The next day, at Konoha's main gate.
Uchiha Toru, Hayama Shirakumo, Maruboshi Kosuke, and Might Duy assembled as a four-man team.
Toru swept his gaze over the group, ready to depart.
At that moment, Hayama Shirakumo interrupted Toru's thoughts. "Toru... Captain, is it just the four of us?"
Hayama Shirakumo glanced at the others, especially Maruboshi Kosuke and Might Duy.
Clearly, Hayama Shirakumo did not know their true strength. He had only heard that they were both perennial genin of the village.
Little did he know that the weakest person on this team was actually Hayama Shirakumo himself.
Out of politeness, Hayama Shirakumo found it difficult to say it outright, but Maruboshi Kosuke and Might Duy had both understood what he meant.
Maruboshi Kosuke smiled and patted Hayama Shirakumo on the shoulder. "Don't worry, I won't hold you back. Besides, I'm a pretty good cook. I can make meals for you during the mission."
Hayama Shirakumo was a fine-looking young man with a dark gray ponytail, reminding Maruboshi Kosuke of his younger self. For that reason, Kosuke inexplicably treated him with warmth and kindness.
Might Duy gave a thumbs-up. "Though I'm only a genin, I'll give it everything I've got! That is the way of my youth!"
Toru continued, "You and Genin Kosuke are elites personally assigned by Lord Hokage, while Genin Might Duy is an elite I invited. There is naturally no problem with the four of us forming an elite team."
Although Hayama Shirakumo still felt that Maruboshi Kosuke and Might Duy were unsuitable for this S-class classified mission, he ultimately let the matter drop out of respect for Toru, Konoha's number one genius ninja.
Still, the pressure of this mission weighed more heavily on him. After all, they were bringing along two genin "deadweights."
Seeing that Hayama