"I never expected it to be so sudden, something like the Shogun falling gravely ill..." Uzuki Tempura said in a low voice. She was the only woman among the several Daimyo. Although she wore a kimono, one shoulder and arm were exposed, her chest was tightly wrapped in bandages, and her arm was tattooed.
Several Daimyo had all realized the seriousness of the situation and had come together to the Flower Capital, but before being summoned, they first met to discuss matters.
"Looking at the current situation, it's very likely that Lord Sukiyaki is about to announce the successor to the Shogun." Kazuki Odama said. His appearance and build were rugged, looking like a toad. "Where is Lord Oden now? Still in Kuri? We must get him back immediately! Besides, it seems the Daimyo of Kuri hasn't come either..."
Facing Kazuki Odama's barrage of questions, Shimotsuki Yasuie also had troubles he couldn't express.
Kuri would most likely send someone, but in the short term, Ren and Oden absolutely couldn't return. Shimotsuki Yasuie had already written hoping Kuri would quickly establish contact with the outside world, but the outcome was still unknown.
Shimotsuki Yasuie put on a bitter face, thought about it, and decided to tell the other Daimyo about this matter. After all, it couldn't be hidden—the Daimyo of Kuri couldn't come, and Kozuki Oden, the Shogun's son, wouldn't attend either. This was too abnormal.
He took a deep breath, then said forcefully, "Everyone, please listen to me..."
When Shimotsuki Yasuie spoke, everyone immediately fell silent. He was the oldest among the Daimyo and had high prestige—several Daimyo all respected him.
"The Daimyo of Kuri, I'm afraid, won't be able to come..."
"Can't come? For such an important matter! Is the Daimyo of Kuri planning to rebel?" Kazuki Odama's face changed as he loudly shouted, but what panicked him even more was Yasuie's next words.
"...Oden, I'm afraid, also won't be able to return to the Flower Capital for the time being."
After a brief silence, Uzuki Tempura began to ask with an expression of shock mixed with a trace of fear, "What exactly is going on, Lord Yasuie? Is it really as Odama said, that the Daimyo of Kuri plans to rebel and has imprisoned Oden?"
Shimotsuki Yasuie shook his head and said, "Oden and the Daimyo of Kuri have gone to sea..."
"You mean... gone to sea? Overseas?" The voices of the other three gradually rose. This news made them feel just as angry and fearful as the answer they had previously guessed.
"How dare they!" Kazuki Odama said angrily.
"Perhaps when Oden was in Kuri, he said something to the Daimyo of Kuri. Later, the Daimyo of Kuri found me, hoping I would lease the hidden port to him." Shimotsuki Yasuie said. He had always thought that Ren's idea of going to sea was persuaded by Kozuki Oden. In this country, no one didn't know that Kozuki Oden was desperately trying to go to sea.
"You agreed?" Even Shimotsuki Ushimaru widened his eyes looking at him. They truly hadn't expected the usually steady Shimotsuki Yasuie to actually agree to Ren's request.
"The reason was hard to refuse..." Shimotsuki Yasuie repeated Ren's explanation at the time, then skipped over the matter of asking Ren for a monthly rent of one thousand gold. After all, he, Shimotsuki Yasuie, absolutely hadn't agreed for such a small amount of rent!
"So Oden has been at sea for several years now?"
Shimotsuki Yasuie nodded.
The others all sighed at the same time. Kazuki Odama said helplessly, "We can only hope Lord Oden returns as soon as possible."
"But how do we explain this to the Shogun?" Uzuki Tempura asked. Unconsciously, they all ignored Ren. In their view, whether Ren appeared or not didn't matter much, as long as he wasn't planning to rebel.
As for the crime of going to sea without permission, that would have to be settled with Shimotsuki Yasuie later. But more likely, after Kozuki Oden became Shogun, he would pardon all their crimes. It was even possible he would directly lift the isolation edict.
Looking at it this way, everything the Daimyo of Kuri did was actually quite meaningful.
"I'll just have to tell it like it is. Regarding Oden, I've already written to Kuri, hoping they'll immediately send a ship overseas to find Oden." Shimotsuki Yasuie said.
This brief meeting soon ended.
By the second day, the people from Kuri finally arrived leisurely at the Flower Capital.
This time, the person who came was Yuriko. Due to her former status, Ayame couldn't show her face. Although she also came along this time, she was fully armored, even wearing a mask on her face, looking like Yuriko's guard.
"So this is the Flower Capital. It's my first time here." Yuriko showed a curious expression on her face, her gaze quickly attracted by the huge cherry blossom tree in the Flower Capital.
For some reason, when she saw that cherry blossom tree, she felt a sense of intimacy, as if that cherry blossom tree should belong to her.
"Yuriko, quickly wipe that excited expression off your face." Ayame under the mask hurriedly reminded her.
"Oh right, I almost forgot we're here to attend Sukiyaki Shogun's 'funeral.' We can't be so happy—we must be serious." Yuriko whispered. She tightly pursed her lips, trying to put on a serious expression.
But calling it a funeral wasn't quite right either—at least "Sukiyaki" hadn't died yet.
The next day, Yuriko, who had just settled in the Flower Capital, was summoned together with the other Daimyo.
On the way to the Daimyo residence, Shimotsuki Yasuie and the others kept sizing up Yuriko. They never expected that the person coming in Ren's place would be a woman.
And this woman's appearance was extremely outstanding, simply like a fox that had become a spirit, with seductive charm in her brows and eyes. Shimotsuki Ushimaru glanced once and didn't dare to look again.
Yuriko's appearance was very beautiful—otherwise she wouldn't have been noticed by Yukiko. After eating the Arctic Fox Devil Fruit, she seemed to naturally carry a pure yet alluring style.
Shimotsuki Yasuie wasn't the type of man to be confused by beauty. He thought about it, and although he felt it was a bit abrupt, he still quietly asked, "This lady..."
"Lord Yasuie can just call me Yuriko. Lord Ren often praises Lord Yasuie as an upright person, someone he admires." Yuriko told lies without hesitation.
Shimotsuki Yasuie didn't respond to this remark and continued, "Miss Yuriko, may I ask when Lord Ren and Oden will return?"
"Regarding this matter, I'm not clear either. According to the last message Lord Ren sent back, Lord Oden seems to have left the Oden ship without permission and joined a pirate group. We're also having trouble finding him..."
Yuriko began to make excuses—when asked, she just didn't know.
Classic scumbag woman behavior.
Hey everyone,
I need to tell you what's actually happening.
I just got hit with mass cancellations. On top of being buried in academics until the 9th. I'm in deep financial trouble right now—like, genuinely don't-know-how-I-cover-next-month trouble.
I want to do more for you. I have another Naruto fic ready to drop the moment this academic hell ends. But I can't keep creating if I can't survive.
I'm not powerless about the work—I know I can deliver for you. But I'm powerless to stop the bleeding alone.
If you've ever thought about supporting, this is the moment. Not "someday." Now.
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