After thinking for a moment, Uchiha Ren looked at Uchiha Shisui again and asked,
"Did you tell the Fire Daimyō that I already have someone I like?"
"I did," Shisui replied with a bitter smile. "But the Daimyō didn't care. He said nobles often have multiple wives and concubines. Having a few women is nothing—as long as the person who marries you becomes your official wife."
Shisui sighed.
That was precisely why he had said the Daimyō's condition was so harsh.
Although Uchiha Ren and Yakushi Nono had never openly declared their relationship, those close to them all knew the truth.
The only reason Ren had not formally married her yet was because of the sensitive identities of both the Uchiha Clan and Yakushi Nono.
Moreover, while the Daimyō's court might not care how many wives Ren had—since their aristocratic system still followed those old feudal traditions—the situation in Konohagakure and most of the shinobi world was different.
Even though it wasn't written law, most places had long moved toward monogamy.
The two sides clearly had very different values.
And it was obvious that Uchiha Ren would never abandon Yakushi Nono for the sake of a political marriage.
Ren frowned deeply, his expression serious.
But what he was considering wasn't how many wives he might have.
The real issue was that sooner or later he intended to deal with the aristocrats of the Land of Fire—and the Fire Daimyō himself would be the primary target.
Ren wasn't a cold-blooded or heartless person.
If he truly formed a marital alliance with the Daimyō's family, that relationship would inevitably become a shackle on his actions in the future.
Yet at this stage, he still needed to maintain cooperation with the Daimyō.
The pros and cons of this matter required careful consideration.
"There's… another problem," Shisui said hesitantly.
Ren glanced at him.
"What problem?"
"It's about the candidate for the political marriage," Shisui said, his expression turning strange.
"The Daimyō only has one unmarried daughter, but she's only one year old. In other words, there's no suitable candidate among his direct descendants."
"So the Daimyō intends to choose someone from the royal family's main bloodline."
Ren raised an eyebrow.
"Whether it's the Daimyō's direct line or the royal family's direct line makes no real difference to us. But judging by your expression…"
"The person he chose has a problem?"
Shisui nodded awkwardly.
"The Daimyō's choice is… Lady Tsunade, one of the Legendary Sannin."
Ren froze.
His eyes widened.
"Is he tired of living?! He actually wants Tsunade to enter a political marriage?!"
His shock was understandable.
The candidate the Daimyō chose was completely unexpected.
From a status standpoint, Tsunade actually fit the requirement perfectly.
Her mother had been the younger sister of the current Fire Daimyō, who was once married into the Senju Clan to strengthen ties between the royal court and the Senju.
That meant Tsunade was the Daimyō's niece, a member of the royal bloodline, and still held the title of princess of the Land of Fire.
But Tsunade's temper was notorious.
There was no way she would quietly accept such an arrangement.
If she were truly angered, Tsunade wouldn't care whether someone was the Fire Daimyō or not—
She would punch them all the same.
Shisui gave a helpless smile.
"I have no idea what the Daimyō is thinking. Anyway, he said as long as you agree, he'll handle the rest."
But after hearing this, Ren actually relaxed.
The deep frown on his face disappeared as he turned back toward the river and continued fishing leisurely.
Shisui blinked in confusion.
"Brother Ren … you're not worried anymore?"
"Worried?" Ren chuckled.
"What's there to worry about? We'll just accept the Daimyō's condition."
"Huh?" Shisui stared at him in confusion.
"Brother Ren , are you really going to marry Lady Tsunade?"
Ren snorted.
"She's nearly forty and wants to eat this young grass?" he said disdainfully.
"Don't worry. This marriage won't happen. Just agree to the Daimyō's request."
Ren might not know what leverage the Daimyō planned to use to force Tsunade into the marriage.
But he knew Tsunade's personality.
No matter what trump card the Daimyō held, it likely wouldn't work on her.
Most likely, the Daimyō had made this arrangement without consulting Tsunade first.
So Ren wasn't worried at all that the marriage would succeed.
Once the Daimyō's scheme inevitably failed, Ren would have a perfectly legitimate reason to refuse the political marriage.
After all, he had already agreed once.
If the plan collapsed, the fault would lie with the Daimyō's side, not the Uchiha.
The reason Ren sounded so dismissive wasn't because he held any real prejudice against Tsunade.
But the truth was… he didn't particularly like her.
In terms of appearance, the thirty-something Tsunade was in her prime—both her looks and her figure were outstanding. She didn't even need to rely on the Strength of a Hundred Seal to maintain her youth.
In fact, the Tsunade who first appeared in the original story looked almost exactly like she did now.
But when it came to personality…
Tsunade's hot temper and rough disposition couldn't compare to Yakushi Nono's gentleness, wisdom, and kindness.
Of course, that wasn't the real reason Ren didn't like her.
After all, Tsunade could show a soft and vulnerable side when facing someone she truly cared about.
What truly bothered Ren was the deep-rooted pride within her.
When Tsunade first appeared in the story—and even later during the Fourth Shinobi World War era—Ren had actually liked the character quite a lot.
Blonde hair.
Twin ponytails.
And… an impressive figure.
Those who understood, understood.
But during the Pain Assault on Konoha, Tsunade once said something that greatly damaged that impression:
"Our great nations have also endured the same pain."
The implication of that statement was essentially:
"Even though I punched you, my hand hurts too."
Nagato had originally intended to leave.
But Tsunade's remark pushed him into fury, leading him to expend his life force to unleash a devastating attack on Konoha.
And with that single moment, Konohagakure was reduced to ruins.
Since arriving in this world, Ren had secretly observed Tsunade several times out of curiosity.
While she was quite friendly toward civilians in the village, the pride embedded in her bones was undeniably real.
Of course, that didn't mean Tsunade was a bad person.
Because the truth was—
Most people in Konoha carried that same pride.
When facing outsiders, people of Konoha often believed themselves to be something special.
It was pride born from strength and confidence.
So Ren didn't hate Tsunade.
He simply didn't like her in that way.
For Ren , there was only one choice.
And that choice would always be—
Yakushi Nono.
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