In the long corridor of the Land of Water's royal palace, Shun's footsteps were extremely light.
A little girl, just over three years old, was sleeping soundly in his arms.
Chie was waiting at the palace gate, and when she saw Shun's figure from afar, a gentle smile appeared on her face. But when she clearly saw the small figure he was holding, her smile paused slightly.
Chie stepped forward, her gaze lingering on the girl's pale face for a moment, her tone carrying a hint of doubt. "Husband, this child is...?"
Shun gently stopped, lowered his head to look at Fū sleeping in his arms, and his fingertips gently brushed the stray hairs on her forehead.
"Her name is Fū, and she is the Seven-Tails Jinchuriki. But don't worry, I have already extracted the Seven-Tails from her."
Chie's eyes widened in surprise, she had also heard about the Seven-Tails Jinchuriki. Previously, the four great nations had been fighting fiercely because of her.
"Then her family..."
Chie's voice softened considerably, her gaze falling on Fū's chapped lips.
Shun looked up at Chie, his tone deep. "She is an orphan, Chie. I want you to adopt her and let her grow up peacefully in the Land of Water."
Chie's heart felt as if something had gently bumped it. She looked at the seriousness in Shun's eyes, then at Fū, defenseless in his arms, and reached out to gently stroke the girl's hair, the soft touch making her heart ache. When she took Fū, she deliberately made her arms steady and light.
"Since you've asked, how could I refuse? Don't worry, from now on, I will be her mother, and the Land of Water will be her home."
Just as she was speaking, a light patter of footsteps sounded from the end of the corridor, and Hamamaru rushed over like a small cannonball.
When he saw Fū in Chie's arms, he immediately stopped and curiously leaned in to look. "Mother, is this my little sister?"
Chie smiled and nodded. "Yes, from now on, she will be your little sister, named Fū."
She deliberately had Hamamaru stand next to Fū, and the height difference between the two children immediately became apparent. Hamamaru was only seven months older than Fū, but he was half a head taller, and his shoulders were sturdier, clearly a sign of being well-cared for.
Shun watched this scene, and the tight corners of his lips finally softened.
The suffering Fū had endured in the Land of Fire might not be fully compensated, but at least here, she could have a warm home and a stable childhood, just like Hamamaru.
"Let's go inside first."
Chie carried Fū towards the palace, and Hamamaru followed closely, occasionally stealing a glance at his new little sister.
Shun followed behind, watching their retreating figures, and the worry that had hung in his heart over Fū's placement finally settled.
...
Dinner was set in a side hall by the water, with six carved windows open, offering a view of the water lily pond outside.
The six princesses sat around a low table. Chie had just settled Fū and Hamamaru, and returned with a plate of honey-preserved plums in her hand.
Sāra spoke first, stirring the silverfish soup in her bowl, "The war in the Land of Fire has finally subsided. But I hear that the envoys of the four great nations have recently been exchanging messages. I'm afraid there will be new developments."
Shun's hand, which was picking up his chopsticks, paused, and his gaze swept over the night outside the window.
"Their attention will soon fall on the Land of Water."
Indeed, under his governance in recent years, the Land of Water had changed too much. He had dredged the silted ports, built three new-style shipyards, and even erected watchtowers in the border fishing towns. In addition, he had established numerous new schools, dozens of clothing factories and seafood processing plants, eighteen department stores, and wholesale markets.
The country, once known as the "Fishing Island," now saw an endless stream of merchant ships, and was no longer the easily overlooked entity it once was.
Mei rested her chin on her hand. She was seventeen this year, and her features already showed the future brilliance, her fingers unconsciously fiddling with a pearl bracelet. Shun used to love fiddling with it, so she snatched it, treating it as a token of his affection.
Also, they were going to officially marry next year. Mei was lost in thought, her mind wandering.
Sāra lowered her gaze, looking at her young daughter. "So how do you intend to respond?"
Shun put down his chopsticks, his tone calm. "I need to do some absurd things. A 'too shrewd' Daimyo will only be targeted by the four great nations."
"What absurd things?" Chie blinked curiously.
Shun's gaze swept over everyone as he said, "For example, summoning two female secretaries. Shizune and Kurenai are both talented people. Publicly, we'll say it's to assist in handling documents."
He deliberately emphasized the last few words. The princesses in the hall were first stunned, then covered their mouths and laughed.
Sāra teased, "This isn't an absurd thing, it's clearly to stir up some romantic scandals. To make outsiders think that your mind is all on matters of the heart."
Amidst the laughter, Mei suddenly put down her chopsticks, her cheeks puffed out like a small pufferfish.
She glared at Shun, squeezing the pearl bracelet tighter with her fingers. "I don't agree."
Hearing Mei's voice, everyone was stunned.
Mei herself felt her voice was too sharp, her cheeks instantly flushed crimson, but she still stiffened her neck.
"If they can be secretaries, so can I. I'm even more familiar with your documents than they are."
Shun looked at her reddening earlobes, the smile in his eyes impossible to hide. He reached out and gently patted the back of her hand.
Seeing Mei's mouth pout even higher, he added, "You can't be a secretary, but I allow you, as my fiancée, to come and 'cause trouble.'"
"Cause trouble?"
Shun suppressed a smile and explained, "For example, 'accidentally' knocking over an ink bottle while serving snacks, or standing by and staring while I'm discussing matters with a secretary. A royal scandal, if it includes a jealous fiancée, would be even more interesting, wouldn't it?"
The laughter in the hall grew louder.
Mei's face turned red from her earlobes to her forehead. She grabbed a honey-preserved plum from the table and tossed it into Shun's bowl.
"Who's jealous? I just worry you'll be tricked."
The evening breeze outside the window wafted through, carrying the fresh scent of water lilies.
Shun looked at the round plum in his bowl, then at Mei across from him, who had her head bowed low, the light in his eyes as gentle as the moonlight on the pond.
Some schemes need to be hidden amidst the everyday, so they won't be scattered by the wind.
Yukari's eyes darted, thinking of something fun. She turned to Mei beside her, taking her small hand.
"Mei-chan, why don't you stay overnight? Anyway, you'll be marrying him next year. Tonight, I'll give Shun to you. I know you've been craving his body for a long time."
Mei instantly blushed, and she gently shook off Yukari's hand. "Yukari-nee, how can you be like this? I... I'm not talking to you anymore."