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"Everything in this world has a purpose. On the surface, the goal of these bandits seems clear: to rob the Fujiwara Mines. But in reality, they have neither the means to smelt the ore nor the routes to transport it. To them, these are just useless rocks. Yet, they are risking their lives to offend the Uchiha clan. Tell me... are there really such stupid bandits in this world?"
Xuan cupped his chin, an inscrutable smile playing on his lips.
Uchiha Masa was speechless. He realized that this child wasn't just a monster in terms of strength; his intellect far surpassed that of an ordinary person.
For all the time he had been here, Masa hadn't noticed the problem. But now that Xuan pointed it out, it became obvious. The enemy didn't seem interested in the ore at all; they were simply intercepting transport convoys and blockading the trade routes, leaving the ore itself largely untouched.
"Then what is their goal?"
At this point, Uchiha Masa had completely lowered himself. If his respect earlier was due to Xuan's strength and the Three-Tomoe Sharingan, he was now thoroughly awed by the boy's mind.
"When things are this abnormal, there must be something sinister going on. No one actively seeks death, especially outlaws. They cherish their lives more than ordinary people, and they are often smarter than most give them credit for..."
Xuan narrowed his eyes—a subconscious habit whenever his thinking reached a critical point.
"Someone is fishing," Xuan said softly.
"What?"
"A classic case of 'luring the snake out of its hole.' Heh, I suddenly want to meet the mastermind behind these bandits." Xuan looked at the map, feeling a faint surge of excitement. He was becoming more interested in this mission.
"My Lord, are you saying there's someone pulling the strings behind these bandits?" Uchiha Masa exclaimed, finding it hard to believe. They weren't far from the Uchiha clan grounds. Who would dare set a trap here? It was like pulling a tooth from a tiger's mouth.
Xuan chuckled, ignoring the question. Instead, he ordered, "The sky is getting dark; it's the perfect time for murder and arson. Go out and scout. I estimate that after receiving news of my arrival, those bandits will come out to play. Don't report back to me immediately if you spot them. Just go!"
His order came naturally, without a condescending tone, as if he were simply instructing his own subordinates.
Uchiha Masa and the four other Genin looked at each other and felt nothing amiss. This was how the world worked: the strong commanded the weak. It was the law of nature.
"By the way, remember to drag that unconscious idiot out. Looking at him annoys me." Seeing them get up to leave, Xuan added one last instruction.
Once everyone had left, the room returned to silence. Xuan went into the inner room, lay down on the bed, and closed his eyes to meditate.
After a while, he walked out of the house and rolled up the sleeves of his unique Uchiha robes, revealing his forearms. Both arms were tightly wrapped in bandages covered in sealing scripts. These were Ninja Tool Sealing Scrolls, capable of storing items like kunai and shuriken using a special Sealing Jutsu. They were incredibly convenient.
They were of the same type as the large scroll Hashirama would carry later, or the scrolls Tenten would use decades in the future. However, Xuan's version was a specialized, miniature variant. It could only store small tools like kunai and shuriken; larger weapons wouldn't fit.
With a sudden flick of his right wrist, countless kunai engraved with formulas appeared out of thin air, scattering in all directions. Some landed in the grass, others nailed into tree trunks. Only after setting everything up did he return to the house. After a moment's thought, he placed one last kunai inside the room before sitting down to wait for the others.
He firmly believed that preparedness averted peril. By arranging everything he could in advance, his chances of survival in this world would be much higher.
He didn't have to wait long. Uchiha Masa and the others hurried back. "They've appeared! Over by the Raw Stone Cave. There are about thirty of them..."
Xuan stood up. "Point out the location of the Raw Stone Cave on the map!"
Uchiha Masa pointed to a spot on the map. Xuan memorized it silently and said, "Wait here for my return!"
Before his voice had even faded, he transformed into a black shadow and dashed out. Utilizing the trees for leverage, he leaped into the night and vanished.
Relying on his memory, Xuan sped toward the Raw Stone Cave. With his speed, he arrived at his destination in no time. Using the tree trunks for cover, he observed the situation inside the cave. The night was too dark, limiting his vision, so he directly activated his Sharingan.
A faint smell of blood wafted from the mine. Amidst the noise, two carts of rough ore were being pulled out by thirty-two bandits, hitched to horses, and transported into the distance.
Xuan watched silently without intervening. So, they really are targeting me. Bandits who never raided the mine before suddenly pull a stunt like this the moment I arrive? They're acting a bit too eager. And those ores... they haven't even been sorted. A third of that is just useless rock. If they were really here for the ore, this is way too unprofessional. But that's fine. Let me see who is plotting against me.
Knowing full well it was a trap, Xuan trailed the bandits from a distance. He had already placed Flying Thunder God markers far away. In any situation, as long as he stayed within range, he was confident he could escape.
The horse carts bumped along the rugged mountain path for about an hour before arriving outside a stockade. Looking at the wooden palisades, the timber still retained its moisture—it was obvious this place had been built very recently.
The bandits entered the stockade and casually dumped the ore on the ground. No one even bothered to look at it.
Ding! [Mission Issued: Clear the bandits and draw out the mastermind. Success Reward: 1,000 Points. Failure: Deduction of corresponding points! If points are insufficient, Host will be obliterated!]
Suddenly, the System's voice rang in his ears. Xuan twitched his lips and cursed silently, Meddlesome System. He had wanted to observe a bit longer. But since he had zero surplus points to deduct, failure meant death. He had to act now.
"Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"
He opened with the classic signature move of the Uchiha clan. A massive fireball roared toward the group of over thirty bandits.
BOOM!
Aside from the two leaders who jumped away in the nick of time, the rest of the bandits were wiped out instantly.
"Enemy attack! Enemy attack! Someone come quickly... Ahhh!"
Xuan pulled his kunai out of a bandit's back and said indifferently, "Instead of screaming for help, you should have spent that time thinking about how to save your life."
In a chaotic rush, a swarm of people charged out from the buildings. Xuan made a preliminary estimate—there were about a hundred of them. Watching them rush out holding rusty steel blades, with most wearing tattered clothes, Xuan was slightly taken aback.
"Are they... actual bandits?"
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