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The link is also in the synopsis
<<<>>>
"I'm proud to present the first Suikage of Takimura - Maki Takime," Akura announced, his voice shaking beneath the weight of emotion.
For him, this moment was more than a ceremony. Maki wasn't just the strongest candidate or his former student. She was like the daughter he never had. To see her become the village's first Kage wasn't just a political triumph, it was deeply personal.
He stepped aside as Maki began her slow, composed walk toward the front of the hall. She had already known about the council's unanimous decision, so the declaration didn't come as a surprise. But Maki had never needed a formal title to take responsibility. Even before this moment, she had already seen herself as the one who must protect Takimura - not because she dreamed of becoming Kage, but because someone had to bear that weight, and no one else could carry it the way she could.
"Thank you for putting your faith in me." Maki stepped onto the raised platform beside Akura. She smiled, bowing slightly and letting her long, blue hair drop in the front. Then, she straightened, her gaze sweeping across the room. "I'll do everything I can to protect this village together with all of you. And hopefully, someone will take this title from me soon enough and set me free." She finished her short speech, laughing. But behind her laugh, there was an undeniable meaning.
She didn't look at Mei. She didn't need to. Mei understood.
Unlike Maki, leadership had never been a burden to Mei. It was her goal, her dream. She wanted to shape the Land of Water and lead it to a better future. And in that moment, Maki's words ignited something inside her again. Her best friend was giving her a silent push, telling her to grow stronger, strong enough to take the hat from her.
"Should I start calling you Lady Maki from now on, or am I still allowed to use your name?" Kaoru asked, breaking the silence with a laugh that ruined the emotional atmosphere in an instant.
"That's a good question," Mei added, rubbing her chin with a mock-serious look. "Should we go with Lady First, or Lady Maki? Or maybe Suikage-sama?"
Laughter broke out immediately. The members of the Takime, Terumi, Durinu, and even Noda clans joined in, unbothered by the lighthearted teasing. For the Shegachi and a few of the newer clans, however, the informality was jarring at first. They exchanged puzzled glances, unsure whether this was truly the tone of a Kage's appointment ceremony.
But slowly, it began to make sense.
Takimura wasn't like Kirigakure, where hierarchy and suspicion ruled every interaction. This village was built like a family - open, emotional, and grounded in trust. Even the Terumi members' solemn faces caused by declaration of Maki becoming Suikage had transformed into celebration, with laughter and joy filling the air like a wave breaking tension.
'Living here will be easier than I thought,' Luna Shegachi noted, her expression carefully controlled. She held a paper fan to her face, painted with waves crashing beneath dark clouds, but her eyes revealed something more calculating beneath her placid smile.
'Once we recover our clan's wealth, I can begin expanding our influence properly.'
Shegachi hadn't joined Takimura just because it was strong or more open-minded than Kiri. Luna had seen something else: an opportunity. Compared to the rigid power structure of Kirigakure, Takimura was still young, still growing and far more open to change.
It was the perfect place to build power, if one played their cards right.
Luna scanned the room with care, noting the figures she might need to form ties with. Her gaze landed first on Ao, but she quickly dismissed the idea. He was a man who would die for principle rather than scheme for advantage. He wasn't the kind of ally she could win over through politics or charm.
'Should I try approaching him? He seems like a cheerful and simple brat,' she mused, her golden eyes now fixed on Kaoru. He hadn't stopped joking around since the moment he entered the hall.
With slow, deliberate grace, Luna began walking toward him. Her slightly transparent, elegant dress swept across the floor with each step, golden wave-like patterns glimmering faintly beneath the light. Her face was mostly hidden behind the paper fan she held, save for her striking golden eyes, which shone with amusement.
'Shit. It seems I've attracted unwanted attention,' Kaoru groaned internally the moment he noticed her heading his way. It was difficult to miss - a tall, beautiful woman with long white hair, tied up with a golden hairpin, was walking directly toward him.
He knew there was no escaping it. Avoiding the conversation was out of the question, so he did the next best thing. He decided to drag Mei into it.
'I'll just dump her onto Mei as soon as I find an opening,' he thought, a faintly wicked grin curling on his lips.
But Mei was two steps ahead. Before Kaoru could even try to turn toward her, she darted off straight toward Maki, leaving him stranded.
At first, Kaoru almost considered it to be a coincidence until Mei turned back and winked at him, laughing under her breath.
'Huh. No wonder she ended up as Kage in the most devious village,' Kaoru muttered just as he felt the presence behind him.
"Lord Kaoru," came a voice as sweet as honey, yet sharp as a bee's sting, brushing past his ear with playful intent.
Kaoru turned, already mustering the most polite and composed smile he could.
"Lady Luna," he greeted smoothly, bowing slightly. "Your beauty is even more dazzling now that we're standing this close."
The bow was respectful, the compliment carefully worded - not flirtatious, but flattering enough to match her elegance.
"Oh my," Luna chuckled, hiding the lower half of her face with the fan in a show of bashful grace. "I'd never have expected such flattering words from you, Lord Kaoru."
She lowered the fan just enough to reveal her smile. Her teeth were smooth and pale like polished marble, and now that her full face was visible, Kaoru had to admit that his earlier words hadn't been wasted.
'Huh. She really is beautiful.'
Her features were sharp and slightly elongated, giving her a kind of beauty that didn't feel entirely of this land - elegant, refined, and just exotic enough to make him pause.
"I've heard so much about you, Lord Kaoru," Luna continued, stepping closer.
'She smells like golden osmanthus,' Kaoru noticed. The sharp, sweet fragrance of golden osmanthus clung to her like a blade wrapped in silk. Alluring, wild, and just faintly overwhelming, the scent matched her perfectly. He glanced around, searching for an opening to escape her claws, but none presented itself.
"In Kiri, they called you the Azure Reaper," she said, her tone suddenly stripped of all playfulness. "That alone should tell you how deeply you impressed those who witnessed you fight." Luna's words were measured as she studied him carefully, watching for a reaction. But Kaoru's expression didn't change.
'He's an interesting one,' she thought, adjusting her assessment. 'No wonder Ao cares so much about him.' There was no immaturity or awkwardness in Kaoru's actions anymore.
'Maybe I shouldn't push him too hard… I've already taken an unnecessary jab.'
At first, Luna had assumed Kaoru was just another prodigy: powerful, promising, but still a child outside the battlefield. The earlier test and her tone getting colder and challenging was meant to cause some kind of reaction from Kaoru, but he did not even flinch. So the initial image she had created was crumbling now, replaced by something much harder to pin down.
"I was worried Lady Luna would hold me responsible for all the deaths I've caused. But I'm relieved now," Kaoru said softly, a faint smile curving his lips. "Because even if you did, I wouldn't have been able to apologize. If anything, I'm sorry I didn't kill more of those who attacked my home."
His words were cold, so cold that even nearby conversations quieted as people turned to glance at him.
'What...?'
Luna's eyes widened. The change was sudden. The charm, the flattery… all of it vanished in that moment. What remained was exactly what the rumors described.
'So this is the Azure Reaper…'
And then, just as quickly, the moment passed. Kaoru's expression softened again, the polite smile returning as if nothing had happened.
"Haha, I see the two of you have met," Akura interjected, sensing the change in atmosphere. He'd been watching from a distance, letting the interaction play out to see how Kaoru would handle Luna. But now, it was time to step in.
"Lady Luna is even more beautiful than you described her…" Kaoru said suddenly, turning to Akura with wide eyes before covering his mouth with a hand, feigning embarrassment like he had revealed something he was not supposed to.
Luna chuckled behind her fan, clearly amused. Akura, on the other hand, stared at Kaoru in disbelief, still trying to process the boy's shameless deflection.
"By the way," Kaoru said, narrowing his eyes at Akura, "we were supposed to meet Maru yesterday. I'm still waiting. Don't tell me you've changed your mind?"
Akura had been preparing to scold Kaoru lightly for putting him in an awkward spot. But somehow, he ended up on the receiving end instead.
"We can do that tomorrow morning," Akura muttered, already giving up. He couldn't openly argue with the head of the clan in front of so many people, even if Kaoru was clearly doing this on purpose.
"I'm starting to like this village more and more," Luna said with a low laugh. She turned toward Kaoru, her golden eyes narrowing with unreadable intent. "And I apologize if I came off rude earlier."
She gave a small, graceful nod to both him and Akura, then disappeared into the crowd with fluid elegance.
"Why were you so rude to her?" Akura asked, not scolding, just curious.
"What do you mean?" Kaoru tilted his head, scratching his chin as if he genuinely didn't know what Akura was referring to.
Akura sighed and decided to let it go.
"Never mind…"
He looked away, realizing Kaoru had no intention of explaining. 'He's starting to show his true colors,' Akura thought. 'He's not like Suiren, and not like Maki either.' Whether that was a good thing or not, he still couldn't tell.
"Akura-san," Kaoru called cheerfully, already turning toward Maki and Mei, "don't forget your promise this time. My birthday's in three days, and I want to leave as soon as possible." He flashed a carefree smile and darted toward his sister.
<<<>>>
"Are you sure about this?" Akura asked, eyeing Senzui carefully.
The boy looked so excited it was almost comical, bouncing in place like it was the happiest day of his life.
"Of courssse, sssensssei," Senzui hissed, barely able to contain himself. "I've heard ssso many ssstoriesss about Lord Kaoru and hisss ssstrength. I want to fight him!"
He had already been waiting for over an hour. The spar was scheduled to take place in Takimura's open arena, and thanks to that, it had turned into something far bigger than intended. Word had spread fast, and now an unexpectedly large crowd had gathered. Dozens of curious shinobi and even more civilians had shown up just to see how powerful the so-called Azure Reaper really was.
"Senzui… he's too strong for you," Akura said plainly.
Senzui flinched, visibly hurt by the blunt statement.
"Sssensssei, how can you sssay that?" he whined, his wild energy suddenly sobering into wounded frustration.
"I'm not trying to dishearten you," Akura replied gently. "But I don't want you walking into something that…"
He was cut off as the Noda clan head approached.
"Don't worry, Lord Akura," the clan head said, bowing his head slightly in respect. "There is nothing shameful in losing to someone like Lord Kaoru. In fact, it will be a valuable experience for my son."
Then, after a brief pause, his gaze shifted toward Akura.
"And… since the gap between Lord Kaoru and my son is considerable, would it be alright to allow the use of our clan's secret technique?" he asked with a faint smile.
**
A/N -
And with that, the first Suikage (水影 – "Water Shadow") of Takimura is officially named.
I'm still finalizing the design for the cloak and the pattern it'll carry, so I'll be sharing the visual a bit later once it's ready. Looking forward to hearing what you all think once it's up.
Character Notes:
Kaoru - Politely unhinged - "Yes, I'm charming. Yes, I'm dangerous. Yes, I just casually dropped a threat in the middle of a tea party. No, I won't explain."
Luna Shegachi - Elegant chess player - "Smile, flatter, assess. If that fails, just lean in close and smell like danger."
Senzui - S-ssspar ready - "Today I die gloriously or get flattened. Either way, I win."
Reminder - Break Tomorrow
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The link is also in the synopsis