34 Into The Abyss

In the forest surrounding Konoha, three shadows can be seen. They were rushing from tree to tree, hiding behind them as cover as they slowly approached their target.

One of them made a gesture with his hands towards the other two, a closed fist.

After he opened it again, all three of the shadows went tree to tree, being sure to stay hidden as they saw their target in the clearing.

One of the Silhouettes reached up towards their ear, receiving a message in the ear piece they were provided, listening carefully before whispering into it.

Orochimaru: "Do you have visual confirmation of the target?"

Mizuki: "We can see it in the clearing"

Orochimaru: "Excellent. Whenever you are ready."

Mizuki put his hand down from his ear before giving his two teammates the "ready" signal.

Upon seeing that they were all at attention and ready to go, and finding an opening on their target, Mizuki changed his gesture to the "go" signal.

Mizuki: "Go"

Instantly, the three shadows emerged from the tree line as they all lunged for the target, with one of them successfully grabbing it.

Mizuki: "We have caught it."

Anko: "I just checked the nametag, we have confirmed that the Kitten we have captured is our target, Tora."

Idate had grabbed onto the cat and was subduing it. Albeit, at the cost of being constantly scratched by the cat's swipes.

Mizuki shivered as he remembered the countless times the cat escaped in the anime, seemingly always finding a way to escape and also seemingly able to be very old.

Poor Thing.

Mizuki considered letting it go, but he also didn't want to get on the bad side of the Daimyo's wife, so alas, the poor cat would continue to escape from his owner for decades to come.

Having finished their mission, the group ended up packing up and heading back to the mission office with the cat in tow.

________________________________________________________________________________________ (At The Mission Office)

Madam Shijimi: "Oh Tora, I can't believe you ran away like that. you must have been so scared. Don't worry, I will add extra security around the house to make sure you don't get lost again."

As she said that, she was suffocating the poor cat as she embraced him. The cat was trying desperately to wiggle it's way out of the woman's grip. Although having no success, causing it to tear up slightly.

Anko: "Is that even legal?"

Idate: "It seems like Animal Cruelty."

Mizuki: {May the poor thing be isekai'd to a world full of fish and milk.}

Even Orochimaru, who had conducted countless inhumane experiments, had a look of sympathy as the cat was being dragged away by the Daimyo's Wife.

It had been a week since the group had passed Orochimaru's test and had been officially certified as genin.

In that time, they had received five D rank missions, all of which they had completed perfectly.

One of them was even babysitting Ayame, which was honest

As much as Mizuki, Anko and Idate hated it, the Third Hokage wouldn't be willing to give them a higher rated mission just because they asked like the Jinchuriki could.

The fastest way for them to get the more interesting missions was for them to complete their current ones more efficiently and quickly to impress the Hokage.

Hokage: "Excellent work. Team Orochimaru, you are dismissed"

The Sanin nodded towards his teacher before directing his attention towards the three genin. gesturing for them to follow him, they all exit the office quickly behind their sensei.

Surprisingly though, unlike normal days where they could go home immediately afterwards, Their sensei told them to follow him.

Orochimaru: "I am going to show you something that can help make you stronger, if you want."

All three genin looked towards their sensei and nodded.

Seeing their reaction, Orochimaru had a sly smirk on his face as he turned around and began walking down the street.

Orochimaru: "Good."

As he said that, all three genin understood his intentions and walked behind him as they followed him to what their sensei would be showing them.

They took several twists and turns as they passed the city and reached the outskirts of Konoha in an area Mizuki wasn't familiar with.

After confirming no one was following the group, Orochimaru entered a house that appeared to be abandoned, with nobody living in it for years.

There was a noticeable lack of furniture and valuables alongside cobwebs and shards of broken glass everywhere.

It appeared as if the house had been looted long before they arrived

However, this did little to discourage Orochimaru as he worked his way into the basement, clearly intimately familiar with the complex.

After a turn from the main hallway, Orochimaru stopped as he entered what appeared to be an old bedroom, where nothing but a fragmented bed frame remained

He then approached a door that seemed to be that of a closet, although a false wall at the back of said closet revealed a set of stairs that descended into a pit of darkness.

Orochimaru took several steps down the stair before turning back to look at the genin.

Orochimaru: "Well, Are you coming?"

Mizuki and the others reluctantly walked down the dark corridor, either not knowing what to expect or, having seen the anime, dreading it.

Although one seemingly insignificant thing stuck out in the minds of the genin, the entrance almost resembled the mouth of a snake.