This one was a bitch to write and even worse to translate! I hope you will like this new POV character, and the chapter itself. I've replied to the reviews through private messages for once, and I think I'll stick to this for people who have an account. Anyway.

Enjoy, beloved readers!

Chapter VIII: Failure.

If someone asked Yagura's opinion – which did not happen much – he would say that Hiashi Hyūga was the perfect candidate for a throne, after Mei Terumi. He was calm, thoughtful and spoke in a powerful and deep voice without feeling threatening. He appeared as the voice of reason in this chaos called the Daimyō's reunion. Every small detail in a contract led to everlasting debates which bored the Mizukage to no end. Sometimes, he exchanged bored looks with the other Kages, especially Jiraiya of the Kingdom of Fire whom Yagura respected.

As Hiashi Hyūga grabbed the cup of wine before him, Yagura felt his instinct telling him that something was wrong. However, before he could act, Jiraiya grabbed the wrist of his future Daimyō and Yagura grabbed his staff. A fool with a death wish was approaching to attack the five Daimyō. Yagura glanced at Mei Terumi to evaluate her state; she did not seem panicked in the slightest, calmly looking at the windows. The Mizukage smiled; she had not become Daimyō for nothing. He then focused on his environment, waiting for the assailants to arrive.

Three… Two… One… The windows and doors of the room brutally shattered but Yagura simply erected a wall of water around them to ensure that neither his Daimyō nor him were hurt. Next to him, a gigantic two-handed sword appeared in Jiraiya's hand, for he could wield with only one hand. The Hokage, the oldest of them, was still impressive to see in action. Blessed by the One of Battles, he had received the gift of making weapons and armours appear as he wished. Reinforced by the Black Potion reserved to the Kage, his power and physical prowess had swiftly become a source of fear, even amongst the other Kage. No one was stupid enough to attack him head-on.

Finally, their opponents appeared, masked as to hide their identities. They were all mages or enchanted humans, but Yagura knew that their leader was not amongst them. Orochimaru, an international criminal, was surely behind this attack, but he was not the kind to show up this early. The man had always had a love for theatrics and was without a doubt planning a sensational debut. Yagura had never liked him, even before his betrayal.

"Mizukage, escort the Daimyōs out of here", Roshi of the Kingdom of Earth thundered. "You can easily protect them. Kazekage, go with them, you know this palace better than any of us."

It was the most logical plan. His blessing allowed him to easily create big shields that would protect the five Daimyōs. He would have preferred to participate in the fight, but the safety of his Daimyō was more important. He would also protect their allies to ensure future economic cooperation between the kingdoms, and Mei would surely expect of him to protect the Wind Daimyō's heirs, the princess Temari and the prince Kankurō, whose only talent was levitation.

"Understood. Kazekage, open us a way."

Baki gestured in the direction of the wall and a powerful wind gush and Yagura closed the way, ensuring that none of their adversaries – who were numerous, he had to admit it – were following them. They went through some rooms before stopping in a smaller and darker room than the previous ones. Yagura frowned and got closer to Mei. Something was wrong, he could feel it. If the room itself was a good hiding place, he did not like its aura. He exchanged a look with his Daimyō, and she slightly stepped back, placing herself behind him. He could not risk her safety.

Yagura quietly observed Baki and his apprentice, Pakura, refusing to let them leave his sight. His kingdom and the Kingdom of Wind were not in good terms, the Wind Daimyō could use his current upper hand to try to plunge the Kingdom of Water in chaos. However, the Kazekage was guarding the corridor they had created and Pakura was ensuring that neither of the heirs was hurt. They seemed under shock but unwounded.

The everlasting wait and the deafening silence were finally broken by a coughing spit. Hiashi Hyūga had to use the wall as support as to not fall. His entire body was brutally shaken by a rough cough. Yagura frowned and motion to his monarch to step back; it was impossible for the attack and the sudden degradation of the lord's health to be a coincidence. Someone had poisoned that man. He sheathed his staff and went to grab his numerous antidotes; he could share some with Hiashi Hyūga. He had no doubt that Jiraiya would reimburse him any used antidote.

Suddenly, the patient fell to the ground and hunched over before throwing up an important amount of dark blood as his facial veins rapidly blackened. The Mizukage's eyes widened and he immediately protected his face with his scarf. This poison could not be mistaken for another, and he could not allow himself to be infected.

"Everyone, stay back!", he ordered before facing Mei. "He's been infected by the corrupted blood poison."

"Can you help him?", she asked.

"I can ease the pain or end his sufferings, but this poison can only be cured if treated in time. When the subject vomits blood, it's already too late", he replied.

"Then, I am doomed", Hiashi Hyūga said behind him.

Yagura turned around and instead of seeing the usual fear one would see on the face of those doomed to die, he saw a peaceful acceptance on his face. The man had succeeded in sitting against a wall and was looking at him directly in the eyes, dignified and calm, waiting for his sentence. The Mizukage exhaled deeply. Hiashi Hyūga would have made a formidable Daimyō. Even on his death bed, he was composed, where many would be sobbing and begging for their lives to be saved.

"Yes", he replied; he would not lie to him. "You're too infected, and neither Baki nor me can help you."

"I understand", Hiashi said after a coughing fit. "Whoever poisoned me is at odds with my kingdom, or at least my family. Your Highness, lord Mizukage, I beg you, protect my daughter Hinata. She's only thirteen, and somewhere in this palace…"

Mei then kneeled by the dying man's side. Yagura wanted to tell to step back, but it would be useless. His Daimyō was far too stubborn for her own good; he only had to make sure she was not infected by accident. The Mizukage knelt to watch her movements and saw a tender but sad smile appear on her face. Mei was very talented at lying, but Yagura had always easily read her face. Here, for once, her sadness was honest. The Mizukage understood. Hiashi Hyūga could have been a formidable ally – especially compared to old Hiruzen Sarutobi – but also a friend. In the Kingdom of Water, the Yggalën were known for being true and pious, and the Nine knew that lies were gangrening the court of Kiri.

"I promise you", she said. "Yagura and I will find your daughter and ensure her safety. The Kingdom of Fire is on the road for Kiri, and I'll journey with her to ensure she's safe and sound."

A smile appeared on the face of the one who should have become Daimyō. A sad and resigned smile, but also filled with love at the thought of his daughter. Yagura could vaguely remember the child of the Yggalën. A small lady, beautiful for her age, who had seemed afraid of the Kages. From what he had seen, she seemed the dream daughter or any lord, and he had no doubt that she was her father's most precious treasure.

"Thank you, Your Highness… Tell her… Tell her I love her, please."

Hiashi closed his eyes, and it was over. Yagura closed his eyes an instant, murmuring a prayer for the Mother of All so she would welcome him like every Daimyō who ever walked this earth. Yet, he could not focus on this kind of events. He had to focus on his monarch, she was much more important than the lifeless body before them. He offered his hand to Mei and she took it, her eyes never leaving the dead man.

"As a precaution, I'll give you the antidote for this poison, Your Majesty", he said. "We don't know if you've been all infected."

"Shouldn't we be feeling the effect if it was the case?" she asked. "Hiashi Hyūga was a strong man, I doubt he would be affected faster than the rest of us."

"You're probably not, but I don't want to take the risk. Then, if you wish, we can look for lord Hiashi's daughter", he replied, handing her a small flask.

"Let's go", she said once she had drunk it. "Will you join us?", she asked the other Daimyō, who had watched the scene in silence.

"Your Highness, with your permission, I could accompany them", Pakura intervened. "I know the palace better than Her Highness and the Mizukage, and we could look for miss Hyūga more efficiently. If assassins are after her, every second matter."

"No, you're sworn to protect the Hisunas, no one else", the Wind Daimyō coldly replied.

"Father!", the princess cried out, outraged, but a look from his father reduced her to silence, her fists clenched.

The other Daimyō declined their offers, opting to wait for their Kages, but the Earth Daimyō assured them he would tell Jiraiya what had happened. Yagura nodded and was about to leave when princess Temari called out, her eyes resolved.

"I heard that miss Hyūga was visiting the indoor gardens", she said, ignoring her father's furious look. "She must be there with her cousins."

"Thank you, princess", Mei replied.

Yagura's senses were in alert, and his muscles tensed. He was ready to eliminate every threat. The entire palace was in ebullition, and guards were running everywhere while men were yelling orders at each other. Some soldiers offered their help to the Mizukage, but Yagura refused; he had no intention to carry around dead weights like soldiers. Moreover, he had no trust for the Kingdom of Wind. The Daimyō's refusal to help them worried him. The kingdoms of Fire and Wind were not allied because of a mutual appreciation, but because both of them needed resources the other had. Even if Hiruzen Sarutobi had worked to better the relations, they were far from ideal.

Therefore, this refusal made no sense for a monarch who would want better relations with the neighbouring nation. He could see only one reason behind this refusal: the Daimyō had played a role in Hiashi Hyūga's death. He hated this idea, but it mostly made him wonder if the Wind Daimyō had lost his mind. If Jiraiya was not mad enough to stand up to the Wind Daimyō without Hiruzen Sarutobi's support – especially with the Hyūga girl to protect –, the Kingdom of Wind exchanged a lot with Yggalë. Hinata Hyūga could easily increase the prices and prefer another economic partner for a region.

Moreover, by the Kingdom of Fire's law, this kid was now the new heiress of the fire throne. This subtility had not come into play for at least a century, but it existed. The Daimyō did not choose a person to succeed him but a clan, whose head became Daimyō after him. If said chief died before being crowned, their heir would take their place. Therefore, Hinata Hyūga, thirteen, was the new heiress of the Kingdom of Fire and refusing to come to her aid when she needed it was a stupid mistake. This was surely why Mei insisted on helping her. The little girl would without a doubt be eternally grateful and would remember that, in her greatest time of need, the Kingdom of Water had rescued her.

"Miss Hyūga will surely be very thankful for our help", he said as they approached the indoor gardens."

"Of course", Mei mused. "Yet, I wish I didn't have to tell her about her father's death. This poor child will soon be in a complicated position", she added.

"Do you feel sympathy for her?"

"As much as I can. I cannot allow myself to care too much, but the situation in which she is isn't desirable. Especially with old Sarutobi's on Yggalë", she added.

Yagura nodded. He was unable to understand why the Yggalën had such a bad reputation in their kingdom. Was it because of the year of their annexation? If he remembered correctly, the Hyūga and their vassals had been conquered two centuries ago, long after the other clans forming the Kingdom of Fire. It was one of the stupidest reasons he had ever heard to despise an entire region. Oh well. It did not concern him.

As they entered the indoor gardens, Yagura felt a wave of energy savagely whirling. He stood before his monarch and readied himself for a fight. However, as his senses looked for the threat, he saw he would not be fighting anyone as the most incredible scene he had ever witnessed was playing before his eyes.

Kneeling on the floor, the young Hyūga was holding against her the youngest prince, the mage who could not go under the sun. Around them, shadows flowing out of the prince were wildly dancing, threatening to cut in half whoever would be foolish enough to approach. The prince was clinging to the Yggalën, sobbing in pain. Yagura clenched his teeth. So, this was the Kingdom of Wind's secret which had given to the Daimyō the courage to move against the Kingdom of Fire. This child was a living prison and not a simple mage, despite this practice being forbidden in the five kingdoms because of the danger for the host. And, judging by the shadows, Yagura had no doubt regarding the sealed god's identity. The One of Wrath.

He internally cursed and gathered his energy, preparing a spell to kill the boy. It was a shame, he was nothing but an innocent sacrificed on the shrine of the thirst for power, but he could not allow an uncontrollable beast to freely roam this earth. He would without a doubt become a major threat to the other kingdom in the future. He could not take the risk of allowing him to live.

However, as he focused, he felt something else appear. A sort of pure and loving energy springing from young Yggalën, different and yet similar to a blessing. As if a god was temporarily lending her their powers. She hugged the prince tighter and looked up, breathing in deeply before chanting a hymn, her voice resonating in Yagura's ear as if the singer was by his side and not a dozen meters away.

Ô, One of Peace,

Mother of mercy

Sooth the wrath and the anger

Watch over my son and father.

Ô, One of Peace,

Mother of mercy,

Guide us, mothers and daughters,

Whose faith never falters.

Yagura watched in awe as the shadow calm down as the girl sang before finally disappearing in the ground as if they were not filled with the prince's magic anymore. The young man slowly strengthened his back, panting. The One of Wrath had fallen back to sleep. Most people would think that such a scene was a miracle, but Yagura was not stupid enough to believe that. Hinata Hyūga may not be blessed the way he was, but she was still loved by the gods, and particularly the One of Peace, who had helped calm the One of Wrath.

"Stay back", he said to his Daimyō. "I'll make sure this is over."

"Yagura… the prince… He isn't a regular mage, is he?"

"No, he's a living prison, and he contains the One of Wrath. Only a Kage stands a chance against him", he replied. "Do you want me to kill him? He may become an unprecedented threat."

"No!", his monarch vividly exclaimed. "He's a child. For now, he's no threat. The bloody era of Kiri is over, I will not allow us to fall so low again."

"Yes, Your Majesty. I'll see to them, in that case."

He approached them, noting from the corning of the eye the mangled body of some assailants slaughtered by the prince. The young Hyūga had not an ounce of aggressivity in her, she would have never killed those men. With her speed, she would have obviously chosen to run away. Nevertheless, judging from the traps he easily avoided – and defused – hidden in the gardens, the would-be assassins have planned her reaction. From a certain speed onward, the Hyūgas' field of vision considerably diminished. Reacting in time to a trap placed in your periphery became almost impossible, even with reflexes as impressive as those from this clan.

Those men were not stupid, merely unlucky. They would have most likely succeeded in their mission if it was not for the prince. Nevertheless, their presence confirmed Yagura's suspicion: someone – most likely the Wind Daimyō – was after the Hyūgas. He simply had not counted on his youngest son's intervention. Judging from the sincere reaction of princess Temari and prince Kankurō, Rasa Hisuna had not warned anyone. His arrogance had caused his plan to fail, for the young Hyūga was still alive and would probably not open to negotiations. He would be lucky if the Kingdom of Fire did not declare war.

Of course, it was just a theory, but Yagura did not doubt that Jiraiya would agree with him. However, he would take any decisions without Hiruzen's approval and, due to his age, the Fire Daimyō would maybe prefer to avoid war during the last years of his reign. No matter what would happen, it would surely be very interesting to observe. His spies in Konoha would have a lot of work.

As he approached the two children, the young lady swiftly looked and slightly widened her eyes, surprised by his presence. Swiftly, the surprise was replaced by wariness. She stared at him in silence, waiting for him to speak first. Yagura almost rolled his eyes; if he wanted to kill her, she would already be dead. She had nothing to fear from him. Nevertheless, he understood. She had just survived to a murder attempt. Trusting whoever came to her would be stupid.

"Miss Hinata, your father asked Her Majesty Mei and me to help you. I'll escort you to safety", he said.

"How can we know that you're telling the truth?", the prince panted as he stood up.

His legs were shaking, and he was visibly suffering from a terrible headache, but his eyes were as purposeful as his sister's, if not more. He seemed ready to fight again if he deemed it necessary despite his state. It was admirable, albeit a bit stupid. The young lady quickly got up and delicately took his arms, eyes tender and worried. Well, this was interesting.

"Prince, you mustn't stand up this quick, you'll exhaust yourself!", she begged.

"I have no intention to lie", Yagura intervened; as amusing as it was to observe, they did not have the time. "If I wanted to dispatch you, it would be done. As powerful as the prince is with his prisoner, I'm a Kage. I could kill you both without breaking a sweat."

"I beg your forgiveness, lord Mizukage", the Yggalën said; she would have surely bowed if she was not supporting the prince. "We've just been attacked, and we prefer to be careful."

"And you're perfectly right", Yagura replied. "Let's go, we must find the Hokage."

"My lord, if I may ask… Why did my father send you? Why not the Hokage?", she asked.

"The Hokage was busy fighting our assailants. With the Kazekage, I escorted the Daimyōs to safety", he replied, doing his utter best to avoid telling her the fate that had befallen the lord Hiashi; that was a situation he preferred letting his Daimyō handle.

"Why did my father not accompany you?"

Yagura felt a grimace on his face; he did not how to tell the terrible news to the young girl. Nevertheless, his facial expression was apparently enough for her to understand since her eyes widened as she rose her hands to her face, shaking. Tears started to run down her cheeks and the Yggalën hid her face in her hands. She let out a long cry of despair and the prince immediately put his arms around her, even though he was clumsy whilst doing so.

"How… How could this happen? The Hokage was here to protect him!", she whinged, her shoulders shook by sobs, coiled in the prince's arms.

Yagura wanted to reply and tell her the events which had led to Hiashi Hyūga's death, but Mei suddenly appeared to his side and walked to the crying young lady, shooting a glare at Yagura. The prince hugged the Yggalën tighter but said nothing as the monarch leaned forward and delicately spread Hinata Hyūga's hands.

"Miss, we were attacked like you, but our assailants tricked the Kage and had previously your lord father. His last words were meant for you, he wished for us to remind you of his love for you", she said in a warm maternal voice.

The girl's sobs intensified, and she clung to the prince who was hugging her like a castaway to a floating wood plank. Her frail body was violently shaking, akin to a leaf tormented by the wind and her lament to the nocturnal plaint of the waves crashing against the rocks. Yagura looked away; he hated the sound of cries and the sight of tears. He did not know how to react before such grief.

Nevertheless, the girl's pain would ease with time. Time healed all wounds, and Yagura had no doubt that the girl's faith would allow her to find some comfort. After all, her father would be welcomed in the One of Power's domain in the Gold Field, like every monarch and lord before him. She would be able to mourn properly. However, Jiraiya had failed to protect his future Daimyō. Hiruzen Sarutobi's sentence would surely be brutal, and Yagura knew that the old Hokage would probably not live much older.