Chapter 115: The Daimyo Entrusts His Orphan
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As the lightning slowly dissipated, whether it was Asuma and Kazuma in front of the hall, or the terrified Land of Fire officials hiding within that small palace hall, frightened by the menacing Orochimaru and Manda, everyone at this moment saw an imposing figure.
The Hokage robes, imprinted with the flame pattern, fluttered noisily in the wind. Even in the dark of night, the words 'Fifth Hokage', embroidered with gold and red thread, were exceptionally clear amidst the crackling lightning surrounding him.
"Take everyone and fall back. Leave this place to me," Uchiha Douhuan turned back and said to Asuma, his tone carrying an undeniable authority.
Asuma looked at the Mangekyou Sharingan slowly spinning in Uchiha Douhuan's eyes and nodded blankly.
Kazuma, beside him, gritted his teeth and questioned, "Why did you only arrive now? Do you know how much danger His Highness the Daimyo was in just now?"
Uchiha Douhuan coldly glanced at this guy who, in the original timeline, advocated that the Hokage shouldn't exist and that ninja power should belong entirely to the Daimyo, even inciting internal strife among the Guardian Shinobi Twelve over it. He opened his mouth and said, "Didn't the person who taught you ninjutsu tell you to have reverence for the strong? Get lost before I lose my temper!"
"You!" Kazuma gritted his teeth, staring fixedly at Uchiha Douhuan's Hokage robes, wanting to say something, but Uchiha Douhuan had already turned back, gazing intently at Orochimaru. Pupil power and chakra surged forth, and Susanoo rose from the ground.
This god-like back view stunned Kazuma into place. Just then, Asuma and Chiriku, who had recovered some chakra, rushed forward, pulling Kazuma back into the palace hall.
Uchiha Douhuan's Susanoo slowly raised its hand towards Orochimaru and Manda. Within the giant Susanoo's hand, ferocious lightning slowly gathered, forming a huge vajra inscribed with special Sage Art symbols.
Seeing this, Manda instantly dispelled his summoning. Although he wasn't yet aware that Orochimaru and Uchiha Douhuan had long planned to throw the fight, he had personally experienced the commotion the last time Uchiha Douhuan fought Orochimaru. From Manda's perspective, both were contractors of Ryuchi Cave; there was no need to fight to the death.
After Manda fled, Orochimaru also formed a seal, his entire body dissolving into numerous white snakes that scattered in all directions.
Seeing this, Uchiha Douhuan also dismissed his Susanoo, simultaneously staggering and gasping heavily for breath.
"Are you just going to let that rogue ninja who assassinated the Daimyo run away like that?" Kazuma broke free from Asuma and Chiriku, came before Uchiha Douhuan, and roared at him.
"What else?" Uchiha Douhuan turned back, sneering with narrowed eyes. "I rushed here at full speed all the way; my chakra was already nearly depleted. Forcing him back was already my limit. Where would I have the chakra to pursue?"
"Lord Hokage, please calm down. Kazuma is just worried about the Daimyo's safety," Chiriku stepped forward at this time, pulling Kazuma back again while trying to smooth things over.
"If you're truly worried about the Daimyo's safety, then you should be ensuring His Highness's security right now, not clamoring about pursuit," Uchiha Douhuan said coldly. "Asuma."
Asuma, still immersed in the scene of Uchiha Douhuan having just repelled Orochimaru, snapped back to reality upon hearing his name and came before Uchiha Douhuan.
"Keep an eye on this colleague of yours. Otherwise, I don't mind teaching him the rules between ninjas."
After Uchiha Douhuan finished speaking, he walked straight into the palace hall.
After Uchiha Douhuan entered the palace hall, the Land of Fire ministers inside couldn't help but part ways for him.
On the bed in the palace hall lay a middle-aged man, his face pale as gold paper, his breath like a thread. His entire chest looked as if it had suffered a heavy blow, caved in significantly. It was clear he wouldn't survive. Beside the bed, a child under four years old cried incessantly.
"Your Highness the Daimyo! Your subordinate was late in coming to the rescue! Please forgive me, Your Highness!" Uchiha Douhuan immediately started acting upon entering, squeezing out two tears from the corners of his eyes, speaking with sincere emotion.
"Rest assured, Your Majesty, I will immediately send word back to the village to search for Tsunade's whereabouts. Your Highness must hold on."
The Daimyo of this generation of the Land of Fire, Minamoto Mitsuhide, struggled to lift his eyes and look at Uchiha Douhuan, the Hokage he had personally issued the appointment documents for not long ago.
However, the moment he lifted his eyes, he suddenly noticed a hawk had flown to the window outside at some unknown time. The instant the man and hawk's gazes met, a red light flashed in the eyes of this inexplicably appeared hawk.
Sensing the short-term Kotoamatsukami had succeeded, a barely perceptible smile appeared on Uchiha Douhuan's lips.
At this moment, the Daimyo struggled to speak, his voice weak as a thread, "No... need to trouble... I... know my condition... very well."
As the Daimyo spoke, an unnatural flush rose on his face. The medical officer attending beside the bed saw this, and his hands began to tremble. This was clearly the final flare-up before death.
"Your Highness!" Seeing this, the court officials in the hall also showed sorrowful expressions and cried out in unison.
"Since I took over the position of Daimyo from my late father at the age of 21, more than twenty years have passed. I never thought I would suffer such a calamity today, and even the Crown Prince..."
As the Daimyo spoke, blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.
"However, the country cannot be without a ruler for a single day. Cough, cough, cough... Miyuki, come here." The Daimyo strenuously beckoned the four-year-old child beside the bed.
The young Daimyo heir, eyes filled with tears, came to the Daimyo's side.
"The Crown Prince is young. I hope all ministers will diligently assist him..."
Hearing this, the officials in the hall all became alert. They knew the main event was coming next; the Daimyo was about to appoint Regent Ministers.
At this time, several gazes had already turned towards one person in the hall. This person was the Land of Fire's Minister of the Left, the head of the civil officials. In the eyes of the court officials present, if there truly was to be a position of Regent Minister, it should undoubtedly belong to him.
However, the words the Daimyo spoke next took everyone by surprise.
"I appoint Minister of Construction Kikuchi Tomoyasu, Minister of Economy Kujo Masaya, and Councilor Nagano Kiri as assistant regents."
The three men whose names were called looked at each other, faces filled with disbelief. Apart from Councilor Nagano Kiri, the positions of the others weren't particularly high. Logically, such a matter shouldn't fall to them, yet the Daimyo specifically chose the three of them as Regent Ministers.
Soon, they also discovered a commonality: all three of them were among those kidnapped by Kakashi that night.
Nagano Kiri looked at the words 'Fifth Hokage' behind Uchiha Douhuan and terror appeared on his face. The Daimyo's next words confirmed some of his suspicions.
"Furthermore, I appoint the Fifth Hokage of the Hidden Leaf Village, Uchiha Douhuan, as Grand Minister of State and Grand Tutor to the Daimyo, tasked with teaching the Crown Prince while ensuring his safety."
Although the old Daimyo spoke weakly at this moment, his words were no less than dropping a bomb among the crowd.
What position was the Grand Minister of State The true head of all officials! An existence even the Daimyo had to treat with the respect due to a teacher. Because this position was so important, sometimes if there was no suitable candidate, it would even be left vacant. The last time the Land of Fire had a Grand Minister of State was over a hundred years ago during the Warring States period.
However, in the eyes of some, the Daimyo's intention this time was not difficult to understand. The Daimyo had just been assassinated by a powerful ninja, so he urgently needed a strong protector by his son's side. For this, he even offered the position of Grand Minister of State. The role of the three previously appointed assistant regents then became obvious: they were meant to counterbalance Uchiha Douhuan, especially since it was no secret that these individuals had recently jointly petitioned against Uchiha Douhuan becoming the Fifth Hokage.
Only, apart from those directly involved, no one could have imagined that the lives and deaths of these individuals were already firmly within Uchiha Douhuan's grasp; their personal guards, and those of their families, had all been replaced by members of the Uchiha clan.
Just then, as the Minister of the Left, Abe Taiichi, was about to speak, Uchiha Douhuan instead preemptively knelt on one knee and shouted, "Please, Your Highness, retract the order! Your subject truly finds it difficult to bear such a heavy responsibility!"
"My dear minister, you must not refuse. Cough, cough, cough... With a great enemy currently present, the Crown Prince still needs your protection. I too have heard of your name in the past. During the Third Great Ninja War, you guarded the border, ensuring the peace of millions of citizens in our Land of Fire. Now, may I entrust you, dear minister, with protecting my only son?"
"Your Highness!" Uchiha Douhuan forced out a few tears. "With such a heavy trust placed upon me by Your Highness, your subject would naturally die ten thousand deaths without complaint! However, your subject truly cannot bear..."
Before Uchiha Douhuan could finish speaking, the Daimyo beckoned the Crown Prince over.
"Miyuki, pay respects to your teacher," the Daimyo looked at the small Crown Prince, only four years old, beside the bed.
"Your Highness!" At this moment, Minister of the Left Abe Taiichi could sit still no longer. He knew if he didn't say something now, once the young Crown Prince paid respects, the matter would be settled. He immediately stepped forward, knelt down, and cried out, "Please reconsider, Your Highness!"
The Daimyo directly ignored him, then looked towards Uchiha Douhuan: "While protecting the child, you can also teach him some ninjutsu. In the future, the Daimyo of our Land of Fire absolutely must not lack the means to protect himself."
"Your Highness, this..." Uchiha Douhuan put on a troubled expression.
However, Minamoto Miyuki beside him at this moment respectfully bowed to Uchiha Douhuan: "Teacher."
"This... this..." Uchiha Douhuan showed an expression of being at a loss.
"Good... good... good. With your care, I can rest easy," the Daimyo said, a faint smile appearing on his face as he slowly closed his eyes.
"Your Highness!" Uchiha Douhuan cried out, but the Daimyo no longer reacted.
"Respectfully sending off the Daimyo!" Just then, a eunuch beside him shouted in a sharp voice.
Instantly, the court officials in the hall burst into tears.
...
Over an hour later, Kakashi also arrived at the Fire Capital with a team of elite Jounin and headed straight for the palace hall, the only one remaining amidst Orochimaru's destruction.
Upon seeing Kakashi's figure, those who had been kidnapped that night didn't even dare to breathe loudly.
Uchiha Douhuan then slowly rose from before the Daimyo's body, scanned the Land of Fire officials present in the hall, and then walked straight over to Kakashi's side.
"How are things? How many people arrived?" Uchiha Douhuan asked in a low voice.
"Due to the urgency, aside from Jounin Squad Commander Uchiha Fugaku, all forty-two other elite Jounin who were previously in the village have arrived and are on standby outside the palace. Additionally, a temporary force composed of Security Department and Anbu members, about 700 strong, led by Inuzuka Kaze and Gekko Tetsu, is en route and expected to arrive by tomorrow morning."
"Good." Uchiha Douhuan nodded, then turned to look at the court officials in the hall. "Where are Kikuchi Tomoyasu, Kujo Masaya, and Nagano Kiri?"
The three whose names were called first flinched, wiped the cold sweat from their foreheads, and then stepped out from the crowd.
"What instructions does the Grand Minister of State have?" Nagano Kiri asked.
"Don't call me Grand Minister of State yet; I truly cannot bear this position," Uchiha Douhuan said.
"This is the late Emperor's decree. Please, Grand Minister of State, do not refuse," Nagano Kiri said, seeing the subtle threat in the eyes of Kakashi beside Uchiha Douhuan, gritting his teeth before speaking.
"Sigh, let's discuss this matter later," Uchiha Douhuan shook his head and said.
"What business does Lord Uchiha have for the three of us?" Kikuchi Tomoyasu quickly changed the form of address and asked.
"The Daimyo's funeral arrangements, I entrust them to you three," Uchiha Douhuan bowed and said.
"Lord Uchiha, you mustn't do this! This is our duty," Uchiha Douhuan's gesture almost scared the three to death. They hurriedly returned the bow. The meaning in Kakashi's eyes beside Uchiha Douhuan was clear: if the three of them had actually accepted Uchiha Douhuan's bow, their entire families would die without a burial place tonight.
"The rogue ninja Orochimaru who assassinated the Daimyo has not yet been captured. Therefore, starting immediately, Hidden Leaf Village ninjas will take over the defense of the Fire Capital. Furthermore, for His Highness's safety, starting tomorrow morning, I will implement martial law controls in the Fire Capital. No one is to go out without reason," Uchiha Douhuan looked at the court officials in the hall and slowly announced.
"This... is probably against regulations, isn't it?" Just then, Minister of the Left Abe Taiichi, who had remained largely silent until now, stepped forward and said to Uchiha Douhuan.
"Oh? May I ask who this lord is?" Uchiha Douhuan narrowed his eyes slightly, looking at the other person.
"I am the Land of Fire's Dajōkan Minister of the Left, Abe Taiichi," Abe Taiichi stated.
"Is that so? May I ask, Lord Abe, is there any problem with what I have said?" Uchiha Douhuan asked.
"Implementing martial law in the Fire Capital, there has never been such a precedent before. The Fifth Hokage should proceed with caution," Abe Taiichi said, his tone carrying a hint of ill will.
His words were not only directed at Uchiha Douhuan but also subtly reminded the court officials present that having the Hokage serve as Grand Minister of State and Grand Tutor to the Daimyo was also unprecedented in the Land of Fire. And precedents, if possible, were best not set.
(End of Chapter)
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