ALL NOVEL Chapter 15: Chapter 15
Swish!
Two figures suddenly appeared in front of Tetsuya Fujiwara.
"Mikoto, Muto! You're back!"
"Other than the location and number of bandits, did you manage to gather any other useful information?"
When it came to the mission, Yuhi Shin's expression became significantly more serious.
"Teacher Shin! I'm sure you've already gotten most of the key details about the bandits from the client, so I won't repeat those."
"However, there are two points that Muto and I found quite curious."
"First, around ten years ago, during the First Shinobi War, there were reports of a group of rogue ninjas causing trouble around Sakura Town. But after the war ended, these ninjas mysteriously disappeared."
"Several months later, Murano Jihei appeared in Sakura Town and quickly rose to the position of town chief, a position he's held for over a decade."
"Rogue ninjas?"
Yuhi Shin's expression grew even more serious.
The difference between ordinary bandits and rogue ninjas was like night and day. If ninja involvement was confirmed, the mission's difficulty would need to be upgraded to at least a B-rank.
"So, you suspect that Murano Jihei is connected to those rogue ninjas from ten years ago?"
"Exactly. I suspect that Murano Jihei might have been one of those rogue ninjas."
"Alright. It seems this situation is more complicated than we thought."
"Continue."
Rubbing his forehead, Yuhi Shin looked weary.
Unraveling such twists wasn't his strong suit.
"The second thing is that Muto and I found traces of ninjutsu near Sakura Town. Though someone deliberately tried to erase the evidence, Muto's insects were able to sense the residual chakra."
"From what we could reconstruct, the combatants were at least Chunin-level or higher."
"Teacher Shin! Our enemies might not be as simple as they seem."
As expected!
No ninja in Naruto who lived long enough to reach adulthood was a slouch.
Uchiha Mikoto...
Her mind was as sharp as her blade.
Watching Mikoto's slender figure, Tetsuya's eyes flickered with admiration.
As for the mission's level of danger?
Tetsuya didn't give it much thought.
With Yuhi Shin around, the rogue ninjas would need at least an elite Jonin-level fighter to even stand a chance of killing them.
And in the Land of Fire?
The chances of that happening were incredibly slim.
"Alright, I understand!"
"We'll know for sure once we investigate the bandits' hideout."
"If we find nothing, then all the better!"
"But if we do... after dealing with the bandits, we might need to have a long talk with Mr. Murano."
Dusting off the cherry blossoms that had fallen on him, Yūhi Shin slowly stood up.
It was clear he wasn't pleased with Murano Jihei's actions.
---
In the forest ten kilometers north of Sakura Town, stood a rugged mountain.
The highest peak was barely seven or eight hundred meters tall.
However, the craggy cliffs and dense forest made it a treacherous area for the average person.
And because the bandits had made it their base, the mountain, once frequented by locals, had become eerily silent.
As night fell, a few campfires suddenly flickered to life in the sheltered side of the mountain.
Amid the howling wind, the drunken shouts of bandits, the quiet sobbing of women, and the pitiful pleas of children echoed through the mountains.
"These bastards!"
High up in a tree, hidden in the shadows, Uchiha Mikoto's Sharingan, glowing with a single Tomoe, glimmered in the dark.
Her scarlet gaze, illuminated by the moonlight, exuded a chilling coldness.
Glancing at the fierce expression on Mikoto's face, Tetsuya shuddered, silently offering a prayer for the doomed bandits.
"Mikoto! You'll lead the attack this time!"
"Tetsuya, Muto! You two will follow her instructions."
"Tetsuya! This will likely be your first time experiencing real bloodshed between humans. As your teacher, let me give you a word of advice."
"As a ninja, you must abandon any misplaced compassion."
---
Chapter 17: A Ninja's First Kill
"Brat! Keep up!"
"Don't you dare die on me!"
Beneath the tree's shade, Mikoto's black hair cascaded down her shoulders as she prepared for battle.
After a brief discussion, it was decided that Uchiha Mikoto and Tetsuya would take charge of neutralizing the bandits outside the cave, while Aburame Muto would handle reconnaissance and support.
"Don't worry!"
"I'm not going down in a place like this."
This time, Tetsuya didn't bicker with Uchiha Mikoto.
Instead, he quietly pulled out two kunai from his pouch, gripping them tightly in his hands.
"Move!"
With a quick glance at Tetsuya, Mikoto wasted no time. In an instant, she used the Body Flicker Technique to appear right next to the campfire.
"We're under attack!"
When facing civilians, even a Genin possesses overwhelming strength.
In just a few seconds, Tetsuya had dispatched three bandits.
The hot, metallic scent of blood filled the air as it splattered across his kunai, staining it red.
"Brat!"
"In addition to taking out the enemy, you need to make sure the hostages stay quiet. Otherwise, no matter how fast we are, we'll alert the rest."
As Tetsuya stood frozen in front of two terrified young women, unsure of what to do, Mikoto swiftly appeared at his side.
With two quick strikes, she knocked both women unconscious with the edge of her hand.
"I know that!"
"But next time, Mikoto, could you try using a gentler method?"
"Maybe Genjutsu? These girls are just innocent bystanders, after all."
Tetsuya muttered as he hurried to catch up with Mikoto, who was already moving deeper into the bandits' hideout.
---
The bandits' cave was much larger than Tetsuya had anticipated.
Torches lined the walls, casting flickering shadows over the rocky corridors.
From deep within the cave came occasional sounds—groans, moans, and muffled cries.
Clearly, the bandits weren't expecting company.
Uchiha Mikoto wasted no time with words.
Any bandit that crossed her path swiftly fell to her kunai.
Seeing Mikoto's efficient, no-nonsense killing style, Tetsuya decided to follow suit.
His kunai twirled in his hand as he silently eliminated bandit after bandit, many of whom were still too drunk or sluggish to react.
The bandits were pitifully weak, contributing just one to three kill points each.
Even the wild beasts in Konoha's forests were worth more.
But as Tetsuya knew, even the smallest gains add up.
Every little bit counts.
When Tetsuya and Mikoto had nearly finished clearing out the cave, the rogue ninjas, who had been hiding deeper inside, finally made their move.
In a matter of seconds, Tetsuya and Mikoto found themselves surrounded by seven rogue ninjas.
"So, it's Konoha brats!"
"Where are the others? There's no way it's just you two!"
The leader of the rogue ninjas, a man around forty years old, stepped forward and sneered.
His forehead protector bore a symbol Tetsuya had never seen before.
At Tetsuya's current level, he couldn't gauge the leader's exact strength.
But based on his aura alone, he was clearly weaker than Yuhi Shin.
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