Chapter – 73: The Sharingan 'Awakens'

[Rei POV]

"Including their leaders, there are thirty-seven bandits inside the cave-like hideout. Usually, ten of them are guarding the four exits. First, we will take out these bandits at the entrances here, here and here…" says Inoichi pointing to a crude drawing he made on the ground with a tree branch, earning a nod from each of us, "We will have to be as quiet as possible while doing this, so be careful and do not, under any circumstances, let them alert the other bandits… now, move…"

After receiving instructions, we split up and start taking out bandits one by one. Inoichi will be taking care of south and west entrances, Kazuma and Yuri together will take the east one and the targets I am assigned are the two bandits guarding the north entry point.

Even for shinobi at the genin level, taking out normal people is nothing but a cakewalk; they just need the resolve to do it. So, after arriving at the entrance, all I have to do is stealthily get behind them and before they can even react, plunge two kunai's into their necks! After that, all that's left is to clean up the scene, just in case, someone comes to look before we finish the mission.

Like we had decided earlier, after finishing up my task, I regroup with my team at the west entrance where Inoichi and the other two are already waiting for me. They didn't have to say anything as I could guess what should have happened, 'So, Inoichi had to go help them, ha?'

It seems Kazuma and Yuri were very clumsy. Even when they were told to just take care of three civilian bandits together, they couldn't do it cleanly; maybe because they were still reeling from their first kill? Anyway, they were about to mess up and let one of them escape when Inoichi came in and helped them. Hence the low-hanging heads…

"Okay, there are now twenty-seven of them left, we have to end the fight soon… since they decided to stay here instead of running away even after finding out Konoha shinobi will be coming for their lives, they should have something to rely on… so the longer we take, more variables might come and probably risk those villagers' lives," Inoichi says seriously, "Also, Yuri and Kazuma, it's okay… you don't have to push yourselves like this… I and Rei will take care of the rest…"

"Sensei, we want to help too…" Kazuma says resolutely, "you don't have to worry about us sensei… this time we will not fail you… right, Yuri?"

"Yes…" she says with hope.

"Sensei, we can't leave them here… if we leave and like you said, if the bandits' reinforcements come, then they will be in terrible danger… also, we are a team… we will always be a team…" I say with a smile, while internally, 'if they are not there, how will I have my Nakama-powerup?'

"Mmm… it's true, okay… Rei you will take care of them if the situation arises…" nods Inoichi after thinking for a while, "the next part of the fight is not covert, we have to clash with them head-on… although they have the numerical advantage, it's nothing in front of us, but the only problem is that they have hostages so we have to extra careful not to involve them…"

With a swosh, all three of us rush into the cave. Inside the cave, there is a surprisingly large open area the size of a soccer field and at the center, the remaining twenty-seven bandits are already there waiting for us!

"You shouldn't have come here, Konoha shinobi…" the leading man says with a wrathful expression. No, being angry is an understatement, he was leading a happy bandit life until a certain idiot went ahead and ruined it for him; he is outraged!

"Careful, I have a bad feeling about this…" before Inoichi could finish his warning, we see both men at the front each take out a syringe with yellow liquid and plunge it directly into their hearts!

Suddenly, a rampaging aura starts to burst forth from both the captain and vice-captain. "Ahhh…." their faces start twisting in pain and a soul-wrenching scream escapes their mouths. Hearing the growl, my teammates' complexion turns deathly pale as they stand there frozen in fear.

"Sensei, we have to act now… it's getting dangerous…" I shout snapping Inoichi out of his thoughts and reminding him of the fact that he is here with a new genin team, not the Ino-Shika-Cho one…

"Crap… attack!" he shouts and starts attacking the bandit leader.

Looking at the still fearful Kazuma and Yuri, I shake their shoulders forcefully and say with a mirthless smile, "You guys go and take care of those normal ones… I will try to keep the other one busy…"

"But you…"

"It's okay… but be quick or you might lose a teammate today…" I say with a smile and rush towards the vice-captain intending to solo him; going against Inoichi's advice…

Wiping their tears, Yuri and Kazuma rush towards the normal bandits with a newfound resolve and start a massacre as not one bandit could even come close to them; not like their previous timid self at all!

On my end though, things start turning bad. I am not just acting like it, no, things actually start turning bad! As this clone only has the strength of a genin and while I initially did have another one protecting it from the shadows, currently that clone is handling a very important task too… if things get out of hand here, I can still have that clone come in and protect me but I will be missing out on an excellent opportunity which I don't want to do… So, my only option is to use my all and hope everything works out according to my plan…

First, I start fighting him using taijutsu but soon I realize that even without any kind of practice, just with raw power and speed, he is able to suppress my knowledge, experience, and techniques! After taking a couple of devastating hits, I wipe the blood from the corner of my mouth and decide to switch to using ninjutsu.

'Darnit… if only I was able to use my Sharingan in the open… or even the loads of jutsus I have learned... such a shame…' I lament internally and start using the Fire Release jutsus that I have displayed in the open as Rei.

[Fire Release- Fireball Jutsu]

I cast the hand seals rapidly and breath out a massive fireball towards the vice-captain who is rushing towards me at full speed. He twists his body weirdly like a snake and easily dodges my attack and continues his advancement. Seeing my attack fail, I change my hand seals again and start firing flaming bullets at him at high speed. This is [Fire Release: Flame Bullet Jutus] that I have displayed to Inoichi during my training sessions. Speaking of Inoichi, I tilt my head slightly to look at him, 'he should be able to defeat the bandit captain in a couple of minutes… time to start the act…'

The vice-captain, with tremendous speed, avoids all my flame bullets and arrives close to me for another close combat fight, as that is his advantage currently. The first thing he does is deliver a powerful punch directly at my face. 'Hi, not the face…' I growl internally and cross my arms before me. As soon as the punch connects, I am thrown back dozens of feet and crash into the cave wall causing me to vomit a mouthful of blood.

"Blurgh…" I lay there on the ground as if having all my bone broken and no strength to even move my body.

The vice-captain seeing that his opponent is down, slowly walks towards me and starts speaking in a hoarse voice, "You shinobi are nothing special… "

"Rei!" before he could even finish his trash-talk, Kazuma attacks him with a punch.

'Are you an idiot? why are you shouting… couldn't you have used your brain a little bit?' I think.

As expected, the vice-captain just stretches his arm and grabs at the incoming punch. No surprise there, Kazuma's punch is easily caught by his opponent…

Looking around and seeing the dead bodies of all his comrades, the vice-captain grits his teeth, "All of you should just go to hell…"

Just when he is about to land a direct hit on Kazuma's head, a hand covered in blood grabs him and he hears a weak voice from behind, "Nobody can harm my friend while I am still breathing…"

After pausing, he turns and says, "Sure, I will grant your wish, you can die first…"

"Noo…" shouts Kazuma.

"Stop!" that's from Inoichi.

However, none of them could get close in time to save me. But suddenly, something strange happens and the punch that was supposed to smash my head into a bloody pulp, just grazes my ear and the vice-captain clutches his chest and falls down, dead!

"Rei, your eyes! what happened to your eyes?"