The New Otokage [Act 4]

The snow had stopped and the sun emerged to bathe the village in it's rays. The villagers surrounded the Otokage's building and noticed a number of large brown and white sacks and various animals repairing the building. The puzzled people then turned their attention to the building's door as three elders, the council of the village, Ryoh, who was now dressed in a purple Kage's robe, and his three allies, who were dressed in the traditional Akatsuki jackets, emerged from the building.

Ryoh approached the crowd, with his underlings following closely behind him, as one of the elders announced, "This is your new Otokage!!" The crowd remained silent as they awaited Ryoh's own words.

"People of the Sound Village," he began, "I know you are deeply hurt by the loss of your Otokage and Anbu captain, but I assure you that I will make this village prosperous. I have prepared large sums of food for each family in the brown sacks and a mass of seeds for the farmers in thee white sacks. I shall lead this village into a new era and you all shall reap the benefits," Ryoh finished as he motioned Ebirai and Zero to begin to distribute the sacks among the people. As the crowd cheered Ryoh retreated back into the building.

Hikato looked after Ryoh, and then let out a soft sigh of content. Her green eyes sparkled, and then she turned to to gaze toward the sunlight, before turning her gaze to Ebirai. She watched him interact with people for a moment before looking bored. She stood there gazing over the people, and then peered down at the ground for a moment, before a little girl wandered over to her. Hikato smiled looking at the child.

Sure the child was dirty, and banged up... But her eyes were so beautiful. She bent down now to the girl's height and out of her pocket with drew a candy. She held it toward the girl that timidly took it from her hand. The girl's face lit up brightly, "Thank you." The girl said softly, and Hikato smiled back at the girl. She patted her head and then stood up again.

She gazed around for a moment. The sound village wasn't bad looking, and with a little work it would be prosperous like Ryoh said it would.

Shouldering a sack of seeds, Ebirai sighs and starts distributing them to farmers. Why did he have to do this? If Ryoh was the kage, why couldn't he just get some other shinobi to do it? As the farmers accepted the bags with grateful faces, Ebirai gives them a small smile in return. Well, at least they'd have crops... But he'd much rather be with Hikato...

Disguised perfectly as a eagle, Natura watched the scene from a far. "Wow, Ryoh has killed the Otokage and called himself the new one. What is this guy planning?" Her eyes flew to the three around him. "And he has allies like Kyoshiro said. Is he starting an organization? Lumiero will be curious about this."

Hikato looked around now in silence, walking toward nothing in particular. She was just walking, heading down the streets. She glanced around every once in awhile seeing what state the village was in. She paused for a moment outside of the infirmary they had there. A faint smile crossed her face as she walked inside. There didn't seem to be all to many medical nin around. She looked at the nurse that eyed her with a cool look. "Hello." She said softly with a nice note in her voice.

Then she peered around, "How many staff members do you have, I'm curious?" Hikato asked now, glancing down the hall.

"Not many but we get in by with the medical staff we do have." She said, and then Hikato nodded her head. She stepped back out of the building now, leaving the nurse baffled. She rocked on her heels for a moment peering up toward the sky.

"Well he certainly picked a good place to make a base." She mused, turning her gaze to the people walking around. She paused for a moment, before continuing on her way through the village, and ending up outside of the kage building again.



Harmony herself was disguised, and she watched silently. She didn't understand what he was up to but these actions where not to be taken kindly... Her eyes closed for a moment, and then she opened them and shook her head slightly, remaining unseen and unsensed. This was bad things looked like they were getting worse by every passing moment. She frowned, but remained in the same spot. She bent her hand up ward slightly, before closing her eyes again. This was bad.

As he walks back to the pile to grab another sack, Ebirai notices that Hikato is gone. Grabbing two sacks of food, he picks up the pace, disappearing, reappearing, and placing the bags at random peoples' feet. After about two minutes of this, more than half of the sacks were distributed. "Zero can take it from here!"

Appearing in front of Ryoh, Ebirai grins. "Job's done, your super-special-Otokageness!" Disappearing again, Ebirai jumps onto the rooftop in search of his love. Spotting the crimson hair and unmistakable figure of his Hikato, Ebirai grins. She was right in front of the building! How could he have missed her? He jumps down in front of her and smiles, looking into her brilliant eyes. "Hello, Hikato!"

Hikato looked up surprised when he jumped in front of her, and then she grins. "Hi Ebirai." She says now with a nod of her head. "Have fun?" She asks with a grin on her face. She gazes up at him for a moment, before glancing toward the kage building wondering what Ryoh was going to send them off to do now. They had the village that was one positive thing that had went their way.

She turns her gaze back to Ebirai with a warm smile.

Ebirai laughs. "Fun? Of course not! I was handing out sacks! And..." Taking her in his arms, he holds her tight and looks into her eyes. "... I wanted to be with you." After a moment, he steps back a little and frowns up at the kage's building. "So, what did you think of Ryoh's bribe?"

Hikato blushed when he embraced her and then she turned her gaze to the building. "I don't know, maybe we'll get sent out to look for people... to make our group bigger or something like that." She shrugs her shoulders with a bored look on her face. She smiles at Ebirai for a moment before shifting her attention to the kage building again. "You know since there's only four of us, and he wants to rule the world, or change it that is." She says with a smile.

Zetsumei wrote:

As he walks back to the pile to grab another sack, Ebirai notices that Hikato is gone. Grabbing two sacks of food, he picks up the pace, disappearing, reappearing, and placing the bags at random peoples' feet. After about two minutes of this, more than half of the sacks were distributed. "Zero can take it from here!"

Appearing in front of Ryoh, Ebirai grins. "Job's done, your super-special-Otokageness!" Disappearing again, Ebirai jumps onto the rooftop in search of his love. Spotting the crimson hair and unmistakable figure of his Hikato, Ebirai grins. She was right in front of the building! How could he have missed her? He jumps down in front of her and smiles, looking into her brilliant eyes. "Hello, Hikato!"

Ryoh, who was startled at Ebirai's sudden appearance, jumped back a little and had a sigh of relief when he left. "Hasn't he ever ever heard knocking?" he asked himself as walked to the building's roof. When he arrived there were four Anbu there to greet him. "Do you have anything to report?"

"We haven't seen anything, but there have been rumors that the rogue Diavolo has been spotted near the border of Bird Country," reported one of Anbu.

"Thank you, gentlemen. You may go until I ask of your service again," Ryoh said with a smile as the Anbu suddenly disappeared. 'He may be scum but Diavolo is still one of the strongest shinobi out there. Hell, he could probably give me a run for my money if he wanted to. If he were to join the Akatsuki I'd be near unstoppable,' Ryoh thought to himself as he left the rooftop.

Ritz wrote:

Hikato blushed when he embraced her and then she turned her gaze to the building. "I don't know, maybe we'll get sent out to look for people... to make our group bigger or something like that." She shrugs her shoulders with a bored look on her face. She smiles at Ebirai for a moment before shifting her attention to the kage building again. "You know since there's only four of us, and he wants to rule the world, or change it that is." She says with a smile.

Ebirai blinks. "...More people?" Nodding, he grins again. If there were more members, they would finish faster, and Hikato's dream would be realized. And if her dream came true, she wouldn't have to worry about it anymore. Thus, he'd be the sole center of Hikato's attention. "More people sounds like a good idea! Hm... But... Where do we find shinobi like us?"

Ryoh wrote:

Ryoh, who was startled at Ebirai's sudden appearance, jumped back a little and had a sigh of relief when he left. "Hasn't he ever ever heard knocking?" he asked himself as walked to the building's roof. When he arrived there were four Anbu there to greet him. "Do you have anything to report?"

"We haven't seen anything, but there have been rumors that the rogue Diavolo has been spotted near the border of Bird Country," reported one of Anbu.

"Thank you, gentlemen. You may go until I ask of your service again," Ryoh said with a smile as the Anbu suddenly disappeared. 'He may be scum but Diavolo is still one of the strongest shinobi out there. Hell, he could probably give me a run for my money if he wanted to. If he were to join the Akatsuki I'd be near unstoppable,' Ryoh thought to himself as he left the rooftop.

Natura's eagle eyes perked at the sound of Diavolo's name. It would be trouble if he joined, a lot of it. Remembering the time when he at once controlled the 5 nations, bad memories resulted. They had to retreat to the Crystal Village until they could come up with a efficient plan to take them back. Flapping her wings, she makes her way through the village in search of Kyoshiro... they needed to go back to the Leaf now to report this news.

Zetsumei wrote:

Ebirai blinks. "...More people?" Nodding, he grins again. If there were more members, they would finish faster, and Hikato's dream would be realized. And if her dream came true, she wouldn't have to worry about it anymore. Thus, he'd be the sole center of Hikato's attention. "More people sounds like a good idea! Hm... But... Where do we find shinobi like us?"

Hikato smiled at Ebirai, "Where ever Ryoh sends us, we'll find them I guess." She muses, then peers toward the sky for a moment. Her green eyes hold a distant look to them before she grins at Ebirai. She wanted her dream to come true as much as he wanted it to come true for her. She peered down at the ground for a moment, before grinning. "Well let's see what our leader, and Otokage sends us out to do." She said simply.

Watching Hikato, Ebirai frowns and wonders what she was thinking about... Probably something about their mission... It meant so much to her... He would do anything to make sure it came true. Nodding at her words, Ebirai grins, takes her hand in his, and pulls her towards the building. "Come on! If we're lucky, he'll pair us together!"

Hikato looks toward the building as Ebirai drags her along. She laughs now a smile on her face, and lets him pull her. "Maybe." She says as they enter the building. Her eyes close for a moment, but she keeps her pace with Ebirai, and then grins toward him. She looks at the door in front of them, knocking on the door once and opening it.

As Hikato opened the door, Ryoh quietly told himself, "I didn't even say come in." When he saw the two enter the room Ryoh sat back in his chair and asked, "What's so important that you two had to bother me?"

Ebirai blinks. Well, that wasn't very nice... Did he not like seeing them? Looking at Hikato, he waits for her to say something. He wasn't good at talking...

Hikato raise her eyeborws, "Well Mr.Cranky." She says now with a smile on her face, "We came here to ask if you wanted us to do anything, but I guess not, since we're bothering you." She says grabbing Ebirai's hand and dragging him toward the door. >.>

Ryoh jumped out of his chair and shouted, "Wait! I didn't mean it like that." He approached the pair with a smile and told them, "Now that you ask there is something I'd like you to do. I want the two of you and Zero to search around the border of Bird Country for a man named Diavolo Mezclado, the older brother of the current Hokage. When you find him I want you to recruit him.

"Diavolo is one of the most dangerous men alive to be careful around him. Hikato, I want you to lead and you may recruit whoever else you find fit to join our group while you serach for Diavolo. I know your choice or choices won't disappoint," Ryoh finished as he stood in front of the couple.

Ebirai nods at Ryoh's request, then frowns. "Zero?" That guy didn't seem like very much fun... Then again, Diavolo did have a pretty bad reputation... Still, he could take care of Hikato, he was sure of it. He'd taken down some nasty people before. "Does Zero really have to come, too?"

Hikato frowns, "We would be efficent enough with just us, Ryoh." She says now, her eyes flicker downward for a moment, she wasn't so sure about that other nin. She didn't want to seem like she was complaining but he didn't seem to like to follow rules all that much. She stared up at Ryoh now, her usually warm eyes holding a dark look in their depths. <.<

"Zero is coming with you. Diavolo is so strong that if you have to fight him then three on one may be the only way you can guarantee a victory," Ryoh stated as he returned to his chair and sat back in it, putting his feet on his desk. "I'll remain here to look after the village of course. Come back here when you three plan to leave. Oh, I almost forgot to tell you, donn't take no for an answer from him. You WILL bring him back even if it means beating him senseless and dragging his half dead body here. Got it?"

Ebirai frowns and looks back and forth from Hikato to Ryoh. "If you're that sure... He HAS to come?" Frown deepening, he pulls his hand up in front of him, clenching and unclenching his fist as he looks back across the years. A few of the posters said 'Dead or Alive'... He'd brought them all back dead. "Eh... I'm no good at half-dead..."

Hikato grins, "But I am." She says simply, "Yes, we understand Ryoh." Hikato says simply, and then looks toward the door. "We shall leave you alone now then. We'll set out now, might as well." She says simply, and then glances at Ebirai with a crooked grin. She nds her head and leaves the room in silence.

Nodding at Ryoh again, Ebirai follow Hikato out of the room and closes the door behind them. As they walk, Ebirai leans in close and whispers in her ear. "Are we really taking him with us, Hikato?"