It's normal to get a kaleidoscope as a first deposit of six yuan, right?

"Ah, I only went to the Hokage's office once. Alright, let's stop talking nonsense and get ready for a dangerous mission."

"Huh? Just the two of us? Shouldn't we call the rest of the ANBU squad?" Zhi Xue walked up to Kakashi and asked.

“Ah, they all have their own missions to do right now, and they can’t stop for a while. I’ve been recovering from my injuries, and you’re a new member who recently joined the Anbu. With the current shortage of manpower, it’s just the two of us who have time to come over.” Kakashi twisted his neck, stretched, took out his key, and skillfully put on his headband and mask from the storage cabinet.

"Is that so?" Zhi Xue leaned against the wall, waiting for Kakashi to finish packing before they chased after them in the direction indicated on the map. However, not long after the two left the village, two more Root ninjas followed their footprints.

After traveling for about 10 minutes, Zhixue and Kakashi arrived at the first location marked on the map that they needed to check. It was an excavated underground cave, but the interior was stitched together with various steel parts, making it very sturdy and reliable.

After Kakashi cut the barricades and obstacles blocking his way with kunai, he followed the trail.

"Step back a little, I'll form a hand seal..." Kakashi said to Shiki beside him.

"it is good."

Seeing Zhixue retreat a few meters, Kakashi placed his hand on the seal encasing the iron gate, then quickly formed hand seals. A red light flashed across the seal, but just as Kakashi was about to remove it, an unusual fluctuation of chakra startled him.

"This seal isn't a seal... it's an explosive tag! Get out of the way!" Kakashi shouted, and then a violent explosion came from the iron gate. The oncoming flames and smoke engulfed Kakashi, and the huge noise startled the birds and beasts living in the surrounding forest.

Zhi Xue rushed over immediately and helped Kakashi up from the ground.

"Hmm... how come there are explosive tags? Is someone trying to frame us?" Zhi Xue said with a strange expression.

This place is not far from Konoha, and the two of them are carrying out a special and confidential mission, so in theory no one should know about it.

"Alright, I'm fine." After adjusting to the huge roar of the explosion, Kakashi felt a little better, stood up by himself, and twisted a dislocated bone back into place.

"Our mission is to investigate. Even if we know something is wrong here, we have to barge in and test the waters."

"Ah, alright, you're the captain, I'll listen to you." Zhi Xue waved her hand, then followed Kakashi inside. The mission was right in front of them; there was no way to leave now.

Shortly after the two went inside, Tianzang and Yi ran over again. Yi picked up a piece of iron from the ground and said, "What good luck! We weren't hit in any vital areas by the iron fragments from the explosive tag."

"What do we do next?" Tianzang asked, looking at the unfathomable Orochimaru's abandoned laboratory.

Seeing this, Tianzang seemed to recall his past, when he was locked in such a dark and secluded place with many other children, enduring pain and experiments that ordinary people could not bear.

"My strengths lie in Fire Release and Wind Release, which are not suitable for fighting in narrow areas and are prone to detonating miscellaneous things. So, the task of secretly ambushing Hatake Kakashi and taking his Sharingan is entrusted to you. As for Uchiha Shiyuki, that loser, you should have no problem dealing with her. I will stay here and watch the exit to prevent them from escaping."

"Okay." After hesitating for a moment, Tianzang agreed, then picked up his kunai and rushed inside...

Chapter 38, The Giant Snake in the Laboratory

"Have you already sent someone to explore the laboratory near Konoha?"

In the Hokage's office, Danzo, leaning on a cane, spoke to Hiruzen Sarutobi, who was sitting in a chair, with his hands behind his back.

"Ah, yes, Kakashi's injuries have healed. It's time to assign this mission to him. What? Are you still interested in what Orochimaru left behind?"

Danzo turned to the side and squinted his eyes.

"Of course not. Orochimaru has now become an enemy of Konoha, so naturally I don't want to get those dangerous things. However, Uchiha Shiyuki is not completely cleared of suspicion. During the mission, Root will secretly assist Kakashi in completing the mission, which is to avoid unnecessary damage."

Hiruzen Sarutobi pondered for a moment before saying in a low voice, "Since you've already dispatched Root, let's leave things as they are for now. However, Danzo, if anything happens, I hope it really has nothing to do with you." Hiruzen Sarutobi clasped his hands together and looked deeply at Danzo as he spoke.

"When would I ever lay a hand on a genius from Konoha? Sarutobi, you're overthinking it. Besides, since everything's already arranged, I won't linger here any longer. I hope this mission will be a success..."

Danzo Shimura left the Hokage's office, and Hiruzen Sarutobi sighed, continuing with his official duties. He hoped Danzo wouldn't have any ulterior motives regarding this operation, otherwise, he would be in a very difficult position.

……

clattering...

The corridor floor was still covered with many potholes and mud, and there was not a ray of light in the dark path ahead.

Zhixue took out a flashlight from her ninja tool bag and illuminated the view ahead. Kakashi didn't really need it, because his Sharingan, which he could never turn off, could see very clearly. It was a little consolation for him who was constantly draining his chakra; at least walking at night was no different from walking during the day.

The two continued to explore deeper into the past, where unknown dangers often lurked beneath the darkness.

A small black snake, its tongue flicking, emerged from a nearby crack. His keen sense of smell told him his prey had arrived, and he cautiously crept along the corner of the wall, slowly approaching Zhixue from behind.

Sizzle!

The thrown Kusanagi sword pinned the black snake to the wall. A flash of silver light streaked across the surface, and before the snake could even scream, its wicked life was over.

Zhi Xue frowned as she watched the blood of the dead black snake sizzle and seep onto the iron plate with a flashlight.

"Most of the snakes here are venomous, so we need to be careful."

Kakashi and Shizuku continued forward and finally found an iron gate at the end of the corridor. It was unlocked and slightly ajar, with a faint light flickering inside.

Kakashi gestured to Zhixue, and the two nodded. They used the reflector to check the general situation inside, and only after finding no danger did they boldly step inside.

Inside was a dense array of nutrient tanks, filled with various plant and animal organs and some animal bones I'd never seen before. In addition, on a nearby table were some biological models and a lot of complicated documents.

"Ah, it seems Orochimaru didn't destroy or take everything with him after he left," Kakashi said, walking up to the table and wiping the dust off it.

While Kakashi and Shiyuki were sorting through some potentially useful information, Tenzang also came to the iron gate to observe their actions.

"Kakashi Hatake... Is that Uchiha Shiyuki next to him?" Seeing the two ANBU members packing their things, Tenzang pulled out a kunai from his ninja tool bag, but relaxed again after seeing a huge shadow in the distance.

boom!

A large snake covered in white substance smashed a hole in a wall nearly a meter thick, its roar echoing towards Zhixue and Kakashi in the distance.

"It seems Orochimaru left something else here, but this big guy is really unique." Looking at the viscous liquid and white, translucent scales covering the snake's body, Zhixue felt a sense of disgust.

Sticky, slippery, and wet—that's the kind of stuff Zhixue hates the most.

Roar!

The giant white phosphorus serpent rammed into her, its sharp fangs, dripping with saliva, lunging to swallow Zhixue whole.

"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!" The enormous fireball illuminated the surrounding space, but the flames slammed into the snake without causing much actual damage.

Taking advantage of the snake's inability to adjust to the light, Zhixue jumped away, causing the snake to miss its target.

"Lightning Blade!" Crackling lightning flashed in Kakashi's right hand, and surging energy poured into the serpent's body, but a tingling sensation from the wound made Kakashi's pupils shrink.

The tingling sensation wasn't caused by lightning; it felt like poison. But logically, the lightning should have burned through the flesh, preventing it from being affected by toxins in the blood…

Roar!

Feeling the pain in his body, the giant snake angrily headbutted Kakashi, sending him flying. After smashing several jars, Kakashi finally got up from the ground.

"Hey, are you alright?"

"Don't worry, I won't die anytime soon," Kakashi said, holding the kunai in his hand and twisting his slightly purple arm.

The giant snake, its jaws ripped open by the lightning bolt, opened its massive maw and spewed out a stream of green venom from its fangs.

"Earth Release: Earth Flow Wall!" An earth flow wall carved with a dog's head blocked the two people's way, and the eerie green venom sprayed onto the soil, corroding grooves in the ground.

Two shadow clones, wielding katanas, leaped over the earthen wall and struck the giant serpent's hard, slimy scales, producing a crisp ringing sound.

hiss!

A hint of blood flashed in the ferocious pupils of the white phosphorus serpent. It controlled its massive body to fling out its shadow clone, followed by a hiss, as if asserting its dominance.

Click!

Before the White Phosphorus Serpent could react, Zhixue leaped over the covering soil and struck it on the head with a white pellet. A burst of white light erupted, and the immense kinetic energy generated by the powerful chakra swirling at the center, like a small nuclear bomb, obliterated the serpent's head and the area behind it.

"That's a Rasengan?" Kakashi, who had peeked out from behind the Earth Wall and saw the attack, was utterly astonished.

Wasn't the Rasengan invented by Minato-sensei? How come Uchiha Shiyuki knows this technique too? Could it be something you can learn on your own?

Not only was Kakashi shocked, but Tenzang, who was hiding behind the iron gate and waiting for an opportunity, was also somewhat surprised.

Wasn't it said that Uchiha Shiyuki was just a genin?

Chapter 39, Strange Poison

Regarding the question of whether or not to use the Rasengan, Zhixue had actually considered it during this brief moment of thought. Using the Rasengan would mean exposing an unknown ninjutsu to Kakashi, which would inevitably cause some trouble.

However, Kakashi was already poisoned, and the snake's scales were so thick that it would be difficult to kill it quickly without using stealth. Zhixue's mission description was to protect her teammates, so she naturally had to play it safe.

Of all the methods available, the Rasengan is the most suitable choice. It's worth noting that even a regular Rasengan is incredibly powerful. What ordinary swords might leave a scratch, a single Rasengan pulverizes. No wonder Naruto developed so many Rasengan variations.

After the Rasengan killed Orochi, a headless serpent corpse lay sprawled on the ground, its eerie green blood flowing from the severed head. Because the blood would continuously release poisonous gas into the air, Kakashi and Shizuka temporarily retreated.

"Hey, where did you learn the Rasengan from?!"

Let's talk about this later!

Snapped!

The laboratory's iron door was closed, temporarily preventing the toxic gas from dissipating. However, Kakashi suddenly noticed something amiss with the footprints on the corridor floor. Due to the uneven surface and slight water stains in the corridor, the water stains from the soles of the shoes were visible unless one had been away for too long.

But besides him and Zhixue, there seemed to be another person's footprints here.

"Wait, it seems like someone was just here." Kakashi crouched down and carefully observed the area before speaking.

Stop Snow: !!?

Could it be the Root mentioned in the mission description? It arrived so quickly!

Zhi Xue suddenly felt a chill in her heart. If Kakashi saw it, it would at most be a little troublesome, as it would be difficult to explain the origin of the ninjutsu. But if Root saw it, it would be a different story. If that old bastard Danzo found out, he would probably be arrested and punished with the cursed seal.

Zhi Xue felt a chill run down her spine when she thought about the indescribable things that happened after she was captured by Danzo and taken to the Root's dark room.

Kakashi endured the spreading weakness and numbness in his arm, picked up a kunai, and ran back down the corridor.

"Wait, what are you going to do?"

"Ah, I've been poisoned! If I don't run back to Konoha soon, I'll become a historical tombstone." Kakashi knew the mission was important, but this kind of mission, which was sealed off and could be completed at any time, wasn't in a hurry. He could treat his injuries and come back in the afternoon to continue the mission.

Zhi Xue looked at Kakashi, who was getting weaker and weaker as he ran and was even staggering, and then looked at her mission panel. Then, with a pained expression, she asked the system in her mind.

"Master, do you have any medicine to treat the poison?"

……

"What did you give me to eat? I feel like I've recovered quite a bit," Kakashi said, feeling the sweet and crunchy chocolate chips that had finally melted. He then ate two more, feeling a bit greedy.

"It's nothing, just a special medicine for the security team, but... you'll need to write an IOU." Zhi Xue said with a smile, then tore off a piece of cloth from her leg to use as an IOU.

"Oh, is that so?" Kakashi scratched his head, somewhat understanding. The Uchiha clan actually possessed such a valuable item. But since it had saved his life, paying a little money wasn't a big deal.

“The one you just ate was worth 40 taels, but you ate two more afterward, so it's 40 x 3 = 120 taels.” Zhi Xue said, drawing a few lines of large characters on a nearby pebble and stuffing it into Kakashi’s hand.

"How much?!" Kakashi's eyes widened in shock when he heard the price Zhixue quoted.

120 million! That's about the amount he inherited from his father! How could this lousy medicine be so expensive!?