Minato woke instantly when Jiraiya tapped his shoulder, his hand already gripping a kunai beneath his jacket. He quickly assessed the situation: Kushina still deeply asleep, the captured shinobi gone, and Jiraiya looking profoundly disturbed despite his attempt at normalcy.
Jiraiya led him to the sealed perimeter where Makima was already spreading a detailed topographical map of the Land of Wind border region. Her face was serene, devoid of the chilling intensity Jiraiya had witnessed moments before.
"Makima has secured critical intelligence, Minato," Jiraiya stated, skipping the details of the interrogation entirely. "The main Suna assault force is moving through the Hidden Canyon of the Hawk in exactly three days, before dawn."
Minato's eyes snapped to the map, immediately calculating the distance and implications. "A main force? We are too far from our main forces. Our only option is a tactical ambush using the element of surprise."
The next hour was a whirlwind of genius planning. Minato's focus was on maximizing the efficiency of his Shunshin (Body Flicker Technique), while Makima's cold precision ensured every variable was accounted for.
"The canyon is too tight for full-scale combat, but perfect for a quick, brutal decapitation strike," Minato declared, pointing to the bottleneck. "They'll be expecting terrain defense, not an assault on their logistics line. The key is to isolate the command structure and overwhelm them before they can deploy the heavy puppet forces."
Makima confirmed the targets. "The Jōnin estimated at least three hundred, plus heavy puppet divisions and light artillery. Minato-kun, you are the blade. Your Shunshin is the only thing that negates their numbers. You will carry three dozen standard Kunai and ten Flash Bombs (Hikaridama). The flash bombs will momentarily blind the peripheral security teams, giving you the half-second needed to execute your strike and re-engage your Shunshin for the next target."
She then turned to Kushina. "Kushina-san, you are the anchor. Minato's speed is useless if the entire column doesn't feel the pressure simultaneously. You will pre-deploy Explosive Tags—specifically two-dozen highly concentrated tags—on the cliff edges and expected retreat paths. When Jiraiya-sensei starts his feint, you will channel chakra into those tags, sealing their escape and creating mass panic."
Jiraiya nodded, understanding the psychological play. "I will open the attack with a large-scale Summoning Jutsu, likely a large toad like Gamabunta, at the canyon entrance. That visible spectacle is our feint, pinning their vanguard and artillery in place, believing the main Konoha force is there."
Makima detailed her own role. "My sight and my elemental ninjutsu will provide real-time support. I will be positioned high above. I will use low-level Water Release (Suiton) to create slippery ground patches beneath their puppeteers, and precise Wind Release (Fūton) to cut the threads on a critical puppet if needed. More importantly, I will use color-coded chakra signals to direct Minato-kun to priority targets."
The plan solidified into a precise, high-risk maneuver:
Jiraiya (The Shield/Feint): Use Summoning Jutsu to draw attention to the canyon entrance at T-minus two hours, followed by wide-area, non-lethal Ninjutsu for distraction.
Makima (The Commander/Support): Positioned high for observation. Uses Water Release and Wind Release for tactical disruption and uses coded signals to guide Minato.
Minato (The Blade/Decapitation): Primary tools are Shunshin and Kunai (36 carried). He will breach the column immediately after the feint, using Flash Bombs to cover the activation of his Shunshin, moving from target to target to eliminate field officers and strategists.
Kushina (The Anchor/Control): Pre-deploys Explosive Tags (24 total) to secure exit points and create chaos. Her ultimate defensive ability is her Chakra Chains, used to physically trap and neutralize heavy threats like large puppets or armored personnel if the battle devolves.
"We have three days to prepare, to travel, and to sharpen our kunai," Minato declared, the gravity of the plan heavy on his face. "We are going to neutralize a main assault force of the Sand Village."
Makima's eyes, now warm again, focused on Minato with an unnerving blend of admiration and ownership. "Yes, Minato-kun. And when the dust settles, the enemy will know that even the youngest leaves of Konoha are forces of absolute control."
Jiraiya watched the two Genin—the bright yellow flash and the golden-eyed commander—nodding in synchronization. He had trained the future of Konoha, but he knew one of them was a terrifying equation he still couldn't solve.