Kirigakure

"Lord Orochimaru, what was the B-rank mission we just accepted?" Uchiha Matsuri asked suddenly while walking along the road out of the Land of Fire.

"Go to the Land of Water and assassinate the Kusagakure missing-nin, Kunshi Bilan."

Seven days later.

Having spent their lives in the inland village of Konoha, it was the first time the group had seen the ocean. Gazing at the boundless sea, Uchiha Matsuri and his two companions let out a deep breath, feeling instantly refreshed.

"Ninja Art: Transformation Jutsu!"

All four of them used the Transformation Jutsu simultaneously, altering their appearances and attire.

Generally, when traveling to other countries for assassination missions, ninjas use the Transformation Jutsu to avoid detection and minimize unnecessary trouble.

As the passenger ship drifted slowly toward the islands of the Land of Water, Uchiha Matsuri and his companions couldn't help but feel a sense of tension. After all, for the three of them, this was their first mission since graduating from the Ninja Academy.

The ship slowly pulled into the dock, and the dozen or so ninjas and civilians on board began to disembark one after another.

"Let's go," Orochimaru said.

The Land of Water, located in the southeastern part of the ninja world, consists of dozens of islands and is one of the Five Great Shinobi Nations. Kirigakure is the gathering place for the ninjas of the Land of Water. Because the village is surrounded by mountains and situated in a deep basin, it is shrouded in thick fog all year round.

Walking along the streets of Kirigakure, the three who had never been abroad before were filled with curiosity.

"It's so foggy here, it's amazing!" Nohara Shin said with an excited expression.

"Hey, that building is so strange; how could they build it on such a steep mountainside?" Kushina Uzumaki spotted an ancient castle on a distant slope.

Ignoring the "country bumpkin" behavior of the two, Orochimaru whispered instructions: "Once we find the target, I will go in to attack him, and you three will provide cover from the outside."

"Understood," the three replied in unison.

The four searched the streets of Kirigakure for over an hour, yet they didn't find a single trace of Kunshi Bilan.

After arriving in a deserted, dark alley, Orochimaru performed hand seals and slammed his palms onto the ground.

"Ninja Art: Summoning Jutsu!"

A dozen small snakes suddenly appeared before Orochimaru.

"Lord Orochimaru."

"This is the man. Search for him separately, and be careful not to alert the enemy," Orochimaru said after showing them a photo of Kunshi Bilan.

The dozen snakes immediately scattered in all directions.

"Let's go, let's sit in a teahouse for a while," Orochimaru said, putting away the photo and walking off without looking back.

Uchiha Matsuri and his companions exchanged glances, said nothing, and silently followed Orochimaru out of the alley.

After the four left, a figure suddenly emerged from the thick fog in the alley. Within seconds, the figure transformed into a Kirigakure ninja.

"What are those four being so sneaky about?" the ninja muttered to himself in confusion. "No, I must inform Lord Hozuki Shichigatsu."

After waiting in the teahouse for over ten minutes, Orochimaru received a report from one of the snakes.

"I didn't expect Kunshi Bilan to be hiding in Kirigakure. If we strike here, the difficulty of this mission will be at least A-rank, if not S-rank." After hearing the report, Orochimaru did not choose to abandon the mission despite the target hiding in Kirigakure.

Even if the assassination failed, Orochimaru was confident he could escape the village. As for the three brats, if they knew how Orochimaru's former subordinates had died, they probably wouldn't be so calm about carrying out a mission with him.

"Let's go," Orochimaru glanced at the three and headed out of the teahouse.

Uchiha Matsuri and his companions followed silently, and soon, the four arrived in front of an inn.

"Wait here; I will go finish the target," Orochimaru leaned in and whispered.

"Understood."

Inside a secluded room at the inn.

A man wearing a Kusagakure forehead protector with a scratch through the symbol stood in the center of the room.

The decorations and furniture in the room were all painted a dark gray, and combined with the year-round fog of Kirigakure, the room was filled with an oppressive atmosphere.

"Why hasn't that old guy Hoshigaki Muyin arrived yet?" The man clenched his fists and complained anxiously.

"Getting impatient, are we?" A deep, raspy voice came from behind the man. "Kunshi Bilan!"

The man turned around to see an elderly man in simple clothing opening the door, staring at him with deep, piercing eyes that made the man's skin crawl.

"Hoshigaki Muyin, you're finally here. Well? What did the Mizukage say?" Seeing Hoshigaki Muyin's late arrival, Kunshi Bilan couldn't help but complain.

"Lord Mizukage intends for you to use a disguise and infiltrate Konoha to continue providing us with intelligence," Hoshigaki Muyin pulled a cigarette from his pocket and lit it with a lighter. "As for the reward, someone will naturally deliver it to you once you reach Konoha."

"Hmph, I was unfortunately exposed in Kusagakure while providing intelligence for you, and I didn't expect to get just this kind of arrangement," Kunshi Bilan slammed the table and shouted angrily.

"Hahaha, don't be so impatient, Bilan, my friend!" Hoshigaki Muyin held the cigarette between his fingers, exhaling rings of white smoke. "We are grateful for your service in providing intelligence, even though you were exposed. However, since you are now a missing-nin on a wanted list, you no longer have a choice."

"Only Lord Mizukage can continue to ensure your safety." Glancing at the now-quiet Kunshi Bilan, Hoshigaki Muyin gave a light huff. "During your time infiltrating Konoha, we will send two members of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen to ensure your safety. You only need to be responsible for gathering intelligence on Konoha."

Based on their conversation and other intelligence, the full story of Kunshi Bilan's defection became clear.

Kunshi Bilan was originally one of the top experts in Kusagakure, but due to greed, he chose to secretly cooperate with Kirigakure on intelligence. As an ally of Konoha, Kusagakure was undoubtedly a prime location for gathering intelligence on the village.

However, after engaging in reckless cooperation with Kirigakure, Kunshi Bilan began to worry about being exposed. At that point, Kirigakure wanted him to infiltrate Konoha to obtain more intelligence, but Kunshi Bilan refused. Thus, Kirigakure took the initiative and secretly exposed his identity as a spy. Having fled Kusagakure and become a missing-nin, Kunshi Bilan had no choice but to continue cooperating with Kirigakure.

"What a win-win strategy," a cold, sinister voice suddenly rang out.

"Who's there?" Both Kunshi Bilan and Hoshigaki Muyin turned their heads instinctively.

"Hee hee hee hee." Beside the wardrobe, Orochimaru slowly revealed his form.

"He was so close, yet I didn't sense his chakra at all. How terrifying," Hoshigaki Muyin took the cigarette from his mouth, threw it on the ground, and crushed it with his foot.

"Kunshi Bilan, I didn't expect you to be colluding with Kirigakure to secretly gather intelligence on Konoha," Orochimaru said with a playful expression. "It seems this mission isn't as simple as I thought."