Land of Forests

Kaito clenched his teeth as he flung the document aside. His old advisor, Ryuji quietly sipped tea as he examined his young master. Putting down the cup, the old man calmed his lord as always.

"You must think my lord, don't let your emotions guide you."

"I've heard you say that a hundred times now." The man retorted. Ryuji was used to his attitude now and continued without paying heed.

"Konohagakure is far stronger than us, we can't expect to stop them alone."

"I have positioned squads and platoons along strategic positions. The Leaf won't get across the lagoons." The old advisor nodded,

"Defense-in-depth, that's our bid to win. We must hold until our allies put pressure." Kaito smirked and commented,

"Then we march on Azuchi," Ryuji grunted and corrected his young liege,

"Don't dream so big, sire. A man can only achieve so much in his power. Their core is too strong, besieging the Land of Fire Capital isn't our concern for now." Kaito sighed. His advisor was a cautious man who preferred safe and steady. The young master, on the other hand, believed in the doctrine of high-risk high reward.

"Nevermind. How is Kiri mobilizing? I don't think they've got many men after all those purges."

"Quality over quantity. They massacre half their graduates, so the other half is twice as tough. The council has no opposition (they die before they can speak), so don't worry about instability." The lord nodded and questioned further,

"What of Ame and others? Will the Confederacy send help?"

"Of course. Yahiko has dispatched several squads with more coming soon. I hear one of them is from the Akatsuki." Kaito raised a brow and put down his cup.

Despite the alliance, they knew almost nothing about the Ame lord's force of elite rogues. Rumors and shaky references showed this 'Akatsuki' engaged in mercenary work. They worked separately from the village, and they had to. What would the world think if word got out that Ame is hosting missing Nin? It would be a hotbed for rogues and criminal activity, an easy target for coalitions.

The Land of Forests had been neutral in most conflicts and their hidden village was a recent phenomenon, created by the Daimyo to deal with their country's bandit problem. Rogues from Konoha, Kiri, and now-destroyed Uzu roamed the countryside, extorting, looting, and doing as they pleased. Takigakure and Kumo aided in the creation of the Village Hidden in the Marshes, as they desperately needed allies in the region. Still, their village wasn't impressive, possessing no real kekkei genkai or tailed-beast. The rogues were appalled.

For years, a civil war raged in the Land of Forests as Village forces attempted to exterminate these missing-nin, who had slowly turned into local strongmen. This violent era in their history had only ended a decade prior, and Kaito vividly remembered it. In the darkest hours of 'the clean-up', Chunin hanging from mangrove trees and Genin squads drowned in the mud. They rowed around the lagoons because there was no solid, dry ground to place their foot. A single jutsu could smash your boat and drown everyone. Recalling those times, there were no large battles; the terrain disallowed it. The central government could do nothing but send platoons and squads one after another as each was destroyed by the small rogue bands until news of victory reached home and the hopeless stalemate was overcome. Stories of the 'hell lagoon' were still told by veterans.

The three giants, Konoha, Kiri, and Kumo supported them in this endeavor. They wanted their rogues dead and this village was doing it for them.

If the missing-nin died, they win. If the Village Hidden in the Marshes is destroyed, they still win becuase it's one less potential rival. Kaito despised these 'great' villages. International thugs who intimidate and obliterate their way to success.

Ame rose against them, its land was ravaged. Takigakure asserted their freedom, it became Kumo's puppet. Uzushio, those underdogs, dreamed of being the 'sixth great village'. They were obliterated. Iwa, Kumo, and Kiri didn't spare a single redhead on Uzu Island, and when the purge ended, spread their arms to welcome the same Uzumaki they've orphaned and displaced. It wasn't hatred, it was cynical greed. A sixth great nation allied with Konoha? That will destroy the delicate balance. Those cowardly bastards from Stone, Cloud, and Mist knew too well that Konoha can manhandle them in a fair fight. So they swarm the Leaf like ants from all side, until the giant is exhausted and collapses, and the hyenas can claim victory.

Kaito had to admit, the confederacy employed the same tactics. Even better that the minor nations, once united, completely surrounded the Land of Fire. But fair fights are between equals, and as of now, the minor villages were inferior to Konoha. The tiger, strong and brave, can only do so much against a pack of wolves. The future doesn't lie with the lone elephant, but the combined strength of a herd. Those who see this and unite will dominate, those clutching to the old ways will inevitably fall.


Hyuga Compound

Hiashi Hyuga quietly gazed into the tea presented to him. The green beverage presented him with a reflection of himself; that stoic, white-eyed, calculating face that had witnessed so much. It seemed to draw him inside evermore, into his own mind and thoughts, away from the world.

Then, the table shook and round ripples went all round in the glass.

"Not again!" Declared Hiashi's father, the elder Hyuga, veteran of so many wars, subject of so many myths.

"The village is dragging us into another war for what? Hollow ideals? What does the Hokage know of the COST of war? What do the militant Uchiha know of the cost of war? For them, a kinsman dead is just another Mangekyou, a Genin killed is just another casualty! Fugaku will drag us through mud and blood, then leave the village to claw its way out!"

Hiashi frowned and replied,

"There is no such thing, father! It's for the greater good. We must protect the Fire Nation and its interests. The Will of Fire dictates-"

"I, was there when your 'Will of Fire' was written, boy! I was here long before you all, I've seen this village rise, prosper, struggle, change! And I can tell you, every man that sits in the council says 'it is the Will of Fire!' Do any of them, no, do any of YOU know what the Will of Fire even is? It's not militarism-for-the-sake-of-it like Danzo, it's not wars of honor, it's not cutthroat commerce like the Romans, and it's certainly NOT tailing foreigners into unnecessary war like a good ol' lap dog!"

Hiashi felt insulted, but he knew better than to shout at his father. The old man had iron will, and once you antagonized him, there was little chance of reconciliation. Instead, the Hyuga Clan Head sipped his tea as the others in the room murmured between themselves. He sighed, then questioned his father calmly,

"Tell me this thing, father. Since you believe we're simply, 'tailing', the Romans into war, like 'lap dogs'," Hiashi could see the faces in the room change at the insulting remark. Hiashi continued,

"What do you have to say about our clan?" The old man looked up and replied with hostility,

"What?"

"Perhaps you're aware that shinobi missions don't fund everything? They don't fund your- sorry, our, fine silks, premium sake, porcelain, training facilities, extravagant food, or fancy rituals, do they? The Yamanaka have their botanical business, the Akimichi have their restaraunt,"

"And we have our mercantile business." A side branch member finished Hiashi's sentence for him. The latter nodded.

"So what? It's already disgraceful that we, honorable warriors, have to pretend as merchants-"

"Where's the 'honor' in our trade, father?" Hiashi interrupted his father. The latter was stunned, this hadn't been done before, by anyone.

"To, protect the weak! Fight honorably with strength and morality, serve our lord Daimyo-"

"And when our lord Daimyo orders us to torch villages? Purge enemies? Crush peasant revolts? Take out unruly merchants? Carve a bloodpath through enemy towns? Is that what we call protecting the weak?" The old man was left stuttering. His expressions went from surprise, to anger.

"And so you, too, have turned into a coward?"

"I'm not a coward, father, I simply see the reality of our livelihood." The father scorns and replies,

"Ah, so you've been made into a cold warhawk as well? You've abandoned honor, you've become like Danzo!"

"What is honor, according to you?" The father calmed down, straightened his back and expression, and replied,

"It's in fighting, and sacrificing for the greater good. The First Hokage handed us this decree, Madara betrayed it, and he suffered the consequences. How honorable was the late Lord Sarutobi, willing to throw away greed of land and wealth to somehow end the war, bring peace again!" Hiashi tightened his fist, you don't say such things to a man whose lost comrades to war.

"So that's what it is to you? Honor, throwing away the sacrifice of thousands for another paper document and another status quo? Madara wasn't wrong, father, nor was he evil; he was simply a realist. Unlike our naive First Hokage, he knew the reality, the puddle that is politics! He understood that peace could only be with ONE power, not FIVE competing ones. And what did Lord Hashirama do? He DISTRIBUTED THE TAILED BEAST LIKE THEY WERE CHILDREN'S TOYS!"

The father was shook as Hiashi suddenly raised his voice. The latter continued,

"Tell me, father, what is the honor in feeding a snake milk and letting it go? So it can come back and bite your children? Why must we show mercy to foreigners, to enemies? Konoha is for the people of Konoha, the Land of Fire! The Third World War didn't end in peace, it was an armistice for twenty years! Why, because our good lord Hiruzen Sarutobi didn't have the balls to finish what had started! This, was the same man who offered to send Hizashi's head, MY BROTHER'S HEAD, to Kumo, to maintain a fragile peace for another three years, sacrificing an innocent for a spineless peace! But thank god the others, and the Romans, intervened, otherwise we'd be mourning another tragic loss in the name of your COWARDLY HONOR!"

The room remained silent for a long time. Hiashi caught his breath, his father was shaken, Hizashi was looking around nervously, while the others comprehended what had been said.

Then, with a sigh, Hiashi's father got up and softly remarked,

"Fine, do as you wish." And walked off, the door slid open and he disappeared into the dim alley of the compound.

There was a long, eerie silence. The old man didn't seem angered, just, hopeless, dejected, when he said those words. Hiashi somewhat regretted his words and tone, but spoken words and spelt blood cannot be returned. Finally, he addressed the others,

"Dark times are coming, blood is to be spilt, let's make sure its not in vain."

And with that, the Hyuga Clan Head walked away, followed by his brother.

Soon enough, the meeting dispersed.


Author's notes

Greetings!

Apologies for the long hiatus, I was tired from writing this and needed a break, to get my writer's block off. Well, one really long writer's block. I even considered abandoning the fanfic once, but came back. I've read a lot more now, and feel myself ready to continue this work.

Looking back with a new perspective, I recognize that there are things I messed up (perhaps the entire idea is ridiculous XD), but I will surely complete the original before attempting any remake.

We're not abandoning the front again, so you can expect more chapters to follow. Farewell.

And as always, I appreciate ideas and reviews.