The Jugement
Later that evening Ayame threw herself into writing about why they should make or build an embassy. She wrote about the advantages and that it will form a stronger bond between the different nations. She wanted this case to appeal to Konoha's council, her mother, and the clan leaders. Only by gaining their vote and acceptance will she ever be allowed to move forward with her plan and mission.
Ayame worked hard on the project, knowing that the elders' votes were hers, but that there were around 20-30 more people to convince. She needed at least half of their votes to win. When she has won enough votes, she then would work with the Hokage to make this case better. Afterward, this case would be introduced to the other villages and their kage.
*time skip*
Weeks after the meeting with Koharu and Homura, Ayame worked hard to achieve what she wanted. She was nervous but confident about her plan. She was expected to speak about her plan to the council in one week. There she would go over the importance of building a good relationship with the other villages by building embassies and having ambassadors sent out to represent the Hidden Leaf. Koharu and Homura tried to help her and give her some advice about what to write and how to present the plan. Ayame just hoped that the council and the clan leaders would approve.
Ayame made herself nervous by counting the days before the meeting.
Five days left….. Four days left…. Three days ... Two days left .. one day left.
Now the day was finally here. She woke up early, the sun not high above the horizon when she forced herself out of bed. She quickly ran through her morning routine, grabbing the documents before leaving. The elders ordered her to come to them, to prepare her for potential questions and pitfalls other members might find during her presentation. She needed the idea to go through, to be accepted by the majority. So no matter how boring and mundane the hours of questioning have become, coming down to details she found insignificant, she powered through.
After leaving the elders, Ayame wanted to eat and despite being nervous, she was hungry like a wolf. She did not have time to go back to her house and start cooking, so she went to Ichiraku Ramen. Ayame noticed that Naruto and Konohamaru were there. They were speaking rapidly to each other, so focused on the conversation, that neither of them noticed Ayame walk in. She took advantage of it by spooking them both, like the good older sister she was. Konohamaru pouted in response and she couldn’t help it, she started laughing at his expression. After finishing their ramen she hugged her brother to the sound of his complaints and said her farewells, and then she walked toward the big red building where the meeting was about to be held.
Ayame quickly laid out her idea to the people present, they were quiet and followed every word she said. When the presentation was done she answered a few questions before she was asked to go outside of the meeting room to wait for their verdict. She waited outside of the meeting room, pacing back and forth, thinking of what the results could be. The council said that they would call her back at once when they had finished voting. The minutes ticked by and Ayame grew more restless.
She was not used to this kind of work/mission, involving politics and long-lasting facades. In the past she had been given a target to kill, to escort, to blackmail, and she could put on a nice face when the mission demanded it. But she would always come back to the Hidden Leaf and go back to being Ayame, not whatever persona she was assigned. And now? Now she would have to pretend to be an ambassador for weeks, months, and even years. It’s all for the sake of her village. If it gives her village an advantage, she will do whatever is necessary.
Any minute now those big doors would open and let her in. The waiting was almost too much, but then a small cracking sound made Ayame look straight at the door. The tension was building, she wanted to know how her future would unfold. Will they deem this plan worthy enough to be of use? Would she be denied the opportunity to fulfill her mission? What other options did she have if this fails? All of these thoughts swarmed in her head, like a hive of angry wasps. And then the doors opened and she wiped her head around to see who it was.
It was Koharu “You may come inside now Princess. The voting has been done.” She gave Ayame a knowing smile and the weight on her shoulder was lifted. The smile Koharu gave was a good sign. It meant that the plan had worked. Ayame walked in, hiding her satisfaction behind a mask of calmness. She stood in front of the council and her mother as Koharu took her seat again, awaiting a positive answer. She already knew she had won here. Now she only had to act surprised and thankful.
Her mother looked up from the papers with a small smile and told her,
“Your proposal has been accepted. The council agrees to reach out to other villages about the proposal. If they accept, the council agrees to finance building an embassy for their representatives in Hidden Leaf. You, Ayame, will be put in charge of choosing the other candidates who will represent our village, alongside the two elders.” Ayame smiled and bowed deeply in gratitude. She straightened her back, posture plain perfect, and turned to the door, almost jumping for joy, barely holding herself back. She wanted to rush out and scream at the top of her lungs. She had done it! And now she was a step closer to becoming the ambassador in the Hidden Cloud.
She was almost out of the room when she noticed Koharu, standing close by. The woman clapped her shoulder with a satisfied nod. Ayame felt a piece of paper under the elder’s hand. She took the paper as she patted Koharu's hand back. Finally, she walked out, as nothing was stopping her anymore, closing the door behind her. The second she was out of sight of the council, she rushed home where she could read it in peace, desperately wanting to know what she had written to her.