Dressed in a loose, dark-blue jinbei, with flip-flops on his feet and sunglasses resting on his face, Kizaru strolled toward the tree beside the pond on the left side of the courtyard. In his right hand, he carried a glass of iced watermelon juice with a straw.
A rocking chair rested beneath the tree, with a small wooden tea table beside it.
Kizaru lowered himself onto the rocking chair and took a sip of watermelon juice. A satisfied smile spread across his face as he placed the glass on the table to his right.
Compared to his teacher and uncle, who had spent the past few days closely monitoring the movements of the other shinobi villages, Kizaru had been remarkably relaxed.
Every internal procedure for his succession as Hokage had already been completed. Only one final formality remained: meeting with the Fire Daimyo and his officials to formally notify them of the change in Hokage.
In name, the succession required the daimyo's approval. In reality, once Konoha had made its decision, the visit was little more than a formal notification to the Fire Daimyo, his ministers, and the nobles of the Land of Fire.
The daimyo and the Kage were the two pillars supporting every nation. One was the country's nominal supreme ruler, while the other controlled its military power.
On paper, the daimyo stood above the Kage.
During peaceful times, the shinobi villages observed the proper etiquette and showed the daimyo of each country the respect their position demanded.
However, once substantial interests came into conflict and all pretenses were cast aside, the Kage's voice and status undoubtedly carried more weight.
The truth was simple. The one commanding the stronger military was the one who held real authority.
Show the daimyo respect, and he was the ruler of the country. Take that respect away, and he was little more than a pampered fat pig sitting in a palace.
The Fire Daimyo was an intelligent man who understood this reality perfectly. He rarely interfered in the dealings between the capital and Konoha, instead delegating those matters to the officials beneath him.
Whenever those officials overstepped their authority and provoked Konoha's dissatisfaction, the daimyo would personally intervene, using his higher position to mediate the dispute.
When necessary, he would even cast aside whichever officials had caused the conflict to settle the matter with Konoha.
For a ruler who no longer controlled his country's primary military force, the Fire Daimyo had done an excellent job of preserving his supreme status, a portion of his authority, and the dignity owed to his position through careful political balance.
Because they knew the Fire Daimyo was a sensible man, Hiruzen Sarutobi, Danzō, and Kizaru had never worried that anything would go wrong during the final stage of the Hokage succession.
Konoha had already informed the daimyo and his officials of the situation. All that remained was to wait for their reply before departing for the capital of the Land of Fire.
Reclining in the rocking chair, Kizaru showed no concern about his upcoming meeting with the daimyo. Instead, his thoughts returned to a question that had suddenly occurred to him the previous night.
When Kizaru left Tsunade's house, he had happened to run into Minato as he was leaving Kushina's home.
Their eyes met, and both of them smiled.
Kizaru's skin was far too thick for the encounter to bother him. If anything, he found the situation rather amusing.
Minato, on the other hand, had looked somewhat embarrassed, and the smile on his face had been noticeably stiff.
That, however, was not what had remained on Kizaru's mind. Seeing Minato had reminded him of someone else.
Madara Uchiha.
Madara was the reincarnation of Indra, the eldest son of the Sage of Six Paths. After Madara's death, Indra's chakra would eventually be reincarnated as Sasuke Uchiha.
Indra's younger brother, Ashura, was the Sage of Six Paths' second son and chosen successor. His next reincarnation would be Naruto Uzumaki.
Putting aside the endless feud between the two brothers and the countless cycles of reincarnation it had caused, Kizaru was far more interested in another question.
If he killed Madara twelve years earlier than he had died in the original timeline, would Indra and Ashura's next reincarnations still be Sasuke and Naruto?
Ashura's current reincarnation, Hashirama Senju, had already been dead for years. The reason Ashura's chakra had yet to move on was most likely because Indra's current reincarnation, Madara Uchiha, was still alive.
If Kizaru killed Madara twelve years ahead of schedule, would the next pair of reincarnations also be born earlier?
Would they become entirely different people?
Kizaru could even attempt to control the timing himself.
At the exact moment he killed Madara, he could arrange for Fugaku Uchiha and his girlfriend, Mikoto, to sleep together. At the same time, he could find another couple carrying Senju or Uzumaki blood and have them try for a child as well.
If both couples continued trying to conceive throughout the following period, could he artificially influence not only when Indra and Ashura were reincarnated, but also the people they were reincarnated as?
If it worked, Indra's next reincarnation might become Fugaku's eldest son—an Itachi Uchiha born much earlier than he had been in the original timeline.
"Oooh... now that would be interesting."
Kizaru rubbed his chin, finding the idea more entertaining the longer he considered it.
"What's so interesting?"
Just as he finished speaking, Keiko's voice came from the entrance to the courtyard.
Carrying Kizaru's freshly washed and pressed clothes in her arms, Keiko entered the courtyard with the gentle smile and composed bearing of a traditional Japanese beauty.
Kizaru sat upright when he saw her, and the smile on his face became noticeably warmer.
"Keiko-neesan, you could leave those things to the others, you know."
Neither Kizaru nor the Shimura clan expected anyone to serve them without compensation. Every clan member who worked at the Shimura clan's main residence received a regular salary, and the benefits were exceptionally generous. Among the ordinary members of the clan, such positions were highly sought after.
Although those living in the main residence were mostly members of the clan's direct lineage, elite shinobi, or senior figures within the family, they generally treated the ordinary clan members who served there well. There had never been any cases of them abusing or bullying those beneath them.
Their shared blood played a part in that, but the guidance and discipline of the three elders were equally important.
Having lived from the Warring States Period to the present day, the three elders understood better than anyone that a clan could only endure if its members remained united.
Keiko smiled at Kizaru and gently shook her head.
"You should be the one resting. Don't worry about me."
With that, she crossed the courtyard and entered the house.
Kizaru watched until she disappeared through the doorway before reclining in the rocking chair again, the smile never leaving his face.
Keiko had taken care of him since he was four or five years old. By now, Kizaru regarded her as his own older sister and had grown completely accustomed to her care. If someone else suddenly replaced her, he doubted he would be able to adjust anytime soon.
However, Keiko was already twenty-one. She had reached the age when she should be able to go out, meet someone, and consider marriage.
Kizaru began wondering whether he should speak to the Third Elder and have Keiko transferred to a more relaxed position.
Her salary as his personal attendant was good, but the job came with many responsibilities. It also kept her confined to the Shimura clan's main residence most of the time, leaving her with few opportunities to go out.
Kizaru closed his eyes as he lay in the rocking chair, wondering what kind of position would suit someone he regarded as an older sister—something with less work, better pay, and generous benefits.
Just then, Keiko emerged from the house after putting away his clothes.
"You don't have any refreshments. I'll bring you something."
Before Kizaru could properly dissuade her, Keiko hurried out of the courtyard in quick little steps.
A short while later, she returned carrying a wooden tray.
On it were a pot of hot tea, several kinds of pastries, and an assortment of Kizaru's favorite fruits.
Kizaru remained seated instead of rising to help her. Their relationship was close enough that such formality was unnecessary, and even if he did try to take the tray from her, Keiko would never allow it.
As he watched her bend down and arrange everything on the tea table one item at a time, Kizaru spoke with an easy smile.
"Oooh, Keiko-neesan... have you ever thought about changing jobs?"
Before he could finish explaining, Keiko's hands paused over the pastries, and a trace of panic flashed across her face.
"I mean, being a personal attendant is awfully demanding," Kizaru continued. "Wouldn't you rather have an easier job that pays even better?"
Hearing the rest of his explanation, Keiko visibly relaxed. She finished placing the tea, pastries, and fruit on the table, then straightened and smiled as she shook her head.
"I like my current job. Being able to take care of everyone every day makes me happy."
Her smile was completely sincere. Keiko truly did enjoy her work, especially looking after Kizaru, the "little brother" she had cared for since he was a child.
Seeing that she had already made up her mind, Kizaru did not try to persuade her any further.
"If anything ever happens, or if the work becomes too tiring, you have to tell me. All right?"
Keiko smiled and nodded. Kizaru's concern filled her with genuine warmth and happiness.
Holding the empty wooden tray against her chest with both hands, Keiko parted her lips as if she wanted to say something, only to close them again.
With Kizaru's keen senses and exceptional eyesight, the slight change in her expression did not escape his notice. His expression immediately became serious.
"What happened? Tell me."
Keiko hurriedly shook her head.
"It's nothing serious. I only wanted to ask how Yoshihiko has been lately. He hasn't come home in two months."
"Yoshihiko is with the ANBU. He's probably been busy with missions lately, so don't worry." Kizaru deliberately kept his expression relaxed as he reassured her. "I'll go see Uncle later and ask how Yoshihiko is doing."
For an ordinary person, having a family member who was a shinobi disappear for such a long time without sending any word was agonizing.
Sometimes, the next thing delivered to their home would be a letter of condolence from the village.
This fear weighed even more heavily on Keiko, who had been born into a shinobi clan. Both of her parents had died while carrying out missions.
Over the years, she had also watched many members of the Shimura clan lose their lives. Each time, the grief suffered by the families they left behind had filled Keiko with that same sorrow.
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