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Reborn in a daimyo's court-Naruto SI

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Chapter 57-The Devil and His Tricks!
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    • Chapter 57

    FUGAKU UCHIHA

    It had only been a bit over a year since the Third War had come to a close. Their forces rarely got used to the peace times. The reconstruction efforts had just come to a close, and the shinobi were just beginning to get used to these peaceful times.

    And now those times were again coming to an end, as Konoha found itself at war once more, and now, from being a simple squadron leader, he now found himself an elder of the village, making decisions for everyone.

    "As everyone here knows, Iwa and Kumo have attacked the meeting point, as of now the water daimyo is safe but according to Minato's report fire daimyo's condition is precarious," Shikaku Nara began as the village's most powerful elite gathered in the Hokage office.

    "We need to send reinforcements. An elite squad has been gathered, but that is not all we must do," Shikaku added as he opened up a map.

    "I propose a quick offensive against Kumo," he began.

    "Fugaku-san, I believe that you should lead the reinforcements," he said, turning towards him, and he nodded.

    "And who shall lead the offensive," he asked and saw the jounin commander turn towards the Third Hokage, Sarutobi sama, Konoha's most prized weapon other than Minato himself.

    The Third may have retired, but that did not mean his prowess had lessened. He was still the Professor, the inheritor of Hashirama Senju's legacy.

    "Lord Third, I hope that you would be willing to lead the offensive," he added.

    "But Jraiya-sama is in Ame, and the shortest path to Kumo runs through Ame. If we have Jiraiya-sama attack Kumo, it would...."

    "No," Shikaku cut in.

    "The daimyo-sama's directions were clear. We will not trample on Ame's sovereignty. And it would take us too long to get their permission,"

    "Preposterous. Who is Ame to stop us? This is war. We have done so much for the..."

    "Shikaku is right," Lord Third cut in, stopping the Hyuga clan head from saying any more.

    "If we engage Kumo through Ame, it would simply turn Ame into a war zone once more, destroying everything we have done in peacetime. And there is one more thing," he added as he stood up.

    "Unlike before, Ame is united for once. There are no more factions. If we do not enter Ame, and Kumo does, how do you think Hanzo Hattori will respond," he asked, and everyone became silent in the room.

    "We must leave at once, Fugaku. Let us go," he said, nodding as he left the Hokage office.

    .

    .

    .

    .

    Fugaku was leading the reinforcements, an elite unit designated to provide relief to Minato and the shinobi with him when suddenly, their sensor nin stepped forward.

    "Commander Fugaku, I am sensing a massive chakra up ahead. There is a squad placed there to stop us from moving forward," and he frowned.

    "How big is the chakra signature," he asked.

    "It is very large, I believe it may be one of their jinchuriki," and that was a surprise.

    "Inoichi," he spoke, and his second in command stepped forward.

    "Yes."

    "Leave only a quarter of men and move ahead with the rest. I will deal with this," he said.

    "Are you sure?" Yamanaka asked, and he nodded.

    "I am," he replied, slowing down and beginning to divide the men. Just as he sensed the first enemy chakra signature, he pushed the chakra into his legs.

    "NOW!"

    He pushed forward and watched his unit split into two while he found himself facing a platoon of Iwa and Kumo nin.

    "Fire Style: Great Fire Ball Jutsu...," and he threw a massive fireball at them.

    BOOOM!

    And then he watched a shinobi blur through the air as he appeared right behind of the massive fire.

    "Your fires are not hot enough to burn me, Uchiha," he heard the man mutter as he Fugaku halted the advancement of his platoon and watched as his fireball hit the Iwa nin straight.

    BOOOM!

    Yet as the dust cleared, he watched as the Iwa nin stood there without a scratch, his hair dark red, and a metal helmet around his face. He was Roshi, the jinchuriki of Four Tails.

    "I have been wanting to meet you in battle for quite some time, Fugaku Uchiha," the man began.

    "What is the jinchuriki of four tails doing here?" he asked, recognizing the man from Iwa's bingo book.

    "I have been ordered to stop you from advancing, Uchiha," he spoke. Fugaku nodded as he pushed his chakra into his eyes.

    "I am afraid I cannot let you do that," he said, and then his vision cleared up. His eyes glowed an ominous red, and they morphed into a three-pronged shuriken, his mangekyo sharinhgan.

    "Let me show the true power of fire," Roshi snarled as he cycled through another set of angels.

    "Katon: Raging Mokey Flames," and he watched as four torrents of massive fire storms rushed towards him, yet he did not budge, for he had a slew of men behind him who could not take the attack. So, he simply pushed chakra into his eyes and let the attack come towards him.

    "Susanoo.."

    BOOOOM!

    The massive explosion shook the entire area, as smoke covered the whole area, and yet as the dust cleared, he stood tall, with not a single burn mark on his jacket, as a skeletal red structure erupted around him, shielding him from the attack.

    "You were saying something."

    0000

    MINATO NAMIKAZE

    Speed for a shinobi opened up possibilities that could turn the tides of a battle in the blink of an eye, neutralizing the greatest of advantages because no matter how powerful your technique may be, it would simply be useless as long as it did not hit.

    Yet the Fourth Raikage had both, he was an extremely fast shinobi, who alongside that possessed his kekkei genkai, the lightning cloak allowing him to ignore major attacks.

    And it was because of that duality that despite fighting for quite some time, Minato and Terumi Mei had not been able to land a massive blow to the man or his jinchuriki, who was fighting with hampered chakra networks.

    "We need to end this soon," the Yondaime Mizukage added from the side and he nodded.

    "I believe that you should now retreat," he said, and she turned towards him.

    "But I cannot leave you to face those two alone," she said, her concern valid yet unnecessary.

    The yondaime Mizukage was young, even younger than him, and though she was powerful, she had yet to reach her full potential, and being faced with such adverse circumstances had taken a toll on her.

    She had taken quite a bit of damage, and though she was far from being done, Minato felt it best that she make his escape now, as he felt the half-seal he had placed on the Kumo jinchuriki weaken, the bijuu chakra eating away at it slowly.

    "Do not worry about me. The longer we stay here, the more we will be playing into their hands. You should leave now and join your forces in their retreat, and I shall hold them back before doing the same," he assured her, and she nodded.

    Both of them were experienced shinobi, and there was little need for further debate as she nodded before cycling through a set of handseals.

    "Then I wish you the best of luck, yondaime Hokage," she said as she prepared for a massive ninjutsu.

    Minato saw the Raikage rush towards him like a lightning bolt. He used his Hiraishin to appear behind the man but was surprised when he found the jichuriki waiting for him there.

    "Lightning Style: Lighting Balls," and he watched as half dozen lighting balls appeared behind her in an instant and rushed towards him.

    BOOOM!

    The Explosion tag he had thrown at the Raikage exploded as he heard the Mizkage shout.

    "Fire Style: Majestic Destroyer Flame!" and immediately, the temperature of the air rose as a massive torrent of fire rushed towards the Kumo jinchuriki, who could not avoid the attack.

    Minato himself made a clone with a quick hand sign and watched as the lightning balls hit the clone as he sensed the Raikage's chakra right behind him.

    "I have got you now!" Ay screamed as Minato quickly replaced himself with his clone, as he appeared on the rooftop of the now destroyed castle as an explosion rocked the area.

    BOOOM!

    That was a direct hit on the Raikage, yet he doubted it would matter much. He sensed the Mizukage's chakra vanish as she made her escape as Kakashi's chakra began to flare, telling him how his plan was coming to completion.

    "You think that would work on me!" Unruly, Ay roared as he cut through the smoke and glared at him, his chakra cloak buzzing with electricity as he roared at him.

    Of all the shinobi he had faced, Ay was one of the most problematic. His lighting cloak made him quite a difficult enemy, forcing Minato to get too close to land a finishing blow.

    Rasengan could cut through the cloak, if not by itself, then mix it with nature manipulation. There were other techniques in his arsenal as well.

    And then there was the fact that he was a kage, and slaying a kage had consequences. A Kage was part of the status quo. Killing him would destroy any chances of a peaceful resolution of a conflict, though he doubted there was much chance of that either way.

    "It seems that the Mizukage has abandoned you," Ay taunted as Minato's gaze narrowed at the jinchuriki and how her body seemed to be healing from the burns she had just relieved rather quickly, indicating that the seal he had used to block the bijuu chakra was deteriorating.

    However, that was not the only seal he had placed on her.

    "Who says that I needed her to defeat you in the first place?" he said as he took a kunai from his pocket and saw the Raikage's chakra build up.

    "You are not walking out of here alive, Namikazeee!" he roared as he vanished once more, and Minato threw a kunai at him before throwing one in the air.

    "This is greater than me and you alone," and he watched as the man blurred right besides her, as Minato's senses focused on the three chakra signatures on the other side of the castle, before he pushed past his limits and activated four Hiraishin tags in an instant.

    Yugito Nii was replaced in the blink of an eye with Tsunade Senju, as he utlisied the marker he had placed on the jinchuriki when he had tried to seal away her bijuu chakra and Kakashi appeared in his place, the Raikage's attack going above him as the sound of birds chirping appeared in the area.

    And he appeared right above the man, his chakra roaring at his call as a blue orb appeared in his hand.

    "Raiton:...."

    "Ninpo:..."

    "Chidoriiii!"

    "Rasengan"

    BOOOOM!

    0000

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    • Chapter 58-Tsunade's gamble!
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    • Chapter 58

    THIRD TSUCHIKAGE-OHNOKI 'The Fence-sitter'

    Ohnoki watched his technique rip through the very air, leaving in its wake a path of absolute destruction.

    The one attack from Hiruzen's student had been a surprise, he had expected little from her, despite her name and heritage, for she was famous as medical ninjutsu specialist, and he had not expected such strength from her.

    "Huhh. Huhh," he huffed as a dust cloud covered the area, and watched carefully for any hint of movement, yet as the dust cleared his eyes widened, as he found himself staring at the victim of his technique.

    A blonde, yet not the one he had been facing this entire time. No, what he saw was half the remaining body of the Kumo's jinchuriki, the one who was to attack alongside them.

    "It couldn't be," he gasped, and his fears were proven correct as a person blurred and appeared right behind the Kumo nin's falling body, and a sealing formula erupted all over it, containing the massive bijuuu chakra that was beginning to come off of it.

    "You!" he snarled as he straightened up and watched the man who had destroyed Iwa standing there, infront of him.

    The Kumo jinchuriki's body vanished into a puff of smoke as Minato Namikaze, leaf's infamous Yellow Flash, looked him in the eye.

    "You have some nerve showing your face to me!" he snarled as his feet lifted off the ground, and the young Hokage looked at him.

    "Do not worry. You will not have to see it for long," he said as he took out his kunai and narrowed his eyes at him.

    "You have made a mistake today, Tsuchikage. Konoha offered you all generous terms at the end of the war. We showed mercy when we did not have to. But this, this goes too far," the Hokage said solemnly as his chakra roared.

    "You have plunged us into another war, and this time, there will be no mercy," he said, and he grit his teeth.

    "You think that just because you are a little bit quick, you can spout nonsense," he snarled as he roused up his own chakra, bringing together his hands.

    He saw the man cycle through a set of handseals as well.

    "I had thought better of a shinobi such as yourself. Yet you have only disappointed me. But this will go on no longer," and with that, he leaned down.

    "Doton: Fighting Blade Rod," and at those words, a literal ragged mountain erupted from the ground, reaching far into the skies, blocking his vision of the yellow flash, and so he pushed forth his chakra rather quickly.

    "Particle Style: Atomic Dismantling jutsu," and his technique ripped through the mountain making nothing of it, leaving behind only a dust cloud, when suddenly he saw a figure blur past his right, and he felt a shiver run down his spine.

    "I told you, didn't I," and he ended his technique as he saw him racing towards him, a blue orb of chakra glowing in his hand and he tried to move away, yet the yellow flash was faster and appeared right behind him.

    "Ninpo:...." and just as Ohnoki braced his chakra and formed a thick cover of Eart to protect himself from the technique, he felt the air ripple with electricity, and in the blink of an eye, the Fourth Raikage appeared above him

    "Raiton: Killer Guillotine!" he shouted as he brought down his heel at the young Hokage's face, and so without any movement or hand sign, the young blonde vanished once more as the Raikage went barrelling into the Earthen Mountain.

    BOOOM!

    The Whole mountain collapsed from the sheer force of the attack, which had missed him by an inch, and he landed on the ground.

    "Where is sheee!" he heard Riakge shout as cut through teh dust cloud with a swing of his arm.

    "Answer me Namikazeeee! Where is Yugitoooo!" and he did not miss the exhaustion and the injuries on the man.

    The young Raikage was strong, nearly as strong as his own father, with much faster than his old man, but he was young and had taken upon himself the hardest task.

    The young Hokage, and yet somehow he had failed. His cloak was nowhere near as thick as it had been at the beginning of this operation, and his arm lay limp by his side, and the man bled from his abdomen.

    He was in a bad situation, not that he himself was much better. His chakra reserves were depleted, and he was injured, and it was only through sheer will that he kept going.

    Yet, on the other hand, their opponent was seemingly unbothered. The young Hokae stood there with a poise he had only ever seen in his predecessors, the Sandaime and the Nidaime Hokage.

    "I will rip you to pieces!" the Raikage snarled as his chakra roared once more, the last vestiges of his reserves probably as Kumo nin appeared behind him.

    "Raikage-sama, you need to be cautious. Let me heal you!" they said.

    "GO AWAY! DARUI, CEE. I NEED TO KILL THAT DAMNED BLONDE!" and with that, the ground beneath his feet cracked.

    "I had hoped that we could make a better world than our ancestors," the young Hokage began.

    "Then you are a fool," he said as he stepped forward.

    "We are shinobi, men bred and trained for war. We have only one purpose, and that is to fight. You were naive to think that you could change the world all alone," he said, and the young blonde nodded.

    "Yet I never said I wished to do it all alone," he said, and the words cut across him, as teh blonde turned towards the Raikage.

    "I had hoped that we could have done that together so that we would have left the world in a much better position than the one we had found it in," he added.

    "Yet it was not meant to be. But no matter, if it is war Kumo and Iwa want, then it is a war they will have," and with that, he leaned down as the Raikage rushed through him.

    "Earth Style Grand Earthen Prison!" and with that, two giant walls rose up around him, cutting off the Hokage's retreat paths as the Raikage barreled towards him in the blink of an eye.

    "You may have caught us by surprise. But that is over. Goodbye, Raikage, Tsuchikage," and with that the blonde vanished.

    BOOOM!
    And He felt the blonde's chakra vanish as an explosion shook the whole ground.

    Yet when the dust cleared, what remained was but the unconscious form of the Fourth Raikage.

    0000

    TSUNADE SENJU

    Tsunade stared at the pale form of the young daimyo and gritted her teeth as she listened to Katsuyu's damaging report about his injuries.

    "We have done all we could, but he is not stabilizing. His injuries are simply too severe," the slug said, and she shook her head.

    "No! I am letting him die on my watch," she said as she leaned down beside him and began to supplant his chakra, trying to aid his body in the recovery as she waited for Minato.

    And then he felt it happen, as she felt the air shift behind her as a sealed body appeared before Minato appeared as well.

    "I have her, but she is heavily injured, and the seal I have could break any second," he said as he pointed towards what remained of Kumo's jinchuriki.

    Katsuyu had told her about Akihito's situation during the fighting. Tsunade had spent several minutes thinking of a solution, knowing that neither Konoha nor the world could lose Akihito as things were right now.

    And yet, to save him, she had no options except one. A Gamble, a massive gamble that she hoped would pay off.

    "Tsunade-sama, you do understand that this is very risky. Turning someone into a jinchuriki at that stage in life is always a risk, let alone allotting such a valuable power to a politically sensitive entity. Either way, the ramifications of your actions could be massive," Minato warned.

    "I know!" she shouted as Katsuyu brought forward the Kumo jinchuriki's body.

    "But Konoha needs him. The world needs him. I cannot let him die, and if there is anyone who can survive this, then it has to be him," she said as she stood up and turned to face him.

    "Minato, you must trust me on this," she said, and he nodded.

    "Alright," he said after a minute.

    "Then teleport back to the village. I know you must be on your last legs as well. Jiraiya is on the way back right now, as soon as he arrives send him here. He will assist me in the sealing process. Until then, I will keep them both alive and make the necessary arrangements," she told him, and he nodded.

    "But your own reserves," he asked and she shook her head.

    "In here, in the summoning realm, Katsuyu can heal me without using my own chakra. I will be fine. Leave things here for me. You go back to Konoha and lead the village as a Kage should," she ordered, and he acquiesced.

    "Good luck, Lady Tsunade."

    0000

    KATSUGAWA MIYUKI

    Katsugawa Miyuki had been plagued by an ominous feeling for hours. The sensation reminded her of times when her own brothers had been assassinated, and this ill feeling made her restless and anxious as she sat there in her room.

    Akihito had left for the parlay a few days ago, and the whole castle had lost much of its buzz with his departure as courtly matters slowed down.

    In his absence she was to rule the province alongside the Prime Minister, ye...

    And then she heard a knock on her door, and her heart sank as she turned towards it.

    "Who is it?" she asked.

    "My lady, it is Hyakya Sosuke. I bring urgent news," and those words amplified her anxiety as she stood up.

    "Come in," she said, and the servants opened the door, and the Prime Minister walked in. His face was marred with worry and anxiety, and she felt her heart race as she asked even before he had given her his respects.

    "What happened?" and his gaze lowered at her words.

    "I bring grave news, my lady," he began, and she felt her heartbreak.

    "The peace summit was attacked by Iwa and Kumo...."

    "Noo!" she gasped out and felt her head spin, and only the helping hand of her servant stopped her from falling down.

    "The attack was unsuccessful, and both the Kage and the daimyos were able to retreat, but..."

    "....Akihito-sama was heavily injured during the ambush."

    0000

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  • Threadmarks
    • Matatabi : You dare bind me, HUMAN!!!

    Akihito : Heh, I've been waiting for this for a long time...'unsealed a huge barrel of Catnip'.

    Matatabi : Meow...that's not fair...🙀
     
    Chapter 59-The Ghost of a Legend!
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    • Chapter 59

    OROCHIMARU-The Snake Sanin

    Orochimaru stood in the cave with the Gedo Mazo once more after escaping the clutches of his once teammate in Ame. Seeing Jiraiya in Amegakure had been a surprise, yet it had barely affected his plans. He had been following the three young Ame nin for days now and was acutely aware of their strengths and weaknesses, and so when he had struck, he had known exactly how to tackle each and every one of them.

    Madara's will had already warned him of the secrets and powers that the redhead may possess, and so when the fight had begun, he had been his first target. A simple seal to stop him from molding chakra had been enough to make him practically powerless, and dealing with the other two was relatively simple.

    They were good specially for their age, yet were not a massive threat to him as they were. In a few years, he could not say. Things just might be different.

    Yet that all could change, and it could change very easily, given what he held in his hand.

    The Rinnegan.

    It had taken him some time to track down the lore surrounding these eyes and reason out what made them so special. And what he had found out had surprised him: a doujutsu that went beyond the Rinnegan and Byakugan, one possessed by none other than the Sage of the Six Paths himself. No wonder Madara Uchiha had sought them for himself.

    "It must be tempting," he heard a whisper and felt his heartbeat quicken despite the feebleness and fragility evident in that tone.

    He turned to his side and saw a pair of red Sharingan focused entirely on his form.

    The feeble form of Madara Uchiha looked down at him impassively as if watching a child, his gaze going through him as if looking at his very soul, aware of his every thought.

    "Given your curiosity, you must be aware of what you hold in your hands," he stated as Orochimaru gulped.

    "The power and the history of those eyes, of what they represent and what they can do. It must be tempting to take such power for yourself," the man asked, no anger or accusation in his tone.

    "I would ne..."

    "There is no need to lie," he cut in, and his lips thinned. How could he know his thoughts and desires? He was a Sanin. He had worked with Danzo and many other shinobi, yet even all of them had never looked at him like that, read him as the geriatric old man barely alive was doing now.

    "And what if I am tempted?" He decided to end the facade, looked the man in the eye, and smiled. He was old, barely alive, a Sanin in his prime, a student of a Hokage.

    Could he stop him?

    "You can be tempted. Power tempts everyone. It does not bother me. But if you do decide to act on such temptations..." And then he felt the air in the cave shift, as those eyes glew, the tomoe in them spinning as he spoke a bit strongly.

    "...then that could be a bit of a problem," he finished, and Orochimaru scoffed as he picked up the container with those prized eyes.

    "And what would you do? You can barely even stand. You are but a relic of times, long gone while I am the Snake Sanin. What could you even do to stop me?" he scoffed as he smirked and released his own chakra. He ordered the snakes that roamed around the cavern to bind the man.

    He smirked as he saw them slither up the old man's legs.

    "Come on, show me what you would do, old man?" he smirked as three snakes bound him in whole. Yet, despite being bound by his summons, all three of them were ready to bite him at his one command. He was impassive, looking down at them as if at a child.

    "You think too highly of yourself!" and then he felt his vision shift, as all the color from the world vanished as he felt a sharp pain from his neck. As he tried to look at it, he felt his body stiffen, refusing to follow his own commands as he felt his heart get wrung in fear and anxiety as he saw Madara Uchiha appear right infront of him.

    "You forget who I am," he said, and Orochimaru finally turned his eyes and saw that the kunai that had struck his neck was wielded by his own body, his own hand, and arm, which had a black shadowy creature covering it.

    "I am Madara Uchiha. Know your place, you pesky little snake!"

    0000

    JIRAIYA-The Toad Sage

    The news of the attack by Iwa and Kumo on the parlay between the daimyo's had filled him with a sense of hopelessness. It had not even been a year since the Third Ninja War had come to a close, many of them were still just beginning to recover from that disaster, and now they were to set to begin another war, one that would not resolve easily.

    Despite being victors of the last war, Konoha and their daimyo had leveled softer terms on Iwa, showing mercy when they did not have to, only in hopes that such future conflicts could be avoided. Yet Iwa had thrown their generosity in their face and had made fun of them through this attack, and he doubted that such terms would be on the table again.

    "So, you are leaving," Hanzo the Salamander asked as Jiraiya stood opposite to him in his solar.

    "Yes, the aid my country promised to Ame may have some delays, but I have been assured that it will continue to arrive. Another liaison will be sent to oversee its distribution, but I am afraid I must leave and do my duty to the village," he added, having received missives from both the capital, the village, and Tsunade.

    Hanzo the Salamander seemed surprised by that.

    "And what am I to offer as recompense for that aid, perhaps my village, after all Ame offers the shortest routes to your enemies villages," he asked with a scoff and Jraiya shook his head.

    "No, we demand or ask for no such thing. We will stand by the terms of our agreement, this is not Ame's war, and Konoha and its allies will not make it into one. No shinobi from our side shall enter into your lands without your explicit permission. We will respect the sanctity of Ame's borders," and it was a big gamble. Very big gamble.

    "That is the promise of our daimyo, and Konoha and its allies shall honor his word," he added and saw Hanzo's eyes narrow.

    "And you, what do you think of your daimyo's command? After all, you must understand that it could end up costing you and your village much in this new war that has been thrust upon us," he asked, and Jiraiya shrugged.

    "It is naive," he responded truthfully. And it was indeed. The daimyo could have easily strong-armed Ame into giving them those routes, and he did not believe that such a thing would have been difficult to achieve. But in the end, he was choosing to trust in Ame, choosing his own principles, and that was naive—honorable, but naive nonetheless.

    "Many people called Hashirama the same thing," Hanzo began as his eyes glowed.

    "But he was not naive. He was better than us, and now we live in an era of his creation, an era that I believe is coming to an end," he said as he stood up.

    "Go, Jiraiya of the Sanin. Do your duty by your village, and give your leaders my word that as long as you keep to your word no shinobi from Iwa and Kumo shall threaten your borders from Ame's territory," and the declaration was good news for them.

    Because he was sure that as they sat here, Kumo and Iwa nin would be trying to enter Ame to attack Konoha, and now that was no longer their problem. as for Ame's ability to deal with these threats, well, Hanzo Hattori was not one to break his word. He had given them his word, and that was enough.

    "I shall convey your words," he said as he stood up and began to walk out of his solar.

    "I have heard that your daimyo was attacked. How is he, the young daimyo?" the man asked as he was about to step out of the solar.

    "He will live." and the man smiled.

    "I know he will."

    0000

    FUSHIO SUZUKI

    A week or so had passed since the beginning of open hostilities between the Konoha-Kiri-Suna alliance and the Iwa-Kumo alliance, and this war was proving itself to be as deadly as all the previous one.

    Konoha's initial gambit had payed off, and they had been able to land a crippling blow to Iwa and Kumo, whose forces had been bogged down by the Amegakure's forces, as they tried to traverse through Ame to attack Konoha.

    They had believed that much like the previous wars, using a mix of bribes, threats, and subterfuge they would be able to do as they had done so for years, and cut across Ame to hit on Konoha, or face Konoha nin in Ame.

    Yet this Amegakure was different; it was united under a single banner and had the support of the Fire, Water, and Wind country, which were trading with it in food, and arms on equal footing. ending its dependence on Kumo and Iwa, rendering them powerless to exploit the rainy nation.

    Yet the nature of this war was quite different than the previous ones, for Kumo and Iwa had attacked the daimyos, who were a political entity, rather than a military one. An act which would not have been possible without the acceptance of their own daimyo's for if they were against such an act they would have admonished their villages by now.

    But no such action had happened, and this had changed everything.

    As was evident by the letter from his half-brother, Akihito, who had suffered the most grievous of injuries from that attack.

    "Fire country has long held an imbalanced alliance with the Wind country. Their whole economy and food supply depend on us, and the Wind Daimyo understood that and has already given his support to this," his half-sister spoke as she sat there opposite to him, pained and distraught, yet her back was straight as she cut the figure of am Imperial Goddess.

    "This is unprecedented. Not in a hundred years has such a thing been called," he pointed out, and she nodded.

    "But Kumo and Iwa have overreached," another voice cut in, sitting beside Miyuki was Lady Chiba, Akihito's sole concubine and the infamous Oracle.

    "They attacked Akihito with no cause when he had only ever been benevolent towards them. Our lord husband has every right to do now as he may wish, for his enemies have acted without honor. They deserve no mercy, and now they shall get none," she said the last words scathingly, and oftentimes, the relationship between the main wife and the concubines would be filled with strife. He himself was to wed four women in the name of alliances.

    Akihito had always been cautious of this. He had never really liked the idea of multiple causing it the root cause of political strife. Yet despite having a concubine of his own, from the rumors, Lady Chiba and Miyuki had a rather good relationship.

    "Will Water Country stand behind us in this?" Miyuki asked again.

    And he thinks over the proposal and what it would mean for himself and his country.

    "Akihito once told me, that you and him believed in leaving the world a better place, believed in a peace that would last more than a decade," Miyuki spoke softly, looking much more like the girl she had when she had lost her mother.

    And they did; it was one thing that had brought them together, for they saw the world as it was from the eyes of a common man whose life and family were razed by the devastation of war. And they wished to change that.

    "We did," he replied, and she smiled forlornly.

    "Akihito hates war as well. He detests it. It was what drove him to be so lenient towards his enemies, yet our enemies tried to kill him. They tried to kill the very man who had shown them mercy no other lord on this land ever would, and yet now he is fair. And so implore you, elder brother," she said as she looked him in the eye.

    "Believe in him once more," she said, and after a minute of thinking, he finally nodded his head as he picked up his brush.

    "Then I stand behind him, and you in this," he said as he signed his name on the document, one that would change the very face of the continent.

    "Water country stands behind its allies. Our enemies have indeed overreached. And now this goes beyond war...."

    "...And so, as the water daimyo, I call for it as well, Crim...."

    00000

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  • Threadmarks
    • Gotta say, I was kinda hoping you were going to flesh out the Fire Guardians, after they were bought to the fore in Shisui's part..

    Would have been disappointed, but accepted if they'd been flanderized away as powerless against the threats involved.

    But to be omitted entirely? It kinda weakens the world building.. Because why is the Fire Daimyo apparently just traipsing around without his guards? If he went with only the ninja contingent, what does it say about the relationship between the political and martial forces of the country. To the parties involved, but also to third parties.

    Maybe I somehow missed a mention? But if not, the Fire Daimyo's position reads inexplicably weak. Internally as well as externally. Which seems at odds with everything else that's happening that showcases that his position is on the rise..
     
    Chapter 60-Crimson Sky!
  • Threadmarks
    • Chapter 60

    TSUNADE SENJU

    Tsunade watched as a pale and weak Akihito, wrote his message on the missive, as Katsuyu surrounded him, constantly healing him, keeping him alive and conscious despite his injuries.

    It had taken her a week to stabilize him enough, and even that had required liberal use of iryoninjutsu and his Uzumaki retainer's services. Yet even now, he would not survive out of the Shikkotsu forest, which was filled with vitality and sen-chakra, helping his body mend. Yet as soon as she took him out of there, she knew that he would die.

    "Have this sent to Miyuki and the Prime Minister. They will know what to do with it. Give the second one to Minato," he said as he pushed forward the two missives, and she nodded.

    "You are damn stubborn, you know that," she admonished, for despite his condition, he had insisted on working ad even now had spent hours making plans for the war.

    "Dot chastise me, Tsunade-san," he said while huffing.

    "I am depending on this very stubbornness to save me," he said as he winced in pain.

    "Rest, I will be back with Jiraiya soon, and we can begin the sealing," and he gave her a thumbs up as he closed his eyes as Katusyu surrounded him once more.

    "Keep an eye on him, Katsuyu-chan, and inform me if anything happens," she asked her summon, who nodded eagerly.

    "Of course, Tsunade-san. I will be waiting for your return."

    MINATO NAMIKAZE

    Minato had never thought that there would be another war so soon after the last, beginning in the early days of his reign as a king.

    Yet that was what had happened, and with Kumo and Iwa striking first, striking at their daimyo, all options at peace were exhausted, and they were in open warfare, and Konoha had emerged victorious from the first gamble.

    And yet that victory had come at a cost, as everything in life did.

    "Lord Third and his forces were able to strike at Iwa, while Iwa's own forces were stopped in Ame. Our gamble paid off, and now all routes from Ame to Konoha have been cut off. If Iwa and Kumo wish to strike at us they must do so using the longer routes," he announced to his councillors, which had expanded for the war effort.

    And this was going to be the most consequential of the meetings if Lord daimyo's message was any indication.

    "This is what Akihito-sama sought when he made his alliance with Ame," Lady Tsunade spoke up as she looked towards the Jounin commander.

    "While we may have lost access to Ame's land as well, so have our enemies, and with Ame politically stable and united, none will be able to use it to attack us," she cut off the border between their lands and Ame on the map that was laid out on the table.

    "Our alliance with Kiri also makes sure that our border to the West will also be secure, and so it is only the Easter border that we have to guard," she said, highlighting the border in question.

    "That may be true, but there are reports that Iwa and Kumo have turned their eyes on Suna after they failed to attack us and are thinking of attacking them. Suna alone will not be able to handle this," Shikaku pointed out.

    "We will need to send a unit to help them," Jiraiya-sensei added.

    "Fugaku would have been perfect for the job but his fight with Iwa's jinchuriki has left him injured, it will be a few weeks until he is at full health and ready to be deployed again," Shikaku and that had been their biggest cost yet.

    To carve out an escape route for the men retreating from the parlay's location, Fugaku had engaged Iwa's jinchuriki and his squad with a numerical disadvantage. Facing a jinchuriki, especially a complete one such as Roshi of the Lava Style, was a behemoth of a task.

    And yet he had done his duty, despite being outnumbered, Fugaku had managed to keep them all occupied long enough to secure for them a passage to retreat, and yet the battle had cost him much, and right now he was in the hospital, stable thankfully but still out for the count.

    "How about you, Tsunade-san?" Shikaku questioned, and she immediately shook her head.

    "Both Jiraiya and I are unavailable for combat for at least a week," she informed him, and he knew the reason.

    They were going to seal the two tails into daimyo-sama, to save his life. Through herculean effort, Tsunade-sama had been able to stabilize Akihito-sama's life, yet the attack had left him in a much weaker state, and the only way to save him was by making him a jinchuriki.

    "Kiri will not be able to help either. The Mizukage had to face another jinchuriki to secure the retreat of her own forces, their forces must be exhausted as well," Shikaku added, as he tried to think of an appropriate plan.

    "What if we redirect sensei's forces," Jiraiya-sensei advised, and he thought about that.

    "He is pressuring Iwa's border at the moment, but if we send out two smaller platoons, one to take his position and harass Iwa's border forces while the other to reinforce his forces as he joins up the Suna border forces.

    "But sensei is old now. Is it wise to ask so much of him at this point in time?" Tsunade-sama questioned, and Jiraiya-sensei scoffed.

    "You underestimate sensei, Tsunade. He is not one to tire so easily, and if there is anyone who can pull this off, it is him," he said, and it was the most solid plan they had.

    "He is not called the Professor for nothing," Shikaku san added.

    "And we can also send one of you as his replacement once you are done with your task," Shikaku added and he nodded.

    "Then that is it. Have a message relayed to Lord Third and begin assembling the two platoons," he said to Shikaku who nodded, and then he turned towards Jiraiya-sensei and Tsunade-sama.

    "I leave the sealing of the bijuu to you," he said, and they nodded as Tsunade-sama left the room, taking Jiraiya sensei with herself as he leaned back and sighed, feeling weary from the pressure he was under.

    Konoha's position was much better than one would imagine. They had struck first and had also captured an enemy bijuu, something that would have meant absolute victory at any other time in past wars.

    Yet for this one, it was just the beginning.

    "You seem to have something on your mind, Shikaku-san?" he questioned the jounin commander who still sat in his office.

    "Is it truly wise, putting a bijuu in the daimyo-sama?" he asked, and that was a valid question.

    A bijuu was an enormous war resource, especially to Konoha, who could not depend on Kushina for quite some time, given that she was pregnant.

    And using it to save a daimyo's life was unorthodox but necessary in his own eyes.

    "It is," he replied.

    "And is it wise to support him in his other ambition? Until this point, all three Great Wars have been apolitical, with only the shinobi spilling blood. If we change that and escalate as he proposes, we will be entering uncharted territory," and indeed, it was unprecedented.

    Previously, even during the war, trade and talks between the associated countries were affected little, even as the Hidden Villages fought, yet Akihito was set to change that and the whole world alongside it.

    "Do you speak against it?" he asked, seeming to think about it for a second before he shook his head.

    "No, but this would change the world as we know it," he said.

    "That it will."

    0000

    HYAKUYA SOSUKE

    Gathered in the Great hall were all the lords, High and low, along with all the Ministers and advisors to the daimyo, whose seat remained empty.

    The war had begun in full, and word about the treachery of Iwa and Kumo had spread all around, and yet, despite it being a few weeks since the beginning of open hostilities, no major announcement had been made from the daimyo's castle.

    And today,, that will change, as the doors to the Hall opened up, and there stood the Princess herself, clad in the finest of robes. Yet unlike before, she did not look down demurely but straight ahead with a fiery gaze as everyone bowed to her. She made her way to the throne and sat down on the seat beside the daimyo.

    "Raise your heads," she spoke softly, as silence hung in the air.

    "Today I have gathered all of you here on behalf of my husband and your daimyo, Akihito Shirahoshi, who even now fights for his life because of the treachery of our enemies, enemies who live and survive only because of our own mercy," she began, as everyone hung at her every word.

    "They thought to cripple us, taking advantage of our mercy," she began, and mercy it was. Even after the war, the daimyo had imposed no new tariffs on Stone and Cloud country, allowing them to buy grain and other necessities from their markets at fair rates.

    He had not imposed heavy sanctions, or recompense either allowing them to rebuild, their devasted lands, yet they had this mercy back at them.

    "And now they shall suffer for it, as they never have before," she finished ominously. She took a blade offered by Lady Chiba, and he saw many realize the significance of this gathering.

    "This will no longer be a simple war between villages," and then she pulled back her sleeve, and raised it placed the knife's edge on the skin.

    "I, as the wife of the Fire Daimyo Akihito Shirahosi, call forth..." and she pulled the knife as blood spurted from the wound on her arm.

    "...CRIMSON SKY!"

    0000

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  • Threadmarks
    • Chapter 61-Two Years Later!
  • Threadmarks
    • Chapter 61

    ~Some Two Years Later~

    HYAKUYA SOSUKE

    The attack on the Parlay between Fire and Water Country had started a conflict that was being dubbed as the Fourth Great Ninja War, yet it was, in truth a misnomer for this war was not like the other wars.

    This was not a simple conflict between ninja villages, as the previous wars had been reduced to the daimyo maintaining a political dialogue, with trade and other more non-shinobi advents often going on as normally.

    Yet this time, the attack on Parley had been made at the behest of the Lightning and Earth daimyo. It was a disgraceful act, especially when the Fire Daimyo had spoken against leveling stricter sanctions on Iwa and the country despite having emerged victorious in the last conflict.

    The attack on the parley was a major slap on the face of the young fire daimyo who had responded in kind to the hostility shown to him and declared 'Crimson Sky'.

    Crimson Sky was a declaration that broke the status quo that held for over a century and was the declaration of open hostilities between regions. It was announcing one's ambition to rule over an entire continent.

    It was a bold decision, confirming the very fears that had made the young lord unpopular, but ambitions and declarations often remain hollow in the face of lackluster performance, and Lord Akihito Shirahoshi was not one to underdeliver.

    All trade with Iwa and Kumo, and their subsequent villages and allies had been cut off, most of it getting redirected to Ame, Kiri, Suna, and their other allied villages, and with their province being the greatest producer of grain, it had seriously hampered Iwa and Kumo's food security.

    Iwa and Kumo produced many essential things, including weapons, gems, and the most important of all Kumo's advanced electronics and technologies.

    The weapons they could make were on their own, for they had mines of their own, but the electronics from Iwa was something that none of the three allied great lands could make, or at least they had all thought so.

    Under his direct leadership, they were producing electronics and technologies equal to or even more advanced than the ones from the Lightning country, more or less ruining their economy.

    Even on the shinobi side of things Konoha had buckled down and realised rather quickly that rather than trying for a swift victory, it was better for them to conserve their forces and simply choke their enemies through a lack of food, and other resources, exhausting them until they had little choice except to surrender.

    And yet, all was not well. Despite the successful war efforts, there was another side to it. The initial attack had injured the Fire Lord greatly, the extent of his injuries unknown to any of them except his two wives, and to this day the young daimyo had yet make an appearance in the capital.

    And though his commands and orders would be relayed dutifully, carrying his seal and written in his hand, yet his ascension had been an unpopular one, and war, even a successful one, carried with its costs.

    Laws were being enforced in the land with an Iron Fist, specifically on the nobles whose extravagant lives had been affected the most by the stoppage of trade to Lightning and Earth country, and add to the fact the contentious ascension of Lord Akihito, treason began to brew in their lands.

    It would have been easy to crush had the young lord not asked him to hold back and let it fester, and now it was at their doors literally.

    "Miyuki-sama," he bowed infront of the Lady Empress, who still occupied the seat to the right of the empty daimyo's throne, one which had sat empty for over two years now.

    "The rebelling lords have laid siege to the capital. They are eight hundred strong, led by around thirteen samurai and four lords," he informed her.

    "Thirteen," she confirmed, her expression not shifting a bit at the news, and she looked unbothered by the precarious situation they were in.

    He could see the other nobles beginning to look around nervously as Lady Miyuki stood up.

    "That is less than I imagined. Are the forces from Shinoi ready?" she asked, and it was the only action they had taken.

    Many lords allied with the crown had offered to send their men, their samurai, to assist the daimyo in putting down this rebellion, yet he had refused them all, citing that he would manage on his own and yet to face such odds they had summoned only the daimyo's most loyal forces from Shinoi.

    "They are my lady. But they will not be enough, I know of their prowess, and yet the numerical disadvantage is to..."

    "When did you begin to question the wisdom of your lord, Prime Minister Sosuke?" the Empress questioned, and in the two years, she had truly come into her own, becoming the spitting image of her father as she commanded the court with authority and regalness that he had never seen.

    "But my lady, it has been two years, and yet we have not seen a glimpse of the daimyo-sama. They all call you a usurper, believe that you occupy the office of the daimyo illegally," he added as she walked down the throne and up to him.

    "Let them wag their tongues. They will have their answers soon," she said as she walked forward.

    "Take me to the borders. I wish to address the lords who have risen up against us,"

    0000

    KATSUGAWA MIYUKI

    As a Princess, Miyuki knew of politics, understood it, and yet, like many others, she believed it to be the same as governing. And yet they were entirely different things.

    And since her marriage she had truly begun to understand that difference, and now as she rode through the capital and watched that despite being surrounded by an enemy force, despite the region being plunged into a devastating war they were ready to lay down their lives for her, were ready to sacrifice everything they had for her, and Akihito.

    And it was this reverence that drove these lords to rebellion, apart from their own ambitions, of course. At the start of this conflict, Akihito's directions were clear: that in no way should his office lose the support of the people.

    And so, laws had become stricter for nobles, exploitation of commoners was punished, and stopped, extravagancy, smuggling, and all such things were punished by the daimyo's office without prejudice.

    Many among those who had risen up today had tried hoarding their grain to make them reverse their decision of 'Crimson Sky', trying to incite rebellions yet the Palace had stepped in with its own grain, driving these lords to poverty, and with Akihito's success in improving farming and making alternatives to Lightning country's advanced gadgets, the daimyo's throne did not lack for money.

    In some ways, their coffers had continued to ballon up during the war, with the prices of essentials remaining stable despite the war, and all those nobles who sough to incite rebellions failed in doing so.

    They had information about their movements from day one, about who was supporting them, where they gathered their men, where they hoarded their gold, and so forth. It would have taken a single command to dismantle it on day one.

    Yet Akihito had instructed her to let them fester, to root out his opposition in one fell swoop.

    As she reached the border of the capital, she was greeted by the capital and Shinoi forces, clad in full armor and ready for war.

    Their commander, a familiar face she had not seen in quite some time, stepped forward.

    "This humble servant greets the Moon of the Empire," he said ceremoniously as he bowed to her.

    "Rise," she said with a smile as her husband's previous right-hand man, and now the Mayor of Shinoi, stood up, clad in full armor, sword to his side.

    "It is good to see you after so long, Gin-san," she said, and the blonde man smiled.

    "You as well, Miyuki-sama," he said as he began to walk by her side.

    "Are the preparations complete?" she asked, and he nodded.

    "They are. Our men are ready. At one signal, we will have the lands of all these lords in our control," and that was the plan.

    Rather than making an open display of power, Akihito had ordered her to rely on Gin and use his special corps to infiltrate the lands of the rebelling lords to give them no retreat and to prevent further bloodshed.

    "What of Akihito-sama?" he questioned warily. Unlike herself, none in the region had seen him, and even for her, it was difficult to visit him given the complicated logistics involved. Yet getting a bijuu sealed inside oneself was not easy, especially when that someone was in as frail a state as Akihito.

    It had taken time for his body to assimilate the bijuu chakra and recover, and now it was finally time. Soon enough, all this time spent in separation would bear fruit.

    As she reached the command station on top of the wall, she found herself staring at the rebelling force in full.

    She took out a scroll from her pocket and rolled it on the floor, and on it a massive sealing formula was inscribed.

    She bit her thumb and raised it over the formula, and blood dropped into it as she closed her eyes.

    "Come"

    PUFFFFF!

    Through a cloud of smoke, he emerged, stepping forward in a dark blue, rich kimono with the symbol of fire inscribed in the back. His hair was now long enough that it reached way down his neck and covered half his back, held together by a red thread.

    "Akihito," she gasped as he turned to look towards her. The years had aged him, destroyed the boy in him, and turned him into a man. He was now two—no, three heads taller than her, and through the opening of his kimono, one could see the chiseled body underneath alongside a blue tattoo that ran down his shoulder and covered his arm.

    The men behind him all bowed as they saw him, just as she did as the former daimyo stood there once more, a sword lying on his shoulder.

    "I believe the preparations are complete," he asked as he stepped forward and stared at the men gathered in front.

    "They are my lord," Gin said. He nodded as he took her hand and made her stand, looking into her misty eyes.

    "I have troubled you much in these years," he said softly, and she shook her head.

    "For you, I would carry a burden a hundredfold that," she said, and he smiled.

    "You shall never have to. Never again."

    And with that, he stepped forward and jumped on the edge of the balcony, showcasing a level of agility that she had never seen before him before, and looked down at the men gathered there, before she felt his chakra roar like a fiery tempest. She felt as if she was enveloped in a loving warmth, though she doubted the men below felt it the same way given how they all stilled and many fell to their knees as he roared.

    "WHO DARES STAND AGAINST ME!"

    00000

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  • Threadmarks
    • Chapter 62-A War Unlike Any Before!
  • Threadmarks
    • Chapter 62

    MINATO NAMIKAZE

    Minato Namikaze had little desire for war, yet he had been thrust into one not even a year into his time as the Hokage of the Leaf. The Fourth Great Ninja War, a war that had stakes unlike any other war before it had begun with the attack on the parlay between the water and fire daimyo, had become an all-out war.

    Despite its scale and stake, it proved itself to be a shorter war than any before it, and it was all because of their daimyo.

    Early into the war, when the whole of Konoha was nervous about entering a new war so quickly after the previous one, direction came from the daimyo about a plan to keep the casualties minimal during this.

    Rather than seeking a swift victory, Konoha decided to fight a war of attrition and exhaust their enemy's supplies. Of all teh five main provinces, Konoha was the most fertile and well-endowed, and they were going to leverage that.

    The declaration of 'Crimson Sky' had been met with skepticism, for such a thing had not been done in centuries, for all the provinces to align behind one man, proclaiming him Shogun and yet if the reports from the other provinces were accurate, it was seeming more and more likely.

    "Is this accurate?" he asked Shikaku, who nodded.

    "It is, the situation with the Earth daimyo is rapidly deteriorating. There are open riots over lack of food and famine. And rather than placating them, he ordered his own ninja to slaughter all the protestors," and that was Konoha's true power.

    Something that had never been employed by their daimyos for trade between the provinces was a necessity, for each area provided something valuable, and for Earth, that was weapons, steel, and precious stones. Nobles before the current daimyo cared greatly about these things, though Akihito Shirahoshi was not his predecessors.

    "He ordered the ninja to slaughter them?" he asked. Involving the ninja in provincial politics was a big taboo, something that was both a said and unsaid rule, especially in internal matters.

    "Yes, because according to the reports, even the guards of his own castles joined the riots, for their own families are starving. There is a faction there that supports making peace and holds the current daimyo responsible for the mess they are in," and that was just as their own daimyo had predicted, that soon enough, with enough scarcity of resources, factions against the war will form in the nobility's court.

    And given that it had been Iwa and Kumo and their subsequent provinces who had initiated this conflict, the Fire daimyo had declared terms of ending the conflict a mere day after the beginning of the war.

    "Crimson Sky," the acceptance of a Shogun.

    "What is the situation within Kumo? Are they behind the daimyo or this new faction?" he asked, and given the poverty, there spies and information had been easy to come by.

    "It's mixed. There are many grievances among the shinobi forces as well, and they feel as though the daimyo has thrust them into a conflict without much thought. Especially with casualties being what they are and us and the allies fighting as we have been, they are aggravated with their own leadership," and that was the thing that needed to break.

    It was now an open secret that the attack on the parlay had been a ploy of the Earth daimyo, and hence, all the blame for the subsequent events now lay with him.

    "And what of Kumo?" he asked; that was another side of the war. However, interestingly, their last daimyo died a year ago, and a much younger one took his place.

    "While their forces are eager for war. Their daimyo, or more specifically, his council and advisors, are averse to war as well. Their economy has been hit hard, and with no money, they are barely hanging on. They do not have open riots but do understand that if Iwa and Warth fall, Kumo will have to join in as well," and so it all depended on Iwa and Earth kingdom.

    "What of our own forces?" he asked.

    "The morale is high. Our casualties are only two-tenths higher than peacetime numbers, the new medical corps is showing its usefulness, and with the daimyo's offer providing ample funds despite being in wartime, one could argue that the village is thriving," and it was indeed.

    Konoha was not planning sweeping attacks. After the initial onslaught, they had backed off, set up supply lines, and pushed slowly, and one could say that both Kumo and Iwa were now prisoners in their own villages.

    Kumo had already lost one of their jinchurikis, and Iwa's two jinchurikis were spent as well, with one of them currently in Ame's custody. There was speculation that the ninja had defected and had gotten captured on purpose.

    And he leaned back, ignoring the mountain of work on his desk.

    "What do you think of it all?" he asked, and Shikaku sighed.

    "When this war began, there was a part of me that wished to say 'I told you so,'" and indeed, Shikaku had voiced concerns over the parlay and its relative need.

    "Despite being a shinobi, I understand very well the trade relationships between the provinces and how necessary they are for a functional village and such, and so when the call for 'crimson sky' was made, I thought it a rushed move, but I can easily say that I am thankful that I was wrong," he said bluntly admitting his own mistake.

    "In that way, I have to give it to you. You were right to trust the daimyo. This," and that he raised a folder.

    "This is not a war. This is an annihilation, and the rest of the villages, kage, and the daimyos can see that. Akihito Shirahoshi has decimated their economy and their morale without taking any drastic steps. He has dismantled them all systemically," and that was the truth.

    It was one thing to fight an enemy on battlefield and defeat them, it was another thing to orchestrate the things the way he had. Through manipulation of information, battles, and other such means, he had turned the people of Earth and Lightning against their own establishments, and that included their shinobi as well.

    "Honestly, even I would find it hard to battle an enemy like our current daimyo," Shikaku added and that was high praise from the man who was regarded as the genius tactician throughout the continent.

    "I do hope that we can play shogi one day."

    0000

    AKIHITO SHIRAHOSHI

    The world had changed a lot in the last two years; the hegemony of the Five Great Villages had essentially been broken, and now a new nation had taken center stage. A war had begun, one that was set to change the very face of the world.

    He had changed much. Neither becoming a jinchuriki nor the Shogun had been his intention, and yet both things had been thrust upon him. Given what he knew of the disaster coming, he had no choice but to accept the burden.

    The Tsuchikage's attack had left him nearly dead, and he had thought he would never wake again, yet here he was, alive after two years of constant effort and support. He had survived through the efforts and sacrifices of many people, and now it was his turn to pay them back.

    He saw the enemy still as he made his first public appearance after two years. The enemy had more or less used his absence as an excuse to further his own goals.

    "Gin," he turned towards his once trusted advisor, who now served as governor of his lands.

    "Yes, my lord," the man bowed.

    "Tell the men to hold their fire. I will take care of this myself," and after issuing that order, he jumped once more. All the time and effort he had spent showed its effectiveness as he glided through the air and landed infront of the rebellion encampment.

    "I recognize those banners, Lord Saegusa, Lord Hattori, Lord Bansho," he spoke, recognizing those banners and watching as three lords heading the rebellion stepped forward. There were others of course but these three were the leaders of the rebellion.

    "You are alive then, you peasant," the old Lord Bansho insulted him, and he did not react as he focused his gaze on the old man.

    Lord Bansho Chiaki was the leader of the conservative faction. He had been rather perturbed by his ascension and was the son of the daughter of the Earth Daimyo, with whose behest and support he had arranged this coup.

    "And you are a traitor, Lord Bansho," he challenged, and the old man smirked.

    "We are no traitors. It is you who seeks to disturb the balance that has existed for a hundred years. Your ascension and actions are a disgrace to the tradition and honor of the Land of Fire itself, and it is time that we end it," and at that, he raised his sword, and the men gathered behind him.

    "Even now, your hubris shall be your downfall. You, in your arrogance, came down to face us all by yourself, you fool!" he taunted, and Akihito sighed, lamenting what he was about to do already.

    For despite the years, his dislike for violence and killing had not lessened, but if he was to unite the provinces and end this cycle of wars and hatred, then he must first clean house.

    "To all those gathered here, I offer a final chance at clemency. Run to the forest on the side, and you shall be spared," he offered, using his chakra to enhance his voice so it could reach everyone.

    "Stay, and none shall find even your remains!" he finished threateningly, hoping that there would be men smart enough to take his warnings, though alas, very few were.

    "You stand here alone against the might of all these men. And yet you think you can win. You are as delusional as they say you are," Lord Bansho taunted as he raised his sword, and the men readied behind him.

    "Senf one of your men to the side, Lord Banso," Akihito ordered as he let go of his chakra. The years spent in the Skihhotsu under the tutelage of Tsunade Senju and the Slug Sage had done him much in achieving his full potential, especially now that he had access to the power of a bijuu.

    "So that he may tell the tale of your demise to your backers," and with that, he took out his sword and raised it straight up.

    "ATTACK!" the man roared, as his face twisted realizing that Akihito knew of the truth behind this campaign, and so the army rushed forth, as a sea of men crashed towards him with their weapons ready to kill him.

    Akihito closed his eyes and reached into the depth of his chakra.

    "Matatabi, lend me your strength," he whispered, as chakra burst forth.

    "As you say," and with that whisper, he felt chakra bubble inside him, and he focused it all into his blade as a literal firestorm erupted, and flame roared into the skies, and he could feel the sword creak in his hands, as the massive chakra was channeled through it.

    And then he reared it back, enclosing all that chakra into his blade, and watched as it became charred and black in color, with flames running all over it.

    "Ninpo:..." he whispered. He used all his training to control and contain the chakra, and he brought down his blade in a single, slow strike.

    "...Kyokyujitsujin." (Blade of the Rising Sun)

    And the tip of his blade touched the ground as he let go of his chakra.

    BOOOOM!

    And immediately, the ground cracked, a chasm forming and devouring the whole rebellion army, which screamed and raved as they fell to their deaths. The chasm left behind only a crumbling sword, such that as the screams died, only the hilt remained in the hands of Akihito Shirahoshi.

    0000

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    • Chapter 63-Ancient Darkness!
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    • Chapter 63

    TSUNADE SENJU

    Tsunade Senju had returned to the village many times, though her visits had always been brief, as she collected all the necessary information about the war and vanished once more into the summoning realm to treat Akihito.

    The last two years had been a flurry of activity, but finally, the long and arduous times had come to an end.

    "It is good to see you, lady Tsunade," Minato greeted her as she found herself once more in the Hokage office, yet this time with none of the stress of the previous times.

    "It is good to be back as well," she replied as she sat down.

    "Is it finally over?" he asked, immediately asking about Akihito's treatment and availability. This had been a major headache for Konoha and Fire country in general. Akihito's ability to fight the war from behind the curtain could not be underestimated, she had watched him plan and plot the whole conflict while being on his deathbed yet his absence had not inspired much confidence.

    After much struggle, she was able to stabilize him enough that he could return to his castle for some time, around six months ago. And with the rumors of a rebellion growing, she had thought that he would do it, yet he had refused and had stayed back to regain full health while training with the bijuu chakra that he now had running through his body.

    "Yes, it is," she replied and saw Minato sigh in relief.

    "That is welcome news," he added, and she nodded.

    "That it is. He should be taking care of the rebellion that rose against him as we speak," she told him, and Minato nodded.

    "Yes, many in the Council were worried that a force as large as that had been allowed to lay siege to the capital. I did assure them of lord daimyo's handling of the matter, but still, this will be a great boon for the morale," and it would be, for this war was not one between the Hidden Villages primarily.

    This was a war between the provinces and the five so-called Nations. It was one reason Akihito had tried to keep shinobi casualties to a minimum, so as not to force the shinobi into a back corner but rather do so to the daimyos and the political elites of the two aggressor nations.

    "Those damn geezers. They are still running their mouths," she scoffed, angry that the Council of Clan elders hadn't really learned that their time was over and that the era was shifting.

    "Well, you know how they are," he said with a smile, and she indeed did. After all, she had had to shut those geezers up herself a number of times.

    "Regardless, I bring word from our dear daimyo as well," she said as she took out the missive scroll she had been handed and gave it to Minato, who took it and began to skim over it immediately.

    She saw him raise a brow as he turned towards her.

    "Do you know what is written here?" he asked, and she nodded.

    "I do," he had written it infront of her.

    "He plans to end the war within months," Minato asked, and she nodded.

    Immediately after the war had begun, Akihito was decisive in his decision-making to not let this evolve into a traditional war and had focused his attention on the political centers rather than the military ones.

    And so, through careful and patient maneuvering, agents, had been mobilized to infiltrate the nobles of Iwa and Kumo to steer the masses and the nobles towards a surrender. The embargo on trade and the ruination of their respective economies had lit the spark which his agents later stoked, and now in Earth country, there was open rebellion against their daimyo, and Lighting country was now ruled by a council of reagents most of whom blamed Earth country for their demise, and sought peace as well.

    "Both Iwa and Kumo are exhausted. The time of peace before the war was not enough to shake off the weariness of the last conflict, and they were thrust into this one so quickly. Both are looking at one another. As soon as one of the nations falls, the other will follow suit as well," she added, and Minato nodded.

    "That is good. Our forces are all ready to lay siege to the villages at a moment's notice. I will alert them to be prepared to take action at a moment's notice."

    "You should," and with that, she leaned back.

    "So, tell me, how does it feel being a father?" and she saw his smile falter as he rubbed his chin.

    "Honestly, quite exhausting," he replied, and she smiled.

    "With a kid so loud, I would imagine so as well," she replied, for she had met the little Naruto, and that boy was a hellion.

    "Yeah, but I wouldn't trade it for the world," and his smile and optimism were what made him a great Kage.

    "Whe...."

    "Lord HOKAGE!" an ANBU appeared in the room with a blur, and she saw his expression shift from a gentle and caring father to the deadly and cutthroat leader of a ninja village.

    "What is it, Peacock?"

    "It's Kumo, sir. They are attacking again. They are saying Killer Bee is leading the attack again."

    "Well, it seems like the war is not quite over yet," he said to her, and she nodded.

    "Kushina-sama and her team have moved to intercept. She has denied any request for backup."

    0000

    AKIHITO SHIRAHOSHI

    Akihito stared at the massive schism infront of him, his chakra networks strained by the sheer volume of chakra he had just channeled as his body adopted to the massive volume of chakra he now possessed.

    The blade of the sword in his hand turned into a charred husk, and the remains of it were taken by the air, leaving behind only a hilt, which he pushed back into the sheath as he stepped forward and stopped at the edge of the schism.

    There was little to see except a gaping hole, the screams, and cries of the army now long dead and buried, and he shook his head, despondent at the loss of life, yet he knew that it was necessary.

    After a small prayer, he turned back and jumped towards the massive fortress once more. He reached the platform easily and rejoined Gin and Miyuki, who were looking at the devastation in front of them with startled expressions.

    "Clear out the remains and have their lands seized. They will be redistributed in the next week after I hold a full court," he ordered, and his command broke Jin out of his trance.

    "As you say, daimyo-sama," his aide replied as he knelt down.

    "And open the gates. Make it known that the siege is over. We have won," and with that, he turned towards Miyuki and saw her look at him with a resolute expression.

    He had truly no desire for bloodshed, and so when he had heard initial reports of a front forming against him, he had sent missives to the lords asking for their grievances and had received nothing but rebuttal from them.

    Even when they had laid siege, he had sent one of his men to negotiate with them and had only received a single thing in response.

    'We will kill you and end your line.' And so the last draw had been made, and their fates sealed.

    "Come, let us return to the castle," he said as he offered her his hand. She nodded as she took his hand, and they began to descend down the massive wall.

    By now, the massive gates were being opened up, and the people of the city were all gathered together as they watched him and Miyuki descend from the tower and reach for their carriage. They cleared out a path for them as he made his way through the massive cheer with Miyuki beside him.

    "The capital has not changed much in my absence," he remarked as he turned towards Miyuki, who nodded.

    "It has not. Your measures were able to preserve the people's way of life. I have never seen such prosperity, even during peacetimes, yet now, even while being at war, none o hungry for the day with your measures," she remarked with a smile.

    "Well, they are not quite cheering for me now. Are they?" he said as he pulled back the curtain and lowered the window. The cheers and chants reached them, most of them directed at Miyuki herself, who blushed at the praise.

    "I did only as you ordered," she replied.

    "And yet they love you for it," and then they reached the castle, and Akihito took to the platform, as a throng of people gathered infront of him.

    He stepped forward and used chakra to amplify his voice.

    "People of my country...."

    0000

    OROCHIMARU-The Snake Sanin

    The last two years had been quite an experience for Orochimaru as he tore through the fabric of science and reached as close as one could to figuring out the truth of life, chakra, and their world.

    And the revelations had been truly shocking, the power they had always thought to be of their own creation, the very power they used to wage wars and make jutsus was far more complex than he had thought.

    And then there was the task he had been assigned, an impossible task of bringing back the dead. And not just any dead. He was to bring back the most powerful shinobi of his time.

    The implications became clearer to him with every passing day, yet he could do little but carry out the task assigned to him, as he found himself at the mercy of the darkness that covered half his body.

    A darkness which claimed itself to be Madara's will, but Orochimaru was not fooled. This was not a cahkra construct, this was a being, one much more ancient than Madara himself, one that might even be manipulating the legendary Uchiha clan leader.

    But he needed time to figure it all out, time for all his actions were scrutinised by this darkness, giving him respite only in his own mind as he tried to escape out of his predicament.

    And as he stared at the two bodies floating in chemical pods infront of him, both near lifeless and identical copies of one another at first glance. Yet, in truth, they were anything but.

    Age was but one aspect. Their cells and composition were entirely different, and he once more examined the massive and intricate sealing formula spread all around it.

    "So be it then." With that, he bit his thumb and placed it on the sealing formula, despite knowing that, in some ways, his action was dooming the world.

    "Kai!" and with that, the sealing formula glew.

    BOOOOM!

    The whole cave collapsed in a massive explosion, sending shockwaves that rocked Rice country. Through the rubble, a whisper came.

    "Finally. It has been quite some time."

    0000

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    • Chapter 64-And So It Ends! New
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    • Chapter 64

    KUSHINA UZUMAKI

    Much had changed for Kushina Uzumaki in the last two years, and her life, which at one point seemed like a directionless ship, was now filled with activity once more.

    The birth of her son, the learning of the truth of the bijuu, becoming a complete jinchuriki, and so forth, she could argue that she had grown more in the last few years than she had in the last decade.

    And now, as she blurred through a throng of trees, silent as a whistle, her team behind him as they moved to intercept Kumo's own special team, she found herself thinking of the person who had brought this change to her life.

    The Fire daimyo, the young Shogun as he was called nowadays for by now it was certain that he would become a fables shogun, given how the war had progressed. There was no question about him losing, only about when he would win.

    The news of the attack on him had devastated and caused panic in all of the village, and then they were all thrust into another war, not even a year past the last one.

    Yet this war had been anything but like the last one's. This had become a full-on political war, in which shinobi involvement had only lessened with every passing day as their daimyo literally squeezed the warring regions of their resources, choking them in a way.

    And it had worked, as Konoha consolidated its gains from the initial days, and began to reinforce their own positions rather than overextending and putting their men in jeopardy, the other village simply found themselves entrapped in their own land, surrounded on almost all sides by Konoha and its allies and with the embargo on trade the war ate away at their resources.

    And now the war was all but over, and in all of the continent, she was amongst the handful of people who knew that better than anyone.

    "He is right ahead. Leave him to me," she ordered, and a chorus of affirmative reached her ears as she jumped forward.

    A clash between jinchurukis was no small thing and of this team of hers was smart enough they would back off and let them settle this, as they had done so in their last two meetings.

    'Are you ready?' she found herself asking the prisoner inside her.

    'Yeah. That damn octopus couldn't wait another day.' She heard the retort back, and two years ago, she never would have imagined that the Kyu—no, Kurama would become a secret confidante of hers.

    'Here. I have given you my chakra. Do not disgrace me.' She heard him chide her, and she found herself chuckling as she replied.

    "Don't worry about that. I will teach that younger brother of yours a lesson," and with that, she jumped forward as she felt a massive influx of chakra and immediately felt her senses and surroundings change as a red-orange hue began to cover her, enhancing her senses, as Kyubi's chakra mixed with her own making her perhaps the most powerful shinobi of the continent.

    She pushed it through her leg and pushed, and its forest blurred as she appeared right above the Eight tails jinchuriki.

    "So, you are finally here for the dance, red Princess," he began, as a red chakra began to envelop him as she raced towards him.

    BOOOM!

    Their fists clashed, and their eyes met as he roared.

    "Get away!" and the Kumo nin backed off as she pushed the chakra and adamantine chains erupted from her back as Kumo nin backed off, throwing his swords into the air and using them to parry away her attack as he landed on a branch a few meters back.

    "You ready to dance, princess."

    "Nah," she replied as she lowered herself, her chakra roaring in her body as she smirked.

    "I am ready to win."

    0000

    The Third Tsuchikage Ohnoki-The Fencesitter

    In hindsight, a part of him had known that he was making a mistake. Attacking not just one but two daimyos during a peace parlay not in any way concerning his own village and lands was a massive aggression that would not go unanswered.

    Yet Iwa was enraged. He was enraged. Their pride wounded due to the loss suffered by them during the end of the last war, the memories of that blonde devil's devastation still fresh in their minds, so they had not rebuffed much when the order from their daimyo had come.

    And now, a bit over two years later, they were suffering the consequences.

    The initial attack had been a failure. They had managed to injure the Fire daimyo and had thought that the ensuing turmoil would paralyze Konoha, allowing them to make swift moves. But the boy had survived, rescued by that accursed Senju Princess, and then had begun an onslaught unlike any they had ever seen.

    "Crimson Sky" is the declaration for a shogunate, one that prom used to destroy the established world order and reform a new one. And he would not back down.

    Iwa had just begun recovering from the last war, which had depleted them of both men and resources, and the gamble they had taken had backfired greatly. And now, with food shortages rampant, weapons scarce, and rioting all over the capital, Iwa was in no place to continue the war.

    They could not even attack Konoha, for they were simply prisoners in their own land, surrounded on all sides by Konoha and its allied forces. Their vanguard, commanded by that damned monkey summoning Sarutobi who rebuffed all their attacks living upto his name as the damned professor.

    And now their time was up, the last gamble of their daimyo had failed.

    "The rebellion forces have been put down. All the lords and soldiers participating in it were killed. The Fire daimyo has made a public appearance after two years, and morale in the Fire country is higher than it has ever been," his jounin commander read, as Iwa's councilmen gathered at his call to discuss the future of the war.

    "So quickly?" he asked, and the man shook his head.

    "We have no report on the how. But it has been confirmed that the man did not use any shinobi in the operation, that it was his own forces that helped him secure this victory," and that was another issue.

    "What of our own daimyo?" he asked.

    "He has secluded himself in his castle with a few loyal men as massive riots take place all over the Province. His governors have betrayed him and march towards the castle as we speak. We received one more letter from him earlier in the day calling for Iwa nin," and he could feel all the eyes turning towards him.

    Accepting that request did not settle well with him. There was a reason shinobi were not to be involved in the affairs of the state, and he did not believe that a massacre was the solution.

    "Have we received any word from Han?" he asked, of the two jinchuriki from Iwa, now only one remained, and even that was a stretch.

    Both Han and Roshi had spoken against the war at first, and then at one point in the war, seeing the futility and the sheer loss of life for them, both had confronted him, asking him to seek peace once more. Acting as mouthpieces of the fire daimyo, and he had accused them of treason and retaliated.

    Another mistake for in the aftermath Roshi would go on to defect, and Han would go into the mountains citing that he would always be there to defend his homeland but would take part on no offence.

    "Tell Han that he is to return to the village tomorrow," he said and saw the heads of all the councilmen turn towards him.

    "Tsuchikage-sama, but he has refused to entertain any such offer before," his jounin commander added.

    "He will not refuse this one," he said as he stood up and addressed them all.

    "After all, Iwagakure cannot function without a Tsuchikage," and his declaration was met with wide eyes and surprise.

    "But Ohnoki-sama!" many began, but he raised his head, stopping the protests.

    "Konoha and the Fire daimyo will hardly accept peace with me at the helm. And in some ways, I am just as stubborn. I know many of you in this very Hall spoke against my decision of joining hands with Kumo in attacking the daimyos, and even today many of you tire of this useless war." He began and saw many lower their heads, for they may not have denied him openly as Roshi and Han had, but indeed, he was aware of the grumblings and the dissent, for a man knew no greater loyalty than his own hunger.

    And hunger was widespread right now.

    "To those of you who cannot let go of the hate and anguish in their hearts, make preparations. All of you shall depart with me at dawn tomorrow as we launch the final assault on Konoha forces to the South," he roared and saw many turn towards him.

    "But my lord, this will be suicide. Both the Mizukage and the retired Third Hokage man that side," came the answer and he shrugged.

    "They may, but this will be it. This will be my calling. If I am victorious Iwa shall have a chance to turn the tide. And if I fall, I name Han as my successor and leave Iwa in his hands," he declared and saw everyone stare at him silently.

    "You are all dismissed," he ordered, and he was left alone in his office.

    If his own estimation was correct, then the daimyo's castle would fall by tomorrow, and the next daimyo would call off the war, and Ohnoki would much rather die on the battlefield than become a prisoner to his own village and province.

    As he sat alone in his office contemplating his fate, suddenly, the door was blasted open.

    "HEY, OLD MAN!" he heard a familiar roar and looked and found a young familiar face barging into his office.

    "WHAT AM I HEARING ABOUT YOU, SENSEI?" Deidara, his only student, barged into his office.

    "THEY ARE SAYING YOU ARE RETIRING!"

    0000

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    • Chapter 65-A Fated Showdown! New
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    • Chapter 65

    HIRUZEN SARUTOBI

    Hiruzen Sarutobi had become truly old; he was amongst the oldest shinobi alive today and had seen the shift of the eras from the Warring State Period to the era of the Five Great Nations, a change led by his sensei and his brother, Hashirama Senju.

    It was a step towards the establishment of peace, a step towards making sure that no young children would be forced to fight anymore. And yet the dream had failed to deliver; the conflicts between clans simply became conflicts between Hidden Villages, and the never-ending cycle of war continued.

    And yet the eras were shifting once again, and this time it was not a shinobi doing so. No, this time, it was through the actions of a daimyo, an entity that held more power than one would initially think. The start of the Fourth Great War—Great war, not a ninja war for this was not truly a ninja war, and more of a political and provincial conflict had begun a year into the ending of hostilities.

    And yet this war was unlike any war before it, with the Konoha, Suna, and Kiri alliance simply overwhelming their opponents, and yet rather than going for a killer strike, one aimed at the hearts of Kumo and Iwa, they had been directed to prolong the conflict, a decision he had openly debated against initially and yet with every passing day he realized the true intent behind it.

    For with every passing day, the Earth and Lighting province saw their own people protesting against the war, which had devastated their economies, leading to mass starvation and rioting. It had also hampered Iwa and Kumo's ability to wage war, essentially neutralizing them in a way he had never thought possible, and yet with shinobi casualties being as low as they were, Kumogakure and Iwagakure shinobi realized the futility of their actions as well and saw that there was no path to victory for them.

    "I must say, it has been an honor to serve alongside you," the young kunoichi added from the side as they stood at the edge of the cliff, and she marked another shift in the era.

    She was the first kunoichi to take on the mantle of a kage, and rightly so. Terumi Mei reminded him in many ways of Tsunade and Mito-sama and was a kunoichi brimming with talent.

    "The feeling is the same here. I must say, before this, I would never have thought that Kiri and Konoha would ever become allies given our history," he added, and a bloody history it was.

    Kirigakure was the primary instigator of the Uzushio massacre and the bad blood between Kiri and Konoha because that was too much. And yet they were now allies, their fates entwined with each other unlike he had ever thought possible.

    "There are many things that we would have thought impossible two years ago, but now they are a simple reality," she added, and he nodded.

    "Still, I can see why they would call you the Professor. I doubt anyone in the..." suddenly, he perked up, stepping forward as the Mizukage beside him quietened down as well.

    "It seems like it is finally happening," he uttered as he sensed the chakra signatures coming their way.

    "Indeed, but this means that the fighting in the Earth Province has escalated beyond control. This is the final push we were warned about," she iterated, and indeed, a letter from Minato had come warning him about something similar.

    "Get the men ready," he said as he bit into his thumb as she blurred towards the main encampment.

    "Summoning Jutsu," he whispered as he pushed his hand against the ground.

    "Monkey King Enma," and with a cloud of smoke, his leal summon appeared behind him.

    "Is it finally time, Sarutobi?" Enma asked, and he nodded and leaned down.

    "Yeah, it seems it is," he replied.

    "Good, this has been a rather dry war," and with that, Enma looked up much like him as they saw their enemy flying over them, hands folded on his chest, a scar now running down the side of his face, one obtained in his fight against Minato.

    "I was beginning to think I would never see you again, Ohnoki," he greeted the shinobi.

    "You are far from home, Sarutobi," Ohnoki replied, and he felt him build up his chakra as he pushed his own chakra into his feet.

    "Not as far as you," and with that, he saw him bring his hands together.

    "Particle Style:..."

    "Transform..." With that order, Enma shifted, pivoted using the staff, and jumped right into the air.

    "...Atomic Dismantling Jutsu."

    "Extend,"

    00000

    KUSHINA UZUMAKI

    Kushina Uzumaki jumped from one tree to another, parrying attacks, dolling out attacks of her own as she fought with the Eight-Tails jinchuriki, yet despite the destruction and devastation around them, the truth was that not a single Konoha or Kumo nin had yet died from this conflict.

    At this point, their fights were well-crafted dances, somewhat of a spar as she twisted and avoided a tailed beast bomb, as she retaliated with her own adamantine chains.

    The Kumo jinchuriki jumped back, his body covered in red chakra that formed six tails. As their forces were exhausting, she knew that they must end this soon.

    "I can feel your brother's chakra," she muttered as her expanded senses caught onto the Raikage's chakra.

    "Is he coming here himself?" he asked as they entered into a Taijutsu exchange, exchanging punches; his sword clashed against her own chains as they tumbled in the forest.

    "Yeah," she replied.

    "Is he still set on continuing this war?" she asked.

    "He is a kage, he must never show weakness, but he tires of the war as well. We just need the first domino to fall," he replied seriously, his rapping now gone as they both jumped back, their last attack leaving a massive crater behind.

    BOOOM!

    "That will happen soon," said the Raikage, whose speed was monstrous. In that short clash, he had managed to cover the bulk of the distance.

    She took out the special kunai from her pocket and, in a swift motion, threw it straight into the air above her.

    "With Brother coming here, I am gonna have to get serious," he said as he leaned down. She saw his skin turn a reddish hue until the red chakra cloak masked his facial features, and a skeletal structure appeared on his shoulder and body.

    "Kurama," she requested herself and felt her own chakra shift as she felt the nine tails infuse more of his chakra into her own.

    And then, as the air crackled, she felt him race towards her, and in the blink of an eye, he was right infront of him, his lightning cloak covering his body. The Raikage had only grown grumpier since his loss to Minato and had made it his mission to target her owing to her position as Konoha's jinchuriki and her relationship with the Hokage.

    "I finally have you, Uzumaki," he snarled as his elbow raced towards her face, and yet she did not move an inch as she simply pushed her chakra into her adamantine chains to neutralise Hachibi and Killer Bee.

    "Lateral Bolt of Pain," he screamed, yet she did not move. She simply saw a light blur past her as a kunai landed near her feet. In the next instant, she felt the air shift, and she found herself right above the Hachibi, with a very familiar blonde where she had been moments ago, with a giant blur orb of chakra in his hand.

    "Rasengan!"

    "Ninpo: Adamantine Prison," and with that scream, Eight adamantine chains erupted out of her back and rushed down, and pinned down the Hachibi' each one chain skewering one of its tails into the ground, as she herself landed on its head with a massive thud.

    "It is over," she said as she blocked Eight-Tails chakra, immobilizing it.

    "BEEE!" the Raikage snarled as he raced towards her, yet she did not budge as she saw him blur towards her once more, this time aiming a kick at her head, and yet Minato appeared beside her in a blur and blocked the kick with his hand.

    BOOOM!

    Much to the surprise of Raikage, who was stunned by this display of physical strength, something which was considered a weakness of Minato.

    "I believe I am your opponent, Unruly Ay," Minato said as he pushed down his neck and stared the Raikage in the eye, yet this time his eyes were different. Rather than the usual blue orbs he had, this time his eyes were orange with a horizontal slit in them with an orange marking under them.

    "Those eyes," the Raikage gasped as she smirked.

    After all, she was not the only one who had gotten stronger.

    THUNK.

    The Raikage pivoted and spun around, attacking Minato with his other leg, but he blocked it as well.

    BOOM!

    The massive force behind the attack kicked up a storm yet Minato did not budge as he glanced back at her.

    "Can you handle this?" he asked, and she nodded.

    "Leave the Hachibi's jinchuriki to me," she assured him, her hands together in prayer as her chains pushed down the bijuu chakra tails, keeping the eight tails immobilized.

    "Good," and with that, he shifted, and she saw him squeeze his hands, and the Raikage was forced to jump back as she heard the sound of bone cracking.

    "So, you have really mastered it as well, Minato," the Raikage said as he stood straight and glared at Minato, who straightened up as well.

    "The technique of that damned Toad Sage. Senjutsu," he remarked.

    "This fighting is futile. You and I both know Kumo cannot win this war," Minato said.

    "Retreat and surrender, for that is what is set to happen in the future anyways," he added, and the Raikage gritted his teeth and shouted.

    "AHHHHH!" and his chakra cloak bulked up as lightning danced over his body.

    "You dare! Hokage! I will show you the true might of Kumooo!"

    0000

    And in that moment, as Hokage and Raikage fought, Kushina and Killer Bee found themselves engrossed in a talk until suddenly she felt immense pain in her abdomen as Kurama rose up from its lumber, whispering menacingly.

    "That Chakra. Impossible!"

    0000

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    • Chapter 66

    UNRULY AY-THE FOURTH RAIKAGE

    Ay watched Namikazee standing there, those orange markings underneath his eyes showcasing the mastery of senjustsu, a technique that only a handful of shinobi had ever mastered.

    To his senses, that bastard's chakra felt at ease, calm like an ocean, even though his senses screamed at him to run and escape, and yet he could not do that.

    He was teh Raikage, the leader of his village, and if they were to break this stalemate they had found themselves in this was the place to make a stand. They had both the Hokage and Konoha's jinchuriki in their sight, hence this was the time to make a stand.

    Already, his daimyo, or more specifically, his council, were calling this war a mistake and were ready to capitulate to Konoha and Fire country. He knew that they were just waiting for the first domino to fall, and if reports from Iwa and Earth country were anything to go by, that domino was set to fall anytime.

    The scar running down his shoulder ached as he leaned down reminding him of his failure to protect Yugito and he remembered the promise he had made to himself on that day.

    "You dare..." and he blurred through the air aiming for the leaf's accursed red-headed jinchurriki, trying to go past the blonde bastard as he tried to free Bee, yet suddenly, as he was a few paces away from her, he found the blonde blur infront of him, blocking his punch once again, making him stop.

    "I am your opponent," the blonde uttered, and it unsettled him how his chakra was still not roused, not roaring, but was quiet and at peace.

    "Not her," and with that he felt his body blur as he suddenly found himself in an unknown place, alone, before the blonde appeared again.

    "Now we can fight at peace," the blonde said, and he realized that he had just used his technique on him, and he snarled.

    "You bastard," and with that Ay jumped at him once more. As he blurred behind him and swung his leg at hi, yet he simply ducked, without glancing back, and tried to swing a kunai at him. Still, the blonde was not the only one who had gotten stronger and so he redirected his chakra hardening the cloak at that point as he drummed up a lighting arrow in his hand.

    "Ninpo: Kaminari's Spear!" and he threw it down at the kage, yet before he could see his attack connect, he heard a small whisper from the blonde.

    "Senpo: Frog Kumite.." and he felt it after years a punch landed on him as he was sent tumbling back, and his feet dragged on the earth before coming to a halt as he coughed up blood.

    "It has been quite a few years since anyone has landed a hit on me like this," he said as he wiped away the blood from his face.

    "Senjutsu. It really is a scary thing," he commented.

    "Give up, Ay. You and I both know that there is no way that you can win this war. Kumo and Iwa's alliance is a farce now, with both your nations and villages distrusting each other. Your morale is down, and you no longer have bodies or resources to throw at us," the blonde uttered, making him grit his teeth for though scathing, it was the truth.

    There was no winning here. Not currently. Konoha's forces were simply too powerful. Their Third Hokage was strong enough to tackle two or three S-ranked nin himself, keeping them occupied while their other forces ran amok on the enemy lines. The Uchiha bastard, The Toad Sage, The Senju Princess and so forth, they simply had too many S-rank or near S-rank shinobi in their ranks.

    And then there was him. Namikaze Minato.

    He had not openly joined the fray in leading any offensive. Still, he was their true hidden weapon, teleporting and providing backup to any location at any time, which instantly made him the biggest nightmare. He alone covered up all their weakness, shored up their defences, and made their offensives just more lethal.

    If they were to have a chance at turning things around. Namikaze Minato needed to die.

    "You may be right. We may not have a chance to win as of now, but that all can change easily once you are gone from the picture," Ay said as he toned down his chakra, reaching for the newly inscribed seal over his shoulder as he smeared a streak of blood on it.

    "But I cannot give up. Not until I have avenged my failure from that day," he said as he felt another chakra invade his own and mix with it. The invasion of this foreign chakra made his chakra coils scream in pain and agony, yet he did not wince as the color of the chakra cloak around him began to shift, getting darker and darker until it became the pitch-black lighting of his own father.

    "Then so be it," Namikaze roared as he pulled up his own hand. A blue orb appeared in it, but this time, it did not remain a simple orb. No, he watched as it formed edges like a shuriken, and a whistling sound began to rumble throughout the forest.

    The sheer amount of chakra he was pushing into the orb told him that this would be his penultimate attack, and so he would reciprocate as he channelled all that black lighting into his right hand, the skin on his band burned, and he could feel it overwhelm him yet he did not bother as he leaned down and pushed his feet into the ground.

    "NINPO:..." he roared as he pushed his chakra into his legs.

    "SENPO:..." Namikaze spoke as the ground underneath him cracked, forcing his feet into the ground

    "...Black Lightning!"

    "...RASENSHURKIEN"

    BOOOM!

    00000

    HIRUZEN SARUTOBI

    The land around him lay destroyed; craters, cracks, charred trees, and the blood-soaked ground showed the sheer depravity and scale of the battle that had just taken place.

    Even his own body ached from the wounds of this battle, as he stood there huffing, his limp arm beside him as a dozen nin stood around a single body, sweat dripping down their faces as they spent their chakra trying to suppress a shinobi, the likes of which the world may never see again.

    "Huh," he heard Ohnoki huff as he lay there, his haori and cap now long gone, his hair dishevelled and burnt as the sealing formula kept him rooted to the ground.

    "You Konoha-nin still try and cling to that noble facade of yours," he taunted, yet Hirzuen knew that there was little nobility in keeping Ohnoki alive.

    "This is not n..."

    "Spare me your lies, Hiruzen!" Ohnoki roared, and even with a dozen nin trying to suppress him, his chakra roared forth, bringing many of the twelve to their knees as Ohnoki glared at him as he lay there chained in a sealing technique.

    "You have won. End my life." He asked, and before he could answer, the Mizukage stepped forward.

    "Your crimes are many, fence-sitter Ohnoki. You spurned peace and attacked a parlay, breaking all laws and traditions as you and your village plunged this village into another war. A needless war," she challenged sharply, and the old Tsuchikage scoffed.

    "And yet you still spare my life?" Ohnoki challenged.

    "Because the man who you tried to kill wishes for you to see the peace that you spurned, the peace that your generation could never imagine. And though he maybe wrong, yet he believed that there is a role still left for you to play in the times to come," and with that she brought up her own hand and the seal began to expand.

    "Fuiin!" and with that Ohnoki's chakra was fully sealed, as a healer nin began to heal way his injuries.

    0000

    CHIBA MIYUKI

    Her once friend and now lord husband had always cut a striking figure, and yet his face had always contained the hints of youth and naivety. But now, two years later, as she watched him rest with his young son sleeping in his lap, she saw not the boy with the promise of a greater potential.

    But a man who was set to unite and rule the whole continent.

    "You have something to say," he spoke softly. Though his face was well at ease, and he was smiling, the sense of danger and power he exuded made her shudder. Akihito was always very powerful, but now it was an entirely different thing.

    "It is nothing," she said and he opened his eyes as a stray bird came and settled down on his head, and it was what made her feel the serenity around him. It was unnatural, yet she would not use that word to define it.

    "It is not. I can feel it, as can your thoughts and intentions. Say it," he asked again softly. Miyuki was asleep. The Empress had spent many a sleepless nights ruling in her lord husband's absence, and though she had helped her as much as she could, Miyuki had carried the brunt of the duties alongside rearing and caring for a child.

    "I wished to say that you seem ready to shoulder the very burden you so often shunned a few years ago," she spoke up and saw him smile.

    "What do they say? One often finds his destiny on the road he takes to avoid it," he finished, and she frowned.

    "I am afraid I have never heard of the saying," she replied, and he shrugged.

    "It's something I heard a long time ago," he finished as he closed his eyes, and there was silence for a second before he frowned.

    "Kumo and Iwa have fallen," he announced quietly, making her frown as to how he became aware of this news while sitting in his courtyard.

    "Ho..."

    "The Earth daimyo has been killed in the riots. A council has replaced him and will soon name a successor. However, they had sent directives to Iwagakure to lay down their arms," he finished.

    "Will Ohnoki accept?" she asked, knowing full well that, in the Third Tsuchikage, Ohnoki was rather stubborn and bullheaded.

    "It seems Iwagakure has a new kage. Han of the Five Tails has been installed as the Fourth Tsuchikage, and he shall accept the order from the Daimyo office," he told her as he opened his eyes.

    "And with Iwa falling, Kumo shall follow," she asked, and he nodded.

    "They will. Especially now that we have captured the Fourth Raikage. He was defeated by Minato Namikaze in a duel," he finished as he rose up, and the bird resting on his head did not even budge as he stood up and passed his son to a servant nearby.

    "With this, we will finally have peace," she said with a sigh and heard him scoff.

    "I am afraid you are wrong, Miyuki," he said as he began to walk past her.

    "This is just the beginning."

    0000

    In another corner of the world, a man with a wild mane of hair smiled as his summoning jutsu failed. He smiled as his eyes glinted an ominous red. A smile blossomed on his face as he whispered into the air.

    "Interesting."

    0000

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    • Chapter 67

    KUSHINA UZUMAKI

    "It's over," she told the Hachibi jinchuriki as she sensed the Raikage's chakra grow static, hence marking the end of his fight with Minato. The fighting had taken a toll on him as well, yet he seemed fine as she loosened her chains and jumped back as the Eight-Tails jinchuriki stood up.

    "So, brother lost," he asked, and there was a hint of sadness in his tone.

    "He did. He is alive and will be captured, but as per the daimyo's assurances and agreement, he will not be harmed or mistreated as long as Kumo bends the knee," she told him. The two years had come with a set of revelations that she had never imagined, revelations regarding the true nature of the bijuu, their origins, and most importantly their ability to allow instantaneous communication between the jinchuriki and the tailed beast themselves.

    For the past two years, Akihito has engaged each and every bijuu and their jinchuriki in backdoor diplomacy, offering them and their villages a way out of the bloody conflict they have been thrust into.

    There had been skepticism at first, yet two years of constant back and forth had mellowed down both sides, allowing for open dialogue eventually, which had borne its fruit given that right now, each of the pages of the five great hidden villages was either a jinchuriki or closely associated with one.

    "I am counting on you and your leaders to keep their word, Uzumaki." He spoke seriously, and she nodded.

    "I know. But that was the offer, we have spared your brother's life and in return you shall put an end to this useless war. Soon enough your own council of reagents shall call for a surrender, accept it and do not cause further bloodshed," she elaborated, and he nodded.

    "I shall do what is necessary...."

    "The...."

    Then suddenly, she felt herself still as she felt a visceral fear grip her and the bijuu lying inside her as she heard Kurama warn her.

    "Watch out."

    Hachibi must have done something similar to herself. Killer Bee jumped back as well, and yet there was no attack whatsoever as she tried to sense the cause of the distress.

    "There in the trees."

    And she followed the directions and stilled as she saw the person standing there.

    His hair was dark, pitch black, and grown out like a wild mane covering half of his face. The other half of his face lay bare for her to see, the structure so similar to the statue built near the Valley of Peace, the very place where he was supposed to have taken his last breath.

    "So, you are the new keeper of that nine-tailed beast," he taunted, his voice haughty and unperturbed as he gazed at her with no fear. A surprise, for she had gotten quite used to how everyone would cower at her sight and the feel of her sheer chakra.

    And she could feel Kurama's anger and rage at the sight of him. The man, who had, in a way, set all this in motion, both the good and the bad.

    "Oi, Oi, that face. It means young Akihito was not lying," Killer Bee gasped as sweat dripped down his forehead. She saw that eye turn towards her hair, as she saw his brows come together for a second.

    "Send a message to Akihito and all other Bijuus. Tell them that he is here." She asked Kurama who growled yet nodded.

    "I already have."

    "Those red hair and that chakra. You aren't one of Hashirama's brats now, are you?" he asked with a taunting smile and she shook her head.

    "I am not. I am Kushina Uzumaki..." she began.

    "...and you should not be here, Uchiha Madara," she finished as she began gathering her own chakra.

    "An Uzumaki, huh? No wonder I found your chakra to be rather familiar. You must be from Mito's clan. Though I wonder..." he began, still looking so nonchalant while addressing two of the strongest jinchurikis in the world.

    "You do not seem surprised at seeing me, how?" he asked.

    "We are not as oblivious to your plans as you would think, Uchiha Madara, and we will not let you succeed. Your time came to an end long ago. You should be in your grave, and we will make sure of that," she said as she pushed forth Kurama's chakra and reactivated the bijuu chakra mode as he raised a brow.

    "The Nine tails chakra? How can you control that? No matter," and at that, she gave Killer Bee a nod as they both vanished in an instant.

    "Double Lariattt!"
    "Double Lariattt!"

    They both tried to whack off his neck, yet before they could hit him, a blue skeletal rib cage appeared around him, blocking off their attack.

    "I shall soon have you under my control..." and with that, an arm was swung at her, and she pushed out her chains as she blocked the attack just as Killer Bee brought out the Hachibi's tails.

    She was sent railing back as she saw the blue hue rise and take the form of a skeletal figure

    "You are strong..." he said as she saw him raise his hands.

    "...but not strong enough." And at that, he brought together his hands.

    "Katon:..."

    And at that, she brought together her hands as she began to gather the bijuu's chakra in her hands, as a purple orb began to form on her hands, much like Killer Bee did.

    "Ninpo:...."

    "...Majestic Destroyer Flame"

    "TAILED BEAST...!" they both shouted, yet before they could let go of their attacks, she felt herself blur as she appeared right beside the Uchiha relic much like Killer bee as the Uchiha frowned.

    SWISH!

    "BOMB!"

    She screamed as, in another blur, another figure appeared right above him carrying a giant blue orb.

    "Senpo: Odama Rasengan!"

    BOOOOM!

    And the whole area exploded.

    .

    .

    .

    .

    .

    Then all three of them jumped back as the forest around them burned away, covering the whole area in dust and smoke.

    "Senjutsu...." they heard the voice, and she immediately felt herself still.

    "...it has been quite some time since I have seen that," it continued, and she watched as the dust cleared only to reveal the form of Madara standing there, with not a single scratch on his body.

    "Still, I never thought I would see a Konoha nin work alongside a Kumo ninja. The world has gotten quite interesting." He said as he smiled.

    "No matter. I just came for a greeting, and as a payback for showing me this unique spectacle, I allow you all to keep your lives," he finished as she saw those red eyes spin.

    ".. for the time being, that is."

    PUFF

    And then, in a puff of smoke, he vanished, showing that all that power was simply from a damn clone.

    00000

    AKIHITO SHIRAHOSHI

    His most trusted counsellors sat infront of him as they gathered to act on the latest information they had just received, both the official and the unofficial one.

    "As the victor of the war, I have called for a Grand Council," he announced and saw the Prime Minister nod.

    "All the daimyo and the kages shall answer my call and shall gather in the land of Iron, where we shall hammer out the pathway for the future," he announced as he turned towards Gin and Miyuki, who sat beside the Prime Minster.

    "The war is over. We have won," he announced and saw them all smile and rejoice. All except him and Miyuki, for only the both of them, knew of the true danger lurking for them in the near future.

    "Who shall accompany you for this summit, Akihito-sama," Hyakuya Sosuke, the Prime Minister asked him, after all they would not want a repeat of what had transpired the last time.

    "The Hokage shall join me along with Jiraiya-sama and Tsunade-sama. Though I will be accompanied by members from the Guardian Twelve as well, a privilege which the rest of the villages will not be allowed," he added and saw him nod.

    "That is fair. Shall I make the announcement for the end of the war and victory," and he nodded.

    "I shall address the nation as well, but Sosuke-san, I want you to continue the wartime measures. Keep the smitheries and the factories running. Come up with an appropriate excuse, but I do not want production to stop," he added gravely, and the Prime Minister frowned.

    "But why, my lord? We have won. Why must we continue these measures? Our stores are full enough to arm Konoha twice over. Despite the war, we have not expended our resources too much," he added, and he gulped down.

    "Because we are not done fighting yet," he said, and the man backed off.

    "Because there is still one more war to fight."

    .

    .

    .

    The meeting continued for an hour after that, yet now both Gin and Sosuke had left, leaving him alone with Miyuki, his wife, who seemed much concerned and much like himself as she asked softly.

    "Is he really back?" she asked, and he nodded.

    "He is," he told her. After all, it was no use hiding it now.

    "The Summit, you think he will come there?" she asked, and he nodded.

    "I think he will," and she bit her lip.

    "You just came back. And yet, you must march into another war. When will this end?' she asked, and he asked himself the same question. As much as he detested conflict, it had become part and parcel of his life ever since he had become daimyo.

    And he wrapped his arm around and pulled her into his side.

    "We are ready for him. This war was a pretext for this ultimate battle. This is the one Miyuki, the one battle that may decide it all.

    0000

    Back near the cave, Madara opened his eyes once more. As he closed, he disappeared and smirked.

    "The world has changed quite a lot since I was away," he said as he rose up from the crouch position and glanced back towards the Snake-sanin standing behind him.

    "Now tell me how are the rest of the preparations?"

    "Everything has been prepared as per your wishes."

    "They are ready."

    0000

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    • Chapter 68

    FUSHIO SUZUKI-The Water Daimyo

    There was a time when the prospect of a Shogunate had seemed like nothing but a pipe dream. An impossibility that none would ever get to witness, and yet now, as he read the official letter of invitation from the Fire daimyo calling on him and all the other great daimyos for a Grand Council, the first of its nature, he found himself on the precipice of making history.

    "A Grand Council, huh? That is so like him," he said as he folded the letter and passed it to his kage who now sat infront of him, having returned from the front lines just for this.

    "All the kages, and the daimyo's gathered in one place. Something like this has never happened before," Terumi Mei added, and to this day, he was thankful that the orange-haired kunoichi was the kage rather than anyone else.

    Unlike Akihito, Fushio did not have a fine grasp of shinobi affairs, and Kirigakure was a mess that would have swallowed any other man. Yet, thankfully, the orange-haired kunoichi had been able to save the village from its doomed destiny and transform the culture in just about three years.

    The prolonged war had allowed them to focus all of their turbulent energies on their common enemies, allowing the shinobi to build bonds and camaraderie. This was rather lacking in Kiri's forces, which had always been inclined toward an individualistic approach and accolades.

    Their alliance with Konoha had also helped. With simpler and robust trade agreements, basic necessities like food, clothes, and medicine were no longer scarce, and these measures had done much to simmer down his people's anger and anguish.

    And now, as the years passed, and more and more people saw their kids grow up in relative peace, with ample food and other luxuries, the people in Kiri began to see the advantages of peace.

    "No man has ever united the continent as such either. This whole thing is unprecedented," he remarked as his eyes shifted to the other occupant of the room. She had grown much in the last couple of years, and gone was the young kunoichi who would titter around nervously in his castle.

    Nohara Rin was the official liaison between Konoha and the Fire daimyo in Kiri and Water country. She was a sort of ambassador, chosen because even among all of Konoha-nin, none had the courage to take on such a dangerous and tumultuous assignment.

    The chance that the alliance between Kiri and Konoha would end and that the life of whoever had taken up this duty would be forfeit because they would be in the heart of enemy territory, surrounded by enemies on all sides.

    And yet she had nominated herself for the task, and though she and Kiri had no intention of harming her, her actions spoke of courage and daring.

    "Will you be joining us for this?" he asked her, and she shook her head.

    "I am afraid not. I am set to leave for Konoha in a day. The daimyo-sama awaits your decision," she asked.

    "Kiri and Water country will accept it, of course. Tell him that we shall stand by him," he assured her, and why wouldn't he? This was their dream, their ultimate goal.

    And now, after years of trials and tribulations, it was finally within their grasp.

    "Is there anything else?" he asked and saw her hesitate. Another reason for why the kunoichi had been sent here as liaison was because Akihito thought her to be trustworthy, and her association with the Hokage allowed for instantaneous transmission of information—sensitive information that was known only to a few people in the entire world.

    "There is another piece of information that is only for yours and Mizukage-sama's ears," she began, and his eyes narrowed as he straightened up and, with a small nod, tapped his finger thrice on the ground and immediately felt the presence of his guards vanish.

    "What is it?" he asked.

    "It has not been made public yet, but during the last confrontation between Kumo and Konoha forces, there was an event that the daimyo-sama wanted to inform you about," she began shiftily.

    The last battle, a fight between Unruly Ay and Minato Namikaze, and the Yellow Flash had lived upto his name and felled the man considered by many to be a tail-less tailed beast. After that battle, the Konoha forces had swopped in, taking advantage of their advanced positions and encircling Kumo and Iwa and their respective provinces. Even now, no Konoha nin had entered the given villages, and as a sign of respect, Kumo and Iwa knew that all it would take was one signal, and their villages could be razed to the ground.

    "What is it?" he asked, already a sense of foreboding taking over him.

    "During the last battle, when Kumo and its forces had decided to surrender. Killer Bee from Kumo and Kushina Uzumaki from Konoha were attacked by an enemy," she continued, and his eyes widened in surprise, much like Terumi Mei's.

    Both of these were not regular shinobi. They were jinchuriki. Fully trained jinchuriki with full control over their bijuu's, and though Kiri itself had one fully trained jinchuriki of their own, Utakata had been rather clear about it that while they were all jinchuriki, none could compare to the strength and prowess of the Kyuubi when it came to martial matters.

    "Who would be idiotic enough to attack not just one but two jinchuriki?" he asked.

    "The very man that Akihito-sama warned us all about all those years ago," she answered as she looked him in the eye. He stilled at those words, and Terumi Mei's eyes widened.

    "You cannot mean..." Mei gasped, and the brown-haired Konoha kunoichi nodded.

    "I am afraid it is true. We were too late," she said as her fists balled up.

    "He is back."

    0000

    MINATO NAMIKAZE

    The end of the war had been nearly as swift as its beginning. With one final battle, the war was over in all but name. Iwa, Kumo and their respective provinces had all surrendered and though Konoha had not entered their villages, or castles, samurai from the Fire country and daimyo's office had reached their capitals and were now overlooking some rather discreet matters of governance.

    This was the first time a shogunate was being adopted in a hundred years. However, this was a land of tradition, and even now, rules and traditions of that time remain alive.

    The governance model for a shogunate was complex. It was not an absolute monarchy, as it was thought to be. Basically, all the continent would be ruled collectively by a council comprising the daimyos and the shogun, and the shogun could pass any law as long as he had the support of one of the other five daimyos.

    This was the reason that rather than trying to appease Akihito-sama, the Earth and Lighting countries councils were trying to approach Water daimyo, and Wind Daimyo, trying to form a block against Akihito-sama.

    A plan that was set for failure for Minato. Although he may not have known much about the Wind Daimyo, he did know a lot about the Water Daimyo and knew that Akihito would have his backing, and then there was also Lord Hattori from Ame, an unknown in all this.

    But all this would come later.

    For they had a bigger problem, one that, if left unchecked, could devour their whole world.

    "So, you were right. It truly was him behind everything," Jiraiya-sama added, his tone grave and serious as the shinobi elite of Konoha gathered in the daimyo's office to decide on their future.

    "Madara Uchiha is a man possessed. He is an enemy, who has the resources and the mind of Orochimaru to back him up, underestimating him would be fatal," Akihito began, and the lord had changed much in the last two years.

    Gone was the boy who had spoken of a dream of uniting the world, and bringing peace only to be replaced by a man who had paid a steep cost for his ambition. The years had taken from him, his youthful appearance, and now, with his sharp features maturing, he had an angular face and sharp, steely eyes that looked at you as if all your secrets lay bare in front of those eyes.

    He wore a checkered blue kimono with a dark vest underneath, and one of his arms rested out of his naggi as his sword lay bound to his side.

    "I never knew that Orochimaru was involved with someone like him," Jiraiya-sama added. For the last two years, it had been his task to look for his old teammate, and despite his efforts, he had failed to do so.

    "We do knot yet know whether or not he is working with him willingly or not," Akihito-sama added in defense of the Snake-sanin, and both of his teammates shook their heads at that.

    "Still, if he is indeed back and after the bijuu, as you say, then you need to cancel the Grand Council. At that gathering, he will have access to three of the nine bijuu, including the two tails, because of your presence. He will definitely attack it," Tsunade-san added, and he nodded.

    "Yes, Lady Tsunade is right. You can either postpone it, or send a representative. Maybe Lady Miyuki..."

    "Miyuki has suffered enough," the daimyo-sama cut in sharply, and his chakra roared as well, and there it was, the sheer presence of the beast that lay hidden inside him.

    Akihito Shirahoshi was strong. His chakra, while not extremely large, was substantial for his age and nature of prowess, but now it was an entirely different story. The two years spent in Shikkotsu forest had changed him, and the time he had spent training with the slugs and Tsuandes-sama had made him a powerhouse of his own.

    Minato would bet that under the right circumstances, the daimyo-sama himself was at least an S-ranked threat himself.

    "The very reason that I have called this council is to bait him out. A proud man like Madara Uchiha will not give up such an opportunity and will make an appearance during the Grand Council," and he was right.

    The attack on Kushina and Killer Bee had been motivated by a similar mindset. The man was testing them, trying to get a measure of them.

    And even then, even the combined might of himself, Killer Bee, and Kushina had managed to barely scratch a clone.

    Just how powerful was he?

    "But that is idiotic and dangerous," Tsunade-sama added.

    "It is. But it is also our only chance to separate Madara from Orochimaru," he added, and their eyes widened as they realized his plan.

    "I believe that the reason we have not been able to locate the Snake-sanin, is because of interference from Madara Uchiha, and when Madara Uchiha comes to the Grand Council, in that short window of time, we must locate the Snake-sanin to ask him of the secrets of Madara Uchiha's rebirth," the daimyo elaborated.

    "But why would that bastard ever help us?" Jiraiya-sama asked.

    "I cannot say whether he will be willing, but we need to find him, and we need those secrets," and at that, the young lord looked at his sensei.

    "And it will be upto you to find both. I shall lend to you, Kirin-san, and you can employ the help of any other nin you wish, but this task can decide the future of this world, Jiraiya-sama, and it is my belief that only you can carry this out," he finished, and the whole room was quiet as sensei looked the daimyo-sama in the eye.

    "It is a massive undertaking, one that will be extremely dangerous. The swiftness and secrecy of the operation would..." and before the young lord finished, his sensei rose up from his seat and spoke in a resolute voice.

    "I will do it."

    0000

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    • Chapter 69

    MATATABI-The Two Tails

    To Matatabi, humans were detestable. They were primitive beings filled with greed and malice, each hungry for power and influence. There was a time when she, and the rest of her brethren thought themselves as guardians of the humans, burdened with protecting by their father.

    And yet, as the years went by and human depravity grew and grew, they became recluses, fearing that the humans may seek them and their power for their own personal gain. They were powerful, each of them carrying within itself enormous chakra and special abilities, and yet the years of war had honed human capabilities as well, and in their thirst for power, many a human had developed ways through which they could control her and her brethren.

    Many had retaliated. Kyubi, with her pride, had sought to protect them and had massacred humans by the thousands in her thirst for revenge, and so had Shukaku. While others had simply chosen to go into seclusion, choosing to forego the duty set onto them by their father.

    And in their solitude on only the lingering hope of the prophecy remained, one speaking of a boy that would bring them together and change the world.

    They had thought that the time would come when word of a shinobi capturing them all had come, and yet that was not true. Hashirama Senju had not come to make peace. No, the man was much like the rest of the humans, drunk on his power with no concern over what he was doing to them.

    He used them as bargaining chips, bartering and selling them for his cheap vision. So their lives of solitude became lives of imprisonment as they were sealed from one jinchuriki into another and with no hope in sight of this gruesome cycle coming to an end, a miracle had happened.

    Yugito's death had made her sad, she had watched the Kumo nin grow up from infancy infront of her own eyes, and though the kid was her jailor, she was not blind to the tragedy that the blonde's life had been. And so when the attack on that parlay had failed, and Yugito's body began to give up she sighed and accepted that she would either die or be transferred to a new host.

    A host that would change everything.

    Unlike Yugito, her new host was not so young, and neither was he a ninja. He was a daimyo, a noble of the highest class, one that ruled over a whole province, carrying even more power than a kage. His life force was nothing but embers barely holding on to the thread of life, and yet the seal used to constrain her to his body was nothing like the one she had experienced before.

    It was weak and accommodating, one she felt she could easily break if she wished to, and yet she knew of the skill of Konoha's seal master, knew that he could employ a seal much harsher and more powerful than this one, and yet he had not.

    And then he had appeared, walking into the mindscape. He looked at her with pity and awe as he sat down in front of her. Unperturbed by the chilly killing intent, she focused on him and spoke of words she had not heard till that day.

    "I am sorry for putting you through this, Matatabi." And he took her name, the one given to her by her father. And with that apology a friendship had blossomed, one that sought to end the tragedy of jinchuriki and bijuu alike.

    "You were not being honest with everyone," she spoke to him as she rested in his mindscape. Akihito sat there, sitting cross-legged, honing his control over chakra and natural energy, as he nodded.

    "You are afraid of that man, of just what might happen during this grand council," she added, and he opened his eyes and gave her a tired smile.

    "Only a fool would not fear Madara Uchiha," he replied, and the mention of that name made her teeth grind. That had man's atrocities against her own brethren were simply too much, his ambition for them and how he wished to use them threatening the end of the world.

    "Even with nearly five of my brethren and the strongest shinobi of the time," she asked, and he nodded.

    "Even then, I would dare say that we are at a disadvantage," he elaborated.

    "Then why have you not called for the rest of my brethren? Perhaps with all nine of us, we could even the odds," she asked, and he smirked.

    "I made an offer to all of them, and I cannot force them to come. Not after I have promised them autonomy, and this is good in some ways. For if we do fail, at least the world may have a chance at survival," he said and that had been the promise.

    Freedom is not just for herself but for all her brothers and sisters. He was the one, the boy her father had spoken of. The one who would unite them all and change the world.

    After becoming her jinchuriki, he spoke of the connection they all shared. She was surprised to learn how he learned of it. But in the end, he managed to convince her to use it to make contact with the other jinchuriki.

    And so, in two years, he had managed to turn them all to his side, convincing them to loosen their seals and make peace with the bijuu sealed inside them and share their pain. It was hard to trust humans after so much time and baggage, but following Kurama's example, a dialogue had begun.

    And for those unconvinced, his next promise would make the biggest difference.

    "This shall be the last time a bijuu is sealed in a human. I am to become a Shogun soon enough, and when I do, it is my pledge that those of you who seek freedom shall be freed of your jailors and left to live freely as long as you do no harm to the humans," it was a bold offer. One which only he could enact, given his authority as a Shogun.

    And to show his sincerity, he would make a show. Isobu, the three tails, would be offered sanctuary by the Kirigakure rather than being sealed, and now their brother swan was free. So did Son Goku, who wished to escape the war, and much like his own jinchuriki, he would be offered sanctuary in Amegakure.

    So, all of them had begun to understand that he was the boy their father spoke of, the one who was set to change the world.

    "The Seal is complete, you know," he began, smiling at her. She frowned as she lay there, amused by his voice.

    "I know," the seal that would allow for the safe removal of a bijuu from a jinchuriki. It had taken Konoha's premiere seal master over a year to design the thing, and the project was completed only a few days ago.

    "Though I plan to make an announcement during the Grand Council, I would not begrudge you if you wished to leave me now," he offered, and it was a gesture unlike any other.

    "And have you die," she scoffed, remembering just how he had clung to life when she had been first sealed into him.

    "No, I will stay with you until I see you keep your promise," she said haughtily as he smiled at her.

    "Thank you for everything, Matatabi," he said, and she nodded as she wrapped her tail around him. She took in the senjutsu chakra he had gathered and began to store it for the times that lay ahead.

    "I shall thank you when you keep your promise."

    0000

    OROCHIMARU-The Snake Sanin

    Both shame and pride filled him as he stared at the person standing infront of him and felt the sheer power emanating out of him. Recreating Madara Uchiha's body had been an astronomical task, one that had taken nearly everything out of him.

    It was a task done with reluctance and fear. The more he became aware of the man's plans, the more he regretted ever joining hands with him.

    And as he told him about all the changes that had transpired in the two years since he had vanished from the world he saw the man nod, a smile on his lips.

    "A Shogun, it has been quite some time since I have heard that title," the man finished, and just by simply standing there, one felt the power emanating out of him. Orochimaru of the Sanin was a weak shinobi, he would consider himself amongst the elite of his time, and yet even someone like him was nothing in comparison to the powers of the man sitting infront of him.

    "I made the same proposal to Hashirama when we first joined hands, to put our backs behind the first fire daimyo to make him a shogun. And yet Hashirama would refuse to believe in his nonsense till the end," the man reiterated, and the way he spoke of Hashirama was in reverence, and despite their battles and contrasts, there was a certain element of respect whenever he spoke of it.

    "To think that a mere noble would be able to do this. These are indeed interesting times," he finished as he looked straight at him.

    "Alas, he is too late. If only he had been born a hundred years ago," he finished as he began to stretch his hands.

    "You spoke of a Grand Council, one where all the nobles and the kages are set to gather," the penultimate Uchiha asked, and he nodded.

    "Indeed, it is set to take place in a month's time. The location is being kept a secret, but I have received word that it is set to take place in the Land of Iron," he reported, knowing that he had no choice but to.

    "Good, that shall give me just enough time to get used to this new body of mine," he said as his eyes turned from their scarlet to the penultimate purple of the Rinnegan.

    "Are the other preparations finished?" came the question.

    "They are."

    "Then summon them. Let me test the power of that white-haired bastard's creation."

    And so, he did, and so an hour later, when Orochimaru found himself alone in his lab, he looked at himself in the mirror and found only half a face staring at him, the other covered by a grotesque dark creature, one he was made to believe was Madara's will.

    But if his own conjecture was true, then it was anything but. And though he was caged at the moment by this abhorrent creature, a snake was anything but slippery, and so as he wrote down a simple report, far, far away, a white-haired shinobi would open his eyes, startled at the signal he was receiving.

    00000

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    • Chapter 70

    MIKOTO UCHIHA

    When the sirens of war had rung once again, Mikoto had imagined the worst as she held onto her new babe with all her might, holding it near to her body as she imagined the bloody conflict up ahead.

    Many in Konoha were tired of the constat wars, yet their daimyo had been attacked during a peace parley, and Konoha needed to retaliate.

    And retaliate they had, and in all but a few years, Konoha had decimated Iwa and Kumo, wrecking their economies, starving their people, and bringing both villages and provinces on the brink of collapse.

    It was an unconventional war focused more on economic ruin rather than a contest of shinobi forces as their daimyo flexed the might of their province's ideal geography and pivotal position in the food supply chain.

    "I cannot believe the war is nearly over," she remarked, as she found herself sitting on the very porch when the sirens had rung again, with the very same friend, though with a much bigger company, she would add.

    "Yeah, this one was one strange war," Kushina added from the side. Her red-haired friend had just returned from the front lines after fighting in the decisive battle between Kumo and Konoha. There were rumors that she had fought the infamous eight tails jinchuriki to a standstill as Minato dismantled the Fourth Raikage.

    And yet, despite the good news, she had not missed the sheer tension in the air and how stiff her friend and lord husband remained. The end of the war and Konoha's striking victory were cause for great celebrations, and yet both seemed rather troubled with each passing day.

    "Kushina," she began softly as she looked at Itachi and her friend's red-haired apprentice playing with their two little toddlers.

    "Yes," her friend turned to face her as Mikoto began.

    "What is going on?" she asked and saw the red-head's eyes widen at her direct question.

    "What do you mean?" she tried to downplay it, but she had had enough.

    "I mean, why are you and Fugaku so worried despite the war coming to a close?" she added, and she saw her friend try to shake her head.

    "It's nothing like t..."

    "Do not lie to me," she said sharply, and immediately, the red-haired kunoichi quieted down.

    "There is something going on," she added. She was herself a jounin and was able to pick up the signs: how the wartime measures had not been loosened despite Konoha's triumphs, how the shinobi force was still on high alert, ready for a massive attack.

    "I can sense it, this imperceptible tension that grips the village. And only you, Fugaku, and a select few seem to be able to grasp the whole thing," she continued and saw Kushina's lips thin.

    "Well, I don't know how much I can or should say," her friend added with a sigh.

    "Though keep what I am about to tell you to yourself. If things go as we suspect, the rest of the village may know soon enough as well," Kushina began.

    "The truth is that the war is not as over as we may believe it to be," Kushina began, and she was taken aback by those words. She had expected as much, given the actions for the last few weeks.

    "This war was simply a prelude to a greater conflict, all set up by a man so powerful and dreadful that even with the combined might of all the Great Nations, we still find ourselves on the back foot," and she could not believe those words.

    "You have to be lying," she retorted, thinking it an exaggeration, but Kushina shook her head.

    "I am not. This shinobi's strength is something that we cannot underestimate. He could single-handedly reshape this entire continent if he were not stopped. For the past two years, even as we fought against Kumo and Iwa, the elites of Konoha have been preparing for this great fight, trying to prepare themselves for this eventual battle," Kushina answered. And now all the rigorous training by Fugaku, made sense.

    It was a bit surprising that Konoha had not swept both Iwa and Kumo in one giant strike. It seemed that the village was preserving its strengths, more specifically, the strength of its elite.

    "You speak of him as if he is a god. As if it is Hashirama Senju or Madara Uchiha come again," she gasped out and saw Kushina turn towards her.

    "You don't know just how right you are..."

    And so, as her friend shared her great burden with her, both of them found themselves simply sitting there, even as the sun set and the moon rose in the skies. Their children, long tired from playing, now rested in their laps.

    Boys born months apart, her son Sasuke with the Uchiha's black curls, and Kushina's with his father's short blonde hair.

    "So, you plan to face him?" she asked, and Kushina nodded as she sifted through her son's locks.

    "I do," she replied softly before adding.

    "I have to. Not for myself but for our son and for his future. I am amongst the few who can stand a chance," she replied.

    "But what if..." and words failed her as she stifled those dark thoughts and refused to continue, though Kushina understood her question.

    "Then I entrust him with you," she answered, and guilt and pain wretched her gut as she saw her friend look at her with that smile.

    "We will do our best to defeat this man, but if we fail, we shall try our best to buy the world a bit of time. Time for the next generation to grow and succeed where we have failed," and at that, her friend reached into her pocket, took out a small scroll, and passed it to her.

    "When we made peace with Kiri, this was part of the deal. This scroll contains the key to the Uzuhio lands. I have spent the last year reconfiguring the seals around it while clearing out the remains of the battle. If the worst comes to pass, go there. The seals there will hold against anything."

    0000

    OHNOKI-

    Ohnoki had expected death when he had engaged Sarutobi and the Konoha forces as a last-ditch effort to turn the tide of the war, even though in his heart, he knew that there was little chance that they would succeed.

    War was not simply a conflict of shinobi, determined by strength even though that was the biggest part. War had many facets ranging from politics, logistics, morale, propaganda, rhetoric, and so forth.

    The truth was that despite their initial grievance and hate, Iwa and Kumo had never truly been able to justify the restart of hostilities to both its shinobi and its common folk, who had had little to no time to recover from the effects of the last war.

    All this had been aggravated by the losses suffered by them in their initial days as they failed in their attempt to assassinate the new and young daimyo and then failed at attacking Konoha through Ame, taking massive losses in their attempt to traverse those lands.

    And now their fate was sealed, as Ohnoki found himself sitting in a sell, his whole body chained, which had hundreds of seals on them, keeping him from moving an inch or molding even a spicule of chakra.

    However, he was not the only one, for beside him was none other than the Raikage brat, who was chained much like him.

    Yet, to his surprise, they had been treated relatively well, given their crimes. A respect to their station as Kage perhaps.

    And then he heard the doors to his cell open, as he heard the sound of footsteps entering the room, two pairs he quickly identified, as the seal on his eyes stopped him from seeing. The only sense he still had was his hearing.

    He heard them come to a halt infront of him before a small voice commanded.

    "Unseal their eyes and mouths, and leave me." This was not that blonde devil. No, this was someone else, someone he could recognize easily.

    "But my lor...."

    "Do as I say. I see no danger here," and wasn't that an insult? he felt the seal on his face untangle, and he opened his eyes. It took a moment for them to adjust to the darkness in the room, and as the fogginess cleared up, he found himself staring at the face of their new guest.

    He was young, younger than even that blonde bastard, with a chiseled, angular face and dark raven black hair running behind him. The kimono he wore was made of the finest cloth he had ever seen, and his iconic sword was there bound to his belt as he sat infront of them.

    The boy they had tried to kill. The daimyo that had started it all.

    He doubted there was anyone in the whole continent who did not know of him by now.

    Akihito Shirahosi, the fire daimyo, and the first Shogun in a hundred years.

    And as he saw him looking down at him, he did not see the hate, anger, or haughtiness he had expected to see. He saw pity and determination in those eyes.

    "Are you here to finally put us out of our misery," he asked as he looked the boy in the eye.

    "No, as much as I loathe you and your actions. I am afraid death will be too small a punishment for you and your sins," the boy began, and he scoffed.

    "Do not talk to me about sins, boy. You here to gloat, then gloat," he challenged.

    "And what should I gloat about? The thousands who lost their lives because of your bull-headedness when you refused to accept the generous peace I offered you all," the boy snarled.

    "Regardless, I am not here to tell you that both Iwa and Kumo have laid down their arms," the boy announced.

    And that was expected, and he saw the Raikage grind his teeth at that as well.

    "I leave for a Grand Council soon, where the official declaration of the end of hostilities will be made," the boy announced.

    "Then why are you here talking to us old timers?" he asked

    "Because I want you to accompany me on this trip."

    0000

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