The attendant guided the group to their destination, the place where Mifune had stayed during his last visit to Konoha Village. She was then called away by a phone call. Ichiryu didn't understand, and Mifune explained that it was something unique to Konoha Village, a function that no other country possessed. Ichiryu could only shake his head regretfully.
"Come, Ichiryu-sama, and the rest of you. Let's go inside and rest for a bit. I'll go buy some food later."
The others all nodded, looking somewhat expectant. Mifune seemed less like a fellow traveler and more like a tour guide.
But Ichiryu was in no hurry to enter. He stayed outside for a while, examining the slightly strange building. It was square and blocky, and he didn't recognize the architectural style. It felt novel; it was the first time he had ever seen anything like it. The houses in the Land of Iron were all quite rustic; they didn't have this style. Moreover, it seemed to be unique within Konoha Village, perhaps specially prepared for foreign guests like them. Did it have a specific meaning?
After observing the outside for a while, he looked at the surrounding buildings and noticed people moving in and out. Those must be the guests from the other nations. He planned to visit them later.
With that thought, Ichiryu opened the door and walked inside. But the interior decoration stunned him again. What kind of style was this? Had the outside world developed this much during the years the Land of Iron was closed off?
Seeing the surprised look on his master's face, Mifune walked over with a smile. "Master, you might be a little unaccustomed to this. It was designed by the Hokage-sama. He calls it 'modern style,' a style the Hokage-sama is very fond of, saying it is for remembrance."
"Only foreign guests and envoys get to stay here. It shows the level of importance he places on us."
Hearing Mifune's explanation, Ichiryu nodded. "Is that so? The Hokage designed it? Though young, his abilities truly are extraordinary."
Upon entering the house, Ichiryu saw many things he had never encountered before. He guessed these must be the electronics.
"What is this! It can even blow out cold air!" Ichiryu was drawn to the operating air conditioner, enjoying the gentle cool breeze it produced. In this weather, it was quite a comfort.
"Master, this is what I told you about, the air conditioner. It's a type of electronics that can generate cool air." Mifune had opened the air conditioner immediately upon entering, following his memory from his last visit. After setting the temperature, the room quickly cooled down.
Sounds of astonishment kept coming from the apartment. The other Samurai were busy choosing their rooms and kept exclaiming, clearly having encountered something surprising. Ichiryu didn't pay them any mind, instead focusing intently on learning about the electronics in the house from Mifune. This included the washing machine, the television, the refrigerator, and the complimentary mobile phones placed on the table for them to use. Mifune had learned how to use them briefly during his last visit, but he was still not very adept; he could only manage the basics.
This tour was truly eye-opening for Ichiryu. Sitting on the sofa and feeling the softness beneath him, he couldn't help but recall the difficult lives he and the citizens of the Land of Iron had endured before.
These electronics and the various facilities in the house were constantly challenging Ichiryu's old perceptions. He had initially thought that Mifune's words back in the Land of Iron were somewhat exaggerated. However, he had sincerely decided to cooperate with Konoha Village and had not paid much attention to those details. But he hadn't expected that Mifune's words were the censored version! The true Konoha Village was even better than what Mifune had described!
This was especially true of the shower facilities, which were unbelievably convenient! Samurai needed to bathe after every day of training, but they always had to fetch water from the river and then heat it, wasting a lot of time. With these shower facilities, they could use water whenever they needed it. The only drawback was that it couldn't heat the water, but he heard the Hokage was already developing that! Ichiryu was captivated. He kept turning the valve on and off in the bathroom, trying to figure out the principle behind it. It was just a metal handle, and when opened, clean water flowed out continuously! It was simply miraculous!
This device must be popularized in the Land of Iron! As for the money? That wasn't an issue. The Land of Iron was rich in mineral resources; a mine could be dug up almost every two hills. There was also Ironwood everywhere. These were all very valuable resources. However, due to the previous policy of isolation and the fact that very few people in the Land of Iron engaged in mining, the economy of the Land of Iron was poor. After all, the population was limited. They only needed to mine enough for the Samurai to forge their swords; they couldn't sell any extra, so naturally, no one was willing to mine.
"Mifune," Ichiryu asked, "Do you know when the Hokage will have time to meet with us for talks?"
Mifune smiled. "Ichiryu-sama, we will have to wait until the Hokage-sama's wedding is over before discussing these matters."
Ichiryu realized that was true. Fortunately, all domestic affairs had been entrusted to his confidant and could be handled remotely. They could afford to stay in Konoha Village for a few extra days.
"Later, you will come with me to pay a visit to the surrounding Kage and important figures. Now that the Land of Iron has lifted its isolation, we need to foster relationships with other nations."
Mifune nodded. "Understood, Ichiryu-sama. You should go back to your room and rest for a while first. The Kage and envoys from the other countries also need some rest after traveling for several days."
Mifune's words were reasonable, and Ichiryu agreed. He then went back to his room to rest briefly. His room was the largest in the apartment and was fully equipped with all the devices; Mifune had stayed in this very room last time.
Seeing that everyone had settled into their rooms, Mifune packed a few things and went out to buy some food. Everyone knew that the Hokage-sama might not be able to attend to them much these days. As soon as he stepped outside, he saw people emerging from the two apartments next door. Judging by their clothing and demeanor, they appeared to be from Sunagakure and Iwagakure.
"Are you two heading out to purchase supplies?" Mifune greeted them warmly. He held no prejudice against Ninja.
The two men also laughed and said, "Yes. Our masters are a bit tired from the journey, so I'm heading out to buy some food."
Mifune then suggested to them, "How about we go together? I know a restaurant with quite good food."
"Oh? That works out perfectly. Let's go together. We can also join the excitement on the street and see if any new guests are arriving."
With that, Mifune led the two men toward a restaurant he had visited during his last trip to Konoha Village. He just wondered if the restaurant would even be open today, given the circumstances. It wouldn't be good if the distinguished guests were left hungry.