Chapter 350: Absolutely Must Not Panic

"Damn it!" Li An cursed under his breath. His keen intuition told him those ghost-like ANBU ninja were drawing steadily closer. He drew a deep breath, trying to steady himself, but fine beads of sweat still broke out uncontrollably across his forehead, glinting in the dim light.

"Don't panic, absolutely must not panic." Li An kept cheering himself on inside. His gaze swept quickly over the complex, obscure symbols on the secret manual, forcing himself to sink his thoughts into them. A determined light shone in his eyes — that unique to transmigrators, an unyielding defiance against fate and a yearning for the unknown.

At that moment, in some corner of Konoha Village, Iruka stood with his brows tightly furrowed, together with Tsunade.

"Hokage-sama, that outsider called Li An — his recent behavior is truly suspicious." Iruka said with a worried face, suspicion of Li An showing in his eyes.

Tsunade crossed her arms over her chest, her look grave, her eyes slightly narrowed: "I feel it too. He seems to be hiding something. The ANBU have already been deployed — I hope they can clarify his purpose as soon as possible." Her voice was low and forceful, revealing the decisiveness and authority of Konoha's leader.

And elsewhere, Orochimaru was hiding in a shadowy corner, a sinister smile curling at the corner of his mouth, muttering softly: "Interesting… this transmigrator, I wonder what surprise he'll bring me…" Greed and cunning flickered in his eyes, as if he were plotting some unspeakable scheme.

On Li An's side, he felt the ANBU ninja's presence drawing closer and closer, almost able to hear their faint footsteps now. His heartbeat grew more violent, every muscle in his body taut, like a cheetah poised to spring. Suddenly, he heard a faint gust of wind and dodged sideways on instinct.

"Whoosh!" A kunai flew past, grazing the hem of his clothes, and buried itself deep into a nearby tree trunk.

"So they've finally come." Li An clenched his teeth, a flash of resolve crossing his gaze. He swiftly tucked the ninjutsu manual into his clothes, his body weaving through the trees like a phantom.

The ANBU ninja closed in from all sides, clad in black skintight outfits, eerie masks covering their faces, leaving only pairs of icy-cold eyes exposed. Their figures darted swiftly through the trees, stirring up a rustling sound, like the whisper of the Reaper.

"Halt!" an ANBU ninja roared, his voice low and icy, as if a howl from hell itself.

Li An paid them no heed, using the surrounding trees as cover and constantly shifting his position. His eyes swept rapidly over the environment, searching for a chance to strike back. Suddenly, he spotted a thick vine, and his heart stirred.

He rapidly formed hand seals, muttering an incantation: "Wood Release: Vine Entanglement!" As his voice fell, that vine came alive, snaking swiftly toward the ANBU ninja to bind them.

The ANBU ninja clearly hadn't expected Li An to have such a trick, and for a moment were thrown into disarray. They drew their weapons one after another, trying to slash through the vines. At that very moment, Li An seized the chance to charge out, the kunai in his hand glinting coldly.

"Hmph, not bad." an ANBU ninja snorted coldly, his body retreating swiftly while the kunai in his hand met Li An's head-on.

"Clang!" The two kunai collided, emitting a crisp sound and sending a shower of sparks flying. Li An felt an enormous force travel up his arm, and his body involuntarily retreated several steps.

"Worthy of the ANBU indeed." Li An secretly marveled to himself, knowing he could not afford to let his guard down. He quickly adjusted his breathing and formed hand seals once more.