Chapter 33: The Dust Settles
That evening, the Daimyo's Residence hosted a grand banquet.
In attendance were the Daimyo, his wife, and their three children. As for the ninja clans, Masahiko scanned the room and saw many familiar faces.
Setting aside the Senju, Uchiha, and Uzumaki, five of the six clan heads he had fought three years ago were present. Only the Hatake Clan Head, whom Masahiko had personally faced, was absent. Several of the small clan alliance leaders were also here. Masahiko only recognized the Sarutobi Clan Head, though the man next to him who resembled Shimura Ken was probably the Shimura Clan Head. The others were likely the leaders of the Fuma, Yamashiro, and Gekko clans.
Masahiko's gaze, however, fixed on a familiar clan crest worn by an attendant.
'Is... is that the Kurama clan? Isn't that from a TV-original plot? Does that mean I was reborn into the anime and not the manga?' There were, after all, some differences.
'That clan... they don't have an awakened member in this era, do they? That could be trouble... the power of that big boss Aizen.'
While Masahiko was lost in thought, the Daimyo had already ordered the servants to bring in the food.
As the dishes were placed on the table, Masahiko lost all interest in everything else.
'As expected of the Daimyo's Residence, the food is on another level. Is this an other-world version of an Imperial Feast?' Although Masahiko didn't actually know what a full Imperial Feast consisted of, if it weren't such a hassle to protect the Daimyo, he'd be tempted to stay here forever.
Masahiko ignored Tobirama at the same table and dug in. He had to get his fill first.
The Daimyo was saying something on the stage, but Masahiko wasn't listening closely. By the time he was full and looked up, he heard the Daimyo say:
"...I won't say much more. We will discuss the details after we've eaten..."
Masahiko burped. He had been eating for 20 minutes, and the Daimyo was just now finishing his speech? That was his definition of "not saying much"?
He watched everyone else begin to eat. Already full, Masahiko was bored. He sipped his tea and observed everyone's eating habits.
There was the "mysterious-type," like the Aburame Clan Head; the "hearty-type," like the Akimichi Clan Head; the "plain-type," like Tobirama; and... the "graceful-maiden-type?"... like Uchiha Izuna.
"Pfft..." Masahiko spat out a mouthful of tea.
All the clan heads glared at him. They were already annoyed at being stared at while they ate, and now he was laughing at them?
"It's nothing, nothing! Please, continue. Just choked on my tea."
Half an hour later, everyone was full. Except for the Akimichi Clan Head.
The Nara Clan Head stood up. "Lord Daimyo, thank you for your hospitality. What are your orders for us?"
"No rush," the Daimyo said, motioning toward the Akimichi. "Let's wait for Lord Akimichi to finish."
The hall fell silent again, filled only with the sound of the Akimichi Clan Head chewing.
Another half an hour passed. The Daimyo's face was turning a little dark. "It is getting late. I suppose I will begin. Lord Akimichi, please, continue..."
"I'm sure you all have an idea why I've called you here."
"That's right. It is about the 'Guardian Shinobi' matter. My proposal of 108 was, perhaps, thoughtless. My original idea was for twelve. However, as you can see, besides myself, there is my wife, and my three children who are not yet of age."
"Twelve is sufficient to protect me alone, but to protect them as well... it is not enough."
"Therefore, I wish to form the Guardian Shinobi Thirty-Six to protect the Daimyo's Residence."
Hearing this, Masahiko had to hide a smile. His "108" idea had made an impact, just not in the way he intended. It had made the Daimyo ambitious. He was no longer satisfied with just twelve; this time, he asked for thirty-six right off the bat.
The clan leaders exchanged glances. Tobirama stood up. "Lord Daimyo, it is our duty to send people to protect your safety."
Uchiha Izuna, for once not opposing him, also stood up and added, "There are 15 clans, large and small, present. In that case, let each clan send one person. The Uchiha will send two. That makes 16, which should be sufficient to protect the Daimyo."
"The Senju can also send two..." Tobirama added.
The Daimyo looked hopefully at the other clans, hoping someone else would step up. However, in the Warring States, when the Senju and Uchiha both agreed on something, no one really dared to object.
The Daimyo sighed. Compared to the Guardian Shinobi Twelve, seventeen people was already more satisfactory, and...
"Lord Hyuga, would you please come out?"
Tobirama's pupils constricted. Just as he thought, Hyuga Tenjin walked in from a back room. He had been wondering why the Hyuga weren't involved in this incident. It turned out they had already been bought by the Daimyo.
"Hmph!" Izuna sneered upon seeing Tenjin. The Uchiha's hatred for the Hyuga had not lessened one bit.
Hyuga Tenjin ignored him and bowed slightly to the Daimyo. "Lord Daimyo, in response to your call, the Hyuga clan will dispatch three men to protect your safety."
Three?
Tobirama's expression changed slightly. As an ally, the Hyuga had not consulted him on this move.
In truth, Hyuga Tenjin was also helpless. Decades ago, the Uchiha clan had beaten the Hyuga clan to the point where they nearly fell out of the ranks of the great clans. Now, aside from one semi-retired elder, he was the only Clan Head-level shinobi they had left.
Seeking the Daimyo's protection was an act of desperation. If they didn't, they might not even be able to protect their own territory in a few years...
This brought the total to 20 guardians. Both the Senju and Uchiha felt this was inappropriate.
Fortunately, the Uzumaki Clan Head stood up at this moment. "The Uzumaki clan suffered heavy losses in the war with the Kaguya years ago and has been in recovery behind closed doors ever since. Therefore, we will not be participating in this matter."
In addition to him, the Kurama Clan Head also indicated he did not intend to send anyone.
Faced with these obvious excuses, the Daimyo didn't try to stop them. Instead, he said, "Thank you all for your support. Then the Guardian Shinobi Eighteen is officially established. I hope you will return to your clans and select your candidates as soon as possible. In the meantime, I have entrusted my safety to Lord Hyuga."
Masahiko was very satisfied with this outcome. Although the 108 Guardians weren't established, increasing the number from twelve to eighteen would likely result in a huge payout.
With the dust settled, the clan representatives retired to their rooms to rest, preparing to return to their clans early the next morning.
Masahiko said a simple goodbye to Tobirama, who looked confused.
"Great-Uncle, aren't you researching sealing scrolls anymore?"
Masahiko was even more confused. "I already succeeded. Did I not tell you?"
Tobirama's face went black. "When did you tell me..."
"Er, well, I'm telling you now... Anyway, I'm going back home with my 'big nephew' tomorrow. I probably won't see you for a few years. Also, Tobirama, if you research any new ninjutsu, you must let me know. Your Great-Uncle can give you some pointers... Remember, your Great-Uncle knows everything!"
Tobirama: "..."
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