After hearing Shanks's words, both Yashiro and Mikoto's grandfather fell silent. They couldn't find a proper way to refute him, though dissatisfaction was clearly written on their faces.
Noticing their expressions, Shanks said calmly,
"If my words offended either of you, then I apologize. But what I said is simply what I believe to be true—and I only spoke honestly."
In truth, there wasn't much they could say in return. Deep down, both knew that his words held weight. All they could do was quietly express their displeasure.
After a moment of silence, Mikoto's grandfather finally spoke.
"So, when are you planning to marry my granddaughter?"
Shanks replied,
"After one month—once everything here has stabilized. Right now, our village is about to open its first ninja academy, and that requires my personal attention. When the village is fully settled and the celebrations are over, I'll go to Konoha myself. At that time, I'll formally propose to marry Mikoto. And from that day onward, I will also sever all ties with Konoha, ensuring that no one from there will ever again call the Uzumaki their allies."
As Shanks finished speaking, his aura sharpened.
The air around him grew heavy with intensity, and Mikoto, her grandfather, and Yashiro could all feel the force behind his words—a silent yet overwhelming pressure that made it clear he meant every word.
Although both Mikoto's grandfather and Yashiro were quite curious about how Shanks intended to accomplish what he had just declared, they knew better than to press further. Still, they couldn't help but feel a deep interest in how he planned to achieve it.
After all, the Hokage's faction had always claimed that the Uzumaki were Konoha's eternal allies—and as a symbol of that bond, every Konoha flak jacket bore the Uzumaki clan's spiral emblem on its back.
From Shanks's attitude, however, it was clear that he felt no pride in this so-called alliance. His displeasure was obvious; he, and the rest of the Uzumaki, clearly despised the fact that their clan's symbol was being used by Konoha ninjas without their consent.
Mikoto's grandfather and Yashiro finally stood up, prompting Shanks to rise as well.
"Then, I will be looking forward to your arrival in Konoha," Mikoto's grandfather said with a polite nod.
Mikoto, however, remained seated—a quiet sign that she wished to stay a little longer. It was understandable. She and Shanks were lovers, after all, and they deserved some time alone.
Noticing this, her grandfather and Yashiro exchanged a brief glance, then silently took their leave, leaving the two of them alone in the room.
Now, only Shanks and Mikoto remained in the room.
As soon as she was sure her grandfather had left, Mikoto quickly stood up and threw herself into Shanks's arms. Shanks embraced her in return, a gentle smile appearing on his face.
"Did you miss me?" he asked softly.
"Of course I missed you," Mikoto replied, her voice tender. "It's been two years since we last met. The last time was right after your battle with Hanzō, when the reconstruction of the Uzumaki clan had just begun. But once the war subsided, I had to return to the clan—and Grandfather wouldn't let me leave the village. He was afraid something might happen to me, that I might be targeted by Konoha's higher-ups."
Shanks nodded slowly as he listened to her.
"Your grandfather's worries aren't unfounded," he said. "He's right to be cautious. If the opportunity ever presents itself, the Root organization under Shimura Danzō would definitely come after you. If you marry me, Konoha will see you as a potential threat—and if we ever have children, their talent could make them an even greater one."
At the mention of having children together, Mikoto's face flushed crimson. She lowered her head shyly, feeling both embarrassed and warm inside.
Just at that moment, Guy suddenly appeared in the room out of nowhere, having used space teleportation. There was no movement, no warning—he simply materialized before them.
As soon as he materialized, he began to speak,
"Onii-cha…"
But he froze mid-sentence the moment he saw Shanks embracing Mikoto. A deep flush spread across his face, and he immediately looked away, embarrassed.
Startled by the voice, Mikoto stepped back and released her hold on Shanks. She glanced toward the gate and saw Guy standing there, cheeks red, clearly mortified.
Shanks, however, remained unfazed, his smile calm and unbothered.
"What is it," he asked, his tone lightly amused, "that forced you to rush in without knocking and use teleportation to appear directly inside my room?"
Guy quickly regained his composure, realizing the seriousness of the situation. He turned to face Shanks fully.
"Onii-chan," he said earnestly, "there's a serious problem. Makima, with her controlled animals that she had scattered among the dignitaries from different countries, has discovered that among the dignitaries from the Land of Sea, there are Kirigakure ninjas. Their goal is to destroy our temple, which is very important to us."
After hearing this, Shanks's expression immediately turned cold.
"Where are they?" he asked sharply.
"They're currently on their way to the temple," Guy replied. "We wanted to catch them red-handed, which is why we haven't apprehended them yet."
"You did well," Shanks said firmly. "I will personally deal with them. How dare they try to disrupt the celebration of our Uzumaki."
Hearing Shanks's assurance, Guy nodded immediately. Though he tried to appear confident, a tinge of embarrassment lingered. Without a word, he used space teleportation again and disappeared from the room.
Mikoto kept her head lowered, still feeling flustered. Shanks approached her and gently lifted her chin with his hand.
"Why are you feeling embarrassed?" he asked, his tone teasing but gentle. "We are going to be husband and wife. And remember, they aren't just my brothers and sisters—they'll be yours too."
Mikoto still remained shy, giving a small, huffy "Hmph" and rolling her eyes, before turning to leave the room.
Shanks just shook his head with a smile. Then, focusing again, he spread his Observation Haki. From a long distance, he immediately sensed four ninjas running toward the Uzumaki Village. Their chakra was completely suppressed.
Clearly, they had mastered some form of chakra suppression technique. But Shanks's Observation Haki worked differently—it could not only detect chakra but also sense intent and life force. In essence, their suppression techniques were completely useless against him.
----
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