Konoha Notes

Chapter 64 Itachi and Izumi

After spending two days in the forbidden technique room, Shuuji gained a certain understanding of the Flying Thunder God Technique.

The Flying Thunder God Technique is, in a strict sense, an advanced version of the Body Flicker Technique.

The most crucial part is actually the Flying Thunder God Technique. Only by mastering the Flying Thunder God Technique can one perform spatial teleportation through sensing techniques.

To learn the Flying Thunder God Technique, one must master the cursed seal—not the kind developed by Orochimaru, but a conventional cursed seal like Danzo Shimura's Tongue Vortex Root, which sets one's own chakra on the target through direct contact.

In addition, one must know some basic sealing techniques.

The technique is triggered by perception, and the teleportation is ultimately completed through the Flying Thunder God technique.

The tricky part is that this time, the setting of the technique cannot be done by inheriting the memories of the predecessor. No matter how hard the predecessor tried, he only lived for fourteen years. It was already very difficult for him to master so many ninjutsu and to be able to release ninjutsu no matter how Shuuji forms hand seals. He can only master the new things himself.

While Shuuji was engrossed in his studies, Itachi tidied himself up, his face showing no emotion whatsoever.

Sasuke's older brother, Fugaku's eldest son, and a genius of the Uchiha clan, once again put on that calm mask.

However, the Itachi who appeared on the banks of the Naka River that afternoon was not a "genius," but someone's friend.

Uchiha Izumi, an eight-year-old girl of the same age as him, has long, jet-black hair like a waterfall, and a small beauty mark under her right eyelid. She is still studying at the Ninja Academy.

She sat quietly beside Itachi, carefully observing his silent profile.

"Itachi is in a bad mood."

"I'm sorry, right now, really..." Itachi, who was just a friend, didn't need to be mature or hide his emotions. He sat by the lake, and his movements as he ate dumplings were also weak and listless.

"Did something unpleasant happen to you?"

"I encountered something... that I just couldn't do no matter what."

Izumi tilted her head and stared at Itachi's face.

Itachi returned a questioning look.

"It turns out that even perfect geniuses have the same troubles as ordinary people."

"I... I only know some ninjutsu." Itachi lowered his eyes, his fingertips unconsciously twirling the tip of the bamboo skewer. "I'm not a genius."

The more I experience, the clearer I realize how powerless everything I've learned in the past is when faced with truly intricate and complex predicaments.

I can't say I'm particularly talented; I'm just better at fighting and killing.

"While I don't know how geniuses would handle problems, we ordinary people would ask our mothers or teachers for help."

"No matter how much you suffer, it's no use, Itachi."

Izumi didn't know what kind of question could stump Uchiha Itachi; she just went by instinct and said what she felt could help.

Parents, teachers...

Itachi simply stared quietly at the lake.

"Doesn't Itachi have a senior he trusts a lot?" Izumi's eyes lit up as she remembered something.

"Shisui?" A faint bitter smile appeared on Itachi's lips, and even Shisui was struggling in the same vortex.

“That’s the current captain! Doesn’t Itachi often mention him?” Izumi reminded him.

“Senpai…” Itachi’s head drooped even lower, his voice almost carried away by the wind, “Senpai told me to think for myself.”

pain.

A slight stinging sensation came from his cheek. Itachi turned his head in surprise and saw Izumi angrily retracting the bamboo skewer he had used to poke his face.

“I’m telling you, Itachi,” Izumi said with a stern face, “for us ordinary kids, when our seniors tell us to ‘think for ourselves,’ it means to think about it for a while first, and only ask if we can’t figure it out! What else can we do?”

She took a big bite of the dumpling and said, though her words were muffled, "Itachi insists on figuring things out completely on his own, which is too much for him!"

"but…"

"Go ask again!" Izumi interrupted him, her tone resolute. "Since itachi trusts his senior, he certainly won't mind!"

Really, is that okay...?

Itachi looked into Izumi's resolute eyes, as if infected by her courage. He stood up, his movements a little lighter than when he had come.

"Thank you, Izumi," he said earnestly.
Anyway, I'll go ask. Even if it's presumptuous, it's better than staying put. If I bring a gift, my senior should forgive my intrusion.

Upon entering the foyer, he was surprised to find that his father, Fugaku Uchiha, had not gone to the police department that day. Instead, he was sitting in the inner room with some documents spread out in front of him.

Itachi suppressed his initial excitement and regained the composure befitting the young Uchiha clan leader.

Hearing the noise, Fugaku looked up, his gaze lingering on his eldest son's face for a moment before calmly gathering and rolling up the documents with meticulous movements.

He deliberately ignored Itachi's outburst that night—it was normal for his emotions to fluctuate wildly after activating the three-tomoe Sharingan, especially since the child had recovered completely afterward.

Fugaku Uchiha's gaze fell on Itachi, as if he were weighing something.

After a moment, he slowly spoke: "Itachi, there's something I want to ask you."

"Yes, father."

Fugaku Uchiha considered it for a long time.

He couldn't just hand over the list of police personnel because of someone's request, but that person did indeed provide a better and more suitable solution than he had ever thought of.

If the village could form an alliance with other ninja clans by giving up some of its police force positions, it would need to consider whether the impact would be too broad, even if the village really wanted to do something.

The Uchiha clan's long-held ambition may also have a chance to be realized. If the Uchiha clan produces a Hokage, they can reaffirm their power and stance, completely reversing the current situation.

Revolution was the worst option. Shuji's words reminded Fugaku that the village had always been wary of the Uchiha clan, and even if he hid his Mangekyou Sharingan well, it would be difficult to defeat the Third Hokage and his group in one fell swoop.

Given that the village was prepared, is it really true that the fighting force that was originally thought to be outside the village is not actually in the village?
Jiraiya's whereabouts have always been unknown. Is he preparing something?
Furthermore, the identity of the person Tsunade, who had been away from the village for a long time, made Fugaku suspect that if this negotiation failed, Tsunade might also return to the village.

After careful consideration of various factors, Fugaku concluded that relinquishing a portion of the quota was an acceptable option, provided that the police department's leadership could be ensured.

The real problem lies within.

What should be done with the clan members who were squeezed out of the police department? Should the clan provide subsidies? Where will the money come from? The Uchiha clan has a large population, and not all clan members can work in the police department. Supporting idle people in the long term is already a huge burden.

If only those who are dismissed are subsidized, other members of the clan who cannot enter the police department will inevitably harbor resentment.

If he doesn't give them anything... how can he appease his people? Perhaps he should use these kaleidoscopes...

Fugaku couldn't figure it out, and he recalled the boy's gaze, his seemingly calm tone filled with distrust.

He was not afraid of a fourteen-year-old special jonin, but the other party represented the long-dormant will of the Senju.

If they refuse, it means war.

In this situation……

Ultimately, it's just a list of police officers and their resumes. As long as you don't provide specific ninjutsu or tactical information...

Let's see what he does.

However, it's not a good time to make a decision yet. If that person is not trustworthy, the Uchiha clan will also suffer losses.

Therefore, he handed over the power of decision-making to his eldest son.

"Itachi, are you willing to trust your captain?"

With his talent, Itachi wouldn't be deceived by someone he'd known for so long.

"The senior is an outstanding captain and leader who can always force the enemy into the battlefield he has set out for."

Itachi answered in the style of the Uchiha: the Uchiha believe in talent and strength, and that is the greatest trust.

This was the eldest son's answer, a very high evaluation.

Fugaku always believed in his eldest child, who possessed talent that surpassed everyone else's.

He let Itachi experience the cruelty of war in advance, was proud of Itachi graduating at the age of eight, and firmly believed that Itachi would become a better ninja than himself.

Now that Itachi has awakened the three-tomoe Sharingan, his judgment carries even greater weight.

"Tomorrow, I need you to give a document to your captain. This needs to be kept absolutely confidential. I will have Shisui accompany you in secret."

"Yes!"

(End of this chapter)