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Chapter 15: An Unexpected Task!
Chapter 15: An Unexpected Task!
Whoosh, whoosh!
Four figures darted swiftly through the forest.
They were the Third Squad, heading to a location over a thousand kilometers from Hidden Leaf Village (Konoha).
At their pace, it would take them no more than two days to reach their destination.
Yes, a thousand kilometers in just two days.
That's what it means to be a ninja!
A merchant caravan might take a month to cover the same distance, which isn't surprising.
The incredible mobility of ninjas meant that only other ninjas could intercept them. This is why the regular armies of the Five Great Nations had no place in the Shinobi World Wars.
Their speed was limited to around seventy kilometers per hour to accommodate the team members. They traveled for about ten hours each day.
Using chakra for travel wasn't too draining, but it was still exhausting.
If it were just Minato Namikaze, he could probably reach the destination in less than a day.
Ninjas indeed couldn't be judged by normal standards.
Crossing mountains and rivers was second nature to them.
Two days later.
"Finally, we made it!"
Tohei sighed, looking at the small town ahead. The past two days had been more tiring than working on a construction site.
Compared to Hidden Leaf Village, this town was a mere speck. It had a population of only a few thousand, making it seem insignificant.
But this was a normal population size.
Hidden Leaf Village, which called itself a "village," had a population of hundreds of thousands, which was a complete misnomer.
"We'll split up to gather information. Meet back here in two hours!"
Tohei began to assign tasks.
Minato Namikaze remained silent.
This B-rank mission belonged to the Third Squad, not to him.
For an elite Jonin like Minato, a mission had to be at least A-rank or S-rank. A B-rank mission was beneath him.
So, once they left Hidden Leaf Village, he handed over all responsibilities to Tohei and the others, observing from the sidelines.
Tohei was appointed as the temporary leader, which was the only logical choice.
It was out of the question to let Kakashi, the "emotionless" robot, take the lead.
Shan Jianhao was even more reserved and silent.
Who else could lead if not Tohei?
Tohei, a former programmer and avid gamer, found commanding a small team of three to be a piece of cake.
He had commanded entire armies and fleets in games; this was nothing.
Before any mission, ninjas needed to gather intelligence. That's why Tohei was here to gather information on the bandits.
"Transformation Jutsu!"
Tohei formed the hand signs and transformed into a gaunt, weathered farmer in tattered clothes.
The three D-rank jutsu taught at the Ninja Academy—Transformation, Clone, and Substitution—proved useful in various situations.
A well-executed Transformation Jutsu ensured that no one would see through the disguise.
The Academy also taught them how to blend in, so Tohei now looked and acted just like a resident of the town.
The team split up and entered the town.
Tohei maintained a calm exterior, but his mood was grim.
Even though he knew the Shinobi World was harsh, seeing it with his own eyes was a different matter.
The townspeople were pale and malnourished, looking as if they would be blown over by the wind. Their clothes were ragged and barely held together.
The details spoke volumes about the conditions in other parts of the country.
After all, Fire Country was prosperous, and if the people here were in such a state, it was unimaginable how bad it was elsewhere.
Tohei felt a sense of relief.
After his Transmigration, he hadn't immediately fled Hidden Leaf Village.
Not only was it unlikely he would succeed, but even if he did, he would have a miserable life in such a place, worse than death.
Using the Transformation Jutsu, gathering information from the townspeople was straightforward.
He quickly learned some valuable information.
Occasionally, some "scary-looking" people would appear in the town to buy supplies.
Most importantly, these people started appearing a few years ago.
Two hours later!
The three of them met outside the town and began exchanging information.
Kakashi, as expected, had gathered a significant amount of intel.
From the information, they learned that the target group numbered around a hundred, and their hideout was located in a valley to the southeast of the town.
"Let's move out!"
To Hei gave the order.
At this point, Minato Namikaze had already gone into hiding, leaving the mission entirely in their hands.
It took them only an hour to find the target location.
For ordinary people, it would be a different story.
Finding the target in just an hour would be impossible; it might take them several days, if not weeks. Climbing through the rugged terrain and finding a hidden base in the dense forest was no easy task.
It was clear that the gap between ordinary people and ninja was indeed staggering.
The three of them were now perched on the thick canopy of trees outside the valley, observing the entrance.
A crude wooden wall, a few meters high, blocked the entrance, with two bandits patrolling it.
'So organized?'
To Hei frowned, deep in thought.
According to the intel, this was the bandit hideout and their mission target.
But something felt off.
"Shall we go in?"
Sanji Koji was eager to start.
He felt no unease about the impending violence; rather, he was somewhat excited.
In the world of ninja, killing was as commonplace as eating or drinking.
Even Minato Namikaze, the 'Little Sun,' had a staggering number of kills, and his targets were chosen solely based on the mission, not personal preference.
This was why To Hei found the world's moral values so twisted.
"No, we'll recon at midnight. For now, let's take turns resting!"
To Hei was bold in his research because he was confident in his abilities.
But in combat, he was cautious, knowing that his life was precious and only one.
Of course, this wasn't cowardice, but prudence.
Deep into the night, as the moonlight descended, the three of them began their infiltration.
Their superior mobility allowed them to bypass the wooden wall and easily leap into the valley.
Inside the valley, they saw a multitude of crude wooden structures and tents.
"Over there!"
To Hei quickly spotted a large cave protected in the center, realizing it must be the storage area.
Swoosh, swoosh!
The three of them swiftly approached the cave and saw the piles of supplies inside.
Soon, they discovered a suspicious target.
A stack of crates in a corner of the cave, covered with oilcloths.
Snap!
Sanji Koji carefully used a kunai to pry open the lid.
"How is this possible?"
His pupils suddenly contracted as he whispered.
Inside the crate were kunai.
Kunai weren't unusual, as they were not difficult to make.
But they were used exclusively by ninja and required a much higher quality standard than ordinary weapons.
In the entire Land of Fire, only a few places could produce them in bulk.
And these bandits were definitely not among them.
Seeing a crate of kunai here was enough to shock even the stoic Sanji Koji.
To Hei, though not particularly talented as a ninja, was sharp and quickly connected the dots.
Smuggled weapons!
Kunai were regulated items, akin to military-grade weapons. If they were to be sold, it would only be through the villages or the Land of Fire.
But these bandits' weapons were clearly not from Konoha or the Land of Fire.
They opened the other crates and found more ninja tools: kunai, senbon, shuriken, and the like.
Seeing this, To Hei whispered to the others.
"Should we retreat?"
He didn't want to get involved in this mess; he couldn't carry that kind of burden.
Kakashi and Sanji Koji understood the implications of finding such a large quantity of ninja tools and nodded in agreement.
Unfortunately, it was too late to retreat now.
(End of Chapter)
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