Chapter 17: The Slaughter Begins
Late at night.
Mirai's eyes snapped open. He stepped outside to find Kurenai and Asuma already waiting for him.
"Up early, I see," Mirai greeted them.
Kurenai rubbed her hands together. "A bit nervous, that's all."
Asuma lifted his head, letting out a quiet snort.
Before long, Shinku also emerged from his room, joining them. They exchanged a quick glance before disappearing into the night.
Several miles from the village, they arrived at a steep mountain path. At the top, they found a bandit camp—a rough collection of huts illuminated by scattered torchlight. Occasional shouts and laughter filled the air.
The group paused at the camp's edge, and Shinku spoke in a serious tone,
"This isn't like a C or D-rank mission. One wrong move, and it could mean death."
"I won't be stepping in, so keep yourselves safe," he continued. "But remember one thing: show no mercy."
Kurenai and Asuma nodded solemnly, glancing at Shinku's intense expression.
"Mission start!"
At the command, Mirai and the others disappeared into the shadows, each moving in a different direction around the camp, just as they had practiced.
Thanks to his Sharingan, Mirai could see his surroundings with clarity, even in the dead of night. He scanned the area, counting the bandits scattered around the camp.
One… two… three…
After marking the enemies' locations, Mirai walked forward boldly. A sentry noticed him and was about to shout, but a moment later, his eyes glazed over, succumbing to Mirai's genjutsu.
Ding! Congratulations to the host for successfully obtaining reward: +0.5 to Physique!
"No limits on rewards, huh?"
A smirk crept onto Mirai's face. Death is like the wind, always by my side.
The slaughter had begun.
Ding! Congratulations to the host for successfully obtaining reward: +0.5 to Physique!
Ding! Congratulations to the host for successfully obtaining reward: +0.5 to Mental Strength!
The system's notifications continued, and Mirai's stats steadily increased.
Unconcerned with hiding his presence, Mirai allowed the camp to fall into chaos. The remaining bandits, recovering from their initial panic, began swarming toward him.
"That's the one! Get him!"
Seeing the bandits rushing at him en masse, Mirai let out a low laugh.
"Oh? You all want to dance?"
With swift, precise movements, Mirai dove into their midst, cutting down foes with effortless grace. Each strike claimed a life, yet none could touch even the edge of his cloak. Within moments, he'd left a trail of carnage, and the surviving bandits began to break ranks.
"Damn it! He's a monster!"
"We're all going to die! Run for it!"
"He's from the Leaf! Those two idiots never warned us!"
"Move! Get out of my way!"
Under Mirai's assault, the bandits scattered.
"Not so fast."
To Mirai, these were precious sources of strength. He had no intention of letting a single one escape.
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"
"Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique!"
With swift hand seals, Mirai unleashed waves of flame, mowing down the fleeing bandits.
Before long, the screams faded, and the bandits lay slaughtered.
"Well, that was unexpected."
From a distance, Shinrou watched the scene, shaking his head. He had thought Mirai would take them down one by one in a sneak attack, but instead, the Uchiha had chosen an all-out assault.
"As expected of an Uchiha—always so unpredictable."
In the heart of the camp, Mirai spotted Kurenai and Asuma. Both looked worn, covered in grime and bruises. Judging by their expressions, they'd had a rough time.
It was obvious that if Mirai hadn't drawn most of the bandits to himself, they might have been in even worse shape.
"What's this?"
Mirai frowned, noticing a group of elderly men, women, and children huddling at Kurenai and Asuma's feet.
"They've surrendered," Kurenai explained. "They're no threat to us, right?"
Mirai's gaze hardened. "Didn't you hear what Shinrou-sensei said? Mercy towards enemies will get you killed."
"Hey, are you saying we should kill them?!" Asuma shouted, glaring at Mirai.
The huddled villagers began to cry, their sobs filling the silence.
"Both of you, come here," Mirai ordered, his voice icy.
An ominous aura radiated from him, sending a chill down Kurenai and Asuma's spines. After killing so many, Mirai's presence was overwhelming.
Kurenai lowered her head, murmuring, "I… I'll listen to you."
Asuma clenched his fists, but he didn't dare defy Mirai's command.
Just as they started to step away, the villagers lunged, flinging dirt in their eyes.
"You heartless brat!" Two elderly women who had been crouching among the others sprang up with fierce expressions, lunging at Kurenai and Asuma.
"Damn it, they're shinobi!" Kurenai and Asuma's faces turned pale as they realized the attackers were disguised as villagers. At such close range, with no time to react, they braced for the worst.
Schlick! Schlick!
Two sharp sounds cut through the air as Mirai's blade found its mark, slicing through the throats of the disguised shinobi.
Thud!
With a final slump, the enemy shinobi fell, and Mirai's system echoed in his mind once more.
Ding! Congratulations to the host for successfully obtaining reward: Chakra +1!
Ding! Congratulations to the host for successfully obtaining reward: Wind Style: Great Breakthrough!
Ignoring the notifications for now, Mirai looked down at Kurenai and Asuma.
"You two finish off the rest."
While he could gain points by finishing them himself, he knew it was more important for Kurenai and Asuma to come to terms with the life of a ninja. A few attribute points were a small price to pay for stronger teammates.
After all…
For a long time to come, they would be his comrades.
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