Because they were taking a detour, the group had to quicken their pace to avoid spending too much time on the road. At this moment, speed was of the essence; the longer they delayed, the greater the pressure of war would be on other fronts. After passing through forest after forest, the group left the borders of the Land of Fire and entered the Land of Rice Fields. Although the Land of Rice Fields was also on alert, a seven-man Ninja squad could easily slip into the country.
"Lady Momoka, I wonder where the people from Iwagakure will meet us?" Fūmori Masaki asked.
"Probably at this location," Senju Touka said, taking out a map to show everyone. "But the exact position still needs to be confirmed with the Byakugan. Is that alright?"
Hyūga Kei nodded and said, "Please rest assured. Once I discover the people from Iwagakure, I will report immediately."
"Since they are here to assist in this raid, Iwagakure shouldn't have sent too many people. After all, a large group is easily discovered," Inuzuka Shigeru remarked.
"No matter how few they are, they must be elites; otherwise, why send them?" Yamanaka Takuma said. "Or do you think they won't put in their best effort? If that were the case, Iwagakure might as well have declared war on the Land of Fire directly rather than annoying people by forming an alliance."
"That's not what I meant. Iwagakure's responsibility should be to draw the attention of the logistics defense force. If there are too few people, can they do it?" Inuzuka Shigeru explained.
"Don't worry about that. Although Earth Release isn't a particularly destructive ninjutsu, if it's used to cause a major disturbance, it's far more effective than other styles. Perhaps only Water Release at sea can compare to it," Sarutobi Kōnosuke laughed. "I use Earth Release myself, so I have a say in this. No need to doubt it."
"Yes, and it won't just be them; I will also participate in the task of drawing the enemy's attention," Senju Touka said at this point. Her Genjutsu could be used against individuals or on a large scale, making it suitable for coordinating with Iwagakure. "However, as for the task of destroying the logistics supplies, I'll have to rely on you all. I'm too slow for that."
Senju Touka's weakness was that her destructive power wasn't very strong. She could use Genjutsu to take down a large number of people, but supplies are not living beings and wouldn't be destroyed by illusions. Fūmori Masaki and the others, however, could exert destructive power beyond hers, making them the most suitable for the sabotage mission.
"Understood," Fūmori Masaki, Inuzuka Shigeru, and Sarutobi Kōnosuke said in unison. They were the main force this time. As for Hyūga Kei, Yamanaka Takuma, and Senju Risa, they were better suited for rear support or individual combat, at most taking out some peripheral personnel to assist the main trio.
Senju Touka led her subordinates toward the rendezvous point, doing her best to avoid contact with the troops of the Land of Rice Fields. Although it was unlikely the Land of Rice Fields would side with the Land of Lightning, there was no guarantee they wouldn't try to curry favor secretly. It was better to be cautious. Under Senju Touka's Genjutsu, these people didn't even notice them, carrying out their duties in total ignorance.
As they neared their destination, Hyūga Kei focused all his mental energy on his Byakugan, searching carefully for traces of Iwagakure. Soon, he saw a ten-man squad in a small grove. The forehead protectors they wore identified them as Iwagakure Ninja. Seeing nothing else suspicious, he informed Senju Touka.
Senju Touka immediately led the group over. Before making direct contact, she sent a signal to identify themselves, lest the other party mistake them for enemies. Upon receiving a reply, Senju Touka met with the Iwagakure unit. She was somewhat surprised to see that the person standing at the front of the squad was a short individual.
Fūmori Masaki's gaze narrowed slightly. He recognized the short man's identity; it was the future Third Tsuchikage, Ōnoki. He hadn't expected him to be the captain for this raid plan.
Although Senju Touka didn't know Ōnoki's identity, the fact that he could serve as captain indicated his extraordinary strength.
She did not mock him for his height. At this time, Konohagakure tried its best not to fall out with Iwagakure, not only because they needed their assistance for the upcoming mission, but also to avoid putting even more pressure on the Land of Fire.
To show some friendliness, Senju Touka took the lead in introducing herself. When Ōnoki learned that the woman before him was from the Senju Clan, he nodded slightly. Because of Hashirama, he subconsciously felt that members of the Senju Clan were reasonable people. If it were the Uchiha Clan, however, hmph—
"Greetings, Jonin Touka. I am Ōnoki, a disciple of the Second Tsuchikage. This time, I will assist you in raiding the Land of Lightning's supply line." Despite not disliking the Senju Clan much, Ōnoki still didn't really want to say nice things to people from Konohagakure. However, he had to, which made his expression look a bit stiff.
How could Senju Touka not see Ōnoki's inner reluctance? It seemed this Iwagakure Ninja had no good feelings toward Konohagakure. Even so, she said with a smile, "So you are a disciple of the Second Tsuchikage. What a coincidence; we also have a disciple of the Second Hokage here."
Fūmori Masaki stepped forward and said to Ōnoki, "Hello, my name is Fūmori Masaki."
Ōnoki thought back on the major clans in Konohagakure, but there didn't seem to be a surname like Fūmori. This meant the other party came from a small Ninja Clan, yet could become a disciple of the Second Hokage. It seemed this person must have some outstanding qualities.
"Fūmori Masaki, I see. Hello," Ōnoki nodded, his expression still somewhat stiff.
"Just call me Fūmori. I am very grateful that Iwagakure is willing to assist the Land of Fire in this counter-offensive against an invasive war. Thank you." Fūmori Masaki bowed slightly toward Ōnoki.
Ōnoki was momentarily stunned. He hadn't expected this Konoha Ninja to perform such a gesture. The Iwagakure Ninja behind him also looked at each other in surprise, and even Senju Touka and the others were dazed.
"Years ago, the Ninja World was in turmoil. Every Ninja Clan fought one another, casualties were constant, and everyone wept because of war. Twelve years ago, the First Hokage, Lord Hashirama, along with your Village's First Tsuchikage, Lord Ishikawa, and the other three Kage, jointly signed the Five Kage Pact, agreeing that the Ninja World would no longer resort to arms and would protect the peace. In the ten years that followed, the Ninja World regained its tranquility, nations flourished, the people lived in peace and prosperity, and we Ninjas no longer had to send our children to the battlefield, living harmoniously in our Villages." At this point, Fūmori Masaki's tone shifted. "However, a few months ago, Kumogakure disregarded the pact, tearing up the agreement out of their own ambition to invade our country. In contrast, Iwagakure still maintains the spirit of upholding the agreement, condemning the actions of the Land of Lightning and resolutely deciding to assist our country in resisting aggression. To the Land of Earth and Iwagakure, I express my heartfelt thanks."
Ōnoki was a bit bewildered. Were they really that noble? Originally, Iwagakure assisted the Land of Fire against the Land of Lightning only because they didn't want the Land of Lightning to shift its targets or increase its national power by annexing the Land of Fire's territory. To say they did it to uphold a peace agreement was complete nonsense.
Fūmori Masaki continued, "The Land of Lightning's invasive behavior has no moral justification; this is an unrighteous war. A peace-loving nation like the Land of Earth will likely be targeted by those aggressors in the future as well. To protect our citizens and the people in our Villages, we must defeat them! I hope that in the coming war, we can fight together to maintain the order of the Ninja World and fight for the protection of the people."
After speaking, Fūmori Masaki extended his hand toward Ōnoki. Ōnoki was left completely dazed by Fūmori Masaki's words. If he didn't know the truth, he really would have thought his Village was that noble. In fact, the Iwagakure Ninja behind him had already been moved by Fūmori Masaki's words, feeling that they were indeed maintaining the order of the Ninja World and protecting peace.
"Yes, let's fight together." Ōnoki snapped back to his senses and shook hands with Fūmori Masaki. Although his Village wasn't truly peace-loving as Fūmori Masaki described, he had to admit that such words were very pleasant to hear. No one dislikes someone who praises their own Ninja Village, especially when the other party is from another Village, making the words seem more sincere. At the same time, he was somewhat surprised—were the people of Konohagakure really this noble?
Although Senju Touka didn't understand why Fūmori Masaki was doing this, it seemed to have brought them much closer to the Iwagakure Ninja, so she said nothing and remarked, "Alright, everyone, let's study the Land of Lightning's logistics situation and think about how to execute the raid plan."
"Come on." Hearing this, Fūmori Masaki pulled Ōnoki to sit down on the spot.
"Uh, ah." Ōnoki followed Fūmori Masaki's lead and sat down. By the time he reacted, he was astonished at how he had suddenly become as close to the other man as if they were friends of many years.