Konoha Notes

Chapter 304 The meeting ends
It's already the second day, ever since Zabuza joined the negotiation team.

You cannot get angry, you cannot threaten or intimidate; those sitting with you at the negotiating table are all high-ranking ninjas from the five great ninja villages.

It's not something that can be crushed with a single glance.

Moreover, he did not have the right to get up and leave at will, nor did he have the right to overturn the table or draw his knife.

Regarding the ratio of personnel in standing squads—

The discussion was buzzing, but it was just repeating the same things over and over again, going around in circles with the same questions.

But you still have to listen, listen carefully, and not overlook a single word.

On the first day, he was able to hold on, but today, his mind felt like a waterlogged sponge, heavy and weighing down on his skull. His thoughts were viscous, and every thought was met with sluggish resistance.

He widened his eyes, trying to appear very focused.

"Does the representative of Mist Village have a different opinion?" Wenya asked.

I?
"Not yet."

We can't say there's absolutely nothing wrong with it, otherwise it will be difficult to refute later. Nor can we say there is, in which case we must immediately offer specific points of view.

He rolled over the terms one by one. Numbers, proportions, execution procedures... the bloodshot veins at the edge of his vision spread like a spiderweb. His eyes remained open, the open document reflected in his pupils, the dense words seeming to float on the surface of water, difficult to focus on.

"Regarding the investigative powers of the joint agency's standing teams..."

Zabuza raises his hand.

The movement was somewhat abrupt. Several gazes instantly fell on his face.

"The scope of the investigation must be related to the event. The parts involving the five major ninja villages should be handled by each village itself first."

“Even if an organization’s team gets involved, the personnel arrangements must meet the requirements of the ninja village in question.”

For example, when investigating matters concerning Kirigakure, Kirigakure ninjas should be used.

This is what he insists on.

The meeting room fell silent for a moment. The rustling sound of turning pages disappeared.

Shuji looked at him: "Please explain in detail, Mr. Zabuza."

“Literal meaning,” Zabuza said. “When a joint organization joins an investigation, the members it sends should meet the requirements of the ninja village where they are located.”

Maki asked, "So, you mean we can't send people with a hostile or conflicting background with the village—is that what you mean?"

“Yes,” Zabuza said. “The squad roster needs to be submitted for review in advance, and the organization should also coordinate and schedule according to the actual situation.”

He was stunned for a moment after saying all this.

Where did these words come from? When did he start talking like this?

Shuji nodded without asking further questions. The topic page was turned.

The sky outside the window changed from gray to light blue, and then tinged with a dusky yellow.

Zabuza's back remained straight. But when he heard:
"The framework agreement for the joint agency has been fully discussed and confirmed by representatives of the five ninja villages."

The ghost almost heard a faint tremor coming from deep within his own bones.

ended.

His shoulder blades relaxed unconsciously, and he prepared to get up.

“Next,” Shuji’s voice rang out again, “we need to simultaneously agree on the specific details of the tournament reform while the Five Kage Capitals are still in existence.”

It felt like being punched in the stomach through the skin—no, he'd rather have actually been punched. A dull ache would at least be clear, at least satisfying, at least he could retaliate with his fist.

His gaze swept across the long table. No one showed any surprise. He then looked at Mei Terumi sitting quietly behind him; her eyes were slightly lowered, as if she already knew.

We still need to continue.

The demon sat up straight again. This time, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When he opened them again, the blood vessels in his eyes were even more prominent.
-
The ninja, who was known as a demon, finally became like a demon after several days of meetings.

His eyes were bloodshot, and his aura was so oppressive that passersby would automatically give him a wide berth. When the meeting ended, after confirming there were no further instructions, he stiffly stood up, packed his documents, and left without looking back.

Mei Terumi nodded to Shuji, who was still sitting in his seat, and left with a smile.

Tu Tai watched this scene, seemingly lost in thought.

After the details were agreed upon, a new person started working.

Those who were fishing, working out, or drinking... all returned to the negotiating table.

The file was being transferred across the desktop.

Onoki took the document and placed the Iwagakure seal on his palm. The moment the ink was pressed in, he suddenly spoke: "The last time the Five Kage jointly signed an agreement was when the villages bought Tailed Beasts from Konoha."

“Shukaku wasn’t bought by Sunagakure,” Chiyo replied as she stamped the document.

"Now that we've come this far, there's no point in talking about the past, Tsuchikage and Kazekage."

Ai handed the document to Yagura.

The Fourth Mizukage quietly signed his name and finally returned it to the Hokage.

Tsunade took the last one. Her gaze swept across the pages—rock, sand, lightning, water, four marks neatly arranged. In a daze, she seemed to see her grandfather, Hashirama Senju, sitting in the same spot, distributing the tailed beasts to the First Kage.

She raised the Hokage seal, hovered it, and then lowered it.

Princess Thousand Hands raised her head, her gaze sweeping over the four faces, a complex emotion churning within her chest.

She wanted to turn around and take a look at the person behind her who had brought everything to this point.

But she didn't turn around.

"In accordance with the agreement, the Joint Military Exercise Affairs Bureau is hereby established starting today."

The first permanent organization in the ninja world jointly established by the five great ninja villages, even though its authority is limited to competitions and its future is uncertain.

But it existed.

At this moment, the names of the five great ninja villages are listed side by side on the same document, sharing intelligence, coordinating actions, and working towards a common framework.

"The Five Kage Summit is now adjourned," Tsunade said.
-
Of the four Kage who attended the meeting, Chiyo was the first to leave, and the Sunagakure team that participated in the competition left with her.

Next is the water reflection.

Mei Terumi followed half a step behind Yagura. Before leaving the venue, she paused, turned back, and nodded slightly in Shuji's direction. This trip away from the village had been too long; it was time to go back.

She seems to have a new idea about Zabuza and the future of Kirigakure.

Then came Onoki, who arrived last.

Before leaving, the old man said to those who came to see him off, "Think about what I said before, Shuji. The power of rock is more resistant to wear and tear than lightning."

Deidara followed behind him, looking back as he walked, seemingly searching for something. He only calmed down after Onoki slapped him on the back of the head.

The Raikage was the first to arrive and the last to leave.

Ai's face was very pale, and she made no attempt to hide it.

This meant that she was allowed to ask questions, so Tsunade asked, "What happened?"

“While I was away from the village, a group of ninjas went missing while on a mission overseas,” A said. “The Hidden Cloud Village’s Anbu searched for two days but found nothing.”

Tsunade immediately promised: "Where Konoha's cooperation is needed, Kumogakure only needs to submit the necessary documents."

The Fourth Raikage nodded: "Samui will stay behind, and she will continue to handle the specific details of the ninjutsu exchange."

Before leaving, Ai, who was wearing a robe, said, "If the relationship between the two sides can continue to be maintained like this... in the future, the ninjas of the two villages will be able to have a closer relationship."

(End of this chapter)