Konoha Notes.

Chapter 481: Heaven

Chapter 481 Return to Heaven

After presenting a concept in the Hokage's office and having a brief discussion with the Fourth Hokage, Shuuji pointed to the time, indicating that he should leave.

The fourth generation is still being considered.

After leaving the Hokage Building, he encountered the Third Hokage, who also seemed to be heading towards the Ninja Academy.

"I thought you were going to hide until the Fourth Generation went back before you would come out, Shuji."

"I was just doing my job, Third Generation," Shuji said. "Besides, it was you who left the Fourth Generation in the office."

He himself refused my request.

Hiruzen Sarutobi didn't mince words: "You were the one who was dissatisfied with me a few years ago and brought Tsunade back."

"Now they keep making me sit in the Hokage Building. When the villagers see this, they think the times are going to regress to the days when the old man was in power."

"Everyone is hoping for a fresh start. What can I do if Minato doesn't come and help?"

Shuji said, "Now is now, Third Generation."

He didn't continue the topic, but instead asked, "Are you going to the Ninja Academy?"

"The special training class will have a practical demonstration this afternoon, open to all students," the Third Hokage said. "I was originally planning to go and take a look. But since you're going, I don't need to make the trip."

"7

He sized up Xiu Si.

What were you doing in the office just now?

"I shared some ideas with the Fourth Hokage that needed careful consideration," Shuji replied. "They're perfect for someone as energetic and efficient as him to push forward."

"People like me with low energy levels can save some effort."

Upon hearing this, Hiruzen Sarutobi turned and walked back towards the Hokage Building. He said, "I hope that during Minato's time back, he can properly revitalize the village's atmosphere."

"The village already has several lazy people."

Shuji watched him walk into the building, his tone equally earnest: "I was looking forward to it just as much, Third Generation. The current atmosphere is truly terrible."

The Ninja Academy was expanded this year.

The original architectural layout was not disrupted; only the perimeter wall was opened up, extending a new area outwards. The reason for the expansion was simple—the regularity of demonstrations between senior students and the wider dissemination of lower-level ninjutsu.

With more skills learned, the scale of the drills naturally increased. As the scale increased, the original training ground became cramped. So the land was leveled, a grandstand was built, and seats were reserved for the younger students to watch the games.

When Shuji arrived, several Chunin instructors were already marking out the class zones in the stands. He didn't disturb them and found a seat on the east side with a good view. From there, he could see the entire arena and the students entering the stadium.

On the field, Kai was assisting the teachers with their checks. The students in the special training program rarely had public matches, especially when they were serious; he knew exactly how much damage those opponents could cause.

A short while later, the light around Shuji was blocked by a figure.

Samui sat down next to him, his short golden hair gleaming softly in the sunlight.

"Miss Samui is here today too," Shuji said.

"That's what Mr. Shuji should be saying to himself," Samui said calmly as always. "I'm here to assess Omoi and Karui's rankings in the special training class."

"Let's not force them."

"Of course, we can't be too harsh on the village children," Samui replied. "If all else fails, we'll have them undergo training with the higher-ups."

"So that he doesn't always focus his energy on preparing for the concert."

"As for the standard, let's say that if one of them gets into the top three of the special training class, the Cloud Hidden Office will arrange the relevant expenses."

Shuji thought for a moment: "Isn't this putting Mr. Killer Bee in a lot of trouble?"

"I also have performance targets to meet, Shuji."

Shuji once again flexibly changed his stance: "Indeed, they also need to work hard."

The first to arrive were Chojuro and Temari, both sixth-graders. Having already passed their graduation exams, the two had very little coursework. Temari was already carrying her signature three-star fan, its dark ribs gleaming metallically in the sunlight.

Then, the fifth-grade and fourth-grade special training class members arrived one after another.

The bomb-wielding maniac looks especially radiant today.

As soon as Deidara arrived, he excitedly approached Guy and Lee, gesturing wildly as he spoke. Guy listened attentively, nodding occasionally, while Lee's eyes lit up, looking deeply encouraged.

When the three of them stood side by side, Shuji blinked.

"Miss Samui."

"Um?"

"Can you feel that Deidara's hair is reflecting light?"

Upon hearing this, Samui turned her gaze downwards. Her eyes lingered on the three people for a moment, her blue-green eyes narrowing slightly.

"Is it because of the sunlight?"

She raised her hand and touched her short, golden hair, her tone tinged with uncertainty.

My hair looks like—

Shuji glanced at the comparison and said definitively, "They're different."

Samui then said, "That brightness is indeed a bit suspicious."

Shuuji stared at Deidara's hair for a while, then looked at Guy and Lee.

"And the two people next to him," he said, "there was a slight overlap in the reflective part of their hair."

Samyi fell silent.

They do look somewhat alike. Kai and Lee's signature watermelon-shaped haircuts always have a shiny, oily sheen on their foreheads. And right now, Deidara's blond hair, at a similar height, also shines with an excessively healthy luster.

Shuji looked away and muttered something under his breath.

"As expected, it's meme contamination—"

"All that's missing is the green bodysuit."

Samui's expression turned somewhat serious.

"There are more things to be careful about now. Hopefully, Karui and Omoi won't end up like that?"

"No, those two aren't passionate enough," Shuuji said confidently. "If Atsui were here, it might be possible."

Sam breathed a sigh of relief.

"That's good. While I don't expect them to catch up to the top in terms of combat skills, at least as ninjas, they can't be anything less than cool."

At this moment, the third-year students began to enter, along with some students from other grades who were not in the special training class. Also arriving were the special training class participants from Iruka's team—Gaara, Sasuke, Omoi, and Karui.

Omoi looked pale, and his steps were heavier than usual. Karui walked beside him, occasionally glaring at him, as if urging him to perk up with her eyes.

Among the ninja academy teachers who helped coordinate the locations, there was also an outsider who had just arrived today.

Green Sunflower was guiding the fifth-grade students to their seats, and the students next to him seemed to be asking him questions.

Samui glanced in that direction and casually asked, "Does Konoha plan to send so many people to the Joint Affairs Bureau?"

"The Joint Affairs Bureau's external recruitment will strictly adhere to the relevant procedures." Shuji's gaze also fell on the group of students. "Especially for departments directly under the Affairs Bureau and offices outside of the various ninja villages, the review process will be even more rigorous."

Samui nodded slightly, hinting, "But this new Chunin doesn't seem to understand it that way."

Shuji smiled, not saying a word, but slightly raising his head. Ebisu, who had been standing quietly a short distance away, immediately approached silently, his gaze behind his sunglasses landing on Shuji's face.

"Have Karin come over here."

"Yes."

Ebisu's figure quietly retreated and disappeared behind the stands.

Meanwhile, below the field, Kai had already grabbed a megaphone, his deep voice resounding throughout the arena: "Everyone! Today's training will be completely different from the past! This will be an unrestrained burning of youth!"

"No limits of grade! No constraints of rules! Only the purest clash of strength, the most fervent battle of wills!"

His eyes began to redden, and his voice trembled with emotion.

"Now—now is the time to bear witness—"

Kai, tears welling in his eyes, was about to loudly announce the next segment.

Moonlight Gale coughed as he entered the stage.

"Kai, move aside."

"I—I haven't finished my opening remarks yet—"

The megaphone in Kai's hand suddenly went silent. Hayate took another megaphone, held it to his mouth, and his voice echoed throughout the arena: "First round, Uchiha Sasuke vs. Hyuga Neji."

A commotion broke out in the stands.

Sasuke stood up from the third-year section, his black eyes looking towards the fourth-year section opposite him. Neji also stood up at the same time, his white pupils calmly returning the gaze. The two walked down from the stands one after the other and stood facing each other in the center of the arena.

Looking down, Shuji said, "Speaking of which, about the Chunin Exams..."

Samui turned to look at him: "Is Shuuji planning to reminisce about the past?"

"I was thinking that perhaps we could add a separate assessment for Chunin professional skills," Shuji said. "This would complement the regular joint martial arts competitions and make the evaluation system more symmetrical."

Samui then said, "Mr. Shuji has ulterior motives."

"It's just for the sake of symmetry and perfection in the system." Shuuji said without changing his expression, "It doesn't involve any level advancement. The final Chunin-level professional match in this competition can be awarded as a medal."

"In other words, this is just like a martial arts champion title, representing only an honorary title."

Samui said, "It's not just suspicious, it's almost a cover-up, Mr. Shuji."

Shuji said, "Miss Samui, the point of communicating in private is not to expose the other party's hidden thoughts casually."

Samui reminded him, "The premise of private communication is that it must be private, Mr. Shuji."

As Hyuga Neji and Sasuke appeared, the noise in the training ground gradually rose. The younger students craned their necks, while the older students began to whisper about the comparison of their strength.

Just then, Karin was brought to the two of them by Ebisu. The red-haired girl's gaze first fell on Shuji, then she noticed Samui beside him, and her eyes lingered on her for a moment.

Shuji asked, "Karin, what's the current situation regarding that green amaranth?"

Is it just green holly?

Karin cast a probing glance at Shuji before speaking, "Captain."

"Today, Green Aoi and Sasuke have completely confronted each other."

Shuji gestured for her to continue.

"Then Sasuke asked Sakura and Ino for help."

"Although they all agreed to help out in their respective classes and schools, their current impression of Green Sunflower is somewhat uncertain."

Xiu Si chuckled: "He actually took precautions by contacting people he could in advance. His level is much higher than I imagined."

Karin hesitated for a moment: "Captain, do I need to assist Sasuke?"

Shuji shook his head: "No rush, let Sasuke try more. You've worked hard, you can go back now."

Karin nodded vigorously, "Yes, Captain."

Before leaving, she glanced at Samui a few more times.

When she returned, the game was just about to begin.

Sasuke activated his Sharingan immediately.

He calmed himself down, disregarded all other external factors, and focused solely on the person in front of him.

Neji Hyuga didn't know what he had sacrificed, but lying in that kind of place itself implied something was amiss.

Perfect timing. He hadn't yet tested Chidori in actual combat. That technique could stimulate his body's cells, giving him speed comparable to this person's.

The primary goal is to create distance and gain the necessary time to form hand seals.

Although this training ground is bigger than the training class, it is still too small.

Sasuke calculated that, at Neji's speed, Neji could reach him in two steps.

Then the strategy is clear.

After Neji got into position, he opened his Byakugan and said, "I've already seen through your plan."

Sasuke chuckled. "Is that so?"

Moonlight Gale was about to raise his hand and shout "Start!"

Kai had already raised his fist: "Begin!"

Six shuriken were thrown out simultaneously.

Neji did not retreat.

He pulled a kunai from his ninja tool pouch with a backhand, deflected the shuriken in his hand, and simultaneously thrust forward with the kunai, using his feet to propel himself forward.

Sasuke made a quick decision and threw kunai with both hands.

Neji maintained his forward posture, only slightly turning his body and spinning around, as kunai flew past the hem of his clothes.

But this momentary adjustment gave Sasuke the time he needed.

His hands began to form hand seals in front of him.

Seeing this, Neji simultaneously threw out his kunai.

Sasuke didn't stop; he jumped back slightly to create some distance.

But he was still a little slow.

Neji had already closed in on Sasuke the moment the kunai was thrown. He raised his right hand, his index and middle fingers together, pointing directly at the pressure point on Sasuke's chest.

as predicted.

Sasuke couldn't help but smile; his Sharingan had seen the location of Neji's Gentle Fist attacks far too many times.

Although I can't strike the acupoints in the same way, I've already figured out how to avoid it.

Instead, he leaned forward, using his shoulder to meet Neji's acupoint fingers. A sharp pain shot through him, but the flow of chakra in his body was not obstructed.

Minor injury leads to offensive advantage.

Using the momentum of his forward thrust, he reached behind his waist with his left hand and pulled out a roll of steel wire.

Neji was slightly surprised, but he didn't stop. He immediately stopped and spun out with his elbow.

In an instant, Sasuke pulled out steel wires with both hands to block in front of him, the thin and tough wires aimed directly at Neji's elbow.

Neji's elbow stopped in mid-air, without continuing to slam down.

The next moment, Sasuke pulled the steel wire completely, one end of which was wrapped with a kunai.

He exerted force with his wrist, and the kunai, carrying the steel wire, swung out, drawing a spiral trajectory in the air.

Neji immediately stepped aside, and at the same time delivered a side kick to Sasuke's abdomen.

Sasuke was prepared, his hands raised in front of him, and he saw the steel wires already surrounding Neji, about to entangle him.

A sharp pain shot through his arms again, and as his body flew backward, Sasuke made a quick decision, adjusted his posture, and endured the pain to form hand seals.

Upon landing, the tiger's mark was already formed.

"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"

A gasp of surprise rang out from the stands.

Sasuke, however, did not think that he had defeated Hyuga Neji. He retreated again, creating distance between them.

The first year of the lunar calendar is Chou (丑), the second year of the lunar calendar is Mao (卯), and the third year of the lunar calendar is Shen (申).

White lightning crackled in his hand, and his red eyes watched as a figure flashed out from beside the fireball and charged toward him relentlessly.

Right now.

"Chidori!"

The lightning tore through the air, piercing straight ahead with a piercing roar.

Sasuke's body reached its maximum speed under the stimulation of Lightning Release chakra, and everything in his vision slowed down, except for that white figure which became clearer and clearer.

Neji remained calm despite the oncoming lightning. He simply turned slightly to the side, and chakra surged from various acupoints throughout his body.

"I've already told you, Sasuke, I've seen through your thoughts."

"Revive the crisis!"

A blue chakra vortex bloomed around him.