Killing

"Ki-Killing people?"

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

"Ninja missions are completely different from the ninja games you used to play. Do not be softhearted. If you encounter danger, I will not save you."

It was practically an ultimatum. Orochimaru looked at Uchiha You, telling him to take the two of them and carry out the mission.

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

Anything could happen during this mission.

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

You was the core of the mission and the one making the plan. As the captain, he had to ensure the mission was completed while also protecting his teammates. With those two burdens on his shoulders, Uchiha You nodded to himself and instructed Hyuga Reiko:

"Reiko, activate your Byakugan and observe the surroundings."

Hyuga Reiko adjusted her mindset. Veins bulged 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 men, he quickly formulated a plan.

"It is noon now. We will act tonight. Reiko and I both have eye-related Bloodline Limits, so darkness will not affect us much. Nawaki and Reiko specialize in taijutsu, so you two will handle the frontal fight. I will be responsible for assassination!"

With the plan made, slaughter became unavoidable.

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

Orochimaru stood behind them. He claimed he would not care about their safety, but he had actually followed them all the way, silently protecting the three of them. He had even prepared himself to clean up their mess.

After hearing Uchiha You's plan, he gave a slight nod of approval.

"Though somewhat immature, it is undeniably enough to handle the current situation."

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

Assassination and kunai were the perfect match. Uchiha You's figure melted into the darkness as he made a hand signal.

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

"Damn bad luck. Why am I the one patrolling tonight? Every time I patrol, I run into wild beasts."

"What are you whining about? It is your turn. Were you hoping to stay under the covers with your wife? You brat are always trying to slack off."

"Keep it down. You are too damn noisy in the middle of the night."

The five chatted back and forth until one of their companions suddenly fell silent. The patrolman beside him turned his head to look.

Crack!

Uchiha You killed the final patrolman in the shortest time possible. Then he leaped forward, 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 as well.

"Enemies!"

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

Reiko's Gentle Fist struck one man in the chest, and he collapsed at once.

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

"Not good!"

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

Only one person remained. He had no fireworks on him, and he was frozen with fright.

Crack!

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

"I hope there will be no more mistakes in the rest of this mission. If that man had fired the signal flare just now, we would have had to face forty-five bandits on the mountain."

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

His words carried an obvious warning. You allowed mistakes, after all. This was their first mission, and they were just children who had graduated from 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 effort consumed a great deal of stamina.

"Don't worry, You. I will not 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 just made and infiltrate the stronghold.

"Whew!"

The torches burning inside the stronghold were the only source of light. The three hid in the darkness, while a faint One-Tomoe pattern appeared in You's eyes.

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

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

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

Under the Byakugan, everything was reflected in Reiko's eyes. She noticed the only weakness among the ten men and quietly reminded them:

"The person in the far corner is not sleeping with the others. We can kill him first."

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

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

She silently apologized in her heart, then drove the kunai in her hand directly into the man's throat. He woke in shock from his sleep, but he died too quickly to make more than a muffled grunt. The other nine, still asleep, were not awakened.

After dealing with the man on the outermost side, the three moved to their respective targets, and their kunai fell at the same time.

But this time, the commotion was greater than before.

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

"Assassins!"

The remaining six were all awakened. Fortunately, everything remained under control. Uchiha You was the fastest.

He threw three kunai in rapid succession, striking their hearts. Nawaki was only slightly slower, finishing his target with a single punch.

Not to be outdone, Reiko also killed her enemy in the shortest time possible.

The children of great clans all understood ninja missions. After their transformation, they had to become qualified ninja.

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

Unfortunately, the commotion was still too great, and the remaining bandits woke up.

"Quick! Kill as many as possible before the thirty-five of them gather!"

Uchiha You stopped hiding and aimed at a nearby house. The Byakugan had already revealed the bandits' positions inside.

Fire Release! Great Fireball Technique!

A massive fireball erupted from You's mouth and struck the house. The wooden structure caught fire, and the raging flames buried those inside who had not yet managed to escape.