บท 238: Intentions
"So you want us to go to the hidden mist with our squads?" Asuma asked. His team had never done such a mission so he was a bit hesitant. Even though the Ino-Shika-Cho combo is a really good one against multiple enemies, Asuma knew that the 3 kids weren't ready.
Tsunade glanced at Kakashi once and then looked back at Asuma and said "I want yours and Kurenai's team to go and Kakashi I want only you to go without your squad."
Kurenai was about to ask the reason for it so Tsunade quickly said her mind "Kurenai's team is best for sensor and information gathering while Asuma's team has Ino for reading a person's mind, Shikamaru to make plans and lead a small number of people in battle and at last Choji can use expansion jutsu which is useful against multiple opponents.
'So Tsunade-sama knows that Choji has gotten a basic understanding of his clan's jutsu. Seems like she is keeping an eye on everyone at such a time of alertness. I even heard that many departments which used to be under the control of the elders and the civilian council are managed by her now.' Asuma thought as he heard Tsunade's justification.
Tsunade then turned to Kakashi and said "As for your squad not accompanying you..."
"I will thank you for that." Kakashi said and nodded in understanding. Asuma and Kurenai didn't understand why he did that so Kakashi said "Naruto is already out training with Jiraya-sama, Sakura is spending most of her time training medical ninjutsu under Lady Tsunade and Sasuke seems to have found Neji and Lee as his training partner. I never thought those three would become friends. All in all, I don't think my team is ready yet for this...they are busy honing themselves."
"Now the thing is the stone shinobis heavily guard the waterways as per Yami so you all might need to take a longer route to go." Tsunade said.
Shizune who had been quiet until now peeked ahead and said "Lady Tsunade, wouldn't that take almost a week for them to reach if they go like that?"
"Yes it will and I am sure Yami knows this as well. Now Yami did say that the conflict will start soon so either it really is going to start soon or..."
"Or he plans to be the catalyst in inciting the big conflict." Kakashi completed Tsunade's sentence. He knew how Yami was. He knew how to manipulate people and make them think, believe and act as he wants.
Tsunade nodded and said "Yes Kakashi is right. And Yami's thinking is also right. He doesn't want priest Ji and Jiro to provide Moji with a lot of support. The three of you plan the entire thing properly and don't tell your students what the mission is until it's necessary."
The three of them understood why Tsunade had to say that. Although this isn't a big war like the great ninja wars, for the Hidden mist it was a war...a war which had no common ground and no room for compromise. At times like this, it was obvious for genins and chunins to be captured by the opposition and for them to be tortured for information.
The three jonins nodded and then turned to the hearts. Tsunade also looked at them and walked ahead to one of the containers and said "Yami said that when the seal on the jar was broken, sounds of painful screams came from these hearts. As for their belief in Lord Jashin, we do have information that people of this religion do practice human sacrifice. Yami doesn't know how much a person's strength increases but he did say that the people he fought didn't have these hearts implanted which brings us to the conclusion that there are serious side effects. I will study these hearts but I am not very hopeful as they are destroyed and I do not know what kind of power this Lord Jashin holds."
"Lady Tsunade we will make the necessary preparations and leave tomorrow morning. Have you sent any reply to Yami?" Asuma asked.
Tsunade shook her head and said "No I thought I will write the reply after you guys have left. Is there anything you want me to write in there?"
The three jonins talked among themselves for a few seconds and said "Lady Tsunade as we already need to take the long route to go there, we would be thankful if the bloodline clans know that we are coming. The last thing we need after we go there is to get thrown in their prison. And Kakashi has a better suggestion." Asuma said.
Tsunade looked at Kakashi who scratched his head and said "I think you should send a letter to someone from the bloodline clans so that Yami doesn't have to do anything and the misunderstanding is cleared at the top level."
Tsunade looked at Kakashi and for a few seconds and nodded as she said "Fine I will contact someone from the bloodline clans and tell them about our readiness to help them and send 2 squads as well."
After talking for a minute or two, Asuma and the others were leaving when Tsunade removed her surgical mask and said "Kakashi stay back for a minute."
Kakashi nodded and waited for everyone to leave. As everyone left, Tsunade's expression became a little more serious as she said "Don't think I don't know what you are trying to do Kakashi"
Kakashi just shrugged and said "I don't know what you are talking about Lady Tsunade."
Tsunade sat on one of the chairs nearby and said "Cut the crap Kakashi...you knew that if we told Yami to tell the bloodline clans of your arrival there then his identity would be exposed and he won't be able to do what he intends to. I also liked that tactic as it would have made the situation more controllable and predictable. Now by me telling someone from the bloodline clans, our people in their custody become free which means Yami doesn't have to worry about them and Yami also gets to keep his identity as Yuta. Why would you want to do that?"
'It would have been obvious if the one standing in front of me is Lord 3rd but Lady Tsunade is also good in all this. I shouldn't have underestimated her.' Kakashi thought. He hadn't indeed underestimated or looked down on Tsunade but he knew she was someone who liked things straight and simple.
"Uhh...Lady Tsunade I don't think the 3 spies getting caught or the kidnapping by the Mizukage faction was out of Yami's expectations." Kakashi said to which Tsunade slammed her hands on the table and leaned toward Kakashi while half standing.
"EXACTLY...why did he risk so much? I don't think that it accomplished anything except..." that's when Tsunade realized something and said in a calm tone "He is pushing a small conflict into a full-blown war...isn't he?"
Kakashi nodded and said "That's the direction he is currently headed in. And if I look at the big picture then it is the right direction."
"You mean it will give a significant blow to the hidden stone and since the hidden sand and mist are already in enough peril we can focus on the Akatsuki." Tsunade said as she massaged her chin.
"Yes, we hardly know anything about their organization, and according to what Jiraya-sama told me every member of that Organization is an S-ranked criminal in the bingo book." Kakashi said.
"Fine, I will permit Yami to do anything he wants till it is for this village and its people. But when you reach there make sure that he isn't seeing and doing more than one should. We can't forget that he is just 10 years old."
"Lady Tsunade I have already stopped considering him a kid... the fact he even went toe to toe with Itachi last month is already enough to consider him S-ranked." Kakashi made his point as he turned around to leave.
'That same Itachi will go ballistic if something happens to Yami. I have never seen a talent like him...no wonder sensei chose to keep even the smallest detail about him hidden from the public eye.' Tsunade thought as she watched Itachi leave. She then turned to the destroyed hearts and said "I should start my research and find a way to make them useless or they could become a big problem in the future"
While Kakashi was discussing with Tsunade, Asuma and Kurenai went to their respective squads to tell them that they will be going on a mission soon. The problem was they couldn't disclose anything about the mission until the last moment so they were a little hesitant as to what to say. Asuma knew that Shikamaru would try various different ways to figure it out.
As for Team Kurenai at first, they were a little annoyed as they had just come from a mission an hour ago but when they heard that Team Asuma will also be going, they were pumped up to show their progress.
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