The core objective of the mission had already been explained to them before departure.
In simple terms, seven standard squads were tasked with escorting and protecting the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki, Uzumaki Kushina, as they advanced to the frontlines of the war between Iwagakure and Kumogakure, where she would carry out the sealing technique.
Meanwhile, gathering intelligence on the war itself was left to the two ANBU squads. They would relay detailed reports back to Konoha's leadership, allowing them to decide whether to commit large-scale forces against Iwagakure.
From what Shimizu had learned through Minato, one of those masked squads answered directly to the Third Hokage, while the other belonged to Danzō's Root.
Most likely, both groups also carried the unspoken responsibility of monitoring the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki.
Minato hadn't voiced it outright, but the consequences of failure were easy enough to imagine. ANBU always prioritized the village above all else—and given how much Kushina meant to him, if things truly went wrong…
Shimizu didn't finish the thought.
After the four Kumogakure envoys finally arrived—fashionably late, no less—the entire Konoha force set out at last.
They even departed a few minutes behind schedule.
So much for "urgent."
Shimizu kept that thought to himself. The mission sounded reasonable on the surface, yet the more he considered it, the more it felt like something was off—like danger lurked beneath its carefully constructed logic.
Even though Minato had specifically brought him along for this mission…
Let's just hope everything goes smoothly.
The group traveled at top speed toward the Land of Earth. According to the Kumo envoys, the sealing array had been set up along the border between the Land of Earth and the Land of Waterfalls. The area was covered in dense forest, except for a vast expanse of exposed rock at its center—an area so large it rivaled a city.
A trap… spread across terrain that wide?
No matter how he thought about it, Shimizu couldn't see how Kumogakure could be certain Iwagakure would walk straight into it.
But when they finally arrived and saw the sealing array for themselves, the answer became clear.
What had once been forest had been forcibly transformed. Kumogakure had reshaped the terrain itself, spending nearly a year constructing this elaborate setup.
According to the envoys, once the sealing array was activated, anyone standing within that exposed rocky region would face total annihilation.
It sounded terrifying.
Yet the envoys themselves seemed to understand little about the technique's inner workings. All they could say was that it had been devised and executed under the direction of the Third Raikage.
"So as long as Kushina stands here and channels chakra into it… any Iwagakure forces that enter this area are finished?" Shimizu asked.
And just like that, the mission would be complete—victory achieved.
An S-rank mission… this simple?
Minato repeatedly confirmed the key details, only to receive the same answer each time.
"Yes. Once we explain it to Miss Uzumaki, she simply needs to supply a large amount of chakra."
Not just Minato—even Shimizu found himself at a loss for words.
By the sound of it, there was almost nothing for them to do.
With the Third Raikage drawing all enemy attention on the front lines, and Iwagakure completely unaware of the sealing array's existence, there was virtually no chance of an attack on this location.
"Then when is the enemy expected to arrive?" Minato asked again.
"If everything proceeds as planned, the Third Raikage will lead them here by tomorrow."
"So less than a day…"
"Oh, and one more thing," the Kumogakure commander added, as if remembering something important. "Please ensure Miss Uzumaki is in peak condition. This sealing array will require an enormous amount of chakra. Even for a jinchūriki, it will place a heavy burden on her body."
"Thank you for the reminder. We'll take that into account," Minato replied.
While Minato handled the formalities, Shimizu led his four-man squad on routine patrol duty.
Each day, two to three squads were assigned to maintain constant surveillance in the surrounding area.
Even though Konoha and Kumogakure were allies for this mission, neither side would casually hand over their intelligence network.
Within the dense forest, four figures moved swiftly in succession, weaving through the trees like shadows.
Satomi moved at the very front of the formation, her Byakugan sweeping the surroundings with precision, allowing the squad to detect any abnormalities within a radius of 1,500 meters.
Not far behind her was Shisui. With his speed, he could reinforce her position in an instant if anything unexpected occurred.
Amani followed as the third in line, while Shimizu brought up the rear, covering the entire team.
If not for the limited duration of the Byakugan's activation, their squad alone could have handled reconnaissance for the entire area.
"That's enough. Let's take a break," Shimizu said after calculating the timing, signaling the team to halt.
The four of them quickly regrouped beside a cluster of shrubs.
"How much chakra do you have left?" he asked, glancing at Satomi.
She closed her eyes briefly, carefully sensing her remaining reserves before replying, "About three-quarters."
"Remember this," Shimizu said calmly. "During reconnaissance missions, you must always maintain at least that level of chakra."
"Yes, understood."
"Senpai, didn't they say there's no chance of enemies showing up here?" Amani yawned, clearly still fighting off sleep.
Now that everyone understood the nature of the mission, the tension that had once gripped them had inevitably begun to loosen.
"That may be true," Shimizu replied, "but we follow protocol regardless. There's no harm in being cautious."
"After all, the careless ones are already dead."
"…Understood." Amani immediately rubbed his eyes hard, forcing himself to focus.
More often than not, the attitude of a leader directly shaped how seriously their subordinates carried out their duties. This was something Shimizu had come to understand deeply during his years in the ANBU.
ANBU squad leaders were almost universally obsessed with their missions, unwavering in their loyalty to Konoha's interests. In that environment, there was no room for carelessness or complacency—everyone operated under constant tension.
New recruits were influenced, even molded, by the words and actions of their seniors, and that discipline was passed down from one generation to the next.
Shimizu hadn't thought much about it before. But after leading so many different teams—of varying quality—he had come to a clear conclusion: in terms of execution alone, ANBU stood at the very top.
There was no doubt about it.
And yet… that environment came at a cost.
Every time he put on that mask, there was an unmistakable sense of suffocation, as though he had become nothing more than a machine built to carry out missions.
Unless someone was wired that way, or driven by some unshakable purpose—or perhaps bound by circumstances beyond their control—he doubted anyone would willingly remain there for long.
But once you left that place, things like discipline, precision, and efficiency no longer came as naturally.
He wanted reliable teammates… but not at the cost of that suffocating pressure.
Because there were limits to what one person could handle alone.
Satomi's Byakugan, Shisui's Sharingan, Amani's traps and Earth Release—each of them possessed strengths in areas Shimizu himself could never fully replicate.
That was why he had recommended to Minato that these three form a squad together—to see whether their abilities might create some kind of synergy.
After all, personal strength always had its limits. There were things he simply couldn't accomplish on his own.
The battle at Takigakure had made that painfully clear. If not for Minato and Jiraiya, he would have fallen under the relentless pressure of that drawn-out fight.
Perhaps these three weren't yet at Minato's level—but with proper guidance and enough time to build coordination, they could still become a force to be reckoned with.
And it wasn't just on the battlefield that he needed dependable allies. In the future, unexpected crises and unusual situations could arise at any moment—circumstances where individual strength alone would never be enough.
In the past, he had been so focused on rapidly increasing his own power that he had consciously—or unconsciously—overlooked these things. But now that his growth had begun to stabilize after its explosive phase, if he wanted to continue advancing, cultivating capable teammates might be the most practical path forward.
...
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