Land of Fire, Taiyoto City, Daimyo's Residence.
The afternoon sun was warm and gentle. In the exquisite garden pond, fish swam leisurely in the water, and the Daimyo of the Land of Fire was fishing at a leisurely pace.
An elderly man dressed in formal attire, resembling a butler, quietly approached, stopped a few steps away, and bowed respectfully.
"Your highness, preparations for this year's Taketori Festival are basically complete, and registration for the culinary tournament has closed. Famous chefs and heirs of culinary families from all over the country are gathering, and a grand event is expected."
The Daimyo of the Land of Fire nodded slightly, his gaze still fixed on the buoy on the water's surface.
The old man paused briefly, lowered his voice, and added a different meaning to his tone: "In addition, there is another matter that I believe your highness might be interested in."
"Oh?"
Daimyo's gaze remained fixed on the buoy on the water's surface, and he casually responded with a reply.
"Among the participants in this tournament, there is a ninja from Konoha."
"A ninja from Konoha?"
Upon hearing this, the Daimyo paused slightly in fishing, finally turning his head with a look of considerable interest on his face.
He raised his hand and, with a whoosh, unfolded the exquisite cypress fan, half-covering his lips, his eyes behind the fan narrowed slightly: "I remember that Konoha no longer has any Ninja Chefs, right?"
As the ruler of a country, he was naturally aware of the little-known and nearly extinct ancient profession of Ninja Chef.
But he knew even better that a mere Konoha ninja participating in the tournament was hardly enough to warrant the old butler's special report.
He gestured for the other party to continue with his eyes.
The butler bowed slightly and respectfully continued, "The person accompanying this ninja contestant to Taiyoto... is Princess Tsunade."
"Tsunade?"
The Daimyo paused; the movement of his cypress fan went still.
Tsunade is called Princess Tsunade not only because she is the granddaughter of the first Hokage, the second Hokage, and the Princess of Konoha, but also because she is an officially recognized princess of the Land of Fire.
The first Hokage, Hashirama Senju, forged an alliance with the Land of Fire, establishing a system of one village per country.
Several years after the founding of Konoha, Tsunade was born. To demonstrate the unbreakable bond between the two and the importance attached to Konoha, the previous Daimyo of the Land of Fire bestowed a special favor, officially recognizing the infant Tsunade as the Princess of the Land of Fire and granting her the title of Princess.
Although Tsunade herself doesn't seem to care much about this title and has been active as a ninja for many years, this identity has always existed in the official records of the Land of Fire.
Now, this Princess, who has never made a public appearance in Taiyoto and is even rumored to have become depressed and despondent after the Second Shinobi World War, has actually come to Taiyoto in person with a Ninja Chef who is participating in the culinary tournament.
The Daimyo slowly closed his cypress fan, tapped it lightly twice to his palm as his interest deepened.
"This ninja..."
He pondered for a moment and then said, "Tell me in detail what you know about this person."
"Yes, your highness."
The butler bowed slightly and began his presentation systematically: "This ninja from Konoha is named Shinichi Higashino, and is currently…"
Shinichi Higashino?
Upon hearing the name, a look of realization flashed across the Daimyo's eyes.
He recognized the name; it seemed to be related to the troublesome incident involving a cult and missing children that had occurred in Narumi Town on the border. The report at the time vaguely mentioned a young ninja from Konoha who had performed exceptionally well.
However, he didn't pay much attention to such trivial matters at the time.
The Daimyo of the Land of Fire did not interrupt the butler's report, but listened quietly, his fingers unconsciously tapping lightly on his knee.
As the butler narrated plainly, a series of pieces of information were pieced together: at the age of nine, he independently developed an A-rank Ninjutsu without hand seals, shaking the Konoha; last year, he dominated the Chunin exams held in the Village Hidden in the Sand, winning the championship; and now, he was personally guided by Princess Tsunade, the disciple of the Third Hokage, serving as his Jonin leader…
The more he listened, the more intrigued the Daimyo of the Land of Fire became.
With his experience and political intuition, he immediately discerned a different meaning in it.
This is not just a genius ninja. The third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, values this kid highly. He is practically declaring through his actions that this kid is one of the key talents to be cultivated for the future core of Konoha, and even for the position of Hokage.
As long as he doesn't die prematurely, given time, even if he doesn't become Hokage, he will inevitably become a pivotal member of Konoha's future power structure.
"Interesting, truly interesting."
The Daimyo muttered to himself, a slight smile appearing on his lips. "A young genius so highly regarded by the third Hokage, instead of focusing on honing his ninja skills and accumulating merit, has the leisure to participate in my culinary tournament..."
"It seems this year's Taketori Festival will be even more exciting than in previous years."
The Daimyo chuckled, then said to his butler, "Remember, when the tournament officially begins, remind me. I want to go and see for myself what tricks this genius ninja of Konoha has up his sleeve."
"Yes, your highness, this old servant has noted it down."
The butler replied respectfully.
"And one more thing."
The Daimyo pondered for a moment, then snapped his cypress fan shut. "Sosho, you decide what to do. As long as what our genius makes isn't so awful that it's outrageous, or it burns the stove on the spot, for the sake of the third Hokage and Konoha, we might as well give him a decent ranking when the time is right. Young people have their quirks; it's harmless, and it might even become a legendary tale."
He spoke so casually, as if he had simply given a particular flower in the garden a little extra water.
"Yes, your highness, this old servant understands how to handle this."
The butler understood, bowed deeply again, and then quietly withdrew, leaving the quiet and leisurely atmosphere of the courtyard to the contemplative Daimyo.
At this moment, a cool breeze passed through the corridor and swept across the courtyard, rippling the calm water and creating layers of fine ripples. The exquisite pavilions and the clear sky reflected in the water swayed and shattered, and the light and shadow became chaotic.
The Daimyo gazed quietly at the pond of autumn water, which was ruffled by the wind. His gaze was distant, as if he could see a broader and more unsettling scene through the water.
"A storm is brewing."
He muttered to himself. "The waters of the Shinobi World are about to be stirred up again."
"Who will start this time? The Village Hidden in the Sand? The Village Hidden in the Stones? The Village Hidden in the Cloud? The Village Hidden in the Mist? Or some ambitious schemer who can't contain themselves?"
After a moment of silence, he suddenly let out a very soft sneer: "Go ahead and stir things up! Make the world a mess, with rivers of blood flowing... in the end, it will be us who have to clean up the mess and soothe people's hearts."
After a moment of reflection, the Daimyo of the Land of Fire shook his head, shaking off those chaotic thoughts and anxieties.
He leaned back in his chair, his face regaining its usual enigmatic calm and ease.
It was as if that moment of insight and emotion was just a ripple on the water's surface after a gentle breeze, which would soon subside.