Naruto: My Hiddden Village-Chapter 33: Welcome and Meeting

The morning sun greeted the horizon, casting a gentle warmth across the inn.

Tsubasa, who had been awake since dawn, sat by his room window, gazing vacantly at the path in front of the inn.

His thoughts drifted to last night's meeting with the Iburi clan, and his success in recruiting them as subordinates.

The Iburi clan, despite their flaws, possessed extraordinary potential, especially their unique kekkei genkai.

Just as Tsubasa snapped out of his reverie, the figure he was waiting for appeared at the end of the path.

Iburi Hajime, dressed in a simple kimono, walked with firm steps towards the inn.

In his hands, he clutched tightly several sealing containers that Tsubasa had made last night.

The expression on his face showed a mixture of hope and a hint of anxiety.

Tsubasa immediately got up and went downstairs, welcoming Hajime in front of the inn door. "Hajime-san, you're right on time. It's good to see you came," Tsubasa greeted with a friendly smile.

Hajime nodded respectfully. "Tsubasa-sama, thank you for your trust. My clan and I will try our best to be useful followers." His tone was firm, signifying the sincerity of his heart to join.

"Excellent. In that case, let's have breakfast with the others. I want to introduce you to everyone soon," Tsubasa invited, patting Hajime's shoulder in a friendly manner.

The two of them walked towards the inn's dining room, where Tsubasa's other group members had already gathered.

The fragrant aroma of traditional Japanese cooking filled the room, whetting the appetite of anyone who inhaled it.

Ozora, Kyoya, Benkei, Ginga, Hotaru, Ayame, and Madoka, along with their three young children, Kotarou, Seiya, and Yumi, sat around a dining table laden with delicious dishes.

The dining room atmosphere, which was previously lively with light chatter, suddenly became silent when Tsubasa and Hajime entered the room.

All eyes turned to the unfamiliar figure walking behind Tsubasa.

Tsubasa pulled out a chair for Hajime, then cleared his throat briefly to attract everyone's attention. "Everyone, allow me to introduce our new member. This is Iburi Hajime, a subordinate I just recruited," Tsubasa said with a wide smile, introducing Hajime to everyone.

Hajime bowed respectfully to everyone. "It's a pleasure to meet you all. My name is Iburi Hajime. I humbly ask for your assistance," he said politely.

"Welcome, Hajime-san!" Ozora greeted warmly, smiling kindly at their new member. "I'm Ozora, Tsubasa's older brother."

"Welcome to our family, Hajime-san!" Kyoya chimed in enthusiastically, followed by warm greetings from the other group members. Even the three little children, Kotarou, Seiya, and Yumi, waved their little hands while smiling cheerfully.

The breakfast atmosphere that morning instantly became livelier with the presence of a new member.

Everyone vied to welcome Hajime warmly, asking light questions to get to know their new member better.

Hajime responded to their greetings amiably, telling a little about himself and his clan.

However, amidst the warmth of the atmosphere, Ozora seemed to frown slightly, looking at Tsubasa with a questioning gaze. "By the way, Tsubasa," Ozora whispered, bringing his face closer to his younger brother's ear. "When did you recruit a new subordinate?"

Tsubasa only smiled mysteriously, not answering his older brother's question directly. "I recruited him last night," Tsubasa replied briefly, keeping the mystery of his meeting with the Iburi clan closely guarded.

He deliberately did not want to tell the details now, wanting to make a little surprise for them all.

"Don't ask too many questions yet, quickly finish your breakfast and let's depart. I'll tell you everything on the way later," Tsubasa continued, realizing everyone's curious gaze was fixed on him.

He signaled for them to postpone their curiosity; empty stomachs needed to be filled first before starting the long journey.

Everyone finally returned to continuing their breakfast, postponing their curiosity for later.

The sound of spoons and forks clinking against plates was heard again, mixed with light chatter and small laughter.

After breakfast was finished and all their luggage was ready, Tsubasa's group finally resumed their journey.

They left the prosperous settlement with good feelings.

Unlike the previous settlement that felt gloomy and shabby, this place gave a much more positive impression.

They all hoped their dream ninja village would resemble this settlement, or even be better.

The sound of horses' hooves pulling carriages rang out cheerfully, accompanying their journey towards a brighter future.

The atmosphere of the journey this time felt much more pleasant and light.

The bandit incident that had hindered their path in the previous settlement no longer occurred. Hajime's presence also added a new color to their journey.

He quickly blended in with the other group members, participating in conversations and jokes that warmed the atmosphere.

In the midst of that enjoyable journey, Tsubasa finally opened up about his experience of recruiting the Iburi clan last night.

He explained that the myth of the haunted hill told by the innkeeper turned out to be untrue.

"Actually, the 'ghosts' you heard are the Iburi clan," Tsubasa said, beginning his explanation.

Hearing Tsubasa's explanation, the three little children, Kotarou, Seiya, and Yumi, sighed in relief.

Their fear of the haunted hill instantly vanished.

"Really, Tsubasa-nii-sama? So ghosts don't exist?" Kotarou asked with sparkling eyes, making sure.

Tsubasa smiled and nodded. "There are no ghosts, Kotarou. What exists is a group of ninjas trying to protect themselves."

Then, Tsubasa continued his story, telling about the actual condition of the Iburi clan.

He explained about the flawed kekkei genkai that threatened the clan's extinction, a tragic story that touched the hearts of everyone who heard it.

He recounted how the kekkei genkai, which was initially considered a gift, turned into a disaster for the Iburi clan.

To provide a clearer picture, Tsubasa invited Hajime to tell his clan's story in more detail.

Hajime, in a low and sorrowful voice, began to recount the struggles and suffering of the Iburi clan over the past two years.

He told how he initially discovered a ninjutsu that could awaken the smoke kekkei genkai in all members of his clan. Happiness and hope had soared in their hearts, until the disaster came.

Hajime recounted bitterly how one by one his clan members, including his wife and family, lost control of their smoke transformation.

He described their despair and helplessness in facing this bitter reality.

He also told how they were forced to pretend to be ghosts to protect themselves from outside threats, because their clan's strength was increasingly weakening.

Everyone listened to Hajime's story carefully, feeling the sadness and despair experienced by the Iburi clan.

Ayame, Hotaru, and Madoka, as fellow women, seemed very touched to hear the story of Hajime's unfortunate wife.

Even Ozora, who was usually always cheerful and optimistic, looked serious and concerned.

The three little children also fell silent, listening to Hajime's story with wide eyes and facial expressions showing pity.

Unconsciously, time passed until noon.

Traveling long distances by horse-drawn carriage was indeed time-consuming. However, interesting conversations and stories made the journey feel less boring.

The atmosphere inside the carriages, which was previously full of laughter and jokes, now turned calmer and more contemplative.

Everyone was lost in their own thoughts, reflecting on the tragic story of the Iburi clan they had just heard.

Towards evening, they were finally nearing the valley area that would become their future ninja village.

Tsubasa could already feel the presence of the protective barrier he had installed around the valley.

The barrier worked perfectly, hiding the valley's existence from outsiders' view. Anyone passing through this place would not suspect that behind it lay a magnificent ninja village.

After a while, their entourage finally arrived in front of the protective barrier.

Tsubasa performed a series of hand seals to open the way for their group.

The invisible barrier formation covering the entire valley suddenly opened a gap, forming a road wide enough for their horse-drawn carriages to pass through.

After passing through the barrier, they finally entered the valley.

The first sight that greeted them was a tall gate and sturdy fence surrounding the entire valley.

This was the result of the Kongō clan's reconstruction based on the blueprint given by Tsubasa.

The village gate was wide open, as if the Kongō clan already knew of their arrival.

The Kongō clan entourage led by Kohaku welcomed their arrival with great enthusiasm.

Wide smiles and waves greeted Tsubasa's group.

Beside Kohaku, his wife, Kongō Hina, was seen carrying a small baby who looked only a year old.

The baby was Kohaku and Hina's first daughter, named Kongō Aoi.

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Aoi, who had big round eyes and rosy cheeks, looked adorable in her mother's arms. She waved her little hand towards Tsubasa and his entourage, as if joining in welcoming their arrival.

A welcome feast was held with great fanfare.

Although without fireworks, the village was filled with colorful lanterns decorating every corner.

The aroma of delicious cooking filled the air, whetting appetites. Various luxurious and abundant dishes were served on the long tables that had been prepared. A luxurious and festive celebration.

Tsubasa saw how hard the Kongō clan had worked to prepare all of this.

He truly appreciated their warm welcome and hard work.

Feelings of gratitude and warmth filled his heart, he felt accepted and welcomed with open arms in their new home.

The celebration feast lasted until night. Laughter, jokes, and friendly chatter were heard throughout the village.

Tsubasa and Ozora ate heartily, many plates having already piled up on their dining table.

This is one of the hidden talents of the Takagami clan – they can eat a lot.

Tsubasa even suspects that their clan might possess Saiyan bloodline.

Everyone was caught up in the joy and togetherness.

Ozora, Kyoya, Benkei, Ginga, Hotaru, Ayame, Madoka, Hajime, and of course, Tsubasa himself, felt very touched and happy with the warm welcome from the Kongō clan.

They felt they had found a new home, a new family, and a future full of hope in their dream ninja village.

The next day, after the lively celebration feast the night before, Tsubasa felt that he had to start a productive day.

The new village had been established; the next step was to think about its future.

He did not want their ninja village to just be a place to live, but also had to become a place that developed and progressed.

Tsubasa summoned everyone to attend a meeting in the building that would later become the Kage building, the center of the ninja village government.

He waited until everyone had gathered, including Hajime who was now officially his subordinate.

An important meeting was about to begin.

The theme of today's meeting was to discuss the economic future of their ninja village.

Tsubasa knew that a strong economic foundation was the key to the village's sustainability and progress.

Without a clear and stable source of income, their village would find it difficult to develop and might even experience hardship in the future.

After everyone had gathered and sat around the meeting table, Tsubasa opened the meeting with an important question. "Do you all already know how we are going to earn money to run this village in the future?" Tsubasa asked seriously, looking at all the meeting participants one by one.

Kohaku, who sat up straight with his chest puffed out, proudly answered Tsubasa's question. "I know, Tsubasa-sama! We will take on missions from nobles and daimyo!" Kohaku replied confidently.

He felt that the abilities and strength of the Kongō clan were sufficient to take on difficult missions and earn large payments.

He was confident that by carrying out missions, they would gain income while also increasing the reputation of their ninja village.

A very common view in the ninja world.

"Is that all? Do you all think the same?" Tsubasa asked again, seeking opinions from other meeting members.

He wanted to make sure that everyone understood the importance of the village's economy, and not just be fixated on one idea.

He wanted to open their minds so they could think of other sources of income that might be more sustainable and innovative.

Since no one could think of a better idea, everyone finally nodded in agreement with Kohaku's idea.

Missions were indeed the main source of income for most ninjas in this world.

However, Tsubasa felt that relying solely on missions was not enough to build an independent and prosperous village.

Seeing everyone's response, Tsubasa thought to himself, "It seems everyone really needs to be taught to change their ninja mindset from an early age." He realized that the traditional ninja mindset that only relied on missions needed to be changed in order to build an independent, innovative, and progressive village.

He wanted their ninja village to be not only militarily strong, but also economically and socially strong.

Tsubasa had a bigger vision for their dream ninja village, a vision that went beyond just accepting missions and fighting. He wanted to create a truly prosperous, thriving village and become an example for other ninja villages.