Naruto: Tango with Death

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As I left the main room, going against the Daimyo's direct order, I saw many of the servants were sticking their ears against the paper wall. They jumped back as they saw me, but I did not bother with them as I approached Jiro, the butler.

He was looking at me with a complicated expression, unsure of how to treat me. After a moment, he asked, "Are you alright?"

I didn't need to know him very well to know this was unnatural for him to express concern toward a servant. Still, I replied a little coldly as I said, "I'm fine. Where do you want me?"

Jiro scratched his head and muttered, "You can take a rest…"

I cut him off, "I'll head to the kitchens."

And without another word, I walked that way. I kept a frustrated front, but inwardly I was rejoicing.

No normal girl would dare to snap at the Daimyo the way I did, most servants would rather cut off a limb than speak to the Daimyo like that, for this could result in things much worse than a missing limb.

But for me to do it, after our discussion, it brought forward a specific message, that I unconsciously believed myself to be his daughter, and was getting frustrated by the situation.

This would have quite a few effects. Of course, the Mistress would actually want me dead now, even without the poison influencing her, but I had made my story much more believable to the Daimyo and the Kiri Ninjas.

Because I was gone, the poison wouldn't affect them anymore, so their mind wouldn't be so malleable anymore, meaning that whatever impression of myself I had planted in their mind, it would be harder for it to change.

This was good, because I didn't just need the Daimyo to believe I was his daughter, I also wanted the Kiri Ninjas to believe that.

Drama in the royal family would make them much more easily manipulable, especially since the rest of the family was either executed or exiled. The tension I was bringing forward was weakening the grasp of the Mistress over the Daimyo, turning him into a better puppet for Kiri.

As for the Mistress' hatred for me, it could easily be used by them as well, meaning they had near absolute control over the two most powerful people in the country. And in case either of them became uncontrollable, I would be there as a new pawn, and what could be easier to manipulate than a 10 years old child?

For now, I was almost making Kiri's work even easier than it had to be. Unfortunately for them, they didn't know they were playing into my hand.

I stayed for the rest of the day in the kitchens, showing another talent of mine as I prepared great meals one after another, and worked like a tireless machine while keeping an elegance to myself.

The way the other servants were looking at me also changed through the course of the day as the rumours of me being the Daimyo's daughter were spreading rapidly, and without a doubt they had reached the Mistress.

She did not come for me today though, so I was able to finish the day in the kitchen. However, as the day ended, and we were allowed to go back to our rooms, Jiro specifically came to see me and said, "Follow me to your room."

I nodded, appearing calmer now as I followed him through the castle. As we walked, although I didn't see anyone, I was sure someone was following us, or rather, me. I could feel it.

I did not react to it in any way though, and followed Jiro to my room quietly. As it turned out, I wasn't given a regular servant's room, but a large room which I guess was only slightly less luxurious than the Daimyo's.

I stopped at the doorstep, and Jiro looked at me in silence. After a moment, I asked, "Jiro-san, what do you think of me?"

Jiro remained silent at first, before eventually saying, "You know what you are doing, aren't you?"

I crossed my arms, leaning against the wall as I replied, "Yes and no. Did I come here with a goal in mind? Yes. Did I plan for everything that happened? No."

Jiro nodded slightly, before saying, "Then, are you the Great Leader's daughter?"

If there was one thing Danzo had taught me, it was to avoid speaking lies next to a sensor. So I replied, "Why else would I be here?"

Technically not a lie, and I didn't feel like I was lying. Jiro looked around the room before saying, "I was there, before the Great Leader took over. Actually, I witnessed the Great Leader's birth. And the more I see you, the more you remind me of the Great Leader's sister."

I chose to remain silent this time, I wasn't going to refuse information. Jiro continued, "She was a very beautiful woman, as well as a talent in many disciplines. She was favoured by many to become the next Daimyo, after the Great Leader's father passed away."

I tilted my head, and remembering my history lessons, I asked, "You must be speaking of Princess Hina."

Jiro nodded, and said, "The official story is that she died to a fire, but do you know what she really died to?"

I shook my head, and Jiro replied, "Her innocence. For all the good she represented, she was too trusting. The Great Leader, her little brother, supported her, but their elder brother…"

Clenching his fists, Jiro said through gritted teeth, "He colluded with those demons from Konohagakure, and they had the Princess killed, and the Great Leader exiled. But the worst thing is, they could have been stopped, the Great Leader had discovered their brother's schemes, but because the Princess did not want to fight against her brother, she decided to trust him."

Well, Konoha isn't all fairies and roses it would seem. Shocker.

Jiro suddenly bowed towards me, and said, "I do not wish for another Princess Hina to appear."

I stepped closer to him, and raised his chin to have him look at me. Still holding his chin, I asked, "Then, you believe me?"

Tears welled up within the old man's eyes as he replied, "How could I not? I can feel it in my heart, you are Princess Hina's spitting image."

Psychological Projection. In essence, what I was doing with these people wasn't too different from an old gypsies woman telling people their future.

By mentioning vague details, I let other people make their own conclusions. In reality, I was probably not any more similar to Princess Hina than any other noble girl.

However, because I had already planted the seed that I was part of the royal family into his mind, and he apparently held the past Princes Hina in a special place, he projected her onto me.

Humans had a fragile psyche, and I specialized in manipulating it. A ninja was harder to manipulate because they had been trained to strengthen their mind, but someone like Jiro, all I needed was to let him make my story.

Since he seemed to have already created a strong image of me, I let go of his chin softly and said, "I do not know my aunt, but if there is something I can tell you, it is that I was not raised in a greenhouse. I endured the storm, and survived it."

Jiro bowed lower than before, and said, "Then you shall have my undying loyalty, Princess."

I hummed slightly, before saying, "If that is true, then I want you to do something for me."

Jiro raised his head and asked, "Yes?"

I replied, "For all his qualities, my father is too soft on his wife. So much that he has forgotten about the enemy."

Jiro frowned and said, "But the Great Leader has taken measures against possible attacks from the Land of Fire. Besides, it was even the Mistress' idea to gather our troops to the capital to protect it."

I shook my head, and fully aware of the Kiri Ninja spying on us, I said, "It would be foolish to only consider good and bad, righteous and evil while dealing with our country's security. But you are not the one I should be speaking this with. Jiro, I want you to bring me to that man with the box."