sunshineverse | [Closed-ish?] It's not what it looks like

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[Closed-ish?] It's not what it looks like

Where: Water's Capital
When: May 4th
Who: Yuffie, Sephiroth, and Kisame
Notes: This was really not how the evening was supposed to go.

The summons had arrived the night before by bird, sharp and to the point. Word had reached the capital that something had happened, and they insisted that someone of high rank come and share the information as to the situation. Someone, in their infinite wisdom, had apparently heard that Sephiroth had been in some way involved and insisted that he be part of said group.

And it would be a group too. With all the upheaval, sending Sephiroth alone in such a situation was essentially like giving him a severe insult and politely inquiring if he'd mind not stabbing someone in the face. Stabbing someone in the face, being what he was best at, would, of course, remain his preferred option in such a situation. As one could guess, this had been picked up on readily, which was part of how Kisame had ended up on the detail as well, though there was obviously reasons that Sephiroth remained unaware of. Nor did he ask.

The arrangement suited them both.

What was a surprise, however, had been Yuffie's insistence that she come along as well. Given his preferred subordinate was... indisposed... and the girl insisted that she had people she wanted to see if they were going that way anyway, Sephiroth had conceded the point without argument and the group had set out quickly the next morning, arriving before noon.

For a few hours, all had been normal, as it should have been. Then, of course, everything had gone dramatically wrong, with the group having walked into a bloodbath, the Daimyo, who they'd been coming to meet with, dead at the dais, and everyone else in the room cut down where they'd been standing with what looked to be skilled, if minimalist blade work using a katana. Not all of them were, of course, but enough, and that was saying nothing for the bodies of those who had appeared to have fought back. it was messy, it was bloody, and there was absolutely no hesitation when Sephiroth moved further into the room.

His subordinate, after all, had gone on ahead to talk to someone from amid the group. He found her, crouched and breathing fast with weapons bloody weapons in hand, alive and relatively unhurt. She didn't have time, however, to warn him of the attacker that came at him, hidden skillfully under a genjutsu against the hangings lining the walls. It left him to react on reflex, cutting him down instead of keeping the man alive as he'd should have. He had no doubt in his mind that Nanako would be disappointed in his lack of attention to pertinent details when he mentioned it on returning.

This was about when things had turned unmanageable, and the family guard finally appeared, much too late and far too excitable. No, all they saw were people with weapons in hand, no other viable attackers, and the dead bodies of the noble families.

In essence, they looked to be exactly the ones at fault for the situation, and had been treated accordingly.

Now, a solid hour after that wonderful 'meeting', he was watching Kisame try to maneuver them out of the situation while having the questionable duty of getting Yuffie over her shock. Suffice to say, thus far things weren't going particularly well.

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On one hand, Kisame hadn't been surprised at the accusations. He'd openly threatened the nobles of Water Country in the past. On the other, they were obviously looking for a scapegoat. He'd had Samehada in hand when the guards had come in, and only a fool would mistake the damage Samehada caused for the cuts of a normal blade. True, Kisame did sometimes make use of other weapons, but his style was different. At least some of the accusers knew that, and others were skilled enough with swordwork on their own to be able to make the determination that only one had been killed by Masamune. The length and balance of the blade was too different to match the attacks that could be made by a normal blade, at least not without time and care. The attack had happened too quickly for that kind of work.

Yet, here they were, insisting Kisame, Yuffie, and Sephiroth had done it, and one idiot trying to add the charge that they'd been behind the death of the Mizukage too. It was frustrating, but letting his temper go would only make things worse.

Kisame sat back and repeated what he'd been saying for the last hour one more time. "I swear that I was not involved with this. I admit I have threatened the nobles in the past with a very specific end. You were there; you know I said I would tear out their tongues and feed their lies back to them."

When the so-called "interrogators" argued again, Kisame didn't bother holding back a sigh. "If I was guilty, would I sit here patiently even though I could overpower all of you in my sleep, let you confiscate my weapons, and explain over and over again that I'm not? Answer honestly, now."

Yuffie wasn't ignoring anyone on purpose but she had a lot to think about. It was suppose to be an easy trip even though she had planned to exchange a few heated words with her father. She had quickly realized she was being targeted though she couldn't say why. Like most things, it was probably a stupid reason.

The adrenaline and shock of the fight was gone. She'd been in fights before and had no issues killing people but she usually knew why they were attacking her. The good news was that it wasn't sure fault this time around. She glanced between Kisame and Sephiroth watching the pair curiously. If they were being blamed then they probably didn't know what was going on either.

Then she looked down at her shirt and groaned. It was stained and probably to damaged to wash. She really liked this shirt. She hit the back of her head against the wall shifting her gaze back up to Sephiroth. She tried to keep her emotions in check but she was worried. She hadn't heard news from her father yet.

"This is going no where. Now what?" It sounded calm to her but there was a soft tremor in her voice that made it obvious to Sephiroth that she wasn't up to her usual cocky self just yet. She'd leave Kisame to fight with the interrogators.

The way the group looked at each other and then zeroed in on him like he was a weak link when Kisame kept explaining, rationally, the situation, made him wonder if these idiots were really the ones that had been running the country.

It would explain so much.

Still, being accused of doing things he hadn't done just made him give an icy, furious stare in turn and hiss at them. He, unlike the other two, didn't have the patience, or confusion, to keep him from reacting, and he was getting perilously close to snapping and just dealing with the issue himself. Namely, by doing something possibly permanent to the people near him.

Some of it must have shown in his eyes, because only then, when he started to tense to spring, did the idiots seem to realize the danger pressing was going to get them.

Kisame goes quiet when he senses Sephiroth's temper fraying. If nothing else, maybe they'll back off long enough for them to cool down.

"I'll ask one more time. Where's your proof? Being in the wrong place at the wrong time does not count and you know it. If it will help, I'll even submit to an interrogation jutsu."

He'd have to compose his mind first, to make sure they didn't get at anything else, but they'd have to give him time, as there were no ninja in the capital that were capable.

Yuffie didn't feel like saying anything. She'd probably end up saying the wrong thing anyway. She sat back looking over at Sephiroth. She knew what he was like when he was angry because she was skilled at pissing him off. Though she wondered if he would be able to reel in that anger. This wasn't a good time to lose control if they were trying to pin this mess on him.

Her gaze then shifted to their interrogators. She felt a lot better with Sephiroth and Kisame with her but if they can't get them out of this then she'd have to try too. Her fingers drummed against the table once as if to try and get there attention but it was fixed on Sephiroth now.

She was suddenly feeling very confident. "If you have no proof and you aren't charging us then we are free to go." She paused her voice growing a little sharp. "I was a target of this attack too and while sitting in here is fun it's not getting us closer to figuring out who it was. I have proof that it wasn't these two because they helped me or are you going to try and pin this on me too?" This was just a waist of time and she was pretty sure they couldn't find a way to blame her.

Sephiroth stilled as Yuffie spoke up, though Kisame's words had eased his fraying temper... to a degree. No, instead, he turned his head, regarding Yuffie for a long, focused moment, then looking back to the people who had them imprisoned with a look of nearly euphoric mocking.

"Or... are you all doing this because she is the next in the line of succession and you need to get rid of her, and we're just convenient?"

The thought was enough to both rile his temper and cool it to something more vicious and patient, his back straight and his hands no longer on the verge of going for his weapons.

That the people looked alarmed and declared they needed to find someone to handle the jutsu before fleeing the room... was a good sign.

Kisame almost laughed out loud at the reactions. But it did remind him that before she'd become a Kiri-nin, she had been one of the nobility. Still was, technically. That this fiasco put her in the direct line of succession again was interesting. Kisame found he didn't mind the idea of her being their new daimyo. It would be like a breath of air after a long time under water.

When the would-be interrogators fled, Kisame waited another beat before speaking up. "I think you have a point, Sephiroth-san. How dishonest of them, eh?"

Shishito-san wouldn't like it, that was for sure. Too bad she wasn't here to drag them into a more honest frame of mind.

"And this whole mess highlights a weakness of the nobility. They must rely on us for protection, but their enemies will hire more of the same to do damage. Only a ninja stands a chance against something like that. Perhaps it's time for more than just some changes in Kiri."

Yuffie stuck her tongue out the moment that their interrogators shut the door behind them. This was stupid and she was glad that her father had the sense to send her away when she was young, even if she had hated him for it. She was blunt and straight forward both of which weren't traits usually found among those holding office.

Her palm pressed against her forehead and she looked between Sephiroth and Kisame. "Why would they do that? I haven't done anything." Which wasn't true. Yuffie talked a lot and it was no secret that she hadn't like the state of things in Kiri. "Nevermind. Don't answer that."

She waved a dismissive hand before her eyes trained on the door. "I can't stand the way Nobility choose to handle things." Her eyes darted to Kisame and she felt her mouth open slightly. "You mean me?" Since they were in holding Yuffie didn't really think anyone would want her to try and take any position, not that it would ever stop her.

He turned around, facing her direction as soon as she started speaking, having taken in Kisame's words in silence. His gaze swept over her from head to toe. Yes, she would do.

"Had they not dragged us away like this, it might not have become what it is, but at the moment, they've made it very clear that whoever they plan to have run things here is... inept. You're the daughter of the now-former Daimyo's brother. The rightful Daimyo, more than a few say, who was passed over because of his shinobi training, correct?"

His gaze was sharp and while his tone was quiet, it was also... still angry, the undertone of his irritation with their captors not having gone anywhere just because they had.

"Kisame, what do you think about that?"

At Sephiroth's question, Kisame nodded thoughtfully.

"Sephiroth-san is right. I don't believe in right of blood myself, but others do, and you have it, Yuffie-san. If you have the strength and will to take the lead of our country, stand up! We'll show those fools someone capable of real leadership."

She would be inexperienced, but as Kisame thought back on his interactions with her, and what he knew about her, he was sure she could step up and be a good leader, but she had to want it. And whatever they decided, it needed to happen quickly. He was sure their...hosts wouldn't let them sit and plan for very long.

His patience was failing, and Kisame was about ready to make good on his threat to feed some of these people their lies. How frustrating.

Yuffie was one of only a few, that she knew of, who thought her father should have been Daimyo. When she was younger she was louder about her views but nowadays she kept most things to herself when it came to her family. She would be lying if she said she hadn't thought about it and with everything happened it was suddenly relevant again.

She crossed her arms over her chest feeling like she was on display for the pair. She didn't really care but it was frustrating for reasons that Yuffie couldn't explain. "I want to." She shrugged and decided to just be honest with them. Yuffie knew that she could help which was all she ever wanted to do; even if her methods were strange. "I love Kiri. I'd take the position but wouldn't they try and stop me. I'm pretty sure that's why we are here now."

There would most likely be attempts like this one to kill her, not that Yuffie can't fend them off.

"They probably would." He gave a humorless smile. "People never enjoy those who don't do as they're expected to, and who fit outside what they're used to. However, you are a shinobi of Kiri. Do you think you'd be abandoned when you took up such a role?"

He was cold, intense. "You wouldn't be."

They were both right. Kisame fought the urge to get up and smash down the door and take out the fools who would try right now, but that wasn’t the best option.

“They will put obstacles in your path, but if you’re taking the position for Kiri and for Water Country you won’t let them dissuade you so easily, eh? Sephiroth-san is correct. The question is, what’s our plan of attack?”

Yuffie thought about it for a moment drumming her fingers on the table. She was to tired to be angry anymore so a very unusual calm fell over Yuffie as she thought. She wasn't the sort to get quiet and when she did it was because something awful was going through her head.

"Well they left the moment you mentioned my standing..." She looked over at Sephiroth with her chin in her palm. "They are probably scrabbling for that. They can't say I don't have the right..."

Yuffie looked back down at the table thinking a loud. "If only there was a way I could make Kiri know. They can't publicly blame us if the public is on our side."

"I think you want something not Kiri for that, though, if Kiri becomes involved in the politics up here I can't imagine that ending well." He paused a moment. "We did have another chunin in the group and I haven't seen her since we got caught up like this."

He gave them a slightly feral smile. "Perhaps word has gotten back to Nanako."

KISAME:
Kisame smiled in return. If not the chuunin that was with them, Kisame kept a few agents in the capital. It never hurt to keep an eye on what the nobles were up to after all, so Nanako would find out soon enough.

“And we’ll have front row seats to her reactions. That’ll be interesting! Shishito-san does have such a way with people.”

So really, there was only waiting for her arrival. Except Kisame had never been the best with waiting.

Yuffie tensed after hearing her name. She didn't know the woman well but she knew her well enough to know what her coming would be like. "That makes it sound easy..." She paused staring at the door as if expecting people to burst through in a panicked rush.

"And I don't think we should wait too long."

Yuffie was really back at waiting too which by now Sephiroth was completely aware of. She already had begun to fidget in her seat though that might just be because of the adrenaline she still felt. It hasn't ebbed away considering the tension only seems to be rising as they sit and wait.

"No, I'm here." Sephiroth seemed to have a rather thoughtful look on his face then, as he looked toward the door. After all, he knew exactly how the woman worked, after all.

"How many people do you think will die once she gets word Kisame?"

“Everyone who is foolish enough to object to her, along with the ones behind our detainment and the attack both, of course. There may be some collateral, especially if she brings out some of her more visible techniques, but not much.”

Kisame said that with visible relish, happily imagining the reckoning Nanako would rain down on the fools behind this. But for now, he could see that restlessness, and he was about done with waiting.

“Shall we prepare for her arrival? I’m tired of talking myself.”

Yuffie rolled her head and then stretched out her arms above her head. She knew the break could only last so long. She sighed softly before glancing at the two with her.

"Alright then. What's your plan? Burst through the door?" She can't help but wonder if it's even locked. Who would try and open the door anyway? Then she thought about Nanako and decided that her train of thought was stupid.

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[Closed-ish?] It's not what it looks like

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