Exchange * Grudges

Madara stood up, took two steps in front of Izuna, and stood in front of him, blocking his way.

"Gentlemen," Madara's tone turned cold, "Izuna is our Foreign Minister. He doesn't travel to other countries unless there's a major event. Now that we've sparred, and you've all witnessed Izuna's Strength, if there's nothing else, don't bother my brother any further."

The Four Kage understood that this was a tacit rejection, but they were unwilling to give up so easily.

Ai cleared his throat. "Lord Madara, that's not what we meant. We just felt that it would be beneficial for everyone to interact more with someone as talented as Izuna..."

"Moved around?" Madara's eyes narrowed slightly. "Didn't you already move around a bit?"

Ai choked.

Byakuren slowly spoke up from the side, "Lord Madara, the way you're saying that makes it sound like we're the ones currying favor with you."

"Isn't that right?"

The wrinkles on Byakuren's face twitched.

Why does Madara Uchiha speak so harshly?

Ishikawa tried to smooth things over. "Alright, alright, Hokage, look at this..."

Reto cut to the chase. "Hokage, let's not beat around the bush. We all admire Izuna's talent. We're not trying to poach him; we just want to invite him over to teach the younger generation. That's not too much to ask, is it?"

Madara sneered, not giving them a chance to speak with Hashirama: "Guests? Why weren't you so enthusiastic before our sparring session?"

Reto choked.

The atmosphere became tense for a moment.

Hashirama chuckled as he watched them falter. Once they had calmed down, he clapped his hands and said, "Look at us, we've been going on and on, haven't we? It's almost lunchtime, let's go get some food!"

Four Kage looked at him at the same time.

Hashirama laughed heartily, "I've heard the food in the Land of Iron is quite good. Since I'm here, I should at least try it. Let's talk while we eat."

Madara glanced at Hashirama.

Hashirama gave him a wink.

Izuna will eventually have to face these kinds of things himself, and there will definitely be more of these things in the future. Rather than always protecting him, it's better to let him handle them on his own under their supervision.

Ban snorted, offering no objection.

The servants from the Land of Iron, having received their orders, quickly went out to make the arrangements.

The Five Kage, each accompanied by their guards, left Sendai Hall and headed south along Red Luan Road. After turning two corners, they stopped in front of a three-story wooden building.

The building wasn't tall, but the storefront was clean and tidy. Two paper lanterns hung at the entrance, and a wooden signboard under the eaves bore the three characters "Yukimiya).

Pushing open the door, I found the first floor packed with people, the air thick with the aroma of heat mixed with the scents of wine and meat.

The servant led them upstairs to the second floor, pushed open the door to the private room, and inside a large round table was already set out, covered with a dark blue cloth, with bowls and chopsticks neatly arranged.

The window faces Red Luan Road. The snow is still falling, fine and dense, half-covering and half-revealing the footprints and tire tracks on the street.

The Five Kage and six guards sat at two separate tables.

Hashirama must be on the side of the Five Kage; that's the rule.

Madara sat down to Izuna's left, leaving the right side empty. Before anyone present could react, Hozuki Gengetsu had already plopped down next to him.

Their movements were so fast they left afterimages.

The guards from other countries didn't look too happy, but Hozuki Gengetsu had already taken his seat, they couldn't very well try to take it.

But his smug "I got here first" attitude makes you want to grab him and beat him up.

Madara turned his head to the side, his gaze landing Hozuki Gengetsu.

If this guy dares to have ill intentions, I'll kill him.

Hozuki Gengetsu not to see anything, and happily picked up the teapot on the table to pour himself a glass of water.

This was a relaxed banquet.

The terms have been set, and all the necessary tests have been conducted at the dojo. At the dinner table, all that's left to talk about is interpersonal relationships and social niceties.

Most of the time these kinds of occasions are pretty boring, but you can still find some fun in the boredom.

With the mindset that "if you go out to eat with someone, you have to eat your fill," Izuna elegantly indulged in a feast.

He wasn't rude while eating, but he ate so fast.

One chopstick after another, after finishing the grilled fish, they would pick up the smoked meat, then scoop up the stew, and after finishing the stew, they would reach for the dish of pickled vegetables.

Before they'd even finished swallowing what was in their mouths, their chopsticks were already reaching for the next dish.

Ban watched from the side, feeling both gratified and worried.

I'm relieved that my younger brother has finally learned to eat properly. Before, he would eat at home like a cat, only taking a couple of bites before putting down his chopsticks.

The worry is that he's eating way too fast. At this rate, will his stomach be able to hold up by the time the party ends?

He started wondering if there was a pharmacy nearby, as he would have to make a detour to buy some digestive aid after the event.

As he was pondering this, Hozuki Gengetsu turned to Izuna and spoke, "Izuna, there's something I've always wanted to ask you."

Izuna picked up a piece of grilled fish, looked up at him, and asked, "Hmm?"

"Your face," Hozuki Gengetsu on his hand, his tone so sincere it wasn't just politeness, "How do you usually take care of it?"

Izuna paused for a moment while chewing the fish.

"... What?"

Hozuki Gengetsu gestured, "I've seen plenty of good-looking people, but someone like you is truly rare. And your brother is incredibly handsome too. Is your family some kind of family of great beauties?"

Izuna swallowed the fish, looking at Hozuki Gengetsu's face full of curiosity, unsure how to respond.

Ban sneered from the side.

Hozuki Gengetsu, completely oblivious, continued, "Don't misunderstand, I didn't mean anything by it. I just think people should live beautifully. Look at me, I really care about these things."

He pointed to his newly changed Haori, "I completely agree with what you said before about image transformation. I never imagined there was someone in this world who cared about this as much as I do."

Upon hearing this, Izuna looked him up and down and said, "You do have good taste."

"Of course." Hozuki Gengetsu puffed out his chest. "We people of the Land of Water have always valued these things."

"Does the Land of Water value this?" Izuna raised an eyebrow.

Hozuki Gengetsu raised an eyebrow, surprised that Izuna knew a bit about the customs of the Land of Water. "Eh~ you found out. Well then, let's talk about my customs."

Izuna couldn't help but chuckle.

Upon hearing this smile, Hozuki Gengetsu's eyes lit up even more. "Hey, you look even better when you smile than when you have a serious face. Why don't you smile more often?"

Izuna blinked. "Haven't I smiled before?"

"But a natural smile looks better."

Madara suddenly interrupted Hozuki Gengetsu: "Eat your food."

Hozuki Gengetsu obediently fell silent. Although Madara Uchiha was a great beauty, a great beauty could be terrifying when angry. He couldn't afford to mess with him.

Izuna smiled helplessly, picked up a piece of smoked meat and stuffed it into his mouth. He thought it was delicious, so he mumbled to Madara, "Madara-nii, this smoked meat is good, you should have some too."

Ban hummed in agreement and picked up a piece as well.

After a brief silence, Hozuki Gengetsu spoke again, "Izuna, what do you usually enjoy? Do you like browsing shops? Do you like watching plays? Our Land of Water's theatrical troupe is quite famous."

Izuna swallowed the smoked meat and thought for a moment, "Shopping is out of the question, but watching a play is fine."

"Then you absolutely must come and see our Land of Water!" Hozuki Gengetsu on the table. "Let me tell you, we have a Theatre Troupe that specializes in Noh theater. Their masks are incredibly exquisite, and their costumes are exquisite too. You'll definitely love it."

Izuna became interested. "Noh?"

"Yes, it's the kind that wears a mask, and they act slowly and gracefully, it's really good to watch." Hozuki Gengetsu said, even gesturing with his hands.

Ban watched as the two chatted more and more enthusiastically, and that bit of sour grapes rose up again.

He lowered his head and ate a bite of food, suppressing the sour taste, silently thinking: It's a good thing that my brother is making friends, it's a good thing that my brother is making friends.

But Hozuki Gengetsu unreliable no matter how you look at it.

But Izuna and he had such a good chat, wouldn't Izuna be unhappy if he left now?

Ban was stuck there, conflicted.

Izuna, on the other hand, didn't think too much about it. He chatted casually with Hozuki Gengetsu, his chopsticks never stopping, and the dishes on his plate were gradually disappearing.

Ban would glance at his bowl every now and then, and when he saw that he had almost finished eating, he would reach out and push the soup towards him.

Wu sat at the table with a bowl of stew in front of him, his chopsticks resting on the rim of the bowl, barely touching it.

He looked at the two people opposite him, his brows furrowing more and more as he looked.

Hozuki Gengetsu huddled next to Izuna, talking animatedly, gesturing and laughing.

Izuna sat there, chopsticks in hand, occasionally chiming in with a few words, showing no impatience or intention to send people away. Sometimes he even joined in with a joke, laughing along.

Wu's brows slowly furrowed.

He recalled the first time he met Hozuki Gengetsu.

That was in an Izakaya).

He had just finished a mission and didn't have much money left, so he ordered the cheapest bottle of wine and sat down in a corner to rest.

Hozuki Gengetsu pushed open the door and came in. He glanced around, then walked straight to the person opposite him and sat down. He stared at the person's face for a while before saying, "You're really handsome."

Wu was stunned.

Who would say such a thing to a complete stranger?

Moreover, his tone and gaze were so intense that they sent chills down my spine.

He held back and didn't lash out.

But Hozuki Gengetsu showed no sign of stopping, and then began to inquire about his likes, where he usually went for leisure, and how many people were in his family.

Wu slammed the wine bowl on the table and told him to get lost.

Hozuki Gengetsu seemed surprised by his strong reaction and, feeling embarrassed, retorted, "With such a bad temper, it's no wonder that even someone as good-looking as you has no one to drink with."

He immediately raised his hand and overturned the table.

The two men fought their way from inside the Izakaya to outside, smashing two lanterns at the entrance and shattering sake jars all over the ground.

Later, all the reward money from the mission was used to pay off the shop's debts, and what was left wasn't even enough for the journey back to the village. The hardships of the journey, including sleeping outdoors, made him feel terrible.

He remembered the golden retriever from then on.

I haven't made up my mind yet, but I'll definitely teach this guy a lesson when I see him next time.

I never expected that our second meeting would be at the Five Kage Summit, so I didn't have the chance to teach him a lesson.

And this guy was still acting the same way, smiling and getting close to the man, complimenting his face and asking about his preferences, exactly the same thing he did to him before.

Now he realizes that this guy didn't mean anything by talking to him, but that doesn't mean he understands the other person's negotiation logic.

Who comes up to someone by complimenting their looks and asking about their preferences? Isn't that like spying? Where does this kid get his confidence from, saying such irritating things Tenten?

What he couldn't understand even more was Izuna.

If a man got close enough to tell you, "You have a really nice smile," he would have gotten angry long ago.

But Izuna didn't turn on him. In fact, he started chatting with Hozuki Gengetsu, and they were having a pretty lively conversation.

The two talked about Noh plays and accessories, and then about the symbols of Shinobi Villages, finding themselves getting along very well.

Most importantly... doesn't a man feel embarrassed when another man compliments his looks?

"Sigh, I still think your Shinobi Village's emblem looks better." Hozuki Gengetsu leaned back in his chair, his tone filled with genuine regret. "Unlike ours, it's just a few wavy lines, it's hideous."

Izuna picked up a piece of pickled vegetable with his chopsticks, chewed it a couple of times, and said, "Well, you can't blame yourself for living in water. Water's most obvious characteristic is its wavy lines, I don't think there's anything wrong with it."

"That's true." Hozuki Gengetsu thought for a moment, nodded, then leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table. "Oh, right, speaking of which, there's something I'm really curious about."

Izuna looked up at him. "What is it?"

"So, why is your village called Konoha?" Hozuki Gengetsu gestured. "According to naming conventions, shouldn't you use words like 'fire' or something similar to name your Shinobi Village? The leader of the Ninja village in the Land of Fire is called 'Hokage,' so shouldn't that village be called something like Flame Village or Blazing Fire Village?"

Izuna raised an eyebrow. "Oh~ that brings us to the mysterious little story of the Shinobi Village's early days."

Ban Zheng stopped picking up food with his chopsticks.

How did Izuna know about this?

Since Tobirama wasn't present at the time, could it be that in his world, the name Konoha wasn't decided by him and Hashirama, but rather by Hashirama four of them together?

So why are they called that?

Hozuki Gengetsu became interested and leaned forward again. "A mysterious little story?"

"That means Madara and Hashirama are actually very good friends."

Hozuki Gengetsu's eyes widened. "Really?! Aren't you and the Senju mortal enemies?"

"Yeah," Izuna shrugged, "But it doesn't conflict that their arch-rival family is also good friends with them. Anyway, after the village was built, they both thought it needed a name."

"Hashirama said the leader should be called Hokage, meaning the Ninja leader who protects the Land of Fire in the shadows. Madara suggested the village should be called Konoha, the Shinobi Village nestled in the forest."

Hozuki Gengetsu exclaimed, "Is it really decided that easily?"

"Yeah, Hashirama even complained about this, saying it lacked depth and was just a direct copy."

Hozuki Gengetsu, "Isn't the Hokage the same? They're really evenly matched; no wonder they became friends."

Izuna laughed heartily, "That's what I think too!"

"Didn't you object to such a simple name?"

Madara immediately checked Izuna's reaction.

Izuna shrugged. "What's there to object to? It's simple and easy to understand, and it also reflects nationality and characteristics. Isn't that great?"

"That's true, our Kirigakure follows the same naming logic," said Hozuki Gengetsu. "Shinobi Village nestled in the mist, the shadow guardian of the Land of Water, wow, that sounds pretty grand."