He Infiltrated

Twenty minutes later, in front of the Konoha gates.

Orochimaru, Jiraiya, and Tsunade arrived right on time.

"Hey! A C-rank mission! Finally, something that isn't pulling weeds or finding lost cats!"

Jiraiya looked eager to get started, his arms crossed over his chest as he tapped his foot impatiently against the ground.

"Idiot, don't get careless.

C-rank missions aren't that simple. There could be danger."

Tsunade stood to the side, hands on her hips, her brows slightly furrowed and her expression quite serious.

Orochimaru appeared much calmer; he carefully checked his Ninja Tool Pouch, confirming the quantity of his Kunai, Shuriken, Explosive Tags, and various backup medicines.

After all, he wasn't short on money right now, so it was better to be well-prepared; it was always better to be safe than sorry.

"This C-rank mission's objective is to wipe out a group of bandits in the forests near the border of the Land of Fire."

Hiruzen Sarutobi said this as he handed the Mission Scroll to Orochimaru. Among the three, Orochimaru was the most mature, so he was currently acting as the leader of the three-man squad.

Orochimaru reached out to take it and quickly scanned the information inside:

Location, known number of bandits (approximately fifteen), characteristics of the leader (suspected wandering samurai?), and the client (the village chief of a nearby village).

"These bandits have been active lately. They aren't just looting property; they've even started harming people, and the nearby villages are suffering greatly."

"Remember, this is your squad's first C-rank mission, and it is a true test of your ability to operate independently.

From this moment on, the command, decision-making, and execution of the mission are entirely your responsibility."

"Unless an extreme situation arises that threatens your lives, I will not intervene."

Hiruzen Sarutobi continued, his tone becoming a bit more serious, and he specifically glanced at Jiraiya as he spoke.

"Mere bandits! Watch me take care of them all in a flash!"

Jiraiya immediately straightened his back and responded with great confidence.

"Anyone can talk big."

Tsunade shot him a glance and let out a huff of annoyance.

"Teacher, what is the specific strength of these bandits? Are there any ninja mixed in among them?"

Orochimaru closed the scroll, handed it back to Hiruzen Sarutobi, and asked.

"Intelligence indicates that most are just common outlaws, but the leader may have some martial arts skill. As for whether there are any ninja... that is currently unknown.

This is also part of what you need to investigate and determine.

Remember, every mission has variables. Underestimating the enemy is a ninja's greatest taboo."

Hiruzen Sarutobi said earnestly.

"Don't worry, Teacher!

With me, Lord Jiraiya, around, no enemy is a match for us!"

Jiraiya patted his chest, interrupting again.

"Jiraiya, you said you would take care of them all. So, are you prepared to take another person's life?"

Orochimaru gave Jiraiya an annoyed look, his calm tone pouring over him like a bucket of cold water.

The air seemed to freeze for a moment...

"O... of course! From the day I put on my Headband and became a ninja, I already had that resolve!"

Hearing this, Jiraiya put away his slacker attitude and said seriously.

His parents had died protecting the village, so since he had stepped onto this path, he naturally possessed such resolve.

Tsunade looked at Jiraiya with some surprise; she hadn't expected this guy to have such a side to him.

Orochimaru nodded and didn't say anything more.

Some things can only be truly understood after experiencing them firsthand.

Empty talk of resolve is meaningless.

"Alright, head out."

Finally, Hiruzen Sarutobi extinguished his pipe and spoke.

Just like that, the four figures quickly left Konoha and sped toward the mission location.

Two days later, at dusk.

The group of four stopped on a hidden hillside. Not far ahead, a crude fortress built against the mountain came into view.

The fortress was constructed from thick logs, giving it a rather rugged appearance.

One could see a few figures pacing back and forth on the fortress walls; they were likely bandit sentries.

Wisps of cooking smoke rose from inside the fortress, and the sounds of rowdy voices and crude laughter could be faintly heard.

"I'll leave the rest to you."

Hiruzen Sarutobi said in a low voice, then took a few steps back and leaned against a large tree, looking as if he were ready to watch a show.

"Heh heh~ leave it to me!"

Jiraiya rubbed his hands together, lowering his voice in excitement.

As he spoke, he prepared to stand up and charge straight into the bandit camp.

"Bam!"

Seeing this, Tsunade didn't stand on ceremony and punched him away, scolding him angrily:

"Idiot! Do you want to die? We know nothing about the situation inside. If you just charge in like that, what if there are traps or an ambush?"

"Tsunade is right; attacking rashly is the most foolish approach.

Don't forget how you suffered when we were trying to get the Bell..."

Orochimaru shook his head, adding his own input.

"Fine, fine, I'll listen to you guys.

So, what do we do?"

Jiraiya winced from the pain of Tsunade's punch, and upon hearing Orochimaru's words, although he felt unwilling, he knew they made sense and could only sheepishly rub the back of his head.

"A ninja's battle is a battle of intelligence!

The first thing we must do is observe and figure out their exact numbers, weaponry, and defensive deployment.

In particular, we need to determine if there are any enemies present who are skilled in ninjutsu or possess great strength."

Orochimaru replied, for a ninja's battle is indeed a battle of intelligence.

Just like the battles Kakashi fought against Zabuza, or the campaigns against Kakuzu, Hidan, and Pain.

Having intelligence versus having none are two completely different extremes, and the importance of information is self-evident.

Tsunade nodded in agreement; Orochimaru was right.

Thus, the three of them jumped into the trees and lurked silently, observing the bandit camp below.

A moment later, they had a rough grasp of the situation in the camp:

There were four sentries on the camp walls, appearing somewhat lax, and about a dozen bandits moving around inside the camp, most of them in rags and holding crude swords, looking more like a rabble.

In the center of the camp was a slightly larger wooden house with two guards at the door; it was likely the leader's residence.

"The numbers and intelligence match up; the defenses are lax, and most of them are ordinary people.

But we cannot let our guard down.

I will infiltrate, take out the outer sentries first, and scout the internal situation.

You two stay here on standby, act according to the situation, and provide me with the enemies' movements.

If I am exposed, create a distraction to draw their attention."

Orochimaru analyzed in a low voice, and after speaking, he took a headset and radio communication device from his bag and handed them to Tsunade.

"Got it."

Tsunade's eyes lit up when she saw this, and she nodded, putting on the microphone.

She hadn't expected Orochimaru to be so well-prepared...

Jiraiya pointed at himself upon seeing this, his expression clearly asking, "What about me?"

"As for Jiraiya... just act as the situation demands..."

Orochimaru's mouth twitched as he gave the instruction offhandedly.

Having said that, Orochimaru's figure merged into the shadows like a ghost.

He did not choose to climb directly over the camp wall, but instead circled to a relatively hidden corner at the back of the camp.

Relying on the ancestral parkour techniques of the assassins from the Assassin's Creed world, combined with the assistance of chakra from this world, Orochimaru quickly scaled the perimeter of the camp.

A lone sentry was yawning, leaning against the battlement, completely unaware of the arrival of the grim reaper.

Orochimaru vaulted onto the wall as silently as a civet cat, followed by a drop, and thrust his Hidden Blade out, striking the vital point with precision.

There was no scream, only a muffled whimper, and the sentry went limp instantly.

Orochimaru quickly dragged the body into the shadows to hide it; the entire process was clean and efficient, without a single wasted movement.

"Phew~"

Orochimaru took a deep breath; perhaps due to the memories of those legendary assassins, he felt no discomfort from killing for the first time.

Without further thought, Orochimaru continued to move toward his next target while keeping his form concealed.

On a tree in the distance, Hiruzen Sarutobi took all of this in, a flash of surprise crossing his eyes.

These infiltration and assassination techniques were far too seasoned; he didn't look at all like a genin who had just started executing C-rank missions.

And that weapon hidden in his sleeve—he had never seen it before. Did the child design it himself?

In the thicket, Jiraiya watched as Orochimaru took down the second and third sentries as easily as slicing through melons and vegetables, and he suddenly felt a bit sour.

All the glory was being stolen by this guy!

"Hey, Tsunade, let's go down and help too!"

Jiraiya lowered his voice and, without waiting for Tsunade to answer, leaped down from the large tree.

"That idiot!"

Tsunade cursed under her breath. Watching Jiraiya's landing, which was clearly not stealthy enough, she shook her head helplessly, but she had no choice but to follow him quickly.

She couldn't rest easy letting this impulsive guy act on his own.

As soon as Jiraiya landed, before he could even slip into the shadows, a bandit patrolling nearby spotted him.

"Who goes there?!"

The bandit shouted, raising the long blade in his hand.

"Spotted? Then I'll deal with you first!"

Jiraiya reacted quickly, immediately assuming an attack stance, preparing to strike first.

However, the moment he prepared to charge, the ground beneath his feet suddenly rippled without warning. Following that, with a few muffled "thuds," several sharp earth spikes erupted from the ground, aiming straight for his feet and calves!

"Earth Style?!"

Jiraiya was shocked, instantly realizing that the enemy had a ninja!

He hurriedly leaped backward, narrowly avoiding the attack from the earth spikes, but his position was now completely exposed to the sight of more bandits.

"Enemy attack! Ninja infiltration!"

The bandits' shouts and the sound of gongs instantly rang out across the entire stronghold.

"What a hopeless idiot!"

Tsunade landed beside Jiraiya. Looking at the bandits quickly closing in and the hidden threat in the shadows, her expression turned grave as she prepared for battle.

In the shadows of a corner, Orochimaru heard the commotion and stopped his assassination progress, his eyes narrowing slightly.

He had heard the situation from Tsunade over the radio; the enemy actually had a ninja who knew how to use Earth Style.

He did not reveal himself immediately, deciding to observe the situation first.

Over a dozen bandits swarmed up, surrounding Jiraiya and Tsunade in the middle.

"Heh heh, two little brats from Konoha?

You've got guts, daring to break into our stronghold!"

The leader was a burly, bald man with a face full of flab, who grinned hideously as he looked at the two.

"Hmph! A bunch of bandits, daring to act so arrogant!

Let me show you the powerful ninjutsu I just learned! Fire Style: Fire Dragon Flame Bullet!"

Jiraiya forced himself to stay calm and quickly formed hand seals.

He took a deep breath and blasted it forward!

However... the violent dragon of fire he had envisioned did not appear. Only a tiny, weak flame flickered like a candle in the wind before it sputtered out with a soft pop.

The air went instantly silent.

"Pfft, hahaha...

That's all you've got? A fire dragon? I think you're just a little bug spitting sparks!"

After a brief silence, the bandits erupted into deafening laughter.

Jiraiya's face turned bright red instantly, and he wished he could crawl into a crack in the ground.

Damn it! It wasn't like this when I was practicing!

And just as the bandits were laughing uncontrollably, their attention drawn to Jiraiya, Tsunade's gaze swept sharply across the crowd, quickly locking onto a person standing at the back.

This man had a distinct scar on his face, and on his arm, one could faintly see a headband with the symbol scratched out—the mark of a rogue ninja.

The Earth Style ninjutsu from earlier was, in all likelihood, cast by him!

"Found you!"

Tsunade let out a low shout, pushed off with her feet, and her body shot forward like a cannonball!

"Oh no! Stop her!"

The bald leader panicked at the sight and hurriedly gave the order.

Two nearby bandits swung their wood-chopping blades, attempting to block her.

But Tsunade was extremely fast. Facing the enemies in her path, she didn't even dodge; she simply swung her fist!

Through the secret taijutsu of the Senju clan, her chakra erupted instantly, and her fist, imbued with the Strength of a Hundred, carried a whistling wind as it struck the chests of the two bandits with precision.

"Bang! Bang!"

Two muffled thuds accompanied the sound of shattering bones, and the two bandits flew backward like kites with broken strings, spitting blood and instantly losing their ability to fight.

Tsunade did not hesitate for a moment, rushing in front of the scarred man in the blink of an eye and delivering a punch packed with terrifying force directly into his chest!

"Bang!"

The scarred man didn't even have time to react before the punch caused his body to arch, sending him flying backward to slam into the wall and slide to the ground, his life or death unknown.

Too easy...

A flicker of surprise crossed Tsunade's mind.

This scarred man hadn't even used a Substitution Technique or any decent form of defense.

Just as she was feeling puzzled, a sudden change occurred!

A thin, unremarkable bandit who had been knocked down by her punch and appeared unconscious on the ground suddenly flashed a sharp glint in his eyes, reaching out to grab Tsunade's ankle!

"Heh... who told you that anyone wearing a rogue ninja Headband must actually be a ninja?"

The thin man's mouth curled into a sinister smile, and blinding blue electricity instantly erupted from his palm!

"Zzzzt--!"

"Lightning Style!"

Tsunade's pupils constricted as a powerful current surged through her entire body. The intense numbness caused her body to stiffen, instantly stripping her of control over her muscles and nearly causing her to collapse to the ground.

"Tsunade!"

Seeing this, Jiraiya was shocked and rushed forward in a hurry to help.

"Get lost, brat!"

The thin man didn't even look at Jiraiya, backhanding him with an elbow that struck his abdomen with brutal force.

Jiraiya felt a massive impact, as if his internal organs had shifted. He let out a muffled groan and was sent flying, crashing to the ground and unable to get back up for a moment.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. Is this what Konoha genin are like? They're getting worse and worse, unable to even see through such a small disguise."

The thin man stood up, brushed the dust off his body, and looked down at the immobilized Tsunade and the struggling Jiraiya with a sneer.

"Is that so?"

Just as the thin man was feeling triumphant, a cold voice suddenly emanated from the ground beneath his feet.

"What?!"

The thin man was startled and looked down.

The ground suddenly collapsed, and a pair of arms shot out, grabbing his ankles like iron pincers and yanking him downward with force!

"Earth Style: Double Suicide Decapitation Technique!"

Caught off guard, the thin man lost his balance instantly and was dragged bodily into the earth, followed by a sharp blade piercing upward through his jaw.

Only his head remained exposed, his face frozen in a mask of horror and disbelief, his life already extinguished.

These guys really have a lot of tricks up their sleeves...

Orochimaru emerged from the ground, flicked the blood off his Hidden Blade, and couldn't help but sigh.

To think a common bandit would actually use a decoy...

"Are you alright?"

Orochimaru turned to look at Tsunade, who was wobbling as she stood up, and asked.

"I'm fine! Damn it, I was careless!"

Tsunade rubbed her still-numb shoulder and spat, a look of annoyance on her face.

"Let's finish off the rest first."

Orochimaru nodded, his gaze sweeping toward the bandits who had been stunned by the sudden turn of events.

Having lost their two ninja leaders, the remaining bandits immediately fell into disarray, their morale plummeting.

Facing Orochimaru and Tsunade, they were utterly defenseless.

A few moments later, the battle was declared over, and there wasn't a single bandit left standing in the camp besides the three of them.

A thick scent of blood permeated the air, and the glow of the setting sun spilled onto the blood-stained ground, illuminating the scene of devastation.

Jiraiya stood to the side, looking at the corpses strewn across the ground and then at Orochimaru and Tsunade, who were splattered with the enemy's blood, his face burning with shame.

In this mission, not only had he failed to be of any help, but he had nearly caused Tsunade harm, and in the end, it was Orochimaru who had turned the tide...

Looking at Orochimaru's back, Jiraiya clenched his fists in frustration.

Just then, the figure of Hiruzen Sarutobi suddenly appeared, his gaze sweeping across the battlefield before finally settling on the three of them.

"The mission is complete."

"I have seen your performance with my own eyes."

"Jiraiya, you have courage, but as a ninja, impulsiveness is a major taboo."

"Intelligence and strategy are equally important; you should have learned that lesson well this time."

He looked at Jiraiya first, his tone growing more severe.

Jiraiya glanced at Orochimaru beside him and nodded firmly; he truly understood.

"Tsunade, your power is immense, but enemies are not always as simple as they appear on the surface.

Sometimes, the most lethal threats are hidden beneath the weakest disguises."

Hiruzen Sarutobi looked toward Tsunade once more.

Tsunade clenched her fists tightly, acknowledging her mistake.

Finally, Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at Orochimaru, his eyes filled with appreciation:

"Orochimaru, you are very calm, and you are also skilled at utilizing intelligence and the environment.

Your adaptability and methods were the key to turning this mission from a crisis into a success."

He paused, his gaze sweeping across the three of them again, "All in all, for your first time executing a mission like this, you all did well."

"To celebrate your first successful completion of a C-rank mission, I have decided to teach you a new ninjutsu..."