Chapter 384: The Mansion
"The old man doesn't care about that anymore. You do your best!" The Raikage waved his hands, fully embracing his laid-back attitude. No one could stand his temper anyway. More importantly, he just hadn't found anyone he liked.
"You deserve to be alone for the rest of your life. I'm not going to be like you—my Prince Charming is still out there waiting for me." After saying that, Mei Terumi turned to Chojuro: "Within one year, I want you to reach the level of capability required for a Mizukage. Otherwise, if you delay my wedding date any further, I'll..."
She clenched her fist meaningfully.
"Yes..." Chojuro replied, trembling.
Onoki added: "You need to change that temper of yours, or no one will ever want to date you." He spoke with the air of a senior advising the Mizukage—after all, he was an experienced man with several sons and grandsons.
Crack!
Mei Terumi's fists tightened even harder.
"Let's move on. We should walk around Konoha, see its development over the years, and learn a few things," Onoki said, quickly changing the subject. He didn't want his old bones to get caught in a fierce battle with Mei Terumi. Simultaneously, he was genuinely curious about the specific changes in Konoha. Intel reports weren't intuitive enough; experiencing it firsthand would provide a better understanding.
Mei Terumi was indeed distracted and relaxed her clenched fists. She was still the Mizukage, and she had to consider these things. In truth, whether it was Konoha or the other villages, the changes over the past few years had been massive. Aside from a few nations with rigid traditions, most were evolving. This was the impact of the World Ninja Association's emergence. It allowed ninja to focus on development in specific fields, making ninjutsu more professional. Whether in technology, medicine, or architecture, growth was accelerating. The professionals were becoming even more professional.
The Kage and their guards then walked down the streets of Konoha. Seeing the bustling crowds and modernized streets, their eyes were overwhelmed. Compared to their own villages, this place was clearly more livable. Everything seemed to have been rebuilt. The streets were larger, and the roads were solid, wide, and expansive. Various advertisements extended from the storefronts.
"Wow~"
Killer Bee, carrying his gift, looked at a distant large screen featuring an advertisement of women partially obscured in a hazy, ethereal style. His eyes turned into hearts. It was exactly his style.
"Bee, don't embarrass yourself," the Raikage barked, slapping him on the head.
Killer Bee: "Yo, yo, this is so wonderful, I can't help myself, please..."
"Shut up."
"Alright, alright. After the wedding, I'll wander around more and collect some intel on Konoha's development."
Despite being dazzled, the Kage committed the changes to memory, intending to make corresponding adjustments in their own villages upon their return.
"That is a special vehicle manufactured by the Fire Country Electric Company. It's still being improved and hasn't been put into full use yet; it's currently in small-scale testing," the Konoha reception ninja explained as a vehicle passed by. The car looked incredibly high-tech and zipped past them in a blur. The driver was a man wearing a baseball cap who bore a striking resemblance to Jay Chou.
"That's the Game Center. It's currently the most popular facility among the village youth. It has effectively reduced the crime rate among rebellious teenagers and saved a lot of manpower and resources for the Konoha Military Police Force," the guide said, pointing to another massive building.
How massive? It was over ten meters high and occupied an area the size of four football fields. There were all sorts of facilities—some they recognized, and some they didn't. For instance, they had no idea a game center could lower the juvenile delinquency rate.
"Incredible!" Chojuro exclaimed in awe.
"Is this all Kakashi's doing?" Onoki asked. Kakashi didn't seem like the type of brilliant mind who could develop Konoha to this extent. They acknowledged Kakashi's combat intelligence, but when it came to village development, they didn't think he was capable of this. Everyone knew the best at village development were Onoki and Raikage Ay, who had led their villages to their peak prosperity with top-tier methods.
"I suspect Shikaku Nara is behind the scenes. That man's IQ is truly high," the Raikage remarked, believing the old pineapple-headed man was the foundation of Konoha's strength.
The reception ninja laughed. "Haha, Senior Shikaku has already stepped back from his duties and handed the position of Hokage Assistant to the younger generation. He rarely gets involved now, only offering advice to correct the course when major problems arise—he's essentially semi-retired. These current projects are based on development proposals from Senior Tonbo. Shikamaru makes adjustments based on the current situation, and Lord Hokage makes the final decision."
"That guy again. This capability completely surpasses the First Hokage," the Raikage noted. This political acumen was unexpectedly strong, just like his combat prowess.
Onoki asked: "Didn't he say he was retiring?"
Tobitake Tonbo hadn't been involved in official affairs for a long time. According to intelligence, he usually stayed in his Research and Development Department. Looking at Konoha's current state, there was no sign of him actually being retired.
"Haha, these are just ideas he reveals when chatting with the younger generation. Once Lord Hokage finds out, he makes the necessary arrangements," the reception ninja laughed. Tonbo indeed only held the position of Vice Director of the R&D Department, but he still communicated with people. Being retired didn't mean he was dead. But Senior Tonbo was so influential that his every move impacted Konoha. Now, there were even ninja specifically assigned to collect the words he let slip unintentionally.
"It seems that after the wedding, we'll need to have an exchange with Kakashi." Now that they were part of the Shinobi Alliance, they were effectively one entity. Seeing Konoha's development, they couldn't just sit still.
"My lords, look over there. That is Senior Tonbo's residence. It was just completed recently; he should be moving in soon."
The reception ninja led them to a high vantage point in Konoha and pointed toward the outskirts. A cluster of buildings appeared there. It didn't look much different from the rest of Konoha.
"What's the big deal?" Onoki asked, puzzled. He didn't see anything unusual.
"That entire area is Senior Tonbo's home. I heard that just walking from the east end to the west end takes twenty minutes."
The reception ninja was exceptionally envious. That's a rich man for you! The salary he earned for hosting the Kage didn't even cover the cost of a corner of Tobitake Tonbo's house.
"Nani?!"
They were all stunned. Even now, because of the creation of the Ninja Association, the recovery period after the war had been greatly reduced, but many things still hadn't returned to normal. They didn't expect someone to have built a home like this for themselves.
Was he embezzling public funds? Given Tonbo's status, it was possible. But then again, even for Kage like them, embezzling public funds to this extent would be difficult!
"Surprising, isn't it? I heard some kids wandered in while playing and got lost for half a day because they couldn't find the way out. Senior Tonbo had to personally escort them out." Although the reception ninja was envious, he was also proud by association.
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