Konoha Notes

Chapter 192 Fighting
"No news from Konoha?"

Ever since receiving Onoki's invitation, Rasa had been waiting. Waiting for Konoha's reaction, or rather, waiting for an opportunity to negotiate.

It is impossible for Sand Village to participate in the exams held by Iwagakure.

Onoki only intended to cause trouble for Konoha and did not have the sincerity to invite Sunagakure to participate.

Ebizo stood not far behind him, his eyes half-closed, his face expressionless.

He never had high expectations from the start. Since last year, he had realized that Konoha was no longer as easy to extort as before.

However, since Luo Sha wanted to test the waters, he wouldn't stop him. It didn't cost any money anyway, so there was no harm in giving it a try.

The result is what it is now. Sunagakure remains inactive, and Konoha has made no response. Even the usual annual communication to confirm the details of the Chunin Exams has been delayed.

Inside the Kazekage's office, Rasa stood by the window, his gaze sweeping over the somewhat desolate Sunagakure village below and towards the endless yellow sand in the distance.

"Elder Ebizo, with our current resources, are we capable of independently organizing a Chunin Exam of a similar scale?"

Ebizo opened his eyes slightly, and after a long while, he said, "We can't afford to entertain so many people."

Holding the exam itself wasn't difficult. But what Rasa wanted was clearly more than just the genin who came to take the exam; he also wanted the audience, the merchants, and the nobles who would come along, and the money and attention they would bring.

Given the current environment and resources of Sunagakure, it simply does not have the capacity to accommodate a large number of outsiders.

Especially considering that Iwagakure and Konoha had already begun preparations long ago.
-
Outside Konoha Village, in an open area near the main road at the village entrance.

The massive project is beginning to take shape. The foundation has been compacted, and the sturdy steel frame outlines the silhouette of a huge circular stadium.

On the construction site, workers and ninjas skilled in earth-based techniques worked together, busy yet orderly.

The delegation from Kumogakure entered Konoha Village against the backdrop of this bustling construction site.

The delegation was led by Tsuchida, and when he saw the stadium under construction outside the village, he already understood Konoha's attitude.

The messenger's team included Samui and Yurui.

The reception was handled by Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado from the advisory group.

For the two advisors, the recent changes have indeed been happening so fast that they are almost overwhelmed.

The last time they had such a close relationship with Kumogakure seemed like a distant past, when the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju, led his disciples to Kumogakure to discuss an alliance with the Second Raikage.

However, that time the outcome was not good. Both Konoha and Kumogakure lost their Second Kage, and the two sides completely lost trust in each other.

Who could have imagined that by Tsunade's generation, the relationship between the two sides would so quickly thaw in such an unexpected way as the "commercialization of the joint Chunin Exams"? They would participate in each other's Chunin Exams, and even temporarily set aside Sunagakure as a result.

To some extent, it was Kumogakure's emphasis on and successful practice of commercializing the Chunin Exams that cleared many obstacles for Konoha's internal reforms, allowing the reform plan to be implemented so quickly.

Leaving aside the conversation between the advisors and the Cloud Envoy.

An old house in the western suburbs, in the woodland experimental area.

Shuji squatted on the ground, looking at a small patch of charred remains in front of him.

Failed again.

After carefully nurturing the selected seedlings of the Land of Lightning using Wood Release for several days, they were growing quite well. He then began to try to channel the Four-Tails' weak chakra into the plants. At first, it seemed to withstand it, but after thirty seconds, the Lava Release chakra erupted.

The intense heat instantly ignited the plant from within, and the slender trunk carbonized and shattered in just a few breaths, eventually turning into a small clump of ashes on the ground.

This was already the smallest amount of tailed beast chakra he could precisely control. Was the sapling itself too young to withstand even such a minute amount of external force? But if it grew any bigger, it would be a bit too late.

After clearing away the debris from the failed attempt, Shuji selected another seedling in a similar condition, this time using the Five-Tails' chakra.

The result was essentially the same. It only lasted for a moment before the plant's internal structure was completely destroyed by the high temperature and pressure contained in the Boiling Release chakra. Its veins broke, and it turned into a soft, bubbly paste.

After several failures, Shuji stopped what he was doing and fell into deep thought.

Whether it's the Four-Tails' Lava Release or the Five-Tails' Boil Release, their chakra nature is violent, resulting in extremely high damage.

Should we try switching? Find a new, suitable tailed beast chakra.

As he pondered deeply, his fingers unconsciously tracing possible alternatives in his notebook, he heard a noise coming from the direction of the old house next door. It was Granny Taohua calling him.

Xiu Si stood up, patted his hands which were covered in mud, and walked towards the old house.

An undercover agent wearing an animal mask stood silently waiting outside the old house.

"Jonin Shuji," the Anbu's voice came through the mask, calm and composed, "The Hokage requests your immediate presence at the Hokage's office."
-
Inside the Hokage's office, Tsunade sought out Shuji to inform him that the Kumogakure delegation had arrived.

“The one leading the team is Tsuchida,” Tsunade briefly explained the situation. “They also saw what the area outside the village looked like.”

"The Cloud Village did not express any objection to our follow-up; their attitude was very calm."

"During the initial meetings with the dormitory transfer advisor and the Mitomon advisor, they were quite cooperative, and everything went smoothly."

"Oh?" Shuuji raised an eyebrow slightly. Just before he returned, Samui was quite concerned about the regular joint examinations between the two villages.

Why didn't Kumogakure take advantage of Konoha's willingness to compromise and propose more ideas about a long-term cooperation framework?

Shuji spoke up: "Since your goal isn't the Chunin Exams, then I suppose Kumogakure has come with other, more specific requirements, right?"

Tsunade nodded slowly: "After confirming this year's exams, the Tsuchikage representative from Kumogakure made a new suggestion."

"They hope that, in addition to cooperating on the Chunin Exams, Konoha and Kumogakure can establish a new exchange mechanism that focuses more on practical combat."

"The specific content is that it is held once a year, lasting about a month, during which both sides send a certain number of mid-level and outstanding genin to conduct intensive practical training and exchange activities."

After hearing this, Shuuji couldn't help but chuckle: "Is the exchange taking place at the venue outside Kumogakure?"

They're not even going through the motions anymore; they're planning to throw away the Chunin Exams facade and go all the way, starting with real ninja combat competitions.

“Yes.” Tsunade also had a headache. “If we really follow this suggestion, the nature of the situation will change completely.”

"The so-called competition looks more like a gladiatorial arena."

"This is completely different from the Chunin Exams."

(End of this chapter)