plotbunny at crunchtime

[classicdrogn]

I ran across a bit in another fic that sonuded much like what Nathan has described, put into a concise form, and grabbed it.
From One Hundred Days ch6:

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The government of the Hidden Village of the Leaf was more complicated than most people suspected. Officially, the village was ruled, along with the rest of the Fire Country, by the highest daimyo of the nation. As one of his vassals, the Hokage governed the village at his pleasure, at least in theory. In reality, the truth was closer to the other way around. Any daimyo that wished to depose a Hokage had no ability to actually enforce his desires. Meanwhile, if the Hokage ever tired of the daimyo, all knew that the daimyo would soon experience a fatal accident. Still, the Hidden Village of the Leaf did not have the manpower to govern the Fire Country on its own. Without the cooperation of the nobility, the country would fall apart. Thus was the balance of power kept.
It was fortunate for the Fire Country that, unlike in some other countries, there had always been a cooperative relationship between the two people who were effectively co-rulers of the country. While the daimyo might dream of enjoying a stronger position and the Hokage no doubt occasionally envied the unchallenged dominance of the Raikage, for the most part the system functioned well. While the daimyo busied himself with the mundane matters of rulership, the security of the Fire Country and its relations with the other nations were in the Hokage's capable hands.
Inside the Hidden Village of the Leaf, on paper the Hokage was an absolute ruler. In reality, it was impossible to govern a village of ninja without the consent of the governed. Most of the clans had signed treaties granting them many rights when they had joined the Leaf, and it would be a foolish ruler who even hinted at infringing upon them. Custom and tradition were as binding as any formal law could ever be, and in the years since the First Hokage had declared that the coalition of four clans from the Wood and Fire Countries he led was now the Hidden Village of the Leaf there had been time for many customs to be born.
One such custom was that of the village council. As befitted a body that had come into being over time on its own, rather than ever being formally established, its membership was somewhat fluid. The Hokage, of course, always sat on it, along with his or her advisers. They were the only constants. The remaining members varied from meeting to meeting, depending on who was concerned with the matters on the agenda. The heads of the clans each had a right to a seat if they desired one, along with a number of other high-ranking ninja. Though he held no formal position, had he been in the village none would have denied Jiraiya a place on the council in the unusual event he had wished one.

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Sound accurate?

- CDSERVO: Loook *deeeeply* into my eyes... Tell me, what do you see?
CROW: (hypnotized) A twisted man who wants to inflict his pain upon others.
Dr. Akagi will recover. Observe, Rei smiled. Shinji-kun, are these your clothes?
Ritsuko shot up like a spring loaded meerkat. What? Shinji-kun is naked?
See, Anata? Dr. Hentai is alive and well. - Innortal's _I Do_
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"Anko, what you do in your free time is your own choice. Use it wisely. And if you do not use it wisely, make sure you thoroughly enjoy whatever unwise thing you are doing." - HymnOfRagnorok as Orochimaru at SpaceBattles
woot Med. Eng., verb, 1st & 3rd pers. prsnt. sg. know, knows