First Battle!

After leaving the village, the four of them—Shita Genichi, Hatake Sakumo, Uchiha Namiichi, and Yamanaka En—headed northeast, leaping through the dense forest.

It was Shita Genichi's first time leaving the village, but there was nothing particularly remarkable about it.

The Land of Fire had countless forests just like this, tall and thick with trees.

The four didn't travel particularly fast. They took an hour-long break at noon, then camped in a patch of woods beside a river at nightfall.

They still hadn't left the Land of Fire.

The four split into two groups to take turns keeping watch. Shita Genichi and Hatake Sakumo formed one group, while Uchiha Namiichi and Yamanaka En formed the other.

The night passed without incident.

At dawn the next day, after eating fish soup and grilled fish, the four set off again. A little after three in the afternoon, they left the Land of Fire and entered a small country.

The Land of Rice!

It was a small country Shita Genichi had never even heard of.

It was famous throughout the Ninja World for its fragrant rice, which was how it got its name.

The Land of Rice had no hidden village, so all its missions were entrusted to Konoha.

A band of thieves had recently set up in the mountains, often coming down to steal fragrant rice. That was why this mission had been issued.

At dusk,

the four arrived at a village nestled at the foot of a mountain.

Once they entered, Shita Genichi and the others noticed that the villagers were avoiding them.

Some children peeked at them, only to be quietly scolded by their parents and taken back inside.

Before long, the whole village looked deserted.

Uchiha Namiichi gave a snort. "What, do these people think we're bandits?"

Shita Genichi looked around, thoughtful.

Yamanaka En said, "Captain, should we find a villager and ask what's going on?"

Hatake Sakumo knew there were two possible meanings behind the question.

They could ask politely.

Or, naturally, they could use a secret technique or Genjutsu to make someone talk.

According to the information provided by the Land of Rice's Daimyo Palace, the bandits were hiding in these mountains.

Hatake Sakumo didn't answer. Instead, he looked at Shita Genichi. "Genichi, what do you think?"

Shita Genichi said, "The villagers might be afraid of us, but they're probably even more afraid of those bandits."

"The Land of Rice must have sent samurai before hiring us, but they lost—maybe even got wiped out. The bandits may have retaliated against the villagers, too."

"It's also possible that the bandits have people like us among them."

"People like us?" Yamanaka En asked. "Ninjas wearing Forehead Protectors?"

Shita Genichi nodded. "And I suspect the bandits have an informant in the village."

Uchiha Namiichi said at once, "Then we find him and use Genjutsu to get the information."

It was a straightforward approach, and it would work.

But Hatake Sakumo didn't agree. Instead, he asked Shita Genichi again, "What do you think?"

"What Namiichi said is perfectly viable, but we've just traveled here, and we're not at our best."

"Besides, we don't know the situation here or the terrain in the mountains."

"Even if we use Genjutsu to get information, we won't be able to draw out everything."

"So I think we should let them come to us."

"We rest, let the informant go warn the bandits, and wait for them to come and kill us."

"What if there isn't an informant in the village?" Yamanaka En asked.

"If the Land of Rice has dealt with these bandits before, then if they're even halfway smart, they'll have planted an informant here—even if they didn't put one of their own people in the village."

Would anyone in the village refuse?

Maybe.

But faced with the bandits' blades and threats, even those who refused would have to agree.

As they spoke, the four reached the end of the village. A small river flowed past with a soft rush.

Hatake Sakumo said at once, "We'll camp and rest by the river."

"If the bandits come to us, we'll take them out and leave one alive to question."

"If they don't show tonight, we'll go into the mountains at dawn."

Since the villagers were so afraid, Hatake Sakumo had no intention of getting information from them. They would search the mountains for the bandits themselves the next day.

Shita Genichi and the other two obeyed. They built a bonfire beside the river.

Shita Genichi and Yamanaka En caught fish, while Uchiha Namiichi grilled them. Along with Military Ration Pills, it made a hearty meal. Then the four took turns resting in pairs.

Before they knew it, the moon was bright and the stars were sparse.

"They're here!"

Shita Genichi had been resting with his eyes closed when someone suddenly nudged him awake. It was Yamanaka En.

Shita Genichi's eyes adjusted to the light, but he still couldn't see or hear anyone approaching.

"Just came down the mountain," Yamanaka En whispered. "Eight of them."

Shita Genichi nodded, then flashed onto the river's surface and formed Hand Seals.

Water Clone Technique!

The river water surged upward, gathering into a Water Clone.

The clone immediately slipped back to where Shita Genichi had been resting against a rock.

As for the real Shita Genichi, he hid underwater.

By the bonfire, Yamanaka En and Uchiha Namiichi remained on guard. Hatake Sakumo was lying off to one side, as if he had no idea the bandits were coming to kill them.

A moment later, faint footsteps sounded from the darkness.

"Who's there?"

Uchiha Namiichi deliberately shouted.

The next instant, several shuriken whistled through the air, flying straight toward the four of them.

Uchiha Namiichi's eyes turned red. He drew his sword and knocked the shuriken aside.

Shita Genichi and the other two dodged.

"It's an Uchiha! Two of you, attack him!"

A shout rang out from the darkness.

Two figures lunged at Uchiha Namiichi. Three more charged at Hatake Sakumo, Yamanaka En, and Shita Genichi's Water Clone.

"Die, brat!"

The man charging Shita Genichi looked especially savage in the flickering light of the bonfire.

He carried a long sword and wore a Forehead Protector, but he wasn't a rogue ninja.

Shita Genichi didn't recognize the symbol.

But it didn't matter.

He lowered his stance and rested his right hand on his sword hilt.

As the enemy's blade came slashing down like a streak of light, Shita Genichi drew his sword in a flash.

Clang!

The two blades collided, sparks flying.

Shita Genichi blocked the enemy's heavy strike, then followed through with a slash that cut the man's sword in two.

The enemy's eyes widened in alarm. He pushed off and leaped backward.

At the same time, Shita Genichi sprang forward. He swiftly sheathed his sword, then drew it again just as fast.

Pfft!

Blood sprayed through the moonlight.

The enemy's eyes widened as blood burst from his chest.

That sword strike had been too fast!

Shita Genichi landed, then immediately sensed danger.

A fierce gale swept toward him from the side.

From the end of the village!

The five attackers from before had come from the north. Now the attack was coming from the east.

The enemy had split into two groups.

Shita Genichi immediately sprang aside to dodge, but the Wind Release covered too wide an area. The fierce wind hissed against him, slicing through his clothes and flesh.

Thump!

Shita Genichi's body collapsed into a stream of water.

"Water Clone!"

Five or six meters from the river, a middle-aged man paled in the moonlight.

Then he saw someone standing on the river's surface. Water spun rapidly around him and surged upward, forming a massive column.

In an instant, the river ran dry.

Rumble!

The water surged onto the bank in a raging torrent.

The middle-aged man's expression changed. He didn't know Earth Release, and faced with a Water Release like this, he could only wait until the torrent was nearly upon him before leaping into the air to evade its most dangerous force.

He landed on the water's surface, but the wave behind him came crashing down again.

The middle-aged man had already finished forming Hand Seals. He opened his mouth and blew, unleashing a gale that scattered the wave.

But then the water behind him surged back.

Caught off guard, the middle-aged man was slammed underwater. He swallowed several mouthfuls and felt pain throughout his body.

Once the water settled, the middle-aged man surfaced. Shita Genichi's icy blade was already resting against his neck.