Konoha Notes

Chapter 174 Adjustment
His squad was special, and Umino Iruka knew that. Gekko Hayate and Uzuki Yugao didn't hide the fact that they were on a mission, nor could they.

After all, both Hayate and Yugao were outstanding ninjas who successfully became Chunin the year after graduating from the Ninja Academy. As a ninja who graduated in the same batch, Iruka naturally knew about this, especially since he had been a Genin for several years, and he remembered it even more clearly.

The fact that these two, already Chunin, are still among the Genin teams participating in the competition suggests the village has other plans. Iruka's strength isn't outstanding, but his qualities as a ninja are undeniable.

The village has made arrangements, so just follow orders. It's only natural to be cautious when it involves matters between two ninja villages.

The written test for the Hidden Cloud Village came quickly, starting on the third day after the Konoha team arrived.

The written exam itself didn't put much pressure on Iruka. The questions set by Kumogakure weren't too difficult, and the proctors' tolerance for some less-than-concealed cheating in the exam room was significantly higher than Konoha's usual standards.

This significantly relaxed written exam posed no obstacle to the nine teams carefully selected by Konoha. As expected, all Konoha members passed with ease.

Not only Konoha, but also the teams from Frost Village and Hot Spring Village who came to participate in the competition all passed this simple threshold.

Those who were actually eliminated in this round were actually some of the lower-ranking ninja from the Hidden Cloud Village itself.

After this relatively easy written test, some people might have secretly breathed a sigh of relief, but the two members of the Dark Division, who were already on a special mission, would not relax in the slightest.

Moonlight Gale said in a low voice, "We are their tools to demonstrate their strength, and also actors in the competition, which is why we cannot be eliminated in the written test round."

Uzuki Yugao nodded slightly, her expression solemn: "Gale, the fact that Kumogakure relaxed to this extent in the first stage can only prove that what follows will be extremely difficult."

Listening to the conversation between the two Chunin, Iruka, the true Genin, now felt a heavy pressure.

Shuji, who received the list of participants for the main competition after the written test, understood this as well. He saw Darui's name.

Shuji knew what Hii would be involved in, but Darui... Kumogakure really wanted to win.

Darui, the man who was granted permission to have the character "雷" (lightning) tattooed on his arm during the time of the Third Raikage because he was able to master the Black Lightning technique, a secret technique of Kumogakure.

Given his strength and experience, if Kumogakure wanted to keep him out of the limelight, his ninja rank should at least be Chunin. If he were to be promoted exceptionally based on his talent, he should even qualify as a Jonin.

Now, as a genin, I'm participating in the Chunin Exams, especially since the main arena is in Kumogakure...

This is similar to having fourteen-year-old Kakashi Hatake participate in the joint Chunin Exams in his own village.

What if you just changed your name?

Now that it's confirmed that Darui will appear, it seems that Tsunade's pre-arranged forces of Hayate Gekko and Yugao Uzuki are insufficient to handle the current situation.

Whether it's being directly matched against Darui's team in the team competition or encountering them at the very beginning of the individual competition, it's not a good thing for Konoha.

Konoha needs to save face, while Kumogakure wants victory and prestige. Therefore, it's time for some unspoken communication, something that can't be openly discussed but is understood by both sides.

It's time for some dirty deals.

With this in mind, Shuji once again approached Samui, the Cloud Village Jonin in charge of liaison.

"Mr. Shuji, do you have any questions?"

"No, it's about the exam itself. There are some things I'd like to discuss with you," Shuji said calmly. "I just checked the official list of those who passed the written exam and found that it seems there are some names mixed in... which, normally speaking, shouldn't appear in an exam at this level."

Samui's eyes suddenly sharpened: "Who are you referring to?"

Shuji didn't immediately reveal her name, but simply met her gaze calmly. After a moment, he slowly said, "Konoha understands the innovations and changes your village has made to the competition format in order to host this grand event, and naturally understands the desired effect behind these changes."

"Last year, Nozomi faced Itachi in the final stage."

"Only when both parties can benefit can such activities continue to be held."

"Your village has built a massive, dedicated arena for this exam. With such an investment, surely you don't intend to use it only once?"

Samui listened in silence, her face taut. She gave Xiu Si a long look, as if trying to glean more information from his overly calm expression.

"Please wait a moment." Finally, she looked away, left those words, and turned to leave quickly.

Shuji didn't have to wait long before he was invited to the Raikage's office again.

The Fourth Raikage, A, sat in a large chair, his strong arms crossed over his chest, his face showing undisguised anger and a hint of doubt.

"Has Konoha's intelligence capabilities really reached this level?"

Although Shuji didn't name names, the Cloud Village knew perfectly well who they had arranged for extra people. Xi had already visited Konoha last year, and Konoha had no objections.

But with the addition of Darui this year, the leader of Konoha immediately came knocking on their door.

This only proves that Konoha has already obtained information about Darui, including his identity and approximate strength.

Korui is not active in the ninja world, rarely goes on field missions, and seldom leaves the Land of Lightning. Konoha should not have such a clear understanding of him.

Shuji did not answer the question, but said, "Lord Raikage, the Joint Chunin Exams have never been just a simple test for Genin. This is a consensus among all villages in the ninja world."

“Each village has the right to decide on the final participants based on its own standards and circumstances. After all, the standards for judging ninja levels are not entirely the same between different villages.”

"However, in order to ensure the smooth running of this grand event that has attracted much attention, and to ultimately achieve a satisfactory and wonderful result for all participants and even the VIP guests..."

Shuji slightly raised his eyelids, his gaze calmly meeting the Raikage's scrutinizing eyes.

"Could we consider making some... appropriate, win-win adjustments to the official competition schedule?"

Combining what Samui had relayed earlier, Ai understood Shuuji's meaning. Konoha probably also had a fairly strong squad, but in this leader's judgment, that squad was not enough to contend with Darui.

Therefore, Konoha's hope is not to disqualify Darui—that would be tantamount to slapping Kumogakure in the face. Rather, they hope to manipulate the draw or schedule to prevent their seeded teams from encountering Darui, or at least not in the early stages.

Moreover, the opponent seems quite confident in their hidden pawns, convinced that as long as they don't encounter Darui prematurely, they can go further and win enough face for Konoha.

"Hmph, so you guys made arrangements too."

Shuji nodded slightly, neither confirming nor denying, and simply said, "Konoha has no intention of overstepping its bounds. We simply hope that this grand event, spearheaded by your village, can have a process and outcome that better meet everyone's expectations."

Finally, Raikage said calmly, "The specific match-up list will be drawn and officially announced before the start of the match."

"However, once the competition begins, all results will depend solely on the participants' performance and abilities. We will absolutely not interfere during the competition."

(End of this chapter)