Satoru carried Kaito as he moved westward. Following Naka's directions, he soon spotted Reiko lying against a tree, unconscious but unharmed. Relief flooded him as he approached her. He carefully checked her for injuries, finding nothing beyond some scratches. Letting out a breath, he released a flare into the sky, a signal to Shinichi-sensei.
Placing both Kaito and Reiko down, Satoru focused on healing their minor wounds, his chakra flowing steadily as he worked. Soon, Reiko stirred awake, followed shortly by Kaito, who groaned as he sat up. They exchanged tired looks, waiting in tense silence for Shinichi-sensei.
Minutes later, the sound of flapping wings broke the stillness. A large bird swooped down from the sky, and Shinichi and Chosuke leapt off, landing gracefully in front of them. Shinichi's eyes scanned the group with his usual calm demeanor, though there was a flicker of concern when his gaze lingered on Reiko.
Reiko quickly averted her face, hiding behind Satoru as if that would shield her from Shinichi's scrutiny.
Shinichi's voice was firm but even. "What happened here?"
Kaito, still shaking off his daze, spoke first. "I was captured by enemy ninjas. They seemed to have a similar mission—they cleared out the bandits before we even arrived." He paused, rubbing his temples. "I didn't see much, but they were strong. Too strong."
Satoru stepped in, his voice steady. "Reiko and I handled the bandits at our camp, but we encountered a man named Naka. He was… too much for us, so we retreated to help Kaito." He glanced back at Reiko, who tugged on his sleeve and whispered frantically.
"Don't mention me," she hissed, her face pale with guilt.
Satoru gave her a brief nod before continuing, seamlessly omitting her unauthorized involvement. "After we regrouped, Naka followed us to this camp. He's the one who destroyed it, blowing the entire place to pieces."
Shinichi nodded, his gaze hardening. "Are any of you injured?"
"We're fine now," Satoru replied. "But the situation's worse than we thought."
Shinichi sighed, the weight of the mission clear on his face. "I've already informed the Hokage of the severity. Reinforcements will be dispatched soon—every village will have shinobi combing the borders. This can't happen again."
Kaito, still reeling, suddenly spoke. "The camp… it's gone?" His voice was barely above a whisper. "What happened to Inoko?"
Satoru's face darkened, and his voice dropped to a grim tone. "Everywhere I went… all I saw were overcooked humans." His blunt response hung in the air, heavy and unrelenting.
Shinichi sat on a rock, scanning the horizon as his birds dispersed in search of any survivors. Satoru went to Chosuke, applying what healing techniques he could muster.
"I'm glad you made it," Satoru said quietly, concentrating as his hands glowed with chakra. Chosuke winced but gave a small nod.
Before long, Shinichi's birds returned. One carried a badly injured figure, a young woman no older than sixteen or seventeen. Her body was riddled with burns, her breathing shallow but steady. Shinichi approached and carefully checked her chakra signature.
"It's Inoko," he confirmed. Relief flickered across his face before it was replaced by urgency. "We're leaving for Konoha immediately."
The birds were quickly prepared for transport. Satoru and Chosuke shared one, Kaito and Reiko were on another, while Shinichi rode solo.
As the birds ascended into the sky, the atmosphere remained heavy. On Satoru and Chosuke's bird, the two boys sat in tense silence until Chosuke finally broke it. "I lost a friend today," he muttered, staring at the horizon. His voice was low, laced with sorrow.
Satoru hesitated, unsure of how to respond. After a moment, he spoke softly. "I… made a friend today."
Chosuke turned to him, frowning. "What kind of response is that?"
Satoru shrugged, offering a faint, almost apologetic smile. "Just a thought."
Chosuke sighed but didn't press further.
Meanwhile, on Kaito and Reiko's bird, Kaito looked utterly drained, his grip on the bird unsteady. Worried, Reiko tied him securely to herself to ensure he wouldn't fall. She glanced at his face and noticed the sadness etched there.
"Kaito, what's wrong?" she asked gently.
Kaito's gaze drifted to the bandaged body of Inoko being carried below them. His voice was quiet and distant. "I… don't want to talk right now."
Reiko's respected his wishes. "Alright," she whispered, adjusting the ropes to make him more comfortable. Before long, Kaito's exhaustion overtook him, and he fell asleep against her shoulder.
After half a day of travel, the team finally saw the familiar gates of Konoha, letting out sighs of relief as their home came into view. They noticed a group of ANBU standing by the gates, waiting for them. Without delay, Chosuke and Kaito were whisked away for further medical treatment. Satoru and Shinichi, meanwhile, made their way to the Hokage's office.
The tension in the room was palpable. The Hokage sat behind his desk, his face shadowed with worry, while the elders, including Koharu, stood nearby, their expressions stern. As Satoru and Shinichi entered, it was clear that this was not going to be a pleasant debriefing.
The Hokage gestured for them to begin. "Give me your reports."
Shinichi stepped forward, his tone measured but heavy. "This was originally an easy B-rank mission for bandit extermination. However—"
Before he could finish, Koharu interrupted, her voice sharp. "What were you thinking, assigning genin to a B-rank mission? Even if it seemed easy, this was a reckless decision!"
Shinichi didn't react to her reprimand. Instead, he calmly continued. "After apprehending the bandits, we interrogated them with the help of border shinobi. That's when we learned that the group we encountered was merely a diversion. Four more, much stronger groups, were entering the Land of Fire through different border points. They were spread far apart, making it impossible to intercept them all."
Koharu's eyes narrowed. "And why didn't the border patrol assist if the situation was so dire? Was their role not to monitor such threats?"
Before Shinichi could respond, the Hokage raised his hand and answered in his stead. "Because we've recently uncovered and arrested a significant number of traitors among the border shinobi. Their betrayal left us undermanned, and there hasn't been enough time to fill the vacancies. Genin teams were dispatched in desperation, not recklessness."
Koharu frowned, but she fell silent, processing the explanation. After a moment, she turned back to Shinichi. "Very well. Continue."
Shinichi nodded and resumed his report, his voice steady but carrying an undertone of frustration. "Given the circumstances, we focused on dealing with the immediate threat posed by the bandits and gathering intelligence on the other groups. However, the situation escalated far beyond our expectations…"
Shinichi resumed his report, his tone sharp and unwavering. "I instructed my team to divide and deal with the nearest bandit groups while I went to intercept the farthest group. My order was simple: hold them off until I arrived or keep them occupied long enough for reinforcements. However, the situation escalated. Chosuke, along with a ronin near the Land of Iron, managed to stall their group, but at great cost. The ronin and several civilians lost their lives during the battle."
He paused briefly, his jaw tightening before continuing. "Chosuke and the ronin engaged two bandits wielding kekkei genkai abilities. Despite the odds, the bandits were subdued and successfully captured."
Danzo interjected, his voice cold and clinical. "Those two are now in the custody of Root ANBU. Their interrogation and processing have already begun."
Shinichi turned to Danzo, bowing slightly. "Consider them the spoils of battle, brought as an apology for my failure."
The Hokage, however, was unmoved. "What happened out there cannot be amended with an apology, Shinichi. The consequences of this mission will be felt for some time."
Shinichi glanced at Satoru, subtly motioning for him to speak. Satoru hesitated, then stepped forward, recounting his part in the mission. "I was assigned to the camp near the Land of Rain. Reiko from the border patrol assisted me. Together, we managed to defeat the bandits and complete the mission."
As soon as he said her name, a flicker of panic crossed his face. He remembered too late that he wasn't supposed to mention Reiko's involvement. The room was silent for a moment until the Hokage spoke.
"Reiko will not be punished for her actions," Hiruzen said firmly, his tone cutting through the tension. "Her assistance contributed significantly to the mission's success."
Satoru let out a small sigh of relief and nodded. "Thank you, Lord Hokage."
Hiruzen's gaze softened slightly. "That will be all for now, Satoru. You may leave. I will gather reports from Chosuke and Kaito once they recover."
Satoru bowed deeply and stepped back, grateful to be dismissed. The weight of the mission still pressed heavily on his shoulders, but for now, he had done his part.
Before Satoru turned to leave the office, he hesitated and addressed the room once more. "There's something else I need to report. During my mission, I encountered a man—extremely powerful, around high-jonin level. He approached me and asked if I remembered him. When I said I didn't, he attacked me. It was as if my answer had offended him deeply, or…" Satoru paused, his expression darkening. "…or saddened him."
Danzo's sharp gaze lingered on Satoru, and his voice cut through the silence. "This will be discussed later. Leave."
Satoru nodded quickly and exited, leaving the tension in the room even thicker than before.
As the door closed behind him, Homura turned his attention to Shinichi, his tone biting. "Shinichi, how does an esteemed shinobi like you make such a catastrophic failure of this mission? Families have lost loved ones because of this negligence. They will demand answers and compensation."
Shinichi, his posture stiff but resigned, replied, "I will accept any action deemed necessary against me."
Homura didn't hesitate. "You will be suspended indefinitely and prohibited from leaving Konoha until further notice. Additionally, you are to issue a public apology to the victims' families and provide them with whatever aid they require. Is that clear?"
"Yes, Elder Homura," Shinichi said evenly, though his voice carried the faintest hint of pain.
"You are dismissed," Homura concluded.
Shinichi bowed to the Hokage and elders before leaving the office. Outside, Satoru was waiting, standing with his arms crossed, his expression pensive. As soon as Shinichi emerged, Satoru stepped forward. "Sensei, what happens now? What should we do?"
Shinichi looked at him, his usual stoic demeanor faltering as his hands trembled faintly. "From now on, I'm not your sensei anymore," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. "I'm suspended. For a long time."
Satoru's eyes widened as he noticed the tremor in Shinichi's hands. It wasn't fear, but something deeper—regret, perhaps? His mind raced. 'I don't know how to handle this… but maybe Mitsuki-sensei will.'
He placed a hand on Shinichi's arm and spoke with uncharacteristic urgency. "Sensei, come with me to Mitsuki-sensei's house. I think…she might know what to do about this."
Satoru's steps faltered as his thoughts drifted back to the battle. The clash with the bandits replayed in his mind, each strike and counterstrike etched vividly. The rush, the sheer thrill of combat, surged through him again, intoxicating and overwhelming. A smile tugged at his lips as his grip tightened around the kunai in his hand.
'The things I could do with this...' he thought, his gaze briefly locking on a random passerby. The thrill morphed into something darker, something deeply unsettling.
The fleeting fantasy sent a jolt through him, breaking his trance. He noticed Shinichi ahead, already nearing Mitsuki-sensei's house, oblivious to Satoru lagging behind. Shaking his head, Satoru forced himself to quicken his pace, the high ebbing away as reality seeped back in.
By the time he reached the house, his legs felt heavy. His thoughts were a chaotic mess, the remnants of adrenaline clashing with guilt and exhaustion. He pushed open the door, stepping inside just as his vision blurred. The high crashed down completely, and before he could call out, his knees buckled.
Darkness engulfed him as he collapsed onto the floor.