The journey was uneventful, free of any short-sighted bandits or mountain thieves. Three days passed in a flash, and the caravan, bearing the crest of the Hyuga Clan, quickly arrived at the North Gate of Konohagakure.
Though technically still a time of war, Konoha had not implemented strict martial law. Merchants, tourists, and travelers still bustled to and fro. Several shinobi stood guard at the massive gates, maintaining a watchful eye.
Diarmuid pulled back the carriage curtain, glancing at the gates in the distance. He turned to Hiashi Hyuga and said, "Looks like we've arrived. Thanks for looking after me on the road, Hiashi. I'll head out on foot from here."
Hiashi blinked, then replied with a smile, "It's no trouble at all. Our Hyuga caravan passes through inspection much faster. If you don't mind, Issho, why not stay with us until we're inside? Waiting in that queue at the gate is quite time-consuming."
Diarmuid acted slightly bashful. "Is that alright? Wouldn't this count as illegal entry?"
Hiashi chuckled. "We can simply say you are a friend visiting the Hyuga household."
"Visiting who? You, Hiashi?" Diarmuid asked with a grin.
"Is that not allowed? I thought we were friends already," Hiashi replied, still smiling.
Diarmuid rubbed his chin, a smirk playing on his lips. "Well then, I'll take you up on that kind offer."
Over the last three days, Diarmuid and Hiashi had gotten along remarkably well. As Jiraiya had once told the Third Hokage, Hiruzen: if one ignored the horrific and insane things he had done, Diarmuid was actually a very agreeable fellow in day-to-day interactions. You couldn't feel the "Outlaw" in him at all.
Indeed, during their time together, Hiashi hadn't thought a single ill word of Diarmuid.
As for whether using his privilege to smuggle Diarmuid into Konoha was "wrong," of course it was. Strictly speaking, it compromised the village's security. However, this phenomenon existed and would continue to exist for a long time. The Great Noble Clans were all like this; even the Sarutobi Clan operated with a similar air. Social hierarchy in this world was no joke.
If one had to justify it, one could simply say "it is what it is." People like Diarmuid entered Konoha this way almost every week, bypassing standard checks because they were brought in by a Great Clan. Usually, it caused no issues, as the clans vetted their own guests.
This time, Diarmuid truly had no intention of causing a scene in Konoha. He was just a tourist, here to experience the local culture and scenery. Deep down, he might have considered it a networking trip, not for the Hyuga, but perhaps for Danzo... but that depended on how things played out.
Sure enough, the Hyuga were true Konoha royalty. With the Clan Head himself escorting the wagons, no gate guard was foolish enough to search the carriage. They were waved through immediately, bypassing the long lines.
Once inside Konoha, Diarmuid kept his gaze fixed out the window, looking around with genuine curiosity. Hiashi smiled and didn't disturb him.
When they reached the Hyuga Clan's trading guild, the carriage came to a halt. Diarmuid turned back to Hiashi. "As the head of a Great Clan, you must be incredibly busy. Don't worry about me; I'm just a ronin. I'll find my own way to 'drift' through Konoha. Rest assured, I won't cause any trouble for you."
Hiashi nodded, then added, "I had originally hoped to invite you to my home for a sit-down..."
This wasn't mere politeness; as friends, it was the natural thing to do.
Diarmuid waved it off. "Next time, next time. My heart is already restless... I can't wait to see what Konoha has to offer."
"Hahaha!" Hiashi laughed heartily. "If you have the time, you must come find me for a drink."
"I will, I will." Diarmuid nodded, opened the door, and hopped down. Standing by the window, he called out, "Hiashi!"
Hiashi pulled the curtain back, looking slightly surprised. "What is it?"
Diarmuid grinned. "The Hyuga are Konoha's strongest. Since you are the head of the Hyuga, you should carry that confidence with you."
Hiashi froze for a moment, then let out a soft smile. "I will work toward that goal, Issho."
"Farewell." Diarmuid gave a casual wave and turned, disappearing into the bustling streets.
Watching his figure vanish, Hiashi murmured to himself, "The Hyuga are Konoha's strongest... are they?"
The trading guild was located in Konoha's main commercial district, which was teeming with life. Diarmuid stopped at a fruit stall, picked up two oranges, and tossed down a few bills. He began peeling one while chatting with the owner.
"Boss, the war isn't even over yet, but Konoha still looks so prosperous. How do you manage it?"
Since Diarmuid overpaid, and business was slow, the stall owner peeled an orange for himself and began to gossip.
"It might look prosperous now, but we only really started recovering in the last two weeks. During the height of the war, the village was quite desolate. But then some powerful fellow went and assassinated the Earth Daimyo, right? Then our own Yellow Flash won that big battle at Kannabi Bridge. Now the front lines aren't so intense, and the village has shifted its focus from the war back to us merchants. If you'd come two weeks earlier, you wouldn't have even been able to get into the village," the owner said, munching on his orange.
"Is that so?" Diarmuid clicked his tongue. The orange was a bit sour.
On second thought, this made sense. Even a victorious nation would have to halt its war machine to restore the economy and civilian life under the pressure of anti-war sentiment. This explained why Diarmuid found the atmosphere in Konoha relatively relaxed.
"Where are you from, guest? You don't sound like a local," the owner asked.
"Ah, the Land of Iron. Don't let my looks fool you; I'm actually a pretty formidable samurai! Hahaha!" Diarmuid lied effortlessly.
After chatting for a few more minutes to gauge the current climate, Diarmuid said his goodbyes and moved on. Generally speaking, Konoha was in a state of "revival." Half a month ago, it was a fully operational war machine, but the victory at Kannabi Bridge and the subsequent successes against Iwagakure had allowed the village to shift its center of gravity.
As Diarmuid walked, he saw many shinobi moving about like ordinary civilians, buying groceries and running errands. Having no fixed destination, he looked toward the Hokage Rock in the distance, with the faces of the First, Second, and Third carved into it, and began wandering in that direction.
Halfway there, his stomach began to growl. Now that he was in Konoha, how could he not visit the legendary Ramen Ichiraku?
He wasn't sure if Ramen Ichiraku existed yet in this era, so he asked a passerby. The villagers were hospitable and quickly pointed him in the right direction. It turns out Ramen Ichiraku was already a staple during the Third Shinobi World War!
Talk about a long history...
Following the directions, Diarmuid arrived near the shop. It was much like he remembered, a small, open-fronted stall by the street.
Diarmuid's smile widened as he spotted several familiar faces eating there. One boy had white hair and a mask covering most of his face and one eye. The eye that was visible looked perpetually bored.
Hatake Kakashi.
The cute girl sitting next to him was undoubtedly Nohara Rin. Sadly, Obito was missing.
Standing nearby was a boy in a full green spandex jumpsuit, looking utterly ridiculous: Might Guy.
Diarmuid had a great deal of respect for Might Guy. He admired his persistence, his hard work, and that eternal "Power of Youth" that never seemed to burn out. He was also in awe of the Eight Inner Gates, specifically the "Night Guy" that had kicked with such magnificent brilliance.
Guy was a man of immense charm. He wasn't conventionally handsome, and his personality was eccentric, but who could truly hate a man who dedicated his entire life to effort, struggle, and youth? He was a beacon of positive energy. Some people worked so hard it made you reflect on your own laziness. Guy was one of those people.
Beside him were three other kids. Two looked familiar; after a moment of thought, Diarmuid recalled their names: Shiranui Genma and Ebisu.
The last one was a very cute girl, Mitarashi Anko! Orochimaru's disciple.
The group was engaged in a heated discussion around Kakashi, who looked as though he found them all far too noisy.
"Yo, Boss! I heard your ramen is the strongest in Konoha. Give me your best bowl... and extra chashu," Diarmuid said, plopping down onto a stool.
The man running the shop wasn't Teuchi; Teuchi was just acting as an assistant. The man cooking was an older man who looked seventy percent like Teuchi, likely his father. It truly was a family business. As for why it was called Ramen Ichiraku... it was probably named after the son.
Teuchi's father perked up at Diarmuid's words. "Oho! You have good taste, guest! That's right, our ramen is indeed the strongest in Konoha!" He then slapped Teuchi on the back of the head. "Hey, brat! Put some heart into it and serve the gentleman a proper bowl!"
"You got it, Pop!" Teuchi replied.
After ordering, Diarmuid rested his chin on his hand and watched the group of kids waiting for their food with interest.
"So handsome..." Anko noticed Diarmuid, her eyes sparkling.
Diarmuid gave her a brilliant smile. "And you're very pretty too, little lady."
Though Anko would eventually struggle with her weight in her middle years, there was no denying that in her youth, her looks were top-tier. Even as a young girl, she was already quite the beauty.
As Diarmuid spoke to Anko, the other kids turned their attention toward him, offering friendly smiles. Only Kakashi froze for a moment, a look of confusion crossing his face.
He feels... familiar. But I've never seen him before. Strange.
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