The veteran daimyō eyed the young man before them—Yamashita Jishin, still rough around the edges, but now seated among the most powerful leaders in the shinobi world.
Fujiwara Daichi, Earth Country's daimyō, wasted no time with pleasantries. "The Land of Lightning's been gutted by this turmoil. Whether you can still call yourselves a great nation is up for debate. And you—a kid—think you deserve the title 'daimyō'? To sit as our equal? The world's really gone upside down…"
Jishin smiled, undeterred. "I'll admit I'm not like you. You all inherited your seats from your fathers. I'm just a grassroots upstart, here thanks to a benefactor's help. In the end, we're all just playing the hands we're dealt."
The other daimyō exchanged glances—this guy's got guts.
Abe Kazutaka, Wind Country's daimyō, sneered. "I know your reputation. You led the early anti-noble resistance in the Land of Lightning, a wanted criminal with a fat bounty on your head. To see a former outlaw rise to daimyō… I wonder who your mysterious patron is?"
Jishin replied coolly, "Uchiha Itachi."
Silence crashed over the hall.
Kazutaka's eyes narrowed. "That's the butcher who wiped out his entire clan!"
Behind Jishin, the black-robed youth clenched his fists.
Fire Country's daimyō, Kamikawa Ichikyū, cut in. "Let me clarify. Uchiha Itachi has returned to Konoha and cleared his name. He was forced to take the fall for Danzō's crimes. Kazutaka-sama, you should be careful with your words, given your station."
Kazutaka scoffed. "Hmph. The Uchiha have always been a cursed clan—too many who break the law with force. Even if he's not pure evil, he's far from clean."
Jishin's smile vanished. He poured himself a drink, knocked it back, and spoke with steel in his voice. "Enough with the fake politeness. I'm not here to negotiate—I'm here to give you a heads-up. The Land of Lightning is vast and resource-rich. If you won't support the other villages' reforms, we'll welcome them all ourselves."
Daichi's tone turned icy. "Boy, are you trying to start a war?"
Jishin met his glare without flinching. "Times have changed, but our people don't shy from conflict. If you want war, let's start right now."
He pulled out a dagger and stabbed it into the table—no daimyō, just a bandit king.
But sometimes, scholars have no choice but to bow to the sword.
Ichikyū remained calm, turning to the one-eyed man behind Jishin. "Dodai, correct?"
Dodai bowed. "Ichikyū-sama."
Ichikyū nodded. "Your presence means Kumogakure helped stabilize the Lightning Country."
Dodai corrected him, gesturing to his left. "Actually, the one who did the heavy lifting wasn't Kumogakure—it was Uchiha Sasuke."
Shock rippled through the room.
Uesugi Kenkazu, Water Country's daimyō, stammered, "Say that again—who?"
Dodai repeated, "This is Uchiha Sasuke."
Every eye turned to the cold-faced youth in black. Kazutaka, who'd just called the Uchiha cursed, visibly shivered.
Sasuke's reputation preceded him. Not just for his time with Akatsuki or his attack on the Valley of Clouds and Lightning, but for killing the previous Lightning Country daimyō—Mutō Nobuyoshi. By all logic, he should be the last person standing beside Kumogakure and the new daimyō.
The atmosphere froze. Sweat beaded on every brow—even Ichikyū looked nervous.
Just as the tension peaked, Sasuke spoke, his voice calm and free of malice. "You don't need to worry. I'm not here to cause trouble."
No one believed him.
Kenkazu's voice trembled. "Mifune, how could you let just anyone in here?"
Mifune answered, "Sasuke-san is the recognized attendant of the Lightning Country daimyō. Regardless of his past, the Land of Iron remains neutral."
Now you're neutral, huh.
The daimyō had no choice but to steel themselves and share the room with Sasuke.
Sasuke ignored their unease, cutting straight to the point. "I heard your entire conversation outside."
He locked eyes with Daichi. "Earth Country daimyō, you claim you won't let Iwagakure leave because of a century-old friendship. But before the Fourth Great Ninja War, you planned to invade the Land of Lightning during its chaos. Even after the war, you never abandoned the idea."
"You even considered negotiating with Iwagakure—offering them a slice of Lightning territory if they helped you conquer it, in exchange for letting them leave. All this talk of friendship is just a front."
Daichi's face went ashen, but he dared not speak.
Sasuke continued, "It's not surprising. The world runs on interests. We only fight together when there's a common enemy—like now. All of you, who rarely interact, are sitting at this table because you see ninja as a shared threat."
He turned to Kazutaka. "Wind Country daimyō, you backed Daichi's criticism of Naruto. But you're the last person who should be hostile toward him."
"Most of your land is desert, resources are scarce. But the largest oasis in Wind Country exists thanks to Naruto's personal sacrifice. Even through war, that oasis remained untouched."
Kazutaka bristled. "Giving a sweetener to reap bigger rewards later is standard diplomacy. Besides, we gave up the Dragon Vein!"
Sasuke's eyes darkened. "You're missing the point. Forget the Five Great Nations' ninja you fear. With Naruto's current power, if he wanted, he has a thousand ways to put you under his thumb."
"But he hasn't. Don't you wonder why?"
The daimyō fell silent, heads bowed.
Sasuke pressed on. "I know you see me as a terrorist—a walking disaster. You think I'm here to threaten you."
"To be honest, I wanted to solve this the quick and dirty way. But that would only deepen your mistrust of Naruto."
"So I chose the way he always preferred."
"That guy—Naruto—grew up as an outcast, but never complained. You, born to privilege, can't understand someone who eats expired ramen in tears, yet still gives the world his brightest smile."
"But he's saved his village time and again, becoming everyone's hero."
"In his last life, he became the ideal—someone everyone admired. But that meant carrying impossible expectations and burdens."
"In the end, the future was destroyed—utterly."
"When he returned, people thought he'd changed, lost his way."
"But I believe the Naruto of the past and present aren't in conflict."
"Because, at the end of his previous life, those he'd helped and redeemed gave everything to protect him in humanity's darkest hour. That's why he survived to come back."
"Without the Naruto of the past, there'd be no Naruto now. Everything is connected."
"But thinking about how he went through all that alone, searching for answers while I made things harder with my pride and childish arrogance… I'm ashamed beyond words."
"Please believe—he's not crying wolf. The enemy is real. We can't predict when they'll come. All we can do is use the time we have to grow stronger."
"Call it a gamble, call it an investment—I hope you'll set aside your prejudices, trust him, trust my best friend, and open the way for the ninja."
With that, Uchiha Sasuke bowed low—dogeza, forehead to the floor.
No one had expected this.
Dodai followed suit. "I… beg you as well!"
Jishin bowed his head. "Seniors, I apologize for my earlier rudeness!"
Silence reigned.
After a long moment, Kamikawa Ichikyū spoke first. "As long as I hold office, Konoha will have my full support. Even if the enemy takes a hundred or a thousand years to arrive, my successors will continue my policy. If there's blame, I'll bear it."
Daichi was next. "The Land of Earth will open the way for Iwagakure. I also retract my disrespectful words about Uzumaki Naruto."
Kazutaka followed. "The Land of Wind will provide full financial support to Sunagakure. And… I retract my earlier slander of the Uchiha. Please forgive me, Sasuke-san."
Kenkazu, last. "The Land of Water will unconditionally assist Kirigakure with reform for future conflict. And… we'll provide thirty billion ryō to support Amegakure's expansion. Uzumaki Naruto-sama is welcome to visit any time for guidance."
Sasuke's voice was thick with emotion. "Thank you—all of you."
Mifune quietly stood and drew his sword from the floor.
"It seems things have been resolved. Now, I must pay the price for my earlier disrespect."
He gripped his famous blade, Kurosawa, and with a single stroke—severed his left arm.
Whoosh—the fire flickered, blood splattering across the floor.
Samurai rushed to his side. "Mifune-sama!"
Ichikyū sighed. "Mifune, was this really necessary?"
Mifune's voice rang out. "Bushidō may be fading, but the samurai spirit is to take responsibility for one's actions!"
Outside, snow fell thick and fast. The Five Daimyō Summit ended—not with words, but with the blood and honor of a samurai.
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