Return to Konoha

Hearing Daichi's words, Tenga and Shisui froze momentarily, they hesitated while their expressions were complex. Kill a living human?

Ryou, though calm, felt a slight emotion in his heart. In the Demon Slayer world, he had killed countless demons and witnessed the awful aftermath of demon attacks on humans.

But he had never taken a single human life before. This would be his first too.

Sensing their hesitation, Daichi spoke firmly. "I know this isn't easy, and I wish you didn't have to go through this, but we're in a time of war. If you're sent to the frontlines, you'll face even harsher situations.

As shinobi, you may often do things like this. Moreover, these aren't just thieves—they're enemy shinobi sent to kill our people. It's time for you to act like real shinobi and finish them off." His tone left no room for discussion.

Tenga glanced down at the bound Chunin at his feet, his grip tightening around the kunai. "But, Sensei…"

"Don't hesitate," Daichi interrupted sharply. "They won't show you mercy if the roles were reversed."

Shisui clenched his fists. He was conflicted, but deep down he knew Daichi-sensei was right. The ninja world is cruel, and he already understood it.

Ryou stepped forward, resting his hand on the hilt of his sword. He knew too well how the Naruto world works. "Let's do it," he said calmly, looking at Shisui and Tenga. "We can't afford to be soft on our enemies!"

Tenga, who had always been the most energetic and light-hearted of the group, swallowed hard and nodded, his usual carefree demeanor replaced by a serious one. "Okay… let's get this over with."

The three of them moved into action, Daichi watching from the side. Ryou unsheathed his sword and, delivered a clean slash to the neck of the chunin who remained unconscious under Daichi's Genjutsu.

Shisui and Tenga followed soon after, steeling themselves as they carried out the harsh task. Despite the cries for mercy, they executed the kills without hesitation or unnecessary emotion.

Only the enemy Jonin was spared, bound for interrogation back in the village. At that moment, they stepped into the cruel reality of being shinobi and crossed a line they could never uncross.

Once it was done, Daichi walked over and spoke. "Good. I know it's not easy, but this is what it means to be a shinobi."

Shisui remained silent. Tenga, though visibly shaken, exhaled deeply, trying to compose himself. Ryou, having experienced countless battles in the Demon Slayer World, felt little emotion. It seems the horrors he'd witnessed before had dulled him to some extent. 

"Now, gather the stolen weapons from the mine and return them to the village chief to complete the mission. After that, we'll head back to Konoha." Daichi instructed, his tone softening slightly.

As they retrieved the weapons, Ryou glanced at Shisui and Tenga, who remained silent without any talk. It seems the weight of the first kill hung heavy in their heart.

They had changed, and Ryou wondered how deeply this would affect them. 

But as Daichi had said, if they wanted to grow as Ninja, they had to face the world outside the safety walls of the Konoha village and accept the harsh reality.

After returning the stolen goods to the village chief of Kurogane Village, Ryou, Shisui, Tenga, and Daichi set off back to Konoha. Their mission is complete.

Daichi, leading the way, glanced back at his team. "You three did well today. Don't think too much about it, you will understand in the future."

--

When Ryou, Shisui, and Tenga returned to Konoha, the sun dipped below the horizon, casting a warm orange glow over the village. It was this familiar sight that comforted them, relieving some of their heaviness.

Daichi, without wasting any time, immediately headed toward the Hokage's office to report the mission's outcome, along with the captured Jonin.

"Wait for me at the dango shop," Daichi had instructed before vanishing in a blur with the Body Flicker Jutsu.

The three wandered through the village streets until they reached the bustling dango shop, a popular spot in Konoha. As expected, it was filled with people, chatter filling the air.

Finding a corner table, they settled down and ordered some tea to soothe their throats after the long mission. As they sipped their tea, they overheard something that piqued his interest.

At the table next to them, a group of older shinobi were chatting excitedly. One of them spoke, "Did you hear? Minato and his team just returned after a major victory on the front lines!"

"Yeah, I heard! Minato singlehandedly stopped a thousand Iwagakure shinobi. After that, Iwagakure temporarily stopped sending reinforcements for now."

"Seems like the war's finally nearing its end after all these years."

Tenga's eyes widened in excitement as he overheard the conversation. He leaned closer to Shisui and Ryou, barely containing his excitement. "Did you hear that? Minato-sama's back! He's not called the Konoha's Yellow Flash for nothing, he's unstoppable!"

Shisui nodded in agreement, his expression filled with admiration. "Minato-sama... He's indeed incredible. I heard many things from my clan members, they told me his Flying Thunder God technique is too powerful."

Ryou listened quietly, a smile tugging at his lips. Minato was a revered shinobi among the Konoha ninjas and a role model for many.

However, Ryou couldn't help but think about Minato's growing prestige. It was likely being carefully orchestrated by the Third Hokage. As for the politics behind it, Ryou wasn't interested.

Tenga muttered eagerly, "I hope to reach that level someday. To be as strong as Minato-sama... ending the war singlehandedly!"

Shisui gaze fixed on the horizon outside the shop window. After a few moments, Shisui spoke softly, "It's not just about strength... Minato-sama fights for the village. For the people of Konoha, for peace. That's the kind of dream I desire. A world without conflicts!"

Ryou glanced at Shisui, momentarily speechless by his sudden change and adult-like worlds. Hearing it from a seven-year-old, he couldn't help but wonder what was going on inside Shisui's head.

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