I hope you enjoy.
"Those who fail to learn history
are doomed to repeat it.
Those who fail to learn history correctly -
why, they are simply doomed."
"Lord Daimyo." Kakashi stood on the platform atop the Hokage tower in full uniform. He never liked wearing it, but he understood and complied to the etiquette such events demanded. "Welcome to Konohagakure."
"Lord Hokage!" The gruff voice of the daimyo boomed through the noise of the crowd gathered below them. "On behalf of the capital, I thank you for hosting me and my retinue for the upcoming days." Moving closer to the edge of the platform, he drank in the view of the restored shinobi village, now expanded far beyond what it had been during the rule of his predecessors. Kakashi had resisted some of his restoration efforts, such as the inclusion of a railway system, but for the most part, the shinobi had been nothing but cooperative in achieving his vision of the settlement.
Eito Fuku's climb to the position of daimyo of the Fire Nation had been clouded in controversy ever since his appearance on the political stage. After his father and uncle died during the war, Eito had become the sole inheritor of the Fuku family's wealth. Instead of resting on his laurels, he invested all his riches into various businesses focusing especially on technological development and innovation – something that had been considered foolish by any of his competitors. His decisions proved wise, however, when his predecessor had taken an interest in developing and modernizing the infrastructure of the capital. Working closely with the city's officials presented the opportunity to amass connections within the political sphere, as well as expanding his wealth. By the time the capital had been modernized - a mere three years later and through no small amount of effort on his part - Eito had become one of the most powerful men in the Fire Nation. When he eventually set his eyes on the title of daimyo, very few were surprised that he achieved it, though many feared that his ambitions would not stop there.
Eito's demeanor immediately took a more serious tone, as they stepped away from the platform's rail and out of view. "I trust the plan is proceeding accordingly."
"As per your instructions." The Hokage's voice was now but a whisper, only heard by his target. "The Council members are getting suspicious, especially since you did not want them to partake in the welcoming ceremony."
"Bah! Bunch of fossils! Let them come and complain to my face, if they have something to say." Eito started walking "Let's head inside, Kakashi. We need to discuss the upcoming events."
[…]
"I trust your trip was pleasant…" The Kage removed his hat, pausing in front of his office window to analyze the samurai who had arrived with the daimyo as part of his retinue. A small army, he concluded – much more than was necessary and much more than in previous visits. This too, was part of the larger plan.
"Oh, yes. The fresh air does this old body good." He halted his gait to the nearest chair for a moment, taking a good look at his conversation partner "Though I don't expect you to understand what that's like, seeing how you never seem to age." The man's laughter sent ripples across his expensive garments. "But let us dispense with the pleasantries. Where are Uzumaki Naruto and Uchiha Sasuke? I want them to be a part of this conversation."
"I'll have Naruto summoned, if that is your wish." Kakashi finally sat down "As for Sasuke, he is leading the team that is escorting your son to the Land of Mist."
"Hm… I see you took no chances with that part of the plan. How very like you, Hatake Kakashi."
A few minutes later a knock on the door announced the arrival of the jinchuriki. Unlike Shikamaru, who led him into the office, Naruto stance was relaxed and carefree, though Kakashi understood that it was not due to a lack of respect towards their guest.
"Ah, my boy… welcome… welcome. Have a seat." Eito was the first to speak, displaying the widest smile Kakashi had ever seen on the man's face in all their years of interacting. Naruto seemed taken aback by the greeting, but followed his instructions anyway.
"Naruto, as I'm sure you are aware, this is the daimyo of the Fire Nation, Eito Fuku." Kakashi intervened.
"Yeah… Ol' man Fuku. We've spoken once before, right after the war." He flashed a characteristic smile towards Eito. If the man was bothered by the moniker, he showed no signs of it.
"And an enlightening conversation it was, my boy… The stories people tell about you on the battlefield are almost unbelievable."
"Oh… I… " The blonde rubbed the back of his neck "It was the combined effort of the Allied Shinobi Forces that won the day, in the end."
"Strong and humble, huh? No wonder everybody speaks so highly of you. But please, there is no need to be modest in front of me. I'm well aware of the part you played. In fact, I'll admit that it was your prowess and dedication to achieving victory in the war that inspired me to dedicate my time as daimyo to the pursuit of absolute peace."
"Ab-solute peace?" Naruto couldn't help but wince at the word. He remembered Madara using such terms.
"Four years ago, I had a dream. No. A vision of a perfect world. One in which all the five great nations were united and war had become all but a distant memory."
"The Infinite Tsukuyomi…" Kakashi muttered
"Exactly!" Eito snapped "For all of its atrocities, the Forth Shinobi War had achieved one good thing, and that was to show me this utopia. You can imagine my disappointment when I awoke, only to find that it had been a dream." He stopped to eye Naruto "You and Uchiha Sasuke did well in stopping Madara, as an illusion is no substitute for reality – I understand that. But the seed of that vision had already taken root in my mind. Try as I might, I could not come back to this flawed existence… so I set out to make reality match that vision, instead. That is why I worked tirelessly to become the daimyo, and after that, to strengthen and elevate us above the other great nations."
The three shinobi in the room swapped glances, but maintained their silence.
"But that is not enough… We are only one of five great powers upon who's shoulders the fate of this world rests. As I lead this country into the future, a question is ever-present in my mind. How long before another war starts? A decade? Less?"
"The five hidden villages had never before worked together like in the Fourth War, and since then the bonds between their shinobi… the very barriers that stop such an event from reoccurring have only grown stronger." Kakashi finally spoke out.
"Oh yes… The bonds of camaraderie forged in combat are unbreakable. I am aware of that, Hokage. Unfortunately, however, world peace does not rely on the hidden villages alone. There are many more moving pieces on the board, chief amongst which are the other capitals – the other daimyo. The political and economic machine that represents a nation are not as straightforward as combat, I'm afraid. And the cogs that form such a machine are people with their own motivations and ambitions. People who have not experienced the bonds of which you speak. You understand this, don't you?"
"We've broken the cycle of hatred that has ruled the hidden villages for decades." Naruto's voice carried conviction. "Another war won't happen as long as I live, Ol' man Fuku. I'll do whatever it takes to stop that from happening again."
"For as long as you live, you say? But we all meet our end eventually, is that not true? What's to stop the future generations from reigniting that hatred? People have never needed much reason to hate and kill each other. The only way to avoid such a fate is to leave the next generations with a foundation that does not allow such an outcome. That is why I have come up with the plan your friend, Sasuke, is currently enacting. It is only the start, but with time, all of the great nations will be unified into one."
[…]
There was no doubt about it. Kiba hated the man. Everything about him seemed off and irritating – from the way he carried himself, to the way he spoke and even his scent. Above all, however, he hated the way his two team mates executed the Uchiha's orders without hesitation or suspicion. This meant that if he acted out on his gut feeling about him, he would be singled out for insubordination, and with Kurenai's words about his temper not matching his rank still fresh in his head, he wanted to avoid such a stain on his record.
"During the Daimyo's journey from the capital to Konoha, three scouts will have split apart from his convoy to survey the area, under the pretext of checking for threats. Only two would rejoin the group and resume their escort duty. The third was the Daimyo's son, disguised as a common soldier, and if everything went according to plan, he should be waiting for us at this safe house." Sasuke pointed at a section on the map unfolded in front of them.
The location had not been marked by any symbol, in case the piece of paper somehow fell into enemy hands, but it was the responsibility of any Jounin to memorize the safe houses surrounding Konoha. This had been a measure implemented by Tsunade during her time as Hokage. These small hovels would be well hidden, off the beaten path and stocked with medical supplies, food and equipment. In case of an attack, knowing their location could mean the difference between danger and safety to a defending shinobi of the Leaf.
"As you have undoubtedly surmised, the person we will be escorting is Itsuki Fuku – the only son of Eito Fuku. After we rendezvous at the safe house, we will immediately start moving to this harbor" Sasuke trailed the route, hovering his finger above another location on the map "where a ship will be waiting to take us to the Land of Mist's main island. From there, we will continue our journey on horseback and later infiltrate the Mist's capital under the guise of merchants."
"What is lord Fuku's objective once we reach our destination?" Shino was the one who voiced the question, though it had been on the mind of both his team mates.
The Uchiha took a moment to look at each of them in turn before returning his gaze to the map.
"Unknown." None of them seemed satisfied with the answer, yet no one pressed the topic further.
"How can we pose as merchants without any items to display as proof?" Kiba finally saw his opportunity to poke a hole in their new team leader's plan. "Both the harbor authorities and the capital's guards will want to see our wares, as proof of our claim."
"There is no need to concern yourself with that detail." Sasuke answered flatly, but Kiba did not miss the chance to add the dismissive words as yet another reason to reinforce his animosity towards the man.
The Uchiha folded the map neatly, depositing it into one of the interior pockets of his cloak. The idea of leading this team continued to vex him. He wasn't yet sure whether this was due to the fact that for almost half a decade he had worked alone or because of the individuals that comprised the team itself - a ninken specialist, an insect user and a wielder of the Byakugan bloodline. Sasuke had studied all of their files in depth days before they set out from Konoha. Afterall, he was nothing if not meticulous about his work. Kiba was definitely the more problematic of the three, having already given Sasuke the impression that he was ready to pick a fight with him on several occasions since they left. In a weird way, his hot-blooded attitude reminded him of a younger Naruto – one who never outgrew his colorful outbursts. Shino Aburame, by contrast, was always calm and projected self-control in both his mannerisms and speech. Above all else, he was quiet, a trait which Sasuke appreciated almost more than his insect techniques. The Hyuga gave him the overall impression that she did not belong in battle. There was a gentleness about her that almost bordered on frailty, yet reports from her recorded missions placed her on par with her team mates in terms of efficiency. Stranger still was the fact that her pre-war mission reports detailed what was at best a mediocre performance on her part, while the ones after the war - when most shinobi laxed on maintaining their skills due to peacetime- portrayed her as a capable kunoichi, even by the Sasuke's standards. The memory of meeting her at the Konoha memorial site crept back in his mind. She had been kind and welcoming for no reason, yet she had not gone there for him. A dear person lost in the war could bring forth such dedication to her craft, he concluded. Afterall, he knew better than anyone what kind of conviction the death of a loved one could instill in a person. The next two weeks would at least be interesting with such companions, he mused.
[…]
"Eh! I'm not getting any of this. If this is all about a marriage, then why all the secrecy?!" Naruto cycled looks between Shikamaru and Kakashi.
"That is quite simple, my boy… To prevent the other nations from finding out before the deed is done. We live in times of peace, that much is true – in fact, it is the only reason why such an attempt is even possible. However, the great nations have been in fierce competition with each other for longer than history is recorded. If this event would be made public, my son's marriage to the daughter of the Water Daimyo will be immediately identified as a political alliance by the other nations, and out of fear they could revert to a hostile stance."
"So, your plan is to feign ignorance of the whole ordeal… Two spirited children falling in love and secretly marrying without consent from either side? And as loving fathers, neither you nor the Water Daimyo can, in good conscience, harm your children for such a foolish decision. After the scandals die down, you will be left with the two leading families in the Fire and Water Nations being united, is that right?" Kakashi leaned forward on his desk, bringing his hands together below his chin. "This is an extremely dangerous gambit, Eito."
"Even if they believe your bluff, Lord Fuku, there is still no guarantee that the remaining nations will not react aggressively, or even going so far as forming an alliance of their own." Shikamaru couldn't help but admire the intricacy of the scheme, yet also understood that a plan with many moving pieces had about as many ways to fail.
"I'm well aware of your concerns. Still, the time for such a move is now, while the great nations have tasted peace and would be hesitant to initiate another conflict. If this had been attempted at any time before this moment, there would be no doubt that the nations would band together and attack preemptively. As things stand now, I have received extensive reports that Iwagakure and Kumogakure have suffered the most losses during the war and have yet to recover. The Earth and Lightning Daimyos will not risk initiating an attack without the involvement of the Wind Nation."
"Gaara…" Naruto muttered. Even the thought of coming into conflict with Sunagakure sickened him.
"Yes… I know of your personal relations with the Kazekage, Naruto. In fact, it is the bond between you two that I'm counting on to keep the Land of Wind's reaction a non-aggressive one. Even if the order came down from the Wind's leader to start a conflict against our nations, I'm sure Gaara of the Desert would disregard it, even if faced with accusations of insubordination."
Shikamaru couldn't help but imagine this whole ordeal as a game of shogi, where Eito was the player and everybody else was a piece on the board. The two currently strongest nations would unite, and from the remaining three, two would be too weak to start another war and the third's military commander would never consent to fight against Konoha and Naruto. He couldn't fault the Daimyo's logic… but people often reacted irrationally when gripped by suspicion and fear.
"There's still one aspect of this that I cannot figure out. The Water Daimyo is known to be hesitant when it comes to big changes. Even if an alliance with the Land of Fire would represent a great benefit to his own nation, he doesn't strike me as the kind of man who would accept this level of risk to achieve it." Kakashi's eyes narrowed "How did you convince him to agree with your plan?"
"I proposed the idea to him one year ago, at the last Daimyo summit. You are correct in assuming that he was unwilling to commit to it, the fool. In fact, he wanted to hear nothing of the sort, claiming that the five nations were in a delicate balance and needed no events to rock the boat, as they say in the Land of Waves." Eito paused to look at each of the three shinobi present in the room, analyzing their body language. "All of you need to understand that this opportunity is one that we cannot afford to pass up. I could not allow a single man's fear to jeopardize this world's chance at true peace."
"What did you do?"
"I… reminded him that both Uchiha Sasuke and Uzumaki Naruto are shinobi of the Fire Nation."
"You threatened him?!" Kakashi slammed his hands on the desk and shot out of his chair. The two men's fame had spread like wildfire to every corner of the five nations. This phenomenon had been so severe, in fact, that for a full year after the war, Konoha's infrastructure and services were creaking under the weight of too many visitors traveling from all over continent just for the chance of catching a glimpse of Naruto – the war hero who managed to bring peace to the shinobi world. More importantly, the stories that spread contained glimpses of Naruto and Sasuke's prowess in combat – veritable demigods whose power changed the landscape when they went into battle.
Eito folded his arms across his chest "People that let their fear guide them can only be persuaded through fear – and I just gave him something worse to fear."
Before he could say anything else, the sound of wood snapping cut him off. Naruto had broken the armrest of his chair. The piece of wood dropped to the floor, as the jinchuriki got up and started walking towards the office door.
"N-Naruto!" Kakashi moved from behind his desk in an attempt to catch up to his former student. "Where are you going?"
"Isn't it obvious?!" his voice cracked with suppressed fury "I'm going to catch up with Sasuke's team and put an end to this farce."
"You will do no such thing, boy! I command you to stand down!" Eito's voice boomed like a fog horn.
He couldn't register what happened next… One moment, he saw Naruto standing by the door, and a split second later his entire body jolted forward, as the blonde tugged at the collar of his garbs. Kakashi was there as well, one hand grasping his assailant's wrist while dark tendrils weaved across Naruto's body, moving down his legs and across the floor to meld with Shikamaru's shadow.
"You come here preaching about peace… Uniting the five nations… " The jinchuriki pulled him closer to meet his eyes, straining Shikamaru's technique to its limit "Yet all you do is try to use me and Sasuke as weapons."
"Y-you are weapons! The commoners might tell each other stories about a h-hero who brought peace to the world… but you are deluding yourself if you believe, even for a second, that in the eyes of the other Daimyos you are anything more than a threat to their ambitions. What do you think is maintaining that peace?! Fear! Fear of you and Uchiha Sasuke being used against anybody who would start another conflict." Eito finally felt the grasp of the jinchuriki easing up gradually and then letting go completely. He took a step back, instinctively putting distance between himself and the danger, but his eyes were filled with conviction when he spoke again. "I told you, boy… the world is bigger than the hidden shinobi villages. Those who you fought beside might respect and adore you, but to the actual leaders of this world you are either an obstacle or a means to an end. At least I am forthcoming with my intentions."
"That doesn't give you the right to play with other people's lives!"
"Wake up to reality. Only six months after the war ended, the Lightning Daimyo hired mercenaries to augment his foot soldiers and ordered a full assault on one of the Land of Earth's provinces. He knew full well that the Raikage vehemently opposed this idea and would not send shinobi to assist in the conflict. Still, he intended to take advantage of his enemy's weakened state in order to add more fertile land under his control. If your friend had not intervened by assassinating the officers of those mercenary companies, the two nations would have devastated each other. But even with his continuous vigilance, the Uchiha is only curing the symptoms. I plan to prevent them from happening in the first place. Make no mistake… as long as the five nations exist, there will always be conflict. If the future generations have any hope of avoiding the horrors of war, it is only if they are born in a world where there is nobody to go to war with. This needs to be done. That is why I have labored over this plan to unite them."
"Through lying and fear mongering?"
"You'd rather I send more people to their deaths? Conquer them by force, at the cost of thousands of lives?"
Silence filled the room. At hearing those words, Naruto's mind lapsed back to the fields of corpses that haunted his dreams. If the Daimyo spoke truthfully and the great nations had always been waiting all along to reignite old conflicts, then the only option for future generations was, indeed, the unification of the five main powers. What he hated most about all of this was that he couldn't come up with a better alternative to the Daimyo's method.
"I won't have anything to do with this." Naruto clenched his fists and turned to walk out of the office. There had to be another way.
The Hokage moved to stop him but Eito raised his hand in silent protest.
"Let him be, Kakashi." He finally spoke after Naruto left "He'll need to think of what we discussed here today. In the meantime, we will continue what we started."
[…]
Sasuke surveyed the area around the safe house before he stepped into the small clearing. The small shed was not much to look at, although he suspected that was by design. If someone happened upon it by chance, they had every reason to believe that it would be abandoned. Tall weeds and shrubbery encroached its wooden walls from all sides, competing to reach the sunlight. Vibrant green moss covered the better part of the roof, leaving black spots where tiles were missing. As he turned the corner to the side with the door, a horse adorned with Fire Nation traditional samurai tack noticed his presence and neighed loudly, trying to pull away from the stump that kept him bound to the area.
"Who's there?!" A high-pitched voice creaked from inside the hovel.
Irritation washed over the Uchiha – the Hyuga girl had confirmed there was only one person waiting inside the structure, but she forgot to mention the horse that gave him away.
"Itsuki Fuku… come out. We were sent from Konohagakure to assist you in your mission."
Thank you for reading. Take care.
