| abstract | - Eihei was on her way back home. Having loose ties allowed her to come and go as she pleased; it helped her sister was the presiding Eikage. Nevertheless, she agreed to at least commit one action that benefited the village in exchange for her occasional sabbatical; this usually came in the form of recruitment for her newly adopted nation, collecting stray travelers and clans before directing them back to the village. From what she could see as she returned, Ei had improved greatly due to this method, bolstering their army and economy as each group brought their knowledge and skill set to Eigakure. It did her heart good to see her efforts coming to fruition. That is, until she walked up the main path. Her sensory perception remained active constantly, and she could already sense a specific chakra similar to her own. Immediately her restful demeanor soured as the gates to the village appeared in front of her. For a certain redhead was arguing with Ei's main guards. Eihei smirked as she stepped forth, closing the remaining distance in milliseconds. She slapped a hand on her brother's shoulder, her lime green gaze cold. "Well, if it isn't my brother Shenron." she said icily, not caring if the latter was trying to be discreet, "It's fine guys, he's with me. Or did you not tell them your name? Allow me to do it for you. I introduce to you Shenron Uzumaki, my older brother by a few months give or take. Then again we could have been born at the same time, our father was the promiscuous sort." The Eigakure guards lowered their weapons, one of the stammering out an apology. Eihei waved it away. "It's fine, he's the shy sort. He probably thought you were going to judge him or make him feel bad." Eihei stated flippantly as the gates opened. Upon them doing so she walked them in. "Now, what the hell are you doing in my village." Eihei growled, not happy her to see her half-brother, one who had made quite a few misguided decisions in his day. Not that she was one to talk. Eihei snorted. "As if. Spare me the theatrics brother." she retorted, before towing him along to a more private setting. Beyond the large town, the tops of skyscrapers could be seen, hinting at the village's considerable advancement. Something rarely divulged while consolidating power, preferring to appear as a stubbornly independent town of vagabonds. Though such days were long gone by now. "Now tell me, why are you really here?" she asked, her arms folded as her lime green gaze remained impassive. The two had never been close, due in part to being from separate regions and residing in villages that while friendly, chose to keep to their own affairs. Having only encountered each other a few years earlier, they continued about their business separately ever since, Eihei finding Shenron's arrogance detestable and not worth her energy, while the latter just didn't see eye to eye with Ei's adventurous spirit. Despite this, they remained respectful of each other's power, knowing each held their own variation of Raido's strength. "Well?" she continued, slightly irritated by Shenron dropping by unannounced. Eihei smirked. "I have no interest in your pomp and pageantry brother. As for your personality change I'll believe it when I see it." She yawned at his display of finery, a clear sign of disrespect on her part. "So your a Kage now; the Uzushiokage if we're being precise. Not that it matters, so what you have a title attached to your name? I'm assuming you're here on negotiations. Unannounced no less, which I'm sure the current Eikage won't be pleased with. Already putting you at a disadvantage for such affairs. Last time I checked, the world doesn't revolve around you, so you'll have to wait in line just like any other person who wants to meet with her. If you expect me to put in a word for you let that hope die now." Eihei retorted. She was clearly in no mood to deal with Shenron's arrogance. So much for today being a nice day. "Feel free to try and meet with her though on your own accord. I'd love to see how far you get." Eihei grinned sardonically, her lime gaze piercing across the room. She cracked her knuckles, disturbing the silence that had fallen. Eihei snickered. "You're such a child Shen." she said shaking her head. Her eyes turned purple before the area around her turned dark. Bending as if someone was folding two points on a paper to overlap each other. And soon she was standing in the Eikage's office. Nearly scaring her sister half to death with her sudden appearance. She deactivated her dojutsu while Aka swore in rather un-Kage like fashion. "Jesus sister! Are you trying to give me a heart attack?!" Aka growled. Which her sister ignored while grinning in smug fashion. "I win the game." she said. To which the Eikage responded, "what has you so satisfied?" Eihei debated whether or not to tell her sister, ultimately deciding it was a good idea. "One of my brothers decided to pay me a visit.....and wants to talk to you. Remember the one who tried to steal the Shinigami masks? That one. Shenron Uzumaki. Apparently he's the leader of a revitalized Uzushiogakure; and decided the Kage label would be more than appropriate for his grandiose tastes. After all, you can't keep our clan down." Eirei stated wryly. Resulting in Aka doubling over in laughter much to Eihei's annoyance. "Gosh, I'm sorry. You two hate each other with a passion. I'm surprised you weren't at each other's throats. I bet he'll cross paths with your adorable niece any time now." Aka responded while still chuckling. As if on cue, Nagisa stood in front of her uncle as he stepped into the Kage's office. "And you are?" Nagi said, her smiled malicious as she stared down Shenron. The bodyguards had sent the information ahead of Shenron's arrival. And like any intimate village, the knowledge spread like wildfire. Upon Shenron's entrance, Aka slipped into a coolly interested demeanor. Her poker face appeared instantaneously while she listened to his statement. "A half-blood leading the Uzumaki? One with the blood of a rival? How fascinating." Aka said disinterestedly. Any charisma he used fell flat in her eyes. "Say what you will and be on your way, I have other matters to attend to. Particularly ones more important than humoring a poster boy with a few "critical" roles. Besides, I find your untimely arrival irritating. Did it ever occur to you to give a foreword of your desire to meet and discuss politics? Or did centralist perspective override such courtesy that I'm sure your mother taught you?" she continued, her eyes like molten gold as she waited for the former to speak his piece. Eihei for her part grinned like a chester cat, finding her sister's devil tongue as endearing as ever. When it wasn't aimed at her of course. Nagi for her part shrugged when Shenron activated his space-time ninjutsu. While she was tempted to tear him a new one just for shits and giggles, she knew her mother was more than capable of doing the same. Fitting her Fox mask on, Nagi snickered as her mother's words slid through the crack of the doorway. She then disappeared. "Well?" the Eikage asked. Aka sat back in her chair while he spread his plan in several words. Her only response was this, "What are you current alliances?" As the leader of Eigakure, it was important she preserve her village's history of avoiding entangling alliances: particularly with that conglomerate. It was how they had built their current position of strength, serving as a haven for those who had been discarded and abandoned by that mass and sought the safety of their quiet land. If she had to describe the current situation despite the incredible increase in size, it was a family, one that looked for all their people while seeking to make this land safe for its inhabitants. The Uzumaki were no exception to this rule, having their own village destroyed by the might of several major nations due to their technological advances and the infamous fūinjutsu. Who was to say that someone might not try that again after learning of the village's revival? A Eikage's priority was to their people first and foremost, and she wasn't sure if endangering her people's existence was a good idea. After all, history had a tendency to repeat itself. So she voiced this response, "Who's to say they won't try to decimate you once more? I doubt the ninja world is enthused about your land's reinvigoration." Eihei watched the proceedings unfold quietly, noting that despite her hot-headed demeanor, her sister had become quite the political mind. Aka nodded, noting his confidence, while somewhat extreme, could not be called arrogance. At least in the traditional sense. "That's interesting. So you chose to ally with other nations that are on the outside looking in when it comes to the Shinobi Union, yet you also hold an agreement with one of it's central members. A memorandum of understanding if you will. How cute." she responded. If the facts were to believed, the current Uzushiogakure had indeed surpassed their predecessors, building up a stronger standing in the world while tapping into their roots and harnessing its potential. She smiled slightly. Eihei could tell her sister was at least considering the proposition, considering their own village housed a significant portion of Uzumaki. Most reacting with elation upon hearing that their ancestor's homeland existed once more. Ei's response was that of minor irritation, knowing such an alliance could be fruitful given the opportunity to grow. Not that she wanted to admit her brother had done something good. His ego was big enough. "Very well." Akakato conceded, "I suppose we can try this out for the time being. Though I'd like to speak with our own Uzumaki Clan Leader before setting anything in stone. Something tells me she'll be enthused to hear of the village's awakening though." The gold in her gaze danced like flames as she waited Shenron's response. Aka allowed herself a grin at the Uzushiokage's antics, before accepting the filled glass offered to her by Shenron. She knew Eihei wasn't the drinking type, though her and Suiren had their fair share of drunken nights on some adventures. She laughed at Shen's question, finding the latter's sensory skills to be quite dull. Then again, she had always been adept at hiding her true capabilities. "Right now actually." Nishi said as she stood behind the man before lightly tapping him on the shoulder. "A child that is unmistakable for a Uzumaki, yet carries the lineage of Uchiha. If I didn't know any better, I would call you and Eihei full-blooded siblings." she continued, her voice holding a faint amusement. The air around her spoke of regality and nobility; this was not the masquerade or facade of Shenron, but a simple commanding of true royal power. "It does my heart good to hear my homeland has been restored to its former luster. The attack from so long ago took us all by surprise, even those who had left the village long before it's destruction." she said. Her pupil-less violet eyes scanned the room, resting upon each Uzumaki descendant within its vicinity. She noted the description the Eikage's daughter gave her of the guest: it's accuracy was unprecedented. "Isn't that the goal of every village?" Eihei retorted flippantly, only to be stopped by a glance from her sister. "She's right. That ideal sounds too....mundane for my tastes. If I had a ryō for every time I heard that goal articulated, I would be a very wealthy woman. In short, no we do not want to become a Great Shinobi Nation. Would we like to rival them in capabilities, throw a scare into them every now and then? Maybe even surpass them? Absolutely. But to have the simple goal of becoming a Great Shinobi Nation is terribly shortsighted in my opinion. Especially with them responsible for much of this world's current disorganization. We are here to protect our people, to offer a haven to those who were crushed under the boot of that plutocracy. If having the resources to meet this vision means becoming an equal to a GSN so be it. But do not misunderstand. I hold no love for those people." Aka said, sipping her wine delicately. Her golden eyes blazed as she finished this sentence, perhaps slightly insulted that Shenron assumed this goal was one she possessed. Nishi nodded in approval at her junior. For all her hot-headedness, she retained a keen mind. As if to break the tension, the youthful elder spoke. "I take it my brethren are doing well?" she asked of Shenron, amusement ever present in her voice. That he did. Nishi nodded at Shenron's response, having expected such a confirmation. Their people were terrible at calling it quits even in the face of daunting odds. "Fascinating." was the young elder's thoughts on the subject. She noted the silence that fell over the group after Aka's crushing statement. While raising an eyebrow at Shen's forced attempt to divert some tensions, Nishi ultimately went along with it in order to keep the peace. "To success," she said simply, raising her glass as Aka did the same. They clinked them together as Eihei yawned. She had never been one for political delegations, only taking part in them if Danzō asked her to. Adjusting the sword strapped to her back, she stood from her leaning position. "Well, I'll leave you three to hammer out the details. I have to go find that lovely niece of mine. The one Shen had the fortune of meeting earlier." Ei smirked, knowing that the young woman's habits were something that disturbed her brother. Some may call it insanity, but Eihei saw it as playing mental chess. With that, she fitted her wolf anbu mask on before taking a step and disappearing. After that Aka turned expectantly towards Shenron, seeing as he was the one who came into her village for the purpose of having this meeting. "Well?" she said, setting her glass down. Nagisa nodded when her aunt appeared, a grin hidden by her fox mask. "So that's my uncle?" she confirmed. "If the filthy prick can be called that." Eihei retorted to her niece, irritated that Aka had agreed to the deal with Shenron's village. Even if such an agreement was only verbal. Perhaps it made sense considering the large body of Uzumaki that resided within their village; not that the woman wanted to admit such a thing. "So.....what now?" Nagi said, before feeling Shenron's presence return to the village once more. "Leave them alone for the time being I guess. Besides, you've been begging me to take you on some of my travels. And there's no time like the present. So are you up for it?" Eihei asked. Nagi nodded once more, a grin of anticipation upon her face as they the two of them rocketed out of the village once more and into the arms of the waiting world. "He's an interesting character. Though the boy reminds me of someone..." Nishi commented as Shen went on his way temporarily. It then clicked. "Weird, he's not quite the fireball his mother was. Or the hothead both you and your mother are. It must be the Uchiha lineage mellowing him out. If such a polarizing bloodline can do such a thing." she continued. Aka meanwhile reclined in her Kage chair, propping her feet on the table as she drained her glass of wine. Setting it on the table she yawned, deciding she had to catch up with her friend at some point. "Will you visit Uzushio?" she asked the Uzumaki elder, to which the woman nodded. "Fair enough." Eihei's poker face returned in force, though behind the mask her grin was a chester cat. She could smell the inexperience behind the charisma. Yes he was family, but that wasn't part of the equation right now. No what mattered was securing her village and nation. The woman wondered as she surveyed the document who would become the Land's next daimyō. Since Sosui was getting up there in age, and her daughter, the presumptive successor, was now betrothed to the Land of Wind's Daimyō, the next incumbent was a question mark. That was of no concern for the Aka though, as she knew such a thing would be resolved in due time. Twirling the pen expertly between her fingers, she scanned the paper alongside Nishi. While normally such negotiations would be done simply between the two Kage, with the Uzumaki being a large component of both groups, a third party was necessary. The woman wrote out greater ties between the two Uzumaki Clan branches, recognizing them as imperative to strengthening this alliance. Such ties meant sharing knowledge across borders, including techniques and other fares. It was at that point Nishi chose to comment on the curiosity she felt from Shenron earlier. She remained amused by the delegation's proceedings, having lived far longer than everyone in this village; having existed longer that Konoha itself in fact. "You wonder why I remain so young in appearance when I've witnessed events that would reveal my true age." Ni observed, unable to keep the beguilement from her voice. She laughed gently as Aka continued writing.
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