Shota had the right to decide his team which would go to Konoha with him, and he knew just the right people to take with him.
Well, or rather, the person. He had thought about it carefully and made his choice without hesitation.
The journey to the Leaf Village would be long and important, and he wanted someone strong and reliable by his side. More than that, he wanted someone whose presence would make the trip much more enjoyable for him personally.
"You want me to accompany you to your mission to Konoha? Why?" Pakura asked curiously.
No bets on guessing that the person Shota wanted to bring was Pakura. He had been a huge fan of hers for a long time, and the chance to travel with her for a mission felt like a dream come true.
Shota wanted to answer her by saying, 'Because the trip would be a lot better with you on the trip...' but he kept those words inside and tried to sound professional.
Instead he said, "Lady Pakura, there are various reasons you might be the best person to take on this trip. The Konoha might not take me seriously in negotiations due to my age and lack of experience in politics. You on the other hand have made a name for yourself in the third great shinobi war and are heading the ninjutsu department for the village. You are experienced with negotiations and politics."
He continued explaining his reasons carefully. "And we still do not know fully what happened in Konoha that caused the Nine-Tails attack. Maybe it is just a ruse to break our guard or something is going on behind the scenes."
"We need to be prepared for combat if we are walking into a trap, so it is best to get the most destructive person in the whole village to go with me since Konoha would think twice about attacking someone with Scorch Release once we are in their village."
Of course Shota knew what really happened to Konoha, and he was not scared of handling some politics, but he had to say this to prevent Pakura from taking the decision of not going and to prevent her from being suspicious of him.
And he can't just say that he was in love with her. That would make him a creep and someone might just start calling him Pervy sage instead of Jiraiya.
But Shota also had a genuine reason for bringing Pakura of all people with him, along with the fact that he was a die-hard member of the Pakura fan club. Heck, he had even reached Gold level of her fan club. Anyways back to the genuine reason.
"After visiting Konoha, I would be going to Taki to bring the newly born Seven-Tails Jinchuriki to the village. I would need someone with your level of strength to safely bring the Jinchuriki back if the other villages try to stop us, which I am sure they would try," Shota said.
Pakura gave it some thought before agreeing. "Very well, but I will bring my genin team with me. This would help them with the experience. They have been training hard, and a real mission to another village would be good for their growth. They can learn how to handle diplomacy and combat at the same time. Plus, it will be safer to have more hands if something unexpected happens on the way."
Shota nodded in agreement. He was happy to have Pakura coming along, even if it meant her team would be there too. The genin could be useful, and having more people might make the journey smoother. He smiled to himself, thinking about how the trip would be much more interesting now.
The next day, Pakura and her three genins had gathered. There were two boys and one girl, which was Maki, whom he recognized from the anime.
The team stood ready near the village gates, their bags packed for the long journey. The morning sun was shining brightly over the desert.
As they left the village, the three genins could not help but shiver under the constant glare Shota was making them endure. 'Fucking brats hogging all the attention of Pakura-sama,' Shota thought angrily.
He glared at them whenever Pakura was not looking, making sure they felt his displeasure. The genin shifted uncomfortably, trying to stay close to their sensei for protection.
'Third wheelers. I should be the one getting all the attention...' Shota continued in his mind. For the past two hours, Pakura had not said a word to him but kept on giving advices to her genin.
He imagined himself walking alone with Pakura, talking about missions and sharing stories. Instead, these kids were taking up space and time that could have been his. The thought made him even more annoyed.
'No one would notice if they died during the mission. Then maybe Pakura-san would cry on my shoulders. As for their bodies, it would be a good gift for Sasori-san to welcome back to the village,' Shota thought darkly as the three genins felt a shiver down their spines.
The kids looked at him with wide eyes, sensing something dangerous in his gaze. Shota quickly smiled innocently when Pakura turned around, but the genin stayed extra careful around him for the rest of the journey.
--------Author Notes---------
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