Yamato stepped out from the shadows and looked at the five Bandits who had been subdued with ease. A trace of approval flashed through his eyes.
"Well done. Faced with an unexpected situation, your judgment was accurate, and your actions were decisive."
Hearing their teacher's praise, relief briefly appeared on Ken and Yumi's faces, but the reality before them quickly pulled them back to focus. There were still more important matters to handle.
"Yamato-sensei, the rest of the bandits aren't here," Shin reported concisely.
Yamato's gaze fell on the unconscious and groaning bandits scattered around the campfire, his expression turning cold.
"Find out where the others went." He paused briefly before giving the next order. "Interrogate them."
"Understood!"
Ken immediately stepped forward. He grabbed the skinny bandit who had just begun waking up and forced him onto his knees beside the campfire.
"Talk!" Ken barked, trying to sound intimidating. "Where are the others? Where did they go?!"
The skinny bandit was already terrified by the brutal beating and the sudden attack. His eyes darted around frantically as he instinctively tried to lie.
"They… they went deeper into the mountains to hunt! They won't be back until morning!"
Before he could finish speaking—
Slash!
A cold flash cut through the darkness.
A kunai blade sliced cleanly across the throat of another bound bandit nearby. The movement was so sudden that Ken and Yumi failed to react in time.
Warm blood sprayed across the ground while a thick metallic smell instantly filled the air.
The bandit whose throat had been slit convulsed violently as a choking hiss escaped from his ruined throat. His eyes widened in terror and disbelief before his body finally went limp.
Ken and Yumi froze completely.
Ken, standing closest, caught the full stench of fresh blood, and his stomach twisted violently.
Yumi immediately covered her mouth, desperately suppressing the urge to vomit. It was the first time she had witnessed death from such close range.
The splattered blood still seemed warm. The sound of the body collapsing replayed over and over inside her mind.
Shin appeared completely unaffected. He calmly flicked the blood from the kunai before fixing his cold gaze on the terrified skinny bandit once more.
"Now," Shin said flatly, "say it again. Where did the others go?"
The bandit's psychological defenses were completely shattered after witnessing his companion's death and meeting Shin's emotionless gaze.
"I'll talk! I'll talk!" he screamed desperately, tears streaming down his face. "Don't kill me! The boss and the others split into two groups! They went to nearby Ishikawa Village and Kasahara Village to collect supplies tonight! They only left us behind to guard the camp! Everything I said is true! Please spare me!"
Shin's expression remained cold and unmoved.
"Any Ninja among them?" he asked immediately. "What's their strength? Exact numbers, weapons, equipment."
"N-No Ninja!" the bandit answered frantically. "They're all just wandering people like us! The boss took eleven men, and the second-in-command took nine! Mostly swords, a few bows, nothing else! I swear that's everything!"
After confirming there was nothing more useful to extract, Shin stood up and looked toward Yamato.
"Sensei, we have the information."
Yamato looked at Shin's calm profile and felt a slight stir in his heart.
First interrogation. First Kill. Yet Shin remained completely undisturbed. That level of composure was extraordinary.
Pushing aside his thoughts, Yamato turned toward the three Genin. "Now that we understand the situation, we have two options."
"The bandits split into two groups to raid nearby villages. We can either remain here and ambush them when they return…"
"Or," his eyes sharpened slightly, "we can pursue them separately and eliminate them before they harm more civilians."
He paused briefly before continuing.
"The first option is safer, but there's a chance they discover us and flee. The second option is more aggressive and efficient, but it requires splitting our forces and carries greater risk."
"What do you think?"
Shin answered almost instantly. "We split up and pursue them. It's faster, and it prevents further damage to the villages."
Ken and Yumi exchanged glances.
The fear and helplessness they had seen in the villagers resurfaced in their minds, along with the crimes these bandits had committed. After only a brief hesitation, both nodded firmly.
"We agree with Shin," Yumi said seriously. "We should stop them before they hurt anyone else."
Ken added, "According to the information, they're just ordinary bandits. No Ninja. As long as we're careful, it wouldn't be a problem."
Yamato watched the three quickly reach a consensus, satisfaction flashing through his eyes.
Assessing the enemy, judging the risks, and choosing the most efficient plan—those were the qualities of a proper Ninja.
"Good." Yamato made his decision immediately. "Then we split up."
"Shin, you'll operate alone and pursue the leader's group. They have eleven men. Ken, you and Yumi will pursue the second group of nine.
I'll remain between both teams and provide support wherever necessary."
His gaze shifted toward the four surviving captives lying on the ground. "As for them…" his tone turned icy, "handle it yourselves."
"Remember this well, showing mercy to enemies is irresponsibility toward yourselves and the people you're protecting."
The words hit Ken and Yumi heavily. Both understood exactly what Yamato meant by "handle it."
The skinny bandit immediately broke down in terror.
"No! Please don't kill me!" he screamed hysterically, tears and mucus covering his face. "I told you everything! Please let me go! I swear I'll never do this again!"
The desperate cries echoed harshly throughout the silent mountain hollow.
Ken and Yumi tightened their grips around their kunai, clear hesitation flashing across their faces.
They were Ninja… but executing helpless prisoners with their own hands was completely different from fighting during battle.
Shin glanced at them briefly without saying a word. Then he stepped forward.
Under the skinny bandit's desperate gaze, the kunai flashed once more. The pleading stopped instantly.
"The remaining three are yours." Shin shook the blood from the blade, sheathed the kunai, and spoke indifferently.
Ken and Yumi stared silently at the newly added corpse before looking at one another.
After taking a deep breath, the hesitation in their eyes slowly hardened into resolve. Without speaking further, they walked toward the remaining unconscious bandits.
Kunai rose and fell.
Their movements lacked Shin's smooth efficiency, but they carried the determination expected of Ninja.
The smell of blood in the camp grew even heavier.
Yamato silently observed everything.
Seeing his two young students overcome their hesitation and complete this cruel but necessary lesson, he gave a small nod inwardly.
The process had been difficult, but the result was acceptable. And Shin's absolute indifference left an even deeper impression on him.
Shin looked at his teammates, who had already begun adjusting themselves mentally, and a trace of approval flashed through his eyes as well.
Strength could always be improved later. But indecisiveness and excessive sentimentality were fatal flaws in the Ninja world.
At the very least, his teammates possessed the basic qualities required of Ninja. Unlike Uzumaki Naruto, who acted like a complete idiot…
"Clean up the traces," Yamato ordered calmly, breaking the silence. "We move out in five minutes."
"Understood!" The three responded in unison before immediately beginning to clean the battlefield.