Konoha Notes.

Chapter 506 A Glimpse

Chapter 506 A Glimpse

Sasuke's resolve and Kakashi's ambiguity were halted by a slight noise at the doorway.

Director Hatake raised a finger.

Sasuke sat back down in his seat.

So when Itachi walked in, he saw his younger brother working and the chief reading a pornographic book.

"We have received a reply to the liaison office of the Daimyo. They will convey to the Daimyo of the Land of Tea their dissatisfaction with the current governance of the Land of Tea."

"Furthermore, compromise with the enemy is unacceptable, and this will be made clear in subsequent announcements to the domestic community."

Kakashi said, "There are still quite a few opinions from everyone."

Director Hatake easily understood this sarcastic remark; it was a sign of displeasure that the Joint Affairs Bureau had not explicitly denied Akira's line of command.

Itachi did not dwell on this topic.

"The Liaison Office fully supports the operational principles that the Bureau has consistently emphasized."

"They also expressed great satisfaction with the new topics to be discussed next."

"With this much good news, I can leave work early today, Itachi," Chief Hatake said expectantly, closing the book.

The assistant ignored his boss's expectations.

"The next part is what the liaison office would like to discuss in more detail."

"The Liaison Office hopes to have a detailed discussion with the Secretariat regarding specific measures to ensure the smooth development of all countries, and how these measures can be coordinated with subsequent codes of conduct."

Itachi continued.

"There are two core issues. First, the liaison office hopes that the Joint Affairs Bureau will subsequently assign a special ninja squad to assist the various daimyo residences in conducting investigations of the towns under their jurisdiction."

"Secondly, regarding the task itself, the liaison office believes it is necessary to clarify the scope of mandates that can be issued by principals of different statuses. They hope to formulate formal regulations in this regard."

Kakashi placed the book on the table.

"Are you worried that something like what happened to Wasabi's family will happen again?"

"I'm afraid so."

Itachi nodded.

"All of the above issues require the director and representatives from the other four major ninja villages to come forward for consultation."

The sorrow that everyone experiences crept onto Director Hatake's face.

Ultimately, these new demands stem from those influential figures wanting to leverage the power of ninjas to solidify their position within the country.

They will definitely go into such detail that they will discuss every single point until there is no more room for negotiation.

In other words, it can take anywhere from a few days to several weeks to get it done.

Itachi then reported on the last matter.

"Regarding the vetting of the duty squads, the composition of the vetting team has been finalized. Each of the five ninja villages will appoint one member to join."

The sound of pen nibs slicing across paper stopped in the office against the wall.

Sasuke's hand remained in the pen-holding posture, pressing down on the document.

Kakashi didn't look over there.

"This is a necessary procedure."

"From ninjas having to complete all missions regardless of losses, to being able to selectively abandon some missions, and now—"

'

"In defining ourselves and them, there are always some things that need to be clarified."

"The best we can do as companions is to offer some comfort based on our personal perspective during times like these."

After informing the two Uchiha in his office that he could use talk therapy as a placebo, Kakashi thought about the torment he would inevitably suffer in the future.

The suggestion from his disciple came to mind again.

I really want to see that guy looking worried too.

After Naruto returned home from the Bureau of Affairs, he first went to the Hokage Building to find his father. Since his father added a new procedure to his after-school routine, the two of them changed their order.

The system changed from Minato preparing dinner at a fixed time to Naruto finishing his own tasks before going to his father to have dinner together.

When Naruto entered the Hokage's office, Minato was still behind his desk. A bento box was already laid out on the coffee table next to him.

"dad!"

He sat cross-legged next to the coffee table, unpacking his lunchbox and talking about his day's achievements.

"All the forms have been distributed. Many people didn't receive one and went to prepare new ones themselves according to the format."

"I should be able to get it tomorrow."

Minato listened and simply nodded.

Naruto ate a few mouthfuls of rice, then suddenly looked up.

"Speaking of which, isn't this Grandma Goddess's office? Is she not coming because Dad is back?"

"Lady Tsunade has other matters to attend to," Minato said.

"What about Brother Shuuji?"

"He has already gone back."

During the question and answer session, Naruto had already finished his bento. He put his chopsticks on the empty box and quickly stood up.

"I'm going to find Brother Shuji."

As he spoke, he rushed out of the Hokage Building and ran towards the western suburbs.

From afar, you can see a layer of sand floating above the old house.

The sand was spread out in a platform, hanging not far above the roof. There seemed to be figures standing on the sand.

I guessed it was Gaara, but when I stepped into the front yard, I found the red-haired boy standing there. Temari and Kankuro were standing next to him, both looking up at me.

Naruto didn't see Shuji in the yard: "Where is Shuji-nii?"

6

"Up there," Kankuro pointed to the sand.

"On Gaara's sand."

Naruto craned his neck, but couldn't see clearly in the darkness. He leaped and bounded onto the eaves, finally making out the figure above the sand.

"What is Brother Shuji doing?"

The people on the sand did not bow their heads.

"As you can see, Naruto."

"I'm flying."

Naruto's eyes turned into beady ones: "—Shuji-nii was just standing on Gaara's sand."

Shuji called out to the crowd, "Can it transform into the shape of a sword?"

Gaara, standing in the courtyard, raised his hand and waved.

The platform narrowed and lengthened from the center, and the ordinary sand platform transformed into the shape of a long sword in a few breaths, the blade lying horizontally in the night.

Shuji stood with his hands behind his back on the back of the sword.

"I want a double-edged sword," he added. "And adjust the hilt as well."

The sand grains flowed in response. The blade's shape curved back, with symmetrical edges on both sides of the blade. Layers of sand piled up at the guard, forming a neat and tidy hilt.

Shuji glanced at it briefly and suggested a few minor adjustments. Gaara complied with them all.

Naruto's eyes changed from a pair of dots to two stars.

"So handsome—so incredibly handsome—"

Gaara controlled the sand sword as it moved through the night sky. Though not fast, it was steady. Shuji stood on the back of the sword, a corner of his robe being lifted by the wind.

Naruto, itching to join in, jumped down from the eaves and darted to Gaara's side.

Then he saw the red-haired boy's expression at that moment.

Those usually calm, bluish-green eyes clearly held a hint of excitement.

Gaara waved his hand, and the sand sword carried Shuji through an arc, faster than before.

"Gaara, Gaara!" Naruto pointed to himself. "I want to play too!"

Gaara, who was focused on controlling the sand sword, hadn't replied yet when Temari said, "Shuji-san said he's researching a new technique, not just playing around."

Naruto immediately pointed to the figure in the night sky who was adjusting his posture on the sand sword.

"What kind of research is this?!"

He then turned to Gaara.

"Gaara also thinks this is just a joke, right?"

Gaara didn't answer, but focused intently on manipulating the sand sword to trace various trajectories in the night sky.

Seeing this, Naruto shouted towards the sky, "Shuji-nii! Let me try it too!"

The person on the sand sword loosened their grip on the sand.

He fell headfirst straight down.

Gaara's initial excitement subsided, replaced by focused concentration. Sand rapidly gathered beneath Shuji, reforming the platform.

Shuji stopped less than two meters from the ground in the courtyard and sat on the sand platform. As he landed, Gaara thoughtfully sculpted the sand platform into a horizontal longsword.

Naruto was about to jump up when he saw this.

Shuuji curled his fingers and flicked them, striking the blond boy squarely on the forehead.

Naruto fell backward, clutching his forehead and rolling half a circle on the grass.

"This is my sword," the man declared, asserting ownership.

Naruto, sprawled on the grass, clutched his forehead and roared, "That's Gaara's sand!"

Then he rolled over and got up, fawningly approaching Gaara: "Hey, Gaara, can't you control a lot of sand at once? Give me one too. Anyway, Shuji-nii isn't playing anymore."

Gaara then separated a lump of sand and shaped it into a kunai.

Naruto immediately climbed up. He stood on the kunai like Shuji, head held high and chest out.

The next moment, Sand's Susanoo charged forward.

Naruto didn't have time to steady himself; he was thrown straight down by the inertia and fell face down into the grass.

"You think you can fly with this kind of training?" Shuji scoffed mercilessly.

Naruto crawled out of the bushes and stubbornly climbed onto the kunai again. This time he bent over and lowered his center of gravity. Gaara also slowed down, but the blond boy's body was still swaying.

Shuji, standing on the sand sword, suddenly warned Gaara, "Watch your strength, Gaara."

The next instant, a powerful burst of chakra erupted from his body. He had originally intended to leap upwards with the sand swords clinging to his feet, but with the sudden burst of force, the sand swords beneath his feet disintegrated into a shower of fine sand.

Naruto, who was lying on the sand kunai, was swept up by the air current and rolled to the ground again.

Shuji, who had rushed straight up, landed back in the courtyard.

"Yes, that's definitely not feasible."

Naruto, who had eaten dirt for the third time that night, rolled over on the ground and got up, angrily brushing the dust off his clothes: "What on earth is Shuji-nii doing?!"

"Temari just told you," Shuji said. "I'm experimenting with possibilities."

"Use an object with initial airborne momentum as a leverage point. As long as it is stable enough, even without ninjutsu for flying, one can achieve flexible aerial movement through training in chakra control and with the help of a few small gadgets."

"Perhaps it can also possess some combat capabilities."

After he finished speaking, he turned to Kankuro, who was standing to the side.

"Could a puppet do that?"

"A puppet?" Kankuro paused for a moment, then fell into thought. "If someone is controlling it from below—"

Those eyes gradually brightened.

"It's not entirely impossible. But the puppeteer must be exceptionally skilled."

He was completely in the zone.

"You need to multitask, using chakra threads to control a support while the threads themselves steadily output enough force to support the human body. The key is the point of application of force."

"The puppeteer stands on the ground to control the puppet, whether it is throwing it out or fighting it on the ground, it relies on the ground for support."

"The power generation is direct and the chakra consumption is low. But once you enter the air, the power generation point is completely different. Chakra consumption will increase exponentially, and the resulting combat power boost is probably not as good as using the flight wing device directly."

"If you're going to be a puppeteer and need to engage in aerial combat, I think you should use flight wings in conjunction with combat puppets."

"No, in that case, it would be better to just use a long-range throwing method."

"If that's the case, why not just create puppets that can fly?"

Kankuro's train of thought was redirected by this question.

"This—a simple flight wing is sufficient to meet the current combat requirements."

"Other modifications are all aimed at enhancing combat capabilities in medium and close-range operations. But at that distance, the flight wing itself becomes a burden."

Kankuro, a puppeteer whom Sunagakure was grooming, said, "Once the structure of the flight wing is damaged in battle, it can no longer be used."

"Adding armor is fine, but even the strongest materials can't withstand close to medium-range impacts. For long-range combat, such reinforcements are actually unnecessary."

Shuji listened attentively, nodding occasionally.

Naruto stood still, looking left at Shuji and right at Kankuro.

He tried listening to a few words: "point of force," "chakra depletion," "long-range throwing." Those words went into his left ear, spun around in his mind, and then slipped away unnoticed from his right ear.

So they quickly turned their attention back to Gaara.

"Hey, Gaara, let me try one more time—"

—

Before he could finish speaking, Shuji's voice came after him.

"What are you doing here, Naruto?"

Naruto, interrupted, paused, his mind caught between his dream of flying and his current situation. Several seconds passed before he remembered the real reason he had come here.

"I—Shuji-nii said I could come over tonight to ask questions."

Shuji responded, but repeated his previous statement: "If it's still the same question, I've already said it, go ask your father."

"It's not that one, it's something else."

Naruto raised each finger one by one.

"For example, Shuuji-nii's hobbies, things he dislikes, his birthday—"

He looked around, trying to find help.

"We've known each other for so long, yet we knew absolutely nothing about these things. Right, Gaara? Temari? Kankuro?"

'

Shuji smiled.

"Yeah?"

Gaara calmly stated, "My preferred food is light and mildly spicy hot pot. I only accept seafood sashimi; I will refuse other types of sashimi."

Temari continued, "As for clothing, I usually wear dark-colored casual clothes. I'm open to the standard ninja uniform, but I don't like styles that are too flashy."

Kankuro joined in: "I drink tea. But I avoid tea that is too bitter, and I don't accept tea that is too sweet."

Naruto stood frozen in place. His raised finger remained suspended in mid-air.

Gaara added, "His birthday is May 14th."

Shuji spread his hands.

"Looks like you're the only one who doesn't know anything, Naruto."

"His information gathering skills are completely inadequate."

"But now you should know, right?"

"Does it contain the information you're looking for?"

The man asked with a smile.