interestingly, she didn't know or recognize many of the individuals present at the meeting, but two of them were an instant upon sight.

Shimiko and Kensei both had met Nozomi, and Kensei specifically knew her chakra signature, but the Iron Shogun had been partially funded by her and the Society, and she'd specifically been requested to be present at the meeting. Of course, Ei as the Kazekage had also been expected, but nobody knew of her death yet, so Kensai may likely be surprised to sense Nozomi as Ei. That said, the charade wouldn't last too much longer, but it was a small bit of fun while she gathered information.

Taking a seat, NozomEi looked at each of the present representatives of the nations, sizing them up based on what she could sense off of them as well as their basic demeanors.

Kirigakure's representative, Sayuri. A beautiful woman, cold, dark chakra, and very measured in the way she spoke. A sign of the village's tendency to raise powerful warriors.
Konoha's representative, Tengoku. Judging purely by his physique, he was well trained in physical combat, and Nozomi wouldn't mind testing his abilities against her own at some point. In fact, if he was Konoha's representative and presumably Kage, then perhaps they'd be fighting sooner than anticipated as the Land of Rivers was still under Suna's control for the time being and the forseeable future.
Iwagakure's representative, Shin. Quite soft spoken, intelligent, observant. He wasn't giving her much to go on though, so her gaze passed him relatively quickly, landing on the final Village representative.
Kumogakure's very own Shimiko. Nozomi's gaze lingered longer than most, an eyebrow raised in amusement. The hot tempered girl who proclaimed herself Nozomi's rival at the Championship. Nozomi had at one time extended an offer of friendship to the girl, but was rebuffed in hatred. Since then, she hadn't spared much thought on her, beyond the occasional reference when her thoughts shifted to Ryuko.

"So, now that I'm present, I believe that's all 5 Major Nations in attendance. Now that I'm here, feel free to address your concerns about my village to my face."

Folding her hands, Ei leaned forward on the table, staring across at each representative, more or less ignoring Kensai besides a nod of acknowledgment. Her earlier voice, which had mimicked Ei's perfectly had changed in intonation, reflecting her true voice.

-----
- Perfect Copy: Ei Kanagawa
-Sensory Technique: active

Shimiko's touch had snapped Sayuri out of whatever Jashin-inspired nightdream she was in. Shimiko knew the look in those eyes. She had seen in it in many a Jashinist who was fully enraptured in the glory of their Dark Lord. It was a look that was often present in her own eyes and one that she had only just recently began to control. The fact that a mere gesture from her could take Sayu out of that head-space was telling. In another life and at another time, she'd have taken this girl on as a student and allowed her to live under her roof much like she did Miyu. When Jashin put a kindred soul in your path, you took them alongside your journey. No ifs, ands, or buts. Unfortunately, Shimiko's roof was full and whatever path Sayuri was heading on, she had seen its horizon and had chosen to turn back from it. For now, the Yuki would have to settle for being her political pawn.

Sayuri readily agreed with Shimiko's assessment going as far as to practically coo in emotional surrender to her elder's dominance. Almost too easy.... Now that Kiri was in her corner, she knew the others would probably follow suit. The Hokage made a point to reject the prospect of war though. Whoever this Wolf was, he seemed dead set on removing the stain that the last Hokage had created. Konoha would not join a militant coalition against Suna unless they had complete and irrefutable proof that the nation was harboring terrorist. Shimiko didn't blame him.

You'd have to be a complete moron to launch a global attack against a desert nation based on flimsy evidence of affiliation with terrorists.

Fortunately, Shimiko's evidence wasn't flimsy. It spoke for itself. Kara was perhaps the smartest woman in the world and her testimony was credible. If Suna wanted to deny the charges then all the better. She just hoped they were willing to open themselves up to impartial inspectors. Let them prove their innocence. Even Iwagakure agreed that if push came to shove Suna would need to be dealt with. With her agenda fulfilled, Shimiko drew away from the Kiri representative and sat back in her seat. She was rather content with her work as a diplomat so when Tengoku started talking about memorials and banning the targeting of civilians. Shimiko nodded her head in gleeful agreement. Once upon a time, she'd have called him a weakling for declaring civilians off-limits. All non-believer flesh was meat for repentance both civilian and military. However, Shimiko and the Church along with it had since moderated their stance on the subject. Just because it was their God-given right to kill, didn't mean that it was always appropriate to exercise that right in all circumstances. Shimiko hated what Ken had done to the Land of Demons. The attack on Moonspire, while not as visceral, was certainly a reminder of the immorality of such massacres. It was indeed about time the shinobi world codified what had long been recognized as the informal rules of war.

She had been about to reply in agreement on both accounts when they were finally joined by the Fifth Great Nation. Shimiko's head swiveled around as she turned in the direction of the woman's voice. She wasn't normally surprised when someone entered her vicinity. Shimiko wasn't a sensor, but her powers of perception were well above-average. For this Ei Kanegawa to enter in so casually without Shimiko seeing her coming was all the proof the woman needed.

This one did not rise to the seat of Kazekage based on solely on the incompetence of her competitors....

Shimiko was so surprised to see the latecomer that it took her a few seconds to fully register what the imposter had said. She turned her head to Tengoku and narrowed her eyes. She didn't speak but her expression was clear: Really? Shimiko wasn't sure what kind of play Konoha and Suna were involved in, but it probably didn't concern Kumo. The Land of Rivers was outside their sphere of influence and if Suna had gone after Kumo's vassal states then they surely would have heard about it by now. This was yet another squabble over minor nations that while annoying, would not jeopardize peace between the Great Nations. That honor instead belonged to the Kazekage sitting before them. Shimiko watched Nozom-Ei as she watched everyone. When the two's gaze locked on each other, Shimiko grew eerily still.

The kunoichi's demeanor had been somewhat of a rollercoaster during the Summit. At first, she was impatient and hot-tempered to get the meeting done and over with. Then, she was satisfied and content when it turned out she did in fact possess the qualities of a good diplomat: mercy, patience, and an ability to win people over. Now she felt something new. True Rage. There was something off about this Kazekage but Shimiko couldn't quite place it. The way she had raised her eyebrow at Shimiko had irked the Jashinist. Like she was challenging her. Though if Ei had any sense then she had to know that there were only two people who could have challenged Shimiko. One of them was now dead. And the othe- ​

"So, now that I'm present, I believe that's all 5 Major Nations in attendance. Now that I'm here, feel free to address your concerns about my village to my face."
.......

That voice. Shimiko would never forget that voice. No matter how much time had passed since the First Shinobi World Tournament, she'd always remember its tenor. The distant non-chalance behind it. Without even comprehending the words, Shimiko found the tone mocking. As if Nozomi was saying: "You aren't even worth an emotional response." In that moment, Shimiko and Sayuri were even more alike than one could previously have imagined. The hidden insult was one that was worse than hatred. It was indifference. A refusal of acknowledgement. When Shimiko lost to someone who talked to her like that, it put such a fire in her heart that the only thing that could cool it was her sister's love. Now Ei was talking just like Nozomi in a bid to get a rise out of the Honey Badger. She had just proclaimed that this new Era would be one of peace and now the mad Kage was provoking her.

And Shimiko had no doubt this was the real Ei. The idea that she was now staring down her sworn enemy never entered her mind. She just believed that Ei was an unstable woman obsessed with fighting.  Based on what Kara had told her, the woman's psychological profile amounted to nothing more than yet another Emir. A mentally ill tyrant with delusions of grandeur. Shimiko had a solution for this kind of sickness and oh how she would have love to take this one down a peg or two. Instead, she pursed her lips and responded in a measured tone.

"That's not funny."

Tengoku would listen as each of them would agree to the memorial while still making plans to deal with this next terrorist group. Suspicions of the only Kage not in admittance being tossed around with plans to investigate. Likely a cover for ill harbored intentions. Still Tengoku knew it would do no good to question them on it at this point. Let someone else risk being the villain other than Konoha at some point. Kiri seemed eager enough to fill the role. He would need to reevaluate their relationship after this. Perhaps with another one of the three other than the problem child. For now though the memorial was an important part. Still his wolf like ears would twitch a little as suddenly the sound of someone approaching from just around the corner could be heard. Normally he would have heard her breathing if not for having been distracted with his guard down. The Samurai were in charge of their security after all and Tengoku was not running his sensory out of respect for their host. So he wasn't really concerned with picking anyone else up. Still his amber eyes would turn to the door before 'Ei' Ever appeared. Catching her haught entrance in full.

The seat next to himself had remained vacant for the time being. Of course he would from and resist a sigh that tempted him. This was all just a passage of multiple people taking their jabs at Konoha. He felt like he may strangle his predecessor himself for dumping all this on Tengoku last minute and avoiding the conflict. There were plenty of blaming words on Konoha and some he didn't disagree with. His firm position against continuous berating was wearing thin but he would nod to her as she entered. A curt nod but one of greeting. She was blunt and a little rude but given Sunas difficulties with their own sustainability Tengoku assumed that most were.

Still his eyes would shift to Shimiko to see her discomfort and the corners of his lips would shift slightly upwards for a moment. Anything that made his main opposition uncomfortable suited him well enough. Still her comment about her nation meant she had been listening for at least a short time. Long enough to catch the two difficult women conspiring against her nation. Shifting the focus away from Konoha finally. Of course Tengoku had never met Nozomi and didn't know her outside of that one tv broadcast. He had no chance of recognizing her chakra signature or habits. Still he would respond to her entrance.

"Welcome. My name is Tengoku Shinku. The newest in the line of Hokage. We saved you a seat of course. As for concerns about your village to your face. It's nice of you to join us and give us the opportunity. Do you need a recap or have you been listening in for some time?"

It was a jab of course. She had started by blaming Konoha for her own attendance so he was bound to do the same. His right arm would lift to casually rest on the back of his seat as he turned to look to her with a smile. Three women and three men. All the world leaders in attendance including their host finally. Still tensions were high. Already someone had attempted to attack him and been wounded for it. The smell of their blood heavy on the air as well as where it stained the table. No one having moved to heal Sayuri or clean up the mess as of yet. Perhaps he was testing the waters of a new cold member of world leadership in attendance. After all it seemed finding allies here was not bound to happen. Not with his only ally attempting to harm him over something fairly silly. The question was...with their new arrangement...would suna be a new ally? Or would she turn on him too?

Sayuri honestly could not have cared less about the Summit. The only reason she had been even remotely interested in attending was the promise of seeing Seigi again, and that had been an utter disappointment. There had been a few moments of excitement with swords and blood, but that had been short lived and now the only thread she had to grasp onto was the blonde woman sitting beside her and keeping her in check.

After she said her piece about remembering the dead she had become restless once more as she saw they faced more mind numbing talk of ‘logistics’ and ‘rules of engagement’. In annoyance and as a way to keep herself entertained she had returned to playing with the open and bleeding wound on her arm. Mindlessly she had begun to draw in the small pools of blood that were still on the table. Simple things; shapes and letters, nothing important. But as she would carve out a design with her fingertip she would swipe her palm over the drawing and begin again. Over and over, her eyes flickering occasionally up to whoever spoke or moved, but always she kept her hand moving through the cold blood.

She was delighted when Shin agreed to engage in conflict should it come to that, and she would offer the man a sweet and appreciative smile. She was beginning to like him, his stoicism seemed to mask something that she would love to attempt to draw out. She would open her mouth to speak, to try to fan the flame of war, and then a new voice rang out. A female voice she did not recognize. Naturally she turned to look towards the newcomer and saw a small dark haired woman who seemed to be intent on scrutinizing all present. She assumed this was Ei, the Kage from Suna, as she was the only one who had not yet arrived. She was momentarily confused as the woman’s voice changed, and her eyes would narrow as she followed Ei’s movements. She was equally confused by Shimiko’s reaction to Ei’s changing voice, and that confusion led to her ceasing her finger painting as she brought her hand to her face and placed her index finger on her bottom lip gently as she tried to figure out what part of this she had missed. There was clear tension here between Ei, Shimiko and Tengoku, but she could not for the life of her divine where it came from.

She knew she had to have missed something. The trouble with being an Island Nation was that there were quite a lot of political happenings that Kiri never experienced first hand. Sayuri knew almost nothing of Sunagakure and even less about the state of the minor nations that bordered the Land of Wind. She had no immediate answers, Sayuri was manipulative and corrupt, some even said she was disturbed. But what she wasn’t, was clever. This puzzle was currently beyond her and even she knew that her ruminations would amount to nothing but a mild headache and no answers. So she listened intently to the short exchange and then directed her attention back to the Kazekage. She would allow Ei to answer Tengoku’s question before removing her finger from her lips and returning to painting while speaking quietly to the Sunagakure representative.

“We were discussing your quite notable absence actually. But if you were spying, then I suppose you already know that.” She would smile sweetly at Ei as she spoke the word ‘spying’. She did not disapprove, she found it both amusing and intelligent. As the latecomer to the Summit, Ei would have been foolish not to assume that she would be spoken about poorly and a smart woman would want to have some idea as to the state of the ‘room’ upon arrival.

His eyes would roam to the newest occupant of the room while he still rested his chin upon his palm. Shin made no sudden movements, the only notable signs of movement came from his eyes and the human need to breath. He watched the one, he presumed to be the Kazekage Ei, for a few moments before his eyes once more travelled to the other occupants of the room. With the Kazekage’s appearance, Shin assumed there would be a dialogue that would resolve his concern with the last bout of conversation that was initiated. Sunagakure’s appearance would help settle his mind for where Iwagakure no Sato would be in a potential conflict, though Shin himself knew he, ultimately, had no say in where Iwa’s influence would begin or end in the realm of conflict.

His eyes would travel from Shimiko to Tengoku, who began to introduce himself. Shin did feel bad about the position the man was placed in, though Shin’s gripe lay with the village and former Hokage’s; Tengoku was just the unfortunate soul that was in the place where his resentment stemmed from. It already seemed like Sunagakure would be joining the list of villages that directed their blame on Tengoku. Shin had already said his piece on the matter, so he would mostly opt to observe and only interject when it was truly needed from his end.

Amber orbs would skip over to Sayuri, the only response Shin gave was a curious eyebrow lifting before his expression once more returned to being neutral. He was not sure what the meaning behind it was, nor did he want to ask. His eyes would once more glance back towards Ei, waiting to see what her response would be to Tengoku and if she truly was aware of the conversation that was had in the room.

Shimiko's lack of enthusiam by the sound of her voice almost made Nozomi smile, but she simply shrugged and moved on. Nozomi didn't care whether she found it funny or not, she hadn't dropped the Ei voice purely for Shimiko, it just hadn't been fully necessary to maintain it. What she found funny was that Shimiko seemed to care so much about a simple shift in tone, and that she could elicit such a reaction from the girl.

"No, a recap isn't necessary."

NozomEi replied to Tengoku's question, but answered Sayuri's in the same vein. She had been listening for a little bit, long enough to really catch that it was assumed that Sunagakure may or may not be allied with the Society. Nozomi wasn't really one for lying and maintaining some elaborate deceptions for too long, she'd really only taken over as Ei so that she could build up some of Sunagakure's resources longer. At this point, they had enough that it wasn't necessary to continue the ruse, so she decided now was the time to drop it.

"Seeing as I'm here to represent my nation as its kage, I suppose I need to clarify. Sunagakure is not allied with the Society." the Kazekage responded, but decided to drop her Perfect Copy, her form shifting back to the more familiar one of Nozomi herself. "We control it."

Nozomi knew that she was safe from attack by the rules of the summit, but she wasn't too concerned with any of them deciding to break the rules and attack her anyhow. If they did, Nozomi would fight, and perhaps even kill the chosen leaders of their villages here and now, simply making it easier for the Society to exert their influence and control over the nations, perhaps even making Hizashi's plan ultimately redundant.

"Hypocritical as usual, that the summit was called to discuss ending the war, and yet before I entered, I hear discussion of starting yet another one against Sunagakure. While I thank Konoha," Nozomi nodded to Tengoku "for at least giving bare minimum reluctance to enter another conflict, it still seems clear that every nation here is willing to go to war against Sunagakure for even mere association with the Society."

While some might show anger or incredulousness at the thought, Nozomi's expression remained neutral. She wasn't a very expressive girl, and didn't often speak, but she'd found herself having to do more of that since Honiko made her the leader of the Society. While she'd prefer to be quiet and alone, simply fighting and training, she had a lot to do to represent her master's organization, doing what she could for it. It was definitely understandable why Honiko didn't deal with the politics of the nations, the woman couldn't be bothered to deal with them. It was easier to go where she wanted and do what she wanted in furthering her goals, but Nozomi's urge to impress Honiko had taken her along a path that had placed her in charge of several nations.

Ultimately, her views aligned with Honiko and Hizashi's, but Hizashi's method was too slow and hadn't been providing many results. The Society had the power to end wars and improve any place they controlled, and yet Hizashi had been content to sit by and play the long game, waiting to resurrect the disciples before taking over the nations. To someone like him that had lived for so long, perhaps that was fine, but Nozomi chose action. When Honiko returned, she'd likely be surprised to see how much Nozomi had amassed for the Society, as well as the allies she'd recruited.

---
Sensory Active

When the woman Shimiko believed to be Ei didn't cease speaking in Nozomi's voice, Shimiko flared her nostrils as she exhaled in clear frustration. Count backwards from ten....you can't lose your cool....not here. . Whatever joke the mad Kazekage was making, its punchline was far too long for Shimiko's tastes. She only half-listened to Nozom-Ei's words and instead focused on maintaining her composure.

10.....9......8.....7......6....5......4......3......2.......1.....

The end of the countdown coincided with the release of Nozomi's Transformation Jutsu. It was as if her own mind and the universe were conspiring to crack whatever façade of peacefulness that she had conjured up. Shimiko had been convinced that she could make it through this Summit without fighting or even threatening to kill one of the representatives. She had believed this even as she heard Nozomi's voice uttered from Ei's lips. It was all a distraction. A game. A petty attempt to deprive her of what she had just earned through the help of her best friend. She was certain that nothing could rattle her (Jashin forgive the phrase) "Zen." That certainty died when her sworn enemy revealed herself for the whole world to see. Nozomi boldly declared that Sunagakure was under the Society's control. At first, Shimiko assumed this was another disgusting prank. She had never met Ei but based on what Kara had told her this was the exact sort of thing she'd expect from a lunatic Kazekage. A true inheritor of the excesses of the Emir. But Shimiko knew this was not so. She looked deep into Nozomi's eyes and felt a genuineness that no actress could mimic. There was only one soul that could get under her skin the way Himitsu did. It couldn't be replicated and if it could then it would either rise to her skill level or die an imposter's death.

Shimiko felt her nails dig into the table before them. Whereas her lips were once pursed, they were now being bitten. Not by the regular enamel of human teeth but of the sharp fangs of a vampire. Shimiko did not interrupt as Nozomi continued to chastise the Summit attendees for so quickly falling back into the ways of war. She was too busy wrestling with the whirlwind of emotions in her chest. It was the first time she had seen Nozomi face-to-face since the First Shinobi World Tournament, and despite her extension of clemency mere moments prior, her first instinct was to break the truce and attack the woman. Sayuri and whatever being infested her mind ought count themselves fortunate. The Shimiko they'd seen earlier was stepping out. The old Shimiko, the Shimiko they'd have heard stories about, was stepping back in. The Chinoike stared down her opponent as she lectured them. It was only when she finished speaking that Shimiko would relax her hands and fold them in front of her. A useless movement but one that would occupy them long enough so that they would not be overrun with instinct.

"If this is some kind of sick joke Ei....just get up and leave now. No one here will hurt you. You may have lost your dignity as a Kage but you can still have your life."

Shimiko didn't know Ei personally, but she was willing to bet that the Kazekage couldn't be so disconnected from reality that she'd maintain this jape a moment longer. Sure she could be crazy, but this was running deep into suicidal territory. Shimiko allowed a few more seconds to pass and if Nozomi didn't magically turn back into Ei then she'd know who she was really dealing with. Every muscle in her body tensed and she leaned forward ready to pounce at the infernal interloper.

"So it really is you....." she said in more of a whisper that transitioned into a growl. "Do you know what I could do to you right now? What I want to do to you? For everything you and yours have done?" Shimiko had sworn that she would offer Nozomi favorable terms, that she'd approach the woman with an open heart and an open mind, that she'd show respect and avoid the pitfalls she made last time in trying to get Nozomi to turn against the Society. It was all a great plan in theory, but theory rarely fit practice when it came to shinobi diplomacy. When Shimiko saw Nozomi all she saw was a living contradiction of smugness and dispassion wrapped inside a blanket of heresy. It made her want to scream. It made her want to fight. It made her want to kill. But alas, she couldn't. Shimiko ignored her rising heartbeat and quickening pulse. This was a fight, but it wasn't the sort of fight that could be won with adrenaline.

"Don't answer that. Its not important. In fact, its just as irrelevant as whatever you did to Ei to take over Sunagakure." Shimiko leaned back in her chair to give off the air that she wasn't bothered even though she was.

"Ordinarily, infiltrating a Kage Summit is grounds for death which is good because you and I have unfinished business.... but I'm not going to fight you. I'm going to help you. You shouldn't have been late because you missed the best part. The part where I and everyone at this table give you your life back"  

She doubted that she could get through to Nozomi. There was too much bad blood there. If she kept talking, she'd inevitably sabotage the conversation and they'd come to blows. Ryuko was the only person who could without a doubt turn Nozomi from her path and she was gone. Perhaps they were doomed from the start. Perhaps there really was no other path forward but a continuation of the War. But maybe, just maybe, a miracle would happen at this Summit. Shimiko had noticed Nozomi's respect for Tengoku and his resistance to conflict. True to form, the Wolf was a Kage of peace. If Shimiko could get him to explain what they really wanted from Suna and Nozomi, then it'd be a start. He was the most likely person Nozomi would listen to and so Tengoku would be her first play. A good diplomat knew when to talk and when to shut up and get out of their own way. Shimiko turned to the Fire Shadow and gave him a near identical nod.

"I'll let the Hachidaime Hokage explain"

Tengoku felt the shock setting in. The others had been as expected for the most part. But for the famous Nozomi herself to show up like this. To drop all illusions and pretenses and just appear before them as if summoned....it shocked the system. His ears rang as his memories flooded to when Konoha had been abandoned by the mad cat. Its residents forced to move and when it was barely defended by his sister and himself...mere genin at the time and a half inattentive Kage with them....He had felt threatened. He had felt vulnerable and he had never understood why she would endanger their home to outsiders like that. Her public release had rocked the known world and all for her own ideals. He had hated her. For making them afraid. For making them feel small and vulnerable. They had survived and rebuilt but for a time there had been fighting and scavenging. She had risked everything he ever knew and didn't care. He was angry and felt that anger building up. Reason slowly dwindling as he considered sending her flying from the room. Slowly though one thing persisted in his mind. Even as Shimiko was drowned out by his thoughts. There were responsibilities to be had now. Anger rarely had use in diplomacy. Lashing out in a blind rage was childish. He had to remain calm and keep his cool. The heart of the hero was not shakeable by his own personal issues. He had to be more than just another dictator.

Tengoku would take a breath as he calmed his chakra. The fluctuations calming like a steady current within him. No visible discharge if not for her chakra sensory picking up minute traces of his raiton from his emotional response. The floor would be handed to him suddenly and Tengoku would let out a visible sigh. Shimiko was the most capable among them and with the most reason to hate this woman. She was known for her brutality and effectiveness and yet...she thought it best to go with her word and turn to him. A lot of responsibility on his shoulders now. Tengoku would start by glancing over to Shin. His amber eyes taking him in with a soft smile.

"Young man...you have every right to be here as the rest of us do. However if you feel you should remove yourself from any direct line of confrontation I think now would be a good time to step to the edge of the room. In the event this were to escalate. No need to sit between two titans."

With a smile Tengoku would rise from his seat and quietly move to the edge of the meeting room. He made no sudden movements but would heed his own advice. Perhaps it was for his own safety....perhaps it was for Shin to feel comfortable following suit. He didn't say anything to Sayuri because....well she was kind of a cu....anyway.

Tengoku would take a deep breath and fold his arms in front of his chest as he leaned back against a pillar. His posture was defensive but his eyes and chakra were calm now. He would begin speaking keeping his voice calm.

"Nozomi Himitsu. Its troublesome to hear that an organization bent on taking down all of us here has already managed to take down one major nation. Or I suppose in your opinion raise it up. I can't help but assume everyone in your way has been buried in the sands somewhere including Ei. Yet there has been an offer put forward by none other than Kumo. We can avoid further bloodshed and step back into the light. There is good in you Nozomi. You're very being is bent on trying to make the world a better place. But there is a better way. Work with us. Return to the fold and use your strength to teach instead of destroy. It isn't an easy thing but if anyone can set the standard...wouldn't it be you?"

While Sayuri’s interest in the proceedings at the Summit had waned, as soon Ei transformed into Nozomi Himitsu, her interest was once again piqued. Sayuri was not familiar with the technique Nozomi had used to disguise her appearance, but she knew a good trick when she saw one and the grin of approval she gave at the lie was toothy and nearly maniacal looking. She adored the thought of the conflict that this revelation would surely cause, even if she had no love for the actor. Jareth, and by extension Sayuri, had no desire to share power. Any power. There was the undeniable fact that Nozomi was a criminal who had abandoned Kirigakure, a terrorist by some accounts, murderer by others. None of that mattered one bit to the Ice Queen. What stopped her from outright applauding the girl’s little stunt was a deep distaste for the so-called ‘Society’s’ thievery.

Sayuri knew little of the organization and it’s motives; it was led by Nozomi Himitsu and had some plan to destroy the way of life for Shinobi the world over by taking away their power in the form of techniques and artifacts. Most of that she had gleaned in a few short sentences from this Summit. Beforehand she had not given the Society much thought, other than Nozomi’s previous association with Kirigakure before she defected, the island nation lay largely unaffected by the misanthrope. Even now as the blonde woman spoke, the distaste she held for her fellow humans was palpable. Sayuri liked it. It was the one redeeming feature the woman had, that she hated humankind and sought to destroy it. Whether that was factual or not Sayuri had no idea, she merely knew that she had gone to an awful lot of trouble to rescue an alien, and had been fairly merciless about how it was done. If the rumours were to be believed.

Sayuri wanted to speak right away, to continue to goad those present into a fight. A fight now or later didn’t matter much to her, she just wanted to sow discontent. But just as she went to open her mouth a deep male voice sounded in her mind.

‘Wait.’

‘What? . . . Why?’

‘My Queen, please be patient. As I said before, without you I cannot live. I adore you and prefer you alive.’

‘They’re not going to kill me. They probably couldn’t anyway. . . although I’d genuinely like to have them try.’

‘I’m sure you would enjoy that, and you know I would enjoy it as well. However if either of them were successful, think of what we would miss out on together.’

‘Sometimes I think you don’t actually want me to have fun.’

‘. . .’

‘I’m joking. I know you do. . . wait. Prefer me alive? What would you do with me if I was dead?’

‘Only the most respectful things, my Queen.’

‘I’m sure.’

Sayuri’s internal giggle was accompanied by an external one, a quiet one, but audible all the same. She found the idea of Jareth doing ‘respectful things’ with her dead body to be fairly entertaining. In large part her mood was due to the extreme amounts of adrenaline and dopamine flowing through her system, and those were doing nothing to calm her down or make her more rational. The Summit had already proven to be an emotionally charged event, and she was even physically injured as a result. At the best of times Sayuri was not known for her stoicism and discipline, and the potential of a battle of titans right in front of her eyes was too much to pass up. She had tasted violence once today, and now she wanted to see more. She wanted the world to drown in blood and choke on its own fear.

‘You must remain calm, my Queen.’

‘No. I need to see this. To feel it. The darkness calls to me.’

‘I am all the darkness you need, my Queen. Stay with me.’

‘Jareth, please!’

As those assembled spoke back and forth, Sayuri was slowly rising so that her feet were now beneath her and she crouched on her seat. She fully intended to leap across the table once more, this time at the newest arrival. She didn’t have a plan after that, she just felt a compulsion to place herself in danger, to further the pleasurable primal fear she felt at that moment. Her breathing was quick and her eyes still jet black as her muscles tensed to leap, looking very much like a wild or feral thing as she perched. The second she attempted to spring forward she would stop abruptly as she was shunted to the back of her own mind and lost control of her body and speech. She was stunned and did not have the words for what she was experiencing. She was still in her body but it didn’t feel like hers anymore, as though she was merely a passenger.

Externally, Sayuri would smile demurely and gracefully climb down from the chair where she was perched, even taking the time to quietly move it back to its place before she moved to the edge of the room as Tengoku had. With a voice that was still her own, but somehow not, Jareth addressed the room. “Whether war is waged now depends on you, Nozomi Himitsu. An organization like the Society cannot be permitted to continue in a peaceful world, which is the intention of this Summit. The Society, led by you or by your predecessor, seems hell bent on destroying all that the Nations have tried to build. Though I will admit to having at best second hand information of most of your activities, surely you can see that if even half of the rumours are true that the Society is worth discussing as a potential point of conflict. And it would also seem that it is worse than we feared. Believe me when I say, I will not fight you nor do I wish you any harm, but I do have one question and I hope you are willing to sate my curiosity. Where is Ei Kanagawa?” ‘Sayuri’s’ tone was measured and calm, her hands folded in front of her as she stood attentively against the wall out of arm's reach. While he knew he was pushing a bit, just moments before Sayuri had been behaving very differently, he needed her to not throw herself into the metaphorical volcano. Even Jareth’s question was neutral and almost pleasant. He was not interested in angering anyone further, it would be difficult enough to deal with the aftermath of all his Queen had accomplished thus far, but asking the question might at least turn the conversation to something more mundane and easy to solve. No, he was much more interested in making it out of the Land of Iron in one piece, and if he had to push his timetable forward to keep Sayuri safe, then he would. It was not ideal but it was the best he could come up with in such dangerous and unexpected circumstances. He would study everyone quietly as he allowed the indignant screaming of his Queen to fade into the background.

Shin continued with the tactic he had been utilizing for the summit, the choice of only speaking when his input would provide the others with information that was of use to them, rather than contributing meaninglessly. The Kazekage’s attribution to them being hypocritical was laughable, especially when she had just entered and it could easily be assumed that Sunagakure no Sato had simply declined to attend a summit regarding talks of peace. She was here now, so that notion could be revisited and Shin did not care regardless. If a war was present on his doorstep, he would take action right away. Still, instead of providing needless issues to arise, Shin’s amber orbs would simply watch the other occupants in the room as they spoke. Shin’s brow would simply raise as Ei shifted her form to that of another person. Regardless, his eyes would just remain as normal and watch.

“Don’t patronize me. If you idiots want to fight, take it out of here.” Shin’s gloved right hand flexed, as his eyes narrowed in on the Hokage. “I have every desire to incinerate you for sitting in the spot where your predecessors desecrated my country. If the previous Hokage were in your place, he would not make it out of here alive, but I’m giving you the grace to leave here with your life.” Shin’s voice remained steady and calm, but the venom and truth of his words were apparent. Shin knew if he used what he had at his disposal, they would not leave here alive… Shin likely would not either, but that was not the point. “So, if you wish to act childish and fight here, by all means, go for it. But you best keep it in mind to not do so here, for your own sake.”

Shin would watch the Hokage for a moment longer, before outright ignoring him as he spoke further. This was testing Shin’s patience… something he was clearly lacking. Perhaps Mitsukira and Chen made a mistake in allowing him to attend, neither of them knew what he would have done had Nyg Uchiha been here. Shin chose not to speak up on the topic of Nozomi or Himitsu, his blood was settling, though he knew another comment from the dog would result in Shin utilizing his kekkei tota for the first time on a living being. It was something he wished to avoid… unless of course, the previous Hokage was here.

"...The part where I and everyone at this table give you your life back."

The two blondes stared at each other, but Shimiko's reaction was much more expressive than Nozomi's. Nozomi could tell that she had shaken Shimiko a little bit, something that was still intriguing to this day. Shimiko had hated Nozomi for a very long time, longer than Nozomi had known her even. She didn't quite know where it had come from, but it didn't matter all too much. The woman wasn't going to do anything, even if she wanted to. Nor could she. If the two were to fight again, it would be even easier for Nozomi than it had been before.

Still, the attentive may have noticed a shift in Nozomi's neutral expression. A slight downturn of her mouth, a slight furrow of her brow. An intense anger broiled under the surface of Nozomi, but she kept silent. She was good at keeping from exploding, as she'd had to hide her feelings for most of her life, ignoring them at every turn. The insinuation that they could offer her her life had pissed her off in no small manner. Nozomi was a free woman, not beholden to anyone, and the fact that they thought they had control over her was infuriating.

"Infiltration may be punishable, but I was invited. Not just as Ei either. The fact of the matter is, the Society is a world power that is as influential as any of the villages. As the leader, I was offered a seat."

She passed a glance towards Kensai before shifting back to the rest of the Kage. Apart from that, she'd also heavily contributed towards the rebuilding of the Land of Iron after Kirigakure had sacked it, providing Kensai 2 million ryo.

Listening to Tengoku's offer, Nozomi's attention shifted to Sayuri, who looked like she was about to pounce. Nozomi's muscles tensed slightly, ready to rip the girl's throat out the second she was in range, but the Kirigakure princess seemed to decide against her course of action, opting for a continuance of Tengoku's speech in different words.

She remained silent for another moment before addressing them again.

"Ei Kanagawa is dead." Nozomi said, addressing the direct question first. "As for the offer?" Pausing once again, Nozomi's jaw clenched while she released some of the tension in her body, shifting between sitting still and tensing her body.

"I'll address this once. The Society is not evil. If the Society cannot be permitted in a peaceful world, then neither can the villages. One of the reasons for The Society's existence as an organization is to follow the teachings of the Sages and the Disciples of the past, gathering their artifacts and techniques. Nothing we've done has been any worse than any nation. As far as Iwagakure is concerned, we've done more to help than anything else. I personally kept Kariforunia Island from being dropped. One of our other associates, Akeno Tatsuda attempted to free Iwa from Konoha, before being killed by Masuyo. Konoha abuses its power, Kirigakure abuses its power, Iwagakure and Sunagakure have fallen so far from grace that they can't sustain themselves without outside intervention for long. A prison system supported by a coalition was massively corrupt and experimented on and tortured its prisoners, some of who's only crime was being too big of a potential threat."

"Everyone has their morals, but given the chance, they betray for their own benefit. Ken Tetsudashi was evil, desecrated the Land of Demons, but Kirigakure didn't bring him to justice. Kumogakure brought him into their custody, but could overlook his evils if he became their agent, and released him as their own tool. Before I killed him, he told me Kumogakure held his daughter as a hostage, despite her having nothing to do with him. So if the Society is so evil as to require being wiped out, then do it. Don't parade around with your superiority and self righteousness and forget your own internal issues. There is not a single organization without internal corruption, without evils, without wrongs, and by my count, your nations have all done far worse than anything the Society has ever done."

"That said, I will not be your tool. We have the power to wipe out every nation if we truly wanted to. We haven't, and there's a reason for that. We don't care about being in charge. We're a balancing factor. We keep the Major Nations from destroying everyone and everything around them, and offer aid when they can't support themselves. So go ahead. Throw your power around. You'll find a much more formidable fight than you could ever know."

Standing from her seat, Nozomi planted her hands on the table, gripping the edge of it tightly. Her eyes locked onto Shimiko's specifically, although she had everyone in her perceptive and sensory range. Shimiko was one of the more volatile shinobi here, and if someone was going to attack her, it would be her.
---
Sensory Active

For all the emotion welling in Shimiko's chest, she had not lost her aptitude for tactical analysis. She was watching Nozomi even as Nozomi watched her. Shimiko's sworn enemy was harder to read than most, but Shimiko was a trained ANBU operative. She had studied the art of interrogation and could read the most subtle of micro-expressions. The fact that Nozomi hardly ever emoted at all made the changes in her demeanor all the more noticeable, at least to the Chinoike. She had said something that irked Nozomi and given the blonde's modus operandi she could guess at precisely what had needled her. Part of Shimiko wanted to press on that insult. She wanted to bring about the same provocation that Nozomi brought about in her. She wanted to make her feel the same titled heat that consumed her focus and made her want to rip apart whole nations. It was an unlikely result, but one that she would always crave.

Shimiko didn't give in though. She made a note of Nozomi's muted response and forced herself away from that line of argumentation. I promised her. I WILL keep that promise. . When Nozomi said that she had been invited to the Summit on the grounds of her organization's stature, Shimiko gave her a quizzical look. The glance to Kensai, however, told her all she needed to know. The Shogun had been sitting there as still as a statute for the past few exchanges. It wasn't surprising given that he was the host and not an active participant in the peace talks.  The revelation that he had invited a terrorist to a world summit, however, should have prompted a response. When none was forthcoming, Shimiko turned to him and shouted: "You what?!" Nothing. He knew what he had done and he was unapologetic. I could kill you both right here and right now. You put me in the same room with my nation's number one target without my notice or consent?  She opened her mouth to speak to him, but shook her head and turned away. It was pointless. Regardless of the circumstances, Nozomi was here now and though she'd need to address what he'd done at a later date, the Shogun had saved her an expedition to find Nozomi. The jinchurikki had come all this way just to confront them and Shimiko would not let this oppurtunity go to waste.

Tengoku took the lead as she had suggested. He began with a fairly patronizing comment towards Shin and a stern rebuke was given in reply. Shimiko would've cringed if she wasn't so focused on Nozomi. When Tengoku finally got around to the main point, his case was put forward in a friendly way. He used the sort of words that Ryuko might. He didn't have the same personal connection but the pitch to turn her from the Society sounded much better coming from him. As Tengoku spoke, Shimiko kept watch of Sayuri in the corner of her vision. Don't even think about it. She knew this would happen. Whatever was in that girl's head was probably telling her to make a play at Nozomi. All it would accomplish was her own death along with any hopes of turning the Nuke-Nin back to the side of good. One would think Kiri would have a vested interest in bringing the Himitsu back into their fold, but this representative was more interested in chasing her own whims. Typical Kirigakure. Normally, Shimiko could leverage her stature in the woman's eyes and use the Princess's passions to suit Kumo's agenda. Unfortunately, judging by the way she was getting ready to pounce, Shimiko might have had to knock her unconcious before she started something that she could not finish. Luckily, before Sayuri could do something rash, she climbed down from her perch and addressed Nozomi in a logical and respectful manner.

Shimiko could tell that something had gotten into her counter-part from the Isles and she couldn't spare the attention to figure out what it was. The more pressing concern was that of Nozomi's response and when it came, it managed to magnify every negative feeling that Shimiko had ever harbored towards her. It wasn't enough to flatly reject their offer. Nozomi had to make it clear that she truly beleived in whatever foul fantasy Honiko had fed her. It made her blood boil with rage as Nozomi equated her masters with the leaders of the Hidden Village. The unearned self-righteousness of a brat too stupid to value what she had. If she were her friend, Shimiko would have wanted to slap her, but as her foe she wanted to cut her throat open. There was truth to her words. She had helped Ryuko save Kariforunia Island and she had exposed the inhumane treatment of certain inmates at the Blood Prison. But as with most things in the ninja world, they were all half-truths. She neglected to mention the hoards of terresterial and extra-terresterial criminals loosed from the Blood Prison, the thousands that were killed by Honiko in the Valley of Jehospahat, the sado-terrorist behavior of Menza towards Yui and Rin, and of course, the broken heart of the sweetest girl in all of Rai no Kuni.

Shimiko was grinding her teeth again and Nozomi hadn't even gotten to the best part.

When she spilled the beans on Shimiko's handling of the Ken situation, Shimiko activated her Ketsurygan. It was undoubtedly an act of aggression and she was fully prepared to deal with any consequences triggered. What she had been prepared to do to keep Ken on her leash was a sensitive subject. Shimiko had sworn the man to secrecy on penalty of his daughter's head. Either she had misread Ken and he was willing to forsake his only issue or Nozomi had tortured the information out of him. How ever she had gotten it from him, she was now telling the rest of the world. It had the simultaneous effect of making Shimiko look bad, blunting any hope of reconciliation, and possibly weakening their resolve. Nozomi ended her insolent speech with a dramatic challenge. She was daring the combined might of the ninja world to come against the Society. She had some kind of ace up her sleeve and whatever it was, it made her confident. Even she can't be so stupid as to beleive she can fight all of us with her little group of heathens. When Nozomi stood from her seat, Shimiko did the same, but with greater haste, vigor, and anger to her movement. All Nozomi would see in Shimiko's eyes was a black center mired in a sea of red with a single white horizontal bar for a pupil.

She knew who the real threat was here. If it were up to this Chinoike, they'd have entered a new mode of communication at this Summit. A specific language that both were more than familair with. The others at this table could speak that language but not nearly with the degree of fluency and precision. They'd only get in the way of our....debate..... Shimiko toyed with the idea of attacking Nozomi. She had insulted her honor, her nation, and her way of life. Shimiko stood up straight and moved her hand slowly to her neck. She didn't want her actions to be taken for an offensive gesture so she moved deliberately and without intent to conceal. She carefully unraveled her scarf and tossed it on the table, directly between them.

This was going to be her last attempt to establish some kind of common ground with Nozomi. This "swallow your pride" and "turn the other cheek" nonsense was not her forte, but Ryuko had taught her that this might be the only way to deal with someone like Nozomi. The fact that she had to do it in front of the other nations made it more difficult, but she had made her peace with this from the moment she agreed to attend the Summit. The Shimiko they knew and the Shimiko she had become were two different people and she had to stop being afraid of what they might think should they learn this fact. Ryuko had told Shimiko about how she and Nozomi had connected chakras back at the Valley. The Queen had recounted how in that moment, she shared a bond with someone who wasn't the belligerent and emotionless killer that was standing before her. Shimiko wouldn't try to re-create that moment, but perhaps what she'd say next would remind Nozomi of it. Throwing Ryuko in front of her face had failed miserably last time, but perhaps if Shimiko shared some perspective then maybe she could lead Nozomi to the well rather than forcing her face into it.

She raised her head a quarter of an inch and gestured to the scarf with her chin.

"That scarf wasn't always red. It used to be gold....like the color of my hair, or more like the color of someone else's hair. Someone I cared deeply about. Someone I loved." Shimiko confessed. "You actually met him back in the Valley I'm sure and one of the many reasons that I hate you is because you and your sensei almost took him from me." Shimiko guessed that the one thing they had in common was a profound lack of sentiment when dealing with their adversaries. Shimiko wasn't telling Nozomi this to gain sympathy and so she got to the point. "His name was Sakata Kishima and he was the first and only man I've ever shared a romantic bond with. But it didn't last. Over time we grew further apart and eventually....he left me. At the time I didn't know why and to be honest, I still don't. We spent two years together and we were happy....but now it makes more sense than ever. I've always been driven. By Faith, By Country, By what I thought was my mission on this world as a shinobi. It structured everything in my life. Righting what I saw was wrong with this world was the only thing that mattered and as I grew stronger and more capable so did my vision. It kept going until soon there was very little else I could see except for my objectives." It wouldn't be too difficult to connect the dots. "Maybe he was always afraid of commitment, maybe he never really loved me, but a part of me will always wonder if it was me that pushed him away. It could be that it was because I told myself that conforming this world to my vision and my leadership's vision was all that really mattered in the end."

Shimiko stopped looking at Nozomi and turned her attention to the blood-red scarf that lay on the table.

"He gave me that scarf....." she repeated. "And when I couldn't bear the sight of it any longer, I dyed it with my own blood as a reminder that my purpose was singular and incorruptible. It was my way of deceiving myself. That seeing through the conversion of this world to Orthodox Jashinism would fill the void that love left in my heart." Shimiko then shook her head and looked back up at Nozomi. "It hasn't and it won't. But I've moved past that. I don't even think it was meant to be, but the possibility still haunts me. Although, I guess I'm lucky. Its a blessing to not really be sure if someone is really the one. You don't have that luxury. You know what real love is. You've felt it and if you aren't careful, you'll lose it forever. As someone whose been down the path your heading, your making a big mistake Nozomi. Checking the villages and making the Society into a world-police isn't going to turn out the way you want. Setting aside the conflict it will cause....its not going to bring about what every shinobi really wants....even you: To be loved and understood."

Shimiko could say a lot about the geo-politics of the current situation. Ryuko had communicated her suspicions about the fundamentalist Sennin group. She could tell Nozomi that the people leading the organization saw her as a pawn. She could argue that whatever faction Menza belonged to would subsume her and threaten the world again. She could make her case that the world villages would unite against her and that the resulting battle would undo what little steps towards peace were taken here. She could say all of this, but she knew in the end it would do no good. Nozomi was set in her political beleifs and no amount of arguing would change that. In fact, her own ancedote was likely to be just as ineffective. But it was all she had left. She was no substitute for her Queen, but she would do her damn hardest to try and bring out whatever it was Ryuko saw in Nozomi.

"Take the scarf. Leave it. Keep it. I don't care. I just want you to know that while I hate you, I wouldn't wish my missteps on my worst enemy...especially since I know what you have and who you have it with. Don't make the same mistake I made Nozomi. Just.......don't....."

Shimiko blinked away her Ketsurygan but didn't sit back down. She was prepared for Nozomi to reject her plea, but this time, it wouldn't provoke anger. Instead, it would provoke an emotion that Shimiko never could have imagined she'd feel towards Nozomi. Pity.

Tengoku would glance to Sayuri as she seemed ready to have her life ended today one way or another. For peace talks this was awfully aggressive. Tengoku would wait and watch however. Taken slightly aback as her entire demeanor changed. She was an entirely different person from the chaotic emotional state she was before. Regal and reasonable as well as well spoken out of nowhere. She truly was insane. He would frown. However his attention would be drawn to Shin. His intentions had been pure when suggesting to Shin to move as he did but he hadn't realized he had been patronizing him. While it was true that Tengoku was at fault the threat cause a silent glare from Tengoku. If those hands moved to form hand seals he would break them. He would make sure those fingers wouldn't get a single hand seal off without a med nins healing. To think that this man was considering sparing him as if Tengoku couldn't beat him upside his head with the damned table. Still he realized his temper was getting the better of him. He would take a breath and relax his glare. He had provoked the response so there was nothing to be gained by spitting hate further.

For now all he had learned was that none of these nations wanted anything to do with Konoha at the moment. Relations were strained to the breaking point and trade would suffer for it. If he could just leave here with one ally than something could be salvaged. Nozomi would speak and a glance at Shimiko would tell him the woman was straining every ounce of her being not to just start a slaughter here. Her eyes had been activated and he didn't need his sensory to detect hostile intent. Still she held off during Nozomi's lecture placing the Society as near saints. Still he would be given pause as Shimiko struggled to show weakness...vulnerability. She took off her scarf and tossed it down with all the emotional connection behind it. Tengoku would stare at it a moment as his nose crinkled. The smell of her own aged blood on it no matter how much it was washed. The story and emotions behind it. Tengoku would take a moment before stepping forward. He didn't want to stand between the two. If this all went downhill....if they started a war right here than it may be the end of him.

Tengoku would swallow before stepping forward. He would look to Shimiko before he would speak quietly...."May I?" he said nodding to the scarf. If she allowed it Tengoku would reverently scoop it up in both hands before walking to stand before Nozomi. Here she could end him possibly before he could see it coming. To simply reach out and remove his throat. He would look her in the eyes a moment as his amber orbs studied hers. He would hold out the scarf a moment for her to take as he spoke.

"No one is without temptation here. No one without blood staining our hands. Still lady Shimiko has humbled herself before us. Shared her pain and despite her history offered peace. Even if you leave here a member of your society still....take her symbol with you. Hold on to it and reflect on it. The one in this world who perhaps hates you the most...who is known for her power and destruction has reached out. There is love in this world you wish to correct...I bid you to take this even if you see it as below you. One day I hope the world is better. I hope we can unify and find peace but I know its a dream. For now I know one thing. Absolute power corrupts absolutely. If the Society gathers power its leaders will eventually fall to corruption. When that day comes....may this simple scarf bring you comfort. When even the society betrays your beliefs remember there is a world out there full of people who have struggled and reached for the heavens as hell held them down. That hell now is named war. I hate that hell and pity those who suffer for it. Please...at least think on it...I don't wish to see any innocents suffer."

One crisis averted, Jareth continued to attempt to pacify the screaming Queen. The last thing he wanted was for her to get herself killed in an impulsive desire to evoke more violence. Fortunately almost everyone else in the room seemed to have the same idea; trying to avoid lethal combat. Save for Shin, who seemed perfectly content to allow the ‘idiots’ to kill each other if they wished, so long as they left the room when they did so. Sound reasoning in Jareth’s opinion, and he would turn his attention back to the two blonde women.

‘Let me out!’

‘Be still, my Queen. You are not in danger.’

‘I wouldn’t care if I was!’

‘That is why I must hold you back, my Queen. I could not live if anything were to happen to you. I will release you soon, once I am certain you are no longer in danger of being hurt in a way you cannot come back from.’

‘. . .’

‘My concern is only for your wellbeing, my Queen. Allow me to comfort you.’

‘. . . Fine.’

Jareth would offer visions to Sayuri while he focused on the exchange between Shimiko, Nozomi and Tengoku. Sayuri, for her part, seemed content to take out her frustrations in the most violent way possible within her mind and it gave Jareth a moment to take in the scene. It seemed that all mortals were the same when it came down to it. Every choice mortals made was rooted in the four most powerful motivators that he could discern, sometimes a combination of them but always the same four; Love, Anger, Fear and Hope. No matter how many times he had seen the choices people made, it still surprised him to repeatedly find proof that they were so. . . simple.

It was no surprise when Nozomi declared that Ei Kanagawa was dead. She neglected to mention how the former Kage had died, but the lack of description seemed to imply it without any need for embellishment. Nozomi also issued a direct challenge to everyone present, a bold one at that. Jareth had no true concept of the strength of the singular person clawing at the ‘goodness’ behind this Society. But despite his own doubt regarding the strength of such an organization it was not the thing that caught his interest. He could recognize a person whose judgement was clouded by passions and lies as easily as any of them could breathe. He was the King of Lies. He knew how much lying it took to quell the fight behind a passionate heart. He knew how much nudging and coddling it took to redirect rage and to soothe the unease. And the woman reeked of it, in fact they all did. She made a point of attributing imaginary qualifiers to the actions of her beloved Society versus the actions of the Villages. It was all so mundane and. . . simple.

He didn’t care to comment on his observations, choosing instead to allow Shimiko time for her rebuttal. The story that Shimiko told of a love lost and how that had changed the path of her life was poignant and moving. Offering the scarf as a token was a meaningful touch, and even as Tengoku picked it up to hand it to Nozomi he could see that the scarf was carefully carried. Almost with reverence. Still, he said nothing. For the time being no one was paying him any mind, and that was perfectly fine. His only goal was to ensure that Sayuri led a very long life, and going unnoticed was probably the best way to accomplish that.

He continued standing demurely at the edge of the room, his detachment from the situation giving Sayuri’s body the reprieve it needed to reach a sense of calm once more. Her heart that had been pounding furiously slowed to a normal pace. Her eyes that had been black as pitch as a result of adrenaline and endorphins returned to their normal sapphire hue as her pupils shrank back to their resting state. Her breathing normalized and all the while he kept her hands folded gently against the front of her dress as the blood from her wound trickled slowly down the fabric and onto the floor.

To be frank, Shin tried to listen to the other occupants of the room speak, but his focus remained on not letting his fingers twitch. The urge to form those few seals to obliterate someone from existence was still ever present. Shin, as far as he was concerned, served his purpose for the summit; to establish Iwagakure’s independence fully and stay out of the affairs of other nations. Yet, the talks continued, now with Nozomi’s presence and the discussion of the Society taking off. It wasn’t that Shin was uninterested in these talks, it was simply that he could not assure much of anything from Iwagakure’s standpoint when he was a simple chuunin. It was one of the many reasons he remained quiet throughout the conversation; he knew some things were easier to guarantee, such as keeping Iwa’s forces within their borders.

Shin’s eyes would momentarily land on his hands that were clasped together on the table before him. His thumb would twitch, but he never made a move to lift it, nor form any hand seals. The sentiment attached to a scarf was something Shin cared little for. A material object that would, one day, be meaningless. Perhaps Mitsukira’s whole Universe and Grand Design talks have been infiltrating their way into his brain; though he really did not know a thing about it. Everything they did was likely insignificant in the scope of the Universe and Grand Design. Whatever the story was behind the scarf, Shin was not listening, likely had some importance to Shimiko, but he knew nothing of Nozomi’s attachment to the material object. If a scarf was what brought this discussion to an end… well, Shin felt the people in this room ought to rethink their point of view.

Perhaps removing the scarf from existence would sate his current desire, yet Shin made no move towards it. Releasing a light breath, Shin’s eyes would once more roam the room, before ultimately settling his vision on the scarf that would supposedly bring the Society to reform their ways… or whatever the conversation had been about.

Shimiko Chinoike. The woman who had been the Champion of the Orothodoxy, their strongest supporter, their strongest defender.  Her story confirmed that she had been previously 'incorruptible'. Redundant of course, she'd abandoned her own cause, her conviction had wavered, shattering on the basis of a single crack in the foundation. Nozomi shook her head while Shimiko spoke, but didn't interrupt.

After her speech, Tengoku continued on his train of speech, appealing to her sense of morality. It wasn't really the best ploy for Nozomi. Despite the fact that Nozomi often spoke on a platform for higher morality and such, the conviction behind her statements wasn't personally driven. A few years ago, she wouldn't have cared in the slightest about any of the things she fought for.

Oddly though, it was Shimiko's speech that had reminded Nozomi of something. She wasn't doing any of this for herself. Shimiko was right. Stripped down to its core, Nozomi was doing something because of her love for Honiko. But Honiko wasn't the only person she cared about either. Ryuko had shown her some level of care from the beginning. The antithesis to Honiko in many ways.

Staring at the offered scarf for a moment, Nozomi took it from Tengoku. The scent of blood was infused with the scarf, almost to the point where Nozomi's tongue could pick up the iron taste in the air from just the smell. Something that highly perceptive shinobi were able to do with inhuman levels of perception. Her face held no sign of thought, no sign of what was going on in her head. She simply held the scarf and stared at it for several silent moments.

"I'm not a good person. I don't care about people. The goals I'm fighting for aren't mine. They're Honiko's."

She didn't deny that she wanted to feel loved though. If anything, she confirmed it. Honiko had been the first person to really show her that she understood her, that she'd been through a lot of the same things, but had her own agency now. Ryuko had been the first to have seen Nozomi as more than just an enemy, a weapon, or a tool. The two women meant a lot to her for different reasons. Nozomi sat back down in her chair, placing the scarf in front of her, folded as she thought, speaking mostly to herself but out loud.

"Honiko serves a man who goes by the name of Hizashi. It's for him that she created the Society. He was an advisor to former Mizukage, Nikuyo. In addition to Nikuyo, the former Kazekage, Shin Kazehana, and the former Tsuchikage Nee-san were high ranking members of the Society."

A moment of silence followed as she thought, although the way that she had ended it made it clear that she was still thinking. Nozomi wasn't really an intelligent girl, so processing her thoughts wasn't exactly the easiest of things.

'3 Kage under his control, with Honiko, Menza and several others. At any point, the Society could have ruled and brought about the new age he wanted.... Hizashi held all the power her needed to take control, but he focused more on collecting the artifacts to resurrect the others, to bring back the Sage and the Disciples.... Honiko said that they needed all the artifacts to win against the nations with a full guarantee.'

Nozomi frowned for a moment again, a look of confusion finally breaking through.

"I wasn't bragging when I said that the Nations couldn't stand against the Society. We were already in charge of most of them, and our members are wide spread throughout most of your armies in some capacity."

'So why does he need the other artifacts to guarantee a win? It would be so easy to overthrow every nation immediately. To wipe out the swathes of shinobi dissenters and bring an end to the abuse of Ninshu, as he told Honiko. The only thing that makes sense.... is that he doesn't care.'

Isobu's voice moved through her head. "I've been thinking the same thing little one. I'd even add that perhaps he knows he'll have internal dissent. Ever since Honiko mentioned that he hasn't fully divulged with her, I've been curious."
"The artifact gathering wasn't for the others."
"It was to control the Sage and other dissenters from within the Society and the revived Disciples."

Eyes raising slightly, Nozomi nodded to herself.

"Very well. For Honiko.... and for Ryuko."

Nozomi began trying to recall what Honiko had told her about Hizashi. It was time to start disrupting his actions.

"I don't have the full picture. Neither does Honiko. Hizashi has intentionally kept everyone in the dark. However, Hizashi has led Honiko to believe that... he is Jōki, the Legendary Water Disciple and student of the Sage of Six Paths, Hagoromo. He's survived so long due to some Jashinist ability. Over time, he's seen the failings of and abuse of Ninshu, and wants to correct it. Honiko thinks he intends to resurrect the other Disciples and the Sage of Six Paths himself. From there, he likely intends to wipe out any and all opposition from the Shinobi of the world. Honiko assumes that he'll instate a Senninocracy, letting the Sages and Disciples rule, but I believe that he intends to assert full control over everything himself and take all the power for himself. That's the only reason he'd have waited so long when we already have been in control enough for Honiko's Sage rule to have easily taken control."

When Tengoku stepped forward and asked for permission to touch her scarf, Shimiko nodded. She trusted his intentions. Although Konoha may have been the designated target for this Summit, the Hokage had conducted himself honorably. He was probably the party most interested in peace at these talks and if there was anyone that could reinforce her words it would be him. Shimiko watched Sayuri out of the corner of her eye and was releived that the Ice Princess had finally settled down. Nozomi's reaction to Shimiko's plea could be swayed by any number of minute factors. The last thing they needed was a ceritfied mad woman working against them. Nozomi was already shaking her head in disbeleif as she tried to communicate the gravity of her warning. Internally, she was convinced this would go nowhere but she pressed on unwilling to break her promise.

As the Chinoike listened to Tengoku, she searched Nozomi's eyes for signs of acceptance or rejection. She found neither. Instead, the inaopposite blonde acted. She took the scarf in her hands and stared at it for awhile. Shimiko could feel the sweat drip down her neck despite the biting cold of the region. Nozomi's response would determine the fate of the world as they knew it. When she gave it, it was incomplete. She stated a fact that did not surprise the Jashinist. She was a blank slate. She didn't really care about the people whom she wanted to liberate. She cared about Honiko and fulfilling her vision.  The statement immediately set fire to Shimiko's veins. She had just carefully laid out how Nozomi's connection to Ryuko was more meaningful than anything else going on the in the world, and the terrorist had the audacity to bring up Honiko? She wanted to lunge across the table and strangle her but she knew that what was said what not so important as how it was said.

There was uncertainty there. Doubt. The Nozomi of a few minutes ago was filled with defiance and belligence. but this one was actually considering her words. It was a start and if this Summit had taught her anything, it was that a start could be much more than it seemed if you gave it half a chance to grow. When she sat back down and began to fold the scarf, Shimiko slowly slid back into her own seat. She remained silent and allowed her opponent to gather her thoughts. She didn't want to jump in early and cut her off or try to pile on the moment. Know when to push and when to pull....

That's when the real hammer dropped. She spilled the beans. All of them. Nozomi proceeded to inform the representatives that the Society was truly led by a man named Hizashi and several former Kage. Shimiko swallowed. Some of the first Kage of the founding villages had all disappeared or fallen to the plague at the same time. There were libraries filled with conspiracy theories as to why this happened. The arrival of the plague had coincided with the advent of the ninja village system and not a single person has been able to explain how or why. Most ANBU had given up even trying to find an answer and now an importance piece of the puzzle had just been thrown in their faces. Some of these Kage had gone to work for the Society and they had done so under the direction of a man who ought to have been dead centuries ago.

No.....it can't be.....its impossible! Shimiko corrected herself. No....all things are possible through him.... Shimiko recalled the rituals she had performed on Irui. If the Orthodoxy had access to the ancient rites then it was conceivable that the heathen sects did as well. Ordinarily, it would be a good thing for there to be confirmation that one of the Disciples was a Jashinist, but given Hizashi/Joki's agenda it was anything but. Their goal was to overthrow all that was and replace it with some kind of twisted vision. It was un-Orthofox in both form and spirit, and it made Shimiko's stomach turn. Their goal was to seize power and turn rulership of the planet over to the Sages and anyone who didn't go along with it was a target. Shimiko wasn't sure how he had managed to bring the first generation of Kage into this plan but now that she knew what they were up against, she understood why Nozomi was so cocky.

It isn't just Menza, Honiko, and her....they have some of the Greats on their side..

These were the shinobi that Shimiko had looked up to. Aside from her brother, they were the ones that she modeled her own career after. She had never imagined she'd have to actually face them and while she was confident that she could take on her peers, there was a notable lack of self-assuredness when it came to squaring off against those who had practically built the ninja village system. The revelation was disturbing but there was a single ray of hope throughout all of that. Four words that would change the nature of their relationship for the short-term at the very least:

For Honiko....and Ryuko...

It occured to Shimiko that Nozomi loved them both. There was no use trying to berate Nozomi for her feelings towards Shiroi. So long as she still had her friend in her heart, there was the oppurtunikty for true redemption. For now, it appeared as though Nozomi was willing to side with the villages if it meant stopping Joki from enacting his plan. It was clear she did not trust him the way she trusted Honiko. He was the true mastermind behind their operation and insofar as he was possible deceiving his subordinates, Nozomi wanted him gone. You were right Ryu-chan...he's the Big Fish. . Fighting the Water Disciple himself would be no small feat and if they managed to bring back the others...well then all hope might be lost. Shimiko said nothing at first as she processed the information. It was a lot to take in and she needed to figure out for herself whether she was ready to accept Nozomi as an ally. She didn't fully agree with the Nuke-Nin's reasoning but it was the best she could hope for. An immediate and total 360 was simply out of the question for someone so far gone. Ryuko knew partial amensty was the way to go....having her give up everyone in the organization was never going to be on the table. She also confirmed that they have cells embedded in our own militaries which means it will be difficult to know who to trust when planning our next move.

Shimiko had lots of questions, but she decided that the Summit might not be the most secure place to hash things out. Granted every leader present was on the same side and if not then the damage was already done but that didn't rule out the samurai guards present. Discussing their counter-strategy was probably best done over a secure channel or in a secured room.

"......What you've said changes things." she finally offered. "A lot." She turned to her fellow representatives to gauge their reactions before adding. "If what you say is true and your organization is run by a thousand year old Ninshuu demi-god who has infilitrated numerous military institutions....then how we fight back has to be much longer discussion under a greater level of security than the present one affords us. Assuming everyone here is on the same side, it goes without saying that this information cannot leak just yet"

She looked Nozomi in the eye.

"Thank you...for trusting us with this" There was a lot more she could say about Ryuko and Honiko but she couldn't afford to let her emotions get the better of her. This was the best outcome she could have hoped for and now that she knew what the Society was really about, she couldn't turn away help from someone so strong. "How much control and oversight does Joki exercise over you? Do you think you can meet with us to discuss strategy?"