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. Do not be softhearted. If you encounter danger, I will not save you."

It was practically a final ultimatum. Orochimaru looked toward Uchiha Yuu, instructing him to lead the other two on the mission.

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

Anything could happen on this mission.

Killing was indeed in line with Orochimaru's character.

Yuu would take the lead during the mission and formulate the plan. As captain, he needed to ensure the mission's success while also protecting his teammates. Those two burdens rested on his shoulders. Uchiha Yuu 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 bandits' stronghold.

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

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

"It's noon now. We'll act at night. Reiko and I both have eye-related Kekkei Genkai, so darkness will not affect us much. Nawaki and Reiko, your abilities lean toward taijutsu. You will handle the frontal confrontation, while I handle the assassinations!"

With the plan decided, slaughter became inevitable.

The three hid in the trees without speaking. It was their first time killing someone, and even though they had known beforehand, they could not help feeling unsettled.

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

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

"Though somewhat immature, it is undeniably sufficient for the situation at hand."

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

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

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

"Damn it, why am I the one patrolling tonight? Every time I patrol, I run into wild beasts."

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

"Keep it down. You're making too much noise in the middle of the night."

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

Crack!

Uchiha Yuu killed the final patrolman in the shortest possible time. Then he leaped down beside another man and plunged the kunai in his hand into the man's neck.

Blood flowed over Yuu's hand as Reiko and Nawaki arrived as well.

"Enemies!"

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

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

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

"Not good!"

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

Only one person remained. He had no signal flare on him and had been frightened stiff.

Crack!

He killed the enemy without mercy. 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 flare just now, we would have faced forty-five bandits on the mountain."

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

There was an obvious warning in those words. Yuu allowed them to make mistakes. This was their first mission, and they were merely children who had just left the Ninja Academy. Killing challenged not only their mental limits, but also their physical limits.

Sweat could be seen on both their faces. High-intensity bursts of movement consumed a great deal of stamina.

"Don't worry, Yuu. 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.

Next, they only needed to follow the plan they had made and infiltrate the stronghold.

"Hoo!"

The torches lit within the stronghold were the only source of light. The three hid in the darkness, while a One-Tomoe pattern faintly appeared in Yuu'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 Yuu, silently leaping onto the roof. Through the gaps, they could see the layout inside.

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

"The person in the farthest corner is not 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. Having steadied herself, Reiko flipped into the room.

Sorry, she silently said. The kunai in her hand stabbed directly into the man's neck. He woke with a start in his sleep, but he was killed too quickly to make more than a muffled groan. The other nine, still asleep, were not awakened.

After dealing with the outermost man, the three moved to the others' sides, and their kunai fell at the same time.

However, this time the commotion was greater than when killing just one person.

Some people 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, and Uchiha Yuu was the fastest.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Uchiha Yuu no longer hid. He aimed at a nearby house, having already grasped the bandits' positions through the Byakugan.

Fire Release! Great Fireball Technique!

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