Konoha Notes

Chapter 217 Why Today?
In the test tube in his hand, there was an eye preserved. Danzo looked at it, unsure whether he should laugh or be angry.

"Only one?"

There are not many people left to use, so Danzo did not criticize Jijiu too much.

After claiming inconvenience last year and then disappearing for so long, they have suddenly brought their eyes back.

Orochimaru, what are you plotting?
"Where is he now?"

"Orochimaru only left behind his eyes and contact information," Di Jiu replied, bowing his head.

"Go see him."

"Yes!"
-
He is handsome, academically excellent, physically outstanding, and comes from a prestigious family.

Almost all the elements required to become a prominent figure were combined in Uchiha Sasuke. It was only natural that he would have a spontaneously formed "fan club."

Ino Yamanaka and Sakura Haruno joined the fan club together and became the most prominent members of the group.

On the rooftop during lunch break, the wind carried the slight dryness of early autumn. Karin leaned against the railing, opening her lunchbox.

"I'm talking about you."

The voice came from above. Karin looked up and saw Ino standing there with her hands behind her back, the sunlight framing her pale golden hair.

Why don't you like Sasuke? Is it just because of that one sentence he said?

Karin's chopsticks paused. Among the girls in the class, she was a rare anomaly.

Not only was she not a member of the fan club, but after the chaotic battle at the start of the semester, even the suspicion that she "wanted to attract Sasuke's attention in a special way" was cleared. All that remained was a state of pure isolation.

As one of the top-ranked members of the girls' group, Ino shouldn't have been disloyally associating with people from different backgrounds.

But she still appeared quietly.

“They are people from a completely different world than us. Compared to Sasuke, they are already very old.”

Karin glared at her: "You wouldn't understand."

Ino sighed: "No matter what, are you planning to continue like this? At least don't let everyone hate you."

Karin gripped her chopsticks tightly, offering no reply, and simply shoveled a mouthful of rice into her mouth.

Ino looked at her stubborn expression and said, "Fine, whatever you want."
-
The preschool program plan still needs further discussion. Theoretically, the investment shouldn't be too high.

Preschool education only involves the most basic cultural knowledge instilled, and at most adds a little guiding physical games to lay a foundation for children of the appropriate age.

This amount of expenditure could have been covered even before the village acquired new sources of revenue, let alone now.

However, since it involves adding new permanent positions and staffing, the draft submitted by the revision department is only a preliminary draft and needs to undergo more formal review.

In contrast, the idea of ​​a genin training program was easier to implement.

Charging a fee is mandatory.

This is Shuji's consistent viewpoint. People often don't cherish things they get easily.

The village proactively arranged suitable mentors for the genin free of charge, and this group of genin, who had already experienced the hardships of growth, fared well.

Later on, how will the new generation of genin view the chunin teachers who accept missions to guide them?
Only by paying a price can we learn to cherish what we have. Even a symbolic fee can filter out those who truly have the will to improve.

After further refining the draft of the preschool program and the training program plan, Shuji returned to the ninja academy.

However, some of the information he learned from Iruka was slightly unexpected.

"Fight?" Shuuji repeated the word.

Iruka looked a little nervous: "Yes, yes. Well... Karin might have some misunderstandings with some of the girls in the class... It seems to have started because of Sasuke..."

"Where's Naruto?"

With the addition of another person named Whirlpool to the class, how will people feel about someone with the same surname?

Naruto was indeed paying attention to Karin. She was the first whirlwind he encountered in the village besides himself.

Does she know his family? Does she know anything about his parents?

"Your parents perished in the attack of the Nine-Tailed Fox, just like many other villagers."

The three generations of grandfathers who regularly sent him living expenses every month always told him this.

But apart from that, he was unwilling to tell himself any more about his parents.

Who are they? What kind of people are they?

He once mustered up the courage to ask Karin.

“I don’t know her,” the red-haired girl replied coldly. “My mother and I only came from outside the village last year.”

“And,” she looked at his blond hair, “you’re different from us too.”

Even if they share the same surname, are they not the same?
Naruto was somewhat frustrated.

But soon he discovered that the two seemed to have even more in common.

Karin is always alone.

“It’s different, Naruto.” Shikamaru lay on the table, his eyelids still closed. “That’s a matter between girls. Boys getting involved will only make things more complicated.”

"But, but..."

"Anyway, it's best not to get involved." Shikamaru turned over, his back to him. "It's too much trouble."

Naruto pursed his lips and turned his gaze to Uchiha Sasuke at the other end of the classroom.

Karin's conflicts with the other girls are probably because of him.

Why is he so indifferent?

Why would those girls treat Karin the way Sasuke did?
Is it because Sasuke is very strong? Is he very outstanding?
But... why does Sasuke always seem to be alone?
-
The sun shone brightly on the sandy ground of the training field.

Iruka took a deep breath and stood in front of the lined-up children. He tried to ignore the stares coming from the direction of the school building—Captain Shuji was leaning against the window, and on the other side, Ebisu-sensei's sunglasses were glaringly reflective, and even... he caught a glimpse of the wisps of smoke rising from the Third Hokage's pipe.

Shuji had given advance notice that he would be coming to observe the physical training class, so Ebisu came, and the Third Hokage, who was at the school to provide routine physical training instruction, also stayed behind.

Stay calm. This time, I must follow the lesson plan perfectly and deliver this lesson flawlessly.

He composed himself and smoothly demonstrated a set of basic blocking and counter-attacking movements, explaining them clearly and demonstrating standard form.

"Alright, did everyone see the movements clearly just now?" Iruka's gaze swept over the young but earnest faces in front of him. "Now, we need one student to come up and assist the teacher in a battle drill."

His gaze habitually fell on Sasuke.

"Sasuke-kun, please..."

"I come!"

Naruto leaped out from the crowd and rushed to the center of the field in a few steps, standing in front of Sasuke.

The entire class's eyes were instantly drawn to them.

Naruto pointed his finger straight at Sasuke, who was frowning slightly.

"Sasuke! I challenge you!"

Iruka felt a throbbing sensation in his temples, and his facial muscles stiffened for a moment. He remained silent, trying to maintain the composure befitting a teacher, but his gaze involuntarily drifted upwards again.

Naruto... why today of all days? Why this particular class...?

　Update, but a little later, it's my mother's birthday. And...

　　
　
(End of this chapter)