In the direction of Kasahara Village, Ken and Yumi followed the tracks and soon located the group of Bandits terrorizing the village.
But the sight before them made both of them inhale sharply.
Several thatched houses were already engulfed in flames, thick smoke rising into the night sky.
Men roared drunkenly, women screamed in terror, children cried helplessly, and the arrogant laughter of the Bandits echoed throughout the village.
"Hand over all the food!"
"This little girl looks good. Take her with us!"
One Bandit was dragging a young girl away from her mother by force.
The old woman knelt on the ground, desperately clutching the bandit's leg, only to be kicked away violently. Her forehead smashed against a rock, blood immediately streaming down her face.
Nearby, several bandits waved clubs and crude blades around, forcing the villagers to dump their already pitiful food supplies into large sacks. Anyone who hesitated for even a moment was beaten without mercy.
Several villager corpses already lay scattered across the village square, silently bearing witness to the atrocities that had just taken place.
"These… animals!" Ken clenched his teeth so hard they audibly cracked.
The lingering discomfort he had felt earlier after executing prisoners at the hideout instantly vanished, replaced entirely by burning fury.
Yumi's face turned pale, but her eyes became equally cold.
"We can't let this continue."
"Move!"
Without another word, the two rushed into the chaotic group of bandits like arrows released from a bow.
The battle erupted instantly.
Ken charged directly toward the Bandit, dragging the young girl.
The man heard movement and barely managed to turn his head before a fist rapidly filled his vision.
Bang!
The sickening sound of a shattered nose echoed through the village.
The bandit screamed as he flew backward and collapsed unconscious onto the ground.
At the same moment, Yumi silently appeared behind another bandit who was threatening an elderly villager with a blade.
A kunai flashed through the darkness.
The blade sliced cleanly across the side of his throat.
The bandit stiffened violently, let out a few choking gasps, and collapsed while clutching at the blood pouring from his neck.
"Who's there?!"
"It's Ninja!"
The sudden ambush threw the Bandits into immediate panic.
The villagers, however, instantly noticed the Konoha forehead protectors. Relief flooded their faces as they cried out excitedly.
"Konoha Ninja!"
"The Ninja from Konoha are here!"
The bandit leader's face twisted in both shock and fury. He immediately raised his blade and shouted toward his men.
"Kill them!"
"They're just a pair of brats!"
But the gap between ordinary civilians and trained ninjas was overwhelming.
Kunai sliced through the air with deadly arcs, piercing throats and hearts alike.
Ken and Yumi pushed their Taijutsu to the limit. Every punch, elbow strike, and kick carried the heavy sound of breaking bones.
Blood splattered across the village streets as the screams of the Bandits rose one after another, forming a brutal contrast to the arrogance they had displayed moments earlier.
Having just crossed the psychological barrier of killing, Ken and Yumi's movements still carried traces of inexperience, but their attacks were ruthless and decisive.
Faced with criminals who preyed on innocent civilians, neither of them felt even the slightest hesitation anymore.
Nine ordinary Bandits stood absolutely no chance against two official Genin.
In mere moments, most of them had already fallen. Only the bandit leader and two remaining subordinates stood trembling back-to-back, staring fearfully at the two advancing young Ninja.
"It's over…" Ken let out a rough breath as he kicked aside the corpse at his feet. He had just turned toward Yumi to speak—
When suddenly—
Swish! Swish!
Several shuriken shot out from the darkness at viciously tricky angles, aiming directly for their vital points.
"Watch out!"
Ken and Yumi instantly moved back-to-back, desperately swinging their kunai to block the incoming attacks. Sparks exploded through the darkness as metal clashed repeatedly.
From the shadows, three masked Ninjas slowly stepped forward and surrounded them in a triangular formation.
The leader stood with folded arms, his gaze icy cold, while the other two immediately assumed offensive stances.
"Ninja?! Why are there Ninja here?!" Ken's face instantly turned pale.
Yumi tightened her grip around her kunai as cold sweat formed in her palms. "There are three of them… What do we do, Ken?!"
The masked Ninja calmly observed the two Genin.
The leader tilted his head slightly.
The other two immediately understood the signal.
"Target confirmed," the Ninja on the left said coldly.
"Move," the one on the right answered immediately.
The moment the words fell, both Ninjas launched forward simultaneously. Their speed was terrifyingly fast, their attacks strong and ruthless.
The cold gleam of their kunai repeatedly swept past Ken and Yumi's throats and vital points by mere inches.
The pressure from their Taijutsu was overwhelming. Every block sent painful numbness shooting through Ken's arms, while Yumi took a brutal side kick to the waist that forced a muffled grunt from his mouth as he staggered backward.
The two Genin were completely suppressed.
They could barely defend themselves, let alone counterattack.
The enemy attacks came like a violent storm, yet strangely restrained at the same time. Every strike brought them right to the edge of death, but none of the masked Ninja delivered a finishing blow.
"It's useless! The gap's too big!" Ken barely blocked a downward slash, his palm splitting open from the force as blood ran down his fingers.
"Yumi! Fire the signal!" he shouted desperately.
Yumi, who was also being forced backward repeatedly, gritted her teeth hard. Ignoring the fresh cut carved across her shoulder by a kunai, she quickly pulled out a signal flare and activated it.
Whoosh—Bang!
A bright flare shot into the sky with a shrill whistle before exploding into brilliant red light high above the village.
The masked leader, who had remained standing with folded arms the entire time, slowly raised his head to look at the signal flare.
Beneath the mask, the corners of his lips seemed to move slightly.
In a voice only he could hear, he muttered quietly: "Now… you should be coming now… Kinoe."
The other two masked Ninja paused briefly after seeing the flare. Both looked toward their leader.
The leader gave a slight nod.
Immediately afterward, they resumed their assault, continuing to pressure Ken and Yumi relentlessly.
They neither killed them nor allowed them any chance to escape.
—
At that same moment, Yamato—who had been positioned farther away to provide support—suddenly looked up at the red flare exploding above Kasahara Village.
His expression changed instantly. "A distress signal?! Something happened to Ken and Yumi?!"
His heart tightened immediately.
"What's going on? Based on the mission intel, a few Bandits shouldn't have pushed them this far."
"A change in circumstances? Or… did outside Ninja get involved?"
Almost instantly, Yamato thought of Shin.
But with Shin's strength, even if he encountered enemy Ninja, he should have been able to hold out much longer unless the opponents were highly experienced.
"I have to reach them first!"
Without another moment of hesitation, Yamato disappeared with a Body Flicker Jutsu, transforming into a blur as he rushed toward Kasahara Village at full speed.