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The fall of the gatekeeper left everyone in the mountain stronghold stunned. They had no idea how the gatekeeper had been taken down, and fear began to spread through their ranks.
"What are you afraid of? It's just one young kid. With so many of us, how can we be scared of him?" A trembling voice tried to rally the others.
"That's right!"
Despite their confusion and fear, these mountain bandits, seasoned by countless battles, didn't completely lose their nerve. They drew their weapons and prepared to fight.
Unfortunately, the gap between ordinary people and ninjas was vast and insurmountable.
Natsuro paid no mind to their morale. In his eyes, they were nothing more than a group of rabble.
Slowly, he raised his bloody blade…
Each swing of the knife meant another life ended.
"It seems Ink has a good heart," Fox commented as he watched the situation in the stronghold, his eyes brightening.
"Good heart?" Hyena looked at Ink, who was cutting through enemies with ease, with a bitter smile. Even if he were to take on the task, he wouldn't hesitate, but could he really handle it so effortlessly?
"Of course. Did you not see? Except for the first one, every strike he made was precise, hitting the vital points and minimizing the suffering of the enemies. After all, they would die no matter what, so isn't it better for them to die with less pain?" Fox explained.
Hyena was momentarily stunned. It did make a bit of sense, but then he shook his head. They probably just wanted to survive rather than to die without pain.
"Stop talking and catch up," Tenzo said at this moment.
"Alright, but it seems we don't need to intervene at all, Captain," Fox replied.
"Yes, that's right." Tenzo looked at the pool of blood and didn't expect such a scene. The stronghold was not small, and there were over a hundred people inside…
At this point, Tenzo began to worry about Natsuro's mental state. Could he really handle such a massacre on his first mission?
He began to question the higher-ups' decision.
"Captain, maybe the higher-ups didn't intend for Ink to handle this alone…?" Hyena scratched his head, suddenly saying. His mind was quite straightforward.
Immediately, Tenzo and Fox froze. There might be some truth to it. The task seemed to be assigned to Natsuro to give him practical experience, as they initially assumed it was an easy mission for an experienced lower-ranking ninja.
It seemed that perhaps they had misjudged.
"Captain, should we intervene?" Fox also questioned.
Tenzo looked at Natsuro, who was almost done with the stronghold, and shook his head. "No need. He is almost finished. It's too late now."
After Tenzo's words, both Fox and Hyena couldn't help but shudder. The speed was astonishing. They recalled Ink's self-introduction.
Speedy attack? He wasn't lying!
Inside the stronghold, Natsuro walked over the blood-soaked ground towards the last remaining bandit. This person, though not rough-looking, had lost all will to resist, staring vacantly at him and his blood-stained sword. After a long silence, he spoke.
"We were just trying to survive… Is that wrong?"
Natsuro paused but continued to swing his sword mercilessly. Blood splattered everywhere.
His clothes were stained, and his once pristine mask now had a hint of blood on it. At first, he paid some attention, but as the task progressed, he no longer cared.
As he looked at the fallen figure, Natsuro finally spoke.
"Perhaps you weren't wrong, but I'm not wrong either."
With that, he sheathed his sword and walked silently towards the exit. His small figure amidst the pile of corpses appeared like an enforcer of death.
When he saw the three teammates waiting for him, he walked over and said, "Captain, the mission is complete."
"Ink, they were heinous bandits. Don't feel too much pressure," Tenzo said, fearing he might be troubled, and spoke directly without waiting to return.
"Yeah, Ink, although they initially acted out of survival, their subsequent actions became crimes of arson and murder. They deserved their fate," Fox added.
They also began to resent the way the mission was assigned. Why detail so much about their past as ordinary villagers? Simply noting their crimes would have sufficed…
Such extra details seemed unnecessary!
"But from their perspective, trying to survive was not wrong, no matter how hard it is to understand," Natsuro reflected on the last person's words as he looked at the bloodied stronghold, recalling the prediction made by the Great Toad Sage…
Wasn't this scene a confirmation of that prediction?
"Blood-stained storm?"
He murmured…
He never expected the prophecy to come true so quickly.
But what did that mean? Corruption? Evil?
He chuckled. It was somewhat ironic. He was who he was. Even if he had to walk over a mountain of corpses in the future, his goal would remain unchanged...
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(Currently on Chapter 132 - Knock of Death)