Konoha Notes

Chapter 369 Roll Call
Late at night, there was a knock on the door of my home.

This sound was something quite distant for Karin. And for her mother, Hagi, it was the same.

Hagi thought the time had come when Konoha needed her, but when she opened the door, she realized that the village was looking for her daughter, not her.

It wasn't for treatment, but for a sensory task. Over the years, Konoha still held a certain level of trust in her heart, so Hagi shook Karin awake.

"Task?"

Karin changed her clothes in a daze, and only after seeing the two ANBU members at the door did she realize that she was not dreaming.

Stepping outside, a cool breeze blew by, jolting her awake and bringing her completely back to her senses.

Karin bid farewell to her mother and, under Hagi's worried gaze, left with the Anbu.

The meeting point was at the village entrance, where a group of people were already waiting.

"You're Karin Uzumaki, right?" The young man with round-framed glasses smiled kindly. "Nice to meet you. I'm Kabuto Yakushi."

"Hello, Kabuto-senpai." Karin quickly stood up straight and greeted him respectfully.

"Don't be so formal." Kabuto's smile deepened. "To be personally selected by Lord Shuji at such a young age and called upon in such an emergency... Karin, you must possess extraordinary talent."

"Captain... taking attendance personally?" Karin's voice unconsciously rose.

The light from the streetlamp fell into her red eyes, reflecting bright spots of light.

“The mission instructions clearly state that ‘Karin Uzumaki’ is to be urgently summoned,” Kabuto said. “It seems that Lord Shuji has great confidence in your abilities.”

Karin's breathing quickened for a moment.

at last……

Finally, it wasn't Sasuke, that arrogant Uchiha; it wasn't Naruto, that always-nagging idiot; and it wasn't Gaara later on...

So you finally saw me, Captain!
"It's time to get ready to leave." Kabuto's voice pulled Karin back from her thoughts. "Our destination is Takigakure Village, which is quite a distance. You'll need us to carry you on the journey, is that alright?"

"Yes! Absolutely no problem, Kabuto-senpai!" Karin answered decisively.

Even if you let her run as fast as she can, she'll catch up.

Of course, reality soon taught her a small lesson.

A true, cross-border emergency long-distance raid is far more intense and physically and mentally demanding than any endurance run on the ninja academy's training ground.

The last time she experienced a similar high-speed movement was four years ago when she was taken away from Kusagakure. During the most tense part of the journey, she was even taken away by the Flying Thunder God while unconscious.

When she finally set foot on the land of Takigakure and approached her destination, her mental excitement was beginning to overwhelm the weariness that had accumulated in her body. But this weariness was instantly dispelled by the sight before her as she entered Takigakure.

As a village with the same reputation as Kusagakure, even though it has been initially cleared, the traces left on the ground are still shocking.

Captain... is he here? Is he alright? Karin couldn't help but worry, closed her eyes, and activated her senses.

They quickly discovered Shuuji's powerful and unique chakra.

Karin was relieved to see that her opponent was unharmed based on her chakra perception.

"This way."

The Jonin leading the group gestured, and Karin was led to a temporarily cleared open space.

More than ten ninjas have gathered here, most of them wearing Konoha headbands, and a few of them are from Takigakure.

Karin spotted Shuji immediately.

He stood in the center of the open space, talking with several Jonin from the Sensory Class.

Seemingly sensing her arrival, Shuji turned his head and his gaze fell on her.

"Fragrant phosphorus."

"Yes, Captain!"

"You must be tired from your long journey." Xiu Si walked over and stopped in front of her. "The situation is urgent, so I can only get to the point."

Karin nodded vigorously, focusing all her attention.

"Takigakure was attacked previously, and one of the enemies was a ninja who could use a special parasitic ninjutsu."

Shuji's gaze fell on Asuma's team, who were waiting to the side, as well as several Takigakure ninja, including Shibuki.

Karin's gaze followed.

"This ninjutsu can lie dormant in the target and completely assimilate with the host's chakra. Conventional sensory methods, including the Byakugan, cannot detect it until it actively manifests."

"I've found a way to make it appear." "But I need your cooperation. Next, I need all of you to record three key points in your own way—"

He raised his finger.

"First, its chakra characteristics during the incubation period."

"Second, it is activated by the instantaneous chakra change."

"Third, a comparison of the differences between the latent and post-incubation periods."

The ninjas present responded in unison, and Karin nodded vigorously as well.

Shuji walked up to Asuma: "Are you ready?"

“Come on,” Asuma said casually. “It’s better than not knowing when something will grow on your body.”

Xiu Si summoned a small slug.

“I will transfer a small amount of natural energy into your body.” Shuji placed the slug on Asuma’s shoulder. “Remember, do not actively absorb this energy. If anything unusual happens, do not panic. I will use Wood Release to forcibly extract the natural energy.”

Asma nodded.

Karin closed her eyes and fully activated her senses.

She forced herself to ignore the most obvious chakra entity and focus her attention on Asuma next to him.

Karin focused all her sensory precision on Asuma, especially on every minute detail of his chakra flow, searching for any theoretically possible impurities that did not belong to him.

Once, twice... Karin stubbornly checked.

Until a completely different energy seeped into Asma's body through the slug.

Just as the natural energy flowed through a certain spot behind Asma's right shoulder, a sudden change occurred!
That point, which was originally completely identical to Asuma's own chakra and seemed to have no independent existence at all, came to life!
It began to expand spontaneously, but even at this moment, the chakra it carried during its rapid proliferation and manifestation, its base frequency and attributes, remained remarkably synchronized with Asuma himself.

However, beneath this near-perfect synchronized exterior, Kagura's keen perception, which transcends ordinary senses and touches upon the level of emotions and will, allowed Karin to capture a completely different core.

It was a cold, alien, and faint will with a clear purpose, distinct from Asma's own consciousness, filled with a strange sense of alienation.

"It's here!" Hyuga Tokuma whispered.

Shuji's movements were faster than his voice. Just as a small, inconspicuous lump of white substance swelled up under Asuma's skin on the back of his shoulder, he reached out and ripped it off.

However, this was only the beginning. Just as the spores on Asuma's body were being forcibly stimulated to grow, White Zetsu began to absorb the chakra of Izumo, Kotetsu, Hinata, and even Shibuki, and tried to detach and leave.

The Konoha ninjas who were waiting nearby immediately took action, imitating Shuji, tearing off the White Zetsu from their bodies and killing them.

The sealing team members, who were already prepared, immediately stepped forward and used specially made sealing talismans and containers to imprison and contain these white substances.

Kabuto Yakushi took the still-living one from Shuji and carefully put it away.

Hyuga Tokuma was the first to speak, veins bulging around his Byakugan: "Shuji, there was nothing unusual in the Byakugan's field of vision until they actively absorbed Charak's appearance."

“Like a part of the host’s chakra,” another sensory jonin added. “No, it should be said—they are a part of the host’s chakra.”

Other sensory ninjas also reported similar conclusions: conventional sensory methods were completely ineffective before the ninjas could manifest.

“Me...me too,” she whispered, her fingers unconsciously twisting the hem of her clothes. “Before it was activated, I couldn’t find it either…”

But then, remembering the slight anomaly she had just noticed, she mustered her courage and said, "However, it has its own thoughts, completely different from Mr. Asuma's."

"They can hide during the spore stage, but they become clearly visible after they grow open."

Upon hearing this, Shuji looked at Karin and realized that Kagura's Mind's Eye ability was indeed still effective.

It can at least achieve an effect similar to the Nine-Tails' malice perception.

"Fragrant phosphorus."

"Yes!"

"I heard that you want to become an excellent medical ninja."

Karin paused for a moment, then said, "Yes, yes!"

Xiu Si nodded slightly: "Then, perhaps I need to temporarily disrupt your future plans."

Karin held her breath. She could feel everyone's eyes on her.

"In the next two or three years, could you please temporarily shift your focus from medical ninjutsu to the development of your sensory abilities?"

“The village needs eyes that can detect this threat in advance,” Shuji continued, his gaze sweeping over the containers holding White Zetsu. “Conventional means of perception have their limits, but your Kagura Mind’s Eye might be able to reach beyond those boundaries.”

(End of this chapter)