As they walked toward the village gates, Shinichi cast a brief glance at Satoru, chewing thoughtfully on a piece of dango. "A new mission just came up," he said, his tone calm but carrying a weight that caught Satoru's attention.
Satoru's interest piqued immediately. "What kind of mission are we talking about?"
Without missing a step, Shinichi replied, "A C-rank. You'll know when we meet up with the team."
They reached the village gates, where Kaito and Chosuke waited with their packs already prepared, looking eager. Shinichi gave them a quick nod, signaling the start of the mission.
Once they were out of earshot from the gate guards and alone on the trail, Satoru nudged Kaito, his curiosity still simmering. "Do you have any idea what exactly we're doing for this mission?"
Kaito nodded, "Yeah, I heard some rumors. Apparently, a lot of bandit and mercenary groups have been popping up lately. It's like they're not just wandering criminals—they're actually organized, almost like someone's giving them orders."
Satoru raised an eyebrow at the unexpected twist. "So, are we investigating who's behind it?"
Shinichi's turned to glance at them, his tone slightly amused. "If it were about tracking down the mastermind, this would be a B-rank mission, maybe even higher. For now, our orders are simpler—locate a few of these groups, clear them out, and bring back the survivors for interrogation."
Chosuke looked confused, glancing at Satoru and Kaito before addressing their sensei. "So… we're bringing all the bandits back? How are we supposed to carry them all?"
Shinichi, shook his head. "No, we're not hauling them the whole way. We'll rendezvous with a Yamanaka clan ninja at an outpost further down the road. He'll be able to probe the survivors' minds, extract information, and give us everything we need to know without dragging everyone back."
The team exchanged looks, Kaito frowned slightly, deep in thought.
"So, we're not just clearing out camps; we're actually aiming to collect as much intel as possible. Will this mission be dangerous?"
Shinichi nodded, his expression momentarily stern. "Correct. We'll be dealing with more than scattered bandits. They might be organized even trained, which means they'll likely fight back strategically. Keep your guard up and be ready for ambushes."
Satoru felt a thrill run through him as he nodded. The idea of facing an organized group instead of typical criminals was exhilarating.
As they walked, Chosuke glanced over at Shinichi-sensei. "So, Sensei, what will we do while we're waiting for the Yamanaka?"
Without missing a beat, Shinichi replied, "Train. I'm still not fully confident in your skills."
Chosuke accepted this with a nod and continued eating his snack.
Hours later, as they reached the halfway point to their destination—a known bandit camp—Shinichi stopped and instructed them to set up camp.
"Kaito, go hunt for animals," Shinichi ordered. "Satoru, gather firewood. Chosuke, set up the tent and prepare the cooking supplies."
Kaito and Satoru decided to head out together, figuring they'd be safer and more efficient as a pair.
As they walked through the forest, Kaito noticed Satoru carrying a new sword, one he hadn't seen before.
"That's a new one. Arashi-ken, right?" Kaito remarked, clearly surprised. "You have another high-level sword?"
Satoru nodded, a small smirk on his face. "My brother gave it to me."
Kaito looked puzzled. "But… I thought you were an orphan, like me?"
Satoru clarified, "He's my sworn brother. Family doesn't always have to be by blood."
The two eventually came across a dead, dry tree. Kaito, still curious, asked, "Why this tree? Why not the others we saw?"
"Dead wood burns better," Satoru explained. "It's dry and we dont have to kill any tree."
With a steady hand, Satoru channeled his chakra into his blade, producing a high-pitched hum. With one swing, he sliced through the branch cleanly, breaking it into manageable pieces.
Back at camp, Chosuke had already set up most of the tent and laid out the cooking supplies, glancing up briefly as Satoru and Kaito returned with the firewood.
Kaito and Satoru dropped off the wood and, the two immediately headed back out to search for any animals they could catch.
As they walked, Kaito glanced at Satoru's sword again, "Your brother must've trusted you a lot to give you Arashi-ken. It doesn't look like a weapon he'd give just anyone."
Satoru nodded. "He taught me to handle it properly, too. It's not about the blade itself but using it responsibly."
Satoru and Kaito crouched near the pond, studying the animals as they drank from the water's edge.
"Chosuke's appetite alone could probably wipe these guys out," Satoru muttered with a smirk. "We're going to need to catch more than just one or two."
Kaito nodded, eyeing the traps he'd packed and realizing they wouldn't be enough for such a large haul.
"Yeah, I didn't bring nearly enough for this," he admitted. After a moment of thought, he leaned over and explained his plan to Satoru.
Satoru listened intently, then nodded in agreement. He pulled out a kunai and approached a nearby tree, slicing off a thick piece of wood. In quick, precise strokes, he carved the wood into two sturdy, heavy bats.
Satoru handed one to Kaito and gave the other to a shadow clone he summoned, sending it off to coordinate with Kaito.
Positioning himself back near the pond, Satoru activated Texture-Surprise to blend into his surroundings.
From his hidden spot, he took note of the animals—a few rabbits hopping near the edges and even a lone deer grazing by the water.
He quickly weaved a set of hand seals and, with a smirk, unleashed Wind Style: Breakthrough.
A powerful gust shot forward, catching the animals off guard. Rabbits and the deer alike were swept up, tumbling through the air toward Kaito and the clone, who stood ready with their bats.
The moment the animals came within range, Kaito and the clone swung, swiftly and skillfully knocking each one unconscious.
They regrouped, grinning as they looked over the impressive haul. "Nice job," Satoru said, chuckling. "But knowing Chosuke, this still might not be enough. We might want to bring a bit extra for tomorrow's meals too."
Kaito scanned the area, nodding in agreement, when suddenly, a loud splash came from the pond.
Both of them turned sharply, instincts on high alert as they listened for any sign of what had caused it.
Kaito knelt down by the pond, peering into the water until he spotted a fish moving in the depths.
He gestured for Satoru to see, who immediately began rummaging through his bag, pulling out a vial of mild paralyzer. "It's weak enough in small doses. Won't hurt humans, but it'll slow these fish down," Satoru explained as he prepared the mixture.
Kaito glanced at the vial with some caution. "Are you sure it won't affect us when we eat them?"
Satoru nodded confidently. "Don't worry. I know how to extract toxins afterward. We'll be fine."
Kaito's face lit up at Satoru's proposed plan. "Alright, sounds fun," he said, grinning.
Positioning themselves on opposite sides of the pond, they set their plan into motion. Kaito scattered fish bait laced with the paralyzer across his side of the water.
A few curious fish drifted in to nibble, and, slowed by the poison, were quickly snatched up by Kaito.
Once the fish grew wary of the bait, Kaito smirked, taking out a paper bomb. "Time to shake things up," he muttered, tossing it into the water.
The mild explosion sent ripples across the pond, and the startled fish darted to the opposite side, where Satoru was waiting.
On his end, Satoru held his sword, Arashi-ken, just under the water's surface, channeling a small current of lightning through the blade. As the fish swam into range, he discharged the current, stunning them in place.
He tossed another paper bomb to stir up any remaining fish, repeating the process until they had a sizable catch.
With their haul complete, the two reunited, proudly carrying a bounty of fish back to the camp.
for the team.
---
Chosuke was deep in conversation with Shinichi-sensei about how he could improve his skills as a shinobi when a tantalizing aroma wafted through the air, breaking his concentration.
He paused mid-sentence, his nose twitching as he caught the scent of fish. Turning toward the source, his eyes widened in delight at the sight of Satoru approaching, arms laden with a heavy bag full of fish and another with several rabbits slung over his shoulder.
Behind him, Kaito was striding proudly, a deer draped over his back like a trophy.
Chosuke's mouth watered as he beheld their impressive haul. His instincts kicked in, and he reached out to grab one of the fish, only for Satoru to quickly intervene.
"Whoa there! You can't eat those yet. They were caught with poison; we need to detoxify them first," he warned, a serious look on his face.
Shinichi walked up to them, inspecting the bounty with keen eyes. "Impressive work, both of you," he commended, his tone approving. "You not only caught enough food for the team but also thought ahead to ensure everyone would be well-fed. Not many genins have that level of consideration."
Satoru smiled at the praise but remained focused on the task at hand. He started the detoxification process, carefully submerging the fish in water mixed with an antidote he had prepared. The water began to bubble slightly as the toxins started to break down, a sign that his method was working.
Meanwhile, Kaito and Chosuke teamed up to prepare the rabbits and deer for cooking. As they set about their work, Chosuke glanced at Satoru and Kaito, 'They had worked so hard to get this food, now it was his turn to contribute. And he would do it by cooking the tastiest dish they ever eaten.'
The team settled around the crackling bonfire, passing food around as they shared a well-earned meal. Each bite was savored, and the exhaustion from their earlier efforts only made the food taste better.
"There's nothing like eating after hard work," Kaito remarked, grinning as he took another mouthful. The others nodded in agreement, too caught up in the warmth and flavors to speak much.
After they'd eaten their fill, they packed up the remaining food, ensuring it was safely stored for the next day.
With the team's attention captured, Shinichi cleared his throat, signaling it was time to focus on their upcoming mission. "Listen up," he began, his voice steady and low. "Before we move out, there's some training you all need to complete. Tomorrow, we'll start water and tree-walking exercises. Mastering these will help you make better use of the terrain around the bandit camps."
The team exchanged glances, excitement mingling with anticipation. Shinichi continued, "We'll meet with the Yamanaka at an outpost not far from here. His skills will allow us to extract information from any captured enemies, Once we've got that, we'll raid three separate camps. They're close to one another, and we'll need to keep the element of surprise."
The young genin nodded, fully aware of the weight of the task. They unrolled their sleeping bags, the warmth of the fire casting shadows around them as each one prepared to rest.
They arranged a watch rotation, with one of them staying up to ensure the camp remained safe.