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"Finally out of the village!"
Kushina skipped ahead, a cheerful grin on her face. She hadn't left Konoha since arriving.
Mikoto also looked around curiously, taking in the sights.
"Hey, it's more dangerous outside the village. Don't let your guard down," Tsunade warned.
Most Shinobi died because of carelessness. It was important to be vigilant at all times.
"Okay."
Kushina ran back to Shin, who seemed lost in thought. "Shin, are you still thinking about that guy?" she asked, nudging him.
"Yeah, it's hard not to."
Shin nodded. He was contemplating how to eliminate Kato Dan. Since Dan harbored ill will towards him, he was an enemy.
And the best way to deal with an enemy was to nip the threat in the bud.
But there was no opportunity in Konoha. If he was discovered, his only option would be to defect.
He was enjoying his life in Konoha; he didn't want to become a missing-nin, constantly on the run.
"There's a Shinobi approaching."
Shin turned and looked back.
Tsunade immediately followed his gaze. She didn't see anyone, but she trusted Shin's judgment. He had proven himself to be reliable.
Shin's eyes widened as he saw the approaching Shinobi. It was Kato Dan.
"Tsunade-san, finally caught up to you."
Dan and his three-man team arrived, smiles plastered on their faces.
"What are you doing here, Dan-san?" Tsunade asked coldly.
Dan, unfazed by her hostility, replied smoothly, "The Sandaime Hokage sent me to assist you with your mission."
"Really?" Tsunade eyed him skeptically. Did they really need assistance for a simple bandit extermination mission?
"We don't need your help. Go back."
Tsunade waved them away dismissively.
Dan feigned a troubled expression. "I apologize, Tsunade-san, but these are the Hokage's orders. I can't disobey."
"Tsunade, since it's the Hokage's kind intention, let's accept their help. It'll make things easier for us" Shin said with a smile, as if welcoming him.
Tsunade, Kushina, and Mikoto looked at Shin strangely. They didn't believe his act for a second.
Dan's smile faltered. Shin's expression seemed familiar. It was the same fake smile he himself often wore.
"Fine, follow us. But don't get in our way," Tsunade said, glancing at Dan and his team.
She didn't know what Shin was planning, but she decided to play along.
"Dan-san, we look forward to working with you," Shin said with a smile.
"Likewise," Dan replied, mirroring Shin's expression.
"Ugh, that's so fake," Kushina muttered, shivering.
Tsunade and Mikoto shared her sentiment.
With Dan and his team tagging along, the atmosphere became awkward. No one spoke.
Shinobi traveled quickly. Within half a day, they reached their destination, Nishi-mura.
"Where are the bandits?" Kushina asked, eager for action.
"Not far from here. See that mountain? According to the mission details, they're hiding there. Six of them, all civilians."
"Only six?"
Shin was surprised. He had expected a larger group.
But he had overestimated the bandit population. Within Land of Fire, bandits were rare, constantly hunted by Shinobi.
After searching for half an hour, they finally found the bandits. Shin had expected some kind of hideout, but they were living in a cave. How pathetic.
And the six bandits were all skinny and malnourished. Were they really bandits? They looked more like refugees.
"Are those really bandits? They look so pitiful," Kushina said.
"I guess so. That's what the intel said." Even Tsunade wasn't sure. If these were bandits, they were the most pathetic bandits she had ever seen.
"Boss, look! Women!"
One of the skinny bandits called out to their leader, a lanky man standing in the middle.
"No shit, I have eyes. Kill the men, keep the women." The leader drew a rusty sword and charged forward.
"Are you brain-dead? Can't you see we're Shinobi? Do you not see our forehead protectors?"
Shin was speechless. Fighting these guys was an insult to his skills.
"Mikoto, Kushina, I'll leave them to you. I believe in you," Shin said.
This mission was mainly for Mikoto and Kushina's benefit. Shin had killed enemy ninja when he was five.
Kushina and Mikoto were nervous, despite the bandits' obvious lack of strength.
Even Kushina, who had been eager for action, froze.
"Kushina, Mikoto, if you don't do something, this guy is going to kill me!"
Shin looked at the bandit leader, who was about to reach him, and sighed dramatically.
"Huh?"
Kushina and Mikoto snapped out of their daze. Seeing the bandit leader about to strike Shin, their eyes turned serious. They threw their Kunai with deadly accuracy.
Thud! Thud!
The bandit leader's eyes widened as one Kunai pierced his neck and the other his heart.
Mikoto and Kushina ignored the dead bandit and rushed to Shin. "Shin, are you okay? Why didn't you dodge?"
"If I dodged, you two would have hesitated even longer," Shin said.
"But that was dangerous! What if you got hurt?" Kushina glared at him.
"I didn't get hurt, did I? And do you really think he could hurt me?"
A malnourished civilian? If that guy could hurt him, he might as well commit suicide.
"You're not scared at all, are you?" Shin asked with a smile.
Kushina and Mikoto finally looked at the dead bandit. Kushina's expression was grim, while Mikoto's was pale.
They had been too worried about Shin to pay attention to the bandit they had killed. Now that the adrenaline was wearing off, the reality of what they had done was sinking in.
Kushina had seen far worse during the destruction of Uzushiogakure, but taking a life, even a bandit's, still weighed heavily on her.
Mikoto, who hadn't experienced such trauma, was shaken.
Tsunade remained silent, letting them process their emotions. This was an important step for every Shinobi.
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