In the end, it was just a wedding.
Even if it failed, it was within the realm of acceptability.
Sarutobi Hiruzen patted Shimizu Uchiha's shoulder. The fact that Shimizu was now thinking about the village and considering issues from Konohagakure's perspective was an excellent start.
This was how the Will of Fire was passed down, generation after generation.
"You may all leave for now," Hiruzen said.
"Yes, Hokage-sama," Hatake Kakashi replied.
With that, his figure vanished from the spot.
Shimizu followed suit, departing as well.
Finally, Hiruzen turned his gaze to Nara Enchu.
"Enchu, come by more often when you have the time. My wife, Biwako, has some matters regarding medicinal herbs she'd like to discuss with your clan."
"Hahaha, Lord Hokage, the Nara Clan always has time!" Nara Enchu said with a laugh.
His eyes briefly flickered toward the direction Shimizu had left.
The idea of a marriage alliance had, of course, crossed his mind.
But he hadn't expected Shimizu to bring it up so directly.
What's more, the Hokage had immediately agreed to it.
As the leader of the Nara Clan, Enchu's mind raced in that moment, considering the implications.
Was this a signal that Konohagakure's leadership was preparing to fully reintegrate the Uchiha Clan?
There had been rumors like this before, and this move only lent them more credibility.
Hiruzen and Enchu spoke for a while about funding for the hospital system. Then, watching Enchu leave, Hiruzen saw Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado depart as well.
The meeting had concluded the moment Hiruzen issued his orders.
"Sealing techniques… that's not the issue," Hiruzen murmured, gazing out the window at the figures moving through Konohagakure's streets below.
Thanks to the Uzumaki Clan's influence, Konohagakure's sealing techniques had always been superior to those of other ninja villages.
They had multiple methods just for sealing tailed beasts.
But Hiruzen's mind was elsewhere—on the matter of the marriage alliance candidate.
Outside the Hokage's office:
"Shimizu, why did you bring up a marriage alliance with the Hokage?" Kakashi asked, his tone laced with skepticism. The idea seemed unreliable to him.
"For the sake of peace between the villages, of course," Shimizu replied, glancing at Kakashi. "A treaty sealed through marriage is far more stable. The end of the war is inevitable, and Kirigakure will eventually choose to cease hostilities—unless they want to face annihilation."
Shimizu's words were casual, almost flippant.
If it worked, great. If not, it didn't matter to him—he had nothing to lose.
His true motive was to position Kakashi as the candidate for the marriage.
"?" Kakashi looked at Shimizu, puzzled.
Shimizu's gaze sent a chill down Kakashi's spine, as if something ominous was looming.
"Peace rests on your shoulders, Kakashi," Shimizu said with a smirk.
Without waiting for Kakashi's stunned reaction, Shimizu turned and left the Hokage building.
What could be more heartbreaking for Nohara Rin than seeing Kakashi marry someone else?
To completely sever Rin's ties to her past, Shimizu needed her to give up on Kakashi entirely.
This would make her far more efficient in serving his purposes.
At the Uchiha household:
"Rin's status today…" Uzuki Yugao knelt on one knee, reporting Rin's recent activities to Shimizu.
Her eyes were dull, devoid of light, like those of an empty puppet.
"Understood," Shimizu said coolly. "Report this to the Anbu as is. Additionally, after you're done monitoring Rin, shift your focus to observing Hyuga Ginka of the Hyuga Clan."
He had plans to use Ginka as a means to approach Hinata's mother—Hyuga Hitomi, the wife of Hyuga Hiashi.
Hinata and Hanabi's mother.
Both Hinata and Hanabi were promising, but Hanabi showed exceptional talent and was being groomed by Hiashi as a potential successor to lead the Hyuga Clan.
Controlling Hanabi would essentially mean controlling the Hyuga Clan itself. Once the stubborn, outdated elders were dealt with, no one would dare oppose him.
The Hyuga Clan's Byakugan was a powerful strategic asset. If Shimizu could secure it for his own use, he wouldn't have to worry about sudden attacks.
His future strength would undoubtedly surpass the Hyuga Clan, but there was always the risk of lingering resentment or subtle sabotage.
In Boruto: Naruto Next Generations, even when Naruto and Sasuke became the strongest shinobi in the world, there were still reckless ninja who challenged them and tried to destabilize Konohagakure.
Only when the clan's members were truly loyal from the bottom of their hearts could such schemes be snuffed out before they began.
"Yes, sir," Yugao replied, rising to leave.
"Wait," Shimizu said.
He removed Yugao's Anbu mask.
Up close, the faint fragrance of her presence filled his senses.
Yugao's features were delicate, and her purple hair added a touch of alluring charm.
"Kneel," Shimizu commanded.
He summoned his unicorn beast.
Ever since Rin had been placed under surveillance, Shimizu had become more cautious.
Cautious of Kakashi, and likely another Anbu observer.
He hadn't laid a hand on Rin since.
Step…
Yugao knelt.
"Open your mouth," Shimizu ordered.
Yugao complied, her movements mechanical.
Then, Shimizu had Yugao "eat takeout."
Her eyes remained lifeless as she passively consumed the meal.
"Lord Shimizu is doing that again," Guren muttered.
Having just finished training, she peeked through a small gap in the curtains, watching the scene unfold.
"What is he doing?" she wondered, utterly baffled.
This bizarre dining ritual was unlike anything she'd seen before. The last time, she recalled, it was something strange involving candles and Suzumebachi.
The purple-haired woman looked like a puppet, battered by a storm, adrift in an endless sea.
At Ichiraku Ramen:
The soft glow of the lights fell on Uzuki Yugao's face, highlighting the exhaustion of a long day's work.
She pushed aside the shop's curtain and spotted Hayate Gekko already seated inside.
After a grueling day with the Anbu, Yugao found her childhood friend, Hayate, waiting for her.
Her cheeks flushed slightly—whether from the day's exertion or Hayate's presence, she wasn't sure.
"Hayate, are you feeling any better?" she asked, settling down beside him.
As she sat, she frowned, catching a faint, unfamiliar scent on herself.
The odd smell unsettled her.
Yugao's slender brows furrowed, her nose twitching slightly as she tried to identify the strange odor.
"Hayate, do you notice a weird smell on me?"
"Hm… do I?" Hayate replied, his dark-circled eyes fixed on her.
His hearing and sense of smell had dulled over time due to his illness.
With his kekkei genkai-related condition, Hayate struggled to detect scents. Even during the blooming season, he needed to see flowers to realize they were in bloom.
"Maybe it's just my imagination," Yugao said, ordering a bowl of ramen.
She reached up, tucking a stray strand of purple hair behind her ear, revealing the elegant curve of her neck.
Her movements were fluid and precise, the mark of a seasoned ninja.
"Why does my mouth hurt so much?" Yugao muttered, wincing as she swallowed a bite of ramen.
The inside of her cheek ached sharply.
Hayate noticed her deepening frown and the cautious way she ate.
"Canker sore?" he asked.
His own experience with mouth ulcers made eating painful, forcing him to be careful with every bite.
Yugao's behavior seemed similar.
"Maybe," Yugao replied, unsure.
She wondered silently if she'd eaten something that caused an allergic reaction in her mouth.
She exhaled softly into her palm.
The strange smell seemed to be coming from her mouth, tinged with a faint, fishy odor.
Two days later:
The battlefront between Konohagakure and Kumogakure remained tense, with shinobi dying daily.
However, with Iwagakure agreeing to a ceasefire, Konohagakure could redirect more forces to confront Kumogakure.
Gradually, they gained the upper hand.
Kumogakure, stretched thin by fighting multiple villages, faced immense strain on their resources.
Kirigakure, meanwhile, had received Sarutobi Hiruzen's response.
After consideration, they were open to negotiating a truce, but they demanded Nohara Rin's return.
They wanted Rin to extract the Three-Tails and allow a Kirigakure shinobi to become its new jinchuriki.
Namikaze Minato, burdened with a heavy heart, gathered Team Minato.
"We're heading to Kirigakure," Minato said, glancing at Rin.
This information was known only to Konohagakure's leadership. Minato was privy to it because he was leading this mission.
"Is it about the tailed beast inside Rin?" Kakashi asked abruptly, his eyes locked on Minato.
"Yes," Minato confirmed, his tone apologetic.
Kirigakure had instigated this conflict, yet it was Konohagakure's people who had to make sacrifices.
"It's not fair to Rin!" Kakashi protested, his emotions flaring.
Every informed shinobi clan knew what happened when a tailed beast was extracted from its host.
Kakashi had once heard his father mention it: Uzumaki Mito had died shortly after the Nine-Tails was removed from her.
If it was Rin, her fate would be no different.
"…" Minato clenched his fist, then slowly relaxed it.
He looked at Rin.
"Rin, this is for the village…"
"It's okay," Rin interrupted, her eyes brimming with tears, glistening as they threatened to spill. "I'll do anything to protect the village."
No one could stay calm after being told they had to die.
"Sensei!" Kakashi tried to speak again, but Minato cut him off.
"Kakashi, do you know how many people the village has lost already?" Minato asked, reciting a chilling number.
The tailed beasts were immense power, and Kirigakure's demand showed they wouldn't back down, no matter the cost.
The war would drag on.
Every additional day of fighting meant more deaths.
Whose family, friends, or loved ones would be next?
Kakashi opened his mouth, trembling, his face pale. He tried to speak but couldn't find the words.
Shimizu stood silently, observing their expressions.
In Konohagakure, sacrificing for the village was the highest honor.
Trading one life for the safety of the entire village was a worthwhile deal.
Anyone who could do the math would know what to choose.
But for the individual, it was far too cruel.
In the original story, Kumogakure—despite being allied with Konohagakure—had secretly abducted Hyuga Hinata, the heiress of the Hyuga Clan.
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