"Since that's the case, the two of us can only wait for the results then. I really hope Anka joins our family; I liked that girl the moment I saw her."
During the competition, Naori really liked Anka's hosting, but privately, the two of them hadn't had much interaction.
If she became her sister-in-law, Naori would be absolutely delighted. They could even have dinner together every night and chat about little gossips.
Naori knew Anka wasn't the introverted type of girl, and she also really liked her personality.
Both of them were quite outgoing, so the two sisters-in-law would definitely get along very well.
Torifu listened to Naori's words and pulled her hand, patting it. "Don't worry," he said, "Amado is an ambitious one; he'll definitely succeed."
"Alright, I hope Amado can also pull his weight a bit."
Naori then brought up the matter of the Rain Province again, asking if she also needed to go and help.
The answer she received was naturally affirmative. Naori's combat power was among the top in Konohagakure, even stronger than some clan leaders.
If there was going to be a final decisive battle this time, Naori would definitely have to go.
"Alright, I'll start getting ready then," she said. "I had originally planned to lead a squad, but that will have to wait until things have settled down."
Naori had found it quite boring staying at home during the New Year period. She had originally intended to go out and work once the holidays were over, but various matters had left her with little energy.
Torifu consoled her, "There's no rush. Wait for a while, and perhaps you'll even discover some better prospects."
The couple chatted on and off like this, and time quickly flew by.
A day passed quickly. The next morning, Torifu woke up and quickly washed and dressed.
After arriving in the courtyard, Minato, Yahiko, and Konan were already ready to depart.
"Master, you're awake?" Yahiko scratched his head, smiling. "We had intended to leave quietly so as not to disturb your sleep."
But Torifu tapped his head with a finger. "You rascal, I am your Master," he said. "Going so far this time, how could I not come to see you off? And soon, there's a familiar person we need to meet. If everyone is ready, let's go quickly."
The three children nodded repeatedly. They, on the other hand, had nothing left to prepare; they had already packed most of their things over the past few days.
Last night, Mistress had reorganized everything for them again; all their belongings were complete and stored inside the sealing scrolls at their waists.
Torifu led the children away from the Kumotsuru Clan compound without making much noise, so as not to disturb Naori and Akihara's sleep.
Naori had stayed up late packing for them last night; she deserved to sleep a little longer.
The four of them had just left the Kumotsuru Clan compound not long ago when they saw a large group of people standing on Konohagakure's main street.
It was still very early. The streetlights on both sides had only just been extinguished, and many of the vendors for the morning market were just pushing out their carts.
"Hmm, looks like perfect timing," Torifu said, nodding in satisfaction. He then led them towards the main group.
This was the only remaining squad within Konohagakure, comprised entirely of shinobi who had urgent matters to attend to and couldn't depart immediately.
The squad leader was an elite jōnin; Torifu had some impression of him, and his strength was quite good.
"Hokage-sama! You actually came in person!"
Torifu nodded in acknowledgment. "Isn't everyone about to depart to protect our country?" he said. "Of course, I had to come out to see you off, and also to bring these children over. They all signed up earlier."
The squad leader collected information for every registered shinobi. He naturally knew Minato and the others would also be coming, so he wasn't surprised by Torifu's words.
"Understood, Hokage-sama," the squad leader said. "Currently, most of the personnel have arrived. The squad will depart in about twenty minutes."
The squad leader actively reported on the work to Torifu; such people always left a good impression.
Torifu's favorable impression of him increased significantly, so he took the opportunity to inform them of the current situation in the Rain Province, as well as the people they needed to liaise with upon entering the Land of Rain, and the matters to be handled.
The many squads that departed earlier must have already begun their search within the Rain Province.
Those who went later would definitely have to spend time to understand and learn, and surely expend a lot of energy seeking information.
And Torifu telling them was just a matter of convenience; why not?
Another point was that this operation had no national boundaries; free passage was allowed everywhere in the entire Land of Rain.
This was a consensus reached by the three Kage. Presumably, this would also make things more efficient, but with more people, some disorder was inevitable.
All Torifu could do was ensure Konohagakure's shinobi kept to their duties, but they didn't need to be overly tolerant. If others didn't offend them, they wouldn't offend others—this was Konohagakure's basic principle.
"Thank you, Hokage-sama! If you hadn't informed us of the situation in the Rain Province, we wouldn't have been able to execute our mission immediately upon arrival."
All the shinobi in the squad also thanked Torifu in unison, but everyone deliberately kept their voices low.
Fearing they might disturb the sleep of the surrounding villagers.
Seeing this scene, Torifu felt immense comfort in his heart. "Very good," he said. "With shinobi like you, this small rebellion will surely be quelled quickly."
"However, when you're away from home, the mission isn't the most important thing; safety is," he continued. "Always remember that you have family waiting for you at home."
Regarding the matters in the Rain Province, none had reached a point where success needed to be bought with casualties.
Any difficult matter could be entrusted to more powerful shinobi to complete.
One should just do what their strength allowed. If it came down to it, Torifu was there to back them up.
"Yes! We understand, Hokage-sama!"
The squad waited another twenty minutes. During this time, people continuously joined the squad.
There were also some who hadn't received a mission but wanted to 'fish in troubled waters', all of whom were found by the squad leader and handed over to Torifu for handling.
However, these shinobi hadn't actually committed any wrongdoing; they merely wanted to observe for a while, and it simply resulted in them not taking up the mission.
Whether they were doing it for position or genuinely for the Rain Province, Torifu would not punish them.
He merely gave them a verbal warning and let them leave.
And just as the squad was about to set off, the last person also arrived belatedly.
"Ahahaha, my apologies everyone, I'm a bit late," he said.
The newcomer had long hair, spiky like a hedgehog and fanned out behind his head. A large scroll was strapped to his back.
His wooden clogs clacked noisily as he walked towards everyone with a cheerful smile.
"Jiraiya-sama, why are you here?" the squad leader asked. "You're not on the list!"
The squad leader was utterly bewildered at this moment. His roster already showed everyone present and ready to depart, so what was Jiraiya-sama doing here?
Yahiko and Konan, on the other hand, were overjoyed, waving at Jiraiya. "Mentor! Are you going to the Rain Province too?!"
Jiraiya first nodded to the squad leader, Yahiko, and Konan as a gesture of acknowledgment.
Then he walked over to Torifu. "Big Brother Torifu," he said, "rest assured this time. I'll be taking these three youngsters on the mission with me; no accidents will happen."
Torifu patted his shoulder. "Okay, I trust your strength," he said.
Although it was said that Minato and the others were going out for training, the Rain Province, after all, held hidden threats. So, arranging a guardian for his younger brother and disciples was perfectly reasonable, wasn't it?
Isn't that how it's always written in novels?