Torifu shook his head. "If you hadn't been in seclusion, the Land of Iron would have been able to enjoy all of this a long time ago. This isn't your fault."
Mifune sighed at his words. "Our ancestors couldn't see the future. Maybe at that time, they thought they had made the best choice. It's just that now, times have changed, and the changes are too fast."
Torifu's opinion differed from Mifune's. He felt that the Land of Iron had sealed off its borders simply due to the arrogance of the samurai. They thought ninjas were an inferior profession and disdained to associate with them. But the truth was that ninjas had been developing continuously for many years. Many samurai had transitioned to become ninjas and had turned their fundamental samurai skills into their signature moves, like the sword style of the Hatake Clan. Their family was originally samurai.
But the samurai of the Land of Iron had always been lost in their own fantasy, believing they were noble, looking down on ninjas, and disdaining to compete with them. The reality was that ninjas had almost forgotten about the samurai, and the entire world now revered ninjas. Only the feudal lords of the countries still hired some samurai as bodyguards. One could say that the seclusion of the country had completely disconnected the samurai from the world. They must have felt this deeply during their journey. They were no different from a frog in a well; their so-called samurai pride was nothing but self-pity. Ninjas had never considered samurai as enemies, because they had long since been surpassed by them.
It was a good thing that the Land of Iron still had samurai like Mifune who could lead the Land of Iron to rise again. But even at his peak, his strength was still limited. He was no match for the Kages of the Four Great Nations.
"Alright, let's not dwell on this. You've just arrived in Konoha, so for now, get some rest. I will have a banquet prepared. If there are any matters you wish to discuss, let's talk about them in detail at the banquet."
Mifune smiled and nodded. "Thank you very much, Torifu-sama. Today has truly been an eye-opening experience for me."
Torifu smiled and then turned to leave. After he left, Mifune and the other samurai began to explore the apartment. This apartment had two floors and many rooms. Mifune found one closest to the front and put his belongings inside.
"Mifune-sama, a ninja village is actually this prosperous. Did we make a mistake by closing off our country?" one samurai said, sighing as he looked at the various facilities and electrical appliances from the ninja village to the apartment. He had heard the Hokage say that these things were standard in the homes of ordinary Konoha citizens. Then what kind of life had they been living all these years in the Land of Iron? They had to go to the lake to get water for themselves. They called it a way to train their will, but in reality, it was completely useless for their cultivation. It was just a form of self-comfort.
Mifune shook his head. "Sigh, don't say it. The decisions of our ancestors cannot be changed, but the future can still be changed."
"Let's try to communicate with Torifu-sama. He is the Hokage of Konoha. If we cooperate with sincerity, he will not be stingy."
Another samurai stuttered, "Co... cooperate with... ninjas? Will Ichiryu-sama agree?"
Mifune sighed. "I will find a way to persuade my master. The outside world is simply too rich and colorful. The path of a samurai isn't based on hardship alone to succeed. Otherwise, everyone would have become a top samurai."
Mifune's words were well-said and completely strengthened the resolve of the samurai to change the current situation of the Land of Iron. They could have endured the darkness if they had not seen the light. Now that they had seen such a wonderful life, with convenient facilities and electrical appliances, how could they endure going back to that primitive agricultural society?
"Alright, all of you should go and rest. Change into some casual clothes and go walk around Konoha. If you don't understand something, ask. Don't cause any trouble. Understood?"
"Yes!"
Mifune returned to his room, which had a place for him to bathe. After so many days of traveling, his body was very dirty. Following Torifu's instructions, he threw his dirty clothes into the washing machine and then pressed a few buttons. "This is correct, right...?"
When Mifune pressed the final start button, the washing machine began to operate, and a large amount of water began to pour into the machine. The sudden change startled Mifune, and he instinctively wanted to draw his sword! Unfortunately, he was naked, with nothing on him. He could only scratch his head awkwardly. "It should be a normal phenomenon. I'll just ignore it."
Then he walked to the showerhead and turned on the faucet. Water sprayed out from the showerhead. This time, Mifune, who was already prepared, was not startled. But he curiously started turning the faucet on and off. "This is so amazing. When I turn it on, there's water. When I turn it off, there's no water. Is there a ninjutsu scroll embedded inside?" But he stared at the showerhead for a long time and couldn't find a place to put a scroll. In the end, he could only suppress his curiosity and begin his bath. For the first time, he felt that bathing was an enjoyment. In the Land of Iron, there were only two common methods: one was to fetch water themselves and fill a tub, and the other was to go directly into a lake or river to bathe. This was the first time he had experienced this. It really broadened Mifune's horizons.
Curiosity was one thing, but the bathing time was strictly regulated and could not be too long. So Mifune immediately finished his bath and changed into some clothes, preparing to wait for the evening banquet. Only Mifune could go to the banquet. The other samurai had to find a way to eat in the village. They had money, and it was a common currency in the ninja world, which was very convenient.
"Mifune-sama, I don't want to go back to the Land of Iron anymore."
The other samurai also nodded. "Me too..."
Mifune was stunned when he first heard this, but when all the samurai said it, he sighed. "Sigh, I will try to persuade my master. If my master agrees, then soon we will be able to enjoy this kind of life in the Land of Iron as well. The premise is that you have money." "Alright, go walk around Konoha. It's good to broaden your horizons."
The samurai nodded and then left. Mifune understood what they meant. They didn't really not want to go back to the Land of Iron. They just couldn't bear to leave this convenient life. If it were anyone from the Land of Iron, they would have the same thought, because they were simply too far behind.
The afternoon passed just like that. Mifune was alone in the room, constantly exploring and learning how to use the various electrical appliances. Every time he learned how to use one, he would feel a great sense of accomplishment, as if it were the first time he had drawn his sword.
"Mifune-sama, it's time for the evening meal. Let's go." Torifu's voice came from outside the door.
"Alright, Torifu-sama. I'm on my way."
Mifune didn't expect it to be time for the evening meal already. He tidied up his clothes and then opened the door.