Bandit

"This mission is a small test for you all."

At the foot of a barren mountain in the Land of Hot Water, Aburame Keiichi instructed the trio.

"Unless there are special circumstances, I will not appear nor will I offer any help. This mission can only be completed through your cooperation."

"If your performance is too poor, or if you fail to complete the mission at all..." Aburame Keiichi's expression turned cold as he said sinisterly.

"Then you'll spend a month back there pulling weeds..."

His ethereal voice echoed through the woods, and Aburame Keiichi's figure vanished without a trace.

At the same time, a cold, mechanical voice sounded in Uchiha Kai's ear once more.

"Hmm... a mission finally."

[Quest Accepted: The Unavoidable Evil. Fish of the sea, birds of the sky; high they can be shot, deep they can be fished; only when human hearts face each other, can the short distance be unpredictable.]
[Quest Objective: Defeat bandits within the Land of Hot Water.]
[Reward: Physical Strength x0.2, Sealing Technique: Fuinjutsu – Gogyo Fuin]

"Gogyo Fuin?" Kai was genuinely surprised that a sealing technique, rarely seen in mission rewards, had appeared.

Though not frequently used in the original story, its practicality was undeniable. It could not only suppress and seal an enemy's Chakra but also block certain external invading energies or jutsu. In the original work, Kakashi had used this technique to suppress the curse mark on Sasuke's body.

However, due to the high learning difficulty of sealing techniques, unless one was part of a sealing unit, they wouldn't typically learn it.

But techniques rewarded by the panel were directly infused into Uchiha Kai's mind upon acceptance, eliminating the problem of not being able to learn them. Further development and usage, however, would depend on his own talent.

Shaking his head to clear his scattered thoughts, Kai began to converse with his companions.

"According to the mission intel, most of these bandits are local villagers and farmers living in a small village nearby. It's likely that the chaos during the war led them to banditry."

Kai picked up a twig and drew a rough map in the sand, illustrating the situation.

"Villagers and farmers? Then why did they become bandits? Wasn't farming enough to eat?" Morino Kei asked, his face filled with the naivete of someone untouched by hardship.

"Heh... When the flames of the Ninja Wars ignite, ordinary people can't even think about farming. Whether they'll survive tomorrow, let alone how they'll survive, is unknown. How can they consider an unknowable future?" Kai chuckled dryly, his eyes holding a complex light.

"But... but isn't the Land of Hot Water known as a peaceful place with no wars?" Morino Kei said.

Kai gently shook his head.

"That so-called peace is only relative. Compared to the rest of the Ninja World, it's just less terrible here. Verbal agreements and peace on paper are fragile constructs with more symbolic than actual meaning."

Listening to Kai's words, Morino Kei and Hyuga Rei's expressions grew solemn.

"Just like the Second Great Ninja War, Hanzō, in his ambition to expand the Land of Rain, tore up that so-called peace treaty as easily as ripping paper."

"Arguing is meaningless. Let's focus on completing this mission first," Kai suddenly smiled, his tone light as he comforted his two companions.

"Yeah... You're right, Kai. I was too naive. You know me, thinking isn't my strong suit. You lead, and I'll follow your lead!" Morino Kei steeled himself, deciding to empty his mind and trust his friend.

Hyuga Rei nodded slightly beside him, indicating her agreement.

"Alright. The intel also mentioned that these people didn't suddenly turn into bandits. A monk, suspected of being expelled from the Temple of Fire, once wandered through here."

"Since then, strange occurrences have been happening in the village. People went missing from time to time, until eventually, most of the young and strong became bandits, committing arson and plunder in the surrounding villages."

"This monk, with the dharma name 'Dinghong,' is highly likely to be the mastermind," the young man analyzed in a deep voice.

"Temple of Fire? Expelled monk?" Hyuga Rei scratched her head.

"Sounds difficult."

"So, what's our plan?" Morino Kei asked, chewing his finger, a sign of his "wisdom."

"Plan? What plan? The opponents are just a bunch of ordinary people. What need is there for a plan?" Kai said with a complex expression.

"We'll sneak in, capture a couple of them for interrogation, get the basic intel, and then we act."

"A mature and effective plan is never overly complex or lengthy. Simplicity and efficiency are the primary goals," the young man said earnestly, recalling many things.

"Whoa... That sounds amazing." Morino Kei, who hadn't really understood, voiced his agreement.

After a brief rest, the trio set off towards their destination.

A dark shadow flashed through the trees, the trunks swaying slightly underfoot, scattering leaves.

"Hehehe... Let me tell you, what I made today, it's got some real kick." The emaciated man's tone was lewd.

Before the crude stockade gate stood two plain-looking men in rough clothing, guarding the entrance.

"Damn it, if you'd told me I'd be living like this before, I would have never believed it. Now, hehehe... We take what we want, eat what we want." The lewd, thin man's eyes turned dangerous, his face contorted like some nameless beast.

"Today, we're the masters!" he declared, patting his chest.

"Hmph! These are all the blessings of my Buddha. After converting to my faith, such treatment is only natural," the fat man beside him said dismissively, his expression fanatical.

"Yes, yes, yes, hehehe... So merciful, so merciful. As long as I can still live like this, you can be as merciful as you want. That little skin, those little lips, those desperate cries..."

The thin man gesticulated wildly, fantasizing as the scenes from his memory replayed in his lewd imagination.

An ugly scene unfolded, one that would surely draw curses from any normal person who witnessed it.

But it didn't matter. Filthy things could never truly be brought to light. Even if they gained temporary power, their arrogance would only last so long before they met a tragic end.

"Swish!"

A sound of something cutting through the air suddenly rang out as an arrow flew towards them.

"What!?" The fat man was startled. He wanted to react, but his body was too sluggish to keep up with his thoughts.

"Ugh...!" The projectile struck his chest, and both men let out muffled groans of pain.

"Enemy... Nnngh..." The fat man tried to shout and wake his companions inside the stronghold, but he only saw a black shadow flash past. A dull ache spread through his neck, and then his vision went black as he lost consciousness.

"Splash~"

Cold water splashed down, and a damp, chilling sensation spread through the fat man's mind. His eyelids struggled to lift.

What greeted his eyes were three short figures, their faces covered.

"Kai, is what you said really useful? These two idiots don't look like they know anything important..."

A voice, deep yet with a hint of youth, reached the fat man's ears.

The fat man, who had been about to speak, narrowed his eyes again, his mind racing.

Kids... moving so nimbly. The pouch on his right leg is bulging with so much. The fat man's heart sank.

Damn it... Did someone hire a Ninja from a great nation... They're so careless in their movements. This is bad...

They're probably Konoha Ninja. We're in trouble...