Chapter 13
TSUNADE SENJU
Tsunade Senju was rarely intrigued. She had seen much in her life. Her status as the Senju princess, and then as a revered Sanin had allowed her to see all aspects of the Shinobi world, see the truth of that world for what it was. See Konoha for what it had become.
Her grandfather had sought to end the fighting of the Warring State period when he had joined hands with the Uchiha, and when the other clans did the same, forming what are now the five great Hidden villages, he had not tried to stop them, instead had called a Council and had shared with them the Tailed Beasts he had captured to maintain the balance of power.
Yet all his efforts to achieve peace had been nothing but a failure, and soon after his demise, the war had come knocking at their door, and it was only the pragmatic and practical nature of his brother that would salvage the situation. Though her grandfather may have helped build the village, it stands to this day because of Nidaime Hokage, her uncle.
And it was the shadow of the same man that she now saw inside the young jito crouching in front of his assailant's corpse, a frown marring his face.
She had first met him some years ago, receiving a missive from the village where her dear apprentice had been commissioned for a mission. A rarity, though it had happened before, many young lords and even some lords themselves had found themselves besotted with her apprentice's looks and would often commission a mission to make overtures at her, and she had expected this case to be similar until they had met the one who had hired them.
The young jito lacked all of the pomp and entitlement associated with someone of his station, and even in their then-brief encounter, she had been able to see the sharp mind hidden behind that gaze. And the mission details had further confirmed it.
A recovery mission from Kusa to rescue a woman and her daughter, how he knew of them and their hair color and, more importantly, their heritage was a secret, yet he was right. And that then and there had told her that he was different than the regular breed of men, and the subsequent years had only proven her conjecture.
"This is the work of a ninja," she cut in from behind as the guards backed down. The young lord looked towards her with an accusatory look, for his earlier words about the involvement of shinobi in this war of succession had just gained quite some weight.
Many of the guards gaped at her words as she stood beside the young jito, who raised a brow.
"How can you tell?" he questioned, and she pointed towards the dead man's neck.
"There is a small hole in his neck, one that I believe was caused by the senbon that tore his carotid, killing him. Such accuracy can only be the work of a highly trained shinobi," she replied.
Their eyes met, and she could see his mind racing behind those dark irises, plotting and planning.
The peace her grandfather had wished to achieve had fallen apart, and only a vestige of that vision remained in the form of Konoha. Shinobi still warred, children still died, and things didn't change at all.
Tsunade had gone agonistic over the fate of this world long ago, with the death of Dan and Kawaki, yet meeting the young Lord of Shinoi had sparked a certain curiosity in her, a curiosity about the world he would build. He was deluded by dreams of grandeur. No, he was pragmatic, yet that didn't mean he didn't dream or aspire to change the world.
He had somewhat, the lands of Shinoi were a micro chasm into the world he wished to build, its populace healthy and prosperous, and most importantly its children safe and cheerful. A rarity in these times of war.
"Leave us!" his voice rang out into the clearing, his authority unquestionable as the men around them paced away. Though the red-headed woman, the one she had met all those years ago, gave her a small bow as she followed behind them.
"You were right," she spoke up as both of them stood opposite infront of the dead man's body.
"I know, but I am afraid this won't be proof enough if I am to make a case against this adversary of mine," he mentioned, making her frown.
"Why?" she questioned not seeing his point, this dead body showed a ninja's involvement.
"They could simply put the blame on any foreign nations, or at any rogue-nin. In these times of war, both of these scenarios are quite common and much more likely than sabotage by someone from the village, especially someone as esteemed as him," he snarled at the last word, his frustration leaking out, a rare display from the usual stoic lord he pretended to be.
Though he was right. She could see his point.
"That is why I wished for you to investigate this personally. If I were to make a massive claim right now, I would alert him, but if you investigate, I believe you would either find evidence against him allowing for a prosecution against him, or it stops him from interfering anymore, buying me time enough to win this whole damn thing," he said as he looked towards her.
"And how can you be sure that it is him?" she questioned, and though she had never liked Shimura and wouldn't put it past him to interfere like this, the man was still an elder and a councilor to her sensei.
"It is him,"
"But how do you kno…"
"I know," he cut in resolutely, looking at her as he had all those years ago. Both of them stared at each other before she nodded.
"So be it then, though I still wonder how you plan to win this war," she questioned, and he smirked.
"You will just have to watch me," he said, and there was a sort of childish cockiness in that smile, and it reminded her of his age. He was so young and yet had done so much.
"I had little intention of participating in this whole ordeal, but now that I am…." He began as he looked into the distance.
"…I plan on sitting on that throne!" he declared, reminding her of some all too familiar declarations she had heard over the years.
"And then maybe I would nominate you to take the Hokage's seat," he said as he turned towards her, and she scoffed.
"You wouldn't dare!" she said with narrowed eyes, and he had the audacity to smirk.
"Maybe I would," he replied.
"Even the Guardian twelve won't be able to save you from me," she challenged, and he chuckled.
"Threatening me with treason itself, that's new," he said, and she smirked as she shook her head.
And truthfully, she was rather excited to see what he would do as daimyo. Would he be able to bring the change that her grandfather had failed to bring, will he truly be able to transform this continent as he had done so for his lands.
And if she wished to see that, the boy would have to live for long enough to ascend that damned throne.
"I will be leaving for Konoha right now," she said as she moved towards the dead body and took out a sealing scroll from her pocket.
"And I will be taking this with me as well, you know, for investigative purposes," she replied as she sealed the body inside the scroll.
"What of Shizune-san?" he questioned, and she waved it away.
"Let her be. Tell her to rest here for some time and heal your wife," she said with a smirk as the boy frowned, the hidden implication lost to her as she shook her head and continued.
"Plus, from what I know, she rather enjoys staying here," she relied on, and the hidden implication behind those words was lost to him as he looked at her obliviously.
And she vowed to guard this innocence from her white-haired comrade's clutches. He had been getting rather intrusive over her constant visits to Shinoi lands. She wouldn't let him corrupt him.
"Ahh!" suddenly she recalled something rather important.
"Hand me your blade," she said and the boy did so with a frown, and handed her his sword, she took it out of its sheath and pushed her chakra through it.
And there it was. The blade had cracks in it, in its edge. The technique used by the boy had done this to the blade. She was sure that the sword would break with one more swing.
"As I suspected, the blade is damaged," she uttered, and the boy nodded.
"It is. I have tried everything, yet the nature of my techniques is such that no blade lasts for much longer and breaks after some use. This one might last one or two more swings," he replied, already aware of the nature of his technique and their effects on his blade, and then suddenly his eyes widened as he looked towards her.
"You didn'…" he gasped, and she nodded, cutting him.
"I did," she replied as she took out another sealed scroll from her pocket.
"Your idea had merit, and all the information you provided was enough for me to get a prototype made," she replied as she unsealed the scroll.
And in a puff of smoke, a katana erupted from the sole, its sheath jet black though near the hilt it had a symbol marked. The symbol of a whirlpool, in honor of the kunoichi who had helped her build this blade.
She threw it towards him, and he caught the sword, his eyes widening as he took it out of its sheath, his eyes narrowing on the seal inscribed into it near its hilt.
"They managed to pull it off, a replica of the legendary Kubikiribōchō," he gasped as he swung it in the air, the blade cutting through the air in a masterful manner.
"It's not perfect, but it will do the job. So, don't go dying on me, young lord Akihito," she said as she gave him a small bow.
"I won't," he said as he lowered his head.
"Then I will be on my way, it is time enough I have a meeting with my sensei about what exactly is going on inside the village on his watch!"
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