Naruto: The Last Harbinger of Storm
NTLHOS BOOK 2: Chapter 21: Still Sharp As Ever.
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🖋️ Author's Note:
Hey everyone! 🙌🔥
I hope you will enjoy this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it.
This chapter is all political chess🔥♟️. This is just the beginning.
Thank you all again for the patience, support, and love you've shown especially during this difficult recovery time. 🙏💙
Let me know your thoughts, drop your reactions, and as always like & comment! Your feedback truly fuels the storm. 🌪️🖊️
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"In the arena of diplomacy and negotiation, silence often screams louder than words, and every concession has its price." — Niccolò Machiavelli
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Join ThirdFireTriden on Pa(tre)(on) the link is in description or type my name in google search with (p)(a)(t)(r)(e)(o)(n) remove the space and bracket!
Chapter 22: The Negotiation. IS OUT!
Chapter 23: Mind Game Through Mind Readers.IS OUT!
Chapter 24: Mind Walkers. IS OUT!
Chapter 25: A Parting Backhand. IS OUT!
Chapter 26: A New Turn. IS OUT!
Chapter 27: A Turn ON A Turn. IS OUT!
Chapter 28: Farewell. IS OUT!!!!!!!!
Chapter 29 – The Oath of the Oath-Keeper. IS OUT!!!!!!!!! (End of the Arc)
Chapter 30 – Aftermath.
Chapter 31: The Growing Crown, The cracking Roots.
Chapter 32: The Wandering Monk. 8k long
Chapter 33: A New face Or phase. 8k long
Chapter 34: Chinamaki. 5.5k long
Chapter 35: Cross Roads. IS OUT!!!!!!!!!!! 9K LONG (NEW)
Chapter 36: The New Field. IS OUT!!!!!!!!!!!!! 9k LONG (NEW)
Chapter 37: Loyalty. IS OUT!!!!!!!!!!!!! 7 K LONG (NEW)
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Previously on NTLHOS-2:
He turned on his heel, striding confidently into the corridor lined with regal tapestries that announced the Daimyo's presence. A hush fell behind him, the ANBU slipping back into the shadows, their footsteps nearly soundless.
Naruto paused at the threshold to glance back. He saw Cat, Spider, and a dozen other masks glinting in the hallway's half-light. The swirl of emotions was it regret, pride, sadness, or an odd sense of comradery that crossed between them. And then, with the finality of a closing chapter, Naruto turned away to meet the Daimyo.
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Now:
As Naruto walked into the abode after exchanging a mutual greeting with the Daimyo who was all too eager to meet him, his expression changed. All the joy and warmth he had shown to the ANBU moments earlier evaporated, and the Emperor returned. The Daimyo, his guards, and other dignitaries had already been surprised to see a smiling Lord Uzumaki, but now, as he strode through the corridor with the Daimyo beside him and both their guards flanking them, his once genial face took on a serious cast. It was as if the brightness he had displayed had been peeled away in an instant, replaced by the chill of an arctic wind. This shift caught them even more off guard than the smile had. The regal air now emanating from him reminded everyone present that Naruto was the Emperor.
They entered the main hall a stately room with high, vaulted ceilings and tapestries. At the far end sat a large, ornate table, where the Hokage, his advisors, and several nobles of the Fire Court were already seated. With the Fire Daimyo's and Emperor's entrance, they all stood. Naruto cast his gaze across them, taking stock of each figure in turn. The tension in the air was palpable.
He noticed Shisui quietly appear behind him, along with a few Uchiha guards. Shisui's presence brought only the slightest softening to Naruto's features and a momentary sign of acknowledgment by a nod. Then Naruto moved to take his seat, positioned opposite the head of the table, mirroring the seat of the Daimyo.
The Daimyo settled into his chair as Naruto took his own, both seats adorned with gold embroidery on the backrests. In a moment later, everyone else followed suit and took their seats. The hush that followed was profound. Naruto's gaze swept across the room, meeting each individual in turns, from the Hokage's aged yet calculating eyes, to the hawk-like stare of Danzo, to the uneasy expressions of the Daimyo's own ministers. Some of them averted their gaze, as if scorched by Naruto's presence. Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzo, however, met his eyes squarely.
For a moment, it seemed as though Naruto might test the Hokage's into a silent battle of wills with staring contest. But before tension could grow more, the Fire Daimyo, cleared his throat softly.
"It's an honor to have the Emperor among us," the Daimyo said, his tone pleasant yet edged. "And it's very disheartening and sad that on a day like this many members of the illustrious Uchiha clan lost their lives yesterday at midnight. I urge every one of you to rise and give a moment of silence for the victims of the attempted massacre."
Briefly, Shisui's eyes flashed a crimson hue, revealing the whirling tomoe of his Sharingan. Even behind him, several Uchiha guards bristled. But Naruto, anticipating an outbreak and placed his hand on Shisui under the table in a subtle gesture. He motioned for Shisui to remain calm and play along. Shisui exhaled, forcibly reigning in his anger.
Everyone stood. A grand monk, draped in saffron robes and wearing a solemn look, began chanting a brief prayer for the departed souls. The flickering candles in the room cast shifting shadows across the walls, but Naruto continued to give cold, piercing stares to those present, making many visibly uncomfortable.
After the prayer concluded, everyone returned to their seats after Naruto and the Daimyo had taken theirs. The Daimyo offered a respectful nod and glanced toward Shisui, his expression touched with empathy, before turning his attention back to the table.
The Daimyo spoke, "You have our condolences, Lord Uchiha. But as we know, we must now turn to matters of business."
Naruto interjected, voice low: "What is there to talk, Lord Ishicava? From where I look, it's very simple. You broke one of the most sacred accord of the Elemental Nations. You broke a Daimyo's accord. I gave up my title and made my land bereft of the SS-rank titan, and you cheat me out of the accord by attempting to kill the entire clan."
The Daimyo's eyes narrowed. He immediately raised a hand as though to defend himself from the accusation. "Lord Uzumaki, you are angry, but don't accuse me of breaking a sacred accord. I had nothing to do with what happened to the Uchiha."
Naruto lifted his hands, palms outward in a halting gesture. His expression remained glacial. "Maybe at this point it's very difficult to trust your words. After all, you have broken accords previously with Uzushio in the past. What makes you believe I will accept that you had no hand in this? Even in the unlikeliest instance that you didn't have prior knowledge of what was to happen to the Uchiha, the Hokage, this village had a hand in it. That, by proxy, makes you equally guilty of this crime."
The Daimyo licked his lips nervously. "Now, Lord Uzumaki, I had extensive investigation done and went to the truth of the matter. Konoha had no hand in this issue. Neither Hokage nor anyone in the Leaf had known of such treachery. This was some outside force."
Naruto leaned back in his chair, arms playing with a ornate paper weight. There was a deceptively calm look in his eye that most recognized as a prelude. "Mighty convenient that there was no patrol in the vicinity to see a war barrier go up in the night. And it's even more of a coincidence that Itachi Uchiha, the vocal supporter of the Hokage and Konoha, who is also one of the Hokage's closest confidants, is behind this. You forget, Lord Ishicava, I was part of this village system. I know every level of authority here very intimatly, from the grassroots entry of orphan and non-privileged shinobi to the arch-commander of ANBU just beneath ANBU Commander Dragon. I rose from being a mere reserve genin to the second most politically powerful lord in this village. I know the Hokage trusted Itachi more than anyone. He trusted him on the same level he trusts Lord Jiraiya."
At that, Hiruzen Sarutobi straightened in his seat, steepling his fingers before him in a placating gesture. "I assure you, Your Grace, I am not foolish enough to breach a treaty signed by my liege in front of the other Daimyos."
Naruto shrugged, but his eyes remained fierce. "I don't know about foolishness, but I do know this, with the Uchiha clan gone and Itachi as the sole survivor, the rewriting of the founding charter becomes null and void. And if any member survive whoever it is refuses to leave Konoha, then the accord will be cancelled."
Those words seemed to echo in the hall. A hush swept through the ranks of nobility and advisors. Fire Daimyo's eyes widened slightly, as though caught off guard. He had not realized Naruto knew about the specifics of the charter. Of course, the Daimyo internally suspected that Lady Tsunade might have shared this knowledge with Naruto at some point. Meanwhile, Hiruzen's face remained impassive. It seemed he was not at all surprised that Naruto was aware of the founding charters.
Naruto's gaze shifted, his voice dropping even lower, a dagger's edge in every syllable. "And the fact that a known vocal antagonist to the Uchiha like Danzo Shimura sits in today's meeting indicates that this was premeditated. Otherwise, he would be in interrogation custody. I know from my ANBU days that Danzo Shimura was suspected of killing many Uchiha."
"That is a grave accusation you make, Lord Uzumaki," Koharu interjected, her tone stiff.
Naruto snapped back without missing a beat. "Shut up and sit, advisor. I am not a child lord. I am the Emperor. I can make any accusation I see fit, and this is not a baseless argument like the ones you are making about your innocence. I was part of ANBU, and every investigation into the disappearance of Uchiha clan members that even hinted at Danzo was shut down by the Hokage."
A flash of indignation crossed Koharu's features. Danzo remained silent, though his single visible eye stayed calm and unreadable. Behind them, the Daimyo pinched the bridge of his nose, suddenly feeling the weight of all the allegations he had long turned a blind eye to. Indeed, with Naruto's deep knowledge of classified information that he gleaned from Konoha's own shadows, this confrontation was bound to air all their dirty laundry.
For a typical shinobi or even a jōnin, speaking classsifed information could result in an immediate arrest or worse. But Naruto was not just any shinobi. He was the Emperor, possessing not only diplomatic immunity but also the raw power to back his words. He beyond personal threats.
The Daimyo remembered all too well the alliances forged in the wake of Naruto's banishment from Konoha and his subsequent rise to power in Uzushio. If the Daimyo and his advisors had closed their eyes to the persecution of the Uchiha, hoping to sidestep conflict and crush all Naruto supporters, that blind eye was now returning to haunt them.
Minds raced around the table. Some members of the Fire Court, wearing elaborate clothing and bearing seals of various noble houses, glanced at one another. They were likely wondering how to salvage relations with Lord Uzumaki while maintaining a semblance of order in the Land of Fire. Many of them seemed genuinely aghast at the allegations. Others wore guarded expressions. The Emperor's chilling composure forced them to reconsider.
Naruto allowed the silence to linger, letting everyone present marinate in their discomfort.
Before Hiruzen could utter a word, Naruto stood. The abrupt movement caused a ripple of alarm through both sets of guards, but no one dared draw a weapon. Naruto's face, once again, looked carved from ice.
"A grave injustice has been done. The Uchiha deserve better, and so does Uzushio," he said, voice steady, measured. "We will not allow this wrongdoing to be hidden under lame excuses or half-truths."
He glanced at the Daimyo, whose face was pale, then at Hiruzen Sarutobi, who maintained a careful neutrality. Finally, his eyes flicked over Danzo and Koharu, both about to protest.
"You'll answer for this," Naruto finished.
The hall in which they all sat seemed to vibrate with the undercurrent of tension. A hush had fallen after the exchange between Naruto and the Daimyo, each side weighing their next move.
Suddenly, the Grand Monk of the Fire Temple stood up. He was short and old, draped in the safron and gold robes of his station, and a circlet of prayer beads hung from his neck.
"We can bicker endlessly over who is to be blamed," he began, his words soft yet resonant, "and I, being a neutral party here, insist on reparation rather than playing the blame game."
In that moment, one of the nobles from Uzushio retinue rose, eyes flashing with anger at the insult. "How can you claim yourself to be neutral," the noble demanded, "when you get direct patronage from the Fire Court...?"
But before the man could say more, Naruto raised a hand to silence him. The his cold gaze slid across his retainer's face, and that alone was enough to make the noble stop, bowing his head in apology. Naruto then turned to the Grand Monk, his voice warmer.
"I have great regard for the Grand Monk," Naruto said. "I believe he will act as a true neutral here. If he says so then I can agree with his suggestion. How, then, is the Land of Fire going to give reparation to the Uchiha and Uzushiogakure?"
A faint rustle moved through the ranks of dignitaries on the Fire Court's side. Some shifted uncomfortably in their seats, wary of what demands might follow. Here, Sukino rose to speak.
And started, "I understand the reparation to Uzushio since, despite us having no knowledge or involvement in this incident, it was our responsibility to give safe passage," she said, her elegant robes gathering around her ankles as she stepped forward. "But why the Uchiha clan? When the incident happened, they were part of Konoha, and the one who did the incident was one of their own, the heir to the clan, no less. If he was so against them, then why didn't they remove him from his position?"
"And from the report, there was another masked man who had the Sharingan and was an Uchiha who fought with His Grace. We understand that you accuse us due to it being Itachi for which there is no proof that we made him do it, but who was this second Uchiha? Shouldn't it be the Uchiha who compensate us for our losses due to the broken treaty? Because the Uchiha did not control its members, Konoha is now bearing the brunt of this loss."
A stillness descended upon the gathering. Those words, the accusation, made Shisui and the Uchiha guard bristle in outrage. One of them half-rose from his chair, fists clenched, but again Naruto forestalled any outburst by raising a hand. His eyes glinted like shards of ice, and a faint, dangerous smile ghosted across his lips.
Naruto, though seated calmly, thought to himself, I expect nothing less from the Black Rose, deadly as ever. There's nothing he can say to counter that argument. If he claims Itachi became heir due to Hiruzen and his advisors bypassing Shisui to make Mikoto by proxy Fugaku the lord, and that they too share the blame, she'll respond that even if not Shisui, there's still Sasuke also a jonin in the village. So why didn't the Uchiha change their heir? And then there is the masked man.
There was no clear counter. But still… Naruto had a few cards left to play. Sometimes, it isn't logic that wins the game, it's emotion.
"Astute of you to point that out," Naruto replied calmly. "But you forget Uchiha are one of your village's founding clans. If you don't want to compensate them, claiming they were merely part of your village at the time of the incident, then by that logic, they can raise the issue of Konoha upper echelons trying to exterminate them in your high council. Do you really want that to be fought in public? Did you forget the last time the Hokage and his faction were humiliated in that very council?"
A flicker of something passed and darkened Sukino's expression. But she refused to be baited. Her voice remained steady, though there was an undercurrent of something beneath her words. "I also remember a subsequent council in the Fire Capital," she said coolly.
'Bingo' though Naruto.
At that, the Fire Daimyo grimaced, clearly recalling some unspoken event he would rather not bring up. He tapped his fingers against the table's polished surface. "That's enough, Lady Nara," he said, voice roughened with annoyance. "The Uchiha will also be compensated."
Sukino clicked her teeth in frustration. She realized too late that bringing up the Fire Court incident had only served Naruto. The Daimyo would not want that matter dredged up again, and any mention of it might inflate the reparation owed to Uzushio. Indeed, Naruto had guided the conversation here deliberately, halting any attempt to bring up the masked man as a rogue Uchiha acting alone. Sukino was forced to concede that Naruto had neatly played.
As the tension ratcheted up another notch, the Grand Monk cleared his throat, his eyes flicking between the two sides. "What is your demand, Lord Uzumaki?"
Naruto inclined his head. "For the Uchiha," he began, voice steady, "the agreement should be changed where previously it was that the Uchiha would sell their entire land at a lowest amount. That should be changed to the standard market rates. And the land that is in the tenancy of Konoha the one which was given by Iburi Uchiha will also be included in the selling list this time around. It will not de facto become your land, you will have to pay for the central-most land in Konoha at the market rate. Moreover, every deceased Uchiha person's family will be compensated."
A subdued gasp rippled through several of the Daimyo's advisors. One of them, visibly furious, began furiously counting figures on an abacus, his cheeks reddening. He quickly scribbled numbers onto a scroll and passed it along for the others to see. Judging by the hushed exclamations that followed, the amount was staggeringly high. The central lands under Konoha were prime real estate practically incalculable in worth. For a decade, the konoha had accepted them as a given and assumed to be theirs by right, with little owed to the founding clans. To now pay full market value for that land was a bitter pill to swallow.
"You would essentially be paying for something that, by charter, couldn't be sold by the Uchiha and since it was under Konoha's control, we could exert influence over Konoha. But now, at such a price… is it even worth it?" one advisor whispered to the Daimyo. "It could take decades to recover this amount through taxes and land use. You only agreed to this because those lands were originally granted practically for free, since the Uchiha couldn't sell them. But now, with the Uchiha leaving the Land of Fire and demanding high compensation for each of their properties, it's a clear and significant net economic loss. Only the founding charter offers any semblance of justification for enduring this ordeal, especially now that we can't even renege on the agreement."
Yet despite their reluctance, the Daimyo finally nodded. He knew that if this was the price for quieting the shit storm and preventing further humiliation of the Land of Fire's, he might well accept it. He exhaled and addressed Naruto directly.
"If this is all the compensation for the Uchiha," the Daimyo said, carefully maintaining a diplomatic tone, "and the Uchiha clan will never blame the Land of Fire for any incident, now or in the past, since Konoha's inception and give me that in writing and oath, I will agree."
Naruto dipped his head ever so slightly in acknowledgment. "Yes. That's all for the Uchiha," he answered. Inwardly, he was well aware that the sum would make the surviving Uchiha wealthier than they had been since perhaps the war-torn era preceding Konoha's founding. He pictured them rebuilding, forging a future that far outstripped anything they'd had under this village. They would owe that future, in no small part, to this very agreement.
Across the table, Shisui watched the negotiations in silence, the corners of his lips twitching with tightly contained relief. Some of the Uchiha guards still bristled at Sukino's earlier words, their expressions tense. Shisui had barely managed to suppress a gasp when he saw the amount. This was compensation for land they no longer truly controlled—territory that, in name only, still belonged to them.
Hiruzen grimaced, fully aware of the underlying motives. The main advantage the Daimyo sought was control over the Konoha Centre, believing that with both Uchiha and Senju lands under his control, he could dictate terms. But with such an enormous sum now involved, Hiruzen knew he would also have to contribute, as the Daimyo couldn't arrange that kind of money on short notice not without having other vulture swoop inn. This would, in turn, give Hiruzen some stake and thus, some control over those lands.
Yet the real reason for his grimace was different. He knew the Daimyo would now push back even harder when it came to the founding charter, seeking compensation for what was meant to be an effortless profit, now turned into a staggering loss.
"And Uzushio…?" one of the Daimyo's advisors asked nervously. He swallowed hard, dreading what other demands might come. "What…..what do you demand?"
A faint smirk tugged at the corner of Naruto's mouth, though his eyes showed cold amusment, revealing little of what lay beneath. The entire negotiation had been building to this moment. If the Uchiha settlement was already a crippling blow to the Daimyo's treasury, what new horrors would the Emperor unleash on behalf of Uzushio?
Several of the Fire Court nobles exchanged anxious glances.
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To be continued. Stay tuned and let me know your thoughts! Like and comment! 🙏🔥
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Join ThirdFireTriden on Pa(tre)(on) the link is in description or type my name in google search with (p)(a)(t)(r)(e)(o)(n) remove the space and bracket!
Chapter 22: The Negotiation. IS OUT!
Chapter 23: Mind Game Through Mind Readers.IS OUT!
Chapter 24: Mind Walkers. IS OUT!
Chapter 25: A Parting Backhand. IS OUT!
Chapter 26: A New Turn. IS OUT!
Chapter 27: A Turn ON A Turn. IS OUT!
Chapter 28: Farewell. IS OUT!!!!!!!!
Chapter 29 – The Oath of the Oath-Keeper. IS OUT!!!!!!!!! (End of the Arc)
Chapter 30 – Aftermath.
Chapter 31: The Growing Crown, The cracking Roots.
Chapter 32: The Wandering Monk. 8k long
Chapter 33: A New face Or phase. 8k long
Chapter 34: Chinamaki. 5.5k long
Chapter 35: Cross Roads. IS OUT!!!!!!!!!!! 9K LONG (NEW)
Chapter 36: The New Field. IS OUT!!!!!!!!!!!!! 9k LONG (NEW)
Chapter 37: Loyalty. IS OUT!!!!!!!!!!!!! 7 K LONG (NEW)