Chapter 15: The Meeting
Half an hour later, Senju Ryota and the princess, having completed their wedding ceremony, went to change their clothes. Liu Maoxing led the Senju clanspeople to prepare for the evening banquet.
The wedding banquet began once Senju Ryota and the princess returned.
"What is this? I've never seen cuisine like this before!"
"It smells so good! Where in the world did the Hokage-sama hire this chef?"
"Indeed! We'd better eat quickly, or it'll be gone in a moment."
It wasn't just the ninjas; even the nobles from the Land of Fire had less-than-graceful table manners. This was especially true for the Akimichi clan; the speed at which the plates were being cleared was almost faster than the speed at which they were served.
At the innermost table sat the Daimyo of the Land of Fire, his wife, Hashirama Senju, Mito Uzumaki, Tobirama Senju, and the freshly changed Senju Ryota and the princess.
The Daimyo was a middle-aged man of about thirty, with black hair streaked with white, dressed in his formal robes. His wife was also a rare beauty; although she was approaching thirty, her undeniable charm was still very attractive.
While the Daimyo and his wife ate quickly, their movements were extremely elegant, a world apart from the other flashy types outside.
"What a delicious meal," the Daimyo lamented. "I fear I won't be able to eat such wonderful food after I return home. What a pity. I wonder which master's work this is? Could you introduce me?" The Daimyo had begun to have thoughts of poaching this talent.
Tobirama took over the conversation. "This was prepared by our Konoha's Special-Grade Chef, Liu Maoxing. There is no need for you to feel regret, Lord Daimyo. Before long, our hotels will open in the capital, and you will naturally be able to eat this whenever you wish."
Tobirama thought for a moment and felt that inviting the Daimyo to invest would be a good way to deepen their friendly relations and also reduce potential trouble for the restaurants in the Land of Fire. He asked, "All the clans of Konoha are planning to invest in hotels featuring this type of cuisine. Would the Daimyo be interested?"
The Daimyo's eyes lit up. "Excellent! What are the terms?"
Tobirama replied, "One hundred million ryo per share. However, this only grants profit-sharing rights, not decision-making power."
The lack of decision-making power left the Daimyo slightly dissatisfied, but the thought of the immense profits such delicious food was sure to generate made him agree. "Very well. I will invest in one share. The funds will be delivered in three days. However, I would like to meet Master Liu Maoxing."
"Of course. I will send someone to invite him." Tobirama had Miyuki go to the kitchen to call for Liu Maoxing.
Miyuki entered the kitchen and found it in a state of organized chaos.
"Teacher Liu Maoxing, the Akimichi clan's table is eating too fast! There's not enough food!"
"Then add a few more portions of each dish. We have extra ingredients anyway. If a dish runs out, make it on the spot."
Miyuki came before Liu Maoxing. "The Daimyo wishes to see you."
"Alright, one moment." Liu Maoxing immediately dispelled himself, transferring his memories to Yamamoto Ryusei.
Ryusei was in the middle of his meal when his head suddenly felt heavy as Liu Maoxing's memories flooded in.
He immediately created two shadow clones and had them rush towards the kitchen.
Miyuki was still waiting in the kitchen when she saw two Liu Maoxings arrive together. One of them stood before her and said, "Let's go. We will go see the Daimyo." The other one remained to continue cooking.
Liu Maoxing arrived at the Daimyo's table and bowed. "Special-Grade Chef Liu Maoxing pays his respects to the lords and ladies."
Mito pointed directly to the seat beside her. "There's no need for such formalities, please, sit. We must thank you properly today for making the wedding banquet so wonderful."
Liu Maoxing sat down next to Mito, and a handmaiden brought him a bowl and chopsticks.
The Daimyo looked at Liu Maoxing's face and remarked, "Master Liu Maoxing, you are so young and promising. May I ask who your master was?"
Liu Maoxing replied with a straight face, "My master was the Yang Spring Restaurant."
"The Yang Spring Restaurant... That must be a fine establishment," the Daimyo praised.
Liu Maoxing's tone was filled with nostalgia. "Yes. It was a place where many top-tier chefs gathered. I learned a great deal about making cuisine there."
The Daimyo began to doubt his own life. 'How have I never heard of such a wonderful place? Am I truly that ignorant and ill-informed?'
"Please, introduce me someday."
"Of course, no problem," Liu Maoxing agreed instantly.
Mito was trying very hard not to laugh. She was about to burst. She couldn't help but marvel at how well Liu Maoxing could spin a tale. If she hadn't seen with her own eyes how he came to be, she might have actually believed him. It seemed she couldn't fully trust Ryusei's words in the future.
An hour later, the wedding banquet concluded, much to the reluctance of the various clans, especially the Akimichi. Everyone bid each other farewell and went home. It was certain that after this banquet, the fame of the Senju's cuisine would spread throughout the entire Land of Fire.
The Next Day
The heads of the various clans received an invitation from the ANBU to go to the Hokage's office. Upon arrival, they saw that besides Hashirama and Tobirama, there was an unfamiliar man and woman sitting in the corner. The clan heads suppressed their curiosity and took their seats.
A short while later, the last clan head, Madara Uchiha, finally took his seat. Hashirama spoke directly. "I plan to open a Ninja Academy to teach our children ninjutsu. All children of the appropriate age in the village may enroll."
The head of the Hyuga clan, Hyuga Tenjin, asked doubtfully, "Learning ninjutsu in an academy? Each family's jutsu and secret techniques are different. How can they learn together?" He isn't thinking of making us hand over our clan's hiden, is he?
Tobirama took over. "We will teach common jutsu, such as the Chakra Refining Technique, ninja tool throwing, the Three Academy Techniques, and so on. The main purpose is to build a ninja's foundation. The children can graduate after passing the examinations at the academy."
As long as he didn't have to hand over his clan's hiden, Hyuga Tenjin had no objections.
Hearing this, the Nara clan head, Nara Shikakaze, already understood that the academy was for the integration of the clans. However, knowing that commoners would surely enroll, he asked, "The children of the various clans can learn their family's secret techniques after graduation. But what about the commoners?"
Tobirama replied, "After graduation, all children will be uniformly assigned by the Hokage to other ninjas for instruction. The jutsu taught will be common B-rank and C-rank ninjutsu."
There were many jutsu in the ninja world. Apart from some secret techniques, most had been leaked and were known by many clans.
"As for the teachers," Tobirama mused, "the various clans can volunteer."
Although he said "volunteer," everyone knew it was a mandatory assignment.
"Ahem." Hashirama cleared his throat. "From this graduating class, Tobirama and I will both select a few to be our disciples. Madara, would you like to pick a few?"
Madara had no desire to do something so troublesome, but not wanting to embarrass Hashirama, he replied vaguely, "We'll see if there are any good prospects."
Hashirama's words made the eyes of the clan heads, especially those from smaller clans, light up. They didn't care if Madara took on students, but if their own child was chosen as the Hokage's disciple, their family's relationship with the Hokage would deepen significantly. They all resolved to send their clan's most outstanding youths to the Ninja Academy this time.
The various clans all expressed their agreement.
"Since everyone agrees on this matter, it is settled. Tobirama, you will serve as the first principal. Please get the academy up and running as soon as possible."
"Of course, Big Brother," Tobirama replied. "We have a building available. The academy can open in three days."
"Good. Now that the public business is concluded, let's discuss some private matters." Hashirama asked, "What did you all think of the food at the wedding banquet yesterday?"
"That was the most delicious food I have ever eaten!" The head of the Akimichi clan, Akimichi Torune, stood up directly, his eyes shining. "Lord Hokage, that chef, Master Liu Maoxing, could you introduce him to me?" Akimichi Torune had already found out Liu Maoxing's name through other channels.
"The two people sitting behind you are Liu Maoxing's parents," Hashirama said, pointing to Yamamoto Shuichi and Yamamoto Nami.
Akimichi Torune immediately ran over and grabbed Yamamoto Shuichi's hands. "Please, could Master Liu Maoxing accept me as his disciple?"
Shuichi looked troubled. "Err... I will have to go back and ask him about this matter."
"Good! Then I will await your good news!"
"Shuichi, Nami, please come over here." Tobirama took out the business plan he had created based on Ryusei's vision and distributed it to the clan heads. "Please take a look at this plan."
Tobirama called Shuichi and Nami to his side. "As you can all see, this business plan was proposed by the Yamamoto family. The original idea is to open a high-end hotel that combines lodging, entertainment, leisure, and fine dining."
"The hotel's target demographic will be wealthy, high-end individuals, providing them with a high-quality lifestyle. However, the initial costs are immense, and it's impossible for the Yamamoto family to manage it alone. We are now seeking investment in the form of shares. One hundred million ryo for one share. Furthermore, investing clans will only have profit-sharing rights, not decision-making power. The Senju, the Uchiha, and the Daimyo have all invested in one share. What are your thoughts on investing?"