Sarutobi Shinnosuke. Hatake Sakumo.
Tsk, tsk, tsk... what a generous lineup.
One was the Deputy Commander of the ANBU, the eldest son of Hiruzen Sarutobi, a shinobi with balanced, all-around ability. Ninjutsu, taijutsu, genjutsu—he was proficient in all of them, and could even use all five basic nature transformations. In terms of style, he was basically a toned-down version of Hiruzen himself.
His strength was above that of an ordinary elite jōnin, only a step below the Kage tier.
The other was Hatake Sakumo, an ANBU captain with terrifying swordsmanship and astonishing speed. He specialized in assassination and surprise attacks, and his combat power had already reached the Kage level.
With those two added to the team alongside Kizaru...
This was practically a squad built to tear a nation apart.
Looks like sensei really is angry this time.
Kizaru set down the list in his hand, sat casually on the desk, looked at Hiruzen Sarutobi, who was quietly smoking, and smiled.
"How touching, sensei~"
Hiruzen silently exhaled a cloud of smoke, then looked at the disciple he was most proud of.
"Don't let Danzō's opinion of me mislead you," Hiruzen said, taking the chance to instruct him. "As Hokage, you must stand at the highest point and look at the whole situation."
"Being Hokage really sounds troublesome~" Kizaru complained lazily.
"Hahaha!" Hiruzen laughed. "Those troubles will belong to you someday."
"Sensei, I hope you live a long life and stay Hokage until the day you die," Kizaru said with a grin, sounding half-joking and half-serious.
"What an excessive thing to wish for," Hiruzen said, shaking his head with a helpless smile.
Then he set down the pipe in his hand, and the look on his face turned serious.
"The most important rule of this mission is your safety," Hiruzen said solemnly. "You are to follow Shinnosuke's command and must not act recklessly."
"I can fly, you know~" Kizaru replied with a smile.
"..."
Hiruzen fell silent for a moment.
That answer really was hard to argue with.
After a brief pause, Hiruzen simply continued, "Go on. Shinnosuke is waiting for you downstairs."
"See you later, dear sensei~"
Kizaru waved as he spoke, then got up and left the Hokage's office.
After coming downstairs and reaching the first floor of the Hokage Building, Kizaru immediately spotted Sarutobi Shinnosuke, dressed in ANBU gear and wearing a monkey mask.
"Long time no see, Shinnosuke-niisan~" Kizaru greeted him with an easy smile as he walked over.
Shinnosuke gave a small nod.
"Let's go. Sakumo is already waiting for us."
With that, he wasted no time and led Kizaru straight toward the ANBU training grounds.
By the time the two of them arrived, Hatake Sakumo was already there.
Seeing Kizaru—the same Kizaru who had defeated him just last month—Sakumo still took the initiative to greet him first, calm and composed as ever.
The three of them already had a good relationship, so after a brief exchange, they went straight into discussing the mission without any unnecessary small talk.
This mission had been arranged by Hiruzen and Danzō in response to Kumogakure sending assassins after Kizaru twice in a row.
Its core objective was simple:
Strike back at Kumogakure.
And do it while ensuring their own safety and leaving behind no evidence Konoha could be tied to.
To put it even more directly...
The purpose of this mission was destruction.
Destroy as much as possible. Inflict the greatest amount of pain possible on Kumogakure in a single blow.
After briefly laying out the spirit of the mission, Shinnosuke unfolded a map of the Land of Lightning and pointed to the area near the border closest to the Land of Fire.
"I've prepared two plans for this mission," he said. "I'll explain the first one first."
Kizaru and Sakumo both focused on the map and listened seriously.
"The first plan is the safer option," Shinnosuke began. "We depart through the Land of Hot Water, enter the Land of Lightning by sea, then attack the Kumogakure strongholds deployed near the border.
"We destroy as many of those positions as possible before Kumogakure can fully respond, then withdraw through the Land of Frost and return to the village."
As he finished, Shinnosuke added, "This plan is safer, but the damage we inflict on Kumogakure will be limited."
Not very impressed, Kizaru spoke right away.
"Tell me about the second one, Shinnosuke-niisan~"
Shinnosuke nodded. He had clearly expected that reaction.
"The second plan is much more dangerous," he said, "but if it succeeds, the results will be far greater."
He pointed at the map again.
"Just like the first plan, we enter the Land of Lightning through the Land of Hot Water. But after crossing the border, we split up.
"Sakumo and I will attack Kumogakure's border strongholds and draw their attention, luring out their main forces.
"If they take the bait, then Kizaru can use his speed to bypass everything, infiltrate Kumogakure itself, and launch a surprise raid inside the village."
The moment he heard that, Kizaru's eyes lit up.
Now that sounded interesting.
"But the biggest variable," Shinnosuke continued, "is whether the Third Raikage leaves the village. If he doesn't take the bait, then Kizaru will be in an extremely dangerous position once he enters Kumogakure alone."
"The Third Raikage, huh..." Kizaru sighed. "I've heard he's scary enough to be called a monster."
Then he smiled.
"If I could kill him, that would be pretty interesting~"
"Kizaru." Shinnosuke's tone sharpened at once. "Don't underestimate the enemy. The Kage of every village is not someone you can treat lightly."
"How about I handle the raid on Kumogakure instead?" Sakumo offered suddenly, clearly concerned about his teammate's safety.
"Kizaru is better suited for it," Shinnosuke said at once, already prepared for that suggestion. "He can move at extreme speed and cause large-scale destruction in a short amount of time. In terms of the mission itself, he's the best choice."
"Leave it to me~" Kizaru said, this time in a surprisingly serious tone.
Seeing that, Sakumo did not argue further.
"If we go with the second plan," Shinnosuke said, fixing Kizaru with a firm stare, "then I need your word on one thing. If it's confirmed that the Third Raikage is still in the village, you are not to engage him. You leave immediately. No hesitation."
"Understood," Kizaru answered directly.
This was a mission, and when it came to serious matters, he did not joke around.
Satisfied, Shinnosuke nodded, rolled up the map, and rose to his feet.
"Then go back and prepare. We gather at the village gate tomorrow morning at eight."
"Understood."
"Understood."
Kizaru and Sakumo stood as well and answered in unison.
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