Konoha Notes

Chapter 206 New Rules
"As for the exchange competition, we plan to hold it in Yunyin next year. You can handle the negotiations."

Upon hearing that Samui intended to discuss the participants' situation again because of Yamato, the Fifth Hokage waved his hand, letting Shuji handle the matter himself.

She plans to continue this year's strategy. Since the home game will be held in Kumogakure next year, as long as Konoha doesn't lose face, it's okay to let the opponent win the final match.

Shuji stood in front of the desk, not immediately accepting the order and leaving: "I think we can take this opportunity to try something new."

"Oh?" Tsunade raised an eyebrow: "What kind of attempt?"

"Regarding the examination personnel alone, clear and verifiable standards can enhance mutual trust, reduce speculation and internal friction caused by a lack of transparency, and lay the foundation for long-term cooperation."
-
The Hokage Building, inside the meeting room.

"Regarding the issue of participants, we hope to have a clearer definition," Sam said.

If Konoha still has many "genin" like Yamato who haven't gone through the examination process, then next year's genin tournament will be in serious trouble.

Even if the exchange activities are operated as commercial events, it would still damage the reputation of the Cloud Village's genin if they lost too badly.

Alternatively, we can follow this year's method and send a few more people to participate as genin.

However, in that case, all the previous negotiations and agreements between the two sides regarding the scope of participants would become meaningless.

Even if such a cooperation can be maintained for a year, how can it be sustained in the future? Yunyin is seeking cooperation not for the sake of a mere one or two years of profit.

"How does Yunyin hope to clarify this boundary?" Shuji asked calmly from across the room.

“Mr. Shuji, this is not just about what Kumogakure hopes for, but it is crucial to whether this cooperation can continue in a long-term and healthy manner.” Samui’s gaze sharpened. “Vague rules will only breed distrust.”

"So, Miss Samui, may I understand that you are representing the party that hopes to establish a long-term cooperative relationship with Konoha?"

Samui nodded and replied, "I represent the will of Lord Raikage. If it weren't for the future, I wouldn't be sitting here discussing the details with you."

“Very good.” Xiu Si nodded. “The criteria for participants can be refined.”

"The participants in the Genin group competition are limited to current Genin who have officially graduated from the Ninja Academy and whose graduation year is within the last three years."

"The Chunin group competition is limited to registered Chunin who have been promoted through the Chunin Selection Exam and whose promotion period is also within the last three years."

At this point, Shuji paused, his gaze falling on Samui's face: "Miss Samui, do you think this standard is clear enough?"

Upon hearing this, Samui's brows furrowed almost imperceptibly.

Setting the time limit at three years is reasonable. The hierarchical division is also very clear... but...

She spoke slowly, her tone inquisitive: "Mr. Shuji, I don't quite understand the meaning of your last question. The standard itself is indeed clear enough."

Shuji shook his head slightly, tapping his fingertip on the table: "Miss Samui, the key is, how do we ensure that every participant they submit fully meets these standards on paper?"

"Can we really guarantee that there will be no problems in actual operation by relying solely on verbal promises made by both parties at the negotiating table, or by signing a document containing these terms?"

“Even if both sides are willing to abide by the rules, without effective constraints and verification methods, once an exceptionally outstanding player emerges, the seeds of suspicion will immediately take root and sprout. All the detailed rules we have established here today will then become meaningless.” Samui fell silent.

Shuji looked at her and continued, "To truly implement these standards and reduce future disputes, we need a supporting, reliable verification mechanism."

He proposed a specific solution: "For example, when submitting the final list of participants, both parties need to provide the basic resume and proof of the ninja's background at the same time."

"Those applying for the Genin group must submit a copy of their Ninja Academy graduation certificate; those applying for the Chunin group must provide, in addition to their graduation certificate, their Chunin promotion records and proof of participation in the Chunin Exams."

“Of course,” he added, “the contents of these documents must undergo strict anonymization to remove all sensitive information, including details of specific missions, core ninjutsu, and special abilities.”

After he finished speaking, the meeting room fell silent.

Submitting a resume... even if it's been anonymized...

Theoretically feasible, but it would expose the basic information of the participating ninjas and their approximate promotion timelines. Even with minimal impact, the potential risks are difficult to predict.

and……

Samui spoke softly, pointing out the crux of the matter: "Mr. Shuji, resumes can also be falsified."

“Miss Samui, if there is no intention to cooperate and the intention is to deceive, then anything can be faked.” Xiu Si’s tone was sincere. “Raising the threshold for cooperation and increasing the cost and reputational damage that must be borne after the forgery is exposed is itself a kind of protection.”

"This is a solution provided by Konoha after careful consideration of the reasonable concerns raised by the Hidden Cloud Sect."

Samui looked intently at Shuuji and finally said, "I need to report the details to Lord Raikage."

"As it should be."
-
In the 56th year of Konoha, after the successful conclusion of the Chunin Exams, Konoha and Kumogakure held several rounds of detailed discussions regarding the criteria for participants in next year's exchange activities.

There was also discussion about this within Konoha. In addition to Tsunade's explicit support, the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, also expressed his agreement.

Most importantly, it is possible to control who participates. If someone's name cannot be revealed, they will naturally not be allowed to participate in such an exchange competition.

As for those exceptional individuals who require a certain degree of confidentiality, as Samui said, there is room for manipulation in resumes; the key lies in the degree and necessity.

For the vast majority of ordinary ninjas, especially genin, knowing only their names and graduation years offers limited intelligence value to other ninja villages. The situation is similar at the chunin level.

More importantly, this is seen as an important sign that the cooperation between the two sides is moving to a deeper level and that initial mutual trust has been established.

Realizing this, Hiruzen Sarutobi personally intervened and finally persuaded the two advisors, Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado, who had initially held reservations.

After intense internal discussions and repeated deliberations, the Hidden Cloud Village finally reached a preliminary consensus with Konoha at the end of the 56th year of Konoha's reign.

Both parties agreed to initiate a small-scale, pilot information exchange and mutual verification process for the first batch of participants next year.

A new phase, built on preliminary rules and mutual probing, has quietly begun.

(End of this chapter)