Konoha Notes.

Chapter 3 The Undercurrents Under the Light

The village of Shirakawa, nestled beside the trade route, lay quietly in the early twilight. A neat wooden fence encircled the village, and the heavy village gate was now open. Several villagers sat chatting on stone stools beside the gate, initially unaware of the approaching figures. However, upon recognizing the Konoha insignia on the visitor's headband and attire, their expressions immediately became solemn. The leading man strode forward and bowed respectfully: "Gentlemen, what brings you to our village? What brings you here?"

Shuji calmly swept his gaze over the crowd, then slowly unfurled a scroll from his robes: "Konoha ninja, here on the orders of the Daimyo of the Land of Rivers." His voice was not loud, but it carried an air of official business. The villagers' expressions tightened, they exchanged glances, and the leader immediately took a step back, saying nothing more.

Itachi keenly noticed that Shuji's demeanor at this moment was completely different from his easygoing manner at the restaurant in Koizumi-cho. He remained calm, his youthful face maintaining the same composure as Shuji's, and quietly observed.

"Where is the village chief now?" Xiu Si asked directly.

"At...at home," the villager quickly replied, pointing in the right direction.

The two entered the village. Although night was just beginning to fall, Shirakawa Village was already dotted with lights, the warm light shining through the paper windows outlining the houses and revealing a carefully maintained sense of tranquility. The magnificent inn in the center of the village was particularly eye-catching, its eaves and brackets clearly visible under the lights, but its porch was rather deserted, creating a subtle contrast with the lights of the other houses in the village.

Walking along the village path, Itachi could sense the gazes hidden behind windows and fences. He maintained a relaxed exterior but a tense interior, keeping a watchful eye on his surroundings. Shuji, on the other hand, walked steadily towards the village chief's residence.

An elderly man with graying hair and a slightly hunched back was already waiting in the glow of the lanterns at the door. Upon seeing the two, he quickly stepped forward and respectfully led them into the house. After the guests and hosts were seated in the simple hall, the old man cautiously spoke: "I am Shirakawa Kisuke, the village head of this village. May I ask what brings you two gentlemen here to investigate?" His calloused hands unconsciously clasped together.

"I thought the village chief should have anticipated this." Xiu Si leaned forward slightly, his gaze falling on the old man's face, a faint, cold smile playing on his lips. "Your village must be familiar with the matter of the bandits causing trouble near the trade route."

"This...this..." Shirakawa Kisuke's forehead gleamed finely in the lamplight. "Indeed, officials came to inquire...but this old man truly..."

"Oh?" Shuuji tapped his fingertips lightly on the table, producing a clear, crisp sound. "Then let me rephrase my question. Are all the registered villagers of Shirakawa Village currently in the village?"

"Since..." Shirakawa Kisuke was about to speak.

"Senior." Itachi's clear, childlike voice broke the brief silence at just the right moment. "When I entered the village, I noticed that some of the houses had dark windows, as if no one lived there."

The old village chief tensed almost imperceptibly, and hurriedly explained, "A few families...have gone out to make a living..."

Shuji's gaze slowly swept over the few pieces of furniture in the room—not luxurious, but clearly made of solid materials and with exquisite craftsmanship. His tone was calm: "From what I see, life in your village is quite prosperous." He paused, then added meaningfully, "With such a stable and affluent home, it's probably rare for young people to choose to leave their hometowns."

"Yes...yes." Shirakawa Kisuke dabbed his forehead with his sleeve. "Because the trade routes are busy, merchants often stop at the inns in the village to rest." He tried to keep his tone steady. "Young people see the outside world, and their hearts...inevitably become more active."

"Those robbers must have had a significant impact on your village's livelihood." Shuji's gaze seemed to pierce through the paper window, landing on the deserted inn in the village. "Such a fine inn, yet now it's deserted."

The old man lowered his gaze, his voice deepening: "That is indeed the case. That is why I have been hoping day and night that you gentlemen could remove this scourge from the trade routes as soon as possible."

Shuji suddenly withdrew the invisible pressure, his tone becoming calm: "In that case, does the village chief have any clues he can provide? On this matter, our goals are aligned." He looked into the old man's eyes, "Even the smallest detail might be valuable."

"Yes, yes, but... this old man really doesn't know anything useful..." Shirakawa Kisuke's voice was filled with helplessness.

Upon hearing this, Xiu Si remained unfazed, only asking routine questions about the village's population and recent visitors before rising to take his leave: "We will be staying at the village inn for the time being. Please let us know if you discover anything."

Inside the inn room, the steady glow of an oil lamp filled the space. Itachi carefully checked that the doors and windows were closed and that the surroundings were silent before turning to Shuji: "Did you discover anything amiss with the village chief, senpai?"

Shuji had regained his usual gentle demeanor, sitting on the tatami mat with a slight smile as he asked, "What does Itachi think?"

The eight-year-old genin pondered for a moment, then answered clearly, "Senior believes that the bandits are connected to this village, and that the village's higher-ups are aware of this, and may even have been involved. This explains why Senior changed his attitude in front of the village chief at the village entrance."

"Since you've made that assessment, why not pretend you haven't noticed anything as soon as you enter the village, instead of adopting a stern stance from the start?" Shuji looked at him with interest. "Wouldn't it be easier to find clues by investigating discreetly?"

This is precisely the question that Itachi still harbors.

Shuji had analyzed two possibilities at the restaurant in Koizumi-cho: the robbers were keeping important keepsakes, or they were locals. Now it seems that his senior had leaned towards the latter.

"Showing an unapproachable attitude at the beginning was a setup," Shuji explained. "Being too easygoing can sometimes lead to unnecessary probing and trouble. The attention the villagers paid to us after we entered the village, which far exceeded that of ordinary merchants, itself conveyed a message—this village has such a luxurious inn, so it must be frequented by many people, and a village accustomed to welcoming travelers from all over the world shouldn't react so tensely to unfamiliar ninjas."

"Therefore, I decided to put some pressure on the village chief, showing that we had some information. If we were too mild-mannered, given the village chief's experience, he would likely use a more tactful approach to deal with the situation without revealing any flaws." He paused, "And judging from his reaction, it's difficult for the village to completely absolve itself of responsibility for the young people who left the village and the appearance of the robbers."

Itachi nodded thoughtfully. These details of observation and judgment were not taught at the Ninja Academy.

"So, what are your plans next, senior?" he asked.

Shuji didn't answer directly, but instead looked at him: "If Itachi were in charge, what would you do?"

The young Uchiha pondered for a moment, then replied, "If it were me, I would try to use genjutsu to get more precise information from the village chief, such as the possible hiding places of the bandits. Once I have their location, I can go and wipe them out."

"A very good tactical approach." Xiu Si nodded approvingly, then changed the subject, "So, after using the illusion technique, what are the possible scenarios we might face?" He held up a finger, "First, the village chief is indeed unaware of the core details, and the illusion technique's effects are limited; second, the bandits are hiding somewhere in the village; third, they are lurking in the mountains outside the village."

"The latter two scenarios are particularly complex." Shuji sat up straight, his gaze calm. "Without solid evidence and without the other party showing any hostility, those so-called 'bandits' are likely just ordinary neighbors or relatives in the eyes of the villagers. As the mission briefing emphasized, the pursuit team from the Land of Rivers didn't even have a clear picture of their appearance. This means that even if we find the target location, we'll likely see a group of ordinary villagers who work from sunrise to sunset."

He gazed into Itachi's clear yet profoundly mature eyes: "At that point, how do you plan to proceed? Taking direct action is highly likely to provoke a strong reaction from the local villagers. In the absence of conclusive evidence, people often choose to believe and protect those they know. How they question, defend, or even obstruct you is an unpredictable variable."

The room fell silent, broken only by the occasional crackling of the oil lamp wick. The young Uchiha genius frowned slightly, lost in deep thought. This problem, involving human nature and rules, clearly went beyond his past experience of simply carrying out missions with force. The lamplight cast his long, focused silhouette on the wall.