Am I Useless ?

"Satoru, am I useless?"

Anko raised her head, her hazel-gray eyes devoid of any vibrancy, lacking any color.

"Useless?" Satoru smiled helplessly. "Honestly, I don't understand why you're using this word to describe yourself."

"But I feel like I'm of no use. You and Rin are so outstanding. Shibi-sensei is also a renowned Jonin. I'm stuck between all of you, feeling like I'm just a waste."

Anko's voice grew softer, almost like the buzzing of a mosquito, barely audible.

"Why do you feel this way? Anko, you're quite excellent."

Satoru sighed and tried to make his voice as gentle as possible.

"I just want to do something for everyone, even if it's something small. When you and Kakashi fought, I wanted to help, but I couldn't beat Kakashi at all. I could only run to find you."

"I hate that feeling, that feeling of helplessness. I'm right there, but I can't do anything."

Anko couldn't help but clench her fists, and as she spoke, she started to sob.

"Many times, so many times, I've been completely useless. I just end up dragging you all down. I'm nothing but a waste."

Satoru fell silent, Anko's choked voice sounding harsh in his ears.

In the original story, having been taken in as a disciple by Orochimaru, Anko would have undoubtedly been considered a genius. But due to the changes in her path influenced by him, she had lost her way, and what could have been her role as Orochimaru's disciple had been replaced with uncertainty.

And this discrepancy was even more pronounced when compared to himself and Rin.

"Anko."

Satoru took a deep breath and gently placed his hands on her shoulders, trying to keep his tone soothing.

"You're already quite talented, Anko. You might not stand out much among us, but once you find your strengths and persist, you'll become an outstanding shinobi."

"Do you understand?"

"Uh-huh."

Anko nodded slightly, softly acknowledging.

Satoru sighed lightly; perhaps after they returned, he should discuss with Shibi and arrange special training for Anko.

Under Satoru's comforting words, Anko's emotions seemed to improve somewhat. After a brief pause, the two of them continued to search for the last hideout mentioned in the intel.

This particular location was well hidden, and Satoru searched for a long time without finding any trace of the thieves.

"It seems like the ANBU responsible for reconnaissance only speculated on the general vicinity of their hideout based on the trails left by those thieves. They probably didn't discover the exact location."

"This could be troublesome."

Satoru shrugged helplessly. The rendezvous point he had arranged with Shibi was quite far from their current position. If they continued without any results, they would have to return and regroup with her to come up with a plan.

As his gaze scanned the surroundings, Satoru realized they were approaching the coastline. He could see the boundary between the dense forest and the open sea beyond it. Though it was quite distant, he could sense the presence of the sea.

"It's strange." Satoru furrowed his brows.

Anko, at his side, suddenly spoke with confusion, "Satoru, I don't understand. Why would those thieves choose to establish their hideout here? This place doesn't seem suitable."

"Why would they choose this location?"

In a flash, an idea crossed Satoru's mind, and he felt he had grasped something.

If those thieves set up their hideout nearby, it must mean that there was something in this area that served their purpose. He quickly surveyed the area and finally stopped at a large cliff near the coastline.

"Anko, stay here. I'll go take a look."

"Sure."

...

Approaching the foot of the cliff, Satoru looked up, activating his Byakugan. Indeed, he saw traces that indicated the presence of someone.

"These thieves have determination."

There were clear signs of human excavation on the cliffside. Through Byakugan's vision, Satoru could see marks left by iron picks and footholds leading up. Following these signs, he eventually discovered a massive hole at the top of the cliff.

This was the reason he had been unable to locate the hideout earlier. His Byakugan and electromagnetic perception couldn't have reached that high without being at the base of the cliff.

Satoru smiled, realizing, "No wonder they chose this place as their hideout. From the top of this cliff, they can easily monitor the nearby waters, intercepting merchant ships that come from the sea."

With this understanding, Satoru jumped upward, using the protruding rock formations to climb. In no time, he reached the top of the cliff.

The strength of these thieves wasn't exceptional. Taking them out from a distance with a large-scale jutsu would be time-consuming. Directly infiltrating their hideout was a more efficient approach.

...

In the forest, Anko couldn't help but grow anxious.

"Satoru has been gone for so long. Could something have happened to him? Is he in danger?"

Their current location was quite far from Konoha and was one of the most chaotic regions in the Fire Country. Rogue shinobi from various villages were known to frequent the area, which was why the Hokage had assigned them the mission to eliminate the thieves.

Satoru's prolonged absence filled her with worry.

Just then, a familiar voice reached her ears, finally relieving her anxiety.

"Anko, let's go meet with Shibi-sensei."

Satoru emerged from the forest, smiling as he spoke.

"Is the mission complete?"

"Yeah, all we need to do now is rendezvous with Shibi-sensei. With her and Rin's abilities, they probably finished it."

"Is that so? But it feels like I haven't contributed anything."

Anko let out a sigh, her expression once again turning gloomy.

"Don't say that, Anko. If it weren't for your reminder, I wouldn't have found the hideout's location. Without you, I might still be wandering."

"Let's head to the meeting point with Shibi-sensei now."

"Alright." Anko nodded softly.

The predetermined meeting place was far from their current location. After walking for a while, Satoru turned his gaze towards the gray sky over the sea, where lightning occasionally flashed.

Satoru's brows furrowed.

"It looks like there's going to be heavy rain. Let's pick up the pace, Anko."

The two of them hastened their steps, navigating through the forest.

After a while, Satoru's expression suddenly became serious. He reached out and grabbed Anko's arm, whispering.

"Wait, Anko, there are two shinobi from other villages up ahead."

Hearing this, Anko also stopped, looking at Satoru with nervousness.

"Satoru, are they enemies?"

"I'm not sure yet, but they seem quite powerful."

Satoru's expression grew solemn. He had detected two powerful chakra signatures approaching them, much stronger than the average shinobi.

Activating his Byakugan once more, he identified the village symbols on their forehead protectors and recognized one of them as a member of the Mist's Seven Ninja Swordsmen.

"Anko, let's retreat. They are members of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist."

"Members of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist?" Anko's heart skipped a beat at those words.

That group consisted of the Mist Village's most powerful human weapons. Each member was an elite Jonin, and their reputation for cruelty and bloodshed had reached even the Fire Country.