Return to Camp

This simple mission was ultimately rated as A-rank, adding another significant entry to the mission record of Mo Jingxian.

Friction between Konoha and the Rock Ninja continued to escalate, and as a candidate for the next generation of Hokage, Minato was required to coordinate intelligence from all sides.

The two didn't have much time to speak; Minato sent Mo Jingxian back and vanished once more.

Experiencing the Flying Thunder God again, Mo Jingxian was far less discomposed than the first time, having adapted quite a bit.

This technique was truly enviable; its power went without saying, and its utility was maxed out.

Different from the existing ninja ability system, the Flying Thunder God technique jumped entirely out of the framework, belonging to a dimension-reducing strike.

Even compared to other space-time ninjutsu, it belonged to the very top tier.

Of course, the strength of a technique also depended on the user; even if Mo Jingxian learned it, he could not achieve the same effects as Minato.

He understood this point, but it did not hinder his fondness for the technique.

If there were an opportunity, he would still strive for it—what if he actually managed to learn it?

"Immortal Lord, you've finally returned. I thought..."

The moment he returned to the rest tent, he was noticed by Ayako Hyuuga.

The young girl ran up to him with the wind, circling Mo Jingxian to look him over thoroughly.

Finding that he was missing neither arms nor legs, she habitually patted her own ample chest.

"It's good that you're alright. You don't know how worried I was..."

"Thank you!"

Mo Jingxian suddenly felt a warmth in his heart; the feeling of being cared for was pleasant, so this "thank you" was not perfunctory.

Shinju Ishikawa reacted a beat slower than Ayako Hyuuga, but the moment he saw Mo Jingxian, his face clearly lit up with joy.

"It's good you're back. I thought... pfft, pfft! Look at my crow mouth."

Shinju came over and gave him a big hug; it was evident that his joy was equally sincere.

Mo Jingxian felt a bit moved; in truth, he had always felt a sense of detachment from this world.

It was that feeling of holding a sense of unreality toward everything in life, a feeling that it was all fake.

He knew this mindset was undesirable and would get him killed.

Therefore, he often admonished himself that this was a real world.

But sometimes he couldn't control it, inadvertently revealing that sense of detachment.

Only now, being treated with sincerity, did his world begin to feel vivid and real.

Mo Jingxian gave Shinju a light punch on the shoulder. "Screw you, don't wish bad luck on me."

"I wouldn't," Shinju scratched his head. "It's just good to be back; we can team up and slaughter the enemy again."

Absence makes the heart grow fonder, and the same held true for teammates.

The relationship between the three had clearly taken a major step forward; if they were merely teammates with tacit coordination before, then now, the three were brothers who could entrust their backs to one another.

They chatted for two hours, ranging from the front-line war situation to the squad's missions, and then to gossip among the ninjas in the main camp.

There was always a topic, right until the sunset cast its final rays across the horizon.

"Mo Jingxian, Commander Orochimaru requests your presence."

The order came from outside the tent, and he said to his two companions:

"I'll head over first; we'll chat more when I return."

"Mm, go quickly, don't keep Commander waiting."

Mo Jingxian had registered and reported the mission situation the moment he returned to camp, though, of course, he omitted the role of the Balance of Fate in his report.

He had waited for over two hours, but he hadn't expected Orochimaru to summon him personally.

Ten days later, Orochimaru's temperament seemed even more gloomy, and they were the only two in the command tent.

"Commander Orochimaru, Genin Mo Jingxian reporting to you."

Orochimaru, sitting behind the desk, did not speak, his gaze fixed on the mission report, reading it very carefully.

This was the mission document he had just submitted not long ago.

After a while, a slightly hoarse voice drifted from above.

"Your strength has grown rapidly. I have decided to promote you to Chunin."

Not knowing if the other party was testing him, Mo Jingxian followed the principle of saying less to make fewer mistakes and readily accepted the appointment.

Orochimaru seemed indifferent to this, and the room fell quiet again.

Mo Jingxian recalled the 10 reputation points Orochimaru had suddenly given him back then, and compared it to the current situation.

It was very likely that the other party had seen something in his techniques.

One must know that Orochimaru possesses profound knowledge of Sage Arts, Sealing Jutsu, and a myriad of other ninjutsu; otherwise, he would never have been able to develop the "Cursed Seal" later on.

Although Mo Jingxian knew that the "Water Dragon Technique" and Sage Arts were fundamentally different, their manifestations were remarkably similar.

It was hardly surprising that Orochimaru would make such a connection.

Clearing up the sequence of events actually put his mind at ease.

Mo Jingxian did not fear being noticed by Orochimaru; he only feared being ignored or deemed unworthy of a transaction.

Mo Jingxian's guess was correct; when Orochimaru read the passage in the mission report describing Long Yunzhi's transformation, a sharp glint suddenly flashed in his eyes.

Altering the body's structure at the cellular level!

Orochimaru had found the aspect that interested him most, one that far surpassed the Box of Ultimate Bliss.

His vertical pupils narrowed as he stared at the description of Long Yunzhi, studying it sentence by sentence.

Ideas bubbled up from the depths of his heart, and many ingenious thoughts flickered through his mind.

Unfortunately, he was bogged down by the war with the Sand Ninja and could not spare the energy to conduct experiments.

Orochimaru felt that this was a complete waste of his life; damn this war.

He read that passage again; indeed... this was not a simple transformation, nor was it reincarnation.

It was a rewriting of the code at the cellular level, or perhaps...

"Mo Jingxian."

"This subordinate is here."

Orochimaru ultimately could not resist the burning eagerness in his eyes and ordered Mo Jingxian to describe the entire process of Long Yunzhi's transformation in detail, reminding him not to omit any specifics.

Mo Jingxian knew his opportunity had arrived; this was an excellent chance to test the waters.

"Commander, I have brought the person back. You may see for yourself."

He pulled out a sealing scroll and, right there on the floor of the command tent, released the seal.

With a "poof" of white smoke, a shriveled corpse appeared on the ground.

Far from being offended, Orochimaru rose quickly, rounded the table, and approached the body.

Mo Jingxian stepped back two paces, leaving enough room for the other to examine it.

It seemed his move had been the right one.

Orochimaru circled the corpse, observing it from head to toe.

"Not bad, the body is well-preserved and has great research value."

He crouched down, gathered chakra into a scalpel, and made a one-inch incision on the corpse's arm.

He peeled back the dermis and observed the internal muscle structure for a while.

The more Orochimaru looked, the happier he became; it was truly an interesting structure, and his hands were itching with anticipation.

He resealed the corpse, returned behind the desk, and casually placed the scroll upon it.

"I accept the body. As for the reward, you may state your request now."

Hearing Orochimaru say this, Mo Jingxian felt a surge of secret joy.

Things were progressing even more smoothly than he had imagined, and Orochimaru was decisive—this was a very good start.

"I desire the ninjutsu 'Water Release: Water Severing Wave.' I wonder if..."

"Granted."

Orochimaru once again showed Mo Jingxian what it meant to be a professional.

He summoned a white snake that slithered up to Mo Jingxian, opened its maw, and spat out a scroll covered in mucus.

When Mo Jingxian walked out of the command center holding the scroll, his mind was still a bit dazed.

Was it not said that S-rank ninjutsu required mission points to exchange?

And that it required guarantees from high-level officials and the Hokage's approval before it could be taught?

Orochimaru had just given it to him, as if tossing aside something insignificant.

Would this count as stealing a technique? Would the powers that be in Konoha hold him accountable later?

Forget it; if Orochimaru dared to give it, he dared to take it.

As for the future, he had better think about how to survive the coming year.

In the ten days he had been away, the situation on the front lines had changed drastically.

Facing the direction of the Sand Ninja Allied Forces, the trees on the hillside near the main camp had been cleared away, making it more favorable for the Sand Ninja's offensive.

Patrol routes had been tightened, shrinking from over a hundred outposts to the current thirty-odd.

Ninjas in the camp moved in a hurry, almost everyone was wounded, and the makeshift medical center was overflowing.

From this, it was clear that the intensity of the Sand Ninja's attacks was escalating, and it was likely that large-scale combat was not far off.

The following days further confirmed Mo Jingxian's conjecture.

The two squads merged, with each operation requiring a minimum of six members per group.

The return of Jonin Nara Shikuta was considered good news; after all, they were all acquaintances who understood one another well.

"Mo Jingxian, you have just returned to the team and lack an understanding of the current battlefield. Remember what I am about to say..."

As the squad moved through the jungle on the side of the main camp, Nara Shikuta pointed out several areas that required caution on the battlefield.

Mo Jingxian swept a glance behind him.

Ayako Hyuuga and Shinju Ishikawa followed behind, maintaining a distance of a dozen meters.

Hayama Shirakumo guarded the left flank of the formation, while Tekuno took the right.

While the squad was moving at high speed, intelligence suddenly arrived from Ayako Hyuuga at the rear.

"There is a battle two kilometers to the northeast!"

In the midst of their advance, the squad turned instantly, rushing toward the location of the conflict.

Ninja squads maintained high mobility precisely to provide support to battles at any moment.

Ayako Hyuuga continued to relay information, allowing them to grasp the situation before they even reached the battlefield.

This was the importance of a sensory ninja, especially during wartime.

The incoming intelligence indicated that the Konoha squad involved in the battle was in a grim situation and was currently trying to find a way to break through.

Mo Jingxian and the others increased their speed again, finally catching up to the tail of the Sand Ninja two minutes later.

"Nintaijutsu: Water Dragon"

Drawing inspiration from Long Yunzhi's transformation, Mo Jingxian had proactively adjusted the Water Dragon Technique into a state better suited for close-quarters combat.

A layer of water armor covered his entire body, with water-attribute chakra scales arranged along his arms, and his palms serving as the dragon's heads.

With a single strike, he pierced through a Sand Ninja's heart from behind.

In his peripheral vision, the rest of the squad had each engaged their own opponents.

Hayama Shirakumo's swordsmanship was quite sharp, his Vacuum Blade acting like sword qi, wounding his opponent from a distance.

Tekuno's skill with hidden weapons was also quite proficient; although he could not immediately take down his enemy, he did not fall into a disadvantageous position either.

There were quite a few Sand Ninja who had infiltrated the battlefield, numbering as many as nine.

Otherwise, they would not have been suppressing the Konoha ninjas.

Once the support from Nara Shikuta's squad arrived, the battle immediately turned around.

Strike while the iron is hot; there is no mercy on the battlefield. Mo Jingxian locked onto another unlucky Sand Ninja.

Ayako Hyuuga's strikes were fierce; over two months of slaughter had brought about a transformative change in her.

The enemy's puppet was extremely troublesome and fast, and her several attempts to lure the enemy into exposing their chakra threads had ended in failure.

The enemy knew the power of the Byakugan and focused on close-quarters grappling to drain her chakra, never acting rashly.

Suddenly!

White frost appeared on the puppet's joints, and its speed and flexibility dropped significantly.

Ayako Hyuuga seized the opportunity, closed the distance, and cleanly severed the puppet threads.