The Old Man's Plea

As one of the five great nations of the shinobi world, the Land of Fire possesses abundant resources and an incredibly vast territory.

The group had been traveling non-stop for an entire day, yet they had barely covered half the distance; they still had at least another day of travel ahead to reach the border of the Land of Fire.

The day's march had left everyone somewhat exhausted, and their only source of sustenance was the Military Ration Pill, a notoriously unpalatable item.

"According to the map, there is a small village ahead where we can stop and rest."

Hiruzen Sarutobi spoke up. They had set off in the morning and a full day had passed; it was time to rest.

The target of this mission was not a moving one, so there was no need to be overly hasty.

"That's great, we won't have to sleep out in the wild," Koharu said, a happy smile blooming on her face.

Although ninjas must adapt to survive in all kinds of environments, for a girl, sleeping in the wild for a whole night would leave her skin feeling dry and rough.

It would be perfect to have a village to stay in right now, and perhaps they might even be able to take a hot bath.

It wasn't just Koharu; the others were also eager to rest in the village.

"Then let's reach the village before the sun sets."

Everyone immediately picked up their pace. If they didn't arrive before dark, they would be forced to camp out in the wild.

Uchiha Chirori was already struggling, and from time to time, she had to let Kagami Uchiha carry her on his back to recover some stamina so she could continue.

Torifu, however, seemed completely unaffected, looking relaxed whether he was running or walking, which made Uchiha Chirori increasingly envious.

She even had the urge to dissect Torifu; she was starting to wonder if he was even human, given how easily he had handled the entire day.

"Torifu, aren't you tired?" Uchiha Chirori asked softly from Kagami Uchiha's back.

"I'm alright. A bit tired, perhaps, but it's bearable."

Hearing this, Kagami Uchiha glanced at Torifu; even at such a young age, his physical fitness was starting to rival Hiruzen Sarutobi's.

Uchiha Chirori didn't ask anything further after that, burying her face against Kagami Uchiha's back and falling into a deep sleep; she had reached her limit.

Fortunately, Hiruzen Sarutobi and his group reached the village before nightfall.

After finding an inn to stay at, everyone was finally able to get a good night's rest.

To everyone's surprise, the inn even had a hot spring! Soaking in a hot spring before sleep was the ultimate luxury.

Strangely, however, the people in the village were all listless and completely devoid of vitality.

They didn't pay much attention to the arrival of Hiruzen Sarutobi's group, and some were even packing up their wives and children, preparing to leave the place overnight.

Only the innkeeper seemed normal, treating Hiruzen Sarutobi's group with relative warmth.

The owner was an elderly man with a kind face, who looked as though he had seen his fair share of ups and downs.

He did not show any signs of fear toward the ninjas like Torifu.

"Honorable ninjas, are you here to wipe out the mountain bandits?"

The innkeeper asked uncertainly, but Hiruzen Sarutobi could see the plea in his eyes.

"That's right, old man. Have those bandits impacted this village that much?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi was a bit confused; they were a full day's journey away, so surely the bandits wouldn't come this far.

"Sigh, it's not because of that." Seeing Hiruzen Sarutobi's expression, the innkeeper revealed his plight.

"Our village isn't large, and we mainly rely on running small shops to make a living."

"But because of those bandits, merchants and travelers moving between villages have started bypassing this road."

"With no one coming to the village, everyone's survival has become a problem. If no one deals with those bandits, I'm afraid we won't be able to go on."

Hiruzen Sarutobi finally understood the reason. Although small, the village was located at the intersection of several smaller villages.

It functioned like a transit station, providing a place for long-distance travelers to rest.

Seeing that their very survival was at stake, he couldn't afford to delay any longer, and Hiruzen Sarutobi immediately promised the innkeeper that they would deal with the bandits.

Once the news spread, the people in the village cheered, finally finding a glimmer of hope.

To complete the mission and eliminate the bandits more quickly, allowing the village to return to normal operations, Hiruzen Sarutobi led the group in formulating a detailed battle plan to ensure no bandits could escape to other mountains and continue to harm the people.

After a night of rest, the group set off with renewed energy, and Uchiha Chirori was no longer as haggard as the day before, having returned to her usual motivated self.

They set off at the crack of dawn, maintaining a high speed throughout the journey.

This allowed them to reach the border of the Land of Fire by the afternoon.

The state neglected the management of this region, leading to a chaotic mix of people; even rogue ninjas from Sunagakure could come to the Land of Fire to throw their weight around!

The border area was mostly dense forest, which was very convenient for enemies to hide in.

However, Kagami Uchiha soon detected traces of the bandits using his Sharingan, and the group followed Kagami Uchiha, finally tracking them down to their lair.

It was a very secluded valley, with an entrance that could only accommodate two people walking side by side.

By this time, the sky had gradually darkened, and visibility in the forest was even lower. Only Kagami Uchiha and Uchiha Chirori could see in the dark due to their Sharingan.

The guards at the entrance were not heavily stationed, with only a few people present, and they were silenced in an instant without a sound.

The group quickly infiltrated the valley, with Hiruzen Sarutobi directing everyone to act according to the plan.

"Before the sky turns completely dark, eliminate everyone!"

"Take out the small fry first, and deal with the ninjas last."

Hiruzen issued his orders with calm determination, and throughout the process, Torifu was constantly learning from Hiruzen's ability to control the situation and make judgments.

After all, Torifu would also have to execute missions in the future.

Just as everyone prepared to carry out the mission, Torifu pulled seven miniature crystal spheres from his ninja tool pouch.

But rather than crystal spheres, they looked more like Crystal Seeds.

Torifu distributed one Crystal Seed to each person: "This is a ninjutsu I developed; it can help you block one instance of physical damage."

The group nodded and accepted them without hesitation or pretense; faced with first-rate samurai, the utility of these Crystal Seeds went without saying.

No one could be entirely certain they would emerge from a battle with samurai completely unscathed.

"Move out!"

At the command, the group turned into blurs and shot off in all directions.

Only Torifu remained in place, as he had his own task to complete: sealing off the entire valley.

"Crystal Release: Crystal Creation."

Fifty Crystal Seeds slowly formed in his palm, which he then scattered at the entrance of the valley.

As Torifu channeled his Chakra, Crystal Vines erupted from the soil, twisting and tangling together to form a Crystal Vine Net.

The branching tendrils embedded themselves deep into the rock walls of the valley entrance.

The entrance was now firmly sealed shut.