Naruto: Cultivating to Immortality

Chapter 335 Support Personnel Selection

Inside the Hokage's office, Tsunade sat at her desk, arms crossed, a relieved smile on her face. Her gaze fell on the view outside the window, through which she could see the village. Over the years, Konoha had endured many difficulties and challenges, but now it was gradually recovering.

The village streets were wide and clean, and people lived their lives busily yet orderly. Children played and frolicked in the streets, their laughter echoing in the air. All of this warmed Tsunade's heart; she knew it was the result of everyone's collective efforts.

Tsunade thought of her comrades who had given their lives to protect the village; their sacrifice brought about the peace and tranquility of today. Now, Konoha not only boasts a powerful ninja force, but also many outstanding young people thriving.

"These children have so much potential..." Tsunade murmured to herself, her eyes gleaming with hope. She believed that Konoha would become even stronger in the future.

Over the years, ten exceptionally talented ninjas have emerged from the new generation of Konoha Village, their strength and talent being truly remarkable. Among them, Sasuke Uchiha, under the tutelage of Kakashi Hatake, has gradually demonstrated the formidable strength of the Uchiha clan, and his current strength is at least at the Jonin level. Furthermore, Naruto Uzumaki, personally trained by Jiraiya, has fully utilized the talents of the Uzumaki clan. Jiraiya also devoted himself to teaching Sakura Haruno, who has displayed unparalleled medical talent, making Team 7 one of the most outstanding ninja teams in Konoha Village.

"We can use Kakashi's team as the main force supporting Sunagakure, and arrange for Guy's team, which is currently on a mission outside, to go as a backup. These two teams should be enough to deal with Akatsuki." Tsunade quickly made the arrangements. She believed that the elite squads composed of these two teams would definitely be able to complete the mission. After all, Kakashi and Might Guy are both very outstanding ninjas in the village, and their respective teams are also exceptionally strong. This configuration is more than enough to deal with Akatsuki.

However, Tsunade also understood that the Akatsuki's strength should not be underestimated. Although they had gathered some intelligence, the enemy's true intentions remained elusive. Facing such a powerful and mysterious organization, any oversight could lead to irreversible consequences. Therefore, she decided to personally arrange for Kakashi Hatake to lead a team to the border between Konoha and Sunagakure to ensure everything proceeded smoothly according to plan.

After thinking about this, Tsunade said directly, "Go and inform Kakashi's team that I have an important mission for them." After saying this, Tsunade stopped talking and continued to think about what might happen next.

"Yes, Hokage-sama!" An ANBU member emerged from the shadows into the office, answered, and quickly disappeared. His movements were swift and agile, as if he had blended into the darkness, making him almost imperceptible.

A short while later, Kakashi Hatake brought Sasuke Uchiha, Naruto Uzumaki, and Sakura Haruno to Tsunade. Their Team 7 had only reassembled yesterday. Previously, Naruto had been training outside the village with Jiraiya and had only returned yesterday. Sakura Haruno had been learning medical ninjutsu from Tsunade and practicing in the medical ward. As for Sasuke Uchiha, he had been training with Kakashi Hatake.

Kakashi Hatake looked at Tsunade, his eyes filled with deep confusion. For years, Team 7 had been scattered, rarely having the opportunity to act together. However, just yesterday, after Naruto Uzumaki returned to the village, Team 7 was finally reunited.

What surprised Kakashi even more was that Sasuke Uchiha's current strength far surpassed that of an ordinary Jonin. The strength Naruto Uzumaki and Sakura Haruno displayed yesterday was equally formidable, certainly not much weaker than Sasuke. So, what kind of mission could possibly require him to lead the entire Team 7? This was truly perplexing. While Konoha had recovered considerably in recent years, it certainly didn't have the luxury of dispatching an elite team of Jonin-level personnel for a single mission!

Sasuke Uchiha observed his surroundings expressionlessly, his heart utterly unmoved. Despite Kakashi Hatake's tireless guidance over the past few years, his progress in strength had left him dissatisfied. He knew he bore the responsibility of avenging Itachi Uchiha, yet at his current pace, he didn't know how long he would have to wait to gain sufficient power to achieve that revenge. Therefore, he deeply resented the time his training wasted on missions. At the same time, he grew increasingly disillusioned with Kakashi's guidance. His growth had practically stagnated over the past year, and without more effective guidance, he feared he would never be able to contend with Itachi Uchiha.

Meanwhile, Naruto Uzumaki was incredibly excited. He had been training with Jiraiya for years, and although his strength had improved considerably, he had never forgotten his teammates from Team 7. He was overjoyed to be able to reunite with his former comrades so soon after returning to the village.

"Haha, finally I can go on missions with everyone again!" Naruto Uzumaki said excitedly, "Great! I can't wait to show Sasuke how much I've grown over the years and let him see my strength!"

Sakura Haruno was also very happy. In recent years, she had been learning medical ninjutsu from Tsunade and interning in the medical department, so she hadn't been able to carry out missions with Sasuke Uchiha for a long time, and they had even seen each other much less often.

“Yes, I’m also very happy to be able to carry out a mission with Sasuke again.” Sakura Haruno said with a smile, “I hope we can complete the mission successfully this time, and…” She secretly glanced at Sasuke Uchiha, thinking to herself: Maybe this time I can strengthen the bond between me and Sasuke Uchiha, and at the same time let Sasuke Uchiha see my progress, so that he can recognize me more.

Kakashi Hatake looked at the three before him, a sense of helplessness creeping into his heart. He knew that Sasuke Uchiha, Naruto Uzumaki, and Sakura Haruno were all exceptionally skilled ninjas, but sometimes they were too focused on their own tasks, neglecting their surroundings. Sasuke, in particular, had become increasingly cold and silent since his brother's departure. Naruto, on the other hand, remained carefree and oblivious, his mind entirely elsewhere, not on the mission. Sakura, however, harbored deep feelings for Sasuke, her thoughts entirely focused on helping him and expressing her affections to him.

As an experienced ninja, Kakashi Hatake naturally understood the importance and danger of this mission. However, unlike the other three, he didn't show obvious worry or anticipation, remaining calm and composed. He knew that only by remaining calm in the face of difficulties could he better handle various challenges. Kakashi decided to observe these three young men carefully in the coming days to see if they were truly ready for the mission. If they were not up to the task, he would not hesitate to report to Tsunade and request a replacement. After all, these three were the best of Konoha's new generation, crucial to the future of the entire village; if casualties occurred due to their negligence, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Kakashi Hatake looked at Tsunade, the Fifth Hokage of Konoha, with a serious expression, his tone revealing his doubts and concerns about the mission: "Lady Tsunade, I want to know what kind of mission this is? Why is our entire Team 7 being mobilized? Moreover, a long time has passed since our last mission together. Under these circumstances, I think we need more intelligence to support this operation."

As he spoke, he observed Tsunade's expression, trying to glean some clues from her. However, Tsunade did not answer his question immediately, but sat there quietly, seemingly deep in thought.

Kakashi Hatake sighed inwardly. He knew Tsunade's decision must have its reasons, but he couldn't help feeling worried. After all, Team 7 hadn't worked together on a mission in a long time, and the team members' coordination and teamwork might have waned. Moreover, the complete lack of information about the specifics of this mission made him very uneasy.

He continued, “Lady Tsunade, I know you have high expectations for our Team 7, but we also need sufficient intelligence to better complete our mission. If we know nothing about the enemy, we can easily find ourselves in a passive position. So, please tell us the details of this mission.” He then bowed deeply to express his sincerity.

After glancing at Naruto and the others, Tsunade relayed detailed mission instructions to them, outlining the specific intelligence and precautions for the mission. She hoped that this operation would not only thwart the Akatsuki's plot but also protect the safety and stability of the Sand Village alliance. Simultaneously, it would serve as a test of Konoha's strength, allowing the ninja world to recognize that Konoha had long since recovered to its peak and was not to be trifled with by the mere Akatsuki.

Konoha's intelligence on the Akatsuki organization was actually quite limited. They only knew that the organization was composed of extremely dangerous S-rank rogue ninja from various villages. Even more shocking was the fact that their own S-rank rogue ninja, Itachi Uchiha, had also joined it. This news shocked and worried the Konoha leadership.

Itachi Uchiha was once an important ninja of Konoha, but now he has become an enemy. His betrayal has given Konoha a deeper understanding of the threat posed by the Akatsuki. Furthermore, Itachi's presence as a member of the Akatsuki means that Konoha may face even greater challenges.