Bang!!!
The moment his fist struck the stone wall, tremendous force erupted.
The solid stone wall exploded apart, and cracks began to spread.
Crack, crack.
Hankuang took several steps back and watched the chunks of stone continuously fall, overjoyed.
With that punch, he had created a small cave large enough for one person.
"It's just that my fist hurts a little."
Hankuang glanced at the slightly reddened back of his hand and rubbed it.
It was nothing serious.
"My physique attribute is also at Kage Level, so I should recover soon."
Of his four attributes, his physique was the highest, exceeding his strength by thirty points.
Of course, those were only today's figures.
After clearing away some of the rubble, Hankuang used it to build a simple stove.
Then he grabbed his backpack and slipped into the cave.
Halfway up the mountain!
Orochimaru and Danzo stood in the trees, watching Hankuang enter the cave. The two fell into silence at the same time.
In the end, Danzo spoke first.
"So we overthought it? This dead last was afraid of participating in the war, so he ran to the back mountain to hide?"
"Dead last?" Orochimaru was speechless.
Based solely on the vibration just now, he could conclude that the Genin named Hankuang had definitely blasted out that cave with his fist.
You call someone who can punch out a cave a dead last?
What was even more unbelievable to Orochimaru was that he hadn't sensed the slightest fluctuation of Chakra.
In other words, Hankuang had accomplished it using nothing but pure physical strength.
Orochimaru couldn't help recalling his own cave.
How had he dug his cave? He had relied on Wind Style Ninjutsu. If he had used only his fists, he could have pummeled them bloody and still would not have managed it.
"Pure taijutsu training?"
Muttering to himself, Orochimaru thought of Might Duy and his son.
It seemed this was another shinobi with no talent for Ninjutsu who had devoted himself to painstakingly cultivating physical techniques.
Happy Hot Springs.
Obito cursed nonstop.
Kakashi's hair had gone completely limp.
Rin was drenched in sweat.
At last, they finished cleaning the bathhouse.
"That bastard Hankuang disappeared from the start, leaving the three of us to do all the work!" Obito was furious.
"That's really too much!" Kakashi agreed.
"We've finished cleaning. Let's find Hankuang and turn in the mission together," Rin suggested as she wiped away her sweat.
But then.
The three searched the entire bathhouse, only to discover that there wasn't a single person there.
They searched everywhere, but there was no sign of anyone.
Chapter Twenty-Four: We've Been Discovered—Team 9 Assembles Again!
Konoha held an emergency meeting for its senior shinobi.
"The Sand Ninja hardliner Chiyo has seized power and installed a new Fourth Kazekage, Rasa. Moreover, this newly appointed Fourth Kazekage has already turned his attention toward us."
Hiruzen Sarutobi swept his gaze across everyone in the conference room, his tone grave.
"The Sand Ninja's surprise attack on the Land of Rivers this time is aimed at invading our Land of Fire."
"Given the circumstances, I will appoint Orochimaru as the supreme commander of the front line, granting him full authority over the defensive forces."
As Hiruzen Sarutobi's disciple, Orochimaru was one of his most trusted subordinates. He would only feel at ease entrusting the position of supreme commander to one of his own disciples.
After settling on the supreme commander, Hiruzen Sarutobi began assigning reconnaissance missions.
The purpose was to send shinobi teams to investigate the movements of other villages' border forces and prevent them from taking advantage of the situation.
Team 9, led by Minato Namikaze, was also assigned a mission.
After the meeting.
As he walked out of the Hokage Building, Minato Namikaze was filled with emotion.
"I really didn't expect to be assigned this mission after all~~"
He had once helped Team 9 turn down this mission, but this time, he had neither a reason nor the ability to refuse it again.
"Minato!"
Suddenly, a hoarse voice came from behind him.
"Lord Orochimaru!" Minato Namikaze turned around and replied respectfully upon seeing Orochimaru.
"Your Team 9 certainly has plenty of free time. They've all gone to the back mountain for a vacation..."
After dropping that remark, Orochimaru walked away.
Minato Namikaze was completely bewildered.
A vacation in the back mountain?
Wasn't Team 9 cleaning the bathhouse?
What did Orochimaru mean?
"Teacher Minato!"
Just then, Obito ran over, with Kakashi and Rin following behind him.
"Hm? Have you completed the mission?"
"No. Hankuang is missing," Obito replied breathlessly.
"We were thinking of searching his house," Rin added.
"No need." Minato Namikaze was covered in black lines, now knowing where Hankuang had gone.
He had been told to prepare for the battlefield, yet he had run to the back mountain for a vacation?
Back mountain, cave.
A gentle breeze drifted through, with the temperature perfectly comfortable.
Hankuang lay in a folding chair with his legs crossed, eating potato chips.
Crunch~~
They were wonderfully crisp, and tomato-flavored too.
"This really is the life I want..."
What was so good about fighting and killing? How could it compare to his current comfort?
He casually stretched out a hand and picked up the bottle beside him, preparing to take a drink and moisten his throat.
Huh?
Why had the sky turned dark?
Hankuang opened his eyes and shuddered. The bottle in his hand fell to the ground with a clang.
"Teacher Minato?" Hankuang stared in disbelief.
"Enjoying your vacation here?" Minato Namikaze asked with a smile.
Hankuang was completely dumbfounded.
He had finally found a place to hide. How had Teacher Minato found him? And how had he arrived so quickly?
He hadn't even finished his potato chips.
Thump! Thump! Thump!
Obito ran over, his eyes practically spitting fire with rage.
"Well, look at you, Hankuang! You made us clean the bathhouse while you ran off here!"
As he spoke, he grabbed Nohara Rin from the side.
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