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<<<>>>
"Where even am I?" Kaoru muttered, looking around the unfamiliar island. The merchants had brought him here, avoiding the mainland and the islands he wanted to reach. Those places were too close to Kumo, Kiri, and Takimura forces, and merchants didn't go near hot zones like that.
'They said I could rent a ship here, but do I even have enough money? And even if I do, will anyone agree to take me to where Maki is?' thought Kaoru as he flickered toward the nearest settlement.
'First things first, I need to send a letter. I have to contact Maki somehow. That much should be possible, even here.' In the distance, the faint outline of a village began to take shape through the mist.
The village was small, but surprisingly pristine. The roads weren't dirt paths but neatly laid stone, and the houses, also built from stone, stood solid and well-maintained. Even the tiny yards in front of each home were decorated with blooming flowers and fruit trees, looking vibrant and full of life.
'What is this place?' Kaoru wondered, his mouth slightly ajar. He hadn't expected anything like this, not in such a remote area. Not even Takimura or Konoha had this kind of charm, this quiet elegance.
As he moved through the village, still admiring the details carved into windowsills and the polished lanterns by each doorway, his gaze landed on a lone villager walking slowly down the path. The man's gait was uneven, one leg clearly favoring the other. His clothes hung loosely over a frail, tired frame, and though exhaustion was written all over his face, there was something else in his eyes, something Kaoru couldn't quite place.
He flickered beside him, landing silently.
"Hello," Kaoru said gently, bowing his head slightly to show respect.
The man, who had been limping and looking worn out just a second ago, suddenly straightened up like a bamboo as his face broke into a wide smile. "Hello, young man!" he said cheerfully.
Kaoru was shocked.
'What's going on? Was he acting before? Is he acting now? Why would he hide his exhaustion and pain?' Kaoru had many questions, but he didn't ask them. It wouldn't help, and it might just make the man angry.
"I'd like to send a letter to someone important. Is there anyone here who can help with that?" Kaoru asked, pulling out a pouch of coins from his satchel. He held it out, hoping to motivate the villager, but the man didn't even look at the money.
"You'll need to see our great village head," the villager said, his smile growing even wider. "He's the reason our village is so prosperous and why we're all so happy and well-kept." His words sounded cheerful, but Kaoru noticed that there was no real emotion behind them. It was like the man was reciting lines.
"Thank you. Can you tell me where to find him?" Kaoru nodded politely, though he felt uneasy.
"Just go straight down this road. You can't miss it." The villager pointed toward a large, fancy building in the center of the village.
As Kaoru walked away, he couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. The village looked perfect, but the villager's forced smile and hidden exhaustion didn't match. It was like there was a secret here, one Kaoru wasn't sure he wanted to uncover. But for now, he had a letter to send, and that meant dealing with the village head.
The house, or rather the mansion, where the village head resided was massive, easily half the size of the Hokage's residence in Konoha. It stood behind a tall stone fence with sharp metal spikes lining the top like a crown of thorns. The gate was forged from heavy iron, its surface adorned with intricate carvings: roaring lions, fierce tigers, and graceful peacocks, all etched with such detail they almost seemed to move in the fading light.
Kaoru didn't care much about the village head's luxurious lifestyle or the wealth of the villagers. All he wanted was to send a letter and move on. After that, he planned to find the fisherman's village the merchants had mentioned and try to rent a ship there.
"Hello," Kaoru greeted a guard standing near the gate, waiting to get his attention. "I'd like to send a letter. A villager told me to come here." The guard, who carried a comically large blade on his back, eyed Kaoru with suspicion.
"Which villager told you to come here?" the guard asked after a long pause.
Kaoru's brow twitched. 'How the hell should I know that?' But he quickly forced himself to stay calm. Getting angry wouldn't help him.
"I'm sorry, I don't know his name," Kaoru said politely. "He was an older man, wearing a blue shirt and pants." He gave as much detail as he could.
The guard sighed, sounding annoyed. "How am I supposed to identify a villager by their clothes? They all have plenty of them, thanks to our generous and magnanimous village head." Despite his tone, Kaoru could tell the guard was happy to praise their leader.
'Are all these people crazy?' Kaoru wondered but kept his thoughts to himself. He waited for the guard to tell him what to do next.
"Fine, go in," the guard finally muttered. "I doubt the village head would appreciate me turning away a guest, invited or not."
He turned to open the gate, but it took nearly five minutes just to push it wide enough for Kaoru to slip through.
'Either that gate weighs a ton… or this guy has zero strength,' Kaoru thought, quietly amused. He glanced back at the guard and immediately got his answer. The man's arms were thin, almost fragile, like the new shoots of a tree after winter.
'Let's not get involved in whatever this is,' Kaoru reminded himself. 'All I need to do is send the letter and leave.'
With that, he stepped past the gate and headed toward the mansion.
<<<>>>
"Lady Maki, there is good news from Takimura," an Oinin said as she entered the tent, holding a letter in her hands. Maki raised her head. Her face was pale and exhausted, with dark circles under her eyes. It was clear she hadn't slept properly in days.
"What does it say?" Maki asked, her voice dull and lifeless. She was so worn out that she didn't even reach for the letter, letting the Oinin read it instead.
The Oinin glanced at the letter and read it aloud, "It says that Lord Kaoru contacted them. He told them he is fine and will return as soon as he can." Her voice was calm and composed, but there was a slight hint of relief behind her mask.
Maki's eyes widened in shock. Then she smiled brightly, finally relaxing in joy as tears streamed down her face.
"I knew it. There was no way Ru would die," she said, her voice trembling. She stood up, straightening her posture as if a weight had been lifted from her shoulders and all the exhaustion had magically vanished.
Wiping her tears, she added, "I'll sleep for a few hours. Please tell the others not to disturb me unless it's necessary."
The Oinin nodded and left without another word. Maki sat back down, finally allowing herself to relax. For the first time in days, she felt like she could rest.
<<<>>>
"Takime Maki defeated the Raikage. The Eight-Tails Jinchuriki had to step in to save A, and even when he joined the fight, Kumo couldn't kill her. Most of Takimura and Kiri forces retreated after sinking Kumo's ships and destroying their supplies. We don't have exact numbers on losses, but I estimate around four to five hundred for Kumo and fifty to one hundred for Takimura and Kirigakure." Shikaku finished his report. Unlike his usual lazy and disinterested self, he seemed lively and engaged this time.
"How is that possible?" Hiashi Hyuga spoke up, breaking his usual silence. "The Raikage is supposed to be one of the strongest Kage, but he lost to a kid who just reached S-rank?"
"Let's not forget," Danzo said, his voice slowly darkening, "the report doesn't confirm whether A was injured. It's possible he simply ran out of chakra. We also don't know if Takime Maki sustained any injuries."
He paused, letting the silence settle like a warning.
"If she's truly strong enough to fight both A and B… then she's a threat we cannot afford to ignore. She must be eliminated, no matter the cost!"
Normally, the council would have pushed back against Danzo's harsh ideas. But this time, no one spoke, except one.
Fugaku Uchiha leaned forward, his tone calm but resolute.
"I've said this before, and I'll say it again," he began, scanning the room. "Those siblings, and likely their entire village, are bound by a loyalty we rarely see. If you strike one and leave the other alive, you won't just create an enemy. You'll create a nightmare. Someone who will stop at nothing to avenge their kin. I won't make that kind of enemy for the Uchiha."
His words carried weight. Not because of how he said them, but because of what they implied. There was no elaborate argument, no strategic input - just a clear refusal.
And that was enough to stir unease among the council.
'Does this mean the Uchiha have forged an alliance with Takimura?'
'Is Fugaku using Takimura to strengthen his clan's position?'
'Is this a veiled threat? Would the Uchiha rebel if we move against Takimura?'
'None of this would've happened if the sensei and student hadn't been fools who always ignore my warnings…' Danzo's thoughts soured.
Despite the different conclusions swirling in the room, one thing had become unmistakably clear:
Fugaku had drawn a line.
The Uchiha were no longer hiding their discontent. No matter how hard Jiraiya had worked to repair the broken trust, the clan had stopped listening. And now, their silence had turned into something far more dangerous - resolve.
"I agree," Itarama Senju spoke up, surprising the room. It was rare to see the Senju and Uchiha on the same side. "Our village is surrounded by enemies, and we have a rare chance to lose one enemy and gain an ally. Takimura isn't strong enough to fight Konoha, but they've proven they can overturn Kiri and even challenge Kumo to some extent. Why not offer them some small help and gain their trust? They could become valuable allies. All we need is time, after all, time for our new generation to mature."
'We can gain valuable allies? The Uchiha don't want to make an enemy out of Takimura? What a load of nonsense,' Danzo thought, furious but keeping his emotions hidden. 'The Senju are trying to suck up to the Uchiha to make them loyal to Konoha again, but that's never going to happen. That lying, scheming clan will never be loyal. They need to be eliminated! Fugaku is just using Takimura to strengthen his position in Konoha. He couldn't care less about Takimura's fate or making an enemy out of them.' Danzo was about to speak when Hiruzen addressed Itarama.
"What do you suggest?" Hiruzen asked.
Itarama scratched his jaw, thinking. "I think we should move our forces closer to the Kumo border and apply pressure. That should be more than enough. A's forces clearly aren't making progress, and if we make it harder for Kumo to send reinforcements, they'll have to retreat and end the war. A weakened and demoralized Kumo benefits us, and we'll also gain an ally in Takimura," he explained.
Danzo was very displeased with this idea and he was not going to let the council to even consider it, as his calm voice cut through the room. "Why are we wasting such a good opportunity just to please a small group of people?" His words were carefully chosen, making it unclear whether he meant Takimura or the Uchiha.
Everyone glanced at Fugaku, but he ignored their stares completely, acting as if the discussion didn't concern him at all.
Danzo continued, "What we should do is invade the Land of Water when Kumo attacks again. Kiri and Takimura won't split their forces by then, they'll keep fighting Kumo, and we'll be able to occupy several islands easily. After that, we can offer them help in exchange for the territories we control. This way, we weaken Kumo, Kiri, and Takimura all at once." His plan was sharp and calculated, proving once again that when it came to scheming, Danzo was second to none, except maybe Shikaku, who was about to speak when an ANBU flickered into the room.
"Sorry for the intrusion," the ANBU said urgently. "Iwa and Suna have started assembling their forces near our borders.
**
A/N - Was halfway through writing a serious scene and my cat decided the keyboard was the best place to nap. I guess that's her way of editing. If you find any mysterious typos or extra "sssssss" scattered across the chapter... blame her, not me xD
Also, should I bring "Character Notes" back? Let me know if that sounds fun!
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