Konoha Notes

Chapter 110 The Journey Home and the Trade-offs
The search around the Fire Temple yielded no results; no useful clues or traces were found.

After a period of fruitless searching, Shuuji was the first to stop. He wasn't a ninja specializing in tracking, nor was Asuma; with no other options available, continuing to waste energy on this was pointless.

"That's it for now."

"Asuma-senpai, please set off immediately and return to the village to report on the matter of the Nine-Tails' chakra."

Faced with Shuuji's arrangement, Asuma's face showed resistance: "I have already relinquished my identity as a Konoha ninja and left the village. I will go and report..."

Shuji just stared at him, and Asuma shut his mouth.

"You and Master Jiraiya were at the Fire Temple. Master Jiraiya has no direct connection with the village, and he needs to deal with the Fire Temple matter, so he can't spare the time."

"The task of reporting is naturally left to you."

"Asuma-senpai, if I remember correctly, you did not officially leave the Konoha ninja ranks."

"I only told the third generation leader that I was leaving the village. According to the records of the Ministry of Government Affairs, I was on 'long-term leave'."

"I already have a lot on my plate, and I was just forced to end my vacation."

“Show some of the responsibility of a senior, Mr. Asuma.”

Xiu Si harbored deep resentment. From setting off from Daming Prefecture overnight to being intercepted and then rushing back to provide support, he hadn't slept a single minute, fought countless battles, or traveled a single step less.

It was even more arduous than when I was sent as an envoy to Sunagakure; back then, we could take turns.

Faced with his deep gaze and the blood-stained clothes he hadn't changed out of, Asma, who had also been up all night, working tirelessly and smoking all night, was speechless for a moment, unable to utter a rebuttal.

In the end, he simply agreed.

"I see."

He turned around, his figure somewhat hurried, and quickly disappeared in the direction leading to Konoha.

Shuji watched him leave and then set off back to the City of Fire.

At this moment, the City of Fire has seemingly returned to order. Although news of last night's turmoil has spread, the timely appearance of the Daimyo, coupled with Kitako's frequent patrols with her guards, has effectively suppressed the spread of panic.

Although people's hearts are still somewhat unsettled at this moment, there is no major chaos in sight.

After holding an emergency consultation meeting with his retainers and loyal ministers to initially stabilize the core leadership, the daimyo met with Shuji again.

"Junior Ninja Shuji, is there any further development regarding the Fire Temple?" The Daimyo invited Shuji to sit down and inquired about the Fire Temple.

"The unrest has subsided, please rest assured," Shuji said. The matter of the Nine-Tails' chakra was too complicated, and since Sora's whereabouts were currently unknown, informing the Daimyo would not be of any use and might even cause unnecessary worry.

The daimyo didn't intend to investigate further; if Shuji said it was true, then it was true, and if he didn't, then it wasn't.

"This incident has made me see many things clearly."

"Regarding the Guardian Ninja, I think the Daimyo Prefecture doesn't need so many people. An excessive number, with both good and bad members, would only cause trouble."

"Since the Fire Temple has suffered a misfortune, Master Jiriku should prioritize rebuilding the temple and comforting the monks. It is not appropriate to trouble him with the responsibility of guarding it. I will send someone to convey my regards later so that he can focus on handling the temple affairs."

“But Asuma…” the daimyo hesitated, “previously, because of a slight rift between him and the Third Hokage, I temporarily kept him in the daimyo’s residence, but now…”

Shuji said, "I have already asked Asuma to return to the village and report what happened here."

The daimyo immediately smiled and said, "That would be wonderful. Thank you for your hard work, Jonin Shuji. I will convey my gratitude to Asuma on his behalf in the future."

Then, he warmly invited, "Since there's nothing to do right now, and you must be tired, why don't you join me for a simple meal and rest a bit?"

The banquet wasn't extravagant, but the food was quite good. During the meal, Da Ming didn't discuss any major topics, only exchanging a few casual remarks about social interactions.

After filling his stomach, the daimyo arranged a quiet room for him. Being outside the village, his sleep was always very light, but after resting for a while, Shuji's energy had recovered considerably.

As evening fell, the team dispatched by Konoha arrived on time. From the Jonin leading the team, Shuji learned that Asuma had been left in the village and had not returned to the Land of Fire with the team.

Before leaving, the daimyo handed a sealed letter to Shuji, which was considered a reply to the secret scroll that Shuji had brought last time.

It was already late at night when they arrived at the village, but they couldn't go straight home to sleep yet; they still had to go to the Hokage Building.

As he stepped into the office, a wave of weariness washed over him. Xiu Si felt that he absolutely had to go through the retirement process before he turned thirty. This damned overtime, counting his predecessor, meant he had been working overtime since he was eleven, and it had been going on for four years already.

Being a ninja is a high-risk job, but the pay is also high. By the time you turn thirty, you'll have saved enough money, and things should be mostly resolved.

"Hokage-sama, Tsunade-sama."

The Third Hokage wasn't alone in the office; Tsunade was also sitting nearby, her brows furrowed as she reviewed documents.

"Shuji, it's good that you're back. You've worked hard again this time." The Third Hokage put down his pipe. "Asuma has already given a preliminary report on the situation, but you'll need to give me more details."

Xiu Si nodded and gave a concise and clear account of the process of the mission, what he saw and heard, and the follow-up actions.

The Third Hokage listened quietly, not surprised that the Daimyo ultimately chose to retain only two Guardian Shinobi. The Konoha ninja might not care much about the Daimyo's personal affairs, but they would never pose a real threat to his power or safety.

Regarding the Nine-Tails' chakra, Shuji only recounted the information he heard from Asuma and Jiraiya, without adding his own speculation.

The Third Hokage sighed, "Kazuma was a well-known ninja in the Land of Fire. Although he hadn't joined Konoha, he had always been very friendly to the village, which is why he was allowed to enter the village for exchanges. I never expected it to turn out like this."

At that moment, Tsunade forcefully put down her pen, stretched, and her bones made a slight cracking sound.

"Alright, old man, that's enough about the important stuff." She stood up. "You know what you need to know. We'll talk about the rest of the details tomorrow."

As she spoke, she walked straight to Xiu Si, grabbed him by the back of his collar, and dragged him out of the office without saying a word.

"Come on, kid! What are you still standing there for? Waiting for the old man to give you overtime pay?"

Sarutobi Hijiri opened his mouth as if to say something, but looking at the mountain of documents still on the table, he could only shake his head helplessly, silently pick up his pipe, and refill it with tobacco.

What can this old man do when the young people skip work? He just keeps working.

Shuuji was already somewhat used to it, and even with the intense friction from his heels, his expression remained unchanged: "Lady Tsunade, could you reimburse me for the cost of these ninja shoes?"

"Huh?" Tsunade feigned surprise and let go of her hand. "I thought there was something in my hand."

"Come on, let's go have a drink."

"Your memory seems to be getting worse, or even worse..."

She crossed her arms and leaned closer, a half-smile on her face: "What is it?"

"You've been working too much overtime. Please take care of your health."

Finally, Tsunade took Shuji to an ordinary little shop. She ordered grilled chicken skewers and sake as if she knew the place well, while Shuji ordered stir-fried cabbage with meat, as well as a stewed radish and rice.

The food in the village wasn't actually any better than outside, but after being a ninja for a long time, especially when you became somewhat famous, you felt more and more that at least you could eat the food in the village without any worries.

When you're out in the world, you always have to be extra careful.

Taking a bite of the crispy, caramelized chicken, followed by a sip of half a cup of refreshing sake, Tsunade let out a satisfied sigh.
"Ah—I'm back to normal. Every day is just a mountain of documents to read and applications to approve. I really miss the carefree days of the past," she remarked, swirling her wine glass.

Shuji ate his meal quietly; the warm, home-cooked taste was perfect for a time like this. Simple, hearty food is what makes people most relaxed.

It was even more comfortable than eating those things in Daming Prefecture.

Fatigue is decreasing...

"Where is Miss Shizune?" he asked casually.

"I had to work overtime tonight, so I sent her home first." Tsunade rested her chin on her hand, toying with her wine glass in the other. "It's a bit boring without someone to drink with."

"Please do not have any thoughts of leading the child astray, thank you."

"Stop nagging! Eat your food!"

"According to relevant regulations, adult seducers are usually regarded as the main person in charge, Lady Tsunade."

"Shut up! Try grabbing me and see what happens."

After a few drinks, Tsunade's cheeks flushed slightly, and she became more talkative: "The old man always said you were very capable, and this time I finally got to see it for myself."

"People of Asma's age are so stubborn that even the old man can't handle them. I didn't expect him to obediently return to the village so quickly."

"I've put my headband back on now."

"The old man told him to go to the border post for a period of time to calm down, and to talk about his thoughts after the mission was over."

He ate his stewed radish silently, without saying a word.

Looking at the suddenly quiet boy in front of her, the blonde princess with a thousand hands suddenly spoke, her tone unusually gentle: "You've had a hard time on this mission."

Shuuji looked up at her and asked, "Are you sick?"

Tsunade's fingers tightened, crushing the wine glass in her hand. Her face instantly darkened: "I think you're about to die."

She must have had a bit too much to drink, because she's actually concerned about this.

Hearing the commotion, the shop assistant cautiously said, "Um, Lady Tsunade..."

"He'll pay." Tsunade pointed at Shuuji, annoyed.

"Let's get down to business. After this mission is over, you can rest for a few days." Composing herself, Tsunade said, "Then, you arrange a time for me to see Uchiha Fugaku."

"As for the location, the old house in the western suburbs will be fine."

(End of this chapter)