Interlude: Izuna

The hall was deathly silent; you could hear a pin drop. The raging anger that had been burning just moments before seemed to be Shigemori by Chong Sheng's calm and resolute words, solidifying in the air, heavy enough to suffocate anyone who heard it.

In the audience, everyone held their breath, their eyes fixed on the father and son in the center of the stage.

The nobles, in particular, widened their eyes and subconsciously adjusted their posture, leaning slightly forward.

They were familiar with the arias from "The Tale of the Heike," and according to past Biwa Hōshi, Taira no Shigemori should have been in tears at this moment, pleading desperately as a filial son, even banging his head on the ground, using his sorrow and weakness to move his furious father.

That was the attitude they believed a son should have when facing his father.

However, Izuna's portrayal of Taira no Shigemori is completely different.

He didn't shed tears, didn't kowtow, and didn't even raise his voice.

His face was almost solemnly calm, his eyes clear and firm, as if he had already seen through all possible consequences and accepted them with equanimity.

He made a conscious choice, throwing his own life as the final Chips on the scales of his father's and family's fate.

This scene was complemented by the clear, spring-like melody flowing from Izuna's hands.

The music was neither too fast nor too slow, each note clear and steady, as if flowing gently, washing away the violence and turmoil in the air, as if Shigemori an unwavering and steadfast heart.

The Samurai inside the hall were drenched in cold sweat, barely daring to breathe. Torches outside crackled and popped, enveloping the mansion.

It felt like the people inside were being roasted alive.

In the end, it was Kiyomori who looked away first.

He slowly shifted his gaze from Shigemori's face and looked towards the deep night sky outside the hall.

The burning rage within him, which seemed to consume everything, strangely cooled in the face of his son's calm, which had risked his life to stop him.

He was neither softened by family ties nor persuaded by reason.

Rather, as a ruthless tyrant who had been immersed in the pinnacle of power for many years, he instantly weighed the pros and cons.

A direct attack on the Retired Cloistered Emperor would be tantamount to treason and would inevitably draw criticism from the world, especially since the Taira had just experienced the Angen Great Fire and the Taikenmon Incident, and was already at the center of public opinion.

At this moment, even his eldest son, whom he relied on most and regarded as his heir, was willing to die to remonstrate with him...

If they insist on going their own way, even if they successfully "invite" the Cloistered Emperor, the Taira will be completely torn apart internally, and external enemies will take advantage of the situation.

"Hmph..." A very low, deep snort escaped from Kiyomori's throat, breaking the chilling silence.

You... are very good.

He loosened his grip on the knife, and the tense aura he had been holding suddenly dissipated, making him appear several years older.

"It seems I am getting old." He waved his hand, his voice carrying a sense of desolation and melancholy. "Very well... Your Cloistered Emperor, let him continue to 'recuperate' in the Imperial Palace."

Shigemori took a deep breath, then prostrated himself again, his forehead hitting the ground heavily, and remained there for a long time.

Kiyomori stopped looking at him, his gaze sweeping over the solemn Samurai standing outside the hall. His voice regained its usual authority. "Those traitors of Shikadani, deal with them immediately according to the law! Exile Narichika, execute Saikō, and banish the monks Shunkan and the others to a deserted island! As for the others... interrogate them thoroughly, and do not let a single accomplice escape!"

"Yes!" the Samurai answered in unison, their voices echoing through the night sky.

In the audience, Hashirama Senju silently watched the breathtaking confrontation on the stage until the dust settled and the music turned into a low murmur.

A little over ten days ago, when Izuna approached me, proposing to form a Theatre Troupe of sixty people to stage an unprecedented grand play.

Hashirama's first reaction was indeed one of astonishment.

Sixty people, if they are all adults, that's basically taking away a quarter of the village's fighting force. And Izuna even said he wanted to choose for himself, so it's no exaggeration to say that he mobilized the entire village.

The agreement was that Izuna would just play the Biwa) and give a brief demonstration, right?

How did it suddenly become Theatre Troupe that mobilized the entire village and put on such a grand show?

At that time, the village was changing everywhere because of the new method brought by Izuna, and Tobirama and had not returned. He had a heavy burden on his shoulders. He and Madara were working non-stop every day and hardly left the Hokage's Office. Naturally, he felt that Izuna's idea was a bit irresponsible.

Until he opened the thick stack of first drafts of the script that Izuna had handed him.

At first, he just browsed casually, but gradually, his gaze became focused, and his brows sometimes furrowed and sometimes relaxed.

The rise and fall of the Taira, the struggles of its members, and the helplessness and choices of individuals amidst the torrent of history...

And, those stories about Ninjas.

He agreed immediately.

They not only agreed, but also provided maximum support in terms of manpower and resources.

Because he had a vague feeling that what Izuna wanted to do might be more than just putting on a show.

The selection of the person was entirely decided by Izuna.

When the final list was placed in front of Hashirama, he was surprised once again.

The role of Taira no Shigemori is played by Sarutobi Sasuke, a young and talented member of the Sarutobi Clan, known for his wisdom and composure.

The actor playing Taira no Kiyomori was none other than Uchiha Clan, the strong-willed and even somewhat extreme Elder of the Uchiha Naoaki clan.

Takuichi Uchiha Takuma, who often follows Izuna.

Shintarō is the one with a peculiar presence in his clan, as lazy as Senju Jin, like Nara.

He wasn't familiar with the actress who played Shinrei, but he could recognize her just by looking at her, because Hinata Rei is a girl from the Branch Family.

His own son, Senju Yūki, was chosen to play Taira no Koremori...

During the ten-odd days of preparation and rehearsal, Hashirama only occasionally managed to catch a glimpse of it from afar.

It wasn't obvious a few days ago, but later he could clearly feel the almost awe-inspiring obedience and dedication of the entire Production Crew towards Izuna, which he didn't quite understand at the time.

Even now, sitting here, I've watched the entire sequence from the appearance of the three young Ninjas, to the bloody battle at Taikenmon, to the rumors spreading after the Angen Great Fire, and finally to the Shikadani conspiracy and the confrontation between father and son...

He understood.

Izuna's talent extended far beyond casting; he seemed to see right through the soul of each actor and precisely weave them together with the fates of the characters in the play.

They are almost living out their own lives on a different trajectory.

If they were from aristocratic families, and if they were placed in a complex and dangerous situation like the Taira, their reaction would probably be exactly the same as the script Izuna wrote.

Because they are portraying another version of themselves that they might become, their emotions can be so genuine, so intense, and so unpretentious.

That's not acting; it's projecting a part of your true self into a body in another time and space.

That's why the war trauma behind the Taikenmon is so heartbreaking, and Shinrei's suppressed vomiting, Takuichi's self-torture training, and Shintarō's silence are so realistically piercing the hearts of the audience.

Therefore, Taira no Shigemori's resolute decision beneath his calm demeanor possessed the power to shake Kiyomori and shock the entire audience.

"Izuna is truly amazing..." Hashirama couldn't help but sigh softly.

He turned his head and looked at Madara Uchiha beside him.

Ban sat there upright, his posture as straight as a pine tree.

His face was expressionless, but his slightly widened eyes told Hashirama, who knew him well, that his friend was also feeling the same tremor.

In fact, Madara Uchiha's feelings were more subtle and complex than Hashirama's.

These past few days, he's felt that Izuna possesses a peculiar charm.

His words and actions always made people feel comfortable, and they would unconsciously let their guard down. Whether it was an arrogant clansman or Ninja from another clan, it seemed that they could easily develop a liking for Izuna.

Madara previously attributed this to Izuna's well-rounded personality, good communication skills, and innate affability.

But now, looking at the characters on stage that are remarkably similar to the actors' own personalities, Ban realizes that it might not be as simple as just having a good personality.

Izuna seemed to have the ability to see through people's hearts.

The reason he was so certain was because of one example among these Ninjas.

The most unbelievable example for Ban.

The Elder Uchiha Naoaki who played Taira no Kiyomori.

Naoaki was a well-known radical Elder in the clan, with a stubborn and unyielding personality and an almost obsessive pride in his Uchiha bloodline.

He had questioned Izuna's decisions Akari and secretly before, and after Izuna returned to his side, he started to question whether Izuna was the same person he used to be, and questioned whether Izuna was neglecting his duties by taking the children out to play.

How could Izuna persuade such a stubborn person, whom even Madara himself sometimes found troublesome, to so wholeheartedly play a similarly domineering and tyrannical character who ultimately led his clan to destruction?

Moreover, his performance was so convincing, his natural villainous demeanor almost made him question his own existence.

This is highly unusual.

How did Naoaki agree to it?

How did Izuna get him to agree?

On stage, the lights have dimmed, and we've entered a brief intermission.

You can vaguely see the actors hurrying around changing costumes backstage.

In a backstage corner unseen by the audience, Izuna's Shadow Clone nodded slightly to Uchiha Naoaki, his tone relaxed. "Elder Naoaki, that was quite a display of power just now, thank you for your hard work."

Uchiha Naoaki snorted, tugging at his heavy armor, his face still bearing traces of anger and domineering aura.

He looked at Izuna with a complicated expression, but ultimately just said curtly, "You kid... your script isn't bad."

Izuna smiled, said nothing, and watched Naoaki go to change his clothes.

The system interface quietly appeared in his mind.

A module appeared there, containing a list of everyone in Konoha.

This is a module included with the Shitty Map; it's essentially a character encyclopedia.

Each person's entry contains no text information other than their name, but it includes a few lines of battle voice lines and a dynamic Ultimate Technique Illustration.

For example, Uchiha Naoaki.

[Uchiha Naoaki]

[Battle voice lines: "The glory of the Uchiha shall not be tarnished!" "I am Uchiha Naoaki! Remember this name!" "Sharingan, activate!"]

The Ultimate Technique Illustration depicts a Fire Style background, with the figure's hair and beard standing on end, his Sharingan glowing crimson, wielding a long sword and gazing arrogantly ahead, exuding domineering power.

Those who are not of our kind are sure to have different intentions!

When Izuna saw the Ultimate Technique Illustration and voice line, he couldn't help but laugh. Wasn't this practically an isekai version of Taira no Kiyomori?

That arrogant sense of self-importance, that extreme confidence in his own bloodline and martial prowess, is a personality trait tailor-made for this character.

It just requires a touch of cynicism; isn't that a simple role easy for Ninja to play?

That's why he went to find Naoaki in person, without explaining the plot in detail, but simply giving him some of Kiyomori's lines and background information.

After reading the Naoaki, he remained silent for a long time, and surprisingly agreed without much resistance.

Sure enough, he himself probably felt he was also suitable to play Kiyomori.

This encyclopedia is really useful; it didn't take much effort to catch people. It's truly a product of the system.

Izuna's Shadow Clone clapped his hands, signaling to the next person to appear.

"Hurry! The next scene is about to begin! Tokuko is giving birth! And Takahiro! Little Fatty! Oh wait, we agreed before that your brother would play Sukemori in this scene, right? Everyone, get into position!"

"I'm not fat!" Takahiro shouted.

"Little Fatty is an affectionate nickname~" Izuna pinched Takahiro's cheek and laughed, "Chubby is so cute."

Takahiro's face flushed red instantly.

He wanted to say something more, but Izuna had already left to help the others tidy up their clothes and props.

Takahiro could only puff out his cheeks and sulk in frustration.

Takuma watched this scene with a subtle smile.