Konoha Notes.

Chapter 471 Turmoil

Itachi Uchiha, renowned for his exceptional talent, was adept at few things, including handling complaints.

After all, this is never a thankless job. Either the party being complained against will accuse you of favoritism, or the party making the appeal will accuse you of incompetence. When you're unlucky, you have to bear the wrath of both sides at the same time.

Some people, through their skillful maneuvering or tough attitude, may be able to avoid being blamed by only one party.

Itachi's methods weren't exactly nimble, but he had a perfectly fitting identity.

The Daimyo Liaison Office, representing the complainants, maintained a degree of politeness towards the assistant director; and the Uchiha clan members, who were usually tough, also maintained basic rationality in front of the young clan leader.

He simply communicated back and forth, repeatedly confirmed the details, and reviewed the reports, and then temporarily calmed both sides down, mainly to calm down the tribespeople who were agitated.

Since they work in the same building, the Uchiha clan members could easily accomplish anything they wanted in the time it takes to drink a glass of water.

After sorting out the initial situation, it was already quite dark.

After Itachi put away the preliminary data, he returned to the director's office. By then, the clock on the wall had already struck nine.

Kakashi was unusually present, and the pile of documents on his desk was higher than usual. Sasuke's seat was empty.

"How is the situation?"

"For now, it seems to be the worst-case scenario," Itachi answered truthfully.

"Since it's the worst-case scenario, you should consult someone who can make the decision," Kakashi said without looking up. "Either in the lab or in that old house."

"Of course, I personally prefer the latter."

Itachi also preferred to go check out the old house first.

As he walked into the front yard of the old house in the western suburbs, the scene before him made him pause slightly.

The two Hokage, resurrected through Edo Tensei, sat around a stone table. The silver-haired Second Hokage listened quietly, while the blond Fourth Hokage spoke in hushed tones. The scene in the corridor was quite different. The current Fifth Hokage, Tsunade, leaned against a pillar, a wine dish in her hand, a faint blush on her face. Shuji sat beside her, also holding a wine cup, but drinking noticeably more slowly.

Tsunade squinted for a while before recognizing him despite her slightly tipsy state.

"It's Itachi." Her voice was tinged with sleepiness and alcohol. "Dinner would have been over long ago at this hour."

Tobirama Senju recognized the person with just a glance: yet another Uchiha.

Minato was initially unsure, but then confirmed: "You are, Uchiha Itachi-kun, right? Fugaku-sensei's son."

After all, Itachi was still a small child when he died. If Itachi's identity hadn't been so sensitive, Minato wouldn't have recognized him.

The title was complete, and it also served as an explanation to the Second Hokage beside him.

Itachi was very polite. He first bowed to Tobirama Senju, who had the highest overall status: "Second Hokage."

Then comes Minato, who is next in line: "The Fourth Hokage."

Then came Tsunade.

Finally, he addressed Shuji: "Senpai."

Shuji put down his glass: "There's still some food in the kitchen." At this hour, and suddenly here, he guessed that Itachi was probably still hungry after work.

Itachi did not refuse. He walked to the corridor and sat down a little distance away from Tsunade, with an upright posture.

Soon, Xiu Si returned with a tray containing a soup, a bowl of rice, and some side dishes.

Under the watchful eyes of the Hokage, Itachi quietly finished his meal before explaining his purpose.

"Recently, the Daimyo Liaison Office reported that the Joint Affairs Bureau's dispatched teams were found to have falsified mission results."

"This squad is a Konoha dispatch team, and its members are from the Uchiha clan."

"Based on the current investigation, some of the allegations regarding the use of illusions are true."

"But according to the members of the duty team, it was a necessary measure taken to verify the accuracy of the intelligence and save investigation time, and it was a decision made after comprehensive judgment."

Tobirama Senju remained silent. The two men drinking also kept quiet. Finally, Minato spoke up: "Anything else?" "The accusation of falsifying mission results has been confirmed as unfounded," Itachi replied. "However, given the controversy surrounding the misuse of genjutsu, this conclusion cannot convince the Daimyo's liaison office."

"The other party insists on the involvement of a neutral party in the review and hopes that the secretariat can provide clear regulations."

"Illusions should not be used on the client."

"That's not an unreasonable request," Minato nodded first.

In this respect alone, it could even be described as a humble request.

Without discussing the reasons, it's truly tragic to spend money only to have the person who commissioned you cast illusions on you.

Then the fourth generation leader asked, "Who is the neutral party they proposed?"

Itachi replied, "Considering the actual affiliation of the team members, the other party requests that a joint investigation team composed of the four villages of Kumogakure, Kirigakure, Iwagakure, and Sunagakure be formed to conduct a re-verification."

Only then did Tobirama Senju speak: "How many requests are involved?"

"Thirty-four cases."

"Timeframe?"

"Starting last November," Itachi said, "that is, after the initial funding plan was finalized and a large number of requests flooded into the secret service." The Second Hokage stared at him: "Only the Uchiha clan has been complained about?"

"Yes, because the Sharingan's genjutsu only requires eye contact to take effect, and there are no obvious hand seals, making it difficult to be detected or recorded in time during a mission."

Tobirama then asked, "What other problems do you see?"

Itachi sorted out his thoughts, considering how to express himself accurately to convey the current situation.

"There were loopholes in the internal response mechanism of the secretariat," he said. "Some complaint documents were delayed in the process and could not be processed in a timely manner." "According to preliminary investigation, the reason was that the number of commissions surged, preparations for the competition with the Snow Country were underway, and the secretariat building was relocated in March, which led to chaos in the handover and processing of documents."

Tsunade finished the wine in her dish, her voice slightly unsteady: "They all sound like reasonable excuses."

“Indeed,” Minato’s eyes sharpened, and his gentle smile faded slightly. “When the secret service expands to a large enough size, the boundaries between each other become blurred, which makes it easier for people to hide within it.”

Shuji's fingers traced the rim of his wine glass: "Judging from the timeline, the problem lies in the period of January. The completion of the mission, the submission of the report, the follow-up feedback... even after verification, it still takes time."

"So the other side chose this moment to launch their attack," Tobirama Senju concluded. "Then, Itachi Uchiha, what kind of support do you hope to gain by coming here? Since you chose to come at this time, you must have already seen the key to it."

Itachi stood up.

"Yes. There are too many parties involved. We need to first determine the extent of each ninja village's involvement in this matter, the specific proportion of the noble class's influence, and our real enemies... who have played multiple roles in it."

The Second Hokage's expression softened slightly, a hint of approval in his eyes. "So, what is your assessment of the incident itself?" "The Daimyo's liaison office's request can be temporarily shelved; we will not respond directly to it. We need to determine the limits of involvement from other ninja villages and the degree of enemy intervention as soon as possible."

"This matter itself may involve the Future Affairs Bureau's say in resource allocation and task assignment. Therefore, proceeding slowly and carefully clarifying the details is more important than making a hasty statement."

"You came here," Tobirama asked slowly, "hoping the Hokage will step in to pave the way for your follow-up investigation and negotiate with all parties?" Itachi shook his head.

"No. If Shadow intervenes directly, it will only cause bigger problems."

"This could be interpreted as Konoha, which currently holds the largest share in the secret service, attempting to use its high-level influence to exert pressure when it comes to its own powerful clans. At that point, the Kage of other villages will inevitably begin to doubt their own village's future in the secret service, thus creating new rifts."

Minato smiled, and Tsunade poured herself another glass of wine.

Then, Itachi turned to Shuji: "I hope we can temporarily transfer Karin Uzumaki to the Joint Affairs Bureau to assist with this investigation." Shuji simply nodded: "Of course."

Itachi then bowed to the four of them at the same time.

"Well then, I'll take my leave now."

He turned and left, his footsteps fading into the distance on the stone path.

Tobirama Senju watched his retreating figure disappear outside the courtyard gate: "Uchiha Itachi, he's Sasuke Uchiha's older brother, right?"

"He is outstanding."

"If it weren't for other factors, he would be a more worthy candidate to consider after Kakashi Hatake."

Shuji finished the rest of the wine in his glass.

"There will be many important positions in the future, and the Joint Affairs Bureau will also play a significant role."

"He's someone Shuji has been carefully nurturing for a long time." Tsunade laughed, filling Shuji's cup to overflowing. "Here, a reward for Lord Shuji's thoughtfulness."

Shuji did not drink it immediately.

"Itachi was Shisui's best friend. More precisely, at its source, it was the Will of Fire left behind by you, Second Hokage."

Tobirama Senju nodded, but his gaze shifted to Tsunade: "That's enough, Tsunade."

Tsunade tilted her head back and downed the drink in one gulp, a faint blush rising on her face: "I'm an adult now, Second Grandfather."

Shuji then took a small sip: "It's actually something to be envied that you can still be managed by your grandfather at this age, Lady Tsunade." Tsunade narrowed her eyes and punched Shuji in the side of his ribs.

Xiu Si's hand trembled, spilling the wine in his glass, and he swallowed the liquid in his mouth.

The Fifth Hokage completely disregarded Tobirama's presence and immediately launched an attack: "I've endured it all night, you bastard! Tomorrow I'm going to get White Zetsu cells implanted." Shuuji's figure flashed, and he appeared several meters away, still holding the cup steadily in his hand.

"Of the four people here, unfortunately, you're the only one who can't use the Flying Thunder God Technique, Lady Tsunade."

Tsunade put down what she was holding and sneered, "Your Flying Thunder God Technique, which wasn't specially prepared and has a pitifully small range?"

"It's best not to embarrass myself in front of Tobirama and Minato."

Shuji took a few steps back: "And being here, do you think I'm adequately prepared?"

"You'd better be well prepared."

Ignoring the two men, Tobirama turned to Minato and asked, "Fourth Hokage, what are your plans for tonight?"

Minato said, "If Naruto stays here tonight, I plan to look at the documents I haven't seen yet. I don't know enough about the village's situation."

"I'm going back to the lab too."

The moment the words left their mouths, both of them vanished from their spots.

After the second and fourth generations left, the two, who had seemed to be at loggerheads, relaxed.

Tsunade stretched: "They're still fast."

Xiu Si, holding his cup, slowly sat back down in his original seat: "Such talent cannot be learned."

The fifth generation leader said, "I really hope these days can last a little longer."

"This kind of trick only works once, and then it won't work again."

Upon hearing this, Tsunade sighed slightly and downed another cup of wine.

Fugaku Uchiha was waiting in the room.

He sat at the low table, the tea in front of him already cold. He was naturally aware of what was happening in the clan—the complaints, the accusations, the discussions about how the Sharingan was feared and coveted outside.

But this was no longer something he could concern himself with; his position at the police headquarters prevented him from interfering in the affairs of the Joint Affairs Bureau. When the door to his home was pushed open, he saw his eldest son return.

"Father."

Fugaku, still focused on the teacup in front of him, asked, "How is it?"

"You already know, senior."

Fugaku was silent for a moment before saying, "The power of the Sharingan is feared even outside the village."

Itachi rarely explained his work to his father in detail. He usually only said what was on the surface, rarely mentioning the deeper considerations. But this time was different. It involved too much, and there might be many temporary measures to be taken later, so the deeper aspects needed to be explained. "The village is too powerful now," Itachi chose his words carefully, "Even though the alliance of ninja villages has become the general trend, there are still some individuals who are stuck in the mindset of the past."

"Including the White Zetsu lurkers that existed last year and whose complete elimination is still uncertain."

"Previous investigations only ruled out the possibility of disguise among key personnel."

"This is not just a problem for our race."

Fugaku then nodded: "So, what will happen to them?"

Itachi said, "In order to confuse hostile elements within the Bureau of Affairs, there will be announcements requiring reflection, depending on the circumstances."

"It won't be long. The senior has already prepared manpower for the current situation. Tomorrow, the secret service will send additional personnel to handle related matters." "Who?"

Itachi looked at Fugaku, who was pressing for answers, and said, "Karin Uzumaki."

Fugaku pondered for a moment: "That person... was brought back from outside the village a few years ago. I remember, she was Sasuke's classmate, right?" "Yes," Itachi replied, "I'll have someone inform her tomorrow."

The head of the Uchiha clan made a decision: since his second son had always wanted to prove himself, he could handle this simple task.

"Since he's Sasuke's comrade, let Sasuke pass on the message. He's also interning at the secret service and has to go to school too."

"You don't need to make any extra arrangements."

"I will also warn my people that they need to be careful about their methods when carrying out missions in the coming period."