Chapter 0043: An Unexpected Turn During the Mission
Time flew by quickly, and in the blink of an eye, two months had passed since I became a full-fledged ninja.
During these two months, my squad—Team 8—and I gradually started taking on various missions, much like the other teams in Konoha.
Normally, when a new team is formed, the jōnin sensei would start them off with the simplest D-rank missions to get them familiar with the profession and the mission conditions. But Tsunade, our team leader, clearly wasn't the type to follow such conventional routines. Especially after gauging my abilities, she knew that simple D-rank missions wouldn't do me any good.
Kurenai and Shizune, though not as strong as me, were far from ordinary either. They were both highly capable and certainly weren't deadweight. In fact, their talents could be considered quite exceptional—far from mere pretty faces.
With these conditions in mind, Tsunade assigned us missions suited for elite genin, holding us to a higher standard.
Take this bandit-clearing mission, for example.
While bandits usually aren't particularly strong fighters, they tend to have numbers and are often quite experienced in battle. For lower-ranked ninjas, this could be quite the challenge.
It was around noon when we reached the bandit camp.
Calling it a camp was generous—it was just a few wooden fences and a gate forming a small, low wall, with some tents inside that served as their living quarters.
After swiftly dealing with the guards at the entrance, the three of us—Kurenai, Shizune, and I—silently entered the camp.
There were three tents in total.
Directly across from the gate was what appeared to be a storeroom. Just by looking through the window, I could see it was filled with all sorts of supplies. It seemed these bandits had recently hit the jackpot.
The other two tents on either side of the camp were where I could hear voices. It was clear the bandits had gathered there.
I signaled to Kurenai and Shizune, and they nodded in understanding. They each drew their weapons and headed toward the left tent. I, on the other hand, moved toward the right tent. Without hesitation, I reached into my ninja pouch, then kicked the door down with a loud bang.
"What?!"
The bandits inside were startled, but before they could react, a rain of shuriken flew at them, striking them down.
Thud, thud, thud.
The sound of bodies hitting the ground echoed through the room.
After these past two months, this was far from my first time killing someone. And since they were bandits, the kind who committed heinous acts, I felt no remorse.
I knelt down to count the bodies, but just as I did, something unexpected happened. One of the bandits, who should've been dead, suddenly opened his eyes and swung his fist at me.
Bam!
The force of the punch sent me flying, slamming hard against the wall behind me.
But the bandit didn't stop there. He formed hand seals and slammed his hands onto the ground.
"Earth Style: Earth Spikes!"
Rumble!
Sharp spikes shot out from the ground, walls, and ceiling, like missiles aimed straight at me. The whole room was engulfed in dust.
"Even if they're just young ninja fresh out of the village... As I thought, Konoha's already caught wind of our presence," the bandit muttered to himself as he turned to leave. "This is a hassle. I knew I shouldn't have taken this job."
"Where do you think you're going?" My voice cut through the dust, making him freeze in his tracks.
The bandit turned abruptly, his eyes wide with shock. There I was, standing completely unscathed, my clothes still pristine, without a single speck of dust.
"How... how is this possible? Could it be... an illusion?!"
"Bingo. But no reward for you." I smirked. In a flash, I launched myself at him.
"Not good!"
The bandit's face paled, realizing something was wrong, but his body couldn't keep up with my speed. In the next moment, he felt a massive force slam into his abdomen, sending him flying.
Cough, cough.
He spat up blood, trying to stand, but I planted my foot firmly on his chest, pinning him down.
"Who would've thought a group of bandits would have a ninja in their ranks?" I looked down at him coldly. "Care to explain your objective?"
"I-I'll talk! Just let me live!" the bandit begged, showing no spine at all.
"That depends on how valuable your information is," I replied, my tone indifferent.
Back in the village, I was known to be easy-going and kind-hearted. But when it came to enemies, I had no mercy. I knew better than anyone just how brutal the ninja world could be. Too much kindness could get you killed.
"I'm from Grass Village. I recently took on a mission from the underground black market," he stammered, pulling out a contract from his cloak and handing it to me.
"Hm?"
I glanced over the contract, my eyes narrowing. "Are you the only one who took this mission?"
"S-so far, yes. It's just me for now," the bandit replied nervously.
"Good." I nodded, my hand moving to my blade. In one swift motion, the sword left its sheath.
Slice.
A dull thud followed as the blade cut through flesh.
A thin red line appeared across the bandit's throat. His eyes widened in shock and disbelief, not understanding why I'd struck so suddenly. Did his information not hold any value?
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