Sarutobi Shinnosuke, Hatake Sakumo!
Tsk, tsk, tsk! What a lineup!
An Anbu deputy commander and Hiruzen Sarutobi's eldest son, he was well-rounded, proficient in all five nature transformations, Taijutsu, and Genjutsu. He was practically a weaker version of Hiruzen Sarutobi.
His strength was also above that of an ordinary Elite Jonin, and only a little short of Kage Level.
The other was an Anbu squad captain, with astonishing swordsmanship and incredible speed. He was proficient in assassination and ambush, and had already reached Kage Level.
Sarutobi Shinnosuke was well-rounded and experienced in combat. He would command the squad and provide all-around support.
Hatake Sakumo, on the other hand, was a specialist to the extreme, the sharpest blade in the village.
With these two elites alongside Kizaru, they made a squad with enough strength to destroy a nation.
It seemed his teacher was truly furious this time!
Setting down the roster, Kizaru sat on the desk and looked down at Hiruzen Sarutobi, who was smoking. A smile appeared on his face.
"That's so touching, Sensei!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi quietly exhaled a cloud of smoke, then looked at his most trusted student and began to speak.
"Don't let Danzo's assessment of me mislead you. As the Hokage of a village, you must take the highest vantage point when considering a problem!" Hiruzen Sarutobi took the opportunity to educate Kizaru.
"So being Hokage is such a pain!" Kizaru grumbled.
"Hahaha!" Hiruzen Sarutobi laughed. "All these headaches will be yours someday."
"Sensei! I'm counting on you to live to a hundred and stay in the Hokage's seat until you pass away," Kizaru joked, making his "prediction."
"That's quite a demand!" Hiruzen Sarutobi laughed and shook his head.
Then Hiruzen Sarutobi put down his pipe, his expression turning serious as he got down to business.
"The top priority for this mission is to ensure your own safety. You must follow Shinnosuke's orders and not act rashly." Worried that Kizaru might get carried away and put himself in danger, Hiruzen Sarutobi gave him a grave warning.
"I can fly!" Kizaru replied with a smile.
You can fly! Good for you!
Kizaru's answer left Hiruzen Sarutobi speechless for a moment.
After a brief silence, Hiruzen Sarutobi continued, "Go on. Shinnosuke is waiting for you downstairs."
"Then goodbye, my dear teacher!" Kizaru said, waving as he got up and left the Hokage Office.
He walked out of the office and down to the first floor of the Hokage Building, where he saw Sarutobi Shinnosuke wearing a monkey-shaped mask.
"It's been a long time, Big Brother Shinnosuke!" Kizaru walked up to Sarutobi Shinnosuke and greeted him with a smile.
Sarutobi Shinnosuke nodded. "Let's go. Sakumo's waiting for us!"
Without wasting any time, Sarutobi Shinnosuke led Kizaru straight to the Anbu training grounds.
By the time the two arrived at the Anbu training grounds, Hatake Sakumo was already waiting there.
Seeing Kizaru, who had defeated him just last month, he stepped forward to greet him. He was a good-natured man.
The three got along well. After a brief greeting, they got straight to discussing how to carry out the mission.
The mission had been planned by Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzo as an armed retaliation against Kumogakure for attempting to assassinate Kizaru twice in a row.
The mission's core objective was to launch a surprise attack on Kumogakure while staying safe and leaving no evidence behind.
Destruction! The primary objective was to wreak as much havoc as possible and make Kumogakure feel the pain in a single strike.
After briefly outlining the mission's objectives, Sarutobi Shinnosuke began explaining his plan.
He unfolded a map of the Land of Lightning and pointed to the border near the Land of Fire.
"For this mission, I've prepared two plans. I'll start with the first."
Kizaru and Hatake Sakumo watched Sarutobi Shinnosuke point at the map, their expressions serious as they waited for him to explain.
"The first plan is relatively safe. We'll set out from the Land of Hot Water, cross the sea, and infiltrate the Land of Lightning. Then we'll attack the outposts Kumogakure has stationed along the border.
"Before Kumogakure can react, we'll destroy as many of their outposts as possible. Then we'll leave through the Land of Frost and return to the village.
"This plan is safer, but the damage we can inflict on Kumogakure will be limited!"
Kizaru wasn't very satisfied with the first plan, so he said, "Tell us about the second one, Big Brother Shinnosuke!"
Sarutobi Shinnosuke nodded. He had already anticipated Kizaru's reaction, and began to explain the second plan.
"The second plan is much more dangerous, but if we succeed, our gains will be enormous!
"First, just like with the first plan, we'll infiltrate the Land of Lightning through the Land of Hot Water.
"But once we enter the Land of Lightning, we'll split up. Sakumo and I will attack Kumogakure's outposts along the border, drawing their attention and luring out their main forces.
"Once they take the bait, Kizaru, you can use your incredible speed to launch a surprise attack on Kumogakure itself and cause widespread destruction!"
Kizaru's eyes lit up when he heard this. He was very interested in Sarutobi Shinnosuke's second plan.
"However, the biggest variable is whether the Third Raikage will leave the village. If we can't draw the Third Raikage out, Kizaru will be in great danger when he attacks the village," Sarutobi Shinnosuke added.
"The Third Raikage, huh? I hear he's a terrifying monster!" Kizaru remarked before adding, "It'd be fun to kill him, wouldn't it?"
Kizaru said this with a confident smile.
"Kizaru, don't underestimate him! The Kage of every village is someone who must not be taken lightly!" Worried that Kizaru might underestimate their enemy, Sarutobi Shinnosuke hurried to caution him.
"How about I attack Kumogakure instead?" Concerned for his comrade's safety, Hatake Sakumo offered to take on the most dangerous task.
"Kizaru has both incredible speed and the ability to cause destruction on a large scale, so he's better suited to attacking Kumogakure," Sarutobi Shinnosuke explained, familiar with Hatake Sakumo's strengths in battle.
"Leave it to me," Kizaru said seriously.
Seeing this, Hatake Sakumo didn't insist.
"If we go with the second plan, Kizaru, I want you to leave immediately if you confirm that the Third Raikage hasn't left the village. Don't get drawn into a fight," Sarutobi Shinnosuke said sternly, looking at Kizaru.
"Understood!" Since this was serious business, Kizaru didn't argue and agreed at once.
Satisfied, Sarutobi Shinnosuke nodded, folded up the map, and stood.
"Everyone, go home and get ready today. We'll meet at the village gate tomorrow morning at eight."
"Understood!"
"Understood!"
Kizaru and Hatake Sakumo stood as well and answered in unison.