"What?" Akura nearly shouted, his voice echoing off the walls. "You're already leaving? In the last two years, you've spent less than a week doing your job as the head of the clan!"
"I know, Akura-san," Kaoru cut in before the man could build momentum, his voice calm but filled with amusement. A playful grin tugged at the corner of his lips. "But the Suikage gave me a mission. I don't really have a choice."
Akura's eyes narrowed when he heard Kaoru address Maki as 'Suikage'. "When will you return? And more importantly - when are you finally going to start acting like the clan head?"
"I don't know. A week, maybe two," Kaoru replied casually, brushing a strand of hair from his eyes. "But as for taking over... I'm not ready yet. Give me one more year."
Akura's expression tightened, his brows climbing so high they nearly disappeared into his hairline. Kaoru almost burst out laughing, but forced it down. He knew better. The moment he showed even a sliver of amusement, Akura would shut this entire conversation down.
"I'm at a critical stage in my training," Kaoru added quickly, his tone softening just enough to sound sincere. "And to be honest, I still lack the knowledge to lead. But it's not like I'm dodging responsibility. Look what I've brought back for our clan."
He reached into the seal on his wrist and retrieved three scrolls, placing them carefully on the table in front of Akura.
"These were written by Gran… Elder Ogashi and Iseki," he said, watching Akura's reaction closely. "They are the Leviathans who mentored me. Taught me everything I've learned over the past year and a half. They also opened my eyes to something I think everyone in our clan deserves to know - our history. One of these scrolls explains it in full. Read it and share it with the others."
Akura remained silent, his gaze flicking down to the scrolls, the earlier frustration in his posture slowly dissipating.
Kaoru unrolled the remaining two scrolls and laid the parchment across the table. Neat, elegant ink lines formed diagrams and notes along its surface.
"This one's a taijutsu manual," he continued. "Refined, structured, meant to push our techniques to a new standard. And the other… this is the chakra rotation technique I mentioned before. But it's the complete version. Improved. Simplified just enough for our people to use. The original form can't be replicated without Leviathan guidance... and unfortunately, they no longer live among us."
Akura's gaze lingered on the scrolls for a long moment before speaking. "So they really lived with our clan in the past…"
Kaoru nodded. "I've told you bits and pieces through the communication device before, but it was all fragmented. This scroll fills in the gaps. It's not just what I heard, it's actual written history. Our legacy kept by Leviathans for us."
Akura gave a small grunt, something between resignation and approval. "So this is your way of buying your freedom?"
Kaoru grinned. "Yes. And no. I am asking you to keep leading the clan for one more year, but I won't be absent forever. I'll start taking on responsibilities, gradually. That's a promise."
Akura exhaled, but this time it wasn't from frustration. His fingers ran lightly across the scrolls, absorbing the weight of what Kaoru had brought. A glimpse into the clan's forgotten strength. A roadmap for its future.
"So what's your plan then? Why do you need a year?"
Kaoru's grin widened. "I already spoke with Maki. I'm going to join the OININ."
<<<>>>
"So? What did he say?" Maki asked, not even bothering to lift her head from the report she was reading.
"He agreed, of course. When has anyone ever managed to say no to me?" Kaoru laughed as he dropped into the chair, kicking one leg over the other.
"I'm also here and can still change my mind," Akura muttered from the corner, though not even he sounded like he believed it.
"So? What is it going to be?" Kaoru reached casually toward the nearby fruit bowl where the sole green apple was looking particularly appealing, only for Maki to smack the back of his hand without looking up.
"Stingy!" He hissed dramatically, rubbing his palm and chuckling as he withdrew his hand.
"I was going to send you on that elimination mission," Maki began, tapping the pen against her report, gaze narrowing in thought. "But Shin refuses to let anyone else complete it. I'd have to send you two together, and that would be a waste of manpower. So you're not joining Oinin this time."
"What?!" Kaoru sat up, already preparing to protest, but Maki waved him off before he could get a word in.
"I've got two options left," she continued, finally glancing up. "Either I send you to the Water Daimyo… or…" she turned her head slightly toward Ao, who had been sitting in total silence until now.
Kaoru blinked. "What?"
"We're moving to expand our influence into the Land of Lakes," Maki said, reaching into her desk drawer and pulling out a scroll map. She unfurled it across the table, her finger tracing a path before landing on a large island located between Takimura and the Land of Fire. "It's the largest island between us, the Uchiha territories, and Konoha. Until recently, they were under Konoha's protection, but ever since the Uchiha separated, the Leaf hasn't sent anyone. We intend to take their place."
Kaoru leaned in, studying the map closely. "Won't that stir things up? With Konoha and maybe even the Uchiha?"
"It might cause issues with Konoha, but not Uchiha. Fugaku was the one who informed us…" Maki admitted, though her voice carried a sharp edge. "But that's on Konoha. They tried to steal one of our clan's secret techniques and hoped to get away with it. And that's after we upheld our end of the neutrality pact."
Ao, who had been silent until now, sighed heavily and shook his head. He didn't look surprised, just tired.
"I've told you before," Ao began, his voice calm, weathered by years of watching these same patterns repeat, "in the world of shinobi, loyalty to a contract doesn't hold much weight. Especially not with a village like Konoha. They're masters of playing both sides. On the surface, they wear the face of honor, but behind closed doors, they're just as scheming as anyone else."
Kaoru's thoughts drifted. 'That's because of Danzo… and Hiruzen, too, if I'm being honest. But Jiraiya? I didn't want to believe he would become like that. The man who taught Naruto peace… I thought he'd be above that sort of thing.'
His gaze remained passive, but his mind kept spinning. 'Maybe no one is above the rot that comes with power… Well, no one but Naruto.'
Maki seemed to answer his unspoken thoughts.
"I know that, Ao," she said, softly but firmly. "But I still believe in loyalty. Not because I think it'll be returned. But because I'd rather we stay true to ourselves. If war does come, and it might, I want our blades to be guided by conviction, not convenience. That's what will make them cut deeper."
Kaoru leaned back in his chair, fingers absently tracing the curve of the armrest. Maki's words lingered in the air - idealistic, romantic, maybe even naive. The kind of thing that sounded beautiful when spoken aloud but crumbled when pressed against the reality of blood, betrayal, and backroom politics. And yet… he didn't dismiss them.
Because he knew better. Naruto had been the same.
The boy from Konoha wasn't just strong; he had been an ideology made flesh. His belief in peace, his relentless faith in people, it wasn't born of strategy or political calculation. It was the conviction of someone who had walked alone for too long, carrying a torch no one else believed in, until eventually... others began to gather around that light.
'But why did they follow him?' Kaoru's eyes narrowed as his thoughts deepened. 'Was it truly his ideals that convinced them, or was it the overwhelming force behind his words?'
He thought of Neji. Of Gaara. Of Sasuke. All of them, at one point or another, stood on the other side of Naruto's path. None of them had been persuaded by kind words alone. When it came down to it, it had always been strength, raw, undeniable strength, that gave Naruto the right to speak.
'What if he hadn't had Kurama? What if he hadn't won those early fights? Would anyone have listened then?'
Kaoru leaned forward slightly, elbows resting on his knees. He could still hear Maki's voice echoing in his head, how she believed staying true to one's ideals would make the blade sharper when it finally had to be drawn. But even that belief, noble as it sounded, only worked because it came from her. Someone strong enough to defeat the Raikage. Someone who was hailed as the most dangerous shinobi in the Land of Water.
If she had been weak, people would've laughed in her face. Called her delusional. Idealism was only respected when spoken by someone who could cleave mountains in half.
'In the end, everything circles back to power.' Kaoru had decided that a long time ago. But it was always good to be reminded. 'Once I reach their level, once I stand shoulder to shoulder with the Kages, then I can start talking about peace and my ideals.'
He sat up, eyes flicking toward Maki. "So, what's it going to be? Which one are you sending me on?"
"Both missions would help you grow," Akura cut in, his voice carrying that blend of reluctant pride and lingering frustration of being forced not to retire. "One helps you mature as a leader. The other… strengthens your web of connections."
"Ao and Lady Suikage want you to go to the Land of Lakes," he added, pushing the map forward again for emphasis.
"But the mission is... delicate," Ao said, leaning in slightly now that Kaoru was paying attention. "We can't make it obvious we're trying to take control. They need to ask us for protection. That means... no open moves. Nothing that can be traced back to Takimura."
Kaoru blinked. 'So much for leading a team into battle.' He'd assumed this was just another cleanup, a chance to clear out some rogues or bandits from that island, maybe prove himself by cracking a few skulls. But this seemed far too layered.
'Isn't this a bit much for a fourteen-year-old?'
He didn't doubt his own strength. But experience… that was still a gap. And both he and the people in the room knew it.
"If you think you're not up to the task, you can refuse," Ao said flatly, watching him. "We'll hand it off to someone else."
"No," Kaoru replied without the slightest pause. "I'll do it."
'This is going to be a good test of how far I've really come.'
"Great!" Maki clapped her hands once, then rolled the map back up and slid it into the drawer. "You'll have a few days to rest and relax before departure. You'll be traveling with merchants. Once you arrive, it's up to you how you proceed."
"We'll also give you a new communication device," Ao added, more serious. "Improved range and speed. You'll report in every week. If we don't hear from you... we'll assume something's gone wrong and deploy a rescue team."
Kaoru chuckled, realizing who the rescue team would be.
"Relax. I'll be fine. Honestly, I'm more worried about Sensei. Is he really going to handle that strange creature alone? Last time didn't exactly go smoothly, and back then he had Akane with him."
"No," Maki said, a grin tugging at the corner of her lips. "He won't be doing it alone this time."
Kaoru's eyes narrowed slightly, curious. "Then who?"
"Mei's going with him."
**
The Next Chapter on Tuesday
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