"Alright, let's rest here for now. We'll set off again in an hour."
Aoki Yoru's calm voice broke the heavy silence of the forest as he glanced toward Kenta, who was bent over slightly, breathing hard.
The moment the words left his mouth, Kenta let out a long sigh of relief.
"Finally…"
Without wasting a second, he hurried to a relatively clean patch of ground and dropped down, stretching his legs and trying to steady his breathing.
Sweat dripped from his forehead as his chest rose and fell rapidly.
He knew very well that this mission wouldn't be simple.
Bandits might be labeled as "ordinary people," but that didn't mean they were weak. Many of them were former soldiers, rogue samurai, or desperate men hardened by survival.
If he entered battle in a fatigued state, it wouldn't take much to lose his life.
Even Yui, who usually maintained a composed demeanor, sat down quickly.
She reached into her pouch and took out a Military Ration Pill, placing it in her mouth without hesitation.
A faint bitterness spread across her tongue as the pill dissolved, quickly restoring her chakra reserves.
Keeping up with Kakashi and Aoki's speed along the journey had already pushed her close to her limits.
No one spoke much after that.
The forest was quiet, save for the rustling of leaves and the occasional chirping of insects.
Time passed quickly.
Within what felt like moments, the hour of rest came to an end.
"Time's up," Aoki said as he stood.
Kenta and Yui rose as well, their earlier fatigue mostly gone. Their expressions had turned serious again, all traces of relaxation wiped away.
Without another word, the three set off once more.
Thanks to Aoki's sensory abilities, their approach was smooth and silent.
Hidden sentries placed around the bandits' territory were easily detected and avoided. Every potential lookout, every concealed presence, was mapped out clearly in Aoki's perception.
The deeper they moved into enemy territory, the more cautious they became.
Finally, they reached the outskirts of the bandit stronghold.
Aoki raised his hand, signaling for them to stop.
He closed his eyes.
For a moment, everything seemed to still.
Then—
He opened them again.
"No chakra signatures," he said quietly. "They're all ordinary people."
A faint pause.
"We're lucky. Most of them are gathered in the main hall."
That simplified things.
If the bandits had been scattered, tracking them down one by one would have been time-consuming and risky.
Aoki turned his head slightly.
"Yui."
"Yes."
"You guard the main gate. Don't let anyone escape."
Yui nodded immediately.
"And remember," Aoki added, his tone firm, "make sure they're dead. Don't hesitate. If you show mercy, it might cost you your life."
Her expression tightened.
"…Understood."
Aoki then turned to Kenta.
"You're with me."
Kenta grinned slightly, gripping his kunai tighter.
"Let's do this."
Aoki formed a series of hand seals.
"Water Release: Water Clone Technique."
With a soft splash, a clone identical to him emerged and moved ahead silently, heading toward the main hall.
Aoki and Kenta followed closely behind.
Even though he had confirmed that there were no ninja inside, Aoki didn't relax.
Bandits don't need chakra to set traps.
Explosive tags, poison mechanisms, hidden weapons—any of these could be fatal if one was careless.
Using a clone to scout ahead was a habit Aoki had developed since he was six years old.
It was a rule he never broke.
Because he understood one thing deeply—
Strength often bred arrogance.
And arrogance led to death.
Hadn't Senju Nawaki died from something as ridiculous as stepping on an explosive trap?
Aoki had no intention of ending his life in such a foolish way.
Inside the main hall of the stronghold—
The atmosphere was completely different.
The bandits were gathered together, drinking and feasting loudly.
Laughter echoed through the hall as bowls clashed and wine spilled across wooden tables.
"Boss! This haul was incredible!"
A burly, bearded man stood up unsteadily, raising his bowl high.
"This fat sheep was really fat! We can eat and drink for half a year with this!"
He laughed drunkenly.
"If you hadn't gotten that information, we would've been fooled! Damn merchants even disguised their goods as coarse grains!"
The boss, Tie Ya, sat at the head of the table.
He lifted his bowl and drank it in one gulp before slamming it down heavily.
"That's because I have backing," he said smugly, leaning back in his chair.
"My connections aren't something you lot can understand."
His gaze swept across the room.
"As long as you follow me, you'll have wealth, food, and women. Loyalty will be rewarded!"
The hall erupted in cheers.
"Boss is amazing!"
"Long live the boss!"
They slammed tables, threw bowls, and shouted wildly.
Tie Ya smiled with satisfaction, raising his drink again.
But in the next moment—
Swish! Swish!
Two kunai shot through the window like streaks of black lightning.
Tie Ya reacted instantly.
With a sharp movement, he flipped the table in front of him, using it as a shield.
Thunk!
The kunai embedded into the wood.
But—
His expression changed.
Beside him, the bearded second-in-command froze.
His eyes bulged wide.
A kunai had pierced straight through his throat.
A choking sound escaped him before his body collapsed heavily to the ground.
Silence lasted only a heartbeat.
Then—
Aoki burst through the window.
A cold glint flashed.
In an instant, several bandits near him felt a chill across their necks.
Blood sprayed into the air.
Bodies fell one after another.
"Attack! Kill him!"
Tie Ya roared.
"Don't be afraid—he's only one person!"
But his words were meaningless.
The bandits rushed forward—
Only to fall just as quickly.
They couldn't even touch the corner of Aoki's clothes.
Watching his men drop like wheat before a scythe, Tie Ya's expression twisted.
He reached behind him—
Click.
At that exact moment—
Aoki's instincts screamed.
Danger.
He looked up.
From the ceiling, a dense rain of senbon shot downward.
Among them—
Explosive tags burned fiercely.
Aoki's pupils shrank.
Boom!!!
A violent explosion erupted.
Flames swallowed the hall instantly.
Screams echoed in every direction.
"Ahhh—!"
"Help—!"
The fire roared, consuming everything.
Outside, Tie Ya emerged from a hidden exit, laughing wildly.
"Hahaha! You're dead!"
"I knew a ninja would come!"
He touched the scar on his face, his expression ferocious.
"Luckily, Lord gave me this trump card—"
His laughter stopped abruptly.
His body stiffened.
He looked down.
A blade had pierced through his chest.
Blood dripped slowly along its edge.
Behind him, Aoki's calm voice sounded.
"As expected… one must always be cautious."
Tie Ya's eyes widened in disbelief.
"How…?"
Aoki's gaze was cold.
"If I hadn't used a clone, that trap might've worked."
He twisted the blade slightly.
"You… couldn't have set this up alone."
With that, he pulled the blade out.
Tie Ya's body collapsed to the ground.
Inside the hall—
The flames began to subside.
Where the explosion had occurred, bodies were scattered everywhere.
But there was no trace of Aoki.
Only a puddle of water remained.
When Aoki returned to the entrance, the battle was already ending.
Kenta moved swiftly, finishing off the remaining bandits who had survived on the outskirts.
His movements were rough, but decisive.
At the gate, several corpses lay on the ground.
Yui stood there silently, her kunai still dripping with blood.
Those who had tried to escape…
Hadn't made it far.
"It's done," Kenta said, breathing slightly heavier.
Aoki nodded.
"Good work."
He glanced toward the interior of the stronghold.
"Let's check the warehouse."
"But stay alert. There could still be survivors."
The three moved together.
Aoki led the way, already knowing the location through his earlier sensing.
When they pushed open the warehouse door—
A wave of damp, musty air hit them.
And then—
They froze.
Inside was a mountain of supplies.
Weapons.
Food.
Medicinal herbs.
Tools.
And against the wall—
Five large chests.
Kenta's eyes widened.
"No way…"
Aoki walked forward and opened one.
Inside—
Stacks of paper money.
Even he was momentarily stunned.
Kenta swallowed hard.
"How much… is all this worth?"
His voice trembled slightly.
"If I had this… I could open a barbecue shop…"
Yui didn't speak, but her eyes were equally shocked.
"It was probably taken recently," Aoki said, picking up a stack and weighing it in his hand.
"That banquet earlier… was likely their celebration."
He closed the chest.
"We'll ask Kakashi-sensei how spoils are handled. We probably won't have to turn everything in."
Before anyone could respond—
Boom!
A distant explosion echoed.
Aoki rushed outside immediately.
In the distance—
Lightning flashed.
Two figures clashed at incredible speed, bolts of electricity tearing through the air.
Aoki closed his eyes briefly.
When he opened them again, his expression had changed.
"Kakashi-sensei… is fighting."
His voice turned serious.
"Two enemies. Chunin level."
He turned sharply.
"Prepare for battle."
Kenta and Yui immediately drew their weapons.
The atmosphere shifted.
From relief—
To tension.
Swish! Swish!
Two figures appeared before them.
The leader was tall, dark-skinned, with narrow eyes filled with killing intent.
Beside him stood a thinner man wearing sunglasses.
The leader glanced around casually.
"That trash Tie Ya… actually got taken out by a bunch of brats."
He clicked his tongue.
"What a waste of effort setting those traps."
Then his gaze fell on them.
Cold.
Disdainful.
"Well… as long as the supplies are still here, it doesn't matter."
He stepped forward slightly.
"Hey… you little Konoha brats."
His lips curled into a cruel smile.
"Even if Tie Ya was trash… he was still my dog."
"You killed him…"
His tongue ran across his lips.
"So now—"
"You'll pay with your lives."