Konoha Notes

Chapter 14 New Team Members

The air in the Hokage's office was stagnant and heavy, as if you could wring water out of it.

The faint light filtering through the window slanted through the billowing tobacco smoke, making Hiruzen Sarutobi's face appear blurry in the haze.

Danzo Shimura's voice was low and resolute, like a cold stone thrown into stagnant water: "Hiruzen, that injury report, in black and white. That level of penetrating wound, blood loss, organ rupture... theoretically, there is no possibility of survival."

His thin fingers tapped the Konoha Hospital report spread out on the table, the knuckles striking the paper with a dull echo.

Hiruzen Sarutobi remained silent, the embers in his pipe flickering in the dim light.

The two understood each other without saying a word. The report described the path to the underworld, while the boy who should have been lying on a memorial stone was now walking alive in the sunlight. A vague and heavy answer, like the smell of smoke in the room, lingered.

Most of the Senju clan's techniques are stored in Konoha's forbidden technique library, contributed by the Second Hokage, Tobirama. After the Senju clan disbanded, although some new techniques may have remained, the one that could have allowed Shuuji to survive was so dangerous that Momoka didn't make a choice until the very last moment. What it was isn't hard to guess.

Hiruzen Sarutobi took a deep drag on his cigarette, the pungent smoke swirling in his lungs. He looked at Danzo through the smoke and asked calmly, his tone revealing no emotion.

"He's not suited to lead Uchiha Itachi." Danzo went straight to the point without any beating around the bush. "Hand over Uchiha Itachi to me." His purpose was naked and clear; Shuji was merely a prelude.

Danzo's true target was always Itachi, the young genius of the Uchiha clan.

Hiruzen Sarutobi had a clear understanding of this.

"Impossible." His voice was firm and unwavering, leaving no room for negotiation. Even if they considered transferring Itachi to the Anbu for special training, there was absolutely no way he would fall into the hands of Root. "Fugaku will not accept it," he pointed out the key point.

Every member of the Root has been marked with a curse seal, and their life, death, honor, and disgrace are all in Danzo's hands.

Even ordinary Uchiha clan members fear the Root clan, let alone the clan leader's son, a genius on whom the Uchiha clan places great hopes!

"There's no need for Fugaku Uchiha to know." Danzo's voice carried a cold confidence, as if manipulating people's hearts was the most natural thing in the world. "I have a way to get Itachi Uchiha... to join voluntarily."

Hiruzen Sarutobi slammed his pipe against the edge of the table, making a loud thud and sending a few sparks flying. "No."

"They're already itching to make a move!" Danzo's voice suddenly rose.

Hiruzen Sarutobi took a deep breath, as if to exhale the pent-up emotions in his chest along with the smoke, letting the swirling smoke temporarily blur the weariness and heaviness in his eyes.

“Kumakushi Village has signaled its intention to negotiate,” he changed the subject, “The most urgent task is to resolve this matter.”

Danzo let out a short, cold snort, but ultimately followed up on the Third Hokage's words: "After the last operation failed, Kumogakure did indeed cease its activities on the border."

"The village is about to collapse too." Hiruzen Sarutobi calmly stated the reality, his fingers unconsciously stroking the warm pipe.

For the Hidden Cloud Village, the three-year stalemate at the border was not just about the casualty figures of the ninjas on the front lines.

The Land of Lightning is mostly mountainous with little flat land, and its limited arable land is used to cultivate a large number of cash crops in pursuit of economic benefits. After the falling out with the Land of Fire, food trade between the Land of Lightning and the countries within the influence of Konoha Village almost ceased.

On the surface, Konoha Village is merely a military mercenary organization, unable to interfere in the affairs of the Land of Fire, let alone make any demands on other countries.

However, Danzo Shimura's Root organization was never bound by such superficial formalities. They launched attacks in all directions, not only precisely intercepting all caravans attempting to reach the Land of Lightning, but also turning these "spoils of war" into supplies to nourish Konoha. The complete paralysis of land trade routes forced the Land of Lightning to rely solely on sea transport. Food prices soared, essential goods were scarce, and the standard of living for ordinary people plummeted. Even though Kumogakure could barely maintain supplies to the front lines thanks to its reserves, discontent was already rampant in the rear, and the Daimyo of the Land of Lightning had repeatedly informed the Raikage.

The Cloud Village raid that led to the annihilation of Shuji's squad was a last-ditch effort. The silence that followed the failure in the Cloud Village was proof of their utter exhaustion.

In contrast, Konoha, though not lacking in food and supplies, was worn down by years of war, which was like a heavy millstone, grinding away at the villagers' patience and hope.

War-weariness spread like wildfire, silently.

With Kumogakure extending an olive branch, Konoha has reached the end of this war of attrition.

“The village has been short-handed these past few years, with too many backlogged requests. In the Land of Forest and Izuku Port, wandering ninjas are proliferating, and the situation is somewhat chaotic.” Hiruzen Sarutobi’s voice regained its businesslike indifference. “Root, send someone to check it out first. Stabilize the situation.”

"I will make the arrangements," Danzo replied, his voice devoid of emotion.

He turned, leaning on his cane, his wide robes billowing in a slightly chilly breeze. Two Root ninjas, wearing animal masks and exuding an aura as still as stagnant water, silently emerged from the shadows and followed closely behind.

The heavy door to the Hokage's office was flung open, and bright lights from the corridor flooded in, briefly dispelling the gloom and smoke inside. In that instant of light and shadow, Danzo and Shuji, who was about to knock on the door, met face to face.

"Advisor." Xiu Si stopped and nodded slightly in greeting, his voice calm and even.

Shimura Danzo did not even pause in his steps.

His deep-set, hawk-like eyes swept sharply and coldly over Xiu Si, as if trying to pierce through his skin and examine all the secrets hidden beneath.

In the end, the advisor merely let out a faint, ambiguous "hmm" from his nose, and then, along with two Root ninjas, disappeared into the end of the corridor like three shadows blending into the wall, leaving behind an inescapable chilling aura.

Shuji watched the three figures disappear completely into the darkness at the end of the corridor before turning his gaze away and pushing open the door to the Hokage's office.

The smell of tobacco mixed with old paper wafted over him. He walked to the large desk and gently placed down the paper bag he had prepared, which contained records of his mission history and personal information from the past few years.

"Lord Hokage." His voice broke the brief silence in the room.

Hiruzen Sarutobi seemed to deliberately conceal some of the solemnity and weariness on his face. He put down his pipe and looked at Shuji with a gentle, elder-like gaze: "They've arrived. Regarding the recommendation letters..." He opened a drawer, "Hayami and Kachi have already sent them." He took out two sealed scrolls and placed them on the corner of the table. "The assessment task is a specialized evaluation of ninjutsu ability. Your ninjutsu skills have always been outstanding. So, there shouldn't be any problem, right?"

"Yes, I will be prepared." Xiu Si's answer was crisp and concise, without any unnecessary words.

"Also," Hiruzen Sarutobi seemed to remember something, and pulled out a thin document from the drawer, handing it over, "about your squad members. This child... currently, due to some special reasons, has not yet been assigned a suitable squad in the village. After consideration, I think it might be suitable for him to join your squad."

Xiuji took the document and his gaze fell on the photo on the information page.

A girl with short purple hair came into view, her eyes carrying a hint of untamed wildness, and the corners of her mouth seemed to be curled up in a nonchalant smile.

Mitarashi red beans.

(End of this chapter)