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"What brings you here, Lord Kaoru?" Yko bowed with a smile. Despite not spending much time together, he and Kaoru got along well. They genuinely enjoyed each other's company. Kaoru was endlessly curious, and even though he wasn't planning to study fuinjutsu anytime soon, he loved picking Yko's brain whenever he had the chance.
Every time Kaoru visited, he'd hit Yko with a barrage of questions and Yko didn't mind one bit. If anything, he liked it. Most people only cared about what seals did, but Kaoru wanted to understand how they worked. He asked about the structure, the flow, even what had inspired Yko to design them a certain way. For a sealmaster who took pride in his craft, having someone truly appreciate the details was more than flattering, it was downright addictive.
"Yko-san, I actually have a reason this time," Kaoru laughed, hinting this wasn't one of his usual drop-ins to ask random seal questions. "I wanted to check if you're coming to my birthday party tomorrow. And, uh… also to make a commission. Though I know it's kinda late to ask…"
He scratched the back of his head, clearly a little embarrassed.
"This isn't me trying to pressure you into a birthday gift, by the way," he added quickly, catching the sly smile forming on Yko's face. "Even if it takes a few days, it's totally fine. I just need it before I leave."
His tone softened as he finished the sentence.
"It's for… it's for Mizuki… it's a gift." Kaoru smiled widely, eyes glowing with an emotion Yko could not grasp. But then he quickly changed the subject.
"And I also have a present for you," Kaoru said, walking toward the table where a massive, wrapped item sat. He ran his fingers along the surface, trying to feel what was inside, but the moment Yko tensed up, he stopped.
"Remember the eagle I told you about? He'll be arriving in Takimura in a few days. He said he'd help us create a set of unique summoning seals."
Yko's face said it all. The tension vanished in an instant, replaced by barely contained excitement. Working alongside a giant summon to create custom seals wasn't just rare, it was unheard of.
"As far as I know, seals like these don't exist yet. So technically, you'll be the first to ever make them." Kaoru kept the hook going, feeding into the sealmaster's boundless curiosity.
"What are they for? I mean, are they going to be used by the whole village?" Yko was already thinking long-term, but Kaoru quickly shook his head.
"No. Maru specifically asked that they're never reproduced. He said we couldn't even if we wanted to, because they require something only he can provide." Kaoru shrugged. He realized he should've asked more when he had the chance. Judging by Yko's face, the man was already preparing to unleash a barrage of questions.
"Alright, alright. First of all, tell me what you have in mind for Mizuki's gift," Yko said, walking over to the table and grabbing a notebook. "Then we'll talk about that new seal and how to trick the eagle."
He didn't even blink as he casually proposed scamming a giant eagle summon.
<<<>>>
"Lady Suikage, we need to reconstruct our council," Luna Shegachi bowed respectfully. "It does not make sense that the Takime and Terumi clans have so many representatives in the council…"
"What are you trying to say?" Mei rebuked instantly, interrupting Luna. "You've not even joined the village for a month and you're already trying to weaken the founding clans?"
Despite Mei's quick response, she understood that only the Takime clan would support her on this. The others wouldn't have minded evenly distributing the voting power.
Luckily for her, Maki was also a Takime, and she would not support anything that would weaken their clan's influence. Or at least, that's what Mei thought.
"No need to get defensive," Luna responded without even twitching a brow, her tone as calm and composed as before. "I'm not trying to weaken either the Terumi or Takime clan's influence. What I'm saying is, it doesn't make sense to have four or five people from the same clan in the council." She shrugged, lifting her hands in a nonchalant gesture.
"However, I understand that Takimura, unlike the other villages, values bonds and legacy," she continued, nodding so respectfully toward Mei that even the Terumi clan head was caught off guard. "What I'm suggesting is that we leave only one representative from each clan, but the clans should have different voting power depending on their strength, influence… or even wealth." She finished with a subtle, sly smile.
'Fighting against the Terumi and Takime in Takimura is the same as signing a suicide card. What I need is third place… I'll start building from that position.'
Luna was an ambitious woman - ambitious, but patient. She had already laid out the plan that would let her climb the social ladder within Takimura.
'Wealth, huh…?' Mei's eyes narrowed slightly, realizing what Luna was aiming for. The Shegachi were already the wealthiest clan in Takimura, they had a clear advantage in that area. Her gaze slid to Maki, whose face was unusually expressionless.
'She's become like a different person ever since she became Kage. Was she hiding this side of her all along?' But Mei quickly shook the thought from her mind. 'No. Maki would never lie to me.'
Still, something had changed. Maki had always been straightforward and blunt, even when it came to council matters and negotiations. But now, she rarely voiced her stance openly. Her words had grown careful, restrained, like she was constantly trying not to reveal her true opinion.
"I…" Mei began, but Maki interrupted her.
"I don't see any problem with that. If we're going to accept more clans into Takimura, giving them space on the council would make this hall too crowded. So I'll offer this structure instead," Maki said, stealing a glance at Mei, quietly gauging her reaction.
When she saw the surprise flash across her best friend's face, she smiled faintly.
"Every clan will have one vote and one representative. The Takime and Terumi clans will be exceptions, they'll hold two votes each. The Suikage will have one vote as well, but will also possess the authority to settle any draws."
She paused, giving the others time to absorb her words, to speak if they wished. When no one did, she continued.
"I also propose we allocate four seats to civilians. Ao and Shin will oversee the selection of the most capable candidates. Each civilian council member will carry one vote as well."
Maki's gaze swept across the room, reading the mix of expressions now forming in response to her proposal.
'On one hand, she weakened the Takime and Terumi clans' overall influence,' Mei noted, analyzing every word Maki had said. 'But at the same time, she ensured we remain the two most powerful clans in the village, no one else will ever grow their voting power.'
'What impressed me more was how she granted Luna Shegachi's request without actually giving her what she wanted.'
Mei was so amused by the surprised look on Luna's face, that it took her a few seconds longer than usual to ask the obvious question.
'Did she come up with this structure on the spot? She was never this sharp in political matters…' thought Mei, as her eyes slid toward Ao, who wore the faintest of smiles. But that was enough for Mei to read what he felt - pride and satisfaction.
'Now it makes sense.'
Mei wasn't happy about seeing her clan's influence slightly reduced, but she was realistic. If Takimura was to grow stronger and invite powerful clans to join, keeping so many representatives for the founding clans was never going to be sustainable. No major clan would tolerate such a disadvantage for long.
"Terumi clan finds these terms acceptable," Mei finally said in a measured tone. It was clear she was making a concession for the sake of Takimura's future. As she spoke, her eyes remained fixed on Luna Shegachi.
'This isn't what I expected,' Luna thought, biting her lower lip as her gaze shifted to Maki. 'She was terrible at this stuff when I first spoke to her. What changed?'
Unlike Mei, Luna never even considered the possibility that Maki had been hiding her true self. The Shegachi clan head was a seasoned politician. She knew Maki's nature - honest, straightforward, emotionally transparent. There was no way she could have pulled this off alone.
'Her plan mirrors my own proposal, so I can't oppose it… but she cut off my path to increased influence completely. Takime and Terumi clans having just two voting power means I can't possibly ask for an increase… Someone must have helped her.'
Her eyes moved across the room and landed on the two veterans seated in silence - Ao and Akura. Both had the experience, the weight, and the political skill to craft this behind the scenes.
'Was it one of them? Or… both?'
Regardless of what Luna wanted or felt, there was nothing she could do.
"Shegachi clan also agrees," she said with a smile, concealing her displeasure behind practiced grace.
Slowly, the other clans followed. The Noda and Durinu clans had already decided to align with whatever the Terumi and Takime clans supported. As for the newer clans, they had been planning to follow Shegachi's lead, but once Luna gave in, they had no choice but to fall in line as well.
"Great. This system will never be changed, even if stronger clans join Takimura in the future. We are granting two voting powers to the Terumi and Takime clans because of their sacrifice, and because they are the founding clans." Maki spoke with finality, her tone sharp enough to cut off any attempt at disagreement. It was clear that she wouldn't entertain further discussion on the matter.
"Now, let's move on to other important topics. As far as I know, Lo… Ao has something to say." Maki caught herself mid-sentence. Now that she was the Suikage, she wasn't supposed to use honorifics anymore, but it still felt awkward.
"Thank you, Lady Suikage," Ao said as he rose from his seat, offering a respectful bow. The gesture was deliberate. Despite technically still commanding the largest military force in Takimura - five hundred shinobi, Ao wanted to make it clear that he stood firmly beneath her authority.
"The war between Kumogakure and Konohagakure has officially begun. So far, there have been only small skirmishes, nothing major yet. But a rumor has spread that Sarutobi Hiruzen himself is on the frontlines, together with Tsunade."
With Ao's defection, the vast majority of Kirigakure's intelligence network had been transferred to Takimura. The village didn't lack information, and so far, everything he'd reported had proven accurate.
"It's said that the Eight-Tails' Jinchuriki engaged with them. Both sides supposedly pulled back after suffering minor injuries."
Many in the room recalled their own encounter with the Eight-Tails not long ago. The idea of Hiruzen and Tsunade clashing with that kind of power gave the entire room pause.
"Lord Ao, I apologize for the interruption, but has the Six-Tails' Jinchuriki decided to join us?" the head of the Ugone clan asked. They had been a minor clan during the civil war, once aligned with Zabuza.
"Utakata is joining Takimura," Ao replied calmly. "But not as a shinobi. He won't be taking missions. He wants to live like a civilian."
He glanced toward Maki, who was barely holding back a grin.
'I can't wait to see Ru's face when he finds out I gave the Six-Tails his old house,' she thought, laughing inwardly. There had been plenty of empty homes to choose from, but she had deliberately picked Kaoru's. It was close to the Takime compound and far enough from other homes to offer Utakata peace.
"Where was I…" Ao muttered, momentarily distracted, then nodded. "Right. The rumor's still a rumor, we can't confirm if the fight truly happened. But that's not the biggest news anyway."
He smirked, pausing just long enough to let anticipation build.
"We've received an official message from Konohagakure."
He let the weight of that sink in.
"They want to meet us."
A/N –
I've been thinking about making Yko Uzumaki a bit more eccentric and offbeat, while still keeping him grounded where it counts. He's one of those characters who can carry a scene just by reacting to things in the most unexpected way, so expect a bit more of that going forward.
Also, Takimura's political scene is going to get a lot more interesting from this point on. They're no longer a fringe faction, but recognized as a true village and not even considered one of the weakest. That kind of growth brings new challenges, both internal and external. We're not in the "small outpost" phase anymore.
Character Notes:
Yko Uzumaki – Seal Nerd Supreme – "Some people get butterflies when flirting. I get them from theoretical matrix seals and forbidden ink math."
Kaoru – Walking Mystery Box – "Asking for a custom seal one second, hiding details about Maru in another. Also: definitely not in love with Mizuki, shut up."
Utakata – Civilian by Choice, Jinchuriki by Fate – "No missions. No nonsense. Just vibes... and the Six-Tails."
Reminder - Break Tomorrow
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