Meeting the Mizukage (Enkou)

*several days later*

Approaching the familiar doors of the Mizukage's office, Tatsuhiro wondered again what he could be being called for. Personal meetings with the mizukage where rare, and almost always of the utmost importance, otherwise he would just be given his orders by someone lower down on the food chain. Perhaps he was going to be ordered to go after a dangerous missing nin whose treason had yet to be made public? Though, fun as hunting down a powerful enemy usually was, he hoped it wasn't the case, for once. He would really hate to have to reschedule his date with Rei, that wasn't a good way to start things off.

Mentally shrugging, he cleared away these thoughts and knocked on the door, calling out." Tatsuhiro Ohara, ANBU wolf, reporting as ordered, lord Mizukage."

Mako looked up from the book he had been reading, containing various legends from long ago. He held a puzzled expression for a moment before he remembered that he had asked Tatsuhiro to stop by. Mentally kicking himself for forgetting, he put the book down, and bid the ninja in with a simple, "Come in." There was something important he wanted to discuss with the shinobi.

Opening the door under the silent scrutiny of the masked ANBU guarding it at the moment, hawk and jackal (he couldn't remember the true names of the woman and man behind the respective masks at the moment), Tatsuhiro entered the room and gently shut the door behind him.

" You wished to speak with me, Lord?" Tatsuhiro inquired formally, his demeanor the closet it ever got to respectful and at attention he could manage, in contrast to his usual slouch.

Mako glanced up at the man entering his office. He was quite the figure, from his covered eye to the legendary sword on his back. "Yes, there is something I wanted to speak with you about, but first, sit down. You don't look very...comfortable, standing at attention like that. So please, sit." Mako said it kindly enough, but there was just a hint of an order in the words to make sure the message was contained. Mako had some serious business to discuss with the warrior, it wasn't just a relaxing chat.

"Now then...You should be old enough to remember...the Seven Shinobi Swordsmen, and what happened 15 years ago, am I correct?"

Holding in the sigh of relief he felt attempting to escape, the large man walked over and sat down in a vacant chair. "Yeah, I remember 'em, they haven't been around since that.....What was his name, Dingo, dinga?.......Ohhh, right, Dengar. Since Dengar killed most of the group 15 years ago. They disbanded completely shortly after someone or another died, leaving you the last living member." Tatsuhiro replied after some thought, the huge man having never particularly paid much attention to past events.

Mako listened to the shinobi's recount, however...incomplete, it may have been. Sighing, he leaned back in his chair, staring at the ceiling, as he always did when reminiscing. "Yeah, that's pretty much what happened. I'm the last of the previous generation, why I didn't die too, who knows. But I did." He leaned forward once more to look directly at Tatsuhiro. "You're correct, as of right now, the Swordsmen are no more. Seems people have already started to forget them..." He stood up, and walked over to the window behind his desk, and looked again at the large ninja. "But I think that it's time that they remembered. So that is why...I am bringing together the next generation of the Seven Shinobi Swordsmen. And I am offering a spot...to you."

One visible eye widening slightly in shock at this sudden offer, Tatsuhiro mulled over what this meant. For one thing, it would shoot his prestige through the roof, which might come in handy for certain things. It would also, no doubt, increase the occurrence of him getting sent on high class missions and fighting strong opponents.

His thinking done, the large man turned his one eyed gaze on his leader and replied. "I accept your offer, who will be part of the group alongside me?"

As Tatsuhiro agreed to become a member of the Swordsmen, Mako flashed a quick grin. Excellent. That made three members so far...

"As of right now, other than you and myself, Captain Konzen Miyamoto of the ANBU, as well as my assistant, Riko Suzumbachi. Both are excellent swordsmen and ninja. I have a feeling that this generation of Swordsmen will be one the likes no one has ever seen..."

He then looked over to the shinobi's giant sword. "Do you know the history of that blade, Tatsuhiro? You're quite lucky to hold it. It's quite incredible. Records show that that sword has gone back to the early days of the Mist Village, when it and the swordsmen were first formed. It might even go back farther. It's possibly the oldest sword in existence, that's still a viable weapon."

(( >> Bwha! ))


At the mention of her name, Riko looked up from her piles of sheets around her. Not uttering a word she stared at Tatsuhiro with a big grin, her blue eyes sparkling with a mischievous look. Shifting slightly, she moved silently, before jumping literally on Tatsuhiro's shoulder. Grasping his shoulder lightly she looked at Mako brightly, "Tatsuhiro!" She squealed right in his ear as she slowly got off of his back, and moved to his side looking fairly happy, before listening to Mako talk about the sword.

Blinking a couple of times as Mako informed him he would be working with and who the KA was, he opened his mouth to speak right when little Riko herself leapt onto the large man's shoulder. Very nearly jumping straight out of his chair as the little girl yelled into his near, Tatsuhiro did give a startled yell of "Riko!?"

Looking down at the smiling little girl for a moment while still listening to the Mizukage's explanation with half an ear, Tatsuhiro eventually decided what to do. Scooping the blond haired little thing up, he placed her securely in his lap and wrapped his arms around her as Mako finished.

" Really? I had no idea it was that old, never really bothered asking the guy I killed for it stuff like that, and I didn't think it worth the bother of looking up." Tatsuhiro replied with a shrug, lightly stroking the little girl in his lap's golden hair as he looked over his should at the, apparently, ancient blade strapped to his back.

Chuckling a little at his assistants entrance, Mako stopped in his story while Riku unattached herself from the large man's shoulder. Waiting patiently before responding, he began again.

"Yes, it was originally a weapon passed down through the Swordsmen, but at some point, the man who held it went rouge. Eventually he was killed, but the sword went missing for many years. It's popped up once or twice throughout history, but I believe that this is the first time it has been in the hands of a Mist ninja since its disappearance. Like I said. You should consider yourself lucky to hold it."

Riko found herself on Tatsuhrio's lap, and a smile crossed her face. Listening to Mako, she tilts her head. "Boooring." She says, but then smiles, "But much better than those papers." She says looking thoughtful, her blue eyes twinkle slightly. The young girl had a way of teasing her boss, with out being offending. The child let out a laugh now, "This means Tatsuhiro will work with us!" Riko said sounding very happy, glancing toward his sword, she grinned.

Ha, and they told it was disrespectful to loot the dead or some such garbage when I took it. Tatsuhiro mused with a smirk, thinking back on the words of the other ANBU who had been on his team at the time he obtained the blade." You get lots of interesting things by robbing slain foes, lord."

"Yep, looks like I will, Riko." He re-confirmed, glancing down at the little girl shifting about in his lap with his one visible eye, giving her a smile.

"Well, then, that's that. Glad to have you on the team. But we've got a few more members to find before we get started", he finished, glancing at the pair. "So I see you've been acquainted before now."

OOC: sorry it's so short, ill make it better when i get out of class

Riko smiled broadly, "Yeah! Tatsuhiro is my friend." She said warmly, her bright blue eyes locked on Mako's face, her eyes meeting his. she was a very direct child who would not mind keeping eye contact with someone. Shifting in Tatsuhiro's lap then girl looked toward him now. Her blue eyes held a bright look, "So this means, we're working to protect the Mizukage, lets do our best." She said wistfully, to Tatsuhiro.

" Any clue who else you will be asking to join, lord Mizukage?" Tatsuhiro inquired, the little girl in his lap already having done a good job answering his other question.

"Indeed, lets do our best," Tatsuhiro replied. Looking down at the smiling girl in his lap and stroking her hair a few times before letting his hand drop.


OOC: Sorry it took waaaaaay long, I was a bit stuck.

Mako waved a hand dismissively at Enkou's words. "Please. Don't call my Lord Mizukage. It makes me sound...old", he said, grinning. "Regular old Mizukage or Mako will be fine, thank you." He paused, thoughts going through his head. "As for other members...at this point I don't really know. SO", he exclaimed, slamming his palm on the desk, "You will be the ones to recruit other members. If you find someone good, let me know. Do you have anyone in mind at the moment?"

OOC: No prob, man. I forgot for a while too. Now we're even. >_>b

"Aw Mako! Making us do that hard work? You're lazy." Riko frowned and then listened when he asked if they had any suggestions, "None as of yet, but I haven't look, so I can't rightly say." She laughed lightly, staring at the Mizukage with an impish smile. Saying nothing she watched him carefully before squirming off Tatsuhiro's lap and landing on her feet. The small golden haired girl stretched before casting a weary look to all paper work.

" I don't have anyone that comes to mind off the top of my head, Mizukage." Tatsuhiro replied, scratching his chin thoughtfully as he mulled over the various ANBU and jounin of the village hidden in the mist.

Idly glancing about at the paperwork strewn about the office, he would have sworn that at least a couple of them where taller then little Riko." Is there always this much of a paperwork backup in here?" He inquired with a slightly bemused tone as he continued to think over possible candidates.



OOC: OMG, he posts!<_<

"Well, if you do think of something, let me know", Mako stated, before sighing at Tatsuhiro's next statement. Looking around at the massive piles of paper, he replied. "You'd think with the current peace, paperwork would slow, no? If anything, it's just gotten worse..." Getting up, he walked over to the window once more, and picked up some random papers. Holding them up, he read, "A storm off the coast, food reports, payments due, mission requests...God, sometimes I just want to drop a lake on it all.", he joked, before stacking them neatly on his desk. With a slight smile, he looked over at the man, and asked, "I wouldn't be so backed up if I had some extra help...what do you say?"

"Maaaaaakkko! Stop trying to con people into doing paper work. If you did it when it came, this mess wouldn't be here!" Riko said, with wide eyes, an impish smile on her face. She shook her head lightly, there was always an over load of paper work. But Mako usually slept instead of doing the work... Her blue eyes gleamed, but her smile was kind none the less. The girl peered up at Tatsuhiro then at the paper, and then shook her head. "And Mako those papers you're holding are finished. I did those ones this morning!" She said with a grin.