Town in the Land of Earth.
"Hayate, who would've thought you had this much money saved up?"
"Tsk tsk, not bad. Look at this outfit—why don't you buy one for your big brother?"
Kazuyama hadn't expected his younger brother to be this wealthy. He was surprised for a moment, but quickly grabbed a piece of clothing from a nearby stall and immediately tried to make Hayate pay for it.
When Hayate saw the price tag—one hundred thousand taels—he froze on the spot.
"Wait, it's just a piece of clothing! Why is it this expensive?"
"Handsome, take a good look. This is craftsmanship from the Land of Snow. Of course it's pricier than what we have around here!"
Hayate was completely bewildered. How could a single piece of clothing cost so much?
It was absurd!
Seeing Hayate hesitate, Kazuyama let out a heavy, sorrowful sigh.
"Ah, the decline of society… When you were little and Mom and Dad passed away early, wasn't it me, your big brother, who raised you—feeding you, taking care of you day and night?"
"They say the eldest brother is like a father. Ah…"
"Seems all that effort raising you went to waste… Ah!"
Kazuyama's acting was on par with an award-winning actor. Right there in the middle of a busy street, he showed no shame—if anything, he was going all in.
Passersby cast glances their way, whispering and pointing at Hayate.
Hayate felt like his entire being was collapsing.
"Fine! I'll buy it for you, big bro!"
"I never said you wouldn't!!!"
"Shopkeeper, here—take the money. Hurry up and pack that shirt."
He couldn't take it anymore. Hayate felt like he'd go crazy if this continued.
Yūgao, standing off to the side, brought a hand to her forehead. What could she do?
These two brothers loved each other—interfering would be pointless. And that wasn't even the main issue. The real problem was that she didn't dare interfere. This was Kazuyama, after all.
Her ANBU training had left Yūgao with absolutely no inclination to rebel against Kazuyama.
No, more accurately—no ANBU would ever dare think of defying him. He was far too terrifying.
"Ahahaha! That's my good little brother!"
"Excellent! You still know how to show respect to your big brother."
"Shopkeeper, pack all those clothes up too. I'll take everything!"
With his goal achieved, Kazuyama ended his performance. He was in a great mood.
Bullying one's younger brother was a fine source of entertainment.
...
Several days later, outside Iwagakure.
"So this is Iwagakure? It's my first time seeing it."
"Same here."
"Alright, you two, don't forget why we're here. Right now, you're representing Konoha."
Seeing Hayate and Yūgao's stunned expressions, Kazuyama immediately reminded them.
"Yeah, yeah, we know."
"Always nagging, big bro… sigh."
Hayate had been losing money nonstop these past few days. Kazuyama had aimed straight for his wallet, and every expense had come out of his pocket.
As a result, Hayate felt extremely annoyed with his brother—but annoyance or not, there was nothing he could do.
Kazuyama was ready to scold him again when the gates of Iwagakure opened.
The man leading the group had a stern, rock-like face and an imposing aura.
"Oh my, the Tsuchikage's son himself has come to welcome us?"
"What an honor."
It was Kitsuchi. Kazuyama spoke the words, but his expression didn't match—his face was full of mocking amusement.
Kitsuchi's expression darkened.
"The Twin Stars of Konoha—Ghost Kazuyama Gekkō."
"I didn't expect you to be the one leading the delegation. Seems the Hokage takes this matter seriously."
As an elite jōnin of Iwagakure, Kitsuchi carried a powerful presence. Most people felt his pressure like a mountain weighing on their chests.
But Kazuyama's wicked grin crushed any sense of intimidation.
"The Five Kage Summit hasn't been held in who-knows-how-many years. Of course it deserves attention."
"Kitsuchi, don't tell me we're supposed to meet the Tsuchikage right here at the gate."
Kitsuchi shot Kazuyama a hard glare, then turned and walked deeper into the village.
Everyone parted to make way. Kazuyama laughed loudly and led Hayate and Yūgao through the gates of Iwagakure.
Hayate and Yūgao's eyes were full of curiosity. Kazuyama, meanwhile, was lost in memories.
Before long, they arrived at the Tsuchikage's office.
"Hayate, Yūgao, wait here."
Kazuyama saw Kitsuchi waiting by the office door and knew what came next required him alone.
He stepped inside. Ōnoki had clearly been waiting for him.
When Ōnoki's eyes fell on Kazuyama, he felt a strange sense of familiarity—yet logically, they had never met.
"Hehehe, welcome to Iwagakure, Ghost of Konoha."
"An honor, Lord Tsuchikage Ōnoki, still vigorous in your later years."
The two opened with yin-yang banter.
Ōnoki, the oldest of the Kage, had gone through countless hardships; he was as slippery as polished stone.
Kazuyama, on the other hand, had traveled the world for years, unmatched when it came to eloquence.
Their verbal exchange was bound to be interesting.
"So? Konoha wants to hold a Five Kage Summit because of Akatsuki?"
"They haven't struck at Iwagakure."
Ōnoki got straight to the point. Akatsuki hadn't threatened Iwa at all.
It was true—they had acted against Konoha, Sunagakure, and Kirigakure, but never Iwa.
"Ah, that's where you're mistaken, Lord Tsuchikage. It's not that they don't want to attack you."
"It's that Iwagakure no longer has a Jinchūriki or a Tailed Beast."
"The Four-Tails' Jinchūriki Rōshi left the village. The Five-Tails' Jinchūriki Han died. Later, the Five-Tails wandered onto Konoha's border—I dealt with it personally."
"That's the only reason Akatsuki hasn't acted against you."
Kazuyama's words nearly made Ōnoki explode.
It practically sounded like he was saying Iwagakure wasn't even worth Akatsuki's time.
"You sharp-tongued brat!"
"Hmph! But you said it yourself—they haven't targeted Iwagakure. So I see no reason to attend your so-called Five Kage Summit."
Ōnoki let out a deep, dissatisfied snort.
To Kazuyama, the whole thing was nothing short of amusing.