"Alright, how should we arrange it, Minato-nii!"
Ren immediately darted in front of them, asking with an expectant look.
Fighting was far more interesting than espionage.
"The arrangement is, Fugaku and I will lead the team to crush Kumogakure's Border Line in one fell swoop. We'll push the battlefield back!"
"Good!"
Ren's eyes instantly lit up, and he continued to ask, "What about me? How am I arranged? Or you can even let me lead a team alone!"
The idea was beautiful, but reality was harsh. Minato directly rejected Ren's suggestion.
"No, you are currently only a Special Jonin in name, so you cannot lead a team. We can discuss this matter once you become a Jonin."
After all, it was a matter of great importance. Whether Konoha could seize this opportunity and turn the tide depended on this battle. They couldn't be careless.
"Alright... then who do I go with?"
Ren was briefly disheartened but quickly recovered. Anyway, he had already applied for the Jonin examination, and there would be plenty of opportunities to lead teams, so there was no rush for this one.
"My mission is to destroy the Border Line."
Fugaku leaned against the wall, speaking in a deep voice.
"As for me, several elite squads will intercept the enemy's reinforcement troops, buying time for Fugaku's side. Choose for yourself."
Minato traced a circle on the map with his finger, then turned to look at Ren, saying softly.
"I want to intercept the enemy reinforcements!"
Ren didn't hesitate, making his choice immediately.
Compared to the two options, intercepting the reinforcement troops clearly meant facing more and stronger enemies.
He was practically penniless now; if he didn't make some money, he might not have enough to hire Kakuzu next time.
"Alright, starting tomorrow..."
Just then, a guard from outside the tent entered, saluting and respectfully saying,
"Minato-sama, Fugaku-sama, the intelligence from Galloy's body, which was sent to the Intelligence Department yesterday, has been extracted and organized. The person is waiting outside."
Minato nodded in acknowledgment.
"Let him in."
"Yes!"
The guard turned and left the tent. Soon after, a Chunin walked in with a scroll, left it, and then departed.
"What is it, Minato-nii?"
After Minato opened the scroll, Fugaku and Ren leaned closer. Tens of seconds later, as they all finished reading, the atmosphere inside the tent became somewhat solemn.
"The Third Raikage's only son, the next heir to the name 'A,' and Killer Bee, the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki who inherited the name 'Bee.'"
Fugaku's gaze deepened as he said this, looking at Minato.
The "A-B Combo" was a tradition passed down through generations in Hidden Cloud Village. Each Raikage inherited the name "A," while "Bee" was a partner found to perfectly synchronize with "A."
Tomorrow's operation, the enemy's reinforcement troops would most likely be led by this "A-B Combo."
"No need to worry, Fugaku-senpai."
Minato understood his meaning and said with a slight smile.
"Hmm..."
Although Fugaku didn't say much more, his expression remained somewhat solemn. If it were just one person, Minato could certainly defeat them, but if both were present...
"Uncle Fugaku, just leave it to us. So what if it's the A-B Combo? We're not weak either."
Ren stepped forward two paces at the opportune moment, his face relaxed.
Even if Minato fought the A-B Combo alone, he could advance and retreat freely. With Flying Thunder God, he could retreat even if he was outmatched, let alone now that he had himself along.
Defeat A-B, become famous in Kumogakure, oh ho ho ho.
"Is that so."
Fugaku's expression finally softened.
He also knew from Minato that Ren had become a Perfect Jinchuriki. Coupled with his own strength, helping Minato block the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki and share some of the pressure shouldn't be a problem.
"Oh, by the way, Minato-nii, did you submit my application?"
Suddenly, Ren turned his head, looking at Minato with a light chuckle.
"I sent it via summoning animal this morning. You'll get a reply by tomorrow at the latest, don't worry."
Minato looked at the impatient Ren, sighing helplessly as he rubbed his forehead.
"Is that so? Well, calculating by the summoning animal's speed, it should be on the old man's desk by now, right?"
Based on his achievements and merits, he should certainly be eligible for promotion to Jonin. Then he could lead a team.
Ren's eyes immediately lit up, and he sat at the conference table, happily pondering.
"Stop dreaming. Since you're here, help me with some of these documents."
Just as Ren was daydreaming, a stack of documents suddenly appeared on the conference table in front of him. He looked up to see Minato smiling at him, and the office desk beside them was, at some point, already piled high with more documents.
"These just came in. Well, let's all work hard together."
After Minato finished speaking, he returned to his seat, his expression becoming focused as he entered work mode.
"Uh..."
Ren opened his mouth to say something, but seeing the two stacks of documents next to Fugaku, he instantly closed his mouth, sat down quietly, and began to silently review them.
Meanwhile, in Konoha Village.
Hokage Office.
"Hehehe, this is really good."
Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi was sitting behind his desk, letting out a lewd chuckle as he looked at the crystal ball on his desk. The beautiful scenery half-revealed in the steaming hot spring made Hokage-sama's face flush and his spirits high.
"Caw!"
Just then, an eagle's cry came from outside the window, instantly startling Hiruzen Sarutobi, who was engrossed in the crystal ball. He quickly turned his head to look.
He saw an eagle flying straight towards the window. Upon reaching it, it folded its wings, flew in through the window, and landed on the desk, stopping next to the crystal ball.
"Phew, it's just a messenger eagle."
Hiruzen Sarutobi finally let out a sigh of relief. He wiped his hand across the crystal ball, clearing the image, and then reached for the eagle's leg, where a scroll was tied. It seemed to be intelligence.
"Hmm, it's from Minato's side."
Seeing the mark on it, Hiruzen Sarutobi's expression immediately became focused. He opened the scroll and began to read.
As time passed, the expression on Hiruzen Sarutobi's face changed from calm to joyful, surprised, and finally, astonished. By the time he put down the scroll, he was somewhat dazed.
"Perfect Jinchuriki... that kid!"
A while ago, Kosuke sent back news that Ren had hope of becoming a Perfect Jinchuriki. Although he was happy, he didn't pay too much attention to it.
After all, Ren was still young, and he had originally thought it would take another four or five years of training. He never expected the kid to succeed in less than half a month.
Compared to Kosuke and the others, as the Hokage, he understood the true value of a Perfect Jinchuriki even more.
A controllable Tailed Beast, what that meant went without saying, right?
Hiruzen Sarutobi picked up his pipe nearby, lit it, and began to smoke. Soon, smoke enveloped half of the Hokage Office.
"Promotion to Jonin, huh..."