[NTU] [ARC-03-GENIN] Chapter : 48 (Patreon)

"Yes, exactly! We should first determine the specific requirements of the mission!" Kirishima, grasping at this last hope, exclaimed hurriedly.

Even Asuka reacted quickly, pulling out the mission scroll and reading it word by word. Earlier, Toshiro had only glanced at it briefly and wasn't clear on the specifics. When Asuka had become the 'temporary captain,' she was too excited to thoroughly review the details.

"So, what are the mission requirements?" Kirishima asked hopefully.

Asuka, shaking her head with a serious expression, replied, "The mission requires us to 'eliminate' these bandits."

"Is that so..." Kirishima muttered, looking lost.

The profession of a ninja involves completing missions in exchange for payment, and Kirishima had no better solution. Toshiro, however, wasn't surprised. Given the nature of the ninja world, arresting bandits in most cases would be out of the question.

"I think we should first start by cleaning up here. Gather the unconscious bandits together and check for anyone who might have slipped through. There might also be captives or victims to rescue," Toshiro suggested, hoping to distract his companions and alleviate their tension.

Asuka and Kirishima, relieved by this suggestion, quickly discussed and then went to search for captives and also gather the bandits.

From his hiding spot, Satoshi watched his disciples' actions. Seeing that they hadn't killed the sentry, he wasn’t too disappointed. There was still time for them to adapt. As he observed them, memories of his own first kill surfaced.

He remembered hesitating before making his first kill, just like Toshiro and his team. Now married with children, he reflected on the sad fate of his teammates and sensei, with whom he had gone through countless missions.

Back then, they were also a team similar to Toshiro’s: a jonin-sensei, two boys, and a cute girl, forming a typical Konoha three-man team. They performed numerous low-level D- and C-rank missions together, creating nostalgic memories despite occasional infighting.

Time flew by, and soon the sky was fully bright. In front of the only wooden house in the settlement, 43 unconscious bandits lay in disheveled clothing. Some looked slightly better off, while others appeared almost malnourished, indicating that their lives as bandits were hardly better than their previous lives as farmers.

Around this group were piles of weapons, supplies, and goods they had stolen. Some gold, silver, and banknotes, totaling about 200,000 ryo, were also found in the wooden house.

The more pressing issue was the group of women at the edge of the clearing. Seven women in ragged clothes, found in a hidden cellar by Toshiro during the search, sat cowering. They seemed unfazed, almost desensitized, by their captivity.

These women had been kidnapped by the bandits from nearby villages or passing merchants and locked in a dark cellar. Originally twelve, five had died due to the abuse and mistreatment by the bandits. The surviving women provided information on the bandits’ ruthless methods during their raids, which involved killing and leaving no survivors, ultimately prompting the local lords to request help from Konoha.

"So, what should we do with these people?" Toshiro asked leisurely, seeing that the time was almost up.

"Why don't we divide them up and 'take care of them' together?" Kirishima suggested, swallowing nervously.

His suggestion was met with a long silence. Even the women, sensing the gravity of the situation, quieted down, trying not to draw attention.

The concept of killing was still too heavy for them. Asuka, an eight-year-old girl, was the golden girl of her family, growing up in a sheltered environment. Although she was mischievous with her friends, she was still an innocent little girl. Toshiro, while more mature, had been an ordinary guy in his previous life.

Living in a relatively peaceful world, the concept of 'killing' was foreign to Toshiro. Even at the market, someone else would kill the fish or chicken he bought.

Toshiro speculated that if they adapted to killing too early, it could have serious psychological repercussions. Initially, these effects might not be noticeable, but without proper guidance, they could manifest later in life, leading to severe psychological issues and potentially turning a good ninja into a distorted and perverted individual.

This concern made Toshiro cautious, fearing that mishandling the situation could result in PTSD for his teammates.

"Or maybe we should set up exploding tags. We can leave these bandits where they are and trigger them from a distance," he suggested when he saw that Kirishima and Asuka were still hesitant.

Toshiro wasn't concerned about disrupting Satoshi's training plans. His priority was to handle the immediate situation.

"That's a good idea!" Asuka's eyes lit up. After exchanging glances with Kirishima and receiving his agreement, they decided to go with Toshiro's plan.

"Yes! We can detonate them from a distance and avoid directly killing them," Kirishima agreed, immediately becoming enthusiastic about the idea.

While using the exploding tags also meant they were still 'killing,' it spared them the direct experience of blood and gore. Once they reached an agreement, they acted swiftly. Directing the victims to move debris, Toshiro and the others took out their exploding tags. Toshiro had three, Kirishima had over a dozen, and Asuka took out a large stack of twenty or thirty.

Seeing this, Toshiro silently removed two of his three tags, leaving just one.

He believed that personal experience was the best sensei, even if it meant losing some money. He casually stuck his tag on an unfortunate bandit and, feeling a temporary sense of relief, began instructing the women to get busy. He left the mission of setting up the tags to Kirishima and Asuka, confident they could handle it.

However, there were still surprises left for them. While placing the tags, Asuka didn't notice a man slowly waking up nearby. Unlike the other robbers, this man had a healthier complexion and cleaner clothes. He was the leader of the bandits, a seasoned bandit with years of experience.

This leader had trained his chakra and, though lacking formal training in ninjutsu or genjutsu, was physically strong, comparable to a ninja academy student in his final year. His strength had allowed him to survive numerous attacks and build his own bandit group after escaping previous crackdowns.

As he secretly observed his surroundings, his eyes fell on the forehead guard on Asuka's head. Realizing they were facing ninjas, his heart sank. When he saw Asuka placing exploding tags, he knew this encounter was different from previous ones with samurai. These ninjas were a much tougher challenge.

One of his previous bosses gave him some advice, saying that ninjas can't be judged by appearances. They may look young, but they are ruthless killers.

A leaf-shaped mark signified that the ninja belonged to the Fire Country. The old man had warned that if he ever encountered such a mark, running away was the best option.

The explosive tag in Asuka's hand was one of the ninja weapons he'd learned about previously. The leader of the previous group had drunkenly shown it to them, and he vividly remembered its power. The last time the group was attacked, the boss used an explosive tag that terrified both the samurai and the bandits. Although the group was eventually cleaned up, the explosive tag's power left a deep impression.

Now, seeing Asuka sticking explosive tags to the bandits one by one, his heart almost jumped out of his throat. He knew the power of these tags. Just one could be deadly, and here she was, using so many of them. The thought of so many tags detonating at once was terrifying.

These ninjas are truly ruthless killers! He felt close to death when he saw all the exploding tags in her hand.

Watching Asuka approach, the bandit leader decided to escape. Toshiro, who was directing the women to clean up the debris, was unaware of the bandit's intentions and continued his mission.

Satoshi, observing from the shadows, noticed the bandit's abnormal behavior. He chose not to intervene, intending to use this scenario to teach them. Though the bandit seemed to be 'strong', a mere glance from Satoshi could set things right. However, he believed the team needed to face this challenge.

He was dissatisfied with Toshiro's explosive tag idea. He thought about the next mission, hoping it would be challenging yet not get exploited by these clever kids, like they did now.

The bandit, listening carefully and seeing Asuka getting closer, slowed his breathing to feign unconsciousness. He secretly gathered his strength, waiting for the right moment to execute his plan.

Unaware, Asuka approached the bandit with her explosive tags. She had decided to kill these scoundrels after rescuing the women and learning about their atrocities. Using Toshiro's method, she felt no guilt as she placed the tags on their chests.

"Asuka!" Kirishima called out just as she was about to place a tag on a larger bandit.

"Huh! What's wrong?"

"I'm out of explosive tags. Can you give me some?"

Unlike the well-supplied Asuka, Kirishima had quickly used up his tags and needed more. Asuka, thinking nothing of it, turned to head towards Kirishima.

Asuka was walking towards Kirishima, she noticed his expression change. His eyes widened with fear, his face turned pale, and his mouth opened as if to speak, though no sound came out. His face became hideous with urgency.

Asuka realized something was wrong. "Asuka! Get out of there!!" Toshiro's urgent voice snapped her out of her daze. She tried to move, but her body froze with fear. The sudden surge of adrenaline made her stiffen.

"Don't move! Otherwise, I can't guarantee your safety!" The bandit pressed a kunai to Asuka's neck. He took the explosive tags from her, carefully attaching one to her back and collecting the rest.

When the drunken boss showed off the explosive tags, he also revealed how to use them. Now, the bandit intended to use this knowledge to his advantage.