Konoha's Mission Master

Not just one strike, but four in succession... The slashes overlapped in an instant, landing on the cracks on the surface of the white sphere.

The golden blade, like a straight line... cuts it open!

The devastating fluctuations ceased abruptly, and the core was destroyed.

Golden light spread outwards... shining brightly into the darkness, like the sun falling to earth, releasing endless light and heat. Under the influence of the shockwave, the golden blade energy extended for nearly a hundred miles... turning into golden light spots that shattered and drifted away.

Yakumo stood in mid-air, his clothes fluttering in the wind. The Wood Release defense was torn apart by the shockwave, and the houses on two streets collapsed instantly.

Thick smoke billowed, then the area was suppressed by the lingering effects of the shockwave.

The earth cracked and the trees broke.

Fortunately... there were not many casualties.

He became the hero who saved Konoha, but there was no happy expression on his face.

Even with Yakumo's best efforts, nearly a hundred people still lost their breath; of course, this is only a provisional number.

Orochimaru's location could no longer be detected by his senses.

Today's actions... were somewhat hasty and lacked planning.

Ultimately… this led to failure.

Yakumo landed amidst the awe-inspiring gazes of the crowd.

Sakumo Hatake immediately stepped forward, his face pale. Hiruzen Sarutobi and Fugaku Uchiha, who were standing beside him, were also injured.

The three of them used their strongest ninjutsu to stop the shockwave from spreading.

The result was... minor injuries.

"What exactly happened tonight?" Hiruzen Sarutobi asked first.

"Cough cough..."

Immediately afterwards… Hiruzen Sarutobi coughed violently several times, his face turning even paler, making him appear somewhat sickly.

The once mighty ninja of the ninja world has ultimately succumbed to the passage of time.

"Tonight I sensed Orochimaru's presence, so I contacted Uncle Hatake and Lord Fugaku to try and capture him... But Orochimaru's strength was beyond my expectations," Yakumo explained simply.

"Reckless, reckless!" Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at the broken walls and ruins in the distance, his mood growing heavier. Although there were not many casualties tonight, it would take Konoha Village several months to recover.

“It was my fault… I failed to devise a perfect plan,” Sakumo Hatake said.

As the Hokage, Sakumo Hatake must take responsibility for what happened in Konoha.

“Actually, the plan isn’t important. If Orochimaru intends to raze Konoha to the ground, I can’t stop him… His final actions seem more like a decision made to escape,” Yakumo said.

"Orochimaru's strength is indeed somewhat difficult to comprehend."

Uchiha Fugaku echoed.

Over the course of several years, Orochimaru's strength underwent a tremendous transformation. His physical strength improved dramatically, and his mastery of Ryuchi Cave Sage Techniques also became more refined and proficient.

The two-headed white snake worked in perfect harmony with its main body…

In the distance, Sakumo Hatake's shadow clones were organizing post-disaster resettlement and reconstruction, as well as rescuing the wounded from the rubble as much as possible.

"By the way, where did Minato go?" Yakumo asked.

Minato Namikaze has not appeared since the start of the battle.

"Minato and Kushina are planning to get married and have gone on their honeymoon."

"I see."

"What are your thoughts on Orochimaru?" Yakumo continued to ask.

"A high reward is offered; they must be annihilated!"

Sakumo Hatake replied.

As night deepened, torches in the distance illuminated his face, revealing lingering anger between his brows.

"I'll take care of Orochimaru. In a while... I'll go out of the village to hunt him down."

Yakumo spoke up.

"Then... what about Madara Uchiha?"

"I asked, my voice tinged with fear. Even though time has passed, the Uchiha clan still fears that person."

They gained their status through betrayal, and now they fear retribution.

“I will leave a summoning beast in Konoha. If Madara Uchiha attacks, we can use the Reverse Summoning Technique,” ​​Yakumo replied.

"That's good." Fugaku Uchiha nodded.

"How long will it take?" Sakumo Hatake asked.

When... he transforms into a Wood Release master, Yakumo will possess the power to suppress everything.

"About two months."

Yakumo currently has 19000 gold coins remaining, which is equivalent to about 900 proficiency points.

If we include the current 1980 proficiency points, we are only about two months away from the perfect 3800 points.

"Okay, I will fully cooperate with your actions when the time comes."

Orochimaru's actions tonight have thoroughly enraged Sakumo Hatake.

"Why is he hiding in Konoha?" Hiruzen Sarutobi asked.

"I don't know," Yakumo replied.

Suddenly, a light rain began to fall from the sky, landing on the group, and Hiruzen Sarutobi coughed violently again.

"Sigh, I'm getting old, I'm getting old... I'm going back to sleep now."

With a few leaps, Hiruzen Sarutobi, like a nimble monkey, disappeared from their sight. Although his steps were steady, his body was no longer upright.

Clearly... he didn't want to participate personally in the hunt for Orochimaru.

Even if Orochimaru is utterly wicked.

Hiruzen Sarutobi is still soft-hearted.

After all, Hiruzen Sarutobi took on the responsibilities and role of a father after Orochimaru's parents passed away, making their relationship quite peculiar.

Orochimaru loathed the weakened Hiruzen Sarutobi.

But... she also loves Hiruzen Sarutobi.

"Do we need the Anbu to locate Orochimaru? Of course, to avoid unnecessary sacrifices, the Anbu will investigate while ensuring safety."

“No need, Orochimaru is too dangerous,” Yakumo refused.

Orochimaru had originally gone mad under the influence of evil chakra... Although he was powerful, he was more like a brute with strength. But now he has regained his former wisdom and has become even more difficult to deal with.

"Okay." Hatake Sakumo said succinctly.

"Then, let's adjourn the meeting."

Yakumo originally intended to stay and help with the rescue, but Hatake Sakumo refused, citing that there were enough people available.

No one asked when Yakumo had mastered the ability to fly.

Walking down the street, Yakumo recalled the battle he had just fought.

He held back somewhat during the battle…

However, Orochimaru's strength exceeded his expectations.

Originally feeling somewhat arrogant due to his 70+ physical attributes, he had to return to a more grounded state, but the cost was a full one hundred lives.

Others may not know...

But Yakumo asked himself honestly, and he realized that he had made at least three mistakes in the battle just now. It was precisely because of these oversights that Orochimaru seized the opportunity to break through the blockade.

Back home, Yakumo couldn't sleep at all, so he practiced his swordsmanship while reminiscing about the battle he had just fought.

This is Yakumo's method for adjusting his mindset.

Feeling unhappy... practicing swordplay.

Happy...practicing swordsmanship.

Pain... practicing with a sword.

……

Under the influence of his exceptional intelligence, those battle scenes appeared in his mind like slides, gradually disassembling into still images.

Yakumo searched for Orochimaru's location among these pictures, continuing to wield his long sword, the golden blade energy like a phantom.

Half an hour later, Yakumo sheathed his sword.

The seal on the tracking item "Big Head Doll" has been broken, and gray gas rises and combines to form a misty, illusory map.

One of the red dots is moving rapidly.

The target... is another red dot.

"Is this an attempt to gather people together?"

Yakumo took out a map of the ninja world from the bookshelf, laid it flat on the table, and compared it with the gray map for analysis.

The patterns gradually correspond, and the locations become more specific.

The other red dot is located within the territory of the Land of Fields.

Yakumo continued to examine the two maps, comparing and analyzing them, before finally putting the flat map away again and returning it to the bookshelf.

The bookshelves were overflowing with books, mostly purchased by Yakumo to complete his missions, including books on wilderness survival, basic medical care, detailed analysis of combat systems, and ninja autobiographies.

The book that Yakumo reads the most is... The Legend of Hiruzen Sarutobi.

Back then, in order to complete various missions, Yakumo was obsessed with comprehending the Will of Fire, and if the Will of Fire is mentioned, it is impossible to talk about Hiruzen Sarutobi.

He couldn't help but think of Hiruzen Sarutobi, whose body was somewhat hunched over.

He let out a soft sigh.

Suddenly, the gray map disappeared.