Nikuyo was not in a good mood. He had gotten to Ota, and the guards at the gates had the audacity to question whether or not he was really the Mizukage. It was almost certainly true that the shinobi assigned to Ota were being paid by the Hozuki under the table, but to go so far as to halt the Mizukage? That was definitely going to be something he talked to Tetsuya about. One of the guards had started to say something about Nikuyo's weapons before he was elbowed in the ribs by one of his comrades. That was probably the luckiest elbow he had ever received in his life. If he had asked for Nikuyo's weapons, the Mizukage gladly would have given them to him. It would just be a much bloodier way of giving them up than the guard had experienced before and would have never experienced again.
The Second Mizukage walked through the streets of the former capitol of the archipelago. The Hozuki's presence still dominated here, with Kirigakure having it under fief only in name in all honesty. That obnoxiously lucky clan had decided to move its home into the village, though they had kept most of their assets here rather than where they lived. Perhaps they believed it to be safer here than in Kirigakure. Oh, how Nikuyo would love to prove them wrong. If things went the way he wanted, he very well may get that chance today.
But, despite what he may want, he needed to try and do this the hard way first. And it was the one way he hated trying to do anything to boot; diplomacy. He was dressed in his armor, not a single piece missing, and had a plethora of weapons on his person in case he ever needed to use them on some unfortunate soul. The grey hair on his head was still unruly, but Nikuyo didn't really care all that much.
His eyes fell upon the largest building in the city, a four story complex near the center. It was made out of imported oak from the forests of the Land of Fire, the natural colors of the wood untouched with only a waterproof sealant coated over the entire building. It was built in a traditional Japanese style, one of elegance and a display of the Hozuki's wealth. There was actually an ordinance in the city forbidding any building being built that was taller than this structure. A great way to show off your wealth, and a great way to paint a target. Nikuyo directed his path for the center of the city, intent on speaking to the Daimyo of the Land of Water.
The journey didn't take him long, as he elected to take to the rooftops to avoid the hustle and bustle of the people who still lived here in the streets below. That sixth sense which granted him near clairvoyance was always active, every chakra signature around him kept track of for any semblence of a threat. There were a couple shinobi following him, likely personal guards of the Water Daimyo. They were staying one hundred meters back, enough that Nikuyo couldn't make out fine details about them. He wondered how long it would take him to kill them both and whether or not he would be able to get to his destination and conduct his business before they were missed. It was likely there were a few sensors around here, so that could make things a bit difficult if they were better than he was at the skill. Eh, fuck it, if I have things my way I'll have to kill them anyways. Satisfied with his own answer to his musings, Nikuyo would simply keep tabs on them as he made his way to the middle of the city.
Nikuyo hopped down off of a building and onto a street, scaring the people he landed near with his dominating presence. He ignored them all, their very existence written off as anything but threatening to him. The few people in his way got out of it as soon as they caught sight of him, with many seemingly recognizing his face. There weren't many within the Land of Water who did not, sadly.
He didn't bother to knock on the only entrance of the building, choosing instead to simply walk in. The room he entered was relatively small with only one desk and chair in it. Behind this desk was one door, the only other entrance into the building. Sitting in the chair was one woman, likely in charge of appointments. She had on a Kirigakure headband and her hair was beginning to grey, but she wore no weapons or armor. Her eyes were slate grey, and her face was somewhat long with a crooked nose. Nikuyo's eyes narrowed as his brain worked to place her face, swearing that he had seen her before.
The woman looked up from the few papers she had on the desk that she had been reading over, a look of mild shock cutting across her features. She didn't miss a beat after this though, falling quickly into a warm smile before greeting the Mizukage. "Hello Lord Mizukage, we weren't expecting such a prestigious visitor today." Nikuyo scoffed at the greeting.
"Stop with the pleasantries, it's annoying. Just get me Tetsuya." The woman blinked at the brusqueness of his words.
"A-at once... sir," she responded. Suddenly, she poofed out of existence. This time, Nikuyo blinked. Using a shadow clone to monitor the front and bring messages to the Daimyo as soon as they were delivered. Certainly an interesting way of doing things. Nikuyo waited patiently, and about twenty seconds after the clone dispersed itself another one would enter through the door. "After you," she said with a gesture. Nikuyo said nothing and walked through the doorway, glad that the easy part was over.
He was brought to the top level of the building, used as the Daimyo's headquarters. He lived on the second floor, making his commute fairly short. The woman's clone led Nikuyo up the final flight of stairs which led to a short hallway with one door at the end of it. The Old Wolf continued on without the clone, again not bothering with knocking and simply entering.
Inside was a single room that took up the entirety of the top floor. It was filled with elaborate and ornate wall decorations and tapestries. Pedestals were distributed along the northern wall, each displaying an ebony bust of previous Hozuki clan leaders. There were easily a dozen or more large tables contained within the room as well, each with stacks of paper on them. The chairs at these tables were all empty, though not all were pushed in. It seemed he had interrupted a meeting of some sort. For some reason Tetsuya did not want Nikuyo around a large group of people. He couldn't imagine why that could be, but didn't care to question it either.
At the center of the room was a table about two meters long and half a meter wide. It was carved out of white ivory, an exotic substance from lands far to the south that the southern islands traded with occasionally. It was made of many tusks from a large beast, each tusk secured with rods to the others. They had been carved an manipulated to fit together to form a flat surface with which to work on, fitting together flawlessly. Ornate floral carvings on the exterior tusks gave the table the final touches of a brutal majesty, as the number of animals that had to have died to make this table would make any animal lover puke. Even Nikuyo recognized that what he was looking at was priceless, and sat behind this table was none other than Tetsuya Hozuki. The Daimyo of the Land of Water, and the current leader of the Hozuki clan. As far as Nikuyo could tell, they were the only two in the room.
"While I'm glad you finally decided to come visit me, Nikuyo, I'd much rather we set up an appointment for sometime in the future. I was in the middle of something rather important," Tetsuya said with displeasure as Nikuyo approached the table. "Could you come ba-"
Nikuyo cut him off, not by talking, but by bringing one finger up to his lips and making the "sh" sound. Tetsuya stopped speaking, confusion etching itself onto his face. "Shhhh, no, I'm afraid I won't come back some other time. I'm here now," the Mizukage began with a disturbingly calm tone of voice. Nikuyo stopped when he was one meter from the desk, clasping his hands behind his back. His sensory skills had gotten a final tally of the people in the building, with only 15 of them displaying obvious signs of being a shinobi. "I'll make this as quick and easy as I can Tetsuya, because as much as you don't want me here is as much as I don't want to be here." The Daimyo said nothing in response, not being given a chance.
"Within the next three months, I'm going to be in control of both Nagi Island and O'uzu Island. And to do that I'm going to use the Land of Water's full military might, incluidng Kirigakure's shinobi as well as your own personal men. In exchange, the Hozuki will get control over one resource in each land as a monopoly. The rest will go to Kirigakure's control, under my independent supervision." Nikuyo pulled a scroll out from a pouch on his thigh, tossing it to Tetsuya. The Daimyo caught it, his face portraying an urgent desire to say something. He began to speak, but was interrupted by Nikuyo again.
"In that scroll is the contract saying you relinquish control over the Hozuki's personal forces in Ota for use in this campaign. Mark it with your blood to make it official and I'll leave immediately. I'll return in a couple months to start making my preparations." Nikuyo held his hand out expectantly, the brazen demand he made matched by this brazen display of an expected acceptance.
Tetsuyo read the contract before scoffing and dropping it on his desk. "I'm not going to sign this, you old bat. You're fucking senile if you think that's even close to acceptable. I have no desire to go to war over a couple more islands, especially when people like you are who I have to rely on. Get out," he said, waving his hand as if to dismiss the Mizukage. Nikuyo did not move, keeping his hand extended.
"I don't think you understand, Tetsuya," Nikuyo said as he glared at the Daimyo with daggers in his eyes. "This was not a choice." Again, with that same calm that was almost unsettling coming from a man like Nikuyo.
Tetsuya cocked his head, apparently unsure of whether Nikuyo was serious or not. "You don't get to command me. This is my country, and Kirigakure is my village. Your job is to look after it, not to lead-"
"It was not a choice, Tetsuya." This time, Nikuyo's speech was cold and remorseless. To emphasize this, the Mizukage repeated his performance from the Kage Summit and let his chakra loose in the room. It chilled rapidly, much to the alarm of the Daimyo who had begun to breathe rapidly at the sudden escalation.
He soon recomposed himself, shaking off the new cold that was misting his every exhalation. "I believe it is you who does not understand, Nikuyo," he began again, himself trying to sound imposing, "but this land has belonged to my clan for generations. This city has existed for centuries as the center of ou-"
"If the next words out of your mouth are not 'I accept', I'm going to kill you and everybody else in this city who wants to try and stop me." He spoke these words very slowly, deliberately, in order to make his point very clear. Nikuyo's demeanor had changed entirely, a dark and vicious temperament from his days as a pit fighter taking over. "And after I've killed you all, I'll burn your city to ashes and trample the legacy you think matters into the dust. And then, after I've done all of that, I'll invade those islands and take what I want anyways." This cold expression of intent had silenced the Daimyo, and when Nikuyo was finished neither man would ay anything for some time. Tetsuya was studying Nikuyo's face, searching for any kind of hint that he was bluffing. Finding none, a shudder would mark his relenting acceptance.
"Y... you're fucking crazy," Tetsuya muttered as he reached for a knife in his robes with unsteady hands. Producing it, he cut his thumb and pressed it on the bottom of the contract. Instead of replacing it in its sheathe, he simply dropped it on the oaken floor. Nikuyo took the contract and rolled it up quickly before putting it back in the pouch he had stored it in before. "This was the worst decision of your entire life, you idiot," he continued, shaking his head.
Nikuyo ignored him, having gotten what he wanted. The Mizukage turned to leave the room, as unafraid as he had been when he had first entered. "I'll see you again in two months Tetsuya. Be ready." With that last order, Nikuyo found his own way out of the building and then retraced his steps towards the western exit of Ota. Nobody tried to stop him this time.
[exit to Kiri]
The Second Mizukage walked through the streets of the former capitol of the archipelago. The Hozuki's presence still dominated here, with Kirigakure having it under fief only in name in all honesty. That obnoxiously lucky clan had decided to move its home into the village, though they had kept most of their assets here rather than where they lived. Perhaps they believed it to be safer here than in Kirigakure. Oh, how Nikuyo would love to prove them wrong. If things went the way he wanted, he very well may get that chance today.
But, despite what he may want, he needed to try and do this the hard way first. And it was the one way he hated trying to do anything to boot; diplomacy. He was dressed in his armor, not a single piece missing, and had a plethora of weapons on his person in case he ever needed to use them on some unfortunate soul. The grey hair on his head was still unruly, but Nikuyo didn't really care all that much.
His eyes fell upon the largest building in the city, a four story complex near the center. It was made out of imported oak from the forests of the Land of Fire, the natural colors of the wood untouched with only a waterproof sealant coated over the entire building. It was built in a traditional Japanese style, one of elegance and a display of the Hozuki's wealth. There was actually an ordinance in the city forbidding any building being built that was taller than this structure. A great way to show off your wealth, and a great way to paint a target. Nikuyo directed his path for the center of the city, intent on speaking to the Daimyo of the Land of Water.
The journey didn't take him long, as he elected to take to the rooftops to avoid the hustle and bustle of the people who still lived here in the streets below. That sixth sense which granted him near clairvoyance was always active, every chakra signature around him kept track of for any semblence of a threat. There were a couple shinobi following him, likely personal guards of the Water Daimyo. They were staying one hundred meters back, enough that Nikuyo couldn't make out fine details about them. He wondered how long it would take him to kill them both and whether or not he would be able to get to his destination and conduct his business before they were missed. It was likely there were a few sensors around here, so that could make things a bit difficult if they were better than he was at the skill. Eh, fuck it, if I have things my way I'll have to kill them anyways. Satisfied with his own answer to his musings, Nikuyo would simply keep tabs on them as he made his way to the middle of the city.
Nikuyo hopped down off of a building and onto a street, scaring the people he landed near with his dominating presence. He ignored them all, their very existence written off as anything but threatening to him. The few people in his way got out of it as soon as they caught sight of him, with many seemingly recognizing his face. There weren't many within the Land of Water who did not, sadly.
He didn't bother to knock on the only entrance of the building, choosing instead to simply walk in. The room he entered was relatively small with only one desk and chair in it. Behind this desk was one door, the only other entrance into the building. Sitting in the chair was one woman, likely in charge of appointments. She had on a Kirigakure headband and her hair was beginning to grey, but she wore no weapons or armor. Her eyes were slate grey, and her face was somewhat long with a crooked nose. Nikuyo's eyes narrowed as his brain worked to place her face, swearing that he had seen her before.
The woman looked up from the few papers she had on the desk that she had been reading over, a look of mild shock cutting across her features. She didn't miss a beat after this though, falling quickly into a warm smile before greeting the Mizukage. "Hello Lord Mizukage, we weren't expecting such a prestigious visitor today." Nikuyo scoffed at the greeting.
"Stop with the pleasantries, it's annoying. Just get me Tetsuya." The woman blinked at the brusqueness of his words.
"A-at once... sir," she responded. Suddenly, she poofed out of existence. This time, Nikuyo blinked. Using a shadow clone to monitor the front and bring messages to the Daimyo as soon as they were delivered. Certainly an interesting way of doing things. Nikuyo waited patiently, and about twenty seconds after the clone dispersed itself another one would enter through the door. "After you," she said with a gesture. Nikuyo said nothing and walked through the doorway, glad that the easy part was over.
He was brought to the top level of the building, used as the Daimyo's headquarters. He lived on the second floor, making his commute fairly short. The woman's clone led Nikuyo up the final flight of stairs which led to a short hallway with one door at the end of it. The Old Wolf continued on without the clone, again not bothering with knocking and simply entering.
Inside was a single room that took up the entirety of the top floor. It was filled with elaborate and ornate wall decorations and tapestries. Pedestals were distributed along the northern wall, each displaying an ebony bust of previous Hozuki clan leaders. There were easily a dozen or more large tables contained within the room as well, each with stacks of paper on them. The chairs at these tables were all empty, though not all were pushed in. It seemed he had interrupted a meeting of some sort. For some reason Tetsuya did not want Nikuyo around a large group of people. He couldn't imagine why that could be, but didn't care to question it either.
At the center of the room was a table about two meters long and half a meter wide. It was carved out of white ivory, an exotic substance from lands far to the south that the southern islands traded with occasionally. It was made of many tusks from a large beast, each tusk secured with rods to the others. They had been carved an manipulated to fit together to form a flat surface with which to work on, fitting together flawlessly. Ornate floral carvings on the exterior tusks gave the table the final touches of a brutal majesty, as the number of animals that had to have died to make this table would make any animal lover puke. Even Nikuyo recognized that what he was looking at was priceless, and sat behind this table was none other than Tetsuya Hozuki. The Daimyo of the Land of Water, and the current leader of the Hozuki clan. As far as Nikuyo could tell, they were the only two in the room.
"While I'm glad you finally decided to come visit me, Nikuyo, I'd much rather we set up an appointment for sometime in the future. I was in the middle of something rather important," Tetsuya said with displeasure as Nikuyo approached the table. "Could you come ba-"
Nikuyo cut him off, not by talking, but by bringing one finger up to his lips and making the "sh" sound. Tetsuya stopped speaking, confusion etching itself onto his face. "Shhhh, no, I'm afraid I won't come back some other time. I'm here now," the Mizukage began with a disturbingly calm tone of voice. Nikuyo stopped when he was one meter from the desk, clasping his hands behind his back. His sensory skills had gotten a final tally of the people in the building, with only 15 of them displaying obvious signs of being a shinobi. "I'll make this as quick and easy as I can Tetsuya, because as much as you don't want me here is as much as I don't want to be here." The Daimyo said nothing in response, not being given a chance.
"Within the next three months, I'm going to be in control of both Nagi Island and O'uzu Island. And to do that I'm going to use the Land of Water's full military might, incluidng Kirigakure's shinobi as well as your own personal men. In exchange, the Hozuki will get control over one resource in each land as a monopoly. The rest will go to Kirigakure's control, under my independent supervision." Nikuyo pulled a scroll out from a pouch on his thigh, tossing it to Tetsuya. The Daimyo caught it, his face portraying an urgent desire to say something. He began to speak, but was interrupted by Nikuyo again.
"In that scroll is the contract saying you relinquish control over the Hozuki's personal forces in Ota for use in this campaign. Mark it with your blood to make it official and I'll leave immediately. I'll return in a couple months to start making my preparations." Nikuyo held his hand out expectantly, the brazen demand he made matched by this brazen display of an expected acceptance.
Tetsuyo read the contract before scoffing and dropping it on his desk. "I'm not going to sign this, you old bat. You're fucking senile if you think that's even close to acceptable. I have no desire to go to war over a couple more islands, especially when people like you are who I have to rely on. Get out," he said, waving his hand as if to dismiss the Mizukage. Nikuyo did not move, keeping his hand extended.
"I don't think you understand, Tetsuya," Nikuyo said as he glared at the Daimyo with daggers in his eyes. "This was not a choice." Again, with that same calm that was almost unsettling coming from a man like Nikuyo.
Tetsuya cocked his head, apparently unsure of whether Nikuyo was serious or not. "You don't get to command me. This is my country, and Kirigakure is my village. Your job is to look after it, not to lead-"
"It was not a choice, Tetsuya." This time, Nikuyo's speech was cold and remorseless. To emphasize this, the Mizukage repeated his performance from the Kage Summit and let his chakra loose in the room. It chilled rapidly, much to the alarm of the Daimyo who had begun to breathe rapidly at the sudden escalation.
He soon recomposed himself, shaking off the new cold that was misting his every exhalation. "I believe it is you who does not understand, Nikuyo," he began again, himself trying to sound imposing, "but this land has belonged to my clan for generations. This city has existed for centuries as the center of ou-"
"If the next words out of your mouth are not 'I accept', I'm going to kill you and everybody else in this city who wants to try and stop me." He spoke these words very slowly, deliberately, in order to make his point very clear. Nikuyo's demeanor had changed entirely, a dark and vicious temperament from his days as a pit fighter taking over. "And after I've killed you all, I'll burn your city to ashes and trample the legacy you think matters into the dust. And then, after I've done all of that, I'll invade those islands and take what I want anyways." This cold expression of intent had silenced the Daimyo, and when Nikuyo was finished neither man would ay anything for some time. Tetsuya was studying Nikuyo's face, searching for any kind of hint that he was bluffing. Finding none, a shudder would mark his relenting acceptance.
"Y... you're fucking crazy," Tetsuya muttered as he reached for a knife in his robes with unsteady hands. Producing it, he cut his thumb and pressed it on the bottom of the contract. Instead of replacing it in its sheathe, he simply dropped it on the oaken floor. Nikuyo took the contract and rolled it up quickly before putting it back in the pouch he had stored it in before. "This was the worst decision of your entire life, you idiot," he continued, shaking his head.
Nikuyo ignored him, having gotten what he wanted. The Mizukage turned to leave the room, as unafraid as he had been when he had first entered. "I'll see you again in two months Tetsuya. Be ready." With that last order, Nikuyo found his own way out of the building and then retraced his steps towards the western exit of Ota. Nobody tried to stop him this time.
[exit to Kiri]
