Chapter 564: Eating Ramen
Ishiro took a few bites of ramen, then suddenly spoke to the Kumo representative sitting on the tier below him.
"You there, you're from Kumo, right? Is the Fifth Raikage, Darui, doing well? When he succeeded the title, we in Iwa didn't send a gift. That was very rude of us. Please give him my congratulations when you return."
The Kumo envoy didn't speak, but his fists were clenched. In the shinobi world, "congratulating" someone on becoming Kage was rarely appropriate, as it almost always followed the death of the previous Kage in battle.
But Ishiro had no intention of letting him go. He continued, "Sigh. The Fourth Raikage died so tragically. I remember, he and I cooperated many times back in the day. But... it's probably good that he's dead. With that hot temper of his, if he were still alive, the shinobi world would have seen at least two more great wars.
"I remember, it was right here, in Konoha. Your Kumo delegation attacked the Hyūga clan and kidnapped the main family's eldest daughter, Hinata Hyūga. You were even going to use the Tensō no Jutsu (Heavenly Transfer Technique) to send her Byakugan back to your village.
"It's a good thing I was there. I felt that your actions would destroy the peace we had all worked so hard for. So, I secretly... 'relocated'... the Tensō no Jutsu base.
"Our own space-time ninjutsu in Iwagakure was developed based on that very technique. Speaking of which, I feel a little ashamed. All these years, I never got to properly thank the Fourth Raikage. And now, suddenly, he's gone. Truly, the good die young."
The Kumo representative was choking on his fury. Their Fourth Raikage had been personally killed by this man-kun and his Light Release. And now Ishiro was weeping crocodile tears, talking about "congratulations" and "thanks."
It was a blatant provocation.
But, faced with Iwa's power and Ishiro's strength, he could only be angry in silence. The envoy only tensed when he heard about the Tensō no Jutsu base. He suddenly stood up and said, "So it was you."
Realizing his outburst, he slowly sat back down, staring at the empty arena, and said no more.
Kakashi was also speechless. He remembered seeing Ishiro at Ichiraku Ramen all those years ago. He knew he was up to something, but he never imagined it was that.
Behind Kakashi, the Hyūga clan member visibly flinched.
Ishiro slurped a few more noodles. Seeing the Kumo representative wouldn't take the bait, he left him alone.
A little while later, as Ishiro was finishing his first bowl, the leader of Sunagakure, Baki, arrived. He wasn't escorted; he just walked up.
He was surprised to see Ishiro already there, even more so to see him wolfing down three large bowls of ramen.
Ishiro saw him and waved. After swallowing, he called out, "Oh, it's Baki! Want some ramen? The Hokage's treat! It's the famous Ichiraku Ramen from Konoha. You usually have to wait in a long line for this, you know."
Baki froze. He glanced at the expressionless Kakashi and said, "No thank you. I'm not hungry."
Ishiro sighed. "I'm not hungry either. But it's delicious, famous, and I didn't have to wait in line. Are you sure? It's a rare chance. Who knows, if Konoha gets destroyed one of these days, you might never get to eat it again."
Kakashi: "..."
"Get Leader Baki a bowl, too," Kakashi said, clearly not wanting Ishiro to continue.
The moment his voice fell, a sinister, hissing voice cut in from the tunnel. "Hokage-dono, I'll have a bowl as well."
Ishiro looked over. It was Orochimaru.
Ishiro wasn't surprised to see Orochimaru, but he was surprised that Hiruzen Sarutobi wasn't escorting him. It was just a few regular ANBU. Konoha sure is bold.
But Ishiro quickly understood. He sensed the Yin Release chakra from one of the ANBU.
It's Itachi Uchiha, no doubt.
Ishiro's gaze drifted to Orochimaru's two attendants. One, wearing glasses, was Kabuto Yakushi. The other was completely covered from head to toe.
Ishiro scanned him with his Mind's Eye and immediately identified him: a White Zetsu clone. After confirming Black Zetsu wasn't attached, he ignored him.
If Orochimaru and Kabuto are here, Ishiro mused, where are Kimimaro Kaguya and Jūgo Tenbin?
Ishiro chuckled. "Leader Orochimaru, you're actually wearing your Snake Pit Village headband? I seem to recall you always preferred the Konoha rogue one!"
Kakashi grit his teeth, pretending not to hear. He turned to the ANBU behind him. "Get Leader Orochimaru a bowl of ramen as well."
Orochimaru, however, smiled. "Tsuchikage-dono, I believe you also brought some people who 'left' Konoha. Are they wearing Konoha rogue headbands?"
Ishiro nodded frankly. "You're right. Our Iwa genin team's leader and two of its members were 'taken' from Konoha. Since there's a big event, I brought them back to see their old home. But they aren't 'rogues.' The Hokage never listed them as such."
As he said this, Ishiro sensed the Byakugan-wielding guard behind Kakashi stiffen again. At the same time, Orochimaru shot the guard a malicious glance.
Ah, Ishiro thought, is that Hiashi Hyūga? All Hyūga chakra feels similar; I can't tell from here. But he's clearly trying to conceal his aura.
Kakashi, however, was focused on Iwa's genin team. As someone who had "received pointers" from Ishiro, Kakashi was very interested in his eye for talent. He was fixated on the words "taken from Konoha."
He recognized Sōkai, and he recognized Neji-kun despite the goggles. But the other two girls, Sakura-chan and Shion, were unknown.
Which one? Kakashi analyzed. He quickly ruled out Shion. Her posture, her movements, everything about her was too refined; she carried herself like a princess. You don't learn that in Iwa, Kakashi thought, glancing at Ishiro, who was attacking his noodles. So it must be the other one. Pink hair... but it's not Uzumaki red. He couldn't place her.
A pity, Kakashi thought. She was probably taken from Konoha. If she'd stayed, I would have taken her as my disciple.
Just as Kakashi was thinking, Kisame, the Mizukage, was escorted up by Hiruzen Sarutobi. He took the seat on Kakashi's left.
His two ANBU guards, also masked, stood silently behind him.
Ishiro swallowed his noodles and coughed. "Mizukage!" he waved. "Over here!"
When Kisame looked over, Ishiro continued, "Long time no see! I brought you a present!"
Kisame, unlike Kakashi, grinned, showing his sharp teeth. "And what present would that be, Tsuchikage-dono?"
Ishiro took a sealing scroll from his pouch and unsealed it.
With a poof, a blade and a giant hammer, connected by a rope, appeared on the floor.
It was one of the Seven Ninja Swords: Kabutowari, the Bluntsword.
Kisame's eyes flashed, his grin widening. "Is this a gift, Tsuchikage-dono, or a trade?"
Ishiro laughed. "Trade? That's too formal. What's our relationship?"
"Think back! You were just a run-of-the-mill Elite Jonin under Fuguki Suikazan when we first met. We go way back!"
"All these years, Kiri has always refused the advances of Konoha, Kumo, and Suna, standing firmly by our side. It's because of your persistence as Mizukage that Iwagakure is where it is today!"
"If you four villages had ganged up on us, we'd have been crushed, just like Konoha was! We're family. To call this a trade is just insulting."
Hiruzen Sarutobi and Kakashi's expressions soured. The Kumo representative lowered his head, silent. Orochimaru smiled, enjoying the story.
Only Baki's fists clenched, his face grim. Ishiro's words hit Suna hard. It was true. If Kiri hadn't allied with Iwa, Iwa would never have been able to systematically cripple Suna and Kumo.
The rumor had always been that Kiri's alliance was due to a "special friendship" between Kisame and Ishiro.
Kisame, however, was unfazed. He just smiled. "In that case, Tsuchikage-dono... what kind of 'gift' would you like me to give you?"
Ishiro, halfway through his second bowl, said, "I heard Kiri obtained some... special masks... from the Uzumaki clan. Ten of those masks would be a fine gift."
Kisame looked confused. "Uzumaki... masks?"
Kakashi's face turned ugly. He knew exactly what Ishiro was doing. He was being set up.
Sure enough, Ishiro swallowed a piece of seafood and looked disappointed. "Ah? Kiri doesn't have them? No matter. You have allies. You can just ask your allies for them."
The Kumo representative, sitting near Baki, thought, Uzumaki masks? What are those?
Kisame, of course, also understood, and he turned his gaze toward Kakashi.
Kakashi could no longer remain silent. Kisame was here as an ally. He couldn't refuse to help his ally recover one of the Seven Swords. Ishiro had timed this perfectly. Konoha would have to pay.
"The Uzumaki masks," Kakashi said, "Konoha recovered a few when we took in an Uzumaki survivor. If the Mizukage requires them, I will have them fetched."
He glanced at Hiruzen Sarutobi, who had just returned. Hiruzen, who knew exactly what those masks were for, sighed and left again, visibly pained.
After Hiruzen left, Ishiro feigned surprise. "Oh? Hokage-dono, Konoha took in an Uzumaki survivor? We in Iwa took in some, too! What a shame I didn't bring them; they could have a reunion. It would really improve relations between our villages. They could chat about what life is like in Konoha versus Iwagakure."
"I wonder, Hokage-dono, could you bring yours out so they can meet?"
Kakashi: "..."
Kakashi took a deep breath, reminding himself: Don't speak. Don't speak. But he couldn't just ignore the question. "I'm sorry. That... senpai... has already died for the village."
"Is that so?" Ishiro said, his voice half-surprised, half-pitying. "What a pity."
"Hokage-dono, that's really not right of you. The Uzumaki were your allies, and you just used them as cannon fodder? In Iwagakure, we treat the Uzumaki as family. One of my disciples is an Uzumaki, you know. She's a lively girl, loves using Multi-Shadow Clones, just endless energy. I thought I could find her a friend."
Kakashi clamped his mouth shut. He knew whatever he said, Ishiro would twist it to make Konoha look bad.
Seeing Kakashi wouldn't bite, Ishiro seemed to lose interest. He turned back to Kisame.
"Mizukage, before you arrived, I was just chatting with the Kumo rep about their attempt to steal the Byakugan. They failed, of course. But your village... you guys succeeded, and way earlier than them. You should tell us the story!"
Kisame smiled. "I'm afraid I'll have to disappoint you, Tsuchikage-dono. I was just a regular ninja back then. I wouldn't know."
Ishiro sighed. "We got one, too. From a former Hyūga clan head, I believe. But I wasn't Tsuchikage then, so I don't know the details either."
Kakashi and Hiruzen's faces were dark. Behind Kakashi, Hiashi Hyūga's veins were bulging, his breathing heavy.
Ishiro ignored him. Neji-kun has a match later. I'll have plenty of chances to mess with him then.
He continued speaking to Kisame. "Mizukage, I left in a hurry after you took the title. There were some things I never got to tell you. Since we have the chance, I'll tell you now."
Kakashi frowned. He knew whatever came next wouldn't be good.
Sure enough, before he could interrupt, Ishiro was already speaking. "Mizukage, you've successfully taken the title, but I hear that old man Genshi is still clinging to all the real power. Let me teach you how to deal with those old geezers.
"It's simple. He loves power? Give him all the work. If he does well, you get the credit for trusting him. If he fails, it's his fault, and you can use your authority to remove him.
"The Seventh Hokage here... he's about your age, and he's a master at it. Everyone knows he was just a puppet for the Hyūga and Nara. But look how fast he got rid of them! I think you could learn a lot from him."
Kakashi tried to speak, but Ishiro kept going. "Of course, if Genshi-sama doesn't make mistakes, just make work for him. Give him impossible tasks. He's an old fossil, one foot in the grave. He'll work himself to death in six months."
Kisame didn't take it seriously. His composure was perfect. He just smiled, his tone the same as it was all those years ago. "Thank you for the guidance, senpai."
Kakashi, seeing Kisame wasn't biting, also pretended he'd heard nothing. As for what the two ANBU-disguised clan heads (Hiashi and Shibi) were thinking, Kakashi didn't really care.
Seeing his attempt to start a fight fail again, Ishiro could only return to his noodles. By now, Baki's and Orochimaru's ramen had arrived.
Baki looked awkward, not sure whether to eat or not. Orochimaru, on the other hand, was eating with relish.
Ishiro immediately piped up, "Leader Orochimaru, does this Ichiraku Ramen taste the same as when you were still in Konoha?"
Orochimaru chuckled. "When I left Konoha, there was no 'Ichiraku Ramen'."
Ishiro feigned a heavy sigh. "Is that so? How times change. It feels like yesterday... When I first became Tsuchikage, I thought I'd be fighting the Fourth Kazekage, Fourth Hokage, Fourth Raikage, and Fourth Mizukage for decades. But, one by one, they all left me behind. Everyone else is on their Fifth Kage... oh, I forgot, Konoha is already on its Seventh!"
No one responded to that.
Kakashi was stoic. He was thinking: My teacher, the Fourth Hokage, died because of the Nine-Tails rampag... which happened because Ishiro dumped the Seven-Tails on Konoha.
Baki's breathing quickened. If Ishiro hadn't systematically destroyed Suna's power, Rasa-sama would never have been desperate enough to research the Ryūmyaku, and he never would have been killed by Sasori.
Kisame just blinked. Yagura-sama was being controlled. He would have been overthrown eventually... but Ishiro's meddling definitely sped up the timeline.
The Kumo representative, who was sitting below Baki, was gripping his chair so hard his knuckles were white. Our Fourth Raikage was the only one Ishiro personally murdered.
Orochimaru just chuckled, looking pointedly at the Kumo rep, clearly hoping he'd snap.
Kabuto, behind him, pushed up his glasses, finding this all highly amusing.
But, to Ishiro's and Orochimaru's disappointment, the situation did not ignite.
Hiruzen Sarutobi returned, and the "friendly gift exchange" between Ishiro and Kisame (Kabutowari for the Uzumaki Masks) was completed.
As Ishiro began his third bowl of ramen, the third round of the exams officially began.
Kakashi had wanted to wait politely for him to finish, but Ishiro was just too good at causing trouble. If he let him finish, Kakashi wasn't sure he wouldn't be the one to snap and attack him.
He couldn't wait any longer.
There were 36 contestants in total (33 + 3 from Iwa). Normally, this would take three days.
But Kakashi felt that every extra second was a risk. He had the arena divided into four quadrants, to run four matches simultaneously.
Because of Iwa's last-minute addition, the original brackets were void.
Kakashi wanted all 36 contestants to draw lots for new matchups.
(End of Chapter)
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