Chapter 232: Unpleasantness
Early morning, in the Yotsuki Clan territory.
Yotsuki Arashi had finally ended his marathon of matchmaking dates—or rather, they were paused for now. Coincidentally, the Third Raikage didn't have much on his schedule today, so he wasn't rushing out the door.
"It's been a long time since the family of four had breakfast together. It really has been a while."
Their mother, Satomi, was very happy. The last time this happened... was the last time.
The Third Raikage was also enjoying a rare moment of leisure. He picked up a small piece of mackerel with his chopsticks and said, "Arashi, I heard you went on a few dates recently. As your father, I ended up being the last one to know. I haven't even heard your report yet."
Dana choked, nearly spraying rice everywhere.
Arashi looked awkward. "Well... let's just say... it was a failure?"
The Third Raikage didn't seem surprised at all. "Hmm, just as I thought. You've never been good at dealing with the opposite sex since you were little. Unlike this old man... Back in the day..."
Satomi clapped her hands together, interrupting him.
"Speaking of which, Dana, your wedding date is coming up in a few months. Dear, you need to be prepared. Even if the Daimyo is ill, we cannot neglect proper etiquette. Forget it, I can't count on you three for this. I'll handle the preparations myself!"
Satomi took the initiative to shoulder the massive task.
Dana rubbed his temples. "Going by the end of the year... there are at least four months left. Isn't it a bit too early to start preparing now?"
Satomi frowned, feigning anger. "Just how little do you care about your own wedding? This is a once-in-a-lifetime event! Some people prepare a year in advance! Just think about how much effort Umeko put in before and after her wedding. And that was for ordinary people! Your wife is the daughter of the Daimyo!"
Dana muttered, "Daughter of the Daimyo... won't she just become a member of the Yotsuki family anyway..."
The Daimyo is already a vegetable because of me. Plus, Natsu and the Daimyo don't have an ounce of affection between them.
Speaking of which, Dana had been exchanging letters with Natsu recently. Perhaps because the organizational structure of nations in the ninja world was relatively simple, the Daimyo's long-term coma hadn't caused much chaos. That Jun'en Furuya seemed to be managing things quite well.
Satomi said disapprovingly, "Listen well, Dana. That kind of thinking is very dangerous and disrespectful to women. That is your future only... ahem, I mean, that is your only Primary Wife! It is the most important one! Plus, you've been engaged for years. This is a political marriage between the Yotsuki Clan and the Raihara Clan. We can never place too much importance on it."
Dana was already used to the atmosphere where everyone from top to bottom was subtly pushing him to build a harem, so he didn't bother picking apart Satomi's words.
It wasn't that he didn't care about the wedding or wanted to rush it; it was just male instinct to procrastinate on such tedious matters.
He believed that even the most decisive men—the kind who wake up on the first alarm and only need one wipe in the bathroom—would inevitably hesitate when faced with something like wedding planning.
"Alright, alright. So, what preparations do I need to make?"
Satomi suddenly revealed an expression that said 'The trap has been sprung.' Dana mentally cursed. From the moment he nodded, his mother had gained absolute authority over this matter.
I was careless...
Satomi listed off tasks excitedly. "First, although the groom's etiquette is simpler than the bride's, we must prepare early. I probably don't need to worry about Natsu's side, but you will study etiquette with me every week starting now! Also, tomorrow you're coming with me to order several sets of clothes. We'll find the best tailor. The venue is also crucial; the layout has many particular requirements..."
Seeing their mother's enthusiasm, Arashi, Dana, and the Third Raikage exchanged smiles. Satomi was often bored at home alone, but she never disturbed her husband or sons' work. This was a chance for her to get deeply involved, have some fun, and satisfy her craving for activity.
actually, even if Satomi did nothing, the Yotsuki clan would naturally prepare everything perfectly in the end. But the sense of participation was a different matter entirely.
Anyway, the ninja world had entered a period of calm. The various impacts of the last war had mostly subsided, and the power adjustments among the Five Great Villages were complete. There were still a few years until the next war in Dana's memory. For now, the Cloud just needed to continue its steady development.
As always, the biggest beneficiary of peace was Kumogakure itself.
Land of Lightning, The Capital.
At the highest point of Asuka Castle, in the Daimyo's bedchamber.
The Thunder Daimyo, who had been bedridden for months, was growing thinner by the day. However, due to his high status, he had people attending to his feeding, cleaning, and turning twenty-four hours a day. The Daimyo, who initially seemed ready to kick the bucket at any moment, had actually stabilized.
At this moment, there were no servants in the room. Only the Daimyo lying on the bed and Jun'en Furuya—formerly the head of the Daimyo's retainers and now the administrator of all affairs in the Land of Lightning.
Furuya stood by the bed, carefully observing the Daimyo's face.
"Toyotomi... I didn't expect you to last this long... You really surprised me."
Raihara Toyotomi. The Thunder Daimyo's real name. But no one had called him that to his face in years.
Furuya sat down on the edge of the bed. The Daimyo's bed was massive to accommodate his obese figure, so Furuya didn't feel crowded sitting beside him.
Although he was well cared for, after lying in bed for so long, the Daimyo still carried a distinct odor.
"You smell like a pile of shit... Oh, right. You probably do have shit stuck to you right now..."
Furuya picked up one of the Daimyo's hands and noticed that even the fingernails were trimmed regularly.
So, Furuya pressed his own thumbnail into the gap under the Daimyo's nail, applying pressure bit by bit.
"You shouldn't have just fallen into a coma like this... I prepared so many things for you... It's a pity you can't see them. The Land of Lightning really doesn't see much difference with or without you. actually, it might even be better without you. When we were young, I thought you were just a lucky piece of trash. Now I see... you don't even qualify as trash. You're a parasite."
He pressed harder and harder. Blood began to seep out from under the Daimyo's fingernail.
But the Daimyo had no reaction.
"Your successor has already been chosen. My son will become the next Daimyo. You never imagined that, did you? Masako used to meet me secretly every night, confiding in me about how useless you were, how disgustingly obese you were. Toyotomi, you would never guess these things. There are so many, many more things... I wanted to tell you all of them as a surprise. But you just had to go into a coma..."
Click!
A bloody fingernail was pried completely off, tearing away a bit of skin with it. Furuya wiped the blood from his hands onto the bedsheet, then tucked the Daimyo's hand back under the covers.
"I prepared for so many years... This is truly unpleasant."
Furuya gave one last disgusted look at the Thunder Daimyo, who had shown no reaction from start to finish. Then, he took a walnut-sized green stone from a metal box and placed it under the Daimyo's neck, pressing it against his skin.
If one looked closely, they would see the stone emitting a faint glow.
Then, he left the room.