The Mandara Formation!

"To react so quickly on your first mission of this kind—well done, Shun-kun."

Orochimaru offered his praise.

Akiyama Shun replied, "You are too kind, Lord Orochimaru."

After the exchange of pleasantries, the two turned their gaze toward the direction Yoshioka Yusuke had departed.

"In that case, let us follow him. We shall finish this mission quickly and return."

With that, Orochimaru took the lead, and Akiyama Shun followed closely behind.

Yoshioka Yusuke was highly vigilant, taking circuitous routes through various areas and occasionally employing illusions and transformation techniques to prevent being tracked. Unfortunately for him, these measures were useless against the likes of Akiyama Shun and Orochimaru.

Because...

The mission intelligence already specified the location of Yoshioka Yusuke's residence. There was no need for them to tail him; they could simply wait for the rabbit to run into the trap at his own home.

"I don't even know what he's circling around for."

Akiyama Shun stood in the distance, glancing at Yoshioka Yusuke as if watching a clown, before catching up to Orochimaru.

Soon, Orochimaru led Akiyama Shun to Yoshioka Yusuke's home.

It was a standard courtyard, quite spacious—nearly the size of Yuhi Shinku's estate. It was evident that Yoshioka Yusuke had been doing quite well for himself to afford such a mansion.

"Before infiltrating, remember to observe your surroundings. Spies of this caliber usually set traps or devices at their front door. If someone has been here, they will be alerted."

As Orochimaru spoke, he pointed to a spot about half a meter up the courtyard wall. He understood Sarutobi Hiruzen's intentions and didn't mind taking a moment to instruct Akiyama Shun; it was no trouble at all.

"I see it, Lord Orochimaru."

Akiyama Shun saw it too. Under the sunlight, there was a faint glint—a tripwire.

"If these traps are triggered, they will likely detonate explosive tags, destroying the courtyard and losing the clues. The target would also hear the noise and flee. Just a small trick; stay alert."

Orochimaru explained as he vaulted into the courtyard.

Akiyama Shun followed suit, leaping in right behind him.

The two successfully entered the house, where there were no more tripwires to be found.

"There are many ways to kill a target quietly. The simplest is poison. Of course, if you aren't skilled with toxins, you can try setting traps."

Orochimaru demonstrated, casually picking up a glass from the bedside table. A snake slithered out from his sleeve and injected venom into the water.

"I understand, Lord Orochimaru."

Akiyama Shun said, picking up a piece of bread from the nightstand and mimicking Orochimaru's actions, injecting it with venom.

Hm?

Orochimaru's pupils constricted as he glanced at the bread, then back at Akiyama Shun.

Did he just see a snake crawl out of Akiyama Shun's arm?

Orochimaru did not believe his eyes had deceived him.

At this thought, a subtle, imperceptible smile tugged at the corner of Orochimaru's mouth. When he looked at Akiyama Shun again, his eyes held a hint of curiosity.

"Poison is not a guaranteed kill, so for the sake of certainty, we must wait here. The spy might have other arrangements in the house. Be careful when searching for a hiding spot. Of course, if you possess special ninjutsu, you can be bolder. For example..."

As Orochimaru spoke, his body began to transform.

His upper body remained human, while his lower body shifted into that of a snake.

Snake Movement!

"Do you know any similar ninjutsu?"

Akiyama Shun nodded. "I do, Lord Orochimaru. I do."

As he spoke, Akiyama Shun's body shifted just like Orochimaru's—human torso, serpentine tail.

Orochimaru: "...Very well."

In their Snake Movement state, there was little difference between Orochimaru and a real serpent. He slithered up to the rafters, followed by a smaller snake—Akiyama Shun.

At this moment, Akiyama Shun felt a sense of novelty.

It was his first time experiencing this strange perspective and this bizarre method of movement.

Once the two snakes were perched on the rafters, they fell silent.

Like hunters waiting for their prey, they remained motionless, waiting for Yoshioka Yusuke to return home.

About an hour later, Yoshioka Yusuke finally finished his game of cat-and-mouse with the empty air and returned home.

After entering the house, Yoshioka Yusuke checked every corner of the room. Only after confirming everything was in order did he lie down on the bed.

He did not drink the water, nor did he eat the bread.

"Assassinations often end up like this. In such cases, you must use the final resort: strike directly. This is where your practical combat skills are tested."

At this moment, Orochimaru didn't even bother to mask his voice; his cold, chilling tone echoed throughout the entire room.

Yoshioka Yusuke, lying on the bed, immediately snapped his eyes open. He scanned the room, saw no one, and then scrambled into the hallway to search.

Although someone had infiltrated his home, Yoshioka Yusuke felt quite confident in his own strength at this moment.

After all, he was a Special Jonin; if he truly couldn't win, he could just run, and if he managed to take out the assassin here, he would even come out ahead.

That was what he thought, but then a snake dropped from the end of the hallway.

Yoshioka Yusuke sobered up instantly.

In that split second, a name that shook the Ninja World surfaced in his mind; there was no helping it, Orochimaru's ninjutsu was simply too iconic, to the point that its uniqueness made it even easier to guess than a Kekkei Genkai.

He couldn't win! He absolutely couldn't win!

Yoshioka Yusuke had a very clear sense of his own combat power; encountering a powerhouse of Orochimaru's caliber, it would be a miracle if he wasn't killed in an instant.

He regretted his arrogance and wanted to flee, but it was already too late.

At both ends of the hallway, snakes began to rain down.

Yoshioka Yusuke was trapped here!

"Shun-kun, you go deal with him and get a feel for the intensity of an A-rank mission."

Upon hearing Orochimaru's words, Akiyama Shun nodded, ended his Snake Movement, and leaped down from the rafters, landing right in front of Yoshioka Yusuke.

Seeing this child, Akiyama Shun, Yoshioka Yusuke didn't harbor a single thought of underestimating his opponent; he knew that Orochimaru must be watching from nearby!

"Sometimes, to hide your identity, you cannot use your own signature ninjutsu. Try to use techniques that everyone knows; this makes it harder for others to guess who you are."

Orochimaru's voice drifted down from the rafters, reminding Akiyama Shun not to use Ice Release, and Akiyama Shun nodded.

"I understand, Lord Orochimaru. Not only will I hide my identity as much as possible, but I will also use the surrounding environment to conceal my presence to the greatest extent!"

The surrounding environment?

Orochimaru scanned the room; by now, the vast majority of it was filled with his snakes, and as for the environment...

Hm?

Orochimaru seemed to have realized something.

And the very next second, Akiyama Shun's voice confirmed his thoughts: "Mandara Formation!"

Orochimaru: "..."