162: Chapter 162 ReplyIn the past few days, the rooftop outside Lark's office has been filled with all sorts of messenger birds on the iron frame.
There were Konoha's ninja hawks, Sunagakure's sand falcons, Kumogakure's thunderbirds, and several brightly colored ornamental pigeons that looked like they were kept by nobles.
"Lord Hibari, the seventeenth letter has arrived today."
The young secretary walked in carrying a stack of letters and carefully placed them on the table.
Lark looked up from a pile of files and rubbed his temples.
She was wearing a smart black suit today, her long hair tied back, and her dark circles under her eyes revealed her fatigue.
"Put it down."
She waved her hand, and after the secretary left, she sighed and began to open the letter.
The first letter was printed with the Konoha (Leaf House) emblem.
Unfold the letter; it was written in Jiraiya's own handwriting.
The handwriting is somewhat messy, but every stroke is full of strength.
Naruto's personal address:
Seeing these words is like seeing the person in person.
Konoha has been dealing with many affairs lately.Although the council of elders has been disbanded, the repercussions are still ongoing, and many old systems need to be sorted out one by one.Therefore, we cannot publicly support the opening of your academy in an official capacity.
However, the trend of change in the ninja world has already taken shape, and the younger generation will have more choices.
I have ordered Kakashi to lead a team to attend the ceremony, along with ten young genin.
These children all volunteered, not on behalf of Konoha, but representing themselves personally.
If the college is willing to nurture them, they can stay and study.
If you don't wish to, then consider it a trip.
In the ninja world, spanning a century, there are only one country and one village, with numerous bloodline clans and countless rules, yet the path they take only grows narrower.
I hope you can forge a path that no one has walked before.
treasure.
Jiraiya.
After reading the letter, Hibari carefully folded it and put it into a folder labeled "Konoha - Important".
Jiraiya's letter, though seemingly official, actually gave him everything he could.
This seemingly unconventional middle-aged or elderly person has also gone to great lengths and begun to learn to be flexible.
The second letter came from the water ripple seal of the Hidden Mist.
The official reply was written in a very formal and straightforward manner, officially confirming in the name of the Fifth Mizukage, Mei Terumi, that Kirigakure would send a delegation to attend the ceremony, and included a list of accompanying personnel and a schedule.
But Lark looked through the paper, flipped it over to the other side, and raised an eyebrow.
The back is covered with delicate yet somewhat hurried small characters.
Naruto-kun~
Official letters are written too formally, it's suffocating me!
Look at all that official jargon on the front page, isn't it boring?
I've already had Ao book the best room at the hot spring hotel in the Land of Waves in advance—the one with a rooftop terrace and floor-to-ceiling windows!
You have to come and be with me then, I miss you so much.(omitting hundreds of words of overly explicit content.)
Now, after I finish processing official documents every day, all I can think about is you.
Just you wait, when I get here, you'll be sorry!
No slacking off, and no excuses!
Your beloved Meimei.
Skylark expressionlessly flipped the letter back over, covering the fiery words on the back.
She decided to hand the letter over to Samui for processing.
That icy bodyguard, who's also been working part-time as a love letter reader, should have more experience handling this than she does.
The third letter, in a sandy yellow envelope from Sunagakure, had neat handwriting.
Chairman Naruto.
Sunagakure has received the invitation to the ceremony and expresses its sincere gratitude.
Following a resolution by the Kazekage's office, Sunagakure will fully support the founding principles of the Apocalypse Academy and recognize its value in promoting ninja exchange and cultivating talent.
My older sister, Temari, will arrive in two days to assist you with preliminary preparations and coordination.
I will attend the ceremony in person.
Also included is a preliminary list of recommended students from Sunagakure, consisting of five individuals, all of whom have undergone rigorous selection and possess both exceptional talent and character.
May the ceremony be a success and the college prosper.
The Fifth Kazekage, Gaara, said, "How old-fashioned, so rigid."
The lark chuckled softly, sighed, and put the letter away.
However, the fact that Gaara came in person is already a huge show of support.
Sunagakure has essentially taken sides openly.
The fourth letter, from Yunyin.
The envelope was made of dark blue cardboard, a specialty of the Land of Lightning.
The characters were written with vigorous strokes, the ink penetrating the paper, and several ink spots blurred, as if the writer was excited while writing.
Naruto, my dear brother!
Invitation received!I'll definitely be there!
Killer Bee is here too!He said he wants to thank you in person for saving his life so many times!
Damn it, I've been so frustrated lately!Iwagakure is always lecturing me and pointing fingers at me!But I've come to terms with it now!
I owe too many favors to repay, I can't keep track of them all, so I'll stop!
I'm giving up!
Let whoever dares to oppose us, we, the Hidden Cloud Village, are sticking with you!
As for the students.
I also asked those kids, and many of them are clamoring to come and see what it's like at your place!
Alright!I've decided to release them too!
See you then!
—Looking at the fierce words on the letter, Ai Yunque seemed to see the struggle in Raikage's heart.
She smiled, shook her head, and filed the letter.
This Raikage is truly open and honest.
Finally, there's Iwagakure.
The letter was short and its wording was distant.
Tianqi Chamber of Commerce.
The invitation has been received.
Iwagakure is currently dealing with a lot of border affairs, and the Tsuchikage and other high-ranking officials may not be able to get away to go.
Wishing the ceremony a successful conclusion.
Specific cooperation matters can be discussed separately.
Foreign Affairs Department of Iwagakure Village.
As expected.
The lark carefully put the letter away.
He picked up his teacup, took a sip, relaxed for a moment, and seemed lost in thought.
At the same time, Kurotsuchi also received a letter from Iwagakure.
Heitu opened the letter, and the first line made her nervous.
Black soil.
Return immediately upon receiving this letter.
Recently, the movements of various ninja villages have been strange.Konoha, Kirigakure, Sunagakure, and Kumogakure have all been in close contact with the Apocalypse Merchant Guild, while Iwagakure has become isolated.
You have been there for a long time, so you must know the inside story.
Return immediately and recount in detail what you saw and heard.
Hei Tu clutched the letter, his fingers trembling.
Return immediately.
She closed her eyes, and the image of Naruto pinching her chin and saying "I really like you like this" flashed through her mind, as did the image of herself feeling tired from trying to please Naruto.
There's no going back.
Even if she goes back, how can she face her grandfather?
I'm sorry, I failed my mission.She lost, and now she's become her enemy's woman?
Heitu sat down at his desk and picked up his pen to reply.
The pen tip hovered on the paper for a long time before slowly falling:
Grandpa respectfully writes:
The letter has been received.
My granddaughter is doing well in the Land of Waves.The Chamber of Commerce treats me with courtesy, and Chairman Naruto trusts me greatly, involving me in many core affairs.
However, the matter concerning the academy is now a done deal.
All the ninja villages, whether openly or covertly, have given their support.This is an inevitable trend that Iwagakure cannot stop alone.
Forcibly confronting them risks isolation.
The granddaughter believed that the best course of action for Yan Yin at present was to observe and wait, and to send representatives to visit under the guise of a site visit to conduct an on-site investigation before making a decision.
To oppose rashly may mean missing the initiative.
As for the granddaughter herself, she should remain here for further observation, and perhaps we can mediate to create favorable conditions for Iwagakure.
Please take care of yourself, Grandpa, and don't overwork yourself.
Granddaughter Heitu.
After she finished writing, she read it carefully.
Not a single word of the truth was told, nor did they agree to go back.
She folded the letter, put it in the envelope, and carefully sealed it.
In the following days, all departments of the Chamber of Commerce began to work efficiently.
The three of them, Lark, Samui, and Silent, worked together to direct operations, keeping them extremely busy every day.
Lark was in charge of external liaison and intelligence coordination.
Replies continued to pour in from various small and medium-sized ninja villages and neutral countries.
The Land of Iron announced that it would send a delegation of samurai to observe.
Yu-no-Kuni enthusiastically announced that they would bring the best hot spring technicians and geisha performances.
The Land of Grass, the Land of Rain, the Land of Birds.
Other groups, whose names are difficult to pronounce, have also expressed their willingness to participate.
"The venue needs to be expanded."
Yun Que sorted through the ever-growing list of guests and rubbed her temples.
Samui was in charge of security and reception.
She repeatedly studied the venue design drawings.
Silent takes care of all the logistics and ceremony procedures.
From the venue setup, seating arrangement, tea and snacks, to the ceremony program, speaking order, and performances, every detail had to be taken care of.
The piglet followed at her feet, and when she got impatient, she accidentally stepped on its tail, causing it to howl in pain.
"I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry."
Jingyin quickly picked up the pig, rubbed its head, offered some simple comfort, and then continued checking the list.
As for Naruto, he remained idle and did nothing.
Ino's flower shop branch in the Land of Waves.
The shop is small, but it is decorated in a cozy style.The window is filled with all kinds of flowers, from common roses and lilies to glowing night orchids unique to the ninja world and rainbow irises that can change color.
"Welcome~" Ino, wearing a light green apron and with her hair loosely tied back with a headband, smiled and her eyes crinkled into crescents when she saw Naruto push the door open and come in."What brings you here today?"
"Just came to see you."
Naruto walked to the counter and pointed to a bunch of pale purple bellflowers."How's business?"
"It's alright.It's just opened today, and most of the customers are from the Chamber of Commerce."
Ino leaned closer to him and winked."But the most handsome guest is, of course, you."
Naruto smiled and took a small box out of his pocket: "Here, a gift I prepared for you."
Ino opened it, and inside was an exquisite pendant.The pendant was a small cherry blossom, with tiny pale pink crystals inlaid on the petals.
"it's beautiful!"
"When did you become so good at picking gifts for girls?Do you give them gifts all the time?"
"This is my first time delivering."
Naruto remained expressionless."I just happened to see it and thought it would suit you perfectly."
Ino snorted, turned around with a smile, and said with her back to Naruto, "Help me put it on."
Naruto picked up the necklace, his fingers looping around her neck.The two were very close, and he could smell the faint fragrance from her hair.
After fastening the clasp, Naruto didn't immediately back away.He whispered in her ear, "Do you remember when we were in Konoha?I helped you manage the flower shop.Back then, you paid me wages and even prepared delicious rice balls for me."
Ino's ears tickled from Naruto's words, and she gave a coquettish snort, "You still dare to talk!Who told you to kiss me secretly, you scoundrel!"
The atmosphere in the store quickly became intimate.
The florist's female employee pulled another colleague and hurriedly ran to the break room.
Ino gripped the edge of her apron, her eyes darting around.
For the next few days, Naruto and Ino were inseparable.
He took Ino on a sightseeing boat trip along the coast of the Nippon River.
The two leaned against the ship's railing, Naruto hugging Ino from behind, his chin resting on her shoulder.
Ino leaned against him, "I never imagined you would leave Konoha, or that so many things would happen."
Naruto tightened his grip on her arm."Back in Konoha, I didn't get to spend much time with you."
"And you say that!" Ino turned her head and scolded, "We weren't even that close to each other, yet you came to my house and bothered me, and then suddenly left the village, humph!"
The boat drifted at sea for an afternoon.
When we returned to the dock, it was already dusk.
Ino pulled Naruto along and bought two skewers of grilled meatballs from a roadside stall, one for each of them, and they ate them as they walked.
"So sweet."
"You have sauce on your lips."
Naruto raised his hand, wiped the sauce from her lips, and put it in his own mouth to taste."Hmm, it's quite sweet."
"Ugh!.You jerk!"
She pretended to be angry and nudged him with her elbow.
Naruto then put his arm around Ino.
——
Meanwhile, in Konoha.
Kurenai Yuhi hasn't left her house for three days.
The curtains were drawn tightly shut, and only a small nightlight was on in the room.
She curled up on the sofa, hugging her knees, her eyes vacant.
Kai seems to be loitering outside a lot lately, and Hong pretends not to be there, neither answering nor opening the door.
He stood outside the door for a while, put down the fruit he had brought, and left silently.
Hong listened to his receding footsteps and buried her face in her knees.
Just at this critical juncture, Asma finished a short but long-term guard duty and returned to the village.
He had been eagerly planning to invite Hong out for dinner, but he was turned away.
There was no response to knocking on the door, and no one was seen at the places he frequented.
He felt inexplicably uneasy.
What struck him as even stranger was that he kept running into cards lately.Cassie?
You can run into them whether you're near the training ground or at a public bathhouse.
"Hi, Asuma."
Kakashi would always greet people lazily, with his copy of "Icha Icha Paradise" always in his hand.
"Kakashi, are you that free?" Asuma couldn't help but ask.
"Fortunately, there aren't many tasks lately."
Kakashi calmly flipped through the book."But you, why do you look so worried?Having relationship problems?"
Asma, realizing her thoughts had been exposed, asked in bewilderment, "Red has been acting strange lately, always avoiding me.Do you think I did something to upset her?"
Kakashi's mask twitched slightly.
What should he say?
What Asuma found even stranger was that Kakashi's tastes had changed recently.
The two went to an izakaya together.Although Kakashi didn't drink much before, he would always order some side dishes like grilled skewers.
But today, Kakashi only ordered a plate of green salad.
"When did you start eating such a vegetarian diet?" Asma asked, puzzled.
Kakashi sighed, his eyes filled with melancholy.
Oh well, let's just let the parties involved handle it themselves.
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