Loyalty

The next morning.

The refreshed Uchiha party set off for the Daimyo Palace.

The Daimyo, who was watching a dance, saw the attendant enter with a report. Knowing something was afoot, he immediately dismissed the dancers.

"Lord Daimyo, the Uchiha Clan Head requests an audience." The attendant kept his head bowed in extreme reverence, not daring to look at the Daimyo seated on the dais.

Hearing that the Uchiha Clan Head was visiting, the Daimyo assumed it was Uchiha Fugaku. "Show him in."

"Yes." The attendant backed away step by step until he reached the main entrance before turning to leave.

Before long, Masaki Uchiha appeared at the doorway.

At a single glance, he saw the man sitting in the high seat: no chakra fluctuations, a stout build, a pale complexion, and a completely unremarkable face.

It was obvious at a glance that he was either indulging in excess or plagued by illness.

The former seemed more likely; after all, how many Daimyo actually die of sickness?

Can a man like this really be a Daimyo?

A real man should...

Masaki Uchiha asked himself inwardly.

Seeing that the visitor was an Uchiha he did not recognize, the Daimyo frowned slightly. "Who are you?"

Upon hearing the Daimyo's inquiry, Masaki Uchiha hurriedly replied, "Your subordinate is the new head of the Uchiha Clan, Masaki Uchiha."

The use of the word "subordinate" was exceptionally clever.

As everyone knew, the ninja world operated on a one-country, one-village system.

The supreme ruler of the ninjas was the "Kage" within the village, while the supreme ruler of the nation was the Daimyo.

Nominally, the Kage was under the jurisdiction of the Daimyo, but in reality, the ninjas of each village only recognized their Kage, not the Daimyo.

Hearing Masaki Uchiha refer to himself as a subordinate, the Daimyo immediately formed some suspicions. He used his folding fan to shield his face, making his expression unreadable.

Nevertheless, he feigned surprise and asked, "Oh? Has the Uchiha Clan changed its head?"

Still, the name sounded somewhat familiar; he felt he had heard it somewhere before.

"Yes, Lord Daimyo. The former head, Uchiha Fugaku, is now the Deputy Minister of the Konoha Police Force."

Masaki Uchiha's respectful tone left no room for criticism.

Anyone watching would think this man held the Daimyo in the highest regard.

It also served as a side-handed confirmation that Uchiha Fugaku was unharmed and still held a high position.

After all, in the ninja world, a sudden change in clan leadership usually involved some bloodshed.

Seeing that Masaki Uchiha was so cooperative, the Daimyo of the Land of Fire asked nonchalantly, "Clan Head Masaki, what brings you here today?"

Hearing the Daimyo's question, Masaki Uchiha said respectfully:

"Your subordinate heard that you are preparing to recruit the Twelve Guardian Ninja of the Land of Fire, and I worried that ninjas of unknown identity might infiltrate the ranks and threaten your safety, Lord Daimyo."

"That is why I rushed here to offer my protection. I hope you will not take offense."

"If it pleases you, Lord Daimyo, I have a few candidates for you to choose from. This is but a small token of my sincerity."

Look at what Masaki said: worrying about the Daimyo's safety and offering protective personnel.

Anyone would be all smiles hearing this, let alone when the protection was being offered by the world-renowned Uchiha ninjas.

Although the Uchiha Clan had a poor reputation within Konoha and the clansmen were known for looking down their noses at others, their strength was undeniable.

The Daimyo of the Land of Fire was no exception; his eyes were already narrowed into slits.

"It is rare for Clan Head Masaki to be so thoughtful. I shall accept this gesture of yours."

He then considered that Masaki Uchiha must have other motives beyond this.

However, he still feigned a dismissal, saying, "If Clan Head Masaki has no other business, you may withdraw."

Old fox, do you think my people are so easy to take?

And you want to walk away after eating your fill and wiping your mouth clean?

There is no such thing as a free lunch.

Masaki Uchiha suppressed his inner dissatisfaction, but kept his face respectful as he said, "Lord Daimyo, I have come today to report an important matter. I ask that you dismiss any irrelevant personnel."

The real show is finally starting. Let's see what kind of game this Masaki Uchiha is playing.

The Daimyo lowered his folding fan, his face turning stern. "Since it is an important matter, I agree."

"Guards, all of you, withdraw!"

At the Daimyo's command, all the attendants exited the great hall in an orderly fashion, closing the main doors behind them.

As for the Daimyo's safety, there was no need to worry.

The current ninja world had not yet gone that insane.

Besides, the head of the Uchiha Clan was still inside.

"Lord Daimyo, I represent the Uchiha Clan today."

"I offer our loyalty to you."

"I have always believed that the Land of Fire can have only one King, and that is you, Lord Daimyo."

"Konoha should be directly governed by the Daimyo, rather than being managed by an appointed 'Hokage'."

The Daimyo of the Land of Fire was stunned by Masaki Uchiha's words, but ecstasy soon followed.

Even a founding clan of Konoha wants to pledge allegiance to me; it seems the plan for 'one voice in the Land of Fire' can proceed.

That's right, forming the Twelve Guardian Ninja was the first step of this plan, and also a way to test Konoha's stance.

The Daimyo of the Land of Fire had long harbored the ambition to unify the entire Land of Fire, but was hindered by the one-country-one-village system and could not act openly.

Therefore, he made the first move to test Konoha's reaction.

He hadn't expected such an unexpected gain, though he still needed to understand the reason behind the Uchiha Clan's desire to defect.

"Clan Leader Masaki, I would like to ask, what exactly is the reason that led you to have such thoughts?"

Seeing the Daimyo's flawless response, Masaki Uchiha chuckled inwardly; he had taken the bait.

If the Daimyo didn't have such ambitions, his first reaction would have been to throw me out.

Now that he is asking me in return, it seems the success rate of my plan has increased even further.

"These are my true thoughts. After living in Konoha for so long, I have discovered an invisible barrier between the Land of Fire and Konoha."

"This is very bad. The ninjas of Konoha always declare themselves as ninjas of Konoha, not as ninjas of the Land of Fire."

"If this continues, Konoha will become a state within a state, which is even worse for the entire Land of Fire and the Daimyo."

"To eliminate this barrier, I believe it can only be completely resolved when the 'Hokage' and the Daimyo are the same person."

All of the above were indeed some of Masaki Uchiha's true thoughts; as for who that Daimyo and Hokage would be, heh heh, that remains to be seen.

Interesting, they truly live up to their reputation as a clan of 'lunatics'.

I never expected to find someone like this; heaven is truly helping me.

The joy in the heart of the Daimyo of the Land of Fire was already spilling over at the corners of his mouth.

However, to play it safe, he decided to let him wait for a night.

Safety first, after all.

Who knows if Masaki Uchiha is just bait thrown out by the Hokage's faction?

He would investigate first before making a decision.

"Clan Leader Masaki, let's stop here for today. I will summon you again in a few days."

Seeing the Daimyo issue an order to leave, Masaki Uchiha knew he had secured it.

It was nothing more than buying time for an investigation.

But before leaving, he still needed to administer a 'booster shot'.

So, feigning a hurried manner, he said:

"Lord Daimyo, the Uchiha Clan is willing to go through fire and water for you, and will not refuse any task!"