Konoha Notes

Chapter 218 Fist
Many Chunin were once seconded to Danzo, including not only those from the regular ninja ranks but also those from the Anbu.

Even Kakashi himself was once under Danzo's command to monitor the Uchiha clan, not to mention other Anbu members.

However, their whereabouts are all clear and have been verified recently.

"Aburame Ryoma..."

"In the mountains..."

"Yakushi Nonou."

His gaze finally settled on this name.

A Jonin, according to top-secret files, she had carried out numerous high-risk espionage missions and was repeatedly called upon by Root.

The status bar clearly displays "Retired".

He retired, but has a hidden past.

Currently, they are running an orphanage in a village near Konoha.

"Do you run an orphanage in another village...?"

Kakashi closed the file.

Orphanages represent a large number of children with unclear origins and limited connections to the outside world. If Danzo still had hidden forces, such places would undoubtedly be one of the best cover.

He needs to confirm it in person.
-
"Naruto! I haven't said yes yet..."

Iruka's outstretched hand hovered in mid-air. Before he could finish speaking, Naruto had already assumed an attack stance and charged forward with a shout.

"Sasuke—!"

The result is no doubt.

Naruto has good physical attributes; he's quite strong and fast. However, he hadn't received any training before enrolling, and he's only been there a few days...

Sasuke calmly took a half step back, slightly turning his body to nimbly dodge the clumsy straight punch. He tripped over it, and his elbow slid down on Naruto's back as he charged forward.

"puff!"

Naruto landed face down in the sand, kicking up a small cloud of grayish-yellow dust.

"Ahhh! Sasuke-kun!" The girl's screams exploded instantly.

Naruto lay in the sand, his body stiffening for a moment before he struggled to lift his head and spit out the sand from his mouth.

Sasuke snorted lightly, not even glancing at his opponent on the ground, and turned his gaze to Iruka, who looked helpless.

"Shall we continue, Iruka-sensei?"

Iruka sighed helplessly, stepped forward, pulled Naruto out, patted the sand off him, and placed him next to the line.

He cleared his throat, preparing to use the previous example to explain the key points of the movement, trying to salvage the out-of-control classroom rhythm. But out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of a red-haired figure biting his lower lip, staring intently at Sasuke.

A bad feeling arose.

As expected, Karin looked at Naruto's disheveled appearance, Sasuke's matter-of-fact expression, and met the smug or disdainful gazes of the girls around her.

That arrogant guy!
"Me!" She stepped out from the crowd. "I also want to challenge you, Uchiha Sasuke!"

A collective gasp filled the queue.

Sasuke turned his gaze to Karin. He remembered this girl who had inexplicably snapped at him on the first day of school. She was also someone who seemed to have fallen into a state of isolation because of her.

Her hostility came without reason, and her distress seemed to be related to him—though he felt it was not his responsibility.

Sasuke looked at Karin, then glanced at the girls around him who were cheering for him while casting disapproving or even disgusted glances at Karin. Sasuke frowned, but finally spoke up: "That person is my brother's captain."

Having finished his explanation, Sasuke turned his head away, no longer looking at her.

"You may leave now; Iruka-sensei still has class to teach."

Karin blinked, seemingly processing those words. Then, an even greater surge of anger welled up inside her.

"you--!"

A short scream erupted as she slammed her feet into the ground! A power far exceeding her usual strength surged from the depths of her body.

"To say such things to the captain of one's own brother is even more outrageous!"

Her petite figure suddenly leaped up, lunging at Sasuke with speed far exceeding her usual limits. Sasuke was completely caught off guard by this sudden burst of energy.

He was still somewhat immersed in his complicated feelings when he heard the sound of wind and screams, and his vision was filled with flying red hair.

That's too late!

"boom!"

The child's small fist landed squarely on Sasuke's face.

He groaned and staggered back a few steps, a burning pain shooting through his cheek.

Sasuke covered his face, staring in astonishment at Karin, who had landed in front of him and was still in a punching stance.

The entire training ground was completely silent.

On the upper floor of the teaching building, Xiu Si, who was leaning against the window, twitched his eyebrows slightly.
-
On the outskirts of Konoha, in a somewhat desolate annex village.

Kakashi stood in front of a building that looked quite old and knocked on the door.

A moment later, the door was opened a crack, and an elderly man with gray hair and beard peeked out, revealing half his face. He looked at Kakashi's headband, his expression unchanged.

"Are you a Konoha ninja? What can I do for you?"

“Excuse me,” Kakashi’s voice sounded somewhat low through his mask, “I’m looking for Yakushi Nonou.”

"The director has been away for some time and is not currently in the facility," the old man replied curtly, without a trace of emotion.

Not here? A retired Jonin, his whereabouts unknown...

"What was her reason for going out?"

The old man was silent for a while before saying, "The orphanage is having financial difficulties. The director is away to provide medical treatment for others and raise funds."

Upon hearing this, Kakashi said, "I see. Then, may I go in and take a look? Perhaps the village can offer some assistance."

The old man hesitated for a moment, then stepped aside. "Please come in."

As Kakashi stepped into the orphanage, the children who had been playing around stopped what they were doing and all turned to look at him.

Just then, a middle-aged woman quickly came out of the inner room, silently gathered the children behind her, and led them away.

"If possible, I'd like to look around."

"plz follow me."
-
Sasuke went home with his face covered, even though there were no injuries on his face.

The ninja academy has resident medical ninjas, so his minor problems can be solved with just a little effort.

But he could still feel that skin was faintly burning, and the sensation of being punched remained.

That girl is utterly unreasonable. I explained the reason to her, and she still attacked me.

At dinner time, he silently picked at the food in his bowl, his movements much stiffer than usual, deliberately avoiding his parents' gaze.

"Sasuke," his mother Mikoto Uchiha's gentle voice rang out, "Was today's lesson...not going well?"

Sasuke froze, lowered his head even further, and answered in a muffled voice, "No."

Fugaku Uchiha raised his eyes. He could tell at a glance that he had been hit in the face.

He said in a deep voice, "As a ninja, getting injured is inevitable; there's no need to dwell on it."

Sasuke lowered his head even further.

It wasn't an injury, it was a sneak attack.

"Brother...aren't you coming home for dinner tonight?"

"Your brother has a party," Mikoto said gently, seeing that her youngest son didn't want to talk about the embarrassing topic. "He's with his friends."

Sasuke's body stiffened.

companion?

So, that means Mitarashi Anko, and... that Shuji!?

Was that guy at school today? Could he have seen what happened today...?

　Thank you for your tolerance, gentlemen.
　　
　
(End of this chapter)