Under Ren's scrutinizing gaze, Shisui gradually grew nervous.
Seeing how solemn Ren was, his expression became constrained as he asked, "My Lord, given your serious demeanor, is there something you need me to handle?"
Ren nodded, his voice slow and deep.
"Shisui, didn't you just ask how I got these wounds on my face? I suppose there's no harm in telling you now."
"Yoruichi scratched me."
"Lady Yoruichi?" Shisui froze, looking surprised. "Why would she do that?"
"..."
Ren fell silent for a moment before finally gritting his teeth, deciding to voice his troublesome secret.
"Between her and me, what else could it be for?"
As soon as Ren said that, Shisui understood immediately.
"Do you mean... you have a mistress outside?"
"Don't make it sound so unpleasant."
After a pause, Ren's muffled voice sounded again.
"From Yoruichi's perspective, I suppose you could put it that way."
"My apologies. I spoke out of turn."
Shisui's mind was as clear as a mirror now, instantly connecting the dots.
Lord Ren must have found someone new on the outside and was caught by Lady Yoruichi.
In a fit of rage, Lady Yoruichi had scratched Lord Ren's face.
"Actually, it's not entirely my fault."
Ren looked conflicted as he defended himself.
"It was mainly that when I met her, she gave me a sense of freshness."
"She's as beautiful as Yoruichi, but her personality is much more refined. She lacks Yoruichi's crudeness; instead, she's incredibly considerate, gentle, and understanding. One can't help but feel protective of her..."
"With my willpower, the result was... I accidentally fell for her."
He looked at Shisui, seeking validation.
"You can understand that feeling, right, Shisui?"
Shisui scratched his head, looking awkward. "My Lord, I'm not even married yet."
"Forget it, you wouldn't understand."
Ren waved his hand and slowly exhaled a breath of turbid air.
"Yoruichi wants me to send her away. Although I'm reluctant, this is the only way for now."
"Shisui, I've decided to entrust her to you. You will be the one to look after her."
At those words, Shisui was horrified. He fell to his knees in terror.
"M-My Lord..."
"I... I would never dare to take what you love."
"I cannot accept this. Please, rescind your order!"
Having followed Ren for so long, he knew his master's character.
Though serious on the outside, he was a kind-hearted soul, sometimes to a fault, and was very generous toward his subordinates.
But this sort of thing...
It certainly did not include such an insulting blow to his dignity.
Moreover, he was merely a subordinate—to put it bluntly, a servant to the master's household. How could he dare lay a finger on his master's beloved?
This... this was simply beyond reason!
Seeing Shisui's intense reaction, Ren tilted his head, feeling somewhat bewildered.
"Shisui, I know you have a gentle nature and will treat her well. That's why I'm entrusting her to you."
"You just need to settle her in your home at the Uchiha compound."
"If I ever miss her, it'll be convenient for me to drop by and see her anytime."
Hearing this, Shisui pressed his forehead harder against the ground, prostrating himself desperately.
"My Lord, I beg you to take back your command!"
"This is something I absolutely cannot agree to."
Ren grew increasingly confused.
Seeing Shisui remain unmoved despite his persuasion, Ren's expression gradually chilled.
"Shisui, this is an order!"
"Are you disobeying me?"
Shisui felt even more anxious upon hearing this. "My Lord, I..."
Without giving Shisui a chance to refuse, Ren made the final call.
"It's decided."
"Don't let me down, Shisui."
Shisui remained silent, continuing to lie flat on the floor.
Ren roughly hauled up the limp, seemingly spineless Shisui and shoved him onto the sofa.
"I've been keeping her hidden in a secret room at headquarters during this time."
"Wait here. I'll go get her."
Having said that, Ren walked toward one of the walls.
A hidden door appeared in the wall. Ren stepped inside and returned a moment later carrying an object.
Shisui looked over. It was covered with a coarse cloth marked with seal characters. He understood immediately.
It was likely a Kido barrier similar to the one used to transport Oz Jr., capable of shrinking an entire space to be placed inside.
Just as he was about to stand up, Ren stopped him.
"Sit."
Ren stepped in front of Shisui and placed the object on Shisui's lap.
Shisui felt as if a weight of ten thousand tons were pressing on his knees, and he didn't dare move an inch.
"Shisui, open it and take a look. I'm sure you'll grow to like her too."
Under Ren's command, Shisui reached out with a trembling hand and pinched a corner of the cloth.
Steeling his heart, Shisui stopped hesitating and yanked it off.
Beneath the cloth was an iron cage made of welded wire. Inside the cage lay a calico cat with its eyes closed, pretending to sleep.
Looking at the cat, Shisui blinked, his face a mask of shock.
"A cat?"
Perhaps sensing the light, the calico slowly opened its eyes and looked curiously at the world outside.
It first looked at Shisui in front of it, then scanned the surroundings until its gaze landed on Ren behind him.
A soft cry escaped its mouth.
"Meow... meow..."
Seeing the calico, Ren's expression immediately softened.
Shisui's Mangekyo Sharingan activated as he observed the cat closely, confirming that it was indeed just a cat.
Before the shock could fade from his face, Shisui looked up at Ren with a look of pure confusion.
"A cat?"
"She's beautiful, isn't she?"
Ren nodded. Noticing the strange tone in Shisui's voice, he frowned and looked at him.
"What else did you think it was?"
"What did you think it was?"
Shisui bit the soft flesh inside his lip and forced a strained smile onto his face.
"My Lord, I thought it was a cat from the very beginning!"
At that moment, Shisui couldn't help but sigh in relief inwardly.
'Thank God it's a cat...'
'Thank God it's just a cat.'
How could Shisui's bizarre behavior escape Ren's notice?
He could tell at a single glance that Shisui had the wrong idea.
"Shisui, did I not tell you?"
"You told me from the start, My Lord."
"No, thinking back, it seems I really didn't tell you. It's no wonder you had such a misunderstanding."
Since Ren admitted it directly, what more could Shisui say?
He nodded gently, looked at the calico, and asked curiously, "My Lord, why does this cat look... so familiar?"
"I brought her from the Uchiha compound. You've seen her before, so of course she looks familiar," Ren said.
Shisui's eyes flashed with memory, his face showing confusion.
"I didn't even notice when you brought her over, My Lord."
"You weren't the one handling it, so of course you wouldn't know," Ren said. "I knew from the beginning that Yoruichi would object, so I had Guernica bring her over in secret. No one else knows about this except the two of us."
At this point, Ren sighed.
"In the end, I didn't expect that a small oversight on my part would let Yoruichi find out."
Shisui's expression turned odd as he said, "My Lord, she's a cat, not a person. Lady Yoruichi surely wouldn't..."
"Why wouldn't she!"
Before Shisui could finish, Ren interrupted him.
He touched the bandage on his face, his tone quite complex.
"If it were a person, Yoruichi might not even be this angry..."
"It's because it's a cat that she's so jealous."
"Anyway, enough of that."
Ren looked at the calico cat in the cage, his eyes full of reluctance.
"In short, I'm entrusting her to you. You must treat her well."
"...Understood, My Lord."
[Reviews - Power St0nes - Comments are highly appreciated to keep me going.....(+50 chapters) patre0n.c0m/talecrafter]