However, when the bandits truly charged up to the village, the villagers realized their preparations seemed far from sufficient.
The bandits vastly outnumbered their expectations, and their weapons were far more refined than the villagers had imagined.
The long blades in the bandits' hands glinted coldly beneath the sunlight. Every swing carried immense force, as though they could easily cut down anything standing in their way.
The village gates temporarily held back the bandits' attack, but there was actually someone capable among them!
Their leader stepped forward, looked at the gates before him, and chuckled. "You think these gates can stop us? Ridiculous!"
He formed Hand Seals with both hands. He was not particularly fast, but judging from his movements, he was a ninja!
A few seconds passed before he finally completed the seals.
Rat—Tiger—Dog—Ox—Rabbit—Tiger.
"Fire Style: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique!"
Like impatiens seeds bursting forth at the slightest touch, flames spewed from his mouth and scattered in every direction, attacking the gates.
Moreover, every flame was controlled by Chakra and struck the gates with precision.
Besides being visually spectacular, the technique was also incredibly powerful.
In the end, the gates could not withstand the ninjutsu's might and were burned to nothing.
"This is bad! One of the bandits on the other side is a ninja!"
The news instantly spread. In this era, ninjas represented strength—something unbeatable.
Even a mere genin was far stronger than many burly villagers.
Once the gates had burned away, battle quickly erupted. Although the villagers bravely rushed forward, they soon found themselves locked in a desperate struggle.
The bandits attacked fiercely and relentlessly, their long blades raining down upon the villagers like a violent storm.
Though the villagers fought back with all their strength, their weapons seemed fragile before the bandits' long blades. Many villagers