Konoha Notes

Chapter 357 Tide
Itachi wouldn't mind a job transfer for the sake of the clan, as long as the transfer itself doesn't affect the village's plans for the Uchiha clan.

Of course, you can't say that out loud.

Therefore, his reply to Fugaku was that he would try to apply, but whether it would be allowed was still unknown.

Itachi thus brushed off the nighttime conversation.

After the family finished breakfast in the morning...

Sasuke put down his chopsticks and said with a hint of excitement, "Father, Mother, Brother, yesterday Iruka-sensei announced that the school will select outstanding students for extra special training."

Mikoto smiled gently: "Really? Sasuke will definitely be chosen."

Fugaku lifted his gaze from the teacup and gave a brief assessment: "In that case, your decision to give up your leave of absence and choose to stay at school was correct. It won't affect your ability to receive higher-level guidance."

"Yes!" Sasuke straightened his back and replied earnestly, "And there will be older students inside as well."

"Very good." Fugaku nodded slightly. "Seize the opportunity."

Sasuke smiled, wanting to say something more, such as what level he would achieve in the special training.

But Fugaku's gaze had already shifted away.

“Itachi.” The clan leader turned to his eldest son, his voice turning somber. “I thought about the Joint Affairs Bureau for a long time last night.”

Sasuke opened his mouth, but the words he wanted to say got stuck in his throat.

Mikoto got up and began clearing away the dishes.

“From the venue area to the branch offices, and then to the upcoming joint meeting of ninja villages,” Fugaku said. “Given Shuji’s work style, once he starts pushing something forward, he won’t stop halfway.”

Itachi listened quietly.

"Given his operational skills, the newly established United Affairs Bureau will likely expand to a extent beyond our imagination in no time."

"Joining when it's still unformed and its structure is not yet established is completely different from trying to enter after its power is consolidated and factions are established." Fugaku looked directly into his eldest son's eyes. "Once the secret service's power reaches a certain level, its personnel structure becomes solidified, and factional structures are formed... even for Shuji, it won't be easy for you to smoothly enter and occupy an important position."

Sasuke's gaze shifted between his father and brother. He recalled how, not long ago—just a few weeks ago—the family's attention had been entirely on him.

His older brother would take time off work to train with him, and after he was defeated by Gaara, he would take him to see Shuji that very night.

When his son asked to take a break from school, his father listened attentively. When his son activated his Sharingan, his father would show a rare smile and say, "As expected of my son."

Like a surging tide, it briefly pushes everyone in his direction.

Now, the tide has receded.

"I will submit my application to you, senior," Itachi said again, his tone unchanged from the previous night.

Fugaku gave his eldest son a deep look, as if trying to see something beneath the calm surface of the lake, but in the end he only nodded almost imperceptibly and did not continue to exert pressure.

This topic seems to have been shelved.

Itachi turned to his younger brother, a gentle smile appearing on his face: "Is there anything I can help you with in preparing for the special training selection?"

"I can."

The boy was stunned for a moment the words left his mouth.

Itachi was also slightly taken aback.

The dining room was quiet for a few seconds.

“I mean…” Sasuke took a deep breath, “I can handle it myself. My brother has his own tasks to take care of too.”

He stood up and hastily grabbed his schoolbag from the side. "I'm going to school."

Without looking at his father and brother's expressions again, Sasuke turned around and walked out of the dining room almost quickly.
-
When there was a gentle knock on the Hokage's office door, Shuji was staring blankly out the window.

"Enter."

Itachi Uchiha pushed open the door and entered.

Shuji turned his head, looked him over for a few seconds, and then suddenly smiled.

"Seeing you like this, I feel like I've gone back to a few years ago." He leaned back in his chair, his hands clasped over his stomach. "You seem to be fine, but you also seem to be feeling very heavy-hearted."

Itachi was silent for two seconds, then lowered his head: "...Thank you for your trouble, senpai."

"Let's go." Xiu Si stood up and walked around the desk. "It's too stuffy in here, let's go to the rooftop."

They didn't use teleportation; they simply walked up the stairs one after the other. Their footsteps echoed in the empty stairwell, and occasionally, clerical staff carrying documents hurried down the stairs would step aside to make way for them, bowing respectfully.

When the door on the roof was pushed open, a gust of wind rushed in.

The vision suddenly opens up.

The sun was already quite high in the sky, and the sunlight was warm.

Shuji walked to the railing, leaned against the metal handrail, and was almost bathed in light.

"What is it this time?"

"My father asked me if I was considering giving up my position in the Anbu and being transferred," Itachi said, walking to a spot slightly behind him.

"Oh? That's not a bad idea." Shuuji said casually. "The people you left in the Dark Division are reliable, and the system is mature. Leaving for a while won't cause any trouble."

"The target is the Joint Affairs Bureau, right?"

Itachi nodded: "Yes."

"After all, the most likely powerful department, and the one without Uchiha involvement, is that one." Shuuji turned back and looked towards the stadium area outside the village. "Kakashi's side is short of helpers, and they're probably going to be overwhelmed soon."

He counted them off on his fingers, one by one:
"Preparations for the Ninja Village Alliance Conference, follow-up investigations and crackdown plans on the illegal arena network, and the ninja deployment for the upcoming multinational engineering project..."

Xiu Si smiled, a smile tinged with schadenfreude.

"Just listing them out is a headache. Kakashi's dark circles are almost as bad as Gaara's lately."

He turned to Itachi and said, "So, let's temporarily transfer him there for a while. Under the guise of a secondment, the Anbu organization will be retained, which will serve as manpower support for Kakashi."

Itachi asked, "If that's the case, wouldn't it set too high expectations for the clan?"

"Expectations?" Shuuji chuckled softly, the laughter quickly carried away by the wind. "Itachi, the Joint Affairs Bureau is not a permanent department of the village."

"Surnames and bloodline limits are of no use in such places."

"What's needed there is a brain that can navigate the squabbles among the five great ninja villages, and the skill to find a balance in the conflict of interests."

“Over there, your primary identity is that of a Konoha ninja,” Shuji said, emphasizing each word. “Only then do you consider labels like ‘Uchiha’ or ‘Hyuga’.”

"If you can work well in that kind of environment, it doesn't matter where you come from or where you were born."

"Don't overthink it."

(End of this chapter)