Chapter 70: Are You Out of Your Mind?

Twenty days after the large-scale battle between Konoha and Sunagakure in the Land of Rivers, Haseo once again stood by the lakeside where he had previously put on a display of ninjutsu. Now, it served as Konoha's new front-line headquarters.

Compared to its previous position before the battle began, the headquarters had been relocated here following Konoha's victory. In other words, rather than appearing aggressive, Konoha had actively moved its Headquarters rearward.

After withdrawing half the Front Line forces for rest and rotation, the new Konoha Headquarters became more streamlined. At the same time, the Hokage no longer relied on tight formations like before. Aside from concentrating some ninja at headquarters, the remaining forces were no longer assembled into a single battlefield line; instead, they scattered into dispersed points. These small, distributed squads across the Land of Rivers formed a vast surveillance network, keeping close watch on Sunagakure's every move.

Even if another battle broke out, the nature of combat would return to traditional, small-scale squad confrontations—the kind typical of ninjas—rather than large-scale field warfare.

The strategic dominance and the clear outlook on future conflicts gave Konoha a certain psychological advantage. Relatively speaking, the intense atmosphere of war along Konoha's frontline had eased somewhat, and people's moods relaxed accordingly.

As long as their mindset remained just short of careless negligence, this change could generally be considered positive. After all, no one could sustain tension indefinitely; a balance between stress and relaxation was a reasonable approach.

Moreover, the area where the Konoha camp lay was picturesque, with simple tents neatly and tastefully arranged along one side of the lake. All of this made it seem less like a battleground and more like a vacation resort.

Since there was no combat mission, Haseo was currently resting at the camp. His tent was set up on slightly elevated ground, and through its makeshift window, he had an unobstructed view of the lake.

Initially, Haseo had worried whether setting up camp in such a place was prudent, since enemies could easily infiltrate Konoha's base via the water. However, this concern didn't last long—he quickly realized the flaw in his thinking… He was just worrying too much. Even if you looked at it that way, enemies could always dig underground regardless of whether the camp was near water or not. Waterways might benefit enemies skilled in Water Release techniques, but wouldn't the land itself benefit those who used Earth Release?

Therefore, physical defense wasn't the key. What mattered were the ninja's surveillance, recon, and barrier techniques. With that understanding, Haseo could finally relax and enjoy the scenery.

Haseo gazed into the distance. Sunlight reflected off the lake's surface, creating shimmering ripples that danced across the water. The flickering light spots were almost blinding. Instinctively, he raised his arm to shield his eyes—but at that moment, he saw a figure emerging from the sunlight reflecting off the lake.

She wore a calm expression and was dressed not in the standard ninja combat uniform, but in casual clothes suitable for an ordinary girl, naturally outlining the delicate curves of her body.

It was Chichio returning from a walk by the lake.

Without missions, ninja life was extremely dull. Even when they had time off, there wasn't much to do on the Front Line. They'd refine chakra, practice ninjutsu, train in taijutsu, or just zone out with nothing better going on. Going for a walk counted as a rather rich form of entertainment.

Watching her approach step by step, Haseo couldn't help but ask, "Chichio, why did you become a ninja?"

It was because she looked so different from before—fresh and lively like a normal young girl—that this question slipped out of his mouth.

"Never mind," he quickly added, realizing he shouldn't have blurted out such a personal question so carelessly.

Caught slightly off guard, Chichio hesitated for a moment—not because she refused to answer, but rather,

"Who knows anymore… Why did I originally decide to become a ninja? Now I'm no longer sure. And now that things have come this far, does such a question even matter anymore?"

Even Chichio herself didn't know why she had become a ninja.

"Yeah, I guess it doesn't really matter," Haseo nodded. Regardless of her reasons, she was already a ninja now.

Haseo hadn't interacted much with female kunoichi, especially those not hiding behind masks or veils. Yet overall, women had no place on the battlefield. Whether in terms of physical strength, psychological resilience, or other factors, compared to men's tougher frames, women faced natural disadvantages.

"What about you then, Captain?"

"As for me… honestly, I don't quite know how to explain it myself," Haseo shook his head. Although he'd only recently become a ninja, when he thought back on it, how exactly had he become one? It was a mix of chance, pressure, and a bit of personal choice—he was kind of pushed into it, really.

How much of anyone's path in life is really their own choice? It wasn't an easy topic to discuss, and arguably such discussions lacked real meaning. Therefore, Chichio changed the subject. "Has the meeting between the Hokage and the important guest not ended yet?"

"Not yet, I suppose. But from what I know, it's probably one of those meaningless meetings—just a show for the audience," Haseo said, glancing toward the center of the Camp.

The reason the people arriving at the Camp were treated as high-status individuals was because the Hokage was currently entertaining the Daimyo of the Land of Rivers—the nominal ruler. Yet such nominal authority held little practical value within Konoha, which functioned essentially as a military village.

Yet regardless of how dominant large hidden villages might be deep down, they still needed to wear a gentle face in diplomacy. [unavoidable necessity (budeyi – forced upon us)], so allow me to remain pleasant and courteous toward you.

After putting on a kind and friendly face, it's business as usual—this is the so-called "humanitarian concern" shown by ninja.

Next, the Hokage still has a series of performances to go through. First, he must return to the village to attend Kagami Uchiha's funeral, then hold a cordial meeting with the Uchiha clan in an effort to clear up past misunderstandings and conflicts, reaffirming once again that Konoha remains as prosperous and united as ever.

Then he'll leave Konoha and travel to the Fire Daimyo's capital for their meeting. If the Daimyo of the Land of Rivers is basically nothing to Konoha, at least the Fire Daimyo carries some weight—after all, only once he receives the official appointment from the Fire Daimyo can the Third Hokage truly be considered the legitimate and rightful Hokage… at least in terms of legality.

This shouldn't be an issue. Historically, the Daimyos of the Land of Fire have always been kind, approachable, and warm-hearted individuals—unlike the Daimyo of the Land of Rivers, who's basically nothing to Konoha. They've never raised any objections regarding the succession of the Hokage. Of course, aside from their naturally benevolent dispositions passed down through generations, there was another, far less noble reason—they just knew what happened to those who dared oppose Konoha's decisions. Whenever a Daimyo even considered objecting, some "unfortunate" event would always occur: sudden, brutal deaths, horrifyingly tragic ends—the kind of misfortunes that don't leave much of anything behind.

The Hokage follows proper procedures to obtain the Daimyo's endorsement, while the Daimyo simply plays the role of a rubber stamp. And isn't that just perfect for everyone?

All of this showed clearly that Konoha's wartime pressure had really let up, and the burdens carried by ninja were no longer so heavy. So Haseo had the time to kick back and shoot the breeze with his buddies, exchanging idle chatter.

But just then, an unexpected familiar figure suddenly approached him.

It was Kōga Kinoto, one of the medics from the medical unit.

He marched right up and cut straight to the chase with Haseo, ignoring Chichio standing beside him, bluntly declaring, "Haseo, there's something I need to get off my chest... I think you're sick."

"…"

What did that mean? Furrowing his brows, Haseo wondered why this old man would suddenly start cursing him out for no apparent reason?

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