After encountering the bandits blocking the road, the down-and-out samurai charged out first, loudly announcing his name.
But the bandit leader ignored the samurai and directly fired a kunai. After being wounded by it, the several down-and-out samurai frowned and immediately retreated near the caravan, their faces filled with vigilance.
Naruto glanced at the distant bandits, then at the grimacing down-and-out samurai, a smile curling at the corners of his lips.
Over the past half month of traveling, he had encountered quite a few bandits. He had thought public order in the Land of Fire was merely at the stage of rustic simplicity, but he had not expected it to have already formed an entire industry chain.
The caravan guards and the bandits behind them were clearly in league, which was why banditry along this road never ceased.
Towns that could reach ninja villages and afford mission fees could naturally hire ninja to suppress bandits. Places that could not afford it could only silently endure the ravages of bandits, unable to mount any effective resistance.
The reason the down-and-out samurai and bandits' operation had failed was because the arrival of outside ninja had broken the local rules.
After figuring this out, Naruto casually picked up a stone from the ground and formed a Wind Release attack, directly knocking the bandit leader unconscious and intimidating the bandits behind him who had intended to attack.
After searching the bandit leader, Naruto indeed found a ninja forehead protector.
After having the others in the caravan tie up the bandits, Naruto said to the caravan owner, "They're not dead. Send them to the public security office in the nearest town. They should know how to handle them."
After witnessing Naruto display such overwhelming power, the caravan owner became even more respectful. He had never