Cooperation

"Looks like it really is a big one!"

Kagetsu and the other two looked at the wreckage ahead, where trees had been toppled and branches scattered everywhere, and spoke quietly.

"This level of destruction could only have been caused by a large Summoning Beast." Uchiha Shisui was also completely on guard. A beast of that size would make even some Chunin retreat.

The three exchanged the information each had observed, treating this mission as the beginning of getting to know one another and learning to work together, while also putting into practice and digesting the knowledge taught at the Ninja Academy.

"Did you hear that?" Suddenly, Anko lifted her palm from the ground and looked in one direction.

Huff, huff!

A thunderous rumble drew closer and closer, accompanied by tremors in the ground that instantly tensed all three of them.

"Scatter!" Uchiha Shisui shouted instinctively.

Just as the three used the Body Flicker Technique and leaped away, a giant beast over ten meters tall charged through the forest, uprooting every tree in its path as it came into view.

It was a beast resembling an oversized wild boar, with protruding tusks and four legs like thick pillars of flesh that stomped the ground with heavy thuds.

Apparently treating this area as its own playground, the Giant Boar shook its head and fixed its gaze on another intact patch of forest. Huffing heavily, it adjusted its footing, preparing to charge.

"I'll go first!" After steadying herself on a tree branch, Anko, who saw herself as the big sister of the group, immediately began forming hand seals.

She opened with her signature Dragon Fire Technique.

The same technique was far more powerful in Anko's hands now than it had been during the bell test.

A blazing stream of fire became a pillar of flames that struck the boar's massive body head-on. The roaring flames instantly spread, covering more than half of its body.

The boar let out a shrill scream and immediately rolled across the ground. The earth around it trembled in that instant.

At the same time, the giant beast shifted its attention to Anko and the other two, who looked like insects in its eyes.

"Damn it! Is its defense really that strong?"

Seeing that it could still leap about after taking the full force of the Dragon Fire Technique, with only the struck area charred black and the flesh beneath its hide exposed, sending out the scent of cooked meat, Anko cursed in surprise.

However, Kagetsu and Shisui had no mind to answer her, because the enraged Giant Boar was already charging at them with thunderous steps.

While still in midair, Shisui pulled four Kunai tied with Exploding Tags from the pouch at his back and flung them toward the Giant Boar. The four Kunai clashed in midair with a series of metallic rings, changed direction, and pierced the wounded area struck by the Dragon Fire Technique.

That move alone displayed Shisui's exceptional dynamic perception, Kunai control, and sense of timing.

The four Kunai carrying Exploding Tags pierced the seared wound, then erupted in a burst of fire.

The heavily wounded beast staggered from the force of the explosion and let out an even angrier, more miserable howl.

Good opportunity!

After dodging the boar's charge, Anko immediately noticed that she was facing the injured side of the beast. Almost instinctively, she threw two Kunai tied with Exploding Tags, one from each hand, hoping to replicate Shisui's attack.

But the boar was rolling and rubbing itself against the ground in pain, trying to put out the flames on its body. Anko's Kunai struck its armor-like hide and were knocked away, exploding into two bursts of fire in midair.

"Careful, it's about to go berserk!" Shisui warned loudly. An injured beast, especially one as violent as a boar, would fight to the death.

"Damn it, it's too big and its defense is too high! The Ninjutsu I know barely work on it!" Anko shouted as she dodged the boar's relentless charges and pursuit, having been marked as its enemy.

Summoning Technique!

Kagetsu, who had yet to make a move, bit his finger and formed the Summoning Technique seal with a palm stained by his blood.

A yellow giant snake suddenly appeared amid a huge cloud of smoke, slithering swiftly toward the boar. Under the guidance and control of the three, the two giant beasts collided violently.

The giant snake coiled around the boar's body layer by layer, while the boar bit down tightly on the giant snake's neck.

Just as the giant snake was about to turn into smoke and vanish, a pair of blood-red eyes suddenly reflected in the eyes of the boar restrained by its coils.

The boar's bloodshot, enraged eyes instantly lost focus. The strength drained rapidly from its body, and it quieted as though falling asleep.

As the giant snake vanished with a bang, the boar's enormous body collapsed onto the ground, its will gone.

"Huff... huff..."

Standing atop the boar's huge body, Anko, who had been chased into a miserable state earlier, took two heavy breaths and looked at Kagetsu strangely.

"How could you summon such a huge snake? I thought the Nara Clan wasn't known for its Chakra." Anko looked at Kagetsu suspiciously.

The Summoning Technique was a technique whose Chakra consumption was measured dynamically according to the size and strength of the summoned creature. For Kagetsu to summon such a massive giant snake, he had to possess more Chakra than she did, at least in terms of quantity.

"Pleasure working with you." Ignoring Anko, who was once again letting her imagination run wild and spouting nonsense, Kagetsu extended a hand toward Shisui, who had landed beside him.

"Pleasure working with you." Shisui, still keeping his Sharingan active, stared at the hand Kagetsu offered. His expression froze slightly, but he immediately reached out and shook it.

"You two!"

"Senior Sister was impressive too. You kept that beast occupied for so long and bought us time and opportunities."

Just as Anko was about to explode, Shisui turned to her and spoke with a sincere expression. Pacified by his sudden words, Anko immediately broke into a wide smile.

"Not bad."

A hoarse voice suddenly came from below.

Kagetsu and the other two quickly jumped down from the giant beast and watched as Orochimaru slowly emerged from the ground.

"Orochimaru Sensei! Look, we took down this big guy together!" The impatient Anko rushed over at once, arriving beside Orochimaru and pointing at the giant beast on the ground with an excited expression.

"I saw everything." Orochimaru stroked Anko's head, ignoring her lovestruck fantasy-filled expression. His gaze swept over Kagetsu and Shisui, lingering briefly when it reached Shisui's blood-red eyes.

"Were you observing us from the shadows the whole time, Orochimaru-sama?" Shisui raised his hand and asked.

"Since this was a dangerous mission, and my real body was busy, I could only use a Shadow Clone to handle things." Orochimaru replied somewhat coolly. What happened to Nawaki only needed to happen once.

"Let's go. I'll take you out for a meal." After killing the boar, which was still immersed in Genjutsu, Orochimaru sealed it away in a Storage Scroll and spoke to the three beside him.