Ruohuo couldn't find any rats to purify for the time being.
But he had run into some genuine Iwagakure Ninja.
It was a three-man squad, all wearing Iwagakure Headbands. They encountered him in the forest and attacked him the moment they saw him.
"There's only one little Konoha brat. Take him down!"
"Move fast! There might be Konoha Ninja behind him. Let's finish this quickly!"
"Leave this kid to me. I love little things with such soft, tender skin..."
"Fire Style: Majestic Destroyer Flame!"
"Scatter!!!"
With only one-fifth the cost for twice the power, Ruohuo unleashed a sea of flames. His Three Tomoe locked onto the three Iwagakure Ninja as they hastily retreated, and he formed Hand Seals again.
"Fire Style: Fire Surge Wave!"
Three more blazing shockwaves erupted from the sea of flames, accelerating a second time as they shot straight at the three Iwagakure Ninja!
"Gah!!!!"
Two Iwagakure Genin failed to react in time and were hit by the Fire Surge Wave. The scorching flames slammed them into a tree and the ground with tremendous force. After a brief burst of screams, they fell silent.
The remaining Iwagakure Ninja was also a Genin.
With a three-man squad like this, there should have been at least one Chunin leading them if they didn't have an instructor.
This was a battlefield. What was the point of sending an all-Genin team except to get them killed?
But Iwagakure didn't play by those rules...
Iwagakure's whole strategy was to overwhelm the enemy with numbers!
"Earth Release: Earth Shore Return!"
The Iwagakure Genin manipulated the earth beneath his feet, using a wall of dirt to block the blazing shockwave.
Just as he was about to check on his teammates, a sudden sting struck his back. He lowered his head and saw a kunai, trailing hot blood, had pierced through his chest...
"Your progress is impressive, Ruohuo."
Orochimaru pulled out the kunai, flicked the blood from it, and praised Ruohuo from a short distance away.
"You can already use the flames to launch a second jutsu?"
This wasn't the first time they'd encountered enemies.
The mission's actual level of danger had clearly gone beyond its official B-rank classification.
Orochimaru had deliberately been letting Ruohuo adjust to the pace of the battlefield.
And Ruohuo's abilities and creativity kept challenging Orochimaru's expectations.
Using the flames from Majestic Destroyer Flame as a base to launch a second jutsu—Fire Surge Wave—was more like something a Water Style user would commonly do.
"I've been thinking about how to release several jutsu at once, Sensei."
Ruohuo briskly searched the two bodies for spoils as he replied. "When I use special Fire Style techniques, they put a heavy strain on my eyes."
"If I can't finish off my enemies quickly, the situation will turn against me in no time."
"My competitor is Clan Leader Fugaku, after all. He has the Will of Fire of an elite Jonin and the Will of Fire of a clan leader backing him. He'll definitely spot this weakness, so I have to find a way to overcome it."
"..."
Orochimaru really wanted to tell Ruohuo: Child, you're the only one who can use your Will of Fire.
Your clan leader may be an elite Jonin, but he doesn't have any so-called Will of Fire backing him... He's just a normal person.
Still, Ruohuo's concern wasn't entirely unfounded.
At his age, he had plenty of disadvantages if he wanted to challenge a clan leader.
"You're thinking along the right lines, but I suggest you ask the Lord Third for help once we've completed this mission."
"The Lord Third has the title 'Professor of Ninjutsu.' He'll certainly have better advice for you on combining jutsu."
Orochimaru smiled and handed Ruohuo the last ninja tool pouch.
"Understood, Sensei."
Ruohuo took it, pulled out a Space-Time Scroll to store it away, then took out the mission scroll.
"But speaking of which, Sensei..."
"We've been searching this area for ages, so why hasn't the squad that needs backup shown up... Hm?"
Ruohuo abruptly shifted back into combat mode!
"Careful, Sensei. There are more enemies!"
Whoosh! Whoosh!
As soon as Ruohuo spoke, two figures suddenly appeared. One wore a mask and had orange hair; the other wore only sunglasses and a hood, exuding a killer's aura.
They were Aburame Ryoma and Yamanaka Chito, two of Root leader Danzo's personal guards.
"Lord Orochimaru... Your mission has been changed. Here are the new orders."
Aburame Ryoma held out a scroll wrapped in insects, which flew toward Orochimaru.
"Please decide whether you wish to carry out the mission. If you accept, report to Kanabi in two days... Uchiha brat! What do you think you're doing?"
Aburame Ryoma shouted when he noticed Ruohuo suddenly forming Hand Seals!
"Hmph! You two rats lurking in the gutter—I can sense the stench of your filthy Will of Darkness even with my eyes closed!"
Ruohuo took a deep breath. "Fire Style: Dragon Fire!"
It was the fastest mid-range jutsu in Ruohuo's arsenal!
"Scatter!"
The two used the Body Flicker Technique to split up, but how could Ruohuo let them get away so easily?
His Three Tomoe had locked onto Yamanaka Chito from the very beginning. The man's hair color gave away his Yamanaka heritage, and Ruohuo couldn't let him make a move.
Ruohuo spewed Dragon Fire from his mouth and chased Yamanaka Chito with a relentless torrent of flames!
"Uchiha brat, are you trying to defy the village's orders?!"
Aburame Ryoma landed and immediately shouted, forming Hand Seals to release his insects and attack Ruohuo.
But before he could make a move, an intense killing intent suddenly enveloped him. Aburame Ryoma's heart lurched, and he whipped around to look at Orochimaru!
"Ryoma, there's no need to get worked up..."
Orochimaru took the scroll and raised two fingers, smiling at Aburame Ryoma.
"Ruohuo is usually obedient and well-behaved. He rarely attacks people without reason. There must be something behind his reaction today."
"Why don't you watch for now, Ryoma? Let me ask the boy what's going on."
Then hurry up and ask him!
Aburame Ryoma cursed inwardly. What was Orochimaru playing at?
He'd accepted the scroll but hadn't opened it. Was he going to cooperate with Lord Danzo or not?
"Ruohuo?" Orochimaru kept smiling as he looked at him.
Ruohuo did indeed stop attacking, but he kept moving.
"He's hiding, Sensei. Give me two minutes and I'll purify him!"
"Fire Style: Fire Dragon Bullet!"
Whoosh—!
A blazing dragon appeared out of thin air. Without even taking off his shoes, Ruohuo leaped forward and landed steadily on its head. Then he soared straight into the sky!
Ruohuo climbed higher and higher, clearly planning to unleash another wide-area Fire Style bombardment on the region.
Aburame Ryoma was frantic with worry, but Orochimaru remained calm and unhurried.
"Ruohuo, Ruohuo?"
"Your Sensei wants to talk to you... Ruohuo?"
"Fire Style: Dragon Flame Song Jutsu!"
Four dragon heads descended from the sky, raining a relentless barrage down on the area where Yamanaka Chito was hiding!
Orochimaru's smile widened. He turned to Aburame Ryoma and spread his hands. "Sorry, Ryoma."
"The boy's a little busy right now. How about... you wait a little longer?"
Before you continue