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"Who am I to speak for her?"
Uchiha Hikaru's voice was cold, like a blade pressed to the throat.
"Because I'm her man."
The entire hall froze.
Finally, the Daimyo seemed to snap out of his senile daze, blinking a few times as he looked at Tsunade with a strange expression. Then, slowly, his gaze turned back to Uchiha Hikaru, scanning him twice from head to toe.
One man. One woman. No gender confusion.
The man was handsome and formidable. The woman, beautiful and dignified. No issue there.
As for strength and status—he was young, yet already the Hokage's assistant. Clearly, his capabilities spoke for themselves. The Uchiha and Senju clans had founded Konoha together. Their bloodlines and positions were on equal footing.
But what got him was the age difference.
Tsunade… was definitely an older woman in this relationship.
An old cow eating young grass…
But then again, back in his youth, hadn't he been the same? He'd loved young women—how else would he have fathered ten children? Six daughters and four sons. Only his first daughter had survived childbirth and gone on to have Tsunade. His wife had died giving birth to Nawaki shortly after.
He sighed quietly and looked at Tsunade with a glimmer of approval and faint nostalgia.
Tsunade had originally been ready to echo Uchiha Hikaru's words with a proud, "He's my man!"
But when she caught the weird look in her grandfather's eyes, she instantly swallowed the words.
Instead, she just consoled herself internally: Whatever. This old man liked young girls too back in the day.
Finance Minister—Minister #1—had a small smile on his face as he looked at Uchiha Hikaru. Unlike Minister #2, who had just made a fool of himself, Minister #1 was genuinely pleased with Tsunade's partner.
Unlike the power-hungry and ambitious Minister #2, Minister #1 had the full trust of the Daimyo and had long pledged unwavering loyalty to the ruling house. The Daimyo had entrusted him with the kingdom's finances for that very reason.
Minister #2, on the other hand, had clawed his way up from the business world. He was clever, but greedy, and most of the noble faction that followed him only did so out of self-interest.
Every year, all tax records had to pass Minister #1's audit. Any irregularities were immediately reported to the Daimyo.
Now, seeing his longtime rival fall from grace, Minister #1 was inwardly pleased. His expression remained calm, but a weight had lifted off his chest.
Among the Fire Nation's high nobility, nearly half supported Minister #2, only interested in their personal gain.
The rest remained loyal to the Daimyo.
Had Minister #1 not kept the accounts clean and transparent, the Fire Nation wouldn't still be hailed as the strongest nation in the shinobi world today.
Now both the Daimyo and Minister #1 were at ease.
But Minister #2 could no longer contain his panic.
Who could have predicted that this seemingly young man—barely in his twenties—was not only the Hokage's assistant but also Tsunade's future husband?
It made him reflect on everything he'd done just minutes ago. He looked like a clown.
The situation had completely reversed.
Now he was the outsider.
With no one else to blame, he shifted all his fury onto his second son—Noble Son #3.
It was his suggestion. That idiotic whisper had pushed him into this mess.
Meanwhile, Noble Son #3—his youngest—was also frozen in dread. That idea… was his. They were both doomed.
As for Noble Son #2, the eldest son, he quietly breathed a sigh of relief. His cruel younger brother, who always belittled him for being born of a commoner mother, had finally tripped over his own ego.
Now, maybe his chances of inheriting the Ministry of Taxation just got a little better.
"Ahem…"
The Daimyo's two light coughs broke the tension.
With a smile, he motioned for Uchiha Hikaru to sit down.
Hikaru didn't move at first. He merely smiled back and extended his chakra quietly, sensing the old man's condition.
His body was failing. His vitality flickered like a candle in the wind.
So that was it.
The reason he'd called Tsunade here now wasn't just sentiment. It was about securing a smooth succession while she still held power as the Fifth Hokage. Leverage. Timing.
The Daimyo seemed to notice the subtle probing of chakra. He didn't resist. Instead, he returned the look with knowing eyes and nodded ever so slightly in understanding.
"Let's not make this bigger than it is," he said. "Minister #2 overstepped, yes. But his concerns were misguided, not malicious. Misunderstandings happen. Let it go."
He turned to Tsunade, his expression softening.
"You've lost so much, Tsunade. Your mother died giving birth to you. Your brother... gone. Now, after all these years, you've finally found someone."
"I can rest a little easier now."
In that moment, the Daimyo looked less like a ruler and more like an old man at the twilight of his life—genuinely moved, seeking peace.
Tsunade looked at him, startled by the shift in his demeanor.
Maybe this trip wasn't the burden she'd feared it would be.
At the very least, she could see the only blood relative she had left in this world one more time.
For the first time in years, she felt a trace of familial warmth.
It reminded her of the kindness she once felt from her grandfather Hashirama and grand-uncle Tobirama.
She raised her right hand slowly and looked at the old man's face.
As a medical ninja, she didn't need a detailed diagnosis. She could already tell he was only alive because of rare herbs and chakra control.
He was already fading. This was just the final flicker.
"I am at the age where I should be finding someone," she said softly.
"And as the Fire Nation's princess, it was never that I couldn't find a man."
"My standards were just... high."
"And now, I've found him."
As she spoke, she gently reached for Uchiha Hikaru's hand and leaned her head on his shoulder, her eyes warm, her heart at peace.
Looking at his granddaughter's expression, the Daimyo smiled with rare contentment.
He raised his hand and addressed the room.
"All right. That's enough for today. You've all seen what you needed to see."
"I'd like to speak with my granddaughter and her future husband in private."
"You're dismissed."
Just then, the Daimyo's eldest son—Heir #1—began frantically signaling to Minister #2 with his eyes.
Minister #2 got the message immediately, but after the embarrassment he'd already suffered, he didn't dare act rashly.
Suddenly, Noble Son #3—his second son—stood up, legs trembling.
"But Lord Daimyo, didn't you summon us here today to decide on your successor?"
"This concerns the entire Land of Fire. How can we just leave now?"
His voice was tight with panic. He knew that if he didn't act now, he was done.
He had already made one critical mistake earlier. If he couldn't steer the conversation toward succession, then not only would he lose favor, but his father would likely disown him to save face.
He clenched his fists. This was his last chance.
Because both father and son—sharp businessmen to the core—knew exactly what was at stake.
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