Ren and Temari stood hand in hand, hidden in the crowd of people near the gate, while watching a massive caravan slowly enter the village. Carts, horses, and camels passed by in such numbers that Ren watched with naked astonishment. He had never seen such a thing in his life.

“Close your mouth.” Temari bumped her shoulder against his while playfully quipping with amusement twinkling in her eyes.

Ren’s mouth closed with a quiet click of his teeth. He hadn’t even realized he was gaping a bit. Turning his head toward Temari, he gave her an irritated look that made her cover her mouth with a small fan in her free hand as she quietly giggled to herself.

The crowd around them suddenly stirred. Many people exclaimed, gasped, or shouted something that blended into the cacophony of loud sounds being made by others, ensuring the final mix would be unintelligible.

Ren and Temari stopped their flirtatious argument before it could even fully begin as they turned back toward the gate and saw what provoked the crowd.

The Daimyo’s official had arrived.

A man riding a camel slowly steered his steed through the gates, trying and failing to look dignified as he was heavily sweating in his luxurious robes. The poor animal was clearly struggling under his immense weight, and it was obvious the man did not ride the animal all the way from the Capital. The camel would have been dead long ago if he had tried.

‘I didn’t know they had orcs in this world.’ Ren mutely thought in astonishment before he could stop himself. He watched the disaster in motion with wide eyes, with each step wondering if the camel was going to finally collapse.

“Do you see what I see? Are the camel’s legs shaking?” Ren whispered a question to Temari, who looked pained.

“Of course, the Daimyo would send this bastard,” Temari unhappily muttered and let out a defeated sigh as her posture slightly slumped.

Ren tilted his head at her, “You know him?”

“Koichi Shido.” Temari nodded, “He is one of Daimyo’s closest advisors.” Her eyes glanced at the man with unveiled disgust as she leaned closer to Ren and lowered her voice even more, “You see, they share the appreciation of young women, and his competence earned him the favor of the Daimyo quickly after he joined the court. Or so I heard.”

Ren blinked at her, “That’s quite specific.” He said in surprise. “Do you know all the important officials at the Daimyo’s court?”

He wouldn’t put it past Ebizo to drill such intel into her, to be honest. After all, she was supposed to become the next Kazekage sometime in the future, and Ren reckoned knowing this might be important in the position.

Temari, however, just snorted. “Of course, not.” She rolled her eyes at Ren with a small, mirthless smirk. “During his previous visit two years ago, the fat bastard just requested my father if he could ‘sample the goods’. Father refused, and he went to whine to the Daimyo. It’s where the Daimyo’s interest in me came from.” She dryly stated, glaring daggers at the gasping fat man on the camel.

The camel had finally stopped as it reached its destination, where the village’s councilmen were waiting to welcome the official. The man seemed at a loss about how to dismount the animal for a second before he tried to slide off its right side, and almost fell off with a startled yelp, his hands flailing in the air.

If it were not for Akito and one other council member… Yura, Ren, uncertainly guessed as he tried to remember his name… the official would be rolling in the dust on the ground.

Yet, the crowd did not laugh.

The samurai following the official as his bodyguards also dismounted, and the official part of the welcome started. Both Temari and Ren tuned it out as they turned around and slipped away, heading home in a somber silence.

“That was… something.” Ren finally hummed as they walked through the street near their house, probing Temari’s willingness to stop scowling at herself and have a conversation.

“Don’t underestimate him!” She gruffly warned. “That was just for show. If you don’t take him seriously, he will have the advantage, and he knows it. He could have easily had somebody put a stool near the camel so he could dismount with dignity. His samurai could easily help him, too. Yet, nobody even tried? Yeah, right.” Temari huffed, squeezing Ren’s hand tighter.

Ren’s lips pursed, and he slowly nodded. Yes. He might have taken the man lightly because of his display. He probably shouldn’t do that. He wouldn’t have his position if he were incompetent.

“Right. The upcoming meetings are going to be something else, aren’t they?” He wistfully chuckled.

He knew that the Daimyo had something planned, but he had no idea what shape his ploys would take. Akito wasn’t informed about it. He hoped Ebizo would be on the top of his game, later on today, when the council meeting with the Daimyo’s official happened, because as a Konoha ninja, Ren couldn’t truly intervene.

Ren sighed. All he wanted was some peace and quiet without anybody plotting something against him and his interests. Was it so much to ask for?

…

Later that evening, Ren and Temari sat to the side of the council chambers, watching as they slowly filled in with many important people.

The Daimyo’s official entered among the last ones, escorted by several Samurai guards and Ebizo, who led him to the room. For a moment, Ebizo’s eyes met Ren’s as they entered, and he gave him a small, near-unnoticeable nod.

Ren noticed that Temari was not the only one who had a distaste for Koichi Shido. Several people were silently glaring at him as he paraded into the room.

He gently elbowed Temari on the side, getting her attention before motioning with her head toward a particular corner of the room. She turned toward him with an irritated expression, but then she noticed his gesture and looked… only to wince.

Pulling out her handheld fan, she leaned closer and discreetly covered the front of their lower faces. “Those are the Nakamura clan. The head’s daughter was married to Shido two years later, after my father rejected… well, you know. The girl apparently suffocated to death in his tender care, hence why.” She motioned to the angry looks they were throwing at the obese official.

“How could a kunoichi…?” Ren incredulously whispered back, but Temari just shrugged.

“Easily. It happens to Shido’s mistresses often enough. The Nakamuras just thought their precious girl would be different because she was his official wife.” Temari quietly huffed, “They were wrong and now they are butthurt about it. Not that they can do anything to him.”

“Poor girl.” Ren sighed, glancing at Shido and seeing him in an entirely new light.

“Couldn’t have happened to a less obnoxious little bitch.” Temari deadpanned.

People were starting to pay them too much attention, so she grabbed at Ren’s thigh before he could answer, and squeezed hard in a sign to quiet down as she folded her fan and pulled away from him, settling comfortably in her seat again.

The room quickly got into order, and the meeting smoothly started. Boring greetings and pleasantries were exchanged again, according to the protocol, and Ren fought a riveting internal battle against his urge to yawn.

This was also why he never aspired to become a Kage. He would have to attend all meetings like this. Just being a bystander was bad enough. Why would anybody do this to themselves?

Some people were such masochists…

He glanced at Temari with a faint smirk, making her subtly narrow her eyes at him as she noticed. She knew him well enough to understand from his expression that he thought something rude about her, but she had no idea what.

Heh. Ren’s smirk widened.

With another quiet, disgruntled huff, Temari’s elbow found its way into Ren’s side before she turned away from him, intent on ignoring his fooling around.

But the corners of her lips now sported a small, upward curve.

“Right. With that done, I think it’s time to start with the important business.” Shido, the Daimyo’s official, said, and the entire room focused on him as he preeningly pulled out a scroll before unrolling it.

He paused for a dramatic effect, and then his eyes flickered toward Temari and Ren. Just for a moment, but it gave Ren a bad premonition.

“Our esteemed Lord Daimyo, the son of Wind God, and the Ruler of all deserts under the sun…” Shido started, reciting several other titles before he finally got to the important part of the scroll, “… has expressed a deep disappointment at Sunagakure’s grievous mistake of wedding Lady Temari to a lowborn foreigner.”

Ren’s mouth quirked up in amusement as he heard that, but the official continued undisturbed.

“In his amazing magnanimity, Lord Daimyo decided to forgive Sunagakure as long as they are willing to rectify their mistake in the future. He, who is exalted, is still agreeable to take the young Lady as his cherished mistress despite her lost purity and her now tainted nature.” Shido let out a deep, regretful sigh. “His generosity indeed knows no bounds.”

Raising his head and donning a serious expression, Shido looked at the councilmen and asked in a stern tone, “What say you, important men of Sunagakure?”

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