Bandits

In the forest

Several figures moved like ghosts, swiftly traversing through the treetops, leaving the surrounding trees behind.

The somber voice of Shibi echoed, reaching the ears of the three behind.

"There have been numerous reports of raids on caravans in the southern part of the Land of Fire recently. Our mission is to eliminate that group of bandits. Don't underestimate them. According to the intelligence, there are even some chunin shinobi among them."

"That's secondary. The key point is that these bandits are quite cunning. The intelligence has marked four potential locations that could be their hideouts. We might split up to cover them."

"Understood."

Satoru sighed with a touch of helplessness.

Given the nature of the mission, it seemed like another ANBU mission. Was the Hokage treating them as ANBU backups?

Nevertheless, the mission was quite suitable for them. Bandits excelled at hiding, and both he and Shibi possessed exceptional tracking abilities. And when it came to rewards, this mission was far more enticing than regular ones.

Clearing out the bandits in that area would complete an A-rank mission, and the rewards were indeed substantial.

Satoru couldn't help but smack his lips.

After two days of travel, the group arrived at the designated location, according to the intelligence.

Satoru felt the humidity in the air increase noticeably. His gaze swept over the forest, and beyond the gray boundary, a vast blue sea stretched out.

Though quite distant, Satoru had a faint sense of hearing the sounds of the ocean.

Having spent his previous life in an inland region, this was probably the closest he had come to the sea. It left him feeling somewhat nostalgic.

Noticing Satoru gazing at the sea, Shibi also turned his gaze toward the vast expanse of water.

"Every year, goods from the countries on the other side of the ocean are transported to the Land of Fire, contributing to the frequent caravan traffic along this route. Smith Country's tools are Sea Country's specialties, that's why these caravans are so active."

"After we clear out these bandits, they'll feel more at ease transporting their goods. Isn't that what you're hoping for?"

Shibi looked at Satoru, a hint of cunning in his smile.

"The New Generation's foremost prodigy, heir of the Will of Fire, Satoru with a dream of world peace."

Satoru smiled wryly.

"Shibi-sensei, please don't tease me."

Indeed, Shibi had also heard the rumors in the village. Furthermore, he remembered the dream he casually mentioned during their first meeting.

"Satoru, don't be so modest. At the very least, the title of the New Generation's top prodigy is something you can't just shrug off." Rin's envy was evident in her expression.

When she saw Satoru defeat Kakashi so decisively, it was truly shocking. After all, she had battled Kakashi before and knew how formidable he could be.

"Rin, you too…"

Surprisingly, Anko remained uninvolved in this conversation, keeping her head down in silence, her thoughts concealed.

"Let's begin the mission," Shibi inhaled deeply. "The intelligence specifies four locations. Considering their overall strength isn't significant, splitting up would be more efficient."

Shibi looked at Satoru.

"Rin and I will form one team. Satoru, you pair up with Anko. Is that alright?"

"No problem."

Satoru nodded in agreement. Based on the intel about the bandits, he alone should be more than capable.

With the teams assigned, they set off in separate directions.

...

Satoru made his way toward one of the locations indicated in the intelligence. Before long, he spotted the entrance to a cave. It was well concealed amidst the dense foliage, with only a vague glimpse of the entrance visible.

"Byakugan, activate!"

Through the perspective of Byakugan, he saw the cave's interior.

It was much more spacious than it appeared from the outside. He could see several ninjas moving about in an organized manner, each with their own distinct roles.

"Anko, there are a total of nine bandits. Three are chunins, two are genins, and the remaining four don't possess genin-level chakra."

"I'll handle the three chunins and two genins. You take care of the rest. Is that okay?"

"Anko?"

Not receiving a response from Satoru, he turned around in confusion.

Anko, with her head down and a despondent expression, seemed lost in thought.

"Anko?"

Satoru nudged her shoulder, seeking her attention.

"Oh!"

Anko immediately looked up.

"Did you hear what I just said?"

"Yeah, I understand." Her voice was as listless as ever, and her spirits were low.

"Never mind." Satoru shook his head helplessly. "Just rest here for a bit. I'll handle these bandits."

With that, he pulled out a scroll from his pocket. As the mist dispersed, a slender ninja blade appeared in his hand. It was the shinobi blade Choya.

This blade, with its elongated form, was excellent for dealing with numerous enemies at once.

"Wait for me here. I'll be back soon."

Having given his instructions, Satoru rushed into the cave with the blade in hand.

"Enemy attack!"

"What's going on? It's just a kid?!"

"Don't hold back! Let me teach this brat a lesson…"

The voices abruptly ceased, replaced by fear and trembling pupils. A trail of blood appeared on the forehead of one bandit, extending to his chest, before he collapsed backward, lifeless.

Next to him, Satoru rolled his eyes impatiently.

"So much pointless chatter."

"Idiot! Attack together! Can't we handle a kid? I refuse to believe we can't handle him with so many of us!"

"Kill him!"

...

In an instant, an array of shuriken and kunai, along with smoke-emitting explosive tags, hurtled toward Satoru.

A remarkable scene unfolded. Just as the projectiles neared him, they seemed to be gently lifted by an invisible hand, curving around his body in an arc before swiftly scattering in all directions.

"What's happening? Is this kid using genjutsu?"

Satoru charged toward the nearest bandit. With Choya drawn, he executed a precise and forceful swing, slicing through the man's throat with deadly accuracy.

"You little brat! Die!"

One of the bandits suddenly tore open a scroll, releasing a burst of mist. As it cleared, a plethora of metallic ninja tools rocketed towards Satoru, accompanied by explosive tags emitting wisps of smoke.

Satoru's eyes gleamed with determination. He assumed a peculiar stance, spinning rapidly on one foot.

"Yang Return!"

A rapidly spinning half-sphere of blue energy enveloped his body. As the incoming ninja tools made contact, they momentarily hung suspended in the air before hurtling outward in all directions with astonishing speed.

In a matter of moments, the explosive, violent dance of metallic ninja tools engulfed the entire cave.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Explosions erupted, lighting up the chaotic interior of the cave.

The bandit who had unrolled the scroll hadn't anticipated the outcome. His vengeful attack had inadvertently wiped out the entire team.

At a certain point, as the explosions subsided, the scene within the cave lay in ruins. Not a single living bandit remained.

Satoru shrugged helplessly. "I had planned to leave some of you intact."

Satoru developed the technique called 'Yang Return' based on the principles of Hiraishin. While performing Hiraishin, he simultaneously employed electromagnetic forces to create a repelling magnetic field, causing nearby objects to be deflected away from him.

Able to withstand such an environment due to his extensive experience in the ninja world, he was no longer as fragile as he had been after his first kill all those years ago.

Being a ninja has always come hand in hand with the possibility of death.

After storing the required items for mission proof within a scroll, Satoru left the cave and arrived at Anko's location. She still wore the same dispirited expression.

"What's wrong with you, Anko?" He couldn't help but inquire.