Renjiro looked at his students' faces and laughed.
Mieko was furious. She asked,
"Why do they have to come with us too?"
Renjiro replied,
"This is a joint mission. Do you expect the four of us to take on a dozen Ninja?"
A hint of annoyance appeared on Mieko's face. Hodaka sighed and said,
"It would definitely be more interesting if we fought them ourselves."
Feng Zheng said,
"Except for the big guy with a lot of Chakra, the others don't seem that strong, so we should have more fighting opportunities than you think."
Hodaka smiled and said,
"That's more like it!"
Renjiro was once again speechless with his students. He thought,
"Do they hope the allied mission fails just so they can get more fights?"
He coughed to get everyone's attention and said,
"Let's rest today. You need to be in top condition tomorrow morning."
The three nodded. Feng Zheng asked,
"Teacher, when you take Rank S Ninjutsu, do you act alone or in a team?"
Renjiro was surprised by Feng Zheng's question. He replied,
"It depends on the mission type. For an extermination mission like this one, I would bring a team. We need members to find them and make sure none of them escape."
Upon hearing this, Feng Zheng thought,
"That makes sense. Solo missions are probably for secret protection or assassination."
He looked at Renjiro and asked,
"Teacher, do you have any information about Takeshita Tokuhei and Kubota Mitsutsuka?"
Renjiro replied,
"I looked up De Ping's information before taking this mission. He is an old Jonin and was one of the Commanders of Yugakure Village in the last war."
"But there aren't many records of his battles. His mission was to ensure they wouldn't get involved in our conflict with Kumogakure. Besides that, he is also known for his Earth Release and high stamina."
"As for Mitsutsuka, like most Hidden Mist Ninja, he excels in Water Release. And he is very agile. I've fought him a few times in previous wars."
Renjiro looked at Feng Zheng and smiled,
"His fighting style is actually very similar to yours. Although he knows some Rank A Ninjutsu, he prefers guerrilla tactics and long-range combat."
Mieko and Hodaka's faces both wrinkled upon hearing this. Both snorted and looked at Feng Zheng. Feng Zheng thought in confusion,
"Uh, I wonder what it would be like if I fought him!"
Mieko and Hodaka were about to protest. They didn't want Feng Zheng to deal with the enemy leader while they dealt with the cannon fodder. However, Renjiro spoke first.
Renjiro's expression turned serious and he said,
"He is my target. I am confident I can defeat him, but the three of you must remain vigilant. If he can release a Water Clone, he will ambush you from behind while you are fighting. So always stay alert."
The three heard the seriousness in Renjiro's tone and immediately nodded.
Renjiro continued,
"Just like the last battle, there will be no weaklings among them. And unlike last time, we won't have the home advantage. Also, if they escape into the sea, do not pursue them. None of you have been trained in how to fight at sea."
They nodded and made a mental note. Hidden Mist Ninja fought at sea their entire lives.
Although they could fight on water, they would be at a disadvantage against Hidden Mist Ninja. Especially since only Hodaka had some affinity for water elements.
The three asked Renjiro for more information. Renjiro answered all the information he knew and warned them about some things they should pay attention to.
They also formulated some strategies to follow during the mission. After the discussion, they spent the rest of the day doing light warm-ups and Meditation.
While Renjiro Squad was discussing, De Ping and the others were also discussing. When Toshiaki took Renjiro Squad to tour the room, De Ping's subordinates began to express their dissatisfaction.
Seo Shusaku said,
"We asked Konoha for strong reinforcements, why did they send children?"
Nakamura Etsuko added,
"Yes, these youngsters might get in the way when we fight. If they let the opponent escape, we might be ambushed. Lord De Ping, we need to seriously consider this joint mission!"
De Ping listened to their opinions and began to analyze Konoha's actions. Seeing him lost in thought, Nakamura Etsuko called out again,
"Lord De Ping?"
De Ping looked at him and replied,
"Let's not jump to conclusions. Konoha has an excellent record in completing missions, so they might have a plan for sending these children."
His subordinates looked at him with strange eyes. Seo Shusaku said,
"Do you really think those children will be useful?"
De Ping shrugged and replied,
"If not, why would Konoha send them? Renjiro wasn't bothered when I looked at them suspiciously. Besides, we originally wanted to complete this mission independently. So their strength isn't important."
"In fact, if we perform much better than Konoha's squad, then I can convince the Daimyo to increase funding and establish a true Ninja force in our country. If we can do that, then we won't have to rely on Konoha."
His subordinates all widened their eyes! Shusaku said,
"Lord De Ping, this is a great plan!"
De Ping nodded and said,
"So we must go all out to complete this mission. As long as we outperform Renjiro's squad, we can get some benefits from the Daimyo."
They waited for Takeshita Toshiaki to return. After he returned, they discussed the strategies and tactics for the next day.
At 3:45 AM the next day, Renjiro and De Ping's squads gathered at the mansion.
Feng Zheng, Hodaka, and Mieko observed De Ping's squad.
In addition to the four they saw yesterday, his squad also had three Chunin-level Ninja!
Including their own squad, they now had twelve Ninja! Feng Zheng looked at them and thought,
"As long as we can kill a few Hidden Mist Ninja in the initial surprise attack, we should have a numerical advantage. So this should also be an easy mission."
De Ping smiled when he saw Renjiro. He asked,
"Renjiro, did you rest well?"
Renjiro nodded and said,
"We rested very well. Are you ready?"
De Ping nodded.
Renjiro looked at Takeshita Toshiaki and asked,
"Have you marked the locations on the map?"
Toshiaki nodded and spread a map on the floor.
Everyone carefully observed the map. The towns and villages of the Land of Hot Water were marked on the map. And a location was marked on the southeastern coastline.
Toshiaki pointed at the map and said,
"This is our current location. According to our calculations, their base is in this vicinity, about forty kilometers from our position."
Renjiro nodded. He looked at the map again and said,
"Okay, let's go. We will find and attack them before the sun rises."
Some of De Ping's subordinates frowned upon hearing this. Seo Shusaku said,
"I have something to say."
Renjiro looked at him.
De Ping said,
"Speak."
Shusaku said,
"Although we have calculated their approximate current location, we still need to be careful of potential traps they might set, so we need to proceed slowly and carefully, preferably attacking after the sun rises."
Renjiro shook his head and said,
"You don't need to worry about traps, we will handle them. Let's go."
Without waiting for their reply, Renjiro turned and left the mansion. His students followed him, secretly chuckling.
Shusaku was very angry that his suggestion was so lightly dismissed. However, De Ping looked at him and shook his head.
Soon, they also followed Renjiro.