Konoha, Year 59, Konoha, Land of Fire.
December 26th, 5: 30 p.m.
In the corridor of Sarutobi's residence, the vines were so withered that they were about to crack.
Sarutobi was drinking tea and basking in the last rays of the afternoon sun.
"Lord Sandaime, please cooperate." The highest intelligence officer in Konoha, Shikaku Nara, stood straight and spoke softly in the most formal language.
"Why wouldn't I cooperate? If I didn't cooperate, do you think you could enter my house?" Sandaime Naruto, Sarutobi tapped Shikaku's head with his copper pipe. "Little Shikaku, I was wondering why you suspected me."
"But according to the records of Konoha's security system, on December 20th, around 3: 05 a.m., you were the only one who released a carrier pigeon in the past month, and you didn't report it." Shikaku Nara handed Sarutobi the record report. "This is the original record, please check it."
"I didn't deny it." Sarutobi didn't take it and continued to drink his tea. "That letter was sent to Jiraiya."
"I received a secret message from Jiraiya ten minutes ago." Shikaku Nara said helplessly, "Say it, Sandaime-sama. What exactly did you say to that fat man from the Wind Country? Why did he come here to protest? He doesn't care about anything but enjoying life."
"Don't test me, and don't try to trick me. You can only be so petty when it comes to Watergate, and that's only if he doesn't hold it against you." Old Naruto put down his teacup and cleared his throat. "Also, if you want to make things difficult for him, you have to come up with the corresponding evidence to prove it. Don't just talk about the time of the letter being sent and Jiraiya's secret message being sent. Can these be considered evidence? Really, how many times have I taught you, but you don't remember anything useful. You only know how to make excuses. "
"Cough, it's just me, just me." Shikaku Nara hurriedly clarified that he had come over to ask a few questions. It was not the same concept as discussing with a few people before asking.
"Oh?" Sarutobi took a puff of his cigarette and looked at the embarrassed Shikaku. He raised his eyebrows and said, "So that's how it is. You were used as a tool? You brat, your brain has been working faster than others since you were young, but having a high IQ really doesn't determine anything. The way you deal with things is the most important. It's easy to be blinded by others if you trust your own vision and judgment too much. "
"Yes." Shikaku quickly stood up and bowed. He admitted that he might be influenced by others, but if they wanted to use him as a tool, it would depend on whether he was willing or not. Moreover, even if what Sandaime-sama said was correct, a person who didn't say anything when encountering a problem, but first blabbered a lot and then changed the topic, wasn't completely without suspicion. "Why don't you help me analyze that fatty from Land of the Wind?"
"Heh, put away your little tricks, Shikaku Nara." Old Naruto laughed, "I'm willing to help you analyze it, but you have to tell me what happened first, right? You don't tell me anything and you want me to explain? If I accidentally guess, even if it's not me, it's still me. "
"…" Shikaku didn't say anything.
Old Naruto laughed even harder, "Alright, I'm in a good mood today. Bring me the letter of credence from the ruler of Land of the Wind, I'll show it to you."
"Uh, the letter of credence hasn't left Land of the Wind yet."
Shikaku scratched the old scar on his forehead.
"Yes, yes, yes, I know. But as the head of the most powerful intelligence department in Konoha, if you know it's a letter of credence, how can you not know the contents?" Sarutobi laughed and took a sip of water.
"Not a single word was written, just a pigeon skeleton. Land of the Wind sent a pigeon skeleton, and my spies said that it was quite clean." Shikaku Nara really didn't want to say this out loud.
"Pfft." Sarutobi almost spat on Shikaku's face.
There was a moment of silence …
"So, if you don't want this pigeon skeleton to become a big joke when the whole world is watching Konoha," Shikaku Nara pursed his lips.
"I really did write a letter to Jiraiya." Sarutobi's reply was a lot more serious, "As for why Jiraiya didn't admit it? Because I wrote at the end of the letter that no one else should know? "
"Why is it a question, this isn't normal …"
"Don't waste your time with me." Naruto sighed, "What can a single teacher and a single disciple talk about? Jiraiya has always been shameless, but he still knows how to save face for me, his teacher. "
In the end, the pathetic head of the intelligence department could only silently look into his former superior's eyes. His eyes were full of "I am very trustworthy." Moreover, there seemed to be a faint blush on the old man's face that had been forced out. Thinking about it again, the old man's wife had died a few years ago, and he had a habit of chatting with young and beautiful girls whenever he met them …
The pitiful Shijiu decisively retreated, giving up on more detailed inquiries and probing. He quickly bowed and excused himself. He only felt that his head was starting to hurt again. But this trip wasn't without benefits. Although he still couldn't clear Sandaime's suspicions, at least he had warned Naruto. Whether it was him or not, with Sandaime's personality, he should be able to calm down for a while.
But, why did he have to come personally? Obviously, this was a job that would offend people!
"Sure enough, when the scar hurts, it affects my IQ." Shikaku Nara rubbed his head, thinking back to a few hours ago when he decided to reflect on himself three times a day. First of all, when he received the news, he was full and sleepy. Well, in the future, when he was sleepy, he wouldn't think. Then, it was Naruto's new guard captain, Uchiha Itachi, who was now the only person on duty in Naruto's office, who came to report first.
Shikaku remembered that when he received the intelligence report from Four Generations, his reaction was the same as Sandaime's. He almost spat water all over Itachi's face.
But Itachi seemed to be much more serious than him. "The skeleton was sent by the way. The one at the bottom — after the Kazekage was chased out of the Land of the Wind National Capital, they had a meeting with Orochimaru at the border of the Sand Hidden Village … The Black Ops were unable to understand the specific situation. I hope that the Intelligence Department can add some information, and then pass it to the General Staff Department for an assessment of the possible impact before reporting together."
Yes, the above was a very normal scope of work. He couldn't even compare to Itachi's laughter, but this wasn't a mistake. His mistake should be after that, the main point of Itachi's report was clearly "Orochimaru and the Kazekage met in the Sand Hidden Country." What was wrong with him at that time? Why did he have to pay attention to the skeleton?
That's right, that's right. It was his spy who said that the fat man in the Land of the Wind didn't read the letter before burning it in the fire, but he was very sure that the person who sent the letter was Konoha. His spy also said that it was possible to confirm that the pigeons were Konoha's offspring. What did this mean? Although it meant that what the fat man wanted to announce had nothing to do with the Land of the Wind, didn't it also mean that there was someone in Konoha who was secretly in contact with the fat man in the Land of the Wind that he didn't know about? It was either that they had been in contact for a long time, or that this was the first time they had been in contact! But no matter if it was always or only once, this was a potential threat!
Yes, it was at this time that his usually accurate sixth sense kept warning him, and then he panicked.
When Fugaku heard the news and came to laugh at him, he didn't hold back for a moment and asked Fugaku for the records of Konoha's security system. He easily found the only record related to the pigeons this month. It was from the Sandaime. 24th? 3 o 'clock in the morning? The Wind and Fire Countries had finalized all the contents of the contract, and it was 7 hours away from the signing date? A few hours ago, when the leader of Hinata, Shimura Danzo, who had just taken root from him, was sick and couldn't hold power anymore? What did Sandaime want to do!
As long as he thought that this matter might be related to Sandaime, he panicked even more. Sandaime was a good Naruto, and he was indeed a respected elder. But from the very beginning, when Watergate proposed to promote economic cooperation between the Wind and Fire Countries, he strongly opposed it, because it would lose the purity of ninja, and eventually change the various traditions of the ninja village. It was normal for an old ninja like Sandaime to want to make a last effort for tradition, moreover …
In short, the more he thought about it, the more panicked he became, and the more panicked he became, the more scared he became, and finally, he endured the fear in his heart and walked out of the old house.
And Sarutobi in the house?
He just accidentally crushed the teacup in his hand, and the clear tea mixed with the tea leaves flowed down from his hand, and flowed down to his trousers, soaking a large area. Then, the Sandaime Naruto, who really looked like an old man, was holding his trousers and walking back and forth in the courtyard facing the cold wind. His life experience told him that there was really no need to wipe the water stain, and it would dry in a few minutes.
And 5 minutes later.
Fire Country, Konoha.
Bo Feng House
Namikaze Minato, who had been cleaning his kitchen for three consecutive days, had to prepare dinner for his son every day because of his only remaining disciple. Namikaze Minato received a slip of paper from an Anbu unit. In the note, there was Shikaku Nara's preliminary report about "a pigeon skeleton". Naruto, the leader of the Four Generations, who was on vacation, looked at the note, blinked, and looked at the ceiling, and really didn't know how to react.
So time passed by in all kinds of busy activities.
Fire Country, Konoha.
9 p.m.
Uchiha House, Small Living Room
Uchiha House Routine Teaching Time
"Sasuke, what did you learn today?"
Sasuke knelt down and saluted, "Father-sama, today Kakashi -sensei is still training our small group cooperation."
"Be specific …"
Sasuke said seriously, "I'm not afraid of a god-like opponent, but I'm afraid of a pig-like teammate."
Uchiha Fugaku tried hard to resist the urge to roll his eyes, and waved his hand to signal that his youngest son could leave.
Sasuke looked at his brother's eyes, and when he received the signal that there was no problem, he quickly left and closed the door behind him.
"God, Itachi." Uchiha Fugaku's shoulders instantly collapsed, and he shook his head like a rattle drum, "Kakashi, that bastard."
"Dad, that's the only existing disciple of the current Naruto."
"That doesn't prove that he's not a bastard …"
Uchiha Itachi looked at his father who was happily complaining, but he still felt uncomfortable, "Okay, dad, please be serious, I have a question to ask."
"What?" Fugaku had a hunch that he would be a little embarrassed.
"The Fourth Generations and the Third Generations." Itachi pretended not to see the "I don't want to say" written on his father's face. He wanted to know more, and he had to know more. Since he was already the captain of the Hokage Guard, he should fulfill his duties well, instead of being excluded like a fool by the Hokage Guard's "you're still young, you don't know". "My confidentiality level is the same as yours, father."
'Okay, Itachi, you're too nosy.'
"The Third Generations and the Fourth Generations have a conflict."
Fugaku looked at his eldest son, and knew that he couldn't escape.
"What's the conflict?"
Itachi's face showed that he knew it.
"The Third Generations are now the doves, and they're more conservative; the Fourth Generations are … In short, that guy's ideas are indeed a little whimsical, and they don't seem very reliable. Shimura Danzo, you know that person, right? Although he has always had a bad reputation, he always has a way to mitigate conflicts. But now, Danzō is going to die. "Fugaku paused for a moment," So some conflicts may escalate. "
"So Uncle Nara has been very nervous recently?" Itachi nodded.
"It's just that the old injury on his head is acting up, and it's affecting his IQ." Fugaku shook his head, "You know about the old injury …"
"Dad, don't try to change the topic." Itachi looked at his father, who was starting to stray from the topic, and continued in a serious tone, "Then why are the Fourth Generations and the Third Generations at odds?"
"Well." Fugaku was really surprised and delighted. He never thought that his son could be so smart to distinguish another key point of the problem from one sentence. As expected of his son.
"Hurry up." Itachi urged.
"Uh … It's fine as long as you know it. Don't ask about it and don't spread it. It should be related to Uzumaki Naruto's mother. There are no more than five people who know the specifics, and your father is not in the five."
…
"The Fourth Generations, the Third Generations, and Naruto's mother?" Itachi shuddered and suddenly felt that the world was very frightening. Ever since he was transferred to the internal affairs and replaced Kakashi as the so-called Captain of Naruto's Guards, it had only been a few days, and his previous worldview was about to collapse into ruins … He muttered to himself unconsciously, "In other words, it's a personal grudge. Our current leader clearly has a way to resolve the conflict with the previous leader's ideology, but because of a dead woman, Konoha is on the verge of internal strife?"
"Probably … that's it." Uchiha Fugaku pursed his lips and looked at his eldest son, whose lips were still fluffy, and reached out to ruffle his hair. He sighed and said with a smile, "Itachi, it's really hard to explain things between men and women. For example, your father and I. There was once a man who accidentally touched your mother's hand when he was drunk, and I used fire to directly roast that person's entire arm. "
"Yes, Dad." Itachi also sighed. He silently looked at his father, who was actually born not to smile, and then silently took away the wine bottle hidden behind his father. "Go wash your face and rinse your mouth. I won't tell Mom that you secretly drank again."
A joke is only a joke when it makes people laugh.
…
December 26th, Sunny
Uchiha Fugaku had a dream, and it was 12 years ago.
One night 12 years ago, when he arrived, the nine-tailed monster was already gone. Only large patches of blood were left, soaking the ground bright red. Bo Fung Watergate half-knelt in the pool of blood, trembling, trying not to fall. In his arms, he held the wrinkled Naruto, who was just born and still had half of his umbilical cord dripping with blood. The naked Naruto did not make a sound, and was as pale as a corpse.
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