A/N: I need to ask in advance for forgiveness from any Japanese readers (once again for my poorly-written pseudo-Japanese). Also, Kishimoto did not expound on the Samurai of Tetsu no Kuni in his work. I think he left it all intentionally vague so as not to distract from Naruto's story and that's a fair criticism. He borrowed liberally from real-life shinobi of history to create a lot of his characters and I believe doing so with the Samurai would have dragged on the story for another year or more.
Trust me when I say Fuedal Japan has a story rich with history and colorful characters.
Good thing I don't have limitations in fan fiction so, to that end, I have "dug a little deeper" so to say and I hope that I've not offended anyone descendant from that same history. I did try to stay away from royalty or impinge upon immediate family members of Emperor Seiwa, for instance, as I do not have the familiarity with Japanese history to avoid embarrassing court errors in that regard.
In order to flesh out the "5 Rings" that make up the ruling structure of the Tetsu Shogunate, I've - much like Kishimoto - borrowed from history. However, the historical timeline doesn't conveniently match (for instance, the Ashikaga Shogunate was overthrown by Oda Nobunaga and ended altogether during the reign of Oda's once-general Toyotomi Hideyoshi, but that won't fit here so I altered it) so I highly encourage (if you're a fan of history) to read up on some of the characters you find interesting in this chapter. At least I hope you find some of them interesting as I've tried for over 50 chapters to build some investment in the characters I've portrayed in this story.
As a parting wish, I hope I've done their memories justice, even the ones depicted as villainous, as every story, even that of the Samurai, needs a bad guy or three.
NOTE: Like Kishimoto's story, mine will not mirror true history. Samurai clans that once waged a brutal war with one another in real life may be staunch allies here in fanfiction. This is fanfiction. Heirs and descendants will be pushed or pulled forwards and backwards through time to meet this story. Let's not have a needless argument over chronological discrepancies in fanfiction surrounding historical figures.
Poll: Finally, to the Guest commenter asking about Kisame's brother. I've made it painfully obvious who that was since introducing the Umihebi. I don't know what to tell you. I honestly don't. I haven't tried to hide this fact from anyone. Honestly. It's all there for you... unless you're just looking for senseless violence and gratuitous fan service?
Tell you what, anyone still reading these opening comments please leave a review saying who you believe Kisame's brother is. I'll leave the names of all those that guess correctly in the next chapter update. I want to see if it's as obvious as I believe it is.
I hope you are all staying safe out there, and, as always:
Enjoy as you will.
~Siva'a-tasi
~III~
Chapter 56: The Truth Will Set You Free
~III~
Once Upon A Time on 'No More'...
"A ruler that cannot trust their subjects cannot rule."
Sitting across from the Fire Daimyo, Provost Masuda Itou nodded sagely with his usually condescending smile plastered to his face. He felt it a necessary evil given that the man was still rambling about that dust hole Konoha hours after they'd left it behind. He'd been doing this for the entire three-hour march back to the Capital but it wasn't much of a hardship if you never paid attention. Not really.
Hell, every member of the royal advisory group had been using this same tactic to survive their "Honorable Fire Lord's" ramblings for the last twenty years. He'd even perfected his ability to mentally "check out" of the conversation yet appear to be taking in every word that flowed from their leader's mouth like pearls before swine. He'd even become good enough to sort through his own list of issues at home with that harpy of a wife and still catch the major concerns of his boss in case the Daimyo ever suspected that his Provost has tuned him out, sort of a pop-quiz survivor skill if you would.
It's not like he cared. To be honest, it's not like anyone in the Capital cared... unless a neck was at stake. The ruffians he called Samurai were often fast to take offense on his behalf.
One had to be quick and nimble like a fox in this game of politics.
Masuda had to stifle a snort of laughter at the current mental joke, his mind flickering to the save the good General worked with that failure Ushida. If this fool of a leader didn't know that his own subordinates sought to undermine him at every corner, then it was not his place to advise him.
Oh, wait... wasn't he the Lord's top advisor?
He almost lost his iron-clad control to chuckle at the second inside joke in as many minutes. He was on a roll today it seemed.
"Do you feel that I overreacted with Captain Ushida?"
Masuda blinked himself out of the brief euphoria brought on by his mental snickering behind his Lord's back in order to focus on the question being asked. "I think that sometimes an example must be set otherwise a leader is beset by lawlessness on all sides."
The somber grunt and steely glint that briefly flickered through Masato Shijimi's eyes knocked down Masuda's eye-squinting grin for just a second. Just as he was beginning to feel there might be more to the man's current mood, the before unnoticed tension evaporated like smoke in a passing breeze. Itou blinked once more just to be sure that the Daimyo's normal vapidity reflected back to him in the Fire Lord's simpering stare before relaxing in his slightly less comfortable seat.
Whatever he thought he saw was gone now. Perhaps he imagined it? Everyone knew that the Daimyo had no spine but one could never be too careful these days.
A second look was quickly followed by an all-too-bright smile filled with lots of teeth.
Yes, he imagined it. Spending as much time as he had with the man over this past month must be making him see things. Perhaps he'd need to spend time with his concubine to help ease the tension knowing she was far more skilled than his upscale battle maiden of a bride.
The good General certainly came from good stock but sometimes a man needed the simple pleasures in life.
Yes, that's exactly what he'd do once they returned especially since his harpy of a wife would be contented with the trinkets and baubles he'd found for her.
Shaking it off, he settled back in his rear-facing seat to enjoy the rest of the carriage ride back to the Capital of Hi no Kuni. Despite the Uzumaki urchin refusing to die as was good and proper, there was still time to salvage this and claim the accounts nestled securely in the Daimyo's bank.
He could still make this work. Of that Itou was certain.
And with that thought entrenched firmly in his greedy mind, the confident Provost rode out the final league or two of the journey to the Capital with his smile plastered firmly on his pasty-colored face.
Once the carriage stopped, as was proper, he waited until his Lord departed then unfolded his long legs to hobble out after the insufferably short male. He was never a fan of the contraptions, to begin with, but they were a necessary evil that protected their passengers from the elements and other undesirables. In his opinion, the only thing worse was a litter carried by uncultured bearers rattling you around until your teeth ached.
Squinting his eyes in order to adjust to the bright daylight in the royal courtyard, he never saw the heavy object that clobbered him over the noggin sending his overbright day into sudden inky darkness.
.
.
"Ngh," Itou groaned out as his throbbing skull pulled him unhappily from the dark clutches of night. By the gods did his head throb and his mouth felt as if someone had stuffed it with that horrible cotton he used to wear as a destitute child in the city orphanage.
He tried to move but couldn't. For some reason, his arms were sore and chafed and it felt as if he was leaning forward slightly making his head throb all the more with each beat of his labored heart.
SMACK
"Welcome back ...ing world." Someone was speaking but he couldn't hear them through the unbelievable pain pulsing from the back of his skull. It felt as if his head were about to explode and now he had a dull ringing in his left ear.
He frowned but the pain somewhat helped to clear the cobwebs just a bit.
Wait a minute... he knew that voice. His mind was a touch unfocused but he knew that voice.
Blinking open his tired eyes in response to the stinging pain in his left cheek, Itou tried to focus through the blinding light of day and the picture that was coming grudgingly into focus did not paint a happy outcome in his mind's eye. He blinked again as he tried to lift his head up only to feel the stinging bite of a calloused palm as it struck his other cheek, his face whipping to the other side as a warm liquid filled his mouth to match the stinging tears now streaking down his face.
His first thought was outrage.
He wanted to roar at his attackers, his Lord's safety shifted to the furthest corners of his mind in lieu of his own immediate discomfort.
'How dare they-!'
He was rewarded with another slap for the building anger coloring his face a healthy shade of red to match the palm prints on his jiggly jowls.
"I believe the good Provost is ready for you now Daimyo-sama."
That comment froze his expression into one of stark terror. The Daimyo knew of his plight. Did the man order it? Under what reason?
Itou blinked as shock and realization really began to sink in. He knew that voice. As sure as he knew the numbers to his hidden bank account in the Land of Hot Water, he knew for certain who it was that possessed that barrel-like baritone of a voice.
Fire Guardian Heike.
Everyone in the Fire Lord's Cabinet of advisors knew who Iron Fisted Heike was and they all feared his wrath. A powerful Sohei from the militant branch of the Fire Temple, Heike[7] carried no surname and suffered no fools. For men that led a soft lifestyle, the Iron Monk of the Fire Lord's Twelve Guardian Shinobi brought fear in his wake to the dishonest schemers of the Capital, these "half-men" as the monk often referred to them with disdain.
It was said that he was far too militant to take up the role of the head monk at the Fire Temple, left that job to his brother-in-arms (Chiriku), then immediately set off to deliver justice under the Fire Lord's banner. It was said that he never forgave dishonor or disloyalty. What was worse was that he was said to never forget an offense either. Better to fall on your own sword than to have this bull of a man show up at your doorstep unannounced.
Every man of culture in the Capital feared Heike.
Itou dared to raise his face again and blinked the blurry image of the fighting monk in horrid clarity. At the same time, he realized that he'd been tied to a wooden murder post[8] in the prison wing of his Lord's castle. It was at this point that mind-numbing fear firmly took over and the frantic Provost began searching for - and subsequently finding - the steely eyes of his Daimyo.
"Don't bother with your pitiful excuses and explanations, Masuda." The disgust in the Daimyo's voice was crystal clear even through the incessant ringing in both his ears.
A clear prisoner against his will, Masuda blinked in shock as the Daimyo's right arm swept wide indicating that he was not alone. Turning his head, the now-shaking Provost saw a bloodied, beaten, and equally tied General Ihro immediately to his left, the man's head hanging low as he stared at the spattered blood dripping from his head and face into the thirsty dust at his feet. The distinguished officer was shorn of his armor and prized weapon, the fine cloth shirt samurai typically wore beneath the armor (called a shitagi) nothing more than tattered rags soaked in his own blood.
What he saw just beyond the general drained any remaining color from the Provost's chalky face.
Tied to five more murder poles beyond the General was the bank manager he'd bribed, the manager's teller accomplice, and the three lesser cabinet members of the interior he'd co-opted into helping with their scheme to rob the Uzumaki orphan.
All of them sported similar signs of beatings and interrogation.
All of them were hanging their heads in obvious shame.
Knowing it was the end, the coward in Masuda would not let him die to easily. Gaping like a fish, he turned back to his Lord to beg for his life unseeing of the shameful winces and embarrassed reactions of his co-conspirators. He begged as if it was the most important thing in his life, all the while heaping assurances of his loyalty while offering up the deeds of those staked out next to him as the true guilty parties.
He panicked and his unrelenting stream of begging was halted by another iron-handed slap that brought a fresh round of high-pitched whining to Masuda's right ear. He never even saw the hand move that delivered it.
"Enough Masuda. At least have the decency to die with what little honor you have left now that your guilt has been revealed."
The sky literally rained scrolls onto the dirt beneath his feet. Looking a bit closer revealed that they were all addressed to him, at least the ones that he hadn't written to his accomplices, and of the latter there were many.
To his left, the good General clucked his teeth in disappointment at the man's incompetence and cowardice.
He wouldn't grace them with a response and kept his eyes firmly on the ground just long enough to receive another shock, a mental punch to the gut further cementing his guilt.
Another samurai stepped forward and set the severed head of his wife, that miserable harpy of a woman that egged him on and encouraged him to seek out her brother in this get-rich-quick nightmare, on the ground by his toes. Her eyes and mouth were frozen wide open in fear so that the flies could crawl unimpeded across her terror-stricken face. No doubt she'd confessed everything before the woman was relieved of her head. She never could even the very thought of discomfort let alone pain. After living an entire life of being pampered, there was no doubt in the former Provost's mind that she folded before the first iron poker touched her delicate skin.
It's why they still didn't have kids and joined as husband and wife once a year and only on their anniversary.
"I've let things go on for too long as they are," Shijimi casually uttered, almost to himself it seemed.
Masuda tore his eyes from the gruesome sight of his wife's bodiless head to blink stupidly at the man he'd been ridiculing in his mind not an hour before they arrived at the Capital.
"I believe it's time to regain some order and honor back in the Capital." The thin man stepped forward until he was less than an arm's length away from the stupefied man that used to advise him on crucial matters of state.
"You were right though. I believe that you and your cronies will make a fine example of what not to do for others seeking to follow in your footsteps."
Then the Fire Daimyo of Hi no Kuni turned his back on the row of condemned thieves to march away without a second glance in their direction nor a spare moment to hear Masuda's pleas for mercy. He wouldn't need to as the seven naginata-bearing soldiers stepped forward to do their duty.
Yes, it was a good day to be the Fire Lord.
There was the sharp sound of metal striking wood before the thud of a human head struck the dry earth. It would not be the only one to fall before the sun finally set.
~III~
"No legacy is so rich as honesty."
― William Shakespeare
~III~
Tetsu-Hi no Kuni Border
Naruto felt like a show pony and was hating every minute of it.
Seated on a wooden stool wearing only a small towel to preserve his modesty, the mostly naked daimyo was trying to keep his face from exploding from the embarrassment of his current situation.
"Raise your arm please, Naruto-sama."
He complied all the while trying not to let his gaze shift to the four women wearing sheer wraps to cover their chests and hips. Instead, he forced his eyes to lock on the very serious face of his adoptive mother as she continued to recite the ongoing list of insults to avoid during the upcoming dinner.
She'd been talking for ten minutes and he wasn't sure how close she was to the end.
He hoped it would be soon.
The Sirens were busy amid their makeshift bathing chamber set up in the middle of a partitioned area near the back of his ridiculously large tent.
Naruto turned a surprised half-wheeze-half-cough into a grunt as Akimi slipped her hand beneath the loincloth and began gently scrubbing away at his nether regions.
"Sochi! Pay attention! This final part is very important!"
"Yes, Sochi. Do pay attention."
Naruto grunted a barely legible acknowledgment even as his eyes cut sharply to the blushing and apologetic woman kneeling between his thighs, his face nearly as dark as his mother's hair.
To be honest, however, the entire hour he'd been given before the feast to "freshen up" had become one extended pony-grooming session filled end to end with bits of information thrown his way like supercharged kunai. How was he expected to remember all this stuff anyway?!
Which eating utensils to use and which ones to avoid?
Who was allowed to drink first?
Who would be served last?
How long was acceptable to stay and converse after the meal was done?
Which topics to avoid and what polite inquiries could be made prior to meeting the Shogun?
Who could leave first and when was it appropriate to excuse one's self?
His head was throbbing and there was no way to remember it all. Hopefully, they wouldn't be at war by the end of the night.
Keina drew his attention to a very formal kimono set being held aloft by two of his female guardians, who also happened to be mostly naked at this point. It wouldn't have been so bad if Keina hadn't been using Anko to keep him focused on the forced etiquette cram session.
Anko took almost a perverse joy in ogling every square inch of naked flesh she could see.
Craning her neck and setting up on her tiptoes to try and peek under his loincloth during Akimi's cleaning session didn't help much either.
Anko choking on her own spit once she finally got an unobstructed view only made it all the more objectifying.
Not like he had any room to complain with six mostly naked and soaking wet women hovering around him as they dried him off.
Shrugging away his embarrassment, he instead chose to focus on the history lesson concerning the colors chosen for his kimono and what they meant.
The billowing black pants beneath the full kimono were a ninja precaution - should the kimono need to be discarded during flight. Apparently, its color didn't matter so long as the fabric was more nondescript.
The kimono was loose enough to allow some freedom of movement but a few tugs of his arms to the front were enough to confirm that the traditional family garment would be sacrificed the moment hostilities broke. The ends of the sleeves were open enough to support the hiding of a single kunai in each sleeve, apparently an expectation for shinobi despite the two swords that would be secured at his hip for the entire meal.
Naruto couldn't but help grimacing to himself as he was reminded that this was supposed to be an amicable dinner among allies unlike the celebratory feast back in Konoha. He hoped that the meal stayed peaceful as he really liked this kimono and wanted to keep it.
The garment itself was pitch black, a color reserved historically for samurai and the politically wealthy or powerful. A snake-like dragon of deep blue and seafoam green scales wound from the lower hem, around the knees, towards the back where it circled the Uzumaki Clan Spiral before laying the dragon's head over the right shoulder to cover that side of his chest. The golden thread spun into the cloth for the serpent's eyes, teeth, and claws represented power and benevolence. The obi and haori both were a brilliant crimson to ward off evil spirits, the ivory white mon and kamon sewed into the latter garment representing both spiritual and physical purity.
Naruto tried not to laugh at the irony of that last part considering all of the glistening flesh and perky nubs he could see through the now near transparent cloth clinging to his attendant's curves.
Once he could accurately spit back what Keina wanted him to remember, towels began to dab and rub away the moisture from his skin. Only then did the rich silks begin to swallow his body from neck to toe.
With Keina neatly tucking away his blades, only then did he recognize that both Anko and Keina were wearing formal kimonos of their own. Keina's matched him in every way. Anko's, while considerably less ornate, was an immaculate royal blue adorned with purple and gold butterflies.
He tried not to frown at the commoner reference such as he understood the traditional reference to be. Nobunaga himself had forbidden the people of his growing province from wearing the bright colors normally afforded to the wealthy or the traditional black of the samurai caste.
It was, if nothing else, a tradition adopted by his contemporaries despite everything else they hated about him.
A deep breath. Then another.
"Just remember that you are the highest ranking person in the room and we'll be fine, Sochi."
Just to be sure he took another breath to settle his nerves then started moving towards the tent where he would try not to embarrass his ancestors with a brash tongue or clumsy fingers.
A badly needed alliance or eternal warfare awaited him tonight.
'No pressure. No pressure at all.'
~III~
.
.
Thirty minutes later and his apprehension over a "simple dinner" hadn't lessened one bit. Trying his best to "appear" relaxed, his eyes couldn't help but dart around the table as he considered how safe and neutral the pleasant atmosphere seemed to be.
Metal chopsticks are being used as ornamental hairpins on that Biwa player.
Naruto bit back a comment and politely nodded his head in response to his host's bow.
An odd lump between the tightly kimonoed breasts of the samisen player next to Lady Kioka looked like a dagger handle. Probably would have gone unnoticed if she'd been a bit more endowed.
Sliding into his appointed seat at one side of the elongated Chabudai, a low-legged table too ornamental to fit in with traditional house fare, Naruto briefly locked gazes with Keina long enough to catch her knowing wink.
The ornamental fans tucked into the serving girl's obi had edges that glinted in the dim lighting being used to set a relaxing mood.
They were cautious, hoping that the dim light hid their security precautions skirting the dinner rules set by the host, even with the comfy dinner set for four: Naruto, Keina, Tsunenari, and Kioka-chan who was Tsunenari's consort.
Tsunenari raised his drink in both hands nervously chanting the traditional welcome, stumbling in all the right places.
Naruto raised his own cup with both hands and flawlessly responded, his head bowed slightly in gracious acceptance.
Formalities out of the way and done in a way that allowed Naruto to magnanimously ignore the small social faux pas of his host, the thick tension in the air seemed to fade to a noticeable degree. The tempo of the string music picked up a hair without raising in volume. Fruited drinks replaced the hard sake and light finger foods and salads filled the table settings as conversation switched to humor-filled quips about leadership and living up to the expectations of their fathers.
Both men had enormous sandals to fill.
It would have been a perfect night if not for the consort's gently placed comments hoping for a visit to the fabled Uzumaki village.
Tsunenari called for the main course then the sake began to flow like water and the night became a polite blur...
~III~
.
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Nami no Kuni, Village Proper
It was, per the norm, a beautiful day in Nami no Kuni. The Great Tazuna Bridge was commemorated over a month ago and things were slowly getting back to normal. It was taking a lot to get people readjusted again but that was to be expected following the nightmare that was Gato. That beast of a man stormed in and laid waste to everything around him in an effort to line his pockets with the life's blood of Nami's people.
He very nearly succeeded to.
Sometimes the nightmares seemed to go on forever but Nami's people were strong. When the going got tough, they rolled up their sleeves and put their backs into it.
What else could they do?
Given their "Never Say Die" attitude, it wasn't a surprise to anyone in the bustling village that Tsunami had a full head of steam as she stalked across the village to seek yet another audience with her Daimyo.
"Morning Tsunami-san!" Sho the Grocer called out. He wasn't surprised when no response came given the focused glare on the young woman's face. Apparently, she hadn't given up on her one-woman crusade.
"Morning Tsunami-chan!" This time the call came from the morning gaggle of wives discussing village gossip in front of widow Takako's meager home. For the most part, they enjoyed tea and idle conversation as the youth helped to do routine repairs for the many newly-widowed women of the village. Most of the youth paused to watch the attractive Tsunami speed on by, however, her fellow widows spent their time wondering why the woman's new boyfriend wasn't keeping her otherwise occupied and out of the streets, as it were.
Past all this speculation she strode with grim purpose and the latest version of her proposal to sever all ties with shinobi villages clutched to her chest. She would have to see the truth of it this time. Tsunami Aono would make the woman see reason if it was the last thing she ever did.
Across the courtyard and through the open archway she strode unopposed.
She barged straight by the affronted receptionist and glared down the pair of youths trying to stand guard before the stairs leading up to the Daimyo's office. Tsunami felt bad for them, she honestly did, but she had a nation to protect from itself.
Someone had to do it since her father wasn't around to do it for them.
Fighting back the still bitter tears stinging her dark eyes, she pressed on.
Tearing by the now embarrassed men trying to prevent the new Daimyo from being overrun, she barged directly into the younger woman's office forcing her assistant aside like yesterday's dirty linen.
"Tsunami-san?" the heavily robed lady barely into her teens sputtered in surprise.
A very excited Tsunami broke straight into her sales pitch knowing that, if she let the Daimyo get in another word otherwise, she'd never finish her proposal. She was very determined this time to be heard!
"Daimyo-sama! I have reworked this to streamline our shipping industry, now boosted by Gato's former fleet of merchant ships, to increase our non-military trade by an additional eleven percent."
"Tsuna-," she futilely tried to spit out.
"Also! I've laid out the crop rotation for the next ten years to maximize our production cycle increasing yield by another twenty-one percent."
"That's nice Tsunami-san but-."
The older woman plowed right on into the meat of her one-hundred-page proposal plan determined to wear their leader down and get her way only to grind to a halt with the Daimyo's next statement.
"I've already cut all ties with Konoha."
Tsunami blinked once. Then she blinked again as the words sunk in. "You what?"
The younger woman, perhaps in her early teens, gently folded her hands and tried to smile patiently at the anti-shinobi-leaning housewife. She sympathized with her. She really did. However, an unprotected village like theirs depended on major shinobi powers to act as a deterrence to the future Gato's of the world and this woman just refused to see that.
Tazuna was a good man that received less credit than he deserved, however, his death was not enough reason to crawl into a shell and block out the world. Well, Tsunami just wanted to block out certain parts of the world, not all of it, and that could be just as deadly for their tiny nation.
"I said," she began slowly as if explaining to a small child, "that I sent an official notification to Konoha now that our debt to them is paid off." She completely neglected to admit that the gold enabling their debt removal came by way of advanced trade agreements with the new Uzu Daimyo or that Nami would be entering into mutual treaties that allowed for their protection under the Uzu diplomatic umbrella which included Nadeshiko, Suna, and Spring.
Tsunami didn't need to know any of that at the moment and she hoped to keep it that way for some time to come. "I sent the notice last week actually and I expect that the Hokage has read it by now."
The taller brunette seemed to deflate as her head of steam withered like a dying balloon. "Oh."
The Nami Daimyo stepped forward to take the tightly clutched binder from the momentarily shocked union leader of the Anti-Shinobi Coalition. Now would be a very bad time to disclose that no less than three separate pirate organizations tried in the last two months to muscle in and take over Gato's leftovers or that it was the Umihebi of the Uzumaki that defended them each time.
Her betrayal of everything Tsunami held dear would have broken the angry woman and that would have led to increased trouble at home. it was quiet now and that was how she wanted things to stay until the hurt and anger could fade away some.
The young woman felt Tsunami needed time to grieve and, with her biggest obstacle removed, she felt that the grieving period could finally begin. Tsunami just needed time to focus on her family.
Nami was in a very delicate place right now and she needed Tsunami to stop rocking the proverbial boat. Her people needed time to grieve and heal not stir up a fight because of old wounds.
Since she'd taken over after her father's murder reuniting with Uzushio was always the end goal whether poor Tsunami could agree with it or not.
"I will look through these proposals with the Minister of State and see which ones we can implement immediately." She casually took Tsunami by the elbow and steered the woman out of her office while she was still dazed and compliant.
"Thank you, Tsunami-chan."
A now smiling Tsunami nodded once, bowed from the waist, then strolled across town back to her humble home thinking she'd get to spend some quality time with her boyfriend after all.
That went far better than she'd hoped.
~III~
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Tetsu no Kuni
The next day found Naruto seated comfortably next to his precious Kaa-san in the palanquin, the Sirens gliding silently alongside the swaying litter with cat-like grace. Several Dōji hovered in between them tending to both sets of royals including a red-faced - and still hungover - Tsunenari-san, and his squealing consort.
The young General tried refusing what he considered an enormous honor stating that he, as their host, should be riding at the head of the procession as his vanguard, but Naruto would hear nothing of it. With a simple, "That's why we have trusted soldiers that carry our honor for us," both were gently, but firmly trundled into the elaborate conveyance and subsequently hustled along by the Dōji before anyone could object too strenuously.
To make their nervousness worse, the sliding wooden panels and heavy silken drapes were both pulled back to allow a clear unobstructed view through the almost see-through silken curtains meant to screen out annoying insects. For Keina who knew the Shogun's honor was at stake if his guests did not safely arrive, this forced their escort to be extra diligent. She hoped the young samurai and his bride-to-be would be too nervous to notice her double-edged intent.
So far, it appeared to be working.
Poor Kioka-chan was beside herself, both with amazement at the intricate outfitting of the royal Uzumaki litter and blush-faced shame (on behalf of her beau of course) to be seen in such intimate company with high-ranking visitors.
Secretly she couldn't wait to see that heifer Asami's face once her love entered the capital the conquering hero but Keina didn't know that and didn't need to know. It was so hard to keep her face tranquil when surrounded by such comfort. And the Dōji!
In her mind's eyes, the entire Uzumaki nation had streets lined with gold and rained pearls!
Nari-kun simply had to get in good with them! He'd be Shogun in no time!
Across from the daydreaming schemestress, Naruto and Keina shared a knowing glance while trying to hold a normal conversation with the blushing samurai. They would try to write her enthusiasm off as a young bride supporting her fiancé despite seeing the greed clearly displayed in her plotting gaze.
For a day and a half, they traveled in like company, Tsunenari protesting that Naruto honored him far more than he deserved while Naruto brushed it all off as two heirs traveling together in peace. The walking oval of Guardians and Hatamoto samurai forming a deadly ring of walking steel snickered at the healthy banter while trying to appear innocent of eavesdropping.
It wasn't as difficult for the Captain and Lieutenant ranked retainers to pretend as they both idly and openly ogled the three female Guardians who made no secret of their clear disinterest. They only had eyes for their Walker, their faces stern behind opaque masks and chins held high.
All of the Guardians were on high alert. They had to be with their escort of fifty left behind with one hundred of Tsunenari's own samurai left behind to see to their "comfort and safety." Each Guardian knew the truth. They knew that by Tetsu's own laws their Walker could only bring ten guards with him for his own protection and no more than ten.
Six Guardians and four Sirens would have to be enough given that the Dōji were allowed due to their pacifist nature, their ranks being made up of the eight bearers and twelve Jijo, or handmaids.
Keina was allowed Anko and one other but that would not be enough to fight an entire nation of samurai. Though, to be honest, they would not need it here.
The Iron Samurai of the Three Wolves kept the peace. It was how they enforced their neutrality by leveling the playing field on all visitors as it were.
The happy sounds from behind sheer silken curtains still made for pleasant chatter in the litter over the last few miles as the great fortress city of the Shogun came into sight, the area around the walled castle, Castle Sanrō, absolutely clobbered by what appeared to be hundreds of homes butted up against the harsh grey stone walls of the village for their own protection.
In the bright light of the high-noon summer sun, it reminded Naruto of a great stone beast surrounded by thousands of sleeping farm animals, all packed tightly together for protection and warmth in the shadow of the snow-capped Three Wolves Mountain.
It was an image reinforced by the sight of Mifune Tokugawa himself flanked by his four remaining Generals, the road behind him lined with thousands of samurai to either side leading to the wide open gates, each warrior in armor so polished it reflected light in all colors of the rainbow.
Naruto swallowed even as his royal litter settled gently to the ground and Tsunenari scrambled out to don his armored boots with the help of his personal gokenin, his personal vassal.
Naruto took a steadying breath as the young General stepped forward to greet first his father, then his peers before introducing him.
The hardest part was about to begin.
Naruto squared his shoulders, took one last deep breath, then stepped out of the litter to shoulder up with the strongest samurai to walk the earth in over a hundred years. Schooling his face to stillness, he stepped forward to begin the official greetings and gift exchange.
Kami how he hated politics.
~III~
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.
Tetsu no Kuni Council of Lords
"You cannot be serious!" Mei's voice was a worried, near-panicked hiss. Behind her bared shoulders stood the equally nervous Ao and Chojuro, once again back in his rightful place to her right. This time when their eyes took in the two blonde kunoichis at Ay's back it was for the presence of weapons instead of the nice curves of their ninja-clad bodies.
Unfortunately for her, he was very serious. Ever since he began working to undo his father's mistakes, he'd never been more serious and he'd paid dearly for those honest efforts back in Kumogakure. Still, he was determined to bring honor back to the Hidden Cloud no matter how much people kicked and screamed about it.
It was what lead to the mission that very nearly cost him this chance to bring honor back to Kumogakure. He was not about to forfeit his opportunity to make progress now.
She'd just have to deal with it and find her own way.
"I am not bound by the cowardice and treachery of my father, Mei-dono. You shouldn't be either." Ay's face was stern but not angry when he paused to glance her way. For once, he spoke calmly and plainly, his eyes seeming to take in everything and nothing at the same time.
Mei was clearly not impressed with his recent bout of honor and said as much once he turned back to the enormous double doors of the conference room they were waiting in.
"You would ruin any chances of a treaty before the treaty process even begins?!" Eyes wide, Mei was gawking in a rare moment of unease. "At least wait until the ink is dry before you ruin all our hard work!"
He grunted. "You spend too much time looking for an advantage when you should be doing what is honorable and good for your people."
She hissed in return as the word Kunoichi flashed through her mind in reference to herself. She would not pull a Suigetsu now.
Ay knew his words rang hollow as he played to the crowd. He was no better seeking to tug on the new Uzu Daimyo's emotions to earn favor. He was a shinobi, not a social worker, and he would do whatever it took to save his dying village even at a peer's expense. To be honest, his words were meant to soothe the savage woman even if they rang full of hypocrisy in his own ears.
Let her have her outrage. She could afford to be more selective given the natural bounty that surrounded her homeland.
He could not.
Ay's dark eyes remained fixated on the entrance, his jaw twitching as he tried to ignore the Mizukage's burning desire to chatter aimlessly, as he saw it. She'd been pestering him since he admitted his intentions for this summit, a mistake he vowed not to repeat so soon, ally or no.
Her nation's own bloodthirsty failures were not his responsibility.
It was not his fault that her fear held her back, but, in hindsight, perhaps he should have kept his intentions to himself a bit longer. He tried harder to ignore the all-too-eager stares of the Yuki Daimyo, the Nadeshiko Princess, and their escorts since they were only three paces away.
"You should be ashamed of yourself!"
Ay's eyebrow twitched as the slight woman pretending to be a princess tried to shame him. Him! A hardened campaigner be shamed by an almost-porn-star-turned-ruler? Not likely!
He'd seen takeout reels of her soon-to-be-released film!
"An honest ruler would have done this seeking no reward in exchange!"
Listening to her speak now, he was seriously considering not going to the theater when it came out. That would teach her!
He could hear the righteous indignation in her voice and tried not to boldly laugh in her face. Anyone familiar with her last Princess Gale flick could see the adoration in her face for a certain blond-haired jinchūriki.
Ay's mouth opened to retort but the double doors to the conference chamber were forced open by the armored guards posted to allow Mifune's return. Twelve pairs of eyes swiveled to meet the entering Shogun, the shogun's escort, the Iron Advisor Yoshitomo Minamoto, and the trailing delegates from Uzu.
Suddenly, Ay wanted a stiff shot of sake, his shaker hand twitching before he could still it.
Mei tried to settle her nerves with a painful swallow but the eye not covered by her luxurious hair couldn't help its nervous dart toward Ay's stony face and back again to the equally stern-faced Uzu Daimyo now entering the chamber.
'Bloody fool!'
Mifune took his place at the head of the circular table large enough to fit six comfortably, a second chair set directly behind and to the right of each. Once down, he waited patiently for the usual posturing he expected to see among shinobi in these types of conference settings as if each was vying to be the last to sit in case hostilities broke out.
To his surprise, only the Mizukage delayed as the other representatives glided easily into their seats. Once the seconds took their seats, he raised his gavel and began the proceedings with a resounding bang.
"I call this ruler's summit to order. We are scheduled for three days of discussion. Final notes will be provided to all attendees at the close and will be delivered by the morning of the fourth day." He turned his head and nodded to the blond Daimyo.
"Naruto-dono, since you called for this summit I give you the floor first."
Naruto bowed in his seat towards the Shogun then swept one final gaze across the four leaders sharing the table with him. "Thank you, Mifune-dono, and thank you my peers for joining me on such short notice." He waved a hand and Koishi glided forward on near-silent feet to place, with a graceful bow, an elaborate scroll with polished hardwood bindings before each ruler, each with an immaculately scribed symbol for the respective villages on the ivory casing.
"In each of these, you'll find a proposal tailored for your individual villages. No two will be the same but I find them fair in each case for an opening offer. Please take a moment to look them over before we begin negotiations."
With that, he calmly folded his hands together on the tabletop and waited as four pairs of hands broke their respective seals and began reading until...
"Oi! Whaddya mean all Kumo gets is a 'non-aggression pact' barring proof of 'equitable trade commodities?!"
Ay tried to ignore the sanctimonious snickering from the Haru and Nadeshiko dignitaries.
~III~
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.
Konoha: Hokage Tower
The Hokage's secretary knocked quietly before pushing one of the heavy doors open, leaned in just enough to clear her chin past the door frame, then cleared her throat.
"Yes, Midori-chan?" Kakashi's eyes were glued to a half-open scroll but he knew his secretary's habits by now.
"Sorry, Hokage-sama, but the Council is requesting a meeting to discuss a certain issue with you."
Kakashi glanced up to take in the pink flush to her cheeks, her bright eyes searching for interesting patterns on the wooden floor of his office. He knew full well which "issue" they wanted to discuss and he was not inclined to concede the point.
Not today.
If anything, Kakashi thought they'd see his point of view but money was king from a certain perspective and, faker though he may be, the boy's alliances brought Konoha an exorbitant amount of revenue. Despite the Leaf's increased dislike of the Uzu imitators, the recent arrest of the Sandaime, and the perceived loss of income from breaking ties with the fakers - and the noted displeasure of the faker's allies jumping ship with them - was a bit more than some of Konoha's wealthy were willing to entertain.
Hence the almost daily gripe session insisting that they be told just how he planned to fix the situation.
Kakashi had been sure that the demon was forcing their allegiance through threats of bloody violence and destruction. He just wasn't that personable of a gaki, to be honest. Not in Kakashi's viewpoint at all.
So it came as a huge surprise when he released diplomatic communiqués to every nation stating that not only was there an Uzumaki Royal still alive but that Konoha had finally severed all ties with the former nation, that a good portion of the reactions he expected didn't fall into line at all. He was still trying to figure half of them out.
Iwa predictably, and promptly, threw both of them into their Bingo Books with thirty-million Ryo bounties to be captured and delivered alive. Shocker.
Kakashi expected both Kumo and Kiri to jump on that cabbage cart with a quickness only to find both nations immediately sent missives of amnesty offering asylum to the dirty fakes. It boggled the mind! I mean, where was that "stick-to-it" shinobi attitude known for finishing what they started?
It got even worse when Suna sanctioned them for treaty violations against a known ally. SUNA! They hadn't even finished electing a new Kage since their last one got murdered during their backstabbing attempt to help Oto invade them and already, instead of tuning out the world due to political infighting and all-around grubbery, were uniting behind their demon vessel to wag their economic fingers under the Leaf's nose.
He wanted to slap a palm to his forehead over the expected snub from Nadeshiko and Haru. Both female leaders were thinking with their ovaries instead of their heads and had been chasing the runt the moment they could step foot in Konoha. The loss of Haru's technology would be a tough blow but that was nothing a good A-ranked espionage mission couldn't handle once the science was perfected. Haru's ninja village was the laughing stock of the elemental nations so it wouldn't require an S-ranked ANBU insertion to get what they wanted.
That thought cheered him up a bit until Nami, of all places, popped into his mind.
Wave wasn't even a major trade partner yet seeing as there wasn't much the tiny nation had that the Land of Fire couldn't produce on its own. Hell, the nation hadn't been much of anything since the fall of Uzu and the later fracturing of the island chain into what it was today. Still, the three emerging political factions within the tiny fishing nation were becoming a political bog he wanted to stay clear of.
If he remembered correctly, there was an anti-shinobi faction that hated the idea of having anything to do with shinobi nations. Period. If his INTEL was correct, it was led by Tazuna's daughter, which wasn't a surprise given how they left that island post-Gato. Good thing this "hate them all" faction had the smallest voice of all three.
With the bridge still in place, Kakashi still ran a very real chance of establishing a forward staging base allowing for their first real Navy. Wave had several deep draft locations that would make excellent Black OPS ports.
Next came the Pro-Independence faction that wanted to keep Nami for Nami-ans. It was a "Fly Our Own Flag" sort of cry that resonated with many of the down-to-earth villagers sick of other people meddling in their affairs. Too bad it seemed they were too lazy to form an actual political party. Nope, no hope of momentum there. Some good news for once.
And that finally brought him to the worst choice of them all: The Pro-Uzu faction that immediately censured any ongoing trade talks with Konoha. He'd laugh at the idiocy of it all if the party wasn't being led by the newly-returned heiress to the former Daimyo and was being championed by Tsunami's own son, the little ingrate!
That brewing rat's nest did make him snort in good humor despite wanting to glass over the entire island before moving on with life. How the boy even learned that an undercover Uzumaki was the one responsible for killing Gato and freeing their nation from slavery was beyond him and more energy that he wanted to put into figuring it out at the moment.
His right eye crinkled into an upside-down "U" once he noticed his secretary was still leaning halfway into the office.
"Please tell them I'll be there in thirty minutes."
She bobbed a quick bow of her head and then disappeared behind the gently closing door.
Kakashi's eye smile faded away even as he closed the scroll in his hands before backing away from his desk.
"Not today, gents."
With that thought, he calmly walked over to the nearest open window before jumping out into the dimming light of Konoha's mild summer day, the scroll bearing four vertical lines in a row slipping into his hip pouch as a familiar orange book appeared in his right hand as if by magic.
'Perhaps I'll see if Gai has time for a challenge or two...'
He tried not to shiver at the cries of, "YOUTH!" that could be heard in the distance.
~III~
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.
Tetsu no Kuni
Two days.
Two painful days of haggling, dealing, horsetrading, and cajoling, and only Nadeshiko and Haru had come to any sense of agreement. In truth, the binding full-trade alliances with both villages were settled through the original documents within the first day with only the political marriages being the final knots needing to be worked out.
Both women were intractable on this point much to Naruto's apparent dismay.
Healthy trade and mutual military defense agreements, none of which were revealed to Ay or Mei, were barely touched on given that the Umihebi hatchlings provided a hell of an incentive for the meager forces of Harugakure and the assassin-focused kunoichi of Nadeshiko. Thousands of hardened A and S-ranked front-line troops tended to give nations that "warm fuzzy" feeling that helped rulers sleep at night.
Uzumaki seals, at least until Uzu could crank up its own natural resource production, backed by full military alliances would guarantee mutual support from both countries, especially with Uzu seals reducing harvest waste in Spring's burgeoning crop production due to still non-fully developed technology.
No, as expected, it was Ay's desire for more that kept dragging the discussion on as Mei appeared to be happy with getting a foot in the trade door at this first summit. She knew there would be more opportunities to talk. More opportunities to talk meant another chance to sweet talk the young ruler and hopefully win him over to her side of the bed, er... um, table. Yes, table. Speaking of a glaring lack of patience...
Mei shot an angry side-eye glare at the twitching mass of muscle.
He needed more of everything. More trade. More assurances. More economic packages to shore up Kumo's limited natural resources. A country with over eighty percent of its landmass covered in mountains tended to heavily import everything not already dedicated to rice or yams production and Kumo was drowning under heavy trade levies from its greedy trading partners.
Ay just didn't have enough commodities of equal worth to trade with aside from natural metals for weaponry and stone for building resources, which Uzu would not need once their own mines opened back up. Until then, Haru was more than willing to cover materiel shortages and had made that abundantly clear with the pretty harpy continually trying to bury the Uzu prince's handsome face in her lesser chest.
Mei instead tried not to glare at the woman for being faster than she was to implement the tactic.
Naruto-kun, *cough*, the Uzu leader knew he had Ay over a barrel and it showed on the muscular man's face. In this, Mei tried not to take too much joy in the mammoth's obvious discomfort.
.
.
~III~
Naruto shot one last glance over to Mei, his brows knitted in concern. She'd capitulated far too easily accepting the non-aggression pact and Level I agriculture trade limits (non-native produce and raw materials like stone and lumber) without argument. He wasn't foolish enough to think Shizuka's offer of one-half acre of medicinal agriculture to be sufficient to appease the shrewd business side of the Mizukage so he opted to take the "wait and see" approach for future negotiations.
'Why wasn't she pushing for more like Ay? It's like she just wants to cut loose with what she's gained to settle for another chance later.'
It was a concern that Keina shared after the first day of bartering since every shinobi she knew hated to do things twice over. Both were expecting the quiet woman to change her mind and want to renegotiate before the final signing.
"We have the capacity for more mineral trade. Our strong military has the capacity to branch out in non-war-oriented aid and disaster support to buffer the shortages but that requires more than a non-aggression treaty."
Naruto had to admit the muscled man came with his "A-game" in place.
*SNORT!
Ignoring the pleasant sound of his inner furry enjoying the drama, Naruto turned back to his current problem.
"All very plausible, however, such options require a moral collateral, I'm sorry to say, that your predecessor left you ill-placed to take advantage of," Naruto responded his face stone hard and unflinching.
"I'm trying to change my country's direction, to correct the mistakes of the past." The large man sounded almost broken.
"An admirable goal, Raikage-san," Naruto offered. He wasn't completely in the Raikage's corner; memories of the Namikaze Clan's death at his hand kept playing over and over in his mind.
He made to stand with a sigh. "I will gladly welcome your ambassador for continuing talks. However, if you have nothing more to offer, I'm sorry but I must motion for Mifune-dono-."
Ay muttered something too low to hear and Mei's face snapped to him hard enough to make people think she'd had a seizure.
"I'm sorry, Ay-san, but I did not hear you." Naruto's eye's narrowed thinking he'd misheard the Raikage's offer of a gift, something meant to be given as a parting gift instead of trade leverage.
"He's afraid." The nine-tailed fox sounded surprised at the revelation. "He's hiding something and that frightens him."
'Figures you'd be awake for this.'
The fox did not respond but did cluck her teeth at her container at the jibe.
Several heartbeats passed as the large man glared at the paper before him almost as if he could will it to give him what he wanted, what his village needed.
"Please!"
The source of the voice was a surprise since everyone knew Ay was not a man to ever plead for anything. Every eye flickered to Mei but hers were trying to lock with the large man that refused to look up from the tabletop.
"Please, reconsider Ay!" she hissed between clenched teeth.
Naruto blinked in surprise. The woman was all but pleading with him to not do something.
When Ay finally lifted his head from the uncooperative scroll it was to lock eyes with Mifune and nod once.
"As you wish, Ay-san," the Shogun responded.
Naruto blinked at Mei's heavy sigh, her head hanging in abject defeat.
With a heavy rap on the table with his gavel, Mifune rose from his seat. "Will will adjourn for the day. As previously requested by the Raikage, we will reconvene at sunrise tomorrow morning in the grand courtyard."
Naruto's eyes narrowed joined by the females on his side of the table.
"Please prepare your retinues for travel. You will be allowed one escort each. It will take half the morning to reach the seaport of Shimonoseki." He glanced over to the Uzu Prince with a hopeful smile.
"Perhaps Naruto-dono will make an exception and allow us the company of his wonderful Dōji?"
Naruto's beaming smile and graceful nod of the head were all the elder samurai needed to see that his request was granted. The Dōji had an enormous reputation as wonderful hosts either in court or on the road.
Mifune glanced over his right shoulder clearly indicating his advisor, Minamoto. "Please have Yoshimune prepare the necessary escort."
The grey-haired warrior bowed at the waist indicating it would be so even as his master turned back to the gathering.
"Ay-san has prepared what he calls a final gift to prove his sincerity. Please prepare yourselves with open minds and hearts tomorrow."
With that dismissal, they departed for the night behind a very tight-lipped Raikage with little hope of any receiving a decent night's rest.
~III~
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Tetsu no Kuni: The Shogun's Promenade
Sure enough, with the dawn came a gaggle of grumpy leaders three-fifths of which had no idea what was headed their way. All they knew was that Mei was apparently in on whatever it was, that Tetsu was chilly in the morning even in late summer, and that their host had arrayed near to four-hundred heavily armed samurai for their escort, the decorative ceremonial armors conveniently absent this time.
Four rows of silver armor sections joined by dark grey mesh weaves stretched twenty deep in groups of five. Each section bore the sigil of their lord on the left breastplate and on the banner waving boldly from between their shoulder blades.
The sound of four hundred metal heels slamming together at their arrival shook the still morning air like a temple gong.
On top of that, all Five of Tetsu's "Generals of the Ring" were in attendance, all of which were prepared to march as Naruto saw no signs of horses.
Minamoto introduced them for the benefit of those that would be traveling for the day. He began with the oldest, a grizzled man with hair nearly as grey as Mifune's, the Iron General Yoshiaki Ashikaga. It flowed from there to the Earth Ring in the northwest held by Yoshimune Nitta, the Water Ring in the northeast held by Masanage Hatakeyama, the Fire Ring in the southeast held by Tachibana no Kiminari, and finally the Air Ring held in the southwest where they entered the county with their host Tsunenari Tokugawa.
They weren't physical rings. Each "Ring" formed a major section of Testu's landscape carved out by artificial boundaries instituted by the Shogun's Regent of State. They were called rings based upon the philosophies of a famous samurai Naruto was already quite familiar with.
The rings were more like rungs of power each general was required to rule over and manage in preparation for being eligible to rule the country as Shogun, an elected position vice one that could be inherited. Just because Mifune ruled did not mean that his son, his youngest one at that, would follow in his footsteps.
The presence of five powerful samurai marching along behind Mifune and his most senior advisor did nothing to ease the minds of the leaders from Spring, Flower, and Whirlpool, a very concerned Keina locking her eyes on Ay's back for the entire journey. Not even the lovely Dōji flittering about delivering easy-to-eat finger foods, like yakitori and fresh-brewed macha, could completely ease the tension.
It helped though.
None of the shinobi were allowed to bring their personal guards for this, a decree that sat ill with the Guardians who had no choice but to acquiesce. Naruto merely shrugged it off as he strolled alongside Keina through the countryside though a few of the other leaders had issues to deal with.
Mei had to threaten to kill Ao at least a half dozen times before the group set out for the northeastern coast of Tetsu.
Turning off his mind as the country strolled by, he paid no attention until the entire group passed through the large city of Shimonoseki to reach its seaport, an array of Kumo flags flying above a large galleon catching his attention.
Even with a small army of Samurai, the Kumo vessel was large enough to hold more shinobi than was manageable with their small guard. At that point, it was safe to say that everyone in the party tensed as their eyes scanned the ship for any sign of betrayal or ambush.
None came.
"Naruto-Omo," Ay began, his gravelly voice sounding rougher over the past two days of harsh negotiating. "I swore that I would break with the past of my predecessor and I meant that."
He paused long enough to glance at Mei, his eyes almost filled with... pity? Apology?
It was gone before Naruto could accurately categorize it, whatever it was.
"All I ask is that you remember that I am not responsible for the sins of my father," he paused to meet Naruto's searching gaze, "as I'm sure you'd rather Iwa remembered the same on your behalf."
Having said his peace, the big man turned to the two shinobi standing at the top of the gangplank and bellowed, "Release the loading ramp!"
One Kumo shinobi vanished below decks and after several minutes, the heavy grating of machinery and chains precluded the lowering of the ship's side ramp, a heavy gangway made of reinforced wood.
Everyone stood silently. Some held their breaths in anticipation.
Mei cursed Ay under her breath but he seemed not to hear or, if he heard, did not show that he cared.
Then, one by one they came as they followed behind a single sedan chair carried by four men past their middling years. Seated in the open-aired chair sat an elderly woman with hair so white it glowed against new robes the color of the deep ocean, a train of redheaded (or mostly silver with some red in some cases) people shuffling down the gangplank behind her.
Keina gasped loud enough that it jerked Naruto from his stupor.
More than three dozen people shuffled to the docks, the vast majority of them sporting hair as red as his adoptive mother's. Well, most were red. Some were either women of varying ages or older men beyond fighting age heavily laced with silver or white swatches. There were also a half-dozen children with hair ranging from Tayuya's odd shade of reddish pink to full-on platinum blondes mirroring the Raikage.
Children around six or seven years of age. He bitterly noted that every person on the gangplank wore new robes in the native Blues and reds of his destroyed homeland.
Uzumaki blue with bright red swirls embossed along the hems and sleeves.
"Naruto! Stupid Ningen! Don't you dare-!" Before the great chakra beast could complete her statement, she found herself in the tug-of-war to end all wars for her own chakra. The last thing they needed was a bloody battle between villages in the Land of Iron.
Naruto's shocked face turned scarlet with rage as he wheeled on the Raikage with his right hand already flying through the air but Mifune anticipated this sort of reaction and, at his signal, a wall of samurai immediately separated the two using their armored bodies and chakra armor to their utmost advantage.
There was the smack of flesh against flesh.
Someone yelped more in shock than in pain.
Then all hell broke loose.
Amidst the chaos, Keina screamed out, "Uba-sama!"[9] and dashed forward to embrace the elderly woman being helped from the wooden chair that delivered her to the pier.
~III~
[Points of Interest]
[7] The Tale of the Heike recounts the battle prowess of a warrior monk (a sohei) from Mii-dera who fought at the Battle of Uji(1180) defending the Byoodoo-in from the Taira Clan. He is replaced by a comrade who then proceeds to defend against the Taira samurai with a slew of weapons until he fell with 63 arrows sticking out of his armor. In this story, Heike is a monk who took his name from the tale that inspired him to take up arms unlike many of his monk brethren.
[8] A murder post is a hefty log buried upright in the earth used to tie prisoners soon to be executed with dishonor.
[9] Uba roughly means "nanny."
~III~
Final Comments: Not a lot of action here but it's coming. I'm trying to keep these chapters manageable so I can get them out faster. I hope you don't mind.
~Siva'a