Chapter 7: Chapter 7-The Mission that started it all!
Chapter 7
HIRUZEN SARUTOBI
Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage of the village hidden in the leaves, found himself once more in the capital of the land of fire.
His visits had become rather rare over the last few years because of the ongoing war, and as he watched the people, the regular people, walk around the capital, laughing and celebrating as the war neared its end, he found himself content at what the cost of this peace had been.
This war was being called the Third Great Ninja War, yet in truth, it was not that. It was simply a continuation of the Second War, a war which had been going on for the last decade now, a war that had taken a heavy toll on everyone.
And though the treaties were yet to be signed, it was largely expected that an accord would be reached between Konoha and Iwa, the two main villages engaged in this war, for Kiri still recovered from the losses it had taken in their assault against Uzumaki island, and the retaliation Konoha had shown.
As for Kumo, they were stubborn, yet they had lost their Raikage and had pulled back their forces ever since, with Iwa the only other village left. Though Iwa was often stubborn by nature, even Ohnoki was not blind to favorable terms being offered to them for peace and what rejecting those terms would mean for them.
Konoha had been on the back foot for most of the war, barely managing to engage two of the great five villages by itself, yet in the end, the will of fire had held true. And in its hour of need, a new beacon of hope had emerged in the form of Minato Namikaze, Konopha's Yellow Flash.
Jiraiya's student had emerged as a symbol of hope for their village, his very name now caused fear to bubble in their opponent's heart, and in him he saw someone embellished with the same will to change the world as the first Hokage, Hashirama-sama.
And so he found himself sitting against the fire daimyo, Katsugawa Hirayoshi. The once towering and fear-inducing man had now become a shell of his old self, tainted with disease and loss; the man was thin and frail and coughed quite frequently.
The relationship between a Hokage and a daimyo was rather unique, both operated rather independently of one another, with the daimyo being the head of a nation and the Hokage the head of its military, and though the rank of a Hokage was essentially nothing more than an advisor, the Hokage was afforded much more freedom and power because of the nature of his position.
Him and Katsuagwawa Hiroshi had worked together for two decades now, and it had been a fruitful partnership, yet it seemed that it was about to come.
"You seem rather hale for a man who wishes to retire," the man said with a smile, as they both sat in his solar smoking their pipes, and Hiruzen smiled.
"And you look rather ill for a man your age," he replied and he saw the man's eyes still as the light in them vanished.
He then took a large puff and replied in a mournful tone.
"Death tends to do that to you," he said before he turned to face him.
"You would know so as well," he said and Hiruzen nodded, he was well aware of that as he recalled his own lost son, and the toll his death had taken on him and his family.
"Indeed, and in that regard, you have my gratitude for accepting Asuma as one of the guardian twelve, it was magnanimous of you," he said and the man waved it off.
"It was nothing," yet it was not that to him. And though this had cost him his relationship with Asuma, it had at least saved his life and prevented his son from losing his life in an unsuccessful attempt at revenge over his dead older brother.
To stop that, he had asked the man sitting opposite to him to induct him into the guardian twelve as a favor. A favor that the man had granted him.
"Regardless, you seem rather ill Katsugawa-sama. Perhaps I could have one of my healers…" and the man shook his head.
"My time has come, Hiruzen," he replied, and it was the tone of a man who had accepted his fate, had accepted his own futility.
"I don't have much to live for anyway, now in this world," the man replied, and he knew why. He had heard about the death of Lady Miyo and his two sons recently. Losing more than half your family could break any man, and for Hirayoshi, it had done just that.
"Then tell me, why have you summoned me today, Katsugawa-sama," he replied, and the man sat up as he looked him in the eye.
"We both rose into power at nearly the same time, Hiruzen. Making you the Hokage was one of the first decisions I made after becoming a daimyo," the man began, making him frown as he failed to see where this was going.
"Indeed," he added, for this was true, and the man nodded.
"I had made that decision for I had felt that we were both similar to each other and believed that we could govern these lands together, in peace, with each mindful of their duties and role," the man continued.
"And I would say I was right in my choice together we have faced two wars, and unlike many other villages, we have had each other's trust and support over the years," and that was right again.
In Iwa, near the end of the Second War, the relationship between the daimyo and Ohnoki had collapsed, and now there were rumors of tensions between the wind lord and Rasa the Kazekage, yet he and the fire lord had enjoyed rather an amicable relationship, with each aware and mindful of their duties and role.
"I would like our successor to get to enjoy the same luxury," the man finished, and it all came together.
"Ahh, so it is about that. I can understand that, but have you made your decision about who shall ascend to the throne after you, Hirayoshi," he questioned, recalling the death of his sons.
"Pah! I am not going to declare an heir, it shall not matter any way," he replied and the succession wars were somewhat of a right of succession.
"Yet you have someone you favor," he added with a knowing smirk, and their eyes met.
"Just as you do as well. That boy, what was his name," the man said as he rubbed his chin, emptying the ashes of his smoke pipe into the tray by his side.
"Ah! Namikaze! Minato Namikaze, you tend to favor the boy as well, even more than your own student," the man replied, and he closed his eyes as he refused to answer.
"The daimyo makes the final decision about who shall become the new Kage. All I can do is give my own recommendations," he replied and the man smiled.
"Recommendations, you practically wrote a whole report about the boy's virtues," the man replied as he chuckled.
"However, it seems you are not the only one who favors the young lad," the man suddenly added making him perk up, as he opened his eyes and saw the man's eyes glinting.
"For some reason, this Namikaze has managed to impress the young lord of Shinoi, he is quite young himself, and spoke rather favorably of the young Namikaze," he added and his mind raced as he tried to recall everything about Shinoi lands.
A Hokage often received periodic reports about the lands as well, both officially and unofficially of course and now that the man had mentioned this specific lord by name, it meant only one thing.
"Young Lord Akihito," he recalled the name and the various reports about the boy in question and the strange boy he was. He still recalled how the village had received an S-class mission request from the boy, a request which had named a very specific kunoichi.
"Indeed, young lord Akihito, the boy spoke rather favorably of Namikaze," and as he recalled this young lord had just married Miyuki-hime. So, this young lord was the one favored by him.
"Interesting, but what would you have me do," and if those words were true, then it was fortunate for Minato, for he didn't belong to a clan, and having a daimyo with a favorable view of him, would aid him in his role as a Hokage, especially a noble who seemed to be just as revolutionary as Namikaze himself.
"You do know that we are barred from interfering in the matters of the capita…" and the man cut him.
"I know that, and I would never ask that of you," the man said angrily as he straightened up.
"Though I will say that I can feel some elements from the village interfering in the matters of the capital," he said and Hiruzen's eyes tightened.
"I will look into it," he said for if true this was neither good for village or the land of fire as a whole.
"On other matter, as I said earlier I am not long for this world, I have given the young Lord Akihito all the support I was willing to, what the boy makes of it will be up to him, but I wish is for you to keep the hat for at least until a new daimyo takes my place, and leave the choice of the next Hokage in his hands," the man said and Hiruzen nodded, now understanding the man's intentions.
"That seems reasonable," he replied, accepting the request for it was not much.
Plus, this would give the continent enough time to stabilize, and then their respective successors could begin anew and reshape the world as they wished.
"It shall be as your request. I shall delay my resignation until this whole crisis has ended, so your successor may make his own choice about who shall be the next Hokage," he acquiesced, though that didn't mean that he would not do anything, and neither did the daimyo expected him to, otherwise he wouldn't have mentioned the favor this Akihito boy held for Namikaze.
Perhaps an earlier introduction between the two young men could go a long way in helping them and their villages.
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In the streets of Shinoi, a horse galloped through the street, and the people of the city, recognizing just who it was riding atop the white galloping horse, parted and made way for the ruler of these lands.
The horse would come to a screeching halt near one of the city's most famous gambling houses, and the servants of such house would rush out of the establishment and prostrate themselves, for the person in front of them was none other than the lord of these lands, Akihito Shirahoshi.
"Is she in there?" he questioned, his voice dry and thick, and before the profusely sweating man could answer, the door to the door behind him opened as a brown-haired girl stepped out.
"Yes, she is!"
And this girl was none other than the apprentice of the most famous iryo-nin, Tsunade Senju, Kato Shizune.
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