Killing

"Ki-Killing?"

Hyuga Reiko could hardly believe her ears and thought she had misheard, but Orochimaru repeated himself in a commanding tone:

"A ninja's missions are completely different from the ninja games you used to play. Don't be softhearted. If you encounter danger, I will not save you."

It was practically an ultimatum. Orochimaru looked at Uchiha Yū, telling him to lead the other two on the mission.

The two arrived halfway up the mountain, their hearts filled with unease. This was Uchiha Yū's first mission. Killing would make him uncomfortable, but he had prepared himself in advance.

Anything could happen on this mission.

Killing people was indeed in line with Orochimaru's character.

You would take the lead during the mission and devise the plan. As captain, he had to ensure the mission's success while also protecting his teammates. With those two burdens on his shoulders, Uchiha Yū nodded to himself and instructed Hyuga Reiko:

"Reiko, activate your Byakugan and observe the surrounding area."

Hyuga Reiko steadied herself. Veins rose around her eyes, and the Byakugan allowed her to observe the movements throughout the entire bandit stronghold.

"There are fifty people in total. There are also some women and children inside the stronghold."

You directly ignored the women and children. After asking about the distribution of the fifty people, he quickly formulated a plan.

"It's noon now. We'll move tonight. Reiko and I both possess eye-related bloodline limits, so darkness won't affect us much. Nawaki and Reiko, your abilities lean toward taijutsu. You'll handle the frontal confrontation, while I handle the assassinations!"

With the plan set, bloodshed was inevitable.

The three hid in the trees without speaking. It was their first time killing someone. Even though they had known it was unavoidable, it still felt strange.

Orochimaru was behind them. Though he had said he would not concern himself with their safety, he had silently followed the three of them all the way, protecting them and even preparing to clean up any mess they made.

After hearing Uchiha Yū's plan, he nodded slightly in approval.

"Though somewhat immature, it is undeniably sufficient for dealing with the current situation."

They began carrying out the plan after nightfall. Uchiha Yū had no intention of using Fire Style ninjutsu. It could clear out the small fry quickly, but it would expose their position.

Assassination and kunai were the perfect combination. Uchiha Yū melted into the darkness and made a hand signal.

It meant for the other two to move ahead and deal with the patrol outside first.

"Damn it, why did I get patrol duty tonight? Every time I patrol, I run into wild animals."

"What are you complaining about? It's your turn. Were you hoping to stay in bed and cuddle your wife? You're always trying to slack off."

"Keep it down. You're noisy as hell in the middle of the night."

The five chatted back and forth until one companion behind them suddenly fell silent. The patrolman beside him turned around to look.

Crack!

Uchiha Yū killed the last patrolman in the shortest possible time. Then, with a leap, he landed beside another man and drove the kunai in his hand into the man's throat.

Blood ran over You's hand as Reiko and Nawaki arrived.

"Enemies!"

The three remaining men came to their senses and saw that two of their companions were dead. They tried to fire a signal.

Reiko's Gentle Fist struck one man in the chest, and he fell immediately.

Unfortunately, Nawaki made a mistake. When he attacked to kill his opponent, the man dodged.

"Not good!"

You used the Substitution Technique to switch places with a branch behind the enemy, then finished him with a kunai strike from behind.

Only one man remained. He had no signal flare on him, and he was frozen with fright.

Crack!

He killed the enemy without mercy. In less than a minute, all five men had died by their hands.

"I hope there won't be any more mistakes in the rest of this mission. If that man had fired the flare just now, we would have had to face forty-five bandits on the mountain."

"With our current stamina and chakra reserves, there would be absolutely no chance of winning."

The warning in his words was obvious. You allowed them to make mistakes. This was their first mission, and they were just children who had left the Ninja Academy. Killing was not only a challenge to their mental limits, but also to their physical limits.

Sweat was visible on both their faces. High-intensity bursts of action consumed a great deal of stamina.

"Don't worry, You. I won't make another mistake."

Nawaki clenched his fists. At that moment, he understood that his mistake could bring unimaginable trouble to the team.

All they needed to do next was follow the plan they had made and infiltrate the stronghold.

"Whew!"

The torches burning within the stronghold were the only source of light. The three hid in the darkness, while a single tomoe faintly appeared in You's eyes.

"Deal with the people in the eastern house first."

Ten people were sleeping in the east. Since they were gathered together, it was impossible to kill them without causing a disturbance.

Reiko and Nawaki followed behind Uchiha Yū, silently jumping onto the roof. Through the gaps, they could see the layout inside.

Everything was reflected in Reiko's eyes beneath the Byakugan. Noticing the only weakness among the ten, she whispered:

"The person in the far corner isn't sleeping with the others. We can kill him first."

She took a deep breath. After the brief baptism of blood, she had changed somewhat.

At least her gaze was no longer timid and hesitant. Having steeled herself, Reiko flipped into the room.

She silently apologized in her heart and drove the kunai in her hand straight into the man's throat. He woke from his sleep, but the killing happened too quickly. He only let out a muffled groan, and the other nine remained asleep.

After dealing with the outermost man, the three each moved to someone's side, and their kunai fell at the same time.

This time, however, the commotion was greater than before.

Some of them groggily woke from their sleep and opened their eyes to see the scene.

"Assassins!"

The remaining six were all jolted awake. Fortunately, everything was still under control. Uchiha Yū was the fastest.

He threw three kunai in rapid succession, each striking an opponent's heart. Nawaki was only slightly slower, finishing his opponent with a single punch.

Reiko refused to be outdone and killed her enemy in the shortest time as well.

The youths of great clans all knew what a ninja's missions entailed. After their transformation, they had to become qualified ninjas.

The sole remaining man fled in blind panic, smashing through the door. You instantly appeared behind him and punched him in the chest.

Unfortunately, the commotion was still too great, waking the remaining bandits.

"Quick! Before the thirty-five of them gather, kill as many as possible!"

Uchiha Yū no longer hid himself. The Byakugan had already mapped out the bandits' positions in the nearby houses.

Fire Style! Great Fireball Technique!

A massive fireball burst from You's mouth and crashed into a house. The wooden structure ignited, and the roaring flames buried those inside who had not yet managed to escape.