[fieldbox=The Third Clan Meeting - part 1]
The Empire of Akino,
Vindex - the capital of the Tokugawa clan land, in the Fire province.
A collab between:
Chromehound, Fieryfly, Roran Hawkins, Conman, Zane, Gerontis, Lesli, Nim, Jason and Alice.
Summary:
A clan meeting was organised and held in the manor of Leo Tokugawa, the leader of the Tokugawa clan. It was a meeting that saw some development occuring with the clans of the Empire as various small clans made their debute on the political atmosphere of the realm. While some of the interactions didn't go that smoothly, it was in overal a success.
[spoili]
It hadn't been the far away from Konohagakure, but the ride towards Vindex was one that Kiyomi had enjoyed. While a carriage had been prepared with the Sworn Swords as escort and retinue, Kiyomi had insisted that she would ride on her own instead of just being stuck in a carriage. It had led to a brief, light discussion between her and Katashi, but the latter reculantly accepted the idea. It resulted into an almost spontanous parade of Kiyomi riding through the streets of Konohagakure on top of Shozo the pony. From there it had taken almost a week to reach Vindex as the pace was set rather calm, something that made Kiyomi only happier. The fact she was riding outside and being out of Konohagakure gave the sensation that she was more free, able to breath again. Arriving the perimeter of Vindex Kiyomi was coerced to take place in the carriage. This was so that Katashi and his Sworn Sword could lead them faster to the manor of Lord Tokugawa, or so was his argument that made Kiyomi agree with the plan.
From within the carriage she was able to catch glimpse of the city. It was much different from Konohagakure or Magnhild. Curious she wondered if it was possible to explore and spend some time in the city before heading back to Konohagakure. It wasn't as if she expected that Lord Tokugawa would object to it. Riding through the city, the entourage of the empress caught quite some attention. Making Kiyomi only more eager to see what she could learn and experience from the locals as she had to look from within the carriage. For a moment she wondered where the Agnarr Hons were. It was most possible that Lord Tokugawa had prepared everything and made certain that every arriving leader wouldn't have much trouble or being held up for too long in his city.
Finally arriving at the manor the door of the carriage was opened by Iroh. The man nodded towards Kiyomi as he stepped aside. Getting up from her seat Kiyomi threw a quick look around as she stepped out of the carriage. Though it was called a manor, it was much larger than she had anticipated. A small smile dawned on her lips.
As soon as her carriage had arrived the front doors would be opened up and out walked Leo with a smile on his face as a few geared up people followed him out to greet her grace. He would give the grace his open and closed fist bow while the geared fellows would bow themselves before her. One a bit shorter than the others would step forward and would remove her helmet tucking it under her left arm as she held out her right arm. "Mikoto Hon Agnarr your grace. It's good to meet you." She spoke in Chonobi already excluding Leo from the talk who simple laughed at being left out. Mikoto however was rather plain. Black hair and blue eyes and a scar under her left eye.
Spotting Leo Tokugawa and the welcome party, Kiyomi made a small and graceful bow towards the clan leader. However, a person - shorter than the others - moved forward and removed her helmet. For a moment Kiyomi wondered why and for what purpose. Remaining calm and patient, the teen learned who the person was. It took a mere split second before she realised who was standing in front of her. A glint appeared in her eyes as the smile on Kiyomi's lips grew. Kiyomi's eyes were locked on those of Mikoto as her hand moved forward. Grabbing the wrist of Mikoto firmly, Kiyomi replied back in Chonobi. "It is, Mikoto Hon Agnarr. Have heard some good things about you from Lord Tokugawa," Kiyomi replied back, briefly throwing a glance at Leo Tokugawa before back at Mikoto. The smile turned into a grin before the teen spoke up again. "Am wondering how much of it is true, though."
Once the Chonobi kept going he stood there amsued letting Mikoto meet an idol of hers, little did he know though Kiyomi was basically calling out his Megalodon. Mikoto gave a tight squeeze to Kiyomi's wrist and was a bit surprised when the young woman laid out a challenge to her pretty much. She would also grin and would chuckle. "You are more than willing to find out, if you aren't scared that is your grace." Mikoto replied back continuing to keep her attention locked on Kiyomi, to which Leo would look at the other Agnarr guards looking a bit worried.
Kiyomi's eyes narrowed, clearly amused and eager to see what this woman was made off. Feeling the tight squeeze she wouldn't just budge underneath the strength of the woman or the fact that a challenge had been made. Before she could reply, Iroh would click with his tongue. His steel grey eyes settled on Mikoto, but the signal was meant for Kiyomi. Who understood more than enough what Iroh meant. "I suppose that I will see if I have some time after more pressing matters," Kiyomi said, releasing Mikoto's wrist. She ignored the slight aching at her own wrist and was glad that the long sleeves of her outfit wouldn't reveal the likely coloured spot from Mikoto's firm grip. Turning towards Leo Tokugawa, Kiyomi inclined her head towards the clan leader. "Good day, Lord Tokugawa. Glad to have arrived at Vindex. The city is prettier than you described or what I have heard of others," the teen friendly brought up as she folded her hands in front of her.
Hearing the click her gaze meet Iroh's to which she stared at him for a bit before releasing her grip as well, giving a affirmative nod to Kiyomi as she placed her helmet back on her, allowing Leo to finally speak with her grace. Leo's smile would brighten a bit at the positive words of Kiyomi. "Why thank you your grace. I hope your travels were pleasant. I will lead you to the meeting room." Leo said turning back towards the manor and walking inside the building as the Agnarr guards including Mikoto would follow behind him.
On the inside was a well kept house. Not a speck of dirt, and it was well decorated. As Leo continued to lead them, a small figure would come out of a room slowly. The figure being a wolf that was graying, he would nudge up beside Leo who gave the wolf a scratch behind the ear. "Oh this is Silver your grace. Not a Dire wolf, yet he tries to act like it the stubborn old guy." Leo said as the Wolf would yawn and follow the group upstairs and into the meeting room. "I hope no less than twenty clan leaders show up, I don't have enough space at the table for more than that. Feel free to pick whatever seat you want your grace." Leo spoke as he would whisper to Mikoto to grab something, to which she nodded and would leave the room. The inside of the room was also decorated rather well, with painting of past conquests, some plants to liven up the place and a nice outdoor balcony to get some fresh air.
Following Leo and the Agnarr guards into the manor, Kiyomi was followed closely by her own Sworn Sword. Kiyomi was wondering for a moment how old this place was. She had studied a bit of the Tokugawa history. It had proven to be quite interesting. They had been slaves to some former clan. A clan that wasn't really known for good reasons, as the Tokugawa had likely made it happen that nobody would learn of their existence. Questions regarding the story which explained the rise of the Tokugawa clan were at the ready but Kiyomi decided against to ask them now. Following Leo further, the clan leader introduced her to a wolf. A bit surprised, Kiyomi eyed the old canine. It made her wonder of how much influence the Agnarr had on the Tokugawa or vice versa. Perhaps with the long relation between the two, it had created a mixture of traditions and habits being used by both? Once in the meeting room Kiyomi threw a look at the table. She wondered if it would be large enough, but she wasn't sure how many leaders or representatives of clans would be present.
"Thanks, Lord Tokugawa," Kiyomi replied back as she decided to head towards the head of the table. "We will just have to see who will come and attend before we will worry too much over space," Kiyomi further added as she took place to the right side of the head of the table. While she outranked Leo, it wasn't her home. While Kiyomi took her seat, the Sworn Swords would disperse in the room, taking their positions with Katashi standing behind Kiyomi's chair.
"Well if more show up than planned, I can have seats brought in for them. They just won't be able to sit at the table." Leo said as he dismissed his guards to be ready to escort other clan leaders should they want it. He would watch Kiyomi not take the head seat but the one right of it. Most likely out of respect for the meeting being held in Vindex, she was truly a strong considerate person. Smiling inside he would take his seat at the ehad right next to her grace, while Silver would curl up by his feet. "If you need anything your grace all you need to do is ask." Leo told her while Mikoto would walk back into the room and take her place behind Leo.
A smile crawled on Kiyomi's lips, "For now I am fine, Lord Tokugawa, thank you." She would cross her legs over each other and place her hands on her lap. It was just now waiting for the others to arrive. It made Kiyomi consider who would arrive first and who would wind up without a direct seat at the table. For a moment she pondered what would happen if a leader or representative of a prominent clan wouldn't get a seat at the table. Considering it all together, Kiyomi decided that if it would become an issue she would deal with it later.
Entering the hall, The young man that currently led what remained of the Senju felt nothing but admiration to the way everything appeared in this compound. Gakuro glanced around briefly as he approached the table and then took a deep bow in front of Kiyomi "It is good to be in your presence once more, your majesty." He said, stayed in the bow for a couple more moments before raising and then turn to look at Leo "I am delighted to be in your clan lands, Lord Tokugawa. They appear incredible and give the most amazing feeling of prosperity and unity." He said, giving him a bow as well before going to take the seat on Leo's left side, across from Kiyomi. He couldn't help but keep admiring the hall he was in, somewhat enchanted by it.
The door would be opened as Zakito would step into the room. Some sounds behind him resonated as his own personal guard and another familiar Hon were just exchanging some words with the present Agnarr guards outside the room. Making a deep bow towards Kiyomi, Zakito would follow with a much shorter one towards both Leo Tokugawa and Gakuro Senju. A part of Zakito hadn't expected Gakuro to be present, but he wasn't really bothered by it. As he would head towards the seat next to Kiyomi, another person entered the hall. A small grin present on his face, Kenta, scanned the room. The paintings and decorations were something that Kenta clearly could appreciate. More so because he could recognise of what some of the paintings depicted. Unlike Zakito, the old man would just offer a bow towards Kiyomi. Lord Tokugawa would receive a nod and Gakuro Senju a friendly smile being flashed. Taking a place next to Zakito, Kenta would rub his hands briefly together as he flashed a sideways glance at the young empress. "Ah, I am looking forward to the beverage we might get at this meeting. You know," Kenta began as Zakito crossed his arms and leaned a bit back to allow the two to speak better, "I have heard that some of the best Bloody Victory is stored in this city. The finest, sweetest and best of flavour," the grin on Kenta's lips widened. Zakito threw a sideways glance at the old man. While it hadn't been necessary for Kenta to come along, it would be useful. When he would travel back towards to Konohagakure, Kenta would be able to head towards Magnhild and share what happened at today's meeting. He just wondered if no representative or lord would question Kenta's place at the table. Knowing how the old man could get, Zakito released a soft sigh. Just as he had imagined that it would become silent again, Kenta spoke up.
"Ah, also we shouldn't forget," the man began in Chonobi, "The 'gift' that was brought from Magnhild and Ecla. For her grace," Kenta said as he winked towards the present teen. "How is the lad, Hiron doing?" Kenta continued on a casual tone, still speaking in their culture's language.
The former heir of the Ueno branch stepped inside the richly decorated hall with an indifferent yet respectful bearing, passing the Hon men locked in coversation outside the door. Once inside he spotted three individuals seated in a neat row near the head of the table and he immediately recognised each of them, as was expected of him by Lady Masami. Another pair of guests had entered right before him. The taller man was easily recognisable as the former Third Hokage with his trademark white hair, but he could not place a name on the second one. He stepped inside and closed the door behind him and joined the Third towards the table, patiently awaiting his turn to speak. The old man next to the Third seemed a bit out of place at best, speaking of local drinks as if having a conversation at a bar, but that was none of Souma's concerns. The old man then began speaking in the odd language he knew to be Chonobi to the empress, and he reasoned that he must know both the Third and the empress intimately. He waited patiently until it was his turn to present himself.
The door would be opened. A slender man entered the room, his hands folded in front of his stomach. Calmly taking in the room as Teng noticed that somebody else was standing silently in front of the table, the Cho would wait. Overhearing what was being said in Chonobi, Teng glanced in the direction. Most people were easy to recognise as he had little trouble to know who the old man was. Interesting enough, Zakito was also present. Making Teng wonder what brought Kenta over. Not that he was against it. The old man had an interesting reputation. But as Teng waited, he noticed that the other man was still waiting. Deciding to not wait until the other would find his tongue, Teng would take a step forwards, passing the unknown man. Making a bow towards Kiyomi, Teng spoke in Chonobi. "Your grace, it is once more a honour," he would then shift towards Kenta and Zakito, "Same counts for you two lords," Teng would then flash a smile towards Leo and Gakuro. Bowing for Leo and Gakuro seperatly, he would phrase that he was glad to arrive in such a grand place. Afterwards he would take place next to Gakuro Senju.
Entering the large manor, Elena on his arm, Jora admired the building. It was elegant, but not outlandishly so. Feeling a slight tug, he turned to his wife, smiled and continued moving. They could view the sights later, but for now it would be best to not be late. They entered a large room, clearly designed to be where they were meeting, and Jora felt Elena stiffen slightly at the sight of several important leaders already present. At any other point, he might have cracked a joke about her nerves, but it did not feel appropriate for such a formal event. Instead, the Hyuzu leader gave her hand a reassuring squeeze, offered a smile and led her towards the table. Jora noticed a few faces that he did not recognize from the previous meetings, including one such person who remained standing near the end of the table. Wondering for a moment if they should also wait, Jora decided against it and proceeded on. They stopped in front of the current clan heads and both Jora and Elena bowed. "It is good to see you again Empress Homura," he said warmly. Turning towards Zakito and Kenta, he nodded his head. "And you both, as well." Taking a moment before they would move to their seats, Jora smiled politely and nodded towards their host. "Thank you for having us, Lord Tokugawa, your lands are quite beautiful." With that said, he patted Elena's hand and took a seat beside Kenta, with Elena sitting beside him.
With a confident stride another person entered the room. Perhaps she wasn't one of the most renowned or leader of a great clan, Tsuru Yamanaka held her head up high. The travel towards Vindex hadn't proven no trouble, even though the woman had been rather cautious with the decision to head over to the meeting. Certainly with the latest developments that had caught her ears. Spotting various familiar and unknown faces, Tsuru would begin with a deep bow towards Kiyomi. "Your grace," Tsuru said with a soft and pleasant voice, turning towards the other leaders and representatives that already had taken a seat. Making a bow towards them as well, Tsuru would then proceed to take a seat next to Elena. Placing her hands, folded, on her lap, Tsuru wondered briefly where Shikamura Nara was. Hopefully, he and the Akimichi wouldn't be too late to claim a place near her. What further more was noticed by Tsuru was the absence of the Hanta and Uchiha leaders. Perhaps both clans still remembered the war brought upon them by the Tokugawa?
Not long after Tsuru Yamanaka entered and took her seat, would Shikamura Nara step inside the room. His pace was slow, deliberate. It gave the Nara a chance to survey the room and the people in it. Shikamura always found it interesting to see how people gathered, the people they chose to sit beside said a lot about them. If he had more time, Shikamura would enjoy simply watching, learning. As it were, however, he moved to the table, bowing towards the Empress and offering a polite nod towards the other present leaders and representatives. Taking his seat beside Tsuru, Shimakura smiled towards her. "It is good to see you here Lady Tsuru." he said in Yakimara. "Let us hope this meeting goes well." Taking a moment to look at the empty seats, Shikamura wondered who would be next to arrive.
It wouldn't take long for the next visitor to enter the room, accomponied by what seemed to be a servant. A calm expression was plastered on the face of the young woman, who represented the Tamiyo family, who governed the River province. The crest of her family clear in sight, woven into the right sleeve of her garb. Entering the room, Haruka held her head up high as her eyes tried to quickly take in who all were present. Her hands remained folded in front of her stomach as she would bow deep towards Kiyomi, to then continue with a small bow towards each of the present people. "Lord Tokugawa," the young woman began, "I am honoured to be in your lands and halls. To phrase the gratitude of my family, I wish to bestow you with a gift. My father hopes that you will accept it," the woman nodded subtly as the man next to her would turn around and gesture to behind them. As a few more men would come in, carrying a dark oak chair that was lavishly decorated with silver and gold, Haruka continued to speak. "May you rule for many years within the comfort of this gift, Lord Tokugawa," Haruka said as she made another bow towards the clan leader. Her attention then turned to Kiyomi as the few men would put the chair where Leo Tokugawa would deem it fitting. "Your grace, my father has also high hopes that you will find his gift worthy. It will be something I hope to give once this meeting is over but word has reached my father that you have taken a liking to travel on horseback." That having said, she flashed a friendly smile, bowing deep towards Kiyomi before taking a place next to Teng Cho.
Kiyomi would respond with just inclining her head and flashing a smile to most greetings. Spotting Kenta being present and taking a seat was something Kiyomi hadn't expected but she couldn't state that it was undesired by her. The man began talking, causing it to be impossible for Kiyomi to hide a smile as she listened to the man. "A gift?" Kiyomi replied curiously in Chonobi, wondering what was brought from Magnhild and Ecla. Not much chance was given to indulge further into it as more people arrived into the room. One man entered and seemed to patiently waiting for his chance to speak, but was so passive that others passed by. Seeing she didn't recognise the man, Kiyomi assumed that he was perhaps a bit new to it all? Was one of the most plaussible reasons she could come with at the moment. Most once more received a simple nod and smile back. Jora and Elena, however, gained a very different greeting. "Lord and Lady Hyuzu," Kiyomi said, "It is good to see you both fairing in good health as well." With the arrival of Tsuru Yamanaka and Shikamura Nara entering, Kiyomi wouldn't nod and just smile, but reply in Yakimara to the two clan leaders. "Lady Yamanaka, Lord Nara, it warms my heart to see you both in good health." It wasn't perhaps said in the most fluid form but Kiyomi did pride herself a bit with the advances she was making in mastering the different language.
The arrival of a young woman made Kiyomi ponder. She had seen this woman somewhere before but couldn't just remember from what or where. Then as she began speaking to Leo Tokugawa, Kiyomi managed to remember it. This was the young woman Koike had given a necklace to. As she further spoke, Kiyomi found herself somewhat amused. This was the daughter of the Tamiyo head, who was the current governor of the River province, if not mistaken. "Lady Tamiyo," Kiyomi began, not hiding that she was pleasantly surprised by the words of Haruka, "I am looking forward to receive your father's gift. Your father or his sources aren't mistaken that I do enjoy traveling on horseback."
As Kiyomi replied to Haruka, a Sarutobi entered the room. Dressed properly in the design of his culture, Ling instantly focused his gaze on Kiyomi. Waiting for the empress to finish as the lady she had been speaking to would sit, Ling would offer a deep bow towards Kiyomi. "Your majesty, it is as always both a pleasure and a honor," Ling said with a soft voice. As he straightened his back and would greet the other present people, Kiyomi noticed that the man had changed. A bit of pity would drift up, but wouldn't be shown, as she assumed that Ling's loss of Shizu was still something he was struggling with. Shizu had, after all, been in his care. The Sarutobi would take a seat next to Haruka Tamiyo, his hands folding together on the table.
The first to show would be Gakuro who gave Leo a rather nice compliment which was returned with a polite thanks, then the Hons showed up which he could tell brought a smile to Mikoto's face at the arrival of the two. With Kenta wondering about the drink known as Bloody Victory. A few words between Mikoto was exchanged which caused him to smile, as more and more leaders and representatives showed up. So far it looked like most of the seats would be filled up, which caused some worry but that would be something he would address if such a thing surfaced. What did honestly surprise him was the Tamiyo representative Haruka, brought him a gift. A rather impressive looking chair, although the style made it appear like a throne. "Why thank you very much Lady Tamiyo, its a very considerate gesture." He said offering her a smile as he stood up, which prompted Mikoto to move his chair out of the way as the new chair took his place. He would take a seat in it and give a smile. "It's very comfortable." He told her as the Sarutobi representative now showed himself. A fine man from what he knew, yet here he was doing his duty despite his loss. He was a fine man indeed.
The doors would open again yet instead of clan leaders or representatives, a few of his servants would enter the room, one carrying a tray with several bottles of red liquid, the other carried a tray of cups. The one young male servant would start pouring out drinks of the red crimson drink known as Bloody Victory, with the first one being given to Kiyomi and the second one to Kenta. Then the drinks were distrubted until everyone currently in the room would have a glass in front of them. "Feel free to drink as much as you want everyone, however I do recommend not drinking too much during the meeting."
Shozo Uchiha made sure that he halted on the doorstep and surveyed the room before crossing this boundary. Most of them had already arived, which made sense. Shozo had lingered with his entourage. His guards. His clan members who had been allowed to travel long with him to the Tokugawa lands. There were enough excuses to give to the members of the Tokugawa clan who sought to lead him inside to keep him out of their walls for a few minutes longer. A talk between him and his closest guards, some things that needed to be unloaded. Tiny things. Just enough so that Shozo could have a decent look around. Discretely of course. Despite the fact that the Empire was one now and all the clans had sworn fealty to the Empress, this was still enemy land and Shozo would not forget that. He was very keenly aware where the alliances of this land laid and knew it was not in his favour at all to be here today. But there hadn't been another option.
But now he was inside and looked at the babbling going on. The corners of his mouth curved down at the interaction before suddenly walking forwards, halting next to Souma Ueno, his eyes on the Empress. To his side the older Hon was babbling in that little petty language of theirs. Despite the fact that the Hon clan now ruled over Konoha and the rest of the land, this language of theirs, Chonobi, was still as closed off as ever. A fact Shozo found rather incomprehensable. If the Empress could speak two languages why weren't the people allowed the same two? More like Yakimara which was openly spoken by whoever wanted. Having only a few be allowed to speak this hideous language made it look elitist and as if they had something to hide. Not to mention, speaking it in public like this was just rude and offending. Shozo remained silent.
Lady Tamiyo had just presented the Tokugawa leader with a chair. A nice enough gift. Shozo cleared his throat. "Your Grace, Lord Tokugawa, allow me to introduce Souma Ueno," he said calmly to finally allow the Nimatsu representative to be relieved of his position placed upon him by the Empress. "If my estimations are correct he will speak for the Nimatsu today." He made a curt bow, and then turned, his dark cloak with the symbol of the Uchiha clan on the back as was tradition flowing behind him. With a quick gesture towards Souma he urged the other man to follow him to the left side of the table which had remained mostly empty. Beckoning Ueno to go first, Shozo would offer the man the seat next to Ling, before sitting down himself next to Ueno.
Chu Omari entered the room quitely. His clan had done their best to suite him with newish clothes, the elders having spent much of their time on sewing his new outfit to meet with the other clan heads and representatives. The clothes had not come without a cost though, and it made Chu's head ache to think of how much the fine material that the clothing was made from cost. Then there was Chu, who looked out of place and uncomfortable in his clothes and finery, as if he was far more used to casual wear. He made his way to the appropriate distance to the Empress and the host of this meeting, and bowed deeply. His voice was low but conveyed greatfullness as he spoke. "It is an honor to be included in these talks your grace. My thanks to you and the gracious host of this meeting for allowing me to join ." As he finished speaking, he straightened up out of the bow, waited for the response from the Empress before turning and walking to the opposite end of the left hand side of the table to a vacant seat, where he sat down carefully. It felt quite awkward, sitting in the room with some of the most powerful clan heads in the Empire. It also left Chu to wonder just why it was he was here though.
Standing on the doorstep for a brief moment, Makoto Hanta took a moment to survey the room he was about to enter. Seeing most of the others present at the meeting, he was still ill at ease. Despite the Empire being one and all that, these lands still felt much like enemy territory to the Hanta. On top of being in enemy territory, he wasn't allowed to bring his personal guards into the building. Something that he could understand, but did nothing to put him at ease. Making his way into the room, Makoto paused when an appropiate distance from the Empress and the Tokugawa. Giving a polite bow, Makoto spoke in calm tone. "It is an honor, your grace. Lord Tokugawa." He said, before turning and heading to take a seat near Shozo Uchiha. Only, some youth was sitting next to the Uchiha, and one that Makoto couldn't quite place at that. Taking a seat on the other side of the boy, Makoto watched him for a few moments before deciding to introduce himself. More out of curiosity for who this boy was representing than anything else. "I'm afraid I've not had the honor of meeting you before, I am Makoto Hanta. Might I ask who you are?" He said, keeping a polite and conversational tone towards the other. He'd heard about how easy it could be set some of these youths off...
Pausing for a moment, just outside the doors, Ferra Arkos adjusted the sleeve of her frustratingly fancy outfit. Blasted thing was incredibly impractical. How was someone supposed to fight in clothing like this? Clenching her jaw to resist the urge to grumble, she tried to place a smile on her face before entering the room. Stepping into the large room, Ferra resisted the urge to stare around at everything. The whole place seemed quite ornate and, while she was sure it was probably quite beautiful, she had never really been one for overly lavish decorations. Simple was more her style. Ferra still wasn't too happy that her clan had picked her as their representative for this meeting. They wanted someone recognizable. The famed Godai champion from Ame. Blegh... She could understand them wanting to make a good display at their first meeting with the more powerful clans, but this really wasn't her element. Put her on a Godai court or a battlefield and she could hold her own just fine, but here... Pushing the thoughts from her mind, Ferra strode forwards, putting up an air of confidence, while simultaneously trying not to trip on the hem of her dress. Stupid thing... Approaching the edge of the table, she made note of the faces. Almost all of them were incredibly alien to her. She recognized the Empress of course, from the pictures she had seen. And Chu... it was odd seeing the boy here. For a moment, Ferra wondered if he was as out of place as she was.
Presenting herself before the Empress, Ferra bowed deeply. It was nice to see a woman in power for once. While Kiyomi appeared quite young, Ferra did not find that problematic. So far, from what she had heard, the young Empress was more than capable of taking care of herself. The perfect example of someone whom others would make the mistake of underestimating. Rising from her bow, Ferra spoke, her tone respectful. "It is a pleasure to be here today. My people thank you for inviting us." Nodding politely to the others in attendance, Ferra, narrowed her eyes slightly. It appeared that many of the seats had been taken and there was an even number of people on either side. She hesitated for a moment, unsure which side to pick. Deciding to sit on the side with more females, Ferra moved over to sit beside Shikamura who offered her a friendly smile and nod. Returning the nod, Ferra noticed that everyone had a cup that was filled with some sort of red liquid. Wondering if she was late, she silently cursed herself and focused on flattening out her dress.
Hearing the Empress address Tsuru and himself in Yakimara, Shikamura beamed and turned back to her. "You continue to surprise, Your Grace. Your mastery over our language is most impressive." The Nara responded in Yakimara before nodding and turning to face the rest of the table once more.
As the drinks were served and she was the first, Kiyomi phrased thanks as she also inclined her head towards Leo Tokugawa before raising her drink slightly towards the man. She made sure to take a small sip. Letting the flavour run over her tongue, she felt a chill running over her shoulders down towards her back. While this wasn't the first time that she had enjoyed the beverage, she was aware that she shouldn't drink too much. It would probably damage the good reputation, she thought sarcastically to herself as she put her drink down. Noticing a newcomer into the room, Kiyomi didn't reveal any emotion over her facial feature. She had honestly expected Shozo Uchiha to send somebody else to represent him in this meeting. Something she would understand and to a degree respect. The manor of Leo Tokugawa wasn't probably a place that was on Shozo's bucketlist to visit. That was, if the man even had any place other than Konohagakure he wanted to visit. With Shozo speaking up and announcing another man, Kiyomi's eyes settled on the representative of the Nimatsu. She had never heard of this Ueno. For a moment the teen was about to inquire why somebody as Masami Nimatsu hadn't came to the meeting, but she decided against it. There were more pressing matters than trying to learn why somebody else was send. Of some line or origin she never had heard off. "I bid both you and Souma Ueno welcome to this meeting," Kiyomi replied back in a friendly manner. She shot a sideways look at Zakito but nothing more than a quick glance was given. Raising her glass once more the teen gently made the liquid in the glass move by slowly and gently moving the glass. Then a person entered the room. With her sharp eyes and skill in reading body language, she tried to read the newcomer. Which wasn't working, because she wasn't known with many factors that could lead to a good conclusion.
Spotting the marking that were probably the crest of his clan, Kiyomi wanted to lean back and request softly if Katashi was aware who this person was. Before she could do that another person entered the room.
This time, the arrival of the following person caused Kiyomi to find herself slightly surprised. Also happy when she noticed who would represent the Hanta. Makoto wasn't probably happy with being in the hall of the Tokugawa, yet here was. Instead of a nod and flashing a smile, the features of the teen shifted into more serious. "It is good to see you, Lord Hanta. Hope the journey was one without any bother," the empress replied back, flashing afterwards a warm smile. Perhaps this could be a small step in order to see the Tokugawa and Hanta forgive what happened in the past? She could only hope for now and see what her influence could do to make it happen in the future. Shifting her attention for a moment, she barely missed a newcomer into the room. One that wasn't once more not a familiar face. Flashing a smile, Kiyomi nodded to the newcomer. Perhaps she should request their names later? As more people came into the room, representating their clan or dynasty, Shikamura Nara spoke in Yakimara.
"Why thank you, Lord Nara," Kiyomi replied back, unable to hide a smile by the compliment, in Yakimara, "I must say that I had some help from a very talented teacher. I do hope that I am able to speak it better in the near future." While she wasn't certain if she was truly able to agree with the Nara, it seemed that speaking in Yakimara to the lord and lady of the Nara and Yamanaka clan had its desired effect. With the room being quite filled, Kiyomi would clear her throat twice to demand both the attention and people to grow silent.
"First," Kiyomi began on a friendly tone, "Allow me to welcome you all to this clan meeting. It brings me joy to see both familiar as unknown faces. With Lord Tokugawa being so kind to allow me to host this meeting in his manor, I wish to thank him once more for his acception of letting this happen here." Flashing a smile as she threw a look sideways at the lord of the Tokugawa, Kiyomi raised her glass slightly upwards. "Furthermore, I like to bring a small toast to those who are perhaps new to this all. Welcome!"
That having said the teen would take a sip, expecting that others would follow her. Lowering the glass she would lean forward, her elbows on the table as her eyes would shift over the people being present. "Now, I think it is time that we start the meeting. As before, I have considered and thought of various topics I wish to discuss with you. My first topic is," the tone of the teen started to shift. It wasn't anymore friendly and just polite. It became stern and neutral, losing most of its warmth. "Is the safety of the realm." Letting the words sink in, Kiyomi's eyebrows would be raised slightly before she continued. "Everybody is aware of some events and.. developments that have occured. Lately our realm has been dealing with what have been nicked as Zealots. Thanks to the effort of the national military, most of the activities have been combat and countered. Lord Hon and Commander can attest himself on how difficult this task has been," Kiyomi said, gesturing to the man at her side, "But I have been thinking." Her gaze settling on Shozo for a moment.
"What kind of measurements can be taken to fully neutralise this threat? What can be expected from local forces to deal with the Zealots and any that dares to ally with them?" The questions were followed as Kiyomi would only halt to take a breath. Her gaze would shift further once more. "My question is thus simple, my lords and ladies. What will your clan will do to safeguard the safety of the Empire? For do know that the Zealots won't make any difference between us. From those who we captured, we already learned a good deal of their plans and connections. So," leaning backwards Kiyomi flashed a smile, "Unless you all just wish to hear what I consider proper actions, I am curious to hear what you all have to say."
Zakito had remained silent. He had just waited and watched, listening to what was being said. His right eye scanned everybody that entered the hall and he was glad to see some familiar faces. Next to him, Kenta was partly silent. The old man grumbled, quite happily, when he was the second to receive a drink. Recognising the gesture Kenta raised the drink towards Leo Tokugawa for a moment, phrasing his thanks in Chonobi before taking a sip. The beverage was certainly appreciated, if one had to judge it from the facial features of Kenta, as the old man leaned back in his seat. With the arrival of Shozo Uchiha, Zakito settled his attention on the leader of the Uchiha. There was something that Zakito disliked more about the man than he had done before. Knowing it was all because of his current situation with Hisoka, Zakito tried his best to put himself past the frustration and irritation that seemed to come out of nowhere. Only it was a bit hard as next to him, Kenta mumbled something in Chonobi. "Seems that the 'boy' has gained a new toy. How... dull." Zakito decided to not say anything, as a soft sigh escaped his lips. Soon enough Kiyomi and Shikamura exchanged some words. It caught Zakito's attention as he hadn't been aware that Kiyomi had practised Yakimara. There was somebody on his mind on who could have helped the young empress with that, slightly brightening his mood.
As Kiyomi began the meeting and the first topic, the mood of Zakito became less positive. He would listen, but didn't like it. When the teen was done, he was about to say something, only for somebody else to rise up and speak. "Your grace, I would like to answer," Haruka started. She had a serious expression on her face as she continued to talk. "The threat of the Zealots is one that me and the River province have been dealing with. We are not strangers, dealing with people who are both hostile and zealous in approach. A relative of Lord Hon saw to the end of one hostile faction in the River province. If it would please her grace, I would like to suggest that my family will increase their aid to the crown to see these 'Zealots' pay for their crimes against the realm." Once done Haruka would sit down. Zakito eyed the young woman briefly, before he would decide to wait for a second. Announcing his support didn't feel that right. He was already working, almost day and night, to do his best to combat the Zealots on all fronts. Instead, the man would say something else.
"Any extra support than the taxes and military forces that are required to be given to the Empire as the laws of the land dictate are more than welcome," the Hon began, "However, before you all decide to offer more support and try to combat the Zealots directly, allow me to advise you something." Letting a second of silence follow his words, Zakito would speak up again. "They aren't going to fall for simple traps. Their goal is to learn and study most of our ways. Not only what our strengths and weaknesses are, but who and what we are. If you all wish to prevent them from probing and hurting those who you hold dear, my advise is quite simple. Stop any petty quarrel and let us try to act as an united nation. If we stand as one, I seriously doubt if the Zealots will grow successful. If we won't? Then I fear more people will get hurt or go missing than already have."
As Chu sat at the table, he watched an older man enter, one who was giving him a funny look, and one that wasn't something that uncommon, even with the Empress. It was a look of confusion and a look of grasping for knowledge. The latter was usually for them trying to figure out who he was, or at least that was his assumption. The older man took a seat next to him, before shooting a look at him as if he was conflicted. Chu watched the man carefully out of the corner of his eye before the man started speaking, at which Chu politely turned to face him, speaking in an equally formal and polite tone to reply to his question of just who Chu was. "Apologies, my name is Chu Omari, leader of the Omari clan. It is nice to meet you." Chu offered a friendly tone with the last sentence, before turning to look back at the rest of the room quickly. As he did so he spotted Ferra, looking just as awkward as Chu felt. Of course, something did rise to his mind that Ferra told him as she bowed before the Empress. It made him more curious, and he filed away the information for further use in the future. However, seeing Ferra suddenly made him more curious as to who else he might know in the room, and as he gazed around he realized just who it was he was sitting next to, and suddenly Chu felt a little more uncomfortable. The Uchiha, a name that even his clan in their relative isolation knew about.
His thoughts were cut short as the Empress spoke up. She offered a small toast to all those who were new to the meeting, and at that Chu realized he had been served a drink and he hastily picked it up to follow suite. He had little time to think about it before he drank a small amount of the liquid within the cup, and then the bitter taste rolled through his mouth combined with the sweetness as well, and Chu decided ultimately that he'd rather not have a second taste, and fought the urge to cough as he swallowed the drink. As he finished controlling his need to cough the Empress moved on, speaking of the zealots and the damage they were doing, before passing on to ask just what the clans could do to help against them. Chu listened to a reply from another woman, one that he did not recognize, speaking of how her family would want to increase the support they provided to the crown. The second person to rise was also unrecogonized by Chu, and he spoke of how they ought to be careful in how they combat the zealots if they choose to do so, for the safety of their kin and friends. Chu found himself with a heavy burden, their was not much the Omari could offer the Empire, they had few members of age to join the military and fewer gold, all they had was swords and the crops they grew, nor of course did they engage in any quarrels or feuds with any of these other clans. It was doubtful they even knew the Omari existed. Then it struck Chu, and he rose after Zakito finished speaking. "Apologies, I am Chu Omari of the Omari clan for those who do not know me. Your grace, the Omari have no warriors nor do we have gold outside of our usual requirements to offer to the Empire. What we do have is smiths though, and crops too. If it would please your grace, the Omari would offer their support in the form of smiths for arming the Empire's army and crops for feeding them." When he was done Chu sat down once again, lapsing into silence and awaiting replies from the others around the table and from the Empress herself.
More people would enter the room which started getting to the max limit, he made sure to return the raised glass gesture to both Kiyomi and Kenta as they took their first sip of the drink. Yet one arrival surprised him the most. Lord Hanta decided to show up which cause Leo to smile and give him a polite nod at his greeting. "Welcome to my home Lord Hanta, if you need anything, all you need to do is ask." He said with a polite smile as he stared at a now full table. He heard some Chonobi words from Kenta, which he obviously didn't understand but Mikoto sure did who didn't hide her amused look and the laugh that followed it. "Guess we went a bit overboard afterall." She spoke in Chonobi knowing most would never know what she said besides the Chonobi culture that is. As the room became filled and voices would sound throughout the room, Kiyomi would clear her throat to silence the room and start the meeting off. Starting with a toast to which he held his drink up for taking a sip for the toast, then she addressed the first problem, insurgents and zealots. He had reports of them, not many but enough to know that they were a threat to everyone.
The first to speak would be Lady Tamiyo, who offered her aid to the crown to help combat the Zealots. A strong response, and as soon as she was done Lord Hon would then speak speaking that whatever they could provide was more than welcome, yet what they truly needed was to be united with each other than against. The enemy was praying for those kind of situations and he agreed one hundred percent with the Lord, yet when the Omari leader spoke up, he seemed to be misunderstanding what was said by Zakito. So when the boy was done speaking, the one to rise next would be himself. "The point behind Lord Hon's words Lord Omari, wasn't needing certain possesions. What is needed is for us to aid one another when needed, and not have doubts about our allies when it's clear who the enemy is." He started looking at all the leaders that were present. "Resources I doubt are a problem, trust among each other is though, and so with that I agree with you Lord Hon. To all that are here, you have my aid should you need it." Finished speaking he would sit back down in his seat and let anyone else speak.
As Kiyomi purposed the toast, Gakuro briefly looked at the drink before taking a sip out of it. It was the first time he got a chance to taste the interesting drink, but as he put the drink back down on the table in front of him, the Empress addressed the first topic at hand. How can each clan safeguard the safety of the empire. As he thought about what remains of the clan could do, he listened to what the others had to say. Unity, support in resources and aid of any kind. He mostly found himself agreeing with Zakito's words "Out of everything that has been said so far, I believe Lord Hon has offered the best solution. Any quarrels we have between the empire's clan, any discomforts, need to be set aside as we need to work together against this sort of threat. While I do not have much to offer in terms of letting go of issues with other clans, as thankfully I do not have any with all of you, I am willing to offer myself and the Senju hall as a middle ground to put away any issues between clans." He said, looking at everyone around the table as best as he could "And while I say this right now, with the present danger that lies around, I want you all to know that this offer will stay open long after the threat has been dealt it." He finished speaking and glanced around briefly once more, waiting to see if anyone would take him up on his offer.
Souma had nodded at Shozo appreciatively when he remarked upon the growing situation and solved it, although the part of him that was a boisterous 23-year old grumbled that he didn't need any patronizing. Regardless, after a polite bow to the empress he found himself a seat next to the Uchiha clan head. He sat in silence, observing the heads of the empire's clans chatter amongst themselves until Kiyomi silenced them. She spoke of a common threat in the zealots, who made no difference between Hyuuga, Uchiha, Hon or any other clan. She asked them what they would each do to combat this threat. The question amused him. Essentially she was attempting to recruit the clans to sacrifice their resources to fight this insurrection. The clans, some of which had been very reluctant at the idea of an empire to begin with, would now squander their resources solvings its problems even though they already paid taxes and troops for the ever-growing imperial armies. A genius plan, but also an admission of weakness of a sort. He had to admit that the zealots were a common foe. Even the Nimatsu's mountanous valleys had felt their taint, and he had personally led a raid against a suspected hideout not even a week before. He felt a bitter taste in his mouth when he heard clanhead after clanhead commit their full support. But he swallowed it away as was expected of him.
He listened on in silence, burying his personal feelings with duty as he'd learned to do until Zakito said that ensuring their unity was paramount. To end squabbles and rivalries, to promote trust amongst the clans. Trust, Souma felt necessary to add in the privacy of his skull, that was so blatantly displayed when half of the Hon and affiliated clans present felt the need to converse amonst eachother in their closely-guarded language so noone could understand a word of what they said. Once the man he knew to be Gakuro Senju was done speaking, Souma inclined his head to compliment his speech. That was well-spoken.
"The Nimatsu will do what is necessary." He said on a neutral tone.
Tsuru smiled as the person who got to sit next to her was Shikamura Nara. "It is good to see you here as well, Lord Nara," Tsuru replied in Yakimara, the friendly tone being genuine. "I have a certain feeling it might become quite interesting," the smile shifted, but the woman wouldn't say more. She was certain that the Nara knew her well enough to get a good hint. Then as the Empress spoke in Yakimara towards Shikamura Nara and her, Tsuru found herself a bit surprised. Much like the Nara, the woman was quite happy with hearing the ruler speaking Yakimara. More representatives and leaders came into the room. It would seem as if Tsuru was patiently waiting for the meeting to start. But it was quite the opposite. Without betraying herself in her body language, the woman was at work to pay close attention to various people in the room. The light blue eyes briefly followed Shozo Uchiha as he had announced the representative of the Nimatsu clan. Softly the woman clicked with her tongue as she closed her eyes and lowered her head.
A soft whisper inside the mind of two people would spin sentences, revealing the thoughts of some people in the room. Just before Kiyomi would speak up, Tsuru was done with relaying the information. Her eyes were focused on the young empress, looking as if she was focusing on what only Kiyomi said. She, however, continued to probe and silently dig in the minds of her targets. There was little doubt that anybody would catch her. Those times had existed but how long had that been? Almost two decades, she thought to herself.
"Pathethic," the woman thought to herself, "So the Kusanagi was perhaps right. Talking about a disappointment." Briefly the eyes of Tsuru settled on one of the Sworn Swords, who had laid his gaze on her. The stare 'contest' between the two endured for a short moment before Tsuru focused her gaze back on Kiyomi. Raising her glass for the toast, Tsuru would take a small sip of the drink. The strong flavour was certainly 'interesting'. Yet, she prefered something milder than the beverage provided by Lord Tokugawa. The first topic of the meeting was brought by the Empress to them, regarding the threat of the Zealots. Not much of a surprise for Tsuru, the representative of the Tamiyo dynasty spoke up. Tsuru wondered briefly how the young woman would fare in this meeting. As the meeting continued, Tsuru shot a look towards Souma Ueno. "The Yamanaka will do what her grace will require of them," Tsuru said as she turned her head towards Kiyomi, flashing a smile, "I am certain that I can provide some people with specific abilities that will be quite useful in combating this threat."
He had been quiet, just watching and listening. Paying mind to not indulge too much into thoughts, Teng couldn't help to release a brief chuckle on hearing the words of Kenta. It was because of the man's personality why Teng could appreciate his presence in meetings like this. With the meeting progressing, Teng patiently waited until he could speak. If there was one thing he was certain off was that it wouldn't come to any surprise that the Cho would be eager to help the empress. It was just the method of how they would do it that he kept away in his answer. "Her grace and the empire can count on the Cho being open to provide assistance in whatever manner it is required. If anything," his gaze went to Chu Omari, "I am certain that my clan would be even willing to reach out to clans and regions across the empire."
Haruka sat down. She listened to the lord Hon, realising that she had taken it perhaps a bit wrong in approach. Not that she didn't mean her words, but she understood as agreed with what he had said. Listening to the others, who spoke, Haruka remained silent for a moment. The moment Teng Cho was done, her lips parted to voice a question that had came up. "Mister Ueno," Haruka's tone was light and polite, "May I inquire on how the Nimatsu clan will aid the Empire?" Letting the question be followed by a moment of silence, a friendly smile would dawn on her lips. "I am not that much aware of the Nimatsu clan, but from what I understood isn't Lady Nimatsu married with a native from the Wind Country? Or did we miss the wedding?" The young woman asked, nothing in either in her tone or attitude. Meanwhile, there were some manovelent thoughts spinning in the young woman's head. If anything, she was well aware of what she could and couldn't do in a meeting like this. Nor did it really improve the situation. At least, not for the Nimatsu she figured if people remembered what the Wind Country had caused to the majority of the western side of the Empire.
Right across from Haruka, Kenta's eyes widened slightly. He had been rather content with following the meeting. There were some questions and pondering going in the mind of Kenta, mainly about how well others would be able to take Bloody Victory. Considering himself an expert of the respective beverage, Kenta's thoughts came to an abrupt halt. His gaze moved from Haruka slowly to Souma. The corner of the man's lips curved down. He wasn't really a fan of the Nimatsu. Not because of the past conflict or anything regarding to what happened around that time. It was just like some other people, Kenta didn't like them for other reasons. But this was seriously out of the line. First confusion dawned on the man as he tried to reason why the Nimatsu would even do something that treacherous. Then the confusion would be swept away by anger, slowly rising as a menacing beast. His eyes narrowed as his lips were about to part. But before he would be able to say something, he noticed something to his side. Crossing his arms, the old man would remain silent.
"The Sarutobi are proud to be loyal, to her Grace. She can fully count on my people to do their best to aid to wipe out the zealots," Ling said as he would place his right fist at this chest. The man had been silent and somebody not familiar with the man would perhaps consider him to be distant, pondering over other matters. The fact that the man said the words right after Haruka had asked her question, wasn't just a coincidence. Ling had paid close attention. It was anticipated that the meeting could be divided into groups or factions, depending on how fancy you wanted to get. What, however, happened was that everybody would either have to deny to cooperate with the suggestion of Zakito or try to find a way to phrase their way around it. Declining to help the Empire in the manner of how Zakito put it would be risking to see yourself and your clan fall in grace, appearing as mere traitors. Then something happened that Ling hadn't been able to anticipate. The representative of the Tamiyo dynasty spoke up, asking something from Souma Ueno. For a moment, he had forgotten all about that it made perfect sense for the young woman to bring that up. The face bearing some scars turned to look the side. He sat right next to Souma, which made it quite easy to also raise his voice and bring up a question - as his eyebrows would rise slightly. "Most interesting. I forgot to congrulate Lady Nimatsu," the man tilted his head slightly, "Must be such interesting on how that came to be. Being engaged to a native of the Wind country." Ling spoke in a calm and collected manner. His own emotions and thoughts regarding this 'bond' between the Nimatsu and the Wind country would be likely something not a lot of people would appreciate.
Certainly not the people in this room. Ling then leaned forward, his gaze towards Shozo. "Lord Uchiha, were you aware of this wedding?" A friendly smile crossed Ling's lips. "I am certain that it would be nice to have some cake now, don't you agree? We could celebrate it right now."
Hearing the responses of the other clan representatives and leaders, Gakuro nodded lightly, until Haruka spoke. Upon hearing about the mention of Lady Nimatsu's marriage to a resident of the Wind country, he turned to look in the direction of the Nimatsu representative. He gazed at Souma the best he could, the words of Ling passing by him but not being heard. Feeling greatly conflicted at first, Gakuro took a deep breath and closed his eyes before opening and focusing them on Kiyomi.
"There are several of us here who suffered greatly from what the Wind country caused us during the great war. I was personally abducted by the Wind country in a successful attempt to lure my mother out and take her out, which they managed to do, and it was due to them that I watched her die in front of my eyes." He said in a neutral tone "However," He turned his gaze towards Haruka "This does not mean we immediately need to judge an entire clan from the actions of a single member, even if she is a high ranking one. In this case, I believe it would be more appropriate to not point accusing fingers, despite how horrid the action may seem, and instead consider alternate routes. If it is Lady Nimatsu who done the deed, who said the clan accepted it? It is very possible that it is only due to her high position in the clan that she decided she can perform such an act. We should consider that perhaps the problem is her directly, instead of the entire clan. Until we hear anything different, I suggest we stop pointing fingers at each other. We just begun talking about the fact we need to unite, and this is doing just the opposite." Gakuro finished speaking, bringing his sight back to Kiyomi. While he kept a neutral face, inside he kept thinking about what his mother would think about what he said, as she was always the type to fight her way through things to show she was right.
Kiyomi listened to the exchanges, taking another small sip from the Blood Victory in her glass. It was as always interesting to see the various people that representated as led their clans interact. The first to speak was the Tamiyo. Her words made Kiyomi smile by a bit, nodding towards the young woman. The response of Zakito, however, was what Kiyomi had hoped for. While some didn't seem to understand it, it seemed that Leo Tokugawa was kind enough to explain it to the likes of Chu Omari. As the representative of the Nimatsu clan spoke, Kiyomi's facial features remained calm and collected. Taking another sip of the beverage, she decided that it was her last sip. Slightly the eybrows of Kiyomi were raised as the meeting took another turn.
The telepathic message from Lady Yamanaka was much appreciated. The arrangement she had made with the woman was paying off now and for a moment Kiyomi wondered how many languages all of them knew or were trying to master. For a moment anger started to boil up as she learned that others were judging the fact that some people decided to speak in another language before the meeting had started. Her eyes shifted for a moment at Shozo, shifting towards Souma and then following to others. She knew four languages so far. How many did they know? Realising all too well she was getting herself worked up, Kiyomi focused on her breathing. Calming herself, without letting a crack appear in her mask, Kiyomi continued to listen. It wasn't much of a surprise to hear the question from lady Tamiyo aimed at mister Ueno. Even Kiyomi was more than quite eager to get an answer, preferably from Lady Nimatsu. A loud sigh would suddenly interrupt the meeting, coming from Kiyomi.
Leaning forward with her elbow on the table and her hands folded, Kiyomi flashed a warm smile. "My uncle is a wise man. I think that I don't need to stress that out. Unity," the sole word rolled out of Kiyomi's mouth, sounding almost pleasant, "Is what we need to achieve. However, it is naive to think that it will be something achieved without some old wounds being ripped open. Before stating she was accusing or need to be lectured," the jade coloured eyes shifted towards Gakuro, turning slightly darker, "She asked a question. From what I understood, no accussations were made, Lord Senju. No need to make things worse," Kiyomi's smile grew for a moment as she would turn to Souma Ueno. "I am much interested to learn more what is behind the reason that Lady Nimatsu decided to wed somebody who's origin will cause a lot of... stress and anger. Seeing that Lord Senju was so kind," Kiyomi briefly gestured to the man, "I will be honest with all of you. There can be no trust if there is no honesty, agreed? I have my own reasons to distrust the Wind country. I have lost a very good friend suddenly as a native from that nation had decided to murder a member of the Hokage Guard, Sakamoto Senju. Not only that, he did that in front of his daughter. Or perhaps I should state that Sakamoto's sister was also murdered by the same man? Where Lord Senju is correct in that we can't judge a country on the actions of a few, I believe that caution is required when dealing with the Wind country. Certainly seeing that most of us don't have a pleasant experience with them. So yes," Kiyomi nodded towards Haruka, "If Lady Tamiyo did have any ill-will in her questions, I can understand perfectly where they came from. Even though it sounded as mere curiousity from Lady Tamiyo. So unless we can't prove they were with any ill-intention, no need to act differently."
Kiyomi let a silence endure for a moment after her words. "But," her smile came back as she once more gestured to the leader of the Senju, "I am certain that Lord Senju would be quite happy to receive Lady Tamiyo and the native from the Wind country in his hall! I do think that we can't linger more on that point. So please," she leaned back while gesturing to the people, "Shall we continue? Without falling back on what already has been said. We have quite a lot to discuss today, so if any of you wishes to pick up the previous questions and points, then we will see when we will do so."
The meeting was off to an interesting enough start, that much was assured. The Hanta remained silent, and kept a calm expression throughout the proceedings. His beverage remained untouched after the toast, not that anything was wrong with it. Makoto had simply fallen away from drinks in his older years. Looking towards Zakito as he spoke about needing a unified front against the Zealots, Makoto raised an eyebrow slightly as he turned his attention towards the Tokugawa sitting at the end of the table. Likely the distrust between their clans would fall under what Zakito meant by petty quarrels. Closing his eye for a long moment, the man thought that perhaps Hekima had been right. Perhaps it was time to try and move past some of the quarrels of the past. Opening his eye once more, the old man had resolved to speak but found another standing to speak, and as such remained silent. The Tamiyo Dyansty's represenitive stood to speak once more, and Makoto wondered if she would provide something else interesting to the meeting.
Interesting was one way to put the events that quickly followed after her words. Despite what seemed to be said, Makoto felt as if he detected a slight accusation in her words. He first turned his gaze to watch the Nimatsu respresentative, seeing how they would react. Though his attention was quickly stolen by the Senju in the room, and the subsequent reveal of information by Kiyomi. The man couldn't help but wonder exactly how the Senju had to be feeling at the moment. After a few moments of silence, Makoto rose for his turn to speak. "The Hanta have always believed there to be a certain strength in being unified. Trust in one another is a valuable asset. We would be honored to do as her grace would require of us, and provide aid to any here who should find themselves in need." The man said, before he sat down and watched the Tokugawa in particular. He couldn't help but wonder if indeed it was time to move past their little feud.
Relieved when one of the servants brought her a drink, Ferra stared at the dark red liquid. She raised the glass, spinning it ever so slightly in her hands. Inhaling the aroma, Ferra nodded to herself. It was a pleasant smell, one with complicated undertones. Clearly the product of a fine winemaker. Lowering the glass ever so slightly as the meeting started in full, Ferra listened to the young Empress speak. Her tone and manner belied her age and Ferra found herself pleasantly surprised. As Kiyomi raised her glass for a toast, Ferra followed suit, taking a large sip... gulp... of the rich wine. Pulling the glass from her lips, she smiled. It was rather tasty. Glancing around the room, Ferra noticed that most others had set their drinks down and they had begun taking turns to speak. Reluctantly setting her own glass down, she listened closely as the other leaders responded to the topic established by the Empress. Despite the guidance of the Lord Commander, it appeared that several still did not fully understand what had been asked. Ferra watched as Chu spoke, listening to what her student offered. It made her think for a long moment before she heard the same younger lady from before stand up and respond to the Nimatsu representative. While Ferra did not know many of these representatives, nor did she know the history of some of the smaller clans, she could sense the friction that had grown in the large room. Amused, she realized that this might not be as boring as she'd initially thought. Raising the glass to her lips, Ferra downed the remainder of the delicious liquid, using it to stop herself from smiling at an inappropriate time.
Setting it down, she threw a look towards one of the servants and then glanced back down to her now empty glass, hoping they got the hint. The Empress spoke up once more, putting and end, if only temporarily, to the growing tension. Ferra found herself growing even more impressed with the young ruler. Seemed the girl was more than capable of carrying her own in the political battlefield. From the air of confidence that surrounded Kiyomi, Ferra wondered just how well the girl could hold her own in a real fight. Very well, she imagined, and for a moment a thought tempted Ferra, piquing her competitive curiosity. Shaking the thought aside, at least for the moment, she realized that another representative had spoken. Turning her attention back to the rest of the room, just as the Hanta representative finished speaking, Ferra nodded slowly. Movement at her side caught her gaze and Ferra smiled warmly at the sight of her glass being refilled by one of the servants. "Thank you," she said politely. Taking a sip, Ferra turned back and decided now was as good a time as any to speak up. "My name is Ferra Arkos. I do not doubt that my clan may be unfamiliar to most, if not all of you. We are not a large clan by any means, nor are we particularly prestigious." Taking a moment, she made an effort to look at each representative in turn. "In my village, we have seen full well what these... zealots are capable of. The fear that they can spread and the dissension that they sew. The Lord Commander and the Empress are very correct in stating that a united front is the best chance we stand to stop this threat. I, for one, do not pretend to know what they are capable of. I do not know how large their force is, nor can I pretend to know what they are after. All that I know is that this threat is unlike any I have seen before."
Taking a breath, and another sip of the delectable drink, Ferra continued. "I know that there is some distance between Konoha and Amegakure. And I know that there may be some friction between our two villages. For what it is worth, however, the Arkos clan will stand behind the Empire, behind the Empress. We wish to improve relations with the clans from Konohagakure. Clans that we may previously have had no contact with. I hope that this meeting might serve as a starting point for those relations." Nodding slightly to indicate that she was finished, Ferra took another sip from the glass, lowering it to the table. She noticed the slightest tremble in her hand as she set the glass down. It seemed, after all this time, that nerves could still get to her. Public speaking really hadn't ever been her forte.
Shozo Uchiha, to all outward appearances, seemed absent in his attention to the conversation sparking up around him. As if he was distracted by other thoughts occupying him. Though his mind followed the chatter, his eyes hadn't moved to all of the speakers. The usual stuff was there, the usual glances. He had lived with it many years and it had long since stopped to faze him. Absentmindedly he took a sip of the provided drink. It was strong, he would give the Tokugawa leader that. He could appreciate a strong drink even if the taste wasn't much to his liking. He felt the whole point that was raised by the Commander, unity and cohesions to stand together before an enemy from outside, was moot. If they didn't already know his answer by now, then they honestly didn't know him at all. Shozo Uchiha would always stand for Konoha and if that meant standing at the side of the Hon at some point in history then so be it. As long as the city survived allying one's enemy for a short period of time didn't faze him, though it may not be entirely to his liking.
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