Mar walked down the street with the stick of a sucker hanging out of his mouth. There was no rain today, but the wind was brutal. It hadn't been too long ago that he'd been assigned as Kage, and he was in a really good mood. He just hoped that no one was gonna come along and ruin that for him. He'd already finished the paperwork that he'd been given and was taking a break. It's not like he was an overachiever or anything, he just liked to get stuff out of the way. As he walked he saw a figure coming towards him. "Yo," he said casually.

Requiem finished the last of his sit-ups. He did not often train, but he had an upcoming mission and wanted to make sure that he would not be a burden to his teammates. He almost laughed at the thought. It was insane. He was a professional hitman, how Could he ever be a burden. That sounded a bit cocky, even to him. He stood up and wiped the sweat from his face. He was a bit worn, some fresh air should fix that though. Requiem tossed his towel to the side and walked over to the window. He lifted it up and a wind slapped him in the face. He wasn't bothered by it, it actually felt good.

He sat there for a long moment. "No rain, just wind. I should take this time to go for a walk." He sat in the window for a bit longer and then closed it. Leaving it open to let the room air out would have been better, but the deed had been done. Requiem searched through his closest for something to wear. He grabbed a pair of black pants and a white collard shirt. He would leave the mask behind today. Dressing he exited the apartment. The streets didn't seem as busy today, that was good.

All this wind and not a single drop of rain. This was both good and bad. No rain meant he couldn't wash off the blood. That was just the downside. No rain also meant that he could leave a trail. This double life was a strain at times. He'd never change his occupation though. The double life he led was a hobby. It was also the reason he'd been disowned by his father, but what did it matter. He was living a free life and a good one at that. That old bag of bones had been doing him a favor.

Requiem turned his head in the opposite direction of the wind. Someone was walking, and it was just anyone. It was the new kage. He cursed himself for not wearing his mask today. It would have been fun. There would always be other chances in the future. Requiem approached the younger man and gave a curt nod as he was greeted. "Good day, sir." He was being repsectful as usual. He knew his place.

(nice post man)

Marut looked at the man. He didn't recognize him. He chewed on the end of the stick for a moment in thought, trying to remember who this was. Something about him was familiar, but he just couldn't place it. "My apologies, but I can't seem to place the name with the face. Who're you?" he asked, feeling as if he should know the names of all his ninja, or at least as many as he could. He was, afterall, the kage now. It seemed that this man knew it too.

(thank you)

Requiem was almost delighted to know this man did not know his name. He liked the fact that he could keep a low profile. Yes, even in his own village he liked to stay discrete. Requiem looked over the man. "I am Requiem." The smallest small formed across his face. This was the new Kage, he told himself. The Kage, the one who'd run this village until death or retirement. He silently chuckled. He didn't look like much. He should test him, see just how well he was. No, then he'd be looked upon as an enemy. Now he wanted his mask even more, to hide his identity.

"No need to apologize, sir." He'd added the respectful sir on purpose. He'd see if this man was the formal type or the laid back type. With a lolly pop in his mouth it was hard not to know on first sight that this man was laid back. Seriousness. Strength. Attitude. This was what Requiem was looking for. He had a habit of finding out who he was dealing with by getting to know them. He smirked and instantly regretted it. He was far too accustomed to having his mask covering his face. The next time he met with this man it'd be on different circumstances.

"You're our new Arashikage, Marut Serius." He said. Yes he'd done his homework, but he didn't know quite enough yet. Damn his tendencies to smirk at every little thing. He lowered his gaze just a tad bit. He was itching for a fight now. Requiem sighed and looked the Kage over. "I assume you're capable of bringing this village back from the ground?" The time bomb had began, the question was who would blow first.

Marut looked the man over curiously as he stated that his name was Requiem. Interesting name, that was for sure. Perhaps even an alias, Marut figured. "Nice to meetcha Requiem," he said with the lightest of smirks. He waved his hand dismissively as the man called him sir for a second time. "Formalities aren't needed," he told the guy plainly. As far as he was concerned, he was just another ninja. Yeah, he had more power than most, but he could also be overruled by others in the village.

He blinked as Requiem stated that he was the new Arashikage, then said his full name. "Yeah, that's right," he said with a nod. So this guy knew him. Big deal. At least, that's what Mar wanted to think. But his tendencies of overthinking things got the better of him. Yeah, it was common knowledge that there was a new kage, but how many of the ninja in the village took it upon themselves to do research about said new kage? It was obvious that this man had done research. How many people look up only the name of someone, without bothering to look up anything else about them? Yeah, this guy did his homework, Mar would give him props for that.

"You assume right," he said calmly when Requiem asked if he was capable of bringing the Storm back up from the ground. No, Mar wasn't exactly what one would call arrogant, but he knew where he stood, and he knew his limits, though he was constantly trying to surpass those limits. He scanned Requiem over once more. "What rank are you?" He wanted to know just who he was dealing with here. Depending on what he could find out about this guy after the current ordeal was settled, he might find a use for this man. And rank was a helpful tool to know.

So he was the laid back type, he wouldn't jump to conclusions just yet though. It was a bad idea and could get him killed. "And it's a pleasure to meet you." He said with a formal bow. Formalities or not is was his job to make a good first impression to anyone whom he met. What happened afterward was based upon how he felt about them after the first encounter. Requiem held back a smile that was slipping. He couldn't help himself anymore. This was too amusing. This guy didn't react to anything. Never had he met anyone like this. It made him want to fight all the more. He pointed down the road. "Care to take a walk, I'm a bit bored and my leg seems to be falling asleep."

"I'm a Jonin by the way," he said. Requiem started to walk. He wasn't waiting for the other guy to follow. He never did, he was a bit impatient at times. "It's a bit of a relief that we have a Kage. I was starting to think that the village would be taken over by the Akatsuki before we found someone." He looked at Marut. "That or that little group that showed up a a while back was going to start running things."

Requiem chose to not continue with that conversation. It was over now that Marut was the Kage. "I'd look into that if I were you," he said before stopping at a stand and buying a soda. He took a sip and then looked back. "Want one?" He asked holding up the soda.

Mar merely shrugged as the guy asked if he'd like to walk, giving a light chuckle as he said that his leg was falling asleep. "Sure," he said, following after the man. As they walked, a strong wind blew by, which made Marut momentarily close his eyes. Not because he couldn't take the wind in them, no, that wasn't why. He just loved the feel of it. If there was one thing that Mar loved above all else when it came to the elements, it was the wind. Though he closed his eyes, he hadn't stopped walking, and as said, it was only a momentary thing, so he had no fears of running into anyone. "A Jonin, huh?" he asked, finally opening his eyes and looking up at the dull gray sky. "Hmm...which type of missions you take on most often?" he asked. It seemed that Mar had no concern that he might run into something. He knew the streets like he knew the back of his hand, and should anyone have been in his way, he would've heard them. He was confident that he wouldn't run into anything.

"Agreed. I'm not sure as to why the Council waited so long to appoint someone. But I plan on bringing the Storm back to it's former glory," he said, his gaze still on the skies. He stayed silent for a moment as Requiem mentioned the group that Roan had appointed. He wasn't sure what he was going to do with them yet. He was thinking of dismissing them immediately, but then the thought came to his mind that, well, they still needed the groups protection. For now. It wouldn't be long before Marut would organize groups to guard the outer walls, and groups to rebuild what wasn't already rebuilt in the village. But whatever happened, he didn't plan on letting that group rule. Not a chance in hell. He grimaced slightly at the thought, and almost let a low growl escape him. "Yeah, I got that covered," he told Requiem as he said that he'd look into it. He chewed on the stick in his mouth lightly as the man asked if he wanted a soda. "Nah, I'm good," he said, then took a look around. He'd have to speak with the leader of the Infamous Five sometime soon to tell them that their services would not be needed much longer. Or at least one of the group members.


(Something tells me we're gonna end up doing a fight scene between these two when Requiem is masked, am I right? lol)

(Requiem doesn't like picking fights, but a little fun wont hurt him.)

Requiem had a feeling that Marut wouldn't make a half bad Kage. The guy was walking with his eyes closed. His over all demeanor may have seemed lazy, but he found that this guy was confident as well. That was a good thing. This place needed a strong leader. He wasn't saying that the Assistant Roan had been doing a bad job, no, if he had Requiem would have called him out on it. Although with that being said it was rude to talk about your higher ups when you were in no position to do so. Requiem wasn't some power craving ninja, he had everything he wanted. The position of Kage was not something he wanted. Too much work. He didn't like being restrained. Being able to live his double life had been enough for him. It was all he wanted, all he needed.

"Marut? How well do you know your ninja?" He asked. He was going somewhere with this, but it'd take a while. The man had asked him earlier about his type of missions. He hadn't exactly avoided it, but he hadn't gotten around to either. "I understand that you're new to the whole Kage business, so don't think too hard on it." This was probably the perfect moment to see this man's skills. To send a kunai in his direction, see if he was paying attention. That would be fun. That would inevitably get him in trouble. "I apologize for not answering your question earlier. About the missions, I'll take anything I can. It's not about the money, I just need enough to pay rent. I'm in it more for the thrill. A and B ranked missions are my specialty. They're more, intense." He looked at his soda and tossed it into the trash. "What mission did you take on?"

(lol)

Marut looked at Requiem as he asked how well he knew his ninja. "Hm? I like to think I know them rather well," he said. "I'm trying to make it a point to know as many as I possibly can," he said. "Why?" It wasn't something that he had to think hard on, but regardless, it did make him think. Perhaps he should think twice about getting to know their personal lives. But regardless, he wanted to be a kage that knew his people, and his ninja alike. He looked at Requiem, waving his hand as he apologized. "No need." Was all he said in response. He chuckled lightly as Requiem said that he didn't care about money, he just needed to pay rent. "I know how that goes," he said with a nod. He smirked as his fellow ninja said that he was more in it for the thrill, that he took on the more intense missions. "Hm?" He looked at Requiem and blinked as he was asked what kind of missions he used to take on. He gave a light smirk. "Mostly the higher rank missions. Like you, I used to do it because they were harder. I used to think of it as a hell of a lot of fun to go on missions like those," he explained. "But now and then I'd take on some C-rank missions with a couple of the chuunin's to teach them a thing or two, help them with their training, ya know?" he said with a light smile.

He turned the stick in his mouth without touching it, chewing on it for a moment in thought. "How long you been a ninja in the Storm for?" he asked. Marut couldn't help but notice some things about Requiem. For one thing, it seemed that every time an expression passed over his face, he'd replace it a moment later as if he wanted no one to see. That told Marut that he was used to wearing a mask. That being said....er....thought, this made him think that the guy might've been an ANBU at one point, or something of the like. He'd made sure to ask, a ninja in the Storm. It didn't immediately give away the intentions of the question of course. But who downgraded from an ANBU to a Jonin? He wasn't aware of anyone having been demoted recently, which meant one of two things: One, Requiem wore a mask in his own spare time, perhaps when he didn't have missions. Or two: Requiem was an ANBU in a different village a long time ago and was recently (or not so recently) put in the Storm Village as a spy mission. Either situation seemed suspicious. Marut held back a sigh. He couldn't be suspicious of every ninja he crossed paths with, but it was in his nature to over analyze things.

Requiem kept that steady pace he'd been walking at for the past few moments. He found it a slight honor to be able to walk and talk with the Kage. What made this meeting even more interested was that they had no previous encounter with each other. That was was, unless Requiem's memory was fooling him. He wouldn't brag, but his memory was near perfect. He accounted certain events more than others, but this man had no place in his mind. Requiem let it slid. His focus was more on the question of 'why,' which Marut had just questioned him on. Requiem could go about this in many ways, but he chose a less complex answer. "No reason of great concern. I find it more efficient if a Kage knows his people, it causes less conflict in the long run. And a great deal of misunderstanding can be avoided, if such situation comes up." Requiem looked at Marut and smiled. "Though I'm sure with you in charge, things wouldn't get to that point. I have confidence you're going to make this village great. I hope I'm right."

Requiem wasn't the type for mind games. He got straight to the point when it came to business, but this was not business. Or was it? Requiem pondered the thought for a long moment. Was he testing Marut subconsciously? Seeing how this man worked, how he took care of things, how well he'd do as the Kage. He was intrigued by all the unanswered questions that were rolling around in his mind. Looked like he had some homework to do tonight. How much trouble would he get into if he so happened to sneak into the Kage's office and do a bit of snooping. He smiled inwardly. None if he didn't get caught.

"Ten years," Requiem answered. He'd come when he was twenty three. Ten years was a long time. He'd come seeking for a new life. He'd tried to start over, but the life he'd lived for so many years kept calling him back and he took up a double life again. One half to the Storm, the other to the life of a hit man assassinating ambassadors and such. What the Jonin really wanted was an opportunity to become an ANBU. Speaking of, he needed to get that information and who better to ask than the Kage himself. "Sir, may I ask you a question." Requiem paused. "I'm aiming for ANBU, what do I need to do in order to accomplish this?" He asked. Requiem had been serious throughout the entire conversation, yet right now he was more attentive. As ANBU he could go on S-Ranked Missions. Push himself to the limit, and better his skills far greater than what he had already accomplished. All he need to know was, how.

No reason of great concern. So, was it simply curiosity then? Only a moment later did Mar find out, when Requiem stated that he just found it more efficient for a Kage to know his people. He chuckled lightly. "Funny, that. I think the same thing." He gave a light nod, crossing his arms. "If a Kage knows his people, he knows how to organize them when the time calls for it. And it also helps that it allows said Kage to be known as kind," he finished with a resolute nod, as if he'd just gotten finished analyzing something. That had been his theory for a long time, even since Kinaga Unabara and Ginger Stormwatcher. They'd both been great Kages, and the Storm had flourished under their watch. At least until Unabara had disappeared after the war. That had broken down the Storm more than anyone could know. Not just because it had become leaderless, but because Kinaga Unabara was a shining light for the Storm after Ginger Stormwatcher had left. He was a very liked Kage, there had been no doubt about it. No one was angry with him for what he'd done during the war, but simply disappearing like that? That was something some people in the Storm held a grudge for.

Bringing his mind back to the conversation at hand, Mar gave a smile as Requiem said he hoped he was right. "Guess only time will tell. But I wouldn't worry too much about something like that. This village will be strong once more, I'd gladly bet my life on it," he said with confidence in his voice. Now that he thought about it, he'd already planned a bunch of changes in both the security of the Storm, and the missions the ninja were to take on depending on their rank, leaving the economic things alone for now, since everything seemed to be going well as far as that went. He'd just have to bring those ideas up to the council. Yes, he'd do that soon.

Mar turned the stick in his mouth at Requiem's answer. Ten years, huh? The man beside him looked about thirty, give or take a year or two. Was that enough time for a ninja of another village to become a skilled spy? At twenty or so years old, even if one trained their whole life, could they be a skilled agent? Yes, yes, it was most definitely possible. Then again, it could've been that Requiem just came here for a new life. That being said, Marut would rule nothing out. He'd investigate Requiem later on, read his transfer papers, see where the man came from, if there even were any papers. Asking face-to-face would be much too suspicious.

Mar turned his head only slightly and looked at the older man out of the corner of his eye as he was asked if he could be asked a question. A little redundant, if you asked him. "Ask away," he said with a shrug. He blinked at the question. It hadn't been one he was expecting to be honest. It was a perfect opportunity to learn a bit more about his companion without seeming suspicious. "Hm," he said thoughtfully, looking back in front of him. "The Storm only recruits high-level ninja to be their ANBU. We can't have just any jonin going out on the missions that ANBU take on, we'd lose half our ninja over night. ANBU have to be quick, stealthy, silent. That's what we look for. Yes, yes, normal ninja are skilled in these areas of course. But normal ninja's kills are rather sloppy. An ANBU's kill has to be perfect. They pride themselves on their kills not being known of until perhaps days later, even with those of great importance." He looked at Requiem. "How are your skills in those areas?" he asked.