The clouds continued to roar and unleash torrents of rainfall across the earth without mercy. It had been this way for almost an entire day as Mangetsu watched the fury of nature from the shelter of his cave.
The winds were getting more dangerous and random lightning strikes made it impossible for their squad to venture further into enemy lands without avoiding the risk of detection or damage.
It was why their Commander had ordered them to bunker down in this cave for the time being and await further orders from him.
"Oi, isn't the Commander too edgy lately?" asked Ameyuri with a frown, even as she ate her not so pleasant rations.
"Yeah. He has a real axe to grind against Kumogakure and especially the Kinkaku" commented Kisame with a grin, as he continued to drum his fingers against his ordinary sword.
"About that, during the Battle of Osaka I witnessed something strange. The Kinkaku are feared across the world, those bastards even captured the Second Hokage. Yet they pissed their pants and ordered a retreat when they saw the Commander standing against them. If the mere thought of fighting the Commander scared the Kinkaku..." whispered Haku hesitantly,
Mei tried not to say anything even as the swordsmen were chatting amongst themselves. Majority of them were intrigued or terrified of the Commander's past and what impact it might have on this mission. She glanced at Mangetsu and saw him staring at the outside forest where the Commander had went ahead to scout.
"Most of you cannot understand what the Commander has lost, not unless you step into his shoes" advised Mangetsu quietly,
"What do you mean?" asked Jinpachi with a frown,
"It's his destiny to fight against the arch rivals of his clan because of whom he's the last Namikaze in this world" said Mangetsu seriously,
Mei perked up as her inner nerd couldn't help but be interested to hear out the Hozuki heir. Even in Kirigakure, not much was known about the Namikaze clan except for the fact that while they were a small clan; their power was not something to scoff at. Few of their clan members were renowned to be one of the most powerful shinobi of their era until the entire clan was wiped out.
"The story began during the Clan Wars Era, while everyone knows about the Uchiha-Senju rivalry not many know about another clash between two equally skilled clans. Both of them were feared for their speed and power. While the richer nations hired the Uchiha and Senju alongwith their allies to secure their interest, the smaller nations with limited resources hired the Namikaze and Kaizen clan" explained Mangetsu,
"Kaizen clan? I'm afraid I have never heard of them" said Zabuza with a frown, earning a nod from the Mizukage's son.
"I'm not surprised you don't know since they gave up their clan name when they joined the Land of Lightning. However, what may surprise you is the fact that two of their members became Kage" said Mangetsu seriously,
"You mean the First and Third Raikage?" asked Haku in surprise, earning a grim nod in return.
"The current Raikage is also a part of the Kaizen clan. The Uchiha and Senju were known for mass conflict but not every nation could afford their services. There were times when a more subtle approach was required, the Namikaze and Kaizen clans were feared for their speed. Both clans were never a match for the mighty two clans but had produced some of the finest blackops shinobi in the world. While the Uchiha and Senju fought in the light, the Namikaze and Kaizen fought in the shadows for their respective clients. But as the war dragged on, their numbers started to dwindle due to endless conflict. It finally came to an end when the Uchiha-Senju formed an alliance which forced others clans to join new factions. This is where the Namikaze clan made a critical mistake" revealed Mangetsu,
"What mistake?" asked Kisame curiously,
"They had offers from the Land of Fire and Land of Lightning to join their new hidden villages. However, they valued their independence and didn't believe in the new world forming around them. While the Land of Fire, especially the Senju were very interested to make the Namikaze clan one of their village members, in the end they respected the Namikaze's decision to stay independent and signed a non-aggression pact. The Land of Lightning did not take this refusal kindly and instead assimilated the Kaizen clan into the newly formed Kumogakure. With their never ending grudge against the Namikaze and the backing of their disgruntled Daimyo, the Raikage who was also from the Kaizen clan launched an all out attack and wiped out their arch rivals in a single strike. However for every Namikaze that was killed, three men from the Land of Lightning died as well. Ultimately numbers were not in the favor of the Namikaze clan and they were overwhelmed. With no allies to call upon, they were wiped out" explained Mangetsu frankly,
The group fell silent after hearing Mangetsu's retelling of the fate of the Namikaze clan.
"No wonder he hates Kumogakure so much. I can only imagine what being the last of his clan makes him feel" whispered Haku, who was afraid at the mere possibility of her becoming the last member of her flourishing clan.
"Whatever the case, I have never seen a blackops mission like this. I know the Anbu are strong but what we just did…" whispered Kisame seriously, as he remembered the suicidal jump from the skies.
"I thought I was done for" joked Zabuza,
"It wouldn't even be funny if things hadn't gone as planned" agreed Jinpachi with a smirk,
"That just proves we need to believe in the Commander" urged Mangetsu,
"That's too much faith, Mangetsu" warned Ameyuri with a frown,
"It's true that Naruto's personal vendetta is a risk in this mission but for all his faults, he is a fine officer. Has he led us down till now?" asked Mangetsu honestly,
Silence fell upon the group again as nobody could refute Naruto's devotion towards the men under his command. Even now, the fact that he was risking his life alone proved that he was someone the squad could depend on.
The skies continued to weep furiously and threatened to drench the land in its anger. The winds were becoming more dangerous and random lightning strikes were proving to be life threatening. Amidst nature's chaos, one human carefully kept himself hidden in the tall trees of the forest.
His red eyes scanning each and every direction with extreme precision.
Naruto nodded in satisfaction when he saw a squad of Kumo ninjas passing through the area. Judging from their armament, this was a border patrol.
He needed intel before he could take his squad deeper behind enemy lines and the only source of getting it was through someone within the enemy ranks. Carefully, he started trailing the patrol squad by using the trees as his cover and keeping his chakra suppressed. The easier option would be to kill this patrol and extract intel but that would blow their cover. He needed the enemy to assume they were safe until the very last moment, so he followed the enemy squad while taking note of the fact that all the men were looking towards the woman in the western direction for guidance.
He had found his target.
Carefully, he grabbed one of the three pronged kunai gifted to him by Ino from his pouch strapped on his leg. Looking at the skies, he waited for a few moments until the next thunder rumbling sounded across the area and that was when he threw the kunai straight in the direction of the female enemy squad leader.
She had no chance as a dark flash happened before her the very next second and a pair of crimson eyes gazed into her very soul.
Naruto grabbed the kunai embedded in the tree and vanished before his three seconds timer was up. He retreated back to his vantage point and saw the female patrol leader shake her head in confusion. He clenched the kunai in his hand waiting for the possibility of his enemy sounding an alarm, he had marked her just in case and was ready to end her life in a second.
Fortunately for her, she didn't remember what had happened just as Naruto wanted and instructed the patrol to move forward leaving the lone Kiri ex-Anbu alone.
Naruto bit out a small curse as he remembered the information he had gained, apparently this patrol had no information on the exact whereabouts of the Daimyo. But he did learn the fact that there were seven hideouts across the Kazama mountains, under one of which was the royal family. However that area was on a 15,000 feet high mountain.
He could not help but admire the enemy's strategic brilliance as the Kazama mountains were almost impossible to climb. Humans without chakra had never been able to climb it due to the steep rocks, but even shinobi had failed horribly as the very same rocks had a violent reaction when they came into contact with any form of chakra.
He was not strong enough to make his entire squad fly that high up, hell he didn't even have enough skill to make himself fly that high. If only his brother was here….
Dismissing those morbid thoughts, he started to think about his next course of action. To reach those mountains, they would have to cross this treacherous forest first which was full of booby traps and three Anbu platoons supported by four dozen border patrol units. He had a feeling that they would be facing heavy action very soon.
To their credit, his team didn't flinch or show fear when he relayed back the intel that he had obtained. He couldn't help but respect their resolve as he waited for anybody to speak up.
"You are looking at something we can't even see. We'll follow your lead, Commander" promised Mangetsu, a sincere look ever present in his eyes.
The same gaze was present among the others as well.
Mei watched Naruto stare at their group with a surprised gaze before a thin smile graced his lips as he nodded at them all.
"We go to war tonight"
Everybody nodded even as the heavy rains had finally settled and the sun was starting to peek through the disbursing clouds. Venturing outside now was too dangerous, as it was wise to stay hidden until nightfall and take the enemy by surprise in the dark.
They saw the Commander heading back outside to take watch but Mangetsu placed a hand on his shoulder which stopped him.
The Mizukage's son gave him a faint smile.
"You should rest" suggested Mangetsu in a friendly tone,
"I can still-"
"Don't try to shoulder everything alone, Naruto. Just as we are relying on you, we also want you to rely on us" advised Mangetsu,
The blonde haired commander couldn't help but realize how similar Mangetsu was to his father, in beliefs atleast. When he saw the same feelings in the eyes of the others as well, he relented and gave the younger shinobi a nod.
"Thank you" he whispered, earning a smirk from Mangetsu as he went outside to take first watch.
As he moved deeper into the cave, Zabuza offered him a can of water and Haku offered him the military rations which he took with a grateful nod. As he sat down to eat his share, he saw everyone staring at him expectantly.
"What?" he asked, half irate and half confused.
"Just curious about the pretty face under that mask" teased Ameyuri, which made him blush and elicited a laugh from everyone except Mei who sent a glare towards the other redhead member of their group for that remark.
Still, even Mei couldn't hide the fact that she also wanted to see the man under that mask. A part of her felt Ino to be very lucky while another scolded herself for even thinking in that direction. The man was married and she had no right to intrude no matter how much her heart wanted to.
She raised an eyebrow when Naruto pointed towards the entrance of the cave making everyone look in that direction, but there was nothing to see except for Mangetsu standing there.
Annoyed, the remaining squad turned back towards Naruto only to see him throw away the now empty military rations pack followed by sealing the empty can of water offered by Zabuza.
And he also had that victorious grin on his face as he had fooled everyone.
"Sorry, Ameyuri. Some other time, okay?" teased Naruto with a cheeky smile, earning a huff from the redhead and disgruntled looks from the others including Mei.
"How did you eat and drink so fast?" asked Haku incredulously,
Naruto's response was a simple shrug which only served to irate his followers even more.
Before anybody could drag him into another conversation, he swiftly laid down on his back and went off to sleep knowing this would probably be the last time in a while before he could rest again.
Mei hesitantly walked outside the cave to move forward in the direction where Naruto was currently sitting. There was a peaceful expression on his face as he watched the setting sun. She on the otherhand was very nervous knowing what was to come tonight.
"Commander" she called out to him, making him look back at her curiously.
His blue eyes looked at her and she was relieved to see that most of the anger they had previously held within them for her had subsided. He gestured for her to sit, a request she accepted with a thankful smile.
Silence ensued between them as Mei too glanced at the setting sun even as she contemplated how to make things right once again between them.
"I'm sorry, Mei"
She blinked in surprise on hearing him apologize but he merely gave her a smile.
"I was too harsh on you earlier. I was angry" he said honestly without mincing any words,
"I did intrude into your plan. The fault is mine, I am sorry for that but I want you to know that I only wanted to protect the ones whom the village depends upon" she replied nervously, hoping he could understand why she did what she did.
He sighed even as he passed his hand through his glowing blonde hair.
"You're a very important shinobi, Mei. Your existence is the reason why people can sleep at night in peace, I wanted you to watch over the village and instead you did the opposite to join a suicidal mission. I wanted you to remain safe so that if in the situation where we failed, you could protect the village in our stead" clarified Naruto,
"I'm not sure most people share your feelings, Commander" answered Mei bitterly, as she remembered the lifelong distrust and scorn her fellow villagers had bestowed upon her just for existing.
"I can never understand your pain, Mei. Being a Jinchuuriki is a painful life but despite all the hardships you have faced, you turned into a fine shinobi who has the well being of the people in your heart. One day, the villagers will also see what I am seeing right now" said Naruto confidently,
"What is it that you see in me, Commander?" asked Mei hesitantly,
"A hero"
Mei's eyes widened on hearing those words and judging from the calm look in his eyes, Naruto meant what he said which was something she couldn't understand and he knew that so he explained.
"You have a loving heart and a wonderful soul. It's these two things that makes you strong, that allows you to continue to protect the village despite not receiving recognition for your sacrifice. You never gave up and even now you set aside your own well being to protect your comrades. One day the people will see you for the hero you are, in fact they have already started" explained Naruto seriously,
Mei's eyes became moist as she finally remembered the hostile looks she had received from the shinobi of the 501st before the Battle of Osaka. But ever since they returned to the village, few of them had not glared at her with a handful few even nodding at her when they crossed paths in the village.
Even as a few tears rolled down her cheeks, he didn't laugh or mock her for showing weakness.
"You're a good man, Naruto"
Naruto looked away on hearing her say that knowing it was far from the truth, for he never forgot the way in which he killed so many innocent and guilty people. There was an evil within him that threatened to consume him every day.
He blinked when he saw Mei extend her right hand towards him and saw her smile at him.
"Friends?" she asked hopefully, much to his surprise.
Naruto had never felt more disgusted with himself than he did now, for he knew that in truth he was an enemy of her. His very existence was a threat to Kirigakure and someday his secret would be out. He didn't mind if she hated him after that but that truth would destroy her faith in people.
You either die a hero or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain.
He remembered his father's words from long ago and couldn't help but realize they were so true. As he shook Mei's hand, he knew what he had become.
Mei watched as Naruto explained the plan of action to the team. Essentially, he wanted them to split into two halves, one led by him and the other led by Kisame. Each squad would have four members and would target their respective enemies swiftly.
Team Namikaze would be made up of Naruto, Mangetsu, Haku and Mei.
Team Hoshigaki would be made up of Kisame, Zabuza, Ameyuri and Jinpachi.
While Naruto's team would encounter and neutralize the Anbu blackops guarding the forest, Kisame and his team would neutralize the border patrols made of Kumo regular military.
A few in their group had suggested if confrontation could be avoided but when they saw the pattern in which the enemy was spread across the area, it was almost impossible to avoid contact or if by some miracle they escaped that still left their back wide open should the enemy realize their presence.
It would be a disaster should the enemy counter-attack when their squad was attempting to climb the dangerous Kazama mountains. They would be cornered completely and wiped out.
Mei shuddered on imagining such a scenario and couldn't help but agree more with Naruto's desire to deal with the enemy first before they dealt with them on their own terms.
It was possible that the enemy command would notice their border units dropping out of contact and would send reinforcements to investigate, however that small window was an opportunity their squad would use to scale the mountain and storm the front. After all, they had to make it very clear that they were Kumogakure shinobi hired by the Daimyo's rivals within his own family to take him out. That would fracture the trust between the next Daimyo and his advisers with Kumogakure which could become the catalyst to ending this bloody war.
She looked at the veterans around her and couldn't help but feel whether or not she would be able to do what needed to be done. But one look at Naruto strengthened her resolve as she didn't want to destroy the trust her friend had placed in her.
"Everybody clear about the strike?" asked Naruto seriously,
"We'll neutralize our targets and mark the bodies with these sealing tags" repeated Kisame seriously, as he showed one of the tracking seals supplied by Naruto to everyone.
"That's correct. These seals should allow me to sense the bodies and with my powers, I will make them disappear forever without any trace for the enemy to investigate" promised Naruto,
"You'll turn the bodies to ashes?" asked Haku hesitantly, she would never hesitate to eliminate the enemies of her village but to mutilate bodies? Even enemies should have some respect for each other.
Granted, in the shinobi world no such tradition existed unlike the Samurai who showed honor to their enemies even in death.
But when she looked into Naruto's cold eyes, all she saw was the gaze of a veteran Ex-Anbu willing to do anything for the sake of the mission.
"That's the way of the Blackops" answered Naruto without any remorse, making Haku gulp but she offered no further protest.
"That will help keep the enemy focused and make them divert critical resources to investigate further. We will use that time to scale the mountain, find out the target's exact location and strike. Mangetsu, keep your summon ready for our extraction will be violent" ordered Naruto seriously,
Mangetsu nodded his acceptance as Naruto looked at his men one last time.
"For Kiri"
The looks in the eyes of his men changed instantly when he whispered those words and they all looked back at him with merciless eyes as they repeated his words.
"For Kiri"
(Team Namikaze)
Mangetsu watched Mei and Naruto charging through the forest by his side while Haku kept to the trees and would provide cover fire from up above while the three of them engaged in close quarter combat. It was imperative they fight the enemy in hand-to-hand combat and use minimum ninjutsu for that would be instantly detected by the barrier all around them. Even now, he feared they were already detected but Naruto had assured them that his sealing tags currently placed over the armor of every squad member would be enough to keep them invisible to the enemy sensors and barrier team.
The enemy wouldn't know about them until they came face to face, atleast that was what Mangetsu hoped would happen.
He had fought all kinds of ninjas in his life, but he always was wary of going up against the blackops shinobi from any nation for they were the elite and most ruthless warriors of their respective nations. Even Mei shared his feelings if the nervous expression on her face was any indication.
But Naruto...
Those cold red eyes that were so much like the Sharingan were eager for blood. He could feel the Commander's killing intent rising with every passing second and his hand was itching to grab the sword at his back.
Mangetsu steeled himself when he saw the makings of the enemy camp up ahead and heard Naruto unleash his sword.
"Execute" ordered the masked Commander,
The first female Anbu on sentry duty barely saw a three pronged kunai pass by her and gasped when a second later a pair of stone cold red eyes appeared before her.
Mangetsu flinched when he saw Naruto slice through the female Anbu's neck and sever her head in one strike. He didn't stop there as in mid air he grabbed the flying head and stuck something inside of it, before throwing it right in the midst of the enemy Anbu camp.
Mei heard the enemy camp come to life as purple colored smoke exploded from the severed head of the female Anbu. The two entrance guards gasped but a second later fell to the ground courtesy of two senbon needles hitting their necks from the trees where Haku was hiding. They were dead before they even hit the ground as the poison in the needles ended their life.
Meanwhile, several Anbu rushed outside of their tents only to get caught in the poison laced smoke that was spreading everywhere.
Team Namikaze on the otherhand charged through the poison undeterred as they had already administered the anti-dote in their systems. Mangetsu jumped straight towards one of the tallest Anbu who was in the process of performing a wind style attack to disperse the poison. The enemy growled on seeing him and hacked at him with his sword but Mangetsu ducked and slapped a seal on the man's leg, above him Mei stabbed the enemy straight through the neck with her sword and ruthlessly kicked him deeper into the camp.
They both grimaced when the corpse of their fallen enemy exploded into a rain of shrapnel that instantly showered every nearby Anbu making them cry out in agony.
"Those seals are nasty" said Mei disgustedly,
"As expected from an Anbu officer. Let's go" replied Mangetsu seriously, as he saw Naruto place his sword on his back and switching to close quarter combat by drawing a three pronged kunai in each of his hand.
The enemy might have been in a better position to counter but too many factors were against them.
First, the moon was completely covered by clouds making visibility extremely difficult but for shinobi of Kiri trained to fight even in the mist, it was an advantage.
Second, the entire camp was now covered in the poison laced smoke unleashed by Naruto at the very start. It had a nasty reaction of instantly paralyzing its victims motor functions followed by a gruesome death as it melted their insides. Haku was quick to act and neutralized quite a score of Anbu trying to shake off the preliminary dizziness from the poison.
Third, the shrapnel bomb had injured most of the enemy force. While not enough to end their lives, it had created panic and fear among the enemy ranks as they heard their comrades screaming in horror and agony.
This three pronged attack left the enemy blind, injured and terrified.
"Mei" called Mangetsu, earning a nod from his partner.
They both were relieved to see the few Anbu strong enough to fight were being forced to dodge around as Haku's needles rained down everywhere from the trees.
Both Kiri shinobi raised a single hand seal, while Naruto had barred them from using chakra heavy ninjutsu...this one was designed to consume the least chakra and would not be noticed by the enemy sensor and barrier teams.
"Hidden Mist Jutsu"
Naruto saw a thick mist starting to spread across the already vision impaired area creating further panic and anger among the enemy. They couldn't see them at all, but he could as his sharp red eyes showed him the chakra forms of every enemy still alive.
His comrades were either sensors or used to fighting in the dark, as he heard them expertly killing the remaining enemy shinobi.
He charged past two more Anbu and in a flash sliced their throats mercilessly allowing them to drop dead on the ground.
He narrowed his eyes when he saw a hidden Anbu at a nearby treetop who had survived the trap his comrades had gotten themselves into. Judging from the hand signs, he was about to launch a wind jutsu.
Naruto instantly threw his three pronged kunai towards the enemy and grinned when the man caught it instantly while sending an arrogant laugh downstairs.
That laugh abruptly died away when Naruto instantly appeared before the Anbu and stabbed him clean through the heart. The man's heart exploded from the powerful blow as a permanent horrified expression became etched in his dead eyes as he fell to the ground.
The Kiri Commander looked down and saw there were twenty Anbu still left and they had huddled around each other in an effort to counterattack. Mangetsu and Mei were moving towards the group but it would be too late by the time they reached.
He cursed as he allowed his chakra in the form of ash to leak from his body and fall directly over the Anbu survivors.
He looked at Haku in the nearby trees and gestured for Plan B to which she nodded. Together, both of them were prepared for this possibility and flawlessly threw several barrier seals across the nearby trees.
Naruto clasped his hands together and trapped his own two comrades alongwith the remaining enemy in a small red colored barrier.
Everything trapped inside the barrier would become invisible to the enemy barrier team for the time being which essentially allowed him to ninjutsu. It was a risk that the enemy would still detect the use of chakra, but it was one he had to take to protect his squad. The Anbu were slowly organizing themselves and it would not be pretty if they counterattacked. His squadmates were strong but not seasoned enough to battle these many ruthless Anbu all at once.
He made his decision as the ash expertly blended in the smoke around the Anbu survivors.
Mangetsu and Mei had stopped their advance when they sensed the barrier going up around them, and on hearing Haku's warning whistle they instantly retreated back to the edge where Naruto allowed them to exit the barrier. To his surprise, the enemy Anbu had caught the trail and were also following.
Quickly, he sealed the exit just as Mei escaped and clasped his hands together.
"Ash Release: Explosion"
Haku shielded her eyes as a bright light engulfed the barrier completely and then everything went silent.
Mangetsu and Mei watched as the barrier slowly fell apart and as the smoke cleared, both of them gulped on seeing nothing remaining of the enemy camp or its inhabitants.
All that remained was charred earth.
Mangetsu hesitantly touched the darkened soil and couldn't help but fail to recognize this black soil from the ashes of the men and women who had died moments ago before his very eyes.
He flinched when Naruto jumped beside him and calmly observed the destruction he had inflicted.
The words said by the Commander next sent a shiver down the hearts of his three comrades.
"I am become Death"
(Kirigakure)
Gengetsu Hozuki was very angry.
Not only were his negotiations with Tobirama Senju making very slow progress, but he also had additional problems to deal with apart from the ongoing war. He stared at the unconscious man dragged before him and currently being held by his arms through two Anbu officers as the Anbu commander stood aside and looked at him.
What made Gengetsu more angry was the fact that he knew this Jounin who was one of the top ranking officers from the Hunter Corps.
"Lord Second, there is no mistake. Keiji has confessed to his capital crimes and has admitted to being a spy of Iwagakure" reported the Anbu commander flatly, although if one listened carefully then the man's own hidden anger was barely audible in his voice.
Gengetsu gestured for the other Anbu to take away the prisoner to his cell where he would be soon subjected to Kiri's infamous hospitality. But the Mizukage's thoughts were already drifting to another subject.
"How many more wolves do you think are existing in our home?" asked Gengetsu bitterly,
"Keiji would not be the first. I suggest we do a thorough background check of every shinobi serving under respective branches of our military" suggested the Anbu commander,
"That would take too much time. We need to weed them out now" barked Gengetsu frustratedly, how was he supposed to win a war if he couldn't even trust his own men?
"Understood, Lord Second. I will form a small squad of Anbu who are loyal to the village. Together under my command, we will weed out the traitors" promised the Anbu Commander,
"I want to evaluate the men you choose for this mission before you start. And not a word about this to anyone else, or it could fracture the morale of our troops" warned Gengetsu, earning a nod from one of his most loyal officers.
"It will be done, Lord Second" promised the Anbu Commander,
"Is there any support you require from me?" asked the Mizukage seriously, earning another nod in return from his subordinate.
"It's actually about one of the shinobi I want to recruit for this mission. She is infamous for being one of the best Interrogators among the Hunters. I want to recruit her" requested the Anbu leader,
"What's her name?" asked Gengetsu seriously,
If someone had caught this man's gaze for their skill, then they were definitely someone Gengetsu was interested in for it was this very man who had recommended Naruto for one of the Seven, and it had turned out quite well for the village and for the Mizukage himself.
"Ino Namikaze"
Instantly, the Mizukage tensed as he heard that name. This was possibly a dangerous mission for everyone involved as there was no prediction as to how the traitors within their ranks would react once the trap started to squeeze around them. Could he really endanger Naruto's wife like this?
But he dismissed those thoughts, his loyalty was first towards the village rather than one of his subordinates alone.
"You can recruit whomever you want including Ino Namikaze. But first conduct a complete background check on her history and present the report to me. Only post my approval, will she be made a part of the team. The same procedure will be followed for the other recruits of your team" instructed the Mizukage,
"It will be done, Lord Second" assured the Anbu Commander,
Gengetsu watched the man hesitate for a second but in the end he decided to speak what was on his mind.
"I will do a complete check on Ino and others whom I want to recruit. But what about my check?" asked the Anbu leader hesitantly,
Gengetsu smirked.
"Leave that to me. Besides, I trust you, however as a precaution you will undergo a check directly by me" ordered Gengetsu,
"I am ready, Lord Second"
Gengetsu noted the fearless tone of this man and doubted he had anything to hide, yet he couldn't afford any mistakes. He could not accuse anyone innocent to be a traitor but at the same time he could not be too lax with the security of the village, especially during this time of war.
Sooner or later, he had to weed out the spies hiding within his village.