[Otogakure, Snake Chamber (Council Room)]
A month passed in a flash, and talks of negotiation seemed endless.
As usual, the council elders and clan leaders had gathered in the snake chamber, a building shape like the mouth of a snake. Chakra-powered lamps casted serpentine shadows accross the obsidian walls, the greenisih glow providing a strange sense of tranquility for those used to the scene. Although quirky, it had been a gift to the Hebikaze clan, one that had conquered the heart of the kunoichi.
Danzo sat at the head of the table carved from fossilized bones of a giant snake, its ribs arching overhead like a cathedral to ambition. It matched his personality, as well as the values of Otogakure which reflected his nature.
Around him, the council elders and clan leaders leaned forward, their eyes full of respect, but as sharp as kunai. Scrolls and specimen jars littered the table. They were trophies of wars, contracts written in blood, rewards from a war they had shaped as they wanted to. Never before a scheme of this size had been achieved.
Although Danzo liked to believe he was the one with the most contributions, perhaps the character that deserved the most praise was Byakuro. The old elder was aging backwards, benefitting immensely from the genetic enhancement that had been developped by Boku and Danzo himself. However, this expensive treatment was small in comparison to the creator of the Shimura Keywords Seal. Without the seal preventing any leak of information, a single soul discovering the scheme would have plunged not just Danzo, but Otogakure's whole in despair. After all, no hidden village was left unharmed by Danzo's schemes.
Harumi reclined beside him. As always, she was wearing the Shimura Kimono uniform, her aura seering through her clothing. Anyone looking at her would have goosebumps at best, faint at worst. This was how powerful her aura had become.
The Two-Tails' chakra flickered faintly in her pupils, a sapphire ember. "The Kazekage delivered his gift," she hissed, sliding a sand-scorched tube across the table.
"Wind Release: Sandstorm Matrix. S-rank. A fitting toy for your Wind Corps, husband."
Itoru snatched the scroll, his fingers tracing the Suna seal. "This isn't just a jutsu—it's a blueprint. Reverse-engineer this, and our barrier teams could replicate Suna's entire defense system within months." His voice trembled with greed.
"Pathetic," Yukiko muttered, her katana laid bare across her lap. She hadn't stopped grinding her thumb along its edge since the summit
"Konoha's offerings reek of desperation. Shadow Clone? Poison Mist Variants?"
She flicked a smaller scroll toward Byakuro, who caught it mid-air, his fuinjutsu-branded hands glowing faintly.
Byakuro unsealed it with a snort
"Ah, but here—Mystical Palm Technique: Advanced Organ Reconstruction, an S-rank jutsu. Medical ninjutsu refined by Senju experts. Not totally worthless. Our support corps is lacking immensely in high-level medical jutsu. Boku's latest innovations in terms of imagery did help us increase the survival rate of injured by 20%, but there is still room to grow. The insights in this scroll need to be studied, and learned upon"
He glanced at Eiji, whose spectacles flashed as he scribbled equations onto a clay tablet. "Imagine pairing this with our Cell Enhancement serum. Organs grown in vats, spliced with our most elite jonin's cells"
"Enough" Danzo's voice split the room. He lifted a vial of swirling crimson—Konoha jonin blood, harvested from the Eastern Front's dead.
"Hiruzen's 'tribute' is a distraction. These samples are diluted. Third-rate chakra reserves. But Suna's scrolls…" He nodded to Hiroto, "The Kazekage's other payment?"
The Kinzoku patriarch smiled, bells at his wrists silent for once: "Five hundred prisoners. Kumo and Iwa chunins, mostly. Alive. Chained in Level Six." His gaze drifted to Harumi. "Their screams during extraction will… energize the laboratories."
Rin Kaonashi leaned forward, her stitched lips parting: "And the Daimyo's shipments? The rice?"
A hologram flared above the table—Eiji's latest toy. Graphs spiraled, showing crop yields, chakra density spikes: "The royal grain accelerates cell division. Our genin's chakra networks are thickening 23% faster. Side effects…" He tapped a key. A dissected rat carcass flickered into view, its organs bulging with tumorous growths. "None. They actually supplement training quite well too. No wonder the rice samurai are superior to that of neighbouring lands. This is a national treasure"
Danzo ignored it. "The clans?"
Boku, parchment-thin and grinning, unrolled a map. "The Hagoromo, decimated in Kiri's last offensive, have begged for shelter. The Fuma, scattered after Iwa crushed their valley, will trade their shadow shuriken art for sanctuary"
"Good." Danzo's seal pulsed as he stood. "Unlike Oto no Kami clans, the Hagoromo and Fuma clans have little to offer. There is no lack of shinobi in Otogakure, and I would rather have an organic growth. Refuse their demand of shelter, but offer them territory on the surface. Otogakure will be divided in three classes in the future: The Outer circle with mercenary clans begging for protection, merchants and regular civilians, the Inner Circle composed of Otogakure clans and the three noble clans in its deepest levels. The deeper the clan, the more power it holds. This way, the domestic market of our factories can be distributed faster, and the village will develop faster. Furthermore, dangerous missions can be given to the canon fodders on the surface, while the inner clans conserve and build strength consistantly"
The elders nodded at the long-term planning of Danzo. As always, his reforms were pragmatic, almost evil, but expressed no flows. Harsh rules and repression induced social cohesion, whereas the benefits made the clans favoured even stronger, allowing more order. It was the perfect opposite of the Will of Fire.
People in Otogakure called it the Equilibrium of the Shimura. Strength in balance.
However, there was one man challenging Danzo. He respected him immensely, but often found himself in the opposition.
He was none other than Hiroto Kinzoku, patriarch of one of the four founding clans of Otogakure.
"Otokage, if I may. Otogakure joined an alliance with Sunagakure. At the time of the summit, it was an opportunity to put a stop to this madness, and cash the rewards of victorious hidden villages while asserting Otogakure as one of the six major hidden villages, a feat that even Hanzo the Salamander failed to achieve"
Harumi laughed: "Hanzo found himself Salamander-less. If it were not for the peace treaty, we could have plundered Amegakure"
Hiroto nodded: "I am well aware, for I was here to witness it. It was overwhelming, even. As the Otokage, you possess a force formidable enough to shake the whole world, yet our missions are confined in Oto no Kami strictly, our advances in foreign countries limited to spying networks and glass trading. Why the secrecy? Why the fear?"
Hiroto's words made sense.
'The secrecy, the silent growth...They all made sense because of my hidden identity. Revealing myself too early would have caused Otogakure to be targeted by Onoki's fury. Time appeased his rage, albeit slightly. Wounds, however, made his threat meaningless...Hiroto is right, being confined to Oto no Kami alone is a wasted opportunity for growth, yet completing missions outside of the country is dangerous, and exposes the village's forces to more danger...', Danzo contemplated
Hiroto continued: "Since you proposed the idea of a village on top of Otogakure, a village in the Kamui Marecage. Other villages will mistake the surface village as Otogakure, whereas its true power lies below. This way, we can maintain the secrecy wanted for future schemes, while benefitting from expansion with the external clans"
Danzo's eyes flickered. His schemes and ideas had not just affected the village ecomically. The elders were learning, growing sharper with each meeting. Most were unable to keep up, but Hiroto was growing unbelievably fast. He was perhaps not at the level of the Nara clan, but it was undeniable that their mastery of genjutsu was somehow linked to their intellect, and Hiroto was the best version of his clan.
"Hiroto...", Danzo spoke calmly, "I am interested in your excellent idea. Come to the Shimura clan compound tonight. I would like to invite you and your wife to discuss this proposition further. The Fuma and Hagoromo clans are large, but with proper monetary promises, there are thousands of shinobi susceptible to be poached to Otogakure. Perhaps even more. With our reputation as the rising sixth major hidden village, this is a great opportunity"