In the early years of Takigakure, a grand funeral was held, personally presided over by the First Takikage, Amamizu Ruri, to mourn the villagers who had died in the coup.
The sun is so bright, it's a bit dazzling.
Squinting in the sunlight, Ruri formed hand signs and used Kirin.
He only used half of the technique, creating the rain clouds but not summoning the lightning. The weather instantly turned overcast, and soon a torrential downpour began.
"A funeral in the world of Naruto simply has to be in the rain!"
Black formal wear set the tone for the ceremony. Many people's clothes had been hastily made just the day before, and some had merely draped black cloth over themselves. Yet, no one laughed at them. This was a sign of respect for them, and for all those who had sacrificed themselves for the village.
"Fifty years of human life, compared to the long existence of heaven and earth, are but a dream and a illusion; once born, is there anything that does not die?"
Ruri softly sang this to himself backstage, where no one could hear him. To be honest, fifty years was still too long; during the Warring States period, a ninja living to forty was considered to have reached a ripe old age.
He slowly walked onto the stage and began the eulogy. All the shinobi and civilians present stood in silent mourning.
"The names of those who sacrificed themselves for the village will be remembered forever!"
Finally, Ruri declared loudly. Several shinobi appeared on the stage at that moment and pulled away the white cloth behind him, revealing ten square steel pillars, forged overnight by shinobi of the Kōmae clan. The first pillar was densely covered with names.
"This is... I think I see my older brother's name..."
"I see Kyoko's name..."
"Grandfather..."
People whispered, their faces filled with disbelief. No country or shinobi village had ever recorded its fallen people in such a manner. Yet, it was undeniable that this method made their surviving relatives feel the village's deep sincerity and effort.
"Today, it was them who sacrificed themselves. Perhaps tomorrow it will be you, the day after it will be me, or perhaps it will be Kishimoto, or Akimoto, or Togashi, or Oda... But this Memorial Stone will faithfully record all these names. They sacrificed for the village. They are the village's heroes, and they will never be forgotten!"
The word "hero" was the most stirring. Ruri's speech, combined with the Memorial Stone behind him, helped many of those who held grievances resolve the conflicts in their hearts.
Perhaps Takigakure wasn't the best place now, but it would get better and better in the future. What was important was that the people of the village would never forget those who had contributed and given their lives for it.
The rain gradually stopped. As it was artificial rain, it couldn't last long. After the rain, Takigakure seemed uniquely refreshed. Everything was waiting to be rebuilt; the old had passed away, and the new would witness the rise of Takigakure.
After the funeral, Kōmae Tadashi and Takenaka Masakata walked on either side of Ruri. These two were now the Takikage's assistants and were returning with him to the Takikage building to work.
"How about we go for sushi?" Ruri suggested halfway there.
He still hadn't formally met the master sushi chef obtained from the system's gacha, and besides, he had saved Kakuzu—he needed to thank him somehow.
"As you wish."
Although Tadashi and Masakata didn't understand the Takikage's intention, they knew the cooking-nin who had opened the sushi shop was no simple man. The shop had only been open for a day, yet it was already highly praised by everyone in the village. They were genuinely curious to try it and relieve some of their recent stress.
The words "Sukiya" were written on a slightly crooked sign on the door. The open entrance allowed a clear view of Ono diligently making sushi inside.
The layout of the shop was similar to Ichiraku Ramen: a simple setup with a counter and a few round stools. As the funeral had just ended, Ono had only just returned to open the shop, so there were no other customers.
"Lord Takikage?" Ono was slightly taken aback upon seeing the three men enter. The Takikage's hat was particularly easy to recognize.
"Don't stand on ceremony, owner. We are just customers. We heard your sushi is delicious and came to try some."
As he spoke, Ruri smiled slightly and took off his Takikage hat, placing it to the side.
"What would the three of you like to eat?" Ono was a man of the world and didn't become nervous because of Ruri's presence, asking quite naturally.
"Whatever is fine." Ruri was very curious about whether Ono was a character created by the system or an existing person from the ninja world drawn to Takigakure. However, according to the well-traveled and knowledgeable leader of the Fūma clan, Fūma Fūma, Ono was originally a famous wandering cooking-nin from the Land of Water.
"Cuisine is not something to be casual about. However, Lord Takikage, you could try the roe sushi made from the unique sturgeon of Takigakure. It was precisely for these sturgeon that I came all the way from the Land of Water."
Ono put down the ingredients in his hand and looked up, speaking seriously.
"Then three orders of roe sushi, please. Thank you."
Ruri thought of the Takigawa River that ran alongside the village, cutting through the entire Land of Takī. Were the sturgeon in there a local specialty?
[Name: Ono]
[Comprehensive Strength: Jōnin]
[Talent: Elite Jōnin]
[Attribute: Water]
[Special Ability: God of Sushi (Sushi-making skill is peerless)]
[Evaluation: A ninja who neglects his proper duties, a chef who adheres strictly to his vocation—the God of Sushi who abandoned the shinobi way for the way of sushi! The sushi he makes is truly a cuisine that brings people happiness!]
Well, this was the only ninja Ruri had met who was in the prime of his life yet didn't have strength matching his talent. Perhaps it wasn't right to call him a ninja; calling him a chef made the reason understandable. But... could his fried rice make light shine?
Soon, three servings of sushi were placed before Ruri and the others. Each had an exquisite white porcelain plate holding six pieces of roe sushi.
As sushi is a cold food, there wasn't much aroma. Unable to see anything particularly special about it, Tadashi swallowed one piece whole.
After just one or two chews, his eyes widened, and he slowed his chewing, actually starting to savor the flavor. It was worth noting that shinobi, born for war, except on important occasions like family banquets, usually wolfed down their food without tasting it.
One... two... The sushi on the plate gradually diminished. Tadashi had already finished his. When had he ever eaten such delicious food?!
"Owner, I want more!" As a shinobi, one plate of sushi was only about a third of a full meal for him.
"My apologies. I only serve one portion per person outside of festival times." Ono wore an expression hoping for understanding. Although he had his principles, if he wanted to reside in Takigakure long-term, it was best not to antagonize the village's power figures.
"You can have mine," Ruri offered. Although the sushi was indeed excellent, his main purpose was to check on Ono. Now that the primary objective was achieved, the sushi was secondary. Using it to put Tadashi in his debt wasn't a bad idea, especially since he was about to work him like a dog.
"I-Is that really okay?"
Tadashi said one thing, but his body was honest. Seeing Ruri nod, he immediately finished this portion as well.
"Thank you for your patronage. That will be 210 ryo."
Ruri glanced at the price list on the wall. One order of roe sushi was 70 ryo. There was no discount for being the Takikage.
Of course, Ruri paid the bill. Last night, he had already dispatched people to work with the underground exchange. Whether it was for rebuilding Takigakure or developing it, a large amount of funds were needed, forcing him to dip into his own private stash to supplement the costs.
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