If the two sides could continue their deep coordination and proactive negotiations, the matter of a political marriage wasn't entirely off the table. However, Minato Namikaze put forth a strict condition: the Daimyōs of both the Land of Fire and the Land of Wind had to personally oversee the proceedings.
Having the two Daimyōs appear wasn't an impossible feat, especially since Konoha hadn't actually surrendered many tangible interests yet. When the final signing ceremony arrived, Hiruko made sure to be in attendance. After grueling rounds of debate, a consensus on mutual benefits was finally reached.
Lady Chiyo slowly stood up, her gaze full of maternal affection as she looked at Temari. She gently took the girl's hand and led her toward Hiruko.
The little girl, Temari, was still full of defiance, baring her teeth at Hiruko with a huffed-out expression. Chiyo whispered a soft reprimand: "Now, Temari, don't throw a tantrum. He will be your husband from now on. Don't do anything to make it difficult for your father or the Fourth Hokage."
Upon hearing this, the little girl's head slumped, her previous combativeness vanishing instantly into a cloud of gloom.
It was then that Hiruko spoke up, his face twisted in utter confusion. "Wait... I'm marrying Miss Temari?"
The Third Old Man (Hiruzen) and Lady Chiyo looked at him as if he were asking if water was wet. "Of course. Is there a problem? The Princess of the Sand paired with the Great Scientist of the Shinobi World—isn't it a match made in heaven?"
Hiruko's eyes went wide. "I thought it was the Third and Lady Chiyo who were getting hitched!"
The moment the words left his mouth, Hiruzen and Chiyo both froze, their faces flushing with an awkwardness so thick you could cut it with a kunai. The atmosphere became... subtle.
Hiruko didn't consider himself a moral paragon, but he hadn't expected the Third and Chiyo to be this "creative." Throwing a three-year-old girl at him as a wife? Back on his original Earth, that would earn you a one-way ticket to a jail cell. Even in this ninja world, it felt incredibly kitsch and bizarre.
However, for a shinobi, the interests of the village and the clan reign supreme. With the higher-ups in agreement, Chiyo and Minato had already signed the contracts. It was rushed, but with the war clouds parting, this union was the designated anchor for peace.
Hiruko actually liked Temari—but he liked the grown-up version of her, not this toddler. He wondered what he was supposed to do with a three-year-old. Aside from wasting food, she'd be better off back home with her family until she actually came of age.
So, Hiruko simply handed the girl back to Chiyo, telling her to take the child home and raise her until she was "ready." While the contract was signed, everyone knew the Sand's future cooperation depended entirely on how much aid Konoha actually funneled their way. In the shinobi world, that's just common sense: you want work done? You pay for it.
The real issue was money. Fortunately, Hiruko wasn't short on cash. His salt monopoly had broken ground, and his "modern" products were beginning to flood the markets. Even if Konoha's liquid assets were tied up, the commercial developments could sustain them. But adding the Hidden Sand into the budget was a heavy lift—they were so resource-poor they often fell into a "death loop" of poverty-driven warfare.
While the Land of Fire was rich, its leaders were often... commercially illiterate. They made decisions based on false parameters or simply lacked the vision to verify market trends. Hiruko didn't want to flip the table on them just yet—not until his power could intimidate the entire world. For now, he focused on expanding factories for things like Coca-Cola, potato chips, and canned beef. He even had his eye on the gambling industry.
But his dreams of rapid capitalization would have to wait. War was coming.
"Sorry to keep you waiting," a gentle voice sounded behind him.
Hiruko turned to see Minato Namikaze landing nearby. "Not long at all. You're right on time."
"Master Jiraiya told me you wanted to learn Sealing Jutsu (Fuinjutsu) from me," Minato said warmly. "I was on a mission, so I had to delay. While Lord Orochimaru could teach you, I assume you want a more systematic approach?"
"Exactly," Hiruko nodded. While Orochimaru was a genius, the only ones who could truly teach the Uzumaki system in the village were Hiruzen, Minato, and Kushina.
"Kushina doesn't mind me teaching you the Uzumaki seals," Minato explained. "Though some secret arts require the Uzumaki constitution to truly master. Since she's pregnant and needs rest, I'll be your instructor."
Despite being the Hokage, Minato treated Hiruko with immense respect.
"No problem. Thank you," Hiruko said.
"Sealing is a complex system. It takes time. Do you have enough of it? I heard the Research Division is short-handed."
"I have time." Hiruko had sent out clones to handle the mundane tasks, keeping his main body free for study.
"Good. Let's start with a test of your foundations." Minato produced a thick stack of papers. Both men valued efficiency. Minato was swamped with Hokage duties and wanted to spend every spare second with the pregnant Kushina.
And so, during this intense month...
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