The Bandits' Hideout

Amada carefully reported all the information he had gathered, especially the details about the village chief's family being taken hostage.

"The bandits kidnapped the village chief's daughter and are using her to threaten him, forcing him to cooperate with them. If we don't act soon, his family could be in danger."

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

"The situation is clear. We'll move out first thing tomorrow morning. The plan is simple—I'll infiltrate the bandits' hideout and rescue the hostage. You'll deal with the bandits and their ninja. This is your first time facing real enemies, and it'll be a good chance to develop your combat skills."

Asuma's eyes immediately lit up with excitement.

He clenched his fists, his voice brimming with barely contained enthusiasm.

"Finally, I get to show what I can do! I'll make those bandits see just how formidable I, Sarutobi Asuma, am!"

Amada tried to reassure Kurenai, who seemed a little frightened.

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

At once, Asuma added,

"I won't let anyone hurt Kurenai."

Only then did Kurenai manage a slight smile.

"I can fight too, you know."

Kushina looked at her three students, a faint, pleased smile on her face.

She clapped her hands.

"Good. You're all fired up. But remember—real combat is no game, and the enemy won't go easy on you. Stay alert at all times, work together, and never underestimate them."

Meanwhile, the atmosphere inside the bandits' hideout was unusually tense.

The bandits' leader—a burly man with a scar across his face—

sat in a crude wooden chair, idly turning a sharp kunai in his hand.

His eyes were cold and sinister, and a sneer tugged at his lips.

He was Leilu, a rogue ninja from Kumogakure. He had once been a Chunin, but had defected because he was dissatisfied with the village's system.

His companion, Fengxi, had defected alongside him. Fengxi was a ninja skilled in Wind Release.

Leilu sat in the dim room, the kunai in his hand glinting coldly in the candlelight.

His brows were furrowed and his gaze was heavy, as though he were deep in thought.

Fengling sat across from him, looking disdainful, though a trace of unease showed in her eyes.

"Leilu, do you really think that kunoichi is that much of a threat?"

Fengling broke the silence, sounding doubtful.

Leilu raised his head and regarded her gravely.

"Fengling, don't underestimate her. Any ninja leading a mission must be at least a Chunin. Besides, Konoha's ninja are known for teamwork and tactics. I may be a Chunin, but I'm not sure I'd come out on top in a direct fight."

Fengling snorted, spinning the shuriken in her hand even faster.

"Hmph. So what if she's a Chunin? It's not like we've never killed one before. We just need to lure her away. The brats left behind won't be any trouble."

Leilu nodded, a cruel glint in his eyes.

"You're right. Our plan is simple—first, we lure the kunoichi away, then concentrate our forces and take out the Genin quickly. By the time they realize what's happening, we'll already have won. After that, we'll leave and start over somewhere else. Konoha's already got its eye on this place. If we stay, we'll only be asking for trouble."

Fengxi let out a cold laugh.

"Exactly. Once we've finished this job, we'll disappear. No matter how powerful 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 her three students.

Amada nodded, his voice calm but confident.

"We're ready, Sensei. We'll follow the plan."

Asuma clenched his fists.

"Finally, we get to cut loose! Leave those bandits to us!"

Kurenai seemed calmer today, and looked ready for battle as well.

Kushina smiled faintly and patted them on the shoulders.

"Good. You're all fired up. But remember—real combat is no game, and the enemy won't go easy on you. Stay alert at all times, work together, and never underestimate them."

She paused, then continued,

"I'll infiltrate the hideout first and rescue the village chief's daughter. You'll keep the bandits' main force occupied, especially the two rogue ninja."

The three answered in unison,

"Yes, Sensei!"

Kushina nodded, a hint of satisfaction in her eyes.

"Then let's go."

The bandits' hideout lay in a mine in the valley, surrounded by towering cliffs.

A few bandits stood guard at the only entrance,

their weapons slung carelessly over their shoulders. They clearly weren't very alert.

Amada lay hidden in the woods outside the hideout, carefully watching what lay ahead.

Asuma and Kurenai crouched on either side of him.

Keeping his voice low, Amada said to them,

"The bandits at the entrance are just ordinary people. They're not much of a threat. The real problem is the two rogue ninja. They may be hiding among the bandits, waiting to ambush us. If we charge in recklessly, we could easily end up at a disadvantage."

Kurenai nodded and quietly agreed.

"Right. They're hidden, while we're exposed. That puts us at a disadvantage. We need to find a way to draw them out."

Amada continued,

"I have a plan—we need one person to act as bait and draw all the bandits out. That way, we can tell which ones are ordinary bandits and force the two ninja to reveal themselves. Since I'm the strongest among us, I'll take on the dangerous bait role."

As soon as he finished, Asuma frowned and objected indignantly.

"Hey, what are you talking about? I've never agreed that you're the strongest! Why should you be the bait? If anyone gets to show off, it should be me!"

Amada shrugged, feigning helplessness.

"Oh? Are you sure you can handle it? It's dangerous. One wrong move and you could end up surrounded."

Asuma flushed at the provocation and answered without hesitation.

"Don't underestimate me! I'm no coward! Just watch!"

Before he had even finished speaking, Asuma sprang out of the grass where he had been hiding and charged straight toward the bandits' hideout.

Watching Asuma's retreating figure, Amada chuckled to himself.

Just as I thought. Kids are so easy to manipulate.

He had known Asuma would be too proud to accept the suggestion, so he had deliberately provoked him into taking on the role of bait.

That would let him and Kurenai find the ninja hiding among the bandits and end the fight quickly.

Kurenai glanced at Amada, a knowing look in her eyes.

"You had this planned from the start, didn't you?"

Amada gave a soft laugh and replied quietly,

"I couldn't help it. Asuma is too straightforward. He wouldn't have listened otherwise. Now it's up to us."

Kurenai nodded, her expression focused once more.

"Understood. I'll find those two ninja as quickly as I can."

The two quickly slipped away from their hiding place and circled around to the other side of the hideout, using the woods for cover.

Meanwhile, Asuma had already reached the bandits' entrance.