| [Dec. 27th, 2013|06:48 am] |
"Tyrant," Minato said, and yawned.
"Learned from the best." Kakashi nudged a foot against Minato's hip. "Soak your shoulders. They've earned it."
They were sore. Minato slid down until the water lapped his chin and his feet tucked against Kakashi's side. The water was high enough that he could just tip his head against the edge of the bath. He should've padded it with a towel, but there were none within reach now, and he was too tired to move…
Kakashi said, quietly, "How did we miss this was coming?"
"Intel will be explaining that," Minato said, without opening his eyes, "at great length, and with sweat and blood. Our network's thinner in Hikouto than on the borders, though. We're still expecting the next eruption to come from Iwa, not from our own lords..." He pried his eyelids open at last and blinked up at the ceiling. "The nominal excuse for the coup was the Daimyou's refusal to support military action against Konoha. Specifically, removing me and replacing me with a bureaucratic flunky who'd answer only to Hikouto's command."
Maybe it was merely an excuse, a demand they'd known the Daimyou wouldn't meet. But there were already lord and merchants enough who complained about the exorbitant fees Konoha charged for its shinobi's blood, and Minato had no difficulty imagining the bureaucrats and industrialists in Hikouto who'd seize on the opportunity to turn Konoha's shinobi from independent contractors into obedient soldiers, as badly trained and paid as their own private armies. They wouldn't understand that in doing so they'd destroy everything that made Konoha strong. Likely they wouldn't even care, as long as they could save a few ryou along the way.
Kakashi's lip curled beneath the damp washcloth mask. "So, replace the Daimyou, then replace you, and what— Hope that Konoha would roll over and accept it?"
"I think it was technically replace me, then replace the Daimyou when he didn't agree, but yeah." Minato smiled crookedly. "Obviously they didn't think it through. Who'd want the dumb hat, especially when you're around to kick their asses for trying to take it?"
The water at Kakashi's end of the tub chilled, suddenly. A spark of blue-white lightning crackled across his wet hair, before his jaw bunched and his shoulders tensed again, re-establishing control. "When Shibata finds out," he grated, "I look forward to meeting them."
"My champion," Minato murmured. "Rule 25, Kakashi. Don't lose your head. There'll be blood enough to spill." |
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