The meeting room was immediately filled with a loud, chaotic noise. The arguments and debates were even more intense than before. However, overall, the majority still supported the idea of taking the initiative.
There was a simple reason for this: any ninja with even a modicum of ability inherently preferred to take the initiative. After all, it was only by doing so that they could truly unleash their full potential.
Thus, the meeting concluded with a decision to take the offensive.
However, in order to be cautious, not all personnel would be mobilized.
According to the plan, two-thirds of the forces stationed at the base would depart from the south gate, targeting the mist ninjas coming from the mainland.
The remaining third would be split into two parts.
The majority would stay behind at the base with the injured to guard against a surprise attack from the mist ninjas.
Another group would set sail to harass the mist's fleet, attempting to delay their progress for as long as possible.
These individuals each had their specialties. Some were adept at water-style ninjutsu, while others had contracts with water-type summoning beasts.
In short, they were all ninjas well-suited for operations at sea.
Initially, Qingming was also going to be sent to harass the mist fleet.
However, Sano Nobuhisa, seeing the immense power Qingming possessed—well beyond that of a high-level jonin—decided he would be more useful in the land operation.
Qingming thought about it for a moment and agreed.
If they could successfully wipe out this enemy force, it was easy to imagine that the mist ninjas wouldn't be able to organize any meaningful attacks for a while.
This would allow him to focus on his training in peace.
"Everything is for a more stable environment to train," Qingming reminded himself in his heart.
Afterward, he left the meeting room without delay and used Wind Release: Wind Wings to soar into the sky, heading toward the location of Hinata Kaede.
Because of his flying ninjutsu, he had been asked to leave early.
He was to meet up with the reconnaissance team led by Hinata Kaede and monitor the movements of the mist ninjas, providing intelligence for the larger army that would follow behind.
······
A few minutes later.
Qingming arrived above a forest and scanned the area below. There was nothing to be seen.
"Where are they?"
"Considering the time, they should be nearby, so where are they?"
As Qingming pondered, a swarm of insects suddenly flew up from the forest below and headed straight toward him.
These insects were small in size, and if not for Qingming's constant vigilance and the assistance of his Sharingan, he might not have noticed them at first.
Qingming didn't make any rash moves. Instead, he patiently waited for the insects to approach. Once he could clearly make out their appearance, he let out a small sigh of relief.
They weren't just any insects; these were the Chikuhō (寄坏虫), a species unique to the Aburame clan.
Since one of the members of the reconnaissance team, led by Hinata Kaede, was from the Aburame clan, it was easy to infer that they had already spotted him.
Sure enough, the insects flew around him a few times as if confirming his identity. Then, they formed an arrow-like shape pointing in a specific direction.
Qingming immediately understood their message.
Following the direction of the arrow, he flew forward.
After flying just a few hundred meters, the arrow formed by the insects suddenly turned downward, pointing to a densely forested area below.
Clearly, Hinata Kaede and the team were hiding there.
Qingming activated his Sharingan and carefully observed for a moment. Once he confirmed there was no danger, he descended.
As soon as he landed, four figures appeared before him.
It was none other than the reconnaissance team led by Hinata Kaede.
This team consisted of four people: Hinata Kaede, a member of the Aburame clan, a civilian ninja wearing sunglasses and wrapped up tightly, and two others.
From Sano Nobuhisa, Qingming had already been briefed on these two individuals.
One was a civilian ninja with average abilities but who had contracted an eagle summoning beast to relay messages back to the base.
The other was a ninja from the Yamanaka clan.
Not only was he skilled in sensory perception, but he also mastered a mind-reading technique specifically used to gather information from enemies' minds.
While the team's direct combat strength might not have been formidable, they were invaluable when it came to reconnaissance.
As Qingming observed the four of them, they, too, were observing him.
Previously, Qingming had either been on reconnaissance missions or training at sea, so he had little interaction with them.
Strictly speaking, this was the first time they had encountered him up close.
The civilian ninja wasn't of much concern, as it was hard to gauge Qingming's abilities, but the other three were no fools and quickly grasped the magnitude of Qingming's power.
Before, they had only heard about his legendary strength and seen him in action a few times, but they hadn't truly understood it.
Now, in this close encounter, they were fully aware of the saying, "The name of a person is like the shadow of a tree."
From Hinata Kaede's Byakugan, Qingming's chakra appeared like a blazing sun, so intense it was almost blinding.
Not even in the Black Stone Base, or throughout the entire Hidden Leaf Village, had Kaede seen anyone with more chakra than Qingming.
As for the Aburame ninja, he could feel his insects trembling, as though they were facing a natural predator.
The Yamanaka ninja only sensed the immense pressure Qingming's strength put on him, feeling the weight of Qingming's overwhelming power.
The group was silent for a moment. Finally, it was Qingming who spoke first: "I assume you all know who I am?"
Upon hearing this, the four exchanged glances and nodded. "Yes, Qingming-senpai. Captain Sano just sent word for us to cooperate fully with your mission."
Qingming didn't find it surprising that they had learned of his arrival so soon.
As he had mentioned earlier, one of the four had contracted an eagle summoning beast, whose flight speed was much faster than his own.
So it was perfectly normal for them to have received word ahead of time.
Without wasting time, Qingming asked, "Where are the mist ninjas from Flying Fish Town now? And which route are they taking?"
Hinata Kaede immediately pulled out a map, pointing to one location. "This is where we are."
Then, he pointed to another place. "This is where the mist ninjas are."
Next, Kaede traced a curved line between the two points. "This is the route they plan to take next."
Watching Kaede's actions and listening to the explanation, Qingming nodded in satisfaction.
He then glanced at the map one more time, memorizing the surrounding terrain, and said, "Good. Continue with your task. I'll be off now."
With that, he formed hand seals and instantly used Wind Release: Wind Wings, shooting into the sky.
Within moments, he had vanished from their sight.
The four exchanged a glance, then immediately used Body Flicker Technique and disappeared from the area.
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