Chapter 33

TSUNADE SENJU

Tsunade found herself sitting beside her old teammate, who continuously seemed to be looking up and down at her like a gaping fool, his gaze ticking her off until she finally found her patience end.

"Speak, or I shall leave," she said, and as he opened his mouth, she added threateningly.

"And if it is anything inappropriate, I will bash your head in," she warned him and saw him halt as he raised his hands placatingly.

"Maa, maa hime, shouldn't you be a bit more happy at what you have managed to pull off?" he said. She sighed and began to stand up, before he finally ended his ruse and got serious.

"Okay, okay. It has been months since we last saw each other. What's the hurry? After all, we do have much to discuss," he said, and she took a deep breath as she settled back into the seat.

They sat in a private booth secured by seals in one of the Akimichi establishments, where no one else could hear them talk.

"I had always thought you were bad at politics and plots, but I must say your recent actions have me reevaluating my assessment," he began, taking a sealed bottle from his pocket and placing it on the table.

It was sake from the land of honey.

"Out maneuvering and getting rid of Danzo himself in the way you did, I would never have thought you capable of such a thing," he said, and she shook her head.

"I did nothing. The man's downfall is because of his own actions," she answered, for that was the truth.

And Jiraiya smiled at her words.

"Deny it as you may, but you did have a part to play in it, and so did that young lord of yours, Akihito Shirahoshi," and her eyes narrowed as he named Akihito. For most shinobi except the older ones involved in treatises and negotiations, names of nobility were of no concern.

Yet Jiraiya's knowledge of him by name and her connection to him spoke of his looking into her.

"An interesting fellow, that one, one whom I fail to wrap my head around," he admitted as he poured himself some sake into a cup and gulped it down as he offered her the second one.

"Tell me about him," he asked her, and that was interesting.

"What's there to tell? I am afraid you must know all about him by now," she replied as he took the cup and drowned it down. The sweet sake warmed her insides as she savoured the unique taste only found in sake from the Land of Honey, and interestingly, this was the same treat that Akihito would procure for her.

'Had Jiraiya brought this because he was aware of that, or was it all just a coincidence?'

"Yet he is not just a normal noble now, is he?" he questioned again as she poured them both another cup.

"Friendship of a sanin, servitude of two pure-blooded Uzumaki, possessing a sword designed on one of Kirigakure's treasures that he stumbled upon, and the list goes on and on," he began as he lightly twirled the sake. His eyes narrowed onto her as he continued.

"Now, I wouldn't call it all normal, now would I?" he questioned, and she shrugged.

"The boy has unsettled nearly all of the nobles on the continent. They shake in fear of his name, fear what he could become," he answered. Tsunade frowned as she drowned the second cup and questioned as she wiped away her lips with her sleeve.

"And what is that he could become apart from the Fire daimyo?" she questioned.

"A Shogun!"

0000

HIMIKO CHIBA

Life had been boring for her since she was born. It would be for anyone if they could see the lives of everyone around them, their futures, their pasts, and all in between.

To her, the world had little secrets. Her eyes saw much more than anyone else. A curse she would call it, for it had taken from her the little joy of the unknown, the fear of the future, and the rarity of the present.

That was until she met him. A boy, much like her own, with eyes that saw perhaps just as much as her or not more. Yet they eroded her visions, broke them, unraveled them, and filled the world with wonder once more.

The fates detested him. His sheer presence broke their wove threads, palpable apprehension, yet they were powerless to do anything. And then she prayed for the first time, as she found herself lost and intrigued by the boy who was so like her.

And then they were answered, as she saw atop the world, atop a hill which lay empty for over a hundred years. Many would have rejoiced at a fate like that, yet not him. He had shunned it, refused to ponder it, believing himself to be the architect of his own destiny.

She would offer him aid as a voice of the fates, for even as a child, she was not blind to her influence. Yet he would deny her once again and would do so for years to come, politely refusing the fated match between them until he finally could not.

"It is good to see you again, Aki-chan," she called out as they sat opposite one another. Her conversation with the Princess had been cut short, yet the way her eyes darted between her and Akihito told her that she understood enough.

His face didn't shift as she affectionately called out his name. Many would lay down their riches to have her call their name, but not him.

"So, you have begun poisoning my wife's mind with your petty dreams as well," he called out, his voice stern yet not angry.

"I told her just as much as I did you all those years ago about your future, about what you could become," she replied with a smile, and he rolled his eyes.

"You speak of the future as if you are certain we shall see tomorrow, yet we may not. Fate is fickle, and I would highly appreciate it if you were to keep your thoughts to yourself," he said. He could have been sterner, yet he wouldn't be her Aki-chan if he were.

He had always been different. His mannerisms, his speech, and, most of all, his ideals hint at a time either long past or yet to come. She could not be certain, though she was sure that he was like her—different, unique.

"As you say, Aki-chan," she acquiesced with a smile. There was time she would wait, yet the fates would take their course. She would see to it.

"And please don't call me that. It is inappropriate," he said, and she smirked.

"Why, Aki-chan?" she said with a smirk as she leaned forward and demurely covered her smile with her hand.

"Could it be that you didn't tell Miyuki-chan about our past?" she guessed. His eyes narrowed, and the very air in the room shifted at her following words.

"There was nothing to tell. We have no past except your little obsession with me," he answered as he rolled his eyes.

"But have you forgotten I told you that we were meant to be together?" she finished and saw his eyes narrow as he continued.

"You were wrong though, at least partly," he retorted, and she nodded.

"Indeed, I was, but that is what makes you so special," she replied with a smile as Akihito shook his head.

"But I did marry you in the end, didn't I, and so we can call it even," she offered, and he nodded as he began to stand up.

"You remain as much a mystery to me as the day I first met you. Yet you have gotten your wish. I shall marry you when this war ends, and then we shall see what the future has in store for me." With that, he gave her a slight bow.

"I will be honored to be your wife," she said in her own greetings. She reciprocated the bow as Akihito made his way out of the room.

And then she was left alone once more. She stared at the place where he had sat just earlier, and a soft whisper would escape her lips.

"You need not worry about what awaits you, Aki-chan, for I already know what it is."

"Greatness!"

0000

IEYATSU GIN

Ieyatsu Gin was tired from his journey and had barely had time to rest. The way things were developing, it seemed as if he was not going to get any chance to rest anytime soon.

He stood right now with Lord Akihito and Shinohara-sama. The older samurai had been his master for a time, and he had an astute military mind, and they would need his help.

"So, the enemy is simply rushing towards us," Lord Akihito questioned. He could tell that the young lord was tired from his journey as well, and he nodded.

"Indeed, my lord. Their army continues to move together as one unit. They are not making any notable maneuvers. I believe they plan to leverage their greater number of samurai and attack us straight on," he told them of the enemy's plans.

"That would be troublesome," commented Lord Akihito, for though they had better samurai than their opponents, the numbers were nearly double, and their strength lay in the quick and well-coordinated movements of their troops.

If the enemy turned it into a battle of simple strength, though not hopeless, it would become quite troublesome for them.

"We have seven samurai sworn to your cause at the moment, while the enemy has thirteen. The numbers may favour them, but I believe we could hold our own," Shinohara-sama added from the side as the older bald man peered over at the map.

"But we need to win, not just hold our own," commented Lord Akihito, and Gin could see their lord's mind racing.

"Nakiri-san told me that we have received letters of support from a few more lords, yet none can offer us enough men in enough time to make too much of a difference, \but given the recent actions of Lord Hayama, I believe the Third Prince is also unlikely to get any more support himself," Lord Akihito reasoned out as he pushed away the marbles representing other lords surrounding them.

"We could try and split their force," Shinohara-sama added, and Lord Akihito shook his head.

"We could try, but we are at a number's disadvantage. Doing anything like this would require me to leave large swathes of my land and population vulnerable to slaughter, an idea that doesn't sit right with me," Akihito-sama said.

"This is war, my lord, and wars are deadly affairs," he decided to add.

"Indeed, but we need a single decapitating strike. One strike and we break their already low morale and end this war," added Lord Akihito as the room stood in silence. Silence, which he himself broke as his eyes narrowed.

"I think I might have an idea."

0000

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A/N:

Himiko Chiba is not a villainess. She is more or less a religious fanatic, loosely based on Melissandre of Asshai from Game of Throne and Aqua. To him, Akihito is interesting and special because he colors her mundane world, and so she is somewhat fixated on him.

Akihito avoids her because we all know how dangerous fanatics can be, and given her initial impressions, she is malleable enough, though her role and actions in the future shall tell us more about her.

A/N: Explanation of the Shogun part: Ok, the five great nations are provinces of the land governed by daimyo's. A shogun would be one above them all, whether a ruler of one of these five major swathes of lands or an independent person.

A Shogun has not come before no one has been able to prove their dominance or get acknowledgement of the five major daimyo's ever before.

~The idea was inspired by the show I am watching by the same name and I was able to bind the whole story as such~

Hope you guys like it.