The shogi players had dispersed, and the card game had ended. Deidara and Kisame were helping Kakuzu with cleanup. Nagato walked to the table and picked up the bottle of wine that had been left there, feeling impressed. Orochimaru really went all out. Even if Nagato didn't understand wine, the label alone spoke volumes. Five hundred milliliters of blood for this bottle? Well… it was worth it.
"You're in for a treat." Nagato shook the wine bottle and moved the fruit aside, placing it neatly on another table. "That snake bastard isn't completely useless after all."
He did not like Orochimaru, not one bit.
"Eh? Is it really good? I haven't tried it yet." Deidara said. Nagato uncorked the bottle, releasing a rich, enticing aroma.
"Have you ever had wine before?" Nagato asked Deidara. He shook his head. Being underage, the Iwa shinobi didn't sell him alcohol. "Can I drink it?"
"Today only. Not in the future. Understand? Same for you and Itachi."
Both Deidara and Itachi nodded earnestly. Nagato then instructed them to wash eight wine glasses. The dishes were brought out one by one. By this time, Konan and Zaraki Kita had finished their little spat, and Itachi happened to notice that the two had been holding hands as they approached.
The rose-colored liquid poured into the transparent glasses, sparkling and inviting. One glass per person was just enough for the small bottle of wine.
Nagato sat down with Konan on his left and Kakuzu on his right. Zaraki Kita sat beside Konan, with Deidara, Itachi, and Kisame further along. The round table was spacious enough not to feel crowded.
Nagato raised his glass and spoke.
"Three things to say."
At his words, everyone stood.
"First, farewell to the old year. Second, welcome the new members. Third, keep striving. Cheers."
A simple, concise speech—less than a minute.
Zaraki Kita took a sip of Orochimaru's wine and admitted to herself that she had no idea what she had done to deserve such a gift. Most were pleased with it, except Deidara, who couldn't help but spit it out with a childish groan.
"Yuck! This is awful!"
Itachi thought Deidara had a point and was glad he had only taken a small sip. Konan smiled. "First time drinking, huh?" Deidara nodded, making a face of disgust. Kakuzu glanced and muttered, What a waste.
"Don't force yourself if you can't handle it," he said, pouring Deidara's wine into his own glass. Deidara grinned. "Thanks, uncle!"
As always, nothing at a team gathering—food or drink—was allowed to go to waste.
The dishes on the table were vibrant and flavorful, worthy even of high-end restaurants. Itachi admitted that even in Konoha he had never eaten such food: dishes from the Land of Earth, the Land of Water, and the Land of Fire, plus numerous other delicacies with unpronounceable names.
After tasting a piece of fish, he remembered something. "By the way, boss, the Iwa pursuers are closing in. Deidara and I plan to move into the village after New Year."
Nagato, holding a piece of lobster, nodded. "Fine. The boys' dorm hasn't been used much; it'll be easy to set up."
Kakuzu shook his head. "No need for the boys' dorm. Find a place downstream."
Konan raised her head. "Downstream? Not midstream?"
Midstream and upstream were bustling; downstream was nearly deserted. But it was close to the high tower they currently occupied.
Shaking his head, Kakuzu said, "Too noisy. Downstream is fine. Don't mind, right?" He directed this at Konan and Zaraki Kita, who lived downstream.
"See? We'll be neighbors soon." Konan laughed. Zaraki Kita nodded, raising her glass in agreement. Much obliged. She drained her glass of crimson wine in one gulp.
Red wine wasn't her favorite; she found sake more flavorful. She set down the goblet and grabbed a few bottles from the sake crate, placing them on the table.
Mention of the pursuers reminded Nagato to check on others. He glanced at Kisame and Itachi. "Kisame, Itachi, the pursuing shinobi from your village aren't causing trouble, right?"
Itachi blinked and shook his head. A few minor chases had occurred, but nothing unmanageable.
Kisame nodded. "No problems for now."
Nagato said, "If it's troublesome, move into the village. Foreign shinobi can't get in." Itachi had heard of the village's near-impenetrable defenses.
Konan warmly invited them. "Moving here makes missions easier too." Itachi thought staying close while gathering intel on Akatsuki was a good idea, especially to keep an eye on secrets like the Rinnegan and Pain.
"Plenty of vacant houses downstream. I was going to clear them after New Year, but you can take them instead," Konan added. Itachi felt this was a better arrangement. Kisame swallowed some fish and asked, "Any rules in the village?"
"Rain on Sundays, that's it," Nagato said casually.
Konan smiled. "That's not really a rule. Just don't hurt anyone in the village, and don't come in your uniform to mooch food or drink."
There was a hint of joking in her tone. Itachi found himself subtly smiling—a tiny, almost imperceptible curve of his lips, the first since leaving Konoha.
"Kisame, what about you?" He asked for Itachi's opinion. Itachi nodded. "Good. Thank you, Konan."
Konan tapped her lips and counted on her fingers. "First, I'm older. Second, you can't beat me. Third, you'll need something from me. So what should you call me?"
Zaraki Kita smiled and gestured.
——Call me Sister.
Itachi: "...Thank you, Sister."
Konan nodded approvingly. "Good boy."
Kakuzu interjected. "By that logic, I'm almost ninety. Shouldn't you call me grandpa?"
Nagato choked a little on his wine—luckily it was red wine and not sake, or it would have burned his throat.
"Stop mentioning your age," he said.
"You think I'd dare call you that? You threw shuriken at Hashirama from eight hundred ri away."
Kakuzu had survived a battle with the First Hokage, and this story was often joked about. In reality, the fight lasted under two minutes, and he was severely injured but let go by Hashirama. Kakuzu, undeterred, replied, "At least I got to throw the shuriken."
Everyone laughed—Nagato, Konan, and even Zaraki Kita. She put down her chopsticks and gestured.
——Incredible!
"You're old, have some shame." Kakuzu responded calmly, unfazed.
━━━━ ❖ ━━━
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