Konoha Notes.

Chapter 438

Chapter 438 Yeah—

When Tsunade sat down in her reserved viewing seat, she tried her best to make her expression look like a serious Fifth Hokage.

If the other four Shadows hadn't been there, she had planned to proceed as originally intended, having Shizune use her transformation technique to take her place.

In any case, given the scale of the event and the fact that Xiu Si had made the decision and agreed to it, he would definitely be there to oversee things, so there was no reason for her to come and oversee it personally.

But after all, the shadows had already arrived.

As a shout of "Attention!" rang out from the loudspeaker, echoing throughout the venue, Tsunade felt a throbbing in her temples.

The Kage's seat was located on the highest floor, which was open to the public and not in a private box, so that it could be clearly seen by all the ninjas and audience members present.

This location is really...

"You're really energetic," Mei Terumi said. "Shuji-kun always makes such bold decisions."

The Third Tsuchikage picked at his ear: "It's so noisy, my ears can't take this."

"My eardrum is damaged, but luckily there's an excellent doctor here." Chiyo rested her fingers on her knee. "The Hokage is right next to us, so the Tsuchikage doesn't need to worry."

Tsunade shifted her body slightly to the side, not in the mood to argue with these guys.

The Fourth Raikage remained seated, saying, "As one of the Five Kage, we must show appreciation in this situation. It concerns the reputation of the entire martial arts competition, and we are all under the watchful eyes of others."

"If negative feedback or rumors arise due to the attitude of a certain Kage, I would not mind suggesting that the corresponding losses be deducted from the revenue sharing between Iwagakure and Sunagakure."

Chiyo immediately retorted, "What's wrong? Are you worried the show will be too bad, so you're looking for someone to take responsibility beforehand?"

"It is said that the person who volunteered and formed the team was from Kumogakure."

"That Eight-Tails Jinchuriki is your brother, right, Raikage?" Onoki pressed on relentlessly.

"When Konoha reported the situation, you didn't refuse, Kazekage and Tsuchikage," the Raikage said in a deep voice. "Moreover, as I've already said, Kumogakure is willing to cover the band's expenses during this period."

Chiyo said, "It's that girl from Kirigakure who wants to be generous. You can talk to her about this."

Terumi Mei chuckled.

She brushed a stray strand of hair behind her ear, her gaze still fixed on the fading mist below, as if she could see through the white layer and understand everything brewing within.

"While this style isn't exactly my cup of tea," the Mizukage frankly stated, "its vitality... also holds great potential."

"I wouldn't mind using the ticket share owned by Kirigakure as collateral."

"Of course, if the performance exceeds expectations and the revenue exceeds the pre-show assessment, Kirigakure will naturally hope to receive a corresponding return."

As the five shadow warriors exchanged words, the thick fog in the main arena below began to slowly dissipate.

The audience, who had been trying to see through the fog to get a better look at the inside, found their buzzing subsiding as countless eyes focused on the gradually clearing stage.

More than twenty figures suddenly appeared in the center of the stage.

The first to be clearly seen was the Cloud Village ninja standing at the very front. His tall, imposing body was encased in a specially made black performance outfit, with matte metal studs adorning his shoulders and elbows, and his sunglasses reflected the white light of the overhead lights. It was Killer Bee.

And behind him—

"That is..."

Sasuke leaned forward slightly.

He saw clearly: a dozen identical blond boys, dressed in uniform orange and black outfits, with straps around their wrists and ankles, formed a circular formation around Killer Bee. Each of them adopted a different starting stance; some had their knees bent and fists clenched, while others had their arms outstretched to the side.

Shadow clones...

The second young master of the Uchiha clan pursed his lips.

That idiot really is.

It really is all preparation for today.

Beside him, Fugaku Uchiha's brows furrowed almost imperceptibly. The police chief's gaze swept over the shadow clones of Naruto, then moved to the back of the stage—Utaka behind the keyboard, the two Yugitos beside the bass, Han behind the drums, Gaara controlling the sand on the flank, and Fu, whose fingers trembled slightly with nervousness.

Although he had heard rumors, he never imagined it was true.

What is the purpose of having Jinchuriki perform?

at this time--

There was no emcee to introduce the event, and no announcement was made.

The prelude abruptly cuts in.

"Thump...thump...thump..."

A deep, steady bass drumbeat, like a heartbeat, came from beneath Han's feet.

The venue's sound system amplified this low frequency, making people's chests tingle slightly.

Immediately afterwards, Yu Gao joined in with his keyboard. A series of vibratos rose up in the high register.

Just as the rhythm and melody intertwined, building momentum, Killer Bee suddenly spread his arms wide, leaned back dramatically, and unleashed a soaring opening into the microphone:

"Hey! Yeah————!!!"

"Hey!" A dozen or so Naruto shadow clones responded in unison, stepping and stomping their feet.

"Clash! Crash!"

Kirabi's body swayed from side to side with the syllables, his fingers making a wispy motion as if throwing a kunai. Han's drumbeats intensified in sync.

"Grip! Lock!"

"Batter! Beat!"

"Boom! Boom!" Han's double mallets struck the war drum, short and violent.

Kirabi suddenly turned around, his arm swinging like a blade, the rivets on his cuffs flashing coldly under the light.

"Slam! Bam! The floor is shaking!"

"Wind! Flame! The wind howls and the flames roar! The offensive is unstoppable!!"

"Make them stagger!"

"Buzz—" The bass of the wooden man joined in at this moment.

Killer Bee lowered his center of gravity, assuming the stance of a ninja charge.

"Flash! Dash! The afterimage flashed!"

"Up! Down! A fierce battle of offense and defense!"

"Sneak underground? — You think you can escape?!"

Gaara raised his hand.

The sand beneath his feet suddenly split into dozens of strands, each one vibrating rapidly in the air, producing a dense, rain-like sound. The sound wasn't harsh; instead, it blended perfectly into the rhythmic gaps, like countless tiny sand hammers shaking in sync.

Killer Bee grinned, his white teeth gleaming under the light.

He suddenly straightened his back, stretching his arms out to the sky as if to embrace all the light and gazes pouring down from the stadium's dome:

"Swing!—Strike hard!!!"

"Kick! - Thrust!!!"

"Standing on this stage! — They're all ninjas!!!"

"Fight—!"

All of Naruto's shadow clones stepped forward simultaneously, bent their knees, swung their fists, and unleashed a deafening roar!

The sound waves exploded like a real shockwave, sweeping across the entire venue!

For the first time, a genuine wave of gasps, a mixture of astonishment and excitement, erupted from the audience!

"Pound! Pound! High spirits!"

Kirabi clenched his fist and pounded it hard on his left chest. The metal rivets struck flesh with a dull thud.

"Ground! Ground! Rooted and established!"

He stood with his feet apart, firmly planted on the ground, his body swaying from side to side with the rhythm, like a giant tree standing tall in a storm.

"Right here! — The ultimate arena!!!"

"ha!"

Naruto's shadow clones stepped forward again, their movements perfectly synchronized, creating a dull resonance on the floor.

Chirabi turned to the flank, pointing his finger into the air:

"Fists and blades!"

"With unwavering focus and unwavering resolve!"

"Those who possess their own code of ninjutsu! — We will not back down here!!!"

"Zheng—!" Yu Gao's hands swept across the keyboard with powerful chords.

The metallic tone cuts through the air.

Chirabi began running in front of the stage, not in a straight line, but in a zigzag pattern, each step precisely on the drumbeat. His voice rose and fell with his running:

"Crush! Rush! Overwhelming force!"

Killer Bee turned back in front of the stage, his pace quickening until his figure was almost an afterimage.

"Burn! Turn! Counterattack against adversity!"

"Trembling? Fear? Forget them all at this moment—!"

"oh--!"

Fu's harmony enters at this point.

The girl's clear, high-pitched voice, like a bird's song piercing through the clouds, carried a certain untamed wildness as it soared upwards.

Kirabi stopped in the very center of the stage.

"Fight and shout as you please!"

"And ascend from hell!"

"Pound! Pound! The fire in my heart won't subside!"

"Boom! Boom! Boom—!"

The Han's double-stomp drum strikes landed like thunder.

It's not just about speed, but a perfect fusion of power and rhythm. Every stomp causes the bass drum to vibrate violently, producing not just sound, but low-frequency shockwaves that radiate outward from the center of the stage, making your feet go numb and your heart pound.

Yu Gao's hands flew across the keyboard, the vibrato in the high register and the booming in the low register intertwining to create a wall of sound.

Yugito finally moved—she took half a step forward, her body swaying more dramatically to the rhythm of the bass, her golden ponytail drawing a sharp arc in the air.

Kirabi opened his mouth.

The last sentence.

He used all his strength, all the heat accumulated in his chest, and all the vocal cord energy he had regained after screaming until his voice was hoarse during rehearsals.

"The arena is calling—!!!"

"In this place of glorious coronation—!!!"

"Let the world witness—we are here!!!"

The music suddenly stopped.

All instruments stopped playing at the same instant.

Han's drumsticks hung in mid-air, Yu Gao's fingers left the keys, and the wooden figure pressed down on the bass strings. Gaara's sand stopped, and Fu's harmonic lingering sound dissipated in the air.

Only Chirabi's panting could be amplified through the microphone, heavy and clear.

The silence lasted for two seconds.

Maybe three seconds.

Then--

"Yay!!!!!"

Kirabi suddenly jumped up.

His feet left the ground, his body curling and stretching in mid-air, his arms raised high towards the sky above his head, fingers spread wide. When he landed, his knees were slightly bent, a cushioning posture resembling the closing movement of some kind of war dance.

"yeah--!"

Naruto and his shadow clones jumped up as well.

"Yay!"

Fu joined in. The girl lifted her skirt, tiptoed, and twirled, the colorful beads in her braids jingling. Her smile was radiant, and the light from the overhead lamp reflected in her orange eyes.

And so, a wave of sound began to sweep outwards from the stage.

From Killer Bee's first shout to Naruto's enthusiastic response, and then to Fu Qingliang's embellishment... In the audience, a genin wearing a Konoha headband couldn't help but raise his fist and shout, followed by his teammates, and then all the young ninjas in that area.

Hundreds of voices, thousands of voices, eventually merged into a boiling ocean!

Joyful, liberating cheers, whistles, and applause, ignited by the pure music and performance, soared from every corner of the venue. Many people spontaneously stood up.

People of different ages, backgrounds, and countries were connected by the same emotion at this moment.

One person stood up.

He was a father with his child. He had been sitting and clapping, but at that moment he involuntarily stood up and raised his hands above his head.

Two people, five people, ten people, one hundred people—

People in the stands gradually rose to their feet. They waved their arms, shouted in rhythm, and their faces were filled with infectious smiles or flushed with excitement.

Even some ninjas who were originally sitting upright stood up under the tugging of their colleagues, shaking their heads helplessly, but unable to help but smile.

Raikage's fists were clenched tightly, and his body was trembling.

Chiyo, who had been dazed by the atmosphere, unconsciously moved to the side, distancing herself from the Raikage.

Ōnoki floated in the air, gazing at the sea of ​​people below, cheering and waving their arms, their eyes shining with joy at the music and performance. The Third Tsuchikage opened his mouth, but ultimately said nothing, only slowly shaking his head, his gaze somewhat vacant.

Terumi Mei smiled.

That smile was no longer the elegant curve of a social occasion, but a genuine, warm smile that curved at the corners of the eyes, a smile born of genuine emotion.

Tsunade muttered under her breath, "It's not bad... That Shuuji guy, he used that intimidating evaluation before."

The words had barely left his mouth when a loud roar erupted beside him:

"Well done! Better than—!!!"

The Fourth Raikage, A, finally couldn't hold back any longer. He suddenly stood up and slammed his fist heavily on the railing in front of him, making a loud "bang." His enormous voice instantly drowned out all the noise nearby.

Chiyo's ears were ringing from the shock. She sighed and continued to look down.

Naruto stood on the stage, looking at the sea of ​​people who had stood up.

His eyes were trembling.

This was the first time he had been watched by so many eyes, the first time he had heard so many people cheering for him, the first time he had stood in such a place, not to prove anything, but simply because he wanted to stand here.

A surge of heat coursed through my chest, making my throat feel tight.

Fu jumped even more joyfully. She twirled around and around, pulling on her skirt, her braids flying in the air.

Gaara did not move.

The red-haired boy stood still, the sand beneath his feet slowly flowing back to him, gathering back into a gentle puddle. His gaze swept across the audience, his turquoise eyes calm as ever, but paused slightly for a moment.

He looked around, his gaze sweeping across the various areas as if searching for something.

could not find it.

That person did not appear here.

Yu Gao's fingers were still resting on the edge of the keyboard.

He kept his head down, his long hair falling over his forehead and obscuring his eyes. No one saw him biting his lower lip, nor did anyone see his fingertips trembling slightly as he pressed the piano keys.

Han raised his face from behind the drum corps.

Sweat streamed down his dark cheeks, dripping onto the drumhead. He looked at the sea of ​​people cheering and rising to their feet, at the waving arms, at the eyes that lit up because of the music and the performance.

In his more than forty years of life, he has stood in many places.

Because of orders, because of tasks, because of the village's needs.

This is the first time I've stood here, because of something that seems absurd, a sudden whim of another hot-blooded idiot.

Yet it received such a surging and ardent response.

The two Yukito put down their basses.

She walked to the front of the stage and stood next to Killer Bee. Her golden ponytail swayed with her movements, her face remained expressionless, but her usually indifferent eyes now reflected the sea of ​​lights in the audience.

Tears streamed down Kirabi's face beneath his sunglasses.

It's not because of sadness.

Instead, it was something much more intense, almost setting him ablaze.

Chirabi sniffed and walked to the microphone.

"Huff... huff..."

The panting was still there.

"Yeah—!!" he shouted again, his voice booming through the microphone, "We are the world's strongest ninja band! The only one in history! Unprecedented and unrepeatable!"

"Idiot—! Bastard—!!!"

(End of this chapter)