Standing amid the rubble, Minato Namikaze asked, still shaken, "Teacher Jiraiya, are you all right? I'm sorry I'm late."
Jiraiya smiled faintly, his tone carrying a measure of openness. "I lost, Iori. You're far stronger than I imagined."
He hadn't used Sage Mode, but he hadn't held back in any other way.
To defeat him in that state meant Uchiha Iori was no weaker than the elite Jonin of the other ninja villages.
"At tomorrow's strategy meeting, I'll recommend you as one of the leaders of the strike force."
"Your performance today was enough to convince the other Jonin. You and Minato will each lead a squad on a mission behind enemy lines. I'll go over the details at the meeting tomorrow."
"Understood. Thank you, Lord Jiraiya."
Uchiha Iori nodded. This was an excellent start; the Minato faction was beginning to accept him as one of their own.
Recommending a newly promoted Jonin to command a strike squad meant taking responsibility for him, too.
After Iori left, Minato Namikaze and Jiraiya began assessing his abilities.
"His Taijutsu is at least Jonin-level, whether you're talking about speed, strength, or reflexes," Minato said thoughtfully.
"Because of his Sharingan, I expect his actual performance in battle is even better." Jiraiya nodded in agreement.
"He only used the Great Fireball for ninjutsu, and my Flame Bullet overwhelmed it in an instant. But judging by its power and range, he's probably mastered the shape transformation of Fire Release chakra."
"He's Jonin-level in ninjutsu, too," Minato added.
"Sharingan Genjutsu is the Uchiha Clan's specialty. Even I fell for it when I let my guard down. Ordinary Jonin wouldn't stand a chance."
"Then there are all the spirit weapons in his secret techniques. Iwagakure would have to send two Jinchuriki or have the Third Tsuchikage, Ōnoki, come in person."
"Otherwise, no one can stop him. He's more than capable of leading a strike force."
"As expected of the Uchiha Clan. It's full of geniuses," Jiraiya said with a sigh.
"Minato, if he were a few years older and had more accomplishments under his belt, and if he joined the Hokage Faction, he'd be qualified to compete for the Fourth Hokage's position."
"Wouldn't that be a good thing? At a time like this, the stronger the village is, the better. And I don't think he could beat me just because he was a few years older. I'll definitely become Hokage."
Minato spoke with confidence. In Konoha, only if he became Hokage could his wife, Kushina Uzumaki, the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, be treated as a person rather than a weapon of war.
He couldn't accept the thought of his wife being treated as expendable and sent to the battlefield one day.
Thinking of this, Minato silently vowed to end the war with Iwagakure as soon as possible. Otherwise, who knew whether the higher-ups would send the Nine-Tails into battle?
He couldn't accept that happening, and he could hardly choose between his beloved and the village. The only thing he could do was prevent the worst from coming to pass.
The next day
The atmosphere in Konoha's strategy tent was tense and heavy.
Jiraiya stood before the map, pointing to several key locations as he said:
"Here's the situation. After Iwagakure's vanguard was routed, the remnants retreated to their base in the Land of Grass. A new wave of troops from Iwagakure has arrived and joined up with them."
"The reinforcements are led by the Third Tsuchikage, Ōnoki, and Han, the Five-Tails Jinchuriki. There are two thousand ninja in all." Jiraiya continued, a trace of concern in his voice.
"With the reinforcements I brought, we now have nearly a thousand people on the front line, but quite a few of them are newly graduated Genin."
"Because the village is fighting on multiple fronts, it's pulled away many of the elite ninja who were supposed to reinforce us. In their place, we've received a large number of Genin."
"The original plan called for around seven hundred reinforcements. Now we have a thousand, but nearly half of them are Genin."
Jiraiya's voice held a note of pain and uncertainty.
"Looks like we'll have to stick to the original plan: the main force will hold the line while elite squads look for chances to sabotage the enemy's supplies. I'll lead one squad, and Iori can lead the other." Minato volunteered.
"Leave it to me." Uchiha Iori stepped forward as well. This was an excellent chance to earn merit and build a reputation. He wouldn't let it pass him by.
Jiraiya nodded and began assigning the teams.
"Minato, you'll take Gaku, Doto, and Hizashi to the east. Iori, you'll take Shibi, Nobuhiko, and Kosuke to the west."
Minato Namikaze, Inuzuka Gaku, and Akimichi Doto were old teammates. They had been assigned together during the last fight against the Kumogakure Ninja.
This time, they would also have Hizashi Hyuga, the head of a branch family in the Hyuga Clan. Their scouting ability would improve greatly.
Although they lacked a medical ninja and thus wouldn't be able to stay in the field as long, it wasn't a major issue.
Iori's team was the strongest Jiraiya could put together at present.
Iori was a powerhouse close to the level of a Kage.
Aburame Shibi belonged to Konoha's insect-user clan. He was strong, and skilled at tracking and hiding.
Maruboshi Kosuke was a student of the Second Hokage. After making a grave mistake, he had chosen to remain a Genin for life, but he was no weaker than an ordinary elite Jonin.
As Iori's teacher and a veteran Jonin, Gekko Nobuhiko could also smooth over any friction that might arise between them.
Jiraiya continued assigning tasks, positioning the Chunin and Jonin at key locations.
At the very least, when Iwagakure attacked, someone had to be able to send word.
The Genin would mainly handle logistics, occasionally taking part in low-intensity combat under the supervision of a Jonin or Chunin.
Jiraiya wasn't a madman. He wouldn't send new recruits into battle unless there was no other choice.
After the meeting, Uchiha Iori went to find his classmates.
"Kaori, Takumi, where have they assigned you?" Iori asked with concern.
"I'm in the Taijutsu unit, and Takumi's in the ninjutsu unit. We're both assigned to the second line of defense." Uzuki Kaori replied. With the battle about to begin, she was feeling uneasy.
Iori took two talismans from his robe and handed one to each of them.
"These are one-use items I made. Each can release a shield once to protect you from a powerful attack."
Iori said this with some reluctance. In the Ninja World, projections couldn't last forever.
He had made the talismans by hand using Chakra Metal, and asked Medea to develop the formulas.
"Iori, are you sure it's okay to give us something this valuable? You should keep them for yourself and give one to our teacher, too."
"Isn't our mission the most dangerous?" Uzuki Kaori asked hesitantly.
She didn't know exactly how much they cost, but if they were cheap, Uchiha Iori would have handed them out already.
"Don't worry. I'm more concerned about the two of you than I am about myself and our teacher."
Iori said firmly. Even the clothes he projected for himself were made of the Holy Shroud, and their defense was no weaker than the talismans'.
Besides, Gekko Nobuhiko had his support and was strong in his own right. He'd be much safer than the two of them.
"All right, don't waste his kindness. If you want to repay him, then survive and grow stronger."
Kurama Takumi said casually, then put away the talisman.
As a member of the declining Kurama Clan, he was more grounded than most. He kept his gratitude in his heart.
"All right, I'll take it. You and our teacher have to come back alive, too!"
Uzuki Kaori hesitated, but in the end, those were the words she managed to say.
"I'm off. I hope we meet again."
Uchiha Iori left without a hint of hesitation. He'd done all he could; there was no point worrying about it any further.