In the capital of the Land of Fire, inside the grand audience hall, a richly dressed man sat slouched on his throne, flipping through a thick book.
The Fire Daimyo.
His robes were immaculate. His posture wasn't.
As he turned each page, his expression shifted—curiosity, surprise, admiration.
Then, finally, a long exhale.
He closed the book and leaned back, eyes gleaming with something dangerously close to inspiration.
"So this is Noah Vale…" he murmured. "Now that's how a man should live."
His fingers tapped against the armrest.
"If he can do it…" he added quietly, almost to himself, "why not me?"
The thought lingered.
Then grew.
With a lazy wave of his hand, he summoned an attendant.
"My lord?" the official asked, stepping forward.
"I hear the Chunin Exams are coming up," the Daimyo said. "According to this… book, there are quite a few interesting people among the ninja. I'm considering attending."
A pause.
"And perhaps… expanding my household."
The official stiffened.
"My lord, I strongly advise against traveling personally," he said quickly. "The situation is unstable. As for… other matters, those can be arranged without risk."
Before the Daimyo could respond, a guard rushed in.
"My lord! A messenger from the Hidden Leaf has arrived. He claims to speak on behalf of the Hokage."
The Daimyo's eyes lit up.
"Perfect timing. Bring him in."
—
A few minutes later, a silver-haired man stepped into the hall.
Half his face was covered. One eye hidden beneath his headband.
Kakashi Hatake.
The Daimyo recognized him immediately. The book had made sure of that.
"The Copy Ninja," he said with a pleasant smile. "I've heard quite a bit about you. What brings you here?"
Kakashi hesitated.
Just for a second.
Then he reached into his pouch and pulled out a sealed letter.
"This message comes from the Hidden Leaf," he said carefully. "Approved by the Hokage… and written by our special advisor."
He held it out.
"Please receive it."
The wording was… off.
The room noticed.
"Receive it?" one of the officials echoed, frowning.
Another stepped forward sharply. "Watch your tone. You're addressing the Daimyo of the Land of Fire."
Kakashi said nothing.
He just opened the letter.
And began to read.
—
The message was long.
Formal.
And completely outrageous.
It declared, in no uncertain terms, that the Hidden Leaf had undergone a change in leadership. That the old order no longer applied.
It stated that those without strength had no right to rule.
That the Daimyo's position was no longer justified.
And then it got to the point.
Half the national treasury.
A significant portion of the population.
To be relocated to the Hidden Leaf.
Immediately.
Or else.
—
By the time Kakashi finished reading, the room had gone completely silent.
No one moved.
No one spoke.
They just stared.
Trying to process what they'd just heard.
An ultimatum.
From ninja.
To their ruler.
—
Kakashi cleared his throat lightly.
"That's the message," he said. "You have three days to respond."
He paused.
"If the terms aren't met… someone else will be sent next time."
That finally broke the silence.
The Daimyo's hand trembled as he pointed at Kakashi, his face flushed with rage.
"Traitor!" one of the officials shouted. "Seize him!"
But Kakashi was already gone.
Vanished before anyone could move.
Leaving the hall echoing with fury.
—
A day later, Kakashi returned.
The Hidden Leaf—what remained of it—had relocated to the Uchiha district.
Noah leaned against a wall, clearly uninterested in formal seating.
Orochimaru and Sasuke sat nearby.
Kakashi stepped in and gave his report.
"They refused," he said. "And attempted to detain me."
Noah nodded slowly.
"So not only did they reject the offer… they tried to push back."
Kakashi hesitated. "…That's one way to put it."
Noah shrugged.
"Then send someone over there. Make them understand."
Kakashi blinked. "You're not going?"
Noah gave him a look.
"They're not even worth my time."
He tossed a stack of letters onto the table.
"These are."
Kakashi picked one up.
Then another.
Each one addressed to a different major village.
He frowned. "What's this?"
"Complaints," Noah said. "Apparently my existence is causing… discomfort."
His tone was dry.
"They're asking the Hidden Leaf to hand me over. Claim it'll 'preserve peace' or whatever."
Kakashi stared at him.
"…You're joking."
"Nope."
Noah smirked faintly. "Seems I've made an impression."
Kakashi exhaled slowly.
They had no idea what they were dealing with.
None of them did.
—
"So what's the plan?" he asked.
Noah stretched lazily.
"What do you think?"
A pause.
"They want me gone. Fine. We'll go to them."
His eyes sharpened slightly.
"All of them."
Kakashi didn't respond.
There wasn't much to say.
—
After he and Orochimaru left, Noah turned to Sasuke.
"When things start moving, I'll handle it," he said. "For now…"
He reached into his storage and pulled out a small vial filled with crimson liquid.
"Take this."
Sasuke caught it, frowning. "What is it?"
"A boost," Noah said. "It'll increase your size and strength significantly when you use it. Enough to handle most threats here."
He added, almost casually, "Just don't get caught off guard. If you die, I'm not jumping between worlds to fix it."
Sasuke looked at the vial.
Then nodded.
Understood.
—
Outside, the world was already shifting.
It just hadn't realized it yet.
...
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