Chapter 87: Wishing the Son to Become a Dragon, Sowing Discord
"Seimei-dono…"
Suddenly, the Daimyō's figure appeared not far away. Uchiha Tonan instantly sensed several pairs of eyes lurking in the shadows, watching him. When Naraku saw his father arrive, hope flickered in his eyes as he cried out desperately, "Father, please save me!"
Tonan carefully set the candle down on the ground and approached the Daimyō. "Your Highness, may we speak somewhere more private?"
The Daimyō nodded solemnly, and together they left the study hall, stepping into the rear garden of the Daimyō residence. The early morning mist clung to the air as the Daimyō's expression darkened with concern. "Seimei-dono, isn't this treatment too harsh for Naraku? After all, he is the heir."
Though he trusted Seimei's abilities, watching his son suffer was agonizing. The harshness of Seimei's training methods was difficult to accept for any father.
Tonan paused and spoke softly, "Your Highness, may I speak candidly?"
The Daimyō gave a slow nod, "Please, Seimei-dono."
With hands clasped behind his back, Tonan said calmly, "Compassion does not command armies. Justice does not amass wealth. Affection does not build nations. Virtue does not govern ministers. And kindness alone cannot wield power. If you cling to these without pragmatism, even sitting atop the highest seat, you become a puppet in others' hands. True creation always follows destruction…"
The Daimyō stood frozen, deep in thought as if weighing each word carefully.
Bowing slightly, Tonan continued, "That said, if Your Highness believes this treatment excessively ruthless, I shall go and release the First Heir immediately."
Without hesitation, Tonan turned toward the study hall.
"Wait."
The Daimyō's voice called out firmly. "Seimei-dono, continue instructing Naraku by your methods. If you require my assistance, do not hesitate to command me."
Tonan's lips curved into a thin smile. "Your Highness, I recommend you simply ignore the First Heir. Even if he comes to you with tearful complaints, you must remain resolute and turn away."
"No problem," the Daimyō replied firmly, steeling himself. This was no time for leniency. His grand ambition to rule the Land of Fire unchallenged was still fragile—he could not rely indefinitely on Konoha's protection.
After a thoughtful pause, Tonan added quietly, "One more matter, Your Highness. For Naraku's future succession to proceed smoothly, you must attend to the Second Heir carefully."
The Daimyō raised an eyebrow. "How so?"
"Keep the Second Heir close, always at your side. Take him on walks. Never publicly rebuke him; instead, praise him generously. He must feel valued."
"Why?"
"Because the greatest honor belongs to the First Heir, and the Second must be compensated in other ways. The First Heir is your successor, but the Second Heir is your son. He requires your fatherly love."
"If the Second Heir harbors resentment, once the First Heir takes the throne, they might draw swords against each other. But if you follow my advice, even if the Second Heir does nurture bitterness, it will have been eroded over time, leaving him little will to rebel—merely a discontented, powerless vassal for life."
The Daimyō's eyes cleared with understanding. "You speak wisdom. Proceed as you will, and teach as you deem fit."
Their conversation stretched into the dawn. The Daimyō grew increasingly convinced of Tonan's philosophy and pledged his full cooperation.
By the time Tonan returned alone to the study hall's small courtyard, the sky had lightened. Naraku remained tied to the wooden stake, his neck craned toward the entrance, yearning to see if his father had intervened.
But seeing no sign of his father, his heart sank. As Tonan approached with a cold expression, fear tightened Naraku's chest, yet he dared not move. He could only whisper timidly, "Where is my father?"
"Hmph," Tonan snorted with disdain. The candle had burned low, melting a pool of liquid wax at its base. A cruel smile tugged at his lips as he picked up the candle and dripped hot wax onto Naraku's bare skin.
"Ah!" Naraku screamed as the scalding wax burned him. The pain was sharp, relentless—and the smile on Tonan's face only grew wider.
"It seems a father's ambition in the shinobi world—wishing his son to become a dragon—is a powerful thing. Naraku can endure this much. The gap between Konoha and the Daimyō is wider than I imagined."
On the other side of the courtyard wall, the Daimyō crouched hidden in shadow, listening in. Unable to bear his son's agonized screams, he closed his eyes and sighed deeply. With gritted teeth, he turned away and left.
At the same time, Tonan noticed the watchful eyes in the darkness vanish. Presumably, the Daimyō had dismissed his guards, unwilling to risk their overhearing the lesson's content.
A short while later, the half-awake Nahara stumbled into the courtyard. The sight before him froze him in terror.
Tonan glanced at him and said unexpectedly with a smile, "Second Heir, you're just in time. Please, take a seat. I'll give the lecture shortly."
"I thought I would be tortured too," Nahara murmured, disbelief heavy in his voice. He swallowed nervously, then stepped inside the classroom.
Meanwhile, Tonan untied Naraku, who collapsed to his knees, gasping for air. He tried to find a moment's respite—only to be doused with a bucket of cold water, shivering violently.
Uchiha Tonan was ruthless and unyielding. Seeing Naraku soaked and trembling, he said coldly, "Why haven't you entered the classroom yet?"
A flicker of fear and resentment crossed Naraku's eyes, but he dared not protest and hurried inside.
Taking his place at the podium, Tonan spoke gently to the restless Nahara, "Second Heir, if you are tired, feel free to lie down and rest briefly. Balance between study and rest is crucial."
Nahara glanced nervously at Naraku's battered form and shook his head. "No, thank you. I'm not sleepy."
Fearing he might be next, he chose obedience as his best defense. Tonan smiled and nodded. Then his gaze sharpened as he turned back to Naraku.
"First Heir, pay close attention. This lesson will be tested. Fail, and the consequences will be physical."
Though still trembling from pain, Naraku summoned all his strength to reply, "Yes…"
"This boy's endurance is stronger than I expected." Tonan's eyes narrowed, and the class began…
"The 'Sweep Over' strategy is also called the 'Attack the Heart' strategy. There are three hearts to win over: the heart of the ruler, the heart of the ministers, and the heart of the people. Put simply, a country is supported by three pillars: the sovereign, the influential officials, and the common folk."
"To maintain power, you need the support of at least two of these forces. To secretly control a nation, you must control the will of all three. And people—no matter who—share one fundamental weakness: selfishness. Use their desire for benefit to manipulate their loyalty."
———
Time slipped by until near noon. "Time's up. Hand in your test papers," Tonan commanded icily.
Naraku trembled as he submitted his answers.
Tonan skimmed through and suddenly shouted, "What nonsense is this? Did you just parrot my lecture word-for-word? Where is your own insight? No lunch for you today. Stand in the courtyard until six. Don't think you can sneak away—I have eyes everywhere."
Naraku was utterly drained. The verdict spun his head; he swayed but forced himself upright and muttered weakly, "Yes…"
Afterwards, it felt as though a thousand-pound iron ball were chained to his legs. Step by heavy step, he trudged to the courtyard. Tonan ignored the sleeping Nahara and cast a hard glance at Naraku before turning his back and leaving the Daimyō's residence.
Truth be told, Tonan had not expected Naraku to withstand such cruelty. Most would have broken long ago. But spoiled from childhood, Naraku had endured until now—an unexpected testament to his hidden strength.
However, the more one suppresses, the more ruthlessness festers beneath the surface. When emotions finally erupt, the outcome can be devastating.
Shortly after, an attendant hurried to the courtyard, finding Naraku frozen in place as punishment. He bowed his head, pretending not to see or hear, and entered the study hall silently.
"Second Heir, Second Heir, wake up!" The attendant shook Nahara, who lay sprawled across the table.
"Is class over already? So fast," Nahara yawned and stretched. Now that he knew Tonan didn't truly care about him, the lessons felt more like lullabies than anything else.
Respectfully, the attendant said, "His Majesty wishes to see you."
Nahara snapped awake.
"It's over… that old man must have told my father. I'm going to get scolded again for slacking off."
Nervously, he followed the attendant to the Daimyō's residence.
Inside, Nahara's gaze flickered nervously, avoiding direct eye contact with his father. He braced for punishment.
To his shock, the Daimyō greeted him with a gentle smile and said, "Nahara, how are your studies?"
Sitting beside his father, Nahara answered cautiously, "They're going well… not bad."
The Daimyō smiled warmly. "Let's dine together. From now on, you'll come here after class every day. Tell me what you wish to eat."
"Ah? Alright…" Nahara was completely bewildered.
"Eat well," the Daimyō urged as he placed vegetables into Nahara's bowl. The sudden tenderness confused him—his father was more reserved than before but strangely kind. Quietly, Nahara replied, "Thank you, Father."