Chapter 121: Composure

If Nobu had spoken to any other former Daimyo that way, he might have been challenged to a duel or put to death on the spot. When Senichi heard him, however, the middle-aged man just grinned before giving the former a firm smack on the back and saying, "Good. People who conspire to steal power from others are weaklings. You will always get further in life doing the things you want to do than trying to meet the expectations of others."

With that said, Senichi retracted his hand from Nobu's back before adding, "There is, however, one thing you'll need to keep in mind..."

Grinding his teeth in an effort to ease the throbbing pain at the center of his back, Nobu glared at his grandfather before asking, "What?" through clenched teeth.

Maintaining the same grin from before, Senichi began to walk towards the depths of the chamber as he answered, "As your power and influence increase, those in positions of authority will attempt control over you. In life, you either rule or find yourself ruled by others. Those that attempt to break free from this mold find themselves labeled as criminals, rebels, and revolutionaries...after that, you either fight to survive or die a dog's death..."

Without turning to see if Nobu was following him, Senichi continued towards the depths of the massive hall. He figured that Nobu, much like his father, would need time to process everything. What he didn't expect was for Nobu to softly murmur, "What a pain in the ass..." before quickly following after him...

Restraining the urge to rub his temples, Senichi maintained a stern and dauntless smile on his war-weary face as he internally mused, ("At least he's decisive...")

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While Nobu was receiving a history lesson and being escorted through the Dragon's Chamber, Yui found herself in a far more precarious situation.

As Nobu had made it pretty clear he intended to marry her in the future, Yui spent the entire night accompanying Nana and Nobuhime. She had even received permission to refer to Nana as her Kaa-chan, an affectionate form of address used by children when speaking to their mothers.

Having lost her mother at a very early age, Yui felt a combination of guilt and happiness when Nana gave her permission to use such an affectionate form of address. This, combined with the fact that Nobuhime seemed to have taken a shine to her, filled Yui with a bevy of emotions she didn't really know how to describe.

Unfortunately, just as they were preparing for bed, Yui was informed that she would be meeting with Nobu's fiancee the following morning.

While she had always expected to encounter the woman at some point, Yui hadn't expected the meeting to be so sudden. According to Nana, this was to help them sort things out before Nobu got involved. This was something Yui could understand, but, at the same time, she couldn't help feeling as though she was about to enter a battlefield.

Though few people had even seen Nobu's fiancee, Yui had been made intimately aware of the woman's existence ever since she was a child. Since then, she had heard countless rumors about the woman's exploits, as, despite being a widow, the Oda Clan had afforded her a tremendous amount of freedom to make decisions.

Under normal circumstances, the widow of a primary descendent of the Great Noble Clans would spend the rest of their days mourning the loss of their husband. They were relegated to a position that ensured they were little more than a political hostage.

A stark contrast to the norm, Nobu's fiancee, Nohime, enjoyed a relatively privileged position. Her father, Saito Dosan, was the Lord of Mino and the former rival of Oda Senken. The two had met on the battlefield numerous times in their youth, and, despite many coming to know him as the Viper of Mino, Senken had grown to respect his rival's skill and tenacity.

Long before Nobu was born, Senken had defeated Dosan in a battle that should have ended in one of their deaths. Instead, Senken offered the man a drink, and, after getting completely wasted, the duo promised that if they ever became the Daimyo of their respective territories, they would forge an alliance via marrying their firstborn sons and daughters.

Though Senken offered to renege on his promise after Nobu's condition became known, Dosan, who had been struggled to centralize power at the time, insisted that they move forward with the arrangement. As a result, Nohime was entrusted to the Oda Clan to conduct bridal training at the age of eight. Since then, ten years had passed.

While others in her position might have grieved, Nohime had always gotten along well with Nana. The latter regarded her as a daughter, so, despite many within the clan insisting that she adhere to tradition and remain in solitude, Nohime had been allowed a number of freedoms.

The problem that Yui faced was that Nohime was known to be a remarkably beautiful and devilishly clever woman. There were even rumors floating about that she was a master tactician, and, through her connection with Nana, many believed she was the one ruling Owari from behind the scenes.

Only fools would ever believe such rumors, but, having received a number of warnings from her Grandmother, Yui couldn't help regarding Nohime as a dangerous existence. She may not be the shadow ruler of Owari but she had managed to accrue a veritable fortune through her business enterprises. This was in spite of the fact she couldn't leave the capital, so, while most would regard Nohime as a powerless woman with a limited cultivation base, Yui recognized her for what she truly was...

Saito Nohime, the Daughter of the Mino Province's Viper...

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After waiting for several minutes, Yui's body tensed ever so slightly as the sound of approaching footsteps reached her ears. This was immediately noticed by Nana, who, with an amused smile on her face, teased, "Just relax, Yui-chan. No-chan might come across as cold and distant at times, but, deep down, she's a good girl. I'm sure the two of you can work something out~!"

Forcing a smile, Yui appeared to relax as she politely replied, "I understand, Kaa-chan. Thank you for your words of encouragement..."

Though she believed Yui was being overly polite, Nana just chalked it up to nerves. Their situations couldn't really be compared but if Senken had arranged a meeting between her and a member of his former entourage, Nana wasn't sure how she would respond. She would have readily accepted Hitomi but she never really saw eye to eye with his other kunoichi...

"Pardon me, Nana-sama. I received a message saying you wished to see me...?"

Dismissing her wayward thoughts, Nana adopted one of her characteristically radiant smiles as she happily exclaimed, "Come on in, No-chan! There's someone I want you to meet~!"

Directing her attention to the sliding bamboo door, Yui's body, once again, tensed as she watched it slide open to reveal a remarkably beautiful woman with dark-brown hair, keen black eyes, and an attractive figure that was barely concealed by her black kimono and ivory white obi...

Shifting her attention to Yui, Nohime's eyes briefly squinted as she muttered, "Yoshitsune Yui..." in a cold and distant tone.

Had she encountered Nohime under normal circumstances, Yui might have bowed to the woman. After all, Nohime was, for all intents and purposes, her Lady. Were it not for Nobu's peculiarities, a meeting such as this would never have happened.

Returning a practiced smile, Yui maintained a rigid posture as she replied, "It is a pleasure to see you in good health...Nohime-san..."

Though her eyes briefly widened when she heard Yui's form of address, Nohime managed to stay composed as she returned a practiced smile of her own, answering, "Indeed...and with you here, it appears my hypothesis was correct. I'm assuming my revered husband is somewhere nearby...?"

Clapping her hands together, Nana's smile became even more radiant as she exclaimed, "No-chan is so smart~!" in a sing-song tune.

Exhaling an inaudible sigh, Nohime made her way over to the other two girls before sitting next to Nana. This made it appear as though she and Nana were on the same side while Yui was left sitting alone.

Fortunately for Yui, Nana seemed to notice Nohime's intentions, a pout forming on her face as she said, "No-chan...don't be mean to Yui-chan. The two of you are going to be sisters in the future. You should at least try to get along..."

Hearing Nana's words, it was Nohime's turn to tense as she directed a steely gaze towards Yui. For a brief moment, the latter thought she sensed killing intent, but, due to Nohime's cultivation being limited to the pinnacle of Iron, it wasn't very powerful.

"I see...it appears much has happened without me being made aware. If Kaa-chan would be so kind as to explain the situation, I would be forever grateful..."

With no visible emotions on her face, Nohime appeared to regard Yui as little more than air as she shifted her attention to Nana. This caused the latter to wince, not because she was even remotely afraid of Nohime but because she felt guilty about keeping Nobu's return a secret. Nohime was, for all intents and purposes, her son's legal wife. She wasn't going to be happy when she learned that Nobu had impregnated, not one, but two women before they even had the chance to consummate their marriage...

Noticing the discomfort in Nana's expression and body language, Nohime clenched her fists within her sleeves. It didn't show on her face, but she was extremely infuriated by this development. While she and Nobu had only met a single time, the latter was still her spouse. She had always suspected he was being treated in secret so she had spent the last decade strengthening her position with the expectation he would inevitably return. Finding out he had essentially been philandering while she was spending every day fulfilling her duties caused the usual cold and empty sensation in her heart to become a veritable inferno of rage and indignation...

In spite of her rising emotions, Nohime appeared calm and composed as she appended, "Do not worry yourself, Kaa-chan. I do not blame you. I am certain there is a reasonable explanation for this and am more than willing to hear it. Please, speak freely. I am not some weak woman who needs to be coddled and sheltered from the truth."

Though Yui was feeling even tenser after hearing Nohime's words, Nana visibly relaxed when she heard her daughter-in-law's assurance. She had always been fond of Nohime, so, while she wasn't oblivious to the enmity radiating from the woman's body, she believed the two of them would be able to work things out. After all, she knew, better than most, just how much of an effort Nohime had made to secure her current position. So long as they talked things out, they should be able to see eye to eye...

Feeling hopeful, Nana regained her usual smile as she began to recount everything she had learned about Nobu's situation. Yui was a great help in this regard as she had basically been with Nobu ever since his awakening. She knew Nobu better than anyone else, so, for the better part of three-and-a-half hours, the three women discussed his nature and exploits while Nobuhime listened attentively from within her crib...

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(A/N: This chapter is a little shorter than normal as I'm still recovering from the move. I also wanted to ask for everyone's opinion. At the present moment, I'm only planning for Nobu to have a total of three wives. I'm not saying he won't be promiscuous, but, once his children are born, he will mellow out quite a bit in regard to his sexual exploits. If you'd like to see a more 'active' Nobu, however, let me know in the comments section. So long as he doesn't reach Vahn level of harem, I don't mind a bit of excess. Just know there will be a lot of drama if we go that route xD...)