Visiting Izuna

The chessboard was placed in the center of a six-tatami mat, and nearly a third of the arrow-shaped wooden chess pieces had already been captured.

Hashirama sat cross-legged, staring expressionlessly at the crisscrossing lines of the Go board; Madara knelt opposite him, his back ramrod straight, his fingertips pinching a corner piece, which he slowly rotated in mid-air.

"Aren't you going to make your move yet?" Hashirama didn't even lift his eyelids.

"What's the rush?" Ban's voice was calm as his eyes slowly swept across the board. "Your move just now, the knight's jump, was quite good, forcing Cheng Yin on the left flank into a corner. However, it also exposed an opening on the right flank."

"You saw it and you're not going to do anything?" Hashirama grinned, revealing a set of white teeth.

"I've been waiting for you to open up the gaps yourself." Ban placed his piece in the corner, the stone tapping softly on the wooden board. "Checkmate."

Hashirama, stared at the board for a few seconds, then looked up at Madara and grinned, "I knew you'd make that move. I was waiting for you."

He grabbed the king and moved it diagonally to the left, avoiding the attack. "See? It's alive again."

Ban snorted coldly, not in a hurry, and slowly pushed the other flying car into the central area.

Hashirama remained silent.

He refocused his gaze on the chessboard. Both of them were breathing steadily, and the sound of the chess pieces falling on the wooden board was soft and frequent, like the distant sound of rising and falling tides.

The entire main hall was shrouded in this invisible contest, so quiet that even the "knock" of the bamboo tubes striking the stones under the corridor sounded exceptionally clear.

Anyone familiar with shogi can tell at a glance that the situation on the board has entered the most crucial stage of a fierce battle. The attacks and defenses on both sides are intertwined, and any misstep could turn the entire game around.

Neither of them were chess players who would wear their anxiety on their sleeves; they looked more like two old friends sitting idly by the window.

Jōtarō took off his Geta Enma in the corridor and led Homura into the main hall.

He glanced at the chessboard and knew that now was not the time to watch.

The more intense the game becomes, the less we should wait for them to finish; otherwise, the game could drag on until dark.

So he stepped forward, sat down properly beside the two of them, and bowed in greeting.

"Lord Hokage, Lord Madara, I apologize for interrupting your game. I am Jotaro Uzumaki, and I have brought my nephew Enma with me today. Firstly, to express our gratitude for your kindness along the way. The entire Land of Whirlpools is delighted by Konoha's visit. If there has been any inadequacy in our hospitality, please forgive us."

Hashirama turned his head, a gentle smile on his face.

He waved to Jōtarō, "Mr. Jōtarō, you're too kind. The Land of Whirlpools is Mito's hometown and also a neighboring country of Konoha by marriage. The four of us are here to visit friends and relatives, so there's no need for such formalities. It's just that the scenery in the Land of Hot Water is so beautiful that we were a little distracted yesterday, which delayed our journey. I'm sorry to have troubled you."

Madara glanced at Hashirama, put down the chess piece in his hand, and looked at the two red-haired people.

Jōtarō nodded and said, "Lord Hokage, you flatter me. Although the Land of Hot Water is a neutral territory, foreign Ninjas have been frequently appearing lately. The fact that you gentlemen have stayed here for a while has actually made those villains more cautious. Speaking of which, if it weren't for your presence at the docks last night, I'm afraid it would have already turned into a disaster."

He paused, his tone becoming more serious. "Especially Lord Izuna. If it weren't for his intervention, the Ninjas of the Land of Water and the Land of Lightning probably wouldn't have submitted so easily."

"Enma has already told me about what happened last night. Lord Izuna not only helped the Land of Hot Water out of a predicament, but also shielded the Land of Whirlpools from a hidden attack. If the lord knows about this, he will surely express his gratitude in person."

"Jōtarō has come here to thank Lord Izuna in person. I wonder if Lord Izuna would be able to receive a guest?"

Hashirama's smile froze for a moment.

A subtle change appeared on Ban's expression.

Just when Jōtarō thought they wouldn't let him see their Diplomat, Hashirama, and turned to the second floor: "Tobirama —someone wants to see Izuna— "

There was a two-second silence on the second floor before Tobirama's voice came through. "... I'm looking at some documents. What's wrong?"

"Someone wants to see Izuna," Hashirama repeated, a hint of guilt in his voice.

A soft thud came from upstairs as papers were set down, followed by light footsteps coming down the stairs.

A moment later, a man with white hair and three red lines on his face Earth Flow downstairs expressionlessly.

He nodded slightly to Jōtarō and Enma, saying, "Hello."

"Lord Tobirama."

"Izuna went out a while ago. Wait a moment, I'll go and call him back." After saying that, Tobirama pushed Tobirama the door and went out.

He stood under the eaves, looking up at the sky.

The sky was a deep blue, and several seabirds were skimming across the distant sea. Floating clouds drifted across the horizon, creating a breathtaking scene.

In the small patch of clear sky directly above the Inn, a dark shadow was spinning at an extremely fast speed, like a kite caught in too much wind, tumbling up and down.

Tobirama it for two seconds, then pulled a Kunai from his Ninja Tool Pouch. With a flick of his wrist, the Kunai shot upwards and embedded itself in the edge of the roof.

He flashed and appeared where the Kunai was. Then he took out another Kunai, threw it upwards, flashed again, threw it again, and flashed again.

His figure leaped swiftly through the air; the Flying Thunder God technique was almost impossible to detect in the morning light, leaving only a few pale blue afterimages.

As Izuna was flying happily, he caught a glimpse of a silver-white figure soaring upwards in layers of light. Before he could react, Tobirama's Kunai had already brushed past him. The next instant, Tobirama's figure appeared out of thin air in front of him, and a hand firmly grabbed his collar.

"Get down."

Izuna was grabbed by the back of his collar and plummeted from mid-air, his wings flapping frantically twice. "Wait! I can fly by myself! Let go! Hey! Tobirama! You'll fall!"

"I won't kill you." Tobirama released his grip and flashed back to the ground.

Izuna did a somersault in the air before finally regaining her balance, then reluctantly landed back on the ground and folded her wings.

"Why are you in such a hurry? Are you in a real mess?" Izuna muttered as he patted his clothes.

Tobirama pointed in the direction of the Hot Springs Inn and said expressionlessly, "A close retainer of the Land of Whirlpools' Ruler has arrived and specifically requests to thank you in person. Be prepared and don't let him suspect anything."

"Huh?" Izuna was taken aback at first, then glanced furtively towards the main hall, lowering his voice, "You didn't say I was flying just now, did you?"

"No." Tobirama turned and walked towards the main hall, then added after a few steps, "But if you don't go in soon, I can't guarantee they won't come out to see."

Izuna quickly straightened his clothes and hurried after Tobirama.

On the Tobirama, Tobirama found Izuna's flight into the sky utterly unbelievable and couldn't help but ask, "What were you thinking? You flew out first thing in the morning and circled for a whole hour. Was circling in the sky that fun?"

"It's so much fun!" Izuna's eyes sparkled. "It feels like the whole world is at your feet. When the wind blows, it's like all my worries disappear. It's so much fun!"

"Are you a child?" Tobirama looked at him. "Happy about something like this?"

"What do you mean by 'this kind of thing'? You've never experienced it."

"I also had a happy time like this when I first learned to Ninja Footwork."

"That settles it."

"But it's really unacceptable for someone in their twenties to be so unconventional. You should mature a bit."

"No way! Life is too short. If you don't find some fun, life will be as boring as a black and white movie."

"Black and white film?"

"Hmm, a theatrical medium." Izuna thought for a moment, "Actually, it's quite interesting. I'll change it to a aria sung by Biwa Hōshi. I almost fell asleep when I was learning from Matsuda Hōshi, but thankfully I persevered."

Tobirama couldn't help but laugh. "You're quite interesting in a few inexplicable ways, although most of the time you're a troublemaker."

"Hey-hey."

I wasn't complimenting you.

"I'll take that as a compliment," Izuna said with a smile. "Speaking of which, I saw Shrine nearby. How about the four of us go there for a stroll after this is all over?"

"Praying for blessings? I don't believe in that."

"Just treat it as a tourist attraction to check off your list. Besides, there's no harm in asking for a favor; what if it comes true?"

"That must have been achieved in a distorted way."

Why do you say that?

"Because getting my Big Brother to be serious is as difficult as getting the sun to rise in the west," Tobirama remarked expressionlessly. "If he really changes his ways, then I'll have to wonder if he wants to go gambling at the casino."

Izuna recalled the Hashirama he had met after arriving in this world, and laughed awkwardly, unable to refute it.

Tobirama asked him curiously, "And you? What kind of wish do you make?"

Izuna thought for a moment, "Hmm, I don't know. I don't have anything I desperately want, nor anything I'm dissatisfied with. I'll probably wish for everyone to be safe and happy."

"Such a simple wish."

"Is it simple?" Izuna gazed at the horizon. "I don't think so. People always think that ordinary days can go on forever, but in reality, just being alive is already a miracle."

Tobirama was somewhat surprised. "It's rare to hear you say something so philosophical."

"I truly believe that, so I'm determined to live each day to the fullest!" Izuna raised his hand, clenching his fist. "Fun is justice! That's my Ninja Way!"

"I don't know whether to envy you or call you naive." Tobirama sighed, looking ahead. "We've arrived."

The two walked through a long corridor, and the doors to the main hall came into view.

Izuna took off his shoes and tiptoed into the main hall. He immediately spotted Enma sitting behind Jōtarō, and his eyes lit up.

Before Jōtarō, who was sitting upright to the side, could even greet him, he had already raised his hand and waved at Enma: "Yo, Enma! Good morning! How did you sleep last night?"

Enma was taken aback by his attitude, which made it seem as if he was just visiting a friend, and didn't know how to respond.

He sat up straight instinctively and replied somewhat awkwardly, "... Thanks to you, I slept well."

Izuna Earth Flow a grin, sat down next to Madara, and then nodded politely to Jōtarō: "Nice to meet you, I am Uchiha Izuna."

Jōtarō bowed slightly to him, a polite smile on his face, "I am Jotaro Uzumaki. I apologize for not being able to greet you in time yesterday, Lord Izuna."

As he spoke, his gaze subtly sized up the young man before him.

Although he heard about his amazing deeds again, when Jōtarō saw him again, he still thought of him as a handsome young man with a touch of childishness.

But Jōtarō quickly suppressed the subtle sense of unreality that was creeping into his heart.

He straightened his expression, straightened his back, and spoke in a solemn tone, "Yesterday, Lord Izuna relieved the siege of the Land of Hot Water and also shielded the Land of Whirlpools from a hidden attack."

"I express my gratitude on behalf of the King. I have heard Enma recount the events of last night in detail. If Lord Izuna had not been present, I fear the Tsuchigumo Clan would not have yielded so easily, and the alliance Land of Water and the Land of Lightning would not have been so quickly broken. Lord Izuna is not only exceptionally Strength, but also possesses such resourcefulness and decisiveness, which I truly admire."

Izuna was somewhat bewildered by the barrage of praise.

He said those things to the Tsuchigumo Clan simply because he wanted to foster a relationship between Tamaro and Zhen.

Because he inexplicably hallucinated a pair of siblings from his favorite anime series in the beautiful woman and Tamaro.

At the time, he only intended to bring them together, nothing more.

He forced the Tsuchigumo Clan to relocate simply because they seemed dishonest, and he wanted to see lovers finally united, so he wanted to intimidate them a little, not actually force them to move their entire clan.

He thought a clan wouldn't move so easily, but now it seems everyone thinks the Tsuchigumo is coming to the Land of Hot Water.

But Izuna couldn't say that now, pondering the meaning of Jōtarō's words in his mind while uttering polite phrases.

"You're too kind. I just happened to be there and did what I was supposed to do. The Tsuchigumo Clan are intelligent people; they understand the situation. I was merely pointing out the way."

Jōtarō smiled and said, "Lord Izuna's humility makes me feel ashamed."

After saying this, he looked at Hashirama and Madara: "The lords of Konoha have come from afar, and the Land of Whirlpools has prepared lodgings and a welcoming banquet. If you do not mind, you may board the ship and depart this afternoon."

Izuna muttered to himself, "Ah, then I can't go to the Inari Shrine..."

The atmosphere quieted down.

Enma suddenly turned and glared at him.

Is this the time to say such things?! They're sitting on the diplomatic table between two nations, and this Konoha Diplomat isn't thinking about how to continue the pleasantries with the Envoy from the Land of Whirlpools, but is actually thinking about the Shrine?

Jōtarō visibly choked for a moment.

He had just handed over the message to board the ship and set off, and the steps were all laid out, when the first reaction of this "important person" was that he regretted not being able to go to the Shrine.

He couldn't tell Izuna was faking it or was genuine, so he swallowed back the words he was about to say and maintained the polite smile on his face.

Hashirama chuckled dryly, trying to smooth things over for Izuna: "Ahaha, Izuna was talking about wanting to visit that Inari Shrine yesterday; he's always been very curious about these places..."

Madara just looked at Izuna helplessly, as if what he said made no problem at all.

Tobirama glanced at Izuna, then calmly continued, "We haven't finished dealing with the matter of the Ninjas from the Land of Water and the Land of Lightning. We only just apprehended them last night, and we haven't yet decided how to proceed or how to negotiate with the various parties."

He looked at Jōtarō, his tone calm, "If we board the ship to the Land of Whirlpools now, there's no guarantee that things here won't change. I'm afraid we'll have to delay for a few more days until things are settled here before we can set off."

What he said was indeed something that needed to be addressed.

The Ninjas captured last night are still being held in abandoned, empty rooms.

The handling of these individuals must be negotiated between Konoha and the Land of Hot Water, and they must Deportation according to procedure; it's not something they can simply do on a whim.

Jōtarō immediately followed suit, nodding slightly and saying, "Lord Tobirama's considerations are very thorough; I was indeed too hasty. We can proceed to the Land of Whirlpools together after you all have finished dealing with matters here. I will remain in the Hot Spring Street for the next few days; please do not hesitate to ask if you need my assistance."

He paused, looked at Izuna, and smiled, saying, "The Inari Shrine is located halfway up the mountain on the west side of the Hot Spring Street; it's definitely worth a visit. If Lord Izuna has the time, you might as well go and take a look. The fortune slips drawn there are especially accurate."

Enma continued to stare at Izuna. Izuna gave Jōtarō a bright smile, "Really?! Then I definitely have to go! Thank you for reminding me Jōtarō- san!"

Enma touched his forehead.