Despite the fact he was welcome to come and go Hattori didn't make a habit of striding into the Armada's lands as though he owned the place. Even now the prospect seemed unspeakably foreign to him, a concept that made sense in theory but not in practice. Just as before he lingered at the border, polite and proper as he stood tall. No doubt his presence had already been noted, either by the watchful eyes in the sky or anyone who cared to scent the breeze. He was alone and comfortable with the solitude as his gaze roved over the long grass, had this visit taken place a few weeks ago he would have no doubt taken this as a chance to compare Ashen to the Armada. But the pack that stood behind him was far different than it had been weeks ago and under the Empress' and his own guidance much more would change still.

It was strange to put it this way, but now that Hattori thought about it this was a social call. Of sorts, or as close as he could get to one. He tipped his head back and let out a call for the Warlord, knowing full well he was likely already on his way. There were things he would like to discuss, it mattered little to him but he wondered whether this meeting would be a tad more civil than their last. Less baseless accusations and more mature conversation.

He hadn’t seen a great deal of the orange-black marked wolf he had temporarily taken custody of in his pack lands. But, it seemed he had been very busy in Ashen lands. Before he knew it, he was being informed that the man had become Venom’s second. They were not mated, as he understood it, but she shared some of the powers of leadership with him.

Hearing his call now in the pack lands - the Warlord wanted to see for himself if he was worthy of the honours being bestowed upon him. If he was worthy of Venom’s favoritism. If his daughter in all but name had picked him for such a role, she must have seen something worthy in him. Turning on his heel, he headed in the direction of the cry. “Hattori, what can I do for you?”

Soon enough the Armada's Warlord emerged through the grass. Though Hattori did not know Sirius on a personal level he could at least say that he respected him for being so punctual, mindful of his borders and willing to patrol them himself. As to whether they would ever establish an actual relationship was yet to be seen, nor was it a thing Hattori would strongly push for, but they both served the same Empress and thus they shared common ground. Hattori could work with that. Unblinking, Hattori took in the sight of the Warlord and couldn't help but notice that his fur seemed a touch thicker than it had last time they'd met. Was it simply because winter was here or like Hattori's bones was something else at play? Regardless he cast the matter from his mind for now, since he didn't think it appropriate to ask.

"Greetings Warlord." Hattori dipped his head, customary and polite but not subservient. Even as Venom's Shinobi he was no sycophant, he simply knew his place and how to act accordingly. "As I am sure you are aware, Ashen has undergone an..." English failed him again and his ear flicked in a rare show of frustration. He tried again, diving right to the point. "I will be honest with you, Sirius. When I first joined Ashen I saw that the wolves that filled it's ranks were lazy and entitled, using their Klein blood to get by. The Empress ordered me to rid Ashen of those wolves and so they are gone. And though this will take some time, Venom is also looking to further expand her empire and claim Obsidian Beach."

Hattori made no attempt to mention Hanako after all, he had no interest in holding the favour above Sirius' head as though he owed him. The matter was dealt with and thus there was no need to speak of it. Instead he asked.

"What are you thoughts?"

Sirius returned the slight gesture, nodding back to the man with a light dip of his head. As Hattori began to speak, Sirius caught the trail of where he was going, and barked out a laugh. Stepping forward he gave the man a friendly nudge of his shoulder. “Good man. They’ve needed a kick up their collective rumps for a long time. Those like Deathbelle and Venom have earned my respect, but many of the Klein’s are clinging to titles that haven’t truly existed since their last kingdom fell. New blood and new strength is what will make this Empire thrive, not old traditions.” And just like that, Hattori had earned a piece of Seer’s respect. If Deathbelle had let him off his chain, the Warlord would have ripped into the Klein’s a long time ago, but she had been soft on her family members. Venom had been too new to her role to rock the boat, but she had begun to solidify support to her role. She had Hattori, a successful fighter to her side. She was ready to shake that boat, and Hattori had taken the first steps in her name. “Obsidian beach would make a good training ground, and it's a bridge to the more fertile hunting grounds like Fern Gully. Branching out that direction is wise, when the lands North to us are bustling more with wolven life, and scaring off the prey.” In other words, he approved. He would have Venom’s back with this, and support her as she needed. “If she needs a wolf to help train her new recruits and fight for her, she can have one of my sons for a year to work towards this goal.” Azure was more vicious, but Mortis was the better trainer. If Hattori and Venom took him off on that offer, he would pick the son that would better fit the goal. "Speech"

Hattori blinked, clearly taken aback by the shoulder nudge. It didn't seem as though Sirius had any malicious intent, if anything the Warlord seemed pleased, but it was such an alien gesture to the Shogun that it had him staring at Sirius as though he'd grown a second head. Even if only for a second or two, before he collected himself. Sirius was right though, as soon as Hattori had joined Ashen he got the feeling they were a bunch of wolves clinging onto old glories, hoping that it would be enough to bring them the prestige and renown they craved. It had not. The name was old and stale, and if they wanted to be a bloodline of note once again then they'd need to work for it. Something they seemed quite unwilling to do.

Sirius mentioned Deathbelle having earned his respect and that wasn't something they agreed about. It was her leadership that had caused Ashen to crumble as it had but he knew better than to admit that thought aloud, it remained swallowed as he simply nodded along in silent agreement. Claiming Obsidian Beach was indeed the right call and if it were possible he would have set things in motion right away, but he knew they had to bide their time and gain strength before they could make such a bold move. He could be patient, he would be if that's what it took.

"I appreciate the offer. " He dipped his head, it was something he would bring up with Venom when next they spoke. Now had Hattori been a man for small talk he would have asked how the Armada faired, or whether his children were well. But Hattori was content to bask in the silence for a moment, to listen to the wind through the grass. "What are your thoughts on Habari?"

Sirius nodded, and said nothing more on the offer. He knew the Koi Warrior would take it to Venom. Whatever their relationship, the two of them had decided to share the burden of leadership. They would work it out together - but as far as Sirius knew, Venom was still calling the shots. The Warlord leaned back on his hunches, falling into silence for a while, simply enjoying the soft wind and quiet day. Content to let Hattori figure out which way he would lead the conversation next. Hattori had come to him, and if he had things to sort out, the man would bring them up. “Uhh. Habari” the Warlord said softly, rolling the name on his tongue a moment. “So far, the pack seems to be on the quiet side. Their scent isn’t strongly mingled with many wolves yet, so they haven’t had much traction in recruits. Their leader, Recluse, has a long way to go to get her pack into shape. She hasn’t made clear-cut inclinations of where she stands within the Empire and its counterparts. For now, Habari and the Armada are neutral.” meaning the weight of the Ashen name would shield her from the Armada for now, and the next move was hers. "What have you gathered from Habari?" "Speech"

Hattori most certainly had his thoughts, none that were too flattering, but he wished to hear what Sirius made of them before he shared his own. By no means would the Warlord's opinion sway him, he simply wanted to gauge whether Ashen and the Armada would continue to be a united front in all things. And whether Habari would have a chance, no matter how slim, to be able to wiggle into the space between. It seemed as though Sirius had been keeping a close, if not quiet, eye on them, that his own views aligned somewhat with the Shogun's barbed judgement. Though he put it gentler than Hattori would care to, after all when it came down to matters such as these he had always been a little on the blunt side.

He had yet to meet Recluse but Venom had told him all he needed to know about the ambitious Klein. Izanami on the other paw had been very quiet, too quiet, leading him to believe either nothing of note was happening on his shinobi had lost her way. Out of those two options the former was the most likely. But even then she was not the useful tool he'd hoped she would be, she would come to learn of his disapproval when he found the time.

"Recluse relies too heavily on the backing of the Empire and has done nothing to warrant such support." He told Sirius, his tone cold and matter of fact. He'd met others of Habari's ilk, those who lingered in the shadows. Too quiet to be trusted. "Not once has she sought out the Empress' audience and that speaks volumes, does it not? That being said, they are not a threat as it stands. She would be a fool to step out of line now. "

It surprised him to learn how little Recluse had participated in the Empire since the start of her pack. That she had not had an audience with Venom and stated her intentions was the most shocking of all. He could understand - grudgingly - if she did not include the Armada in her talks, but to not have them at all? He wondered for how long she would have the Empire’s support. She was either a part of them, or separate. There was no inbetween. He made a noise like a grunt at Hattori’s words, as he considered the implications. “Interesting. Perhaps she wants for nothing more now that she had her pack. If she raises a paw to defend the Empire will determine if we will raise a paw to defend her. Like for like, if she wants indifference, I will give it to her.” That was all his stance on the matter. Venom was his Empress now, and his loyalty to her, and to the Armada, was absolute. "Speech"

Hattori understood Sirius' line of thought and it did make sense. She'd played her part as loyal subject, only to sever ties at the first chance she got. He'd seen it happen before except those in question hadn't sat idly by for so long, they'd been quick to act and make a name for themselves. Habari, from what Hattori could tell, had gone radio silent, as though completely separated from the world at large. If they kept this up long term he had no doubt they'd find themselves on the receiving end of some very pointed words from the Empress, perhaps even Sirius too. The ball was in Recluse's court but Hattori doubted she'd do anything about it, just keep ignoring it like always.

"I was told that Recluse intended for Habari to be a spy ring of sorts, to be the Empire's eyes and ears." A ridiculous notion given that Recluse had no former training, that she felt as though she had any authority on the matter. Hattori, having been a born and bred Iga wolf knew the ins and outs of the craft. Knew that within his heart that Habari was not capable of it, no matter how much their alpha wished to pretend otherwise.  "I instructed one of my subordinates to join Habari so I could keep an eye on the pack from within, but she has not reported back to me. Even then knowing as much as I do about...her trade I would say Habari is vastly unequipped for the intended purpose. Perhaps that is why they are so inactive."

A spy ring? He snorted softly in amusement, wondering how an entire pack could dedicate itself to the task. He had Hana, of course. She was his informant, and her innocent air was a great asset to the task. The majority of the Armada however was made up of fighters, and the fringe members were hunters and healers to cover the gaps in those areas. A pack dedicated entirely to spying felt… strangely wasteful to the Warlord. “Thank you for the information, Hattori. Perhaps it's time I send a small greeting their way myself. It wouldn’t do to know nothing of this pack, nor to assume the Klein name gives me ties to them.” He had been content to ignore them thus far. Now, after talking to Hattori, he wondered if that was a mistake. "Speech"

Hattori nodded with a muted grunt. The Warlord did not comment further but his snort spoke volumes, loud enough that even Hattori got a sense of what he was thinking. They stood as a united front on this it seemed, Venom would no doubt be pleased by this. Sirius then went onto state he wished to look into the matter himself and send someone to Habari to test the water, it was a wise choice but the Shogun found himself wondering what, if anything, would come of it. No doubt Recluse would spin this on them, act as though she was entitled to the visit and not the other way around. As though she wasn't a part of a larger picture, owed respect and reverence when she had done nothing to earn it. Hattori had seen her type before, eager to grasp power but too clumsy to wield it efficiently.

"If anything comes of it do let me know." He wasn't sure if they would learn anything new but he was still a shinobi at heart and information was the tool of his trade, the more he knew the better.