The Will of Diamond Triumphant [Abisukage's Office]

"You look fine, Drottning." Muninn told her as he stood behind and beside her. Even he had dressed up for this, light blue ribbons adorning the feathers of his wings and an elaborately decorated white eyepatch hid his empty socket from view. He shuffled slightly and then looked down to see that Summer was once more checking her clothing over and making sure everything was sitting correctly, so he gave her a nudge with his wing.

The young girl looked up at the massive bird and chuckled quietly. "You're right, Jarl Muninn. I am just worried. I deserve to be promoted, I deserve to lead this village into greatness." She took a deep breath and rolled her shoulders. She wore a deep blue, simple dress, a pair of black shorts underneath and minimal jewelry. Only the earring in her right ear and the black silk blindfold tilted over her right eye were the embellishments, well those and an opened Dipugakure flak jacket. She had Glimmer and Vexos on her left hip, resting one over the other. She nodded once and then stepped forwards.

The doors swung open easily enough and she strode in, head up, Muninn walking in behind her. Not only was she a Sannin of Dipugakure, she was also the Summoner of the Crow Contract and she represented them as well. She stopped and slammed her heels together, bringing her fist to her chest, just over her heart. "Sannin Summer Osuna of Dipugakure reporting! I am accompanied by Jarl Muninn, Elder of the Crow Contract." The large bird bowed as his name was given and he stood silent behind Summer. "I am here by your orders. What do you ask of me?"

The three Kage sat assembled in their own seats, each deep in some sort of deep discussion, and most notably it would seem, on the recent Bijuu attack. One particular man, large and and yet seemingly made for his chair spoke with the loudest voice, boisterously laughing and looking as the doors swung open. He was exhausted, slept barely a wink since the Gobi first appeared near the borders. And oh was he so pleased to have that behind him now. "Summer Osuna of Dipugakure, I am pleased to see you well, and more pleased that I hear there were no shinobi casualties in my reports," His voice echoed, standing as the tiny white needles that surrounded his collar clattered together. Despite his exhaustion he had at least found time to change in to a more regal grey and white military coat and slacks. His sudden shift towards the large crow behind her, "And of course Elder Jarl Muninn, I mean no disrespect by that statement. I hope that my reports are indeed incorrect, but in the case that they are as reliable as the Gurekage would often prefer, I give my humblest of condolences." And he bowed his head. He knew when respect should be given.

"Yes, yes Desmond. Let us not keep the girl waiting," The second and only other man of the group stood. His body glad solely in armour that shimered like water running over black ice. He spoke in a much more serious tone than his large maned compatriot. "She has plenty to do I assume, and as do I, and as do you." The man in the armour certainly spoke as if he wanted to be elsewhere.

"Yes we all do and I have a bigger and better chair to get myself reaccustomed to once this mess is finally over."

"What you call mess... never mind. Miss Osuna." The watery armoured man stood, arms folded behind his back, chest pushed forwards. "Feng Rikigaku. Current standing Abisukage, and overseer to the goings on of Dipugakure." This wasn't exactly unknown of course, this was the right occasion and he was standing at attention to the moment. Whilst he spoke the woman remained seated behind them, keeping to herself and just rolling her eyes at the two men. "We were just discussing the recent tension that is very well soon to flood the nations. These... beasts... caused enough disruption in the past, and we must look to the future and fully prepare ourselves for what might be to come. It is in this vein, that with your service records to our nations, that perhaps we need some new blood. Should another abomination descend upon us, or heaven forebid our enemies loose one against us, we need those in charge to know how to combat the threat."

As Desmond spoke, Summer remained stoic but inside she winced. Although it'd be near impossible for anyone not familiar with the crows to notice, Summer instinctively recognised the insult that Muninn was feeling. His brother had died and yet he wasn't considered a casualty but he knew better than to speak out, he may have been slightly more hot-headed than Yatigarasu but he didn't get to Elder by acting brashly. "I thank you for the condolences, Gurekage. The loss of my brother was a harsh blow to the Crows but we shall recover, as we always do. I imagine the Kitsune are feeling their wound more acutely than us however." He told them diplomatically with a tilt of his head before looking to Summer to let her continue.

She flashed the Jarl a smile before turning to the assembled Kage. "The fight was one of the most difficult I've ever been in I'll admit and everyone present came close to death during that fight. It was only due to superior tactics and cooperation that we were able to defeat the Five Tails and emerge victorious. I would like to warn you however, that your worries will be spread among the other factions. If they have any form of working communication and intelligence network they will know that we successfully defeated and sealed a Bijuu. We now technically have access to a weapon of mass destruction but also a volatile bomb. I have already filled out the necessary paperwork to adopt the child and will raise them with Cherish Dokusei and Omito Fantom. Not only to ensure their safety but to ensure that they are treated no differently than any other child. I refuse to have them seen as a monster due to what we had to do to them in order to keep this Village safe." Her voice was resolute as she told them this and then what they were saying sank in.

"If you need someone to enter into a command role, with experience of fighting these creatures, then I will happily do so. You have all likely read my record, I have fought against all factions and emerged victorious each time. The only blemish would be the loss of Ka Jiko due to the kidnapping team from Pandora. However the entire team was eliminated, mitigating the losses we had as well as securing assets from those slain. I am unsure as to what position you are offering me, unless..." She left that open, leaving them to fill in the blank if one of them was going to be stepping down as Kage.

The white bone maned man froze up as he was spoken back to by Muninn. He only realised after just how that could have been taken. But he also knew the purpose for this meeting, and thus he had to step back and let the current Abisukage work his own little negotiation. The man in armour stepped back towards where he had once been sat and collected up an old tattered protector that had been set down. "Yes, yes, a blemish on such a record as your own... it is but a spot of dirt on a prestine diamond," For a moment that serious and well enunciated tone turned to softer through his own little attempts at a joke regarding Summer's speciality.

"Raising a little boy though. Especially one holding a monster and could well unleash said monster once again if he so much as has a little tantrum? Bah, I say we should have killed it," The woman finally spoke up.

"Yes and have it remember and just come right back after some period of time." The man scoffed right back, never looking back at her, fixing his attention on Summer. "You did the right thing. It is not a fate I would wish upon any young child. But it is better we have the Gobi than to release it back to the world without a leash. And I would say we have an excellent leash by giving them a family."

"Yes, a family of two woman and a man, hardly what I'd consider a conventional family,"

"Ignoring my comrade is something I'm afraid you might never get used to," His words certainly betrayed Summer may well be spending time with her. "But yes, this brings us to our intent. Before I rose as the leader of Dipugakure, I served as the head in the science division after serving my time out in the field. I loved my job, but I was asked to rise to the occasion, and I saw it as an excellent stepping stone. It was never where I saw my career ending."

"Oh for pete sake," Desmond was getting impatient. "Feng wants to return to the science division full time. He'd make a good advisor to the next Abisukage and we thought you have the skills to be the first newly appointed Kage to lead us in to a new age of Beasts if more of them are to reappear." The large man was the focus of his companion's glares then. Feng had rehearsed this so many times, and he just ruined all that preparation. And thus he made an effort to make use of the silence to address Muninn once more whilst he saw Summer as taking in the information. "I meant no disrespect in my choice of words. Contracted beings like yourself, I never knew what to call you people, never really thought you would like being considered shinobi,"

Muninn listened to what was said and then nodded his head. "I took no disrespect from your words, I understood what you were inferring. We do not like to be considered Shinobi but we do like to be considered as sapient beings and part of the fight as a whole. So to answer the reports fully, there were no Shinobi casualties but there were two casualties total. My brother, Hersier Huginn and the Boss of the Kitsune Contract. I am unsure of her name as I have never had the opportunity to meet her." Summer knew that Muninn slightly blamed the Kitsune for launching such a volatile element into the mix but he'd never say it out loud, it would cause too many problems and he was an intelligent bird.

Summer had used the time to pretend to let the information sink in. She was glad one of them was just stepping down to give her this position. If they didn't she was going to have to draw together her allies and force them to give her the position. It would cause more tension but the current set of Kage needed to be changed, they needed to stand down and let the new generation come forth and take control of the situation. So with her pretending out of the way, Summer put her hand over her heart and bowed.

"I will happily accept such a position. If you wish to give me council I will gladly accept it. I will use all that I have learned and the allies I have gained over my time to bring our nation into a new age of prosperity." She smiled brightly and put her hands behind her back. Muninn was right, they did believe she was capable of it, that was good. "Is there anything else I need to do to take my position as Abisukage properly? Or is it simply put on the hat and start shouting orders?" She chuckled quietly, aiming to alleviate the tension somewhat.

Feng merely chucked softly to himself, standing himself straight for a moment and looking over Summer. "I'm afraid I already took the liberties of taking care of the details, had my people prepare to transfer my powers to a new host." He kept his attention on Summer and yet he paced a little, head slightly down as he was seemingly letting himself relax. "I just have to push them through. You on the other hand..." He finally broke eye contact as he turned back to the table. "We'll need to get you fitted for a better fitting garb, but... well I think you'll be much better at putting on the hat and shouting orders to shinobi better than I could," As he turned he held on those exact bits of garb he spoke of. Meanwhile the other two Kage remained silent, both with their own thoughts and feelings, but both in agreement that this was needed, and Summer was easily the best candidate. "And as a bonus, now I can do more when I go out to the crowd than just to announce my retirement. I can swear in the new."

Of course there was a crowd, there was always a crowd but Summer wasn't scared. She had faced a being of pure death and came out alive, in fact, she'd damn near cut it in half. Why the hell should she be scared of a crowd? Stepping forwards she took hold of the garments that she had been given, zipped up her flak jacket and then put them on. The mantle was a bit big, as was the hat but they felt magnificent now that she had them on. She rolled her shoulders and gave another salute to the assembled kage. "I thank you all for this opportunity. I will not fail you." She then turned and nodded to Muninn before heading towards the balcony to being the address.

As she was moving, the Jarl sped ahead of her and pushed open the doors. He hopped up onto the railing, spread his wings and launched into the sky. It turns out what she had taken to be only a few ribbons was in fact dozens, all in her colours. He let out a triumphant cry as he flew overhead, wings trailing ribbons to usher her in. Summer couldn't help but smile as she stepped up to the balcony in front of the assembled crowd and took a deep breath.

"People of Dipugakure! Shinobi of the Allied Nations! I stand before you no longer as a Sannin but as your new Abisukage! For too long have we been seen as weak, held under the heels of the Shogunate and then again under fear of war. Recently a new fear has came to us, that of the Bijuu! The Five Tails rampaged near here and attempted to destroy Hakagakure. With the aid of my allies, we managed to not only defeat the Bijuu but make it one of our own! We are the warriors that will bring this world to its knees, we are the steel that has been tempered under years of oppression!" Her voice rose in volume as she spoke and she drew Glimmer, holding it aloft as she spoke, the blade reflecting the rays of the sun to become as a star on the balcony.

"NO MORE! Many things crumble and turn to nothing under pressure! But we have not, we have endured! We are greater, we have survived their trials, the tribulations of this harsh, cruel world. Before we were coal. We were brittle, weak but we had so much potential, so much to become. As the pressure mounted, as the world pushed down on us, we didn't crack, we didn't break, we became stronger! We pushed back, we forced them away. Under fear, under war, under the threat of very destruction, WE BECAME DIAMOND! The greatest we could become, our splendour unmatched. The world will kneel before what we can become. I cannot do this alone however." Her voice grew quieter, more solemn. "Individually we cannot win our battles, we cannot restore the might of this great nation. Although by ourselves we may be powerful, we are so easily broken. Together we can support one another, we can become as one, a cohesive whole that strives for the betterment of our nation. No more fighting among ourselves. No more resentment for our fellow Shinobi. We will be a nation of magnificence, of beauty... And of strength. Individually we may be nothing but each of us is but a facet of the greater whole, each of us is a piece of the most beautiful gem that this world has ever seen."

She took a breath and then swung her blade down, pointing it towards the crowd. As she done so, blue-white light flared into life around her, forming into the shape of a massive Crow behind her, beautiful and terrifying in the light. "I ASK YOU NOW NOT AS ABISUKAGE BUT AS YOUR FRIEND! YOUR FELLOW WARRIOR! WILL YOU STAND WITH ME AND MAKE THIS NATION GREATER? WILL YOU FIGHT BY MY SIDE AS WE PROTECT ALL THAT WE HOLD DEAR? WILL YOU SMILE WITH ME, BLEED WITH ME, CRY WITH ME AS WE BRING TRUTH AND GLORY BACK TO THIS BROKEN, CRUEL WORLD? IF YOU WOULD NOT HAVE ME, SPEAK NOW BUT IF YOU WILL STAND BY MY SIDE AS I BRING US TO OUR GREATEST HEIGHTS THEN SPREAD YOUR WINGS, SHOUT IT TO THE HEAVENS SO THAT EVEN THE GODS WILL KNOW THAT THE SHINOBI NATIONS WILL BOW TO NO ONE, NOT ANYMORE! AS DIAMONDS WE ARE AND WE SHALL NEVER BREAK!"

Spoiler:

The crowd was already bustling by the way that Summer walked out to address them, the now former Abisukage just behind her, whilst the remaining two active Kage took positions on either side of the rear. They remained silent as Summer introduced herself to so many. And quickly the crowd fell silent, listening to the inspirational words of the new Abisukage. And once she was done they would erupt in to cheers.

Desmond stepped up, arms raised as he joined the crowd in applauding the young leader. "Summer Osuna, no I guess I should be calling you Abisukage. You've made your countrymen proud. I'm excited to see where you go from here with your new privaledges,"

Feng too stepped back up and rested a hand briefly on his successor's shoulder. "I look forwards to working under you Ma'am. And please don't hesitate if you require any assistance in these early days. I guess you might want to get right to business?"

The applause and cheers brought light and warmth to Summer. These were her people now, she couldn't just be a warrior for them anymore, she had much more to do. She sheathed Glimmer and then raised a fist towards Muninn who nodded and flew off, waiting until he was out of sight before desummoning himself. She took a few deep breaths and then pushed her fist higher towards the assembled crowd before turning and going back into the palace.

"I thank you all for this opportunity and I hope that I can count on you for aid and for cooperation in the future." She said, directing the latter towards the other two Kages. She knew that some of the others of her generation and the one after would likely be gunning for their positions but for now these were her allies. So she'd need to learn to work with them. They didn't seem that bad but she was worried about the Itamikage's thoughts on the Bijuu. It couldn't be helped.

"I would like to start work immediately. I have much to do. I need to update the armoury for Dipugakure and start up better income services. The move from the underwater village nearly crippled us but we have more opportunities on the surface... If less ability to defend ourselves. I'll need all documents of our surrounding resources and I'll need to open a communications bridge with Epsilon. Feng, if you could do the former for me I would truly appreciate it. Now it's time to get myself situated. Cherish and Omito are going to be jealous." Summer chuckled and then moved off, tallying things up in her head. She was Abisukage now and it was time to act like it.

[Exit, Promotion to Abisukage gained]