Jin fell silent for a moment, then glanced sideways at Shisui.
"You told the Daimyō I already have someone I care about, didn't you?"
"I did," Shisui replied with a helpless smile. "But he doesn't mind. He said nobles commonly take multiple wives. As long as the one married through alliance becomes your legal first wife, everything else is irrelevant."
That was precisely why Shisui had called the condition harsh.
Jin's relationship with Yakushi Nonō had never been publicly declared—but among those close to them, no explanation was needed. Because of the political sensitivity surrounding both the Uchiha and Nonō's background, Jin had not yet given her formal status.
And while the Fire Country court still clung to archaic aristocratic customs, Konoha—and most of the shinobi world—had long drifted toward practical monogamy. There was no written law, but culturally, things were different.
The mindsets were not aligned.
More importantly—
Jin would never abandon Nonō for the sake of politics.
Yet the issue troubling him wasn't romance.
It was strategy.
One day, he intended to move against the Fire Country nobility. The Daimyō himself would not be exempt. If he entangled himself in marriage ties now, that relationship would become a chain later.
And yet, at this stage, cooperation with the Fire Country was still necessary.
The balance between benefit and future constraint required careful thought.
Shisui hesitated, then added, "There's… another problem."
Jin looked up. "What is it?"
"The candidate."
Shisui rubbed the bridge of his nose.
"The Daimyō's direct line only has one unmarried daughter… and she's one year old. So he intends to choose from the broader royal bloodline."
Jin arched a brow.
"That alone wouldn't make you look like that. Who did he pick?"
Shisui exhaled.
"Tsunade."
Jin froze.
"…He has a death wish?"
He wasn't exaggerating.
On paper, Tsunade's status was impeccable. Her mother had been the current Fire Country Daimyō's sister—married into the Senju as part of a previous political alliance. That made Tsunade both a direct royal blood relative and, technically, a princess of the Fire Country.
Politically? Perfect.
Personally?
Disastrous.
Anyone who knew Tsunade knew her temper. If angered, she wouldn't care whether you were a Kage or a Daimyō.
She would simply punch first.
Shisui gave a tired laugh. "The Daimyō said if you agree, he'll handle the rest."
Jin stared at the river for several seconds—
Then, unexpectedly, relaxed.
He turned back to his fishing rod.
Shisui blinked. "You're… not worried?"
"Worried?" Jin chuckled. "Why would I be? Tell the Daimyō we accept."
Shisui nearly stumbled.
"Accept? You mean—you're actually willing to marry Lady Tsunade?"
Jin snorted.
"She's pushing forty and wants to chew on fresh grass? Don't worry. This marriage won't happen."
He knew Tsunade far better than the Daimyō ever could.
No matter what leverage the court believed it possessed, forcing Tsunade into political marriage was fantasy. If anything, the Daimyō had likely made this arrangement without consulting her at all.
When she found out?
Explosive was an understatement.
Jin was not concerned about the alliance succeeding.
He was concerned about how violently it would fail.
And once it did, he would have legitimate grounds to refuse further proposals. After all, he would have "agreed." If it collapsed, that would be the court's failure—not his.
As for his dismissive tone—
It wasn't hatred.
Jin had no real bias against Tsunade.
In fact, objectively speaking, Tsunade in her thirties was at the height of her beauty. Blonde hair, sharp features, commanding presence—she didn't even need the Strength of a Hundred technique yet to preserve her youth.
But personality mattered.
Tsunade's temper, her bluntness, her pride—those traits stood in stark contrast to Nonō's quiet warmth and gentle intelligence.
That said, Jin did not dislike Tsunade.
He simply had no intention of entangling his heart where it did not belong.
What unsettled him about Tsunade was something subtler—
Her pride.
The kind born from strength.
The kind that believed, almost unconsciously, that Konoha was different. Superior. Special.
But that wasn't uniquely Tsunade.
Most of Konoha carried that same arrogance deep in their bones.
Confidence born from dominance.
A belief that they stood at the center of the shinobi world.
Jin understood it.
He simply did not share it.
For him—
There was never any hesitation.
Yakushi Nonō would always be his first choice.
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