Chapter 129 – Political Marriage! Hokage and Mizukage, a Perfect Match!
"What the hell is Konoha doing?!"
"They've gone mad! Get those bastards from Kirigakure back now—we're going to war with Konoha too!"
"We have to eliminate those Konoha scum!"
"This is about our interests! Also, suppress the situation within the village immediately—if there's any unrest, crush it at once!"
Panic!
The daimyo were all in a state of panic.
In the past, no one dared lay a hand on them. But now that Konoha had taken the lead, nothing was certain anymore.
No one knew when someone might decide to kill a daimyo simply because they were in a bad mood.
At that moment, Asuma, who was on the road delivering a message, showed a brief look of shock. Then, a trace of relief—relief that he had managed to leave in time. Otherwise, he too might have died there.
But it didn't matter. He was still alive. He would avenge the daimyo, his father, and the Sarutobi clan!
Asuma was not dead—there was still a spark of hope!
He would be the final hope!
"Are you insane?"
Mei Terumi had just arrived in Konoha when she learned that Renji had led the Uchiha clan to assassinate the Daimyo of the Land of Fire.
The moment he returned, Mei Terumi immediately sought out Renji.
Originally, they were here to form an alliance. But now, what were they supposed to do with Renji pulling something like this?
"I'm not insane. I intend to eliminate all the daimyo in the shinobi world—or force them to abdicate. From now on, there should be no daimyo. We'll all unite under a single shinobi village and completely unify the world."
"Heh, so Kirigakure was just another tool to you, wasn't it?"
After hearing Renji's words, a cold smirk appeared on Mei Terumi's face.
He had schemed against Kirigakure from the very beginning. Helping them had just been a cover. His real goal was to swallow up Kirigakure. At this point, how could Mei not understand what Renji was thinking?
"You still want to go back to those times of economic hardship? Who helped you during the Blood Mist era? It was me. And who helped you when your economy was collapsing? Again, it was me. Doesn't that make me your benefactor? As for the Land of Water, from beginning to end, they've barely lifted a finger to help you."
It was true that Renji originally had the intent to use Mei Terumi.
But it wasn't as if he hadn't brought her real benefits.
"Heh, you really are terrifying."
A flicker of depth passed through Mei's eyes. Her tone involuntarily carried a hint of distance. Back then, she had fallen into Renji's trap. She had assumed he was a big fool, blinded by her beauty, so she offered him various conditions. But now, it turned out she was the real fool.
This man had always viewed her as a means to an end.
"No, it's not that I'm terrifying. It's the world that is. If you want to change it, you have to plan everything meticulously. I'm not forcing Kirigakure. But if you join us, and we win, we'll overturn the old order. We will be the founders of the new order. And you, Mei Terumi, will become a figure marked in history."
"And what if you fail?"
Mei Terumi gave a cold, tight-lipped smile. Had this man even considered the consequences? She had just pulled Kirigakure out of the quagmire. If they failed now, Kirigakure would be completely crushed—maybe never able to rise again.
"We won't fail—because I exist!"
Renji's confident declaration made Mei's eyelids twitch. But she couldn't find a reason to refute him. Because of him?
"If you win, then what about us in Kirigakure? According to you, everyone will merge into one—does that mean we'll all be Konoha shinobi?"
A look of mockery flashed across Genji's face. He couldn't understand this absurd proposal at all. What made Renji think they would agree to it?
If they agreed, would Kirigakure still be Kirigakure?
"No. In the future, everyone will belong to a single shinobi village—not Konoha, not Kirigakure. Everyone will have better lives. Don't you think it's unfair that vast lands are controlled by powerless nobles? What we need to do is bring peace to everyone—not repeat the First, Second, and Third Shinobi World Wars where countless shinobi died while the daimyo laughed behind the scenes. As long as I live, this will be the final Shinobi World War!"
That theory again.
Back then, it was this exact theory that had convinced her. Mei Terumi now constantly warned herself not to fall for it again. Yet, the more she thought about Renji's words, the more she realized—they sounded too ideal.
Even she couldn't help but feel drawn in.
"Then how can you guarantee that Kirigakure will be treated equally with Konoha?"
"There's no way to guarantee that. Even in our own village, I can't ensure every shinobi is treated equally. From my perspective, it'll be a system of 'more work, more reward.'"
Renji wasn't about to walk into that trap.
Guarantee fairness?
He couldn't even guarantee it within Konoha. How could he guarantee it for other villages?
"In short, the benefit of unification is that there will be far fewer wars. Internal strife might still happen, but it will be within controllable bounds. And Kirigakure can recover very quickly."
Internal conflict was inevitable. Renji made that very clear.
"At that time, we can establish a single leader and a five-member decision-making council. Each member will have decision rights. If four out of five agree, the leader must comply. Later on, we can further refine the policy. But Kirigakure will never be taken advantage of."
Of course, right now Kirigakure was ruled solely by Mei Terumi. That wouldn't be the case after joining.
But the benefit was clear: Kirigakure would get a seat at the table. And Renji wasn't wrong—wars could be avoided. Under Mei Terumi's leadership, Kirigakure really didn't want to go through another war.
They had just escaped the Blood Mist era. Who would want to go through that again?
"I agree!"
"Mizukage-sama?!"
Chōjūrō turned his head to look at Mei Terumi, surprised by her sudden declaration. Weren't they supposed to be cautious around Renji?
"I agree because he made one valid point. The daimyo and those nobles shouldn't exist. But if we join, you must arrange a political marriage between Konoha and Kirigakure!"
Bloodlines!
Mei Terumi narrowed her eyes. She knew Renji was using her—but wasn't she also using him?
"You'll eliminate the daimyo of the Land of Water, and afterward, you must not interfere with a political marriage between Kirigakure and Konoha. Economically, you are not to exploit us again. And finally—you'll give me information on the masked man!"
Mei Terumi laid out her conditions in one breath.
Having Renji personally eliminate the Daimyo of the Land of Water might appear too conspicuous, but it would also give her plausible deniability later.
Renji had to carry out the task in secret—so that even if they failed, she could pull back. Besides, it would benefit Konoha's bloodline and economy.
Now, her bloodline had already been weakened, and the economy was in shambles. She was naturally willing to rely on Konoha to rebuild.
"Fine, I won't obstruct the political marriage, but I won't promote it either. If they fall in love freely, that's their business. I'll also help you take out the Daimyo of the Land of Water. As for the masked man, he calls himself Uchiha Madara, but we don't actually know who he is!"
Renji's barrage of information left Mei Terumi momentarily stunned.
Uchiha Madara?
That guy is still alive?
"I have no reason to lie to you. That's the intel. Whether he's really Uchiha Madara, no one knows. He just claims to be."
Renji wasn't about to tell Mei Terumi about Uchiha Kenji just yet.
Since the man claimed to be Madara, he might as well let her believe that and pass on that intelligence.
"Lord Hokage, if we're to cooperate, I have one more request. If you don't agree, then Kirigakure will not join this alliance!"
Genshi interrupted the conversation at that moment. He didn't care whether the masked man was really Madara. What mattered to him now was the condition he was about to present.
Even Mei Terumi was briefly stunned by Genshi's words. What was he about to say?
"Speak."
"I hope Lord Hokage can marry Lady Mizukage. That way, our alliance will become deeply rooted, and we can temporarily set aside all past hatred!"
A glint flashed in Genshi's eyes. What was Konoha's most valuable bloodline?
Obviously, it was the Uchiha clan!
And Renji had awakened the Mangekyō. That made him far more gifted than an ordinary Uchiha.
Right now, Renji was basically asking them to bet on Konoha alongside Kirigakure.
They were willing to follow—but Renji had to provide something real.
Everything he'd offered so far had been vague and idealistic. Whether any of it would be fulfilled was unknown. But this condition, in Genshi's eyes, was the most advantageous proposal for Kirigakure.
Men conquer the world through strength. Women conquer the world by conquering men.
In Genshi's view, with Mei Terumi's beauty, Renji would surely fall for her. If the two had a child, it would strengthen the bond between the two villages, giving him peace of mind about their alliance.
"Marriage?!"
Mei Terumi stood frozen, her gaze shifting between Genshi and Renji. She suddenly felt a rush of embarrassment!
Forming an alliance was one thing—why did this suddenly turn into a marriage discussion?
"That's right, marriage. Lord Hokage is of marriageable age, and both parties have equal status. Handsome man, beautiful woman. In terms of strength, surely Lord Hokage wouldn't look down on Lady Mizukage? The two of you are a match made in heaven—why not take this chance to marry?"
The more Genshi spoke, the more convinced he felt. These two really did seem like a perfect pair!
"I won't agree to a political marriage. If I'm going to marry, it'll be someone I love. If I can't be with the one I love, then I'd rather not marry at all."
Renji shook his head. Although Mei Terumi was indeed beautiful, he wouldn't agree to something like this. If he ever married, it would be for love—not as a political tool. He couldn't do it.
"Same for me. Genshi, stop pushing this. We'll cooperate if it's about alliance, but whether we get together later will depend on our feelings. I don't need a political marriage!"
Mei Terumi's expression turned cold, her heart seething with anger.
She hadn't even opened her mouth to refuse yet, and Renji had already done it first.
Still, what Renji said did reflect her own thoughts. In fact, Renji matched nearly all the qualities she envisioned in a perfect partner. By any standard, he was a great choice.
But despite all his merits, there was no emotional foundation. Mei Terumi naturally wouldn't agree under such conditions.
"…Very well."
Genshi opened his mouth but ultimately gave in. Still, he resolved in his heart that no matter what, he would try to pair these two together in the future.
Was there anyone else in the entire shinobi world who matched better than them?
In Konoha, those more powerful than Mei Terumi weren't more attractive, and those more attractive weren't stronger—and most of them were far older.
From every angle, Mei Terumi was Renji's perfect match!
The parties then continued negotiating the finer details. Once both sides were satisfied, Shikaku couldn't help but tease, "Lord Hokage, Mizukage-sama is so beautiful and you actually turned her down? Are you worried about Lady Tsunade?"
Truth be told, when Genshi first proposed the idea, Shikaku almost agreed on Renji's behalf.
It was a golden opportunity!
If the Hokage married the Mizukage, wouldn't that mean Kirigakure would be under Renji's control?
But Renji had refused. That left Shikaku with only one theory—Renji was worried Tsunade would be angry. After all, Tsunade and Renji had once spent three whole days locked in the office without stepping out…
That secret was one he'd savor for a lifetime.
"You don't get it. If I had agreed just now, Mei Terumi would've definitely turned hostile."
Even though they had agreed to cooperate, if he had truly accepted the political marriage on the spot, Mei Terumi would've exploded.
After all, Mei Terumi had her pride. That kind of arrangement would only make her lose respect for him.
"True. Women really are troublesome. So, if Pakura does help us in Sunagakure, are we really letting her become Kazekage?"
"Mm. If we intervene directly, there'll be too much internal resistance. But if we take out Rasa and let Pakura take over, Sunagakure will be more willing to accept it. The same applies to the other two villages. We'll overthrow their Kage and install puppets in their place. The only hard one is Kumogakure."
The other villages were manageable. Kumogakure worshipped strength. If they installed someone randomly, the people might never submit.
Letting Pakura lead Sunagakure, Mei Terumi as Mizukage—with that, Renji would have control of three shinobi villages. As for the other two, he'd come up with something later.
Not long after, news of the Daimyo and noble families of the Land of Water being wiped out spread like wildfire. No one knew who was behind it.
All they knew was that by the next morning, they were all dead.
And far away in the Land of Fire, the Mizukage publicly claimed it was the work of Sunagakure, and vowed revenge against them!
The shinobi world's power balance shifted in an instant: Konoha and Kirigakure now faced off against Sunagakure, Kumogakure, and Iwagakure.
Ninja from all sides began gathering at the borders.
[End of Chapter]
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