At this moment, in the study, the faint smoke of sandalwood incense curled upwards.
Arashi was reviewing reports sent from various regions.
Mei stood beside him, mimicking the maids, grinding ink.
Her movements were unskilled and clumsy.
Those hands, once used to forming hand seals and wielding kunai, were clearly unsuited for delicate tasks like this.
The ink was ground unevenly in the inkstone, creating a faint scraping sound that stood out in the silence of the study.
Arashi didn't mind. He occasionally glanced up at her cool and elegant profile.
To conquer a strong woman was never just about the physical. It was about slowly wearing down her edges, making her accept her new identity from the depths of her heart.
Watching her grind ink for him gave Arashi far more satisfaction than seeing her kneel beneath him.
Just then, Aono Saku knocked and entered, reporting, "Daimyo-sama, the Land of Wind has submitted a strongly worded protest."
"They demand we uphold justice, or they will withdraw from the Four Nations Alliance."
"Oh?" Arashi's lips curved into a smile. He finally put down his brush and leaned back in his chair.
"Let them make a fuss."
"The louder, the better."
His voice was calm and composed, as if he were talking about a street performance.
"Also," Arashi added, "accidentally leak the news about the Land of Earth and the Land of Water managing mines and jointly collecting taxes in the Land of Lightning to those in Kumogakure."
"Give the displaced Kumo shinobi a target for their hatred."
"Yes."
Aono Saku acknowledged the order and retreated, vanishing into the shadows without a sound.
Mei stood silently, but her heart was in turmoil.
With just a few words, another ruthless scheme unfolded. Enough to turn two great nations against each other and spark bloodshed in Kumogakure.
Just how massive was the game this man was playing?
Each of his orders was like an invisible hand manipulating the fate of the entire shinobi world.
Especially the Land of Water. Her homeland.
She wanted to plead on its behalf, but national affairs were no place for personal feelings.
Just as her emotions surged, Arashi set down his brush and gently brushed her cheek.
"Do you know why I asked you to come to the study?"
Mei shook her head.
His gaze was soft. "The child in your belly may one day inherit the Land of Fire. It's time you start securing a future for them."
She remained silent. She knew he was right. It was time to think of the child.
But some attachments weren't so easy to let go.
"I'm glad you didn't beg for the Land of Water just now." Arashi continued, casually picking up a border report and flipping through it.
"Speaking of which." He seemed to recall something, his tone relaxed. "The Land of Fire has had some luck lately."
"A few days ago, a patrol on the eastern sea border encountered something interesting."
Mei blinked, confused why he'd bring this up now.
Then she heard him say, "A group of refugees from the Land of Water, claiming to be the Kirigakure Resistance Army, sought asylum in the Land of Fire."
"Their leader is a boy named Keisuke."
Kirigakure Resistance Army. Keisuke.
Her entire body trembled.
She looked up in shock, the ink stick slipping from her hand.
Clang.
The inkstone was knocked to the ground. Black ink splattered across the expensive carpet and quickly soaked into her white skirt.
"What… did you say?"
Her voice trembled violently, her face filled with disbelief and overwhelming emotion.
Arashi didn't answer. He simply frowned, seemingly displeased with her loss of composure.
He stood and walked over, took a clean white handkerchief, and knelt down to wipe the ink from her skirt.
"So careless," he said gently.
His movements were soft. Tender.
But to Mei, they were more agonizing than torture.
Her body froze. All her attention was focused on what he'd said.
"They… they're still alive?" Her voice choked with emotion. Every word carried hope.
"Sounds like they're old friends of yours." Arashi smiled faintly.
But that smile sent chills through her.
He tossed the ink-stained handkerchief aside, the splattered ink as dark and ugly as her heart felt at that moment.
"Not many of them. Just a dozen or so. They looked rough, like they were being hunted."
"But they're alive."
That confirmation shattered the dam in her heart. She couldn't hold back the tears any longer.
Alive.
They were still alive.
An overwhelming joy drowned out all sense of restraint.
But what followed immediately was fear and confusion.
Being hunted?
By whom?
Yagura?
Had they been exposed?
She suddenly grabbed Arashi's sleeve, looking up with tear-streaked cheeks. For the first time, she spoke in a pleading voice.
"I want to see them."
"Please… let me see them."
This was a plea without pride.
"You can."
Arashi agreed without hesitation.
So quickly, it made her heart shudder with unease.
He raised a hand and gently wiped the tears from her cheeks, his touch soft.
But his next words froze the warmth instantly into cold steel.
"They're being held in a military camp outside the capital."
"I'll arrange for you to visit them tomorrow."
"However," he paused, then continued, "you need to think carefully about what identity you'll use to see them."
His voice wasn't loud, but every word pierced her like a blade.
"Will it be as Terumī Mei, leader of the Kirigakure Resistance Army."
"To bring them the hope of resistance, only to watch me crush it myself."
"Or," he leaned closer and whispered into her ear, the words like a devil's temptation, "as the wife of me, the Daimyo of the Land of Fire."
"To bring them my protection, my rewards, and a future where they can live in peace within the Land of Fire."
Her sobs stopped.
She stared blankly at him, her heart plummeting into ice.
She understood now.
This wasn't a coincidence.
This was a gift, meticulously wrapped and perfectly timed, given by this man at the moment she was most vulnerable.
A gift that would make her feel grateful forever.
And that would turn her and her last remaining comrades into pawns under his control.
He saved her companions.
How could she possibly repay that?
What right did she or her comrades have to be his enemies now?
Would they defy the one who gave them back their lives?
Her fingers slowly released their grip on his sleeve. Her entire body felt drained.
Tears still fell silently.
But the light in her eyes was gone. The fire in her spirit had died.
"Don't cry." Arashi said softly. "It's not good for your health."
Mei's lips moved, trembling.
Her tears wouldn't stop.
She choked out, "This… this is the last time."
Arashi nodded. "Then go back and rest. Tomorrow, you can see them."
"Yes." Mei slowly stood, bowed, and left the study.
She knew.
From tomorrow onward, the Kirigakure Resistance Army would no longer belong to Kirigakure.
Like her, they would completely and utterly become the private property of the Daimyo of the Land of Fire. Arashi.
(To be continued.)