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The capital of the Land of Fire.
A private and beautiful courtyard.
This was the residence Shin Kurogane had given to Mei Terumi.
"Ugh..."
Another violent retch.
Mei Terumi leaned against a pillar, her stomach turning, yet nothing came out.
Her cheeks seemed to have lost all color, terrifyingly pale.
Tears welled in her eyes from the intense throwing up.
A maidservant at her side quickly brought warm water, her face full of worry.
"My lady, please let a doctor examine you. You've been like this for several days now."
"No need."
Mei Terumi waved her hand, her voice weak.
A doctor?
She had already seen one!
As soon as the throwing up symptoms appeared, she had checked her body with chakra countless times.
No signs of poisoning.
No signs of illness.
All her bodily functions were at their peak, even more lively than ever before.
But that constant nausea in her chest, accompanied by symptoms of sleepiness and tiredness...
She forced herself back to her room, sending away the maidservant.
In the bronze mirror, a pale yet still stunningly beautiful face was reflected.
Only her eyes, which always held a hint of charm and sharpness, were now clouded with darkness.
She without thinking raised her hand and gently placed it on her flat stomach.
As a shinobi, she had perfect control over her body.
Her period was a full ten days late.
An absurd, terrifying, yet strangely reasonable thought uncontrollably rose from the deepest part of her heart.
When this idea came up, she had already seen a doctor.
At the thought of the doctor's answer, Mei Terumi felt a surge of fear, clenching her fists so tightly that her nails dug into her flesh.
The sharp pain instantly woke her up.
This reminded her of those few nights.
To secure survival supplies for the resistance forces fighting desperately in the Land of Water, she had placed herself on that man's bed.
Just a few times?
How could it be... Her breathing suddenly got faster, her chest rising and falling hard.
Anger, shame, fear... a mix of emotions twisted together, covering her.
Who was she?
She was a shinobi of Kirigakure, a genius who used two bloodline limits. She was Mei Terumi, bearing the hopes of countless comrades!
How could she... how could she be pregnant with the child of the daimyo of an enemy nation!
For someone of her status, this child was not a bloodline continuation, but a disgrace!
She had traded herself for supplies, not to continue a bloodline!
A terrifying thought flashed through her mind.
She wanted to personally end this life that shouldn't exist.
But when her hand once again touched her lower stomach, that murderous intent simply wouldn't form.
There, a life was being created.
A life connected to her bloodline.
She could clearly feel her chakra being slowly and constantly absorbed by the unborn child within her womb.
That feeling was subtle and strange, bringing a completely new bond.
This was her child... This realization, like a lock, sealed away all her crazy thoughts.
Mei Terumi collapsed to the ground, leaning against the cold wall, staring blankly at the ceiling.
What should she do?
Get rid of the child and then act as if nothing happened?
No.
She had no doubt that that man had countless ways of knowing about this.
Given his way of doing things, once he knew she had killed his child...
What waited for her and the resistance forces would be a payback more terrifying than death.
Give birth to it?
A child with the bloodline of the Land of Fire daimyo, in Kirigakure... Mei Terumi shivered.
This child, from the moment of its birth, was meant to become a political pawn.
Would he become the disgrace of Kirigakure?
Or a chess piece for the Land of Fire to interfere with the Land of Water?
Either way, for him, it would be an unavoidable tragedy.
Outside the window, the faint noise of the marketplace drifted in.
That was the wealthy glory of the Land of Fire.
And she, a woman from an enemy nation, was to bear an unwanted child on this land for that high and mighty ruler.
How ironic.
After a long while.
Mei Terumi slowly stood up and walked back to the mirror.
The woman in the mirror was still pale, but the confusion and fear in her eyes had faded.
She couldn't wait any longer.
She couldn't let her child be born without understanding, only to become a political sacrifice.
She had to see that man.
She needed to know his attitude.
What did this child mean to him?
Was it a tool to be thrown away at will, or... something else?
She fixed her slightly messy robes, and when she looked up again, her eyes had regained their calm.
A sharp gaze that only elite shinobi possessed.
However, beneath that sharpness lay a tenderness she herself hadn't even realized.
She could sacrifice her body and freedom for the village, for her comrades.
But now, she had something more important to protect.
"Someone." Her voice regained its cold clarity.
A voice from outside the door responded. "What are your orders, my lady?"
The owner of this voice was one of the Shadow Guard left by the daimyo to protect her.
"I want to see the daimyo," Mei Terumi said calmly, looking at herself in the mirror. "Now, immediately."
With that, she slowly closed her eyes.
At this moment, she was no longer the Kirigakure elite who could fight with anyone.
She was just an ordinary woman, about to meet the father of her child.
No.
Perhaps, not even an ordinary woman.
She was just one of countless women in his harem.
"Yes, my lady!" the voice outside the door said. "I will relay the message!"
...On the official road leading to Konoha, the daimyo's group appeared.
Unlike the quiet departure.
This time, it was a ruler's victorious return.
At the village entrance, Fourth Hokage Minato Namikaze led Konoha's high-ranking officials, standing seriously in wait.
Among the crowd, the most striking was not the Golden Flash standing at the front.
But the Uchiha clan, led by Uchiha Fugaku, beside him.
After receiving the family's letter, he had rushed back to Konoha without delay, just to welcome the daimyo.
The Uchiha clan head, who was always dignified and stiff, had specially changed into formal clothes today.
His usually calm expression was replaced with anticipation.
Behind him were dozens of Uchiha clan members, all wearing the fan crest the same way.
The surrounding villagers and shinobi were deeply shocked by this display.
When had they ever seen the Uchiha take such a humble posture?
The group slowly came to a stop.
Under everyone's gaze, the carriage curtain was pulled open.
Shin Kurogane's figure appeared before everyone.
He was still in simple, plain clothes, but the presence of authority of a superior, subtly giving off from him, was deep.
This was the presence of a victor, built up after personally tearing apart a great nation.
"Welcome, Daimyo-sama!" Minato Namikaze stepped forward, bowing with respect.
"Welcome, Daimyo-sama!"
Konoha's shinobi shouted together, their voices filled with respect.
However, the next second.
A louder, more passionate voice overshadowed everyone.
"The Uchiha clan welcomes the daimyo!" Uchiha Fugaku, with all his clan members, knelt on one knee, their heads bowed deeply.
This action caused Minato Namikaze and Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi beside him to slightly narrow their eyes.
Shinobi usually only needed to bow to the daimyo.
Kneeling on one knee meant that from then on, this person would become a servant.
Fugaku's action was no longer just expressing respect, but declaring submission.
He is treating the entire Uchiha as the daimyo's most loyal servants!