Western Dominance (Revised)
Chapter 2:
March 1952.
Somewhere within the Empire, near the small village of Godshill, is a former Imperial Western Army military base, now the main military headquarters of the Empire's premier special forces unit; The 1st regiment of the Special Air Service.
Simply known as 'The Regiment' by current and former SAS soldiers, The Regiment was the Empire's first special forces unit. Its origins traced back to Operation Grand Slam, when Major David Stirling of the Imperial Western Army, formed a military task force consisting of commandos, marines, and paratroopers, training and infiltrating them into the 'impenetrable' Isle of Mann, then occupied by the Elbyonian Blackshirts.
The Isle of Mann was used by the Elblyonian Blackshirts as a repair and resupply base for their and their allies' submarines harassing Imperial Western civilian and military convoys along the east coast of the Western Continent.
Before Operation Grand Slam, the Imperial Western Chiefs-of-Staff planned Operation Stronghold, an amphibious landing of Imperial Western Marine Corps, supported by the Imperial Western Air Force and the Imperial Western Navy, a predecessor of future amphibious landing planned by the Imperial Western Chiefs-of-Staff during the Unification War.
But due to the Imperial Western Marines performing an amphibious landing on a well-defended port, Operation Stronghold ended in failure, resulting in the capture, death, and/or execution of hundreds of Imperial Western Marines, leading to Elblyonian Blackshirts' leader, Oswald Mosely, to prematurely declare the Isle of Mann as 'impenetrable.'
However, Operation Grand Slam's objective was not to capture the Isle of Mann, but to destroy the submarine repair and resupply base. While unauthorized by Imperial Western Chiefs-of-Staff, resulting in David's demotion, Operation Grand Slam was a success, with Stirling's task force destroying critical military infrastructure, crippling the Elbyonian Blackshirts' ability to repair and resupply their and their allies' submarines, and humiliating Oswald.
Following similar successes of small, unconventional military units of highly skilled and highly trained soldiers, performing sabotage missions on critical enemy infrastructure behind enemy lines, the Imperial Western Chiefs-of-Staff authorizes the establishment of the Imperial Western Armed Forces' special forces for the various military branches.
The Special Operations Wing for the Air Force. The Army Rangers for the Army. The Marine Reconnaissance Force for the Marines. And the Naval Special Warfare Forces for the Navy. Each branch's special forces recruits the best of their branch, with the special forces' recruits not only proven to be mentally and physically tough, but shown to have high intelligence and high initiative. Those who passed selection, were extensively trained for two years.
However, further selection from IIB and ISS, could have special forces' operators recruited to the Empire's most elite special forces; the Imperial Western Armed Forces' Special Air Service, and the Imperial Security Service's Special Activities Regiment. And for those who passed either SAS or SAR selection, were extensively trained for three years in the SAS or five years in the SAR as the Empire's scalpel against the Empire's external and internal enemies.
Under the observation and protection of two ISS agents, Jiraiya and Tomoya are transported somewhere within the Empire. As of right now, Jiraiya was transported with a boat without sails to the Empire and with a carriage without oxes; both moved by machines fed by fuel. As he was transported, he witnessed winged behemoths, moved by machines fed by fuel.
On one of these oxless carriages, two ISS agents escort the ISS Chief Executive and Konohagakure's former spymaster to a confidential location, deep in the Empire.
Since being recruited by Tomoya as an ISS' intelligence asset for the Elemental Continent, Jiraiya learns more of the Empire. The more Jiraiya learns of the Empire, the more he learns of the differences between the Western Continent and the Elemental Continent; Socially. Politically. Economically. Religiously. And Militarily.
Socially, the Empire promotes the notion of 'omnes pares creantur,' or 'all people are created equal.' The notion means that regardless of their age, ethnicity, gender, race, religion, language, and/or political beliefs, the 900 million citizens of the Empire, all are treated equal under the Empire.
Jiraiya recalled seeing a scene of a peaceful conversation between a Black Elblyonian Jew, a Mongoloid Oriental Christian, and a White Ruthiyna Muslim, with the people around them, treating the scene as an everyday occurrence. And he recalled seeing another scene of a elf husband and a kitsune wife going through their daily life with no discrimination from anyone.
Socially, in the Elemental Continent, the people of the Elemental Continent have a tribalistic mentality of prioritising your family before your clan and clan head. Your clan and clan head before your village and kage. And your village and kage before your nation and daimyo.
Thus, marriage between clans is rare, and marriage between villages is rarer on the Elemental Continent. The most well-known marriages between clans and villages are the marriage between Konohagakure's Shodai Hokage and the daughter of Uzushiogakure's Shodai Hokage, and the marriage between Minato Namikaze, the last of the Namikazes and Kushina Uzumaki, the last of the Uzumakis.
And marriage between ethnicities and races is the rarest on the Elemental Continent, as such marriages are not only frowned upon, but persecuted by the people of the Elemental Continent.
Politically, the Empire is a 'constitutional monarchy.' In a constitutional monarchy, the Emperor is the hereditary head of state, while the Prime Minister is the non-hereditary head of government, with the Prime Minister being responsible for the administration of around 900 million citizens.
Three governing bodies equated to councils; The Imperial House of Lords, the Imperial House of Representatives, and the Imperial Senate.
The Imperial Senate consists of the Prime Minister, the Deputy Prime Minister, the Imperial Adviser, the Imperial Ministers, the Imperial Civil Service and Imperial Ministries. Every five years, the citizens of the Empire voted for a Prime Minister, with the candidates for the Prime Minister belonging to a political faction and belonging to the Imperial House of Representatives or the Imperial House of Lords.
After ceremonially appointed to assume office by the Emperor, the Prime Minister can appoint members of the Imperial House of Representatives and the Imperial House of Lords as Imperial Ministers, and the Prime Ministers can serve continuous 5 year terms, until either they died, impeached, resigned or voted out of office, and the Imperial Ministers can serve continuously until either they died, are impeached or resigned.
And instead of having the Prime Minister responsible for every government department, each Imperial Minister is responsible for a government department; there's a Imperial Minister responsible for the education and a ministry responsible for the military.
The Imperial House of Representatives consists of 3,600 Members of Parliament, with each Member of the Imperial House of Representatives representing the interests of 1 constituency and around 250,000 citizens. Every 5 years, the citizens of the Empire voted for a Member of the Imperial House of Representatives, with the candidates for the Member of the Imperial House of Representatives belonging to a political faction. And the Member of the Imperial House of Representatives can serve continuous 5 year terms, unless either they died, are impeached, resigned or voted out of office.
The Imperial House of Lords consists of the hereditary nobility, non-hereditary nobility and religious clergy. Unlike the Members of the Imperial House of Representatives, the Members of the Imperial House of Lords aren't elected. But the Members of the Imperial House of Lords are appointed either by the Emperor, and/or the Prime Minister, and the Members of the Imperial House of Lords can serve for life, unless either they died or are impeached.
The Emperor and all three governing bodies are bound to a 'constitution,' a document that outlines the fundamental principles of the Empire and all three governing bodies are bound to a series laws to prevent 'the tyranny of government, the tyranny of the monarchy, the tyranny of the military and the tyranny of the people.'
But, civilians running the government of the United Western Empire? Hm, it would only be a matter of time before the political instability caused by such a government forces the monarchy and the military intervene for the sake of the United Western Empire's security and stability.
And the constitution enables the citizens of the Empire to have the freedom of assembly, freedom of petition, freedom of the press, freedom of speech, giving the citizens of the Empire the ability to criticize everyone and everything (within common sense.)
Politically, in the Elemental Continent, the nations of the Elemental Continent are either absolute monarchies of daimyos, and the villages of the Elemental Continent are military dictatorships of kages, with the succession of daimyos pass their title through their family, the succession of kages pass their title through the strongest shinobis.
And if a person desires to become more political influence, they'll use intrigue (and more often than admitted,) violence to gain that political influence.
The Elemental nations are under the tyranny of a monarchy and the villages are under the tyranny of a military, with the civilians of a nation or a village having little civil and political rights, while the shinobis of a nation or a village having more civil and political rights.
The Daimyo or Kages are responsible for everything in the nation or the village; acceptable if the Daimyo or Kage is competent, interested or benevolent, but unacceptable if the Daimyo or Kage is incompetent, indifferent or malevolent. And the daimyos or kages have little to no tolerance for the civilians of a nation of a village who criticize the daimyos or kages. Depending on the daimyo or kage, civilians could be imprisoned or executed.
Konohagakure is the one of a few villages (and the only major Shinobi village,) where civilians have political representations in the form of the Civilian Council, the one of the few mistakes that his late Sensei made. The past Hokage who have sacrificed their lives for Konohagakure and the Will of Fire, would be disgusted at what the Civilian Council and Danzō had done to Konohagakure and the Will of Fire since Hiruzen's death.
Economically, the United Western Empire's economic model is a 'Social Market Economy,' combining the best aspects of economic thoughts from the Western Continent's economists to create a strong economy that ensures that the citizens of the United Western Empire enjoy high economic mobility, high standard of living, strong social benefits and strong labour laws. Even the citizens of the United Western Empire that belong to the middle class, enjoy a higher standard of living than people of the Elemental Continent that belong to the samurai and shinobi classes.
Like in the Elemental Continent, these businesses produced either goods and/or services either for the internal markets or the external markets in the Land of Spring or in the Land of Iron, but mostly for the internal markets. But unlike in the Elemental Continent, businesses are held accountable to the business regulations created by the Ministry of Industry. And if the business attempts to violate the regulations, the business would be subjected to the full wrath of the Ministry of Industry and/or the Ministry of Labour.
While Jiraiya doesn't completely understand the complexity of the United Western Empire's economy, Jiraiya does understand the United Western Empire's currency; the Imperial Drachma. The Imperial Drachma comes in banknotes (available in 100 ₯, 50 ₯, 20 ₯, 10 ₯, and 5 ₯,) and in syillings (available in 2 ₯, 1 ₯, 50s, 20s, 10s, and 5s.)
Economically, the Elemental Continent's economic model is 'laissez-faire' or 'let do,' where the nations and villages of the Elemental Continent had no involvement in businesses; so business owners did as they saw fit. Such an economic model saw the economical ascent of criminals like Gatō, whose 'legitimate' economic clout placed even daimyos or kages, entire countries or villages at their mercy.
The Elemental Continent's currency is the Ryō, with banknotes (available in 5000R, 2000R, 1000R, 500R, 200R, 100R, 50R, 20R and 10R) and coins (available in 5R, 2R and 1R.)
Religiously, the United Western Empire have five major religions; Christainity, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism and Shintoism. And within each major religion, there are different variants and sub-variants of worshipping the same god/s differently. In the United Western Empire, there's no state religion; all religions, it's variants and sub-variants are treated equally. Religious extremists however, are not tolerated, especially religious extremists whose religions advocate barbarity.
Religiously, the Elemental Continent has one religion; Shintoism. While religiously homogeneous, the Elemental Continent has, over the years, the religious extremists terrorize the people of the Elemental Continent with near impunity, as the people of the Elemental Contient, beseech to the kamis for protection- if such divine beings exist.
The problem is that Daimyos couldn't and the Kages wouldn't stop religious extremism; so religious extremists did as they saw fit. Daimyos couldn't, because samurais who are ill-versed in the combat usage of chakra, against religious extremists who are well-versed in the combat usage of chakra, would end badly for the Daimyo's samurais. And Kages wouldn't, because they fought not out of loyalty to the daimyos, but out of loyalty to the Ryō.
As long as the religious extremists did not attack the Daimyos' capitals or the Kages' villages, the Daimyos and the Kages would ignore them, something that Jiraiya abhorred.
Militarily, the United Western Empire has the strongest militaries in the world, with ~12 million or ~1 in 75 citizens of the United Western Empire, on active service with the Imperial Western Armed Forces.
Despite suffering millenniums of war, with the citizens of the United Western Empire abhorring war, the citizens of the United Western Empire recognize the Imperial Western Armed Forces's role; Not to oppress the citizens of the United Western Empire by a foreign tyrant, but to protect the citizens of the United Western Empire from external and internal threats.
During the Unification War, the Imperial Western Emperor and the Imperial Western Armed Forces, are viewed as liberators by the people of the United Western Empire.
Tomoya recalled arguing with a member of a pacifist political party in the Imperial House of Lords. While he agreed with some of the pacifist ideals, he disagreed with most of the pacifist ideals, such as the military disarmament of the United Western Empire as 'irrational ignorance,' stating to Jiraiya that as long as the enemies of the United Western Empire hold the narcissistic belief that they can subjugate other people and other nations with impunity, peace between nations and between people, especially peace between the nations and between the people of the Elemental Contient, would remain unachievable.
He believed that under the ideals of pacificism, the United Western Empire continues to maintain the Imperial Western Armed Forces, with the motto of the Imperial Western Armed Force of 'Si vis pacem, para bellum,' or 'If you want peace, prepare for war,' supporting pacificism.
The Emperor is the ceremonial Commander-in-Chief of the Imperial Western Armed Forces, with the Chief Representative of the Imperial Joint Chiefs of Staff being the official commander of the Imperial Western Armed Forces, with the Chief Representative being the commander of one of the four main branches of the Imperial Armed Forces; Imperial Air Force, Imperial Army, Imperial Marine Corps, and the Imperial Navy, along with the Imperial Air Force National Guard, the Imperial Army National Guard and the Imperial Coast Guard.
Every marine, every pilot, every sailor and every soldier; they're not all conscripts, they're all volunteers, with the minimum requirements for volunteering for the Imperial Western military were; be a citizen of the Imperial Western Empire, be over 17 years old, have complete Year 10 education, have no criminal record, and passed all mental and physical examinations.
Completing the recruitment process, the volunteer swears an oath to serve the Emperor and the Empire, defend the people of the United Western Empire, and fight for the freedom of the United Western Empire. After recruitment, they're subjected to 3 months of basic training and subjected from 1 month to 24 months of advanced training, depending on their chosen military branch and their chosen military role.
Like the Lieutenants, Captains and Generals of the samurai, and the Chūnin, Tokubetsu Jōnin, Jōnin and Jōnin Commander of the shinobi of the Elemental Continent, officers of the Imperial Western Armed Forces are tasked in leading and commanding units in the Imperial West Armed Forces.
However, unlike the samurai and the shinobi of the Elemental Continent, the officers of the Imperial Western Armed Forces, especially high-ranking officers of the Imperial Western Armed Forces, were commanding tens, hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands or millions.
The Generals of the samurai and the Jōnin Commanders of the shinobi, skilled in their military organization of thousands of samurais or shinobis, would struggle in organizing ten of thousand samurais or shinobis, let alone organizing hundreds of thousands or the millions of samurais or shinobis.
The Imperial Western Armed Forces organized the United Western Empire into 16 administrative military districts, with one military district being commanded by a general and having ~750,000 marines, pilots, sailors and soldiers of the Imperial Western Armed Forces, with the ratio between marines, pilots, sailors and soldiers varying depending on the military district's location.
And the commanders of the administrative military districts, coordinating with other commanders of the administrative military districts and with representatives of the Imperial Chiefs-of-Staff.
The Imperial Western Armed Forces organize the Imperial Western Armed Forces into four rank types: enlisted, non-commissioned officers, commissioned officers and general officers. The lowest rank type of the Imperial Western Armed Forces is the enlisted rank, with either Airman (or Airwoman,) for the Imperial Western Air Force, Private or Trooper for the Imperial Western Army or the Imperial Western Marine Corp, and Seaman (or Seawoman,) for the Imperial Western Navy.
The next rank type of the Imperial Western Armed Forces is the non-commissioned officer rank. The next rank type above non-commissioned of the Imperial Western Armed Forces is the commissioned officer rank. And the highest rank type above commissioned of the Imperial Western Armed Forces is the general officer rank.
For commissioned officers rank or general officers, the minimum is that they have graduated from a certified military academy and have graduated from a university with bachelors. And for general officers, they also have graduated from the Imperial War Academy, the Empire's premier military academy for training general officers.
Militarily, the Elemental Continent has two militaries; the samurais of the daimyos and the shinobis of the kages. Not only the daimyos and the kages were the political leaders of their nations or villages, they were the military leaders of their samurai or their shinobi, with war seen as an extension of external and internal policy, as wars increase the external and internal influence of nations and villages.
Not only were the samurais and the shinobis fought for the greed and ambitions of daimyos and kages, the samurais and the shinobis were used to suppress political dissent against the daimyos and kages.
From an early age, both samurais and shinobis, both men and women, especially those from prestigious samurai and shinobi families, trained for combat. And if they're old enough to have pubes, they're old enough to fight for their nation and daimyo or their village and kage.
A nation's samurais are divided into three corps; the Yangugādo Corps, the Midorugādo Corps, the Ōrudogādo Corps. And a village's shinobis are divided into four corps; the Gennin Corps, the Chūnin Corps, the Jōnin Corps, and the ANBU Corps, with each corps containing a few dozen to a few thousand samurais or shinobis. Destitute nations or villages that couldn't hire samurais or shinobis for defense against bandits or beasts, raised Boeitai; local defense militias.
While the samurais have six ranks; Kogashira, Kumigashira, Monogashira, Taishō, Hatamoto and Sotaisho, while the shinobi have ten ranks; Gennin, Gennin Corps Commander, Chūnin, Chūnin Corps Commander, ANBU Lieutenant, Jōnin, ANBU Captain, Jōnin Corps Commander and Kage. And Sanin isn't and wasn't an official shinobi rank, but is and was an unofficial shinobi title; Derisively given to any samurai or shinobi who survived a fight against Hanzō of the Salamander by the man himself.
The command structure of the samurais and the shinobis is simplistic compared to the Imperial Western Armed Forces. For the samurais, the Yangugādo Corps, the Midorugādo Corps and the Ōrudogādo Corps were respectively commanded by a Taishō, with a Hatamoto being commander of the samurais and a Daimyo being commander-in-chief.
For the shinobis, the Gennin Corps, the Chūnin Corps, the Jōnin Corps were respectively commanded by a Jōnin, the ANBU Corps being commanded by a ANBU Captain, and the Kage being commander of the shinobis.
In reality, by the time of the Sandaime Hokage, the Gennin Corps Commander and the Chūnin Corps Commander devolved to being administrators with no military authority, while the Jōnin Corps Commander evolved to being de facto commander of the Gennin Corps and the Chūnin Corps, as well as being commander of the Jōnin Corps.
Not only were Jōnin Corps Commander evolved to become militarily powerful, but also become politically powerful; With the exceptions of the Shodai Hokage and Rokudaime Hokage; the Nidaime Hokage, Sandaime Hokage, Yondaime Hokage, Godaime Hokage and Nanadaime Hokage, were Jōnin Corps Commanders before they appointed Hokage.
The military coordination and cooperation between the samurais and the shinobi from the same nation, can only be described as deplorable at the best of times, as Captains and Jōnins did as they saw fit according to the mission. Perceptions of each other don't help matters, as the samurais perceive shinobis as honourless, low-born mercenaries who don't know the concept of loyalty, while the shinobi perceives the samurai as arrogant, high-born warriors who don't know the concept of warfare.
As Jiraiya compared the Elemental Continent to the United Western Empire, he was impressed with the oxless carriages that the United Western Empire have in abundant variety, from the city of cement, glass and stone, through the towns, the villages and the countryside of the United Western Empire, their oxless carriage have covered a distance in hours that shinobis would have covered a similar distance in days.
He came to a conclusion that wherever the confidential location Tomoya is taking him, is located far from populated areas, as the countryside changed from hills and plains to forests, as a tall barbed wire fence and several armed guards came into view.
As the carriage slows down to a stop, one of the ISS agents hands one of the guards their papers to verify their identification.
While waiting for the guards to authenticate their identification, Jiraiya sees a metal sign, with the white words painted onto the red metal. He was able to understand the language, Elbyonian, the lingua franca of the United Western Empire, thanks to a sadistic slavedriver of a language teacher. He swore that Tomoya selected her, because she was a sadistic slavedriver of a language teacher.
But thanks to her, Jiraiya was able to read the contents of the sign:
NO TRESPASSING
WE'RE TIRED OF HIDING THE BODIES
Jiraiya was unsure whether the armed guards took the sign figuratively or literally. In either case, the Imperial Western Armed Forces takes secrecy and security seriously.
As the guards finished authenticating and returning their papers, they opened the gate, letting them past through the barbed wire fence. The oxless carriage continues past the barbed wire fence, Jiraiya sees a stone sign, with the letters carved into the stone, with the stone sign reads:
Godshill Barracks
Headquarters of 'The Regiment'
From reading the stone sign, Jiraiya's gut instincts told him that being taught Elblyonian by a sadistic slavedriver of a language teacher, wasn't the worst thing that Tomoya had decided to inflict on the 70-year old Icha Icha author.
May 1952, Imperial Palace
Sitting in my office, reviewing and signing off detailed reports from the Prime Minister, the Deputy Prime Minister, the Chief Executive, the Chief Director and the Imperial Ministers, using my shadow clones, I sometimes wonder: How different is administering a Shinobi Village as a Hokage, compared to administering an Empire as an Emperor?
I imagine the administration of a Hokage and an Emperor are similar, yet different. Attending events, attending meetings, delivering speeches and reviewing classified reports as the benevolent and diligent Emperor of the United Western Empire.
Completing my reviews on the detailed reports, I took a short break to think of what had happened in the past few months since Jiraiya's visit to the Imperial Palace.
From Cordell, the Empire is improving its foreign relations in the Elemental Continent, mostly with the Land of Iron, the Land of Spring, the Land of Water and the Land of Wind, with embassies set in the capital cities and consulates set up in the villages.
From Louis, the Empire is recovering from millenniums of war, with the construction companies and the Peace Corps building hospitals, schools and important infrastructure in the underdeveloped regions.
And from Tomoya, Jiraiya is training with the SAS, more specifically The Regiment, the most prestigious special forces unit in the Imperial Western Armed Forces.
Tomoya's justification for Jiraiya training with The Regiment is because all of ISS' training centers were busy training ISS sleeper agents for the Elemental Continent and fearing that having Jiraiya training with ISS could compromise the identity of every ISS sleeper agent in the Elemental Continent in an act of stupidity while in drunken stupor.
Initially, everyone, including myself, thought Tomoya was being paranoid. Afterall, the 'Super Pervert' was Konohagakure's spymaster for several decades. However, events would prove everyone, including myself, otherwise.
Because Jiraiya, in celebration of finding his godson, got drunk at Grand Union's bars… being found in a public urinal by the officers of the Metropolitan Police Department, and taken to the overnight drunk tank.
Sigh… at least he didn't try to enter any of the female-only facilities or he would have faced criminal charges and criminal incarceration, something that would please Cornelia and Tyrule.
Initially, Brigadier General MacMillan and Lieutenant Colonel Price, wasn't pleased with Tomoya's request of having a 70-year old pervert train with the most prestigious special forces unit, citing justifiable concerns about Jiraya's eligibility for the SAS, with the main concerns being his age, his health and being a non-citizen among other concerns.
Only after Tomoya arm twists MacMillian and Price into agreeing into training Jiraiya (albeit reluctantly,) as repayment for saving their lives during the Unification War several times.
I glanced back at the stacks of paperwork I still had to go through, and this was already reduced after dividing it between my shadow clones, not to mention, this is just the summarized versions from all the ministries.
Thank the Nidaime Hokage for shadow clones; an extremely useful technique for any and every situation. Used as doubles, as force multipliers, and as training and learning accelerators. Especially as training and learning accelerators, because with a platoon of shadow clones, I can have one month's worth of training and learning in just one day.
Upon the discovery of shadow clones as training and learning accelerators, I wondered why only a few Konohagakure shinobis use the Shadow Clone Technique. Akemi explained that the Shadow Clone Technique is an S-rank jutsu that requires either excellent chakra capacity and/or chakra control. Being a former jinchūriki and a half-blooded Uzumaki, this gave me an clear advantage in using Shadow Clone Technique as others who try to use more than a few as any more would have overburdened themselves and end up dying from chakra exhaustion.
Using the shadow clones, learning the languages of the Western Continent and about chakra/mana*, literature, philosophy rhetoric, the political, social and the military sciences, and the martial arts, quickly becoming the antithesis of the 'uncultured, uncivilised and uneducated foreign barbarian' that people in the West use to degrade me. Amusing, considering that it was one of the nicest compliments I have received over 32 years.
Unlike the insults I have received from the people of Konohagakure. A demon. A demon brat. A monster. Such words were laced with maliciousness by those who wish to degrade and execute me, as I spent the first twelve years of my life running... hiding my insecurities behind an insulating facade.
The childhood dream of becoming the Hokage and earning the respect of the people of Konohagakure. Like the Yondaime Hokage. But that childhood dream was that. A dream. A childhood dream for a naive fool, full of optimistic brashness, signifying something... yet nothing at all.
I could recall the weeks leading up to my eventual exile from Konohagakure like it was yesterday. The attack on Konohagakure by Sunagakure and Otogakure. The battle between me and Gaara. The battle between Jiji and Orochimaru, with Jiji crippling Orochimaru at the cost of his life. The search for the appointed Godaime Hokage, my drunken godmother Tsunade Senju (the last of the Senju clan,) with the Super Pervert. And the battle between me and Orochimaru's crony, Kabuto.
Equaling Sungakure's Jinchūriki in battle. Finding one of the Sannin. Equalling Orochimaru's crony in battle. And returning to Konohagakure with the Sannin. A few Jōnins, let alone a mere genin with no clan, could express in accomplishing these achievements. Yet, all these achievements meant nothing to the dull masses of Konogakure's civilians and shinobis, because I was the 'demon brat.'
If I was never exiled, I would be considered an above-average, (if ignorant,) Konohagakure shinobi, ignored by the people of Konohagakure at best of times. But I was exiled.
Why? because Sasuke Uchiha failed to defect to Orochimaru and to Otogakure. Why? Because teme wanted to avenge the Uchiha Clan Massacre. Because teme was intrigued by the promises of power. And because teme was intoxicated by the power of the Cursed Seal of Heaven.
Because of these reasons, teme attempted to defect, joining with Orochimaru's agents. Hearing of teme's defection attempt, Bāchan had assigned Chōji, Kiba, Neji, Shino, Shikamaru and me to a shinobi recovery team. Why didn't she assign four experienced ANBU operatives to recover teme, instead of one inexperienced Chūnin and five inexperienced Gennins?
But at the time, I was willing to do anything and everything to save Sasuke from himself, because those who abandon their mission are scum. But those who abandon their friends... are worse than scum.
Two decades since teme's defection attempt, sometimes I wonder; What If Sasuke was successful in his defection attempt? What if I, any or all of the members of the recovery team was injured or killed by Sasuke or by Orchimaru's agents? But it ended in the apprehension of Sasuke and the deaths of Orochimaru's agents.
Returning to Konohagakure with Sasuke, was the recovery team rewarded for their apprehension attempt? Was Sasuke punished for his defection attempt? No and no. Sasuke was injured enough that he'll recover after several days of rest at Konohagakure Hospital, but was injured enough that in the eyes of the people of Konohagakure, every good act I did was diminished and every bad act I did was magnified.
I paused as I thought about all those events. Abandoned. Betrayed. Exiled. By the village and the villagers. By the village and the villagers, whom I swore an oath to defend to the death as a graduating Konohagakure shinobi.
But, do you know what made the exile more painful?
I was forsaken. I was forsaken. By my own 'friends.' By my own 'sensei.' Being denigrated as a 'demon.' Being disparaged as 'worse than scum.' Being routinely called a 'demon' by the villagers of Konohagakure, is a regular occurrence. But being called a 'demon' by your friends… being called 'worse than scum' by your sensei… it's like being stabbed in the back by people who you trusted.
Only a handful of civilians and shinobis in Konohagakure would support me, one of whom being Hinata. Before the exile, I perceived her as a demure, yet a compassionate and gentle person, bullied by her own family members for being an "anemic disgrace" to the Hyūga Clan.
One of my biggest regrets was initially ignoring her signs of attention and affection towards me, while I was initially diverting my signs of attention and affection towards Sakura- who (despite all of my attempts of garnering her attention and affection,) always rejecting me for attempting to pursue an uninterested Sasuke.
At the time, I didn't understand why Hinata joined her friends or the masses in their sea of vitriolic hatred towards me, but instead she comforted and confessed to me that she loved me ever since I rescued her from three Academy bullies. Before the exile, not realizing her love for me was one of my biggest regrets.
And her father, the Hyūga Clan Head, while draconian towards his children, Hisashi would rather have his firstborn child be exiled with someone she deeply cared and loved, than have his firstborn child be forced into a hapless and loveless political marriage, arranged by the Hyūga Clan Elders, to an affluent yet decrepit Civilian Council member.
The night before was preparing provisions, supplied by baasan and Shizune-san. The next morning, I walked through the main street of Konohagakure, where most of the civilians and shinobis of Konohagakure were gathered to hurl garbage, insults, spats, shouts and/or threats at me. Ignoring their garbage, insults, spats, shouts and/or threats, I secretly linked up with Hinata, leaving Konohagakure together.
The following year were some of my darkest hours; During the first few months of exile with Hinata, we were hunted. By the Akatsuki. By ROOT. By various villages' shinobis. Because I was the Jinchūriki of the Nine-Tailed Fox. But also by missing shinobis, because Kitsuki offered top dollar bounties for the return of my head and for the return of Hinata.
Day to day, month to month, always on the run, taking the unbeaten paths and roads… eating what we could find… sleeping in abandoned houses and caves… trusting nobody… always hunted as fugitives. If it wasn't for Hinata… I… I don't want to think about it.
Eventually, we were joined by those we considered family. First was Yugito Nii, Kumogakure's Jinchūriki of the Two-Tailed Beast, exiled by her village. On the run from the Akatsuki, missing shinobis and shinobis from various villages. She'd decided to join us after we saved her from certain capture by missing shinobis.
Next was Haku and Zabuza Momochi, Kirigakure's missing shinobis I've met on my first mission in the Land of Waves. They've faked their deaths with water clones, and were hunting all of us, because of the bounties placed on all of us. However, realizing who they were hunting, they decided to join us, disgusted that Kakashi (whom Zabuza previously respected) and Konohagakure as well for being so willing to exile a shinobi for capturing a traitor all because "excessive" force was used.
Finally, the last to join our group was the entire Konoha family; Tomoya, Akemi and their children; Mayu, Kaito, (and eventually,) Satomi. I was rather surprised as I had not really spoken to Konohas, but they were always friendly. Increasingly frustrated and tired of the Civilian Council's ineptitude and the Shinobi Clan Head Council's impotence, the entire Konoha family faked their deaths in an accidental apartment fire, preferring to take their chances with some missing shinobis over Konohagakure.
Eventually, we've arrived in the Land of Spring, learning of the Western Continent through the myths, legends and rumours by the local people of the Land of Spring.
A strange ship, larger than the ships of the Elemental Continent; an ocean liner as we now know it was called, from the Western Continent that comes to the Land of Spring once in a blue moon. Sensing it as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to escape from those who're hunting all of us, we boarded the ship.
To say that once arriving upon the Western Continent that we got culture shock was quite the understatement as the Western Continent was so different from them. However, we were determined to make a living here, safe to say we achieved that and then some.
As our ship arrived at a city in the Western Continent, it was suddenly attacked by flying arrows that were dropping smaller falling arrows that burned or exploded on impact, causing bodies, body parts and building parts to scatter across the city, burning.
We were completely paralysed with shock witnessing the destructive power of the flying arrows that the nations of the Western Continent have in abundance, even more so for those who have witnessed the comparable destructive power of the tailed beasts.
Before we could comprehend the situation that unfolded before our eyes, we (except the Konoha children,) were all conscripted into the loyalist Elblyonian Army, swearing an oath of loyalty to the late King-Emperor George VI of the Elblyonian Empire, beforing training and fighting several battles in the myriad of wars waged at the same time by all nations of the Western Continent.
At the time, we didn't understand why foreigners (with no sense of loyalty to the Elblyonian Empire,) were being conscripted into the Loyalist Elblyonian Army by the Loyalist Elblyonian government, much less foreigners from a completely different continent with abilities unfamiliar to the average person of the Western Continent.
But given that the Loyalists of the Elblyonian Empire were fighting Fascist Yatlians, Militarist Orientals, Nazi Jermans and Soviet Ruthiyna, as well as Fascist and Communist Elbyonians, the Loyalists were pragmatically desperate to fill the conscripted officer's and soldier's rank-and-file, as the Western Continent, was in a constant state of war.
With the military officers of the Western Continent using tactics and strategies that are nonexistent on the Elemental Continent, ranging from precise, intricate and sweeping flanking maneuvers to crude, simple and grueling slugging matches, where thousands or tens of thousands of soldiers are maimed or killed for a few square meters of land.
In 12 years of war, I matured from a nobody (a refugee from the Elemental Continent,) to a somebody (a Loyalist military soldier and officer of the Elboynian Empire,) to the Emperor of a continent-spanning Empire, where I succeeded where many of the Western Continent's ambitious conquerors and rulers (Alexander, Augustus and Napoleon) before me had failed; unifying the nine regions of Western Continent; Belka**, Elbyonia***, Jermanya****, Khemed*****, the Amyrikas******, the Orientals*******, Perancis********, Ruthiyna********* and Ylati**********, under one Empire, under one Emperor and under one flag.
I've made many allies and friends, as I've made many adversaries and enemies. I've lost so many friends to the Unification War, that their faces and names have become indiscernible much to my shame.
The accession of me becoming Emperor of the United Western Empire, began with the massacre of the entire loyalist Elblyonian Royal Family by communists, with candidates fighting each other for the Elblyonian throne, causing a two-year civil war between the various candidates' factions to tearing the loyalist Elblyonian Empire apart, as communist Elblyonia and fascist Elblyonia seized key loyalist territories as the candidates began fighting each other within loyalist Elblyonia.
However, the emergency regency council, quickly reacted to the massacre of the loyalist Elblyonian Royal Family, gathering the loyalties of powerful military officers, politicians and other prominent figures of the remnants of the loyalist Elbyonian Empire, and within two years, assembled them together to support a candidate for the Elblyonian throne.
And the emergency regency council, quickly attained the loyalties of several candidates such as Prince Louis Mountbatten, as these candidates feared that the civil war over the Elblyonian throne, would continue to weaken loyalist Elblyonian Empire's strength to resist the Elblyonian communists and Elblyonian fascists, as well as the foreign powers who were also engaging Elbyonia as a whole.
It was here where two factions emerged, with the first faction supporting the idea of the candidate being crowned King-Emperor to unify the Elblyonian Empire under one King-Emperor and one Empire, with the second faction supporting the suicidally ambitious idea of the candidate being crowned Emperor to unify the Western Continent under one Emperor and one Empire. After several heated debates, the latter faction won out.
As the various factions in the Loyalist camp joined the Unification Movement, they began laying down the requirements for the new Emperor. I was all for this, but not as a candidate, but as a loyalist Elblyonian Army officer to eventually swear an oath of loyalty to the new Emperor of the United Western Empire.
The requirements for the position of the Emperor of the United Western Empire (UWE) was that the person needed to be a male. The person needed to be a high-ranking military officer. The person needed to be of considerable repute, both by those inside and outside the loyalist Elblyonian Empire. The person needed to be capable of siring successors. And most importantly, the person needed to be the unifying figure uniting the branches of society of the Western Continent (important, as the Western Continent has republican nations, had different races and had different religions.)
One by one, each of the candidates were considered yet disqualified because they did not meet all the criterias with it mostly being the last point. A few days later, the emergency regency council announced their decision.
To the shocked surprise to everyone (including myself,) I was chosen, even though I never had the ambitions of becoming the Emperor. Me, as a sixteen-year old high-ranking Elblyonian Army officer, the new would-be Emperor of the United Western Empire.
Offered the Imperial throne by the emergency regency council, I initially hesitated, doubting my worthiness to rule an Empire due to my age. For the longest hours of my life, I pondered on accepting or rejecting the offer. As an officer of the loyalist Elblyonian Army, this was the hardest decision of my life.
But my commitment to my then duties and then responsibilities to my soldiers and my officers, as well as support from my friends and my supporters, I finally accepted the role… as the uncrowned Emperor of the United Western Empire, proclaiming the ambitious goal of unifying all the peoples and the nations of the Western Continent under one Emperor and one Empire, with my imperial name being Vespasian, after one of the Roman Empire's greatest emperors, as an Emperor being named after a common fish cake, wouldn't inspire respect, but instead would inspire disrespect to the Empire.
To the other governments, the nations and the peoples of the Western Continent, they were surprised and bewildered. Many of them laughed and they mocked at the announcement of my accession. To them and their propaganda, I was an incapable, immature, naive and foreign barbarian, used as a political puppet to prop up the loyalist Elblyonian generals and politicians desperate to retain their influence.
They predicted that the United Western Empire would be strangled at birth by either the Elblyonian communists or Elblyonian fascists. But, they were wrong… to underestimate me, as those who underestimated me, are serving under me (direct rule from Grand Union,) are imprisoned or are dead, either at their own hands or at their own people's hands.
Somehow, I was able not only win the support of the upper class, but also win the support of the middle and lower classes of the newly formed empire. And I was able to win the support of the newly retitled Imperial Armed Forces, with important military officers, such as General Ironsides, General Slim and Admiral Pound, swearing their oath of allegiance to me, along with their officers, sailors and soldiers.
They had admired and respected me, as before becoming Emperor, I was the youngest person in the history of the Western Continent, to hold the rank of Major General, when people my age are lieutenants or their equivalent. However, there were detractors who resented my rapid military successes on the battlefield, but they came to (begrudgingly) respect me as a competent and brilliant mild-mannered military officer.
However, rogue candidates violently refused to accept or support my appointment and my authority, and communist Elblyonia and facist Elblyonia also violently refused to accept or support my appointment and my authority. Through military force, it took three years to reunify the entire Elblyonian Empire, and through military force, it took six years to unify the entire Western Continent.
But it takes more than military force to win the hearts and minds of the people of the Western Continent. Learning to speak the many languages of the Western Continent, I fostered the admiration of the people of the Western Continent, assuring them that their cultures and/or their religions, will not be interfered within the borders of the United Western Empire (as long as they don't believe in customs and/or religions that interferes or violates with Imperial law and order.) I also fostered professional relationships with the various leaders of various cultures and/or religions, to help accelerate the acceptance of me by the people.
And through imperial propaganda, I (or rather my Imperial Propaganda Ministers,) fostered an image to the people of the Western Continent that I'm the reincarnation of the legendary King Arthur, who has awoken from his slumber in Avalon to return to the Western Continent to save the people of the Western Continent from their conflicts with each other.
To some, I'm the conqueror of conquerors, able to defeat any enemy force, it doesn't matter if it was well-equipped, well-trained, and it doesn't matter if it has experienced commanders. To some, I'm the arbitrator and the mediator, able to get different peoples with different backgrounds and personalities, into working for a common goal. To some, I'm the chivalrous and courteous gentleman, able to sympathize with the emotions and situations of the downtrodden. To some, I'm the modest family man, living a relatively austere and simple lifestyle with my family compared to the lavish lifestyles of previous imperial and/or royal families of previous empires and/or kingdoms. To others, I'm a living divine being, able to accomplish what many considered impossible: uniting the various nations and peoples of the Western Continent, into one entity under one Emperor and one Empire.
Those who don't accept me or support me, are often the hardline extremists of politics and/or religions, are driven underground.
But even now, being a ruler of a great nation, admired or respected by many, I'm just a man; as fallible and as insecure as any other man. I've created and executed many poor decisions and decrees that led many of my allies and friends to their deaths during the war, that I expected and feared that someday, someone or something, would expose me as an imposter and a deceiver, the Anti-Christ or the Al-Masih ad-Dajjal, who'll lead the people of the Western Continent to their destruction.
These moments of fallibility... of insecurity... feeds my darker thoughts, squeezing and slightly crushing the metal fountain pen in my hand. Of annihilating Konohagkure's shinobis as they begged for clemency. Of burning and destroying Konohagakure. Of executing my ""friends"" as they cited their past ""friendship"" with me. Of slaughtering Konohagkure's civilians as they screamed for mercy. And becoming the demon they mocked, they neglected, they ostracized, they-
The double door entrance to my office creaks open, I looked up to see a guardsmen stepping in. He was one of the more veteran ones, I knew this because I had fought alongside him before.
"Your majesty, your wife Albion is here." The veteran Imperial Grenadier Guard reported. I nodded in acknowledgment.
"Thank you, Grenadier, you may let her in." I replied to which the sergeant nodded and stepped back.
The Imperial Grenadier Guard was part of the Imperial Household Guard Division, recruited from the best soldiers of the regular Imperial Western Army and Imperial Western Marine Corps units, responsible for guarding the Imperial family***********, the Imperial Complex, the Imperial Palace, Imperial Parliament, the Cypress Mansion************ and the Weiss Castle*************.
Originally, I suggested calling them the Imperial Praetorian Guard, but Selvaria pointed out that the original Praetorian Guard were infamous for their political assassinations and intrigues. So I've changed the suggestion to calling them the Imperial Household Guard Division.
The Imperial Household Guard Division consists of battalions, batteries, companies or squadrons from the Empress Albion's Own Imperial Guard Infantry Regiment, Empress Hinata's Own Medical Battalion, Empress Erza's Own Imperial Jaegers Regiment, Empress Lancia's Own Cuirassier Guards Regiment, Empress Rias's Own Imperial Guards Marine Regiment,, Empress Selvaria's Own Imperial Guard Armoured Hussars Regiment, the Imperial Artillery Guard Regiment, the Imperial Dragoon Guards Regiment, the Imperial Grenadier Guards Regiment and the Imperial Honour Guard Battalion.
Yes, five regiments and one battalion owe their names to my six wives. Yes, six wives, and I still find it hard to believe I married six women with differing interests and personalities, yet they're able to live with each other.
Polygamy (or being married to more than one woman,) is more common in the Western Continent than in the Elemental Continet, due to the needs to fill the officers and soldiers' ranks. Even with the end of all wars on the Western Continent, polygamy isn't going to die anytime soon.
I couldn't help but smile as I watched as Albion carefully made her way into my office. Gone was her usual military uniform, she had opted for a loose fitting dress to fit her pregnant belly, swelling with life. The previous thoughts were replaced with thoughts of amusement, thinking up how my parents would react to being sohubo to ten grandchildren, with two more grandchildren on the way. However, those thoughts were pushed aside as I stood up to greet my wife, the third one to join my… well, harem.
"How are you today my dear?" I asked.
"I am fine my dear." Albion smiled.
She called herself Albion, after the project that "birthed" her. An Übersoldat, a wunderwaffe project 'created' in response to our special forces' destruction of important enemy infrastructure and wunderwaffe.
The scientists, (mostly Jerman Nazis,) worked on Albion (and dozens of Elblyonian and Jerman soldiers) to enhance their abilities as a fighter and as a soldier in a series of experiments and operations, enhancing their mental and physical abilities.
With every subject (except Albion,) dying to the experiments or operations, the scientists trained her in all aspects of intelligence and warfare, including mana abilities and techniques. Surprising, considering the Nazi's antagonistic stance on mana and mana users.
Due to Albion being the only Übersoldat of Project ALBION, made her the prototype that all future Übersoldats will derive from- the Mother of the Next-Generation Soldiers (at least as military officals of Nazi Jermanya and Fascist Elblyonia are concerned.) Even if the Empire's intelligence services knew about the project's codename, would any Imperial official suspect a beautiful young woman, to be the Übersoldat product of Project ALBION?
However, there's one problem (at least to the scientists,) Albion wasn't as easily controllable as her masters hoped. Due to how experimental the project was (in it's experiments, operations and training of Übersoldat,) at this point in time, Albion was violent- attacking and killing anyone. But the scientists believed that frequent usage of brainwashing (using mind-altering drugs,) could be a potential solution.
Until such a solution was researched and implemented, keeping her physically restrained was a temporary solution, with the project's superiors hoping for a mission for their Übersoldat; attaining and securing data to "improve" her.
However, the mission was never executed, because an important Nazi Jerman scientest (fearing for his own morality and for his own family,) defected to the Empire with information concerning various top-secret wunderwaffe projects- not just Project ALBION, but other wunderwaffe projects. Once we've rescued and guaranteed his and his family's safety, the defecting scientist becomes a goldmine concerning Nazi Jermanya's wunderwaffe projects, leading to plans to eventually destroy the wunderwaffe projects- with Project Albion being top priority.
Assembling the most powerful operatives from the various Imperial Armed Forces, I, along with Omega Section and several squads of soldiers, raided the Project ALBION's research facility, killing the guards in surprise before they could enact a proper defence of the facility. In an act of forced desperation, the research head of the project, unleashed Albion, in the hopes of killing the raiders. If she succeeds, excellent. If she fails, they'll always improve the creation procedure for the next Übersoldat.
Unleashed (despite her inexperience,) she was extremely capable of killing entire squads. However, she didn't differentiate from friend or foe, killing the research head before going on a rampage throughout the facility, indiscriminately killing anyone unfortunate to cross her. All, except me and Yugito. We were surprised as her abilities were equal to two Jinchūrikis. If she had more actual combat experience, we would be killed as easily as everyone else.
Defeating Albion, we captured the few surviving scientists that hadn't escaped, before seizing or destroying the remaining Project ALBION documents and experiments to prevent the Nazis from successfully replicating Project ALBION, with the research laboratory being destroyed.
In the aftermath of the mission, high-ranking Imperial officials were shocked that Fascist Elblyonia and Nazi Jermanya were close to attaining near-unstoppable super soldiers. However, there's one problem in the aftermath of the mission: What is to be done with the female Übersoldat prototype? In terms of official paperwork, she was effectively a ghost- no known living family relatives, no known home address, nothing. Apart from her year of birth, everything relating to her identity was redacted out by Project ALBION's late research head.
One Imperial military official suggested that she join the Imperial Army, only (and uncomfortably,) describing her- not as a human, but as a "disposable weapon," infuriating and reminding some people of a certain warhawk of a certain shinobi village.
However, there were several more Imperial military officials who (justifably) questioned her reliability, especially when she is (well... was,) Nazi Jermanya's Übersoldat prototype, who has killed several squads of Imperial Army soldiers. I argued that there were Jermanyan and Ruthiynan officers and soldiers that defected from Nazi Jermanya and Soviet Ruthinya, currently serving within the Imperial Armed Forces, and their realiability or their loyalty never being directly questioned.
Meanwhile, recovering in a secret Imperial military hospital, a restrained Albion suffered a mental breakdown, realizing she has nothing. Not even her birth name. Nothing, except being "created" as a weapon, destined only as a weapon- to kill for someone else's desires, purposes and wishes.
I visited her, sympathising for her, as she… she reminded me of Gaara back in the Elemental Continent; trained and treated only as a weapon. Not as a person. And like Gaara after his defeat; she was afraid. Insecure. And vulnerable, thinking that she's a murderer for someone else's desires, goals or wishes, in order to justify her existence.
I talked to her, saying that while the past that shaped her, cannot be changed, the present could be changed- that she can choose her own path, by her own choices and decisions- not by the choices and decisions of someone else. Astonished and inspired by my words, she joined the Imperial Army as soon as she recovered. The rest as they say, is history.
Now, she's part of my family, not in her modified attire of the Imperial Guards Infantry Regiment's ceremonial uniform, but in her loose fitting dress. Even when dealing with her final pregnancy trimester, she still looks as beautiful as ever.
"Vespasian, what were you thinking about?" Albion asked me, looking concerned.
"Nothing dear- just musing on trivial matters." I simply replied.
"Really? Nothing important?" Albion questioned me.
"Nothing at all dear." I answered. "I heard that lunch is ready."
"Lunch is ready. And they're all waiting for you my dear." Albion finished, satisfied with my answers.
AN, Before we start, here are what the stars mean.
* Chakra and Mana are the same thing, just interpreted and implemented differently.
** Belka is equivalent to the Balkan region.
*** Elbyonia is equivalent to the United Kingdom, Canada, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, India and other parts of the British Empire.
**** Jermanya is equivalent to the Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Czechia, Slovakia, Western Poland and Scandinavia
***** Khemed is equivalent to the Middle East region.
****** Amyrikas is equivalent to the North American, the Caribbean and South American regions.
******* Orientals is equivalent to the East Asian and Southeast Asian regions.
******** Perancis is equivalent to France, Belgium and parts of the French Empire.
********* Ruthiyna is equivalent to Eastern Poland, Ukraine, Belarus, Russia and Central Asia.
********** Ylati is equivalent to Italy, Portugal, Spain and Greece.
*********** Alongside the Imperial Household Guards Corps, the Imperial Protection Command provides close protection to the members of the Imperial family and members of the Imperial government (i.e Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Minister, etc.)
************ Cypress Mansion is the official summer residence of the Emperor and his family, located on the Ylatian coast near the coastal town of Sebastián, facing northwards towards the Oriental Sea.
************* Weiss Palace is the official winter residence of the Emperor and his family, located in the forests of Białowieża, near the Jerman-Ruthiynan border.
And with that, chapter 2 is done. We apologize for the delay, we had been rather busy with our personal stuff. Well anyways, hope you enjoyed this.