Prepared for All Contingencies

"Everything in this world has a purpose. On the surface, the goal of these bandits seems clear—to plunder the mines of Fujiwara Mountain. But in reality, they lack the means to smelt the ore and have no routes to transport it. It's nothing but useless rock. To risk their lives and offend the Uchiha clan for that? Tell me... do you think there are bandits in this world that stupid?" Shin rested his chin on his hand, a mysterious smile playing on his lips.

Uchiha Tadashi was left speechless. He realized that the child before him was not only a monster in terms of strength, but his intellect also far surpassed that of an ordinary person.

At the very least, he had spent all this time here without noticing the issues with these bandits. Now, after hearing Shin's analysis and thinking it over carefully, it really did seem like they had little interest in the ore; they were merely intercepting transport caravans and blocking trade routes, showing little concern for the minerals themselves.

"Then what is the purpose of these bandits?"

At this moment, Uchiha Tadashi truly placed himself in a subordinate position. If he had been respectful earlier only because of the strength Shin displayed and his Three-Tomoe Sharingan, he was now completely intimidated by his presence, both in terms of power and intelligence.

"When things are abnormal, there must be a demon at work. No one actively seeks death, especially a group of outlaws. They value their lives more than the average person, and they are smarter than most people imagine..."

Shin narrowed his eyes—a subconscious habit whenever he reached the most critical point of his thinking.

"Someone is fishing," Shin said softly.

"What?"

"A classic case of luring the snake out of its hole. Heh, I suddenly want to meet the mastermind behind these bandits." Shin looked at the map, feeling a faint sense of excitement; he now had much more interest in this mission.

"My lord, are you saying there is someone behind these mountain bandits?" Uchiha Tadashi exclaimed in disbelief. They were not far from the Uchiha clan grounds; who would dare plot here? It was like pulling teeth from the mouth of a tiger.

Shin chuckled and didn't answer him, turning instead to say: "The sky has darkened. It's a perfect time for killing and arson. You all go out and scout. I suspect that once they receive word of my arrival, those bandits will start moving. If you spot them, don't report back to me immediately. Go!"

His instructions were natural, lacking any condescending tone, as if he were simply commanding his own subordinates.

Uchiha Tadashi and the other four Shinin exchanged glances, feeling nothing amiss. This world was simply like this: the strong commanded the weak, and it was only natural.

"Right, remember to carry that idiot who fainted outside. Seeing him is an annoyance." Shin added as they rose to leave.

Once everyone had departed and the room returned to silence, Shin opened the inner room, lay down on the bed, and closed his eyes to contemplate.

After a while, he walked out of the room and rolled up the sleeves of his unique Uchiha clan robe, revealing both arms. Wrapped tightly around them were Ninja Tool Sealing Scrolls. These allowed him to hide Kunai and shuriken through a special sealing technique, making them very convenient to use.

They were of the same type as the scroll carried by Senju Hashirama later on, or the one used by Tenten decades later, though his was a specially made, miniaturized version that could only store small ninja tools like Kunai and shuriken; larger weapons would not fit.

With a sudden flick of his right hand, countless Kunai engraved with formulas appeared out of thin air, scattering in all directions. Some landed in the grass, others embedded themselves into tree trunks. Only after everything was properly arranged did he return to the room, think for a moment, and place one more Kunai inside before quietly waiting for the others to return.

He had always believed that being prepared was never a bad thing. By arranging everything he could in advance, his chances of surviving in this world would be much higher.

It didn't take long for Uchiha Tadashi and the others to return. "They've appeared," they reported directly. "Over by the Raw Stone Cave, about thirty of them..."

Shin stood up and said, "Show me the location of the Raw Stone Cave on the map!"

Uchiha Tadashi pointed directly to a spot on the map. Shin memorized it silently and said, "Wait here for my return!"

Before the words had even faded, he transformed into a black shadow and dashed out, leaping across the tree trunks and vanishing into the night.

Relying on his memory, Shin sped toward the Raw Stone Cave. With his speed, he arrived at his destination in no time. Using the cover of the tree trunks, he observed the situation in the cave. The night was too dark to see clearly, so he activated his Sharingan.

A faint scent of blood drifted from the mine. Amidst a flurry of noise, two carts of crude ore were being pulled out of the cave by thirty-two bandits, who then hitched them to horses and began transporting them away.

Shin watched silently without interfering, thinking to himself: So, it really is aimed at me. These bandits never attacked the mine before, yet they do this the moment I arrive. They're acting a bit too impatiently. And that ore—it hasn't been sorted at all. A third of it is just plain rock. If they were after the minerals, they'd be far less unprofessional. But that's fine. Let me see who is plotting against me.

Even knowing there was a trap, Shin followed the bandits from a distance. He had already set up Flying Thunder God markers in the area; he was confident he could escape under any circumstances as long as he remained within ten miles.

The carts traveled along the bumpy mountain path for about an hour before arriving outside a small camp. Seeing that the wood on the outer perimeter still held moisture, it was clear the camp had been built only recently.

The bandits entered the camp and tossed the ore onto the ground carelessly, leaving it unattended.

"Ding! Mission issued: Eliminate the bandits and lure out the mastermind. Success rewards 1,000 points. Failure results in a deduction of corresponding points! If points are insufficient, you will be erased!"

Suddenly, the system's voice rang in his ear. Shin curled his lip and cursed, "Meddlesome system." He had wanted to observe a bit longer. Since he didn't have extra points to lose, he had no choice but to strike now.

"Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"

His first move was the classic signature ninjutsu of the Uchiha clan. A massive fireball surged toward the thirty-plus bandits.

BOOM!

Except for the two leaders who jumped away at the last split second, none of the other bandits escaped unscathed.

"Enemy attack! Enemy attack! Someone come—ah..."

Shin pulled a Kunai from his back and said coldly, "Instead of wasting time calling for help, you should have thought about how to save your own lives."

With a chaotic clamor, many more people rushed out. Shin made a rough estimate—there were about a hundred of them. Seeing them charge out with rusted steel blades, most of them wearing tattered clothes, he couldn't help but be slightly stunned.

"Are these... actual bandits?"