Konoha Notes.

Chapter 351 Excuses

Chapter 351 Excuses

"senior."

The boy's voice brought Shuji back to his senses, and he looked up from the unread document.

Uchiha Itachi stood upright and his posture was respectful.

"Ah, sorry, Itachi." Shuji put down his pen, leaned back in his chair, and let out a soft sigh. "I was daydreaming."

"Yes."

The response was as always, concise and devoid of any unnecessary emotion.

He started as a member of the team in front of him when he was eight years old, then joined the Dark Division, and has been there for five years now.

Itachi witnessed firsthand how he accomplished all of this, pulling the Uchiha clan out of dire straits, stabilizing the situation in the village, and even achieving the current alliance.

So, after giving his usual response, he unusually asked one more question.

"Senior, is something troubling you?"

He tried to offer a specific guess, though he felt the possibility was slim: "Is it because of Deidara? His identity and personality might cause unexpected trouble for the upcoming exchange student management. Are the seniors considering how to deal with him?"

"Him?" Shuuji seemed to take half a second to pull the name Deidara out of his jumbled thoughts. "He's not a problem. You and Shisui can take turns going a few times. Deidara should have some time to calm down."

"If all else fails, I'll play a match with him, just let him know in advance, and treat it as a special performance to thank the tourists during the off-season."

"Yes." Itachi accepted the order, but did not move.

The office fell silent for a moment.

The sunlight moved slowly across the floor, its edge creeping across the seam of the first floorboard.

Shuji suddenly spoke, as if talking to himself.

"Itachi".

"exist."

"I think..." Shuuji's gaze drifted to the window, his eyes unfocused, "...he's a pretty awful person."

Itachi didn't reply, but simply waited quietly.

"Being able to engage in private interactions for the sake of official business," Shuji continued, uttering each word slowly, as if savoring its nuances and dissecting its essence. "Exploiting goodwill, exploiting trust, and even exploiting certain... vague expectations."

"If it's just about using someone, with a clear purpose and defined boundaries, and you can calmly face any possible backlash or alienation afterward... then perhaps it's simpler."

"The problem is that I don't seem to see it entirely as a tool. While I'm using these private relationships to pave the way, I'm also unconsciously... becoming addicted to them."

"Enjoying the momentary relaxation during the conversation, feeling the feedback from the other party based on personal goodwill rather than pure considerations of self-interest, and even feeling pleasure from the trust or closeness that transcends official business."

He raised his eyes and looked at Itachi.

"Itachi, someone who incorporates personal emotions and networks of relationships into utilitarian calculations, draws sustenance from them, and derives pleasure from it—isn't that fundamentally problematic?"

Uchiha Itachi stood motionless. The sunlight moved slowly, and patches of light crept up from his feet to his calves.

He didn't answer immediately, but thought about it seriously for a long time.

"Senior, at this moment, when you say these words to me, are you still using this method to seek some kind of comfort or approval?"

Shuji paused for a moment, then laughed.

"Yes," he admitted frankly, without the slightest hesitation. "This can also be included in that model. I confided in you because I trust you far more than most people, and that trust itself is perhaps the result of long-term cultivation."

"My anticipation of your reaction and my expectation of your understanding are themselves a form of calculation and exploitation."

Hearing this undisguised answer, Itachi Uchiha remained standing ramrod straight. He was neither offended by Shuji's admission of exploitation nor did he rush to offer cheap forgiveness.

"I cannot blame you, senior."

"It's not because you're my boss, nor because I'm afraid to."

Those eyes, inherited from the Uchiha clan, were astonishingly clear at that moment.

"You appeared when I was most confused and taught me that the way to solve problems is not by choosing between two options, but by changing the problem itself."

The sunlight had moved to Itachi's waist. He stood on the dividing line between light and shadow, half bright and half deep.

"So, regarding the question you just raised, I think perhaps we can look at it from a different perspective."

Shuji raised an eyebrow slightly: "What angle?"

"My senior thinks he's using personal relationships to advance official business and derives pleasure from it," Itachi said. "But what if we look at it the other way around?"

He carefully crafted his words.

Is there any possibility?

"Is the senior using the necessity of official duties to allow themselves to establish those private connections with others that you actually crave?"

The office was completely quiet.

Shuji looked at Itachi without saying a word for a long time, and then just smiled.

"Thank you, Itachi."

"I guess I'm just making excuses to allow myself to do things that are simply things I want to do personally."

The atmosphere relaxed.

Xiu Si sat up straight again, tapping his fingertips lightly on the table, and the topic was changed naturally and casually.

"How's Sasuke doing lately? Does he have a plan to beat Naruto?"

"If his senior allows him to use ninja tools and traps," Itachi's answer immediately switched to a professional and objective mode, "theoretically, defeating Naruto now would be very quick."

He calmly analyzed: "Naruto's current advantage lies in the sheer number of Shadow Clones he creates and the resulting chaos."

"But Sasuke's shurikenjutsu and wire traps are enough to reduce the number of clones on a large scale and efficiently in the early stages of the battle, disrupting their tactical rhythm."

"Once they get close, with the enhanced dynamic vision and reaction speed from the Sharingan, Naruto's current taijutsu level is not enough to keep up with Sasuke's pace and changes of technique."

"I see..." he murmured, his gaze drifting towards the training grounds outside the window. "Has that kid gotten a little too cocky lately? He beat Sasuke once, and now he thinks he can learn new techniques from me..."

Itachi didn't speak, he just stood there quietly.

"Then let's arrange a match," Shuuji said, his tone regaining its usual composure. "Tell Sasuke that the exam for the leave of absence will be rescheduled. Since he thinks school is a waste of time, let him prove himself worthy of special training through real combat."

"Naruto just happens to want to learn a new ninjutsu, so we'll use this as a test."

"Yes." Itachi Uchiha nodded slightly. "I will inform Sasuke and make the necessary preparations."

"Go." Shuji waved his hand, picked up his pen again, and looked back at the documents. "Remember to remind him that this time he can be fully armed."

"Yes."

Shuji was alone in the office again. The sunlight had shifted slightly and now shone on the documents he had laid out.

He put down his pen and looked out the window again.

Some boundaries, once blurred, can never be reverted to the pure calculations of the past.

However, some excuses, once exposed and acknowledged, can no longer be pretended not to exist.

(End of this chapter)