What Have You Been Up To?! (Flashback)

Nyguyen sat at his desk poring over the various documents before him. The War in the Mountains had consumed a fair bit of resources and technical expertise. Granted, the nation wasn't throwing its full weight behind the effort but it had openly attached its name to the cause. That meant victory was necessary. He needed his best minds on strategy and the biggest brain in his arsenal had gone AWOL. Again. Nyguyen hoped that the Clan Meeting had inculcated in the young man the importance of communication and availability. Yet here he was in the middle of the war with little direct contact with his clan leader. Nyguyen sent word that Akihiro was to come to his office at once.

Akihiro wasn't entirely sure why Nyguyen believed he was out of reach. He had spent most of his time in the village while the Hokage and everyone else seemed to be having fun going out and getting their arses beaten by Kumogakure no Sato's ninjas. Well if this was the sort of thing they enjoyed, Akihiro would walk into the office today with extremely good news!

"Yo, I have something ti report." He would say as he opened the door, entered and closed it behind him. The Hokage office was a lot different than he remembered, but then again he had seen his fair share of Hokages rise and fall from the throne. It seemed like every one of them tried to decorate differently. It was said that people decorated their welcoming rooms to fit their notion of how they wanted to be seen from a visitor's perspective. He couldn't help but wonder what sort of way Nyguyen would want his guests to perceive him.

Akihiro would take a seat in front of Nyguyen, across his desk. It would probably be a good idea to start with the good news first. "Our alliance with Kirigakure no Sato is secured for the upcoming war. We have their full military support, and whatever support they expect from us can be covered by Mockingbird's associates, so the Konohagakure itself doesn't need to worry too much about it. Of course, we'll report on any joint operations. Which leads me to the next issue..." Akihiro would make a pause. While it was best to start by the good news the truth was that bad news also needed to be delivered and while he didn't see what he did as wrong, or as "bad news", he couldn't be certain Nyguyen would feel the same.

"Damian Darhk is dead. And his town, Moonspire, has been completely razed to the ground. There's nothing left. All of his factories have ceased production." Akihiro would let that sink in for a little while, before giving out any more details. He wanted to gage Nyguyen's reaction.

When Akihiro walked into the room with a chipper attitude (as if he hadn't been unreachable for several hours if not days), Nyguyen's temple grew a vein. The Uchiha Clan Leader casually remarked that he had something to report and the Hokage leaned back in his chair and gestured with his hands indicating for him to speak. What Nyguyen did not like about this generation was that they acted far too familiar with respect to their elders. Nyg's ears would have been boxed bloody if he ever waltzed into his father's room with "Yo I have something to report."

The room was as quiet as a library. Akihiro's analysis of the changes were accurate. Nyguyen was a student of history and thus his office had been converted to a miniature study. There were rows of books on a variety of subjects concerning war, mass psychology, and political economics. Nyguyen was not as smart as Akihiro but he was a learned man and he intended to keep on learning. Akihiro took a seat and informed him that the alliance held strong. Nyguyen nodded. That was good news. He knew that they had been on good terms since the resurrection of Satomi but given recent instability, reassurances were always welcome.

The next words out of his mouth, not so much. He reported that Damian Darhk was dead and that his base of operations had been destroyed. The industrial giant of the war had apparently been slain. The Hokage's eyes widened in shock and he leaned forward as he digested the news.

A long silence passed.

Nyguyen cleared his throat and looked at Akihiro searching for answers.

"Dead? Razed? These don't sound like words you'd use in the event of an accident or an unknown act of sabatoge......and it must have been incredibly recently as not even Kumo could cover up something this big...."

Nyguyen was so stunned he didn't ask the next question. He didn't need to. His mind was already going in that direction and his eyes communicated it clearly.

Did you kill him Akihiro?

Nyguyen's reaction wasn't too different from what Akihiro had expected. It was well known that Damien Darhk had had a contract with Konohagakure no Sato, so likely the man was also part of the Hokage's war plans. Well, that would have to change. Damien no longer walked among the living and Akihiro believed the world was better for it, despite such fact not having made part of his original plan.

"Aye, it is like I said. Damien Darhk is dead, and Moonspire is no more." He'd make a pause, using terms which as the Hokage put it, did not indicate either an incident nor a random act of sabotage.


"While you were out of the village pursuing more direct war efforts, I approached the Mizukage at the Heavenly Emporium to try and gauge the current military power of Kirigakure no Sato as well as what sort of help we could count on regarding the issue with the Land of Earth.

It was then she assured me Kirigakure no Sato would cooperate in war efforts against Kumogakure. It was at that point as well that she suggested a plan, one which I'm kind of disappointed I didn't come up with first. It was...unexpectedly brilliant. This must be the most competent leader Kirigakure has seen in years..alas." He'd make a pause, take a cup from the desk and fill using a jar of water which was also on Nyguyen's desk. In fact, he filled both cups and slid one over to Nyguyen, he expected the Hokage to need it.

"The plan was to strike Moonspire, kidnap Damien and make sure the production of war materials for Kumogakure no Sato came to a grinding halt, at least for the duration of the war. It was a good plan, and given it needed to be executed with urgency, I agreed to it. Although to be fair, she only revealed the plan on our way there. " Akihiro shrugged. Hana had been good to him, the Clan and the village before and he trusted her well enough to give her a couple of days of his time to know about her plans. This ultimately had proved to be a good investment of time.

"But when we got there....things were much, much worse than I thought they'd be." Akihiro's sharingan activated and the three tomoes twirled for a moment while he recollected the memories he'd gathered from Moonspire. "The sort of weaponry and machinery we saw there... " he'd focus his gaze upon Nyguyen's. Obviously he wasn't trying to use any sort of Genjutsu or other technique, but the look the Hokage would see upon Akihiro's face was new. The confidence had been shaken off his features and for the first time, Akihiro allowed himself to show a bit of worry in Nyguyen's presence. That itself was a sign of trust. He shook his head.

"Ninjas don't scare me. But what I saw there... weren't ninjas."

When Akihiro merely repeated his words, he was about to fly into a rage. Luckily, the clan leader elaborated further. He confirmed Nyguyen's suspicions and explained that their goal was to cripple Kumogakure's military production. Nyguyen listened but his expression was not the kind you wanted to see from your superior. It was a mixture of disappointment, anger, and frustration. Damian was their asset just as much as he had been Kumo's. The man and his company had been thoroughly vetted from top to bottom. It was no different than what the Stag Emporium was doing albeit on a more involved scale. Konoha had the advantage in terms of quality of ninja, clans, and military philosophy, if they got even half as good technology as Kumo then it'd be enough to put them over the top. What Akihiro and this Hana Kaguya had done was rash to say the least. Nyguyen watched as Akihiro poured himself a cup of water and then did the same for him. The middle aged man looked at the water then back at Akihiro. The refusal implicit in the look he gave.

The goal had been to merely kidnap him as opposed to killing him which, had it been successful, would have earned Akihiro a mere scolding. Damian was their business partner and Nyguyen did not want Konoha to get a reputation as being an unsavory place to conduct commerce. Nevertheless, the hit to their reputation could be justified if it brought Kumo's military might to its knees while forcing Damien to toil for their own technological progress. Unethical but justifiable. However, they had managed to not only sully their reputation by killing a non-combatant and razing his civilian inhabited town, they had also robbed Konoha of its opportunity to advance. Nyguyen was about to open his mouth to shout when Akihiro activated his Sharingan and stated that the situation was far more grave than previously realized. Nyguyen immediately understood what Akihiro intended and so he allowed himself to be placed under Genjutsu.

What he saw shocked him.

A sprawling web of surveillance systems, a massive airship propelled by some unknown means, chakra cannons that fired on par with some of the fastest ninjutsu. The vision lasted a few moments but it was enough to leave the Hokage shaken. The man had never seen Akihiro worried before and now that they shared the same knowledge, he understood why. Nyguyen stared at his desk for a moment as he took in the news. He was still angry. Global conflict was inevitable now. He could tell from the battle that this was not Akihiro's best work. If Kumo was half the opponent they had proven themselves to be in the Mountain Wars, they'd sus out who was responsible in short order. They'd come looking for revenge and Konoha was hard-pressed to match them at this exact moment. Akihiro had endangered them all. On the other hand, what else could have been done? If Kumogakure were allotted a few more years of development, they'd totally surpass Kiri and Konoha not only in conventional military arms but in this new futuristic form of techno-warfare. It was now or never. Nyguyen glanced at the cup of water before him.

He grabbed it and tossed it into the soil of a nearby potted plant. Let the Senju's cousins have their water, he'd need something stronger. Nyguyen wheeled his chair around, produced a key from his Kage robe pocket, and opened up his liquor cabinet. He swung back around and popped the cork on a brown bottle of cordial. It was the '43 he had been saving for when Konoha emerged triumphant in the Mountain War. He decided it would be put to better use calming his nerves. He poured the alcohol into his cup and then offered Akihiro some. He wasn't sure if the lad drank. Many intellectuals of his calibre refused to cloud their minds but if there was a time to drink, this was it. Whether or not the tupps was refused he'd set the bottle to the side. He sniffed the cup and sipped from it before setting it down.

There was no point yelling now. Akihiro had seen a serious threat to the village and he had neutralized it. They had to be concerned with next steps and letting emotion leak into their discussion would only poison the air. That said, he had to address the insubordinate decision-making.

"You didn't think to at least give me a heads up before you took this kind of action? This is the exact sort of thing we spoke about at the Clan Meeting Akihiro" Nyguyen's voice was sharp but controlled. "This isn't the sort of operation you conduct without my leave and now we could very well be at war due to an attack I never authorized. Hana isn't your leader, I am. And now I'm faced with the real possibility of having a war criminal in my ranks. You were right....those weren't ninja... what I saw were monstrosities. Monstrosities that threaten everything our people have built since the time of Hideshi. But I saw civilians too Akihiro. That cannot be ignored"

Nyguyen didn't need to say more. Akihiro could now be put in the same category as people like Ken. Violent and uncontrollable shinobi that murdered innocents for their own pleasure. He had been careful to avoid the same stigma that Kiri had. The Mountain Alliance's plan to crash Kariforunia Island into the Commonwealth had proceeded without his blessing and in response, he ordered his nin to assist with the evacuation. This Moonspire attack meant that it was all for nothing. He could either turn on his own family or accept Konoha being on the same moral plane as Ken. He took a deeper sip from his cup and set it down. He continued to speak with his eyes closed.  


"Aside from the moral dimension.....Your attack wasn't subtle. Crunch the numbers for me. What is the likelihood that Kumogakure determines that it was us and our allies who were responsible for this attack?"

He needed to know the averages before he spoke further. He also needed some time to think. They were in a dangerous position now.

Seeing the Hokage throw away the offered water made Akihiro raise an eyebrow. Nyguyen seemed to be a hard man to read in that moment. Perhaps a ninja of other habits would immediately recognize this action as the Hokage wanting more than water to touch his lips, but Akihiro wasn't used to drinking. That being said, when offered the drink he mentally shrugged, ditched his own water on a nearby plant and took it. What the hell, it wasn't like the situation didn't call for it and if drinking helped others calm down and process things better then maybe it could do the same for Akihiro.

That being said, he'd take only a sip. He was smart enough to know how alcohol affected the body and how its effects could be heavier on someone of weaker constitution, especially someone who wasn't used to drinking. The drinking didn't help much processing Nyguyen's condescending words, however. Akihiro fully understood his position and why he said those words, but he regretted not a single action he'd taken. This event just happend to have an incredibly poor timing after his behaviour as discussed at the meeting. Should the geopolitical landscape have been more stable then Akihiro was confident he'd have been able to improve upon the communication issue everyone was reporting, but the world was at war and he had had to act quickly.

The Sparrow shook his head. "The original plan wasn't something I considered worthy of reporting. I phrased it as a kidnapping but truth to be told the idea was to bring Damien here and give him every possible comfort while the war lasted. Force was a last resource method. I believed a man of Damien's position would surely understand the actions we were taking after Kumogakure no Sato's interference in the Land of Earth.

And if you as the Hokage then decided we shouldn't keep him here against his will, then we could just deliver him back within the next minute, no harm done. But..." Akihiro gazed upon the golden liquid within the glass cup.

"But after seeing that, I was forced to make a choice. I know you believe me to be rash, but I fully understand the consequences of the assassination of civilians. And I stand by my choice." His gaze would then focus on Nyguyen's, should he have opened his eyes by now. "Machines of that size were not put together by a single man. That town was a town of workers. Putting down Damien would be pointless if the workforce was still there. A set of blueprints and thousands of experienced hands would put us right back at where we started, just led by another and perhaps more cautious leader. No, the town and its inhabitants had to die. "

He could have stopped Ikomiki from slaughtering everyone, he had no doubt. A word from him and everyone would have been spared. But he chose not to. Akihiro took no special pleasure in killing: He understood, from his position, that it was sometimes a necessity and that it had to be done. But while he had no problem doing it, he didn't take pleasure in it either. Well, most of the times he didn't. He'd certainly taken a special pleasure in killing Tats.

Akihiro expelled air from his nostrils, in what seemed to be a chuckle but implied there was nothing funny. "At that point it wasn't just about the war, you know? I considered Damien to be a threat not just to the clan and the village, but to our Way of Life. The Ninja way of life was endangered. Our Ninshuu, our nations, built upon sweat, tears and blood endangered to machines operated by civilians who can't possibly understand what we had to go through to achieve our power. As much as I dislike it, the truth is that at that point civilians became expendable to me." It was a hard thing to admit. The events had revealed to Akihiro a side of him that even he himself didn't know. "When Damien fired those cannons upon his own people and town, I didn't feel bad at all. In fact I was glad to have my work cut out for me."

He'd wiggle the cup a little, watching the liquid move around it. He had considered Ken Tetsudachi scum for doing what he did to a minor nation, but was he any better? He liked to think so. He liked to think he at least had a good reason to take so many lives, to make so many widows and orphaned children. But the end result was the same, wasn't it? And he understood that he was naturally biased towards himself, and the need to justify his actions so that he could sleep at night could very well be the most complex of Genjutsu he placed himself under. No, there was a good chance that he wasn't better than Ken. But he wouldn't let that trouble him.

"I suppose this makes me a bad person." He'd place the cup upon the table, his gaze shifting towards Nyguyen again. "But I can live with that. All of my life has been lived to serve this village, the Uchiha Clan and what our ancestors built. Not just here, but all over the world. We ninjas have our differences and fight our wars, but every Way of the Ninja is a respectable one. Those who achieve power through Ninjutsu, did so through effort and blood. That's the bond that connects all ninja." He'd raise the cup and take a deep sip, not quite finishing his drink but drinking enough to feel his throat and stomach burning on the inside. Then he'd place the cup down again, this time with an audible impact noise. "And I'll be damned if I let some civilian end that with the push of a button hundreds of meters above the air."

Akihiro was angry, emotions flowing out of control for an instant where the Mangekyou eye twirled before quickly returning to the three tomoed state. He found himself tightening the grip on the cup. There was chance he'd need to have this conversation more times, but it mattered little. He was convict of his motives. How dare these fools who know nothing of the way of chakra manipulation, of the long hours of training, of the lives shinobi gave to master their art? How dare they put that into question?

There was a moment of pause, and Akihiro calmed down. Nyguyen was making an effort to contain his emotions, and so should he. "We took precautions...it would take a genius to figure out where the attack came from. But of course, we shouldn't discard the possibility that we let something slip... you saw their technology. That being said..." Akihiro couldn't care less about whether Kumogakure could prove it was him or not. It didn't matter.

"I'm confident they can't prove it was us, but they might figure out it was. It would be their word against ours, and frankly we have the advantage because it makes little sense for Konohagakure to order the killing of a man it has a contract with.

But that doesn't matter. They're not looking for justice. They're looking for a Casus Beli, for an excuse to interfere with other village's business. I'm very confident they aided the Land of Earth during the recent conflicts...our colony didn't have enough firepower to stand against us on its own. And judging from what we've seen at Moonspire, they're clearly well armed and not only ready but wanting war.

The attack on Moonspire could have been authored by the head of the Jashinist Church and they'd still find a way to pin it on us and use the Casus Beli to justify a war." This was true. Ultimately it was Kumogakure's word against theirs, but that was irrelevant. Kumogakure didn't need to convince the world, they answered to no international pressure. Kumogakure only needed to convince themselves, and that was already done.

Nyguyen was glad that Akihiro took the drink. It somehow raised the Hokage's estimation of the young man. It showed that he wasn't a child but rather a grown man. He had taken more lives than Nyguyen yet from the way he had accepted the cup, it seemed like he had hardly taken a drink before. For Nyguyen, the cup represented Aki crossing the threshold into adulthood in a way that assassination did not. The shinobi world was indeed a strange place, but it was their place.

Nyguyen listened as Akihiro came up with excuses as to why he had not reported his mission. The Hokage didn't agree with the first part of his reasoning. A mission as controversial as kidnapping a major businessman ought to be run by his office for approval. Once the deed was done they'd have to keep him. Based on Nyguyen's experiences with the man, there was no way Damien would tolerate being held captive, even if it was in comfort. They'd have to release him or force him to stay. And given tensions the former was simply not an option. Nyg would not let him leave peacefully. He'd either be a captive for the rest of his days or forced to take the coward's way out.

No, this initial operation was far more grave than the Head Strategist made it out to be. However, his judgment on the latter half was irreproachable.

Nyguyen had dreams of taking Konoha into the 1st Millennium. Technological progress was the way of the future and the industry could bring much needed edge to Konoha's military. However, what he had been shown was far beyond his wildest dreams. Even more disturbing, there was no universal principle behind its construction and maintenance. Ninjutsu, Genjutsu, and Taijutsu had been around for 1,000 years. There were volumes of literature published on the subject. Written and unwritten rules governing its application to shinobi warfare, social life, and philosophy. These crafted terrors in contrast were unregulated and uncontrolled. A single airship could devastate a town from the heavens. Worse yet, it was exactly as Akihiro described it. A feat made possible not by the work of one man but by principles of science that could be endlessly replicated by hundreds of hands. If it continued then their clan's way of life might be rendered obsolete. A legacy that scores of Uchiha had died to protect and build upon.

Akihiro was indeed right. The slaughter was evil but necessary.

No, the town and its inhabitants had to die. "
"Kami help us..."

So this is what his predecessors had to deal with. It was no wonder that so many Kage were driven mad or succumbed to the plague. The psychological toll was devastating. It was only a year ago he had looked forward to ushering in a new age of shinobi warfare and here he was acknowledging the necessity of a massacre. He drank again. Nyguyen saw how erratic Akihiro was becoming. The slamming of the cup down made him wonder if it was the cordial talking. He didn't raise an issue with it. He could tell that this was new even for someone as experienced as Akihiro. It was best to let him talk those feelings out lest they rot inside him internally. He had opened his own eyes just in time to notice the subtle shift in Aki's Sharingan. It gave him pause but he said nothing. Once Akihiro had calmed down, he gave Nyguyen what he had asked for.

The Sparrow's read on the situation was that Kumo was itching for a reason to go to war. Ordinarily, Nyguyen wouldn't be so sure. Kiri had given the nation plenty of reasons to fight and yet they never formally declared war on their rivals in the archipelago. He could only assume it was for the same reason that Konoha did not want it. A war on the scale of fully militarized empires and kingdoms would be exceedingly destructive. Given modern understandings of ninjutsu, technological development, and the increased fighting capacity of minor nations, such a war would dwarf its predecessors in terms of scale. The entire continent would go up in flames. It was enough to make even someone like Shimiko hesitant. Yet Kumo continued to push its luck around the world. The Meteor Wars and the Carmine Quarantine Crisis were all the proof one needed. Kumogakure was flexing its muscles on the international stage and the tech shown at Moonspire made it clear that their long-term interests did not end at their borders. Once they achieved supreme power status, they could wage a continental war and win. Regardless of fault, Moonspire might be the very thing they needed to declare war and vanquish their enemies forever.

"They have to know that a war in the modern era would be the end of all things....they may not know what we know....about the Society and about their plans to ressurect the Disciples. A global conflagration might be playing right into our mutual enemy's hands. You're right. Proof doesn't matter in this instance, if they want war then war is what they will pursue. But what if they were made aware of the situation? What if there was a way we....I mean the village as a whole....... could deflect blame and cool tensions?"

Nyguyen rested both hands on the table and activated his own Tomoe 3 Sharingan. A testament to the gravity of what he was about to ask Akihiro.

"Akihiro....what you did was unauthorized...logical but unauthorized...nevertheless, I'd never turn my back on an Uchiha. Kazuya wouldn't, Satomi wouldn't, Akari wouldn't, it will be a cold day in hell before we turn on one of our own. But we must protect our interests. I need you to step outside of your own perspective and analyze this situation with the utmost objectivity....."

Nyguyen swallowed as he considered his next words carefully. It pained him to ask but he could not call himself Konoha's Hokage if he did not raise this critical question.

"What is the likelihood of Kumo standing down if we disavow you publicly? If we disavow Mockingbird as a terrorist organization and tell Kumogakure about the Society and their plans for this world...do you think it would make a difference? If the answer is no then war it is. If the answer is yes then I'm inclined to sue for peace. We cannot fight a two front war. A War in Iwa and a War against Kumo would stretch us thin but if it is indeed an inevitability then I'd like to know so I can prepare now."

He was putting the fate of the nation in Aki's hands. A wise leader knew when to defer to sage counsel. He knew Akihiro was young and perhaps immature but he was trusting that the Sparrow's loyalty to Konoha and his Clan would win out. He'd assess the situation like a Head Strategist and given his honest opinion without regard to how it'd affect him personally.

Akihiro considered Nyguyen's words carefully. He didn't like the idea of being branded a missing ninja again. That would make all the effort of killing Tats and clearing his name be for nothing, but on the other hand it would also be a rather clean way for Konohagakure no Sato to wash their hands of any responsibility in this attack. The next decisions they were about to make likely would impact not just Mockingbird but the war and the world itself. Could he abandon the village and the clan? Well, he certainly could. He didn't like to have to, but he could. The Sparrow had more than enough abilities to be able to make a living outside any Hidden Village, and except for a few selct shinobi out there in the world there were few others who could actually be a threat to him should they choose to hunt him. Being a missing ninja wasn't a problem.

The problem was whether or not it was something worth doing for the village."Publicly disavowing Mockingbird would be an answer." He started by stating. "But there are other consequences to this. Assuming Kumogakure is able to identify the attackers, then disavowing Mockingbird will also mean disavowing Hana Kaguya. While she isn't part of the organization, she was part of the strike team. You cannot brand one of us a terrorist while keeping healthy relations with the other." Akihiro took another sip of the glass.

If he knew Hana well, and at this point he knew her well enough, there was no way in hell she'd stand by and watch Mockingbird being branded a terrorist organization for the attack without doing anything about it. It wasn't like she would attack Konohagakure no Sato, but since she held the Mizukage position the move Nyg had suggested would make it very hard for the two villages to keep their alliance.

"Hana is the Mizukage. Branding her a terrorist will likely break Konoha and Kiri's alliance at least while she's in power. That would be a long while, since there's likely no one in Kirigakure no Sato who can match her strength, and even if we could replace her an inner conflict would only weaken them. Not to mention, it would raise suspicions between the two villages tremendously, making it incredibly difficult for them to stand together against an impending Kumogakure no Sato invasion.

Banishing me seems like the most obvious move to make if we only consider the immediate consequences of the attack. But if you think ten, maybe fifteen steps ahead... I think it's a bad idea. Not for myself, but for the implications that would have with our relation with Kirigakure as well as for the war effort. Not to mention..."

Akihiro would rest his elbow on the table and rest his head upon his hand, looking Nyg straight in the eye with his own sharingan eye. "My dear Kimiko would have your head. Hell, she might want to have mine too when she finds out. And there'll be no stopping that woman." Only now did Akihiro finish his drink. The idea of a world war didn't scare him anywhere near as much as the idea of Kimiko discovering he had caused it alongside two other women.

"Nevertheless, Kumogakure should certainly be informed of the situation with the Disciples. Any threat to the Ninshuu is one to take seriously, and perhaps it can appease them a little.

For now we wait and see how things develop, there's no point in taking action against Mockingbird when we're not even absolutely sure they know. But there's one thing you should know..."

This was regarding Hana. Unlike Akihiro or Nyg, the Mizukage didn't consider the logical implications of dwelving in the darker side of the shinobi world. She surely understood what black ops meant and why it was important to keep them quiet, but she was also proud and of strong convictions.

"If Kumogakure raises accusations, I believe Kirigakure no Sato will admit to the attack and fully commit to war. Hana doesn't care what the world thinks of them... she knows she's right, and she'll fight for what she believes in. Kirigakure was humiliated and forced to concede land due to Kumogakure's pressure before...It'll be a cold day in hell before Hana lets that happen again, especially when she knows she did the right thing. " In a way, Akihiro envied the woman for that ability. Understandably the Hokage needed to deal with public opinion, of how the world perceived the village and its morals, and how the world perceived him too. But Hana was done with that. Things had escalated to a point where she simply didn't seem to care anymore, the woman would raise her banners and fight for what she believed was right. That took courage, a kind of courage Akihiro didn't think he had.

Some would even call it stupidity. The most logical choice would be to do what Nyguyen had suggested. But Hana wasn't like Nyguyen or Akihiro. Courage or stupidity, it was hard to tell. But at least they knew exactly what to count on.

"If...no. When that happens," it was true that they weren't sure that Kumogakure knew yet, but considering the recent conflicts and high tensions a war was inevitably due to break out. "It's do or die.

Kumogakure is armed to the teeth, and has been interfering in foreign politics for a while now.
Kirigakure holds a grudge and now their leader feels morally justified in pursuing a fight, and well she really is.

Both nations are set up and ready for war. It's inevitable. Disavowing Mockingbird and Hana will not change that. It will only shatter the alliance and weaken both our nations.

Things were in motion well before the Moonspire attack. They still are. Frankly it's a good thing we struck and crippled their machine production first."

Nyguyen clicked his tongue at the mention of Hana. She had participated personally and in doing so had lashed Kiri's name to the attack. Akihiro correctly surmised that any disavowal of Mockingbird would mean a disavowal of Kirgakure as well. A move like that would be totally counter-productive. Konoha had had its differences with the nation, but given the fact that they had resurrected Satomi and shared their exclusives with Konoha, it was all water under the bridge. Despite their past squabbles, they now had to stand together to fight off an all-powerful Lightning Country. Nyguyen sighed as Akihiro walked him through why disavowal was not the right strategy. He trusted the young man's intellect and objectivity. For all his faults, Nyg would never accuse Akihiro of acting contrary to the interests of his clan or country. When he joked about Kimiko coming for them, Nyguyen laughed. It was a genuine expression of mirth during what was otherwise a somber meeting. Nyguyen finished his own cup of cordial before shaking his head and grinning.

"Amen to that...the way she defended you so fiercely in the meeting. I'd be a fool to incur her wrath........which brings me to an irksome question...why haven't you married that girl yet?" Nyguyen said in a disapproving tone. He was only half-joking. What Akihiro did in his relationships was his business and his business alone. But people were beginning to wonder. It was rare that someone would become Clan Leader so young but if it did happen, that person was expected to marry and sire children. The Old Guard in the Clan didn't approve of this "living in sin" nonsense that had become common in the ninja world. Nyguyen was old-fashioned enough to tutt-tutt but not really old-fashioned enough to care. He knew that Aki would make the decision in time but when he saw how loyal, competent, and pretty Kimiko was, he couldn't help but be reminded of his courtship of his wife Porsche. Akihiro would be wise to get on his knees before Kimiko found someone else more willing to invest in her future.

Nyguyen didn't want to derail the conversation, but he couldn't help but ask. Regardless of Akihiro's response, he'd listen to the rest of the strategist's analysis. Akihiro predicted that Hana would take full responsibility. That would torpedo any chance of de-escalation and force them into war. He didn't like it but there was little he could do. Abandoning Kiri would be foolish. Kumo was simply too powerful and their ambitions too obvious to ignore. It was better to conduct war now when the chance of victory was at its greatest than when the giant fully arose.

Damn Kaguya and their warrior's pride....they were always the more pugnacious of Hamura's seed....

Nyguyen finished his drink and set the cup to the side. He folded his hands and closed his eyes. He ran through endless permutations and strategies. He recalled all the books on leadership and military governance that he had read. The choice he made now would affect generations to come. After some thought, he opened his eyes and nodded.

"Then war we shall have" he said in a grave tone. "I don't make this decision lightly Akihiro but if it is as you say then we cannot afford to be unprepared. I may need to make peace with Iwa despite their rebellious nature. The news of the Disciples can wait...we can use that as a late stage bargaining chip. God forbid if this war goes sour and we need Kumo to back off then this is just the piece of intelligence we can use to get them to fall back. Until then, tell no one."

Nyguyen hoped that the Society would make a big play in the midst of the war. It would certainly lessen the likelihood of prolonged conflict and would force them all to work together. But alas, he could not rely on them. This organization might have existed for centuries. They had waited lifetimes to make their move and there was no guarantee they were going to do so right when it suited his needs. Konoha might have to fight and win this war without interruption.

"As Head Strategist and leader of the Office of Strategic Affairs, I'm putting you in charge of national preparedness. I assume you have told Satomi, if not, inform him. I'll need to discuss the espionage aspect of things with him. I want you to send word to all our colonies and allies in the Minor Nations.....tell them to prepare for 100% mobilization. Every factory under our control should take steps to begin maximum production. Rationing plans should be drafted for the war economy. Conscription should start as well. I want every gear, every wheel, and blade primed for total war"

Akihiro ought to be smart enough to know that these words were historic. Never before had Fire Country marshalled 100% of its natural resources for a conflict. The nation had been split between the Senju, Uchiha, Hyuuga and various clan fiefdoms. They had never acted as one unit in a full-scale war, and certainly not with the assistance of minor nations.

"There will be no turning back from this Akihiro."

Akihiro diverted his eyes at the marriage question. It wasn't like he hadn't asked that question himself many times. He was smart, he knew Kimiko was great and he did love her. In theory there should be no reason why he still hadn't married her, and deep down he wanted to. He could always say it was because he couldn't find the time for it between his duties towards the village, the mockingbird missions and his own adventures with Kirigakure no Sato. But he understood those were excuses and honestly he didn't need to give any excuses to Nyg. Akihiro wouldn't be apologetic to the Hokage about this, or any other matter. That game of sin and excusing was better left for the lesser members of the ninja society. Once you reached a certain level in the power hierarchy, those things became more of a burden than anything else. The Hokage didn't need to hear excuses about Moonspire, he needed to hear what happened and why it happened that way. And Akihiro didn't turn off this behaviour when speaking about his potential marriage.

"I...honestly don't know. I love her, I really do. But I guess the prospect of being married and starting a family terrifies me." Akihiro had always been used to his freedom. That's why the Flying Thunder God technique suited him so nicely. He'd always been granted a certain degree of privilege around his peers, mostly due to his brilliant mind. As a child, he was allowed special access to the academy's library and archives, as a ninja he quickly rose through the ranks and was allowed to speak freely and make his own decisions quite frequently, as everyone trusted his judgement. And with the Flying Thunder God, that freedom had had him soar through the skies and lands, going where he pleased whenever he pleased. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't like he had any doubts about marrying Kimiko. He wanted to do it, really. And logically it made perfect sense. But this was another step into adulthood that scared the young man. Even as a natural born genius, Akihiro could feel scared. After all, a genius youngster was still a youngster. It wasn't the prospect of marrying Kimiko in itself that scared him, it was the prospect of having more responsibility than he was 100% sure he could handle. "We're going to be at war soon. I know what that means and I know what I have to do but if I'm officially married and have a family I can't help but think: what if I can't protect my them? Or myself? I'm not afraid of dying for the village today, or tomorrow. It's what I signed up for, what I believe in. If I die, I die with no strings attached. But if I have a family, then everything is different. The lengths I will go to defend Kimiko..." in particular he remembered threatening Shimiko Chinoike with a Mangekyou Sharingan, a perhaps most unwise move but one he made without hesitating nonetheless. "I'm just...not sure I'd be able to keep my cool and play the role I have here if the stakes become even higher."

He grabbed the bottle of whisky, looking at it as he spoke. The liquid was strong, and it loosened the tongue. Perhaps stronger and more dangerous than he gave it credit for but Akihiro found himself acquiring a taste for it. He smiled at Nyguyen. "I remember my father asking me for help in designing a trick which would allow him to drink this sort of golden beverage during boring Clan Council meetings. If I remember correctly..." he held the bottle with his right hand and with his left hand designed a small seal on the right side of his neck. The right side was better because it was easier to design the seal and transfer liquid without a major artery in the way. Then with a hand-seal he would activate the jutsu, and the formula would glow for a while as a small amount of liquid rose from the bottle and sealed itself in his throat.

"Ah yes, it works as intended. You should've seen the look on his face when he realized I could do the same. Every bottle in the house suddenly had its liquid height marked." he genuinely chuckled. Then he placed the bottle upon the table again.

"I understand I've put you also under a lot of stress, like I occasionally did my father. So here, let this be a gift to you. No one will ever know." With a single finger Akihiro would reach over and design the same formula upon Nyg's neck.

Trained:
Thirst Quenching Formula, applied to Aki and possibly Nyg.

Nyguyen saw the uncertainty in Akihiro's face and for a brief moment he was delighted. He wasn't happy that Akihiro was unsure of himself, or that he didn't know how to balance his desire of having a family and preserving his freedom. He was happy that he finally had something to teach Akihiro. Nyguyen was a fairly learned man, but it was intimidating speaking to his junior and knowing that whatever Nyg had conceived of, Aki had probably though of it twice over. Being a family man was probably the one subject that Nyguyen knew more about than Akihiro. It wasn't something you could learn about in books and Nyguyen was quite fond of books. It was just an aspect of living, of being human. He had expressed fear about the war and Nyg would address that in time but he wanted to touch on what was unsaid. Nyguyen gave Akihiro a smile and offered some words of wisdom:

"Akihiro....I know its hard to believe….but when I was courting my wife Porsche....I had the same exact thoughts you probably have. Granted, my ambitions were more modest than yours and my professional prospects were not nearly as prestigious at the time but I loved my freedom. I wanted to be a historian. A professor. I wanted to travel the world and lecture on the amazing achievements of our people. I wanted to tour the archeological sites of the shinobi discipline. I won't lie to you Akihiro....when you're married your ability to do as you please becomes limited. Yet starting a life with Porsche became.....and still is... more exhilarating than the wildest adventure. But as my role in this country's military increased, I've often had the same concerns that you have regarding my ability to do right by my family. Even in retirement, I often wondered if I'd be called to the frontlines with less than an hour's notice to put my life on the line against an impossibly strong opponent. How could I leave my daughters and do what I had sworn to do as a shinobi? How does a man know if he can set aside his personal obligation to his wife and children for the greater good?"

Nyguyen sighed and folded his hands.

"That's the thing about starting a family" he said with a laugh. "You don't know. You never know. You take it one step at a time. And it all starts with one question. You ask yourself...is my life better off with this person? Am I happy committing to this person for the rest of my life? Then you ask yourself...what am I willing to do to keep them happy. Finally, you ask yourself what am I willing to do to make sure that not just my wife and kids are happy...but every wife and child of the men that I lead? You will be surprised how often what's best for your family...is what's best for the village"

Nyguyen had plagiarized the last part from an essay written by a long dead Uchiha lord, but it had stayed with him for years and he believed it to be true. Innocence and Mercedes were difficult children, his wife was demanding, and his household was frequently in disorder. If it weren't for Yui, Nyguyen might have collapsed under the pressure. But he loved them all the same and for all their stubbornness: they loved him. He could see it in their eyes (even when they rolled them), hear it in their voice (even when they raised it), and feel it in their hugs (even when he had to pop the Gates to catch them in a surprise embrace). They had his back and he had theirs's.

Nyguyen gave the beaming smile that only a proud father and family man could.

"There's nothing to be afraid of Akihiro. Being a husband...being a father...is the greatest title I could ever hope for. This dorky hat..." he pointed to the Hokage headress resting on his skull. ".....means nothing compared to it. And that doesn't make me a bad Hokage for believing that. It makes me a better one. And in time, I'm sure the same will be true for you."

Nyguyen laughed at Akihiro's story regarding the liquor. Part of him was a bit concerned though. The way Aki had grabbed that bottle made it seem like he enjoyed it a bit too much. He hoped he had not done the village a disservice by introducing its Head Strategist to the joys and sorrows of alcohol.

"If you had offered me 5 years ago I'd say fill'er up...but I'm the Hokage now and I can't exactly imbibe at will although this does give me an idea." Nyguyen produced a canteen of hero water. He always kept one on his person but with Akihiro's ingenious seal he wouldn't need to risk it. "Do me a favor and just seal the Hero Water"

Nyguyen would then give Akihiro a chance to do just that. This wuold allow him to drink the Hero Water at will and gain its benefits rather efficiently in the heat of battle.

Nyg's words had an impact in the younger Uchiha, very much unlike every other word he'd spoken during the Clan Meeting. Akihiro for all his influence had little patience for politics and even less of a real interest in them. Up until this point he had only worried about politics when nthey directly affected him or the clan, but the way Nyg spoke about defending family and the village, and the role of a Kage...well, it disturbed him a little. Had he been ignoring the important role of a village leader? Or perhaps not fully understanding it to the extent a person with a mind like his should.

"Perhaps you're right..." he admitted, but always with a "perhaps" before the key words. He couldn't after all letNyguyen believe he was the lord of absolute truth and reasoning. That role Akihiro held for himself. After all his ability to draw logical conclusions from facts was what made him a vital asset for the village and what he initially built his entire career upon. Now he was stronger, and more capable. But there was a time when all he had was his intellect and so Akihiro had a little trouble letting go of his intellectual superiority even if Nyg seemed to in this case, have a greater knowledge.

"I will see how Kimiko feels about this." he stated bluntly. There was no point in thinking about marriage if that wasn't in Kimi's plans either. And since she had always been hard to read for him, it was hard for him to be sure about her intentions. Alas, he'd have to wait and see.

Akihiro raised an eyebrow at Nyg's comment about the need to keep his wits to himself. Just how strong of an effect did this beverage have? Akihiro certainly wasn't used to drinking whisky and if Nyg was worrying perhaps he should be too. He'd nod at the Hokage, take the canteen with hero water and perform the exact same ritual he'd performed before. But instead of whisky rising from the bottle and into the seal placed on Akihiro's throat, water would rise from the canteen and direct itself into Nyg's own seal.

"That should do it. Unsealing it is fairly easy, I'm sure you'll intuitively understand how it's done. " He'd stand up from his chair and begin walking towards the door. "I have to go now. You've given me a lot of work and even more to think about. Thank you." Akihiro wasn't entirely sure which one would give him most trouble: Preparations for war or for marriage. But he certainly knew which one still worried him the most.

[Exit]

With the Hero Water successfully sealed into Nyguyen's throat for instant activation, Nyguyen stood up straight and walked Akihiro out.

"Your welcome Akihiro. I have a feeling regardless of her answer...you two will remain as strong and committed to each other as ever"

With his subordinate ushered out, Nyguyen went back to his desk, resealed the cordial, placed it in its rightful place, and continued doing paperwork. War was upon them and they'd need to be at 100% readiness.

Exit/End Thread