Planning the Open Area

Izuna slept soundly until the sun was high in the sky, and the bright sunlight shone on his face through the window, at which point he reluctantly opened his eyes.

The aches and fatigue throughout my body had mostly subsided, and my spirits had recovered considerably.

He stretched lazily, rubbed his eyes, went to the study, stuffed his eyeballs back into his eyes, and then remembered.

The framework for the Konoha tour needs to be established quickly; those enthusiastic guests won't wait for anyone.

After washing up and changing into clean Clan Attire, Izuna had left on the stove, then strolled out the door and headed towards the Hokage Building.

On the way, he sensed something was wrong.

Konoha is still the same Konoha; everything seems to be the same as before.

Even the Uchiha clan members looked at him strangely.

I can't quite put my finger on what's strange about it, but it's just a really weird look in my eyes.

This feeling became even more pronounced when leaving the tribal area and arriving in more ordinary residential areas and Commercial Streets.

The shop owners on the street, the housewives passing by, the children playing... all seemed to lower their voices or steal a glance at him as he passed by, then quickly exchange a look with the people next to them and whisper a few words.

The way the Ninjas looked at him changed.

In the past, people acknowledged his Strength and status, but also showed a degree of distance or respect for the strong.

But now, there's something else in that gaze.

It was a sense of awe, as if looking up to some mysterious figure, as if he had done something earth-shattering.

Izuna: "...?"

He touched his face and then looked down at his clothes.

What are they looking at? Is there something wrong with me?

He was filled with questions, but he kept walking, still feeling somewhat confused.

It turns out that the residents of Konoha were not truly indifferent to what was happening in the outside world.

However, information transmission takes time, and the Ninjas' inherent way of thinking led them to initially categorize reports like "going to Kyoto to perform a play" as a "special S-Rank Mission," without immediately understanding the significance behind it.

But within just half a day, the news spread rapidly throughout the village through various channels.

Only then did they belatedly realize the extent of the trouble this "performing" troupe had stirred up.

What kind of mission is this?! It's an epic event that swept through the entire Capital of the Land of Fire, shaking the understanding of both nobles and commoners!

They then negotiated face-to-face with the Daimyo of the Land of Fire, securing rights for the Ninja that they could never have imagined: the right to govern their own territory!

Although the villagers don't understand what Special Administrative Region is, and some even think it's no different from a village, that doesn't stop them from thinking it's impressive.

According to the guards who were there earlier, Lord Izuna actually dared to confront the Daimyo directly! And then the Daimyo even thanked him and was reluctant to let him go!

Based on this alone, "Special Administrative Region" is no ordinary term!

There were also the strange tales of "exorcising demons and monsters" on the streets, and the enthusiastic scenes of Ordinary People and nobles vying to follow them.

One by one, the events, pieced together, pointed to a conclusion that they found unbelievable.

Uchiha Izuna, single-handedly, paved an unprecedented path for the entire Konoha and for all Ninjas.

That path is bright, full of dignity and hope.

He not only secured the long-desired legal status for Konoha, but also changed the outside world's perception of Ninjas, giving them more room for development!

This isn't just completing a mission; this is rewriting the history of Ninjas!

For the Ninjas who had just escaped the precarious life of mercenaries and longed for a stable future, this achievement and this foresight were something they could only look up to.

However, Izuna himself had absolutely no idea how serious the trouble he had caused.

In his eyes, going to Kyoto was the completion of an important performance, the special zone was discussed with the Daimyo, the runaway was an accident, rebuilding the streets was something that should be done, and the "ticket" plan was a spur-of-the-moment idea.

He never imagined that these actions would be seen as "miracles" and "great deeds" by others.

Therefore, Izuna found it strange to be met with those awe-inspiring gazes and whispers.

"What's going on..." he muttered to himself, quickening his pace. He jumped onto the roof, trying to escape the uncomfortable stares.

The whispers of the people drifted faintly into his ears:

"Is that Lord Izuna? He looks so young..."

"I heard he single-handedly drove away the possessing Yōkai in Kyoto!"

"More than that! Even Daimyo treats him with utmost respect! From now on, Konoha will have a legitimate status!"

"That's amazing..."

Izuna: "..."

I understand even less now.

Fighting off Yōkai? I have absolutely no memory of that. Having a title? That was negotiated by Hashirama, Madara, and the Daimyo; I was just the one who came up with the idea. How come all the credit is going to me?

He shook his head, deciding to ignore this absurd public opinion. He had important business to attend to.

After jumping onto the roof, he saw a street on the edge of the village under repair in the distance.

However... the sight of the construction made him pause, and the corner of his mouth twitched involuntarily.

In a vacant lot, a few temporary stalls were scattered about.

The stalls were very ordinary, the kind commonly seen at traditional celebrations, selling snacks, souvenirs, or playing small games.

Several Ninjas were clumsily setting up more stalls, trying to arrange them more neatly to make them look like a "street".

What's that? Could it be a designated "open area"?

Seriously?! Is it really that shabby?!

There are no distinctive buildings, no experiential activities, no planned zones, and not even a proper gate or sign.

The entire area open to the public currently looks like an ordinary temple fair market.

Izuna, rubbing his forehead.

He could probably guess what Madara and Hashirama were thinking.

Since it's an open area, there needs to be something for people to see, play with, and buy, right? So let's set up some stalls first, make it look like a street, and make it look lively.

But their imaginations could only go so far. This scene would probably be lively in the eyes of Ninjas or even Ordinary People, but for Izuna, it was pitifully shabby.

He shook his head and continued walking towards the Hokage Building.

As soon as he entered the Hokage Building, he bumped into Tobirama Senju, who had just come from the building, in the corridor.

Tobirama clearly hadn't expected to run into Izuna here, and his steps abruptly halted.

Their eyes met.

Izuna blinked, preparing to greet him as usual.

However, before he could even utter a word, he was silenced Tobirama Tobirama's expression and gaze.

Tobirama's usually expressionless face was now furrowed, his brows furrowed, and his lips pressed into a stiff line.

Especially those crimson eyes, when they looked at Izuna, held a complex mix of emotions that Izuna couldn't immediately decipher.

Moreover, his face was so sour it looked as if he had been washing his hair upside down in ink and had been forced to swallow a dozen bitter melons.

"You..." Tobirama first, his voice dry, his tone awkward and sarcastic, with a hint of inexplicable anger, "Awake? You certainly know how to pick your time. Why didn't you just sleep all day?"

Izuna:"???"

He looked completely bewildered, utterly baffled as to what was wrong with this white-haired hedgehog this time.

I just got back from a mission and was taking a nap, what's wrong with that? Why am I getting criticized as soon as I arrive?

"Hey, Tobirama, are you out of your mind?" Izuna couldn't help but retort. "What did I do to you if I took a nap? Why are you looking so grumpy? Did the experiment fail again?"

He retorted as usual.

This time, however, Tobirama did not retort, nor did he simply snort coldly and walk away.

Instead, he seemed to be stung by those words; his eyes flickered, and his awkwardness and irritation became even more pronounced.

He looked away and abruptly changed the subject.

"Ban and Big Brother are in the Meeting Room, having a headache over the open area issue. Now that you're awake, hurry over there. Don't get in the way."

After saying that, without waiting for Izuna's reaction, she turned around somewhat hastily and walked quickly towards the other end of the corridor, as if she would feel uncomfortable if she stayed for even a second longer.

Izuna stood there, watching Tobirama figure, which could almost be described as fleeing in disarray, and the question marks above his head grew even more numerous.

"Why is this guy acting so strange today?" He scratched his head, completely baffled.

However, since Madara and Hashirama are still struggling with the open area... let's go take a look first.

As for Tobirama's unusual behavior? The Second Hokage's thoughts are always hard to fathom; perhaps the continuous failures of his experiments have led to an endocrine imbalance.

Izuna shrugged, putting the little incident behind him, and walked towards the Meeting Room.

Pushing open the Meeting Room door, I saw Madara and Hashirama frowning at a rudimentary planning diagram.

The map has several lines drawn on it, with labels for stall area, rest area, entrance, etc., and several pieces of paper with various stalls and simple architectural sketches scattered around it.

It looks... extremely shabby.

It's like a Comic Convention without electronic screens.

Hearing the door open, the two looked up.

Izuna's arrival caused a subtle shift in the expressions of Madara and Hashirama.

But those complex emotions only flashed across their eyes for a moment, and soon the two returned to normal.

"Izuna, you're awake?" Madara spoke first, his voice gentle. "How are you feeling?"

Hashirama, beaming with joy, waved and exclaimed, "Perfect timing! Come and see our planned open area! We were just worrying about it!"

Under the expectant and inquiring gazes of Madara and Hashirama, Izuna walked over, reached out, and grasped the planning map.

Then, to the astonishment of the two of them...

"Sizzle--"

He tore the drawing in half without any expression.

Spot. "?"

Hashirama: "Huh?!"

Before they could react to this sudden action, Izuna took a deep breath and launched into a tirade of abuse.

"What are you thinking? Are you trying to fool those noble gentlemen and ladies who have come all the way from Kyoto with something like this?"

"Stalls? Temple fair? Do you really think those rich people who are used to the bustling Kyoto and whose homes are filled with pavilions and towers would make a special trip to our remote mountains just to visit a shabby temple fair that's not even as good as a celebration in their own backyard?"

"How much is the entrance fee? Five copper coins? Ten copper coins? Or do you just give a tip depending on the guest's mood?"

"We are Konohagakure! The headquarters of Ninjas! What is our biggest selling point? It's mystery! It's power! It's an extraordinary experience that Ordinary People can never have!"

"And this is what you show me? A stall selling three-colored dumplings and Shuriken models?!"

Izuna became increasingly agitated as he spoke, slamming his fist on the table, his face filled with disappointment and frustration.

"We're in business, not begging for handouts! We want customers to willingly spend their money, feel it's worthwhile, enjoy it, and want to come back!"

"What we're building isn't just a market! It's a... a..."

He paused, searching for the right words in his mind for a long time, and finally said it.

"A 'theme park'! A unique 'Ninja fantasy world' that belongs only to Konoha!"

Madara and Hashirama were completely bewildered by what he said.

Theme park? Ninja fantasy world?

They understood each word individually, but paradise? What was that? Did such a place really exist?

Seeing the identical blank looks on their faces, Izuna rubbed his temples, feeling a headache coming on.

He knew that talking to these two straight Big Brother, whose minds were filled with nothing but fighting, building villages, and politics, and who believed "everyone should be happy," about "immersive experiences," "IP value," and "differentiated competition" was like talking to a brick wall.

So he gave up explaining.

Stop thinking about it! Just do as I say!