Then Lin Ze turned his gaze back to Kōhan Hikawa and the others kneeling and begging for mercy, and asked:
"Lady Tsunade, these people... how should we deal with them?"
By ANBU convention, eliminating wandering ninja who robbed travelers and threatened Konoha Ninja was the safest course of action.
At his words, Tsunade did not pause in the slightest. She did not even glance at the trembling bandits, merely looking ahead expressionlessly, as though they did not exist.
"Shizune, let's pick up the pace. We need to find somewhere to camp before dark."
It sounded as though she had completely ignored Lin Ze's request for instructions.
Yet the instant she passed him, Lin Ze clearly saw her eyes briefly flick toward Fox beside him before returning to their indifference.
Just a glance, without a word.
But Fox immediately gave a slight nod, understanding in his eyes.
He likewise said nothing, merely slowing his pace unobtrusively to fall to the rear of the group beside Gray Wolf.
Lin Ze understood at once.
Tsunade's silence and that glance were themselves the clearest of orders-tacit permission to eliminate them, but she personally did not want to see or hear any part of the bloody process.
This was the judgment of one of the Sannin who had weathered countless battles: calm and efficient, neither swayed by a few ants begging for mercy nor allowing personal psychological trauma to affect necessary decisions.
Only after Tsunade and Shizune disappeared around the bend ahead did Fox, bringing up the rear, say evenly to Gray Wolf:
"Keep it clean."
"Yes."
Gray Wolf turned toward the bandits, who had just breathed a sigh of relief, believing they had escaped disaster. His gaze was like someone looking at a pile of dead things.
The smile of relief on Kōhan Hikawa's