Konoha Notes

Chapter 327 Funding
They were eating and watching the fight, and then suddenly the people below turned into blocks of wood.

Orochimaru did not approach rashly, but instead controlled the Third Kazekage to go forward and investigate for a long time before confirming one thing.

Shuji has indeed left.

Orochimaru wasn't annoyed. He told the airship to slow down and return to the Land of Snow.

When he arrived in the Land of Snow, he was not surprised at all to hear that Jiraiya and the others had left.

After all, with the air fortress on the expedition, it's not incomprehensible that the Snow Country, with its remaining strength, couldn't hold back Jiraiya and the others.

He was well aware of his old friend's abilities.

Some time later, Orochimaru learned that the aerial fortress had been destroyed.

Orochimaru was completely unconcerned about the accountability he faced.

"That's a wood clone, absolutely."

"Isn't it normal that it can't be identified?"

"Furthermore, the fact that Konoha was able to bring Onoki from the Land of Earth, and the final outcome, has nothing to do with me."

"...Now that the organization has lost its most effective deterrent force—the air power—the pressure from the five great ninja villages will intensify," Zetsu warned. "You don't think this has nothing to do with you, Orochimaru, do you?"

"Hehehe... If that's the case, why doesn't the organization try to support my experiment?" Orochimaru said with a smile. "Hiruko's completion of his Oni-Gera is nothing more than a fighting force."

"Shennong has one tail left, and one or two warships."

"My experiments can provide even greater assistance than theirs."
-
The second year was a special one for Naruto, as the exchange students from Kumogakure who had only stayed for half a year returned to class after the start of the new semester.

When the semester ended last year, Ms. Iruka even arranged a farewell party.

Naruto was slightly disappointed.

“Because the exchange has been prolonged,” Omoi muttered. “When we go back, we might be treated like strangers, since we’ve been gone for so long… Speaking of which, can we really go back? Have the village forgotten about us…?”

"It's possible we can't go back."

Such a depressed guy wasn't exactly annoying.

Today, long after the start of the school year, another exchange student arrived from Sunagakure. He had red hair and blue eyes, no eyebrows, and characters on his forehead.

His expression was indifferent.

The Konoha students, who are usually full of curiosity about new classmates, were unusually cautious this time. Whispers spread through the back of the classroom, but no one took the initiative to go up and greet them.

"Hey, Naruto," Shikamaru whispered, leaning on his desk, "that Gaara, his aura... it's completely different from ours. It's best not to mess with him."

As soon as he finished speaking, Nara Shikamaru realized that he had made a mistake.

Sure enough, Naruto stood up and his voice was so loud that everyone looked over.

"He's just a transfer student, you guys are too cowardly!"

The blond boy strode towards the front of the classroom, stopped in front of Gaara's desk, and slammed his hands on the table, striking what he considered the most imposing pose.

"Hey!" Naruto deliberately raised his voice, "My name is Uzumaki Naruto! I'm a ninja who will become the Champion of the Joint Martial Arts Tournament and the Hokage!"

Gaara slowly raised his head.

Those were extremely calm, bluish-green eyes, the depths of which reflected no emotional fluctuations. He stared at Naruto quietly for a few seconds, then stood up.

Naruto subconsciously took a half step back, then stepped back to his original position as if to save face.

Gaara extended his right hand: "Hello, I am Gaara."

Naruto stood there, stunned. He had considered many possibilities, but this was the one he hadn't thought of.

"Ah, um... hello!" Naruto hurriedly extended his hand, but in his panic, he extended his left hand and accidentally touched Gaara's right hand. "Whoa! Wrong, wrong!"

He pulled his hand back as if he had been burned, waved it frantically in the air, and then extended his right hand again.

Hold the two hands together.

"I...I am Naruto Uzumaki..." Naruto lowered his voice, his tone becoming somewhat flustered, "Please...please take care of me."

This was the first time he had been greeted so earnestly, and recalling his exaggerated self-introduction, his ears turned slightly red.

"Nice to meet you." Gaara withdrew his hand, nodded, and then sat back down in his seat.

Naruto scratched his head.

"Uh... well, that's settled then!"

He was often ridiculed and ignored, but when he wanted to prove himself, he was taken seriously.

That Shikamaru guy, what he said is completely wrong...

This transfer student seems like a pretty nice person.
-
How is it like at the Ninja Academy?

“That’s right,” Gaara replied.

The teachers at the Ninja Academy were aware of his situation, and even though they didn't show it, someone would often stand guard outside the classroom during class to prevent any accidents from happening.

Gaara doesn't care about that.

But the students were completely different; even though they didn't get close for various reasons, they didn't receive the same kind of attention often seen in Sunagakure.

"Someone greeted me."

“Oh, let me think, is it called Naruto Uzumaki?” Shuuji said.

"Yes, he is Naruto Uzumaki."

Just then, there was a knock on the office door, and Maki walked in.

He paused for a moment when he saw Gaara in Shuji's office.

"Well then, that's all for today," Shuji said to Gaara.

Gaara nodded, then quietly got up and walked towards the door. As he passed Maki, his gaze didn't waver at all, as if Maki were nothing to him. He left the office and gently closed the door behind him.

Maki sighed inwardly.

How long has it been?

"Mr. Shuji, that flying fortress has been destroyed." Maki wanted to talk about Gaara. Before, Sunagakure might be in grave danger, but now the situation has changed. Sunagakure believes Gaara can return. "And then..."

“Yes,” Shuji said, interrupting Maki, “Kumogakure has something it hopes to get Sunagakure’s assistance with.”

"Although that aerial fortress was destroyed, it cannot be guaranteed that the enemy only had one, or that they did not have the ability to build a second one in a place unknown to us."

"Lord Raikage believes we should seize this opportunity and not allow the enemy to regroup easily."

"Therefore, we hope to obtain the support of the Sunagakure air force to strengthen the harassment and suppression of the front line of the Land of Snow."

Maki considered carefully: "Mr. Shuji, according to the terms of your agreement with Lord Kazekage, the focus of the air force going forward is to assist each village in establishing an early warning mechanism."

“Lord Raikage also considered this point, so he is willing to fund the expansion of the Sunagakure fleet,” Shuji said. “In this way, we can simultaneously assist in building an air force and suppress the Land of Snow.”

"Considering that this plan is beneficial to the ninja world as a whole, Konoha is willing to invest resources in it."

(End of this chapter)