Chapter 9

Year Five – Month Four, Day Two

I'd never actually believed that there was such a thing as being too good-looking.

I mean, logically speaking, it made no sense for someone to be attractive beyond normal human limits. But even if someone were, there would be no real downsides to such a thing. Surely, it wasn't like the Justin Bieber's or Ariana Grande's of the world would face any sort of challenge from being too attractive. I mean, surely, people would recognize their physical attractiveness, and give them due regard, but nothing else… right?

"S-Shepherd-sama! P-Please – t-there is a demon – a demon burning my chest!"

"Ah! Shepherd-sama – the demon is under my skirt –"

"Shepherd-sama – no – it's inside me –"

I did my best to maintain a 'saintly' smile in lieu of the horde of women who stood in front of me – all ranging from twelve year old girls to married women who looked well past forty. The horde of women surrounded me on all sides, making me unable to move, or to leave, leaving me smothered in everything from well-developed breasts, to underdeveloped chests.

Kitami – the bastard – I spotted him standing, not too far away, doing his best not to die from laughter at my situation.

Traitor! I mouthed at him.

He laughed even harder.

The problem was, there wasn't much he could do in this situation, he knew it, and I knew it as well. Attempting to break up the crowd would cause him to inappropriately touch the women, which would then bring upon righteous female fury. Using more violent methods than strictly demanded would not show myself in a good light, as these women weren't angry, violent attackers, they were adoring, but slightly overzealous 'fans.'

All of this was a result of my Grand Transformation which made me looked like a tanned Gilgamesh with golden eyes and long, black hair. I also had a sneaking suspicion that my S-Rank Charisma was also making things worse.

It never occurred to me when I was in front of Tsunade and Shizune, that I now projected an air and appeal that was too good – and the only reason the two women hadn't immediately tried ripping off my clothes was because they were shinobi, and thus, slightly more resistant to my allure and Charisma than a normal civilian.

But to these normal civilian women?

I shuddered as my gaze landed on one of the girls, panting, sweaty, shamelessly drooling and I could have sworn to the Divine that her pupils had been replaced with glowing pink hearts.

She looked as though she was a shy step away from ripping off my clothes, and there was a hunger in her eyes that sent shivers down my spine, telling me that if I cared for my manhood, I would run, I would run and never stop running.

Never in my wildest dreams had I believed this would be a problem. Never would I have thought, that having a group of women desperately wanting to get into my pants would not be the fantasy I desired. But more than that, never did I think I would find myself in a situation where I had absolutely no idea what to do.

For bloody fucks sakes, I faced down Orochimaru of the Sannin and still knew what to say in order to keep my head on my neck. Yet, against a horde of females – I didn't have the slightest clue what to do –

I blinked…

Or… did I?

"Ladies," I spoke, putting as much power and authority behind that voice as I could. A little bit of Killing Intent Emission aided me, and all the women went silent. "I am pleased with how devout you all seem to be. However, my heart, it aches."

All of them seemed to gasp in horror.

"Why?"

"No! Shepherd-sama why does your heart ache?"

"What can we do Shepherd-sama?"

I smiled. "My heart aches, because I fear that none of you are truly loyal to the Divine. I fear, that all you see before you, is this gifted physical form – and that is all you want from me."

There was silence, but then the denials and rebuttals came pouring in. Like a young man who had just been called out on only wanting to get into a girl's pants – all of them gave token denials.

"No Shepherd-sama!"

"We – wouldn't!"

"We truly care for you Shepherd-sama!"

I clapped.

"Then," I declared, "If you truly care for me, you will care for the Divine even more. You will become the most devout of devout – you will believe with all your hearts, your souls, and your minds… and as you grow closer to the Divine… the Shepherd shall grow closer to you."

I let my gaze linger on all of them.

"The most devout of you, who truly believes – she shall be the Shepherd's favorite, an innocent lamb, who shall be caressed, loved, and carefully tendered – every single nook and cranny, enjoying heavenly bliss."

I heard a series of loud moans, and watched as some women's eyes rolled into the back of their heads.

I promptly ignored it.

"So, which one of you, can I call, the Shepherd's favorite? Which one of you, is closest to the Divine?"

The message was clear. A lot of the women turned to gaze at each other, conviction in their eyes. I said nothing else, and watched as they all left, a new, burning fervor in their eyes. Those who were slow on the uptake took a while longer, but even then, they realized what was required of them.

Prove yourself to the Shepherd – and he shall be yours.

Once all the women were gone, I let out an immediate, loud sigh of relief, even as I heard Kitami's slow, diligent clapping. I flicked my gaze up to him, grinding my teeth.

"Not one word Kitami. Not. One. Word."

The bodyguard respectfully shrugged. "I knew you'd handle it. Although, I have to say, I'm surprised."

"Yeah, me too – I really didn't think this through. I'm tempted to drop the transformation if this keeps up."

"No, not that." Kitami said, shaking his head. "I meant I'm surprised at you."

"At me?" I quirked an eyebrow "Why?"

"A large group of women threw themselves at you, all of them so blinded by lust that they would sell their underage daughters and slit their husband's throats if it meant they could sleep with you." He explained, "And you just... refused them. All of them."

"I have high standards Kitami." I replied succinctly. "I'm also held to high standards. My religion isn't established enough for me to go around having orgies and daily sex parties without repercussion. Word travels, and I'll be declared a leader of a 'sex cult' which would ruin a significant amount of my plans."

The bodyguard stared at me.

"If I had sex with all of them, I'd have to kill all of them… and burn down this little village – and kill everyone in it. Which, I think – is far too much work for something as trifling as sex."

He kept staring, and I felt myself getting annoyed.

"Is there something you would like to say?"

"So, you're abstaining… because of your religion."

I immediately realized why he looked so amused, and I couldn't stop the heat that ran to my cheeks.

"Don't make it sound like I'm actually some sort of eunuch! It's more complicated than that –"

"Of course, Gat-sama." Kitami said immediately. "But, I have to know, are you also going to shave your head and carry a shakujou as well?"

"… Screw you, Kitami."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Son of G

Year Five – Month Four, Day Three

"This place is… huge."

I could not help the surprise and the excitement that spurn from within me, as I approached the Capital of Hi no Kuni, the Land of Fire. The gates were large, toll-gate like structures which were manned and guarded by a Samurai-workforce. I had yet to enter the city itself, but at the same time, the toll-gate structures spoke volumes of the size of the city – that, and the large walls which extended to the west and east, easily reaching at least twenty… twenty-five feet? They were large, and I meant Attack on Titan level large. Honestly, I never expected to see such large structures in the world of Naruto, particularly due to the anachronistic nature of the world.

Then again, a vast amount of the world was either unexplored, or glossed over. There was so much culture and history which I had no idea about. For instance, the fact that these walls were one of the reasons why The Land of Fire had yet to ever be felled by an invader, and so far, this country had yet to lose a war.

"Alright! Alright! No clogging up the lines! Immigrations to the left! Traders and cargo to the right! Visitors front and center!" A samurai barked out "Have your papers, identification and other documents out and ready. No delays – no cutting the lines – and no funny business. If we detect even a whiff of any funny business – you can expect a five-star, all-expense paid trip to the city's prison cells."

I rolled my eyes. "A real charmer, that one."

Kitami and I moved down the center line, and I smiled politely at the man in front of me.

"Excuse me, but would you mind if I and my bodyguard cut in front of you?"

The portly, round man in front of me turned around, clearly about to rattle off something insulting, only to stop as he got a good look at my face.

"A-ah – of course – not a problem."

I smiled. "Thank you very much."

Gods, being handsome was like playing life on easy mode. I didn't even need to use my Charisma.

"Excuse me, but would you mind if I and my bodyguard cut in front of you?"

I did this repeatedly, on and on I went, and if the Samurai saw me, they either seemed not to care or mind, as within a couple of minutes, Kitami and I went from being the last on the line, to being the first. To my surprise, the attendant was not a samurai, but rather, a young attractive woman, who had her face kept down as she seemed to organize a great deal and number of different files and folders.

"Welcome to Moeru – Capital City of the Hi no Kuni, home of the Daimyo and Imperial Nobilities." She said in a clearly rehearsed and overwhelmingly worn out tone. "Kindly hand over your papers, and state your reason for visiting."

It took me less than a fraction of a second to bring out blank papers from my inventory, before utilizing my Falsification skill. Within the span of a full second, the blank papers were now filled with information, which I promptly handed over to the woman, before speaking.

"I am here to see the Daimyo."

I said with a calm, cheery tone.

The woman glanced at my papers, her face scrunching up in confusion, before she heard my voice and then snapped her attention up to me. Dilated pupils, slightly expanded nostrils, widening of the eyes, raising of the eyebrows, rushing of blood to the cheeks – I ticked off all the symptoms with amusement.

"Ah – I-I'm sorry – your papers… it says your name is Shepherd?"

"I am the Shepherd." I corrected, allowing a charming smile and inwardly looking in amusement at the woman's increasingly reddening face "I am the religious leader of Gatoism, and an agent of the Divine. But I suppose you may also call me, Gat."

"O-of course…" she said, breathing slightly harder than before, "Ah – you – you said you're here to see the Daimyo? Is he expecting you?"

I leaned forward. "Tell me, Koku, what do you think?"

She blushed harder, and I could tell that she was surprised. "H-how do you know my name?"

Because I can see it floating over your head. "Because I am the Shepherd Koku. What kind of Shepherd, does not know the name of the sheep in his flock?"

"B-b-but I'm not –" she stammered.

I shushed her. "You are, my child. You are in my flock." I tilted my head, "Or, do you not want to be?"

"Y-yes – I m-mean no – I mean – er – I – I –"

"Do not worry, my child," I said in a reassuring tone "You are merely confused for now. But – I can cure your confusion, I can cure all your problems… I can lead you, to a higher existence." I smiled at her. "If, of course, you will allow me – if, you will grant me access, to all of you."

If she became any redder, I knew that steam would start pouring out of her ears. I almost laughed at how fun this was.

"But, first – business, Koku. I need to enter the city, and to see the Daimyo. Once I am done –"

"A-a-ah o-of course!" she stuttered, before trying to calm down her flustered self as she stamped our papers, paying almost no heed to the information on them.

I felt my lips twitch as I saw her stamp it V.I.P. with a gold-branded stamp. My lips did twitch when she searched for something, and immediately brought out what looked to a small gold token item, with a string attached.

"T-this is for very important visitors to the city – s-so they can be i-identified."

I smiled. "Thank you, Koku."

She nodded meekly. "E-enjoy y-your stay in the Moeru, S-Shepherd-sama."

I tilted my head towards her, before walking past the gate, putting on the gold-token, and flashing the papers to the Samurai guarding the final entrance.

Both bowed, before stepping aside.

"Welcome to Moeru, Shepherd-sama."

I grinned.

"Welcome indeed."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Son of Gato ~~~~~~~~

In a beautifully designed room of rich Konohan wood, several figures stood. Extravagant wealth displayed itself not in the environment, courtesy of the traditional minimalistic tendencies of the Japanese, but rather, it displayed itself on the soul and body. The bodies of those in the room, particularly the females, were beautifully adorned in colorful kimonos, completely covering their bodies, yet, paradoxically, making them all the more alluring from the slight flashes of skin that showed from their legs or cleavage.

Female faces were painted white, the chalky visage standing in contrast to the rich dark colors of eyebrows, the thick red aesthetics of their lipsticks and the hearty pink of their blushes. Their skin was flawless, devoid of any and all blemishes that would otherwise mar their feminine features. Their hairdos were uniform. Black, tied up in a single bun, and being held in place by customary traditional sticks.

The women, an entourage of beauties that would not be out of place in a world-class geisha house, stood. Lined up, they were servants. Their goals and duties were to cater to the wishes of the nobility, it was all they knew, and arguably, all they would ever know.

Behind them still, cloaked in an expensive set of armor that had me pursing my lips, narrowing my eyebrows, and examining for weaknesses and flaws, were the samurai. The Daimyo's Army. An elite force of warriors supposedly several hundred thousand strong. There were more men in his army than they were shinobi in the Land of Fire.

To heighten their visage of being nothing more than tools in service of their lord, they wore masks. It reminded me of the warriors of Yunkai, from a Tomb Raider game I played in my previous life. 'Oni Masks' I believed they were called. Whatever little understanding of Japanese culture I possessed was unable to tell me if the existence of these masks was historically factual and accurate, of if it was merely another unexplained anachronistic feature of this world I intended to conquer.

Aside from the samurai, and the geisha maids which blatantly screamed of wealth and elegance, there were another set of people here. There were only two of them present for now, with their identifying white sashes, I prevented my lips from twitching as I gazed upon the son of the professor, and his monk friend.

Sarutobi Asuma

Twelve Guardian Ninja

Chiriku

Twelve Guardian Ninja

Two shinobi, six samurai, and eight geisha. I counted them all in total, before my gaze spun around and eventually landed on the man sitting on the large, comfortable woolen-looking chair in the room. It was the only chair in the room, and even then, it was more of a large pillow than a chair. Yet, it served, unofficially, to portray the idea that he was the ruler here.

I refused to let my lips twitch.

"You stand before the Lord of the Land of Fire, the Daimyo of the Blazing Lands, the Leader of the Forests, Groomer of Leaves," I almost wanted to snort, especially as I looked at the male servant who rattled off a significant amount of useless, vainglorious titles to a thin, portly looking man.

"Daimyo Shijimi Hokora!"

The man sitting in place was exactly as I remembered him from the end of the series. Plain, ordinary looking. In a world of beauty and splendor, the man who ruled the lands of the wealthy was as fascinating as wet cardboard. He was enamored in robes which spoke of high-maintenance and care, which alluded more to the capability of his servants than to his own efforts.

A part of me wished Kitami stood beside me, so that I would have at least gained the satisfaction of seeing my bodyguard try and fail to hide his disbelief at the cup of rice that was the leader of the wealthiest country in the elemental nations. Unfortunately, Kitami had not been allowed inside with me, to entertain the Daimyo. A samurai of the Land of Iron was both feared and respected, and they had decided to apply caution when dealing with him.

It took me less than a fraction of a second to realize that everyone was expecting me to immediately bow, or show some sort of deference to the man.

I smiled.

FUCK THAT!

I unleashed the full brunt of my Charisma, and it descended upon the room like the backhanded slap of a titan. I focused it on the Daimyo in front of me, yet, the shockwaves spread and I watched as eyes collectively widened, people visibly staggered, others sharply inhaled, and all – all of them turned their eyes upon me.

To think for even a second that these people had wanted me to bow, to bow, to a man whose existence was less trifling than the bacteria that accumulates on the feet of mites – they wanted ME, to bow to him?

I, who had used my Charisma to make men claw and bite themselves to death, was supposed to defer to him?

As if.

"I am the Shepherd."

I spoke, loudly, clearly, ensuring that my voice cut across the silent and awestruck room like a bolt of lightning streaking across a midnight sky.

I was no longer in the form of a small child courtesy of Grand Transformation, which meant, people no longer underestimated me. This was a double-edged sword now, as now, I was merely a rather highly attractive young man. My long braided hair and golden eyes would draw immense looks, but it wouldn't stick in their minds that I was something else. Something more. It wouldn't stick until I exuded my S-Rank Charisma and brought them all, literally and metaphorically to their knees.

Just as I did now.

The women, all of them, were on their knees, completely enthralled by my power. The men were struggling on their feet, and even Asuma and Chiriku were not immune. As it was, neither of them were S-Rank yet – neither of them were capable of resisting the allure of my power.

And the Daimyo?

The Daimyo of the Land of Fire?

The man who had an army at his beck and call?

The man who was the boss of every single Konohan Shinobi?

He was on his face.

Shaking.

"Daimyo-sama!"

"Daimyo-sama!"

"You fiend!"

A number of blades all appeared around my neck. Two, I recognized as being Asuma's trench knives. The rest, I realized, were spears and swords by the guards.

"You –" Asuma stared at me, and I could tell, I could tell he was having trouble looking me straight into my eyes. "What did you do the Daimyo?" he hissed.

"Nothing." I said simply, and allowed a longer smile on my face. "But you – you felt it as well did you not, Son of Hiruzen?"

Asuma flinched. Whether it was from calling out the fact that I knew who he was, or from pointing out that he had felt my Charisma.

"I am the Shepherd. I am the one slated to bring an end to misery, to suffering, to chaos and death and destruction. I serve the Divine, and I am blessed by his gifts." I said, uncaring to the numerous weapons on my throat.

"Those who are unholy, tainted, arrogant – they will look upon me and despair. Their eyes will be blinded. Their bodies will be overcome by a monstrous flame, and they will scream for salvation." I said softly, "It seems to have been the case with the Daimyo."

The blade on my throat dug in, slowly. "You expect me to believe that?" Asuma scowled.

I turned to him and looked at him in amusement. "You believe tales of massive beasts of chakra, of men walking on water and summoning lightning from the skies. Yet, you question the veracity of the Divine?"

"That is because we know how those men do such things, Shepherd-san," Chiriku, spoke up, his eyes narrowed at me. "Chakra enables for miraculous feats."

I turned my gaze to the man, stretching my arms as much as I could despite being surrounded.

"Then you be the judge, monk. Tell me, do you sense the use of Chakra?"

There, right there, was the brilliance in my plan. The fortunate and unfortunate truth – I had abysmal chakra. As it stood, I was only five years old in this world, and my chakra levels were laughable for a five-year old civilian. There was no doubt that a five-year old Sakura would have more chakra than I possessed.

However, these people didn't know I was only five years old, and they didn't know my current adult form was a transformation. So, they would be judging my supposed chakra worth based on what someone my age, someone 18-19 years of age should possess.

Both Chiriku and Asuma seemed to have realized it in one moment, their eyes both going wide.

"You have… almost no chakra. It's… it's…"

"It's the weakest chakra I've ever seen." Asuma said, furrowing his eyebrows. "Hell, there are children with more chakra than you."

I smiled once more.

"I have no need for it. All I have need for… is the Divine."

I stretched my arms, and now – I exuded the Charisma as a slow, steady, wave.

"Fear not, for your Daimyo is unharmed. Is he not?"

I called loudly, and everyone's attentions snapped back to the man, who slowly rose from his position, a bit uneasily.

"Y-yes… I – I am fine."

"Daimyo-sama! Are you alright?"

The maids immediately rushed to his side, trying to provide him with all sorts of comforts, checking and fawning on him like a child. I almost snorted at the display. I remembered from the anime, and from canon, that the Daimyo was actually a rather weak man. He was fickle and indecisive, being easily swayed by whoever could provide him with the easiest solution to a problem. He allowed his advisors to do all the work for him, and then, he took the credit and implemented whichever one sounded sweetest to his ears.

The very fact that his wife, Madame Shijimi was a fat, bloated whale of a spendthrift was just another deciding factor proving that that the Daimyo possessed very little backbone.

"I – I must admit, I was not expecting such… such…"

"Such is the power of the Divine," I interrupted loudly, allowing a smile to grace my lips. "As his champion, as the Shepherd, he granted me his blessings. I apologize, if the Divine's power caught you off-guard."

The Daimyo blinked. "Ah… yes… yes…" he turned to his guards, "What do you think you are doing? Raising your weapons to a holy man? Release him at once!"

The Samurai obeyed immediately. In contrast, the Guardian Shinobi were reluctant to do so, and I turned my gaze upon Asuma, watching as the young man shuddered uneasily from staring into them.

"You cannot fault them, Daimyo-sama, after all, it is their job to protect you at all costs, and they will do their jobs to save you from all that they perceive as threats. You are lucky to have such truly loyal protectors."

I smiled at amusement at the duo, and I knew that they were uneasy. I couldn't blame them. My Charisma possessed a lulling effect not entirely unlike mind-control, and their honed shinobi senses must have been working on overdrive. They wanted to be relaxed around me, but the very fact that they wanted to be relaxed around me made them be the exact opposite.

"Ah… yes, that is indeed true. I am grateful to have my Twelve Guardian Ninja."

I tilted my head in faux ignorance. "Twelve? I see only two present."

"Ah, some of them are with my wife, and the rest are with other members of my family at the moment. They decided to take a trip to Konohagakure for the meanwhile."

I rose an eyebrow. "Oh? And your advisors, Daimyo-sama?"

"They were working too hard. I let them go on a break, just yesterday."

My lip was twitching.

The Daimyo's Advisors, as well as all his other guardians, were all occupied or unavailable, on the day I had chosen to come and see him?

My Luck stat was beginning to show its merit.

Were his advisors present, this meeting would not have held. Most likely, a lot of them would be immune, or would be capable of countering my S-Rank Charisma. They would be shrewd, calculating, and it would have spelt for an unsavory fate if they did not like what I had to offer.

Even getting this audience itself was something of a strange miracle. Kitami and I had all but sauntered through the front gate, before encountering one of the servants of the place who immediately granted me an audience with the Daimyo.

Protocols be damned, waiting list be screwed, and everything else was thrust to the side in favor of things going my way.

Was this the true power of A-Rank Luck when used in collaboration with S-Rank Charisma?

"So, might I know what a holy man such as yourself requires from me?"

For the umpteenth time in one day:

I smiled.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Son of Gato ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Management Panel

Gato Shipping Company – Level 2

You have attained an [Immersive] Trade Contract with the Land of Fire!

You are now [Amicable] with the Land of Fire!

The Land of Fire and The Land of Water are now [Trading]!

The Land of Water is now supplied with: Konohan Timber, Spices, Grains, Wood and Iron

The Land of Fire is now supplied with Seafood, Fish, Furs, [Promised Item], [Promised Item].

You have also attained:

[Building Contracts]

[Transportation Contracts]

[Land Contracts]

Daimyo's Seal of Approval

Daimyo's Decree

Permanent Residence in Daimyo's Compound

Permanent Mansion in Moeru – Capital of the Fire Country

New Industrial Constructions Can Be Developed!

I maintained a mask of complete diligence, saintliness, and utter virtue after I left the hall and got out of sight of the Daimyo. Kitami stood outside, waiting for me, and he rose an eyebrow slightly, but said nothing. One of the beautiful servants came along, smiling.

"Allow me to show you to where you will be staying, Shepherd-sama."

I followed her, keeping a steady pace and ensuring that I was never more than four feet behind her. Kitami followed behind both of us. Through the beautiful garden, the elegant and decorated courtyards, the long, exotic halls which would have had lesser men standing in awe at the sheer splendor and brilliance of the Japanese architecture. Until, to the north-east of the compound, in an area usually only reserved for the highest of nobility, we came to a stop.

The servant curtsied. "This is where you will be staying, Shepherd-sama. If there is anything you require, please do not hesitate to ask." She said curtly. "As for your bodyguard, his room is just across the hall. This entire wing of the Compound is now yours."

I smiled at her, and, as I had come to discover, my smile was "Super-effective" courtesy of being so pleasing on the eyes.

I did not miss the coloring on her cheeks as she left.

Once she did, I said naught a word, and then I entered into the room. It was a marvelous little thing, extravagant and complete with scented candles and shiny, sparkly décor. I paid no heed to any of it, even as Kitami entered, and he stared at me.

"You… have been unusually quiet Gat-sama."

At his words, I chortled.

Then I snickered.

Then...

I laughed.

I laughed. I laughed so much, and so badly, that Kitami could only help but stare at me in concern.

"L-look a-at this!" I managed to say between laughs, handing him a roll of parchment.

Daimyo's Decree

By the decree of the Daimyo, Shijimi Hokora, the Shepherd is summarily now an official title and seen as an Enforcer of the Will of the Daimyo of The Land of Fire.

This imperial decree, therefore and thereafter, grant the full support, weight, might, and name of the Daimyo, Shijimi Hokora of Hi no Kuni, to the Shepherd, in all his endeavors, tasks, judgments and decisions.

All permissions, privileges, rights and honors awarded to the Daimyo, are now to be afforded henceforth to the Shepherd, without exception.

Any found in breach or violation of this decree shall be summarily be treated as though in direct violation of the Daimyo himself, and is subject to execution, imprisonment, or any punishment deemed sufficient by the Shepherd himself.

Kitami took in a sharp breath. He glanced at the paper, and back at me, and then back at the paper, his eyes examining the official branded seal of the Daimyo on it, and then he glanced back at me again.

"How?"

I managed to stop laughing, long enough to allow a smirk. "Because I specialize in the impossible, Kitami."

"This means –"

"That after the Daimyo, I am the most powerful person in all of the Land of Fire? Yes." I said cheekily, throwing a backflip and landing on the bed with a grin.

Kitami, for his part, shook his head, a familiar smirk on his face. "Just when I think you cannot possibly do anything more amazing Gat-sama, you go ahead and prove me wrong."

"Oh, we're not done yet Kitami. As a matter of fact, we're just getting started." I said, before leaping off the bed.

I landed on my feet, to Kitami's quiet amusement. "There isn't much time for celebrations, because as it stands, there is no doubt in my mind that Konoha will become aware of this soon. This means, I'll have a large, big red target painted on my back."

"So this means?"

"We're leaving Hi no Kuni."

Kitami's face scrunched up. "Leaving?"

"Yep." I said, taking small amusement in his confusion.

"But – your list? I thought we were going to go to Konoha – "

"That isn't really viable anymore. As it stands, I know of a certain warhawk who would be immediately livid if he discovered that there was a person who possessed as much power as the Daimyo, running around in his village."

I was not going to be entering Danzo's radar anytime soon.

"Honestly? The major advantage I truly gain from it is the free reign to purchase as much land as I can, permanently, and then make this land mine. Doing anything, anything which would get me on Konoha's radar would be highly detrimental to my plans."

I currently have the power to remove their Hokage, and put another one in his place. They would be complete and utter fools not to be wary of me.

"So… we're going to leave the Land of Fire, and we're not coming back for another couple of years… let's say… six or seven."

More accurately – after the time of the Uchiha Clan Massacre. Konoha, just recently losing their strongest and most iconic of clans, all slaughtered, would be a prime target. A far easier and more palatable target than now.

"When we come back, we'll complete all the items on the checklist." I explained. "But for now – we need to leave Hi no Kuni – and we need to leave it, fast."

XXXX

In a darkened cave, a one-eyed man sat, rage slowly building as he learnt of the sheer stupidity of the man who ruled his country. The only reason the Daimyo was still in place, was because everyone realized how easily manipulated he was, they knew that he could be swayed with very little effort into seeing any argument. Hence, he was the perfect person to be in that position, essentially a puppet to superior minds and wills. Ready and willing to go along with any plan or proposition, simply because he could think of one no better.

But still – to think that he would be so bold and go so far as to do something like this –

The one-eyed man bristled at the mere thought of it. The Shepherd. Gatoism. He would be a fool not to have heard of one of those two things. It was all the traders who came from Mizu no Kuni could talk about. He had paid too little attention to it, as he was not a religious man, and he believed in no gods save for himself. Man was his own god, and no form of philosophical sophistry could convince him otherwise.

He had paid no heed to the exponential growth and boom the religion underwent, because he found it to be unimportant.

How foolish of him.

He should have known – the main propagator of the religion was a young boy named Gat, the son of Gato of Gato Shipping Company. It should have been the first sign to warn him that something was wrong, that there was more to this religion than what first appeared. Yet, he overlooked that fact. He was far too occupied with his business in Amegakure than he was anywhere else.

Now, the Shepherd was the Enforcer of the Land of Fire. He possessed political power that was supreme, bar all but the Daimyo himself. How, how a small child from Mizu no Kuni had sailed across the world to become the second most powerful person in another country was absolutely beyond him.

Even worse, his spies were giving conflicting information. The accounts of the Shepherd from Mizu no Kuni indicated that he was but a young child no older than five. Yet, the accounts of those who had encountered him in Hi no Kuni claimed that he was an attractive young man of eighteen or nineteen. It was clear that this was intentional, to sow confusion and make it difficult for him to be properly identified.

Analyzing all that the Shepherd had done so far, and all he had achieved so far, spelled only one grim fact:

This Gat, was some sort of genius.

His goal was to spread his religion, and use it as a method to conquer the world, planting himself as a religious leader supreme to all. His proclivity with spreading his religion, and his rumored accounts of meeting with leaders, supposed claims of his miraculous deeds, not to mention, the infrastructural revolution he was providing, connecting 'development' and 'progress' to his name –

It was sheer brilliance. He would have been amazed and applauded the Shepherd's methods, had he not been so displeased by them. He was a dangerous person – and he would needed to be eliminated.

For the good of Konoha, the Shepherd would have to die.

"Report."

His two agents, tasked with performing the deed, bowed.

"As of this morning, Danzo-sama – the Shepherd was seen departing Hi no Kuni on his ship. It… it is unknown as to where he was headed."

Danzo grit his teeth.

He knew.

The Shepherd – he knew. Somehow, the Shepherd had known that assassins would be sent after him. He knew, and he escaped, fled before they would have any chance to reach him. The very fact that he anticipated such a reaction from one who was merely attempting to be a religious figurehead cleared all doubts Danzo possessed. One did not merely gain such political savviness overnight.

The Shepherd was not some sort of genius –

He was a deviant mastermind.

"Send an order to the men we have in Ame. Send an order to every agent – the Shepherd is a high priority target." Danzo intoned coldly.

"He is to be killed, at any, and all costs."