video | 003

[ura_no_ura]

[Video]

[ When the video first goes on, the screen is covered by a glove-covered hand, but after a slight shaky moment as it's set down on some sort of ledge, the hand retreats, revealing Kakashi standing outside. A few trees, still droopy with melting snow, can be seen in the background. Those familiar with the terrain might recognize it to be near Flame Building. ]

Hello, Luceti.

[ Kakashi dips his head in greeting, since he's addressing all of Luceti. ]

My name is Hatake Kakashi. Some of you may be familiar with me. For those of you who aren't, I'm a shinobi from a village called Konohagakure -- or Konoha for short -- in a country called "Fire Country." I am also the Commander of the Third Division, which is primarily a short-to-mid-range combat division, of the Allied Shinobi Forces. Many of you may be acquainted with or might recognize my comrades, amongst whom include Uzumaki Naruto, Nara Shikamaru, and Rock Lee. [ The names Kakashi lists aren't at random, but selected based on his observations of how recognizable those names would be. ]

The reason why I reach out to all of you today is simple. While things in Luceti currently are peaceful, and it appears we have nothing to worry about, the ever-present threat of the Malnosso and the Third Party remains. Kidnappings still occur, with seemingly no conceivable way to stop or fight them. Should there be an attack on the enclosure, at present, there is no organized force that can fight in concert to protect the enclosure and ensure the safety of civilians who might not be able to fight back. While some of us may be used to working together due to missions and drafts, as far as I am aware, no formal training or maneuvers are ever held to ensure all parties working together are using the best tactics and strategy. And from what I know, there are no formal safety measures in place to protect civilians or evacuate them to safer ground should a fight break out, as it did a few months ago.

On behalf of Konohagakure and Fire Country, by order of Namikaze Minato, the Yondaime Hokage-sama, I would like to formally extend an invitation to anyone who has military training, unique or magical powers, or immense skill in battle strategy, espionage and intelligence-gathering, field medicine, hacking, or other specialized skills to join us in forming an alliance. This alliance would not only give those of us from different worlds a chance to meet and discuss our shared interests in protecting Luceti's inhabitants, but would also give us the opportunity to learn and adapt how to fight with and against those with different training or powers. By conducting shared training sessions, maneuvers, disaster simulations, and taking missions together, we can share resources and power, as well as develop strategy.

As for who's in charge... seeing as we're all from different worlds, it would make much more sense for us to establish a council of leaders from different worlds. We invite leaders from other worlds who might have similar shared interests to contact us, and open a line of dialogue.

We look forward to hearing from you all.

[ Speech finished, Kakashi bows to the camera again, then reaches out and turns off the feed. ]


[Action | Flame Building | Afternoon ]

[ Yup, that sure is Kakashi walking vertically up the side of a wall. Just strolling along like it's no big deal. ]


[ Text | Filtered 100% to fellow ninja, written in extremely formal language ]

By order of Yondaime Hokage-sama, the Konohagakure Jounin Exams will soon be held for all qualified Chuunin. If you are interested in participating, a sign-up form has been placed on the door of Yondaime-sama's place of residence. Direct any questions you might have to Hatake Kakashi.

[ Text | Filtered 100% to Shikamaru ]

Shikamaru, I've nominated you for jounin promotion to Yondaime. Though we've decided to hold jounin exams, I've requested a special exception for you. However, if you would like to take the exams in the interest of fairness, you are still welcome to do so. - Kakashi

[ Text | Filtered 100% to Naruto ]

Naruto, I just wanted to let you know that I nominated you for jounin promotion. However, because you are still genin, it will be necessary for you to take the exam. - Kakashi

[ Text | Filtered 100% to Sakura ]

Sakura, I've nominated you for jounin promotion. Usually, this means immediate promotion, but because your peers don't have anyone to nominate them, we've decided to hold exams this year. Let me know if you would like to compete in them. - Kakashi

KONOHA JOUNIN EXAMS	LUCETI ALLIANCE DISCUSSION		ACTION
Kushina & Lee Kushina & Kakashi Kushina & Ino Kushina & Minato Temari Sakura Sasuke Lee Neji Naruto Ino Mikoto Shikamaru	Aang Adela Billy Bones Deadpool Eleytheria Elizabeth Gai Ginia Ikki Iroh Jean Johanna Karla Kirk	Law Loki Luke Masaomi Minato Peggy Riku Rogue Saleh Saori Steve Teddy Thor Vegeta Yuffie	Erwin Lea Sasame Trunks

((ooc: Since this is a call for discussion, feel free to thread-jack and hold your own conversations throughout the post. Kakashi will try his best to answer all comments. Also, feel free to comment on this post even it's super late. As long as we're within the 3 month bracket, we're cool!))

Comments

[Not Here]

[windandrain]

[When Saori sees this announcement, she blinks a few times in surprise. It's certainly a bold move, and she's not surprised to see Kakashi and Minato attempting to spearhead the movement. She can even agree that training and organizing would be beneficial come draft time, but it's also slightly arrogant of them, being so open with it, right where the enemy could see it. That meant that either they were unaware, or were operating under other assumptions about the residents. She was willing to help, but taking an active role in any organization was too close to order for a capricious being like her. And it felt like foolishness to openly involve oneself with a council of mortals who would in all likelihood, squabble among themselves. Besides that, did anything truly official need to be made out of her contributions? She'd teach people freely, and work against the enemy in her own way, even if there wasn't an organization.

Regardless, she knew that Kakashi would likely seek her out, and felt no real compulsion to reply immediately.]

action forever;

[ura_no_ura]

[ Eventually, Kakashi does seek her out, if only because he knows that having an immensely strong goddess like her on their side would be extremely beneficial to the cause. Besides, it would give him an opportunity (or an excuse, really) to drop by and visit unannounced.

Hopefully she's home.

He knocks on her door. ]

[windandrain]

[When he does knock, Saori takes a moment to answer, but she is home. The door opens with a creak and she quirks her head to one side, before nodding.]

Hello, Kakashi. I thought I'd see you soon.

[ura_no_ura]

Saori-san.

[ Kakashi's eye scrunches up with a smile as he nods his head in greeting. ]

It's good to see you. Do you have a moment to talk?

Almost replied with a Wedge Antilles account, oops~!

[windandrain]

It's good to see you as well, Kakashi.

[She nods and takes a step out of the house, shoes materializing on her feet as soon as she leaves the threshhold.]

And yes, yes of course. I take it you want to talk about something private, or you'd have contacted me via the journal, yes?

woooops

[ura_no_ura]

Mm, yes, I didn't exactly want this conversation on the record. I also thought it would be a good reason to come pay you a visit.

[ It's been a while, after all. ]

[windandrain]

As good a reason as you ever need. But you don't even need that much, you know. You're practically family.

[She reaches over and squeezes his hand gently, nodding.]

I believe it's about your announcement, yes? If that's the case, then let us go for a walk. It's a nice day.

[ura_no_ura]

[ Kakashi nods, not quite expecting the hand squeeze, but squeezing back, anyway. It's still a little strange that Saori considers him "practically family", and even though he knows what happened during that period of time in September wasn't real, he still can't help the emotions that have continued to linger, or his sense of attachment to certain people.

Like Saori.

Though he certainly did try, for a while there, to distance himself.

He glances back behind him, the way he came. Though the weather is still quite cold, the sun is shining, glinting off melting snow. ]

Sure, let's take a walk.

[ He offers her his arm. ]

[windandrain]

[It is a little strange that the sense of attachment hasn't faded, but Saori has all but given up on trying to understand why that's the case. It all may have been a lie, but it's a memory worth cherishing all the same. Bonds and friendships are hard enough for a god to form with a mortal without questioning the source of their beginning.

When he offers his arm, she'll slip her's into his and nod for him to lead on.]

So. What is it you'd like to ask?

[ura_no_ura]

[ Kakashi pats her hand with his own before slipping his own hand back into his pocket as he turns and begins to head down the path he came from. A small bird chirps as it alights upon a branch of a tree nearby, shaking off a bit of snow as it hops to the edge.

He watches it dance precariously on the branch, before taking off again. ]

Well, Saori-san... [ Begins lightly, his tone softer than it might be with a stranger. ] To put it frankly, I think we can use your help.

[windandrain]

[Saori falls into step beside him, eyes scanning the area with a birdlike wariness. It's almost as though she's worried they might be being watched, though her gaze finally settles on Kakashi when he begins to speak.]

My help? [Mentally, she makes a note of the tone and the weariness in his eye.]

What would you want me to be doing?

[ura_no_ura]

You see, we're trying to put together an alliance. I'm sure you've seen what I posted on the network by now...

[ But the way Kakashi says it suggests that there's more to it than what he introduced on the network. ]

[windandrain]

I saw your announcement, yes. [She gives him a questioning look, waiting for an expansion to it.]

But that doesn't answer my question. What do you what me to do? Do you wish me to join?

[ura_no_ura]

[ Kakashi nods. ]

I wanted to personally ask if you'd lend us your power and advice.

[ As a goddess, she is not only extremely powerful, but also would be able to advise them in a number of ways. ]

[windandrain]

[Saori raises an eyebrow]

I cannot. Joining a mortal organization is just something I will not do. It goes against my very nature, and the nature of my kind. Order, law, instructions... No, I would not be able to do that.

[She pauses, huffing the faintest laugh, barely audible over the wind.]

But...I can help you, unofficially. And it would be shameful of me to turn my back on people I call friends. My kind is taught the art of battle from the time we're born so that we can defend mortalkind against the agents of Hell. I already see the Malnosso and the Third Party as hellspawn, so this would fall under that restriction.

[ura_no_ura]

[ Kakashi nods in understanding. It'd make sense that she might have some reservations about joining an organization primarily comprised of mortals. That being said though, there is one non-mortal who will be joining. ]

Well, there's apparently a warrior god who's interested in joining... Loki? Are you familiar with him?

[ He does appreciate that she'd be willing to help him unofficially. He wonders if that means she might be open to helping out during training or anything along those lines. ]

[windandrain]

[She snorts] He's no warrior. He's a trickster and a magician. But he is an Asgardian, a god from another land, and he's quite formidable with his magic. The rules governing his kind are different than those of my own, however.

[Basically, they aren't even the same species.]

[ura_no_ura]

Ah. He told me he was a warrior and has led invasions... Did he lie?

[ Kakashi seems a little disappointed to hear this, especially since he had been impressed by the idea of a warrior god having interest in an alliance of this nature. ]

[windandrain]

[Saori snorts again.]

Ask Steve Rogers what sort of invasion he means. He did not lie completely, but he didn't tell you the whole truth.

[She shakes her head, both amused and annoyed.]

Asgardians are a warrior people, though they are not truly immortal as I am. And while Loki is more powerful than the vast majority of mortals, both physically and magically, I would not call him a warrior god in the same tradition as other Asgardians or my people. He is an outcast among his kind, and he is a god of mischief, lies, and magic.

[Her tone lowers, growing a bit more sympathetic as she looks at Kakashi.]

If he's offered to join your alliance, though, I would accept. He is powerful, capable, and has a vested interest in this alliance succeeding...though...be wary of his goals not lining up with your own. So long as they coincide, he'll happily work with you, that much I am sure of. But he cares little about mortal life unless it is useful to him, or the mortal in question means something to him.

[ura_no_ura]

[ Kakashi takes all of this knowledge in, committing it to memory, and is now glad that Loki came up in conversation, mentally making a note to ask Steve about the "invasion" when they meet later for drinks.

He understands that he'll need to be very careful in dealing with Loki, and probably shouldn't trust him too much when it comes to protecting a team or anything along those lines, unless that team's interests fall directly in line with his own. ]

I see. I'll keep this in mind. Thank you for letting me know.

[ He pauses here, then turns to look at her. ]

I understand if you can't join the alliance, but would you be open to the idea of helping us train? Or perhaps assist us in the event of an emergency?

[windandrain]

[She looks back at him, eyes distant for a moment as she ponders the question. And then she nods.]

I'll help you fight. I'll help you train. And I'll assist even if it is not an emergency. In every regard but name, I'm happy to help. It is in my best interests as well, after all. And I would not be willing to shame myself by letting friends and family be hurt over a point of pride.

What would you wish me to help with?

[ura_no_ura]

[ Kakashi looks as he always does -- rather unreadable. But for those who know how to read him well, the tension in his shoulders visibly eases out with her answer.

Relief. ]

Once we have things a little more organized, I think a good place for you to help is with any training or maneuvers we run. And of course, assisting in emergency situations and on missions, if you're open to that.

[ The missions, he means. ]

[windandrain]

[She just smiles, understanding the gesture, though confusion at why he'd need to feel relief about asking her anything is definitely on her mind.]

Training whom? Do you have something specific in mind? I already give swordplay lessons to Vegeta and Trunks.

And, I would possibly be open to missions. That would depend, of course.

[ura_no_ura]

[ Knowing that someone he can trust and count one, someone powerful like Saori will be on his side, willing to help out in this effort, makes things a little easier for Kakashi. Even though he has everyone from his village, he has few people outside of his own people whom he truly feels he can trust.

Saori just so happens to be one of those people. ]

You see, the idea is that should we gather enough combatants, we very well will be able to carry out large training operations, and perform maneuvers. However, without anything [ a beat, as he looks at her. ] or anyone to fight against, regardless of how much we train together, learn formations, and develop different battle strategies, we won't be able to test under duress.

I think you'd be able to provide that.

[windandrain]

[She eyes him somewhat cautiously, studiously looking him right in the eye.]

You want to have your people try and fight against me? In a group? I could do that, though, again it will depend on the situation. Against a group, a great many of my tactics are lethal.