While the four ninjas from Kirigakure were busy planning how to destroy the temple of the Uzumaki clan,
at the same time, in a separate room, Shanks was sitting with three guests from the Uchiha clan—Mikoto Uchiha, her grandfather, and Yashiro Uchiha.
Yashiro had been sent by Uchiha Fugaku on behalf of the Uchiha clan to congratulate the Uzumaki on their reestablishment.
Mikoto and her grandfather, however, were here on a more personal visit. Mikoto had come at Shanks's personal invitation, as the two shared feelings for each other. Her grandfather had accompanied her to speak privately with Uzumaki Shanks about their future together.
After Shanks welcomed them and everyone took their seats, he sat down on a cushion opposite Mikoto's grandfather. The old man took a slow sip from his teacup before speaking.
"I will be very honest from the start," he said, setting the cup back down. "When I learned that Mikoto had started showing affection for someone else—even though I had already arranged her marriage with the future head of the Uchiha clan—and that person turned out to be from a destroyed clan, the Uzumaki, I was completely dissatisfied."
"But later on," Mikoto's grandfather continued, "when I heard about your feats, your strength, and the determination my granddaughter showed to marry you—her love for you—I could no longer deny her feelings."
Hearing those words, Shanks could only smile wryly.
To him, such a reaction from someone of the Uchiha clan was completely understandable. After all, the Uchiha were known for their pride in both their power and lineage—often considered the strongest clan in Konoha, perhaps even in the entire world. Their arrogance was practically a family trait.
Mikoto's grandfather then leaned forward slightly and spoke again.
"And now that my granddaughter and you have finally decided to spend your lives together—to marry each other—tell me, when are you planning to marry my granddaughter?"
Shanks, after hearing the question from Mikoto's grandfather, smiled slightly and replied,
"As you said, you were dissatisfied with me at first—and I completely understand that. I knew such a reaction was inevitable. That's why I didn't immediately marry Mikoto, even though we both love each other and are well past the usual age for marriage.
In this world, where most girls are already married or even mothers by the age of sixteen, our marriage could be considered late. But to be honest, I just wasn't comfortable marrying before turning twenty. I can't fully explain why—it's simply how my mind works."
In truth, Shanks' thoughts were influenced by memories from his previous life. Being a transmigrator, he still held on to the moral values and customs of his old world. According to those ethics, marrying a girl before she reached adulthood—before eighteen—felt wrong to him. That was why he had chosen to wait, despite the love he shared with Mikoto.
Now, with both of them past twenty, he finally felt at ease with the idea of marriage.
Of course, Shanks couldn't reveal any of this to Mikoto's grandfather. The truth about his transmigration was a secret he would take to his grave—something not even his closest ones would ever know.
Shanks continued speaking, his tone calm yet firm.
"That was one of the reasons—and the second, even more important one, was what you yourself mentioned earlier. You felt uneasy about marrying your granddaughter to someone from a clan that had been destroyed. So, I thought that even though I had already achieved a lot and become strong, I still needed a proper status before I could rightfully ask for your granddaughter's hand—both from you and from the Uchiha clan.
That's why I waited until today, when the Uzumaki Village has finally been reestablished. By sheer coincidence, my battle with Hanzō the Salamander made my name known across the world. Because of these two things—me being the clan head and the Daimyō of the Land of Uzumaki, and my strength being greater than Hanzō's—I believe that the Uchiha clan can now at least consider this marriage on equal terms.
And as for the possibility of me not being able to marry Mikoto..."
He paused for a brief moment, a confident smile forming on his lips.
"That's out of the question. If I want to marry her, and she wants to marry me, then we will marry. What can the Uchiha clan do about it? At most, they can try to fight me—and if it ever comes to that, I'm more than confident in facing the entire Uchiha clan alone.
I don't fear anyone from the Uchiha clan. Even if we were to marry without their permission, I still wouldn't fear them."
After hearing Shanks's words, Yashiro—who had been sitting quietly beside Mikoto's grandfather—immediately felt a surge of dissatisfaction.
To him, what Shanks had just said was nothing short of an insult. It sounded as though Shanks was declaring the Uchiha clan weaker than the Uzumaki.
He frowned and spoke sharply,
"Hmph. You talk as if our Uchiha clan are some weaklings."
Despite Yashiro's tone, Shanks didn't show the slightest hint of irritation. He simply kept his calm smile, his demeanour steady and composed.
Even Mikoto's grandfather's expression hardened. Though he was trying to remain polite, it was clear that he too was displeased. After all, he was a proud member of the Uchiha clan himself—and this was his first time meeting Shanks. Hearing such bold words from a young man, and that too from someone outside the clan, inevitably rubbed him the wrong way.
Shanks looked toward Yashiro and said evenly,
"It's not that your Uchiha clan is full of weaklings. It's just that none of you are strong enough to fight me.
Your strongest genjutsu would never work on me. My willpower is too strong for that. You may have already heard from your intelligence network—that I can make opponents faint purely through the force of my will. I'm not bragging; it's simply the truth. Even if I were to fall under a genjutsu, as long as I stay alert, I'd never be seriously harmed by any member of the Uchiha clan.
So, there's no need for you to feel offended. I'm merely confident in my own strength—and in the strength of my clan brothers and sisters."
He paused for a brief moment before continuing, his tone turning slightly sharper.
"And secondly, and perhaps more importantly, your Uchiha clan is already being suppressed by Konoha's higher-ups. Because of that suppression, you haven't produced many powerful Uchiha in recent years. Just compare your current strength to that of Hanzō the Salamander. Tell me—can any Uchiha today defeat Hanzō? I don't think so."
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