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Furthermore, Mei Terumi's private impression of Kazuki had always been rather favorable. Occasionally, in public settings, she would tease him with harmless, inconsequential jokes. Such jokes were permissible from Mei Terumi, but not from Rasa. So at moments like this, the best Rasa could do was to see nothing and hear nothing.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk... The illustrious Mizukage, cursing openly in public." The previously impassive Kazuki's face was now full of playful mockery.
"Oh, drop it," Mei Terumi shot back, rolling her eyes. She knew this guy was no good! He'd just slapped her face with a deadpan expression, and now he was turning around and teasing her. Truly something else.
Regarding the exchange between Kazuki and Mei Terumi, the expressions of the Mist and Sand Village delegations were rather peculiar. But everyone very tacitly chose to pretend they hadn't seen a thing. They either sipped their tea incessantly or stared at the grain of the table as if a flower had bloomed upon it.
"Have you two reached an agreement?" Kazuki didn't linger on banter with Mei Terumi for long. With a shift in topic, he brought the conversation back to official matters. Now wasn't the time for private jokes; business came first.
"We've reached an agreement. We asked you here to serve as a witness, to prevent anyone from reneging later. After all, certain villages have broken their promises and launched attacks on the Leaf on multiple occasions. One can't be too careful." Mei Terumi's tone grew distinctly sour. It was clear she harbored considerable resentment toward Rasa at this moment. Overall, the Mist Village had come out on the losing end of the peace talks.
After all, the Mist Village had been the one to initiate the war, so it was only natural to concede some ground during negotiations. This had allowed the Sand Village to gain a slight advantage. Thus, Mei Terumi was using the Sand Village's repeated history of breaking promises and waging war against the Leaf to mock Rasa. Unfortunately, Rasa remained utterly unmoved, as if he hadn't heard a word.
"Hmph." With Rasa refusing to engage, Mei Terumi could only express her dissatisfaction with a snort. Some things only needed to be said once. If the other party wouldn't take the bait, you had no choice but to drop it. Every village had its share of unsavory scandals. If things escalated into a full-blown verbal brawl, Mei Terumi might not be Rasa's match. After all, the Mist Village's dark history was far, far longer than the Sand Village's!
"Fine. As long as you two have reached an agreement, that's all that matters. I can only serve as a witness. Anything beyond that is up to you." Kazuki had no intention of delving into the details of their negotiations. How much the Mist Village was compensating the Sand Village was their own affair. Kazuki had no desire to concern himself with such matters. Mei Terumi would have loved for him to jump in and stir things up. Unfortunately, Kazuki wouldn't take the bait.
Do whatever you want. I'm not getting dragged into it.
Hearing this, the look Mei Terumi directed at Kazuki became somewhat displeased. This kid was far too cunning!. To drag Kazuki into the fray, she first needed to pique his interest in the terms between the two villages. Only by caring would he want to learn more, and only then could he be pulled in. Kazuki's attitude of complete detachment left Mei Terumi with no opening.
With Kazuki choosing to abstain, Rasa and the Sand Village delegation also breathed a sigh of relief. Although they had gained a slight advantage in the negotiations, if Kazuki and the Leaf Village were dragged in, it was anyone's guess who would truly come out ahead.
Two documents were produced. Both sides signed their respective copies and put them away. Thus, the peace talks between the Mist and Sand Villages concluded, successfully drawing a definitive end to the baffling war between the two villages. As for what price the Mist Village paid – only the two parties themselves knew. Kazuki had no interest in prying. Given the Mist Village's current situation, they couldn't have offered the Sand Village much in reparations anyway. Honestly, such paltry scraps weren't worth Kazuki's attention.
After everything was settled, Kazuki proactively suggested, "Since the peace talks between you two have concluded, as the host, I can only treat you both to a meal as a token of goodwill. Is there anything in particular you'd like to eat?" Rasa glanced at Mei Terumi and remained silent. He had no dietary restrictions and didn't particularly care about such indulgences.
"Barbecue?" Mei Terumi's eyes lit up. The Akimichi Clan's special grilled meat was perfectly suited to her tastes. Moreover, she relished the thought of making Kazuki bleed a bit financially.
"Very well. Follow me." Kazuki rose and headed outside, waving a hand to signal Shisui and Itachi that they could clock out and rest. There was no need for them to continue following. From here on, it was private time for the Hokage, Mizukage, and Kazekage. Kazuki dismissed his guards, and Rasa and Mei Terumi likewise dismissed theirs.
"I wonder when our village will ever see this level of prosperity," Mei Terumi remarked as they strolled through the streets of the Leaf Village, her initial cheerful expression gradually giving way to a string of sighs.
"If the Mist Village continues its policy of closed-door development, it will never prosper," Kazuki said. Since this was private time, his tone became considerably more casual. Without a shred of politeness, he took his knife and stabbed directly at Mei Terumi's weak spot.
Mei Terumi's elegant brows knitted together in frustration. "That was in the past. The Mist Village of the future will never be like that again. I am confident that under my leadership, the village will surely develop and thrive. However, Lord Hokage, you can't keep taking advantage of me, you know."
Rasa: "..."
Should I find somewhere to hide? Or should I crawl under a car? One moment they were talking, and the next, the conversation had veered sharply off the rails.
"Tch!" Kazuki clicked his tongue dismissively. "If I actually took advantage of you, you'd probably be grinning from ear to ear." This was no joke. If allowing herself to be taken advantage of meant the Leaf Village would help the Mist Village develop its economy, Mei Terumi would happily throw herself into the fire and still be ecstatic.
"..." This flirtatious banter was officially dead. Because Mei Terumi had realized that when it came to such teasing, she was hopelessly outmatched. The three soon arrived at the Akimichi Clan's barbecue restaurant.
"A private room, please. Several portions of every type of meat, plus some alcohol, some juice, and a few side dishes as well." Inside the most secluded private room in the restaurant, Mei Terumi sat opposite Kazuki, licking her lips with a smile. "It seems the Hokage intends to splurge today. I've heard the Akimichi Clan's special grilled meat doesn't come cheap."
"Expense account." Kazuki replied, lifting his teacup for a sip of hot tea.
Rasa: "..."
Mei Terumi: "..."
The Hokage, treating people to a meal in his private capacity, and he's putting it on the expense account?! Whether a Hokage could expense a private meal wasn't the point. The point was the audacity. In short – don't ask. Just put it on the expense account.
If not for their respective positions, these two might actually have a chance of ending up together... Rasa's gaze shifted back and forth between Kazuki and Mei Terumi. Soon, he dismissed that thought and replaced it with another: if it weren't for the constraints of their positions, Mei Terumi would very likely gravitate toward Kazuki of her own accord.