Adela Milani (
abileunaspada) wrote in
sunshineverse2014-08-25 06:43 pm
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Taking the first steps towards greatness
Who: Adela Milani (
abileunaspada) & OPEN
Where: Uzushiogakure Area
When: August 14th - 28th
Why: After recent conversation with the Godaime Hokage of Konoha, Adela has been sent on an observation mission in Uzushio with a mutual friend and ally who may help her have some insight on what she intends to get into, but for the most part it's a vacation away from her leave and an excuse to expose her to more of the political world.
This actually wasn't so bad.
When Obito had basically sent her on a two week observation mission, at first she didn't take well to it. Really, it was just... Observing for two weeks, observing politics, and all from a different village? But, when she learned that it meant potentially spending time with Kushina (and after some thinking realized just how valuable the experience could be), her protests were minimized and she went on the solo mission without qualm.
At some points she was in the kage's office observing missions, other times she was exploring the town and trying some of the local delicacies. Still, it wasn't uncommon to find her by the oceans to relax -- she found that it made her the most relaxed, to look towards the endless sea.
She'd heard that there was at least one other Konoha nin in the area, but she'd had yet to see them. Well, it was probably someone she didn't know anyway.
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Where: Uzushiogakure Area
When: August 14th - 28th
Why: After recent conversation with the Godaime Hokage of Konoha, Adela has been sent on an observation mission in Uzushio with a mutual friend and ally who may help her have some insight on what she intends to get into, but for the most part it's a vacation away from her leave and an excuse to expose her to more of the political world.
This actually wasn't so bad.
When Obito had basically sent her on a two week observation mission, at first she didn't take well to it. Really, it was just... Observing for two weeks, observing politics, and all from a different village? But, when she learned that it meant potentially spending time with Kushina (and after some thinking realized just how valuable the experience could be), her protests were minimized and she went on the solo mission without qualm.
At some points she was in the kage's office observing missions, other times she was exploring the town and trying some of the local delicacies. Still, it wasn't uncommon to find her by the oceans to relax -- she found that it made her the most relaxed, to look towards the endless sea.
She'd heard that there was at least one other Konoha nin in the area, but she'd had yet to see them. Well, it was probably someone she didn't know anyway.
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"I dunno if I've met them or not, the only people I've met from Uzushiogakure were in the chuunin exams. I was an informant in the first part of the exam."
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She reached across the desk for one of the picture frames and turned it on an angle so Adela could see. It was a picture of Karin with her team, similarly posed to one of Naruto's from about three years earlier, also on her desk. She pointed out her niece on the right of the shot to indicate.
"I really want her to be the one who takes over the village from me, but she needs to make jounin first. I've made sure she knows it too. And just because she's family, I won't just slide her through. I think there's some lessons she could stand to learn from being on a squad that I can't teach her myself."
She shifted a few papers heading for Adela's piles closer to her and found some old letters from Nagato. Those got moved back into the foreign correspondence pile, even if they were a bit more on the casual side for conversation.
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True, the girl was older than her, but honestly Adela didn't care how old the other girl was. She could do it -- especially if she had Kushina-san believing in her.
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Adela wasn't even going to ask about what the 'bell test' was -- It sounded weird, whatever it was. Still, Adela just ended up nodding and putting the last of the sorted paperwork into the then-neat pile for Kushina, and she smiled a little when she did, "I'll treat to lunch when you're done, Kushina-San. We can talk more there."
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She had absolute faith that Karin would get there in the end, whether in the next test or years down the road. With the piles finally sorted and no more spare papers floating around from the last few weeks, she set the stacks where they belonged.
"No you won't, you're my guest in the village so I'll treat you. It's your first day here anyway."
She sat down and dug around in one of her desk drawers. She withdrew four decent-sized smooth stones and put one on top of each pile of papers.
"It's almost lunch time here anyway, so why don't we get out of here a little early? Do me a favor and close the office door, okay?"
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Really, it was Kushina who was doing her a favour by letting Adela shadow her...
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Once she was satisfied that the papers were secure, she got up and opened one of the large windows behind her desk. A gentle sea breeze blew in, catching the corners of some papers, but the rocks stayed, unmoving.
"C'mon, shut the door, we're heading out this way. It's faster and you can tell me what you want on the way."
She perched on the sill, preparing to leap out to the nearest building as if it were something she did everyday. As a matter of fact, it was indeed.
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"I guess I'm in the mood for beef or pork, if it's not too pricey. Otherwise we can just snack on some takoyaki or something."
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She jumped over to the next roof over, just one level below her window on the third floor. She waited for Adela to join her before forming a few quick hand seals to carefully blow the window shut behind them. Then down she jumped to street level and led the way down one of the roads
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It was also faster, much less foot traffic than the roads below. And they were soon at a little restaurant with living quarters for the proprietor and their family above. Kushina requested a table in a quiet corner which would allow them to talk with some privacy from any other patrons.
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Maybe Kushina would tell her in a bit.
"So you've been busy doing a lot of restoration work with the village? What's that like, if you don't mind me asking Kushina-san?"
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"It's really more rebuilding than restoration, that's most of what I've doing the last five years. Everything you see out in the village wasn't here back then. It was just shrubs, grass, rocks, some really ruined buildings, and some trees. Even the roads to the travel seal and some other villages had to be smoothed out. It really took up a lot of time and energy, which is why you wouldn't have seen much of me in Konoha until about a year and a half, two years ago. But even though it meant I didn't see much of my family, it's definitely been worth all the effort. Now I mostly have to make sure everything keeps up and running when I'm not away looking for any Uzumaki that might be left and can get permission to leave their adopted country or when I go back home for however long."
Agh, sorry for the long replies on this one. My brain isn't letting me think of good things for it.
Haha don't worry about it, Kushina's just being super ramble-y. <3
"It is sometimes. That's why I try and make it back to Konoha almost every month and Minato comes out here sometimes. If I didn't, I'd probably be miserable, not getting to see everyone. I know the work I'm doing is important, but that doesn't mean I don't miss my family and friends. I may have been born in Uzushio, but Konoha's my h-- Ah, thank you."
The waiter returned with their tea and to take their orders. Kushina put in an order for some Gyudon and waited for Adela to put in hers and the waiter to leave before continuing. Sort of.
"I wasn't here where the village was destroyed. I could hardly believe it when Sandaime told me and I shook him for every detail he could give. He didn't know who had survived, who had escaped though. Everyone and almost everything was gone by the time Konoha could send a team. Even if I didn't live there anymore, a part of my heart was still connected."
She stopped, realizing she had been rambling and took a sip of her tea.
"Sorry, you didn't ask to hear about my memories. I got a little carried away in them. Heheh... But I guess it's because of those memories and that I found more Uzumaki in the world than I originally thought that I decided to try and revive our village. I'd do anything to keep them from being scattered everywhere again. While this may not be my home, I've seen all the hard work everyone's put in to making this village their own--not just my own. I would gladly lay down my life for this village as much as I would for Konoha."
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"You really are amazing, Kushina-San. Not a lot of people would keep going like how you did."
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"You really think so? I guess I can understand what you mean though. I just had some luck in the people I've met and inspired me. I never would have gone looking for more Uzumaki if I hadn't been sent to Amegakure for trade negotiations. I never would have rebuilt Uzushio without the support of Minato and everyone I found."
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In fact, Adela was finding herself a little jealous then - though it was tempered with how she was looking at herself as well. Just what had she done for her own village? What good was she when she just failed mission after mission? Even with her new ambitions to give back and become the leader Konoha deserved, could she really do it?
But... This wasn't the time for doubt, she reminded herself. She was there to learn from Kushina. She needed to start somewhere.
sob... she wouldn't shut up i'm sorry
She swirled her tea around for a moment, then continued.
"But between you and me, I probably wouldn't be as good a leader here if I hadn't gotten as much advice and help with all the boring, detailed work as I did. Especially in the beginning when there wasn't much money and I had to find people willing to cut deals for one thing or another. Even then, we still working on paying back a loan to Konoha. We probably will be until I'm 55 unless we can get more income from more missions. But it's good that you can recognize that being a leader--especially for a large village--is hard. You'll have shadows and people doubting you over your shoulder or behind your back. With the way things are going, I'm worried it'll get harder. Not just here, but Konoha too. Maybe within the other hidden villages as well."
She paused again to sip her tea, and her memory floated back to Danzo, the heavily scarred old shinobi and former head of the disbanded ROOT. She had disliked him at best from their first meeting and had been pleased when he agreed that ROOT was no longer needed under her husband's leadership. But if things carried on with more misinformation driving up the number of dead or missing shinobi... No. Surely it wouldn't come to that. He wouldn't dare. Would he? She shook her head once to push it from her thoughts.
"Here's to hoping things settle down sooner rather than later. For now, the best thing you can do right now is stay confident in your goal and aim to be the best damn ninja you can be. Impress your superiors and the village council will eventually take notice. If you can get their attention, you'll probably catch the Daimyo's eye too. They're the ones who decide who the next Hokage is if the current one steps down or can't do the job for whatever reason. Since you've gotten Obito's attention, you've already got a leg up on any competition in your age range. He'll be able to suggest you if he steps down and you're a jounin. At least, that's how I think it goes. That's how Minato said it ran when he was stepping down and suggesting Obito three years ago. ...Wow, has it really been that long?"
Don't worry about it, Adela was kind of asking for it lmao
She finished her tea then, her eyes on the menu - even if she wasn't feeling that much like eating anymore. Nah, the conversation sort of made her less hungry. She'd probably just get something a little lighter, maybe some teriyaki chicken or something. Just a little.
"If I can't stand up to the competition regardless of that 'leg up' or not, what good would I be as Hokage? I've still gotta put all my effort into that goal, and into being the best ninja I can be."
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Her grin grew and she winked at Adela before scooping up her tea for another sip.
"But you're right about one thing, even with whatever advantage you may have in terms of who you've impressed, you do still need to fight on. That's why I told you. Some people might relax knowing how many people with influence are backing them in the beginning. Just put your heart and spirit into chasing your goal and you'll get there."
She put down her cup to raise one arm bent and with a fist while her other hand clapped down behind her elbow. Her universal sign of encouragement and telling the other person to keep fighting the good fight.
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