Funeral

In the first year of Takigakure, to mourn the villagers who died in the coup, the First Takikage, Amamiya Ruri, personally held a grand funeral.

"The sun is so bright, it's a bit blinding..." Ruri squinted against the glare and performed the hand seals for Kirin.

He only used half of the technique, completing the creation of the cumulonimbus clouds without summoning the lightning. The weather turned gloomy in an instant, and before long, a torrential downpour began.

"How could a funeral in the world of the Hokage not be on a rainy day!"

The black formal wear set the tone for the funeral. Many people had their outfits rushed together just yesterday, and some had simply draped a piece of black cloth over themselves. Yet, no one mocked them; this was a sign of respect—respect for everyone who had sacrificed themselves for the village.

"Life is fifty years, compared to the heavens and earth, it is but a dream and an illusion; once born, is there anything that does not perish..." Ruri sang softly behind the scenes, though no one heard him. Fifty years was still too long; in the Warring States period, a ninja who lived to forty was already considered long-lived.

He walked slowly onto the stage and began to recite the eulogy, while all the ninjas and civilians present stood in silent mourning.

"The names of those who sacrificed themselves for the village will be remembered forever!" Ruri shouted at the end. Several ninjas appeared on stage at the right moment to pull away the white cloth behind him.

Ten square steel pillars, crafted overnight by the ninjas of the Hagane Clan, stood there, the first one densely packed with names.

"This is... I think I see my big brother's name..."

"I see Kyoko's name..."

"Grandpa..."

The crowd whispered, their faces filled with disbelief. No other country or ninja village had ever recorded their fallen in such a way, but there was no denying that this method of recording made their surviving relatives feel the village's deep sincerity.

"They sacrificed themselves today; perhaps tomorrow it will be you, the day after it will be me, or perhaps it will be Ikemoto, Kishimoto, Togashi, or Oda... But the Memorial Monument will faithfully record these names. They sacrificed for the village; they are the heroes of the village and will never be forgotten!" The word "hero" was the most moving part. Ruri's words, combined with the Memorial Monument behind him, unknotted the hearts of many who had held grudges.

Perhaps Takigakure was not the best it could be right now, but it would only get better in the future. What mattered was that the people in the village would never forget those who had contributed and given their lives for it.

The rain gradually stopped; it was artificial, after all, and couldn't last long. After the rain, Takigakure looked uniquely refreshed. Everything was waiting to be rebuilt; the old had passed, and the new would witness the rise of Takigakure.

After the funeral, Hagane Masamasa and Takenaka Masakata walked on either side of Ruri. As the current Takikage assistants, they were heading back to the Takikage Building to handle official business.

"Why don't we go eat some sushi?" Ruri suddenly suggested halfway there. He hadn't officially met the sushi chef he'd pulled from the system lottery yet, and besides, he had saved Kakuzu, so he should express his gratitude regardless.

"As you command." Although Hagane Masamasa and Takenaka Masakata didn't know the Takikage's intentions, they knew the cooking ninja who had opened the sushi shop was no simple person. The shop had only been open for one day, and it had already earned rave reviews from the villagers. It was truly tempting to go and taste it to relieve some of the recent stress.

The word "Sukiya" was written on a crooked door panel, and through the open entrance, one could see Ono diligently making sushi.

The layout of the sushi shop was similar to Ichiraku Ramen, with a simple setup of a counter and a few round stools. Because the funeral had just ended, Ono had only just returned to the shop to open up, and there was no one else inside.

"Lord Takikage?" Ono was slightly stunned as he looked at the three people entering; the Takikage Hat was exceptionally easy to recognize.

"No need to be formal, Boss. We are just customers. We heard the sushi here is delicious, so we came to have a taste." Ruri smiled slightly as he spoke, taking off his Takikage Hat and setting it aside.

"What would the three of you like to eat?" Ono was a man who had seen the world; he didn't become nervous because of Ruri's status and asked quite naturally.

"Just bring us whatever." Ruri was curious whether Ono was a character created by the system or someone from the ninja world who had been attracted to Takigakure. However, according to Fuma Kazama, the head of the Fuma Clan who had traveled far and wide for many years, Ono was a well-known wandering cooking ninja from the Land of Water.

"Cooking is not something to be taken lightly. However, Lord Takikage, you might want to try the caviar sushi made from the sturgeon unique to Takigakure. It was precisely for these sturgeon that I traveled all the way from the Land of Water." Ono put down his ingredients and looked up seriously.

"Then three servings of caviar sushi, please. Sorry for the trouble." Ruri thought of the Takigawa River that ran through the entire Land of Waterfalls next to the village—were the sturgeon there a specialty?!

[Name: Ono]

[Overall Strength: Jonin]

[Talent: Elite Jonin]

[Attribute: Water]

[Special Ability: God of Sushi (Craftsmanship in making sushi has reached the pinnacle)]

[Evaluation: A ninja who doesn't attend to his proper duties, a chef who strictly adheres to his profession. He has abandoned the Ninja Way and chosen the Way of Sushi—the God of Sushi! The sushi he makes is truly a dish that can bring happiness to people!]

Well, this was the only ninja Ruri had ever seen who was in his prime but lacked strength commensurate with his talent. Perhaps "ninja" wasn't the right term; if he were called a chef, it would make sense. But... could his egg fried rice glow?!

Before long, three servings of sushi were placed in front of Ruri and his companions. Each person received an exquisite white porcelain plate, each topped with six pieces of caviar sushi.

Sushi was a cold dish with no distinct aroma. Hagane Masamasa didn't see anything special about it and swallowed one in a single bite.

After chewing once or twice, his eyes widened. He slowed his chewing speed and began to savor the taste. One had to understand that ninjas born for war, except for important days like family feasts, usually wolfed down their food without tasting it at all.

One... two... the sushi on the plate slowly dwindled. Hagane Masamasa had already finished. When had he ever eaten such delicious food?!

"Boss, I want more!" As a ninja, a plate of sushi was barely enough to be one-third full.

"I apologize, but outside of holidays, I only serve one portion per person." Ono looked as if he hoped for understanding. Although he had his rules, if he wanted to live in Takigakure long-term, it was best not to antagonize the people with real power in the village.

"You can have mine." Ruri spoke up. Although the sushi was indeed very good, his main purpose was to confirm Ono's identity. Now that his main goal had been achieved, the sushi was secondary, and doing Hagane Masamasa a favor wasn't bad, especially since he would soon be using him as manual labor.

"C-can I?" Hagane Masamasa said with his mouth, but his body was honest. After seeing Ruri nod, he immediately ate that portion of sushi as well.

"Thank you for your patronage, that will be 210 ryo." Ruri glanced at the price list posted on the shop wall. A serving of caviar sushi was 70 ryo; there was no discount just because he was the Takikage.

Ruri was, of course, the one treating. Last night, he had already dispatched men to operate in the Black Market Exchange. Whether it was rebuilding Takigakure or developing it, a large amount of funds was needed, and he had no choice but to supplement it from his own private treasury.