Chapter 126: Spreading the Will of Fire; Carrots and Sticks
Three days later. The Uchiha Compound.
Nakamaro Kaguya jolted awake, bolting upright in his bed. He was panting, cold
sweat drenching his sheets as he scanned the room with wild, panicked eyes.
The room was modest but clean—far better than any "barracks" he had occupied in
the Mist. Following Lord Hiruzen's orders, the Uchiha had provided housing for
the Mist "exchange students" within their own district. Politically, it was a
brilliant move; placing foreign bloodline users in the heart of the village's
most intense military clan was a way to ensure they were watched by the best
eyes in the world.
But for Nakamaro, it was a nightmare.
The moment he had entered the compound, every Uchiha he passed had given him a
"dangerously polite" smile. Veterans would casually flare their Three-Tomoe
Sharingan at him, whispering things like:
"So you're the brat who tried to touch the Hokage's son?"
"I hear you like to fight. Maybe we should spar... or you could just break a law
so I have an excuse to skip the formalities."
Fugaku Uchiha had been the worst. He had personally handed Nakamaro a copy of
the Konoha Civil Code, pointing out exactly which statutes allowed the Police
Force to "neutralize a suspect with extreme prejudice."
Nakamaro was a battle-maniac, but Uchiha ocular pressure was a special kind of
hell. He was still mentally recovering from En Uchiha's Genjutsu. In that
illusion, his arms had been severed hundreds of times. He was terrified that if
he blinked wrong, Fugaku would trap him in a vision where he was flayed alive
for a week.
In the Bloody Mist, if you attacked a Kage's child and got caught, there were no
"Rulebooks." You were simply tortured to death in a basement. The fact that the
Uchiha were threatening him with regulations was almost scarier. It implied a
level of cold, systematic control he couldn't comprehend.
What is this place? Nakamaro wondered. Did Asuma really forgive me? Was that
'mercy' real, or just a psychological trap?
He checked the other rooms. Mei Terumi had already left to explore the morning
markets—she was obsessed with the village's flower shops and boutiques. Yuki had
headed to the Academy early; after seeing the village's prosperity, the Ice-user
seemed desperate to learn the "Leaf's Secrets."
As for Kisame, the shark-boy was a workaholic. He was already out on the
training fields for his morning grind.
"I need a second opinion," Nakamaro muttered, rubbing his temples. He found it
hard to think. His "Kaguya Madness" was hitting a wall of logic it couldn't
break through.
The Hokage uses Ice Style. Mei says she found traces of Boil Style in the park
after he left...
Our intelligence reports are garbage! How did our spies miss the fact that the
Third Hokage is a triple-bloodline monster? We came here to 'intimidate' them,
and he just built a playground with a wave of his hand. We look like fools.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
Nakamaro stiffened. Tiny bone-spurs instinctively poked through his skin.
He expected an arrest squad. Instead, the door opened to reveal Asuma Sarutobi,
flanked by Tenzo Hyuga and En Uchiha.
"I was worried the pressure might be getting to you, so I came to check in,"
Asuma said with a friendly grin. "We're teammates for the year, right? Teammates
look out for each other."
Asuma's visit was a directive from Hiruzen. The Hokage had noticed the shift in
Nakamaro's spirit. He wanted Asuma to act as a "Social Envoy," planting the
seeds of the Will of Fire in the Kaguya brat while the adults watched for signs
of "relapse."
If Nakamaro's personality changed, it proved the Kaguya were capable of logic
and loyalty. If he stayed crazy, it proved they were just rabid dogs to be put
down.
Tenzo Hyuga was there as the "Strategic Analyst." As the head of the clan that
shared an ancient blood-bond with the Kaguya, he was the best man to read the
boy's intent.
"Please... come in," Nakamaro stammered, awkwardly trying to remember his Leaf
manners.
En Uchiha scanned the room, blowing a cloud of smoke. "Satisfied with the
housing? I picked this unit myself."
Nakamaro nodded frantically. "Thank you, sir."
Tenzo Hyuga watched the boy's reaction. He's lucid. He's reading the room. Good.
He's not a complete psycho yet.
"I am Tenzo Hyuga, Head of the Hyuga Clan," Tenzo said warmly. "Who are your
parents, lad?"
Nakamaro bowed respectfully and listed his lineage. In the Mist, his family were
known as butchers.
Tenzo's eyes softened. "Ah... you're from Musashi's branch. That makes you my
grand-nephew in the old reckoning."
"Grand-Uncle!" Nakamaro replied, his tone shifting to pure reverence.
Finding a relative in a foreign land—especially a high-ranking official like
Tenzo—was like finding a lighthouse in a storm. The isolation he had felt since
arriving began to melt.
"This is perfect," Tenzo smiled. "It seems there was just a 'misunderstanding'
earlier."
"En, even if Nakamaro is a Mist shinobi, he's staying in your district. I expect
you to look after him. He's young and impulsive, and the Kaguya blood runs hot."
"I can't promise that," En played his part in the "Good Cop / Bad Cop" routine.
"The Uchiha follow the Leaf Code. If he breaks a law, he's a criminal. Unless
the Hokage issues a pardon, no one is above the law in this village."
Tenzo nodded. "Naturally. If he breaks a rule, I'll support his punishment."
The message was clear: You're safe as long as you behave. But we have a leash on
you.
Nakamaro felt the weight lift. I'm a relative of a High Commissioner? And the
Hokage's son is my friend? I might actually survive this year.
Tenzo handed Nakamaro a small stack of Ryo. "Consider this a 'First Meeting'
gift from your uncle. Tell me... how is the Kaguya clan doing? We're the bridge
between the two villages now."
Nakamaro sighed. He had grown up being told the Kaguya were the strongest, the
masters of the world. But after an hour in the Leaf, he just felt tired.
"It's the same. Everyone wants to fight. The elders are obsessed with blood,"
Nakamaro admitted. For the first time, he found himself identifying with the
"Flower" (Peace) faction he used to hate.
What's the point of being the 'Strongest' if you're starving in a gray village
while the Leaf has movie theaters and free steak?
Tenzo smiled inwardly. The hook is set.
"Nakamaro, the Hokage asked me to give the Kaguya some advice," Tenzo said.
"He's a man of peace. He wants the Mist to be stable. You should discuss these
things with your teammates. Think about what is actually good for your village."
"I'm just an elder giving his opinion, of course," Tenzo added modestly.
Nakamaro nodded vigorously. "Thank you, Grand-Uncle!"
The boy was already dreading the day he'd have to go back to the Bloody Mist. No
one likes to trade a warm hearth for a cold cage. Tenzo was handing him the
"Knife" that would eventually be used to cut the Mizukage's authority.
As the meeting wrapped up, En Uchiha rubbed his lower back. "Alright, I'm off.
Minato invited me to his place for dinner again. That kid is relentless—always
asking for 'advice' on his teleportation vectors. It's exhausting!"
Tenzo laughed. "Stop complaining, En. You love it. You just want an excuse to
pick up a few more cartons of premium smokes and hear the kid call you
'Master.'"
En let out a boisterous laugh. "Guilty as charged! The brat really knows how to
treat his elders."
He turned to Nakamaro. "You'll see him in a few months. Minato is going to
conduct a 'Mass Combat Audit' at the Academy. One-on-one and Group-battles."
Nakamaro's eyes sharpened. "Minato... the one who beat Seisui-nii?"
"He didn't beat him, per se," En corrected. "But the stress of the Flying Raijin
is something you can't understand until you feel it. Minato is researching a way
to 'Remotely Shift' his anchors now. He's getting devious."
"Is he a teenager too?" Nakamaro asked, shocked.
"Almost an adult," En waved a hand. "You'll have your chance to test him. But a
word of warning: the Group-battle means he fights all of you at once."
Nakamaro's jaw dropped. One guy... against the entire elite wing?
"I've got to get to the hospital first," En added. "I've filed my papers for the
Limb Reconstruction Surgery. Commissioner Tsunade says they've had a
breakthrough with the 'Bio-Stitching' tech. I might have two arms by the time
the next war starts."
"Cloning an arm?" Nakamaro asked, his brain reeling. "Is that even possible?"
"In Konoha, everything is possible," Tenzo said, standing up. "The Hokage says:
'A ninja is a ninja, but a ninja is first and foremost a person. We don't throw
away a broken tool; we heal a brother.'"
Nakamaro sat in silence as the adults left.
A ninja is a person... not a tool?
The concept was a total violation of everything the Mist stood for. But looking
at En's face—the genuine joy at the prospect of being "whole" again—Nakamaro
felt a deep, aching hunger for the Will of Fire.
"Asuma!" Nakamaro shouted, running after them. "Wait! Is the cafeteria still
serving the seafood ramen today? Kakashi said a master chef was visiting!"
Asuma laughed, throwing an arm around his new "friend." "Come on, let's move! If
we're late, Choji's dad will eat the whole pot!"
From a distance, the two boys looked like the best of friends.
The "Prophet-Teacher" was winning again.
☆☆☆
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