Bandits

"This mission is a little test for you."

At the foot of a barren mountain in the Land of Hot Water, Aburame Keiichi gave the three of them his instructions.

"I won't show up or lend a hand unless something unexpected happens. You three will have to work together to complete this mission on your own."

"If you do too poorly—even if you fail to complete the mission..." Aburame Keiichi's expression turned cold as he spoke ominously.

"Then you'll go back and pull weeds in the wasteland for a month..."

His ethereal voice echoed through the woods. At some point, Aburame Keiichi had disappeared.

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

Well... a mission at last.

[Mission accepted: You need not do evil. Fish in the sea, birds in the sky; you can shoot those that fly high and hook those that swim deep. But when facing another's heart, even at arm's length, you cannot know what lies within.]

[Mission objective: Defeat the bandits in the Land of Hot Water.]

[Reward: Body ×0.2, Sealing Technique: Sealing Evil Dharma Seal]

"Sealing Evil Dharma Seal?" The mission reward included a sealing technique, a rare sight indeed, and it genuinely surprised Uchiha Kai.

Though it hadn't appeared often in the original story, the technique was undeniably useful.

It could not only suppress and seal an enemy's Chakra, but also block certain invading energies or techniques. Kakashi had used it in the original story to suppress the Cursed Seal on Sasuke.

However, sealing techniques were so difficult to learn that only shinobi in the Sealing Squad generally bothered with them.

But when Kai claimed a technique from the panel, it was directly imprinted into his mind. There was no risk of being unable to learn it. Developing it further and putting it to use, however, depended on his own talent.

Shaking his head to clear his wandering thoughts, Uchiha Kai began talking with his companions.

"According to the mission intel, most of the bandits are local villagers and farmers. They live in a nearby village. It seems the turmoil of the war drove them to become bandits."

Uchiha Kai picked up a twig and sketched a rough map in the dirt.

"Villagers and farmers? Then why become bandits? Couldn't they grow enough food?"

Morino Kei asked, his face full of the naivete of someone who'd never been tested by society.

"Heh... when war spreads through the Shinobi World, ordinary people can't even count on being able to farm. Whether they'll survive until tomorrow, or how they'll manage it, is anyone's guess. So what can they know of the future?"

Uchiha Kai gave a dry laugh, a complicated light in his eyes.

"But... isn't the Land of Hot Water said to be a peaceful place where war can never happen?" Morino Kei asked.

Uchiha Kai gently shook his head.

"Peace is only relative. Compared with the rest of the Shinobi World, things here are simply less terrible. Verbal agreements and peace written on paper are fragile things, more symbolic than meaningful."

Hearing Uchiha Kai's words, Morino Kei and Hyuga Rei couldn't help looking grave.

"Take the Second Shinobi World War, for example. Hanzō wanted to expand the Land of Rain, and that so-called peace agreement was torn up just like that."

"Arguing over words won't help much. Let's deal with this mission first." Uchiha Kai suddenly smiled, using a lighthearted tone to reassure his companions.

"Yeah... you're right, Kai. I was too naive. You know me—using my head isn't exactly my strong suit. I'll follow your lead!"

Morino Kei steeled himself, cleared his mind, and chose to trust his friend.

Hyuga Rei beside him gave a small nod to show she felt the same.

"Good. The intel also says these people didn't suddenly turn to banditry. A monk, supposedly driven out of the Temple of Fire, once traveled through the area."

"After that, strange things kept happening in the village. People would disappear from time to time, until most of the able-bodied men became bandits and started burning, killing, and looting in the surrounding villages."

"This renegade monk, whose religious name is Dinghong, is most likely the mastermind." The boy analyzed the situation in a low voice.

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

"Sounds like trouble."

"So, what's our plan?" Morino Kei chewed on his finger, trying to sound clever.

"Plan? What plan? Our opponents are just a bunch of ordinary people. Why would we need a plan?" Uchiha Kai said, his expression somewhat complicated.

"We'll sneak over, grab a couple of them, and question them. Once we've got a general idea of what's going on, we can act."

"Mature, effective plans are never too complicated or drawn out. Simplicity and efficiency should always come first." The boy spoke earnestly, reminded of many things.

"Ooh... sounds impressive." Morino Kei agreed, though he hadn't understood a word.

After taking a short break, the three set off for their destination.

A shadow flashed through the woods. The tree trunks swayed faintly beneath their feet, and leaves fluttered down.

"Heh heh heh... I'm telling you, what I got up to today was really something." The gaunt man spoke lewdly.

Two men of plain appearance and rough clothing stood guard on either side of the crude bandit camp gate.

"Damn, I never would've dreamed I'd be living like this before. Now, heh heh... I can rob and eat whatever I want." The lecherous skinny man's eyes turned dangerous, and his face twisted into a snarl like some kind of beast whose name escaped you.

"Today, I'm a big shot too!" He thumped his chest.

"Hmph! This is all a gift from our Buddha. After taking refuge in him, this kind of treatment is nothing." The fat man beside him sneered, his face alight with fanaticism.

"Sure, sure, heh heh heh... what a great Buddha. As long as I can keep living like this, I don't care which Buddha it is. That soft skin, that little mouth, those desperate cries..."

The skinny man waved his arms around, fantasizing as the scene from his memories played out once more in his mind.

The ugly scene unfolded. Anyone decent would have cursed at the sight.

But it didn't matter. Filthy deeds could never be brought into the open. Even if their perpetrators briefly rose to power, they could only strut around for a time before meeting a miserable end.

"Whoosh!"

A sharp sound cut through the air as an arrow came flying.

"What!?" The fat man jolted in alarm. He tried to react, but his bulky body couldn't keep up with his thoughts.

"Ugh...!" The two grunted in pain as stones struck them in the chest.

"Enem—mmph..." The fat man tried to shout and wake his companions inside the camp, but a shadow flashed past. A dull ache shot through his neck, and then his vision went black.

"Thud."

Cold water splashed down. The damp chill seeped into the fat man's mind, and his eyelids struggled to lift.

Three short figures with their faces covered came into view.

"Kai, are you sure this'll work? Those two idiots don't look like they know anything important..."

A deep voice, still tinged with childishness, reached the fat man's ears.

The fat man had been about to speak, but he closed his eyes again and thought rapidly.

Children... and they move so nimbly. The pouches on their right thighs are bulging.

The fat man's heart sank.

Damn... did someone hire shinobi from a great nation? They're acting so casually. This is bad...

They're probably Konoha shinobi. We're done for...