Disclaimer: Naruto and all of its character belong to Masashi Kishimoto. I own nothing but the original characters I make
Chapter 148: Another World End
---Visit---
"Why should we agree?" questioned Setsuna.
"Money, status—don't you want that?" asked Marquis Telion.
"Nope, not interested," replied Setsuna.
"Yeah, we don't see any reason to work under you," added Kagami.
"It's better to treat people in the slum than deal with you nobles," provoked Setsuna.
Marquis Telion frowned, but he didn't attack them. He understood that people like them needed to be appeased, not forced.
"So, you prefer the slum?" asked Marquis Telion.
"Yes," smiled Setsuna.
"But do you know, anyone can claim the slum as their own land?" said Marquis Telion.
"What do you mean?" asked Setsuna.
"It means that if any noble claims this place, you'll have to pay taxes to them, which might be a lot and several times higher," said Marquis Telion. "But if you agree to treat our family, I will register your name as the lord of this land."
"What's the benefit of becoming lord of this place?" asked Setsuna.
"You can collect taxes or do whatever you want with this land, and you won't have to pay for registration. You'll only need to pay taxes to the royalty," explained Marquis Telion.
"I agree, but only for a week, and you need to follow my instructions," replied Setsuna.
"A week? Can you really cure our family in a week?" asked Marquis Telion.
"It should take less than a week, but the treatment will last for that time frame," said Setsuna.
"Okay, agreed."
---Party---
Setsuna and Kagami not just treat their disease but everyone living in Marquies Household got the same benefit.
He was also forced them to take care of their hygiene such as take a shower, brush teeth, don't use urine to mouthwash.
Not enough of that he also give a blue print of septic tank and forced Marquies to build it.
Because Marquies had agreed to follow what ever order from them, he can only gritted his teeth.
Just in 2 days they become healthy and their complexion had changed a lot. Lady telion had been cured successfully and even wanted to go to the party.
Coincidentally, there is an invitation a week before to a crown prince party. Usually it was attended only by Marquies Telion but now they had become healthy so everyone followed them.
Setsuna and Kagami also followed and when they asked why because he wanted to make sure the food are hygienic so they will become bodyguard.
---Beat Crown Prince---
Lady Telion had become the main attraction, first and foremost because of her scent. Usually, noble ladies used flowers and perfume to mask their odor, as they didn't wash their hair or bathe, making their smell unbearable. But when she arrived, she smelled pleasant despite not using perfume.
Thanks to the treatment, her complexion had become rosy, attracting the attention of the crown prince.
"Oh, what is your name, my lady?" asked the Crown Prince.
"I am from the Telion family," replied Lady Telion.
"Oh, you are the daughter of Marquis Telion," said the Crown Prince.
"Yes, I am his daughter," replied Lady Telion.
Setsuna watched the interaction between the Crown Prince and Lady Telion, noticing how uncomfortable she seemed around him. He remembered the plot, where the Crown Prince was portrayed as a scumbag who even killed his father's mistress. The plot hadn't reached that point yet, but it could happen at any moment.
Suddenly, the pleasant evening took a turn for the worse. The Crown Prince grew angry with Lady Telion.
He raised his hand, attempting to slap her, but Setsuna, who noticed, gave Kagami a glance, signaling him not to intervene.
The slap was blocked by a powerful hand.
"It's not gentlemanly to slap a woman. Didn't your father teach you that?" provoked Setsuna.
The air grew tense as pin-drop silence fell. Everyone's attention was drawn to the scene, and even the king frowned upon hearing Setsuna's words. After all, the king was the Crown Prince's father. Was this unknown man insulting him?
"How dare you mock the king! Guards, capture this man!" ordered the Crown Prince, trying to pull his hand free from Setsuna's grip.
But Setsuna had no intention of letting go. He wasn't afraid of a puny knight—he was a shinobi.
"Arghhh!" The Crown Prince's hand was bent painfully.
Guards rushed forward to save him, but Setsuna pushed the prince, causing him to stumble and bump his head.
Humiliated, the Crown Prince flew into a rage.
"Cut off his hand and tongue!" he ordered.
The king, witnessing the scene, silently agreed.
"Do you know what happens to those who point their sword at me?" Setsuna asked.
The guards didn't bother responding, they advanced, swords drawn.
Setsuna dodged their strikes and fought them barehanded. Every guard who approached ended up with a broken arm or leg.
"Impossible," muttered the Crown Prince.
"Kill that man!" the king commanded, summoning his elite guards.
Before they could act, Setsuna grabbed a sword and severed the Crown Prince's hand.
"Who told you to point at my lady like that?" Setsuna said after cutting off the crown prince's hand.
Everyone froze. Even the advancing guards halted, stunned. What did it mean for royalty to lose a hand? It meant that person could no longer become king—it was unthinkable to choose a disabled ruler.
"Arghhhhhh!" the Crown Prince screamed in agony.
"Earlier, I only broke legs, but if anyone else is willing to lose a hand or a head, feel free to step forward," Setsuna warned, making the guards too frightened to attack.
"Good," said Setsuna. He then moved toward the king.
"Guards, stop him!" the remaining guards, though stunned, formed a defensive line.
Setsuna stopped and looked directly at the king.
"You ordered your men to kill me. So tell me, why shouldn't I kill you?" he said coldly.
Without hesitation, Setsuna moved forward, swiftly dispatching the guards, leaving them groaning on the ground.
"Because of your order, I will take two things from you," declared Setsuna.
Zass! Cragg!
The king's hand was severed. Everyone was left in shock.
Setsuna then walked forward and sat on the throne.
"I'm here. If anyone wants to fight me, bring it on," he challenged, whether they were knights, nobles, or slaves.
---New Future---
The king was dethroned and he declared himself the new king. The former king and his son had indulged in debauchery, squandered the kingdom's wealth on entertainment, and committed many unspeakable acts, which shocked Kagami.
Setsuna, being incredibly strong, took control of the castle without breaking a sweat and claimed the throne.
He and Kagami then began gradually implementing policy changes, aiming to create a better world for commoners.
The first thing Setsuna did was helping the illegitimate sons and former mistresses of the king. He provided them with peaceful places to live and honest jobs with a good pay, and they appeared much happier than they had been in the castle.
As for the former crown prince and his father, they were exiled from the castle, though Setsuna gave them some gold to help them start anew.
There was some resistance, but it was easily quelled by Setsuna, who dealt with the opposition using his Shadow Clones. His clones acted with precision, bypassing common soldiers and targeting the leaders or generals giving the orders. This caused entire armies to fall apart, as those in command were quickly defeated, leaving the soldiers without direction.
In the future, this world became an experimental ground for Setsuna, allowing him to explore different systems of governance to see which benefited the people most. For the time being, he maintained a feudal system, as transitioning to a democracy was no easy task. Feudalism had its advantages, such as the king holding most of the power, while democracy had its weaknesses, such as rulers not always having enough authority to enact significant changes.
After about nine days, they left this world, but Setsuna ensured that he left a Shadow Clone behind to rule justly. He would occasionally return to check on this world and continue improving it.
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