Night had barely faded from the sky when Kanzō Tokudaiji, the Fire Daimyō's most trusted advisor, stood before the towering palace gates. His face was pale, shadowed, and drawn tight like a string ready to snap.
The guards recognized him instantly — and more importantly, they recognized his expression.
Something grave had happened.
"Lord Kanzō," one guard said, stepping aside at once, "the Daimyō is meeting with ministers—"
"Fetch him," Kanzō said, voice low, brittle. "Or take me to him immediately. I must speak with the Daimyō. Alone."
The guard swallowed.
No advisor ever asked for such a meeting — not alone, not at dawn, and not with a voice that trembled like a man holding the hinge of a nation's fate between his fingers.
"This way."
---
The Private Audience
The Fire Daimyō was reviewing morning petitions when Kanzō entered the room without waiting for permission.
The Daimyō stiffened.
Kanzō's usual gentle bow was replaced by something rigid, burdened, almost… haunted.
The Daimyō's brow furrowed.
"Kanzō… what has happened? You look as if the world has shifted beneath your feet."
A beat of silence.
A breath.
A choice.
"My lord," Kanzō whispered, "I must speak with you alone."
The Daimyō froze.
His most trusted advisor never used such a tone — a tone that felt like the moment before a battlefield explodes.
He slowly rose.
"…Everyone leave us. Now."
The ministers hesitated, but the fire in their lord's eyes burned away their doubts. They bowed and exited, leaving only the Daimyō and Kanzō.
The Daimyō's voice deepened.
"Come."
He led Kanzō through a concealed door behind a decorative tapestry — into a secret chamber lined with seals and sound barriers, a room used only for matters of life and death.
The door shut behind them.
The Daimyō turned.
"…What has shaken you this much, Kanzō?"
Kanzō inhaled sharply, then opened the scroll he clutched.
"My lord…, I met a masked informant."
The Daimyō blinked.
"A masked man? Why did you not report this immediately?"
"Because what he revealed would have caused chaos without proof."
Kanzō lowered his gaze. "But he gave proof, my lord. Enough to shatter nations."
The Daimyō's breath stilled.
"What… truth?"
Kanzō's fingers trembled.
But his voice was firm.
"My lord, the reason two underworld bounty hunters attempted to kidnap Daiki Hagoromo — the second son of Gyoza Hagoromo — was because they were ordered by the first wife of the Lightning Daimyō and her faction of nobles."
The Daimyō's eyes widened in confusion — then horror.
"…Why would the my cousin brother Lightning Daimyō's First wife—?"
"They intended to kill the boy and frame you, my lord. Frame the Land of Fire. Their plan was to turn the Hagoromo Clan against us — to force them to flee the Land of Fire and declare us enemies."
The Daimyō staggered back a step.
"That would have—" "—destroyed your reputation," Kanzō finished softly. "And strengthened the Lightning Country tremendously."
The Daimyō's jaw clenched, veins pulsing in his forehead.
"And how… did the boy survive?"
Kanzō bowed deeply.
"Keiji Uchiha, the victor of the Land of Fire Youth Ninja Competition — he saved Daiki Hagoromo. He apprehended the two bounty hunters and delivered them to the Hagoromo Clan. Because of this, the Uchiha and Hagoromo Clans are now united."
A long silence.
The Daimyō whispered, "That boy… saved us from a political disaster."
Kanzō nodded.
"My lord… the kidnapping attempt was only the beginning."
He opened the second scroll.
This one bore the Lightning Court's bureaucratic cipher.
The Daimyō stepped forward, reading the text — and his face changed.
His eyes widened.
His breath caught.
His hands tightened until the parchment crinkled.
"This is… this is the handwriting of the Minister of Rituals. These seals… these records…"
A pause.
A tremble.
A whisper of grief.
"…My cousin… his death…"
His voice cracked.
"…He was murdered?"
Kanzō closed his eyes.
"Yes, my lord. Poisoned by order of his own wife."
The Daimyō sank to his knees.
His cousin — his brother in everything but blood — murdered. Not by an enemy. Not by fate.
By treachery.
Raw fury trembled through his body.
"WHY…?" he spat.
Kanzō spoke quietly, reverently.
"The first wife believed he favored the children of his second wife. Believed he was moving toward diplomacy instead of aggression. Her faction feared losing influence. So they killed him."
The Daimyō's body shook.
A moment passed where grief choked him — then he slowly rose.
And grief hardened into something lethal.
"Kanzō," he said, voice like iron. "Tell me everything."
Kanzō did not falter.
"The first wife and her noble faction now plan to blame the second wife — and her clan, the Chinoike. As rebels. As traitors. As conspirators in the Daimyō's death."
The Daimyō's rage burned hotter.
"To kill him and then blame the innocent…!"
Kanzō nodded gravely.
"If they succeed, the Chinoike Clan will be exterminated. And the first wife will seize full control of Lightning Court. The Land of Lightning would become more powerful — and more hostile — than ever."
The Daimyō grit his teeth.
"Then what must I do?"
Kanzō bowed deeply and offered him the last sealed scroll.
"My lord… bring the Chinoike Clan to the Land of Fire. Protect them. Shelter them. Let them live under your banner."
The Daimyō lifted the scroll.
"Are they worth it?"
His voice was low, cautious.
Kanzō answered firmly.
"Yes. The Chinoike possess the Ketsuryūgan — a dōjutsu rivaling the Sharingan. Genjutsu of terrifying strength. Control over blood and iron-rich liquid. They have no stable home. If we shelter them, they will be eternally loyal."
The Daimyō slowly exhaled.
A clan of bloodline warriors…
Exiled.
Cornered.
Desperate.
And if saved — loyal beyond measure.
The Daimyō's expression shifted from anger to calculation.
"This could elevate the Land of Fire above every other nation."
"My lord," Kanzō whispered, "your informant also said that revealing the truth — the real truth — will make you a hero in the eyes of the clans."
The Daimyō stared at the evidence again.
The truth of his cousin's murder.
The conspiracy.
The betrayal.
The plot against his name.
His breathing steadied.
Then he made a decision.
A decision that would change the world.
---
The Daimyō's Orders
"Kanzō…"
"Yes, my lord?"
"Gather our assassins. Elite. Silent. Unquestioning. The Lightning Daimyō's first wife and her faction nobles… must die."
Kanzō bowed without hesitation.
"It will be done."
The Daimyō continued:
"Expose their crimes to the public. To the clans. To the Uchiha, the Hagoromo… and especially to the Chinoike."
His eyes blazed.
"No lie will stand after I reveal the truth."
Kanzō bowed deeper.
"And the Chinoike, my lord?"
The Daimyō raised his head proudly.
"They will be welcomed into the Land of Fire. Permanently."
His voice became that of a ruler shaping history.
"For five years, they will be under the personal protection of the Daimyō. No clan, no lord, no shinobi may harm them. Anyone who touches a Chinoike… will be branded an enemy of the Land of Fire. Kill-on-sight."
Kanzō felt his heart pound.
Such orders had never before been issued.
Such authority had never been so absolute.
The Daimyō wasn't finished.
"As for their needs during those five years… I shall provide everything myself. From land to resources to protection. They owe me nothing in return."
Kanzō's eyes widened.
"…Nothing, my lord?"
"Nothing except one thing," the Daimyō said, voice soft but heavy.
"Loyalty. Eternal loyalty to the Land of Fire."
Kanzō bowed until his forehead touched the floor.
"It will be exactly as you command."
---
A Sudden, Personal Turn
The Daimyō walked toward the door. His emotions still burned beneath the surface — grief, fury, bitter determination — yet his composure slowly returned.
When they exited the secret room, the hall was empty. Silent.
The Daimyō paused and turned to Kanzō, eyes thoughtful.
"Kanzō… you have served me faithfully for decades."
A small smile touched his face.
"You have helped me secure the future of our nation."
Kanzō bowed gratefully.
"My loyalty will never waver, my lord."
The Daimyō's expression became unreadable.
"…Tell me, Kanzō. Is your son of marriageable age?"
Kanzō blinked, startled by the sudden personal inquiry.
"Yes, my lord. He is."
The Daimyō nodded.
"Then it is decided."
Kanzō lifted his head.
"My lord… decided?"
The Daimyō's voice softened — but carried the weight of destiny.
"Your son will marry my second daughter."
Silence collapsed between them.
Kanzō stared blankly.
His mouth fell open slightly.
His breathing stopped.
The Fire Daimyō had just elevated him — his entire family — to the level of royalty.
"My lord…" Kanzō whispered. "This—this honor—"
"It is earned," the Daimyō said simply. "Your loyalty has shaped the future. Now your blood will join mine."
Kanzō tried to bow — but found his legs weak.
He could only whisper:
"…I accept."
As Kanzō stood paralyzed by shock, the Daimyō placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Prepare yourself," the Daimyō said. "The world will soon change. And we must change with it."
Kanzō nodded shakily.
---
End of the Chapter
---