This man was none other than Goumu Yanō, who had built clan buildings for him several times.
Delighted, Xuandou stepped forward and grabbed his hand:
"Master Yanō! What brings you to the Land of Hot Water?"
Yanō looked equally surprised:
"The Daimyō of the Land of Hot Water invited me to build a residence for a newly appointed noble. I never imagined that noble would be you!"
Smiling, Xuandou briefly explained the Uchiha's relocation.
After hearing him out, Yanō sighed in silence:
"Ah... I've heard something of what happened in Konoha."
"It's just a shame about those exquisite buildings I left behind..."
Xuandou shook his head:
"You needn't worry about that. I used ninjutsu to move all the clan's buildings here as well."
Yanō looked utterly unconvinced:
"Oh, you don't have to comfort me."
"At my age, what haven't I seen?"
"I can still accept something like this."
Seeing his reaction, Xuandou said no more and simply pulled him along to the Uchiha Clan Compound.
Standing on the familiar streets and looking at the familiar buildings, Yanō froze as though struck by lightning.
His mouth fell open and his eyes widened:
"Th-this... this, this..."
"How did you do this?!"
He stretched out a trembling hand, looking as though he had seen a ghost:
"No... I... I can't accept this!"
Xuandou smiled and patted his shoulder:
"You'll get used to it."
"Back to business. How do you plan to design my Imperial Palace?"
It took Yanō a long while to recover from his shock. He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself:
"Well... our Goumu Clan has built many residences even for Daimyō. A residence for a mere Guardian Duke like you will be a piece of cake."
He paused, then asked:
"Do you have any specific requirements?"
Xuandou thought