Konoha Notes

Chapter 273 Sharing
With more participants, it appears to be a large-scale event; it could even be preceded by a ninja world, like a joint martial arts exercise or a joint high school entrance exam.

Unfortunately, happiness is fleeting.

The Hidden Cloud Village, which remained quiet during Rasa's stay in the Land of Rivers, demonstrating its loyalty as an ally, is the one that needs to be dealt with most carefully at the moment.

Some issues were not raised at the beginning of the year because we were waiting for Fog Shadow's reaction.

Everyone foresaw that the Hidden Mist Village would not do nothing; the only difference was the timing of their intervention—either before or after this event.

Now, it's a done deal that Kirigakure has joined.

So, what's meant to happen will happen.

As they had anticipated, the Cloud Village team arrived earlier than in previous years and moved more quickly than the other teams.
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The first thing the Cloud Hidden team saw in the venue area was the police station at the entrance and the changed signs.

They were then led by police officers who were clearly not Uchiha, to a post station belonging to Kumogakure.

Compared to last year, the interior of the inn has been improved, with Konoha undergoing a new round of renovations, showing greater care and attention.

But these were just bad omens for Tu Tai.

Judging from the signs on the police headquarters building, the problems within Konoha have long been resolved. The current preferential treatment seems more like compensation.

After settling in briefly at the inn, Samui walked out alone. Her gaze swept over a figure leaning against the wall not far away, and without stopping, she naturally walked in that direction.

Xiu Si seemed to have been waiting there for a while. When he saw her come out, he straightened up and the two of them walked together into the deeper part of the venue area.

As he passed an ice cream stand with a colorful parasol, Shuji stopped in his tracks.

"Hold on."

He walked up to the stall and paid for a double popsicle. He tore open the wrapper, revealing two popsicle sticks side by side. Holding the two sticks by the ends, he turned his head to look at the blonde female ninja beside him.

"do you mind?"

“It’s okay,” she replied.

With a slight squeeze, Xiu Si broke off one of the top strands with a soft "click" and handed it over.

Samui took it, took a small bite, and the cool sweetness, accompanied by tiny ice crystals, melted quickly on her tongue.

"Mr. Shuji, does this attentiveness imply that what you're about to say might not be satisfactory?"

“Miss Samui,” Shuuji took a bite of the popsicle in his hand, the coolness making him squint slightly, “this is simply sharing a bit of the sweetness of early summer, nothing more.”

The two continued walking side by side, through the crowd, and finally entered the competition venue.

The huge circular space was now empty, and their footsteps echoed clearly in the empty stands and passageways.

The two found a seat in the empty stands and sat down, looking down at the stadium.

Samui munched on his popsicle, tilting his head slightly to look at the profile of the person beside him. He simply faced the empty space, his eyes seemingly unfocused.

Just like every time we've met before. Was he thinking about matters between the two villages, or were his thoughts wandering somewhere else?

Is this meeting a private communication held as a buffer before formal negotiations between the two villages? Or is it merely a personal exchange between them?
Samui didn't ask. Like Xiu Si, she simply sat quietly, gazing at the empty space in front of her.

She did not break the brief moment of tranquility.

Even this moment of tranquility will inevitably be broken.

As the light on the horizon gradually turned a dusky yellow, casting long shadows inside the venue, all that remained in their hands were bare wooden sticks. Shuji leaned back in his chair, the back creaking softly.

“In this season, a bowl of cold noodles would be very comforting, Miss Samui.”

“No matter the season, anything cold and refreshing is always good to eat, Mr. Shuji,” Samui replied, steer the conversation back on track. “So, have you decided how to start?”

"Which matter?" Shuji still seemed somewhat nonchalant. "If it's the core issue that Kumogakure is concerned about, the answer has already been determined, and no further thought is needed."

Samui straightened his back a little: "Please make this clear before deciding on the dinner menu, Mr. Shuji."

"Konoha will abide by its promise to Kumogakure."

"As long as Kumogakure still wants to uphold that old agreement that only applies to the two of us."

This was not a reassuring answer. The female ninja from Kumogakure rubbed her shoulder: "Is this Konoha's final decision?"

"As for that agreement alone, yes, Konoha will honor it."

“Mr. Shuji, this kind of rhetoric is not honest.” She finally pointed it out, her voice still calm but sharp, “Right now, this is a matter between five villages.”

Shuji turned to look at her, a slight smile on his face: "Yes, this is no longer just a matter between Konoha and Kumogakure. But if Kumogakure's questions are still only based on the framework of past bilateral agreements, asking Konoha about potential problems under the future five-village structure, then naturally they will not get answers that go beyond that framework."

"The current situation is that in the joint military exercises involving the five villages, if Kumogakure and Konoha still try to maintain the model of having the vast majority of the shares and not giving an inch on key interests..."

"In the future, Iwagakure, Kirigakure, and even Sunagakure will gradually reach more consensus and form some kind of alliance."

"Of course, with the strength of Konoha and Kumogakure, we are not afraid of these challenges. However, by then, the current relatively stable situation, in which we can take the lead, will no longer exist."

“Therefore, Miss Samui,” he concluded, turning his gaze back to the distance, “if our discussion remains confined to the existing agreements between the two sides, then ultimately, the issue of the five villages will be irrelevant—because it will no longer be a ‘five-village alliance,’ but a return to the original form.”

Sam remained silent for a long time.

In the end, have we brought back the most crucial multiple-choice question...?

What Kumogakure really wants is a more influential "Ninja World Games" that encompasses all five villages, even if it requires relinquishing some of its interests.
They would rather scale back than abandon the exchange model established last year or even the year before, which is dominated by the two villages, even if it means a decline in influence and the alliance of potential rivals.

"Does Mr. Shuji believe that the potential benefits of cooperation among the five villages will ultimately be greater than those of cooperation between Konoha and Kumogakure?"

"Together with Kumogakure, we can obtain reasonable and greater benefits than we currently receive within a more inclusive 'ninja world' level martial arts and even examination system—Konoha is confident in this." Shuji's answer was clear and affirmative. "However, this also requires Kumogakure... to have similar ideas and courage as Konoha."

(End of this chapter)