Another week passed, and soon Tsunade received the official invitation to the Daimyo's residence. Accompanying her were two unusual companions, a small orange fox with nine distinct tails trailing behind her and a palm-sized slug perched comfortably on her shoulder. Although she had kept their presence discreet since arriving, she had begun to show them openly in the past week.
It was a calculated choice, common among powerful individuals, to make a statement. After all, how many foxes in the shinobi world had nine tails, aside from the Tailed Beasts? It was a silent deterrent, a reminder to anyone watching that Tsunade was far from vulnerable, even in unfamiliar territory.
In the days leading up to the visit, Tsunade had spent her time indulging in the luxuries the capital had to offer. She made a point to visit a new restaurant each day, sampling dishes from across the Land of Lightning. She watched movies in lavish theaters, tried her hand in bustling casinos, and generally allowed herself to enjoy the city's amenities. One time, her curiosity nearly got the better of her when she approached a towering structure identified by Kurama as a signal tower. However, she was polite and firmly turned away at the entrance.
Kurama explained that only authorized personnel and shinobi were permitted inside. Despite the rejection, Tsunade felt a persistent curiosity tugging at her. She had been sensing traces of the Uzumaki Clan since arriving in the capital, subtle yet unmistakable. Part of her wanted to rush in and seek them out, but in the end, she reined herself in. It wasn't the time to be impulsive. Not yet.
Now, she was making her way toward the Daimyo's estate, her stride steady and alert. Upon entering the grand property, she was greeted and escorted by a group of courteous maids and sharply dressed butlers. The path to the inner compound took her through an expansive landscape where architecture and nature seemed to flow into one another. Every few steps revealed something new, from streams of flowing water weaving through gardens, intricately trimmed bonsai trees, floral displays bursting with color, and even small animals roaming freely. The whole place was alive, curated to blend elegance with serenity.
As a princess of the Fire Nation and someone who had traveled far and wide, Tsunade had seen opulence/luxury before. The grandeur of this estate was comparable only to that of powerful rulers, like the Daimyo of the Land of Fire. Still, even with her experiences, the scale and refinement of this estate impressed her.
What caught her attention more deeply was the staff itself. The presence of formally trained butlers and professional maids was something she found uncommon. In the Land of Fire, such roles were typically filled by servants or eunuchs, individuals who served but were rarely so polished in appearance or conduct and respect. It was a different style of governance and hospitality.
Eventually, she was led into a meeting room, one unlike anything she'd expected. The space was filled with long tables, each station equipped with built-in microphones, flat-panel displays, and touch-sensitive interfaces like buttons and keyboards. At first glance, they looked like small televisions, but she quickly realized the officials were using them to scroll through documents, type notes, and access data in real-time. These were workstations, advanced computers, no doubt developed under the Hollow Mountain Research Center, following Ron's research and technological vision, which Ron let them figure out by themselves.
Tsunade blinked, taken aback by what she saw.
From her side, Kurama spoke in a low voice. "We've seen similar devices before, ID scanners, electronic measuring instruments, even advanced control panels in trains and vehicles. And of course, TVs. But those all had singular purposes. This... this is different. They're using a single device to write, read, communicate, and even display visuals. It's multifunctional. I've never sensed what's inside the Daimyo's mansion before, as there's a powerful barrier protecting it, separate from the capital's main barrier, so it will seem hostile, but this is a surprise."
Tsunade didn't respond immediately. Her eyes lingered on the devices and the way the officials interacted with them, her mind already piecing together the implications.
Whatever the Land of Lightning had built here, it wasn't just a city or new inventions, such as the battery and cars now popular in the outside world, similar to television and entertainment. Looking at these things being used by officials made her realize it was the foundation of something far greater, as sometimes, especially in battle if the enemy knows more and ahead of others in terms of information, and they themselves are hidden from others, it is a Gap others will find difficult to overcome, unless overcome by absolute force.