The Bandit's Lair

Amada reported the intelligence he had gathered in detail, especially the part regarding the kidnapping of the village chief's family:

"The village chief's daughter has been taken by those bandits. They are using her to threaten the chief, forcing him to cooperate with them. If we don't act quickly, I fear the chief's family will be in mortal danger."

After listening, Kushina pondered for a moment, then looked up at her three students:

"The situation is clear. We will move out tomorrow morning. The battle plan is simple—I will be responsible for infiltrating the bandits' stronghold to rescue the hostage. As for the bandits and their ninja, I leave them to you. This is your first time facing real enemies, and it is a great opportunity to hone your practical combat skills."

Upon hearing this, a spark of excitement ignited in Asuma's eyes.

He clenched his fists, his voice filled with undisguised enthusiasm:

"Finally, I can show what I'm capable of! I will definitely make those bandits realize the power of Sarutobi Asuma!"

Amada comforted Kurenai, who looked a bit frightened:

"Don't worry, Asuma and I will protect you."

Hearing this, Asuma immediately chimed in:

"I won't let anyone hurt Kurenai."

Only then did Kurenai manage a small smile:

"I can fight too, you know."

Kushina looked at her three students, a gratified smile appearing on her face.

She clapped her hands:

"Very good, everyone's morale is high. However, remember one thing—actual combat is not a game, and the enemy will not show mercy. You must remain vigilant at all times, coordinate with each other, and never underestimate your opponent."

Meanwhile, inside the bandits' stronghold, the atmosphere was exceptionally tense.

The leader of the bandits—a burly man with a scar on his face—was sitting on a crude wooden chair, toying with a sharp kunai in his hand.

His eyes were sinister, and a cold sneer hung on the corners of his mouth.

He was a rogue ninja from Kumogakure named Leilu, formerly a chunin who had defected due to his dissatisfaction with the village's system.

Escaping with him was his companion, a ninja skilled in Wind Style named Fengxi.

Leilu sat in the dim room, the kunai in his hand glinting with a cold, sharp light under the candlelight.

His brows were furrowed and his gaze was deep; he was clearly contemplating something.

Fengxi sat opposite him, his face showing a hint of disdain, though a trace of unease flickered in his eyes.

"Leilu, do you really think that female ninja is that troublesome?"

Fengxi broke the silence, his tone laced with skepticism.

Leilu looked up, his gaze heavy as he looked at him:

"Fengxi, don't underestimate her. A ninja capable of leading a team on a mission has at least the strength of a chunin. Furthermore, Konoha ninja are known for their teamwork and tactics. Although I am a chunin, I might not necessarily gain the upper hand in a direct confrontation."

Fengxi let out a cold snort, and the shuriken in his hand spun even faster:

"Hmph, so what if she's a chunin? It's not like we haven't killed chunin before. As long as we find a way to lure her away, the remaining brats are nothing to fear."

Leilu nodded, a flash of malice in his eyes:

"You're right. Our plan is simple—first, find a way to lure that female ninja away, then concentrate our strength to quickly eliminate those genin. By the time they react, we will have already succeeded. Afterward, we leave this place and start over somewhere else. This area has already been targeted by Konoha; staying any longer would be self-destruction."

Fengxi sneered:

"Exactly. Once we finish this job, we'll fly far away. No matter how strong Konoha's ninja are, they can't chase us to the ends of the earth."

Meanwhile, Amada, Asuma, and Kurenai were making their final preparations in the woods outside the village.

"Is everyone ready?"

Kushina asked, her gaze sweeping over the three students.

Amada nodded, his tone calm yet filled with confidence:

"We are ready, Teacher. We will act according to the plan."

Asuma clenched his fists:

"Finally, we can have a real fight! Leave those bandits to us!"

Kurenai appeared relatively calm today, seemingly having prepared herself for the battle.

Kushina smiled slightly and patted them on the shoulders:

"Very good, everyone's morale is high. However, remember one thing—actual combat is not a game, and the enemy will not show mercy. You must remain vigilant at all times, coordinate with each other, and never underestimate your opponent."

She paused, then continued:

"I will infiltrate the bandits' stronghold first to rescue the village chief's daughter. You are responsible for pinning down the main force of the bandits, especially those two rogue ninja."

The three replied in unison:

"Yes, Teacher!"

Kushina nodded, a hint of gratification flashing in her eyes.

"Then let's set out."

The bandits' stronghold was situated at a mine entrance within a valley, surrounded on all sides by towering rock walls.

At the only entrance, a few bandits stood guard listlessly.

The weapons in their hands rested casually on their shoulders; clearly, they lacked much vigilance.

Amada lurked in the woods outside the stronghold, carefully observing the situation ahead.

Asuma and Kurenai were crouched on either side of him.

Amada lowered his voice and said to the two of them:

"Those bandits at the gate are nothing more than ordinary people; they pose little threat. The real trouble is those two rogue ninjas. They are likely mixed in with the bandits, waiting for an opportunity to ambush us. If we rush in rashly, it will be easy for us to fall into a passive position."

Kurenai nodded and echoed softly:

"That's right, the enemy is in the dark while we are in the light, which is disadvantageous for us. We must find a way to lure them out."

Amada continued:

"I have a plan—we need someone to act as bait to draw all the bandits out. That way, not only can we distinguish which ones are ordinary bandits, but we can also force those two ninjas to reveal themselves and attack. Since I am the strongest among us, I will take on this dangerous bait mission."

No sooner had he finished speaking than Asuma immediately furrowed his brows, retorting with a face full of dissatisfaction:

"Hey, hey, what are you saying? I have never acknowledged that you are the strongest! Why should you be the one to act as bait? A showy task like this should obviously be mine!"

Amada feigned helplessness and shrugged his shoulders:

"Oh? Are you sure you can handle it? This is very dangerous; one slight mistake and you'll be surrounded."

Asuma's face flushed with agitation, and he said without hesitation:

"Don't look down on me! I'm no coward! Watch me!"

Before his voice had even faded, Asuma leaped up from the bushes where they were hiding and charged straight toward the bandits' stronghold.

Amada watched Asuma's back, secretly laughing to himself:

"As expected, kids are so easy to manipulate."

He had long anticipated that Asuma would be unconvinced, so he deliberately used reverse psychology to make him take on the bait mission voluntarily.

This way, he and Kurenai could seize the opportunity to find the ninjas hidden among the bandits and resolve the battle quickly.

Kurenai glanced at Amada, a hint of realization in her eyes:

"You had this planned all along, didn't you?"

Amada chuckled and responded in a low voice:

"There was no other way. Asuma's personality is too straightforward; if I didn't provoke him, he wouldn't be so obedient. Now, it's up to us."

Kurenai nodded, her expression becoming focused once again:

"Understood. I will find those two ninjas as quickly as possible."

The two of them quickly withdrew from their hiding spot and, using the cover of the woods, circled around to the other side of the stronghold.

At the same time, Asuma had already charged to the bandits' gate.