Chapter 44
JIRAIYA-The Toad Sage.
"An intervention in Amgeakure," confirmed the Uchiha patriarch. Minato nodded as the new Council informally met in the Hokage's office for the first time since Minato's ascension, even though it was incomplete.
Tsunade was yet to give her answer, and the way she was spending so much time in the capital and their new daimyo's loft ambition hinted at a greater plan. Now, it would all depend on what she would prefer to.
If his conjecture was right, the daimyo could offer her a spot on his own council, an unorthodox measure but one completely legal given the novel status of the Senju clan. It would be similar to the position offered by Minato, and hence, the choice would be entirely up to Tsunade.
As for their new daimyo's lofty ambition, the young man had spent little time in trying to make his mark. Already, there was word about sweeping changes in the legal and tax structures of the province, with an emphasis being put on the lords to not simply rest on their laurels.
Practises proven successful in areas of farming and mining in his own lands were being embossed on the daimyo's fiefs, and Jiraiya could foresee a substantial increase in the daimyo's incomes and power with the steps he was taking.
"That could be dangerous," Fugaku added and Minato nodded.
"It could be, but it is not wrong to say that the last two wars were triggered out of the Five Great Nation's greed to control the central region of Ame. Stability in Ame could help stabilise things in the whole region allowing for peace to hold," he added.
"This is being done on the daimyo-sama's orders?" Fugaku questioned and Jiraiya spoke up.
"It is, though we are not going to do this the ninja way," he added making the Uchiha patriarch eyes turn towards him, as Minato passed him an official missive.
"Konoha and the Fire country will officially be providing war relief to the war-torn Amegakure with the official blessing of the ruler of the land, and in so would offer our patronage to any peaceful negotiations between the two groups locked in a battle for the control of Amegakure," he told. And there was the beauty of their plan.
"The daimyo-sama plans to declare his intentions openly?" Fugaku seemed surprised, just as he had been.
"Indeed, and given that we are the only nation with ample food production and money to support this effort, it is a role only we can take," plus he also had a suspicion that their new daimyo was aware of his connection to one of the two groups operating in Ame.
Akatsuki, the young force that had swept up the Eastern regions of Ame, was a mysterious group claiming to fight for Peace in Ame. Hanzo had been keeping a close eye on the group and had yet to make an overt move against them. The Salamander of Ame was growing old and would be smart enough to smell the change brewing in the air.
Their new daimyo seemed aware of his connection to Akatsuki and had proposed his name for this mission specifically, showing his acumen for knowing things once again.
"It is a bold move," Fugaku conjectured.
"It is, but we can make one as the victors of the previous war. Despite everything that has happened, Konoha is strong, and with the funds arriving from the capital, we will be able to make substantial improvements to the given infrastructure. It is a move that I wish to make," and the Uchiha clan head nodded, knowing that he had little ground to reject or speak against it, not that it would be any effective for the council's role had been made quite less by Minato after the whole Shimura debacle.
"And what would be my role in this?" and that was why he was being summoned.
"Orochimaru."
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KUSHINA UZUMAKI
Kushina Uzumaki was not fond of pomp and ceremony. She did not like the obtuse traditions and other such practices and was uncomfortable with them, even though she knew that such things could not be avoided sometimes.
And it was one such time as she sat infront of their new daimyo.
Akihito Shirahoshi, the young daimyo, sat opposite her, dressed in the finest silks she had ever laid eyes on, dressed as a noble of his rank should, yet he lacked much of the haughty attitude and overbearing pride held by most nobles.
He was quiet and amicable, yet she did not let that fool her for a second. Kushina Uzumaki was a sensor, and with their sheer proximity, she could sense his chakra rather thoroughly, and she was surprised.
Akihito Shriahoshi was not a shinobi, he was a samurai yet his chakra told her of a sharpness and training that went beyond the normal samurai training. His chakra nature was wind much like Minato's and had been trained to absolute precision. She could argue that his master over Futon could even rival that of Minato's, and then there was the amount of chakra; his reserves easily rivaled that of Tokubetsu jounin and, given his age, would continue to grow.
Had he been born in a hidden village, she was sure he had the makings of a prodigy. And then there was the setting. He did not have tens of servants waiting on him; they sat alone, him and Lady Tsunade, who seemed rather nervous as she sat beside the young daimyo.
"Why have you summoned me here, daimyo-sama?" she questioned, for she could tell that the conversation until this point had been more perfunctory, and she felt that it was better that they moved to the point.
"Truthfully, I wished to see and thank you for the burden you carry for the village and my country," he began, and she was taken aback by his sincerity.
"...and wished to see if there was anything I could do to lessen that burden," and with that, he put down his cup, and she felt his chakra sharpen as he looked into her eyes, and it was as if she was being stared at by Mikoto's Sharingan.
"Being a jinchuriki, I am aware that you have carried a heavy burden since the bijuu was sealed inside of you, a burden which would have interfered in your life greatly, and would continue to do so as we move forward," and she stilled at those words as his eyes lowered going towards her belly.
'He knew,' she thought as her eyes raced towards Tsunade-sama.
Her alarm must have shown, for the daimyo's next words surprised her.
"I know of your pregnancy, Uzumaki Kushina," he spoke, and she stilled, for by law and tradition, it was highly risky for a jinchuriki to carry a child. This could endanger the whole village, for the seal would weaken during the birthing, putting the whole village's safety in jeopardy.
"There is no need to fear. None shall interfere or speak against your choices," he assured her, and she nodded.
"I am grateful for that, daimyo-sama, but what is it that you seek from me," she asked once more.
He did not answer immediately.
"I wish to meet the kyubi," he answered, surprising her, and for some time, she couldn't recess those words.
"You wish to meet the kyubi," she asked again. The young daimyo nodded as her eyes shifted towards Tsunade-sama for guidance, for she did not know how to react. By hierarchy, a daimyo was above the Hokage, yet this was an unusual request.
A very dangerous request.
"Of course, I do not wish to temper with the seal or anything of the sort. You are a sealing master yourself, and for your assurance, Lady Tsunade shall assist me in this," he said, pointing towards her.
"As I would ever let you go through this madness alone, you fool," she called him out with a scoff, surprising him and herself.
"You are going to let him do this," she asked, and the blonde sanin shrugged.
"He is more stubborn than my own grandfather, all I can do is not let him die," she said and then her eyes landed on the young daimyo once more.
"But why? The kyubbi is a bijuu, a beast of destruction and unimaginable hate, why would you want to try and engage it," she asked, and he smiled.
"I believe there is more to the bijuu than you realize. This is a simple enough request. I have talked to the Hokage-sama about this as well, and though reluctant, he did not object to this," he assured her.
"Ok," she acquiesced, not really having any space to object.
With a nod, he put forth his hand, and Tsunade-sama stood up, came up behind him, and placed her hand on his head.
"With his chakra control, he should be able to enter your mind space," she told her. She nodded as she took his hand and felt his chakra adjust to her own. Tsunade-sama gave her a nod.
She closed her own eyes, calming her chakra as she reached inside for a place she rarely, if ever, dared to tread.
And like a trickle, his consciousness followed her own as she felt herself fully immersed in herself. When she opened her eyes, she found herself in an infinite yet finite clearing. The ground beneath her feet was water that gleamed a red hue, and a faint orange glow lit the area.
And right infront of her was the reason for her survival, her prisoner, her duty. Her burden.
Chained and impaled on a massive boulder, covered with seals that had been perfected over centuries, yet despite all this, its chakra bubbled dangerously, filling the air with a sense of foreboding and death that made her own edge,
And then she felt it as the red orbs opened, and she felt those slits land on her, sending a shiver down her spine.
THUM!
The whole clearing shook as the weapon of mass destruction, Konoha's trump card. The nine-tailed foxes glared at her and bared its chakra. Despite the seals, it filled the air and made her gulp down as it growled dangerously.
This was dangerous. The bijuu continued to roar and struggle. All her efforts to rein it in failed as the air thickened with its presence. This was a mistake.
"AHHHHHH!" it roared as it tried to pull away from the chains. Kushina pushed her own chakra into it and tightened it, trying to reign in its chakra for the daimyo-sama, but the beast was unmanageable.
"It's too much, we nee..."
But her words were cut short as the daimyo-sama stepped forward unbothered by his sword strapped to his side as the water beneath their feet rose in waves, and the daimyo-sama walked forward and took out his sword and tapped it gently on the surface, and it all calmed down as he spoke up.
"Do you not think all of this enough, Kyubbi?" he spoke addressing the giant beast whose focus now turned towards him.
"Who are you? I Shall tear you to shreds; I will break free and savage your soul!" it roared again as it stared at the daimyo-sama with its red eyes.
"I am Akihito Shirahoshi, the daimyo of Fire Country..." the daimyo-sama spoke clearly.
"And I have come to bargain, child of the Great Sage," he uttered and the Kyubi's eyes narrowed at those words, and it roared, furiously shaking up the whole clearing as it tried to break through the seals.
"HOW DARE YOU TAKE THAT NAME! HOW DARE YOU! I WILL KILL YOU! I WILL TEAR YOU TO PIECES!" it roared angrily as she felt the seals heat up.
"I speak only the truth. After all, you are his child in a sense, aren't you..." the daimyo-sama continued, unbothered by the massive pressure in the air.
"Kurama!"
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