There are wine bottles piled up on half the table, all of which are spirits brewed locally by Kirigakure. The alcohol content is quite high.
The charcoal fire burned brightly in the corner of the house, keeping out the cold seaside air in early winter.
Terumi Iroha is already sitting at the table, holding a glass of wine in his left hand and a grilled fish tail in his right hand, chewing it deliciously.
He was not wearing a battle armor today, but had changed into a dark-colored short coat, and his dark face showed a rare sense of relaxation.
Kaguya Momotaro was leaning on the pillar, with his white hair scattered on his shoulders, and an empty wine glass spinning in his hand. When he saw Yagura coming in, he raised his chin as a greeting.
Hozuki Suichu is sitting opposite Terumi Iroha. There is a plate of sea urchin in front of him and he is eating it with a small spoon.
Suikazan Fuguki sat closest to the charcoal fire, his long orange hair slightly dry from the heat. The big knife Samehada stood next to the chair, with the bandage wrapped around the knife's body loosened twice.
There are also several senior executives of Anbu, all of whom are captain-level figures under Suikazan Fuguki. Most of them know Yagura, and some of them have even performed missions together.
Yagura scanned around and made a rough judgment in his mind.
All the heads of the four clans are here, and Anbu's top executives are also here. The standard of this meal is not low.
Mizunotsuki Shigure asked him to sit down and poured him a glass of wine himself.
Yagura picked it up and smelled it. It was Kirigakure the strongest kind of soju. It felt like fire when it entered the throat.
"Yagura, you have been on the front line for so long, you know everything about the village."
Mizunotsuki Shigure picked up his wine glass, his ice-blue eyes glowing slightly under the charcoal fire.
"It's a pity about Third. But the village must continue to move forward. Today in the meeting hall, you said that you recognized me as the fourth generation, and I was very happy."
"What Kirigakure needs now is unity - whether it is the four tribes, Anbu, or the frontline troops, we are all our own people. I would like to toast you with this glass of wine."
Yagura picked up the wine glass and clinked it with him. The strong alcohol went into his throat and burned his throat, but he had a just right smile on his face.
"The Yondaime words are serious. I am the ninja of Kirigakure. Whatever the village needs me to do, I will do it."
Terumi Iroha came over at this time, holding a wine glass in his hand, with a rare smile on his dark face.
"Yagura! I have known you for so many years. To be honest, I have always felt that you are the most capable of fighting Kirigakure besides the four old guys among us."
"Back then, when you were alone behind Iwagakure, you held down more than a dozen Iwagakure Jonin and made the whole team retreat. How many times did you mention to me during that battle at Xiguashan that you were a good boy?"
As he spoke, he filled Yagura's glass of wine.
"You are still young now, younger than the rest of us. From now on, the position of Mizukage will be yours sooner or later. Did you hear what the fourth generation said today? The fifth generation will not come from the Yuki Clan, and those who are successful will come first. If you have a few more military exploits, I, Terumi Iroha, will be the first to vote for you."
Terumi Iroha Normally, he doesn't talk much when he's not drinking, and he doesn't talk much when he's drinking, but his words are all on point.
He said, "Sooner or later, Mizukage's position will be yours." He said it very naturally, as if he was saying that Tenten is doing well today.
Although Yagura knew that this was a tactic to win over, Terumi Iroha's tone was so real that it really didn't sound like an act.
You can't act like this kind of person, Terumi Iroha is a rock, and a rock can't act.
Yagura's inner vigilance relaxed again, and she picked up the wine glass and drank with him.
Kaguya Momotaro also came over at this time. He drank a lot, his white hair was messy on his shoulders, and his gray-green eyes were a little drunk.
"Yagura, when we were in the cave, you said that whoever made the suggestion to let the blood successor ninjas withdraw first would cut off the rear. I was not there at the time, but I heard what Xiguashan said later. You know that we Kaguya Clan are also blood successors, right?"
"For what you said back then, I'd like to toast you."
After Kaguya Momotaro finished speaking, before Yagura could raise his glass, he raised his head and drank a glass first. Yagura had no choice but to accompany him.
Hozuki Suichu doesn't talk much, but he pours plenty of wine.
He came over with a wine glass, just touched it with Yagura, said "hard work on the front line", and then raised his head and did it.
His light eyes showed no emotion under the charcoal fire, but Yagura noticed that his fingers were steady when he drank.
If a person's hand is still so steady after drinking, he either hasn't drunk too much or is deliberately controlling it.
Yagura didn't think much about it. Hozuki Suichu originally talked less and was the quietest among the four tribes. He was so quiet that sometimes people would forget his existence.
Suikazan Fuguki didn't come over to toast.
He was sitting by the charcoal fire, his long orange hair slightly dry from the heat, holding a glass of wine in his hand, but he didn't drink much.
Yagura took the initiative to walk over, knelt down, and had a drink with him.
"Captain Xiguashan, I owe you a life. I always remember what happened in the cave twelve years ago." Suikazan Fuguki looked at him, was silent for a while, then picked up the wine glass and took a sip.
"No need to pay it back." He said. Yagura nodded and did it.
After drinking this round of wine, Yagura's head started to feel dizzy.
He was not a bad drinker at first, but today the clan leaders took turns toasting him as if they had agreed upon it. Terumi Iroha had five drinks with him, Kaguya Momotaro had another three drinks, and with other people changing glasses, he drank at least a dozen glasses of strong liquor.
The charcoal fire made the room warm, and the sea breeze poured in from outside the open sliding door, blowing on the drunken face and feeling particularly comfortable.
His personal guards remained vigilant at first, standing straight and guarding the courtyard. Later, they were pulled over to have a few drinks after being greeted by people arranged by the four tribes.
Yagura didn't stop him--Mizunotsuki Shigure said that today was a day to wash away the dust. He couldn't let his bodyguard stand aside with a cold face and ruin the face of his master.
Relaxed. Yagura leaned back in the chair, holding a glass of wine, and listened to Terumi Iroha tell the story of catching sharks with his bare hands in the sea when he was young.
Terumi Iroha's speaking speed became much faster under the influence of alcohol. It was rare for him to have a smile on his dark face. At the end of the story, he laughed out loud first, and everyone at the table followed him.
Yagura also laughed, not pretending to laugh, he was really amused.
He hadn't been so relaxed for a long time. After fighting on the front line for so long, every nerve was tense. When he returned to the village, there was another series of trials and confrontations.
Now sitting in this warm room, drinking one glass after another of strong wine, and listening to Terumi Iroha's half-truths and half-false anecdotes about the sea, he suddenly felt that this night might really be just a chance to wash away the dust.
The four tribes need him, Konoha still needs him to continue to contribute on the front line, and Mizunotsuki Shigure will not be so stupid as to break his own arm.
"But to be honest, how did you find those four Ninja Blades on the front line? We searched for them for more than ten days, but we couldn't even find them."
Yagura narrowed his eyes slightly.
He really didn't understand why Mizunotsuki Shigure and the others could find the lost Ninja Blade.