Chapter 52: Mission

The father of Kakashi Hatake, the famous White Fang of Konoha, stood among his peers, wielding his short sword with incredible precision. Even at this young age, Hatake Sakumo was showing signs of the immense power and skill that would one day earn him a place alongside the Sannin in terms of strength and reputation.

Sakumo, being one year older than the Sannin, was already demonstrating the abilities that would soon make him a household name. As he sparred with three others, he moved with such speed that he hardly gave his opponents any time to react, let alone form hand seals.

"What incredible speed... This guy might even be on par with Orochimaru," Jiraiya muttered to himself as he watched, clearly impressed.

The technique Sakumo was using was an advanced body flicker technique, one of the highest forms of taijutsu that allowed for near-instantaneous movement. There were many variations of teleportation techniques, ranging from Flying Thunder God (the fastest space-time technique), to basic body flicker techniques, to those that used elemental chakra to achieve high-speed movement.

Right now, Orochimaru, Tsunade, and Hatake Sakumo were all using a standard body flicker technique, which allowed them to burst forward at incredible speeds by focusing chakra into their legs. This type of movement wasn't continuous, as it required a large amount of chakra control, making it difficult to use repeatedly. However, when executed correctly, it was devastating in close-range combat, as the ninja appeared to vanish and reappear in an instant.

Most ninja could perform some variation of the body flicker, but the speed and precision of the technique varied greatly depending on the user's chakra control and physical condition. As a rule of thumb, jōnin were naturally faster than genin, due to their superior chakra control and experience.

Orochimaru, having enhanced his body through his genetic enhancement and the awakening of the Sharingan, had become as fast as a jōnin, despite being a genin by rank. What surprised him was that Hatake Sakumo, without any apparent modifications or enhancements, was already using the body flicker technique at a level comparable to his own.

"This guy is really strong! But.." Orochimaru said under his breath. However, he trailed off, leaving his next thought unsaid.

Jiraiya, sensing Orochimaru's hesitation, chimed in, "But what? Are you jealous? Do you want to go up there and fight him? Go ahead! I, Jiraiya Sama, will be cheering you on!"

Orochimaru shook his head. "I'm not that bored. We have a mission to focus on."

Without waiting for a response, Orochimaru turned and began walking away, leaving both Jiraiya and Tsunade behind.

Jiraiya, bewildered, shouted after him, "Hey! Don't just leave like that!"

As he watched Orochimaru leave without engaging Sakumo, Jiraiya was left utterly confused. In his mind, geniuses like Orochimaru should naturally want to challenge other geniuses. Where was the competitive spirit? Where was the legendary ninja pride?

"Why doesn't Orochimaru play by the usual rules?" Jiraiya thought, frustration creeping in. "Geniuses are supposed to be itching for a fight with each other, right?"

As all these questions swirled in Jiraiya's head, Tsunade stood silently beside him, observing Orochimaru as he walked away. It wasn't clear what was going through her mind, but she seemed to be deep in thought.

---

Later, the team arrived at a small courtyard in the south of Konoha Village, where they met their client a large, round man named Bach , a wealthy merchant known for traveling the world and doing business in many countries. This time, he had come to Konoha to sell rare medicinal herbs he had acquired from the Land of Waves, and he needed a team of ninja to escort him safely to the Land of Rice Fields.

As soon as Bach saw Orochimaru and his team, however, his face twisted in anger.

"What's going on here?" Bach shouted, glaring at the Konoha ninja who had brought the genin team to him. "I came here to hire ninja, and I'm willing to pay a good price! And yet, you send me these three brats to protect me?"

The Konoha ninja bowed apologetically. "I'm very sorry, but the village carefully selects the teams for each mission. The fact that these three were sent means that they are more than capable of handling the task."

"Capable?!" Bach roared, his face red with frustration. "They're children! I could take on three of them myself! Stop joking around and send me real ninja! This is a B-rank mission there should be at least one chūnin in the group!"

Bach crossed his arms, waiting for an explanation, while Orochimaru, Jiraiya, and Tsunade stood quietly to the side. Though his complaints were understandable, it was obvious he was underestimating the three young ninja.

"I understand your concerns," the Konoha ninja continued. "But these three are not ordinary genin. They are the personal disciples of the Third Hokage, and their abilities are far beyond what their rank might suggest."

"Hokage's disciples?" Bach asked, his skepticism giving way to curiosity.

"Of course!" Tsunade said confidently, stepping forward. "We're more than qualified to handle this mission. Trust me, chūnin would be no match for us."

Bach squinted, still unsure, but clearly more interested now. "You're really the Hokage's students?"

"Absolutely," Jiraiya chimed in with his usual bravado. "With us on the job, not only will we complete this B-rank mission, we could handle an S-rank mission if needed!"

Orochimaru glanced at Jiraiya, clearly uninterested in engaging in his friend's antics. He could understand Bach's hesitation. To the untrained eye, they were just kids, and the world outside the village was full of dangerous, experienced enemies. However, their training had more than prepared them for the task at hand.

Still, Bach wasn't convinced so easily. "I've heard a lot of promises from ninjas before, but when push comes to shove, it's my life that's on the line."

Orochimaru, sensing that Bach needed further reassurance, spoke up. "You're concerned about wandering ninjas, right? We've dealt with them before. You'll be safe under our protection."

The merchant still looked conflicted, but he knew the reputation of the Hokage's disciples. With a reluctant sigh, he nodded. "Alright. But if anything goes wrong, I'm holding your village responsible."