Chapter 14: Mission

The following day, a refreshed Orochimaru woke up early and began practicing his swordsmanship with enthusiasm. He felt as joyful as a child receiving a beloved toy. Well, it's good to let the kid enjoy himself.

Holding the Kusanagi Sword, Orochimaru felt a surge of confidence. Even his basic sword techniques were executed with flamboyance. He refrained from cutting grass or wooden stakes since the sword was incredibly sharp and easily cut them upon impact.

Lately, Sarutobi Hiruzen had been assigning the Sannin to various tasks, such as exterminating thieves or hunting down fugitive ninjas. For B-rank missions, Sarutobi led the team himself, while for C-rank missions, the three Sannin handled them alone or enlisted the help of dissatisfied staff members.

During wartime, teams often suffered attrition, and the leading ninja could recruit new members after the casualties.

If even a Jounin was killed, two Chunin would lead the team, forming a stronger and larger unit.

Sarutobi Hiruzen was the pillar of the village and couldn't spend all his time fighting bandits. Thus, the Sannin often took on tasks individually.

Sarutobi had faith in Orochimaru's abilities, and since the mission wasn't particularly difficult, he turned a blind eye to it.

In truth, Orochimaru had already sensed it. Every time they embarked on a mission with Tsunade, two masked ANBU ninjas would discreetly trail them. One seemed perceptive with a strong mental power, while the other exuded formidable chakra. Orochimaru estimated that the latter was likely a Jounin!

Impressive, as expected of Lady Mito. Hokage-sama had certainly struck a gold mine by pitting one Jounin against the other!

However, Tsunade was probably unaware, and Orochimaru chose not to divulge this information.

With Orochimaru's current soul strength and mental perception, even a Jounin couldn't detect him. As for whether Sarutobi could uncover his true identity, Orochimaru believed that simple detection was impossible.

And even if they did find out, they wouldn't recognize him!

At this point in time, the establishment of the Five Great Nations' Ninja Villages was on the rise. After the turbulent times, many remnants of small factions sought refuge in hidden locations. The situation in the surrounding small countries remained corrupted.

Today, Orochimaru received another "mission list" alongside two friends. Their objective was to hunt down a group of mercenary ninjas.

Small ninja villages were sprouting up like bamboo shoots after the rain, and even impoverished and desolate small countries had resorted to military forces. However, these ninja villages could be destroyed overnight, leaving behind only a few scattered ninjas.

All the influential figures in the five countries understood this reality. Only with ninjas could they possess the power to protect themselves and hold diplomatic sway.

As some small countries lacked military strength, they either became vassals of the major nations or were annexed directly. The worst-case scenario involved the small countries situated in the cracks between the major nations, transforming into war zones and strategic buffer zones. Chaos reigned, and the entire population suffered.

Orochimaru followed the two leading Chunin through the bushes. Their target was a group of mercenaries who had caused significant bloodshed. As a ninja, the concept of good or evil was irrelevant. Konoha, which always upheld justice and benevolence, had also annexed numerous surrounding small countries after the first Hokage's death. Ultimately, everything came down to a matter of gain and loss.

And these so-called mercenaries were a band of desperados, potentially including remnants of the samurai from the previous era. Either way, they were far from righteous.

The two leading Chunin were named Nanmu, proficient in Water Release jutsu, and Mucheng, specializing in close combat. They were accompanied by a ten-year-old Genin who served as mere cannon fodder.

To be honest, Orochimaru didn't view them as a worthy opponent.

Orochimaru's mental power gradually expanded, scanning the fleeing group of mercenaries. Two of them possessed Chunin-level strength, while six were Jounin.

In the distance, a group of people ran haphazardly, resembling refugees, but they moved swiftly. Their weapons were a mishmash of various types, and a few individuals wore armor while wielding samurai swords. Without the chakra fluctuations emanating from their bodies, it would be difficult to imagine them as ninjas. The term "mercenary" seemed more fitting for them.

"Boss, do you think that wealthy man is setting us up? After all, we're working for money. Why would he hire Konoha ninjas to hunt us down?" A scruffy-looking individual gasped for breath, questioning his leader.

The Chunin leader glared at him fiercely. "If his daughter is still alive, then maybe we'd be fine!"

"Uh... Haha, it's a shame for such a beautiful little girl." The wretched ninja stroked his chin mustache, exhibiting a hint of regret.

These guys had raided a wealthy man's warehouse, ruthlessly killing the guards along the way. Unexpectedly, the wealthy man's young daughter happened to be present, resulting in her humiliation and brutal demise.

The enraged and influential wealthy man spared no expense in hiring Konoha ninjas. He made it clear that he wanted them to experience a death filled with despair.

As precarious mercenaries, they remained cautious and made their escape.

At that moment, a figure clad in a black robe suddenly halted.

"Hold on!" the leader bellowed, turning his head to inquire, "Second brother, what's wrong?"

"My crow detected a group of individuals approaching us at high speed!" the second-in-command furrowed his brow, "I fear it might be Konoha. Let's change direction!"

"What rotten luck! Brothers, break through to the east, and we'll be safe beyond Konoha's sphere of influence!" the leader ordered.

"They've changed course," the Genin named Dian'an murmured. Skilled in bug tracking, he possessed weak combat capabilities and remained rather taciturn. The Aburame clan had essentially made him cannon fodder.

Ever since Dian'an discovered the mercenaries' position, the two groups had been drawing closer, and it was only a matter of time before they crossed paths.

"No, we can't let them escape!" the second-in-command suddenly shouted. "They're about to catch up!"

"Hmph! If they're courting death, brothers, surround and kill this guy!"

Orochimaru's group advanced rapidly, and the two Chunin suddenly sensed an eerie stillness, feeling that something was amiss.

Orochimaru warned, "Watch out for an ambush!"

As soon as the words left his mouth, a barrage of shuriken and kunai rained down upon them.

"Water Release: Water Formation Wall!" Nanmu roared, conjuring a protective water wall that intercepted most of the projectiles. Only Dian'an was struck in the arm by a kunai, causing her to panic and flee to the rear.

"Ah—!" In that moment, a wretched-looking individual frothed at the mouth and charged toward them.

Mucheng swiftly deflected his attacks with well-aimed shuriken strikes. The man let out a scream, seemingly unable to survive, yet he continued to press forward!

"He has an explosive tag on him!" Orochimaru shouted, promptly erecting an earth wall to shield the Orochimaru.

"Boom!" Enormous flames billowed, enveloping the area in thick smoke. A large crater appeared on the ground, reducing the charging ninja to nothing but ashes.

The two Chunin managed to dodge the blast, although they were still subjected to the shockwave and coughed violently.

The Sannin, shielded behind the shattered earth wall, remained unharmed.

Nanmu hadn't expected such a suicidal tactic from their adversaries. Thanks to the kid's timely warning, he couldn't help but glance at Orochimaru. Why was this kid so quick to react?

Orochimaru had observed everything clearly. The wretched ninja had fallen victim to an illusion, causing him to seek death. This group of mercenaries truly had no regard for their own comrades!

"What !!" Nanmu's tree cover was abruptly severed by a long serrated knife. Leaping into the air, Nanmu retaliated with a powerful water-iron cannon.

The leader's arm muscles bulged as he effortlessly shattered the water attack with a single swing of his blade.

"What immense strength!" Water splashed in all directions as Nanmu wore a surprised expression.

Meanwhile, Mucheng engaged in combat with the second-in-command, taking advantage of the smoke from the explosion. The five lower-level mercenaries stood before the Orochimaru.

As for the trembling Dian'an, nobody paid any attention to him.

The leader cast a disdainful glance at the her before grinning malevolently. "Konoha's ninjas aren't all that impressive!"

*****

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