He hoped the general of the Land of Iron understood this principle and didn't miss this opportunity to revitalize his country.
"This barbecue still tastes so good! I haven't eaten it in a long time. It smells wonderful!"
Naori picked up a freshly grilled piece of meat and stuffed it into her mouth. The piece of meat seemed a bit large, causing grease to smudge the corner of her mouth. Torifu smiled at her appearance, reaching out to wipe the stain from her face.
"Come and eat whenever you want. It's only half a month; your figure isn't going to change much."
Naori smiled and shook her head. "No, I'd rather not. After the wedding, I can eat whatever I want, but I'll hold back for these few days."
Since Naori insisted, Torifu stopped trying to persuade her. He just wanted her to be happy. If eating less made Naori feel better over the next few days, then so be it. After the wedding, Torifu would just take her out to eat and make up for it.
Torifu ate most of the twenty plates of meat. Naori ordered a bowl of vegetable salad, munching on her "grass" while watching Torifu feast. Torifu felt this was a kind of torture, let alone Naori. So, he sped up his eating to spare Naori from prolonged suffering.
"Phew, I'm full and satisfied. How do you feel?"
Naori forced a smile. "I'm full too. I'm just a bit craving."
Torifu felt a little heartache looking at her. "I understand avoiding greasy food, but don't starve yourself. If you faint at the wedding, that would be a lifetime regret."
"I know, don't worry, Torifu. You know how much I can eat, so I won't skip meals."
That was certainly for the best.
After eating, when Torifu went to pay the bill, the Boss was already gone. He must have left to execute the task Torifu had assigned him. That was a huge undertaking, and he was likely to be busy for a while. Once the wedding venue was set up, Torifu would have the Boss and the staff go to the Cloud Palace a day in advance to set up, or there wouldn't be enough time on the day itself to prepare all that food.
After settling the bill, Torifu and Naori left the barbecue restaurant together. "So, Naori, should we go our separate ways, or stop by my place and get a little taste of being the Lady of the House?"
Naori gave Torifu a look. "What do you mean 'get a little taste of being the Lady of the House'? From the day we started dating, there's only been one Lady of the House, and that's me."
Torifu was momentarily stunned by her words, but he couldn't argue because Naori was absolutely right.
"Yes, yes, yes. Then, Lady of the House, shall we go home together?"
Naori smiled. "That's more like it."
The two then held hands and returned to the Kumotsuru Clan Compound. In half a month, Naori would officially take up residence there as the Lady of the House. From the very first day she began dating Torifu, Naori had fantasized about this day. Now, she had finally waited for it.
The scenery within the Kumotsuru Clan Compound was beautiful, much better than the Uchiha Clan Compound. It had an exotic style that wasn't very similar to the overall aesthetic of Konoha Village. But Naori loved this style. Perhaps it was out of love for the person—liking the style because she liked Torifu. But even now, Naori couldn't quite be sure. The only thing she was absolutely clear about was that Torifu was her favorite.
...
Inside the general's mansion in the Royal Capital of the Land of Iron, Ichiryu sat in a chair, listening to the report from the samurai below.
"Ichiryu-sama, we have received news that Hokage-sama of Konoha Village will be getting married in half a month. Envoys have already been sent to notify the Tsuchikage and the Kazekage. Should we send congratulations?"
Ichiryu remained silent, seemingly lost in thought.
Another samurai in the mansion spoke up, "Ichiryu-sama, everything Mifune-sama said after returning from Konoha Village is extremely appealing—a path that can rejuvenate the Land of Iron."
"But we have been hesitant to make a statement, and the Hokage will surely be displeased. Even if Mifune-sama has some acquaintance with the Hokage, those were youthful connections and cannot be the basis for our continued silence."
Ichiryu sighed. He naturally understood all this, but he was pondering whether cooperating with Konoha Village was truly the right choice. The so-called Way of the Samurai was about tempering one's will and mind, seeing through all illusions and temptations, and thereby adhering to one's original intention. But the convenient life Mifune described would undoubtedly break all the precepts of the samurai. If everyone's lives became convenient, how could they temper the samurai's will?
However, there was one truth Ichiryu had been unwilling to admit, but which was fact: most of the samurai in the Land of Iron were utterly useless. Some ordinary people even self-proclaimed as samurai after just a few days of enduring hardship! The once glorious and sacred Way of the Samurai had been tainted. Anyone could call themselves a samurai.
Moreover, the samurai cultivated within the Royal Capital were secluded and self-taught, knowing only how to endure hardship but were of little use in combat. Most of what they learned were flashy techniques. When Hanzō invaded the Land of Iron, not a single one dared to stand up to him! In the end, it was left to his disciple, a samurai who came from a small village, to face Hanzō.
Ichiryu was moved by Mifune's courage and resolve but was also lost and sorrowful about the future of the Land of Iron. When he coincidentally heard that his disciple was in contact with the Hokage, he decided to let his disciple make the initial contact. But this was like a flood breaking through a dam—it became unstoppable. Even Ichiryu himself could not believe that the outside world had developed to such a degree. Mobile phones, refrigerators, washing machines, televisions! He had never even heard of them! He needed his disciple to explain what they were.
Once the news spread, almost all the samurai favored cooperation with Konoha Village. The voices of opposition within the country were almost entirely from the elderly and conservative samurai who clung to old ideas. But these voices were in the minority and were quickly drowned out by the rising tide. After all, the younger generation was the future of the country. Ichiryu had no choice but to listen to their suggestions.
"Mifune, what is your view on this? Tell us."
Mifune, who was standing next to Ichiryu, nodded and walked down from the dais. "Master, I believe it is necessary for you to personally visit Konoha Village. Konoha Village's various advanced inventions have been recognized by almost the entire world. Should we samurai be the only ones who cannot enjoy such convenience?"
"If this continues, we will completely disconnect from the world and become 'barbarians' in the eyes of the Ninja. After all, the Ninja are all playing with mobile phones and using all sorts of advanced electronics, while we samurai live a life virtually unchanged, like wild people."