Konoha Notes

Chapter 81 Completed
Between Iwagakure and Sunagakure, from east to west, lie the Land of Rain, the Land of Birds, the Land of Stone, and finally the Land of Silence.

Because of Hanzo the Salamander's past domineering performance, the Hidden Stone Village and the Hidden Sand Village try to avoid fighting on the Land of Rain's territory.

The Land of Birds, the Land of Stones, and the Land of Silence have been the points of contention between the two sides for a long time.

For Sunagakure, the northern part of the Land of Wind, bordering the Land of Birds and the Land of Stone, is mostly desolate mountain ranges eroded by wind and sand. There are only a few rugged paths that can be traveled. The terrain is complex, supplies are difficult, and its strategic value is limited.

Since the truly valuable lands of the Wind Kingdom are not located near the northern region, only one or two watchtowers were left for guard purposes. The real battleground on the northern front has always been the border of the Silent Kingdom.

Onoki was in a sturdy fortress carved out of a natural giant rock on the southwestern border of the Land of Earth.

"Lord Tsuchikage, urgent intelligence."

A member of the Hidden Rock Guard knelt silently on the ground, presenting a scroll with both hands.

Onoki took it and unfolded it.

"Has Mitokado Homura, who was sent as an envoy to Kumogakure, already arrived in the Land of Hot Springs?"

"The Raikage isn't making any other moves...?"

"Although he is a young man, as a Shadow, he is more outstanding than his father."

It was originally just a probing operation to see if it could disrupt the negotiations between Kumogakure and Konoha, but unexpectedly it actually succeeded.

When Akatsuki sent back the message, it surprised the Third Tsuchikage, who now held them in higher regard. Although they were just mercenaries, they were quite useful.

Unfortunately, the Raikage was more rational than expected.

The plans targeting Sunagakure have yet to yield the expected results. The Kazekage's attitude remains ambiguous, and he has been hesitant to make a statement.

Now, it's time to make a choice again. Onoki gazes into the distance.
-
As news of the Fifth Platoon's successful return arrived, cheers erupted throughout the outpost.

Anko smiled too. She hadn't had a good time in Sunagakure. The conditions were bad enough, but when she came back, she was escorted back to the Land of Fire like a prisoner.

The enthusiasm of her companions immediately lessened the fatigue she had accumulated over the past few days, and even Itachi's expression softened a bit.

Shuji didn't interrupt this brief moment of relaxation. He led the Chunin captain to a relatively quiet spot and asked what had happened during this time.

"The village has sent an envoy to Kumogakure? They've already left the Land of Fire and are waiting for news from Kumogakure in the Land of Hot Water?"

Now the young Jonin understood that the reason Sunagakure was in such a hurry to bring him back was to finalize the previously agreed-upon conditions before Kumogakure accepted the delegation's entry.

At this point in time, the offer to Sunagakure is still at its highest point, and the village will accept it. They may even hope to use this to show Kumogakure that Konoha is still stable, thereby forcing Kumogakure to accept Konoha's envoy.

After a short rest at the outpost, the fifth squad set off again.

They arrived at Konoha Village late at night.

During this special period, the village entrance was heavily guarded, with the number of checkpoints doubled, and the team on duty was led by Uchiha Fugaku himself.

The police captain's gaze swept over the three travel-worn individuals, lingering for a moment on the son Itachi, before nodding to Shuji and waving them through.

The delegation that went to Sunagakure returned, and the news was immediately reported to the Hokage Building.

The office was brightly lit, and Hiruzen Sarutobi, Koharu Utatane, and Shikaku Nara had obviously been waiting for a long time.

Without uttering any further nonsense, Shuji went straight to reporting the mission results, the key points of his negotiations with Ebizo and Rasa, the conditions reached, and his own judgment.

"Although Sunagakure has promised to maintain the alliance, in reality, their attitude remains wavering, and it is difficult to expect them to cooperate with us on the western front against Iwagakure."

"As things stand now, they might even maintain their tacit agreement with Iwagakure and let them attack as they please."

At the end of his report, Xiu Si did not embellish the results of his mission; instead, he gave the most conservative assessment.

However, the high-ranking officials of the ninja village present reacted indifferently.

"You have successfully completed this mission," Hiruzen Sarutobi set the tone. "In such a treacherous and complex situation, you were able to stabilize Sunagakure and prevent it from siding with Iwagakure. You have already lived up to the village's expectations." Koharu Utatane nodded slightly in agreement.

After the two higher-ups finished expressing their stance, the Jonin squad leader stood up, smiled, and patted Shuuji on the shoulder.

"The result you brought back is the best we can achieve under the current circumstances. It's enough to announce to the village and reassure the people."

"You've worked hard to find a breakthrough in that situation and secure such a promise, Shuji."

Hiruzen Sarutobi said gently, "You must be tired from traveling so far. Go back and rest well. We'll need your strength for the battles to come."

Shuji bowed slightly, said no more, and left the Hokage's office.

Outside, the night was deep. Red Bean was yawning wildly, completely lacking any decorum, while Itachi leaned quietly against the wall, resting with his eyes closed.

For some reason, seeing this scene made him suddenly feel tired, and fatigue filled his whole body.

Seeing the captain come out, the purple-haired female ninja grabbed his shoulder and leaned half her weight on him: "Shuji, how did it go? What did the Hokage and the others say?"

"Mission accomplished, go back and rest."

"Huh? That's it?" She tried to open her eyes wide, but her eyelids kept drooping. "Where's the credit? Where's the reward? At least there should be a nice meal to reward you..."

"Not now, we'll make it up later." Xiu Si smiled helplessly. "Go home and get some sleep first."

"Yes...yes..." Hongdou mumbled in response, then suddenly touched her stomach. "But...I'm so hungry, Captain...can we find something to eat first?"

"At this time, all the shops are closed."

Upon hearing this, Itachi was about to say that he had food at home when Anko suddenly slammed her fist in her hand: "I remember now! I still have instant noodles at home!"

Is this enough for three servings?

"I think there should be enough," the female ninja said, seemingly unsure but with absolute certainty. "Anyway, there's definitely enough."

Itachi silently swallowed his words and looked at Shuuji.

“…Then let’s eat instant noodles at your place.” The captain made the decision.

When they returned to Hongdou's slightly messy ninja apartment, after rummaging through drawers and cupboards, they only found two packs of instant noodles.

Xiu Si remained silent, then looked up and stared intently at Hong Dou, who looked guilty.

He couldn't resist, reaching out to pinch one of her cheeks and pulling it outwards with slight force: "Is this what you meant by... enough?"

With her cheeks being pulled, Red Bean's voice was muffled as she tried to struggle: "Waaah... I still have a bowl! Let's share! Captain, you're of high status, you can eat less! Itachi is young, so he eats less too..."

"You're the one who should eat less!"

In the end, Itachi silently boiled the water. Shuji found the bowl that Anko had mentioned. The sound of boiling water was exceptionally clear in the quiet room.

Rinse the two portions of dough with water, then divide them into three equal portions.

After drinking the hot soup, sleepiness suddenly returned. Shuji looked up and saw that Anko was already fast asleep on the tatami, and Itachi was curled up in the corner, his breathing becoming even and long.

At least tidy up a bit first...

Forget it.

Shuji closed his eyes and lay down on the spot.

That's all for tonight.

(End of this chapter)