Leaving Konoha

The next morning, Shino walked towards the Konoha gates carrying a box on his back. He was met by his teammates, Kiba Inuzuka and Hinata Hyuga, who were already geared up and waiting for him.

"Good morning, Shino-kun," Hinata greeted in a soft voice.

Sniff. Sniff. Kiba seemed to sniff the air as he hopped over to Shino and curiously poked his box, "What's in here, Shino?"

Shino glanced at him. The benefits of taking the drone along outweighs the cons. He knew he couldn't hide his drone from his team, but it was a risk he was willing to take because he trusted them.

He knew that if the wrong person took notice of his drone, it could spell disaster for both him and his team. Well, as long as it's not the dangerous, calculating old man, it should be fine.

Of course, he won't reveal the secrets of the drone regardless. After all, corpse consumption is widely frowned upon no matter which world he is in. Even Uncle Snake won't fall as low as consuming corpses… well his pet snake does.

Er, isn't that a similar situation as his pet Zerg consuming corpse? Oh wow. He definitely can't reveal what his bug does. Otherwise, he might end up a rebellious ninja like Uncle Snake.

So, he decided to only tell them a brief overview of his bug's abilities, minus the alarming parts such as telepathic control regardless of distance, construction, and biomass storage.

Shino adjusted his glasses before replying in a solemn manner, "It's my trump-"

"Che, I get it. Another bug!" Kiba uttered as he backed away.

Ack. He guessed right, but can't Kiba let him finish for once?

Well, it seems today won't be the day that his trump card gets revealed because Kurenai Yuhi, their sensei, appeared soon after and gave them a briefing on their first C-level mission - a bandit hunt in a small village in the Land of Fire.

"Glad you all made it. I'm sure everyone has prepared sufficient supplies?" she said, her voice firm and confident.

Seeing the trio nod in agreement, she announced, "Our mission is to hunt down a group of bandits who have been terrorizing a small village in the Land of Fire. This is a C-level mission, so be prepared for anything."

Shino nodded, his mind already working out various strategies… to gather biomass secretly.

Kiba snickered, "Bandits? That should be easy. Right, Akamaru?"

"Arf! Arf!"

Kurenai shot him a sharp look, "Don't underestimate them. They've caused enough damage to the village to warrant our attention."

Hinata spoke up, her voice gentle, "What's the plan, Kurenai sensei?"

Kurenai smiled, "We'll travel on foot, keeping our guard up at all times. This will be a good experience as you'll learn how to survive in the wild. Once we reach the village, we'll gather information from the villagers and track down the bandits. It won't be easy, but I have faith in each of you. Remember to stay with the group. I don't want any of you getting lost, understand?"

"Yes! Kurenai sensei!" (x3)

The team set off, trekking through the forests of the vast Land of Fire. On the way, Kurenai sensei lectured them regarding survival tips in the wild, things to look out for, and how to arrange camp.

As the sun set, they decided to set up camp for the night. Kiba, being the restless one, started pacing around.

"Ugh, I'm so bored. We should play a game or something," he said.

Hinata giggled softly, "What kind of game?"

Kiba scratched his chin, "I don't know. Truth or Dare?"

Shino looked up from his bug journal, which he stares at when he accesses his system to not appear too obtrusive, "I'd rather not-"

"Arf! Arf!" Akamaru interrupted.

"Akamaru says you're no fun, Shino," Kiba shrugged, "Suit yourself."

Shino adjusted his glasses as he glanced at Akamaru. Even the dog was infected...

Hinata looked around at their surroundings, "How about we play 'I Spy'?"

Kiba rolled his eyes, "That's a game for little kids."

Hinata blushed as she twiddled her fingers with head bowed, "Oh, I'm sorry. I just thought it would be fun."

Kurenai sensei interjected, "I think it's a good idea. It'll keep everyone alert."

They played 'I Spy' for a while, having fun… until everyone realized that Byakugan was a cheat in this game. Well, Hinata definitely knew how to pick her game. Still, they bonded over it at least.

Eventually, they all settled down and fell asleep after determining the rotations of the night watch.

Kurenai sensei didn't participate in this rotation, but Shino knew she would probably be on the lookout regardless. Still, Shino let his drone out from the box and had it burrowed into the ground as a sentry for the entire night. It can be the first to alert him if it detects vibrations from approaching individuals.

The days following were uneventful and full. There weren't any surprise encounters on the way. No sudden rogue ninjas popping up to assassinate them. Well, this was a good thing.

After traveling for days, they finally reached the village. The village looked deserted, and they were greeted by an old man who introduced himself as the village chief. He explained to them that the bandits had ravaged their village and had left them helpless.

Kiba let out a snort, "Why don't you guys fight back?"

The old man looked at Kiba with a pained expression, "We're just simple folk, son. We don't have the strength or the means to fight these bandits."

Hinata's gentle nature kicked in, "Don't worry, sir. We'll take care of them."

The old man's eyes lit up, and he gave them a grateful smile.

Shino stood silently, observing the village and its people. His bugs scurried around, secretly gathering information. He noticed that the villagers seemed to be living in fear. He didn't know why, so he didn't say anything, but he kept this fact in his mind.

After resting for a bit, they set out to find the bandits. The village chief had given them a general idea of where they were hiding - in the nearby mountains.

It wasn't a tall mountain, and the bandits were simply hiding in a cave that they didn't even bother to cover up. Honestly, it wasn't difficult to find. Perhaps, even too easy.

As they approached the bandit's hideout, they could hear the sounds of laughter and shouting. They took cover behind some rocks and observed the bandits.

"There are so many of them," Kiba whispered.

Hinata nodded, "We'll have to be careful."

Shino's bugs discreetly flew closer to the bandits and gathered information. He frowned, "There's something odd about these bandits because-"

Kiba excitedly interrupted, "What do you mean?"

Shino adjusted his glasses and couldn't help but complain inwardly. If Kiba could just let him finish talking…

Shino explained, "My bugs picked up some strange chakra. It's like nothing I've ever-"

Kurenai sensei glanced over at Shino and nodded in approvement, "Shino is right. I've also detected chakra signatures in some of these bandits. It seems that some of them may be ninjas."

Shino looked over at his teacher with shocked eyes.

No! Not even you, Kurenai sensei!

Unfortunately, no one noticed his shock because it was hidden behind his glasses. Instead, the Hinata and Kiba looked at each other nervously, wondering what they were up against.

Shino adjusted his glasses as he came up with a safe plan, "We should-"

Suddenly, a bandit appeared from behind another set of rocks nearby, "Well, well, well. What do we have here? I only went out to take a dump and come back to find a bunch of little Konoha ninjas. Tsk, tsk, tsk, what amazing luck. The brothers will enjoy this."

Kiba growled, "We're not little. We're big enough to take you down."

The bandit laughed, "Is that so? Let's see what you've got then. Everyone, we have guests!"

With his holler, the bandits began to close in, encircling the team. Wild grins appeared on their faces, revealing missing teeth and scars earned from a lifetime of crime. Some licked their knives hungrily, while others cracked their knuckles in anticipation of the fight to come.

Kiba took Akamaru from his head and placed him on the ground. A wild grin appeared on his face as he drops down to all fours, his hands clenching like claws.

"Byakugan!" Hinata raised her hands and took a low stance with her arms positioned in front of her in a defensive posture, ready to give her enemies a taste of her Gentle fists.

Glancing around, Shino noticed that Kurenai sensei had already disappeared at an unknown time. As expected of a Jonin… it seems this will be training for them.

Outnumbered and the enemy also has ninjas in the mix. This will be a tough battle.

Bugs flowed out from Shino's body, surrounding him and intimidatingly danced to the rhythm of its buzzing. Shino adjusted his glasses as he stared at the bodies of the bandits with a greedy glint in his eyes.

The bandit leader stepped forward, his eyes glinting with malice.

"You've made a grave mistake, coming here," he spat. "But since you're already here, we might as well have some fun. Get em' boys!"

The bandits erupted into cheers and jeers, taunting the team with crude insults and threats before charging at them.

Their first battle begins… it will be one that will not end unless there is bloodshed.