Kill Them All

Seeing the ugly expression on Yuehua Ai's face, Yahiko and the others exchanged glances, all of them seeing the same confusion in each other's eyes. What on earth had Yuehua Ai discovered to make him so furious?

They had come to understand Yuehua Ai's temperament; he was usually indifferent toward people and matters, showing his approachable side only to his companions. In the nearly two years they had spent together, they had never seen his expression look so ghastly—not even when they had encountered rogue ninjas in the past did his demeanor change as much as it did now.

"What did you find, Xiao Ai?" Konan asked, her voice laced with worry as she observed his unsettled state.

"Haa..." Yuehua Ai let out a long breath, forcing his emotions to steady. He disliked the idea of his own foul mood affecting or harming others.

"I just found something that put me in a very bad mood. Don't ask for now."

Yuehua Ai thought it over and decided against telling Konan what he had discovered. The scene was simply too cruel, and he did not want Konan and the others to see it and suffer psychological trauma. They were still youths who had barely seen blood; the last time Nagato had killed a rogue Rain Ninja, it had happened while he was unconscious. If they were to suddenly witness such a tragic sight, they would surely struggle to adapt.

"The tunnel in the cave is about forty meters long. There are eleven of them. I didn't sense any traces of chakra on them, so they should all be ordinary people. However, they are armed, so we cannot be careless. We must proceed with caution!"

Yuehua Ai stopped at the cave entrance and pressed himself against the rock wall, signaling the others to hide. He whispered the intelligence he had gathered, both to inform the youths of the enemy's strength and to divert their attention.

"Eleven, huh!" Yahiko nodded. Dealing with a dozen ordinary people was well within their capabilities.

"Let's go!" Seeing that Yuehua Ai ultimately wouldn't say what he had seen, Konan didn't press him further.

Without another word, Yahiko took the lead. The group concealed their figures one by one and slipped into the cave tunnel.

The tunnel at the entrance was nearly two meters high and wide enough for five or six people to walk abreast. The group lightened their footsteps, held their breath, and moved along the stone wall at a steady pace. The light at the entrance was decent, but after they had hidden their figures and moved less than twenty meters inside, the light became extremely dim.

The sudden darkness made everyone slightly uncomfortable. The tunnel was not straight but rather winding, preventing much of the outside light from reaching them. Though it was pitch black, it wasn't entirely devoid of light; deep within the tunnel, there was a faint glow—a campfire lit by the bandits, which served as a guide for the group.

Within a few breaths, the group reached the depths of the tunnel. Yahiko signaled for everyone to pause. He leaned his back against the stone wall and carefully poked his head out.

Unlike the narrow tunnel, what appeared before his eyes was a massive space, nearly a hundred meters in length and width, with a ceiling over ten meters high. This vast area was divided into four sections by stone pillars that reached the ceiling.

It was actually a hollowed-out mountain belly—a rare find indeed!

Yahiko glanced around briefly and roughly deduced the purpose of the four areas. The largest section was the one connected to the tunnel, which appeared to be their activity area. Another smaller section was filled with miscellaneous items, likely their storage area. Additionally, a significant portion of the floor was covered in bedding and mats, clearly their sleeping quarters.

The final area was the furthest away, and Yahiko couldn't see it clearly, but he guessed it was likely where they ate.

After surveying the environment, Yahiko focused his attention on the group of people. Although intelligence suggested they were bandits, their true identities—whether they were robbers or ordinary villagers—remained unclear. Yuehua Ai had sensed them earlier but hadn't provided details. Because their identities were uncertain, Yahiko felt it was best to confirm who they were before taking action.

Because the firelight inside was bright, Yahiko didn't dare observe them for too long, but after just a few glances, he felt they were not good people.

"Sigh, the resistance from those villages has been getting fiercer lately. Not only are we getting less loot, but the day before yesterday, even Mao Hou was beaten to death by that bunch of lowly peasants."

A sigh echoed as a middle-aged bandit poked at the campfire, lamenting their situation.

"Hmph, Mao Hou seemed clever enough, but he always lost his head whenever he saw a woman. He brought this on himself this time. Doesn't he know that even a rabbit will bite when pushed into a corner? Playing with a man's daughter right in front of her father—he really had some nerve!"

A disdainful voice rang out; it seemed he hadn't been on good terms with Mao Hou.

"That monkey deserved to be beaten to death with sticks. He actually tried to keep the spoils for himself behind our backs. Heh, not only did he lose his life, but we ended up taking all the benefits. You have to admit, that woman tasted pretty good. No wonder the monkey was playing his little games!"

A bandit sitting cross-legged on the ground said with schadenfreude. After speaking, he licked his lips, his face full of lewd smiles as he reminisced.

"Alright, enough about Mao Hou. You bastards only think about women all day. The hostility from those villages is very strong right now; we need to think carefully about what to do next."

A gloomy voice interrupted the conversation. Through the flickering firelight, Yahiko saw a sturdy, middle-aged man with a vicious face covered in scars.

"What else can we do? There are only so many villages nearby, and there's a war going on everywhere else. Since we can't leave this place, as long as we don't go raiding with great fanfare, it shouldn't be a big problem!"

"Right, right. From now on, we only act at night. We'll find one village and rob one household. We only hit one house; most of the other peasants will think it's none of their business, and that way we won't be swarmed by them."

"Kazuma is right, Boss. As long as we don't provoke too many people at once and instead use guerrilla tactics, we shouldn't have to worry about the villagers organizing to wipe us out."

The man addressed as Boss was the gloomy one who had spoken earlier. Hearing the others' discussion, he felt it made sense.

"Hmm, Kazuma's idea is good. A whole village is hard to mess with, but we can certainly rob a single household within one."

"If the Boss agrees, then there's no problem. By the way, Tengma, you used to be from a village nearby. Do you know which families still have pretty women? The ones from before were all played to death by you, and I've been feeling stifled these past few days!"

Hearing his companion complain, the bandit called Tengma immediately retorted with dissatisfaction: "What do you mean 'played to death by me'? A woman is near death after being used by a dozen of you! I was just helping them find relief. Besides, if they fell into the hands of you perverts, it would be much worse than falling into mine!"

"Yo, yo, yo, Tengma, you can actually say such disgusting things? You're the most perverted one when it comes to women!" Another bandit who hadn't spoken yet couldn't help but tease him upon hearing Tengma's words.

"Sigh, a bunch of idiots with nothing but lust in their brains." As the leader of the bandits, Tōkichi considered himself to have some ambition. His original plan had been to gather a force during these chaotic times and carve out a foundation to become a local warlord. Who would have thought that the group he organized would be so devoid of ambition, thinking only of raiding and looting all day? It turned a man of vision like himself, who yearned for fame and success, into a bandit leader that everyone wanted to kill.

However, although the reputation of a bandit was poor, the experience itself was quite good. Being a bandit meant being unrestrained and doing whatever one pleased. Even Widow Wang, whom he had coveted for years, had been ravaged to death by him. From that moment on, he truly grew to love his current identity; the feeling of being able to wantonly control the life and death of others was simply too good.

Just as the group of bandits was excitedly planning which village to raid that night, Yahiko and the others, who had been hiding for a long time, found it difficult to endure the anger in their hearts.

"Who's there?" Hearing the sudden sound of footsteps, the bandit leader Tōkichi became alert instantly. In his youth, he had served as a guard for a city lord, so he remained vigilant against sudden noises.

Hearing Tōkichi's shout, the other bandits also became alert, all of them shifting their gazes toward the entrance. But when they saw the few figures entering, they all felt a sense of relief. It was just a few little brats; they had been worried that someone had come to wipe them out.

Looking at the appearance of Yuehua Ai and the others, the bandits exchanged glances and couldn't help but burst into laughter, thinking how embarrassing it was that they had been so jumpy just a moment ago.

"There's a girl!" one bandit couldn't help but shout. In fact, not just him, but the rest of the bandits had long since locked their eyes on Konan. It was worth noting that Konan was not only wearing light makeup but also wore her hair in a princess style, completely different from the manga, which made her already delicate face look even more refined. Her beautiful brows were slightly furrowed, her lips tightly pressed, and her fair skin seemed like translucent white jade under the firelight.

The bandits who had been sitting cross-legged couldn't help but stand up. They licked their lips, their lewd gazes scanning Konan wantonly. Their expressions were like jackals eyeing a tender little rabbit.

"Who are you people?" As the leader, Tōkichi retained more rationality than the other bandits. While the others were staring at Konan, he carefully scrutinized everyone. Two boys, one girl, and a small child—how could such a group appear here? This was a desolate mountain, not a place to take shelter from the rain. Moreover, looking closely at their expressions, although they were angry, there wasn't a hint of panic.

These suddenly appearing individuals were definitely not ordinary youths; they were likely here with ill intent! Thinking of this, Tōkichi suddenly had an ominous premonition. To have such courage at such a young age—could they be ninjas?!

Thinking of this possibility, Tōkichi couldn't help but feel a bit flustered. Those were ninjas! He had witnessed the power of ninjas before.

"You aren't ninjas, are you?" Although he didn't see the youths wearing ninja headbands, their calm and unmoving demeanor was highly unusual. Before the youths could answer his previous question, Tōkichi couldn't help but ask another. Although he tried his best to keep his voice steady, Yuehua Ai keenly sensed a tremor in his tone.

"Ninjas!?" Before Yuehua Ai and the others could react to Tōkichi's question, the other bandits, hearing their leader's words, couldn't help but have their expressions change drastically.

Ninjas? Those little brats? Were they joking?

"You don't need to know who we are; just know that you're going to die here." Yuehua Ai couldn't be bothered with psychological warfare against these bandits who had long since forfeited their humanity.

"What? You little brat, say that again if you have the guts! I'm going to skin you alive, piece by piece!"

Although Yuehua Ai tried to keep his voice cold and stern, it couldn't mask the slightly milky, childish tone of his youth. Hearing the threat in his words, one of the bandits lost his temper and exploded.

"Hmph!" Yuehua Ai didn't care for the man's threats in the slightest. With a cold snort, he lunged forward, striking first.

"They really are ninjas!!!" Seeing Yuehua Ai instantly draw a kunai, one of the bandits shouted in alarm.

"What are you afraid of? Even if they are ninjas, they're just a bunch of little brats right now! Pick up your weapons, let's hack them to death!" Seeing the others acting as if they were facing a formidable enemy—some even looking like they wanted to retreat—Tōkichi couldn't help but roar. If they backed down now instead of fighting, they were truly finished!

"That's right, listen to the boss! Brothers, let's fight them!" No ordinary person would dare underestimate a ninja. As Yuehua Ai made his move, the bandits scattered to grab their weapons.

"Naive!" Seeing Yuehua Ai engage, Yahiko and the others wouldn't be left behind. As the bandits scrambled for their weapons, Nagato and Konan simultaneously threw shuriken, while Yahiko drew his blade and charged.

"Aaaahhh!!!" A chorus of wails erupted in the cave. Under the shuriken fire from Konan and Nagato, at least five or six bandits were struck in their arms or legs, and Yahiko instantly cut down two more. However, whether it was Yahiko, Nagato, or Konan, they only wounded their opponents, carefully avoiding any vital points.

Seeing so many companions fall in an instant, Tōkichi was filled with shock and rage. Watching Yuehua Ai charge toward him with a kunai, he let out a low growl, drew the katana at his waist, and crouched to strike at the boy.

For an ordinary person, the bandit leader's attack was fast, precise, and ruthless. Having once served as a bodyguard for a high-ranking figure, this draw-and-strike technique fully displayed his swordsmanship.

Unfortunately, an attack that would be nearly impossible for an ordinary person to dodge was nothing in the eyes of Yuehua Ai.

Yuehua Ai leaned back in a bridge-like maneuver to dodge the slash, then twisted his body in mid-air. He planted one hand on the ground, used the momentum to swing his legs up, and delivered a fierce kick to the man's lower abdomen.

Just as Tōkichi's body instinctively curled up from the impact, Yuehua Ai, who had landed in a half-crouch, surged into the man's guard and drove his kunai into the right side of his chest.

"Ugh, ah!!" Tōkichi let out a muffled groan followed by a miserable scream. He hunched over on the ground like a shrimp, one hand clutching his abdomen while the other pressed against the wound, pinning the kunai embedded in his chest.

Seeing that the man had lost the ability to resist, Yuehua Ai didn't deliver the killing blow immediately, instead turning his attention to the next target.

After all, they were just ordinary people; the other bandits were far less skilled than Tōkichi. In less than thirty seconds, all eleven of them were lying on the ground, stripped of their ability to fight back.

Once the bandits no longer dared to resist, Yuehua Ai and his companions gathered together.

"How should we deal with these people? Should we hand them over to the village?" Konan asked, frowning as she looked at the groaning bandits on the floor.

"Uh..." Konan's question left Yahiko feeling a bit dazed. As the nominal leader of the group, he hadn't actually considered this beforehand.

"They..." The sight of the bright red blood under the flickering firelight and the pungent smell of iron made Nagato feel uneasy. Seeing this, he was reminded of the Rain Exile Ninja he had killed earlier.

Yuehua Ai had already made up his mind on how to handle the bandits, but before he could speak, the bandits heard that Yahiko and the others didn't intend to kill them immediately. They scrambled to their knees, weeping and wailing as they begged for mercy.

Seeing them crying so pitifully, a flicker of pity stirred within Yahiko and the others.

Perhaps they should just hand them over to the villagers. It would be a bit of a hassle, but compared to not knowing how to punish them themselves, leaving them to the villagers' judgment seemed like a decent choice.

Just as Yahiko and the others were leaning toward handing the bandits over to the villagers, Yuehua Ai spoke up:

"Do you remember why Jiraiya-sensei gave us this mission?"

"Uh..." Yahiko and Nagato were confused by Yuehua Ai's sudden question, but Konan was the first to react.

"I remember. Jiraiya-sensei said it was a test for us."

Yuehua Ai nodded. "Do you think defeating these guys counts as a test?"

"Uh... I suppose you're right. They're just ordinary people. It might be difficult for the villagers, but for us, it really isn't much of a test!"

Hearing Yahiko's words, Nagato and Konan also felt it made sense.

"Then, Ai, what exactly is Jiraiya-sensei's goal?" Nagato couldn't help but ask, puzzled.

"Being a ninja is a profession that exists alongside slaughter. As ninjas, the things that will accompany us the most, aside from our companions, are death."

"Jiraiya-sensei arranged for us to wipe out these bandits and told us to handle it ourselves—it's very likely he wants us to learn how to kill."

"Ah, Ai, why would you think that?" Nagato found the idea difficult to accept. Yahiko, however, frowned, his face thoughtful.

"Then, Ai, how do you suggest we deal with them?" Although she had already guessed Yuehua Ai's decision, Konan bit her lip and asked him anyway.

Yuehua Ai turned to meet Konan's hesitant gaze. He took her hand and offered a comforting smile, signaling that he was perfectly fine.

"Konan, I always act based on cause and effect. Fairness and justice are things I have always practiced. My decision for them is absolutely the most appropriate one."

"Then... them?"

"As for them? These guys who have already lost the qualifications to be human—the best way to deal with them is simply to kill them all."