"Well . . . I have a couple of ideas." Shiki casually spoke up in a seemingly casual tone.
Hearing his tone, after years of knowing the boy, Mito was already mentally preparing herself for complete insanity.
'This overly casual, normal tone . . . He only uses it before suggesting utter madness.' The Uzumaki matriarch thought to herself.
"Let's hear these . . . ideas . . . of yours." Mito responded in a very measured way.
"Originally, I intended to use speed and stealth to pick off high value targets, Elite Jonin, within the chaos of the fight, with my two companions employing similar methods . . ." The boy paused.
Several eyebrows were already twitching at the sheer insanity and overbearing confidence, or perhaps arrogance, imbued within those words.
Shiki's earlier feat was a masterful technical achievement but he had never been in direct combat.
It was certainly an astonishing deed but such a promising seedling should never be careless thrown into the meant grinder of a frontline clash.
No amount of talent or skill could save you in such a battle, not without the assistance of great power, experience and even luck.
Of course, they were all mistaken but their worries and thoughts were very reasonable, even Shiki himself would think so.
Not that he would change his choices and actions because of it.
*cough* Shiki called everyone back to attention as he continued with his idea.
". . . Considering our lack of top level combat power however, I was thinking of channeling my particular talents into a different area." He declared.
"Shiki-kun, you don't mean . . ." The First Elder, Mito's second, could hardly believe the sheer arrogance of what he believed the boy was about to suggest.
"Indeed Akao-dono." Shiki responded with a nod.
"My retainer Benihime will snipe Elite Jonin as previously planned. As for me . . . I will hold the Third Mizukage. Finally, my adopted sister Maiko . . ." He paused again.
"She will keep the Two Tailed Jinchuriki occupied and unable to interfere in the battle." The boy concluded.
Madness.
A twelve year old little girl was to stalk an active battlefield while targeting the strongest combatants discounting Kage and jinchuriki.
A twelve year old boy was to face down the Kage of one of the Five Great Nations.
Worst of all, a girl looking even younger, fragile and unassuming, was supposed to hold down a jinchuriki with full command over his Tailed beast!?
Delusional.
Words did not exist to describe this level of arrogance.
"Shiki . . . No matter how talented you are and how fast you've grown. Even if your battlefield intuition and mind for combat are top notch. A Kage is still beyond you." Mito sternly warned.
"I'm aware." The boy calmly replied.
"But while I stand no chance in a direct clash, if it is just about harassing and preventing him from participating in the larger conflict . . . I can handle that much without getting myself killed." He added in explanation.
It honestly did not do much to assuage the reasonable concerns of the good elders of the Uzumaki clan.
"Shiki-kun . . . Even then-" Uzumaki Akao, the First Elder began to speak against the idea but Shiki held up his hand to interrupt.
"It's not just a matter of relative strength. I would not dare do this to neither the Raikage nor the Tsuchikage but the Mizukage's fighting style is not very effective against me." The boy further explained.
"Hmm . . . I see . . ." Mito was starting to get convinced.
"Mito-sama! You are not genuinely considering this are you!?" Akao exclaimed, his words of complaint echoed by the other elders in the room.
"Silence!" The Uzumaki matriarch instantly quieted them all down.
"Convince me Shiki." She commanded.
The boy immediately knew it was just a formality.
Mito had already decided to trust his judgement and merely wanted him to just make it sound reasonable enough that she could at least attenuate some of the elders' concerns and push Shiki's plan through.
"The Mizukage is a ninjutsu focused shinobi entirely specialized in Water Release. He may have skills in other areas but they will be lacking enough that I can counteract them on reaction in the battlefield." The boy started his more detailed pitch, as per his mistress' request.
"Water Release, unlike fire, wind or lightning, lacks raw damage and can only feasibly cause large damage through large volume or high pressure streams.
The first method should be almost useless against me owing to a select few of my Hidden Jutsu while the second should be within my means of dodging so long as I don't overcommit to any of my attacks." Shiki concluded his breakdown.
Naturally, he gave away no details of his specific methods and Hidden Jutsu, neither did anyone in the room expect anything else.
That was information and proper shinobi should never casually share.
Shinobi battles are battles of information, spreading around details regarding your own abilities is giving others power over you.
"Alright, fine! I can accept Shiki-kun's plan regarding himself, we have seen some of his abilities and though I have my doubts, if Mito-sama who knows him much better than any of us believes he can pull it off, then I won't argue otherwise." Akao ceded the point.
"However . . ." The First Elder paused.
"How can you even explain sending that little girl that looks like she would break with one casual tap, to take care of the most skilled jinchuriki on the enemy's side!?" He questioned with fervor while pointed at Maiko.
Hearing this, Mito and Shiki's expressions turned somewhat weird.
In the boy's humble opinion, Mito aside, Ryumon Maiko was undoubtedly the most dangerous individual in the room.
The only reason Shiki was not afraid of her was his complete immunity to genjutsu, because of it, the girl could not beat him.
However, when facing anyone besides him, even opponents the boy had no hope of defeating, Maiko could still hold her own.
When the girl had become "stable" enough to hang around other people, she began living in the Uzumaki mansion with everyone else and, after watching Shiki go through everything he put himself through in preparations for the war, she got it in her head that she would help him.
Help him, as in fight alongside him in the war.
Shiki was aware of Maiko's immense potential but he believed her still weakened body was too much of a liability.
But after much pouting, which combined with the girl's usually utterly emotionless face, made for a devastating combo, he agreed to let her prove her usefulness.
'Oh boy did I underestimate her . . .' Shiki could feel the shivers up his spine as he remembered the results of Maiko "proving herself".
"Ah . . . On that front Akao, trust me, there is no need to worry at all." Mito finally spoke up in response to the First Elder after a few awkward minutes of silence.
"While degrading the Two Tailed Jinchuriki is an unrealistic expectation, taking her out of the equation until the battle can be settled, ought to be no problem at all." The Uzumaki matriarch claimed with certainty.
'Truth be told, that little monster might even take the jinchuriki out but saying that will only make everyone more doubtful rather than reassuring them.' She thought to herself after speaking.
"Very well then . . ." Uzumaki Akao seemed tired of life, as if he suddenly found himself in a world running by completely different rules and he just could not adapt.
"With two of the main threats being neutralized, or at least held back by Shiki-kun and his sister, that leaves the remaining two Kage and two jinchuriki to us." The First Elder now took control of the strategy meeting.
+++++
Hey, Author here!
To promote the novel I will be releasing BONUS CHAPTERS on SUNDAYS based on the previous week's power stone count.
100 Power Stones = 1 Bonus Chapter
500 Power Stones = 2 Bonus Chapters
1000 Power Stones = 3 Bonus Chapters
Every earned BONUS CHAPTER on Webnovel will also be posted on Scribble.
Just a reminder that you can read up to a FULL MONTH ahead of this site on pa-treon.
I'm trying to become a full time Author now and I'm not going to be starting any new novels just so I can make sure this one is properly completed.
Find those sweet advanced chapters on pa-treon.com/lusoba without the -