The Tsuchikage Moves!

The battle was concluded and so I dropped the sealing chains, making them disappear as I walked back towards inside the village where multiple figures were Hiashi was waiting for me.

"Hokage-sama, as for your instructions we set a perimeter and no casualties or injuries have been reported so far. Kakashi has suffered some injuries but he is being treated as we speak. We tried to find Kisame Hoshigaki but it seems he had retreated. We have trackers following them and the Anbu Commanders have taken the liberty to activate one of our assets on Iwa."

At that sentence, I looked at him seriously. Assets were intelligence operatives trained due to their lack of talent in being a combat shinobi. Sent on missions designed to go wrong, they died and became ghosts who later opened civilian businesses or got recruited by other villages. In a nutshell, they were sleeper agents placed to create a distraction when the situation required it. Placing them was difficult so they were not easily made to act.

"Has Iwa made a move? What pushed the commanders to make this decision without my input?" – I asked, my eyes narrowing at him. Authorizing assets without my approval, unless they had a compelling reason I would personally cut their heads off. These agents were strategic resources.

Noticing my gaze on him, Hiahsi lowered his head slightly and spoke.

"According to our informants, the Tsuchikage has been mobilizing logistic supplies since the attack on Konoha. We still do not know the exact purpose but given the situation on our side, we must assume the worst. The commanders came to a unanimous decision to use an asset to distract Iwa long enough for us to prepare and you to recuperate. We originally assumed Hokage-sama's fight against two S-Rank missing-nin would be much more dragged out and exhausting."

"I see, it seems it is my fault, the Tsuchikage looks down on me because of my age. Dow e have any information on the amount of logistic supplies being moved at the moment?"

Signaling a clan member behind him, Hiashi asked for the information and was soon presented with a folder as the Hyuga clan member bowed towards me and left.

"…A company's worth of supplies so far, but it keeps coming so in around a month we might see a battalion's worth of on our border."

Another deviation, and depending on how this one went, it might spiral out of control, years of waiting gone from one wrong decision. It might worsen the relationship between our villages to an all-time low, but I might need to behead the enemy forces. Particle style could prove especially dangerous to me.

That settled it for me.

"Call Shikaku, tell him to meet me at my office. We have a lot to talk about."

"Yes, Hokage-sama."

Saying that Shikaku left immediately as I headed towards the Hokage building.

-------------------------------------------

Six people were standing in my office. Me, Shikaku, and the four anbu commanders. Looking at Shikamaru and his stoic face with my Sharingan, I spoke first.

"I hope I can still count on your expertise to help the village despite our previous conflicts Nara-san."

Shikaku looked calmly at me as he nodded and responded.

"Of course Hokage-sama. I will not let my feelings get in the way of doing my duty to the village. That being said, our situation doesn't seem that dire, the force being sent towards us is too small to be an invasion."

"Indeed, with this small of a force, Onoki wouldn't be able to reach Konoha, let alone invade. I suspect his target to be something else. In my opinion, the Onoki is not after Konoha… he is after me."

"Indeed, he is aiming to draw you out. He is trying to provoke you, during the Third Great Shinobi War, the Fourth Hokage forced one thousand Iwa Shinobi to retreat in a crucial battle, effectively single-handily forcing Iwa to accept defeat. Onoki is recreating the situation, counting on your brashness to draw you alone on the battlefield."

"The fourth wasn't alone by any means… and he didn't kill 1000 enemy shinobi but forced them to retreat, and yet the people like legends. The story got exaggerated quite a bit and yet it remains true that he pushed back 1000 shinobi, essentially defeating them." – I said as I crossed my hands in front of my face.

"If you go, you'll be at a severe disadvantage, if you stay, Onoki will drag your name through the mud, if you go with other shinobi, the civilian population will always put you below the Fourth Hokage. It's a pain either way… unless we act first." – Shikaku said as he raised a finger

"You mean a decapitation tactic?"

"Yes, The Third Tsuchikage is old, with your speed you should be able to outmaneuver him, the problem being the other shinobi, and his ability to escape through flight. We need something to tie him down, so he can't escape and so the enemy shinobi can't interfere…"

Looking at Shikaku I uttered a single sentence.

"His granddaughter." – I said with an innocent smile on my face.

----------------------------------------

As everyone left the office, I waited a little bit as someone else appeared in the office. It was Neji.

"Neji, I have a very special mission for you today."

"Yes, Hokage-sama." – Neji said as he kneeled before the desk.

I rose up, took a folder from my desk, and made my way to the front of the desk.

"This dossier," - I said, waving the thin folder in my hand - " contains 10 faces. No further information is given except the country they reside in. You have to find and execute each and every one of them. The highest obstacle you should encounter would be chunin level combatant."

Opening the dossier, Neji's eyes widened for a moment.

"This is…" – He muttered.

"Indeed, even you would know the face of our current landlord, the first picture is the last target, you will be joined by the 4 anbu commanders when it is his time to be removed."

"I understand, any specific requirements for the other nine?"

"Lesson number 3. You have to observe, plan and execute depending on your own judgment this time. You have 2 months."

(A/N: There goes that, got to go, have lengthy homework. Hope you enjoy! :)