Konoha Notes

Chapter 414 Reluctant Visitors

Nara Shikamaru, a ninja academy student who will be entering his third year of high school, will be nine years old in a month.

He made a detailed plan for his short vacation: spend two hours each day reviewing the basics of ninjutsu, three hours watching the clouds, and the rest of the time he could go play with Choji and the others.

The only thing missing was the option of an internship in a specific department.

Shikamaru knew that most of his classmates were thinking about the future.

But he was different. He had already made up his mind not to participate in those newly established projects at the Ninja Academy, which sounded very troublesome.

Graduate from the Ninja Academy step by step, become a Genin step by step, spend ten or twenty years slowly rising to Chunin, and barely manage to get the title of Jonin before retirement age.

And so he lived a peaceful and uneventful life.

So when he learned that his short month-long vacation would include an additional task: to observe at the Joint Affairs Bureau, he refused.

Shikaku, who never makes things difficult for him, showed a troubled expression this time.

“There’s no other way, Kakashi specifically requested that you visit,” Shikaku said. “If possible, I would also like to suggest waiting a few more years.”

"Hey! Dad!" Shikamaru protested, "I'm still a student."

“He’s working so hard right now, the village will agree to this request,” Lu Jiu said helplessly.

He didn't think it was a bad thing; a little earlier was fine, it wasn't like Shikamaru was graduating and going to the battlefield right away.

When visiting, I can simply help carry some documents; it's no big deal.

As for Shikamaru's age... the three legendary Sannin all graduated from the Ninja Academy at the age of six. Kakashi graduated a year earlier than the Sannin, and now he's been working non-stop like an animal.

Therefore, the protest was invalid.

Nara Shikamaru's leisurely vacation plans were thus prematurely brought to an end.

Of all the misfortunes, if there was anything that could offer Shikamaru any solace, it was that Kakashi himself, who had specifically requested his return, didn't seem to intend to actually use a child as a laborer.

For the first three days, Shikamaru was really just "visiting".

He was seated at a small table in the corner of Kakashi's office, where a stack of blank scrolls and several pens were thoughtfully placed so he could write and draw as he pleased.

Kakashi spent most of his time buried behind piles of documents, occasionally peeking out from behind the desk to glance at him with his exposed right eye and say things like, "If you feel bored, you can go down to the lobby for a walk."

Shikamaru was happy to have some free time. He observed how the office was operating: Itachi Uchiha was always processing documents quietly and efficiently, and ninjas were constantly coming and going to report.

Everything was proceeding smoothly, but there was also an air of tension, as if it could be overloaded at any moment.

Sometimes it's meeting minutes for the Kirigakure representative, sometimes it's a copy of the budget draft for the Sunagakure Maki, and occasionally it's a report that needs to be forwarded to the Iwagakure Bunga.

Then, starting from either the fourth or fifth day, changes began to occur quietly.

One day, as Shikamaru was gazing out the window in a daze, a thin file folder was placed on the corner of his desk.

"Please take this to the Kirigakure office on the third floor," Itachi said. "Turn right outside, go up the stairs, and there's a sign on the door."

From that time on, delivering things became Shikamaru's daily routine at the secret service.

Sometimes it was a copy of the budget draft given to Maki, the representative of Sunagakure; sometimes it was a report to Bunga, the representative of Iwagakure; and occasionally it was an encrypted scroll that needed to be sent to the intelligence analysis room downstairs.

The tasks are simple: pick up the item, walk to the destination, hand it to the appropriate person, and then return.

The time was also strictly limited to 2 PM to 6 PM every day. At exactly 6 PM, Kakashi would even look up from his pile of documents and remind him, "It's time to go back. See you tomorrow."

And so, Nara Shikamaru became an inconspicuous temporary messenger in the Joint Affairs Bureau building, appearing and disappearing on time.

He had no identification badge, was not required to participate in any meetings, and rarely even spoke to anyone.

Most of the time, he simply walked quietly down the corridor, listening to the hushed discussions coming from the offices on either side, and watching the ninjas wearing different headbands hurry by.

At first he was extremely reluctant, but after half a month, he gradually entered a semi-numb state of adaptation.

Since it was all just walking and delivering things, there was no need for thinking, decision-making, or even speaking. He perfectly fulfilled his role as a human teleportation device, and even began to think that if he could find a similar job in the future, it wouldn't be any worse than being exposed to the elements and fighting in a ninja squad.

Of course, leisure is relative.

As a messenger who moves freely throughout the building, Shikamaru inevitably hears many things.

The hushed arguments between village representatives, urgent reports about border friction, and fragments of information that were hastily exchanged at corridor corners and were not meant to be made public.

For example, the news of the Fourth Mizukage of Kirigakure's death.

After that day, he could clearly feel that the atmosphere in the entire building had changed.

Work continued, meetings were still being held, but there was a heavy weight in the air.
People spoke softer, made more careful eye contact, and even the footsteps in the corridors were much quieter.

Kakashi and Itachi never hid their conversations from him, so Shikamaru, who was just listening, gradually sketched out the true outline of the ninja world at this moment in his mind—a fragile structure standing on a delicate balance point with a bottomless cliff below.
-
Days passed like this. Just as Shikamaru delivered an urgent report to the Sunagakure office and slowly walked back to Kakashi's office, he heard a conversation inside that was different from usual.

As soon as they entered, Itachi Uchiha brewed tea for them.

Kakashi's face revealed an undisguised expression of dislike or annoyance.
Shuji's gaze swept over Shikamaru by the door: "While I did say that Shikamaru deserves our attention, isn't it a bit too hasty to bring him here now?"

Shikamaru first nodded to himself instinctively: Yes, finally someone said that. Then, belatedly, he realized—wait, so I came here because of you!?
Kakashi raised his dead fish eyes: "How old was Itachi when he became your teammate? Back then, you were already dumping mission reports you didn't want to write on him, right?"

Xiu Si tilted his head and thought for a moment, then surprisingly nodded frankly: "That's true. Now that you mention it, it does seem a bit early."

Looking at the two adults who both exuded a similarly malevolent aura, Shikamaru suddenly felt that they were birds of a feather. No, thinking about it carefully, this Lord Shuji seemed to be even worse.

“Well then,” Xiu Si stopped on the topic, “Let’s get down to business. The Rapid Response Team will be disbanded and reorganized effective immediately. It will become one of the permanent mobile teams under the Joint Affairs Bureau. Han will still be in charge of the team and will report directly to the Bureau.”

Kakashi revealed an expression that said, "I knew it."

Shuji continued, "Killer Bee from Kumogakure, Yugito Nii, and Utakata from Kirigakure have also joined the Secretariat system."

"Wait a minute," Kakashi raised his hand and rubbed his temples, "Is it too much to expect an ordinary Jonin like me to lead so many Jinchuriki?"

"Should the village send someone of higher rank to oversee things?"

As he said this, he stared intently at Xiu Si.

Shuji met his gaze, his expression unwavering: "Apart from the Fifth Hokage, there is no ninja in the village with a higher professional rank than you. It's common knowledge that a ninja village can only have one Kage."

"Besides, Jinchuriki don't need your leadership. Killer Bee of Kumogakure is happy to coordinate the atmosphere among his Jinchuriki companions."

Kakashi felt slightly comforted, but then felt somewhat speechless about the current job level plan.

Genin, Chunin, Special Jonin, Jonin.

Everyone is hovering around these four levels, making it incredibly difficult to find a legitimate reason to bring someone down.

His gaze suddenly shifted to Shikamaru, who was still standing at the door.

"Shikamaru."

Shikamaru immediately sensed something was wrong.

"Starting tomorrow, you don't need to just deliver documents anymore. Help Itachi with some filing work. It's very simple."

"Just come an extra hour in the morning."

Shikamaru opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but found that he couldn't make a sound.

He glanced at Shuuji, who stood calmly by the coffee table, then at Kakashi, and finally at Itachi Uchiha, who was quietly pouring tea, as if none of this concerned him.

This summer vacation is completely ruined.

He thought blankly, his heart filled with gloom.

(End of this chapter)