After finishing a day of accompanying duties, Jiraiya stretched and headed towards the streets of Konoha. He planned to enjoy a bowl of Ichiraku Ramen, relax with a bath, and gather material for his next manuscript. It was a way to indulge his physical needs while also giving back to his beloved readers.
Unfortunately, readers didn't show much interest in "The Tale of the Courageous Ninja", preferring instead guides on local customs. This was a challenge for a middle-aged virgin like Jiraiya, who relied on fantasies to satisfy others' fantasies. When would he ever win Tsunade's heart?
Not long after leaving, Jiraiya noticed Byakuya following behind. Clearing his throat, Jiraiya asked, "Byakuya-sama, why are you following me? Don't you need to return to the delegation?"
Byakuya replied, "Jiraiya-sensei, I'm here for the appointment. You invited me this morning, didn't you?"
Jiraiya was taken aback. "I was just being polite. I didn't expect you to actually come. I invited you to hang out, not to come along for real."
After looking around, Jiraiya decided against turning Byakuya away. First, Byakuya was an important figure in the delegation. Second, if Byakuya caused trouble on the streets, it could lead to a messy situation.
Realizing this, Jiraiya scratched his head and smiled, "I almost forgot. But you're still young, so there aren't many interesting places you can visit. I'll just show you around."
Byakuya didn't comment on the ninja's restrictions on drinking and gambling. He followed Jiraiya, not for the pleasure-seeking activities but to see if he could trigger any special encounters. After all, Konoha wasn't exactly small, but it wasn't huge either.
After wandering around, Jiraiya and Byakuya arrived at the famous Ichiraku Ramen. They sat down at the counter, and Jiraiya called out to the young owner, "Two super-large bowls of ramen, please."
The ramen shop owner was a young man in his thirties, with a daughter named Ayame who was only four or five years old. After receiving the order, he promptly began preparing the ramen.
Byakuya glanced at the owner and the young Ayame and said with a hint of dissatisfaction, "Jiraiya-sensei, is this the best you can do for the envoy from Amegakure? The treatment seems pretty low."
"The ramen here costs eighty ryo per bowl. You don't plan to report it as eight hundred, do you?" Byakuya added with a skeptical look.
"Is reimbursement an option?" Jiraiya asked with a look of surprise as if he had just discovered a new world. "I thought I was paying out of my own pocket, which is why I brought you here."
Seeing Jiraiya inadvertently reveal the truth, Byakuya maintained a serious tone and said, "Of course, foreign envoy expenses can be reimbursed. Not only can you report eighty ryo as eight hundred, but reporting it as eight thousand is also quite common. Jiraiya-sensei, don't miss out on making some money."
"Ah, I see," Jiraiya nodded slightly, curious. "Do you do this in Amegakure as well? Do you often overstate expenses?"
Byakuya shook his head. "No, I'm the one responsible for cracking down on such activities. If someone needs to be dealt with, they are."
Jiraiya suddenly lost interest in talking with Byakuya. He had thought he had discovered a lucrative trick, but it turned out Byakuya was just making a dry joke.
At that moment, the Third Hokage lifted the door curtain and sat down next to Byakuya.
"You're absolutely right, Byakuya. When it comes to those who harm the village's interests, strict rules and punishments are necessary."
"And you are?" Byakuya knew who the newcomer was but decided to ask anyway.
"Just one bowl of ramen…" The Third Hokage first called out to the kitchen and then introduced himself, "I am the former Hokage of Konoha, Sarutobi Hiruzen. You can call me either Grandpa or Third Hokage."
Byakuya ignored the Third Hokage and turned to Jiraiya, saying, "Jiraiya-sensei, this old man is pretending to be the Third Hokage. Isn't he your teacher? Aren't you going to do something about it?"
Jiraiya looked helpless. "Byakuya-sama, this old man is indeed my teacher, the real deal Third Hokage, not someone in disguise."
Byakuya nodded, confused. "Then why does the real deal Third Hokage want to see me? If it's about communication and cooperation, you should talk to Yahiko. He's the head of the delegation. I'm just an extra."
The Third Hokage did not answer Byakuya immediately but was puzzled by the terms of address used between Jiraiya and Byakuya.
Byakuya-sama and Jiraiya-sensei? This is quite confusing. There's at least a twenty-year age difference between you two, and it's affecting your seniority.
Seeing the Third Hokage's confusion, Jiraiya explained, "Old man, Byakuya-sama is Hanzo's disciple."
Upon hearing this, the Third Hokage understood. Hanzo was indeed of a similar age to him, so the generational hierarchy was not incorrect from this perspective.
Motioning for Jiraiya to step back, the Third Hokage addressed Byakuya, "The matters of communication and cooperation are handled by the Fourth Hokage. I'm already retired, just like you are a spare ninja."
"No wonder you have time to wander around…" Byakuya muttered, then pointed to where Jiraiya had left and added, "Third Hokage, Jiraiya-sensei just ordered some food but didn't pay. Could you please take care of it?"
At that moment, the ramen shop owner, holding a bowl of ramen, quickly said, "It's a good thing that the Third Hokage and Jiraiya-sama are dining at my shop. There's no need to pay."
"That's not possible," the Third Hokage replied, feeling his pockets and pulling out a few bills. He placed them on the table and said, "Even as Hokage, one must pay for their meal. It's the village's rule."
The shop owner glanced at the obviously insufficient amount of money, accepted it, and walked back to the kitchen.
Byakuya watched this and thought to himself that the Third Hokage was indeed quite stingy. He could either use his Hokage status to get the meal for free or pay the full amount for the ramen. Paying only part of it seemed like a kind of installment plan for the ramen.
The Third Hokage, however, was unconcerned with these details. Taking advantage of Byakuya eating his ramen, he began to ask, "Byakuya, what's your impression of Konoha?"
As a former Hokage, the Third Hokage's actions were still politically motivated. His intention in approaching Byakuya was to gauge his opinions and see if there was a way to align Byakuya with his interests.
Byakuya continued eating his ramen and replied, "It's not bad but much better than other ninja villages."
The Third Hokage smiled faintly and then asked, "Can you tell me about the philosophy of your Akatsuki organization?"
Byakuya set down his chopsticks and looked at the Third Hokage. "Of course, but the way you're trying to probe for information is rather clumsy. If you want to gather intel about the delegation and Amegakure, you can just ask directly. There's no need for all this subterfuge."