After they parted ways, Torifu first arrived at the Hokage's Office and instructed the cleaning staff upstairs to tidy up the conference room on the second floor. It hadn't been used in a long time, and a meeting with so many Kage today required it to be clean.
Just then, his secretary entered the room with a cup of tea.
"Hokage-sama, why are you here so early on your first day of marriage? Aren't you staying home with Naori-sama?" The secretary looked genuinely puzzled.
"I can't help it. There are so many things that need to be handled, and a meeting with the Kage absolutely requires me to take charge."
"Go and notify them. Start by inviting the Land of Iron."
The secretary nodded. She had assumed the Hokage-sama would wait another day or two before meeting with the various Kage and Generals. It was truly dedicated of him to come to work on his very first day of marriage!
The secretary thought to herself, moving quickly. Before long, she arrived at the apartment where the Land of Iron delegation was staying. She tapped lightly on the door.
A young man's voice answered quickly from inside: "Coming."
When the door opened, the person who appeared was Mifune. He and the secretary were already acquainted; the secretary had personally guided him around Konoha for the latter half of his last visit. The two were quite familiar with each other.
"Hokage-sama requests that Ichiryu-sama come for a meeting. One person is permitted to accompany him."
Mifune's face immediately broke into a delighted smile. "Wonderful! I'll go notify my Master right away!"
The secretary didn't rush to leave but waited by the door. After about ten minutes, the door opened again, and this time, an old man appeared. His eyes were sharp but not fierce, and when he saw the secretary, he immediately wore a friendly expression.
"Little girl, does Hokage-sama want us to come for the meeting? Just us?"
The secretary nodded. "Yes, Ichiryu-sama. After all, cooperation between the two nations requires a private discussion."
The main reason was that the samurai from the Land of Iron and the ninja from other countries might not get along well. Their initial visits and conversations two days ago hadn't led to any decisive action. If the Land of Iron were to negotiate alongside the other three villages, it would inevitably create bad blood with those countries when commercial interests were touched upon.
Ichiryu didn't overthink it. He simply felt that the Hokage was giving the Land of Iron special importance, and he was very grateful for that.
"Very well, little girl, please lead the way."
The secretary smiled. "Ichiryu-sama, and Mifune-sama, this way, please."
The occupants of the other apartments naturally saw the secretary leading Ichiryu and Mifune to the office, but they didn't make any moves.
"Mizukage-sama, Hokage-sama is meeting with the Land of Iron General alone, yet there's been no movement on our end. Could it be that he doesn't want to cooperate with us?"
The Mizukage's attendant sounded worried. Everything he had seen in Konoha on this visit fascinated him. If they could bring these developments back to Kirigakure, the villagers' standard of living would surely rise dramatically.
The Mizukage watched the departing figures outside the window, a few thoughts already forming in his mind. "Don't worry. The Hokage will likely consult with us shortly."
Seeing the Mizukage-sama's certainty, the attendant said no more.
Ichiryu and Mifune were escorted by the secretary to the meeting room on the second floor, where Torifu had been waiting for some time. Seeing Ichiryu enter, Torifu immediately stood up and extended his hand.
Ichiryu clasped his hand immediately. "Hokage-sama, I didn't expect you to meet with us on your first day of marriage. I am truly impressed."
Torifu waved off the compliment. "Ichiryu-sama, you jest. Cooperation with your esteemed nation is a matter of great importance to Konoha. While spending time with my wife is important, I cannot delay matters of cooperation."
Torifu's words made Ichiryu feel very comfortable; he didn't sense any trace of high-handedness from Torifu. This greatly improved his perception of Torifu.
"Ichiryu-sama, let's dispense with the pleasantries. You can tell me directly what your country's intentions are."
A direct approach suited Ichiryu, as he wasn't adept at this kind of interpersonal small talk. He smiled and said, "It is like this, Hokage-sama. All the people in the Land of Iron are samurai who adhere to the way of the warrior. As you know, samurai must temper their bodies and minds, so our way of life is very simple—it's a world apart from Konoha's."
Torifu had heard about this from Hatake Sakumo, who mentioned that the standard of living in the Land of Iron was worse than Konoha's was twenty years ago. When such a backward country sees a place as developed as Konoha, how could they not be moved?
Torifu took over the conversation. "So, Ichiryu-sama, you wish for Konoha to help transform the living conditions of your citizens? But you just mentioned that the way of the samurai is about tempering the body and mind. If the environment is improved, won't that cause the samurai to…"
He did not finish his sentence.
But Ichiryu understood and replied with a smile, "Don't worry, Hokage-sama. I have decided to change the Land of Iron, starting with the outdated ways of the samurai. However, I cannot elaborate on the specific details to you."
Hearing this, Torifu understood. Ichiryu was planning a reform.
"If that's the case, then I am relieved. After all, Konoha does not wish to destroy the last sacred ground for samurai training. We have always held good intentions toward the Land of Iron."
Ichiryu was deeply moved by Torifu's words. He hadn't expected that he would ever speak of such things with a ninja. It felt incredibly strange to him.
Torifu paused to think, then said, "Ichiryu-sama and Mifune, all the appliances and phones you have used in Konoha run on electricity. The outlets in your apartment are what provide the current."
Torifu then gave the two of them a basic explanation of what electric current was and how it was generated. After his explanation, they understood the essentials.
"So, if we want to purchase appliances, we must first build power plants and circuitry?"
Torifu nodded. "That's the gist of it. For the specifics, our side will fully contract the construction. You won't need to be involved at all; you only need to make a one-time payment, and you won't have to worry about it for decades to come."
Torifu did not elaborate on the future, beyond a few decades, because no one knew how the ninja world would have developed by then; they might even invent many things themselves.
For the Land of Iron, which currently understood nothing, a one-time payment was the most convenient and fastest solution. Moreover, if Konoha fully contracted the construction, it meant the system could be put into use quickly.
Ichiryu had no intention of complicating such a convenient matter. If he were to ask about learning the technology, no one was a fool; such a request would achieve nothing but ruin the good mood.