POWER! (Arashi)

The rebellion hadn’t been without cost. The throne room was practically a freezer at this point with sculptures of Suzume Yuki and the former Emperor surrounding the chair. Honestly, Anami liked the decorations and what they represented. She was no royalty and she wouldn’t act like she was. The throne was frozen in time with the man that held himself above the world. Disgusting. There was no room for such a weak man in this world. He didn’t have power. He only had a name and he used that to his advantage, as if that worked out well for him. Anami was a Kage. She was someone with power and would always advocate for using that power, if it made for a better world. If everyone was strong, nobody could be oppressed, right?

Anyway, with the clans free from the stereotypes of the Emperor, Anami was ready to take this world by storm. One of the ways she would do that was with the help of her strongest shinobi. So, she had called in the help of the strongest jounin they had and the leader of the Seven Swordsmen. The only man that could possibly understand her and knew her strength well. Besides, it would be nice to catch up.

Arashi walked down the hallway leading into the old throne room with a measured gait. He had been called in by the Arashikage, a WOMAN, to discuss business of state. As he exhaled, a faint plume of mist escaped his lips. The interior was rather cold, and only got colder the closer he got to the throne room. A good thing he was used to frigid temperatures with all the time he spent in the ocean's depths tempering himself. He took a moment to savor the ambient flavor of chakra in the air - the cool yet delicate taste of icefish tickled his skin, stimulating his more inhuman senses and he could feel Samehada shift slightly in it's wrappings on his back.

He'd admit to himself that working under a woman rankled him. Stung his male pride, as it were. However, Anami Kaguya had proven her strength to him time and again. Shown she was an exception to the rule. Shown she was worthy of the respect he'd afford any other warrior of equal or greater strength. She was CERTAINLY better than the last guy, what a weakling. The man didn't deserve any more thought than that.

Stepping into the throne room proper, he found his boss... Admiring the handiwork of their rebellion. The taste of icefish in the air was mixed with another flavor, one he'd come to associate with the Kaguya Clan. Sharp and crunchy. Not too dissimilar to biting into a fishbone or crab shell. Arashi walked until he stood beside the woman, letting the silence hang for a little longer as he gazed at the display of power in these once-hallowed halls. "Soooo..." Arashi drew the word out as his face split into a shark-toothed grin. "You wanted to see me? Doubt it was to stare at the gnarly ice sculptures, though."

Anami could only admire the hero of the rebellion. Suzume Yuki. A clanswoman that gave her all for the sake of their cause. A woman she could respect and a woman that she desired to make a better world for. She may never return, but hopefully, she could feel the liberation that was promised. Would she know that the village was heading for greatness? Anami could only imagine the pride she would feel in knowing this was all because of her. As Arashi entered the room, he seemed to be taking in the sight in his own way. A silence washed over the room as the two stood facing the final chapter of a weak world. When the time was right, Arashi would break the ice, joking about not being here for the art gallery ahead of them. A smile would cross Anami’s lips, as her eyes drifted between the sculptures frozen in time.

”No, I suppose not, but isn’t it refreshing? This is what the Storm should be about. The end of weakness, surrounding us. The end of oppression and cruelty. This is our freedom, Arashi. This is the weight of power, snuffing out prejudice.” Anami would sigh. Relief was written all over her face, however she would quickly clasp her hands together. ”In any case, forgive me. I get so carried away when it comes to these things. I’m sure you understand. Here, let’s move somewhere more comfortable, shall we? My office is right down the hall,” the Kaguya would wave for the swordsman to follow. She would lead him just a few doors down the hallway, but it was exponentially warmer inside.

The office was decorated in Storm memorabilia, with a large Kaguya symbol painted on the wall directly behind her desk. Amid the art of dark, stormy seas and lighthouses on the walls, there were Moriyama Clan flags on display that had been vandalized during the attack. The village would remember. ”Right, let’s begin. I would like to bring up one order of business that doesn’t make me very happy, Arashi.” Anami’s voice was soft and cheerful, yet held a tone like a pouting child would express. She would take a seat in her chair and her demeanor would take a dramatic turn. A more serious tone and expression to follow. ”I sent one of your swordsmen to the Rain Village, you know. The Blast Sword seemed like a fine weapon to get the job done quickly. We needed a station between us and the Leaf. We needed a connection to the mainland. You could understand why, right? I didn’t realize the swordsmen were so weak that they needed to demonstrate their power on innocent civilians. Children, Arashi. Now, maybe I’m just getting the wrong impression here. The swordsmen are our most powerful shinobi. They’re the strength of this country. So, there’s no reason they would need to ruin my plans and quell a population that largely isn’t capable of even fighting back, right?”

Anami would give time for this all to sink in, as she rubbed her temples. After a moment of silence, she would return to her straight posture and smile. ”Well, perhaps it was just a mistake on my part. I trusted too early and too carelessly. In any case, I’ve received word that Jinnosuke was spotted entering the Rain Village. If the Blast Sword manages to return alive, well, I assume you can.. handle.. his punishment, yes? I am being very generous this time. I would like to see that he doesn’t go rogue again.” She seemed to be making many implications, which would make her smiling appearance all the more uncanny. However, she was simply allowing her strongest shinobi the chance to demonstrate his authority to her. Certainly, he didn’t want to upset the Arashikage. There was a chance Arata didn’t return at all, which would be a win for everyone. Then, they could put this whole thing behind them.