"The rumors about my brother's coup? Don't take them too seriously, Douren-san," the Daimyō of the Land of Fire said lightly, waving a painted fan with that infuriating noble calm. "My brother has talent, yes—but I'm still the ruler of this country. The army, the trade routes, the treasury—they're all in my hands. I've simply chosen not to dirty them with his little ambitions."
He smiled faintly, but his eyes never blinked.
Raizen—known here by his alias, Amamiya Douren—stared at him in confusion. So the intel had been wrong? The coup rumor, the request for aid from the Konoha Alliance—all of it fake? Then what was the Fire Lord's endgame?
The Daimyō must have read the question in his eyes. His fan paused midair as he said, "You're wondering why I spread word of a coup, why I summoned aid from the Konoha Alliance, aren't you?"
Raizen exhaled. "Yes."
The man chuckled. "My brother's ambition has been useful, but power tends to rot its own vessel. A reminder was necessary. I wanted to show him—and the other nobles—that only the Daimyō decides the future of this country. As for why I reached out to your Alliance, it's simple: my brother has support from one of the minor ninja clans. I needed a counterweight. The Konoha Alliance intrigued me."
He tapped the folded fan against his palm. "When I received your letter, I was… impressed. Shocked, even. That's why you're here."
A bead of sweat slid down Raizen's neck. So that was it. His letter—his overeager attempt to impress the Fire Lord—had nearly been his death sentence. If this man had turned against him, the whole Fire Nation's shinobi world would've branded him a traitor.
"Guess I got ahead of myself," Raizen thought bitterly. "Can't go charging into politics like it's a boss raid."
He straightened his back and forced his mind into calm. The Fire Lord was watching, waiting.
"Well then, Douren-san," the Daimyō said with an unreadable smile. "Why don't you tell me about this 'One Country, One Alliance' plan of yours? What's your real purpose behind forming the Alliance?"
Raizen nodded. "Of course."
He took a slow breath and began.
"The concept is simple: all commissions and missions in the Land of Fire—whether from noble houses or the Daimyō's office—are to be managed and distributed through the Konoha Alliance. The Alliance will act as a central hub, contracting missions to qualified shinobi under its umbrella."
The Fire Lord's brow arched. "And who benefits from this? It sounds like the Alliance gains everything, while the Daimyō gains nothing."
Raizen smirked slightly. "On the contrary, Your Excellency gains the most. The Konoha Alliance will become your designated military arm. When the Land of Fire faces invasion, the Alliance will be duty-bound to defend it. Not for money—by obligation."
The Daimyō countered smoothly, "But if we face invasion, I could just hire other ninja clans as usual. Why bind myself?"
Raizen's eyes hardened. "Because hired ninjas can abandon a mission if the pay changes—or if the risk rises. An alliance bound by oath can't. Once the Daimyō and the Konoha Alliance are linked, the Alliance effectively becomes the Fire Nation's standing force—loyal not to coin, but to the country itself."
The Daimyō grew silent, fan lowering as the gears turned in his head. In past wars, nobles relied on mercenary ninja clans. Loyalty came and went with ryo, and retreat mid-battle wasn't uncommon. A permanent alliance, though… that changed everything.
Finally, he spoke. "An intriguing idea. But tell me—what's your true goal, Douren-san? Once this Alliance grows too large, won't it collapse under its own greed and rivalries? Even the most noble ideals can rot from within."
Raizen met his gaze without flinching. "That's why I don't plan for it to remain an alliance."
The Daimyō's fan froze midair. "What do you mean?"
"I plan to turn it into… a village."
The Fire Lord blinked. "A village?"
Raizen's voice steadied, low and deliberate.
"This era is chaos because the ninja clans rule by blood and ego. As long as they fight for their own banners, there will never be peace. But if they can all be gathered under one roof—forced to live, work, and fight together—then maybe war can finally die.
The Alliance is just the start. Once it's strong enough, I'll shape it into something stable, something lasting. A place where shinobi, wanderers, and even civilians can coexist. A home, not a battlefield.
When people finally grow attached to peace, they'll defend it. That's how the Warring States era will end.
That's why I created the Alliance—to unite every ninja in the Land of Fire, to lay the foundation for one place that will outlast every clan's ambition."
Raizen's eyes burned now, every word heavy with conviction.
"I'll call it… Konoha. The Village Hidden in the Leaves."
...
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