Uchiha Su and Hōzuki Gengetsu arrived at the capital of the Land of Water, accompanied by twenty of their most trusted Anbu. The city was alive with the usual hustle and bustle—merchants, samurai, and guards moving along the wide, cobblestone streets—but Su's eyes were focused only on the task at hand. Every step he took was measured, deliberate, radiating a calm authority that even the city's officials couldn't ignore.
As soon as they entered the capital, a well-dressed official led Su and his entourage to a quiet, elegant courtyard. The air smelled faintly of incense and polished wood, a rare hint of refinement in the usually chaotic capitals of the ninja world.
"For this coronation ceremony," the official began, bowing slightly, "the Mizukage is required to leave the capital temporarily and take the Hidden Mist army to the Land of Hot Springs to secure the region."
Hōzuki Gengetsu frowned deeply, his face betraying confusion and irritation. "The Land of Hot Springs? What are we supposed to do there—attack the Hidden Hot Springs Village? Isn't that using a sledgehammer to crack a nut?"
The official's expression remained solemn. "It is indeed the Land of Hot Springs. Reports indicate that the Second Tsuchikage, Mu, of Iwagakure, has already brought his army to the Land of Hot Springs and is showing signs of threatening the Land of Water."
Gengetsu's eyes widened in disbelief. "Has Mu gone mad? Iwagakure is still at war with Kumogakure! How dare he provoke the Land of Water now? This is reckless!"
Uchiha Su, however, remained calm, his piercing eyes narrowing as he turned to the official. "Whose order is this?"
"It is… the Daimyo's order," the official replied, his voice quivering slightly under Su's gaze.
Su's expression darkened. "The Daimyo? I recall the previous Daimyo was assassinated by agents sent by the Second Hokage of Konoha, wasn't he? If that is true, whose order are you carrying out?"
The official opened his mouth to respond, but Su abruptly waved his hand, his voice sharp and commanding: "Kill him! This man is a traitor who dares to forge an imperial edict. He deserves nothing but death!"
The local Anbu hesitated, uncertain, but the red-eyed Anbu of the Hidden Mist—loyal to their young master—immediately surged forward. Within moments, the official had been hacked down without mercy. Blood stained the courtyard tiles, and the air seemed to vibrate with the sudden violence.
"This is…" Gengetsu stammered, shocked. "Su… what are you doing?"
"Of course I am killing a traitor!" Su said, his tone cold, almost amused. "The Daimyo has been dead for days. And yet, this official dares to forge an order in his name. He was asking for it."
"Perhaps," Gengetsu said carefully, "the 'Daimyo' he spoke of was the successor who has yet to ascend the throne."
"I know that perfectly well," Su replied, reclining slightly into a chair with casual arrogance. "I simply wanted an excuse to remove him. Who told him to be so eager to move the entire Hidden Mist army to the Land of Hot Springs? Does he really think we are fools?"
Gengetsu sighed, clearly frustrated. "Sending you away, taking the Hidden Mist army, and leaving only a child in the capital… their strategy is difficult to anticipate."
Su's eyes glinted with anger—not because the successor might try to manipulate him, but because the other party had clearly underestimated him. Did anyone truly think Uchiha Su was someone they could bully?
"Then… what will you do next?" Gengetsu asked.
Su's lips curved into a faint, almost sinister smile. "Someone, cut this man's head off. Place it in a gift box, and send it to the palace. We must present a proper gift to our Daimyo about to ascend the throne. After all, it would be impolite for the Hidden Mist to arrive empty-handed."
Inside the palace, the Daimyo-elect of the Land of Water, Seto Toru, sat on his throne. A man in his middle years, Seto had long been groomed as the heir. His father had lived a long life, delaying succession, and Seto had always been patient, waiting for the moment that never seemed to arrive.
Now, with the coronation imminent, Seto Toru sat alone in the throne room, running his fingers along the gem-encrusted armrests. "This is the throne that symbolizes the royal power of the Land of Water…" he murmured, as if caressing a lover rather than a seat of authority.
Below him, an official bowed low, flattery evident in his voice. "Daimyo-sama, your strategy is brilliant. By moving the entire Hidden Mist army away and leaving only the heir of the Mizukage as a hostage, you ensure control over their village."
Seto's face turned cold. "Hmph. This lord only wants to remind the Hidden Mist of their place. During the war with the Land of Fire, they abducted 300,000 people. They didn't even bother sending a letter of explanation. A dog must be kept hungry to learn obedience."
It wasn't the welfare of the people that concerned him—it was control. The Hidden Mist's independence and defiance irritated him more than anything else. If they could disregard protocol once, what would prevent them from doing so again? Seto wanted to crush that audacity before it could grow.
He had thought the plan simple: contact the Daimyo of the Land of Earth, station troops in the Land of Hot Springs, and threaten the Hidden Mist. With intermarriages binding nearly every Daimyo in some form, persuading allies was rarely difficult.
But events had taken a turn he had not anticipated.
A single figure, clad in a high-collared robe, broke directly into the main hall. The officials froze, panic flashing in their eyes.
"Who are you?" Seto demanded, his voice sharp.
"You dare enter the main hall uninvited? You deserve to die," one official shouted, summoning samurai. "Take him down immediately!"
Yet the intruder, composed and unyielding, did not attack. Instead, he spoke with calm authority.
"Hmph. My name is Uchiha Seiichi," he said, his voice echoing through the hall. "Following the orders of my young master, I deliver a gift to Seto Toru, the Daimyo-elect. This ensures that no one can accuse the Hidden Mist of ignorance or poor etiquette."
Seiichi threw a gift box with precise control. It landed perfectly in front of Seto Toru's throne. A faint trace of fresh blood seeped from the cracks.
"Lord Seto Toru," Seiichi continued, bowing slightly, "this is the grand gift sent on your succession. I trust you will inspect it carefully."
Then, without waiting for a response, he spat on the floor and exited, leaving an eerie silence behind.
Seto's face darkened, his hands trembling as he leaned toward the box. "What kind of audacious nonsense is this?" he muttered through gritted teeth. "The Hidden Mist dares to insult me on the day of my succession?!"
Anger surged through him, a searing heat that made his chest tighten. "From this moment on, the Hidden Mist will not receive a single penny of financial allocation from me!" he roared.
His voice echoed across the hall, accompanied by a flurry of commands.
"Mobilize the samurai! Surround their lodgings! Let no one escape!"
"And open the gift box!" he demanded, trembling with fury. "I want to see exactly what kind of audacity this 'succession gift' represents!"
Even the officials, who had planned this political maneuver so carefully, were stunned. The Hidden Mist's boldness had exceeded every expectation, and Seto's carefully laid plans seemed on the verge of unraveling.
Outside the palace, the air was thick with tension. The courtyard seemed to hold its breath, the anticipation of a confrontation that would ripple through the entire Land of Water.
In his private thoughts, Uchiha Su smiled faintly. This was the start—the subtle reminder of Hidden Mist's power, and a warning to all who might underestimate him. The world of ninja politics was treacherous, but with precise timing, decisive action, and a touch of calculated fear, even the most arrogant Daimyo could be reminded of their place.
Su leaned back, hands behind his head, and whispered quietly to himself, "Let the young Daimyo learn, even if it is the hard way… Hidden Mist does not bend, and Hidden Mist does not forget."
Advance Chapters avilable on patreon (Obito_uchiha)