Chapter 333: Never Abandon, Never Give Up

"Zilaoye?"

The next morning, the squad gathered at the old spot, but Zilaoye didn't show up for a long time.

"Orochimaru, didn't you come with Zilaoye?" Lian Ye asked.

"No, Lian Ye Teacher," Orochimaru shook his head, "that idiot probably hasn't woken up yet."

Usually they only team up after meeting halfway, and Orochimaru would never proactively go looking for Zilaoye to set out together.

Mainly because their homes aren't adjacent, there's no need to travel together.

"That idiot Zilaoye was already late for the second gathering!" Gangshou clenched her fist, "How dare he waste our time; we'll give him a good scolding later!"

"Fine, go call Zilaoye over," Lian Ye told the two, "The three of you are teammates in combat; you must uphold the 'no abandonment, no surrender' principle."

He didn't know whether the three might betray a teammate if danger arose in battle.

In the original work, the three wouldn't betray teammates, but now that he's the teacher, there's already a divergence from the source.

If the situation he fears occurs, it would be troublesome; they must understand the importance of teammates.

"No abandonment, no surrender..." Orochimaru murmured softly, seeming to contemplate the meaning of the phrase.

He thought Lian Ye Teacher made a reasonable point.

Since it's a team, of course you can't easily abandon teammates.

"Don't worry, Uncle Lianye," Gangshou replied with a smile, "I would never betray teammates and survive on my own!"

"Of course. If we face a hopeless situation, we must run when we can," Lian Ye cleared his throat lightly, "Saving one is better than everyone dying."

He didn't want the three, after hearing his words, to know they could run yet not run, and end up all being killed.

He meant they should assess the situation and not rush in hot‑headedly to give away heads.

Sometimes losing one person is at least better than losing three.

These hot‑headed youths, brainwashed by the Will of Fire since childhood, are the most likely to rush forward and die for free.

Not destined to be the protagonist, yet suffering from protagonist syndrome.

If you don't die, then who will?

"Got it, Uncle Lianye," Gangshou nodded lightly.

Lian Ye didn't know whether the girl truly understood, but he knew Orochimaru did.

"Understood, Lian Ye Teacher," Orochimaru's eyes brightened, "I'll take care of the teammates within my capability."

If it exceeds his ability, sorry, he'll have to betray you.

After all, surviving himself is the most important thing.

"Alright, now that you understand, go fetch Zilaoye," Lian Ye nodded approvingly, "That kid Orochimaru has been clever since he was young."

The two immediately left to look for Zilaoye.

"Sorry, Lian Ye Teacher, I accidentally overslept."

Soon, Gangshou returned dragging a bruised and battered Zilaoye.

"Zilaoye, what happened to the injuries on your face?" Lian Ye stifled a laugh, asking knowingly.

"I slipped and fell when I went out," Zilaoye said softly, glancing guiltily at Gangshou nearby.

He didn't dare reveal the truth, lest he get beaten again.

"Be more careful next time you go out," Lian Ye almost laughed out loud.

"Understood, Lian Ye Teacher," Zilaoye hung his head, saying little for fear of another beating.

The four went together to the Mission Assembly Hall and took on a mission.

"I won't appear this time; everything's up to you to arrange,"

Lian Ye planned to test the few, and unless a genuine crisis arises, he wouldn't intervene.

Greenhouse flowers need to endure trials to metamorphose and grow.

When they first carried out missions, the Team Leader Jonin was basically a decoration, never offering them assistance.

Several times they nearly got killed by enemies, yet the Team Leader Jonin never showed up.

Later they simply dismissed the Team Leader Teacher.

Since having him or not made no difference, the squad might as well handle the mission themselves.

Thus Qianshou Xiongke became the first Team Leader Teacher in Konoha's history to be dismissed by his students.

Come to think of it, Lian Ye hasn't seen a Team Leader Teacher for a long time.

Probably eight out of ten died in the last war.

What a pity; when there's time, he'll call Tuan Cang and Xiaochun to search the Martyrs' Garden.

Anyway, they're still their Team Leader Jonin; though he didn't contribute much, he's still their teacher...

"Understood, Lian Ye Teacher/Uncle," the three replied.

"Remember, the mission must succeed, failure is not allowed," Lian Ye said, using the Shisui Body Technique to depart.

Their mission this time remained an escort‑type, but shifted from escorting a caravan to safeguarding the employer's safety.

Lian Ye observed their reactions covertly all the way.

The three's luck was good; they never encountered danger.

"Ha ha, no enemies detected; looks like this mission will be completed successfully," Zilaoye said cheerfully, arms wrapped around his neck.

Everything is fine for now; they'll soon finish the mission smoothly.

Very relaxed and pleasant, with no enemies encountered.

"Idiot, don't be careless," Orochimaru didn't let his guard down, vigilantly scanning the surroundings.

Sometimes when it looks safe, it's actually more dangerous!

If the employer encounters danger, they absolutely couldn't bear such consequences.

Gangshou stood at the front of the group, preventing enemies from appearing suddenly.

The employer was a fat middle‑aged man; as he looked at the three little brats before him, panic surged in his heart, and his belly fat quivered with every step.

It was unclear whether it was caused by his obesity or by fear.

In fact, the employer was almost scared to wet himself.

If real danger arose, could three kids truly protect him?

If not for a Jonin hidden in the shadows, he could never have left Konoha like that.

That was no different from a suicide mission.

Fortunately, the journey was uneventful; they encountered no road‑blocking bandits.

Lian Ye watched the party reach the destination smoothly and instantly grew displeased.

Without danger, how could the three train?

No, he could not let them complete the mission easily!

Thinking that, Lian Ye's figure vanished from the spot in an instant.

……

"Stop! I opened this road, I planted this tree!"

"If you wish to pass, leave a toll!"

Three muscular men wearing sunglasses appeared, blocking Gangshou and the others' path.

Seeing this, the employer nearly wet his pants, anxiously scanning around for the hidden Jonin to protect him.

"Heh heh heh, no need to fear, petty bandits, I, Zilaoye, can deal with you effortlessly!" Zilaoye shouted as he charged forward.

"Ah—"

Zilaoye was instantly blasted away.

"So strong." Gangshou and Orochimaru wore grim expressions, realizing they faced a worthy opponent.

The two exchanged a glance and launched their attack simultaneously.

"Damn, how dare you ambush me!" Zilaoye scrambled up from the ground and rushed to aid.

The employer, seeing the scene, hurriedly hid behind a tree.

"Tsk, now that's how you carry out a mission."

Lian Ye stood on a nearby treetop, watching the three locked in a fierce battle.

As for the bandits, they were naturally controlled by his Genjutsu.

The three were unaware that when there was no danger, someone else was the greatest threat.

……

……

ps: Thanks to Mao Lingzi (Second Generation's Goal) for the "Ending 666" sent in another book; interested readers can click my homepage to read that other book—its backstory heavily ruins the characters, so treat it as a joke, eee…