The Shopkeeper of Konoha

A few more months had gone by, and there was no longer any response from the Lannisters. Ned didn't know what had made his daughter say to him, but the Uchihas were left at peace, and even Ned himself found calmness. Often he would send letters to his wife, saying everything was fine, and due to the butterfly effect, there was no change.

But that didn't mean that over time, the "time" wouldn't come to mess you up. Robert was suddenly bedridden one day, and the Grand Maester had said that he had some problems. No shit, Sherlock. The fat king himself was screaming that his stomach was in pain.

It didn't take rocket science to know that he had a huge problem with his stomach. When this happened, news was sent all over the kingdom that the King was sick, and from the looks of it, he might die any moment.

Ned wanted to help his friend, but over time he realized that maybe, just maybe, he should be more selfish. He had asked for help from his future children, to which Arya replied.

"His incompetence in managing the kingdom is costing the lives of people in the kingdom. He has no control over the Houses, and they are doing as they see fit. I read the report of the Uchihas, and it's worse than I thought. He needs to go. I know he is your friend, and though we can save him, we won't. I don't think Aoto will agree to saving his life."

"But he is my friend."

"A friend who is just arrogant and plain stupid. So much so that you had to make sure that Jon's father and mother were never known to him. You remained his friend even though you knew the fact that the moment he came to know that Jon was my aunt's and his son, your friend would have killed him."

This made Ned a little dumbstruck as he didn't have a counter to that. He felt bad for his friend, and there was nothing he could do, or rather, those who could help had refused to help. In his pain, Ned was by his side, and Robert was thankful that his friend didn't pull some tricks and seemed to be trying his best to take away the pain and make him better.

But in a week or so, he went from bad to worse, and after a week of struggle, he died. This sent alarm bells through the whole kingdom. His last moments were just as painful as his supposed ones, and this was more torture for him since his original death came swift, unlike this.

The mourning rites came, and everyone paid respects. Many houses sent their envoys, and none of the heads of the House came, fearing assassination in these troubled times. As the rites were being performed inside the Red Keep, Ned was watching everything from the balcony.

He had a sad face because he lost his friend, but he knew that he couldn't mourn for long because, as Jon had put it, the game of thrones had already started. As he looked down, Tyrion had come up to talk with him.

Tyrion had been hanging around since he had returned from the Wall. Unlike the time when he was caught and imprisoned in Vale, nothing like that happened, and he had returned swiftly. And Tyrion liked talking with Ned. As Tyrion put it.

"The Stark head, a man of unyielding principles and unwavering loyalty, though perhaps a bit too fond of his own sense of righteousness. And maybe that is why I like to talk with him."

Ned liked him too since he had known the future by now, so he didn't bother their interactions.

"Your friend was a good one."

"We both know that it is not true. In your eyes, he is a pig," Ned replied.

"I didn't want to insult the dead." Tyrion felt a bit shy when Ned spoke so straight to him.

"Who will be the King now?" Ned asked, curious about Cersei's intentions. He had observed over time how Joffrey behaved and was aware of King Robert's illegitimate boy. The boy was hardworking, but Ned wasn't certain if he would be capable of ruling the kingdom and avoid becoming another King Robert.

Honor and bravery were admirable traits, but they alone wouldn't suffice to make a great King. Ned knew this from his own strict adherence to principles, understanding exactly where it would lead him if he followed a similar path.

"If I were to place my bet, it would be on Joffrey," Tyrion said.

"And do you think he will be a good one?" Ned inquired. Unlike before, he refrained from confronting Cersei with lofty rhetoric and didn't concern himself with Robert's seal, which endorsed Joffrey as the future King. Jon had advised him against it, suggesting they wait and observe how events unfolded.

"Are you asking me to criticize our future King?" Tyrion retorted with a smirk.

"No, I am asking you as his most detested uncle," Ned replied.

"Ah... He will likely go down in history as the worst king the seven kingdoms have ever seen," Tyrion replied, as if he had been longing to voice those sentiments. He didn't mind that his words could land him in trouble; he was already widely despised, so there wasn't much worse that could happen to him.

"Then who would you like to see on the throne?" Ned asked, catching Tyrion off guard. This question gave Tyrion pause. He entertained the thought of suggesting himself; he was somewhat narcissistic, but he also recognized his limitations. At best, he could aspire to be the Hand of the King.

If Joffrey ascended, Tyrion might strive for that position, but if someone else claimed the throne, he wouldn't stand a chance. Among the current contenders, Ned seemed the most suitable, but his accession could pose problems with other houses. There were two other individuals with claims to the throne: Stannis and Renly. Tyrion personally didn't know enough about them to make a judgment. All he had heard was that Stannis was a stern man, while Renly was perceived as more effeminate.