Chapter 14 New Mission
"We're here, this is the place."
Above the underground laboratory, Orochimaru, clad in a black robe with red clouds, walked over with a middle-aged man.
He glanced around, then chuckled in a hoarse voice.
"This used to be one of my laboratories, but I abandoned it after some idiot paid a visit. Counting the time, the Anbu should have been here too. You'll be safer here."
"Safer?"
The middle-aged man couldn't help but frown slightly upon hearing this.
"Lord Orochimaru, I traded the forbidden Jutsu of Body Regeneration for something better than just 'relatively safe'..."
Orochimaru's expression remained unchanged; he merely gave the middle-aged man a detached glance.
"Are you trying to go back on our deal, Shinno?"
This middle-aged man was none other than the remnant of the Sky Ninja—Shinno!
On the surface, he was a physician traveling the nations, saving lives and healing the wounded, but in reality, he was constantly stealing secret arts from the Great Ninja Villages.
During an operation in Hidden Cloud Village, he was unexpectedly exposed and hunted. Coincidentally, he was saved by Orochimaru, who was also interested in Hidden Cloud Village's secret techniques.
Shinno, who already intended to go to Konoha, immediately realized this was an opportunity.
Thus, he endured the pain to make a deal with Orochimaru, which also served as preparation for obtaining intelligence on Konoha later on.
But now, it seemed Orochimaru was even less reliable than imagined...
"Of course not, thank you very much, Lord Orochimaru."
Although inwardly dissatisfied, Shinno immediately backed down.
He feared Orochimaru might kill him after the exchange, as this man was notoriously fearsome throughout the Ninja World!
"Don't worry, I have no intention of killing you."
Orochimaru naturally saw through Shinno's thoughts, which made him scoff dismissively.
He had witnessed Shinno's combat style and knew the forbidden Jutsu of Body Regeneration was not yet completely perfected.
Although this didn't affect his ability to use it, he didn't have time to research and develop it further.
Shinno, however, would surely strive for perfection in developing and researching it, which was exactly what Orochimaru wanted.
Perhaps this technique could even benefit him in the future!
"This is a long-term transaction, good for both of us."
"Yes, yes..."
Shinno nodded nervously, but Orochimaru suddenly paused.
He inexplicably looked toward the direction of the laboratory, and after a moment, a faint smile appeared on his face.
"You still seem a bit uneasy. Then I'll do you one more favor. But you also need to show your value."
"Hm?"
Shinno was somewhat bewildered, but the next moment, he suddenly leaped backward.
Boom—
The ground churned violently, and immediately, several vines burst from the earth, sweeping toward them!
"Wood Release?"
Shinno's face showed a hint of terror; he hadn't expected to witness that legendary power!
But Orochimaru remained calm. He formed a hand sign, and instantly, a fierce wind surged, tearing the vines apart in a flash.
He licked his lips and grinned hoarsely as three figures leaped out from underground.
"I never thought it would be the test subjects from back then, and you too, Kakashi."
"Orochimaru..."
Kakashi Hatake and Yamato locked their gazes onto Orochimaru; this man had caused immense impact on both of them!
Hyuga Makoto, however, glanced at Orochimaru's robe, then quickly looked at Shinno, his expression turning a bit strange.
"It's actually this guy? Do they already have a connection now?"
Having seen the movie, he naturally remembered Shinno and was quite displeased with the man.
"What are you? How dare you call yourself by that name?"
Despite his displeasure, he was rapidly thinking about what to do.
"Alright, the rats are out."
Just then, Orochimaru licked his tongue and glanced at Shinno.
"I will help you with this final favor, but whether you are safe now depends on yourself."
As he spoke, a tangible Killing Intent erupted from him, accompanied by Chakra.
This power made the surrounding trees sway. In the next instant, he suddenly moved, arriving before the three in a flash!
"Wood Release: Wood Locking Wall."
Yamato instantly formed a hand sign, and a massive, curved wooden barrier blocked the space in front of them. Kakashi Hatake quickly spoke up.
"Makoto, find a chance to leave here immediately."
"Right, you need to relay this intelligence back."
Yamato also turned to look at him, his expression becoming exceptionally serious.
"Don't worry, we will protect you."
Rumble—
As soon as the words fell, the Wood Locking Wall was smashed by Orochimaru, whose eyes were filled with amusement.
"Trying to cover for this brat to leave? If I recall correctly, Kakashi, didn't you kill your teammate back then?"
"Go!"
Kakashi Hatake did not respond; he just heavily pushed Hyuga Makoto and then tried to turn to find Shinno.
Unfortunately, Orochimaru was too fast, intercepting both of them in an instant.
Rumble—
Instantly, continuous booming sounds erupted, and the overflowing Chakra made heartbeats accelerate.
"Brat, don't even think about leaving!"
Hyuga Makoto landed steadily, and Shinno had already blocked his path.
Shinno actually didn't want to fight, but Orochimaru was too unreliable.
He still needed to go to Konoha in the future; he couldn't expose his identity prematurely!
Buzz—
Thinking of this, his Chakra surged, and his body instantly changed.
His originally pale hair turned back to black, and his body became stronger.
He moved in a flash, instantly appearing before Hyuga Makoto.
"You just stay here for me!"
Accompanied by the whistling sound of the wind, his thick fist shot out fiercely.
However, Hyuga Makoto merely gave him a calm glance, and the Chakra within his body suddenly stirred.
Bang—
In the next moment, the two fists collided heavily.
A visible air current transformed into a shockwave, rapidly spreading outward!
"You..."
Shinno's eyes slightly constricted. This kid's speed was actually that fast, and his strength so immense?
The Chakra covering his fist, resembling a roaring lion, immediately made him understand something.
"From the Hyuga Clan?"
"You guessed right, and I never said I was leaving."
Hyuga Makoto's voice was flat, then he leaped forward, instantly closing the distance to attack Shinno!
At this moment, he truly hadn't planned to leave. Not to mention Kakashi Hatake had taken good care of him during this period, his personality wouldn't allow him to abandon his teammate and flee.
Even though Kakashi Hatake possessed a rather unlucky attribute, encountering so many powerful enemies on a single mission.
As for why he accepted these missions, that was a story for another time...
Most importantly, looking at Orochimaru's actions and Shinno's transformation, he had figured out the key!
"This guy is still useful to Orochimaru..."
Hyuga Makoto's eyes flickered. Recalling that Orochimaru had asked Sasuke to capture this person, he already understood what he needed to do.
And just then, his System suddenly flashed.
[Acquired New Side Quest]
[1. Turn the blade inward, help Orochimaru deal with Kakashi Hatake and Yamato]
[2. Comrades are the most precious; assist Kakashi Hatake and Yamato in handling the crisis]
"What an unexpected gain..."
Looking at this new quest, Hyuga Makoto found it somewhat amusing.
But one more quest meant one more safety net, and besides, he wanted to test the ability of the Tenseigan.
Now was a perfect opportunity!
Lost in thought, he fiercely attacked Shinno while secretly channeling Chakra into his eyes.
Instantly, he vaguely felt a power in the sky resonating with him.
This power felt so intimate; he felt he could summon it at will!
"So, it can be used like this..."
Sensing the power in the sky, a hint of excitement appeared in Hyuga Makoto's eyes.
But Shinno, who was sparring with him, had an increasingly grim expression.
"What is going on with this kid?"
Hyuga Makoto was not only fast and strong, but he also seemed able to see through all of his attacks!
Every time he was about to strike, he was preemptively predicted.
"This isn't the Byakugan at all..."
Shinno currently felt the same way as Ao. Combined with the 'chaotic and messy' Gentle Fist, he felt like he had encountered a Hyuga master!
The more he fought, the more frustrated and disheveled he became, and his attacks grew somewhat erratic.
"Is this all you've got?"
Just as he was growing agitated, Hyuga Makoto suddenly spoke.
At the same time, the Eight Trigrams Palms broke through his defense!
"Damn it!"
Shinno's face changed; he immediately tried to block, but Hyuga Makoto struck him in the abdomen like a phantom!
Bang—
Accompanied by a dull thud, Shinno's eyes bulged out, and his entire body flew backward like a cannonball..