Infiltration - 2

[Dinner time]

Sasuke prepared the dinner and have the table set. The VIPs started coming in. The diamyo came at the end. Everybody sat and started eating. There were 7 shinobis at the table, 2 leaders of the shinobis guarding the castle, 3 leaders of 60 shinobis that came with Hikari's convoy and lastly, 2 were the one that were part of Hikari's group. There 3 samurais eating as well of the total 20. Meaning Hikari came with a whopping 62 shinobis and 20 samurais.

Hikari: Grand father, this toast to your health.

Hikari raised a cup of saki presented a toast to her grand father.

Diamyo: HaHaHa, I accept. After all, my cute grand daughter came to meet me after several years.

This was a taunt by the diamyo to Hikari, telling her that she came after several years and he did not even see her shadow for so long.

[Sasuke-inner-thought: Woah! This old man is fiesty.]

[Katsuki Telepathy: Sasuke? Did that old man just delivered a verbal blow.]

[Kaki Telepathy: He definitely did. I think a good show is about to happen.]

Hikari: I am sorry grand father, I was trying to be a ruler just like you. Time passed so fast that I did not know.

Diamyo: Time is a funny thing, right. It passed so fast but you remembered that I am alive at the perfect time.

Another verbal jab at Hikari, Diamyo was basically advertising his attitude towards her.

[Sasuke-inner-thought: What the Fuck? This diamyo is really sharp with his tongue. Good DIAMYO-SAMA, PLEASE KEEP ON GOING. I THINK I JUST SAW HIKARI'S FACE TWITCH FOR A MOMENT THERE. SHOW ME WHAT A DIAMYO WHO HAS RULED HIS WHOLE LIFE CAN DO. I AM SUPPORTING YOU. DIAMYO-SAMA! DIAMYO-SAMA! DIAMYO-SAMA!]

[Katsuki Telepathy: That diamyo is cool. I am also supporting you. DIAMYO-SAMA! DIAMYO-SAMA! DIAMYO-SAMA!]

[Kaki Telepathy: I am as well. DIAMYO-SAMA! DIAMYO-SAMA! DIAMYO-SAMA!]

Hikari: Please don't say it like that grand father. I hope you live a long life.

[Hikari-inner-thought: Looks like grand father is not in the good mood. He is treating me not as a grand daughter but as a diamyo. Looks like he does not want to give me this territory.]

Diamyo: I definitely will, as long as, I and this territory do not get entangled in the wars.

[Sasuke-inner-thought: THAT IS A FUCKING GOAL. HE IS SAYING THAT HE DOES NOT WANT THIS TERRITORY TO BE ENTANGLED IN WAR SO FUCK OFF MY GRAND DAUGHTER.]

Hikari: Grand father, the war is something none of us can control. But I hope it does not entangle you or this territory. A good ruler will definitely make sure of that.

[Katsuki Telepathy: Woah! She is saying her grand father is not a good ruler anymore so he cannot make sure of the safety of the territory and she professed herself as a better ruler. DAMN BITCH!]

[Kaki Telepathy: Looks like she is gonna answer tit for tat from now on.]

Diamyo: Yes, a good ruler. A good ruler does not craves war but seeks to avoid it. If war already started then he/she seeks to end it. Hayami definitely has those qualities.

[Sasuke-inner-thought: ANOTHER STRIKE! HE JUST FUCKING SAID THAT HIKARI IS NOT GOOD RULER BECAUSE SHE CRAVES WAR AND MOVES TO SPREAD IT INSTEAD OF ENDING IT. DAMN THE OLD MAN IS ON A ROLL. AND TO ADD SALT TO THE WOUND, HE SAID HAYAMI IS BETTER.]

[Katsuki Telepathy: Sasuke stop shouting in our minds. We can hear you clearly so stop shouting.]

[Sasuke-inner-thought: But this is such a good match and the old man is leading by 3-1.]

[Kaki Telepathy: Wait let's see the response.]

Hikari: True, a good ruler should avoid wars but avoiding wars is not the answer all the time. Sometimes, you have to wage wars and win them. Hayami does not have those qualities and specially, she does not know how to end wars as well. Oh, sorry, I forgot, I think she does not even know much about wars. I believe in this era, a ruler who understand when to avoid wars and when to engage them and lastly, how to end them, is the perfect ruler.

[Kaki Telepathy: DAMN! She gave so many jabs to the old man in that exchange.]

[Sasuke-inner-thought: Come one old man, give her a right hook or a left, upper cut or a kick. Hell, get a sword and cut her to pieces. Come on.]

[Katsuki Telepathy: Yeah, old man. Come on.]

Diamyo:...

Contrary to the emotions of Sasuke and his toads, the old man was silent and was eating his food. No one else was talking.

Hayami: Does a ruler really need to understand too much about war? We have ministers for agriculture, finance etc. We hire shinobis and samurais to fight wars. I think even Hikari-nee-san has not fought any war yourself but left it to your shinobis or samurais. A good ruler needs to delegate the right task to the right person. If you do not have people skilled in some craft then hire some and let them advise you. Isn't listening to the person who is more skilled than you in something and then applying that advice would make one a good ruler. After all, on person can not learn all the crafts of the world. So, isn't a ruler, a person, who listens to others, removes obstacles in goals and bring everyone together for more prosperity. War should not be something a ruler should focus on. Although, it is necessary for the protection of a territory but again it should be left to the experts on how to wage it, how to avoid it and how to end it. If a ruler wages a war with his/her incomplete knowledge then that only calls for defeat and destruction.

[Sasuke-inner-thought: DAMN! SHE SUCKER PUNCHED HIKARI OUT OF NO WHERE. DAMN GIRL! I DID NOT KNOW YOU COULD DO THAT. DAMN!]

[Katsuki Telepathy: SHE IS FIESTY AS WELL.]

[Kaki Telepathy: HEY, BRING SOME SNACKS OR ANY FOOD. THIS IS GETTING REALLY INTERESTING.]

Hayami's reply out of no where astonished all the people on the tables. Specially, Hikari, the diamyo and the ministers.

Diamyo: Hahahahaha, True Hayami. What do you say Hikari? Have you fought in a war yourself? or have you listened to the experts and did what they advised you to do? I am really looking forward to your answer. Because, that would mean a ruler, no matter how many territories he/she wins or how many wars he/she wins, she did not do it on her own but through the advice of other people. That would mean, even Hayami here, who has not experienced war would be able to become a fine ruler as long as she listens to the right people and gives her all for the betterment of the everyone.

[Sasuke-inner-thought: YES! YYYYYYYYYEEEESSSS! I SAY YYYYYYYEEEEESSS. DIAMYO IS BASICALLY SAYING HIKARI NEVER WON A WAR ON HER ON AND IF SHE CAN DO IT BY LISTENING TO THE EXPERTS LIKE SHINOBIS AND SAMURAI THEN EVEN HAYAMI CAN DO IT AND HIKARI DID NOT ACHIEVE ANYTHING EXTRAORDINARY. THIS IS A STRAIGHT SLAP ON HIKARI'S ACHIEVEMENTS. KEEP IT COMING OLD MAN AND HAYAMI, BOTH OF YOU KEEP IT COMING.]

[Katsuki and Kaki Telepathy: STOP SHOUTING IN OUR MINDS!]

Hikari was astonished at Hayami's reply as well. But after listening to her and the grand father. She gave both of them a sweet smile. Her smile right now would enchant any male. She looked that beautiful.

Hikari: True, I have not fought any wars myself and I have definitely listened to others advice, But, It was me who chose how to move forward. Meaning they gave me choices and I was the one that chose what to do next. That is why, I have won so many territories. Based on your logic, didn't my opponents also listened to their advisors but still lost to me. Does not that mean that a ruler should not only listen to the advice but should have the wisdom and smart mind to choose the best path for the future. Because, at the end your ministers or advisors are only giving you advice, you the ruler would have to make the choice and your choice will set the path of prosperity or of destruction. And, only a smart and experienced ruler can do that. The fact that I am alive and have more territories than the one I got from you is the proof of that. After all, if I made any wrong decision then I would not be here. Lastly, I think I did better than you. After all, you only had 3 territories and you lost 1 when my father died in the war for that one territory.

[Katsuki Telepathy: She is saying, she is smart and experienced and knows how make the right decision for the future. It could also be interpreted as her saying that Hayami is not smart and is not experienced, what's more, she has not made the hard choices that decide the future of a territory. DAMN! she finished with a low blow to the diamyo that he lost a territory and her father died in the war that he was responsible for.]

[Kaki Telepathy: That is definitely a low blow.]

[Sasuke-inner-thought: Come on, Come on, Come on, old man and Hayami, give her an answer. Come on.]