Konoha Notes

Chapter 400 Two Types
Having made up his mind to continue his previous plan and seize the Tailed Beasts, Nagato was able to view Konoha's current actions with a more peaceful mindset.

He learned about the current events through the people who remained in Amegakure.

The Akatsuki naturally had its own intelligence network. Zetsu would bring news of scattered movements throughout the ninja world, and Obito would occasionally appear to report on the latest developments.

However, Nagato did not entirely trust those reports. The intelligence itself might be true, but the way it was selected and presented was inevitably driven by ulterior motives.

He can accept anything Xiao Nan brings unconditionally.

"Otogakure received its first annual aid payment from the daimyo of the Land of Fields."

"The Joint Affairs Bureau has updated its high-risk rogue ninja intelligence database, adding seven new individuals. We recommend that all countries take strict precautions."

"Three days ago, a joint operations team raided an illegal gladiatorial arena. The organizer was arrested, and the participants were placed on a watch list after registering their identities..."

Konan narrated, occasionally pausing to look at Nagato. He was shockingly thin, his pale skin covering protruding knuckles, his deep purple, wavy eyes half-closed, as if listening, or perhaps lost in thought.

After reading the last piece of information, Konan rolled up the intelligence report and tied it in a knot.

“It went too smoothly, Nagato,” she said. “The frequency and routes our people used to transmit intelligence… Konoha shouldn’t have been completely unaware.”

"unless……"

"They're showing me."

Nagato's voice rang out.

"Jiraiya-sensei, I hope you see this. I hope you understand what they are building."

"That's definitely his style."

Konan did not press Nagato about his feelings at that moment.

Yahiko wanted to create a bridge to peace. She followed him.

Nagato wanted to end all suffering with suffering itself. She followed him.

Of the three, only two remained. No matter where the road ahead led—to salvation or to the abyss—she would go with them.

“Our existence is beneficial to the Alliance,” Nagato said. “Our collection of the Tailed Beasts is forcing them to move forward, to put aside their prejudices, and to find a way out.”

He took a slow breath, his chest rising and falling almost imperceptibly.

"In the end, when true power is in our hands, the pain we have brought will be transformed into a world free of pain."

"The future that Yahiko hopes for will come in another way."
-
Matt Kai sat cross-legged on the open ground, his eyes closed, his thick, dark eyebrows furrowed in concentration, and fine beads of sweat trickling from his forehead.

This was not a field he was familiar with.

His path has always been clear—to burn with passion, push limits, and pave the ladder of growth with sweat and scars. Fatigue is the fuel, pain is the measure, and every muscle tear followed by healing means becoming stronger.

Physical training is a brutal and direct dialogue, and the body will give the most honest response: soreness, trembling, or ultimately, a burst of new power.

But natural energy... is not like that.

It's like warm water, seeping in silently. There's no sting, no burning, you don't even notice the moment it "enters." It simply exists, and then becomes a part of you.

Comfortable, gentle, almost drowsy. This lack of resistance only made Kai's nerves more tense.

He stayed up all night last night. After finishing the special training course, he practiced on his own and then came here directly.

When Hyuga Hiashi and Akimichi Choza saw him, they couldn't hide their astonishment.

Karin subconsciously took a half step back: "Teacher Kai, you need to receive treatment first..."

"unnecessary!"

Kai suddenly opened his eyes, which were bloodshot, but the light in them was dazzling.

"Now is the most vibrant state of youth!"

At that moment, the slug clone perched on his shoulder. Comfort returned to his body.

Kai's muscles tensed instantly.

The muscle fibers under the skin begin to swell involuntarily, creating a walnut-sized bump on the skin's surface. Then a second, a third... They spread along the arms, shoulders, and chest, as if something alive was running under the skin.

This time, however, the bulges did not spread or distort out of control. Instead, they stopped expanding just short of a certain critical point, maintaining a tense and dangerous balance.

Shuji stood aside and watched.

Hiashi activated his Byakugan, with Neji following closely behind, observing Guy's condition.

“Although you can’t yet perceive and absorb independently…” the soft, slug-like voice rang out, filled with approval, “it’s already quite remarkable that you can control external natural energy to this extent, Mr. Kai.”

Kai stood up.

The movement caused all the muscles in the body to bulge, but they did not burst.

"This is all thanks to Lord Live Slug's help! And—"

He clenched his fist and raised it to the sky.

"The inextinguishable power of youth!"

A soft, pale green halo emanated from the slug's body. The natural energy that had caused the muscles to swell abnormally was slowly drawn away, guided, and dissipated into the air. The terrifying bulges on Kai's body subsided, his skin returned to normal, leaving only a fine layer of sweat.

This level of loss of control no longer requires Shuuji to use Wood Release to forcibly intervene. The slug can handle it independently.

Neji watched as Kai returned to normal, hesitated for a moment, and then stepped forward.

“Teacher Kai,” he asked, his voice filled with confusion, “is that state of extreme fatigue really necessary for spiritual practice? Master Huoshou said that a stable mind and body are the foundation for connecting with natural energy.”

Kai turned his head.

“No, Neji. It’s not fatigue.” He held up a finger, his tone resolute. “It’s self-discipline! The secret to success is only this—find your own rules, and then stick to them to the end!”

Neji still didn't understand.

Kai looked at his bewildered face, then suddenly grinned. He pulled out a green bodysuit from somewhere.

"Don't understand? It's okay!"

"Let's start by understanding the first step of youth!"

He unfolded the bodysuit, the thin, elastic fabric swaying in the morning breeze, its bright green so dazzling it made one's eyelids twitch.

Neji's expression froze on his face, his lips moved slightly.

His mind was telling him that this garment had nothing to do with so-called spiritual practice.

However, Kabuto's idea about Sage Mode made him want to believe it a little bit more.

Hiashi Hyuga's lips twitched almost imperceptibly.

Choza Akimichi scratched his round, chubby cheeks, his honest smile becoming somewhat stiff.

Karin blinked, her gaze shifting back and forth between the bodysuit and Neji's instantly pale face, before wisely choosing to remain silent.

"Shuji has accepted it before!"

Kai spoke again, his tone full of pride.

Four pairs of eyes—Hiashi, Choza, Karin, and Neji, who was still in a daze—all turned to Shuji standing to the side.

Xiu Si met their gazes, his face expressionless. He glanced at the bright green in Kai's hand and nodded.

"The quality is indeed very good."

(End of this chapter)