Naruto: Shoton of Konoha

by Arch-Daishou00

: For Stormy Rebel, miss you, Joachim, and thank you: "By the actions of the traitor Mizuki. Naruto awakens a rare Kekkei Genkai. And his path has now changed. And in the darkness awakens an ancient threat more terrifying than the Akatsuki, which only stirs thought of myths from a lost and forgotten age." : huge world expansion story, OC. Co-Author: Etheral-23

56. Harsh Reality: Act IV

Disclaimer:We do not own Naruto

Co-Author and Beta: Etheral-23

Chapter 56: Harsh Reality: Act IV

XxX ~ xx ~ XxX ~ xx ~ XxX ~ xx ~ XxX ~ xx ~ XxX

The look on the daimyo's face conveyed a whirlpool of emotions. Frustration, fear, disappointment, anger. All accented with a hand over his mouth as his finger rigidly tapped unto one of his throne's armrests. At his right, commander Moroi Akuta frowned darkly at the report given to them by the shinobi.

The team of Konoha was kneeling before the daimyo, having just informed him of their failure. Not only had they failed to assassinate Takeda and his lieutenants, but the Manji reinforcements had arrived.

Already they were getting reports of several outposts and bases being attacked by teams of master archers and saboteurs. Supply lines were being cut, facilities destroyed, all at a much larger pace than the rebels ever managed to inflict alone.

They had grown from a guerilla force to a small army, one with the specialists and numbers necessary to confront the daimyo's forces in a direct assault. The soldiers' firearms and the palace's fortifications were the only things that would keep the enemy at bay. But the Manji master marksmen could outrange any of their gunmen, and the thieves would manage to make create a hole in their defenses.

Kakashi, his wound already healed thanks to Karin's assistance, respectfully apologized for their failure. "There is nothing we can say to absolve us of this, my lord"

"No" Tokuhara curtly said. "No there is not"

"We will assist in the defense"

"You will" His tone left no room for arguments.

The Daimyo rose from his seat as the commander spoke up; "Perhaps the skills of these shinobi was hot air"

"Stay your tongue Moroi," Tokuhara sharply rebuked glancing over to the man who quickly bowed in apology of his words; "The skills of Hatake and Uzumaki are highly regarded throughout the nation. And yes, they failed in their task. But that was likely due to underestimation of their enemy's prowess." The Daimyo gazed back to the Konoha crew; "Am I correct?"

Kakashi nodded with his head still bowed with the others; "They have proven to be fierce warriors not to be taken lightly."

At those words, Tokuhara grunted; "A fact my troops have come to learn severely. Though I had hoped you would be able to eliminate this threat by now."

"What do you require from us daimyo-sama?" Kushina questioned in a respectful tone. Idly her eyes peered towards her son who's face was blank in expression.

Tokuhara had begun to pace; "This setback will cost us dearly." His tone came with urgency; "But we can't lose our heads. We have to remain calm and deal with this situation immediately."

"I already have my men fortifying our position" Moroi brought up. "Setting up shooting towers and chokepoints, as well as several samurai regiments placed around the palace"

"It may come to a battle of attrition," The daimyo said. "But our forces are powerful, the rebels may have gained numbers but they will not trump our sheer firepower" It wasn't just the firearms, regiments of experienced samurai waited for his orders. "Hatake-san, Uzumaki-san, the power of the rebel leaders took you by surprise, but this time you will be aided by many of my soldiers"

"That will turn the tide for sure" Kakashi agreed, the now healed wound on his chest still aching at the memory.

"The Manji clan are renowned for subterfuge, but they are without a doubt a powerful clan. You do not survive on your own without any allegiance to a lord or nation without having the resources and talents" Tokuhara stated, before looking at the side of the room. "Speaking of which, I should introduce you to your ally for the upcoming battle"

"Ally?" Sasuke said questioningly.

From the corner of the room's shadows emerged a tall figure. Long voluminous orange flame-colored hair swayed with each step, she had ruby-colored eyes and red tattoo-like markings underneath both eyes, around the tops of her ample bosom and lining each bicep. She had a distinct and very revealing attire, featuring a white haori over a form-fitting black crop top that exposed the underside of her breasts, tied by a red-and-white rope belt and form-fitting black leg garments with stylized wedges.

The woman's presence was titanic, not just the sheer aura of strength she projected, but also was physically imposing. Her musculature was incredibly pronounced and toned, yet still managed to look quite feminine in her own right.

She smirked, "Sup?"

'Good gods, she must be as tall as ero-sennin' Naruto couldn't help but stare wide-eyed at the imposing warrior.

"Let me introduce you to Kotarō Fūma," The daimyo said with a wave of his hand at the woman. "Konoha was not the only shinobi I hired, I had also contracted the services of the Fūma clan to track down the Manji before they were able to reach the rebels" His lips pursed in displeasure. "A task which has also failed"

The large woman shrugged her wide shoulders. "Sorry," She said, not bothering to use any decorum or proper protocol when speaking to someone of Tokuhara's station, much to Moroi's anger if the frown on his face was any indication.

"The Fūma clan..." Kushina muttered.

They were a very renowned clan since the times of the Clan Wars era. One of the clans who had not taken any residence or sworn loyalty to any lord and nation, instead of continuing the old shinobi tradition of serving the clan first, and offering their services to the highest bidder.

Like the daimyo said, if a clan wanted to survive and be independent at the same time, they needed to be powerful. Which said a lot of the Fūma already.

"Kotarō" Soujiro, forward as he was, could only tilt his head curiously at the woman. "That is a boy's name"

Rather than be insulted, the woman barked a laugh. "It's a clan tradition, boy. Every clan head takes the mantle of 'Kotarō'"

"Clan head?" Sakura muttered in surprise, green eyes wide. "Oh, dear..."

For a clan head to go directly on a mission instead of overseeing various operations of the clan could mean several things; Either the clan was structured such that they did not need the clan head to be constantly managing them, that they were one of the strongest individuals present in their ranks or possessed talents that made them ideal to complete assignments, or their leader liked to get into the thick of it and still go on missions.

They got the feeling it was perhaps all three of them. "Let's have fun together, shall we~"

The way she smiled brought to mind the image of a hungry wolf.

"Fūma-san may not have been able to deal with the Manji before they joined the rebel's forces, but with her presence here, alongside yours, victory is still within our grasp," The daimyo said confidently, standing up from his throne. "Soon, the threat to this country shall be eradicated. The rebels will pay for the chaos they've sown"

Chaos brought by your tyranny, Naruto wanted to shout, but he grits his teeth so he wouldn't.

"They will come at us with everything they have, but like waves on the shore, they shall clash futilely against our walls" Commander Moroi nodded resolutely at his lord's words.

Fall so his reign could continue, so the common people may suffer more...

"The legacy of this nation, the heart of Han'ei, has stood strong time and time again. These rebels shall only become one more page in the history books, Han'ei will stand strong!"

On the back of hungry peasants, just so the upper class may feast and live in opulence.

Naruto wanted nothing more than to jump forward and punch the man in the face, and it tore him apart knowing he couldn't.

XxX ~ xx ~ XxX

The blond was the first to leave the Daimyo's throne once the meeting was adjourned. He spoke not a word to the others, his mother and sensei included as he took to wandering the palace. The chatters of the servants and guards barely reach his ears with his mind deep within his thoughts. Along with the disgust and frustration gnawing at his heart.

Turmoil glowed from his eyes; 'Would dad want something like this?' That was one of the many questions he asked himself. 'We have to make nice with this scumbag because he's friends with the fire court.' He knew there was more to it than that, but he had very little taste for politics to study it.

Was this what Kages had to do? Put aside morals and ethics just for money and status for their village and nation? "Ninja are just government-funded mercenaries who care little about anything except the blood money they get," Maikako's words ringing in the back of his mind. His hands clenched into fists as they shook. "Wake up brat, Shinobi aren't heroes."

"A shinobi's life is fraught with many hard decisions that can and will clash with our morals," Jiji's voice came to his mind. "But we must set those aside for our duty to the village." A stray tear ran down the blond's cheek.

'Why didn't I listen to Jiji.'

"Oniichan!" The blond was brought out of his thoughts, stopping in the hall at the sound of the small voice of princess Aiko running up to him; "Why are you crying? Are you alright?" concern rang in her voice.

Blinking, the Uzumaki quickly wiped away his tear before putting up a small grin; "I'm okay, just a rough day."

"Hmmmm..." The little purple-haired girl hummed in thought while frowning cutely. "You know what cheers me up?"

Naruto hazarded a guess. "Candy?"

"Candy!" She shouted happily as she took his hand and guided him back to the hidden balcony.

For a moment, Naruto took comfort in the little princess' presence. All that joy and exuberance made it easier to forget about the impossible situation he was thrust into. The innocence in her was... calming. But at the same time, Naruto couldn't help but remember the struggle Aiko had gone through, losing her father like that.

...A father who had committed horrible things to the people of this nation, who was responsible for a lot of suffering. Whose death he had sworn to avenge in her name.

Naruto never found his word to weigh so much as it did now.

His thoughts were interrupted by Aiko waving a hand in front of his face; "Nii-chan!"

"Sorry," He grunted before receiving a small piece of candy. "Thank you."

"Yup!" Aiko beamed as she sat down on the balcony with the blond. "I heard the mission went bad."

That garnered the blond's attention; "You did?"

"The whole palace is talking. But it's alright, people make mistakes. But Nii-chan will keep his promise," Aiko spoke with utter conviction before munching her candy.

Those words felt like a sharp kunai stab into his heart. Iruka-Nii always chided him for being impulsive and doing something without thinking. His cerulean orbs glanced to the little girl; 'Does she even know what is going on? The kind of person her father was and her uncle is?' He wondered what her feelings were about the people suffering because of her family. "Can I ask you something?"

Aiko blinked towards him with a piece of candy in her mouth.

"Have you heard about how the regular people in the lower part of the city are faring?"

He later regretted asking that question, for the answer he had gotten was beyond disturbing to hear from the lips of a child.

"Not really, but it's not like they matter anyway," She said plainly with a shrug of her shoulders. Naruto's lips parted slightly as he stared at her. "The nobility and royal family are the real heart of the nation," She said, as though she was reciting what had been engrained into her since she had memory. "We are the culture and the law, we started this country in the first place. The peasantry must work for the betterment of their nation, that is, us" She said with a small smile.

The horror Naruto began feeling mounted up so swiftly.

"So what if they go hungry?" She shrugged. "Their purpose is to live and die for the nation, like my uncle says, the prosperity of the great families is the prosperity of the nation. And for that to happen the peasants have to obey" Aiko pursed her lips, staring into the distance. "That's why the rebels need to be put down, they don't get the lives of the peasantry aren't right, it's a commodity"

His throat was dry, shaking as he stared at the little purple-haired girl, seeing a shadow in the form of her uncle looming over her.

"They killed my dad because of that belief..." She muttered heartbrokenly. "A member of the royal family, someone who was part of this nation's heart. If you kill a thousand peasants nothing of value is lost, but our blood, our royal lineage's value, can't be measured"

Naruto was pretty sure he was shaking, but the little princess didn't notice it.

"They didn't know him," She said hatefully. "They didn't know how he read me stories, how he checked for monsters in the closet and sneaked cookies to me when I was studying..." She looked at him with hope in her eyes and a smile on her lips. "So I'm really glad you came around. A shinobi from a lineage such as Uzushio? You really know how things are, that's why you're here, to make sure the peasants stop getting silly ideas!" She said with so much joy behind her words.

Naruto had faced Zabuza whose killing intent had threatened to drown him, literally and figuratively. He had faced Orochimaru, one of the sickest minds in the world whose deeds were repulsive to the point of heresy. He stood against one of the mighty Tailed Beasts, a being so powerful that could sunder the landscape with a swing of his tail.

But none of them, not a single one, had horrified him as much as this little girl.

XxX ~ xx ~ XxX

His mind felt numb as Naruto had aimlessly strolled out from the palace and into the lower city. He tuned out the masses speaking around him as he kept hearing Aiko's words over and over. To hear such evil things from someone so young, even if she was only three years younger than him. It unnerved him greatly. To think that her father and uncle taught her something like that!

His stomach churned, 'I hate this damn place...'

Everything about this place was wrong, twisted, it went against everything he believed in. Everything his father believed in! Or were ninja everything that Maikako said, amoral mercenaries working for the government...

Idly he wondered why Kurama hadn't chimed in with a snarky comment about it all. But honestly, he was grateful for the quiet.

Lifting his gaze from the ground he surveyed the poor and broken people in the area. "Their purpose is to live and die for the nation." Naruto gashed his teeth hearing Aiko's words in his head again. 'I'd Rasengan her damn uncle for putting that crap into her head.' And then he would be executed likely for treason by the fire council themselves. Jinchurriki or not... He paused; 'They'd just put furball into someone else.'

Rubbing his eyes as he finally stopped walking the blond tries collecting his thoughts. "Naruto!"

The voice of his pink-haired teammate got his attention, Sakura approached him after rising from giving money to an old beggar on the street. "Didn't know where you've gone to. Remember we have a team meeting in half an hour"

"Right, right..." He replied absently. It completely slipped his mind.

"Are you okay?" She asked in concern, brows furrowing softly. "No, of course, you're not" He didn't even have to tell her that. It was that obvious.

It was this place, this damn country. All around them there was nothing but oppression and misery. People living in rundown homes, suffering under deplorable conditions. Getting by on nothing but scraps just to reach the next day...

"Let's... get away from this for a bit, okay?" She said, gently guiding him to an alleyway. Still near the sight of the people so they wouldn't carelessly put them out of sight, but away enough to have privacy. "So, I know this is bothering you-"

"That is the understatement of the fucking century" He growled out, shaking his head in frustration. "Just... look at this. Look at this!" He thrust his chin at the downtrodden people. "What am I even doing here? None of this is what I believe in, but I'm expected to do this because it's 'for the good of our village'. Like-Like..."

"A good soldier" Sakura finished for him, her voice low and equally mad. "Yes, you don't have to tell me Naruto. Believe me, this peasant-born girl is not blind to this"

...And he suddenly realized how selfishly he had been taking all this. It was his pain, his conflict, which had been in the forefront of his mind. He had barely even begun to think how it affected his friends.

Gods even that sounded selfish in a way, as though they were the people who were truly suffering and not the starving civilians...

"Sorry..." It was all he could say.

"There is no 'I' in team Naruto. Me, Karin, Soujiro, we all hate this place. Have you ever thought about how your sister is with her empathic nature being in a place like this?" The pinkette reproached sternly. A wince came from the blond; "At least you are now."

Okay, now he felt like an ass.

"We're all in this together Naruto." Sakura sighed with now a softened gaze; "So stop thinking you are the only one bothered by this hellhole."

Naruto's eyes downcasted with his back against the wall; "I'm a real jackass aren't I?"

"Once in a while. But luckily you have us to set your head straight."

A low snort came from the Uzumaki before looking up to her; "How are you dealing with all this?"

"...I hate it," the pinkette omitted bitterly; "Nobles like Tokuhara are what is wrong with most highborns out there. You and our friends are alright, but many are like this."

That was something Naruto had not gotten used to yet, to be acknowledged as a highborn. He never felt like one and doubted he ever would.

"Getting assignments you know will end up with people dead. Enemy ninja, bandits, and the like, that's the business" The pinkette sighed, leaning back against the alleyway wall. "It's only after Nami that it dawned on me. I'm a ninja, this is the profession I choose... But this?" She shook her head in disgust. "Putting down peasant rebellions? Justified uprising might I add? This is wrong. How long until they order us to kill innocent people because those are the mission parameters?"

It filled her with the dread that one day she might be ordered to kill a child on their bed...

"I doubt this is what Hashirama-sama intended when he founded the village. This is not what the Yondaime... what your father would have wanted"

No... No, it wasn't.

"I can't go along with this, Sakura" Naruto muttered brokenly. "Not anymore. I just- I just can't"

"Being Hokage means looking over village's welfare above all else. So for that, you must-"

"If this is what it's required, then I don't need the damn hat" He quickly retorted. "I'm happy with my life now, I don't need anything like that to validate me"

It was in that single moment that Naruto truly was certain of something with all his heart, far more than he had been in the last few days about anything.

Sakura was surprised by not only his conviction but also his words. Since she could remember during their academy days all Naruto ever said was that he would be Hokage. It honestly reminded her about that never-ending many are so strange hearing him say such a thing as not wanting to be kage. It was almost out of character of him, but she also recalled her friend has changed a lot since those days.

But now this mission has brought out truths the young genin was forced to see about the shinobi life. And it was affecting them all greatly. Sakura gazed at her friend; "If you don't want to be Hokage then what will you do?"

At that, the blond looked so lost. He had no idea what to do.

"Jiji said the life of a ninja was harsh with morality taking a back seat. But like an idiot, I barely paid attention to him." He slumped to the ground. "What should we do?"

Kneeling beside him the pinkette didn't say a word. As she just reached over and hugged him. "I'm sorry, Naruto" She muttered gently. "I don't think we get to be heroes this time"

"...No" He was forced to admit, swallowing a heavy lump. "Not after all we did" But he could still make things right.

He just needed to do something very stupid.

XxX ~ xx ~ XxX

The team meeting eventually came. Most of their information had been relayed to Kakashi and Kushina for them to get their team up to speed. They sat around a low table in the room provided to them by the daimyo, a map of the city laid out in display on it.

"There are several gun posts in the main streets leading to the castle, guarded by multiple samurai regiments to create chokepoints" Kakashi explained, "In any other circumstance, they're a very useful defensive asset. But against Manji clan archers, they'll be sitting ducks"

"Fireworks and explosives supplementing an outstandingly far eyesight from master archers," Karin said, information ingrained into her since her time with Orochimaru coming to the forefront of her mind. "The firearms can take care of whatever force that gets too close, but the Manji will take them out before they can even be spotted"

Kushina peered over to her daughter; "We will need your sensory skills at the forefront."

"You got it."

"If my Sharingan had a bit of a Byakugan it would help," Sasuke remarked looking at the map with crossed arms.

"Don't be overly dependant on your doujutsu," the redheaded matriarch quipped back sternly. The young Uchiha grunted as he recalled the lessons from Kushina about the dangers of using his special eyes too much. The information his late mother had given to the redhead when being in their team.

Sakura turned to her sensei; "Do you think they will attack soon?"

"Once they got a plan laid out," Kakashi nodded; "Thankfully we know what we're dealing with this time. We won't be caught off guard again." That said he knew they were still in for a tough fight ahead. These rebels were driven to achieve their goal. "This is important, we will not fail this time"

"No"

That single statement from their blonde teammate drew everyone's attention.

Naruto sat with the deepest frown on his features, lips pressed together tightly as his arms crossed. His eyes showed nothing but defiance. "No, I'm not going to fight"

The reactions were varied. Karin and Sakura showed surprise at his declaration, while Soujiro merely tilted his head curiously. Sasuke let out grunt in irritation. While Kakashi sighed as Kushina pinched the bridge of her nose, they were not at all surprised with his stance, knowing this had been building up for a while. And perhaps some part of them knew it was only a matter of time.

"It's not fair, none of this is!" The Jinchuuriki exclaimed. "People are starving because the guy who hired us is an asshole!" He shook his head repeatedly. "I'm not going along with this anymore, to hell with the mission!"

"Naruto," Kakashi said patiently. "We talked about this, this is for"

"Oh, it's always so easy to talk about what's good for the village isn't it?! Because none of us are sacrificing anything for this!"

"Watch your tongue!" Kushina loudly reproached him with her most authoritative motherly voice. "Shinobi risk their lives every day for the village, I won't have you dishonoring them!"

Naruto knew he was in deep water now. But honestly? He didn't care anymore. "Now you want to talk about honor? Where's the honor in making sure people here keep suffering?! Is this what dad would have wanted? Is this what you want to do?"

Before Kushina could go on a furious rant at her son, Soujiro spoke up. "I believe Naruto's words are the most sensible I've heard since we arrived here" Count on his cousin to keep a cool head during a time like this. "And I agree with him, which is why I wanted to come forward with you all and inform you I plan on joining the rebels"

Wait, back up for a moment here.

"Say what" Naruto deadpanned as he turned to his cousin in surprise, which was mirrored by the others. Hell, he said how he didn't want to fight the rebels but Soujiro wanted to go one step beyond…

"This goes against everyone the Uzumaki stands for," His calm words struck a deep chord in the older Uzu. "And my father would not be pleased we were aiding a tyrant who enslaves his citizens."

"We have a duty as shinobi," Kakashi gently abolished.

The young swordsman turned his eyes to the Jounin; "I am not a ninja Kakashi-san."

"But your actions would reflect on the village if you defected to the rebels. Shinobi or not, you are a part of this team for this mission. And the fire court would want to know why one of our team defected against a client."

The repercussions would be severe to the leaf, tarnishing their reputation across the nations. Along with a financial hit with mission contracts being sent elsewhere.

Sasuke soon spoke up sharply; "That would make you an enemy to us. You understand that right?"

"I am aware Uchiha-san," The ever calm boy spoke with resignation; "But I choose to follow the path my father taught me. For an Uzumaki never walks the easy road, we held our head high with integrity and honor."

"Soujiro," Sakura's voice bloomed with worry. "Please reconsider."

A calm smile crossed the lips of the boy; "I am quite set in my decision Sakura-san."

"Okay that's it, you're both grounded!" Kushina snapped with a wild flourish of her arms.

"I've never been grounded before" The young swordsman commented, turning to his peers. "Should I listen to her? I mean she is family but not my parent, so-"

"Do you think this is a joke?!" The Uzu matriarch stood up and stormed towards the two young would-be deserters. "That you can just prance around, join the dashing rebels, and be heroes?! Well, I have news for you, life isn't a fairy tale! You have no idea the consequences your actions would have"

Naruto stood defiantly against his mother. "That's my choice to make"

"You don't get it, I'm the mother, you're the son. And not only that you're my subordinate here, so you will do as I say!"

The back and forth drew the worried gazes of their teammates, not knowing how to intervene in this tense moment.

"If I may be blunt, Aunty Kushina" Soujiro said apologetically. "I do not believe you're in any position to be a figure of authority"

Kushina sharply turned her gaze to the boy. "What did you just say?"

Oh boy, he did it now.

"Considering your history and your current actions, I don't think you're acting according to our clan's ethics" The young swordsman stated non-judgmentally. "In fact, I do believe you have cast them all aside. You no longer seem to behave like an Uzumaki. I daresay you cast your legacy aside in favor of your shinobi ways"

One could hear a pin drop.

Kushina's mouth twitched, too angry to properly formulate the words at first. "How... fucking... dare you"

In an instant, the boy's feet were dangling in the air as Kushina held him by the collar of his clothes.

"Don't you ever say anything like that ever again, you hear me?!" She screamed in his face. Soujiro, albeit partially wide-eyed, did not look particularly disturbed at his predicament. "Do you have any idea what I've been through?! What I've lost?! I'm a shinobi of Konoha, the place that became my home when I had nothing! Where I built my life as my old one was taken from me! But you dare think I would abandon my roots!"

Her voice was ragged, not from the shouting, but from the inner turmoil, she felt inside.

Tsukiko-baachan would never go along with this horrible affair, she'd help the people in need. That was her path as a sage.

But her path was that of a shinobi, she had to... she had to follow the mission through.

"So... what do you value then?" Soujiro asked with honest curiosity. "Honoring the ways of the people who gave you a home, or honoring your clan?"

For a moment, it looked like Kushina would drop him on the floor as her arms trembled. Tears gathered at the corners of her eyes.

"I don't fucking know, okay?!"

Resolution glowed on the face of her son; "I know mine. And it is what dad would have done. Why I'm joining Soujiro and siding up with the rebels." Those words sent a wave of surprise through everyone as they gawked at the blond. "And if being Hokage means helping scum like Tokuhara, then to hell with the damn hat."

Kakashi stood stock still; "You would become a traitor to the Leaf, Naruto."

"I don't care anymore," The blond quipped sternly; "Would dad have done nothing while people were dying on the streets? Would he have just watched those guards beat up that old man in front of his daughter? Could he have a stomach seeing starving kids crying?!" His voice rose more and more as his anger was boiling over. "He would be ashamed of all of us!"

Soujiro blinked as his aunt had let him go and he dropped to his feet on the floor. Said woman had moved like the wind in front of her son. Her hand was raised as to slap him but she was frozen. Her eyes widened as she realized as she was about to do. The group was still as for a moment shock was in the blond's face before becoming steely up to his mother's while her body faintly trembled.

"Am I wrong?" His voice cracked with emotion.

The former ANBU's arm went limp with her body following slowly dropping onto her knees staring at the ground. Kakashi was at her side in a heartbeat before giving a stern look to the blond; "Naruto, this goes against-"

"Enough Kakashi," Kushina spoke in a numb strained voice.

"Kushina-sama?"

Slowly, the redhead turned her head and looked to the man with tear-filled eyes; "We're done..."

"D-Done?"

Her head slumped forward again with her hair like a curtain over her face; "Minato would have never sided with Tokuhara. We both know that. Politics be damned, he would have helped the rebels."

"But... the mission-"

"Once we had pride. As citizens of the Fire Nation, we fought for her sake without compromising our integrity and honor. But over time we forgot" She said remorsefully. "When we were hit by difficult times, the village did compromise after compromise, putting aside our sense of honor and acted as a ninja should... but in that path, we are forgetting our humanity. We teach our children to spill whatever blood is required for our village to profit on, we teach them to kill and die for our home, ignoring the very reason why Hashirama founded Konoha in the first place"

The Copy Nin was silent.

"Kakashi" Kushina she glanced back to the man. "We are more than just our village. And Konoha deserves more than this... cursed system we subject the nations to"

A civilization that thrived only by a war economy was doomed to fail. That was what Tsukiko-baachan tried to teach, what so many ignored because they had been born in such a system and as such, they could not see anything else.

They fought, bled, and die. And taught their children to do the same. Because that was their trade, that was the only way they knew how to keep their societies afloat.

"I... What you're asking me-" Kakashi stammered, his single visible eye shaken. "Do you have any idea what you're asking of me? To abandon my duty, to be branded like..."

Like Sakumo.

Kushina understood full well what she was asking; "Like Sakumo-sensei, we are stuck in an impossible decision." Her hand moved from his shoulder to cheek in a maternal manner; "For years you despised him for his actions. And you've always been afraid you might be put in that situation. Which is why I'm telling you to go home Kakashi."

His lone brow rose.

"The consequences will be mine to deal with. And I will not put you in that kind of situation all over again. Mom and the fire court can string me up for treason for all I care and discharge me." She slowly smiled; "However I choose the path of Uzu and my husband."

Hatake stood frozen in place while his mind raced with memories of his father and old team. The voice of Minato-sensei echoed in his mind before he slumped forward. He ran his hand over his face shuddering out a loud breathe staring at the ground. "I haven't changed at all have I?" His voice a myriad of emotions. "I'm staying and helping you..."

Those words surprised Kushina along with the others; "Are you sure?" the redhead questioned softly.

A nod came from the man as he got to his feet and helped up the Uzu matriarch to stand; "It's what Obito and Rin would do." He grunted as he was brought into a hug by Kushina; "Guess I really should look ahead than being buried into the past."

"Are all of you insane?" Everyone turned their gaze to Sasuke; "We would be traitors to not only the village but to the nation itself defying our orders." His eyes looked incensed. "The only thing out of everything you're saying is that there'll be consequences for this" The usually stoic boy spoke with clear distraught. "If you go along with this, you'll be branded a traitor, stripped of your rank at best and-" He shook his head. "I can't... I can't let my clan go through that"

The last loyal scion of the Uchiha, the last hope for the rebuilding of his clan, if he were to be branded a traitor then it would kill the last shred of honor his clan had. His loyalty was put into question and every land and title would be stripped from him. No longer any chance for the Uchiha to come back, if he were lucky he'd be placed under arrest... but he'd live for everyone to look at him and whisper how he was a traitor.

Just like Itachi.

"You have no idea what you're asking of us" Sasuke grunted. "We'd be selling our future because now you choose to have a conscience, the last thing a shinobi needs!"

Kushina could only stare at him with remorse.

"That thick-headed son of yours already made his choice," He said with exasperation. "Now Kakashi will give up everything for this. Are you going to ask the same from Sakura and Karin?"

"She doesn't have to" The pinkette suddenly spoke up. "I'm in as well"

"Wha..."

The pinkette shook her head; "If this is what it means to be a shinobi. I want no part in it. Cause if we have to do jobs like this, what else would be told to do? Would we have to murder innocent families because of a rival clan? Children, babies?" Sakura trembled just saying all that; "I won't be a part of that kind of work if I have to be a shinobi."

"Same for me," Karin gave a hapless shrug with an apologetic smile to a surprised Uchiha; "This place," She shuddered rubbing her arms; "There is so much grief, anger, and sadness it feels like an ocean I can't reach to the surface to." She hugged her arms tightly staring at the ground; "I can barely feel anything down in the lower city but all the misery and pain of the people enduring what this noble douchebag has done."

She blinked, her mother and brother have been rubbing off on her.

At young glasses-wearing teen's declaration, the Uchiha's eyes were wide. "Are you listening to yourselves?" His voice grew more and panicked. "This is-" He stopped as Kushina came up and knelt in front of him. She gazed at him with understanding and maternal warmth.

"Go home Sasuke."

The boy's breathing hitched at those words; "I have no right to get you involved in this. And I won't get you into this mess that I am allowing. So I want you to head back to Konoha, tell the Hokage the truth of what we have done and that you were against it. That should keep you safe from any blowback from the elders, council, and the court." Her hands went gently to his shoulders as she smiled. "Do what you feel is right to you."

The young Uchiha could only stare with his mouth hanging open.

"The last of the Uchiha's honor won't end with you, Sasuke" Kakashi spoke from the side, his voice soft. As if still grasping what they were all going to do.

"...What about the honor of the Hatake?" He asked his teacher.

Kakashi let out a short rueful laugh. "It's just a name, I'm fine with this choice" Maybe now he was starting to truly understand his father. The shame did not follow him at this moment.

Sasuke's gaze looked back at his teammates, they held no ill will, no judgment, no bitterness in their eyes. They all made this choice because this is what they believed in, and would not force Sasuke. The smiles they gave him bothered him far more if they were to look at him with indifference or even disdain.

"I..."

"My isn't this scene touching"

The sudden amused voice snapped everyone into alert. Sitting by the side of their door was Kotarō Fūma, the tall muscular woman smirked as she smoke a long pipe, taking great amusement from the events unfolding.

"When did she-?" Karin shivered in alarm. She hadn't... She hadn't felt her. Even if she was distracted by this tense moment, there is no way someone with such a large chakra level would avoid her senses being this close.

But... it was very small right now. Could this woman hide her signature so effectively that even a greatly accomplished sensor like her wouldn't be able to feel her this close?

That was horrifying for the young Uzu girl.

Kushina and Kakashi stood on alert, the former placing a hand on her sword. "So... here to report us?"

"Hmmmm" The orange-haired woman tilted her head with a long dragged-out sound. "Nah"

"Huh?" was the only word that came from the two adults.

Kotaro scratched the back of her head; "Tell ya the truth I'm can't blame you. That daimyo is a prick, but he pays well, thus why I'm here. But yeah, I get it and respect your decision."

Well, that was cool in Naruto's mind; "So what, do you want to join us?"

"Oh no, now that I know you'll be on the opposite side I'm far more invested in remaining here"

Naruto blinked a few times, "Wait, what?"

Her question was met by a pure feral smile sent in the direction of Kushina and Kakashi; "Do you know all the tales of your mom here blondie?" the woman questioned Naruto; "Red is a freaking legend to the entire ninja community. Her name carries both respect and fear in ALL the nations. Scarecrow is damn near close that folks pay attention when his name is spoken. Do you know how many people have wanted the chance to fight these two? Especially that living goddess of battle that is standing right there."

While there was high praise in her tone and words, Kushina could not help but feel the taller woman's eyes were mentally undressing her the entire time.

Soujiro cocked a brow; "So you are staying on the Daimyo's side for a chance to fight Aunty Kuhsina and Hatake-san?"

"Yup!" Kotaro quipped brightly while licking her lips that were making Kushina shiver while she stared at her. "Red the most."

"You're just a bloodthirsty woman, aren't you?" Naruto wished his mouth would wait for his brain sometimes.

The grin she gave him was answer enough.

"What if we pay you to help us?" Kushina proposed. "You could help yourself to the daimyo's riches once he's dethroned"

The offer did not entice her in the least. "I'm bored" She replied with a tired sigh. "Fighting you, Red Death is bound to snap me out of my funk. Rebels are a brave bunch, would be an honor to fight them and test their resolve. You folks on their side make the prospect... that much sweeter" She licked her lips.

Kushina's gaze shifted for a moment. "Promise you will not harm any of the rebels or anybody else from my team. And I will personally give you the match you want"

Intensity shined in Kotarō's red eyes. "Will you now? Hmm, I was looking forward to spilling some blood... but I can I hold back a bit if it means fighting you" She walked closer to Kushina, emphasizing the height difference between the two. "You better not hold back at all, Red Dead. Or else I'll be disappointed..."

Sakura spoke up; "You won't raise any alarms on us?"

"Oh hell no, not if I get to fight her."

Kushina turned her eyes to Kakashi who nodded; "Alright, we will head out." She sharply turned to Sasuke; "You head home as fast as you can. While I feel she will keep her word, I don't trust Tokuhara one bit to retaliate."

The Uchiha only watched on as his team quickly gathered their things and leaped out through the windows. "Not going with them Uchiha?" Kotarō turned her gaze to the raven-haired boy.

Sasuke was quiet for a moment before sighing; "No." That was all he said before now jumping out of the window and going in the opposite direction back towards the Leaf village.

Kotaro shrugged; "His loss on a good fight." She strolled away taking smoke from her pipe.

XxX ~ xx ~ XxX

Kakashi sighed beside Kushina as they moved from rooftop to rooftop in the shadows of the night. "We are going to catch so much hell for this."

"I know..." The former ANBU captain bemoaned dryly. "Stripped of our ranks for sure. Prison if we're lucky. My mom's the Hokage, she won't let anyone punish us too harshly"

"The only backlash my father faced was brought upon by the public and the shinobi force" Kakashi reminded her. "And the consequences of his actions were severe..."

That fateful mission, when Sakumo chose to save his teammates instead of finishing it. The military build-up had been increasing in the years before the Third War, and skirmishes were breaking out in the borders already. Konoha was in an extremely precarious situation at the time with no allies to call upon.

Sakumo and his team had been dispatched to procure the allegiance of the Land of Stone, being a neighboring nation between them and the Land of Earth, it was the most logical move to get the land between the two great nations to join their side and deprive one of their largest aggressors of a staging point.

But Sakumo had forfeited the mission when his teammates' life was in peril... and as a result, the Land of Stone had chosen to side with Earth in the upcoming war. Putting Konoha's in even greater disadvantage would end up costing the lives of many loyal shinobi.

Were it not for the fact that Sakumo was such a powerful ninja, and the looming war on the horizon making every available shinobi needed for the future engagements, he would have been stripped of his rank.

But his actions, how he failed his village when it needed him the most, how it would come back to eventually harm many of their fellow shinobi when the war inevitably came... that's what stripped Sakumo of his honor, and his will to live.

Only the gods knew what consequences their actions would bring. But...

"We have to do choose what's right, even for once" Kushina passionately replied. "Gogyou-koku is trapped in this... this system we put in place. We cry about the sacrifices our comrades make, without wanting to admit it's our choices which create the need for those sacrifices"

"You sound like Ero-Sennin," Naruto quipped beside his mother.

His mom was quick to rebuke; "There is a big difference between me and him, along with Minato. That old toad and your late father are hopeful idealists who believe some hero can save the whole damn world. I've always been a realist, and it will take more than one damn person to fix the mess the nations have been in."

Karin felt quite a bit of disdain coming from her adopted mom in saying that.

"Father said being an idealist is a good quality as long as it is grounded in realism," Soujiro commented absently.

Kushina smirked; 'Sounds like what Saito-nii would say.' She soon gave a serious gaze to everyone; "When we get to the forest we will have to play it carefully. The rebels will likely think this is a trap, convincing them might take some effort."

"That big dude Kosuke is one of us right?" Naruto questioned

"Being Uzumaki makes his opinion biased on that account. That young leader will decide if we can be trusted"

Kakashi grunted warily; "Might be a bit hard after fighting them less than a few hours ago."

"But fighting sometimes leads to people becoming trusted allies and friends" The blonde Uzumaki gave his opinion.

Sakura gave him a deadpanning look. "Naruto, don't take life lessons from manga and anime"

"Who's talking about fiction? This literally happened to us multiple times; Haku and Zabuza, Neji, freaking Gaara"

Okay, he may be on to something there...

"But their allies sure as hell won't make it easy," Kushina said, as they finally left the city and made their way to the woods. The closer they came to the forest the more apprehensive they grew. This was just pure insanity from beginning to end, going completely against their village's orders and damaging their reputation and business in ways they could not yet understand.

But they had to try.

They stopped when Kushina abruptly did, looking straight on at the edge of the woods with a suspicious narrowed gaze. "We don't know how many of their Manji allies are patrolling the perimeter."

With that said, she conjured a Shadow Clone and sent it ahead, the clone speed up quickly to reach the entrance to the forest.

It barely got halfway there before dozens upon dozens of arrows riddled every visible part of its body, its front has turned into a human pincushion before finally popping out of existence, leaving all the arrows to fall to the floor.

The youngsters stared with wide-eyed horror at the display.

The silver-haired Jounin winced glancing at Kushina who showed various visible emotions of phantom pain. "So... How did that feel?"

"Don't ask," Kushina muttered with a groan shivering. "Okay 'ttbane. Plan B."

XxX ~ xx ~ XxX

Takeda let out a soft groan sitting inside the main meeting tent of the camp. His mind went over the events of several hours ago. Nearby Kosuke sat quietly next to his bear Kuma who sleeps soundly. The towering Uzumaki gazed in no discernible direction. A few bandages cover parts of his face from Kushina's attacks. But his mind wasn't in the present.

The eyes of the young leader shift out of the tent seeing his adoptive grandfather sharpening his katana and cleaning his armor. Takeda soon turned his gaze toward Kosuke, as he was about to speak Kuma's head shot up now fully awake as shouting could be heard outside. Which was followed by a large commotion of people starting to run about.

This roused both Takeda and Kosuke who stood up with the large bear and left the tent. Once outside shock bore on their faces at the sight of the Konoha shinobis being led into the encampment with a dozen Manji with bows at the ready. All of them had their hands up in surrender while a nervous chuckle came from Kushina; "Uh... Hi."

Takeda could only stare incredulously at the scene before him as his closest allies rose with him to observe the party of shinobi who had been taken to their camp at the mercy of the Manji master marksmen. They certainly showed no signs of hostility or do anything that would give the archers a reason to shoot.

Which begged the question; Why in blazes were they here?

"This is either a shinobi tactics running circles around our heads," The young rebel leader said as the twins closely kept an eye on the shinobi. Kosuke could only stare bewildered at the sight of his family being here in what seemed to be vastly more different circumstances. "Or you are amazingly stupid"

"The latter?" Karin questioned her young peers, all of who nodded in agreement. "Yeah, the latter"

Takeda ignored the comment. "There doesn't seem to have been a struggle, you are not tied or unconscious so you weren't brought as captives" Which meant they came willingly. "I have no doubt the Manji checked you a dozen times over before even allowing you to enter the forest. So I simply have to ask, why are you here?"

It was the Uzumaki woman who replied with certainty. "We came to help you take down the daimyo"

Multiple exclamations of distrust and suspicious murmurs rang out from across the camp. Isamu and Isao looked at each other confused, while Kosuke bless him, had the most hopeful look in his eyes.

"Enough!" Shibata raised his hand and quelled the ruckus with authority. "After all that's happened, you want to help? Forgive me if I do not believe you"

"I'd question your sanity if you did Shibata-san," Kakashi quipped with an eye-smile. "Then again I'm questioning our own given what we are doing at the present moment."

Isao and Isamu glanced at each other; "You're willingly committing treason to help us?" Isao questioned with skepticism.

"Wow, that sounds way more horrifying than when it going in my head," the pinkette murmured to herself before clearing her throat. "Y-yes."

"Where's the Uchiha?" Isamu taking note of one Leaf ninja missing. The overly serious for his age brat. "He waiting in the shadows or something?"

Kushina quickly shook her head; "I told him to go back home. He wanted no part of this decision and I wasn't going to force him into this."

Takeda sharply glanced to a Manji scout; "We couldn't find anyone else out there besides these guys." Said scout deadpans staring at Kushina; "Hottie here decided to scream at the top of her lungs while blondie was waving a giant white flag."

All eyes turn to the mother and son; "Well we didn't want you to kill us 'ttbayo!" Naruto reproached waving his arms around.

Kosuke squinted; 'And he has Kushi's verbal tick...'

"We're not just letting them 'join up' are we?" Isamu questioned Takeda with a worrying tone.

"I'm not getting any bad vibes from them" The Manji representative, that tattooed girl with soft rose-colored hair Yoimiya, made herself known by stating her opinion without any reservation. "I'd say let them. The more help we have the fewer losses we're bound to take"

"Yes, but-" The rebel leader was cut off before he could finish.

"You're the one who told me most of the Konohas were very conflicted about the whole thing" She pointed out. "'Sides, they have first-hand knowledge on the daimyo's fortification and forces in the capital right now"

That was true, they could prove to be a very valuable asset. But he couldn't make any rushed decisions, no matter how pleading Kosuke was looking at him.

"If it helps, the daimyo has another shinobi under his employ" Kushina brought up. "Kotarō Fūma"

That made the Manji members gasp and look at each other with nervousness and fear. Even the cheerful Yoimiya's demeanor swiftly changed. "The current head of the Fūma clan?!" She nearly stammered at the end there. "The tales about the woman are more like horror stories. They say she punched the eye out of the previous clan head to get the position!"

"Ouch," Naruto, Sakura, and Kakashi visibly wince.

A nervous laugh came from the Uzu matriarch; "And she wants to fight me..." She knows she did a lot of bad back in the day. But was her karma THIS bad?!

"We can offer details on their defenses and how they are deploying their troops;" Soujiro offered in his usual calm tone which many found to be a bit freaky given the situation.

Takeda rubbed the back of his head glancing at his grandfather; "The information could help us."

"Like hell, we should have these damn ninja helping us!" A rebel called out; "Shinobi are only loyal to their paycheck!"

"Fuck. You," The twins reprimanded in stereo glaring back at the man taking offense.

Shibata rubbed his chin; "We could just get all the information from them and lock them up till this is over."

"Seriously," Yoimiya drawled; "They are willingly committing treason to help us."

"And you never take a Shinobi's word at face value."

"Alright, pipe down" Takeda finally had enough of the back and forth and decided to settle things once and for all. He marched closer to the group until he was standing face to face with the redheaded woman. He looked straight into her violet eyes, looking for the smallest hint of suspicion in them, but he only found a steely gaze. With a small hint of sadness, she could not quite hide.

"Swear it on your clan" The young rebel demanded out of the shinobi. "On the graves of your fallen kin, on the traditions and values passed down, that you swear to help us"

He needed her word, not as a shinobi, but as an Uzumaki

Kushina ever so slowly placed a hand right in front of her heart, ignoring how it was now more on the right ever since her return. "On my clan's honor, on my kins' spirit, on my son's life... we are here to help you"

For a moment, everything was silent. The rebels and their allies waited at the tense scene before them, it was like a confrontation between two giants, and everyone could feel the weight. Naruto pursed his lips, praying to every god that might listen to give them this chance, to make amends and do something good.

A collective sigh, of relief for some and exasperation for others, was exhaled when Takeda slowly nodded. "Kosuke-san, show them around" He turned around and walked away to tend to the invasion's preparation.

The large man's smile was all teeth.

The twins sighed in perfect sync. "Having Konohas around ain't exactly comforting for us"

The large hands of Shibata patted their shoulders, making them stumble. "Harsh times make for strange bedfellows," He said with humor and a deep laugh in his voice.

As the Manji bows were lowered and the Konoha shinobi were allowed their free movement, they could finally breathe easily now. "Won't lie, this is one of the tensest moments I've ever lived" Kakashi said, scratching his cheek.

"Not top five for me" Kushina shrugged, "But definitely top ten-ACK!" She was picked up from the ground and brought into a tight crushing hug by Kosuke.

Those around him sweatdrop as the giant of a man was crying out happy tears; "I'd knew you would come around!" Kosuke cheered brightly. A happy snorted grunt came from Kuma who danced on his front paws. Sakura and Karin stared wide-eyed at the big furry beast.

"Um, Kosuke-san," Kakashi spoke up with some urgency; "Your crushing Kushina-sama." His words reached the other man as he stopped and saw Kushina's face was turning purple.

"Can't breath!" She muttered in a stain. In a flash, Kosuke relented setting his fellow Uzu down as she took in deep breaths.

"Sorry..." He spoke in a bashful tone scratching his head; "Forget my strength sometimes."

Naruto squinted as he noticed Sakura and Karin were hiding behind him as the huge bear came closer to them. "Oh don't fret," Yoimiya quipped brightly; "Think of Kuma like a teddy bear!"

'Not our kind of teddy bear!' the two female kunoichis mentally yelled out in fright.

"Is he from an animal clan?" Kakashi questioned keeping his eye on the massive animal.

Kosuke shook his head; "Nope, He's from a sleuth of bears that found me as a boy. Was raised among them."

"...You were raised by bears..." Sakura blinked in shock at the towering man.

He let out a deep laugh, "We can get to know each other better once this is all over"

"Yeah!" Yoimiya said excitedly, coming closer to their new allies. "Once we win, we'll drink and celebrate!"

Some of the Konoha natives weren't so sure about celebrating their treason, but at this point, there was little they could do to make things worse. Kakashi knew he would need a lot of alcohol once this was over and done with, maybe Anko would let him take her special stash.

Oh, sweet gods, Anko would kick his ass once she found out about this...

"Come on," Kosuke said with a palm on Kushina's shoulder. "You must be hungry, we'll get you guys something to eat" He smiled at Naruto. "You gotta eat your meat if you wanna grow big and strong"

The sight of Kosuke's smile was enough to lift Naruto's spirit for the first time in a while. He was finally doing the right thing, and he got to be with his family in the process. Sasuke choosing another path weighed heavily on him, but he had to follow his conscience.

There would be hell waiting for them back home, once it got out what they did, but for now, he took comfort in knowing he was going to fight for people who needed help.

That alone made his resolve all the stronger.

XxX ~ xx ~ XxX

"The scouts say they saw them march straight into the forest. They asked the Uchiha before he left, and though he did not answer we can all but confirm the worst came to pass" Moroi gravely spook beside his lord as the two descended the dark and damp steps of the dungeon.

Ishikata Tokuhara was going through the worst moment of his life. His nation was besieged by these godless rebels who had murdered his brother, their ranks swelling with the arrival of that mercenary army with the Manji, the shinobi had hired not only failed to stop them but DEFECTED to their side.

The world had gone mad. And here he was, just barely trying to hold it all together. How was ever going to protect his nation now?

They still had Kotarō, that brute of a woman was a siege weapon all on her own, but the rebel now possessed a sizeable enough force filled with many talented individuals. Even with all the weaponry on their side, their odds were not looking good. And they became even worse with those Konoha dogs' betrayal.

Yomi take them, every miserable last one of them.

...He was out of options.

Tokuhara never sought it'd come to this, but to save his nation, his clan, his family, he had to make a deal with the devil…

Rarely has the Daimyo set foot down on this floor. This was a place meant for his interrogators and guards. There was a slew of iron cells to house one or two prisoners each. Many of the rebel scum his men had been able to capture was brought here to his interrogators for questioning.

Torches were lit on beams around the room as Tokuhara and Yoroi reached the last stepped and strolled through the dungeon. Their eyes focused on the end of the room where the massive prison cell was cloaked in shadow. They stopped at the threshold of the cell doors looking into the darkness. Glancing down, the Daimyo saw a severed half-eaten hand with blood soaking the floor.

He ignored the sight before looking back into the darkness; "I shall agree to your terms."

There was nothing but silence for a long moment before a chuckle came from the darkness; "So you have come around Daimyo-sama," the voice was male but guttural and distorted.

"Traitors forced my hand. I have no other choice now." The lord omitted sternly; "For my family, my city and its people. I turn to ask for your assistance. And I will honor the terms you requested of me."

"So you come to me out of necessity..." The voice humored in amusement; "But no matter, we are here to help, my lord." Moroi tensed as glowing golden slit eyes appear within the cell. "We shall happily end your troubles with this rebellion."

There was a rustle as the figure stood up, footsteps came from within the darkness emerged a humanoid figure. Blue skinned sharp teeth, two oversized coiling fangs coming from its lower jaw. There were two stubs on his forehead, short horns that further showed the man's inhuman nature. His upper body was heavily muscular, contrasting with his large yet still solid belly, and arms so large they look like they could snap a man in half with barely any effort.

"I stayed here because I knew you'd come around," The oni said with a malevolent grin, leaning in front of the cell's bars. "I could smell a shift coming in the wind, I know when a kingdom will fall"

Tokuhara said nothing.

"So... you remember what you have to do, right?"

"To spill my enemies' blood" The daimyo slowly said, "I first must spill my country's blood" The oni grinned.

"Living sacrifice... my lord, to do something so foul..." Moroi said with clear disgust.

"We have little choice," He said regretfully. "We have to find... some people amongst the clans. Perhaps the elderly or sick, those who do not have much time left"

"You know" The demon rumbled, leaning his forehead against an arm resting on the bars. "There are cells filled with people here"

The daimyo gave the oni an honestly confused look. "But, you said I need to spill my country's blood"

Now it was the demon's turn to look confused before realization dawned and he let out a deep guttural chuckle. "Oh you're a cold bastard... these humans here, they're not even your people in your eyes aren't they?"

"Them?" Ishikata said with incredulity. "Just traitors, criminals, and peasants who did not fall in line. What use could they possibly have?"

"It matters not the blood, as long as they are your subjects, they'll do"

Tokuhara thought about for a moment, looking much more relieved of all sudden. He turned to his commander and ordered; "Order some soldiers to gather the prisoners here"

"At once, my lord"

XxX ~ xx ~ XxX ~ xx ~ XxX ~ xx ~ XxX ~ xx ~ XxX