"Well now, this is definitely a first for me Daiki-dono," Mei admitted, "I do have to admit though, given the choice I'd definitely take you up on that offer. I can't say I've ever had the chance to have a date on the beach."
"Just call me Daiki, Mizukage-sama, you don't need to be polite with me, I prefer casual," he grinned at her, and decided to be a little daring since she was already invading his own personal space and boldly placed his hand on her hip, and he felt her stiffen ever so slightly, "After the beach, we could hit up the movies, have dinner, make a whole day of it. Perhaps I can give you a massage if you're up for it, I've got it on good authority that woman can't get enough of my hands on them."
Or well, Kurenai at least couldn't get enough of it when he was testing it out with using his lightning affinity to stimulate her nerves while using his mythical palm jutsu to work her muscles.
Kurenai if nothing else, was a great test dummy.
"Oh my…" Mei almost looked a little overwhelmed at his offer, before shaking her head, "It's lamentable that these negotiations are quite important, otherwise I would definitely take you up on that offer." she pouted, almost disappointedly before stepping back out of his personal space, taking her hand off of his cheek.
Disappointing, but expected.
"Personally I think they'd be much better to bring up as pillow talk, Mizukage-sama." he laughed.
Mei giggled lightly, "You're so bold Daiki-kun," she cupped her cheek, "Please, since you allowed me to call you by name, just call me Mei."
"Stop that," she laughed lightly again, before sighing, and a serious expression appearing on her face, as walked around her desk to sit at her chair, "So then, down to business. Sarutobi-dono brought up the possibility of an alliance between both the Mist Village and Leaf Village." she brought up, even as she gestured at one of the chairs in front of her desk for him to sit down on.
Alright then, time to get serious.
"That's right," Daiki nodded, taking the seat. He leaned back and lifted one leg to rest the foot of it over his knee, "I'm just going to be blunt if that's fine with you. I'm not a fan of dancing around things, as you can no doubt tell."
"I did notice that yes," she nodded, a flash of a smile appearing on her face before it vanished beneath her serious facade once more, "Feel free, I admit I find that kind of thing refreshing."
"The Mist is at the weakest it's ever been," Daiki then bluntly said, "You yourself are powerful, but beyond you the Mist is lacking at the moment. You only have one of the seven swords and a single wielder. You were once known for being the village with the most bloodline limits, but now barely have any to speak of. The amount of battle ready ninja under your command is at an all time low and to top it all off, you've lost both the Sanbi and the Rokubi."
"This is all true yes. It hurt to hear it all said out loud though I have to admit," Mei stapled her fingers together atop her desk, a frown twisting across her pretty shiny pink lips, "We are weakened severely and still in the process of recovering our strength, though weakened I do have to point out, does not mean weak."
The last part was said quite firmly and he felt her chakra spike, making the air in the room press down on him heavily.
She didn't have anything on old man Sarutobi though. That was a trick he'd shown off quite a lot, a subset of killing intent apparently it was called. There wasn't actually a name for it according to the old man, just that it was something all kage tended to throw around for a variety of reasons, one of the main being the simple statement of:
A reminder, more than anything else on just what kind of beast a Kage truly was. Tobirama doing this, generated such force that Orochimaru, Sasuke, Jugo and Suigetsu were almost crushed by it on the spot.
"I never said you were, beautiful." Daiki grinned at her, not at all effected by it.
She cut off the pressure and looked away, hiding her face slightly by her wavy hair framing her face, a sigh left her mouth, "I see you didn't defeat Raiga for nothing," she mused, before turning back to face him, "Well then Daiki-kun, since you've listed our faults I have to ask the question then, why does the Leaf seek an alliance with the Mist. What do you hope to gain from it? While you have suffered substantial losses yourself, only a fool would not realise the Leaf are still the strongest of the five great villages, and is in alliance with the Sand. Even if Cloud and Stone formed an alliance, which is highly doubtful, you will still win."
"We would," Daiki agreed without a shadow of a doubt or a hint of shame, "Though you're a bit wrong on one take there. Our alliance with the Sand is on deaths door at this point, that clown they call a Kazekage has it out for us after all. Jealousy and incompetence tends to do that."
"Truly?" Mei hummed, "I'd heard tensions had been quite high because of the Wind Daimyo but I didn't think your alliance was quite that far gone."
"Rasa's an incompetent moron, what else can be said?" Daiki shrugged and had no regret at all insulting the man, "He killed his own wife in his attempt to make his youngest son a Jinchuuriki. Then he proceeded to isolate said son away from everyone else with his uncle as a caretaker, and make the kid rely on him and love him with all his heart. Then ordered the uncle to make a failed assassination attempt, unveil himself and basically tell the kid he had hated him all along. I'm sure you've heard heart the story of Gaara of the Sand."
Mei actually winced, "I'd heard the boy was a brutal insane monster, not any of….that," she admitted, "All villages have their way of raising Jinchuuriki, but I can't begin to fathom what led him to that sort of conduct."
"From what I hear he wanted to make his son a killing machine that was loyal only to the village," Daiki revealed, "He accomplished one side of that I suppose, but being a killing machine doesn't really mean much when he's weak. But then, this is that clown Rasa we're talking about, he sent the second strongest person in his village, Pakura Of The Scorch Style off here to get ambushed and killed by you guys for whatever reason." he snorted.
….Wait Rasa, wasn't he dead right now? He should have been killed off not long ago by Orochimaru. And actually, Daiki knew the rough whereabouts of his corpse.
'Something to think about when I'm done here.' Daiki put that thought away for the moment.
"I see, you have quite the opinion on the Kazekage," Mei noted, "Still, the sand truly didn't add all that much to your overall fighting power in the alliance. Rasa was known for rarely ever leaving the Sand, that doesn't quite explain why you would want an alliance with us, especially when our general distance is farther than Suna and of course the geographical obstacles."
"To be honest, it's the old mans idea," Daiki admitted, "Like, I'm quite happy allying with you guys if only because it means I get to see you, but overall he wants to invite you guys into an alliance to make up for the fact we've got a few things of yours, or at least how the world sees it and I'll be blunt, we're not giving them back."