sunshineverse | OPEN!: Kisame's whirlwind diplomatic tour

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OPEN!: Kisame's whirlwind diplomatic tour

Who: Hoshigaki Kisame, and whoever wants to meet him/work with him on his mission
When: Late March-mid April ..ish? I'm flexible!
Where: Kirigakure -> Sunagakure -> Konagakure -> ??? ~~-> profit!~~
Notes: Kisame has been named Kiri's official ambassador to Suna and Konoha and possibly other places. The latter is because he and his clan have been pushing for it, and the former is because Yagura is a dick and likes sending Hoshigaki to the desert.

In Kiri, before leaving

Kisame almost hadn't expected it to happen, even with the pushing Great Grandmother had been doing, and the hints he'd dropped, and the more outright pointed statements that had been calmly delivered. When it did, he was as unprepared as he could be, having been eyeing an assassination that had looked fun. Having a mission scroll shoved into his hands like that had almost pushed Kisame into being visibly off-guard. The papers were first, declaring him an official ambassador, and Kisame had to smile.

He didn't know why Mizukage-sama had suddenly decided to do it (and give it to him of all people) but he was going to have a chance to get in those spars he'd promised--

Suna. Well! Now Kisame wasn't so surprised. It would be like Mizukage-sama to give him what he was asking for but not what he wanted, though it wouldn't hurt to get some more desert training in. Kisame wasn't going to let this disrupt him.

It didn't take long for Kisame to prepare. A debriefing or two, a notice of his absence, and a little packing was all. It would be interesting, he thought, as he headed towards the travel seal.

In Suna
The desert burned, as usual, and Kisame had work to do this time. There was an escort to meet, first, and then maybe he could wrangle a tour. He'd probably already seen most of it, but seeing a native's reaction to the place could be telling.

Then there were meetings and paperwork. Kisame actually had an idea of a program that might foster closer ties and make them both stronger. He wasn't a stranger to how hard the desert was on Kiri-nin, even non-Hoshigaki ones, and he'd noticed more than one Suna-nin having trouble in return. A brief exchange for training purposes, probably of genin, would help both sides adapt better to the opposite environment. He had a Suna-nin to thank for giving him the idea, if he saw her.

And, of course, he couldn't be in Suna without hoping for another spar. The one with Sephiroth had been invigorating, and so many of the locals seemed strong. Kisame wanted to test it.

In Konoha
Konoha was as interesting as last time, and this time Kisame was himself, Samehada and all. If they didn't respect his weapon, he'd be a poor ambassador, so he'd brought the sword. That, and he hadn't wanted to leave it behind and find out one of his cousins had gotten drained close to unconsciousness after getting too close.

The official business was much the same here, though Kisame had fewer ideas on ways to improve relations. Well! Official ones, anyway. He had more than one "gift" of treats for the Hokage, and sparring was always an act of at least a minimum of trust when it happened between shinobi of different villages, so that might work in his favor.

He wondered who his escort would be this time, and if he might get to spend more time looking around, this time without the burden of reporting every little detail back.

((ooc: The top post is a general glossing of what Kisame will be doing! Put up a starter, or for something more focused, ping me and I'll write up something in post.))

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[Kisame has been cautious about sending even coded missives, or using the scrolls, but he had promised to check in. Now that he's here, there's less danger of it being intercepted by someone who would raise alarms that didn't need to be raised.

It didn't take long to pen a quick note on an afternoon he had more or less free and send it off by bird.]

In Konoha. Will be waiting at the visitors' training area.

K

[Short and very few details, in case it was intercepted, and if Adela didn't show up, well, it was no skin off his back.]

[The note she receives in her home this morning is a surprise, and it doesn't take her long to respond to said note. Her uncle doesn't even get the full explanation of where Adela's headed off to before she's gone, wearing her standard training gear considering where she's headed. Training itself is the last thing on her mind however, and it doesn't take her long to spot her quarry.

She lands on her feet almost silently some distance away, nodding to him and trying to hide the way she was flushed just to hurry and get here from having just woken up.]

I thought it was you.

[There was only one person whose name started with a K that would send her a message like that, she thinks. At least, one who would have to state that they were in Konoha. Karin would have come to her personally, so that only left Kisame.]

He'd be getting an escort, but Obito had heard the man was coming today, and had decided to drop by and greet him for himself instead of waiting for the man to come to him in his tower. Not proper procedure, but he liked ambushing his foreign guests sometimes, and it was an admittedly bad habit he'd picked up over the years that his advisors despaired of breaking him of.

"Kisame-san, you made it without any issues?"

[He's waiting in the shade of one of the trees. One good thing about Fire Country is the amount of shade.]

This is more secure than a missive.

[He nods and steps forward, Samehada clearly displayed on his back. He's here as himself, as one of the Swordsmen, and what other ninja don't know about Samehada's sensing capabilities makes him more confident that it will be difficult for spys. Not impossible, of course, but he'll take that chance.]

You'll be wanting an update on your cousin, eh?

"I'm here aren't I, Hokage-sama?"

It was a little bit teasing, and Kisame found he wasn't surprised at all by the personal greeting. After all, it was to be expected of a man who would walk into a strange clan's compound in a foreign village without hesitation. He spared a moment's thought to whether or not it would be appropriate to give the treats now or later, and decided it would be fun to do it now, if only to watch the expressions on the other ninja gathered.

Grin widening, Kisame, with slow, easily followed movements, of course, unsealed the basket of treats. "The Hoshigaki clan sends its regards, as well as Kirigakure."

[ His first statement gets a nod of understanding, and she honestly wants this to be a bit more private as well. Not that she won't be open with the Hokage or his agents if asked about her cousin, but at least while speaking with Kisame some semblance of seclusion is prefered. When he continues speaking she steps forward, staying in the light for the time being. ]

Yeah, I would. I'd like to know if he's okay or not, and how things are going with you and him.

[ It's unsaid, but with what she's started to hear with the political climate and the potential for war breaking out... She's a little worried about their safety too, in spite of the colossal strength she knows the two of them to have. ]

He blinked, peering at the basket and tilting his head this way and that for a moment before reaching out to take it. He could practically feel his closest ANBU resisting a facepalm. With no outward regard, though his eyes were scanning everything with curious interest, he studied the basket for any placed seals.

Then he grinned. "Presents huh? Just for me?"

After informing Sephiroth of his impending departure, Naoki took his gear and a second hat to give to Kisame. He doubted Kisame would bring one of his own. Another trip to the desert wasn't exactly high on the list of things he wanted to do, but each time he went to Suna it was a little easier. And at the very least he knew a few shinobi over there.

"Hey Kisame-san." He said, giving a little wave when he saw the jounin.

[This will be difficult to balance. Kisame can't outright say that tensions have been incredibly high in Kiri. He's very surprised that Sephiroth and himself have been allowed such frequent contact lately, when before they were pointedly kept apart. He has a few guesses, though, and none of them are good ones. Still, he will answer the questions.]

He's healthy, with no illness or recent injury. We've been training together and have gone on a few missions jointly lately.

[And, really, he wants to know more about the Konoha girl he and Sephiroth were switched with. And her teammate too.]

We ran into a couple of kids from Konoha on the last one. One was wearing a green jumpsuit and had his hair in a bowlcut. The other was a kunoichi and a weapons expert from the looks of it. Either of them good for a spar? Might as well get a few in while I'm here. An act of trust between villages, eh?

[Because a spar means revealing technique and strategy, of course, and Kisame does consider it an act of trust, even if others might not.]

The offer is still open for a spar with you too, of course.

"Great Grandmother has a good memory and keeps her promises." And Kisame wasn't going to bother hiding her hand in this. She would pursue what she'd been planning, and if it ended up in war, he wouldn't be surprised to see her come out of retirement.

But public wasn't the venue for talks like that, so he waited patiently for the inspection to finish. There were no seals, no poisons or traps. It was a completely honest gift, and of the highest quality. But Kisame did smirk a little at the ANBU, who he knew were probably agitated under the masks. They had a handful to guard, didn't they?

"But you're welcome to share them with whoever you deem worthy, Hokage-sama." It wasn't like either of them didn't know what the gift really was. An offer given, and from the looks accepted, to maintain friendly contact, and be potential allies.

Kisame nodded at his assistant's arrival. It would actually be a good fit for Naoki's skills, he thought. There was steel under the exterior, but he'd seen for himself that Naoki's personality seemed to lower people's guards. He was a good pick for an envoy himself, if a little inexperienced yet, so Kisame wasn't at all surprised by the assignment.

That he was undertaking this mission with someone he tolerated, quite a bit more than but he wasn't about to say that out loud, was a bonus.

"Ready to depart? We're headed to Sunagakure first." Which Naoki presumably knew, but Kisame wanted to give him a chance to go back and get anything he might have forgotten. The desert wasn't forgiving of even small lapses.

He grinned and nodded, pulling out the pair of hats and taking one for himself before he offered the larger one to Kisame. "Yeah, all packed and ready to go." As unpleasant and dangerous as the desert could be Naoki kept all the extra things needed for it together and ready to go. The sudden interest in diplomatic missions was a little surprising.

Naoki stayed out of clan and village politics, but he was aware that Kiri was less involved with other villages than their counterparts.

When she was given the assignment of escorting the envoy from Kirigakure, Temari had to bite back a snort. That wasn't in her job description and it didn't matter if she was an ambassador for the village or not. What could her watching some jounin from Water Country possibly do to benefit her or the envoy? But she was there just inside the mouth of the narrow passageway that lead from the blistering desert to the village proper. She hated the waiting as the guests made the trek from seal point to the village. It bordered on mind-numbingly boring standing there. Leaning back against the warm stone, she propped one foot up against it and drummed her fingers into her arm.

So imagine her surprise when a familiar silhouette approached. She raised an eyebrow when he got close enough to see but otherwise remained the picture of bored escort.

"Well I guess we can skip introductions can't we Hoshigaki-san?"

Last time she followed a visitor from Kirigakure, she'd ended up with...at least something interesting to observe. She couldn't say yet that the information was useful, as her line of investigation had taken a sharp and unfortunate left. Still, now that her leg was doing well enough to use properly again, once she heard they had another such visitor, it was worth delaying her usual schedule to search for him.

...Were all Kiri nin so tall?

She squinted up at him once she spotted him on the road, and then approached him, hand on her hip. Just how much of his appearance was induced and henge to make him look intimidating to those around him?

"...Isn't it difficult to blend into a crowd?" Of the questions that occurred to her just looking at him, that was the one she couldn't resist at least saying. There was more to ninja than fear, after all. At least in Konoha.

The hat made Kisame laugh. He remembered that chuunin exam and the gift, and the interesting exchanges that had come of it. He took the hat with a little nod, but in Kiri there was hardly reason to put it on just yet. He couldn't deny that it would be more welcome than he would admit once they were in Suna. But first getting there.

The travel seals were very useful in that respect. It would have taken days and days at full speed before, and now a day of leisurely travel at most. But that was no reason not to push themselves to get it done faster.

"Then keep up, Naoki-kun."

With that he was off, laughing honestly and grinning challenge back over his shoulder.

With Sephiroth as his squad leader, Naoki had lots of practice chasing Jounin. He put the hat away and took off after Kisame. The little challenge is there, and Naoki has learned from exposure to the Hoshigakis that they enjoy most kinds of physical competition.

He could do more than keep up, at least over a short distance, so he darted ahead a short distance. Betterto get Iit out of Kisame's system before they reached the travel seal.

Kisame didn't even bother holding back the chuckle at the address. "Care to guess how many would respond to that in Kirigakure?"

He was almost surprised, considering how little stock Suna put in clan names but maybe she was trying to be polite, and it was always worth the laugh. "But we can, Temari-san. I'm looking forward to seeing Sunagakure officially."

An official tour would be much more entertaining, as well as enlightening with this one. "I hope you weren't too bored while you waited for us."

There was a sharp smile there. Kisame had been on escort duty enough to know how boring it could be, especially since Kiri's seal was farther away than some other countries.

Kisame had noticed the kunoichi and been following her approach curiously. Ah, so she was going to come up to him. Interesting! That deserved a few moments of his time. He didn't have any pressing business right at this moment, after all. But her question made him laugh out loud. There were more obvious questions, but not very many. Unless... Well, it had happened before.

"Do I look so monstrous that you don't believe this is my true appearance?" In spite of the words, Kisame gave no sign of being offended, just amused and interested. "Under cover missions are not my specialty, but that should be obvious, eh?"

Technically true, but he'd still done his share, but better not to let that information slip out. Someone might put facts together and determine his position in Kiri. The mind transfers had endangered that enough recently. Speaking of, maybe he could get more information about that.

"One of your own can confirm that, if you still doubt."

"Sephiroth-san has trained up your speed well!"

Naoki probably had more raw speed at this point, but Kisame knew he had more stamina and he had chakra to burn. So Kisame picked up his own pace and pulled ahead, grinning with the pleasure of honest exertion and a good match. They'd reach the seal in less than a couple hours at this rate. Hmm, maybe they could beat the current speed record.

"Want to see if we can beat Sephiroth-san's current standing time?"

He laughed softly and gave him a cheerful grin, then waved at his guards to let them know he had this before turning to bring Kisame and his entourage into the village. He was sure that someone would come peel off the other half ot the group for official paperwork sooner or later, so aside from a bright smile left most of his focus for the tall man.

"Your Grandmother is a very lovely woman. These things are going to be dropped off at my office since the people I'm most likely to share them with hang around there, then we can take a walk around, sound good?"

Keeping up with Sephiroth required dedicated speed training. He was still looking for ways to get faster, and had a few ideas on that front. His chakra and endurance weren't up to Kisame's but they could make a solid attempt at Sephiroth's record.

"Does it county if we fly part of the way?" He had some exceptionally fast moths but they couldn't out speed a paor of shinobi over that distance.

It didn’t really do the man justice to say he stuck out. Frame and coloring aside, he had a presence that should make anyone want to hide, freeze, or reach for a weapon. Even in a place like Konoha, he attracted some attention. Fugaku had not expected to run into foreigners today.

Fugaku would have kept walking, but he recognized one of them. The smaller of the two, less a man more a boy. In fact he’d seen that one not too long ago. Coincidence, something else? Something in between?

As prudent as not messing with whatever diplomatic soup Obito no doubt had stewing might be, just walking away when he’d vaguely met one of them might look suspicious. ~~Or proof his eyes were as bad as Mikoto said they were.~~ And it provided a decent opening for some casual conversation.

“Kashima-san, I didn’t expect to see you again so soon.” Perhaps not the most inviting welcome, but no one believed Fugaku when he tried to be welcoming.

Naoki blinked once when he realized Uchiha Fugaku was coming towards them, but he smiled and nodded politely. "I keep pulling missions outside the Land of Water, Uchiha-sama." He said without missing a beat. He could also practically hear Kisame asking him about how he knew the head of the Uchiha clan later in the day. "Please allow me to introduce Hoshigaki Kisame-san, of the Seven Shinobi Swordsmen of Kirigakure."

They were casual acquaintances at best, and Naoki hadn't expected to encounter the man.

Hoshigaki was certainly a popular name in Suna. Kazue may not have been overtly social for her focus on training to increase her strength and power and expand her art, but that didn't mean she didn't have ears good and sharp enough to catch and discern such things, nor did it mean she was ignorant as to the significance thereof. Punctuated questions had followed to shore up her knowledge for a particular curiosity and a departure by her person that was all too familiar to her acquaintances had followed; though, this one was admittedly more hurried for a focused intent, to the point that she moved swiftly, seamlessly through Suna's streets in search of their esteemed guest from Kirigakure, her tanuki puppet poised atop her shoulder with a paw set above his eyes as though in search.

That search would conclude with a sighting that would see her draw such speed as to fluster any native in the man's company only to abruptly grind to a halt several feet in front of him, sand swirling at her feet for her insistence upon the tactic. She was appropriately wary of retaliation and ready to move at a moment's notice of the situation called for it, of course. Drawing herself up, Kazue straightened and immediately shifted her gaze so as to size this Kisame Hoshigaki blatantly up, then lifted her eyes to lock gazes with him. There was no fear to be seen or felt through her own gaze, only a powerful determination and she was prompt in address, prompter than his company in reprimand, at least, who was rather unfortunate to find the eyes of the tanuki puppet atop her shoulder cautioning them into silence.

"You look strong," Kazue said, a note of approval audible despite her tone. For her words, Takkun shifted his gaze to Kisame and leaned forward curiously, earnestly as his puppeteer continued speaking. "People speak highly of your strength and ability, Hoshigaki-san, but words are words. How strong are you and how skilled in water release? That's what I want to know. I want to know if you're strong enough to train me."

I'll take you up on that, though I don't think I'm ready for your full force yet.

[ She's nodding, taking in all he's saying. A kid with a green jumpsuit and a bowlcut, and a weapons' expert kunoichi... Ah, she knew who they were! ]

Those're Lee-san and Tenten. Lee-san's a taijutsu specialist and expert - he trains in it endlessly. Same with Tenten, except for a vast variety of weapons and weapons' summoning. I'm sure they'd be more than happy to spar with you, especially with your reputation Hoshigaki-san.

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OPEN!: Kisame's whirlwind diplomatic tour

In Konoha: For Adela

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In Kiri

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In Suna naturally

In Konoha

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In Konoha

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SUNA | MARCH 31ST

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