"Alright, the trouble's been dealt with now."
"According to our agreement, you're my wife from now on."
Seeing Yuzuru smiling at her, a faint blush spread across Shizuka's face.
Lowering her head, she stammered, "Ah... t-this... I..."
Seeing her reaction, Yuzuru chuckled again. "I'm joking. Everyone has the right to pursue their own happiness."
"The reason I fought you was simply to fulfill the agreement our teachers made all those years ago."
"No matter who won or lost, I was never going to interfere with your choice."
"So..." Yuzuru said seriously, "Shizuka, go back to Nadeshiko Village."
Hearing that, Shizuka froze on the spot.
This was...
A rejection?
A long time ago, she had once met a man she truly liked.
His name was Sagiri, a merchant who traveled between nations.
He was handsome, spoke elegantly, and always told her fascinating stories about the outside world.
Naturally, she fell for him.
But before she could confess her feelings, her teacher, the village chief, found out immediately and locked her away.
Because according to the rules of Nadeshiko Village, as well as the promise her master had made years ago, she was destined never to be with Sagiri.
Then one day, Sagiri was found dead in his room.
From that moment onward, Shizuka sealed away her heart and devoted herself completely to training and becoming stronger.
Over the years, countless men challenged her.
Every single one of them lost.
That perverted guy in particular had been defeated by her ninety-nine times.
So before coming here to fulfill the agreement, Shizuka had been extremely resistant toward the idea.
But after meeting Yuzuru, her heart could no longer remain calm.
No matter how she looked at it, he was simply flawless...
Especially after he killed that pervert, she had already stopped resisting the agreement deep down.
But what she never expected was for Yuzuru to tell her to go back!
After all, Shizuka had always been extremely confident in both her appearance and figure. She knew perfectly well how attractive she was to men.
So from the very beginning, she had never once considered the possibility of being rejected.
Only after Yuzuru told her to return did she suddenly realize something—
The man before her wasn't an ordinary man.
He was the current emperor of the ninja world, a being so powerful that everyone looked up to him.
And she...
Was merely a beautiful shell.
"Shizuka, what's wrong?"
Yuzuru asked with a hint of concern.
In this life, he had encountered far too many women.
Some women were contradictory creatures.
Sometimes, the more attention and care you gave them, the less they valued you, constantly trying to distance themselves from you.
But if your attitude remained calm and composed, making them feel as though they were optional in your eyes, they would instead take the initiative to grow closer.
Just like now.
If Shizuka truly wanted to leave, she would have already bowed happily and gone back by now.
Sure enough, just as Yuzuru expected, after hesitating for a moment, Shizuka finally spoke.
"Lord Yuzuru... I-I... can I stay?"
"Lord Jiraiya should've already told you. The traditions of Nadeshiko Village have always been like this. If I go back just like this, my teacher and the village elders definitely won't forgive me."
Yuzuru frowned slightly and said softly, "Shizuka, I already told you. Everyone has the right to pursue their own happiness."
"If you're worried about your teacher and the village chief, I can write you a letter. I doubt anyone would dare make things difficult for you."
Hearing that, Shizuka bit her lip and whispered softly, "Lord Yuzuru... right now... right now, I am pursuing my own happiness."
Anyone else would've been one thing, but this was the emperor himself!
She had to consider whether this might be the only opportunity she'd ever have in her entire life.
If she missed it, she would probably regret it forever.
And from everything Lord Yuzuru had said earlier, he clearly wasn't some shallow man obsessed only with a woman's appearance and body...
Seeing this, Yuzuru thought for a moment before smiling.
"Then you'd better prepare yourself mentally. I've always been a domineering person. Becoming my wife won't be easy."
Shizuka immediately replied, "I'll work hard, Lord Yuzuru!"
"Mhm. I'll see how you perform from here on."
"Yes!"
Listening to their conversation from the side, Jiraiya wore an expression of pure pain.
Seriously...
When would he ever encounter something this good?!
————
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That very night, Shizuka was brought by Yuzuru to the Everlasting Imperial Palace.
Walking through the majestic, awe-inspiring palace that resembled a heavenly realm, Shizuka's mouth never once closed from shock.
Compared to the small mountain village where she had grown up, this place was practically another world.
"Welcome, Shizuka!"
When Tsunade and the others saw her, their eyes immediately lit up.
As expected of Yuzuru, his taste was as sharp as ever.
Shizuka was momentarily stunned, and the pressure in her heart instantly skyrocketed.
No wonder Lord Yuzuru had seemed so calm toward her.
Turns out he already had so many beautiful women at home.
Thinking back to the things Yuzuru had told her earlier, Shizuka secretly made up her mind.
From now on, she would definitely serve Lord Yuzuru properly!
During dinner, Shizuka was once again stunned by the luxurious dishes spread across the table.
Many of the ingredients were things she had never even heard of before, much less tasted.
And according to everyone else, these were merely everyday home-cooked meals. If there was anything she liked, she could note it down and have it made every day in the future.
The banquet ended amid laughter and cheerful conversation, and Shizuka finally returned to her room.
Yuzuru entered the room slightly drunk, his gaze burning as he looked at Shizuka.
"Shizuka, why don't you show me how good you are with your huge…?"
————
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[ Ding! Detected a clan member within the host's family possessing a special bloodline: Transparent Release Kekkei Genkai Bloodline. Reward obtained: Transparent Release Kekkei Genkai Bloodline! ]
[ Current Transparent Release Kekkei Genkai Bloodline Evolution Progress: 1%! ]
Early in the morning, hearing the system notification echo through his mind, Yuzuru was slightly stunned.
Transparent Release?
After thinking carefully for a long while, Yuzuru finally recalled the relevant memories associated with "Transparent Release."
In the original story, there really did seem to be a ninja who used Transparent Release. And for certain reasons, that ninja was actually quite famous—
Hayate Gekkō!