"At this point the only one who can help us is Kakashi… didn't he join ROOT and then escape its influence to warn Hiruzen about that assassination attempt? Or maybe the Uchiha if they have some way to counter the ROOT's cursed tongue eradication seal…" Hiashi tried reasoning.
Shikaku nodded, "I was thinking of going to them if this didn't work out…"
"Then I will have to trouble you Shikaku…" Hiashi said with his head deeply bowed, nearly touching the table between them.
Shikaku sighed and nodded, his already weary face becoming wearier, "Troublesome."
Shikaku stood up and left the Hyuga compound silently. He immediately used the transformation jutsu to disguise himself before stepping on the streets where the ROOT shinobi patrolled.
He glanced at the nearly empty streets and sighed once more.
'I'm sighing too much these days…'
'Yoshino's complaining that it's making me older…'
'Is there really no way to save Shikamaru and the other kids?'
'I already contacted Jiraya-sama but he hasn't responded to the messages I sent him through the Nara medicine traders that go to the capital…'
'Would contacting Tsunade-sama do anything?'
'How would I even get the message across to her? Will drawing her into the village by giving her a loan do something?'
'I should ask everyone to pool their money to draw her out from her self imposed exile…'
Shikaku kept walking as he kept thinking. Eventually he reached the Nara compound where he found Shikamaru drawing stares from all the passing Nara since he stank so bad.
"What did you do to end up covered in deer shit?" Shikaku asked as he looked at his son with a puzzled expression.
Shikamaru glared at his father before yawning untimely and choking on some deer shit, COUGH COUGH COUGH PTHUI "Choji fell into the deer shit septic tank and dragged me down with him."
"I see…" Shikaku nodded as he remembered what his son was doing at the deer septic tank in the first place. Shikamaru had been taken in by a Nara Jonin on a clan issued mission to clean the Nara deer house. The Akimichi Jonin had joined in along with the Yamanaka Jonin.
They walked in silence as Shikaku caught Shikamaru at the last second before he entered home and dragged him to the backyard.
"Stand still." Shikaku ordered.
"What's going on? Why can't I go home and take a shower?"
"Go home? In that condition? Don't tell me you want to earn another earful from your mother."
Shikamaru's eyes widened and he shivered before standing completely still.
Shikaku pulled down the hose pipe from the yard and turned on the water tap to hose his son down before they both entered the house.
Only-
"Shikamaru!!! Why are you dragging water into the house!!?!? Dry your ass outside before I hang you onto the clothesline!!!"
Shikamaru glared at Shikaku once again while Shikaku just quietly slipped past Yoshino and went back into the house.
Once Shikamaru was firmly planted in the sun in the backyard, Yoshino quietly whispered to Shikaku. "Any solution yet?"
Shikaku only sighed. He looked at Yoshino's worried face and shook his head in silence. "I'm going to try Kakashi, the Uchiha and Tsunade-sama next… hopefully that works."
There were tears in Yoshino's eyes but she quickly wiped them away as a show of strength, "I'm sure you'll get it done… somehow."
Shikaku's eyes only firmed as he nodded quietly, "Don't worry… Shikamaru will never be a slave to… that man. I'll make sure of it."
***
Shisui yawned widely, he looked like a panda with the dark circles around his eyes.
He hadn't slept properly in about a month now waiting for Haruto's attack warning.
"Shisui! Daimyo-sama needs your help!!" A messenger came running out of the inner chamber of the Daimyo's residence to the rest area of the shinobi guarding him.
Shisui looked at the messenger and smiled lightly.
He was used to the calls for help by now. Since he was the strongest among the shinobi protecting him even without the mangekyou sharingan, the Daimyo had taken a liking to him.
Because of this Shisui barely had any time to rest, the second word got out that he was awake, the Daimyo essentially hounded him to come to his court to help him with matters regarding the Shinobi villages in the Fire Nation.
"I'll be right there." Shisui said and calmly put on his gear for the day.
The messenger waited right by the door for Shisui to get dressed before they walked together to the Daimyo's chambers.
"Daimyo-sama…" Shisui gave a deep bow the second he saw the Daimyo.
"Oh! Shisui!! Come come! I've been waiting for you! This village in the Land of Grass wants to request some missions from the Land of Fire… I'm good friends with the Daimyo of the Land of Grass… their bamboo soup is especially wonderful, what should I do? Do you think this country will be able to handle missions of our quality?"
"Kusagakure?" Shisui frowned in thought, he had some impression of this country from the third shinobi war so he nodded, "They're pretty resilient Daimyo-sama… they managed to stay afloat during the third shinobi war even after Iwagakure invaded them to fight Konoha and Konoha burnt their bridge."
"They got invaded? They couldn't even protect their borders? What good does a country like that do?"
Shisui smiled and explained softly, "Daimyo-sama, it's impossible for a small country like Kusagakure to stop Iwagakure from invading them, but the very fact that they stayed afloat during that time and even prospered afterwards proves that they are quite capable."
"Is that so! Then they must be pretty resilient if that's coming from you! Thank you Shisui, I don't know what I'd do without you! I'd be so very lost!"
"No Daimyo-sama, I'm sure you have equally capable ministers in your court to handle matters like these."
"Bah! The ministers in my court are all lazy bums who only know how to flatter me, you're the only one who can solve my issues."
Shisui smiled softly and nodded, "I'm glad I could be of help Daimyo-sama…"
The Daimyo looked like he got busy studying other scrolls after that so Shisui was about to leave, but the Daimyo suddenly asked him a question, "Tell me Shisui… what do you think of the Uchiha?"
Shisui's eyes narrowed slightly at the question but he kept his composure and answered truthfully, "While we may seem cold and unfeeling, most of the Uchiha love deeply. It is our love for the world that is misunderstood and turned into a weapon by few that hope to get rid of us."
"Hmmm…" The daimyo nodded while still looking at his scrolls.
Shisui was about to leave once again after a short silence from the Daimyo when the Daimyo asked him another question, "Shisui… if I told you to leave the Uchiha and serve me… would you?"
Shisui's eyes widened.
He didn't want the hell that was the routine at the Daimyo's palace.
But if it could bring benefits to the clan…
Shisui quickly bowed his head and asked the Daimyo a question of his own, "Daimyo-sama… would that mean… the Uchiha would be under your wing then?"
"Hahaha~!" The daimyo burst out into a hearty laughter. He wiped his tears and looked at Shisui with kind eyes, "You're a bit direct… aren't you… alright, alright, let's take that to be the case then."
Shisui's eyes widened.
Only… they didn't widen because of the Daimyo's words… they widened because-
***
You can now read 10 advanced chapters on my patreon for just $3!!! Thank you for your support everyone! pa treon.com/hooin_kyoma_au