Konoha Notes.

Chapter 565 Starlight and Frost

The Hokage's office was filled with smoke.

Hiruzen Sarutobi had already changed his tobacco twice. The sky outside the window was completely dark; the office lights were off, only the embers in the pipe flickered.

Kakashi was choked by the thick smoke when he pushed the door open.

"You're here, Third Generation."

Hiruzen Sarutobi asked, "Is it all better now?"

Kakashi walked to the desk: "After putting the things in the warehouse, Obito left."

You look quite dejected.

"Why didn't you say goodbye to them? Why are you staying here alone?"

The Third Hokage said, "It's no longer appropriate for someone my age to bid farewell to my mentor for the second time."

"Going from being a junior to an older person again is a very complex experience."

Kakashi reached out and pushed open the window, letting in a gust of wind that churned up the smoke filling the room.

"With the office turned up like this, the Sixth Boss has another excuse to skip work, Third Boss."

Hiruzen Sarutobi put his pipe aside: "Shuji has already decided not to show up for the time being, so he can't use that excuse."

"Please consider my feelings at least a little," Kakashi said.

"You wear a mask, isn't it for times like this?" Hiruzen Sarutobi stubbed out his cigarette.

"What's that guy doing now? Why is he skipping work?"

The third generation said, "The old house was hit by the aftermath of the battle, and many parts were damaged. He went back to repair the house."

The old house is in an awkward position of being neither too bad nor too badly damaged.

It's not to the point where it absolutely needs to be demolished and rebuilt, nor is it to the point where it can be ignored and people can move in directly.

Gaara manipulated the sand, moving the broken beams, the fallen cabinets, and the large pieces of rubble scattered in the yard piece by piece to the open space outside the courtyard wall.

Kankuro was knocking and tapping around, listening for any strange noises from the walls and pillars.

Temari and Fu were sweeping up dust and sawdust from the ground with brooms and burlap.

"We'll have to get someone to come and fix it, Mr. Shuji," Kankuro said, peeking out from beside a load-bearing pillar.

"Don't underestimate ninjutsu, Kankuro."

Xiu Si placed his hand on a potentially dangerous section of the wall, and a soft rustling sound came from beneath his palm. A moment later, the crack disappeared completely.

"First, check the place where you'll be staying and the parts you'll need to use."

"The kitchen and the rooms!" Fu put down the broom and grabbed Temari's wrist. "Temari, let's go to the kitchen first."

The sound of the two girls' footsteps faded into the inner corridor.

A little while later, Temari returned, looking troubled: "So many things are broken. The dishes, the spice jars, and that pot—"

Fu exclaimed happily, "But we can still cook! We can eat here tomorrow!"

Temari then said, "That's certainly possible, Mr. Shuji. Shall we call Granny Momoka back?"

Xiu Si withdrew his hand: "Let's get the house repaired in a couple of days."

"I'm staying here tonight," Fu announced.

Shuji glanced at the sky; the moon had already risen above the treetops, and Gaara had cleared the courtyard to a point where one could barely walk.

"The weather is nice, I can sleep on the veranda tonight."

Fu cheered and ran back to the kitchen.

Shuji then said to Temari, "Starting tomorrow morning, prepare an extra portion."

Temari asked in confusion, "Is Naruto coming over?"

Shuji said, "Minato has gone back."

Kankuro stopped inspecting the wall pillars.

Gaara's manipulation of sand was momentarily slowed; a piece of gravel suspended in mid-air swayed slightly before continuing to move out of the courtyard.

Temari said softly, "I understand."

The repairs continued for quite some time.

Shuji re-inspected the main structure of the old house.

Temari and Fu cleaned up the kitchen debris, wiped clean the usable utensils, and swept the floor until there wasn't a single crumb left.

After confirming that no potential hazards had been overlooked, Shuji took out several thin blankets and cushions from inside the house, and also placed some snacks and drinks in the yard.

Several people sat down under the eaves.

The stone lanterns in the courtyard have been relit, and Gaara has carefully filled the pits and cracks with sand.

Xiu Si sat beside the pillar.

"Ban is not dead yet. I wonder when he plans to make his move again."

The moment those words were spoken, the relaxed atmosphere in the courtyard dissipated.

Fu hugged her knees, resting her chin on them, her amber eyes appearing exceptionally clear in the light of the stone lantern.

Gaara also raised his gaze and quietly looked at Shuji.

"Even if we don't consider him, people who want to take advantage of the tailed beasts will not disappear in the future."

Shuji's voice was as gentle and slow as ever.

"So, Gaara, Fu, are you willing to be separated from them?"

"Now I can separate Shukaku and Shigeaki from your bodies without harming you."

O

Fu buried her face in her knees: "—Does it really have to be this way, Mr. Shuji?"

Xiu Si said, "You and Chongming are not the primary targets, but these things are unpredictable."

"If you're willing to stay in Konoha and receive protection, you don't have to be separated."

Gaara asked, "Where will Shukaku and the others go?"

Kankuro didn't wait for Shuji's reply: "That doesn't sound like a problem, Gaara."

His younger brother aspires to be the Kazekage, and we cannot allow Gaara to remain trapped in Konoha because Shukaku resides within him.

Although Kankuro has long been accustomed to life here, even from a safety perspective, it's a good thing to give Gaara one less reason to be coveted.

Temari clearly thought so too.

"Hasn't Fu always wanted to make more friends?"

"Moreover, with Mr. Shuji here, there's no need to worry about Shukaku and Shigeaki's safety. If we want to see them, we can return to Konoha anytime."

She spoke gently, but not only to Fu, but also to the tailed beasts inside the two of them.

"Even with the most stringent protection, mistakes are inevitable. Due to the limitations of the human body, Shukaku and Shigeaki cannot fully exert their power."

Shuji replied, "Shukaku and Chōmei will stay in Konoha. As for their range of activities, they can accompany me when I go on trips."

Gaara nodded, then asked, "Just the two of us?"

Shuji said, "I will explain the arrangements for the other Jinchūriki at the Five Kage Summit."

"If the other Jinchuriki who have reached adulthood have sufficient self-defense capabilities and are willing to continue cooperating with the Tailed Beasts, Konoha will not forcibly separate them."

"After all, Naruto will probably continue to work with Kurama."

The Sixth Hokage explained the reason.

"He and Kurama have enough power to protect themselves, while Gaara, Fu, your cooperation with Shukaku and Jōmei is not enough to offset the risk of continuing to be targets."

"Therefore, I would prefer to separate you two."

"You can discuss this with Shukaku and Shigeaki first."

Gaara and Fu remained silent for a while, then Fu suddenly laughed and said, "Chongming is very unhappy that Mr. Shuji underestimated it."

She rubbed her belly: "But Chongming also wants to go out and see the world. Only by staying with Mr. Xiuji can it live like that, right?"

Shuji understood Fu and Chongming's decision and placed his hand on her shoulder.

The next moment, Chongming's chakra was pulled out by a gentle force. Before the enormous energy could be fully unleashed, it was steadily suppressed by another, more stable force.

The light receded, and the six-winged behemoth transformed into a rhinoceros beetle the size of a person, landing on the sandy ground in the courtyard.

Fu swayed slightly, then her strength was replenished by a surge of newly injected chakra. After regaining her balance, she threw herself onto Chongming, hugging its neck and laughing uncontrollably.

"This is the first time we've met like this, Chongming!"

"Fly, I want to fly!"

Kankuro stared at the scene in shock: "—Hey, isn't this a little too easy—"

Shuji turned his head and looked at Gaara.

The red-haired boy nodded.

The commotion when Shukaku was extracted was much greater than that when Shigeaki was extracted. Before the aftershocks of the chakra had even dissipated, Shuji used even greater force to compress it back.

Chakra solidifies.

Landing on the sand was a small Shukaku, only half the height of Gaara, its round body on the ground and its tail swishing back and forth behind it.

Shukaku cried out as soon as it landed.

"I'm no less than that stinky fox. Don't underestimate me."

Then it looked down at its current appearance, and then looked up at Chongming, who was several heads taller than it.

"Why am I so small?! Grow bigger!"

It patted its belly and expressed its dissatisfaction with a sharp sound.

"Because you can't fly," Shuuji said with a smile.

Shukaku stopped moving: "—What?"

Xiu Si pointed in Chongming's direction. It had already taken off carrying Fu, its six wings unfurled in the night, circling low over the courtyard.

That's exactly what I mean.

"You don't really need that big of a body."

"What kind of reason is that!" Shukaku slammed its claws even harder. "That's too casual!"

Shuji leaned closer with a smile: "When I go on my trip later, you'll be even smaller."

He held up his index finger and thumb in front of Shukaku's eyes, leaving only a very narrow gap between them.

"So I suggest you don't offend me at this time, Shukaku. Otherwise, there'll only be a little bit left."

Fu's laughter drifted down from the courtyard, and Chongming's wings fluttered in the wind.

Shukaku felt a chill: "Old Master Rokudo has a really good eye for people—"

Shuji's smile widened.

"————That's really nice."

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