Konoha Year 67.
Land of Fire — Daimyo's Residence.
A certain grand hall, now renamed the Imperial Palace by its new owner.
Gold foil adorned the walls, while jade pillars soared upward, reaching toward the ceiling like ancient monuments.
Sunlight poured in through enormous stained-glass windows, casting colorful yet icy shadows across the polished floor. Expensive incense filled the air, thick and cloying.
Yet even that couldn't dispel the vague unease weighing on the hearts of Kurenai Yuhi's team.
They had arrived under Hokage-sama's orders, summoned to receive a direct mission from the Daimyo himself.
Rumor had it the task involved a hidden secret—something tied to the fate of the entire nation.
Time dragged on.
The vast hall was so empty that they could hear one another breathing.
"Speaking of which…"
Kurenai lowered her voice, finally breaking the silence.
Her gaze swept across the magnificent dome overhead.
"This new Daimyo… back when he studied at the Konoha Ninja Academy, he was my classmate."
"Classmate?"
Hyuga Hinata's pale Byakugan eyes widened slightly, disbelief flickering across her face. The gap between a Daimyo and a ninja was like heaven and earth.
"Yes." Kurenai nodded, memories surfacing. "His name was Raien. Back then, he was extremely unfavored within his family…
He was nearly exiled by the old Daimyo—his father—and sent to Konoha under the excuse of 'studying.' I remember he stayed for a time with the head of the Uchiha Clan…"
Her tone dimmed unconsciously.
Not long after that person left Konoha, the Uchiha Clan suffered total extermination. Whether that counted as Raien's good fortune or something darker… she couldn't tell.
The youth she remembered and the man now sitting at the apex of power felt impossible to reconcile.
"Stayed with the Uchiha? As in Uchiha Sasuke's clan?"
Inuzuka Kiba crossed his arms. Akamaru shifted uneasily at his feet, ears twitching.
"That's a sensitive connection. What happened after that?"
"The old Daimyo had so many children—how did it end up being him who ascended?"
Kiba's curiosity slipped out before caution could stop it.
Shino Aburame adjusted his sunglasses. His gaze behind the lenses remained calm and razor-sharp, his voice deep and steady.
"According to intelligence reports, roughly eight years ago, the old Daimyo fell gravely ill. Within just six months, all thirty-six of his direct heirs—including every prince and princess—
Died one after another due to various 'accidents,' 'illnesses,' or so-called 'rebellions.' Not a single survivor. In the end, this most unfavored 'exile,' far removed from the center of power, became the sole legitimate heir."
"Thirty-six… all dead?" Hinata's voice trembled.
Almost instinctively, she activated her Byakugan, carefully scanning the seemingly empty depths of the hall.
The sheer bloodshed implied by that number sent chills down her spine, even with the incense burning thick in the air.
"And that's not all," Kiba muttered with a frown. "Don't you think he's weird? Proclaiming himself an Emperor. Renaming the Daimyo's Residence into the Imperial Palace… seriously, what the hell is that about?"
"His behavior does deviate significantly from the traditions of past Daimyo of the Land of Fire," Shino added.
"Numerous decisions and resource allocations remain inexplicable, with an abnormally high level of secrecy."
They exchanged information in hushed voices, attempting to piece together the true image of this mysterious ruler.
With every word, the unease in their hearts only deepened.
"You all…"
Suddenly, a clear and pleasant voice—laced with unmistakable amusement—rang out from the very front of the hall.
It reached each of them with perfect clarity.
"Are you talking about me?"
In that instant—
Kurenai's muscles tensed violently, chakra surging on instinct.
Hinata's Byakugan snapped into sharp focus, her heart nearly skipping a beat.
Where the space had been empty just moments before, a figure now sat upon the main seat of power—as if he had appeared from thin air.
Kiba and Akamaru bristled instantly, dropping into defensive stances.
Shino's sunglasses glinted faintly as countless parasitic insects silently crawled from his sleeves.
There—upon the imperial throne—
Sat a young man whose arrival none of them had sensed.
He was exactly as the rumors described.
Impossibly handsome.
Skin like polished jade. Features so refined they seemed sculpted by the gods themselves. A pair of deep, unfathomable eyes held both starlight and abyss within them.
A lazy smile curved his lips as he looked down at the four wary ninja below.
He wore a luxurious dark robe embroidered with golden dragon patterns, yet no formal crown adorned his head.
His black hair was loosely tied back, a few strands falling across his forehead, lending him a dangerously seductive air.
Reclining casually upon the vast imperial throne, his posture appeared relaxed—
Yet an invisible, suffocating pressure radiated from him, instantly swallowing the entire hall. The magnificent palace itself felt like an extension of his presence.
This was the new ruler of the Land of Fire.
The man who had risen through rivers of blood.
The one who had renamed the Daimyo's Residence into the Imperial Palace and crowned himself Emperor.
Raien's gaze slowly swept over Kurenai's stunned face, the smile at the corner of his lips deepening.
With the familiarity of an old acquaintance—and the distance of someone standing above all others—he spoke:
"Kurenai… long time no see. It seems Konoha has dug quite deeply into my past."
Kurenai forced herself to steady her breathing.
Suppressing the turmoil in her chest, she bowed slightly, keeping her voice as composed as possible.
"Daimyo-sama… no. Your Majesty the Emperor. We are here under Hokage-sama's orders, awaiting your command."
She deliberately emphasized Hokage-sama—a subtle reminder of the fragile balance between Konoha and the Land of Fire's ruler.
The young Emperor chuckled softly.
His laughter echoed throughout the hall, light and distant.
"Relax. No need to be so tense. An old classmate simply wants to ask an old friend for a small favor. To find… a very important person."
Raien's long fingers tapped rhythmically against the armrest of the throne.
Each soft tap felt like it struck directly against their hearts.
"That person is extremely important to me." His gaze sharpened abruptly.
"I hope you won't disappoint me."
Kurenai felt a chill crawl up her spine.
The way he looked at her was… wrong. As if he were appraising an object—something to be bought and owned.
That gaze seemed to peel her apart layer by layer.
Grinding her teeth, she finally asked, "Your… Your Majesty, may I ask who this person is?"
"One of my concubines," Raien replied with a faint sigh. "She seems to have lost her way home."
Kurenai's mouth twitched.
A concubine?
You summoned a Konoha jōnin team for that?
She was a respectable jōnin, damn it.
Before she could respond, Raien's next words fell like a thunderbolt.
"Oh, right. The concubine I lost… Her name is—Kurenai Yuhi."
...
Author's Note
Hello, readers! Welcome to my second Webnovel account.
My first Webnovel account is Shadow_demon_007, where I uploaded 20 fanfics. Due to Webnovel's upload limits and rules, I created this second account so I can continue uploading more fanfics for you all.
Please also check out my first account, where many of those 20 fanfics are available. Some of them are already fully completed, and I have uploaded those completed fanfics on my Patreon
👉 patreon.comShadow_demon_007
On Patreon, you can find
Fully completed fanfics
Three free fanfic available for readers
Another free fanfic coming on next month
I sincerely hope you enjoy my works, and I truly appreciate all your support.
Thank you for reading and supporting me!
— Shadow_demon_007