Currently, the Daimyō managed the governance of the Royal Capital and other subordinate villages, while Konoha Village managed only the Ninja Village and protected the Land of Fire. It was fair to say that Torifu had given the Daimyō dignity. And the Daimyō had never stopped providing funding to Konoha Village, though Konoha Village certainly didn't need the money.
"Hokage-sama, as you know, Father is busy with countless state affairs and simply could not leave, so he sent me instead."
Torifu smiled. "I naturally understand. His Royal Highness, the First Prince, please come in quickly. The villagers will guide you to your accommodation."
With that, the First Prince walked into Konoha Village, and the few black-robed Ninja following him hastened their steps to keep up. As they passed Torifu, he suddenly let a wave of his Chakra leak out, startling them into a stumble. They didn't dare to utter a word, quickly lowering their heads and hurrying along. This was the Hokage's warning to them to mind their manners. The so-called Daimyō's Guardian Ninja were merely rogue Ninja recruited by the Daimyō. Elite Jōnin was their limit. These Ninja could be said to be second only to the Daimyō in the Royal Capital. They lived in the Daimyō's mansion to protect his safety. Over time, it was inevitable they'd develop some bad habits. Torifu had just reminded them that this was not the Royal Capital of the Land of Fire. Judging by their reaction, they seemed to have understood this principle. The bodies hidden beneath their black robes trembled like sieves.
Once inside the village, an attendant immediately came to the First Prince's side. These attendants were all volunteers spontaneously organized by the villagers. The villagers merely respected the First Prince and were not genuinely fearful of him. But this was only true for the villagers of Konoha Village. Common citizens in other villages had to kneel when they saw the Daimyō family, or it could be a capital offense. But here in Konoha Village, people just greeted the Hokage; bowing to a First Prince was already considered the highest courtesy.
Therefore, the attendant only slightly bowed when she saw the First Prince. "His Royal Highness, the First Prince, welcome to Konoha Village. Please allow me to guide you."
The First Prince was quite polite, and he was also a clever man who knew his status was not worth much here. Even his father had to defer to the Hokage's mood, so he dared not make any trouble. If he were to earn the Hokage's displeasure, his dream of becoming the future Daimyō might be shattered. Conversely, if he could gain the Hokage's favor, his succession to the Daimyō's position would be practically guaranteed.
"Thank you for your trouble, miss. This is my first time in Konoha Village, and I'm completely unfamiliar with the area. Please take me around."
The attendant smiled. "Certainly, Your Royal Highness. I will explain all the important buildings we pass along the way."
The First Prince had a handsome face and such a good attitude that it cheered up the young attendant. However, she knew she couldn't possibly have any relationship with the First Prince. After showing him the way, she would go on to do other things. She had no intention of indulging in any unrealistic dreams. It was all written in the novels the Hokage-sama sold: people who solely chase after high status usually don't come to a good end.
"Oh, by the way, miss, I heard that Elder Senju Hashirama is still alive? Is that true?" Realizing his phrasing might be offensive, the First Prince quickly explained, "Please forgive my improper wording. I just wanted to pay my respects to the First Hokage-sama. After all, he is from the same generation as my grandfather."
The young woman naturally understood the First Prince's meaning, but his previous words were indeed a bit jarring. "Hashirama-sama is still very healthy. Do you often play Naruto?"
Huh? The First Prince was confused. They were talking about Hashirama-sama, so why was she bringing up a game? But out of politeness, he still answered, "Of course. I'm ranked eleventh on the Land of Fire leaderboard."
The young woman was surprised but quickly recovered. "That makes things easier! The person ranked first is the Hokage-sama, and the person ranked second is Hashirama-sama. So, you can imagine how healthy Hashirama-sama is now, can't you?"
The First Prince felt as though he was hearing a joke. A seventy-year-old man was the second best in the country at the Naruto mobile game? That sounded a bit far-fetched.
"Haha, I knew you wouldn't believe it. I'll take you to meet Hashirama-sama. Given your status, he should agree to see you."
The First Prince nodded. At this point, his attention was completely diverted from gaining the Hokage's favor; it had entirely shifted to wanting to see how an old man like Hashirama-sama could possibly rank second in the entire country!
After seeing off the First Prince, Torifu felt that there should only be two final groups remaining: the Samurai from the Land of Iron and Kakuzu and his men. He wasn't sure when they would arrive. So, he planned to go back and rest first, knowing there would be plenty of time for him to appear and offer congratulations once the Cloud Palace detected them.
Just as he was about to turn back, a message came from the map: a group of people was rushing toward Konoha Village. They were moving quite fast, actively running. Following behind them was a large crowd of people, roughly a few dozen. Without a doubt, this must be Kakuzu and his group. Torifu had told Kakuzu to bring everyone, but he wasn't sure why only this many had arrived. Kakuzu might have filtered them himself. Torifu wasn't sure and figured he could ask later.
Soon, the Samurai from the Land of Iron appeared on the horizon. They were not wearing their armor, only carrying their swords at their waists. Wearing armor would be far too conspicuous, and they didn't want to frighten the villagers of Konoha Village.
Torifu looked over. The leader was an elderly samurai; this had to be Ichiryu, the General of the Land of Iron. It had to be said that the General had some vision and open-mindedness; he hadn't clung solely to tradition. However, Mifune must have also worked hard behind the scenes, talking him into it. There were ten of them in total, carrying many items on their backs, perhaps gifts for Torifu or something else. Torifu didn't pay too much attention; gifts were secondary. What he wanted were the Land of Iron's ores and Ironwood. Only with those materials could he better mass-produce electronics.
"Ichiryu-sama, I have heard your name for a long time. Seeing you today, you are truly extraordinary." Torifu spoke first.
Ichiryu immediately smiled; this was a clear gesture of goodwill from Torifu. He understood that naturally.
"Congratulations to the Hokage-sama on your auspicious wedding. I have come specifically to offer my best wishes."
Torifu smiled. "Then I thank you, Ichiryu-sama."
Mifune then spoke up from the side. "When I parted with Hokage-sama last time, I didn't imagine we would meet again so soon, and at your wedding, no less."