Konoha Notes

Chapter 294 Trivial
Fugaku sat in the reception room.

Shuji had been gone for some time, but he remained kneeling.

Sasuke peeked out from under the eaves, looking at his father with concern.

That guy dared to speak to my father like that. Even if he's my brother's captain, it's still going too far.

Moreover, they discussed the selection of the Hokage so casually...

What does this mean?
Sasuke rarely saw his father like this, so he couldn't help but go over to him.

"Father."

Fugaku shifted his gaze slightly, turning it towards his youngest son.

Sasuke is talented, and with hard work, he can become someone who surpasses others, just like Itachi.

However, he still acts like an ordinary child.

Why would Shuji allow someone like him to eavesdrop on their conversation?

"Sasuke."

"Father?"

Doubt and worry—all the visible emotions on Sasuke's face could not dispel Fugaku's doubts.

He closed his eyes and said, "Didn't you go to training?"

"Uh... well, I just... went to training."

Sasuke walked away dejectedly.

He threw kunai at the wooden stake, and he could almost see the calm figure of that person as he opened the sliding door and left, as well as the loneliness visible on his father's face.

As dusk fell and it became time for dinner, Sasuke finally trudged home.

The appearance of Izumi on the dining table made Sasuke feel even worse. His mother paid close attention to Izumi throughout the meal, and his father would occasionally ask her a few questions.

After dinner, Itachi was asked to escort Izumi back, while Sasuke sat alone in the courtyard, his face puffed out, staring blankly at the moon.

"What's wrong?" the older brother's voice rang out.
"fine!"

Itachi sat down next to Sasuke and stayed with him in silence.

Sasuke's anger subsided immediately at his brother's gesture, and he lowered his head.

"elder brother."

"Are you willing to speak now?"

"That person, your captain, came to my house this afternoon."

"Ah."

“What… is going on with him? His attitude towards Father… seems…” Sasuke didn’t know how to describe that attitude, or rather, he didn’t want to say that word.

"This is a matter between my senior and my father," Itachi replied calmly.

Sasuke felt frustrated: "It's my brother who's indifferent to this matter."

Itachi simply smiled at him.

"Now, isn't my brother already working in the Anbu?"

"Why……"

Itachi did not speak.

"That person is no longer my brother's captain, is he?"

"Sasuke."

"What...what happened..."

"Senior, to me, you are more than just a captain."

Sasuke didn't understand his brother's words, but Itachi's expression at that moment made him unable to ask any further questions.

My doubts only deepened.
-
After the joint martial arts exercise began, Shuji didn't come to the arena to watch the matches very often.

Today was a team-building event for the former Team 5, and Itachi brought local specialties from the Uchiha clan's territory. Although there weren't enough seats in the venue, an extra area was reserved for the Konoha ninja responsible for patrolling and maintaining order. This area offered a good view of the entire area and wasn't crowded, as it required observing the entire area.

Shuji picked up a pancake: "Uchiha clan pancakes, taste pretty good."

"Uncle's handmade roasting skills are always excellent."

Red Bean nudged Itachi's arm and winked, "Izumi's performance was impressive. Itachi, you must have put in a lot of effort."

Itachi calmly analyzed, "Even if I can't use genjutsu, the Sharingan's dynamic vision is enough to give Izumi an advantage in a genin duel."

"All you need to do is make good use of ninja tools..."

"That's not what I meant." Anko patted Itachi's back hard. "Pay more attention to other things. Shuuji gave you a long break."

"In the end, I didn't waste the vacation my senior gave me," Itachi said. "On the other hand, Anko-senpai chose to leave the Anbu after passing the Special Jonin Exams and didn't start a new job."

"I've worked so hard for a long time! I haven't had a proper rest since joining the Dark Division." Red Bean moved aside a little and complained, "It's so hard to pass the test, and then there's this kind of event, who wants to work!"

"On a day like this, the thing I should do is to enjoy the food throughout the entire venue area."

"Besides, I've been training diligently, haven't I, Captain?"

Shuji munched on his biscuit, nodding as he watched the game unfold.

Anko shifted her gaze. Izumi was fighting a low-ranking ninja from Iwagakure. The opponent could use Earth Release ninjutsu, mainly Earth Release: Barrier Technique—the most basic Earth Release ninjutsu of Iwagakure.

Even a thin layer, barely enough to block a powerful fireball, was enough to obscure vision and create obstacles, causing considerable trouble for Izumi.

"Those guys from Iwagakure are so troublesome, even their genin are like this."

"They are in no way inferior to those people from Kirigakure."

Looking at the situation on the field, Hongdou couldn't help but speak up.

The Hidden Cloud Village, which used to have an advantage in such competitions, is no longer so prominent after the Hidden Stone Village and the Hidden Mist Village joined in.

With restrictions on the use of secret arts and illusions, these two factions actually have an advantage.

If Iwagakure is known for its ninjutsu, then Kirigakure is known for its combination of the Hidden Mist Technique and Blood Mist, making it even more specialized in combat than Kumogakure.

As for Sunagakure, puppetry is allowed, but poison is prohibited. Ordinary Sunagakure genin who have graduated within the last three years are generally skilled enough to control weapons such as kunai with puppet threads.

Therefore, their performance on the field can only be described as mediocre.

"The rules of the joint military exercises are really particularly disadvantageous to the village."

“The Joint Chunin Exams won’t have as many restrictions,” Shuuji said dismissively. “After all, it’s an exam primarily for promotion and showcasing strength.”

The distinction between the two will become increasingly clear in the future.

One is more entertainment-oriented, while the Chunin Exams are more professional.

The only problem is that the Chunin Exams are for the promotion of Genin, so they are less prestigious in terms of prestige, since there are also joint exercises and competitions between Chunin.

In that case, should we consider raising the level of the Chunin Exams a bit further...?

Adding a Jonin Exam would definitely be inappropriate, since the Jonin of each village are basically important figures in their respective villages and would not approve of a tournament determining the selection of the village's high-ranking members.

So we need to change the name.

Let's divide the Chunin into different tiers; that would actually boost their motivation...

Given the current situation in the village, after becoming a Chunin, apart from a few individuals who can be promoted to Special Jonin, the rest of them have to consider whether they can find a suitable position in the village. If not, they can only do missions and that's it for the rest of their lives.

From level one to level nine?

Or simply divide it into three levels...

"Shuji, what are you thinking about? You look very serious."

"No, it's just a trivial matter," Shuuji said. "Speaking of which, Itachi, you haven't participated in the Jonin promotion yet, have you?"

"Yes, I didn't apply specifically because of my age," Itachi replied.

"...In the next two years, let's focus on preparing for the promotion to Special Jonin."

"Yes, senior."

(End of this chapter)