Hammar und Axe

Valen sat alone in his office, quietly doing paperwork as he waited for the shinobi he had called to his office to arrive. Raika Ryuutei, it had been awhile since he had last seen the woman. Since before he had taken the position as Jounin Commander in fact. His weapon leaned within easy reach of his hand and he wore his usual attire with one change. His black shinobi pants were in evidence, his black boots too. Even his cloak, wrapped safely around his shoulders. His shirt however was missing, and he usually kept it that way. It freed the stone now implanted within his chest to be visible to all. The stone itself was a stunning shade of blue/green and swirled with the two colors. Any who saw the stone might stare at it for it’s beauty but many more would probably stare at it for its placement in the center of Valen’s chest.

The Stone of Gelel.

One of three he had access to, one of which he was holding for someone else. The other still  up for grabs for someone whom he could entrust it to. However that was beside the point, he had the shinobi file of one Raika Ryuutei open and he had perused it. The woman was overdue for a promotion. He had also noted a recently acquired penchant for weapons in her dossier, simply something noticed by those who partook of her company and commented on it. That information told him she might like a weapon of superior quality. A weapon such as a special weapon that Kumogakure had access to.

Such as one of the Seven ‘Swords’ of The Mist.

Of course, he wasn’t sure why the Kabutowari was called a ‘sword’ at all when the weapon was a large mallet and an axe combined at the hafts by a leather rope that kept them a singular unit. Still, the weapon was perfect for someone who practiced weapon based combat but did not actually utilize a sword. He intended for it to be a promotion gift for the woman. As he needed to find owners for the ‘swords’ and quickly if they were to get use outside of an office.

[1]

Raika Ryuutei approaches the Jounin Commander's office quickly, the steel heels of her boots ringing across the stone that layered the Mizukage Complex, an anachronistic name since Kirigakure was now ruled by a triumvirate of Princesses, which somewhat made the ninja village somewhat more monarchical rather than a true meritocracy. That was not to say that the Princesses did not reach their status as leaders of the village through their own merit, but Princesses tended to pass down their power through lineage rather than through pure merit, as was the case for quite a while in Kirigakure. Of course, none of this political intrigue held any sway over Raika's thoughts; these ideals were far above her pay grade, or possibly even her future pay grade. Should she ever attain enough force to even attempt to take the title of Mizukage, at that point she may worry about the politics, but for now, her greatest political consideration was simply to help the Ryuutei clan attain status as their current clan leader.

She finally reaches the door to Valen's office, remembering her first encounter with him and the long series of missions she'd had to complete. It seemed that he had been called away purely to become the Jounin Commander; the timeline was about correct for that sequence of events. Raika still wore the same kind of clothing that she'd worn on that episode of missions, her clothing tattered in most places, and held together tightly in others, though now she wore the prized Felis Bangle on her left wrist and the lions' Nemean Cloak; one a tool to improve her ability with her agility, and the other a protective tool from days long since past. She raises one hand to press open the door. Having received the summons to his office, he was likely simply waiting for her to come right in. She slips into the Jounin Commander's office and closes the door behind herself before standing before his desk; although Raika's eyes seemed unfocused, Valen would likely know that the appearance didn't mean much. Raika was constantly aware, even without the intense focus of her eyes. She stands at a fairly simplistic position of fealty with her head pointed straight forwards and her right hand clasping her left behind her back.

"Raika Ryuutei, Maneater of Kirigakure, reporting to Valen Minamoto."

Her eyes flashed into focus for a moment at the stone sitting, lodged rather, in Valen's chest, but she ignores it again just as quickly. She wasn't sure he'd had that when she'd seen him last, either, but who knows when he'd gotten that, and it didn't really interest her that much in any case.

[1]

It wouldn’t be too much longer for Raika arrived, opening the door and entering. Seeing as she had been summoned that was perfectly fine in Valen’s opinion and his red eyes looked up to her from his paperwork as she moved into the room and stood ready to receive orders. Valen nodded to her in greeting and set down the paper he’d been perusing. “Raika, welcome, and relax.” He would greet, his eyes flickering down and up her form to note changes in attire. She had some kind of bangle on her wrist and a cloak upon her back but the rest of her clothing remained the same. Slashed up clothing that left little to the imagination but hid everything one would really want to see.

He steepled his hands in front of him as he considered her for a moment before simply nodding at the hammer and axe on his desk. They were on the side of the desk closest to her and took up a great deal of space on the surface. Although he still had enough space to work just fine. “Take them up, feel free to swing them around a bit, get a feel.” He would say, inviting her to test the weight and feel of the equipment. The office was large enough that even if she held onto the axe head at the end and swung the weapon around so the hammer was fully extended it still wouldn’t hit any of the furniture, walls, or ceiling. So he wasn’t overly concerned. “It’s name is ‘Kabutowari’. It’s one of the Seven ‘Swords of The Mist’. Don’t ask me why that’s called a sword. I don’t have an answer. But I’m not about to change the moniker.” He would say, a dark chuckle escaping his lips at the end.

“The way I see it, it’s time for your promotion to Chuunin, which is effective immediately. However I also find myself in the unenviable position of finding wielders for the ‘Seven’. I have found some already and have some other candidates in mind for others. I did not have one for this one however.” He would say as he met her eyes if able. If not, assuming she was testing the weapon he would simply watch her do so as he spoke. “This one I have difficulty finding a wielder for. I’m offering it to you. Agreeing to take it would make it one of the Seven Swordsmen of The Mist. I warn you though that anyone who wants to challenge you for your sword can do so. Although any such fight would be organized after the challenge. No one who holds a sword may challenge another though. I do not want them to be hoarded by a singular individual.” He would finish explaining letting there be a pause in between so that she could take in what he had said before finishing up with. “Do you accept Kabutowari as your own?” He tone neutral.

[2]

Raika's body visibly relaxes when Valen allows her to do so, thrusting her left hip out and resting her left hand on that particular hip, putting her into a much more relaxed stance than before. Although she can feel him looking her up and down, she doesn't really bother with trying to cover herself; it's not like it would have stopped him looking. It seemed they'd both received some new things since the last time they had seen one another. Then she looks down as Valen nods down towards the hammer and axe on his desk; she'd obviously noticed them, as such large weapons aren't easily missed when they're sitting plainly on a desk, but she hadn't considered that they might actually be one of the Seven Swords of the Mist. She'd heard of them somewhat, but she had assumed, apparently incorrectly, that the swords would actually be, well, swords.

Valen's offer for her to pick them up and see how they feel draws Raika's hands straight to the two hafts of the weapons, her left hand taking hold of the axe and her right gripping the hammer's handle as well. She's a bit surprised by how light they seem to be, and she deftly swings the axe, then the hammer, then takes on a few different motions with both, though she's careful not to move too far in any one direction. While there's plenty of room to swing them about, she's not about to make the Jounin Commander's office her first casualty with such an artifact. The wind whistles a bit as the axe head cuts through the air, followed by a sensation of pressure when the hammer follows up the axe swing. As she feels out the usage of these weapons, she listens to Valen explain the situation; the weapon's name being Kabutowari, her promotion to Chuunin, and the offer to become a member of the Seven. Raika suddenly pauses in her movements to have her eyes meet Valen's own before she swishes them both in place in either hand.

Raika considers the offer and would have found it humorous outside of the direct presence of the Jounin Commander. Here she was, a somewhat odd one out of a clan, which was an odd one out compared to most clans in Kirigakure, being offered an odd sword out of seven, which was also an odd one out besides by not having a wielder already lined up. It was almost too fitting for her to take this one up for herself, although she wouldn't say so out loud, for fearing of letting Valen think she was offended. In fact, the offer was well-received, as she would be receiving a promotion as well as an even higher position as one of an elite group with an artifact of Kirigakure. How could she ever take that as an offense?

"I accept Kabutowari as my weapon, just as Kirigakure has accepted me as its weapon. I will be one of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist."

[2]

He would watch her move through the movements of practicing with the hammer and axe that he had offered to her. Eventually she would cease swinging the weapons around and meet Valen’s eyes, as she moved the weapons around in either hand. She would accept Kabutowari as her weapon and he would nod in approval of the decision before rising. Placing his fists on the desk and smirking at the woman. The Gelel Stone within his chest glowed brightly for a moment as if in tune with his own approval and excitement.

“Excellent, I’m making plans to travel for a bit in a day or so. However when I return we’ll have to meet in the training ground and get you some practice in with those weapons. I imagine they’ll take some getting used to.” He would say before nodding his head toward the door behind the woman. “That said Chuunin Raika, you’re dismissed, continue to distinguish yourself on missions and with your peers and you’ll see Special or even full Jounin quickly. Consider me watching you with expectations that you continue to progress.” He would say, before sitting back down in his chair and moving his eyes back to his paperwork. He had to get things in place for him to travel for a bit and he needed to prepare in case a fight was on the horizon for the Jounin Commander.

[3]

[Exit]

15 Exp a Post since Val most definitely outranks Raika and can give sensei bonus lmao.

Raika nods once to Valen as he explains that he's on his way out to travel soon, but that they will begin work with training on the use of such weapons soon afterwards. Despite how easy she finds it is to wield the weapon, she has no doubt that it would require some training to make its use effective. On being dismissed, she gives one more slow downward nod of her head, which might have been called a bow in some places. She's especially eager to get to training and maybe a few more missions as soon as Valen mentions that she might reach Tokubetsu or even Jounin rank quickly.

"Watch me very well, Valen."

If she'd said the same to Raphael, she might have given him a smirk, but such a look might seem contemptuous, and Valen was likely more accustomed to the rather more quiet and unimpressed Raika than he was with this woman. She moves her right foot back, then spins on the heel of her left foot while pressing into the floor with her right foot to spin her clockwise 180 degrees, straight back to the door, before simply leaving with her prize firmly grasped in each hand.

[3]

(Thread Exit)