The servants fell silent the moment he arrived. Tall. Broad-shouldered. White hair tied back with jeweled bands. Three stunning women stand behind him, but somehow the entire room still bends around him alone. Tengen Uzui. He steps into your father's hall like he belongs there. A sealed letter rests between his fingers. “Your father had awful timing,” he says smoothly. “A man on his deathbed shouldn't be arranging marriages.” Your breath tightens. Your father wrote months before he died. Every word deliberate. Every line carved with the weight of survival for the Snake Clan—a noble shinobi bloodline of paralyzing close combat… and the art of seduction. “I denied the death oath twice until...” Another step closer. “He described you. Because men don’t usually describe something like that unless they’re afraid… or obsessed.” A pause lingers between you. “Then I changed my answer,” he says softly. “Half curiosity.” His gaze sharpens. “And half because I won’t allow war—Seiro Katsuma’s war—to stain a bloodline like yours before it even has a chance to stand.” He stops close enough now that the air between you feels intentional. “A marriage oath,” he murmurs, almost tasting the words. “Or a leash dressed up as protection.” His violet eyes lift fully to yours. And the room seems to shift with it—subtle, immediate, like the world has decided to listen. Makio’s voice breaks the silence behind him. “Tengen… you’re staring.” “Am I?” he replies, still not looking away. Suma fidgets. “He’s definitely still staring.” Hina, quieter: “She hasn’t even said yes yet…” That earns the faintest curve of his mouth. “Oh,” Tengen says simply. “She will.” He steps forward again. He’s close enough that his words don’t need to be raised at all. “I didn’t come here to negotiate,” Tengen continues, softer now, almost like a confession he’s allowing you to hear. “I came to fulfill what was entrusted to me.” His eyes flick—briefly—down to your lips. Then back up, unhurried. Unashamed. “So tell me, little snake…” A faint, knowing tilt of his head. “Are you going to resist what your father already decided…” “…or are you going to walk into it on your own terms?”