Kakuzu: Where the heck are you? You're not at the mission destination at all!

In a forest outside the village where the mission target was located, Kakuzu was getting exhausted from waiting when Genba finally arrived, late.

Upon seeing Genba, an unnamable rage flared up in Kakuzu's chest, and he questioned coldly, "Brat, where did you go? Did you not even get to the mission location at the first opportunity?!"

Genba glanced at Kakuzu with a nonchalant air, "Kakuzi, speak with evidence, and stop slandering me. Don't you know my speed? I already arrived at the mission location to investigate."

Kakuzu wasn't so easily fooled. He pressed coldly, "Then what information did you find?"

Genba waved his hand, "Ah, don't worry about what I found. Just tell me how we're going to proceed."

"Hmph!" Kakuzu snorted, already knowing Genba hadn't scouted ahead.

But he was too lazy to argue further; he had already devised a plan.

Kakuzu lowered his voice, "There's a luxurious manor in this village, that's the gang's lair for the bounty target. You attack from the front to draw their attention, and I'll sneak into the manor to carry out a decapitation strike on the target, then we'll withdraw quickly."

He paused, then added, "Or, I can attack from the front, and you can sneak into the manor to decapitate the target."

Genba patted Kakuzu's shoulder and smiled, "Kakuzi, I'll attack from the front. Hunting down such a minor character isn't worth my personal effort to kill."

Genba's words almost made Kakuzu want to throw a punch, but he suppressed it, took a deep breath, and turned to begin the operation.

This time, Genba didn't cause any trouble. He swaggered into the village and walked boldly towards the manor where the bounty target was.

As Genba and Kakuzu began their actions, two figures watched them silently from the woods not far away.

One wore the Akatsuki's black robe with red clouds, and the other wore glasses and had a short ponytail.

They were none other than Orochimaru and his assistant, Kabuto Yakushi.

Kabuto observed Genba for a long time and whispered to Orochimaru, "Lord Orochimaru, this Uchiha Genba appears very ordinary. It matches the intelligence we have; he hasn't even awakened the Sharingan bloodline limit unique to the Uchiha Clan."

His implication was clear.

If he hadn't awakened his eyes by eighteen, Genba was finished.

"Heh," Orochimaru chuckled sinisterly, "He's not as simple as he appears. When Genba first joined the Akatsuki, we sparred. Based on the intelligence I have, he's a vessel with great potential."

"As for the Sharingan, that's no problem. I can get a pair of Three Tomoe Sharingan from other channels and transplant them for him anytime."

Kabuto praised sincerely, "Lord Orochimaru, your insight is remarkable!"

While Orochimaru and Kabuto were talking, Genba had already engaged with the rogue ninja hired by the bounty target and a large number of their gang members.

Orochimaru and Kabuto both saw that a swarm of mercenaries and gang thugs quickly surrounded Genba within seconds.

Genba, surrounded by these weaklings, didn't panic at all and directly engaged them in a brawl.

Seeing Genba fighting back and forth with a group of weaklings, Kabuto couldn't help but question again, "Lord Orochimaru, is Uchiha Genba deliberately hiding his strength? With his abilities, he shouldn't be struggling so hard against these weaklings."

Orochimaru was also puzzled at first, but after a moment, a glint flashed in his eerie vertical pupils, as if he had thought of something.

"That guy isn't Uchiha Genba—or at least not the real Genba; it must be some kind of Cloning Technique!"

As one of the Legendary Sannin of the Leaf Village and a pioneer of ninja world technology, Orochimaru's eyesight was naturally sharp and discerning.

After a brief observation, he concluded that the one currently fighting the mercenaries and gang members was not Genba's true body, but a clone created by some kind of Cloning Technique.

Even so, with his eyesight, he couldn't immediately tell which Cloning Technique Genba had used.

"It's a clone?" Kabuto was greatly surprised, losing his composure.

It should be noted that although Kabuto Yakushi would eventually achieve accomplishments no less than Orochimaru's, he was clearly still in his developmental stage at this time.

"Clap! Clap! Clap!"

Just then, a round of applause echoed from the forest behind Orochimaru and Kabuto.

The two turned sharply and found that the one clapping was none other than Genba himself.

As it turned out, Orochimaru's judgment was entirely correct.

Before coming to find Kakuzu this time, Genba had already divided his chakra in a three-seven ratio.

The one fighting in the distance, possessing thirty percent of his strength, was a Chakra Clone, while the one who had appeared here was Genba's true body.

Genba had been maintaining contact through numerous Ninja Cats.

These Ninja Cats were originally the Uchiha Clan's intelligence network, and Genba had become very familiar with them, allowing him to receive continuous intelligence support from the Ninja Cat tribe.

Shortly after Orochimaru and Kabuto appeared nearby, Genba immediately received this information from the Ninja Cat tribe.

Upon learning that Orochimaru and the other were in the area, he had even come over with great interest to eavesdrop on their conversation.

Although Orochimaru and Kabuto were skilled, they were not sensory-type ninjas, so they had not detected Genba's true body lurking nearby.

Orochimaru's golden vertical pupils scanned Genba up and down and said with slight admiration, "A very good Cloning Technique, almost comparable to the First Hokage Hashirama Senju's Wood Style Clone."

Genba waved his hand and chuckled, "Snake Bro, you flatter me. How can the First Hokage's Wood Style Clone compare to my Chakra Clone?"

Orochimaru: (O_O)???

Kabuto: (O_O)???

Good heavens, this was what Genba meant by "flatter me."

In his view, the First Hokage's Wood Style Clone was not on the same level as his "Chakra Clone" and couldn't compare to it at all.

Genba's statement wasn't entirely unreasonable.

He could make his Chakra Clones possess nearly half of his main body's combat power.

There also seemed to be no evidence that Hashirama Senju's Wood Style Clones could bear half of Hashirama's true strength.

What's more, Xuan Yu could perform even more extreme and unconventional maneuvers.

He could pour 99.9% of his Chakra into a Chakra Clone, while his main body would hide in the rear, letting the Chakra Clone, which possessed almost all of his combat power, fight the powerful enemy to the death.

Regardless, Hashirama's Wood Style Clones definitely couldn't pull off this kind of trick.

At this moment, Xuan Yu had no intention of exchanging pleasantries with Orochimaru.

He estimated that the time was about right and waved at Orochimaru, saying, "Snake Bro, please take care of me with future missions. I need to get back to my important business."

Before his voice even faded, his figure suddenly vanished before Orochimaru and Kabuto Yakushi, streaking towards the direction of the bounty target.

Xuan Yu planned to take this bounty target to the Empty District's Bounty Exchange to complete the task.

After turning in this mission, he would receive an additional 1.5% commission for future missions turned in at the Empty District's Bounty Exchange.

Watching the direction Xuan Yu left, Orochimaru chuckled thoughtfully, "Missions, huh... Heh heh, perhaps I can really try releasing a mission for this fellow."