The Aerial Combat Unit was deployed in full force, with Hattori Heizo as the overall commander. Under him were three large teams, each consisting of three squadrons, and each squadron composed of three squads. Minato Namikaze, Shinsuke Sarutobi, and Yukina Shimura served as Hattori Heizo's right-hand individuals, each leading one of the three large teams.Shinsuke Sarutobi and Yukina Shimura were the children of Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzo Shimura, respectively. Their talent was impeccable, and they trained diligently, making their appointments as team leaders seem perfectly reasonable. Although Minato Namikaze came from a civilian background, his outstanding performance was evident to everyone, and as the Hokage's student, his appointment as a team leader was also unsurprising.Hattori Heizo usually paid attention to Minato Namikaze's situation, wondering if this junior disciple would conflict with the ninja clans within the Aerial Combat Unit. Fortunately, Shinsuke Sarutobi and Yukina Shimura were sensible individuals. With these two taking the lead, even if some people below were dissatisfied, they wouldn't dare to voice it openly.This was likely also due to the current small size of the Aerial Combat Unit, with only thirty members. Despite this, managing them wasn't easy for Hattori Heizo, as he was also a student of Masateru Kazemori and, with a junior disciple under him, he couldn't appear to favor his own school members.Regardless, the Aerial Combat Unit's relationships were currently harmonious. They collaborated closely, and the camaraderie among colleagues seemed good. Hattori Heizo felt there wouldn't be any trouble for now, but problems might arise when the unit expanded in the future.However, that would be after this mission was completed. Hattori Heizo understood that this was the Aerial Combat Unit's first major operation; past missions had been minor skirmishes. If this mission could prove the Aerial Combat Unit's success, then future expansion could be considered.Relying on their wind wings, the group soared through the sky unhindered, without needing to traverse any rugged terrain. Their speed was incredibly fast, reaching their destination much quicker than traveling by land.To avoid being noticed by the villagers, the Aerial Combat Unit stopped a certain distance from their destination, with all members descending to the ground. Since they were somewhat dispersed during flight, they regrouped before Hattori Heizo met with the liaison.Hattori Heizo had previously served in the Anbu, so he was very familiar with Anbu members and knew many from the Intelligence Division. They were all people he had fought alongside or collaborated with in the past. This time's liaison was, as expected, someone Hattori Heizo knew."It's been a long time, Hattori-sama," the Anbu and Intelligence Division members who came to meet them saluted Hattori Heizo."Hmm," Hattori Heizo nodded slightly and said, "What's the situation now?""I'll explain it to you."The Intelligence Division member said, then pulled out a map. This map was compiled from investigations, clearly marking the village's size, population distribution, and buildings.While the Jashin cultists might not be weak in direct combat, they were far inferior in counter-reconnaissance. They couldn't compare to Konoha's professionally trained intelligence and Anbu ninjas. They had initially planned to infiltrate the village but refrained due to concerns about alerting the enemy and fears of any special abilities the Jashin cultists might possess.According to the collected intelligence, there were likely over eighty combat-ready Jashin cultists and more than a hundred non-combatant members. In terms of numbers, they undoubtedly far outnumbered the Aerial Combat Unit. Moreover, these Jashin cultists possessed secret medicines that temporarily enhanced their strength.It was said that once ingested, this secret medicine could significantly boost chakra throughout the body, make the body forget pain, and greatly increase combat effectiveness. Furthermore, this secret medicine reportedly had no side effects; after its effects wore off, it would even slightly enhance one's chakra and physique.The Anbu and Intelligence Division had gone to great lengths to gather information about this secret medicine, but they could only ascertain its effects. Its origin remained completely unknown. The Jashin cultists highly valued information about the secret medicine, making it difficult to obtain.Although the Jashin cultists seemed to have superior strength to the Aerial Combat Unit, no one in the Aerial Combat Unit felt afraid. They had personally experienced what high-altitude combat felt like and understood the advantages it offered against ground-based opponents better than anyone.These Jashin cultists were not weak in combat, and there might be a few high-level Jonin among them—though such Jonin would certainly be inferior to Konoha's Jonin, given the disparity in accumulated ninjutsu. Jashin cultists would at most be taijutsu-focused Jonin, with others being Special Jonin—but they posed no significant threat to the Aerial Combat Unit.All thirty members of this Aerial Combat Unit were professionally trained, with even the weakest being at least a mid-level Chunin. With their wind wings, they could contend with Special Jonin. Moreover, the Aerial Combat Unit carried a large number of new combat tools developed by the Research Department. They believed they could completely eliminate these Jashin cultists.Hattori Heizo thoroughly understood some first-hand intelligence, learning that there were several individuals suspected of being immortal. He raised an eyebrow slightly and inquired for more details.However, neither the Anbu nor the Intelligence Division knew much, as the Jashin cultists were essentially kings in that region and hadn't encountered any formidable opponents. The information about immortal Jashin cultists came from rumors heard in the black market among bounty hunters, which provided clues related to the Jashin cultists."Such individuals might be quite elusive; try to avoid direct combat," Hattori Heizo mused. "I think we should adopt a high-altitude strike approach."Minato Namikaze, Shinsuke Sarutobi, and Yukina Shimura all agreed with this suggestion. The Jashin cultists' strength might not be exceptional, but their abilities could be somewhat bizarre. Launching a high-altitude throwing attack without engaging in direct combat was an excellent choice, but—"We need to be careful with the intensity of the airstrike to prevent excessive damage to the site, which could hinder intelligence gathering. The village places great importance on the source of these Jashin cultists' secret medicine. What if we can't find any clues about it?" Minato Namikaze asked.No matter how much the Anbu and Intelligence Division investigated, they couldn't figure out how the secret medicine appeared. They could only confirm that it definitely wasn't produced by the village itself; at most, the Jashin cultists might have refined it, but the original source of the secret medicine was elsewhere."Then it seems we need to be a little 'gentler' with those Jashin cultists," Hattori Heizo glanced at Minato Namikaze, then said to everyone, "Let's plan this out carefully."
