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Mistress gave an audible sigh. "Don't push your luck boy. Mistress-sama to you. And this should be fun..."

Before she went to open the door she turned to Kumari. "Very good job," she said. "Thank you, I shall contact him later. Now introduce yourselves to each other. You are going to be training together for quite a while after all."

Then she made her way to the door and opened it, to see a young girl, but already having the demeanor of someone much older.

"Who are you and what is it?" Mistress knew perfectly well of course but certain rituals had to be observed and one of them was the act of introducing oneself.

-----

At that moment for Sanabi a door to the side opened and a man emerged. He looked to be quite mild and had round glasses on which made him look quite young and harmless. His eyebrows flew up his head at the sight of Sanabi and there was a pause before he finally spoke.

".....ah. Yes. How may I help you?"

Something about seeing Mistress stirred many emotions all at once. Sadness, fear, confusion...with a quick flick of deep hate and long forgotten anger. Of course, Hatsuyuki would feel this way, in fact most Fubukis would...after all this woman was the reason why her clan is almost extinct...the reason why her mother no longer grasped her hand at night before she falls asleep...and the reason why Shinratsu was gone... But the Fubukis were always good at locking their emotions and nearly as quickly the box that had spilled these feelings were locked away once more.

It was more of formality as to the empty expressions the Fubuki clan nearly always wore but Hatsuyuki lowered her eyes respectfully to the Water Master hating herself while her features were kept blank, before bowing gracefully to Mistress, then to each of the Water Master's companions in the room. The girl had remembered to wipe her tears away with a cloth hankerchief she always carried in her obi before she arrived at the Mizukage's building, so as of now it appeared as if Hatsuyuki hadn't cried at all though her blue eyes still showed some tall-tale hints of red.

"Hatsuyuki of the Fubuki clan...Lady Mistress." She spoke quietly, but with a sense of elegance and formality befitting of the rank she carried. It wasn't just how she spoke but also the way she carried herself... But the girl had dropped her formal clan title in her introduction. After all...the title didn't mean much anymore. However, Hatsuyuki had an inkling Mistress already knew what she came for but this was just for the formal first meeting ritual. After all, she did try to visit the Water Master several times before but each time Mistress would be elsewhere in the village.

Now came the more difficult part... Though Hatsuyuki never had the same sense of pride (haughtiness) as the other Fubuki clansmembers did, partially due to the fact she was born with a disability in her chakra reserves, but she was still quite a headstrong, strong-willed girl. She knew that her clan would very soon hate her...detest her for she is about to do. Her eyes closed half-way...almost sadly. Shinratsu... I know what you asked of me...but what should I do...? But her fiance wasn't here in this office...only she and Mistress (Mistress's companions too).

But then in her mind's eyes, she remembered all that had happened in the past year. Her father died a desecrating death, a mere prisoner in a dirty cell. Her mother, as the poison flooded her veins, cried out for her children and cursed her village for their betrayal. How long...how long before her brother was also snatched from her? And Kira, and the elderly that remained when those in prison finally expired...?

No. There was no choice. No honor, no loyalty left for this sad clan... No head, no heir, no main/branch families... Merely a group sharing a tragic fate, suffering and enduring much together. They would understand...they must...

Her soul apologized to her clan but she must do this before it is too late... And Hatsuyuki managed to choke out...

"I beg of you, Mistress, I didn't come as a daughter of the main family...but merely as a speaker for the imprisoned, main and branch families alike... For this sad clan of mine whose ancestors journeyed through snow-covered Yukigakure in search for a new home village. Welcomed by the Mizukage of long past, whom accepted the clan as one of his own...allowed us to build our northern home...and we had sworn to defend his family and absolute loyalty to his successors in gratitude..."

Hatsuyuki broke off, unable to continue her attempt to explain to Mistress why the clan had run away. "Two centuries may have passed but the vow made then still runs as thickly as the ice (pun, she meant their bloodlimit) in our blood. Headstrong, brash, reckless as ever... Our clan even with our eyes that could see through the strongest blizzard could not bear to see another rule Kiri..." By now, the girl had stopped speaking, her shoulders shaking.

And Hatsuyuki, abandoning her pride and dignity, dropped to her knees, long black hair still floating back down even a split second after she was already on the office ground. Her bangs and long hair hid her eyes, that now had already began to spill tears. "Please understand, my lady... It wasn't of grudge, tragic path my clan chose... Our nindo was our everything...of our spirit, of our way of life... But...that ancient vow...wasn't everything after all... Poor dear ancestors (dearest indeed) should they had known how their promise would bereave their children!

Father is dead, and mother. But not only I but many mourn for their lost loved ones... But alas, bringing them back is not something we can do... But if we may...relive (reestablish) our vow...this time with ancient Kirigakure that two centuries ago took us in?"

"The Mizukage..?" the man echoed. "She's upstairs, but she's quite busy right now. She's entertaining one of the Fubuki, the girl who was supposed to marry the clan heir if I'm not mistaken. At any rate, she's too busy to attend to you. That's what I'm for," he ended with a small grin. "No need to be so scared," he said cheerfully. "We're not all mean here!"

He then went over to the desk and grabbed what looked to be the shinobi list and a pen.

"You want to enroll as a student, huh..?" he said tapping his glasses with his pen. "Well, what's your name? Don't worry, the process of enrolling is very uncomplicated. We only need your name, age and address. And you look healthy enough."

Denkou wanted to lunge at Mistress for forgetting about him, but he supposed she had more important things to do. He instead found his own way to the freezer and pulled a chair out from under a table, pushing it against the freezer's side so he could reach. He climbed up, a determined look in his eyes, his tongue sticking out the side of his mouth a little bit, and reached into the freezer pulling out a pail of ice cream. He dropped down from the chair and pushed it back under the table, navigating his way back through the passages to Mistress's office.

He smiled at her as he sat down, peeled the lid off the ice cream, and began eating it with his hands. There was a young girl speaking with Mistress, one he felt he recognized a few traits of.

((@Karite - I don’t think it’s Hatsuyuki who’s going to be on your team, seeing as she still needs to attend the Academy. Because of her disability, her clan kept her under careful eye at all times and wouldn’t even allow her to become a shinobi so others won’t find out she’s...uh...a defect? O_o

At any rate, I think her brother is going to end up on your team. And I don’t know what wedding celebration you’re talking about...it was just an engagement. O_o They’re twelve (arranged to marry when they both reach 18 ) right now... ._.’ At any rate, the head family was announced dead by Mistress’s subordinates but the rumor was that the boy and his mother’s corpses weren’t retrieved.

@Kouri-chan - You’ll be surprised by how strongly Hatsuyuki would keep her promise to Mistress. Even if Shinratsu was to come and offer her the chance to escape Kiri, she would refuse, for the sake of the rest of the clan and her vow.))

Hatsuyuki, still in her kneeling position on the office floor, had not dared to lift her eyes when the Water Master gave her reply. She was surprised by how...lenient...Mistress’s conditions were but she quickly composed herself. Fortunately, her lowered eyes and long black hair that had draped all over her shoulders when she dropped to her knees and some locks over the side of her face, had mostly obscured her features from view. After a whole year of failed attempts in trying to arrange a meeting with Mistress, the young lady of the clan nearly lost all hope knowing her chances of seeing Mistress directly...let alone persuading the Water Master...was quite slim.

Hatsuyuki did not know what Mistress saw in her and from her position on the floor, the girl most certainly did not see the tall-tale hint of a smile on the Water Master’s features. Mistress’s praise that the Fubuki clan should be proud of her instead sent a guilty pang through her heart, knowing the few but still fiercely loyal to the head family, despite over a year of torture and imprisonment, would place blame on her for breaking what the clan had fought with their lives for. Even her brother may most likely lay blame on her. No. Hatsuyuki thought firmly. The clan does not need a repeat of what happened a little more than a year ago.

Despite Hatsuyuki’s status within her clan, she was used to being seen as a failure. After all, she was a stranger among her clan with her chakra system breach that rendered learning advanced ninjutsu techniques impossible for her, yet she was born to a ninjutsu-based clan. Back then, only Shinratsu had accepted her without grudge, without conditions even her own parents were unable to, and even pushed her to step into a new field of shinobi techniques. But Shinratsu was seen by everyone around him as a cold boy, with great potential as future head of a prominent clan but his dealings with others...the cold efficiency frightened even the clan elders, whom feared the boy might someday put them out of power. Perhaps...perhaps Mistress too wasn't as terrible as the clan elders had once made the Water Master out to be.

"I thank Lady Mistress for her kind words and for gracing this lowly soul with her time and honorable prescence." Hatsuyuki spoke quietly, still kneeling, her bright-blue eyes still lowered in respect. "What remains of the Fubuki clan...we will do our best to help rebuild ancient Kirigakure to her former greatness."

Hatsuyuki wanted to ask for her brother, whether or not he could possibly join a Genin squad, because Koyuki had been Genin before Mistress came to Kirigakure, but that was ruined because shortly after, the clan attempted to flee Kiri. Her brother was quite a clever boy, albeit a bit dull due to his position as the heir’s guardian, but his growth had been stunted for quite some time with the mass clan incarceration that followed. But Koyuki had sternly warned her not to see Mistress this morning when she left the compound and assured his sister he could go register himself. But Hatsuyuki decided it was best if she could keep her brother and the other Fubukis away from the Mizukage’s building until the probation time is over. Mistress may have shown great kindness so far towards a clan that attempted to flee but the Fubukis were a headstrong group and the more rash clan members could possibly cause potential riots, meaning trouble for the clan as a whole. Because of Hatsuyuki and her brother’s relationship to the head family, the remaining clan members would listen to their words. But to what extent? No, extent does not matter. She would make them listen, make them understand they cannot endanger what she and her brother had planned so carefully for the clan’s reconstruction.

Hatsuyuki did not get up and did not even move to wipe some of the dust now clinging to her kimono away. It could matter less, here a main family member kneeling in front of a Master to her. Her primary concern was for her clan and as soon as she had entered the office, Hatsuyuki had perfectly accepted whatever sentence Mistress may answer to her pleas. Choosing to kneel was of her own will but she would wait until Mistress gives her permission to stand.

And so the girl simply continued in her quiet, respectful tone. “If I may ask, Lady Mistress, for my Genin brother, Fubuki Koyuki...? If it’s possible...for him to be part of a squad...?”

"I am sorry Sensei it is just she is the reason my village is in such chaos, no matter if she is trying to rebuild it. I lost a sister and a life to her and that I can not take lightly." Hiro said clenching his fist, but I know of respect well, my past Sensei was Mizukage Seiko, a great man of this village. He taught me much before this happened. I am sorry sensei, I am your student and I shall follow your orders."

((*sigh* My avatar is kind of bothering me now... I don't know if it's the eyes or what but something just seem so out of place... >.<))

"I apologize to my lady for this poor soul's ignorance and rash speaking. Koyuki will be most grateful." Hatsuyuki spoke quietly, allowing gratitude to be present in her voice, but still kept her tone even and with great reverence. Noticing Mistress impatiently making sure the small boy in the office was kept happy (Hatsuyuki does not know that Denkou is the Lightning Master), the girl decided it was perhaps a wise time to withdraw herself from the office.

"Thank you Lady Mistress for seeing me today and I apologize for inconveniencing you... I shall not further intrude my presence." Hatsuyuki got up and gave a elegant bow to Mistress. "If my lady would permit me, may I go visit my clan (she meant the imprisoned ones) and bring them your judgement, kind and patient though we are undeservant to receive..."