Preparations Before the Offensive

"Are you sure you're okay, sister? You're taking too much of a risk. If something happens to that kid, we'll be in a very difficult position."

Ebizo came out from the inner room.

"This plan is inherently a gamble, with too many uncertainties and extremely high risks. To be honest, I don't agree with letting Rasa participate in this operation. He's very talented, no, he's arguably the most gifted of the next generation. What if..."

"Alright, alright, you're overthinking it. There's no such thing as a perfect solution in this world. You can choke or drown even while eating or drinking. You can't gain anything without giving something in return. Besides, didn't that kid Rasa not refuse? His eyes were full of excitement!"

Chiyo stopped Ebizo from saying anything more.

"... Sigh!! That's all we can do." Ebizo bitterly. This wasn't the first time Chiyo had acted impulsively, and he had prepared himself for failure before even trying to persuade her.

"Lord Sakumo, this... this won't do... this won't do. Before I came, the Lord Hokage entrusted me with taking good care of Katsuki and Nawaki. You're telling me to send them... no, to send Katsuki to scout enemy positions in the Sand Village? Isn't that sending them to their deaths? There's no difference between the two. I won't agree to this."

Dan Katō his hand on the table and stood up abruptly, his high-pitched voice slightly off-key.

He looked very nervous, and his gaze toward Sakumo was full of resistance.

"Ahem, Dan, don't get so agitated. I just wanted to talk to you first." Sakumo coughed lightly, gesturing for Dan Katō to sit back down, and continued, "This is just a hypothesis. The recent movements of the Sand Village are quite concerning. They've dispatched quite a few reconnaissance units, but haven't gotten any decent results..."

"So even if we send Katsuki out, it won't make a difference, right? Even if he has some skills, he's still a newcomer and hasn't received any similar training. I know very well how difficult reconnaissance missions are..."

Unable to resist, Duan stood up again.

Sakumo rubbed his temples in frustration. How come he never realized that Dan was so stubborn?

"Okay! Let's leave this matter aside for now. For the time being, Katsuki and the others will stay with the main force!"

"I apologize for my rudeness, Lord Sakumo."

Only then did Dan belatedly realize how he had repeatedly clashed with Sakumo, and he immediately showed a very ashamed expression.

"Are you finally done? That was so slow."

Tsunade lifted the curtain and strode in, followed by Jiraiya and Orochimaru, as well as four other Jonin. Together with Sakumo and Dan, who had arrived earlier, the nine leaders who truly held power in the camp were gathered together.

"Since everyone's here, I'll get straight to the point." Sakumo looked around at the eight people who were seated.

"You should have seen the report we sent over by now, right? The Sand Ninja have been acting strangely for the past week, launching attacks against our usual pattern and relentlessly pursuing us. They seem to be up to something. However, our reconnaissance units haven't obtained any reliable intelligence, and we're still completely baffled. That's why I've gathered you all here today."

The forces that Konoha has stockpiled in the Land of Rain number nearly three thousand. The number of Jonin is naturally not just the nine of them, but the nine of them are the ones who truly hold power.

While becoming Jonin requires not only strong martial arts skills but also a wide range of abilities, it is a very comprehensive requirement. Jonin can specialize in a particular area of power, but they will never have any weaknesses. Ninjutsu, taijutsu, and genjutsu are the foundation, and in addition, they must have sufficient leadership and analytical skills.

But how should I put it? Every Jonin is a legend, and legendary figures are all very individualistic. There aren't many people who are interested in commanding large armies; there really aren't many.

Ninjas truly prefer fighting themselves rather than commanding others. Sakumo is a prime example of this; he would occasionally leave the camp for a stroll and spar with some enemies.

"Who cares what they're up to? Let's beat them up and send these sand-eating bastards back!" Jiraiya said casually, leaning back in his chair with a lazy air.

"Jiraiya, don't say such stupid things here. I'm ashamed of myself."

Tsunade made a few intimidating overhead punches, then glared fiercely at Jiraiya Tsunade. Because there were many people around, and including Dan and others whom she didn't know very well, she didn't actually continue the fight.

"No, Jiraiya can occasionally offer some useful advice. No matter what the Sand Village is up to, we should just follow our own path honestly and squarely. We have the strength to back us up, so there's no need to compete with them in terms of schemes and tricks. We should just crush them head-on with absolute power."

Orochimaru, unusually, agreed with Jiraiya's opinion.

"Hey, what do you mean by 'occasionally'? Don't make it sound like I just stumbled upon it!"

Jiraiya glared at Orochimaru, muttering complaints under his breath.

"Alright, Jiraiya, shut up."

The fist finally landed, Jiraiya's face was flat against the table. Tsunade blew non-existent dust off the fist, ignoring the bizarre, ghost-like expressions on everyone's faces.

"Ahem, this Jiraiya and Orochimaru's idea. Everyone else, please share your opinions." Sakumo ignored Tsunade and Jiraiya's 'friendly' interaction and sought the opinions of the others.

"Well, I also think that taking the initiative to attack is much better than taking the initiative to defend."

"A probing attack might not be bad."

The remaining Jonin each expressed their opinions, and they were mostly in agreement with no objections.

This is normal, though. The Konoha Ninja are extremely confident now, to a certain extent you could say they're arrogant. They take pride in their title as the strongest of the Five Great Ninja Villages and look down on the ninjas of the other villages.

From the beginning of the meeting, Dan observed the already famous 'Sannin' and quickly concluded that there was not a single weakling among them. Whether it was the seemingly unrestrained Jiraiya, the sinister Orochimaru, or the Princess of Konoha, they all exuded the aura of a strong person and a sense of great power.

"Looks like everyone agrees to attack... Duan, what's your opinion? Why have you been silent since earlier? Do you have any thoughts?"

Sakumo's words drew everyone's attention. Curiosity, scrutiny, and naive conformity all focused on him.

"I agree, and if possible, I would like to join the attacking force," Duan replied calmly.

"If you want to go, I won't stop you. It'll be good for Katsuki and the others to experience the atmosphere of the battlefield," Sakumo replied casually.

"Huh?"