"As for the other two groups, Mei Terumi and Kei, you two are responsible for protecting and contacting the families on the island. Kisame, you go and investigate the other previous deaths and see if there are any other leads! Is this arrangement acceptable, Akita?"
After giving orders to Qi and the other two, Qing looked directly at Shinji Akita in the opposite seat and asked in a deep voice.
"That's for the best, then I'll leave it to you all."
Seeing that Ao did not object to or resist his arrangements, Shinji Akita breathed a sigh of relief. After all, as a middle-ranking nobleman of the Land of Water, he had a certain degree of contact and knowledge about the Kirigakure ninjas in his country.
In many situations, the Mist Ninja are by no means a reasonable group; they are more synonymous with indifference and cruelty. At least, that's what Akita thinks. These Mist Ninja only maintain the most basic superficial etiquette when dealing with many high-ranking officials and nobles of the Land of Water. This is something that both sides are well aware of.
Therefore, under such circumstances...
Akita was naturally very worried that things would develop in a way he didn't want to see.
However, it now seems that Ao is completely different from the Mist Ninja he had met before. Calm and rational, this was Akita's first impression of Ao.
"Then let's all take action!"
A situation that brooks no delay.
Having made his decision, Shinji Akita naturally didn't hesitate. He quickly summoned two subordinates to act as guides for Kisame Hoshigaki, Mei Terumi, and Kei, respectively. After leaving a group of people behind to conduct further in-depth investigations, he left the group behind.
The group then split into three groups, each going off to carry out their own mission.
Almost at the same time that Qi and his group began their operation, Prince Matou of the Land of Whales Kingdom, who had already made prior contact with other family forces on the island, also fully grasped the current situation on the island.
After further investigating and discovering that the second investigating officer was Shinji Akita and the general information about the 7th team that followed, they made a corresponding judgment without hesitation. With the cooperation of the Cloud Ninja squad led by the Cloud Village Jonin, they launched the final and most important step in their restoration plan with great momentum!
He intends to eradicate all opposition forces on the island today and then reclaim all the territory that the Land of Whales previously possessed!
Today is the day their Land of Whales reappears in the world! Today is his chance for revenge! Today, he will unleash the rage that has been building up for over twenty years!
No one can stop him!
These were the words Matou shouted out in his heart.
Despite having a well-informed plan, and even though some members of Team 7 had sensed something amiss and detected a hint of danger, they were ultimately at a complete disadvantage in terms of intelligence. The enemy was in the dark, while they were in the light!
Not to mention that the enemy's strength on paper is even greater than that of Qi and his group.
This was an unequal battle from the very beginning.
Still completely unaware of the situation, Kei and his group proceeded according to their plan. Ao accompanied Shinji Akita toward the place where the former investigating officer had died, while Kisame Hoshigaki, Kei, and Mei Terumi, each led by a subordinate arranged by Shinji Akita and some soldiers, headed to the eastern and southern areas of the island respectively.
The person responsible for guiding Kei and Mei Terumi was none other than Man, the garrison commander of Kujiraai Island.
The reason for this arrangement is...
This is also because Ao and Akita both believe that, apart from the death of their former officer, the most important thing is that Kei, Mei Terumi, and Man are responsible for contacting various families. Since the true culprit's intentions and identity have not yet been determined, it is necessary to assume that other families on the island with some reputation and status are likely to be attacked.
In order to unite as many available forces as possible and to protect these people, it is essential to unite them in advance.
Although this differed from the initial plan.
But Akita's sense of urgency and crisis compelled him to make this judgment, fearing that if he hesitated even a step, it would lead to a worse and more terrible outcome.
The same goes for green.
Before his three subordinates split up to act.
Qing also gave a few key points.
This mission was becoming less and less like C-Rank Mission. In Qing's mind, he was almost 99% certain it was B-Rank Mission. This made Qing feel a little anxious. After all, the team he was leading was a group of newly Genin. A C-Rank Mission would be a sure thing, but B-Rank Mission required some consideration. Now, Qing just hoped that the enemies were some low-level rogue ninjas, rather than people from regular ninja villages like Grass Ninja, Rain Ninja, or Hot Water Ninja.
The difference between the two is quite obvious.
The level of danger is not even in the same league.
Overall, Ao still had plenty of confidence in his team. The three of them had performed well enough in the Ninja Academy and could easily become Genin through the graduation exam. With some prior understanding and testing, Ao felt that apart from lacking experience, the trio's strength was no less than that of an average Chunin!
Even if ninjas from places like Kusagakure were to get involved, making the mission a much more difficult B-rank, Ao still felt that the three of them were capable of completing the mission, not to mention that he, a Jonin, was there to oversee it!
It must be said that Qing's judgment is not problematic from a common-sense perspective; however, common sense often fails to play its due role.
Upon learning that Ao and his group consisted of only four ninjas, three of whom looked like recent graduates, the Jonin of Kumogakure decisively launched an attack. His mission was to help Prince Matou restore his kingdom in the shortest possible time and with the least amount of effort!
The four Mist Ninja are a bit of a nuisance, and we also have to worry about them tipping us off and attracting more reinforcements!
It's not that Kujira thought this matter could be kept secret indefinitely. As long as Matou raised the banner of restoring the country, the news would surely spread throughout the Land of Water in no time. But by delaying the situation a little longer, they could make more preparations.
As for the potential further clashes with Kirigakure that might follow?
That's a complete joke. They don't even consider the relationship between Kumogakure and Kirigakure, and most importantly, the current state of the Shinobi World!
That's enough to make the dove fearless!
Perhaps no ninja village dares to start a full-scale war right now, but localized skirmishes have been gradually spreading throughout the Shinobi World since last year.
Stirring up some friction between clouds and fog here, the dove shows absolutely no pressure!
Therefore, he was fully prepared to kill Qi and his group, and personally led the team towards Qing, who was Jonin.
As for Qi and the other two, they simply sent a few of their subordinates to handle the situation.
In Jiu's view, his experienced subordinates could easily handle a few kids who were not even ten years old!