At dusk, the streets and taverns of Konoha were more lively than ever before.
"My god! You didn't go today? You really missed out!"
A villager uncle with a flushed face slapped his friend on the shoulder, spittle flying as he spoke.
"That samurai from the Land of Iron, man, he was incredible! Although his methods were a bit… ahem, not exactly refined, even Jonin Shinku and Jonin Hizashi were defeated by him!"
"What? Even those two…"
His companion was so shocked he could barely hold his cup steady.
"That's not even the best part!"
The uncle's eyes lit up as he gestured animatedly. "Our village's Shinichi, Shinichi Higashino! That kid stepped forward! You didn't see it, he clashed head-on with that samurai, blades smashing against each other until they broke! Then with a single wave of his hand, boom, a sea of fire started; there's no hand seals needed at all!"
He gulped down some alcohol, lowered his voice, and said mysteriously, "The final move was the scariest! A blazing red fireball, like a small sun, smashed down. That samurai had to turn his whole body into something like a bronze statue just to withstand it!"
"And after the fight, guess what? That samurai actually applauded in front of everyone and said Shinichi was some unprecedented genius, even saying he'd call him the strongest! They made an agreement to fight again in the future when they both become the strongest in their respective countries!"
"The strongest? Shinichi is only ten years old!" His friend sucked in a cold breath.
"The future strongest in the Shinobi World! But honestly, with Shinichi's talent, it's only a matter of time before he becomes the strongest of this era!"
"Is that so? So Shinichi really is…"
The friend sighed. "I used to think he was just outstanding. Today I realized we've been underestimating him by far."
Similar discussions buzzed throughout every corner of Konoha, excitement, pride, and astonishment filling the air along with cooking smoke and lamplight.
Inside the Hokage's office, the lights were on.
A staff member from the mission department was bowing as he gave his final report to the third Hokage.
"Hokage-sama, Mr. Isshin, the client, has just settled all payments at the mission reception desk."
The staff member reported. "He personally expressed extreme satisfaction with this exchange, stating it was worth far more than the cost. In addition to the base 500,000 Ryo, he added another 2,000,000 Ryo according to the highest standard, totaling 2,500,000 Ryo, all of which has been deposited."
Hiruzen Sarutobi sat behind his large desk and nodded upon hearing this, a gentle smile appearing on his face. "Mm! Although this matter went through many twists and caused quite a stir, the final result is, at least, satisfactory."
After a moment of thought, he continued, "Since Shinichi conducted the final duel with the client, and his performance earned the other party's recognition, then this special mission will be recorded under Shinichi's name. The mission record and reward distribution should be handled accordingly."
"Yes, Hokage-sama, I will arrange it immediately."
The staff member responded respectfully.
"Oh, right."
The third Hokage seemed to recall something and casually asked, "That client, Mr. Isshin, where is he now? Has he already left Konoha?"
"Reporting to Hokage-sama, Mr. Isshin is currently dining at Aji No Takumi Cuisine Restaurant within the village."
The staff member replied. "According to the accompanying receptionist, he plans to leave the village directly and return to the Land of Iron after finishing his meal."
The report should have ended there, but an extremely strange expression appeared on the staff member's face, as if the next words were somewhat difficult to say.
After hesitating, he still added, "Additionally, Hokage-sama, after paying the commission, Mr. Isshin asked us a question before leaving."
"Oh? What question?" The third Hokage raised his eyes.
The staff member organized his words and tried to repeat them as accurately as possible: "He asked whether Konoha would need mercenaries in the upcoming war. If needed, he could act as a mercenary and fight for Konoha on the battlefield, and the price would be negotiable."
Mercenary?
Hiruzen Sarutobi was slightly stunned at first, then a feeling mixed with absurdity and amusement rose in his heart.
Historically, it had always been various forces and nobles from different countries coming to Konoha to issue missions, hiring Konoha's ninja. When has anyone ever asked Konoha whether it needed to hire mercenaries?
This samurai from the Land of Iron truly had a unique kind of belligerence and mindset.
Although the Third Shinobi World War had not officially erupted yet, border frictions were constant, and the major nations were arming themselves, with tension ready to explode at any moment; this was a reality obvious to anyone with insight. For him to bring this up now was not entirely baseless.
The third Hokage pondered for a moment, lightly tapped the desk, and instructed the staff member: "Convey my gratitude to Mr. Isshin for his generous payment, as well as my admiration for his great strength. As for the matter of mercenary work…"
"Please inform Mr. Isshin that Konoha appreciates his goodwill. However, since its founding, Konoha has relied on the unity and strength of its own ninja to protect its homeland and is fully capable of handling any challenge. We have full confidence in our ninja."
"Additionally, the Land of Iron is a permanently neutral country. It's a samurai not participating in conflicts between ninja, which is both a tradition and a stance. As a renowned samurai of the Land of Iron, if Mr. Isshin were to be hired by Konoha to participate in war, it could affect the Land of Iron's neutral position as well as his personal reputation. We accept the sentiment."
The staff member understood immediately and bowed. "Yes, I understand. I will certainly convey Hokage-sama's intentions properly to Mr. Isshin."
"You may go."
After the staff member left, the office returned to silence. A moment later, as if suddenly remembering something, his gaze sharpened slightly as he spoke in a low voice toward the empty corner of the office: "You two, go take a look at Root. Make sure that in the next few days, no unnecessary disturbances arise."
His tone was calm. There was no need to say more; the Anbu instantly understood the Hokage's intent: keep an eye on Root.
Keep an eye on that elder, Danzo Shimura, who always treated all potential threats, especially powerful outsiders beyond control, as thorns in his side, often acting in extreme ways in the name of Konoha. Only to leave the Hokage to clean up the mess and bear the responsibility.
"Understood!"
After two brief responses, the air in the office shifted slightly, then fell silent again.
Hiruzen Sarutobi let out a soft sigh and rubbed his brow, hoping this was merely an unnecessary precaution.
That samurai, Isshin, although flamboyant and controversial in his methods, was ultimately a legitimate client who had demonstrated great strength and paid a generous reward.
If he came to Konoha to commission a match and then mysteriously disappeared, or even died, right after, it would inevitably cause massive controversy. Even if Konoha had nothing to do with it, they would still end up taking the blame.
Isshin, of course, knew nothing about these arrangements in the Hokage's office, and even if he did, he wouldn't care.
At this moment, he was inside Aji No Takumi Cuisine Restaurant, eating heartily from several large plates of signature grilled meat and Shinichi's mapo dofu, completely ignoring the mixed gazes of awe and curiosity from the surrounding diners.
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