Under Kurenai's leadership, the group's progress wasn't particularly fast. However, after two days, they arrived at their mission destination, a nameless valley near Hualu Town.
Hualu Town, located at the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Rivers, was a bustling town.
However, a few months ago, a group of bandits appeared near Hualu Town, committing arson, murder, and robbery. In just half a year, they had killed over a hundred people, terrorizing the local residents.
Because of this, the town had gathered funds to request Konoha's assistance.
Outside the bandit's stronghold,
Kurenai took out a scroll containing the mission details and spoke solemnly to Shishou, Kiba, and Sakura:
"According to the information, this group of bandits has around thirty to forty members, with no ninjas or samurai among them."
"However, they still have several hostages."
"Your task is to eliminate these bandits while ensuring the safety of the hostages."
"Understood?"
Shishou, Kiba, and Sakura nodded in unison, "Understood."
Hearing this, Kurenai waved her hand.
"Scatter!"
Three shadows leaped out as Shishou and his teammates disappeared from Kurenai's sight.
Then, Kurenai created three shadow clones to follow them, in case of any unforeseen circumstances.
She herself stealthily headed to where the bandits were holding the hostages to ensure their safety.
Outside the bandit camp, Shishou looked at Kiba and Sakura and said,
"I'll draw the bandits' attention while you two rescue the hostages."
With that, Shishou took out the gourd he carried on his back, which contained parasitic insects. He released a swarm of them, forming several insect clones to launch an attack on the camp, drawing the bandits' attention.
Kiba and Sakura took advantage of the distraction to infiltrate the camp and locate the imprisoned girls.
"These people deserve to die!" Seeing the battered and bruised girls, Sakura cursed in anger.
"Then let's kill them all!" Kiba echoed angrily, entering Four Legs Technique mode with Akamaru and pouncing on the bandits.
Sakura created two shadow clones, sending them to join the slaughter while she stayed with the hostages, eliminating any bandits who dared to approach.
The tragic fate of these girls enraged both Kiba and Sakura.
Although they were genin, their abilities as ninjas were overwhelming against the ordinary bandits.
In just over ten minutes,
The bandits within the camp were annihilated by the three.
In the aftermath, Sakura sustained some injuries, Kiba was covered in blood, and Akamaru's fur was dyed red.
Shishou, however, remained pristine, not even his shoes were dirty.
But after the initial anger subsided and the adrenaline wore off, seeing the blood and corpses scattered around made the first-time killers, Kiba and Sakura, vomit.
Kurenai saw their reaction but said nothing.
Although they had been trained as ninjas, they grew up in a time of peace. It's normal to be unaccustomed to killing.
It was Shishou's calm demeanor that made Kurenai frown slightly.
Smart, calm, and a ninjutsu genius, Shishou's traits reminded her of Orochimaru, one of the legendary Sannin.
If her student was a cold-blooded individual like Orochimaru, it wouldn't bode well for her as his teacher.
After all, Kurenai didn't want to end up with a student who might turn against her.
Unaware of Kurenai's thoughts, Shishou took Sakura aside to treat her wounds.
This time, Sakura's injury was on her back. Shishou reached through the tear in her clothes to place his hand on her back and began healing her.
Feeling Shishou's hand on her back, Sakura's face turned bright red, her posture stiffening in embarrassment.
Although Shishou had treated her many times over the past month, this close contact was a first, leaving her both shy and flustered, with a hint of excitement.
Seeing Sakura's expression, Shishou's lips curled into a hidden smile beneath his mask.
Sakura and Karin were known in the original story for being head over heels in love, willing to do anything for the ones they liked.
Such individuals, once fully infatuated, would be utterly devoted, impossible to shake off.
Even if their beloved were violent or even tried to kill them, just a little affection would keep them endlessly loyal and eager to please.
Sakura's expression indicated that it wouldn't be long before she fell completely for him.
With a little training, Sakura's heart would mold to his, doing everything to please him.
Once Kiba finished washing the blood off by the well, and Shishou had healed Sakura's back,
Kurenai appeared before them and said,
"Search the bandits' treasure, then bring the hostages back to Hualu Town."
Bandit treasures were considered additional income for the team, and Kurenai had no intention of missing out.
Hearing her instructions, Shishou, Kiba, and Sakura began searching the camp.
Half an hour later, they regrouped.
"I only found a few hundred ryo."
Kiba presented some blood-stained money with a frown.
The blood around the camp had interfered with his and Akamaru's sense of smell.
"Me too," Sakura said dejectedly.
As a civilian, while she wasn't poor, she naturally hoped for more money.
Seeing their meager findings, Shishou chuckled.
"Looks like I had the biggest haul."
He then pulled out a small box from his back, revealing over seventy thousand ryo.
"Wow, Shishou, you're amazing!" Sakura exclaimed, delighted.
"Shishou, your luck is unreal," Kiba grumbled, feeling envious.
Shishou was not only handsome and skilled but also incredibly lucky. How could anyone else compete?
Kurenai glanced at the small box in Shishou's hand and said,
"Alright, let's move out."
The four of them took the treasure and the hostages back to Hualu Town to report to the mayor and complete the mission.
Having successfully completed the mission and acquired additional funds,
Kurenai generously booked a stay at an onsen inn in Hualu Town, planning to relax for a few days before returning to Konoha.
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This fanfiction is complete on my P@treon. If you want to read it, you can find it at p@treon.com/Betek. change @ to a