Fumori Masaki and his group quickly arrived at the capital. The Konoha combat units waited outside the capital, as it was inconvenient for them to enter and cause unease. In any case, there were no powerful forces left within the capital; the most elite chakra samurai of the Daimyo's mansion were unusable, and the remaining ordinary samurai were not a concern.
The officials in the capital first met with Fumori Masaki and the others. In the past, when Fumori Masaki went to the capital for discussions, this official was responsible, and he held a high regard for the Konoha Ninja Village. However, after this incident, it was likely that no one in the capital still had a good impression of the Daimyo.
Those lords or officials who insisted on following the Daimyo had been completely eliminated in the town by Uchiha Kokuya, and the remaining officials in the capital had also fallen. Although they had not yet received formal appointments from the Daimyo, most capital officials already considered them nonexistent. Those people could only tremble in their mansions, awaiting their fate.
"Lord Hokage, I never expected such a thing to happen," the official said with a bitter expression to Fumori Masaki. "Fortunately, you detected Tobi in time—ah, no, this guy's real name should be Uchiha Kokuya, right? This scoundrel truly deserves death, but he managed to escape."
"It was also our momentary oversight that allowed this person to survive by chance," Fumori Masaki said. "Allowing him to infiltrate the side of His Highness the Daimyo, to be honest, we were negligent in that regard."
"Even so, if His Highness the Daimyo had not always been wary of your Konoha Ninja Village, how could he have allowed this person to infiltrate his side?" The officials were not fools. When the Daimyo appointed Uchiha Kokuya to his side, they did not believe he was under genjutsu. After the Daimyo's genjutsu was dispelled, proof could be obtained from the guardian monks, whose genjutsu was also dispelled.
In the past, the guardian monks were indeed loyal to His Highness the Daimyo, but the Uchiha Kokuya whom the Daimyo introduced worried the guardian monks from the start. However, the Daimyo stubbornly refused to listen. Now that such an incident had occurred, not only was the Daimyo controlled, but even the guardian monks did not escape the genjutsu.
After the genjutsu was dispelled, the guardian monks all harbored resentment. They might not do anything to the Daimyo, but when it came to testifying for him, they were unwilling. The responsibility that should be borne must be borne!
"Lord Hokage, what are your plans for this visit?" the official asked as he accompanied Fumori Masaki and the others into the capital.
"The most important thing now is to stabilize the domestic political situation. I don't want to go to war, as that would give other countries an opportunity to take advantage. Although the Land of Fire is the strongest country on the ninja continent, many are eyeing it because of that. For the subsequent handling of this matter, I hope to transition in as stable a manner as possible," Fumori Masaki said.
"Lord Hokage is wise," the official said with genuine sincerity.
"Now that His Highness the Daimyo has lost his virtue, it's not appropriate for him to represent the Daimyo's mansion. How about having Princess Chihime temporarily represent the Daimyo?" Fumori Masaki asked.
"Excellent," the official said, glancing at Princess Chihime, who was following behind. Princess Chihime nodded slightly in acknowledgment, and he returned a respectful smile.
"Who is currently in charge of the specific affairs within the capital?" Fumori Masaki asked.
"The Crown Prince is temporarily acting as regent," the official replied.
"I see," Fumori Masaki nodded slightly. The Daimyo was clearly unable to exercise power now, so it was natural for the Crown Prince, his heir, to temporarily act. However, in Fumori Masaki's mind, the Crown Prince himself was not a suitable candidate. He had met him a few times in the past, and his personality was quite similar to the current Daimyo.
For stabilizing the new order in the future and having this Crown Prince represent the symbol of the national monarch, Fumori Masaki considered it inappropriate. However, for now, this person was indeed a suitable transitional figure. They would discuss it further once the new order was established.
Fumori Masaki and his group arrived at the Daimyo's mansion. Fumori Masaki asked the others to wait, and he entered with Princess Chihime. The Daimyo's mansion was now like a startled bird, and when they heard of Fumori Masaki's arrival, there was a slight commotion.
The Daimyo already knew he would meet with Fumori Masaki. In the past, as a dignified monarch, he could naturally look Fumori Masaki in the eye. But now, it was different; he was essentially a prisoner, forced to bow his head before the other party.
However, upon hearing that his sister was also with Fumori Masaki, his heart felt a little more at ease. He did not intend to let Fumori Masaki enter alone while he waited; instead, he personally went out to greet him.
"Lord Hokage…" The moment the Daimyo saw Fumori Masaki, a very awkward smile appeared on his face, as unsightly as could be.
Princess Chihime, who was beside Fumori Masaki, couldn't bear to watch. Although the Daimyo had made so many mistakes, he was still her brother. She thought: If only you could be like the Daimyo of other countries, with more trust in your own ninja village, how could it have come to this?
Apart from the Daimyo of the Land of Wind and the Daimyo of the Land of Water, the Daimyo of the Land of Earth and the Daimyo of the Land of Lightning had always maintained good cooperative relationships with their respective ninja villages. Their mutual trust was very strong, and on major matters of right and wrong, they never tried to hinder the progress of the ninja villages.
Of course, the growing strength of the Konoha Ninja Village over the years was also a factor. The Konoha Ninja Village, which was the first to adopt new systems and technologies, developed much faster than other ninja villages. Every ninja village followed in the footsteps of the Konoha Ninja Village, and their respective strengths could not be lumped together.
As a monarch who sought to centralize power, the Daimyo of the Land of Fire's actions were not incomprehensible. However, no matter how understandable, with such an incident occurring, Princess Chihime naturally couldn't feel sympathy for him. In her opinion, her brother had made too many mistakes.
"Your Highness the Daimyo." Although this person would certainly not be able to remain in the position of Daimyo, he was still the ruler of a country for now. Fumori Masaki's demeanor was very polite, which earned him goodwill from others and further highlighted the Daimyo's ignobility.
Fumori Masaki understood that although he was the victor, if he acted arrogantly in front of the Daimyo, it would inevitably make people think his side had become conceited, and the image he had cultivated in the past would be distorted. While there might not be problems immediately, if issues arose in the future, this could influence the choices of certain people.
And his current ability to still show outward respect for the Daimyo's position would make people feel that his magnanimity was indeed great, which was very beneficial for his personal image. In contrast, in the hearts of others, the Daimyo's actions would appear even more despicable.
Upon entering the Daimyo's mansion, Fumori Masaki saw the other four Guardian Ninja and the guardian monks. The Daimyo was still the ruler of the country, and they also had to bear the responsibility of protecting him. However, the guardian monks were discontent due to the Daimyo's act of inviting a wolf into the house, and the Guardian Ninja also felt very awkward.
Previously, due to Uchiha Kokuya's manipulation, the four Guardian Ninja had followed him in attacking Konoha ninja, including the Hokage's own daughter. They naturally felt very uncomfortable in his presence. But due to the curse mark binding them to the Daimyo, they couldn't abandon him and flee, so they could only wait here.
Thinking about it now, they felt immense regret. But what else could the Guardian Ninja do? They could only stand there awkwardly, unsure of how the Hokage would deal with them.
Fumori Masaki glanced at the Guardian Ninja. He was naturally dissatisfied with their actions, but since he intended to create a new order throughout the entire country, things had to be different from the past. Even if there were factors of personal feelings, there had to be a fair trial.
Regarding the attack incident that occurred at that time, Fumori Masaki only knew the situation on Asuna and the others' side, but he was not very familiar with the Daimyo's mansion's side. At that time, the Konoha Judicial Department, along with the capital's judicial departments, would conduct a trial to determine the guilt of these four Guardian Ninja. It would not be too late to settle accounts then.
"Your Highness the Daimyo, do you have anything to say about Uchiha Kokuya's matter?" Fumori Masaki asked the Daimyo after they had taken their seats.
"...Lord Hokage, this is my fault. I shouldn't have lightly believed this person's words and harbored doubts about your Konoha Ninja Village, resulting in such a mistake." The Daimyo subconsciously still pushed the responsibility onto Uchiha Kokuya, claiming he was merely deceived by him.
"Your Highness the Daimyo, regardless, your suspicion towards our Konoha Ninja Village deeply pains us. All along, we have diligently fulfilled our duties. It can be said that we have done nothing to offend the Daimyo's mansion, haven't we?" Fumori Masaki said.
—Of course, you have! Your tendency towards independence is growing stronger and stronger. How can I tolerate that?
Although the Daimyo thought this, he certainly couldn't say it at this moment. Saying it would only make him appear more despicable and contradict his earlier statement of pushing responsibility onto Uchiha Kokuya, because it would prove that the Daimyo had been dissatisfied with the Konoha Ninja Village from the start.
"Your Highness the Daimyo, I think you also understand that, according to past examples, in such a situation, you can no longer continue to hold the position of monarch. Only in this way can everyone be given an explanation and everyone be satisfied. This is not just the opinion of our Konoha Ninja Village, but also includes the other lords." Fumori Masaki did not intend to strip away the Daimyo's pretenses one by one, as that would only make the other party feel humiliated. Although he really wanted to see such a result, he still had to consider other things now, so he directly stated the situation and presented a joint letter.
The joint letter expressed indignation at the serious consequences caused by the Daimyo's perverse actions, demanding that the Daimyo must take responsibility and that he could not possibly hold the position of monarch under any circumstances. Below were numerous names, all bearing the unique marks of the local lords, proving that they were indeed their signatures.
As the Protector War progressed, Fumori Masaki was not only focused on the battlefield but also maintained communication with other lords. He revealed some of his ideas, which were recognized by the lords, and thus this joint letter was naturally born.
The Daimyo immediately understood what this was: a forced abdication!
And unlike other forced abdications, this one also held the moral high ground, leaving everyone in the Land of Fire speechless. Instead, they supported such an action, which made the Daimyo's vision grow darker and darker.
"I understand. What are your thoughts, Lord Hokage? Do you want me to abdicate?" the Daimyo said after a moment of silence.
"Agree to these terms. As long as these terms are agreed upon, we will no longer pursue His Highness the Daimyo's responsibilities. The rest will be borne by Uchiha Kokuya," Fumori Masaki said calmly.
"What terms?" the Daimyo asked.
Fumori Masaki looked at Princess Chihime, who brought an agreement to the Daimyo. The Daimyo took it and read it carefully. In a short while, his hands began to tremble.
This agreement broadly outlined: The current Daimyo's perverse actions have incurred the wrath of heaven and the resentment of the people, requiring his abdication. In doing so, he will no longer be prosecuted for his crimes, and his family and property will be protected. At the same time, to prevent such situations from recurring, the responsibilities of the Daimyo's mansion will be jointly discussed and implemented by the Konoha Ninja Village and the local lords. A supreme law will also be established, serving as the fundamental law of the nation, and all parties, including the monarch, must abide by its provisions.
"Are you trying to seize the power of the Daimyo's mansion?!" the Daimyo cried out in disbelief.
"We merely intend to supervise the monarch's power. The monarch's power is immense; once it acts with bias, it can lead to unforeseeable consequences, such as now," Fumori Masaki informed the Daimyo of the consequences of unchecked power with facts, and the Daimyo was speechless, for he himself was the one who had made such a mistake.
"This is seizing the monarch's power!"
"If Your Highness the Daimyo wishes to think so, we cannot prevent you from doing so."
"Chihime, can you accept this?!" the Daimyo looked at Princess Chihime and shouted loudly.
"Brother, I believe it should indeed be supervised by the Konoha Ninja Village and the lords. Otherwise, what if such a mistake happens again?" Princess Chihime's single sentence blocked the Daimyo's words. The mistake the Daimyo personally committed made all his reasons invalid.
"What is this supreme law? Why should the monarch obey it?" the Daimyo said with reddened eyes.
"This is to ensure that everyone in the country can act according to a commonly observed law in the future. This can maintain mutual relations, restrict individual behavior, and prevent actions that cross boundaries," Fumori Masaki said. "One point about the immense power of the monarch is that they are not bound by law!"
The Daimyo was speechless, because monarchs could indeed disregard laws. Even if a law was stipulated, a monarch could unilaterally defy it, and the principle of a supreme law was unacceptable to an autocratic monarch.
"Your Highness the Daimyo, you can think about this carefully. This is not a result that can be achieved overnight. Everything we are doing is for the orderly future of the country, and to ensure the safety and happiness of everyone." Fumori Masaki did not believe the Daimyo could accept this in a short time. This would inevitably require extensive negotiations, including the formulation of the supreme law, all of which would take time.