“It’s been a while since we last discussed.” Kinoto said with his softest smile, not that the Mizukage appreciated his effort. The young man went on sipping tea behind a sea of documents and stern looking folders, barely acknowledging Kinoto seated at the couch and table.

A long moment of silence passed with Kinoto shifting in his seat preparing to repeat the sentence and start the regular meetings of small talk going when the Mizukage looked up, seemingly burned his lip as he hissed, “Ah, huh, yes, has it?”

He quickly answered before he lost the Kage’s attention, “Yes, it’s been nearly two months since we sat like this, how is Lord Jiraiya’s Tale of the Gutsy Ninja so far now?”

When the Lord of Root sent him to do his bidding in Kirigakure, Kinoto had imagined a different mission than what he’s come to experience. Of course, there were the high, exciting developments, like his little ongoing friendship with the Lady Megumi, a powerful clan Matriarch in the Land of Water and Kirigakure.

But when it came to his true target, the Fourth Mizukage, everything was dull and unexciting. He should have been right at home here, in this environment the Mizukage curated for their meetings, after all, the Root held no need for emotion or stimulation beyond the scope of their mission.

However, Kinoto was of an older generation, his training was not so entrenched that he’s abandoned the little pleasure of the unexpected or the amusement of novelty. The Mizukage provided neither.

For an hour or two they would talk about Konoha, the Fourth Hokage, the Third Hokage, the Copy Ninja and few others the Mizukage would have easily heard of or even come across in battle. Sometimes he would indulge Kinoto’s questions about Kirigakure, food and culture, but he would only get as far as mundane information that could easily be scrapped off a single conversation with a peasant before the Mizukage would bring the conversation back to Konoha or how the plants from Lady Kushina’s seeds were growing or how far he’s read in any one of Lord Jiraiya’s books.

It infuriated him but the most interesting, useful and surprising thing they’d learned about the man was that he was the Jinchuriki of the Three Tailed Beast. Though at the time they’d learned this the man had long since cut down on how often they spoke until a month had passed with Kinoto agonizing to know how much power and control the Mizukage had over the beast.

The fact that the Tailed Beast hadn’t spawned from its seal that fateful night its chakra painted the night sky red and that he sat here without a seeming care or wound meant that the Mizukage had some control over the beast or some way to stave off its breaking the seal that imprisons it.

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When Kinoto reported this he was aptly informed of the existence of one S-rank shinobi, Harusame and ordered to learn more. He was a mysterious man that appeared scarcely outside his Fuuinjutsu academy and obeyed only the Mizukage and his council, at least, according to the Lady Megumi.

He didn’t need to reveal why he wanted to know about the man or what his next questions would be; she rejected them all and asked for something as outrageous as a second Byakugan with emphasis on them being a complete set.

Kinoto’s training helped subdue the laughter that would have exploded out of him upon hearing her demands for learning what type of seal held the Three Tails within the Mizukage but he supposed she must have felt the same when he dared to even ask.

“Well, my apologies for that, Kinoto-san, I had no idea you enjoyed my company so.” The Mizukage flashed him a wide, ignorant grin before his face bled of emotion as he turned an eye to the document in hand,

Kinoto had long given up on trying to determine what sort of personality the man had, if anything, he seemed to be constantly split between two or perhaps even three personas whenever they spoke. He was the stoic, focussed general, the bright and optimistic leader, and then the bloodthirsty Jinchuriki with ambitions beyond Kinoto’s scope of knowing.

He is a danger. Such an unpredictable man wielding power as he does was bound to make enemies easily and by the looks of his desk and the activity in the tower, it was obvious this Mizukage had already made a fair bit of enemies.

“It’s unfortunate then that tonight will be your last in Kiri.”

His sudden words and poor wording had Kinoto’s heart leap into his throat and his chakra spike defensively. He settled himself and caught the Mizukage smirking down at him, “Why is that?”

“Must there be a reason? All good things come to an end and well, you’ve had a good time in Kirigakure, yes?”

A cloistered time. Kinoto inwardly grumbled but knew Konoha would be little different, he was not a shinobi anyone would like to see on a loose leash. He gave an eye smile and nodded, “Quite so, yes, I suppose the time to return home has come after all. It would be best if Kirigakure could address its war without Konoha shinobi loitering about.”

The Mizukage didn’t miss his directness but he simply smiled, leaned back and retrieved a scroll from a cupboard. It was silk with a gloss that told of power and authority, its handles were golden and a blue ribbon was pinned with the Mizukage’s signature stamp. That was a scroll for his betters.

“I have something for Minato, take this to him and he alone, do you understand me?” The Mizukage asked, holding the scroll up as he spoke and watched Kinoto approach.

“Of course, Hokage-sama will receive it the moment I arrive.” Kinoto said and quickly moved to retrieve the scroll, yet the Mizukage pulled away.

“I know who you serve, Root-nin, more than the Lady Megumi.” The Mizukage suddenly seeing through him so thoroughly left Kinoto startled, though he'd sooner bite his tongue than visibly confirm it. The Mizukage narrowed his eyes at him and commanded again, “For Minato, first and foremost, I will know if it’s been opened before.”

Finally, the Kage let Kinoto have the scroll. Having been so exposed and veritably banished from Kirigakure, Kinoto found a well of fearless courage rise within him and a question lingered on his tongue. “What is it?”

Yagura looked up from the documents he’d immediately turned back to and said with an amused scoff, “Let’s just say I’m eager to tour.”