Chapter 16: Killing for Rewards?!

The journey took three days.

Although Shinku had managed to control the travel pace, Asuma and Kurenai still looked pale and exhausted when they arrived at their destination.

As they approached the village gate, two men wielding pitchforks took up defensive stances.

"Who are you?"

"We're Konoha shinobi, here on a mission commissioned by your village," Shinku explained.

The men exchanged wary glances before one of them ran into the village. Moments later, a crowd appeared, led by an elderly man with a beard as white as his hair.

"Are you the Konoha ninja?" the elder asked.

"That's right." Asuma stepped forward, pointing at the forehead protector on his arm. "We're here to take care of your bandit problem."

At his words, the villagers immediately frowned. The elder eyed the young shinobi skeptically.

"Are you really capable of handling the bandits?"

"Of course." Asuma lifted his chin confidently. "I'm a top-notch ninja, you know."

But the elder hesitated, doubt written all over his face. Suddenly, someone from the crowd shouted, "We spent all that money just to hire a bunch of kids?!"

"Give us our money back!"

The crowd began to stir, their dissatisfaction rising. Asuma looked flustered, trying to reassure them.

"Please, trust us! We can handle these bandits. And, uh… Shinku-sensei is a Jōnin!"

At this, the crowd fell silent. A Jōnin? Well, that changed things.

"Just to clarify," Shinku interjected, raising his hands, "your fee only covered hiring Chūnin-level shinobi, so I won't actually be joining the fight."

"Sensei?" Asuma stared, stunned. Really? Did he have to rub it in right now?

"You all heard that, right?" someone yelled. "These Konoha ninja are just messing with us! If they can't get rid of the bandits, they'll come back to retaliate! Get out! We don't need people like them here!"

Voices rose in anger, and the villagers' faces grew tense and agitated.

Just as things were about to spiral out of control, a figure suddenly stepped forward and grabbed one of the men by the neck.

"What are you doing?!"

As everyone stared, Uchiha Mirai's eyes turned crimson, activating his Sharingan. An oppressive, violent aura radiated from him, causing the villagers to back away in fear.

"I'm a spy for the bandits," the man muttered in a dull voice under Mirai's genjutsu. "I'm here to stir up hostility toward outsiders and report everything back to the bandits…"

The villagers gasped, the truth dawning on them.

"So he's the one who's been stirring everyone up!"

"Name your accomplices," Mirai commanded coldly.

"There are two of us in the village," the man replied numbly. "Besides me, the other one is…"

Before he could finish, Mirai whipped a kunai into the crowd, piercing the heart of a middle-aged man who was trying to slip away. The man staggered and collapsed, his body jerking briefly before falling still.

Ding! A notification echoed in Mirai's mind. Congratulations, Host! You have successfully plundered: +0.5 Physique!

Hearing the system's prompt, Mirai's mind buzzed with realization. He'd already triggered his daily battle reward, so why another?

Could it be… Killing triggers the plundering system too?

As the thought settled, Mirai tightened his grip.

Crack!

Ding! Another system prompt. Congratulations, Host! You have successfully plundered: +0.5 Physique!

Mirai felt a surge of excitement. It was confirmed—the system rewarded him not just for battles but for killing as well. And, intriguingly, there didn't seem to be a limit on how often he could trigger this by killing.

No, he had to verify this further.

"Mirai?" Kurenai's voice brought him back to reality.

Turning to face the group, Mirai released the body onto the ground.

"The bandits' spies have been dealt with. Tonight, we'll eliminate the rest of the bandits. From now on, no one leaves the village."

Seeing him dispatch two men so easily, the villagers didn't dare argue. At the elder's urging, they quietly dispersed.

"Thank you, honored shinobi." The elder, Fujio Komura, stepped forward, bowing. "Please, don't take the earlier rudeness to heart."

Mirai waved him off. "No problem. Just get us some food and a place to rest for now."

"Of course. Right this way."

After everything was arranged, Fujio departed, leaving the group in peace. Kurenai shot a glare at Shinku.

"Father, that was a terrible move. Saying you wouldn't help at a time like that? If Mirai hadn't acted quickly, we'd have been thrown out and humiliated!"

Asuma nodded, still baffled by Shinku's actions. "Yeah, why did you have to say something like that right then?"

With a chuckle, Shinku gestured to Mirai. "Mirai, care to explain?"

Mirai calmly spoke. "Under normal circumstances, we'd be speaking with the village leader alone. But someone in the crowd was stirring up hostility. It was… out of place. Shinku-sensei's words were a test to confirm his suspicions."

Kurenai's face lit up with understanding. "So that's why you found the bandit's spy! There was more to it than met the eye."

"See? You've still got a lot to learn," Shinku laughed heartily.

As the pieces came together, Asuma felt a pang of frustration. He hadn't even noticed the clues. How is this guy, Mirai, so good at everything?

After a meal, Mirai sat in silence, meditating. His first kill had gone smoothly, but deep down, he still felt a faint nausea and unease. He needed to clear his mind in preparation for the bloodshed that awaited them tonight.

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