Yeah, a horse is no car - that much I've learned firsthand. Not the easiest way to travel, but in this world, with nothing else available, you just make do with what you've got. Honestly, I don't really remember seeing horses in Naruto, and I guess there wasn't much point - if anyone could get by without them, it'd be shinobi, right? They move fast enough on their own, no need for animals that are so high-maintenance.
In movies, horses always looked cooler, but here… well, whatever. If it weren't for the cart, maybe we'd be moving faster - right now, our speed was about the same as walking, maybe a little more. Plus, horses need to rest. We stopped three times for an hour each. I had food with me, but I Couldn't say no to the dried meat the merchant handed me. In return, I shared some sake, and our trip got a lot more fun. Luckily, the Land of Fire hasn't passed any laws against drunk driving - at least, not when it comes to horse-drawn carts.
And the laws here? Pretty harsh, to be honest. They've got something like an old-school law code - they call it Togomoshi.
Togomoshi was the fifth ruler of the Land of Fire, the current one is, I think, the twelfth. With the help of the current Daimyo, Hashirama once founded the Hidden Leaf Village. From the anime, it always seemed like the daimyo was just some random old guy any Kage could get rid of whenever they wanted, but after talking to the merchant - and, of course, after a few drinks - I realized I'd been totally wrong… though, to be fair, I was only ten back then, what did I know? [ image ]

So, here's why the daimyo is a big deal, and why even the Hokage has to show him respect.
For the Land of Fire, he's the king, the chief, the emperor - or, to put it simply, the daimyo. All the provinces and cities answer to him, or rather, to the local governors, who answer to him. Unless we're talking about some tiny village - and there are a ton of those - most places are run by aristocrats, distant or close relatives of the daimyo. For example, Tanzaku is run by his favorite nephew.
Every city pays taxes to the Land of Fire's treasury - basically, straight into the daimyo's pocket. His palace is in the capital, Keishi, and that's where all the aristocrats live. The city is supposed to be breathtakingly beautiful, at least according to the merchant, but not just anyone can live there. The regular folks who do mostly grew up there, and the rest are relatives or samurai serving at the palace, or big-time tycoons who somehow earned the ruler's favor.
Even getting into the city isn't easy - the only exception is on the Day of Origin, celebrating the founding of the Land of Fire. On that day, the first ten thousand visitors are let in, after a strict check, of course. There are even rumors that people line up days in advance just to sell their spot, and the prices are insane.
So, Konoha is funded by the daimyo. Sure, there are shops and stalls and all that, and the Hokage can take a cut, but it's nowhere near enough to support thousands of shinobi who eat like three people each - or ten. Plus, after every mission, shinobi need to restock their gear, replace what's worn out. In peacetime, that's not a big deal - they buy what they need themselves. But during war, shortages happen, so the village keeps the warehouses stocked, and any surplus gets sold in stores under the village's protection.
Basically, Konoha isn't all that self-sufficient. There's enough to pay for missions, the admin staff, and the ANBU, but that's about it. So, if a new project comes up that needs funding, the request goes straight to the daimyo for approval.
So why hasn't the Hokage taken over already? Because he physically can't run the whole country and command thousands of killers at the same time. The Hokage is the general of the Land of Fire, its spear and shield. You might ask, what's stopping him from becoming daimyo himself and putting his own guy in as Hokage, or vice versa? Well, the daimyo isn't stupid either - he's got his own private army of samurai and loyal shinobi. And samurai aren't just in the Land of Iron. Plus, if the Hokage starts eyeing the daimyo's power, the other clans won't just sit back and eat popcorn. Fighting the daimyo and rebellious clans is a nightmare - you could easily lose your life. And besides, things in Konoha are already complicated enough. Every year, some clan tries to grab more power, and if other countries see internal strife, they'll be more than happy to join the fun.
All these factors, centuries of tradition, have led to what we have today. And it's pretty much the same in every country, except the Land of Water. There, some genius decided to go after the daimyo's power - with a little help from a one-eyed guy who lost the love of his life. Rumor has it, the clans there aren't doing so hot, but for everyone else, the daimyo now has a strong argument - What, you want things to be like in the Land of Water? I didn't think so. So pay your taxes and appreciate your ruler.
Out of all the countries, the Land of Fire and the Land of Iron are doing the best. The first has tons of fertile land, the second is the biggest supplier of chakra steel and weapons made from it. The Land of Iron has never been in a war and always manages to kick the crap out of anyone who tries. Seriously, every able-bodied man there is either a craftsman or a samurai. They might not be as strong as shinobi, but who's dumb enough to fight a country that'll pelt you with sharp, spiky meat? And even if you win, it'll be a Pyrrhic victory. By the time you figure out how to make chakra steel and set up production, the next neighbor will be ready to take advantage of your weakened state. Plus, it's freezing there - nobody wants to fight in minus twenty, not even shinobi.
"Konoha, huh? Gives me the creeps, honestly."
"Why's that?"
"I just don't feel comfortable in a place where some random kid could stab you without a second thought. And every time I come here, I get the feeling someone's watching me. Swear to Kami, if it wasn't so profitable to sell my goods here, I'd never set foot in this place."
"Yeah, when you put it that way, you've got a point."
"What scares me most is the thought that there's a demon living in this village, and those nasty red-eyed guys guarding him, sucking the souls out of innocent people if they don't like you. And then there are the half-human, half-beast types, and…"
By the time we reached the village walls - about as tall as a fifteen-story building - the merchant had given me a crash course on the most famous clans.
"Good afternoon, gentlemen. Please show your trade permit and a list of your cargo. Also, tell me the purpose of your visit and how long you plan to stay."
"Hello, honorable shinobi. My name is…" The merchant stepped over to one of the shinobi, the one with a bandage on his nose, while the other one gave me a look that said, Who are you and what the hell are you doing here? Start talking. I'm pretty sure I'd seen these two in the Naruto anime, but I couldn't remember their names.
"I'm Akira, traveling with this merchant. I decided to start a new life in Konoha. Friends told me life here is full of color, and you can make something of yourself, even if you're a nobody."
"Hmph, well, they weren't wrong about it not being boring here. Alright, follow me, let's get you registered."
Then came the interview - more like an interrogation, really - Name? Age? Where are you from? What do you do? Why come here and not somewhere else? You're not a spy, are you? No? You'd better not be.
Then he let me go, handing me a slip of paper I had to show to the police or any shinobi if asked. It gave me the right to stay in Konoha for three months, as long as I found a job. Without it, I couldn't rent an apartment or a house. If I didn't find work in three months, I'd be, let's say, politely kicked out. Once I got a job, I'd have to reapply for residency every six months, until I bought land or an apartment.
So, as you can guess, there were no homeless people here. And no horses either - you had to leave them at the stables right after entering the village. That's why Konoha was so clean and smelled so nice - probably only Keishi was cleaner. Plus, Konoha was really green. I don't know if that was thanks to the First Hokage or the residents themselves, but this village - which by size was no village at all - was a real treat for the eyes.
What's the first thing you do after moving to a new city? That's right - eat first, then wash up, then look for a place to sleep.
I took care of the first part right away, ducking into a random café. Sure, I wanted to try Ichiraku ramen, but I was too tired to look for it after the trip.
After a big meal at four in the afternoon, I wandered around looking for a guesthouse, glancing up at the four faces carved into the cliff and watching shinobi darting across the rooftops. Contrary to what the merchant said, the regular people didn't look like they were suffering - on the contrary, everyone seemed pretty cheerful. Maybe they were just used to it, and with almost zero crime thanks to the police, why wouldn't they be happy?
I kept walking, and then I stopped.
Wait a second… police? Hm, the Uchiha clan hasn't been wiped out yet? How do I figure out what time period this is? Ah, whatever, I'll think about it later - right now, I need to find a place to sleep.
Thanks to the locals, who were surprisingly chatty and happy to help, I found a hotel in no time. Their friendliness made sense - I'd managed to find a mirror in the lounge before heading out, and let me tell you… okay, I'll just say it. I look amazing.
Seriously, if I had a character editor like in a game, I couldn't have done better. And the attention from random women was definitely flattering. On my way to the hotel, not a single woman passed by without glancing at me two or three times. My looks were like a work of art - if I hadn't been in a hurry, I could've spent hours just admiring myself. { image }
And here I was, thinking I'd charmed Tsunade with my uniqueness and out-of-this-world smarts. Yeah, right. If I didn't look the way I do now, I'd have been shot down before I even started flirting.
No wonder it was mostly women who gave me money when I was begging - soft-hearted, I guess? And kids? I love kids - not in a weird way, I'm totally normal - I just can't help but smile at them when they walk by, and if I get the chance, I'll even chat with them. But in my old world, I didn't have the face for it. Not that I was hideous, but if someone saw me at night, they'd probably think I was some kind of thug.
"Good evening, do you have any rooms available?" I asked, trying to smile - or at least, I thought I was. Hard to tell. Back in my old life, I didn't smile much, so now I'm never sure if my face is doing what I think it is. I really need to practice in front of a mirror sometime.
"Yes, of course, sir. A room for one?"
"That's right. I hope it has everything I need for a comfortable stay?"
"Of course, there's a bathroom with a shower, and I can bring food to your room… if you'd like." The receptionist blushed a little.
"Haha, thank you, but there's no need to trouble yourself. Please, check me in."
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Thank you so much for the power stones! I really appreciate the support!