There is about half an hour more to the time set where the advance party is supposed to meet up here in his office. He had done all he could to prepare Konoha for the next big war.
Minato sighed as he took a break from reading through the scrolls spread out on his desk. There are still far too many uncertain elements in his plan for anyone to be comfortable, but that's war for you. Nothing is certain. Still, he has confidence that this is the best plan that he and his fellow shinobis had come up with so far.
Now, all that is left is to execute it.
He let a smile rest on his face as he felt a familiar chakra signature quickly closing in on his location. Even without looking, he used his right hand to slide open the window behind his Hokage desk. A second later, an ice mirror appeared in front of his desk. In it is the reflection of his godson. He slowly stepped out of it, the ice mirror disappearing into thin air as he did so.
"You are here early." Minato commented with a smile on his face. "There's still half an hour left."
"I figured that since the meeting point stated was in your office and I felt no other chakra signatures in here other than yours, I should come over and talk to you for a bit before setting off." Haku stated as he slid his backpack off his shoulders and placed it on the floor. "Who knows when the next time where we can talk again will be."
"Actually, I'm part of the advance party too." Minato revealed. "So is Kushina."
As if right on cue, the door to his office opened.
"Minato! I thought I felt- Haku!" Kushina exclaimed in delight as she entered his office, already dressed in her shinobi gear. "I knew I wasn't imagining things when I felt your chakra here!"
"Both of you are in the advance party?"
"Yup!" Kushina said with a large grin. "This is going to be fun 'ttebane!"
"I beg to differ."
"Don't be such a spoilsport!" Kushina half-whined as she strong-armed Haku and tried to give him a noogie, only for him to shunshin himself away from her and place himself behind the chair Minato is sitting on.
"Haku!"
"What kind of seal array is that? It's very complicated." Haku quickly diverted the topic as he pointed to the scroll that Minato was reading just half a minute ago.
"The Edo Tensei." Minato replied truthfully as he sent a smirk at Haku, pretending to not notice his attempt in escaping Kushina's clutches. "Interested?"
"You are using it on the field?!" Haku exclaimed in shock.
"It's just a possibility." Minato admitted. "Everything single thing you see here is what my ANBU found when they ransacked Orochimaru's known hideouts in Oto immediately after the invasion."
Seeing Haku's slightly confused expression, Minato began to explain.
"Oto may have nothing much of value to offer, but Orochimaru is Konoha's missing nin. He had stolen and hoarded numerous Konoha forbidden techniques that we absolutely cannot let fall into enemies' hands. After Kizashi killed him Oto is now longer that much of a threat, but the value of his hoarded jutsus and research data is something any village will want to get their hands on. One of the first things we did right after the invasion was to send a team of ANBU to retrieve or destroy what they can from Orochimaru's hideouts after Kizashi had killed him."
"And considering Oto is relatively nearer to Kumo, geographically wise, it seems a wise decision to clear Orochimaru's hideouts of his research data and recorded jutsus before Kumo was reminded about what Orochimaru could have hidden in his den." Haku caught on quickly. "If Kumo happened to get their hands on Edo Tensei by stealing it from one of Orochimaru's hideouts…"
"Things will go very bad for us." Kushina stated factually with her hands on her hips.
"So, want to have a look?" Minato mischievously dangled the scroll detailing Orochimaru's improved version of the Edo Tensei in front of Haku.
"Can I?"
"Are you doubting the words of your Hokage? Do I hold such little authority as the village's leader in your eyes?"
Haku rolled his eyes and promptly took the scroll offered. His eyes immediately quickly read through what was on the scroll.
"Thoughts?" Minato asked like how he usually did when he taught Haku during their lessons. Haku is a bright child. He may not be as capable as him or Kushina when it comes to inventing a whole new seal from scratch, but he does have a knack for modifying existing seals to serve a whole new purpose. That Copy Seal of his says it all.
"Theory wise, the seal work involved is not that hard to understand, even if the part on souls and the Pure World still eludes me." Haku admitted. "But what fascinates me more is the Control Seal used to control the resurrected soul. It allows the user to control the resurrected shinobi simply by implanting the seal in their brain. Imagine if we could do it to live people instead of zombies."
"That just got dark all of a sudden." Kushina remarked with a look of surprise. "Haku, you alright?"
"This whole jutsu is morbid in the first place." Haku retorted as he waved the scroll in his hand at them. "But seriously, think about it, the application of this Control Seal the Nidame invented. Part of why the Edo Tensei is so scary is because the user can opt to gain full control of the resurrected soul whenever he wishes. There's no backlash because of this seal, the user doesn't need to worry about the souls betraying him. I admit the Nidaime's findings on souls and the Pure World are groundbreaking, but seals wise, the Control Seal he invented is the revolutionary one."
"Why do you suggest using the Control Seal on live people?" Minato asked in curiosity. "And if so, how would you apply it? The seals can be implanted into the brain of the resurrected souls because their physical bodies are technically made of dust and ash, but it's different for living people. You would kill them even before you can implant it into them."
"I'm saying this because Konoha is now at a clear disadvantage in this international conflict with Kumo. Even the children on the streets can see that." Haku got straight to the point. "Yes, we have the most number of S Rank shinobis among the Big Five but troops wise, Kumo has the clear numerical advantage. And what if Iwa joins in? I'm very sure Iwa still holds immense hatred for Konoha due to the Third War. Our two jinchurikis are not ready. If Iwa and Kumo joined forces, we will be facing three of those chakra monsters. We need a way to boost our numbers, fast."
"And using it on living people will help because…"
"I mean we can use it on whatever Kumo or Oto shinobis that are unlucky enough to be caught by us." Haku said in a flat voice. "To win a fight as fast as possible, the key is to take away the enemy's will to fight as quickly as you can. Turning their own allies against them will do that. Imagine if your enemies become your puppets, imagine a puppet army made up of living humans. Your enemies cannot cut them down easily, because the people they are facing are their loved ones who are still alive. If we can capitalise on-"
"Haku." Minato said in a warning tone. "That's a dangerous territory you are treading on there. There are limits that we Fuinjutsu users should never venture to."
"Then explain this." Haku held up the Edo Tensei scroll for the two of them to see. "I don't see anybody giving Senju Tobirama shit for inventing this piece of genius crap despite the immorality of it. Why? Is it because he is a Senju? Need I remind everyone that this jutsu, his very own creation, was the one that very recently took the life of our Third Hokage?"
"Trust me, the Nidame got a lot of criticism from the village itself for inventing the Edo Tensei. The only reason people accepted it back then was because at that time, Konoha was just founded and we had many enemies. We were too weak and unstable back then, which was why the village needed a jutsu like that. Once our crisis was resolved the Nidame sealed the Edo Tensei and it was never seen or heard again until Orochimaru stole it." Minato explained as he tried his best to dissuade his godson from modifying the existing Edo Tensei. He is sure that somehow, given enough time, Haku will be able to find some way to turn his vision of using the Control Seal to control living people if he is motivated enough to do so. However, that is not something he wishes to see him do.
If Haku can really control living people as easily as how Orochimaru controlled their deceased First and Second Hokage, then not just the whole world will fear him, even Konoha's populace will fear him. That will not bode well for him considering his already shaky position in the village. Nobody would want to be someone else's helpless puppet the moment a seal is slapped onto him with no way to remove it.
The whole world will be really against Haku if he really made his idea a reality. There's no way he can protect his son like that, even if he is now Hokage.
"If I recall correctly, your Flying Thunder God was also invented by the Second Hokage."
"Yes."
"You used it to massacre at least a thousand shinobis from Iwa in the Third War, bringing the war to a close. Your deed was one of the deciding factors to push Onoki to accept the peace treaty Konoha offered."
"That is true."
"Is the Flying Thunder God not as deadly as the Edo Tensei? Which jutsu killed more, Edo Tensei or the Flying Thunder God?" Haku questioned. "I don't see a damn difference in the circumstances from when the Nidame first used the Edo Tensei to protect the village, to when you used the Flying Thunder God to massacre Iwa's force, and our current situation. Face it. We are currently in war, tou-chan, and of all times you are telling me to steer away from exploring the limits of seals because of morality issues, it is now? Are you even hearing yourself?"
"If the person doing the Edo Tensei, or controlling living people through seals like what you proposed, is you, then I will not allow it." Minato put his foot down sternly. "Firstly, this will garner you unnecessary international attention simply because of the potential chaos your idea may present to the world. Secondly, your position in the village is already shaky as it is. For your sake and everyone else's, it's best that we don't make it worse."
"Do I look like I care about the 99% of the village's population that I don't know or don't care about?"
"But WE do!" Minato snapped back. "People do irrational and stupid things when they are in fear! We don't want them to be in fear of you! We don't want you to get yourself harmed by our own comrades, simply because they fear what you can do! Look at Orochimaru! He's a byproduct of that fear and it was what encouraged him to drive himself out of the village and become one of our worst criminals! You blew everyone's expectations away when you grew too strong, too fast. While we are proud of your achievements as a fellow shinobi of Konoha, many others don't see it the same way because they don't know you! All they know about you is a genin who risked the safety of the village to save one girl by unleashing a Tailed Beast into the village! Just help me help you to protect you, damn it!"
Minato dragged a tired palm across his face. He instantly regretted that outburst the moment the words left his mouth. The accumulated stress of suddenly finding himself becoming Hokage, the war, and his family must be taking his toll on him.
"Alright, I'm cutting this argument off right here." Kushina stepped in with a firm voice. "Haku, leaving your idea of using the Control Seal of the Edo Tensei on living people aside, it is hard for Minato to even convince the dissenters of letting you remain as a shinobi of Konoha. If it wasn't for your powers and the current circumstances the village is in you wouldn't be let off so easily. Also, like Minato said, there are areas which we seal practitioners should never venture. Grandma Mito was very unhappy about the Nidame's Edo Tensei, that much I know. She gave him a lot of flak for it."
"Sorry." Haku apologised. "But… I really don't want to see anybody that I care about die in front of me. If by damning our enemies means a higher chance of us all returning back alive, I would do it in a heartbeat."
"I apologise too." Minato said sincerely. "I shouldn't have snapped at you, but my point still stands."
"Then all is well!" Kushina clapped her hands happily before forcefully ruffling his hair. "Don't worry too much, Haku. Minato and I are both S Rank shinobis, it takes a lot to put us down. And if anybody dares to hurt you, they have to face me first 'ttebane! It's a mother's job to protect her children no matter what!"
"Please don't say 'no matter what'. I don't want to hear that. I rather you live." Haku muttered darkly, the temperature in the room dipping a little as he said that.
"Let's not talk about those bad things that might not even happen." Minato tried to lighten the mood as he tossed a book at Haku, which he caught on reflex.
"This is…?"
"Orochimaru's journal." Minato supplied helpfully. "It is riddled with seals after seals though. Konoha is in no rush to find out what is written in it because, well, we have more urgent things to do right now and the seals on it will give even me and Kushina a very hard time. I decided that I might as well leave it up to you to crack it in your spare time. Consider it as a test to see how far you had really gone in the sealing arts."
"I see, this ought to be fun." Minato smiled when he saw that faint twinkle of interest in his son's eyes. Haku had always loved challenges like these.
"What's your view on this upcoming war?" Minato asked his son as the family of three, excluding Naruto for the moment because she isn't here. His son always does have some great insight in things that people tend to miss. He could go far as a shinobi. His strength and mind is something that can possibly make him a Kage one day, if he does want to be one.
If only he could get accepted by the village.
"From what I'm allowed to know and what I overheard in the clan compound, Kumo supposedly bullied the smaller countries around it, like the Land of Frost and the Land of Hot Springs to play a part in this war as well, yes?"
Upon hearing his son's question, Minato nodded. Haku continued talking after seeing his response.
"Those two smaller countries don't have much of an army in the first place, they probably aren't playing an active role in this conflict. Most likely, Ay used Kumo's status as a Big Five to force them to give his troops entry so that Kumo can cross their borders to reach the Land of Fire. Maybe he would bully them to provide Kumo's troops supplies as well, that I'm not too sure but it won't come as a surprise to me. I checked around while I was cooped up at home and after some digging, I feel that Ay is making such a big effort to fuel this conflict because this is the best way for Kumo to flourish. To Ay, it is in Kumo's best interests to spark the fear of the bigger nations among the smaller ones. Take Frost and Hot Springs for example. If a way breaks out, they have to find support from Kumo because they are neighbours. If not Kumo, then who? Kumo benefits from this if those two keep relying on Kumo to protect them. It is in Kumo's best interests to keep this conflict going because their economy runs a lot more smoothly if everybody keeps fighting without rest. I told you before, tou-chan, this world is wrong if it is run by spilling the blood of others. Shinobis are always the one who ruin everything. This economy is not sustainable. This is why we will never have peace."
Minato sighed. It is a splendid observation on Haku's part, but his son's animosity towards shinobis is still something he wishes he can help reduce or eliminate.
Then again, this insight alone tells him enough that given time, Haku might have what it takes to be a leader on the level of a Kage. He has an eye for things, for cause and effect. Naruto wants to be Hokage and while he has no doubts that his daughter can achieve her dreams someday, she cannot do it alone. She needs people by her side, like how he was by Kizashi's side.
He knows Haku will sooner leave the village than to be Hokage, but he feels that Haku will make a great advisor to Naruto. His practicality and pessimism will balance out Naruto's idealism and optimism. Dark and light. It's a little like how Danzo and Hiruzen used to work together. It's a perfect balance.
Now all he has to do for his son is to get him to be truly accepted by Konoha. This war is not something he likes, but it may be an opportunity for Haku to redeem himself in the eyes of the populace. A person's will and worth is forged through fire, through blood, sweat and tears. It is something every S Rank shinobi will have to go through to get there.
He cannot explain why he felt this way, but he just knows that this war is Haku's trial by fire.
Minato let out a mental sigh. He knows casualties are inevitable in this coming conflict but hopefully, this time, the only people who has to pay any form of price is Kumo.
He already lost his best friend. He doesn't know what he will do if he loses someone else close to him again.
The advance party is really… advanced.
"Thank you for being on time." My godfather addressed us as we kneeled in front of him. Like us, he is also in the advance party. I don't know if we are here to act as his guards or if the mission assigned to the advance party is so important that the Hokage himself has to be here.
Given what I know in this world and about canon, I recognised every single shinobi gathered here. All of them are powerful in their own right. Yamanaka Fu, who is definitely ANBU Boar given that they both exude identical chakra. Aburame Torune, also another canon character and like Fu, weren't they both from ROOT? Is ROOT still a thing here?
I see Uchiha Itachi and Uchiha Fugaku. I see my godmother and Rin. I also spotted Yamato. I'm definitely the youngest in the group.
The nine of us make up the advance party. We are a team of shinobis who are at least A or S Rank in strength. This lineup is probably one of the strongest and most balanced lineups Konoha can currently muster. Uchiha, Uzumaki, and Senju. Combined with my skill set, it's not hard to imagine what our mission will be.
I'm very sure that we will be the ones to face Bee.
Per protocol, we quickly checked through our gear one last time as a team. After that, my godfather quickly briefed us about our mission. Our Intelligence Division had purposely leaked news of our Hokage personally going to war and the location which he is going to be at. Given what they know of Ay's personality, there's a high chance that he too will move to intercept my godfather.
Our objective is to end the tension between Konoha and Kumo within a week at the longest. The way we are going about it is to capture Ay. If we can do that, the probability of a world war happening will lessen drastically because Konoha would have proved that the invasion had not weakened it in the slightest. The status quo between the villages is still the same. Hence, picking a fight with us through a war will not result in favourable consequences for anyone. If we meet this objective, we would win ourselves a deterrence through a display of strength. War can then be possibly averted.
For this mission, me, my godmother, Yamato, and the Uchiha duo are in charge of putting Bee down. Obito will be there to assist us as well. My godfather, Rin, and the ROOT duo will fight the Raikage. The three of them are his guards. We will make our move by bombing the largest Kumo troops stationed near us to force Ay to come out. Our Hokage will personally make a show out of it. If Ay is already there at the border, then all the better. We will simply capture him to end this conflict immediately.
I don't know if this means the start of a Fourth Shinobi World War, but it's not my place to question.
My godfather is planning to swiftly end the war even before it starts by catching Ay prisoner, thereby forcing his troops to retreat and then forcing him to sign a peace treaty. If we take out another significant portion of his forces while we are at it, that's fine too. They have invaded Konoha, so we will do something similar in kind to send the world a message that Konoha is not to be trifled with. Anyone who wants to hurt us will have to be prepared to get hurt in return.
Suna had pledged their support but frankly, nobody is expecting anything out of them. Everyone is simply going to assume that we are on our own. Iwa didn't make any official stand on their position but another battalion where Guy and Asuma are currently stationed is watching them. If things go south, they are our backup.
Our main army will move out from the village at dawn tomorrow and they will separate themselves into two groups. A portion will join Guy's battalion, a larger one will move to Obito's battalion. Already, all existing troops that were near Obito's battalion had convened at his location to form a division. All of this is purposely made clear for the world to see so that the news will reach Ay's ears. The more convinced Ay is that Minato is going to personally launch a full scale attack on Kumo and is going to the frontlines, which is the border of the Fire Country, the higher the probability of Ay appearing on the battlefield as well.
In short, Minato is making himself the bait to lure Ay out. News of the Copy Seal allowing Konoha to drastically increase production of their explosive tags and sealing scrolls had also been purposely leaked out little by little to give Ay a sense of urgency, that if he wants to win a fight against Konoha, he can do only two things.
The first is to stop us before we accumulate too much war resources in the form of exploding tags and sealing scrolls all thanks to the invention of my Copy Seal. That means that Ay will have to fire the first shot. That means that he will also have to go to the frontlines. The second is to wait it out until his village manages to steal the seal design of the Copy Seal somehow, which in my opinion is just a matter of time but given Ay's character, he probably won't give Konoha any more time to prepare.
In my godfather's opinion, Ay will definitely choose to act first the moment he heard about the Copy Seal. And if news of Konoha's Yellow Flash suddenly choosing to head to the frontlines reached Ay's ears?
Ay will make a move.
And if Ay makes a move?
I'm sure Darui will be there.
Darui better pray that he will never meet me on the battlefield. I made damn sure to prepare against his slew of lightning techniques given what I know about his abilities. In another life, I might have liked him as a character.
Here, I won't hesitate to murder him in the most painful way possible.
Reaching the battlefield was easy. Minato teleported us into a tent where Obito and Kakashi were waiting for us. Obito gave my godfather a rundown on what happened here so far, which is nothing much since nobody fired the first shot yet.
We were soon dismissed so that we could take a short break to prepare for the big battle ahead. My obnoxious sensei wasted no time in trying to annoy me the moment we were dismissed.
"My dear Haku-chan! Miss your dear sensei?"
"No."
"Come on! Don't be so cold!"
Rin let out a laugh as she joined us. My godparents are discussing something within the tent so we left to give them some privacy. We soon join the Uchiha father-son pair at a corner of the encampment, sitting ourselves around a campfire. I don't know where the ROOT duo and Yamato had disappeared to. Night had fallen and the sun had just set but that doesn't mean we can relax. Nighttime is always the most dangerous period out in the field.
"Fugaku-sama, you here too? Yo, Tachi-kun! How's Shisui and Izumi?"
So those two Uchihas do exist.
"They are well, thank you for asking." Itachi replied in a monotonous tone while Fugaku simply replied with the Uchiha grunt. "I heard you and Rin-san are…?"
"Yep!" Obito gave a large grin that stretched from ear to ear. Rin's face flushed a mild red as she shyly held his hand.
Wait a minute. Why are they acting like that? They look like… Are they really going to…?
Oh, they totally are.
"Sensei. You didn't bother to inform any of us about this?"
"Eh, I kind of forget?"
"Don't expect any gifts from us then."
"H-Hey! It's an honest mistake! Honest mistake, I swear!"
I gave my sensei the flattest look I have while munching on my fruit bar. Fugaku actually deign us worthy of a snort. Miracle.
"When is it?" I asked Rin instead, choosing to ignore Obito entirely.
"After the war." Rin smiled back at me. "We are planning to get married after the war."
"Congratulations." I congratulated them sincerely. "But considering it's sensei you are marrying to, you still have some time to back out from this if you have any doubts. Are you sure you want to marry a man-child?"
"HAKU-CHAN! DON'T SABOTAGE YOUR DEAR SENSEI!"
"Sasuke told me that you invented a seal that can alter one's perception of reality." Itachi saved Obito when he interrupted the conversation. Huh, come to think of it, the Perception Seal's capabilities sound a lot like what the Tsukuyomi can do. No wonder he's interested.
But if Shisui's still alive, did this Itachi unlock the mangekyo sharingan? Maybe he doesn't even have it. Does he?
"To be more precise, it's a seal array. But yes, I call it the Perception Seal because it can hijack and control how your target's mind interprets reality." I answered Itachi's question after some thought. Sitting right before me here is Kishimoto's interpretation of the 'Perfect Shinobi'. Itachi is the embodiment of what Kishimoto thinks being a shinobi is all about, to give his all to the village from the shadows without asking anything in return.
Despite canon Itachi's poor choices when it comes to canon Sasuke, I can respect the dedication he has to the village.
"Like a genjutsu." Fugaku commented. "Some of our clansmen who are masters of the sharingan can do something similar through visual genjutsu. You did it with seals."
"It's not feasible for combat." I downplayed the abilities of my Perception Seal in case the prideful Uchihas felt 'threatened' by my Perception Seal for whatever stupid reasons. Clan politics are a headache and a half and I really don't want to get involved. It's not like my Perception Seal has anything on their precious Tsukuyomi or Kotoamatsukami. It's not at that level even if it sounds like it.
"The Perception Seal only works if the target cannot remove the seals you stick on them and even then, you have to control them using a complex seal array. That's why I only tested it out for interrogation purposes in the T&I. You don't have the luxury of time in using it on the battlefield. It's too cumbersome."
"Eh? You did what now, Haku-chan?" Obito-sensei ruffled my hair roughly, which earned him a glare from me. "What kind of crazy things were you up to when poor old me got posted to this wasteland? Did you and nabi-chan do any hanky panky- WOAH!"
I sent spikes of ice after him as per usual, cutting him off. I don't want to think about what she last did to me right now. I'm not ready to deal with it yet.
"Eh? Did I hit a nail on the head?" Obito gasped exaggeratedly. "WAIT A SEC. DID YOU AND NABI-CHAN-"
The surrounding temperature dropped drastically, prompting my sensei to keep his mouth shut.
Finally.
Kushina appeared from within the tent. She looked at Obito, who had climbed up a nearby tree to escape my wrath, then at the surrounding frost around us.
She decided to ignore it. Wise choice.
"I will be leading the Hachibi Suppression Squad. Where's Yamato?"
On cue, a figure emerged from within a tree near us.
"Sorry, Kushina-sama. Kakashi-senpai called me over to help him with a few things."
"It's fine. Build us something to sleep in, Yamato. I will go through our plans to deal with Bee while we are at it. Obito, stop being a child and get down here."
A wooden hut big enough for the six of us to fit in comfortably sprang up from the ground. Rin had excused herself since she is not part of the Suppression Squad.
"Now that we have Obito with us, things are going to be different." Kushina got straight into the heart of the topic as we gathered around her. She had stuck a Light Seal above her to act as a light source so we can all see each other in the dark. "When Obito and I fought against Bee during the invasion, we realised that while genjutsus are a good way to make him take a brief pause, it never really worked. The Hachibi within Bee simply breaks him out of any genjutsu. In any case, genjutsus are still a must because no matter how short, it still takes time for Bee to release himself from a high level genjutsu. Fugaku, Itachi, I leave the genjutsu part to both of you."
Kushina then turned to Yamato and I.
"In his fully transformed state, Bee's tails are extremely dangerous. Yamato and I are going to focus on restraining his tails with my chains and his wood. Haku, I need you to fully explain the snow thing you did during the invasion. I don't think you have told me about it yet and I want to be absolutely clear about your current abilities before I can draft up a complete plan."
"Ice Release Forbidden Art: Hyōten Hyakkasō. That is the name of the technique." I promptly explained my forbidden jutsu as my godmother asked. "Anybody who I deem an enemy and who comes into contact with my snow will have ice flowers blooming on their body. These flowers grow by absorbing their chakra. Think of it as a very chakra-hungry leech. It will only stop growing when there is no more chakra to feed on. If my chakra reserves get low, I can always reabsorb the ice formed by this jutsu to replenish any chakra lost."
"Crazy jutsu you have there, but I like it. It's perfect against chakra monsters like Bee." Kushina grinned. "Alright, you are in charge of making sure your snow keeps falling on him and Kumo's troops. It will wear them out way faster. Obito, you are in charge of making sure Bee's annoying Tailed Beast Ball never hits anything. Of course, the best situation will be that we can suppress Bee even before he can transform, but I doubt Bee will give us that chance."
"I heard he's a skilled Kenjutsu user." Itachi stated.
"He is." Kushina nodded in affirmation. "He's very scarily good with those pointy things. Avoid going close if possible. None of us are that good at close combat as compared to him."
"If it comes down to it, I have a jutsu called the Amaterasu. It summons eternal black flames that will not stop burning until the target is destroyed. It cannot be extinguished and it doesn't differentiate friends from foe, so refrain from touching it." Fugaku spoke up. "It also puts a heavy strain on my eye so I would like to leave it as a last resort, but it is always an option."
"If push comes to shove, I have the Susanoo." Obito added. "But yeah, it does place a very heavy strain on the eyes and my body too. If Susanoo fails, I'm very much a liability."
"Susanoo?" Yamato asked curiously. "Some sort of Fire Release?"
"No. Susanoo summons a giant chakra avatar to fight for you. It's a secret Uchiha jutsu that only a few in our clan's history ever manage to use its full form, let alone master it." Fugaku shook his head as he explained. "The price to use it is the user's gradual descent to blindness although Obito had circumvented it to a certain extent. Still, that kind of jutsu is really a last resort. It is not something to be used casually."
"If you need anything big, I have a jutsu called the Kokujō Tengen Myō'ō. It allows me to create a giant warrior made of ice. It's chakra costly, but at least there's no other side effects."
"I cannot do anything as impressive with the Wood Release, but I should be able to create a few wood golems if you guys need anything big." Yamato offered.
"Then there we have it." Kushina wrapped up the meeting. "Remember, the whole point of this hubbub is to capture Ay. We don't really need to defeat Bee, we just have to hold him long enough for Minato to capture Ay and force him to agree to withdraw his troops and to end this stupid standoff. Iwa probably won't want to get involved with this mess and even Shikaku thinks that the odds of them joining are low, so don't worry too much. The six of us are more than capable of bringing Bee down."
Kushina stood up and dusted her hands.
"Alright, that's it for today. Catch some rest, we will be sieging the Kumo nins in three hours. Until then, get some sleep. We will all need it."
After we acknowledged her words, my godmother walked out of the wooden hut, presumably to talk to my godfather. Each of the members of the Suppression Squad began to find a spot to lay down and rest for the night. I picked a corner and lay on the floor as I closed my eyes.
"I… I'll wait for you."
No. Not now. I have no idea what to think about it and how to reply to her.
"I-I don't need an a-answer from you. I already know what it is."
Stupid brain of mine.
"Just don't die!"
I won't.
"But if y-you c-can givemeananswerbythetimeyougetback-"
Didn't she say that she already knows what my answer is?
My right hand reached out to the empty spot where my mother's pendant used to hang around my neck.
It's with her now.
That's my answer.