Chapter 4: Mission Accomplished, Carrying Kuroro Kirin Away

Si Xia moved with the speed of lightning, weaving through the fray and leaving behind a blur of afterimages that dazzled the eye. Confronted by the Root organization, caravan guards, and various ninja mercenaries hired by Mizunohao, his immense chakra and a physique as terrifying as that of the past Raikages allowed him to handle the situation with ease.

In the blink of an eye, Si Xia appeared directly before the leader of the Root squad. He sensed that the man was a ninja from the Aburame clan, carrying an insect jar likely filled with venomous bugs. Before the opponent could even deploy his secret techniques, Si Xia slashed his hand downward like a blade; Lightning Release chakra instantly condensed into a brilliant arc of electricity.

"Lightning Release: Lariat!"

A thunderous roar echoed through the air. The Root ninja was sent flying high like a kite with a broken string before crashing heavily to the ground. Ordinary Root members and hired mercenaries were no match for Si Xia. Like a fierce tiger descending upon a flock of sheep, he neutralized them all in rapid succession.

When Mizunohao witnessed this scene, his pupils constricted, his heart filled with dread and astonishment. In his worldview, Konoha ninja—especially the elites under Danzo—had always been invincible entities. If he hadn't seen it with his own eyes, he would never have believed that Si Xia could defeat them so effortlessly.

*Whoosh—*

A streak of motion flashed by. Si Xia now stood silently before Mizunohao. This sudden turn of events caught Mizunohao off guard, causing him to stumble back a step.

"What... what are you doing?!"

Faced with Si Xia’s chilling prowess, Mizunohao’s legs trembled with fear, his tongue nearly tying itself in knots as he spoke.

Unexpectedly, Si Xia narrowed his eyes and asked with a smile, "Since the rendezvous with the Konoha ninja is done, does that mean this escort mission is officially complete?"

Staring at that creepy smile, Mizunohao felt goosebumps rise all over his skin. He didn't understand why Si Xia would ask such a question at a time like this, nor did he understand the reason for such a bizarre expression. He only knew that his life was currently in Si Xia’s hands, so how could he dare to raise any objections?

Swallowing hard, Mizunohao nodded and said with a trembling voice, "Yes... yes, your escort mission is... is complete."

"And the payment?" Si Xia pressed further.

Mizunohao hurriedly pointed toward a carriage not far away. "The... the payment promised to you is on the carriage. All three hundred thousand ryo are there."

Upon hearing this, Si Xia walked over to the carriage and found a briefcase containing the three hundred thousand ryo. The moment he picked up the case, a system notification rang in his mind.

[Escort mission successfully completed!]
[Reward: 300 Employment Points]

Lifting the heavy briefcase, Si Xia slowly moved toward the large wooden crate nearby. With a creak...

He pried the lid open completely, revealing a young girl curled up inside like a startled kitten. His suspicions were confirmed; it was indeed Karin Uzumaki!

Should he take this girl with him? A flicker of hesitation stirred in Si Xia’s heart. He had originally intended only to use the system missions to quickly bolster his strength, without getting entangled in too many causalities, especially those involving the original plot. But on second thought, Karin might prove useful. Moreover, her absence wouldn't significantly alter the course of events.

Furthermore, with his current reserves of massive chakra, a physique rivaling the Raikages, and an array of miscellaneous ninjutsu, he knew he might face trouble against certain members of the Akatsuki, but he had sufficient confidence to handle Danzo’s Wind Release and shuriken techniques.

With that thought, Si Xia hoisted Karin onto his shoulder and promptly departed the scene.

...

Elsewhere, Kakuzu returned quietly. But this time, he was not alone. Beside him followed a lithe, sinister-looking man draped in the striking black cloak embroidered with red clouds. His previous withdrawal had been intended to gather reinforcements, not to retreat in earnest—after all, Kakuzu was not one to suffer such a loss.

The man beside him had deathly pale skin, his eyes as cold and serpentine as a viper's. Without a doubt, he was one of the legendary Sannin of the ninja world: Orochimaru.

Deep in the woods, Kakuzu and Orochimaru moved at astonishing speeds. Under their rapid advance, the surrounding scenery seemed to blur as if someone had pressed the fast-forward button.

As they sped along, Orochimaru hissed, "That wandering ninja... he is the one from Amegakure, Uzumaki Si Xia, right?"

Ever since he witnessed the power of Nagato’s Rinnegan, he had developed a keen interest in the Uzumaki clan. He had already reached an agreement with Danzo to secure a few members of the clan for his own purposes. It was rare to find a ninja like Si Xia, who could consistently take on missions in the black market.

Hearing Orochimaru’s inquiry, Kakuzu, still moving at high speed, nodded slightly, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.

"That’s right, it’s him, Uzumaki Si Xia."

"I truly underestimated him before. If he hadn't suddenly intervened, I would have successfully completed the mission."

Orochimaru raised an eyebrow, a hint of surprise in his voice. "Heh, you were actually no match for that fellow? And you required my assistance?"

Kakuzu quickly corrected him: "It is not that I could not defeat him. I simply made the most rational response based on the situation on the battlefield. If it were a one-on-one, I might need to engage him for a long time to determine a victor. But there is no need for that; with the two of us working together, we can subdue him quickly."

"For this caravan to hire a ninja of that caliber as a guard, it implies the goods they are transporting are worth a fortune. And the item the employer requested is also within this caravan. If we can successfully hijack it, we won't have to worry about operating funds for a long time."

At the mention of operating funds, Orochimaru’s eyes shimmered. Within the Akatsuki, Kakuzu managed the finances and was always looking for ways to raise capital, while Orochimaru was obsessed with various experimental research projects that required massive funding. As it happened, he was planning to conduct in-depth research on the Uzumaki clan, so the more money, the better.

Orochimaru asked casually, "Shall we kill him later, then?"

Kakuzu answered without hesitation, "It would be best to kill him, so he doesn't interfere with our missions again. If he cannot be killed, driving him away will suffice. After all, our goal this time is the cargo, not anything else."

Having heard Kakuzu’s words, Orochimaru nodded slightly and fell into silence, likely calculating some new, ingenious scientific whim.

After another stretch of rapid travel, they simultaneously slowed and stopped, their gazes locking onto the scene not far ahead. There, the caravan’s carriages sat quietly in the middle of the road, and the guards lay scattered about on the ground. Even more surprisingly, among the guards lay several Konoha ninja.

"This is... Root?" Orochimaru scanned the surroundings, his brow furrowed with a hint of surprise.

Kakuzu also wore a look of bewilderment. However, he did not dwell on the question, quickly shifting his focus to the carriages.

"Haha..."

Kakuzu let out a rare, gleeful, and strange laugh—a true rarity for a man who was almost always grim-faced. He was happy because the scene before them was a classic case of the snipe and the clam fighting, only for the fisherman to reap the profit. The guards and the Konoha ninja were down, yet the gold, silver, and jewels in the carriages remained untouched.

"Hiss..."

Orochimaru’s pupils narrowed into slits. He had expected a bitter battle upon joining forces with Kakuzu. Yet, when they arrived, they found that Si Xia had already vanished without a trace.