Konoha Notes

Chapter 340 Small talk
Mei Terumi, who said she would accompany and monitor him throughout, led Shuji into a restaurant that was not inside Kirigakure, but outside the village.

On a ship.

The boat was small, converted from an old wooden fishing boat. Clean straw mats covered the deck, a low table was placed in the middle, and paper lanterns hung around it, swaying in the wind.

The ship was anchored in the bay about 100 meters from the shore. From this position, you could see the pointed buildings of Kirigakure hidden in the thin mist.

"Is Mei Terumi's method of preventing me from spying on you to take me out of Kirigakure?"

"Oh dear, doesn't Shuji-kun like this more subtle approach?" the woman chuckled. "After Shuji-kun expressed his desire to spy, I was in a very difficult position."

"So I had no choice but to bring you to this shop, both to entertain important guests and to protect the village's secrets."

Shuji said, "Next time, I will hide my intentions better."

"That's too stingy, Xiu Si-kun. A real man should express what he wants openly and honestly."

Mei Terumi sat down at the low table and patted the straw mat beside her: "Please sit down. There's nothing particularly noteworthy about the food in the village, but the owner of this restaurant is a relative of the village and has excellent cooking skills."

Shuji sat down opposite her. The straw mat was clean and smelled of sunshine. The sounds of cooking and sizzling oil on a hot plate came from inside the cabin.

“It’s definitely a good place,” he said.

“Right?” Mei Terumi rested her chin on her hand, her green eyes shining brightly in the lantern light. “I made an appointment when Shuji-kun came last time. But the news he brought was so bad that I had no mood to entertain him at all.”

After the two sat down, a middle-aged man wearing an apron came out carrying a wooden tray. On the tray were eight small bowls, each containing a different kind of seafood sashimi.

After setting out the food, he served wine, then bowed slightly and turned to return to the cabin.

Mei Terumi picked up the sake bottle, poured a full cup for Shuji, and then poured one for herself.

“This time,” she raised her glass, looking through the rim at Shuji, “I made this reservation with the awareness that I might not have a chance to properly entertain you again, Shuji-kun.”

Xiu Si picked up his wine glass and gently touched the rim of his glass to hers: "Even if there is bad news, we'll save it for after we finish eating."

"How malicious!" she complained, but still downed the drink in her glass.

"The education system in Kirigakure is completely different from that in other villages, and there is likely to be more intense friction when we try to communicate with them."

"So before agreeing to Shuji's request, I hope Konoha can be prepared."

She said softly, "Even ninja academy students are like that."

The instructors and teachers at the Ninja Academy are still the same group of people. The policy has changed, and even if the graduation ceremony has been altered, it doesn't mean that the underlying principles will remain the same.

"Appropriate collisions and friction will not cause any problems."

"Then, there's no problem with Mist Hidden."

She poured herself another glass of wine, then looked at him reproachfully.

“I finished my drink perfectly, Shuuji-kun. Taking only a sip is really too much.”

Shuji glanced at her, then at the remaining wine in his glass, and finally raised his glass and drank it all in one gulp.

Mei Terumi then revealed a satisfied expression, her eyes curving into a beautiful arc.

She leaned over and refilled his glass, a gesture that suddenly brought them closer together, and Xiu Si could smell the faint fragrance in her hair.

Then she used her chopsticks to pick up a piece of tuna belly and placed it on the porcelain plate in front of him.

“I’m so jealous, Shuji-kun,” she said. “Konoha always manages to carry out its plans.”

"Finally, even Zabuza, that stubborn old man, has begun to waver." She looked towards Kirigakure in the distance, her voice gradually lowering. "After returning from the Five Kage Summit, I also carefully organized the map, thinking... that under this new situation, Kirigakure might be able to do more."

She stretched out her finger and traced lines on the table. "Look, to the left of the Land of Water is the Land of Fire, above it is the Land of Lightning, next to it is the Land of Waves, to the lower left is the Land of Tea, and to the right there are also many large island nations. From a holistic perspective, Kirigakure even has a geographical advantage that is no less than that of Konoha—if it can break free from its past isolation and truly participate in alliances and exchanges."

Mei Terumi's eyes lit up, filled with eager anticipation.

"With the strength of Kirigakure, it has the power to maintain order and support the Land of Water as the best station for maritime trade between countries. It can break free from the shackles of the past and will not be limited by its small territory."

Mei Terumi raised her glass.

Shuji clinked glasses with her. The two drank it all in one gulp once again.

The wine jug was already half empty.

“We’ve already started making these plans,” Mei Terumi’s voice suddenly sounded weary, “but then another force has appeared that’s causing chaos at sea. The village is facing another threat, and everything we wanted to push forward has to be put on hold.”

She rested her cheek on one hand, while unconsciously turning the empty ceramic cup with the other.

"These are considered confidential, Miss Terumi Mei," Shuji said as he put down his cup.

"Don't say anything discouraging at a time like this, Shuuji-kun." A faint blush appeared on Terumi Mei's face, and her eyes were misty with the effects of alcohol. "You're not the kind of person who would do that kind of thing."

She suddenly placed her hands on the table, leaned forward, and looked intently at Xiu Si.

Those green eyes were right in front of me.

“I am,” she said, word by word, “working hard to do exactly what we said back then, so that when we meet again we won’t have to fight to the death.”

"And Shuji-kun, who shares the same expectations, would never do anything to harm Kirigakure just because Kirigakure wants to find a peaceful path."

The sea breeze suddenly picked up, causing the lanterns to sway violently. Light and shadow danced wildly between the two, and for a moment, Mei Terumi's face appeared somewhat blurred in the interplay of light and shadow.

Shuji remained silent for a moment.

“Such trust,” he finally said, “is truly weighty.”

Mei Terumi smiled. She leaned back in her seat, her long hair sliding over her shoulders with the movement.

"After saying it out loud, I felt surprisingly relieved." She breathed a sigh of relief. "The pressure was successfully transferred."

The two clinked glasses again. This time they drank more slowly, just taking small sips.

One dish after another was served, but the middle-aged man remained silent. After serving all the dishes, he retreated back to his cabin.

They chatted intermittently, their topics rambling on and on.

By the time the cooked food was almost gone and the wine jug was completely empty, it was already late at night.

Mei Terumi stood up lazily.

Her blue strapless dress swayed gently in the night breeze as she reached out to tidy her long hair, which had been ruffled by the wind.

"It's time to go back, Shuji-kun. If we stay away for too long, people will suspect that we are plotting something improper with the envoys from Konoha."

Should I stay here?

“Of course…” Mei Terumi drawled, “—though that’s what I wanted to say, please come into the village. Your lodgings have been arranged.”

"If you really intend to see something, please communicate with me in advance."

"After all, this place is a blood mist."

(End of this chapter)