Chapter 356: Mission
A few days later.
Hokage's Office.
"Lady Tsunade, an urgent letter from the Sand Village!" An Anbu walked in hurriedly and handed a letter to the Fifth Hokage.
"Oh?" Tsunade took the letter, already having a guess in her mind.
"As expected, that kid with the dark circles has become the Fifth Kazekage..."
Tsunade put down the letter and pondered for a moment.
"Yamato, please go and call Haruno Sakura and Uchiha Sasuke," she said aloud.
Before long, a confused girl and boy were led in by Yamato.
"Master, what do you need us for?" Sakura asked as soon as she entered the door.
Team Haruno Sakura's training was in full swing. She was just watching Hinata instruct the three students!
Then she was dragged away directly, walking all the way to the Hokage's office, still feeling a little dazed.
Did something big happen recently?
Tsunade looked at her confused little eyes and explained with a smile, "The inauguration ceremony of the Fifth Kazekage will start in a few days. I have a mission here. You two represent Konoha Village to attend that ceremony!"
"Why us?" Sasuke walked out from behind the girl and said faintly.
"Because currently in the village, you two have the closest personal relationship with the new Kazekage..." She looked at the thoughtful expressions of the two and continued, "The new Kazekage is Gaara."
"It really is him."
Sasuke and Sakura looked at each other. To be honest, his relationship with Gaara was average, but Naruto and Sakura had a good relationship with him, so he was also counted as Gaara's friend.
"Does Team Haruno Sakura have to go too?" The girl frowned slightly and said, "They are about to take the Chunin Exams and are currently undergoing intensive special training. Taking a mission outside the village at this time is a bit inappropriate, right?"
"Didn't you find Hinata to spar with them?" Tsunade twirled the pencil in her hand and said, "Just let them stay in the village to cultivate. It won't delay them."
"If it really doesn't work, let Hinata help you lead the team for a few days. She has no Anbu missions recently and happens to be on vacation."
"Alright, then I'll take this mission..." Sakura bit her lip, thought for a moment, and nodded in agreement. "Is the content just attending Gaara's inauguration ceremony?"
"And the invitation letter for the Chunin Exams, give it to them as well. Today, the Sand finally can send out an official Kazekage." Tsunade fished out two letters from the table and threw them to Haruno Sakura. "The other letter... is an invitation letter for the Chunin Exams to the Land of Waterfalls. Don't mix them up."
"Do we have to deliver the invitation letter for a small country too?" Sakura frowned and said a little impatiently.
For such an unimportant task, sending two Anbu elites like them, isn't it a bit of overkill? She had no interest in wasting time on low-level missions.
"Yes. This is because..." Tsunade lowered her head slightly, her sharp eyes looked at Haruno Sakura, and said in a deep voice, "The Seven-Tails is very likely in their hands."
"What?" Sakura was suddenly startled. A small country can also possess a Jinchuriki?
Isn't this thing the nuclear weapon of the Naruto world? She thought Tailed Beasts were the patent of big countries!
It was as shocking as a certain small country in her previous life also possessing a hydrogen bomb.
Tsunade nodded solemnly.
"We suspect them also because we recently found traces of the Akatsuki there..." She said slowly. "This village is very suspicious, so, taking the opportunity of delivering the invitation letter, I hope you can confirm it!"
"Confirm it..." Sasuke narrowed his eyes slightly. "Lord Hokage, to what extent should we go?"
The Fifth Hokage was slightly stunned, seemingly seeing some dangerous tendency in Sasuke's eyes. "Ahem," Tsunade cleared her throat, her eyes flickered a few times, and said, "Sasuke, don't get the wrong idea... As a responsible major country, our Konoha cannot bully weak countries casually, nor can we use Sharingan genjutsu on ninja of small ninja villages without reason..."
It was a crucial moment for forming a closer alliance with the Mist and Sand. If rumors of oppressing neighboring small countries broke out, it would not be a good thing. From a deeper perspective, Jiraiya explored peace all his life, and influenced by him, Tsunade also intended to build Konoha into a ninja village pursuing peace; moreover, Konoha occupied a good location and had little interest in invading the surrounding backwaters. As an object often envied, jealous, hated, and focused on, they hoped that other villages wouldn't target Konoha...
However, Tsunade's words were quite stiff.
Even in the world of her previous life, there were cases of launching wars against small countries for "washing powder" (referencing Colin Powell's UN presentation)... let alone the ninja world which had just emerged from the chaotic Warring States Period and the ninja village system had only developed for sixty years?
Big countries relying on their powerful military force to oppress small countries and treat neighbors as enemies was commonplace in any world.
It's just that in that world, launching a war at least needed an excuse; while in this world, everything seemed more direct and brutal!
Tsunade's declaration of not bullying small countries was probably rarer than dinosaurs in the ninja world...
Sasuke looked a bit puzzled, feeling that he couldn't keep up with the Hokage's train of thought.
"That's right," Haruno Sakura figured this out, smiled awkwardly, patted Sasuke on the shoulder, and said, "Our Konoha is a peaceful and friendly major country! As Konoha ninja, we must treat surrounding small countries with courtesy and restraint..."
She should say that she hadn't heard or seen such words for a long time, so when she spoke, her expression wasn't in place, and her sincerity couldn't be seen at all...
Peaceful and friendly, courtesy and restraint, do these words have anything to do with ninja? Sasuke immediately looked at her with suspicious eyes.
Unexpectedly, Tsunade liked hearing these two phrases very much: "Yes, peaceful and friendly, courtesy and restraint! Hn, it should be like this!"
Agreeing with such words? If the other party wasn't the current Hokage, Sasuke's gaze would probably be like looking at a mentally retarded person with care.
Come to think of it, in the ninja world, as the leader of a major country caring about the feelings of ninja from small countries, isn't this exactly the behavior of a mentally retarded person! Except for the First Hokage, that pervert who could crush the rest of the ninja world countries alone, who else could do this?
But Tsunade had her intentions for saying this.
Haruno Sakura looked at him and knew that Sasuke completely misunderstood Tsunade's meaning, so she explained: "If we shout for peace while treating neighboring countries as objects to be bullied at will, then what is this?"
Tsunade adopted a conciliatory approach hoping for peace in the surrounding areas and reducing unstable factors, which was more from the consideration of Konoha's interests.
Haruno Sakura herself could better understand the feeling of a weak country being bullied by a strong country... Putting herself in their shoes, if it wasn't unrealistic, she sincerely hoped that everyone could live in peace.
The girl also hoped that the world could be peaceful. The ninja world fought a world war every dozen years or so, and once it started, it lasted for several years. No one liked such days! Her friends were all ninja. Once a war broke out, they would all go to the battlefield, and sacrifice was absolutely unavoidable. Haruno Sakura didn't want to hear the news of her friends' death every now and then!
However, calling for peace while sowing hatred oneself was a bit hypocritical.
Having said that, Haruno Sakura trained so hard, besides hoping to protect herself and her family and friends, occasionally dreamed of having strength superior to the entire ninja world like the First Hokage, and then deterring the whole world so that no one dared to start a war.
For a ninja to reach that level was almost the limit most people could imagine.
Of course, Sakura dared to think higher, such as the stars and the sea or something. In terms of daydreaming, having read online novels for many years, she dared to call herself invincible in the ninja world... But thinking too much about ethereal things was aiming too high.
"Respecting the surrounding small countries as much as possible without harming the interests of our village is the example Konoha should set to lead everyone to cooperate and fight against the Akatsuki together." Tsunade nodded and said solemnly, "Konoha is not afraid of war, but it should not become the source of war, or the ninja village that provokes war."
"Alright," Sasuke thought for a moment, lowered his head and said, "I'll try my best..."
"Of course, I mean try not to use overly brutal methods," Tsunade added. "In case effective intelligence cannot be obtained, your Sharingan genjutsu is still the last insurance. Use it when necessary. This is one of the reasons why I sent you and Sakura off together."
The blonde woman said earnestly, "Sasuke, when you return from this mission, you should be promoted to Jonin. Jonin are the pillars of the village, so from now on, you must learn to take responsibility!"
"I understand." Sasuke nodded solemnly.
"Sending you two out is also because I intend to reorganize Team 7..." The Hokage smiled. "With the current situation in the ninja world, the village needs an elite combat team like you plus Naruto!"
"By the way, speaking of him," Tsunade rubbed her temples with a headache, "Sakura, don't send him clothes next time. The technology of micro-scrolls is not stable yet. The jutsu formula was damaged when the ninja hawk delivered it before, resulting in it having to carry more than ten pounds of clothes for several days, almost dying of exhaustion on the way!"
"Sorry, sorry..." The pink-haired girl scratched the back of her head and smiled awkwardly. "It won't happen next time!"
The Fifth Hokage shook her head, unable to look at her disciple who always caused various small problems, and finally said, "In short, Naruto will return to the village in half an year. Before that, you two should regain some tacit understanding!"
"Hurry up, set off tomorrow, go to the Sand Village first, and investigate the situation in the Waterfall Village on the way back, understood?"
"Yes, Lord Hokage!"
Haruno Sakura and Sasuke looked at each other and nodded.
Afternoon, Training Ground Nine.
"That's the situation. Unfortunately, I can't accompany you these few days."
Haruno Sakura explained to Konohamaru and the others with some apology on her face.
"However, I have already arranged your training plan. If there is anything you don't understand, just ask Sister Hinata!" She said, putting her arm around the white-eyed girl beside her.
"What! Sensei abandoned us again!" Konohamaru shouted with an unhappy face.
"I told you, I have a mission to execute... I can't accompany you," the girl bent down and rubbed Konohamaru's hair. The latter turned his head away, and his arrogant little expression made her laugh instantly. "Forgive Sensei!"
"Hmph! Forget it, anyway, Sister Hinata is also very powerful!" Konohamaru pouted and said.
"It's best if you can think like this." Sakura stood up and said to her three subordinates, "In short, when I'm away, you must also train hard! When I come back, if I find anyone slacking off, just wait for my hell training!"
After a slap, she gave a sweet date. The girl said again, "If you perform well, how about I ask your Sasuke-niichan to introduce the Ninja Cat clan to you as a reward? You can even learn the Combination Transformation!"
The Ninja Cat clan currently only had Sasuke as a contractor. Considering that a huge population without human contractors was not conducive to the development of the cat clan, they were now actively exploring more contractors. The three subordinates of Team Haruno Sakura should be good candidates.
"Hmph, I want to inherit the summoning jutsu of the powerful Monkey King Enma clan under my grandfather. I don't need ninja cats!" Konohamaru dismissed this.
But Udon was full of interest: "Okay! That's great, I can also have a summoning beast!"
As a civilian ninja, having a ninja cat as a summoning beast was also very good. Most ninja could only fight alone!
Moegi was also excited: "After I transform with the ninja cat, can I also grow cat ears and be as cute as Sasuke-niichan?"
"Uh?"
Moegi, your focus... is a bit strange!
"Probably cuter than him..." Haruno Sakura laughed dryly.
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