"Lord Hokage, you summoned us. Do you have a mission for us?" Shikamaru respectfully asked Kakashi, who sat in the seat of honor. Besides Shikamaru and Kakashi, Hyuga Neji, Yamanaka Ino, and Akimichi Choji were also present!
They were all the former members of Team 10, along with Hyuga Neji, who was already a jonin!
Kakashi's expression was somewhat grim. It had been mentioned earlier that Ueno Kei and Jiraiya had important matters to research, so they had not been disturbed over the Akatsuki members' incursion this time. Even Tsunade, who was still recovering from her injuries, had not been informed.
It was not a matter of concealing anything. Rather, Kakashi believed that if Konoha had to rely on Jiraiya, Ueno Kei, and Tsunade for everything, then Konoha was truly finished.
For a ninja village and a nation to endure and remain standing, cultivating talent was indispensable. Only with an influx of new blood could the nation and its ninja village grow ever more vibrant.
Thus, in recent years, not only Konoha but also the Cloud Ninja, Sand Ninja, Mist Ninja, and Rock Ninja had all deliberately been training and nurturing the next generation of shinobi.
This was something they had continuously done for decades since their villages were founded.
Konoha had likewise begun gradually entrusting some of its more important missions and positions to the younger generation of shinobi.
"That's right. This mission concerns Akatsuki!" Kakashi told Shikamaru in a low voice, his words carrying unmistakable gravity. Ordinary shinobi were still unaware of Akatsuki's existence. This intelligence was known only among the upper ranks, though Neji, Shikamaru, and the other shinobi regarded as Konoha's next-generation pillars knew relatively well about it.
And they clearly understood Akatsuki's objective as well!
"Did Akatsuki members enter the Land of Fire? Is Naruto