Investigation Mission

Minato and Shintaro arrived at the training camp where Orochimaru was located.

The three of them gathered again around a table.

Orochimaru got straight to the point: "There is now a high likelihood that Kumogakure will have the strength to break through our defensive line and attack. Our defensive line protects the strategic arteries between the Land of Rivers and the Land of Frost, completely blocking Kumogakure from passing through the Land of Rivers to attack the mainland of the Land of Fire. Therefore, the Kumogakure ninjas might want to use shock troops to break the stalemate."

Minato added: "Our military strength is at a disadvantage, so our response strategy can only be passive. The only troops we can mobilize in the camp now are my thousand soldiers, but now there are only just over 900 due to casualties. That's why we can't divide our forces further. The enemy's shock troops are conservatively estimated to number four thousand. Our troops must ensure that they act together to maintain combat effectiveness."

Shintaro immediately understood their point, "You mean the troops will remain stationary, send some teams to investigate the enemy's whereabouts, and then provide support?"

Minato's eyes showed appreciation, but Orochimaru wasn't surprised at all; Shintaro had been his assistant for some time.

Orochimaru pointed to the sand table and said, "Minato and I have discussed that Kumogakure may have three possible directions for their attack."

"First, landing on the coast of the Land of Rivers, and then attacking the fragile border defense line of the Land of Rivers. Second, still landing from the Land of Rivers, but turning and entering the Land of Frost to encircle us with the main force of the Kumogakure Ninjas. Third, bypassing our defense line from the southeast by sea, landing and attacking an undefended area, or even directly assaulting the eastern coast of the Land of Fire. We must guard these three directions, so I am assigning this mission to Minato."

He raised his hand to signal Minato to present his thoughts.

"Due to the limited troops, I plan to send only five teams to spread out for investigation. There are many undefended areas in the Land of Rivers, so three teams will be sent there, one team to the eastern Land of Fire, and the last to the Land of Frost. The last team has the most challenging mission because the enemy is more likely to land in the Land of Frost, and you also have to determine their attack direction. Therefore, I decided to assign this mission to you and Inuzuka Gaku's team."

Shintaro agreed, "No problem."

Minato warned again: "We must avoid combat and ensure safety. If we find enemy traces, we must immediately inform the Defense Line and Headquarters."

"Understood." Shintaro replied. With his current strength, he was very confident in completing this mission.

Orochimaru nodded in satisfaction and said: "Without further delay, you will set off immediately."

Shintaro was about to turn and leave when Minato stopped him and said: "Be sure to pay attention to safety. Also, the person in charge of the defense line is Hyuga Hiashi, the leader of the Hyuga Clan. You can ask him to support your team with some personnel. The Hyuga Clan's Byakugan is very effective in investigation missions."

Shintaro thought for a moment and then replied, "Alright, I will go to the Defense Line first."

He then left the training camp and went to Inuzuka Gaku's team to inform the four of them about the mission.

The four had different reactions.

Gaku calmly accepted the mission. As a senior Konoha Jonin, he had seen many missions of this level. Although this mission was difficult, it was essentially an investigation mission.

As a ninja of the Inuzuka Clan, he was not only skilled in ninja techniques like physical attacks with animals but also had a keen sense of smell.

Therefore, investigation missions were often carried out.

Daichi remained the enthusiastic young man who only cared about military achievements regardless of the danger. He hoped: "After this mission is successful, I can always be promoted to Special Jonin! Shintaro, you will definitely be promoted then. You might be promoted to Jonin in no time."

Isamu frowned and said, "It's such a dangerous mission to investigate the presence of 4,000 enemy soldiers."

Takuto sighed and said, "There are more than four thousand of them…"

Daichi tiptoed and patted them both, then confidently said, "Don't worry, I will protect you."

Takuto sneered and said, "I don't know who was just saved by the two of us."

Isamu also stated: "You better protect yourself first!"

Daichi crossed his arms and remained silent to express his dissatisfaction.

At this moment, Gaku stood up and took control of the situation, saying: "Enough, stop arguing, pack your things quickly, and we will leave in five minutes."

Everyone returned to the camp, put on all their gear, and took supplies for three days.

They set off at dusk and headed straight to the Defense Line. Around eleven o'clock at night, they arrived at the Defense Line.

After reporting their identities to the patrol guards, Shintaro and the group met Hyuga Hiashi.

Hiashi wore a tight black combat uniform with a green Jonin vest over it. Although he had a headscarf to protect his forehead, Shintaro knew the other party was a member of the Hyuga Clan.

"You want reinforcements from the Hyuga Clan?"

Since Shintaro and the group had already explained their intentions during the briefing, Hiashi got straight to the point.

"Correct." Shintaro, as the person in charge of this mission, answered the question.

After getting Shintaro's confirmation, Hiashi signaled to the people outside the camp to come in.

The man was dressed similarly to Hiashi and looked very much like him.

However, Shintaro's keen eyes could clearly see that the man had a curse mark on his head, covered by a headscarf.

"This is my brother, Hyuga Hizashi. His strength is on par with mine. I'm sure he can assist you." Hiashi introduced.

Hizashi greeted Shintaro and the group politely.

Shintaro didn't hesitate, and after receiving the reinforcements, he led them away from the defense line.

Time was short, and the mission was heavy, so there was no room for unnecessary delay.

Hizashi was relatively quiet all the way but also very cooperative, investigating the Land of Rivers area with Shintaro and Inuzuka Gaku's team.

Several people investigated from the defense line to the north, and then to the east of the Hot Water Nation's defense line.

Shintaro was worried that Kumogakure's troops would approach.

Fortunately, no traces of Kumogakure Ninjas were found, and several people sighed in relief.

"It seems that the Kumogakure ninjas haven't gone deep into the Land of Rivers…" Hizashi said seriously, with veins bulging around his eyes, looking somewhat fierce.

He then closed his eyes.

Shintaro agreed from the side and sighed inwardly: In terms of field of vision alone, the Byakugan is superior.

Gaku stood up and said, "Even so, we must not be careless. The enemy hasn't penetrated deeper, meaning we will penetrate deeper. We must be more cautious from now on."