LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 29-A Treason too Far!
Chapter 29
TSUNADE SENJU
The Senju Princess felt her presence get stifled as her sensei's chakra roared emphatically, flooding the whole area with his presence she looked up and found him standing on one of the roofs, dressed in his Hokage robes, standing straight as he glanced at them all.
"What is going on here?" he questioned his voice oozing authority, the glint of his eyes reminding her of just why this man was given the title of the God of Shinobi.
Even now, while being older than most of the people here, he was able to overpower them all including herself and Fugaku Uchiha, both of whom were at least S-ranked nins, powerful and famous in their own right.
"End this farce, and rein in your student," Danzo began as he turned to face her sensei, who frowned as he turned to face her.
"What is the meaning of this Tsunade, Fugaku? Why have you surrounded Danzo's house like this?" he questioned, and her eyes narrowed as she saw Shimura relax. The man must think he was saved.
Yet how wrong he was.
"We are only doing our duty, as per our oaths to the Daimyo's office," she answered, refusing to back down and pointing towards Danzo.
"Shimura Danzo has broken his oat and interfered directly in the succession process by sending his agents to the Land of Fire, an act that classifies him as a traitor, not to the village but to the Land of Fire itself," she announced, and she could see her sensei's gaze narrow at her words.
"She lies, she accuses me without any proof...."
"I have proof, and she cut in," before the man could continue, as the redhead from behind her stepped forward.
"Lady Tsunade speaks the truth. I sensed a small squad of four shinobi enter the capital thirty minutes ago and was the one who submitted the initial report to Lady Tsunade," Kushina began. She could see sensei's face shift at those words as Danzo's eye narrowed, a small twitch of anger and frustration that she didn't miss.
Sensei looked at Kushina beside her with a complicated expression, his face cold and impassive as it gave away nothing to what seemed to be going on in his head until she saw the first shift in his expression as he sighed, his features taking on a resigned appearance as he turned towards his old teammate.
"What have you done, Danzo?" he questioned, both resigned and frustrated as he looked at his teammate, who seemed to finally realize that he may be in trouble.
"I did nothing wrong. All of my actions were for the good of the village," he challenged again, using his usual tirade.
And she saw her sensei's frustration rise up as his gaze sharpened up, as his presence thickened, yet not for them, his ire directed towards his old teammate as he spoke up.
"Yet this goes beyond the village! You face accusations of dabbling into matters we shinobi have taken oaths to never be part of! So, tell me, is she telling the truth!" he spoke, his voice even yet powerful enough to shake the very ground as the two old war veterans stared into each other's eyes.
"Yes!" and her sense's face paled a bit at that answer.
"Yet I did so, for I found him suspicious and his actions treasonous!" Danzo defended himself.
"Treason! You do realize that such words shall not be thrown lightly, especially not for the people you speak of during such critical times," Sensei said angrily.
"Akihito Shirahoshi is connected to the Gato conglomerate in Waves and has partial ownership of the shipping giant, the same giant which I believe has been discreetly funding the rebellion in Kirigakure," Danzo accused, and she frowned at those words. She was aware of Akihito's dealings in waves yet was unaware of the complete details.
"So? What part of that is treasonous to the land of fire," since questioned.
Nobles funding wars and rebellions in other regions were as old as times. It was the most common practice in older times, which had become much more difficult with the consolidation of the five great villages, yet it was not a modern practice.
However, only she knew that Akihito was not funding the war. No, this was someone else; it was his brother, the only one with whom Akihito got along.
"You had no right to interfere in such matters! This is for the ministers and the nobles to deal with. We are shinobi. We do not meddle in such affairs!" sensei roared as he shook his head.
"You have overstepped my friend greatly," he began, his tone light and resigned as he turned away from him and glanced towards her and Fugaku.
"I believe it was both of you who gave young Minato the special pass to enter the land of fire," he questioned as Danzo realized that he had been abandoned.
"Yes, Hokage-sama, as the two Noble clans acting as the daimyo's right and left hand, it was decided to send Minato to stop the attackers and protect the honor of the Leaf," Fugaku replied as sensei sighed.
"Good, and Tsunade, meet me in the office after this," he said as Danzo cut in.
"You cannot be serious, Hiruzen. This preposterous, I would never betray the village! Whatever I did was for the best of the villa..." and then she saw her sensei vanish, in the blink of an eye, as Danzo's words stopped for sensei now stood behind him, his eyes glinting in rage as he mouthed.
"Stand down, old friend, and pray that whoever may sit on the daimyo's throne next decide to take mercy on you," sensei's voice rang out as the God of Shinobi made his appearance.
Sensei may have always had a blind spot for his old teammate yet his fate was sealed as soon as he ordered those men to attack Akihito, for this went beyond the Hokage's jurisdiction and became a matter directly related to the daimyo's office. An office that held even greater importance in given times as the village needed much support and resources from the capital to recover from the decade-long Great War.
And then he looked up towards Fugaku.
"Take him to the cells! The next daimyo shall decide his fate!"
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MAHIROU MIYA
Mahirou Miya walked towards the main throne room, anger and frustration gnawing at her as the sun was about to set, yet her son had yet to enter the capital. For some reason, his armies had been stopped from entering into the capital by the intervention of the Fire Temple.
The Temple was a nonpolitical force that often stayed out of conflicts, despite being active practitioners of their own form of martial arts. The doors opened, and she found herself looking at the two people who were proving to be the biggest throne on her side.
The leader of the temple and the commander of the Guardian Twelve, Chiriku-sama, the bald monk stood there, talking with Hyakuya Sosuke; the old man had hair white as snow, his back hunched as he stood there with a stick in his hand.
Yet his appearance didn't fool her. Behind that wrinkly face was a mind as sharp as a samurai's blade; he had acted as her husband's prime minister for the duration of his reign, being his arms and legs and guiding him over the various troubling and perilous times.
"What is the meaning of this?" she questioned as she approached the two men. They halted their talks and looked towards her as she approached with her two attendants.
"Lady Miya, how may I serve you?" Prime Kosuke, the minister, questioned politely as he looked at her with his narrowed eyes.
"I demand answers on why the Fire temple surrounded the capital. This is against the law. The Temple has no right to interfere in the matters of the court," she began, and the Prime Minister.
"My lady, everything is being done according to the Emperor's wishe," he answered, surprising her.
So, it was that damned man's order, she thought as she cursed him in his head for messing up her plans once more. Even after death, he continued to be a nuisance to her and her ambitions. She had married him with hopes of becoming an Empress, yet despite her beauty and status, he remained besotted with that country harlot of his, naming her above her and then claiming her children as heirs.
Preposterous! It was her right! Hers and she would take it
"Emperor, you say," she repeated through gritted teeth as the old man nodded.
"Indeed," he replied as he looked towards the man standing beside him in his monk robes, along with the symbol of his status as a member of the Guardian Twelve.
"Daimyo-sama's instructions were very clear. No fighting shall take place in the capital, not until his final rights have been performed," Chiriku, the monk, replied, making her grit her teeth.
"What fighting! Those men are my son's companions. They mean to harm no one," she replied as the old man cut in.
"Companions, thousands of them, all of them armed for combat," the old Prime Minister began as his gaze narrowed.
"We may have become old, my lady, yet don't consider us imbeciles," he said sharply, making her grit her teeth.
"Prince Tatsuya shall be allowed to enter the capital with a reasonable number of men if he wishes. Otherwise, the Temple shall do its duty," the monk cut in, making her wish that she could scream and tear off their heads.
And maybe she would once her son was sat on the throne.
"And about the final rights, when will they be performed?' she questioned as the old man.
"I believe we will have to wait for the Princess, for that was the daimyo-sama's wish!" Chiriku replied, startling her as she realized the plot of the old man. They had been played!
"That cannot be! You will deny him his rest until the Princess deigns us with his presence! What if she refuses to come!" she shouted.
"Ohh! She will come. Already a message has been sent to her," said the old man, and her fists balled up.
"Katusgawa-sama didn't name a successor; my son, as his eldest child, is the rightful heir. Accept this, and you shall both be regarded with honor for doing your duty to the country," she offered as the monk remained quiet, yet Kosuke-sama's lips turned up.
"I believe that is enough from you, my lady. We must leave to deal with the matters of the country," the old man denied her, making her grit her teeth as she looked him in the eye before he moved past her, leaving her alone to stare at the empty throne of her husband.
So, close. It was all so close.
"And my lady, your lord husband didn't name a successor, for he knew one thing..." the old man's voice rang out as she glanced back.
"...that his successor will be decided as it always had been for him and his father before him," he said as she realized the meaning behind those words and finished his sentence.
"Through war!"
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