In the corridor on the second floor outside the villa, Kazuhime held a crystal which emitted beautiful, colorful lights.
"Brother! This looks really good, take a look"
Asuka who was only three, was immediately drawn to the beautiful light from the crystal. So beautiful....." He spoke excitedly, looking at the transparent crystal in his younger sister's hands, eager to have the crystal in his hands. It was the first time he had seen something so beautiful.
"Actually, brother, the crystal represents family's love that never fades." Kazuhime explained the nonsense she had made up to her brother with a serious expression.
"Never fade...family?"
Although Asuka didn't really understand what it meant, but he thought it sounded amazing.
Seeing how much Asuka wanted it, Kazuhime asked seriously, "Do you want it, brother?"
"Yes Kazu, I want it. How about I trade the snacks father bought for me?"
"I have no interest in snacks."
Asuka was immediately disappointed.
Kazuhime then changed the subject while pretending to ask casually, "But... Mother and Father gave you a lot of new year's money, right?"
"New year's money?" Asuka tilted his head in confusion, then he remembered something. He took out a stack of crisp new 10,000 ryo banknotes from his pocket. There were over 20 notes totaling a large sum for a three-year-old.
"Is that all?" Kazuhime asked.
"No, there are still a lot in the piggy bank, given to me by father. Do you like this things you can't eat or play with?" Asuka really didn't understand his sister's interest in such useless paper. He felt his sister was really strange. But he knew that to get the beautiful crystal, he had to trade the so-called money.
"If you give me all of those, I'll give you the shiny crystal."
"Okay." Asuka nodded obediently. He ran to his room and took out his golden piggy bank. Inside were not just stacks of 10,000 ryo notes, but also coins. He walked out as he struggled to carry the heavy piggy bank.
Taking out the money inside, Kazuhime roughly counted the money, which totaled over one million ryo.
"Here, sign the contract." Kazuhime produced a sheet of paper filled with words and a pen.
"Contract?" Asuka was confused. 'What iss a contract? I only know some characters on the paper, but the rest i don't know.' He could only recognize some of the characters on the white paper, but not most of them. The only words he could read and write were his name and a few simple ones. He felt unsure about the content.
"Just write your name here, and this shiny, beautiful crystal is all yours."
'Beautiful...' With that thought, Asuka took the pen from Kazuhime without hesitation and signed 'Uchiha Asuka' in a messy manner.
"Brother, the crystal belongs to you now. It represents the never-fading bond between us - you must treasure it."
"Yes Kazu, I understand.".Asuka joyfully held the radiant crystal and went off to play on his own.
Kazuhime watched Asuka with the crystal. A slight smirk tugged at her lips as she picked up the contract and piggy bank and headed to her room.
...
On the other side, Asuka rushed to the study with the crystal.
"Father, Father!." Asuma called out as he pushed open the door.
Shiraishi was in front of a computer with several books and scrolls, sorting through recently obtained information. Hearing Asuka, he put his work down and turned to him. He picked up Asuka and sat him on his lap. "What's wrong, Asuka?"
"Look at this, it's so shiny and beautiful!" Asuka showed the crystal to Shiraishi proudly, as if he had discovered his treasure.
"You like things like this Asuka?." Shiraishi asked with a surprised smile. Girls tended to like shiny things more.
"Yes, this is called a crystal, and it was given to me by Kazu."
"Well, Kazuhime really likes you." Shiraishi said, happy to see the harmonious relationship between the siblings..Although the crystal was just a cheap 100 ryo trinket, it represented Kazuhime's respect for her older brother, which couldn't be measured simply in monetary value.
"Yeah, I just took some useless waste paper, and Kazu gave me the crystal." Asuka nodded.
"Waste paper?"
"It's the New year's money." Asuka looked at his father, smiling innocently.
"...Asuka, tell me... honestly, how much did you give Kazuhime?" Shiraishi felt his smile fading as a sense of foreboding arose.
"All!! I gave all the new year's money to Kazu. She said this crystal represents the never-fading brother-sister bond between us." Asuka stated proudly.
Shiraishi fell silent. 'Then your sibling bond is quite cheap. What nonsense has Ruri been teaching Kazuhime?' .
"Father, what's wrong with you?"
"Nothing." Shiraishi shook his head. It seemed he would need to teach Asuka about money sooner rather than later, or else his allowance might get swindled by Kazuhime.
"Father, let's go out and make a snowman."
Asuka then suggested, jumping down and pulling Shiraishi's hand eagerly. Shiraishi thought for a while, then nodded in agreement. The New Year had just passed and the weather was still cold a bit. The milky white sky held fine, drifting snow, giving a bright cast to the day.
The courtyard was filled with deep snow. Raimei lay lazily in his house, occasionally shaking his head to rid the snow from his head and horn. There were stoves inside and outside the pet house, ensuring Raimei didn't feel the cold.
Lazily licking one of his paws, Raimei observed Shiraishi building a snowman with Asuka in the yard.
"What a peaceful scene."
A nostalgic feeling washed over Raimei. Compared to fighting, he preferred basking in the sun, observing the scenery and the changing seasons. But he knew such peaceful days were fleeting. Soon they might need to venture out and stir up trouble.
"Yeah?"
An immature and cold voice reached its ears, causing Raimei to shudder. He turned to see a three year old girl with twin braids. Wearing winter clothes, she held a heavy book titled "How to Quickly Make Your First Pot of Gold."
"You... what are you doing here?" Raimei asked warily. He knew that Kazuhime defied common sense. Born with chakra nearly at the level of a tailed beast and a three-tomoe Sharingan, she could only be described as a 'monster.' Though Shiraishi had sealed the power within her, Raimei still considered her dangerous on multiple levels.
"I've run out of snacks. Do you have any left here?" Kazuhime ignored his tone.
Raimei sighed internally. Her awful habit of disregarding him to steal his snacks and space posed a greater threat than her strength, just like her wicked father. Like Father, like child. Maybe he should reduce the size of his house, though that meant less room for snacks and roaming.
"Let me make clear, I don't have much here. Why must you all come raid my place?" Raimei complained. Still, he made room for Kazuhime to lounge with her book and snacks.
...
Kirigakure, Mizukage Building
Yagura opened the door and saw the Third Mizukage working inside. Although he sat upright and focused on his tasks, the wrinkles and fatigue between his brows couldn't be concealed. Yagura could clearly sense his aging, his will and strength waning.
Numerous challenges were becoming beyond his control. The daimyo and nobles of the Land of Water took advantage, allowing the Blood Mist faction within the village to grow unchecked. Now, eradicating them wasn't just a question, it required the resolve of a strong leader to annihilate these elements entirely.
It was the wrong time, with incorrect countermeasures. Kirigakure's development funds were restrained by the Land of Water's daimyo and nobles. This situation didn't happen overnight, it was a premeditated plan by the daimyo and nobles.
"Is that you, Yagura?" The Third Mizukage asked without lifting his head.
"Yes, it's me."
"Did something happen again?"
"Konoha's Fourth Hokage, Namikaze Minato, sent a letter, expressing his desire to establish diplomatic relations with Kirigakure." Yagura approached the Mizukage, retrieving the official letter from Konoha, and placed it in front of Mizukage.
"Let's set that aside for now." The Mizukage dismissed without even glancing at it. The newly appointed Fourth Hokage needed political achievements to gain influence in Konoha. However, Kirigakure was currently too occupied with its own issues to engage in diplomatic relations with Konoha. Moreover, Kirigakure's internal conflicts needed to remain hidden from other villages.
The council in Kirigakure were at odds, yet they had to maintain a façade of unity to outsiders. Establishing diplomatic ties with Konoha at this juncture would be detrimental to Kirigakure.
"Yes, but you should still send a reply letter to avoid showing any wrong signals to Konoha."
"Of course, I understand." The Mizukage already had a draft on how to respond to Konoha without revealing any weakness. Yagura didn't need to provide guidance on that matter.
"In addition, there have been growing calls in the village regarding the selection of the fourth Mizukage. Please prepare for this." Yagura calmly informed the Mizukage.
The Third Mizukage paused, sighed, and nodded helplessly. Despite the pressure to step down, he understood that his time was drawing to a close.
"Delay it as much as possible. I need a little more time.".
"Yes." Yagura left the office after conveying these matters.
Even with the Third Mizukage trying to prolong the decision, the Fourth Mizukage had to be selected within the year.
"It's snowing."
As Yagura walked through the Mizukage Building's corridor, he stopped by the window to watch the falling snow, letting out a sigh.
"Yes. But thanks to the snow, the scent of blood in the village has been washed away." Behind Yagura, a ninja wearing Kirigakure Anbu's attire stood silently. Though wearing a mask, the figure seemed to be a young woman based on her shape and voice.
Yagura nodded. Only now was the bloody odor masked, allowing clean refreshing air.
"The Third's health has been getting worse. He often falls asleep unconscious in the office alone." The Anbu mentioned, perhaps intentionally or unintentionally.
"Well, after all he's getting old and losing the energy of his youth. It's only natural. It seems the secrecy established by the Second Mizukage might not be such a bad thing. It keeps villages like Konoha in the dark about Kirigakure's current state." Yagura sighed.
"It seems the fourth Mizukage is not far off." The Anbu understood, signifying that Kirigakure was about to enter a bloody internal conflict that would affect the entire village and possibly the Land of Water.
"Before that, we need to eliminate any remaining threats to ensure the smooth execution of the plan. I'll handle the Third; your people can manage the other movements."
"Yes".
"Any movements from Fuguki's side?"
Compared to council, Fuguki, one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen with Samehada was quite troublesome to deal with. The other swordsmen held considerable power in Kiri, making them troublesome as well.
The Anbu thought for a moment before responding, "His behavior has been odd lately. He seems to be in contact with some unidentified ninjas."
"Unidentified ninjas?" Yagura frowned.
"Exactly."
"Can't you identify them?"
"No. According to the information, Fuguki is quite cautious, and the mysterious ninjas who he's in contact with are equally cautious."
"Continue monitoring. I must know which faction the mysterious ninjas align with."
"I understand."
"Carry on. Next, I'll announce the selection criteria for the Fourth Mizukage."
"So soon?"
"No, just within this year. To prevent Fuguki from taking drastic measures, we need to stabilize the situation first. Before dealing with the Blood Mist faction, I still need to make some preparations."
The Anbu understood the situation, disappearing behind Yagura.
.....
Due to Konoha's powerful Anbu forces being concentrated on the pregnant Nine Tails Jinchuriki, Uzumaki Kushina, many Jonin also minimized their missions to increase Konoha's defense.
Based on this situation, Shiraishi temporarily abandoned the idea of using Takigakure to contain Konoha. Presently, Konoha's focus revolved around Uzumaki Kushina. As long as she hasn't given birth, Shiraishi didn't need to worry about a Konoha attack.
As spring turned to summer, and June arrived. Kushina's growing stomach couldn't be hidden. Those close were aware of the fresh young life growing in her. As her pregnancy advanced, even her short trips outside were restricted.
Her residence was guarded by five squads totaling twenty elite Anbu protecting her safety. The formidable force included powerhouses like Kakashi along with outstanding chunins and special jonins.
Breaching such security to threaten Kushina herself would be no simple feat. Even five hundred elite chunin would be hard pressed against twenty elite Anbu Furthermore, the Fourth Hokage himself remained as last defense.
Twenty Anbu took turns, patrolling around the mansion. Kakashi's Anbu team led the day shifts, while another team handled nights To facilitate this, Konoha rented apartments nearby for the Anbu's temporary housing. Even on breaks, they could swiftly react to emergencies.
The security measures were airtight, with the Fourth Hokage himself making it foolproof.
Though bored with the mission, Kakashi performed it with utmost dedication as an Anbu should. The other Anbu seemed more relaxed despite their masked faces, it was only natural after the same routine for over a hundred days. He maintained a serious approach to the protection mission.. Protecting a Jinchuriki was equivalent to the Hokage. Important to the village. The Anbu understood the significance, suppressing any boredom.
To pass time, some the Anbu played cards while working. Others focused meticulously on all tasks without boredom. Kakashi immersed himself in books and honed his lightning attribute chakra, aiming to enhance his Chidori and Kenjutsu skills.
"Hey, Kakashi, there's still one more card needed here. Care to join and make up the numbers?" a tall Anbu called out.
Kakashi's signature hair and swird made his identity obvious. "No, I'm reading a book." While focused on the book, he remained observant of his surroundings. Multitasking came naturally to him and many Anbu. Otherwise the Anbus' card games during duty would have earned severe reprimand without such talent. Only elites made Anbu, after all.
"Okay then, I'm going to find someone else." His colleague moved on without argument.
Within a few minutes, a new shadow fell over Kakashi. Looking up from his book, he saw a smiling face that seemed foolishly lax.
"Jiraiya-sama? What brings you here?" Kakashi looked at the Sannin. The other Anbu glanced their way but didn't interfere. Very few in Konoha could approach so freely, and Jiraiya would never betray their interests.
"I'm leaving for a bit, thought I'd visit Minato's unborn child."
"Leaving?" Kakashi puzzled.
"Well....i have some business to take care of."
Jiraiya said lightly.
But from the Sannin's information gathering skills, Kakashi guessed it was no simple matter. He nodded, understanding no further questions were needed.
"I see you're a bit bored here, so I brought a gift to help pass the time. Although its still unrefined and not ready for release. Please accept my painstaking work graciously."
Kakashi stared in confusion as Jiraiya produced a hand-bound book with cartoonish love imagery. It was titled "Icha Icha Paradise."
'Icha Icha Paradise? A romance novel?' Kakashi thought skeptically.
"Kakashi, this is a book every man should read. When you're done, write me a 5000 words testimonial. I'll be going now." Jiraiya concluded solemnly, placing the book in Kakashi's hand before disappearing from the roof.
"I'm not interested in romance novels..." Kakashi muttered. Still, it would help pass the time. Five thousand words was too much for a testimonial though. He opened to the first page... and In that moment.... he felt that a whole new world had opened up to him.
----
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