"So?" The Uchiha guard tilted his head slightly, a smug smile tugging at the edge of his lips. "Aren't you going to answer?"
"Of course I am!" Kaoru puffed out his chest, speaking with exaggerated confidence. "First, you boil the water! You have to boil it, to get rid of sickness and… erm… other bad things in it." He scratched the side of his head, feigning confusion for a moment before snapping his fingers like the memory had returned. "Then you let it cool. Remember, you can't use hot water! After that, you add the leftover liquor you still have lying around."
Kaoru grinned, eyes wide with pride, as if revealing a family secret. "But not too much liquor, just enough to keep the taste close to real liquor. Then you pour in some cheap but strong alcohol, so it's both good and tasty!"
He placed both hands on his hips, straightening his back like a student confident he'd passed the test.
The merchant froze in place.
The guards blinked. Silent.
Then Yoshiro burst out laughing - loud, unrestrained, and wheezing.
"Ahahaha! You've got yourself a true prodigy, Mimo! With him, your business is guaranteed to flourish!" He clutched his stomach as the laughter threatened to knock the breath out of him. "Ahahahaha… gods, I can't breathe…"
"Why is he laughing, master?" Kaoru asked, tilting his head innocently. The question pulled Mimo out of his stupor, and after a split second of hesitation, his merchant instincts kicked in.
"Haha! I only took him in last week," Mimo said, laughing awkwardly and slapping Kaoru lightly on the back. "It's still too early for him to learn how to make the real stuff. But judging from his creativity, I may just keep him focused on selling and managing the cargo instead!"
"Ha! At least he'll keep you entertained," Yoshiro chuckled as he finally sealed the jug shut. The ridiculousness of the exchange had dulled his desire for the drink, but his mood remained bright.
"Kid, where'd you even learn that method? Did Mimo teach you that?" he asked, still smiling.
"No, master hasn't taught me yet. But he took me in because I already knew how to make it. My father taught me!" Kaoru replied, puffing his chest again. "Whenever he wanted to drink, he'd always do it that way and say it tasted exactly like master Mimo's liquor!"
Yoshiro burst into another wave of laughter. "Your father must really love drinking!"
He clearly wasn't ready to let the merchant and his 'apprentice' go. The dull routine of guarding the gates had finally found its comedic relief, and he wasn't done enjoying it.
Unfortunately for Yoshiro, the second guard was less amused. He spotted a merchant cart approaching from down the road and had no intention of holding up the line just for Yoshiro's amusement.
"You can go," he said brusquely. "But you'll need to purchase a permit before setting up a stall. And every product you intend to sell must be registered beforehand. If we catch you selling anything unlisted, you'll be fined."
"Of course, thank you," Mimo bowed, clicking his tongue and gently pulling the reins. The short horse tugged the cart forward, and the wooden wheels creaked as they passed the checkpoint into Uchiha territory.
Kaoru said nothing, his exaggerated grin fading the moment they were out of sight. His expression returned to neutral as he analyzed what had just happened.
'Did that guard suspect me? Or is he just naturally that uptight?' he thought, eyes flicking back once more. He wasn't sure, but he'd remember the man's face just in case.
"Lord Kaoru, I'll go purchase the permit," Mimo said. "Stay with the cart, if you would."
But as soon as the words left his mouth, he seemed to realize how they sounded. His lips tightened. "I didn't mean to…"
"Master shouldn't apologize to his apprentice," Kaoru said with a warm smile. "I'll keep watch."
The merchant smiled at Kaoru's reassurance, his tension finally loosening. Without another word, he turned and made his way toward the administration office, leaving Kaoru alone with the cart and his thoughts.
'I have to wait until nightfall before I can search for Itachi. The Uchiha seem tense. Were they like this the last time Sensei and I visited?'
He scanned the area. The guards rotated with a tight formation, their eyes alert. Suspicion lingered in the air like a fog.
'No, Kaoru. Don't assume anything. That's exactly what got you into trouble before. You trusted what was on the surface. This time, verify everything before making any conclusions.'
He had already decided to reach out to Itachi; he had no better option, but that decision came with a dilemma.
'Should I let him know I'm here right away? If I do, and he chooses not to help, or worse, pretends to and feeds information to Fugaku, then everything I came here to do will fall apart. They'll start monitoring me, restricting movement… But if I keep it from him and he genuinely wants to help… I'll lose his trust. And I won't get it back.'
It was a difficult position, the kind that left no room for idealism.
'In a perfect world, I'd rather trust someone and be wrong than doubt them and regret it.' Kaoru exhaled slowly. 'But this isn't a perfect world. And my failure here won't just cost me, it will plunge Takimura into a war with Konoha. Worse still, I might turn the Uchiha into enemies. No matter what happens, I can't kill anyone. Or if I do… there can't be witnesses. No traces. Nothing they can follow back to me.'
His expression darkened. Lips drawn tight, gaze flat and distant, he stared into the ground in silence.
The sun was high, and his unmoving figure drew more than a few curious looks. A boy sitting atop a merchant cart in a half-finished village, brooding like a man about to kill someone. It was the kind of image people remembered. And this was the last place he needed attention.
"Lord Kaoru." A whisper pulled him out of his thoughts. "We need to set up the stall before sunset."
Kaoru blinked. Mimo had returned without him noticing. After one got used to sensing surroundings with chakra, their natural senses dulled a little, or rather, they became too reliant on chakra.
He gave a small nod and reached for the first jug, then paused and turned.
"Master," he said softly. "You need to call me by my name. And not the real one."
<<<>>>
In Konoha, the council had gathered. The air inside the chamber was heavy, thick with unease. The very fact that another war had become a possibility was enough to make one thing clear - Konoha was no longer as threatening as in the past.
"We received a request for a meeting from Takimura," Shikaku reported, dragging a tired hand down his face. His eyes were ringed with deep shadows, clear evidence he hadn't slept in days. Pills and meditation only went so far. Even shinobi needed to shut their minds off and rest eventually.
"What?" Tsume barked, teeth grinding. "They attack our forces and now they want an audience?"
"They claim our forces attacked them first," Jiraiya cut in before her anger could spiral further. He knew that once Tsume was worked up, calming her down would be its own battle, and no one here had the patience or energy left for it. "And… we've confirmed that in several cases, Konoha shinobi did strike first."
Silence fell over the room.
The rumor had been circling for days, but hearing it spoken aloud by the Fifth Hokage made it real. Every clan head, every elder, every advisor in the room understood what this meant - Konoha had no leverage.
If Hiruzen were still Hokage, they probably wouldn't have heard it at all, at least not from his lips. The Third had always preferred to keep unpleasant truths behind closed doors.
But Jiraiya was different.
The Fifth Hokage made a genuine effort to involve the council. He spoke openly, shared intelligence freely, and made decisions where others could see them. At first, the clans had welcomed the transparency. It allowed them to strengthen their own influence, gave them insight into the inner workings of Konoha's future. For those sharp enough to take advantage, it was a gift.
But now… they weren't so sure.
Konoha had failed to defeat Kumogakure. The war had ended in a white peace. One of their most powerful clans had left the village. ROOT was no more. Danzo, who once operated in the shadows to tip every scale in their favor, was basically gone and with him, the constant supply of intel and manipulation that had safeguarded the village in ways most didn't realize until it was lost.
"I don't think Takimura is behind those attacks," Homura said, his tone grim. "But we can't just ignore what's happened. We lost shinobi. Someone has to answer for that."
"I agree," Hiruzen added quietly. He rarely spoke in these meetings now, choosing instead to guide Jiraiya behind closed doors and let his student take the lead. The Third had been working hard to bolster Jiraiya's authority, for both his student's and his own sake. But this situation had escalated too far. There was no time for games anymore.
"When we make our decision," Hiruzen continued, "we must consider more than our pride, more than the village's image or even the desire to avenge our fallen. Those things matter, yes, but our priority should be the living. The people of Konoha and its future must come first."
"What do you mean, Lord Third?"
"What I mean is that if we declare war on Takimura, the Uchiha will stand with them. And that would leave us fighting two powerful forces alone." Hiruzen's tone was calm and cold, though his gaze showed exhaustion. He was repeating the same thing he had already told Shikaku and Jiraiya behind closed doors, word for word. "Even if we manage to bring Kirigakure to our side, we all know Mist alone is not a match for Takimura. Their advantage was in numbers the last time they fought, and now they've lost even that one."
"What about Kumo?" Hiashi Hyuga asked, his voice as cold as always. The question could be interpreted in two ways: what would Kumo do if war broke out, would they attack Konoha or Takimura? And second… would they join Konoha to tip the scales?
All eyes turned toward Jiraiya and Hiruzen.
But instead, it was Shikaku who spoke.
"We contacted them. Their reply came in this morning," he rasped, his voice hoarse. For once, Shikaku tried to appear more energetic, pushing himself to sit straighter, but his fatigue was obvious in every movement. "Kumo reminded us that they hold a treaty with Takimura. They didn't say it outright, but… We couldn't exactly ask them directly if they'd be willing to help us against Takimura either. Anyway, their answer made it clear that they will honor that treaty."
"Since when do those bastards care about treaties?!" Tsume snapped, her voice rising. But almost as quickly, she caught herself. With a sharp exhale, she sat back down, lowered her head, and muttered, "Apologies."
"It doesn't matter," Jiraiya said. "What matters is that we're isolated. If war breaks out, we'll be facing two enemies alone. At best, Kirigakure sides with us. But…" His jaw tightened. "If things go badly, we could find ourselves against all five villages. Maybe even six if we include Kiri and Uchiha."
That silenced the room. No one spoke. Not even moved.
"I'll accept the invitation," Jiraiya said at last, cutting through the stillness. "I'll meet with the Suikage. We'll decide what comes next after that."
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