Karatachi Yagura shot his teacher an annoyed look at Torikaze's words.
Tsukishiro, meanwhile, looked utterly embarrassed. "No, the two of us were tidying up at home for a while."
Torikaze smiled faintly. He actually knew Tsukishiro had gotten lost, but that was just the kind of person he was—too proud to admit it.
Torikaze did not expose him. After all, they were old acquaintances; the two had known each other since Torikaze was a child.
Now Tsukishiro had grown old as well, completely lacking the dashing vigor he had possessed in his youth.
"You came looking for me because of the partnership matter, I presume? Kirigakure urgently needs an opportunity for cooperation to obtain funding and accelerate the village's development."
Both men were startled. "Lord Torikaze, you already guessed?"
Torikaze waved a hand. "Isn't it obvious? You didn't get a result during the talks, so you would definitely come looking for me afterward."
Nearly all cooperation throughout the Shinobi World was spearheaded by Konoha, so they had no other choice.
Tsukishiro no longer hesitated. "That is indeed the case, Lord Torikaze. Kirigakure's current rate of development can no longer compare with the other villages. At this rate, sooner or later, we'll be kicked out of the Five Great Nations."
Naturally, Torikaze knew Kirigakure's situation. Even though he rarely dealt with them in daily life, he was aware of how the other three nations were developing.
With a little deduction, he could immediately reach the answer.
"Stop calling me 'Lord.' Just call me Torikaze. We're old acquaintances; 'Lord' is unnecessary."
Tsukishiro was somewhat moved. "All right."
"I'll tell you the truth. There's a certain chance of success with marine fish farming—probably around sixty to seventy percent."
"If I make an introduction for you, the success rate can reach eighty percent. Consider