More Good News ~Keitaro~

[Tensei Kaori]

After Nadameru left, Kaori looked quizically at Akina, waiting for an explanation. Her assistant had somehow found another envelope of paperwork - much of it seeming very familiar - for her to do and Kaori wanted to know what it was and - more importantly - why it was sitting on her desk before she even tried to begin working on it.

"Miyazawa-san said you'd want to see it," she said simply. Classic Akina. Short, sweet, and to the point. It was one of the reasons she made such an excellent assistant. "Err...right," replied a rather confused Kaori. Not only was the envelope both mysterious and familiar at the same time, but now she wanted to know why she'd want to see it. Akina simply smiled and returned to her desk underneath one of the windows on the side of the room. Once again, classic Akina. With a smile of her own, Kaori shook her head and opened the envelope. Why would she want to see this? She soon had her answer...

"This is..." she began, looking up at her now busy assistant. Akina didn't appear to hear her. The woman seemed to lose all touch with the outside world sometimes - conveniently, it was only when she wanted to. Kaori smiled as she signed another piece of paper, almost identical to the one she had signed moments ago. "That's the second one today," she said happily. "This soon, too. Perhaps things aren't so grim as they look right now." "Perhaps," replied Akina, who had now appeared at the Hokage's desk without seeming to cross the intervening space, "But there's time enough for that to change." "Thank you for the cheering thought," Kaori said wryly as she handed the envelope to her former student. "You know what to do." "Yes, ma'am."

* * * * * * * * * * *

A few minutes later, Buyo Keitaro-sensei appeared in her doorway following Akina's sharp knock. Her assistant slipped in from behind and handed Kaori a much smaller envelope - the Tenth was glad to see that it contained only one piece of paper this time - before returning to her own desk and her own work. Kaori set the envelope aside and smiled at her guest. "Please, come in, Keitaro-sensei. I have some news for you."

[Kiel]

Buyo Keitaro entered the Jyuudaime's office warily. He had only been in the Hokage's office a few times before, mostly to accompany his father or mother in their pleas to previous Hokage's about the archive system.

Keitaro had never liked being in the Hokage's office before. The Kuudaime had always seemed far too brisk for his liking, perhaps only due to the past arguements between the Buyo clan and the previous leaders of the village.

This time, however, the office seemed much more inviting. It's bookshelves polished without a trace of dust, the new Hokage smiling, looking contently at him.

He blushed, "Thank you H-Hokage-samAHH!"

Keitaro felt the telltale pain as his forehead connected with the door frame. One thing that hadn't changed about the office, was its low doorways.

He rubbed his bruised forehead and took a seat across from Kaori-sama's desk.

Keitaro felt a twinge of apprehension as he sat. He hoped this meeting wouldn't be about his involvement with the Konoha library and his status within it. It had always been a struggle to try and balance the duties of being both a Konoha Chuunin and the heir to 'Keeper of the Records'. Neither sounded extremely pleasing to him.

Kaori-sama seems pleasent enough though he thought, staring across at the new Hokage. Very pleasent...ACK! NO! She's the leader of the village! The most powerful and respected shinobi in the country!!!! Can't think...THAT way about her....ACK!

Keitaro coughed.

"Um, thank you for...addressing me as sensei. I, um...I'm happy to see that the Buyo clan is still considered academic..." He trailed off, chuckling and feeling more and more uncomfortable by the second...

[Tensei Kaori]

Kaori nodded. "That is the only way for it to be. Without the knowledge of the past, we are doomed to repeat our mistakes in the future. These," here she gestured around her at the bookcases lining the walls of her office, "are part of the key to Konoha's success." She cleared her throat. "But that is not why I have called you here. I have something I wish to discuss with you." Akina's high heels clicked sharply on the floor as the diminutive woman strode efficiently back and forth through the office, busy to her heart's content. Kaori took the envelope her assistant had given her and folded her hands on top of it.

"You see, I've been reading through the records and current status of all of Konoha's shinobi, and I've noticed that certain....updates... were warranted. And you, Keitaro-sensei, are one of the people affected by this. Your performance on missions lately, among other resources I have seen, have attracted my attention, and I am convinced that you are no longer operating on Chuunin level." Here she broke into a huge smile. "Congratulations! As of today, you are one of Konoha's proud Jounin!"

[Kiel]

Keitaro's eyes opened wide. He clenched his fists into tight balls.

"J-Jounin?! Me?"

The Hokage smiled and nodded.

Keitaro felt not so much more at ease than he had before, but his emotions changed none the less.

"Arigato gozimasu, Jyuudaime! I'm...well, I'm speachless! You're promoting me to the Jounin rank? For real?!"

[Tensei Kaori]

Kaori smiled and nodded again. "Yes, I am," she replied. "For real." She paused to take a small piece of paper out of the envelope Akina had given her. "If you need any other proof, look at this." She handed it to him. "It's your new Konoha I.D."