Meet us!

Day 110

When Hashuba gave the order to send caravans through the different countries, Suzuki stayed for a while with Rômaji and the son of the Daimyô to organise these expeditions. They all agreed on one thing : it would not be easy.

The Daimyô's son had explained at length that the economy of their country, as of all the countries in the world, was based on trade, exchange and barter. And that without an economy, it was impossible to envisage the development of finance.

Yet the development of real trade was still in its infancy. Provincial wars were still too present in people's minds and prevented a real opening of trade routes and even of areas dedicated to this activity. Transactions were still too often carried out between acquaintances because mistrust greatly slowed down trade.

This is obviously what had been raised at the meeting: how to avoid drawing attention to Ta No Kuni while conducting such a large-scale operation. It was therefore necessary to be cunning in order to justify such requests to the countries and villages they would be joining to acquire these resources. Not only did they have to avoid raising suspicions that the country was aware of a future war and that they were taking advantage of it to secure their backs. But they also had to be careful not to draw attention to themselves in relation to the sums spent on their purchases.

There's nothing like a country that spends money to get people talking. This is both a good thing and a hindrance to their goals in the long run. And for the moment, Ta No Kuni did not want to be seen as a country with flourishing finances and a good life.

The Daimyô's advisors understood that the request of their Lord and the client who financed them was not made lightly. They had to be ready to become, sooner or later, the world's most important crossroads. If they expected to become the most powerful country in the near future, they had to control the trade because in doing so, they would rule the whole world. And to do this, they had to gather as many goods and resources as possible, and above all, do everything to weaken their potential adversaries without them realising it.

This is why dozens of caravans were quickly sent across the vast world, as some would only take several months to return to Ta No Kuni.

Suzuki suggested finding many, many excuses to cover up their true purpose : to bleed countries ! This ranged from the organisation of a huge wedding for a very influential nobleman to the consequent needs of a rich merchant who was anticipating the harshness of the coming winter. Everything was a pretext to avoid being caught and, above all, to cover their tracks.

Then came the problem of how to hide the volume occupied by all his new acquisitions. But thanks to Rômaji's knowledge, they found someone competent enough in Fûinjutsu to make sealing scrolls. Thus, once an agreement was signed, the resources were loaded onto the carts before a person assigned for this purpose, sealed all the goods away from prying eyes.

However, Suzuki anticipated that despite all the precautions they were taking, there was still a risk that they would be discovered, especially if the caravans were checked and had no goods with them. So they had to find a way to hide the real purpose of these convoys, as well as their origin.

So each escort carried secondary materials, such as clothes, charms, tapestries and other items suitable for nobles. But hidden in the bottom of each cart were all the sealing scrolls.

So it was by sorting out all these little details that the plan was able to get underway and it was two months since the first caravans had left. But among them, three caravans stood out from the others: they were the most important and their objective was to go to the most risky places. Suzuki, the Daimyô's right-hand man, was leading one of them in the direction of Konoha No Sato. Despite the strong warnings of the council that this was unwise, the man decided to take the risk.

Indeed, Suzuki knew that if the beginnings of war were on their doorstep, it would not be long before the borders closed and with it the exchanges. It was therefore necessary to weaken Konoha in one way or another and quickly. He decided to lead a caravan of thirty wagons with his fifty soldiers. Suzuki was no stranger to the borders, he could even boast of being in the good books of the authorities of the border country.

He took advantage of this notoriety to carry out this very risky plan by taking only a very small quantity of rice. It was not even a quarter of what the agreement between Ta No Kuni and Hi No Kuni had defined for neutrality. But the right phrases, along with explanations, made Konoha accept this small contribution.

Since Konoha accepted Suzuki's request without any objection, it was like validating the implicit request of the Daimyô of Ta No Kuni. Thanks to this, the Lord's right hand man made a master stroke. For several days they were able to buy various resources in the capital of the land of fire without arousing the slightest suspicion.

Once this was accomplished, it was time for Suzuki and his men to return to the Rice Country. Indeed, they did not want to and should not linger in the Land of Fire. As long as they did not reach their land, they would always run the risk of being unmasked and above all arrested.

And it was now more than two weeks since the Suzuki caravan had been heading towards the capital of the land of rice fields. The fact that they had reached the borders was a relief for the soldiers. Since they had returned to the land of their home, the tension in their hearts gradually eased as they felt they had succeeded in their mission.

Still, Suzuki had a feeling that he was being watched since leaving Konoha No Sato. In a way, it was understandable, after having spent so much money, the country wanted to verify the man's claims.

And it was a good thing that the Daimyô's right hand man was suspicious, because after three days of travelling through the rice paddy country, something unusual happened to the caravan. There, in the middle of the road, two people were waiting without moving.

— "Halt !" Suzuki shouted, forcing all the drivers to stop their horses.

— "Are you all right, my lord ?" Asked a soldier in charge of watching and protecting the convoy.

— "Everyone stay on guard," Suzuki ordered, before riding his black horse towards the two protagonists who were still waiting in the middle of the road. One was dressed in a kimono in dark and light brown, two swords attached to his belt and his face partly hidden by a straw hat. However, the hat could not hide his long black hair behind him. From his posture, Suzuki knew in an instant that it was a skilled fighter who stood before him. But what surprised the old soldier the most was the person beside the swordsman, a woman !

But not just any woman. She was dressed like a boy, with clothes that allowed for ease of movement, but she carried only one sword. Moreover, her confidence showed that she seemed to be quite capable of fighting. This was something extremely rare, and Suzuki wondered if this was a master and his apprentice. One last thing caught his eye : it was the colour of her hair, pink.

Suzuki stopped his mount a few meters from the two fighters before dismounting. He walked the last few yards, sword in hand, ready to fight if necessary. He positioned his body very slightly so that he could see the two people in front of his only valid eye. At first glance, the two strangers did not seem threatening, but life had taught Suzuki to always be wary.

— "What do you want strangers !" Suzuki demanded in an authoritative voice. With time and experience, he knew the necessity of showing his rank by his presence and his stature. Most people would bow their heads or move away from him just because he was wearing armor. But when you're dealing with other fighters, rank and what you look like can save your life.

— "My apprentice and I would like to join your caravan," said the dark-haired man, bowing his head very slightly.

—" Why is that ?" Suzuki demanded, still worried.

— "We're heading for the capital of Ta No Kuni and the road isn't the safest," the fighter answered without looking up.

Suzuki stared at the man who was talking but still kept a watchful eye on the young woman who still hadn't moved. It was unsettling to see a woman looking you straight in the eye as she did. Wasn't she afraid of receiving a beating for such an affront ?

— "What brings you to these parts ?" Suzuki continued to ask as he heard his men in the distance positioning themselves in case of attack or ambush. It was a common strategy to put one man at the front of the road to act as a diversion while the rest of the brigands attacked from behind.

— "Business," the man replied vaguely and calmly.

— "Elaborate," Suzuki demanded.

— "We have to talk to the Daimyô," the dark-haired man explained, and straightened his head slightly to expose his face. "Pretend you didn't recognize me."

Seeing that face Suzuki couldn't help but widen his eyes as he realized who was in front of him. There was no mistaking it, it was an order he had just received. The man in front of him had lost all neutrality or politeness and a stern voice took its place when he gave this injunction. No doubt about it, there in front of him was the very famous Uchiha Madara, presumed dead for three months.

— "Hai," Suzuki said automatically before turning to the caravan, "resume your posts ! Let's go !"

After shouting his orders, the Daimyô's right-hand man turned back to the two protagonists. He was waiting for any instructions that the dark-haired man might have to give.

— "Do you have a cart available for my apprentice and myself ?" Madara asked as he lowered his head, hiding his face. Few people would have been able to put a name to his face, but anyone with a high enough education would have recognized him.

— "Yes, come with me," Suzuki replied before mounting his horse again. He walked nonchalantly towards the approaching caravan. All eyes were on the newcomers, after all, it wasn't often you saw people on the road in the middle of nowhere. The workers pointed at the young woman, seeing that she seemed to be a warrior.

— "These two travellers will ride beside you," Suzuki ordered a rather elderly man holding the reins of a wagon.

— "As you wish, my lord," the old man replied immediately, shifting to make room for the two newcomers. Madara climbed in first, leaning against the back of the wagon while pulling his straw hat over his face. He gave the impression that he was taking a nap for the rest of the trip. Sakura sat down beside the old man with a smile. Once the two new travellers were settled, Suzuki took over the caravan.

— "Prepare me a pigeon," Suzuki demanded of one of his soldiers, who hurriedly took out a piece of parchment and a feather. The lord seized it and wrote hastily.

Daimyô

Five days : Peace now with me.

Suzuki

After writing this brief message, Suzuki wrapped the parchment around the pigeon's leg and threw it into the air. The message was short, but the essential information was there: the sender, the date and, above all, the additional package. If this message was intercepted, it would look like a coded message.

— "You !" Suzuki said, pointing to one of the soldiers who immediately stood at attention. "Pass the word : don't disturb the newcomers."

The soldier complied while Suzuki took over the leadership of the convoy, which was now carrying a new and priceless package.

The hours passed quietly for Madara and Sakura. The wagon driver had the decency not to ask any questions and the journey continued in a restful silence. A few stops were made here and there, because of a damaged wheel that needed to be replaced, or a hole in the road that had to be filled in order to move the convoy along.

Moreover, the road in the interior of the rice country was far from easy. Some of the roads in the hills could be winding and dangerous. And because of one of these inconveniences, the caravan stopped once again.

— "Halt !" Suzuki shouted.

The main road to the capital was blocked by huge rocks. If you looked up, you could see a piece of the hill missing.

— "Probably a landslide, my lord," analyzed one of the men beside him, "should we turn around and take the road to the east ?"

— "No, we don't have that luxury, we'll clear the road," Suzuki replied to his subordinate.

— "Everybody get your tools !" The soldier shouted to the entire convoy.

On hearing the order, chocks were put under the wheels of the wagons to stop them. People grabbed tools and started to move towards the rockslide.

— "Should we intervene ?" Sakura asked softly to Madara after the old man at their side also went forward.

— "I think you should go help them," Madara suggested without removing his hat from his face.

— "Are you sure ?"

— "Yes, the people of Ta No Kuni must be getting to know us," Madara replied quietly, "they're not ready for me to come back though... I'll be waiting for you here." With that, Sakura jumped out of the wagon and headed towards the front of the caravan.

Suzuki, who was already discussing with several men which rock to remove first, thus avoiding aggravating the landslide. Some men had untied horses and seemed to be harnessing them to huge ropes.

— "Suzuki-sama ?" Sakura announced once she reached his level.

— "Yes ? I didn't catch your name, young lady," Suzuki replied, speaking as if to any woman.

— "My name is Sakura and I've come to help you," she replied, bowing her head slightly. Two of the men close to Suzuki laughed at such absurdity. As if a woman would be useful in such a situation.

However, they stopped laughing when they saw Suzuki's dark look.

— "How could you be useful to me ?" The Daimyô's right hand man asked anyway, for if this woman was with Madara Uchiha, she must have had some practical ability.

— "Pull all your men off the site and tell me which rock to remove first," Sakura answered immediately with seriousness. Suzuki frowned and anger could be seen on his face.

— "If this is a joke, it's in very bad taste, young lady," the man snarled, not liking being wasted. As far as he was concerned, she was lucky to be going with Madara because otherwise he would have already slapped her in the face.

— "Either you tell me what to do or I'll do it without your help," Sakura replied before walking past Suzuki towards the rockslide. She pulled a pair of black gloves from her pockets and slipped them on. She might be a shinobi, but she had to keep her hands safe as a doctor.

Before anyone had even begun to approach the stones Sakura placed her hands on the first rock. Except that it was almost four meters high and must have weighed several tons. The kind of rock you could only move with horses and a log system.

At this point everyone was dumbfounded : Sakura was doing the unthinkable. With her enhanced chakra and teachings she lifted the huge piece of rock and threw it down. She hadn't dropped it... she had literally thrown it and it landed further down with a huge crash that echoed throughout the valley for a few seconds.

Sakura wasted no time in tackling the second problem blocking the road. Because of the landslide another large rock had collapsed onto the road, but it was still embedded in the hillside. So Sakura gathered chakra at the base of her wrist, then in her hand and finally concentrated it in her knuckles before striking the rock. A cracking sound of splitting rock was heard. Barely a second passed before the huge rock exploded into hundreds of smaller rocks. Clearing three quarters of the main road.

Everyone was in awe of what they had just seen. A woman... a simple woman had just pulverized a piece of mountain with her bare hands and had lifted another piece as if it were a twig. She was now picking up smaller rocks and throwing them into the void without caring who was watching.

— "What are you waiting for ! Go help her !" Suzuki ordered after regaining his senses. He had just realized that he might have made an error in judgment by talking to her in that way. If this person could do this kind of thing, what would it be like on a battlefield. Nevertheless, this woman had just saved them at least a day's work.

As for the workers, opinions were divided, some were completely afraid of this woman and used the word witchcraft in relation to her. Others, on the contrary, were totally in awe of her achievement. Whatever the opinion of the people present, Sakura left no one indifferent and her name was on everyone's lips for the rest of the day. However, she was left alone because of the order given by Suzuki earlier in the day.

The rest of the journey was uneventful and by nightfall the caravan had reached the valley floor.

— "We're setting up here !" Shouted Suzuki as he dismounted his horse.

And from that moment on an unusual spectacle began. The carts were positioned in a wide circle, the mounts unhitched before being driven close to the river a few metres away.

Expandable compartments in each wagon were put in place to fill the gaps between each vehicle. Space where horses were normally provided. Gradually, a fortified place was built for the night. Some would say it was perhaps a lot, but there were wild animals, bandits and nothing to say that a Nukenin wasn't walking around.

Once the carts and their extension were placed, the occupants of the caravan set about various tasks to prepare for the night. One group went off to chop wood to feed some fires in the centre of the facility. Others were busy fetching water and preparing the evening meal to feed everyone. Some were busy relaxing and tending the horses after a long day.

— "Go around for a hundred yards and come back," Suzuki ordered two soldiers, then turned to other men of his. "You, I want you, up there, you go up the river three hundred metres and see that we are not followed.

Suzuki knew what he was doing and his men had blind faith in his abilities. After all, how many caravans did this kind of installation at night to protect themselves.

Finally, after an hour everything was set up. Soldiers could be seen on top of the carts patrolling while the rest were happily eating.

Madara sat cross-legged by a small fire with his head bowed. Sakura was beside him crouching in front of the fire, a bowl in one hand and a ladle in the other. A small broth of vegetables and meats was cooking in a small pot prepared by Sakura.

— "Why do we have to travel like this ?" Sakura asked softly as she filled a bowl with food.

— "Because by doing so, we allowed that man to warn his Daimyô," Madara replied, grabbing the bowl of food Sakura was holding out to him. It smelled really good, especially since it was the first time in months that he'd eaten anything other than fish.

— "Wouldn't a scroll have been enough ?" Sakura asked as she helped herself to a steaming bowl of food.

— "Yes, but it would have taken me out of this trip," Madara explained, using his left arm to support his bowl and eating with his right. There was no way he was going to get fed in front of other people.

— "But otherwise, by a happy coincidence we ran into Suzuki, the Daimyô's right-hand man," he added after a mouthful of food.

— "Is he someone important ?" Sakura asked before putting a piece of meat in her mouth. She'd read up on the Sengoku era, but she didn't know all the military ins and outs like Madara.

— "He may not be a shinobi Sakura-san, but as you've seen, he's a strategist worth his weight in gold," the dark-haired man replied as he looked away at the man. The latter was eating and going around the camp. He was asking everyone if everything was going well, he was a person who was close to the people under his responsibility. And Sakura had to admit that the organization for the night was impressive.

— "Besides, showing your abilities today proved that I wasn't kidding about the services we offer in Ta No Kuni."

— "From the sound of it, the shinobi arts don't seem to be very common," Sakura remarked more to herself than to Madara.

— "Let's just say that those who could attest to it are no longer of this world," Madara explained as he took a sip of his broth. After a few sips he let out a small sigh of contentment. "We shinobi are quite secretive and live only among ourselves."

— "Hence the tales and legends about magical powers," the young woman added.

— "Right," Madara confirmed before extending his arm towards Sakura. "Could I have a second helping please."

Sakura grabbed the outstretched bowl before going to refill it. By this time, Suzuki had finished making his rounds and was finally in front of them.

— "Is everything going well for you ?" Suzuki asked.

— "Hai, we thank you," Madara replied, grabbing his second bowl.

— "Sakura-san, I wanted to thank you personally on behalf of the entire convoy for what you did today," Suzuki said with a very slight nod. He hadn't apologized for his manners, but he had come to thank her and above all there was now a little respect for her.

— "Please, Suzuki-sama," she replied, still sitting next to Madara.

— "You look worried ?" Madara remarked after observing the man for the last few minutes. The man raised his head and looked around a little, as if searching for someone.

— "Let's just say I'd feel better than I did in the capital," Suzuki finally replied.

— "They're not following you anymore..."

— "I beg your pardon ?" The man in armor asked.

— "The Leaf shinobi," Madara repeated as he continued to eat, "they stopped following you last night."

The leader of the caravan could not contain a sigh of relief at this news. He felt the pressure leave his limbs and a sense of security slowly began to take hold.

— "Good news."

— "Where have you been to catch the Leaf's eye ?" Madara questioned, though he had a slight idea of what the man's answer would be.

— "Konoha..."

— "Risky," the dark-haired Madara replied, setting his empty food bowl on the ground.

— "I agree, I'll explain all the ins and outs of this destination in a more appropriate place," Suzuki added before turning back with a slightly calmer heart. "A pleasant night to you both."

— "Likewise."

Day 113

— "Bring the shipments to the warehouse !" Suzuki ordered his men after finally arriving at the capital of Ta No Kuni. He had only one desire, to go home and take a hot bath with a good meal. However, duty came first, and after supervising the unloading of his convoy, Suzuki escorted his last package towards the Daimyô.

It was early afternoon and the sun was shining brightly, but a few clouds had disturbed the autumn day. The trees had slowly begun to colour their leaves with yellow, red and brown and it was a beautiful and worrying time. For it heralded the coming of winter and its many difficulties.

— "Follow me," Suzuki said to Madara and Sakura, who stood side by side. The dark-haired man kept his head bowed for most of the ride so as not to be recognized. Fortunately, Sakura drew all the attention to herself : not only because of her hair colour but also because she was carrying a weapon on her belt.

What was most distressing to Sakura was not the fact of being looked at, she was used to it, but rather the expression expressed by these looks and especially their origin. From curious, suspicious, admiring looks, to the outraged ones coming from the majority of the other women. Indeed, since they were little, they had been told that a woman should never fight. A woman had the obligation to find a respectable husband, she should maintain the house. On the other hand, if a woman had the misfortune to contradict a man, to disappoint him or to stand up to him, it would be a dishonour that would most often lead to death.

So for many women to see Sakura in this way was an ignominy and a disgrace to her status as a woman.

Sakura didn't need to hear them, their disapproval was more than obvious and it appalled the young woman to no end. She sighed slightly as she realized that she was going to have a lot of work to do to improve the conditions of women and change attitudes. As they walked Sakura remembered a little discussion they'd had with Madara on the way here : let Madara speak first. The dark-haired man had learned to enjoy having Sakura stand up to him, but it wouldn't be conducive during negotiations.

After about twenty minutes of walking through the town, they finally arrived at a large building that was richly decorated and stood out from the crowd. Many guards were posted here and there, but none of them seemed to be shinobi.

— "Your weapons," Suzuki demanded as they stood before a massive wooden double door. Madara complied immediately and handed his two swords to a guard at the entrance, Sakura did the same and was not worried. After all, a shinobi was a weapon unto himself.

Suzuki pushed open the doors and led the way into a relatively average room. Once the three people were inside, the guards closed the doors behind them and six people were waiting further forward, all standing. There were also four guards posted at each corner of the room.

— "Daimyô-sama," Suzuki bowed before joining him on his right.

— "My dearest guest, it is a real pleasure to welcome you to my home Uchiha-dono," Hashuba said to Madara.

— "Daimyô-dono," Madara replied in return with a very slight nod.

— "May I ask why you are bringing this... woman to a council of war ?" The lord questioned disdainfully, looking Sakura up and down with equal disdain.

— "Daimyô-dono, out of respect for you I will disregard that remark. Furthermore, in view of our common plans for the future I would ask you never to disrespect this woman again. You will hold her in the same esteem you hold me," Madara warned forcefully.

Hashuba may have been a Daimyô, but there was no disputing the demands of a man like Madara Uchiha. Head of one of the most powerful clans in the world and considered a shinobi god by history. He was surprised, even a little frightened by the thinly veiled threat his host was making to the woman at his side.

Sakura felt her heart pound in her chest as she heard Madara defend her. She never thought it possible that the patriarch of the Uchiha clan would vouch for a woman and demand that she be shown the same respect as a clan leader. It was getting harder and harder not to think about it, but Sakura felt all at once as she watched Madara act in such a... protective manner.

Hashuba and the entire council turned their gaze once more to the young woman. Except this time she adopted a more noble, more domineering posture and her gaze showed only power, showing that she was a dangerous woman.

— "I'll take good note of that, Uchiha-dono," Hashuba replied without apologizing.

— "Before we continue Daimyô-dono, do you have blind faith in everyone in this room ?" Madara inquired without looking up. Indeed, for the moment he was only named Uchiha-dono, not Madara-dono.

— "Hai, they were all handpicked for my protection and Ta No Kuni's loyalty," Hashuba confirmed.

Pride was visible on the faces of everyone in the room. It was a great honor to hear his Daimyô say such words, for in those days nothing was more important than honor!

— "Sakura-san...," Madara called, turning his head slightly towards the young woman.

— "Hai," she replied, understanding what she had to do.

— "I'll ask you not to panic, it's for our own safety that we're doing this," Madara announced before Sakura made a quick series of seals with her hands and finally slammed them to the ground.

— "Fûinjutsu : Shuhi gimu !" The young woman uttered as a long series of lines of writing spread throughout the room, isolating it from the outside.

— "Is that okay Sakura-san ?" Madara asked after a moment.

— "Hai," she confirmed as she sat back down beside him.

— "What did you just do ?" Suzuki asked with his hand at his weapon, not quite reassured by what he had just seen.

— "A seal of secrecy, no one outside of those present in this room will be able to hear what is said from now on," Madara informed before removing his straw hat, revealing his person.

Some, such as Daiki, the son of the Daimyô, and Tanaka, the secretary, let out a small gasp when they saw Uchiha Madara alive.

— "So it's true," whispered Rômaji, who had always had a slight doubt of his survival.