Hearing Natsuhane suggest returning to their room, Uzumaki Honoka, who had been eagerly waiting, blushed and nodded shyly. "Okay..."
Compared to Honoka's enthusiasm, Mei Terumi was cold and indifferent. She responded with a blank expression, "Today is not a good day for me. I'm not feeling well, you understand... women have those days sometimes."
"I'm not a good listener, and I don't like to be a spectator. Lord Daimyo, I'll sleep in the adjacent room tonight. I won't interrupt your time with Honoka."
Natsuhane understood. These physiological matters were almost an irresistible force, so he wouldn't push it. However, whether Mei was telling the truth or not was another matter.
Natsuhane smirked, his eyes narrowing. Whether it was a physiological issue or an attitude problem, he would have to find out eventually.
"Fine, you're my wife now, a lifetime commitment. Do you think I mind waiting a few days? I may be flirtatious, but I'm not shameless. Good things are worth the wait."
"Thank you, Lord Daimyo..."
"Isn't that too formal? We're married now; you should call me something else."
"Um..." Mei's cheeks turned red, and she bit her lip. "Husband..."
"That's better."
Natsuhane pulled Mei close, his hand slipping around her waist, and before she could react to his roving hand, their lips met.
"Mmm!"
'I... I'm being kissed!'
'This isn't something I can use physiological excuses to avoid...'
'What should I do...?'
Mei's mind went blank. She didn't know whether to pull away or not.
Ten seconds passed...
Natsuhane's passion showed no signs of waning. Mei, feeling helpless, resigned herself to her fate. She was his wife now; she had no choice but to let Natsuhane have his way.
Meanwhile, the Daimyo of the Land of Water, supported by his subordinates, finally returned to his ship. As soon as the cabin door closed and his men went to get some sobering tea, the Daimyo sat up straight and said in a low voice, "I'm not drunk... Call the Mist high command. I need to speak with them."
Five minutes later...
All the high-ranking Mist ninjas, except for Mei, were present. Among them were Ao and Chojuro, Mei's most trusted advisors.
"Daimyo-sama, we thought you were drunk..."
"Hmph, not in a foreign land. I wouldn't drink to excess. You still don't understand me."
The Daimyo paused before continuing, "Mist ninjas, I have a plan that I need to share with you..."
Before he could finish, Ao interrupted, "Daimyo-sama, Lady Mizukage has already briefed us on the plan while she was changing into her wedding dress earlier today..."
"Oh? Is that so?" The Daimyo nodded in approval. "It seems the Fifth Mizukage has recognized the complexity of the situation. Indeed, who could have predicted the emergence of such a powerful new Daimyo in the Land of Sea? So, what's her plan now?"
Ao replied, "The situation has changed, but Lady Mizukage insists on sticking to the plan!"
"She will still propose a divorce tomorrow morning. Angered, Natsuhane will undoubtedly break the alliance!"
"At that moment, Lady Mizukage will use his breach of contract as a pretext to attack Natsuhane, and we will support her, catching the Land of Sea off guard!"
"As for the other islands, Lady Mizukage has already allocated forces. As soon as we receive her signal, all actions will commence simultaneously!"
"Hmm, excellent. The Fifth Mizukage is indeed impressive, her adaptability is commendable! But..." The Daimyo's expression turned serious, "What about Orochimaru? She's one of the legendary Sannin. Though her appearance and gender have changed, her strength hasn't. If she joins the battle, do you think we stand a chance?"
"Yes!" Ao replied confidently. "If Orochimaru intervenes, Chojuro and I will handle her. Lady Mizukage and our main forces will deal with Natsuhane, no problem!"
"As for the Uzumaki girl, she's nothing to worry about. A single Chunin can handle her. I observed her with my Byakugan. Her chakra is vast but chaotic, indicating she hasn't trained much and can't control it well."
The Daimyo questioned, "Ao, are you sure you and Chojuro can defeat Orochimaru?"
Ao replied confidently, "Killing Orochimaru might be difficult, but we can definitely restrain her! Daimyo-sama, did you notice her belly? She's clearly been pregnant for a while..."
"In this state, Orochimaru can't exert her full strength."
"And with my Byakugan, she won't be able to escape or support Natsuhane. I can track her every move like a shadow, ensuring she doesn't interfere with Lady Mizukage!"
"Of course! How did I overlook that!" The Daimyo smacked his forehead, a smile returning to his face. "Alright then! We'll proceed with this plan. As long as the Fifth Mizukage does her part, when the signal is given, the Land of Sea will be ours, rightfully!"
Chojuro adjusted his glasses, "Lady Mizukage will not fail us! We all believe in her!"
The Mist ninjas echoed, "Indeed! We trust Lady Mizukage!"
"Alright, everyone, rest up. Dismissed!"
Just as the group was about to leave, a sweaty Mist ninja burst in, bowing before Ao and holding out a scroll, his voice trembling. "Lord Ao, here... here's the information you requested on Natsuhane!"
Ao scolded him, "Oh, it's just information. Why are you so flustered? In our day..."
The ninja shook his head violently. "Lord Ao, no time for lectures! Look at the scroll's contents!"
Ao slowly unrolled the scroll, and the contents shocked him.
"!!!"
"This..."
Ao's hands trembled as he held the scroll, his eyes wide with disbelief.
The Daimyo, unable to contain his curiosity, asked, "What is it? What's Natsuhane's background?"
Ao handed the scroll to the Daimyo, "Daimyo-sama, you... you should see for yourself."
The Daimyo took the scroll, and after reading just the first line, his expression mirrored Ao's shock.
After a moment of silence, the Daimyo closed the scroll and sighed. "Tomorrow's surprise attack... is canceled!"
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