Shattered Pieces

Hello all!

Been a long time since I touched this story. Not gonna lie, it was quite difficult for me to find the motivation to continue. However, thanks to a bit of greasing the capitalist wheels in me (as in, throwing money at me and then me feeling guilty if it wasn't the next thing I updated) I finally found what I needed.

This chapter is sponsored by doomqwer. His commission was the only reason I did this, otherwise this chapter might not exist, so send him your thanks.

Anyways! Why don't we get this show on the road?

Chapter XXVIII

[Beacon Academy, Team RWBY's Room]

"We found Naruto almost three years ago." Blake began. "He was malnourished, broken, in a cage and being used for experiments of the worst kind. From what he's told me, before that all he could remember was working in the mines. He was born there, and he likely would have died there if not for an old man he'd befriended. You see, Naruto has a… strange Semblance, something he's named Burden. When someone, anyone, dies in a particular range around him he's forced to absorb their Aura into himself. He gains access to their Semblance – and their memories – when this happens.

"That old man died in a cave-in and his Semblance passed on to Naruto. It was the ability to self-regenerate at an amazing rate in exchange for Aura, which Naruto has assimilated a lot of. The Schnee mines aren't exactly good for your health, so by that time he had absorbed the Aura and memories of hundreds of other Faunus miners, having to deal with the trauma of centuries of mining work by the time he was eight." Weiss was silent. The mines were a terrible place, she knew that much. She wanted to find out what that purple-haired woman meant as well, so she decided not to interrupt Blake.

"That Semblance is the reason he was sent out of the mines. He had been injured by the cave-in that killed his friend. Taken by his rescuers to the infirmary, they tried to treat him. However, any syringe they tried to put into his skin simply bent or broke as his flesh closed the hole quicker than they could make it. Obviously, they reported this to the chain of command. Such a thing was interesting to one Dr. Yamato Orochimaru. That… madman… he deserves a special place in Hell for what he did. I never could get Naruto to tell me everything he went through, but by the time he was out he had permanently lost his ears – he's a Fox Faunus, you see – and was suffering from a split personality. One of them always wanted to run from everything to stay safe, and the other was hyper-aggressive, wishing to murder anything in his path – especially anything relating to the Schnee."

"Is that why he wanted to leave whenever he saw Weiss? So he wouldn't hurt her?" Ruby wondered, enthralled with the tale as much as any bedtime story she'd ever heard. Blake nodded.

"Kurama is… good at what he does, unfortunately." Blake added. "I can't find it within myself to blame him, or even want to stop him though. The things we saw at that lab… I can't get them out of my head no matter how hard I try. There were Faunus in cages small enough that they were forced to stay on all fours at all times. The cages were stacked on top of each other, pushing the tops of each cage below it further and further. Each of them were forced to eat and drink from dog bowls. As far as Orochimaru was concerned, they were nothing but animals. There were so many of them that had to be put down for the sake of mercy and who committed suicide shortly after we freed them."

Weiss' eyes were lit with realization. "You were with the White Fang, weren't you?" Blake clenched her fists and steeled her nerves. Everything in her was telling her to run away. There was no reason for her to stay here. She could hide in Mountain Glenn and wouldn't have to deal with the consequences of her team finding out about her past. She had already made her decision, though, and she would stick to it.

"When I joined the White Fang it was different." Blake explained. "We weren't violent back then. I wanted to make a difference, but I didn't think everything would end up the way it did! If I knew what Sienna was going to do to us, to Adam, I would've stayed in Menagerie. I couldn't just leave though. For one, I didn't want to leave Naruto with the more violent and zealous of the Fang. If I did that, there's no telling how they'd change him. On the other hand, even if I had left, I'd be hunted down and killed by the Fang. Even now, the only thing keeping me from being hunted down is the fact that no one knows where I am and the White Fang is probably too busy doing other things."

"Is Naruto still with the Fang?" Yang wondered. "You seemed pretty happy to just talk with him yesterday. I have to assume that means he's not with them and won't tell them where you are." Blake shook her head.

"He left them a few months ago, officially. However, it's been closer to a year since he separated from them and set up base in Mountain Glenn. It was only a few months after I ran away, but he has the entire Clan to back him up, and there's no way Adam would send anyone after him."

"Who are the Clan and Adam?" Ruby asked, sitting on Blake's bed and paying rapt attention to the ravenette.

"The Clan are the other survivors of Orochimaru's experiments. There's a few hundred of them but I don't know the exact number. Adam is… well, Adam Taurus. He's the leader of Vale's White Fang. He was with me when we found Orochimaru's lab. I took care of Naruto and the other survivors, while Adam hunted down Orochimaru and killed him for what he did. Naruto always referred to us as his older siblings, so Adam has a soft spot for him and lets him get away with things he normally wouldn't let anyone else do."

Weiss was silent as Blake continued to explain various aspects of her life before Beacon. Ruby and Yang were paying rapt attention, but she had long since tuned out. One of her teammates was a terrorist. She was part of a group that had killed members of her family. The other two were obviously terrorist sympathizers. It was all she could do not to lash out at them violently. No… she wouldn't do that. What would that accomplish anyways? Blake would run away and the others would blame me for it. There has to be something I can do though.

[Mountain Glenn]

As soon as they stepped back through Haku's mirror, Naruto couldn't help but breathe out a sigh of relief. He enjoyed spending time with Adam, and the Fang were a part of his family. Still, it was far too hot in that part of the Blight. After so long in Mountain Glenn, it just felt right to be here.

Shikamaru left with a few words of farewell, off to take a peek at whatever intel the Clan had gathered in his absence. Kimimaro wasn't far behind. Though, he went the opposite direction. His duty was to securing their defenses. He led the Guardians, after all.

That left Naruto and Haku in the War Room. Each of them sat in their respective chairs that they usually occupied during meetings. "What's happened since we left?" The blonde wondered.

The effeminate teen paused a moment to collect his thoughts. "The last few days have been drier than during the Siege, thankfully. Sasori's drones have been extremely useful in gathering intel in Vale. They have a slightly more difficult time than me in getting into certain places, but the sheer number of them makes that a null point.

"Most importantly, Vale has pushed back the matter of coronation. The various candidates have agreed to allow a regency council to guide the Kingdom for now. They are, at least, smart enough to delay any potential civil conflicts until after a treaty with Mountain Glenn has been acquired. Of course, by treaty they mean our complete and total surrender."

"Like Hell that's gonna happen!" Kurama exclaimed with a defiant grin. "I'll rip all of them to shreds by myself if I have to!" Haku only nodded before continuing.

"The unity, however, is only surface level. After some prying, it's quite obvious that every member of the Regency Council is after their own goals. This war will provide the perfect backdrop for a new King to rise. The nobles wish to either be that King, or to support him so that they've got his favor when the coronation arrives. The merchants are seeking to worm their way into lucrative war and peacetime contracts. The churches primarily just want a quick end to the conflict."

"The churches are something we should put some thought into." Yami was in control now. "The three don't like each other. That much is certain. What must truly be understood, however, is what use we can gain from them. Could we curry favor with the priests by allowing them to spread their faiths in our land and by granting them protection from the warfare, from the raids? They hold no legal authority, but people will turn to their clergy in this time of uncertainty and stress."

"I will make more of an effort to look into the leaders of the churches then." Haku promised. "Ardeo already showcased some measure of support for our cause when we visited Vale, so he may be a good place to start. Having even just one of them with us will possibly make not just this war, but whatever the succession crisis turns into, much easier.

"Moving on, Vale has begun mobilization of their forces. Peasant levies and horse cavalry have been forgotten completely. It seems that the King and his nobles were trying to play pretend before. They saw us as so unlikely to do anything that it was just another so-called war-game. After their humiliation, they won't make the same mistake.

"Between the skewed version of events at the Council Chambers they're using for propaganda and heavy implications that we're members of the White Fang, support for the war is extremely high. That's not to mention the Regency Council making our Dust Mine public knowledge. With all of Adam's Dust thefts going on, that is motivating people where the others fail. At this rate, even when we make the raw footage of the meeting public, it likely will have little effect."

"We've made a plan to take care of the Dust problem." Naruto remarked. "Still, it is good to know that that's one of the directions that Vale is trying to go in order to stir up their citizens." His blue eyes shifted to purple. "If the nobles are already trying to use resource-based incentives on their people, that could mean several things. We'll need to delve a little deeper into their motivations for doing that."

"Do you really think it's that significant?" When the blonde nodded, Haku tilted his head to the side, confused. "I thought that it would be an obvious move for them to make though. With the massive shortage of Dust, it seems like a good motivator."

"Yes, it definitely is. However, the war has yet to truly begin. By revealing our mine, they are also stating that they feel that they may not have enough Dust to push against us. They want to end things quickly. Of course, anyone would generally want a war to be over quickly. This is a bit different though. They need the war to be finished before its properly started. I don't think that they're scared of us though. It's more likely that they're scared of the image Vale is giving off after what happened in the siege."

Haku's eyes lit up. "Oh, I think I see now. So, even though it's something they would've used no matter what, because they're doing it so early it's actually a sign of… what? Weakness? Uncertainty?" When Naruto shrugged, Haku sighed. "Well, I'll have those two divert some of the WASPs to watch the nobles so we can get to the bottom of why they did it."

After a moment, Haku realized that they had gotten off topic. "Moving on, the Regency Council has taken to using a nearby forest known as Forever Fall as their training grounds. Those enlisted are being put under strict conditions, but the rewards are quite high. Soldiers have been promised land in the area we've taken, stipends and an up-front sum of lien for willingly signing on. It seems that Duke Beryl is quite insistent on having his troops motivated. He's even elected to personally lead them in battle."

Kurama chuckled and shook his head. "I see what that bastard's up to. Lead your men into hell and they'll follow ya anywhere. Whoever comes out the other end of this war is gonna be loyal to Beryl. He's really preppin' for a civil war before a treaty is anywhere in sight. We're just a steppin' stone." The androgynous spymaster nodded in assent.

"I thought the same thing. Some other members of the Regency tried to argue against it. He responded that he would like to see them lead the men into battle then. With the threat to their lives, they backed off and have allowed Beryl to become the General of Vale's Grand Army. In private, it's very clear that they're planning on dropping any and every failure into his lap, even if they have to manufacture losses."

"I fuckin' hate nobles." Kurama sneered. "They can't even focus on the fight in front of them and they already wanna backstab each other. I'm gonna enjoy rippin' them apart." He was grinning wide, up until Haku started choking. Reining in his Aura, Naruto took control again. "Sorry about that, Haku. I didn't mean to."

"It is… it is quite alright, Lord Naruto." The boy smiled to the leader of Mountain Glenn. Vale wouldn't stand a chance. How could they? "Shall I continue?" A single nod was all Haku needed to see. "Let me remember where I was.

"Oh yes. Ozpin has also made it clear he will refuse to send any Huntsmen to Mountain Glenn. It appears he is actively doing his best to stay neutral. The Council is actively dragging his name through the mud over it, and there are Huntsmen who have left his service in order to join under Beryl's banner. The coming battles won't be as easy as before, but we won't have to worry about Ozpin himself."

"If we can be sure that the Sage and the Queen aren't our opposition, then we should at least be able to get through this intact. That does really complicate matters though. If the Huntsmen are leaving their posts just to join Vale's new army, there's no telling what ramifications that could have. I don't just mean here, but internationally." With a sigh, Naruto shook his head. "Is that all of it?"

"Yes, Lord Naruto."

[Uzumaki Shrine Temple]

Deep in the woods surrounding Mountain Glenn, a small fort pieced together from iron and stone was nestled. Built to overlook north side of the city and act as a forward base, it had been renovated by Hidan and his followers. Here, the Church of the Spiral gathered to server out the Divine Will of the God of Life himself, Lord Uzumaki. They dared not approach Mountain Glenn itself, lest the glory of their patron overtake them.

In the very central chamber of this renovated base, in what was once consecrated grounds for the soldiers of Vale to worship their own gods, Hidan stood proudly behind a glistening and polished pulpit, his eyes scanning over his followers. There were nearly a hundred here. A hundred more had spread like the wind to preach the glories of Lord Uzumaki to nearby settlements.

"And thus, it was so!" Hidan bellowed with all the strength his lungs might allow. "I was but a shivering wretch! I was a dirty heathen! A heretic! A blasphemous dog who followed a False God! Yes, even I, the chosen Head Priest of Lord Uzumaki himself, even I found myself on the wrong path!

"Lord Uzumaki is a forgiving God, though! I came upon him and I dared – in my ignorance – to think I might manage to destroy his physical form! The whispers of my False God, the whispers of the Devil Jashin, told me that he was nothing! He told me that there was not a soul that could touch me, let alone harm me!

"Our great Lord, my saviour, he saw potential in a wretch even such as I! He looked upon me, and he knew that I could be Healed, he knew that I could be guided to the Light, but I must be broken first! He unleashed the Great Red Beast upon me, Kurama. He watched on as I struggled, knowing that I would find the way. And in the moment that I felt the weakest, he Healed me!

"He did not Heal my body, no! That is what I had always done on my own. He Healed my very soul! Through him, I was able to see the way forward! It is through Him that I am able to know what I must do, to make up for my many acts of debauchery and discord! It is through Him that we might all be Healed, and that we might all see the way forward! Praise our saviour! Praise Lord Uzumaki!"

Hidan's voice gained volume slowly as he spoke, until he was practically shouting by the end. He was joined with a unified and boisterous "Praise Lord Uzumaki!" in response. The sea of other worshipers were largely diverse. There were men, women and children. They were human and Faunus. They ranged across the various colorations that both species had. Some of them had naught but rags, while others were wearing fine silk.

The one thing these zealots had in common was the look in their eyes. There was a certain kind of devotion in them that wasn't quite right. No one truly knew how Hidan managed to do it, but he had a knack for converting others to his cause.

The entire congregation fell into sudden silence as an icy-blue and rectangular gateway appeared next to Hidan. They had been shouting and cheering and upright just a moment ago, but they were all immediately on their knees now.

Haku came forth first, in his signature mask. He never really felt comfortable coming to Hidan's territory. Only on the basis that Lord Naruto always accompanied him did he ever venture here. A moment more, and Naruto himself came into the Temple. Haku's mirror disappeared into the aether as soon as the blonde stepped through it.

"Lord Uzumaki! I did not know that you had returned from your trip to the White Fang! I would have prepared a grand feast had I known that you would be arriving today!" Hidan began before either member of the Clan could even speak.

"Don't worry about it, Hidan." Naruto smiled. "You don't need to do that kind of thing just for me." Hidan bowed deeply, still trying to apologize for his grievous error. "Stand up, Hidan. You didn't do anything wrong, so stop worrying."

Straightening himself, Hidan dusted off his robes. "O-of course, Lord Uzumaki. Forgive my impudent behavior." The Head Priest finally regained his composure and looked out at his followers. "Lord Uzumaki has deigned it our privilege to grace us with his presence! As I said, he forgives and guides even those as lowly as us! Praise Lord Uzumaki!"

The chorus of praises that came from the crowd set Haku on edge. Naruto was just kind of used to it at this point. He'd love to put a stop to it but… he really needed them. They were too useful to him, and too integral to his plans. "Hidan, I didn't come here just to visit, unfortunately. There are important things regarding the war that I need you… that I need the entire Church of the Spiral to do."

"Your will shall be carried out by the Church. I can guarantee that, Lord Uzumaki. You need but only say the word, and we will do anything." Hidan exclaimed. Shouts of agreement echoed Hidan's reply from the congregation. "Our meager and undeserving souls are yours to guide as you please."

The blonde had to keep himself from sighing. They might all seem a bit… nutty, but these people were all trained to fight – and to die – in his name by Hidan. They weren't on the level of the Clan, but they were right and proper soldiers all the same.

"Vale is escalating their efforts. We simply don't have the manpower to properly defend against them. If they were to push into Mountain Glenn and surround us for a proper siege, then Haku would be our sole source of supplies from outside. We, obviously, have made some counter-measures to this, but they are not limitless.

"I need you to… spread the Church far and wide. I know half of your flock is already doing that. I need more though. Every soul you bring to us is a better chance for Mountain Glenn's survival. Every Velian that accepts your teaching is one less that will aim a gun in our direction. To those that won't accept your teachings…" Naruto's eyes shifted into purple as he blinked, pushing Yami in charge. There was only so much that he could do. Yami had no such qualms.

"If they will not accept our Healing, then they are to be considered an enemy. We are at war, and Vale is a scourge, a cancer on our ways. Until they back down and leave us be, no options are forbidden. Do as you wish, but ensure that Naruto wins this war with as much strength as you can muster."

Hidan's eyes practically lit up at Yami's orders. Turning to his followers, he grinned wide and held out his arms. "You have heard it all with your own ears, yes? Our great Lord Uzumaki has given us a mission! He's given us a mission that the very existence of Mountain Glenn relies on! We must go forth with the wind and spread his word! We must make him proud!"

Loud cheers erupted from them even as Haku made their gateway back to Mountain Glenn. The sooner they were gone, the better – so far as the trap was concerned. Naruto regained control and looked over the Church before turning to him. "Am I making the right decision, Haku?" He couldn't help but wonder.

"It's the only choice we can make, Lord Naruto." The reply was convincing enough that Haku nearly fell for it too. With a final glance at the crowd before he followed the blonde through, he really hoped it was for the best.

[][][]

"We interrupt your regularly scheduled broadcasting for breaking news." Lisa Lavender explained as the Vale News Network took control of every channel at once, much to the chagrin of a particular Faunus.

"This again? Can't I just enjoy my break in peace?" Kankurou groaned loudly. It was loud enough that Sasori, who had been explaining what he still needed to finish their next project to Lord Naruto, looked in his direction. "VNN is doing another propaganda run!" He explained. This seemed to pique the interest of both of them, if their walking over to watch was any indication.

"Propaganda run? Have they been doing this very often in my absence then?" Naruto couldn't help but wonder. The two engineers shared a look. "I'll take that as a yes. This video looks familiar. Hm… oh, that's the Red Coast."

"This footage is of a research center on Vale's coast. The Huntsmen dubbed it The Red Coast because of the uniquely colored sand here. Up until very recently, it was populated by the largest contiguous Grimm Nest in the whole Kingdom. Led by Beacon's Professor Oobleck, they were attempting to discern the effects of such a long-term Grimm Nest and its sudden disappearance."

The video zoomed in as she spoke, showing a large and metallic, dome-shaped building in the center of the Red Coast. "Two days ago, this research center was apparently raided by an unknown group. All members of the research team, including Professor Oobleck, were found dead yesterday after a full 24 hours of radio silence forced Headmaster Ozpin to send a team to investigate."

"Was that us?" Kankurou wondered, sending a look over to Naruto. The blonde shook his head. "The Fang?"

"I don't think so. Adam, Shikamaru and I had a long discussion on what his planned missions and the ones he'd recently done. We wanted to find the best course of action for both of us to do in order to cause the highest amount of morale damage to Vale. I knew that Ozpin knew about our excursion to the Red Coast, but I wasn't aware he sent anyone to research it." After a moment, Naruto sighed.

"It may have been for the best though. Hopefully their research was destroyed in the struggle. My Aura residue had to have been all over the place. I don't care if other know, but I want to keep Vale from knowing my abilities." The blonde crossed his arms. "We'll probably be blamed for this though. Or maybe it'll be Adam."

"You don't think the nobles did this, do you?" Sasori wondered. This garnered the attention of both Naruto and Kankurou. "I'm just pondering. VNN is definitely being paid off by the nobles to run certain stories. We found that out with our surveillance, and Haku's follow-up spying.

"There's also the fact that Haku found out how angry the nobles were at Ozpin's refusal to allow Huntsmen to join in the fray. He made a public appearance and… oh, there it is." The Lord of Mountain Glenn turned to the holographic television once more and saw a three-dimensional rendering of Headmaster Ozpin.

"After the breakdown of negotiations between the forces of Mountain Glenn and the Grand Council of Vale, it has been brought to my attention that our most esteemed nobility would like to access Vale's Huntsmen as part of their military tactics. I will have to completely and without hesitation refuse this request.

"The Huntsmen of Vale are not, as with Atlas, to be used as a sword to cut away the opposition of its people. We are a shield of the people, a barrier between the Creatures of Grimm and those who cannot protect themselves. I shall not allow a single of my Huntsmen and Huntresses to simultaneously be a member of this establishment and sign up with the so-called Velian Grand Army. I will allow them to choose, but it is a choice that is theirs. Any actions committed by them after they are no longer Huntsmen will be on the Regency Council and not Beacon Academy. Thank you for your time."

"That was the statement that Headmaster Ozpin made several days ago, before this likely happened. Just some time ago, he also released a statement regarding the attack on the research facility, which is how we learned of it."

"Ladies and gentlemen of Vale, students of Beacon Academy and all others who might be listening in: it is with a heavy heart that I bring this news. Several months ago, the Red Coast was seemingly purged of the entirety of its Grimm. Upon finding this out, I responded by sending a team of researchers led by our very own Professor Oobleck to investigate.

"He was one of my personal friends, and one who jumped at the chance to find anything new. I thought that the former presence of such an enormous threat might be enough to keep anyone else from arriving. Even had someone shown up, it was my assumption that Bartholomew would be able to handle it.

"For my grievous miscalculation, I lost a friend, and we have lost one of our best and brightest protectors. As of yet, I have no reason to assume that the White Fang nor the individuals within Mountain Glenn had anything to do with this attack.

"I will, of course, be launching an investigation into this to determine exactly what occurred. None of my Huntsmen will be attacked without repercussions."

Ozpin's visage remained on-screen for several moments. "I think he's angry." Kankurou noted as they watched. Naruto found nothing in him that might disagree. Every time he'd met the… thing that was Ozpin, he was calm. He was almost too calm. It made him seem inhuman. The look in the Sage's eyes though… that was not something he wanted aimed anywhere in his general direction.

"With me now is Duke Beryl, a member of Vale's temporary Regency Council here to give his own statement with the full weight of the Council behind it." Lisa stated as the holographic screen split in two, showing the very man she spoke of to the right in his own little box.

"Oh Gods, not this buffoon." Kankurou muttered. "I swear, everything out of his mouth is propaganda. It's like he can't do anything but politics and espionage, even if his life depended on it."

"Thank you, Lisa. Hearing about the murders of so many of our people, the Council felt it was necessary to speak on it. We are, of course, quite busy with the matters of crushing those despicable rebels that dare lay claim to a portion of the rightful territory of the Crown, of whosoever becomes the next King." The implication was clear. Mountain Glenn belonged to him.

"We, however, want to pursue the killers of all the researchers to the furthest extent of the law that we can. While the Headmaster seems intent on discovering the identity or identities solely for the fact that one of his friends was lost, we wish to do so because these were citizens of Vale whom were killed.

"He may speak all he wishes about how he has no reason to suspect the White Fang or those dastardly rebels, but why? The White Fang has done naught but murder and pillage! They have taken from us that which they have no claim. They have taken out Dust. They have taken our blood. They have taken our children with their ridiculous brainwashing. Why would these terrorists not seek to take our minds next? Why would they not seek to take the research of one of our brightest scholars, as Ozpin described the late Bartholomew Oobleck?

"And the rebels. They are even more suspicious! They took our land. They took our King! Citizens of Vale died to retake it, and they still hoard it. That supply of Dust they are harbouring beneath their soil might be just what we need to alleviate these countless heists that the Fang have focused their attention on. Selfish whims of a child increase the prices of our ever-dwindling supply and leave us reliant on foreign supplies.

"If anything, these should be the first groups we look at. Terrorists and kingslayers, the lot of them. Their deaths can only make Vale stronger. They can only make the world brighter. We will be launching our own investigation into this matter parallel to Headmaster Ozpin's. The full weight of Velian Justice will be felt by whomever thought they could get away with this.

"As for Ozpin, I want it on the record that this is my own statement, not the Council's. He is a hypocrite. The Huntsmen are not a sword of Vale, they are a spear for him to wield. They are not a shield of our Kingdom, but a wall he places where he sees fit. The Huntsmen were not to be used against any but Grimm, until a personal friend of his was killed. All of a sudden, now it is fine to pull resources from that stated goal.

"All of a sudden, it is acceptable for him to investigate a matter that should be relegated to the great men in Vale's Police Department, whose job it is to do these things. All of a sudden, he has no qualms about searching out this answer and using his Huntsmen to go on a man-hunt. All of a sudden, Huntsmen are allowed to be used as bounty hunters. Whether his intention was to use them to kill or capture the people responsible for this matters not.

"He was unwilling to allow the Huntsmen to fight for their country! And yet! And yet, he is more than willing to move them like pawns on a chessboard for his vendettas. Mark this on your calendars, citizens of Vale. This was the day that Headmaster Ozpin showcased his true colors. He may not have voiced support for those cowardly terrorists or the rebels hiding in the mountains, but his actions do not hinder them. His actions only aid their causes! Are you really with Vale, Headmaster?"

The Duke's eyes were searing with unapologetic accusations.

"You know, Sasori, I'm thinking you might be right, all of a sudden." Kankurou commented as he turned the holographic projector off. "That Beryl really might have orchestrated this. Based on what we know about how far he's willing to go. This all just seems way too good for him otherwise."

Yami had taken control over the Uzumaki's shared body some time ago. "It may be the case. This places the Duke in a wonderful position. He can call out Vale's parallel authority as hypocritical given Ozpin's emotional response. He can lay the seeds of doubt regarding anything Ozpin releases from his investigation that doesn't point to either Adam or us. He can make the populace feel like Ozpin might be a traitor. He can avert any suspicion on himself as well.

"If Ozpin finds any evidence pointing to the nobility, it might even be brushed aside by the citizens as merely a deflection of Duke Beryl's accusations. Meanwhile, the Duke can look at the Fang and at us and point the fury of a vindictive population of Huntsmen who lost their own at whichever is the greater threat. It's likely that this might lead to more defections in Ozpin's forces, after all.

"This Beryl though… he has to have quite the blackmail on the other members of the Regency Council for them to give him this shot at a public speech while he already has control of the soldiers. It is quite the feat for him to be able to do all that."

"Why don't you just have Haku kill him?" Sasori pondered. "If we can cut him out, surely our entire war effort will be made smoother?" Yami shook his head and sighed.

"There are issues with that path. Believe me, we looked into it. It would erase Beryl from the picture, yes. In fact, we might be able to kill all the nobles in the Regency Council. We might be able to individually assassinate every noble in Vale in a single night. It would only cause more problems than it solves though.

"If we assassinate Duke Beryl then the snake loses its head. We would then have a dozen claimants struggling for dominance. They would use a dozen different strategies in tandem. Just from sheer force of numbers, we couldn't properly counter. We wouldn't even have any idea what strategies they'd employ, so any counter-strategy that might work on one, could make us an easier target for the others.

"On top of that, then we really would be in trouble. The populace, generally speaking, is split between support of the Duke and not caring about some backwater part of the Kingdom they've never heard of. It's going to raise taxes, which has many of the middle class who don't stand to gain anything against it. The King was generally seen as an imbecile and incompetent, so who cares if he dies?

"On the other hand, if we slaughter the entirety of their government overnight, a new fight ensues. Whoever wins will be he who can unify the spirit of Vale. That means they'd have enormous public support and would launch a new offensive on the killer of their royal families. They'd pursue us with full and total support.

"That is the kind of war that even our power cannot win."

And that's it!

Make sure you let me know what your thoughts were in the review section, via PM or over on my Discord server at discord-dot-gg-slash-PWDD44v

I also have a pat reon, over on pat-reon-dot-com-slash-orpheuskidwell – which is where one might commission me to write a chapter of even dead stories against my will. Unapologetic e-begging aside…

Orpheus out! Ja ne!