"Hmm?"
Ren looked over at the sound and then said with some pleasant surprise, "Choumei Uncle!"
That's right, it was Nara Choumei. At this moment, he was wearing a Konoha Jonin vest, holding a scroll in his hand, and standing in front of a huge map, looking in their direction.
"Alright, you two can catch up later. Let's talk about business first."
Lord Jiraiya, sitting in the main seat, had shed his usual lewd image. Dressed in iron armour and with a serious expression, he spoke to the two with a helpless tone.
"My apologies, Lord Jiraiya."
"My apologies."
Nara Choumei quickly apologised, while Ren scratched his head sheepishly, then stood to the side to observe.
"You've worked hard on your journey, Hizashi. I'm relieved that Sakumo Senior sent you, hahaha."
Jiraiya shifted his gaze to Hyuga Hizashi, his eyes softening slightly as he spoke with a laugh.
"Lord Jiraiya, you flatter me. These are what Lord Sakumo and Lady Tsunade personally asked me to deliver to you. Please take a look."
Hyuga Hizashi said as he pulled a scroll from his embrace and handed it to Jiraiya. Then he quietly stood with Shibi Aburame, hands at his sides.
"Good, I understand. Shibi, take Hizashi to rest. Also, quickly arrange accommodation for these Medical Ninjas who have arrived as reinforcements."
"Yes."
Shibi Aburame nodded, turned, and motioned for Hizashi to follow. Hyuga Hizashi waved to Ren before turning and following Shibi Aburame to rest.
After a brief rest, they still had to rush back to the Sand village Battlefield. After all, Konoha had fewer Ninja there, and the pressure was high. If they left for too long, it might affect the battle situation.
"Oh, by the way, Tsunade sent me a message from over there. Kid, your strength is quite impressive. I can hear your great name even from here."
Jiraiya looked at Ren, a smile playing on his lips, speaking with a hint of teasing.
"Oh, come on, a Sannin like you shouldn't tease me, Lord Jiraiya. Which department are you planning to assign me to?"
Ren spread his hands, looking at Jiraiya with some anticipation. What he would do for the next period depended on how the Commander arranged things.
"Hmm…"
Jiraiya lowered his head in contemplation for a long time, scrutinising Ren with a strange gaze. It made Ren feel uncomfortable all over.
"Logically, I should assign you to the Logistics Medical Department, but your strength would be wasted there."
Jiraiya paused, then continued.
"But it seems unsuitable to put you in any established combat squad. A reconnaissance squad definitely won't work, nor will an assassination squad… As for the Sealing Jutsu squad, you don't know Sealing Jutsu either…"
…
"Um, Lord Jiraiya, how about I just stay by your side as a guard? Directly under your command. Anyway, it's not really suitable for me to join any squad, don't you agree?"
Ren wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. What a joke! Those squads have already formed their own combat systems through training. What would he be doing there, unfamiliar with the people and the place? It would be better to follow Jiraiya and charge into battle more freely.
"Hmm? That seems to be true. Then it's decided."
Jiraiya's eyes lit up when he heard Ren's words, and he immediately made the decision.
"Jiraiya Sensei, I'm here."
Just then, a gentle voice came from behind. Ren turned around and met the eyes of the newcomer.
"Ren?"
"Minato Big Brother?"
The newcomer was Minato Namikaze. At this moment, he also looked at Ren with a slight surprise, clearly not expecting to see Ren here.
"Minato, you're here. How's the situation?"
Before the two could even talk, Jiraiya, seeing Minato Namikaze, immediately asked with some urgency. Minato Namikaze nodded to Ren, then walked to stand in front of the others and said in a deep voice.
"Jiraiya Sensei, the intelligence is true. Iwagakure indeed deployed a Jinchuriki."
"A Jinchuriki?!"
Upon hearing this news, everyone's expressions changed, and Jiraiya's face became even uglier. He cursed under his breath.
"Damn it!"
It is well known that the Ninja World has nine powerful Chakra beasts, also known as Tailed Beasts, from one to nine, each controlled by one of the Five Great Nations.
Due to their immense power, Tailed Beasts are exploited and fought over by humans. To gain control of the Tailed Beasts' power, the Great Nations seal them into suitable human bodies using Sealing Jutsu, serving as vessels for the Tailed Beasts.
These are Jinchuriki, often ostracised by their comrades, families, and the Village. They are not only the military power of a country and Village but also a symbol of disaster.
"The good news is, Iwagakure only dispatched one Jinchuriki. Currently, it's still unknown who it is."
"Phew…"
Everyone collectively breathed a sigh of relief. Jiraiya looked at his disciple with a black expression, saying helplessly,
"Minato, next time, can you just say everything at once? Are you trying to scare your sensei to death so you can inherit my Icha Icha Paradise?"
"Uh, my apologies, Jiraiya Sensei."
Minato said sheepishly. He had intended to say everything at once, but after saying half of it and about to take a breath, his sensei interrupted him.
"These bastards from Iwagakure, they've only been fighting for so long and they've already deployed a Tailed Beast."
Jiraiya paced back and forth in front of the sand table, constantly thinking of countermeasures. Nara Choumei's gaze also moved continuously across the sand table, wondering what he was thinking.
"Choumei, send a message to the Village, request another batch of Sealing Jutsu squad members to be dispatched. Our sealing team here is so small; they can set up a barrier, but as for sealing a Tailed Beast, they wouldn't last five minutes before being wiped out."
"Okay."
Jiraiya suddenly turned to Nara Choumei and issued a long string of commands without hesitation.
Nara Choumei nodded after regaining his composure, took out a blank scroll, and began to record.
"You've worked hard, Minato. Go and get some good rest. I'm giving you half a day off. Once the war truly begins, there might be no time to rest."
"Yes, Jiraiya Sensei."
Jiraiya nodded, then turned to look at Ren again.
"Ren, you too. I'm giving you half a day off. Report to me tomorrow morning."
After speaking, Jiraiya waved his hand, signalling to the two.
"You two may leave."
"Yes! X2"
The two exchanged glances, then turned and walked out of the tent side by side, leaving only Nara Choumei quietly writing intelligence and Jiraiya standing in front of the sand table, lost in thought.
"I didn't expect you to come here too, Ren."
After walking out of the tent, Minato patted Ren's shoulder and said with a smile.
"Hehe, just a change of battlefield. The desert over there isn't very friendly to my Water Release. Coming here, at least the environment makes me much more comfortable."
Minato's expression was a bit strange when he heard Ren's reply. After a slight hesitation, he still said,
"Um, Iwagakure's speciality, Earth Release, seems to counter your Water Release even more."
…
"Huh?"