Watch all the chapter in our website , wevnovel. fun , with no ads.
----------
In the past two months, Kakashi had delivered bodies a total of four times. How could they not be familiar with each other?
If things went poorly, this mission would just send a few more people into the [Mortuary].
Was this even a mission?
It was a suicide trap!
'He is definitely trying to sabotage me,' Kifu thought, his mind filled with resentment.
Before he could speak, Kakashi beat him to it. "Hokage, I do not think he is capable enough."
'I think so too,' Kifu agreed internally.
Sarutobi Hiruzen rubbed his temples again.
To be honest, he was already very busy, yet he still had to look after Kakashi.
"Kakashi, this is an order." Sarutobi Hiruzen's tone left no room for doubt.
"If he dies, I will not be held responsible," Kakashi said bluntly.
Standing to the side, Kifu felt his teeth itch with irritation.
The current Kakashi was not cute at all.
He spoke as if he would actually care if someone else died.
"Rest assured, this is a one-time thing. This mission is unique, so this is just a temporary squad."
Kakashi nodded.
"Let us discuss the mission." Sarutobi Hiruzen stood up and walked out from behind his desk. He spoke as he moved. "The Hidden Mist in the east is restless. They are acting up. Almost all the scouts Konoha sent to the Hidden Mist were wiped out. However, according to the latest [Intel], one squad successfully escaped the Land of Water with vital information."
He paused, his expression turning grave. "But they were severely injured during the pursuit by the Hidden Mist. Before dying, they used a special method to transmit their location to me. They are in the Land of Hot Springs."
"Your mission is to safely recover the bodies of all the members of that squad and bring them back to Konoha."
The situation in the shinobi world was becoming increasingly tense. The more unstable things became, the more important this [Intel] was.
Sarutobi Hiruzen looked at Kifu. "Kifu, even though you have not performed missions in a while, you are a semi-expert when it comes to handling bodies."
"Understood," Kakashi answered immediately, not giving Kifu a chance to speak.
Sarutobi Hiruzen nodded with satisfaction. He glanced at the four of them. "Are there any other questions?"
Kifu slowly raised his hand. After a nod from Sarutobi Hiruzen, he asked, "Hokage, for such important information, is it not a bit inappropriate to just send us?"
At a time like this, shouldn't they send an Anbu squad? Or maybe a few elite squads led by an Elite Jonin?
Sarutobi Hiruzen was not surprised by the question. He smiled and replied, "Indeed, this mission is vital and the danger level is high. But do not worry. I have already sent people to blockade the border of the Land of Fire. Several ninja squads are on standby nearby. The powerful enemies on the other side will not dare to move recklessly."
"You are not high-profile targets. The danger you will face will not be that great."
Thinking it over, Kifu understood the logic.
The simplified meaning was: You four weaklings will not attract the enemy's attention. The more powerful the [Shinobi] sent, the easier it would be to alert the opponent.
"Very well. If there are no more issues, go back and prepare. Depart as soon as possible!"
The four of them complied.
As they walked out the door, Kakashi glanced at him and said stiffly, "Fifteen minutes. Meet at the village entrance."
As soon as he finished speaking, he flickered away.
The other two teammates shook their heads helplessly. They gave Kifu a look that said 'good luck' and left as well.
Kifu curled his lip and hurried toward his residence.
After they left, Danzo, who had remained silent the entire time, finally spoke.
"Hiruzen, with Kakashi's current personality, he would definitely become the sharpest sword in Konoha if you let me train him. He would be even more excellent than Sakumo."
This was a topic they had clearly discussed more than once. Sarutobi Hiruzen shook his head decisively. "There is no need to mention this again, Danzo."
Danzo frowned. He did not intend to back down. Instead, he stood up and stared at Sarutobi Hiruzen. "You have seen Kakashi's personality. Ordinary [Shinobi] cannot possibly earn his respect. Hiruzen, you cannot ruin a genius of Konoha just because of your personal feelings."
"After all, someone must walk in the darkness. He is the most suitable candidate."
"Kakashi is a genius. Konoha needs him to display his talent in the light. He is the best morale booster we have. Besides, I have already found the most suitable person for him. Once this mission is over, it will be about time."
The death rate of squads led by Kakashi was terrifyingly high. Even if Sarutobi Hiruzen indulged him, he could not let it continue.
"Who?" Danzo narrowed his eyes, a guess forming in his mind.
"Minato," Sarutobi Hiruzen said with certainty. "Minato has led Kakashi before. They only disbanded later due to mission and personnel issues. But with the current state of affairs, Minato is the most suitable choice."
Hearing that name, Danzo fell silent.
If Kakashi was a rising genius of Konoha, then Namikaze Minato was a powerful [Shinobi] who had already realized his talent and gained great fame.
"Just the two of them are not enough to form a squad. It is not graduation season yet. What about the remaining slots?" Danzo was still unwilling to give up.
Sarutobi Hiruzen puffed on his pipe. He slowly exhaled a thick cloud of white smoke. "Is Maruyama Kifu not quite suitable?"
"Him?" Danzo thought of Kifu's honest and simple appearance and let out a cold laugh. "It is hard to say if he can even survive this mission."
"Then," Hiruzen said calmly, "we will talk after he survives."
Sarutobi Hiruzen was very composed. He had made his decision and would not change his mind for a single individual.
The life or death of an obscure [Genin] was important, but for the current Konoha, a genius like Kakashi was more critical.
After all, on the battlefield, a [Genin] was truly just cannon fodder.
In special times, one had to have a special mindset. Otherwise, Sarutobi Hiruzen would not have watched Kakashi's squad suffer deaths time and time again, only to keep filling the gaps with new people.
***
Kifu returned to his home.
Actually, he had nothing to prepare. Everything he needed was on his person. Whether it was [Ninja Tools] or [Ration Pills], he had obtained countless amounts over the past two months. He believed that even if he stayed out for a month, he would not starve to death.
The reason he came back was simply to use today's [Body Touching] attempts.
Ever since he learned his lesson last time, he usually left three attempts for the evening. If no special bodies were delivered, he would just find a random white-grade corpse to touch.