After Shikamaru and the others crossed the wall, they found that the area inside was indeed riddled with traps.
If anyone else had come, even a few Chunin, they might have been wiped out to a man.
Unfortunately for the bandits, though all six kids were novices, each of them had a secret technique.
Shino's Kikaichū were especially useful for triggering traps.
With Hinata's Byakugan supporting them, they avoided every trap and safely dismantled them as they went.
Soon, in an open area inside the wall, they came upon a group of bandits who had been waiting for them for some time.
"I can't believe they're just a bunch of little kids. Is Konoha really that short on people?"
"Maybe they have too many mouths to feed, so they deliberately sent a few out to die and save some rice."
"Haha, I like that explanation best. If Konoha's being so generous, we'd be fools not to accept!"
"Careful, everyone. Don't kill them all. They came from Konoha, after all, so they're bound to know more than us roughnecks. If we can keep them and train them properly, we might have a few more capable men on our hands."
"I don't care about the rest. Leave the blonde girl to me. I've always liked them sweet and delicate."
The bandits had been braced for a fight, but when they saw a group of children coming, they immediately relaxed and began jeering loudly.
The six kids gritted their teeth at the filth pouring from the bandits' mouths. They'd been pampered all their lives and couldn't stand being spoken to like that.
Kiba was the first to lose his temper. Shouting, he charged forward with Akamaru, not giving a thought to whether they were supposed to coordinate.
"Bastards! Quit looking at me like