"Welcome home, Yagura-sama." Junichi greeted, a bright smile on his otherwise tired face. I smacked his cheek affectionately as several attendants hurried past with my luggage.
"You've had it rough, haven't you?" He only smiled politely in response, he wouldn't speak ill of his charges even with my return, that was a good thing on its own.
Lady Megumi shook her head, she snorted at us though couldn't hide her mirth at my return, "He's done well enough to record our daily activities for your benefit, though I would have been thrilled to have done without him three days earlier."
I nodded at that. My detour to Midoriwara wasn't on the itinerary but it was so worth it. Officially I'd gotten to receive Rina's full report and even check on the clan I had a vested interest in. Not to mention, being an honoured guest of Tauyi Village, the soon to be town and perhaps even the location of Kirigakure's second base.
Unofficially I spent most of my time indulging Mei, after a day of sharing stories of my time behind the desk and hers in Amegakure, she'd roped me into building the community that promised to host Bloodline clans. We worked together, sparred and shared each meal we caught up on the happenings in our personal lives, namely Uncle lining up women for me to marry and my deepening relationship with Isobu.
In those two unplanned days I'd felt lighter than I'd ever been even with Junichi's message about the Hokage's envoy burning a hole in my back pocket.
Uncle shoved Junichi aside to stand by me, throwing his oversized arm around my shoulder as he whispered, "How was it?"
"How was what?" I found myself whispering back as we strolled in. While the war had come to a close the village was still on war time alerts and so the streets were scarce of people and the air heavy with the mist.
He giggled, "Your personal time with the Princess." he winked excessively and I could only sigh as I walked out of his grasp to stroll beside Lady Megumi.
Glancing over my shoulder at him I said, "The Princess Hanako may still be in the Land of Tea, I let her handle negotiations after we came to an understanding about…well, several issues. I spent the last few days in Midoriwara, Rina is doing well by the way."
I addressed the last part towards Lady Megumi who beamed, "Of course, I would expect nothing less of my granddaughter." her smile fell a bit as she refocused on what I'd said, "Are you certain about the Princess? Royals have their own agendas and they always come at the stake of shinobi, we are more tools than servants in their eyes.
Uncle hummed in agreement, "The Princess is well acquainted with the Tea Daimyo as well, it would do well not to underestimate her."
I nodded as well, "Yes, I learned that on Tea Country soil but I believe the Princess can be trusted, for now, otherwise I've set measures in place but before we discuss any further…where is Lord Funato?"
It was here Junichi spoke up from behind us, "The Lord Funato apologizes for not coming to greet you upon your return, Yagura-sama, he has been working with Eiko, sitting in on the interrogations of the Kumo shinobi captured from Midoriwara and Koorijima."
I raised a brow at that and made space for Junichi to walk beside me as he reported, "Well? What have they learned? Is there any logic behind Kumo's greed?"
Junichi shook his head, "No sir, it's evident from each of the testimonies that Kumo sent them to steal Bloodlines and hopefully destabilize the Land of Water. Lord Funato may speak on this best but, I've sat in on some of the interrogations as your representative and I believe Kumogakure couldn't have acted this brashly without the Lightning Daimyo's support."
I shared a look with my councillors at that and my eyes narrowed, "Hmm, that does make sense but if this is true then…quite dire."
"Indeed," Lady Megumi said, her eyes on the ground as she spoke, "Kumogakure acting alone would be a spark of war but should their Daimyo have sanctioned their actions then…"
"It's a bonfire waiting to swallow corpses." Uncle Aoto completed, the dread clear in his voice.
We drew closer to the Mizukage Tower in silence, a structure of my strength and power but after hearing such a theory I didn't feel very powerful. Could this be a consequence of my foreknowledge? There were several things I'd done during this war that wasn't clear cut in the history Jason knew of. How possible was it that my actions had revealed an act of war from the Land of Lightning that wasn't obvious in the original reality?
"The world that boy knew is not the one we live, Yagura-kun, your mere existence has tilted things such that it isn't possible to predict what will happen or what should happen anymore." Isobu wisely said, "The only worthwhile knowledge left is that of the strength and weakness of your foes."
My friend's words didn't do very well to comfort me, though I suspect they weren't meant to. Isobu was right though, one of the extreme changes Jason had made before we'd become one was accepting Minato's offer of amicable relations, an offer that perhaps wouldn't even exist if he hadn't sent Mei to Konoha under the pretence of investigating for the Sandaime's killer.
Now Minato's envoy likely awaited me within the Tower's walls, a direct line to the Hokage that had everything to do with Obito and even Nagato who would bring ruin to Kirigakure. In a short seven months, everything had changed.
I took a breath and said as we entered the Tower, "I maintain that we keep our silence, Princess Hanako has already discovered that Kumo was involved in the civil war but I've bought her silence with the key to her ambitions, hence why we can trust her."
Both Uncle and Lady Megumi were uneased, "What did it cost?" Uncle deigned to ask.
"Yureisen." Uncle bit back a yell and Lady Megumi faltered in her step, "Don't worry too much, I've negotiated so her power won't be significant but she will be someone to bargain with from now on."
"But that means the clan entrusted with Yureisen will be the one to bargain with her." Lady Megumi stated the obvious, I could read the thoughts going through her mind like they were chiselled on her wrinkled forehead.
"Hozuki and Funato will contest for which isle they govern, I will not influence the decision. But I am as disappointed as you, Lady Megumi, Rina has done such good work with the Nettou clan and Tauyi village that it's almost obvious what clan should govern the Midoriwara base. I hope the coin tosses in your favour."
Junichi cleared his throat before either of my councillors could respond, "There is more, though not as significant."
"I'm listening."
"Eiko's interrogation broke Baron Watanabe, he confessed to receiving ship building materials from a noble in the Land of Lightning, it's unclear whether this noble is at all related to the Daimyo but…it is damning."
That it is. I thought as I shook my head and entered my office, the scent of lavender still lingered and to my pleasant surprise my desk was cleared of the many documents I'd left behind. My councillors must have taken their interim duties quite seriously or Junichi bore the workload.
"Do me a favour and summon Lord Funato will you? Eiko as well, I want all the facts and theories before I respond to Kumo's brazenness."
"Respond? You said silence was the best, didn't you?" Lady Megumi started, a mixture of fear and hope stained her words.
"There's only so much silence can accomplish, besides, we have every right, don't we?" I took my place behind my desk and relieved my head of my hat as I leaned back, "Konoha has sent an envoy, a single one direct from the Hokage, yes?"
Lady Megumi nodded, "This one is unfettered by their ROOT."
"Good, it means should we need to return to war, Konoha might be right behind us. But we shouldn't, there must be a way to deal with Kumo without sacrificing this tentative peace."
At least, I hope so. Ay isn't as friendly as Minato and I don't have much foreknowledge of his village. All these developments stressed the need to attain Senjutsu Chakra, as it stood, I couldn't match up Kage to Kage against him. Fingers fucking crossed.