Mission En Route

Deep in a dense forest on the eastern border of the Land of Fire.

The last rays of sunset had vanished behind towering trees, leaving the forest dim. An evening breeze stirred a few yellowed leaves.

"Huff... huff..." Labored breathing sounded among the trees.

Jiraiya braced his hands on his knees, sweat pouring down his face. Even his signature white hair was soaked. Between breaths, he complained, "Big Brother Kagami... how much farther do we have to go? We left the village ages ago, and we haven't seen a soul!"

Orochimaru stood nearby. He was sweating too, but his breathing was steadier. Wiping his forehead, he said thoughtfully, "Big Brother Kagami, we've stayed on the main road. If those bandits really are robbing merchant caravans, we should have passed some villagers or merchants by now. But the whole way here..."

"Too quiet, right?"

Kagami Uchiha, who had been walking in front, stopped. He turned to the three breathless youngsters, approval flickering in his gentle eyes.

"Good observation, Orochimaru," Kagami Uchiha said softly. "Did you think a C-Rank mission meant a pleasant outing to catch a few petty thieves?"

He pointed to several faint, scattered footprints in the dirt and shallow cuts on a tree trunk.

"The war has only just ended. Those bandits may be a ragtag bunch, but they've survived on the border this long. That means they're cunning."

Kagami Uchiha looked at each of them, his tone growing stern. "From now on, stop treating this like an outing. Stay sharp and keep your guard up."

"Yes!"

Jiraiya snapped alert at once. Orochimaru tensed too, his hands instinctively reaching for the ninja-tool pouch at his waist.

Only Tsunade showed no sign of nerves. She clenched her little fists in excitement, her big eyes shining as she watched Kagami Uchiha, as though she could hardly wait for a fight.

Watching them, Kagami Uchiha gave a barely perceptible smile.

"Stay close and keep quiet."

His figure blurred and slipped into the shadows ahead like a ghost. The three youngsters held their breath, softened their footsteps, and followed close behind.

After creeping forward a little farther, they reached a break in the trees overlooking a concealed fork at the mouth of a valley.

By the faint moonlight, they made out more than a dozen men crouching behind a boulder beside the fork. Dressed in ragged leather armor and carrying assorted weapons, the scarred, tattooed men spoke in hushed voices while eyeing the only path out of the valley with greed.

"Boss, I heard a merchant caravan from the heart of the Land of Fire is coming through today?"

"Shh! Keep it down! Once they enter our ambush, kill the men and take all the goods and women! Konoha's ninja have been tightening their patrols lately. The war with Kumogakure must be nearly over. We'll pull this off, then head straight for the Land of Earth!"

"Boss, you're a genius. No wonder you're our leader. But when it comes to... you know, I want first turn. Heh heh..."

"You, huh? Fine, you can go first!"

Hidden in the shadows, Jiraiya ground his teeth. He was about to rush out when a warm, firm hand settled on his shoulder.

Kagami Uchiha stood behind him, his gaze calm. He signaled to the three youngsters and whispered, "Orochimaru, the three on the left. Jiraiya, the two on the right. Tsunade..."

He turned to the little girl beside him, whose eyes burned with fighting spirit. "The leader in the middle is yours. Don't hold back."

Tsunade's eyes lit up like stars. She nodded firmly, a confident smile spreading across her face.

"Watch me, Big Brother Kagami!" The moment the words left her mouth, all three shot out of hiding like arrows from a bow.

"Who's there?!" The bandit leader reacted instantly, drawing the long blade at his waist with a shout.

"Attack!" But it was already too late.

"Fire Release: Flame Bullet!" Jiraiya's hands flew through Hand Seals so fast they blurred. He drew a deep breath, his chest swelling, then exhaled hard. A torrent of flame roared out, lighting the dark valley as it rushed toward the bandits on the right.

At the same time, Orochimaru glided toward the left like a ghost. His hands crossed swiftly before his chest, every movement graceful and precise.

"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!" A fierce gale burst from his mouth and howled toward the three bandits on the left. Sharp wind blades swept dead leaves into the air, forming a storm they could see.

"They're ninja! Get out of the way!" The bandit leader was no stranger to bloodshed. Amid the fire and roaring wind, he grasped the danger at once. He bit his finger and slammed both hands onto the ground. "Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall!"

Rumble—

With a deep roar, a thick wall of earth surged up from the ground, blocking the flames and gale.

But he had underestimated the two youngsters.

Jiraiya's Fire Dragon Flame Bullet struck the wall, scorching it red and covering it in cracks. Orochimaru's Wind Release: Great Breakthrough was even trickier. Instead of dissipating on impact, the gale forced its way through those cracks and hurled two bandits hiding behind the wall into the cliffside, knocking them unconscious on the spot.

"What?!" The leader's pupils contracted in shock.

How could these brats' jutsu be so powerful?

"Bastards! Don't underestimate us!"

A burly, heavy-jowled bandit leaped out from behind the wall and formed Hand Seals to strike back. "Earth Release: Earth Spear!"

His skin turned hard as rock and took on a gray sheen as he charged at Jiraiya.

Jiraiya didn't panic. Instead, he grinned. A small figure had already stepped in front of him.

Tsunade stood before Jiraiya, looking up at the savage-faced bandit with a brilliant smile.

"Heh. You're dead." She raised her right fist, focusing Chakra into her knuckles in an instant.

"Take this! Unrivaled Strength!" She threw a punch.

The air seemed to compress to its limit, then burst.

Boom!!!

A deafening blast shook the valley. The bandit had no time even to scream before her fist drove him into the ground, leaving a pit half a meter deep. Stones flew, and dust billowed.

Jiraiya stood frozen, staring at the pit and the bandit leader lying unconscious inside it. He swallowed.

"That... that's ridiculous," he muttered.

I'd better never make Tsunade mad. She's terrifying -_-||

The bandit leader's face had gone ashen. Never had he imagined three brats would wreck the ambush he had so carefully prepared.

"Retreat! Hurry!" Forgetting all dignity as a leader, he turned to flee.

Kagami Uchiha stepped out of the shadows. His gaze swept over the wreckage, then settled on the bandit leader across from him. His eyes widened, and the man slowly collapsed.

Kagami looked at the three excited youngsters. A gentle smile touched his lips, his eyes full of approval.

"Well done," he said softly. "For your first real fight, you did better than I expected."

Tsunade beamed. She trotted over to Kagami Uchiha and looked up at him expectantly. "Big Brother Kagami, that punch was amazing, wasn't it?"

"Very." Kagami Uchiha reached out and gently ruffled her short blond hair. "But next time, watch how much Chakra you put into it. You punched right through the ground. You could have hurt yourself."

"I know!" Tsunade nodded hard, though she couldn't hide her grin.

Jiraiya and Orochimaru exchanged a look and sighed together.

Silence returned to the valley, broken only by wind rustling through the leaves.

Jiraiya and Orochimaru surveyed the wreckage and let out long breaths of relief. Jiraiya even dropped onto the ground and wiped the sweat from his brow. "Whew... finally over. Those guys weren't so tough."

But the instant they let down their guard, everything changed!

"Die, you Konoha brats!!" A hate-filled, desperate roar erupted from the heap of bodies.

One bandit who had been lying in a pool of blood with a Kunai still lodged in him had somehow held his breath and played dead through the gale and flames.

Now he sprang up like a cornered beast, eyes bloodred and both hands gripping a poisoned dagger. Using the slope to launch himself forward, he struck like a snake at the back of Orochimaru's heart!

He was too close! And Orochimaru had just used a jutsu. With his Chakra momentarily depleted, he had no time to react!

"Orochimaru!" Jiraiya's pupils shrank. His heart leaped into his throat, but there was no time to help.

At that critical instant—

Clang! A sharp, cold ring of metal sounded out.

No one saw Kagami Uchiha move. Suddenly he was behind Orochimaru, holding a short blade no one had seen him draw. With precise, effortless grace, he caught the poisoned dagger against it.

The bandit strained with all his might, but he couldn't push his blade forward another millimeter. He looked up in terror and met Kagami Uchiha's eyes, calm as a deep pool.

"A ninja's fight is never over until you've confirmed the enemy is dead."

Kagami Uchiha's voice was flat. As he finished speaking, he gave his wrist a slight turn.

Slice. The short blade cut through the bandit's throat as easily as tofu. Blood sprayed out. His eyes widened with bitter disbelief before his body crumpled, lifeless.

Kagami Uchiha flicked the blood from his blade and slipped it back into his sleeve. Then he turned to the pale-faced Orochimaru and the shaken Jiraiya.

"Why are you standing there? Check the bodies. Make sure they're dead." His tone was stern, without a trace of softness.

"Yes... sir!" The three ten-year-olds snapped out of their daze, drew their Kunai, and went from body to body to make certain.

Even Tsunade, usually so fearless, clenched her fists tightly, her face pale.

She had always believed ninja fought openly to protect the village and their comrades.

But in that moment, she had felt the truth: enemies would play dead, strike from hiding, and use poison—anything to survive. Too often, comrades died because of tactics like these.

Night settled fully over the valley, and cool moonlight spilled across it.

The campfire flickered in the night wind, crackling softly. Darkness pressed in from every side; only the small patch of ground around the fire glowed faintly orange.

The three children sat around the fire. None of them spoke.

The smell of blood seemed to linger in their noses. They could still feel blades cutting flesh and remember what it was like to watch lives end before their eyes.

The enemies' faces had twisted as they did whatever it took to survive. That naked malice and cruelty weighed like a stone on hearts not yet grown strong enough to bear it.

Jiraiya hugged his knees, his chin buried in his arms. His mouth, usually quick to grin, was pressed into a tight line. He watched sparks pop from the fire, replaying the attack on Orochimaru again and again. He didn't usually dwell on things, but today, if Big Brother Kagami hadn't been there, Orochimaru might have...

Orochimaru sat quietly on the other side, arms folded across his chest, his dark eyes fixed on the dancing flames. Firelight fell across his pale cheeks, making him seem quieter than usual. Why was life so fragile?

Tsunade kept her head down, her hands twisted together so tightly that her knuckles had gone white. She bit her lower lip, her usually bright face pale.

Kagami Uchiha sat across from them, making no move to break the silence.

He picked up a twig and gently stirred the coals, sending a few sparks spiraling into the night sky.

"Scared?" His voice was soft, yet somehow steadying.

Jiraiya's shoulders jerked. Without looking up, he gave a muffled "Yeah." Orochimaru kept staring at the fire, but his lowered gaze betrayed his turmoil. Tsunade took a deep breath and finally raised her head, a startling vulnerability in her eyes.

Kagami paused, firelight dancing in his deep-set eyes. "Being a ninja isn't a game. We stand here to keep death away from the village. We killed them. That wasn't cruelty—it was our duty!"

"We carry the guilt and pain so the people behind us can smile without fear. That is the weight of the Will of Fire."

"And if you don't want to lose your comrades, you must grow stronger and be more careful on missions. Otherwise, sooner or later, someone will die because of you."

Kagami Uchiha had not raised his voice, but his words struck each of them like a hammer.

The three children stared at him. Little by little, the fog in their eyes seemed to lift in the light of the campfire and at Kagami's words.

The night wind was still cold, but the warmth of the fire seemed to seep slowly into their hearts.