Sneaking into a small village was in many ways more challenging than sneaking into a larger settlement like Miya Lake town with a walking patrol and shinobi guards.

Because of the village's size, the community was close-knit where everyone knew everyone, which made blending into the crowd impossible as the chances of getting recognized were 100%— even the use of Transformation Jutsu to disguise as a resident wasn't feasible if someone called out for a conversation.

In such a case, the only way to gather intel without having an inside man was to not be seen at all.

Takuma stood in the shadow of two buildings, looking at a group of people sitting around a table outside on the tavern's porch, drinking booze in the middle of the day, having a loud and rowdy conversation. The people passing by kept their eyes straight ahead without sparing a glance at the group— not even when they blew up in loud laughter.

Humans didn't work like that. Unexpected sounds and sights attracted attention, even if it was for a split second. Every person walked past the tavern like they had stiff necks— it was clear they were consciously not looking at the people. There was a scent of fear in the air.

The group looked like any other resident, but Takuma could tell from that observation that they were special in some way, and with the knowledge about the bandit presence in the village, he was sure they were the bandits. He noted their faces and stealthily made his way to a spot where he could pick up their voices.

"… I like the priest's daughter better."

"Bullshit, you can't compare her to the blacksmith's wife. She curves just at the right places…"

"I bet she's a dead lay."

"It'd take actual experience to convince me… and who knows, the blacksmith might not be able to pay up, and compensate in other ways."

Takuma had no interest in their perverse conversations, but he made a mental note to make it painful for these guys when the hunt started.

A short jockey arrived on the street, trotting on his horse. Takuma stepped deeper into the shadow as the horse neighed and stopped in front of the tavern. The man spoke to the group, "The boss wants to see the protection fees gathered in the office. Be there on the dot at five in the evening. No delays."

Takuma's eyes shined. That was usable information.

As the horse trotted away, Takuma thought to follow it, but a peek at his strapless wristwatch told him it was time to regroup. He followed the horse with his eyes for a moment before disappearing from his hiding spot.

———

.

When Takuma arrived, everyone but Aburame Susumu was present. He silently stood by his team without needing to be told the meeting would start when the final member came.

However, time passed, but Susumu didn't come back.

"Should we go take a look?" Iruka asked Raiden.

Raiden took out a small glass vial the size of half a thumb from his person. Inside the transparent vial was a small bug that Raiden released. The bug spread its wings, fluttered above their heads, and flew around in circles for a few seconds before buzzing down back into the vial.

"He's not in danger," said Raiden, putting the vial back into his pouch. "Let's discuss without him."

Iruka nodded, "We will go first…. The report holds true— the bandits have taken over the village. They're armed with weapons and black powder. I couldn't spot any shinobi presence among them, but we can't discount the possibility— don't let your guard down." Iruka continued to give more details about the bandits.

"They're planning to meet five in the evening to pool the protection fees they extort from the villagers," Takuma said after Iruka was done.

"From the horse rider?" Raiden commented; it seemed he had also spotted the man going around the town.

Takuma nodded. "He said they'll be meeting at 'the office.' I don't know where that place might be. However, it won't be a problem— we can follow the identified bandits to the location."

Most of the time, the information provided for C-rank missions was scarce. It could be because the representative that talked with the clients didn't bother to collect extensive information, or the client themselves didn't volunteer a lot of information— the number of C-rank missions that were accepted through the channels every day was large enough that the representative and client couldn't sit down for hours to discuss everything. As C-rank missions held a very low chance of mortal danger to shinobi, extensive information collection wasn't given weight, nor was it economically feasible.

In most cases, the responsibility to collect information fell on shinobi on the field, who could rely on their judgment to pursue specific avenues they deemed necessary.

Takuma finished his report by listing the bandits he had spotted.

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As the others were giving their input, Susumu returned.

"I hope you have a good reason to be late," Raiden narrowed his eyes at his genin.

The Aburame nodded, "Thirty-one bandits in total— five are currently outside the village, in the woods, hunting. They're going to meet at the village's community hall in the north around five in the evening. None of them wield chakra. We can strike when they all gather."

Takuma peered at Susumu. The Aburame had overshadowed all of them in terms of the importance of information. He had told them the number of targets, how many were currently in the village, the meeting place, and that none of the bandits had experience with chakra. Takuma's eyes swept over Susumu's body, knowing that all of that information was collected through insects and bugs that Susumu was festering inside his body. While he didn't wish to house insects inside his body, he couldn't help but feel envy at the ability they granted Susumu. He would've never been able to figure out if any of the bandits had experience with chakra if he didn't see them use it. He also didn't have a method to track thirty-one people in real-time.

"Rest for now. We start when they're all in one place," said Raiden to all.

———

.

Shimura Raiden faced his team as they made preparations for going against the bandits. Six genin were more than enough to take care of thirty-one civilians, even if they were martially skilled. And he and Iruka were there, so the bandits stood no chance.

But neither he nor Iruka were going to lift a finger. They were here to observe.

He glanced at Susumu, who stared at an insect on top of his finger. Raiden was more than satisfied with Susumu's performance till now. He followed orders without complaints, held substantial insight, and produced exceptional results— a perfect template for a shinobi. His Aburame clan background and the clan jutsu only elevated him.

Even if Susumu's father hadn't asked him to take him under his guidance, Raiden would've gladly taken him into his team. The child was a great find.

He turned towards the girls. Yuko and Aya. He had been working with them for over six months when their parents had requested him to take them under their wings. Onikuma and Izuno— they couldn't hold a torch to Shimura or Aburame, but they were still proper Leaf clans. He had worked with their shinobi and had found them satisfactory for their station.

Yuko and Aya were like what one would expect teenage girls to be— overly concerned with how they looked and dressed, needlessly stressed about not fitting in, childish romance, and all other things that came with that age. He wished they would conduct themselves with more maturity and dignity, but he had worked with plenty of teenagers to know that was a tall ask. As long as they were competent shinobi, he could overlook their other flaws— which they were steadily working towards. He was satisfied with that.

Raiden turned his attention to the other team.

Umino Iruka. A chunin at sixteen, an achievement that not many shinobi attained. That and the fact that Iruka's parents were shinobi was the only reason he had agreed to work with the younger chunin when the recommendation came in. But Iruka had disregarded every suggestion he had so generously given him about his team for the mission.

He furrowed his brow at what Iruka called his team. Dai, Yumiko, and Takuma. He couldn't see why Iruka had chosen them. They were undisciplined enough to fight with the other team. Raiden had presented him with suitable candidates… and he still chose these lackluster individuals. Raiden shook his head in disappointment.

"… All of them are inside," the insect on Susumu's finger now flew around his outstretched finger.

"Good," Raiden nodded. "We have to leave tomorrow early in the morning; I want you to be well rested, so get this over swiftly and cleanly."

""Yes, sir!""

Iruka addressed his team, and with that, the six genin moved toward the community. Raiden looked to Iruka, who nodded and headed towards the back door while he walked in through the front door.

The building that the village called a community hall was a one-story building smaller than his family compound. It was just one big room with pillars bearing the roof's weight. Inside the hall, the bandits stood around with two men sitting behind a table with stacks of ryo piled upon them. One of the two men was cursing at the man standing in front of the table, who had his head bowed down, taking it in.

"… you can't even do simple things! Useless! Fuck out of my sight!"

Raiden couldn't see any sympathy in the eyes of the other men. On the contrary, they even looked to be enjoying the scene of seeing their comrade getting chewed out.

'Undisciplined swine, all of them,' thought Raiden as he closed the door behind him.

It was then the man who had been cursing noticed Raiden.

"Who the fuck are you?!" he yelled.

Raiden had no reason to answer the rude question, so he crossed his arms and stood there silently and observed the men to conceive the plan on how to clear them out as fast as possible, even though he wasn't the one who was going to do that.

Three men nearest to Raiden drew their swords and dagger as they approached him, but before they could touch him, each found a kunai sticking out from a part of their body. Raiden frowned when a drop of blood stained his shoe.

He looked up as his team descended into the hall. Raiden looked at the man who had been cursing a few moments before, who he guessed was the leader. Raiden saw a flash of understanding pass the eyes as he gawked wide-eyed at his team.

Everyone had changed out of their shinobi uniform before exiting the Land of Fire. Walking around another country in the shinobi uniform was inviting trouble, and they didn't want any. But even without the uniform and headband, it was easy to figure they were shinobi. The kunai itself was a weapon that only shinobi used.

"Shinobi!"

What followed couldn't even be called a brawl for how one-sided it was.

Raiden observed the six genin running through thirty-one grown men like it was child's play— which it was.

He followed his students, and they were doing well. They incapacitated swiftly and placed kunai cuts with the precision he expected from them. His eyes also went to Iruka's team, and they weren't faring as well— it would be embarrassing if they did.

"Hmm?"

Raiden caught Takuma and noticed that out of all of them, he was the only one not using a kunai or any weapon. The boy clobbered the men with his fists. Raiden thought it to be inefficient, but his eyes naturally followed the boy, and he couldn't help but notice that each strike was placed where it would hurt the most without hitting any vitals. The boy was collected as he dodged sword strikes and countered, showing experience in his moves.

The leader tried to run out of the back, but Takuma jumped over the table, grabbed the chair the man had been sitting on a few moments before, and threw it for the leader's head, knocking him out before he could escape the hall.

It took barely two minutes before the fight was over.

"Good work," Iruka walked inside from the back exit. "Tie them up while we inform the villagers."

Iruka walked out, and Raiden followed after him. He wanted to ask the boy why he didn't use the kunai, but it didn't matter— perhaps the boy wasn't fond of kunai.

The cover-up mission was over, now they simply just needed to get past the niceties before they got onto the real mission.