The Amamiya camp was tense that morning. The patriarch hadn't returned from his raid, yet no one dared to say it aloud. Whispers clung to the mist, but silence ruled the clan grounds.
Inside the council tent, every ranking ninja stood waiting.
At the front sat Amamiya Raizen — young, unsmiling, seated in the Patriarch's chair.
No one had told them to kneel. No one told them not to.
He looked far too calm for a man who might've just stolen power.
And yet… beside him stood the Patriarch's three most trusted lieutenants — Amamiya Ten, Amamiya Watari, and Amamiya Jinen — silent and unopposed.
The rest of the clan followed their lead.
Raizen let the tension drag just long enough before he spoke.
"This council was called for one reason." His voice was low, steady. "We've received news from the front line. The Patriarch— Amamiya Gen-sama— has gone missing during an ambush on the Kaguya Clan's supply line."
The words dropped like a blade through still water.
"What?!"
"Gone missing?"
"Is this confirmed?!"
The tent erupted in shouts and gasps. Fear spread faster than flame.
"Enough."
Raizen's voice cut through the noise like thunder. His chakra surged, pressing down on the room until even the loudest ninja fell silent.
"I said missing, not dead," he continued coldly. "The Kaguya are still out there. Until we have confirmation, we will act as if the Patriarch lives— and fight like it. Anyone spreading rumors will be treated as a traitor. Understood?"
The silence that followed was heavy. A few heads nodded. Most didn't move at all.
Then one voice rose from the crowd.
"Young Patriarch…"
It came from Amamiya Akira, a veteran jōnin known for his bluntness. His tone was hard as steel.
"The Patriarch's only been gone a day, yet you're already sitting in his chair. Tell me, Raizen-sama— what exactly are you thinking?"
Murmurs rippled through the room again.
Raizen's expression didn't change. But inside, his stomach turned.
Of course someone would say it.
They see me as a usurper already.
He exhaled through his nose, then answered, voice clipped and cold.
"The Patriarch vanished during active combat. The clan needs command now, not in a week. I'm acting as Patriarch until his return. Nothing more, nothing less."
Akira's eyes narrowed. "A convenient explanation."
Before the tension could boil over, Watari stepped forward, voice sharp.
"Enough, Akira! If not Raizen-sama, then who will lead? You? The enemy's at our gates. Someone must bear the weight, or the clan falls apart!"
Akira froze under his glare, lips twitching. Then he scoffed and sat back down.
Raizen didn't thank Watari. He didn't need to.
He simply turned to the rest of the room.
"From this moment," he declared, "the Amamiya Clan will operate under my command until the Patriarch returns. Anyone who cannot accept that may leave now."
No one moved. Even those who doubted him could see the truth — the clan couldn't afford to splinter.
Raizen gave a curt nod. "Then return to your posts. The Kaguya won't stay quiet for long."
The ninjas dispersed in silence, leaving only a few behind — Ten, Watari, and Jinen.
The tent felt emptier, colder.
Watari crossed his arms. "You handled that well… but it won't last."
Raizen leaned back, staring at the Patriarch's chair — the one that still felt too large for him.
"Rumors travel faster than chakra. Once the Kaguya find out Gen-sama's dead, they'll spread it. Hell, they'll probably say I killed him."
Ten frowned. "That's exactly what they'll do. If they convince the clan you murdered the Patriarch for power…"
"Then the Amamiya will eat itself alive before the Kaguya even strike."
The words hung in the air, bitter and true.
Raizen rubbed his temples, exhaling slowly.
Leadership sucks.
You either die a hero, or live long enough to get blamed for someone else's death.
He straightened, eyes hard again. "Then we'll move first. Keep the corpse hidden. Lock down information. I'll face the Kaguya on the front line myself if I have to. That'll shut them up for a while."
Watari grunted. "You're walking a razor's edge, Raizen-sama."
Raizen smirked faintly. "Yeah. Welcome to the Amamiya Clan."