AN: Chapter title: Daimyo Days Part 1
The Daimyo had requested, for the third day in a row, that they make camp early. The entire traveling convoy had ground to a sudden halt while a small army of servants set up the numerous 'necessities' for the man. From his large tent that housed his extensive bedroom to the leisure area he required in a different tent. To the large kitchen his staff needed to prepare his meals. Among other things.
With all of that going on, Konohagakure's Daimyo Escort Squad had split themselves into two groups and assigned watches.
Asuma, Hana, Ko, and Gai would be patrolling for the first half of the night.
Kakashi, Sasuke, Kurenai, and Muta would be patrolling for the second half.
They should be resting.
Keyword: Should be.
They weren't.
"It would be more enjoyable to nail my head to a wall than escort the Daimyo for much longer." Sasuke's words only earned a scattering of laughter, a nod or two of agreement. The ninken laying his head on him promptly licked his face. The Uchiha dragged up one hand to rub the head of the youngest Haimaru Brother. The youngest Shinobi in the Daimyo Escort Squad went back to staring up at the night's sky while stretched out on his bedroll.
"It would at least be over quicker." Hana could admit that much from the other side of the fire, the other two Haimaru brother on either side of her lap. "We're days behind schedule."
"Trust me when I say this is the norm. If we were on schedule, that means something's gone wrong somewhere." Asuma turned to the next page in Hana's newest book from next to her. He still couldn't get into it. "We'll be out here for about three, four weeks. Depending on how often he wants to stop. I've never pushed to more than that on any other trip to the capitol from the village." He rose an eyebrow at what he was reading. He couldn't help but turn to Hana. "And you've been reading these since you got out the Academy?"
The Inuzuka had the decency to blush at his words.
"I probably wasn't supposed to be…" She admitted as much.
"I probably shouldn't have started smoking back then too." Asuma snapped the book closed, handed it back to its new owner. Hana accepted it, hurriedly put it away. "We've all got our guilty pleasures."
"At least I don't read them in public like a certain someone." Hana spared a look to the former owner of the book now in her possession, found him propped up against one of the crates turned into a seat with another of his books his sole focus.
One eye lazily turned to her.
"Hmmm? Did you say something?" He turned back to his book before she could even bother to respond.
"AH, as cool as always my friend!" Gai continued his latest set of one-armed push-ups, a numb Ko Hyuga sitting cross-legged on his back as he committed to his own reading. Unlike the other two Shinobi who had brought books, his were far less risqué, one concerning the history of the Hidden Leaf's many clans his current selection. He had also blocked out Gai with a pair of cotton balls stuffed in his ears.
"I almost wish Caesar was here to suffer this with me…" Sasuke's words were for himself as he continued his stargazing. "Keeping him from throttling that man would at least keep me alert. If I have to listen to that man prattle on about his favorite teas again I might snap…"
He lifted his arm into his line of sight, the armor he normally wore there removed for the night. His sleeve had risen far enough up on his arm for him to catch sight of the mark.
It would be so easy to, at minimum, drag the Praefectus Castrorum into this, make one of the thorns in his side suffer through this with him. If he was truly insane, lost his mind courtesy of the Daimyo, he could even summon Caesar himself to suffer through all of this with him.
"Tempting but not worth the headache." 'Or Caesar beheading the Daimyo.' He allowed his arm to fall onto his chest. His Flak Jacket was currently standing upright at his side along with the pack he had prepared for the mission.
He noticed the swarm of kikaichu flying above him, as several dropped down from the air and onto his arm. He was tempted to squish the Chakra eating bugs but resisted the urge. This wasn't the first time since the Daimyo Escort Squad had set out from the village that some of the Aburame's bugs had landed on him and it was unlikely to be the last.
He wasn't even the first the bugs had visited.
His Sharingan allowed him to see the Chakra the bugs already had.
He brought up a hand wreathed in Chakra and drew the bugs off his arm.
Once they had their fill, they headed off to someone else.
He ignored them as they left, stared at the exposed mark on his arm once again, his red and black eyes taking in Caesar's seal.
'That reminds me. I still need to speak with at least one of the Centurions of the Sixth before I head to sleep.' Since he was personally traveling with the Daimyo, he hadn't placed any of the three he had assigned to the task in charge of the others, an act he was beginning to regret. He needed to at least get a report about the day from one of them. Despite how much he wanted to remain 'in bed', he sat up and grabbed his Flak Jacket. It took moments for him to be presentable enough to head out through the Daimyo's camp and meet up with at least one of the Centurions.
"Going somewhere?" Kakashi didn't bother with pretending to read his book, his visible eye meeting Sasuke's black and red gaze.
"I need to speak with the Centurions before the night is over." He retrieved the belt holding his sword, secured it at his waist. "I don't think you'd be much of a welcome sight at camp Silver Fang."
"I guess I have to agree with you." Kakashi returned his eye to his book. "Safe travels."
"…Of course?" The Uchiha spared the masked Jonin a look for a moment before heading on his way.
"Wait." Hana and Asuma had finished a swift and quiet conversation. The Inuzuka rose from her seat. "I'll go with you. Those clones need to be brought into the plan as much as anyone else." She spared another look with Asuma. From the shake of his head, he was against this.
She snapped her fingers three times, all three Haimaru Brothers rising and coming to her side.
"If you insist." Sasuke didn't see the point in arguing. She could issue whatever orders herself as long as he gave her the authority to. "I'll make sure they know to expect you." He reached into the collar of his Flak Jacket, dragged the earpiece stored there into position. "Centurions, this is the Legate. Be ready at your camp."
He headed off and, clearly, expected Hana to follow him.
She didn't let the fresh Chunin's attitude draw her ire.
'Is it wrong that I'm excited to meet some of these clones face-to-face? After the way Mom reacted to them, I want to see what exactly makes them so special.' Her mother had come back laughing from her meeting with the Hokage after the invasion, hadn't specified what about the clones was so funny but they were hilarious to her now. Most of the Inuzuka Clan's older members, the ones who had been running back and forth securing prisoners the Hidden Leaf would normally allow to flee, were curious about them. Most just didn't have the chance to speak with one of the two in charge.
They spent most of their time in what was more and more like a fortress every passing day.
She followed after the Uchiha as he cut through the Daimyo's "camp".
'Does he really need a personal bath that follows him everywhere?' She couldn't help but want to shake her head at the absurdity of the Daimyo. He lived a life of luxury but there was no need to put it on display every time he traveled. 'It's a miracle the Land of Fire isn't broke thanks to him and his parties.'
She kept her thoughts on the Daimyo to herself at least. Even if she knew most of the other Shinobi on the squad held the same opinion.
They were out of it soon enough, Sasuke leading her through the trees until he came to a stop.
Hana rose an eyebrow at the fact the clones in front of them weren't revealing themselves, hadn't lowered the bows notched with arrows in their hands. The only one that didn't have a weapon aimed at the Uchiha was the one Hana would guess was in charge. And even that one had a hand on the sword at his side.
'I guess the reports weren't lying. They really don't like him.' Asuma had been a fountain of information on the Uzumaki's clones, what to expect from them for the most part. They didn't like Kakashi and they didn't like Sasuke either, only seemed to listen to him because Naruto told them to.
And, as much as they were a handful, they followed orders better than most Chunin she had worked with. Far less backtalk too.
The Uchiha used one hand to rub at his eyes before his other lashed out.
A senbon split each of the bowstrings of the clones, most of them forced to avoid the taut bowstring from slicing their faces as the two halves whipped through the air. From the fresh smell of blood Hana picked up a moment later, a handful weren't quick enough.
"I don't have time to waste tonight." The Uchiha continued forward, Hana stopping herself from laughing at the glares the handful of bleeding clones sent him. The Chunin ignored them and headed into what had to be one of the camps the 'Orange Legion' had created for the night.
Minus the handful of clones spread around the clearing, the camp was otherwise deserted.
Sasuke didn't acknowledge them, headed to a tent sat up at the opposite end of the camp. A pair of clones stood outside, clearly serving as guards, but didn't impede the Chunin any more than the others had.
Two snaps of her fingers and two of the Haimaru Brothers found a seat at the remains of a dying campfire, the oldest following her inside the tent after the Chunin.
Three clones were waiting for them at a table inside.
"Legate." A fist was halfheartedly raised to the chest of each as they rose from their seats. All three had the majority of their armor off and, from the smell in the air, Hana would almost dare to say they had started drinking. She didn't blame them for going for the bottle, not with the Daimyo the cause.
"Centurions." Sasuke returned the salute from the clones, gestured for them to return to their seats.
Two open seats were in front of them, the Uchiha dropping into one. Hana took the other, the Haimaru Brother that had followed her inside taking a seat at her side. The ninken was all business at the moment, dark eyes focused on the three clones in front of him.
"To what do we owe the pleasure?" Hana could smell the alcohol on the clone's breath.
The Uchiha's eyes narrowed, red and black nearly taking hold of his gaze, before he took a moment. He forced himself to calm down, to not react to the disrespect from the Centurion. Even the clone's two companions seemed shocked at the clear disrespect directed at the Uchiha.
'This should be interesting.' She settled in for a show.
The Uchiha said nothing. His first act was to reach over and snatch the bottle from in front of the Centurions. He poured himself a drink a moment later.
"As long as we're all drinking, I'll look past your tone." The Uchiha silently asked the Jonin next to him if she wanted one. She agreed, didn't immediately drink despite bringing the cup up to her lips. It was a Jonin trick to avoid drinking from what might be a poisoned cup, also brought it up to her nose to take a deep smell.
'Nothing strange about it at least.' She still didn't drink any of it. It was for as much as personal reasons as professional: She had never made a habit of drinking on the job.
The Uchiha downed the cup like it was a shot.
"Let's begin." The Chunin set the empty cup down, set about pouring himself another. "Your report for the day."
"Nothing we haven't expected. Idiotic opportunists, a handful of messengers. A handful of the Daimyo's samurai may prove a future problem." Hana guessed the most sober Centurion had been elected the group's speaker. "So far, only some harsh words have been exchanged but we believe it'll grow to something else."
"Give me the names and I'll handle it." The Chunin didn't drink as quickly this time at least.
"I'll need to speak with the Optiones." The Centurion moved on.
A part of Hana was almost impressed with how boring all of this was.
'And I thought they would at least be funny.' She was almost a little disappointed at how normal all of this was. The only difference between this and her normal meetings with other Shinobi was that half the room had the same face. She covertly reached down at her side and rubbed the head of the Haimaru Brother she had brought into the tent with her.
Well, she intended to.
Her fingers rubbed at nothing.
A glance down showed that her side was actually empty.
'What? No way…' She did her best to subtly, but quickly, turn her eyes to the Uchiha next to her. And confirmed her suspicions.
On the Chunin's other side, the eldest Haimaru Brother had his head in the Uchiha's lap, his tail wagging behind him as the Uchiha scratched at his ears. By the way he started, he could feel her eyes on him.
Her ninken made a point of not meeting her glare.
"This is a bold plan."
"Do you object?" It was too late to voice any objections. The paper bird that would be responsible for delivering the message was already gone. In a few days' time, the plan would either succeed and put them next to the Daimyo or they would need to break away from following the Daimyo with Shinobi on their tail.
"I've got nothing better and our window of opportunity is closing the longer we drag out planning. It's just going to be…expensive to convince them to take the job. It sounds too good to be true."
"You underestimate their desperate desire for revenge on. If nothing else, they'll send a proxy group. They won't risk missing this chance even if it is a trap."
"At least dead men don't need to get paid."
AN: 3/3 chapters for this update. May try for this every 1-2 months.
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Peace.