Buffet

The night light scattered softly.

Before long, the evening gathering began.

It was held in a massive building within the Uchiha Clan Grounds, constructed from the leftover materials Uchiha Yato had used to establish Uchiha Kindergarten.

What stood before them was a building that resembled an exhibition hall.

The Sand Village group was somewhat restrained, intimidated by the grand sight.

Like villagers entering a city for the first time, everything seemed novel to them.

They could hardly be blamed for it. The Konoha higher-ups were much the same.

Hiruzen Sarutobi put on an air of calm composure and strolled inside, greeting the Sand Village group as he entered.

Uchiha Yato then appeared before everyone in a blue suit.

Clothes made the man, just as saddles made the horse. Uchiha Yato had already been handsome to begin with, and the well-tailored suit made him look even more striking.

The Konoha higher-ups were better off. They had worn such clothes before during the Konoha Court proceedings.

They immediately noticed the surrounding Uchiha Clan members gesturing for them to change in the dressing rooms.

But the Sand Village shinobi were dumbfounded. To show their respect for the banquet, Chiyo and Rasa had deliberately arrived in traditional Japanese kimono.

Yet they now found that everyone else had already changed. Their group alone stood out, seeming somewhat isolated.

After seeing that the desired effect had been achieved, Uchiha Kei instructed the clan members beside him to guide the Sand Village group.

Naturally, Chiyo was assisted by Mikoto Uchiha and Uchiha Kei's wife. The proper etiquette due to a Sand Village elder still had to be observed.

Things were much simpler and more convenient on the men's side, with Uchiha Yato personally handling it.

No one resisted, no one felt awkward, and no one objected.

Chiyo now wore a purple cheongsam. Though no longer young, she carried it with a distinctive charm. (Don't fantasize about elderly Chiyo wearing a cheongsam. Though if that's your thing, feel free.)

She herself blushed at the form-fitting garment. It had to be admitted that women were still somewhat conservative about such things.

The Uchiha Clan had long since been brainwashed by all the novel things Uchiha Yato had come up with, so they did not care much about others' gazes.

After all, it was well known that the Uchiha Clan men were handsome and the women beautiful. They looked good in anything.

Rasa changed into a black tailcoat, making the young man appear more mature and spirited.

Once everyone had changed, they took their seats. Uchiha Yato had already stepped onto the stage, ready to explain the evening's banquet.

"Greetings, distinguished guests."

"Today, we have gathered here to welcome our partners from Sand Village. Your presence honors this humble home. I hope you will not find it lacking."

Uchiha Kei greatly enjoyed this sort of style. As the head of an aristocratic clan, he did not need to flaunt things—but that did not mean he lacked them.

Everything Uchiha Yato had created was both novel and beautiful, unlike anything anyone in the shinobi world had seen before.

It thoroughly captured everyone's attention, and the gazes of the other Konoha shinobi clan heads toward Uchiha Kei changed.

The clan heads all shared the same thought: Damn it, that old bastard Uchiha Kei really got to show off.

The one most bothered by this was undoubtedly Hyuga Himawari. (Hyuga Hiashi's father.)

Both were Konoha clans with dojutsu, both were aristocratic families.

Yet the other side's style had gone beyond refined elegance and straight into luxury, extravagance, and class.

It was like two childhood friends growing up together, only for one of them to suddenly tell the other, "I'm going to inherit a million-family fortune. You keep struggling."

In a setting like this, Hyuga Himawari could not get angry. He had to display the bearing expected of a great clan.

He forced a smile and spoke warmly to Uchiha Kei, his tone carrying a hint of flattery.

The same scene played out throughout the Uchiha Clan.

The upper class had its own exchanges, while the lower ranks had their own way of socializing.

At that moment, Uchiha Yato continued from the stage.

"This is a new form of social gathering developed by the Uchiha. We call it a buffet dinner."

"There are no fixed seats. Everyone may move about freely, and each table offers different dishes."

"Bowls, chopsticks, and plates are available beside the tables for everyone to use."

"If you are unsure how to eat something, there are dedicated guides beside each table to explain. Some foods have particular ways of being eaten to bring out their unique flavors."

"Lastly, please enjoy your meal, do not waste food, and thank you all for your support."

Once Uchiha Yato finished speaking, it was time for everyone to eat.

Of course, there were particular arrangements for dining. The finest ingredients and most important guests were all placed at the first three tables closest to the stage.

That was where the true big shots discussed matters, and there were even dedicated Uchiha jonin standing nearby as bodyguards.

The truly carefree guests had already begun enjoying the food below.

The Sand Village shinobi were stunned by the spread. All kinds of meat were laid out on plates for people to take as they pleased.

In the Sand Village region, getting meat was quite difficult. Their land was simply too barren, and most of the time they could only fill their stomachs with ordinary grains.

The Uchiha Clan staff had long been warned by Uchiha Yato not to treat anyone with arrogance. They thoughtfully demonstrated how to eat the food and served the Sand Village shinobi themselves.

At the high-end banquet.

There were no Uchiha staff here. The one serving as staff was, naturally, Uchiha Yato himself.

Rasa was already beginning to succumb under the assault of delicious food, while Uchiha Yato kept waving various dishes in front of him.

Rasa no longer had the mood to participate in the discussion that followed.

Chiyo, however, maintained her dignified bearing. After so many years as an elder, she had not held the position for nothing.

At that moment, Hiruzen Sarutobi spoke first. "Thank you, Elder Chiyo, for coming here to study."

"This banquet was organized entirely by the Uchiha. Even I am deeply impressed. It is truly luxurious."

Yes, Hiruzen Sarutobi made it clear that everything here had been done by the Uchiha Clan.

By doing so, he was not only displaying what the Uchiha Clan had accomplished, but also sounding an alarm for everyone: if anything went wrong, go find the Uchiha.

The other shinobi clan heads immediately began eating, because they knew the real battle of wits had begun.

Chiyo responded, "We are very satisfied. Konoha Village truly has abundant resources and produces many talented people."

"I hope these three months of study will be friendly ones. We have also brought some tokens of our sincerity. I hope you will not find them lacking."

The sincerity Chiyo referred to had long since been handed over to Hiruzen Sarutobi through the intelligence channels below.

Bringing it up here was merely a way to drive wedges between the Uchiha and the Konoha higher-ups. Ideally, friction would arise, allowing Sand Village to profit from it.

At that moment, Uchiha Yato shamelessly interjected.

"Elder Chiyo, there's no need to say more."

"I believe in your sincerity. I am sure it will later be put to use in the construction of all Konoha."

The moment he said that, both the Konoha higher-ups and Chiyo were displeased.

Konoha was unhappy because there was, to some extent, private interest involved. Uchiha Yato had directly turned all of it over to the public treasury.

If anyone dug up evidence afterward, they would be brought before the Konoha Court. Things were no longer as they had been before. There was now a truly fair and just place to settle such matters.

Chiyo was unhappy because Uchiha Yato's words had completely cut off her line of attack. Her attempt to sow discord had been met with a closed door.

But Uchiha Yato was not finished.

"Since this is a banquet, everyone should eat and drink to their hearts' content."

"There are still three months ahead of us. There will be plenty of chances for everyone to interact then."

What Uchiha Yato meant was: eat today. There were still three months left to stir up trouble, so do not ruin a table full of good food.

Understanding his meaning, Hiruzen Sarutobi and Chiyo looked again at the truly luxurious and tempting dishes before them.

They temporarily set aside some of their grudges, limiting themselves to simple questions and simple answers.

Danzo Shimura, standing nearby, was grinding his teeth so hard they were nearly breaking.

This time, they should have directed all suspicion, including the previous attacks on the Sand Village shinobi within the Land of Fire, toward the Uchiha.

He cursed inwardly.

"Weren't you people messed with by Uchiha Yato before?"

"Did such a tiny favor really make you give up resisting? Do you still deserve to call yourselves one of the Five Great Nations?"

Even as he continued grumbling inwardly, Danzo Shimura's hands did not stop moving.

He kept stuffing caviar sushi into his mouth. He had to admit that when it came to luxury, the Uchiha Clan truly had no equal.

His mouth kept calling the Uchiha evil, while his stomach kept praising their food as delicious. (Tsundere Danzo Shimura.jpg)

While everyone was eating, Uchiha Yato approached Rasa.

Rasa, whose mouth was slick with grease, did not pay much attention to Uchiha Yato's conversation and essentially answered every question put to him.

Until Uchiha Yato asked, "So what exactly is the purpose of Sand Village coming here for three months? Can you tell me?"