Chapter 4
Location: Mizukage’s Office
Alister returned to his village quickly. When he entered his office, he spotted stacks of paperwork on his desk that had piled up in the few hours he’d been gone. He groaned softly before managing to sit himself in his chair and slowly sift through the mountains of paper.
Location: Hokage’s Office
Komadori and Rein arrived in the Hidden Leaf Village and headed over to the Komadori’s office. With Shadow and Rein behind her, she went to open the door. Suddenly Shadow started growling and barking viciously. "Huh? What is it?" she asked curiously. He rarely ever acted like this. He continued barking and snarling. He crouched low to the ground, as if ready to pounce at a moment's notice.
Rein looked at shadow.
~Rein~ What's wrong Shadow?
~Shadow~ What's on the other side of that door...isn't exactly human. It's something else, something dangerous.
Shadow continued to snarl.
Rein looked at Shadow strangely.
~Rein~ Well, I'll open it then, I owe that much to you and Komadori.
She smiled and walked up to the door, opening it and looking through the crack.
A young woman sat in the Hokage’s chair and smiled slightly. "You're not Hokage-san, I take it?" She placed her feet onto the desk and nudged her familiar under the table from her nap. "They're here Shika-chan."
"Who are you? ... If I may be so bold to ask..." Rein looked at the stranger.
"Hmm? Who is it?" Komadori looked at Rein curiously, trying to see through the crack in the door, "And Shadow stop growling!" He stopped, and Komadori walked over to the door. She slipped past Rein and opened the door fully. walking in, she saw someone sitting on her desk. "...It seems I'm meeting a lot of people today." She said calmly.
The young woman smiled broadly, keeping the rest of her face hidden under her hood. "I'm only here to discuss some important matters with Hokage-san." She got off the desk but leaned against it. "Shika-chan!" she called playfully, "She's here."
Shikabane stood and strode gracefully to take her place beside her mistress. She cast a look at the ninja hound, as though just begging him to start some trouble.
Rein looked at Komadori. "Do you know her?" she asked, once again checking that her mask and bandages were properly in place.
Komadori looked at the girl standing in front of her. "No I don't. But I'm getting the feeling that she knows me." She paused, "Am I correct in assuming that?" she directed this to the girl in the red cloak. Komadori stopped again and cast her gaze to the white tiger that had just come from behind the desk. "Hmph, no wonder Shadow was so riled up," she laughed quietly. Shadow came and sat beside her, training his eyes on the tigress.
The young woman smiled. "At least you betray some intelligence Hokage-san" She patted her tigress on the head. "And settle down Shika-chan. I believe you are frightening the hound." Shikabane lowered her head slightly, indicating her submission.
"Sorry for not introducing myself, Hokage-san," she continued. "I am Tsukimiya of the Metame clan. To most now, however, I am known as either Kazekage or the host of the Shukaku." She pulled off her hood to reveal a startlingly golden eye and blue-black hair trailing down her back. "I hope I'm not intruding on anything?"
'What is it with all the Kages coming here today?' Rein thought to herself, her back stiffening very slightly but not noticeably.
Komadori laughed quietly, "Hello Tsukimiya, I'm Komadori, the Hokage. By the way, Shadow doesn't scare easily. And I'll have you know he's a wolf, neither he nor I will back down from you." She continued to look at Tsuki, Komadori’s green eyes flashing, the pupils narrowing down to slits.
Tsukimiya sighed wearily "I already knew you were the Hokage, Hokage-san. I'm only here on business anyway." She gently stroked Shikabane's soft fur. "The message was only delivered a day and a half ago; a warrant for a certain missing-nin..." She glanced up at the masked girl standing next to the Hokage. I'll be able to see if this one's lying, she thought to herself.
"The girl with you seems to fit the missing-nin's description. Well, as well as anyone can when they cover themselves in masks and bandages." She brushed her bangs back to reveal a blood-red eye. "No interruptions Hokage-san, I would like this girl to either confess or proclaim her innocence."
Once again Rein found herself accused of the crime she did not commit and fear once again flashed through her eyes, as her body stiffened.
"Well then Kazekage-san, may I ask why you want her to do that?" Komadori replied calmly. She reached her hand down to calm Shadow who was still quite riled up at having a 'cat' in his territory.
Rein looked at the tigress.
~Rein~ Hello...
Rein once again used her thoughts to communicate with the animal so that Komadori and Tsukimiya would not hear.
Tsukimiya turned to the Hokage. "I am not accusing her of anything Hokage-san. I am simply requesting her to say whether or not she is guilty." As an after thought she added, "and I would prefer it if you would address me with more respect. I am, in fact, your senior in office and in age."
Tsuki glanced down at Shikabane, who made a huffing noise. She assumed that the girl was speaking to her. Others in her clan could do that as well.
~Shikabane~ Hello child.
Komadori paused and looked at Tsukimiya, "....Very well then...Kazekage-sama." She was slightly annoyed at such a slight. "I'm still curious as to why you want her to say whether she is guilty or not. However, what I'm really curious about is how you would know whether or not she was lying."
Rein looked at Komadori and then at Tsukimiya. "Why wont people just stop hunting me down?" she asked quietly. "It's not fair." She looked at the ground.
Tsukimiya glared directly at the girl. "No one is accusing you of anything, girl, so stop wallowing in self pity. I asked you a simple question, and my actions will depend on your answer. If you are the girl I am looking for then you it will be necessary to explain your actions clearly. You ran, and that action alone furthers your guilt in our eyes." She stopped, but the edge in her voice did not fade. She did not feel sorry for the girl; no matter what she had done her actions led others to believe in her guilt.
Tsuki glanced at Shikabane, who seemed to be waiting on an answer herself, albeit a different one.
"I had to run! If I didn't they would have killed me! Doesn't anyone understand that!? They didn't even give me a chance to talk before they tried to kill me!" Rein was practically yelling, the fear in her eyes now overcome by anger.
Komadori turned back to Rein. "Calm down Rein," she told her. Shadow still sat, his eyes trained on the tigress.
Rein looked at Komadori. "I'm sorry..." she said quietly.
Tsuki was glaring, her Shukaku eye was sparking and the red eye's pupil seemed to shrink to near nothingness. "Answer my question girl. I asked you to either proclaim your innocence or to admit your guilt. I have been known to have a...talent for seeing lies."
Shikabane twitched, unsettled by her mistress' growing annoyance. She stared right back at the wolf-dog, allowing him to believe that she saw him as dominant. She knew better. She glanced at the girl whom her mistress was questioning.
~Shikabane~ Answer her question child. I regret to inform you that my mistress is not the most polite person when you near dismiss her.
"No... I did not kill anyone..." Rein said quietly while looking at Tsukimiya.
Tsukimiya watched Rein carefully as she spoke. Her eye didn't register any dark matter leaking into her aura that would result from telling a lie to a direct question. She dropped her bangs and let them settle, concealing her red eye again, and relaxed slightly. "So you are innocent. That bodes well for you, considering I would have Shika-chan tear you to pieces had you been guilty." She smiled again. "I named her "Corpse" for a reason."
Rein eyed Tsukimiya nervously.
Komadori looked back to Tsukimiya. The Kazekage’s last comment had creeped her out but, at least she had said Rein was innocent. She turned to Rein to see how she would react.
~Shadow~ Shikabane...That is your name correct?
Rein was not getting a very good impression of Tsukimiya; she didn't seem very nice in her opinion. "I think I'll go take a walk in the forest now... since that has been cleared." She glared at Tsukimiya through the corner of her eye as she walked out the door.
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