Kaida had activated his Sharingan and quickly located the enemy ninja 70 meters away. Using his Wind Instantaneous Movement Jutsu,
He appeared behind the ninja, sword in hand, aiming for a fatal blow. The ninja, sensing the danger, managed to leap forward, but not without receiving a cut on the back of his neck. Realizing he was cornered, the ninja crushed the poison capsule hidden in his mouth and died instantly.
Yukihiro appeared beside Kaida, his expression somber.
"Most ninja are very loyal to their village and choose the village over their life most of the time," Yukihiro explained. "Go handle your friends; I'll take care of the rest."
"Okay, Sensei," Kaida replied before using his Wind Instantaneous Movement Jutsu to return to Ryota and Yomi.
He found them both in distress, vomiting as the reality of their actions set in. Kaida, though also feeling nauseous, managed to maintain his composure.
Kiba was barking, trying to comfort Ryota and Yomi.
"Let them be, buddy," Kaida said softly to Kiba, giving the dog a reassuring pat. They then sat quietly in a corner, waiting for the others to finish.
Meanwhile, Yukihiro efficiently stored the ninja's body in a scroll and buried the bandits, before joining Kaida.
"Killing never gets any easier. It's us who get stronger," Yukihiro said with a sorrowful expression.
Once Ryota and Yomi had recovered, Kaida offered them some water, and they all returned to their camp for a brief rest. During this time, Kaida and Yomi had a quiet conversation.
"Are you all right?" Kaida asked gently.
Yomi sighed. "Yeah, I'm okay... It's just... I didn't expect it to be like this."
"I know, it's tough," Kaida said, understanding. "But we did what we had to do."
"I know, but... taking a life, even if they were bandits... it's never easy."
"Remember what Sensei said? Sometimes, as ninjas, we must make difficult choices to protect the ones we care about."
"I know, but it doesn't make it any less painful," Yomi replied, her hands clenched into fists.
"Yeah, it is painful. But we're a team, and we'll always have each other's backs," Kaida reassured her.
"Thanks. Let's focus on protecting the village and keeping everyone safe."
"That's the spirit. Now go and take some rest."
Yomi nodded and went into the tent to nap. Yukihiro, who had been observing the exchange, sat down next to Kaida.
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"Nice motivational speech, Kaida," Yukihiro said with a small smile.
Kaida chuckled. "Thanks, Sensei."
"When they wake up, we'll head back to the village. We'll rest for today and take another mission tomorrow. Kaida, there's something I need to tell you.
The Land of Fire is infested with bandits not just because our village is short on ninjas, but also because other villages are using this as an opportunity to weaken Konoha's economy.
Most of our trade routes are plagued with bandits. Since these bandits have support from other villages, they've become more brazen, attacking and killing innocent people. We have to keep taking missions; we don't have a choice."
"I understand, Sensei. And I'm sure they'll be alright by tomorrow."
After resting, the team returned to the village, this time using movement jutsu to cover the distance in just three hours.
They parted ways, with Yukihiro going to submit the mission report, while Kaida and Yomi headed home. Ryota and Kiba returned to the Inuzuka compound to recount their mission.
That day, none of them trained; instead, they took a much-needed rest. The mission had been mentally exhausting for Yomi, and Kaida decided to stay with her. They spent the day indoors, then went for an evening walk, had dinner, and returned home. By then, Yomi seemed to have recovered.
Kaida, reflecting on the day, thought to himself, 'This time killing was much more easier on my mind, I don't feel the same guilt I felt that day, is it because of Sharingan or am I getting used to this world?'
That night, one of Yukihiro's clones visited Kaida's house to inform them that they had to meet at the village gate at 5 AM the next day.
---
The next morning, Kaida and Yomi woke up at 4 AM, got ready, and headed to the village gate. Yukihiro was already there, and Ryota arrived shortly after using Body Flicker Jutsu.
"So, how are you guys feeling?" Yukihiro asked, his gaze focused on Yomi and Ryota.
"We're fine, Sensei," Ryota replied, with Yomi nodding in agreement.
"That's good. We have another bandit extermination mission. This time, it's near a village where the bandits have been harassing the villagers. The chances of ninja involvement are low, but stay on guard."
"Yes, Sensei," all three of them responded in unison.
The team set off, and by 4 PM, they arrived at the village where the mission request had originated. An elderly village guard greeted them at the gate and escorted them to the village chief's house.
"Thank God you arrived," the village chief said, visibly relieved. "The bandits gave us three days to hand over half of our crops and 1 million ryo, or they would kidnap every girl in the village. Today is the last day."
"Don't worry, old man. We'll take care of it," Yukihiro assured him. "Do you know where their camp is?"
"Unfortunately, no one who has gone to their camp has ever returned, so we don't know its exact location," the village chief admitted sadly.
"We'll handle it," Yukihiro said confidently. He then turned to Ryota. "Can you find the bandits' tracks?"
"Yes, Sensei." Ryota and Kiba began searching, with Kaida activating his Sharingan to assist.
After a few moments, Ryota paused and looked at the village chief. "Sir, do the bandits come to the village on horses?"
"Yes, three bandits came on horses yesterday to remind us of the deadline," the chief confirmed.
"That makes it easier. Sensei, I can track them," Ryota said.
"Okay, we'll follow you," Yukihiro replied.
The team followed Ryota, with Kaida also tracing the horses' tracks, though he conserved his chakra by letting Ryota take the lead. Soon, they arrived at the bandit camp, located in a bamboo forest. The camp consisted of three makeshift huts and a larger central building, likely where the leader resided.
Yukihiro decided to assist this time. He spread his chakra field, scanning the camp.
"There are 27 bandits in total—24 in the huts and three in the central building. No ninjas," Yukihiro reported.
"Sensei, how were you able to find that out?" Kaida asked, voicing the curiosity of the others.
"Chakra can do many things, Kaida. Sensing is one of them," Yukihiro explained. "Now that I remember, you all need to choose a specialization soon. Becoming a sensor ninja is one option. But let's focus on the mission for now. You guys know the drill."
The team nodded, preparing to execute their plan.