A Magical Princess

Chapter 6

The next morning they met in the personal apartments of the Hayano family, agreeing that after yesterday they should stay behind wards with all of their protection in one place. Ino looked tired but satisfied. Eito would recover just fine and was sleeping with his twin in the other room, who had refused to leave his side.

It was a grim-looking Hibiki who joined them for breakfast, Hari following him with a determined expression on her face. Shikamaru's eyes narrowed at them, recognizing that today they'd learn of the true reason they were there.

"I'd like to apologize for the attack on your wife," Hibiki started with, looking over at Isao. "I truly did not believe they would try anything, but it seems that they have gotten bolder. Is she recovered from the shock?"

Isao studied him before giving a small nod. "She is. Aiko looks delicate, but she is actually quite resilient. She was glad to hear that the child will live."

Hibiki let out a breath. "As are we all."

"I think," Shikamaru said as calmly as he could, "that we should probably skip the pleasantries and get right to why we're here, and why exactly there are people who are so determined to kill you."

"Yes. I suppose we should." Hibiki met Isao's gaze. "Fruit Country is in the midst of a silent, secret civil war." There was barely a twitch from the ninja, though Isao frowned but didn't interrupt.

"My brother, Hisoka, feels that I am not the right person to rule Fruit Country any longer, mostly due to my insistence that I begin to slowly open our borders to other countries."

"Let me guess, he thinks he is the 'right person' for the job?" Ino asked, unimpressed, and Hibiki nodded.

"It makes sense for us to open our borders - our culture is stagnating, falling behind in medical, cultural, and technological advances. As you know, three years ago two percent of our population was wiped out by a disease that would have been easily prevented in other countries. Our lush vegetation and huge amounts of livestock, plus our ability to create large amounts of silk, makes us self-sufficient, and also an attractive ally for other large countries.

"Still, the founders had decided on an isolationist policy from the very beginning, wanting nothing to do with the shinobi wars, and despite the signs now pointing to a long-lasting peace for our world, there is a faction that is vehemently opposed to opening our borders." Hibiki paused, but nobody moved to speak. Shikamaru knew that Isao and Tsunade were more than passingly interested in getting a treaty signed with Fruit Country, so he started working through the implications of a violently opposed portion of the population attempting to stop it from happening.

His thoughts ground to a halt at his next words. "What this faction will not accept is that there is also another reason to start making allies. The power that protects us from the outside world is fading. I doubt it will last for another five years."

There were a few shocked gasps around the table. The reason Fruit Country had never been invaded was due to the land itself - it reacted with lethal force to unwanted invaders. Many believed they were gifted the land and its protection from the Sage of Six Paths himself. It was tied to the blood of the Hayano clan - only they could give permission to enter. Hisoka had probably been using that power to let hired missing-nin in for assassination attempts.

"My brother will discover the truth of this when the land passes to him, and so he should accept any contracts I create with outside countries to ensure our protection," Hibiki finished.

"When would that happen?" Shikamaru asked, suspicious. "Won't the land pass on to your children? You're the main line, correct?"

Hibiki frowned and looked away. "You see the situation as it is. Even with Hari's unique abilities, we will not be able to keep the rebel faction from killing my family."

"So you're just giving up?" Naruto asked, distressed, and Hibiki shook his head with a small smile.

"No, of course not. I decided long ago that my children's lives were more important than who holds power over Fruit Country. And while my brother may be determined to see me and my children die, he is also determined to see our people live. He will not make a bad ruler, I think. So Hari and I came up with a plan that will hopefully benefit both Fruit and Fire Country, and keep my children alive."

"And what about you?" Shikamaru pressed, having a feeling he already knew the answer when Hari's fists clenched and she blinked rapidly down at the table.

"I expect to be dead within six months," Hibiki said in a calm voice.

"What?" Isao said. "Surely you don't think they'll succeed, not if you manage to make a treaty with a shinobi nation."

Hibiki shook his head. "I am ill. I don't believe I will live longer than a few months."

There was stunned silence around the table, and then Ino, unsurprisingly, demanded to have a look.

Thirty minutes later, she confirmed what he had said. "It's too far along. I'm sorry but...there's nothing I can do."

Hibiki looked almost amused. "It is okay, child," he said. "I have accepted this." Hari made a small, pained sound, but didn't comment. "Will you let me explain my proposal?" he asked.

At the nods around the table, he smiled. "I would like to make an exclusive trade agreement with Fire Country. In exchange, I would request a marriage between my oldest daughter, Hari, into one of your ninja clans, with the agreement that my other two children would be adopted into the family, as well."

Shikamaru blinked slowly, feeling a little off kilter, before the reasoning clicked. "You know that our clans offer protection to their members. If Hari and the twins marry into one of them, any assassination attempts would be met with the force of not just the village behind them, but the clan itself." Shikamaru watched Hari while he spoke, trying to measure her reaction. Most women weren't exactly excited to be traded into marriage, but all he saw on her face was resolve.

Hibiki made a sound of agreement. "Yes, that is the idea. Once Eito and Natsu are adopted into the family, the land will automatically pass onto my brother. It will recognize your people as allies, even after I am dead, unless you break your side of the pact. Hisoka will not try to back out once he realizes the power of our blood is close to breaking. And if he does, you can simply invade Fruit Country and place my children back on the throne."

Shikamaru raised an eyebrow, his respect for the man increasing. Just because he hadn't been a part of international politics before didn't mean he was ignorant to how the outside world worked, apparently. Fruit Country had been a pleasant surprise. There weren't many outsiders who were allowed access, though enough moved in and out for stories of the bountiful land and happy people to make it into the world.

It did, indeed, have many things to offer the outside world, and Shikamaru couldn't blame them for being so isolationist up until now. The shinobi world was a hard one. Now that they would be forced to rejoin society, it was only smart of them to start setting up some form of protection.

"Let us go discuss this amongst ourselves. We will return tomorrow morning, if that is acceptable to you," Isao said, and Hibiki nodded his head, a small smile on his lips.

He already knew they'd say yes, after all.