Orochimaru

Iwagakure.

Several figures stood atop the protective barrier, surveying the surrounding area.

Other figures occasionally appeared as well.

Their eyes roamed everywhere, wary of enemy attacks.

"Captain, no one should be invading during this time, right?"

One Stone Ninja held a telescope and scanned the area. After finding no sign of enemies, he asked his captain.

The Stone Ninja captain said sternly, "It's wartime. We can't afford even the slightest carelessness. If enemies can still infiltrate despite such natural defenses, then we'll have failed the village's residents."

"Yes, Captain."

The Stone Ninja immediately became alert again, returning to his previous mindset.

"But Captain, does Lord Tsuchikage think someone might make a move against Iwagakure? Why else would he arrange so many people to guard this place?

Konoha is under such immense pressure. If half the people here were sent to the front against Konoha, we could definitely keep pushing their lines forward and wipe Konoha out."

"Konoha won't be so easily destroyed. Besides, there are other ninja villages. If we go too far, the other villages will simply watch the tigers fight from the mountain. That would still be unfavorable for us."

"Sigh! True enough. Iwagakure's strength can't handle too many forces in the end. Konoha really does occupy the most fertile land. Their resources are simply too abundant. Even with four ninja villages besieging them, they've endured for this long."

"Hmph, who knows what Kirigakure is up to. Their attacks against Konoha are far too weak!"

"They're probably trying to fish in troubled waters..."

While the sentries chatted, Hao Yanji stood in the middle of a cliff. Using the Transformation Technique and Disguise Technique, he observed the situation above with his Sharingan, raising a brow.

In his eyes, countless streams of chakra intertwined through the sky, forming a special chakra barrier.

Within that barrier, the chakra of many ninja also appeared, entering Hao Yanji's sight.

"Ehhh, forget it. I can't get past these defenses. I'll have to use another way to infiltrate."

He had known it would not be so easy to enter Iwagakure.

After all, he did not possess any space-time ninjutsu.

Nor did he have intelligence on Iwagakure's internal barrier. Even Danzo had failed to obtain it.

He had to admire the ninja who had managed to infiltrate Iwagakure, especially Kabuto.

At such a young age, Kabuto had entered Iwagakure and obtained so much intelligence. Even Hao Yanji had to admire him.

Whoosh—!

With the Transformation Technique and Disguise Technique working together, along with his extraordinarily powerful mind, he swiftly avoided everyone's line of sight and returned to the ground.

Now that he knew there was a powerful barrier above, he naturally would not recklessly force his way through.

This was when Danzo's intelligence came into use.

He landed in a concealed spot.

He pulled a scroll from his ninja tool pouch, its surface covered in countless flowing Sealing Technique formulas.

He opened it and placed it on the ground.

His hands rapidly formed seals.

Communication Technique.

This was a ninjutsu Danzo had taught him, developed by combining it with the Summoning Technique. As long as he used a special medium and passed through the spatial connection of the Summoning Technique, he could send coded messages out.

Although the messages he could transmit were limited.

It was like classical Chinese: even with only a few words, much could be conveyed.

For an intelligence organization, it was already extremely practical.

This was a ninjutsu he had learned in recent days.

Danzo's tightly interlocking intelligence methods and the abilities of his subordinates once again astonished Hao Yanji.

At the same time, they made him wary.

Though Danzo had not currently shown the sort of covetousness toward the Uchiha Sharingan that he was known for, Hao Yanji knew it was only because of the Uchiha clan's current status.

Once the Uchiha were truly marginalized, Danzo would turn his attention to the entire Uchiha clan. By then, things would no longer be as they were now.

Hao Yanji remained somewhat vigilant inside.

But his mind told him that making a move against him now would bring Danzo no benefit at all. He might even lose an important fighting force.

After all, Hao Yanji was a Konoha Jonin.

"One day, I'll face Danzo. By then, I should be very strong—strong enough that I won't even put Danzo in my eyes."

That was why Hao Yanji did not care about the reason.

His rate of improvement was simply too fast.

And it grew exponentially, rather than progressing in a simple one-plus-one fashion.

As he grew older and gained more experience, both his physical energy and spiritual energy would increase dramatically, which also meant more chakra.

He would also have more time to train.

On top of that, his accumulation of knowledge was continuously growing, also in an accelerating fashion.

With such a rate of progress, Hao Yanji could not imagine how Danzo would defeat him in the future.

Even if Danzo had Izanagi through the Sharingan, Hao Yanji would probably still hold an overwhelming advantage.

Ehhh, that was merely Hao Yanji's wishful thinking.

After all, his current strength only placed him among the elite Jonin.

He still needed time to mature before facing Kage Level experts.

Half a day later.

A furtive figure appeared outside the sentry post, unnoticed even by the ninja within Iwagakure.

He arrived where Hao Yanji had appeared and looked at several stones on the ground arranged into a crude swastika shape. "Puff, puff, puff," he made several sounds imitating Iwagakure beasts, using them as a coded signal.

Whoosh—!

"You finally came. I've been waiting too long." Hao Yanji walked over from outside.

When he saw the visitor, he froze for a moment.

"You seem to know me?"

The newcomer stuck out his tongue and licked his lips. His snake-like eyes regarded Hao Yanji with confusion, as well as intense killing intent.

"Lord Orochimaru." Hao Yanji suppressed the turmoil in his heart and spoke respectfully.

Damn!

Why was Orochimaru acting as a spy?

No, wasn't he supposed to be on the front against Kumogakure, commanding the troops against Kumogakure's attacks while monitoring the overall course of the war and making responses?

Why had he come here instead?

Then who was commanding Konoha's ninja?

Shikaku Nara.

That was the only possibility Hao Yanji could think of.

The Nara clan's intelligence truly made them suited for a think tank.

With such a think tank, it was no surprise that Orochimaru could shed his white snake skin and appear in Iwagakure as a spy.

Hiss, hiss!

Since he had been recognized, Orochimaru no longer bothered to pretend. His snake-like eyes looked at Hao Yanji curiously. "How did you recognize me?"

"Ahem, I met Lord Orochimaru before. Only Lord Orochimaru possesses these eyes..." Hao Yanji said.

Orochimaru chuckled. "Heh heh, sharp eyes. Very good. Now hand over the item, and tell me about Danzo's mission. That is an order..."

As he spoke, immense killing intent surged from his eyes and pressed down on Hao Yanji.

Boom—!

The pressure made cold sweat pour down Hao Yanji's back. It was far more terrifying than Danzo's aura.

Especially the killing intent.

He had no doubt that even if he went all out now, he would be no match for Orochimaru.

He might not even be able to escape.

Strong!

He hurriedly took Danzo's scroll from his pocket and handed it to Orochimaru.

He also explained Danzo's purpose this time, along with the request.

As for the mission, he would deal with that later.

Hao Yanji knew that Orochimaru's cooperation with Danzo was still very strong during this period. Orochimaru was even a member of Root.

Otherwise, he would not have appeared here.

He also knew that Orochimaru was not an obedient man and would definitely have ideas of his own.

He would leave this matter for Orochimaru to handle.

After all, Orochimaru had not yet defected from Konoha.

[That day, she asked me to edit her novel. After I finished in an hour, I listened to her ramble for ten hours. My god, the legend of the webnovel world was true: women really do affect typing speed!]