Konoha Notes

Chapter 242 Locks and Keys
Kabuto was taken to the Land of Rivers, near the border of the Land of Wind.

He stood ramrod straight, with his hands hanging at his sides.

Kakashi Hatake, who claims to be the new head of Root, and Shikaku Nara, a Konoha Jonin, are talking in hushed tones with another young black-haired ninja.

Dou restrained himself and controlled his gaze, refraining from looking around.

This is Konoha's frontline defense against Sunagakure. Given the current situation, his identity has become delicate, even dangerous. Shimura Danzo, who dispatched him, has been placed under house arrest. According to Kakashi, he and Sister Yakushi Nonou are carrying out a top-secret mission unknown even to the village's higher-ups.

This means that, as spies, they lost their superiors who could prove their identities and provide them with protection.

They might even be directly labeled as... traitors to the village.

Shikaku said to Shuji, "The flow of supplies is clear. As for the transfer fee used to relocate the Loulan tribe, Danzo promised to find them a place to settle in the Land of Fire."

"Sarah and her daughter have been taken away."

"Yakushi Kabuto and the caravan leader were both sent to keep watch."

After listening, Shuji's gaze fell on the rather green-looking Kabuto to the side.

"Was it Yakushi Nonou who took Sarah and her daughter away?" Shuji asked.

“Yes, this can be confirmed from the Loulan people; a blonde woman took the two away,” Kakashi replied. “That matches Nonou’s characteristics.”

“Speaking of which, Kakashi-senpai, you seem to have carried out a mission in Loulan before, right?” Shuuji said.

"How come you..." Kakashi remembered that the person in front of him often worked in the Hokage's office, so it wasn't surprising that he knew about everyone's mission history. "It was many years ago, and I don't remember the specifics anymore."

"It was probably deleted by Minato-sensei."

As an elite ninja, he was already aware of the gaps and unnaturalness in his memories, especially regarding classified missions that would be recorded in the mission files.

However, those who participated in the mission at that time included teachers Minato Namikaze, Choza Akimichi, and Shimi Aburame.

With the mission successfully completed, there is only one person left who can simultaneously erase their memories.

The village's decision not to investigate the unclear parts of the mission record proves this point, as someone guaranteed that the mission was without problems.

The person who is qualified is self-evident.

"However, the energy involved in the Dragon Vein is extraordinary. From what I vaguely remember, it was a difficult battle, an enemy that even Mr. Choza and Mr. Shimi struggled to defeat together," Kakashi said solemnly. "Especially now..."

"At the moment of battle with Sunagakure, those who are closer to Roran may..."

Nara Shikaku picked up the conversation, his voice low: "I'm afraid it's not 'if'. Shuji's previous guess has probably come true. The dragon vein is the biggest reason why Rasa dared to break the alliance so brazenly."

"Excluding the unexpected factor of Shuji, Sunagakure's biggest weakness lies in its poor national strength and lack of sustained combat capability."

"Even if it maintains a standing army comparable in size to other large villages, its war potential and logistical support remain fatal weaknesses."

"If there is a dragon vein..."

As for why the dragon vein sealed by the Fourth Hokage could become the source of Sunagakure's confidence, Shikaku didn't say it aloud, but the three people present all knew the reason.

That former advisor, Shimura, is probably doing something very risky.

“This way, the area where Nono is hiding can be narrowed down considerably,” Shuuji said.

Nara Shikaku nodded. Shimura Danzo had lost power within Konoha. Even though he still retained some mobile forces, it would be unwise to bring people of unknown origin back to Konoha or place them in the Land of Fire, given that the village was constantly searching for this part of his secret force.

Especially for someone like Yakushi Nonou, who is not loyal to Danzo himself, it would be even more impossible to let her return to the Land of Fire and learn about the true situation in Konoha.

“It should be near the ruins of Loulan,” Kakashi asserted. “If Danzo wants to ensure that he can effectively guide or even use the dragon vein at crucial moments, Sara, as the key, cannot be too far from the source.”

"Similarly, Nono, who is in charge of guarding and carrying out the mission, must be there at this moment."

A brief silence descended.

Kakashi broke the silence first: "The power of the Dragon Vein is too dangerous and must be dealt with immediately. I have carried out missions there before, so leave this to me."

Xiu Si shook his head: "Let's find someone else."

Kakashi Hatake narrowed his eyes slightly: "When you say 'change someone,' you're not referring to yourself, are you, Shuji?"

"Hmm," Shuji replied calmly. "When Sunagakure sent people to negotiate earlier, I was trying to test them. If the Dragon Vein is truly their trump card, they would probably have strengthened their defenses by now."

Upon hearing this, Shikaku placed his hand on his forehead. Conventional negotiation tactics, by a twist of fate, had backfired.

Kakashi's eye twitched, but he still said, "Although your combat strength is better than mine, when it comes to stealth and infiltration..."

Shuji pointed to the unusually quiet Yakushi Kabuto standing to the side.

“There’s a superb spy right here.”

"Furthermore, although my infiltration and stealth abilities are not outstanding, you are still inferior to me in terms of retreat ability, Kakashi."

The silver-haired Jonin revealed a deadpan expression: "What about the front lines? Without you here, no one can stand up to the Kazekage head-on."

"The Sand Village has indeed retreated, but if they launch another attack..."

“So, you stay and assist Mr. Shikaku,” Shuji replied, his gaze sweeping over the Sunagakure defenses in the distance. “If we really can’t hold them, we can just abandon the forward outposts. This is the Land of Rivers.”

His implication was clear: this land was not Konoha's homeland, which needed to be defended to the death.

For Konoha, it is more of a buffer zone that cannot be handed over to Sunagakure, an area that can be repeatedly stretched and adjusted.

Kakashi fell silent, his gaze sweeping between Shuuji and Kabuto Yakushi, who stood quietly to the side. Nara Shikaku sighed softly, tacitly acknowledging the plan.

Shuji turned to Kabuto the Pharmacist.

"Kabuto Yakushi."

Dou immediately looked up, his gaze behind his glasses concealing all emotions, leaving only absolute focus.

"Whether it was the mission you carried out to take away the Loulan people, or the mission that Yakushi Nonou carried out to take away Sara and her daughter, neither of these are secrets that Danzo can let the village know."

“But this is Danzo’s problem, not yours.”

"The village won't pursue this matter. After you go back, you can choose to return to the orphanage or continue being a Konoha ninja, it's up to you."

He stared into Dou's eyes.

"However, before that, half of Yakushi Nonou's fate is in your hands."

(End of this chapter)