Konoha Notes

Chapter 286 Morning
"Gaara, it's best not to wander around lately. Granny Chiyo came by last night," Temari whispered to her younger brother. "It's true, there might be danger."

Gaara simply scooped the soup from the plate, his movements mechanical.

Kankuro couldn't help but click his tongue: "Hey, at least say 'Gaara'."

Gaara raised his eyes. But when he met those green eyes, Kankuro seemed to see that half-human face and half-Shukaku's hideous face again. A bead of cold sweat involuntarily seeped from his forehead, and he subconsciously avoided his gaze.

Temari's tone softened even more as she earnestly said, "Please, I'm begging you, Gaara."

Gaara's gaze returned to the disc, and he remained silent.

Kankuro stood up angrily, the chair legs scraping against the floor with a screeching sound. "Anyway, this guy..."

"Kankuro!" Temari interrupted sharply, grabbing his sleeve and forcefully pulling him back to his seat. She glared at him, displaying the authority of an elder sister, "Finish your meal."

"Tch, I know."

The older brother was still unhappy, and it was unclear whether the younger brother had listened to his sister. Temari stood up straight, pursed her lips, and maintained the precarious family atmosphere around the dining table.

Gaara's temper has improved a lot over the past year, although not as much as it was when Yashamaru was around...

I'm the eldest, so I have to take good care of my younger brothers.

She forced a smile, trying to lighten the mood, and started talking about the arrangements for today's ninjutsu class.

Breakfast ended, and it was time for study. As the children of the former Kazekage, Temari and Kankuro's educational resources were not interrupted by Rasa's death. Chiyo, having become the Kazekage, acknowledged that they had not let their dedication go to waste and maintained the status quo.

"Gaara, if there's anything you don't understand, your sister can..."

"No."

Temari's heart sank slightly. However, the scene she had anticipated—her younger brother getting up and leaving immediately—did not occur.

Gaara simply stood up, walked to the corner of the room, sat down with his back to her, and quietly looked out the window.
-
The same sunlight scorched the Fengying Building.

"Since you proposed the land reform plan to Sunagakure, Konoha should already have a feasible solution, right?" Chiyo's expression was not as stiff as it had been the last time.

"Six months have passed. Has Sunagakure not formulated its own preliminary strategy based on its own situation?" Shuji asked rhetorically.

It's not that he likes to be confrontational; when talking to seasoned veterans, being too agreeable to them will only burden you with unnecessary baggage.

Ebizo pushed a scroll over.

"This is also Konoha's wish. There's no need to be so aggressive, brat."

“Since Sunagakure won’t mistakenly believe that this is just Konoha’s wishful thinking, and won’t push all the subsequent pressure and costs onto the proposer,” Shuji tapped the scroll lightly with his fingertip, “a friendly atmosphere is naturally feasible.”

He unfurled the scroll, his gaze quickly sweeping over the simple diagrams and annotations drawn on it. Then, he closed the scroll and stood up.

Chiyo's face darkened: "What do you mean, Shuji?"

“Building a large oasis right next to Sunagakure is a very ambitious goal. Let’s do it this way.”

Ebizo's smile faded: "Is Konoha's help just going to be empty words?"

“Important and wasteful.” Xiu Si didn’t sit down. “What is the significance of this oasis to the Land of Wind?”

"Is it so that Sunagakure can organize all sorts of money-making activities?"

Without waiting for their reply, Xiu Si continued, “The problem with the Land of Wind is not the lack of a magnificent stage to host the competition. It is that the sand is constantly devouring your already limited living space, that the existing oases are shrinking, and that the basic water sources and vegetation cannot be sustained.”

He walked to the window and pointed to the boundless yellow expanse outside: "The goal should be to consolidate what we already have and stop the expansion of the desert, rather than to be unrealistic and pursue a miracle that cannot be achieved in the short term, or that, even if built, may quickly decline due to an unstable foundation."

Ebizo pondered for a moment: "What is your suggestion?"

“Let’s start by maintaining and expanding the existing small oases.” Xiu Si turned around. “Establish sand-fixing belts around the oases. Advance step by step, consolidate our position, improve the local environment, and accumulate experience.”

"As for the new oasis."

"That requires more rigorous hydrological exploration and long-term planning; it's a matter for the next step, or even the step after that." "At least let the people of the Wind Kingdom benefit; let's help them protect their current homes first, shall we?"

The room fell into silence.

A few seconds later, Ebizo put away the scroll on the table and took out another plan.

"In that case, let's take a look at this."

Shuji showed no surprise. He pulled out his chair again and sat down.

Forcing us to follow the first plan isn't entirely impossible, but Sunagakure would still be the direct beneficiary.

But that's all there is to it. This plan is not the first choice for Konoha, nor is it likely the best option for the Daimyo of the Land of Wind.

If there isn't enough funding, either Sunagakure will give up, or Konoha will have to step in, and the subsequent maintenance will be even more problematic.

Therefore, there is no point in discussing it.
-
Xiuji carefully reviewed the second proposal submitted by Shayin, as well as the list of sand-fixing plants suggested by Shayin.

The night slipped away quietly as the pen tip rubbed against the scroll.

His eyes stung, so Xiuji turned off the light and lay down on the bed.

In the corner of the room, fine sand silently climbed up the wall.

“Normally, people need to sleep after work.” Shuuji didn’t open his eyes.

The sand solidified, and a red-haired child emerged.

He stood there and watched for a long time.

"Are you also someone who hates me and wants to kill me?"

The last person to actively approach him was his uncle, Yashamaru.

Even if Temari and Kankuro got close, their father would take them away; only his uncle stayed with him.

Gaara originally thought this would continue indefinitely, even if there was only one person.

Until Yashamaru came to assassinate him with his father's mission, expressing his hatred for him and telling him his mother's expectations for him: to love only himself and become a demon who fights only for himself.

"For me, killing you wouldn't be a complicated matter."

"If there's any ulterior motive involved, that's true."

As he spoke, Shuji raised a finger.

In an instant, a twig shot out from his fingertip and flew towards Gaara.

Gaara opened his eyes wide.

really……

The sand rose naturally, blocking his way. However, the next moment, the branch exploded in mid-air, turning into countless thin branches that shot out at a speed exceeding the limits of the sand's defense, instantly wrapping around his entire body.

Gaara felt a slight loss of chakra and knelt on one knee.

The next moment, the branches binding him lost their grip and loosened.

"Go back and get some sleep."

"At least tonight, I should be able to get a good night's sleep."

"Right... Shukaku."

Inside the room, only moonlight and scattered withered branches remained. Gaara knelt there, his green eyes filled with even greater bewilderment.

(End of this chapter)