Torifu took out his phone and saw that it was already noon. Had he really been chatting at his Sensei's place for so long? He felt like he had only been there for a little while.
"Do you want to go together?" Torifu invited her.
Naori tilted her head. "Aren't your two apprentices coming? It's good to let them get to know Konoha."
Torifu waved his hand. "Not for now. Amado will take them to lunch."
"Alright then, what should we two eat?"
Torifu snapped his fingers. "Grilled meat?"
Naori smiled. "Let's go!"
Then, Naori took Torifu's arm, and the two of them walked toward the grilled meat restaurant. There were many new branches in Konoha now, but Torifu was more used to going to the old one. It was mainly because the boss was there, and he was used to it.
It was lunchtime, and the restaurant was packed. When the diners inside saw Torifu and Naori appear, they all greeted them enthusiastically and invited them to eat with them. After Torifu politely declined with a smile, he took Naori upstairs.
"Hey, you guys, when do you think the Hokage-sama will get married?"
As soon as that was said, the diners on the first floor started to discuss it. It had been a long time since Torifu and Naori started dating, and it was about time for them to get married. But there had been no progress. The villagers had been speculating about this for a while.
Torifu and Naori hadn't entered the private room yet, so they naturally heard the discussion below. Naori's face flushed a little, but she also had a certain indescribable expression, which looked a bit sad.
"What's wrong, Naori? You seem to be in a bad mood."
Naori smiled and cheered herself up. "It's nothing. Let's ask the boss to take our order." Then she walked into the private room. Torifu looked at her back and listened to the voices downstairs. A thought crossed his mind.
He and Naori had been in a relationship for so long; it was indeed time to have a result. But in Torifu's plan, getting married was a matter for the next year or two.
Torifu was about to call out, but the boss himself came out. "Oh, Hokage-sama is here. Look how busy I am, I didn't even go to greet you." Then he gestured for a waiter to take Torifu's order.
At this moment, he also heard the diners downstairs discussing things, and he saw that Torifu's expression seemed a little conflicted, and Naori was not accompanying him. He guessed what was going on.
"Hokage-sama, forgive me for being a little nosy, but some things are better done sooner rather than later." Then he slowly retreated back to his office.
The waiter then went upstairs and asked Torifu what he wanted to eat today. Torifu had something on his mind, so he waved his hand. "Just the usual, and bring some new dishes as well." The waiter nodded and went downstairs.
Torifu then walked into the room. At this moment, Naori had returned to her normal self, and a smile was back on her face. But when Torifu saw this smile, he felt a little uncomfortable.
"Torifu, have you ordered the food? What did you get?"
Torifu also smiled. "All your favorites, and I also ordered some new dishes to see if you'd like them."
Naori nodded. "Great. It's been a few days since I had grilled meat. I'm really craving it."
Torifu patted her on the head. "Then eat more."
The two of them chatted while waiting for the food, but the atmosphere had clearly become a little subtle. There was even an unprecedented awkwardness.
In the end, it was Naori who broke the nearly frozen atmosphere first.
"Hey, Torifu, what do you think the chances are that Mifune will convince their commander after he returns to the Land of Iron?"
This question made Torifu think seriously. "Hmm... I'd say the chances are about forty percent."
It wasn't even fifty percent. It seemed Torifu really didn't have much confidence in Mifune. But that made sense. After all, Mifune was mainly taken in as an apprentice by the leader because of his firm will. The master-apprentice relationship wasn't that deep, unlike with Torifu and Hashirama. Mifune and his master were probably more of a nominal master and apprentice. Mifune might be appreciated, but they still had to get to know each other. How long had it been since Hanzo invaded the Land of Iron? Mifune's wounds hadn't even fully healed yet. How could there be any deep affection between them?
Moreover, Mifune's purpose for this visit was to persuade the Land of Iron to abandon its old ways and accept the changes of the new world. If the Land of Iron's commander was truly progressive, the isolation order would have been lifted a long time ago. Would they still have needed to be beaten up before lifting the blockade?
So, Torifu thought the possibility was small. However, that forty percent chance wasn't based on the relationship between Mifune and the commander. It was a gamble that the commander was someone who could accept new ideas. He might not be a visionary, but if he could accept new ideas and was brave enough to let the Land of Iron change, then there was still a chance for the two countries to cooperate. Otherwise, Torifu's one-sided wishes would be useless.
After explaining all this to Naori, she also nodded in agreement.
Torifu didn't really see Mifune's visit to Konoha as a major event. It was just that he was the future commander of the Land of Iron. It wasn't a bad idea to establish a good relationship with him early, especially with their connection from childhood. That's why Torifu had personally hosted them for two days.
After a short while of chatting, the dishes began to be served one by one. Most of them were familiar dishes that Torifu and Naori often ate. The last ones were some new dishes that had only been introduced recently, seemingly to get some reviews.
Torifu put the meat on the grill, and it immediately made a sizzling sound.
"Torifu, what kind of dress do you think I should wear when we get married?"
Upon hearing this, Torifu's hand, which was putting down the food, paused for a moment. Then he smiled and said, "That, of course, depends on your preference. Do you prefer the clothes of our Kumotsuru clan, or traditional clothes?"
Naori was visibly in a better mood. "I really like the clothes of your Kumotsuru clan. They look so elegant and interesting."
"Then you should wear that. I'll have Madam Beni make you the most beautiful one."
Torifu could tell that Naori really didn't want to wait anymore. He was to blame. For so many years, he had taken Naori's patience for granted. How could he make her wait again and again for such an important matter? He had to move this plan up and find a good day. But before that, he had to keep it a secret to give Naori a surprise.
The meat on the grill was sizzling with oil. Torifu picked up a piece of cooked meat and put it in Naori's bowl.
Naori smiled, then picked it up and put it in her mouth.
"It's so delicious."