DAIMYO: Chapter 5/7

Chapter 5: The Fire Capital’s Banquet of Blades

Inside the study, the faint scent of sandalwood filled the air.

Arashi leaned back in his chair, eyes closed in rest.

Kiyotsuki Yui knelt beside him, awkwardly brewing tea.

She was dressed in a simple maid's uniform, her former grace and arrogance gone. Only a pale, expressionless face and hollow eyes remained.

Boiling water poured into the teapot. Steam rose, carrying a light aroma of tea.

She discarded the first brew, refilled the pot, and carefully poured the tea into a cup, offering it to him with both hands.

Throughout the entire process, she didn't say a single word—her silence was almost frightening.

Arashi didn't open his eyes.

"Gen."

"Your subordinate is here."

Gen, waiting by the door, immediately responded.

"Go summon Lord Tanaka of the Ministry of Finance, Lord Ito of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and Kawachi-no-kami, Yamashiro-no-kami… all of them."

Arashi listed several names in a calm tone.

Yui's hand trembled slightly as she held the cup.

Those were all high-ranking nobles and old ministers of the Fire Capital.

During the succession struggle, most had remained neutral, while some had secretly supported her would-be husband—Arashi's late elder brother.

Was this a reckoning?

"Yes, My Lord."

Gen bowed and left.

Only then did Arashi open his eyes, taking the cup and blowing gently on the tea.

"The tea is good," he said casually, glancing at her.

Yui's shoulders tensed even further, her head lowering until it nearly touched the floor.

Half an hour later.

In the Daimyo Manor's Council Hall, more than a dozen officials and nobles stood in neat rows. The air was heavy, their expressions grave.

No one dared to sit.

Whispers filled the air. Unease showed plainly on every face.

"Why did Lord Daimyo summon us so suddenly?"

"I don't know… Everyone here seems to—"

"Quiet! Don't speak carelessly!"

Tanaka Shigeru, Minister of Finance, stood at the front, beads of sweat forming on his forehead.

He knew better than anyone how ruthless the new Daimyo's methods were.

Suddenly, a steady rhythm of footsteps echoed from outside.

All conversation stopped.

Arashi, flanked by guards, entered the Council Hall.

He wore a black robe embroidered with gold patterns that shimmered faintly under the light, adding an air of composed authority to his refined features.

He didn't take the main seat. Instead, he stopped in the middle of the hall, his calm gaze sweeping across the room.

Everyone he looked at quickly lowered their head.

"My Lords, you are the pillars of my Land of Fire," Arashi began, his voice even yet commanding.

"I invited you here today because I need your help with a few matters."

He clapped his hands.

Gen entered, leading two guards carrying a large wooden box.

Thud.

The heavy box landed with a dull sound that made everyone's heart tighten.

"Open it."

The lid was lifted.

Inside was a pile of scrolls and ledgers.

At first, the ministers only looked on curiously.

But when a few scrolls slipped, revealing familiar handwriting and family crests, the color drained from their faces.

Tanaka Shigeru froze.

He stared at a blue-covered ledger with a tea stain on the corner, it was the false account he had forged himself.

Next to him, Minister Ito spotted a personal letter—his own handwriting—pledging "full support" to the late Daimyo's eldest son.

Kawachi-no-kami felt his knees buckle. He saw a mining report detailing falsified production numbers, signed by him and one of the executed traitors.

Each man saw his own doom staring back at him.

Silence fell.

The hall was filled only with the sound of ragged breathing and chattering teeth.

Cold sweat drenched their fine robes.

The wooden box before them no longer looked like a box, it was a coffin prepared for them.

In that suffocating silence, Arashi's calm voice cut through the air.

"My Lords, what is the matter?"

He scanned the crowd, feigning concern. "You all look unwell. Is someone ill?"

His feigned gentleness was sharper than any blade.

He knew everything and he wanted them to know that he knew.

Tanaka Shigeru finally collapsed to his knees, trembling.

"Your subject… is guilty!"

His cry broke the silence like shattering glass.

"Lord Daimyo, please spare us!"

"We were momentarily blinded, My Lord! Have mercy!"

One after another, they knelt, their voices shaking, begging for forgiveness.

The great hall dissolved into chaos.

Arashi stood silently, watching their pathetic display, a faint smirk on his lips.

"Silence!" Gen barked.

The hall fell quiet again. Heads remained bowed low.

"All of you, rise," Arashi said flatly. "These items were taken from the estates of my late brothers during the rebellion."

He picked up a random scroll from the box and weighed it in his hand.

"I haven't looked inside yet. I suppose there's nothing important."

He turned, tossing the scroll casually back into the box.

"Gen, bring a brazier."

"Yes."

A large copper brazier was quickly brought in.

Under the stunned gazes of the ministers, Arashi motioned to the guards.

"Pour it all in. Burn it."

The guards obeyed, tilting the box over the flames.

Whoosh.

Scrolls and ledgers tumbled into the fire, the blaze roaring to life.

The flames reflected off Arashi's composed, elegant face.

"I am not one to dwell on the past," he said clearly, his voice steady above the crackling fire.

"Let the past burn clean, like this flame."

"I have not read what was inside, and no one will ever mention it again."

"But remember, such things must never happen again."

He turned, sweeping his gaze across the room.

"I only care about the future. From this day onward, your loyalty belongs to me alone."

"Those who create value for me will receive everything they desire."

"Do you all understand?"

As his words echoed, Tanaka Shigeru's expression shifted from terror to elation.

He fell to his knees again, tears streaming down his face.

"Your subject, Tanaka Shigeru, swears eternal loyalty to Lord Daimyo! I will serve without hesitation!"

"Your subjects swear eternal loyalty to Lord Daimyo!"

The others followed, their cries merging into a chorus that shook the hall.

At that moment, all hesitation, all pretense of independence, vanished.

Only reverence and fear remained.

This young Daimyo had burned away their sins and bound their souls in one stroke.

From this day forward, their lives belonged to him.

Arashi watched them with satisfaction, mentally sorting through a list of trusted names.

He could have executed these men to make an example of them, but what then?

Without these seasoned officials, who would manage the nation?

Letting hotheaded samurai handle finance and infrastructure? The Land of Fire would collapse in months.

No, they had to live and serve him faithfully.

Once his new generation of loyalists was ready, these old dogs would have no value left.

For now, killing them was the lesser path.

Controlling their hearts was the true way.

(To be continued.)

Chapter 6: Carrots, Sticks, and a Very Big Pie

The flames in the brazier gradually weakened, leaving only scarlet embers that occasionally burst with a spark.

In the council hall, the waves of allegiance had not yet settled, and the smell of charred wood still lingered.

Arashi's sneer faded, replaced by a gentle smile.

Looking at the ministers kneeling on the ground, faces showing the relief of surviving a disaster, Arashi said, "Rise. You are the pillars of the Land of Fire. There is no need for such a grand bow."

His voice was not loud, but it instantly calmed the restless crowd.

"Thank you, Lord Daimyo!"

Tanaka Shigeru and the others stood shakily. Their backs stayed slightly bent, and none dared meet Arashi's eyes.

The sight of that burning brazier had seared itself into their minds.

Arashi did not return to the main seat. He paced to the center of the hall and stood with his hands clasped behind his back.

Then he sighed.

The sigh was soft, but it made the ministers' hearts jump to their throats.

"My lords," Arashi said with a trace of sorrow, "my few useless elder brothers nearly emptied the treasury for the sake of a false reputation."

"Stabilizing internal strife, appeasing the territories, and rebuilding the capital will cost a fortune."

He paused, letting his gaze sweep over them.

"Just yesterday, Lord Tanaka even told me the treasury is cleaner than his hair."

Tanaka shuddered, nearly dropping to his knees again. "Your subject was only making a comparison. Your subject deserves punishment!"

"No, you are right," Arashi said, waving for him to relax, though worry deepened on his face.

"Now the war is about to end, tens of thousands of soldiers await pensions, displaced civilians wait to be resettled, the ruins await reconstruction, and money is needed everywhere."

"These past few days, I have slept poorly because of money."

His words were filled with helplessness.

The ministers exchanged glances.

He is asking for money.

Then again, this Daimyo, for all his thunderous methods, did inherit a wreck.

And every person present had contributed, more or less, to that wreck.

As Minister of Finance, Tanaka knew the treasury best. He clenched his jaw and stepped forward first.

He knelt again. "Lord Daimyo worries for the country. How can your subjects stand by?"

"Your subject, Tanaka Shigeru, is willing to share Your Lordship's burden and donate seventy percent of his family property to replenish the national treasury."

The hall was stunned.

Seventy percent.

That was the Tanaka clan's wealth accumulated over a century.

Had he gone mad?

In an instant, the ministers understood.

This was not madness. This was loyalty.

He was using money to buy his life, to buy his clan's future.

That fire had just burned away the evidence of their crimes.

Now it was time to pay for absolution.

"Your subject, Masashi Ito, is willing to donate seventy percent of his family property to share Your Lordship's burden."

"Your subject, Kawachi Mori, is willing to donate all earnings from the three iron mines in his territory for the next ten years."

"Your subject…"

For a moment, the hall resounded with pledges of donation.

It was like an auction of loyalty. Whoever spoke slow, whoever gave less, was disrespectful to the Daimyo.

Yui stood in the corner, watching this absurd yet real scene, her heart unsettled.

One fire, a few words, and those miserly old foxes were emptying their coffers.

Such methods were terrifying.

Arashi listened quietly. The worry on his face eased, though his brows remained slightly furrowed.

In his heart, he sneered.

A bunch of fools.

Do I need your money like this?

If I wished, a single thought could wipe out your wealth and your lives together.

A thought flashed through his mind. Arashi lifted his hand, pressing down lightly. "Good. I appreciate your intentions."

He sighed, his expression turning complicated.

"State affairs are difficult. I should not ask you to spend so much. But for now, this is the only path."

"It is just that…"

"Money alone is not enough."

Their hearts tightened again.

There is more?

Arashi paced a few steps, then said slowly, "After this war, I found many positions in the court overstaffed and inefficient."

"Some hold multiple posts, occupying seats yet accomplishing nothing."

"If this continues, the country will cease to be a country."

He stopped and looked at several old ministers who held real power.

"I plan to streamline the court."

"Eliminate useless departments, merge redundant posts, and promote capable young people."

"You are pillars of the nation, experienced and knowledgeable. You must understand this."

"Why not help me compile a list?"

"See which subordinates are old and should retire, and which posts do not actually need so many people."

Those words shook them more than the demand for donations.

Losing money was painful enough.

But this—this was like tearing away the foundations they had built with their own hands.

Those posts and people were the foundations and wings they had built over decades.

Cut their own?

Whoever moved first would lose their base.

It was worse than death.

Silence fell again.

Heads lowered. No one dared speak first.

The air congealed.

A faint smile touched Arashi's lips, then vanished.

The time was right.

The carrot would now appear.

He laughed suddenly, breaking the silence. "Haha, look at how frightened you are."

"Would I really make you cut off your own arms?"

He walked to Tanaka, personally helped him up, and patted his shoulder, his manner warm.

"Your efforts for the country today, I have seen and taken to heart."

"You are my meritorious subjects. I am too busy rewarding merits, how would I punish faults?"

He looked around and raised his voice. "The list can wait. But there is something we must do now."

"I have decided to use the treasury and your donations to launch the Land of Fire's Three-Year Revitalization Plan."

"First, we will rebuild war-torn towns, repair the roads, and dredge the rivers."

"Within this, there are countless opportunities, countless benefits."

Arashi's voice carried weight.

"These projects will not be given to outsiders."

"I will prioritize them for my most trusted subjects, for those of you standing here who are willing to face hardship with the Land of Fire."

"What you have lost, I will let you earn back a hundredfold, a thousandfold."

"I will make the Land of Fire prosperous and strong, and I will make my meritorious subjects the wealthiest, most honored people on this land."

Silence.

Then the ministers' breathing quickened, and their eyes turned red.

They looked at Arashi with fervor.

This Daimyo had first crushed their pride with ruthless force, then erased their leverage in one stroke, seized their wealth, and tightened his grip on their power.

Finally, he painted a reward so vast it defied imagination.

A pull, a strike, then a sweet date.

"Your subjects are willing to follow Lord Daimyo through fire and storm, without hesitation!"

"For the Daimyo, through any peril, without hesitation!"

They knelt with true conviction.

The roar of allegiance rose like a tidal wave, nearly lifting the roof.

Arashi watched with satisfaction.

Fear and greed are the two most useful reins in this world.

Now, he held them both in his hands.

(To be continued.)

Chapter 7: Konoha Sends Back a “Nope”

In the afternoon, Konoha was peaceful and serene.

The smoke of war had not yet dissipated, but reconstruction had already begun.

Everyone in Konoha knew the Village had lost much of its vitality in this war.

Even so, the will to live had already helped the Village recover a measure of life.

Yuhi Shinku stepped through the Village gate, his footsteps unwavering.

The news of budget cuts weighed on his chest like a stone.

The image of that young Daimyo, those calm eyes, lingered in his mind.

He hurried straight to the Hokage Building.

Hokage Office.

Smoke filled the air.

The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, sat behind his desk, puffing on his pipe, his brow deeply furrowed.

In front of him was a mountain of post-war reports and compensation lists.

Utatane Koharu and Homura Mitokado, the two Elder Advisors, sat on either side, their expressions grim.

In the shadows of the corner, Shimura Danzo leaned on his cane, silent.

The atmosphere was heavy.

"Still no news?" Homura asked first, impatient.

"Judging by the time, Yuhi Shinku should be back soon," Hiruzen said, setting down the scroll and rubbing his temples.

He was not worried that the request for an additional budget would be rejected.

No previous Daimyo had refused Konoha on such matters.

Konoha was the shield of the Land of Fire, and the cost of maintaining the shield was necessary.

This time, sending Yuhi Shinku was to submit a war report and also to gauge the new Daimyo's attitude.

A sixteen-year-old who seized power through bloodshed would not have ordinary temperament or methods.

But he was young, after all.

As long as Konoha presented itself as a meritorious servant and offered some appeasement, there should not be a big problem.

Knock, knock.

A knock sounded at the door.

"Come in."

The door opened, and a dust-covered Shinku walked in. His face was full of fatigue, his expression was complicated.

"Hokage-sama, honorable Advisors."

"You're back. You've worked hard," Hiruzen said with a gentle smile. "How did it go? What did the Daimyo say?"

Everyone's gaze fell on Shinku.

He stood straight but did not answer immediately.

His Adam's apple bobbed, as if organizing his words.

He looked up, met their gazes, and spoke with difficulty.

"Hokage-sama, the Daimyo Manor rejected the request for an additional budget."

The office fell silent.

Although they had anticipated this outcome, hearing it firsthand still made their faces sink.

Homura asked in disbelief, "Rejected? Why? So many died in the Village. Does the Daimyo not see it?"

Koharu said coldly, "What does the Daimyo want? To use Konoha to establish authority as soon as he takes office?"

Hiruzen did not speak. He took a slow puff on his pipe, his face hazy behind the smoke.

Things were likely not that simple.

In the shadows, Danzo's single eye flashed coldly.

"Yuhi Shinku, tell us the meeting in detail, word for word," Hiruzen said, voice calm.

"Yes."

Shinku steadied himself and recounted the meeting exactly.

From Arashi defining the war report as a performance review, to the soul-piercing question, "Are the lives of ninja more noble than those of civilians?"

And finally, the seemingly benevolent special fund for genius cultivation.

When he finished, the office grew even heavier.

Homura and Koharu were shocked.

Those arguments were airtight.

He stood on the side of justice, turning Konoha's merits into its duties.

He twisted Konoha's request for compensation into competing with the people for profit.

What a cunning tactic.

Could these words really come from a sixteen-year-old?

"Not only that…"

Shinku's voice tightened. "Before I left, I heard the Daimyo Manor is undergoing financial reform…"

"The Daimyo ordered that, starting next quarter, the Village's annual budget will be cut."

"What?!"

This time, even Hiruzen could not remain seated.

He looked up sharply, his eyes flaring.

Not only deny the additional request, but cut the existing budget as well?

"How much was cut?"

From the shadows, Danzo's voice was cold.

"Two… two-tenths."

Boom.

The number made everyone's heads buzz.

Two-tenths.

This was no small sum.

Ninja compensation, treatment for the injured, development of new ninja tools, maintenance of the Village's defense system… which did not require funding?

With that cut, the already strained Village would face serious operational difficulties.

Homura cried, "He's crazy! He wants to destroy Konoha! He is shaking the foundation of the Land of Fire!"

Danzo stepped out of the shadows, his cane striking the floor with urgent weight. "Cut two-tenths? On what grounds? How dare he?"

"What does he think ninja are? Tools to be measured by money?"

"We bled and sacrificed for the Land of Fire, and this is the humiliation we receive?"

"Hiruzen, we cannot tolerate this!"

"This brat is declaring war on us! We must teach him a lesson!"

Koharu echoed sharply, "That's right! We must make him retract the order!"

"Once the budget is cut, turmoil in the Village is inevitable, and our deterrence against other ninja villages will drop sharply."

"Do not forget, Kumo is still watching us like a tiger eyeing its prey!"

Emotions ran high in the office.

"Everyone, calm down!" Hiruzen snapped.

After the initial shock, he forced himself to settle.

He sat again, picked up his pipe, and did not light it for a long time.

His mind was filled with the young Daimyo described by Yuhi Shinku.

Calm, dignified.

Emotions unreadable.

Speaking the most piercing words in the gentlest tone.

First striking with a stick, then tossing a useless candy to make you grateful.

He knew this method well.

But it should not appear in a sixteen-year-old.

These methods, this cunning, this depth—clearly the mark of someone steeped in power for decades.

He remembered the past.

Back then, to secure the position of Hokage, he had also sought the Daimyo Manor's support.

He knew the Daimyo's power was not only in nominal rule.

Economics was the most lethal weapon.

After all, everyone had to eat, ninja included.

But he had never thought this new Daimyo would refuse so decisively.

The other party did not bargain with Konoha.

He issued a notice.

They had all misjudged him.

A chilling memory flashed through Hiruzen's mind.

Just last month, he had received a plea for help from this Daimyo.

At that time, the struggle for the Daimyo's position was at its peak.

He had refused.

Cold sweat formed.

"Hiruzen! What are you hesitating for?!"

Danzo stepped closer, voice sinister. "Send the Anbu to warn him! Let him learn what co-governance means!"

"Foolish!"

Hiruzen slammed the desk, voice sharp.

Danzo stopped.

Hiruzen stared, eyes like blades. "Warn him? How?"

"Send an assassin? Then what? Make the nobles and civilians of the Land of Fire see Konoha as rebels? Let the other four nations laugh at us? Give them an excuse to declare war?"

"Without the Daimyo Manor's support, can the Village endure a war?"

The barrage left Danzo speechless.

Yes.

The other side was the legitimate Daimyo.

His reason for cutting the budget was national hardship and the need to overcome it together.

On what grounds could Konoha object?

Were Konoha ninja not people of the Land of Fire?

Justice and legitimacy were in his hands.

Konoha had strength, but its limbs were bound.

"Then… what do we do? Just accept it?" Homura asked, unwilling.

Hiruzen fell silent.

He walked to the window, looking at the Village below and the stone faces that symbolized the will of the Hokage.

For a long time, he exhaled a heavy breath.

"No."

"We cannot just let it go."

He turned back, once again composed like a ninja hero.

"I will personally resolve this."

Danzo's cane struck the ground. "How?"

Hiruzen picked up the invitation. "Do not publicize this for now. I will speak with the Daimyo at the coronation ceremony."

(To be continued.)