[center][b]Delivering a Message[/b]

A collab by Shadowy and Fieryfly[/center]

[hider=Summary]Chizuko delivers the message of the Raikage to Hisoka.[/hider]

Hisoka was finishing up papers, hoping that at one point the stream of things he had to go through would end. Some how it never did. More work always came. Always. But this time he had good hope that perhaps he could get an afternoon to relax a bit. Then he remembered that that wouldn't be possible today. Something else had been sceduled. The Uchiha sighed as he signed the next paper and got up to put it in one of drawers on his right. Just as he finished putting the file away an ANBU flickered in existance in his office. Slowly Hisoka straightened up and walked back to his desk. [b]"Yes?"[/b]

[b]"Lord Hokage, an ANBU from Kumogakure has arrived bearing a message from the Raikage."[/b]

Hisoka raised his brow and frowned. What did the Raikage want with him? They weren't enemies perse, but close allies would be an overstatement. He wasn't quite sure what to think of the man. Never the less he replied:[b]"Send him in,"[/b] as he sat down at his desk. 

Chizuko waited paitently, leaning up against a wall in an attempt not to look a bit tired, while one of the Konoha ANBU went to request permission for her to send her message to the Hokage. Not too long had passed which was good, before the ANBU returned and signaled for her to go inside. Pushing away from the wall, Chizuko walked forwards and stepped into the modest office of the Hokage. Seeing the man sitting at his desk, her first instinct was to kneel before him out of habit but instead she gave a short bow before retreiving the scroll from her pouch. She said nothing as she stepped towards the desk and placed the scroll down that was adressed to the man, and returned to the center of the room. She was unsure for a moment if she should stay while he read it and wait for a reply, or leave.

Accepting the scroll Hisoka immediately opened it. For a moment his eyes went over the ANBU, female clearly, but besides that there was not much he could tell. Which was, of course, the whole point of the organization. He wondered if she knew what was in the message. Probably not, or at least not everything. Then his eyes dropped to the piece of paper. As the moved along the words his gaze hardened and when he finished it he was silent for a moment. He rolled the scroll back in and placed it before him. 

[b]"I see."[/b] He finally said. [b]"Is the Raikage expecting a direct reply of me?"[/b]

Chizuko had barely caught the change on his expression, and her curiosity regarding the contents of the letter spiked. Though she knew the reasoning as to why it needed to be sent, she was unaware of what was actually written down. When he spoke to her, it took her a moment to answer since her mind had wandered slightly. 

[b]"I was ordered to return as soon as possible, with or without a reply. If you would like to prepare a message in response, I will give it to him."[/b] she said simply, and then nothing more.

Hisoka's fingers played with the scroll. [b]"I will have to think about this. Return to the Raikage with the message that I will reply after some... careful consideration of the events. I take it he will understand that."[/b] He paused and his gaze shifted to the window. The content of the message was grave and he would have to discuss with the Meisa. Suddenly he looked back to the ANBU. [b]"Will he?"[/b] He questioned the ANBU, adding it to his previous sentence. He didn't know much of the Raikage and he found that problematic. The last time a masked man had been sitting on that seat he had been taken over by someone who had nearly killed his friend, not to mention the previous Raikage. He didn't like masked people so much anymore after that. He leaned back in his chair. [b]"What kind of man is he?"[/b] He asked, hoping that the ANBU might tell him a bit more. 

Upon the Hokage's sudden inquiery about the type of man Takeru was, she found herself growing a bit uncomfortable, shifting her weight from one leg to the other. She had to answer this professionally and not sound like some sort of secret admirer, and she also had to sound honest. She would not be believable if she stated it like it was something read off a slip of paper. So, she took her time thinking of the proper way to answer. After a minute or so, she began to speak.

[b]"I believe he is a man that can be trusted even if his intentions about some things come off as one-sided. Of course he would not rush you into replying, since he seems to appreciate the opinions of others..."[/b] she trailed off, hesitating for a moment. [b]"I think he is a good leader who does not throw his weight around uselessly in attempts to become more powerful than others. He treats myself and my fellow ANBU with respect, and has a bit of kindness hidden in him as well."[/b] She reached over with on hand to scratch her arm a bit and she smiled, though the man wouldn't see it. [b]"But of course, I am biased a bit. I have worked under and along side him for many years. I have grown to look past his flaws and admire his virtues."[/b] Chizuko stopped speaking there, hoping the answer was adequate enough for the man.

Hisoka nodded along with her words. Trust, respect, kindness, valuing the opinions of others. Kind of an expected answer, the definition of a, so called, perfect leader. No ANBU would talk down his or her own leader. That would be silly. However, then she continued speaking and Hisoka's eyebrow raised slightly. She had worked alongside him, meaning on the same level. That was interesting. [b]"Does it bother you?"[/b] He then asked. [b]"That he is wearing a mask? That someone who should be the face of the village is shielding himself away?"[/b] 

[b]"I wonder if you ask this because you are curious, or because of your expirence with the last masked Raikage... 'Would the look on my face make a difference as to how I would lead the villiage...? Would it add anything valuable other than just a face being recognized as the leader...?' That is what he said to me when I asked him if he could trust me with knowing his face. The truth is that I didn't believe it would add such a value, and I told it him it was his actions that I cared about the most."[/b] she shook her head then. [b]"So no, it does not bother me."[/b] When she had finished speaking, Chizuko wondered if maybe she was being too open with this man... But, this wouldn't be the first time she felt oddly comfortable with a complete stranger. Perhaps it was because she sensed no form of hostility towards her, that she stayed and spoke with him so freely.

[b]"A bit of both you could say."[/b] Hisoka replied. He wasn't quite sure, but he believed that she was implying that she had seen his face, meaning she knew who he was. Had he shown his face to more people, to more ANBU or was she somehow special? He mulled over those thoughts. And if she was special then why was she? What kind of connection did this ANBU have with the Raikge besides being a subordinate? [b]"Sometimes a village needs a face to love."[/b] He said to not make the silence too long. [b]"A face they can admire. But I guess that what you say is true. Actions will matter more then a face to determine who is a good leader. Thank you for your reply. He sounds like an interesting man."[/b] He tapped on the scroll. It was clear that he considered the audience to be over. 

Chizuko nodded once when the Hokage was done speaking. [b]"I suppose he's interesting enough. You seem to be quite interesting yourself."[/b] Though she got the hint that the conversation was over, she felt she had one more thing on her mind she needed to say. [b]"This may seem a bit odd... but for the record, you have a beautiful villiage. If the circumstances present themselves to where I can come back to visit on a vacation or something, I would jump at the oppourtunity."[/b] She gave a short bow then. [b]"Well, I'll be off."[/b] Turning on her heels, Chizuko would walk back towards the door where her two escort ANBU would likely be waiting on the other side.

She found Konoha beautiful. Hisoka smiled at that though it held something painful. It had taken a lot to make this village as it was today and to have someone from another village acknowledge that was good. Konoha was beautiful. It was now and hopefully it would be for a long time. Hisoka refrained from thinking forever. Nothing lasted forever after all. [b]"Thank you."[/b] He said only, not answering or inviting her to visit again like she suggested herself. Without speaking he watched her go and his attention was drawn back to the scroll. He sighed and realized that the option to squeeze in a couple of hours of relaxing had now effectively been crossed out. No, this was going to be a day of decisions now.