Gathering Intelligence

Asuma nodded, took a deep breath, and tried again.

This time, his movements were noticeably steadier. He still wobbled a little, but he could just about keep his balance on the tree trunk.

Kurenai quietly practiced nearby. Her chakra control was already quite good,

and after a few tries, she was able to walk freely along the tree trunk.

Kushina walked over to her and said approvingly,

"Not bad, Kurenai. Your chakra control is very precise. Keep it up."

Kurenai smiled faintly, a hint of blush appearing on her face:

"Thank you, Sensei. I'll keep working hard."

Amada returned to the village and looked around, noticing that many villagers were busy repairing the buildings the bandits had damaged.

Their faces were etched with exhaustion and fear. Every now and then, someone would speak in a low voice, their words betraying their unease about the future.

Amada thought to himself,

The village chief must have been forced to cooperate with the bandits. They're holding his family hostage, so he has no choice but to tip them off.

His mission today was to find out the specifics about the bandits, especially where they were hiding.

However, the villagers were clearly reluctant to talk about the bandits.

Amada tried approaching a few villagers, pretending to be curious as he asked them about the bandits,

but they either shook their heads and claimed they knew nothing, or hesitated as if they wanted to say something before hurrying away.

Their eyes were full of wariness and fear. They were clearly afraid of the bandits' revenge.

As expected, I won't get anything out of ordinary questions.

Amada sighed inwardly.

He glanced around to make sure no one was watching, then quietly activated his Sharingan.

Two tomoe turned slowly in his crimson eyes, radiating an eerie light.

Amada fixed his gaze on a middle-aged villager.

The man was carrying wood by himself, looking somewhat dazed.

Amada quietly approached him and murmured, "Nightmare."

In an instant, the villager's body stiffened slightly. Then his eyes slowly closed, and he seemed to fall asleep.

Yet his body remained standing, as if supported by some invisible force.

This was one of the unique dojutsu of Amada's Mutated Sharingan,

an ability that could put people to sleep and make them answer any questions the user asked while they dreamed.

In addition, the user could control the hypnotized person's actions to some extent,

even making them carry out his instructions while sleepwalking.

Amada stepped in front of the villager and asked quietly,

"Where are the bandits hiding?"

The villager's lips trembled slightly, and his voice drifted out like a murmur in his sleep:

"They... they're in the valley north of the village... There's an abandoned mine there. They've set up camp inside..."

A satisfied glint appeared in Amada's eyes. He continued questioning him:

"How many bandits are there? Are any of them ninja?"

The villager's voice remained unchanged:

"About twenty... There are two ninja among them. I heard they're Genin who defected from other countries... They're cruel. They threaten us all the time, saying they'll burn down the whole village if we don't obey..."

Amada nodded, already forming a rough plan.

He asked next,

"Did they threaten the village chief? Are they holding his family hostage?"

The villager's face twisted with pain, and his voice trembled:

"Yes... They took the village chief's daughter... They threatened to kill her if he didn't cooperate... He had no choice but to obey them..."

Amada took a deep breath, feeling more sympathy for the village chief's predicament.

He asked one final question:

"What have the bandits been up to lately? What are they planning to do next?"

The villager's voice grew fainter and fainter:

"They... they're planning to attack another nearby village tomorrow night... They said they want to take more food and valuables..."

A cold glint flashed in Amada's eyes as he dispelled the Illusion Technique.

The villager swayed slightly, then slowly opened his eyes,

looking around in confusion as if he had no idea what had just happened.

He shook his head and continued carrying the wood, as though nothing had occurred.

Amada quietly left, now fully informed about the bandits.

He hurried back to the small grove, ready to report the intelligence to Kushina.

He knew they would have to act quickly,

or not only this village but the nearby villages as well would face an even greater crisis.

Amada stood at the edge of the woods, looking over Asuma and Kurenai as they trained.

He had successfully discovered the bandits' hideout,

and had also tested the unique Illusion Technique of his Sharingan. He was very pleased with its results.

This Illusion Technique could put a target to sleep in an instant,

and manipulate their consciousness in a dream, even guiding their actions.

As his Sharingan's power continued to grow, this technique still had tremendous room to develop.

Amada looked forward to what lay ahead:

This is only one of its abilities. I still have to test the other innate dojutsu. It seems this Sharingan's potential is far more unfathomable than I imagined.

He put the thought aside and walked toward the training ground.

Kurenai stood atop a large tree, looking completely at ease. She had clearly mastered the technique of adhering chakra to a surface.

Her chakra control was already precise, and illusion ninja had to wield chakra with exceptional accuracy,

so this kind of training wasn't especially difficult for her.

Asuma, on the other hand, looked rather rough.

He stood halfway up the trunk, beads of sweat forming on his forehead,

while the chakra beneath his feet fluctuated in strength, making him wobble from time to time.

Though he had improved considerably since morning, he was still some distance from the treetop.

He gritted his teeth, his eyes full of stubborn determination.

Amada walked up to the tree and looked up at Asuma, his calm tone tinged with a hint of teasing:

"Looks like you'll have to try a little harder, Asuma."

Asuma glared down at Amada and snapped,

"Don't get cocky! I'll catch up to you soon!"

Kurenai leaped lightly down from the treetop and landed beside Amada, smiling as she said,

"Amada, you're back. How did it go?"

Amada nodded, his expression turning serious:

"I found out everything. The bandits are hiding in the valley north of the village, inside an abandoned mine. There are about twenty of them, including two Genin who defected from other countries. And they're planning to attack another nearby village tomorrow night."

Kurenai frowned slightly when she heard that:

"Things are even more urgent than we thought. We have to act as soon as possible."

Asuma jumped down from the tree too and brushed the dust off himself, his tone resolute:

"Exactly. We can't let them keep terrorizing people. We have to tell Sensei Kushina right away."

Just then, Kushina walked over from the other side of the woods.

She had clearly heard their conversation, and an approving smile crossed her face:

"Well done, Amada. Your information came at just the right time."