In front of the Konoha Gate, Orochimaru, Jiraiya, and Tsunade, all carrying backpacks, awaited their mission leader.
Hiruzen Sarutobi, using the Transformation Jutsu, transformed into his younger self. Holding a book with a golden vase containing a plum blossom on its cover, he walked towards the three.
Hiruzen-sensei, you… Orochimaru immediately recognized the book in Hiruzen Sarutobi's hand. It was a recently reprinted and re-published book, and the publisher was already urging her to write the next volume, which showed its immense popularity.
She wasn't surprised at all that Hiruzen Sarutobi would read this book. Not to mention that Hiruzen Sarutobi was in his prime, he was also a very reserved and secretly perverted person who enjoyed peeping. It was perfectly normal for him to enjoy reading books not suitable for those under eighteen.
"Are you Hiruzen-sensei's son?"
Jiraiya scrutinized Hiruzen Sarutobi, guessing.
Bang—!
"Idiot! Can't you tell he's Hiruzen-sensei?!"
Tsunade punched Jiraiya on the head, unable to believe he didn't recognize Hiruzen-sensei.
"I was just kidding, kidding!"
Jiraiya clutched his head, regretting his smart remark.
"Listen closely, this is your first C-rank mission. When performing the mission, you are to call me Captain Sarutobi, understood?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi held the book, his expression somewhat unusual, and his gaze couldn't help but flick towards the book, as if some content within it was attracting him, luring him to continue reading.
"Oil toad! Tsunade, Orochimaru, let me show you the results of my training during this period!"
Jiraiya said, full of enthusiasm and confidence. Recalling the previous awkward situation, this time he was determined to make them and Hiruzen-sensei look at him with new eyes.
"Training results? Summoning a frog to swim in the sea?"
Tsunade looked at Jiraiya with a suspicious gaze. Last time, he also said he would show them his training results, but he ended up summoning a small toad with a tail.
"Just you wait, Tsunade! My training results will definitely shock you!"
Jiraiya smiled confidently.
"Captain Sarutobi, what about the reports in the office?"
Orochimaru remembered that the Hokage's work was quite busy; not only were there many documents awaiting approval, but also a continuous stream of reports.
"Don't worry, it's fine."
Hiruzen Sarutobi thought of Utatane Koharu and Homura Mitokado, whom he had called to the Hokage Office to help. The smile on his face was completely unburdened; he wasn't worried at all about a pile of reports upon his return.
Isn't the purpose of the Assistant Hokage to assist the Hokage?
By leading his students on a mission, he was also setting an example, proving to everyone the feasibility of a Jonin sensei leading three students who had just graduated from the Ninja Academy.
As for Danzo Shimura.
Hiruzen Sarutobi noticed that ever since Danzo Shimura established the Anbu training department "Root" under the guise of training Anbu, there were some things that even he, as Hokage, didn't know.
Danzo Shimura also wanted to recruit talented individuals from the Village's major clans to join Root. This proposal was rejected by him, but he knew very well that Danzo Shimura had not given up.
If I could be like the Second Hokage… Hiruzen Sarutobi thought of the Second Hokage's iron-fisted methods, but he was not the Second Hokage after all. He couldn't act like him, nor could he move against Danzo Shimura, who was wholeheartedly dedicated to Konoha. Even when he wanted to question what he was hiding, he had to deliberate carefully.
He handed the work over to others, huh?
A hint of understanding flashed in Orochimaru's eyes. Looking at Hiruzen Sarutobi, it was clear this wasn't the first time he had done this.
"Alright, let's go!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi led the three out of the Hidden Leaf Village's gates, heading towards the Land of Tea, located south of the Land of Fire.
The four traveled at a good pace, reaching an area near the Land of Fire's border by nightfall, where they stopped to rest near a water source.
"Lightning Release: Earth Run!"
Orochimaru formed hand seals, then pressed his lightning-glowing hands onto the river surface. The flowing river water was the perfect conductor, and in an instant, dazzling lightning flashed across the river, causing fish to twist and float to the surface, smoke rising from their bodies.
Has Orochimaru already mastered the Ninjutsu recorded in the scroll in such a short time? As expected of Orochimaru!
Hiruzen Sarutobi praised him in his heart. He was no longer surprised by Orochimaru's growth, as Orochimaru had given him more than enough surprises already.
"That's enough! These fish are plenty."
Hiruzen Sarutobi waved his hands repeatedly, signaling Orochimaru to stop. If he continued to electrocute them, many fish would likely go to waste.
"Orochimaru! Well done!"
Jiraiya gleefully went to collect the fish. Before Orochimaru used Lightning Release, he had wanted to show off his excellent fish-spearing skills. It was a good thing he hadn't volunteered, or he would have been embarrassed again.
"Orochimaru, good job!"
Tsunade grinned as she put her arm around Orochimaru's shoulder, watching Jiraiya collect fish. "Hey, Jiraiya, those fish over there are about to be washed away, hurry up!"
"Tsunade! You, with time to just stand there watching, why don't you come help!"
Jiraiya noticed Tsunade watching him collect fish and loudly grumbled his dissatisfaction. Orochimaru was one thing, as he had electrocuted the fish with his Ninjutsu, but why did Tsunade get to just stand by and watch?
"Orochimaru and I are good friends, aren't we?"
Tsunade looked at Orochimaru with a full smile.
"Whatever you say."
Orochimaru turned his head away, not wanting to get caught up in the two's endless bickering.
Crackling—!
The branches in the bonfire crackled as they burned. Around the bonfire were grilled fish skewered on sharpened branches. A triangular structure of three branches held a metal lunchbox suspended by a steel wire, and inside the lunchbox, the stewed broth had turned into white fish soup.
The oil brushed on the grilled fish sizzled, and seasonings were sprinkled on. To make the fish more flavorful, Orochimaru had made several cuts on each fish with a Kunai before grilling.
Smelling the aroma of the grilled fish, Jiraiya and Tsunade couldn't help but swallow, and even Hiruzen Sarutobi did the same, swallowing and feeling even hungrier from the smell.
I don't really understand you Ninja... Orochimaru noticed the three eagerly waiting for the grilled fish. Jiraiya and Tsunade were one thing, but Hiruzen Sarutobi, as the Hokage and an adult, couldn't be called useless in cooking, only that what he made was barely edible.
Even as a Ninja, shouldn't one pay a little more attention to food when on a mission?
"Alright, it's ready to eat."
As soon as Orochimaru finished speaking, Jiraiya and Tsunade, like starving ghosts reborn, eagerly grabbed a grilled fish and started eating.
Hiruzen Sarutobi was still more concerned about his dignity as a leader. He waited for Jiraiya and Tsunade to start before reaching for a grilled fish.
I was truly farsighted. If I hadn't brought seasonings, I can't imagine what the food would have been like tonight... Orochimaru thought of grilled fish without seasonings, full of fishy smell.
"The fish soup is ready too."
Orochimaru divided the fish soup into four portions, enough for everyone to have a few sips, and then took out some dry rations from his backpack.
Hiruzen Sarutobi took the dry rations handed to him by Orochimaru and said in surprise, "Orochimaru, you're very well prepared!"
"It's my first mission outside the Land of Fire, so I wanted to be well-prepared and brought everything I might need."
Orochimaru took a bite of the grilled fish, quite satisfied with his cooking skills.
"Orochimaru, your cooking is amazing!"
Jiraiya wolfed down the grilled fish and the dry rations in his hand, then picked up the fish soup and took a sip, his cheeks puffed out, giving Orochimaru a thumbs up.
"Jiraiya, swallow what's in your mouth before you speak!"
Tsunade clenched her fist, glaring fiercely at Jiraiya, wanting to punch him in the head.
Jiraiya was so scared he scooted his butt further away.
Tsunade snorted, then looked at Orochimaru, who was eating slowly, and thought that she definitely had to drag him along on future missions.
She had heard that many Ninja complained about food problems, not eating or sleeping well during long-term missions outside.
A teammate good at cooking should be held onto tightly.
Orochimaru had no idea that he was being targeted by Tsunade because of his decent cooking skills. He was still thinking about whether there was a way to browse Konoha's Forbidden Techniques.
After much thought, it seemed like touching Forbidden Techniques was a dream given the current situation. All he could do now was improve his own strength.
He wasn't trying to learn Forbidden Techniques; he was simply curious and wanted to broaden his horizons.
Forbidden Techniques, either wait until his strength reached Jonin level.
Or, when he had Jonin-level strength and was ready to run away, he would directly raid Konoha's library where the Forbidden Techniques were kept.
Hiruzen Sarutobi, happily eating grilled fish, drinking fish soup, and taking a bite of dry rations, had no idea what rebellious thoughts his exceptionally satisfied student was having.