Extreme Reconnaissance Mission

Although he had already guessed the problem, Shuichi's expression remained unchanged as he tentatively asked, "So you specifically sought me out for...?"

"I hope you go to Sunagakure and see if you can bring out some intelligence," the Third Hokage added. "This situation is special. In the past, Konoha could only wait patiently because there was no suitable candidate, which put us in a very passive position. But now it's different."

"The person capable of completing this mission must first be of a young age, ideally a child. At the same time, they must possess exceptional Ninjutsu skills, a calm and agile mind, strong mental fortitude, and impeccable intelligence gathering abilities." Sarutobi Hiruzen paused. "In my mind, such a ninja shouldn't exist, but when I thought of you, I realized you are the perfect candidate."

"?" Shuichi almost cried after hearing this. Why was the Third Hokage coming out with such a strong Japanese anime-style praise? It was the same formula as later praising a guy who had the Hokage Thinking at the age of 7.

"Um... could you let me see the mission information first?"

Without wasting words, the Third Hokage handed him all the information he had compiled, including the methods Konoha could currently use.

After reviewing all the intelligence, Shuichi breathed a sigh of relief. It turned out that he wasn't being sent straight to Sunagakure alone; Konoha still had some methods available, but the conditions were quite demanding, and ordinary ninjas couldn't accomplish them.

But after realizing what had happened, he wanted to slap himself. "I should never have learned the Super Beast Imitation Drawing technique. I've fucking walked right into the Third Hokage's line of fire."

Originally, his intelligence gathering and reconnaissance abilities were not outstanding, but now that he has the Super Beast Imitation Drawing, he can be said to have become a true all-around ninja. It is not surprising that the Third Hokage thought of sending him to carry out this mission.

"I discussed this with several Council Elders, and they suggested sending more ninjas to Sunagakure for reconnaissance. I temporarily rejected that idea because I thought you might have the opportunity to smuggle out information from Sunagakure, thus avoiding the possibility of a large number of ninja sacrifices." The Third Hokage said solemnly, "What is your opinion?"

This mission was not actually life-threatening for Shuichi, because he could fly and teleport, which was also a consideration for the Third Hokage when he chose him.

"Hmm..." Thinking that the Third Shinobi War was about to begin, and that he already knew about the Third Kazekage's disappearance, Shuichi said, "I can go, but when I come back, I want a Jonin spot. I believe my strength has reached Jonin level. What do you think?"

The Third Hokage pondered for a moment, "Jonin's unlikely you'll become a Jonin. Even if you're strong enough, the appearance of a 10-year-old Jonin might change the minds of others, and it's uncertain whether we'll obtain any useful information this time."

"Alright, if the information you bring back is highly valuable, I'll make an exception and give you Special Jonin spot with expertise in intelligence."

"Okay, it's a deal."

Shuichi carefully put away all the materials. At the same time, the Third Hokage also handed him a special code book and told him that the mission should not take too long. His secret operation was to be handled by the Third Hokage alone, and only two and a half people in the entire Konoha, including Orochimaru, knew about it.

Upon returning home, Shuichi began packing his gear for the trip. He abandoned most of his ninja tools, only bringing Steel Wire and Soldier Pill. Chunin vest wasn't very convenient, he used rope to tie the Scroll close to his body, dressed in comfortable and lightweight clothes, and even swapped his ninja shoes for flip-flops.

After reading and memorizing the mission documents, he took out a new Scroll and, while referring to the contents of the codebook, used the ink from the Super Beast Imitation Drawing to write various characters on the Scroll. Finally, he put it on his person and stored it away.

After all preparations were completed, Shuichi left home lightly. Instead of passing through the gates of Konoha, he left the village via a special passage arranged by the Third Hokage Anbu, wandering through the forests of the Land of Fire like a ghost in the darkness.

Sengoku City in the Land of Wind is a town-like city with low walls and spacious surroundings. It is located between the Daimyo's residence and Sunagakure in the Daimyo of the Land of Wind, and is also the most important transit point for supplies.

Not far from the city lies the largest oasis within a hundred miles, so although the houses in this city are as simple as those in other cities of the Land of Wind, its liveliness is by no means lacking.

On the dusty streets, people from the Land of Wind, their headscarves wrapped around their necks, walked back and forth. But the majority of people there were workers carrying supplies, as they were responsible for supplying resources to both Sunagakure and the capital city, two important areas.

Mitsui was a dark-skinned, strong porter. He was taciturn but worked exceptionally well, which earned him the appreciation of the shop owner, and he quickly became a junior manager in the transport team.

The shop where he worked had a very spacious storefront, and all sorts of boxes and barrels were piled up like mountains in the warehouse, which was a clear indication that the shop was very powerful.

"Mitsui -senpai, what's gotten into Sunagakure? Why are they so strict with even our supply delivery teams lately?" A young man who was tired from work and had nothing to do quietly asked him.

"I don't know. We shouldn't ask about things that aren't our business," Mitsui said expressionlessly.

"Ugh, but I still get so angry thinking about that Sunagakure manager from last time. We worked so hard to move all the supplies, not a single one was missing. He must have ordered someone to steal them and then pinned the blame on us. I never expected the Sunagakure to be like this..."

"Alright," Mitsui interrupted the young man's complaints, "Let's not discuss the affairs of Sunagakure, lest we get ourselves into trouble. Let's hurry up and prepare tomorrow's goods."

After a busy day, he walked wearily into his home. It was just a very narrow mud house, where nothing could be hidden from view.

Earth Flow the center and lit the Oil Lamp. The moment the light came on, Mitsui was startled.

[Under the tree, soup and sashimi......]

This was a line of black text, ending with "Close the door and speak softly."

"Has he arrived?" His expression calmed down. This was the pre-arranged signal for his cooperation in the operation. He had waited so long for this day to finally come.

After turning around and closing the door, he saw a figure of medium build standing in front of the Oil Lamp as soon as he looked back. Although he was mentally prepared, he was still startled, but fortunately he didn't make a sound.

Upon closer inspection, the newcomer was unremarkable in appearance, with a rather stiff face, and was staring at him without saying a word.

Fortunately, he knew these were ninjas, so he wasn't surprised by any methods they might use. "Sir, I can cooperate with your mission, but could you perhaps allow me to..."

The person opposite him handed him two photos, which Mitsui immediately looked at. The photos showed a kind-looking middle-aged woman holding a girl of about five years old. Both of them were smiling, and although they were dressed simply, they looked full of energy. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw this.

"You're lucky. After you help me complete this mission, you can find a chance to go back and see your wife and daughter." The ninja in front of him spoke calmly.

"My lord, how can I help you?"

"Tell me the address of your shop, what's in each storage box delivered to Sunagakure, their serial numbers, and finally, the departure time of the team..."

In the early hours of the morning, Sengoku City was shrouded in darkness, with only the lights of a few night patrolmen visible. However, to be careless because of this would come at a heavy price.

"One, two, three..." Shuichi crouched against the wall in a corner, quietly sensing how many ninjas were on guard in the shadows of the streets.

He arrived at this important city in the Land of Wind at an extremely fast pace. He was also very lucky; after contacting the undercover agents he had developed with the Anbu, he would have an excellent opportunity to enter Sunagakure the next day. These agents were all ordinary people, which is why there was a chance for him to infiltrate.

According to his estimation, with the Third Kazekage missing, Sunagakure would definitely conduct a thorough investigation and surveillance of its ninjas, detaining any suspicious individuals. This is why the Dark Operatives infiltrated by Konoha were unable to transmit intelligence.

Logically speaking, gathering information about ninjas is most effective when done by ninjas who have infiltrated the ranks.

However, the consequences of the Third Kazekage's disappearance were completely unexpected by Konoha. Sunagakure estimated that they would rather kill the innocent than let the guilty go free, and thus the ordinary villagers presented an opportunity.

The reason the Third Hokage chose Shuichi to carry out this mission was because Konoha only had one ordinary informant planted within Sunagakure, meaning the chance of success might only be once.

In Konoha, only Jiraiya, Orochimaru, Shuichi, Namikaze Minato can guarantee success. In times of crisis, they can instantly transmit information back to the village through Summoning Contract. In addition, Shuichi a child who is proficient in the Super Beast Imitation Drawing technique and is very meticulous, making him a perfect candidate.