Capítulo 50: Chapter 50: The Mad Strategist's Gambit.
Naruto: The Last Harbinger of Storm
Chapter 50: The Mad Strategist's Gambit.
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Author's Note:
I've been caught up recently, and there's a bit of a backlog of reviews that I've been reading through. I want to take this moment to thank everyone who has stood by me, especially through some of the rougher chapters at the beginning of this fic. Your support means the world to me!
This is my 50th chapter, and I'm thrilled to have reached this milestone with all of you! On a different note, I've received some harsh comments through PM. To those individuals, I'll just say this: let's focus on building a constructive and positive community rather than a toxic one. I hope we can all maintain that atmosphere together.
You know the drill—please comment and share your thoughts. Your feedback is always welcome!
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"Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown."
— William Shakespeare
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Happy Reading!
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Last time on NTLHOS:
"Is that my father... 'is' or to be precise 'was' the Fourth Hokage Minato Namikaze."
In the upper gallery, Sukino Nara, one of the most brilliant yet eccentric minds of Konoha, muttered under her breath, "And they call me insane."
Alaruya Higen, sitting back down, whispered to Sukino next to him, "What is he doing? Is he suicidal? When the Daimyo hears this, he'll know who Uzumaki's mother was as well. Despite the outcome of this trial, he's signing his own death warrant. The moment the Daimyo hears about this, he'll order Hiruzen to execute Naruto without any trial, and it will be legal."
Now:
Hiruzen Sarutobi sat in the Grand Chamber, a silent sentinel to the chaos erupting before him. Naruto's arrival and the wave of admiration it elicited had already been a direct affront to his authority, but the boy's declaration—his reckless shout of heritage—sent shockwaves that no one in the chamber could ignore, least of all Hiruzen. The boy had crossed a line, one drawn in blood and secrecy. It was a suicidal gambit, and the repercussions would reverberate far beyond the walls of this hall. They would echo through the very foundations of Konoha.
His gaze moved across the council members. There was confusion, shock, and dawning horror. Some faces turned pale, others contorted in outrage or disbelief. Few among them knew the truth of Minato Namikaze's union with Kushina Uzumaki, a fact guarded jealously by the highest echelons of power in the village. And now, that secret was teetering on the brink of revelation, thanks to a reckless boy who knew not the consequences of his actions.
From among the crowd, Inuzuka Tsume rose, her eyes blazing with a mix of suspicion and revelation. The boy's claim—that he was the son of Minato Namikaze—ripped apart the lie that had been built around him, the tale of a boy who was nothing more than a byproduct of Orochimaru's twisted experiments. If Minato was indeed the boy's father, then the equation changed entirely. There had to be a mother, and Tsume knew of only one woman who fit that role.
As the realization settled into her mind, Tsume's thoughts raced, weaving through fragments of memory and rumor. There was only one woman—a name whispered with equal parts reverence and fear: Kushina Uzumaki. Tsume's hand instinctively tightened into a fist at her side. She had known Kushina, if only in passing during their academy days—a wild, fierce girl who had shown glimpses of the maelstrom she would become. But the woman Kushina grew into... she became a legend, but not the kind sung about in heroic tales. Hers was a name that struck terror into the hearts of men, the kind that mothers whispered to children as a warning.
Kushina's legacy was not one of quiet strength or noble sacrifice; it was one of blood and fury. She had carved a path through the Elemental Nations, leaving a trail of death and chaos in her wake. Nobles, shinobi—none were spared her wrath. She had become the embodiment of vengeance, a force that could not be reasoned with. The very air seemed to crackle with the memory of her rage. Konoha had stood by her, but even that support was stretched thin after she struck at the Daimyo's family—a blasphemous act known only to the most powerful lords.
Tsume's voice cut through the tense silence like a blade. "Is it true, Lord Hokage?" she demanded, the question hanging in the air—a challenge that could not be ignored. "If this boy's father is indeed the Fourth Hokage, then he must have a mother. And if there is only one woman who fits this description, then I must ask—who is she? I will have the truth from you. I trust no one else with such speculation or conspiracy theories. After all, the Fourth Hokage sacrificed his life for this village when our clan, our children, our citizens were being trampled upon by the power of the Kyubi no Kitsune. It was he who saved us. For someone to claim being his son is not something to take lightly."
The room held its breath, every eye locked on Hiruzen, the weight of Tsume's demand hanging in the air like a sword suspended by a thread. It was a moment of reckoning, one that had been a long time coming. The murmurs grew louder, a cacophony of whispers and gasps. In that sea of faces, Hiruzen could feel the shift—the sudden realization that Naruto was not the experiment of a madman. He was the son of Minato Namikaze.
Hiruzen's thoughts raced. To reveal the truth now, in this chamber, without consulting his advisors, would be catastrophic. The boy had set a blaze that would be hard to extinguish. Hiruzen could feel the noose tightening around his own neck. If he was forced to either confirm this revelation or concoct some elaborate falsehood to cover it up, the consequences would be severe. The fallout could tear the village apart, and in the end, it could be Naruto who paid the ultimate price.
He needed time—time to think, to strategize, to consult with those who might offer him counsel in this precarious situation. To stand toe-to-toe with Naruto in this public forum would be folly, an invitation for the Daimyo to intervene and enforce his will. Hiruzen could maneuver his way out of this, he was sure of it, but the balance of power was delicate. One wrong move could tip the scales irrevocably.
Hiruzen rose from his seat, his voice cutting through the room's uproar like a scythe. "There are some matters which cannot be discussed—not here, not now—not even within these walls," he declared, the weight of his authority pressing down on the assembly. His eyes, sharp and unyielding, scanned the room, daring anyone to defy him. "The court will take a recess—one hour. During this time, discussions will be held."
He paused, allowing the silence to settle, to drive home the gravity of the situation. "Let it be known that this recess does not in any way confirm or deny the boy's claim of being the son of the Fourth Hokage, nor does it deny any other speculation or allegations made today. For now, the court will take a recess."
The room erupted into motion, the lords and dignitaries moving to their respective corners, voices rising in a flurry of questions and demands. Hiruzen turned sharply, his advisors falling into step behind him. His face remained a mask of control, but internally, he braced himself for the storm brewing just beyond these walls. He had one hour to find a solution, one hour to determine how to navigate the storm that Naruto Uzumaki had unleashed. The clock was ticking, and Hiruzen knew that when the hour was up, the world would not be the same.
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Hiruzen and the elders left the Grand Chamber, their expressions grim and lined with the weight of what had just transpired. The dignitaries and lords clamored, each eager to speak with Naruto, to pry into this revelation that threatened to upend the political landscape of the village. However, the ANBU, under strict orders, formed a protective ring around him, cutting off any attempts at interaction. This wasn't imprisonment, not in the traditional sense. It was protective custody—a gilded cage where Naruto would be under constant watch. He could request visitors, yes, but only those approved by the powers that be.
As Naruto was escorted out of the chamber, the whispers of the nobles and shinobi alike filled the air—a murmur of speculation and thinly veiled fear. The weight of his declaration still hung heavily in the room, the shock rippling outward. Even without the Third's outright refusal or confirmation, his silence was as good as a nod of acknowledgment. This alone gave the lords and dignitaries enough reason to doubt, to question, to fear the implications of what Naruto had declared.
Among those gathered, Naruto's gaze caught the eyes of the Daimyo's representative. The man's expression was a mask of neutrality, betraying nothing of the thoughts that swirled behind his eyes. He was a stoic presence, a silent harbinger of what was to come. The Daimyo's reaction would be pivotal—a pendulum that could swing the village's fate in an instant.
Naruto was led to an ornate room within the tower—a room fit for a lord, lavishly furnished but a cell nonetheless. The illusion of freedom was as cruel as any iron bar. He wasted no time, furiously scribbling letters that were taken by a trusted aide to be delivered to those he needed to reach—alliances to be forged, lines to be drawn. Lords came, the elders too, each trying to fathom what had possessed him to take such a suicidal gamble. The speculation was rife, wild theories flung about like arrows in the dark. Naruto, with a steady tone, assured those who managed to connect the dots that the Daimyo would not be coming for them, at least not yet.
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Meanwhile, in a smaller but equally ornate room within the Hokage's residence, six elders gathered around a long, imposing table. Their faces were drawn and tense, the air thick with unspoken fears and suppressed rage. Hiruzen sat at the head, his features obscured in the dim light—a shadow of his former self, weighed down by the enormity of the situation unraveling before them. Homura entered last, his steps hurried, his agitation palpable. He spoke even before reaching his chair, the words spilling out in a venomous rush.
"What was the boy thinking? To pull such a suicidal stunt!" His voice echoed through the chamber, laden with disbelief and seething anger.
Koharu, her voice calm yet frigid as the grave, replied, "I have burned my mind contemplating why he would do this. For all his faults, the boy is not a fool. By now, the Daimyo's representative would have relayed the news, and it won't take the Daimyo a second to guess who the boy's mother is. Kushina, that madwoman... After all we did for her, she runs rampant, drawing the Uzumaki swirl in blood, wild with a thirst for vengeance against those responsible for the fall of Uzu. She carved a bloody path across the nations. Initially, it was just killing small-time nobles, shinobi—anyone remotely connected to the alliances or conspiracy that led to Uzu's downfall—leaving no trace behind."
Koharu's voice was a grim recitation of history, a tale of horror etched into the annals of the Elemental Nations. "As she grew stronger, she grew bolder. She targeted key players: nobles, elite shinobi, leaders. If they were too strong to kill, then their kin—like the youngest daughter of the Tsuchikage, along with her husband; the real younger brother of the current Raikage and the previous Jinchuriki of the Eight-Tails. She even dared to work with Orochimaru—which we only discovered after his defection—and unleashed the Eight-Tails within Kumogakure—a massacre that the Third Raikage barely managed to contain. Her wrath knew no bounds; she decimated the family of the Daimyo of the Land of Water. And that's only scratching the surface. But she never left any proof it was her—only speculation and rumors. By the time it became clear it was Kushina, we had to deny any involvement of Konoha or her. After all, she was our Jinchuriki."
Her words echoed in the silent room, each syllable a reminder of the bloodshed and chaos one woman could unleash upon the world. Hiruzen's mind traveled back to those days of shadow and flame, where every whisper could herald a new atrocity committed in the name of vengeance. "Hiruzen himself confronted her, but she laughed in his face, showing him the modified seal that would unleash the Kyubi upon her death or on any attempt to control her. It was Lady Mito's work—a final laugh from the grave, a safeguard against any attempt to control or kill Kushina. Even Alaruya, with all his sealing mastery, couldn't begin to unravel it. And those damn chakra chains of hers only made the problem worse."
Hiruzen could not help but recall those grim days. Kushina's rampage had ignited the flames of war—not the sole catalyst, but the match that lit the tinderbox, compounded by the kidnapping of the Third Kazekage. The Third Shinobi War was unlike any other; it was not a careful, strategic conflict waged in stages. It was a maelstrom of violence that raged with unrelenting fury, nearly bringing Konoha to its knees. Enemies surrounded them, driven by their thirst for vengeance, their fear, and anger toward what Kushina Uzumaki had become. It was a time when mercy had no place, and the village teetered on the edge of annihilation. Hiruzen knew better than most; Konoha had reached a point where he was ready to unleash forces he dared not think of in peacetime—forces reserved for only the most desperate of situations.
Yet the most harrowing moment came when she targeted the Daimyo's family. When she killed the Daimyo and his entire family, sparing only the youngest heir—the man who would become the current Daimyo—she crossed a line that even Konoha could not ignore. The risk of retribution was too great, the cost too high. They had to give her up, even if it meant risking the Kyubi's wrath. The village had to be spared from destruction by the Fire Court and the other Daimyos and hidden villages.
"But then came Minato," Koharu continued, her voice seething with the bitterness of old wounds and shattered trust. "He ended the war, not with words or negotiation, but through sheer, overwhelming power. The Yellow Flash—a name that would forever burn in the memories of Iwa, as he slaughtered their forces with speed and precision they could neither match nor counter. He came before this council, not as a servant of Konoha, but as a conqueror. And then, he had the gall to demand her pardon in private—not requesting, not pleading, but demanding, as if he were a god."
Her eyes narrowed, the bitterness in her voice now a cold, hard edge. "He had the audacity to threaten to go rogue with her if we refused. One subduable high S-rank madwoman was dangerous enough, but the first low SSS-rank shinobi since Tobirama-sensei, as an outlaw? It was a nightmare no one could afford. The prospect of having them as enemies, rogue shinobi of such caliber... it was unthinkable."
Her voice faltered for a moment, the weight of that decision still a heavy burden even now. "He even coerced the Daimyo into signing the pardon. His words and power burned bridges we couldn't afford to lose. And somehow, he managed to stay her hand. He promised us peace, and for a time, he delivered it. But the damage was done. And now, her legacy threatens to drag us all into darkness once more."
Hiruzen felt the crushing weight of those choices—the decisions they had made that had led them to this precipice. It wasn't Kushina's victims that haunted them; it was the shadow of Minato's son, a boy who carried within him the potential to reignite those flames, to bring their enemies crashing down upon them.
His gaze shifted to Sukino, the room's silence growing ever more profound around her. The usual madness that danced in her eyes was gone, replaced by a cold, calculating clarity. Sukino was not laughing now; she was measuring the weight of Naruto's revelation, seeing the threads of fate weave a tapestry that could spell their ruin.
"And now?" Hiruzen asked quietly, his voice barely above a whisper, yet cutting through the silence like a knife.
Sukino remained silent for a long moment, her eyes distant, as if peering into a future only she could discern. Finally, she spoke, her voice devoid of its usual insanity, now edged with a chilling resolve. "Now," she said, "we prepare for the storm. Because whether we like it or not, it's already upon us."
Danzo, who had maintained a stoic silence throughout the discussion, finally spoke. His voice was a low, grating rumble that cut through the tension in the room. "Why?" he asked, his gaze piercing as it settled on Sukino. "Why now?"
Sukino returned Danzo's gaze with an expressionless look, a stark contrast to her usual deranged demeanor. It was a look Danzo hadn't seen in decades—not since the battlefield when they were surrounded and overwhelmed—a look that promised a way out through some ingenious, twisted plan. Her lips curled into a thin smile, but her eyes remained cold. "I don't know for sure," she said quietly, her voice devoid of its usual madness. "But I can make a few educated guesses."
Alaruya Higen leaned forward, the anticipation of a new revelation pulling him in. "And what are these guesses?" he inquired, his tone impatient yet curious.
Sukino's gaze swept the room, ensuring she had everyone's attention before she spoke. "Let's dissect his situation, shall we? He lost the Uchiha support—a maneuver I orchestrated by dangling the prospect of an alliance, assuring that neither Danzo nor Hiruzen would take action against the Uchiha. More importantly, we pitted the Uchiha clan against their oh-so-precious heir. It was inevitable that Fugaku, a proud man who loves his son, would entertain the idea that, due to the conflict between Itachi's and Uzumaki's ideologies, the clan might not recognize him as their leader. The potential alliance we offered meant that Itachi was seen as a more viable clan head than Fugaku himself, and Fugaku would sacrifice anything to see his prodigious son succeed, even if it meant stepping aside. The concessions were expensive, but they were necessary to ensure that the Uchiha felt they were included in the fold, with Itachi at the helm."
Danzo's lips curled in distaste. "The concessions were not cheap at all," he retorted, his voice dripping with disdain.
Ignoring his interjection, Sukino continued smoothly, "With the Uchiha out of the equation, many of Uzumaki's allies deserted him. His main power—the support of a founding family—was undermined. So, why this suicidal move? I can speculate on a few reasons. One, he seeks to claim the Uzumaki seat without directly naming his mother since he is no longer just an experiment, thereby securing the votes of noble clans and gaining legitimacy among the nobles. Also, he gets a vote that Minato held after recognizing the Namikaze as a minor clan upon his ascension to Hokage. Two, he needs time to reconsolidate his power, and he knows that by throwing such a bombshell, we would be forced to call for a recess, buying him the time he needs. Three, he aims to garner public support by leveraging Minato's legacy. Minato remains, to this day, the most popular shinobi in the village, revered by both the masses and elite shinobi like Kakashi. You forget the amount of resources we invested to build Minato up as an icon for the village after the Nine-Tails incident—a beacon of hope and morale. That will all work in his favor now."
Koharu snorted, her expression one of disbelief. "And what use is any of that when the Daimyo will inevitably order his death? No matter how beloved Minato is in the village, Kushina is despised by those in power."
Sukino turned her gaze to Koharu, her eyes narrowing as if she were explaining something to a slow-witted child. "While I might not be a fan of this move he pulled—it certainly brings more harm than good for him in this situation—you forget something crucial. He has a blood debt from the Daimyo. The laws of blood debt are very clear. You can demand repayment according to your station. If you're a peasant, you might ask for land or a minor title. A minor lord might request clan status. But if the Daimyo acknowledges him as Kushina's son—in other words, a fellow Daimyo by blood—then he can invoke his right for clemency and a lighter punishment."
Silence fell over the room as the gravity of her words settled in. The realization dawned on them all—a chilling epiphany that sent ripples through the chamber. They had completely overlooked the fact that Naruto held a blood debt from the Daimyo. It was a mere 'favor' initially meant for an orphan, not for someone of high noble status like the Daimyos, the Uchiha, the Senju, or the Uzumaki. The Uzumaki, by virtue of their ancient lineage, were an exception, like the Senju and the Uchiha—considered equal to the blood of the high nobles such as the Daimyo. If the Daimyo recognized Naruto as one of their own, as a fellow Daimyo in blood and rank, the implications were staggering. It would no longer be a simple favor—it would be a blood debt from one Daimyo to another.
Hiruzen felt a cold weight settle in his chest. They had miscalculated. The boy was playing a far more dangerous game than any of them had anticipated.
Danzo stood abruptly, his eyes narrowing into slits. "Even with a blood debt, he won't escape unscathed. It might earn him a lighter sentence, but never a complete pardon. There's no crime graver than the murder of a sitting Daimyo. Not even the sanctity of blood law can wash away that stain."
"True," Sukino conceded, her tone contemplative. "I don't know what exactly he was thinking, but that's not the pressing question. The real question is: what will he do next? Why did he orchestrate this public spectacle? What does he hope to gain with this break, and why did he risk invoking Minato's legacy? What does he have in the Fire Court that makes him so sure the Daimyo will honor the blood debt?"
The room fell into a tense silence, each elder grappling with the implications of Sukino's words. Hiruzen's brow furrowed in thought, his mind racing through the possibilities. Naruto had thrown them into disarray, and the boy's motives were a puzzle they couldn't yet piece together.
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Stay tuned for the next chapter of NTLHOS! What will Naruto do next? The storm is just beginning!
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NTLHOS: Chapter 49: Political Madness Unleashed IS OUT !
Finalllllly Chapter 50! NTLHOS: Chapter 50: The Mad Strategist's Gambit IS OUT !
NTLHOS: Chapter 51: WHY The Queen's Gambit? IS OUT !
NTLHOS: Chapter 52: Power and Deception: The Battle for Konoha's Future is out ! (Konoha High council is done we move to the fire court arc next..)
NTLHOS: Chapter 53: "When Naruto goes wild!" IS OUT ! First lemon IS OUT !
NTLHOS: Chapter 54: The Capital IS OUT!
NTLHOS: Chapter 55: All path shall lead to me! IS OUT!
NTLHOS: Chapter 56: The Fire Court's Verdict! IS OUT!
NTLHOS: Chapter 57: The Fire Court's Verdict- II ! IS OUT!
NTLHOS: Chapter 58: The Crumbling Pillars is out!
NTLHOS: Chapter 59: Aftermath- The Fractured Veil IS OUT !!!!!!
NTLHOS: Chapter 60: The Storm Emperor IS OUT!!!!
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