In his leisure time, Kaito had once taught Shiori how to cook, so her culinary skills were also quite good. However, with limited time, she didn't prepare a grand feast, but rather a standard four-dishes-and-a-soup home-cooked meal. For Nono, who hadn't tasted many delicacies, it was already a rare and wonderful experience.
After finishing dinner, Shiori, as usual, took Konan to clear the table, leaving the other two alone.
The Ice-Fire Clone looked at Nono, who still seemed to be savoring the meal, and said with a smile, "How was it? Did you enjoy the food?"
"Yes, it was delicious," Nono replied.
"That's good."
The Ice-Fire Clone led her back to the sofa in the living room and sat down, his expression turning serious. Influenced by him, Nono couldn't help but sit up straight as well.
"I said before that the final victor might be taken on as my disciple. However, becoming my disciple is not an easy matter. You must still pass my test."
"Mm, I understand. Please, tell me, what is the test?"
"It's simple. I just need you to think carefully and then answer three questions for me." The Ice-Fire Clone held up three fingers. "As long as your answers meet my expectations, you will have passed."
"Answering questions?" Nono's heart leaped into her throat. This kind of test would largely depend on his personal inclinations; it was highly likely to be the type of question without a standard answer. Recalling what Konan had said about Kaito's high opinion of her, her mood settled considerably.
"I'm ready. You may ask."
"Good." The Ice-Fire Clone nodded and said, "The first question is—'Who are you?'"
"Who am I?" Nono was stunned. Her heart trembled, and for a moment, she thought her identity had been exposed. But after observing the Ice-Fire Clone's expression, she realized she had overthought it; this wasn't a question aimed solely at her.
'Who am I?' Simply answering that I am Koyu from the sanctuary probably won't be enough. Lord Kaito wants to know if I can correctly understand myself. But... do I really know who I am?
Nono was lost.
Seeing her bewildered expression, the Ice-Fire Clone leaned back against the sofa cushions and said, "You don't need to answer me right now. Seriously ask your own heart, and when you have the true answer, then you can tell me."
After thinking for a long time without coming up with a standard answer, Nono had no choice but to nod. "Alright. Lord Kaito, can you tell me the other two questions as well? I'd like to save some time and think about them all together."
"Mmm, of course." The Ice-Fire Clone told her the next two questions: "Where do you come from?" and "Where are you going?"
Such simple yet profound questions left Nono completely bewildered. She even began to suspect that the Ice-Fire Clone didn't want to take her as a disciple and was deliberately making things difficult for her. But for the sake of her mission, she had no choice but to seriously contemplate the answers to these three questions.
Watching Nono leave as if her soul had been taken from her, the Ice-Fire Clone chuckled softly. "The legendary 'three philosophical questions' are not so easily answered. You can take your time thinking about them. I reckon you won't be able to cause any trouble for a while. This is for your own good, too."
Nono was no genius. There was no point in him taking her as a disciple. A secretary, however, would be quite handy.
"Mmm, I'll have Shiori guide her more later."
The Ice-Fire Clone quickly put the matter out of his mind and began to think about other, more important things. "The Third Tsuchikage and the Third Kazekage should have seen my letters by now. I wonder if they'll take the bait?"
...
Land of Earth, Village Hidden in the Stones.
The Third Tsuchikage, Onoki, looked at the letter in his hand, and his little white mustache couldn't help but curl up. "This young man named Kaito is far too arrogant. Does he really think he can change the dry climate of the Land of Earth, which has persisted for who knows how many years?"
The secretary beside him chimed in, "Exactly! He simply doesn't know his own limits! Should we reject him immediately?"
"No. Agree to his request. Have him come to the Land of Earth for detailed talks."
"Eh?"
Onoki shot a sideways glance at his surprised secretary. "We'll use this opportunity to observe just what skills this Kaito possesses that could make Hanzo willingly give up his power."
"If his strength is truly greater than Hanzo's, then the Land of Rain will become a nation we must treat with caution, and our corresponding foreign policies will have to change."
"Your wisdom is profound, my lord!" the secretary said with sincere admiration.
"Go. Reply to him. Say that I am very interested in his proposal, but we must discuss the details face-to-face."
"Yes, sir!"
...
Land of Wind, Village Hidden in the Sand.
Coincidentally, a similar scene was playing out. However, besides the Third Kazekage, the elders Chiyo and Ebizo were also qualified to express their opinions.
"The new leader of Amegakure, Kaito, actually claims he can improve the dry climate of the Land of Wind?" The Third Kazekage, who had a wild afro, wore a thoughtful expression. Don't be fooled by his unassuming appearance; he possessed the powerful Kekkei Genkai, Magnet Release: Iron Sand, allowing him to freely control iron-bearing substances and the iron in sand. He was hailed as the Strongest Kazekage.
A man of extraordinary strength, he naturally wanted to achieve great things and see the Land of Wind prosper. Unfortunately, the defeat in the Second Great Ninja War had dealt him a heavy blow, making him much more composed. Now that Sunagakure's vitality was greatly damaged, such a major issue naturally required more cautious consideration.
He looked at Chiyo, who was sitting to his left, and asked, "Elder Chiyo, do you think what he says is true? Can he really accomplish this?"
"For a ninja, I wouldn't be surprised by any strange or bizarre ability they might possess," Chiyo said slowly, holding a cup of hot tea. "But even if he has this ability, he will surely demand a heavy price from the Sand Village, a price that the current Sunagakure cannot afford to pay."
"So, you're saying we should reject him outright?"
"No, a direct rejection would make us seem strong on the outside but weak on the inside. Let's send a few people to Amegakure to haggle with them and probe their intentions first."
"Mm, that is indeed the most prudent course of action," the Third Kazekage nodded in agreement.
On the other side, Ebizo added, "Even if the current leader of Amegakure bears us no ill will and genuinely wants to cooperate, we must still make other plans." He said pointedly, "Our neighbor growing stronger is not a good thing for us. Their performance in the Second War proved that the Land of Rain is a restless nation."
"I naturally understand this principle," the Third Kazekage said. "If the time is right, I will communicate with the Third Tsuchikage. He should feel the same way as we do; neither of us wants to see a powerful Land of Rain."
"As for Konoha... with the Land of Thunder keeping them busy, they probably won't have time to deal with matters over here for a long while."
"Excellent. Let's proceed with this line of thinking," Chiyo said with a gratified smile.