Reborn in a Daimyo's court in Naruto

Part 24

Chapter 24

TATSUYA SHIRAHOSHI-The Third Prince

The Third Prince of the realm stilled at his mother's words, his emotions roused by a sense of betrayal and rage at the actions of his now-dead father.

"What are we to do now?" he questioned, in a snarl filled with rage and anger at the naming of that jumped-up bastard as the next daimyo. How could his father overlook his own blood like that?

His fists balled up in rage, yet a part of him had already expected that.

His mother gave him a sympathetic look as she caressed the side of his face.

"We move forward with the plan. This changes little my body, we have the men and the support, all that's left is to get rid of the last hurdle standing in our way," she said, and he nodded.

"You are right," he said as he took a deep breath.

"I shouldn't be so angry," he said, and she nodded.

"Yes, we are at the final stretch now, victory is so close now. The sooner Akihito Shirahoshi and his accursed wife are taken care of, the sooner we can put all this behind us," she began, and he nodded.

"Yes, but they are winning at the moment. I received word in the morning that Grandfather had lost nearly half his samurai and a massive number of men in the initial crusades. There are rumors that the young lord could counterattack now and sweep through the Mahiro lands," he objected, and that did not bode well for him.

His power was driven by his connection to Lord Mahiro, and if his power was to weaken, especially in such a way that it was that jumped bastard who defeated the storied of Lord Mahiro, then it would not look good on him and could cause fractures in his own supporters.

"I know, but right now, with the death of your father, the battle has become simplified. Now it is all about Akihito. As long as he is taken care of, this battle will be won, and your grandfather will see that as well," she iterated, making him frown for a second as he tried to make sense of what she was trying to say.

And then it all clicked.

"You cannot mean..." he gasped as she nodded.

"Yes, I mean so as well. This is the final stretch, and with his friend's ambitions at stake, he has written to his associate in Konoha to deliver on his promise," she confirmed his earlier suspicions and his eyes widened as she finished.

"Lord Akihito is not long for this world," she finished, and he smiled as he nodded.

"That is good, but what about the other one, Suzuki? That bastard supports him, right? They have been rather friendly for quite some years now," he began, and she shook her head, surprising him.

"Suzuki had little support himself, and he doesn't matter, for he left the capital last night without telling anyone. No one knows where he went," she told him, making him frown.

"That's suspicious," he added, and she nodded.

"Yes, but we don't have enough time to care about every little detail. We need to strike, and we need to do it now while everyone else least expects it," she finished as she looked around and leaned forward.

"I shall make an excuse that you are extremely ill, so sneak out of the capital and rush to the castle where our men have gathered. And in the night, lead them and seize the capital," she commanded him, and he nodded.

"As you say, mother," he said and took the key from her hand.

"This shall open a secret passage to the outside from your room. Now go before anyone else sees you," she said, and he nodded and, after pocketing the key, rushed towards his room, a determined smile on his face as he envisioned himself sitting on his father's throne.