They traveled through time at the same time, but the villainous scientist

Chapter 9 He infiltrated
Twenty minutes later, in front of the Konoha gates.

Orochimaru, Jiraiya, and Tsunade arrived on time.

"Hey! A C-level mission! Finally, it's not about pulling weeds and finding cats!"

Jiraiya looked eager to try, arms crossed over his chest, toes tapping the ground impatiently.

"Fool, don't be careless."

A Class C mission is not as simple as it seems. It could be dangerous.

Tsunade stood to the side, hands on her hips, brows slightly furrowed, her expression quite serious.

Orochimaru, on the other hand, appeared much calmer. He carefully checked his ninja tool bag, confirming the quantity of kunai, shuriken, explosive tags, and some spare medicines.

After all, he's not short of money now, so he should prepare more of these things, just in case.

"The objective of this C-level mission is to wipe out a group of mountain bandits in the forests near the border of the Land of Fire."

Hiruzen Sarutobi handed the mission scroll to Orochimaru. Of the three, Orochimaru was the most mature and currently served as the leader of the three-person team.
Orochimaru reached out and took it, quickly glancing over the information on it:

Location, number of known bandits (approximately fifteen), leader's characteristics (possibly a wandering samurai?), client (village chief of a nearby village).

“This gang of bandits has been very active lately, not only robbing people but also starting to kill them, and the nearby villages have suffered greatly.”

"Remember, this is your team's first C-level mission, and it will be a real test of your independent combat capabilities."

From this moment forward, the command, decision-making, and execution of this mission will be entirely the responsibility of the three of you.

"I will not intervene unless there is an extreme situation that endangers my life."

Hiruzen Sarutobi continued, his tone becoming more serious, and he even glanced at Jiraiya as he spoke.

"These mere bandits? Watch me take care of them all in no time!"

Jiraiya immediately straightened his back and replied with considerable confidence.

Anyone can talk big.

Tsunade glanced at him and snorted irritably.

"Teacher, what is the exact strength of these bandits? Are there any ninjas mixed in among them?"

Orochimaru closed the scroll, handed it back to Hiruzen Sarutobi, and asked.

"Intelligence indicates that most of them are just ordinary bandits, but the leader may have some martial arts skills. As for whether there are any ninjas... it is currently unknown."

This is also part of what you need to investigate and judge.

Remember, every mission has its variables; underestimating your enemy is a cardinal sin for a ninja.

Hiruzen Sarutobi said earnestly.

"Don't worry, teacher!"

With Jiraiya-sama here, no enemy is insurmountable!

Jiraiya patted his chest and interrupted again.

"Jiraiya, you said you wanted to eliminate them all. So, are you prepared to take other people's lives?"

Orochimaru gave Jiraiya a disapproving look, his calm tone like a bucket of cold water being poured over him.

The air seemed to freeze for a moment...

"Of course! From the day I put on my headband and became a ninja, I was already prepared for this!"

Upon hearing this, Jiraiya abandoned his nonchalant demeanor and spoke seriously.

His parents died protecting the village, so he naturally had that awareness when he embarked on this path.

Tsunade looked at Jiraiya with some surprise, not expecting that this guy had this side to him.

Orochimaru nodded and said nothing more.

Some things can only be truly understood in their significance through personal experience.

Talking about enlightenment is meaningless.

"Okay, let's go."

Finally, Hiruzen Sarutobi stubbed out his pipe and spoke.

And so, the four figures quickly left Konoha Village and sped towards the mission location.

Two days later, at dusk.

The group of four stopped on a secluded hillside. Not far ahead, a simple village built against the mountain came into view.

The village was built with large logs, giving it a rather rugged appearance.

Several figures can be seen moving back and forth on the stockade wall; they are probably bandits on lookout duty.

Wisps of smoke rose from inside the village, and the sounds of noisy voices and rude laughter could be faintly heard.

"Then it's up to you."

Hiruzen Sarutobi muttered something under his breath, then took a few steps back, found a large tree to lean against, and sat down, looking like he was ready to watch the show.

"Hmph~ Watch me!"

Jiraiya rubbed his hands together excitedly, lowering his voice.

As he spoke, he was about to get up and rush into the village.

"boom!"

Seeing this, Tsunade didn't hold back and punched him away, cursing angrily:
"Idiot! Do you want to die? We know nothing about what's inside. What if there are traps or ambushes if we just rush in?"

"Tsunade is right, launching a rash attack is the most foolish thing to do."

Don't forget how you suffered a loss when you were trying to steal the bell...

Orochimaru shook his head and added.

"Okay, okay, I'll listen to you."

"Then what do we do?"

Jiraiya was beaten so badly by Tsunade that he was wincing in pain. After hearing Orochimaru's words, although he was unwilling, he knew that what they said made sense, so he could only scratch the back of his head in frustration.

"A ninja's battle is a battle of intelligence!"

Our first task is to observe and ascertain their exact numbers, weaponry, and defensive deployment.

In particular, it is crucial to determine whether there are any enemies skilled in ninjutsu or possessing formidable strength.

Orochimaru replied that a ninja's battle is a battle of intelligence.

Just like the initial battles Kakashi fought against Zabuza, and the battles against Kakuzu, Hidan, and Pain.

Having intelligence and not having intelligence are two completely different extremes, which shows how important intelligence is.

Tsunade nodded in agreement; Orochimaru was right.

So the three of them jumped up into the tree and silently lay in ambush, observing the bandit camp below.

After a short while, they had roughly figured out the situation of the mountain stronghold:
There were four sentries on the stockade wall, who seemed somewhat lax. There were about a dozen bandits active in the stockade, most of them dressed in rags and carrying crude swords, looking more like a rabble.

In the center of the village stands a slightly larger wooden house with two guards at the entrance, likely the residence of the village chief.

"The numbers and intelligence are about the same, the defenses are lax, and most of them are ordinary people."

But we cannot let our guard down.

I'll infiltrate, take out the sentries on the outside, and scout out the situation inside.

You will remain here and act as needed, while providing me with information on the enemy's movements.

If I'm exposed, I'll create chaos and draw their attention.

Orochimaru analyzed in a low voice, then took out an earpiece and a radio communication device from his bag and handed them to Tsunade.

"it is good."

Tsunade's eyes lit up when she saw this, she nodded, and put on the microphone.

I didn't expect Orochimaru to be so well-prepared...

Seeing this, Jiraiya pointed to himself, his expression clearly saying, "And what about me?"

"As for Jiraiya... just play it by ear..."

Orochimaru's lips twitched, and he casually gave the instructions.

After saying that, Orochimaru's figure disappeared into the shadows like a ghost.

Instead of climbing over the village wall directly, he went around to a relatively secluded corner at the back of the village.

Relying on the ancestral parkour skills of assassins in the Assassin's Creed world, and with the assistance of chakra in this world, Orochimaru quickly climbed to the outer perimeter of the stronghold.

A lone sentry yawned, leaning against the wall, completely unaware of the approaching death.

Orochimaru silently scaled the wall like a raccoon dog, then landed, thrusting out his hidden blade and striking a vital spot with pinpoint accuracy.

There was no scream, only a muffled whimper, and then the sentry fell silent.

Orochimaru swiftly dragged the corpse to the shadows and hid it, the whole process clean and efficient, without a single unnecessary movement.

"Whoo~"

Orochimaru took a deep breath. Perhaps because of the memories of those legendary assassins, he didn't feel any discomfort when he killed for the first time.

Without giving it any further thought, Orochimaru concealed himself and continued moving toward his next target.

From a tree in the distance, Hiruzen Sarutobi took in everything, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.

The infiltration and assassination skills were so sophisticated that it was completely unlike that of a genin who had just carried out a C-rank mission.

And there were also those weapons hidden in the sleeves, which he had never seen before. Did the child design them himself?

Hidden in the bushes, Jiraiya watched as Orochimaru effortlessly dispatched the second and third sentinels, and a pang of unease settled in his heart.

This guy stole all the limelight!

"Hey Tsunade, let's go down and help too!"

Jiraiya lowered his voice and, without waiting for Tsunade's reply, jumped down from the tree.

"That idiot!" Tsunade cursed under her breath, shaking her head helplessly as she watched Jiraiya's obviously unconcealed landing, but she could only quickly follow after him.

She wasn't comfortable letting this impulsive guy act alone.

As soon as Jiraiya landed, before he could even slip into the shadows, a bandit patrolling nearby spotted him.

"who?!"

The bandit shouted and raised his long knife.

"Got caught? Well, I'll deal with you first!"

Jiraiya reacted quickly, immediately adopting an attack stance, ready to strike first.

However, just as he was about to rush forward, the ground beneath his feet suddenly began to twitch without warning. Then, with a few muffled "plop plop plop" sounds, several sharp earth spikes suddenly emerged from the ground, piercing his feet and calves!

"Earth Escape?!"

Jiraiya was startled, instantly realizing that the other side had a ninja!
He quickly leaped backward, narrowly avoiding the attack of the earth spikes, but his figure was now completely exposed to the sight of more bandits.

"Enemy attack! Ninja intrusion!"

The shouts of the bandits and the sound of gongs instantly resounded throughout the entire mountain stronghold.

"What a hopeless idiot!"

Tsunade landed beside Jiraiya, her expression grave as she looked at the bandits rapidly closing in and the hidden threat lurking in the shadows, preparing for battle.

In the shadows of the corner, Orochimaru heard the noise, stopped his assassination attempt, and narrowed his eyes slightly.

He heard about the situation from Tsunade on the radio; the other side actually had ninjas who knew how to use Earth Release.

He did not show himself immediately, deciding to observe the situation first.

A dozen or so bandits swarmed around them, surrounding Jiraiya and Tsunade.

"Heh heh, two brats from Konoha?"
"They've got some nerve, daring to trespass into our village!"

The leader was a burly, bald man with a face full of scars, who grinned menacingly at the two men.

"Hmph! A bunch of bandits, how dare they be so arrogant!"

"Let me show you the powerful ninjutsu I just learned! Fire Release: Fire Dragon Flame Bullet!"

Jiraiya forced himself to remain calm and quickly formed hand seals.
He took a deep breath and exhaled sharply forward!
However... the expected raging fire dragon did not appear. Only a small cluster of weak flames flickered a few times like a candle in the wind before going out with a "poof".

The air became silent for a moment.

"Puhahaha..."

Is that all you've got? A fire dragon? I think it's just a tiny insect that breathes fire!

After a brief silence, the bandits erupted in deafening laughter.

Jiraiya's face instantly turned bright red, and he wished he could disappear into a crack in the ground.

Damn it! It wasn't like this during practice!

Just as the bandits were laughing and their attention was drawn to Jiraiya, Tsunade's sharp gaze swept across the crowd and quickly locked onto a person standing at the back.

This man had a noticeable scar on his face, and a headband with its markings crossed out was faintly visible on his arm—the mark of a rogue ninja.

The earth-style ninjutsu just now was most likely released by him!

"Got you!"

Tsunade let out a low shout, and with a sudden burst of power from her feet, her body shot out like a cannonball!

"Oh no! Stop her!"

Seeing this, the bald, burly man panicked and hurriedly gave an order.

Two bandits who were nearby brandished their machetes, trying to stop them.

But Tsunade was extremely fast. When faced with an enemy blocking her way, she didn't even dodge and threw a punch directly!
Using the Senju family's secret taijutsu, chakra erupted instantly, and fists imbued with "monstrous strength" slammed precisely into the chests of the two bandits with a whistling sound.

"Bang! Bang!"

Two muffled thuds accompanied by the sound of bones shattering, and the two bandits were sent flying backward like kites with broken strings, spitting blood and instantly losing their fighting ability.

Without pausing, Tsunade rushed to the scarred man in the blink of an eye and delivered a punch containing terrifying power straight to his chest!
"Oh!"

Before the scarred man could even react, he was punched so hard that he was bent over, flew backward, crashed into the wall, and slid to the ground, his life hanging in the balance.

That was so easy...

A hint of surprise flashed through Tsunade's mind.

This scarred-face man didn't even use a substitution technique or any decent defense.

Just as she was wondering, something unexpected happened!
The seemingly unconscious, thin, and unremarkable bandit who had been knocked down by her punch suddenly had a fierce glint in his eyes and grabbed Tsunade's ankle!

"Hey...who told you that just because someone wears a rogue ninja headband, they're necessarily a ninja?"

The skinny man grinned eerily, and blinding blue lightning instantly erupted from his palm!

"Zi la la——!"

"Lei Dun!"

Tsunade's pupils contracted sharply as a strong electric current instantly spread throughout her body. The intense numbness made her body stiffen, and she instantly lost control of her muscles, nearly falling to the ground.

"Tsunade!"

Jiraiya was shocked to see this and rushed forward to help.

"Get out of my way, brat!"

The thin man didn't even look at Jiraiya, and with a backhand elbow, he struck Jiraiya hard in the abdomen.

Jiraiya felt an immense force, as if his internal organs had shifted. He groaned and was sent flying, crashing to the ground, unable to get up for a moment.

"Tsk tsk tsk, is this what Konoha's genin are like? They're getting worse and worse, they can't even see through this little bit of disguise."

The thin man stood up, dusted himself off, and looked contemptuously at Tsunade, who was unable to move, and Jiraiya, who was struggling to get up, and mocked him.

"is it?"

Just as the skinny man was feeling smug, a cold voice suddenly came from the ground beneath his feet.

"what?!"

The thin man was startled and looked down.

Suddenly the ground collapsed, and a pair of arms shot out like iron clamps, grabbing his ankles and pulling him down forcefully!
"Earth Release: Heart Beheading Technique!"

Caught off guard, the thin man lost his balance and was dragged to the ground, whereupon a sharp blade pierced his jaw.

Only its head was visible, its face filled with horror and disbelief; it was already lifeless.

These guys are really cunning...

Orochimaru emerged from the ground, shook off the bloodstains on his hidden blade, and couldn't help but feel a little emotional.

An ordinary bandit actually needs a double...

"Are you okay?"

Orochimaru then looked at Tsunade, who was swaying as she stood up, and asked.

"It's alright! Damn it, I was careless!"

Tsunade rubbed her still slightly numb shoulders, spat, and looked displeased.

"Let's deal with the rest first."

Orochimaru nodded, his gaze sweeping over the bandits who were stunned by the sudden turn of events.

With the loss of two ninja leaders, the remaining bandits were thrown into disarray and their morale plummeted.

They were utterly helpless against Orochimaru and Tsunade.

A moment later, the battle was over, and apart from the three of them, there was not a single bandit left standing in the stronghold.

A strong stench of blood filled the air, and the last rays of the setting sun cast their light on the blood-stained ground, revealing a scene of utter devastation.

Jiraiya stood to the side, looking at the corpses lying haphazardly on the ground, then at Orochimaru and Tsunade, whose bodies were stained with the blood of their enemies, his face burning with embarrassment.

In this mission, he not only failed to help much, but almost endangered Tsunade. In the end, it was Orochimaru who turned the tide...

Looking at Orochimaru's back, Jiraiya clenched his fists with some resentment.

Just then, Hiruzen Sarutobi suddenly appeared, his gaze sweeping across the battlefield before finally settling on the three of them.

"Mission accomplished."

“I have seen your performance.”

"Jiraiya, you have courage, but as a ninja, impulsiveness is a major taboo."

Intelligence and strategy are equally important; you should have realized that this time as well.

He first looked at Jiraiya, his tone becoming more stern.

Jiraiya glanced at Orochimaru beside him and nodded vigorously; he had indeed grasped the point.

"Tsunade, your power is great, but your enemies are not always as simple as they seem."

Sometimes, the most vulnerable disguise hides the most deadly threat.

Hiruzen Sarutobi then looked at Tsunade.

Tsunade clenched her fists tightly, acknowledging her mistake.

Finally, Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at Orochimaru with admiration in his eyes:

"Orochimaru, you are very calm and adept at utilizing information and the environment."

Your adaptability and resourcefulness were key to turning this mission a safe success.

He paused, then his gaze swept over the three of them again.

"Overall, you all did a good job on your first mission like this."

"To celebrate your first successful completion of a C-rank mission, I've decided to teach you a new ninjutsu..."

(End of this chapter)