I envied the grasses of my mansion's private training grounds, the streaks of sunlight beating their trimmed stems and the soft winds that billowed the tropical heat away. More than the grass I envied the Boss, as while he pushed the limits of [Coral Release] and strengthened the village's Tailed Beast assets, I was stuck carrying out my other bright ideas.
At least a dozen members of the Funato and Hozuki clan each sat quietly with me in the dojo. Relatively quiet anyway, they murmured on the occasion, smirked and told loud, eager stories of their ambitions with their eyes. Understandably, there was much riding on the game I'd invited them to play, an entire island would be theirs regardless of outcome but whoever came out ahead against Uncle's vicious tactics would have the bounty that was Midoriwara.
To my left Lady Megumi sat upright as a plank, her fists unmistakably balled and buried in her lap, an emotional tension that couldn't be found on her blank, stern face as we collectively watched Uncle play against Rina. I wasn't surprised when she put her granddaughter forward to fight for the Hozuki clan's stake, Rina was quickly becoming a name light on lips, word, rumour and gossip all the same carried throughout the clan as they boasted her accomplishments in Midoriwara. She was always her grandmother's pet, albeit not Lady Megumi's first choice for clan scion despite the close relation, Rina was still taught the soft skills Lady Megumi believed would better suit her, skills she had personally mastered.
But while Lady Megumi would've certainly posed a challenge to Uncle's drunken mastery of the game, the depth of Rina's skill was yet to be seen. In the end, I had more faith in Rina stealing more pieces from Uncle than I did in Lord Funato's chosen. It seemed the old man was still blinded in the ways of ages past as lurking behind him and with a much more obvious expression of building rage and dissatisfaction was the Demon Mist, Momochi Zabuza.
Lord Funato had prepared in advance for a death match or at least something adjacent because that has been the most common resolution to land and territory disputes, not games of shogi. Had I even thought to letting the Funato and Hozuki brawl for Midoriwara I'd commend his choice of the Demon Mist; no matter what rank I placed such a match for Zabuza would always be a capable choice and even better, he defeated Mangetsu publically in the Swordsmen tournaments. A repeat wouldn't only be possible with his sponsorship, it would nearly be inevitable.
That inevitability is partly my fault. I thought as I inspected Zabuza in the corner of my eye. He wore a lightweight, form-fitting armour made from chakra-infused silk, the kind that allowed better refraction of light and only a clan head or well-paid Chuunin could afford. His weapon, a pair of wakizashi poked up at his sides, his feet and arms were well supplied with hidden weapons and pouches. Lord Funato had truly taken him on and the young Genin had fallen into the old man's blind leaping.
He's useless here. I shook my head, it's no wonder the Demon was angry, though Lord Funato seemed to be the one person with any right to be furious. The turn of events failed woefully to favour him or his choice to invest so much in a Demon he couldn't unleash. I wonder what else he's given Zabuza.
I wondered because the Boss had plans, intentions really. It was a vaguely formed idea I hesitated to initiate, less because Lord Funato had gotten his paws all over the young Demon and more because any more responsibility towards a yearning, youthful shinobi would push things over the edge. Rina had found herself amongst the many events that pulled us away from each other, but even now, with every piece Uncle stole away and for every second she stole back, I felt her stare on me.
There was some fortune to be had from my task here; the impartial, unbiased observer was the role I'd given myself to play and I played it well. Uncle had already won the last two rounds of three with no more than twelve pieces taken from him, it was as if that was all he'd allow despite Rina's valiant attempts to steal more. Each piece she stole was one more piece the Funato clan's chosen player would have to match and surpass if they wished to govern Midoriwara.
Rina stole Uncle's single Rook, counting the piece as her twelfth and her final. As Uncle's smirk vanished and his eyes narrowed, she wouldn't steal another. Knowing this well Rina glanced up and her grandmother and I, eyes searching before she faced her opponent and bowed.
The competitive blaze in Uncle's eyes tamed as he snorted, "Not going to hound me for your first thirteenth?" The two players hadn't spoken a word since the start of the first game where they wished for the best player to win.
Without raising her head Rina gave her retort, "Would you let me have it?"
"No such thing, you bit free every piece with your own skill, no pity or sympathy involved. Will you give up now?"
This time Rina looked at her spectating clan members, their eyes speaking louder than ever, more so than Lady Megumi's clenched jaw. She bowed to them, apologized to Uncle Aoto and continued playing till failure, watching helplessly as her Lances and Silver Generals were pushed aside, stolen and bypassed till her King fell.
Uncle and Rina stood and bowed, "Some plays are best executed with a lighter board." he said, smiling brightly as he whirled around at the gathered Hozuki and Funato clansmen and clapped, "Let's get something to eat? Drink? Lighten this all serious mood, what do you say?"
"This isn't a party, Karatachi." Lord Funato all but sneered, his knuckles whitened against his cane.
I couldn't help being proud of how civil everyone has been. I nodded, pushing aside my lust for the outside and not dull play-by-plays Uncle would use against his opponents, "He's right, we should get this over with quickly, there is work to be done on Yureisen, the longer Princess Hanako exercises full authority the more we'll have to bargain for."
Uncle's smirk turned mischievous, "I don't believe you can afford to suffer a quick match, Funato-dono."
"Suffer?" a man whispered from the Funato cluster, right of the dojo. He stood, a hulk of a man barely concealed in the sea of his orange-haired clansmen. I recognized him instantly, his deepening sneer, the spike of churning chakra, the taste of his undue killing intent.
Shigeru…Lord Funato's heir. I suppressed a groan as two more Funato clansmen rose beside him, his shoulders bolstering considerably as his glare flamed against Uncle who stood looking entirely unimpressed but certainly not bored. Don't have too much fun with this, Uncle.
My thoughts and prayers were just so and blown to the riling winds as murmurs spread across the observing Hozuki clan as the Funato heir continued to speak, "Do you see us defeated? Our wits outmatched by a child no older than my own?"
"You're the one saying things now, Funato-kun." Uncle said, his voice deliberately high pitched as he belittled the middle aged man as a child.
Shigeru's face bloomed like a rose in spring, he lurched forward accusatory finger wagged in Uncle's face as his clansmen wisely held him back, "Don't think for one second we'll let this blatant abuse, this disrespect…no! We won't sweep it under the rug, the favouritis-!"
"May I remind you all!" Lady Megumi's voice pierced through the fermenting anger, her own clansmen stopped looking so ready for a fight to listen as well as Shigeru stopped his barking, "You are in the presence of the Fourth Mizukage, address yourselves with respect or lose it."
Their eyes fell on me, a wave of blond and orange haired tense gazes. I did my best to look disapproving of the starting brawl, as much as I'd love to see Uncle put Shigeru in his place, or even be the one to do it, I didn't need to give any one clan ammunition to hurt the other. The Boss's idea was to resolve this peacefully, without room for doubts or excuses.
I let my stony gaze fall on each of the riled up Funato clansmen, some squirmed while others looked back. In the end I settled on Uncle himself, "Enough, Aoto, finish this and let the judgement be known."
Uncle's sliver of mirth vanished, replaced by a sheepish smile of a chastised subordinate he groaned, and nodded over at the Funato clan's chosen player; a young man in his twenties, he didn't seem to be a shinobi but a combination of his spectacles, sandals and plain philosopher robes gave the strong impression of a learned, even genius individual. His hair wasn't orange and the Funato clansmen didn't seem to recognize him as anything more than their best chance at winning.
Another talent recruit. At this point I have to wonder what the clan is to itself. I thought as Aoto and the Funato clan representative bowed and sat together. If my thoughts could be read I'd certainly have trouble fending off those accusations of favouritism Shigeru was about to throw, but it couldn't be helped, the Funato clan was a victim of their success, their founders' success.
The First Mizukage left behind a legacy so great it overshadowed every descendant of his. Each and everyone of the Funato clansmen aspired to be as great as the First Mizukage but none have even stepped out of his shadow to achieve more than what was required of them, they were an unimaginative, stagnant, and inflexible clan subsisting off the wealth of their ancestor and the military prestige Lord Funato's proximity to me afforded them. A grace that was clearly thinner than it was a Kage ago.
They could do with some competition. My thoughts were seemingly heard and answered as the clansmen gasped and wore grins as the stolen pieces were counted from their first round against Uncle Aoto.
"Fourteen…" I muttered. Huh, perhaps they are buckling up. I thought as nervous faces spread across the quiet and contained Hozuki clansmen. I paid attention to the second round long enough to find that it might've been a mere streak of luck. A saddening twelve pieces were marked and then a heart-shattering eleven for the third, the Hozuki clan had won Midoriwara.
The dojo was still with emotion. The Funato clansmen bottled their opinions but didn't hesitate to let it speak through their grit teeth and furrowed brows but the Hozuki, reserved and humble in fear of loss all this time wore the oh so arrogant faces they were known for as they showered Rina with barely contained whispers of praise.
I stood for the first time since I'd entered the dojo, hovered above the board where the final game was played, inspecting and approving it with my gaze one last time before looking between a very pleased Lady Megumi and a surprisingly restrained Lord Funato, though, who could tell behind those wrinkles.
"I declare this contest won, true and just to the victory of Rina Hozuki for the honour of her clan. The Isle of Midoriwara will be governed from henceforth, by the authority of the Hozuki clan and the Mizukage. Am I understood?"
The two clan heads answered as one, their hands clutched in the middle, ""Yes, Yagura-sama.""
I brightened up, signalled a perched servant as I spoke, "Perfect! Now we can have some food and drinks, we celebrate a new certainty in our collective futures. A wealth of change, prosperity and strength abundant!"
The round of healthy, boisterous cheers from the Hozuki clan easily made up for the lacklustre of the Funato but I wasn't all concerned, I was already walking out to bathe in the sun and smell the grass, I'd been born and cooped up in that dojo by duty and civility. I breathed a sigh and shut my eyes to the sun's rays. This was one of the few days I allowed Kirigakure to enjoy a cloudless sky and I was no exception to my rule, I'd make the most of it.
"Mizukage-sama," Lord Funato greeted, approaching behind me with Zabuza the mistletoe and his fuming heir and son, Shigeru. "I haven't come to raise any dispute or make any accusations."
"Oh that doesn't reassure me as much as you may think, Lord Funato." I said, my head still raised to the sun, eyes shut as its rays continued to tan my skin.
"I simply propose another contest, this time a demonstration between clans. I believe we have enough people gathered." Lord Funato said, his cane pressing softly on the grass as he waddled beside me. "A simple, friendly game of-"
My eyes flung open and I snapped to him, "I don't believe another game, one you've no doubt prepared for, held so soon after your loss will be anything friendly. Lord Funato, I understand but I do not have time to entertain nor permit any more games, enjoy yourselves if you wish but I will be attending to other matters."
I excused myself from the stunned silent trio and returned to the dojo, now soaked with strong scents of food, fish, beef, and birds of the prized isle of Midoriwara. I met Rina with a smile and Uncle with a curt, thankful nod for his impartial part in this. While Rina wanted to serenade me with tales of her and Mei's good work in Tauyi village, I recognized I couldn't well raise my chin to one clan while grinning with another.
I have favourites, there's no mistake about that but they don't need to know. I waved Uncle goodbye and dissolved my existence to a thread-base of chakra returning to the Boss with memories of all that transpired.