The two maids fanning themselves with large fans behind the Fire Daimyō suddenly froze.
Reed immediately put on a furious expression, turned toward the Daimyō of the Land of Water, and spoke in a heavy, menacing tone.
"These two were my mother's most trusted attendants."
"I advise you to watch your eyes... and keep them off things that don't belong to you."
The room fell into an awkward silence. Then, several of the daimyōs chuckled uneasily.
"Haha, we were only joking, of course."
"Reed, you're far too serious. Can't you take a little joke?"
"It's not like we don't have our own attendants to serve us..."
The Daimyō of the Land of Water, however, was visibly shaken. After just a few years, how had Reed changed so much? He'd become someone completely different.
Back when he wasn't yet daimyō, Reed never had such refined and beautiful women in his service. Surely... they must be forbidden fruit—treasures he didn't want anyone else to notice. What a nasty, selfish little appetite.
The Daimyō of the Land of Lightning kept sneaking glances at the two women behind Reed.
Hmph. So proud, aren't you? Putting on airs in front of us. Don't worry... Soon, when the Hidden Cloud Village topples Konoha, I'll make you eat those smiles—and I'll personally see that you two shed tears behind prison bars.
Reed, however, ignored the other daimyōs entirely. He calmly continued what he was doing, adding another twenty million ryō each to the bounties on Uchiha Saya and Uchiha Sasuke.
Behind him, the two maids resumed fanning themselves with grace, pretending nothing had occurred.
The cool breeze brushed against Reed's back again, and at last, he felt the pressure in his chest loosen slightly.
Thank goodness... I kept my composure.
He glanced down at the time on his tablet—forty minutes left before the tournament began.
Lying back in his seat, his mind wandered to memories from three years ago.
That day, Tsunade had visited. Reed hadn't recognized her—though she was, by blood, his niece. Tsunade's mother was his sister, but being the youngest son of the previous Fire Daimyō, Reed had never met her before that day.
And yet it was that visit that changed his life.
Tsunade told him plainly that their father had chosen him to inherit the position of Daimyō.
At that moment, his heart had been a mess of disbelief, fear, and excitement. Why him? The timid, overlooked youngest son who had no ties to the political circles of the capital?
He'd even feared assassination by his elder brother on the day of succession.
But nothing happened. On the day of his coronation, everything went smoothly—except his elder brother claimed illness and did not attend.
When he returned to the estate afterward, Reed discovered his brother had been quietly imprisoned in the basement.
In the days that followed, the once-defiant ministers fell in line, and those who didn't... simply disappeared, their seats filled by sons or distant relatives.
It was then that Reed realized—his father had arranged everything.
Tsunade and a Konoha ninja named Uchiha Hikaru had helped him purge the court and secure his position.
Only after his father's passing did Reed find the letter tucked inside the old man's desk drawer.
He opened it, full of unease.
[Reed, if you are reading this, then I have already returned to the Pure Land.
My life was filled with blood and betrayal. Of the seven siblings in our generation, I fought through deception and rivalry to survive and claim this seat.
It is a cruel tradition—thousands of years old—where those who fail to seize power are destroyed. I loathed it. That's why I allied with Hashirama to found the current system: a balance between ninja and daimyō, to bring lasting peace to the Land of Fire.
Your eldest brother schemed with ministers to exploit the people. Your second brother wasted himself on women and luxury.
But you... despite your timid nature, you genuinely care for our citizens. You remind me of myself, back when I still dreamed of peace.
I shaped a safer world for you to grow in, and perhaps that softened your will. But I hope—no, I believe—you will grow stronger.
Follow Tsunade and Uchiha Hikaru. I saw our lost dream alive again in them.
Remember: a true Daimyō is recognized by the people, not by blood alone.
I won't live to see the peace we envisioned—but I hope you will. Witness the world I dreamed of for me... ]
Reed had stayed in his father's study the entire night, staring at the desk, the walls, the very space his father had once occupied.
It wasn't just a position—it was a legacy. A dream.
From that day on, Reed devoted himself to the people of the Land of Fire. Every letter from Tsunade was read and reread.
And his efforts bore fruit.
The citizens now enjoyed delicacies like deep-sea fish, once rare inland. Trade flowed across the seas, and even commoners could afford boat trips to the Land of Water.
Konoha helped build schools, factories, even irrigation systems with the aid of ninja. For the first time, many families could dream of better futures.
Fire was the bond.
He had fulfilled his father's wishes. And he truly believed this peace would last, passed from generation to generation.
Until a week ago, when he received another letter—this one thicker than usual.
It wasn't from Tsunade.
It was from Uchiha Hikaru.
Inside was a bold, expansive plan—one that would shake the entire world order. It requested his support, his resources, and his belief.
It had taken Reed several hours to finish reading.
The very next morning, he issued construction orders across the Fire Nation.
The new structures all shared one name: Ninja Association.
Just then, the voice of Hayate Gekko echoed across the arena, dragging him back to the present.
"The first match is about to begin!"
"Will Hyūga Neji of Konoha and Karui of the Hidden Cloud please take the stage!"
Reed turned his gaze to the arena, eyes falling on the white-shirted, black-shorted boy with bandaged limbs.
He whispered to himself, eyes full of anticipation.
"Let's see how far the new generation of Konoha has come..." (￣▽￣)/
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