Chapter 64: A Dark and Windy Night; Appearing Before the Throne
The Fire Capital. Midnight.
The Daimyo of the Land of Fire sat on a wide, velvet-upholstered bench, hunched over his desk as he reviewed reports from the various provinces. After a long silence, he leaned back and rubbed his lower back, letting out a weary sigh.
Irritation. Anxiety. Impotence.
As the Daimyo, he was theoretically the absolute ruler of the nation. In reality, his reach was frustratingly short. The current borders of the Land of Fire had expanded rapidly following the dawn of the Hidden Village era. When local ninjas across the continent abandoned their individual clans to join Konoha, the local lords—left without their private security—flocked to the Daimyo's banner for protection.
But the relationship between the Capital and the Hidden Leaf was... delicate.
The Daimyo was the sovereign, but expecting Konoha to follow his direct orders was a fantasy. Hashirama Senju had been a god beyond politics; Tobirama Senju had been a mastermind who ran his own world. Even now, the name of Danzo Shimura carried more weight in the noble courts than the Daimyo's own decrees.
The result was a nation that operated on "Nominal Obedience." The local Feudal Lords paid a symbolic annual tribute to the Capital to maintain the appearance of a unified nation, then went back to doing whatever they pleased.
"What can I actually do?"
The Daimyo tossed his brush aside in a fit of pique. Ink splattered across the polished wood of his desk. He stared into the darkness with hollow eyes.
He was a man who had actually read history books. He had ambitions. And that was his greatest source of pain—knowing exactly what was wrong but possessing zero power to fix it.
"I heard the Leaf developed a 'Restoration Pill' from a Sage Region," he muttered to himself. "A way to strengthen the body and prolong life."
"Perhaps that is the opening I need. But I've sent a dozen invitations to the Hokage, and he hasn't even replied. Heh..." The Daimyo gave a self-deprecating laugh. "I suppose I should be grateful if he even spares me a few crumbs. If I can just fix my health, maybe I can spend my remaining days in a comfortable, meaningless peace..."
The stress of the office had taken a physical toll. Though still technically a man in his prime, he looked like a withered elder, his face lined with premature exhaustion.
Suddenly, the Daimyo's heart skipped a beat. He felt a sudden chill in the room.
He looked up, and a scream died in his throat.
Standing in the center of his private bedchamber were two figures. He hadn't heard a door open. His elite guards hadn't uttered a single sound. They were just... there.
Danzo Shimura stood to the left, his expression a mask of cold indifference. In the flickering candlelight, his bandaged face looked like a ghoul's, his eyes scanning the room with a look of clinical, predatory suspicion.
The Daimyo tried to speak, but meeting Danzo's gaze felt like having a hand tighten around his throat.
Danzo? Why is he here?! Is this a coup? Am I being assassinated?
Just as the Daimyo's panic reached its breaking point, a hearty, warm laugh shattered the suffocating tension.
"Your Excellency! It has been too long. I've missed our chats!"
The Daimyo blinked, his focus shifting to the man standing beside Danzo. He was a robust, powerful-looking man with a friendly smile and a commanding presence.
It took the Daimyo several seconds to recognize him. "Lord... Hiruzen?"
The Third Hokage looked ten years younger. His posture was straight, his eyes were bright, and he radiated a level of vitality that the Daimyo hadn't seen since the end of the First War.
"Lord Hokage! You... you should have sent word!" The Daimyo gasped, his terror replaced by a frantic need to salvage his dignity. "I would have prepared a formal welcoming parade! I didn't mean to receive you in such a... disheveled state."
If the Hokage was here in person, it meant there was no immediate plan for an execution. Probably.
Hiruzen's eyes glinted as he noted the Daimyo's choice of words. He had used "Your Excellency" and the polite form of address. The Administrative Department's assessment was correct: this Daimyo was a rational, intelligent man who understood the reality of power.
If he had been a "Stupid Pig" who started shouting about "Treason" and "Protocol," Arata would have had to arrange a "tragic illness" and find a new puppet. Dealing with smart people was always much easier.
"The matter is of the utmost secrecy, Your Excellency. It wouldn't do to broadcast my arrival to the whole world," Hiruzen said, his tone casual, as if they were old friends catching up over tea.
"Besides, you've invited me many times. The global situation is deteriorating—as I'm sure you've noticed—and my duties kept me in the village. I felt quite guilty for the delay, so I decided to make the trip under the cover of night to ensure we had a private moment."
The Daimyo forced a smile, nodding quickly. "I understand! I understand completely! Those Cloud Village barbarians... their recent actions were quite alarming. It was a relief to see your stern response. A single decree from the Hokage was enough to silence the whole world!"
The Daimyo followed the international news closely. In truth, Hiruzen's recent diplomatic victory had only increased the Daimyo's anxiety. He had been planning to recruit a private guard of twelve elite ninjas—the Guardian Shinobi Twelve—to act as his personal army.
But with Hiruzen's prestige skyrocketing, every ninja he approached had suddenly become "too busy" to accept a contract that bypassed the Hokage's office. Konoha's Administrative Department, run by Koharu and Homura, had become a wall of iron.
As they spoke, Hiruzen walked slowly toward the Daimyo. He stopped just a few feet away, his gaze shifting from the ruler's face to the long, velvet bench the Daimyo was sitting on.
The Daimyo felt another shiver of dread.
In the Land of Fire's court protocol, the Daimyo sat at the head of the table in the only elevated seat. When a Hokage visited, a secondary chair was brought in to signify "Equality through Service."
But right now, there was only one seat in the room: the Daimyo's private bench.
If he called for guards, it would be an admission of fear. If he pretended nothing was wrong, it would be an admission of weakness.
"Lord Hokage..."
"You must be exhausted from your journey. Please... why don't you join me and rest for a moment?"
The Daimyo patted the velvet bench beside him, his hand shaking slightly. "It's quite large. There is plenty of room for two!"
Hiruzen smiled, but he didn't say a word. He just watched the Daimyo with an expression that was both friendly and terrifyingly empty.
The silence stretched. The Daimyo's heart began to sink into his stomach.
"I appreciate your hospitality, Your Excellency," Hiruzen finally said.
With a relaxed, easy grace, Hiruzen sat down directly in the center of the bench.
The Daimyo instinctively shuffled to the far edge, ceding the "Power Position" to the man in the black training gear.
The hierarchy of the Land of Fire had just been rewritten in a single midnight conversation.
☆☆☆
-> 20 Advanced chapters Now Available on Patreon!!
-> https://www.pat-reon.co-m/c/Hollowborn
(Just remove the hyphen (-) to access patreon normally)
If you like this novel please consider leaving a review that's help the story a lot Thank you