Chapter 229: S-Rank Mission
The Hokage's Office.
"What? A mission to the Land of Snow?"
Tonbo Tobitake listened in shock to the new task Hiruzen Sarutobi was handing him.
Hiruzen nodded. "Yes. An S-rank confidential mission. You will lead a squad to escort the Princess of the Land of Snow, Fujikaze Yukie—originally known as Princess Koyuki Kazahana—who has been in exile for over a decade, back to the Land of Fire. The objective is to eliminate the current usurper of the Land of Snow, Doto Kazahana, and have Koyuki Kazahana succeed him as the rightful ruler."
"..."
This news was genuinely staggering. Tonbo couldn't wrap his head around it. Wasn't this Kakashi's job? Why was it falling to him? He remembered that Kakashi was the one who handled the Land of Snow mission years ago; surely he was more familiar with the situation.
"With just one squad? That seems impossible, doesn't it?"
As Tonbo's intelligence network grew, he had paid some attention to the Land of Snow. Unlike the Land of Waves, the Land of Snow had its own dedicated hidden village: the Snow Ninja. They were currently under Doto Kazahana's control. It wouldn't be like the movies from his past life where there were only three or four ninjas total.
Furthermore, ninjas weren't even their primary strength. The Land of Snow was a heavy-industry nation—one of the most technologically advanced countries outside the Land of Lightning. Because they were located overseas and remained untouched by the Great Shinobi Wars, they possessed modern technology including railways.
Tonbo was confident he could take down Doto, but helping someone seize the throne? That wasn't a task for a single squad.
Hiruzen smiled. "Rest assured, besides our Konoha team, the Land of Fire's Royal Guard will provide a unit to support you. Your goal is to gather intelligence within the Land of Snow and hand it over to them. Additionally, intel suggests there is a resistance force inside the country waiting for Koyuki's return. You won't be fighting alone. They've been waiting for this chance for a long time."
Tonbo sighed. "Alright. It's a good chance to see the world outside, I suppose."
Lord Third... if this is heaven's will, then rest in peace. Tonbo really felt the world had a "corrective force" to it.
"When do we leave?"
"Immediately. The sooner, the better."
"And my teammates?" Tonbo asked.
Hiruzen chuckled. "Come in."
The door opened, and three figures walked in.
"These are the new Chunin promoted last year. You know them. Shuuya Goenji, Yuuto Kido, and Jinsuke Genda."
"Oh, it's you guys!"
Tonbo recognized them immediately. Last year, when he was the chief instructor, they were among the Genin promoted to Chunin, and he had even taken them through his "Battlefield Simulation" special training. He'd even spent a bit of his own money on secret medicines for them.
Yuuto Kido spoke up: "Captain Tonbo, please look after us on this mission." Genda and Goenji greeted him with equal respect. Last year's training had given them a deeper understanding of death and made them much stronger. They were genuinely happy to work with Captain Tonbo.
"Mhm. Let's work well together," Tonbo nodded. He was quite satisfied with these three. At sixteen, they were already Chunin and formed the backbone of Konoha's forces. Their talent wasn't bad, though Tonbo felt that having them there wouldn't change the outcome much—their job was espionage and intel handover, after all.
Hiruzen briefed them on the specific mission flow.
"Alright, let's go." After the briefing, Tonbo led the three out of the office.
I hope nothing goes wrong, Hiruzen thought. He wasn't worried about the mission's completion—he acknowledged Tonbo's intelligence-gathering abilities as superior to most ninjas in the village. He was simply worried that if the other Great Nations found out, it might spark a war. Even with a legitimate reason, war sometimes doesn't need a reason at all.
Whoosh!
Poof!
Tonbo performed the Shadow Clone Jutsu, sending a clone to handle loose ends: Sakura and Ino's training, and the upcoming "Konoha Crush" plan by Orochimaru. He had to ensure his family could escape if war broke out. His three teammates watched but said nothing, following closely behind him.
"Another mission? During the Chunin Exams? That's terrible," Ayame complained when she heard the news. Lately, Ichiraku Ramen had become incredibly popular, and even the main shop was busy enough to kill them. Now Tonbo was leaving again.
"Haha, can't be helped. It's an emergency mission," Tonbo said apologetically. It was indeed abrupt. He hadn't expected to be sent away for this right now. He was still researching how to counter Otsutsuki Urashiki; now he'd have to think about it while on the move.
"By the way, tell Tianyu and the others to pass on the training methods to Konohamaru's group. I'll train them together when I get back."
Tianyu and Maki had mentioned a few days ago that they wanted to train with Konohamaru's team. Tonbo hadn't expected his kids to be so big-minded, looking out for people outside their own squad. Even more surprising was that they had reconciled with their former school rivals. Since it was the kids' request, he wasn't going to discourage them. Teaching one was the same as teaching two. Besides, he wanted to see how far Konohamaru's talent could go.
Ayame nodded. "I understand. Just come back early once the mission is done."
Smack!
Tonbo gave her a quick kiss and laughed. "Of course! I have a wife waiting for me at home, after all."
He truly felt that happiness was found in the intimacy of a close-knit family. He felt more and more that the best thing he'd done since coming to this world was establishing his own family. Time spent with them was more joyful than any successful ninjutsu development. They said a home was a person's castle, and he firmly believed it. Without a family, he would be a piece of wandering duckweed in the shinobi world with no coordinates of his own—no different from Hidan or Kakuzu, living only for slaughter or money.
"Alright, remember to tell Tianyu. I'll bring back some local specialties for you when I finish the mission."
Tonbo gave Ayame a hug and then vanished with a poof.
"Honestly... just coming back safely is enough. Forget the local specialties," Ayame murmured, her eyes a bit red as she looked at the empty space where he had been.
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