((Private))
The headlines of the papers practically screamed at Ito Masaki. Date was dead. Those words could barely process through his mind. How could the second most powerful man in Nippon, behind the Emperor of course, have passed away. The man had seemed invincible. He'd led armies into countless battles and survived more than one assassination attempt, one shamefully committed by Masaki's own father. To read that some enemy sniper had taken a shot at the mighty general and brought him down seemed surreal. Masaki couldn't even finished the article he was reading, scrunching it up into a ball and tossing it into the fire. The Nanban who had done this deserved the ultimate punishment. Masaki only wished Nippon had been able to inflict a crushing peace on Russia and Britain. The fact that his beloved country had managed to fight off a coalition of Nanban yet again would have to satisfy him for now.
Other worries plagued Masaki. What would happen to Nippon now that Date was no longer around to lead it? The NLP had held onto power almost through the sheer force of the late Date's strength and personality. He was a man who demanded attention and who no matter how criticized he was, was able to maintain a stable government. Masaki worried that whoever assumed the leadership of the NLP would not be able to keep things together as well as Date. The KAP would have to keep a careful eye on its coalition partner in the coming weeks. Masaki would be watching and waiting.
((Public))
I send my most sincere condolences to the Date family. Date Munenari was a legend, a giant amongst men, and will be forever remembered as Nippon's greatest hero. He made Nippon strong again, as the Nanban have been shown time and time again. We shall mourn his unfortunate passing, as we should, and lead Nippon to a future Date would have wanted, one where Nippon sits atop the world as Asia's foremost power.
- Count Ito Masaki of Miyazaki