(Fire Capital)
The Royal shuttle circled the palace of the Fire Daimyo once before coming upon a cleared out courtyard for their usage. The propulsion systems lowered their output until the ship was hovering inches above the ground. With a steadiness of flawless skill, it lowered the rest of the way without nary a bump or rock. Immediately, the ramp in the back lowered and with a stride full of purpose and dignity, Naruko stepped out of the ship and onto the rich grass of the nature oriented courtyard where there were gardens and trees interspersed unevenly to give the idea that nature here was free and not contained and controlled.
Standing across from her and her bodyguards was a contingent of twenty samurai under the Daimyo's employ. They were aligned in five ranks of four with three in the back row as the last one was the captain. He was a tall human of almost six feet with a strong build common among all samurai who are sworn to protect the Fire Lord and the people of Hi no Kuni as well as carry out his will.
The captain bowed deeply at the hips, an action quickly synchronized and repeated by the rest of the detail, to a surprised Naruko and group. While Naruko had plenty of knowledge on ninjas from Kushina, the woman was pretty ignorant about the intricate customs and lifestyle of the samurai so she didn't have much to go off of.
"I am Captain Hazama, second in command of the Samurai sworn to protect the Fire Daimyo and the people of his nation. On behalf of all people of whom I'm able to represent, I humbly thank you for saving our world. It brings us great honor to be hosting you and your people in our capital."
Ahhh, this is interesting for such a stagnating world. A branch of military separate from the ninja system. "I'm thankful towards this honor detail, Captain, though it is I who am thankful for your Daimyo and soldiers allowing me to hold a meeting here in this beautiful palace without really asking for permission." Naruko actually looked embarrassed. "To be honest, I acted too rashly for one of my station. I am Naruko, Queen of the Spectra people and this is my newborn son, Menma." She then points at the two swordswomen. "This is Alicia and Beth, two of my royal guards. The other two, the blue haired woman is KOS-MOS, Menma's personal caretaker, nurse, and bodyguard, and the last one is T-ELOS whose role is his bodyguard also." Both Alicia and Beth gave a short tip of their heads while their eyes constantly scanned their surroundings, KOS-MOS gave a short bow, and T-ELOS simply nodded her head while subtly stepping a bit closer to Naruko.
Hazama gave a bow to each in return. "I'm afraid individual introductions of all my men would be too time consuming, Naruko-sama. If I may ask, are we to expect your husband to arrive at anytime?"
T-ELOS giggled in amusement but KOS-MOS shot her a look. Naruko was unaffected by either the question or them. "No, Captain, I am not mated. Menma was not conceived by natural means due to personal issues. I'm not sure how your race will view that but then again, I've truthfully answered you out of courtesy and not obligation, Captain."
Having adopted a child of his own, he caught the hidden meaning Naruko meant. "Of course, Naruko-dono, my troops and I will respect your privacy and not utter anything about this. Your personal life is your own and we have no reason to intrude."
Naruko nodded in approval. "Well then, Captain. If you will please guide us to where the meeting will be held. I welcome your troops' escort. I hope there wasn't much trouble arranging this happening."
"Of course not. The Daimyo saw it necessary to have his own court arranged to host the meeting. The other Kages have arrived safely and haven't been waiting but a couple of minutes. Please follow me." He turned to his troop (that's 'troop' as in a group of soldiers.) and gave orders to take formation around the guests of honor. The samurai moved with discipline and precision while maintaining strict bearing, something that would not be seen by ninja given their more loose combat doctrine that relied more on having the freedom to work individually instead of in formations like samurai.
The Black Twins took up positions in front of Naruko on either side while KOS-MOS stayed a foot behind the queen and to the side while T-ELOS was about sixteen feet behind them—a large distance for a human but a few steps for a Spectra or gynoid. Of course, along with this, Naruko knew Outer Heaven was watching EVERY square inch of the palace grounds in ten different fields of vision to make sure she would not be taken by surprise.
Along the way, Naruko was having words with the samurai captain. "So, Captain Hazama, I'm aware enough about the nature of ninja forces, but I am ignorant of the ways of the Samurai. I feel you all are the opposites in relation to the ninjas' own preference towards assassinations and spying. You mentioned it was an honor to host us earlier. I'm not sure if we have the same definition of honor but for us, 'honor' refers to the purity and reputation of one's character. Can this you relate to?"
The Captain actually smiled at finding something in common between them. "Yes, we can relate, Naruko-dono. Samurai means 'one who serves' in reference to how the majority of samurai swear to use their sword in the defense of his lord's honor. We never raise our swords against the innocent, nor resort to violence unless necessary. We follow the code of Bushido which consists of eight virtues:
The first is Rectitude or Justice which is the strongest virtue as it implies not only martial justice, but personal justice as well. Rectitude is the power to decide upon one's course of action in accordance with reason, without wavering; to die when to die is right; to strike when to strike is right.
The second is Courage. Courage is worthy of being among virtues only if it is exercised in the acts of Righteousness and Rectitude. Perceiving what is right and doing it not reveals a lack of courage.
The third is Benevolence or Mercy. Love, magnanimity, affection for others, sympathy and pity, are traits of Benevolence, the highest attribute of the human soul. One invested with the power to command and the power to kill is expected to show equally extraordinary amounts of benevolence and mercy.
The fourth is Politeness. It should be the expression of a benevolent regard towards the feelings of others; it's a poor virtue if it is motivated by fear of offending good taste. Politeness in its highest form is akin to Love.
The fifth is Honesty and Sincerity. Bushido encourages thrift, not for economical reasons so much as for the exercise of abstinence.
The sixth is Honor. Though Bushido is concerned with the profession of soldiering, it is equally concerned with non-martial behavior. The sense of Honor, which to us would be the consciousness of personal dignity and worth, characterizes a samurai. He is born and bred to value the duties and privileges of his profession. Fear of disgrace hangs like a sword over our heads… For example, to take offense at slight provocation is ridiculed as 'short tempered.' 'True patience is bearing the unbearable' some would say.
The seventh virtue is Loyalty. Samurai remain loyal to those they are indebted to. Loyalty to a superior is one of the most distinctive virtues you will see by us, no matter our economic or personal despair.
The last is Character and Self-Control. Bushido teaches us to behave according to a moral standard that many believe to transcend logic. What's good is good and what's bad is bad. The differences between Rights and Wrongs are givens, not arguments to be justified or discussed and a samurai should know the difference. Finally, it's a man's obligation to teach his children moral standards through the actions of his own character.
These aspects make up the code we live by and if we were to disgrace ourselves by breaking this code, it would bring great shame to our honor and that of our lord and family. To save what honor we can, we are expected to take our own lives with the swords we have sworn to uphold our duties with."
By the end of his explanation, he looked up at Naruko and saw her writing on some strange pad with lights (think of a blue holo-pad) with her fingers. Looking at him, she noticed his questioning gaze. "I was simply taking notes. I find such a philosophy a very balancing ideal when this continent is dominated by the ninja world. We have a division within our own military for nearly each and every style of warfare ranging from assassinations to outright swordsmanship, each with their own approach to war. When we establish an area on this world to keep up with any relations we make, I'll remember to arrange a fellowship to show some of these groups."
He nodded but the second half got his attention. "So, can I surmise that your people will be setting up a form of government in a sovereign territory after this meeting?"
"Yes. While I have no desires of conquests over this planet's inhabitants, I'm a scientist at heart and your people are the first I've seen in the galaxy that are capable of manipulating multiple elements of nature. You can think of our future country here to be more oriented along observing and studying chakra and its uses. Of course, I will not be one to turn down those who actively seek us for desperate needs, such as refuge from war or for medical attention. I am also aware that there will be those absent of sanity who will try to harm our presence, so there will be a sizable military presence to ensure our place's sovereignty and safety."
The group was coming in sight of the doors leading to the meeting room where five of the most powerful shinobi in the Elemental Nations were sitting. They stopped by the doors and Naruko made a comment upon her thoughts. "Given they are naturally rivals, I am thankful being in the same room together hasn't caused untold collateral damage for your Daimyo."
The samurai let slip a deep chuckle. "Yes, it would have made quite an insult upon our country and your person." He turns to her and bows deeply. "Naruko, through your words and actions, I am relieved to know that one with such authority and power at her command has an equal amount of compassion towards us for saving our planet and not simply conquering us. It makes me wonder how those of us with so much less power turn out so wrong."
Naruko thought back to when she was queen and first led her people to the stars and when they made first contact with the Protheans. While justifiably upset with their intentions towards her people, she knew later on that it will not ever excuse the attempts of genocide she made. Destroying military targets is one thing, but killing and Neblading millions of men, women, and children in her disillusioned crusade during that singular war have given her just as many constant lives and memories to remind her of her limits.
"Trust me, Captain Hazama, I am like I am by making mistakes and it is those mistakes that are always reminding me of the consequences I, and the lives of the tens of billions I affected, suffered for them. I am constantly being humbled by the mistakes of our past, and the trust and love my people have for me. Such is the path set by my position."
Naruko words seemed to resonate within the surrounding samurai. Here's a woman who people are seeing as Kami's avatar and seems so unreachable admitting that she's made disgraceful actions yet instead of taking her own life like many of them would have, she has pushed through and, if she truly has learned from her errors, made great strides in redeeming herself."
"Learn from the past, apply it to the present, and prepare for the future," Hazama said, getting an understanding nod from Naruko. "Well, Naruko-dono, this is where we part ways. As we're the guard, we will be positioned around the halls to ensure you all are not disturbed. If young Menma-dono becomes uncomfortable, feel free to have his caretaker and guards bring him out and I will assign someone to tow to your needs."
Naruko surprises all the humans by giving a simple bow of her head, not deep enough to have to bend at the waist. "I truly appreciate it. I will put my trust in you and your men, Captain."
Having him return the bow, she makes to walk through but the captain calls out in a more subtle voice. "Naruko-dono, you are probably aware of this, but I need to warn you that you will be talking with some of the most powerful shinobi on the planet. While I am not going to doubt the abilities of your guards, please keep your mind sharp. Shinobi do not need jutsu or physical weapons to hurt someone. Psychology is an infamous tool often used by those who hold political power and these people have both in great volume. I will wish you much luck in your endeavors."
The Spectras give him a judging stare for what felt to the guards like minutes before Naruko gives a simple nod and adjusts Menma in her arms before speaking in a serious tone befitting her stature. "I'm aware and vigilant, Captain, though the caution towards even your own species speaks much of your character. Your honor and loyalty to your code is spectacular, Captain Hazama. Never tarnish it."