Chapter 43
TSUNADE SENJU
Tsunade Senju had known Akihito Shirahoshi for the better part of a decade, yet even now, the boy would sometimes be a mystery to her. He had risen from a simple jito to now the daimyo of the whole fire nation.
Speaking politically, he was perhaps the most powerful man on the continent, yet even now, he often remained an enigma to her, especially now as he sat huffing, covered in sweat, the unique training he had asked for her aid completed.
Akihito was no stranger to the concept of Killing Intent, a skill ingrained in him through his rigorous samurai training. However, there was a distinct difference between the battle instincts of a samurai, where the emphasis was on form and function, and the shinobi arts, which focused solely on the art of killing. This nuanced distinction in his training was a testament to the complexity of Akihito's character.
He was the daimyo now. He had at his beck and call a literal army that would do his bidding, tear down villages, slaughter thousands at his word. Yet what task was so important and secretive that he put himself through this training?
"Just what are you planning, Akihito?" she questioned as the young daimyo wiped away the sweat from his forehead.
Their eyes met, and he smirked.
"Why are you so curious? Don't tell me you are worried about me?" he questioned, and she scoffed.
"You idiot, you are a daimyo now. I don't know if you realize this or not, but this whole country depends on you. You bear responsibility for millions of lives. So don't be reckless. Tell me what it is that you prepare for so that I may help you," she chided him. He glanced up at the sky, his breathing now calm and even as he had not spoken for some time.
"Have you given any thought to my proposition then?" he asked, reminding her of the offer he had made to her earlier.
"I don't understand. You have the guardian twelve and the Hokage at your beck and call. Why would you want me as an advisor," she asked.
"Well, for your beauty, of course," he japed, and she kicked a pebble at him, which he blocked with his sheath as he chuckled.
"Be serious, brat!" she chided him as he smothered his laugh. Even though she knew someone else would have liked it a lot had those words been said to her.
"There are many things that I could use your aid in. There is much that I, as a civilian, will never understand about the shinobi culture and the village's operations. If I am to navigate these waters and do as I envision, I shall need an advisor well versed in the bloody world of shinobi," he spoke seriously as he turned towards her.
"One who is beguiled by propaganda and idiotic ideologies, but one who sees it for the mess and danger it is, and wished to change," he made his case.
"You do know that Minato has offered me a place on his Council, allowing me to do as I had always wished and establish a true Medical Corps in Konoha," she told him. Minato's offer was tempting, yet it was legible.
Akihito's offer was mysterious and contained many secrets and a vision that she was somewhat scared to know.
"Admirable, but that venture would demand little from you. Shizune-san would be able to do it just as well. She knows nearly just as much as you about iryo ninjutsu and would be able to lead such a team just as well," he picked holes in her rebuttal, his assessment again showing her how he knew and saw more than many gave him credit for.
"And what would you have me to do as your advisor?" she asked, after much thought, deciding to know of his real intentions.
He looked into her eyes as he answered.
"I would have you change the world," and there was conviction in his tone, conviction that reminded her not of the boisterous and hopeful dreams of her grandfather, Hashirama. No, this was the cold and calculated conviction of her uncle, Tobirama. A dream, a vision based not on hope but on cold and cynical action.
"And this training is a part of that?" she questioned, and he nodded.
"It is the beginning," he replied as her mind raced.
"Tell me then, and I shall have an answer for you," she offered, and after a second of thought, he nodded as he turned away from her and turned towards the sky once again.
"You do know that I quite admire your grandfather and Uchiha Madara for what they did. The latter subsequent actions ignored. They changed the world. Especially Hashirama Senju," he began, and it was interesting to see him speak of her grandfather, yet he did not speak of him as the God of Shinobi, the most powerful man to ever live. No, he spoke of him as a man, as a kind-hearted man.
"Great as he was, your grandfather made a mistake in his endeavors. He committed a wrong of great proportions that must be corrected," and she frowned. Those words coming out of anyone else's mouth would have her enraged and angry.
Yet she knew of him enough to know that if he was saying this, then he truly believed it.
"And what wrong was that?" she questioned, a bite in her tone as she saw him trying to gather fault in her grandfather.
And his answer would make her gasp as she realized just what the idiot was planning to do.
And she was thankful that she had gotten to know of it earlier.
For there was no way she was letting the fire daimyo stand in front of damned bijuu.
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MINATO NAMIKAZE
Minato had been Hokage for some time now, and slowly but surely, he was beginning to understand the responsibilities that came with the Hat.
He had soon come to realize that he could not carry them on his own and that he must have allies, people who would advise him in matters of extreme importance.
And he had just the people for that. Sandaime sama became controversial after the sheer extent of disturbing actions Shimura Danzo had been involved. Though he remained a village asset because of his prowess, he had thought it best not to call him.
So, three people had been chosen for it. His sensei had been first. Though he was a Sanin and a very powerful shinobi, his actual utility lay in his vast information network that spanned all over the continent.
The second one had been Tsunade-sama, even though the Senju Princess had yet to give an answer to his offer.
Lastly, he had made an offer to Fugaku Uchiha. The Uchiha Patriarch was a phenomenal shinobi with an acute grasp on tradition and village politics, so he had formed his own council. Though unlike the previous one, they had little actionable power, they were valuable advisors to him.
"The war in Kiri is over," Jiraiya-sensei broke the news as Fugaku-san raised a brow.
"They have selected a new kage and daimyo. Terumi Mei has been selected as their new Kage, and Fushio Suzuki has been named as the Water daimyo," he informed him, and Minato could feel their new daimyo's vision take shape.
"Our new daimyo's brother-in-law," Fugaku added, and it was not a surprise to him that the man was acutely aware of the political situation. He was, after all, the head of a storied clan.
"Indeed, we can expect negotiations for an alliance to begin shortly, for the daimyo-sama wishes to make peace with Kirigakure and Water country." He told them.
"The Hyuga's will not be happy about that. You must know of the treachery of the one they name Ao the Locator," Fugaku-san pointed out.
"Indeed, but an alliance with Kiri would be good for us. There is much bad blood between us, and with that alliance hammered out, three of our borders would be secured," he told them.
"Perhaps, but Kiri and Konoha have a bloody past. Never have the two villages ever forged an alliance to this day," Fugaku-san pointed out.
"These are newer times, and we must give peace a chance," he rebutted, and the man nodded.
"I believe Jiraiya-sama shall lead the negotiations," and Minato shook his head.
"No, I shall do that myself. Jiraiya-sama has a new mission, a highly secretive mission that has both mine and daimyo-sama's approval," he told the Uchiha patriarch, who was surprised.
It was not wrong of him to assume that Jiraiya-sama would lead the negotiations. After all, he was more experienced with this stuff.
"And what would that be?" he questioned.
"We are going to intervene in Amegakure and help broker peace between the two factions inside the village."
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HYAKUYA SOSUKE-The Prime Minister
Hyakuya Sosuke has served as Prime Minister for the last decade. Before that, he was an executive tax officer, overseeing the collection of taxes from all the lands. The job involved much travel, allowing him to see the various fiefs and provinces in the region.
When the Second Great War had broken out, he had watched as people had starved, the nobles ruling over them continuing their opulent and languish lifestyles at the cost of the people. It enraged him to see this injustice, enraged him to watch the nobles waste away food, waste coin while children in their own fiefs starved.
The respite between the Second and Third Great Wars had been small, for true peace had never truly been achieved; only a truce had materialized at the end of the Second War after the losses had become astronomical.
By the time the Third War had begun, he was the Prime Minister, and despite being the third most powerful man in the region, he held little power to interfere in the debauchery of the Nobles. He would oft hear word of thousands dying because of famine because of natural disasters, as the Kingdom's resources would be stretched thin because of the war.
Yet a ray of hope would emerge from the region of Shinoi. It would begin as word of massive migration into the flat region, with many lords laughing as their people fled their lands in desperation.
Yet despite the influx, Shinoi survived, there would be no word of death and demise, and he would dispatch a royal scout to those lands to see the state for himself and the report he would receive would shock him.
Shinoi, a poor region, governed by a young lord faired better than even the capital, its fields lush with grain, its people safe and healthy as the young lord dispatched swift and exemplary justice.
It was the first time he would learn of the young jito of Shinoi, and from then on he would keep an eye on the young lord. Sometimes even protecting him, as the lords grumbled about him, tried to bring him down by naming him an oni.
And when the news of the daimyo's son's demise would reach the capital the Daimyo-sama would be enraged, angry beyond reason, yet he would be helpless. The plot against his wife and sons involved lords too powerful and too closely related to himself.
Prosecuting them based on suspicion could tear the realm apart. Of his children by the Lady Mio, only his daughter remained, weak and feeble yet alive, and though the daimyo-sama could not act himself, he could employ an instrument against these powers.
Akihito Shirahoshi would be that instrument. The daimyo-sama would agree, and a match would be proposed between the young jito and the Princess surprising the whole region.
And now, as he stood at the grave of the late daimyo, the newly crowned Empress beside him. His heart felt at ease. He had served the man for all his life, and had been close enough to him to call him a friend.
"It is done, old friend. Your revenge is complete," he whispered as he prayed for him.
"Prime Minister," a voice called from behind, and he found a servant bowing there.
"The Daimyo sama wishes to see you."
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