Swish! Swish!
Not long after Satoru waited, contemplating his infiltration plan, the other three appeared.
"Teacher, long time no see! We're finally on a mission together again, and such a high-level one at that!" Ibara Keisen said, his face alight with excitement as he saw Satoru.
Satoru nodded at him, very pleased. Ibara Keisen was his most talented disciple, and he had always been very satisfied with him.
He then turned his gaze to his two other teammates.
"Gentlemen, although I have your basic information, for the mission to be completed more effectively, I need a specific understanding of your abilities."
Both were unfamiliar faces: one a burly man with a scraggly beard, the other slender, like a fair-faced scholar.
But in Satoru's perception, both of their Chakra levels had already reached Kakashi's standard, indicating that their strength was not to be underestimated.
It seemed Danzo placed great importance on this mission, and he had to, after all, it was the Rinnegan, the eyes of the Six Paths Sage.
The burly man said, "My name is Toriko. I specialise in Earth Release, Taijutsu, and assassination."
The fair-faced scholar said, "My name is Tamako. I specialise in tracking, assassination, and other support techniques."
Both introduced themselves expressionlessly, giving a brief overview of their skills. Nothing could be discerned from their expressions.
"Very well. Now, check your Ninja tools. Once confirmed, we will proceed to the Land of Rain in a wedge formation."
Satoru nodded and then instructed.
He also re-checked his own Ninja tools to ensure they were sufficient. Seeing the abundance of explosive tags, Kunai, and other items, he felt relieved only after confirming everything was in order.
The other three did the same.
"Then, let's go."
Whoosh! Whoosh!
...
Leaping through the trees on their way to the Land of Rain, Satoru focused his perception on the two. There was no obstruction, no rebuttal, just honest compliance.
"What troublesome fellows!" He lamented that Danzo's subordinates were truly full of talent.
The quieter they were now, the more trouble they would likely cause later. It was possible that the mission Danzo gave them would be vastly different from his objective.
If that were the case, it would be problematic. Two Jonin causing trouble was no ordinary difficulty.
Fortunately, he still had his disciple.
Ibara Keisen was on flank guard, constantly alert for incoming dangers. It seemed he had truly grown a lot, no longer the young boy who needed to be forced to learn with Narakumi no Jutsu · Modified.
As time passed, the humidity in the air gradually increased. Satoru's skin felt a layer of damp stickiness. The moisture was rising.
The Land of Rain's geographical location was unique; it was perpetually covered by dark clouds, raining every other day. Compared to other countries, the air humidity was significantly higher. Its location was also a bit farther from Konoha than the Land of Iron. At their current speed, it would take approximately three and a half days.
The four walked, stopping occasionally.
The two Anbu Ninja didn't rush them, still dutifully following behind, which made Satoru, who had kept his perception on them, feel quite bored.
Ibara Keisen, however, occasionally took out Ninja tools to tinker with.
Three days later, they approached the Land of Rain. From a distance, they could see the country perpetually under thunderstorms.
Satoru stopped, looking at Toriko. "I'm afraid I'll have to trouble you."
...
Toriko was speechless, but due to Satoru being the captain, he could only begin forming hand seals to release Ninjutsu.
"Earth Release: Earth Dwelling Technique!"
Boom!
At the border of the Land of Fire and the Land of Rain, a tall earthen house rose.
Toriko looked at Satoru impatiently. Satoru returned a smile.
Ever since he learned this kid was an Earth Release Ninja, he thought of Yamato, who used Wood Release to build houses. He had wanted to ask if he could build a house with Earth Release for them to rest, and unexpectedly, he really could.
Ibara Keisen exclaimed, "Seriously, this doesn't feel like camping out on a mission at all! If only I also knew Earth Release nature transformation, that would be great!" The moment he saw the house, he felt envious. If he knew it, the whole team would be comfortable.
"You should still specialise in Spatial-Temporal Ninjutsu and Wind Release Ninjutsu. With your talent, learning Earth Release nature transformation would take two to three years!" Satoru patted his shoulder, advising him not to overthink it.
He once again marvelled at Danzo's truly strong foundation. He had every kind of Jutsu. However, he still didn't know what Jutsu the other person used. But it didn't matter, as long as he didn't bother him, otherwise he would let him see his power.
...
Under the silent rain.
"According to Hokage-sama's intelligence, he previously sent three elite squads to infiltrate the Land of Rain, but all returned without success. It can only be inferred that the inside is probably covered with a barrier of Perception Ninja, so we cannot infiltrate in the normal way, or make too much noise."
Satoru began to review the intelligence. The other three nodded.
"The Land of Grass, the Land of Birds, and the Land of Rivers were the infiltration directions of the teams sent by Hokage-sama. Therefore, it can be confirmed that no matter which direction we infiltrate from, we are likely to be discovered by the enemy, including our Land of Fire, as well as the borders of the Land of Wind and the Land of Earth."
This was easy to analyse. The three small countries and three large countries triangularly surrounded the Land of Rain. Since all directions failed, it meant that the directions from the three large countries would also not succeed. From this point, it could be seen that the enemy's perception ability was very strong.
The Land of Rain was surrounded by six countries and had a very small territory. If it weren't for its strategic location and environmental issues requiring a buffer, it would have long ceased to exist.
Satoru knew about Nagato's Rain Tiger at Will Technique, but he still needed to analyse it with his teammates. Otherwise, how would he explain how he knew the intelligence when he rarely left home? Satoru felt both disdain and envy for such Chakra-wasting behaviour. Disdain because it was too wasteful, envy because he had the Chakra to waste. Ninjutsu spread throughout the Land of Rain! If he had that much Chakra, he might be able to say he wouldn't eat beef anymore.
Ibara Keisen asked, "Then how are we going to infiltrate?" This was the crucial question. The elite intelligence squads sent by the Third Hokage hadn't succeeded; how were they supposed to?
Satoru looked at his two teammates who specialised in assassination.
Toriko shook his head. "No, besides Hokage-sama, Danzo-sama also sent teams, all of which failed." If infiltration were possible, there would be no need for Satoru.
"Is that so? A direct assault won't work either; that would cause a significant chain reaction. If other countries become sensitive, the Fourth Shinobi World War might break out again." Satoru regretted. It seemed Danzo's subordinates didn't have many truly elite intelligence personnel! If that travelling shrine maiden were still in Root, perhaps he wouldn't be needed.
Satoru had read many Ninja's memories and knew that there were countless secret techniques in the Ninja World; those in the sealing scroll were only a small part. Many secret techniques could bypass perception, tracking, and other methods. Since the travelling shrine maiden could travel between countries and obtain intelligence that satisfied Danzo, infiltrating the Land of Rain should not be a problem. It's just that she should be the director of an orphanage now, or she may have already failed.