Naruto looked at the assembled group of men and women before him with a keen focus upon gauging each of their reactions. Having just explained the details of their upcoming mission and the plan of action, he wanted to understand if they were mentally and physically prepared for the same.
It was but natural for them to have questions and they started pouring in just as he had expected.
"What kind of strength will the enemy have?" questioned Ameyuri straight forwardly,
"Unknown. Considering the value of the target, expect a regiment or less stationed for his protection. Many will be shinobi. I will admit, this will not be easy" clarified Naruto without hesitation,
"Security will be tighter than ever considering our recent destruction of Osaka. The enemy will expect an attack, so the element of surprise is already lost. Moreover, you want us to stage this assassination in such a way that fingers are pointed at the Land of Lightning's elite noble families rather than Kirigakure. That would imply we never get detected" suggested Jinpachi,
Naruto just gave a nod earning grim looks from his fellow swordsmen.
"How do we plan to infiltrate this massive operation area. There is no sea nearby and it is completely surrounded by mountains. Getting in through land will be next to impossible without detection, they will have barriers in place to sense the enemy that manages to evade patrols and checkpoints" warned Mangetsu,
Naruto was satisfied to see that the future commander of the 212th Legion had a keen gaze for details. Most of all, he never underestimated the enemy or overestimated his own powers.
Traits of a fine shinobi.
"The Land of Lightning is not as proficient in Sealing Techniques as Konoha or Uzu. Our Anbu reports suggest that the maximum area covered by their barrier is within this range" informed Naruto, as he highlighted quite a large area across the map.
"Then how do we get in? You are pretty good at Fuinjutsu, can you make a hole in this wall?" asked Kisame with a grin,
"Not enough time without the risk of detection. Barrier teams usually change their shifts on a 12-hour basis. There is one way we can get in when such a change is happening. The barrier's weakest point is in this area, insertion from this point should allow us to sneak in undetected" explained Naruto as he marked a clear drop on the map.
A smirk came upon his hidden face when he saw everyone else blanch.
"Aerial jump? You do remember none of us know how to fly unlike the Tsuchikage and his student" mocked Zabuza with a scowl,
"Naruto-san, we maybe strong but a jump from 25,000 feet?" asked Haku in a trembling voice,
The blonde officer had to fight hard to hide his disappointment. These warriors were considered the best in Kiri, he found their lack of faith in their own powers disturbing. Maybe it had to do with the fact that in their village's history such a mission had never been attempted.
While he had already led a similar mission deep behind enemy lines some years ago. Although he hoped the outcome didn't turn out to be the same as the last time, atleast for the sake of these swordsmen.
"I will make sure each of you lands safely after this jump. That's a promise"
He was not surprised when his declaration was met with silence until Mangetsu looked at him with a knowing gaze.
"You have done something like this before, haven't you?"
Naruto fought back a flinch at that sharp observation. While most people couldn't know about his history in the Anbu Blackops of Kiri, this boy being the Mizukage's son could access his mission records if he called in a favor. He had conducted such a mission in the past as an Uzu shinobi, denying that he had never done this before would crush what little trust these people may have in his abilities.
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The Seventh Swordsman
Fanfiction"My sword is yours in victory and defeat", Naruto remembered pledging those words to the Second Mizukage as he became one of the feared Seven. He swore to defend Kiri, to protect its people and serve its Kage until his dying breath. But he also made...
