In the middle of the Konoha forest.
Tian Yuan was astonished to discover that this time he had received a Dragon Ball video—it was truly an unexpected delight.
He had only completed half of the mission for a standard Dragon Ball fragment when he killed the Sand Ninja, so he still lacked one more fragment. Now he had obtained a high-definition Dragon Ball clip outright.
The world of Dragon Ball was incredibly wondrous and immensely powerful. Destroying cities or even planets was effortless—ultimately, its power could annihilate the entire universe—so there was bound to be many valuable treasures.
"There must be something good in here," Tian Yuan murmured, taking a deep breath; he hadn't felt this excited in a long time.
Previously he had only received ordinary or standard–definition clips, so a high-definition recording was very rare. It might turn out to be worthless, but the odds favored something valuable.
At that moment Tian Yuan felt both hopeful and anxious—if it turned out to be junk, he might literally spit blood.
"I'll have a can of Red Bull to calm my nerves." A can of Red Bull appeared in Tian Yuan's hand, and he gulped it down. Once he finished, he began the extraction.
"Give me something good—start extraction."
"Ding! Obtained two Senzu Beans." Tian Yuan stared at two bean-sized, soybean-colored items in his hand and sighed, though he was not disappointed.
To some extent, Senzu Beans were life-saving: they could instantly heal any injury and restore one's Chakra to its peak state. That was the power of two Senzu Beans.
In truth, Tian Yuan had hoped for something even better—perhaps Saiyan blood or the like—but that had been wishful thinking. High-definition clips made top-tier items much harder to obtain. Still, Senzu Beans were excellent; they could restore him to his peak in any crisis.
"I'll store these for now." Tian Yuan tucked the Senzu Beans into the space of his player device.
He then left, postponing the next part of his mission until tomorrow.
…
The next day.
Outside Konoha's gates.
"So it's just a few kids," an older, rough-looking man said to Tian Yuan and the others.
This man was the merchant they were escorting—his name was Sasaki Tai—and they were to bring him to the Land of Birds.
The Land of Birds was not adjacent to the Land of Fire; they had to cross the Land of Fire and then pass through the Land of Rain before reaching it.
This mission was not particularly dangerous, after all it was only a C-rank assignment. At worst a Chunin might ambush them, but most attackers would be Genin at best.
With Orochimaru leading the team, it would be laughable to fail such a mission.
"You have me here, so don't worry," came a cold, chilling voice as Orochimaru slowly approached from the distance.
"Orochimaru-Jonin," the merchant Sasaki Tai said respectfully, "I'm counting on you."
"I didn't ask," Orochimaru replied in a detached tone, his snake-like eyes glinting. He lightly flicked his tongue across his lips, and a sinister aura surrounded him.
Sasaki Tai hurriedly added, "Yes, Orochimaru-Jonin."
"Anko, Tian Yuan, Juken, let's go," Orochimaru said. "If we encounter any ninja along the way, I won't intervene."
"Yes, Sensei Orochimaru," replied Tian Yuan and the others—they understood this was Orochimaru's test for them.
With that, the group set off from Konoha, escorting Sasaki Tai.
Inside the Hokage's office in Konoha.
A Konoha ANBU ninja was reporting recent intelligence to Sarutobi Hiruzen.
"Hm, I see," Sarutobi Hiruzen said, frowning slightly. "Very well—dismissed. Then investigate the other ninja villages as well."
"Yes, Lord Hokage," replied the ANBU wearing a cat-like mask, and he departed the office.
"A storm is brewing," Sarutobi Hiruzen muttered as he gazed toward the Ninja Academy through the window, his eyes flickering with concern.
Since the recent disappearance of the Third Raikage, all the major ninja villages had become restless. Many ninjas from other villages were now visible within the Land of Fire.
At present, ninjas from the Land of Wind were the most numerous—perhaps they suspected the Land of Fire had a hand in the Raikage's disappearance.
But Sarutobi Hiruzen knew Konoha had done nothing of the sort; he was equally puzzled by the Raikage's vanishing.
"Could it be the work of another village?" Sarutobi Hiruzen wondered. "Raikage… or maybe the Tsuchikage."
"Orochimaru, I hope nothing happens to you," he added, worry flashing in his eyes. Though the mission was not difficult, the ninja world was in chaos, and anything could occur.
…
Somewhere in the Land of Fire.
Night had fallen.
Around a campfire that crackled and popped, its orange glow illuminated a group of familiar faces: Tian Yuan and his companions on the Konoha escort mission.
"This is boring—no enemies at all," Mitarashi Anko complained. They had been traveling across the Land of Fire for days.
They were nearing the border of the Land of Fire and about to enter Hidden Rain Village, yet they still had not encountered anyone.
Bandits? Don't be ridiculous. One look at their Konoha headbands revealed they were ninja.
The power of a ninja was beyond that of ordinary people: a single basic ninjutsu could kill dozens. And that was the simplest ninjutsu.
Not to mention more devastating jutsu that could wipe out hundreds or even thousands at once—just form the seals and unleash the technique.
Thus, bandits would never dare target a group of ninja from Konoha.
"Don't worry, Anko. The enemy will probably lie in wait at the border," Tian Yuan said with a smile. "They'll strike when they think we're most relaxed."
"I see," Anko stretched and yawned. "Alright."
"Orochimaru-Sensei, I need to step out for a moment," Tian Yuan said suddenly.
Orochimaru looked at him intently and nodded. "Very well—go, but return quickly."
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