Konoha Notes

Chapter 429 Each Person's Schemes (Part 2)

There were hardly any people on the coastline at night.

The waves crashed rhythmically against the rocks, and moonlight spread a tattered silver ribbon across the sea. Shuji, carrying his recently purchased fishing rod, took a few steps before remembering that he had left his bait container by the rock where he had just sat.

Forget it.

The bait wouldn't go to waste; seabirds or small fish would always come to eat it. He turned back and headed towards the small fishing village he had passed on the way here.

At the entrance of the village, there was an open space where five or six children, who hadn't gone home yet, were playing a game of throwing stones by the dim light.

The pebbles landed on the muddy ground with a crisp "plop" sound, mixed with the children's low-pitched laughter.

As Shuji walked over, the oldest boy had just won a game and was proudly raising his chin. Seeing the stranger approach, the children all stopped what they were doing and looked over curiously.

“This,” Shuuji handed over the fishing rod, “is for you.”

"Big brother, did you not catch any fish?" the child asked, looking up as he took the fishing rod.

Shuji paused for a moment, then said, "...They were released."

Then he turned and walked quickly out of the village. Behind him, he heard the children whispering and asking, "What does it mean to release them?"

Only after entering a secluded mixed forest nearby and confirming that there were no other people around did Shuji stop and dispel his wooden clone.

The moment consciousness returns to the body, the first thing felt is the change in temperature.

Unlike the cool nighttime air at the beach, the indoor atmosphere here is just the right amount of warmth.

Next comes the aroma—the unique, light wheat fragrance of buckwheat noodles, mixed with the umami of bonito and kelp in the dipping sauce, and the lingering oily smell of tempura batter after frying.

The vision only became clear at the very end.

On the dark, low table, four plates of buckwheat noodles were neatly arranged, with two small bowls of dipping sauce beside them.

In addition, there were two plates of tempura: shrimp, eggplant, and green peppers coated in a thin batter and fried until golden brown.

The sliding door to the private room was closed, and it was very quiet inside.

"Are you back?"

The sound came from the other side.

Samui sat on the other side of the low table, quietly watching Xiu Si, her blue eyes appearing exceptionally clear under the light.

"How could this be detected?"

“I’ve been watching Xiu Si’s eyes and expression the whole time,” she said frankly. “Just now, although your gaze was in my direction, your focus wasn’t really on me.”

She tilted her head slightly as she spoke, and a few stray hairs slipped down her side as she did so, only to be casually tucked behind her ear.

“The questions they set up were a bit off-topic,” the man said. “So I tried to avoid their directness and throw the questions back at them.”

Did you get the result you wanted?

“I was planning to wait a little longer,” Shuuji smiled, picking up a bunch of soba noodles, “but I was embarrassed by another trivial question.”

The female ninja blinked her blue eyes, showing that she was listening attentively.

“Miss Samui,” Shuji said, dipping the noodles lightly in the sauce, “if someone asks you if you caught any fish, and you actually didn’t catch any, wouldn’t it be more dignified to answer ‘I released them’?”

The female ninja pondered seriously for a few seconds.

“Next time you can say ‘it’s already been eaten,’” she offered a rather pragmatic suggestion, speaking in a serious tone. “That will be more convincing.”

The two of them each ate a few bites of noodles.

After eating about half a plate, Samui put down her chopsticks, picked up her teacup, and took a sip. Her gaze returned to Xiu Si's face, and her tone regained its usual seriousness:
"Regarding the matter of Jinchuriki chakra, there is room for negotiation on the part of Kumogakure."

Shuji looked up.

“However, since we’re discussing this openly,” Samui continued, “Kumakuha also hopes to obtain the corresponding research rights regarding Akatsuki’s objectives and what the Tailed Beast chakra truly represents.”

She paused slightly, as if considering her words.

"The Akatsuki's confidence in believing that gathering the tailed beasts would allow them to control the power of war must have a deeper reason. After all, there are Wood Release users like Shuji in the world today."

The words were phrased euphemistically, but the meaning was clear: Kumogakure wanted to know the true secrets of the Tailed Beasts, and also why Akatsuki was so obsessed with collecting them. As part of the exchange, they demanded the sharing of relevant information.

Shuji nodded, not responding immediately. He picked up a piece of eggplant tempura, dipped it in the sauce, and put it in his mouth. The crispness of the batter and the softness of the eggplant intertwined on his tongue.

"Konoha is willing to offer the Nine-Tails' chakra in exchange." He slowly spoke after swallowing his food. "As for the Jinchuriki from other ninja villages, we need to negotiate further. After all, that's not something Konoha can decide unilaterally."

“I understand.” Samui nodded. “This attitude is enough for Cloud Village.”
-
On the coast of the Tea Country, there are more than just Shuji and Nagato.

About 300 meters away from where the two were talking, inside a black reef half-submerged in the sea, a substance that was almost the same color as the rock was wriggling.

After listening to the entire story, Zetsu confirmed that Shuuji's chakra had disappeared within the Land of Tea.

The mass of material was completely separated from the reef, sliding into the sea like a pool of viscous asphalt, and disappearing silently into the deep water.

He brought all the contents to Obito.

“Nagato seems to be really considering it,” White Zetsu said. “And he seems to be considering it very seriously.”

Obito knew, of course, that Nagato would consider it.

That man was, at his core, a product of Jiraiya and Yahiko's teachings, and deep down still longed to persuade the world with some kind of ideology, rather than simply destroy it.

After the battle on Algae Island, Nagato's words to Shuji through the Heavenly Path, "You and I will decide the true future of this world again," already revealed a certain inclination.

prove?

the way?

A model of governance?
Obito scoffed inwardly. All the governance methods, order-building, and ideological clashes of the present world were meaningless to him. Nations would decay, systems would collapse, and people's hearts would betray; so-called peace was as fleeting as morning dew.

As long as there is a distinction between success and failure, and as long as there are people left behind, the chain of conflict and hatred will never truly break.

The Eye of the Moon Project is the only answer.

Let everyone immerse themselves in an eternal dream, where there is no loss, no pain, and no unfulfilled desires.

But the problem lies in reality.

In reality, the core strength of the Akatsuki organization remains firmly in Nagato's hands.

Xiao Nan is his loyal follower and would never betray him.

Kakuzu only cares about money, while Hidan is obsessed with the sacrifices and proselytizing of the Jashin cult.

Shennong wants to rebuild the Hidden Void Village and destroy the Five Great Nations. Hiruko attempts to prove his Oni-Garra Technique. Sasori… that man who is weary of everything, perhaps resonates with eternity, but he is not someone easily won over.

The only one who truly and unequivocally stood on the side of the Eye of the Moon Project from beginning to end was Jue Yu himself.

If he were to firmly reject Shuji's proposal at this moment, forcing Nagato to turn to indiscriminate terrorist attacks and all-out pressure, then the break between Nagato and himself would likely come sooner than expected.

This is not the ideal time.

The time for a showdown will not be until at least most of the tailed beasts have been captured and the Gedo Mazo is close to awakening.

Conversely, what if we temporarily go along with Nagato's wishes and accept the framework of this proof game?

Therefore, the targeted transfer of tailed beast chakra becomes an opportunity that can be exploited.

Konoha and Shuji should not know about the Ten-Tails and the Eye of the Moon.

Therefore, obtaining a stable portion of Tailed Beast chakra through this trading method is undoubtedly feasible. Even if only one or two portions are obtained, the difficulty of collecting all of them will be significantly reduced.

The problem is: what can we use to "prove" it? And to what extent does the proof need to be valid?

“This is something Orochimaru should know best. He’s revealed some of his thoughts over the past few months.” Black Zetsu’s voice interjected at the opportune moment.

Obito did not respond, but his silence was tacit consent.
-
The land of snow.

It is September. In previous years, this land would have been shrouded in the harsh cold and snow of deep winter, with only a vast expanse of pure white in the world.

But at this moment, the sky was unusually clear and blue, and the sunlight shone down without obstruction, gilding the newly built houses, the widened roads and the fields that were beginning to turn green with a warm gold.

At this moment, in a modified indoor training ground, two figures are clashing and exchanging blows.

Sparks flew as fists and feet collided, and muffled thuds echoed throughout the arena.

Orochimaru leaned against the shadows at the edge of the arena, his golden vertical pupils silently watching the battle, a faint smile playing on his lips.

Just as Chino delivered a precise chop to her opponent's neck, ending the fight, the shadows in the corner of the training ground rippled like water. Zetsu's figure slowly rose.

Orochimaru turned his head to the side, his vertical pupils slightly contracted, and then he revealed his signature smile.

"Looks like we have a guest. Chino, take him away."

The girl nodded and dragged her unconscious opponent off the field. After the door closed, only the two of them remained in the empty training field.

"Do you have any interesting news, Zetsu?" Orochimaru strolled closer. "Or does our leader have new instructions?"

"Konoha has put forward new conditions," Zetsu said. "Your Impure World Reincarnation technique might be able to obtain new materials through this opportunity, Orochimaru."

Orochimaru simply chuckled, offering no reply, and waited for what was to come.

Zetsu begins by recounting the conversation between Shuji and Pain on the coast of the Land of Tea, and the condition Shuji proposed: Akatsuki must prove the correctness of their path and demonstrate an example of governance as a prerequisite for the transfer of the Tailed Beast chakra.

Throughout the narration, Orochimaru listened quietly.

As Zetsu finished speaking, Orochimaru suddenly chuckled softly. The laughter started softly, then gradually grew louder, echoing in the empty training ground, carrying an all-knowing mockery.

"I see... I see."

He strolled to the window and looked out at the street scene of the snow country.

The improved climate has brought life to this land for the first time. Although the population has not yet grown explosively, the survival rate of newborns has increased significantly, and the number of people migrating here is also slowly increasing.

More importantly, the construction and development of this land depended heavily on the power of ninjas.

From the maintenance and regulation of geothermal facilities to the cultivation of new crops and the prevention and control of pests and diseases, and the construction and defense of infrastructure, it is simply impossible for the already sparse population to accomplish these tasks.

None of this would have been possible without the organization's recruitment of rogue ninja and ronin, as well as the reformed Snow Ninja forces.

Even under the predicament of being jointly embargoed by the five great powers and having his legitimacy denied, Prince Feng Hua Nu Tao still managed things quite well in order to maintain his ambition of rule and conquest—or rather, he had no choice but to manage things well.

"Prove the path? Show an example?" Orochimaru turned around, spread his hands, and made a demonstration gesture. "Isn't there a ready-made example right now?"

"In the past, the land of snow was so cold and barren that its population was so small that it was almost deserted. But now, with the geothermal facilities running continuously, the permafrost is thawing, the arable area is expanding, and new settlements are forming."

"Everything here is directly supported and operates efficiently by ninja power. Isn't a nation rebuilt from the brink of despair far closer to the ideal state than the Five Great Nations, which are riddled with contradictions and struggling to make reforms?"

"A perfect example of..."

White Zetsu chuckled, "That sounds pretty much right, Orochimaru! It makes a lot of sense!"

Black Zetsu calmly points out the problem: "But the legitimacy of the 'Wind Flower Angry Wave' regime was denied by a joint statement from the five great daimyo. How can a regime established by a usurper become a recognized example?"

"legality?"

Orochimaru seemed to have heard a funny joke.

If the person on the other side truly cared about that system, they wouldn't have created a monster organization like the Joint Affairs Bureau that transcends the framework of a ninja village. Everything Shuji has pushed forward is essentially about reshaping the rules.

But instead of explaining these points, he proposed more specific solutions.

"In the name of the Snow Country, we will submit a formal diplomatic request to the Joint Affairs Bureau, requesting participation in the military exercises and requesting the lifting of the embargo on supplies."

"They will agree."

"Konoha... Shuji has already done what he wanted to do with the Land of Snow. By denying Fuuka Nata, he strengthened the authority of the Joint Affairs Bureau and promoted cooperation among the five great ninja villages."

"Now, by raising this issue of proof, he simply wants to bring the conflict back to the realm that the five great ninja villages can control more—the world of ninjas, the world of rules."

“Now, by using the Snow Country as a case study, he will address the internal problems of the five great nations. After all…”

He paused, a meaningful smile curving his lips.

"Showing an example of a system that operates efficiently and is directly supported by ninja power would be a very attractive proposal in itself for the person who is promoting the Joint Affairs Bureau system, wouldn't it?"

Just right.

Orochimaru was also getting a little tired of it.

For far too long, we have had to obtain all experimental materials and specimens through organizational channels.

If this opportunity can be used to free the Snow Kingdom from the embargo and restore its formal trade and exchange status, then its access to resources will be broadened again.

"I suppose," Orochimaru concluded, his voice tinged with pleasure, "that our leader would be pleased to see the current state of the Land of Snow."

"A nation rebuilt from poverty, supported by the power of dawn..."

"Is there any more suitable proof than this?"

(End of this chapter)