Konoha Notes

Chapter 178 Request
There was no further reaction from the Hidden Cloud Village.

Shuji observed very carefully. There was no unusual rotation or reinforcement of the Cloud Village ninja guarding the main road at the village entrance, and the patrol forces around the Chunin Exam venue maintained their original rhythm; everything was as usual.

So, it wasn't Kumogakure that set up the barrier in that remote mountain valley?

This possibility certainly exists. The location where his clones operate is in the mountains outside Kumogakure, which is within the territory of the Land of Lightning, rather than the core area directly under the jurisdiction of a ninja village.

There are differences.

The five great ninja villages have always been most vigilant about the border areas and the village headquarters.

In other words, the area between the border and the ninja village is not actually within the high-intensity security zone of the ninja village. In most cases, security is handled by the standing patrol teams under the command of the daimyo of various countries.

Only when a ninja village receives a formal request from the daimyo will it send out ninjas to handle matters within the country but outside the village.

After all, the most powerful armed forces within the five great nations are indeed the ninja villages, but that doesn't mean there aren't other independent ninja clans or forces entrenched within their borders.

Even Konoha couldn't avoid it, let alone the Land of Lightning with its numerous mountains and complex terrain. It's not uncommon for some rogue ninja or small ninja clans to live alone in certain remote corners.

In any case, these are all speculations. I'll just focus on doing my job well these next two days. As for collecting tree seeds, there's still a month to go, so I can do it later.

The next day, the Konoha genin seemed a bit listless, especially Umino Iruka. The team's defeat, especially the fact that he was useless in the battle, was a big blow to a ninja of his age.

He summoned all the Konoha genin to the meeting room at the temporary base.

“There is only one winner in each Chunin Exam.” Shuji’s voice was calm, without encouragement or blame. “But that never means that others lose their qualification to become Chunin.”

All eyes were on him.

"As a team leader, a Chunin needs more than just personal combat skills. More importantly, they need the ability to make accurate judgments in various situations, whether it is against the enemy or against themselves."

"It is not the norm for your side to be far stronger than your opponent when carrying out a mission. More often than not, you will be facing enemies of equal or even greater strength."

"The ability to make the most advantageous choice when at a disadvantage, to preserve oneself to the greatest extent and complete the mission, is a more important quality for a Chunin than simply winning a battle."

Shuji's gaze swept over the genin present.

"Like now. The team competition is over, and the result cannot be changed. Your current goal is to fully demonstrate your abilities in the upcoming individual competitions and prove that you have the qualifications and potential to be promoted to Chunin."

"There is still nearly a month to prepare before the individual competition begins. If anyone thinks they can give up now, then I will allow them to return to their village early."

The meeting room was silent; no one moved or spoke. Iruka instinctively clenched his fist.

"It seems no one has chosen to withdraw."

"Then, you will need to arrange targeted training based on your observations. This is also part of your personal judgment."

"After returning to the village, the team's independent planning and execution during this phase will also be used as one of the evaluation criteria."

"As for the training venue, I will try to coordinate it."

Seeing the renewed fighting spirit in the eyes of the genin, Shuji left the camp.

He first approached the Cloud Village Chunin in charge of venue management and asked to borrow the space for training.

The other party flatly refused, citing that "the venue is under maintenance and renovation and is not convenient to open to the public."

As for the training grounds in Kumogakure, that's even more difficult. Apart from Shuji, no one else has even entered Kumogakure yet. After a moment's thought, Shuji found Samui and once again asked to borrow the training grounds.

He didn't expect the other side to agree, after all, being able to use the organizer's training facilities during the off-season was itself a kind of implicit home-field advantage.

All you need to do is ask to train outside of Kumogakure after the other party refuses; Shuji can solve the problem of the training ground by using Earth Release.

However, Samui did not immediately refuse. She looked at Xiu Si with her blue-green eyes.

She noticed Darui's frustration yesterday and told Raikage about it.

The leader of Konoha, despite knowing Darui's strength and even proactively negotiating to adjust the match schedule to avoid an early clash, still appeared completely unconcerned after watching Darui's battle.

This person is either someone who only knows how to talk, or someone with exceptional abilities.

“Mr. Shuji,” Samui began, his voice cold, “there might be room for discussion regarding the training grounds. But before that, would you be willing to grant me a request?”

Shuji looked at her, not answering immediately, waiting for her to continue.

“If you are willing to take the time to have a coaching spar with Darui,” Samui said, looking directly into Shuuji’s eyes, “then I can do my best to get your Konoha team members to use a spare training ground outside the village before the individual tournament begins.”

Her idea is simple.

Whether Shuji is good at talking or good at fighting, the result will be revealed after a real sparring match.

If he is not strong enough and loses or performs poorly in a sparring match, then Darui will naturally see that his opponent is "nothing special" and thus get rid of the frustration caused by being underestimated.

If he is strong enough, even surpassing Darui, that would be fine too. Darui isn't incapable of accepting defeat; his mental imbalance stems more from the confusion arising from the disparity in their positions and actions.

If he can confirm the true gap in their strengths, it will actually help him find the right target and ignite his ambition.

“I can offer guidance, but I hope that the genin I lead can observe as well.”

Samui wants to resolve Darui's inner conflict.

Shuji wanted to take this opportunity to boost the morale of his ninjas.

Samui frowned slightly. A private sparring session between the two was fine, but if the Konoha genin were to watch… that would be a different story. It meant a degree of public display.

“If it’s not possible,” Shuji continued, seeing her hesitation, “it’s alright if Konoha doesn’t need to use the Cloud Village’s training grounds.”

“We can find a venue outside ourselves. Surely the Hidden Cloud Village, as the organizer, wouldn’t refuse such a reasonable request as participating ninja villages to find their own training venues outside their own villages.”

He had no reason to do a good deed for no reason. After all, it was Darui's side that had first subtly provoked him with words.

As for training, having readily available equipment is certainly good, but it's not a big deal if you don't. It's only a month of training time anyway, so the impact won't be that significant.

Samyi remained silent for a moment.

This Konoha ninja is really troublesome. He seemingly offered a choice, but in reality, he threw the pressure back at them. If Kumogakure couldn't even be accommodating on such a "small matter," it would seem petty of them if word got out.

"Please wait a moment," Samui finally said. "If there are people watching, this is not something I can decide on my own. I need to consult Lord Raikage."

(End of this chapter)