"Such a headache."
Hatake Sakumo sat in his chair, his head swaying a little.
"Eh, I didn't expect the famous Fourth Hokage-sama of the ninja world to have moments like this too."
Nara Shikaku, seeing Sakumo's reaction, couldn't help teasing him.
"Don't make fun of me, Shikaku-san. That so-called fame across the ninja world—wasn't it ruined when some brat put me in bed for months?"
When Sakumo mentioned his own embarrassing past, he did so casually, as though the man bedridden for months wasn't him at all.
"So, what's the matter this time?"
Shikaku, realizing he shouldn't keep joking with the former Hokage, quickly brought the topic back to the point.
As he said that, the sunlight streaming through the window was suddenly blocked by a cloud. The once-clear sky turned gloomy in an instant, and the entire room's tone shifted with it.
"A commission from the Land of Waves. An old man named Tazuna has issued a C-rank request. He wants to hire ninja to escort him back to the Land of Waves."
When Sakumo mentioned "the Land of Waves," he deliberately emphasized the name.
Shikaku's expression showed immediate understanding.
"The Land of Waves, huh? So that means this will likely have something to do with Gato."
Taking the paper Sakumo handed him, Shikaku's expression hardened as he read through the contents.
"In other words, you're hesitating about whether or not to antagonize Gato—or rather, the people behind him."
Thinking about who Gato really was, Shikaku instantly understood the source of Sakumo's hesitation.
Gato himself wasn't the issue. What truly made them wary were the forces standing behind him.
A single merchant, smuggling contraband under the noses of the Five Great Nations and swallowing up the assets and lands of smaller countries—he could only do that because he served as a 'white glove' for the powerful.
Otherwise, with just a bunch of samurai and ronin under him, how could Gato possibly have ruled over the Land of Waves for so many years?
"The Land of Waves, the Land of Water, the Island Nation, the Land of the Sea, the Land of Fire, the Land of Lightning, the Land of Birds..."
Shikaku listed one country after another, sketching out the entire web of Gato Corporation's maritime empire.
To go against Gato meant to go against the daimyō, and by extension, to go against countless rulers across nations.
From that angle alone, the wisest decision for Konoha would be to refuse this mission.
But Shikaku knew full well that Sakumo hadn't called him here to hear that kind of answer.
"If the Land of Waves manages to complete the Great Bridge, it would only bring benefits to Konoha."
Shikaku briefly analyzed the pros and cons.
"Once the bridge is finished, Konoha's goods can be transported by land to the Land of Waves and then smuggled through Gato's old routes across the ninja world."
After listening, Sakumo raised an eyebrow at him.
The "goods" Shikaku mentioned obviously weren't anything legal—otherwise, there'd be no need to use smuggling channels.
Just what exactly was Konoha producing these days?
Sakumo turned his head toward the window, watching the smokestack that billowed steam day and night, its white plume vanishing into the clouds.
"Since it's a C-rank commission, who do you think we should send?"
Sakumo smiled—a gentle, easy smile.
Seeing that the Hokage was leaning toward agreement, Shikaku sighed in relief.
"I think Asuma's team would be a good fit. Most importantly, he bears the Sarutobi name."
Shikaku's reasoning was simple. The Land of Waves bordered the Land of Fire, and their daimyō were bound to have some form of contact.
If Asuma went, and the Fire Daimyō later had complaints, they could smooth things over by leaning on the old friendship with the Sarutobi clan.
"Not bad. Have Asuma come here. Also, call Anko in."
Sakumo approved of the suggestion but added a request of his own—to summon Anko as well.
"Yes."
An ANBU appeared on cue and departed to carry out the orders.
"As for the Daimyō's side, should we..."
"I don't think that's necessary. It'll make things more believable this way. After all, we don't yet know whether this mission will involve the Gato Group, and even less so that they might have ties to the Daimyō's office."
Hearing that, Sakumo's smile deepened.
"And if they don't believe us?"
Shikaku chuckled. "They'll have no choice but to believe."
Sakumo smiled, but internally, he couldn't help thinking—Shikaku sure wasn't this bold back when he worked under me.
If Shikaku could've heard Sakumo's thoughts, he would have shouted his innocence:
You should see how loyal your Hatake family looks to everyone! If I tried plotting against the Daimyō right in front of you, wouldn't you slice me apart with your White Fang blade on the spot?!
The choice of who to send to the Land of Waves was delicate.
First, the team needed enough strength. Though most of Gato's men were samurai or ronin—hardly worth mentioning—he occasionally hired capable ninja. Sending a standard chūnin squad would be far too risky.
Second, the team couldn't be too strong either. If a jōnin-led combat unit was dispatched, it would reveal that Konoha already knew this mission might be dangerous. That would make it hard to explain things to the Daimyō later, and Tazuna himself would surely be suspicious.
If he only paid a C-rank fee but got Konoha's elite force as protection, that would be way too over the top.
As such, the best option was to send a regular jōnin-led team.
That brought them to the third reason. This mission was very likely to involve real combat. While dangerous, it also offered a rare opportunity for live training. And when the mission was re-evaluated afterward, the rank would surely be raised—making it a valuable addition to one's record.
Clearly, Sakumo wanted to give that résumé-building opportunity to Naruto's team.