I landed back in the balcony after declaring Kisame winner of the duel, an outcome I have to say I wasn’t so sure of. Junko though, wore the largest, proudest grin I’ve ever seen and who could blame her? She bet on her champion, the supposed underdog as things go and she won. She also won the bet against Mangetsu, choosing the Demon of the Mist over the Hozuki prodigy much to Lady Megumi’s visible ire.

Hidaki had already made his exit, Lord Funato trailed behind him and Junko lingered behind to shove her good gambling in Lady Megumi’s face, but everyone was quickly making their way out of the balcony side and toward the Armoury where the final test would take place as soon as Fuguki and Kisame were healed of their wounds.

There wouldn’t be any civilian spectators, in fact, there weren’t any for the true duel of the night. The stage and its surrounding where people clamoured, cheered and jeered the acolytes’ tournament was emptied out as soon as the time for Kisame and Fuguki’s duel came. Only shinobi of prominent clans were allowed to sit in and watch.

Hanako-hime stood with my hat in hand as I dropped from the railing, she stepped forward, her feet barely making a sound as she handed it back to me. I’d let her hold onto it while I proctored Kisame and Fuguki’s duel, there weren’t many shinobi worth proctoring a duel between Kiri’s swordsmen except perhaps swordsmen themselves.

“Thank you.” I said.

She forced a smile behind her fixed veil and raised fan, turning around as she said, “I will not be joining you for more violence, I’m afraid I have had my fill. It’s been a rather unproductive day and I wish to return home now.” She glanced at her Samurai-shinobi guard and her ladies in waiting at the entrance, but there I caught a glimpse of Uncle Aoto, he made a sign, one that asked for my quick attention.

I nodded at him but turned my attention to the Princess, “Unproductivity isn’t a bad thing, Hime, sometimes it’s just what you need.” I could peek her scowl by the way her brows dipped and eyes narrowed, so I smiled widely. “Come, sit with me for a minute, the balcony will be emptied in a moment and we’ll be able to speak freely. I do have something more to tell you.”

She sat, albeit reluctantly and I waved Uncle Aoto away, quickly signing that I’d be with him soon. He nodded and shut the door behind him, taking her stubborn guard and flirtatious ladies-in-waiting with him.

I sat, giving the Princess my full attention as she gently fanned herself and looked away from me, “I’ve changed my mind.”

My smile grew as her head whipped to face mine, curled brow raised in anticipation of my next words but they didn’t come, I just stared at her until she asked, “About what?”

Here I stopped smiling entirely as I announced, “About waiting for you or the Daimyo to ask to be saved. It’s obvious you’ll break should I give you time but the Daimyo breaking to my will doesn’t matter as much as the innocent lives that are taken from this world with every passing hour nothing is done.”

“Then you will-!”

I raised my hand to halt her excitement, there was more, “Kirigakure will join and end this war in a week but we will be doing more than that. If your aides have done their jobs at all you should know that I’ve taken in the Kaguya clan and recently there has been some upheaval about the Yuki as well. I have taken to ensure both are sheltered and taken care of.”

I narrowed a stern gaze into those prettied eyes of hers and said, “My aims will be the emancipation of every oppressed Kekkei Genkai wielding clan in the land of water. It’s a huge undertaking as there are many and my Estate only has so much space and so, the lands of the Lords rebelling and slaughtering these clans will be annexed by Kirigakure at the end of the war.”

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“Annexed?” the Princess hissed, “You have no right! The only way that land will be given to you will be at the leisure and mercy of my brother.”

I snorted, “Now you know why I wanted you to ask, don’t you? You have a week to still ask, make this a simple give and take deal. If you do not, then Kirigakure will simply take.”

“You wouldn’t dare!”

“I said I changed my mind, didn’t I? This is what that means. You sat here with my hat while I proctored that duel, you must have thought segregation and violence is all there was to Kiri, all there was to its protector. But I assure you, there’s more than enough violence and more underneath us that you, a cloistered Princess will ever know.”

Hanako wasn’t listening, she stood from her seat furiously glaring down at me, “You realize what you’ve spoken is treasonous? You plot against the Daimyo right in front of me, no, to me, his liaison. You will be punished, Mizukage.”

I looked up at her from my seat and shook my head, “There is no greater punishment than wielding useless power, do as you must, Princess, I have given you a week to decide what you want Kirigakure and the Capitol’s relationship to look like. Speak to your brother and get him to accept these conditions or at least, come to the table to negotiate, this week is the last chance he’ll get to do so.”

She dropped her fan from her face, leaving it veiled but revealing a good part of the beauty she’d hidden all this time. She was confused, shocked and nearly speechless, “Mizukage, if you do not wish to do the right thing then I shall find someone else who will, there are many-”

My boisterous laugh cut her off before she could finish that pathetic threat, “If you mean to say the Water Daimyo, your brother, will involve outsiders in these matters rather than sit down with me then you’ve all but started a Fourth Shinobi War, you remember what those look like, don’t you? Ha, but it’s nothing to worry about, your brother will never do something so stupid.”

Her lower lip trembled in unbridled anger at the insults, she stuttered and then shut her jaw tightly as she breathed and arranged herself to leave.

“Remember, a week!” I called out as she left, slamming the door with all her might.

It didn’t take long before the doors opened again and Uncle Aoto came in, he looked worried though his cheek was stained with lipstick, I shook my head at the man as he asked, “What happened? She looked…very upset.”

“I just gave the Daimyo an ultimatum, we’ll be joining the war regardless.”

His eyes narrowed in confusion but then widened, “You mean…we’re going that route?” He sat where she did as he took in the news.

I shrugged, “Only if the Daimyo wishes to be embarrassed but I have a feeling he won’t.”

“What happened? I was sure you’d join the war regardless of reward. Whenever I spoke of usurping the Daimyo or acting behind his back before you were always so against it, didn’t even consider it an option.”

I smiled at him, “I told you, I’ve had an awakening. There isn’t time to do things the soft way, at least not things like this. The Land of Water and its clans need to be cleaned up and organized under Kirigakure and the Daimyo swiftly and with as much force as is necessary. There are greater concerns abroad.”

Aoto hummed thoughtfully at that, “Abroad huh, does this have anything to do about you lying about your reasons for recalling Mei from Ame?”

I stared at him, genuinely startled that he’d seen through that lie, “It’s more of a half-truth, nothing to worry about in the immediate but…the Land of Water needs my full attention right now, as do the Kaguya and Yuki.”

Uncle didn’t push for more, instead he nodded in agreement and gestured sealing his lips, “Classified.”

I chuckled and asked, “What did you want to tell me earlier?”

“Oh, that. Lord Funato wants to speak with you.”

I rolled my eyes, “Of course he does.”

“No, really, he…he sounded like his timeout had given him some perspective and begged me to put a word in with you. He’s done a lot for this village and though he acted behind your back and against your orders, he’s worth a second chance, I feel so. He just needs to see more of your vision and understand where Kirigakure is headed now is not where he’s coming from, you’re the best person to explain that to him.”

I breathed that in and groaned. I didn’t want to indulge the man but at the same time, Uncle made very valid points. Besides, prolonged strain between a Mizukage and his councillors wasn’t exactly a positive outlook.

“Fine, but after we’re done with this Samehada ordeal, it’s been a long day.”