Harvest! Suspicion and Uncertainty!

"Boom--!"

The side wall of the command post exploded inward as if struck by a giant beast. A wave of wood splinters, masonry, and dust surged into the room, carrying a figure as burly as a mountain, with black rock converging on his body to form a suit of full-body armor!

It was Black Bear.

He didn't let out any unnecessary roars; the first thing he did upon charging into the room was to slam his rock-armored shoulder into the main load-bearing pillar supporting the roof.

Orochimaru immediately formed hand seals!

"Earth Release: Swamp of the Underworld!"

The ground instantly turned into a quagmire, making it impossible for Black Bear to move an inch.

"Wrong, he isn't the elite from the outpost in the intel, he is Orochimaru!"

A low female voice warned rapidly! A slender woman followed quickly behind Black Bear.

"Rattlesnake!"

"Yes!"

"Lightning Style: Earth Flash!" Piercing electric light suddenly appeared!

Lightning overcomes Earth!

It was an elemental counter!

Orochimaru retreated rapidly, and the effect of the Swamp of the Underworld was quickly disrupted by the Earth Flash, the transformed mud being swiftly shattered.

The massive visual impact instantly seized the full attention of Nawaki and Kushina. They had never seen such a violent way to make an entrance.

However...

The real killing blow did not come from Black Bear.

[Earth Style: Headhunter Jutsu!]

Suddenly, the ground trembled, and a hand silently reached the side of Nawaki!

In his hand, the tail of a Kunai was already wrapped with a thin wire, the other end of which was connected to a stack of explosive tags!

Nawaki's pupils contracted sharply; he only had time to let out a short gasp before the shadow of death completely enveloped him.

Kushina's body moved instinctively; she wanted to rush over and push Nawaki away, but the distance was too great, and there was simply no time.

However, there was one person whose speed was faster than "Monkey".

Assassination_Plan as usual.log: "The inside man failed as expected! What a bunch of trash! Orochimaru is still in the outpost; it looks like Black Bear and Rattlesnake will have to go draw him out!"

Assassination_Plan very successful.log: "Orochimaru's attention has been diverted! Good! In that case, Skinny Monkey should be able to succeed in the assassination!"

Hiroki did not hesitate for a moment and kicked Nawaki!

"What!" Skinny Monkey exclaimed with a gloomy face, but the next moment, he immediately dived back into the ground.

Damn it, the intel didn't say that Hiroki was also a sensory ninja!

In such a confined space, Hiroki was actually able to react to his assassination attempt from underground in the first instant!?

How is this possible!

How did he do it!?

"Ugh!"

Nawaki was sent stumbling forward by Hiroki's kick, his body falling out of control.

Assassination_How is it possible!?.log: "Just a genin, and he actually managed to stop Skinny Monkey!? How is it possible? Could the rumors be true? That kid really possesses the ability to take out a Cloud Village squad!?"

Assassination_Plan as usual 2.log: "No! I've already boasted; if this fails, it won't just be this loss. Try again, try again! If it doesn't work, notify them to retreat!"

"Rattlesnake!" The same call again!

It was unclear where it came from.

Hiroki narrowed his eyes.

It seemed that Scar, the only guy on the field who hadn't appeared yet, was the mastermind of this battle and the commander of this operation!

"Hidden Shadow Snake Hands!"

"Genjutsu: Body Bind!"

Orochimaru formed seals rapidly, and countless small snakes surged out to restrain Black Bear's limbs, while the next moment, he stared directly at Black Bear!

He wanted to quickly trap or break the opponent's main attacker!

Genjutsu was the best choice for a brute who charged in wearing a turtle shell!

"Lightning Style: Noise Wave!" But the slender woman codenamed Rattlesnake rushed behind Black Bear the next moment, using Lightning Style again! The piercing noise disrupted Black Bear's chakra in an instant.

Black Bear only stiffened for a moment before quickly recovering.

The enemies were not to be trifled with!

Orochimaru realized this instantly.

A configuration of one long-range sensory type, two Earth Style ninjas, and one Lightning Style ninja! And they had a main attacker, an assassin, a sensory ninja, and a support ninja—all present!

This is a standard jonin squad for an S-rank mission!

No, there is no way to take them out that easily in such a short time!

Orochimaru took a deep breath and formed hand seals once again!

"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"

This cramped space was perfect for Earth Style to shine! But that kind of Earth Style was something that idiot Jiraiya was better at! He needed to expand the battlefield!

Then, use even sharper wind! To finish them off!

He drew in a deep breath, and then a violent hurricane struck!

Whoosh~~~!

In an instant, a gale rose up, and the command post, already battered from the collision, had its roof ripped right off!

But outside, the Inuzuka clan ninja were currently facing an assault from two ninja wearing Konoha headbands!?

It was an inside job!

Orochimaru pursed his lips!

This was a premeditated attack!

On the other side of the battlefield, Skinny Monkey attempted another surprise attack on Nawaki.

It was completely impossible.

Almost every time he tried to launch an attack, the other party would immediately sense that he was beginning his strike!

As expected, is he a sensory-type ninja?

It seems I have to deal with this guy first before I can kill Nawaki.

Skinny Monkey gritted his teeth.

He was not good at frontal assaults; if he were forced out of the ground, Orochimaru's subsequent offensive would surely target him.

Orochimaru was the disciple of the Third Hokage, that master of all elemental ninjutsu. No one knew exactly how many elemental techniques Orochimaru possessed, nor did anyone know just how strong he truly was.

Elite jonin of this caliber could almost be considered reserve candidates for Kage. Unless one faced an opponent nearly at the Kage level, no one would know the true upper limit of their strength.

Then, it's all or nothing!

Take out this kid Hiroki first! Even though he wasn't part of their mission, there was no other way!

The next moment, Skinny Monkey struck, his hands instantly grabbing Hiroki's ankles.

.

Strike strike strike strike first deal deal deal deal·

Skinny Monkey...-stopped?

All that could be seen were two hands reaching out from the ground, grabbing Hiroki's ankles, and then remaining motionless.

Black Bear, who was circling with Orochimaru, and Rattlesnake in the distance both stopped their movements, looking at this scene in disbelief, unable to help but wonder—what was Skinny Monkey doing?

Why did he suddenly stop moving!?

What is going on.

Orochimaru, however, did not freeze!

Good opportunity, Wind Style: Wind Cutter!

Sharp wind quickly coated his arm, and the next moment, he swung it toward Black Bear!

Black Bear raised his arms to block!

"Earth Style: Hardening!"

But--·

It was useless!

The sharp wind instantly sliced through his armor and severed his arm!

At the same time, Skinny Monkey's arms suddenly began to go limp, even starting to spasm.

Assassination_Question.log: "Skinny Monkey!? His chakra fluctuations are disappearing? What is going on?"

Assassination_Plan_Changed_Prepare_to_Retreat.log: "No, Skinny Monkey looks like he's going to die! Black Bear's arm has been cut off too! They can't even lure Orochimaru out! Damn it! The employer's intel is flawed!"

Assassination_Plan_Changed_Prepare_to_Retreat_2.log: "Orochimaru is stronger than imagined. He is worthy of being the Third Hokage's disciple. There is no way to lure him away like this; they seem to have anticipated this raid in advance!"

Assassination_Plan_Changed_Prepare_to_Retreat_3.log: "I must notify Rattlesnake immediately--?"

1

|Assassination_Cannot_Retreat_Anymore.log: "Are we all going to die here on this mission--I think I--"

Assassination_Something_is_wrong_There_is--·!.log: "There is a Yamanaka clan ninja!!"

Assassination_Something_is_wrong!.log: "Damn it, I think I've been poisoned! When did this happen!"

[Access denied. You require administrator privileges to perform write operations.]

You realized something was wrong that quickly?

Hiroki took a deep breath. He had only altered two thoughts, yet the opponent immediately sensed the intrusion! Fortunately, before the enemy could react, Hiroki had already injected the muscle self-growth patch into them!

One:

Of course, it was the double-power version!

Judging from the final thought before the opponent locked him out of their permissions, it seemed there were only two enemies left in front of him!

"Orochimaru-sensei! They are the last two!" Hiroki shouted without hesitation!

Orochimaru's pupils constricted instantly, and the corners of his mouth curled upward.

The sensory ninja had been taken care of!?

Rattlesnake and Black Bear also shuddered! They exchanged a glance.

"Retreat!!"

"Stop them!"

"Wind Style: Vacuum Sphere!" Hiroki formed hand seals and struck instantly! The Wind Style was aimed directly at Black Bear.

Poor Black Bear's Earth Style armor was pierced in an instant, and blood sprayed out!

"Demonic Illusion: Hell Viewing Technique!" Orochimaru performed hand seals simultaneously!

But Rattlesnake didn't hesitate; he turned and fled, his body shimmering with faint traces of Lightning Style! It seemed he was using some kind of noise-wave jutsu to disrupt his own chakra!

"Earth Style: Swamp of the Underworld!" Orochimaru didn't stop, unleashing a second jutsu in quick succession!

"Hidden Shadow Snake Hands!" Then came the third!

"Demonic Illusion: Fox Spirit Technique!" The fourth!

"Demonic Illusion: False Surroundings Technique!" The fifth!

Rattlesnake's pace began to slow, and his eyes grew unfocused.

"Hiroki-kun!" Orochimaru suddenly called out in a loud voice, "Don't kill them, keep them alive!!"

"Understood!" Hiroki rushed forward without hesitation.

[Brain Overload! Activate!]

Rattlesnake stood completely still on the spot, unable to move!

Kushina and Nawaki opened their mouths wide, staring blankly at Hiroki's back as he slowly lowered his hands.

What, what was happening!?

The entire battle, from eruption to conclusion, had been so fast that their brains could barely process it.

A second ago, they were still terrified by the hand reaching out from the ground, still trembling at the mountain-like, sturdy enemy. The next second, the battle ended in a way they couldn't understand at all.

What was going on?

How did this happen?

It was one thing that they couldn't understand how Orochimaru-sensei handled things, but wasn't Hiroki the same age as them?

Kushina knew even better that just a month ago, Hiroki was still a very unremarkable person in their class!!

Nawaki felt even more depressed!

Hiroki was two years younger than him, yet he was already capable of playing a role on this kind of battlefield!?

That attacker called "Skinny Monkey" had just grabbed Hiroki's ankle before collapsing on his own.

The last female ninja, who looked very formidable, had also frozen like a puppet after Hiroki rushed up and touched her.

It was over? Just like that?

"Hiroki—you..." Nawaki's voice carried a hint of a tremor. He looked at Hiroki, his eyes filled with shock and confusion, "You—what did you just do? That guy who grabbed you, why did he just fall over?"

"Yeah!" Kushina also snapped back to reality. She rushed to Hiroki's side, grabbed his arm, and asked like a machine gun, "And that female ninja! You just touched her, right? Why did she stop moving? Is it the same jutsu you used against that white-haired jonin before?? You've improved so fast!"

Orochimaru ignored the two children, his voice hoarse and flat, revealing neither joy nor anger:

"Hiroki, you should be able to read their memories. Their employer, their objective—I'll leave that to you!"

He crouched down, leveling his gaze with Hiroki, those snake-like eyes fixed upon him.

"Mm."

Hiroki looked at Orochimaru. He knew this question couldn't be avoided. Although he didn't know how Orochimaru had found out about this, he didn't deny the fact.

Copying a jutsu the opponent hadn't used from their brain was, in a sense, part of his reading ability.

Perhaps that was how he had deduced it.

He nodded without further words and walked straight to the female ninja "Rattlesnake," who was currently controlled by his Brain Overload. He crouched down and placed his hand on her forehead.

[Open and view file?]

Yes.

Hiroki's mind confirmed the choice.

Thought Filename | Thought Content |

Intelligence_Orochimaru_Confirmed. | "Scar's intel was correct. That is Orochimaru of the Sannin. We must lure him away." |

Tactics_LightningOverEarth_Execute. | "Use Lightning Style: Earth Flash to break his Earth Style, then Black Bear can escape. The plan is sound."

Query_Hiroki_ReactionSpeed. | "That brat—his reaction is too fast. Skinny Monkey's sneak attack actually failed."

Alarm_SkinnyMonkey_ChakraVanished. | "Skinny Monkey's chakra signature—it's gone?! He was killed instantly? How is that possible!"

Command_Scar_RetreatSignal. | "Scar has issued the retreat signal. We must leave immediately!"

Failure_Genjutsu_Why! | "Orochimaru's genjutsu—it was disrupted by my Lightning Style: Noise Wave—but, no. My body. I can't move!"

Hiroki's consciousness transformed into a mouse cursor, pressing [Ctrl+C] on the [Combat Ninjutsu] folder and several key [Memory Fragments].

[Calculating required time and space...]

[Total of 5 files, total size: 73.7MB]

[Copying files from other computer (Rattlesnake_Kamisawa Oto) D Drive (Memory Disk) to my computer (Sawada Hiroki) D Drive (Memory Disk): Ninjutsu Backup_Rattlesnake]

Filename | Size | Estimated Time | Lightning Style: Earth Flash.ee | 7.8MB | Approx. 7 min 48 sec | Lightning Style: Noise Wave.ee | 6.1MB | Approx. 6 min 6 sec | Secret Technique: Snake Call Communication.dat | 2.3MB | Approx. 2 min 18 sec | Memory Fragment_Mission Briefing.mp4 | 45.2MB | Approx. 45 min 12 sec | Memory Fragment_Employer Contact (Blurred).mp4 | 12.3MB | Approx. 12 min 18 sec | Total | 85.2MB | Approx. 1 hour 4 min 42 sec | He directly "clicked" on the most important file, Memory Fragment_Mission Briefing.mp4, to "watch online."

[Calculating required time and space...]

[Total of 4 files, total size: 39.3MB]

[Copying files from other computer (Black Bear_Kuroishi) D Drive (Memory Disk) to my computer (Sawada Hiroki) D Drive (Memory Disk): Ninjutsu Backup_Black Bear]

Filename | Size | Estimated Time | Earth Style: Hardening Technique.ee | 15.2MB | Approx. 15 min 12 sec | Earth Style: Rock Armor.ee | 18.9MB | Approx. 18 min 54 sec | Taijutsu: Bear Charge.dat | 5.4MB | Approx. 5 min 24 sec | Total | 49.4MB | Approx. 39 min 30 sec | "Hm!?" Hiroki, currently downloading, suddenly looked at Orochimaru with shock and uncertainty.

"I recall that seven frontline outposts were attacked, correct?" Hiroki asked in a low voice.

"Yes." Orochimaru gave an affirmative reply, but his pupils constricted the very next moment.

He already knew what Hiroki was going to say next.

Sure enough!

"But they only struck the patrol teams three times!"