Tenkuu gave a rather deep sigh. She'd been thinking this over since the War which had happened over a week ago. The village was in a mass repair state. This was the second attack in less than six months. First the Akatsuki and now the Snow Valley. She should have known that war would occur between two villages. What she hadn't been counting on was for one of those villages to be here own. She sighed again. She'd asked for a ninja to retrieve Ziade, the leader of the Infamous Five. The woman had saved her life in the war and he group had helped their village, so she was going to hire her. Tenkuu had been so busy protecting other villages, that she hadn't taken the time to protect her own home. She shook her head and looked to the door. She'd also requested for someone to find Shen. He was sort of like her adviser. And right now she needed him.

Shen was out and about helping with rebuilding after Etsu had decided to go help with repairs as well. He'd been reluctant to let her out of his sight at first. Very reluctant. But after finding that there would be older, capable ninja around the same area as her, he finally gave in. Things had not been supposed to turn out like this. Of course, despite the fact that he'd done his best, and despite the fact that he'd arrived home already worn out, he still couldn't help but feel that he could have done a hell of a lot better. While Shen tried to keep a cool composure as he worked, no one dared approach him, for the last person who did, Shen ended up snapping at out of sheer anger at the situation. If he'd been in his wolf form, the guy might have been missing a hand.

But, unfortunately for one unlucky guy, Tenkuu wanted to see him. "What?" Shen snapped when the messenger called his name. He stayed silent a moment after the message was relayed and gave a sigh of irritation. "Yeah, I'm comin'." He'd never been in a worse mood. But with Shen being as he was, he had to hold back and seem cool, if only for Tenkuu's sake. She was already suffering enough over this. Knocking on Tenkuu's door twice after he arrived at her office, Shen slipped inside. "You wanted to see me?" Replacing the irritation and anger from earlier was a mask of a mix of sympathy and duty. He was the ANBU Captain, and he had a role to fulfill. And he would do so.

Tenkuu had decided to fill out some paper work while she waited. There had been talk that the Council was displeased with her work. She'd been unprepared for both attacks and the casualties on their end where extremely high. Tenkuu had a feeling she was about to be replaced. When Shen came in she simply nodded. "Yes, I wanted to ask you about the Infamous Five, do you know anything about them?" She never once made eye contact with him, she was focusing on her papers. If she looked up she'd probably start crying and telling him about how horrible she's been doing and how right he was when it came to telling her she should listen to him. So instead of being dramatic, she did paperwork.

So now she wasn't looking at him? Shen wondered if that was because of her own insecurities or if it was because she was displeased with him for some reason. Regardless, he approached her desk, standing in front of it as she asked him about the Infamous Five. "Yeah, I hear they're a bunch of traveling fighters that take on whatever work they can get. That they get their name because one of their members killed a couple people in a town once. Don't know which one it was though. They're supposed to be the best of the best. Supposed to be. Why? You thinking of hiring them?" he asked. He hadn't known about their intervention in the war. He'd never actually seen any of the members before, and if he had, he hadn't known it was them.

Tenkuu nodded as he spoke. "The best of the best," she mumbled.
Maybe hiring them would be a good move on her part. "I was considering
it," she answered when he asked if she was going to hire them. "Their
leader saved my life during the war and her group fought with our side.
They're very skilled from what I saw." She gave a small sigh and flipped
a page. "What do you think about that?" She asked. "Me hiring them
until we finish repairing the village. I had Masamune look into some of
their recent work. They were guarding the Storm while things got
situated over their." Finally she looked up. "I was just needing a
second opinion, and since I can't find Lee, I thought I'd ask yours."

Shen blinked as Tenkuu told him that the leader had saved her. "They were here?" He then fell silent as she spoke. He hadn't encountered any ninja that looked out of the ordinary between the clash of the two villages. Maybe he was losing his touch. But for goodness sake, he was only twenty-one years old! He couldn't be losing it already.

Returning to what Tenkuu was saying. "They were guarding the Storm, huh..." he muttered. He gave a light sigh and took off his hat, only to run his other hand through his hair, the hand with his hat in it falling to his side, as well as the other one. "We can't offer them much Tenkuu. The most we can offer them right now is food and a place to stay, and if you're gonna hire them, you have to make that absolutely clear. Maybe we can deter any other payment until after the village is back on it's feet, but not now," he said, looking at her. He wasn't too sure what to make out of her calling on him for advice, so he said nothing on the subject for now.

Tenkuu nodded. "Just in the nick of time, almost as if they knew we were going to be attacked. I know there had been rumors, but..." She trailed off. She sat back in her chair as he said that there was no money to offer. "I get it." She looked off to the side. "Shen, tell me what you think of this. The village needs money and the only way to get that money is by going on missions. We haven't exactly met our quota. I want to send ninja out on missions. Not a lot, just a few on high level missions." She looked at him closely.

He knew what she was about to say. Or rather, what she was thinking. Everyone else but her saw that this war had been coming. Yeah, there had been rumors. In Shen's opinion, rumors like that, with a solid basis, should be taken seriously. And there had been a very solid basis. In his hand, he moved his hat around, switching the visor between his fingers. Mostly because he didn't like staying still anymore. Mostly because it had been a while since he'd last checked on Etsu. He tilted his head a little in inquiry when she told him to tell her what he thought of what she was about to say. Much like a curious wolf would. When she finished, his gaze dropped a bit and he stayed silent for a few moments. It was smart, what she was proposing, definitely. But they didn't know if the Snow would attack again. "I think that's a smart idea," he finally said. "I wouldn't say that we can assume it safely, but nonetheless I think for now we have a good chance of the Snow leaving us alone. They hadn't tried to overtake us, but more like...they were just trying to prove a point," he said. "And they proved it." A pause and a sigh. "We do need the money, badly." He scratched his head lightly. "If you're gonna send anyone out, make most of them ANBU," he said. It was a smart idea, it really was. Shen only wished that he could handpick the teams for their missions to be more efficient, but then, he didn't know how well Tenkuu knew the ANBU. It might be more of an insult if he inquired. But then again, at this point, insult really was the least of their worries. "Do you mind if I pick out which ANBU go to a team?"

(I just realized...Shen really needs a partner in crime to replace poor Kenshin.)

Ziade approached the Kage's tower rather confidently. Either the Infamous Five was going to be hired, or they were going to be turned away. The leader seemed pretty confident it would be the former. This village needed their help. As was usual with every other village she entered, she was stopped at the entrance to the tower and told to come with one of the guards when she told them that she was there to see the Kage. She was also told to wait in a hallway outside the one to the Kage's office as the guard went to inform the Kage.

A knock on the door as the guard came in, giving a bow. "Excuse me for interrupting. The Leader of the Infamous Five is here to see you Lady Tenkuu."

(poor Shen. One shall randomly appear.)

Tenkuu tapped her pen on her desk. "What are you asking me permission for, you're the ANBU Captain," she reminded him. "You're in charge of them, or have you forgotten." Her attention went to the door as someone said the Leader of the Infamous Five had arrived. "Send her in," Tenkuu said casually. She looked at Shen. "That's all I really wanted, but if you want to stay for this, then feel free." She gave him a look. "Just behave yourself." She knew how Shen could get. He was her Akatsuki Killing Craved Ninja after all.

A blunt, and slightly embarrassed look came over Shen's face when she tapped her pen on her desk, and he looked to the side. "Of course I hadn't forgotten," he said in almost a mutter. But then again...at this point, the ANBU might be trusting Shen more than they trusted Tenkuu right now, and that didn't sit well with the ANBU leader. No matter how much they trusted him, in his mind, they should always trust their Kage more, even if only by a little. Because, after all, she was the one who had put him in his position. And she was the one keeping him there.

Shen's gaze switched to the door as footsteps approached, then a guard poked in. The leader of the Infamous Five? Already? He turned his gaze back to Tenkuu. Had she requested the leader come before she'd even spoken with him? Shen replaced his hat on his head and smirked as Tenkuu said he could stay if he wanted. Of course he wanted to. The smirk grew a bit larger as she told him to behave. "What reason do I have to misbehave?" he asked, walking towards a side wall and leaning against it as he heard the sound of more approaching footsteps.

(Wait a minute...but the IF aren't even Akatsuki!)

Ziade waited until the guard came back and told her that she could go in to see the Kage, giving him a nod. The guard followed her, having expected that Shen left when Lady Tenkuu had said that that was all she'd wanted, that having been the only part of the conversation he'd heard before he'd left. "Would you like me to stay Lady Tenkuu?" the guard asked upon entering once more, only to notice that Shen was still there. Shen was a better ninja than he was, he'd heard rumors from around the village, so the guard was sure that Shen could protect Tenkuu better than he ever could. Even so, he waited for Tenkuu's answer.

Ziade, on the other hand, did not wait to approach the desk, keeping an appropriate amount of space between both the Kage and her watchdog by the wall. She waited only until Tenkuu answered the guard, to ask her question. "Have you considered allowing us to help you then?" As always, her voice was silken, and everything she did was in a way most graceful. She almost seemed completely harmless, really. But everyone who knew of the Infamous Five knew better.

Tenkuu shook her head no when the guard asked if she needed him to stay. That would be unnecessary. Shen was here and although she'd told him to behave himself, she knew that if anything was to happen he'd be all over Ziade before she could draw in a breathe. "I'll be fine," she assured the guard. Once he was gone she focus her attention on the Infamous Five Leader, giving a brief glance to Shen, before devoting her full attention to the older woman. Tenkuu was rather surprised at how straight forward Ziade was. She wasn't sure if hire without payment would be an option any longer. "Yes, I have considered your proposal," she answered. "Hiring you and your group seems like a good move at this point in time. If I were to hire you, what would you charge?" She asked. "For let's say a month at the least." Tenkuu needed numbers so she could plan accordingly.

(I just realized. Ziade isn't all that much older than Tenkuu is.)

Ziade seemed pleased to hear that her and her group would have a place to stay for a while. Because she knew that the Stealth would need them for a good while. "Naturally we would require a place to stay and supplies along with it," she said with a small nod. She'd thought over this before hand, because that's just how she was. They would probably be there for three months at the least, and Ziade needed sustainable funds until the Five of them could find another mission. Usually that took a month or so, which meant they needed enough for that amount of time. Which meant she was looking at about twenty thousand, just to be safe. Usually the Infamous Five made about fifty grand on a mission like this, but... "Given the current state of your village, I'm willing to lower our usual charges. For a month I'd say about eight thousand five hundred." That was reasonable to most, considering it was actually around the price of an A-ranked mission. Well that, and the Stealth would now have five of the best fighters anywhere guarding their village.

(oh wow, I didn't even realize.)

Tenkuu nodded as Ziade started to speak. So the woman had taken into consideration that the village needed funds. The cost was that of an A-Ranked mission. The ANBU would be needed indeed. She looked to Shen and gave him a nod before turning back to Ziade. "Alright, you and your group will be given a place to stay as well as a supplies. I will have my guard show you to the estate in which you will stay in. As for your funds, you will receive them at the end of the month. You have my word." Tenkuu was considering paying her half the money two weeks from now, and the other half at the end of the month, but first she needed to see if they would be able to even obtain that much money. "Do you have any questions?"

Ziade hadn't acknowledged the boy standing at the wall when she'd entered, nor did she when the Kage gave him a nod. As far as she saw it, he was just there for muscle should need be. She didn't know his position in the Stealth, and at the present moment, she didn't really need to. The older woman nodded when she was informed that the Infamous Five would be given a place to stay, and that she would be shown where. "And I shall take it," she said with a nod when Tenkuu said that she gave her word. Ziade was not a trusting person, but if the money was not delivered, perhaps Linix would find himself a bit more bored than usual one day. Though, Ziade figured it would not come to that. This Kage was young, and seemingly naive. She seemed like she could be one to be trusted, so for now Ziade was going to give her the benefit of the doubt. Now then...did she have any questions? At that very moment, no. She'd probably be back with suggestions though after talking with the rest of the group. There were usually a few good ideas thrown around in discussions with them. Things she could work off of. "I do not. Though if I discover later that I do have any, I will stop by," she said. She took it that was all the Kage had needed from her, but just in case, Ziade waited for a reply.

Tenkuu was pleased at how well the deal had gone over. "Then it's settled. If you'd tell the guard to take you to The Inux Estate." Tenkuu had not been there in a while. It was the building where their more important guest stayed. Named after the first Kage of the Stealth, Tenkuu figured it would suite the Infamous Five. Tenkuu closed the file on her desk after signing off on it. "And tell him your room will be on the first floor." Tenkuu stood up. "And you are welcomed to stop by at any time." That didn't mean that Ziade could just waltz in here whenever she felt like it. The guards would still check to make sure she was not trying anything. She was still weary about the who Infamous part of there group's name. She'd be looking more into that herself.

Ziade nodded when the Kage told her to inform the guard that he was to take them where they were staying. He'd be taking Ziade alone first. She wanted to see just where it was they were staying, and then show her group. She never showed it, but she always did like surprising them. "I understand." When Tenkuu finished by saying she was welcome to stop by anytime, Ziade inclined herself in a small bow. "Thank you Lady Tenkuu. We look forward to working with you," she said before straightening herself up and turning to leave. Once she was out, she informed the guard who only seemed to have been waiting outside the door, of where she was to be taken.

Shen stayed silent throughout the transaction, looking to Tenkuu every now and then. But mostly his gaze stayed on the leader of the Infamous Five. She seemed to be ignoring his very presence, but that was just fine with him. Everything went over rather smoothly, he thought. The woman in the blue kimono was actually rather reasonable. But then again, maybe she was being reasonable because Tenkuu was being reasonable. When the woman left, Shen let out a sigh. The woman had a nice scent to her, but Shen was glad she was gone nonetheless. He looked to Tenkuu. "Interesting woman. Never would of thought she was a fighter at first glance," he said. The thing was, he'd noticed that sweet scent of hers was actually the scent of poison. That was what had intrigued him so. He didn't say anything about it, because she'd made no move to use it. But if she had tried to touch Tenkuu in any way, he would have not allowed it. Though it might have landed him on both Tenkuu, and Ziade's bad side. Which was also just fine with him.

Tenkuu watched Ziade go before she looked to Shen. "A rather good one at that," she stated nonchalantly. Tenkuu went back to her desk and took the file into her hands. "What do you find interesting about her?" She asked as she went to a cabinet and placed the files in. She wished Lee was here, she could use some help with this. Standing back up she yawned and started for the window. "I guess I should head down and help with repairs." Tenkuu let out a small sigh. "You wouldn't happen to know how the repairs are going, would you?"

Shen looked to Tenkuu at her nonchalent statement. She was right of course, it was just the way she'd said it. He blinked at her question. Shoulda seen that one coming. "Well...she carries herself like a performer, if you ask me," he said with a shrug. "She seems to have high confidence and rather good charisma. Her movements are deceptive. They would cause the untrained eye to fall into a false sense of security. Everything about her is a contradiction to what she really is," he said, looking towards the door as if she would reappear. He wrinkled his nose a bit. The lingering smell of poison was still in the air. It was a sweet scent, but not one he particularly liked. "And she came into this room prepared to kill if she had to," he stated. He looked to Tenkuu as she said she should go down and help with repairs. "They're going fine. We don't exactly have high morale though. A lot of people here had friends or family in the Snow," he stated. As if Tenkuu didn't already know that though. He was just giving a status update. Giving a shrug, Shen followed behind her.

That made Tenkuu face her ANBU Captain. "Very nice observation." She knew she could rely on Shen to fill in the gaps. Had she not seen Ziade fight that day on the battle field, she would have suspected the woman of being a performer as well. "And what do you mean she came prepared to kill," she asked. Tenkuu had seen nothing about the woman that made her feel threatened. If she had hidden weapons then okay, so did she. All ninja carried around weapons, it was expected. Tenkuu stayed facing Shen. "What would you suggest to boost morale? It's not like we have time to put together a festival, not like anyone would want to go, the last one was crashed by the Snow...." She sighed. "It couldn't be helped that the Snow had good relations with us and then they suddenly attacked. I wonder if it had been set up that way?"

Shen couldn't help but smirk as Tenkuu said nice observation. He was already arrogant to begin with, she was just feeding the flames with that one. Shen looked at her as she asked what he meant when he said she'd come prepared. "She was carrying poison on her," he informed her. "A sweet smelling one, probably something really potent," he said. "She wa-" he paused for a few seconds with a blank look on his face before he sneezed and rubbed his nose lightly, sniffing. "Damn that stuff," he muttered. "I suspect she was hiding it in senbon somewhere on her person," he finished. "I don't have any ideas yet, but I'll try to think of something. Not too sure why the Snow attacked, but either way, with friends and family of ninja in the Stealth as well, I'm sure some of his own will be questioning the Kage's leadership right about now. We'd done nothing to provoke the attack, at least nothing that was made open to the public," he said. Even he didn't know about what had happened during that one Kage meeting. After all, he was only an ANBU. He gave a sigh and rubbed his nose again. "Can we...maybe leave the office? This scent is bugging me," he said with a small bit of irritation. He couldn't help it, he had a sensitive nose.

Tenkuu smiled. "You're such a wolf," she said lightly when he asked if they could step out of the office. She stood up and started out of the office and down the hall. "Poison huh. That's interesting." She took into consideration about what she was going to do about the morale and the Snow. The morale can wait. The Snow is my biggest concern. I wish I could make my way over there and see how it's going on over there. Micah made a mistake attacking my village. If I had enough ninja, I'd send an army to his doorstep, she thought bitterly. Unfortunately I can't do that. But I can send someone over there. Maybe I can use his lack of judgement to my advantage, but how? Tenkuu thought for a moment. At the moment she could not come up with anything, but that didn't mean she wouldn't. "Shen, I want a Special Jonin guarding each entrance to the village for the next few weeks. You're in charge of that as well as getting me a team of ANBU."

Shen looked at Tenkuu as she said he was such a wolf. Had he been any other person, he would have said 'and proud of it!' But, he was Shen, not any other person. So instead, he muttered "Sh-shut up..." and looked down. He followed her out of her office, taking a deep breath once they were out. It was a bad idea, because the scent of the poison was even lingering in the hall way. If he'd wanted to, he could track her to her exact position based solely on the smell of the poison she carried. Then he blinked. Wait. What if it wasn't a liquid poison, what if it was gas? But no, something would have happened by now. And why would she risk an employment opportunity to release a poison gas in the Kage's t...duh! What the hell kind of question was that?! Taking Tenkuu by the arm, he pulled her down the hall faster. The faster they got out the better. But he answered her question normally, as if he wasn't doing anything strange at all. "Understood. And will do. Any specific requests on their specialties?" he asked.