Chapter 72 – Assignment of Roles
Whoosh—
At dusk, beneath the curtain of night, Aburame Ryūma and the painted-mask Root operative moved swiftly through the forest.
"Are we just leaving like this? Will they really carry out the mission?" the painted-mask shinobi asked while being supported mid-leap.
"They will," Ryūma replied with certainty.
"You're that sure?"
"Among Anbu Squad Eleven, Kakashi, Shisui, and Guy's loyalty is beyond question. They won't disobey the village's orders.
As for Akimichi Ryuya—if he still wants to remain in Konoha, he won't make an unwise choice."
The painted-mask operative fell silent for a moment before speaking bitterly, "You seem quite confident in them. Wasn't that Akimichi brat once a dead-last? How did he suddenly become so strong?"
Ryūma paused briefly before answering, "His situation is… special. Danzō-sama is still observing him."
"Special? Hmph. A shinobi who refuses to submit to Danzō-sama should be eliminated," the painted-mask operative said hatefully.
Clearly, the humiliation earlier had planted resentment toward Ryuya.
Ryūma said nothing more.
Compared to Ryuya, what concerned him more was Uchiha Shisui.
That young prodigy's strength was terrifying.
With a single glance, he had subdued a Root elite through genjutsu. That level of power already stood at the peak of Konoha.
And he was only fourteen.
For the village—and for Danzō-sama—the emergence of such a figure within the Uchiha clan was not good news.
Perhaps this mission would claim his life.
Maybe that, too, was part of Danzō-sama's design.
A pity about Kakashi and Guy.
With complicated thoughts swirling in their minds, the two figures gradually disappeared into the night.
"Ah! This is wonderful! Ryuya-kun, this is youth!"
Back in the cave, the moment Ryuya agreed to go, Guy rushed over and slapped his shoulder enthusiastically, flashing a bright thumbs-up and a gleaming smile.
"Get lost!" Ryuya snapped, nearly stumbling from the impact.
Guy didn't mind the insult at all and remained brimming with excitement.
Kakashi and Shisui said nothing, but their gazes toward Ryuya carried a trace of acknowledgment.
"Alright," Kakashi finally spoke. "Let's discuss role assignments. Time is tight—we must act quickly."
Conflicts between the Five Great Shinobi Villages were never isolated.
More than nine months ago, when Kumogakure launched its surprise assault on Konoha, Iwagakure immediately responded. Large forces were mobilized to the southern border of the Land of Earth, posing as though ready to strike either Konoha or Kumo at any moment.
Like a Sword of Damocles, it hung over both villages.
This posture had limited the scale of war between Konoha and Kumogakure, as each had to remain wary of an Iwa ambush.
But after months of continuous fighting, both Konoha and Kumo had suffered significant attrition.
Now, Iwagakure was beginning to stir.
The Land of Fire lay closer to the Land of Earth than the distant Land of Lightning. If Iwa chose to launch a surprise attack, Konoha would likely be the primary target.
Compared to striking far-off Kumogakure, attacking the Land of Fire would yield quicker results.
For that reason, upon receiving intelligence, the Third Hokage was desperate to bring the war with Kumo to an end.
Although this assault mission had been delivered through Root, it had been approved by the Hokage's Office.
Konoha—still reeling from the Nine-Tails' attack—could not endure a two-front war against both Kumogakure and Iwagakure.
"I'll take the vanguard!"
Guy stepped forward first, eyes blazing with fervor.
"No," Kakashi immediately rejected the proposal. "This time, we're heavily outnumbered. We can't make a frontal assault—we must infiltrate first."
He turned his gaze to Shisui.
The Kumogakure depot housed hundreds of shinobi. With only four of them, brute force was impossible. Only strategy would work.
The best option was stealth infiltration and internal sabotage.
Among Squad Eleven, Shisui's genjutsu was undoubtedly the key to controlling sentries along the way.
"I'll do it," Shisui responded decisively. "I'll clear a path first. You follow behind."
Ryuya's eyes flickered slightly but he raised no objection.
With Shisui's mastery of genjutsu, he was the perfect spearhead.
"Good," Kakashi concluded firmly. "Shisui and I will infiltrate the Kumogakure supply camp. Once inside, you'll use genjutsu to extract the location of the stored provisions—then we destroy them in one strike."
"And us?" Guy asked after waiting a moment.
"You and Ryuya will remain at the camp entrance," Kakashi answered. "Be ready to provide support at any time."
"Just you and Shisui?" Ryuya frowned. "Isn't that too few?"
Kakashi shook his head. "Stealth is the priority. Shisui and I both have the Sharingan—it gives us an edge in infiltration.
If we alert the hundreds of Kumo shinobi, even all four of us inside won't change the outcome. It's better for you two to guard the perimeter and cover our retreat.
Also, your summoning beast—the giant green serpent—is too large to maneuver within a valley camp. Keeping it outside will help ensure our escape."
Ryuya frowned but said nothing more.
That night, after finalizing their assignments, the four rested early, preparing to depart at dawn for the eastern border of the Land of Hot Water.
Konoha – Hokage's Office
Bright lamplight illuminated the room.
Standing before the glass window behind his desk, the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, quietly gazed over the sleeping village.
Moonlight bathed Konoha in silver. One by one, lights in the village had gone dark, leaving the Hidden Leaf peaceful and still.
Shh—
A figure appeared silently in the room—an Anbu wearing an eagle mask—kneeling before the desk.
"Hokage-sama, intelligence from the front confirms that Elder Danzō's Root operatives have delivered the mission scroll to Squad Eleven."
Beneath the Hokage's hat, the aged face of Hiruzen showed a trace of sorrow.
He gave no verbal reply—only waved a hand dismissively without turning around.
The eagle-masked Anbu bowed slightly and vanished.
Moments later, a quiet sigh echoed through the Hokage's office.
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