A talk between Hon's.
Preparing the future host.
A collab between Sketcher and Gerontis.
Tatsuya has been called and escorted by two chuunins from his team meeting for an urgent meeting with the Jounin commander about something very important.
Sitting behind his desk, Zakito was nearly done with this paperwork. Most of it were to instruct the harsher kind of training in the out and border posts of the Fire Union. Thinking back of the meeting he had today, Zakito had already a few young people in mind for the selection of the future host of the Kyuubi. Of course, reading a profile was neccessary. It was however also necessary in his opinion to talk and see how each person was. Not that he would start about the Kyuubi's host until he was certain that they would be certain that they could use the person for it. Which was the biggest problem, cause they would need something of the said person to be sure that they would be a good candidate.
The young Hon had received some strange news. The leader of the clan had asked for his presence. It was the second day of the three day cycle so he could definitely afford not going to the... usual place, though it still bothered him. Of course, the boy felt an empty pride for being called by the clan leader but it was still strange. Walking beside the two chuunin, the boy looked up towards them, trying to read their expressions but before he knew it, they'd arrived. He found himself standing across Zakito's desk, a calm expression on his face. Although he kept his composure, he wasn't able to formally announce his presence with a string of meaningful sounds...
Lost in his work, Zakito had barely noticed that the boy was already standing in the Jounin commander office. Until one of the chuunin cleared his throat. Looking up, Zakito noticed the three and chuckled. ''Ah, good day. I apologize! I was very busy.'' The chuunin were dismissed by a simple gesture of Zakito's hand. While they walked and closed the door behind them, Zakito took the moment to quickly examine Tatsuya. ''Tatsuya Hon, am I right? Please, take a seat. Want something to drink? Something to eat?'' Zakito friendly offered.
The boy gulped and nodded to confirm Zakito's suspicions about the boy's identity. "N...No thank you, sir," he said, sitting down like he was suggested to. He looked up towards the strangely friendly commander with a face void of any expression to give away his thoughts. His eyes lowered slightly, subtly glancing at the desk to see if there was any clue there as to the reason he was summoned.
''Okay. Mind if I ask you if I am scaring you?'' He asked, still with the polite and friendly tone. Zakito leaned back in his seat as he folded his hands together on the table. Already he wasn't sure if this boy would be a good host for the Nine Tails. His profile mentioned he was decent graduated genin. He had the right age of becoming a jinchuriki, but if he was too timid then it would only mean suicide for the boy.
Shaking his head slowly and hesitantly as if confused by the question. "Er... No, sir?" he said. He continued looking at Zakito for a moment before wiping the confused look off his face and replacing it with a faint smile. He let some air flow into his mouth as if ready to say something but didn't speak. The boy figured the reason he was asked to come would be revealed soon and he didn't want to come off as disrespectful or impatient.
''Good. I wouldn't like doing that. But now that I know I don't do that, I wish to have a friendly conversation with you.'' Zakito started. He seemed to be both genuinely curious as friendly. ''And please, don't see me as either the Jounin commander nor the clan leader of the Hon's now. Just a curious person that has several questions for you. I am kind of asking several graduated genins these questions to find out if the genins of this year are any different to several years before.'' Zakito paused briefly. ''Mind if I ask you the questions?''
"Of course not, sir," the boy said. Several... The boy fixated on the word, thinking hard on it, frowning for a split-second. He shook the expression off and looked at Zakito curiously, a smile on his lips like before. The boy hoped he could ask some questions back if his curiosity wasn't satiated. ''Good!'' Zakito more cheerfully said. He already would ask the first question. ''I would like to hear about what you know about the Will of Fire, if you seriously don't mind me asking.'' He said, already picking up a pencil and a notepad to note down the answers of Tatsuya.
The boy nodded, somewhat disappointed in the question. Maybe this is about the Academy's education system. "It's the ideology that suggests 'love'," he said, pausing and emphasizing on the strange word before continuing. "is the key to attaining peace. Mutual understanding," he repeated the words taught to them. He despised repeating things he was told to think, though he knew he shouldn't express a thought like that here and now.
''Very good. Nice answer. Better than what I have heard before.'' Zakito chuckled as he would then ask the second answer. ''Do you believe in the Will of Fire though? I know for a fact that Hon's who have grown and been raised outside of Konoha don't really believe in it. Not that they don't act according to the term, but they just call it differently.'' He both asked and reasoned why he asked the question.
"I... I think believing everyone can just get along peacefully is disregarding the rules of nature," he said. "Temporary peace can always be attained but wars will eventually break out. The best we can do is try to keep our generation peaceful. Though peace ends as well, so do times of war and conflict. It's a cycle that most people think to be evil but it's just how nature functions. And not just for humans. Nature needs to eliminate the weak to let new species and people flourish."
''Ah.'' Zakito first replied as he noted something down. While he wrote, he didn't react to what Tatsuya said. Of course he had his own view on it and wouldn't mind a discssusion about it, but that wasn't why he had summoned the boy. Nor did they have the time to discuss about it. ''Well answered. Now I know you have both an own opinion as knowing well what the Will of Fire entitles. May I ask you what your idol is?'' He asked, looking up.
The question seemed to catch the boy off guard, his eyes slightly widening. "Um..." That's oddly specific... "Kiyomi-san from the common branch," he said, almost mumbling it. There was a brief silence as Zakito tilted his head to the right. ''Aaaaah, now I see. Ah yes. Kiyomi!'' Zakito chuckled as he raised his free hand and shook his head. ''Sorry, I am still a bit living in the past. I was a bit confused you called her from the common branch. There is still some kind of problem that she has been adopted into the Royal Middle Branch, but she is indeed from the Common branch. But that is just some silly thing.'' After he noted something down, Zakito asked a question which would be easy to predict. ''May I ask why her?''
"Because she was somewhat relatable," he said, keeping his eyes locked on the edge of the desk. Of course there was more to it but that one sentence summarized the basics of the concept. He wondered why Zakito would ask something like this. He said he was talking to "several" students though it made no sense for him to ask these questions to every graduate from the new year.
''That is good to know.'' Zakito said, which made him look like he was trying to think about the next question. ''What is your future goal?'' He then asked, readying the pencil to write down other notes about Tatsuya's answer. The boy gave the man a befuddled look. "I... I don't have one, sir," he said, gulping. "I mean... I'm 11..."
''Hahahahaha, don't worry! Remember, these questions are global. While you might have not yet set a goal or thought of one, somebody else may have. I can remember for example a certain eleven year old who wished to become Hokage one day.'' Zakito chuckled, cause it was quite funny. That eleven year old was now the idol of the person he was asking questions to. ''But lets move on to the next question. May I ask what you think about your time at the Academy?''
He opened his mouth as if to speak but words didn't leave it. "Um..." He looked down thoughtfully. After a moment's thought, he looked up at Zakito to answer. "It was... nice... I made many friends there," he said, hoping this would be a satisfactory answer. He didn't know what kind of an answer Zakito was expecting. ''That is very nice. I am glad for you.'' Zakito noted down something as he then placed the pencil down. ''I have asked enough questions and hope that I haven't asked anything that caused any discomfort. In return, you may ask me several questions back if you wish to do so.''
Upon hearing the terms Zakito had set, a smile appeared on his face. "If I may be so bold to doubt what you said earlier, sir... If I remember correctly you said you were calling for several students from this year to see if we were taught any better than the previous graduates, but the questions you asked weren't really about anything related to that subject," pausing, thinking about what he was saying, the boy shook his head quickly. "Ah... I didn't mean to be disrespectful."
''I don't see why it is disrespectful to ask me a question like that, pup.'' Zakito replied, though he sounded a bit amused. Though he had indeed asked general questions, it was clear that the boy had some good wits. Those before hadn't been able to notice that detail before. ''It is actually a little detail to see if somebody is paying enough attention or thinks about what is being told to them or asked. After all, words are deemed as a weapon by many shinobi.''
Tatsuya's eyes opened wider. He looked at Zakito with anticipation and curiosity. The boy had no idea what that meant. If he wasn't there for the reason Zakito had said he was for, he couldn't think of a different reason. ''So, any other question you wish to ask me?'' Zakito asked, still sounding amused. He had noticed the expression of the boy, but he knew his orders.
"Er.... Yes. If that isn't the reason, sir, what is?" he said after hearing no questionless answer from Zakito. This was getting more and more curious for the boy. ''To simply test some genins. You see, we need to make sure that we know if some genins are really able to be shinobi. It isn't these days just about brute power or anything like that. There is always a certain percentage that is send back to the Academy for failing the test of their first jounin sensei. That makes me want to test from time to time genins with these questions. I do have to admit,'' Zakito sighed as he looked at the notes he had written down. ''In the past there were a lot more young people who expressed to become Hokage. I don't know why, but that always made me kind of happy.''
"Oh, I see," he said, smiling. "I think it's because people look up to the Hokage, sir. It's just a title that everyone respects. I'd love to be someone people look up to when I grow up, of course, but even if I got the chance to become the Hokage, I wouldn't want so much responsibility." His answer made Zakito laugh out loud. Not one where he would give Tatsuya the idea he was laughing at the boy. It was his answer. After managing to regain his calm state again, Zakito answered back. ''Sorry, but that reminds me too much of myself. I got to agree actually. The paperwork is really troublesome at times. So time consuming, it isn't even funny actually.'' Still he chuckled after saying those words.
Tatsuya's face was flushed red when he heard Zakito's laugh. When he heard what Zakito had said about how what the boy had said made him think of himself, the boy looked towards him with a surprised expression. I've been hearing that a lot lately... ''But if you don't have any questions, shall we call it an end? I sadly don't have much time to keep talking for that long. Though, if you want, you know now where my office is. See it as an invitation to drop by when you have the chance.'' Zakito politely said.
"Y...Yes sir," Tatsuya said, standing up and leaving the building.
Nightwing95
