A Delayed Ninja Career

In the cold, gloomy laboratory, strange cell samples in culture dishes slowly writhed under the faint light. Kyohaku Uchiha finished recording the last set of data, set down his pen, and turned to Orochimaru, who was reading an ancient scroll.

"Sensei." His calm voice broke the laboratory's habitual silence.

"Hmm?" Orochimaru did not look up. His golden snake eyes remained focused on the obscure runes on the scroll.

"I believe it is time for me to begin carrying out ninja missions," Kyohaku said directly. "Theoretical knowledge and technical reserves need to be tested and refined through actual combat. Besides... given the current situation, I also need to gain experience fighting different kinds of ninja."

Orochimaru paused, then slowly raised his head and studied his pale-faced disciple with interest. A meaningful curve gradually formed at the corner of his mouth, and his hoarse voice carried a hint of pleasure. "Oh? You finally couldn't hold yourself back? You want to experience real killing?"

"It is to verify what I have learned and acquire necessary data," Kyohaku corrected evenly, without the slightest emotional fluctuation in his voice. "A ninja's value must ultimately be measured through missions."

"Hehehe... well said." Orochimaru chuckled, clearly satisfied with the answer. "That's right. Ninja must carry out missions, and they must kill. A greenhouse cannot cultivate true strength. Only blood and fire can temper the sharpest blade."

He set down the scroll and walked before Kyohaku. His cold fingers nearly touched Kyohaku's unnaturally pale cheek. "The current situation is indeed interesting. The minor moves of every nation are becoming more frequent, and conflicts break out every day. Getting an early look at the methods used by ninja from other countries will greatly benefit you when you face larger-scale chaos in the future. I approve."

Orochimaru agreed with unusual ease. To him, sending his disciple on missions was like releasing a carefully cultivated venomous snake to test its poison. Whatever the outcome, it would bring back valuable information. He even looked forward to seeing what interesting reactions Kyohaku's body, fused with special power, and his mind, calm to the point of cruelty, would display in real combat.

"However," Orochimaru added, "you do not need to be assigned to a permanent team for now. Your abilities... are rather special. A fixed team would only limit you and make it easier to expose certain things. I will arrange for you to participate in some low-ranking missions as a temporary member first, so you can adapt."

"Yes, Sensei." This was exactly what Kyohaku had hoped for. The bonds and scrutiny of a permanent team would only be unnecessary trouble to him.

With Orochimaru handling the procedures, everything was completed exceptionally quickly. Before long, Kyohaku Uchiha's name bore the notation: "Eligible to accept missions." His record was rather unusual, however: former medical intern, returned to duty after recovering from injury, no current team assignment, strength evaluation... pending.

His first mission was a D-rank border patrol in the Land of Fire. In peacetime, such missions mostly involved finding lost pets or helping farmers pull weeds. But amid the current tense atmosphere, even a D-rank mission carried a faint scent of gunpowder. The mission had become to patrol a designated border route, drive off small bands of wandering bandits or wild beasts, and report any suspicious signs.

The meeting point was at the village gate. When Kyohaku arrived, the other two temporary teammates were already there. One was an experienced-looking Chunin with a steady expression, while the other was a young Genin who appeared somewhat nervous and kept checking his ninja tool pouch.

The Chunin saw Konoha's forehead protector on Kyohaku's brow and the ninja vest he wore, prepared for him by Orochimaru, and nodded. But when he noticed Kyohaku's overly young face and abnormally pale complexion, a trace of doubt flickered in his eyes. Only after seeing the note beside Kyohaku's name on the mission list—"no team assignment, medical ninja"—did he relax slightly.

"I'm Chunin Furukawa, and this is Genin Kenta," the Chunin introduced them succinctly. "You're Kyohaku, the temporary medical ninja? Stay close to us, watch your surroundings, and if anything happens, prioritize protecting yourself and reporting it. Understood?"

"Understood." Kyohaku's reply was equally concise, his voice steady and free of a novice's nervousness.

The team set off. Chunin Furukawa took the lead, alertly clearing the way. Genin Kenta stayed in the middle, while Kyohaku followed at the rear. His steps were light and steady, showing no trace of his former disability. He even seemed more relaxed than the Genin ahead of him.

Along the way, Chunin Furukawa occasionally explained the essentials of wilderness patrols—how to distinguish the tracks of wild beasts from enemies, how to use terrain for concealment, and so on. Kenta listened attentively, while Kyohaku listened in silence. Yet his black eyes, like the most precise scanners, took in the surrounding environment, sounds, smells, and even the faintest fluctuations of chakra, comparing and verifying them against the vast storehouse of theoretical knowledge in his mind.

Halfway through the journey, a commotion and several terrified screams suddenly came from ahead. Chunin Furukawa immediately signaled for caution, and the three quickly took cover.

Through the bushes, they saw a small group of five or six bandits wielding crude weapons as they surrounded what appeared to be an ordinary freight carriage. The driver had already been injured and lay on the ground, while the guards were barely holding on. The situation was critical.

"Bandits! Prepare for battle!" Chunin Furukawa ordered in a low voice, his gaze sharpening. "Kenta, harass them from the left flank! Kyohaku, stay in the rear and provide support. Give medical aid if necessary!"

However, before he finished speaking, he felt a light breeze pass beside him.

Kyohaku Uchiha, who had been standing at the rear, had vanished from the spot without anyone noticing!

In the next instant, he appeared soundlessly behind the bandit leader, who was about to raise his blade against a guard, like a ghost. He moved so quickly that only an afterimage remained!

The bandit leader noticed nothing. Kyohaku's right hand formed a blade with two fingers, striking a specific nerve cluster at the back of his neck with ruthless precision. There was no flashy ninjutsu, no earth-shaking sound—only an incredibly soft crack.

The bandit leader's body instantly stiffened. His eyes went blank, and he collapsed without a sound, his fate unknown.

Before the other bandits could even react, Kyohaku's figure moved again. His movements were stripped down to their absolute essentials. Every shift, every strike, landed precisely on the places most capable of instantly robbing a person of the ability to fight—joints, nerve plexuses, temples...

Thud! Thud!

With several dull impacts in quick succession, the remaining bandits fell one after another like cut wheat, utterly unable to resist. The entire process took less than five seconds.

By the time Chunin Furukawa and Kenta rushed out of the bushes, the battle was already over. Kyohaku was crouching beside the injured driver, soft green medical chakra glowing from his hands as he administered emergency treatment. His face remained pale and calm, his breathing steady, as if he had merely done something insignificant.

Chunin Furukawa and Kenta stared dumbfoundedly at the scene before them, then at the bandits sprawled across the ground, all defeated in an instant. For a long while, neither could speak. This... this was really a medical ninja? That speed, that efficiency, those ruthlessly precise methods...

After treating the driver's injuries, Kyohaku rose and looked at his two temporary teammates. His tone remained flat and emotionless. "The threat has been eliminated. We can proceed with the follow-up report and cleanup."

Chunin Furukawa swallowed hard and nodded with difficulty. Looking into Kyohaku's overly calm eyes, he felt an inexplicable chill rise within him. This young medical ninja who had joined them temporarily and looked like a sickly patient was definitely not as simple as he appeared.

His first mission came to a swift end in a manner that far exceeded the assessed difficulty of a D-rank mission.

Kyohaku Uchiha's ninja career had officially begun in this low-key yet deeply impressive fashion. Like a silent hunter, he began moving along the borders of the Land of Fire, calmly gathering data called "experience" through missions both simple and sudden, honing fangs that were already sharp as he waited for the day he would truly step onto a greater stage.