Konoha Notes

Chapter 122 Glimmer
Red Bean rested against the wall, while Hagi sat on the edge of the bed, holding Karin in her arms.

goo~
Karin's stomach made a protesting sound, and she blushed slightly, pretending that it wasn't her making the noise.

It had been a while since they'd eaten, ever since Shuji took them away from Kusagakure. Leaving Kusagakure didn't take long, but the journey from the Land of Fire's border to Konoha took much longer.

Karin was young and untrained, so her hunger came quickly and intensely.

Hagi Uzumaki rummaged through her clothes for a while, but couldn't find anything to eat. Having confirmed the forced transfer of ownership, she, who had been silent until now, finally spoke.

“Um…” her voice was very weak, “I’m so sorry, could you give me some food, just a little bit?”

Hongdou patted her forehead: "Oh, really, I completely forgot about that. Sorry, sorry, just a moment!"

She walked to the door and said a few words to the Konoha ninjas on duty nearby. Not long after, a ninja brought over several rice balls and water.

"Here, have something to eat first."

"Thank you so much..." Hagi quickly took the rice ball, thanked her in a low voice, and first put the rice ball into Karin's hand. She then let her drink some water first, and only after watching her daughter start eating did she begin to eat her own food in small bites.

The food was simple, but the comforting feeling brought by the warm rice balls and plain water was worth more than a thousand words.
Just then, the dormitory door was gently pushed open.

Entering were Shuji, who had returned, and a dazzling blonde woman with a beautiful face and a steady, confident gait; her mere presence attracted the attention of Hagi and Karin.

They had never seen anyone like this before.

Hagi instinctively put down the rice ball, hurriedly stood up, and bowed her head deeply. Karin sensed her mother's tension, but she couldn't look away from Tsunade.

Princess Senju's gaze naturally fell on the mother and daughter. She had originally intended to casually say, "Don't worry about us, keep eating." But seeing Hagi's expression, she swallowed her words.

Tsunade softened her tone and said, "Don't be nervous. Tell me your names first."

Uzumaki Hagi's body was tense, and she lowered her head: "...Uzumaki Hagi, my daughter's name is Karin."

"Hagi, and Karin, I understand."

As Tsunade spoke, she glanced at Shuji, gesturing for him to leave. Then, she approached the bedside, her gaze falling on Hagi's arm. "Your arm, may I take a look?"

Hagi's body stiffened visibly for a moment. It wasn't out of resistance—being bitten was commonplace for her—but for some reason, she didn't want the person in front of her to see her in that ugly state.

However, when Tsunade sat down naturally beside her, her long-established habit of obedience still made her tremble, and she slowly rolled up her sleeves.

Tsunade's breathing became heavy for a moment. She didn't speak, but carefully examined the layers of old and new teeth marks on Hagi's arm, her eyes gradually deepening. Then, she gestured to check other parts of her body.

Karin was temporarily set aside. Looking at the marks all over her mother's body, her eyes welled up with tears again.

After completing the initial examination, Tsunade briefly checked Karin's condition and, after confirming that she had not suffered the same treatment, gently touched her red hair.

"Rest well here first."

Tsunade's tone was gentle, but when she turned and walked out of the dormitory, her steps became noticeably faster.

Shuji waited quietly outside the door, but before he could speak, Tsunade grabbed him by the collar and dragged him to the corner of the corridor.

Shuji glanced at the toe of his shoe, which had once again suffered an undeserved misfortune. At this rate, he would have to replace his ninja shoes more frequently.

Tsunade let go of the wall, leaned against it, and sighed: "I'm not happy. I know this is reality, but I'm still not happy."

Shuji straightened his collar but didn't reply.

"What are your plans regarding that mother and daughter?" Tsunade straightened up, her expression returning to seriousness.

"What is your diagnosis?" Xiu Si asked in return.

“Hagi Uzumaki has had her chakra drained for a long time, resulting in severe physical depletion. Even more troublesome is the mental and emotional damage and trauma she has suffered; she is not suitable to be a ninja.” Tsunade paused. “As for that little girl, she's fine.”

Shuji nodded: "Karin is young, highly malleable, and has great potential. We can invest resources in nurturing her."

After considering this for a moment, Tsunade said, "Yes, if her special physique is properly nurtured, she can become an excellent medical ninja in the future. As a descendant of the Uzumaki clan, she should also have considerable talent in sealing techniques."

Shuji continued, "As for Uzumaki Hagi, her foundation is weak and her future growth potential is limited. Moreover, because of what happened in Kusagakure, overly friendly actions will only make her suspicious."

"Therefore, give her a regular job so she can support herself. It's best to keep her abilities a secret for now."

Tsunade pondered for a moment and then agreed. Whether out of emotional sympathy or rational arrangement, this was appropriate; Karin's potential and value were more than enough to allow her mother to live a normal life.

"Okay, let's stick to your idea for now."

She looked at Xiu Si: "Before that, the necessary review process still needs to be followed. I will arrange for the medical team and the sealing team to conduct a comprehensive examination for them."

"Kusagakure is skilled in sealing techniques, but we cannot confirm whether they have left any curse seals or similar techniques."

"Go explain the situation to the people you brought," Tsunade patted Shuuji on the shoulder. "I'll take care of the administrative procedures and the old man's side." Watching Tsunade leave, Shuuji pushed open the dormitory door again.

“You will be staying in Konoha Village for a while,” Shuji said. “We will arrange for the medical team and the sealing team to thoroughly examine your condition before you can enter the village.”

“Uzumaki… Hagi, right? Come here, there’s something I need to tell you.”

Hagi glanced uneasily at her daughter, but still followed Shuji outside.

Shuji said to Hagi, "As I said before, Konoha has its own medical system, and in most cases, your abilities are neither needed nor used."

He said it very bluntly: "But I can't guarantee you there won't be any 'what ifs'."

Hagi nodded slightly. It was precisely because of this that they were robbed of Konoha.

"The village will arrange a job for you, and you can earn money to support yourself and Karin. Before you receive your first paycheck, the village will provide a basic living allowance."

"When your abilities are truly needed in the future, the specific compensation will be calculated separately."

"Work?...Reward?" Hagi stared wide-eyed, repeating these two unfamiliar words almost blankly.

Shuuji frowned slightly: "Is there a problem?"

She shook her head hastily, her voice urgent: "No, it's just that I... I don't know what I can do..." Having been treated as a mere tool for too long, she had long forgotten her value beyond being "bitten."

Moreover, Konoha actually gave money...

"The village will arrange suitable work based on the situation. Any other questions?"

"No...no..."

Instead of being locked up, her current treatment as a medicine patient far exceeds her most optimistic expectations.

"Well then, that's all for now. Go back and rest. Someone will come to pick you up later for your check-up."

Shuji doesn't plan to talk to Hagi about Karin right now, as it would upset her. It would be better to wait until they settle down and let Karin naturally enter the ninja academy.

"Let's go, Red Bean."

"Yes, Captain."

Seeing Shuuji about to leave, Karin quickly ran a few steps and chased after him to the door: "Name, name, the captain's name is..."

Without pausing or turning his head, Xiuji uttered two words:
"Shushi."
-
Konoha Village remained unchanged despite the addition of two more people. After a rigorous and comprehensive physical and sealing examination, Uzumaki Hagi and Karin officially became residents of Konoha Village.

Faced with complicated procedures and a completely new environment, Uzumaki Hagi felt overwhelmed and disoriented. The simple and brutal treatment from Kusagakure made her more accustomed to it.

However, the life she once longed for but no longer dared to hope for seems to be about to become a reality.

Under Tsunade's arrangement, Hagi temporarily took on some simple chores at the Hokage Building. The work was not heavy, and she had relatively free time to take care of Karin.

As for their accommodation, they were arranged in a cheap apartment within the village, with the initial rent paid by the village—yes, Tsunade reported this to the Third Hokage. Recruiting new villagers, especially in this way, couldn't possibly bypass Hiruzen Sarutobi.

The Third Hokage did not object to accepting the remnants of the Uzumaki clan, which was in line with the village's interests and sentiments. However, the report's brief description of "Shuji being forcibly brought back from Kusagakure" subtly refreshed his understanding of the young Jonin's style of doing things.

The matter of the mother and daughter in the vortex has come to a temporary end.

Shortly afterward, Tsunade found Shuji and informed him of the outcome of the investigation into the unusual activity in Kusagakure: the Third Hokage had decided to entrust the matter entirely to Danzo Shimura and his Root organization.

At the same time, she also revealed to Shuji the legendary item that might be related to the Kusagakure operation—the Box of Elysium.

This was not unexpected by Shuuji. The Box of Elysium was something that appeared in the movie, and according to the original plot, Kusagakure did attempt to open it during that period, but failed.

It wasn't until the Nine-Tails' Jinchuriki appeared that Kusagakure restarted its plans.

It seems this was another failed attempt.

Shuji pondered to himself. If they hadn't succeeded in the original timeline, and now with the Root's covert interference, the outcome of Kusagakure's attempt would likely be even more bleak.

Just as Konoha was settling the Uzumaki mother and daughter in, teams from other ninja villages began to arrive in Konoha.

The first to arrive was the delegation from Sunagakure, the village of the Land of Wind.

The person leading this team was not just any ordinary Jonin instructor.

Instead, it was Chiyo, an advisor and elder of Sunagakure.

(End of this chapter)