You's Worry

Tsunade's Monster Strength Fist relied on chakra control, gathering a massive amount of chakra in a short time and releasing it through a special striking technique.

It did not fall within the scope of ninjutsu, but its destructive power exceeded that of ninjutsu.

Bang!

A massive crack appeared before Uchiha You. His fist had left a mark on the stone wall, and the shattered area extended downward.

"Hah!"

He exhaled heavily and analyzed the data he had gathered.

After studying under Tsunade for several days, Uchiha You had gotten the hang of the Monster Strength Fist. He had also discovered a fatal flaw.

For every action, there was an equal reaction. When his fist struck an opponent, the recoil would strike back at him.

"It hurts a little."

His fist had begun to redden and swell, a side effect caused by insufficient chakra control.

While Uchiha You practiced the Monster Strength Fist, a huge python suddenly appeared. It opened its mouth, and Orochimaru crawled out of it, saying with faint admiration:

"I never expected you to learn Tsunade's technique. No wonder she's been pestering me these past few days."

"Orochimaru-sensei, why do you always show up in such strange ways?"

Orochimaru, who had created many ninjutsu, had a peculiar fondness for snake-based techniques.

Ignoring Uchiha You's strange look, Orochimaru spoke in his slightly hoarse voice:

"This is a new ninjutsu I developed, inspired by Jiraiya's Toad Summoning Jutsu. If you want to learn it, I can teach you."

"I'll pass."

He had no desire to become a venomous snake. Compared to darkness, Uchiha You preferred sunlight.

"I came to find you because there's a mission. Assemble outside the village tonight."

"We're handling something overnight."

There was more gravity than usual in Orochimaru's voice. For an Elite Jonin to sound so serious was enough to show how grave the matter was. Uchiha You had not expected them to be involved.

Outside the village, Hyuga Reiko and Nawaki were dressed in dark night clothes.

"Orochimaru-sensei."

"Orochimaru-sensei."

Looking at the assembled team, they had arrived especially early because they had been a little slow during their last assembly.

Without further nonsense, Orochimaru took out the mission scroll, which recorded the target of their mission.

"It's a B-rank mission. There shouldn't be any danger, but we may encounter Sand Village ninja."

"Our destination is the Land of Rivers. We are to escort a group from the Sand Village to Konoha."

Because Sand Village ninja were involved, the mission had been raised to B-rank. There was a possibility of combat, but with Orochimaru there, they had top-tier protection.

"An escort mission? Orochimaru-sensei, why isn't the Sand Village escorting them? They're from the Sand Village, so wouldn't it be faster for the Sand Village to escort them?"

After hearing the mission details, Nawaki was deeply confused and instinctively asked the question.

But Orochimaru's gaze fell on Nawaki. That icy look sent a chill through him, and he had no idea where he had gone wrong.

Orochimaru did not take issue with Nawaki's question and patiently explained:

"You must remember that the full details of a mission remain in the captain's hands. This is to prevent mission failure and the leak of mission information, which could cause unimaginable losses to the village."

"This is your first offense, so I won't punish you."

"The mission is an escort, but we aren't escorting merchants from the Land of Wind. We're escorting a group of Sand Village ninja."

"They have come to Konoha to discuss matters. The main concern is that something may happen to the Sand Village. They want us at their side so that any fault cannot be pinned on us."

Everything was for the sake of safety. After all, the Sand Village had always been a textbook fence-sitter.

The moment something went wrong, it would immediately take a side.

The Sand Village also happened to be the weakest of the Five Great Ninja Villages. It needed to rely on Konoha for certain matters, so their relationship was both hostile and somewhat ambiguous.

Konoha also occasionally helped the Sand Village. Before the war arrived, their relationship was better than Konoha's relationship with the other villages.

When Konoha sensed that war was approaching, the other side had also noticed that something was off and had proactively sent people over.

"We must reach the Land of Rivers in the shortest possible time!"

The Land of Rivers lay between the Land of Wind and the Land of Fire. It was famous for its hot springs, and its people were more like merchants.

It was also the location agreed upon by both sides. Neither dared to rashly enter the other's territory, so choosing neutral ground was best.

They hurried along the entire way and arrived in the shortest time possible.

This time, Orochimaru did not wait for them. As their speed increased, their stamina consumption naturally intensified.

After traveling for half a day, Nawaki and Reiko had developed a fine layer of sweat on their foreheads. To recover their strength quickly, they prepared Soldier Pills.

Only in the latter half of the night did Orochimaru stop and allow them to rest briefly. Their exhaustion was within his expectations. Sustained high-speed travel was a challenge to both the body and chakra.

What surprised Orochimaru was that You showed signs of unsteady steps and a pale face.

"That shouldn't be possible."

Studying under Tsunade and mastering both medical ninjutsu and Monster Strength meant that his body and control had met the standard. How could this happen?

"Hm?"

Just as Orochimaru was about to question Uchiha You, he noticed cracks appearing in the branch beneath You's foot. He immediately understood why the boy was so weak.

"He deliberately enhanced his physical strength."

Compared to his other two disciples, this one was exceptionally talented. As long as he did not die young, he would certainly become an Elite Jonin.

"I wonder whether he has awakened the Sharingan at this age."

The Sharingan, which struck fear throughout the ninja world, was the Uchiha Clan's Kekkei Genkai and their strongest power.

Orochimaru had always wanted to study it. If Uchiha You had awakened his eyes, he could have him cooperate in a few experiments.

Fortunately, Orochimaru was merely interested and had not yet become insane enough to conduct human experiments.

"I only heard that the Uchiha Clan needs intense emotional stimulation to awaken their eyes. That is why their personalities tend to become extreme. I need to make sure You's emotions do not fluctuate too much."

Orochimaru did not know that Uchiha You had already awakened a One-Tomoe Sharingan. To awaken his eyes at this age, with intensified training, he would certainly become a powerful Three-Tomoe user in the future.

The three of them rested, but they did not relax just because they were taking a break. Nawaki took the initiative to stand guard, standing on a tree and vigilantly observing their surroundings.

Leaning against the trunk, You gave Reiko beside him a reminder:

"If we run into enemies later, don't show mercy. They aren't like the bandits we encountered last time."

Hyuga Reiko did not activate her Byakugan, but her gaze remained firm.

"Don't worry. I'm not some delicate young lady."

"I hope we can get through this mission safely."