Izuna, restore the glory of the Uchiha!

The meeting took place two days after Ban left his tribe's territory, in a bustling neutral town not far from either tribe's territory.

Izuna made considerable preparations for the safety of this meeting.

It's impossible to tell Madara the news. By the time he returns from his vacation, the two clans will probably be close to formally signing a peace treaty. When he meets Hashirama again then, the risks will be much lower.

As for Tobirama, after witnessing Jiri's talent for controlling Tobirama with illusion magic, Izuna entrusted him to Jiri's supervision with peace of mind.

Of course, this mainly applies to experiments conducted at night. During the day, there are people specifically monitoring Tobirama's movements within the school building, which Izuna is not worried about.

There weren't many other things to arrange within the clan, and Izuna could quickly assign all the tasks by maneuvering the troops.

In the end, Koichi's wonderful vacation came to an end.

Because it was a secret meeting, it was inconvenient to bring too many people to avoid attracting attention.

Izuna originally didn't need to worry about this issue, but now that Madara hasn't gone far, he has to be cautious to prevent the news from leaking out.

As for security, neither clan was too worried. The Senju clan only sent Hashirama and another adjutant in charge of drafting documents, and they believed that the Uchiha clan had a similar lineup.

One wouldn't die, and it wouldn't matter if the other did. The elders had a very clever plan in mind, and they sat in the clan's territory waiting for good news.

As for why the elders didn't take the lead themselves to ensure the quality of the meeting...

Good heavens, besides Hashirama, is there anyone else in the Senju clan willing to sit down and talk with Madara Uchiha?

Of course, believing that Madara's negotiating skills would be dragged down to the same level as Hashirama's was also part of their plan.

In short, with some reluctance, Koichi left his warm home with his wife and children and embarked on a journey with Izuna.

The two traveled quickly and arrived at their destination in just two days.

Wearing hoods and fully armed, the two checked into a hotel near the agreed-upon izakaya. From beginning to end, not a single part of their bodies was exposed except for their eyes.

The hotel owner looked at them with a puzzled expression.

There are many ninjas coming and going in this area, but not many people are so cautious yet so generous as to book two of the best rooms. After all, usually only ninjas who are being hunted would dress like this.

But the boss acted swiftly, after all, nobody turns down money.

Guided by the servants, Izuna and Koichi went upstairs to check in.

The guest room was ordinary, clean and tidy, with nothing special about it.

Izuna sat to the side, opened the scroll again, and confirmed the time and code.

Xingyi opened the sealed scroll he carried with him, which contained items needed for the meeting, mostly documents, pens, ink, and seals.

Having confirmed that nothing was missing, Koichi put everything back in its original place with satisfaction, and tucked the scroll back into his waist pouch. He turned and asked:

"Lord Izuna, when shall we go downstairs?"

Izuna looked out the window at the sky; the time written on the scroll was around eight o'clock in the evening.

That time is not far off now, after all, they spent a lot of extra time trying to avoid Ban's tourist route when they came.

From the room's terrace, you can see the entrance to that izakaya (Japanese pub), which is bustling with business, with people coming and going in all sorts of outfits.

Based solely on this situation, it's impossible to determine whether Hashirama and his companions arrived on time or whether they disguised themselves.

Izuna didn't intend to wait idly in the room any longer. He packed away the scrolls and put his hood back on.

"Let's go scout out the location first."

The red lanterns hanging at the entrance of the izakaya brought a touch of warmth to the snowy winter night.

Lifting the thick blue curtain, a wave of heat mixed with noise rushed out, revealing a lively scene.

The interior space was small, but it was packed with people.

The steam from the food mingled with the aroma of cheap liquor, the sizzling of grilled meat over charcoal and the shouts of drinking games rose and fell, along with the mixed smells of sweat from all sorts of people and the heavy perfume and cosmetics of the bar girls.

The shop's waiters were quite knowledgeable; judging from their attire, they wisely led the two to a relatively secluded private room, where a curtain hung from top to bottom, blocking the view of outsiders.

Only after all the ordered dishes were served and the servants withdrew did Izuna and Koichi remove their hoods, revealing their true faces.

The yakitori had cooled down a bit during the long wait, but it was still juicy, tender, and delicious.

The sake was warmed to just the right temperature, but both of them knew they had important matters to attend to and could only drink a little, not too much.

The fatigue from their hectic journey quickly dissipated in the warm and comfortable environment and with delicious food, allowing them to feast and devour everything on the table.

Still feeling unsatisfied, Izuna pondered whether to put on his hood and have another meal. Koichi's expectant gaze finally made him decide after much hesitation.

In any case, the two of them had already arrived at the agreed location, and there was still some time before the agreed time.

He pulled up his hood, lifted a corner of the curtain, and was about to call out to the servants not far away.

A loud bang came from the bar!

It was the booming sound of heavy chips being forcefully pushed over, piled up, and scattered.

"All in! I bet this hand will be big!"

Then came a bold shout, seemingly brimming with confidence in his gambling skills, instantly drowning out all the noise.

Izuna's hand, which was gesturing to the servants, froze in mid-air.

That voice... why does it sound so familiar?

He turned his head and exchanged a glance with Xing.

They both saw a hint of helplessness in each other's eyes.

The latter understood immediately, put on his hood, and followed Izuna out.

We gradually approached the bar not far away.

The sound was coming from the corner of the bar, where a crowd had already gathered to watch the excitement of this high-stakes gamble.

Even the bartender, who was used to big events, was drawn to this high-stakes gamble.

It was a middle-aged man with a towel tied around his head, wiping a cup while observing the situation in the room with gleaming eyes.

With such a large sum, he can make a considerable amount regardless of who wins or loses.

The two pushed their way forward through the crowd, and those eager to see the spectacle were naturally unhappy that their good spots were being taken over by those who came later.

He was about to curse, but when he turned around and saw the two people's attire, and met their cold eyes in the shadows, he shivered and shut his mouth, stepping aside.

The two of them squeezed their way to the back of the center of everyone's view without any obstruction.

This fat sheep gentleman had long black hair, which he casually draped over his back. During the fierce competition, he had taken off his heavy coat and tossed it aside, revealing the green and white tribal clothing underneath.

Fortunately, there was no family crest on it, which is one of the reasons why his opponents are still unwilling to give up at this point.

He wore a veil that was barely visible on his face, but such attire wasn't unusual in a place like an izakaya.

Even though the onlookers could occasionally catch a glimpse of his profile through his intense physical movements, they weren't particularly interested; the man's appearance was truly unremarkable.

They would be more interested to know where that money came from.

By the way, where is this young master's family crest? If he's been kidnapped, surely he knows how to demand a ransom from him?

This is what many of the men behind him, with knives hanging from their waists, were thinking.