A Home is a [Ware]house

The Storm of the Desert would step through Kirigakure, the man taking in the sights of the village he'd never seen before as they walked through it, although Akeruseirei was keeping a brisk pace and made sightseeing limited, ushering the group towards her warehouse...Azuma didn't exactly like this, it was pretty sketchy at best. They'd requested time with the Mizukage, and while Akeru was someone of importance around Kirigakure--Mizukage, she was not. But he kept quiet for now, silently taking in the sights of the foreign hidden village as they walked through it. Surely Azuma and Ei got some strange looks, they dressed fairly differently then the general attire seen in Kirigakure, the both of them having outfits they would wear in the desert, now out here in this humid island nation.

At least Azuma wasn't uncomfortable. The man was used to traveling, the humidity here didn't bother him.

Either way they would arrive at Rei's warehouse, the man sensing a number of people in the building before they even arrived or entered, not surprised at all to see them. He'd also see the man from earlier, one Rei had spoken to at the Gates, out of breath from running about getting this all ready. He'd end up being handed the swords, Azuma taking note of it. The Raiton Warrior would stay by Ei the entire time, never letting his guard down in foreign lands, especially coming into a building with others who work under the Kiri Jounin. Upon coming to the meeting room, Azuma would opt to remain standing, but if Ei was to take a seat he would simply stand behind her, slightly off to the side.

Their journey into Kirigakure no Sato had already been too interesting. Perhaps in part Ei believed this due to the colder temperatures and natural humidity making her uncomfortable, but there was no doubt that just at the village gates alone she had witnessed something truly extraordinary. Now, being lead by this strange woman deep into the village for a meeting that would take place inside a warehouse, Ei could only wonder if the same would be true going forward. She would take note of every movement she could see, and every little piece of information she could gleam would be stored in the back of her mind.

The relics were taken away, carried off by a strange masked man who seemed reminiscent of an ANBU operative. Then, they would enter a private room, where the puppet would be released from its bondage. A signal that this was their destination. The room would be regarded carefully. There wasn’t much of note, but each clue she took in gave her additional information about her surroundings. It was always good to be aware.

Honestly, Ei was freezing. She hadn’t dressed for the occasion, and the ambient temperature in Kirigakure was just so much lower than that in Suna. Her kimono wasn’t cutting it. She would have to find something much thicker and warmer to wear the first moment she could. For now though she would keep close to Azuma. He was her bodyguard, of course, but more than anything now she was glad he came along as just a personal space heater. Not that his body temperature was enough to feel truly ‘warm’ to her, but he was much warmer than the open air that surrounded them both.

Ei would remain standing. Although she would cock an eyebrow. Akeruseirei to begin? They had both come here to negotiate with the Mizukage. What would Rei begin with? What could she have to say?

“I’ll repeat what I said before, and explain a bit further. We were both sent here on explicit orders of the Nidaime Kazekage to make contact with the village of Kirigakure no Sato. As such it’d be preferable if we could obtain the time of the Mizukage, or someone who would be able to speak on her behalf. I take by your leading us to this warehouse, and not to the office of the Mizukage, you would be assuming that role for yourself.” It wasn’t directly stated, but implied, and carried with it  a certain level of suspicion. Ei was aware of Rei’s position in the village, but negotiating through a middle man was never desirable, especially when she wasn’t truly sure that Rei had the power to negotiate in the place of the Mizukage.

“This journey we’ve taken to Kirigakure was for the express purpose of reestablishing diplomatic relations with the greater world now that our long period of being without a Kazekage. This in addition to the potential of a military alliance and a trade between our nations.”

Azuma watched as the two females in the meeting room would begin a bit of a discussion, although as this went on, the main point expressed by Ei almost seemed dismissed, or at least a good part of it. Ei had explained their reasons for being there in slightly more detail, and once again expressed the desire for them to try to get an audience with the Mizukage Hana. Someone who can speak on Hana's behalf was fine, but neither of the Suna nin knew fully Akeruseirei's position in the village. Meanwhile, Rei's response only dismissed the entire part about that, and she'd go on to speak of some things she could arrange for the villages to be able to work together in aid of each other. While some of these ideas she presented sounded fine, he'd be unsure of other pieces to it. Still, he'd let this be handled by Ei.

But he wouldn't keep remaining silent, at least not completely, Azuma standing off to Ei's side as she also stood, about the time Kaisaki showed up with some tea for the white haired Jounin. Azuma would keep track of the masked man, making sure he wasn't up to anything funny, but it seemed his intentions was simply to provide his...Boss? Friend? Sister? Something to drink. The Desert Rogue placed his gaze on Akeruseirei. "I am sure we can find some terms we could all agree on, but I hope you don't mind me asking; Are you able to speak on the Mizukage's behalf? My companion here did express our desire for a meeting with her directly. I am aware you are a Jounin orf Kirigakure, and you must have some level of trust with the village for you to have obtained one of the Seven Legendary Swords of the Mist. But I don't know the extent of your authority to make decisions on the Mizukage's behalf, and for Kirigakure as a whole." he'd express his thoughts on this, his words spoken kindly but with a serious undertone, him trying to get across the point while also remaining polite.

It seemed that they had walked into a coincidence. Running into Akeruseirei Hozuki had been rather fortunate then, and perhaps an all too convenient stroke of good luck. She had requested to set out to Sunagakure for similar reasons as their journey to Kirigakure, and their convening simplified the matter a good deal before it had the chance to get complicated. Rei herself was after some sort of military trade, along with some other agreements between the two nations. Concessions in the form of military bases perhaps, which was something she hinted at. An interesting proposal for sure. Ei would find herself watching the woman closely. That she had intentions to come to Sunagakure, a village that had up until very recently been considered completely destroyed and decrepit by the international community, exposed an interesting part of her that could perhaps be better explained with the puppet she carried with her. Sunagakure had always been the home of the art of puppetry, even as it had fallen apart in recent days.

It seemed that Azuma would speak up, repeating what concerns she had stated earlier. It had been something Ei was unwilling to press so quickly, but Azuma doing so in her stead was advantageous for her. It made it so that she didn’t have to repeat herself.

“This is a fortunate coincidence. It seems that we both had similar intentions, and you catching us before leaving for Sunagakure yourself prevents any confusion that could have happened if both negotiating parties were in each other’s villages at the same time.” She glanced over to the puppet now, laying idly where Rei had left it. As far as puppetry went Ei was hardly experienced, not in the same way she was with a canvas in front of her. She was a painter at heart, but this was a skill she was beginning to pick up as well. Seeing another in a far away land that was a student of the same art form was interesting, especially somewhere as far as Kirigakure.

“Modernizing the village and a closer military cooperation is something that can be potentially accomplished as a part of this deal. There are none among Sunagakure who would be against cooperation along those lines with Kirigakure, details depending.”

“As for what we hope to gain, the proposal from our end is simple. There are three propositions. First, Sunagakure wishes to be recognized as one of the five great shinobi nations again now that it re-enters the world stage, and to regain its rightful place as an equal of Kirigakure, Konohagakure, Kumogakure, and Iwagakure. Second, the village of Sunagakure wishes to enter a mutual military alliance with the village of Kirigakure. This would be primarily defensive in nature, as Sunagakure wishes to spread its ideals for peace across the lands. However the exact nature of this alliance is open to discussion. Third, there is the desire for trade. Sunagakure has a surplus of various metals that it is willing to trade in return for fish from the Land of Water, in order to enrich both villages with important resources. Those are our three modest desires.”

Mismatched hues watched the puppeteer as she responded, Rei expressing her authority to represent Kirigakure in this discussion. He'd nod slightly in response, the two of them going more into the details of what they was there to talk about. Ei expressed the three things Sunagakure was looking for, as well as what they can offer in return. Akeru seemed fine with these, sans what was more something to bring up on a more world-wide stage then just to Kirigakure. But still, Kiri would support this idea too. Azuma kept by Ei's side, his Sensory Technique still active, making keeping track of everything around him...anyone moved--he'd know.

Although things wouldn't go unnoticed by him, catching the glance over towards her puppet before saying something after a pause. She too wanted something it seemed, something more personal then what they was discussing. She was a puppeteer and looked to her puppet...Sunagakure was the best place to get advanced puppets, with many generations of experience behind their use. This wasn't too hard for him to piece together. Then Rei would pose a question; one of war, and if Sunagakure would aid them if need be. Azuma had let Ei drive the boat so far, he'd let her respond. He was there to guard her and make sure the mission went as smoothly as possible, afterall.

Trade seemed to be a point of simple common interest. Ei was more than willing to agree to trading posts and patrols between both nations, along with the caveats that those brought. She understood the potential risks associated with what was being suggested, but this was what she had been ordered to come here and enter negotiations for. Still, it was exactly as Rei said. Trade was easy. Both had something clear and simple to gain from it without needing to fall back to negotiation tactics.

“Should Kirigakure be attacked, then the alliance would necessitate Sunagakure to act in Kirigakure’s defense.” She would be quick to confirm it, not hesitating to reply to Rei’s theoretical probing. “We would be more than willing to provide whatever aid was necessary, whether it be in the form of resources, materials, or physical assistance, in order to ensure the wellbeing of our allies. Sunagakure would expect the same in return if it were under assault. Of course, it would be something of a surprise if either village was attacked so quickly. I would hope nothing of that sort would happen so soon.”

The rest would come with time. Rei was correct in that getting the other nations to recognize Sunagakure as a true player would take time, but it came one step at a time. Truthfully this wasn’t something that the Kazekage had sent her explicitly to negotiate for in his orders, but one of her own selfish desires. She had no intention for her homeland to fall from grace any further than it already had. Allowing a situation where it was seen as some two-bit heap of sand to be taken advantage of in some relationship of vassalage was something she would do everything she could to prevent. Rei’s intentions seemed nothing of the sort, of course, but it was about more than just her intentions. Having Sunagakure being treated seriously again by Kirigakure would go a long way as a start towards reopening relations as equals with other villages as well.

Ei’s eyes would scan over the draft as Akeruseirei wrote, following the movements of her fingers. The second draft of the proposal was being written up, identical to the first. The two simple objectives they had been given seemed to be accepted without much issue. Other than that they had little else to demand or request, with the Kazekage’s orders being too vague to draw any unspoken conclusions from. She did what she could with the orders she was given.

It would be natural that we would assist, even before the agreement would become officially signed. We came to this village with the orders to create this alliance out of a desire to ensure peace. It would be foolish of us to sit by and watch this village be attacked just because nothing has been signed yet. More than just that, right now we’re guests in your home. It would simply be uncourteous to sit by and do nothing.”

“Your concerns are also legitimate regarding the Chunin Exams. You can’t be faulted for holding onto suspicions when foreigners move in mass into your homeland, especially if tensions are high. If that’s where your concerns are, that there could be a risk of some subterfuge taking place under the guise of the Chunin Exams, Azuma and I would be willing to stay until the event ended and all shinobi from foreign villages returned to their homes in order to ensure the defense and welfare of Kirigakure no Sato.”

As the documents were handed forward Ei would scan over them again. She had been reading them as they were written, but out of habit she would find herself reading them again as they were put in front of her. With no hesitation she would sign as she reached the bottom of the document, and then again on the copy. Azuma would presumably do the same.

“Everyone wins in the end. Wonderful. I’m glad we could come to this agreement, Miss Akeruseirei. Thank you for having us.”

The Dark haired beauty of Sunagakure and the White Lotus of Kirigakure would continue their negotiations, Azuma for now taking a back seat in the discussion, the man having nothing more to say, as Ei summed up everything in her own words--why reiterate anything she said? It'd be redundant. Azuma watched as Akeruseirei would begin writing up the terms they had agreed too, the trade deal--the alliance. Even if Azuma got hints of the woman having other motives, he would let this go to the back of his mind, him focusing on keeping guard--his sensory still up.

He watched every stroke of the pen, seeing each document was a copy of each other, and held no...'fine print' hidden notes. Once handed the paper, he'd scan it over in only a moment, able to speed read. Everything was right. He'd sign after Ei did, a witness to what had been said here, while Ei would represent Sunagakure in the deal. He'd also sign the copy, both parties having their own copy to bring back to their respective Kages, and documentation. With that it seemed their deal had been reached. An alliance established--trade deal in writing. While not a major part of this, Kirigakure would also recognize Sunagakure as an equally standing Major Nation.

"I appreciate you making the time for us, Akeruseirei." the man said while attempting to make eye contact with her.

Mismatched hues watched as Akeruseirei would finalize the deal--the woman signing both copies of the agreements they had come too today, and filing away the copy she was too keep. Azuma would go ahead and take the copy for Sunagakure, rolling it up before stowing it away on his person. "If you come to visit Sunagakure sometime I'm sure we'll be able to help you with what you wish to tend too." Azuma responded to the white haired woman.

Azuma's sensory was picking up something, long before it even happened. Something approaching. All the while the Hozuki in name--Kaguya in blood poured a drink for herself, Azuma keeping a mental note of about everything. Soon enough yelps and sounds of feet could be heard, although it sounded as if it was simply dogs. Azuma kept track of every living thing in his range, but kept his eyes on Akeru for now. "Kirigakure is a fine village, I can tell a lot of work has been done for the village's infrastructure. I do believe me and Ei should return to Sunagakure and report back with the deal we've struck today." Azuma would take over for the first time since they'd gotten there, while he was fine laying low and being quiet, he was not against speaking up or taking charge. "I hate to cut our time short here, but our main goal has been achieved. Unless you have anything further to mention, we should get going." Azuma said, returning a faint smile to the smile Rei had presented before. With this he'd turn to head out, hoping Ei would follow his lead or even lead herself.

[Attempted Exit]

Business seemed to be concluded. The two copies of the documents were signed, with Rei’s being filed away quickly. With negotiations being successful it would give Ei time to relax, and perhaps begin to view the village as a tourist for a little bit rather than a diplomat. Already she found herself curious about the architecture of the village. The style was artistically easily differentiated from those in Sunagakure, and it made her curious to see where else differences would lie. Perhaps there would be museums, or art galleries that she would pursue in her spare time, just to make notes of the differences and see where her own personal style could perhaps be improved. Of course, there was also the Chunin Exams going on, which she had already stated her desire to see…

Azuma took the copy that had been designated for them to receive. Despite all her swirling thoughts, it seemed that he was more than ready to leave. That he was so quick to pull away when she had just begun to think of the village as a spot for tourism made her a bit frustrated, but she couldn’t very well scold him here, publicly. She would save that for when they were alone.

“Forgive me, but it seems my partner is a bit antsy.” She would turn to Rei with a smile. “It seems we’ll have to catch up on tourism at some later point. For now, farewell.”

She would stand, taking the leading position, and the two of her and Azuma would make their leave.

[Exit]