Naruto's rhythm broke down right from the start, and his second attempt at a counterattack did nothing to change the tide.
By then, Roshi had already left the field.
The result was decided. In a Taijutsu bout that depended so heavily on fundamentals and form, Naruto's stamina and late-game edge meant nothing.
This wasn't a life-or-death battle but a test of basics.
Losing like this would give him more than enough to think about for a while.
—
Outside Konoha, beside the Venue District.
Inside the hall of the building originally constructed for the Five Kage Summit, shinobi in a variety of gear and headbands moved back and forth in a steady flow.
At first, everyone had kept their distance.
The Kumogakure ninja habitually clustered in the eastern corner, the Iwagakure group drifted toward the west windows, and the Hidden Mist shinobi lingered near the entrance, as if ready to leave at any time.
As the host, Konoha was spread throughout the hall, handling guidance and coordination.
But after nearly a year of intense, multi-front cooperation, at least their surface-level teamwork had become smooth.
Even Fugaku could tell this department was going to grow, and the higher-ups of the other villages were certainly no fools.
Especially after the Land of Snow incident and the subsequent joint maritime blockade went into full swing, the number of administrative matters requiring immediate coordination among the Five Great Ninja Villages had exploded.
A manpower shortage had become common consensus, and reinforcements from each village were arriving one after another.
Itachi's transfer wasn't an exception—it was just the beginning.
Roshi walked through the hall, nodding occasionally in response to the greetings he received—respectful bows from Konoha and wary acknowledgments from ninjas of other villages.
He made his way toward the inner office area. The carpet underfoot swallowed his steps, making the whole space feel even quieter.
Most of the office doors lining the corridor stood wide open.
In the first room on the left, two Hidden Mist shinobi were arguing over a map, fingers jabbing repeatedly at the waters near the Land of Waves.
In the next room, a Sunagakure kunoichi was buried in a stack of reports, her forehead protector slipping so low it was nearly at her eyebrows.
Farther down, the distinct voices of Kumogakure ninja complaining drifted out into the corridor.
Roshi stopped in front of a door marked with the Konoha insignia and raised his hand to knock.
He waited about ten seconds. No response.
He pushed the door open and stepped inside.
At the desk, the silver-haired Jōnin sat perfectly straight, a small orange-covered book held in both hands, reading with apparent focus.
The pages never turned.
Kakashi's gaze was fixed on the lines of text, but his focus was scattered; there was no reflection of the words in his pupils. It felt more like he was using the book as a shield against the outside world, his mind wandering somewhere else entirely.
He didn't look up until Roshi's figure fully entered his peripheral vision and stopped in front of the desk. Only then did he slowly raise his head.
"I don't recall saying 'come in,' Roshi. "Kakashi's voice was lazy and drawn out. His visible right eye curved slightly, but there was no real smile there.
"If you were handling personal matters, I already gave you time to pack up."
Roshi hadn't bothered to suppress his presence; naturally, Kakashi had noticed him. Since there'd been no reaction, Roshi had assumed Kakashi was fine with him walking in.
"Even so, fifteen seconds is a bit harsh," Kakashi said as he closed the book, leaving it face-up on the desk rather than putting it away. "I was hoping to regain some hope for life through Lord Jiraiya's words."
His visible eye finally sharpened into proper focus as it met Roshi's.
"Anyway, you wouldn't just drop by for no reason. So? Did your conscience finally kick in, and are you planning to let me go back to Anbu for a breather?"
"Transfer back to Anbu?" Roshi walked over to the window, looking down at several members of the joint squads practicing formation work on the training ground below. "Then what about Tenzo? Let him take over this 'cushy job' of yours?"
"Please, be my guest," Kakashi replied at once, his speaking pace picking up slightly. "Tenzo's steady, and he's got a strong sense of responsibility. He's perfect for coordinating defense—he'd definitely do a better job than me."
"Forget about the transfer order." Roshi turned around and leaned back against the windowsill. "Itachi will officially come to assist you in a couple of days. He's very efficient and meticulous, and he never complains about the workload—at least not out loud. You can look forward to that, at least a little."
The lazy look on Kakashi's face faded, his visible eye narrowing.
"Just Itachi, right?" he confirmed.
If more Uchiha were coming, he'd have to reconsider whether this was support or just added chaos.
"Just him," Roshi answered firmly.
Kakashi finally relaxed a little. "Now that's actually good news. So, what official business is important enough for a personal visit? Don't tell me you're here to do a hygiene inspection."
Roshi got straight to the point. "Takigakure never gave an official response about the joint defense cooperation before. Have they shown any intention of taking part in this Ninja Village Joint Conference?"
Kakashi pulled a document from the stack and handed it to him. "Their reply came in this morning. The wording is very polite—they say they're very interested in the conference and promise to send representatives."
"Also." Kakashi pulled out an inconspicuous, hastily scrawled note from the drawer and slid it across the desk to Roshi. "Along with the official diplomatic documents, there's some… information that came through unofficial channels. It might be closer to the actual situation."
There weren't many lines written, but each one was heavy:
[The former leader of Takigakure has passed away.]
[After a brief transition of power, the village is now led by a younger-generation ninja, Shibuki.]
[Rumor has it that internal conflicts broke out during the transition, and several ninja left the village as a result. ]
Roshi set the note down.
"I see. So their earlier neglect of the joint defense proposal wasn't just because they were relying on the waterfall's natural barrier to stay isolated." He pondered aloud, "With a power transition going on, they were too busy dealing with internal issues to respond to outside matters."
Shibuki… This name had appeared much earlier than in his memory.
His impression of Shibuki was of a relatively gentle, even somewhat timid young man—but open-minded all the same. If it were him, discussing the Jinchuriki would be much easier.
The problem was that Shibuki's personal strength was lacking. By the standards of a village leader, he really wasn't qualified.
"In the name of the Joint Affairs Bureau, issue an official letter to Takigakure," Roshi said after a few seconds of thought. "Use the recent rumors about small-scale rogue ninja groups operating around the Land of Waterfalls as the pretext."
"To ensure the safety of the Takigakure representatives attending the conference, the Bureau is willing to dispatch a squad to provide escort along the way."
"For personnel, mobilize a jonin squad from Konoha headquarters to carry it out."
Kakashi nodded, jotting the task down in the memo beside him. "Understood. I'll be careful with the wording of the letter. Once the escort squad members are decided, let me know so I can put it on record."
"Mm." Roshi nodded. Having finished his business, he saw no reason to linger. "Get back to work."
He planned to head to the ANBU next to see if there was any intelligence on Takigakure's recent financial situation—looking for possible angles to express goodwill.
"Also…" Kakashi spoke up suddenly, "regarding the Daimyo conference for countries outside the Five Great Nations, opinions within the Bureau still haven't reached a consensus."
Roshi paused for a moment but didn't turn around.
"Is that so… as expected?"
"It's fine. We'll start with the areas where we can reach an agreement."
"Make sure this joint conference is held smoothly, and finalize the concrete regulations and profit distribution plans for opening the Martial Arts Exhibition System to the smaller ninja villages. The rest can be taken slowly."
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