Konoha Notes

Chapter 33 Plan
Beast Guardian has no fixed abode; he never had one before, and he doesn't now. Even though he is now the garrison commander of the town of Ikushi Port, he still changes his residence every day, and even the subordinates of the Tea Mountain Gang can never find him before he shows up.

"Bear with it for a little longer, this is the last bit of time."

Those Konoha ninjas will leave soon; they were only there for a guard duty.

Thinking this way, he still felt somewhat uneasy.

The Wasabi family has approached a Konoha ninja, and that ninja has returned the visit. This is not a good sign, but now is not the time to take action.

Jubei felt some regret. Kazusa Yuuma had long hoped that he could kill Wasabi Jirocho, but at that time Wasabi Jirocho was very well-behaved. Even though he was dissatisfied, he still behaved himself and did nothing.

We cannot rashly attack the ninjas of Konoha.

We can't just do nothing.

So……

Jubei made up his mind.

The next day, Xiu Si got up early and strolled around the city as usual.

As the sunlight dispelled the last vestiges of mist, bathing the port in a dazzling golden glow, Shuji returned to the inn. Hiroyama Makoto, who had been anxiously waiting, greeted him like a savior, urging repeatedly, "Captain Shuji! Good news! The port has loosened its grip! My goods can be loaded onto the ship today! Thank you all..."

Having received approval, the cloth merchant immediately made arrangements, eager to leave Chujie Port as soon as possible.

The dock was as noisy and bustling as ever. Hongshan Cheng's workers carefully carried the tightly covered, valuable fabrics out of the warehouse and loaded them onto the cargo ships moored at the berth.

The shady-looking guards just watched, but the three ninjas could tell that they weren't looking at the expensive goods, but at the ninja squad.

Shuji walked steadily toward Hiroyama Makoto, who was speaking in hushed tones with a port official. Ako, understanding his unspoken message, followed half a step behind him, seemingly casually. Their figures blended into the narrow passageway filled with dockworkers and stacked cargo containers. In that instant, several guards watching from afar instinctively focused their gazes.

It's now!

The weasel, who had been sitting quietly on the cargo crate, raised its head seemingly unintentionally. Its crimson twin tomoe flashed in the sunlight, like a pebble thrown into a deep pool, creating silent ripples in the unfocused pupils of the guards.

Just a fleeting moment.

When their gazes refocused, Shuuji was already standing next to Hiroyama Makoto, pointing at the cargo ship and saying something, with Anko standing beside him with her arms crossed. The two of them? Where was that brat? A guard subconsciously turned his head to search, only to see the black-haired boy wearing a headband still sitting quietly in the same spot, his gaze calmly fixed on the busy laborers. He felt a slight sense of relief, thinking it was just his eyes playing tricks on him.

With Itachi and Anko providing cover, and leaving a clone behind, Shuji concealed himself and quickly made his way to Wasabi's house. The fact that Hiroyama Makoto had left Izuku Port ahead of schedule earlier today indicated that those people were already on guard; therefore, they needed to speed up their operation.

The Wasabi family's backyard remained serene. Tsunade leaned against the porch, a plain white wine dish in her hand, gazing at the changing light and shadows in the courtyard, lost in thought. The crisp aroma of sake mingled with the morning breeze, carrying a touch of languid decadence.

Wasabi Jiro sat a little further away.
"Jirocho, someone is looking for you," Tsunade said calmly.

Wasabi was slightly taken aback, then quickly rose to take his leave. He walked through the winding corridor and, sure enough, saw Shuji at the courtyard gate.

Without speaking at the entrance of the courtyard, he led Xiu Si back into the reception room.

"Let me be frank, Mr. Wasabi, have you already realized the significance of the Tea Mountain Gang's existence?"

Jirocho didn't reply directly, but instead said, "My family were originally fishermen and peddlers from Izuku Port who spontaneously banded together to defend against ronin raids. The Wasabi family has always only been responsible for matters concerning Izuku Port; as for other matters… Izuku Port has rarely suffered from ninja attacks, thanks to Konoha. The current chaos is merely some unscrupulous individuals trying to profit from it, and Izuku Port dislikes their greed." So the Wasabi family is a local faction of Izuku Port? If so, relatively speaking…

“The Kazusuke family doesn’t seem to think that way,” Shuji said.

“The Kazuki family are outsiders; they’re only interested in money.” The middle-aged man lowered his eyelids slightly. “Those people were originally relatives of the wife of the daimyo’s chief retainer; they are different from us.”

"Mr. Wasabi should have evidence that the Tea Mountain Gang has not been eliminated."

“Of course!” Jirocho’s eyes flashed with a sharp light. “Everything is ready.”

Shuji tapped his fingers lightly on the table and said slowly, "Would you be willing to explain this matter to the people of Izuku Port? Would the Wasabi family be willing to report what has happened during this period to the Daimyo?"

The man frowned. Introduce the daimyo? What was the point of this action? This was all tacitly approved by the daimyo. This ninja before him, though appearing mature, clearly couldn't grasp the complexities of human politics…

Shuji smiled and said, "The daimyo of the Tea Country has never allowed a bandit gang to become the guard of Izuku Port, nor has he ever agreed to allow a bandit gang leader to become the garrison commander responsible for the security of the town."

“They won’t accept this evidence.” The leader intended to explain the consequences of doing so, “and even…”

“Yes, they might even rebuke you, calling you a narrow-minded person, and then take the opportunity to attack Wasabi’s family.” The young Jonin said calmly, “If it weren’t for Konoha.”

A sudden silence fell over the reception room. Sunlight streamed through the window, casting sharp shadows on Shuji's young face. Meeting Jirocho's bewildered gaze, he spoke clearly, each word distinct and distinct:

"You only need to state in your report to the Daimyo: With the assistance of the ninja squad dispatched by Konoha Village to carry out the escort mission, it has been confirmed that the Chayama gang bandits who originally occupied the Wild Tea Slope have not been truly wiped out. Perhaps due to their eagerness for merit, or perhaps due to the deliberate deception of the Chayama gang leader, Jubei, the Kazuki family misjudged the situation and recruited these vicious bandits as guards of Izuku Port, causing the port's order to collapse and merchants to complain bitterly. We earnestly request the Daimyo to investigate thoroughly, restore order, and reassure the people."

Wasabi Jiro's confusion, doubt, and even a hint of subtle disdain vanished instantly, like thin ice being thrown into boiling water. In its place was an almost shocking realization! He took a deep breath, his body involuntarily straightening up, and he shook his head: "You, Shuji-kun, you don't seem like a ninja."

He exclaimed, "To come up with such a strategy at this age is truly admirable."

The Daimyo of the Land of Tea did not want a direct conflict with Konoha. For the Daimyo, the establishment of a ninja village was essentially a matter of whether it succeeded or failed.

Shuji's words pointed out this point, and Jirocho also came to his senses.

Why was this judgment made?

First, the Black Eclipse Clan needs the Tea Mountain Gang to amass wealth. Given the economic strength of a nation, if it truly wanted to provide full support, it wouldn't need to resort to such an unseemly method.

Second, the way the Tea Mountain Gang was officially recognized was itself very "respectable," which also means that the Tea Country itself wanted to leave room for maneuver.

In other words, the Land of Tea can provide limited assistance until this matter can be accomplished, and ultimately the Black Eclipse Clan must do it themselves. On the surface, the Land of Tea also needs to appear unaware of these matters.

Given this assessment, the fastest way to gather intelligence on the Black Eclipse Clan, which has been hiding all along, is to destroy the Tea Mountain Gang, which is used as a tool for raising funds, thus forcing the Black Eclipse Clan to take action.

Can we take direct action? Yes, but the risk is very high. With the Wasabi family involved, even if the Konoha ninja cooperate with Jirocho as witnesses, the Black Eclipse Clan won't immediately become more vigilant.

So Shuji asked again, "Is the Wasabi family willing to step forward?"

Jirocho's expression turned solemn: "This is the meaning of my family's existence. Please tell me what to do."

(End of this chapter)