Inside the Konoha Embassy, Minamoto Kazuhiko rapped gently on his sister's door.
No answer.
He waited, frowned, then quietly left.
Being the Daimyō's most beautiful daughter did not mean being the most cherished. Princess Kaori's fate had been sealed long ago.
"Meow."
Outside the window, a small orange paw appeared.
With a light hop, Juno perched on the sill, his round body wobbling before he steadied himself. He peered in—
—and immediately froze.
Inside sat a girl so beautiful that even a cat felt humbled.
Princess Kaori rested lightly on the bed's edge. She wore a layered jūnihitoe, black silk embroidered with rich floral patterns, tied at the waist by a vivid red sash. Colors that should have seemed showy instead radiated a quiet, solemn nobility when draped over her cool demeanor.
Her hair—deep black, long, and glossy—fell past her waist in a pristine hime cut. Beneath long dark lashes, two serene blood-red eyes glimmered softly, as if holding the dusk within them.
A stray breeze lifted her hair; each strand shimmered like a raven's feather. The sight struck Juno silent.
"Meow."
Kaori's eyes shifted at the sound, though her lashes stayed lowered.
(That doesn't match what the Cat Clan chief reported...)
(Wasn't Princess Kaori supposed to love cats?)
(Does she only dislike meow-cat types?)
Juno refused to be ignored.
He hopped inside, landing with a round thud. His plump body rippled like a furry dumpling.
A soft laugh escaped Kaori.
Juno turned pink under his fur. Girl and cat shared a silent moment pretending none of that had just happened.
(This is Lord Soren's assignment...)
He mustered all his feline charm and began head-butting her feet, mewing insistently.
Kaori finally opened her eyes fully. The soft warmth in them startled even herself.
Since leaving the Daimyō's manor, she had not seen her childhood street-cat companion. Seeing this adorable orange fluffball, she nearly scooped him up.
But then—
She remembered her fate.
She was to marry a man she'd never met.
A shinobi of the Uchiha—a clan whispered to be merciless, blade-licking demons who killed without blinking.
Her heart shrank.
(If only I could keep this chubby cat...)
(But I can't drag him into my misery.)
(If the Uchiha are as brutal as they say… they'd never spare such a cute little cat.)
Her imagination, fed by court tutors, conjured an absurd image of her future husband:
A towering monster.
Four glowing eyes.
A jagged maw.
Black fur.
Some horrible half-demon form.
Her eyes dimmed with quiet despair.
Juno, unaware of the grotesque misunderstanding forming in her mind, tried his strongest weapon:
He rolled over and exposed his round white belly.
Princess Kaori's resolve shattered.
Her hand drifted toward him—
Then retreated.
Then drifted again.
Juno blinked at her indecisiveness.
"Meow?"
"…Go on. Go away, you adorable chubby cat."
Juno twitched.
(Chubby? This is plump, not fat!)
(Do you know what 'plump' means?)
(Lord Soren prefers my majestic build!)
But Kaori suddenly wilted, falling into quiet self-pity. Juno straightened. This girl was more fragile than he expected.
He sat politely.
"Meow?"
Her voice trembled.
"Little cat… I'm to obey my father and marry a man I've never seen."
Juno nodded once.
(I know. That's Lord Soren.)
"He has unrivaled power."
Another nod.
(Correct—Lord Soren is the strongest.)
"But he is a monster who kills."
Juno nodded—then shook his head rapidly, trying to clarify.
(Yes he kills, but—)
(No, he's not a monster—well, maybe a bit—but—)
"I heard he's immune to blades and flame… that he has a demon's body… and eats two virgins a day."
"Meow?!"
"And most frightening of all—he eats cats."
"That's an outrageous lie!!"
Silence slammed into the room.
Juno's eyes widened.
His paw flew to his mouth.
He had just exposed himself.
Kaori gasped, starry-eyed.
"A talking chubby cat!"
"I am not chubby!" Juno snapped.
Princess Kaori instantly dropped all princess composure. She lunged forward to grab him.
Juno slipped aside like a seasoned shinobi and perched on the table, tail swishing with offended elegance.
Kaori clasped her hands, eyes shining.
"Please don't go, kitty!"
"'Don't go?'" he scoffed dramatically. "Foolish human princess! I was warm to you only because of my mission. Now that I've failed it, you are useless to me!"
He planted a paw on the windowsill.
"Do you intend to stop me, human princess?"
"I won't."
"…Meow?"
Then came the barrage:
"What's your name?"
"Will I see you again?"
"Can you stay and talk with me?"
Juno's brain jammed.
He sensed Uchiha chakra approaching.
"Mission accomplished, mission compromised, time to retreat!"
He launched himself out the window.
Kaori gasped and leaned over.
"It's dangerous! That's the third floor!"
On the eaves and rooftops she watched him dash—
And leap straight into the arms of a handsome young man.
Their eyes met.
Her breath caught.
She panicked and dropped the curtain.
Behind it, she pressed a hand to her pounding heart.
A knock sounded.
"Princess, please do not leave your room. Something unpleasant is happening in Konoha."
(Unpleasant…?)
She recalled the fierce-looking warriors following the boy who held Juno.
"…I understand," she said softly.
Only when footsteps faded did she reopen a sliver of curtain.
Outside, a rectangular barrier shimmered—purple, translucent, filled with flickering flames.
Her expression tightened.
"I hope the chubby cat is safe…" she murmured.
Then paused.
"And… that boy…"
He had worn the Uchiha crest.
A tiny, shy warmth bloomed on her cheeks.
"If a cat likes someone…" she whispered with a small smile,
"they can't be a bad person."
"So… the Uchiha must be good."
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