trans_9 | Meat n' Greet

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Meat n' Greet

The rest of the crew assembled on the Observation Deck to meet the latest editions to their numbers. After the revelation that their worlds are gone, many of them are even more eager to see people they knew from home.

Several people are set up near the doors to provide the new people with omnicoms and comm rings. They are also told they must read information about their current situation and a survival guide with their new omnicom. New crew-mates might see a tall dragonish guy with wings (but don't call him that) and purple girl among their number. There are also several authoritative-looking figures ready to introduce themselves.

There's a lot to tell the new people. It's going to be a lot to take in.

[ooc: Only new characters and Command Staff can start new threads for introductions, to limit the number of threads. Everyone else, just tag in and have your guys greet the newbies.]

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Ah. Whatever predicament they faced, Tsunade either believed he would learn of it inevitably from sources not from her, or that it was of a such a nature that she felt certain the grief he would cause her would be worse than the aid he rendered. He suspected the first, given that this mess had to have been a big one, considering the effort involved.

She knew she could not take him alone, but that would not have stopped her trying. If she had enough help to make a difference, she wouldn't have hesitated. She certainly would have been more aggressive.

Given his particular reputation, that meant there were very few shinobi present, and that Tsunade had not made any allies of power or substance amongst these other 'chosen', nor did she have enough influence to convince the others present that she was in the right and he in the wrong, were she to attack him.

And given all that... well, the vast majority of his conclusions he didn't like in the least, but one in particular he got quite a smile out of. "So, after all of that Hokage talk, Konohagakure finally met its end on your watch."

Shit. Of course he'd have figured that out simply from observation. Giving him a rather obviously annoyed look she took a few steps back out of habit and to give herself a bit of room if a fight happened to start. She knew what resources she had and she wasn't particularly fond of the fact the number was so small, even if another Kage was involved in the situation. Though she certainly was trying to not make it look like she was in an almost vulnerable position, her chakra already having been dulled down to a point that drove her up several walls. But her strength was at least intact and that was what truly mattered.

"It's none of your damn business what did or didn't happen to the village, you should be concerned with that pathetic thing you held and the fact not a single person here will give you the time of day. You're not a threat here, nor will you become one." The words were spoken quickly, almost spat at him by this point in time. She knew that they weren't all the truth, but she had to assume no one would let him cause any real trouble here and she honestly had no idea what had happened to cause the destruction of Konoha this time around. That particular fact was one that she tried to desperately keep in the back of her mind.

"Of course it's my business," he said, folding his arms with a very disappointed look at her. "I certainly can't destroy it if it's already been destroyed, now can I? Of course I could kill its Hokage, but I've already done that once and I hate to repeat a trick. Not that I don't enjoy seeing you puffing yourself up in fear."

If he was not a threat, she would not have bothered to tell him he was not. If she was able to stop him from being one, she would not have told him he would not become one. Pity... she'd been so much more sensible before Jiraiya and the nine-tails boy had gotten to her.

"Now if you can stop spouting cliches like Sarutobi was coaching you and think for a second, perhaps you'll reconsider. What do I, Orochimaru, want? In general, of course. Surely you can make a fair guess at that."

Mei was wandering around as much to get useful information on the current crew as to meet the new ones. She didn't really expect to see more people from home, though it would have been welcome. So when she spotted Tsunade, she turned to walk over, just meaning to catch up. They could cover more ground if they coordinated their efforts, after all...

Oh. Well, that was one person from home she never wanted to see. No wonder Tsunade looked angry and tense. However, she'd learned the hard way that criminals were as welcome among them as heroes here--something she meant to change if she got into a position of power--and that fighting was frowned upon. There was nothing for it; she had to interfere, or get her strongest ally tossed into the brig. So she raised her hand in a wave, and put just the faintest edge to her voice. "Tsunade-sama~ There you are! Not getting into trouble, I hope?"

Her answers were probably not going to help her case, but luckily there was some kind of saving grace for her. That voice was a welcomed thing to calm her nerves, for a bit, anyway. Smirking a little to herself she turned her attention from Orochimaru very pointedly and raised a hand towards Mei in greeting.

"Of course not, why would I be doing that?" Her own voice had a still agitated tone to it, indicating she'd been pretty ready to fight from the moment she saw her former teammate, but at least there was some sort of calming force near her now. "Just catching up with someone from the past, I'm sure you've heard of him before, Mei?"

Someone he had never met, but whose image he knew well enough. Renegades had their own bingo books, after all, and Kabuto had a knack for information.

Well now. Two Kages on this ship. Either they were friends, or they were putting on a show of friendship to intimidate him. If they were friends, then nothing changed; Tsunade's hesitation and bluster from earlier simply meant the two of them together were, in her estimation, no match from him. If they were putting on a show, then nothing changed; it meant they feared him.

Orochimaru smiled broadly. "For all that he couldn't bring himself to take care of matters himself, Sarutobi certainly made sure I was properly labeled as a renegade."

Mei was wary, certainly, but if he started something, why she could merely claim self-defense and get him tossed in the brig. That sounded like a wonderful idea. So she kept herself smiling and carefree on the outside, affording him no attention whatsoever.

"Of course; you three are famous, my dear. It's such a shame such a brilliant and talented ninja went to waste in such a way. Wasn't he killed by the Uchiha boy? Maybe he'll do the rest of the ship a favor and kill him again."

And if Orochimaru and Sasuke got into it, even better. Two threats removed.

Tsunade couldn't help a soft snort at Orochimaru's words, deciding that ignoring him clearly was the better option of the two at the moment. Particularly because Mei was far more interesting in her own, personal, opinion. So she kept up a bit of a calmer act, smiling at the other before affording a glance at Orochimaru to make sure that he wasn't running off somewhere to do who knew what.

"Sometimes I forget. And it really is a shame, isn't it? But for as long as I can remember, he always had a knack for doing the wrong things." Or, you know, acting like a cold-hearted bastard. Details, really.

"I certainly do recall the youngest of them got to him, but this ship can apparently bring the dead back. A pity in this case, isn't it?"

So their game had become to put on pretense of ignoring him. That gave them a slight advantage, in that they could each distract or redirect the other if he got under either of their skins (in the metaphorical sense). But it also meant that they had to continue talking to make a show of it, and clearly they were reaching for the first things that came to mind to do so.

He folded his hands behind his back, maintaining the smile, and allowed them to continue to talk. They could not forget his presence, no matter how they pretended otherwise, so let us see what they talked about.

"It is such a shame." A sigh. "How far the mighty have fallen. The Uchiha boy is certainly talented but nothing compared to even an average kage, much less one of the legendary sannin." She shook her head and for the all the world it appeared that she'd forgotten about Orochimaru entirely. The petty jabs said otherwise. She knew they were petty, just as she knew that like any person he had to have buttons to push. Triggering an attack would work just perfectly.

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Meat n' Greet

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