"I..."
Minato had just finished speaking when Nawaki eagerly tried to prove himself.
Unfortunately for him, Jiraiya raised a hand, cutting him off:
"No need to say anything, I know what you're thinking. Since that's the case, let's go all out this time.
Everyone, rest up for ten minutes, then prepare for battle!"
"..."
The excitement on Nawaki's face slowly faded.
Did I even say anything?
Jiraiya, are you targeting me on purpose?!
He said they should rest, but really, it was just time to adjust their strategy.
Jiraiya took out an oilcloth map, staring at it intently. Takuya patted him on the shoulder:
"There's nothing to overthink. Just push forward and take them down."
"And what about their reinforcements?" Jiraiya asked, exasperated.
"We fight them. We're a squad of twenty Jonin. How many forces do you think Kirigakure needs to throw at us to really give us trouble? Don't forget, we have Minato. If things look bad, we retreat. As long as Kirigakure doesn't get comfortable, we've completed our mission."
"Holding our position has too many risks. Comparatively, I prefer taking the initiative."
If he had a choice, Takuya wouldn't be opting for this chaos, but the problem was that the sea belonged to Kirigakure. They had all the leverage, and Konoha was at a disadvantage.
That was the most frustrating part.
Otherwise, why would Konoha have to go through the trouble of ripping open a gap in their defenses?
They could simply wait at their camp for the enemy to come to them.
Any enemy infiltrating behind their lines was Orochimaru's problem, not theirs.
"... Kind of makes sense," Jiraiya said after a pause.
Enough with overanalyzing—let's just push through.
Even if Kirigakure reacts quickly, it will still take them time to respond. During that time, they can wreak havoc.
Even if Kirigakure mobilizes their forces, it'll take a while to surround them. With Minato's abilities, they can attack or retreat whenever they want. Plus, with Takuya's strength, they were secure.
This plan was solid.
After analyzing it again, Jiraiya rolled up the map, ending his chaotic train of thought.
"Alright, everyone get ready. Takuya, Minato, take care of their lookouts."
"No problem," Minato said confidently.
Minato's Flying Thunder God technique and Takuya's ability to conceal his presence made them ideal for eliminating enemy lookouts.
If time weren't a concern, Jiraiya wouldn't even send Minato—Takuya could have easily handled them all.
With that, Takuya and Minato disappeared into the night, leaving the rest to wait.
"Sir, isn't this approach a bit too risky?" Hyuga Junichi voiced his concern.
He still wasn't comfortable with taking unnecessary risks. He felt their job was to carry out Orochimaru's orders, not to alter the plan on a whim.
"It'll be fine," Jiraiya reassured him.
"Don't underestimate Takuya, or you'll be in for a surprise. As long as he has confidence, and with Minato by our side, we can afford to be bold."
Junichi didn't know the full extent of Takuya's strength, but Jiraiya knew it well.
With even his own student backing Takuya, there was no need to stubbornly cling to the original mission.
"But what about Lord Orochimaru...?"
"I'll explain it. Besides, this was Takuya's suggestion. Orochimaru would back it as well—trust me."
Jiraiya patted his chest confidently.
Hyuga Junichi's fear wasn't just about the risk—it was more about Orochimaru's reaction.
After all, the mission came directly from Orochimaru, who was the overall commander. Now, they'd switched to a more aggressive plan. What would Orochimaru think?
If Orochimaru were a petty person, they could be scapegoated without any recourse.
Would Orochimaru do that?
Junichi clearly didn't know Orochimaru very well.
The most aggressive person among them was undoubtedly Orochimaru.
During the Second Great Ninja War, they were fortunate to have Sakumo Hatake as their commander.
Had Orochimaru been in charge, who knows what extreme methods he'd have used against Sunagakure?
Clearing a few lookouts was as easy as drinking water for Takuya and Minato.
On the island, the hidden lookouts stationed in various spots were picked off one by one by Takuya and Minato.
"Minato, go tell the others. I'll wait here."
"Alright."
Minato wiped the blood from his kunai before vanishing.
"Sensei, the path is clear. We're ready to attack," Minato reported after reappearing at Jiraiya's side.
Jiraiya had grown used to Minato's sudden appearances—he was practically numb to it now.
His only request was for Minato not to suddenly pop up while he was, well, occupied.
Fortunately, Minato knew his master well. Even though he had a Flying Thunder God marker on Jiraiya, he would avoid teleporting to him unnecessarily, especially in awkward moments.
After all, the last thing anyone needed was to stumble upon something that could scar young minds.
Usually, Minato used toads to get in touch with Jiraiya instead.
"Alright, let's move!" Jiraiya ordered.
With the lookouts eliminated, Jiraiya led the team to rendezvous with Takuya.
A few minutes later, they regrouped.
Eyeing the military fortress Kirigakure had built, Jiraiya turned to Takuya:
"You take the lead?"
"..."
Takuya was speechless.
Shouldn't this be the part where you wave your hand, and we all launch an attack together?
Why am I the one doing it alone?
"Hehe, to prevent them from sending any distress signals, we need to be decisive. If we all attack together, we risk being spotted. You lead the charge, and Minato will finish off any stragglers to prevent word from getting out."
"... Alright, you're the boss."
What was supposed to be a group effort had now turned into a solo mission. Takuya felt Jiraiya was being a bit sly, wringing every bit of effort out of him.
As for Minato...
Minato had no say in it—he was Jiraiya's student, after all.
Helping your teacher was just part of the job, wasn't it?
Watching Takuya and Minato vanish into the night, the others looked bewildered. Yūhi Shinku spoke up:
"Lord Jiraiya, are we not going to join them?"
Seeing the puzzled expressions of his comrades, Jiraiya chuckled:
"Trust them. The young ones have grown up. They can handle it themselves."
"..."
Once again, I've been ignored.
Nawaki felt his presence shrinking by the second.
But as much as he wanted to join, he didn't have the skills for a mission like this. He could only watch as Takuya and Minato set off, waiting on the sidelines for good news.
"So, how should we attack?"
Approaching the enemy's fortress, Minato turned to Takuya.
Takuya spread his hands, "However you want."
"..."
Damn it.
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Next Bonus: 1300 Power Stones. ╰ (´꒳`) ╯
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(P)(S): If you're interested, you can read up to chapter 345+ at patreon com/ Emik01. ಥ‿ಥ
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