Konoha Notes.

Chapter 490 Bamboo Cutter

"What's the point of you trying to win those people over?"

"Besides possessing outstanding strength, Jonin are usually representatives of a certain group of people," Green Aoi answered readily. "As long as enough people are willing to give me letters of recommendation, the village will have no choice but to consider promoting me to Special Jonin."

Sasuke expressed doubt about the feasibility of this approach.

Letters of recommendation aren't something you can get by treating someone to a few meals or saying a few nice words. Someone willing to sign their name is essentially vouching for them with their own life.

"In wartime, people certainly wouldn't agree just because they get along well in peacetime." Green Aoi saw through his thoughts. "After all, the Jonin captain's position determines the survival rate of the entire squad."

"But things are different now."

"The proportion of missions is decreasing, while paperwork, coordination, and management are becoming more important. Under these circumstances, the role of the Jonin captain is completely different from before."

"Therefore, the standards will also change."

Sasuke didn't say whether he agreed or disagreed. He wasn't there to debate the rationality of the promotion system with this person.

"You said the secret service is dangerous for you right now."

Green Sunflower did not answer immediately this time.

He looked around to make sure no one was approaching before speaking.

"The Joint Affairs Bureau is an organization formed by the efforts of several ninja villages. But now the director is a Jonin from Konoha, and the assistant is also a Jonin from Konoha." "Even the trainees in the office were selected from the Konoha Ninja Academy."

"Judging from this arrangement, the next director, barring any unforeseen circumstances, will be your older brother, Mr. Uchiha Itachi." "As a result, the Uchiha clan has further abandoned the police headquarters and focused more resources on the secret service bureau."

"It's all to consolidate this achievement."

"Isn't Sasuke also a result of this objective? Shikamaru was only transferred here recently, and you've been in the chief's office for just a few months now." Sasuke said, "I'm different from my brother."

Itachi only applied to be transferred from the Anbu to the Secretariat at his father's request, but he approached Kakashi himself.

Green Sunflower did not refute him.

"Perhaps only Sasuke thinks that way."

"The fact that a Konoha trainee was placed in the director's office is seen by people from other ninja villages as Konoha paving the way in advance." "Even people from the same village are vying for control of the affairs bureau. Isn't it normal for other ninja villages to want to send someone else to try?" Green Aoi continued before he could finish processing what she meant.

"At this critical juncture, many people would be happy to see the next director candidate tainted with some indelible dirt." "It doesn't require everyone to take action."

He raised his fingers, first holding up one.

"As long as just one person comes to kill me."

Then erect the second one.

"The two of them felt there was no need to stop them."

The third one.

The three of them pretended not to see it.

"I will soon die silently."

Sasuke's pupils trembled slightly.

He wanted to say that this was absurd.

But before the words could even leave her lips, the image that flashed through her mind was that day at the office entrance. The sight of Uchiha Yakumi and the others confronting Itachi, the footsteps that had stopped in the hall, the gazes that had turned around the corner in the corridor.

At the time, he thought those stares were just there for the spectacle.

Looking back now, how many of those people were simply observing the situation, and how many were waiting for a result they wanted to see? "So, Sasuke-kun, it's best not to do anything in the secret service that could cause misunderstandings during this time."

"This is a very important thing for me, for the village, and for the Uchiha clan."

"Of course, if Sasuke-kun is willing to explain my situation to the director or assistant, I would be happy to cooperate with Sasuke-kun's next steps. Whether it's to act as an informant or do something else, as long as I can do it."

Sasuke stared at him: "Didn't you say the director's office was powerless to help you with your situation?"

"Transferring me to the Ninja Academy is a form of protection in itself," Green Aoi didn't shy away from the question. "But that's only temporary. I still have to go back in a week."

"To achieve true security, we need to go a step further, which means advancing in terms of function and rank."

Sasuke's expression remained calm: "If the director's office doesn't give you these, then your promise to cooperate is also null and void?"

"Of course not." Green Aoi immediately denied, "I will carry out the village's orders, any orders from Director Hatake and Assistant Uchiha, without any effort."

"However, if Sasuke is the one who wants to do something, then those extra actions will naturally require extra reasons."

"After all, the village didn't assign me to this task, probably because they trusted other people's ability to gather information more."

"If I can prove to the village that I also have value in this area by serving Sasuke, then I will not have wasted this opportunity."

Sasuke felt he had heard enough.

I will keep my promise.

He turned around and walked towards the teaching building.

After taking a few steps, he suddenly stopped.

Green Aoi was just about to sort out the information revealed in the conversation when she saw Sasuke turn around again.

"You approached Naruto and Fu for this reason too?"

This time, Sasuke opened his Sharingan.

The red pupils stood out vividly in the early April sunlight, a color that shouldn't be there in this season.

Green Sunflower didn't look away. He knew that at this moment, even a blink would be interpreted as guilt by those eyes.

"Of course, it's to show my attitude well in front of Lord Shuji and the adults in the Hokage's office."

"After all, wherever that person appears, that's where the village's center is. I just want to seize every opportunity to prove myself." Sasuke didn't express any opinion on this, he just looked at him with his Sharingan.

The silence lasted for several seconds.

Don't do things excessively.

With those words, Sasuke turned and left. This time, he didn't stop.

Green Sunflower stood there, watching the figure disappear around the corner of the teaching building, and smiled helplessly: "No wonder he's the assistant's younger brother." He said this, then hesitated whether to go back to the corridor he had just been in.

So far, all operations have gone relatively smoothly. Although contact with Uchiha Sasuke has introduced many variables, at least it hasn't turned into the worst possible outcome.

But today's event has exceeded his original plan.

In such a situation, making unnecessary movements under the direct scrutiny of the village's highest authorities would seem too theatrical. Rather than risking seeking attention, it's better to take a step back.

Anyway, a week is still a long time.

Green Aoi made up her mind and instead of heading towards Shuji's office, she turned around and went around to the other side of the stairs.

Iruka stood at the door of Shuji's office.

The last student had left by noon, and Shuji was sitting behind his desk, stretching his neck.

The list of questions he had placed on the table remained quietly in its place, and it was unknown whether it had ever been opened.

"Thanks for your hard work."

"Not at all, you're the one who's worked so hard," Iruka quickly said. His gaze unconsciously drifted to the table, where the list of questions was still lying.

He felt he should take this opportunity to leave, since he had classes in the afternoon anyway, and this reason was perfectly acceptable.

"If there's nothing else, I'll go back and prepare for my afternoon classes..."

"Iruka".

Shuji called out to him.

Iruka's foot was rooted to the spot, and his heart skipped a beat.

Oh no, he still remembers that sentence.

"What are your plans after you've finished teaching Naruto and the others?"

"Of course, we'll wait for the school's arrangements to accept the next batch of students," Iruka chose a safe answer.

Shuuji stood up, walked over to him, and patted him on the shoulder.

The hand that landed on his shoulder wasn't heavy, but Iruka felt himself sink a little.

"How about we consider going out and gaining some experience?"

"……Outside?"

"There are many new schools being opened now, and the sites are much larger than the schools in the village."

A scene of endless yellow sandstorms flashed through Iruka's mind. Or perhaps an endless expanse of desolate rocky land. The Land of Wind, or the Land of Earth? "Doesn't 'Principal Iruka' sound better than 'Teacher Iruka'?"

"No, no... Captain Shuji." Iruka waved his hands repeatedly, "I've only been a teacher for three years, and my experience and qualifications are still insufficient. It's really too much of a burden for me to be in charge of a school. Please let me teach a few more classes of students."

"It's been six years since I finished teaching Naruto and the others."

"Six years is far from enough! We need at least a few more terms. The teaching profession requires long-term accumulation..."

"Really? Never mind then. I'll be going now."

Shuji then turned around to get the list of questions, left the Ninja Academy, and headed to the Hokage Building.

The Hokage's office was quite lively today.

Minato Namikaze sat behind his desk, wearing a full tiger mask today. The mask didn't cover all his hair; the golden ends stuck out from the edges, appearing somewhat rough in the light.

There were two people standing in front of the desk.

Hiashi Hyuga and Fugaku Uchiha.

"Mr. Shuji," Hiashi greeted first.

Shuji nodded to him.

The head of the Hyuga clan concluded his report by saying, "That's all about the visit."

He was speaking to Minato, so Shuji didn't respond. Minato acknowledged, and Hiashi said nothing more, gesturing to Shuji again before leaving the office.

After Fugaku and Hiashi's footsteps faded into the distance, he spoke again: "Regarding the personnel reshuffle of the police force this month, I would like to confirm one thing." Minato gestured for him to continue.

"Could we arrange for the village police force members to rotate with the secretariat's squad?" Fugaku asked. "The secretariat is under increasing pressure, while we have some manpower left in the village."

"If rotation can be implemented, both sides can get some breathing room."

After listening, Minato placed his hands on the table, folded over each other.

"Mr. Fugaku, the secretariat and the village are not in a direct superior-subordinate relationship."

"It's possible to leave the secret service's duty squad, but simply replacing them isn't appropriate given the current situation." Fugaku paused for a moment.

Is it impossible to bring back those at the heart of the events while retaining positions in the secretariat...?

"I see."

His gaze swept over Xiu Si, he merely nodded in acknowledgment, and then turned and left.

Only Shuji and Minato remained in the office.

Shuji walked to his desk and placed Iruka's list on it.

Shuimen picked it up and flipped through it: "The problems in the first batch were as expected."

"After all, this is just the beginning." Shuji sat down in the chair opposite him. "The most obvious questions will be raised first, and then the other details will come."

"Let them discuss it for a few more days, and then it will spread from the ninja academy to the village headquarters."

He draped his arm over the back of the chair.

"This is just a rumor right now. We can wait until real problems arise before considering how to deal with them."

"If the timing isn't right, we can retain the current promotion system. As for the Medal of Honor itself, it won't be a problem to use it as a reference for who is more outstanding." Minato folded the list and put it in the drawer.

"Your methods of implementing policies are something I never expected."

"The Uchiha problem was resolved thanks to you. Even if I were still alive, I probably wouldn't have been able to handle it so smoothly." Shuji didn't respond to that, but instead asked, "What kind of visit did Hiashi mention?"

"The Kaguya clan," Minato replied. "They wish to visit the Hyuga clan in the village."

"Mr. Hiashi is here to report this matter."

The Bamboo Clan. Shuji mentally reviewed the relevant information.

Although it sounds like the Kaguya clan from Kirigakure in the Land of Water, the actual situation is not entirely the same; it is a local power located near the Land of Fire.

As for the Kaguya clan in the Land of Water, they were wiped out during the Blood Mist era because they enjoyed the thrill of battle.

The Kaguya clan is not weak, but it's not particularly powerful either. The main branch is quite sparsely populated, and their presence in the ninja world is less as ninjas and more as local lords with some influence.

Konoha had never paid attention to the interactions between Hyuga and him.

However, the connection between the ninja clan and the local area was not a problem, as the Nara clan had many ties with the City of Fire.

As for why they suddenly came knocking at this time...

"Is it simply a reunion, or are they here as a noble family?" Shuji asked.

"Mr. Hiashi shared the same concerns, which is why he came here in person. He didn't expect to run into Mr. Fugaku," Minato said. "The village shouldn't interfere too much with the secretariat in this matter."

Shuji agreed.

"The matter of the Director of the Secretariat will probably be brought up for discussion again." Minato's expression became serious.

Just like the Hokage of Konoha, there were no problems with two Senju leaders at the beginning. But if things continued like this, others would become confused. At that point, a new set of rules would need to be established.

Shuji said, "Once there are enough departments and ninjas directly under the Bureau of Affairs, the question of who the Bureau Chief belongs to will no longer be an issue."