“Goodnight Ao.”

“Goodnight, Yagura-sama. I’ll be sleeping light as always.” Said my Byakugan wielding bodyguard. I nodded, thanked him and shut the door.

I yawned at the bedroom large enough to be my office back home and sluggishly sat over at the red cushion next to the broad open window. The soft breeze of it reminded me so much of my first months in this world, even the quite herbal teas made available for brewing.

I contemplated putting a cup on before deciding against it. After we’d taken recess from preliminary discussions with the Tea Daimyo, he’d been a gracious enough host to provide us with a tour of his palace, introduce me to his granddaughter Fumi, who was most ecstatic to be reunited with Princess Hanako.

They played, the Daimyo and I found little to talk about between the festive meals he’d prepared for us and afterwards engaged me in a friendly match of archery. I let him win a couple out of respect but otherwise the Daimyo was a fair marksman.

By the time I knew it, I’d barely gotten a couple words and knowing glances at Hanako before it was time to retire, despite the point of the recess being to speak to her on the side. It was alright though, I yawned and broadened the window’s opening as I leaned out on it, stare down at the city nibbling at the palaces’ walls.

There was still a festive mood down there courtesy of our visit but it felt lacklustre, like it wasn’t a true celebration. Impromptu or not, I believed every living human would jump at the chance to sell, buy and celebrate at a festival.

There was hardly any music either. As I began wondering what was truly going on in the Land of Tea I shook my head clear of the speculations, true or not they didn’t matter to me. Not in the long or short run. There was little I could do for them and my priorities were to extract as much use as I could from them.

Another reason I wish we spoke. Hanako-hime was handling her fellow royal well without my needing to interfere directly, but he’s handling her just as well. She was inexperienced enough to see a compromise as a good deal and I couldn’t let her ignorance go unaddressed. Land of Tea must rescind their claim on the islands and have Kirigakure as its preferred shinobi force.

The Land was peaceful even though there was the underlining of common struggles soon to exacerbated, they didn’t have a shinobi village but they certainly had a population seeking shinobi aid. Whether civilian or royal.

They’ve been neutral for the longest of times but it’s clear they’ve favoured the Land of Fire and Konoha when it comes to hiring shinobi. That needed to change and the Tea Daimyo’s unintentional slight against the Water Daimyo was what Hanako-hime needed to use to make it happen.

Beyond that there was— A knock came at the door, drawing me away from my sleepy thoughts and the windy breeze. I thought for a split second it was Ao come to check in on me for whatever paranoid reason but I quickly discerned it was a civilian behind the door.

“Come in.”

The door swung open and there was the Princess in a silk, cream-pink nightgown that stopped over her knees. The bulk of luscious hair I knew her for was greatly reduced and for the first time I realized it’d been part of the make-up she wore as her station demanded.

Her true length fell down over her shoulder but not any further, her face was pale as was the rest of her porcelain skin, all enunciating the pulp pink of her lips. Not make-up. The wind blew past me from the window and she shivered, lashes blinking rapidly in sudden dismay as she pressed her hands down on the gown.

A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

I shut the windows as I spoke, “Hey…what are you doing here?” I turned and found her giving me an unsure look. “Right, come sit, we’ll talk.”

“Forgetting all your schemes at the mere sight are you?”

Shuussh.

“I’m sorry, I know you meant for us to discuss in detail but…Fumi-chan is such a dear, I couldn’t leave her until she’d gotten her fill of me.” Hanako said, her smile pleasant and apologetic. She blinked at me, then at herself as she sat with a pillow over her lap, slightly pressed against her chest, “Sorry I couldn’t come presentable, the attendants are stalking my every move. I had to sneak out her from the bathroom.”

She gave a sheepish smile at that explanation and I shook my head, “No, no, I understand. I should have extricated myself from the Daimyo earlier as well but…he’s a demanding man.”

He was quite comfortable in the power his title allowed him, he seemed kind but I knew he was as shrewd as any of my councillors. I sat opposite the tea table with a pillow of my own, “So…what are you hoping to accomplish with the next discussion, I felt it necessary to remind you that Kiri has some stake in these deals, indirect as it may be.”

Hanako nodded knowingly, her hair bounced unhindered with her, “I’ll get you your priority contracts, S, A and B-rank missions will go to Kirigakure for a term. The Daimyo and I might be friendly but that’s only because of past relations with…my father. Things aren’t as good with brother on the throne but…perhaps this will help.”

I doubt it will…

“Alright then, it’s good to know we’re on the same page.” I nodded, satisfied to see my worries were misplaced. She’s more competent than I thought.

Her eyes narrowed, the darkened lines around them made her look like a predator, “That’s one page. How about the other?”

I snorted, “I have to say, I’m having trouble pinning down exactly what you hope to accomplish with this. You realize I may have already made promises with that island, yes?”

She drew her feet up from the slippers, folding them in the rather large chair she was swimming in and said, “Power, of course. What else could I wish to accomplish? Deals are made and renegotiated all the time and really, if you wish to see the betterment of that island and it’s people there’s no better choice than an actual royal.”

I raised a brow at that, “You truly wish to rule?” I chuckled when her determined gaze didn’t falter, “I don’t know about a royal being the better choice, the entire country has been yours, your father-”

“I know more about him…and his crimes against our people than you do, Mizukage.” She bit her lip and turned her gaze to the window, “I know more than you think and I am capable of more. I am not asking so much that you disband the base you want to build, no, I’m reminding you that it might see better results with me in charge of the entire island than you as it’s far flung administrative despot.”

I rolled my eyes, “You can’t resist throwing jabs at me even when you’re asking for something can you?”

She shrugged but there was the slightest smile on her sadden features, “It helps that it’s the truth. Don’t you think you’re giving yourself too much to juggle at once? The mainland, Yureisen and Midoriwara, not to talk of all the espionage you shinobi get up to. Unless you intend to leave Kumogakure’s slights against us go unanswered?”

I must have let my surprise slip because she laughed, “So it is Kumogakure then? I just had a strong guess.”

I pursed my lips and narrowed down at her, “You are playing a dangerous game here, Princess. The persons I intend to place in charge of that base-”

“Wouldn’t dare touch a hair on my head or go against me without your direct approval.” She didn’t flinch away from me, “I know you Kage keep a tight leash on your subordinates, I know this is no different and in fact, I’m willing to monitor them on your behalf, like I said, you have other concerns to tend to, don’t you?”

I did indeed. Senjutsu had yet to come to fruition and Kumo had yet to be answered. Not to mention…Konoha.

I blinked, breathed in deep and smiled, “Alright, but there’s something you should know will be dependent on this ever happening.”

Her eyes lit up, “What’s that?”

“There will be times I’ll need you to hand over prisoners, death row, at least two-hundreds of them at a time.”

That spark died in an instant, “W-what do you want to do with them? Why even…why?”

I leaned forward and threw her words back at her, “Power, of course.”