Konoha Notes

Chapter 2 Koizumi Town

The Land of Rivers, in Shuji's previous life's analogy, is like a non-military zone in the ninja world.

It has a daimyo who rules the country, bureaucrats who operate the government, and even a group of samurai who carry swords. But it has no ninja villages.

In a world where chakra power dominates, this is tantamount to walking naked among wolves.

Once the trouble exceeds the scope of what a samurai sword can solve, the only option is to send a letter of request to Konoha, Sunagakure, or even Amegakure, exchanging money for foreign military power.

This peculiar political environment gave rise to a deformed yet vibrant border town like Koizumi.

The town has no towering city walls or imposing checkpoints; only a dirt road winds its way through it.

Spices from the Land of Wind and delicacies from the Land of Fire converge here, and the air is always filled with the unique aroma of exotic goods.

Uchiha Itachi sat upright in an inconspicuous restaurant, with a steaming bowl of fragrant stewed beef in front of him, but his eyes held a hint of confusion that was hard to detect.

The journey proceeded smoothly: we arrived at the border without incident, completed the handover with local officials, received a briefing on the robbers, and then, as usual, visited the local chamber of commerce.

"They're just a bunch of petty thieves who can't amount to anything," said the head of the chamber of commerce, a well-maintained, smiling, and prosperous middle-aged man, stroking his neatly trimmed beard as he spoke casually.

"Although the raids on several caravans have indeed caused some minor trouble for trade, what followed was a lengthy exchange of pleasantries and empty wishes, the core demand being nothing more than the hope that the Konoha ninjas would resolve the issue as soon as possible."

Faced with this almost perfunctory attitude, Senior Xiuji's face remained completely unmoved.

He routinely recorded the information provided by the other party—the information was exactly the same as that recorded on the mission scroll—and then naturally changed the subject: "Koizumi Town gathers products from the three countries, so it must have everything you could want?"

"Of course, of course!" the person in charge said with a smile.

"I've heard that the beef from the land of rivers has a unique flavor?" Shuji's tone was as casual as if he were talking about the weather.

The manager's eyes lit up, and he enthusiastically recommended: "You have excellent taste, Ninja! If you want to taste authentic local flavors, Zaemon's stewed beef is the town's signature dish, you must try it!"

At this point in the conversation, Senior Shuji seemed to instantly lose interest in continuing and politely took his leave. They were now sitting in this small shop called "Zaemon".

The weasel's gaze fell upon the ceramic bowl in front of it. The amber-colored broth rippled gently, and large chunks of perfectly stewed beef were faintly visible within, their texture soft and tender, revealing distinct fibers with the slightest touch of chopsticks.

The reddish-brown chunks of meat are soaked in a thick sauce, glistening with an enticing sheen, and garnished with vibrant green scallions. The rising steam carries the rich aroma of spices such as star anise and cinnamon, intertwining with the mellow natural flavor of the beef; the aroma alone is enough to awaken the taste buds.

"Senior," Itachi finally couldn't hold back any longer, his voice trembling, "aren't you going to complete the mission?"

"The mission must be done, of course." Xiu Si replied casually, while steadily picking up a trembling piece of beef and putting it into his mouth.

As the incredibly tender and succulent meat melted on his tongue, the rich aroma of meat, accompanied by a subtle hint of spiciness, instantly filled his mouth, and he couldn't help but squint his eyes in satisfaction.

The ninja world was tense and oppressive, but after eating this bite of beef, Shuuji suddenly felt that the world wasn't so bad after all. Itachi reluctantly picked up his chopsticks and muttered, "I'll start eating."

Seeing this, Xiu Si smiled slightly and gestured to the busy figure behind the counter: "Boss, please have another one."

His gaze fell on the lean shop owner who was carefully wiping the earthenware pot, and his eyes revealed sincere appreciation: "The control of the heat is superb, and the sauce is just right, neither overpowering nor understating the flavor of the beef, but bringing out its natural taste to the fullest."

Upon hearing this, the shop owner, Zaemon, had a radiant glow on his bronze face.

He wiped his hands with his faded apron, the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes smoothing out: "You're a true connoisseur! My family uses only the finest beef delivered from the ranch every morning, slow-cooked for hours to achieve this flavor. Mastering the nuances takes just as much effort as studying a sophisticated ninjutsu." He glanced at the Konoha mark on the boy's headband and deliberately used a metaphor that ninjas could understand.

"Would you like to try our grilled beef? We still have two portions of the best cuts left today," Zaemon enthusiastically suggested.

"Then I'll leave it to you." Shuji readily agreed.

A small charcoal grill was quickly brought to the table. The owner personally served, laying the meat slices on the grill: "This is short rib, very fatty; this is shredded pork belly, very tender. Would you like me to grill it for you?"

"Thank you for your help." Shuji smiled and nodded, his gaze falling on the sizzling, dripping slices of meat. He asked casually, "I've heard things haven't been very peaceful around Koizumi lately, with frequent robberies. Is your beef supply still running smoothly?"

"Bandits..." Zuo Weimen skillfully flipped the meat slices on the net, grease dripping onto the charcoal fire, making a cheerful sizzling sound and sending up fragrant smoke. "It's true, but I heard that most of those who suffered were newcomers, out-of-town caravans unfamiliar with the area. My suppliers are all decades-old ranches, familiar with the routes and with wide connections, so they haven't been affected much. Don't worry,"

"Moreover, caravans are now very cautious, usually setting off once they have enough people and rarely stopping along the way."

Itachi's hand holding the chopsticks paused almost imperceptibly—the head of the merchant guild had never mentioned the crucial information that the bandits were "selectively" plundering.

"Please enjoy your meal." Zaemon divided the perfectly grilled beef into two plates.

After Shuji leisurely finished his sumptuous meal, the two left the restaurant as the setting sun bathed the rooftops of Koizumi Town in a warm orange hue. The streets were thinning out, and the distant shouts of merchants unloading their goods could be faintly heard. A gentle breeze carried the fresh scent of grass and trees from the edge of the forest, mingling with the comforting aromas of food lingering from the market. Shuji took a deep breath of this unique atmosphere of the border town.

The food was indeed delicious, but the cost was also considerable; the bill of 750 taels was heavy—according to his memory of currency standards, it was roughly the income of an ordinary person working hard for several days. However, considering that the reward for completing the mission was 30,000 taels, this extravagant meal was still within an acceptable range.

"Senior, shall we investigate the attacked caravan next?" Itachi quickly followed Shuji toward the edge of town.

"No need." Shuji continued walking, his gaze fixed on the direction of Shirakawa Village, where lights were gradually illuminating the twilight. "I discovered two things during my trip today."

"Firstly, the bandits deliberately avoided caravans with deep ties to the locals, so while the local chamber of commerce outwardly cooperated, they didn't really care about the matter, and their intelligence was naturally perfunctory."

"Secondly, those bandits had initially escaped to the Land of Rain, yet they risked everything to return to the border of the Land of Rivers, where they were wanted, to commit crimes again. Such unusual behavior points to only two possibilities—"

Xiu Si looked out of the city, where the scattered lights of the distant villages resembled stars in the deepening night.

“Either they fled in such haste that they left behind extremely important possessions that they absolutely had to retrieve.” His sharp gaze pierced through the twilight, landing on the familiar outline of the village. “Or, the answer is simpler—they were originally from here. It’s not that they didn’t know the danger, but… their home is here.”

(End of this chapter)