"Master, he's dining at the restaurant up ahead. The red car parked by the roadside is his, and his driver, named..."
On a bustling street in Sokovia, Max pointed towards the restaurant ahead, briefing Juan on the situation.
Juan nodded, then got out of the car, saying, "Alright, both you and them retreat for now. I'll take care of the rest."
"Yes, boss!"
Max didn't inquire about Juan's plans or how he intended to resolve the situation. He simply nodded and used the communicator to instruct all nearby associates to withdraw, including himself.
In their minds, Juan was not only the boss but also a mentor and the benefactor who had rescued them from despair three years ago. So, obeying his every command was their duty.
"Transformation Jutsu!"
After getting out of the car, Juan didn't approach directly. Instead, he circled the area, then entered an empty alleyway, using the Transformation Jutsu to assume the appearance of a traffic officer he had seen on the street.
Then, taking advantage of the sparse crowd, he leisurely approached the red car and knocked on the driver's side window.
"Step out, your car is parked illegally!"
"Illegally parked? Are you kidding, sir?"
The window rolled down, revealing a young man in his twenties, looking impatient.
"Of course not!"
Juan smirked, pulling out a small bottle from his pocket. In a lightning-fast move, he sprayed the bewildered young man in the face. The man's eyes rolled back, and he promptly passed out.
Sometimes, using technology appropriately could be much easier than confronting head-on with fists.
During these three years of rebirth, he hadn't only been training martial arts; he had also spent a significant amount of money hiring professional mercenaries to learn various firearms.
Surprisingly, with his physique and reflexes, coupled with various firearms, his lethality had increased significantly. At least when dealing with hostile forces, his efficiency had greatly improved.
Pressing a button to open the car door, Juan tossed the unconscious driver onto the passenger seat, then drove into the adjacent alleyway. Skillfully, he stowed the driver in the trunk, before once again employing the Transformation Jutsu to take on the appearance of the young driver, driving back to his original position.
Ten minutes later, a middle-aged man, flanked by several bodyguards, emerged from the restaurant and got into Juan's car.
"Back to the office!"
"Yes."
Juan, in a suit, acknowledged before swiftly turning around, pulling out another bottle filled with sedatives. With precision, he sprayed the middle-aged man's face.
"Transformation Jutsu!"
Assuming the appearance of the middle-aged man, Juan got out of the car, dismissing the two cars behind with bodyguards. With the unconscious middle-aged man, Juan drove away from Sokovia City, entering the sparsely populated mountain area.
This middle-aged man was named Hades, the owner of a food conglomerate in Sokovia. He wasn't very famous and could be considered mediocre in the Sokovia business world.
However, according to Uncle Li's investigation, this man had been collaborating with the Hydra base in the mountains, sending truckloads of supplies there every month for over a decade.
This guy claimed to have no connection with Hydra, but no one believed him.
Of course, to be cautious, a little deception was still necessary.
...
Pulling Hades out of the car and onto the ground, Juan poured a bottle of mineral water on his face.
"What's going on?"
Startled, Hades sat up from the ground, wiping his face, confusion in his eyes.
"Hail Hydra, Hades, you're exposed. Dare to betray the organization, and Baron Strucker has sent me to deal with you!"
Juan pulled out a gun, pressing it against Hades' temple, making him instantly sober.
"Hail Hydra, Mike, listen to me, it's a misunderstanding, it must be a misunderstanding. I haven't betrayed the Baron, nor the organization. Let me call the Baron directly!"
He hadn't expected that his driver of many years turned out to be someone sent by Baron Strucker to monitor him.
Furthermore, being loyal to the organization, he was framed and branded a traitor, facing execution here.
Who betrayed him? Who framed him?
"The Baron ordered your immediate execution!"
Juan shook his head, chambering a round, looking ruthless.
Hearing the sound of the chambered round, Hades panicked, pleading frantically, "Mike, Mike, you have to believe me, I really haven't betrayed anyone. Don't forget, the last time you killed that college girl, I helped you clean up. I've been nothing but loyal to you all these years. Let me call the Baron and explain..."
"It seems you're not as steadfast in your beliefs as I thought, which makes things easier."
Seeing Hades trembling in fear, Juan's face bore a cold smirk.
After a simple probe, he was completely sure that the guy in front of him was a member of Hydra, not the brainwashed type who'd commit suicide at the drop of a hat.
"Mike, what do you... what do you mean?"
Seeing Juan's expression and hearing his words, Hades finally realized that something was off.
But it was too late. Juan didn't bother to respond to him, instead walking up and crushing his hand bones. Then, with an icy tone, he said, "Now, you answer my questions. If I sense even a hint of hesitation or a lie, I'll make you experience how satisfying it feels as I slowly crush every bone in your body!"
"I'll say... I'll say everything..."
Hades screamed in agony, his face contorted in fear, frantically nodding.
By now, he had understood that Juan might not be from Hydra at all, maybe not even his driver, Mike.
But he didn't want to die, nor endure such excruciating pain, so he had no choice but to confess.
Twenty minutes later, after breaking a third of Hades' bones, Juan snapped his neck, then stood up and dusted his hands.
In fact, after breaking a third of Hades' bones, there hadn't been much variance in his answers, essentially confirming he wasn't lying.
However, to ensure absolute certainty, Juan kept on crushing Hades' bones repeatedly, repeating all the questions over and over.
He had to. In a moment, he would be entering the Hydra base alone. If Hades had any hints of deceit or intentions to set him up, he could be exposed, facing the danger of being swarmed by a large group of elite Hydra agents.
"You're not a good guy either."
After breaking Hades' neck, Juan pulled the unconscious driver, Mike, out of the trunk and, without hesitation, snapped his neck too.
"Earth Style—Earth Burial!"
Forming hand seals, Juan pressed his hands to the ground, and the bodies of Hades and Mike were swallowed up by the automatically parting earth.
Earth Burial, an E-rank Earth Style ninjutsu, had no offensive capability, only used as an auxiliary ninjutsu to bury bodies.