Necessary Corruption 34 (Patreon)

Necessary Corruption

Chapter 34

-VB-

Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Sandaime Hokage of Konohagakure and a noble vassal of the Daimyo of Fire, remained still and waited patiently for the response of the Daimyo of Fire’s unofficial left hand who served as liaison to Konohagakure.

Sitting across from him in this room was the Daimyo of Fire’s own cousin… and if things went to plan, then the man who would rise to the position of the Daimyo of Rivers. The man had arrived just two days after, a week before the start of the chunin exam’s final tournament. Officially, he was here to observe the newest generation of Konohagakure and thus the Land of Fire’s youngsters rise to serve the daimyo.

Unofficially, they were here to discuss the Lord of Southern Rivers’ proposal.

“My uncle … is partial to the idea,” Lord Minosuke, a politically experienced and firm man in his mid twenties, spoke quietly as he set down his tea cup. “The idea that he has influence over the Land of Rivers and its river’s trade network… intrigues him.”

Hiruzen remained silent as the young man continued to ponder out loud.

“In fact, the idea that the Lord of Southern Rivers would support in any form of takeover not only increases the chances of our success but also the chance that we would remain in power afterward.”

“Indeed,” he agreed.

“But what concerns me,” the man spoke. “Is how the current crisis in Northern Rivers came to be.”

“... The opium pandemic.”

Lord Minosuke nodded. “Where did it come from?”

“I would say that it came from the Land of Wind, which is the traditional source of opium in the Elemental Nations…” Hiruzen spoke up before meeting the man’s eyes. “But you think otherwise.”

He nodded. “I want to commission Konoha to investigate the Lord of Southern Rivers, or rather his lands. We know very little about what is happening down there. Trade has gone up, security has gone up, money has been flowing in, and … nothing has been coming out. Nothing significant, at least. Although it is beneath me and my family to discuss anything of trade except that of rice… I also happen to understand that an 8% increase in rice export from the Southern Rivers alone to the Land of Fire cannot possibly take place within Lord Takanori’s reign. At least not without beggaring his own people, which is unlikely to be the case. It also does not explain how quickly and rich he has become.”

“That may have something to do with his people.”

“Ah, yes. The Blesseds. Did you know that they call Takanori-dono as a seijin in those lands and that of the Land of Waves?”

“A seijin…? Blesseds?” he suddenly felt out of his depth before he remembered that he had encountered something like this before. A man had drawn people to him while proclaiming to be a prophet, and had made a cult in the borderlands between the Land of Rice and the Land of Fire.

“Yes. They call him an enlightened and blessed man,” Minosuke-sama nodded. “None of the people you see with Takanori-dono were trained, at least not like you ninjas were with your jutsus. All of which they can do, they have been gifted by Takanori-dono.”

Hiruzen felt his back straighten. “You are insinuating something, Minosuke-sama.”

The normally calm man paused before he met Hiruzen’s stare. “Is there a possibility that he is working with Orochimaru?”

Hiruzen froze.

“It is the only explanation that makes sense. There is no such thing as enlightenment. There is only the cold, hard pragmatic realities of men and the world, Minosuke continued. “And we know of exactly one man capable of … ‘granting,’ for a lack of a better term, sudden increase in powers.”

“You are referring to Mitarashi Anko and her curse.”

“I am. It is not a secret among the ninjas. Why would it be a secret to those who you report to?” Minosuke asked before sipping. “Taking over the Land of Rivers sound nice, Hiruzen-dono, but if I am putting myself at Orochimaru’s mercy, then I will have to reject.”

“I shall investigate the matter posthaste.”

“Good.”

-VB-

“They think I am working with one of their traitors?” I asked when Yina reported the latest conversation between some of the most important people here in the hidden village.

“Hai,” she said from where she knelt with her head bowed. With her were some of my most fervent servants, all of whom wore a firm and serious mien, outraged by what they heard.

Yina continued. “Hokage does live up to his position. He is not quick to act on his own. This is the fourth of similar meetings. He has met with Shimura Danzo-”

One of my servants nearly snarled at the mention of the man who tried to assassinate me.

“- and his colleagues before he met with Minosuke of the Fire Court.”

“And the consensus?”

“The Land of Rivers is tempting but they prefer to investigate a little bit more.” She paused before fidgeting. “It seems that they are attempting to investigate your lands directly, Takanori-sama.”

I frowned.

“Concerning but not overly.”

“Milord?”

“It’s one thing for my peers in Northern Rivers to discover the opium fields. It’s another for Land of Fire to discover them, especially since I have not been pushing opium to this land… Well, aside from milk of the poppy and more refined versions of it to the merchants proclaiming to sell their wares to clinics and hospitals within cities.”

“What should we do, Takanori-sama?” Tomotaka asked while leaning a bit more forward, which caused his currently armorless but nonetheless massive muscular frames to take up just a bit more of my line of sight.

I could show Sarutobi-dono of my ability, which would ease the suspicion they have of me.

At the same time, showing someone as shrewd and long-lived among the ninjas as Sarutobi Hiruzen of my power?

Only the most idealistic of ninjas would not stay their hand.

“Let them investigate,” I replied. “But I want everyone here and back in our lands to be together with someone at all times. I want security tightened. I have another meeting with Saruotbi-dono anyways. I will do what I can on my end.”

“““HAI!”””

A simple request and idea that I proposed had just evolved into something headache-inducing in complexity and consequences.