Welcome back to the Smoke and Mirrors AU.
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It was at the start of the fourth week that Team Yuki returned. Unfortunately, Hattori had to immediately send them away to Yamatari City to return the blade to the Province’s viceroy, who would in turn hand it to the Daimyo. Once the blade was turned in, he would get the rewards…
At the start of the fifth week, Team Yuki had finally returned, with their mission complete. Alongside her was both Team Mei and Team Yuki, alongside a massive caravan filled with the resources he would need to start construction.
[Rewards: 20,000 Ryo (System), Reputation with the Land of Fire, 20,000 Ryo (Daimyo)]
Hattori smiled at the influx of Ryo. He would definitely need it. Right now, Hattori was standing on the far shore of the Tawa River, with Tomo, some grunts Yuta had hired, and a ridiculous amount of construction materials.
“We’ve measured the spot to begin construction on the bridge, Yanmaru-san.” Tomo’s voice was measured like always.
“Begin construction, without a bridge, transporting materials will take days longer than necessary. Moreover, it allows civilian help to travel faster and more safely across the river without needing detours.”
Tomo just nodded, and began shouting orders at the construction workers.
This bridge cost Hattori almost twenty thousand Ryo. Hattori spent several hours a day over the next two weeks, watching as the bridge was being built.
Tomo never slowed down. Day by day, the bridge advanced steadily, until finally it had reached the other shore. As much as the civilians wanted to celebrate, the ninja didn’t see it as a big deal. After all, they could already walk across the river. The bridge did not change much.
So, construction continued. The other almost 70,000 Ryo that Hattori had sent them to Yamatari with was entirely for residential building construction. Prioritizing the apartment buildings for civilians first, it took two months to complete the first one.
After that was finalized, all the permanent residents of the still unnamed city finally had a real place to sleep. However, that was not what Hattori was currently smiling about.
“As you all know, I’ve just turned nineteen.” His voice washed over the eleven other Yanmaru clan members.”Which means that nine of you have turned fourteen. Happy birthday.” Their day was spent in Bukai, eating at a diner, before they returned.
Construction was still ongoing, as each Yanmaru Clan Member had their own personal house, rather than an apartment.
Over the next six months, the entirety of the Clan had their own houses, and the materials Hattori had purchased had run dry. The construction workers left, escorted by Asahiro who volunteered to take them back.
A week later, Miwa and Sukuna finally turned six. Hattori watched the sun crest over the distant lands, and immediately heard the squealing of children. Right now, he was in his own house, the old two cabins they were used to had long since been dismantled. The only part of their old compound that remained was the graveyard.
Even that, too, would be relocated at some point.
Hattori watched the two children race towards his home. He actually quite liked his new place. It was a traditional style house, made of wood with a stone foundation. There were shoji windows, doors, tatami mats, it really had everything.
He heard the door to his house slide open and sighed, before going to meet the two birthday kids. He had promised he would start training them when they turned six.
Right now, most of the clan was out on missions, as they had been over nearly the last year. The Clan rankings had not changed much:
[Yanmaru Clan Rankings]
* Hattori Yanmaru (High-Jonin)
* Yuta Yanmaru (Jonin)
* Yuki Yanmaru (Jonin)
* Mei Yanmaru (Jonin)
* Asahiro Yanmaru (Jonin)
* Sasori Yanmaru (Low-Jonin)
* Izumi Yanmaru (High-Chunin)
* Amanai Yanmaru (High-Chunin)
* Mitaro Yanmaru (High-Chunin)
* Hanae Yanmaru (Chunin)
* Sukuna Yanmaru (N/A)
* Miwa Yanmaru (N/A)
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Only Sasori had become a new Jonin. Most of the clan was close to their next rank, but it would probably be a few months until then. Progress had slowed somewhat.
It was to be expected. The higher one climbed up a tree, the fewer branches there are to grab.
“Hattori, Hattori!” It was Sukuna’s voice he heard first, followed by Miwa’s own. Both were equally excited.
He smiled towards them. While they did have their own house built and reserved, right now they lived with whatever team was home at the moment.
“Sukuna, Miwa.”
“It’s our sixth birthday! That means we get to become Ninja!”
“Yes, Sukuna. It does.”
“Soo what do we do? Can we learn cool ninjutsu today?”
“No, Miwa. I’ll have to personalize your learning schedule. Since both of you know wall-walking, for now, try water walking. Have Mei or one of her team members guide you.”
Ah. That reminded him. One of the goals for making teams was to have more experienced members teach the younger members. He was thinking he should restructure that somewhat soon.
With a mental shrug, he chatted idly with the kids, promising to teach them Ninjutsu at some point. A few minutes later, they raced off to annoy Team Mei.
Hattori went back to admiring his house.
It was the biggest single-family residence in the residential sector. Moreover, it was also dead center, and it made him feel quite important. Although it seemed randomly placed, Tomo had actually measured and made sure everything would be exact.
Tenten, Gaara, and Kankuro – the road pavers who had suspiciously Land of Wind sounding names – had paved and cobbled a majority of the roads in the residential sector. Hattori told them that once they finished that, their work would be done until the residential sector, or the wall, was complete.
Whichever happened first really.
He thought back to a few other things that had happened over the last ten months. Ah, right. Tako Shinja had come through again on a visit to some clan way up north. He had been shocked by the construction done, and had actually delayed his diplomatic visit to report that to his clan head.
Hattori actually approved of this. After all, since it wasn’t just a Clan Compound anymore, there was no need to be secretive about it. Even if he wanted to, he couldn’t hide an entire city.
He had also gotten a massive stack of documents, ensuring his city was legitimized by law. The Provincial viceroy had even come down to check on its location, look over the blueprints and planning, before leaving.
He had given many compliments, and Tomo seemed pleased about it.
Besides that, the most important thing was that Hattori was currently sitting on three hundred thousand Ryo. Tomo had advised to start construction at the start of the next year, since it was getting rather cold.
So, like that, another six months flew by in a flash.
…
Hattori, on his twentieth birthday, finally resumed construction. By now, both Sukuna and Miwa were rated as Genin by the system. He had Team Yuta take Sukuna and Miwa both, finally fleshing out their team to a full three subordinates.
Right now, all three teams were out buying resources with a substantial five hundred thousand ryo.
All of his collected funds had been drained again, and he felt quite miffed about it. He had gotten a rather impressive amount of Ryo over the last half year from a mission he had assigned to ANBU.
Yuki, Yuta, and Asahiro were the three ANBU he assigned to take it on. It was an assassination mission for another Uchiha, this one thankfully far weaker. Currently, Asahiro was still in seclusion trying to work out one of the Jutsu he had watched the Uchiha use.
Hattori smiled gleefully. The Log Replacement, Kawarimi no Jutsu, will finally be ours. It utilized spacial Ninjutsu techniques, and was extremely complicated. At least that’s what Asahiro said.
If it was really so complicated, Hattori wondered how both of the Uchiha their clan had encountered had used it.
Hattori turned his focus back to the task at hand. Right now he was trying to create a blueprint for a sewer system and tunnel network with Tomo.
…
Three weeks passed before his Clan returned from Yamatari. With them, they brought nearly three dozen construction worker grunts, and so many resources that the carts had to be brought over the bridge one by one.
“Hattori-san, would you like to continue residential expansion?” Tomo’s voice grew more familiar to Hattori over the nearly eleven months the two had been planning, revising, and editing together.
“No. The central Town Hall, the wall, and the other two bridges should be built as soon as possible. Housing can be makeshift. Shops can be makeshift. Education can happen without a building for now. These things are more important.”
Tomo nodded in agreement. “That sounds reasonable. Alright, I’ll take command of the construction workers and the rest of our cities’ resident experts.
Hattori nodded, watching in awe as the man worked.
He was really quite a great project manager.
Months passed, as both new bridges finished construction. The priority had been placed on the wall, a decently large section having grown at the northern bridge. The gate was finished, and a four meter length from the left and right of the door was constructed as well. The roof tiling on that section was also completed.
Currently, the wall was being constructed to the right – the foundations had already been completed across the entire inner shoreline.
Tomo estimated it would be another year or two before the walls were completed entirely. Likely three before both the walls and the central Town Hall were all finished.
With building for the next few years settled, and the occasional shipment of resources made and delivered by a team whenever they had free time, Hattori finally had time to settle back into focusing on Shinobi related things.
He needed to have a meeting with Sasuke Shinja, the Clan Head of the Shinja and Tako’s father. He had said that after the Yanmaru Clan reached twenty clan members, he would consider a formal alliance. Well…
Seventeen civilians, and 12 official clan members. Hattori smiled a bit. “Of course, everyone in this city is technically my clan member.”