Konoha Notes

Chapter 131 Uzumaki Naruto
The faint smell of disinfectant lingered in the air. Wuwei leaned back on the hospital bed, listening to the Third Hokage recount the conclusion of the entire incident in a calm tone.

Satoru has been dealt with, and the Box of Bliss has been left behind by Konoha.

As Hiruzen Sarutobi recounted his story, his gaze remained fixed on Muu's face, observing his reaction.

On Wuwei's face, there was self-reproach and relief, but not a trace of resentment towards Konoha's handling of the situation.

"Immaculate and Dragon Tongue, those are the names of those two children, right?"

Wuwei's eyes regained their light, and he pleaded, "Lord Hokage, all the responsibility lies with me, it has nothing to do with them! Wugou and Ryusei... they were just following the village's orders and trusting us elders... Please, please don't hold them responsible."

Hiruzen Sarutobi feigned surprise: "Responsibility? What responsibility?"

He subtly changed the subject: "I was just thinking, shouldn't those two be able to represent Kusagakure in this Chunin Exams?"

"Could it be that the promise made by Kusagakure regarding participation in the exam was not true?"

Wuwei was stunned. Weren't they talking about the Box of Bliss? Wasn't Konoha investigating Kusagakure's responsibility? Why was the Chunin Exams suddenly brought up?

The third generation simply looked at him.

“You…yes, Wugou and Ryusei are able to participate in this Chunin Exams.” Wuwei seemed to understand something, and he lowered his head to reply.

Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded: "Very good, Mr. Muwei, you are the leader of the team dispatched by Kusagakure to participate in the exam this time."

Wuwei said in disbelief, "Lord Hokage, I am very grateful that you want to help me, but... I am also one of those who are trying to rebel against Konoha."

The third generation said gently, "There is nothing wrong with wanting to protect your village, Mr. Muwei. You have just used the wrong methods."

"Choosing to run away from mistakes is the most irresponsible behavior."

"Now that Kusagakure has suffered such a huge loss, if even you, as a Jonin, give up, how will you face the remaining people in the village?"

How should you face those children?

“Please pull yourself together and go back to face everything that needs to be faced, Mr. Muwei. This is what we should do for Kusagakure, for Muku and Ryuze.”
-
In the Root, Danzo sat alone on a large chair, his one eye closed, his fingers tapping the armrest intermittently.

The matter of the Box of Bliss did indeed allow him to quickly escape the predicament of being under semi-house arrest and regain the authority to act.

However, Danzo could clearly sense that his influence within the core decision-making circle was irreversibly and continuously declining.

His suggestion was not adopted, but that was not the most important thing. Danzo knew his old friend Hiruzen Sarutobi's style well; as long as things were done and the result was beneficial to Konoha, he would often tacitly approve of the fait accompli.

But now he no longer has that power; he can't do things that the Hokage disagrees with, and he's not allowed to do things that the Hokage hasn't instructed him to do.

When did it all begin?
Right, it started with Shuuji, a person who should have died but survived and came back to life.

He took Itachi Uchiha away and seemed to have gained Fugaku Uchiha's trust; he reunited the Senju clan, but lost some of his supporters in the process; he found Tsunade, and now he will return to obscurity.

Tools, if in the wrong hands, will not only fail to be effective, but will also cause huge waste and even more serious harm.

Their naive and weak strategy towards the Uchiha clan will ultimately cost Konoha dearly.

Just like the night of the nine tails.

It's time to rethink our plans.
-
The old house of Qianshou in the western suburbs.

Xiu Si lay sprawled on his bed in his room, staring blankly at the wood grain on the ceiling, utterly bored.

It's a rare moment of rest, a time when my body and mind are completely relaxed, and I can't think about anything. It's been so long since I've felt this way.

He had carefully considered Hiruzen Sarutobi's invitation to formally join the Anbu.

The conclusion is rejection.

While working in the shadows can certainly accumulate impressive resumes and achievements, what does Shuji need those things for?
Moreover, the work of the secret service is mostly clandestine, which is bad enough, but they also work year-round without rest. After completing a task, they have to return immediately to report, leaving them with no freedom whatsoever.

In comparison, the life of an ordinary Jonin suited him better. Although there were still many things to do, and special missions from time to time, he could occasionally find a way to slack off in non-emergency situations. For example, he could take ten days to travel a three-day journey and slowly make his way back to the village.

Although he had made up his mind, Shuji was in no hurry to reply to the Third Hokage; he would talk about it later at the Hokage Building.

After a field mission, Tsunade finally didn't lose her conscience and dragged him to continue working overtime.

He slept soundly for days, and when Shuji woke up, it was the afternoon of the next day.

Sufficient sleep can quickly dispel accumulated fatigue.

Leaving the old house and heading towards the center of the village, Shuji noticed that the atmosphere in the village seemed somewhat different. That subtle sense of oppression had not appeared for some time since the end of the war.

Groups of villagers were whispering by the roadside. From just a few words like "border," "sacrifice," and "monster," he roughly understood: when Satoru entered the Land of Fire and headed towards Konoha, many people died at the border outposts. Those on border duty were always the first to be on the front lines…

Shuji walked toward Ichiraku Ramen, and as he passed the intersection, his gaze was drawn to a short figure.

It was a child who looked only three or four years old, wearing a green long-sleeved shirt with a slightly oversized light-colored short-sleeved shirt over it, with a striking red swirl mark printed on the chest.

What's most striking is his blond hair and the beard-like texture on his face.

It’s Uzumaki Naruto.

Shuji slowed his pace slightly.

Is Naruto already able to move around the village on his own at this point?

As far as he knew, as the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki and having lost both parents, Naruto spent most of his life under strict supervision and cared for by specific personnel after his birth.

So since he transmigrated here, Shuji has never seen Naruto.

Is it because he's getting older that he's being allowed to move around the village on his own?
Although Jinchuriki are treated very poorly in various ninja villages, Gaara, for example, has no chance of changing his situation, even though his father and the current Kazekage are not his only options.

Of course, considering that Gaara's suffering was largely due to Rasa's manipulation, it's not really relevant to his case.

But knowing something in theory and seeing it with your own eyes are two different things.

Watching that small figure weave through the crowd, the adults around cast glances tinged with fear, disgust, and alienation, whispering amongst themselves and quickly pulling their own children away. This almost overt, tacit rejection created an absurd and unsettling scene.

The so-called concealment of the Jinchuriki's identity was, in this situation, truly a futile attempt. Especially since Konoha isn't a completely isolated ninja village; there's always a flow of people. Anyone paying close attention would have noticed the anomaly.

Shuji's gaze swept towards the shadows at the street corner, where the presence of an ANBU member lingered, always following Naruto like a shadow.

Even so, to let the villagers have this attitude, even though the third generation leader himself often expressed concern, was really because he had too much confidence in the child's mental resilience.

Shuji didn't stop walking, naturally brushing past Naruto. His figure conveniently blocked those gazes. Facing the village ninja, the villagers slightly restrained their gazes, and although the whispers didn't stop, at least the piercing stares lessened somewhat.

Just as they passed each other, the small, golden head suddenly turned around, its azure eyes filled with a hint of doubt as it looked at Shuuji's departing figure.

Just now... something seemed different.

Those uncomfortable looks vanished in an instant.

Unaware of Naruto's thoughts, Shuji finished his ramen and headed straight for the Hokage Building. He didn't encounter the Third Hokage, but instead bumped into Tsunade as she came out.

"No overtime today, no matter what, Lady Tsunade," Shuuji declared decisively, speaking first.

Upon hearing this, Tsunade gave a cold snort, and lowered her hand, which she had been about to raise.

"If you're not here to help, what are you doing here?"

“On the way here, I ran into a child,” Shuji said.

Tsunade immediately gave her a disgusted look: "You, are you planning to go somewhere and steal someone again?"

“…They’re from the village,” Shuji replied. “If I’m not mistaken, they’re the Nine-Tails’ jinchūriki.”

Princess Senju composed herself: "Naruto? What happened?"

"Is that child able to live independently now? Isn't he only... 4 years old?"

"what do you want to say in the end?"

“I just saw him on the street,” Shuji repeated.

“Two ANBU squads take turns watching over him in the village 24 hours a day, and the old man also visits him often,” Tsunade replied.

“I’m just wondering, even if it’s for the sake of protecting the Jinchuriki, shouldn’t we ask the villagers to restrain their attitude towards him?” Shuji got to the point. “I know how many people died in the Nine-Tails’ rampage, and I know he was being blamed, but that’s not a reason to let it go unchecked.”

"No matter how many enemies the Fourth Hokage had, their prominence was probably far less than the attention and danger brought about by his identity as the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki."

Tsunade remained silent for a moment. Her grandmother was the first Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, and she knew better than anyone what that identity meant and what kind of looks it would attract. Even as the wife of the God of Shinobi, Mito Uzumaki could not completely avoid those strange gazes.

Therefore, neither Jiraiya nor Kakashi ever commented on Naruto's situation. Even the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, was probably already mentally prepared for Naruto's predicament after becoming a Jinchūriki.

This is the reality of the ninja world, the fate of the Jinchuriki, and no village is an exception.

She looked at Xiuji and finally said, "...I understand. I'll make the arrangements."

(End of this chapter)