After seeing Shimura Danzō off, Uchiha Ren returned to his office.
By the time he entered, Elder Uchiha Setsuna, Elder Uchiha Ya, and Fugaku Uchiha were already waiting inside.
As soon as Ren walked in, Setsuna impatiently asked:
"Clan Leader, what did those two—Homura Mitokado and Shimura Danzō—come here for?"
"What else could it be?" Ren waved his hand dismissively. "Of course it was about the three billion ryō subsidy from the Fire Daimyō's court."
"Let's sit down and talk."
"The Daimyō's three billion ryō subsidy?" Fugaku looked puzzled. "What subsidy? What does that have to do with us?"
Setsuna, Ya, and Fugaku all wore the same confused expression.
They had no idea what Ren was talking about.
Only then did Ren realize that he had never explained this matter to them before.
Even Fugaku only knew that Ren had reached a cooperation agreement with the Fire Daimyō and had arranged for Uchiha Shisui to become one of the Guardian Shinobi Twelve.
As for the subsidy funds, they knew nothing at all.
Ren cleared his throat.
"You all know that Uchiha Shisui has become one of the Fire Daimyō's Guardian Shinobi Twelve, right?"
Setsuna and Ya nodded.
They had only recently heard about it from Fugaku.
After all, Konoha had just gone through a war. As an important combat force, Shisui's absence from the battlefield was impossible to conceal.
Fugaku asked curiously,
"What agreement?"
Ren slowly explained:
"The original reason was that I wanted to prepare a backup plan for the Uchiha clan."
"That plan was to become the Daimyō's representative within Konoha, responsible for managing all subsidy funds that the Daimyō allocates to the village."
The three men's eyes lit up instantly.
They naturally understood what that meant.
If the Uchiha clan controlled the flow of funds, Konoha would find it far more difficult to suppress them politically.
Ren continued,
"I believe you all understand the significance of this."
"As long as we control this authority, it will be much harder for the village to target the Uchiha clan in the future."
Fugaku was the first to react, his eyes shining.
"That's incredible!"
"The village is practically waiting for rice to cook, and now the rice is in our hands."
"Even the village leadership will have to consider our attitude."
Uchiha Ya nodded in agreement.
"This is an extremely important authority. If we manage it properly, the status of the Uchiha clan in the village could rise several levels."
Ren shook his head slightly.
"Don't celebrate too early."
"The Daimyō only granted us this authority with conditions attached."
The three men immediately became serious.
"What condition?" Setsuna asked.
Ren's expression became slightly awkward.
"The condition is…"
"A political marriage."
"Marriage?" Ya frowned. "Between whom?"
Ren pointed at himself.
"The Uchiha clan leader and the Princess of the Land of Fire."
"In other words… me and Tsunade."
Silence.
For a moment the room froze.
All three stared at Ren in stunned disbelief.
Uchiha and Senju… a marriage alliance?
That was something none of them had ever imagined.
It wasn't surprising that the Daimyō wanted Ren as the marriage partner.
After all, the higher the status of the participants, the more meaningful the alliance.
But the other party being Tsunade…
That was the shocking part.
Tsunade was not only the princess of the Land of Fire, but also the last bloodline of the Senju clan, one of the Legendary Sannin, and the strongest medical ninja in the shinobi world.
Setsuna spoke first.
"So it's just a marriage alliance. Senju or not doesn't matter—there's only that one branch left anyway."
"We can consider it as taking her into the Uchiha clan."
Fugaku immediately shook his head.
"Elder Setsuna, you should be careful with your words."
"Tsunade is not only a Senju descendant. She is also the Princess of the Land of Fire, one of the Legendary Sannin, and the greatest medical ninja alive."
"If she marries into the Uchiha clan, it would still be considered a match of equal status. She deserves proper respect."
Ya ignored the debate and looked directly at Ren.
"So… when is the wedding?"
"Will there be an engagement ceremony?"
"And where will it be held—Konoha or the Fire Daimyō's court?"
Ren stared at the three of them in silence.
"…You're all thinking too far ahead."
"This matter isn't even halfway settled yet."
"The Daimyō proposed it unilaterally. Tsunade herself might not even know about it yet."
"So my reply to the Daimyō was simple."
"If Tsunade agrees, then I have no objection."
"But if she refuses, then that's the Daimyō's problem."
"In any case, the subsidy funds will still be given to us even if the marriage never happens."
Hearing that, the three elders suddenly understood.
"So that's how it is."
Fugaku nodded.
"In that case… the Uchiha clan has basically gained a free advantage."
Ren shrugged.
"You could say that."
"The Daimyō wants to use us to check and balance Hiruzen Sarutobi's faction."
"And we gain leverage within Konoha."
"That's why this arrangement is a win–win situation."
The three elders all nodded with satisfaction.
Meanwhile, Ren looked at their enthusiastic faces and finally realized something.
Not a single one of them seemed to care whether he personally wanted this marriage or not.
Ren: "…"
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