Konoha Notes

Chapter 394 Daily Ramblings

When Shuji entered the reception room, Mei Terumi was standing by the window with her back to him.

From her position, she could see the entire scene below.

On the tea table, wisps of white steam are rising from the spout of a white porcelain teapot, and several plates of exquisite wagashi (Japanese sweets) are displayed to the side.

"This time, when you come to visit," her voice rang out first, still facing the window, her tone devoid of emotion, "what kind of opening line does Mr. Shuji intend to use?"

After Shuji sat down, he said, "Miss Samui has probably already warmed up the atmosphere for me. If Miss Mimi Mei could adjust the scheduled meeting time slightly and then pretend she doesn't know what I want to say, then..."

"Then you can enjoy my embarrassing performance of talking a lot but getting nothing in return."

He reached for the teapot and poured himself a cup of tea.

The tea was poured into the cup, making a clear, crisp sound.

Mei Terumi finally turned around. She watched as Shuji, after pouring the tea, reached out without hesitation to the dessert plate next to him and picked up a red bean paste-filled glutinous rice ball.

"Shuji-kun is really not being polite." She walked to the opposite side of the tea table, knelt down, and said, "You didn't even pour me a cup of tea."

“Because I had already thought it through before I set off.” Shuji put the dumpling into his mouth, chewed, and swallowed. “I will take advantage of the good impression left by the previous conversations, use our shared ideals as a topic, and leverage the momentum of the third conversation to achieve our goal in one go.”

He then took a piece of fern cake sprinkled with soybean powder.

"I prepared so much, but it's all useless." Shuuji put a warabi mochi in his mouth, his voice slightly muffled from chewing. "I have no choice but to eat something to soothe my frustrated mood."

Mei Terumi didn't say anything more, she just looked at him quietly.

Shuji ate slowly but intently. Red bean dumplings, warabi mochi, rice cakes wrapped in seaweed... he took them one by one.

The snacks disappeared from the box at a visible speed, and the tea was refilled several times.

Only after he finished the last piece of yokan soaked in black honey did Shuji pick up his teacup and clear his mouth.

"The yokan is too sweet." He put down his cup and commented, "Third-rate taste."

Mei Terumi, who had been silent all along, finally frowned and her nose wrinkled slightly.

"Shuji-kun, these are all high-end snacks prepared for guests."

"Eating everything and then leaving a bad review will negatively impact your image."

Am I not a guest?

“We’re friends.” She smiled, her eyes curving into a soft arc. “So next time, if Shuuji-kun sits down and starts eating without saying a word, I might have to take all the snacks away.”

"I spoke."

“That’s not what I wanted to hear.” Mei Terumi reached out, her slender fingers gathering the empty plates to one side. “So, it doesn’t count.”

Shuji didn't refute. He glanced at the wall clock; the hands had just passed one in the afternoon.

Mei Terumi got up and walked to the cabinet in the corner, took out a damp cloth, and walked back to place it next to Shuji.

Shuji took the cloth, the fabric providing a comforting warmth against his palm. He carefully wiped each finger, between the fingers, and along the edges of his nails. Soon, crumbs and sugar stains clung to the cloth.

Mei Terumi sat down again, picked up the teapot, and poured him a fresh cup of hot tea.

"I'm leaving tomorrow." She watched the tea being poured into the cup, her voice soft. "I'll go to the Forest Country with the Joint Rapid Response Team first, confirm the location of the base, and then head straight back to Mist Village."

Xiu Si picked up the freshly poured tea and blew on it to cool it down.

“When you get back,” he said, taking a sip, “if you are attacked by people with black sticks stuck in their faces, retreat is the priority.”

“The Jinchuriki can abandon the village and retreat directly. There’s no need to treat Kirigakure as the final battlefield.” “If we encounter the masked man who controls the Mizukage, we need to be even more careful. He acts cautiously, and once he shows up, he will definitely bring enough power to overturn the battle.”

"The Konoha Anbu should have already compiled an analysis of these people's abilities and key points for dealing with them, and sent it to Kirigakure at the same time."

"There's one more person we need to keep an eye on: Hidan, the rogue ninja from Yugakure. Konoha's team sent people to hunt him down after Yugakure requested help, but there's still no trace of him."

"This person has most likely joined Akatsuki. You must strictly control your blood samples and those of the village's elite Jonin; they must not be leaked."

"in addition……"

The garrison area was well-planned and quiet, frequented mostly by ninjas from various villages, with few civilians making a fuss. At this moment, the streets outside the window seemed to have entered a brief midday rest, a scene of tranquility.

The tranquility amplified every sound in the room: the subtle flow of tea into the cup, the rustling of fabric against fabric, and Xiu Si's steady, clear, and continuous instructions.

The smile on her face began to spread from the deepest part of her eyes. Slowly, it first blurred the fine lines at the corners of her eyes, then guided the corners of her lips upward little by little, and finally enveloped her entire face in that gentle and genuine smile.

“I will remember that,” she said.

Shuji met her gaze for two seconds, then looked away and reached for the teapot. The teapot was already empty.

“If you were to die by accident,” he said casually, shaking the empty flask, “I would be very distressed. Without a like-minded person, I would only be able to slowly train the bandaged man.”

Terumi Mei chuckled.

She took the empty kettle, got up, and walked to the low table by the door, where a thermos was kept. The sound of water rushing as she poured it drowned out her laughter, but Xiuji noticed that her shoulders were still trembling slightly.

“Then, so as not to cause Xiuji-kun any distress,” she walked back, sat down again, and placed the teapot filled with hot water back on the table, “I will try my best to live.”

“After all, I haven’t yet fulfilled my promise to take you to hot springs and let you taste all the delicacies of the land of water,” she looked up at him, her eyes sparkling.

Xiu Si nodded almost imperceptibly.

The two remained silent, sitting quietly opposite each other, occasionally picking up their teacups.

When the water in the kettle had gone down halfway, Shuji put down his teacup and stood up.

"Well then, I'll take my leave."

Mei Terumi got up and saw him to the door.

As she placed her hand on the doorknob, she suddenly asked softly, "Shuji-kun, you came all this way today, are you really not planning to talk about anything else important?"

Shuji turned around.

“The important business,” he said, “has already been discussed.”

He opened the door and stepped into the slightly dimly lit corridor.

"Take care on the road. My schedule is packed for the next two days, so I might not be able to come see you off tomorrow."

The footsteps faded into the distance, eventually disappearing around the corner of the corridor.

Mei Terumi stood by the door for a moment before gently closing it. She walked back to the window, her gaze searching downwards. Soon, the familiar black figure appeared in the crowd on the street, walking towards the Joint Affairs Bureau building without looking back.

She watched for a while, until the figure completely disappeared into the shadows of the distant buildings. Then, she turned around and her gaze fell on the low table.

The empty dessert plates had been removed, leaving only a pot of still-warm tea and two white porcelain cups facing each other, with a few tea stains remaining at the bottom.

She slowly walked back and sat down again opposite the seat where Xiuji had just been sitting.

(End of this chapter)