"What do you want from me?"
Sora somewhat regretfully withdrew his gaze and asked with a smile.
"Nothing."
Mei shook her head, her face full of disdain. "Sora, can't you have some proper matters in your head every day?"
"The village is still at war, and you're using your mind to think about all that messy stuff? Your mindset is way too good, isn't it?"
"Are you worthy of the trust the Great Elder and Mizukage-sama have placed in you?"
The girl fired off a series of rhetorical questions right from the start, leaving Sora speechless.
Sora reached out and slapped Mei lightly on the head, "Terumi Mei, I'm asking you what business you have. If you don't have any proper business, please don't disturb my work."
Smack!
A head tap!
The damage wasn't high, but the insult was extreme.
Mei, having been tapped and feeling the sting, finally realized what Sora meant by 'what do you want'.
"I wasn't startled!"
"And besides…"
"You're so shameless!"
Mei glared fiercely at Sora, then finally put on a stern face and said seriously, "It's that dead fatso Fuguki and Yagura-sama who sent me to inform you. They want you to accompany us on the mission to assassinate Jiraiya."
It's just that as she spoke, her small ears were still slightly red, the fine hairs trembling, clearly indicating she was also feeling quite embarrassed inside.
"Us?"
"You're going too?"
Sora asked with a frown.
"Of course!"
Mei nodded proudly, "Don't look down on me. I'm a dual Kekkei Genkai User. With you, Yagura-sama, and that dead fatso Fugaku backing us up, maybe the first kill achievement against Jiraiya will be mine!"
Of course.
Mei had reason to be proud. Having managed to survive the cruel environment of the Village of the Bloody Mist until fifteen without dying, and even becoming the direct disciple of Kirigakure's Great Elder, Genji as a civilian-born Ninja, the girl's Ninja Talent was naturally first-rate.
"Alright."
"I understand."
Sora agreed. With him present, as long as they weren't terribly unlucky to run into Duy, keeping Mei safe would be very easy.
After all, the two were childhood friends who had been competing since the Ninja Academy.
Plus, they hadn't... explored uncharted territory... so Sora naturally wouldn't stand by and watch Mei get into trouble.
"Hmph~"
"Sora, prepare properly. No more wild and fanciful thoughts!"
The girl left behind a coquettish hum and fled the tent as if running for her life.
It couldn't be helped.
After finishing the proper business, every time Mei remembered her own stupid rhetorical questions from earlier, she felt so embarrassed her blood pressure rose, her face flushed red, and she wished she could find a crack in the ground to crawl into.
After the girl left, the tent was still surrounded by a faint, clear fragrance.
But Sora paid it no mind, instead thinking with a grave expression.
'According to the current intelligence, nearly half a year ago, Konoha's Namikaze Minato led his team to a great victory at the Kanabi Bridge, severing Iwagakure's supply lines, directly causing Iwagakure to lose the will to fight, and their main force withdrew to near the border between the two countries.'
'In the Battle of Kanabi Bridge, Uchiha Obito was killed in action, while Hatake Kakashi and Nohara Rin were severely injured. After recuperating, the two were later assigned to the Konoha vs Kirigakure forces and are still fighting to this day.'
'Hatake Kakashi, Nohara Rin …'
Sora's gaze became distant. If his estimations were correct, the hidden Madara was probably nearing the end of his lifespan and was about to make a move on Rin.
So, calculating the timeline, the unlucky fellows of Kirigakure's Seven Swordsmen should also be about to encounter the cheater, Might Duy.
'Could it be…'
'This very mission?'
At this moment, Sora couldn't be entirely sure either whether the plot would still develop according to its original inertia.
But no matter what, he had to find an opportunity to eliminate Might Duy and his son, Might Guy.
The Eight Gates…
This was the most abnormal cheat in Naruto!
By opening the Seventh Gate, Guy can beat Kage-level opponents like abusing a dog.
After opening the Eighth Gate, he can beat Madara like abusing a dog.
It was just absurd!
Such a threat must be nipped in the cradle. Otherwise, who knows when he might have bad luck and step on a landmine.
…
The next day.
After a night's rest, Sora came to the camp's field hospital to visit his subordinates who had been beaten up by Jiraiya.
The condition of Matsunaga Yuzuki and Yato Toden was very poor. Their bodies were covered in casts and bandages, and their current combat power wasn't much different from a Genin.
As for the young girl, Kurumi, her injuries were even more severe. Her bones had just been set by the village's female Medical-Nin, and she was still lying in bed, groaning and hooked up to an IV drip.
"Sora-sama…"
"Are you going on another mission?"
"It's all my fault for being useless, otherwise…"
Lying on the hospital bed, Kurumi tried to get up when she saw Sora arrive, but Sora pressed her back down with his hand.
"Don't worry, it's not dangerous."
Sora smiled indifferently, "I should be back soon."
Inside the ward, the air was filled with the strong smell of disinfectant, somewhat choking.
Kurumi on the hospital bed had half her head wrapped in bandages, with only about a third of her pretty little face visible.
"Not dangerous?"
After hearing this, Kurumi lowered her head in frustration.
As an Anbu Captain, how could Sora's missions possibly be without danger?
Even more so… Those were the most vicious, most difficult, even S-Rank missions that ordinary Jonin couldn't complete!
"Don't blame yourself."
Sora said with a light laugh. "Rest and recover peacefully. When you're better, Kurumi, I will personally guide you and help you improve your strength."
"Really?"
Upon hearing this, the dim light in Kurumi's eyes suddenly brightened.
'If I could receive personal guidance from Sora-sama, then my strength would definitely improve greatly. Then, I would surely be able to do even more for Sora-sama!'