Yugito looked at his teammates and felt at a loss for words.
Team 7 Konoha: Naruto, Sasuke Uchiha, Karin Uzumaki, and himself.
Of the four, two are Jinchūriki, one is an orphan of the Uchiha, and the other is a secret ninja suspected to be from the Uzumaki. She is also the adopted daughter of that legendary figure, Aoba Kamikawa.
Is this lineup just for clearing out a bunch of wandering ninjas?
Although Yugito is Jinchūriki, he is actually quite young, and there is very little information about Aoba Kamikawa is trying to do.
The most outrageous thing is that there was no teacher leading the operation; Sasuke Uchiha was in charge of command.
"Damn it, why is Sasuke the captain? I'm clearly stronger than him."
Regarding the question of who is stronger between Sasuke and Naruto right now, Aoba isn't entirely certain.
The main difference is that Naruto is now being personally taught by the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, while Sasuke is making rapid progress with Aoba's assistance. The two are now worlds apart.
Aoba didn't like the protagonist's last-minute burst of power. If possible, he hoped that both characters could grow comprehensively, overwhelming their opponents with raw strength in battle, rather than relying on a sudden burst of power to turn the tide in desperate moments.
"Judging from your current shouting, you're not fit to be a captain. All three of you already have the strength of a regular Jonin. But the main reason you haven't been able to advance is that you don't have enough mission points and experience."
This operation is also a promotion test for you. Based on your performance, I will consider your ninja promotions after the mission.
The moment the topic of ninja promotion came up, Naruto immediately fell silent. Here's something funny: Sasuke and Karin are already Chunin, while Naruto is still a Genin.
The main problem is that this guy's theoretical knowledge is just too bad. Not only is his knowledge of ninja theory terrible, but he still can't even distinguish between the names of the First and Second Hokage.
Even Minato Namikaze was almost driven to depression by this. His son had top-notch physical talent, but his intellect was a real nemesis to him.
After the four young people set off, Aoba nodded to the Fourth Hokage, who had been observing from a distance. The Fourth Hokage immediately followed.
Aoba didn't follow. With the Flying Thunder God's blessing, he could arrive immediately if anything happened. So, Aoba turned and went in another direction.
There, Itachi Uchiha was waiting.
This meeting was different from previous ones. This time, Itachi Uchiha took the initiative to request the meeting.
"You used Sasuke as bait?"
"It's somewhat related, I suppose. But the more important thing is to put on a show."
Itachi thought of Yugito in the team and nodded. It was possible to allow Jinchūriki from another village to go on field missions just like ordinary ninjas.
Even he had to admit that Aoba Kamikawa's decisiveness and execution far surpassed his own. At least when he was in that position, he would never have been able to make such a decision.
Your body.
At this moment, Aoba also noticed Itachi's problem. He discovered that Itachi's breathing was somewhat disordered.
"As you can see, my time is running out. The Rain Country War took a heavy toll on me. Time may not be enough."
In the Rain Country War, the attack by the Cloud Shinobi was unexpected. Itachi Uchiha's Akatsuki faced an elite army of Cloud Shinobi. Although they escaped unscathed, their losses were far greater than anticipated.
Especially Itachi Uchiha, who was never good at this kind of prolonged group battle.
Itachi Uchiha represents the pinnacle of traditional ninja. He excels in one-on-one or small-scale team battles. However, he struggles against well-organized large-scale ninja armies.
In contrast, his teammate Kisame is the complete opposite. Kisame excels at prolonged battles or large-scale battlefields. The two teaming up is essentially a complementary relationship.
" Sasuke will need a little more time."
"Why? According to my calculations, he should have been able to awaken his Mangekyō long ago." Itachi Uchiha couldn't understand why Sasuke could never awaken it.
"Because I don't want Sasuke to become a sickly person like you. Awakening the Mangekyō too early would cause irreversible damage to his body. Therefore, his body, out of self-protection, has always refused to awaken the Mangekyō."
"... Sasuke, is he different from us?"
Itachi Uchiha's intelligence is absolutely unquestionable. He came up with much more from just a brief explanation.
"He is indeed different. Whether from a biological or chakra perspective, Sasuke is more... pure" than the average Uchiha."
"I understand. I will try my best to persevere. But problems have also arisen within the Akatsuki."
"Because of Nagato?"
The internal strife within Akatsuki was within Aoba's expectations. Previously, Nagato possessed the Rinnegan and was able to suppress everything. However, now, Nagato has not only lost the Rinnegan but is also in a coma at Konoha's sanatorium.
Without the restraint of 'God', those S-rank rogue ninjas naturally couldn't continue to live peacefully and obediently.
Furthermore, Konan has been spending more time in Konoha than in Amegakure during this period, and her control over the Akatsuki has become increasingly loose.
"After Nagato's disappearance, Akatsuki's core plans lost their direction. Deidara, Sasori, and Kisame began to voice their doubts. Hiruko also had her own agenda."
Currently, only Kakuzu and Shin are still supporting the Angel. Given enough time, the Akatsuki will inevitably split. Do you have any contingency plans for this?"
"It's a little earlier than I expected, but it's also within expectations. I don't need you to stop it; on the contrary, I need you to push it forward."
"You want me to split up the Akatsuki?"
"That's right. I want you to win over any Akatsuki members who have ulterior motives, then leave and become independent."
The members of Akatsuki are all extremely dangerous individuals. Letting them roam freely is impossible. Who knows when someone might cause a major incident? Therefore, Aoba still needs to keep these people under his control.
"I understand you want to remove the unstable parts of the organization. But if you want me to lead them, then we need a goal."
The Akatsuki were all brought together under Nagato's command because of the Rinnegan. Itachi's meaning was simple: he was willing to let me lead the team, but he needed to give me a goal that everyone could accept.
"That's simple, it's the Rinnegan. The Rinnegan is currently in the possession of a Konoha rogue ninja named Obito Uchiha. Your goal is to find Obito Uchiha and steal his Rinnegan. I believe that none of the Akatsuki members would be uninterested in the Rinnegan."
"I understand. I'll start carrying it out as soon as I get back."
"Very good, I will arrange intelligence and financial support for you."
After his meeting with Itachi, Aoba returned to Konoha and went straight to Nagato's recuperation room.