Chapter 74.6- One Thousand Hands

XXXXXX- SHORIRAMA SENJU

“No” She said almost the same instant I’d made the offer. I looked over at her. Shikahime and Uzume were the only others in the room. Planning an invasion was not as simple as just diving into the opponent’s territory with our dicks in our hands and pissing on everything we could find, so this was the third such meeting we were having. Now the topic had come to what we were going to be doing about the Hokage seat. The one I would be leaving empty once I led the invasion of Kusa.

“You didn’t even think about it” I countered. And she didn’t. I’d made the offer to Uraume for a myriad of reasons, but I could to deny that the glaring one was the arm missing to her side. I could tolerate her fighting Iwa because that was destined to be a route and Shikahime had strict orders to pull her out if anything even looked to be going wrong.

“I did. I know you Shorirama. Now tell me that you gave me that offer for any other reason than the fact you think I will be in danger going off to war with you”

“Let’s be realistic here” I said, stopping once I saw Uzume flick a look in my direction.

“Realistic how? Shorirama? Are you going to tell me I can not do anything but watch my friends go off to war because I am a cripple?”

“I didn’t call you a cripple”

“You thought it. You thought it very loudly, Shorirama” She said again.

“You’re one of the only people I trust, Cousin. Uzume is needed there— apart from me she’s the strongest we’ve got, and Shikahime is needed to come up with tactics on the fly. Your skills can still be useful with you here” I said, trying to bring her around.

“Can you answer a single question honestly, Shorirama? Look me in the eyes and don’t even think about lying. Would you give me this offer if I had both hands?” She asked.

I couldn’t answer her. I just couldn’t. “I- I don’t know” And that was the truth. She was one of the few I could trust. With me out of the village, Hiruzen could get the chance to begin making moves. I needed someone I could trust to cut him off at the knees. That was a very small list.

“And there’s your answer.”

“No. I don’t know because I can’t tell how I’d react if you had both arms but I do know you’re the best choice for the position when I’m not going to be in the village for long periods”

“Then don’t” Shikahime cut in.

“What?” I turned in her direction. What was she talking about now?

“Don’t not be in the village for long periods. You said Uzume is plenty strong and that I’ll be doing the tactics. From everything that’s been said you only really need to be there when we face the Raikage. Why not just teleport there when we need you and stay here the rest of the time”

“No chance” I shot it down. I’d run mad sitting here for that long.

“So now you know how I feel. Find someone else, Shorirama. I saw the Raikage. I do not know what Uzume has told you but that man is a monster. I cannot be here when you face him. Even if all I can do is buy you a second if things go wrong, it is worth more than staying here not knowing if you— all of you, I mean— live or die” She said.

“Nothing will go wrong. I’ll beat the Raikage like he owes me money” I pledged.

“Then let me there to see it. You wouldn’t have me miss the show, would you?”

And that was it. I was man enough to know when I was beaten.

“So who do we leave then?”

“I have an idea” Uzume finally said.