Satomi widened her eyes in surprise upon learning that Fūmori Masaki would be going on a mission to the Land of Rice Fields. She understood the danger of this mission and immediately felt displeased. Her displeasure wasn't because Tobirama had assigned Masaki the mission, but because she herself hadn't been assigned to go with him.
Satomi undoubtedly loved Fūmori Masaki. She didn't want to just watch him go on such a dangerous mission alone. She would rather face it alongside him. Therefore, her displeasure stemmed from this very point.
"I want to request Lord Tobirama to rearrange the assignments," Satomi said after a moment of silence.
"Satomi, this was also carefully considered by Lord Tobirama. The fact that he didn't include you means he feels you're not suited for this mission. It won't do any good even if you ask," Fūmori Masaki quickly interjected.
"But—" Before Satomi could finish her sentence, Fūmori Masaki tightly embraced her.
Fūmori Masaki whispered in her ear, "Satomi, I am exceptionally well-suited for this type of mission. Among everyone, my chances of survival are among the highest. Although there is indeed risk, I promise you, I will definitely complete this mission and return safely. So, please wait for me here. I beg of you."
Despite Masaki's words, Satomi was still unwilling to accept it. She pushed herself out of his embrace, looked at him, and said, "But I don't want to wait here, not knowing anything either. Rather than making me worry about you, not knowing if you can really keep your promise and return, why not let me go with you? Even if we truly encounter danger, I can share it with you. If we return, we return together. If we die, we die together!"
Fūmori Masaki couldn't help but feel a headache coming on. Satomi could be quite stubborn on this point. Her pride wouldn't allow her to just stand by and watch. Moreover, she clearly wasn't a woman who was easily persuaded.
Just as Fūmori Masaki was thinking about how to convince Satomi, he heard a snort from the tent entrance. The person lifted the flap and said, "What's going on? You're about to go on a mission, and you still have time to argue here?"
"No, it's not really an argument," Fūmori Masaki said, slightly relieved to see that the person entering was Senju Touka. "It's just that Satomi wants to come with us on this mission."
Senju Touka was slightly taken aback and said to Satomi, "Is that true?"
"Yes, Lady Momoka. Please speak to Lord Tobirama and have me assigned to the team," Satomi nodded.
Senju Touka did not want Satomi to go on this mission. The reason wasn't because she treated Satomi like her own daughter—though that was certainly part of it—the real reason was that while Satomi's skills were good, they simply weren't suited for this type of mission. From the Village's standpoint, even one's own child should step up when needed, but that doesn't mean sending her to an unsuitable place.
"Satomi, your abilities don't meet the requirements for this mission. What we need are people who can move quickly, attack swiftly, and immediately seize the enemy's vital points," Senju Touka shook her head slightly. "If you participated, you would cause trouble for us. Therefore, you cannot go."
"But, Masaki he..." Satomi faltered, her confidence waning.
Senju Touka glanced at Fūmori Masaki, then stepped forward and gently patted Satomi's shoulder, smiling. "Don't worry. Masaki is not weak. His strength is acknowledged by both me and the Second Hokage. You must believe in him. If you're truly worried, I promise you this: I will definitely ensure he returns safely."
Satomi looked up at Senju Touka, who stroked her head and smiled, "Don't you trust me?"
"No, of course I trust you, Lady Momoka," Satomi quickly shook her head.
"Good. Then just wait for this boy to come back," Senju Touka said, turning to give Fūmori Masaki a smile. She then asked if he was ready. Seeing him nod,
she unceremoniously pulled him out of the tent.
"Whew, it's a good thing Lady Momoka was here. Otherwise, I really wouldn't have known how to convince Satomi," Fūmori Masaki let out a sigh and said to Senju Touka.
"That child is just a bit stubborn, but it's not necessarily a bad thing. If it really becomes troublesome, just call me over. I'll mediate for the two of you," Senju Touka said.
"To really make Satomi yield, you still have to call an elder," Fūmori Masaki shrugged. As peers, Satomi wasn't the least bit afraid of him in this regard, so she could argue with him. But in front of an elder, she couldn't be as stubborn.
Senju Touka brought Fūmori Masaki to the assembly point. The others hadn't arrived yet. Seeing Masaki's surprise, Senju Touka said, "Did you think everyone was here and I went to fetch you? I just wanted to talk to Satomi. But seeing how things were, there wasn't much to say, so I brought you straight here."
"Does that mean I've caused you trouble?" Fūmori Masaki asked.
"No, this is partly Satomi's own issue. I should have thought of it earlier. But she's still young; she'll learn what's important later," Senju Touka glanced at Fūmori Masaki. "Speaking of which, when are you two having a child?"
"Huh?" Fūmori Masaki didn't expect Senju Touka to bring this up. "There's no time to think about such things now."
"Really now. I'm looking forward to seeing your child," Senju Touka shook her head. "It would be such a shame if I died before seeing it."
"No, you will definitely see it," Fūmori Masaki said, then immediately felt like he had said something momentous. He covered his mouth and muttered, "It feels like I just said something with a lot of weight."
"Huh?? What was that?" Senju Touka's hearing was excellent; she didn't miss Masaki's mutter.
"Nothing!" Fūmori Masaki quickly brushed it aside, pointing at the others approaching from a distance. "Lady Momoka, they're here."
Senju Touka didn't press the matter. After everyone else arrived, she said, "Good, now that everyone is here, let's set off immediately. Before that, let's do a brief self-introduction. We need to help each other on the mission; how can we do that without knowing each other? Masaki, you go first."
"Me?" Fūmori Masaki pointed at himself.
"Of course. You're the Second Hokage's disciple, so you should set an example," Senju Touka said.
"I understand," Fūmori Masaki said, looking at the six people before him. "My name is Fūmori Masaki. I specialize in high-speed combat primarily using Wind Release Ninjutsu and swordsmanship. My main responsibility will likely be combat. We'll be working together on this mission, so I look forward to your guidance." After speaking, he gave a slight bow to everyone.
The others quickly returned the bow. To be honest, as the Second Hokage's disciple, they had thought he might be difficult to get along with. In the Ninja Village, high-status Ninja clans often looked down on lower-status ones to some degree—especially the Uchiha Clan, who were almost blatant about it. Fortunately, after Uchiha Kagami reformed the clan internally, that attitude had toned down a bit. Although Fūmori Masaki's background wasn't high, he was still the Second Hokage's disciple. No one could guarantee he wouldn't become arrogant after suddenly gaining status. His current humble demeanor gave them a very favorable impression.
"My name is Hyūga Kei. I think everyone probably knows. I'm responsible for reconnaissance, gathering enemy intelligence. Of course, if necessary, I can also serve as a combatant," Hyūga Kei spoke after Fūmori Masaki.
"My name is Inuzuka Shigeru. Like Fūmori-kun, I specialize in high-speed combat with my partner," a tall man said. He had two wild-looking markings on his face, and a Ninken beside him barked. He laughed, "Don't let my build fool you; I'm actually very fast."
"My name is Yamanaka Takuma," a young man said immediately. He looked very intelligent, with a calm gaze. "I specialize in mental Secret Techniques and can assist Hyūga-kun with reconnaissance."
"My name is Sarutobi Kōnosuke. I'm skilled in Fire Release and Earth Release, but I'm not very good at taijutsu. I can use Ninjutsu for long-range support," the next young man said.
Only one person remained. It was a young girl. She bowed to the others and said, "Senju Risa. I specialize in Medical Ninjutsu. I will be responsible for everyone's medical support."
Senju Touka clapped her hands. "Now that everyone is acquainted, let's set off. You can continue getting to know each other on the way."
Thus, the seven of them left the Konoha camp. Following the pre-planned route, while Tobirama led the main force to distract the Land of Lightning, they circled from another side of the Land of Fire towards the Land of Rice Fields to rendezvous with the Iwagakure Ninja forces heading there.