Part 2 : Enemies at the village gates
I was in my office, sorting through my papers to organise my work. Being Hokage was far from a walk in the park; no one had as much work as I did. But I had to do it, for the sake of the village; it was my duty.
It had only been a few days since I'd officially become Hokage. The village was still in mourning, but I'd managed to lift their spirits. I really hoped I could set things right.
Suddenly, there was a knock at my door. I motioned for him to come in. Fuyugu Shimura slowly opened the door to the Hokage's office.
He was still glaring at me. I'd eventually got used to it; it hadn't started when I was appointed Hokage, although it had become more pronounced of late. He'd always been jealous of the bond I'd shared with the two previous Hokage.
Fuyugu then spoke up:
— There have been reports of ninjas lurking around the village. They weren't from Konoha. They were probably deserters or enemies from neighbouring villages.»
I shook my head.
— All right. I'll send a team out to take a look. Do you have any specific information to pass on to me as well? How many of them are there? What exactly do they seem to be doing?»
— They're concealing their chakra. It's clearly a surveillance operation. But one of them must have inadvertently breached the chakra barrier protecting the village, so we've detected them. A member of the Hyuga Clan managed to detect some chakra signals; they're likely quite powerful. There must be quite a few of them too, though we don't know for sure on that point.»
He paused, then looked at me again with a disdainful expression.
— As for their intentions... We don't have any specific information on that. But it's clear they're not here to make friends. I suspect an invasion.»
I broke out in a cold sweat. Great... I'd only just begun my term as Hokage and I was already embroiled in yet another conflict... Well, it wasn't exactly surprising; I should never have been caught off guard. Now that Master Tobirama was dead, the enemies were bound to multiply.
Fuyugu had read my mind. He then suggested:
— This is the perfect opportunity. Since Konoha lost its great hero, the enemy has grown ever stronger. The enemy believes we are weakened. We need to demonstrate our power in a way that strikes fear into their hearts.»
— Yes... I was just thinking about that...»
— But we can't send a large team of powerful ninjas. That would actually be a sign of weakness. It would show that we need a large force to defeat them.»
— The problem... is the leader of Konoha. They'll think they can get away with anything because they believe Konoha has a new Hokage who isn't on a par with his predecessors, who were the most powerful ever known. So that... that must be the Hokage's business. My business.» Or so I gather.
— Exactly. That's what I'd thought. But I didn't dare impose it on you...»
— No problem. I'll take care of it. If I beat all his ninjas... the enemy will be afraid of me. Then the village will be safer. That will reduce the number of potential future invasions.»
Fuyugu nodded in agreement.
— I'll take care of your paperwork in the meantime. It'll save you time.» he suggested.
— All right, thank you. On that note, I'll be off straight away.»
I ran out of the Hokage's office, then leapt and jumped from rooftop to rooftop… towards the enemy whose chakra I had just detected.
I spotted them straight away and ended up right in front of them. They were all surprised to see me.
— What are you doing here?! You're on Konoha territory! You owe us an explanation!» I snapped.
— Huh... Huh... Looks like he's fallen into the trap...» laughed an enemy.
I suddenly realised something disturbing. They weren't deserters, nor were they ninjas from another village... They were ninjas I knew all too well. Members of the village of Konoha.
And more specifically, they were all... members of the Shimura Clan. Fuyugu... Surely he isn't in on it too?!
About thirty ninjas surrounded me. I was cornered. It was a trap. Fuyugu had set a trap for me... Probably to eliminate me. Why on earth had I trusted him?!
— How ironic... The new Hokage has barely been elected... And he's already dead... It'll go down in history as the shortest reign ever!» one of the ninjas sneered.
I grabbed a kunai and leapt forward. They rushed at me. I threw the kunai at one of them, and he collapsed. Then I kicked another one aside. One of them lunged at me from behind, so I elbowed him, sending him flying further away.
In taijutsu, I could clearly outmatch them. However, they were skilled in Futon, so I had to be careful about that. Fortunately for me, I had excellent command of most of the elements, so I could counter them with my Katon, which overpowers Futon.
The blows came thick and fast. I had no trouble dealing with them, despite the fact that most of them were elite Jonin. I easily parried their Fire Release attacks and their taijutsu techniques. Even those who used Fire Release or Earth Release were no problem. And their genjutsu had no effect on me.
— You'd have been better off realising what I was capable of before you took me on.» I said.
In barely a minute, almost all of them were already on the ground. They were tough opponents, but Master Tobirama's teachings had made me far more powerful than that.
— Did Fuyugu send you?» I asked one of them, holding him by the collar.
— Huh... Huh... Huh...» he replied «You'll barely have time to realise it...»
Suddenly, groups of ninjas appeared from all around me. I hadn't sensed their presence; these weren't just any ninjas. And they weren't from Konoha. Judging by their headbands, they were ninjas from the village of Ame.
— What's the village of Ame got to do with it?» I grumbled.
— I have made a pact with the village of Ame… to stop you. You are a threat to the village of Konoha.» said a voice behind me.
I spun round abruptly. I wasn't surprised... So... He'd gone that far...
— Fuyugu Shimura… Just how far will your thirst for power take you?!» I growled.
— It's not about power...» he protested «You're not cut out for the role. You're not made to be Hokage. I simply want what's best for the village. And I'm the best person to bring that about.»
— A man who makes a pact with another village to invade his own village and kill its leader? Who do you think you are?!»
He suddenly furrowed his brow. He was staring at me with a look that was darker than ever. It seemed I'd really got on his nerves.
— You don't know what you're talking about... You don't know anything... You'll regret what you've said, lad!» he growled.
So the enemy ninjas pounced on me, ready for a fight.
I had no choice; with so many of them, I couldn't just knock them out. I hated violence… But I was going to have to fight them.
— Sorry... But I'm going to have to finish this...» I blurted out.
Then, with two shuriken in each hand, I leapt towards them, throwing myself into the fray.
I would protect my village from the Shimura Clan's thirst for power... That was my duty.
📖To be Continued...📖