Ise * Merchant

"It's fate that we met. Let me buy you a drink," the man said, reaching out to the waiter.

"No."

"You are welcome."

The person, completely oblivious to being refused, had already ordered the drinks from the clerk.

A moment later, the waiter brought over a pot of fresh wine. The wine swayed gently in the earthenware bottle, emitting a delicate aroma of rice.

Izuna looked at the full glass in front of him and thought to himself that this person was really too familiar with him, but since it was already poured, he might as well drink it.

But who exactly is this guy? Izuna looked at Enma, Enma shook his head to indicate that he didn't know.

The man spoke first, his voice low and gentle. "Ah, my apologies, my Ise Haruto. I overheard your insights on sake earlier and found them quite interesting, so I couldn't help but chime in."

Izuna raised an eyebrow. "Oh, thank you for the compliment."

"May I have the honor of knowing your name?" Ise Haruto asked.

"Do you want to hear the real name or the fake name?"

"What are you talking about? It's your real name, of course."

"Yes, my name is Uchiha Izuna."

Ise Haruto was slightly taken aback, then burst out laughing.

He said cheerfully, "No wonder you asked me if I wanted to hear your real name or your pseudonym. So that's why. Uchiha Izuna, that name is now known to everyone. The performer who amazed audiences in Kyoto, the Land of Fire; the Diplomat of the Konoha Special Administrative Region; the one who helped the deceased ascend to heaven at Memorial Service. Any one of those titles would be enough to command the respect of everyone in the room."

Dude, there's not enough room for that many people.

Izuna awkwardly dug his toes into the ground. However, it was rare to see someone so eager to flatter someone they were meeting for the first time. He asked with interest, "Now that you know who I am, are you still interested in me?"

"Of course! I'd like to speak with you again now, what do you think?"

Izuna rested her chin on the back of her hand, looking at him lazily. "You've got some guts. Most people would run far away if they knew my name, but you say you're interested in me. Aren't you afraid of Ninjas?"

Ise Haruto laughed heartily, "You certainly speak your mind. So, this red-haired man next to me must be from the Uzumaki Clan, right?"

Enma, who had been maintaining an aristocratic air since earlier, sat casually yet elegantly to the side. Upon hearing the question, he nodded reservedly, "Yes, my name is Uzumaki Enma."

"Interesting, very interesting." Ise Haruto's gaze shifted between the two. "I never expected that Ninjas would possess such refined tastes. My greatest hobby in life is making friends with interesting people, and meeting two of you today is truly fortunate. Would you be so kind as to invite me to my humble abode? I have a private residence in the Land of Hot Water Springs, not far from this Hot Spring Street."

Enma wanted to refuse, but Izuna didn't give him the chance. "If there's good sake."

"Of course. To be honest, while I wouldn't claim my wine collection is the best in the world, within a hundred miles of Land of Hot Water, you probably won't find another wine cellar with a more complete selection." Ise Haruto stood up and gestured for the two to follow him. "Please come with me."

The three of them went out onto the street.

Enma quickened her pace to catch up with Izuna, lowering her voice, "What are you doing?! Just walking with a stranger like that?"

"Oh, it's nothing," Izuna smiled slightly, "I just noticed this guy has CG Animation."

"He... what?"

Izuna watched the man's back as he walked away.

Ise Haruto walked with ease, his back straight, occasionally turning his head to confirm their position, his demeanor considerate yet not obsequious.

A system pop-up appeared, displaying a frozen frame of a battle settlement animation.

The Tatsutagawa Aqueduct, its surface stained with the colors of autumn leaves.

Such a rare and wondrous sight is unparalleled throughout history.

In the picture, Ise Haruto stands boldly under the maple leaves, exuding a magnificent air of magnanimity that encompasses all things in the world.

A nobleman, yet possessing a battle result screen that even most Ninja Samurai lack.

This shows that this person truly lives by the motto of "commenting on the world."

Izuna sized up Ise Haruto, thinking to himself, "This person might be very useful in the future."

Even setting aside any ulterior motives, his ability to strike up conversations regardless of whether people are alive or dead is enough to make him a friend.

After all, the three essential elements for success are persistence, shamelessness, and persisting in shamelessness.

Halfway there, a voice called out to Ise.

"Lord Haruto! We've finally found you!" A young man who looked like a servant jogged over, beads of sweat still on his forehead. He bent down and caught his breath as he approached. "As the birthday celebrant, why did you run out alone..."

Ise Haruto scratched the back of his head in frustration. "Sigh, we've been found after all."

Izuna walked closer and turned to look at him. "Is today your birthday?"

"Yes," Ise Haruto sighed, "But I really didn't want to attend the banquet, so I ran away."

Izuna, "That's really willful."

"I'm so sorry, my master has caused you all trouble!" The servant bowed to Izuna and Enma, then turned to Ise Haruto, his tone pleading, "Lord Haruto! You must come back with me. Your mother is furious that you're not here. If you don't go back, Ise's reputation will be ruined—"

"Am I going to completely disgrace Ise?" Ise Haruto chimed in, his tone tinged with self-deprecation but mostly with nonchalance. "So be it. I don't want to go back and face those boring people anyway."

Izuna, drawing out his words, said, "How willful—"

"Please don't make fun of me, sir." Ise Haruto looked at him helplessly.

The servant, his face filled with anxiety and his voice tinged with pleading, said, "Lord Haruto!"

"I will not go back with you." Ise Haruto's tone was nonchalant. "Send a message to my mother: I don't care whether I get the position of head of the family or not. If she insists that I go back, then I will have no choice but to escape by ship."

Izuna, who had been listening nearby, suddenly interjected, "Wait, so you're the heir?"

"Puppet, heir." Ise Haruto pronounced these words very clearly.

This unadorned answer made Izuna suddenly realize something, and he nodded subtly.

Meanwhile, Enma stared wide-eyed, utterly astonished by the person's straightforward answer.

Ise Haruto, however, didn't seem embarrassed at all. On the contrary, it was as if he had unloaded some burden, and he continued, "This so-called Birthday Banquet only exists to humiliate me. I will not go back."

After saying that, he turned and left.

The servant stood there helplessly, clutching the hem of his robe, watching his master's figure recede into the distance.

After a moment, he seemed to resign himself to his fate, his shoulders slumped, and he prepared to go back and be scolded.

Izuna reached out and grabbed his sleeve, then called out to Ise Haruto, "Wait a minute."

Ise Haruto stopped and turned to the side. "Izuna?"

Izuna took a few steps forward and stood in front of him. "If you're just going to leave like this, then you're a coward."

Ise Haruto's expression changed slightly, and obvious displeasure appeared on his face.

His voice turned cold. "This is none of your business. If you insist on getting involved, then we'll part ways here."

"But today is your birthday." Izuna wasn't deterred by his words; instead, she said seriously, "Why should the protagonist have to run away to earn respect?"

Ise Haruto was slightly taken aback.

Izuna turned to the attendant and began to instruct, "Here's what you'll do: when you get back, tell the guests—either your Lord Haruto's mother or any of the other guests—that the banquet has been moved. If they want to come, they should go to..."

He suddenly realized he had absolutely no idea where the Land of Hot Water, so he turned to look at Haruto: "Where to?"

Ise Haruto raised one eyebrow. "In the middle of nowhere."

"That's a bit too outrageous," Izuna decisively rejected.

"Alright then, Summer Evening Bar." Haruto changed his mind as he went along with it, a slight smile creeping onto his lips.

Izuna said to the attendant, "Come to the Summer Evening Bar; we'd be happy to welcome anyone who comes sincerely. That's all."

The servant looked flustered. "But... but this isn't the proper procedure..."

"Where is it against the rules?" Haruto smiled and patted the servant on the shoulder. "Just do as Izuna says."

The attendant left in a daze.

Enma wanted to say something, but then felt that she didn't know the other person very well, so she kept quiet.

Haruto noticed Enma's hesitant expression and spoke up, "Enma doesn't seem to think this is a good idea?"

Having been pointed out, Enma Zhen decided not to hold back any longer and asked directly, "Isn't Haruto Dou afraid that no one will come?"

"It would be great if someone came, after all, I like lively atmosphere." Haruto tucked his hands into his sleeves, a nonchalant smile playing on his lips. "But it doesn't matter if no one comes. I've had enough of being bossed around by my mother anyway, so a little bit of rebellion like this isn't so bad."

"How is this rebellious?" Izuna's tone was surprisingly matter-of-fact. "Shouldn't the person at the Birthday Banquet be the one being fawned over?"

Haruto paused slightly, noticing that Izuna was meeting his gaze directly, his dark, bright eyes sparkling like jewels. "Everyone laughs when a baby is born, right? So everyone should laugh heartily on birthdays every year, that's the essence of a celebration."

Haruto couldn't help but throw his head back and burst into laughter.

His laughter carried far through the night streets, attracting the attention of several passersby, but he paid no heed.

He stopped laughing only after he had had his fill, the ripples of amusement still lingering in his eyes. "Indeed! You are quite the remarkable person indeed! To bump into you two in this Hot Spring Street, it seems my luck hasn't run out yet. Let's go! The Summer Evening Bar is not far ahead; it's my shop, and also my estate."

On the way, Haruto revealed his past.

His father died early, leaving only his mother and little Haruto at home, along with a bunch of relatives who were eyeing him covetously.

They all felt that the family was doomed and were waiting to divide up the remaining assets.

Haruto's mother was a very capable woman. She was originally a gentle woman who spoke softly and whose eyes crinkled when she smiled.

But after her father died, she changed overnight and became assertive.

She hired some Ninjas who were still doing odd jobs at the time, and won over several of her father's loyal subordinates, quickly eliminating all the relatives who were trying to take advantage of her.

She had everything arranged perfectly, including Haruto.

He was planned out at every step of the process: what age he would start learning etiquette, what age he would enter the clan school, and what age he would formally participate in clan affairs.

But I can't stand this.

Perhaps due to his carefree nature, Haruto has never liked being told what to do since he was a child.

The more she tried to mold the child into her desired shape, the more Haruto wanted to break free. Until he was fifteen, the boy had a big fight with her that year, and they parted on bad terms. The boy decided to go out and make his own way in the world on his own.

"Back then, the Warring States period hadn't ended yet, and there was fighting everywhere. I was just a fifteen-year-old boy with only a knife and a few taels of silver, and that's how I managed to escape." Haruto looked quite proud as he said this.

"Later, thanks to a bit of luck and a bit of courage, I managed to gain a foothold in this Hot Spring Street."

He spoke lightly, but one can imagine how difficult it would be for a fifteen-year-old to survive in a chaotic world.

"I spent several years doing business outside, and eventually saved enough money to take over my first shop on Hot Spring Street. I gradually expanded, and now half of the liquor stores on this street are my properties."

Previously, Enma did not understand Izuna's choice, thinking he was just a pretentious nobleman. Now, looking at his upright figure, he couldn't help but feel a sense of respect.

How could a merchant who could start from scratch in the late Warring States period be just a pretty face who only knew how to drink and appreciate flowers?

"Isn't your mother satisfied yet?" Enma asked. "You've proven that you can live well without relying on your family; she should be happy for you."

"She said this isn't something a member of the Ise Family should do." Haruto's voice held a hint of coldness. "In her view, no matter how successful a businessman becomes, he's still just a businessman. It's better to inherit the family business and bring glory to the family. Besides, my winery has indeed encountered quite a few troubles recently."

Something went wrong with the maritime trade; several of their usual shipping routes were blocked, resulting in a one-third disruption in the supply of imported raw wine.

The shop was robbed one after another, losing several batches of its treasured wines. Worst of all, a batch of wine that should have been brewed missed its shipping deadline due to the old man in the warehouse's forgetfulness, and because of its substandard quality, it all rotted in the cellar.

Izuna suddenly realized, "That's why your mother held this Birthday Banquet at this time."

"That's right. She probably thinks that as long as she pushes me into a corner, I'll obediently go back and inherit the family business." Haruto smiled. "I won't."

As the three talked, they arrived at a quiet courtyard.

Several night-blooming jasmine plants climbed the bamboo fence, and a faint sweet scent of petals mixed with the aroma of wine wafted in the air.

Several low tables were set up in the courtyard, and the glow of lanterns cast a warm luster on the smooth wooden surfaces.

"This is my Summer Evening Bar, and also my estate in the Land of Hot Water. There's no one here tonight, so we can drink as much as we want." Haruto pushed open the bamboo door and made an exaggerated welcoming gesture to the two men. "Please come in, you two are my only guests tonight."