"I..."
Minato had just finished speaking when Nawaki eagerly tried to prove himself.
Unfortunately for him, Jiraiya raised a hand, cutting him off:
"No need to say anything, I know what you're thinking. Since that's the case, let's go all out this time.
Everyone, rest up for ten minutes, then prepare for battle!"
The excitement on Nawaki's face slowly faded.
Did I even say anything?
Jiraiya, are you targeting me on purpose?!
He said they should rest, but really, it was just time to adjust their strategy.
Jiraiya took out an oilcloth map, staring at it intently. Xin patted him on the shoulder:
"There's nothing to overthink. Just push forward and take them down."
"And what about their reinforcements?" Jiraiya asked, exasperated.
"We fight them. We're a squad of twenty Jonin. How many forces do you think Kirigakure needs to throw at us to really give us trouble? Don't forget, we have Minato. If things look bad, we retreat. As long as Kirigakure doesn't get comfortable, we've completed our mission."
"Holding our position has too many risks. Comparatively, I prefer taking the initiative."
If he had a choice, Xin wouldn't be opting for this chaos, but the problem was that the sea belonged to Kirigakure. They had all the leverage, and Konoha was at a disadvantage.
That was the most frustrating part.
Otherwise, why would Konoha have to go through the trouble of ripping open a gap in their defenses?
They could simply wait at their camp for the enemy to come to them.
Any enemy infiltrating behind their lines was Orochimaru's problem, not theirs.
"... Kind of makes sense," Jiraiya said after a pause.
Enough with overanalyzing-let's just push through.
Even if Kirigakure reacts quickly, it will still take them time to respond. During that time, they can wreak havoc.
Even if Kirigakure mobilizes their forces, it'll take a while to surround them. With Minato's abilities, they can attack or retreat whenever they want. Plus, with Xin's strength, they were secure.
This plan was solid.
After analyzing it again, Jiraiya rolled up the map, ending his chaotic train of thought. "Alright, everyone get ready. Xin, Minato, take care of their lookouts."
"No problem," Minato said confidently.
Minato's Flying Thunder God technique and Xin's ability to conceal his presence made them ideal for eliminating enemy lookouts.
If time weren't a concern, Jiraiya wouldn't even send Minato-Xin could have easily handled them all.
With that, Xin and Minato disappeared into the night, leaving the rest to wait.
"Sir, isn't this approach a bit too risky?" Hyuga Junichi voiced his concern.
He still wasn't comfortable with taking unnecessary risks. He felt their job was to carry out Orochimaru's orders, not to alter the plan on a whim.
"It'll be fine," Jiraiya reassured him.
"Don't underestimate Xin, or you'll be in for a surprise. As long as he has confidence, and with Minato by our side, we can afford to be bold."