A Complete Success

"All right, let's get moving."

Matsushita spoke when everyone had rested enough.

"Our mission this time is to kill every target."

As he said the final two words, a faint killing intent rose from Teacher Matsushita.

Before coming here, Matsushita had already investigated the bandits. Their crimes were innumerable and too vile to recount. There was no need to capture them. They needed to strike hard and wipe out the evil.

The group cleaned up any traces they had left behind, then slipped into the dense forest like ghosts. Before long, a mountain stronghold came into view, and the bandits' laughter rang out from within. It seemed they were celebrating.

The guards at the entrance were lax, showing no vigilance at all. Inside the stronghold, people sang and danced; at the entrance, bandits drank and laughed. They had no idea that death had quietly arrived.

"Mission starts now. Remember, leave no survivors. If there are hostages, rescue them if possible, but only if you can do so without endangering yourselves."

Teacher Matsushita once again made the mission's requirements clear.

"Yes."

The three answered in unison.

The cruelty of the ninja world was laid bare in that moment. It didn't matter whether someone was an ordinary person or not—if they posed a threat, they would be eliminated.

"Karot, try not to hold us back."

Perhaps because they had shared the food-delivery incident, Hyuga still reminded Karot before they began.

Then he charged in first.

"Who's there?"

The bandits guarding the entrance had no time to react. Wounds inexplicably appeared all over their bodies, blood sprayed, and then they plunged into darkness.

"We're under attack! Someone, come quick!"

The bandits soon noticed the commotion at the entrance and began shouting.

People inside the stronghold gathered near the entrance where the attack was taking place, ready to repel the intruders. They had no idea that death itself had come for them.

"Fight separately. Don't let a single one escape."

Teacher Matsushita gave the order. There were many bandits, so he chose this tactic to make sure none got away.

The three headed off in different directions. Only Karot stayed where he was.

Although Miwako was a Medical Ninja, dealing with ordinary people was very easy for her. Hyuga's veins bulged at the corners of his eyes as he activated his Byakugan. He could often dispatch opponents with the simplest techniques, making him the one who spent the least time and effort.

To ordinary people, facing a ninja was like an ant trying to topple an elephant. That was also why ninjas held such high status in the Naruto world.

Karot knew this was the first step he had to take. Watching his teammates reap lives without hesitation, Karot finally moved. With a flash, he broke an enemy's spine with one punch, then crushed his internal organs with a kick. Like a human bulldozer, he sent people flying wherever he went.

Seeing Karot's performance on the battlefield, Matsushita stared in stunned silence. He had been keeping an eye on his students in case any of them got into trouble, but while Karot was moving, there were times when he couldn't even track him.

This wasn't the Body Flicker Technique. It was simply the speed of Karot's body. It was terrifying that someone so young could withstand moving at such a high speed.

Karot's figure flickered across the battlefield. Wherever he went, his enemies' bodies were twisted in various ways. This happened because he still couldn't properly control his strength at such high speeds. Still, the result was good: his enemies were dead.

"So this is Karot's strength?"

Hyuga Sanada and Kazumi were both stunned. He didn't seem like a ninja who had only just graduated. Sanada was even more shocked than Kazumi. His Byakugan couldn't track Karot, which meant he was far weaker than him. He had even mocked Karot for holding them back, and now the tables had turned so quickly.

"You're amazing, Karot,"

Kazumi praised him.

"So this is what a genius is?"

Sanada felt unwilling to accept it. His talent was considered exceptional even within the Hyuga clan, but compared to Karot, he was like a frog in a well.

Karot's killing spree came to a stop. Not a single person on the ground was still breathing. An aura that seemed to destroy everything radiated from him. The Saiyan's ferocity had awakened when Karot killed for the first time.

"This is bad. He's dangerous."

Matsushita quickly moved in front of Sanada and Kazumi, keeping his eyes fixed on Karot. He had only ever seen an aura like this on Hatake Sakumo, a veteran of countless battles. No, even Hatake Sakumo's aura wasn't as powerful as Karot's—and he had never possessed Karot's aura of utter destruction.

"Host, wake up."

Just as Karot was losing himself in the thrill of killing and on the verge of becoming a killing machine, the system pulled him back.

"That was close. What happened?"

"It was caused by the Saiyan bloodline within you, Host. Saiyans are a warrior race, and their combative instincts affected you."

"System, will this happen every time from now on?"

Karot asked anxiously. He didn't want to become a machine that knew nothing but killing.

"Don't worry, Host. This happened because it was your first time killing and your mindset wasn't ready. Just keep working on your state of mind."

"That's good. That's good."

The system's answer put Karot at ease.

"Thanks, System,"

Karot said gratefully.

"We are one."

Although Karot's exchange with the system felt long, only a moment passed outside.

Matsushita watched Karot tensely. The aura around him slowly faded, but Matsushita still didn't let down his guard.

"Teacher Matsushita, I'm fine now."

Hearing Karot speak, Matsushita let out a long breath.

"You scared me, Karot. If anything had happened to you, how could I have explained it to your father?"

Matsushita Hokuto walked up to Karot and patted him on the shoulder, his concern unmistakable.

"I'm Konoha's genius. What could possibly happen to me?"

Karot gave himself a thumbs-up, looking completely confident.

Seeing Karot like that, everyone finally relaxed.

Although this was Karot's first mission, his strength had earned the entire team's recognition.

"All right, clean up the battlefield and see if there's anything useful. Also, make sure there are no survivors."

Uprooting the evil completely would prevent bandits from appearing here again in the future. As for useful things, naturally, that meant money. The mission team would divide it among themselves as extra compensation for the ninjas.

Karot was especially attentive to this. Saiyans cost a fortune to feed, and now that he had graduated, he couldn't keep mooching off his parents. His father hadn't remarried in recent years, probably because he didn't have enough money for the bride price.

After half an hour of clearing the battlefield, Hyuga Sanada's Byakugan proved a great help. With one glance, he could see every corner clearly; even radar couldn't compare. They collected all the money, and Karot got most of it.

Although this was Karot's first battle, he had killed the most enemies during the operation.

"This mission was a complete success. Congratulations, Karot. You've completed your first mission."

"You're the most talented ninja I've ever met."

Matsushita Hokuto praised Karot without holding back.

"Congratulations, Karot."

His companions' congratulations showed that Karot had been accepted by the team.