Sitting inside a small restaurant, Mirai glanced around the space and nodded in approval.
The place wasn't very big, and it was tucked away in a quiet corner of town, but the interior had a cozy, inviting feel.
In his previous life, he'd probably call it a hole-in-the-wall joint.
Since it wasn't quite mealtime yet, there weren't many people inside.
Not long after Mirai sat down, he spotted someone emerging from the kitchen—wearing an apron and carrying plates of food.
It was Uchiha Madara.
Seeing that, Mirai couldn't help but laugh.
"Yo! Isn't this the legendary Konoha Reaper himself—Uchiha Madara?"
"What's with the getup?"
Madara let out a cold snort and ignored him.
That tsundere expression paired with the frilly apron...
If not for his ridiculously bulky frame, he could almost pass for a crossdressing housewife.
Senju Hashirama chuckled. "Mirai, the shinobi world has finally achieved true peace. The dream Madara and I chased for years has become reality. So we decided to open this little restaurant to pass the time."
"Madara's actually a pretty good cook. Give it a try."
Mirai picked up his chopsticks and took a bite. The taste really was excellent. He couldn't help but praise,
"Madara, you've got real talent in the kitchen."
"Though I have to say, who would've thought the two men who once reshaped the entire Warring States Era and founded the shinobi village system... would end up running a diner together."
Madara responded blandly, "That's all in the past."
"In this era, our strength doesn't mean much anymore."
Considering how often Madara and Hashirama visited Orochimaru's lab, they were already well acquainted with the kind of research being done there.
Things like Wood Release and Mangekyō Sharingan were already passé. Even the Rinnegan and the powers of Samsara... could now be replicated through genetic engineering.
Put simply, if Mirai really wanted to, he could mass-produce super Kage-level powerhouses.
Compared to that, the strength these two once used to dominate their era now seemed rather ordinary.
Noticing a hint of melancholy in their expressions, Mirai said,
"Power alone doesn't define a true shinobi. A firm will can often bring about results far beyond expectation."
"Even in this era, you two are still standing at the top of the pyramid."
Madara's lips twitched upward at the corners, ever so slightly.
Being acknowledged by someone like Mirai—someone even stronger than the both of them—was surprisingly gratifying.
With a calmer tone, Madara added, "If there ever comes a time you need our help, don't hesitate to ask."
Mirai smiled. "Don't worry. That day will definitely come."
...
While they were chatting, a large white-haired man walked through the door.
"Boss, gimme some of the house specials... and a bottle of sake—"
He didn't finish the sentence. His voice cut off mid-sentence.
His eyes locked onto Hashirama and Madara, and he rubbed them in disbelief.
"Wait... Are you the First Hokage?"
Hashirama nodded. "That's right."
"Then... you've gotta be Uchiha Madara?"
Madara gave him a cool look. "Indeed."
The man sucked in a sharp breath.
Then his gaze shifted to Mirai. "Your Excellency... the Emperor?"
Mirai gave a light smile.
"Long time no see, Jiraiya."
...
Jiraiya downed his cup of sake in one go, then let out a sigh.
"Never thought I'd see the day when the First Hokage and Uchiha Madara opened a humble little restaurant. Maybe it's time I stopped running around, too."
Mirai tilted his head, curious.
"Weren't you still chasing your so-called Child of Prophecy? What brings you back so suddenly?"
Jiraiya exhaled again. "Honestly, that was just an excuse to avoid coming back."
"The Great Toad Sage's prophecy... it changed a long time ago. I just didn't want to face reality."
"Oh?" Mirai raised a brow. "And what reality was that?"
Jiraiya gave him a look and huffed. "What do you think? It's Tsunade, obviously!"
"Never in a million years did I think she'd—she'd... she'd become your woman!"
"You bastard! Do you even know how big the age gap between you and her is?!"
Mirai shrugged.
"Relax. Tsunade's body's been preserved in a youthful state for years—she looks like she's in her twenties. I'm not complaining."
That's not the point!!
Jiraiya was practically grinding his teeth in frustration.
The woman he'd chased for decades, the one he never managed to win over... and this guy's out here talking about not complaining?
Seeing the expression on Jiraiya's face, Mirai offered some "comfort."
"Jiraiya... you can't spend your whole life hanging from the same tree."
"Let go of the tree, and the whole forest is yours."
Jiraiya gave a bitter laugh. "So that's your excuse for building a harem?"
Mirai looked helpless. "Hey, it's not like I want this. I just can't stand seeing the girls who love me get hurt. You wouldn't understand my pain."
Jiraiya almost coughed up blood.
Pain?
Please, let him experience that kind of pain just once!
After venting a little in front of Jiraiya, Mirai felt much better, so he finally turned to the real topic.
"Alright, Jiraiya. What brings you back all of a sudden?"
Jiraiya exhaled and said, "I'm dodging a debt."
"A debt?" Mirai blinked. "Don't tell me... you've been gambling again?"
"No, nothing like that," Jiraiya waved a hand. "It's... an emotional debt."
"Huh?"
Jiraiya poured himself another drink, settling into storytelling mode.
"Back when I was younger, traveling around the shinobi world, I ended up in a place called Nadeshiko Village."
"There was a woman there who challenged me to a fight. I was bored, so I accepted."
"Thing is... I had no idea that if you win a duel in their village, it's seen as a proposal. The winner is supposed to marry the loser."
"At the time, I only had eyes for Tsunade. So without thinking, I refused."
"But I couldn't just walk away completely guilt-free. So we made a deal: our disciples would fight in our place one day."
"If my student lost, he'd go live in Nadeshiko Village with her disciple. If her student lost... then she'd marry my student."
Wait... so the marriage got passed down to the next generation?
Mirai couldn't help but comment inwardly.
Still, as Jiraiya continued, the full picture became clear.
If Mirai remembered right, the woman's apprentice should be Nadeshiko Shizuka.
In the original story, Shizuka had once come to Konoha to challenge Naruto—but in the end, he turned her down.
At the time, Mirai had felt it was such a shame.
After all, in terms of both looks and figure, Nadeshiko Shizuka was definitely one of the top-tier women in the entire shinobi world.
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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