Several days later.
Konoha.
The Hokage's office was silent...
Hiruzen Sarutobi sat in his office chair, his head slightly lowered so that the Hokage's hat obscured his face, hiding his expression. However, the advisors and Jonin present all knew that the Third Hokage was seriously considering the intelligence Sakumo had submitted not long ago.
A squad of rogue ninjas comparable to elite Jonin, capable of unique secret techniques and forbidden techniques...
A mysterious girl comparable to a Kage-level powerhouse, capable of space-time ninjutsu and Magnet Release...
When had such powerful ninjas suddenly appeared in the Shinobi World?
This was not only the confusion in Hiruzen Sarutobi's heart, but also the confusion of the three elder advisors, Danzō Shimura, Homura Mitokado, and Koharu Utatane. Even Konoha's four high-ranking officials were utterly puzzled by this matter, so the elite Jonin present were naturally even more bewildered...
After a long while, Hiruzen Sarutobi slowly raised his head and placed the Hokage's hat on the desk. His gaze fell upon Sakumo, Orochimaru, Jiraiya, Tsunade, Nara Shikaku, Akimichi Torifu, Yamanaka Inoichi, and Kato Dan before he slowly said:
"At present, we have too little information on them. It will be difficult to uncover the force behind them..."
"...And with such extraordinary strength, they will certainly make a move in the future. Therefore, I need you to investigate this matter in secret. The moment you find any clues, report them to the village immediately..."
After Hiruzen Sarutobi finished speaking, he waited for replies from Sakumo and the other elite Jonin. This was why he had gathered the village's elite Jonin here.
"Yes, Lord Hokage!"
Faced with a personal request from the Third Hokage, they naturally would not refuse, answering in unison.
"Good. In that case, split into pairs. Sakumo will serve as the person in charge