"What!" The two guarding jonin were instantly shocked.
They originally didn't believe it, but seeing Orochimaru's manifestation of the Cursed Seal of Heaven made it impossible not to believe.
"Lord Orochimaru! Please explain what's happening here!" They immediately blocked in front of Ye Liang.
"Get out of my way!"
Without hesitation, Orochimaru used Hidden Shadow Snake Hands, sending both jonin flying aside.
This was the power of a tokubetsu jonin. Despite also being jonin, these ordinary guardian ninjas were simply no match for Orochimaru.
However, Ye Liang wasn't worried at all.
He stood there smiling as he watched Orochimaru rushing at him menacingly.
The moment he finished counting down in his mind—three, two, one—an iron staff suddenly appeared, striking Orochimaru and sending him flying away!
"He finally arrived!"
Ye Liang secretly felt delighted. Actually, he had already guessed that an expert must be nearby, so when Orochimaru came, he wasn't worried at all. Even if this expert didn't specifically protect him, there was absolutely no way he would ignore Mitarashi Anko who was right beside him!
Whose fault was it that Anko happened to be with Ye Liang!
Ye Liang turned his head to look at the elderly man holding an iron rod beside him—it was him who just attacked!
Hiruzen Sarutobi!
The Third Hokage of the Hidden Leaf Village!
Known as the "Professor" among ninja, according to Ye Liang's knowledge, although Hiruzen doesn't master divine-level ninjutsu, his fundamental techniques were incredibly powerful!
They could even be described as "ridiculously solid!"
Ye Liang involuntarily gulped.
Hiruzen's aura was indeed formidable. No matter what, based on Ye Liang's current strength, he was far from being able to stand against him.
Watching Sarutobi put away his golden staff and walk toward Orochimaru, Ye Liang finally breathed a sigh of relief.
"Professor Sarutobi! It's not like that! I just wanted to resurrect my companions! To bring back my parents! I don't want to die!"
"Orochimaru, how many times have I told you—human experimentation is strictly forbidden! No matter your reasons, human lives must never be trampled carelessly!"
"But I only experimented on enemy prisoners!"
"That still won't work!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi was furious.
As the Third Hokage, Sarutobi was the kindest and most life-respecting leader among the Hokage of his time. He was completely different from Danzo of Anbu. Since childhood, raised under the First Hokage's influence, he had developed excellent habits respecting human rights.
At least that's what Ye Liang believed.
He grabbed Anko's hand and backed up a few steps. Now, the battle between Orochimaru and the Third was inevitable. As bystanders, they had to clear the battlefield.
"Ping!"
The moment he took one step back, his system rang inside his mind.
"Congratulations, Host! Triggered subplot 'Observation Mission'"
"Completing this mission will reward you with a random D-rank ninjutsu."
"Friendly reminder: The harder the task, the stronger the rewarded technique. Please rush into danger quickly. This system does NOT recommend weakling missions like this one."
"..."
Ye Liang felt a crow cawing over his head.
What did that mean—a 'weakling mission'? It wasn't like he had chosen to take on this pathetic mission on his own.
Sure, Ye Liang was muttering complaints, but just watching the fight and walking away with a Ninjutsu technique? That was still a solid deal.
Grinning, Ye Liang pulled Anko into his arms, ignoring her stiffness.
"Pity there's no popcorn. Watching the Hokage—the leader of the Hidden Leaf—fighting up close would've been awesome."
Anko scowled with obvious reluctance, but her body hadn't fully recovered yet, so she could only let Ye Liang hold her as they sat on the rooftop.
The battle in the distance had already begun.
Just as Ye Liang predicted, Orochimaru currently stood no chance against The Third. First, several snake hands completely missed their target. Then, the power of the Cursed Seal was completely neutralized by The Third using Earth Release.
Although the Cursed Seal of Heaven was powerful, it couldn't last for very long. Therefore, under the impact of [Earth Release: Great Mud Flow], it couldn't even get close to The Third.
"Now it's the apprentice constantly attacking, and soon it'll be the apprentice getting beaten up," Ye Liang casually remarked, cracking jokes about the whole thing.
"Hmph! You pervert, once the Third resolves everything, he definitely won't let you off the hook!"
Anko unwillingly tried to break free from Ye Liang's embrace, but her weak body couldn't move at all. Seeming to sense her discomfort, Ye Liang slowly loosened his arms.
Suddenly, Ye Liang's expression turned serious, no longer flippant.
The battle between Orochimaru and The Third was extremely intense. Although Ye Liang looked down on Orochimaru at this stage, he had to admit that Orochimaru truly possessed the skills of a Tokubetsu Jōnin.
Even though he was constantly being suppressed by The Third's Ninjutsu, his ability to withstand attacks was truly unmatched. He had endured countless advanced techniques yet still stood firm.
"Too bad. You still lost."
Ye Liang shook his head.
Beating Hiruzen Sarutobi was simply an impossible feat for a mere apprentice.
Ye Liang stared intently, when suddenly a realization flashed through his mind!
He didn't know how it happened, but it was as if the battle between the two men had replayed in his mind, permanently imprinted deep in his memory.
Ding Dong!
"Congratulations to the host for completing the Observation Mission."
[Reward] Immediately rewarded with a D-rank Ninjutsu - Shifting Body Technique!
"Since you truly grasped the battle techniques, your reward has been upgraded! The Shifting Body Technique has been upgraded!"
"Shifting Body Technique?"
"This skill is just a D-rank mission?"
Ye Liang felt a bit confused.
In his memory, Shifting Body Technique was one of the most useful Ninjutsu techniques, with almost every ninja—from Kage-level experts down to common Chunin—learning it sooner or later.
It was just *that* essential!
Ye Liang was stoked. With the Shifting Body Technique, his movement speed would skyrocket. Pair it with Shinra Tensei to knock enemies back, then vanish using the same technique again—that's a killer combo.
"But what the heck does 'upgraded Shifting Body Technique' even mean? Has the teleportation distance increased? Or has the required chakra decreased?"
Ye Liang was completely baffled.
He hadn't actually used it yet, so he couldn't figure out what it meant.
"Well, whatever. Let's think about it later."
Shaking his head, Ye Liang decided not to dwell on it for now.
The battle before them was drawing to a close.
Orochimaru crouched on the ground, panting heavily and battered all over. The effects of the Cursed Seal of Heaven had faded, and feeling was slowly returning to his nerves.
A sharp pain shot through Orochimaru's skull, and in an instant, his body went completely limp!
"What a pity—it wasn't perfected yet. Otherwise, I wouldn't have fallen so quickly. Kuso!" Orochimaru groaned in frustration, but he was soon completely engulfed by a massive fireball.
Several Anbu swiftly carried away the severely injured Orochimaru.
At this moment, Hiruzen Sarutobi slowly approached Ye Liang.
"Sure enough, what must come will come, huh."
<><><><><><><><>
Thank you for reading! Your support will keep me updating!
~ Every 50 Powerstones = **4 Bonus Chapters** on the weekend!