Splitting the Forces

Yamato stepped out of the shadows. Looking at the five Bandits who had been easily subdued, a trace of approval flashed in his eyes.

"Not bad. In an unexpected situation, your judgment was accurate and your actions decisive."

Having received their Teacher's praise, Kobayashi Ken and Sato Yu both showed a flicker of relief, but reality quickly pulled them back—there was something more important at hand.

"Teacher Yamato, the others aren't in the hideout."

Tejima Shinichi gave his report succinctly.

Yamato's gaze fell upon the Bandits, some unconscious and some groaning in pain, and his expression turned cold.

"Find out where the others went." He gave another order. "Interrogate them."

"Yes!"

Kobayashi Ken immediately responded. He walked over to Skinny Monkey, who was slowly regaining consciousness, grabbed him by the collar, and forced him to his knees beside the campfire.

"Speak! Where are the rest of you? Where did they go?!"

Kobayashi Ken demanded fiercely, doing his best to make his voice sound vicious.

Frightened out of his wits by the agony in his abdomen and the sight before him, Skinny Monkey's eyes darted about as he instinctively fabricated an answer.

"They... they went deeper into the mountains... to hunt, hunt. They won't be back until morning..."

Before he could finish—

Slash!

A cold gleam flashed!

The blade of a Kunai sliced open the throat of another bound Bandit beside him! The movement was so fast that neither Kobayashi Ken nor Sato Yu could react!

Warm blood sprayed out, appearing Dark Red in the firelight.

A heavy, nauseating stench of blood instantly filled the air.

The Bandit whose throat had been slit convulsed violently. A rasping, leaking sound escaped his throat as his eyes bulged wide, filled with disbelief and terror. Within seconds, he went limp and fell silent.

Kobayashi Ken and Sato Yu froze completely.

Standing closest, Kobayashi Ken caught the overwhelming smell of blood and felt his stomach churn.

Sato Yu clapped a hand over her mouth, barely managing not to vomit.

This was the first time she had witnessed death from such close range.

The splattering blood seemed to still carry warmth. The sound and sight of it striking the ground replayed endlessly in her mind.

As though he had not noticed his teammates' and Teacher's reactions, Tejima Shinichi flicked the beads of blood from his Kunai and turned his gaze back to the terrified Bandit.

"Say it again. Where did the others go?"

The Bandit's mental defenses had been utterly crushed by his companion's gruesome fate and Tejima Shinichi's gaze. He screamed through tears.

"I'll talk! I'll talk! Don't kill me! The Chief and the others... they took most of the brothers and split into two groups. They went... they went to the nearby Ishikawa Village and Kasahara Village to 'collect grain'! Tonight! Only a few of us were left behind to guard the place! Everything I said is true! Spare me!"

Tejima Shinichi's gaze remained icy as he pressed further.

"Are there any ninja among them? How strong are they? Exact numbers and weapons?"

"N-No ninja!" The Bandit hurriedly shook his head, speaking at a frantic pace. "They're all drifters and thugs like us... The Chief has around eleven people, and the Second-in-Command took nine... They only have ordinary swords and a few broken bows... Really! I've told you everything I know!"

Only after confirming that the man was hiding nothing else did Tejima Shinichi rise and look toward Yamato.

"Teacher, we have the information."

The campfire crackled, illuminating the corpse on the ground as it gradually grew cold.

Yamato looked at Tejima Shinichi's calm, impassive profile, and his heart stirred slightly.

It was his first time conducting an interrogation and execution, yet he could remain so composed. His temperament truly was extraordinary.

Yamato withdrew his gaze, turned to his three subordinates, and posed the question.

"Now that the intelligence is clear, the Bandits have split into two groups to raid elsewhere. We have two options. First, we set an ambush here and wipe them out when they return to their hideout. Second, we take the initiative, split up and pursue them, and eliminate them before they cause further damage."

He paused before adding,

"The first choice is safer, but there are uncertainties. They may get wind of it and flee early. The second is more proactive and can resolve the problem faster, but it requires us to split up and carries a certain degree of risk. What do you think?"

Tejima Shinichi answered almost without hesitation. "Split up and pursue them. It's more efficient, and it will prevent them from continuing to harm the villagers."

Kobayashi Ken and Sato Yu exchanged a glance, each seeing the same choice in the other's eyes. They remembered the villagers' fear and hope, then thought of the Bandits' atrocities. After a brief hesitation, they nodded together.

"We agree with Shinichi," Sato Yu said on behalf of them both. "We should stop them as soon as possible."

Kobayashi Ken added, "Besides, according to the intelligence, they're just ordinary Bandits. There are no ninja among them. As long as we're careful, the risk is manageable."

Yamato looked at the three of them, who had quickly reached an agreement, and a hint of satisfaction flashed in his eyes.

After assessing the strength of both sides, choosing the most efficient plan was a quality a competent ninja should possess.

"Good. Then we'll split up." Yamato made his decision. "Shinichi, you'll go alone and pursue the Chief's group, the larger force of eleven. Ken and Yu, the two of you will pursue the Second-in-Command's group of nine. I'll remain in the middle and support either side at any time."

His gaze swept over the four remaining prisoners on the ground, and his tone turned cold.

"As for these people... I'll leave them to you. Remember, mercy toward the enemy is irresponsibility toward yourselves and the mission objective."

Those words struck Kobayashi Ken and Sato Yu like a heavy hammer.

They understood what "leave them to you" meant.

Upon hearing this, Skinny Monkey screamed like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, tears and snot streaming down his face. "No! Don't kill me! I told you everything! Please let me go! I'll never do it again!!"

His desperate pleas sounded especially piercing in the silent mountain hollow.

Kobayashi Ken and Sato Yu tightened their grips on their Kunai, struggle flashing across their faces. They were ninja, but personally executing prisoners who had lost the ability to resist was ultimately different from fighting.

Tejima Shinichi glanced at them but said nothing.

He stepped forward. Under Skinny Monkey's despairing gaze, the Kunai in his hand swept cleanly across.

The pleas stopped abruptly.

"The remaining three are yours."

Tejima Shinichi shook off the blood, put away his Kunai, and left behind those words in an indifferent tone.

Kobayashi Ken and Sato Yu looked at the newly added corpse, then at each other. They took a deep breath, and their eyes gradually grew firm.

They no longer hesitated as they walked toward the three unconscious Bandits.

Hands rose. Kunai fell.

Their movements were not as smooth and decisive as Tejima Shinichi's, but they still carried the resolve expected of ninja.

The smell of blood in the air grew even thicker.

Yamato silently watched it all.

Seeing his two young subordinates finally overcome their mental barriers and complete this cruel, necessary lesson in a ninja's life, he nodded inwardly.

Though they had struggled through the process, the result was satisfactory.

Tejima Shinichi in particular left a deep impression on him once more with that detached indifference.

Tejima Shinichi watched his two teammates quickly compose themselves, and a trace of approval also flashed in his eyes.

Strength could be improved, but indecisiveness and softheartedness were what proved fatal in the ninja world.

At the very least, his teammates possessed the most basic qualities of ninja. They were not like Uzumaki Naruto, acting like an idiot...

"Clean up the traces. We leave in five minutes."

Yamato's voice broke the silence.

"Yes!"

The three answered in unison and swiftly got to work.