Silence descended upon the room.
Ren noticed Ebizo shooting him a concerned look, but he didn't need to worry. Ren wasn't going to make a scene just because of this. The same couldn't be said about Temari, if the way she was grinding her teeth was any indication.
He grabbed her clenched hand and started to rub soothing circles with his thumb across the back of said hand.
But... Ren's eyebrows furrowed. This made no sense. The Daimyo was not stupid enough to do this. He would have to know that their marriage was one of the supporting pillars of the Konoha-Suna alliance. An alliance that was beneficial to him, too.
His mind began to think about their angle. What could they possibly aim to accomplish with this? Temari was definitely not it. At least, not entirely. Even if the Daimyo was an idiot, he still had capable advisors. There was something more to this whole situation.
But his thoughts were interrupted when the people regained their wits and the conversation resumed.
"Hmmm." Ebizo's joined hands covered his lower face as he gave the Daimyo's official a serious look, "I am afraid there is a small problem with that, Lord Koichi. Temari is already married." He diplomatically said.
Shido, however, was not having it. "You are a ninja village." He sneered. "Surely you can correct, as you called it, a small issue like that."
Ren raised his eyebrow in amusement, and his lips twitched upward at the unsubtle meaning of Shido's words. He noticed how the guy was deliberately ignoring his presence while spouting his nonsense.
Even more interesting was the unrest it created in the room. Some council members looked affronted, some looked at Shido as if he had grown a second head, but a few actually had a pondering expression as they threw Ren 'subtle' looks.
Those were the retards. Strong and experienced ones, surely, but retards nevertheless.
Because no, Sunagakure did not possess the ability to have Ren assassinated. The last attempt had shown that quite well for those in the council who had at least two brain cells to rub together. The smarter ones even realized that if Ren retaliated, then with his specialization in big boom seals, Suna would suffer tremendous damage.
Even if they thought they could manage to put Ren down eventually, they would still come out of it as losers because the Daimyo would definitely not be paying for the property damages such a battle inside the village would cause.
Ren's gaze fell on Shido, and he noticed how tense the man's neck was. It got him thinking. 'Could the Daimyo's people be behind yesterday's assassination attempt?'
He mulled over it in his head as Ebizo futilely tried to reason with Shido, their unimportant words barely registering to Ren. Technically, Akito, their most influential agent and a member of the council, didn't need to be informed of an operation like that.
But no matter how Ren thought about it, it sounded kind of far-fetched to him. Why would they keep their biggest asset in the village in the dark when, with his help, the operation would be much easier? It made no sense.
"And what if Temari is with a child?" Ren heard Ebizo say, and almost choked on his spit. He turned toward Temari and gave her a look, only for her to subtly shake her head with alarm in her eyes.
Ren inwardly huffed. Of course, she was not pregnant! How could she be when he used a seal to turn his fertility off?
But Ebizo was clearly trying to find a good argument against Shido's unreasonable demands. Ren could see his heart was not in it, though. It was obvious that Shido was not here to make a compromise. The man had his agenda, and he looked like a person who would not be satisfied until he got his cake and ate it, too.
Hearing that, Shido's expression turned highly offended, and for the first time, he glanced at Temari with sheer distaste. "Then she would be more tainted than expected. The Daimyo would be willing to cleanse her body with his Royal Seed. But a problem of that nature would have to be disposed of as fast as possible. The Daimyo is patient, but waiting several more months is out of the question. As is bringing a bastard to their holy union." He announced in a self-important tone, his nose rising just a tad higher in the air.
"And if we decline this generous offer?" Ebizo dryly asked in a conversational tone after taking his sweet time to pretend to ponder over it.
Shido's expression instantly darkened, but the triumphant glint in his eyes was unmistakable to any experienced ninja who carefully watched him. "Are you saying you will blatantly disobey your sovereign!?" He growled.
The atmosphere in the room suddenly cooled as the expressions of Ebizo and the people in his faction went cold. But Shido didn't pay them any attention and simply continued.
"In that case, the Daimyo might decide to cut your budget even further." He uttered in a matter-of-fact voice and gave the council in front of him a condescending snort, "Your village is already struggling. Are you sure you can afford it?"
But much to his inner surprise, Ebizo did not react as Shido expected. He stayed serene and calm, almost uncaring. Instead, it was Akito who eagerly jumped into the conversation.
"Surely, it wouldn't need to come to that. We can make a compromise. Fighting against the Daimyo's army of Samurai would spell doom for this village, and once we show our loyalty, I am sure our monetary situation will improve!" He loudly spoke, addressing his fellow councilmen.
"Indeed." Shido nodded, looking very pleased. "Rasa is dead and with him," He smirked at Ebizo, "the old ways should be buried."
Ren chuckled. Now that was a dig at Ebizo's ancient age for sure. He shook his head as he realized what angle Shido was playing here. Indeed, neither Ren nor Temari was their target. They were simply a convenient excuse.
They wanted to gain more authority over Sunagakure. That was their end goal. And with Sunagakure refusing their demands, it created this illusion of the village being unreasonable.
So, obviously, they should accept when Shido later reluctantly offered a hard-won compromise, no? As long as it was something small... like getting a permanent position on the council with some authority? Or staying in the village as an official Daimyo's representative from now on?
That sounded like a minor concession, but when it came to these types, give them an inch and they take and take until you are missing both arms, a leg, and several organs.
"With Lord Daimyo's help, your village will thrive-" Shido proclaimed toward his audience, and Ren decided that it was high time to interrupt the meeting.
It was best not to play a game when other people set up the board. Ebizo could not do it because of propriety, but Ren had no such qualms or restrictions due to his position.
"Excuse me." He loudly interjected, interrupting Shido's dramatic offer, making the man furious that somebody dared to... "Could you pause for a bit? I gotta go to the bathroom." Ren politely requested, and before receiving an answer, he walked out of the room under the stunned gazes following his back until the door closed behind him.
Shido's face twisted as he muttered under his breath, "Mannerless scu-"
Only for a seal Ren left behind on his seat to activate and let everybody hear his rambunctious laughter from outside the room, making them feel awkward.
Temari flushed, obeying the instructions on the note she secretly clutched in her hand, and ducked her head. "I will go and get him to quiet down." She mumbled aloud and followed Ren outside in a rush.
"Oi! Why are you laughing like that?" The people in the council room heard her urgent question before they heard Ren let out one last snorting laugh.
"How could I not laugh at that shitshow?" Ren's amused voice came from the seal, "Have you seen how that fat fuck in fancy robes behaves? It's hilarious!"
Everybody in the room froze.
With an absolutely baffled look and wide eyes, Shido blinked and muttered in disbelief under his breath, "Fat... fuck?"
---
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