Disturbances (VII)

War was an event that made the life of everyone involved worse. Be it because of the death of your loved ones, the shortage of food and other goods, or the destruction of property; nobody was left unaffected.

War had a long history in this world. Before the villages were founded, countless clans fought against each other for dominance in an endless circle of violence while the various daimyos sent their troops to invade other countries in an attempt to become the supreme ruler on the continent. No matter where you lived, war was an eternal, ever-present sensation for the people of that time.

Once the fighting between two clans ended, whether that was because one side 'won' or because both sides had simply no one left to fight, they were replaced by new ones, only to be replaced themselves by the samurai of some feudal lord that decided to invade your country once they were done as well. Children were born and lived and died with the shadow of war over their heads, the endless series of bloodshed being the norm rather than an exception.

Then, the villages were founded and the fighting came to an end.

People came together, ninja clans and civilians alike, to create another future where their children could grow up in peace. The daimyos called back their troops and observed this new entity inside their borders that were created with their permission and oversight but yet outside of their control.

People started to rebuild and went on with their lives, the weight of war finally gone from their shoulders.

However, this peace didn't last forever. It couldn't, for it was in the very nature of mankind to fight and kill each other. The wars that followed were different from anything that came before, though.

Instead of small clans whose numbers were few, with even the biggest ones not counting more than a few hundred, now there were armies of thousand that crashed on the battlefield. It weren't just small towns or clearings that got destroyed anymore; in this new age of warfare, entire landscaped were changed forever, the scars in the ground remaining for generations to come. New strategies, new tactics, and new ways to kill each other were invented daily, and in the end, the casualties were higher than anyone would have believed possible just one generation prior.

But it was a ninja war. In these battles, no samurai were sent to the frontlines. While the newly formed villages sent their children to fight and die next to mountains of corpses, the daimyos held their hands and watched the slaughter, preventing the same fate for the people under their command.

The only non-shinobi that died in these conflicts were civilians that got caught up in the crossfire.

That meant that in the last three major conflicts that shook the continent, the daimyos' forces had not been reduced in the slightest. They were still too weak to openly challenge their countries' Hidden Villages, but right now, but he didn't think that the difference wasn't insurmountable. If the shinobi forces were weakened just a little bit more, and if the civilians within their own walls rebelled against them, the daimyo could order his troops to attack and actually win.

Kazuma would liberate the people from their war-loving overlords and take control of the village's prowess, adding the surviving shinobi to his liege's army. The clans might object, but if their leaders were killed and their number suitable lowered, they would fall in line easily enough. Within a generation, the shinobi would be the loyal subordinates to the daimyo as they always should have been, and then they could finally start the conquest of the entire continent.

He would see to it that the Fire Lord would rule uncontended, he swore it by his name and honour. His liege might not be open to the possibility yet, but he would come to realize the wisdom of Kazuma's words soon enough. Once he understood that there was no reason to be afraid of Konoha, once he understood his own importance, he would agree with him and elevate him to a rank that befitted him as thanks for his loyal service.

The groundwork for an eventually civilian rebellion was already set, so all that needed yet to be done was to weaken the village enough to make an invasion possible. And, as history had shown, there was nothing better to weaken them than war.

It was truly fortunate that the Head Ninja of Kumogakure was in the village right now as well. It was almost as if Kami himself was shining down on him.

Wouldn't it be a shame if such an important person was openly killed in the streets during peace negotiations?

From what he had heard about the Raikage, the man was all brawn and no brain. A savage by all standards, even for a shinobi. It wasn't hard to predict how such a person would react to such an insult. Even if he somehow restrained from retaliating immediately, there were enough ways to infuriate him even further.

And once Konoha and Kumo had worn each other out, it would be his time to strike.

___

"Place your legs a little further apart."

"Alright!"

"Not that much. You're meant to have a firm stance, not struggle with just staying on your feet at all."

"Okay!"

"Now relax a bit. Be ready, but don't become too stiff."

"Understood!"

"And now-"

"Ah, come on, Nii-san! I'm doing it right, don't I? Just let me throw it already!"

Itachi chuckled softly. "You're doing great, Sasuke, but it's important to correct mistakes immediately. Otherwise they become a bad habit that's hard to get rid of again."

"I know, I know, but we're here since forever and I still didn't throw a single shuriken! It's stupid!"

His smile became a bit wider. They were here for not even half an hour yet, but he could understand why his silly little brother was so inpatient. The first lessons were unfortunately the most boring ones as well.

"Get back into your stance, Sasuke," he said gently, not addressing his complaints.

Sasuke scowled a bit but did as he was told, falling back into the stance he had been a minute prior. At least he didn't forget what I taught him, he thought amused as he watched his brother incorporate all the corrections he had given him with ease.

"Alright, this is my last correction," he said, making Sasuke's eyes sparkle with anticipation. "Weaken your grip on the shuriken and make sure that your palms are out of reach of its blades. You throw it with your fingers and nothing else. If you don't want to get cut, that is."

Itachi watched as Sasuke wordlessly changed his grip before he checked it one last time to make sure he wouldn't hurt himself. Seeing nothing wrong with it, he nodded. "Good. You can throw it now.

Sasuke didn't even wait until he had finished speaking to throw the weapon, making the metal star fly through the air until it connected with the wood.

Unfortunately, rather than the wooden target, it was a nearby tree that had been hit.

"Ow…"

"That wasn't too bad," he tried to cheer him up. "Your aim was only a bit off. Most beginners don't even throw in the right direction."

"I bet you hit it on your first try, though…"

He had, though it hadn't hit the bullseye. "Come on, try it again."

He needed a little more probing, but after a few minutes, he stood once again with slightly bent knees and prepared to throw another shuriken while biting his lips in concentration.

"Remember, don't use too-"

He threw it, hitting the edge of the target. "Hah, did you see that, Nii-san? I hit it!"

It wasn't a big success, but it was enough to make him dance around him while bragging about how good he was. He was just about to open his mouth to congratulate him when another voice spoke up first.

"Well done, Sasuke. Hitting your target on your second attempt is an impressive feat worthy of an Uchiha."

The young boy jumped around, his eyes wide. "Otou-san!"

Itachi had noticed their father watching them earlier, of course, as he hadn't even tried to suppress his chakra, but he hadn't expected him to join yet. It would have been more in-character for him to observe their progress for a little while longer before making his presence known.

Fugaku smiled at his youngest son before ruffling his hair. "Why don't you try it again? If you hit the target a few times in succession, I will show you how to throw a kunai as well."

Sasuke was beaming. "Yes, Otou-san!"

"I didn't though you would join this soon," he voiced his thoughts once Sasuke was distracted.

His father shrugged. "My son is learning how to throw shuriken for the first time. It seemed appropriate to let him know I was watching."

He didn't reply as he stood side by side with his father, watching Sasuke throwing his fist in the air when he hit the target again.